Hong Kong: CE visits Yuen Long

Chief Executive John Lee today visited local residents in Yuen Long to listen to their views on the upcoming Policy Address and also inspected the effective outcome of tackling hygiene black spots in the district.



Mr Lee called on a grassroots family living in a subdivided flat to find out about their living conditions and the issues they face in their daily lives and with raising children.



He then proceeded to inspect a hygiene blackspot on Yuen Long New Street to learn more about the effectiveness of the joint efforts by the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department and Police in combatting shop front extensions.



Mr Lee also chatted with citizens along the street and was pleased to receive their positive feedback regarding the improvement in hygiene and their support for government measures.



The Chief Executive pointed out that over 700 hygiene black spots have been eliminated since the launch of the Government Programme on Tackling Hygiene Black Spots last August, resulting in enhanced environmental hygiene and cityscape.



Furthermore, cleansing work has been strengthened in more than 4,000 public places under the same programme led by a district matters task force chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary.



Mr Lee said under the strengthened district governance structure, co-ordination and co-operation in district work will be better promoted to benefit society.



At a local restaurant, Mr Lee chatted with citizens who were having morning tea there and listened to their views on the next Policy Address.



He said: I have felt the support and demand from the public for the Government to make continuous improvement of their livelihood and living conditions, and I can feel everyones deep affection for Hong Kong, our home.



The Chief Executive added that he and his team will continue to visit different districts to hear citizens views, and will do their utmost for the peoples livelihood and the economy.

Additionally, he called on members of the public to give their views on the upcoming Policy Address to the Government.



Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho and Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak accompanied Mr Lee on the visit.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
North Koreans work at a timber yard in Dzhalingra camp in Russia's Far East, May 16, 2003. AP-Yonhap



By Kim Dong-jae



Until last year, I was one of the modern slaves of Kim Jong-un. I was born and raised in North Korea. I worked in a North Korean building company in Russia for more than 5 years. I came here to tell the story of 21st-century slaves that exist in North Korea.



Have you ever seen slaves with your eyes? If you would like to see one, you should take a look at North Korean workers who are toiling abroad. And, if you talk with one of them for more than five minutes, you'll see the face of a modern slave.



Why are they slaves? There are many reasons, but I can't tell you all the reasons here, so I'll tell you only three.



First, they can't listen to anyone, look at or say anything while working abroad. Second, they can have no money, although they work as hard as a working ox. Third, they can say nothing about the bad treatment they get from Kim Jong-un. After hearing my story, you'll understand why we must end the dictatorship of the Kim family and the system of slavery there.



I'd like to begin my story from the airport of Vladivostok where I was sent in Russia. I arrived with my fellow workers at Vladivostok airport. When we arrived at the airport, the company director said to us workers, "From now on, you must work like ants for Kim Jong-un and yourselves." He said that we even had to make sugar drops from dung if necessary to make money. From the airport of Vladivostok as soon as we arrived in Russia, he always used "little" before our names, like "little Dong-jae," and did not treat us as human beings.



We were very often verbally yelled at and physically abused. But the only thing we could do was comply.



He was a little dictator for us in Russia.



We entered Russia saying we were exchange students. Our company's name wasn't on any legal documents. And in Russia, it is forbidden for students to work. We worked illegally.



So, the police clamped down on us whenever they saw us at construction sites while we were working. And if the police took one of us to jail, it was our problem, not the company's, not the government's. North Korean companies and the government are only observers of the imprisonment of their unhappy members. We had to escape the police's eyes and lay low in order to work in Russia.



The company director led us straight from the airport to the construction site, sealed off by armed guards. All the way to the construction site, the secret policeman of our company repeated the same words like a parrot. "Here is capitalism, and everybody here is our enemy." In every North Korean company, there must be at least one secret policeman, according to the diplomatic policy of Kim Jong-un's regime. So, in our company, one secret policeman stayed with us while we were working in Russia.



His only work was to watch over the members of our company, including the director, so nobody would escape. After arriving at the construction site, the director and the secret police told us not to listen to foreign workers. The director said they were all our enemies because they were on the same side as capitalism and the U.S.



He said, "Don't look at anything on the phone or TV because there is capitalism, and all capitalists lie. Don't say anything about us to foreigners since our enemies will take us to the Russian police."



On my first day in Russia, on my bed at night, I thought about my situation. What do people call a person who can't listen to anyone, look at or say anything?



A slave.



I realized that my identity was that of a slave. Our goal in Russia was to work for money. But, our real identity was as slaves of Kim Jong-un. One day, I heard the words of the director to the secret police, "It's good only when the worker's spirit is suppressed, and to suppress a worker's spirit, it is necessary to organize frequent overtime work until midnight for several nights in a row to sap him of energy. Without the strength of the body, he'll lose his spirit, too, and without spirit he'll think only about eating and sleeping like livestock. He won't think about money or resistance."



Indeed, it was an idea fitting for a little dictator. In fact, most of us in our company would sleep while walking to and from the construction site. And, we looked so pathetic that foreigners would ask us if we were prisoners the government sent for punishment. At that moment, I would answer, "We are normal people."



Surely, both they and I knew that we were not normal.



Every one of us had to pay $500 a month to the North Korean government. We usually worked for more than 18 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day. After 5 years of working 18 hours a day for about $3000 a month, we usually left with only one month's salary. Our director was making much more while we did most of the work. This ridiculous scenario can be explained only by the fact that we were slaves.



I would like to say one final thing that made me realize how we were slaves, not people. After the outbreak of COVID-19, a state of quarantine was declared in Russia and North Korea. One day, the secret police delivered us a directive from the motherland regarding COVID-19. It was really a directive from Kim Jong-un.



But the content was truly absurd. In case of being infected by the epidemic, it was regarded as unfaithfully participating in the COVID-19 quarantine project, and it was considered to be an act of treason. The person infected with COVID-19 was treated as a traitor to the nation instead of a person needing medical treatment. The workers were dumbfounded and couldn't keep this news to themselves. It was an absurd situation that went against all common sense: If you fell ill, you got no sympathy, even when in danger of death at any time. From the mouths of some workers, the words: "We are not even human beings" began to leak out. Perhaps it was starting to dawn on them that they were really just slaves of Kim Jong-un.



I didn't want to live any longer as a slave of the crazy Kim Jong-un. So, last year, I made my plan a reality to escape North Korea, and now I have become a citizen of the Republic of Korea. I had to sacrifice so much to gain the freedom that so many people take for granted, like fresh air or clean water. When I was defecting from North Korea, the thought that motivated me was that my world would never change, and my destiny would not change either without action.



A bad world does not change without action. And such a bad world perhaps might come knocking at your door all of a sudden as it did to me. And maybe then it's already too late. I hope you will add your voices to free the slaves in North Korea from the slave owner Kim Jong Un. I don't believe slave owners or slavery can be justified for any reason.





Kim Dong-jae (not his real name) was the winner of the 18th Freedom Speakers International (FSI) North Korean Refugee English Speech Contest on Aug. 26. His mentors for the contest were Dr. Gregory Gresko and Henry Hoffman. Kim's remarks were edited for publication by Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder and co-president of FSI with Lee Eun-koo.










Mark Carney was governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

Mark Carney was governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

Mark Carney has delivered a stunning takedown of Brexit and Liz Trusss government.

The former Bank of England governor accused those who backed quitting the European Union of wanting to tear down the future.

And he said Trusss disastrous mini-Budget, in which she planned to borrow billions of pounds to slash taxes for the rich, of creating Argentina on the Channel in reference to that countrys troubled economy.

Speaking at a summit in Montreal also attended by Labour leader Keir Starmer, Carney said: For years, the rallying cry of the Brexiteers was broken Britain. But their solution - to take back control - ended up code for tear down the future.

He went on: When politicians proclaim that our great democracies are broken, its not because they want to fix them, its because they want a licence to demolish.

Its a model, and its a repeated model, that uses a constraint to starve the beast of government in the misguided view that slashing leads to growing.

Carney, who led the Bank of England from 2013 until 2020, added: When Brexiteers tried to create Singapore on the Thames, the Truss government instead delivered Argentina on the Channel - and that was a year ago.

Those with little experience in the private sector - lifelong politicians masquerading as free marketeers - grossly under-value the importance of mission, of institutions, and of discipline to a strong economy.

And the bad news is that while these tactics never work economically, they can work politically. Brexit happened, Donald Trump was elected. So we cant dismiss the impact of anger, but we must resist its power.

Mark Carney, "When Brexiters tried to create Singapore-on-the-Thames, the Truss government instead delivered Argentina-on-the-Channel."



Calm, measured, enlightening. This speech by @MarkJCarney at the Global Progress Action Summit is a must watch #GlobalProgressAction23  pic.twitter.com/g5cE6WZyxS  Farrukh (@implausibleblog) September 17, 2023

Truss was eventually forced to resign as prime minister after just 49 days in office.

Story continues

She has since defended her plans to slash taxes to boost growth, insisting that she was the victim of the powerful economic establishment.

It also emerged last week that she is writing a book on how to save the west.

Related...
Weve covered The Wicker Man many times over at High-Def Digest, Matt Hartman checked out Imprint Films Limited Edition hardbox release just last year! Ill let him give us the rundown on this classic:

"Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is a good man. A righteous man, he upholds the law to the letter and never misses church and aims to be a clean family man abstaining from relations with his bride to be until their wedding night. When a mysterious letter arrives at his station describing the murder of a little girl on a remote island village, Howie immediately flies out to investigate. But upon his arrival, hes not as shocked by the prospect of Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and an entire village covering up the murder of a young girl but the discovery theyve entirely abandoned their Christian heritage for sexually-charged pagan ideology and a darker more sinister purpose.

Loosely based on David Pinners novel The Ritual, The Wicker Man is a deceptive horror film in that its not altogether horrific. With the rise of Hammer and the new wave of ghastly modern horror films, Robin Hardys cult classic is an outlier. It works by steadily building tension and suspense without depending on shock, gore, or easy jump scares. In fact, much of the film is a meditation about cultural understanding with the strong sturdy Christian Howie unable to grasp how anyone could abandon the faith for an orgy of paganism. The film even works as a look at The Troubles of Northern Ireland which started in the late 60s about a group of people wishing to worship in their own way but are being imposed upon by the autocratic religious majority. And while this film may feel at times like its not really going anywhere, its building towards a grand and shocking final act.

Its the final half-hour that makes this haunting piece of folk horror stick. If Hardys direction or Anthony Shaffers screenplay hadnt landed, this film would probably only be remembered as an oddity in Christopher Lees extensive catalog of appearances. And while I love his time as Dracula and his time as Captain Americas most diabolical foe, I still look to his time as Lord Summerisle as one of his creepiest roles. Perhaps its because I saw this film as an impressionable teenager that I am initially very distrustful of overly friendly and outgoing people. Lees Summerisle is charming, debonair, and openly inviting. Why wouldnt you trust him? Well, what happens during the last act of the film is a pretty damn good reason!

Now for a more recent example of a similar film but not the same would be the excellent Midsommar. Both The Wicker Man and Midsommar are very similar and cover familiar ground about an outsider invited to observe an odd culture whose ways may seem shocking with again a similar ending, but thats where the similarities end in my opinion. The two films go about their dark deeds with a very different approach with The Wicker Man being far more sinister, dark, and quite frankly shocking. As much as I loved Midsommar my knock against it is that it plays its best shock cards early and frequently so that by the time the end rolls it may be emotionally satisfying but its not surprising. Comparatively, you wouldnt think Christopher Lee leading a merry band of people in a rousing chorus of Summer Is A-Cumen In to be a terrifying experience but it in fact very much is."

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD

Oh God! Oh Jesus Christ! StudioCanal really put in some incredible work with this release, in terms of packaging. All contents are housed in a rigid hardbox with a magnetic lid that folds out into a pop-up rendering of the famous Wicker Man figure. Underneath the pop-up image lies two mini fold-out posters with new and vintage artwork, a collectors booklet with critical writing, interviews and original press art reproductions, plus a set of art cards. The five discs are house in a three-fold digipack. Both 4K discs are UHD100s, with both standard Blu-rays presented as Region B-locked BD50s. An audio CD is included in the digipack as well.

NOTE: At the moment we don't have 4K-sourced images available. As soon as we can we'll circle back and add some new pics and hopefully a video sample too.
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
By Le Huong

It is a bright afternoon, and the art studio class at Ha Noi Viet Nam Fine Arts University is busier than ever. The smell of paint and sand overwhelms the spacious studio. A group of artists and students are losing themselves, spraying paint and sand over their canvases.

Uruguayan painter Yandi Monardo works on his own canvas. Occasionally, he stops to explain techniques to students, who follow his instructions step by step.

They make the backgrounds for paintings on canvas by scattering many layers of acrylic oil paint, stone powder and sand. They then use pointed nails to sketch on the background, finally removing all the sand to let sketches and colour clusters form.

They have frames of different sizes and use different colours as they see fit.

All the students are excited to discover the new techniques and materials.

Nguyen Quang o, a senior student at the university, cannot hide his joy.

These new techniques are interesting to me, different to what I have learned before, he tells Viet Nam News.

I have just learned about classical materials like oil on canvas and lacquer, where you need to be quite disciplined. He teaches us new materials to mix with soil and stone powder, which I had never tried.

o says the piece he has created at the class even surprised him.

Such a workshop is great as we, the students, have few chances to exchange with foreign artists to explore their mindsets and ways to create things, he says.

Nguyen Thi Nhien, a third-year student, says she loves this new experience of making a painting with sand.

I'm not totally happy with my final product, she says. While following him, I could not imagine how the final product would be. Yet, I have completed my first work in his style. This is the first time I have exchanged with a team of Uruguayan artists. I found it interesting. Im more curious and will learn more about Uruguayan art later.

Nhien says she likes the way the artist treated the materials on canvas.

I should be more confident and dare to try new things, she says.

Monardo says he uses sand in his artwork, as he lives in a place where the material is available. He combines the dust with marble stone powder, which is also available in Viet Nam.

I want to surprise the audience with the final products, he says. The students put many layers of coloured paint and sand onto one another spontaneously. They may not be able to imagine how the final products will be.

Monardo says Viet Nam is wonderful on many different levels.

There are many different songs, colours, the people are so fantastic, he says. We can find incredible materials here.

Monardo has been working on different materials and wants to try Vietnamese lacquer one day.

We are trying to develop some cultural activities for the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Viet Nam and Uruguay, says Raul Juan Pollak Giampietro, Uruguayan ambassador to Viet Nam.

We have put much of our efforts in developing cultural activities. Because we consider them excellent two-way bridges between the two countries; its a superb chance for the two peoples to know each other.

The ambassador says he appreciates the engagement of the students at the workshop.

Its a chance to share with other people from a great distance country and to discuss different techniques and colours, he says. Its a great opportunity for these students. The embassy is planning other cultural exchange activities later this year and next.

ang Thi Phuong Lan, deputy principal of the university, says the university has hosted many similar workshops with foreign artists, but this is the first with Uruguayan artists.

Their way of working is very interesting, she notes. They make our students practise right after the opening ceremony. Our students are so excited. They have been taught basic knowledge of painting in the curriculum and now have a chance to learn new contemporary styles.

The workshop is in the framework of the Arts for the World Project hosted by Los Cabos Art Gallery and the Uruguayan embassy in Ha Noi. The same workshops took place in the Viet Nam National Arts and Culture Institute and the America Research Institute.

More than 40 artworks created at the workshops, including four paintings by Monardo will be displayed at an exhibition at the Fine Arts University, 42 Yet Kieu Street, Ha Noi, on September 28.

Monardo has 28 years of experience working as a painter in Uruguay, and is now based in Cabo San Lucas BCS, where he has a studio and a gallery.

He has made a considerable contribution to community art, education, and cultural projects. He has also opened art spaces for new and experienced artists, both local and international.

Furthermore, he is now cooperating with Yana Aguirre, director of Los Cabos Art Gallery, on the project Arts for the World, which has been developed over 20 years in many countries, including Argentina, Mexico, the US, Sweden, Germany, and Spain. VNS
Author Tram Huong, vice president of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, has made her mark on today's revolutionary literature. For decades, she has been silently following the footsteps of heroes, soldiers, and hero mothers to find inspiration for her books. Khoi Nguyen Thao, reporter of the The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports & Culture) newspaper, interviews her.

Inner Sanctum: Why do you constantly pursue the topic of war in literature?

When I was a child, my mother told me about the sacrifices of my paternal and maternal relatives. My grandfather fought against the French, and was captured by the enemy, and tortured to death. My mother's stories about the fallen soldiers still haunt me.

When I was a student at the Faculty of Horticulture at Can Tho University, I visited Con ao Island (formerly a French prison) in 1983 and felt emotional. In the midst of graves, I wonder whether everyone has a life. How come there are such brave persons who dared to sacrifice for the homeland, and what is left are unknown graves?

Many readers asked why I wrote so much about sacrifice and loss, about war martyrs. It is because those who sacrifice for the nation are so noble. There are miraculous people who achieved extraordinary victory, becoming heroic and indomitable inspirations in history. I would feel guilty if I did not rewrite those stories while living in peace.

Inner Sanctum: You just returned from a trip to the United States to do research about Nguyen Thai Binh, a slain Vietnamese anti-war student. What made you dedicate your time to this historical figure?

In 2010, I met Le Thi Anh, the mother of war martyr Binh to write Nguyen Thai Binh and His Mother's Lullaby. Hearing her telling stories was so touching. When I expressed my intention to write a book about him, Anh gave me Binh's diary, hoping that I would read it carefully to comprehend and accurately describe him. She hopes that as a writer, I will be able to make this diary into a widely read literary piece.

I made contacts with many of the friends he mentioned in his diary. In early 2023, I met author Michael Robert Dedrick, who went to Viet Nam to write a book about the special task force of the liberation army operating in Sai Gon. He told me that the University of Washington, where Binh had studied, still kept valuable documents about him.

I decided to fly to Seattle to meet the documentary curator, and it was deeply emotional when I saw every page of documents about him carefully preserved by the school library. I will soon publish this book.

Inner Sanctum: In current non-fiction, war is a common theme, especially by historical witnesses. Does this make writers competitive?

The good news is that I constantly encourage war witnesses to write their own narratives, since their memoirs are a part of history. These pages preserve memories of the times they lived and fought, which leaves a priceless legacy for their offspring.

Inner Sanctum: Non-fiction writing is challenging, since not all real-life stories translate well into writing. How can we avoid overwhelming a book with narrative?

The characteristics that the writer should have are bravery and profound background knowledge. Svetlana Alexievich's book The Unwomanly Face of War is just "telling stories. She met hundreds of people going through the war, from cities to rural areas, from intellectuals to farmers, from people holding guns to people curing wounded soldiers, to listen to their stories.

What makes readers fall deeply in love with Alexievich's book is that she sympathises with the unknown war, and that war still continues, even in peace, because the puzzle of human fate is not easy to solve even after war ends.

With sympathy for misery and a desire for justice and beauty in life, the writers mission is to find those unknowns through their work.

Inner Sanctum: Why did you choose epic poetry as the genre for your upcoming work, Flower of Water?

Epic poetry is just a subgenre of poetry, and flowers on the water are metaphors for the fates and sacrifices of women across the country during the war. Although many women did not leave behind a photo, I feel like their souls still exist on earth, incarnated into flowers. My burning desire to write was alight for more than 30 years, and I eventually stopped being a perfectionist and just started writing.

These epic poems are like incense I send to the women who sacrificed for our homeland, and also the way that I sympathise with women who are living and dedicating themselves, despite suffering mistreatment and oblivion. VNS
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.

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, fired back, saying Patrick ended the trial by confessing his bias and placing his contempt for the peoples House on full display.

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 mocked House impeachment managers for impressing upon the senators how important their decision was and how they will be remembered for their vote.

If only the House members who voted for impeachment wouldve followed that instruction in the House, we may not have been here, Patrick said.

He went on to favorably quote from a speech that Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, gave in May in opposition to the impeachment.

Hang em now and judge them later, Smithee said of the House process.

Patrick also called for a state constitutional amendment reforming the impeachment process. He proposed that all House testimony should be given under oath and subject to cross examination, adding that an impeached official should not be put on unpaid leave while awaiting trial.

Patrick also said millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on this impeachment and called for a full audit of the Houses spending on it.

Phelan responded with a statement that was just as hostile, saying Patrick attacked the House for standing up against corruption.

His tirade disrespects the Constitutional impeachment process afforded to us by the founders of this great state, Phelan said. The inescapable conclusion is that todays outcome appears to have been orchestrated from the start, cheating the people of Texas of justice.

There is no love lost between Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who have previously battled over policy issues. But Patricks speech represented a new escalation in their feud and came after he withheld his personal opinion on the impeachment for months, trying to show he was taking the trial seriously.

Like Phelan, Democrats argued it showed he was never a neutral player in the trial.

Dan Patricks aggressive speech revealed that he has been biased against justice from the start of the trial, the Texas Democratic Party said in a tweet. Patrick will always choose his friends over the facts.


By Ahn Ho-young



The leaders of the Republic of Korea, Japan and the United States convened at Camp David on Aug. 18 for a trilateral summit. The three leaders agreed to strengthen their respective economies, support the free and open international order based on the rule of law, and bolster regional and global peace and security. The three leaders wrapped up their joint statement by declaring that "a new chapter in our trilateral relationship has begun." I wholeheartedly agree with that statement.



It is time for a new chapter in the trilateral relationship. In the past 70 years, the rules-based liberal order offered a stable international basis for industrialization, democratization and national development in various areas for a large number of countries. That order is being seriously challenged around the world. For that reason, today has been defined as a pivotal point in history in the joint statement: "a hinge point of history, when geopolitical competition, the climate crisis, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, and nuclear provocations test us."



As the joint statement states, "This is a moment that requires unity and coordinated action from true partners." That in fact is the reason why the U.S. has been promoting mini-lateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, such as Quad and AUKUS (Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.). One region where such regional cooperation is badly needed is Northeast Asia. For that, we had to overcome a long-standing barrier; the bilateral relations between Korea and Japan, fraught with issues of history. President Yoon took important steps in that direction through a series of courageous moves. His moves led to appreciable rapprochement in relations between Korea and Japan, which made it possible to usher in a new chapter in the trilateral relationship.



It's a new chapter in our trilateral relationship, because the three leaders committed themselves to significantly enhancing the trilateral partnership for security.



The three leaders committed themselves to a new mechanism of consultation on security matters: "We announce our governments' commitment to consult with each other in an expeditious manner to coordinate our responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats that affect our collective interests and security." To ensure effective implementation of the commitment, they agreed to set up a hotline among the three leaders. They also agreed to hold trilateral meetings between the three nations' leaders, foreign ministers, defense ministers and national security advisers at least annually.



In particular, the three leaders agreed to a large number of measures to deal more effectively with the denuclearization of North Korea. They announced the establishment of a new working group to combat North Korea's cyber threats.



They also announced their intention to hold annual, multi-domain trilateral exercises on a regular basis to enhance their coordinated capabilities and cooperation.



The enhanced trilateral partnership for security, along with the U.S.-ROK and the U.S.-Japan alliances and other mini-lateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, such as Quad and AUKUS, will send a strong message and deter actors in the region from any unilateral attempts to use force and change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific.



It's a new chapter in the trilateral relationship because the three leaders agreed to maintain focus on building robust cooperation in the economic security and technology spheres. They took note of ongoing trilateral cooperation in the fields of the economy and technology, particularly on semiconductors and batteries, as well as on technology security and standards, clean energy and energy security, biotechnology, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and scientific research.



The three leaders took new steps as well. They agreed to launch early warning system pilots to expand information sharing and enhance policy coordination on global supply chains. They also agreed to expand trilateral collaborative research and development, in such sectors as cooperation to open a radio access network (RAN) and space security cooperation.



I have long thought that the Korea-U.S. alliance, which hinges upon the two pillars of security and the economy, must advance to establishing a third pillar in enhanced cooperation in technology. It has strong implications for both Korea's economy and security. The Korean economy cannot continue to grow without making new breakthroughs in technology on top of what it has achieved in semiconductors, batteries and information and communication technologies. New technologies, for example AI, can have a serious impact on the way wars are fought in the future as well. In that sense, it is reassuring that the three leaders agreed on significantly enhancing the trilateral partnership for technology.



For all these reasons, a large number of commentators agree that "a new chapter in our trilateral relationship has begun." At the same time, they add caveats. The implementation of the vast areas of agreements made at Camp David will require heavy resource allocation of time, budgets and personnel in all three countries.



Furthermore, the three countries are all democracies, where leadership changes every several years. For that reason, we cannot overemphasize the importance of letting leaders, opinion-makers and citizens of our countries understand the importance of the trilateral partnership at this hinge point in history.





Ahn Ho-young is chair professor at Kyungnam University. He served as vice foreign minister and Korean ambassador to the United States.


The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia flew its P-51 Mustang fighter to Florida recently to help surprise a World War II veteran and former P-51 pilot who was celebrating his 100th birthday. Bill MacClarence, or Mac, flew Mustangs out of Fowlmere, England, with the 339th Fighter Group in 1944-1945 at the age of 21.

A small group of friends and family had gathered at the general aviation terminal of Naples Airport, but MacClarence had no idea what was about to pull up on the tarmac. The sound of the engine was unmistakable for this seasoned veteran, and he was delighted to see a P-51 pull up and cut its engine. It was a true visit back in time for the WWII Distinguished Flying Cross recipient.

MacClarence was a freshman at Columbia University when he and several students enlisted in 1942, shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack. After training, he was sent to Fowlmere as a replacement P-51 pilot. He became experienced in bomber escort and ground strafing, and even encountered a German Me-262 jet in his P-51, which he named The Iron Bird.

He ended up flying 36 missions before the end of the war. He returned to earn his degree in engineering from Columbia and worked for General Foods, retiring in Marthas Vineyard, Mass., and Naples. He summed up his wartime experience by telling a writer, To have had the opportunity to fly a P-51 is probably one of the most memorable experiences any pilot could have.

One of the key missions of the CAF and Airbase Georgia is to honor those who gave so much to save the world for democracy, said Airbase leader Joel Perkins. Mac MacClarence is one of the many who deserve to be considered among the Greatest Generation. We were honored to provide this nostalgic memory for such an outstanding veteran and pilot.

About the CAF Airbase Georgia Warbird Museum

CAF Airbase Georgia, based in Peachtree City, Ga., was founded in 1987. The Airbase is one of the largest units of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The group maintains and flies six vintage military aircraft including a P-51 Mustang, an FG-1D Corsair, an SBD Dauntless, and a P-63A Kingcobra. The Airbase, composed of more than 500 volunteer members, is a founding partner of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail launched in 2021. The Airbase is part of the CAF, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that relies on contributions of time and funds to conduct its mission. For more information, go to https://airbasegeorgia.org/.
If you have a high school or college student, you may want to chat with them about watching for scammers targeting young people with false pro
CEDAR FALLS  A final vote may be taken on Monday pertaining to St. Patrick Catholic Church and future institutions plans for new downtown parking lots.

The City Council will hold its third and final reading of an ordinance allowing churches, schools, and other civic and institutional organizations to have parking  an accessory use  across the street from their principal use during its 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 220 Clay St.

Under the current code, parking must be on the same parcel. St. Patrick inquired earlier this year about a possible change to city code after purchasing a vacant half-acre across the street at 123 W. Seventh St. for $960,000 from developer Brent Dahlstrom as part of campus expansion plans.

The code is written to protect pedestrians in mixed use areas through setbacks relative to the principal use. Additionally, a goal was to preserve valuable downtown land for other uses.

The measure requires five votes, a super majority, to pass as opposed to four because the Planning & Zoning Commission previously recommended denial in a 5-2 vote. Commissioners David Hartley and Sloan Alberhasky were the lone members present supporting the request at the time.

Councilmember Kelly Dunn has been the lone dissenter on the first two readings at previous council meetings. Several members of the church have attended the meetings to voice their support. But no one has registered their opposition to the change publicly.

The councils evening begins at 6:15 p.m. in committee to hear presentations on the Cedar Falls Community Foundation and the dam along the Cedar River. In other business at 7 p.m., the council will consider:

Selling 8,000 square feet of additional city industrial park land for $20,000 to KATZ Properties, LLC, owned by Todd Miller, behind the companys existing building at 6317 Development Drive. Access to the rear is limiting due to a relatively narrow drive and not enough room for truck maneuvering for deliveries. The Best Services generator dealer and Ted Electric electrician service businesses are tenants there.

An ordinance, on its third and final reading, to convert the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee into a formal commission to more officially define its role and rules within city government.

Several resolutions submitting grant applications (and in one case accepting an awarded grant), including two with hopes of landing funds to assist in paying for the estimated $21.2 million Cedar Falls Community Schools future swimming facility next to its new high school on West 27th Street. One is $700,000 for an Enhance Iowa Community Attraction & Tourism grant and the other is $900,000 from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association. The city has earmarked $8 million from its own coffers toward the school districts project.

An agreement with Waterloo to jointly contract with Mosaic Community Planning to help in the development of its five-year plan and annual action plan necessary to land federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Waterloos contribution would be $40,582 and Cedar Falls would pay $19,098.
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
In Iowas most competitive congressional district, the first-term Republican incumbent who won by less than a percentage point, has yet to field a single contender.

And its not the only seat where Iowa Democrats have had difficulty recruiting candidates as the party struggles to rebuild after bruising defeats in a state that has shifted dramatically from purple to red politically.

Three of Iowa's four congressional seats Democrats held as recently as 2020 are still winnable, Iowa Democrats say, but the party doesnt have candidates for two of them thus far.

Iowa City Democrat Christina Bohannan launched her second U.S. House bid last month, setting up a likely rematch with Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in southeast Iowas 1st District. The district includes the Iowa Quad-Cities, Iowa City, Burlington, Muscatine and Indianola.

And two Democrats  Ryan Melton and Jay Brown  have said they plan to run against Republican incumbent Randy Feenstra in Western Iowas deeply conservative 4th District.

Democrats, though, have yet to field a challenger to take on Iowa GOP incumbent U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn.

Nunn narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Cindy Axne in 2022 to win Iowas 3rd District seat that has flipped in two of the last three elections, and could be key in deciding control of Congress.

Hinson, a former state lawmaker and former KCRG-TV news anchor, won re-election last year to a second term by eight percentage points against Democratic former state lawmaker Liz Mathis of Hiawatha in Iowas new 2nd District. Hinson unseated first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer in 2020.

Over the previous five election cycles in Iowa, only three of the 17 non-incumbent candidates who eventually became their partys nominee entered the race later than Iowa Democrats candidates would in the 2nd and 3rd districts for the 2024 election.

All three late-entry Congressional candidates were in Eastern Iowas former 2nd District  all three were Republican challengers to longtime Democratic Congressman Dave Loebsack.

Objectively speaking, obviously, (Iowa Democrats) are at our low point, Loebsack said. Theres no question about that. But, I dont think its a hopeless situation.

State party warns DNC of writing off Iowa

Publicly, state and county party officials say theyre having productive conversations with individuals considering running as candidates and preparing them for whats expected to be a grueling campaign.

They say its early yet in the cycle and that theres still time for a candidate to launch a competitive campaign.

And, in the meantime, theyre working to rebuild a party exhausted by repeated defeats at the ballot box, and burned by the loss of their first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest.

Iowa Democrats took a beating in the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans bucked national headwinds and swept all four congressional races in the state for the first time in 50 years

Still, Iowa Democratic Party officials say theyre optimistic about the new leadership provided by Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart. They say theyre pleased with her focus of building local county party infrastructure from the ground up.

Privately, Hart sent the Democratic National Committee a letter stating the national party needs to invest more heavily in Iowa to help it retake the U.S. House of Representatives.

Im confident were going to have some announcements here fairly soon, Hart told The Gazette. Were at the epicenter of the political conversation.  And to have all of these Republican campaigns coming through the state of Iowa making headlines every day  the IDP needs every tool it can get to make sure that we are combating that as much as possible.

She said shes reaching out to anyone and everyone for the resources we need to make the case that Iowa is important and that state Democrats can turn things around.

If were going to get people to understand that voting for Democrats is going to improve their lives, then I need a few more resources to get that done, Hart said.

She acknowledged it will be a mountain to climb to combat the tens of millions in outside spending already flooding into the state from conservative groups.

Local Democrats voiced similar concerns.

One Cedar Falls Democrat told The Gazette they are meeting with people in the district, but are in the early days of deciding whether to run.

Its not easy, and every cycle is different, Hart said. The important thing is that we run quality candidates. I am confident that that is what you will see. And sometimes it takes a little bit of patience before it hits the headlines.

'They dont see the path to win

Bret Nilles, chair of the Linn County Democrats, said he and Mathis have tried to recruit people to run for the northeast Iowa seat. But those theyve talked to have said they are worried about how much outside help a Democrat in the district will get.

Hinson's campaign benefited from nearly $3.3 million in outside spending during the last campaign cycle, mainly from ad buys by the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The super PAC spent more than $2 million in Iowas 2nd District race, according to the money in politics tracker Open Secrets.

And if a candidate like Mathis couldn't get it done last cycle, Nilles said not many see a path forward for someone with less government experience and name recognition, especially when there's uncertainty as to whether Democratic President Joe Biden will be a help or hindrance to Democrats down-ballot. And there is no statewide race with a Democrat at the top of the ticket to help drive voter turnout and enthusiasm.

Thats a big challenge to a lot of people  that the hill might be too high to climb at this time, Nilles said.   They dont see the path to win.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included Iowas 1st and 3rd districts on its list of 33 competitive Republican-held or open districts across the country it deems in play for the 2024 election cycle. It is not focused on the 2nd District represented by Hinson, which includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Grinnell.

A DCCC spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

Cook Political Report rates Iowas 3rd District as a leans Republican district. It rates Iowas 2nd District as solid Republican, meaning the race is not considered competitive and is not likely to become closely contested.

Democrats are struggling in Iowa because theyve totally lost touch with Iowa values and our voters, said Addie Lavis, Hinsons campaign manager.   Ashleys record of conservative accomplishments speaks for itself, and she and our team are working every single day to keep Iowa red and fire Joe Biden in 2024 so we can take our country back."

Loebsack, Linn Countys Nilles and others, however, see hope if Democrats can recruit a strong candidate. One, they said, who is willing to put in the work and engage with voters in all parts of the district, and is able to push a messaging campaign that paints Hinson as someone who often sides with the extreme wing of the GOP.

Were trying to do everything we can to build the organization in the 2nd district to find a candidate and have an organization that can help them when they do decide to get in the race, Nilles said.

Names floated, but so far no takers to challenge Nunn

Both Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, and state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, of West Des Moines, have been floated as possibilities to challenge Nunn. Both said they are focused on state-level politics and trying to flip seats in the Iowa Legislature.

Political insiders also floated Theresa Greenfields name. Greenfield unsuccessfully ran against Republican Joni Ernst for the U.S. Senate in 2020. Greenfield, who has been serving in the USDA after Biden appointed her in 2021 as the director of rural development for Iowa, declined to comment.

Konfrst said rather than jumping in too early, it's more important to ensure a candidate is set up for success.

The (3rd District) race was so close in 2022 that a Democrat can win this seat, and I dont think a couple of months is going to make or break that candidate, Konfrst said.   If we have to wait a little bit longer for the right candidate, then I think its absolutely worth it. And I have full faith that they can catch up.

She said its her hope to have a challenger announced by the end of October.

The problem isnt that there arent enough qualified candidates in the district, she said. The problem is making sure this person is right to do this right now and can put in the work thats needed to win. Zach Nunn is beatable. Hes not beatable without a lot of work.

Kendyl Parker, Nunn's campaign manager, disputed the notion.

While Iowa Democrat politicians are focused on partisan politics and dividing Iowans, Congressman Nunn is focused on serving Iowans and advancing their shared priorities in Washington, Parker said in an emailed statement.

Bill Brauch, chairman of the Polk County Democrats, said he is confident that its not too late for a Democratic candidate to enter the 2024 campaign for Congress in Iowas 3rd District.

Polk County is by far the most populous in the district, and it is where Democratic candidates run up their margins in order to win the district.

Brauch said his organization throughout 2023 has been laying the grassroots groundwork that will benefit whomever becomes the eventual Democratic candidate.

No, I dont (think its too late for a serious Democratic challenger to enter the race). Not at all. I think well be just fine if we have somebody in the next month or so, Brauch said. Its something that we think about and we do talk about: Gee, it would be good if we had somebody.' But its not at all going to hurt us that they get started in October, even if it comes to November.

Brauch said Polk County Democrats have been identifying where the partys turnout was insufficient in 2022, when Nunn defeated Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Cindy Axne.

Weve been working all through the summer already on this, and weve got a good head start, Brauch said. We are really, really making an effort right now to reach out and build that base. And we are going to work very, very closely with our congressional candidate. Its going to be a team effort. Thats the only way we win.

Iowa Democrats plead for resources

Konfrst and Iowa DNC member Scott Brennan have met with national party leaders in Washington, D.C., warning them that writing the state off in 2024 could jeopardize their ability to win back the U.S. House of Representatives and put Biden's agenda at risk.

At a July meeting of the DNC's rule-making body, Brennan, shared a one-page document that provided examples of how each of Iowa's nine media markets bleeds into at least one county of our neighboring states.

Those markets, Brennan wrote, are being saturated with coverage of Republican presidential candidates and TV ads from their campaigns and political action committees criticizing Biden and Democrats.

Brennan and Hart said the state, too, needs more money for organizing, voter education efforts and messaging if Iowa is going to be competitive.

Those (Republican campaign) messages get hammered every day and we need to have corresponding messages in some ways, Brennan told The Gazette. These are winnable seats and shame on us if we dont have resources to compete in Iowa because its going to hurt us in surrounding states.

House Republicans hold a narrow four-seat majority.

If you win just two of the Iowa seats, thats half of your margin right there, Brennan said. With the gerrymandering Republicans have done nationally there arent that many seats Democrats can pick up.  We need to be smart about where we put our money, and putting our money in Iowa can be smart.

The national party fully funds a communications position in the state that is dedicated to rebutting GOP presidential candidates when they visit. A DNC official told USA Today it is committed to spending more than $500,000 to support Iowa Democrats across the state in 2023 and 2024.

Brauch said he believes the DCCC will come through in Central Iowas 3rd District. And he said that financial support for the eventual Democratic candidate in the 3rd District is vitally important to recruiting candidates and winning the general election.

Every challenger who eventually won the partys nomination in the 3rd District from 2014 to 2020 entered the race between May and August of the year before the election.

Konfrst said the DCCC continues to reiterate theyre invested in helping Democrats win in Iowas 1st and 3rd congressional districts.

And groups like Progress Iowa are mobilizing around issues in the absence of a candidate, such as a trio of GOP tax bills it argues amount to a windfall for large corporations and wealthy Americans, and drawing attention to Nunns voting record.

Nunn has not said whether he would support the tax bills.

A group of Iowa organizations also launched a website intended to showcase the effects of Biden administration investments and policies in Iowa that Nunn and other Iowa Republican have opposed.

Frankly, if we can localize these races and make them about the people and make them about who is listening to Iowans and who is listening to special interests, we can actually make a really good case, Konfrst said.

Glimmers of hope

Hart and other Iowa Democrats say they see glimmers of hope.

A day after announcing her second run for southeast Iowas 1st Congressional District, Bohannans campaign announced it has raised more than $276,000 in its first 24 hours. And Warren County voters last month ousted a GOP-appointed auditor who had previously made social media posts that questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Democrat Kimberly Sheets won with more than 66% of the vote in a county Republican former President Donald Trump carried by nearly 17 points in 2020.

But, the deeper it gets into the campaign cycle and the longer it takes for candidates to announce, the more difficult it gets to raise money, hire qualified campaign staff and build name recognition, said University of Northern Iowa political science professor Chris Larimer.

That will be a challenge to  overcome the advantage of incumbency, and building relationships with voters will be harder in a shortened time frame, Larimer said. All of that gets shortened and puts that much more pressure on a campaign and a candidate.

Both Nunn and Hinson had more than $1 million in cash on hand, according to their most recent financial report filed with the Federal Election Commission. And both have lapped up attention from Republican presidential candidates who headlined fundraisers for them this summer.

I think that Ashley Hinson is hard to beat, if Im being honest, Konfrst said. I dont think its a lost cause.  Theres plenty about Ashley Hinsons work that deserves scrutiny, and she deserves a good challenge.

Iowa Democrats, though, need to strike while the irons hot, Loebsack said.

The sooner the better, theres no question, he said of having declared candidates for both races. If by the end of the year theres not announced candidates in those districts, it is going to be much more difficult. Theres no questions about that.

When should a candidate get in the race?

Chris Peters unsuccessfully ran for Congress twice in Eastern Iowa, as a Republican and both times against Loebsack.

Peters 2016 campaign started abnormally late, in March of 2016. His 2018 campaign started at a much more common time, in July of 2017.

Peters said the early stages of a Congressional campaign are often spent making connections with party leaders, building campaign staff and talking to donors and consultants.

Peters said there still is time for Democratic challengers in Iowas 2nd and 3rd districts to do all those things, but he also cautioned that they should not wait much longer.

Theres certainly plenty of time to organize and get things going and get things teed up. But I think you don't want to wait too long, Peters said. For a good candidate, theres plenty of time. (But) if theyre waiting too much longer, I would think theyre going to be having a hard time keeping ahead of the news cycle.

Photos: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks reelected to U.S. House of Representatives
DES MOINES  Government agencies in Iowa could reject a persons open records requests if the agency and a state board deem the requests to be excessive under a proposal being considered by the state board.

The Iowa Public Information Boards legislative committee during a telephonic meeting Friday discussed the proposal, which was introduced by the boards executive director Erika Eckley and would require approval by state lawmakers.

The committee took no action other than to recommend discussion by the full board at its next meeting.

Eckley said she proposed the legislation because of concerns raised by local government officials who have complained of excessive open records requests that Eckley described as abusive and harassing in nature.

Under the proposed legislation, which the board would provide to state lawmakers for their consideration, a governmental body in Iowa  like a city, county or school board, for example  could petition the board for relief from an individual who the government agency deems to be a vexatious requester.

The Public Information Board then would determine the veracity of the agencys petition. It would consider multiple factors, including the number and scope of requests; the nature, content language or subject matter of communications to the government agency; or conduct that the government agency believes creates an unreasonable burden or is intended to harass the agency.

The board then could deny the government agencys petition, or determine the petition could have merit and schedule a hearing to allow the alleged vexatious requester an opportunity to respond.

If a hearing is held, the state board would then vote on the petition. If the board would vote to grant the petition, it could allow the government agency to reject the individuals open records requests for up to one year.

The boards decision would be final, and could be appealed only through the courts.

During Fridays legislative committee hearing, the members fielded questions from two members of the state media: Clark Kauffman of Iowa Capital Dispatch and Laura Belin of the liberal political news site Bleeding Heartland.

Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a government transparency advocacy group, submitted a letter to the state board expressing concern for how the proposal would seriously erode the states open records law. He wrote that the proposed legislation would run counter to the law by excluding individuals from exercising their right to public records.

What a government employee believes is a vexatious person or that the IPIB adjudicates as such may in fact involve someone others see as persistent, especially if they have a common interest in the same records and information, Evans wrote in the letter to the state board. The Iowa FOI Council is concerned this legislation would empower government to block requests for documents from individual requesters or their organizations based on the nature, content, language or subject matter of the requests.

The nine-member Iowa Public Information Board is comprised of nine members, which must include three members each representing government, the media and the public.

Eckley and two members of the boards three-person legislative committee  public representative E.J. Giovannetti of Urbandale and government representative Barry Lindahl of Dubuque  discussed the vexatious requester proposal during Fridays meeting.

The legislative committees media representative, Joel McCrea, did not attend the meeting.

Photos: Scenes from Waterloo West's Homecoming win over Davenport North 091523-spt-west-fb-0 091523-spt-west-fb-1 091523-spt-west-fb-10.1.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-11.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-12.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-13.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-14.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-2.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-3.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-5.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-6.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-7.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-8.JPG 091523-spt-west-fb-9.JPG
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A solar panel array is installed at a green onion farm of Yeungnam University's agrivoltaics demonstration complex in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of Hanwha Solutions



Hanwha Q Cells promotes agrivoltaics for aging Korean farmers



By Park Jae-hyuk



GYEONGSAN, North Gyeongsang Province  Seasoned green onions served at a cafeteria in Yeungnam University last Wednesday were no different from those made with ingredients from ordinary farms. However, these ones did differ in one major way: They were grown under solar panels installed at the university's agrivoltaics demonstration complex.



Hanwha Solutions Q Cells Division, which hosted a media briefing at the university on dual land use for agriculture and solar power generation, dismissed any safety concerns regarding the crops from the complex.



"Our solar modules use eco-friendly wires that do not contain lead," said Hong Sung-min, an employee at the solar module manufacturing unit of Hanwha Group.



Yeungnam University professor Jung Jae-hak, who is leading experiments at the complex, told the press that solar panels do not pollute the soil with heavy metals.



"Due to the popular misconception, agrivoltaics complexes nationwide are subject to an inspection by the agriculture ministry every 10 years," the professor said.



He added that solar panels hardly disrupt cultivation, thanks to their height, modified size, position and tilt angle, so that enough of the sun's rays shine on the crops.



"Solar panels prevent overheating of the ground and the evaporation of water," he said. "Agrivoltaics can even create an environment favorable to the growth of grapes."





Seasoned green onions made with ingredients from Yeungnam University's agrivoltaics demonstration complex are served at a university cafeteria in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Courtesy of Hanwha Solutions
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In the 26-second video, Bunny's character Felipe and Garcia's Saul Armendariz can be seen making out in a secluded room.

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Bad Bunny and Gael Garcia Bernal broke the Internet with one particular scene in "Cassandro". Many social media users freaked out after seeing the Puerto Rican superstar and the Mexican actor sharing a steamy kiss in the movie.

In the 26-second video, Bunny's character Felipe and Garcia's Saul Armendariz make out in a secluded room. Felipe then pushes Saul away, saying, "I can't ... I really can't do this."

Saul then assures him, "It's okay, don't worry. Don't freak out." Before walking away, Saul tells Felipe, "See you around, stud."

Fans have since weighed in on the video, with many of them bringing up Bunny's girlfriend, Kendall Jenner. One person in particular shared a GIF of someone throwing himself at a huge TV and captioned it, "Kendall tryna stop it through the screen."

The movie narrates Saul wanting to become a professional luchador after his father first introduced him to the sport. In the process, he transforms into Cassandro, an "exotico" who wrestles in drag. As for Felipe, he is a drug dealer who's introduced to the wrestler by his promoter.

Bad Bunny is widely known for his musical works, he isn't new to acting. He made his acting debut in "F9: The Fast Saga" as Lookout and landed a recurring role on "Narcos: Mexico" as Arturo "Kitty" Paez. He also starred alongside Brad Pitt in "Bullet Train".

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Instagram Celebrity

Crawford opens up that her dad was initially against her pursuing a career as a model because he thought the fashion industry was just like prostitution.

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Cindy Crawford reveals her dad thought modelling was a euphemism for prostitution. The supermodel, 57, who became one of the world's 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.

"My dad really didn't understand that modelling was a real career. He thought modelling was, like, another name for prostitution," she said in a preview for Apple TV+'s new documentary show "The Super Models" about her dad John's reaction to her going into modelling.

Cindy's 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 didn't even know it was a real job. I didn't 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."

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Rumor has it, the marriage between the 'Greatest Showman' actor and his longtime wife Deborra-Lee Furness started to fall apart during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly played a huge part in Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness' separation. The 54-year-old actor and his 67-year-old wife, who got married 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.

"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," a source told DailyMail.com.

"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.

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Despite renowned for making his personal life the subject of his shows, Russell avoided talking about the explosive sexual assault allegations against him at his most recent gig.

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Russell Brand didn't 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 showed up at his scheduled "Bipolarisation" show at Wembley Park Theatre, London, on Saturday, September 16 evening in the wake of the accusations, which were part of a major investigation by The Times and Channel 4.

The comic 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 9 P.M. UK time, called "Russell Brand: In Plain Sight".

Russell walked on stage at the gig to applause and cheers, after songs including David Bowie's "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. I've 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."

Russell's 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."

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The 'X-Men' actor reportedly finds his separation from his longtime spouse very tough after they decided to go their separate ways in order to pursue 'individual growth.'

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Hugh Jackman is reportedly "devastated" by his split from his wife Deborra-Lee Furness. The "Wolverine" actor, 54, and his 67-year-old partner, who got married in 1996 and have two adoptive kids - Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 23, and 18-year-old Ava Eliot Jackman - announced on Friday, September 15 in a joint statement they were breaking up, and told fans they felt "blessed" for the time they had together.

According to Page Six, a source close to the actor says he is reeling from the separation and feels "very sad."

Hugh had previously declared it was love at first sight with Deborra-Lee and said he knew he wanted to marry the "Shame" actress weeks after meeting her. He said on the "Today" show in 2018, "I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives."

Their marriage was considered one of the most stable in showbiz, but they stunned fans by issuing a joint statement to People announcing their separation.

It said, "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. The former couple were regularly spotted out together, including on rides around New York City in scooters and swimming in the Hamptons.

One of "The Greatest Showman" star Hugh's last Instagram posts with his now-estranged wife was when they attended the Met Gala together in May.

It is unclear at the moment why they decided to split so soon after the getaway. But they often faced trolling over their 13-year age-difference. In 2014, Deborra said she felt it was an insult to tell her that she was "lucky" to be married to the younger actor.

She told Woman's Weekly, "That to me is a putdown. (It's) like you suggesting I won (a) raffle. I think we create our own destiny. When people look at my life, they don't know the challenges (I face), just like I don't know someone else's (challenges)."

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Filmmaker Richard Linklater reveals what he likes the most about Greta Gerwig-directed Mattel toy movie which is fronted by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as he heaps praise on the film.

Sep 18, 2023

AceShowbiz - Richard Linklater has encouraged people to see "Barbie" multiple times. The "Dazed and Confused" director becomes a big fan of Greta Gerwig's record-breaking movie - which starred Margot Robbie in the title role opposite Ryan Gosling as Ken - and thinks the hype surrounding that and the release of "Oppenheimer" at the same time was great for the movie industry.

"I liked the musical numbers. I liked the movie a lot. It's worth seeing a couple times. The best thing that happened to cinema in a while is 'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie.' Sends a good message," he told NME.

Though the 63-year-old filmmaker is "glad those [movies] are doing well," he insisted he isn't looking to make films on such a huge scale. He said, "It's all about the journey, not the destination, as they say. Why take a trip? Because you want to have an experience."

"You don't know what exactly, but you feel compelled to travel. So it's the same thing [when] you go to make a movie. It's like, 'I don't know how this is going to go, but I feel compelled to try to have this experience.' "

Richard is currently working on "Merrily We Roll Along", which, like his 2014 movie "Boyhood", will be filmed over the course of several years in an attempt to capturing ageing in real time. Production is currently on hold because of the Hollywood strikes and though the director is "proud" to be supporting the action, he is hopeful it will be resolved.

He said, "Everyone's feeling it, I think no one's happy. But that's kind of the problem. When you're in an industry and no one's happy, maybe it's time to recalibrate and come forward with some things that could be fair to everyone. I think something's gotta give. I'm not really in the middle of it so much. I'm on strike, I'm a proud union member. But I think it will be resolved. It's kind of one of those crucial moments."

"Merrily We Roll Along" has a planned release date of 2039.

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The 'Les Miserables' actor claims things haven't been easy since he announced he has parted ways with Deborra-Lee Furness following nearly 30 years of marriage.

Sep 18, 2023

AceShowbiz - Hugh Jackman has confessed he is going through a "difficult" time. The "Logan" actor broke the news on Friday, September 15 that he and Deborra-Lee Furness - with whom he has Oscar, 23, and 18-year-old Ava - are going their separate ways after 27 years of marriage, and though he doesn't yet feel ready to talk about the split, he admitted things haven't been easy.

"It doesn't feel quite right talking about it on the street but I appreciate your thoughts, man. It's a difficult time ...," Hugh said in footage obtained by TMZ when he was stopped by a paparazzi videographer in New York City on Saturday, September 16.

The reporter then asked the 54-year-old star when he'd be returning to work on "Deadpool 3", which is currently on hold because of the Hollywood strikes. He said "I can't really know until [the strikes end], but hopefully soon I hope."

"The Greatest Showman" actor and his estranged wife announced they had split in a joint statement. They told 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."

"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 Hugh had previously declared it was love at first sight for him. He said on the "Today" show in 2018, "I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives."

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HD Hyundai President Chung Ki-sun, right, poses inside the Laura Maersk with A.P. Moller-Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla, second from right, and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, third from left, during a naming ceremony for the world's first methanol-powered container ship in Copenhagen, Thursday (local time). Courtesy of A.P. Moller-Maersk



By Park Jae-hyuk



HD Hyundai President Chung Ki-sun visited the Danish capital of Copenhagen recently, to participate in last Thursday's ceremony to name the world's first methanol-powered container ship as the Laura Maersk. It was built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai.



Chung's recent trip was taken amid accelerated efforts to cope with the growing demand for eco-friendly technology in the global shipbuilding and logistics industries.



According to HD Hyundai, the 2,100-TEU vessel is one of 19 methanol-powered ships that have been built by the Korean shipbuilding group, following A.P. Moller-Maersk's order for the eco-friendly vessels.



Maersk named the new ship after the Laura, the first steamship bought in 1886 by the company founder's father, Captain Peter Maersk Moller. Its slogan, "All the Way to Zero," was written on the bow and elsewhere, to show the company's commitment to achieving net zero by 2040.



After a two-month voyage of 21,500 kilometers from HD Hyundai's shipyard in Ulsan, the Laura Maersk arrived in Copenhagen last Wednesday, for Maersk to hold the naming ceremony at the Danish capital housing the shipping company's headquarters.



During the ceremony, Chung met with Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.





The Laura Maersk, the world's first methanol-powered container ship built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, sails the sea in this undated file photo. Courtesy of HD Hyundai
Award-winning author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates is coming to Alabama this month.

Coates is this years recipient of the 2023 Fitzgerald Prize for Literary Excellence. Annually awarded by The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, the prize honors an author whose work continues the legacy of storytelling while also exemplifying the craft, wit, and social insight typified by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

READ: Ta-Nehisi Coates to receive prize for literary excellence in Montgomery

Coates was a national correspondent for The Atlantic where he wrote about the intersection of race, culture, economics, and politics, including The Case for Reparations, a 2014 article that examined the effects of how housing discrimination and redlining marginalized generations of Black people.

Coates is also an author whose books include The Beautiful Struggle and We Were Eight Years in Power. His book Between The World And Me won the National Book Award in 2015. Coates penned Marvels Black Panther comic book series from 2016 to 2021 and Captain America from 2018 to 2021. Coates was also named a MacArthur Genius in 2019. His first novel, The Water Dancer, was also released that year.

Coates is the eighth recipient of the Fitzgerald Prize and will accept the award during An Evening with Ta-Nehisi Coates Celebrating American Storytelling on Friday, Sept. 22 at Ralph David Abernathy Hall on the campus of Alabama State University (the event was previously set for Troy Universitys Davis Theatre). The event, which runs from 6:30-8 p.m., will include a discussion between Coates and Dr. Derryn Moten, the professor and chair of history at Alabama State University. The award ceremony and lecture tickets are $28 and available on Eventbrite (Organizers previously opened a link for potential audience members to submit questions ahead of the event. That link is now closed due to capacity.)

Coates, who is also a renowned cultural critic, listed Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby in his 2010 piece I Study White People, a witty and satirical jab at claims that he ignores and maligns white people when writing about race and history. In the article, Coates examined books that had an early influence on his writing career. Heres a look back at what he wrote about The Great Gatsby:

My Lord, I read this book in a day during my sophomore year of college. I still think it is the quintessential American novel, and personally, the greatest novel Ive ever read. Im a sucker for brevity, but not brevity for the sake of it, but brevity paired with potency. And there is just so much packed into Gatsby, so much emotion and so much color. I remember reading that scene in the second chapter when Gatsby has this huge party and just marvelling at how beautifully it was painted. Great, great book.

Its a sentiment Coates still holds more than a decade later.

The Great Gatsby is one of my three favorite books ever, Coates said in a recent interview with AL.com. So, its a huge, huge honor.
A capital murder suspect accused of killing a pregnant woman in east Alabama died by suicide in his cell early Sunday morning, according to a report.

CNAW 2 News reported Sunday that Bradley Stokes, was pronounced dead just before 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

Stokes was arrested in connection to the killing of Treasure Hennessy, 37, earlier this month. Hennessy was allegedly hiding from Stokes in a fire station before he allegedly fatally stabbed her. She was eight months pregnant at the time.

Stokes was recently freed after serving 14 years of a 16-year prison sentence for federal gun charges and manslaughter.

According to court records, Stokes in 2010 pleaded guilty in the 2008 shooting death of Crystal Lynn Bailey. The 21-year-old Phenix City woman was survived by her son, an obituary for Bailey states.

In late August, Hennessy -- who had been dating Stokes -- reportedly moved out of his residence and was given permission to stay at the Fort Mitchell Fire Station as a safe house from Stokes.

Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said deputies responded to at least two domestic violence calls filed by Hennessy against Stokes in the months before she died.

Taylor said authorities believe Stokes found out where Hennessy was staying.

According to CNAW, Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry, Jr., confirmed Stokes death, and confirmed the cause of death as suicide.

No more information was available early Sunday morning.
The Baldwin County Sheriffs Office released details about a woman sought in connection to a Friday homicide in the Bon Secour area.

Tahjaneka Christina Armstrong is considered a suspect in the shooting death of a 30-year-old man in the area. She was last seen wearing a purple tee shirt and black pants, according to the Sheriffs Office. She is approximately 5-foot-6-inches tall, 145 pounds., and is known to frequent Gulf Shores, they announced in a release.

The Sheriffs Office said Armstrong is wanted for questioning, and that she also currently has an unrelated warrant.

Sheriffs deputies were called to a residence in Bon Secour on Friday, where they found a 30-year-old Black man dead on the scene. He had been shot multiple times.

Anyone with information on the shooting or Armstrongs whereabouts is asked to contact the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office directly.
The father of Michael Brown Jr., the teen killed by a police officer in Missouri in 2014, spoke in Huntsville on Friday night at a screening of Ferguson Rises, a film that details the aftermath of the shooting.

Michael Brown Sr. said the film shines a light on the ongoing challenges of policing.

Some people are not affected by it as we are as black people, so it explains what tragedy can do and when people will feel like so much has happened in the community, he told AL.com. Some feel like they need to leave the community because they dont think it will rebuild; so it would explain to a lot of people that have just never been affected until this hit their streets.

Brown Sr. and his wife, Calvina Mays, appeared at the screening just one day after police shot and killed a man in downtown Huntsville. The shooting death of 43-year-old Sterling Keyon Arnold loomed large at the event. Huntsville police shot Arnold on Thursday near the 500 Block of Monroe Street, about three miles from the screening venue. In a news release that did not identify the police involved in the shooting, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Arnold was in possession of a handgun.

Speaking during a panel discussion before the screening, Brown Sr. reflected on what goes through his mind when he hears of someone dying at the hands of the police.

Well, sadly, its still going on today, Brown said. Every time I hear about it, hear about the incidents of someone losing their loved one, their father, their son, their daughter, their mother, it replays in my head what happened in 2014. I feel for those families. And I understand the pain.

Brown Jr.s death sparked a national outcry against police violence, racism and harmful policing practices. The film screening occurred in the historic Lakeside United Methodist Church, as part of the three-day Huntsville Human Rights Film Festival.

Dr. Noelle Hunter, a political scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the festivals coordinator, and Angela D. Curry, executive director of United Women of Color, both reflected on Arnolds death.

Hunter said the program was essential to drive the communitys discussions on policing.

Its such an important conversation, she said. We know in our community last night that we are again confronted with policing and what needs to happen for us as a community to invoke humane policing in our community and, more importantly, continue to coalesce as an active social justice community for all so we dont lose more people to gun violence, to police violence, so that we can all join in the theme of our Huntsville Human Rights Film Festival.

After the screening, Curry told AL.com that Browns death in 2014 transformed her from a Facebook keyboard warrior to actually becoming an activist.

And so the documentary means so much because its enlightening, she said. It shows how people can get involved. It shows how different ethnicities can work together for the same cause despite their background.

During her speech before the screening, she called for a transparent investigation concerning the death of Arnold.

I think its very important for us to acknowledge what is happening in our community, and for us that remain silent and dont ask for transparent investigations from our local government, were always complicit in pulling the trigger along with officers, she said. So we hope that there will be a transparent investigation related to what happened yesterday.

The programs major sponsors include United Women of Color and the Humanities Center at UAH. Veteran media personality David Person moderated the panel discussion before the film screening.

The second annual Huntsville Human Rights Film Festival began on Thursday with the virtual screening of Angel of Alabama, a film exposing environmental contamination in Alabama, and ended on Saturday with film screenings and panel discussions on policing, mental health, food insecurity, and environmental health at UAHs Morton Hall. The Friday event at Lakeside United Methodist Church featured Nashville Tennessee-based musician Chris Blue, the winner of The Voice season 12.

With this film, I have traveled to California, New York, Australia, numerous places where people are interested in understanding that a lot of communities are hurting, and there are a lot of communities that stand up behind this and wont sit down again after this, Brown Sr. said.

He said he goes across the country to help grieving families under the auspices of the organization he founded after his sons death: The Michael Brown Sr Chosen for Change Organization.

Before Mike, I actually didnt know about Eric Garner. I didnt know about certain names, he said. But when Mike hit the TV, its like all these other people start flashing on the screen, too. So, I will say, him getting murdered opened the eyes of the world to broadcast and put these other families out there in the light so they can understand this is happening.

This is happening up in our eyes, and we dont even know it, he added. If I wasnt here busy with you guys, I probably wont know what happened to the young man that got killed last night.
A high school focused on training future healthcare professionals is still on the table in Alabama, and West Alabama officials hope it can be paired with a controversial highway project to bolster the states Black Belt region.

But the fate of the health sciences high school, originally slated for Demopolis, wont be known until February when a feasibility study by Kansas City-based Tripp Umbach is completed. A legislative contract review committee authorized a $500,000 contract with the firm on September 7 to begin a study that will determine if the high school is needed, and its potential sites.

As proposed, the specialized high school called the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, will give students a concentrated curriculum involving classes in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM).

It is a statewide residential high school, meaning that students will live on campus and will be recruited throughout Alabama. It is also connected to Whitfield Regional Hospital, a rural hospital that has been managed by UAB Health for the past six years. The hospitals accessibility would provide students with hands-on clinical and laboratory resources during their education.

We are very confident that Demopolis is the perfect fit for this much-needed statewide asset, said Doug Brewer, CEO for Whitfield Regional Hospital.

If the school is built, it will be the fourth statewide magnet school that is focused on a specialized area of study. The others are the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, the Alabama School of Math and Sciences in Mobile, and the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering in Huntsville.

Political issues

The project could become a political hot potato for state officials who are debating the merits of another major investment in West Alabama.

The proposed West Alabama Highway Corridor runs through a rural, and mostly poor region of Alabama from Thomasville to Moundville. The highway project is not proposed to run through Demopolis, but it would connect just east of the Marengo County city. The highways corridor intersects and connects with U.S. 80, which runs through the south end of Demopolis.

Some lawmakers believe the money pitched for the highway would be better spent elsewhere in Alabama, namely in building extra lanes along Interstate 65.

Supporters say the high school in downtown Demopolis would be an economic boon for the Black Belt. But one state lawmaker confirmed there are at least two other cities vying to be home for the high school.

Both projects are backed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. And both are facing pushback from Iveys fellow Republican lawmakers in the State House.

Black Belt lawmakers say its time for their colleagues to back the governor, and support an area that has long been plagued by poverty and declining populations.

Its time for this area of the state to be highlighted and to have the same opportunities to develop and grow and retain talent that other areas have, said State Rep. A.J. McCampbell, D-Demopolis.

West Alabama support

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, chairman of the Senate's education budget committee, talks about the $7.1 billion Education Trust Fund spending plan that passed on Thursday. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)

McCampbell and other Black Belt lawmakers support having the health sciences high school built on 10 acres adjacent to Whitfield Regional Hospital in downtown Demopolis  in the heart of the Black Belt region. The new school is proposed to be connected to the hospital via by a walking bridge to provide students easy access to hands-on clinical experiences.

The schools funding was included in Iveys budget last spring, but the $31 million appropriation was removed as lawmakers jostled with what the governors office wanted to include within a $2.8 billion educational supplemental. Lawmakers instead OKd spending for the feasibility study to see if the high school is even needed.

State Senator Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, said he is aware of at least two other cities in the central area of the state that are interested in the school. He said the feasibility study will determine the right location for the school only if that same study believes a health science high school is a viable concept in Alabama.

They are interested in exploring it and are putting a plan together and meeting with the consultants and evaluators and showcasing their particular area, said Orr, who oversees the education budget in the Senate. He declined to name the two cities but added that they are in a zone in between Birmingham and Mobile.

Ivey remains supportive of the project, and believes Demopolis is the right fit. She announced the high school during her State of the State address in January and pushed for the $31 million expenditure in Demopolis during the spring legislative session.

Alabama continues to experience a shortage of healthcare workers  a shortage that is most serious in our rural areas, she said in a statement to AL.com. My proposed Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences will be critical to addressing not only this shortage of healthcare workers by providing career options and ready-to-work high school graduates, but this STEM school will also address workforce development, school choice, economic development and the provision of high-quality healthcare services to our citizens. I am excited to make investments in rural Alabama that will benefit our entire state, and I look forward to supporting this effort and the ongoing feasibility study.

Ivey, a Camden native, also continues to support the West Alabama Highway corridor project, despite calls from some GOP lawmakers  including Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth  that future funding for the project should be reconsidered. Ainsworth wants to see statewide transportation priorities reassessed, and for lanes be added along I-65.

Economic synergy

In Demopolis, supporters of both the highway and high school projects say they can create an economic synergy by luring people to a region hampered by declining population. Demopolis, for example, has experienced an 8% decline in population since 2010.

Anything that creates synergies in both new residents and transportation corridors are likely to create economic activity but in this particular region, the benefits are likely to carry far past increased economic activity, Brewer said. We believe that locating this school in Demopolis may be a major step forward in improving rural health care in the State of Alabama which consistently rates among the lowest in the nation with respect to health when compared to other states.

Brewer said the hospital is the right fit for the school, noting it has educational affiliations with the University of Alabama, the University of West Alabama, Wallace Community College, and other rural educational institutions within the region.

He said the hospital, through its affiliation with UAB and the University of Alabama, is able to provide extensive training for family practice and OB-GYN physicians. It also provides housing for surgery residents from UAB while they train with the university surgeons and professors.

(Whitfield) has become a favorite of the UAB surgery residents in the areas of advanced training in GI surgery and robotic surgery which (we) offer, Brewer said. Through access to these relationships in the form of dual enrollment and other creative programs, we believe students will be able to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.

Financial concerns

But Orr said he has heartburn over the amount of money that might be needed to make the high school evolve. He noted that while the budget request was for $31 million, there were discussions about construction costs at $62.

It gives me a lot of heartburn as an appropriator to come out of the gate with that kind of money, Orr said. I dont believe in handing out that kind of money and hope that enrollment will follow. If its in Demopolis or wherever it will be, they will need to grow it slowly but surely and, as they grow, they will get appropriations to follow. But I dont see us making a big Field of Dreams investment of build it, and they will come.

According to the projects proposal to Ivey, a foundation would be formed with a goal of raising $35 million to support construction. It will also lead an ongoing annual campaign to raise $500,000 to support the schools programming.

Orr also said that he isnt sure that the school in rural Alabama will be able to attract 9th and 10th graders.

We can commit to it, but it needs to be with an eye on the costs and built slowly, Orr said. It could be where you rent a hotel for a year as a dormitory and then a lot of private donations come to bear or  you have a finance situation of shared services with a local school board or a community college or, in this case, a hospital comes in as a partner, said Orr. But the idea that we just throw $31 to $62 million and hope (for it to grow), is a serious concern.

McCampbell said lawmakers should be prepared for the school -- in Demopolis -- to be part of next years budget talks again.

We are not backing off of it, he said. And because we are so serious about this, we are getting (the study) done to make sure there are no hiccups in terms on whether or not this site is feasibility.

Rural health worries

In 2011, Southwest Alabama Medical Center in Thomasville closed its doors to patients. Since that year, a total of 13 rural hospitals have closed in Alabama sparking vocalized push by the Alabama Hospital Association to have state lawmakers find a way to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. (Mike Kittrell, AL.com)

The high schools concept is emerging at a time of continued growing concerns over rural health care in the U.S., particularly in Alabama where seven small hospitals have closed since 2005.

A report earlier this year from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform suggests that 29, or 56% of the 52 rural hospitals operating in Alabama, are at risk of closing, while 19 are at an immediate risk of closure.

The Alabama Hospital Association, earlier this year, warned that a large swath of rural hospital closures would force large, urban hospitals to deal with increased capacity issues.

Brewer said a health science high school operating in the middle of rural Alabama could be one antidote to the problems. He said a school connected to a rural hospital provides advantages not offered in a larger city.

The ability to follow the care of patients through the health care process is exactly why many medical schools and training organizations use smaller community and rural hospitals for this training, he said. It can be difficult to follow and learn from processes in large hospitals simply due to both facility size and volumes.

The link with UAB also provides a boost on the hospitals multiple studies designed to improve healthcare, Brewer said.

Hospitals in Alabama are struggling worse than most other states and are struggling to recruit employees and resolving staffing shortages.

According to a report earlier this year, the states hospitals have lost $1.5 billion since 2020, and operating incomes continue to plummet from pre-pandemic numbers. Half of all the states hospitals ended 2022 with negative margins, up from 40% in 2021 and 22% in 2019.

Rising costs from contract labor to the cost of medical supplies and drug expenses are fueling much of the problems. Some are renewing their calls for Republicans to expand Medicaid coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level of $20,120 for an individual in 2023.

Forty-one states have adopted the Medicaid expansion and 10 states, including Alabama, have not.

The lack of Medicaid expansion remains touchy in Alabama, and politically problematic for some lawmakers who view it as a necessity in keeping rural health care operating.

The lack of a Medicaid expansion was blamed for the closure of the home health provider, Help at Home, which is pulling its services out of the state at the end of the month and laying off nearly 800 employees.

A company spokesperson blamed the current Medicaid reimbursement and regulatory environment for making it difficult to recruit, hire and retain its workforce.

Policy action on Medicaid aside, Brewer said the high school specializing in health care will bring more people to the Black Belt, specifically Demopolis, at a time when the region needs a boost.

And he said the region offers enough quality-of-life attractions to lure the kids to West Alabama -- Christmas on the River, Rooster Days, and Rumble on the River boat races on the Tombigbee River. Crime rates are also low.

We believe that kids and families from all over the state would welcome the opportunity to become part of our community while enjoying a great family atmosphere in an incredibly safe and welcoming environment, he said.
An Alabama lawmaker plans to add another honor in a week of tributes and commemorations marking the 60th anniversary of bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church.

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, said she will offer a House Resolution to recognize the 60th anniversary of the bombing, honor the victims and note its impact as a seminal moment in civil rights history. The state legislature is out of session until January, so her resolution will officially be an interim document until make official by a vote.

Let us never forget that this was a terrorist attack aimed at frightening Blacks and bringing a halt to desegregation in Birmingham and Alabama, Givan said. The effect it had was just the opposite. It galvanized a nation against racial hatred and resulted in the passing of laws to outlaw discrimination and ensure equal rights for Blacks throughout the U.S.

Friday marked the 60th anniversary of the deadly bombing that killed four girls at the church. Givan said the bombing of the church was one of the darkest days in the states history.

The blast killed 11-year-old Denise McNair, and 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, who were about to attend the churchs Youth Day service.

Givans resolution comes during a week where numerous memorials and observances occurred around Birmingham to commemorate the bombing and its impact.

National outrage over the churchs bombing and deaths of the girls contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights of 1965.

Givan plan to present the resolution to the church.
Historic ties between the city of Birmingham and the United Kingdom nation of Wales were cemented through a series of cultural exchanges and the unveiling of a new monument in Kelly Ingram Park on Friday.

Mayor Randall Woodfin and Vaughan Gething, the Welsh Minister for the Economy, signed a friendship pact between the city of Birmingham and the nation of Wales. The ceremony occurred immediately after the 60th commemoration of the bombing that killed four girls at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. The leaders also unveiled a plaque that dedicates four trees at the park in their honor.

The 1963 blast decimated the historic church and grabbed the attention of people around the world, including children 4,000 miles away in Wales.

Those students contributed money 60 years ago to build a new stained-glass window to replace one that was blown out of the sanctuary wall. What has become known as the Wales Window began a relationship between the two communities that was commemorated and expanded upon this week.

The achievements Birmingham made in the civil rights era could not have happened without the support of like-minded allies. Thats what we hold dear today at this moment, Woodfin said. As we remember the four little girls today and their bonds of friendship, so too do we remember our bonds and our mission, and that is to preserve and protect the people of our nations from hate and injustice.

A new generation of students and government officials from Wales spent much of the week in Alabama on a cultural exchange.

The Wales delegations included the Urdd, a national youth organization, along with delegates from the Welsh government, led by Gething. Their visit also included immersive tours throughout Birmingham and Montgomery.

The initiative was created to fulfill a vision for dignity and for justice, Gething said.

Read more coverage of commemorations of 1963 civil rights events.

The trees that we will dedicate in this place today will stand as a lasting and visitable testament of our friendship, he said at the ceremony in Kelly Ingram Park, just yards from the church. That friendship is really love between people. Like the Wales window, the plaque is a gift from the people of Wales, a token of our enduring friendship.

The Rev. Arthur Price admires the "Wales Window" at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The window was crafted by a Welsh artist and funded by the people of Wales after the church's original window was blown out in the 1963 bombing. Jerry Ayres/The Birmingham News/Alabama Media Group.bn

The Wales-Birmingham International Friendship Pact exists to help people from your city and our nation to make an even bigger contribution to the future. New friends will grow up better equipped to call out what is wrong and more important to do what is right. Better equipped to build a fairer future.

The visit was coordinated by Birmingham Sister Cities, a nonprofit whose mission is to connect Birmingham with other parts of the world.

We remember the act of hatred that took the lives of four innocent little girls and caused national unrest. We also remember the support of our friends, the solidarity of the nation, and the unyielding response to move the civil rights act forward in the city of Birmingham, said Birmingham Sister Cities board member Montiqua Mathers. It doesnt fall short on me that what happened 60 years ago is what has united us today  this moment, this place.

Todays signing ceremony concluded with the premier of a song that was commissioned for the event. Arranged by Welsh composer Christian Phillips and Birmingham natives Elias Hendricks and Byron Thomas, the composition honors the legacy of the four girls who were killed in the bombing and symbolizes the Birmingham-Wales friendship. The musical project was sponsored by the Birmingham Chapter of The Links Incorporated.

Music unifies people in a way that words cannot, said Shia Hendricks, a board member of Birmingham Sister Cities, who is also a member of the Birmingham Links. The song melds together our two cultures to beautifully honor the legacy of the four girls who were killed in the bombing and are remembered here today by the dedication of the four trees marked on either side of us to embody the enduring Birmingham-Wales friendship in the memory of what happened and the hope of whats to come.

Also in attendance was Stephen Benjamin, President Joe Bidens Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Benjamin called the day an opportunity to learn, share, and accept the challenge to do more.

Its humbling. This was a transitional moment in the history of this country, Benjamin told AL,com. We have to celebrate how far weve come but realize that we have so much more distance to go.
David Shers ComebackTown for a better greater Birmingham

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Todays guest columnist is Don Erwin.

In Alabama, we love winning the economic development megaprojects: Mercedes, Airbus, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda-Toyota.

The list is long, and each has brought thousands of new jobs.

What if the Birmingham metro could win a 68,000-job megaproject?

Holy moly!

Thats more jobs than Alabamas entire automotive industry. Is Apple or Google moving out of California?

It will cost money, but were used to paying big incentives for big projects, right?

The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is the percent of a community or states population ages 16 and over who are working or actively looking for work. Utah has the highest LFPR at 69.8%; Mississippi has the lowest at 54.4%. Alabamas LFPR is 57%, the fourth lowest of the US states.

The Birmingham metros Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is about 61%. Each one percent Birmingham can raise its LFPR adds about 8,800 people to the labor force. If the Birmingham metros LFPR equaled Nashvilles (68.7%), there would be 68,000 more people either working or actively looking for work in the Birmingham metro! And thats without a single new person moving here.

Can you imagine the prosperity that 68,000 additional people working would bring? More money to care for families. More cars and houses bought. Retail sales would boom. Existing job vacancies would be filled, and business recruiters could show prospective companies theres a workforce waiting for them in Birmingham. Per capita and household income would rise. So would government tax revenue to provide increased services. There would be more prosperity for all.

Equaling Nashvilles LFPR is unrealistic, you say? Perhaps. What if we equaled Atlantas LFPR (67.3%)? That would add 55,000 people to the Birmingham metro workforce. If we equaled the Louisville Metros LFPR (65.2%), it would add 37,000 people. Even equaling Memphis LFPR, which isnt so great (63.7%), would add more than 23,000 people to the workforce.

We struggle to attract people to move to Birmingham, but there are people already living here who could live more fulfilling and productive lives if they were working. Lets help these people reach their potential.

Our low LFPR is a challenge for the entire Birmingham metro; the City of Birmingham makes up less than 18% of the metro population.

Raising the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is much more than just telling people to get a job. There are good reasons why our LFPR is low.

How we can raise our Labor Force Participation Rate

We need to make it easier for parents with young children to work. Center-based childcare in Alabama costs an average of $7,500/year; home-based childcare costs about $6,000/yearif you can find it.

Alabama has the sixth highest disability rate among the US states. Even worse, Alabama ranks 49th for disabled people with jobs. COVID showed that many jobs can be done remotely, and that opens new opportunities for disabled people.

In 2017, Alabama had the highest opioid prescribing rate in the country, with almost three times as many prescriptions written per person as the lowest-prescribing state. Between 1999 and 2015, the rise in opioid use caused the total prime-age labor force participation rate in Alabama to decline by 2.6 percentage points, a loss of 46,300 workers. According to the CDC, in 2020 there were 139 opioid prescriptions dispensed for every 100 people in Jefferson County. And this is just the legal drugs.

We need to help people acquire the skills to be employable. Many workforce development programs exist at different levels of government and the private sector. A goal of every such program should be to help increase the Labor Force Participation Rate.

Human nature is such that some able-bodied people have figured out how to game the system and get by without working. We should make that more difficult.

Lets attract new people to the Birmingham metro, but lets also help those already living here live as productive lives as possible. It would help them and help us all.

Don Erwin was an economic developer for twelve years. He is the author of Buffalo Hunting in Alabama, a novel about the competition among cities and states to attract economic development projects. He lives in the Birmingham metro.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. Hes past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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United Auto Workers members march through downtown Detroit, Friday, Sept. 15. The UAW is conducting a strike against Ford, Stellantis and General Motors. AP-Yonhap



High-wire talks between striking U.S. workers and automotive giants are in a "critical phase," Jeep-maker Stellantis said Saturday, as politicians staked out positions on a labor issue that could have national impact.



Stellantis, together with fellow "Big Three" automakers General Motors and Ford, was hit Friday by a limited strike  but one the United Auto Workers (UAW) warns could spread.



Both sides issued cautious statements Saturday.



"Our bargaining team continues to work days, nights and weekends" in pursuit of a "reasonable" solution, said the statement from Stellantis, which was formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and the French PSA Group.



But the automaker warned that if talks took a bad turn, the outcome "will take us backward and endanger the long-term competitiveness of our Company, negatively impacting our workers and our communities."



There was no immediate formal response from the union, but a UAW source told AFP, "we had reasonably productive conversations with Ford today."



Only about 12,700 of the UAW's 150,000 members are currently on strike.



But with workers at all of the Big Three coordinating strike action for the first time  including a demand for pay increases of 40 percent over a four-year contract  the automakers could face a far more disruptive stoppage.



Underscoring the political stakes of the moment, President Joe Biden quickly lent his support to the strikers Friday, saying he understood their "frustration."



Political lines



And on Saturday, former president Barack Obama lent his backing, with a reference to the 2008-09 financial crisis.



"When the big three automakers were struggling to stay afloat, my administration and the American people stepped in to support them," he said on social media. "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, it's time to do right by those same workers."



Democratic Senators Gary Peters, from Michigan, and John Fetterman, from Pennsylvania, posted pictures on social media Saturday of the two of them joining UAW workers on a picket line in Michigan.





Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), right, and UAW President Shawn Fain speak at a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they strike the Big Three automakers on Sept. 15, in Detroit, Michigan. AFP-Yonhap
John Eastman is a distinguished constitutional expert who had the temerity to advise Donald Trump on legal theories by which suspect electoral results in the 2020 election could be challenged. These are perfectly valid theories, one should note, and, in a better world, they would have been addressed by the Supreme Court.

For this, he has been viciously attacked by the legal academy, indicted by a rabid Georgia grand jury, and subjected to disbarment proceedings by the California Bar Association. In a recent American Thinker post, Monica Showalter describes the lynch-law nature of the California proceeding, linking to excellent reporting by Rachel Alexander in the Arizona Sun Times.

If the U.S. courts of appeal and the Supreme Court have any sense of obligation to the law (a debatable assumption, to be sure), Eastman will ultimately be vindicated.

But that is of little moment to his persecutors. Any vindication will be years in the future, while in the present, Eastman must find lawyers willing to represent him and thus risk the ire of the organized bar. When he does, he will be crushed by legal fees and deprived of opportunities to make a living. He is also distracted from using his great talents to contribute to the national debate over past and future election fraud and other important legal topics, which is a serious harm to the nation and the profession. California is treading upon my First Amendment rights, and those of the public, to obtain information.

The objective of the persecutors is not just to get Eastman, but to send a message to everyone in the legal world that if people publicly challenge the dominant narrative, they too will be broken on the wheel of financial ruin. Judging by the tone of the mainstream media, the tactic is working fine. The only people who know the truth are those attuned to such sites as American Thinker. Readers of the NYT or WSJ assume that the inquisitors are righteous.

The action against Eastman is part of a comprehensive program of filing ethics complaints against attorneys who question the 2020 election results. The leader of this enterprise is Project 65, which says it has filed 77 of them. It portrays itself as a defender of legal ethics:

[A] bipartisan effort to protect democracy from these once-and-future abuses by holding accountable Big Lie Lawyers who bring fraudulent and malicious lawsuits to overturn legitimate election results, and by working with bar associations to deter future abuses by establishing clear standards for conduct that punish lies about the conduct or results of elections.

The Project 65 website gives no clue about its funding sources. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it holds itself out to the public and the government as a non-political charity and solicits donations. But of the three staff members it lists, the managing director "was General Counsel of a national advocacy organization [unnamed] dedicated to expanding ballot access"; the communications strategist is "a veteran of Democratic and progressive political and legislative campaigns"; and the senior adviser "served as a political appointee in the Clinton Administration," was a founder of "a non-profit dedicated to supporting and protecting the Mueller Investigation," and was the "Finance Director of the Democratic National Committee."

The managing director, Michael Teter, bears the same name as the lawyer for Ray Epps, of Jan 6 fame.

Several of the Project 65 complaints are against state attorneys general who filed amicus briefs in Texas v. Pennsylvania, which challenged the 2020 results on the basis of a number of irregularities in key states. The Supreme Court refused to hear the case on procedural grounds, but Texas certainly documented many serious deficiencies that were never tested in court. To complain that support for the case was unethical brands the complainer as either legally inept or, himself, unethical.

This latter possibility gets to the nub of the matter. The American Bar Association code of conduct specifies that "a lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous." In civil litigation, a lawyer signing a document certifies that "it is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation."

The post-2020 election period was chaotic. Many lawsuits were filed, some probably frivolous, many quite good. Unfortunately, all were tossed on procedural grounds and none decided on the merits, which has left the nation in its current state of festering rancor. For the legal establishment to assert that anyone who raised questions during this time was acting unethically strikes me as itself unethical, because these complaints seem to be the epitome of actions designed to harass and increase costs.

The final question is, what is the state of mind of these complainants? Are they so wrapped in their own propaganda that they think that they are the good guys? Did they not read between the lines of the Time article on the election? Are they incapable of understanding the testimony of a retired Wisconsin Supreme Court judge in support of Eastman? Do they think the cause of getting Trump is so righteous that it trumps any obligation to the Rule of Law? What does it say about the state of the legal profession that this narrative has become dominant?

My hope is that what we are seeing is a layer of well funded progressive activists determined to stampede the legal profession, in the equivalent of a political coup, and that we will see a reaction and a reassertion of real rather than faux legal ethics.

If not, then it is time to quote the famous words from A Man for All Seasons: "and if you cut [the laws] down ... d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?"

James V DeLong is a former book review editor of the Harvard Law Review and a former research director of the Administrative Conference of the United States.

Image via Picryl.
Two of the worst Supreme Court opinions are Obergefell, finding an imaginary constitutional right to gay marriage, and Bostock, reading transgenderism into Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, the Diocese of Cleveland, by announcing that it is abandoning all LGBTQ+ ideology and practices, may give rise to a Supreme Court case that wipes out those legal abominations.

In 2015, in Obergefell, Justice Anthony Kennedy concluded that, hidden deep within the Constitution, probably in the same place in which the Supreme Court once found a right to abortion, there is a fundamental right to same-sex marriage. The decision reads more like a romance novel than it does a legal document, despite periodic references to the Constitution.

Kennedys writing was slop, but it was slop that set up a very disturbing constitutional crisis: namely, the moment when a same-sex couple sues a conservative religious institution for refusing to marry it. When I mentioned this problem to a leftist lawyer, he scoffed. Much as the Catholic church opposed abortion, he pointed out, that had never caused a constitutional crisis. I responded that the Catholic church didnt perform abortions.

Image: The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland, Ohio, by Notordinaryatall. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Then, in 2019, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the decision in Bostock. In it, he held that the 1964 Civil Rights Act, when it used the word sex, meant gender identity. This violated the first rule of statutory interpretation, which is that you must consider what the legislature had in mind when it enacted a lawand I think we can all agree that, back in 1964, no one in the legislature was thinking about so-called transgenderism. They were, instead, thinking about sex in terms of the gender binarymale and femalethat is both a constant in human biology and the Judeo-Christian belief system that built America. Again, a head-on collision with a religious institution seems inevitable.

Gorsuchs decision is especially bad because its weaving so-called transgenderism into the warp and woof of American life. Its why every corporation in America now has a transgender policy. Thats not just because corporations are woke (they are); its because if they dont have such a policy, theyve violated the Civil Rights Act and run the risk of getting a lawsuit and a knock on the door from the EEOC.

But the Diocese of Cleveland just did something that is great on its face, and that may finally force the Supreme Court to revisit these constitutionally corrupt decisions: It said that its Christian values must control when it comes to the question of human sex and sexuality. According to the Diocese, there are only two sexes, and heterosexuality is the only appropriate relationship.

The Bishops new Parish & School Policy on Issues of Sexuality and Gender Identity is remarkably clear. Its opening paragraph establishes that the rules it states are grounded in divine revelation. It acknowledges that people suffer from gender dysphoria or confusion and expresses sympathy for their sufferings but says that their belief is contrary to the divinely revealed reality of our true, God-given human nature. Compassion is called for but not more.

While the Diocese will not bar the door against those who claim same-sex attraction or gender confusion,

those persons who choose to openly express disagreement with Church teaching on matters of sex, sexuality, and /or gender in an inappropriate or scandalous way, or who act in ways contrary to the teachings of the Church, may be subject to restrictions on his or her participation in the life of the institution or, in appropriate cases, to disciplinary action, both for that person's own good and/or the good of others.

The policy applies to everyone affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Clevelandemployees, volunteers, students, etc.

With this principle in place, the Diocese articulated firm rules:

If a minor expresses gender dysphoria, any institution within the Diocese must notify the parents. The exception is the reasonable belief that this will subject the child to physical abuse, in which case the dysphoria must be reported to the Diocese Legal Office and designated moral theologians.

All pronouns and names must reflect a persons God-given biological sex There are no preferred pronouns in the Cleveland Diocese.

Bathrooms and other single-sex facilities are open only to members of that biological sex.

Single-sex programs, institutions, and activities are open only to members of that biological sex.

Only male-female couples may attend dances within the Diocese in a romantic capacity, although friends, groups, and individuals may attend.

Clothes are to reflect a persons biological sex.

People may not engage in public LGBTQ+ conduct, including displaying LGBTQ+ paraphernalia and insignia.

No one within the diocese may go through any form of gender transition.

All records are to reflect a persons biological sex.

Its amazing that it took this long for a religious institution to stand up for religious principles. I hope the Diocese is braced for the inevitable lawsuits from activist employees or parentsand when those lawsuits come, I hope the Diocese has the resolve to take them to the Supreme Court if need be. Maybe, then, the Supreme Court will reverse the constitutional monstrosities that are Obergefell and Bostock.
The Biden administration is being battered by criticism from Democrat elected officials whose cities are overrun with migrants. In response, the administration has devised another scheme in their quest to destroy middle America. The administration reportedly plans to force illegal immigrants to remain in Texas and other border states by using ankle monitors and other GPS-tracking devices.

Republican governors such as Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida have effectively drawn attention to the disaster that is Joe Bidens open southern border, but now they need to take this strategy to the next level. They need to get to the root of the problem. Follow the money, as the Watergate-era directive states.

Image: Illegal aliens at OHare International Airport in Chicago. X screen grab.

In addition to sending the migrants to major Democrat cities and areas such as New York City, Washington D.C., and Marthas Vineyard, Abbott, DeSantis and other GOP governors should send them to George Soross various mansions in Westchester County and in the Hamptons, Joe Bidens waterfront estate in Delaware, as well as the residences of several other multi-millionaires and billionaires who are disciples of globalist Klaus Schwabs World Economic Forum.

The late social satirist and comic George Carlin once said this about the state of politics:

Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You dont. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. Theyve long since bought and paid for the senate, the congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.

In addition, the late comedian Bill Hicks put it this way:

This is where we are at right now, as a whole. No one is left out of the loop. We are experiencing a reality based on a thin veneer of lies and illusions. A world where greed is our God and wisdom is sin, where division is key and unity is fantasy, where the ego-driven cleverness of the mind is praised, rather than the intelligence of the heart.

It appears that the only way we will get the attention of the mega-wealthy donor class is to make issues extremely personal for them. Drop off the migrants in their posh neighborhoods and watch them hypocritically squirm as did the extremely tolerant well-heeled folks of Marthas Vineyard, who promptly had the migrants removed within 48 hours of their arrival.

We need social critics such as Carlin and Hicks now more than ever to push back against the wealthy, self-appointed social engineers who are increasingly controlling every aspect of our lives by using open borders, proposed central bank digital currency, draconian Climate Change restrictions, as well as other machinations yet to be revealed. Dave Chappelle, Adam Carolla, and several other comics have been calling out the manipulative moves of the elites. We need to encourage their efforts and push back against the woke cancel culture whenever they are attacked for their point of view. The future of Western civilization depends on it.
Of course, theres immediate cause for suspicion and heightened skepticism when high-resolution and infrared video footage, focused right on a high-profile conservative firebrand, from a blacked-out theater, emerges almost simultaneously with the scandal.

Heres a little timeline of events:

Last Sunday, two patrons were ejected from a theater performance of Beetlejuice in Denver; by Tuesday, we find out those two patrons were Colorados own Representative Lauren Boebert and a date. Surveillance footage captured very untoward and belligerent behavior: Boebert was seen vaping, and rubbing her paramours nether region as he groped her chest. On Wednesday, we learned the identity of the man, finding out that hes 46-year-old Quinn Gallagher, a divorced father-of-one, Denver bar owner, and a Democrat. One alleged source told the Daily Mail that if Gallaghers parents were to find out about the tryst, they would be horrified because they are definitely blue.

Now yesterday were told via the New York Post report that not only is Gallagher a Democrat, but according to social media posts his bar has a very pro-gay ethos, going as far as hosting drag shows. From the outlet:

In January, the Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, which is co-owned by Quinn Gallagher, staged a winter Wonderland Burlesque & Drag Show, an invitation for the event reveals.

If we use our abductive reasoning skills if it looks like a political hit, swims like a political hit, and quacks like a political hit, its a political hit. Heres what Liz Crokin has to say about the turn of events on X:

It turns out Lauren Boebert's mystery man is a Democrat bar owner.



If I was a wagering enthusiast, I would bet this guy was paid to set her up.



Shes coming off a divorce, and shes vulnerable. This guy comes into her life, charms her, seduces her and then probably gets her  LIZ CROKIN (@LizCrokin) September 17, 2023

One user in the comments offered some alleged insight into how internal surveillance typically works, especially if the device was a dome camera, stating this:

The theater cameras are programmed to keep moving. They are supposed to scan for someone intending to do harm to the theater goers. This one was pointed at her for several minutes. Either whoever was watching the cameras was getting his rocks off watching or this was deliberately recorded to create a scandal.

Another implied an additional angle, with this assertion:

Youve left out only the final piece of the puzzle. The press and the DeSantis Twitter army were alerted to this story before it emerged and were ready with their moralizing talking points the moment that it did.

Inarguably, Boeberts behavior exhibits serious lapses in judgment, from her choice in dates to the speed and (lack of) boundaries of her intimate relationships, and I think it reflects poorly on her character. It was the right thing that she was ejected from the theater for her actions, especially if children were in the audience.

However, Boeberts private life doesnt have anything to do with me (I only care when children are involved), and shes not the first woman to be less than modest, and she wont be the last. The tapes that I really care about would show me who brought cocaine into the White House; Stephen Paddocks movements before the Las Vegas shooting and law enforcements after; and what really happened to Jeffrey Epstein. Wouldnt it be nice if the media were half as efficient at getting those recordings as they are tracking down footage of two [anonymous] patrons getting frisky in a dark theater?

Image from X.
Not too long ago, New Yorks Mayor Eric Adams decried that unchecked migration and its associated costs would "destroy New York City." Services across the board would be cut 5% to start, and with Adams not seeing "a way out" the migrants would just keep coming.

But that's not the way these things work. New York isn't going to get destroyed.

Only its citizens are.

According to the New York Post:

Socialist state lawmakers are itching to impose new tax increases to cover the ever-increasing cost of migrants in the Big Apple  insisting that forcing New Yorkers to pay even more is the only way out of the mushrooming crisis. Two state senators told The Post new taxes were on the table, while their grassroots cadres have buzzed on social media. We should increase taxes because its economically just policy to offset all costs for our state to function, said state Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn). 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.

New taxes to pay for migrants? And no end to the migrants, so more and more new taxes? Who thinks "the rich," who have already been socked multiple times, and have been moving out of the state in droves, are the only ones who will be affected?

What's more, what do the New Yorkers get for their new taxes to pay for migrants? In the past, taxes were hiked to pay for more roads and bridges, more jails, or more subway lines. These taxes will go to pay for more migrants, which will attract more as more get serviced, and the crime and social disorder they bring with them.

Sound like a good use for New Yorkers' hard earned and already very taxed money?

They already are getting reactions like this.

And make no mistake, the migrants are coming harder:

Panama  today in Panama we saw and made video of situation easily this bad. Is real and growing. We just in from jungle and no chance to upload anything. Tomorrow morning back to jungle before sunrise. https://t.co/Un7O4UYYIK  Michael Yon: Callsign BIG HONEY 6 (@Michael_Yon) September 16, 2023

No wonder New York is one of the top states for flight outward, to tax and order friendly places such as Ron DeSantis's Florida and Greg Abbott's Texas.

Expect more of this outflow -- and more political power and congressional seats to follow. When socialist bureaucrats have a choice between saving their city for the citizens and saving themselves with taxes, we all know what they will choose.

Image: Screen shot from Fox News video, via YouTube
As the House Oversight Committee recently revealed, President Joe Biden used at least three aliases in his email correspondences. The major media, probably out of ignorance, missed the likely code embedded in those names.

In Time magazine, for instance, Brian Bennett wrote, "Joe Biden used Gmail addresses with the name 'robinware456' and 'JRBWare' during his time as Vice President. He also used a government-issued pci.gov account with the name 'Robert.L.Peters.'" Bennett's article is titled "Here's What We Know About the Email Aliases Joe Biden Used While Vice President," but Bennett does not even guess at the meaning of the chosen names.

I suspect Bennett does not know who Whittaker Chambers is, and I would bet my house to his mailbox that he hasn't read Chambers's masterful autobiography, Witness. As a quick refresher, during the 1930s, Chambers, an American citizen, organized spy rings of up-and-coming New Dealers eager to help him serve his Soviet masters.

In Witness, Chambers recounts how he came to see the error of his ways. Upon being called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee post-war, Chambers named names, the most prominent among them being Alger Hiss, a high-ranking State Department official and the first secretary general of the United Nations.

As a result of Chambers's revelations and his own hubris, Hiss was tried and convicted of perjury and served nearly four years in a federal prison. The Democrat-media complex never forgave Chambers or his champion in the House, Richard Nixon, for bringing Hiss to justice.

If Bennett does not know about Chambers, Biden certainly appears to. One need only look at Chambers's page in Wikipedia  the scourge of right-wing conspiracy theories  to see the likely source of the Biden code (italics added): "[Chambers's] main handler was Josef Peters, Chambers claimed that Peters introduced him to Harold Ware ... [and] that Ware was head of a communist underground cell in Washington."

It would seem far more likely than not that that the names "Peters" and "Ware" were chosen consciously. Based on his policies and performance, it seems altogether possible that "JRB [Joseph Robinette Biden] Ware" sees himself as the "head of a communist underground cell in Washington" in the spirit of his namesake.

Either that, or the names represent one truly bizarre inside joke.

Jack Cashill's new book, Untenable: The True Story of White Ethnic Flight from America's Cities, is available in all formats.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Hawaii's Gov. Josh Green is a bald-faced liar and claims that only 31 people are still missing from the Lahaina fire that burned so hot it cremated people.

It also appears that the medical examiner, Dr. Jeremy Stuelpnagel, can bring back the dead. Stuelpnagel confirmed 115 dead on the island weeks ago, but now says the number is 97. He claims the discrepancy is because some people were counted twice and some were actually animals.

Did he not learn the difference between Man and animals at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, where he graduated in 2008?

The claim is made that 74 bodies have been identified. That may or may not be true. The people who were cremated in the fire will never be identified.

Green is in a hurry to pass a bill that will have the burned-out properties cleared for free if owners allow the state to start immediately. Otherwise, the home and business owners will have to pay themselves and will be fined if they dont do it quickly. Native Hawaiians say slow down and that they need time to figure out what to do.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier claimed the number of missing fell from 41 to 31. However, a National Guardsman who was working on the clean-up was interviewed by James OKeefe, known for his Project Veritas expositions.

OKeefe was told that there were a lot of people still missing. OKeefe asked: A thousand? The guardsman responded: Probably. OKeefe asked if politicians were lying on the news about the numbers and the man said he did not watch the news because it made him sad.

That number corresponds with a recent newscast about the missing Lahaina children. We learned that 3,001 total students were registered in the four schools there. 778 were re-enrolled, 874 were signed up for distance learning, 129 enrolled in a charter or other schools, 12 had withdrawn and, according to the Department of Education about were 1,200 unaccounted for. Assuming that 10% of the missing children left the island, there are still more than 1,000 kids missing.

Six hundred and fifty children attended King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which means they lived near the school. The school was closed that day and it burned to the ground. The nearby children were either home alone or with their grandparents. Where are those children?

Gov. Green doesnt want those numbers out. Especially since the state did so much that was wrong: the warning sirens didnt go off, the electric company didnt shut down its lines, and the police barricaded the only road in and out of Lahaina. People who broke the law and went around the barricades lived, those who obeyed died.

Gov. Green also doesnt want people talking about HB365, which he signed on July 12, 2023, which gives the state expanded control over development areas and reduces the need for area permits.

A Maui resident told me a story about a home for the aged on Front Street. All the employees ran from the building when the fire was coming, as did the residents who were ambulatory. A man passing by saw what was happening and went into the building. He gathered the six or seven elderly people, confined to wheelchairs, into one room. He texted his family that they were old and afraid and that he was going to stay with them. And did. And died. An effort is being made to identify him.

Maui resident Eric Casco, 42, sneaked into town the day after the fire and saw a family burned and petrified in place, kneeling and praying.

Oprah Winfrey, whose 2,000 acres and several houses on Maui were untouched by the fire, encouraged people to donate money to those who lost everything. Meanwhile, Oprah, who is worth $2.8 billion, has donated no money. She handed out diapers and took umbrage after being turned away when she tried to get her camera crew to capture video of those who lost everything, except the clothes they were wearing.

And the Obamas? Are they still pretending he was born there? If so, why did they not donate a single penny?

Susan Daniels is a private investigator and the author The Rubbish Haulers Wife versus Barack Obama, available at Amazon.com. She can reached at susandanielspi.com

Image: Screen shot from KHON video, via YouTube
Seattle, like many American cities long controlled by Democrats, is experiencing significant police shortages and rising crime rates -- especially large increases in staged carjackings.

What does law enforcement suggest citizens do in these trying times?

Sheriff David Robinson recommends that they give up their car keys and give the criminals whatever theyre looking for.

Thats the spirit! Just surrender to evil! Its the New American Way! Weve come full circle from Dont Tread On Me to Take Anything You Want, I Wont Resist.

Nike says, Just do it! Nancy Reagan said Just say no. John Paul Jones said "I have not yet begun to fight."

And now Seattle's sheriff says, just give up.

Inspiring!

The Spirit of 76? What if the colonists had decided that the British were just too strong-- and just gave up? The likes of George Washington and Samuel Adams could have simply told them to give up their guns and hand the keys to their homes over to the Redcoats. After all, the British had a large and experienced army and the best navy in the world. The colonists had neither.

Lewis and Clark blazed a trail through the wilderness to the Northwest, arriving at the Pacific Ocean (between what are the now crime-ravaged cities of Seattle and Portland.) They faced many staggering obstacles, among them the Rocky Mountains, abhorrent weather, hostile natives, dangerous animals, and various diseases. Perhaps they shouldve just given up. Same for those who came later via Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail.

We must rise up and demand that authorities get tough on crime and support law enforcement. We must demand that they enforce bail. We must rid ourselves of Soros-funded D.A.s who never met a criminal they wouldnt coddle. No more catch and release, no more recidivism. We must vote out the people in power who put the needs of criminals above those of law-abiding (and tax-paying!) citizens.

Unless we recover our courage, our spirit, and our moral character, criminals will forever be in the drivers seat-- and we will be left helpless on the side of the roadwondering what went wrong.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Americans are immersed in an ocean of lies, deceit, and propaganda. The MSM, at the behest of the Marxist-Leninist Lizard Overlords, gleefully inject their digital fentanyl into our "skulls full of mush," knowing that tens of millions of zombiesque addicted souls will never recover their sense of inquiry and resolve.

So, for the never woke, the un-woke, the semi-woke, and the drooling woke, I have gathered a short list of what I believe is the honest ground truth in America today. Feel free to add your own ground truths in the comments section below.

(If you're a woke progressive and are easily offended, please don't read any further, and click here.)

The 2020 election was stolen.

Climate hysteria is an absolute hoax.

Deep State actors never get indicted, much less convicted.

America no longer has a southern border with Mexico.

E.V.s are an overpriced, overhyped pipe dream.

America has huge reserves of natural gas and oil still in the ground.

America stupidly burns food crops for fuel.

The MSM are nothing but a propaganda arm of our Marxist-Leninist Lizard Overlords.

The M-LLOs are planning to re-run the COVID playbook this fall, except they will change the excuse to climate hysteria.

The M-LLOs cannot allow Trump to run again, even if it destroys the U.S. legal system.

The U.S. military has already been stripped of most of its strategic reserves of war materiel and fuel.

The M-LLOs desperately want to confiscate your guns.

The M-LLOs' ultimate goal is to swiftly reduce the global population from eight billion to five hundred million souls. That's a 93.75% reduction of souls.

Your and your families' chances of survival are pretty darn slim without extensive preparation and planning. So prepare accordingly. Start today.

Pray for God's blessing and the strength to face your worst fears, and then move forward.

God has gently suggested to Michael Devon that he should warn America of the dystopian future that possibly lies ahead. Favorite quote: "Lord, I read what happened with Jonah, I think you have chosen the wrong messenger again."

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Ken Paxton is Texass attorney general. In terms of pursuing policies for the state, he has been consistently very conservative: Among other things, he challenged Obamacare, hes pro-life (or, as its now being termed, pro-baby), he worked to stop local governments in Texas from mandating lockdowns, hes pro-Second Amendment, hes fought the open border and human trafficking, hes pushed back against climate change madness, and hes tried to stem LGBTQ+ extremism. In other words, hes one of the good guysso he was impeached. However, today, Paxton was acquitted on all charges. This closes another chapter in the civil war raging within the Republican party.

If you havent followed the case, heres a very summary account of what happened: In February 2023, Paxton asked for more money for his office, some of which would cover a settlement that whistleblowers had brought against him. That request resulted in an investigation that triggered the impeachment. There was a personal element to the impeachment because Paxton had accused Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan of showing up intoxicated and demanded an investigation and Phelans resignation:

I have no idea what was behind Phelans peculiar performance. I do remember from my time at the UT Law School in Austin that the rumor amongst the students was that the legislature was a hard-drinking institution, but that was a long time ago.

The impeachment laid against Paxton was predicated on 20 separate charges revolving around claims that he accepted bribes from and tried to protect a donor, fired whistleblowers, tried to cover up that firing, and wanted to use taxpayer funds to cover the eventual settlement, along with miscellaneous other charges.

I have no idea whether there was any truth to any of the charges. However, its notable that the whistleblowers admitted that they had no facts to justify blowing those whistles. Instead, they just felt that something was off:

During the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, former employees admitted that they reported Paxton to the FBI without any evidence and had no reason not to trust federal agents. Ryan Vassar, a former deputy attorney general under Paxton, testified over the course of two days regarding his decision to report the AG to the FBI. He claimed that he and seven other so-called whistleblowers had a good faith belief that Paxton had committed criminal actions. [snip] During the cross-examination by Mitch Little, an attorney for Paxton, Vassar made the shocking revelation that he and the other employees had gone to the FBI without a shred of evidence. Mr. Vassar, please, I want to get this straight  you went to the FBI on September 30 with your compatriots, and reported the elected attorney general of this state for a crime without any evidence? Little asked. Yes? Thats right, Vassar admitted. We took no evidence. He attempted to clarify, saying, We had no evidence that we could point to, but we had reasonable conclusions we could draw.

It was the triumph of post-modernism, which saw feelings almost destroy a mans career and thwart the electorates will.

Of course, this wasnt just post-modernism. It also reflected political infighting in Texas between conservatives and the establishment (i.e., Deep State Republicans). Thus, the ones who made these baseless claims to the FBI were all allies of the Bush family, and, when you think of George H.W. Bushs CIA background, no one is deeper state than the Bush clan.

Fortunately for Paxton and conservativism in Texas, and not so wonderfully for the old Bush family political infrastructure, the Texas Senate reached its verdict today and acquitted Paxton on every one of the charges still pending against him:

BREAKING



KEN PAXTON ACQUITTED!!!



The will of Texan voters is upheld.



The Bush regime ends today.



Article 1 - acquitted

Article 2 - acquitted

Article 3 - acquitted

Article 4 - acquitted

Article 5 - acquitted

Article 6 - acquitted

Article 7 - acquitted

Article 8 -  Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 16, 2023

Of course, while Paxton is cleared, the case represents a schism in Republican America that continues to weaken conservativism while strengthening the Democrats. When push comes to shove, Democrats always come together, while Republicans always fall apart.

On the one hand, the Republican party comprises the old Chamber of Commerce cadre, which has now become the corporatist, globalist, Deep State cadre that so bitterly resented Trump. (Note that the Chamber of Commerce no longer cares about Main Street America.) This is the faction that controls the RNC (which, notably, doesnt seem to have done anything since 2020 to stop election fraud).

On the other hand, the Republican party is made up of people whose loyalty is to America, Americans, and the Constitution. Many are imperfect, but all of them are better (in my opinion) than the Chamber of Commerce loyalists who seem to have way too much in common with the Democrat party.

Image: Ken Paxton. YouTube screen grab.
(see related) (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 17 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Sunday that Italy will make sure the issue of migration is high on the agenda of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly this week.

"Departing for New York for the United Nations General Assembly," Tajani said via X.

"The government will put the issue of migration at the centre of the debate in order to find shared, effective solutions".

Tajani has repeatedly called on the UN and other bodies 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 on Saturday.

"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". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 17 - Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini insisted on Sunday that he was on the same page as his alliance partner Premier Giorgia Meloni regarding migrants.

There has been talk of him trying to take advantage of the emergency regarding migrant-boat landings in Lampedusa to win back some of the support among voters that has been transferred in recent years from his League party to Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) group.

On Sunday Meloni visited the island of Lampedusa, which has been inundated with migrant arrivals, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while he took part in the League's rally at Pontida with Marine Le Pen the guest of honour.

"Today Giorgia in Lampedusa and me here are the synthesis of the same goal and of a joint destiny," Salvini said at Pontida.

"They won't succeed in dividing us.

"We have different cultures and different senses of party commitment, but the centre right wins when it is united".

(ANSA).


Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame.

Four women, including one who was just 16 at the time, have alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, as well as starring in Hollywood films.

The comedian and actor also faces allegations of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Russell Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set (James Manning/PA)

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and in a video posted online, stated all of his relationships have been consensual, before accusing the media of a co-ordinated attack.

It comes after Channel 4 Dispatches aired a 90-minute film titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight on Saturday night, which saw four unidentified women detail their allegations, and other women speak of their experiences working with Brand on TV sets.

It included Brands former personal assistant Helen Berger, who called him a narcissist in an interview for the programme.

Meanwhile, Brand appeared as scheduled at the 2,000-capacity Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London to perform a sold-out comedy gig on Saturday evening.

Russell Brand leaving comedy gig while facing claims about his sexual behaviour at the height of his fame (James Manning/PA)

His show, titled Bipolarisation, had been due to begin at 7pm, but was delayed by more than 45 minutes and lasted around an hour.

While not directly addressing the allegations, audience members told the PA news agency Brand said he hoped they could appreciate there were things he could not talk about during the set.

The allegations made against Brand include one woman who claims she was sexually assaulted during a three-month relationship with him 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 talent agency Tavistock Wood.

A statement given to the PA news agency by Tavistock Wood 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.

I was like, oh my god, he raped me A woman shares her story about her experiences with Russell Brand with @C4Dispatches in a joint investigation with @thetimes. Brand denies all accusations including rape, sexual assault and controlling and emotionally abusive behaviour. pic.twitter.com/XtNV5s91gk  Channel 4 Dispatches (@C4Dispatches) September 16, 2023

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 his video statement, posted online ahead of the publication of the claims, Brand said he was facing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.

The 48-year-old continued: 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 Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair, Dame Caroline Dinenage, said that MPs would be closely monitoring the response to the allegations against Brand.

The Sunday Times has reported some very serious and concerning allegations against Russell Brand. In yet another story of alleged power exploitation within the TV industry, his behaviour has been characterised as an open secret by those in his orbit, she said.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee are keen to understand the response of the police to the body of evidence collected. We will be closely monitoring the responses of the media, especially our public service broadcasters, to these allegations, and looking at the questions that this, yet again, raises about the culture in the industry as a whole.

During his career, Brand achieved prominence as host of Big Brothers spin-off show Big Mouth for three years until 2007.

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.

The broadcaster added that in the years since the alleged incidents took place, there has been extensive change at Channel 4 and now has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct, it said.

Comedian Russell Brand in 2006 (Ian West/PA)

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Brand previously said he had no regrets about his previous sexual behaviour, claiming to have had intimate relationships with hundreds of women in the past.

In 2008, Brand made headlines for his BBC Radio 2 prank, now known as Sachsgate, when he and guest Jonathan Ross 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  with a third on the way.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry married in 2010 (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 three dates left in September.
The Strictly Come Dancing judges and professional dancers paid an emotional tribute to Len Goodman, with host Tess Daly remembering him as a true gentleman.

Goodman became a judge on the BBCs flagship programme in 2004 before his final appearance on the 2016 Christmas Day special, and became synonymous with his catchphrase Seven.

He was diagnosed with bone cancer and died in April aged 78.

In a video tribute during the launch of the 21st series on Saturday night, presenter Claudia Winkleman said: He was perfect in every way. Len could light up a room so when you were with him you felt aglow.

She added: Len was also the King of the one liners. He talked about people being crabshe would say pickle my walnuts, he was funny, you wanted to watch him.

Meanwhile judge Craig Revel Horwood said: I dont think I will meet anyone as funny. I absolutely adored our little arguments and that is sort of what bonded us and gave us really a fantastic friendship.

Struggling to hold back his tears, he added: If you asked me a question Was Len one of your best friends?, I would say absolutely. I would love to say goodbye to him.

Goodman began dancing at 19, winning various competitions including the British Championships in Blackpool in his late 20s, after which he retired from professional competition.

Len Goodman on Strictly Come Dancing (Ian West/PA)

He was replaced as head judge on Strictly by Shirley Ballas for the 2017 series.

Remembering him in the tribute, Ballas said: He was not only a personal friend to myself, but he was loved and respected all over the world.

Goodman also served as head judge on Dancing With The Stars, the US version of the show, until announcing his retirement in November last year.

He said at the time that he wanted to spend more time with my grandchildren and family back in the UK.

Goodman was also a recipient of the Carl Alan Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to dance.

Judge and dancer Anton Du Beke said Goodman had lived a life and he brought all that experience to the show.

Du Beke added: Len is somebody youd want to have as a friend. And I was fortunate enough to have Len as a friend for many years.

Strictly professionals Neil Jones and Karen Hauer were also among those remembering Goodman in the tribute piece.

Jones said: I feel like I owe so much to Len. My love for dance definitely comes from him.

The segment ended with a black and white photo of Goodman with the words In Loving Memory of Len Goodman 1944-2023 on the screen, followed by everyone at the recording giving the late dancing star a standing ovation.
The UK is set to experience heavy rainfall this week. (Getty)

Blustery gales and heavy downpours are set to continue across the UK in coming days.

The UK's recent mini-heatwave came to an abrupt end on Sunday with downpours nationwide, and more showers and storms have been forecast.

A Met Office forecaster told Yahoo News UK that local flooding is still possible in the worst-hit areas as heavy rain continues. Flooding is possible from rivers and surface water across most parts of England on Wednesday.

Meteorologists have warned there could be widespread travel disruption on Wednesday as a result of heavy rain, with public transport services being affected.

It's going to be windy this week, according to the Met Office. (Getty)

What weather can we expect across the UK in the coming days according to the Met Office?

London and the south-east

Wednesday

Starting generally clear with showers. A band of more persistent rain, heavy and thundery at times, and strong winds arriving later and easing Wednesday night, leaving clear spells and showers. Maximum temperature 20C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Largely dry Thursday with bright spells. More persistent rain arriving Friday, with increased risk of heavier and thundery downpours. Saturday starting chillier, dry with sunny spells. Winds easing, turning colder.

A yellow warning for heavy rain remains in effect across parts of Wales and North West England



If you're travelling in these areas this evening, be aware of the potential for flooding in places and stay #WeatherAwarehttps://t.co/5zdY2M9Hzl  Met Office (@metoffice) September 19, 2023

South-west

Wednesday

Wet and windy to start with a band of heavy rain clearing southeastwards through the morning. Becoming drier and brighter by late afternoon with a few showers. Winds easing later. Maximum temperature 19C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Often changeable with sunshine and scattered showers, heavy and thundery at times. Drier on Saturday with sunnier spells. Remaining blustery, especially along the coasts and feeling cool.

Midlands

Wednesday

A wet and windy start with rain continuing to push southeastwards through the morning. Turning fresher and drier later in the afternoon with brighter intervals. Winds gradually easing. Maximum temperature 18C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Often changeable with sunshine and scattered showers, heavy and thundery at times. Drier on Saturday with sunnier spells. Remaining blustery and feeling cool.

North-east

Wednesday

Wednesday starting with a band of persistent heavy, perhaps thundery, rain across the region. This clearing southeastwards leaving showers and brighter spells. Largely clear and dry overnight. Winds remaining moderate. Maximum temperature 17C.

Wet and windy weather is set to continue in the UK in the coming days. (Alamy)

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Starting bright with showers Thursday. Heavy rain, possibly thundery, arriving later and continuing into Friday. Chilly start Saturday, largely dry with sunny spells. Winds easing, turning colder.

North-west

Wednesday

A wet and windy start with rain continuing to push southeastwards through the morning. Turning fresher behind with sunshine and showers. Winds gradually easing. Maximum temperature 18C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Often changeable with sunshine and scattered showers, heavy and thundery at times. Drier on Saturday with sunnier spells. Remaining blustery, especially along the coasts and feeling cool.

Scotland

Wednesday

Rather cloudy with blustery showers, most frequent, heavier over north and west Highlands. Fewer showers, more sunshine towards Inverness. Becoming windy with westerly winds becoming strong during the afternoon. Maximum temperature 17C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Rather cloudy, showery and cool on Thursday and Friday with strong northwest winds, even risk of gales. Drier and brighter on Saturday before rain extends northeast in the evening.

Turning very wet this evening for most of Scotland and Northern Ireland



A bit of a lull in the heaviest rain for northwest England and Wales, but still pockets of rain and drizzle



Staying windy and very mild for most, but cooler with lighter winds in northern Scotland pic.twitter.com/QKypiTjUA1  Met Office (@metoffice) September 19, 2023

Northern Ireland

Wednesday

Bright spells with a little sunshine and scattered showers. Some heavier showers are likely in the afternoon. Fresh westerly winds, possibly strong towards the North Coast in the morning. Maximum temperature 17C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Sunny spells with scattered showers on Thursday and Friday. Also cool and becoming quite windy. Dry, bright, less windy Saturday morning before rain spreads east later.

Wales

Wednesday

Wet and windy to start with a band of heavy rain clearing southeastwards through the morning. Becoming drier and brighter by the afternoon with a few showers. Winds easing later. Maximum temperature 18C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday

Often changeable with sunshine and scattered showers, heavy and thundery at times. Drier on Saturday with sunnier spells. Remaining blustery, especially along the coasts and feeling cool.
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.

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.
A wheelchair-user who owns an American XL bully as an assistance dog supports banning the breed in the UK, saying it would be selfish for me not to advocate for this ban.

Jerome Johnson, from Thornton Heath, south London, has had muscular dystrophy since birth, a condition which gradually causes muscles to weaken, and he said he is unable to move, other than a few fingers.

Mr Johnson, 31, is helped by his assistance dog Jennie, a seven-year-old XL bully, who carries items like his shopping for him, but also provides protection and guards him when they leave home.

Having owned her since November 2018, Mr Johnson said he has had to train her over a period of five years to rewire her brain, as he suspected she was trained to attack from being bred to fight for a county lines drug dealing operation.

Mr Johnson says he loves his dog and shes a good girl in my house, but the banning of the breed in the UK should be implemented and is needed.

Jerome Johnsons dog Jennie (Jerome Johnson/PA)

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said American XL bully dogs will be banned by the end of the year, following a series of attacks.

Owners will not see their pets culled but are likely to face new restrictions, including a requirement to have the dogs neutered.

Mr Johnson got Jennie as a rescue in November 2018 when she was two years old, saying he suspected she had been bred to fight for a county lines drug dealing operation in nearby Thornton Heath.

They used her as protection when doing drops, he said.

I took her in after their operations had been shut down by the Met (Police).

Mr Johnson said it has taken about five years to retrain her, which has been hard work but we are almost there.

He said he undertook basic training when Jennie first arrived, as well as a few fetching commands.

She ripped through multiple tyres on my wheelchair which wasnt ideal, he said.

Initially, I cannot lie, it was hard work.

Jerome Johnson says he loves his dog but the ban is needed (Jerome Johnson/PA)

She was trained, after all, to attack, so I had to train her and rewire her brain.

Now, five years later, we are almost there.

He added that Jennie was initially very aggressive but has mellowed over the years.

Occasionally she will bite my wheelchair which isnt ideal but I think its more her playful nature than anything malicious, he said.

Mr Johnson said Jennie carries things like his shopping but most importantly helps to protect him.

Recalling an incident when he was returning from a hospital appointment a few weeks ago, Mr Johnson said he was accosted by a gang of youths.

Luckily I had Jennie, who lunged for one, he said. They all ran, it was a great relief.

Mr Johnson said: I think the ban is needed, as much as I love Jennie, there are far too many bad owners who use these dogs for ill intent  just like Jennie had before me.

As much as shes a good girl in my house, I couldnt say Id trust her with strangers alone.

They have been bred for years and have a genetic make-up making them more prone to violent outbursts.

I think it would be selfish for me to say otherwise  too many children have lost their lives.
Wisconsin Republicans are considering impeaching a newly elected liberal Supreme Court justice in the state over comments she made as a candidate about redistricting and for receiving donations from the state Democratic Party.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) announced this week the formation of an impeachment criteria panel as Republicans weigh ousting Justice Janet Protasiewicz, whose win in April established a 4-3 liberal majority on the court.

Protasiewicz has yet to hear a case, but the high court was asked in August to hear several cases on Wisconsins legislative maps.

Republicans point to previous comments Protasiewicz made about the states maps, in which she called calling them rigged.

Protasiewicz declined to say during the election how she would rule on the issue, and she has not determined whether she will recuse herself from the case.

Here are five things to know about Wisconsin Republicans potential impeachment effort:

Redistricting at center of impeachment effort

Two recent lawsuits have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule the entire legislative map for 2024 should be redrawn.

The challenges would not impact Wisconsins congressional map.

The first challenge to the states maps came shortly after Protasiewicz formally joined the court. Her election marked the first time in 15 years that the states high court would have a liberal majority.

The lawsuits would threaten Republicans hold on both houses of the state Legislature, where the state Senate holds a GOP supermajority and the Assembly is just a few seats shy of one. The cases are notable given Wisconsin is one of a handful of remaining swing states in the country.

Meanwhile, the state Assembly passed a redistricting bill on Thursday that would allow nonpartisan staff members to redraw the states map, with approval subject to the Legislature. A majority of the lawmakers would be needed to change it on a third pass. Its not clear whether the state Senate will pass it, but Gov. Tony Evers (D) has said hell veto it.

Republicans are pointing to Protasiewiczs comments during election as evidence

Republicans argue that Protasiewicz has already made her position clear on how she would rule on the states maps, pointing to comments she made during the election to fill a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier this year.

Lets be clear here  the maps are rigged, bottom line. Absolutely, positively rigged. They do not reflect the people in this state, Protasiewicz said during a candidate forum.

They do not reflect accurately representation neither the state Assembly or the state Senate. They are rigged, period. Coming right out and saying that. I dont think you could sell to any reasonable person that the maps are fair, she continued, later noting she couldnt say how she would decide on a particular case.

Republicans also take issue with campaign contributions shes received from the state Democratic Party. She received close to $10 million, according to The Associated Press, though the party is not one of the litigants in either lawsuit.

Conservative candidate Daniel Kelly, who challenged Protasiewicz for the vacant state Supreme Court seat this spring, also received money from the state GOP.

Kelly also declined to say during the election how he would weigh a case on the states maps, though he did implicitly rebuke Protasiewicz during the January candidate forum, saying, I think when someone tells you what their values are in answer to a legal question, theyre telling you how theyre going to decide the case.

Still, Republicans believe the liberal justice should recuse herself from considering either of the cases, though experts say there are protections in place for judicial candidates to be able to speak on legal issues.

The U.S. Supreme Court has said that judges have a First Amendment right on the campaign trail [to speak] about disputed legal and policy questions, said Robert Yablon, an associate professor of law and faculty co-director of the State Democracy Research Initiative at University of Wisconsin Law School.

A new panel will review impeachment criteria

Vos this week established a panel consisting of former state Supreme Court justices to look into criteria over a potential impeachment of the liberal justice.

Former conservative state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser confirmed to The Associated Press that Vos had reached out to him. Its not yet known who else is expected to participate.

I am not saying we are going to impeach the justice. All Im saying is one of our constitutional powers is the possibility that that could occur if it rises to the level, and Im asking people who are experts on this topic to come back with an analysis to say whether or not thats possible and how it should occur, Vos said in an interview on News/Talk 1130 WISN on Wednesday.

Yablon suggested the panel is delaying the timing of an actual impeachment, though its unclear what kind of role the panel would play in a potential impeachment effort.

I think actually the creation of that panel would seem to slow the timeline for a possible impeachment down, at least a little bit, Yablon said, adding later,  [H]e is, it sounds like, going to have these retired judges look into it for maybe several weeks.

Protasiewicz supporters are challenging the effort in court

An attorney, who was a former state Supreme Court candidate, is representing two people who voted for Protasiewicz in a lawsuit as an effort to stop Republicans from ousting the liberal justice in the state legislature.

Petitioners respectfully request that this Court issue an ex parte emergency order temporarily restraining the legislature from conducting impeachment proceedings against any member of this Court because doing so would violate the express terms of constitutional authority granted to the Assembly for impeachments of civil officers as well as violate the constitutional rights of the Petitioners to serve as electors under the Wisconsin Constitution, the lawsuit reads.

An emergency, temporary restraining order is warranted in these circumstances as the mere act of an unconstitutional impeachment, even without a conviction, would nullify the vote of over one million Wisconsin voters, including and specifically those of the Petitioners, it adds.

The state Democratic Party has also launched a $4 million effort to combat a potential impeachment effort by Republicans.

Much is unknown about what an impeachment trial could look like

Experts say that theres a lot of uncertainty over what an impeachment trial could look like if the Wisconsin Supreme Court decides to directly take up the redistricting cases and Protasiewicz decides not to recuse herself.

The unknowns include when the process would start and if Republicans have enough support in both houses to impeach the liberal justice. One possibility could be that the Assembly votes to impeach her but the state Senate does not hold an impeachment vote, which would keep her on the court but essentially render her unable to make decisions on the court, as The Associated Press noted.

So much of this is uncharted territory  that impeachments are rare enough that theres just not enough accumulated historical practice to say, This is how it should go or will go,' explained Chad Oldfather, professor of law at Marquette University Law School.

Theres just not enough detail in the state constitution to lay out a precise plan for how it will unfold, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries argued on Sunday that his Republicans colleagues are "in the middle of a civil war" over the best way forward amid a newly launched impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, an ongoing spending fight and another looming shutdown of the federal government.

"Civil war has the following attributes: chaos, dysfunction and extremism. The House Republican civil war is hurting hardworking American taxpayers and limiting our ability to be able to solve problems on their behalf," Jeffries told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, in an exclusive interview.

"It's unfortunate. But as House Democrats, we're going to continue to try to find common ground with the other side of the aisle," Jeffries said, adding: "Hopefully the House Republicans will come along so that we can work to make sure we are funding the government."

Jeffries also said the White House "will continue to cooperate" with the impeachment inquiry "because there is nothing to hide."

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., appeared on "This Week" after Jeffries and acknowledged the GOP has its issues with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy but shot back: "I find it a little bit hypocritical that that is the divisive language that he used in his interview and talking about people over politics."

Referring to an earlier agreement on raising the nation's debt ceiling, Mace added, "If Democrats and, quite frankly, Republicans wanted to put people over politics, they would not have joined hands earlier this year to add $18.8 trillion to the debt."

Jeffries, in his own interview, laid the blame with the House's conservative majority, contending that Democrats want to "end the partisan, political gamesmanship that right now has captured House Republicans."

As Mace suggested, a major sticking point is on whether -- and where -- to cut government spending.

The House has only cleared one of 12 appropriations bills. So far, House Democrats have voted against the GOP funding bills since the conference marked the bills at levels lower than the spending caps agreed to by McCarthy and Biden in the debt-limit deal in June.

Asked about a possible federal government shutdown, Jeffries on Sunday called on Republicans to "stop fighting each other" and said he expects more conversations to occur but didn't say if he's discussed a path forward with McCarthy.

As some Republican members threaten to bring a motion to vacate to oust McCarthy, Jeffries also wouldn't say if House Democrats would help bail out the speaker.

"We haven't given it any thought one way or the other," he said.

"But what we should be focused on right now is avoiding an unnecessary government shutdown that will hurt the ability of our economy to continue to recover," he added.

PHOTO: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks at a press conference on Ethan's Law, a bill to prohibit unsafe gun storage, at the U.S. Capitol, on Sept. 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via Shutterstock)

Impeachment, Hunter Biden, more

On "This Week," Jeffries addressed the new impeachment inquiry into Biden, with McCarthy claiming a "culture of corruption" around the president -- which the White House calls baseless.

"There are no facts on the record to suggest that President Biden engaged in impeachable offenses. There are no facts on the record to suggest that President Biden broke the law in any way, shape or form," Jeffries said.

He called the probe another "product of the House Republican civil war." McCarthy had originally said there would be a vote to launch it, but it was unclear if he had sufficient votes to do so and he ultimately launched one anyway.

"House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct," he said last week.

Congressional Republicans have long been investigating what they claim are illicit ties between the president and his son Hunter Biden, particularly around Hunter Biden's controversial overseas business dealings.

No evidence has emerged to show the president was directly involved in Hunter Biden's business decisions or made decisions because of them.

On Thursday, Hunter Biden was charged in Delaware for allegedly lying about his drug use when he bought a gun in 2018. His attorney said on "Good Morning America" last week that the case is "likely unconstitutional" and insisted it will be dismissed.

The minority leader said on "This Week" that Hunter Biden's indictment proves there is no interaction between the president and the administration's Department of Justice, which has been investigating Hunter Biden.

"Hunter Biden is entitled to the presumption of innocence. The matter is before a court of law right now, and let's see how it proceeds," Jeffries said. "I think what's more important is that President Joe Biden continues to lead us forward to focus on the things that matter."

Separately, in the wake of a United Auto Workers strike, Jeffries said he will be traveling to Detroit on Sunday afternoon and is "looking forward to standing in solidarity with" them as they "are fighting for the fundamental American dream."

He said he hopes the strike will end "sooner rather than later."

One issue that Jeffries deflected on entirely was Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Former House Speaker Pelosi did not directly answer a question in an interview last week about whether Harris, who has poor approval ratings, is Biden's best choice as running mate. Karl pressed Jeffries on why.

Jeffries said Pelosi is "very capable of answering that question on her own."

But he endorsed Harris himself, saying, "She'll be a great running mate. She's been a tremendous partner in the things that President Biden has been able to accomplish."

House Republicans are in 'civil war' amid Biden impeachment probe, looming shutdown: Jeffries originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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 comedian is not thought of as a beautiful person (Handout)

According to Bo Burnham  the cult actor, Emmy-winning stand-up and all-round Netflix darling  Kate Berlant is the most influential/imitated comedian of a generation... a millennial Lenny Bruce. His opinion is catching on. Not only did she steal scenes in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Dont Worry Darling, but she won diehard stans thanks to her absurdist performances in acclaimed comedy series such as HBOs The Other Two and Search Party. Now, she has scored a transatlantic hit with her one-woman show. Berlant may insist shes niche for life, but the secrets out: shes a bona fide mainstream star.

KATE, her first scripted show, directed by Burnham, has transferred to London after its sellout run in New York attracted white-hot reviews of the this show will change your life variety. Between this and those aforementioned screen appearances, not to mention several stand-up sets on late-night talk shows, chances are youve seen the 35-year-old somewhere. Or maybe, as she jokes in her show, youve just confused her for the more famously famous Kathryn Hahn.

Like Hahn, Berlant has a super-elastic grin and ample curls. When we speak, the city is halfway through a 48-hour heatwave and those curls are piled high on her head in a bun. In conversation, Berlant tends to answer with her face first: verbal responses delayed seconds behind her physical ones. The human face has 40 muscles, and Berlant exercises masterly control over each one, tugging at them like the puppet strings on a marionette doll. She puts those skills to use in KATE, which takes the one-woman show trope and twists it like taffy, stretching the confessional self-indulgence to hilarious extremes.

The Kate of KATE and the Kate of my laptop screen are related. Berlant, too, is still searching for her big breakout role  only she is less openly obnoxious in the way she goes about it than her onstage counterpart, who preens for the camera as she unspools her tragic origin story. Its my shadow self, says Berlant of her persona. It shines a light on the need to be adored, the need to be successful, the need to be cast, trying to show ones likeability or castability or marketability.

If youre at all familiar with Berlants work, youll recognise these fixations. Performance, artifice, ego, authenticity  youll find these themes and more in her 2022 Hulu special Cinnamon in the Wind; in Poog, the comedy podcast about wellness she co-hosts with fellow funnywoman Jacqueline Novak; and, of course, in any of the sketch shows she has filmed with her dear friend and collaborator of 10 years, John Early. Its even there in her portrayal of a neurotic slugger in A League of Their Own. I do think people should be way more humiliated to want to be a performer, an actor or a comedian, she says matter-of-factly.

The way Berlant sees it, the last 10 or 15 years have seen a surge in the belief that people should perform or tell their story or reveal themselves for an audience. The obvious example being social media. Its definitely not producing good art or better art, she scoffs. And I think that it has really deplorable consequences for civilisation and the individual. Yeah, I think people should feel more embarrassed by their need to be seen. I know I feel it.

Amid the peal of trumpets and shower of superlatives, there is one talking point about her show that Berlant is surprised to find missing from the discussion: the sexual bits. It has felt like people really didnt want to talk about what I looked like, she says. I sensed a real nervousness around discussing the literal elements of the show. But what is the materiality of the show? Theres a woman on stage; shes writhing, or gyrating, or doing these things to appear sexual, or coy, or seductive  that was almost completely excluded, so that was interesting to me.

Berlant in KATE, her one-woman show (Emilio Madrid)

A main joke in the show, she continues, is that this person is trying to be perceived as hot  as we all are. Thats an everyday performance were all aware of on a certain level, but theres a double performance of trying to appear like you arent performing that, she says. Theres something funny to me about someone trying to hide that. She points to the female actor as an example. The idea of an actress as someone who is ostensibly channelling an emotion and telling a story  while still needing to be perceived as hot? Thats endlessly interesting to me. By the way, Berlant says out of the corner of her mouth, Im not trying to be like, Why is no one calling me hot? She contorts her mouth into a clownish frown. Well, she is hot, I tell her. Thank you!

So why the silence? I think the culture is so sexless right now, and theres this real terror surrounding the body and talking about the body, she says. Like its scary to acknowledge peoples physical form right now. Later, Berlant adds, I understand why people are scared of that, but then it leads to this situation where we cant talk about what were seeing or experiencing, or that certain reactions seem base or beside the point. But no: performance is a physical act.

Berlant grew up in sunny Santa Monica, the daughter of very supportive parents who loved her a lot. So blessed is Berlant in the genetics department that she made it onto New York magazines nepo baby list, which named and shamed famous people with a famous parent. I would argue, however, that Berlants dads career as a visual artist and the fact that her mother made the Stonehenge for This Is Spinal Tap is not quite the same as being able to call two Oscar nominees Mum and Dad. Regardless, shell take it. I was thrilled by that list because it made me seem so much more famous than I am, she cackles. I was thrilled. So funny.

I was thrilled by [the nepo baby] list because it made me seem so much more famous than I am

As a young teen, Berlant and her friends were given a chance to audition for a walk-on role in Lizzie McGuire, starring opposite Hilary Duff. She nailed the line Nice pants! and nabbed herself a manager. It was like, Here I go: my life is going to change! recalls Berlant, who was dropped almost immediately after. The rejection didnt sting as much as youd think. And ultimately, I mean, thank God! she exclaims. Thank God I didnt get work as a child actor. I think I would probably be dead, or even more insufferable.

Her background, then, isnt exactly the sob story you might typically find at the crux of a one-woman show, which is perhaps the reason she so often lampoons it in her comedy. I have my s*** the way anyone does, but I cant point at myself or my life experience and say Ive been through hell, she says. Those are the realities of my life, and I guess Ive always felt a need to address that... She stops short. Or have I? I dont actually know, but somehow, its gotten in my stand-up over the years. I understand it might seem a certain way now, as were interrogating (as we should) who is given platforms and who is allowed to talk, but I never saw it as an apology. I just use that bit as context for the show. Its also a very funny bit. Well, hopefully.

You get the sense that Berlant is not overly enthusiastic about being interviewed. But she thinks on the spot; her answers lead to interesting places rather than anecdotal verbatim. Often, they end up in queries of their own. All of these questions are really fascinating to me, but they really are just questions, she says. I would never pretend that I know the answers.

At school, Berlant was the jokester. Even since I was a baby, I have for whatever reason always been a clown, she says. Her conspicuous omission of the class prefix that typically accompanies clown calls back to a time when the word meant something slightly more tragic than a red-nosed prankster. Berlant got into stand-up at 17. I pitched my high school that I do stand-up independent study instead of math, she recalls. Berlant was so bad at the subject that the school said yes. Everyones a comedian now, but back then, it was definitely a strange thing to go into.

The culture is so sexless right now, and theres this real terror surrounding the body and talking about the body (Handout)

Berlant never related to the brand of self-deprecating humour that she saw other female comedians performing at the time. Instead, I had to adopt this persona of being really overconfident and entitled, she says. I mean, I am entitled, that is also part of me, but the joke of self-deprecation never really was my language, so I moved towards the joke of overconfidence, being the person who is most comfortable being watched.

These days, Berlant says, she is more likely to be recognised for her TV and film work than she is for her stand-up. I am an actress, but I feel like my identity more primarily is a comedian, which is helpful, she says, psychologically speaking. How so? I think there is more agency, potentially. And also, you know, an actress is either a character actress or she is someone who is primarily beautiful, but a comedian is not thought of as a beautiful person, and so I think its more of a capacious identity.

There is a running bit in KATE that among the audience is a Disney bigwig named Steve, whom Berlant is trying desperately, pathetically to impress. Shes only half-joking. This show is intensely gratifying for me creatively, and yet at the same time, of course, I would like a huge director to see it and be inspired and put me in his movie, Berlant laughs. Its like, of course I want to work. I very much am trying to get work as an actress... like, Jesus Christ.

For now, she is happy to continue performing live. Theatre is dying. Its a quaint form at this point. If people are seeking comedy, they go to TikTok, theyre certainly not going to the theatre, she says. Theres almost nowhere left in culture where people are actually all together, looking at something. Increasingly, as new dates are added to the London run due to high demand, that something is Berlant herself.

Kate runs at Soho Theatre until 30 September
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.
Hurricane Lee made landfall in Western Novia Scotia on Saturday, as millions in New England and Canada have been preparing for its devastation.

Maximum sustained winds were at 70mph, as of 4pm when the storm reached land about 50 miles from Eastport, Maine and about 135 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Since Saturday morning, hurricane-force winds, heavy rains, and coastal flooding have affected regions along the East Coast. The National Hurricane Center said at 8am on Saturday that the maximum sustained winds reached 80mph.

Lee is expected to be at or just below hurricane strength when it reaches Nova Scotia later today, the NHC wrote, adding that the storm is predicted to weaken into tonight and Sunday while Lee moves across the border.

Earlier on Saturday, the storm had been downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone.

Both Maine and Massachusetts issued states of emergency on Friday. This was the first hurricane watch that Maine issued in 15 years.

Hundreds of thousands have been dealing with no power. As of Friday, 30,000 in Maine and 130,000 in Nova Scotia were experiencing power outages. Given Maines heavy forestation, downed trees could also contribute to more outages  and damage to buildings.

At 8am on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center predicted that rains would lead to some flooding. Through tonight, Lee is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches over far eastern Massachusetts, eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. This may produce localized urban and small stream flooding.

On top of this, a storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, the hurricane center warned.
Sheriff's investigators at the scene where an L.A. County sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in his patrol vehicle in Palmdale. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The sun was about to set Saturday in the Antelope Valley when Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer steered his patrol cruiser onto Sierra Highway and stopped at a red light outside the Palmdale sheriff's station.

Clinkunbroomer was dressed in his sheriff's uniform and on duty patrolling the high desert community of Palmdale, just north of Los Angeles.

Seconds later, a dark gray Toyota Corolla pulled up behind the marked black-and-white cruiser and paused, according to security video shared with The Times.

The sedan then pulled alongside the driver's side of the cruiser. It paused again, then sped off. Clinkunbroomer's vehicle drifted a foot or two.

In those seconds, authorities said, the deputy was shot in the head in a brazen ambush. He died from his injuries hours later. Clinkunbroomer was 30 years old.

Read more:Ambushed L.A. deputy was newly engaged, looking forward to big things. 'No words'

Sheriff Robert Luna on Sunday called the slaying a targeted act and asserted that Clinkunbroomer might have been killed because he worked in law enforcement.

Somebody decided to shoot and murder him, Im assuming at this point, because he was in uniform, Luna said.

A passerby found the deputy unconscious in his vehicle at the intersection of Avenue Q and Sierra Highway around 6 p.m., officials said. Fellow deputies took him in critical condition to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster, and he died as physicians attempted to treat his gunshot wound.

Investigators worked through the night and all day Sunday, reviewing evidence, including surveillance footage, and interviewing potential witnesses. Luna said law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels had offered assistance. No suspects have been identified, and during a news conference Sunday evening, Luna pinpointed a "vehicle of interest"  the dark gray Toyota Corolla manufactured between 2006 and 2012. He asked anyone with images or knowledge of the vehicle to come forward.

"Whoever did this, I'd give in," Luna said Sunday evening. "We are going to find you."

Clinkunbroomer joined the department eight years ago and had been based out of the Palmdale station since 2018. For the last 18 months, he worked as a field training officer, a position that Luna said was for the "best of the best." Clinkunbroomer's family was steeped in law enforcement, and he was the third generation to work for the Sheriff's Department.

Luna said that four days before his death, the deputy had proposed to his fiancee.

"His father served with us. His grandfather served with us," Luna said. "He had so much ahead of him, and this coward, or cowards, took his life while he was sitting at a red light, waiting to serve his community."

"He had a good heart," said a colleague in the Sheriff's Department who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. "Nobody has anything bad to say about him because he treated people and the public with respect."

Saturday's killing came three years after two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were shot several times while sitting in their parked patrol car in Compton. Both suffered severe wounds. A suspect was later arrested. In 2016, a veteran sheriff's deputy was shot and killed by a burglary suspect in neighboring Lancaster. The gunman was arrested shortly afterward.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Palmdale, mourned Clinkunbroomer's killing and joined other officials calling for the gunman to be captured and held to account. Barger and Luna announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of anyone responsible in the deputy's slaying.

"It was an unprovoked attack on an honorable public servant," Barger said. "This heinous deed will not  will not  go unpunished. Whoever committed this cowardly act will be caught."

Dist. Atty. George Gascon and Luna stressed the need for help from the public. They encouraged anyone in the Palmdale area to pore over video footage in their possession from their cars, homes, business or cellphones, and said that any footage would help in the capture of the shooter. Those with information were asked to call homicide investigators at (323) 890-5500 or CrimeStoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

Were gonna catch the person who did this, Luna said. Somebody saw something. Somebody knows something.

Palmdale Mayor Laura Bettencourt called Clinkunbroomer a hero, declaring at a news conference, "The person that did that is a coward, and they will be caught."

Derek Hsieh, executive director of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, a union representing rank-and-file deputies, said the slaying had sparked anger and sadness among their members and the wider police community.

"Its an outrage," Hsieh told The Times. "An ambush is a targeted attack against law enforcement, and it sends a really clear message."

Gov. Gavin Newsom and acting Gov. Eleni Kounalakis said Clinkunbroomer's "commitment to service and justice represented the best of the Golden State," and they announced that flags at the state Capitol would be flown at half-staff.

Yellow tape surrounded the Palmdale sheriffs station Sunday, and members of the public left roses, carnations and American flags at a makeshift memorial at the corner of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q.

Chris Altieri, 62, of Lancaster stood nearby holding a Blue Lives Matter flag as cars zipped down Sierra Highway. Some passersby waved; others honked their horns.

Altieri had arrived at 6:30 a.m. to wrap blue ribbons around the light posts. A Navy veteran who served for 24 years, he said he planned to stay most of the day.

I know what its like to be a target, to be out in front and be down range, said Altieri, wearing a cap that read Freedom beneath an American flag and blue gym shorts with Navy on the side.

People put themselves out there, in front of your country and your community. Thats what these guys and gals do," Altieri said. "I wanted to put myself out here for them. For his family, for the police.

The shooting of a @LASDHQ deputy in his patrol car in Palmdale today is senseless and horrific. Ive reached out to @LACoSheriff Luna.



Tonight Im praying for him, his friends, fellow deputies at @PalmdaleSheriff, and especially his loved ones.  Janice Hahn (@SupJaniceHahn) September 17, 2023

In the hours after the deputy's slaying, law enforcement officers lined up as part of a procession that began at Antelope Valley Hospital and ended at the L.A. County coroner's office. (OnScene.TV)

Fred Sevilla, a longtime Palmdale resident, also turned out Sunday to pay his respects to the slain officer at the site where he was killed.

I feel very heartbroken for the person who is not going home," Sevilla said.

At a nearby laundromat, resident Walter Flores, 30, sat on a bench with his two children, 1-year-old daughter Xyla and 3-month-old Exavier.

A Marine Corps veteran, Flores said he was shocked and saddened when he heard about the shooting.

Its terrifying that our own police force is in danger and that it happened so close to the police station," Flores said.

In a written tribute to Clinkunbroomer, employees at the Palmdale station said they were "numb with grief."

"Words cannot express the shock, sadness and anger over this senseless loss of an exemplary deputy and an even better human being," colleagues wrote in the statement. "He was very thorough in his investigations, genuinely cared for the community he served, and he was always willing to help out his partners any time they needed it.

"Ryan, we are so very sorry for your family and your fiancee. Rest assured, we will do our very best to take care of them in your absence."

Current and former Sheriffs Department employees shared their anger and sadness as well.

R.I.P. Deputy Clinkunbroomer; our partner and friend, department employee Cynthia Knutson wrote on Facebook. She said others at the station were struggling to come to terms with the loss. You will be greatly missed by us all here at Palmdale Station.

Condolences and statements of solidarity poured in from other law enforcement agencies and organizations around Southern California and beyond.

Joe Gamaldi, vice president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, wrote on social media that he was absolutely disgusted by the killing, describing it as both an ambush and an execution in cold blood by some dirtbag.

Officers salute in a procession for slain Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. (Onscene.TV)

Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Jann Wenner in New York in 2022. (Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Jann Wenner has been removed from the board of directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, the organization said in a statement to The Times on Saturday.

The statement did not elaborate on the reasons for the ouster. But it comes on the heels of a controversial interview, published Friday in the New York Times, to promote Wenner's forthcoming book, "The Masters," a collection of interviews with leading rock musicians of the 60s, 70s and 80s that includes only white men, such as Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Bono and Bruce Springsteen.

Reporter David Marchese asked the Rolling Stone magazine founder why he had not included interviews with any Black musicians or women in the book.

"The selection was not a deliberate selection," Wenner replied. "It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them."

When Marchese suggested that women like Madonna and Joni Mitchell might have had something interesting to say, Wenner claimed that "none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level."

"Its not that theyre not creative geniuses. Its not that theyre inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin," he said. "Please, be my guest. You know, Joni was not a philosopher of rock n roll. She didnt, in my mind, meet that test. Not by her work, not by other interviews she did. The people I interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock."

He also defended excluding Black artists like Stevie Wonder. "I suppose when you use a word as broad as 'masters,' the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didnt articulate at that level."

The interview went viral on Friday, prompting widespread criticism of Wenner and portraying him as embodying stereotypes about baby boomer self-absorption and entitlement.

Wenner, who co-founded the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, declined to comment when reached by The Times on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the New York Times story, Wenner defended controversial articles published during his tenure at Rolling Stone, including an article about a gang rape at the University of Virginia that turned out to be fabricated.

Sign up for L.A. Goes Out, a weekly newsletter about exploring and experiencing Los Angeles from the L.A. Times.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Democrats fumed at Ron DeSantis on Twitter after the Florida governor chose to wade in to the ongoing fight in the Senate over Senator Tommy Tubervilles holdup of military promotions over an abortion-related policy.

The upper chamber of Congress has lost some of its bipartisan amity in recent days over a hold placed by the Alabama senator on officer promotions until the Department of Defense ceases a policy that allows service members to have their travel reimbursed if they choose to abort a pregnancy. The far right has taken aim at this policy in the wake of the end of federal abortion protections undone by the Supreme Court last year.

Mr Tubervilles actions have been condemned by Democrats and even some in his own party, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as top leaders of Americas military branches.

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, Mr McConnell told reporters this past week.

But he has found an ally in Ron DeSantis, the culture war-obsessed governor of Florida who is seeking to unseat Donald Trump as frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination by championing every right-wing cause he can.

I support what hes doing, Mr DeSantis said at a campaign event in Iowa over the weekend. They are breaking, violating the law by funding abortion tourism.

DeSantis: I support what Tommy Tuberville is doing.. our recruiting is in the absolute gutter now and youre funding abortion tourism? pic.twitter.com/x00E1E5FB6  Acyn (@Acyn) September 16, 2023

His comments earned scattered attacks from Democrats on social media, like Meidas Touch writer Ron Filipowski.

Abortion tourism.I really thought, after Trump, that a more repulsive human could not possibly surface in American politics for generations. I was wrong, wrote Filipowski.

Abortion tourism.



I really thought, after Trump, that a more repulsive human could not possibly surface in American politics for generations.



I was wrong. https://t.co/wHso3ZWHC8  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 17, 2023

Some, like the left-aligned VoteVets PAC, took issue with the fact that technically the DoD will not fund abortion services themselves, instead reimbursing travel costs for service members and dependants. Its a minor distinction, and one that most Republicans have said amounts to the same outcome.

First of all, the military doesnt pay for abortion. So they are outright LYING.



Secondly, we have a Navy Vet here proudly endorsing making our nation less safe.



Lies and betrayal the whole way around. https://t.co/5XBl97ptIZ  VoteVets (@votevets) September 17, 2023

Former vice president Mike Pence, another long-shot candidate for the 2024 Republican nod, was asked about the issue this past week.

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, Mr Pence said on Friday. Sen Tommy Tuberville is right, and the Pentagon is wrong.
LONDON  A parliamentary researcher arrested, two lawmaker candidates withdrawn after security service warnings and a week of anxious whispers about spies in the British corridors of power unlike anything since the Cold War.

Only this time the furor is about China, whose alleged espionage to influence governments and target dissidents abroad is gaining growing attention and criticism in the West.

The revelations rocking Westminster follow Chinese spying allegations in Canada, Australia and elsewhere, raising questions about Americas allies and the balancing act they are trying to navigate between courting and censuring China.

I have been distinctly concerned about the position of the British government with regard to China and its determination to undermine Western nations, Iain Duncan Smith, a current lawmaker who was the leader of the Conservative Party from 2001 to 2003, told NBC News.

He and other China hawks see the potential espionage cell operating in and around Westminster  as he put it  to be a symptom of a wider malaise: Western countries being too soft on Beijing for fear of hurting their own economies.

The China debate simmering in Britain for years exploded last weekend when The Times newspaper reported that a China-focused parliamentary researcher working with lawmakers for the ruling Conservatives had been arrested in March on suspicion of spying for Beijing.

Londons Metropolitan Police said in a statement that two men had been arrested under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act, legislation relating to espionage, and gathering information useful to an enemy.

As is normal at this stage of any investigation in the United Kingdom, police did not name either person or provide any evidence, saying only that one suspect in his 20s was arrested in Edinburgh, Scotland, and that the other, in his 30s, was arrested in Oxfordshire, England. Neither has been charged.

The Times and others have named the researcher, the younger of the two suspects. And while NBC News has not confirmed that detail, his parliamentary job has been discussed in the House of Commons and was referred to in his own statement.

I am completely innocent, the man said through lawyers, who did not name him. He criticized the extravagant news reporting and said spying would be against everything I stand for, because he had spent his career trying to educate others about the challenge and threats presented by China.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called the allegation entirely groundless at a daily news conference Monday. We urge the U.K. to stop spreading disinformation and stop political manipulation and malicious slander against China.

That has done little to quell the alarm in Britain.

Days after the arrests were revealed, The Times reported that Britains domestic intelligence agency, MI5, had warned the Conservative Party that two of its potential candidates for Parliament could be Chinese spies, leading the party to block them from standing.

A junior health minister, Maria Caulfield, said Wednesday on Times Radio that the party had indeed been warned, adding that swift action was taken.

China UK Spy Fears (Andy Wong / AP)

The reports are of grave concern to people like Finn Lau, a leading pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong who moved to the U.K. and engages with its political institutions, which he hoped he could trust.

In November, he met with the parliamentary researcher who was arrested on espionage charges, he said.

The next time that I saw his face and name was three days ago in the newspaper, Lau said. I was shocked.

Hong Kong has offered a bounty of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) for information leading to Laus arrest. Since he started living in the U.K., he said, he has already been assaulted once, which he believes was politically motivated because the attackers said nothing and made no attempt to rob him.

And the idea that China might have compromised sensitive meetings with trusted personnel in and around Westminster exposes us to physical harassment and abduction, he said.

At the heart of it all is a conundrum that is dogging every country in the West: how to continue trading with China (to stop would most likely risk mutual economic calamity) while holding it to account on human rights, espionage and other issues.

Those who want a tougher stance have criticized the U.K. and Europe for being softer on Beijing than Washington is, accusing them of favoring economic ties over national security and ethics.

Duncan Smith, whom China sanctioned in 2021 for speaking out against its alleged human rights abuses, says its almost laughable that Britain wont officially label China a threat  even after the revelations last week  instead calling it a systemic challenge.

My concern is that Europe is behind America, he added. It suggests a desire not to upset the Chinese.

A report from a British parliamentary committee in July said a lack of clear government strategy had allowed Beijing to penetrate every sector of the U.K. economy. And Smith is far from the only member of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks own party to criticize him over the issue after the revelations last week.

I am acutely aware of the particular threat to our open and democratic way of life, Sunak said. He noted he had raised the issue in meetings with Chinese officials at the G20 summit in India last weekend, calling Beijings actions completely unacceptable.

asked for comment on the criticism, No. 10 Downing St. pointed to Sunaks comments in Parliament by way of response.

UK China Spy Parliament Fears (John Walton / Zuma Press)

All major countries spy to some degree, of course. Last month Beijing said it uncovered a Chinese national allegedly spying for the CIA in Italy and was investigating another in Japan. On Monday, it published new details about a U.S. citizen and Hong Kong permanent resident who was sentenced to life in prison in May on espionage charges.

The anxiety cuts both ways, with Chinas previously secretive Ministry of State Security launching a large and overt publicity campaign encouraging its citizens to help weed out espionage from all walks of life.

But the scale and tenor of alleged Chinese operations have alarmed governments and independent experts in the West.

We used to say that the Russians were very precise and sophisticated and the Chinese just hit at volume, said Raffaello Pantucci, a senior fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

The problem with China now is that they still operate at that volume  but its more sophisticated and specific than it was before, too.
By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit Three automakers entered its third day on Sunday with no immediate resolution on the horizon.

Union negotiators and representatives of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis were set to resume talks starting Sunday, following the start of the most ambitious U.S. industrial labor action in decades. This is the first time the UAW has gone on strike against all three automakers simultaneously.

The coordinated strike comes at a time when Americans' approval of labor unions are at their highest point in decades even as membership in unions remains largely unchanged.

UAW President Shawn Fain told MSNBC on Sunday that progress in the talks has been slow. The UAW is set to resume talks with GM on Sunday, and Stellantis and Ford on Monday.

I don't really want to say we're closer, he said. It's a shame that the companies didn't take our advice and get down to business from the beginning of bargaining back in mid-July.

About 12,700 UAW workers remain on strike as part of a coordinated labor action targeting three U.S. assembly plants - one at each of the Detroit Three automakers after the prior four-year labor agreements expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Negotiators for the UAW and Ford had "reasonably productive discussions" toward a new contract on Saturday, the union said, while Chrysler-parent Stellantis said it hiked its offer, proposing raises of 20% over a four-and-a-half-year contract term, including an immediate 10% hike. That matched proposals from GM and Ford.

The proposals are about half the 40% wage hike the UAW is demanding through 2027, including an immediate 20% boost.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who has signaled support for the union's efforts, has had acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and advisor Gene Sperling speaking to the UAW and the automakers during the talks.

An administration official said on Sunday that Biden believes new agreements with the automakers should ensure that auto jobs going forward are good middle class jobs.

Mark Stewart, the North American chief operating officer for Stellantis, told reporters Saturday the UAW rejected a proposal to resume operations at an assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, noting its offer had been contingent on reaching agreement before the contract expiration.

In late February, Stellantis indefinitely idled operations at the Belvidere plant, citing rising costs of electric vehicle production.

The UAW criticized the company position on the Illinois plant saying now "they are now taking it back. Thats how they see these workers. A bargaining chip."

Stellantis said late Saturday it is willing to negotiate about the plant's future. "The truth is UAW leadership ignored Belvidere in favor of a strike," the company said.

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. GM has been struggling to launch its new EVs and a prolonged UAW strike could hurt those efforts even if it has a chance of helping in the short term, analysts said.

Evercore ISI analyst Chris McNally said in a Sunday research note he expects plants that build more profitable pickup trucks like Ford's F-150, GM's Chevrolet Silverado and Stellantis' Ram to be the next strike targets if the walkout continues.

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, and GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down Monday or Tuesday due to a lack of parts stemming from the strike at a GM Missouri plant.

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.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; additional reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington, Andrea Shalal in Wilmington, Del., and Ben Klayman in Detroit, Editing by Kim Coghill and Deepa Babington)
By Steve Holland and Laurie Chen

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) -White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta for hours this weekend, Beijing and Washington said on Sunday, as the world's two largest economies seek to stabilize troubled relations.

Both sides held "candid, substantive and constructive" talks during multiple meetings held Sept. 16-17, according to separate statements from the White House and the Chinese foreign ministry published on Sunday.

There were also "limited" early signs that severed military communications between the two sides may start to be restored, a senior Biden administration official said.

Chinese officials did not comment on the prospect of military-to-military communication.

Sullivan's meeting with Wang was the latest in a series of high-level discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials that could lay the groundwork for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.

They come amid a string of upheavals in the Chinese government's top ranks, including the disappearance of defense minister Li Shangfu, and wobbles in the country's economy that have caused consternation in foreign capitals.

The Malta talks spanned about 12 hours over the two days, a senior Biden administration official told reporters. Sullivan last met Wang in Vienna in May.

China's foreign ministry said both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and hold bilateral consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs and foreign policy.

The United States told China it was ready to work together on counter-narcotics, artificial intelligence and climate change even as it expressed concerns over unspecified Chinese support for Russia and Beijing recently sending fighter jets across the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. official said.

Wang cautioned the United States that the Taiwan issue is the "first insurmountable red line of Sino-U.S. relations," according to the Chinese foreign ministry statement. China claims the self-ruled island as its own territory.

Wang also said China's development has a "strong internal momentum" and "cannot be stopped", and that the "Chinese people's legitimate right to development cannot be deprived".

United States has said it sought a healthy competition with China based on fair rules that benefit both countries, but China said despite inviting competition, the U.S. has been engaging in suppression and containment of its growth.

The U.S. official said "there have been some small or limited indications" that Beijing is ready to re-open some cross-military communications used to de-escalate conflict between the two countries after those ties were cut following an Aug. 2022 visit by former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan that enraged China.

In its statement, the White House strongly suggested that more meetings are to come between the U.S. and China, adding that both sides "committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas ... in the coming months."

Biden this month expressed disappointment that Xi skipped a summit of Group of 20 leaders in India, but said he would "get to see him." The next likely opportunity for Biden to hold talks with Xi is an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November, where U.S. aides for months have hoped to stage such a meeting.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Biden climate envoy John Kerry have traveled to China this year to thaw relations and ensure continued communication between the two countries amid tensions that flared after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that traveled over the United States.

Biden and Xi last met in 2022 on the sidelines of a G20 summit on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington, Andrea Shalal in Wilmington, Delaware, Laurie Chen and Liz Lee in Beijing; Writing by Andrea Shalal, Jason Lange and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Susan Fenton, Sandra Maler and Michael Perry)
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
A real keeper: Sorve is one of the oldest lighthouses in Estonia - iStockphoto

I cycled through meadows of wild flowers and wild horses to the Baltic coast, and then, when the path faltered, left my bike behind and continued on foot. Enamel-bright dragonflies buzzed around my legs, while black cormorants and white egrets erupted out of reed beds as I approached, flapping lazily around the big sky before settling again.

It was the height of summer, yet I didnt see another soul the whole morning. This is the island of Saaremaa, where Estonians go for off-grid holidays: a beautifully laid-back landscape of pine forests and windmills, lilac trees and juniper, pristine beaches and farm-to-fork food.

Those unfamiliar with Estonia may be surprised to learn it has more than 2,000 islands  some tiny islets, others more substantial; Saaremaa is the westernmost and the largest, threatening to plug the Gulf of Riga. But their obscurity is understandable, considering the islands were shrouded by the Iron Curtain for the second half of the 20th century.

Saaremaa, once part of a Soviet military zone, was off limits to most Estonians. Since 1989, however, its gradually come back to life. Families have returned and the population is rising  though to nowhere near its pre-war peak of 100,000.

I hopped here on a tiny propeller plane from Tallinn  a flight of just 30 minutes  but a far more fun route would be to catch the ferry, drive or take the bus down to Virtsu on the mainland and landing on Muhu, a tiny islet connected to Saaremaa by a causeway. Next time you should do a road trip, Maria Tamander told me when she met me at the tiny airport. You can island-hop by ferry to Ruhnu and Hiiumaa, then on the way back stop off at the Arvo Part Music Centre.

Maria was born in Sweden, but her family is from the island, and her narrative is entwined with Saaremaas recent history. In 1944, as the Red Army drove the occupying German forces into the sea, her grandparents and mother  then aged eight  escaped with hundreds of others by boat to Gotland.

Its one of Saaremaas defining moments, a sliding-doors story of those who left and those who stayed behind. In the 1990s, Maria and her mother returned to reclaim their family estate on the far west of the island, and in doing so she fell in love with Saaremaa, buying an adjoining 17th-century farmstead and gradually turning it into a freewheeling hotel and creative retreat.

Ratsu Farm, next door to the hotel, has horses to saddle up

The Pilguse Residency was completed this year, and it seems to encapsulate the islands slow reawakening. Its set on 90 hectares of farmland nudging lakeside reed marshes, with bedrooms in the main house and outbuildings, and three striking mirror cabins planted among the trees.

Theres a swimming pool (with lily pads  more of a swimming pond) and a smoke sauna that takes five hours to stoke up. A local blacksmith was commissioned to cast door handles and table legs, and rooms are furnished with vintage Danish pieces that Maria picked up on her travels.

At the heart of Pilguse is the restaurant and bar. With sofas and a wood-burning stove at one end, it bristles with dried reeds, flowers and branches foraged by hotel manager Mark Goldberg, a former civil rights lawyer from New York who moved here with his husband for a new life.

It draws in both guests and islanders for a menu that makes the most of local ingredients  wild-garlic pesto, beetroot carpaccio, trout cured by the Dutch-born chef. When I arrived I was handed a bowl of linguine with chanterelles gathered from the woods that morning.

There are also canoes available at the hotel to take to nearby lakes

It was easy to settle into the islands slow rhythms, rising for a swim before breakfast on the lawn, and then a cycle ride before lunch. There are canoes to take to nearby lakes, while Ratsu Farm next door has horses to saddle up (bookable through Pilguse). In the evenings, I watched the sun make a shadow theatre of the trees, and joined Maria for an impromptu tasting of her familys gin label, joined by her husband, John, an acclaimed cinematographer on leave from filming Gladiator 2  in her previous life, Maria was a video producer, and the pair worked on the Spice Girls Wannabe together.

One night, I slept in a mirror cabin, its surfaces reflecting the big sky and the whooshing reeds of the wetlands; in the morning it felt like a bird-watching hide, for sitting unnoticed and spotting wagtails and goldfinches in the branches outside.

Despite being a period of darkness, Maria told me, the Soviet occupation meant the islands natural landscapes were preserved. Pilguse is on the edge of the Vilsandi National Park, founded in 1910 by a lighthouse keeper and one of the worlds first bird sanctuaries  miles of wetland, islands and ocean for hiking, camping and kayaking amid diverse flora and fauna, including elk, grey seals and orchids (visitestonia.com).

The restaurants menu makes the most of local ingredients

Maria and John wanted to show me some of the island, so we drove along arrow-straight roads built to transport ballistic missiles back and forth, arriving in the capital, Kuressaare, just as locals were stepping out for the annual opera festival in the castle. Its a huge presence with a wide moat and legends of walled-up priests, along with a museum that charts the islands history  much of it devoted to its 20th-century hardships.

Kuressaare itself is a pretty town of clapboard houses topped by curved zinc roofs. Theres a good craft ale bar, Poide Grillhouse (poidegrill.ee), and I picked up wooden butter knives and an oak jewellery box from Pallopsoni craft shop (though, save space for the artisan shop at Tallinn Airport, where I later bagged rhubarb wine and sea buckthorn jam). On the way back, we stopped by Mihkli Farm Museum, a collection of thatched buildings where it was easy to imagine the Waltons-like existence of just a few decades ago, when the daily grind involved whetting scythes and yoking oxen (saaremaamuuseum.ee).

The Pilguse Residency is set on 90 hectares of farmland, with a swimming pool on site and a smoke sauna

On my last day, we took a boat out with one of Marias friends, a retired teacher called Aivar Kallas, bouncing over the waves and drinking cold cans of Tuulik beer (00372 56490503 to book). Aivar pointed out medieval church towers and a rusting watchtower from the Soviet era. That really should be pulled down, he said. Its a different time now.

On board with us were a young couple from Tallinn, Hannah and Silver, born in a newly independent Estonia, who were spending a few weeks hopping between friends summerhouses. They told me how more and more of their peers are leaving the city for a self-sufficient life in the countryside. Looking around at Saaremaas wild landscapes, in its sea-breezed rustic haze, I could completely understand why.

Essentials

Rick Jordan was a guest of Pilguse Residency (00372 454 5445; pilguse.com), which offers doubles from 100

Wizz Air (wizzair.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) both fly direct from London to Tallinn from 56 return. From there, it takes roughly five hours to drive to Saaremaa

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.
Michael McGrath, known for his roles in Spamalot and Tootsie on Broadway, has died, TODAY.com has confirmed. He was 65.

Over the course of his career, McGrath has appeared in more than one dozen stage productions on Broadway from 1992 to 2022, according to Playbill. He made his Broadway debut in My Favorite Year, which was followed by roles in Little Me, Memphis, She Loves Me, as well as On the Twentieth Century.

In his most recent Broadway role before his death, he was the standby for three roles in Plaza Suite starring Sarah Jessica Parker, including the role of Sam Nash, which was played by Matthew Broderick.

McGrath earned his first Tony Award nomination in 2005 for best featured actor in a musical for his role as Patsy in Spamalot. Less than a decade later in 2012, he earned his second nomination and first win for best actor featured in a musical for his role as Cookie McGee in Nice Work If You Can Get It.

His other accolades include two Drama Desk Award nominations for outstanding featured actor in a musical for his roles in Swinging On A Star and Spamalot and one win for Nice Work If You Can Get It.

Prior to his three-decade long career on Broadway, he appeared in several iterations of Forbidden Broadway from 1988 to 1996, Playbill reported. McGrath also starred in several of productions by New York City Center Encores!, including Du Barry Was a Lady, The Boys From Syracuse, and Follies.

Outside of his work on Broadway, McGrath served as the sidekick on Martin Shorts talkshow, The Martin Short Show, which ran for one season from 1999 to 2000.

McGrath is survived by his wife of 30 years, Toni Di Buono, who he met while they co-starred in Forbidden Broadway in Boston. The couple shared one child, their daughter Katie Claire McGrath.

The actor's daughter re-posted several tributes on her Instagram story, including one posted by the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, known as The Muny, which read in part, His comedic spirit, kind heart and devoted work ethic will be forever missed by all those who called him a friend.

She also shared a tribute from actor Phil Sloves, who wrote, This one hurts on so many levels.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Former President Donald Trump on Friday said he would appoint a task force to review the cases of people he claimed had been unjustly prosecuted related to their political beliefs by the Biden administration, should he win a second term in 2024.

Tonight, Im announcing that the moment I win the election, I will appoint a special task force to rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner whose been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration, Trump said at the Pray Vote Stand Summit hosted by the Family Research Council in Washington, DC.

Trump said he wanted to study the situation very quickly, and sign their pardons or commutations on day one.

The comments from Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, come as he faces a total of 91 charges across four criminal cases that he has claimed are politically motivated. He has pleaded not guilty in the cases  two federal and two state  related to election subversion in Georgia, a hush-money payment to an adult-film star in 2016 in Manhattan, the alleged mishandling of classified national defense documents and a federal investigation related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump has before suggested he would likely pardon many January 6, 2021, rioters convicted of federal offenses, should he win reelection in 2024, though he said Thursday that it is very unlikely that he would pardon himself.

In his Friday remarks, Trump said of the potential pardons or commutations: I want to sign them on day one. I want to see whats going on. Its a horrible thing thats happening. Twenty-two years, 18 years, 10 years. Its a terrible thing.

In recent months, Stewart Rhodes, the founder of far-right militia group the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for leading a wide-ranging plot to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election, and Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the far-right Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy and leading a failed plot to prevent the transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden. Dominic Pezzola, a lower-level member of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Trump on Friday also pointed to the recent conviction of anti-abortion activists who were charged with illegally blocking people seeking reproductive health services from accessing a DC clinic, saying that under Biden, others are being sentenced to 10, 15 and even 20 years in prison for retribution for their political beliefs.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A senior aide to President Joe Biden quietly held meetings with Chinas top diplomat this weekend in Malta, the latest effort to ease tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The session between national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi could help pave the way for a meeting between Biden and Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping in the coming months.

The two sides committed to consultations in key areas, specifically on political and security developments in the Asia Pacific, when it comes to maritime issues and policy planning, which will take place in the coming months, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the meetings.

For much of Bidens time in office  as relations between the United States and China have soured  the U.S. has struggled to get the Chinese to even engage in senior-level phone calls.

This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the relationship, the White House said in a Sunday statement announcing the meeting.

Incidents such as the revelation of a Chinese spy balloon above U.S. territory further eroded trust and diplomacy. China also recently has had turbulence in its leadership ranks, including the ouster of a foreign minister.

But some U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, have visited Beijing in recent months, and the Chinese  whose economy is facing struggles  have shown interest in increasing discussions.

Wang Yi is a key figure in both the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas administrative ranks. He previously held a quiet round of meetings with Sullivan in Vienna.

The talks in Malta were candid, substantive and constructive, the White House said in its readout.

The two sides discussed key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russias war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues, among other topics, the readout added, without getting into details.

The White House noted, in particular, that discussions included the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The fate of Taiwan, a self-governed island which Beijing claims as Chinas territory, has been a key source of tension. Biden has repeatedly suggested he would send U.S. troops to defend Taiwan if China were to attack the island.

The meeting coincided with administration head scratching over the fate of Chinas Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who disappeared from public view more than two weeks ago. There are deepening suspicions that Li has been deposed over possible links to military corruption, per reporting by Reuters. Lis disappearance follows the still-unexplained replacement of now former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July.

Phelim Kine contributed to this report.
Veteran academic and political analyst Ibbo Mandaza says election observers, including those from Africa, were embarrassed by what they witnessed during Zimbabwe's disputed elections.

Mandaza (IM), who is also the Sapes Trust convenor and a publisher, told Alpha Media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube (TN) on the platform In Conversation with Trevor, that the August 23 and 24 polls were the worst he has seen since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

TN: Ibbo, I am delighted that I finally pinned you down. Welcome.

IM: Always good to see you.

TN: Ibbo, if things had gone according to plan you would be in South Africa for the OR Tambo lecture; which our good friend Fikile Mbalula decided that it should not go ahead.

There is a thing in his letter where he says the ANC is engaged in delicate conversations concerning the Zimbabwean situation.

In the first instance what was your response when you heard the lecture had been postponed?

And secondly are you aware of this delicate conversation that is supposed to be taking place?

IM: Well, in the first place I did not know [as] I was out in Chihota to bury a relative.

Out of the network [range]. When I got back I saw this communication, a missed call from my brother and comrade David Masondo.

It was billed two weeks ago that I would speak today, this evening actually and he told me, look there was an anonymous message poster declaring that the lecture was postponed...

TN: Postponed.

IM: They did not know where it came from.

So they issued a statement saying no, the lecture is still on, and then came Mbalula's directive sent from Harare that the lecture must be off.

That was the first. I [then] said to David I do not understand the import of that letter, particularly since you are a functionary of the ANC.

If I were you I would not defy them. Let us go with it, let us postpone it...

TN: Yeah.

IM: ...Indefinitely, but no confrontation. He said fine.

Then the rest is history as you know.

The second question is, yes I do suspect that there has been some discussions between the ANC and Zanu-PF over the elections. But I doubt that Trevor, no I mean...

TN: David Masondo? No Fikile Mbalula.

IM: [Yes] would be the one in charge of it, because as it turned out when (South African President) Cyril [Ramaphosa] left on Monday evening...

TN: After the inauguration?

IM: After the inauguration he left straight away, and Mbalula and his deputy were left behind.

It appears discussing mainly Zanu-PF and ANC matters.

I doubt that Fikile would be of the capacity to deal with what you call delicate issues.

But I have no doubt that it had been conveyed, either over the weekend, or subsequently that the region was not happy about the elections.

I took two hints from what Cyril said when he was interviewed on SABC.

He was asked why are you congratulating [President] Mnangagwa? He said it's protocol.

When the electoral commission announces somebody as a winner, as regional partners, neighbourhood, we have to congratulate.

But, that does not pre-empt the necessity of looking at the report, he said that.

And secondly, I would say that he came for the inauguration on the same note, but also in addition I would say that there would have been conversations with the other heads of states over the weekend.

Many of whom would have said look Cyril, you are going to the inauguration, represent us, but also convey their message to Harare that we are not happy with what has happened.

So I think that the nature of the Sadc Observer Mission (Seom) report, not only (Seom) report, although everyone is emphasising that, but all the other reports amidst the observers themselves, both the heads of missions and individuals, all were acutely embarrassed of what they saw.

All, (former Nigerian President Goodluck) Jonathan, (Seom head) Mbumba, the Namibian delegation, notwithstanding the grandstanding when they got back home criticising the report. They all said this is the worst election they have ever seen.

So there is consensus about the election, that this is a...I mean you and I were here. I mean I have never seen such...

TN: It is the worst we have ever witnessed Ibbo.

IM: It was incredible.

TN: What a disaster. I will get to the [election] observers. Your sentiments: I think in the night or during the evening, you said elections brazenly stolen and the voters rendered mere useless statistics.

Deplorable. Depressing.

That is what you said. And for me the deplorable and depressing continues.

As you are driving around Harare, the city, you can sense it. It is as if something came and punched the whole nation. There is no excitement...

IM: Funeral.

TN: It is worse than a funeral. At a funeral people cry.

IM: Yes.

TN: Here nobody's crying, but you can see that they are hurting.

IM: It was a very pertinent tweet that you posted, I retweeted it. It really explains the mood following elections. Not this election alone, but all previous elections.

TN: But this one is worse.

IM: Yeah it is terrible, and for me the most depressing is the extent to which people's votes are stolen.

People queue for hours to be heard, and then you glibly steal their vote. For me that is the most cynical part of the electoral process.

I wish we would have an alternative to elections, but every time elections come...

I could not go to my home area during the election because my people told me you come here you put us in trouble'.

When you leave we will be in trouble.

So I was meeting them for the first time in six months at a funeral.

And they told me, I mean it was horror as usual, every election is horror you know.

People are regimented, they are forced on to the buses. It is incredible.

For me, what depresses me most is that our people here are so defensive.

I saw the (George) Charamba's and them issuing some crazy statements you know, attacking Mumba, but hell we were all here, we saw it for ourselves.

TN: We saw it for ourselves.

IM: So what is it?

TN: We saw it for ourselves...

IM: We are the only country in the region that does that.

Every election is a war zone, every election is rigged.

I was talking to somebody, a former head of state, I won't mention him.

He was saying to me a few months ago, what do you guys look for in elections in Zimbabwe? Every election is rigged in Zimbabwe.

And he has been here as observer, as head of state. So the reputation of Zimbabwe and rigging of elections is now legend.

The Standard
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has again generated fake news falsely accusing the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army of breaching the ceasefire and targeting its positions, as well as entrenching in two directions, the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

The statement released by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claiming that around 00:50 the Defense Army units opened fire at Azerbaijani outposts deployed in the occupied territories of Askeran region and conducted fortification work in between 00:55-03:00 in Askeran region and in the direction of Karvajar, which were allegedly thwarted by the actions of the Azerbaijani units, is yet another disinformation, the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry said.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday said he was unsure that Azerbaijan actually has the political will to start direct dialogue with Stepanakert despite Bakus public statements.

Asked on the possible launch of an international mechanism for dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku, Pashinyan said that international colleagues are intensively working in this direction.

First of all, this is the reason that I continue to urge our colleagues in Stepanakert, and also have hope, that they will be involved in that dialogue. Of course, my call is addressed also to Baku, because that dialogue wont take place if one of the parties doesnt want it. And unfortunately, its not like we can see that desire being fully expressed by Baku, Pashinyan told reporters.

He noted that Baku, nevertheless, has expressed that desire on the official level. However, several meetings that had been planned eventually failed to take place. I am not sure that Baku, aside from public statements, actually has real political will to carry out that dialogue, PM Pashinyan said.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. By falsely accusing the Armenian side of military provocations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijani authorities are attempting to conceal their own actions, Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan said in an interview with TASS, addressing Azeri presidential assistant Hikmat Hajiyevs false statement.

This is completely untrue. This complaint conceals all the actions that Azerbaijan has carried out in the recent period. One year ago, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale aggression against the Republic of Armenia, we had over 200 deaths, many were wounded, and we had new POWs. All of this that happened during the process of peace talks has no substantiation or justification, this was an unprovoked aggression. Azerbaijan is attempting to make this get forgotten. Despite the fact that it has occupied approximately 150 square kilometers territory of Armenia, Azerbaijan doesnt fulfill the demands voiced by Armenia and the international community on withdrawing its troops from our sovereign territory, Marukyan said, adding that Azerbaijan should pull back its forces and release all prisoners of war and other detainees in accordance with its obligations.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani authorities have again falsely accused the Armenian military of firing at their outposts across the border, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned.

The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan that on September 17, at around 9:55 a.m., the Armenian Armed Forces units allegedly opened fire against the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the eastern part of the border, does not correspond to reality, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The fake news is the second disinformation released by Azerbaijan on Sunday.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will travel to New York City to participate in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and high-level events, the foreign ministry announced on Sunday.

On September 18-24, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, will be in New York to participate in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and high-level events, foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan said in a statement.
The CWC debated on as many as 14 resolutions, covering a wide range of issues concerning the country

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.
BJP central leadership has directed the state unit to work as one and end factionalism to ensure victory in the upcoming polls

NEW DELHI: With the elections approaching, factionalism is emerging as a major cause of concern for the BJP in Rajasthan. While top leaders are vying with each other to become the face of the party during the forthcoming Assembly elections, the state BJP is also plagued with infighting among the functionaries over getting tickets.

Concerned over the widening rifts in the Rajasthan unit, the BJP central leadership has directed the state unit to work as one and end factionalism to ensure victory in the upcoming polls.

"As the factionalism is clearly visible, the central leadership has many times instructed the state leaders to end it and work together to ensure party victory. Due to ongoing factionalism, the Rajasthan Assembly elections will be contested under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its the prerogative of the partys parliamentary board to pick the chief ministerial candidate," a party leader said.

While many leaders, including former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Ashwini Vaishnaw, former state unit president Satish Poonia, are eyeing the chief ministerial post, the BJP central leadership has not disclosed its plan regarding the party's face for the Assembly election. However, on many occasions, the BJP has said that the polls will be contested under collective leadership.

A well-placed source in the BJP told this newspaper that the former Ms Raje is trying to reclaim her position as the face of the party in Rajasthan. Supporters of the former chief minister repeatedly mentioned that she is a leader who has delivered twice and the party has managed to emerge as a strong Opposition under Ms Raje's leadership.

Earlier this week, the saffron party suspended MLA and former Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal from the party for his open rebellion" against the party leadership and accusation of corruption against Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The former speaker, who is among Ms Rajes loyalists, had purportedly refused to withdraw his allegations.

Differences and infighting at the district and Assembly levels are also coming to the fore during the ongoing "Parivartan Yatras". Last week, several leaders in Udaipur complained that they were ignored and not involved in preparation and planning to receive the Yatra.

"While the seniors are fighting to get the leadership position to become the face of the party in the forthcoming Assembly polls, the aspirants are fighting for tickets to contest the elections," a party insider said.
Will it prove to a be a season of faiths perfection, of restoring primal glory

As the Congress meeting continued, it was all about how the party, which had kept its promises even in neighbouring Karnataka, would now give the people everything they expected  succinctly summarised into six key guarantees  houses, plots of land, free power and bus travel, pension, agricultural investment inputs, among others  which, they alleged repeatedly, the ruling BRS had failed to deliver in their nearly decade-long, two-term rule. (DC Image)

TUKKUGUDA: Exactly seventy-five years after, to the date, the Congress party pantheon from Delhi and other parts of India, put their focus on Hyderabad, and with means vastly different, but with an eerie similarity in the objectives and ends, came forth to herald a season of hope of a change of regime, of victory, and of unleashing a welfare state befitting the real reason for which they had created a separate Telangana nearly a decade ago.

The central narrative of the Vijayabheri public meeting, which saw a mammoth and jubilant crowd, was that the Congress led by its supremo Sonia Gandhi had promised Telangana way back in 2004 and had delivered it; never mind the obstacles, challenges, or the political costs paid in Andhra Pradesh.

Despite her delicate health, in her brief speech, Sonia Gandhi, or Sonia Amma, the choicest sobriquet of Congress leaders who heralded her thus in their speeches, stressed upon the crux of it, saying, You wanted Telangana and I, and my colleagues in Congress, played a crucial role is giving it to you. Now, I ask you for something  will you support the Congress and bring it to power, so we can fulfil all your dreams?

The crowd, reportedly of several lakhs of people in attendance, cheered and waved, to express their instantaneous concurrence.

Mrs Gandhi, after formally launching the six guarantees, only rendered the first one, Maha Lakshmi, for my dear sisters, Rs 2,500 pension per month for every lady, gas cylinder supplied to every home at Rs 500 and free TSRTC bus travel for women anywhere in the state, left the gathering to a thunderous applause.

As the Congress meeting continued, it was all about how the party, which had kept its promises even in neighbouring Karnataka, would now give the people everything they expected  succinctly summarised into six key guarantees  houses, plots of land, free power and bus travel, pension, agricultural investment inputs, among others  which, they alleged repeatedly, the ruling BRS had failed to deliver in their nearly decade-long, two-term rule.

Speakers earlier in the evening, Md. Shabbir Ali, MLA Seethakka, CLP leader Mallu Vikramarka Bhatti, Chief Ministers Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh) and Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), and MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, all stressed upon the combined tactics of the ruling BJP and BRS, in unison, working to scuttle the changes of the Congress party, but the people of Telangana, as demonstrated by the massive crowd, had made up their mind to bring in change, vote out the failed government of BRS and bring in the Congress into power.

Speaking after Mrs Gandhi left, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, stressed upon the similarities in the autocratic and cronyism supporting attitudes of PM Narendra Modi and CM K. Chandrashekara Rao, as opposed to ability, intent, willingness and track record of the Congress party to deliver allround welfare.

Mr Kharge said, consider the contrasting records of government. We deliver what we guarantee. We fought for Indias independence. We freed Hyderabad and merged it into India. We delivered a separate Telangana. But neither Narendra Modi nor KCR deliver on what they promise.

Mr Gandhi, while explaining the other five guarantees  Indira Amma housing plan of Rs 5,00,000 for each homeless family, Rs 250 square yard plot for everyone who fought for Telangana agitation, Rs 4,000 per month pension for senior citizens, Rs 15,000 per acre per year Rythu Bharosa, which would also include Rs 12,000 for tenant farmers and workers (Kovulu Ruthulu), free power supply of up to 200 units for households and Rs 5,00,000 for students for their college or tuition fee  asked people to visit, or talk to people of Karnataka to see how we have delivered.

The very day a Congress government takes oath in Telangana, in the first cabinet meeting itself, we will start delivering on all these promises, he promised. He earlier also said his mother, Sonia Gandhi, was a lady who he knew would never break a promise, no matter how hard or challenging it was.

MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and former MP Madhu Yashki Goud interpreted the Hindi speeches of the Gandhis, and Mr Kharge, respectively.

Earlier, the crowd erupted with joy, when, after a short wait, the contingent of seniors, led by Sonia Gandhi, along with Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy arrived on stage and walked on a perpendicular ramp protruding into the crowd, waving to the ecstatically cheering sea of people.

The most thunderous of cheers was reserved for PCC chief Revanth Reddy when he spoke of how the BJP and BRS had made it impossible for them to get a government ground to conduct a meeting, but how poor farmers lent them their land to conduct Vijayabheri.

You, the people of Telangana, have decided to bring Congress to power. This gathering here is proof that in a few months, we will be able to bring in a government which will bring all your dreams to fruition, he said.

And as the energy peaked, so did their hopes.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced in July 2005 a Look West policy

The regional signatories to this agreement, namely India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have not just adequate resources among themselves, but long-standing historical trading links for them to have implemented this sea-land connectivity project, along with the European Union, on their own. (File Image: Twitter)

In a curious departure from standard practice the Government of India agreed to sign on to what has been called the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The external affairs ministrys longstanding term for the region west of India has been West Asia. The reference to the Middle East suggests that the initiative was American. It need not have been. The regional signatories to this agreement, namely India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have not just adequate resources among themselves, but long-standing historical trading links for them to have implemented this sea-land connectivity project, along with the European Union, on their own.

The United States did not even exist when Indians, Arabs and Europeans were busily trading among themselves across this space, from the ports of the Indian peninsula through the deserts of Arabia and on to the ports of southern Europe. By placing its stamp on the corridor project, the United States has merely asserted its geopolitical interest. The geo-economic roots of this sea-land link run deep into history.

Historians have long reminded us of the Indian sub-continents trade links with West Asia and Europe, spanning all the way from the ports of the Konkan to the markets of Venice. Every time I hosted a visitor to Hyderabad who would want to buy pearls, I would ask if the person ever wondered why landlocked Hyderabad is famous for pearls. Few ask themselves this question as they head to the citys pearl shops. The answer lies in the trading links between the Deccan and the Gulf, from where Bahraini and Iraqi pearls, and the famous Basra pearls, were shipped for sale in the markets of opulent Hyderabad.

The trade ebbed and flowed with time but declined rapidly after Independence when India chose to pursue a more inward-oriented development model that neglected trade opportunities. The opening up of the Indian economy in 1991 by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao was initially followed up by what has come to be known as the Look East policy.

Within a decade after India chose to Look East, Indias trade with the countries of East and Southeast Asia more than doubled. By 2001, the trade with this region, including the countries of the Asean bloc, China, Japan and South Korea, exceeded Indias trade with the European Union.

Having observed the success of the Look East policy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced in July 2005 a Look West policy, with a focus on West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. A meeting of what was called the Trade and Economic Relations Committee (TERC), chaired by the Prime Minister, and including the Cabinet ministers for external affairs, commerce, industry, finance, agriculture and the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, authorised the launch of free trade negotiations between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The Prime Minister noted at the time that the India-West Asia relationship was built not just on the more recent post-war and post-Cold War relationships, but on ancient economic and cultural links, on the one hand, and a new forward-looking equation with the region, on the other. The launch of negotiations for an India-GCC free trade agreement would only be a starting point. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told members of the TERC: The Gulf region, like Southeast Asia and South Asia, is part of our natural economic hinterland. We must pursue closer economic relations with all our neighbours in our wider Asian neighbourhood. India has successfully pursued a Look East policy to come closer to the countries of Southeast Asia. We must, similarly, come closer to our western neighbours in the Gulf.

This trade policy initiative was followed up with Prime Minister Singh inviting King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia as chief guest at the 2006 Republic Day parade. In the months that followed, the Indian Navy launched its own Look West Policy of increased maritime engagement of the Gulf states, recalling the longstanding maritime links that the subcontinent had with the Gulf. Defence relations were established between India, Oman and Saudi Arabia, with then defence minister A.K. Antony becoming the first Indian defence minister to travel to Riyadh in 2012.

After the East Asian and Southeast Asian economies emerged as Indias biggest trade partners, overtaking Europe and the United States, the GCC countries followed suit, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia emerging as major trade partners. Apart from the economic dimension to both these outreach efforts, there has always been a strategic dimension which has now become the focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modis new and important initiative, IMEC. Prime Minister Modi deserves compliments for his vigorous follow-up of P.V. Narasimha Raos Look East, with his own Act East initiatives, and now this follow-through of Dr Manmohan Singhs Look West with very robust Act West initiatives.

However, while India has always taken pride in having its own equation with its wider Asian neighbourhood, an impression has now gained ground that in many regional foreign policy initiatives taken by India, the United States somehow manages to cast its shadow. If Indias relations with East Asia are being shaped by US-led frameworks such as the Quad, relations with West Asia are being placed within initiatives like the U2I2 (United States, UAE, India and Israel) and IMEC. It is not clear why India should appear as if the United States is chaperoning it around its own neighbourhood.

I had many opportunities to interact with the representatives of the Gulf states during my tenure at the International Institute of Strategic Affairs, having an office located in Bahrain. Every so often I would be told by my Arab interlocutors how they preferred their region to be referred to as West Asia rather than the Middle East. Some dismiss this sentiment as an obsession with terminology. It is not. India has a view of the world from where it is located.

Its economic and cultural links in all four directions go long back into history. One does not expect a government of the Bharatiya Janata Party to so easily replace West Asia with Middle East in what is clearly an important strategic outreach.
Today's headlines: Emirates, maxi seizure of 13 tonnes of Captagon worth over a billion dollars; A 10-year-old boy in Hong Kong arrested for armed robbery, luxury watches worth nearly 650,000 euros in the loot; Tharman Shanmugaratnam sworn in as Singapore's ninth president; Border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened, but tension remains between the parties; Lavrov: 'Russia and China withdraw from UN sanctions on Pyongyang over nuclear programme'.

BANGLADESH

Two years in prison: this is the sentence handed down to two prominent activists in Bangladesh, which - according to critics - aims to silence dissent. In the dock are 63-year-old Adilur Rahman Khan and 57-year-old Nasiruddin Elan, leaders of the Odhikar organization, which for decades has documented thousands of extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances of activists and police brutality.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

UAE police have seized 13 tonnes (86 million) of amphetamine pills hidden in a container containing furniture, worth more than a billion dollars. The drug is known as Captagon, the "poor man's cocaine", and was discovered following a tip-off. The suspicion is that it was produced in Syria, the global epicenter of the narcotic.

HONG KONG

A 10-year-old boy was arrested for armed robbery, along with two accomplices aged 14 and 19. Their target was a luxury watch shop in the Tsim Sha Tsui district where goods worth almost 650 thousand euros were stolen in 30 seconds. According to The Standard he was wearing his school uniform at the time of the crime and was equipped with a hammer, butcher knives and a sledgehammer.

SINGAPORE

Tharman Shanmugaratnam was sworn in yesterday as the ninth president of Singapore, two weeks after a landslide victory at the polls (70.41% of the votes). Two predecessors, Halimah Yacob and Tony Tan, were present, as well as members of the government. The role includes stewardship of past reserves, integrity of public service and symbol of unity in a multiracial society.

PAKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN

After a nine-day closure, the Torkham border crossing, the main land crossing point between Afghanistan and Pakistan, reopened today. The border was closed after a heavy firefight between the two fronts, blocking thousands of travelers and hundreds of trucks loaded with goods on both sides. Despite the agreement, the exchange of accusations between Kabul and Islamabad continues.

RUSSIA - CHINA - NORTH KOREA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the meeting at the Vostochnyj cosmodrome, underlined that Russia and China have renounced applying sanctions against North Korea. They "were decided in a completely different geopolitical context", against Pyongyang's nuclear programs by the UN Security Council, of which Moscow and Beijing are also members.

ARMENIA

As Prime Minister Nikol Pasinyan explained to the Yerevan Parliament, when questioned by opposition MP Agnessa Khamoyan, the National Security Service (SNB) is verifying the news spread by various media on the arrival of a significant number of members of the Wagner company. The government remains on high alert.

ISRAEL - AZERBAIJAN - UZBEKISTAN

Israel has signed an agreement with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to form an unprecedented regional alliance with Muslim countries, aimed at the transportation of grain. The objective is to guarantee "the satisfaction of all the needs of Tel Aviv in the context of the global crisis caused by the war in Ukraine", a "long-term" agreement with access to Israeli technologies.
Press Release

September 17, 2023 CHIZ: FILE CHARGES VS RICE SMUGGLERS, HOARDERS Sen. Chiz Escudero over the weekend challenged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to immediately file charges against traders suspected of smuggling and hoarding rice, which is being blamed for the artificial shortage of the food staple and price spikes in recent months. At the same time, Escudero called on customs for their failure to disclose to the public the names of traders and operators whose warehouses were raided by government authorities for tons of suspected smuggled rice. "Ang dami nang raids na ginawa nitong mga nakaraang linggo, bakit hanggang ngayon, wala pang kasong isinasampa sa mga taong sangkot?" Escudero said. The veteran legislator stressed the need to file cases and bring these economic saboteurs to court to serve as a warning that the Marcos administration is indeed serious in its campaign against smugglers and hoarders. "Hindi tayo dapat nagtatapos sa mga raids lamang. Naghihintay at nagmamatyag ang taumbayan sa susunod na hakbangin ng pamahalaan. Sampahan na agad ng kaso ang mga dapat sampahan. We should bring them to the court of justice to prove that this administration is resolute in its campaign against rice cartel," Escudero said. Republic Act 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 considers large-scale smuggling of agricultural products as economic sabotage and involves "at least P1 million worth of sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables, in their raw state, or which have undergone the simple processes of preparation and preservation for the market, or a minimum of P10 million worth of rice, as valued by Bureau of Customs (BoC)." "Bakit hanggang ngayon, walang kaso? Why haven't I heard anyone sued for economic sabotage or something? Who owns these warehouses? Who are the people involved?" Escudero asked. On September 15, the BOC-Port of Zamboanga seized some 42,180 sacks of rice worth P42 million in Barangay San Jose Gusu after authorities discovered that the goods were not covered by the requisite sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry. Two weeks prior, the customs bureau inspected three warehouses in Bulacan and found these stocked with suspected smuggled imported rice worth ?505 million. It temporarily sealed and guarded these warehouses located inside the Intercity Industrial Complex in Balagtas, Bulacan. Aside from calling on the immediate filing of the case against the hoarders, Escudero said the government should also update the public on the development of these cases in the spirit of transparency. "Ito ang mga dapat nilang masagot ngayon: who oversees the disposition and how will it be disposed? Ano ang gagawin nila sa mga bigas na nakumpiska?" he said.
NHK - Oct 27

The number of shops and staff at Japan's Narita Airport has taken a big hit since the start of the pandemic. The slump comes at a difficult time for the transport hub, which is facing a resurgence in tourists and other travelers.
At the end of the Marian prayer, the pontiff mentioned "Rencontres Mediterraneennes", which he plans to attend, calling it a "fine initiative" that can "promote paths of peace". The pope urged the faithful to pray for the Ukrainian people and every land "bloodstained" by war. He also noted that the Gospel encourages forgiveness" to defuse anger and heal so many maladies of the heart that contaminate society.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  At the end of the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis talked about migration, a challenge that is not easy to address, but which must be faced together as evinced by recent news.

Noting that next week he will be in Marseille (France) for the conclusion of the Rencontres Mediterraneennes (Mediterranean Meetings), he explained that migration is essential for the future of all, which will be prosperous only if it is built on fraternity, putting human dignity and real people, especially those most in need, in first place.

The event in the French city is a fine initiative that is taking place in important Mediterranean cities, bringing together ecclesial and civil leaders to promote paths of peace, collaboration and integration around the mare nostrum.

Afterwards, the pope greeted the Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, calling on the faithful to pray for the tormented Ukrainian people, and for peace in every land bloodstained by war.

This requires forgiveness more than ever, which is also the theme of this Sunday's Gospel.

Before the Angelus prayer, Francis spoke about Matthew's passage according to which, outside of forgiveness there is no peace. Forgiveness is the oxygen that purifies the air of hatred, forgiveness is the antidote to the poisons of resentment, it is the way to defuse anger and heal so many maladies of the heart that contaminate society.

In the Gospel story, Jesus forcefully claims that when one forgives one does not weigh up the pros and cons, but one counts seventy times seven for it is good to forgive everything, and always!

Francis noted that Jesus highlights forgiveness through the parable of the king who forgives a debt of 10,00 talents to his servant, an impossible debt to settle, even by working a lifetime: yet this master, who recalls our Father, forgives it out of sheer pity.

Yet, the servant, whose debt has been forgiven, shows no mercy towards a fellow servant who owes him 100 denarii. This too is a substantial sum, [. . .] but not at all comparable to the previous figure.

However, Christ's message is clear: God forgives incalculably, and We cannot repay Him but, when we forgive a brother or a sister, we imitate Him. Forgiving is not, therefore, a good deed that we can choose to do or not do: forgiving is a fundamental condition for those who are Christians.

[I]n no way can we recompense his mercy, which he never withdraws from his heart. However, by corresponding to his gratuitousness, that is, by forgiving one another, we can bear witness to him, sowing new life around us.

For this reason, at the end of his commentary, the pope proposed a little exercise to you: let us try, now, each one of us, to think of a person who has hurt us, and ask the Lord for the strength to forgive them. And let us forgive them out of love for the Lord: brothers and sisters, this will do us good; it will restore peace to our hearts.
The Royal University of Phnom Penh, Missions Etrangeres de Paris, and local historians are behind the conference, which drew young researchers interested in a history that began five centuries ago, well before the French protectorate. For Fr Legnani, from PIME, it was important to remember all those who share history and suffering with the Khmer people.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews)  The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) last Thursday hosted the first official conference on the history of Christianity in Cambodia in cooperation with local scholars, a period that includes the years of Pol Pot's ideological madness.

Titled 500 years of friendship: the Church and the Kingdom of Cambodia, the conference was organised by the history department at RUPP in cooperation with the Cambodian Historian Association and the Missions Etrangeres de Paris (MEP).

The missionary group has been present in the country long before Khmer Rouge persecution and today serves the reborn Cambodian Catholic Church.

About 70 people attended the conference, including many young students who followed the activities with great interest.

One of the speakers was Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, who, together with Buddhist Venerable Yon Seng Yeath, spoke about the relationship between Catholic and Buddhist religious leaders from 1860 to the present.

In his address on the history of the Church in Cambodia, Vincent Chretienne, a missionary serving in the apostolic prefecture of Battambang, focused on a particularly important issue, namely sources. After the Khmer Rouge destroyed all the documents from the pre-Pol Pot era, the only sources that survived are those held in the MEP archives.

Several Cambodian scholars focused on various aspects of the five centuries of history, from the work against slavery to the relationship with the Khmer identity, including the question of biblical translations.

"I think this conference has achieved its purpose, said Fr Franco Legnani, PIME missionary in Cambodia for the past 30 years, since it brought together academics interested in studying and deepening the shared history of the Khmer people and the Church and sparked interest in continuing research.

We are a small community but it is important to talk about the roots of our history. It is true that, at some point, the Christian presence was too closely associated with the [French] protectorate, but it cannot be reduced to that experience, Fr Legnani explained.

It is also important to point out that we are not like many sects that came to the country only after the Pol Pot period, he added. We share history and suffering with the Khmer people.

Among the Khmer speakers who talked about the history of the past 500 years, "Ieng Mouly, senior minister in charge of special missions and chairman of the National Aids Authority, noted that Christianity did not arrive in Cambodia with the French but was present already, Fr Legnani said.

Another local intellectual, Sor Sombang, founder of the Royal Academy and chairman of the Association of Cambodian Historians, pointed out that Cambodia was a French protectorate, not a colony, insisting on the need to use the right terms on occasions like this.
Originally established as Olds Motor Vehicle Company by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, Oldsmobile was, for most of its existence, GM's entry-level premium brand. Purchased by General Motors in 1908, Oldsmobile slotted above Chevrolet and Pontiac and below Buick and Cadillac.

The first speedometer on a production car (1901)

Photo: Bonhams

The first car company to source parts from third-party suppliers (1901)

Photo: RM Sotheby's

The first badge-engineered automobile (1909)

Photo: Classic Auto Mall

The first standard windshield (1915)

Photo: RM Sotheby's

The first car company to use chrome-plated trim (1926)

Photo: Mecum

The first Monobloc V8 engine (1929)

Photo: Oldsmobile

The first all-steel roof on a production model (1935)

Photo: H And H

The Hydra-Matic - The first production fully automatic transmission (1939)

Photo: Oldsmobile

The Rocket - The first high-compression OHV V8 engine (1949)

Photo: Mecum

OHV

Autronic Eye  The first automatic headlight dimming system (1952)

Photo: Oldsmobile

The world's first turbocharged car (1962)

Photo: Mecum

The first mass-produced front-wheel-drive American car (1966)

Photo: RM Sotheby's

FWD

The first carmaker to use chromed ABS plastic exterior trim (1969)

Photo: Mecum

ABS

The first production car with a high-mounted brake light (1971)

Photo: Mecum

The first American car to offer a driver-side airbag (1974)

Photo: General Motors

The first American production car with an onboard digital computer (1977)

Photo: Mecum

The first use of high-impact molded plastic body components (1982)

Photo: Oldsmobile

The first production heads-up display system (1988)

Photo: Oldsmobile

Color touchscreen interface with built-in cellular phone (1990)

Photo: Oldsmobile

Guidestar - The first onboard navigation system on a domestic production car (1995)

Photo: Anthodium Films/YouTube

The division was noted for several innovative technologies and designs. It was the first automaker to offer a fully automatic transmission, it produced the fastest cars of the early 1950s thanks to the Rocket V8 engine and built the world's first turbocharged production car in the 1960s.Oldsmobile became one of America's best-selling brands in the 1970s and 1980s, with sales peaking at almost 1.1 million units in 1985. But as premium European and Japanese cars arrived on US soil, Oldsmobile sales declined in the 1990s.General Motors discontinued the division in 2004. At the time, it was the oldest surviving American car brand and one of the oldest in the world. Oldsmobile produced over 35 million vehicles and introduced several industry-first features during its 107-year existence. Here's how it revolutionized the automotive market.A trivial feature in modern automobiles, the speedometer was initially patented by Croatian inventor Josip Belusic. A rather crude device that included a pointer and a magnet, the first speedometer was showcased in Paris in 1889. An improved version, similar to the modern speedometer, was introduced by Oldsmobile in 1901.The gauge was offered in the Model R, one of the company's first automobiles. Also known as the Curved Dash, the Model R was built from 1901 to 1907 and is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile. Oldsmobile assembled 425 units in 1901 and 2,500 examples the following year. In all, the Curved Dash moved 19,000 cars before the Ford Model T arrived in 1908.Third-party suppliers have been an integral part of the automotive industry since the early days. And it's one of the reasons the industry developed rapidly, and it can now produce millions of vehicles per year. But it all started accidentally following a fire at the Oldsmobile factory.In March 1901, Olds had an entire line of new models ready for production, but a fire burned the factory to the ground, destroying nearly all of the prototypes. To keep production going while the factory was being rebuilt, the company turned to subcontractors.Ransom E. Olds hired Henry M. Leland for engine production and the Dodge Brothers for other components. Leland went on to establish Cadillac in 1902.Founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, Charles Mott, and Frederic Smith, General Motors purchased its first automaker, Buick, on October 1. About a month later, GM acquired Oldsmobile as its second brand. In 1908, Durant kickstarted the platform-sharing strategy that became GM's most notable business model.The world's first badge-engineered automobile was born when Oldsmobile was given access to the underpinnings of the Buick Model B . The latter had been in production since 1904. The car was launched as the Oldsmobile Series 20 and remained in production for only one model year. But while it shared the chassis with the Model B, the Series 20 had a different engine.Instead of adopting Buick's two-cylinder boxer engine, the world's first production overhead valve mill, Oldsmobile went with its own 2.7-liter four-cylinder lump. The Series 20 spawned 5,325 units before it was discontinued.Ah, the windshield. The piece of laminated safety glass keeping us safe from the elements and debris. Originally made from window-pane glass, the windscreen first appeared on an automobile in 1904.They usually included two sheets of glass with an upper pane that could be folded down when it got too dirty to see through. They weren't widespread, though, as most vehicles were still motorized horse carriages at the time. That's why most drivers wore goggles.That began to change in 1915 when Oldsmobile started offering windshields as standard equipment on the Six and the newly-introduced Model 43. Most US carmakers adopted the feature soon after.Have you noticed that American cars from the 1910s have next to no chrome compared to those built in the late 1920s? Well, that's because the chrome electroplating process wasn't discovered until 1924. Two years later, Oldsmobile began using chrome plating for radiators, headlamps, and bumpers, becoming the first automaker to do so.Some car companies actually used nickel electroplating before that, but the really shiny stuff arrived in showrooms on the Oldsmobile Model 30. And as we know, it all went wild in the 1950s with massive grilles, bumpers, and fins polished to a mirror shine.The V8 engine can be traced back to 1904, but the first mass-produced automotive version did not arrive until 1914 when Cadillac introduced the L-head. Three years later, Chevrolet built the first V8 with overhead valves. In 1924, Cadillac innovated once again with the first American V8 to use a cross-plane crankshaft.It took the US automotive industry a few more years to develop the first monobloc V8. This design, where each cylinder bank is made from a single piece of cast metal, is usually associated with Ford's Flathead V8 , launched in 1932. However, the first monobloc V8 was, in fact, created by Oldsmobile in 1929.A 260-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) powerplant good for 81 horses, the mill did not power Oldsmobile vehicles. It was used in a short-lived sister brand called Viking. Introduced alongside Pontiac, Marquette, and LaSalle as part of GM's "companion make program," Viking produced luxury cars until 1931, when the division was shut down.Yet another car feature we take for granted nowadays, the steel roof needs a few decades to become a thing. Having welcomed V8 engines, mass production, and enhanced safety features, the automotive industry relied on tops made of wood and fabric well into the 1930s. Not only were they time-consuming to manufacture, but they didn't add much to the structural rigidity of the body either.That changed in the early years of the decade when a company from East Chicago created a rolling mill wide enough to produce roof stampings in one piece. GM was the first of the Big Three to adopt the technology and rolled out the first production car with an all-steel roof in 1935. It was called the Turret Top and debuted on an Oldsmobile, but it almost immediately found its way on Chevrolet and Pontiac models.Fitted in more than 95% of brand-new American automobiles nowadays, the automatic transmission can be traced back to the 1904 Sturtevant "horseless carriage gearbox." The first patent was approved in 1923, while the REO Motor Car Company built the first semi-automatic transmission in 1933.Oldsmobile joined in with the Automatic Safety Transmission in 1937, which eventually evolved into the iconic Hydra-Matic gearbox. Developed by Olds and Cadillac , the Hydra-Matic debuted in October 1939 as an option on the Oldsmobile Series 60 and the Series 70.The first mass-produced fully automatic transmission became available in Cadillac vehicles in 1941. Why did it take so long for the luxury company to adopt the technology? Well, GM wanted to protect the brand in case of a market failure of the new gearbox. It wasn't the case, though, as the Hydra-Matic remained in production for almost 30 years.In 1949, the overhead valve engine design had been around for about 50 years. However, Oldsmobile's Rocket V8 had nothing in common with the single-cylinderengine that bicycle manufacturer Walter Lorenzo Marr built in 1898. It also differed from the 331 series mill Cadillac introduced in 1949.Featuring hydraulic lifters, an oversquare bore:stroke ratio, a forged crankshaft, aluminum pistons, and a dual-plane intake manifold, the 303-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) V8 debuted with a two-barrel setup and 135 horsepower, 35 more the popular Ford Flathead. In 1952, Olds introduced a four-barrel variant good for 160 horsepower.The original Rocket powered both the 88 and 98 models from 1949 to 1953. And it's famous for turning the smaller 88 into the car to beat on NASCAR ovals for two seasons in a row. The Rocket 88 is also regarded by some as America's first true muscle car.Although the 303 was discontinued in 1953, the Rocket V8 soldiered on with numerous updates through 1990. It's among the longest-running American engines ever built.Also linked to both Oldsmobile and Cadillac, the Autronic Eye arrived in 1952 as the world's first automatic headlamp dimming system. Featuring a phototube mounted on the dashboard, it detected approaching headlights and automatically switched the beams to low until the other lane was clear.Although the system was overly sensitive and unreliable, it remained in production with substantial improvements until the late 1980s. It was used in various automobiles across all GM brands. The Autronic Eye also found its way into GM's iconic fleet of Futurliners , which were used to parade new technology in the early 1950s.The monobloc V8 and the high-compression OHV V8 weren't the only engines pioneered by Oldsmobile. The company also designed the first production car with a turbocharged mill. The vehicle in question arrived for the 1962 model year as the F-85 Jetfire.Essentially a pillarless hardtop version of the Cutlass, the Jetfire came with a 215-cubic-inch (3.5-liter) V8 under the hood. Dubbed Turbo-Rocket, it was actually based on an all-aluminum Buick powerplant of the same size but extensively modified to accommodate a turbocharger. Changes included new pistons, an enhanced ignition coil, a more efficient fuel pump, and a larger radiator.Paired with a small-diameter turbo developed by Garrett and boasting a 10.25:1 compression ratio, the Turbo-Rocket generated 215 horsepower and 300 pound-feet (410 Nm) of torqueor about 40% more than the naturally aspirated unit, all while without increasing fuel consumption.Unfortunately, the troublesome injection system and the inappropriate suspension/braking setup prevented the Jetfire from becoming popular, and Oldsmobile discontinued it after the 1963 model year. The Jetfire wasn't GM's only turbo car at the time. Chevrolet also introduced a forced-induction version of the rear-engined Corvair. It arrived only one month after the Jetfire.Yes, I know, the Toronado wasn't the first American front-wheel-drive car. That trophy goes to the Cord L-29, introduced in 1929, seven years before the more iconic 810/812. But these cars weren't exactly mass-produced. While the L-29 saw daylight in a little more than 5,000 units, the 810/812 was produced in less than 3,000 examples. So, the Toronado was the first mass-produced American automobile with anlayout.Launched in 1965, the Toronado was a personal luxury car developed in response to the Buick Riviera . It shared the latter's E-body platform, but Oldsmobile switched to FWD, a project it had worked on since the late 1950s.A resounding success due to its stylish design and outstanding ride, the Toronado sold in high numbers in its first year in showrooms. However, deliveries dwindled dramatically in 1967 and continued to drop through 1970. As a result, Olds dropped the grand tourer style design for the second-gen model, opting for a more traditional luxury car look similar to the Cadillac Eldorado.Front-wheel drive wasn't the first piece of technology that Oldsmobile introduced using the Toronado . In 1969, the luxury car became the first automobile fitted with chromedplastic exterior trim.While seemingly unimportant, this innovation helped reduce production costs and made the respective parts easier to replace. Moreover, it also helped reduce the car's curb weight.Two years later, the Toronado got yet another innovative feature and became the first production automobile with high-mounted brake lights. Set in wide slots just below the rear window, the additional lights included both stop and signal lamps.The technology was soon implemented by all automakers, and it's commonplace nowadays, albeit most modern vehicles feature a single light mounted at the top of the rear window.General Motors began experimenting with airbags in 1973. Marketed as the Air Cushion Restraint System, it found its way into a few Chevrolet Impala sedans sold as government fleet cars.That same year, GM included the Toronado in the same experiment, making it the first domestic automobile to feature driver- and passenger-side airbags . These cars were equipped with unique steering wheels and knee blockers beneath the driver section of the dashboard. The same airbags were later offered in Buick and Cadillac models.And here we are talking about the Toronado again because the 1977 version of the luxury car was the first production US automobile with an onboard digital computer. Regarded as "more sophisticated than some analog computers" available at the time, the microprocessor was used to control spark-plug firings in the engine and thus improve fuel economy.GM promised the Toronado would average 18.4 miles per gallon, a 10% improvement compared to the 1976 version. However, the 1977 Toronado was also notably lighter and slightly shorter than its predecessor.GM wasn't the only company experimenting with this technology that year. Both Ford and Chrysler had plans to reduce fuel economy in a similar fashion in 1977. But while Ford delayed the introduction on the Lincoln Continental Mark IV , Chrysler used an analog computer.The Omega is one of the lesser-known Oldsmobile models. And for good reason. The nameplate was introduced in 1973 as the company's first compact car. An answer to the 1973 Oil Crisis and the demise of high-performance vehicles, the first-generation Omega shared underpinnings with the Chevrolet Nova.The Omega was redesigned in 1975 but remained a rear-wheel-drive car until 1980 when Oldsmobile debuted the third-gen compact. Now based on the Chevy Citation, the Omega switched to front-wheel-drive . It also lost the V8 option, relying on inline-four and V6 units.Even though it has next to no achievements to brag about and was forgotten as soon as it went into the history books, the Omega was the first automobile to use high-impact molded plastic body components.The head-up display, also known as HUD, is a relatively common feature on modern cars. The technology can be traced back to the 1940s when it appeared in aircraft. It would take another four decades before the HUD became an automobile production feature.GM began developing a head-up display unit in the 1960s, but the project didn't come to fruition until the 1980s, following the acquisition of Hughes Aircraft and the subsequent merger with Delco.A Hughest-derived HUD was created for automotive use and dropped into 50 Oldsmobile Cutlass Indy Pace Car Editions for the 1988 model year. The unit projected a digital speedometer and turn-signal indicators onto the windshield, paving the way to the head-up displays we get in most premium vehicles nowadays.A couple of years before Oldsmobile introduced a head-up display, the brand teamed up with Buick to develop a touchscreen interface. The technology debuted on the Toronado and Riviera in 1986. Four years later, Oldsmobile launched an updated color interface with more functions.Available as a $1,300 option, the Visual Information Center (VIC) controlled the car's radio, CD player, and climate control system. It also gave the driver access to a system monitor and a navigation function . However, the latter only provided access to a compass (there was no GPS in cars at the time).For an additional $999, buyers could get an in-car telephone compatible with the VIC interface. Introduced on the 1990 Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo, the Visual Information Center is the predecessor to modern infotainment systems.Oldsmobile launched its final major innovation in 1995, almost 20 years before it was shut down. It's called Guidestar, and it was the first onboard GPS navigation system offered on an American production car.Mounted in the center of the dash, in front of the radio, the unit looked like a mini Gameboy. The display swiveled left and right for easy access from both front seats and used GPS linked to an internal database. The system also included turn-by-turn audible instructions.Developed in cooperation with Hughes Electronics and Electronic Data Systems, it offered satellite navigation for 17 states but lacked live traffic updates. A $2,000 option, it debuted in the 1995 Oldsmobile 88.
SUV

EV

For 46 years, the best-selling truck lineup in the US, the Ford F-Series, has set a high bar for everyone else to try and chase. General Motors, for example, has been doing that for decades already with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra nameplates. But is that enough?According to the first-half sales tally, General Motors beat Ford at the finish line for full-size pickup trucks. But that's only possible when the automaker combined Silverado and Sierra sales  both light- and heavy-duty full-size models  so the Blue Oval company still has a chance to hold the upper hand by the end of the year.Besides, GM could have a better truck lineup out there. The 2024 Ford F-150 has best-in-class towing and payload capacity, so the Silverado and Sierra don't hold a candle to the main protagonist of the F-Series. Meanwhile, the heavy-duty truck lineup also leaves much to be desired compared to the Super Duty models  and, again, it only takes a look at the spec sheet to notice why.So, what could GM do to address the conundrum? According to the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, they could think of tripling the light-duty full-size pickup truck roster by also creating a unibody option  much like Ford took command of the compact pickup truck sector with the unibody Maverick. And Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has taken up the task of revealing that potential nameplate.The pixel master opted to morph the third-generation Chevrolet Traverse full-size crossoverinto a good-looking pickup truck offering. The nameplate, first offered by Chevy in model year 2009 as the successor to the body-on-frame TrailBlazer SUV and the Uplander minivan, has just reached its third iteration and looks more like a truck than ever before.So, probably that's what triggered the virtual chain of events and why the CGI expert ended up cooking a Chevy Traverse pickup truck out of a unibody crossover SUV. The model uses the GM C1XX-2 platform and now has a 2.5-liter LK0 turbocharged inline-four engine under the hood that's good for 315 horsepower and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm).These are respectable figures, but would they be enough to conquer the world of full-size pickup trucks? Most likely, no, so we bet this will forever remain merely wishful thinking. After all, the 2024 Ford F-150, for example, has larger mills  including a V8 and hybrid. Plus, there's also the F-150 Lighting, so it's perhaps best if General Motors focused its forces on giving the 2024 Silveradoand Sierra EV a jolt to come out to dealerships as soon as possible.
In a move set to electrify automotive enthusiasts, Audi has unveiled a project that promises to shed new light on the brand's electric vehicle (EV) lineup. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Audi Sport GmbH, the German automaker has introduced the Audi RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition, limited to just 99 units for the European market.

kW

Executive electric mobility

Photo: Audi

kWh

Racing in the snow

Photo: Audi

A canvas of winter

Photo: Audi

Photo: Audi via Youtube

MMI

An Audi with a special personality

Photo: Audi

Photo: Audi

This special edition draws its inspiration from the icy terrains of the GP Ice Race in Austria, and represents a harmonious blend of cutting-edge technology and breathtaking design. With its Florett Silver Metallic exterior, accented by a unique foil wrap, this car is a visual spectacle that captures the essence of winter's beauty.But don't be fooled by its icy demeanor; beneath the beautiful bodywork lies a powerhousea 590 hp (440) dual-electric motor setup transplanted from the 'regular' RS e-tron GT.Launched in late 2020, this battery electric executive car has been turning heads and setting new standards in the automotive industry. Manufactured in Audi's home country, Germany, at the Heilbronn plant, the e-tron GT is part of Audi's broader e-tron sub-brand, which has been pioneering the company's electric mobility efforts.Built on the J1 platform, which it shares with the Porsche Taycan , the e-tron GT is a four-door sedan that defies the traditional sedan silhouette with its sporty coupe-style design. It's powered by two AC synchronous electric motors, one on each axle, providing all-wheel drive.The RS version of the e-tron GT boasts a maximum power output of 475 kW (646 PS; 637 hp) and a 93.4liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery, which enables the car to accelerate from 062 mph (0100 km/h) in just 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The vehicle boasts an electric range of approximately 264 miles (425 km) while supporting 270 kW (800 volts)fast charging, also making it a practical choice for long journeys.The e-tron GT has received accolades for its design, winning the 2021 Goldenes Lenkrad (Golden Steering Wheel) awards for the Most Beautiful Car of the Year. It even made a cinematic appearance in the 2019 superhero film "Avengers: Endgame," driven by Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., further adding to its pop culture credentials.While the standard RS e-tron GT is a modern engineering and design sensation, Audi has taken it a step further with the RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition, which adds an extra layer of exclusivity and aesthetic appeal to the already impressive e-tron GT, promising to be a true collector's item in the near future.As Audi marks the 40th anniversary of Audi Sport GmbH, it does so with a flourish, unveiling a vehicle that encapsulates four decades of engineering prowess and design innovation. The Audi RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition comes on the market as a limited model, with only 99 units being planned for the European market only.This unique addition to the e-tron GT family also celebrates another milestone in Audi's journey, notably its Audi exclusive customization program. For nearly 30 years, Audi exclusive has been catering to the brand's discerning clientele, offering a range of customization options that elevate the driving experience.The Ice Race Edition is the latest feather in Audi exclusive's cap, enriching its emotional portfolio and setting new standards in the automotive luxury realm. The Ice Race Edition draws its inspiration from the GP Ice Race in Austria, a memorable event that has captivated motorsport enthusiasts since its inception in 1952.Revived in 2019, this event has transformed into a spectacle featuring drifting race cars from various eras, pulling skiers through the snowy terrains of Zell am See, all set against a dream-like snowy backdrop of the stunning alpine pastures of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Audi has translated this distinctive concept into automotive art, crafting a vehicle that embodies the spirit and excitement of the GP Ice Race through its remarkable appearance.When it comes to the exterior, the Ice Race Edition is a visual symphony inspired by the colors of winter. The base color is Florett silver metallic, a shade that captures the essence of a winter morning, which is beautifully contrasted by a black carbon roof and a black set of 21-inch rims. But the real showstopper is the unique foil wrap, a design element that adds multiple layers of complexity to the vehicle's appearance.The foil wrap incorporates 'targeted transparencies,' creating a three-dimensional effect that adds depth to the monochrome silver background and recreates the particular shine of snow crystals and iced lakes. This is complemented by contrasting violet elements, which serve as striking accents, evoking the colors of ski goggles and the winter sky.Step inside the Ice Race Edition, and you're immediately enveloped in a world of luxury. The interior is a masterclass in design, featuring seat center panels, shoulder arches, and side bolsters crafted in diamond silver leather. This choice of material and color creates a harmonious flow with the exterior, offering a seamless transition from the outside world to the interior sanctuary.The interior also features black leather sections and contrasting purple stitching, adding further layers of richness and complexity to the cabin layout. The new steering wheel, finished in a leather-Alcantara combination, features a color mark in diamond silver at the twelve o'clock position, reminiscent of racing cars. The floor mats come with modified RS logos, and Audi exclusive badges round off the interior, making it a sanctuary of personalized luxury.Audi has always been at the forefront of digital innovation, and the Ice Race Edition is no exception. Thedisplay features a bespoke background image for this implementation, along with the unique serial number of each unit.Moreover, the ambient lighting switches to purple when the mountain motif is selected, adding another layer of individuality to the car. Audi is very proud that this type of customization, which has always been identifiable by badges in the analog world, has now arrived in the digital form for the first time.At its core, the Ice Race Edition is a powerhouse, retaining the performance capabilities of the standard RS e-tron GT. It is powered by a 590 hp (440 kW) dual electric motor setup, which can temporarily produce up to 475 kW (637 hp) when the boost function is enabled, driven by a 93.4 kWh battery pack with state-of-the-art charging capabilities. With fast DC charging at a maximum of 270 kW, a mere five minutes of charging time can provide about 100 kilometers of driving under ideal conditions.The convenience aspect is further enhanced by the availability of more than 500,000 public charging points across Europe, which are accessible with a single card using the Audi charging service, making the Ice Race Edition not just a performance machine but also a practical choice for those who seek the thrill of speed without compromising on everyday amenities.As we take an in-depth look at the Audi RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition, it's essential to recognize the broader context in which this remarkable vehicle exists. Audi has long been a pioneer in offering personalized luxury through its Audi exclusive customization services. For nearly three decades, Audi exclusive has been the go-to option for discerning Audi clientele who desire more than just a high-performance vehicle, aiming for a personalized masterpiece that reflects their unique tastes and lifestyle.Audi exclusive offers an extensive range of customization options, from unique paint finishes to bespoke interior designs. The program has evolved significantly since its inception in 1995, setting trends and pushing boundaries in automotive luxury.Whether it's the pioneering spirit of offering black-painted Audi rings or the introduction of highly customizable Audi exclusive studios at Audi Forum Neckarsulm and Audi Forum Ingolstadt, Audi has consistently been at the forefront of individualized luxury. These services have now become an integral part of sought-after styling packages, demonstrating Audi's commitment to offering a unique driving experience.The RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition is the epitome of this commitment to personalized luxury. It's a statement, a vision, that sets new standards in electric mobility. Every aspect of the Ice Race Edition calls for individuality, from its unique foil wrap exterior to its luxurious diamond silver leather interior.In the words of Bernhard Neufeld, Head of Audi exclusive, the Ice Race Edition represents the "emotional pinnacle of electric mobility at Audi,[...]. Our customization gives this electric Gran Turismo a very special personality."With its unique design elements, uncompromising performance, and digital innovations, the Ice Race Edition is a testament to Audi's vision for the future, where the line between classic equipment features and virtual immersion is blurred, promising even more intense and personalized driving experiences.
SUV

Sure, anyone can say that September was destined for doom because August 2023 was such an incredible month. Everything started with the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser global launch and subsequent return to America as the J250 Lexus GX's sibling. Then we continued with the boxy 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe's global launch taking place  where else?  in Santa Fe, New Mexico, followed by GM taking over New York's Times Square to launch the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ.But wait, as these three significant introductions were only the appetizer  the 2023 Monterey Car Week was so brimming with novelties from all around the world and across all ages that it's probably one of the main reasons IAA Mobility 2023 and NAIAS 2023 felt so barren and deserted. There's no point in itemizing all of them because I would fall in love with the California event all over again, and I had just gotten read of the smitten-like feeling.Moving to Europe to attend IAA Mobility 2023 would have been ill-advised at the beginning of the month as the former Frankfurt Motor Show only counted on the help of German carmakers  the BMW Vision Neue Klasse sedan came out as an updated i Vision Dee boasting major promises and big bets. Mercedes-Benz also showcased a concept car  the CLA prototype featured a star-studded front end plus promises of 466-mile ranges for the upcoming electric compact car.Volkswagen didn't want to feel left out of the concept car booth, so they presented the ID. GTI Concept, which previews an electric GTI based on the affordable ID. 2 that's due for 2027 with hotly electrified specs. Interestingly, Renault decided to stand out in the German crowd and brought the Renault Scenic electricto IAA Mobility 2023. And that was all if we don't also count the Polestar Synergy  the prototype came out of the company's 2022 design contest and will never see the light of day as a production version.Well, I beat around the bush more than enough. Now, let us tackle the disappointing 2023 edition of the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit at the Huntington Place Convention Center between September 13-25. Frankly, if it weren't for the Big Detroit Three automakers, this would have been nothing more than a local show where automakers presented their latest models to the crowds. In fact, dare I say that the single most exciting thing that happened at NAIAS 2023 was someone's screw-up who accidentally posted the 2024 Toyota Tacoma's MSRP (which isn't official just yet) with the same value as the 2023 model year.Most likely, that was a simple error  no one in their right mind at Toyota North America would dare to allow the all-new fourth-generation N400 with the same price as the predecessor when everyone around them is giving us hike after hike even for incremental model year updates. Anyway, back to the astonishingly few novelties at this year's Detroit Auto Show, the headline event, of course, was the pre-show presentation of the 2024 Ford F-150. And the refreshed full-size truck doesn't disappoint, especially if you like to spot the differences between the trim levels, which have their own individual identity. Hopefully, the rumors will pan out, and the Raptor R will finally take over the crown as the most potent production pickup truck. Otherwise, it's just another missed opportunity to dethrone the TRX.Mopar enthusiasts also got their pickup truck share  the mid-size 2024 Jeep Gladiator got its refresh, too, and the company even showcased a bunch of accessories, including Jeep-approved hiking shoes ! Oh, and Stellantis also dropped the diesel engine from the portfolio as the Gladiator 4xe plug-in hybrid is diligently preparing to come out to play. Well, the only automaker that had more than one major novelty at the show was General Motors  thanks to the arrival of the facelifted 2025 Cadillac CT5 and the all-new, third-generation GMC Acadia to make sure the Chevy Traverse won't feel alone when battling the Ford Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee.If I were to choose just one of the novelties from NAIAS 2023 to go home with, it would be a little hard to select either the 2023 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, which now has the same MSRP as the gasoline-only version but better features overall, or the stylish Cadillac CT5 . Yep, call me old, but I still think that American sedans deserve a better fate than going into retirement and turning the segment into an endangered species. Hopefully, Cadillac will give us the 2025 CT5-V and Blackwing as soon as possible  or maybe they will even flaunt a surprising twist and morph the cool four-door into a member of the zero-emissions IQ family. What do you think, will that save it from impending doom?
I follow the news as much as possible for professional duties and also because I like to know what's happening. After all, curiosity is essential for anyone willing to become a journalist. Despite that, I have to say I feel less and less inclined to do that because of how biased news seems to be. One thing that we even mock at home is how everything is climate change's fault. Don't get me wrong: I know how important it is that we lower human impact on nature, but climate change has become a lazy excuse for absolutely everything. A scientist recently confirmed that what I thought was just a personal impression was more serious than that.

Photo: slworking2/Creative Commons

Photo: BLM Oregon & Washington/Creative Commons

Photo: NPS Climate Change Response/Creative Commons

Patrick T. Brown wrote a story for The Free Press in which he admitted that he tailored his research on climate change so that it fit what Nature would publish. That said, his study on extreme wildfire behavior focused only on the influence that a worsened greenhouse effect has on such situations. However, he admits there were more important factors involved that he could not mention. If he did, the study would not be on Nature. His story invites us to acknowledge how absurd and biased all discussions have become these days  shockingly, even in scientific fields.For any researcher to achieve academic recognition and receive more funds for their investigation efforts, they have to publish as many articles in Nature and Science as possible. There are other scientific publications around, but they are not considered as relevant. Framing that in a more crude way, it is as if the study was not good enough for Nature or Science. The problem is that the competition to publish in these outlets is so massive that scientists have to bet on what they usually approve  hence his focus.Brown states that this has created a bias in scientific research that makes climate change look worse or more fundamental than it is. The scientist stressed that this phenomenon really does not look pretty. Yet, he argues that its effects have been vastly exaggerated. Wildfires are a good example.Although his research focused on climate change effects, he knows that there are other factors playing a much more vital role in these events. According to Brown, 80% of all wildfires have been set by humans, accidentally or on purpose. On top of that, forest management would have a massive effect in preventing that. I'll give you a practical example from Portugal.Every year, the government warns about the dangers involving wildfires in the summer. Several of the most destructive fires are the work of arsonists, and some of them are already on trial or in jail. When they are arrested, they are soon released to set fire to forests again. On top of that, Portugal still has fields filled up with eucalyptus, a tree that grows fast and burns even quicker. Politicians are now pushing for native trees to be planted more often, but that's just talk so far; there is no practical action to curb these fires. Summing up, forest management is still in discussion. In 2017, a fire in Pedrogao Grande killed 66 people, of which 30 died inside their cars while trying to escape the blaze. The pictures of the charred vehicles made headlines worldwide.Brown seems tired of reading that climate change creates heat waves that kill millions of people and decrease agricultural production when that's the opposite. Nowadays, fewer people die from heat waves, and crop yields are increasing despite climate change. In other words, mankind is more prepared to deal with its effects than the official narrative wants us to realize.If you are asking how that relates to the automotive world, that's pretty simple. Paris has recently announced it will eliminate asphalt in several streets to curb heat waves. That means several streets will cease to exist, being open solely to human traffic. The city will also plant more trees  which alone would help reduce heat. Again, cars were judged, convicted as villains, and banned without consideration for less radical options.Think about the push for electrification. It is presented as the final solution for climate change and carbon emissions . However, transport as a whole contributes only 15% of all carbon emissions, which demonstrates passenger vehicles have just part of that responsibility. Include boats, airplanes, trains, and everything else that moves people or cargo, and they will still be limited to 15%. What about the other 85%?What Brown's story stresses is that people deal with climate change in a rather Manichaeistic fashion: either it is the world's doom or something irrelevant. Considering other factors at play may be as relevant or even more crucial to solving issues  as Brown wanted to do  is seen as denialism, which is something he felt is restrictive and wrong. Brown abandoned his academic career to work for The Breakthrough Institute. This private nonprofit research center is not limited to this need for publishing on Nature or Science, and he is finally free to tackle essential subjects in a scientific fashion: based on evidence.Meanwhile, if a dead whale washes ashore, it is due to climate change. If a colder winter kills more people in some places, that's climate change. Do we have more algae on beaches? Climate change . Name any deadly or unusual natural phenomenon, and it will have the same lazy excuse with the same cries for action. How dare you, right?If we are serious about dealing with the impact humans have on the environment, why aren't we trying to establish an actual circular economy , with goods that last for longer and can be recycled more easily? It would be perfect to replace the current model of measuring financial success with higher sales volumes, which demand more and more resources. Yet, some people who claim to care for the environment want us to build hundreds of new mines, sell millions of battery electric cars, and keep business as usual  only without smog.Climate change has to be addressed, but we must do it rationally. We can't pretend it is the one-size-fits-all cause of all bad things happening around us  particularly among scientists. Journalists have to challenge the easy explanations. That's what we are here for: to ask the difficult questions. To dig deeper. When journalism and science fail to do that, they lose credibility, which is their very foundation. We are already witnessing its erosion, and it is a pretty depressing show. As Nelson Rodrigues used to say, " All unanimity is stupid ." I'd add that when it is used to guide any strategies, it is also hazardous.
Even though motorcycle customization isnt Chris Scholtkas primary occupation, he is perfectly capable of building some incredible machines. The man is a full-time firefighter by trade, going about his daily business in the German city of Cottbus near the Polish border. Despite his demanding work schedule, Chris is somehow able to complete multiple projects every year and handle most of the modifications in-house.

Photo: kylefx

Photo: kylefx

Thats right; the solo craftsman is keen on outsourcing as little work as possible, with the only recurring exception being the paint jobs. He currently operates as Motocrew, which might seem a little ironic since the firm is in fact a one-man endeavor. In any case, Herr Scholtka doesnt just build custom bikes as a mere hobby, but he also takes client orders to generate some additional cashflow.Commissioned by a car enthusiast from Stuttgart, the specimen were about to look at had once been a stock 1979 Yamaha XS650. The UJM had only two owners prior to the clients acquisition, and each of them took great care of it while it was in their possession. As such, Chris found the old Yamaha to be in excellent condition, but he still wanted to modernize its running gear and refurbish it wherever he could.The customers criteria for this build was relatively straightforward: a slammed cafe racer with loud exhaust pipes and a murdered-out color scheme. With these goals in mind, the Motocrew treatment got underway in November 2021, and it was finalized around five months later. Chris signature styling approach is present here in all its neo-retro glory, tastefully leaning toward the retro side of things.For starters, the XS650 parted ways with its stock wheels, suspension, and exhaust system. The OEM subframe and front brake followed suit, as did all the factory bodywork aside from the fuel tank. Once the donor was taken apart, Chris sourced a modern pair of inverted forks from a Honda CBR1000RR and had them installed via Cognito Moto triple clamps.He added Touratech fork internals, too, and the aforementioned CBR was kind enough to also donate its front brake calipers. These are accompanied by TRW discs, along with a premium master cylinder and new brake pads from Brembos inventory. We still spot the original drum brake at the back, but its been thoroughly refurbished during Motocrews overhaul.Rear-end suspension duties are now assigned to dual Black-T shock absorbers sporting progressive springs. In terms of footwear, the XS650 features 18-inch aftermarket rims with TUV certification, and the front unit is laced to a CNC-machined wheel hub supplied by Cognito Moto. Sir Scholtka decided that vintage-looking rubber was the way to go here, so he fitted beefy Shinko E270 tires on both ends.With the rolling chassis pieced together, his attention turned to the bikes powertrain. Its parallel-twin mill was serviced inside out, gaining replacement pistons and fresh consumables in the process. One may also find a new clutch, but what really gets our attention is the bespoke pie-cut exhaust Chris fabricated from scratch.The pipework was put together using 48 mm (1.9-inch) stainless-steel tubing, cut into 42 individual pieces per header. Furthermore, the 653cc engine saw its Mikuni carburetors rebuilt and then topped with custom velocity stacks. A tailor-made, looped subframe can now be seen where the standard unit had once been, and it comes with an integrated LED taillight from Highsider at the southernmost tip.Up top, theres a plain cafe racer-style tail fronted by an Alcantara saddle. The XS650 gas tank received a flush-mounted, pop-up aluminum filler cap to keep its silhouette as clean as possible. A bit further ahead, were greeted by an equally minimalistic cockpit, where the central component is a digital Motoscope Mini speedometer from Motogadget.It sits inside a 3D-printed housing, accompanied by a keyless ignition setup on the top clamp. Clip-on handlebars also make an appearance, wearing bar-end turn signals, discreet switches, and snazzy Hookie Co. grips. In addition, Motocrew installed a glassless aluminum mirror on the left-hand side, while finishing off the front-end equipment with a 6.5-inch LED headlight.The latter comes courtesy of Puig, and all the electronics have been rewired through Motogadgets Bluetooth-compatible mo.unit control module. Lastly, the motorcycles color scheme is a blacked-out affair for the most part, but some of its goodies were left unpainted for contrast. These include the forks, exhaust, and filler cap, while the gas tank features dark grey pinstripes and Motocrew logos on each side.Once the paint job had been executed, our protagonist was happy to call it a day and hand this stealthy XS650 cafe racer back to his client. As always, Chris Scholtka knocked the transformation straight out of the ballpark, striking a nice balance between function and form. Of course, the lack of fenders or proper air filters may put some people off, but were inclined to think the velocity stacks are only there for the photoshoot.
For connoisseurs of the custom motorcycle scene, the name Fred Kodlin needs little introduction. The German-born went into the customization business about four decades ago, and grew into such a pillar of the industry that in 2007 the became the first non-American to be inducted into the International Master Bike Builders Association (IMBBA) Hall of Fame.

Kodlin's fame and reach are backed by incredible custom projects that go from modified bikes based on existing platforms to full custom builds put together from scratch. The shop by the same name usually goes for Harley-Davidson bikes, but from time to time it does venture outside the comfort zone, as it most recently did with the Heavy Duty , a BMW R 18-based radical cruiser. And it also makes full customs.It's a full custom that brings us here today, a bike the Germans put together all the way back in 2012. It's called Derbe, and should have been one of a limited series of 50 bikes made in the same manner for a select few.It's not entirely clear whether Kodlin eventually managed to build all the 50 bikes - at one point he was talking about 30 completed builds. The Derbe is one of those made, and just a superficial look at it is enough to paint the picture of an exciting two-wheeler.First and foremost, it's worth mentioning the bike was built around an in-house-made frame called Q-Modo. A Kodlin creation, the rigid frame comes with curved down tubes, allows a ride to move very close to the ground, while still offering enough ground clearance, and permits for the installation of pretty insane fuel tanks. Sure, it may not look and feel very comfortable, but it sure does look amazing.One key aspect about the Q-Modo is that it can "support even the most powerful V-twin engines," meaning the 120ci+ behemoths made for use in extreme applications. And in the Derbe build, it's exactly such a powerplant that was used, more specifically one sourced from Harley-Davidson.The frame and engine combination was placed on two custom wheels that are seemingly worlds apart, because of the distance between front and end. Their exact size is not known, except for the width of the rubber that wraps around the rear one: 240 mm.The position of the rider on the Derbe looks rather complicated, with the seat sunk deep into the frame and the rider having to reach over the much higher fuel tank that sits on top of the frame. Their right foot has to be carefully placed so as to not hit the custom exhaust system.It's not clear who the Derbe was made for, or how much the bike is worth in this configuration. We also don't know where it spins those wheels at the moment, but chances are if it does pass you by, you'll notice.
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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YOKOHAMA, Sep 18 ( News On Japan ) - A male relative of the Yokohama ramen shop manager who was stabbed to death in his restaurant last Friday night has been arrested after being tracked down by police in Nagoya, over 300km from the scene of the crime.

The suspect, Akihito Ohashi (35), is accused of using a knife to stab and kill Hiroki Ohashi (33), the manager of the ramen shop in Yokohama's Konan Ward on September 15.

Police traced Akihito to a hotel in Nagoya after examining security camera footage. He has admitted to using a knife in the stabbing, although no murder weapon was found.

Akihito has confessed, saying, "There is no doubt about it, I did it." The police are currently investigating whether there were any disputes between the two individuals. The suspect, Akihito, was not only an employee of Hiroki's shop but also a relative.

Related story: Struggle inside ramen shop on night of murder
17 September 2023 23:40 (UTC+04:00)

The grand presentation of the famous composer Arif Malikov's "Legend of Love" ballet at the Heydar Aliyev Palace is several hours away, Azernews reports.

On September 18 - National Music Day, the opening ceremony of the XV Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture will be with the world-conquering ballet "The Legend of Love".

Preparations for the ballet, which will be performed on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace, have been going on for a long time, and rehearsals for the performance have been held in Baku for more than a month.

The "Legend of Love" staged in the composer's homeland after many years featured the artists of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble, as well as soloists invited from foreign theaters.

On September 18, Princess Mehmene Banu, will be performed by the leading soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, laureate of international competitions of ballet artists, presidential award winner Ayan Eyvazova, Farhad will be performed by the premiere of the famous Russian "Bolshoi" Theater, laureate of international competitions of ballet artists, Denis Rodkin, and Shirin will be performed by the leading soloist of the Bolshoi theater, laureate of international competitions of ballet artists, Maria Vinogradova.

For the historical presentation, more than 200 costumes, as well as decorations and props, were prepared by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation based on the original sketches of the artist Simon Virsaladze.

This presentation will amaze the audience with its great music, stage setting, and design.

Arif Malikov composed the ballet "Legend of Love" to the libretto written by the well-known Turkish poet Nazim Hikmat based on the drama "Farhad and Shirin". The premiere of the ballet was held on March 23, 1961, at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater (now St. Petersburg State Academic Maria Theater). Ballet master Yuri Grigorovich, artist Simon Virsaladze, conductor of the play was maestro Niyazi. In July 1962, the premiere of the work was held on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

The ballet master-directors of the presentation on September 18 and 19 are Yuri Grigorovich's assistant, Ruslan Pronin, chief ballet master of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, and Oksana Tsvetnitskaya, Grigorovich's other assistant.

The mysterious music of Arif Malikov will be performed by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, conducted by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yalchin Adigozelov.

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17 September 2023 14:00 (UTC+04:00)

Editorial

To create public opinion for their heinous and dishonorable foreign policy based on invasion, murdering, looting and mass killing, Armenians and the Armenian diaspora restor to all known and unknown measures. On the one hand, they use all platforms to smear Azerbaijan and to manipulate the facts. On the other hand, they organize lynching against the people who voice the requirements of international law. As is known, several international media representatives, including a few French journalists who supported Azerbaijan's positions based on international law, were harassed, blackmailed, and dismissed from their jobs.

With the help of such atrocious steps, Armenians are managed to silence international mass media, and only Azerbaijani or Turkish media try to speak up and demonstrate the real face of their malicious policy. Of course, playing victim cards, Hayk interpret the situation in their own favour, ostensibly the whole world supports them and except only two countries that "aim to commit genocide against them."

One of such situation has happened in Georgia recently. Ramilia Aliyeva, Head of the Diversity Georgia Group of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, has been subjected to harassment and blackmails from the Armenian lobby operating in Georgia for a long. Armenians try to put all possible pressure on the company where she works through fake public opinion to get her fired.

Recently, Armenian Community in Georgia released a post on the Facebook and said that they condemn the visit of the Director General of the public broadcaster to Shusha. Going further, the Community called historic Azerbaijani city as an Armenian town. It should be recalled the Community that they do not live in brain-washed Hayastan but Georgia and fraternal Sakartvelo recognizes Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Besides, it should also remind this brainwashed community that not only Georgia but also Armenia recognize Garabagh as Azerbaijani territory. I advise the leader of the community to read the words of Nikol Pashinyan over Azerbaijans territorial integrity.

In addition, the Community accused Ramilia Aliyeva and her co-workers of overlooking the so-called "starvation of 120,000 people who were subjected to genocide." Needless to say, it is another manipulation aiming at the Georgian population. Everybody in the world knows that not Azerbaijan but the Armenian side blocks the roads and keeps Armenian minorities in Garabagh as hostages. Azerbaijan sent a food convoy to Garabagh but provocateurs linked to the separatist gangs have been blocking the road for several weeks. Besides, the whole world is well aware of the massacres, such as Khojaly, Meshali and so on, committed by Armenians in the 1990s.

The most tragicomic part of the post is that the Armenian community speaks about the responsibilities of journalism and gives advice to Ramilia Aliyeva and her co-workers.

As I told before, Armenian lobbies and communities throughout the world commit all possible measures including killing, threatening, lynching and so on to silence the journalists. So, no Armenian has any moral right to speak about the responsibilities of journalism, let alone advising someone. However, as a journalist and a person who bares great love for Sakartvelo I have a right to call the same community to condemn the atrocity committed by Bagramyan Batallion against Georgians in the Abkhazian war. Guys, you live in Georgia not in Armenia so you either have to love the country or leave it for brainwashed Hayasten.

To top it all off, in the end of the post, the community calls on Armenian journalists to protect the interests of Armenians. Yes, last sentence is the real face of Hay intention. It seems that, unlike Armenian journalists, Ramilia Aliyeva and her co-workers are real journalists, they do not protect any sides except the realities and facts. Thanks Ramilia, thanks Georgian Public Media for your courageous stance.

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17 September 2023 11:05 (UTC+04:00)

Traditional Forum of Associations cultural event was held in front of the city hall of the 15th arrondissement of Paris. The French-Azerbaijani Dialogue Association (ADFA) operating in France participated in the Forum, Azernews reports.

ADFA's stand displayed books and brochures, carpets, and copper vessels published to promote Azerbaijani culture. The visitors to the stand were informed about Azerbaijani history and culture. Azerbaijani national dance was presented in the music program organized within the framework of the forum. The mayor of the 15th district, who came to the forum, visited the stand of ADFA.

It should be noted that representatives of people living in the French capital promote their culture at this Forum in the event attended by numerous associations. Within the framework of the forum, the associations provide information about the cultural programs they plan throughout the year and inform local residents.

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17 September 2023 14:35 (UTC+04:00)

As part her working visit to the Republic of Cuba, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has met with President of the National Assembly of Peoples Power Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez, Azernews reports.

Hernandez welcomed the Azerbaijani Speaker warmly and thanked her for her participation in the G77+China Summit in Cuba.

He touched upon friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Cuba and mentioned warm welcome showed to Cuban Vice President Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa during his visit to Azerbaijan this year. According to him, the number of official visits from Cuba to Azerbaijan has increased in recent years. Hernandez highlighted his country's appreciation of Azerbaijan's support for Cuba within international organizations.

Mentioning the centenary of Heydar Aliyev celebrated in Azerbaijan this year, 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.

Hernandez said 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.

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 would serve to strengthen friendship between the countries and peoples further.

Gafarova pointed out that Azerbaijan and Cuba always support each other within international organizations in general and in the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement in particular. According to her, Cuba has always voted for the initiatives of Azerbaijan as the NAM Chair.

Saying then that the parliaments, too, played a role of their own in the progress of 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 the two legislative assemblies.

Hernandez was informed of the current situation in the region, Azerbaijans peace initiatives and Armenias military-political provocations. The head of the Cuban Parliament said that he is aware of the situation in the region and that it was important to restore peace and stability there.

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17 September 2023 15:40 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has held a phone talk with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Azernews reports.

The ministers discussed bilateral issues, as well as the current regional situation in the post-conflict period.

During the telephone conversation, issues that arose following the results of recent meetings held between the co-chairs of the Azerbaijan-Iran State Commission on Economic, Trade and Humanitarian Cooperation, and further steps to be taken were discussed.

In addition, the contribution of high-level meetings and interdepartmental contacts between the two countries to the development of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations was highly appreciated.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian once again recalled his meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as part of his visit to the country to participate in the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Coordination Bureau.

At the same time, the ministers discussed the necessary measures for the complete normalization of relations between the two countries.

Minister Bayramov noted that, despite the peace proposals and initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan aimed at normalizing relations in the region, the military-political provocations of the Armenian leadership against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan harmed these efforts.

The parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.

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17 September 2023 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

One of the main problems facing Azerbaijan is related to the missing persons as a result of the Girst Karabagh War. For thirty years, up to 3900 Azerbaijani citizens have been registered as missing, Azernews reports that the sector head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Habib Mikayilli telling at a briefing dedicated to the problem of missing persons in Azerbaijan.

"We can say that the missing persons were severely tortured and buried in mass graves for many years. So far, 10 mass graves have been discovered. Mines, unfortunately, hinder our efforts in this matter as well," he said.

He also noted that so far, 10 mass graves have been discovered and the landmine issues hindered research properly. He added that Armenian soldiers who committed these crimes have the coordinates of mass graves.

Habib Mikayilli stated that Armenia has taken non-constructive steps in this regard and has not given the coordinates to the Azerbaijani side.

He pointed out that despite the discovery of mass graves almost every month in Azerbaijan, the human rights organization does not show any reaction.

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17 September 2023 19:00 (UTC+04:00)

Finally, the Armenian side and its tool, the separatist gang in Khankendi accepted Azerbaijan's proposal to simultaneously open the Aghdam-Khankendi road and the Lachin-Khankendi road, Azernews reports.

On September 17, the separatist clique created by Armenia in Khankendi released a so-called "statement" and tried to justify its stubborn attitude which caused the suffering of hundreds of people. As is known, to put pressure on Azerbaijan, the Armenian side had blocked all the roads and had not allowed any cargo to Khakendi.

First, they wanted to create an illusion, ostensibly there was a starvation and humanitarian crisis in Khankendi. All Armenian and pro-Armenian media outlets circulated the fabricated pictures and a term of "genocide." Besides, the local residents said on social networks that the leaders of the separatist gang took away products brought by the ICRC or the Russian Peacekeepers to aggravate the situation further. However, it did not work and first, the separatists were obliged to step back and release extra meat products in Khankendi on August 20. According to the so-called statement, on September 17 they were obliged to step back a second time against internal pressure. The regime accepts that it is not always possible to provide the daily 200 grams of bread available to a citizen under the coupon system.

However, despite being defeated, humiliated and cornered, the regime continues to act as if it has some credibility. The fabricated statement claims that ostensibly the puppet regime got the proposal not from Azerbaijan but from the ICRC office in Khankendi and a Russian peacekeeper.

To recall, earlier, an agreement on the simultaneous opening of these was reached on September 1. The separatists expediently delayed this process.

Azerbaijan's principled position once again prevailed.

Apparently, the separatists are gradually beginning to realize that the sooner they stop their reckless resistance, the better. After all, it is obvious that the reintegration of the Armenian minority of Karabakh is the only way to ensure their bright future.

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17 September 2023 23:20 (UTC+04:00)

The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society welcomes the agreement on the delivery of goods to the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, along the Agdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads by vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Azernews reports citing Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society.

We regret that, despite the fact that an agreement was reached to open both roads on September 1, 2023, it will only be implemented on September 18.

The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society believes that the politicization of cargo transportation is unacceptable. If necessary, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society, which is an independent, impartial organization, is ready to provide any support to this process, the society noted.

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17 September 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Elchin Alioglu, Trend

At the last meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, held in Washington through the mediation of the US State Department, a serious agreement was reached. However, Washington and Yerevan violated this agreement.

There was an agreement on the parallel launch of cargo transportation of the International Committee of the Red Cross along the Lachin road and the Aghdam-Khankendi route. The United States was the guarantor of this agreement, a participant in the negotiations and an initiator. But then events began to develop in a completely different direction. The rhetoric of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has become aggressive, his statements addressed to Baku have become harsher.

Instead of implementing the agreement reached, Washington retreated to Armenian disinformation and propaganda. Armenian separatists from Yerevan and Garabagh were inspired by this and torpedoed the agreements. The result is obvious: the State Department and the US Congress are now talking only about the need to open the Lachin road and a humanitarian catastrophe.

However, neither the presence of 10 thousand armed Armenians in the territories under the control of Russian peacekeepers, nor Armenias escalation of the situation on the conditional state border, nor false statements about a humanitarian catastrophe, nor the continuation of Armenian mine terrorism, nor the constant shelling of our positions by military units of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, are mentioned.

There was also no mention of Armenias failure to comply with any terms of the trilateral declaration signed on November 10, 2020. Finally, it was not mentioned that in order to prevent the return of Azerbaijanis to the territories liberated from occupation, Armenia has repeatedly used the territories under the control of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent (RPC) for the purpose of continuous sabotage and terrorist attacks.

And instead of all this, acting US Under Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim says that in the context of any peace negotiations, the rights and safety of the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh must be protected. This is a mandatory element of any contract."

Such rhetoric and position of the United States, especially the complete irrationality and subjectivism in its approach to Azerbaijan, indicate the desire of the United States to replace Russia in Armenia, to become the main geopolitical force in the region and the main moderator in negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

There is no doubt that the United States, as well as the EU, in particular France, consider Armenia as a bargaining chip to promote their interests in the South Caucasus, but the danger is that the implementation of such a scenario can be very risky and have consequences not only for Armenia itself , but also for the entire region.

Most likely, holding the current US-Armenian military exercises EAGLE PARTNER 2023 in Armenia is also part of a larger US plan in the Caucasus. Kim's calls for the US to increase military aid to Armenia follow the same logic. Negotiations on this issue have been ongoing for a long time, but in fact the Americans have not yet provided any military assistance to Yerevan. Although the military factor is one of the important components designed to irritate Moscow with Yerevans pro-Western policy.

The United States is making mistakes in relation to Azerbaijan and discrediting itself as one of the main mediators in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. Official Baku has already advised the American side not to succumb to Armenias slanderous campaign. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that the mention of the rights and security of the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh in the peace agreement regarding Armenians living in the Garabagh region reflects the terminology purposefully used by Armenia to promote separatism in the territories of Azerbaijan, and also contradicts the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.

If the United States thinks that it can achieve results by putting pressure on Azerbaijan with biased, subjective and illogical demands, then it is deeply mistaken.

Washington once again used a flawed vocabulary full of incorrect expressions in its relations with Baku.

The results will not match US plans.

Because these plans do not serve the interests of the United States, but the Armenian lobby in this country.

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17 September 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched 29 tons of aid material to Libya following this weekends deadly floods that killed thousands, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Shafak.

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 WHO said in a statement on Saturday.

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.

At least 6,000 people were killed and thousands of others remain missing following deadly flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel.

Derna was the hardest-hit by the deadly flooding that caused two dams to collapse in the city.

According to the WHO, more than 9,000 people are still missing, while the bodies of 3,958 people have been recovered and identified following the flood disaster.

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, he added.

On Friday, Libyas Tripoli-based government said that 38 planes carrying relief aid to the flood survivors had arrived in the country.

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17 September 2023 20:40 (UTC+04:00)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in Vladivostok and they discussed cooperation and exchanges between the armed forces of the two countries and international affairs, Azernews reports, citing TASS.

"Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed his joy to meet with Sergey Shoigu again and praised the development, modernity and heroism of the Russian armed forces that reliably defend the countrys sovereignty and interests of the countrys development. Kim Jong Un and Sergey Shoigu exchanged views on regional and international military and political circumstances and exchanged constructive views on issues related to continued strengthening of tactical and strategic interaction, cooperation and mutual exchanges between the armed forces of the two countries, as well as in the field of defense and security," the report said.

While in Vladivostok, Kim also inspected the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate and its armaments such as the Uran anti-ship missile systems and the Kalibr multi-purpose cruise missile systems, as well as the A-190 100mm automatic artillery system.

The North Korean leader arrived in Russia at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On September 13, they held talks at the Vostochny Spaceport involving delegations from their countries and also met one-on-one. Kim had previously visited Russia in April 2019. He and Putin then held talks in Vladivostok. That was their first meeting.

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17 September 2023 22:15 (UTC+04:00)

Thieves have made off with more than 50 items from the French luxury fashion brand Balmains new collection just 10 days before its Paris Fashion Week show, the companys creative director, Olivier Rousteing, said on his Instagram account, Azernews reports, citing Al Arabiya.

Our driver called us to say that he had been attacked by a group of people. More than 50 items were stolen, said the 38-year-old designer in a post late Saturday.

The driver, who was safe and sound, was transporting the mer-chandise in a truck that was headed from the airport to the Balmain headquarters when the theft occurred, he said, adding he was at the Balmain site on Saturday morning when the driver called.

My team and I have worked very hard. We will work even harder, day and night, just like our suppliers, but this is so disrespectful. I wanted to share this with you as a reminder to never take anything for granted, Rousteing said, who has been the creative director of Balmain since 2011.

Mixing hip-hop and embracing diversity, Rousteing has shaken up the industry, democratizing the world of luxury fashion and mak-ing it more relatable to young people.

He is known for pushing the brand into new territory, working with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, and frequenting red carpets including the Cannes Film Festival.

The show by Balmain, bought in 2016 by Qatari investment fund Mayhoola, is scheduled for the womens ready-to-wear fashion week in the French capital on September 27.

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The Bahrain International Book Fair, which was originally scheduled to take place in February 2024, has been postponed for the third time. The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) has not announced a new date for the event, or provided any reasons for the postponement.

Read More: Floating Book Fair Logos Hope to Dock in Bahrain in June

The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) has announced on its website that the Bahrain International Book Fair has been postponed for the third time. The event was originally scheduled to take place in February 2024, but has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the third time the event has been postponed, with previous delays occurring in 2020 and 2022.

The Arab Publishers Union has also confirmed the postponement in a statement, expressing their support and stating that further updates will be provided in the future.
Jesse Vad reports for SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent online news publication dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. Lois Henry, SJV Waters CEO and editor, can be reached at lois.henry@sjvwater.org. The website is sjvwater.org.
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N.C. government retirees suing for access to their former premium-free health benefits oppose the latest courtroom request from their legal opponents. They filed paperwork Friday with the N.C. Supreme Court objecting to a rarein the case.The dispute ultimately could affect 220,000 government retirees.The State Health Plan, Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, and Treasurer Dale Folwell asked the state's highest court earlier this month to issue the writ of prohibition. It would block a 15-month-old ruling allowing retirees to proceed with their lawsuit before a trial judge.The state Supreme Court issued a 4-2 decision in March 2022 allowing the case to proceed. But the health plan's court filing urges the high court to reverse course. Lawyers representing Folwell and the health and retirement plans label the 2022 decision void.The retirees disagree.retirees' lawyers wrote.according to Friday's brief.retirees' lawyers added.the brief added.In seeking the writ of prohibition, Folwell and the health and retirement plans argued that the state Supreme Court never should have issued its March 2022 decision. The court did not have ato be able to consider the case.according to the health plan's brief.The case dates back to the General Assembly's decision in May 2011 to authorize the State Health Plan to charge premiums under certain coverage options. Twenty-six plaintiffs led by retired N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly Lake filed suit in April 2012. They arguedaccording to the brief.Class-action certification in 2016 expanded the list of plaintiffs. Lake is still listed as the lead plantiff, though he died in 2019.A unanimous N.C. Court of Appeals panel ruled in 2019 against the retirees. Appellate judges agreed the plaintiffs had failed to prove the existence of a valid contract.The state Supreme Court agreed to take the case in February 2020, thoughaccording to the health plan's court filing.In January 2021, the state Supreme Court announced that five of seven justices were disqualified from hearing the casewho might benefit from the court's decision. Plaintiffs urged the court to rely on a Rule of Necessity to move forward with the case. Defendants objected.The high court granted the plaintiffs' request. In the end, only Chief Justice Paul Newby recused himself from hearing the case. The March 2022 decision ended up splitting the court along party lines, with the court's four Democrats outvoting their two remaining Republican colleagues.according to the health plan's filing.the brief continued.Challengers object to a 2011 law allowing the State Health Plan to charge state workers and retirees a monthly premium for standard health care coverage, known as the Regular State Health Plan. Plaintiffs argue that the state had breached its contract to provide them with premium-free health insurance.They want the state to resume the premium-free coverage provided before the 2011 law took effect. They seek reimbursements for premiums they have paid.
Hawaii is not happy with Joe pic.twitter.com/Sp3SARvuML  Ben Whedon (@whedonwins) August 22, 2023

JUST IN: President Biden jokes about how hot the ground is in Maui after a fire ripped through, killing hundreds."You guys catch the boots out here? That's a hot ground, man," he joked.Despite media reports of roughly 100 deaths from the fires, locals estimate that at least... pic.twitter.com/mRlVuN9kns  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 21, 2023

In stripping away the heavy varnish of fakery by the heavy handed Corrupt Corporate Media; in taking a true view of what is real, right now with clear open eyes: How do you see this 46th President of these States United; what is your visceral first impression of Joe Biden after nearly 3 years on the job? A good man, wise and kind The Socialist President A president in praise of his son The Non Patriot President A successful president The Idiot President A knowledgeable president A corrupt president A perfect leader of the Democratic Socialist party The man is married to a "Doctor" 366 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



You knew it was going to happen. As soon as we all heard that President Joe Biden was going to go to Hawaii to survey the death and destruction of the recent wildfires, every American with half of a brain knew thatwas going to make it all about himself, replete with nonsensical lies that Biden has already told dozens of times on the campaign trail.And that's exactly what happened. Monday evening, after Biden was kind enough to take a break from his vacation, the president compared a small kitchen fire that his family experienced nearly 20 years ago to the agony of those on Maui.he droned.he said with a chuckle.Well, the reality is that this was a small kitchen fire that happened in 2004. Here's how the Associated Press covered it at the time:Cranston Heights Fire Company Chief George Lamborn said at the time.So, the situation really seems incomparable to the wildfires on Maui - more than one hundred dead, hundreds still missing, and billions of dollars in damages. But, Biden being Biden, couldn't help himself Monday night.Residents on the ravaged island didn't appear to welcome the president - even before his embarrassing speech. As seen here, audible chants ofwere heard - except the PG-13 version of that euphemism was actually used:He also made a joke about the ground being hot.Yes, while standing amidst the ruins and scorched earth, surrounded by his fellow Americans who suffered what has to be the worst loss of their entire lives, Biden thought it wise toIt's a bit tiresome to say, "Wow! Imagine if this were a Republican president!" but let's do just that. Let's pretend that President Donald J. Trump was on vacation, refused to comment on the unfolding tragedy - as Biden did multiple times - and then lied about a minor fire at his home, joked about the temperature of the ground, and acted the way Biden did.Do you really think the legacy media would give him any slack as they're doing for Biden? Not a chance in France.The sad news for the people of Hawaii is that Biden also gave one of his tell-tale signs that he's lying through his teeth. (No, it's not that his lips are moving.)he said Monday.(emphasis added)Of course, Biden acted out of line by lamenting the almost-loss of Corvette and cat - something that never happened, but there's neither here nor there.As previously discussed, whenever Biden says,it is apparent that he isn't telling the truth.For example, he told a- as The Washington Post put it - and said his account wasIt wasn't the truth either - which means that Biden must not actually care about the people of Hawaii.His actions, of course, proved that - no matter what he says.Now, to address the question featured in this column.Believe it or not, Biden's approval rating is roughly 41%, per the Real Clear Politics polling average. We don't have the quantitative data on it, but it stands to reason that his emotional intelligence has to be lower than that. His Hawaii trip proves it.
(Left to right) Dr. Dave Loope, BCCC president; Jack Dugan, BCCC Small Business Center director, and Derrick Remer, district manager | government & community relations at Duke Energy Corporation.

Attila Nemecz

Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator

Beaufort County Community College

5337 U.S. Highway 264 East

Washington, N.C. 27889

Ph : 252-940-6387

: 252-940-6387 Cell : 252-940-8672

: 252-940-8672 attila.nemecz@beaufortccc.edu

Beaufort County Community College is giving future or current entrepreneurs a chance to learn free skills and compete for start-up funds through its Small Business Center'sprogram. Duke Energy donated $7,500 to support the contest. The learning and planning process will culminate in a pitch contest where qualifying entrepreneurs compete to win cash awards to help fund their small business startup or expansion idea. Each of the ten contest winners will be granted $2,500 each. This partnership aims to empower local entrepreneurs by providing startup funds and resources through a competitive platform, thereby promoting economic vitality and innovation in the region.Theprogram offers aspiring or expanding small business owners the opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas and business plans in a competitive environment. This process will foster learning, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and healthy competition in a positive and encouraging environment. Most importantly, winners can leave with theto plant, grow, and flourish in our local communities to the benefit of all. This contest is only open to businesses in Beaufort, Hyde, Washington, and Tyrrell Counties.All donated funds will be used to provide startup grants to the winners of the competition, enabling them to turn their business concepts into reality. By attending workshops through the Small Business Center, even businesses that are not among the ten winners can move forward with their plans with the confidence and knowledge needed to succeed in the competitive business landscape.Jack Dugan, director of BCCC's Small Business Center director, said,The application process for theSmall Business Competition is open now. The pitch contest will not take place until April 2024, but required workshops run through fall and winter 2023. Aspiring entrepreneurs interested in participating are encouraged to contact Jack Dugan, BCCC Small Business Center director at (252) 940-6306 for more information about eligibility criteria, application guidelines, and competition details.Duke Energy's commitment to community development and fostering local entrepreneurship continues to make a meaningful impact across the region. Through collaborations like theSmall Business Competition, Duke Energy reinforces its dedication to empowering communities and creating a brighter future for all.
By L.A. Williams

Christian Action League

September 15, 2023

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, having already embraced the sale of so-called medical marijuana, has now given its approval for anyone age 21 or over to purchase and use pot. A Sept. 7 referendum, which showed broad support for the psychoactive drug, requires the tribal council to set up ordinances to regulate the new marijuana market.



While I respect the tribes right to make their own laws, I strongly believe this move goes against scientific evidence regarding the potential dangers of marijuana, said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. Numerous studies have shown that marijuana can have significant negative effects on both physical and mental health.



He cited studies showing the drugs adverse impact on brain development, particularly among adolescents and young adults, and said use of marijuana while the brain is still developing can hinder cognitive functions, impair memory and negatively affect IQ.



Although legalization is for people 21 and older, its like alcohol, when its legal its much more accessible and considerably harder to keep out of the hands of youth, Creech said. Furthermore, the drug has been linked to increased rates of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression and even psychosis.



Despite the growing body of evidence showing marijuanas negative effects on health, voters on the 57,000-acre Qualla Boundary approved the recreational use of pot by more than a two-to-one margin. The Cherokee land lies mainly in Swain and Jackson counties, with smaller out-parcels in Cherokee, Graham and Haywood counties.



Already the tribe has grown some $30 million worth of cannabis, which it expects to start selling as soon as December at the Great Smoky Cannabis Company dispensary, officials of Qualla Enterprises told The Charlotte Observer recently.



The tribes for-profit pot-dispensing company claims opening the door for recreational use will generate 400 new jobs. In an opinion piece featured on the Cherokee One Feather news site, officials said recreational use could generate payouts close to $5,600 to tribe members in the first year and as high as $12,000 by year five.



The Qualla Boundary will be the only place in North Carolina that allows the sale and use of recreational marijuana, another motivating factor for some members of the tribe who consider the move one of courage and leadership, according to the editorial. A separate and much more logical opinion piece published in the Cherokee One Feather pointed out the problems with legalizing pot.



Problems associated with drug use dont just magically go away because the drug becomes legal. Addiction and other health problems will continue to exist no matter the legal status of any drug. Legalization would only exacerbate these issues, wrote Josh Holloway, a member of the Qualla Boundarys Snowbird Community. Whats baffling is the idea that someone would consider giving broad access to a known addictive drug to a population that already has a drug problem.



This cant possibly be the legacy we leave to future generations, he added.



The Rev. Creech shared Holloways disappointment in the EBCI decision.



Many years ago, the Cherokee walked the awful Trail of Tears, as it was called, Creech said. I fear that marijuana legalization will take them down yet another trail of tears.
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.
The Convention of States just published the following:

Col. George Mason of Virginia never trusted federal power. Although this sentiment of mistrust was not uncommon among the Founders, Mason, at times, seemed more wary of centralized government than even his peers.



Known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights," George Masons legacy is one of unwavering and unyielding commitment to individual liberties. His contributions to American governance resonate profoundly, with his advocacy for a balanced and restrained government enshrined in the Virginia Declaration of Rights: a document that laid the foundation for the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and subsequently, the Bill of Rights. Masons pronouncement that all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety will today be recognized as a forerunner to Thomas Jeffersons more famous Declaration of Independence. Even before the Revolutionary War, Masons concern for liberty was deeply engraved in the Founders political thought.



The fact is unquestionable, Jefferson once opined, that the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of Virginia, were drawn originally by George Mason, one of our greatest men, and of the first order of greatness."



Already distinguished and revered among the Framers for his fearless defense of colonial rights, at the Constitutional Convention, Mason came to the fore with a visionary proposal. As the new Constitution approached its final passage, the statesman from Virginia was deeply concerned that the power to amend the Constitution lay solely in the hands of the federal government, a body that, in his view, could become tyrannical over time. Recognizing the importance of future amendments to address evolving needs and correct potential abuses of power, Mason took a bold, history-changing step.



SEE ALSO: 'To prevent our becoming slaves': The George Mason story



On September 15, 1787what we now call Article V dayGeorge Mason stood before his fellow delegates at the Constitutional Convention and presented a proposal for a second clause to Article V. His proposal was revolutionary: it allowed for amendments to the Constitution to be initiated not only by the federal government but also by state legislatures.



Mason argued passionately that granting the states the power to propose amendments was essential to preserving the balance of power and protecting the rights of the people. He believed that states should have a say in amending the Constitution, especially when the federal government might be reluctant to address issues that affected the states directly. His proposal aimed to ensure that the government remained accountable to the people and responsive to their needs. More than that, it empowered the people with the tools needed to rein in the federal government should it ever become a corrupt, tyrannical aristocracy, which Mason forewarned it would.



In his debate notes, James Madison recorded: Col: MASON thought the [current] plan of amending the Constitution exceptionable & dangerous. As the proposing of amendments is in both the modes to depend, in the first immediately, in the second, ultimately, on Congress, no amendments of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people, if the Government should become oppressive, as he verily believed would be the case. Following Masons impassioned plea with the Convention, Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvaniathe Penman of the Constitutionand Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts moved to amend the article so as to require a Convention on application of 2/3 of the Sts.



SEE ALSO: What Federalist No. 85 says about Article V



Here, Madisons notes include an interesting comment: The motion was agreed to nem: con, Latin for no one contradicting, or unanimously. Remarkably, the Framers, who disagreed on virtually everything at the Convention, agreed to Masons proposal for an amendatory convention without a single dissenting comment. This marked a pivotal moment in the drafting of the Constitutionthe birth of the Article V convention. Moreover, it proved the Founders universal commitment to protecting the American people from federal overreach.



Although Mason did not ultimately affix his signature to the Constitution (he was one of three delegates who refused to sign), his fingerprints on that document are indelible. Two hundred and thirty-six years later, Masons darkest fears about a central government taking too much power have proven true. But thanks to his wisdom and foresight, the American people are perfectly equipped to face that challenge.



At Convention of States, we stand in the shadows of George Mason and all those who adopted Article V nem: con. In The Federalist Papers, men like Alexander Hamilton specifically argued that America never needed fear persons.. disinclined to yield up any portion of their power for as long as the American people utilized Article V. Although a convention has not yet been called, it's not difficult to imagine the pride of the Founders, witnessing a nationwide grassroots movement take up that mantle and embody the spirit of George Mason's vision.



To join us in this historic mission, sign the Convention of States petition, below. To learn more about George Mason, read 'To prevent our becoming slaves': The George Mason story. Think you know all there is to know about Article V? Take this quiz and find out!
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.
Two men were arrested after a woman was threatened with a suspected firearm at a property in north Belfast.

According to police, two men were reported to have gone to the North Queen Street property on Saturday afternoon. When a woman inside the house opened the door, a man pointed the suspected gun at her and demanded money.

After being challenged outside the property, the pair threatened a man and again demanded money before making off in a white campervan.

Shortly afterwards, two men aged 36 and 24 were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences.

They have now been released on bail.

PSNI Detective Sergeant Kennedy said: The two suspects made off in a white campervan type vehicle and travelled along North Queen Street to the junction of the Limestone Road, Belfast.

Officers stopped the vehicle a short time later in the University Street area and made two arrests.

The men, aged 36 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including, threats to kill, common assault and possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

They remain in custody at this time, assisting detectives with their enquiries into the investigation.

Police have asked that anyone with information contact them via 101.
Police are investigating an altercation which took place near Belfast city centre.

It happened outside licensed premises on Bradbury Place in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The PSNI has appealed for witnesses to come forward.

The investigation is at any early stage and police would appeal to anyone who may have information to contact them on 101 and quoting reference number 85 17/09/23, a spokesperson said.
It will take something seismic from the Government for the DUP to return to power-sharing in Northern Ireland, a former leader warned today.

Edwin Poots said what was currently on the table was nowhere near adequate.

It comes amid reports that suggest Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is considering ending the DUPs 20-month Stormont boycott.

Mr Poots, who briefly led the party in 2021, was asked for his thoughts on the BBCs Sunday Politics programme.

I think we need to see something seismic coming from Downing Street, he said.

Its going to take something significant to make that happen.

I very much want that to happen, however, what has been on the table here before is nowhere near adequate to bring the DUP back into the room.

Mr Poots did not specify whether it is greater financial or political concessions - or indeed both - that the party is seeking.

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government since February 2022 when the DUPs Paul Givan resigned as First Minister in protest at the internal UK trade barriers created by Brexits contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

The DUP has said the Windsor Framework, the deal struck by the EU and UK to reform the protocol, does not go far enough.

Lord Dodds, a former DUP deputy leader, has previously said the framework utterly fails the DUPs seven tests to restore power-sharing.

On Friday North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said a return to devolved government was unlikely this year, and said fundamental concerns still had to be addressed.

I dont think well have it this year, Mr Paisley told BBCs Nolan Show.

But, I think everyone is working hard to try and address the issues around it, and I want to frame those comments on the basis that I am pro-devolution.

I think its good that people in Northern Ireland run Northern Irish affairs, but it will only happen if we address these fundamental concerns and get a devolution that works and is properly financed.

Speaking in Dublin on Friday, Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill reiterated her call for a restored Stormont and said patience is now running out, meanwhile her party president Mary Lou McDonald claimed the game-playing of the DUP needs to stop and common sense must prevail.

Some sources believe that Sir Jeffrey is open to a return to Stormont.

However, there are fears of a split if he tries to bring the DUP back into the Executive without its full support, including the powerful team of party officers.

It is thought that the government will seek to spell out more details of what it is prepared to offer the DUP in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is expected to give evidence to a Lords Committee about the regulations that will apply to the so-called green lane which will allow goods to travel from GB to NI with minimal checking.
Chloe Coghlan, 12, with a model of planet Earth, joins civil society and climate action groups on Sandymount Strand in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

Environmental activists have urged Irelands political leaders to act fast on fossil fuels as they head for New York for talks on global climate action.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and environment minister Eamon Ryan will attend the UN General Assembly in the week ahead.

Global leaders will be discussing progress on the UNs sustainable development goals amid concerns targets set for 2030 will be missed.

The UN will also host a climate ambition summit in New York during the week.

Ahead of the high-level meetings, Friends of the Earth organised a demonstration on Sandymount Strand in Dublin, with the tall chimneys of the Poolbeg power station providing the background.

Civil society and climate action groups demonstrate on Sandymount Strand in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

It was staged as part of series of events internationally to mark Global Day Of Action to End Fossil Fuels.

The demonstration at Sandymount on Sunday afternoon was endorsed by a range of organisations, including Trocaire, Christian Aid, Not Here Not Anywhere, Young Friends of the Earth and Christian Blind Mission.

Friends of the Earth chief executive Oisin Coghlan called for a fast, fair, and forever end to fossil fuel dependence in Ireland.

The case for getting off fossil fuels has never been clearer, he said.

The UN secretary general recently confirmed what we already knew  climate breakdown has begun and that were now entering the era of global boiling.

The Poolbeg chimneys provided the backdrop for the protest (Niall Carson/PA)

Ireland is very much part of the problem  the country remains hugely dependent on polluting expensive fossil fuels and, to make matters worse, the Government is still considering more polluting gas infrastructure.

We have to draw a line in the sand. Fossil fuels must stay in the ground now, not in 20 years time.

He added: We also need Government to drive down demand for fossil fuel energy.

That means setting a date for a ban on new gas boilers for industry and homes. We say 2028.

It means getting a grip on the unregulated growth of data centre demand for electricity which is driving demand for gas.

Data centres used 18% of Irelands electricity in 2022, thats almost twice the amount used by all rural homes put together, and projected to use 30% by 2030. The European average is less than 3%.

And in the run-up to the Cop28 UN climate summit its also important the Government supports global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, particularly through a new treaty to end the expansion of fossil fuels.
Gardai are treating the stabbing of a man at Dublin Airport this morning as a random attack.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident outside Terminal 1 at approximately 11.30am on Sunday.

Airport police responded to the serious assault within 90 seconds of being alerted to the matter, before gardai arrived on scene.

One man, aged in his 50s, was stabbed a number of times in the neck and abdomen.

Ambulance personnel from Dublin Airport fire service attended to the victim at the scene before he was taken to Beaumont Hospital. He is being treated there for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault and is currently being detained at a north Dublin garda station.

The suspect, also aged in his 50s, is not known to the victim and there is understood to be no clear connection between the men.

A source told Independent.ie: "Investigations into this matter are ongoing, but at this moment in time, this is being treated as a random attack.".

The scene outside the departures hall of Terminal 1 has been preserved to facilitate a technical examination.

A spokesperson for the DAA, which manages and operates Dublin Airport, said: "Airport Police at Dublin Airport responded to an incident outside Terminal 1 this morning. One person has been arrested by the Gardai. Flights at Dublin Airport are operating normally."

A garda spokesperson said: "Gardai are investigating a public order incident that occurred outside Terminal 1 of Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin, at approximately 11.30am today, Sunday 17th September 2023.

"A man (50s) was taken from the scene to Beaumont Hospital to be treated for injuries believed at this time to be non-life-threatening.

"A second male (50s) was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the North Dublin area.

Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or anyone with relevant video footage, to contact them.
RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst has confirmed that the tender would be reviewed (Niall Carson/PA)

RTE has suspended a controversial 240,000 euro (207,000) tender process for photographers to take pictures on the set of soap Fair City.

Director general Kevin Bakhurst said the process would be paused following his decision to halt discretionary spending at the national broadcaster as it grapples with a funding crisis.

The move to advertise for photography, which would have paid a maximum of 60,000 euro a year over four years, prompted questions from politicians, given it was happening at the same time RTE was asking the government for a multi-million euro support package of interim funding to help it weather its current financial travails.

RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst made the decision to halt discretionary spending (Brian Lawless/PA)

RTEs long-running funding problems have been exacerbated in recent months by a sharp drop-off in licence fee revenue amid a negative public reaction to a summer of controversies at the broadcaster.

RTE had initially defended the photography tender process in the face of criticism. However, on Sunday Mr Bakhurst announced that it would now be paused.

He said RTE would take time to review the volume of photography required and length of contract, among other considerations, and a revised tender document will be issued once those decisions have been made.

Given the steep fall in the licence fee and the uncertainty over interim funding, and following last weeks announcements, we have decided to halt the current tender process for Fair City photography, he said.

While quality professional photography is essential to enable us to promote our programmes and engage audiences, it is not possible for RTE to commit to a four-year contract or to this level of spend given the challenges we now face.

So, we have decided to take time to consider the best way to balance the needs of the series with the need to reduce costs where we can. We will continue to explore how we can cut costs and maximise funding of our public services through commercial revenue, while also working hard to restore trust in RTE.

Fair City is Irelands most popular soap. In the first eight months of 2023, it has generated more than four million streams on the RTE Player  which is up 40% year on year.

Last week, Mr Bakhurst introduced an immediate recruitment freeze and a temporary halt to discretionary spending.

Outlining other potential measures, the director general told a parliamentary committee in Dublin that there would be a move to drive down the salaries of the top-earning presenters and he said the sale of RTEs prized Montrose site in south Dublin was also under consideration.

The crisis at RTE began after it was revealed it had not correctly declared fees paid to presenter Ryan Tubridy (Niall Carson/PA)

The crisis at RTE erupted in June when the broadcaster revealed it had not correctly declared fees to its then-highest-paid earner Ryan Tubridy between 2017 and 2022.

The furore subsequently widened as a series of other financial and governance issues emerged.

Prior to its difficulties over the summer months, RTE had asked the Irish government for 34.5 million euro in additional interim funding for next year.

Since then, its revenues had taken a further major hit with the broadcaster currently projecting a loss of 21 million euro by year end due to a fall in TV licence payments in the wake of the controversies.

That 21 million euro in revenue gap was on top of a deficit of seven million euro RTE had already budgeted for in 2023.

The Irish government has yet to decide how much extra funding it will release to the embattled organisation, but has made clear that any investment will have to be reciprocated with a significant programme of internal reform.
The UK delegation will travel to New York for the UN General Assembly this week (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

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.

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.
Kim Jong Un, centre, is said to have concluded his visit to Russia (Government of the Russian far eastern region of Primorsky Krai/AP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way home from Russia, ending a six-day trip that triggered global concerns about weapons transfer deals between the two countries locked in separate standoffs with the West.

Mr Kim began his journey back to North Korea aboard his armoured train from the Primorye region in Russias Far East, following a farewell ceremony at a train station, Russias state news agency RIA said.

Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first overseas trip in more than four year, Mr Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited key military and technology sites.

Earlier on Sunday, his visit had a lighter mode, as he toured a university and watched a walrus show at a Russian aquarium.

Kim Jong Un, centre, with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, right, at an airport near the port city of Vladivostok (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

Russias state media released videos of Mr Kim  dressed in a black suit and accompanied by his top officials  talking with Russian officials through translators as he walked through the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Russky Island.

He was later seen at the islands Primorsky Aquarium, Russias largest, where he watched performances featuring beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and Misha the walrus, which he seemed to particularly enjoy, according to Russian media.

Mr Kims trip, highlighted by a summit with Mr Putin on Wednesday, has underscored how their interests are aligning in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with the West.

US and South Korean officials have said North Korea could provide badly needed munitions for Moscows war on Ukraine in exchange for sophisticated Russian weapons technology that would advance Mr Kims nuclear ambitions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, centre, looks at a military jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant that builds fighter jets (Khabarovsky Krai region government/AP)

On Saturday, Mr Kim travelled to an airport near 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.

All the Russian warplanes shown to Mr Kim 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.

During the visit, Mr Shoigu and Lt Gen Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, confirmed for the first time that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 4,040 miles.

Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu later on Saturday travelled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. 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.

Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Vladimir Putin during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside the city of Tsiolkovsky (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/AP)

North Koreas state media reported Mr Kim was accompanied on Saturdays visits by his top military officials, including his defence minister and the top commanders of his air force and navy.

Following lunch, Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu talked about the regional security environment and exchanged views on practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical co-ordination, co-operation and mutual exchange between the armed forces of the two countries, the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said.

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 Mr Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Mr Kims meeting with Mr Putin was held at Russias main spaceport, a location that pointed to his desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies.

Experts have said potential military co-operation 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.
Cars with a Russian licence plate are no longer allowed to enter Poland (Roman Baluk/AP)

Poland has begun enforcing a European Union ban on all Russian-registered passenger cars seeking to enter the country  the latest in a series of sanctions on Russia in punishment for its war against Ukraine.

Under the EUs decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc.

A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland,

Announcing the imminent imposition of the ban on Saturday, Polish interior minister Mariusz Kaminski said: A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland.

This is another element of the sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens in connection with the brutal war in Ukraine, due to the fact that the Russian state today constitutes a threat to international security.

People cross the border from Ukraine into Poland, at Krakovets-Korcheva (Roman Baluk/AP)

The move comes just days after the nearby Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia banned vehicles with Russian licence plates from entering their territory  a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the EUs sanctions on Moscow.

Poland and the Baltic states are among the most vocal European critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

On Tuesday, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council chaired by Mr Putin, denounced the European Commissions move as racist. He suggested Moscow could retaliate by suspending diplomatic ties with the EU and recalling its diplomats from Brussels.

Poland shares a land border with the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, which is an exclave separated from the Russian mainland. The Border Guard agency said the ban will be the same regardless of which border the vehicles seek to cross.

In addition to Kaliningrad, Poland has Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern borders. It is otherwise bordered by EU and Nato allies Germany, Slovakia, Czechia and Lithuania, where there are no border checks.

The Border Guards website said Russian-tagged cars will be returned to the non-EU country from which they came, regardless of whether it is Russia or another country.

It added: Such actions will be carried out even if the driver of the car is not a citizen of the Russian Federation.
A man accused of choking his girlfriend three times weeks after she gave birth to his child has appeared in court.

Daryl Somers is charged with actual bodily harm, breaking into the alleged victims home to cause her grievous bodily harm and common assault over incidents on July 15 and September 10.

The 21-year-old, of Kilgreel Walk in Antrim, was to appear in court last month but failed to show, with a judge issuing a warrant for his arrest.

That warrant was executed last Sunday when he was arrested after his partner contacted police about another alleged assault.

Appearing at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, Somers confirmed he understood the nine charges against him  two from July and seven from September.

A police officer told the hearing the woman called the PSNI to say: My house is red-flagged for domestic violence. I need the police.

Read more Former pastor extradited from Canada appears in Belfast court accused of child sex offences

When officers arrived, she said Somers had smacked her left cheek with the back of his hand after she asked him for a hug.

He is said to have then grabbed her by the neck and choked her, leaving her unable to breathe for about 20 seconds and only stopping after she stuck her finger in his mouth.

After he was arrested, Somers told officers he had to restrain her due to her mental health.

He claimed she had tied a cord around her neck and said she would tell the police he was to blame.

Somers was freed on bail and was due to appear in court in August but failed to show, leading to the arrest warrant.

He is alleged to have attacked the woman for a second time last week.

Read more Student avoids jail sentence for causing death of girlfriend (17) by careless driving

The court was told Somers and his alleged victim had shared a few drinks at her home after encountering each other in a chip shop.

After he left, she found him in the company of another woman. Somers is then said to have called her a f****** embarrassment, grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against a fence.

An officer told the hearing: Throwing her to the ground, he used both hands to grab her by the head and hit it off the ground.

When she asked why he had attacked her, Somers is said to have knocked her out with a punch to the jaw.

In a further incident later that day, he is alleged to have grabbed her by the throat yet again.

The court was told the alleged victim fled to her fathers house, only for Somers to follow and assault, allegedly throttling her and screaming in her face.

Questioned about that incident, he denied doing anything wrong. He claimed the woman regularly self-harmed and suggested that that was behind her injuries.

Opposing bail, a police officer said the alleged victim had given birth in June.

The officer also said there was a risk of further offences and witness interference if Somers was freed.

District Judge Nigel Broderick told the hearing: It is not without significance that the injured party thought she would be killed.

The judge refused to release Somers on bail and adjourned the case to October 10.
Women out there should feel safe and our children should feel safe. Its not right. Chloes death has to mean something.

Father and mother of Chloe Mitchell, George and Georgina, holding a picture of Chloe. (Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Sunday Life)

Chloe Mitchells mum and dad have explained why they have decided to speak out now , insisting they want something good to come out of this evil.

The 21-year-old, affectionately known by those closest to her as wee Chlo Chlo, was the 18th woman to be killed in Northern Ireland since 2020.

Chloe, from Harryville in Ballymena, last saw her family on the evening of Friday, June 2, before going to meet friends. Three weeks later, she tragically returned, in a white coffin, to the home in which she lived with parents Georgina and George.

An exhaustive search for the youngest in the family  which not only involved police, but also the Community Rescue Service  ended in the worst outcome imaginable.

And then came the agonising wait for confirmation that the remains recovered were those of Chloe.

Chloe Mitchell

I sat here every day waiting on her to come home, recalled mum Georgina.

She had been gone so long. I only had her for three days [for her wake].

No parent should have to go through this. I can understand if it was a sickness  it would be heart-breaking, but you would understand it. We cant understand this.

In the aftermath of Chloes brutal killing, rallies were held in Ballymena and Belfast, which were attended by other families who lost loved ones at the hands of gender-based violence.

They included the parents of 32-year-old Natalie McNally, who was 15 weeks pregnant when she was found stabbed to death at her Lurgan home, just days before Christmas last year.

Natalie McNally

Read more Natalie McNallys brother urges public to attend vigil for Chloe Mitchell

Our family knows exactly what [the Mitchell family are] going through. You wouldnt wish it on your worst enemy, Natalies father Noel said.

After Chloes killing, the McNallys reached out to Georgina and George, a gesture they will never forget.

As did so many others, from both sides of the community and from every corner of Northern Ireland.

The support has given them the strength to speak out.

Anything to save another life, explained Georgina.

Women out there should feel safe and our children should feel safe. Its not right.

Chloes death has to mean something.

Im speaking out for all the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, women, even men  things need to change to save another life.

Nobody deserves this torture [or] to lose a child in this way. And I will fight as long as I have breath in my body.

George and Georgina Mitchell holding a picture of their daughter Chloe (Photo: Aodhan Roberts/Sunday Life)

The couples children have also spoken out about losing their youngest sibling.

At a vigil near the family home just days after Chloe was found, Nadine Mitchell said: Ive not only lost my sister, but Ive also lost my best friend.

My sister will always be living while I am, because she had half of my heart and I have half of hers.

Chloes brother Philip said he was broken.

You were always my wee sidekick, Chloe. Me and you were always the life and soul of the party. I love you more than you can ever imagine. We all love you.

Chloe Mitchell: Parents Georgina and George describe the enormity of their loss
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GREAT BARRINGTON  The digital divide in the Berkshires, as it turns out, hasnt quite closed.

While most Great Barrington residents have high-speed internet service, some dont and struggle to live life in a digital world.

And this is the case, more or less, up and down Berkshire County, where about 12 percent of residents arent connecting to the internet well or at all, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Digital Equity Act map.

There is now a rare opportunity to fix this.

Armed with federal money, the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission are working together to find out where the gaps are in 14 towns throughout the county, including Great Barrington, the commission's Wylie Goodman told the Great Barrington Select Board Monday. Northern Berkshire towns are already working on a plan through this program.

Goodman, the commission's senior economic development planner, said the MBI wants as many people as possible to fill out a quick, online survey by Sept. 30. It is available in nine languages on the MBI's website.

The anonymous survey asks questions about quality of internet in the home, the expense of it as well as demographic questions about gender and race. It also provides the option for an internet speed check.

All of the information collected will help the MBI with its first phase of mapping out exactly whats needed to make sure everyone has access.

This is like a once in a generation kind of thing, Goodman told the board. Think of it like electricity. Think about it like telephone. Making sure that your community has the high speed fiber that it needs for the future is absolutely critical and why we should not be casual about the federal money coming down right now.

That federal money includes $5 million to the state for a five-year plan to close the gaps.

The money is coming from the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to build out internet infrastructure in all 50 states. The emphasis is on rural communities, and areas that either have poor internet service or none at all.

Massachusetts will also receive approximately $1 million through the Digital Equity Act also to educate people  seniors, for instance  about how to access the digital world. BRPC is leading that initiative.

It's all part of the MBI's Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program meant to help cities and towns find out which residents don't have internet access and why.

The survey is a key piece of all these plans, Goodman said. And it is important for organizations that host computer and digital literacy programs to let the state know whats needed. Another survey on the MBIs website is set up for this.

This is a lot like the census, Goodman said. If you don't get counted, you get left out. If you get left out, you don't get money.

One question that remains is whether this program will open up more choices of internet providers for residents. Board vice chair Leigh Davis noted that Spectrum is the only service in town.

Goodman replied that it is still "a million dollar question" whether this "monopoly" can be undone to provide more options.
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MBABANE  Ratepayers and residents of the capital city have demanded answers on the proposed public-private partnership (PPP) project, which entails the construction of a E500 million worth civic centre.

This transpired during the Mbabane City Ratepayers and Residents Association (MCRRA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the MDS Hall yesterday. The project formed part of issues under any other business and programme director, Chris Morgan, shared a brief background on what the executive committee of the association had done in its efforts to get answers. The attending ratepayers and residents were informed that the executive committee of the association had serious concerns about the councils refusal to share information on the proposed project.

awareness

It was mentioned that despite the project being massive and costly, there had been minimum public awareness. In particular, it was mentioned that while there was publicity some years ago, it was not known whether due diligence on the private sector investor had been done. The ratepayers were also informed that the municipality had said that the investor was allegedly set to spend the entire E500 million, but that the source of the funds were not known. Also, the ratepayers were told that the executive committee had not been privy to a formal comparative valuation but that there was an implication to the effect that there would be 10 per cent of equity in the investing company given back to the council. A reciprocal project of this nature carries huge risks. Any emerging problems will be big and have financial impact on ratepayers and in turn residents, Morgan said when sharing feedback with the ratepayers and residents.

He also made them aware that the executive committee offered its professional skills at no charge to review the project agreement and minimise risks before the projects could continue.

The feedback saw most of the attendees raising up their hands to indicate that they wanted to have their say. Those who got the opportunity to speak concurred that the project was risky and that in the end, it was the ratepayers and residents who would suffer. In this small country of ours, I cannot understand how nobody knows who this investor is. How is it possible that this information is not available? one of the attendees asked. Morgan then shared that if his memory served him well, there was a meeting in the council chambers where the name of the investor was shared. However, Morgan said he believed that there was so much privacy attached to the entire subject and that what was needed now was to find a way forward and deliberate on what could be done next.

matters

There was never an opportunity to get more information. Bear in mind that there were other issues to discuss. There were a lot of other matters to deliberate on, he said. It was also revealed during the AGM that an effort was made with the previous council that was in office and it also did not come forward with the information regarding the project. We then went to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, who welcomed and listened to our concern. With all due respect to him, while he requested to consult, it is a fact that we are running out of time, Morgan informed the residents and ratepayers. He mentioned that this was not a witch hunt or ploy to accuse anyone but that there was a need to have all the concerns addressed regarding the matter. A ratepayer who identified himself as Babe Dlamini submitted that there was a need to review the law that governed the councillors elected. In his view, residents and ratepayers should be allowed to remove councillors who did not come forward with answers whenever there were questions or concerns raised.

councilors

Recently, I read somewhere that councilors will receive an ex-gratia. To me this is insane because they have not done anything. It is like they are receiving an ex-gratia at my expense, Dlamini submitted. Another speaker submitted that the concerns raised by the ratepayers and residents touched on public funds and the rates paid. We have the right to know any projects that will in the end be financed through public funds. I submit that if the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development does not come forward, let us approach that of Finance since it handles issues of public finance management. All that we want is to know the name of the investor partner. Also, we need to be allowed to interrogate the process of selection, how was it conducted? the resident asked.

On another note, the ratepayers and residents deliberated on the re-valuation programme of propertie, which has been deemed unsatisfactory in many aspects. Also, the issue of the rezoning to commercial property of Ward 5 was noted as a big issue. It was discussed that the council had failed to implement correctly the Rating Policy 2012 through consultations and collaborations. The attendees were informed that the executive committee secured a one-year concession for residential properties and that a Ward 5 Task Team had been established to handle the issue.

agreement

The AGM also discussed the tenure of the executive committee and the ratepayers and residents took part in a voting to reach an agreement on whether it should be in office for two or three years. As the debate continued, some of the speakers advised that members of the association should not just focus on the tenure of office but should also show support to the committee by participating during meetings. The final result of the voting was that the committee should be allowed to be in office for three years and consult with the ratepayers at all times. After that, the ratepayers and residents took part in the voting for the next bloc of committee members and it was revealed that from the nine who were in office, eight had communicated interest to be re-elected. As a result, it was agreed that only one member needed to be nominated in order to complete the number. The attendees were then given a chance to raise up their hands and nominate their candidates. A suggestion was made that there needed to be gender balance in the committee and this led to an agreement to nominate AM Recruitment Managing Director Advocate Carol Ngcobo.
Aimed at transforming the state into a startup destination by creating a conducive environment for startups to flourish

Startup Odisha, an initiative of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of the Government of Odisha, has launched a one-of-its-kind Rs 100 crore Odisha Startup Growth Fund (OSGF) with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) as the fund manager.

When the initial corpus of Rs 100 crore gets exhausted, the state government would consistently replenish the fund, ensuring continuous, long-term support for startups.

SIDBI will serve as the fund manager for the Odisha Startup Growth Fund, responsible for shaping its investment strategy and managing its portfolio. Established by the Government of Odisha as part of its Fund of Funds initiative, the OSGF is dedicated to investing Rs 100 crore over five years through Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) in Odisha-based startups. This collaboration is set to play a crucial role in bolstering the MSME sector, which contributes 33% to India's GDP and generates over 120 million jobs.

Odisha Startup Growth Fund (OSGF) operates as a Fund-of-Funds Vehicle, designed to offer co-investment assistance along with a centralized tracking and implementation mechanism. The predominant financial instruments utilized by OSGF prioritize equity or quasi-equity investments, reflecting its commitment to nurturing long-term growth and sustainability within the startup ecosystem.

Odisha boasts a flourishing startup landscape, home to over 1700+ startups, including 600+ women-led enterprises. This thriving ecosystem is supported by 15 nodal agencies, 27 incubators, and a centralised incubator O-Hub that provides a 4 lakh sqft of incubation space.
To promote greater equity, and integrate cancer control into the state health and development agenda

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, recently unveiled a comprehensive nine-target strategy as part of the Bengaluru-Declaration of FICCI Cancer Care Task Force. This initiative is dedicated to significantly reducing premature deaths caused by cancer, improving the quality of life as well as elevating cancer survival rates in the State.

The FICCI Cancer Care Task Force requested the Government of Karnataka to provide emphasis on the below key focus areas to improve the status of cancer care in the State-

Drive screening coverage for cervical, breast and oral cancers in a significant manner. Also embed a robust gatekeeping and referral pathway for positive screened patients

Focus on increasing access to comprehensive cancer care facilities including medical, surgical and radiation oncology

Expand coverage under the Ayushman Bharat- Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) scheme to also include advanced treatment options

Evaluate the creation of State Level Advisory Body to enable implementation of Standardised Treatment Protocols and eligibility criteria for empanelment of hospitals to provide cancer care under AB-ArK scheme

Focus on creating mass awareness about risk factors (beyond tobacco use), prevention, symptoms, options for diagnosis and treatment.

Earlier, the FICCI-EY Report 2022, developed under FICCI Task Force on Cancer Care Infrastructure highlighted that it is imperative that the country focuses on effective prevention, targeted screening, and large-scale awareness as the primary response to addressing the disease burden by avoiding the unnecessary stigma attached to cancer.
Indian Medical Aesthetic Devices Market is projected to reach $2.67 billion by 2028

The Aesthetic and Anti-Ageing Medicine World Congress (AMWC) India 2023, the inaugural Indian edition of the globally renowned AMWC event series, made its debut recently in Mumbai. This annual groundbreaking event, organised by Informa Markets in India, is reshaping India's Aesthetic Medicine Industry in the coming years.

Fostering knowledge exchange, networking, innovation adoption, and industry growth while ensuring safe and high-quality patient care, AMWC India is playing a crucial role in advancing the aesthetics and anti-ageing medicine industry in India.

The inaugural ceremony of the debut show was marked by the presence of international and domestic experts, including Dr Woffles Wu (Singapore), Dr Chytra Anand (India), Dr Jamuna Pai (India), Dr Anjali Mukherji, Dr Gopinath Shenoy, Mandira Bedi, Dr Ryan Fernando, Yasmin Karachiwala along with Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India and Rahul Deshpande, Sr Group Director, Informa Markets in India.

AMWC India is an extension of the globally renowned Aesthetic & Anti-Ageing Medicine World Congress (AMWC) that originated in Monaco in 2003.

Key exhibitors such as Allergan Healthcare, Aakaar Medical Technologies, BNC Global, ExoCoBio, Benev Eunsung Global, Dermakor, A.Menarini India, BTL Aesthetics, Spectra Medicals, Leader Healthcare India and many more made their presence felt amidst the attendees, including aesthetic practitioners, dermatologists and plastic surgeons.

Emphasising on Indias evolving medical aesthetics landscape Dr Chytra Anand, Founder of Kosmoderma & SkinQ Dermacare and President of the Indian Academy of Aesthetic Doctors said The Indian Medical Aesthetic Devices Market is expected to reach $2.67 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 13.28%. This growth is driven by factors like increasing obesity prevalence, which is projected to reach over 16% by 2040, leading to a surge in demand for body sculpting and cellulite treatment procedures. Furthermore, the India Anti-Ageing market is set to grow at a CAGR of 9% from 2023 to 2028.

The conference programme and live streaming sessions, crafted by experts spanning diverse aesthetic and anti-ageing domains, covered a wide spectrum of topics on its opening day. These encompassed sessions such as 'Injecting Confidence: Exploring the Latest Innovations & Techniques in Aesthetic Injectables'; 'Unmasking the Science of Pigmentation: Investigating the Latest Breakthroughs in Treatment & Management, to name a few.
MBABANE  Has the so-called Tinkhundla` Social Accountability Initiative for elected politicians been prematurely revealed to the public?

Despite being welcomed with excitement, the programme might not start bearing fruits anytime soon as it has been gathered that it has not yet received the much needed certificate of approval from Cabinet. Also, the Office of the Attorney General (AG), which is responsible for the drafting and signing of legislations in the country, has not been given an opportunity to see the concept. The Social Accountability Initiative (SAI) is a system that is centred around the initial promises made by elected candidates during the campaign period leading to the elections. As a result, the initiative engages a process of consolidating two sets of aspirations into one, which eventually becomes the official mandate of the politicians for the people of each of the constituencies (tinkhundla).

meeting

It was first made public by the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development to the Shiselweni Region during a meeting with chiefs last Monday. On Thursday, a similar meeting was held, where the ministry presented the programme to Lubombo Region chiefs. The AG, Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo, when called by this publication first asked this reporter what programme she was referring to as he had only read about it in the newspaper. I was surprised as to where you got this from. Before I can assist, perhaps you should tell me where the media got this from. Where is the source? he asked. It is worth nothing that our sister publication got this information while on the ground when it was mentioned by Director of Decentralisation in the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, Dumisani Sithole.

When it comes to such, the first point is the policy stage, which is followed by consultations within the ministry before presenting to Cabinet. The AGs role is to give the green light that this now is okay. For now, I do not think it has reached that stage, he said. Interestingly, Sithole rubbished the idea of taking the programme to Cabinet. He boldly told this publication that there was no need to take the programme to Cabinet as it was not a legislation. We decided that we will not present it because Cabinet is a bit busy these days. Also, this programme is part of our mandate. We have, as ministry, a responsibility to improve the coordination, accountability and transparency in the use of public resources. Secondly, in terms of the Constitution, we are just implementing something that is provided for, he said.

Sithole reiterated that this programme did not fall under the category of legislations and said there was no need to secure a Cabinet certificate of approval. With this one there was just no need. We were instructed by Parliament to go and develop this. We are mandated to do this. It has been up to us to decide as to which level we pitch it. Otherwise, nothing will stop us from rolling it out, he said. This reporter brought it to the attention of Sithole what the AG had said and he stated that it was not all programmes that needed to go via the Office of the AG.

possession

Ironically, this publication is in the possession of a copy of a Cabinet paper which the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development had prepared to present to Cabinet on the aforementioned programme. Under the theme Creating a Vibrant Tinkhundla Platform for Responsive, Transparent and Accountable Local Governance, it is stated in the Cabinet presentation that the need for the concept arose from calls from key stakeholders and citizens, who noted that there was a need for a platform for political engagement between and their local politicians. Another reason stated in the document is that politicians do not have a reporting back arrangement to the electorate once elected and that there are no frameworks and systems for public participation in local governance. Furthermore, the document mentions that politicians usually carry an uncoordinated political mandate from the people.

By now, everybody should know that there is accountability for all public resources. Generally, accountability can be defined as the obligation of power holders to account for or take responsibility for their actions. Social responsibility serves that purpose by holding duty bearers responsible for their actions or inaction, reads part of the paper prepared for presentation in Cabinet.It also highlights that public office bearers (politicians and civil servants) are trustees and should be accountable to the people. Also included in the paper is the application of the initiative where it is stated that social responsibility is not for one group but applies to all stakeholders, these being State and non-State where public service applies. In our case, it will apply to elected Members of Parliament (MPs), bucopho and tindvuna tetinkhundla. This will in turn translate to the rest of public officers in charge of serve delivery of public services It will then apply to the rest of other stakeholders delivering a service among people, it is stated in the document.

The Times SUNDAY gathered that the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration started by presenting the concept to relevant stakeholders including the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and government ministries. The aim of presenting it to the various stakeholders was to fast-track the process of compiling a Cabinet paper as per the dictates of government procedures. It was gathered that when the time came for the responsible team to craft the Cabinet paper, it turned out that they had already engaged several stakeholders.

Part of the engagements included equipping graduates from tertiary institutions with skills on how to roll out the concept. The idea was that the graduates were the ones who would go out to the chiefdoms to conduct civic education on the concept. A challenge arose when one of the ministries raised a concern that the responsible team had gone as far as engaging graduates without having gone to Cabinet to secure the approval, a source said. The team is said to have found itself in a dilemma as another issue was raised that it would not be possible to present the concept to Cabinet when no funding on how it would be rolled out had been secured. The team was then advised to mobilise the resources first after which the concept would be presented to Cabinet. Another dilemma came to the fore as the team had planned to host what is known as a donor conference.

conference

It was argued that such a conference could not be held without the Cabinet approval. The team was then stuck with the Cabinet paper that had been drafted up until they decided to start rolling out the concept by engaging the chiefs. Meanwhile, as part of ensuring that the SAI achieves its goals, it was planned that the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration would facilitate the provision of forms, which the elected candidates would be expected to fill when they participate in the organised campaigns organised by the EBC. The organised campaigns are a platform where the candidates market themselves and state in detail what they promise the electorate in the event that they win the elections. It is supposed to work in such a way that when the candidate presents his or her manifesto, they have to be recorded. Once the elections are over, the winners to reconfirm the promises they made to the electorate and that has to be recorded. The Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration then has to make follow-ups on those promises, said a source who was part of the engagements on the initiative. The source acknowledged that the process of rolling out the system has delayed as it was supposed to have been done before the start of the elections. The plan was that by the time the elections start, all the relevant stakeholders would have been trained. These include the facilitators. By now they should have been trained so that they can properly educate the electorate in the communities, the source said.
Environmental activists have urged Irelands political leaders to act fast on fossil fuels as they head for New York for talks on global climate action.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Minster for the Environment, Eamon Ryan will attend the UN General Assembly in the week ahead.

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Global leaders will be discussing progress on the UNs sustainable development goals amid concerns targets set for 2030 will be missed.

The UN will also host a climate ambition summit in New York during the week.

Ahead of the high-level meetings, Friends of the Earth organised a demonstration on Sandymount Strand in Dublin, with the tall chimneys of the Poolbeg power station providing the background.

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Civil society and climate action groups demonstrate on Sandymount Strand in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

It was staged as part of series of events internationally to mark Global Day Of Action to End Fossil Fuels.

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The demonstration at Sandymount on Sunday afternoon was endorsed by a range of organisations, including Trocaire, Christian Aid, Not Here Not Anywhere, Young Friends of the Earth and Christian Blind Mission.

Friends of the Earth chief executive Oisin Coghlan called for a fast, fair, and forever end to fossil fuel dependence in Ireland.

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The case for getting off fossil fuels has never been clearer, he said.

The UN secretary general recently confirmed what we already knew  climate breakdown has begun and that were now entering the era of global boiling.

The Poolbeg chimneys provided the backdrop for the protest (Niall Carson/PA)

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Ireland is very much part of the problem  the country remains hugely dependent on polluting expensive fossil fuels and, to make matters worse, the Government is still considering more polluting gas infrastructure.

We have to draw a line in the sand. Fossil fuels must stay in the ground now, not in 20 years time.

He added: We also need Government to drive down demand for fossil fuel energy.

That means setting a date for a ban on new gas boilers for industry and homes. We say 2028.

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It means getting a grip on the unregulated growth of data centre demand for electricity which is driving demand for gas.

Data centres used 18 per cent of Irelands electricity in 2022, thats almost twice the amount used by all rural homes put together, and projected to use 30 per cent by 2030. The European average is less than 3 per cent.

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And in the run-up to the Cop28 UN climate summit its also important the Government supports global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, particularly through a new treaty to end the expansion of fossil fuels.
Gardai have arrested four more people in connection with a public order incident in Co Galway.

It happened on the Headford Road in Galway City a week ago.

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This brings the total number of people detained as part of this investigation to 19.

Three of the men in their 40s, 30s and 20s have been charged and are due to appear before Galway District Court on Monday morning.

A teenage boy has been released pending a referral to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme.
German climate activists sprayed orange paint onto Berlins Brandenburg Gate in an attempt to urge the German government to take more urgent action against climate change.

Members of the group the Last Generation used fire extinguishers filled with paint to spray all six columns of the popular landmark in Germanys capital.

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The groups priorities include getting Germany to stop using all fossil fuels by 2030 and take short-term measures, including imposing a general speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) on highways, to cut emissions more quickly.





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In a statement, the group said: The protest makes it clear: It is time for a political change. Away from fossil fuels  towards fairness.

Police cordoned off the area surrounding Brandenburg Gate and confirmed that they detained 14 activists affiliated with the Last Generation.

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The group, best known for its protests in which activists glue themselves to roads and block traffic, plays a provocative and polarising role in German politics and society.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the groups actions, saying their tactics go beyond legitimate forms of protest.

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He told German news agency dpa: With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse about the important issues of our time and future.

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In Sweden, police said they detained 17 people suspected of sabotage after climate activists entered Stockholms Bromma Airport, which operates mainly domestic routes, and sprayed red paint on one aircraft, police told Swedish news agency TT.

An ambulance flight was forced to land at Stockholms main international Arlanda airport instead of Bromma, due to the action, according to Swedish airport authorities.

The climate activists announced later that the action was part of a global campaign calling for a ban on private jets.
Dozens of people, including at least 26 police officers, have been injured during unrest surrounding an Eritrean cultural festival in Germany.

Shortly before the event was set to begin in Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon, around 200 protesters gathered in the area outside and began throwing stones, bottles, and other items at police and participants.

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Six of the 26 injured police officers were treated in hospital. Four event participants and two protesters were also hurt, according to police, although the severity of their injuries was not clear.

The protest was the latest in a string of unrest surrounding Eritrean cultural events in Germany and elsewhere.

In July, a clash at an Eritrean festival in the western German city of Giessen left 22 police officers injured.

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A police officer stands in the street after riots at an Eritrea event in Stuttgart (Jason Tschepljakow/dpa/AP)

A fight between Eritrean government supporters and opponents in Tel Aviv in early September led to one of the most violent street confrontations among African asylum seekers and migrants in the citys recent memory.

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The event in Stuttgart was organised by several groups considered close to the government of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Eritrea for Europe, many alleging they were mistreated by the repressive government.

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The conflicts surrounding gatherings like Saturdays highlight the deep divide among members of the Eritrean diaspora, those who remain close to the government and those who have fled to live in exile and strongly oppose Mr Isaias.

On Saturday, Stuttgart police vice-president Carsten Hoefler condemned the protesters actions and said in a statement that neither the extent nor the intensity of the violence was apparent in advance.

City officials said there had been no reason to ban the gathering in advance, but they will take steps to prevent similar unrest in the future.

We must take decisive action against the emergence of conflicts from other states on German soil, said Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper, according to German news agency dpa.
Two cargo ships arrived in one of Ukraines ports over the weekend, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by Kyiv following Russias withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded countrys ports.

Two Palau-flagged bulk carriers  Aroyat and Resilient Africa  docked on Saturday at the sea port of Chornomorsk in the southern Odesa region, according to an online statement by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority.

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The vessels are the first civilian cargo ships to reach one of the Odesa ports since Russia exited the grain deal.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraines deputy prime minister, said in an online statement on Saturday that the two ships will be delivering some 20,000 tons (about 18,144 metric tonnes) of wheat to countries in Africa and Asia.

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Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine  17 September 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/FGADd3nolG



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/4dzBO63kxJ Advertisement  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) September 17, 2023

For months, Kyiv, whose economy is heavily dependent on farming, was able to safely export its grain from Black Sea ports under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to ensure safe shipments.

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But Russia withdrew from the deal on July 17, with Kremlin officials arguing their demands for the facilitation of Russian food and fertiliser shipments had not been met.

Following the withdrawal, the Russian defence ministry said it would regard any vessels in the Black Sea headed to Ukrainian ports as military targets.

Since then, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the Danube River and road and rail links into Europe.

But transport costs that way are much higher.

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Some European countries have balked at the consequential local grain prices and the Danube ports cannot handle the same volume as seaports.

The interim corridor in the Black Sea, which Kyiv has asked the International Maritime Organisation to ratify, was opened on August 10 as US and Ukrainian officials warned of possible Russian attacks on civilian vessels.

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A tractor collects straw on a field at a private farm in Zhurivka, Kyiv region, Ukraine (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

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Sea mines also make the voyage risky and ship insurance costs are likely to be high for operators.

Ukrainian officials said the corridor will be primarily used to evacuate ships stuck in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi since the war broke out.

Mr Kubrakov said on Saturday that five vessels have since used the corridor to leave the Ukrainian ports.

After tearing up the grain deal, Russia intensified attacks on the southern Odesa region, targeting its port infrastructure and grain silos with missiles and drones.

On Sunday, Ukraines Air Force Command reported another attack overnight in which the Odesa region was the main target.

Russian forces fired 10 cruise missiles and six Iranian-made Shahed drones, the statement said.

All drones and six missiles were downed, while the rest hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa region.
The state of California is taking legal action 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 have caused billions of dollars in damage.

A civil lawsuit filed in the Superior Court in San Francisco also seeks the creation of a fund  financed by the companies  to pay for recovery efforts following devastating storms and fires.

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Democratic governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement the companies named in the lawsuit  Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP  should be held accountable.

He said: 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.

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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 heatwaves, 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.

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California governor Gavin Newsom said taxpayers shouldnt have to foot the bill for damage being caused to the state by climate change (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

Its senior vice-president Ryan Meyers said in a statement: This ongoing, co-ordinated campaign to wage meritless, politicised 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.

That was echoed in a statement from Shell, which said the courtroom is not the proper venue to address global warming.

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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.

Californias legal action joins similar lawsuits filed by other US states and municipalities in recent years.

The 135-page complaint argues 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.

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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.

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The lawsuit accuses Big Oil of lying about the damage extracting fossil fuels causes to the environment (Jae C Hong/AP)

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.

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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 Centre 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.

He added: 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.

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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 per cent 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 Mr Newsom signed a new law earlier this year that gives state regulators the power to penalise 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, Mr Newsom has not always lined up with the environmental advocacy wing.

There have been tensions over updates the states ageing 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.
Sir Keir Starmer has met Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau during a trip to Montreal, in a visit that has seen him stress the importance of border security.

The UK Labour leader is in Canada for a summit of political leaders, as he seeks to burnish his image on the world stage.

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Norways premier Jonas Gahr Store and Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, are among the other leading names at the event for progressive politicians this weekend.

After the talks with Mr Trudeau, Mr Starmer is expected to visit to Paris next week to meet French president Emmanuel Macron.

A Labour spokesperson said that Mr Starmer and Mr Trudeau discussed the moment is now for progressive governments, in response to the pace of change people across the world are facing.

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They added: The two leaders discussed the opportunity presented by a transition to clean energy, for jobs, investment and the economy.

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They talked about the power of rules-based collaboration and the role of active, muscular centre-left governments in providing the answers to modern public challenges.

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The visit to Canada has seen the Labour leader push the importance of securing Britains borders, calling it an acute security concern.

He has also warned of the joint challenges that make up an axis of instability both in the UK and internationally.

Speaking at an event alongside the Norwegian prime minister, Mr Starmer said: In principle its wrong to think that control of the border is not a progressive issue.

Because if you lose control of the border, a number of things happen  thats when in certain places you get into the business of people talking about walls and fences because youve lost control of the border.

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It goes down this slippery slope. And if you cant have a wall and a fence, you have some of the gimmicks that were seeing in the United Kingdom.

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 boost his leadership credentials ahead of a likely general election next year.

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Labour officials are emphasising Mr Starmers 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.

No 10 appeared to downplay the significance of the Opposition leaders expected Paris trip, saying it was not unusual.

Mr Starmer 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.

The trip to Canada also saw Mr Starmer speak with former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, as well as former Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy visited Montreal alongside his party leader, as he hit out at the current ad hoc relationship between the UK and EU and called for more regular formal meetings.

We do think that UK relations with the European Union is our top priority. We cant imagine describing, as Liz Truss did, Emmanuel Macron as an enemy, Mr Lammy told The Observer.

We think it is bizarre that the UK does not currently under this government have structured dialogue with the European Union in a constructive way.

He added: We dont currently meet with the European Union to discuss mutual issues of concern, whether on a biannual basis or on a quarterly basis.

At the moment there is nothing. It is all ad hoc. We have got to get back to structured dialogue.
HEREFORDS  It is not uncommon for pupils to collapse at Herefords High School just like many others in the country but last Wednesday, a Form III pupil, Lindani Dlamini, never fully regained consciousness.

Lindani collapsed last Thursday after asking to go the toilet, while the class was in session. The late pupil has been described as being very intelligent and hoped that one day he would become a doctor. His death not only left his former schoolmates and relatives shocked but has also left some parents who have children at the school angry, and unanswered. The deceased lived at Ekuthuleni near Herefords. It is situated about seven kilometres from Buhleni. It is said that the pupil died while undergoing treatment at Emkhuzweni Health Centre. The incident is said to have left some in shock as Lindani is allegedly the third pupil to have died from the school since last year.

died

One female pupil is said to have died after being hit by a vehicle, while another, also a female, died last month after having committed suicide. These two incidences did not happen at the school though the girls were pupils there. This publication visited his home to speak to relatives on Friday, in a quest to uncover what happened. The publication also sought to uncover why it took nearly two hours for the pupil to reach Emkhuzweni Hospital, which is about seven kilometers from the school. It was gathered that Lindani had collapsed at around 10am and that he arrived at the hospital a few minutes before noon. Though he is said to have been still alive, according to family members, this could not be confirmed by the medical personnel who received him at the time of compiling this report.

His grandmother, Dudu Dlamini, who spoke on behalf of the family, said they were in pain over his demise as Lindani was a young vibrant teenager who had a lot to live for. She said the family was yet to establish what caused him to collapse and eventually die. According to Dudu, Lindani lived with his mother and other siblings and that his father works in South Africa (SA). Speaking on behalf of the family, she said that according to information she was given, Lindani was fine when he left home for school on the day of the fatal incident. She said when he was leaving, he was with a younger sibling who is about six years old and were both heading to school. Dudu revealed that the younger one complained of stomachache but this had not been taken seriously as it was viewed as an excuse not to go to school.

However, she said Lindani did not complain of anything, unlike his younger sibling and he headed off to school. While at school, Lindani is said to have participated in the lessons like his colleagues and his grandmother said he sat at the back but participated. Dudu then said at some point, between 9am and 10am, he asked to go to the toilet. He is said to have complained of a headache but that this was normal for him as he had vision problems hence he wore prescription eyeglasses.

broke

Dudu said after getting out of the toilet, it was then that he collapsed and hit the floor so hard that the eyeglasses he wore broke. However, he was quickly pulled up and placed in a sitting position but at that point, he is said to have been groaning in pain but not able to speak. His grandmother then said that officials at the school called out Lindanis brother who is doing Form III at the same school. She said the brother was called to check what was happening with his younger brother and that when he arrived, he discovered that Lindani had not only fallen but also vomited. Dudu said Lindanis brother then asked him if he was able to see since his glasses had broken. I can see, Lindani is said to have responded and that these were the last words he spoke and never regained consciousness thereafter. Noticing that the situation was serious, an official at the school is said to have called his mother and told her that her son had collapsed. Lindanis mother then headed to school. The Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent, Phindile Vilakati, said she was not aware of the matter as it had not been reported.

...mum runs 5km to school after call son collapsed

HEREFORDS  Unaware that it could be the last time she saw her son alive, Lindanis mother ran a distance of five kilometres to Herefords High School. This was after she was told that her son, Lindani Dlamini, had collapsed. This was revealed by Dudu Dlamini, who is the grandmother to the deceased. She had been tasked to speak on behalf of the family because Lindanis mother was too heartbroken and emotional to speak. She has been crying throughout the night, said Dudu. After receiving the call from the school, Lindanis mother did not waste any time and instead began to run so that she could reach the school as fast as she could. However, when she arrived at the school, Lindanis mother is said to have discovered that the situation was worse than she thought. She then asked a friend to transport her son to the nearest medical facility.

assisted

Lindani was then rushed to Herefords Clinic, which is about one kilometre from the school. When they reached Herefords Clinic, they were advised that they would not be assisted as the pupil needed advanced medical care, which they did not have. It was then that he was rushed to Emkhuzweni Health Centre which is situated seven kilometers from the school. According to Dudu, her daughter-in-law then called that they were rushing him to Emkhuzweni Health Centre. She said at some point Lindanis mother said her sons body was getting heavy and that she did not know what to do. Dudu said when they arrived at the hospital, the nurses at the Emkhuzweni Health Centre were quick to assist. They assisted him like someone who had been involved in a car accident, said Dudu meaning that he was rushed to an emergency room where he was attended to. Despite the efforts by the nurses, Lindani is said to have passed on while being treated. Dudu said the family requested that he should not be taken to a mortuary yet because other relatives were also on their way. She said she organised others and they rushed to the hospital and arrived to discover that it was indeed true that Lindani had died. He was then later taken to a mortuary after it was confirmed that he had indeed passed on.

epileptic

Dudu recalled how initially when she was told that he had collapsed, she was under the impression that he had developed an epileptic fit but this was not the case. He never suffered from epilepsy but I just thought it could be it, she said. She also said when she first saw a call from her daughter-in-law, she thought maybe it had something to do with school fees and feared that the children had been sent home for non-payment of fees. Meanwhile, in March 2023, the Times of Eswatini reported that a pupil at Kwaluseni Primary School collapsed after participating in a race and then died. The pupil is said to have been doing Grade V.
A 32-year-old man is in hospital after he was shot by a police officer in the inner city on Sunday afternoon.

NSW Police said emergency services were called to check on someones welfare at Chisholm Street, Darlinghurst at 4.40pm on Sunday.

Police at the scene of the shooting on Sunday afternoon.

Upon arrival, officers from Surry Hills Police Area Command and paramedics were allegedly confronted by a man armed with a knife.

NSW Police said a constable shot the man, who is now at St Vincents Hospital in a stable condition.
Insomniacs dreaming of obtaining marijuana in a pharmacy without a prescription to help them sleep will have to keep waiting, as several clinical trials have failed to prove its effectiveness.

Australia has one of the fastest-growing medical cannabis markets in the world despite authorities approving almost zero cannabis medicines, except some primarily prescribed for pain.

To fix that, government regulators in 2020 offered the medical marijuana industry a deal: if they can prove a low-dose cannabis drug works in a clinical trial, they can sell it over the counter at the nations 5000-plus pharmacies, opening a potentially enormous market.

Dr Paul Gavin, Avecho CEO, is a cannabis medicine developer and also a critic of the industry. Credit: Joe Armao

Companies and researchers immediately launched trials targeting sleep, buoyed by self-reported data from cannabis users who widely claim the drug improves their slumber.
I had reservations about the Voice until seeing a movie. Ive long opposed a charter of rights because it might steer policymaking away from parliament and into courts. If there was someone on the Labor side who might have needed assurance the Voice would not do this, it might have been me. But not after the opening scene of High Ground.

This 2020 movie, directed by Stephen Johnson, is set in Arnhem Land in the early 1920s. It is about race relations on the Australian frontier.

Stephen Maxwell Johnson's film High Ground, starring Simon Baker and Jacob Junior Nayinggul.

It opens with Aboriginal people at a waterhole, an oasis of palms and running water. This peace is shattered by fire from repeater rifles. When it stops, the only sound is the flight of waterfowl and the buzzing of flies around black corpses. Blood runs in the sand.

That scene  inspired by the Gan Gan police massacre of 1911  confirms the power of visual media in dramatising what the law calls mass-atrocity crimes. Think of Steven Spielbergs 1993 Schindlers List. Or Ken Burns documentaries, The West, The Vietnam War and The US and the Holocaust. There is Rachel Perkins documentary The Australian Wars, broadcast on SBS in 2022 and backed by the work of two dozen historians. It detailed the forcible displacement of Aboriginal people to make way for expansion of grazing  a violent displacement.
Last week was a week of clarity in the debate over the Indigenous Voice to parliament. This might seem an odd judgment because the week was dominated by misreporting and false assertions. But out of that muddle emerged a clear picture of what is actually driving the debate about the referendum  and what is missing.

On the Yes side, there was a report about Indigenous leader Marcia Langton calling No voters racist. The headline was wrong: she had, in fact, said that many of the No campaigns arguments, once you started pulling them apart, were rooted in base racism  or just sheer stupidity. Later, she was reported as having said, on a different occasion, that there were hard No voters, and I am hoping they are about 20 per cent, and they are the ones spewing racism.

Out of last weeks muddle emerged a clear picture of what is actually driving the debate about the referendum  and what is missing.

What happened next was predictable. The No campaign was outraged. The press spent much of its time also criticising Langton for another reason: because she had recklessly hurt the Yes campaign. Sure, you are going to get campaign analysis in a campaign  but was this the most important thing, the one that most demanded discussion? Consider the more obvious questions that might have come next. What might make an Indigenous leader say such things? Could it be, say, the fact that racism and racists are quite present in this campaign? Perhaps we could examine that?

Some observers noted, in passing, that Langtons observations were presumably informed by her own experience. But what about the questions that follow: what are these experiences? What does such racism feel like? What does this say, not about Langton and the Yes campaign, but about Australia? In other words, now that were all paying attention, we have a choice. We could try to learn more, to go further into this issue a respected Indigenous leader had raised, or we could get stuck on the surface, in the area of abstractions, in which racism was just a word and not a key to actual experiences. Guess which we chose?


On September 17, 2022, India welcomed eight cheetahs  five female and three male  from Namibia, marking the beginning of Project Cheetah, the countrys ambitious plan to reintroduce the big cat after it was declared extinct in 1952.

On February 18, 2023, 12 more cheetahs  five female and seven male  from South Africa joined in, taking the total feline numbers to 20, a milestone not witnessed in over eight decades.

As the first lot of eight cheetahs completes one year on Indian soil, only six of them are alive to celebrate their journey. Two female cheetahs lost their lives to the new habitat.

The Namibian cheetahs have endured more than just the loss of two female members. They also experienced the heartbreaking loss of three out of four cubs due to heat stroke.

Besides the Namibian cheetahs, those from South Africa also lost four of their members.

So far, a total of nine cheetahs have died  five Namibian (two adults and three cubs) and four South African.

Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi, however, raised concerns over Indias cheetah import plan.

He said, Reckless pursuit of exotic animals must end immediately, and we should prioritise the welfare of our native wildlife instead.

He added, Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty but an appalling display of negligence.

Project Cheetah 2.0

But despite these deaths, all is not lost, says SP Yadav, head, Project Cheetah.

If we look at last year from the point of view of success, then the benchmark we had set has been achieved, he said. He added that the survival rate of the cheetahs is more than 50 per cent.

For the second year, Yadav emphasised that the projects focus would be on breeding these animals. Once breeding takes place, we will understand how the population will behave in our country, he said.



Also Read With 'Suraj', 8 cheetahs have now died At Kuno National Park in 4 months Varun Beverages Q2 results: Net profit rises 26.2% YoY, revenue up 13.5% Project Cheetah: How many cheetahs have died, and what are the next steps? 'Affirmative action' ends: US SC bans use of race in university admissions Govt reveals new names for Namibian, South African cheetahs at Kuno park L&T Realty records complete sell-out of 1st residential project in Chennai Heavy rains lash Rajasthan, flood-like situation in three districts Production of C295 aircraft in India will be game-changer: India to Spain PM Narendra Modi launches Rs 13,000-crore 'PM Vishwakarma scheme' Centre, ICMR in talks with Serum Institute of India over Nipah antibody

For the next phase of the project, Yadav said the team is working on bringing a batch of around 12 to 14 cheetahs from South Africa. This batch could be introduced at two more habitats in Madhya Pradesh  Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.



I hope that in November-December, fencing and enclosure at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary will be completed and a decision will be taken to bring cheetahs there after inspection, he said.



According to the action plan on cheetahs, the country will need to import 10-12 cheetahs annually from Africa for at least the next five years.

South Africa has already expressed its willingness to provide India with as many cheetahs as needed.





Ravi Chellam, Ph.D., CEO of Metastring Foundation and Coordinator for Biodiversity Collaborative, however, insists on introducing a second cheetah group only after securing, restoring, managing, and monitoring around 5,000 sq.km. of quality habitat.

A cheetah's territory typically spans 300 to 800 square kilometers, and when they encounter overlapping territories, conflicts may arise. Currently, Kuno National Park covers only 748 square kilometers. Chellam emphasised that there have been instances of avoidable mortalities due to inadequate supervision, expertise, and collaboration with experts. This assurance was given by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS summit in August. Ramaphosa said, We are ready to donate even more, considering your nations commitment to the conservation of big cats.

Chellam cautioned about the risks of holding cheetahs in captivity. He stated, "Currently, all surviving cheetahs, including 14 adults and one cub, are in captivity. Extended periods in captivity will diminish the fitness of these cheetahs for future release into the wild."

In the coming year, the government also intends to establish a cheetah safari, a cheetah interpretation centre, a library, a research facility, and a centre for skill enhancement and capacity building.

Reflecting on the first years experiences, Yadav emphasised the need for greater caution in selecting cheetahs for future imports.

Among the first lot, the majority of cheetahs developed winter coats as if preparing for an African winter.

These winter coats, combined with the regions high humidity and temperatures, caused itching. To relieve the discomfort, the cheetahs scratched their necks on trees or the ground, resulting in bruises and exposed skin. This made them susceptible to maggot infestations and bacterial infections.

As we embark on the projects second year, our focus remains resolute  to ensure the cheetahs survival, in the wild, in India, said Laurie Marker, founder and executive director Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in a blog post.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday came down heavily on the Congress, alleging that they demonstrated their indifference and apathy towards the Northeast and its people while mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their latest social media post.

A video shared by the Congress on its official handle on X, formerly Twitter, allegedly showed a distorted map of India, with the entire Northeast region missing.

Responding to the post, Sarma alleged that it seemed from the clip that the Congress has already bartered away the Northeast to a "foreign country'.

Taking a screenshot of the Congress's post, Sarma posted on X, "Seems the Congress party has secretly struck a deal to sell the entire land of the Northeast to some neighbouring country. Is this why Rahul went abroad? Or has the party given membership to Sharjeel Imam (a former student activist jailed under UAP(A) sections)?"

Further, speaking to ANI on Saturday, Sarma called on people across the country to take note of the Congress's act and give them a befitting reply in next year's Lok Sabha elections.

"I saw that tweet. It felt like the Congress has given away our beloved Northeast region to China. They put out an India map from which the entire Northeast region had been cut off. This is a deliberate anti-national act. The people of the Northeast and across the country should take note of this and give them a befitting reply (in the Lok Sabha elections next year)," the Assam CM told ANI.

The controversial post, was, in a way, the Congress's take on a famous scene from the Bollywood film 'Deewar'.

The scene featured Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor, the two main protagonists in the film, in a fiery exchange, with the latter eventually saying, "Mere paas maa hai' (Mother is with me).

The Congress shared an animated video of that scene from 'Deewar', with Prime Minister Narendra Modi portrayed as Amitabh Bachchan and Rahul Gandhi depicted as Shashi Kapoor.

In the video, PM Modi could be heard saying "I have ED, police, power, money, friends... what do you have?"

To this, Rahul Gandhi replies, "The entire country is with me.
The G20 summit in New Delhi recognised the importance of digital public infrastructure (DPI) for accelerating sustainable development goals. Importantly, the summit declaration highlighted the use of open source software to deliver services for the society and standards for such work.

The declaration would have cheered a group of people working at the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B) who have developed, using open source software, the world's first foundational digital identity system called Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP).
The Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) has called on business owners and investors in the UAE and the GCC to capitalise on the abundant prospects set to unfold during the first Gulf-Iraq Business Forum.

The event, hosted by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), is scheduled to take place from September 26 to 27, 2023.

Humaid Ben Salem, Secretary-General of FCCI, said the forum will serve as a platform for discussing numerous Iraqi investment initiatives spanning various economic sectors.

350 prominent figures

Over 350 prominent figures from both the Gulf and Iraq, representing major government entities, corporations and investment funds, are expected to convene at the event.

The investment opportunities to be showcased cover a wide range of sectors, including agricultural investment, food security, transport, logistics, education, medical supplies, healthcare, energy, renewable energy, electrical interconnection, infrastructure, housing, finance, and banking.

He emphasised that these high-value projects are set to create substantial employment prospects in Iraq. Ben Salem emphasised that the forum, organised in collaboration with the FCCI, the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FGCC Chambers), and the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, with the support of the GCC General Secretariat, aims to promote Gulf-Iraqi private sector cooperation and enhance economic relations between the two regions.

Investment regulations

This is also in addition to showcasing investment opportunities and discussing investment regulations and incentives available to entrepreneurs. The Gulf-Iraq Business Forum is expected to open up new avenues and markets for economic collaboration and trade exchanges between the participating nations.

Ben Salem stressed that the forum is fully supported by the 'Maan' Initiative, a collaborative venture recently launched by the FCCI and the International Development Bank in the Emirate of Sharjah.-- TradeArabia News Service
Press Release

September 17, 2023 Bong Go appeals to DOH: Intensify information campaign and bring medical services closer to Filipinos in need Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has made an urgent appeal to the Department of Health (DOH) to intensify its information dissemination efforts in light of a recent national survey, which showed that most Filipinos are unaware of the various health programs intended to benefit them. The survey, conducted by data analytics firm Capstone-Intel Corp., found that while 83% of the 1,205 participants were aware of DOH's functions, only 50% were aware of the government's HIV/AIDS programs. Awareness levels for other programs like Universal Health Care, National Tuberculosis Control, and mental health were even lower, ranging from 28% to 45%. Go, who has been an advocate for better access to healthcare services, urged DOH to take these findings seriously. "The lack of awareness is a reflection of lives that could be at risk. We need to step up our information campaigns, especially in far-flung areas," said Go. "Lagi nating tandaan na ang katumbas ng kalusugan ay buhay ng bawat Pilipino! Tayong mga nasa gobyerno, ilapit natin ang serbisyo sa mga taong nangangailangan nito lalo na pagdating sa kanilang kalusugan," he stressed further. Go emphasized the importance of utilizing various platforms, including social media, to reach a wider audience. "We need to be where the people are. Gamitin natin ang teknolohiya at gawing abot-kamay sa lahat ang impormasyon tungkol sa ating health programs," he suggested. Go also stressed the need for collaboration with local government units (LGUs) to ensure that information reaches even the most remote areas. "Mahalaga ang papel ng mga LGU sa pagpapalaganap ng impormasyon. They are our partners in making sure that every Filipino is aware of the health services available to them," he said. "Bukod sa impormasyon, dapat ilapit natin talaga ang serbisyo at tulong, kasama na dyan ang gamot, konsultasyon, primary care at early detection of diseases sa mga komunidad," he added. Meanwhile, the senator also highlighted his ongoing efforts to bring services closer to the people through initiatives like Malasakit Centers, Super Health Centers, and Regional Specialty Centers. Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), DOH, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. To date, 159 operational centers have helped more than seven million Filipinos nationwide, according to DOH. He likewise reiterated his commitment to support the establishment of more Super Health Centers across the country, considering how they can significantly help reduce hospital occupancy rates while bringing government medical services closer to the grassroots. Services offered in Super Health Centers include database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation center and telemedicine. Go also principally sponsored and is one of the authors of Republic Act No. 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. on August 24. The law mandates the establishment of regional specialty centers within existing DOH regional hospitals. It stands as a testament to the commitment of the government to uplift the nation's health infrastructure. Go then emphasized that the ultimate goal is to bring both vital information and actual services closer to the Filipino people. "We have to bridge the gap. Let's make healthcare not just something people hear about but something they can actually experience and benefit from," he concluded.
Niamey, Sep 17 (UNI) The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, which is headed by ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, opposed possible military intervention in the country by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigerien media reported on Saturday, citing a party statement.

The party also noted the possible negative consequences of the intervention for people held by the rebels, as well as for the country's population as a whole, the ANP news agency reported.

"It seemed necessary for the presidium [of the party] to discuss this issue, which was done on September 2 and continued on September 14. The clear majority spoke out against armed intervention," the report said, quoting the party statement.

The party also raised concern about the release of Bazoum, his family and other people detained since July 26, the news agency reported, adding that the leadership of the party called for focusing on the goals of "reinstating" Bazoum, as well as "restoring constitutional order by all non-military means."

The coup in Niger took place on July 26. Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani. Following the coup, the ECOWAS suspended all cooperation with Niger and threatened intervention if the rebels did not reinstate Bazoum.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS
With the evolution of education and increasing career opportunities, the demand for Career Counselors in Indian schools is growing exponentially. Todays rapidly changing global landscape has led students and parents alike to seek professional guidance to navigate through an array of possible career paths. In India, the understanding and acceptance of professional career counseling are gradually suppressing the traditional method of basing one's career choice on societal influence or parental pressure.

The Role and Impact of Career Counselors in Schools

Career counselors are important people in the career and academic development of students. They provide significant guidance and support to aid pupils in making important decisions related to their career aspirations and academic goals. For a student, the task of deciding upon a career path and an academic pathway that can lead to this chosen profession can be arduous and overwhelming. This is where career counselors step in to assist, offering their professional guidance to help students map out a feasible trajectory for their future.

Rather than guiding all students in the same generalized manner, career counselors adopt a personalized methodology, tailored to suit each student's unique needs and potential. They work closely with students, helping them understand their strengths and how they can be productively utilized in sync with their passions and interests. They also help students identify and work upon areas of concern or improvement, hence overall, equipping them with knowledge about themselves which they can use to make the most fulfilling academic and career choices.

Reasons Behind the Growing Demand for Career Counseling in Indian Schools

Over the past couple of years, Indian schools have witnessed a boom in the demand for career counselors in their institutions. This trend is a result of various factors that have changed the landscape of career choices and opportunities.One of the most prominent reasons is the rise and diversification of career options that are now available to students. Gone are the days when careers were limited to traditional fields like engineering, medical, and law.

Technological growth and evolution have significantly shifted the nature of many previously popular career options, rendering some roles potentially obsolete. For instance, the rise in artificial intelligence and automation has changed the dynamics and importance of manual labor roles. These shifts often develop a sense of uncertainty among students about the longevity and future-proof nature of their chosen careers.In conclusion, the surge in demand for career counselors in Indian schools is a reflection of the changing career landscape shaped by increased diversification of options and technological advancements. With their expert guidance, career counselors are crucial in helping students make enlightened choices about their future careers.

Future of Career Counseling in Indian schools

Career counseling is an increasingly recognized and valued profession in India, especially within the context of school education. The new generation of Indian parents and students are increasingly aware of the multitude of career options available and understand the importance of making informed decisions. As a result, they are more willing and open to seeking the assistance of professional career counselors to guide them towards the right career paths, paving the way for a promising future for this profession.

Career counseling is no longer an overlooked aspect of education but indeed a field with the potential to shape the career trajectories of countless students, adding significant value to the overall education system. For individuals interested in this field, there has arguably never been a better time to start a career in career counseling in Indian schools.
The District Court of Hassan, Karnataka, has officially announced the Job Vacancies for the year 2023. A total of 43 posts are to be filled under the positions of Process Server and Peon. Candidates eager to find government job opportunities in Karnataka, especially in Hassan, can benefit from this recruitment initiative. The application process will remain active until 3rd October 2023, 11:59 PM. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the Hassan District Court Recruitment 2023.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to apply for the Hassan District Court job vacancies, candidates are required to meet specific eligibility criteria. They are expected to have successfully completed the SSLC examination (10th Class or equivalent) as conducted by the Karnataka Board of Secondary Education Examination. The selection process includes an interview or a qualifying test in adherence to the Karnataka Civil Service (General Recruitment) Rules.

Details of Vacancies

The available vacancies are divided between two roles: Process Server and Peon, with 11 posts for the former and 32 for the latter. Kindly note that the recruitment process will adhere to the Karnataka Subordinate Courts (Clerk and Other Posts) Recruitment Rules as outlined in 1982 and the amended rules of 2007 and 2021.

Age Limit

To apply for jobs under this recruitment, candidates need to be aware of the age limit set for different categories. The minimum age limit is 18 years while the maximum age limit differs for various categories: 35 years for General, 38 years for Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 40 years for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Category 1.

Opportunities like the Hassan District Court Recruitment 2023 are excellent channels to secure government jobs. The time-bound recruitment process acts as a constructive platform for aspirants to showcase their potential and secure a respected position in the government sector. Mark the application deadline, 3rd October 2023, on your calendars and proceed with your applications. Best of Luck!
Lost Marble, owner and developer of the Moho animation software, has released a new version, Moho 14. The tool has been used by Irish studio Cartoon Saloon on various productions.

Since purchasing Moho in 2020, Lost Marble has developed a new graphics engine for the software and revamped its suite of rigging and animation tools.

Here are some of the key additions and upgrades that can be found in Moho 14:

Graphics Engine: Moho 14 has a new and more powerful graphics engine that enhances performance and real-time rendering of effects, gradients, and blending modes and provides a preview close to the final render.

Moho 14 has a new and more powerful graphics engine that enhances performance and real-time rendering of effects, gradients, and blending modes and provides a preview close to the final render. 2d Rigging System: A rigging system that allows artists to create skeletons for characters and objects quickly and with minimal effort. Tools in the system include forward and inverse kinematics, pin bones, constraints, automatic squash and stretch, and animation transfer.

A rigging system that allows artists to create skeletons for characters and objects quickly and with minimal effort. Tools in the system include forward and inverse kinematics, pin bones, constraints, automatic squash and stretch, and animation transfer. Smart Bones: This feature changes characters behavior by allowing joints to bend without distortion. It can also be used to control levers for facial expressions, rotations, and body movements.

This feature changes characters behavior by allowing joints to bend without distortion. It can also be used to control levers for facial expressions, rotations, and body movements. Liquid Shapes: A new feature in Moho 14 for animating organic effect like fire, smoke, explosions, and water.

A new feature in Moho 14 for animating organic effect like fire, smoke, explosions, and water. Optimized Drawing Tools: Mohos vector system has been optimized to ensure consistent shapes during movement. Users can draw directly in the software and apply brushes and effects.

Mohos vector system has been optimized to ensure consistent shapes during movement. Users can draw directly in the software and apply brushes and effects. Frame-by-frame Tools: Powered by the new graphics engine, Mohos drawing tools, such as Freehand, Blob Brush, and Eraser, are quicker and more responsive.

In a release, Lost Marble president Victor Paredes explained:

Moho 14 represents a significant milestone in our journey to empower animators and artists with the most advanced and comprehensive 2d animation software available. Weve listened to our community and traditional animators and have leveraged cutting-edge technology to bring forth features that truly elevate the animation experience. Moho 14 is a testament to our dedication to pushing the boundaries of whats possible in 2d animation.

Moho Pro 14 is available now for a one-time price of $399.99. The slimmed-down Moho Debut 14, intended for beginners, is available for $59.99. Details for each package can be found on Mohos website.
Photo: The Canadian Press Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

Politicians and others who support policies that would require parental permission for teachers to use a student's preferred pronouns at school say they are about including parents in the lives of their children.

Those opposed say the issue is not about the rights of parents at all, but rather the protection of children  particularly transgender and nonbinary students who may not feel safe revealing their gender identities at home.

The answer to what "parental rights" mean in the context the ongoing debate lies somewhere in the middle, experts say. And rushing to push forward legislation could have dire effects on transgender and nonbinary children.

Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, takes issue with the framing of these policies.

"That's an easy sell," she said. "They've set a trap with 'parental rights' as a political argument."

She said using this framework for pushing forward anti-LGBTQ+ policies means its proponents are able to get support from people who may not understand the nuance of the issue, but feel parents ought to be involved in their children's decisions.

Young people have agency and autonomy over their bodies, how they navigate the world and their identities, said Owusu-Akyeeah, and part of navigating that autonomy is with whom they decide to share things with, including their gender expression, and when.

And when they're able to do that, their risk of harm drops significantly.

A landmark 2018 study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found transgender youth who are able to use their preferred names and pronouns reported a 34 per cent drop in suicidal thoughts and a 65 per cent decrease in suicide attempts.

Owusu-Akyeeah said this is a political tactic designed to further marginalize children.

"It's an interesting watershed moment we're seeing in Canadian politics and, specifically, in Canadian conservatism," she said.

The policies have been introduced in two provinces.

In June, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced a review of an educational policy that had made it mandatory for teachers to use a student's preferred pronouns and names at school. After the review, the government now says teachers must get the consent of a parent to use different names or pronouns for students under 16.

Higgs was insistent in media interviews that the policy is about protecting parental rights.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has filed a court action seeking to overturn parts of the policy related to self-identification and to declare that parts of it are contrary to both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial legislation in New Brunswick.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe followed suit with a similar policy, which he has now promised to codify in law. He has also said he might use the notwithstanding clause to make sure it stays.

The UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity at the University of Regina, which offers services to gender-diverse individuals around the provincial capital, is challenging that policy in court. Egale Canada, a national organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, is co-counsel in the case.

"It's a question of whether or not the provinces are using a scalpel, or whether they're using a sledgehammer," said Kerri Froc, an associate professor at the University of New Brunswick who specializes in constitutional law.

"These policies, in the form that I've seen, sound more like a sledgehammer."

Froc said courts have recognized that parents have a fundamental interest in being able to parent their children and make decisions for them, including those surrounding medical procedures and schooling.

Still, she said it's important to understand the context in which these policies are being introduced, and whether they violate the rights of already marginalized children.

"They very explicitly, on their face, make a distinction and target transgender students," said Froc, noting the policies do not apply to students with ethnic names who want to anglicize them, even if that change would be of interest to their parents.

Froc said these so-called parental rights policies need to be balanced in the best interests of the child.

The issue goes beyond provincial politics.

At the recent Conservative party convention in Quebec City, delegates voted in favour of a future Conservative government prohibiting "life-altering" medical and surgical interventions for gender-diverse and transgender people under the age of 18.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has yet to say whether the policy proposal should make it into this party's official platform or become law.

Owusu-Akyeeah said the public debate is causing fear for children who might be affected, and this shows Canadian society still has problems with creating affirming child-parent relationships.

In the absence of that, friends and schools are some of the first places children will go to to share who they are with those they trust.

And if they can't do that without a parent's involvement, kids can be in a difficult position.

"The most important thing we can do is to support young people in their agency in figuring out who they are and how they show up in the world."
Notice to Bus Route Service Users

The Ministry of Transport wishes to advise members of the general public and Bus service users, that Bus Routes operated by the Gibraltar Bus Company Ltd will recommence on Monday.

All Bus Service Routes will be operational on Monday morning as per normal Route timings.

For Route timing information please visit: http://www.gibraltarbuscompany.gi/routes-and-timetables/route-1/

The Ministry of Transport has said it apologises for the inconvenience caused throughout the past few weeks and will continue to keep service users updated via their dedicated social media pages.
The Covenant College men's and women's cross country teams had their second meet of the fall at the Mike and Mary Kay Johnson Invitational. In the 8k race, the men picked up the team win with four runners placing in the top 10. In the 5k race, the women also had a great showing with a second-place finish.



The win for the men's team is its first since the 2021 Mountaintop Invitational. Covenant finished with 39 points, 16 points better than UVA-Wise who placed second.



Josiah Mellott had the best time of the morning for the Scots at 27:35.75 and a fourth-place finish. The fourth-place finish ties the best finish of his collegiate career. Coming off CCS Rookie of the Week honors, Ethan Saiki posted a time of 28:01.34 and a seventh-place result. This time was seven seconds better than his first college race. Daniel Bowles placed 10th with a time of 28:14.94. This is the second top-10 finish of the sophomore's career.



With a time of 29:25.17 and a 14th place position was John Purtill. This is the second-best race of his college career, time-wise. Troy Daniel's time was 29:51.84 with a 16th-place finish in his second college meet.



Ethan Caswell and Alex Burns finished 19th and 20th with times of 30:08.20 and 30:30.72, respectively. Both of these times were personal bests. Ethan Fox placed 27th with a time of 30:54.55 and Will Holland was 35th, finishing the 8k in 31:35.57.



In the women's race, Evangelia Berry finished 10th for the second meet in a row to lead the Scots with a time of 2:33.39 in the 5k. Placing 12th was Joceyln Gartman where she finished the race in 21:44.75. Behind Gartman in 13th place was Lydia Dorman with a time of 21:58.97. She also had a 13th-place finish in Covenant's first race.



Lydia Moore completed the 5k in 22:15.45 and placed 14th. This was a two-spot improvement in position from the Berry College Open. Maggie McGinley was the final Scots runner in the top 20 with a 17th-place finish and a time of 22:31.50.



Freshman Emerson Tillery and Claire Mellott placed 25th and 26th with times of 23:26.94 and 23:31.42. Anna Dolan's time was 23:54.61 and she finished 29th.



The Scots will host the Mountainside Stride on Sep. 30 at the Chattanooga Nature Center.






Despite a 3-2 loss in the teams tournament finale on Saturday against Gardner-Webb, the Mocs came away as champions of the 2023 Chattanooga Classic with a 2-1 record on their home court over the weekend.The Mocs (11-3) went the full five sets in the teams eventual 3-2 loss to Gardner-Webb (5-6) to wrap up their home tournament at Maclellan Gymnasium. However, a Morehead State victory over Eastern Michigan earlier in the day created a three-way tie between UTC, GWU and MSU that was broken with the Mocs having won the most sets (2) in their loss on the weekend compared to GWU and MSU (1).This marks the first time since 2019 that the Mocs have been able to come away as champions of the Chattanooga Classic, as well as the fifth time in the tournaments 17-year history.The Mocs opened their match against Gardner-Webb with a very back and forth first set with the Bulldogs.Once the Mocs were able to get the edge, however, UTC was able to power through to start the match off up 1-0.Set two on the other hand was all Gardner-Webb, with a 13-3 run by the Bulldogs helping them grab a set back by a scoreline of 25-20.Needing a boost, the Mocs turned to one of the most senior members of the team to lead the charge. Gylian Finch helped provide a major spark to the Mocs offense, as the grad student ended the match with four aces. Rallying behind Finchs serving, the Mocs closed out the third set on a 5-0 run to jump ahead 2-1 on the Bulldogs with a 25-15 set win.Gardner-Webb held firm after the Mocs took the lead, once again responding with a 25-16 fourth set victory of their own. With the score now tied 2-2, the final match of the Chattanooga Classic would come down to a fifth set.Set five started with both teams exchanging blows, as the lead for either team never surpassed one prior to the teams switching sides. With the Mocs leading 8-7, the Bulldogs closed out their match with an 8-3 exclamation point, sealing the set and match with a 15-11 victory in five.Both Gylian Finch and Morgan Romano finished with 14 kills in the match for the Mocs, while Elaine Redman logged 47 assists, her second-most in a single match this season. Charde Vanzandt led the Mocs with a career-high six blocks and Paige Gallentine once again showed out in the digs department with 18.Finch capped off her weekend as the Chattanooga Classic MVP for her efforts, as Finch ended the weekend with 32 kills, 31 digs, eight aces and six blocks over the teams three matches in Maclellan. Kate Neill and Charde Vanzandt also received spots on the Chattanooga Classic All-Tournament Team.2023 Chattanooga Classic All-Tournament TeamGylian Finch, OH, Chattanooga (MVP)Kate Neil, MB, ChattanoogaCharde Vanzandt, OH, ChattanoogaMadison Smith, OH, Gardner-WebbPaige Bernstein, S, Gardner-WebbMaycie Welborn, RS, Morehead StateIrene Wogenstahl, MB, Morehead StateHannah Howard, DS/L, Eastern MichiganThe Mocs now get to stay home as the team heads into the first weekend of SoCon play next Friday and Saturday with a two-match weekend against The Citadel (11-0) and Wofford (8-2). The Mocs will start the weekend off by taking on The Citadel at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, September 22 and then close out the teams homestand at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 23. Both matches will be free for the public to attend at Maclellan Gymnasium, and both will also be available to stream on ESPN+. Live stats will also be provided online.
Janelle Brown was most concerned about her finances when she left Kody Brown. As one of the family's main breadwinners, 'Sister Wives' fans were confused. Still, there are a few reasons that Janelle was in financial trouble if she left her marriage.

Janelle Brown was presented as one of the breadwinners of the Brown family when Sister Wives began. Over a decade later, Janelle sat down for a confessional during season 18 of the series, bemoaning her financial situation. The mother of six noted shed be walking away from her marriage with nothing. Her financial situation, she said, was precarious enough to make her feel stuck. So what exactly happened? What made Janelle Browns finances worse than Christine Browns and Meri Browns when they left Kody Brown? Three decisions made Janelles decision to leave Kody much more financially risky.

Janelle Brown used her own funds to help the family without the ability to replenish it

Janelle Brown was a proponent of plural marriage just like the rest of her family in 2010 when Sister Wives began. Even today, she seems open to the idea of entertaining polygamy again. Janelle was so in on the principle that she used most of her own finances to keep the Brown family afloat.

Before Sister Wives began, she used her money to help purchase the familys Lehi, Utah home. Later, she and Meri Brown agreed to use their money to help pay off Robyns credit card debt. Janelle and Meri also handed over the profit from their Las Vegas home sales to help Robyn and Kody purchase their Arizona homestead.

The decision to help Kody and Robyn seemed like a sound family decision at the time, but it was fairly reckless when you think about where the Browns are today and how Kody and Robyn used and abused the other wives finances, including Janelle Browns. Meri had both her bed and breakfast and an MLM business to help her replenish lost funds. Janelle did not have those income streams.

She didnt buy personal property, unlike her sister wives

Janelle Brown was the sister wife who went all-in on the Coyote Pass property. She didnt look to purchase a house in the city when they first moved to the state. She held firm on her desire to avoid buying property because she was attached to the idea of building. That decision didnt serve her well.

Janelle Brown | YouTube/TLC

Christine Brown purchased a house in Flagstaff, Arizona, instead of renting. A red-hot real estate market when she left Kody meant the mother of six walked away with a nice profit when she sold the home. Christine purchased the property in 2018 for $520,000. According to property records, she unloaded the house in October 2021 for $700,000. While the $180,000 didnt set Christine up for life, it helped ease her financial worries immediately following the split.

While Meri Brown didnt purchase property in Flagstaff, she was smart to finance and run her own business away from the prying eyes of the Brown family. Before the family moved to Flagstaff, Meri purchased a small bed and breakfast in Utah. She financed the property alone after the Browns vetoed the idea of investing. Since renovating the house, she has run a successful, albeit small, business. Just like Christine, the inn wasnt a big enough asset to assuage financial worries for life. Still, it was a safety net for Meri when she decided to completely cut ties with Kody and Robyn Brown. She also moved to the property after deciding to give up her Flagstaff rental.

An expensive RV wasnt Janelle Browns finest financial decision

In early 2021, Janelle Brown made a rash financial decision to purchase a fifth wheel. Janelle said she hoped to have a summer adventure and finally get out onto the land the Brown family purchased ahead of their move to Arizona. The RV was purchased brand new for over $80,000, sight unseen. Janelle bought the camper without discussing the decision with Kody or her sister wives. The big expenditure led some viewers to assume Janelle Brown had her finances in order. That might not have been the case.

Based on Janelles recent insights on her financial situation, the fifth wheel purchase left her with little savings. Unlike a house or land, an RV does not gain equity once purchased. Rather, it depreciates, so the large purchase wasnt an investment. While Janelle Brown still owns the fifth wheel, it doesnt do much to shore up her finances after the end of her marriage.
Neils passion for music remains steady as he embarks on the unending The Legacy Continues Tour, delighting fans with classic hits.
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Evangelist killed for leading Muslims to faith in Christ in Uganda

NAIROBI, Kenya  Muslim extremists on Sept. 6 beat a 33-year-old evangelist to death for leading Muslims to faith in Christ at an event in eastern Uganda, sources said.

After the evangelistic event in Kituuti town, Philip Bere was pulled from his bicycle while returning to Katiryo, Kibuku District and killed when the assailants bashed him with a large rock, an eyewitness said.

Mudenya Sirasi, who had assisted Bere at the evangelistic event, was with him as the two neared Katiryo on the Kataka-Katiryo road. Sirasi said many people accepted Christ at the event, including Muslim women and two young Muslim men.

The two evangelists were ambushed at about 7:40 p.m., he said.

We heard people talking from both sides of the road at a nearby bush saying, They are the ones who converted our members today  they are not supposed to live, but to be killed, Sirasi told Morning Star News. From nowhere, one man who was stationed in front of us grabbed our bicycle that we were riding on and hit Bere with a blunt object on his back.

Bere fell as Sirasi jumped off the bike and entered a tunnel under a bridge, where he hid, he said.

I could see the attackers brutally injuring my friend, Sirasi said. One of the attackers hit him with a big stone, and he bled to death.

When the assailants left, Sirasi found the body of Bere in a pool of blood, he said. He alerted other area Christians and police, and officers took the body to a hospital for postmortem, Sirasi said.

The pastor of Beres church, unnamed for security reasons, said officers at the police station in Katiryo, Kibukuand took statements about the killing of the evangelist and said they were searching for the killers who have gone into hiding.

Our evangelist was killed because of his passion for preaching the good news of Jesus Christ, especially to Muslims, the pastor told Morning Star News.

Bere was well-known for his preaching among Muslims in Buseeta, Lwatama, Katiryo and other parts of eastern Uganda.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
18-year-old charged with murder of beloved Houston pastor

An 18-year-old driver of a stolen vehicle has been charged with felony murder for the death of a 75-year-old pastor and mother of a Houston Police Department sergeant.

Gloria Collins was struck by Trenton Bevel at a red light around 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 7 on Martin Luther King Boulevard, near Van Fleet Street, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The collision occurred moments after police lost sight of Bevel, who was driving a stolen Dodge Charger. Collins died at the scene, roughly 2 miles from her MacGregor Park-area home.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner identified Collins as the mother of an HPD sergeant.

A family member was quoted as saying she was a faith leader with the Church of the Living God. Jerry Burley, who had known Collins for 30 years and was her pastor for 15, told KHOU, She had so much talent it was unreal. Anything she set her mind to do. She did it.

Bevel, who was driving a Dodge Charger reported stolen earlier that week, is hospitalized in critical condition, according to officials. He has been charged with felony murder, a charge often applied when a death occurs during the commission of another felony  in this case, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, as per court documents.

A judge has set a $500,000 bond for Bevel.

Houston police said Bevel and another man carjacked a woman in the Hobby Airport area the day before the fatal crash. The victim, Cathleen Hill, was quoted as saying, These two young guys dressed in camo, a ski mask, they robbed me at gunpoint. Hill was able to track her car using a dealership device and inform the police.

Police had been pursuing the stolen Dodge Charger but ended the chase after losing sight of Bevel about a mile from the crash site, authorities said. Chief Finner stated that the fatal wreck was not related to the prior pursuit or HPD chase policies.

Two other innocent people were injured in the crash and were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Homegoing Services have been scheduled for Thursday morning at 5th Ward Baptist Church in Houston.

One Cecilia Blane Darden wrote on Facebook, We were excited about the upcoming conference in Temple. I get a call that broke my heart. Im still in disbelief but God is a God that make no mistakes, and you are a woman that loves our Heavenly Father. He called his daughter home, but God my God my God, one day we will rejoice again Dr. Gloria Collins. A few years ago we celebrated the Superbowl at Sea, we had a wonderful time.
This week in Christian history: Papal States lose major battle, George Herbert ordained

Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance.

Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births and notable deaths.

Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while others might be unknown to many people.

The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week in Christian history. They include the battle of Castelfidardo, the ordination of George Herbert, and the excommunication of Saint Mary of the Cross.

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The neighborhood church returns: Making the comeback a reality

Neighborhood churches tend to be small or midsize and well-established. For years, we have dismissed the potential for a significant move of God in these churches. I believe they are primed for a comeback. They are numerous, and they are located in the heart of places with lots of people.

I believe in this comeback so much that I wrote a book about it. The Surprising Return of the Neighborhood Church just released! If you lead or attend a neighborhood church or want to know more about this potential movement, you can pick up a copy now. I wish I could write that these churches will make a comeback, but its still an unrealized possibility. But what might it look like if such a comeback were to occur?

The stigma must become the advantage

Some have bemoaned the on every street corner nature of the established church. I understand. It seems there are churches everywhere that are doing nothing. But a shift is already underway. The megachurch movement is waning. The younger generations dont prefer the giant sanctuaries on sprawling campuses that their Boomer parents enjoyed. The neighborhood church has a long way to go before we can talk about a movement, but the stigma of small and local is fading. Smaller churches embedded in neighborhoods have a certain appeal. If these churches step up and begin to reach into their surrounding communities, that stigma might shift to an advantage.

Church fostering must become more common

We understand the term fostering in connection with children being placed with a family. It differs from adoption in that its not intended to be permanent. Similarly, a new movement called fostering is emerging in the world of church revitalization, as healthy churches provide people and other resources for unhealthy churches over a specified time frame  usually six months to a year. In many cases, the fostering relationship involves sending in a preacher, improving the worship ministry, and restarting programming for children. The most successful fostering relationships also include outreach into the surrounding neighborhood.

Local pastors must work together for the Kingdom

In too many communities, pastors treat their church campuses like islands instead of as interconnected outposts in a Kingdom network. Pastors need to get off their islands and befriend other pastors. When pastors in a community become friends, tenures become longer, and churches stop competing and start cooperating. The comeback of neighborhood churches will hit its stride when the pastors spend more energy working together than trying to compete.

Congregants must expect growth and invite guests

Like Jupiter and Saturn compared to Mercury and Mars, larger churches have a greater gravitational pull than smaller churches. People who are new to a community or looking for a church are likely to visit the largest church in the area, even if they dont anticipate joining. Larger churches will attract more guests. These churches expect to grow and anticipate having new people every Sunday.

Many, if not most, smaller neighborhood churches do not have a culture or expectation of growth. And when you dont anticipate guests or invite people to church, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many smaller churches remain small because the people there do not desire or expect growth. This entrenched mentality creates an unhealthy comfort with smallness and even ambivalence toward any new people who might upset the comfortable environment. When neighborhood churches make a comeback, it is often preceded by a cultural shift in the church  when the people start inviting others and expecting guests.

Community revitalization must become part of the mission

Revitalizing the church should include revitalizing the community. The way to better church health is through outward movement, not inward focus. Imagine a movement of neighborhood churches, each revitalizing a one-mile radius around their campuses. It would change the nation!

Selfless service must replace selfish preferences

In Mark 10:35-40, when James and John ask Jesus to give them the highest places of honor in the Kingdom, he tells them they have no idea what theyre asking. Greatness in Gods kingdom comes through sacrifice and service. How did Jesus serve? He gave his life! Selfish preferences are the death of selfless service. When you place your personal desires above another persons salvation, you are putting the mission of the Church in great peril. Neighborhood churches will come back when the members elevate service above preference. A revitalized church will have more going and telling and less griping and yelling.

The church culture bubble must pop

The insular church culture bubble will pop when your church pushes outward with the Gospel. The church was never designed to be a shield protecting Christians from the world in a bubble of safety. The church is a vehicle engineered by God to take people into the darkest corners of the neighborhood. Its called the Great Commission, not the Great Avoidance. Gospel obedience compels us to go to the outcasts, the lowly, and the neglected. If youre not willing to sit down with a homeless addict and share the Gospel because of how he or she looks and smells, then we dont believe the same Gospel. Jesus doesnt call us to serve the most deserving, but he does call us to serve the most desperate.

The campus must become a neighborhood hub

Church facilities are one of the most expensive, yet vital, tools church leaders use to shepherd Gods people. In a North American context, buildings are important to Gods mission of expanding His Kingdom. Making the church building the locus of the community should be a priority for church leaders. From a practical standpoint, the church building should be the place where the local community congregates. Uninviting church buildings make it difficult for church members to invite their friends and family to worship with them.

Its time for the neighborhood church to make a comeback. The stigma of small churches is fading. Fostering is becoming more common. Pastors should feel free to leave the islands of their campuses and make friends. The opportunity to revitalize neighborhoods is as big as ever. The neighborhood church movement is primed for a relaunch.

Originally published at Church Answers.
The battle for the creeds

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds Christians that they are surrounded by a great "cloud of witnesses." (NRSV) That "cloud" has continued to grow in size since then. In this monthly column we will be thinking about some of the people and events, over the past 2000 years, that have helped make up this "cloud." People and events that have helped build the community of the Christian Church as it exists today.

Something quite remarkable happened in the middle of what we now call the first century AD. A small  but growing  sect of Judaism, originally centred on Jerusalem, began to declare that a Jewish preacher and worker of miracles, named Jesus, who had been condemned by their own religious authorities and finally executed by the Roman occupying power, had risen from the dead.

This, on its own, was dramatic, controversial, and shocking; but what was even more astonishing was that this group were honouring him in ways that had previously only been reserved for the one true God. In Jesus, they claimed the God of Israel had revealed himself in human form and, furthermore, it was only possible to gain salvation by belief in this anointed one  the "Christ"  who had died for our sins, been raised again to life, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father.

Questions, questions ...

This raised a lot of questions. In what sense did Christ have the nature of God and did this imply equality with or subservience to God? Did the man Jesus become "Christ" at a key moment within his life? His baptism was referred to by some Christian thinkers in this way; but the very idea of such an "adoption" was strongly rejected by the mainstream. Did he have an existence prior to his earthly birth? And if he did, was this an existence from eternity, or was he the exalted "First" among all that was created? In short: did he have a beginning or not?

Then there were so many questions relating to the way in which humanity and divinity were combined in Christ. Were these natures in some way distinct? Or were they inextricably mingled? Was humanity taken on by Christ, the Son of God, in such a way that he suffered pain and discomfort? But how can God  who is beyond such earthly limitations  experience such things? Or did Christ only appear to suffer? And what about the mind of Christ? Did Jesus know everything because he was God? Or were there limitations to his knowledge and he was reliant on God for his understanding? And if so, in what sense was he God? For God's knowledge is unlimited.

Such questions were  and are  not easily answered. A dynamic and radical religious community was soon exploring uncharted territory of faith and belief. These arguments were much more than just matters of intellectual curiosity. Christology (the study of Christ's nature) would have a direct impact on salvation. For, since salvation was dependent on Christ, who he was and what he was became a matter of life and death. This was very deep water indeed. And for some it soon became extremely hot water too that they found themselves in.

The New Testament belief that "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14) was, and is, a truly mind-blowing claim. Christians can either decide this expresses mysteries too deep to fathom or, alternatively, grapple with trying to analyse exactly what this means in terms of the nature of Christ and God. In the Late Roman Empire, they grappled.

Getting it 'right', getting it 'wrong'

These divisive debates would discuss such profound doctrines as that of the Trinity and the meaning of Christology. The very nature of God would be debated and defined as never before. The great Church Councils convened to address these debates would include those at Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451) which were regarded as "ecumenical" (world-wide) councils, whose decisions were binding on the whole Christian Church.

These great debates were to decide the nature of Christian understanding concerning the nature of Christ and God in a way that is difficult to exaggerate. Even in the more fragmented and disparate world of the twenty first century Church, the creeds produced at them still decide the shape of Christian debate. These early discussions started with the question of who exactly was, and is, the man declared to be Christ.

The arguments started early, as ideas were promoted by some on the edge of mainstream belief. There were many and these are just a sample. Saturninus of Antioch (early second century) held that Christ had no material existence; he only appeared to be human.

Others also subscribed to this belief in docetism (from the Greek 'to seem') in various forms. In contrast, Cerinthus, in late first century Ephesus, taught that Jesus really was a man but that the exalted "Christ" descended but then left him before the crucifixion.

Marcion of Sinope taught (c.144) the dualistic belief that the God of the Old Testament was a demiurge (creator of the material world), whereas Christ revealed a higher supreme God. He also taught that Christ was not born from Mary; instead, he appeared as a grown man. Similarly, he argued that the suffering of Christ was apparent, not real.

Ebionites believed that, as the human son of Joseph and Mary, Jesus was chosen by God at his baptism when he was anointed with the Holy Spirit. This adoptionist understanding would appear in other schools of thought too.

Arguably, of greater influence were the ideas associated with Arius, who lived in what is today Egypt, and which first came to prominence in about 318. In that year Arius was in conflict with the Bishop of Alexandria over his claim that only the Father was truly God. In contrast, Arius argued, Christ though highly exalted did not possess of himself the nature of God. He was brought into being ("begotten") by the Father (before his earthly birth) and before that event of being begotten did not exist. It was, nevertheless, through Christ the Son that God the Father created the world.

This left Christ with a position far exalted above the rest of creation but well below that of God the Father. Others countered with the view  which became the mainstream answer  that the scriptural idea of the "begotten Son" represented an eternal relationship, not a moment of birth or start of existence. This soon became something of a battleground. And from this the historic creeds emerged. What follows is a very simplified version of what was an extremely complex  theological and linguistic  debate.

A quick tour of the 'creed battleground' in the late Roman Empire

Arius was excommunicated but the matter did not end there. As the controversy drew in more Church leaders, and increased in intensity, the new emperor of a united East and West Roman Empire, Constantine I (the Great) called a council at Nicaea. This decided against Arius and produced a statement known as the Creed of Nicaea (325). A later creed, with similar content, is known as the Nicene Creed and is generally accepted across Christian churches.

The Creed of Nicaea encapsulated much of core Christian beliefs about Christ:

"Begotten from the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the substance of the Father, God

from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance

with the Father, through Whom all things came into being..."

The matter seemed settled, and the understanding was expressed in some technical Greek terms. God the Son (ie Christ) and God the Father were of the "same substance." Even after Nicaea, though, there were those who worried that the term might not be quite precise enough. After all, the word was in everyday use to describe two separate objects made from the same substance. This was clearly not the way it was used at Nicaea but others might interpret it this way. And, of course, some did.

Arianism continued to have a wide following in the East. A further boost to Arianism came when the barbarian Visigoths converted to an Arian form of Christianity and took it with them as they invaded the Western Roman Empire.

More moderate forms of Arianism were also apparent. In 362 a major synod held in Alexandria finally decided broadly in favour of Nicaea. Describing God as being recognisably "three persons" did not constitute belief in anything like three Gods. They did not have separate natures and were not separate beings. Instead, they possessed a single and uniting essence. But then the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens (ruled 36478) declared in favour of the Arian outlook (as had his predecessor Emperor Constantius). The followers of Nicaea suddenly found themselves in conflict with the imperial authorities. For a moment it looked as if the Christian Church was becoming Arian.

In time, though, the crisis was averted by the actions of Basil the Great, the bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (in modern Turkey). Under his influence it became generally accepted in the Eastern Roman Empire that one could believe in both the united "substance" of God and that God existed in three recognisable but inseparable 'persons'.

This became widespread when supported by the new Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius (ruled 379395). Under his rule the whole Roman Empire was again briefly reunited. In 381 he summoned the Council of Constantinople, and it was at this council (according to a fifth-century tradition) that the Creed of Nicaea was re-launched (in a modified form) as the Nicene Creed. The age of Arianism was finally over.

The position of Christ and the belief in the Trinity had been largely settled in a manner that would define the future outlook of the Christian Church. There would, though, remain areas of contention. In the Western Church it became accepted that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son. In the Eastern Church the established view remained that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father, through the Son. The "filioque (Latin 'and from the Son') clause" continues to divide the Eastern and Western Church. This was a division impacting on the doctrine of the Trinity but the fundamental outlook on the nature of Christ and his relationship with God the Father was not disputed. There at least there was, finally, some unity.

After ferocious debate the full divinity of Christ had become a mainstream belief. But what of his humanity? If Christ was not fully human, as well as fully God, then his mental and emotional life, his ability to experience sorrow for example, would not be truly human. The Incarnation would lose its intimacy and its bridging of divine and human existence. Christ would simply have inhabited a human body. This reminds us that, while these complex arguments can easily appear arcane and rather obsessively detailed to us, they were extremely important.

The matter was not fully officially settled until the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The Chalcedonian Definition asserted that Christ was "...truly God and the same truly man...like us in all things apart from sin..." Even so, the so-called "Oriental Orthodox churches" were not reconciled on aspects of this subject with the Roman Catholic Church, the major Protestant churches, and the Eastern Orthodox Church until the second half of the twentieth century.

More than an intellectual debate

These debates were crucial in the history of Christianity because they have framed Christian understanding and discussion ever since. However, in the seventh century these disputes over doctrine also had social and political  as well as theological  ramifications. They added to the difficulties facing the Eastern Roman Empire in mounting a united defence against Muslim invasion.

Dissenting Christians, facing persecution from imperial authorities over these beliefs, were less inclined to defend the imperial system. Some even initially welcomed Islamic rule as a respite from imperial sanctions against them. Debates about the nature of Christ  coupled with how dissenters were treated by orthodox authorities  had unforeseen political consequences.

Martyn Whittock is an evangelical historian and a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. As an historian and author, or co-author, of fifty-five books, his work covers a wide range of historical and theological themes. In addition, as a commentator and columnist, he has written for several print and online news platforms; has been interviewed on TV and radio shows exploring the interaction of faith and politics; and appeared on Sky News discussing political events in the USA. Recently, he has been interviewed on several news platforms concerning faith and the Crown in the UK, and the war in Ukraine. His co-written book, Christ The First 2000 Years (2016), explores the history of ideas about Christ.
Mayor Ken Boshcoff held a press conference Wednesday to explain his rationale for seeking "strong mayor" powers from the province ahead of a council meeting on Monday to consider the idea. It promises to be contentious.
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Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate.

Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele
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The new iPhone 15 is about to hit the stores, and Apple CEO Tim Cook might have already sent one to his most important investor  Warren Buffett. The iPhone is what propelled Buffett, a longtime tech skeptic, to eventually invest almost half of Berkshire Hathaway's equity portfolio in the tech company, becoming the largest shareholder outside of index and exchange-traded fund providers. He bought Apple shares after realizing how devoted people are to its phones, and its unique ability to keep consumers spending within the Apple ecosystem. The "Oracle of Omaha" began buying Apple's stock in 2016 under the influence of his investment lieutenants Ted Weschler and Todd Combs, and seven years later, Berkshire's 5.9% stake in Apple has ballooned to nearly $160 billion thanks to Apple's stellar rally and aggressive buybacks. His return has been well over $100 billion on paper, making Apple Buffett's best investment over the past decade. For those who think investing in high-flying tech defies Buffett's value principles, the student of Ben Graham would tell you Apple is a consumer products company and it's a better business than any of Berkshire's wholly-owned subsidiaries. "Our railroad is a very good business, but it's not remotely as good as Apple's business," Buffett said at the Berkshire shareholder meeting in May . The iPhone is "an extraordinary product. We don't have anything like that that we own 100% of." The investment icon conjured up a scenario to illustrate how powerful the iPhone is: A consumer pays $1,500 for an iPhone and $35,000 for a second car, and if they had to give up one thing, it would be the second car. 'Most valuable real estate' Buffett said the iPhone screen is " most valuable real estate in the world, " and that New York's Fifth Avenue will never come close. The billionaire investor has called Apple Berkshire's "third-largest business," after its insurance and railroad holdings. Buffett, then 89, finally upgraded to an iPhone 11 in 2020, abandoning his $20 flip phone after receiving several models over the years from CEO Cook. As Wall Street analysts conduct channel checks , Buffett too likes to kick the tires and recognizes the importance of getting a first hand feel for products. The 93-year-old once recalled the moment when he realized how special the iPhone was. "When I take my great grandchildren to Dairy Queen, they bring along a friend sometimes and they've all got an iPhone and an iPad," Buffett said in a CNBC interview in 2017. "They barely could talk to me... Then I asked them how they live their lives and the stickiness really is something that they do build their lives around it." Buffett was impressed that Apple customers overwhelmingly upgrade their phones and laptops every few years. "The continuity of the product is huge and the degree to which [customers'] lives center around it is huge," Buffett said. A fan of buybacks Buffett applauds Cook's stock repurchase strategy, and how it gives Berkshire increased ownership of each dollar of Apple's earnings without having to do anything. "Consider that each 0.1% of Apple's 2021 earnings amounted to $100 million. We spent no Berkshire funds to gain our accretion. Apple's repurchases did the job," Buffett said in his 2021 annual letter to shareholders. Apple authorized the repurchase of as much as $90 billion of common stock in both 2022 and again in 2023 . Apple's buybacks substantially shrank the number of shares it has outstanding, thus boosting Berkshire's stake. The conglomerate has also enjoyed regular dividends from Apple over the years, averaging about $775 million annually.
Chinese companies are making announcements about artificial intelligence again  this time about applications. Search engine giant Baidu earlier this month revealed, among other AI tools, a platform for creating advertising campaigns  similar to Google's AI-powered ads. Early corporate testers of Baidu's AI ad platform, called QingGe, told reporters conversion rates are up 20%  at a fraction of the typical time an agency would usually need. "Early movers in the [large language model] market have already started the commercialization process, and regulatory approval for 10+ LLMs to open to the public has further cleared roadblocks to monetization," Nomura analysts said in a Sept. 10 note, citing meetings with businesses and industry experts in Beijing in the few days prior. Around the same time, Tencent announced it is integrating its AI model into advertising content creation, and its own Zoom-like video conferencing app. The company also opened the waitlist for a ChatGPT-like chatbot that sits within its social messaging app WeChat. Known locally as Weixin, the app has more than 1 billion users. That scale is the advantage China has had, coupled with an ability to ramp up internet penetration to support an online ecosystem  from Taobao e-commerce sales to scan-to-ride bike shares. Open-minded consumer Locals are still eager to participate. Luckin Coffee teamed up with Chinese alcohol giant Kweichow Moutai this month to sell a spiked latte. It sold more than 5.4 million cups on the first day, Luckin said. That surge in popularity just "reinforces our understanding and our belief that Chinese consumers are very open-minded with new products," Joey Wat, CEO of KFC parent Yum China , told me on Friday. Her company is also exploring how to use generative AI to boost business, but she said the tech needs to understand more about internal operations before it can be really helpful. It's also not clear how powerful China's AI applications currently are, beyond demos and select business partnerships. "Overall we see generally Chinese language model[s] still lag behind the most advanced ChatGPT version 4," CLSA's Tony Zhang said in a phone interview in the last week. But "China's LLM is developing very fast and improving very fast." He said some new AI tools in China -- such as integration with word processing, in commercial advertising or in consulting  could be the first few fields with real commercial use. "There are some kind of applications open to the general user for some enterprise users, I think this is a necessary process, [a] model to improve and also explore their monetization model," he said. In general, the more generative AI is used, the better it is supposed to get. Now with Beijing's green light, public-facing AI applications such as Baidu's Ernie bot can be widely used in China. Alibaba Cloud on Wednesday said it was opening its large language model Tongyi Qianwen to the public, and said it was working with Taobao, smartphone brand Oppo and others to create applications. How to play it Just testing can bring in revenue. Generative AI and large language model-related revenue contributed to 20% of SenseTime' s revenue in the first half of 2023, Nomura analysts said, citing company management. While Nomura doesn't have a rating on SenseTime, or most of the companies the analysts visited this month, the investment firm has a neutral rating on Baidu and a buy rating on Tencent. For a sense of what applications at scale can mean for business efficiency and reach, it's worth looking at the giant in the room of AI and consumer-facing applications: ByteDance, owner of TikTok and its equally popular version in China, Douyin. The apps allow brands to quickly assess what works  and what doesn't  with consumers, Oliver Wyman's Dave Xie said. He's working on an upcoming report with Douyin that found one apparel brand was able to use its presence on the app to influence consumers to make a purchase far more quickly than on Alibaba's Tmall  by about two weeks. "Previously," he said, "when you don't have these kinds of content platform, all you can do is run 2,000-sample survey." In China, there is a market of hundreds of millions of internet users who can't easily use ChatGPT or Google.
Despite ether's recent price action, the network has been thriving since the "merge"  and could just be getting started. A year ago Ethereum underwent a major technical transition that was meant to improve its security in an energy efficient way that many hoped would lead to higher price s and, separately, would open a new yield-generating opportunity for investors. The price of ether is down over the past six months, but it's still up 8% over the past year and nearly 35% year-to-date, according to Coin Metrics. With the crypto market as a whole suffering from low liquidity and volatility amid regulatory uncertainty, the incremental regulatory and technical developments in Bitcoin and Ethereum haven't been enough to push prices to new highs after the banking crisis-fueled rally earlier this year. Still, market participants are seeing and feeling the success of the Ethereum merge. "ETH's transition to proof-of-stake created a more composable, cheaper and less energy-intensive network that currently yields stakers about 4%," said Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at VanEck. "But with T-bills yielding 5% and the U.S. regulatory onslaught ongoing, investor and developer interest has been insufficient to pump the token much in recent months." "Ethereum daily gas fees are languishing near 2023 lows and daily trading activity at 2-year lows," he added. "We look forward to Ethereum protocol upgrade EIP-4844 in Q4, which should enable much cheaper transactions on Ethereum-compatible layer 2s and potentially catalyze wider adoption of stablecoin and loyalty applications." Here's how Ethereum is doing on some of its post-merge goals: Yields Ether's staking reward reference rate was 5.854% per annum on Sept. 15, 2022, according to Ethereum data provider Beaconchain. It spiked to about 8% after the fall of FTX and in May following JPMorgan's takeover of First Republic. Yields were last at 3.9%. The yield changes based on participation levels in staking and Ethereum's process of validating transactions. It is expected to fall as more stakers come onto the network. (For more on staking check out our guide here .) More validators The amount of staked ether has been rising steadily over the past year with investors keen to earn extra yield on their assets. While the merge gave investors the opportunity to earn yield  by locking up their funds  this year's Shanghai, also known as Shapella, upgrade gave them the ability to unstake their funds. The Shanghai upgrade was widely seen as an event that would bring more liquidity to Ethereum. "While the market has been really stagnant across digital assets, staking has been one of the few areas that have seen constant growth in this period," said Andrew Ballinger, head of staking solutions at Canadian investment firm 3iQ. "About a week after [Shanghai] happened in April, we started to see assets coming into the network to be staked outpacing assets being withdrawn," he added. "That really demonstrates the immediate interest from people who were sitting on the sidelines, who hadn't been staking until this point to start doing so." The percentage of ether supply being staked has risen from 11.99% on Sept. 15, 2022, to 20.46% on Aug. 30 of this year. Burning fees and decreasing supply Ethereum has a mechanism programmed in to regulate the network's notoriously high transaction fees, called gas fees, by "burning" them. Everyday new ether is emitted into the market and if demand doesn't match the supply level, the price goes down. After the merge, investors expected there to be less supply in the market, and if demand stayed constant, that the price would rise. Since the merge, the supply of ether has fallen 0.248%, according to data provider Ultrasound Money . About 681,449 ETH have been issued while 981,427 have been burned. "The ETH supply is now kind of dependent on the usage  the more usage, the more ETH that's burned," said Maria Shen, a general partner at Electric Capital. "Right before the merge, the supply of ETH peaked, and now we are on a flat, deflationary supply curve." "Whenever someone does a transaction, they pay a fee," she explained. "Part of that fee is now being burned, and whenever you do that, the supply of Ethereum shrinks. So you have effectively a deflationary supply of ETH"  meaning the supply over time will begin to decline as opposed to increase, which is historically what it's always done  "as long as people keep using the network." The next upgrade The merge was just the first step in a series of upgrades that are planned to make improvements on Ethereum. The blockchain is the most popular among developers who are keen to build a new world of applications on this technology. But, in recent years, it has been hampered by its famously slow transaction times and egregious transaction fees. Those specific problems gave rise to alternatives like Solana and Cardano. If Ethereum can speed up transactions and solve the fee structure, it could become more competitive, Shen said. "Those no longer become differentiating factors," she said. "So those ecosystems will be forced to figure out other differentiating factors. "A lot of them do scale in different ways with different types of trade offs, so that's one consideration: what are the trade offs that users are willing to make?" she added. "It's not just enough for something to be fast, you need something to be able to do it on the chain."
For recent grads, choosing where to start your post-college career can make a big impact in the trajectory of your life. And according to one report, Massachusetts is the best state that offers young workers plenty of jobs, affordable living and fun amenities.

The New England state ranks No. 1 for its combination of strong job market, affordability, safety and leisure factors, according to a new report from Scholaroo, a college scholarship resource, and based on data from the U.S. Labor Department, Census Bureau and more.

The report considers career factors like states with a high employment rate, financial considerations like median household income, and lifestyle priorities ranging from access to quality health care as well as ample restaurants, bars, museums and movie theaters. Several data points are geared toward recent college grads and other young professionals looking for internships and entry-level jobs.

These are the top 10 states for young workers to find jobs, live affordably and have fun, according to Scholaroo:

Massachusetts Rhode Island New Hampshire Maryland Connecticut Vermont Washington Minnesota New Jersey Oregon

Massachusetts, in particular, ranks highly for jobs, health and workplace diversity factors, but trails in its affordability. With that said, residents are among the highest earners in the country, with Massachusetts workers bringing home an average salary of $76,600 per year. That's slightly above the U.S. median household income of $74,580 in 2022.

Don't miss: Young, rich workers are fleeing New York and Californiaheres where theyre going

Rhode Island ranks No. 2 thanks to high scores for leisure, health and safety factors, but it scores lowest for workplace diversity, which takes a look at the employment rate for people with disabilities, the racial and gender wage gaps, and state laws that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment.

And rounding out the top 3, New Hampshire scored well in affordability and is ranked No. 1 for having the lowest cost of groceries, on average, in the U.S. It also ranks highly safety, workplace diversity and leisure, but scores lowest on the jobs front.

The Scholaroo analysis also ranks states by subcategories across jobs, finances and lifestyle aspects. For example, the state with the highest number of entry-level jobs is North Dakota, and the state with the highest number of restaurants and bars is Hawaii.

At the bottom of the list, the worst states for young professionals are concentrated in the South: West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

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Check out: Young, rich workers are fleeing New York and Californiaheres where theyre going
Russia said it had thwarted a coordinated Ukrainian attack on Crimea early on Sunday, while drones also targeted Moscow, disrupting air traffic in the capital, and caused a fire at an oil depot in the southwest of the country.

Ukraine in recent days has launched a series of strikes on Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, including the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet's facilities, seeking to undermine Moscow's war efforts in the critical region.

Attacks deep inside Russia, far from the front lines, have also increased, with Moscow's mayor saying at least two drones were shot down in the region of the capital early on Sunday.

Reuters could not independently verify Sunday's reports and there was no immediate comment from Kyiv.

In an opinion piece late on Saturday, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's Security Council, urged Kyiv's allies to speed up the delivery of weapons, saying this was the only way to end the war.

"For example, the complete or partial elimination of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is a doable task, should significantly accelerate the process of Russia's search for a way out of the ongoing war," Danilov wrote on the Ukrainska Pravda news site.

Russian air defense systems destroyed at least six drones targeting Crimea from different directions, Russia's defense ministry said on Sunday.

The report on the Telegram messaging app did not say whether any damage or casualties had been caused on the Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Kyiv in a widely condemned move in 2014, eight years before Russia's full-fledged invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit the Capitol and meet with senators on Thursday, a Senate leadership aide told NBC News.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will host an all-senators meeting with Zelenskyy on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET, according to the aide. A location is still to be determined.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



More from NBC News:

Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, a person familiar with the plans previously told NBC News. And he plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this week during his trip to the U.S., a senior Ukrainian official said.

Biden last met with Zelenskyy in July at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

"I hope we finally have put to bed the notion about whether or not Ukraine is welcome in NATO. It's going to happen," Biden said in remarks before their bilateral meeting. "We're moving  you're all moving in the right direction. I think it's just a matter of getting by the next few months here."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv this month, meeting with Zelenskyy and senior Ukrainian officials to "demonstrate the United States' unwavering commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy, especially in the face of Russia's aggression," a State Department spokesperson said.

While Blinken visited Kyiv, the State Department announced additional U.S. aid to the country, including $100 million in foreign military financing, $90.5 million in humanitarian demining assistance and $300 million to support law enforcement efforts in liberated regions.

Zelenskyy last addressed a joint meeting of Congress in December of last year, pleading for continued support as Republicans prepared to take control of the House, where aid to Ukraine was expected to come under more scrutiny and opposition.

"Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way," he told U.S. lawmakers. "Let the world see that the United States is here."

"Your decisions can save millions of people," he added.
Blue Cross Blue Shield employees show their support to members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union as they march through the streets of downtown Detroit following a rally on the first day of the UAW strike in Detroit, Michigan, on September 15, 2023.

A team that President Joe Biden dispatched to help resolve the strike between the United States' largest autoworkers union and the Big Three auto companies plans to be in Detroit to support talks "early in the week," an administration official told NBC News on Sunday.

White House adviser Gene Sperling and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su were named by the president last week to go to Detroit to help end the walkout by the United Auto Workers union, which began early Friday. Sperling has been serving as the point person on key issues connected to the union and the companies, and has been coordinating with Su.

"Both Sperling and Acting Secretary Su are engaging with the parties by phone, as they have for weeks, with the intention of being there early in the week," the official said, adding that the administration was "pleased that the parties are continuing to meet as they had been before the contract expired."

Su and Sperling's goal was not to serve as mediators or intervene, but "help support the negotiations in any way the parties feel is constructive," the official said.

On Friday, Biden said that he hoped that the UAW and Big Three returned to negotiations.

After talks collapsed Biden said that he understands workers' frustrations that as automobile companies register "record profits," these haven't "been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers."

"Let's be clear, no one wants a strike," he said. "But I respect workers' right to use their options under the collective bargaining system."

The strike is a particular challenge for Biden, who has called himself "the most pro-union president you've ever seen." While the UAW has historically supported Democrats like the president, former President Donald Trump won important backing from blue-collar autoworkers.

Before the strike was declared, UAW President Shawn Fain said a walkout would force Biden and other politicians pick a side when it comes to organized labor.

On Friday at midnight, about 13,000 members of the UAW walked out a General Motors site in Missouri, a Stellantis center in Ohio and a Ford assembly plant in Michigan.

If every UAW member struck immediately, the union would have enough funds to supply about 11 weeks of strike pay.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 17)  Senator Chiz Escudero questioned why the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has yet to file charges against rice smugglers and hoarders despite conducting several raids in warehouses in the past months.

"Ang dami nang raids na ginawa nitong mga nakaraang linggo. Bakit hanggang ngayon, wala pang kasong isinasampa sa mga taong sangkot?" Escudero said in a statement released Sunday.

[Translation: There have been a number of raids in recent weeks. But until now, why have there been no charges filed against the people involved?

The senator also asked why the names of traders and operators are not being disclosed to the public, stressing the need to file charges to serve as a warning to other smugglers.

"Hindi tayo dapat nagtatapos sa mga raids lamang. Naghihintay at nagmamatyag ang taumbayan sa susunod na hakbangin ng pamahalaan. Sampahan na agad ng kaso ang mga dapat sampahan. We should bring them to the court of justice to prove that this administration is resolute in its campaign against rice cartels," Escudero said.

[Translation: We should not end with raids. The people are waiting and watching for the next steps the government will take. Cases should be filed immediately against those who should be charged.]

The Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, or Republic Act 10845, considers large-scale smuggling of agricultural products as economic sabotage and involves "at least 1-million worth of sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetablesor a minimum of 10-million worth of rice."

Aside from calling for the immediate filing of cases against hoarders, Escudero said the government should also update the public on their development in the spirit of transparency.

"Ito ang mga dapat nilang masagot ngayon: Who oversees the disposition and how will it be disposed? Ano ang gagawin nila sa mga bigas na nakumpiska?" he said.

[Translation: These are the questions they should be able to answer now: Who oversees the disposition and how will it be disposed? What will they do with the confiscated rice?]

Meanwhile, a recent BOC-led raid yielded 40-million worth of rice in two warehouses -- one in Pulang Lupa, Las Pinas and the other in Bacoor, Cavite.

The warehouses were found storing rice products from Vietnam, Thailand, and China.

Authorities granted the owner a 15-day period to submit the necessary documentation to validate the legality of their importation and payment of correct duties and taxes.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 17)  Authorities should begin arresting and penalizing text scammers to gauge the effectiveness of the SIM Registration Law, Senator Grace Poe said Sunday.

In a statement, Poe pointed out that the law has "good provisions" that should be applied by concerned government authorities and telecommunications providers to arrest cyber criminals.

"Ang dapat talaga, pinatutupad ang batas. Kapag may nakita ang ating mga kababayan na nahuli at kinulong dahil dito nga sa mga fake registration ng SIM o nagbebenta ng pre-registered na SIM, kahit papaano mababawasan yan," said Poe, the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.

[Translation: The law should be enforced. When the public sees someone caught and imprisoned because of fake SIM registration or selling pre-registered SIMs, at least that will be reduced.]

Poe also questioned what happened to the people behind the hundreds of pre-registered SIMs found in cybercrime hubs recently, as she stressed she is expecting a live selfie as part of the verification process in SIM registration.

"Dapat may timeline din ng pag-aksyon sa mga nire-report at may agarang feedback para naman maging mas epektibo at mabisa ang batas," Poe added.

[Translation: There should also be a timeline for taking action on those who are reported and there should be immediate feedback so that the law can be more effective and efficient.]

She added that the proposal to charge a fee on the registration of a subscriber's fourth SIM and onward must be discussed.

Poe did note, however, that authorities in charge of SIM registration should also take into account reputable businesses that need to register their employees as a group.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 17)  With the House of Representatives set to begin deliberations on the proposed 5.768-trillion budget for 2024, a teachers group is urging lawmakers to allot additional funds for the hiring of teachers and building more classrooms.

Benjo Basas, national chairman of the Teachers Dignity Coalition, said improving the classroom situation should be prioritized over expenditures requiring confidential funds.

"Hindi trabaho ng DepEd (Department of Education) ang intelligence gathering. Ibigay natin ito sa mga ahensya na may mandato ng intelligence gathering. Mahirap i-justify ang confidential at intelligence funds habang meron tayong problema sa basic education," he said on Sunday.

[Translation: Intelligence gathering is not the DepEds job. Lets give that to agencies whose mandate include intelligence gathering. Confidential and intelligence funds are difficult to justify when we have a problem with basic education.]

Vice President Sara Duterte, the concurrent secretary of DepEd, has been criticized for requesting substantial confidential funds for next year.

The Office of the Vice President is seeking 500 million in confidential funds, while the Department of Education has asked for 150 million from Congress.

The proposed budget for the DepEd next year is 758.59 billion, a 5% increase from its current budget of 721 billion.

Based on its 2024 budget proposal, the DepEd aims to build 7,879 new classrooms for 19.7 billion. It also targets to repair 10,050 classrooms for 6.5 billion.

DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa previously said the country lacks 165,000 classrooms, based on the National School Building Inventory.

"Ang lagyan natin ng pondo yung classroom, yung situation ng ating classroom. Sapat ba ang mga teacher, learning materials ng mga bata? Sapat ba ang mga upuan at di nagsisiksikan ang mga bata?" Basas said.

[Translation: Let us put funds into the building of classrooms. Are there enough teachers and learning materials for children? Are there enough seats, they're not crowded?]

The DepEd has allotted 5.7 billion for hiring 20,000 new teachers next year. This will only address barely 22% of the estimated shortage of 89,000 teachers in the primary and secondary levels, according to the agency.

Plenary debates on the 2024 General AppropriatBasions Bill will begin in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
(CNN)  Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia will defy the European Union and extend a temporary ban placed on Ukrainian grain imports, in a move likely to anger the blocs leadership.

On Friday, the EU announced plans to suspend a temporary ban placed on the export of Ukrainian grain to a select number of countries in Eastern Europe.

The temporary measure adopted in May saw a ban placed on the imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to counter the risk of farmers in these countries being undercut by a bottleneck of cheap Ukrainian grain.

Ukraine is a major supplier of grain and has been relying on its neighbors to send exports through while it has been unable to use Black Sea routes.

While Ukraines leader Volodymyr Zelensky rejoiced in the news on Friday, his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki did not welcome the EUs decision.

We will extend this ban despite the European Unions disagreement, Prime Minister Morawiecki said, according to Polish state news agency PAP.

We will not listen to Berlin or von der Leyen, Tusk or Weber. We will do it because it is in the interests of the Polish farmer, Morawiecki continued, referring to EU leaders.

Later Friday, Polish government spokesperson, Piotr Muller announced the governments plan to immediately introduce a regulation extending the ban on Ukrainian grain imports, stressing that the measure is being taken in the interest of Polish farmers and consumers.

Hungary has also opted to retain the ban with the countrys Prime Minister Viktor Orban announcing on Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter, his plans to take matters into our own hands.

Ukrainian agricultural products destined for Africa are flooding Central European markets. The bureaucrats in Brussels are turning a blind eye to the problems of European problems of European farmers once again so Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are extending the ban on imports on a national basis, Orban stressed.

Slovakias Ministry of Agriculture announced its decision to extend the ban in a post on Facebook Friday, citing a need to safeguard Slovakias domestic market.

The decision by the three countries to apply their own measures may anger EU officials. Earlier Friday, European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis called on countries to work along the lines of the new agreement and refrain from unilateral measures on Ukrainian grain imports.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to defy EU and extend ban on Ukrainian grain imports"
(CNN)  Chinas Foreign Ministry on Friday skirted questions on the whereabouts of the countrys defense minister, amid mounting speculation the recently promoted general has been placed under investigation.

Li Shangfu, who was appointed defense minister in March, has been absent from public view for more than two weeks, fueling rumors about his fate after a series of unexplained personnel shakeups roiled the upper ranks of Chinas ruling Communist Party this summer.

The Financial Times reported late Thursday that the US government believes Li has been placed under investigation, citing American officials. The Wall Street Journal also reported Li was taken away last week by authorities for questioning, citing a person close to decision making in Beijing. Neither of the reports cite a reason for the investigation.

Asked about Lis situation at a regular news briefing Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Im not aware of the situation.

Questions over Lis whereabouts follow the unexplained disappearance of Qin Gang, who was dramatically ousted as Chinas foreign minister in late July after vanishing from public view for a month.

Qin, who was only foreign minister for seven months, has retained the position of state councillor  a senior role in Chinas cabinet which Li also holds.

On Chinese government and military websites, Li is still listed as the defense minister, state councillor and a member of the partys powerful Central Military Commission (CMC).

Lis disappearance also comes weeks after a surprise shake-up in the Chinese military. In July, the Peoples Liberation Army abruptly replaced two leaders of its Rocket Force  an elite military branch overseeing the nations arsenal of nuclear and ballistic missiles. The commander who was removed had not been seen in public for months.

CNN is attempting to reach US officials for comment.

Lis absence was also noted in the diplomatic circles. Last week, US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Li hadnt been seen in public for two weeks.

In his post, Emanuel said: President Xis cabinet lineup is now resembling Agatha Christies novel And Then There Were None. First, Foreign Minister Qin Gang goes missing, then the Rocket Force commanders go missing, and now Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen in public for two weeks. He wrote with the hashtag MysteryInBeijingBuilding.

The disappearance of two high-profile ministers in quick succession has raised questions about the governance of leader Xi Jinping, who has made Chinas political system even more opaque as he concentrates power and enforces strict party discipline.

The foreign minister and the defense minister are both externally facing interlocutors with the international community. They have been potentially removed without any explanation or any consideration for global perception, Drew Thompson, a senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, told CNN Friday.

This fuels the crisis of confidence in China. It underscores the lack of transparency and the complete opaque nature of decision making in China.

Before being promoted to defense minister, Li was head of the CMCs Equipment Development Department in charge of weapon procurement for five years from 2017. In that role, Li was sanctioned by the United States in 2018 over Chinas purchase of Russian weapons.

In late July, the Equipment Development Department issued a notice calling for public tip-offs on corrupt procurement practices dating back to 2017, which coincides with the time Li was in charge of procurement.

Li was last seen in public on August 29, when he delivered a keynote speech at the China-Africa Peace and Security Forum in Beijing.

He last traveled outside China in mid-August on a trip to Russia and Belarus. In Moscow, Li met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu and hailed the military relations between China and Russia a model of cooperation. In Minsk, he met with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.

Two weeks away from the public view is not unprecedented for Chinas defense minister, who typically has less frequent public engagements than the foreign minister.

But it has nevertheless fueled speculation, especially coming so soon on the heels of Qins disappearance and dismissal.

Last week, Li abruptly pulled out of an annual meeting with Vietnamese defense leaders along the two countries border, Reuters reported, citing Vietnamese officials. The gathering was postponed after Beijing told Hanoi days before the event that Li had a health condition, Reuters cited two officials as saying.

Vietnams defense ministry said at a press conference last month that Li would lead a Chinese delegation to attend the 8th Border Defense Friendship Exchange on September 7-8. There has been no official statement or media report from either side on whether the meeting took place.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Speculation grows over whereabouts of Chinas Defense Minister Li Shangfu"
Several months ago representatives of the tobacco industry were summoned to the Department of Health to address Ministers' concerns over single-use vapes. 'Officials told us we were targeting kids,' one attendee explained.

'They said they were worried about specific flavours. And they were considering drawing up a list of those they wanted banned. Someone asked, 'Ministers are thinking about selecting which flavours people can legally vape?' And the official replied, 'Yes.'

Just weeks later, members of the betting industry attended a separate meeting with the Gambling Commission. The commissioners had decided to introduce 'affordability checks' for vulnerable gamblers.

'We asked how they planned to determine who was and wasn't vulnerable,' a representative of the racing industry told me, 'and they said, 'Payslips. Bank accounts. Geodemographic data.' We asked what they meant by geodemographic data and they told us, 'Looking at someone's postcode and the kind of area they live in.'

Around the same time London Mayor Sadiq Khan was sitting down with a journalist from the website MyLondon to discuss his plans for extending road-charging beyond the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone.

Several months ago representatives of the tobacco industry were summoned to the Department of Health to address Ministers' concerns over single-use vapes.

Just weeks later, members of the betting industry attended a separate meeting with the Gambling Commission. The commissioners had decided to introduce 'affordability checks' for vulnerable gamblers

Around the same time London Mayor Sadiq Khan was sitting down with a journalist from the website MyLondon to discuss his plans for extending road-charging beyond the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone

'The ultimate destination is a smart road user charging scheme,' Khan revealed. 'What we want is a scheme that can treat each driver differently in relation to the time they are driving, the distance they are driving and if there are good alternatives with public transport and how polluting their vehicle is.'

A number of things connect these disparate meetings. Most obvious is the attempt to regulate and penalise what until recently were entirely legal and socially acceptable activities. Vaping was originally hailed as freeing people from the smoking curse. State-franchised gambling was introduced with much fanfare in 1994. In his 2021 election manifesto, Khan lambasted his rival Tories for attempting to extend London's congestion charge to the capital's North and South Circular Roads and boasted: 'I stood firm and stopped these.'

Another factor is the insidious nature of the proposed restrictions: creeping controls that skirt outright prohibition but trap people in an increasingly Kafkaesque labyrinth of levies and regulations.

But there is one more significant constant: how all of these regulatory interventions represent the latest front in an undeclared but increasingly merciless war on working-class Britain.

Take vaping. A 2022 survey found 9.5 per cent of those classified in social classes C2DE were vapers, compared to 7.3 per cent of those in class ABC1. A separate survey found those within the lowest social class E were twice as likely to vape as those in category AB.

Gambling? Though 46 per cent of people bet annually, the figure is 50 per cent among working classes. Excluding the National Lottery, betting is highest among the middling third quartile of the The Index of Multiple Deprivation measure (which looks at income, employment, education, health, crime, housing and environment). In the North East, 60 per cent of adults have an annual flutter. In London, it's 44 per cent.

'The ultimate destination is a smart road user charging scheme,' Khan revealed. 'What we want is a scheme that can treat each driver differently in relation to the time they are driving, the distance they are driving and if there are good alternatives with public transport and how polluting their vehicle is'

Inevitably, these punitive attacks are framed as a benign paternalism. 'Smoking, problem gambling and air pollution disproportionately affect poorer communities and we cannot just stand back', we are told

The extent to which ULEZ represents a regressive assault on workers in no longer even politically contested. Speaking at last week's TUC conference  not exactly a hotbed of neo-conservative insurgency  GMB union general secretary Gary Smith declared candidly: 'I listen to delivery drivers; to others doing deliveries in city centres; to people on shifts; to NHS care workers  and many of them are concerned that ULEZ and the way it's been introduced could put extra financial burden on them.'

It doesn't matter whether it is politicians from the Left or Right. Wherever the dead regulatory hand falls, it is invariably working people who are pinned beneath it.

Inevitably, these punitive attacks are framed as a benign paternalism. 'Smoking, problem gambling and air pollution disproportionately affect poorer communities and we cannot just stand back', we are told.

Correct. So why not engage with those communities, rather than talk down at them? Before deploying the tax and regulatory systems to punch down on them.

There are two disturbing assumptions underpinning the renewed zeal with which our governing class is pursuing its current brand of Missionary Politics.

The first is that simply informing working class communities about the health and social risks facing them is insufficient. They are  and let's be blunt  deemed too stupid to understand.

The second is that even if they do understand, they cannot be trusted to take decisions in their best interests. Or  and let's be equally blunt  what middle-class politicians, regulators and academics have decided is in their best interests. Either way, the strategy is clear. 'We must save the workers from themselves.' The problem is those pesky workers are starting to wise up.

Take the backlash against ULEZ. Just as Khan was putting the finishing touches to extending the zone, a report was published by Greenpeace showing the UK had become the busiest private jet destination in Europe.

In 2022, the number of private jets taking off from this country had increased by 75 per cent  more than 90,000 flights pumping out half a million tons of CO2.

The working classes are not Neanderthals. They have no greater desire than anyone else to see their planet burn or their children choked to death by pollution. But they're no longer going to be taken for mugs either. They won't accept further lectures on how they must ditch their 2005 Honda Civic to save the environment, while Gulfstream jets swoop overhead.

Working Britain has had enough of paying endlessly to subsidise the puritanical fashions and fancies of Oxbridge-educated Ministers, think-tank gurus and do-gooders.

In 2021, the opinion pollsters Public First conducted a focus group on behalf of the Betting and Gaming Council on the attitude of gamblers to proposed regulation. One respondent from Doncaster said: 'I like betting, it's part of my week. I work hard, and at the end of the week, yeah, I might spend more than I should on betting and drinking, but so what? It's my money.'

In 2022, the number of private jets taking off from this country had increased by 75 per cent  more than 90,000 flights pumping out half a million tons of CO2

Last week, Ministers conceded nationalising the flavour of vapes was unworkable. Instead, they banned cheap, disposable vapes completely. Then presumably sat back, lit a cigar, and congratulated themselves on a job well done

We hear a lot about the dangerous estrangement between those who govern and the governed. How discontent with politicians festers and begins to eat away at the timbers supporting our democracy.

Well, this is where it comes from.

Working people know full well what 'financial vulnerability checks' mean. It means pricing them out of a pastime they enjoy.

They know what a 'smart road user charging scheme' is really all about. It's about forcing them off the roads and on to a creaking public transport system, so that driving can become the preserve of a wealthy elite.

They understand that whenever a new 'progressive policy' is unveiled, they'll be the ones footing the bill.

Where is a White Paper proposing a crackdown on Chelsea Tractors? Or the concerted Ministerial push on white-collar cocaine abuse?

Nowhere. Because our political class has no interest in regulating or penalising itself. And Britain's working classes recognise it. They can see how the same government that is pledging to push ahead with plans to combat the social evils of soft drinks and fast food has quietly shelved its proposed ban on the importation of furs and foie gras.

Last week, Ministers conceded nationalising the flavour of vapes was unworkable. Instead, they banned cheap, disposable vapes completely. Then presumably sat back, lit a cigar, and congratulated themselves on a job well done.
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.

CHRIS PHILP: Shoplifting is not a 'minor' or 'low-level' crime . That's why I want to see a zero-tolerance approach from police

CHRIS PHILP: That is why I have supported the work of Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, on Project Pegasus

READ MORE: UK's shoplifting capitals: Interactive map reveals the places where light-fingered locals are ransacking stores the worst - so how bad is YOUR area? Cleveland tops the table as the place with the most number of shoplifting crimes in the past five years per 1,000 people Advertisement

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.

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.
In a BBC interview, Angela Rayner likened herself to fellow 'ginger northerner' Barbara Castle

In a BBC interview, Angela Rayner likened herself to fellow 'ginger northerner' Barbara Castle.

The formidable Baroness Castle overcame the endemic sexism of the 1960s and 1970s to run four major ministries for Labour.

She is profiled in Michael Cockerell's excellent documentary The Red Queen tonight on BBC4 at 10pm.

The principled and outspoken Castle once said: 'Women do have a terrible time in politics because we are supposed to always look nice.

'But what you need in politics, more than anything else, is a fighting outlook and a killer instinct.' Wise words  even if Rayner flatters herself with the comparison.

Baby-faced MP seeks wisdom

Keir Mather, the baby-faced Oxford grad who won the Selby and Ainsty by-election in July at the tender age of 25, is hiring. He insists his staff have at least a year of political experience  making them more experienced than him.

Keir Mather, the baby-faced Oxford grad who won the Selby and Ainsty by-election in July at the tender age of 25, is hiring

PS: Theresa May, who became an MP at the wise age of 40, said when promoting her new book, The Abuse Of Power: 'I always say people who are interested in becoming an MP do something else first to get some wider experience of a different walk of life.' So what was May's horny-handed, working-class job before Parliament? Er, she worked as a financial consultant. Talk about wider experience!

Brainwave of the week: Ex-Sky News chief John Ryley recommends we kick the minor parties off the leaders' debates ahead of the next election. 'Does the electoral performance of the Lib Dems over the past ten years justify taking part?' he asks. 'No. Are the SNP able to nominate a UK prime minister? No.' Instead, he argues, let Rishi Sunak go mano a mano against Keir Starmer. I hope TV bosses are listening.

Gyles Brandreth, once Tory MP for Chester, hopes the family name is still popular in his old stomping ground: his daughter Aphra is shortlisted to be a candidate in the new constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury. Brandreth recalls campaigning for her in a South London council by-election. When he told a voter that he was the candidate's father, the cheeky response came back: 'Are you sure she's your daughter?'

Gyles Brandreth, once Tory MP for Chester, hopes the family name is still popular in his old stomping ground: his daughter Aphra is shortlisted to be a candidate in the new constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury

'If you'd been travelling around the country during the early summer of 2016, the [Brexit] referendum result was not a surprise,' says Laura Kuenssberg. 'But for the political establishment, for the institutions that wield power in this country, it was an incredible shock.'

Might one of those power-wielding institutions have been the BBC, which miserably failed to grasp the public's Euroscepticism? It might.

Which makes me wonder: who on earth was Auntie's political editor at the time?
A new crime documentary has laid bare the gruesome true story of a 29-year-old woman who was brutally murdered with an axe as her daughter slept in the room next door.

Cathleen Krauseneck's lifeless body was discovered in bed at her family home in Rochester, New York, in 1982.

She was found laying under blood-soaked sheets with the weapon still lodged in her head.

But it would be 40 years before police charged her then-husband with murder - despite another man confessing to the crime.

Here, FEMAIL has laid bare the disturbing realities surrounding the case after an episode of 48 Hours explored The Brighton Ax Murder.

Cathleen Krauseneck's lifeless body was discovered in bed at her family home in Rochester, New York, in 1982

The mom-of-one was found laying under blood-soaked sheets with the ax (pictured) still lodged in her head

But it would be 40 years before police charged her then-husband Jim with murder - despite another man confessing to the crime

Cathleen and Jim, who had grown up in the same mall town of Mount Clemens, Michigan, met in high school and began dating in college.

They tied the knot shortly after graduation and welcomed daughter Sarah four years later as their relationship appeared to go from strength-to-strength.

The family-of-three moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, where Jim taught economics at Lynchburg College.

They eventually decided to settle down in Brighton - an upscale suburb of Rochester - in September 1981, but just five months later Cathleen was mercilessly killed.

Jim, who had secured a new job as an economist at Kodak, said he arrived home from the office to a chilling scene.

He entered the property and went upstairs to find his wife's dead body in their blood-soaked bed with an ax embedded in her skull.

She had been struck by a single blow with the medical examiner at the time claiming she 'died instantly' between the hours of 4:30am and 7:30am.

'It was one of the most horrific crimes that we've seen in Rochester,' according to DA Sandra Doorley.

Cathleen and Jim, who had grown up in the same mall town of Mount Clemens, Michigan, met in high school and began dating in college

Detectives arrived to find a scene that had all the signs of a burglary at first glance - including a broken pane of glass in the back door and another ax leaning up against the wall outside

There was also a black bin liner, tray of silverware and the contents of Cathleen's purse scattered across the living room floor

The couple's three-year-old daughter, who was in the house the entire time, had been left unharmed.

Jim ran over to a nearby house 'clutching Sarah in his arms' and with 'a look of terror on his face' before the neighbor frantically called the police.

Detectives arrived to find a scene that had all the signs of a burglary at first glance - including a broken pane of glass in the back door and another ax leaning up against the wall outside.

Both axes involved in the crime belonged to the Krausenecks.

There was also a black bin liner, tray of silverware and the contents of Cathleen's purse scattered across the living room floor - but police said that nothing had been taken and quickly decided that it had been staged.

Jim became a suspect 'within 24 hours' as mounting evidence appeared to stack up against him.

Detectives believed the couple had been having marriage woes after finding a pamphlet in the couple's car that offered services including 'marriage counseling and sex therapy.'

Police also visited Jim's work where they discovered that he had secured his job under false pretenses by pretending to have a PhD - despite never completing the course.

The couple's three-year-old daughter Sarah, who was in the house the entire time, had been left unharmed

Jim, who had secured a new job as an economist at Kodak, said he arrived home from the office to a chilling scene

In 2014, career criminal Edward Laraby - described as a 'terrible human being' and a 'psychopath' - had contacted the FBI claiming he was a serial killer

He had initially been cooperative with authorities during questioning but, less than a day after discovering his wife's body, went to Michigan with his parents and daughter.

Police continued their questioning from his new location where Jim agreed to provide hair and blood samples.

But 10 days after Cathleen's death he decided to hire a lawyer.

Despite their suspicions, detectives did not have enough evidence to take the case further and Jim relocated with Sarah.

Jim, then 71, was found guilty of second-degree murder

He wed twice more before tying the knot with current wife Sharon, who had been an old friend, in 1999.

The case went cold for more than three decades before detectives decided to reopen the investigation in 2015.

They began by retesting evidence in light of new technological advances - but there was still no DNA evidence that tied Jim, nor anyone else, to the murder.

Detectives also brought in a new expert who concluded that the actual time of death was 3:30am - hours before Jim said he had left the house for work.

In light of the new development, Jim was indicted in November 2019 despite another man already 'confessing' to Cathleen's murder.

In 2014, career criminal Edward Laraby - described as a 'terrible human being' and a 'psychopath' - had contacted the FBI claiming he was a serial killer.

He listed the names of his supposed victims which included Cathleen, whom he had lived near at the time of her death.

Laraby, who was imprisoned for 32 years on charges that included robbery, rape and attempted murder, had been questioned once by police at the time of the murder, but authorities did not take their investigation into him further.

Detectives said that his confession made decades later 'did not match up to the facts' and so it was dismissed.

He was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars - but died in prison just six months later of cancer

Wife Sharon (center) and daughter Sarah (right), along with Jim's legal team, are now appealing the verdict in an effort to clear his name following his death

Authorities pushed ahead with Jim's case and he appeared in court in September 2022 with daughter Sarah standing by him throughout.

The jury took just 10 hours to deliberate and reached the verdict that Jim, then 71, was guilty of second-degree murder.

He was sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars the following month - more than 40 years after Cathleen's murder.

Jim died in prison just six months later of cancer.

Wife Sharon and daughter Sarah have continued to stand by him, describing him as a 'decent, loving human being' and insisting 'there is no way Jim would ever, ever have done anything like that.'

The duo, along with Jim's legal team, are now appealing the verdict in an effort to clear his name.
Prince Harry hugged the daughter Ukrainian war hero who was captured and tortured by Russian forces for 12 weeks at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, gave Anna-Sofia Puzanova, daughter of Yuliia Paievska, a warm embrace during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany, yesterday.

The volunteer paramedic Yuliia, who won bronze for Ukraine at the Invictus Games, was kidnapped by Russian soldiers in March 2022 while she was heading to treat injured members of public after a bomb attack on a theatre in Mariupol.

While she was detained, her then 19-year-old daughter Anna-Sofia competed in her place in archery at the Invictus Games, winning a bronze medal.

The young woman, 20, also raised her mother's plight with the board of Invictus Games, which led to a phone call from Prince Harry upon her mother's release.

Prince Harry hugged Anna-Sofia Puzanova - the daughter Ukrainian war hero who was captured and tortured by Russian forces for 12 weeks at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany yesterday

Anna-Sofia 20, raised her mother's plight with the board of Invictus Games, which led to a phone call from Prince Harry upon her mother's release

The 53-year-old, who was tortured by Russian forces for three months, says a phone call from Prince Harry after her release inspired her to 'continue fighting' for her country.

Anna-Sofia said Harry knew about the situation with her mother and the pair showed her 'a lot of support'.

Yuliia previously described being interrogated and being told lies that Ukraine had been eradicated in the invasion The Telegraph reported.

Ms Paievska, a member of Ukraine's team for the Invictus Games, received a phone call from the Duke of Sussex one week after she was released by her captors. She said he spoke 'strongly and sincerely' about the conflict in Ukraine.

'He simply inspired me to continue to fight,' said Ms Paievska. 'He said that he supports Ukraine and all of us.'

Despite the trauma of her captivity, Ms Paievska says she is determined to carry on assisting Ukraine as it defends itself from continued Russian aggression.

She initially retrained as a paramedic in 2014 to help as tensions arose in the eastern Donbas region and founded Tayra's Angels, the volunteer ambulance corps.

Within her home country, Ms Paievska has risen to fame after treating 500 Ukrainian soldiers in the Dombas as well as training 8,000 people in tactical medicine.

The Duchess was pictured at the Dusseldorf hotel walking alongside Yuliia (nicknamed 'Taira') as they attended a friends and family reception on the second evening of the week-long event

She and a colleague were driving an ambulance through an humanitarian corridor in Mariupol on March 16 when they were ambushed by Russian troops, who considered her a high profile target.

Ms Paievska soon found herself in solitary confinement with just half a glass of water to drink each day and no treatment for her thyroid and asthma conditions. She was later moved into a women's cell measuring 10ft by 20ft, where she says the captives were routinely beaten and tortured with electricity.

She said: 'I had absolutely no information about what was happening in the outside world, I didn't even know if my family was alive or if my house had survived because the Russians were already in Kyiv when we left.'

Ms Paievska added: 'I am very grateful to Prince Harry because it was after the Invictus Games... that the Russians stopped interrogating and torturing me. I think spreading the word to the whole world influenced their decision to trade me in a prisoner exchange.'

The Duke of Sussex , 39, gave Anna-Sofia, daughter of Yuliia Paievska, a warm embrace during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games

Anna-Sofia said Harry knew about the situation with her mother and the pair showed her 'a lot of support'

While her mother was detained, Anna-Sofia competed in her place in archery at the Invictus Games last year winning a bronze medal (pictured this year at the Invictus Games)

It comes after Meghan, 42, shared a sweet moment with Yuliia at her first Invictus Games event on Wednesday.

The Duchess was pictured at the Dusseldorf hotel walking alongside Yuliia (nicknamed 'Taira') as they attended a friends and family reception on the second evening of the week-long event.

The pair looked like old friends as Taira took Meghan's wrist with her hand and they both beamed as the Duke of Sussex walked alongside them.

Taira, a mother-of-one, tells her heartbreaking story in the fifth and final episode of Harry's Netflix series, Heart of Invictus - and credits the tournament for helping to secure her release.

Ms Paievska began working on the Ukrainian frontline in 2014. She was later injured during an evacuation operation.

'Seven years on the front, I have titanium joints in my legs, my backbone suffers, and I've been having these traumas for a long time,' she told the Netflix documentary, adding that test results revealed she had suffered two heart attacks. Her medical condition forced her reconsider her role as a paramedic.

She said she first heard about the Invictus Games while she was in hospital after on of her surgeries.

Volunteer paramedic Yulia was kidnapped by Russian soldiers in March while she was heading to treat injured members of public after a bomb attack on a theatre in Mariupol

Ms Paievska, a member of Ukraine's team for the Invictus Games (pictured here at a training event) received a phone call from the Duke of Sussex a week after she was released by her captors

Prince Harry and Meghan presented Yuliia with a medal at the Swimming Ceremony at Invictus Games

Appearing in the fifth episode of Heart of Invictus, which landed on streaming giant Netflix last month, Taira recalled some of her horrific experience at the hands of Russian forces and emphasised the importance of the Invictus Games in improving the lives of veterans.

She said: 'It was a period when I was sure that I would be killed or die from torture.

'About one month before I was released, they stopped hitting me, and that was when the Invictus Games started.

'The Invictus Games shared my story with the whole world. [Russian troops] realised they couldn't keep me captured anymore.'

Taira's daughter, Ana-Sofia, also speaks in the documentary about her mother's capture and eventual return.

She recalled barely recognising Taira when she was released by Russian forces, saying she looked 'like a skinny boy'.

'I hear her voice, and I realise this is my mum,; Ana-Sofia recalled.

'We were all standing in silence for a couple of minutes, hugging each other.'
Trewley Precious from Essex walked to the shops without any shoes on

A British influencer has revealed the reason why she loves living in her council estate.

Trewley-Precious Sunshine, 23, from Essex, took to TikTok to show her viewers how easygoing her estate is.

The YouTube star explained that as no one cares what you look like on the estate, she is free to stroll about as she pleases.

In the video, Trewley-Precious (pronounced Truly) walked to the shops in her dressing gown with no shoes on, while she had hair rollers and eyebrow tint on.

Viewers have flocked to the comment section to show support, and one considered the judgement-free aspect of council estates to be a reason why they 'love being British'.

Trewley Precious Sunshine (pictured) took to TikTok to explain that she loves living in a council estate as no one judges her

In the video, Trewley, who also starred in the first series of Tempting Fortunes on Channel 4, shared her thoughts while running to the shops.

She explained that she loves living on her estate because no one cares what you look like.

She said: 'I've got rollers in my hair, I've got tint on my eyebrows... I've got no shoes on, and my dressing gown cord doesn't match my dressing gown.'

She added: 'And I'm still going to walk with confidence into the shop, and say "Hi, what's happening?"'

During Trewley's walk to the shop, she continued to greet members of the public who passed her on her way.

Soon after, she reached the shop and purchased the items she required.

However, the influencer did have a slight concern over the work vans parked in the area and hoped they weren't filled with people.

But she concluded that she didn't care anyway, as she'd 'still walk past them and say: "Hi boys, you alright?'"

The YouTube star walked to the shops in her dressing gown without any shoes on- but claimed people do not care

Many viewers took to the comment section and agreed with Trewley's thoughts. One said: 'Nothing beats a council estate! Love being British.'

A second person added: 'Dressing gown is an essential when going out.'

A third said: 'Best times of my life was living on a council estate.'

A fourth added: 'I love going [to the] shop in pjs.'

It comes after Trewley-Precious revealed her family members' unusual names - much to the amusement of her followers.

While Trewley-Precious might seem unique enough, her siblings also share equally uncommon names.

In a previous video a viewer asked: 'I love your name, does your siblings all have similar names?'

Viewers took to the comment section to share their thoughts on the clip, and many loved Trewley's attire

After thanking the user, she said: 'Starting off with me you know, the prettiest and the youngest, my name is Trewley-Precious.'

Trewley- Precious then turned the camera to her sister, who shared her name: 'Honey Peaches Amba.'

Next, another sister took to the screen.

When asked her name, she said: 'Ruby Anne Ysobella.'

Ruby Anne explained: '[Ysobella] spelt with a Y and O, not an A.'

After Trewley-Precious asked a third sister her name, who revealed it was 'Pearly Girl.'
The Coronation Chairs auction will take place globally online via The Collector

Chairs that were used at King Charles' coronation have been put up for auction by Christie's.

In a bid to raise funds for Emmaus UK, Safelives, The Prince's Trust, and The Prince's Foundation, the famous auction house is selling off six Coronation chairs across London, Paris, and New York.

The deep royal seats with velvet features are expected to fetch between 2,000 to 4,000 per pair.

Specially commissioned by King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 76, the Coronation Chairs seated members of the royal family and dignitaries during the special occasion.

However, bidders are totally unaware of who the chair belonged to on the day.

British auction house Christie's has listed six pairs of chairs (pictured) from King Charles III's Coronation

The upcoming auction will take place for a global audience through The Collector from October 13 to November 3.

Designed and created by the Rugby-based cabinetmaker N.E.J Stevenson in collaboration with The Snowdon School of Furniture, one hundred luxury chairs were made for the coronation.

The chairs boast plush blue velvet cushioning and sustainably sourced British oak, while the upholstery of the chairs has been completed by the Royal Household Upholstery team in Frogmore.

The team strived to follow the long-held tradition of seats designed for each ceremony throughout the 20th century and, like Queen Elizabeth II's coronation chairs they feature a Royal Cypher set against royal blue velvet.

Proceeds from the chairs will be split equally between the four charities: Emmaus UK, Safelives, The Prince's Trust, and The Prince's Foundation.

It comes shortly after three of Princess Diana's gowns sold at auction for 1.3 million  shattering their expected sale prices.

A red Bruce Oldfield silk gown which was worn by the Princess to the Hot Shots film premiere in 1991 had a minimum estimated sale price of $200,000 (160,450) but was earlier this month for $571,500 (458,480).

A custom-made black velvet and ivory Catherine Walker dress she wore to a private event sold for $508,000 (407,540)  more than eight times its lower estimate of $60,000 (48,130).

Proceeds from the auction will be split equally between four charities: Emmaus UK, Safelives, The Prince's Trust , and The Prince's Foundation

The chairs (pictured at the Coronation) are up for sale - it is not known who sat in the chairs

The same designer's black and jade gown, which Diana wore to a gala in Canada in 1991, had a minimum estimate of $100,000 (80,220) but also went for $571,500.

Julien's Auctions, in Beverly Hills, California, sold the gowns as part of its Legends: Hollywood & Royalty auction.

Martin Nolan, the auction house's executive director, said: 'Our record-breaking sale of these gowns exceeded all expectations.'

The dresses were originally bought by Ellen Petho, an American businesswoman who paid $150,000 for five of Princess Diana's dresses at a Christie's auction in New York in June 1997, using money she had saved to buy a house.

The gowns had been donated by Princess Diana to raise money for charity, two months before her death.

Mrs Petho, who died in January aged 82, also raised more than 1 million for charity by putting the dresses on display in the US.

Her daughter, Karrie, 60, told the Mail: 'Our mother read the inscription inside [the auction catalogue] about Prince William telling his mother that the dresses shouldn't sit in her closet; that they should be out in the world and doing good.

'I think that's what inspired her.'

Mrs Petho's widower, Louis, 83, sold the gowns on Friday to help raise money for a scholarship fund for mature art and design students.
Noah spent five months in the NICU where he fought for his life

WARNING: This story contains images and information about infant loss and stillbirth that may be distressing for some

Little Noah celebrated his first birthday in May this year. It should have been in mid-September. But there were moments when his parents wondered if he would make it at all.

His mother, Sarah Girvan, gave birth to him at just 24 weeks, three days after she started having contractions.

Sarah and her fiance Brad, 38, were terrified their baby would die, after losing their first son, Baby G, who was stillborn at 21 weeks.

And his first year wasn't easy.

Speaking to FEMAIL Sarah, 37, from Perth, explained the one-year-old boy spent his first five months fighting for his life in hospital.

He also lost his hand due to surgical complications but according to his doting mum and dad is now a 'lovely, social and smart' child who is developing at a typical rate.

Sarah said everything changed for their family one Saturday night 23 weeks into the second 'miracle' pregnancy when she felt an 'odd' sensation.

At first she didn't think much of it.

Sarah (right) and Brad Girvan (left) celebrated their son Noah's first birthday in May, as he was born at 24 weeks however it should not have been until September 7

Then things intensified so she called the hospital who said there was nothing to be alarmed about but the pain continued - Sarah was having contractions.

'It was happening a lot and as the night went on, I started timing them and they weren't stopping,' she said.

The mum went to the hospital where they monitored her overnight but when a midwife who knew Sarah's history came into her room the next morning things took a turn.

'She looked at me and said, 'Sarah you are not supposed to be here', so she called an ambulance to take me to King Edwards Hospital,' she recalled.

'While she was there I had a bit of a bleed. I started crying thinking 'oh f***, this is actually a thing'.'

After being admitted, Sarah was given medication to stop the baby from coming and speed up his lung maturity so he could breathe on the outside. He held on for three days, cracking the 24-week mark.

'One night at midnight I went to the bathroom and started bleeding. I felt a big twist in my belly.

Noah was born at 24 weeks and one day weighing in at just 688 grams and he was wheeled off to the neonatal intensive care unit where he was intubated to help him breathe

The twist was the baby flipping from his head onto his feet making a natural vaginal birth impossible and Sarah was wheeled into theatre to have a c-section.

'I thought smaller baby, smaller cut but actually it's smaller baby, harder to find, so they cut more,' she said.

'He actually cried when he was pulled out which is phenomenal. I heard him and I was like, 'Oh my god', I didn't really expect him to be breathing realistically.'

Noah was born at 24 weeks and one day weighing in at just 688 grams and he was wheeled off to the neonatal intensive care unit where he was intubated to help him breathe.

After she recovered from the agonising cesarean where her pain relief was minimal due to her allergy to morphine, Sarah was able to see Noah for the first time a few hours later.

'It was odd, he didn't really look a baby yet. It was really surreal. He couldn't open his eyes, everything was still not ready to be out,' she said.

The parents had a few days where they could celebrate that Noah was alive and doing the best he could be doing.

'He was holding his own for three or four days. He was doing phenomenally so I think I said to Brad, 'He doesn't have any issues, his only issue is that he's small. He might be okay',' Sarah said.

After she recovered from the agonising cesarean where her pain relief was minimal due to her allergy to morphine, Sarah was able to see Noah for the first time a few hours later

'We were prepping ourselves for five months of being in NICU and we thought if this is it, this is okay,' Brad said.

One week later, Noah's condition started to deteriorate and doctors started testing looking for a reason his tiny body was going into failure.

'They told us, 'We can see there's air in his tummy where it shouldn't be so something's perforated. We don't know the extent of it yet',' Sarah recalled.

While King Edwards hospital is equipped to handle premature babies of Noah's age, he would have to be transported to be seen by surgical specialists at Perth Children's Hospital just under 3km away.

'He was stable enough at that very moment to transport him so they did and that call probably saved his life and that PCH was so close,' Sarah said.

Doctors had to do surgery on Noah to find out what was happening inside his body.

'They said if we don't do anything he will die. You either do something and he has a 50 per cent chance of surviving or you don't do something and he has a 100 per cent chance of dying,' Sarah said.

Noah's condition became so dire, he was unable to even be transported to the surgical theatre so hospital staff shut down the ward to operate on him.

'He was too sick to move even within the same hospital. Then people just started arriving, I swear there were 30 people. Two of everything, there were people monitoring every little thing,' Sarah said.

Noah's condition became so dire, he was unable to even be transported to the surgical theatre so hospital staff shut down the ward to operate on him. He survived the surgery

'It was Friday night too, these people were supposed to go home but they closed the ward so even other parents couldn't go in and see their kids while they were operating on Noah.'

Friends came to support Sarah and Brad during the agonising hours during which they didn't not know what their baby's fate would be.

'We looked at each other after an hour as we hadn't been called so we knew they were doing something. Something is happening,' Sarah recalled.

'The more time that went the more comfortable we got. If they were still in there, they were actually doing something,' Brad added.

After three hours, they found out Noah had survived the operation and was stable.

His bowel had twisted and part of it died but when doctors removed it, he suffered a 'life threatening bleed'.

'They didn't want to touch anything else, so sealed off the bowel and left him to let things heal up,' Sarah said.

'He was so drugged, he was asleep but it was just so good to see him alive. He had his stomach with gauze coming out but he was better,' Brad said.

The relief the parents felt that their baby was going to survive was indescribable after having lost their first child in August of 2020.

The relief the parents felt that their baby was going to live was indescribable after having lost their first child in August of 2020

Sarah and Brads' dream for a family was one big step closer to a reality when she fell pregnant in March of 2020, just six months after the couple got together.

The pair got to testing for genetic conditions straight away and opted for a reproductive genetic carrier screening, called Mackenzie's Mission that can detect up to 1,000 different diseases and syndromes.

As Covid was putting pressure on the health system, they were unable to do the comprehensive test so instead opted for the Beacon expanded reproductive carrier screen which tested for 600.

All results came back normal and Sarah's pregnancy was ticking along smoothly.

She was having to get fortnightly scans but it was at the 16-week mark, Sarah's OB-GYN spotted some abnormalities.

'I was in my world thinking everything would be fine because we had tested everything and then she started noticing that things were wrong with the baby and she wasn't hiding it,' Sarah said.

The baby's jaw wasn't forming properly, he wasn't growing at a normal rate, he had clubbed feet and a horseshoe kidney where the organs fuse at the base.

The next four weeks were a haze of tests and scans many of which came back saying the baby was in good health - but Sarah knew in her gut that wasn't the case.

At around 20 weeks, doctors spotted severe abnormalities on the baby's brain and the parents were faced with an impossible decision whether or not to continue the pregnancy with a baby whose body was not fit for living.

'She said she found something in the brain and this baby isn't going to have the life that you want it to have,' Sarah said through tears.

'We didn't have any results at that point but we knew enough that it wasn't going to be okay.'

A termination was recommended and approved however because Sarah was past the 20-week mark, she would have to give birth.

'I remember praying for a miscarriage because I just wished it would happen naturally and we didn't have to make these decisions. I just didn't want to be responsible for this,' she said.

Sarah and Brad's first child Baby G was a stillborn as he had a fatal condition known as TARP Syndrome. Baby G was cleaned and dressed so the parents could spend time with him and take time to grieve

Sarah was taken to King Edward Memorial Hospital where she was given medication to put her into early labour.

After 12 hours, Sarah gave birth to Baby G, a stillborn who weighed a tiny 400 grams.

Baby G was cleaned and dressed so the parents could spend time with their first born and take time to grieve.

'Brad and I chose to go and see him a few times. Quite a lot actually. That was important for our grieving process,' she said.

'It's a s*** situation but I think we grieved really well. By the end we were even making jokes with him.'

A week after Baby G's passing, Sarah and Brad found out the results of his genetic testing.

It showed Sarah was a carrier of condition called TARP syndrome, an invariably fatal defect that will affect 50 per cent of the male babies Sarah would conceive.

Baby G's TARP syndrome would have been picked up earlier had the parents been able to have the Mackenzie's Mission test however the bittersweet news still came as a strange 'relief'.

'Not that we didn't make the right decision because it was the right decision for us, but you can't help but think, what if it had been okay?' she said.

They fell pregnant with Noah in January of 2022. As TARP Syndrome only affects male babies, the news they were having a boy was bittersweet but Noah was thankfully unaffected

'This confirmed we had made the right decision and it gave me hope we could avoid it in the future.'

Sarah and Brad fell pregnant again with Noah naturally after trying IVF for nine months in January of last year but their celebrations were cut short a 10 weeks later when they found out they were having a boy.

It was a tense waiting game until the 18-week mark when doctors were able to test for TARP syndrome. The tests came back negative.

'We finally let ourselves get excited. I went nuts buying stuff on marketplace, I got everything in a week. We can do the baby room now,' Sarah said.

After Noah's terrifying surgery, the parents were hopeful, they would be able to put their baby room to use.

During the surgery, Noah got a clot in his left arm where is arterial line was.

'The doctor was quite open and honest saying your baby is probably going to lose his arm. They couldn't work around that clot,' Brad said.

'They tried to treat it with different options then the hand just got more bruised then darker and darker and slowly started to die and wither away which was pretty horrible to see.'

Complications during surgery saw Noah get a blood clot in his arm. They tried to save it, but the hand slowly self amputated while horrible meant he did not require another operation

From the surgery in May until August, Noah's hand slowly self amputated which, while awful, meant he didn't need another surgery.

During that time Noah was transferred back to King Edwards hospital where he was gaining healthy weight, breathing on his own and even breastfeeding.

41 weeks after Sarah got pregnant, days after her initial September 7 due date, she and Brad were finally able to take their baby home.

'We were used to him because we had been handling him for so long  we were there every day for long periods and cuddling him and doing everything with him,' Sarah said.

'We were like what every parent is like being a total hypochondriac bringing a baby home. They're super susceptible to everything so you're worried already then it's amplified with a premmie baby but we were just happy we were home,' Brad said.

The most challenging aspect was Noah's stoma which he had as a result of his failing bowel, as it took two people to change it and cause the baby some discomfort.

'It took one to hold him down and one to change it,' Sarah said.

'It was a hard slog while he had the stoma because we never got more than two or three hours sleep. You still had to get up and not just feed him but turn all the lights on and do a full change,' Brad said.

'His skin became so raw, it was tough for Noah and you just don't want to do that to your child.'

41 weeks after Sarah got pregnant, days after her initial September 7 due date, she and Brad were finally able to take their baby home

He is not yet crawling because of his hand and has a few shortfalls from not being able to spend any time on his tummy due to the stoma but the parents say he's doing 'amazingly'

The stoma was removed when Noah was six months old which was a 'turning point' as he started to grow and develop at a 'normal rate'.

He is not yet crawling because of his hand and has a few shortfalls from not being able to spend any time on his tummy due to the stoma but the parents say he's doing 'amazingly'.

'He's such a lovely child. He's very social, smart, such a flirt, smiles with everyone and puts it on,' Sarah said.

Looking back Sarah and Brad are thankful to the staff who fought to save Noah's life.

The family are the poster children for a petition against the decision to build the new Women and Babies Hospital at Fiona Stanley hospital, almost 20km away from King Edwards.

'That's the big hospital south of the river but there is no children's hospital there so if there are any problems with the babies they then have the transfer from that hospital to the children's which will be 20km away instead of 3km,' Brad said.

Noah would not have survived a 20km journey between the King Edward's and the children's hospital when he needed his life-saving surgery.

'The reason behind the decision doesn't matter to us...whatever it is, isn't enough for Noah to die,' Sarah said.

For miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support contact SANDS.
When Chloe Spitalnic started experiencing stomach pain on-and-off for five days she put it down to food intolerances.

But little did she know this 'vague' and 'minor' symptom was a warning sign of something far more sinister.

At just 22, Chloe, from Melbourne, was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer and had three tumours growing on her ovary.

'I instantly feared for my life,' Chloe, now 25, told FEMAIL.

'I was at home lying on my bed when the doctor called me and told me the news. I couldn't stop crying and freaked out.'

Chloe Spitalnic was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer at 22 'out of the blue'. She described the ordeal as 'traumatic'

Before the diagnosis in August 2020, Victoria was in a strict Covid lockdown and Chloe has just started a Master's degree.

At the time she was 'fit and healthy' and enjoyed going out with friends. She also has lactose and fructose intolerance which is why she dismissed the stomach pain at first.

'The pain came and disappeared from time to time. I didn't think it was anything serious and thought maybe it was just my stomach acting up. I complained to my family about it,' Chloe recalled.

'But then it turned into quite a sharp pain and it even hurt to breathe or move around. My mum and sister urged me to see a doctor.'

Due to Covid she had a Telehealth appointment followed by a face-to-face appointment. Unfortunately her regular GP was on maternity leave so she arranged to see another doctor.

At the clinic the physician felt around her stomach and recommended having an ultrasound the next morning, which Chloe did and thought 'nothing of it'.

That afternoon on August 12 she received a call from the doctor to discuss her ultrasound results.

'When she called she asked if anyone was with me, and my dad was in the other room but I still didn't think it was anything major,' Chloe said.

'I remember lying in bed with my phone on speaker. She told me I have three large cysts on my ovary, which they believed were cancerous.

'I started sobbing instantly. I went to my dad and handed him the phone to talk to the doctor. She told him and he hung up on her in disbelief. He thought it was nonsense and wanted to get a second opinion.'

Turns out the three cysts turned out to be cancerous tumours and she was diagnosed after surgery.

What is ovarian cancer and what are the symptoms? Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumour in one or both ovaries. The ovaries are made up of three main kinds of cells  epithelial cells, stromal cells and germ cells. Each of these cells can develop into a different type of tumour. The average age of women when they are diagnosed with ovarian cancer is age 64. It is mainly diagnosed in women over the age of 50; however, there are cases diagnosed in younger women. There are often no obvious signs of ovarian cancer, but symptoms can include: abdominal bloating

difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

frequent or urgent urination

back, abdominal or pelvic pain

constipation or diarrhoea

menstrual irregularities

tiredness/fatigue

indigestion

pain during intercourse

unexplained weight loss or weight gain Pap smears do not detect ovarian cancer and there is no routine test Advertisement

Rather than waiting to secure a gynaecologist appointment - which could take weeks - the doctor urged Chloe to go to the emergency immediately room for further testing.

Chloe then spent a gruelling 15 hours from 10am Thursday until 1am Friday in the ER by herself getting checked by doctors.

During that time she had further blood tests, an ultrasound and saw a gynaecologist.

'It was a whirlwind. I just wanted to crumble up and hide away. The doctors were moving so quickly and didn't tell me everything that was happening. I gave all my trust to the healthcare system.

'No one gave me any clarity on what was happening, I was just sitting there crying and my mum had to drop off a backpack filled with stuff. I was fasting, my phone was dying, it was an awful time.'

Chloe described staying at emergency for a prolong period of time as 'traumatic' and she 'begged' them to allow her to leave.

The following Monday with a backpack in hand and waving goodbye to her loved ones, she entered the same hospital she was born in to have 'invasive' surgery.

'They couldn't determine what I had until after the surgery, which is crazy,' she said. The surgery itself was 'invasive' as an incision from her belly button down to her bikini line was required (pictured during chemotherapy treatment)

As a whole ovarian cancer is significantly underfunded and to confirm the diagnosis, tissue from the tumour needs to be checked under a microscope.

This is exactly what happened to Chloe who didn't receive an official diagnosis until after surgery.

'They couldn't determine what I had until after the surgery, which is crazy,' she said.

The surgery itself was 'invasive' as an incision from her belly button down to her bikini line was required.

With no family or friends by her side Chloe found out she had stage three ovarian cancer after waking up in hospital.

'My surgeon came to my hospital room, standing 1.5m away from me wearing a mask, with my family on loudspeaker, to deliver the result. It's still so traumatic,' she said.

'In that moment I started worrying about my hair. I have long hair, I love my hair and you hear nothing but negative experiences about chemotherapy - it's all scary and bleak,' she said.

One thing that gave her hope about saving her hair is cold capping - a device worn that reduce the hair loss caused by some types of chemotherapy.

She was terrified about losing her hair but one thing that gave her hope about saving her hair is cold capping - a device worn that reduce the hair loss caused by some types of chemotherapy

It took ten weeks to recover from surgery and she lad to learn how to walk again with help of a physiotherapist. Following this she started treatment which continued for ten weeks

It took ten weeks to recover from surgery and she had to learn how to walk again with help of a physiotherapist.

Following this she started treatment which continued for ten weeks.

'It was exhausting and I was still studying one subject at the time,' she said.

'I started cold capping from the first session and I didn't mind it. It worked pretty well but my hair did thin a little bit.'

As for side effects, she was thrown into medically-induced menopause to preserve her fertility, didn't feel too nauseous but admitted she has since 'blocked out' the trauma of treatment from her mind.

On New Years Eve in 2020 she had one final minor keyhole surgery to check the chemotherapy had worked to kill the cancerous cells.

On New Years Eve in 2020 she had one final minor keyhole surgery to check the chemotherapy had worked to kill the cancerous cells. Today Chloe takes a daily tablet to help prevent the cancer from reoccurring

Now Chloe takes a daily tablet to help prevent the cancer from reoccurring and had check-ups every three months.

However, she still lives in fear that the cancer will come back.

'It's very stressful and disheartening when I am told I have a high likelihood of my cancer coming back,' she said.

'I do fear that it'll return without my knowledge since there's no symptoms of ovarian cancer. But I don't want to let this one moment in my life be what define me. It's part of my journey, not who I am.'

Now Chloe is on a mission to share her story far and wide to educate others about the seriousness of ovarian cancer and how more research should be conducted.

'Doctors don't seem to be concerned about the cause, they just look to the future and how to get rid of it,' she claims.

'When instead more should be done for women's health and it should be spoken about more often.

'If you think something is wrong or doesn't feel right, ask your doctor because you know your body best.'

In 2022, it is estimated that a female has a 1 in 84 (or 1.2 per cent) risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

While ovarian cancer can occur at any age in adults, it's most prominent among women aged 85 and over.

READ MORE: Young nurse's warning to Aussies about why everyone must have a bedframe to prevent dangerous mould

Young woman, 30, diagnosed with terminal cancer after feeling 'bloated and tired' reveals how she will spend her final days

Aussies are ditching their dreams of brick and mortar in suburbia and buying a portable tiny home instead
A dermatologist has revealed the one thing that could be causing zits to erupt on your face.

Dr Joshua Zeichner, from Mount Sinai in New York, said brushing your teeth after having a shower can lead to saliva getting onto your chin.

This is acidic and is also laden with bacteria that can irritate the skin, he explained, causing zits to appear. Toothpaste can also irritate the skin.

Washing the face after brushing is the best way to avoid this, which can be done in the shower or by using a simple cloth.

Dentists say everyone should brush their teeth for two minutes twice per day (stock image)

The above pictures show zits that dermatologists say can appear on your chin if you brush your teeth after you've showered

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Dr Zeichner said: 'Brushing your teeth before the shower is a good idea because water from the shower will help remove any residual saliva or toothpaste from the skin.

'[But] a shower is not necessary, as a rinsing of the lower face with water after brushing should be sufficient to get the job done.'

Dr Joshua Zeichner, from Mount Sinai in New York, said brushing your teeth after having a shower can cause zits to appear

Saliva can irritate the skin because it is highly acidic and able to damage the skin barrier, causing pimples.

It also contains bacteria that can clog pores in the face, leading to a build-up of fluid and bacteria within them that causes pimples to appear.

Toothpaste  which is only meant to touch the skin for a short period  can also irritate the skin and cause zits.

Dr Zeichner added: 'After you brush your teeth, it is important to wash your face to remove any excess saliva that comes in contact with the skin.

'Toothpaste itself can also be associated with a variety of rashes if it comes in contact with the skin.

'It is designed for short-term contact with the inside of the mouth, not to sit on the skin.

'Toothpaste can lead to redness, dryness and irritation. Fluorinated toothpaste has been linked to a rash called perioral dermatitis, where pimples and bumps develop around the mouth.'

Dr Zeichner said saliva is acidic and contains bacteria that can irritate the skin, causing zits to appear

Dentists say everyone should brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day, once in the morning after waking up and once in the evening before going to bed.

There is some disagreement over whether to brush before or after breakfast, but experts say it is important to wash away saliva from around the mouth after brushing.

Those who argue people should brush before breakfast say this is essential because the bacteria population is at its peak in the morning and should be quickly removed.

But those arguing the other way point out that most people are not that good at brushing, so it is best to wait until after breakfast in order to ensure as many bacteria are removed as possible.

Dentists say you can use either an electric or manual toothbrush, although some studies suggest electric ones are better at removing plaque from the teeth.

Failing to brush teeth regularly opens someone up to a higher risk of tooth decay  leaving them needing expensive fillings  gum disease and bad breath.

Many health insurance plans do not initially cover dental care, with this having to be added on for a premium.

But, despite the risks, surveys suggest that as many as one in three Americans still fail to routinely brush their teeth every day.

The 'hack' of brushing your teeth before showering was first revealed in a social media video by Turkish medical student Dr Mehravesh SeyyedSayyah  who uses the handle dr.mehss.

She said: 'If you are planning to shower and have fresh teeth at the same time, brush your teeth first so that taking a shower can help rinse your face from bacteria and toothpaste mirco-remains afterward.'
Researchers from Canada reinforced that all bystanders should give CPR

Women are less likely to be given lifesaving CPR than men, a study of tens of thousands of cases suggests.

Researchers in Canada found that some 61 percent of women, compared to 68 percent of men, received CPR when they suffered a cardiac arrest in public.

Doctors speculated this could be due to 'political correctness' and bystander fears that a man giving a woman CPR might 'seem inappropriate.'

This could put women at a greater risk of death from cardiac arrest than men.

Some 61 percent of women, compared to 68 percent of men, received CPR when they suffered a cardiac arrest in public, the study found

More than 356,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the US every year, and 60-80 percent die before reaching the hospital.

Dr Alexis Cournoyer, joint study author and emergency medicine physician at the Montreal Heart Institute research center, said: 'In an emergency when someone is unconscious and not breathing properly, in addition to calling an ambulance, bystanders should give CPR.'

'This will give the patient a much better chance of survival and recovery.'

The doctors used records of cardiac arrests outside of the hospital in Canada and the US between 2005 and 2015, including 39,391 patients with an average age of 67.

They looked at whether or not a bystander performed CPR, where the emergency took place, plus the age and gender of the patient.

Only around half of patients  54 percent  received CPR from a bystander, they found.

Overall, women were slightly less likely to have CPR performed on them than men (52 percent compared to 55 percent).

When the researchers looked at cardiac arrests that happened in public, such as on the street, the difference was greater (61 percent of women compared to 68 percent of men). The low rates were found in women regardless of their age.

Dr Cournoyer said: 'Our study shows that women experiencing a cardiac arrest are less likely to get the CPR they need compared to men, especially if the emergency happens in public. We dont know why this is the case.

'It could be that people are worried about hurting or touching women, or that they think a woman is less likely to be having a cardiac arrest.'

Dr Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York, also that there may be a 'sociological component' to the reluctance to give women CPR in public.

He told DailyMail.com: 'Men might be reluctant to do CPR on women because they may fear legal or emotional consequences from it.'

'A man getting down on his knees on the sidewalk with a woman who has had a major emergency, many men may be unnecessarily uncomfortable doing that.

'It's not a social occasion. It's a medical emergency.'

To another passerby watching a man give CPR to a woman from afar, 'It could seem inappropriate,' Dr Fischer said. 'Whereas it's the opposite, it's highly appropriate.'

'Political correctness has to be left far behind' when it comes to saving someone's life, he added.

Another study, conducted in 2019, asked participants: 'Do you have any ideas on why women may be less likely to receive CPR than men when they collapse in public?'

The major theme they found among answers was the sexualization of women's bodies.

Other reasons cited included that women are more 'weak and frail and therefore prone to injury,' which a bystander may be worried about causing.

The researchers concluded: 'Members of the general public perceive fears about inappropriate touching, accusations of sexual assault, and fear of causing injury as inhibiting bystander CPR for women.'

CPR  known medically as cardiopulmonary resuscitation  should be performed when a person is unconscious and not breathing, or not breathing properly, even if their heart is still beating.

This is called respiratory arrest and will quickly become cardiac arrest without CPR.

If a person is unconscious but breathing normally, they should be put in the recovery position.

This involves pressing hard and fast in the center of someone's chest with the heel of your hand. Experts estimate patients are most likely to survive when CPR is performed within 30 minutes of cardiac arrest.

In addition, the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines state that all clothing should be removed from the chest before performing CPR.

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating and denies the rest of the body oxygen-rich blood, shutting off the supply to the brain and causing someone to lose consciousness.

When blood stops flowing to the brain, lungs and other vital organs, their function is greatly diminished, and key body processes needed to keep a person alive are halted.

Brain cells can die within minutes of being deprived of oxygen.

Most cardiac arrests occur when a diseased heart's electrical system malfunctions.

It causes about 450,000 deaths per year in the US.

Cardiac arrests differ from heart attacks, which occur when the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off due to a clot in one of the coronary arteries.

Common causes of cardiac arrest include heart attacks, heart disease and heart muscle inflammation.

Drug overdoses and a large loss of blood can also be a cause.

A defibrillator, a device that delivers electric shocks to the chest wall, can be used to start the heart again.

The shock allows the cells in the heart to recharge, which reestablishes the heart's rhythm.

If a defibrillator is not immediately available, CPR can keep oxygen continue to circulate throughout the body.

The study's findings will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress on Monday.
Oklahoma is one of the biggest oil and gas states in America, producing almost 500,000 barrels of crude a day and huge quantities of natural gas.

Employing 15 per cent of Oklahomas workforce, the sector contributes $60billion (48billion) a year to economic growth.

Production is well honed, generating not just fossil fuels but vast amounts of oilfield brine.

Progressive: Iofina has pioneered a way to extract iodine from the brine, turning dirty water into a valuable resource

Traditionally, this has been viewed as waste water. AIM-listed Iofina considers it an asset.

The firm has pioneered a way to extract iodine from the brine, turning dirty water into a valuable resource. Iodine has numerous applications.

An essential mineral that promotes growth and brain health, it is added to salt and other food across the world. Iodine is also used to make images clearer in magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) scans and is a critical element of products from pesticides to preservatives.

Iofina sells both pure iodine and related compounds used by manufacturers and industrial firms in the US and internationally.

Midas recommended the shares in September last ear, when they were 23.5p and boss Tom Becker was about to start work on his sixth iodine plant in Oklahoma.

That site is now up and running, with a seventh expected to come on stream next year.

Iofina Traded on: AIM Ticker: IOF Contact: iofina.com or 001 859 356 8000

Assessing which locations will yield the most iodine and developing partnerships with oil and gas firms in those places takes time and effort. But Becker and his team are experienced and well connected, they know where to look for deals and plan to continue doing so.

Recent hard work is paying off. Shares have risen 23 per cent to 29p over the past 12 months and Becker last week unveiled upbeat interim results, with pre-tax profit soaring 80 per cent to $4.7million (3.8million), despite rising costs.

Annual production is set to hit nearly 600 tons, with Becker optimistic of reaching 1,000 tons a year by 2027 at the latest.

Iofinas compound arm is firing on all cylinders, increasing sales and working with customers in sectors as diverse as animal feed and lithium batteries.

Brokers expect strong, sustained growth across the group, suggesting the share price should reach 40p, as production increases and new deals come to fruition

Midas verdict: Iofina shares have performed well but they should continue to rise, as Becker delivers his strategy. Iodine is in demand and Iofinas technology is cleaner and lower-cost than many rivals. At 29p, the shares remain attractive.
Bernard Looneys future as boss of BP was already under threat before bombshell revelations about his private life forced him to quit, The Mail on Sunday understands.

The 53-year-old stepped down abruptly last week after it emerged he misled the oil giants board over an earlier probe into his personal relationships with colleagues.

BPs directors, led by chairman Helge Lund, have been accused of turning a blind eye to Looneys toxic behaviour after last years investigation cleared him of breaking BPs code of conduct.

BP lifer: Bernard Looney took charge less than four years ago

But it has now emerged that the Irish businessman, who had given assurances about his behaviour, was living on borrowed time.

Two directors privately discussed replacing Looney on the fringes of a board meeting before the summer  months before the latest misconduct allegations that led to his downfall surfaced. The talks were prompted by questions around BPs pursuit of a green energy strategy pioneered by Looney, rather than his personal behaviour.

Succession planning was not on the agenda at the board meeting and the discussions were informal, sources added.

However, when BP said last week that it had recently received allegations of a similar nature, Looney was forced to admit that he had not been fully transparent with the board, prompting him to quit immediately.

BP has been rocked by the scandal. Finance boss Murray Auchincloss, who is himself in a long-term relationship with a colleague, has been appointed as BPs interim chief executive until a permanent replacement is found.

Lund has ruled himself out as Looneys successor. Looney was a BP lifer who took charge less than four years ago with a vow to reinvent the 114-year-old company. He laid out ambitious plans for it to achieve zero net emissions by 2050, and to invest billions in renewable projects such as solar and wind power.

This set BP apart from its rivals but irked many in the oil and gas industry and raised questions about BPs prospects.

Looney made enemies, according to a leading investor, who declined to be named.

There are said to be growing divisions within BP about whether it should invest more in fossil fuels, though Lund has pledged to continue with its energy transition plan.

Another investigation is under way as BP faces calls to strip Looney of the 8million bonus he took home last year.

Soaring oil prices after Russia invaded Ukraine helped BP rake in record profits last year of 23billion.

He is the third boss to be ousted before his time. Lord Browne, who attempted to rebrand BP as Beyond Petroleum in the early 2000s, left after The Mail on Sunday revealed he lied to a court about his relationship with another man.

His replacement Tony Hayward left after comments he made about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He said he wanted his life back after spending months dealing with the fallout of the disaster, which killed 11.
Just a stones throw from picturesque hiking trails in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park lies Scotlands only commercial gold mine.

The Cononish project was embraced by the local community and championed by politicians  as well as investors who bought shares in its London-listed owner Scotgold Resources.

But hopes that for decades to come it could produce gold to be exported or crafted into fine jewellery have been thrown into question after Scotgold last week warned it could crash into administration.

Close to the Arrochar Alps in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park lies Scotland's only commercial goldmine

The warning was not the only news to rock the mining industry last week.

Councillors turned down a proposal to extend operations at Wales last opencast coal mine, Glan Lash in Carmarthenshire. And, separately, a slew of major insurance firms ruled out providing cover to the controversial planned coal mine in West Cumbria.

From these headlines, it may look as though the sector is in crisis.

So what has gone wrong  and is it still worth having a UK mining industry at all?

Mining in the British Isles has a rich heritage and dates back to the Bronze Age more than 4,000 years ago.

Later, Romans flocked here for lead and copper.

In the South West, Devon and Cornwall had some of the richest copper and tin reserves on Earth during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The Cornish industry was memorialised by the author Winston Graham in his Poldark novels, which he began writing in the 1940s.

The books followed Ross Poldark, whose family made its fortune at fictional local copper mines, in the late 18th and early 19th century. The novels were adapted into a hugely successful TV series starring Aidan Turner.

When most ordinary people think of mining in the UK, however, they think of coalfields across the country that were a driving force in the industrial revolution.

Coal production peaked in the 1980s. But the mining sector is now trying to re-invent itself as a driving force in the green industrial revolution.

It has also become, at least in the eyes of some politicians, a security issue in much the same way that energy did when Russia invaded Ukraine and sent gas prices soaring.

A focus now is on securing access to so-called critical minerals.

The Department for Business and Trade describes a critical minerals strategy published last year as improving the resilience of our vital supply chains, safeguarding industry, increasing confidence in the UKs energy transition and protecting national security.

A series of mined metals including lithium and tin are seen as crucial to Britains efforts to go green and could also provide raw materials for local manufacturing of items such as car batteries.

The Cornish industry was memorialised by the author Winston Graham in his Poldark novels, recently turned into a hit TV series starring Aidan Turner

Most people in the UK have grown a conscience over their food, but no one has a conscience about their metals currently, says James McFarlane, general manager at consultancy Mining Plus.

People understand blood diamonds but its not just how theyre mined from a human rights perspective but from an environmental perspective too.

Last month the UK Infrastructure Bank invested 24 million in private company Cornish Lithium to help extract the battery metal.

John Meyer, head of research at SP Angel, added that although major institutional investors are less likely to back small British mining companies, they have been replaced by a new breed of fast-growing and more expert managers.

These include Sir Mick Davis, the former Xstrata boss whose Vision Blue fund has invested in another group named Cornish Metals, while another investor, called Techmet, run by Brian Menell, backs Cornish Lithium.

Jeremy Wrathall, founder of Cornish Lithium, added: In Cornwall, the industry is booming. We are developing a repository of the essential metals that are needed for the energy transition.

The key thing here is the security of supply as well as the creation of new jobs and building pride in Cornwall. Mining gives the UK a significant addition to the value of its economy  every tonne which is mined is a tonne that is not imported, every job we create is a job that is not exported.

Britains geology, McFarlane explains, is not the problem: Weve got great rocks and a lot of them. In his view, the biggest hurdle now is scaling the many small ventures that often struggle to raise the huge funds needed to get a project up and running.

Investors in Sirius Minerals remember this all too well.

The company, which at its peak had around 85,000 individual investors, almost went bust as it tried to build a sprawling fertiliser mine under the North York Moors National Park.

Sirius was bailed out by mining giant Anglo American, which has renamed it the Woodsmith Project.

Natural potash fertiliser is another critical material that will be needed to grow food for the worlds growing population.

For all the variety of mining in the UK, it seems as though it is projects that focus on the future, rather than just harking back to the past, that will continue to attract the most support.
The boss of defence contractor BAE Systems has opened the door to Saudi Arabia becoming involved in the UKs flagship fighter jet programme.

Charles Woodburn, BAEs chief executive, said the kingdom can offer a lot and had a talented workforce that could boost the project.

Woodburn was speaking after it emerged that the Saudi government is pushing to become a full partner in the international global combat air programme.

The project, currently a collaboration between the UK, Italy and Japan, aims to get a demonstrator jet in the air by 2027.

The involvement of Saudi Arabia could unlock a huge source of funding for Tempest

Britain has already committed 2 billion to the programme, which aims to deliver Tempest  Britains next-generation supersonic stealth combat aircraft  by 2035. But doubts have been raised about its viability in a recent official report.

The involvement of Saudi Arabia could unlock a huge source of funding for a project expected to cost tens of billions of pounds, as well as engineering expertise.

Woodburn, speaking at a recent defence industry event in London, emphasised that any decision on including Saudi Arabia would be taken at a government level.

> BAE shares: Check the lastest price anc company reports

But he stressed during the event at the Royal United Services Institute that the Gulf nation, where BAE employs 7,000 very capable staff, had more to contribute than just cash.

For any programme, the kingdom can offer a lot in terms of talent base, he said. Saudi Arabia is already a leading buyer of UK military aircraft, including Typhoons.

But the countrys direct involvement in a flagship defence collaboration could prove controversial, given its abysmal human rights record. It is also said to have raised hackles in Japan, with Tokyo reportedly opposing it on the grounds that it could delay the project.

The UK collaborated with Spain and Germany on the Typhoon programme, but with that generation of jets due to be replaced, those countries are now pursuing their own project.

Woodburn said that only the US had the financial clout to develop a fighter jet alone and for other countries it was a team sport.

My objective all the way through has been to get the strongest team we possibly can around the table.

He said the countries currently involved were making very good progress. But he added: When it comes to future partnerships, then I think the door is open.

The projects lead contractors Britains BAE, Japans MHI and Italys Leonardo  said last week that they had agreed on the next steps to deliver the concept phase.

When asked about Saudi involvement, Richard Berthon, the Ministry of Defence lead on the programme, said that while there had been conversations to explore future options, there had been no decision beyond that.

An annual report issued last month by the Governments Infrastructure and Projects Authority gave the project a red rating, indicating an assessment that successful delivery appears unachievable. It cited a shortage of resources.
Britains representative on the banks board is Sir Danny Alexander, the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government is being played for fools and must freeze ties with Beijings answer to the World Bank, according to a top official who left the organisation over allegations it was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

Bob Pickard recently resigned as communications chief for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which the British taxpayer funds to the tune of 2.5 billion, claiming it was dominated by Party apparatchiks.

The Beijing-based lender finances projects in developing countries  many of them allied to China.

But the Governments ties with the AIIB have become increasingly controversial as fears grow about Beijings expansionist policies, its involvement in key UK industries such as telecoms and nuclear and, latterly, concerns about Chinese spies in Westminster.

The UKs involvement with the AIIB dates back to David Camerons coalition between 2010 and 2015, which was keen to curry favour with the Chinese, viewing them as potentially lucrative trade partners.

Britains representative on the banks board is Sir Danny Alexander, the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Camerons government.

Pickard, who is Canadian, told The Mail on Sunday that UK membership of the AIIB makes China look good but the West shouldnt sign up for that.

AIIB employees like Alexander, he added, were feather-bedded ex-pats in highly compensated positions who enjoyed a good living but were only there to give the bank credibility and act as window-dressing.

They are being used by the bank for the Chinese Communist Partys propaganda purposes, he added.

They have co-opted many useful idiots. We have to open our eyes to this reality. Were being played for fools.

Canada has paused its membership of the AIIB while it investigates Pickards claims. Asked if the UK should do the same, Pickard said: Everyone has to look in the mirror, connect the dots and decide for themselves.

The AIIB has more than 100 member nations  including Russia  and is run by Jin Liqun, formerly of the Communist Red Guards.

Western nations including the US and Japan have declined to join the bank, which counts China as its largest shareholder.

Last night Lord Alton of Liverpool, a crossbench peer who has been banned from China, called on Britain to review it membership of the bank.

He said: It is reprehensible to be oiling the wheels of organisations linked to this totalitarian regime and lining their pockets with UK taxpayers money. The AIIB is basically a state-linked bank funding projects which further the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.

A recent report by Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee found it was possible Alexanders appointment to the AIIB board  and Camerons role at a 1 billion China-UK investment fund  were in some part engineered by the Chinese state to lend credibility to Chinese investment, as well as to the broader China brand.

One of the projects funded by the AIIB involves a firm with links to alleged abuses of Uyghur Muslims in Chinas Xinjiang province.

A Treasury spokesman said the AIIBs internal review found Pickards allegations were unsubstantiated. We will continue to work with the AIIB and partners to support robust governance and processes at the AIIB, he added.

The AIIB and Alexander were contacted for comment.
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.
It's make or break time, America.

Brand new polling on the Republican primary race is out and the prospects look dreadfully bleak.

President Donald Trump leads Governor Ron DeSantis, his closest competitor, by up to 50 percentage points.

These surveys are a final wake-up call  no more smashing the snooze button.

Let's be clear about what DeSantis is up against. He's splitting the 'anyone but Trump vote' with seven other GOP candidates.

Of course, he's struggling.

Barring a miracle, it'll be Trump vs. Biden come November 2024 and the vast majority of voters will be holding their noses as they pull the lever.

But there is a way through  just listen to New Hampshire's Republican Governor Chris Sununu.

'If seven of those candidates have the discipline to get out, Trump loses,' Sununu said in a new interview this week. 'Make it a one-on-one race, Trump loses. There's no question about it.'

So here we go: a plea to the GOP field. If you're not consistently polling in the double-digits nationally then drop out!

That leaves two: Don and Ron. Everyone else is just filling a debate stage podium.

President Donald Trump leads Governor Ron DeSantis, his closest competitor, by up to 50 percentage points.

Barring a miracle, it'll be Trump vs. Biden come November 2024 and the vast majority of voters will be holding their noses as they pull the lever.

But the other problem for DeSantis is that he's getting slagged by all sides.

There isn't a person in the 2024 race that has been on the receiving end of as much unrelenting negativity as the Florida governor.

Notice how the forces arrayed against him  on the left and the right  are united around a single narrative that a candidate's personality matters more than actual accomplishments.

Trump's campaign sends out daily emails declaring an impending 'KISS OF DEATH COUNTDOWN' for the DeSantis campaign. They once reportedly hired a plane to fly over the Iowa State Fair with a banner that read, 'be likable Ron.'

The left-wing media is more than happy to play this up since they want Trump to win the nomination. They assume he'll be defeated by Biden in 2024, so they're happy to clear a path for him just as they did in 2016.

'Awkward Americans see themselves in Ron DeSantis: But do they like what they see?' read a Washington Post headline.

'Given the decision between voting for him and getting a Pap smear from a girl I went to high school with,' said one woman interviewed in the piece, 'hand me the paper gown.'

OK, then.

But is personality such an important quality?

Some of America's greatest Presidents have been introverts. From John Adams to Abraham Lincoln to Dwight D. Eisenhower, it's often the diligent leader, who can succeed in office where the showman makes big promises but fails to deliver.

In this era of short attention spans and soundbites, it's fair to ask: Would any of these men have a chance at winning the job today?

Too many voters want someone like Vivek Ramaswamy, who will rap on stage and give snappy soundbites. That's easy when he has no political record to defend.

Haven't we learned our lesson, people?

The left-wing media is more than happy to play this up since they want Trump to win the nomination. They assume he'll be defeated by Biden in 2024, so they're happy to clear a path for him just as they did in 2016.

Trump's campaign sends out daily emails declaring an impending 'KISS OF DEATH COUNTDOWN' for the DeSantis campaign. They once reportedly hired a plane to fly over the Iowa State Fair with a banner that read, 'be likable Ron.'

The country has lived through Barack Obama's shallow charisma, Trump's erratic antics, and now Biden's doddering, senile invocations of the soul of America.

What we need now is a return to seriousness.

Just ten months ago, DeSantis was the conquering hero of the conservative movement, liked by every faction of the GOP, and riding high on an overwhelming re-election as governor.

In a testament to his wide appeal, he carried roughly 65% of the vote in majority Hispanic precincts - 16 percentage points better than he performed just 4 years prior.

Florida was one of the fastest growing states in the nation during the COVID pandemic, thanks, in large part, to the Governor's decision to make the Sunshine State a safeharbor for those fleeing draconian lockdowns and sweeping public health directives.

Under DeSantis, Florida was among the first states in the nation to block mask and vaccines mandates and reopen businesses and schools, yet COVID death rates were higher in New York, which embraced lockdown recommendations.

Most importantly, Florida's economy replaced all the jobs lost during the pandemic a full nine months sooner than the national average.

Now, thanks to a torrent of criticism this erstwhile Republican champion has been turned into some kind of mini-Jeb Bush.

But why?

Whenever the Trumpian-right or the left goes after DeSantis on policy grounds, they fall on their faces.

Most importantly, Florida's economy replaced all the jobs lost during the pandemic a full nine months sooner than the national average.

There is a way through  just listen to New Hampshire 's Republican Governor Chris Sununu. 'If seven of those candidates have the discipline to get out, Trump loses,' Sununu said in a new interview this week. 'Make it a one-on-one race, Trump loses. There's no question about it.'

'Lockdown Ron should take a look in the mirror and ask himself why he's trying to gaslight voters,' said a Trump camp lackey in a statement.

Nope.

It was President Trump who condemned the first Republican states for lifting COVID-era business closures.

When DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill in 2022, restoring the rights of moms and dads to control what their children were taught in schools, President Biden called it 'hateful.'

Biased media outlets deemed the measure the 'Don't Say Gay Bill,' but when Americans were presented with the actual language of the law, 61 percent supported it.

Look, it's clear that DeSantis is more introverted and less of a performer than other candidates. He's a policy wonk who thinks deeply about the policies he puts in place. But it's these qualities that helped him pull off Florida's COVID miracle.

At the end of the day, I pray my party will come to its senses. Despite the mudslinging, DeSantis' resume remains. He deserves a fair, final assessment from voters who are smart enough to see through the smears pushed by Trump, his allies, and the left-wing media.

It's long past time for the Republican Party to get behind Ron  before it's too really late.
EXCLUSIVE

An escort who pleaded guilty to filming a client performing a sex act on her without his knowledge or consent before sending it to his fiancee two months later - has broken her silence on the incident she says has 'ruined her life'.

Brooke Ariel Grace Baker, 31, claims she is now homeless and has been forced to quit the bartending job she loves since the matter became public.

Despite pleading guilty to sharing the video without the man's knowledge, she claims the man in the video - which was shot in August 2022 - was aware he was being filmed and paid for the intimate footage.

She also says he was booking multiple times a day and they were 'inseparable' at the time it was filmed.

'It got sent from a random email so they [victim] automatically assume I did it,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'He's ruined my life and has no remorse and everyone now thinks I'm a psycho escort... and I don't even escort anymore.'

After the couple received the video, they reported the matter to police, who issued an apprehended violence order to protect the victim from Baker.

Baker faced Penrith Court on Tuesday where she pleaded guilty to stalking and harassing a former client despite being banned from contacting him.

She was previously in December found guilty of two counts of intentionally record an intimate image without consent, despite not showing up to court.

Baker filmed the video of the man engaging in oral sex on her in August, before sharing the video with the man and his fiancee via an anonymous email in October, the agreed facts state.

The email address was (victim's name) cheatson (fiance's name) @gmail.com.

But Baker told Daily Mail Australia she couldn't afford legal representation and was instructed by her legal aid lawyer to plead guilty.

'To be honest I pleaded guilty just to get it over and done with not expecting the bullsh*t was put in the news... I can't afford the lawyers to fix this.'

The pair connected in 2018 through escort service escortsandbabes.com.au., court documents state.

The man booked Baker, who used the alias 'Amelia', and the pair organised to meet at the Meriton Suites in Parramatta.

However, Baker denies his version of events, saying they actually met on Valentine's Day 2022.

'He booked me three times that day and we became inseparable ,' she said.

The relationship is understood to have turned sour when the victim stopped booking her services or answering her calls.

The court heard months later she spotted him stopped at traffic lights at an intersection and got into his car where the pair argued, with Baker only leaving after he told her he was driving to a police station.

She then sent him 244 texts and made 87 calls to his phone in one evening without him replying. After being found guilty of recording the video an AVO was issued preventing her from contacting him.

However, Baker also now disputes this, and says in both cases, 'another escort' was involved, not her.

'Several times he promised he was going to leave her [his fiance]. He has multiple escorts that were trying to turn him into a boyfriend, but I am the only one that's coping the fire of it all,' she said.

The backlash since the saga was made public has meant she's been forced to quit her dream job at a local leagues club.

'I was being trained in bar gaming, functions and events at the leagues club,' she said.

'They said they didn't want that sort of influence in the club'

In the months since she was charged, she was evicted from her unit in Mt Druitt, in Sydney's west. More recently she was recently booted from a property she was sharing with a friend in St Mary's North by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

However, despite her job and housing woes, she has vowed to 'never go back to escorting ever again'

'I only did it because I was at low point in my life and it was that or be homeless' she said.

'This time I've chosen to be homeless, it's not worth it'

Baker will remain on bail and her matters will return to court on October 24.
A bizarre friendship between the brother of a slain Sydney hitman and a flamboyant makeup influencer from the U.S. has stunned the city's underworld.

Walid Assaad, whose brother Hamad 'The Executioner' Assaad was assassinated in a gangland hit seven years ago, has been seen dancing wildly on TikTok livestreams to entertain U.S.-based social media millionaire Jeffree Star.

In return, the makeup magnate, who runs his own eponymous cosmetics firm, is said to have been gifting Assaad up to $40,000-a-week in TikTok 'diamonds', which can be converted back into cash, for the past month.

Until Thursday, Assaad's TikTok account WheresWallysWorld, which has more than 36,000 followers, was using a photograph of Mr Star wearing a pink balaclava as its profile picture, and a bio which read 'STAR FAM' along with two gold star emojis.

The close relationship, which has seen the pair spending hours online together in TikTok livestreams, has stunned Sydney's hyper-masculine underworld fraternity.

'He's belly-dancing for Jeffree,' said former Nomads bikie Moudi Tajjour, who used to chat online with Assaad. 'Something's going on there.

'I don't know what you're doing, Wally, but you've sold your soul to the devil, bro.'

A bizarre friendship between Walid Assaad and American makeup influencer Jeffree Star (pictured) has shocked Sydney's hyper-masculine underworld fraternity

Walid Assaad has been seen dancing wildly on TikTok livestreams to entertain Jeffree Star

Assaad has previously posted a video of himself with Comanchero boss Tarek Zahed, who lost an eye in another gangland hit which killed his brother Omar at an Auburn gym in May 2022.

Assaad, 35, has also had multiple run-ins with police in previous years and has been the subject of a Firearms Prohibition Order since 2016.

He is currently facing charges that he terrorised his family at his mother's home in Villawood in Sydney's west, allegedly turning on her and two other family members.

Fairfield Local Court this week heard he was accused of arming himself with a knife to intimidate three relatives in the tea-time row at the family home in September 2022.

He is accused of actual bodily harm against Hamad Assaad and DV-related common assault against Basmat and Ahlam Assaad, the court was told on Monday.

Police have now taken apprehended violence orders out against Assaad to protect the three family members from him after the incident.

However, he is also accused of breaching a DV-related AVO in Villawood the following day and then resisting arrest.

He was granted bail on Monday with a ban on all alcohol and unprescribed drugs until the cases return to court in April 2024.

Police have taken out a further AVO against Assaad to protect his other brother Tarek after a rift between the pair blew up in March this year.

Assaad has previously posted video of himself with Comanchero boss Tarek Zahed, who lost an eye in another gangland hit which killed his brother Omar at an Auburn gym in May 2022

Assaad, 35, has had multiple run-ins with police in previous years and has been the subject of a Firearms Prohibition Order since 2016

Until Thursday, Assaad's TikTok account WheresWallysWorld, which has more than 36,000 followers, was using a photograph of Mr Star wearing a pink balaclava as its profile picture

Former Nomads bikie Moudi Tajjour (pictured), who used to chat online with Assaad, is one of many stunned by the friendship between Assaad and Mr Star

And in 2022, Assaad accidentally live-streamed a vicious attack on him during a home invasion on his house in Georges Hall in Sydney's west.

He was knocked unconscious when gun-wielding thugs burst through the front door and held his girlfriend at gunpoint, ordering her to hand over cash before escaping with armfuls of designer clothes.

Assaad was in the middle of a TikTok livestream with former gangster Tajjour when the attack happened, which left the reformed bikie speechless at the time.

Assaad returned to social media the following day, still dazed, bruised and wearing a neck brace, swearing revenge on his attackers.

He says on his social media profile that he is a personal trainer, and court documents reveal he is 'currently employed with exact income unknown', but owns his own home with a $2,000-a-month mortgage.

'We used to be mates,' admitted Tajjour on a recent TikTok livestream. 'I've never hung out with him during the day but we used to go live [on TikTok] together.

'I had a bad feeling about this bloke - then I saw these videos with Jeffree Star.

'There's no way Wally's going to do belly-dancing for Jeffree unless he's secured a mansion somewhere.'

Multiple other TikTok accounts have posted clips of Assaad dancing for Jeffree and the pair gifting each other 'diamonds'.

One added the caption: 'Aussie TikToker Wally shows how far he will go for Jeffree Star's gifts.' Others have posted clips of the huge gifts Mr Star has given Assaad, with captions like: 'Jeffree Star drops big on Whereswally'.

TikTok users can buy coins with real cash to exchange for diamonds that they can then gift to other users during livestreams, with 16,500 diamonds worth about $400 which can later be cashed in via PayPal.

Recordings of TikTok livestreams featuring Assaad show him being gifted hundreds of thousands of diamonds in one three-minute 'TikTok' battle, and even millions over the course of a night, with most apparently coming from Mr Star.

Makeup magnate Mr Star is said to have been gifting Assaad up to $40,000-a-week in TikTok diamonds, which can be converted back into cash, for the past month

Recordings of TikTok livestreams featuring Assaad show him being gifted hundreds of thousands of 'diamonds' in one three-minute TikTok 'battle', and millions over the course of a night, with most apparently coming from Mr Star. This picture shows Assaad having been gifted diamonds worth about $2,500

The close relationship between Assaad and Jeffree Star (pictured together), which has seen the pair spending hours online together in TikTok livestreams, has stunned the underworld

One follower added: 'The "battles" are just three minutes of banter or challenges or similar between two TikTokers and the winner is who is gifted the most by viewers.

'It's money for nothing, so you've got to wonder what is going on in the conversations offline between Wally and Jeffree.'

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting anything illegal is occurring, just that the interactions have sparked interest and curiosity among followers and associates.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Assaad and Mr Star for comment.

Assaad's brother Hamad, who had 'Executioner' tattooed around the base of his neck and was believed responsible for a string of gangland hits, was shot dead in the driveway of his home in Georges Hall in 2016.

His suspected killers, Kemel 'Blackie' Barakat and Mejid Hamzy, were later executed themselves.
A former executive producer who worked on popular programs such as Bondi Rescue and The Living Room has lost a lawsuit against her former employer Network 10, amid claims she was owed almost $400,000.

Maria Michael had been employed by Network 10 for more than three decades and was earning more than $260,000 a year when she was made redundant in May 2020, marking an end to her 'long and storied' career.

Despite being paid out more than $255,000 in various termination entitlements, Ms Michael in 2020 launched legal action against Network 10 following a dispute over 12 weeks' pay she was given as severance.

Ms Michael claimed in court she was instead entitled to 78 weeks' pay - or $393,371 - because her employment was allegedly covered by the company's enterprise agreement, which was enforced under Fair Work.

Maria Michael had been employed by Network 10 for more than three decades when she was made redundant in May 2020. Picture: Instagram

Justice John Snaden told the Federal Court of Australia on Friday that Ms Michael was not covered by the agreement when she was terminated, and was thus not owed the substantial payout she claimed to be.

'The Enterprise Agreement did not cover - and, therefore, did not apply to - Ms Michael's employment with Network 10. Network 10 was not obliged to pay her by way of severance,' Justice Snaden told the court.

'The Fair Work Act likely prohibits the court from making any award of costs; but, in the event that there might be some as-yet-unventilated reason to think otherwise, an application for costs may be made.'

Justice Snaden told the court that Ms Michael's central contention was that she was employed in, or covered by, the classification of 'Producer' under the Award, and instead was an executive.

'That Ms Michael occasionally applied herself to the discharge of non-managerial tasks - although undoubtedly to her credit - does not defer from that central reality,' Justice Sanden said.

'Ms Michael was not a production employee who, from time to time, also managed the creation of television shows; she was an executive who managed the production of television shows.

Maria Michael, left. with Network 10 host Grant Denyer. Picture: Instagram

'The major and substantial aspect of her employment was to manage production (either in-house or via third parties). That aspect did not align with any of the descriptions contained within the Award.

'It follows - or, but for my earlier conclusion, would have followed - that Ms Michael was not employed as a 'Producer' (...) she was not amongst the cohort of employees who were ' ... covered by classifications set out in the Award'.'

The court was told that during her time with Network 10, Ms Michaels was tasked with managing both the network's shows and those produced externally, including Family Feud, Bondi Vet, and the Celebrity Name Game.

'It is beyond doubt - and not really in contest - that Ms Michael's role was one of significant seniority and importance to the production of Network 10's broadcast content,' Justice Snaden said.

'She (also) operated outside the classical boundaries of Network 10's other executive producers, who typically did not undertake 'hands-on' work. There is no doubt she performed more work 'on the tools' than her executive producer counterparts.'
'As I started my insertion to expose the internal organs, blood could be seen, implying that his heart was pumping blood and he was still alive.'

This is the shocking testimony of Enver Tothi, an oncology surgeon working in Xinjiang in 1995 who found himself unexpectedly recruited for a 'special assignment'.

He would be made to remove the liver and kidneys from a man gunned down but still breathing, his team forbidden from ever talking about what they had done.

It was a quiet summer's day, a Wednesday, and Enver found himself the only young doctor in his hospital without an operation scheduled.

His two chief surgeons called him into their office and asked if he would 'like to do something wild'.

'My chief surgeon asked me to go with them, saying: "you go to the theatre and ask for the largest mobile operation kit, bring your two assistants and two nurses, inform anaesthesiology department for two anaesthesiologists as back up, then report to me at 9:30 tomorrow morning at our hospital gate together with our ambulance,"' he told MailOnline.

'We had a branch hospital in the Western Mountain district, so I thought we were going there but instead we went to the Western Mountain execution ground.'

Arriving, Enver saw between ten and 20 bodies lying dead on the side of the hill. He was told to wait, and then to follow when he heard a gunshot.

A gun sounded. He followed his superiors into a room, where nurses had prepared a body.

Before he knew what was happening, the surgeons told him: 'Hurry up. Extract the liver and kidneys.'

Enver Tothi (pictured) was an oncology surgeon working in Xinjiang in 1995 when he found himself unexpectedly recruited for a 'special assignment' - harvesting organs

Falun Gong practitioners protest in Taipei, April 23, 2006, with a demonstration of what they said was the CCP's killing of Falun Gong followers and the harvesting of their organs in camps

The man was in his thirties, Enver estimates. He was 'unshaved with long hair and civilian clothes'.

The bullet had gone through his chest - but he was still alive. He asked whether he should apply anaesthesia, according to his testimony to the China Tribunal.

'There is no need,' was the alleged reply. 'We will apply it if it is needed.'

As the body stopped moving, Enver made his insertion, cutting an upside-down 'T' shape into his abdomen to expose the internal organs. Blood was still coursing through the man's body.

But his superior only told him to hurry up.

After some 40 minutes of cutting, the surgeons took the liver and kidneys and placed them into a box.

He told MailOnline he did not know what the organs were going to be used for.

'We were trained to follow orders without asking why.'

When the operation was finished, he was simply told: 'Okay, now you take your team back to hospital. Remember nothing happened today.'

He testified: 'No one talked about it ever since'.

The identity of the man he was asked to operate on is still unknown. He said in his testimony that after Mao's cultural revolution, 'we believed every single citizen's duty is against enemies of the state'.

'Once someone has been sentenced to imprisonment, they are not qualified as a human being. That was how we felt at the time.'

He told MailOnline he did not know why the man was shot. He did not know who he was. He did not know what he was being recruited to do.

Enver left China three years later, in 1998, and has since worked as a hotel porter, bus driver and as a minicab driver in the UK.

He has sought to pass an exam that would allow him to practice as a doctor in the UK.

He is one of many recruited into China's estimated $1bn-a-year illegal organ harvesting trade.

Between 60,000 and 100,000 organ transplants are estimated to be carried out each year, many taking place without consent.

Among the primary victims are reportedly religious minority groups - Falun Gong practitioners and Uighur Muslims.

Oncologist Enver Tothi is pictured in 2022 with a letter from Transport for London after speaking out for the first time about his experience. He was put at risk of losing his licence to drive an Uber and put under review by TfL after a newspaper article about his past emerged

Grace Song at the Parliament Seminar in the House of Lords in July 2023 giving her testimony

Grace Song, a former lawyer, also spoke to MailOnline about her experience living in a cell in a forced labour camp in Beijing, interrogated, tortured and awaiting the day, she believes, her organs would be illegally harvested by state agents.

Grace was arrested on May 7, 2010 and forcibly removed from her home after 610 Office security agents found out she practiced Falun Gong, a new religious movement mixing meditation and moral philosophy which the Chinese state has sought to eradicate for more than two decades.

Since 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has waged war on Falun Gong, threatened by a new philosophy looking back to traditional Chinese morality and culture.

Since then, thousands have reported cases of torture, brain-washing, rape and death at the hands of the ruling party. Families are told their loved ones died by suicide or disease - and bodies are cremated before evidence is gathered.

Relatively recently, evidence has emerged that many of those held in detention are also subjected to illegal organ harvesting.

Grace's home was raided as security agents looked for religious literature. They took her, without trial, to a detention centre in Chaoyang District.

'I was forced to have a detailed medical examination of my physical body, including X-Ray of lungs and blood testing,' she told MailOnline.

'They also checked my female organs. They examined all over my skin, asking me about any small scars they found.

'On June 4, 2010, I was given another detailed medical examination, without any explanation and I was not told about the results of any of the tests.'

Before Grace was moved to a forced labour camp, she was temporarily detained in a criminal detention centre and with 30 other people who had been arrested for serious crimes.

They were cornered onto a wooden platform where they all sat, ate and slept.

'They had to stay on this platform except during designated bathroom breaks. The floor space was narrow, roughly one metre wide, and the bathroom was inside the cell... it had a squat toilet and a sink.

'Sleeping arrangements were called 'codfish.' On the platform, there was a long, thin 'mattress' made by connecting multiple worn-out military blankets together. On average, 4-5 people shared each military blanket.

'There were no pillows, so they had to use their own clothes as headrests. Several people shared one blanket, and there was no space to lie flat. They could only sleep on their sides with their legs straight, unable to move.

'Everyone's chests were pressed against someone else's back, feeling each other's breath and heartbeat,' Grace told MailOnline.

For eight months, Grace was then 'tortured', forced to sit atop a child-size stool, fingers closed and placed on her knees, heels kept together, in agonising discomfort all day, every day.

'Soon my two legs and two feet became swollen, my back and waist ached, I felt I was sitting on top of needles, with every moment too painful to bear.

'The cell where I was kept isolated was dark and cold. I felt very cold even after I put on all the clothes sent to me by my family.'

File image of surgery. China has an illegal organ harvesting trade worth an est. $1bn per year

'During my time in the labor camp, there were 3-4 health examinations each year, including various tests like blood tests, but they never told us the results,' she explained.

'These examinations always took place in the medical room of the labor camp. However, there was one unusual exception.

'In early April 2012, we were suddenly required to undergo a medical check-up. As the massive electronic gates slowly opened, a highly advanced medical trailer came into view.

'Captain Zhao Guoxin personally supervised the team, and as we stared in astonishment at this gigantic thing in front of us, the vehicle's door opened, and a long ladder descended. We were asked to go up in groups.

'While I was waiting in line, Zhao Guoxin, trying to downplay the unexpected and special nature of this examination, said, "Look how good the country is to you. This was imported from Germany, specifically prepared for you, and not even we get to use it."

'When he said this, what I thought about was the large-scale organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners exposed in 2006. Because this examination was completely unnecessary and highly abnormal.

'Once I climbed up the high ladder and entered the vehicle, I found it to be very spacious, equipped with various high-end medical devices. There was examination equipment in the front and the middle and back of the vehicle were extremely spacious.

'The on-site health examination in the high-end medical trailer deepened my suspicions. While the labor camp was subjecting us to cruel persecution, mental torture, physical abuse, and intense labor, they were also investing heavily in purchasing extremely advanced German medical facilities.

'This was highly contrary to common sense, and I firmly believe that they were using these high-end devices to precisely collect various data from our bodies.'

File photo shows a doctor and assistant in an operating room of a hospital. In a detention centre in Chaoyang District, Grace had her lungs scanned, blood taken and organs checked

Grace says she was held illegally in the detention centre for about 10 days before the national security police interrogated her.

'He knew that I was a lawyer,' she said. 'He straightforwardly asked said: 'We are not talking about the law.' I asked him, 'So what are we talking about?' He replied: 'We're talking about your stance and attitude.''

'I suffered severe persecution by the CCP because of my belief and practice of Falun Gong when I was in China,' Grace explained.

'The vast majority' of practitioners ultimately 'succumb to the pressure and reluctantly write the so-called 'Three Statements'' of confession, repentance and a guarantee to give up their faith.

'I did the same,' Grace said. 'Therefore, after serving a two-year term, I returned home.'

After two years subjected to arduous farm work and hard labour, Grace was finally allowed to leave - but her communications continued to be monitored. She told MailOnline her family suffered terribly from her sudden abduction.

'I missed an important part of my little daughter's childhood: she was not able to see me for two years, and when I came back home, she told me that the meaning of "mum" become blurred,' she said.

But this was not the end of the story for Grace. The CCP continued to monitor her family's calls and sent two agents to rent a nearby house for surveillance.

Grace lost her lawyer's licence 'without any legal basis, citing "other reasons"', she said.

Grace has lived in the UK for the last ten years. She says 'the psychological harm of the persecution is so severe that I still have nightmares about the persecution.'

'Even after I escaped from China, I still always have nightmares about the Chinese Communist Party's police breaking into my home.'

With support, she has been able to resettle and start a new life with her daughter and husband. After she and her daughter successfully obtained political asylum, her husband received a family reunion visa.

'The UK government has provided us with tremendous support,' she told MailOnline, adding: 'We are honoured to say that we became British citizens last year.'

Demonstrators in New York protest the alleged organ harvesting of Falun Gong members. The new religious movement has been persecuted in China since 1999

On September 13, 2023, the UK government voted on an amendment to the Procurement Bill.

The amend would have granted powers for medical institutions, practitioners and organisations to exclude suppliers if found to be complicit with forced organ harvesting, or dealing in any device or equipment or services relating to it.

But the movement brought forward by Lord Hunt was ultimately voted down by 274 votes to 194.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath who tabled the amendment said: 'The world is becoming increasingly aware of the Chinese Communist Party's multi-million-pound business of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience.

'And yet, presented with an opportunity to prevent complicity in these crimes, the Government has chosen to reject our proposed amendment.'

Wayne Jordash KC, Managing Partner of international human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance told MailOnline: 'Forced organ harvesting constitutes a gross human rights abuse of, at a minimum, two fundamental human rights - the right to life and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.'

He said the amendment 'would have been a great legislative step forward for the UK and a recognition of the urgent and serious risk faced by British medical institutions and transplant-associated entities - of being complicit in these crimes which rank as the most serious crimes and even crimes against humanity'.

Susie Hughes, Executive Director of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, a leading research and advocacy organisation on the issue, said: 'The UK Government needs to move quickly to tighten legislation to protect UK citizens from inadvertent complicity. It needs to send a clear message to China that the UK will not turn a blind eye.

'The amendment debated today was a prime opportunity for the UK Government to set an important precedent for preventing and protecting human rights.

'It failed to take this opportunity and as a result has also failed the UK citizens and the Falun Gong and Uyghur people who are arbitrarily detained, tortured and killed for their organs.'
Congress has been warned to be on high alert for Chinese spies after a suspected Beijing espionage plot was uncovered in British parliament.

Earlier this week, a parliamentary researcher with links to MPs with classified information was arrested for 'spying for China.'

The suspect is thought to be linked to numerous Conservative members of Parliament - including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Alicia Kearns.

According to reports, several of the members with links to the suspected spy are 'privy to classified or highly sensitive information', however none have been accused of wrongdoing.

The suspect, who was arrested under the Official Secrets Act, has not been charged, and has said he is 'completely innocent.' He has not been named by police.

The suspected breach sparked a Metropolitan Police investigation and led to MI5 warning more operatives could be working in the highest levels of British democracy. Now the United States has been warned it could be a target.

A Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christine Fang, targeted up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country who had the potential to make it big on the national stage, including Rep. Eric Swalwell

Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Communist Party, told DailyMail.com that educating members of Congress about the threat of infiltration is critical - especially in light of the recent UK incident.

'One thing we're trying to do here on the Select Committee is to educate people -members and staff- about the nature of not only traditional CCP espionage but United Front work,' he said.

'I think United Front work is a poorly understood phenomenon. I don't think your average member understands what it is. The more we can educate members about this phenomenon, the better they can defend themselves.'

The United Front is the political strategy utilized by the CCP to advance China's influence and power globally through a variety of methods, including by deploying spies to try to change policies of foreign nations to be more pro-China or gain sensitive information.

Congress has be infiltrated by Chinese spies attempting to get access to classified information in recent years.

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell's ties to a suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang, known as 'Fang Fang,' sparked an Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct.

The committee ended up not taking any disciplinary action against Swalwell, but issued a letter warning lawmakers about the threat of foreign infiltration.

'Members should be conscious of the possibility that foreign governments may attempt to secure improper influence through gifts and other interactions,' the letter stated.

Fang Fang left China to go to college in the U.S. in 2011, and then worked on developing relationships with key lawmakers, including Swalwell, in order to get access to sensitive information.

She reportedly raised money for his 2014 campaign and attended a number of events that the congressman attended.

The FBI, who was investigating Fang Fang, first brought their concerns to the congressman in 2015. At that point, Swalwell said he broke off any contact with the suspected spy.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy kicked Swalwell off of the House Intelligence Committee earlier this year due to his Fang Fang connection.

But Swalwell isn't the only lawmaker who has fallen for the ploy.

A former aide to Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., who worked as her driver in California for 20 years was found to have ties to the CCP.

Feinstein was chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee at the time.

She insisted that the spy 'never had access to classified or sensitive information or legislative matters' and was let go after the FBI informed her that her office was infiltrated.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., put the two Democrats on blast for falling for China's 'sophisticated' spy network.

'Communist China has a sophisticated and enormous global spy network that has already breached the highest levels of government like in the cases of Senator Feinstein's aide or the targeting of Congressman Swalwell,' said Waltz.

Waltz said he met with Canadian member of Parliament Michael Chong who has also been targeted by the Chinese.

'We'll continue to press the intelligence community on their operations to combat these espionage efforts and safeguard members of Congress.'

Waltz sits on the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees.

Experts say that it is easier for Chinese spies to get access to American secrets through U.S. lawmakers than most think.

Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank in the UK, told Dailymail.com that Chinese spy infiltration in Congress 'could easily happen in the U.S.' because 'nobody had really understood it could happen in such a spectacular way here.

'Who's to say there aren't people the U.S. and other Western democracies who have been turned, and who may well be involved in Chinese influence operations or spying for China.'

'It's similar to what the Russians used to do, sending proper spies who were not obviously connected to the regime,' Mendoza continued.

'It seems unlikely China isn't going to do that.'

He urged Congress to be 'more alert' to the 'dangers' of Chinese efforts and treat it on the same level as Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the Global Trade in Services Summit of the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services. Experts say that it is easier for Chinese spies to get access to American secrets through U.S. lawmakers than most think

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., put the two Democrats on blast for falling for China's 'sophisticated' spy network

'It's difficult to stop someone completely disconnected and able to cover their tracks.'

Mendoza said politicians should look closely at the backgrounds of people they are hiring.

'If you have spent a considerable amount of time in China that should be a red flag that should mean you dig into someone's background.

'An incident like tis reminds us to be vigilant and double down on our processes.

'We don't want to be alarmist and have a reds under the beds McCarthyite position (but) sometimes we are not alert to obvious signs.'
A desperate search for a swimmer missing at a popular Byron Bay beach has resumed after it was suspended due to nightfall making efforts difficult.

Emergency services were called to Tallow Beach at Byron Bay, following reports a man had reportedly entered the water and seen in distress before failing to resurface about 3pm on Saturday.

The search involves Tweed/Byron Police District police officers as well as Surf Lifesavers, Marine Rescue NSW, and a Queensland rescue helicopter.

A major search has been suspended for a man who was last seen swimming swimmer at a popular Byron Bay beach due to nightfall making efforts difficult

A NSW Police spokeswoman said the search was suspended at 6pm on Saturday despite the swimmer not being found.

The search for the swimmer resumed the following morning at 8am on Sunday.

Police are appealing for anyone who might have seen the man around this time, he is described as being of caucasian appearance and aged in his 50s.

He was last seen in light coloured board shorts.

As inquires continue police are urging anyone with information to contact Byron Bay police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
By Elchin Alioglu, Trend

At the last meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, held in Washington through the mediation of the US State Department, a serious agreement was reached. However, Washington and Yerevan violated this agreement.

There was an agreement on the parallel launch of cargo transportation of the International Committee of the Red Cross along the Lachin road and the Aghdam-Khankendi route. The United States was the guarantor of this agreement, a participant in the negotiations and an initiator. But then events began to develop in a completely different direction. The rhetoric of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has become aggressive, his statements addressed to Baku have become harsher.

Instead of implementing the agreement reached, Washington retreated to Armenian disinformation and propaganda. Armenian separatists from Yerevan and Garabagh were inspired by this and torpedoed the agreements. The result is obvious: the State Department and the US Congress are now talking only about the need to open the Lachin road and a humanitarian catastrophe.

However, neither the presence of 10 thousand armed Armenians in the territories under the control of Russian peacekeepers, nor Armenias escalation of the situation on the conditional state border, nor false statements about a humanitarian catastrophe, nor the continuation of Armenian mine terrorism, nor the constant shelling of our positions by military units of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, are mentioned.

There was also no mention of Armenias failure to comply with any terms of the trilateral declaration signed on November 10, 2020. Finally, it was not mentioned that in order to prevent the return of Azerbaijanis to the territories liberated from occupation, Armenia has repeatedly used the territories under the control of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent (RPC) for the purpose of continuous sabotage and terrorist attacks.

And instead of all this, acting US Under Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim says that in the context of any peace negotiations, the rights and safety of the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh must be protected. This is a mandatory element of any contract."

Such rhetoric and position of the United States, especially the complete irrationality and subjectivism in its approach to Azerbaijan, indicate the desire of the United States to replace Russia in Armenia, to become the main geopolitical force in the region and the main moderator in negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

There is no doubt that the United States, as well as the EU, in particular France, consider Armenia as a bargaining chip to promote their interests in the South Caucasus, but the danger is that the implementation of such a scenario can be very risky and have consequences not only for Armenia itself , but also for the entire region.

Most likely, holding the current US-Armenian military exercises EAGLE PARTNER 2023 in Armenia is also part of a larger US plan in the Caucasus. Kim's calls for the US to increase military aid to Armenia follow the same logic. Negotiations on this issue have been ongoing for a long time, but in fact the Americans have not yet provided any military assistance to Yerevan. Although the military factor is one of the important components designed to irritate Moscow with Yerevans pro-Western policy.

The United States is making mistakes in relation to Azerbaijan and discrediting itself as one of the main mediators in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. Official Baku has already advised the American side not to succumb to Armenias slanderous campaign. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that the mention of the rights and security of the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh in the peace agreement regarding Armenians living in the Garabagh region reflects the terminology purposefully used by Armenia to promote separatism in the territories of Azerbaijan, and also contradicts the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.

If the United States thinks that it can achieve results by putting pressure on Azerbaijan with biased, subjective and illogical demands, then it is deeply mistaken.

Washington once again used a flawed vocabulary full of incorrect expressions in its relations with Baku.

The results will not match US plans.

Because these plans do not serve the interests of the United States, but the Armenian lobby in this country.
UK funnyman Russell Brand grabbed Australian TV journalist Liz Hayes by the face and kissed her in an encounter caught on camera in 2012.

She had been filming the movie star for a segment on Nine's Sunday night current affairs show 60 Minutes when the interview drew to a close.

The light-hearted chat then ended with Brand grabbing Hayes and kissing her, even jokingly commenting about unhooking her bra.

Brand - who has now been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse including attacking a 16-year-old girl - grabbed the reporter and clasped her to him in a tight clinch.

The experienced TV veteran tried remained professional and then pulled away, putting her hand between them and thanking Brand for his time.

Brand then grabbed her face with both his hands, before kissing her on the lips.

Brand - who has now been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse including attacking a 16-year-old girl - grabbed the reporter and clasped her to him in a tight clinch

Brand then grabbed her face with both his hands, before kissing her on the lips, planting his mouth on hers

A crowd of at least seven of Brand's apparent entourage watched on as the incident unfolded, with several laughing along with Brand while Hayes was left visibly shocked by the ordeal, grinning awkwardly.

After planting a kiss on the reporter, Brand used both arms to hold her, saying: 'See you later, Liz. All right, take care...'

She gasped 'Russell' and he then partially released her from his grip just long enough to say: 'How can I undo your bra? Just like this...' as his put his arm on her back.

Hayes then gasped in shock as he strutted away grinning before turning around and saying: 'Liz, I love you!'

Hayes, now 67, relived the moment with a smile in a retrospective special in 2021 when she looked back on her four decades in journalism, calling him 'most enjoyable to be around'.

Hayes, now 67, relived the moment with a smile in a retrospective special in 2021 when she looked back on her four decades in journalism

'When you interview Russell Brand you don't really know who's going to show up,' she said in 2021.

'Seasoned as I am as a journalist, I am prepared for all events and all kinds of people.

'And when Russell Brand decided he would like to kiss me, well, you size up the situation.

'You think, "Mmm-hmm. Am I in danger?" What could go wrong?"'

Brand had earlier warned her in the interview: 'I'm a tricky little swine. I'm a trickster. I'm a raven. I'm a playful coyote looking for mischief.'

Hayes admitted: 'The naughty Russell ended the day.'

The allegations against Brand are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while he was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 in the UK before then becoming a star in Hollywood.

Among the explosive claims, reported by The Times, include other claims that Brand was controlling abusive and predatory in behaviour.

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.

Sharing his 2min 45sec monologue to his 11 million 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 the accusations being made public

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

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'

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.'

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

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.

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'

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 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.'

The comedian was due to appear overnight at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, in London, for his new show, Russell Brand: Biopolarisation.

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, 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.

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 and wife Laura Gallacher are seen on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California

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.
When it comes to national defence, never take your eye off the ball. This is a lesson we can and must learn from history. Because the disturbing fact is that this country did just that in the 1920s and 1930s in the aftermath of the First World War, and the result very nearly cost us our freedom as Hitler's forces threatened our shores.

Britain won the war in 1918 but shamefully lost the peace as our army was allowed to atrophy.

It is often forgotten how professional the British Army had become by 1918 - able to pull off a stunning battlefield victory over the Germans in northern France thanks to the 'Hundred Days' offensive which ended the war.

The victory had been a long time coming, after years of static trench warfare and no decisive breakthrough, just massive loss of life in the bloodbaths at Ypres, Verdun, the Somme and Passchendaele.

Finally, at the Battle of Amiens, British commanders - often wrongly caricatured as donkeys leading lions - demonstrated that they were able to master the intricacies of the modern battlefield.

'It is often forgotten how professional the British Army had become by 1918  able to pull off a stunning battlefield victory over the Germans in northern France thanks to the 'Hundred Days' offensive which ended the war.' (Pictured: A carrier pigeon being released from a British Mark V tank during the Battle of Amiens)

Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army and co-author of Victory To Defeat: The British Army 1918-1940

Dr Robert Lyman, elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society and co-author of Victory To Defeat: The British Army 1918-1940

With their sophisticated co-ordination of all elements of combat power  infantry, artillery, air power and armoured vehicles  the stalemate was broken as the Germans admitted defeat and sued for peace.

Yet little more than 20 years later, the boot was on the other foot when the next generation of German soldiers poured into France and beat the Allies in a lightning campaign that ended with British troops fleeing the beaches of Dunkirk.

How had victory in 1918 turned so quickly to humiliating defeat in 1940?

The answer is that it was the policy of successive British governments to downgrade the Army.

Spending on defence was dramatically slashed because of a misguided assumption that the 'war to end all wars' had done its job and there was no need to consider or plan for a future one.

Instead, everything was an issue of money as budgets were decided by Treasury civil servants, with no military advice.

In other words, the principal reason the Army was so unprepared for war in 1939 was that the British government, through its faulty defence planning and financing in the previous two decades, had made it so.

These are mistakes we must learn from today - especially as, with the appointment of Grant Shapps, we have a new Defence Secretary who knows little about the brief.

Significantly, in the 1920s and 30s, there was all-party consensus on the Army cuts.

With economic recession to contend with, the Conservative, Liberal and Labour parties were all reluctant to argue for more expenditure on defence. Nor was there any popular outcry.

If a country became less warlike, the argument suggested, potential threats would simply disappear into an ether of goodwill. It was a potent virus made up of wishful thinking and naivety.

So it was that the British Army fell asleep at the wheel, slipping back into being an imperial policeman whose job involved relatively simple weapons and equipment.

'It is, perhaps, little wonder that Vladimir Putin sensed that the West, united during the years of the Cold War, was ripe for challenge as its military capability was allowed to atrophy in Europe and diverted elsewhere into forays against militant Islamist movements in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.' (Pictured: Vladimir Putin)

'In the 1930s, the liberal democracies set their faces against rearmament and chose negotiation and appeasement as their response to Hitler's Germany.' (Pictured: British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain meeting Adolf Hitler in 1938)

However, if a government takes the security of the nation seriously, its duty  then as now  is to imagine the unimaginable and prepare for it. In January 2022, for example, a war in Europe was unimaginable, but it became a reality when, the following month, Russia attacked Ukraine.

It is, perhaps, little wonder that Vladimir Putin sensed that the West, united during the years of the Cold War, was ripe for challenge as its military capability was allowed to atrophy in Europe and diverted elsewhere into forays against militant Islamist movements in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa.

Putin may also have taken comfort from the West's eventual disappointments in Iraq and Afghanistan  and was undoubtedly emboldened by the US and Nato's precipitate and undignified exit from Kabul in August 2021.

This is where recent events uncomfortably mirror the failings in defence policy between the First and Second World Wars.

In the 1930s, the liberal democracies set their faces against rearmament and chose negotiation and appeasement as their response to Hitler's Germany.

The Ukraine War represents another moment when Western leaders, and those of Britain in particular, are faced with a similar dilemma. They can bury their heads in a way reminiscent of the appeasement of Hitler at Munich in 1938, or they can embrace difficult and expensive choices - perhaps not popular in the short term but likely to be a sound investment in future security.

While accepting that Ukraine was not a member of Nato, and therefore that they were not legally bound to protect it, Western states have nevertheless stood solidly in support of the country as it fights to protect its independence, sovereignty and preferred way of life.

'The Ukraine War represents another moment when Western leaders, and those of Britain in particular, are faced with a similar dilemma. They can bury their heads in a way reminiscent of the appeasement of Hitler at Munich in 1938, or they can embrace difficult and expensive choices.' (Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier)

The Challenger 3 tank modernisation programme should be accelerated, and the numbers significantly increased from the paltry plan of refitting just 148 of them

But should it have come to this? Had the cautionary tale of the past not been heeded? Had the absence of an appropriate response to the rise of a dictator in Europe in the last century been mirrored by the hesitant response to the rise of a dictator in this one?

This is the challenge to Western governments  and especially to Britain if it wishes to prove itself a major player on the world stage in the years to come. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the UK surely cannot duck these responsibilities  but rising to them comes at a price.

In March 2021, the Government's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy proposed tilting Britain's defence strategy towards the Indo-Pacific region. It also gave priority to new technologies and new ways of warfare. However, Putin's brutal land assault in Ukraine has proved a rude wake-up call, taking war back to its bloody basics.

So what should be the response of the British Government in the face of current events?

For a start, defence spending should rise from two per cent of GDP to nearer three per cent. And much of it needs to be spent on a major investment in the UK's land power capability.

Planned cuts to the size of the Army should be questioned, as should decisions to reduce helicopter and tactical air-lift capabilities.

The Challenger 3 tank modernisation programme should be accelerated, and the numbers significantly increased from the paltry plan of refitting just 148 of them.

The removal from service of the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle should also be stopped and a full modernisation programme embarked upon.

Moreover, as the war in Ukraine has shown, rocket and tube artillery numbers need to be dramatically increased. So does air defence capability, to meet the new weapon of armed drones, along with conventional aerial threats.

Underpinning all this must be a modern, secure communications system supported by robust logistics and adequate holdings of ammunition and other combat supplies.

Without these enhancements and more, we will be unable to play our part in the future deterrence of further aggression from a newly aggressive Russia.

The 1930s showed the folly of not acting in a timely manner, while the draining away of the UK's military capabilities since the Cold War shows a remarkable tendency to let history repeat itself.

Wishful thinking does not buy peace  hard power does.

Defence expenditure is the insurance premium that any responsible government must pay to protect its interests, its people and the security of its territory.

The premium may have just gone up, but the alternative is a disaster.

Ukraine is Europe's wake-up call. We must listen and act.

We might not be given a second chance  again.

Lord Dannatt, the head of the Army from 2006 to 2009, and military historian Dr Robert Lyman are the authors of Victory To Defeat: The British Army 1918-1940, published by Bloomsbury. To order a copy for 22.50 (offer valid to 01/10/2023; UK p&p free on orders over 25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
A memoir has resurfaced about an author who was pursued by Russell Brand before being 'dumped' for Kate Moss.

In her book The Wrong Knickers, which was published in 2014, Bryony Gordon claims Brand got her number from his PR team at the time before bombarding her with texts and calls.

Her account has now resurfaced after Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

The allegations against Brand, which include controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.

Brand has denied the 'very serious criminal allegations' made against him in an expose by Channel 4's Dispatches.

In her book, Gordon described how she met Brand while interviewing him during his stint as a presenter on Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth.

She writes that he 'spent the whole of our interview asking if he could kiss me, and every time I said no, it only caused him to ask me more'.

Author and journalist Bryony Gordon (pictured) detailed the experience of her brief relationship with Russell Brand in her book The Wrong Knickers which was published in 2014

Russell Brand has today been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Pictured in Los Angeles in 2019

The bombshell claims against Brand came after he posted an astonishing video late on Friday night where he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

In her book, Gordon says following numerous requests, she eventually agreed to go on a date with Brand a few weeks after she interviewed him.

They went for lunch and to the cinema, before Brand suggested they return to his for some drinks.

Gordon says he had a fridge 'stocked with alcohol' for her, despite the fact he is sober himself.

She adds that after a few glasses of wine she went to bed with Brand.

Prior to their brief relationship, Gordon says she wasn't aware of his 'reputation' or 'that there were, by his own admission, hundreds of other girls with a Russell Brand story' because he wasn't as well-known at the time.

Gordon met with Brand a couple more times before his texts and calls to her stopped.

A few days after the communication stopped, she opened a newspaper to see a picture of Brand holding hands with Kate Moss.

In the book, Gordon recalls telling her friends at a dinner party: 'So, if you want to become a Hollywood star and start sleeping with supermodels...then sleep with me!'

The revelations against Brand are detailed in a Channel 4 Dispatches episode which aired at 9pm this evening, where one woman alleged that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school.

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'

Gordon writes that Brand 'spent the whole of our interview asking if he could kiss me, and every time I said no, it only caused him to ask me more'

Gordon writes that Brand had a fridge 'stocked with alcohol' for her, despite the fact he is sober himself

In her book The Wrong Knickers, which was published in 2014, Bryony Gordon claims Russell Brand got her number from his PR team at the time before bombarding her with texts and calls

It is claimed the actor referred to her as 'the child' during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months

She told Channel 4: '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 added: 'Its a smokescreen for a lot more of his dark behaviour.'

Another 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.

In the video he posted to YouTube and X, Brand said he vehemently denies what he called 'very serious criminal allegations' made against him.
A stunning Santa Barbara houseboat which is immaculately-decorated but has only one bedroom has been listed for $4.9 million.

The houseboat, which is about 50 years old and known as the Thomas Jefferson, sits in Santa Barbara Harbor.

The floating home has around 1,300 square feet of living space and comes complete with all modern amenities, including electricity, plumbing, and a laundry room.

For those lucky enough be welcomed aboard, a spacious dining room can comfortably seat ten people although there is only one bedroom.

The home also comes complete with its own slip in Santa Barbara Harbor, Sotheby's realtor Patricia Ruben said.

This floating home set in Santa Barbara Harbor is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece

The current owner, Jeff Wapner, grew up in Santa Barbara but then left to travel the world. Upon returning, he was determined not to live in a traditional home and looked for various boats that were available for sale.

Wapner went for a minimalist look with handle-free cabinets for the kitchen.

A staircase leads to the upper levels including a bedroom a rooftop with plenty of natural light.

The flooring throughout is a clean and refreshing white oak while a workshop could easily be turned into a second bedroom.

The home has professional hand-crafted carpentry throughout with beautiful wooden cabinets, flooring and draws

The windows offer stellar views of the surrounding harbor

For those lucky enough to be welcomed aboard there is room enough to seat 10 people around a dining table

A wooden deck patio offers views of the harbor with the water lapping at your feet

Guests who step aboard will discover a generously proportioned dining room capable of comfortably accommodating ten people

There is also plenty of space to work with a desk, table and chair

The home was designed and rebuilt by a father (engineer) and son (carpenter) over a period of four years

Wapner originally purchased the boat for $650,000 and is one of just four houseboats allows in the harbor. He spent around $2 million fixing it up.

Although there is no engine, the boat could be towed elsewhere to another location if necessary.

After a year of living on board, Wapner found that the boat was slowly decaying around him with termites eating away at the structure and the wooden frame rotting.

'I didn't intend on remodeling the entire home. But I'm not the type of person who could live on what I knew was a rotting and basically sinking ship', Wapner told WSJ.com. '

Wapner set about demolishing the existing home. The floating structure underwent a comprehensive reconstruction, with Wapner finally moving back onto the houseboat two years ago.

The lower level of the boat is where the workshop and laundry room are located while the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and dining area are set on the the second level.

A staircase leads to the upper levels including a bedroom a rooftop with plenty of natural light.

After climbing the staircase a ladder is needed to climb up to the rooftop

An inviting staircase grants access to the upper levels, where a bedroom and a rooftop with ample natural light await

The bedroom also has plenty of natural light, wooden furnishings and clean lines

Double sinks in the houseboats bathroom complete with gold rimmed mirrors and taps

To the untrained eye there is no obvious indication that the home is a boat out on the water

There's even ample storage space for a collection of surfboards

The roof deck has access with views for miles around with palm trees lining the horizon

The home is about 50 years old , with a history of approximately 50 years, moored in the picturesque Santa Barbara Harbor

The bathroom comes with two sinks and a shower with skylight situated overhead - ideal for looking at the skies above and a bit of stargazing.

'At night, when you can see the stars and the moon shining through, it's an incredible place to take a shower,' Wapner said.

Although there is some slight rocking on the waves Wapner insists that it is not noticeable.

He says the reason for the sale is his desire to begin traveling one again.

The lower level of the houseboat accommodates the workshop and laundry room

Plenty of natural light is allowed to flow through the home

The owner's decision to sell the houseboat stems from his desire to rekindle his passion for travel

The home rises and falls with the tide and will occasionally move from side to side

The houseboat docked in Santa Barbara, California comes with an asking price of $4.9 million

The current owner is a keen surfer which is a popular pastime in Santa Barbara

Nearby mountains can be seen from the rooftop of the home together with a 360 of the marina

The historic working harbor is an excellent launch pad for a variety of adventures including sailing, sea kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding

From above the open skylight can be seen on the home's roof

Although the $4.9 million price tag might seem steep, the agents Sotheby's International Realty believe the cost per square foot of neighboring waterfront properties currently on the market put it in line with other properties.

The houseboat is so distinctive that the listing is already generating significant interest.

'This house is so specific that when I told a few people I'm listing it, they said 'Oh is it the big beautiful brown one?' We've been dying to get in it,' Patricia Ruben of Sotheby's said.
Sir Keir Starmer faced a backlash from his own party last night after Labour's controversial plans to let 16-year-olds vote in General Elections was set in stone.

One former Minister branded the idea 'gerrymandering, pure and simple', while an MP said that it 'smacked of self-interest' as people that young were more likely to vote Labour than Tory.

The row erupted after Labour confirmed yesterday that cutting the voting age from 18 to 16 was included in a revised policy blueprint for its General Election manifesto.

And last night a party spokesman added: 'Labour will introduce votes for 16- and 17-year-olds, in line with Scotland and Wales, so that young people feel empowered and can fully engage in our democratic processes.

'At the age of 16, many young people are paying taxes, working, and engaging in all parts of society  it is right that they get a say in who governs them.'

The row erupted after Labour confirmed yesterday that cutting the voting age from 18 to 16 was included in a revised policy blueprint for its General Election manifesto

WORLD STAGE: Sir Keir Starmer with Canadian premier Justin Trudeau in Montreal yesterday

But senior Labour MP Graham Stringer urged Sir Keir to drop the plan.

Mr Stringer, 73, told The Mail on Sunday: 'We have to draw the line somewhere on the voting age, and I simply believe most youngsters at 16 are not mature enough to exercise that right.

'I'm afraid that were the Labour leader to put this forward, it would smack of party political self-interest on the basis that young people are more likely to vote Labour or Liberal Democrat than Conservative.'

Ex-Labour Minister Tom Harris went further and said: 'This is just gerrymandering, pure and simple.

'It's being put forward because Labour policy wonks think that 16-year-olds are more likely to vote for Labour over Tory.'

Mr Harris, 59, who quit the party in 2018, agreed with Mr Stringer that 'at 16, most people just aren't mature enough to have the vote'. He said: 'That's no criticism of them  it's just a fact of life. If Starmer has any sense, he will quietly park any plans to extend it for UK-wide elections.'

However, veteran Labour MP Barry Sheerman, 83, who had previously said lowering the voting age would 'shrink' childhood, admitted yesterday he could be persuaded in favour of the idea.

Tory Party chairman Greg Hands has already condemned the voting age plan, saying: 'Everyone knows that adulthood starts at 18  that's when you can get married, start drinking and smoke. Labour only want to lower the voting age for their own political advantage.'

The votes row came as Sir Keir met Canadian premier Justin Trudeau and other political leaders yesterday at a Global Progress Action Summit in Montreal.

The Canadian visit, together with a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris later this week, comes amid growing confidence among Labour MPs of victory at the next Election but concern that Sir Keir's 'globe-trotting' will look like hubris.

One French government source told The Mail on Sunday that the meeting with Mr Macron was 'very much pushed by Mr Starmer, who clearly realises the importance of the Franco-British alliance'.

The source added: 'There are huge issues involving the two countries, not least of all cross-Channel immigration, and Mr Starmer naturally wants to speak directly to Mr Macron about them.'
Woke activist Ibram X. Kendi's Antiracist Research Center at Boston University had laid off up to twenty members off staff amidst accusations from former workers that the organization was 'exploitative' and poorly managed.

Boston University confirmed the center had made 15 to 20 workers redundant from a staff of 45 as it moves towards a fellowship model.

'The Center is evolving to a fellowship model. Dr. Kendi remains the Director. We can confirm that there were layoffs at the Center' Vice President Rachel Lapal Cavallario told Fox News on Thursday.

'The University and Center are committed to working with and supporting affected employees as they look for their next opportunities' the statement read.

But staff who worked there painted a far less diplomatic picture, claiming Kendi was given too much power and that he mistreated those working for him.

He infamously implied that white people should be discriminated against to tackle the horrific prejudice previously inflicted on black Americans.

The center opened at BU during the turbulent summer of 2020 when America reckoned with nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd.

Woke activist Ibram X. Kendi's Antiracist Research Center at Boston University had laid off up to twenty members off staff

Former and current staff alleged that the center had been poorly managed by Kendi

The center opened at BU during the turbulent summer of 2020 when America reckoned with nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd

Some former and current staff told the Boston Globe that the center had been poorly managed by Kendi.

'There are a number of ways it got to this point, it started very early on when the university decided to create a center that rested in the hands of one human being, an individual given millions of dollars and so much authority,' Spencer Piston, faculty lead of the center's policy office told the publication.

Former assistant director of narrative at the center, Saida Grundy, said the center lacked structure and the culture was 'exploitative' as she was asked to work unreasonable hours.

'It became very clear after I started that this was exploitative and other faculty experienced the same and worse,' she told the outlet.

Kendi garnered recognition in academic circles with his 2019 book 'How To Be An Antiracist,' which exploded in popularity during the global movement for racial equality in 2020.

Then-president of BU Robert A. Brown said at the time that Kendi's leadership 'would create a critical emphasis on research and policy to help eliminate racism in our country.'

Kendi's hiring announcement was followed by a flood of donations to BU to support the center and Kendi's work, including a $1.5 million, three-year gift from the biotech company Vertex and a $10 million donation from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey later that summer.

Former assistant director of narrative at the center, Saida Grundy, said the center lacked structure and the culture was 'exploitative'

Spencer Piston, faculty lead of the center's policy office said Kendi had too much power in the organization

A few months later, The Rockefeller Foundation donated $1.5 million over two years to help fund the center's COVID-19 Racial Data Tracker.

Kendi's work, especially his children's book 'Antiracists baby' has gained criticism for teaching children controversial critical race theory.

Kendi defended his books in June 2022 as a way to teach people, including children, to 'see racism.'

'Well, actually, teaching people to see racism,' Kendi said on 'CBS Mornings.' 'There's a difference. Race is a mirage. Racism is real. And it's  you know who's the most likely to be harmed by racism? Our children. You know who are least likely to engage about it? Our children. That's what's really prevailing me to do this work.'
President Joe Biden attended church services solo on Saturday amid son Hunter's fresh legal woes.

The president walked into St. Joseph on the Brandywine near his Wilmington, Delaware home shortly after 5 p.m., putting on his navy blue jacket as he strolled toward the door.

Biden has yet to comment publicly on Hunter Biden facing three federal charges, with up to 25 years in prison, related to his purchase of a gun - allegedly lying on the form to purchase the weapon while he was addicted to drugs.

The president didn't take questions when he left the White House Friday for a weekend at home.

When Biden attends church, the pool of reporters who follow him each day is kept outside the building and across the graveyard from the president.

The president didn't even look toward the journalists when a reporter shouted, 'Mr. President, will you pardon your son?' as he left church after services.

The president ignored a shouted question as he walked back to his waiting SUV after attending mass Saturday

President Joe Biden chats with churchgoers Saturday as he departs services at St. Joseph on the Brandywine

At Friday afternoon's briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted the president would not pardon Hunter, after Biden ignored a question on the matter, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

'I've answered this question before and I was very clear. I said no,' she said in her daily press briefing, echoing a reply she gave in July on the matter.

The president, after making remarks at the White House on the United Auto Workers strike, kept walking out of the Roosevelt Room and out the door as reporters asked him if he would use his presidential powers to help his son.

'That's all I'm going to say,' the president said as he finished his remarks on the strike.

He ignored a shouted question on 'will Hunter get a pardon,' walking straight out of the room.

Jean-Pierre on Friday wouldn't answer a question on if the president has talked to his son since the charges were announced.

'I'm not going to get into the conversation that the president has with his family,' she said.

President Joe Biden puts on his jacket as he arrives at church Satuday in Wilmington, Delaware

President Joe Biden ignored a question on whether he would pardon his son Hunter Friday at the White House

Hunter Biden, meanwhile, is preparing to go to trial.

His lawyer on Friday argued that the case against Hunter won't make it to trial - but refused to say whether or not Hunter was on drugs when he purchased the gun that led to federal charges.

Attorney Abbe Lowell told ABC's Good Morning America that the Justice Department bended to 'political pressure' from Republicans in Congress when it charged Hunter Biden on three felony charges for lying about his crack cocaine addiction when buying a gun in 2018.

The president's son is now facing a maximum of 25 years in prison, but his attorney has insisted the case will be 'dismissed' before Hunter has to stand trial.

'The U.S. Attorneys office has known about this for years. No charges,' Lowell said. 'What changed? Not the facts, not the law, but all the politics that have now come into play.'

'The only thing that's changed has been the political pressure put on by the Republicans in Congress and the media that supports them,' he argued.

In the charges, two counts accuse Hunter Biden of having completed a form indicating he was not using illegal drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges he possessed a firearm while using a narcotic.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden will not pardon his son Hunter

Lowell said Hunter was not on drugs at the time he purchased the revolver.

'If you're going to be specific, then be specific. If the form asks if you are a drug user on the day you buy a gun that is an issue. If it says have you ever used drugs that's an issue. That will be played out in court,' he said.

ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked him if the defense is going to argue Hunter 'was not a drug user on the day he signed the form?'

'No, our defense has multiple parts to it,' Lowell responded. He also argued 'I think the case will be dismissed before trial.'

Hunter Biden, in his memoir, detailed his drug use, including smoking crack cocaine. The first son talked about how he relapsed into his addiction after his brother Beau died of brain cancer in 2015.

Video discovered on Hunter's laptop computer shows him naked and brandishing a handgun in a hotel room in 2018, allegedly five days after buying the gun.

But when asked if Hunter Biden was on drugs the day he purchased the gun, Lowell said: 'I think that's something that, if it ever gets that far, you and everybody else will see the evidence.'

He declined to be more specific.

But he went on to rage against the Justice Department for the backing out an earlier plea bargin agreement, accusing the feds of caving to political pressure from Republicans in Congress, who have been investigating Hunter Biden's foreign business deals and the Biden family finances.

Hunter Biden 's lawyer Abe Lowell (left) on Friday argued that the case against President Joe Biden 's son will be dismissed before it goes to trial - but refused to say whether or not Hunter was on drugs when he purchased the gun that led to federal charges.

Abbe Lowell refused to say if Hunter was on drugs the day he purchased a gun

President Biden's son Hunter was indicted by Special Counsel David Weiss on federal felony gun charges Thursday - above Hunter with President Joe Biden in June 2023

Hunter allegedly lied on a firearm report (above) required for his gun transaction. A photo of the form shows he answered 'no' when asked if he was an 'unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance'

U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by Donald Trump, is overseeing the prosecution and has been given special counsel status.

Weiss and Hunter's lawyers reached a plea deal in July that called for the president's son to plead guilty in Delaware federal court to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes in return for prosecutors' recommending probation.

A separate felony gun charge of illegally owning the Colt Cobra .38 special handgun would have been dropped in two years if Biden honored the terms of what is known as a diversion agreement.

Lowell on Friday argued 'there's a deal in place that should have prevented' the federal charges. He also argued that courts are now finding the statute used in the charges as unconstitutional.

'The law changed,' Lowell said. 'But the law didn't change in favor of the prosecution. The law changed against it because a couple of federal courts have found this gun charge to be unconstitutional.'

The plea deal, which Republicans blasted as a 'sweetheart deal' fell apart in a Delaware courtroom when the presiding judge started to question some of its details, including one that including would theoretically protect Hunter Biden from other tax-related crimes in the same period.

Prosecutors said it would not. Hunter's lawyers said it would. The agreement fell apart. The three federal charges were announced on Thursday.

Two of the counts carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

Republicans are insisting that Biden's son is guilty of even more felonies and that Weiss' indictment on gun charges should just be the tip of the spear.

On July 27, after the plea deal fell apart, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out President Biden issuing a pardon for Hunter. But it remains to be seen if the White House's posture has changed now that Hunter faces the three new felony charges.

Shortly before leaving office, President Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for a 1985 cocaine and drug trafficking conviction for which he had already served time.

In the last weeks of his own administration, Trump pardoned a skein of friends and associates, including daughter Ivankas father-in-law Charles Kushner. Both Ivanka and Jared Kushner were White House advisors at the time.

A picture from Hunter Biden's laptop showed the now 53-year-old first son posing nude with a firearm

The White House is not commenting on the new felony charges for the president's son, and Biden joked he would get in 'trouble' if he answered press questions at the end of an economics speech later Thursday.

Still it's a crushing blow to the president, who is running for re-election next year. Hunter's legal issues were thought to be resolved with the plea deal and it was shocking when the agreement fell apart.

The charges came the same week that Republicans in the House opened a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden for his alleged connections to Hunter's business dealings and is likely to have a long-term impact on his political career.

The First Son purchased a 0.38 Colt Cobra caliber pistol in Delaware, a state that makes any buyer answer a series of questions before they can lay their hands on a weapon.

One from the 2018 application asks if the applicant uses or is addicted to drugs. The box is clearly checked 'no.'

Hunter has admitted that he was addicted to crack cocaine at the time of the gun purchase.

About two weeks later his lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it 'unlocked' in his truck and threw it in a grocery store trash can. Its discovery sparked a police investigation.

In addition, now-President Biden sounded close to tears in the voicemail left on Hunter's abandoned laptop on October 15 - three days after Hunter bought the gun and lied about being a drug addict - begging him to get help.

'It's Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world pal,' Joe said in the October 15 message. 'You gotta get some help. I know you don't know what to do, I don't either.'
Women would warn each other about Russell Brand and his behaviour was openly discussed in the industry, comedian Daniel Sloss has claimed.

The revelation came as Brand was yesterday accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame.

The alleged misconduct - fervently denied by Brand - is claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while he was a presenter for the BBC and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood.

Mr Sloss, a Scottish comedian and actor, was the only person on Channel 4's Dispatches documentary who did not conceal his identity.

He told how there were 'many stories with varying degrees of severity' about Brand that came from a number of different people in the comedy circuit.

Female comedians even spoke of him in WhatsApp groups which they use to tell each other of which comedians or agents to avoid. 'I know for many many years women have been warning each other about Russell,' he said.

Comedian Daniel Sloss has claimed women would warn each other of Russell Brand and his behaviour

He said Brand was often spoke about in public, with many people in the comedy circuit aware of his alleged abusive and coercive behaviour.

He said: 'He was a big name, big big household name. If you were a comedian and got to gig with him you'd be gigging with a celebrity.

'I'm stood in bars with agents, promoters, channel commissioners and I'm hearing these allegations and rumours with Russell in the same room, and later on he would be on a movie, on a television show, he would be hosting something. He was still being employed,' Mr Sloss said on the programme aired last night.

Mr Sloss then goes onto launch an attack on 'people higher up in authority', arguing that there is more they could have done to confront Brand.

'Questions that should have been asked about Russell before he was employed for certain things, I do not believe they were asked.

Comedians even used Brand's predatory behaviour as material for their sketches, and were told to stop soon after.

'I know that there are comedians who did references in jokes to Russell's alleged crimes and have either been asked or told not to do those jokes anymore,' Mr Sloss said.

Brand has denied all allegations reported in the joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

In a video posted online on Friday, he 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.'
Osher Gunsberg and Jimi the Kween were among the thousands of revellers letting their hair down and flaunting eye-catching outfits at Sweet Relief.

The one-day music and fashion festival in Brisbane on Saturday had been billed as a place where 'self-expression is applauded and togetherness celebrated'.

Esteemed dance, electronic and live acts were the major draw along with Australia's Biggest Dress Up Contest.

Gunsberg and Kween hosted the fashion event on the main stage with the pair having their work cut out for them as revellers sported an array of quirky outfits.

Many were in the 'barely there' category wearing close to nothing while others went over the top with their creations.

Host Osher Gunsberg (right) is pictured taking notes the old-fashioned way, with a pen and paper

Glamorous outfits? Check. Water bottle? Check. Toy horse strapped to your trousers? Check

If in doubt about what the wear, go for black. It's always in fashion and helps make a noticeable entrance

Or you could always wear matching orange outfits, that's very 2023 festival season too

While most people made an effort to dress for success at Sweet Relief, some went the extra mile with fabulous nails too

These two Sweet Relief attendees look very happy to be attending the first major spring/summer music and fashion event

Gunsberg led the daring assortment with a red and blue marbled suit paired with a t-shirt with the Aboriginal flag imprinted on it.

Cowboy hats, fishnet tops and bikinis under sheer skirts were the common sight amid the bustling crowd.

A group of revellers opted for the extra terrestrial touch choosing to wear shiny silver clothes, headbands and carry an alien face pouch.

The rest of the festival certainly didn't disappoint with the likes of Groove Armada bringing their legendary DJ set.

There was also a live set by Melbourne's kings of psychedelic, electronic dance music, the Avalanches.

Pink was well and truly in vogue at Sweet Relief, both for women and men (pictured)

Sometimes a powder blue cowboy hat is exactly what you need to top off a racy ensemble

If you have ever wondered what to do with Christmas glitter tassles when it's not Christmas, wonder no more - they can be a fashion accessory (pictured)

Shoes were also a big fashion item flaunted at Sweet Relief, from black boots with pink laces (right) to a pair where one sneaker is purple and the other yellow (left)

The headliners were joined by the likes of Ladyhawke, Cut Copy DJs, Nina Las Vegas, Latifa Tee and YO! Mafia.

And Australia's favourite Queer Dance Party, Poof Doof Pride Patrol featuring Jimi The Kween took care of the needs of all those who like the sweeter sounds.

The drag scene was also well represented by Beverley Kills of Rupaul's Drag Race Down Under, Ruby Slippers and Luna Thicc.

Festival-goers were encouraged to flaunt their creativity and strut their stuff on an Academy Award-style catwalk.

Osher Gunsberg wore not just a fine purple and blue suit, he had a well-worn Aboriginal flag t-shirt underneath (pictured)

Gunsberg (centre) is pictured hosting the fashion parade and competition at Sweet Relief

Cowboy hats (pictured) were not just a popular fashion item at Sweet Relief, they also provided some sweet relief from the sun

'If you've got it, flaunt it,' is what this contestant in the fashion contest seems to be saying

These two attendees seem to be looking for a lost friend. Hopefully they found them

The contest had a huge prize pool of more than $15,000, including a luxury tropical getaway to Far North Queensland.

'Sweet Relief is Australia's biggest dress-up party, and for this gig  I get to be a judge,' Gunsberg said.

'As a through and through Brizzo, I'm stoked to come home to see two of my all-time favourites, The Avalanches and Groove Armada.'

The festival came as Brisbane enjoyed a relatively warm start to the weekend.

The mercury was forecast to peak at 26C with revellers making the most of the blue skies to relax under the sun.

A woman wearing angel wings (pictured) seems lost in the revery of the music at Sweet Relief

A pride ladder (pictured) not only looks good in itself, it is also a good spot from where to have your photo taken

Sunglasses, hats and liquid refreshments - these partiers were all prepared for the day ahead

These wise festival goers (pictured) were also showing sun sense with hats and sunglasses

But if you can combine fashionable sunglasses with fabulous, sparkly outfits, that's even better

Alien handbags and space explorer boots (pictured) helped complete the look

Angel wings are always a popular accessory at music festivals, but few wore them as well as these women (pictured)

If you have even wondered where 1970s-style wedding shirts went to, wonder no more, they have been rehabilitated (pictured right) in the 2020s

Overall Sweet Relief went off with a bang, with crowds enjoying the music, the fashion and the sunny conditions.

Whether it was a financial success remains to be seen - we will know for sure if there is a Sweet Relief 2 in 2024.

Tattoos, such as those on the two women pictured, were also a popular fashion accessory at Sweet Relief

If one person has a good idea about what t-shirt to wear to a festival, there is no harm in his mates copying him (pictured)

Osher Gunsberg (pictured right) seemed very amused by the antics of the pink-clad superhero (left)
The devastated mother of a young woman killed in a fiery car crash has revealed her final words to her daughter as she issues a heartbreaking message to other parents.

Tori Pearsall, 27, was in the process of moving homes when her car veered off Kargotich Road in Mardella, 56km south of Perth, and slammed into a tree at about 3.30am last Saturday.

The mother-of-three's Toyota Corolla hatchback burst into flames while she was still inside. She died at the scene.

Now, Ms Pearsall's mother Yvette Leifsson has opened up about what she has learned from the tragedy - as she urges other parents to cherish their children.

'If I can take anything away from this mess it's knowing that every time I speak to my beautiful kids the last think I say is "I love you" and they say it back,' she wrote on Facebook.

Tori Pearsall (pictured) was tragically killed in a fiery car crash earlier this month

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 doesn't matter if I see them or talk [to them] on the phone a hundred times a day, each time we end our conversations with I LOVE YOU - and that is the last thing we said to each other.

'So please tell your kids you love them, because you don't know when it will be the last time.

'I get comfort knowing that my daughter Tori knew that I loved her with all my heart.'

At the time of the crash, Ms Pearsall was on her way to her sister's house, where her three young children - all aged under 10 - had been staying while she and her partner, Ricky Clothier, worked on the move.

Ms Pearsall and Mr Clothier, who share two young sons and a daughter, were high schools sweethearts who had been together for 14 years.

The youngest of their children is just two months shy of her second birthday.

In December last year, Ms Pearsall, who owned a catering business, shared a gushing picture of her children on social media, writing: 'My greatest ever achievement'.

Mrs Pearsall's sister Kirra Panaia told The West Australian Tori's children meant the world to her.

Ms Pearsall is pictured with her mother Yvette Leifsson

'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.'

Friend Caitlin has launched a GoFundMe to help the family financially as they come to terms with their devastating loss of their 'heavenly angel'.

Caitlin said Tori was a 'loving mother partner sister daughter best friend and so much more' and her death had been 'not easy' on her loved ones.

'Lets help make this just a little easier and help [support] her [family] just like we would if she were here!!!' she wrote.

It's not clear why the car Ms Pearsall was driving left the road.

Major crash investigators have seized the vehicle as they work to determine the cause of the accident.
BBC bosses are set to bring back news presenter Simon McCoy, deepening a row with women who claim they were sidelined and put at risk of redundancy.

Rumours are rife at the BBC that chiefs think Mr McCoy, 61, who left for GB News in March 2021, would be a good replacement for Yalda Hakim, 40, who is going to Sky News.

Mr McCoy worked with John McAndrew, the BBC's new director of news programmes, at GB News for a time. Mr McCoy quit GB in December 2021.

On his Facebook page this month, Mr McCoy posted a picture of himself standing in a BBC news studio.

But sources at the BBC are furious at the prospect of him returning because five female presenters are taking legal action against the Corporation, claiming they are unfairly at risk of redundancy.

Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Geeta Guru-Murthy, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh, who between them they have more than 100 years of experience at the BBC, have not worked since March after they accused bosses of unfairly selecting them for redundancy. One source said: 'It all feels a bit of a boys' club.

BBC bosses are set to bring back news presenter Simon McCoy (pictured with Emma Samms)

Rumours are rife at the BBC that chiefs think Mr McCoy, 61, who left for GB News in March 2021, would be a good replacement for Yalda Hakim, 40, who is going to Sky News

'The talk is that Simon could be on his way back to the BBC. He knows John  they worked together at GB News  and now he's posting pictures of himself in the BBC.

'It has caused a lot of unrest, especially because there are five women sitting at home on full pay, fighting for their jobs, while the bosses talk about bringing Simon McCoy back.'

The five women were recently told they would be put through another recruitment process in their battle to keep their roles.

Mr McCoy, who married actress Emma Samms in October 2021, quit the BBC after nearly 18 years and was a high profile recruit to present The Great British Breakfast for GB News, alongside Kirsty Gallacher.

But Mr McCoy, whose funny asides between stories have often gone viral, left ten months later, citing personal reasons.

He was replaced by Eamonn Holmes and former Sky News newsreader Isabel Webster.

Australian Ms Hakim will be the lead world news presenter at Sky News and will head a new prime-time programme focused on international news.
Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert's new beau, who was caught on camera fondling her breasts at a Beetlejuice musical, owns a gay-friendly bar that hosts drag shows.

Boebert has been an outspoken critic of drag, claiming it offends her Christian beliefs and tweeting statements such as 'Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars.'

But she appears happy to indulge in public heavy-petting with Quinn Gallagher, who is believed to be a Democrat and who cashes in on drag performances.

The Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, co-owned by Gallagher, staged 'a winter Wonderland Burlesque & Drag Show,' according to social media posts.

Aspen Gay Ski Week hosted 'an evening of cocktails, appetizers, and laughs' at Hooch in January 2020 according to a Facebook post.

The US Representative, who became a grandma earlier this year aged 36, courted controversy for fondling Gallagher at a theater in Denver Sunday night. Toe-curling footage showed Gallagher rubbing Boebert's breasts as she tugged at his crotch.

Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert 's new beau, who was caught on camera fondling her breasts at a Beetlejuice musical, owns a gay-friendly bar that hosts drag shows

The Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, co-owned by Quinn Gallagher, staged 'a winter Wonderland Burlesque & Drag Show,'

Performers from Hooch's drag show pose in the gay-friendly bar earlier this year

Footage also showed Boebert waving her hands, singing loudly, using flash photography and vaping before being aggressive with staff who removed her from the theater.

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.'

'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.'

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.

DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday that Boebert, and Gallagher, a divorced father of a 16-year-old son, have been secretly dating for several months.

Boebert has been an outspoken critic of drag, claiming it offends her Christian beliefs and tweeting statements such as 'Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars.'

DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday that Boebert, and Gallagher (pictured), a divorced father of a 16-year-old son, have been secretly dating for several months

Gallagher owns the Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar on the outskirts of Aspen with partner Pat Flannigan

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.'

Pictures obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show her new boyfriend 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.

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.

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.

It is not clear when Gallagher and Boebert's relationship became romantic

The controversial congresswoman initially denied the claims but made a startling U-turn late Friday night blaming her behavior on her 'public and difficult divorce'

Gallagher (left) comes from the congresswoman's hometown of Rifle, Colorado, and still has family there

Surveillance footage from Sunday night's incident 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.

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.

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.
Libyan investigators are probing the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city as rescue teams searched for bodies yesterday, nearly a week after the deluge killed more than 11,000 people.

But observers fear their work will be hampered by conditions in the north African country, which plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend.

The floods overwhelmed the Abu Mansur and Al Bilad dams, sending a wall of water several metres high through Derna, destroying neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

More than 10,000 people are missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. A week on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors.

Derna city following a powerful storm and heavy rainfall that hit the country on September 13, 2023

Members of the rescue teams from the Egyptian army carry a dead body in Derna as they walk in the mud between the destroyed buildings, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, on September 13, 2023

Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases and shifting of explosive ordnance from Libya's recent conflicts.

Libya's General Prosecutor, al-Sediq al-Sour, said that 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.

Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Libya at London's Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, said that an investigation could pose 'a unique challenge' to judicial authorities, since it could lead to the highest ranks of leadership in eastern and western Libya.

A handout satellite picture released by Maxar Technologies on September 13, 2023 shows the port facility of Derna after floods, on September 13, 2023

A handout satellite picture released by Maxar Technologies shows Wadi Derna river and destroyed buildings in Derna after the floods on September 13, 2023

Later yesterday, local reports claimed Derna's mayor, Abdel-Moneim al-Gaithi, has been suspended pending an investigation into the disaster.

Since 2014, eastern Libya has been under the control of Gen. Khalifa Hifter and his self-styled Libyan National Army. A rival government, based in the capital, Tripoli, controls most national funds and oversees infrastructure projects. Neither tolerates dissent.

'The key challenge to a thorough investigation is the Hifter coalition's longstanding behaviour; its historic lack of accountability writ large could obstruct the unearthing of truths,' Harchaoui said.

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 hadn't been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.

Local and international rescue teams were meanwhile working around the clock, searching for bodies and potential survivors in the city of 90,000 people.

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 missing. Many bodies were believed to have been buried under rubble or swept out into the sea.

Maltese authorities said they found over 80 bodies during land and sea searches on Friday. One person was found alive 10 nautical miles, roughly 11 miles, off the coast of Derna. Malta's armed forces have been helping with relief efforts in Libya since Wednesday.
Tragedy struck a family of ten who were camping in Idaho after a tree came down on top of their tent, killing an eight-year-old girl who was an identical twin.

The Eastin family from Paul, Idaho were at the Boise National Forest Pine Campground last weekend when a rotting cottonwood tree crashed down on top of the tent, killing Cadence Eastin and the family's pet dog, Sybil.

Deputies from the Elmore County Sheriffs Office rushed to the scene but the girl was pronounced dead shortly after when attempts to revive her proved unsuccessful.

Cadence was with her parents, Quin and Natasha Eastin and seven siblings, including Cadence's twin London, when the tragedy occurred.

The sheriffs office have since revealed that the tree which fell on her was found be be rotting at its base.

Eight-year-old Cadence Eastin was killed alongside the family dog after a tree crushed the tent she and her family were camping in on a trip to Idaho

Cadence Eastin was with her parents, Quin and Natasha and her seven siblings when the tragedy occurred. Cadence is pictured bottom left in yellow

Police have consulted with Boise National Forest officials in order to determine an official cause of the tree falling.

The area in which the tree fell had been burned during the Elk and Pony complex fires in 2013.

It left several burned-out trees which over time had cause them to erode leaving them unstable.

A GoFundMe page says the family are utterly devastated by the loss.

Cadence was with her twin sister London at the time of her untimely death. They are pictured here several years ago

'Cadence was a truly special child. In addition to always having a cheerful, happy nature, she was known for having a perpetual and warm smile.

'She loved animals and they loved her. It is especially revealing that the family dog was curled up next to her when the tree fell taking both of their lives,' the family wrote in a tribute.

'Cadence was bright, intelligent and an eager to learn student. Curiously, she almost always hung out with the adults at family gatherings and seemed to have been gifted with a higher intellect than would normally be expected of an 8-year old child. Being raised in a Christian family, she was taught to be kind to others, made friends easily and avoided quarreling with others.'

So far the page has raised more than $28,000 to help pay for the funeral costs.
A woman was saved from being mauled to death by her two pet Rottweilers when police opened fire on the dogs.

The woman, 31, was set upon by the canines in the backyard of a house on Pitta Corner at Success, in Perth's south, at 4.37pm on Saturday.

She sustained 'serious bite wounds to her arms and legs' and was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital after being treated by St Johns Ambulance paramedics.

A neighbour called 000 after hearing a commotion in the backyard before police intervened with an officer shooting one of the dogs.

A woman has been rushed to hospital after a life-threatening mauling by her two pet Rottweilers, one of which had to be shot

A neighbour called 000 after hearing a commotion in the backyard of a house at Pitta Corner in Success, in Perth's southern suburbs. When police arrived the attack was in progress

'Upon attendance, police observed two rottweilers attacking a woman inside her home,' WA Police said in a statement.

'Due to the extremely aggressive nature of the dogs, and the ongoing risk to human life, a police firearm was discharged to stop the attack.

'One of the dogs received serious injuries.'

Police had to trap the second dog inside a garage until rangers from the City of Cockburn arrived.

It is understood the badly injured dog was euthanised on Saturday.

The attack comes after several tragic incidents involving the same breed this year.

READ MORE: Woman dies after dog mauling A UK woman who was mauled by two Rottweilers and sustained wounds to her arms and legs has died weeks later. Advertisement

A British woman died this month after being mauled on her arms and legs by two Rottweilers in August.

Marie Stevens, 40, was attacked at around 5.45pm on Friday, August 18 and taken to hospital where she was treated and later discharged.

But police were called on September 3 by the North West Ambulance Service to Ms Stevens' house on Holden Road, in Brighton-le-Sands, to a report she had collapsed and died at home.

In February this year two Rottweilers mauled a five-week-old baby to death in New South Wales.

The family pets struck without warning while the girl slept at a family barbecue.

Friends of little Mia Jade Riley's family have revealed how the child was asleep next to a table of six to eight adults at her grandfather's home in Moruya, on the NSW south coast when the tragedy occurred about 10.40pm.

They said the dogs were dozing harmlessly about three metres away from the bassinet when, for no apparent reason, they suddenly pounced on the sleeping newborn.
Britons might typically turn to a cuppa in times of trouble... but the cost-of-living crisis has even hit the type and volume of tea we buy.

Hard-pressed shoppers are cutting back on what they buy as well as swapping big names such as PG Tips, Yorkshire Tea and Twinings for cheaper supermarket brands.

Overall, tea sales have fallen 4.3 per cent in a year  but sales of own brand brews rose 1.2 per cent.

PG Tips, the market leader for decades, has been the worst hit after increasing prices by 50 per cent  from 2 to 3 for 80 bags at Tesco.

It sold about 900 million fewer tea bags in the year to May.

But Typhoo bucked the decline, with sales up a mammoth 60 per cent, thanks to keeping its prices down to about 1p per teabag, similar to or cheaper than own brands.

Britons might typically turn to a cuppa in times of trouble... but the cost-of-living crisis has even hit the type and volume of tea we buy

PG Tips, the market leader for decades, has been the worst hit after increasing prices by 50 per cent  from 2 to 3 for 80 bags at Tesco

But other suppliers have been hiking prices, so although less tea was sold, the amount we spent on it as a nation rose 2.5 per cent.

Yorkshire Tea is still Britain's top brand and saw sales rise 9.3million to 143million a year.

That was down to a 8 per cent hike  it actually sold 109,000 fewer kilos of tea.

Data was compiled by NIQ and Kantar and reported in The Grocer.

Polina Jones at NIQ said: 'Switching from a brand to own label is a popular tactic to keep spending down.'
But now, it may see its first women members since the club opened in 1831

For years the famous male-only Garrick private members club has batted away calls to allow women to join - and has relied on a top lawyer's opinion on an obscure piece of law to justify its stance.

But now that same barrister has reportedly changed his mind - potentially opening the doors to the first women members since the London club opened by the Duke of Sussex in 1831.

The volte-face by Michael Beloff KC reopened a fresh row among Garrick members who disagree about whether to let women in.

With members including Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch and a waiting list of ten years, membership of the club is one of the most sought after in London. Joanna Lumley unsuccessfully applied to join in 2011, and Emily Bendell, who owns a lingerie brand has campaigned for female membership.

Many of the club's 1,300 members have been pushing to allow women in and now believe they have secured the upper-hand.

The Garrick private members club has long batted away calls to allow women to join

Many of the club's 1,300 members have been pushing to allow women in and now believe they have secured the upper-hand

READ MORE: MPs back Parliamentary motion demanding that the 'outrageous' Garrick Club ends its 'archaic' ban on female members Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrat MP for St Albans, previously introduced a motion in Parliament demanding the Garrick Club revoke its rules banning women from being members Advertisement

Previously, Mr Beloff told the club's hierarchy that the Law of Property Act 1925 excluded female membership. He said in 2011 that this was because the law states 'no candidate shall be eligible unless he (ITALICS) be proposed by one member and seconded by another'.

But last week he informed the club that he had changed his stance and warned the club's committee if they continue to ban female members it is 'likely to provoke an expensive lawsuit'.

Mr Beloff reportedly told senior members: 'There is no legal obstacle to the proposal of a woman for membership of the club by one member, seconded by another.'

The lawyer's change of heart was revealed in an email sent to former conservative MP Lord Tyrie by Garrick members who have been campaigning to change the rules.

But the letter reportedly angered Christopher Kirker, who chairs the Garrick's general committee, who said the committee was 'unanimous in its decision not to adopt Mr Beloff's latest opinion' and that any debate on club rules should wait until next year's annual general meeting.

The club in the West End is named after the 18th-century actor David Garrick and is popular with thespians, writers and politicians. It was founded by Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex and brother of George IV, in 1831.
A company that gave $2million to support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has been accused of 'virtue signalling' and 'greenwashing' over the huge donation.

BHP - Australia's largest company and the world's biggest miner - said its relationship with Indigenous Australians is 'fundamentally important to our company'.

'We operate on traditional lands and we engage and partner widely with Indigenous communities and traditional owners,' BHP's Australian president Geraldine Slattery told the Australian Financial Review in June.

But its $2million donation to the Yes campaign for the referendum to be held on October 14 - a key initiative of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - has been slammed by lawyers leading a $70billion class action against BHP.

Around 700,000 people, many of whom are Indigenous, are suing BHP in the UK for its role in a catastrophic dam failure in Brazil that killed 19 people.

A $2million donation by BHP to the Yes campaign for the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament - a key initiative of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) - has been slammed by lawyers leading a $70billion class action against the mining giant

On November 5 2015, millions of cubic metres of iron ore mining waste burst from a dam in the state of Minas Gerais, flattening the nearby town of Bento Rodrigues and damaging other villages.

The flood of mining waste, known as tailings, left about 800 homeless and polluted a major river, in what the government called Brazil's worst-ever environmental disaster.

The mine is run by a company called Samarco, part owned by BHP and Brazilian mining company Vale SA.

Lawyers from the UK-based Pogust Goodhead have arrived in Australia to highlight their campaign against BHP and are meeting with Indigenous groups.

'BHP's donation to the Voice campaign is an absolute textbook example of greenwashing. I think it's effectively virtue signalling from a large corporation,' CEO Tom Goodhead told news.com.au.

'It's very easy to virtue signal with a donation to a political campaign to put some nice puffery on your website. It's different to actually resolving issues as seen in Brazil.'

Mr Goodhead, who is also meeting with MPs, superannuation funds, investors and unions while in Australia, has been pleased by the response he has had, given it happened eight years ago in another continent.

He said the Samarco dam collapse has had a huge impact on thousands of people and that it's vital to tell people what happened there.

BHP is defending against the compensation claims, saying they are doubling up on the company's ongoing work to help communities affected by the disaster.

A company spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia it will continue to defend the UK group action and denies the claims in their entirety.

'This action is also unnecessary as it duplicates matters already covered by the existing and ongoing work of the Renova Foundation and other legal proceedings in Brazil,' they said.

The legal criticism of one of the biggest financial backers of the Yes campaign comes as its support continues to fall in all published polls.

The latest poll show support for the referendum has fallen to new lows, with every state bar Tasmania set to vote No.

On November 5 2015, millions of cubic metres of iron ore mining waste burst from a BHP-co-owned dam (pictured) in Brazil, killing 19 people

The Resolve Political Monitor survey, published in the Nine newspapers, showed 43 per cent of voters supported a plan to enshrine an Indigenous Voice into the constitution, down 20 points from a year ago.

In the past month, the percentage of voters who are certain about voting No has risen from 33 per cent to 37 per cent, whereas the percentage of those who say they will probably vote No remains unchanged at 12 per cent.

The percentage of Australians in favour of the referendum dropped for the fifth month in a row.

It was also the third month in the row the No vote has been ahead.
As Lily Thai counted down the days until she ended her life through voluntary assisted dying, her friend Annaliese Holland pinky promised they would always stay by each other's side.

The young women had several things in common: both were 23, from South Australia, and battling terminal illness autoimmune autonomic gangliopathy (AAG).

Lily was one of the youngest Australians to legally take their own lives when she died on June 21 under South Australia's voluntary assisted dying laws which were introduced in January.

Now, three months on from her death and just days away from a surgery that could cost her own life, Annaliese had remained resolute to follow through with her vow.

On Sunday, she left hospice care to partake in Adelaide's City to Bay fun run to honour the legacy of her friend.

'I pinky promised to her on the first day I met her and said I promise to hold your hand through all of this, and Ill be there through all of it with you,' she told 7News.

'I promised Lily I would continue to raise awareness, to show everybody what we have been through and the hell of it.

Lily Thai (pictured) ended her life on June 21 under South Australia's voluntary assisted dying laws

Lily Thai (right) is pictured with with friend Annaliese Holland while she was in hospice care

'I was so sick this morning, I didn't think I would get here. I had to have some pain relief, I was throwing up. But I did it - I got here. And I am so happy I did it.'

Lily and Annaliese connected during the final months of her life and bonded over their shared condition - which causes a person's immune system to attack their own body, slowing shutting down vital organs.

The debilitating illness left Lily in constant pain and unable to walk, drink or eat without being sick.

Annaliese, who has been fighting the disease for nine years, is currently living in palliative care and will next week undergo a spinal cord surgery, which she may never wake up from.

Despite grappling with her own illness, she was determined to honour her friend and had the surgery pushed back from Friday so she could participate in the fun run to raise funds for the Hospital Research Foundation.

Wearing a banner for the foundation on her back, Annalise was met with cheers from the crowd as she crossed the finish line.

Annaliese is pictured speaking to reporters after crossing the finish line at Adelaide's City to Bay fun run on Sunday

Annaliese has been battling AAG since she was 11 years old and will undergo a life-threatening surgery on her spinal cord in coming days

What is autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy? Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG) is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your autonomic nervous system by mistake. The autonomic nervous system is part of your peripheral nervous system. It controls specific involuntary body processes, such as your breathing, blood pressure or heart rate. AAG is a type of autonomic neuropathy or dysautonomia. Autonomic neuropathies and dysautonomias are disorders of your autonomic nervous system. Source: The Cleveland Clinic Advertisement

Annaliese said she was using the walk to raise awareness about the benefits such as hospice care and change misconceptions about terminal illness.

It was around this time last year when Lily heard about Annaliese walking the 2022 City to Bay and reached out to say she had inspired her for the first time to leave the hospice for a day out.

The pair met up and instantly formed a beautiful bond, with Lily asking Annaliese to be one of the six people by her bedside when she died.

Annaliese was among Lily's loved ones who spoke at her funeral, where the 23-year-old reiterated her promise to continue raising awareness about their disease in Lily's honour.

Annaliese started feeling sick at 11, leading to years of misdiagnoses as she grappled with chronic pain as her internal organs began to fail. Up until then, she had been a healthy, fit child.

But over the past eight years as she has battled with AAAG, she has grappled with incessant health issues - including sepsis, intestinal failure, Addison's disease, and osteoporosis.

Annaliese said falling sick made her realise how rough people can be towards each other and how being happy and positive has the power to change someone's world.

She said she is grateful for everyone who has assisted her throughout her journey over the past 12 years and she wants people to remember her in happy times.
Sergejus Paskevicius, 60, attempted to take the child but his brother saved him

A child-snatcher has been jailed for attempting to abduct a three-year-old boy from Aldi - but was thwarted by the toddler's seven-year-old brother.

Sergejus Paskevicius, 60, from Heywood in Rochdale, was arrested and charged for child abduction in July last year.

CCTV footage showed him standing by the bagging area of an Aldi in Heywood before he attempted to talk to a young child at around 5.45pm on July 23, 2022.

In what the boys' mother described as 'every parent's worst nightmare', Paskevicius then picked up the toddler and started to walk away from the store.

Sergejus Paskevicius (pictured), 60, has been jailed for three years and two months for chid abduction

Paskevicius attempted to take a toddler from an Aldi in Heywood, Rochdale (pictured)

The boy's older brother luckily came to the rescue and grabbed his sibling's leg before their mother could take them to safety.

Speaking about the seven-year-old hero, his mother said: 'My son can't go and do normal things like go to the park, to the circus, or to the shops.'

Robert Elias, mitigating, said Paskevicius may have 'wanted some affection or a cuddle', the Sun reported.

But when sentencing, Judge Tina Landale said that if it was not for the older brother, 'you would have taken him away, right out of the shop'.

Paskevicius initially pleaded guilty to child abduction but then vacated his plea.

He was jailed for three years and two months at Manchester Crown Court (Minshull St).
Joe Biden's relationship with his attorney general, Merrick Garland, is so icy it is 'in the deep freeze', according to a report on Saturday.

Biden and his aides are infuriated by Garland's decision to appoint special counsels to investigate both Biden's handling of classified documents, and his son Hunter's business affairs. They told The Wall Street Journal that Garland was seen as going too far in his effort to appear independent from Biden, who appointed him.

But Garland's aides told the paper that the widely-respected, low-key official was simply trying to stop any suspicion that Biden was influencing his decisions.

Biden, 80, stressed repeatedly in his hiring of Garland, 70, that he was choosing someone with integrity and independence.

Joe Biden is seen listening to his attorney general, Merrick Garland, speak in June 2021. Relations between the two men are now said to be in the 'deep freeze'

Biden's aides feel that Garland has mishandled the investigation into the president's son, Hunter

Determined to differentiate himself from Donald Trump, who repeatedly lent on his two attorney generals - Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, Biden vowed that he would not interfere in Garland's work.

'The past four years we've had a president who's made his contempt for our democracy, our Constitution, the rule of law, clear in everything he has done,' said Biden in January 2021, naming his Cabinet as president-elect.

'More than anything, we need to restore the honor, the integrity, the independence of the Department of Justice that's been so badly damaged.'

As he ushered Garland onto the stage, he told him: 'You don't work for me.'

Yet now that very independence is proving problematic, sources told the paper.

Biden's aides noted that prosecutors have already closed their investigation into former vice president Mike Pence's handling of classified documents, after papers were found at his Indiana home.

Pence's papers were found in the same month that documents were located at Biden's Delaware home: both Biden and Pence handed over the documents to the authorities, and declared the discovery themselves - unlike Trump.

But Biden's case has now been referred to a special counsel, the aides pointed out.

Biden and Garland are seen at the White House in May 2022. The two men are said to be extremely distant with one another

Biden, seen leaving church in Delaware on Saturday, has been angered by both the investigation into his handling of classified documents, and the inquiry into his son

And a lawyer for Hunter Biden - who on Thursday was federally indicted on charges of lying about his drug use on a gun permit - accused Garland of being biased against the Bidens.

The lawyer said the decisions to appoint a special counsel and indict Hunter, after he had agreed to a plea deal, showed 'partisan interference in this process.'

Some Biden aides felt that Garland should have done more in response to an IRS whistleblower, Gary Shapley, who claimed publicly that the Justice Department was interfering in an investigation into Hunter Biden's business and tax affairs.

Biden's aides believed Shapley's approach to Republican members of Congress, telling them he had concerns, was improper leaking of information.

Garland worked as a senior official at the Justice Department under Bill Clinton's attorney general, Janet Reno, who angered Clinton by launching an investigation that ultimately led to the revelations of his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

'Merrick comes from exactly the same school,' said a former department official who worked with both Reno and Garland.

'They both believe very strongly in the independent and nonpolitical nature of the department, which is good for the department, but not always so good for the attorney general's relationship with the president.'

Bill Clinton was famously irritated by the actions of his attorney general, Janet Reno. The pair are seen together in July 1993

Barack Obama is seen with his attorney general, Eric Holder, in May 2013

Trump was publicly critical of Jeff Sessions, his attorney general, pictured in the White House in February 2017

Trump was also brutal in his verdict on his second attorney general, Bill Barr

Barack Obama, conversely, was criticized for being too close to his attorney general, Eric Holder.

Trump, however, was famously combative with his, publicly criticizing them and weighing in on their decisions.

'Attorneys general should be sympathetic to the goals of the administration but shouldn't be too close personally to the president,' said Bill Barr, Trump's last attorney general.

And Barr told The Wall Street Journal it was a thankless task.

'There's no escaping,' he said.

'The attorney general has to own these decisions in high-profile cases. He can't say, 'Well, I just left it up to someone else.'

Garland's spokesman declined to comment.

White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton said Biden appointed Garland 'because of his decades of fidelity to the rule of law consistent with his commitment when he ran for president to restore the independence of the Justice Department, free from political interference.'
The Kingwas kept in the loop about the arrest of the alleged 'Chinese spy' at the heart of Westminster.

In a sign of how seriously the authorities treated the suspected security breach, King Charles received a briefing about the case while it was shrouded in secrecy.

Two men, including a parliamentary researcher with links to several senior Tory MPs, were arrested in March on suspicion of spying for China.

King Charles was one of a very small group of people who had knowledge of the arrests before they became public knowledge last weekend.

It is understood he was informed as part of his national security briefings.

King Charles was one of a very small group of people who had knowledge of the arrests before they became public knowledge last weekend

It is unclear if the King knew about the case before his Coronation in May, which was attended by China's Vice President Han Zheng

A source said: 'Only about ten people in the country knew the details and one of them was the King.'

It is unclear if the King knew about the case before his Coronation in May, which was attended by China's Vice President Han Zheng.

During his visit Mr Zheng also met the Prince of Wales, Rishi Sunak and Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden.

The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary were briefed close to the time of the arrest. Downing Street and the Foreign Office have declined to specify the exact date they were informed.

MPs have criticised his decision to step up engagement with China regardless, culminating in Foreign Secretary James Cleverly's trip to Beijing last month.

China hawks accused Mr Cleverly of carrying out 'Project Kowtow'. They have used the arrest of the Parliamentary aide to pile further pressure on the government to stop engaging with China.

In April, a month after the arrest, Mr Cleverly argued for 'robust' and 'constructive' engagement with Beijing.

The former aide last week strongly denied spying for China.
A seriously ill British charity worker held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan has almost been released twice due to his failing health, only for the country's supreme leader to go back on his word.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal Kevin Cornwell's release was twice ordered by the Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Arkhundzada, in mid-July and again in early August, on compassionate grounds due to severe kidney problems.

But his family's joy at the news he might soon be home turned to heartbreak when, on both occasions, the Taliban chief went back on his word, with no explanation for 53-year-old Kevin or his distraught relatives.

Last night, Mr Cornwell's wife, Kelly, said he fears he could die in custody if he is not released soon. He has not had access to proper medicine or adequate medical care throughout his captivity. She said that during their last phone call, ten days ago (Aug 31), that he was 'very, very poorly' and asked her to get him home safely as soon as possible.

She added: 'He told me 'the conditions that we are living in are horrendous' and said 'Kelly, you do what you need to do.' Even when he does come home, he will probably need dialysis treatment for the rest of his life.

'He has lost about 15 kg in weight, he can't eat half the food that they are providing because it triggers his kidney problems, so there is no proper nutrition, he has anaemia, he is tired all the time.

Mr Cornwell's wife, Kelly, said he fears he could die in custody if he is not released soon (Kevin and Kelly Cornwell pictured together)

The Mail on Sunday can reveal Kevin Cornwell's (pictured) release was twice ordered by the Taliban's supreme leader

'He has stones in both kidneys, so if he loses function in one kidney the other will not hold up. He can't recover, so he keeps getting more serious.'

Mr Cornwell, a medic with a UN-backed charity, was taken prisoner by the Taliban's secret police, along with another Briton who was managing the guesthouse where he lived on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, Kabul. They were accused of having an illegal firearm. The gun and its licence issued by the Taliban were kept in a safe in Mr Cornwell's room at Darya Village Hotel. No criminal charges have been brought and the men have not faced trial.

A so-called 'danger tourist' Miles Routledge, 23, from Birmingham, has also been held for months after he travelled to Afghanistan to film videos shooting guns with Taliban militants for his popular YouTube channel. At least one other British man, and dozens of other Westerners, including Americans, Australians, Canadians and French, are also believed to be in Taliban custody.

Mrs Cornwell has spoken to her husband seven times since he was arrested in short phone calls Kevin's prison guards have allowed him to make home. It was during one call that former soldier Mr Cornwell revealed he had undergone two operations to remove kidney stones in an Afghan hospital.

Mr Cornwell has not had access to proper medicine or adequate medical care throughout his captivity

A so-called 'danger tourist' Miles Routledge, 23, from Birmingham, has also been held for months

Mr Routledge travelled to Afghanistan to film videos shooting guns with Taliban militants for his popular YouTube channel

Mrs Cornwell said the Taliban had lied about why Kevin was detained and when he would be released.

She said: 'If they can't send him out when he is in critical condition, when will they? They could have done it on medical grounds, they've had so many opportunities.'

The couple have seven children and 17 grandchildren between them.

Kelly said she wasn't aware that Kevin had been physically tortured in captivity, but said: 'There is a level of torture involved in depriving him of his freedom, of contact with his wife and family.

'What we are going through every day is a form of torture.'

Scott Richards, a negotiator with the Presidium Network charity which is assisting Mr Cornwell and his family, said Kevin had developed an infection on July 26 and his condition rapidly deteriorated.

The Taliban leadership told him and Mrs Cornwell in mid-July and again in early August that her husband would be released, and that the orders had come directly from the Afghan supreme leader.

But the release orders were pulled at the last minute, causing further pain for his devastated family.

Mrs Cornwell said: 'One of the great tragedies of this is Kevin wanted to be in Afghanistan to help the country's most vulnerable, and in doing so has risked his life, not from being in the field, but from being held hostage.

'Kevin is a UN-badged worker, and one of, if not the first to be held by a government like this, and that has no doubt impacted the ability of other aid agencies to operate in Afghanistan.'

The UK Foreign Office suspended diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and closed the Embassy in Kabul after the Taliban seized back power two years ago, following the withdrawal of US troops by President Joe Biden.

An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We continue to raise the cases of British nationals detained in Afghanistan with the Taliban and are supporting families.'
Two women have accused Russell Brand of 'grooming' them, including one who was just 16 at the time, as part of a wider series of bombshell accusations against him.

The first woman - referred to as Alice to protect her identity - claimed she was in an 'emotionally abusive and controlling relationship' with Brand, then 31, as a teenager for about three months, Channel 4 Dispatches revealed in a programme on Saturday.

Alice, who has branded the star's alleged behaviour as 'grooming', claimed that throughout their relationship he would refer to her as 'The Child' and that he gradually became 'controlling, and then emotionally and sexually abusive'.

She claims: 'Russell engaged in the behaviours of a groomer but I didn't know what that was back then. He would try to drive a wedge 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 role play text message conversations. He had a whole script for me.'

A TV worker called Rachel also claims she 'was groomed for sex' by Brand.

The woman claims Brand targeted her during her time working as a runner when the comedian worked in television.

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.

Alice (pictured) alleges that Russell Brand sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old. She claims he would send a car to have her taken out of secondary school lessons, was 'preoccupied' with her being 'innocent and pure', and often referred to her as 'The Child'. She also alleged that he 'forced his penis down her throat'

Russell Brand (pictured in 2017) 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. He 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'

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'.

Alice claimed their relationship was 'isolating' because Brand asked her keep it a secret from her friends, allegedly telling her that if they knew they would 'be looking to make money from it'.

She alleges he took her virginity, was 'preoccupied' with her being 'innocent and pure', and often referred to her as 'The Child'. The woman alleges he helped her craft lies to deceive her parents and encouraged her to hide their relationship from her friends.

She told investigators that Brand sent taxi cabs to her secondary school to pick her up. Alice also claims that she saved his phone number as 'Carly' on his request in order to deceive her parents.

A family member described Brand's behaviour towards Alice as 'grooming' to The Sunday Times.

She also claimed the actor and comedian once kissed her mother in front of her and, on a separate occasion, 'forced his penis down her throat' and 'made her choke', only stopping after she punched him in the stomach.

She told the investigation that she has decided to share her story now because she wants the law to be changed to better protect people under the age of 18, arguing she was too young at 16 to be consenting to sex with an adult.

'It shouldn't be legal for a 16-year-old to have a relationship with a man in their thirties. There should be something in place to protect children,' she said, adding. 'My mum still feels like she failed me in some way in allowing this to happen, but she had no recourse at all.'

Alice claimed she met Brand in 2006 while shopping at now closed Topshop in Oxford Circus, Leicester Square. He had been working at the nearby MTV studio.

She told the investigation that he took her shopping bags from her, went through her purchases and critiqued each item. She claimed that he even pulled out a red dress and told her: 'You're going to wear this on our date this week'.

She claimed the pair went out to dinner on their first date and although she put makeup on and dressed up in a 'red wiggle dress and big platform shoes' for the occasion, 'I didn't look like a woman by any means. I was a child that had got dressed up for dinner.'

Brand (pictured here in 2015) 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'

Alice claims that after he forced her into oral sex, Brand told her: 'Oh I only wanted to see your mascara run anyway'. During one of his comedy performances (pictured above), he told the audience: 'Them b******s where the mascara runs a little bit. Good'

Alice recalled Brand asking her to confirm she was at least 16, the age of consent in the UK, while on their first date. She told the investigation that he said: 'I don't give a f*** if you're 12 . . . I need to know where I stand legally.'

She said as her taxi driver recognised she was going to Brand's home, he allegedly started to ask her questions, after which she admitted that she was only 16.

He then begged her not to go inside and told her he had a daughter Alice's age, she said, but she insisted she was fine.

She claimed that at the start of their relationship, Brand was 'very charming and very attentive'. She alleged he would send her 'verbose' messages and often left her feeling 'giddy' and 'special'.

However, she also claims that he was aroused by the fact that she was a virgin, claiming he would call her his 'baby', cradle her in his arms like a child and stroke her hair.

'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,' Alice said in the Channel 4 special.

She further claimed that he said she was 'like my little dolly' and that he became 'preoccupied' with her innocence and purity.

She also claimed he assumed a 'power stance' during sex that left her feeling like he believed he was 'conquering something'.

Alice said she finally ended her relationship with Russell Brand (pictured in 2014) after she came over to his residence and witnessed him in bed with another woman

After they first had sex, Alice claims Brand and one of his friends drove her to the tube station: 'He was holding my hand behind the car seat like my mum does. And I felt very small, like a little kid.'

She claimed on Dispatches that once Brand ran a bath for her and made her sit in it. Then he allegedly had to leave but said she 'should stay in the bath for the entirety he was gone'.

She claims that Brand even once forced her to have oral sex with him, despite her repeatedly refusing.

'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,' she told the investigation.

Alice said she had to 'punch him really hard in the stomach' to get him off of her. She then recalls lying on the bed, crying.

She claims he told her, 'Oh I only wanted to see your mascara run anyway', before proceeding to get on top of her, hold her mouth open, and drool inside it. She recalled 'gagging' as he 'held my mouth shut and mad me swallow it'.

She also alleged that he had invited her to his 31st birthday party. Alice claims her mother dropped her off at Brand's house and, as they met him at his doorstep, allegedly kissed her mother.

Alice recalled her mother wanting her to leave, but she says she decided to stay and attend the party instead. Her mother had reportedly been vocal about her opposition to the relationship throughout its run.

The alleged sexual assault victim said she finally ended her relationship with Brand after she came over to his residence and witnessed him in bed with another woman.

Alice also said Brand was discussed as she was working for Channel 4. Brand was allegedly considered for a new show, but 'there were people who raised concerns because it came to light he had been inappropriate with staff members'.

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

But the solution that was offered during that meeting was that female staff members would be taken of the crew, she alleged.

Alice also claimed that Channel 4 and the BBC 'had a hand' in enabling Brand.

'He went from being a heroin addict live in air to a sex addict live on air to a predator live on air. He kept progressing so he thought he could do what he wanted.'

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 last night: '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.'

Another woman, Rachel, claimed Brand flashed her and asked her for sex. While they went on to have a relationship, she was allegedly told to keep it a 'complete secret'.

Rachel said on Channel 4's Dispatches: 'He made clear to me I couldn't tell anyone else on the crew because he had it written into his contract that he wasnt allowed to have any sexual contact with anyone working on Big Brother.

'It sounds slightly dramatic but with hindsight and now as an older woman I can say with clarity that, you know, I felt like I was groomed, for sex.

'Production companies enabled him to exist in these environments where he was able to take advantage of who he was.'
Children as young as five years old are being caught with knives in schools in what one charity boss has labelled a 'cancer that is spreading' across the country.

Freedom of Information requests made to police forces across England and Wales revealed that almost 500 kids aged under 11 were found with bladed articles in the last four years.

But the true figure could be be more than 1,000 according to the Mirror, which obtained the figures, after it said only half of forces asked for figures on youngsters found with knives came back with a response.

David Simmons, a former teacher who set up youth sporting charity Changing Lives, warned that a lack of staff and community police officers in schools would exacerbate the issue.

The youngest suspect alleged to have taken a knife to school was a five-year-old in Suffolk.

Children as young as five are reportedly being caught with knives at school (stock image)

Among the incidents reported were a 10-year-old who allegedly assaulted someone with a pair of scissors, and a nine-year-old who launched a knife attack in West Yorkshire (stock image)

David Simmons, founder of youth sporting charity Changing Lives, said the phenomenon of young children bringing knives into school was like a 'spreading cancer'

Mr Simmons, who established the charity after being threatened by a six-year-old armed with a weapon, said: 'This issue is lack a cancer that is spreading.

'There's not enough staff in schools, there are no community police officers in schools, support for young people has been taken due to government cuts.'

In London, the youngest of 127 primary school-age children allegedly caught with a knife was seven, while in Suffolk police say they were alerted to a five-year-old who had a weapon.

In Cambridgeshire, a 10-year-old was the subject of a probe after allegedly assaulting someone with a pair of scissors, while in West Yorkshire a nine-year-old is said to have launched a knife attack at school.

The age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 10 years old, meaning many of those who are alleged to have taken weapons into school will not be prosecuted.

Mr Simmons has called for more funding for community organisations, and for children to be banned from watching or playing violent media, including films and video games.

The Government said it was investing thousands in tackling the problem, reaching over 215,000 vulnerable young people with violence reduction strategies.

A spokesperson told the Mirror: 'Our Violence Reduction Units are bringing together local partners in areas where they work to deliver early intervention and prevention programmes to drive young people from crime.'

Earlier this year, we revealed that over 2,800 children were arrested with knives both in and outside of school in 2022 - and that almost 35,000 youngsters aged between 10 and 15 have been detained in the last decade.
A selfless aged care worker has died after an allegedly stolen vehicle crashed into her car on her way home from work.

Stella Tan died when her Nissa Micra was struck head-on on Windsor Road in Burnside, near the Sunshine Coast in Queensland's south-east, at 7.23 am on Friday.

Ms Tan was returning from a night shift when an allegedly stolen Mercedes crashed into her outside Nambour Special School.

Alleged driver Izak Kane Sefton-Bennett allegedly fled the scene before he was stopped by good Samaritans who stopped him leaving in a second vehicle.

Dramatic footage emerged of the moment police apprehended him and arrested Sefton-Bennett.

Stella Tan died when her Nissa Micra was struck at 7.23 am on Windsor Road in Burnside, near the Sunshine Coast in Queensland 's south-east. Pictured: the aftermath of Friday's fatality

Dramatic footage later emerged of Sefton-Bennett (pictured centre), who allegedly fled the scene on foot, being apprehended by officers, including one who held the accused driver by the throat

The Caloundra West man has since been charged with several offences.

The much-loved 52-year-old Ms Tan died at the scene.

Ms Tan's partner, Bernard Wee, shared a tribute in which he described Ms Tan as his soul-mate and said her 'acts of kindness' will be remembered by many.

'Stella was my soulmate and the true love of my life. I miss her and love her so much,' Mr Wee wrote on Facebook.

'Everyone will always remember her for her smile and acts of kindness.'

Ms Tan's Nissan Micra was seen mounted on the footpath with its hood smashed in, with parts of the vehicle's front and back doors crumpled.

The Mercedes was left in the middle of the road with a badly damaged bonnet.

The vehicle was allegedly stolen in Landsborough, 30 kilometres south of Burnside, at 2am - just hours before the crash.

Sefton-Bennett was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and callous disregard to the deceased.

He was also charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, armed robbery, possession of shortened firearm, possession of methylamphetamine and other drug and firearm related offences.

'It will be alleged at 7.23am a stolen Mercedes was headed east on Windsor Road when it collided with a Nissan Micra travelling in the opposite direction,' Queensland Police said in a statement.

'The driver of the Nissan, a 52-year-old Nambour woman, died at the scene.

'The driver of the Mercedes fled the scene but was arrested a short time later with the assistance of members of the public.'

Ms Tan's partner, Bernard Wee, shared a tribute online in which he described Ms Tan (pictured) as his soul-mate and said her 'acts of kindness' will be remembered by many
A California mother has suffered the loss of all four limbs after contracting a bacterial infection from undercooked Tilapia fish.

Laura Barajas, 40, underwent life-saving amputation surgery on Thursday after a months-long stay in hospital battling the terrible infection.

Barajas, mother to a six-year-old boy, became sick in late July days after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose and made for herself at home, a friend revealed to News 19.

'It's just been really heavy on all of us. It's terrible. This could've happened to any of us,' said Barajas' friend Anna Messina told the outlet.

'She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator,' Messina said.

Laura Barajas, 40, underwent life-saving amputation surgery on Thursday after a months-long stay in hospital battling the terrible infection

Barajas, mother to a six-year-old boy, became sick in late July days after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose

The infection is believed to have emanated from the Tilapia fish

'They put her into a medically induced coma' she explained.

'Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing.'

The infection is believed to have been caused by vibrio vulnificus, a bacterial infection the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a warning about.

'The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one-you can eat something that's contaminated with it the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives,' UCSF Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode exaplined.

About 150-200 cases of the infections are reported each year and around one in five people with the infection die, the CDC said.

The bacteria is especially concerning for people who are immunocompromised, according to Spottiswoode.

'People should take sensible precautions like if you have a cut avoid getting immersed in water until it's well healed,' Spottiswoode said.

'If you are someone immunocompromised keeping an eye on these things and avoiding those high-risk activities and foods.'

Barajas' partner of eight year Jose Valdez (right) has been by her side through the ordeal her friends say

Barajas, now a quadruple amputee, is mother to a six-year-old boy named Gael

'Be thankful for what we have right now because it can be taken away so quickly so easily,' Messina added.

Messina has set up a GoFundMe page to help her friend cover her medical costs and ongoing care needs. '

'This family is in desperate need of our help. While Jose has health benefits through his work, it remains uncertain whether they will cover Laura, his partner of eight years' Messina wrote on the page, which has raised more than $26,000 so far.

'Jose's paid time off (PTO) has been exhausted, and the Family Disability program provides only 60% of his normal income.

'The mounting hospital bills are overwhelming, and Laura's physical condition will necessitate significant changes to their lives as they adapt to her new circumstances' she added.
Donald Trump has said he does not support an age limit for running for president - but he does support a mental competency test.

Trump, 77, told NBC News in an interview airing on Sunday that he doesn't believe age matters, but cognitive function does in a dig at Biden's perceived mental decline.

'I don't think Biden's too old,' he said. 'But I think he's incompetent, and that's a bigger problem.'

But Trump made his own gaffe earlier on Saturday during an appearance in Washington DC. He said Biden would lead the US into World War Two - which concluded in 1945 - and appeared to say he was beating Barack Obama in the polls.

Obama served as president for two terms between 2009 and 2017 and cannot be re-elected.

Joe Biden, 80, is the oldest person ever elected president, and his age is worrying many voters across the political spectrum. A poll last month reveals 77 percent of Americans  including 69 percent of Democrats  think Biden is too old for a second term.

Donald Trump told NBC News, in an interview to be aired on Sunday, that he supports a mental competency test for anyone wanting to be president

Trump, 77, said Joe Biden, 80, was not too old - but just 'incompetent'

If Biden reclaims the White House, he would be 82 years old at the beginning of his second term in January 2025.

If Trump wins, he would be 78  the same age that Biden was when he began his first term in 2021.

Trump said many successful political figures in history were older than him.

'You know, some of the greatest world leaders have been in their 80s,' he said.

The 77-year-old GOP candidate added: 'I'm not anywhere very near 80, by the way.'

And he said the 10-minute mental evaluation he took while president, designed to screen for mild cognitive impairment or early dementia, should be compulsory.

'You know, I took a test two years ago, three years ago,' he told NBC's Kristen Welker.

'And as the doctors said  and it was in front of doctors and a whole big deal at Walter Reed [hospital], which is an incredible place,' he added.

'And I aced it. I get everything right,' the former president said. 'I'm all for testing. I frankly think testing would be a good thing.'

'A lot of people say it's not constitutional to do it. But I would be for testing, to test to make sure everyone's just fine.

'But a lot of people say that can't happen because of the Constitution.'

Trump said in an interview with former Fox News host Megyn Kelly released last week that Biden isn't too old, but just 'grossly incompetent,' and should not be elected for another four-year term.

Biden, seen leaving church in Delaware on Saturday, has been dogged by questions about whether he is too old to run for a second term

In March, a Pew report found that most world leaders - 35 percent - are aged in their 60s, with the media age of 62.

Chile has the youngest head of government: Gabriel Boric is 37. Paul Biya of Cameroon is 90 - the only world leader in their 90s.

Roughly a quarter are in their 50s, while 18 percent each are in their 40s or 70s.

Biden is among the 5 percent of leaders who are in their 80s.

Biden and Trump are both out of step with the average American, who is aged 38.

Biden's age is of more concern to voters than is Trump's, according to two recent polls.

Both the Associated Press and the Wall Street Journal have found that three-quarters of Americans view Biden as too old to be president, yet only about half say the same of Trump.

Biden is not helped by his repeated gaffes.

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

Biden (center) is seen visiting Ground Zero on September 20, 2001 with fellow senators Ted Kennedy (left) and Barbara Mikulski (center, in poncho). He was in Washington DC on September 12, 2001

On Thursday, the White House had to edit a transcript of a speech after he declared he had reduced unemployment among 'African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans, you know, the workers without high school diplomas.'

He was supposed to say that he had reduced unemployment among black people, Hispanics, veterans, and those without diplomas.

On Monday, the anniversary of 9/11, he told troops in Alaska that he was in New York the day after the terror attacks.

'Ground Zero in New York - I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building,' he said.

Yet Biden was in Washington DC - something he notes in his 2017 autobiography. C-Span footage shows him speaking in Congress on September 12, 2001.
Warren Mundine has broken ranks with several No campaigners by calling for Australia Day to be moved from January 26 and treaties to be established.

The former Labor political activist also called for the recognition of Aboriginal land rights in an emotional interview on ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

Mr Mundine's call for Australia Day to be changed comes despite opponents of the Voice arguing against the referendum partly for that reason.

An official No case essay was recently sent to voters where Coalition MPs warned Yes campaigners wanted to 'abolish Australia Day, change our flag and other institutions and symbols important to Australians.'

Opposition Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has also argued Australians should vote No because a Voice would open the doors to a treaty.

Mr Mundine, on the other hand, said he supported treaty negotiations between the government and Indigenous people.

A prominent Indigenous leader campaigning against the Voice to Parliament has broken ranks with most others on the No side by calling for Australia Day to be moved from January 26. Beachgoers are pictured celebrating Australia Day on the Gold Coast in 2022

Mr Mundine called out the racism he had seen during the debate over whether Australia should enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in its Constitution.

'In the last 12 months, I've never seen so much racism and comments and attacks than I have seen since I was a kid,' he said, before slamming Anthony Albanese.

'It's dreadful... if the Prime Minister was going to bring this referendum forward and he is talking about uniting the people, he shouldn't have used derogatory terms against people who didn't agree with them.'

READ MORE: Yes campaign rolls out stunning ad as part of a four-week blitz The Yes campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has launched a new ad as part of a $20million TV blitz. Advertisement

Mr Mundine disagreed with host David Speers, who said Mr Albanese's use of the term 'Chicken Little' wasn't as bad as the No campaign's Gary Johns suggesting Indigenous people should have blood tests before getting welfare payments.

'If we're going to eliminate racism or try to eliminate racism, then we've got to talk to racists,' Mr Mundine said.

'I think he had an opinion, and I don't agree with his (Gary Johns') opinion. Once you start talking about race it never ends well, so we've got to stop talking race.'

Mr Mundine's interview came after fellow No campaigner Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told reporters she did not believe the ongoing effects of colonisation have negatively affected the lives of Indigenous Australians.

In a speech on Thursday, Ms Price said the conversation around colonisation and its impacts 'victimised' Aboriginal people and removed their ability to help themselves.

Mr Mundine agreed that many Indigenous people continue to suffer the consequences of past maltreatment and discrimination, but said Australia should learn to 'move on' from discussing its history of trauma and neglect.

'It's just fact, it has happened, it's going to stop us from doing things, it's going to stop us from improving our lives and keep us from poverty.

'If that's the statement, then I think we are heading up the wrong track,' he said.

Mr Mundine said he supported treaty negotiations between the government and Indigenous people, despite No advocates such as Opposition leader Peter Dutton and Ms Price being opposed.

Warren Mundine slammed Anthony Albanese (pictured centre) over his use of 'derogatory terms'

Mr Mundine's support for treaty negotiations between the government and Indigenous people puts him at odds with his Coalition partners, including Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (left) and Peter Dutton (right)

He said treaties would help solve 'a number of issues' around sovereignty and help protect Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal heritage.

'I say treaties in the plural sense because we have to recognise Aboriginal culture,' Mr Mundine said.

'Aboriginal culture is our First Nations, and the first thing we learn about life is that one nation cannot talk about another nation's country, only those traditional owners of those countries can talk about those countries.

'And therefore when you talk about a state treaty or a national-type treaty, it doesn't make sense in our culture,' he said.

Mr Mundine was asked if treaties would be more likely to happen under a Yes or No vote, replying that he had 'serious problems if it is a Yes vote because these people are looking at putting on top of the First Nation native title and land rights stuff another body of bureaucracy.

'We don't need another body of bureaucracy; we need to recognise the traditional owners.'

Six years ago, Mr Mundine wrote that the arrival of the First Fleet to Australia in 1788 was a damaging event for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

'Indigenous people overwhelmingly feel anger, sadness and grief about the chain of events beginning on January 26, 1788,' he wrote in the Daily Telegraph in 2017.

'That was when our ancestors began losing their lands and their ability to speak their languages, practise ceremony and live under their kinship systems.

'For as long as I can remember, Indigenous people have referred to January 26 as Invasion Day. More recently we've also used the term Survival Day, to commemorate our achievements and survival of our nations against the odds.'

Warren Mundine (pictured) also called for the recognition of Aboriginal land rights and said the country has 'got to talk to racists'

On Sunday, Mr Mundie said he 'stood strong' on his previous calls to change move the date of Australia Day from January 26.

'I know people on my side don't agree with me on these two issues and that is treaties and changing the date,' he said.

'January 26 will always be an important day because of the fact that European countries came to Australia and set up the colonies here.

'We can't get away from that. But we can't become captive of it. We have to face the facts and move on.

'Yes, recognise history. Yes, recognise the invasion, recognise the good and bad that is in our history, but we still have to move on.'

In the official No case pamphlet sent to voters before the referendum on October 14, Coalition MPs warned that 'many activists are campaigning to abolish Australia Day, change our flag and other institutions and symbols important to Australians'.

Mr Mundine may soon be joining those same Coalition MPs in the federal parliament - he is a frontrunner to replace retiring former foreign minister Marise Payne in the Senate.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus (pictured) said on Sunday that the No campaign has 'no solutions' to help Indigenous Australians

Speaking at the Walk for Yes rally in Melbourne on Sunday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the No campaign has 'no solutions' to help Indigenous Australians.

'We had the No campaign on full display today with Warren Mundine on Insiders showing that the No campaign has no solutions. The No campaign has no answers.

'The No campaign talks about wanting to get practical improvement. The No campaign should be voting Yes if they want practical improvement in the lives of Aboriginal people because that's what this referendum is about.

'It's about getting practical outcomes. We know that we will get practical outcomes with a voice.'
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker has branded the Albanese government's decision to reject more flights for the airline as 'very unfair' ahead of an upcoming inquiry into the call.

Appearing on US network CNN overnight, the global aviation boss said he was 'very surprised' the government blocked a number of additional Qatar Airways flights in July and was confident in a Senate probe to uncover why it occurred.

'We can never influence a government decision, but the fact remains we were very surprised on getting these flights blocked, or unapproved I can say - there's a parliamentary inquiry and it is very difficult for me to make any comments,' Mr Al Baker said.

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker has branded the Albanese government's decision to reject more flights for the airline as 'very unfair' ahead of an upcoming inquiry into the call

Appearing on US network CNN overnight, the global aviation boss said he was 'very surprised' the government blocked a number of additional Qatar Airways flights in July and was confident in a Senate probe to uncover why it occurred

Mr Al Baker said Qatar Airways had supported Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic and helped to repatriate 'stranded citizens' from around the world and out of the country.

'When the national carrier and their partners completely stopped operating in Australia. We were there for the people of Australia,' he said.

Mr Al Baker said had full confidence in an inquiry to investigate the call to reject Qatar's application which is due to begin next week.

'We will have to wait and see what conclusion they get up to,' he said.

Qatar Airways' response follows weeks of building tension in parliament over transport minister Catherine King's decision to block the airline's application for an extra 21 services in July.

Mr Al Baker said Qatar Airways had supported Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic and helped to repatriate 'stranded citizens' from around the world and out of the country

Ms King has pressed she made the decision in the 'national interest' and disclosed she told the prime minister about it 'prior to the decision being made public' on 18 July.

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ms King have faced intense scrutiny from the opposition and independent crossbenchers over recent days, with ministers declaring they want more detail on what influenced the ruling.

Senate hearings will begin on Tuesday and will investigate 'all federal government decisions relating to commonwealth bilateral air service agreements' over the past 12 months, with a final report expected in October.

Embattled former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce will appear during hearings, including his successor Vanessa Hudson, along with officials from Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia and regional airline, Rex.
The owner of a day care facility in the Bronx where a one-year-old boy died on Friday after ingesting fentanyl has been charged with murder.

Grei Mendez, the 36-year-old owner of Divino Nino day care in the Bronx, was immediately taken in for questioning after the 911 call on Friday.

On Saturday night, NYPD announced that Mendez and her neighbor, 41-year-old Carlisto Acevedo Brito, have been charged with murder.

The relationship between the two is not known.

Nicholas Feliz-Dominici had only started at the day care center a week before he was found unresponsive, following a nap.

Three other toddlers are believed to have been exposed to the drugs.

Two two-year-old boys were taken to hospital - one is currently in critical condition, while the other is stable. An eight-month-old girl is also listed as stable.

One-year-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici died on Friday after ingesting fentanyl at a Bronx day care center

Police tape is seen outside the Divino Nino day care on Morris Avenue in the Bronx

A contamination tent could be seen outside the day care facility on Friday afternoon

Mendez opened the Morris Avenue day care in May. The day care has a capacity of eight children between the ages of six weeks to 12 years old, records show.

The facility passed an unannounced annual inspection on September 6.

But NYPD found nearly a kilo of fentanyl inside an apartment that the day care also used, as well as a kilo press - a device typically used to combine fentanyl with either cocaine or heroin.

Mendez and Acevedo Brito, who The New York Post reported had recently arrived from the Dominican Republic, both face 28 counts including murder, drug possession, assault, manslaughter, and child endangerment.

The distraught father of the dead child, Otoniel Feliz, 32, told DailyMail.com that he and his wife were recommended to use the day care center.

'We had a good recommendation. We were told it was a great place. It looked like a nice place,' he told DailyMail.com on Friday.

The tearful father-of-five, who moved to the United States in 2018 from the Dominican Republic, said his child had just started at the child care center.

'It was his first week,' he said. 'This was his first week.'

Otoniel Feliz appeared bleary eyed as he spoke to DailyMail.com outside his apartment

Four children under the age of three 'ingested fentanyl' while on the premises. One of them died

Feliz said he and his wife had been given a tour of the day care facility the first time they dropped their son off.

He said it looked like any other child care center, with toys and kids' furniture inside.

But after enrolling their son, Feliz and his wife were never allowed to come back inside. Their son was brought to them by caretakers, while the parents waited outside, he claimed.

'Parents don't have permission to go inside,' he said.

'You see it on the first day, to see where your son will be, but after that you don't have permission to go in.

'They said they don't want contamination from the outside to go inside because they keep everything clean - that's what they said.'

Feliz said his wife had gone to pick her son up early from the day care on Friday afternoon.

Arriving at the center, she found police tape, emergency services and police.

'My wife called me saying our child is going to hospital,' said Feliz, fighting back tears.

'We thought he was fine - 10 minutes later, my wife called me back on the way to the hospital and said he died.'

All four were taken to hospital but Nicholas didn't survive.

The children had reportedly been put down for naps, to be woken up at 2:30pm, and had eaten something about 90 minutes earlier.

When police arrived at the grim scene, all four children were administered with the anti-opioid medicine Narcan. One of the four responded to the lifesaving drug, police said.

Police tape hung across the doorway of the premises on Saturday, with officers at the scene continuing their investigation.

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, expressed his sympathy for the family, saying that he had spoken to the parents who lost their son.

At a press conference on Saturday morning, Adams said the event should act as a warning for people with opioids in their homes.

'To see the pain they are experiencing is something that all of us New Yorkers are experiencing and all of us that are parents,' he said.

'This crisis is real and it is a real wake-up call for individuals who have opioids or fentanyl in their homes.'

Sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed large quantities of drugs were found at the day care, as well as a kilo press

The crime scene became somber as neighbors began to grapple with the tragedy

Anna Ortiz-Irving, 73, lives in the building next door to the day care and said she is 'sick' at what took place

Anna Ortiz-Irving, 73, lives in the building next door to the day care.

She said she is 'sick' at what took place.

'I was stunned because this mother and her daughter are the nicest people,' she told DailyMail.com, referring to the two women who ran the daycare.

'From what I've heard they found fentanyl in all four babies' systems.'

Oritz-Irving said they 'brought the police dogs on Friday night' and claims her neighbor, who had been interpreting for police and the super of the building, 'found drug paraphernalia' after getting a warrant to search the day care.

'They found the cutting machine and what they call a presser,' she said.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed 'multiple drugs were found at the day care as well as a kilo press.'

A kilo press is used to package large quantities of drugs.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes fentanyl as a powerful synthetic opioid that is FDA-approved to treat severe pain.

Over the past decade, fentanyl has been made and distributed illegally and other illegally made synthetic opioids have been increasingly found in the drug supply.

Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and has increasingly been mixed with other illicit drugs - often with lethal results.

Drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased from 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2016, to 21.6 in 2021.

The Biden administration has been pushing for action as U.S. drug-related overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in 2021.
Twelve Brazilian men flying into the Amazon on a fishing trip have died in a plane crash, along with the pilot and co-pilot of their small plane.

The accident took place on Saturday morning in the Barcelos province, some 248 miles from the state capital, Manaus.

The Manaus Aerotaxi airline confirmed that all those on board the Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, a turboprop light aircraft, died in the crash.

'I deeply regret the death of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the plane crash in Barcelos on Saturday,' said Wilson Lima, governor of Amazonas state.

'Our teams have been working from the outset to provide the necessary support. My sympathy and prayers go out to their families and friends.'

A light aircraft carrying 14 people - 12 passengers, a pilot and co-pilot - crashed on Saturday in the Amazon

The plane came down in heavy rain, the governor of Amazonas state confirmed

Um EMB-110P1 Bandeirante da Manaus Aerotaxi caiu hoje na aproximacao para pouso no Aeroporto de Barcelos, no Amazonas. 14 almas a bordo. Nao ha sobreviventes. Os passageiros eram turistas americanos.



Chovia muito forte do momento do acidente.pic.twitter.com/YDQkfR1BAz  Molter  (@MolterGui) September 16, 2023

Amazonas State Security Secretary, Colonel Vinicius Almeida (C), flanked by the commander of the Seventh Regional Air Command (VII COMAR), David Almeida (L) and the mayor of Barcelos, Edson Mendes, speaks during a press conference in Manaus on Saturday discussing the crash

Lima said that the bodies had already been removed from the aircraft and that the victims were Brazilian tourists.

Lima also added that the region faces heavy rainfall and the most likely cause of the accident was an error in the route taken at the time of landing.

The airline said it was investigating, but offering no details about deaths or injuries.

'We count on respect for the privacy of those involved at this difficult time and will be available to provide all necessary information and updates as the investigation progresses,' the statement said.

The Brazilian Air Force said in a statement that investigators from the Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) had been called in to begin an investigation.
TV bosses have been accused of offering to take female staff members off shows fronted by Russell Brand after concerns about his alleged behaviour were raised.

It comes amid reports that accusations about his 'sinister' behaviour towards women were an 'open secret' among TV and radio executives.

Four women have alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films. The actor and comedian is also facing claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Some former staff members who worked with him during his time on Big Brother's EFourum claimed he demanded they get the numbers of girls from the audience for him, telling Dispatches: 'It was like we were taking lambs into slaughter. We were basically acting like pimps to Russell Brand's needs.'

Bosses at the BBC and Channel 4 are accused of turning a blind eye towards the entertainer while he worked for them as a presenter between 2006 and 2013.

The broadcasters insisted they took all necessary steps to deal with him, but executives could still be called before a Government select committee where MPs will grill them over what they knew.

The 48-year-old's conduct is alleged to have been common knowledge among female performers on the comedy circuit who are said to have warned each other about him, fellow stand-up Daniel Sloss told the show.

Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by multiple women, including one who says she was 16 at the time. He has posted a video on YouTube and Twitter refuting the allegations and insisted relationships at the time of his promiscuity were 'consensual'.

Russell Brand pictured on Saturday evening leaving the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set

The BBC and Channel 4 are likely to face questions being accused of turning a blind eye to Russell Brand's behaviour while he worked for them. Pictured: Brand in an online video posted last week in which he denied the allegations

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'. Pictured: A silhouette of Alice from the Dispatches programme which aired on Saturday

However, his attitude towards women is alleged to have been an open secret in radio and TV production, according to sources who briefed The Sunday Times.

One woman, who says she was abused by the comic when she was 16 years old and later worked at Channel 4, has alleged that in a meeting in late 2013 or early 2014, Brand's name came up as a potential host for a show.

However, the woman, who was given the fake name 'Alice' in the investigation, claims that in response to allegations about his behaviour, bosses suggested removing all female members of staff instead of the comic.

She told The Sunday Times: '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.'

Brand also has a history of making high-profile and controversial remarks about women on his shows - including calling newsreader Andrea Simmons 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.

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.

Last night the BBC confirmed that it did not investigate complaints made about Brand between 2006 and 2008 when he hosted shows for Radio 2 and 6 Music. Pictured: The comedian performing on stage in Frankfurt, Germany, during his 'Messiah Complex' tour in 2014

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.'

However, the BBC also confirmed that it did not investigate pre-Sachsgate complaints made about Brand between 2006 and 2008 when he hosted shows for Radio 2 and 6 Music.

Several times after this it is implied that Brand was forced to apologise by production staff, yet despite this, his career continued to flourish.

Two of the women in Channel 4's Dispatches which aired on Saturday night said they felt production companies had 'enabled' Brand's behaviour.

Production runner, Rachel, 24, worked alongside Brand on Big Brother's EFourum, later Big Mouth. Weeks after she started the role, Brand is said to have focused his attention on her.

Rachel said: 'It's difficult to say when the line was crossed.' She added that producers often asked her to deliver unfavourable news to Brand to 'soften the blow'.

She said the pair went on to have sex, which he told her was a breach of his contract.

Rachel said: 'He made clear to me I couldn't tell anyone else on the crew because he had it written into his contract that he wasn't allowed to have any sexual contact with anyone working on Big Brother.

'It sounds slightly dramatic but with hindsight and now as an older woman I can say with clarity that, you know, I felt like I was groomed, for sex.

'Production companies enabled him to exist in these environments where he was able to take advantage of who he was.'

Three staff who worked on Big Brother told Dispatches about Brand.

One said: 'My role was to recruit audience members for the live show. We used to go out flyering out by the universities, find university students who would come be on the show.'

Brand pictured leaving a theatre in Wembley after his comedy set on Saturday night

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Another said: 'Russell is pointing out audience members and asking the runner to get phone numbers.'

A third said they would be handed paper sometimes telling which hotel Brand was in.

The production staff said they received tearful phone calls the next day from those that had been to see the comedian.

One said: 'It was like we were taking lambs into slaughter. We were basically acting like pimps to Russell Brand's needs.'

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 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.'

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)

In December 2007, a serious complaint was made by BBC staff to the station's Controller Lesley Douglas about Brand's behaviour in the studio, according to The Times. Pictured: Ms Douglas at BBC Radio 2 in 2008

While working for the BBC, Brand jokingly offered to bring a naked female employee with him when meeting Jimmy Savile.

During the phone call with Savile 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.'

There is no suggestion that Brand knew that Savile was one of Britain's worst sex offenders, with the vast majority of reports about the DJ's crimes only coming to light after his death in 2011.

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.

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. Pictured: Brand and Ross during the show in question

Sachsgate erupted in 2008 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.

Ross said 'He f***** your granddaughter' in the pre-recorded broadcast.

Brand had been in a sexual relationship with Sachs' granddaughter, Georgina Baillie, which the actor had not been aware of.

A BBC spokesman confirmed that several complaints were made to former Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas, but they were never investigated, adding that they 'only went as far as that' and 'nothing was done'.

The BBC spokesman added that Ms Douglas resigned in 2008 after the Sachsgate scandal.

Alice said her and Brand's relationship took a darker turn when he forced her to perform oral sex - Brand denies the allegations. Pictured: Brand at the launch of 'Meditation in Education', a Global Outreach campaign in Los Angeles in 2013

Sources said there were no plans to launch a fresh investigation into the allegations.

A representative for Ms Douglas said: 'Ms Douglas 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.'

The BBC did not respond to questions about concerns being ignored by senior colleagues. It said: 'Over successive years the BBC has evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints and issues raised.'

Meanwhile, Channel 4 confirmed last night that it had ordered a probe into claims that staff working with Brand on the reality TV spin-off Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2005 were made to feel like 'pimps' when he told them to find female audience members for him to meet.

It was also alleged that Brand's behaviour towards young women 'raised questions'.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 confirmed last night that it had ordered a probe into claims that staff working with Brand on the reality TV spin-off Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2005 were made to feel like 'pimps'. Pictured: Brand holding a pair of G-string knickers during a photoshoot outside of Trashy Lingerie in West Hollywood, California

One worker revealed times when she had to collect Brand from his hotel room and he would appear in his underwear, suggesting they had a 'quickie' before filming. Another staff member said they were left 'in tears' by his behaviour.

A spokeswoman for the network said it had told Endemol, the company that made Big Brother's Big Mouth, to investigate the claims fully and report back.

She said: '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.'

She added that the broadcaster was 'determined to understand the full nature of what went on' and had 'carried out extensive document searches and found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4'.

However, staff at Channel 4 have accused their bosses of 'passing the buck' to Endemol, with one telling The Mail on Sunday: 'They commission the production company and therefore they have a responsibility to make sure that their staff are treated properly and that complaints are dealt with properly and swiftly. It's typical Channel 4.'

The BBC did not respond to Dispatches' questions about concerns being ignored by senior colleagues. It said: 'Over successive years the BBC has evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints and issues raised.'

It also apologised for failing to respond to Dispatches' freedom of information requests asking for details of complaints about Brand.

In Dispatches' episode, Lorraine Heggesy, Senior Television Executive and BBC One Controller 2000 - 2005, said: 'Both the broadcaster and production company are jointly responsible for duty of care and for standards to be upheld during the production.'
A fundraiser to bring back an Australian police officer who was placed into an induced coma after falling off a cliff in Croatia has raised more than half-a-million dollars.

Perth First Class Constable Ella Cutler, 25, was on the final leg of her European holiday when she tumbled over a waist-high wall at Pile in Dubrovnik in the early hours of August 26.

Constable Cutler was drinking with a man when she plunged 11 metres suffering horrific injuries including fractures to her spine, head, limbs and ribs.

She was rushed to a Croatian hospital in critical condition.

Her family have been left with a $500,000 medical bill including an air ambulance to bring her home to Perth.

Perth First Class Constable Ella Cutler (pictured) was on the final leg of her European holiday when she tumbled over a waist-high wall at Pile in Dubrovnik in the early hours of August 26

The 25-year-old (pictured) was rushed to a hospital in Croatia in a critical condition after suffering serious injuries in the 11 metre fall, including fractures to her skull, spine, limbs, 12 broken ribs and punctured lungs

Tokio Marine is the underlying insurer for the travel insurance policy that was sold by RAC to Ms Cutler.

Ms Cutler's insurance claim was initially denied because she had been drinking when she fell.

'We deeply sympathise with Ms Cutler and her family during this difficult time,' a Tokio Marine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

'We can confirm that we have been providing a range of support to Ms Cutler and her family since the incident occurred.

'We are currently assessing an open claim and look forward to working with them towards a positive outcome. We are not able to provide any further information about their specific policy or claim due to privacy reasons.'

A GoFundMe page, set up by her brother, hit its target on Sunday morning after just six days.

Ms Cutler's best friend and fellow constable Dani Morrison on Sunday thanked the WA Police Force, the broad Western Australian community and Australia for donating to the bring Ella home campaign.

'Like to thank the broader community of WA, who has given back to a girl who has given the last six years to serving the community herself, which is just so lovely to see people thank her for that,' Constable Morrison told the West Australia.

'And to the rest of Australia, and even overseas, there have been people who have donated, which is just heartwarming to see Ella's story has really touched them.'

'They've never met her, and they've still donated, so just thank you to everyone because the amount of donations has just been wonderful for her.'

Constable Morrison said she became best friends with Ms Cutler after meeting her on the job and described the young woman as a 'compassionate, empathetic and caring person'.

'She's selfless. Despite her age, she's been a mentor in the job, and she's a mum outside the job. She's just a beautiful soul. She will do anything for anyone. She's gentle, she's kind, she's an incredible girl,' Constable Morrison said.

She added the situation for Ms Cutler's family is 'awful', with friends, family, colleagues 'hurting'.

'I think everyone is just so touched by it and devastated that such an awful accident could happen to someone like Ella,' Constable Morrison said.

Ms Cutler's best friend and fellow constable Dani Morrison (left) thanked the WA Police Force, the Western Australian community and the rest of Australia for donating and helping to raise $500,000 to bring Ella home

Ms Cutler had been drinking with the 34-year-old man when the two leant against a wall (pictured) shortly before they toppled over

Constable Cutler has been moved from the intensive care unit but remains in a critical condition.

Constable Morrison said Cutler, who was supposed to start her detective training on Monday, has a 'long road' to recovery with 'many surgeries to undergo'.

'She got told at the beginning that she wasn't going to survive, so to overcome that and then each and every day, Ella has improved,' Constable Morrison said.

Constable Cutler is scheduled for surgery this week, with the family hoping to bring her home as soon as possible.

READ MORE: Cheap beer and Game of Thrones vibes: Dubrovnik fall explained Advertisement

Ms Cutler had been kissing a 34-year-old man during a night out when the two leant against a waist-high wall before they fell over.

Ms Cutler suffered a string of serious injuries in the fall, including fractures to her skull, spine, limbs, 12 broken ribs and punctured lungs.

She was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and placed in a coma. The man was treated for a broken leg and is recovering.

Nicole and Joshua Cutler, Constable Cutler's mother and brother, landed in Croatia on Friday and are by her side through her recovery.

The policewoman's mum said doctors gave her daughter a five per cent likelihood of survival.

'Then to hear that the insurance company had let us down - we just went into complete and utter shock,' Ms Cutler told told 7News.

'I had never anticipated that the insurance wouldn't help us bring her home and I don't understand.

'I'm really confused how an insurance company could imagine a family or someone that had taken out insurance in good faith would be able to navigate their way through that.'

Constable Cutler has been moved from the intensive care unit but remains in a critical condition. She is scheduled for further surgeries with family hoping to bring her home as soon as possible

Andrijana Biskup, from the Dubrovnik-Neretva police, confirmed the couple had been cuddling or kissing when the fall happened and said alcohol may have played a part.

The local hospital confirmed the blood alcohol tests revealed the man had a 0.2 reading - four times the legal Australian driving limit - while the woman was 0.3, or six times the legal driving limit.

The couple were believed to have been on a night out in Dubrovnik's old town area at the time of the accident, which is packed with tourists every summer.
A charity working to end violence against women has cut its ties with Russell Brand after he was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Last night, a string of bombshell allegations were made against the 48-year-old star accusing him of the abusive and predatory behaviour between 2006 and 2013.

Brand has denied all claims, adding any relationships were 'consensual'.

Following the devastating allegations published in The Sunday Times and on Dispatches on Channel 4, Trevi, a charity Brand has worked with more than a year, said they had 'ended their association' with him.

The organisation that helps vulnerable women and children said it had been 'deeply saddened and upset' by the alleged victim's stories adding its priority remains protecting the 'safety and well-being of all women and girls'.

A photo of Brand still remains on the charity's homepage, however, along with an article about how he is raising funds for Trevi at his new live show Bipolarisation in Plymouth on Tuesday.

Last night, comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse of four women following a bombshell investigation. Pictured: Brand leaving Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north London following a live performance of his show

Following Channel 4's Dispatches investigation into the alleged abuse, Trevi - a charity that supports vulnerable women and children - have cut all ties with Brand

On Brand's charity Stay Free, he lists several organisations he donates too. Trevi said it had cut ties with Brand, however,, the Treasures Foundation said it was not making a decision at this time

In a statement posted to its Instagram just hours after the shocking documentary was released Trevi said: 'We are deeply saddened and upset by the stories reported on this evening's Channel 4 Dispatches programme regarding Russell Brand.

'Russell became aware of our charity in 2022 after hearing about some of the incredible mothers we have helped to become drug-free over the years. He wanted to support our cause and raise money through his Stay Free Foundation.

'Today's media revelations have been difficult to process but our priority remains and continues to be the safety and well-being of all women and girls now and in the future.

'We have ended our association with Russell Brand and the Stay Free Foundation.

'As a charity whose values put women's voices at the heart of what we do, we always prioritise supporting women affected by violence and abuse and empower them to live without violence and fear.'

It added that it understood how the allegations could be triggering for some women and urged those who need support to contact The Survivor Pathway.

In the investigations, one woman alleged Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home when she was in her 30s. Another  whom he referred to as 'the child'  told how the presenter targeted her when was 16 years old and still at school, and he was aged 30.

Last night, the Met Police said it had been made 'aware' of media reports about 'a series of allegations of sexual assault' and urged any alleged victims to come forward.

But in an extra-ordinary preemptive fightback, Brand took to social media ahead of the 90-minute Dispatches documentary to the social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations'.

The comedian is also a supporter of several other organisations, including the Friendly House - an organisation in Los Angeles that provides women seeking recovery from alcohol and other substance use.

One of the charities Brand supports is the Friendly House in Los Angeles, California. He remains on their homepage and is set to host a lunch in October

Brand is also a supporter of the BAC O'Connor Centre, which helps provide rehabilitation for recovering addicts

The comedian's charity Stay Free, which helps those with addiction, also donates money to the Treasure Foundation.

The foundation which helps women suffering from drug abuse in East London, however, told MailOnline that it would not be cutting any ties with the comedian at present, adding that the women it supports were the priority.

It said that many of the people supported by the foundation have 'been through sexual trauma' and some have even 'been perpetrators', adding that part of the program includes practicing forgiveness.

A spokeswoman said: 'At Treasures Foundation we only know Russell Brand in the capacity of him wanting to make amends and give back to women, hence the desire of his to give to our charity.

'We are part of a program that practices forgiveness and making amends. Many of us have been through sexual trauma and some of us have been perpetrators.

'We need to take this time to process what is going on, we are talking to the women we support and will be issuing feedback from them, as as always the voice of the women we support is of the upmost importance.

'We cant make an opinion on what has come out right now. We just know him for the good that he does now.'

The comedian, who has insisted that during his 'time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual', also supports the BAC OConnor Centre, in Staffordshire.

The organisation helps rehabilitate those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

A video of Brand, who is been open about his own struggles with addiction in the past, explaining why those suffering should choose the organisation.

MailOnline has contacted Trevi, the Friendly House and BAC O'Connor.

Just hours after the allegations first came to light, Brand took centre stage at Wembley Park Theatre in front of a crowd of 2,000 people.

He told fans as he continued his tour : 'I really appreciate your support. I love you.

'I've got a lot to talk to you about. There are obviously some things I absolutely cannot talk about and I appreciate that you will understand.'
Thousands of students piled into Birmingham's famous nightclub strip on the first Saturday night of Welcome Week.

Just hours after they were dropped off by their parents, university freshers celebrated their newfound freedom with a night on the town.

Partygoers took advantage of the dry weather to pose for pictures outside.

Some were pictured tucking into takeaways on Broad Street in their first student night out.

Others took the opportunity to let their hair down as the late night became the early morning.

Three university starters enjoying a night on the town

Thousands of students celebrated Freshers' Week in Birmingham last night

Students taking the opportunity to let their hair down as the late night became the early morning

Partygoers took advantage of the warm dry weather on Saturday night

One excited student pictured with a pink inflatable mannequi

Four first years walking up Birmingham's Broad Street and taking pictures

Students crowded into popular nightclubs including Heidi's

Students fill Birmingham's infamous nightclub strip Broad Street just hours after they were dropped off by parents

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: Two girls on their first student night out

A couple of newfound friends sharing a takeaway on their first night out

Two freshers celebrate the start of start of student life as new friends

Three new freshers looking less than 'fresh' after a wild night

Popular nightclubs Heidi's and Rosies were packed with university starters.

Rosies welcomed new students last night with a 'Freshers Takeover' event.

But several hangovers will be expected on Sunday morning after the wild night out.

The night ended less well for some. Students lying on the floor after having enjoyed themselves too much

Two students looking like the night has caught up with them

The night ended for some students being taken away in an ambulance

Others who fell unwell were looked after by their new friends

Some students were pictured lying on the floor after the night caught up with them.

Several students' night ended with them in an ambulance, as medics were called to those who had enjoyed themselves a little too much.

Others who were feeling unwell were looked after by their newly-formed friends.
The General Medical Council has swapped the word 'mother' for neutral terms in its maternity guidance for staff.

Its updated guidance for when employees become pregnant now entirely omits the term 'mother'.

The internal document now refers to 'surrogate parents' instead of 'surrogate mothers' , with all female-specific terms removed from the text.

Separate guidance on the organisation's menopause policy was also tweaked to remove references to women.

One GMC employee said the move was a 'concerted effort' to ignore women and biology, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Guidance for staff at the General Medical Council on maternity and menopause has been tweaked to remove references to women

They added that people were having 'woke' ideology forced upon them because they were too afraid to speak up against it.

It comes after some NHS hospitals threatened employees with disciplinary action if they failed to refer to staff with the correct pronouns.

A Mail on Sunday investigation revealed that 999 operators were told to not use terms such as Sir or Madam but ask callers their preferred pronouns to avoid misgendering them.

Other NHS guidance allows transgender women to use female-only hospital wards , irrespective of whether or not they've had surgery or legally changed their sex.

A government funded report recommended last year that the NHS use terms such as 'chestfeeding' and 'frontal birth' instead of gender-loaded words, in order to not offend pregnant trans people.

Heather Welford from activist group With Woman said the choice of terms was 'ideologically driven' and 'insulting' to women.

The move comes amid a series of questions about 'woke ideology' being imposed on the health service. Last month The Mail on Sunday revealed that 999 operators were being told to use callers' correct pronouns rather than addressing them Sir or Madam

The GMC's menopause document also contains suggestions that it is not an issue exclusive to women.

While maternity guidance published in 2015 refers to 'surrogate mothers', the updated version refers to 'surrogate parents'.

Helen Joyce, the director of Sex Matters said that the decision to erase the word 'mother' by a leading medical organisation 'beggars belief'.

The GMC said that maternity, paternity and adoption policies were clearly titled and regularly reviewed.
Fresh fears have been raised over Parliament's security following claims an alleged 'Chinese spy' was able to access the Palace of Westminster for months without being vetted.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently read the riot act to his Chinese counterpart over 'unacceptable' interference by Beijing in British democracy.

It followed the arrest of two men under the Official Secrets Act amid allegations that a parliamentary researcher spied for China.

The researcher is claimed to have had links to several senior Tory MPs, including security minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, the chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Sunday Times has now reported the arrested man was able to access the parliamentary estate for up to 18 months without any background security checks.

Two men were arrested under the Official Secrets Act amid allegations that a parliamentary researcher spied for China

The researcher reportedly had links to several senior Tory MPs, including security minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, the chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee

Foreign Secretary insists he has no regrets over China trip despite 'spy' row Foreign Secretary James Cleverly today insisted he has no regrets about his recent visit to China after the arrest of a parliamentary researcher sparked 'spying' fears in Westminster. Public confirmation of the arrest came only weeks after Mr Cleverly became the first Foreign Secretary in five years to visit China, amid efforts to develop more pragmatic ties with the country. In a TV interview this morning, Mr Cleverly refused to be drawn on what he knew of the arrest before his visit to China. He and Rishi Sunak were pressed this week over whether the matter had been raised with Chinese officials during the trip. Mr Cleverly told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'We do not comment on intelligence or security-related matters. 'The Prime Minister is absolutely right that both he and I raised with the Chinese authorities their actions which are seeking to undermine or distort our democracy.' But Mr Cleverly insisted he did not regret the talks as he hit out at critics of the Government's position on China. 'There is incredibly important work to do,' he said. 'And the advocates of somehow ignoring China, pretending it doesn't exist, not talking to China, not having an embassy in Beijing, and not having a Chinese embassy in the UK. 'Some people have said that we should disengage from China. That is not a credible option. 'When there is a difficult relationship  and this is a challenging and difficult relationship  it is more important rather than less important that you maintain those face-to-face communications.' Advertisement

The newspaper claimed he was free to move around the Palace of Westminster on visitor passes because of his links to Mr Tugendhat and Ms Kearns.

It added the researcher only gained a permanent parliamentary pass at the start of this year - which would have seen him undergo background security vetting - when he was sponsored by Ms Kearns.

Those who enter Parliament on visitor passes have to go through airport-style checks to access the estate but do not undergo background security vetting and there is no register held of their names.

They are expected to be accompanied by their host throughout their time in Parliament.

The Parliament website states: 'Once you have passed through search and screening, you will be given a visitor pass to wear.

'This must be worn visibly at all times throughout your visit to Parliament and allows you to move freely in public areas.

'If your business at Parliament takes you outside public areas you must be escorted by a passholder at all times.

'You should expect to be challenged by security staff or other passholders if they cannot see your pass or who is escorting you.'

A senior Whitehall source told the newspaper that visitor passes exposed Parliament to the 'greatest threat to security'.

'The current system that allows visitors onto the estate without even registering their names has always been the greatest weakness in the system and is open to abuse,' the source said.

'People can use different entrances and there are often different security guards on duty, so there is often no way of keeping track of people who come on to the estate this way.'

In a statement released by his lawyers Binberg Peirce, the man has said he is 'completely innocent'.

'I feel forced to respond to the media accusations that I am a "Chinese spy",' the statement said.

'It is wrong that I should be obliged to make any form of public comment on the misreporting that has taken place.

'However, given what has been reported, it is vital that it is known that I am completely innocent.

'I have spent my career to date trying to educate others about the challenge and threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party.

'To do what has been claimed against me in extravagant news reporting would be against everything I stand for.'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week stressed that protecting the UK from foreign state activity was an 'absolute priority' for the Government.

'I am clear-eyed about that challenge and will call out unacceptable behaviour directly just as I did last weekend with Premier Li at the G20 Summit in New Delhi,' he added.

The man was arrested, along with another male in his 30s, by officers on March 13 on suspicion of spying for Beijing.

Officers from the Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating.

Both were held on suspicion of offences under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, which punishes offences that are said to be 'prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state'.

They have been bailed until early October.
A police officer has shot a man allegedly armed with a knife near one of Australia's busiest nightlife strips.

Officers and paramedics swarmed Chisholm Street in Darlinghurst on Sunday at 4.40pm, just a few hundred meters from the pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants of Sydney's Oxford Street.

Police were responding to a concern for welfare and on arrival, they were allegedly confronted by a man, 32, armed with a knife.

Police shot a 32-year-old man on Chisholm Street in Darlinghurst, Sydney (pictured)

Police were responding to a concern for welfare and on arrival, were allegedly confronted by the man armed with a knife

'The man allegedly approached officers and NSW Ambulance paramedics whilst armed, before a constable discharged their firearm,' NSW Police said.

'The man was treated at the scene before being taken to St Vincents Hospital in a stable condition.

'A crime scene was established, and a number of residential streets closed.'

Police have now deployed a critical incident team from Leichhardt Police Area Command to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the incident, and whether the officer was justified in firing the weapon.

The investigation will be subject to an independent review.

More to come.
Libya's government was for years warned that residents of the city of Derna were in 'extreme' danger because the two crumbling dams south of the city were inadequately designed and poorly funded.

Floods overwhelmed the Abu Mansur and Al Bilad dams, sending a wall of water several metres high through Derna, destroying neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea last weekend.

The country is still reeling from the natural disaster, which has so far killed more than 11,000 and left a further 10,000 missing.

While the dams were in use for decades, after they were built in the 1970s, the autocratic government of the oil-rich country dragged its feet on its repairs, finally commissioning a study in 1998 that revealed deep cracks and fissures in the dams.

But works only began in 2010, three years after the government, then run by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, contracted a Turkish company to repair the dams after it dragged its feet and did not pay the company.

The deadly floods have so far killed 11,000 people, and more people are expected to be pronounced dead in the coming days

The city of Derna has been devastated by the floods

Entire neighbourhoods were taken out by the floods

Four months after repairs began, civil war broke out in the country shortly after the Arab Spring, causing work on the dam to cease and not be picked up again.

Dr. Abdelwanees Ashoor, a top hyraulics engineer at Omar Al-Mukhtar University in Libya, warned in a 2022 paper that a bad flood would have 'catastrophic' consequences for the area.

'In the event of a huge flood, the result will be catastrophic for the people of the [valley] and the city,' he wrote at the time.

Dr. Ashoor said in his paper that the engineers who built the dams in the late 1970s underestimated the amount of rain expected in the region.

On top of this, the area had undergone desertification, meaning that there was less plantlife that would normally be able to absorb runoff flood water.

At the time, Dr. Ashoor called on the Libyan government to take the problem seriously and reducing the risk of severe flooding by 'conducting periodic maintenance' and 'increase vegetation' in the area.

He wasn't the only person who warned the government that their inaction would lead to severe consequences.

Map shows the flood damage extent in Derna, Libya. The Libyan Red Crescent last night said the death toll in the city has soared to 11,300, with hundreds more confirmed dead across eastern Libya

 Slide me  Satellite images reveal that whole area of Derna were wiped out by the flood

Members of the rescue teams from the Egyptian army carry a dead body in Derna as they walk in the mud between the destroyed buildings, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, on September 13, 2023

Derna city following a powerful storm and heavy rainfall that hit the country on September 13, 2023

Thousands more are expected to be pronounced dead in the coming days

In 2021, state auditors found that nearly 2 million allocated to the maintenance of the two dams had simply not been spent, and called out the country's Water Resources Ministry for its 'inaction.'

Libya's top prosecutor has since pledged that he will investigate how local authorities and previous governments allocated the dams' maintenance funds.

General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sour said at a news conference late on Friday: '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.'

It is not currently clear how the investigation will be carried out, given that the country has been split between two rival administrations that both claim to be the rightful leaders of the country.

Jalel Harchaoui, an expert on Libya at London's Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, said that an investigation could pose 'a unique challenge' to judicial authorities, since it could lead to the highest ranks of leadership in eastern and western Libya.

 Slide me  Satellite imagery has revealed the extent of the flood's damage

The city is still reeling from the damage caused by the floods

Water burst through the dams last weekend, both of which lie south of the river

Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases and shifting of explosive ordnance from Libya's recent conflicts

While states across the world recognise the government that currently resides in Libya's capital, Tripoli, disaster-struck Derna lies in the east, under the control of a rival administration run by the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Hafter, which uneasily controls the city after taking it over in 2019.

Hafter, 79, has played a major role in Libyan politics for decades, first entering the fray when he took part in Colonel Gadaffi's 1969 coup against the then-monarchy and became one of the soon-to-be-dictator's top officers.

Gadaffi told a journalist at the time: 'He was my son, and I was like his spiritual father.'

But about 20 years after this, Hafter ended up starting a failed coup against his former mentor after Gadaffi abandoned him during the infamous 'Toyota War' after he and 400 of his men were captured by the Toyota Land Cruiser-driving Chad forces as the two countries fought over a strategic part of their shared border.

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.

More than 10,000 people are missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. A week 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 shifting of explosive ordnance from Libya's recent conflicts.
Sir Keir Starmer today faced Tory claims his plan to tackle the small boats crisis had 'already fallen apart'.

The Labour leader this week attempted to flesh out how he would try and cut Channel migrant numbers should be become prime minister.

Sir Keir indicated he would be open to striking a deal with the EU that could involve Britain taking in asylum seekers from the bloc in exchange for being able to return people who cross the Channel.

It saw Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman accuse Labour of planning to let the UK become a 'dumping ground' for 100,000 migrants from the EU each year.

But, quizzed during a TV interview this morning over his migration blueprint, Sir Keir dismissed those claims as 'complete garbage'.

Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to flesh out how he would try and cut Channel migrant numbers should be become prime minister

But the Labour leader faced Tory claims his plan to tackle the small boats crisis has 'already fallen apart'

Sir Keir met with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau during his visit to Montreal for a summit of centre-left leaders

Starmer shrugs off Cabinet minister's 'Beach Ken' jibe that Labour leader has 'zero balls' Sir Keir Starmer was compared to 'Beach Ken' from this summer's hit Barbie movie Sir Keir Starmer today shrugged off a Cabinet minister's jibe that he's like 'Beach Ken' because he has 'zero balls'. Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, this week compared the Labour leader to the character from this summer's hit Barbie movie. She told MPs that Sir Keir was similar to 'Beach Ken' as she claimed he 'stands for nothing on shifting sands in his flip flops, staring out to sea, doing nothing constructive to stop small boats or grow the economy'. 'When we examine his weak record on union demands, on border control, on protecting the public and stopping small boats, we discover that like Beach Ken, he has zero balls,' Ms Mordaunt added. But, quizzed about Ms Mordaunt's comments, Sir Keir told Sky News this morning: 'I just think when a Government has completely run out of energy and ideas and the ability to shape or change anything, they go down this rabbit hole of ridiculous insults. 'It's water off a duck's back to me. I'm clearly setting out in strong terms what I do about issues like border control, where in the past Labour has not really wanted to speak, so I speak confidently about the challenges that we face. 'My focus, unlike Penny Mordaunt's, is on the challenges that we face as a country.' Advertisement

Speaking to Sky News from Canada, where he is attending a summit of centre-left leaders, Sir Keir insisted he would not sign Britain up to an EU scheme for taking in quotas of migrants.

Under the official EU quota system, member countries have to take an agreed share of migrants or pay 20,000 for each person they refuse to take.

The Labour leader said: 'Let me be absolutely crystal clear about this.

'Because the Government has been pumping out complete garbage this week in terms of the numbers that they are suggesting.

'There is obviously an EU quota system for EU members. Well, it's obvious we are not an EU member.

'We will not be part of that. We are not an EU member. This is why what the Government's saying, it's been complete garbage.

'And even that scheme within the EU is not working. I've been discussing that with EU leaders up here.

'That scheme itself isn't really working very well. So the idea that we're going to join the EU scheme on quotas is complete nonsense.

'We're not an EU member and that wasn't what I was talking about.'

Sir Keir was forced to clarify Labour's plans came after he had previously suggested he would be willing to accept the 'quid pro quo' of migrant quotas in exchange for a returns deal with Brussels.

'That would be part of any discussions and negotiations with Europe,' Sir Keir said during a visit to The Hague earlier this week.

Ahead of a meeting with Europol bosses in the Dutch city, Sir Keir had set out his plans to treat people-smugglers like terrorists if he wins the next general election.

He also revealed that Labour would scrap the Government's proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their claims processed, as well as ditch Tory efforts to ban Channel migrants from claiming asylum in Britain.

Pat McFadden, Labour's shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, used a separate TV interview this morning to stress the party's plan for a returns agreement with Brussels would not see 'an allocation of numbers'.

'Were talking about individual cases where a child may have strong family links here,' he told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show.

'Its not "we will take this many, you take that many". Thats not the kind of negotiation that we want to have,' he said.

But immigration minister Robert Jenrick today claimed Labour and Sir Keir 'don't have the stomach' to combat the Channel migrant crisis.

In a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Jenrick wrote: '18 months ago Sir Keir forced every Labour MP to vote against the Nationality and Borders Act which made tougher sentences for people smugglers.

'Now he shamelessly tries to deceive the British public he cares about illegal migration. He doesnt and the Labour Party never will.'

Mr Jenrick added: 'Labour's "plan" has already fallen apart. The truth is Labour wont take the tough, but necessary action to stop the boats.

'Sir Keir doesnt have the stomach for this fight. His every instinct is for open borders.'

Tory chairman Greg Hands said: 'Labour's policy announcement on Thursday is now "complete nonsense" by Sunday. You can't trust a word Sir Keir says.'
Princess Charlene of Monaco has returned to South Africa alone for the first time since she suffered a horror illness and had to abandon her family.

It was back in 2021 that the 45-year-old became seriously unwell in the country where she was brought up, and which she represented as an Olympic swimmer.

This led to Charlene, whose non-royal family moved her to South Africa in 1989, undergoing a series of medical operations while her husband Prince Albert, 65, remained in Monte Carlo with their young twins.

The couple had been expected to put all that behind them this weekend, and to travel to South Africa together to attend a Learn to Swim charity event that included a Waterbike Challenge race.

But photos published on the Monaco Palace Instagram account on Sunday showed Charlene was again by herself in the Sun City resort, near Johannesburg, while her husband was seen swanning around a Prince Palace's gallery.

Princess Charlene, pictured, was seen supporting a swimming event in South Africa

She was seen supporting a 'Learn to Swim' charity event

Meanwhile, Prince Albert (pictured) was seen swanning about his palace in Monaco

Charlene is wearing a green Springbok rugby shirt, while surrounded by the smiling youngsters.

She is a big fan of the South Africa team, the World Champions who are currently defending their title in France.

Meanwhile, Prince Albert wore a navy suit and tie as he was taken around a Pablo Picasso exhibit currently being hosted at his palace, the Prince's Palace of Monaco.

A Palace spokesman said: Charlene was in Sun City on a Learn to Swim activities programme organised for around a hundred children from schools in the region.

A source in Sun City told MailOnline: It was certainly expected that Prince Albert would be here  everyone wanted to see the Royal couple together.

Sadly, the Prince seems to have stayed away for the moment but  who knows  he might turn up later.

He was touring a Pablo Picasso exhibit being hosted at his palace

The new snaps come just says after the 45-year-old royal insisted that she is still 'serene and happy' amid rumours of deep tension with her husband

Princess Charlene challenged rumours claiming that she was living in Switzerland and only saw her husband by appointment

The new snaps come just says after the 45-year-old royal insisted that she is still 'serene and happy' amid rumours of deep tension with her husband.

She challenged rumours claiming that she was living in Switzerland and only saw her husband by appointment, and said she no longer wanted to address unfavourable rumours.

The rumour mill went into overdrive when Charlene spent most of 2021 away from her husband after returning to her native South Africa for what was supposed to be a month-long trip.

She wasn't pictured in Monaco from January 2021 until March 2022, citing a sinus issue which stopped her from flying.

She missed the seventh birthday of her twins Gabriella and Jacques and her tenth wedding anniversary with Albert.

In interviews at the time, Albert explained he had stepped up to play a bigger role in his children's lives as the family coped with Charlene's ongoing health issues.

Upon her return to the principality, Albert claimed she was 'overwhelmed' and 'unwell'.

Speaking to People magazine at the time, Albert said the family reunion in Monaco last week initially went 'pretty well' in the first few hours, but it then became 'pretty evident' that Charlene was 'unwell.'

He said the former Olympian 'realised she needed help', adding: 'She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life.'

Claims she will stay in Switzerland were backed up by a source who knows the couple well, who said: 'The South of France is too close, but Switzerland has superb private medical facilities, and Charlene will be well looked after there.'

The couple have been at the centre of split rumours for years, but have always denied there's an issue with their marriage.
British holidaymakers have been left seething after many were forced to spend the night at an airport because a plane's tyres burst while landing.

Ibiza Airport came to a standstill after a Lufthansa Airbus, travelling from Frankfurt, landed hard and burst two of its tyres of the right main landing gear.

Data from FlightRadar revealed that flight LH1466 got into Ibiza Airport just before 3pm local time on Saturday, but has not yet left the party island.

The aircraft, which was carrying nearly 200 people at the time, was seen stuck on Ibiza's single runway more than 24 hours after it landed.

It is understood that 44 flights were cancelled yesterday alone, made up of 21 arrivals and 23 departures.

Restaurants were packed out with frustrated fliers

Hundreds of people were seen outside outside Ibiza Airport

The plane was seen on the tarmac more than 24 hours after it landed

On top of this, 14 flights were diverted from the airport, which has just one runway.

Chaos has erupted at the airport in the hours since the crash, with holidaymakers from across the world being told that they need to figure out sleeping arrangements for themselves.

Hundreds of confused passengers were seen inside and out of the airport anxiously checking their phones.

Airport restaurants were full to the brim with passengers who were expecting to get on their planes and go home.

One woman claimed that after her flight to Ibiza was diverted to Barcelona, she was promised a cabin on the eight-hour ferry to the island. But she said that Ryanair, the airline she was travelling with, later told her she wouldn't get a cabin.

'So have to stay up all night and until 6am tomorrow with no change of clothes. Disgusting,' Hannah Middleton said via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Airport crews were seen trying to bring the plane off the tarmac

Two of its tyres burst upon landing at Ibiza Airport

It is understood that 44 flights were cancelled yesterday alone, made up of 21 arrivals and 23 departures

The plane was carrying nearly 200 people at the time

She said in a separate post: 'We have not even been given food and drink vouchers and been told by staff we will not be given a refund for anything we buy on the ferry.'

Another holidaymaker, George Seers, says that his airline, British Airways, had not told him when his flight had been rebooked for and where his hotel would be.

'[British Airways], your low standards of customer service have been taken to new depths by the complete absence of any on the ground support at Ibiza Airport after the cancellation of BA 453,' he wrote on X.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa said: 'During the landing of the Lufthansa flight LH1466 on 16th September from Frankfurt to Ibiza, the two tires of the right main landing gear were damaged.

Aena, the company that operated Ibiza Airport, said it 'worked with [Lufthansa] to solve the issue as soon as possible'

Holidaymakers from across the world were seen staying in the airport for hours

'The aircraft landed safely and came to a stop at the end of the runway. On board the Airbus A321 were 179 passengers and 6 crew members. There was no danger to the guests or crew at any time.

'All passengers and crew members exited the aircraft normally via the stairs. The aircraft was able to be towed off the runway and was investigated in detail by engineering.

'Lufthansa regrets any inconvenience caused to all passengers. Safety is a top priority at all times.'

Aena, the company that operated Ibiza Airport, said it 'worked with [Lufthansa] to solve the issue as soon as possible.'

MailOnline has contacted Ryanair and British Airways for comment.
A pair of friends say they were left with 200 bites from bed bugs after a night in a Blackpool hotel.

Marian Pearson, 60, and Sharon Haslam, 65, fled the Calypso Hotel after they woke up to find themselves covered in a red itchy rash.

They had made a 'last minute' booking at the hotel for two nights, from September 9 to 10, so they could join eight other pals for a birthday bash in the seaside resort.

But when they got up the next morning, they found droplets of blood covering their bedding and a live bed bug crawling around next to them.

A spokesperson for the Calypso Hotel admitted they'd received previous complaints about 'bug issues'.

Marian Pearson and Sharon Haslam fled the Calypso Hotel after they woke up to find themselves covered in a red itchy rash

The two friends say they were left with over 200 bites during their stay

They say they also woke up to find droplets of blood on their bedsheets while staying at the two-star hotel

Sharon (left) and Marian (right) travelled to Blackpool to join eight other friends for a birthday celebration

And Marian said the 'cheap and cheerful' two-star guest house seemed clean when they checked in to their twin room, which set them back 170 in total.

The pair changed their hotels the same day but said the bite marks on their arms, legs and bodies had kept reappearing.

And last Friday (Sept 15), Marian claims she had to rush to A&E during the night where she was given strong antibiotics after still being left in agony - one week later.

The grandmother-of-two said: 'It was terrible. It was horrible due to the amount of bites on my body.

'They are very itchy. I've rubbed my skin off - that's why I went to the hospital. I couldn't stand it any longer.

'I've been to India, Mexico, Australia, and I've been to a lot of hotels in the UK, and I've never seen bedbugs in my life. It's the first time in 60 years.

'It's medieval. It's something from my grandmother's day when they were quite popular - but not today.

Marian, from Bolton, Greater Manchester said they'd booked the hotel. close to Blackpool's famous promenade on September 8 before they checked in a day later.

Marian (pictured) has been prescribed strong antibiotics and antihistamine tablets, and says her partner took her luggage to the tip when she came home

The friends said that the lobby and their room were clean and that there was no sign when they arrived that the hotel had a bed bug problem

When the pair arrived, she said the lobby and their room seemed clean and tidy - with no indication there could be a bed bug problem.

Marian said: 'When we first arrived we thought, 'it's 'cheap and cheerful'. We stay in lots of hotels, and we'd previously come from Chester before we came to Blackpool.

'We thought, 'We are only here for two days.' The beds had crisp clean white sheets. They didn't have any indication that we were going to end up having a rash.'

Marian said she and Sharon had gone out for some drinks with their friends during the night, before returning to their room during the evening.

But when they woke up, they found a disturbing amount of blood in their sheets before realising they had in fact been bitten by bed bugs.

Sharon said: 'When we woke up, my friend pulled her sheets back and noticed there was blood. We thought 'Where has that come from?'

'Then we found mine also had specs of blood all over the sheets as well. It took us ten minutes to work it out.

'We started to look around the floor and found droplets of blood, and then I found a live bed bug. I captured it in a little cup.

'I got to the reception and presented them with the bug in the cup.'

Marian said they had immediately left the hotel and doused themselves in bug spray, before finding alternative accommodation to stay in for their next night.

But when they got home, she said the bite marks had kept reappearing, and they now fear they could be left nursing their rash for weeks to come.

Grandmother-of-two Marian (right) said she had never seen bedbugs in her life, despite trips to India, Mexico and Australia

Calypso Hotel said an inspector from Blackpool council had found no evidence of bed bugs just two days before Marian and Sharon's stay

Marian has currently been prescribed strong antibiotics, antihistamine tablets and creams - after doctors feared the bites could lead to an infection.

She added: 'As soon as I arrived home, my partner took my luggage to the tip.

'We tied up the clothes in air-tight bags and then opened them in the washing machine and washed them.'

Calypso Hotel said an inspector from Blackpool council had found no evidence of bed bugs just two days before Marian and Sharon's stay.

They said: 'We have had few complaints about the bug issues. We take any complaint regarding bed bugs very seriously and deal with it immediately.

'Most of the times customers complain just to get refund. A few weeks ago we had had two rooms complaining about the same and when we checked with a UV torch no evidence was found.

'I believe same customers complained to council and we had a visit from 2 EHOs(Environment Health Officers) on 7th September 2023.

'They found no evidence of that either in the rooms.

'Whenever we get any complaint regarding bed bugs, we use Death the pest company to get the room treated.'

'Any room with complaint gets treated in three ways, 1) Vacuum and steam at 100 degrees plus 2) Chemicals by Death to pest 3) If Death to pest advice, we change everything from flooring to beds, mattresses and curtains.

'We have been advices by Death to pest to use heat treatment and have ordered commercial pest control heater that holds room temperature over 50 degree Celsius.'

Marian said she and Sharon were still waiting for a full refund, which staff had told them would be processed by Booking.com, which they used to secure the room.

Booking.com and Blackpool Council have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.
Elon Musk, Andrew Tate and Laurence Fox are among a group of public figures appearing to back Russell Brand after he denied allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Last night, Brand, 48, was accused of harming four women, with the alleged incidents said to take place during the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

One includes the sexual assault of a 16-year-old school girl, while another woman claimed she was raped in Brand's Los Angeles home in 2013.

The comedian has strongly denied the allegations and took to his own social media accounts ahead of the bombshell investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 to 'absolutely deny' the 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'.

Brand went on to claim that he had become the victim of a 'co-ordinated media attack' which saw billionaire tech mogul Musk as well as self-proclaimed misogynist and YouTuber Tate seemingly rally around him.

Russell Brand, 48, was accused of harming four women, with the alleged incidents said to take place during the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate took to X yesterday to seemingly 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'

Appearing to support Brand, Tate said 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand' accompanied by a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

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'.

Meanwhile, Tesla and X owner Musk, also appeared to back the under fire star's comments on the media. He said: 'Of course. They don't like competition.'

As more details surrounding the shocking investigation emerged, including allegations that the BBC and Channel 4 knew of his 'sinister' behaviour towards women Brand also seemed to garner support from actor Laurence Fox.

He posted a video questioning the allegations raised against Brand, the Telegraph reported.

Fox said: 'It's fascinating to see some parts of the legacy media talking about Russell Brand like we are going to believe anything they say about anything.

'Whatever Russell Brand got up to, and I can guarantee it because I was around, everything he would have done, would have been sort of acceptable.

Actor Laurence Fox posted a video questioning the allegations made against Brand

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand's video, ahead of the report, 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'

The allegations were made by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 gathered from a year-long investigation

Brand took to his YouTube channel last night to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations'

Kirsty Gallacher (left) had shown her support for her brother-in-law Russell Brand when he first shared his video, but following the allegations, it was removed. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand

The Smooth Radio presenter shared Brand's video on her Instagram story with a large red love heart, however, a few hours later and after the investigation was published in full at 4pm BST, the post vanished from her Instagram stories, suggesting she had deleted it

'Because otherwise his producers would have called him out and fired him.

'Now that may be an uncomfortable thing to deal with for people but that's how the world was then.'

Last night, the Met Police said it had been made 'aware' of media reports about 'a series of allegations of sexual assault' and urged any alleged victims to come forward.

Brand had rushed to post his video denying the allegations before the newspaper and television channel had revealed them.

His sister-in-law, model and TV star Kirsty Gallacher, initially appeared to be in support of Brand, who is married to her younger sister Laura.

She shared his video to her Instagram story with a huge red love heart - but just a few hours after the full investigation was published the post, which remains up for 24 hours, had disappeared.

The allegations, however, had led to an outcry from some of those within the stand-up industry who said more could be done to prevent 'predatory behaviour'.

Mock of the Week presenter Jo Caulfield took to X this morning, writing: 'In whatever industry you work in, keep speaking out.

'Predatory behaviour and abuse is wrong. ... Its a tragic and age old story and it has to stop.'

Meanwhile, British comedian Sofie Hagen also spoke out against alleged lurid behaviour within the industry.

She wrote: 'In my current show, I briefly talk about a comedian who was once preying on a 16 year old girl AND IT WASNT EVEN RUSSELL BRAND. It was ANOTHER ONE.

'The internet is flooded with statistics and examples of what happens to victims who report sexual assault or people that speak out against predators, so if it bugs you that we all keep talking about unnamed predators, then know, it probably bugs us too that theyre unnamed.'

Their comments come after Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss claimed that women within the industry would warn each other about Brand.

Comedian Daniel Sloss has claimed women would warn each other of Russell Brand and his behaviour

Sloss was the only person on Channel 4's Dispatches documentary who did not conceal his identity.

He told how there were 'many stories with varying degrees of severity' about Brand that came from a number of different people in the comedy circuit.

'Female comedians even spoke of him in WhatsApp groups which they use to tell each other of which comedians or agents to avoid. 'I know for many many years women have been warning each other about Russell,' he said.

Sloss said many people within the comedy industry knew of allegations against him.

He said: 'He was a big name, big big household name. If you were a comedian and got to gig with him you'd be gigging with a celebrity.

'I'm stood in bars with agents, promoters, channel commissioners and I'm hearing these allegations and rumours with Russell in the same room, and later on he would be on a movie, on a television show, he would be hosting something. He was still being employed.'

The comedian went on to launch an attack on those higher up within the media industry, accusing some of turning a blind eye.

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'

Last night, comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse of four women following a bombshell investigation. Pictured: Brand leaving Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north London following a live performance of his show

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

'Questions that should have been asked about Russell before he was employed for certain things, I do not believe they were asked.

'I know that there are comedians who did references in jokes to Russell's alleged crimes and have either been asked or told not to do those jokes anymore,' Sloss said.

Both Channel 4 and the BBC insisted they took all necessary steps over him, but executives could still be called before a Government select committee where MPs will grill them over what they knew.

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.'

Brand left the broadcaster following a serious editorial breach in 2008 after he and Jonathan Ross called Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs during Brand's show.

The pair left crude messages on his answerphone - including bragging about sex with Sachs's granddaughter Georgina Baillie, with whom he had a brief relationship.

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 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.'
A United Airlines passenger has recalled the terrifying feeling that she was 'going to die' along with 300 others as her plane to Italy dropped 28,000ft in just 10 minutes.

Tato Lovere, 47, was on board the scary flight to Rome and said that she was fearing for her life in the moments that the aircraft plummeted through the sky.

Flight data revealed that UAL510, a Boeing 777 travelling from Newark Liberty International Airport to Rome-Fiumicino International Airport, went from an altitude of 37,000ft to 8,700ft in just ten minutes on Wednesday night.

The plane circled twice over Nova Scotia, Canada, at a stable altitude at around 10:30pm before it flew back home.

Lovere, who was going to Rome to celebrate her birthday, told the NYPost: 'You saw people's heads turning, you had people looking at each other, you had people looking for answers without screaming.

Tato Lovere, 47, was on board the scary flight to Rome and said that she was fearing for her life in the moments that the aircraft plummeted through the sky

Flight data revealed the plane circled over Nova Scotia twice before coming back to Newark

'You literally thought you're going to die.

'I tried the best I could first to text message my daughter without causing fear, of letting her know I love her very much and I am proud of her.

Lovere said that her daughter had in fact been tracking the flight pattern - and had called United for answers.

Shortly after takeoff, she said that staff told passengers over the intercom that there were problems with the plane.

And a clip filmed at the airport gate when the plane eventually landed, a United captain said over the loudspeaker that there was a '6 or 8 inch hole on the side of the airplane, so that's what caused our pressurization issue.'

She told the Post: 'She was on the phone with United asking them about why she saw her mother's flight [was] going in circles over Halifax.

'United told her everything [was] fine.'

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.

The Federal Aviation Administration, the body in charge of regulating flights in the US, also said the plane experienced a 'pressurization issue,' prompting it to reverse course.

The flight experienced 'a possible loss of cabin pressure', a United Airlines 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 cancelled flights during a record-setting travel season.

The ordeal has left Lovere shaken, and she said that she'll be 'on edge' for every future flight.

In July, an Allegiant flight was forced to make a sudden 600ft climb to narrowly avoid colliding with a private jet - leaving an air hostess injured and passengers fearing for their lives.

Jerrica Thacker, 21, was flying back to her home in Lexington, Kentucky from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when the aircraft zoomed off track while at an altitude of 23,000ft.

She said that for 20 seconds, the aircraft shot up fast before finally stabilizing - and frightened passengers initially thought it was caused by turbulence.

But it was only minutes later, when the pilot took to the intercom, that they realized the terrifying jolt was because their airplane was on track for a nose-on-nose crash with another jet.

Jerrica told DailyMail.com: 'It was my second time on an airplane, so I was already nervous coming into it. The pilot warned us that there would be some turbulence going into it.

'The stewardess was handing out drinks right in front of me when it happened.

'It felt like we were going down. I held on to whatever was in front of me, and I was focused in on everything to keep myself from having a panic attack.

'I thought I felt the place turn around. I was holding my breath the whole time.'

It's understood that the business jet was just one mile away from the commercial plane when the pilot made the life-saving maneuver.

The FAA confirmed that the Airbus A320 'took evasive action'.
A woman is undergoing emergency surgery after being viciously mauled by her two Rottweilers, while her neighbours watched on in horror.

Nikita Piil, 31, was set upon by the dogs, Bronx and Harlem, about 4.30pm on Saturday at her home in Success, southern Perth, with residents alerting police after hearing her blood-curdling screams.

'I was hearing "help, help, please help!",' neighbour Bryn Spencer told Nine news.

'I was contemplating jumping the fence and getting in there to try to rescue her but obviously there were two rottweillers in there.

Perth woman Nikita Piil, 31, was rushed to hospital after being savagely mauled by her two pet rottweillers

'I didn't have a knife, I didn't have anything really good to take this dog out.

'I only had a bat. All I could really do was watch this girl get mauled apart while I am smacking the fence.'

Another neighbour turned a hose on one of the dogs, which succeeded in momentarily distracting it.

'The dog stopped for a bit and it was looking at me deciding what to do next,' Mr Spencer said.

'I kept screaming at it and smacking the fence and then it decided 'stuff you' and it got the girl and dragged her behind the back corner and that's when I was like "oh no".

Police and paramedics arrived but were still not able to stop dogs savaging their defenceless owner.

Mr Spencer begged the officers: 'You need to get your gun out and shoot this dog  it's going to kill her.'

Even tasering the animal failed to stop the merciless attack.

On her Facebook page Ms Piil shows her affection for pet rottweilers wishing them happy birthdays and calling them her babies

READ MORE: Adelaide dog attack: Terrified family reveal how they managed to stop a savage mauling when their pet suddenly tried to rip them to shreds Advertisement

Fearing for the woman's life one of the officers used his pistol to shoot one of the animals.

'Due to the extremely aggressive nature of the dogs and the ongoing risk to human life, a police firearm was discharged to stop the attack,' a police spokesperson told The West Australian.

The animal was seriously injured and rangers were called in to take it to a nearby veterinary hospital where it was euthanised.

Officers managed to secure the other dog in the garage as Ms Piil was rushed to hospital suffering severe wounds to her arms and legs.

She is currently in a serious but stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital but doctors were preparing to perform emergency surgery to save her arm.

The second dog has been taken to the City of Cockburn's animal management facility where it will remain until 'investigations surrounding the incident are finalised'.

On Ms Piil's Facebook page her affection for her rottweilers is very evident.

One photo shows the two dogs standing next to some artificial turf they have dug up and Ms Piil captions it: 'My babies' with a black love heart.

In another photo she can be seen kissing one of the dogs on the snout as it lies on a couch.

She also wishes her 'baby' Bronx a happy first birthday.

'I couldn't ask for a more incredible, cheeky, loyal, intelligent and protective little mate,' she writes.

'You're my whole world.'

Police were forced to shoot one of Ms Piil's dogs to stop it attacking her and the animal was later euthanised

Ms Piil suffered serious bite wounds to her arms and legs and was rushed to hospital, where she is a serious but stable condition

WA Premier Roger Cook said on Sunday that dog attacks were 'always traumatic for anyone involved' as he thanked the emergency services who attended.

'We'll continue to make sure we monitor the situation,' he said.

'What we need to do is continue to educate dog owners and people in the community about dangers  potential dangers  of these sorts of breeds but we'll just monitor the situation.

'But thanks to everyone who responded to that difficult situation and my condolences to anyone impacted by the event.'
Police are investigating a video circulating on social media for clues into his death

He was ambushed while sitting in his patrol car Saturday evening

The 30-year-old deputy was engaged just four days prior

A sheriffs deputy was ambushed and fatally shot in the head on Saturday while sitting in his patrol car in Palmdale, California.

Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was only 30 years old. He had been engaged four days before his death and was a third-generation deputy whose father and grandfather also served with the force.

A passerby found him unconscious near Palmdale Sheriffs Station around 6pm. He was taken to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that investigators were looking into a viral video to determine whether it was related to the deputy's killing.

The video shows a patrol car stopping at a red light. A black sedan stops a few feet behind the car before pulling up to the driver's side. After a moment, it peels off down the street as the patrol car rolls forward slightly and comes to a halt.

Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer had gotten engaged just four days before his murder. He was an eight-year veteran of the police force, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather

Surveillance footage believed to be linked to the attack shows a black vehicle pulling up alongside a patrol car, stopping for a moment, then speeding off

Aerial shots showed police lined up along Sierra Highway in Palmdale, California, near where the killing happened

Video surveillance of the shooting that killed the deputy. https://t.co/zzxmOPodtN pic.twitter.com/jkYzbcLgHu  ScannerAntelopeValley (@ImIntoFires) September 17, 2023

Deputy Clinkunbroomer had eight years of experience in the police force.

He transferred to Palmdale station in July 2018 and had been a field training officer for just under two years, training and supervising officers.

He had reportedly dropped a trainee off at the station before he was murdered.

Sheriff Luna said only 'the best of the best' became field training officers. He called the murder 'senseless' in a Facebook post.

'From everything I know about Ryan, people absolutely loved and adored him,' Luna wrote.

'Service was running through his veins. He embodied the values of bravery, selflessness and was committed to justice.'

He vowed that the police force would find Clinkunbroomer's killer, writing: 'We will use all of our resources to bring the suspects responsible for the murder of Deputy Clinkunbroomer to justice.'

Social media videos show other patrol cars responding to reports of a deputy down.

Police blocked the roads surrounding the Palmdale Station, roping off the area with yellow tape, and could be seen talking to witnesses in aerial images.

Officers were seen talking to victims and lining the area with police tape. All roads surrounding the Palmdale Station were closed off

The deputy had worked as a field training officer for one and a half years and had just dropped a trainee off at the station when he was murdered

Rumors began to circulate on social media that a deputy had been shot and killed after police scanners reported a deputy down and cars were seen speeding to the scene

Palmdale Ca:Deputy Down(750 E Avenue Q At the Palmdale Sheriffs station)Deputy down at station.LASD units doing critical roll to AVMC.Deputy at hospital requesting 4 additional units to hospital & 2 Lancaster units to Palmdale Sheriffs pic.twitter.com/6DYW2LOnji  ScannerAntelopeValley (@ImIntoFires) September 17, 2023

Within the hour, rumors began to circulate that a deputy had been shot in the head and killed.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department posted that he had been taken to a local hospital at around 10.30pm on Saturday.

A press conference was held while the deputy received treatment. Sheriff Luna pleaded for the community's help.

'Somebody saw something. Somebody knows something,' he said.

'There is a family here at this hospital grieving an unimaginable loss. We need your help.'

The 30-year-old transferred to Palmdale station in July 2018 and was described as someone who 'excelled at everything he did' by colleagues

An investigation into Clinkunbroomer's death is ongoing. Police have yet to identify any suspects

Procession for LASD Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer starting soon. We thank you all for your support and prayers.



To view it visit HQ Instagram LIVE pic.twitter.com/LnziCcqNhf  LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) September 17, 2023

Following Clinkunbroomer's death, police and fire staged a large procession for the fallen officer stretching from Lancaster to the Coroners Office in Boyle Heights.

Colleagues and members of law enforcement also left messages in his honor.

In a Facebook post, Palmdale's Sheriff Station said they had lost 'one of their own' and that the deputy 'excelled at everything he did.'

'He was very thorough in his investigations, genuinely cared for the community he served, and he was always willing to help out his partners any time they needed it,' the post read.

'We are numb with grief and are grasping to come to terms with the fact that he has left a very big void within our station family.

'Rest easy, our Hero, our friend, we'll take it from here.'
Russell Brand has built a 'cult following' online who may be willing to back him despite the 'horrendous' accusations about his treatment of women, one of Britain's top PR experts told MailOnline today.

Mark Borkowski believes that the comedian, who has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by multiple women, has declared war on the mainstream media.

He said: 'The crimes he's been accused of are horrendous, and are damaging for him and for people were looking after him at the time'.

The PR guru says some of his fanbase will stay intact thanks to the 'unfettered unregulated world of social media' - and raises serious questions for the BBC and Channel 4.

The comic has received support online from the likes of Andrew Tate and Elon Musk and his fans were out in force at a gig in Wembley on Saturday to show their support.

Mr Borkowski said that Brand has 11million followers on Twitter alone, 6.6million subscribers on YouTube and a hugely popular wellness podcast. These fans could choose to back him.

'He [Brand] has an audience and lots and lots of people who are engaged in his content'.

Russell Brand, pictured at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre last night, could keep a large amount of his fanbase despite the allegations against him, a PR expert has said

The comedian has strenuously denied allegations that he raped, sexually assaulted and emotionally abused multiple women. Pictured: Brand in a video released on social media denying the claims

In recent years Brand has found work as a stand-up comedian, podcaster and actor. Pictured: The 48-year-old in the 2022 film Death on the Nile

He added that the comedian's denial of the accusations was reminiscent of how Donald Trump deals with accusations of improper behaviour.

Mr Borkowski said: 'I think there will be a profound amount of people who will stand by him. Normally with allegations like this your career would be over, but not in this case, which is interesting.

'He's a great content generator. He didn't get to the top of his profession because he's mediocre. He has the power to bewitch his audience.'

Brand, 48, was accused of attacking four women between 2006 and 2013 when he was working a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 and later as an actor in Hollywood. Other women have made a range of accusations about controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.

Mr Borkowski said: 'It throws up questions against someone who has been allowed a certain amount of power because of his talent and his meteoric rise.

'It questions Russell Brand but also those in governance in TV. There will be a lot of people looking at themselves this morning - those people in power today won't be the same ones in power that presided over this.'

Brand has since been dropped by a women's charity he was working with, while TV production companies and channels have launched probes into his alleged behaviour.

Mr Borkowski added: 'There's a question whether he's going to face police action, but the question at the moment is of social media - the man isn't going to get a fair trial when the police have the evidence to prosecute him.

'More people may come forward, other people might see an opportunity. It's a very complex case, mixed between old media and social media'.

Brand, who is currently taking his new stand-up show, Bipolarisation, on a tour around Britain with dates coming up in Windsor, Plymouth and Wolverhampton this month, denies claims and released a video last week insisting his relationships were 'consensual'.

In recent years the comedian has featured in feature films such as Death on the Nile and Minions: The Rise of Gru, while also hosting a daily podcast on video platform Rumble.

The 48-year-old, who lives in a 3million seven-bedroom Oxfordshire mansion with his wife Laura and their two children, is believed to have accrued 16million in wealth since his meteoric rise to fame, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

This has seen him feature in hit films including Despicable Me and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, write best selling novels such as My Booky Wook and go on multiple sell-out stand-up tours of Britain.

In recent years he has built up a loyal following of fans on social media - he has 3.8million followers on Instagram, 6.6million subscribers on YouTube, 11.2million followers on Twitter and 5.9million on Facebook.

Among the most devoted fans are listeners to his podcast, on which he rails against 'Big Pharma' and the mainstream media, as well as promoting conspiracy theories.

The allegations of 'sinister' behaviour towards women made against him have the potential to end careers in showbusiness.

These include claims he made runners on Big Brother's EFourum, which was later known as Big Brother's Big Mouth, 'act like pimps' by demanding they get the numbers of women in the audience for him.

One staff member claimed she felt she was 'groomed' for sex by the presenter, while another said they had reported concerns about his behaviour to managers at production company Endemol. Banijay UK, which bought the firm in 2020, has launched an investigation into the claims.

In the investigations, one woman alleged Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home when she was in her 30s. Another  whom he allegedly referred to as 'the child'  told how the presenter targeted her when was 16 years old and still at school, and he was aged 30.

Last night, the Met Police said it had been made 'aware' of media reports about 'a series of allegations of sexual assault' and urged any alleged victims to come forward.

But in an extra-ordinary pre-emptive fightback, Brand took to social media ahead of the 90-minute Dispatches documentary to the social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations'.

Andrew 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'

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition'

Smooth Radio presenter Kirsty Gallacher shared Brand's video on her Instagram story with a large red love heart, however, a few hours later and after the investigation was published in full at 4pm BST, the post vanished from her Instagram stories, suggesting she had deleted it

Appearing to support Brand, Tate said 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand' accompanied by a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

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'.

Meanwhile, Tesla and X owner Musk, also appeared to back the under fire star's comments on the media. He said: 'Of course. They don't like competition.'

In a video questioning the allegations against Brand, Fox said: 'It's fascinating to see some parts of the legacy media talking about Russell Brand like we are going to believe anything they say about anything.

'Whatever Russell Brand got up to, and I can guarantee it because I was around, everything he would have done, would have been sort of acceptable.

'Because otherwise his producers would have called him out and fired him.

'Now that may be an uncomfortable thing to deal with for people but that's how the world was then.'

His sister-in-law, model and TV star Kirsty Gallacher, initially appeared to be in support of Brand, who is married to her younger sister Laura.

She shared his video to her Instagram story with a huge red love heart - but just a few hours after the full investigation was published the post, which remains up for 24 hours, had disappeared.

However, famous names from the British comedy circuit appeared to distance themselves from Brand.

Mock of the Week presenter Jo Caulfield took to X this morning, writing: 'In whatever industry you work in, keep speaking out.

'Predatory behaviour and abuse is wrong.... It's a tragic and age old story and it has to stop.'

Meanwhile, British comedian Sofie Hagen also spoke out against alleged lurid behaviour within the industry.

She wrote: 'In my current show, I briefly talk about a comedian who was once preying on a 16 year old girl AND IT WASN'T EVEN RUSSELL BRAND. It was ANOTHER ONE.

'The internet is flooded with statistics and examples of what happens to victims who report sexual assault or people that speak out against predators, so if it bugs you that we all keep talking about unnamed predators, then know, it probably bugs us too that they're unnamed.'

And comic Dom Joly wrote: 'The amount of people defending Russell Brand, slagging off the women involved and believing that this is all because Brand is some 'threat to the Matrix' is pure Trumpism and deeply, deeply depressing...'
A man was taken to hospital after being surrounded and attacked by cows on a remote Scots beach.

The man and his two female companions were trapped by the cattle on Traigh Eais beach on Barra on Saturday evening.

Police, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Barra Coastguard Rescue Team all attended after the alarm was raised at around 8pm.

A spokesman for Stornoway Coastguard said: A man and two women were said to be trapped by cows and the man had sustained a blow to the chest and was also in shock.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that a local crew attended to provide light.

Cows on a beach on Barra

It is also believed the farmer attended and the incident was closed just before 10pm.

The man was flown to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and the two women were taken to St Brendans Hospital in Castlebay for treatment.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: Around 8.05pm on Saturday, 16 September 2023, police and emergency services were called to Eoligarry, Barra, following a report that three people, a man and two women, had been injured by a heard of cows and a bull whilst walking between near Traigh Eais and Traigh Mor.

A 56-year-old man was flown by air ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (Glasgow) but has since been discharged. The two women were treated at St Brendans Hospital in Castlebay and have also been discharged.

Advice and assistance has been given to all parties. No further police action.

The picturesque Traigh Eais beach on Barra

Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil, who lives on Barra, added: This is obviously a very distressing incident we wish all involved a speedy recovery.

Last year Barra Airport topped a poll of the worlds top six must-see runways.

It was the latest accolade for the small island airport - the only runway in the world where scheduled flights land on a tidal beach.
A former Yale student who was expelled by the university after being accused of sexual assault is suing one of his accusers for defamation - and is demanding $110million in damages from the school after not being able to get his degree.

Expelled in 2019, Saifullah Khan, 30, filed the suit more than four years ago - 20 months after after he was acquitted of raping a female student on Halloween night in 2015, but deemed 'responsible' for the act by the school months later.

The case has since slowly grinded through the Connecticut courts, culminating in a recent ruling this past June where jurists said the then 21-year-old woman is not immune from a defamation lawsuit, while not commenting on the merits of such a case.

Khan - a member of the class of 2016 who had his undergraduate studies upended over the claims - was found not guilty of the alleged rape in a court of law.

Following his exoneration - which came at the height of America's #MeToo movement - Khan was readmitted as a full-time student in 2018, but was subject to protests from the student body along the way, the suit claims.

Expelled in 2019, Saifullah Khan (seen here during his trial in 2018), filed the suit more than four years ago - months after after he was acquitted of raping a female student in her dorm on Halloween 2015, but found 'responsible' by a university disciplinary committee months later

Following his exoneration - which came at the height of America's #MeToo movement - Khan was readmitted as a full-time student in 2018, but was subject to protests from the student body along the way, the suit says, before he was eventually expelled less than two months later

Barely a month later, another student - one of Khans chief supporters during the trial and a former romantic partner - came forward to claim Khan slapped him during consensual threesome in DC in June of 2018.

Aired in an interview with the school newspaper, those claims led to Khan being again suspended - and eventually expelled in January 2019 after the school ruled that he was 'responsible' for the other unproven act even without a conviction.

The ruling came more than three years after the alleged assault was first reported, and made way for Khan's new suit, now given the greenlight.

It demands $110 million in damages on the basis that the school violated his rights throughout the investigation process, particularly a federal law that governs how universities should handle sexual assault hearings called Title IX.

The aforementioned damages attributed to the obstruction of his degree completion, reputational harm, and breach of his right to privacy, the suit states - along with alleged instances of emotional distress.

The filing describes in-depth how Khan was arrested in November 2015 for the alleged rape ahead of his trial, which, initially slated for 2017, was postponed after Yale Police failed to provide the defense with interviews from prospective witnesses.

Before providing Khan's version of what happened, lawyers wrote how the Afghani neuroscience student, who began attending Yale in 2012, was expected to graduate 'with a Yale baccalaureate,' and 'was on the cusp of a world filled with promise.

'On the night of Halloween in 2015, Mr. Khan met with a female student, Jane Doe, whose name is kept confidential out of respect for the university's confidentiality requirement in Title IX proceedings,' it reads.

The pair - described by both the prosecution and defense as 'acquaintances' - met at a party sponsored by 'an off-campus secret society,' and afterwards attended a performance of the Yale Student Orchestra at Woolsey Hall, 'a campus auditorium.'

'Mr. Khan and Jane Doe were familiar with one another from several on campus encounters,' the lawsuit further notes, before describing how the pair left the performance prematurely after the unnamed victim suddenly took ill.

Doe, meanwhile, claimed in interviews eventually administered by police said she was so intoxicated she had trouble producing her ticket, vomited and ended up sitting with Khan, whom she considered an acquaintance.

The alleged victim at the time said she had never been inebriated prior to the night night in question, when she consumed multiple alcoholic beverages at the Jewish society Shabtais off-campus party.

The two proceeded to walk together on campus for a period, before returning to their coeducational dormitory, the suit states, and eventually the girl's dorm.

It was there she said Khan forced himself onto her despite her intoxicated state - an account Khan and his team have continued to dispute after successfully battling them back in court with an in-depth cross examination.

'I was crying, I tried to say stop but Im not sure if anything came out,' Doe testified to a twelve person jury that would eventually find Khan not guilty, emotionally stating at a point: 'I remember feeling him inside me.'

Barely a month later, another student - one of Khans chief supporters during the trial and a former romantic partner - came forward to claim Khan slapped him during consensual threesome in DC in June of 2018

However, with a line of questioning that saw attorneys point to a description Doe provided to police of her Halloween costume 'that attempted to avoid that fact she was dressed in a provocative manner' and a grainy account of how the two had ended up in her room in the first instance, lawyers poked enough holes in her defense that jurors were unable to find Khan guilty 'beyond a reasonable doubt.'

After barely three hours of deliberations, Khan was acquitted - though his fight against the now unproven allegations still had to be settled on the school front.

As the suit notes, much of the Connecticut campus at this point was aware of Khan at this point, with 'The Yale Daily News and other news outlets [covering] the trial closely, portraying Mr. Khan in an extremely unfavorable light.'

Upon his return to the school the next year - after months of having his requests to be in reinstated during the preceding school year allegedly ignored - Khan was confronted with this climate, which included a student petition circulated online calling on Yale not to readmit him.

Within weeks, it garnered nearly 78,000 signatures, lawyers for Khan pointed out - painting a picture of the pronounced chorus of opinion seen at the school at the time.

Protests at the Connecticut campus were also rife - and Khan, his attorneys wrote, was relegated to living off campus while still taking a full course load of five classes.

The case involving Khan - an immigrant who attended the Ivy League school on a full scholarship - is now being used to reanalyze how schools deal with assault allegations. He recently appeared in the BBC documentary The Night In Question to speak about the case

Before providing Khan's version of what happened, lawyers wrote the student, who began attending Yale in 2012, was 'was on the cusp of a world filled with promise' prior to his world being upended. He was expelled before he had the change to get his bachelor's degree

Amid this social climate, new accusations of sexual assault soon surfaced in October in the form of an interview given to the The Yale Daily News from Jon Andrews - who at one point was one of Khans fiercest supporters, and a board member for Families Advocating for Campus Equality, an advocacy group that works to defend college students accused of sexual assault.

He alleged to the paper Khan - who is bisexual - had assaulted him during a consensual threesome in Washington, D.C., two months after the trial concluded, and physically attacked him on several occasions.

Andrews - who became involved with the group after being expelled from Indiana's Hanover College on accusations of sexual assault himself - also claimed Khan regularly spoke about women with sexually explicit and disturbing language over the course of their romantic relationship.

Aside from not being allowed in the room with the panel, neither Khan nor his lawyer could under the rules of the hearing, cross-examine the accuser

'Being with Saif for the nine months we were together was like being slowly smothered,' Andrews told the News of the pair's flamed out relationship. 'Every day he tangled me up more and more in his twisted world.'

Within three months, Khan found himself formally expelled by the school, based on a ruling arrived at by the school's University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct - which was founded in 2011 and includes roughly 40 members selected across the school.

They found Khan - who was forced to wait in a room during those proceedings - responsible for sexually assaulting Doe in 2015, but made no mention of the other allegations made by Andrews.

Aside from not being allowed in the room with the panel, neither Khan nor his lawyer could under the rules of the hearing, cross-examine the accuser - who also alleged that Khan, who was sleeping on her couch, insisted that they not tell anyone about their sexual encounter and establish a timeline of the previous night over breakfast.

It was this, along with other instances deemed to have not provided Khan with a proper chance to defend himself, that jurists in Connecticut's State Supreme Court cited in June when ruling to allow Khan to move forward with his suit against the school and Doe.

It was held up due to the fact that in Connecticut and several other states, witnesses in such 'quasi-judicial' hearings are promised absolute immunity against defamation lawsuits after providing testimony.

'Theres no doubt in my mind that the process Yale used to engage in its fact-finding was fatally flawed,' attorney Norman Pattis - who has also represented several members of the Proud Boys - said of his client's case back in 2019. A ruling arrived at this past June upheld the jurists' claim

Deciding that the Yale hearing was not quasi-judicial because it lacked due process, the court said of its decision - administered after a unanimous 7-0 vote: 'For absolute immunity to apply under Connecticut law, fundamental fairness requires meaningful cross-examination in proceedings like the one at issue.'

The recent ruling is significant because the federal government is slated in October to change regulations covering how colleges must handle sexual misconduct cases, including Title IX.

The Khan hearing was governed by Obama-era guidance, which at the time discouraged cross-examination. However, in 2020, the Trump administration reversed those guidelines, mandating the practice.

The Biden Administration is now set to undo those changes, with a review on the relatively new guidance said to already be underway.

The new law is expected to hew closer to Obama-era version, and would likely again make hearings - and therefore direct cross-examination - optional.

Norm Pattis, a lawyer for Khan, called the supreme court decision 'fantastic news for Mr. Khan and bad news for Yale.'

'It sheds a much needed light on the hothouse environment at Yale and its infirm handling of sexual misconduct complaints,' Pattis wrote in a text to The Associated Press.

Joseph Vincent, an advisory board member of the Association of Title IX Administrators, added that the suit, while far from a slam dunk, will put pressure on schools and the federal government to reassess the somewhat murky precedent.

'Its not that Khan will win,' Vincent told the New York Times this week, with the suit now underway. 'Its that Khan can run up the bills and run out the clock such that its no longer feasible to defend oneself.

He added that those filing complaints may have to make 'a cost-benefit decision, way at the beginning, about whether or not they are prepared and able to endure' prospective legal costs.
Donald Trump, 77, is leaning toward picking a woman as his running mate in 2024  but says he doesn't think it will make much of a 'difference' who he asks to run with him as vice president.

The ex-President said he is considering South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, 51, as a running mate.

'I like not to think too much about that. You always do a little bit  but I really don't think it's time. I want to win,' Trump told NBC News' new Meet the Press host Kristen Welker.

'And, you know, it's very interesting about running mates  when you get down to a vice president  they say nobody's ever made that kind of a difference. It's still about the person that's going to be president. It's an important decision.'

Noem, a rising Republican star, has been involved in a clandestine affair for years with Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed in a Friday report.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem issued her endorsement of Donald Trump's White House bid during a rally in her state on September 8

Ultimately, he doesnt think his pick will make that much of a difference. - @KWelkerNBC on former President Donald Trumps potential 2024 vice president in his first network interview since leaving office on @MeetThePress. pic.twitter.com/RrZrkffBvH  TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 17, 2023

The married South Dakota governor often stresses her belief in 'family values'  but began an affair with Lewandowski, who is also married, in 2019, if not before, multiple sources told DailyMail.com.

News of the relationship threatens to wreck Noem's chances of joining Trump's ticket in a potential rematch with President Joe Biden.

Reports suggest Trump has a short list of women that he could pick as vice president, including Noem and failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. Those within Trump's circle think his former UN Ambassador and now 2024 rival Nikki Haley would be the best fit  or maybe his former White House Press Secretary and now Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Welker noted that Haley's name hasn't been floated as much recently since she has become more openly critical of Trump since launching her 2024 primary bid for president against him.

When Welker asked Trump if he's considering a female running mate, he said: 'I like the concept, yes.'

'But, we're going to pick the best person,' Trump added, keeping the door open to a possibility of a male vice presidential candidate.

The NBC News anchor noted that 2024 hopeful Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is a potential running mate. He is the only black Republican in the U.S. Senate.

Gov. Noem endorsed Trump's third bid for the White House during a rally in her state earlier this month.

'I think she's fantastic, she's been a great governor,' Trump said, telling Welker 'I do,' when asked if he has his eye on her as a potential running mate should he win the 2024 nomination.

Noem's chances of joining Trump on the 2024 ticket might be threatened after DailyMail.com revealed that the married South Dakota governor and ex-Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski, also married, have been engaging in a years-long affair. The two are pictured above in Ohio in 2020

'She gave me a very full-throated endorsement  a beautiful endorsement, actually,' the former President said.

'And, you know, it's been a very good state for me,' he added of Noem's state of South Dakota.

Trump added that he would 'certainly' consider Noem, but said even if she isn't on the ticket as vice president, he could also place her somewhere else in his administration should he earn a second, non-consecutive term in the White House.

'We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party,' Trump noted.

With age becoming a major focus of the 2024 race, especially among younger voters, it's likely Trump could pick someone a few decades his junior to run alongside him.

Noem is 26-years Trump's junior.
Sachsgate was the 2008 scandal that cost Russell Brand his job at Radio 2 after he and fellow presenter Jonathan Ross left obscene messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers legend Andrew Sachs.

The esteemed actor  famous for playing bungling Spanish waiter Manuel in the 1970s comedy  was the grandfather of Georgina Baillie a dancer who Brand had slept with.

At the time Brand was 33 and Georgina  who was a dancer with a group called Satanic Sluts  was 23 and there was outcry after the messages were broadcast as part of his show.

Ms Baillie, now aged 38, told The Mirror her relationship with Brand was consensual but after the fling turned to drugs and alcohol after she was made the 'butt of the joke' in his comedy routine.

Brand would later apologise to Ms Baillie and paid for her rehab after he 'knew his behaviour towards me was appalling', she said.

'After Sachsgate, Russell made millions of pounds doing a stand-up routine about it and that was very hard and painful for me - I was the butt of the joke, I was young and didn't know how to process it and I turned to drink and drugs,' she said.

Brand and Ross broadcasting before making an apology to actor Andrew Sachs on Brand's BBC Radio 2 show for leaving offensive messages on his answerphone

Russell Brand apologised to Georgina Baillie (pictured in 2008) in 2019 for what he had done and reportedly offered her thousands of pounds to get her back on track

Sachs did not speak to his granddaughter for eight years. Brand eventually wrote him a letter in 2014 - two years before he died - apologising for the 'stress, sadness and turbulence'

There was outcry when Brand and his Radio 2 co-host Jonathan Ross left obscene messages on Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs' phone bragging about bedding his granddaughter

The BBC received more than 40,000 complaints and Sachs said he was horrified at what the pair had done.

In total Brand and Ross left three messages on his answerphone making repeated and graphic claims about his granddaughter's relationship  at one point Brand even asked if he could have his 'permission' to marry Georgina.

While in another Brand told Sachs:

'But it was consensual and she wasn't menstrual, it was consensual lovely sex.

'It was full of respect I sent her a text, I've asked her to marry me, Andrew Sachs.'

Later on in the show, Ross then said that if people were offended by the prank calls they had made to Sachs they were 'crazy'.

This week, four women have alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films.

The actor and comedian is also facing claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Ms Baillie says she was never attacked by Brand, but hopes 'these alleged survivors get the help that they need'.

Ms Baillie, now aged 38, turned to drugs and alcohol after the fling. She is now a successful artist living with her mum in Bedford

'As part of the 12-step programme, one of the steps is to personally address issues with people who have been harmed by you, but in Russell's case, there are probably so f*****g many, it's impossible,' she added.

READ MORE: Unearthed clip revels the awkward moment Bob Geldof clashed with Russell Brand when he called the comedian a 'c***' Advertisement

Brand and then controller of Radio 2 Lesley Douglas quit as a result while Ross was also suspended from broadcasting for three months, and there was a change in the way BBC output was vetted.

Both Brand and Ross apologised for their actions and later in October 2008, and in the same month the same BBC also apologised to Sachs.

In 2009, Ofcom also fined the BBC 150,000 over the phone calls, describing them as 'gratuitously offensive, humiliating and demeaning'.

During an interview for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2013 Brand claimed the scandal had erupted because he had become caught up in an anti-BBC 'agenda'.

But he did reiterate 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.

In 2014, two years before Sachs died, Brand wrote a letter of apology to him and said he was sorry for the 'distress, sadness and turbulence' caused.

He added:'I apologise for the damage I have caused to your family relationships and for robbing you of your peace of mind. This behaviour and the consequences you have suffered as a result of my actions are unacceptable.

'This is not the man I want to be and I wholeheartedly apologise to you both.

'I am sorry too that it has taken so long for me to write to you expressing this sentiment to which the two of you are entitled... please do not hesitate to contact me... My sincere apologies for the hurt I have caused you and your family.'

In 2019 he also apologised to Georgina for what he had done and reportedly offered her 'thousands of pounds' to get her back on track, after she revealed the incident had made her turn to drugs and she is now a successful artist living with her mum in Bedford.
Revelle Balmain's former boss claims to have new evidence that police 'never found' that could crack the case into the missing model.

Ms Balmain was just 22 when she disappeared from the Kingsford area on November 5, 1994. The young dancer's make-up bag, keys and a shoe were later found scattered near Ainslie St.

She was reported missing that same evening and has not been seen or heard from since.

A coronial inquest in 1999 found Ms Balmain died at the hands of a person or persons unknown, with the matter then being referred to the unsolved homicide unit.

Photo of model and dancer Revelle Balmain has been missing, believed murdered since 1994

After an anonymous tip-off in 2021, police have uncovered a new person they believe is linked to the case, and are urging the public to come forward with anything that can help.

'We want to identify that person and speak to anyone that does know him. And hopefully, they can come forward and provide that information to us, not anonymously,' Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell told Nine's 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

The new information, along with other breakthroughs by police which they continue to investigate, has led to the case being reopened, to be examined by the Coroner in February next year.

The 22-year-old had been working as an escort on the night of her disappearance, only joining the agency run by Jane King and her husband Zoran Stanojevic six weeks before she disappeared.

Ms King also claims she has new information, claiming that Ms Balmain had been booked to meet Mr Stanojevic's Serbian friends later that night.

Former boss Jane King claims that there was another client that Ms Balmain met before going missing

READ MORE: Twist in cold case mystery of glamorous Sydney woman who disappeared without a trace 27 years ago as her boss is arrested on unrelated charges after new forensic search Advertisement

Mr Stanojevic is not the man police are seeking to identify, nor is there a suggestion he is being investigated by police.

She claims that he then left for Thailand the day after that meeting.

'Zoran arranged a ticket for that client to leave Australia the next day, through a travel agent we used to use all the time,' Ms King said.

It's understood that police are not investigating Mr Stanojevic in their new line of inquiry.

The focus of initial investigations fell onto her last client, Gavin Samer, who denies any involvement and claims he dropped Balmain at a nearby pub after his appointment.

Mr Samer has never been charged, and there is no suggestion police still consider Mr Samer a suspect.

Ms King now claims she has proof he should be ruled out as a person of interest in the investigation.

'I have had evidence put to me that does take Samer out of the picture to some degree, evidence that the initial police never found,' she said.

'I can tell you that his whereabouts were verified and they weren't verified by the first batch of police that investigated,' she added.

A 1999 coronial inquest concluded that Balmain had died at the hands of person unknown

Police are urging anyone with information about Balmain's disappearance to call Crime Stoppers.

There is a $1 million reward for information into her disappearance.
who 'ingested fentanyl' at Divino Nino Day Care in the Bronx

The mom, whose two-year-old son is in critical condition and eight-month-old daughter is currently hospitalized, said that the ordeal was 'just too much'

The owner of a Bronx daycare center has been pictured for the first time since her arrest - after multiple children were hospitalized and one died of fentanyl poisoning under her care.

Divino Nino Daycare owner Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, and her neighbor Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, were arrested and each hit with 11 charges last night following the death of one-year-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici.

They were both handcuffed and walked out of the 52nd precinct on Sunday, before entering separate cop cars and being driven to Bronx Criminal Court.

The duo are each facing a litany of charges - ranging from murder and manslaughter, to causing serious injury and possession of narcotics.

De Ventura, wearing a burnt orange sweater and blue jeans, eyed up photographers outside the police station this morning. Brito, dressed in a gray ensemble and a baseball cap, bowed his head while being perp walked.

Divino Nino owner Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, is seen on Sunday after her arrest over the death of one-year-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici. Wearing a burnt orange sweater and blue jeans, eyed up photographers outside the police station this morning

De Ventura's neighbor Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, (pictured) kept his head down as he left NYC's 52nd precinct after also being arrested in connection to the overdose

They were handcuffed and walked out of the 52nd precinct on Sunday

Brito, dressed in a gray ensemble and a baseball cap, bowed his head while being perp walked

De Ventura and Brito's full charge list includes: Depraved-indifference murder, manslaughter of a person under 11 years old, manslaughter recklessly causing death, four counts assault causing injury through risk of death, four counts of assault causing injury during a felony, four counts of assault causing serious injury, and four counts of reckless assault causing serious injury.

They are also facing three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of narcotics, and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Law enforcement sources believe that the basement under the daycare where Brito lived was actually a front for drugs.

They are now trying to hunt down De Ventura's husband, who also lived with her next door to the daycare. Police believe he may also be involved with the deaths, reports NYPost.

This comes after the devastated grandmother of two of the children who suffered with fentanyl overdoses at a Bronx daycare revealed how the siblings were found.

The mom, whose two-year-old son is in critical condition and eight-month-old daughter is currently hospitalized, said that the tragic ordeal was 'all just too much right now.'

Her children - who have not been identified - attended the daycare with Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, the toddler who died after ingesting fentanyl while being cared for at the Divino Nino Day Care on Morris Avenue in Kingsbridge, The Bronx.

The grandmother of the children has described how the boy and girl were found passed out laying on a playmat on the floor and in an adjacent crib.

Pictured: Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, the one-year-old boy who died after ingesting fentanyl at a Bronx daycare

A sign on the front door of the daycare, with the word 'learn' spelled wrong

Law enforcement sources believe that the basement under the daycare where Brito lived was actually a front for drugs

Police tape had been stripped from the street and hung across the doorway of the Divino Nino Daycare on Morris Avenue

The boy was facing upright on the floor in the chilling image on the grandmother's phone, reports the NYPost.

She said her son-in-law called her to tell her what happened - and she screamed down the phone.

The little boy is 'not doing well,' and the girl is 'doing better today but she's on a lot of drugs,' the grandmother told the Post.

The grandmother of the unnamed son and daughter who were rushed to hospital said: 'I dont know what happened. So much irresponsibility.

'They are babies. Its her job to care for them, protect them. She needs consequences. I cant believe this happened. I really cant.'

The two siblings, along with two others, were rushed to hospital and given does of Narcan - to override the fentanyl overdose.

Meanwhile, the deceased boy's distraught dad, Otoniel Feliz, 32, appeared teary-eyed as he spoke outside his apartment, just a 15 minute walk from the Morris Avenue childcare center.

It was his son's first week at the center, he told DailyMail.com.

Father-of-five Feliz, whose son died, moved to the United States in 2018 from the Dominican Republic before moving his family to the apartment close to Divino Nino Day Care in 2019.

He and his wife, who asked to remain anonymous, went to the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center to find a suitable daycare for their son Nicholas.

As they waited close to a year to find a place to care for the young infant they were grateful to hear that Divino Nino Day Care could help them.

'We had a good recommendation. We were told it was a great place. It looked like a nice place,' he explained.

Otoniel Feliz, appeared bleary eyed as he spoke outside his apartment

A contamination tent could be seen outside the daycare on Friday afternoon

Four children under the age of three 'ingested fentanyl' while on the premises

But within one week of being cared for at the daycare, Nicholas ingested fentanyl - a substance that has caused a spike in overdoses across the U.S.

A heartbroken Otoniel said they'd been given a tour of the daycare the first time they dropped their son off and it looked like any other, with toys and kids' furniture inside.

But after enrolling their son, Otoniel and his wife were never allowed to come back in their son often being brought to them by their caretakers, he claimed.

'Parents don't have permission to go inside. You see it on the first day to see where your son will be, but after that you don't have permission to go in,' he claimed.

'They said they 'don't want contamination from the outside to go inside because they keep everything clean,' that's what they said.'

Revealing the harrowing moment in which Otoniel and his wife heard the news he explained that she'd gone to pick her son up early from the daycare.

Arriving at the center police tape, emergency services and cops were blocking the street, her heart dropped as she received a call no parent ever wants to hear.

'My wife called me saying our child is going to hospital. We thought he was fine, 10 minutes later, my wife called me back on the way to the hospital and said he died,' he explained, fighting back tears.

All four were taken to hospital but Nicholas didn't survive.

The children had allegedly been put down for naps to be woken up at 2:30pm and had eaten something about 90 minutes earlier, sources said.

When cops arrived at the grim scene all four children were administered with Narcan, one of whom responded to the lifesaving drug police said.

Police tape hung across the doorway of the premises on Saturday with officers at the scene continuing their investigation.

The daycare has a capacity of eight children between the ages of six weeks to 12 years old, records show.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed 'multiple drugs were found at the daycare as well as a kilo press

The once active crime scene had turned somber as neighbors began to grapple with the tragedy

Sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed 'multiple drugs were found at the daycare as well as a kilo press.'

A kilo press is used to package large quantities of drugs.

Sources also confirmed all four children 'came in contact with fentanyl.'

Divino Nino Daycare passed its annual unannounced inspection with zero violations on Sept. 6, city records note after receiving its license in May.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes Fentanyl as a powerful synthetic opioid that is FDA-approved to treat severe pain.

Over the past decade fentanyl has been made and distributed illegally and other illegally made synthetic opioids have been increasingly found in the drug supply.

During this time fentanyl and related substances have contributed to a dramatic rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States.

The rate of drug overdose deaths involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl more than tripled in the United States from 2016 through 2021, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and has increasingly been mixed with other illicit drugs often with lethal results.

The CDC report showed that the rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased from 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2021.

Fentanyl-related deaths rose by about 55% in 2019-2020, and 24.1% in 2020-2021, said Merianne Rose Spencer, one of the report's authors.

In the United States, difficulties in getting treatment for substance use disorders during the COVID pandemic coincided with a jump in use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and opioid-related deaths soared to a record-high in 2020.

Between 2016 and 2021, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine increased more than fourfold, and cocaine-related overdose deaths more than doubled, the CDC said.

Oxycodone and heroin deaths fell marginally during the study period.

Roughly 2-in-100,000 died due to oxycodone-related overdose in 2016. That fell to 1.5-in-100,000 people in 2021.

Heroin related deaths decreased from 4.9 per 100,000 in 2016 to 2.9 in 2021, the report found.

The Biden administration has been pushing for action as U.S. drug-related overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in 2021, according to government estimates.
Drew Barrymore has sensationally paused the premiere of her talk show until after the Hollywood writers strike ends after facing intense criticism for her actions.

The 48-year-old actress issued a groveling on-camera apology for continuing her CBS talk show 'The Drew Barrymore Show' while her three unionized writers were on strike - but she still refused to halt production.

Barrymore was planning for her show to return to screens on September 18, despite picketers outside her studio. She was then called out for her actions and lack of solidarity with the Writers Guild Of America (WGA).

Announcing that she was going back on her decision after the backlash, she wrote on Instagram on Sunday: 'I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over.

'I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today.

Drew Barrymore apologized for resuming her talk show without her three unionized writers amid the ongoing writers strike

'We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry soon.'

Screenwriters in Hollywood have been striking since May 2, which has so far been the largest disruption to the industry since the Covid pandemic.

The Instagram walk-back comes after she said in a video on 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.'

'I believe theres nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK,' she said through tears.

'I fully accept that. I fully understand that. There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know my intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anymore.

'Its not who I am. Ive been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them. I deeply apologize to writers. I deeply apologize to unions.'

She added: 'Theres a huge question of the why  why am I doing this?

'Well, I certainly couldnt have expected this kind of attention, and we arent going to break rules and we will be in compliance. I wanted to do this, because as I said, this is bigger than me and there are other peoples jobs on the line.'

Barrymore's show operates with union writers, therefore non-WGA members would have been hired to write the new episodes' scripts, which is considered crossing the picket line.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers revealed on Thursday that it was working with the WGA to get back to the negotiating table to put an end to the strikes

Drew, on her knees, talking to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney on The Drew Barrymore Show

Rosie O'Donnell was one of the people who urged Drew Barrymore to stop taping her chat show after the ET star revealed she'd begin airing fresh episodes.

In a post to Instagram, O'Donnell posted some words of advice from an essay written by Elizabeth Grey.

'Stop taping the show. Stop asking audiences to cross the picket line. Then ask someone to help you craft three declarative sentences,' the posting began.

'They should follow along these lines: I made an error. I apologize to the WGA for disrespecting the work of professional writers. I apologize to all union members who are withstanding real hardship as I live a life of luxury,' advised O'Donnell through the posting.

The posting by O'Donnell, who had her own chat show between 1996 and 2002, led to a number of other stars to chime in.

Charmed actress and activist Alyssa Milano, whose friendship with Barrymore stretches back years simply wrote: 'Not complicated at all.'

'I love her very much - I grew up with her - but I'm not sure that this was the right move for the strike. I'm sure in her eyes it's the right move for her and the show, but as far as the WGA and SAG and union strong - not a great move.'

The WGA hit out at Barrymore's decision to bring back the show during the strike

Others also shared their dismay at Barrymore's crossing of the picket line.

'So disappointing in her. People are literally struggling,' actress Karan Ashley responded.

'Easy peasy. Don't continue to punch me in the face after you apologized for punching me in the face,' comedian Alec Mapa noted.

The WGA hit out at her decision to bring back the show during the strike, saying: 'Drew Barrymore should not be on the air while her writers are on strike fighting for a fair deal.

'In reality, shows like this cannot operate without writing, and that is struck work.'

A spokesperson for the union maintained The Drew Barrymore Show is a struck show, and as a result union members picketed outside of her studios on Monday and Tuesday in New York City.

'It has stayed off the air since the strike began on May 2nd but has now (unfortunately) decided to return without its writers,' the spokesperson said in the statement.

'The Guild has, and will continue to, picket any struck show that continues production for the duration of the strike.'

Actors who appear as guests when The Drew Barrymore returns for its fourth season will have to abide by the Screen Actors Guild American - Federation Of Television And Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike rules. This includes not discussing or promoting any struck work.

Cristina Kinon, one of the co-head writers for The Drew Barrymore Show who is on strike, spoke out about the issue.

She was diplomatic about the situation but argued that Barrymore could have done more to help television industry workers impacted by the strikes than simply restarting the show, and Kinon said returning to the air would only 'prolong the strike.'

'I personally understand that everybody has to make the best decision for themselves,' Kinon said carefully.

'I know that this show has a crew of hundreds of people who need to be paid, and I understand the perspective of wanting to protect your cast, your crew, and your staff.'
'It was my decision. But I listened to some people,' he said in a Sunday interview

Donald Trump says it was his call to take actions to try and reverse the 2020 presidential election results in a bombshell new claim where the ex-President takes ownership for his actions.

The stunning new admission reveals that Trump was not acting on the advice of lawyers, which could impact the multiple lawsuits against him involving his efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory.

Trump offered some of his most extensive reactions to what happened on and after January 6, 2021 during an interview with NBC News where he told new Meet the Press host Kristen Welker that he was the one driving the efforts to reverse his reelection loss.

'We have many people, and it's my choice,' Trump said in the pre-recorded interview that aired Sunday morning.

He later added: 'It was my decision. But I listened to some people.'

Donald Trump took ownership for his actions following the 2020 election attempting to overturn President Joe Biden's victory

In fact, Trump said that there were administration officials and campaign lawyers telling him he lost the election and to accept that, but he ignored their input, saying he 'didn't respect them.'

When Welker reminded the ex-President that he hired some of these people for their advice, he said he didn't know they were 'Republicans in Name Only' when he brought them on.

'They turn out to be RINOs, or they turn out to be not so good, in many cases, I didn't respect them,' he said. 'But I did respect others. I respected many others that said the election was rigged.'

RINO has become one of Trump's biggest attacks for his Republican critics. He says those he hired who turned out to be RINOs are turncoats.

Trump is running to retake his spot in the Oval Office after failing to win a consecutive second term when he lost to Biden in 2020. The ex-President is polling far beyond the rest of the GOP presidential field.

Welker pressed at one point: 'Are you acknowledging you didn't win?'

'I'm not acknowledging,' Trump said. 'No. I say I won the election.'

Trump is facing a series of legal battles and has been indicted four times this year. Two cases involve his attempts to overturn the 2020 election while a third is related to his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House.

Trump sat down with NBC News host Kristen Welker for a wide-ranging interview that aired on Meet the Press Sunday morning

Trump has been indicted four times in the last year  twice in cases involving his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. His stunning revelations on Sunday morning could impact the cases against him

In his NBC interview, Trump took responsibility for the decision to try to overturn the 2020 results.

But he said his legal woes don't have him concerned with actually ending up behind bars.

'I don't even think about it,' the four-times indicted ex-President said when Welker asked if he is kept up at night with thoughts of going to prison.

'I'm built a little differently I guess, because I have had people come up to me and say, 'How do you do it, sir? How do you do it?' I don't even think about it,' he said.

'When you say, do I lose sleep? I sleep,' Trump said later in the interview, 'I sleep. Because I truly feel that, in the end, we're going to win.'
A Wichita man used search terms like 'choke hold' and 'weapons that can kill' on his cellphone before strangling his pregnant girlfriend and storing her body in the trunk of his car.

A probable cause affidavit released by a Sedgwick County judge shows that Alexander J. Lewis, 22, made searches for information about abortion, stun guns, lethal weapons and murder over a two-day period.

The times of the queries line up with the August 26 death of Zaiylah Quayunna Bronson, 19, who had been dating Lewis since January and was pregnant with a baby boy.

Lewis appeared to be with Bronson in her apartment when he made some of the searches.

The young man was seen on surveillance footage parking his car outside Bronson's apartment the evening of August 25. That same night, he made inquiries about stun guns, lethal weapons and 'weapons that can kill.'

Alexander J. Lewis of Wichita admitted to choking his girlfriend to death before placing her body in the trunk of his car

Zaiylah Q. Bronson, 19, was around 16 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. She had been dating Lewis since January

The teen attended Wichita State University but was no longer a student there at the time of her death. She was an accomplished athlete who was also praised for her 'beautiful voice'

Bronson was last seen alive at 8.13am on August 26, when the couple walked a dog in the courtyard of her apartment complex.

Lewis searched the web for 'choke hold' at 8.02am and for 'snapping necks' at 8.51 and 8.52am, followed by 'murder' several times between 10.57 and 11.06am.

He made multiple searches related to abortion which is banned after just over 21 weeks in Kentucky. Bronson was around 16 weeks pregnant.

At 10.15am, Lewis left Bronsons apartment to move his car closer to the door.

He opened the trunk and grabbed a black backpack containing duct tape, bottled water, clothes, flashlights, towels and trash bags before returning inside.

At 10.24am, Lewis was recorded carrying a wrapped blanket with feet dangling out of the bottom and loading it into the trunk. Three minutes later, he came out carrying the backpack and the dog, then drove off.

Lewis came back to the apartment one last time at 10.42am.

Around 20 minutes later, 911 dispatch received a call from an operator in North Carolina reporting a possible homicide in the Wichita area.

Police received separate 911 calls from Lewis and a family member of his that led them to Bronson's body

According to an affidavit, Lewis told police he was upset when Bronson was on the phone with 'another male.' The two then got into an argument, he said

The 22-year-old's cellphone browsing history revealed concerning searches for 'choke hold' and 'snapping necks,' several of which were made while he was with Bronson in her apartment

Lewis made several searches related to abortion. Bronson was in her second trimester and weeks ahead of Kansas's abortion ban

Based on information provided by a relative of Lewis, Wichita Police Department officers were sent to two different locations to check on the welfare of the victim.

Officers were dispatched to the 3900 block of E 17th Street N and the 7600 block of E 21st Street N.

They showed up at the 21st Street address at 11.36am. After speaking with Lewis, WPD found Bronson's body in the trunk of the Kia along with an ax and a shovel.

Officers began CPR until EMS arrived and pronounced the 19-year-old dead.

Police tracked Lewis to his apartment using a location ping on his cellphone. They knocked on the door and arrested him when he opened it.

Lewis readily confessed that the teenager's body was in his trunk.

'I got scared. I was over at her place; I didnt know what to do,' he said, according to the affidavit.

He told officers Bronson broke up with him earlier on August 25 after a fight.

The 19-year-old graduated Lansing High School in Leavenworth County before moving to Wichita to attend college

She was described by family and friends as 'a vibrant soul' and 'the sweetest girl'

WPD tracked Lewis to his apartment using a cellphone ping. They arrested him as soon as he opened the door

Bronson's mother spoke to a local news outlet and praised her daughter's sense of compassion

When he went over to her apartment she 'was on the phone with another male,' which angered him. Lewis told police he argued with Bronson throughout the night.

Eventually, the 22-year-old said he wanted her to stop talking so he grabbed her around the neck with his arm and squeezed 'until she stopped moving.'

He told police he panicked, checked for vital signs and then wrapped her in a blanket he took from her bed when he couldnt find a pulse.

WPD arrested Lewis on a of second-degree murder charge. He has not had a chance to enter a not-guilty plea to the capital murder charge which makes his eligible for the death penalty.

Bronson worked at Citi Trends, a retail clothing chain, before her death.

She was a passionate student-athlete who ran track at Lansing High School and continued the sport at Wichita State, where she was named a state champion in 2021.

Bronson grew up outside Kansas City and moved to Wichita to attend college two years ago. At the time of her death she was not enrolled.

Her Instagram bio reads 'future educator,' reflecting her hopes of becoming a teacher.

Comments on social media describe her as 'the sweetest girl' and 'such a wonderful soul,' while many others allude to her beautiful voice. Videos uploaded by friends show her singing at a local bar called The Place.

Bronson was a successful student-athlete with a history of excelling at track and field

Social media videos captured the teenager singing at a bar in Wichita

Bronson's loved ones held a celebration of life to honor the teen. Her godmother raised over $16,000 to help with funeral expenses

Bronson's godmother, Dawn Wilson, organized a GoFundMe to help the family with funeral and burial expenses.

The campaign raised over $16,000 dollars, exceeding its $15,000 goal.

'A vibrant soul with dreams, aspirations, and love to share, Zaiylah was unexpectedly and tragically taken from us as a result of domestic violence,' a description on the site reads.

Wilson, a survivor of domestic violence herself, commented on Bronson's most recent Facebook post to express her heartbreak.

'My beautiful angel has left us, gone to soon. I will never get to see my God grandson, or know what a giving, caring, loving mother she would have been to him. Neither one of them deserved to be taken away from us,' Wilson wrote.

'She'll always be with us in spirit. I can still hear her laughter and when I close my eyes I can still see her smile, we shared some good times together and that's just what I'm going to hold on to.'

Bronson's mother, Taronza Rowe-Bronson, told KSN TV she spoke on the phone with her daughter almost every day.

'We were close but like I said, obviously not close enough because I don't know what led to this, what were the signs,' she said.

'Her compassion for others just helped her through whatever she may have been going through.'
Advertisement

The world's largest folk festival is back once against for the 213th time, and once again it has not failed to attract millions from all over the world to Munich, Germany.

Roughly six million people visit the weeks-long festival every year, a number that has only grown since its inception in 1810, to try the best sausage and beer Munich has to offer.

Guests wear their best Bavarian threads, with gents often seen in lederhosen, while ladies don 'dirndls', a traditional dress that consists of a low necklined bodice, a blouse and a high-waisted skirt.

The first ever Oktoberfest began as a celebration of the wedding of Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria, the later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810.

Festivities for the wedding, which took place almost exactly 213 years ago to the day, and saw Bavarian citizens celebrate with an enormous horse race.

The region's population liked the race so much that they decided to do another one every year after that, with the festival evolving to include fairground rides and attractions in the years to come.

It was skipped in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with Covid-19, but returned in 2022.

This year's event runs through to October 2. A one-litre stein of beer costs between 12.60 euros and 14.90 euros (10.86 to 12.84) this year, an increase of around six per cent from last year.

Tracy Dash (left) and Dean Deville (right) pictured enjoying celebrations in the Braurosl tent in Munich today

Revellers dressed in lederhosen enjoy steins of beer on the second day of Oktoberfest

People in fancy dresses take part in the traditional costume parade at the Oktoberfest 2023

Two women dressed in traditional 'dirndls', a traditional dress that consists of a low necklined bodice, a blouse and a high-waisted skirt

Women dressed in 'dirndls', a traditional dress that consists of a low necklined bodice, a blouse and a high-waisted skirt, wave to the crowd during the parade

Revellers dressed in traditional lederhosen and 'dirndls' descend on Munich for the 188th Oktoberfest

Members of a traditionally dressed costume group play in a brass band during the riflemen's parade

Members of a traditional dress group stroll down the road during the costume parade earlier today

A young girl in traditional dress participates in the riflemen's parade on the second day of the 2023 Munich Oktoberfest

A young woman performing the so called 'Muenchner Kindl', meaning 'Munich child' rides on a horse during the riflemen's parade

A waiter in the Hofbraeu tent balances around a dozen one-litre beer steins as he carries them to a table

Revelers enjoy the sunny and warm weather conditions on the opening day of the festival

A one-litre stein of beer costs between 12.60 euros and 14.90 euros (10.86 to 12.84) this year

Children sit in a handcart during the costume parade at the Oktoberfest 2023

Hundreds of people enjoy beers and food on the second day of the festival

People in traditional dress walk in a parade as others take part in maypole dancing

Revelers drink beer out of traditional beer mugs inside the Hofbraeu tent

Waitresses and waiters of the 'Schottenhamel' beer tent show off their steins of beer in the sunshine

A young woman in traditional dress is joined by a marching band during the rifleman's parade earlier today

A man dressed in armour waves at the crowd during the rifleman's parade

Bavarian musicians sit in a subway on their way to a traditional costume and riflemen's parade

Revellers dressed in lederhosen are pictured getting in a quick rest before the beer drinking continues

Revelers drink beer out of traditional beer mugs inside the Hofbraeu tent on the opening day of the 2023 Munich Oktoberfest
Broadcasters C4 and the BBC are looking to separate allegations of predatory behaviour towards staff and audience members while working for them

Russell Brand had sex with a Filipino prostitute when he was 16 years old while on holiday his father who slept with two hookers in the same hotel room.

Brand had only had sex once before when his father Ron hired the 'beautiful and elegant' woman to bed his teenage son on their holiday in Asia.

The comedian, now 48, previously told how he and the woman, who was only a few years older than him, had 'timid, awkward sex' that left him feeling like he 'loved' her.

But despite his seemingly fond memories of their encounter, the experience was not romantic. Brand could hear his father, lying with two women in the bed next to him, scream out 'Bleeding hell! I'm going to be sick!' as he lied with the Filipina woman.

The morning after their night of debauchery, Ron scolded Brand for not using a condom, according to a Sunday People report in 2006. Ron also applauded his son, telling him: 'I went away wiv a boy but I'm coming back wiv a man'.

Russell Brand (pictured last night in London) had sex with a Filipino prostitute when he was 16 years old while on holiday his father who slept with two hookers in the same hotel room

Brand, 48, this week was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013 by four women with whom he was allegedly romantically involved.

It comes as Channel 4 and the BBC have both launched internal investigations into separate accusations of predatory behaviour towards staff and audience members by Brand during the time of his employment.

The ex-staffers have claimed that Brand got them to 'act like pimps' by getting the numbers of women in the audience and passing notes to them from the presenter.

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and claims that all of his relationships have been consensual.

The comedian previously told Love For Sale with Rupert Everett how he and the woman, who was only a few years older than him, had 'timid, awkward sex' that left him feeling like he 'loved' her. Brand, pictured on the programme in 2014, said: 'I loved her. She was beautiful and elegant and sort of sweet and I felt sort of relieved, and in awe, and frightened of her'

Brand has said that prostitution and sex began part of his 'nocturnal, crimson-lit, back alley life' while he battled drug addiction.

Appearing on Love For Sale with Rupert Everett nearly a decade ago, Brand explained how he felt a 'connection' to 'maligned outsiders' and 'clambered willing' into the 'world of illicit nocturnal darkness'.

The comedian, seemingly implying that his first time with a prostitute impacted his future relationship with sex, told Mr Everett that he 'loved' the woman his father provided him.

'The first time I slept with a prostitute I was maybe 16-years-old, the girl was probably not much older - 17, 18 I don't know, a couple of years older than me - and I loved her,' he recalled.

'I loved her. She was beautiful and elegant and sort of sweet and I felt sort of relieved, and in awe, and frightened of her.'

He said that being with the woman was 'incredible and dazzling', especially since he had only had sex 'once before'.

Brand, a self-proclaimed drugs and sex addict, would later become one of Britain's most notorious womanisers and outrageous comics.

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

He has previously said he had no regrets about his past sexual behaviours, claiming to have had intimate relationships with hundreds of women.

READ MORE: Police urge victims to come forward as Russell Brand is accused of rape Advertisement

Brand was married to US pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012, and is now married to Laura Gallacher, the sister of presenter Kirsty Gallacher, and they have two children, Mabel and Peggy, with a third on the way.

He is also understood to have slept with supermodel Kate Moss (who regretted her choice) and then allegedly with Moss' friend Sadie Frost, too.

Brand has now been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame. The allegations were published yesterday in The Sunday Times and on Channel 4's Dispatches.

The allegations made against Brand include one woman who claims she was sexually assaulted during a three-month relationship with him 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 Brand's literary agent at the time, who was also the co-founder of talent agency Tavistock Wood.

A statement given to MailOnline by Tavistock Wood 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.

The allegations were made in a 90-minute Channel 4 Dispatches film which also saw other women speak of their experiences working with Brand on TV sets, including his former personal assistant Helen Berger, who called him a 'narcissist'.

As the film aired, Brand appeared as scheduled at the 2,000-capacity Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London to perform a sold-out comedy gig.

While not directly addressing the allegations, audience members claimed Brand said he hoped they could 'appreciate' there were things he could not talk about during the set.

The comedian released a video last week refuting all the allegations against him. Pictured: Brand leaving the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre after a gig last night

In a video statement, posted online ahead of the publication of the claims, Brand claimed he was facing a 'litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks'.

He continued: '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. 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 BBC was fined 150,000 over the so-called Sachsgate scandal that cost Russell Brand his job at Radio 2, saw fellow presenter Jonathan Ross suspended and forced out network bosses.

Brand and Ross horrified listeners and sparked a barrage of complaints when they left obscene messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers legend Andrew Sachs in 2008.

The esteemed actor  famous for playing bungling Spanish waiter Manuel in the 1970s comedy  was the grandfather of Georgina Baillie, a dancer who Brand had slept with.

At the time Brand was 33 and Georgina  a performer with a group called Satanic Sluts  was 23 and there was outcry after the messages were broadcast as part of his show.

Ms Baillie, now aged 38, told The Mirror her relationship with Brand was consensual but after the fling she turned to drugs and alcohol after being made the 'butt of the joke' in his comedy routine.

Brand would later apologise to Ms Baillie and paid for her rehab after recognising 'his behaviour towards me was appalling', she said.

'After Sachsgate, Russell made millions of pounds doing a stand-up routine about it and that was very hard and painful for me - I was the butt of the joke, I was young and didn't know how to process it and I turned to drink and drugs,' she said.

Sachsgate was the 2008 scandal that cost Russell Brand his job at Radio 2 after he and fellow presenter Jonathan Ross left obscene messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers legend Andrew Sachs. Brand and Ross are pictured on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2013

At the time Brand was 33 and Georgina Baillie (pictured in 2011)  who was a dancer with a group called Satanic Sluts  was 23 and there was outcry after the messages were broadcast as part of his show

Brand and Ross in 2008 left obscene messages on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers legend Andrew Sachs (pictured in 2013). The esteemed actor  famous for playing bungling Spanish waiter Manuel in the 1970s comedy  was the grandfather of Georgina Baillie a dancer who Brand had slept with

Brand and Ross broadcasting before making an apology to actor Andrew Sachs on Brand's BBC Radio 2 show for leaving offensive messages on his answerphone

'Sachsgate', as it became known, erupted after Brand and Ross called the much-loved actor during Brand's show and left lewd messages on his answerphone.

Ross said, 'He f***** your granddaughter' in the pre-recorded broadcast.

Brand had been in a sexual relationship with Sachs' granddaughter, Ms Baillie, which the actor had not been aware of.

The BBC received more than 40,000 complaints and Sachs said he was horrified at what the pair had done.

In total Brand and Ross left three messages on his answerphone making repeated and graphic claims about his granddaughter's relationship  at one point Brand even asked if he could have his 'permission' to marry Georgina.

While in another Brand told Sachs: 'But it was consensual and she wasn't menstrual, it was consensual lovely sex.

'It was full of respect I sent her a text, I've asked her to marry me, Andrew Sachs.'

Later on in the show, Ross then said that if people were offended by the prank calls they had made to Sachs they were 'crazy'.

This week, four women with whom Brand was allegedly romantically involved have alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013.

He denies the allegations and says all his relationships have been consensual.

Ms Baillie says she was never attacked by Brand, but hopes 'these alleged survivors get the help that they need'.

The actor and comedian is also facing claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Channel 4 and the BBC have both launched internal investigations into separate accusations of predatory behaviour towards staff and audience members by Brand during the time of his employment.

The ex-staffers have claimed that Brand got them to 'act like pimps' by getting the numbers of women in the audience and passing notes to them from the presenter.

Russell Brand apologised to Georgina Baillie (pictured in 2008) in 2019 for what he had done and reportedly offered her thousands of pounds to get her back on track

Sachs did not speak to his granddaughter for eight years. Brand eventually wrote him a letter in 2014 - two years before he died - apologising for the 'stress, sadness and turbulence'

'As part of the 12-step programme, one of the steps is to personally address issues with people who have been harmed by you, but in Russell's case, there are probably so f*****g many, it's impossible,' she added.

Brand and then controller of Radio 2 Lesley Douglas quit as a result while Ross was also suspended from broadcasting for three months, and there was a change in the way BBC output was vetted.

A BBC spokesman confirmed that several complaints were made to Ms Douglas, but they were never investigated, adding that they 'only went as far as that' and 'nothing was done'.

READ MORE: Unearthed clip revels the awkward moment Bob Geldof clashed with Russell Brand when he called the comedian a 'c***' Advertisement

Both Brand and Ross apologised for their actions and later in October 2008, and in the same month the same BBC also apologised to Sachs.

In 2009, Ofcom also fined the BBC 150,000 over the phone calls, describing them as 'gratuitously offensive, humiliating and demeaning'.

During an interview for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2013 Brand claimed the scandal had erupted because he had become caught up in an anti-BBC 'agenda'.

But he did reiterate 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.

In 2014, two years before Sachs died, Brand wrote a letter of apology to him and said he was sorry for the 'distress, sadness and turbulence' caused.

He added: 'I apologise for the damage I have caused to your family relationships and for robbing you of your peace of mind. This behaviour and the consequences you have suffered as a result of my actions are unacceptable.

'This is not the man I want to be and I wholeheartedly apologise to you both.

'I am sorry too that it has taken so long for me to write to you expressing this sentiment to which the two of you are entitled... please do not hesitate to contact me... My sincere apologies for the hurt I have caused you and your family.'

Brand, in March 2019 - 11 years after the incident - also apologised to Ms Baillie and reportedly offered her 'thousands of pounds' to get her back on track, after she revealed the incident had made her turn to drugs. She is now a successful artist living with her mother in Bedford.

Brand is understood to have decided himself to go see the former 'Satanic Sluts' dancer at her home for a 'face-to-face' meeting and admitted the whole saga was his fault.

Ms Baillie reportedly accepted his apology but said afterwards: What took him so long? All he ever had to do was call me.'

'Satanic Sluts' featuring Georgina Baillie (centre) in 2008, in the Kensington Olympia, London

Brand, in March 2019 - 11 years after the incident - also apologised to Ms Baillie and reportedly offered her 'thousands of pounds' to get her back on track, after she revealed the incident had made her turn to drugs. Georgina Baillie is pictured in 2012

Despite the public outcry over what became known as Sachsgate  which was even discussed in Parliament  Ross did not consider walking away from the broadcaster, claiming the issue had been blown out of all proportion.

Recalling the incident last year, Ross said: I didnt want the people who were going for me and going for Russell to win. That would have been their victory.

'I didnt want to throw anyone under the bus, but after the recording I actually said, You know you cant put that out unless we have his [Sachss] permission? Youve got to make sure Thats why the BBC couldnt fire me.

The radio personality also claimed the BBC has become more risk-averse and dull in the wake of his Sachsgate scandal.

Ross, who hosted a show on Radio 2 for ten years, admits he now rarely tunes in. Talking to Dermot OLeary on his Audible podcast in August last year, he said: I wish it was a little bit more interesting.

'A lot of the time it feels like they dont take risks any more, which they used to.

Obviously Im part of the reason they dont do that any more because of the huge cock-up of me and Russell on his show.

Its one of the reasons they allowed themselves to be beaten back into a position of, Oh, dont take risks, dont take chances.

Ross, who hosted a show on Radio 2 for ten years, admits he now rarely tunes in. He is pictured at the National Television Awards in 2021

Sources familiar with the Sachsgate scandal told The Daily Mail yesterday that there are no plans to launch a fresh investigation into the allegations.

A representative for Ms Douglas has said: 'Ms Douglas 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.'

The BBC did not respond to questions about concerns being ignored by senior colleagues. It said: 'Over successive years the BBC has evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints and issues raised.'

Meanwhile, Channel 4 confirmed last night that it had ordered a probe into claims that staff working with Brand on the reality TV spin-off Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2005 were made to feel like 'pimps' when he told them to find female audience members for him to meet.

It was also alleged that Brand's behaviour towards young women 'raised questions'.

One worker revealed times when she had to collect Brand from his hotel room and he would appear in his underwear, suggesting they had a 'quickie' before filming. Another staff member said they were left 'in tears' by his behaviour.

A spokeswoman for the network said it had told Endemol, the company that made Big Brother's Big Mouth, to investigate the claims fully and report back.

She said: '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.'

She added that the broadcaster was 'determined to understand the full nature of what went on' and had 'carried out extensive document searches and found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4'.

Last night the BBC confirmed that it did not investigate complaints made about Brand between 2006 and 2008 when he hosted shows for Radio 2 and 6 Music

Meanwhile, Channel 4 confirmed last night that it had ordered a probe into claims that staff working with Brand on the reality TV spin-off Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2005 were made to feel like 'pimps'

However, staff at Channel 4 have accused their bosses of 'passing the buck' to Endemol, with one telling The Mail on Sunday: 'They commission the production company and therefore they have a responsibility to make sure that their staff are treated properly and that complaints are dealt with properly and swiftly. It's typical Channel 4.'

The BBC did not respond to Dispatches' questions about concerns being ignored by senior colleagues. It said: 'Over successive years the BBC has evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints and issues raised.'

It also apologised for failing to respond to Dispatches' freedom of information requests asking for details of complaints about Brand.

In Dispatches' episode, Lorraine Heggesy, Senior Television Executive and BBC One Controller 2000 - 2005, said: 'Both the broadcaster and production company are jointly responsible for duty of care and for standards to be upheld during the production.'
An office worker who lost her job after going on maternity leave for 28 months and refusing to return to work failed to sue her bosses for unfair dismissal and discrimination.

Jowita Parsons spent two years and four months out of the office following two successive maternity leaves as well as additional leave for family issues, an employment tribunal heard.

After more than two years, Ms Parson's line manager asked her for a specific return to work date which she failed to provide, saying she would only return when her divorce and the sale of her house was completed.

She began her first maternity leave four weeks early, just after she was issued with a disciplinary warning due to 'aggressive and inappropriate behaviour', the tribunal heard.

Her lack of clarity about a return date and her time away was said to have led to disruption in the business, which has just 21 members of staff, and caused a lot of stress to colleagues.

The tribunal heard Ms Parsons began working as an import coordinator for Newbury-based International Forest Products Limited (pictured)

The tribunal heard Ms Parsons began working as an import coordinator for Newbury-based International Forest Products Limited - which sold 'forest commodities' like paper - in March 2019.

Five months later, Ms Parsons was called into a meeting by her line manager, Ben Wallace, where he raised concerns about her punctuality and standard of work.

Later that year, Mr Wallace sent her an email about a mistake in her work and Ms Parsons complained - telling the tribunal the pair had 'not got off to the best of starts'.

This complaint failed and she was issued with a disciplinary warning for her 'aggressive and inappropriate behaviour' towards Mr Wallace.

Four days later, Ms Parsons asked to take maternity leave four weeks early.

As a result Mr Wallace, who was in the Philippines at the time, had to arrange cover for her job - which involved the administration of fulfilling and delivering orders - at short notice.

The tribunal, held in Reading, Berkshire, said: 'This resulted in poor performance of the business during this time and resulted in additional stress to both him and the claimant's colleagues.'

On March 25 2020, two days after the UK went into lockdown, Ms Parsons told her boss she would like to extend her first maternity leave to 12 months.

Jowita Parsons failed to sue her bosses for unfair dismissal and discrimination at an employment tribunal, held in Reading, Berkshire (Pictured: Reading Employment Tribunal)

She was due to return to work in October that year, however fell pregnant again and requested her second period of maternity leave continue and be attached to the first.

Her second maternity leave was due to end in November 2021, after it was extended because of a 'family issue'.

Ms Parsons then asked for more time off which was granted - meaning she wasn't then due to return to the office until the new year.

By this point, the woman had carried out her parental role for six and a half months and had been on maternity leave for two years, two months and two weeks.

Mr Wallace informed her she would need additional training before returning to work and requested a specific date she would return rather than leaving it open ended.

READ MORE: HR worker who was demoted by her boss and ordered to clean toilets after she returned from maternity leave wins more than 28K in compensation Advertisement

Ms Parsons was given a date to return, but she said no and did not give any further indication of when she would.

The tribunal said: 'She was asked whether it would be days, weeks or months until she could return and that was when she stated she did not want to return until her divorce proceedings were completed and the house sale had been finalised.'

In February 2022, her employment was terminated after she failed to return to work.

She tried to sue the business for unfair dismissal, discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy and discrimination on the grounds of sex but her claims were all dismissed by the tribunal.

Employment judge Angela Shields stated: '[Ms Parsons] was asked about her return to work and on eight separate occasions she categorically stated that she was not able to return at all.

'She was further asked to put her alternative suggestions to return to work, in writing. She did not do so at any time.

'[Ms Parsons] was repeatedly asked to provide a reasonable time frame in which she would be able to return to work. She was not able to provide a reasonable time frame.

'Furthermore, she stated on multiple occasions that she would not be able to return to work.

'The reason that the clamant was dismissed was because she refused to return to work and [the company] could no longer keep her role open indefinitely.

'The tribunal were also satisfied that there were real pressures on [the firm] to fulfil the role of import coordinator and to have [Ms Parsons] in her position and completing the work... there was a genuine disruption and overburdening of a small company whilst [she] was not in her role.'
A man with a gun was spotted protesting near President Joe Biden's Wilmington, Delaware home on Sunday.

The man, dressed in a yellow and orange safety vest, carried a sign that read on one side, 'Bidens are criminals, 20 shell companies?! Where's the laptop? 10% for the big guy.'

The other side of his sign read, 'Joe has aliases?! Robert L. Peters, Robin Ware, JRN Ware.'

The demonstrator walked by the pool of reporters assigned to cover the president and walked down the road toward the president's home, with a Secret Service vehicle trailing him.

'The individual expressing his constitutional rights had no impact on any of the Secret Service's protectees' movements,' said U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Special Agent Steve Kopek.

A man carrying a gun in his side-hip holster demonstrated near President Joe Biden's Delaware residence on Sunday

The man's gun was visible as he demonstrated near President Joe Biden's Delaware home Sunday. The motorcade passed the protester without a problem

Biden's motorcade drove past the demonstrator as the president headed to the Delaware Air National Guard Base.

Delaware is an open carry state.

The president arrived in Wilmington Friday evening and is briefly stopping back at the White House Sunday afternoon before traveling to New York City for a series of fundraisers and to participate in the U.N. General Assembly.

Biden kept a low profile during the weekend trip, only stepping out to attend mass Saturday at his usual church, St. Joseph on the Brandywine.

The president has yet to officially comment on son Hunter's indictment.

Hunter Biden is facing three federal charges, with up to 25 years in prison, related to his purchase of a gun - allegedly lying on the form to purchase the weapon while he was addicted to drugs.

As Biden departed church services Saturday he ignored a reporter who yelled, 'Mr. President, will you pardon your son?'

President Joe Biden chats with churchgoers Saturday as he departs services at St. Joseph on the Brandywine

President Joe Biden puts on his jacket as he arrives at church Satuday in Wilmington, Delaware

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden would not pardon his son.

'I've answered this question before and I was very clear. I said no,' she said at the briefing.

The president had ignored the same question hours before as he addressed the United Auto Workers strike.

'That's all I'm going to say,' he said wrapping up his remarks and then walking out of the room.

The armed Wilmington protester's signs referred to a trio of pseudonyms the president allegedly used in emails as vice president, according to an investigation by the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee.

House Republicans charge that Biden used those pseudonyms as vice president to discuss his son's business deals with Ukraine.
Repeated warnings over Russell Brand to TV bosses made his 'sinister behaviour' an open secret among BBC and Channel 4 executives - it has been claimed as alleged concerns reach back as far as 2004.

It comes amid reports that accusations about his 'sinister' behaviour towards women was an 'open secret' among TV and radio executives following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Bosses at the BBC and Channel 4 are accused of turning a blind eye towards the entertainer while he worked for them as a presenter between 2006 and 2013.

The broadcasters insisted they took all necessary steps to deal with him, but executives could still be called before a Government select committee where MPs will grill them over what they knew.

Channel 4 and the BBC have since launched probes into Russell Brand's behaviour in light of allegations of predatory behaviour towards staff and audience members in the wake of separate rape and sexual assault allegations, as friends of the comedian begin to distance themselves from him.

The first time the star's behaviour was reported is claimed to be while he was working on EFourum and Big Brother's Big Mouth between 2004 and 2006.

But one researcher alleges they complained about Brand pursuing audience members for sex, but their concerns were dismissed.

Russell Brand pictured on Saturday evening leaving the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set

Shockingly, they claim a talent manager told them: 'Its what happens with the talent. Boys will be boys. Its not a big deal.'

At this time, it is said Brand's behaviour was widely discussed by those on set, while runners and TV researchers allege he got staff to approach female audience members so he could meet them after the show.

READ MORE: Now Channel 4, BBC and the police all launch probe into Russell Brand rape and sex assault scandal as celebrity friends start distancing themselves in the wake of allegations Advertisement

After these encounters they claim the women would ring them in tears - and staff were left feeling like his 'pimp'.

In the same time period one 24-year-old runner - called Rachel - claims Brand flashed his penis at her in a dressing room and suggested she gave him oral sex.

She now says that she felt she could not complain about him out of fear for her job.

When she later did choose to have sex with him, Rachel claims he told her she could not tell anyone - because his contract with Big Brother stipulated that he could not have sexual contact with anyone working there.

Endemol - who created and ran the show - say they have reviewed Brand's contract and there is not a clause pertaining to sexual relationships.

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.

Banijay UK, which produced Big Brother's EForum and Big Brother's Big Mouth in the early 2000s, also said it had 'launched an urgent investigation' into the alleged behaviour of the comedian who hosted the programmes between 2004 and 2006.

The comedian released a video last week refuting all the allegations against him. Pictured: Brand leaving the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre after a gig last night

Russell Brand is alleged to have asked staff on the Big Brother shows he was hosting to ask female audience members for their numbers. Pictured: Russell Brand hosting Big Brother's Little Brother in May 2006

Former staffers on the show claimed they felt Brand had got them to 'act like pimps' with his requests. Pictured: Brand on Big Brother Celebrity Hijack in 2008

Brand, who has denied all the claims and insists any relationships were 'consensual', was dropped by a charity working to end violence against women in light of the accusations published in The Sunday Times and on Channel 4's Dispatches.

The Metropolitan Police has said it will speak to the media outlets following their investigation into Brand's alleged treatment of women, but added that at this time the force has 'not received any reports in relation' to the allegations of sexual assault detailed in the article or documentary film.

TV bosses have further been accused of offering to take female staff members off shows fronted by Russell Brand after concerns about his alleged behaviour were raised.

Four women have alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films. The actor and comedian is also facing claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.

Some former staff members who worked with him during his time on Big Brother's EFourum claimed he demanded they get the numbers of girls from the audience for him, telling Dispatches: 'It was like we were taking lambs into slaughter. We were basically acting like pimps to Russell Brand's needs.'

The 48-year-old's conduct is alleged to have been common knowledge among female performers on the comedy circuit who are said to have warned each other about him, fellow stand-up Daniel Sloss told the show.

Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by multiple women, including one who says she was 16 at the time. He has posted a video on YouTube and Twitter refuting the allegations and insisted relationships at the time of his promiscuity were 'consensual'.

The BBC and Channel 4 are likely to face questions being accused of turning a blind eye to Russell Brand's behaviour while he worked for them. Pictured: Brand in an online video posted last week in which he denied the allegations

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'. Pictured: A silhouette of Alice from the Dispatches programme which aired on Saturday

However, his attitude towards women is alleged to have been an open secret in radio and TV production, according to sources who briefed The Sunday Times.

One woman, who says she was abused by the comic when she was 16 years old and later worked at Channel 4, has alleged that in a meeting in late 2013 or early 2014, Brand's name came up as a potential host for a show.

However, the woman, who was given the fake name 'Alice' in the investigation, claims that in response to allegations about his behaviour, bosses suggested removing all female members of staff instead of the comic.

She told The Sunday Times: '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.'

Brand also has a history of making high-profile and controversial remarks about women on his shows - including calling newsreader Andrea Simmons 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.

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.

Alleged complaints about Brand's behaviour in the studio 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.

Last night the BBC confirmed that it did not investigate complaints made about Brand between 2006 and 2008 when he hosted shows for Radio 2 and 6 Music. Pictured: The comedian performing on stage in Frankfurt, Germany, during his 'Messiah Complex' tour in 2014

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.'

However, the BBC also confirmed that it did not investigate pre-Sachsgate complaints made about Brand between 2006 and 2008 when he hosted shows for Radio 2 and 6 Music.

Several times after this it is implied that Brand was forced to apologise by production staff, yet despite this, his career continued to flourish.

Two of the women in Channel 4's Dispatches which aired on Saturday night said they felt production companies had 'enabled' Brand's behaviour.

Production runner, Rachel, 24, worked alongside Brand on Big Brother's EFourum, later Big Mouth. Weeks after she started the role, Brand is said to have focused his attention on her.

Rachel said: 'It's difficult to say when the line was crossed.' She added that producers often asked her to deliver unfavourable news to Brand to 'soften the blow'.

She said the pair went on to have sex, which he told her was a breach of his contract.

Rachel said: 'He made clear to me I couldn't tell anyone else on the crew because he had it written into his contract that he wasn't allowed to have any sexual contact with anyone working on Big Brother.

'It sounds slightly dramatic but with hindsight and now as an older woman I can say with clarity that, you know, I felt like I was groomed, for sex.

'Production companies enabled him to exist in these environments where he was able to take advantage of who he was.'

Three staff who worked on Big Brother told Dispatches about Brand.

One said: 'My role was to recruit audience members for the live show. We used to go out flyering out by the universities, find university students who would come be on the show.'

Brand pictured leaving a theatre in Wembley after his comedy set on Saturday night

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Another said: 'Russell is pointing out audience members and asking the runner to get phone numbers.'

A third said they would be handed paper sometimes telling which hotel Brand was in.

The production staff said they received tearful phone calls the next day from those that had been to see the comedian.

One said: 'It was like we were taking lambs into slaughter. We were basically acting like pimps to Russell Brand's needs.'

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 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.'

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)

In December 2007, a serious complaint was made by BBC staff to the station's Controller Lesley Douglas about Brand's behaviour in the studio, according to The Times. Pictured: Ms Douglas at BBC Radio 2 in 2008

While working for the BBC, Brand jokingly offered to bring a naked female employee with him when meeting Jimmy Savile.

During the phone call with Savile 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.'

There is no suggestion that Brand knew that Savile was one of Britain's worst sex offenders, with the vast majority of reports about the DJ's crimes only coming to light after his death in 2011.

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.

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. Pictured: Brand and Ross during the show in question

Sachsgate erupted in 2008 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.

Ross said 'He f***** your granddaughter' in the pre-recorded broadcast.

Brand had been in a sexual relationship with Sachs' granddaughter, Georgina Baillie, which the actor had not been aware of.

A BBC spokesman confirmed that several complaints were made to former Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas, but they were never investigated, adding that they 'only went as far as that' and 'nothing was done'.

The BBC spokesman added that Ms Douglas resigned in 2008 after the Sachsgate scandal.

Alice said her and Brand's relationship took a darker turn when he forced her to perform oral sex - Brand denies the allegations. Pictured: Brand at the launch of 'Meditation in Education', a Global Outreach campaign in Los Angeles in 2013

Sources said there were no plans to launch a fresh investigation into the allegations.

A representative for Ms Douglas said: 'Ms Douglas 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.'

The BBC did not respond to questions about concerns being ignored by senior colleagues. It said: 'Over successive years the BBC has evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints and issues raised.'

Meanwhile, Channel 4 confirmed last night that it had ordered a probe into claims that staff working with Brand on the reality TV spin-off Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2005 were made to feel like 'pimps' when he told them to find female audience members for him to meet.

It was also alleged that Brand's behaviour towards young women 'raised questions'.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 confirmed last night that it had ordered a probe into claims that staff working with Brand on the reality TV spin-off Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2005 were made to feel like 'pimps'. Pictured: Brand holding a pair of G-string knickers during a photoshoot outside of Trashy Lingerie in West Hollywood, California

One worker revealed times when she had to collect Brand from his hotel room and he would appear in his underwear, suggesting they had a 'quickie' before filming. Another staff member said they were left 'in tears' by his behaviour.

A spokeswoman for the network said it had told Endemol, the company that made Big Brother's Big Mouth, to investigate the claims fully and report back.

She said: '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.'

She added that the broadcaster was 'determined to understand the full nature of what went on' and had 'carried out extensive document searches and found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4'.

However, staff at Channel 4 have accused their bosses of 'passing the buck' to Endemol, with one telling The Mail on Sunday: 'They commission the production company and therefore they have a responsibility to make sure that their staff are treated properly and that complaints are dealt with properly and swiftly. It's typical Channel 4.'

The BBC did not respond to Dispatches' questions about concerns being ignored by senior colleagues. It said: 'Over successive years the BBC has evolved its approach to how it manages talent and how it deals with complaints and issues raised.'

It also apologised for failing to respond to Dispatches' freedom of information requests asking for details of complaints about Brand.

In Dispatches' episode, Lorraine Heggesy, Senior Television Executive and BBC One Controller 2000 - 2005, said: 'Both the broadcaster and production company are jointly responsible for duty of care and for standards to be upheld during the production.'
Russell Brand's former personal assistant has claimed she felt 'sick to my stomach' after the comedian allegedly showed her 'naked' photos of women and she recognised someone she knew.

Speaking as part of an investigation into the star's alleged sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour, Helen Berger, who worked for Brand between 2006 and 2007, alleges the star 'giggled' as he showed off intimate images to his entourage at a bar in Edinburgh.

It came amid accusations published in The Sunday Times and on Channel 4's Dispatches that saw multiple women accusing him of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse, between 2006 and 2013.

'It did something to me,' Ms Berger said. 'It made me feel immediately sick to my stomach.

'These are women who arent expecting to be shown to like the dudes friends. I felt terrible for all these people, these women. I felt shame in that moment.'

Ms Berger branded the comedian a 'narcissist', whose 'favourite subject was him'. She also claimed he was 'always in his underwear'.

Speaking as part of an investigation into Brand's behaviour, Helen Berger (pictured), who worked from Brand between 2006 and 2007, alleges the star showed the intimate images to her, and his entourage, at a bar in Edinburgh

Russell Brand leaves the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set last night following bombshell allegations

Ms Berger described Brand as a 'narcissist', whose 'favourite subject was him'. She also claimed he was 'always in his underwear' around her

After sending her CV to a recruitment agency, Ms Berger was given an interview to work with Russell.

She said: 'It was an exciting time. Russell was on a national comedy tour, he was writing a book, he had a weekly column in The Guardian, he had two shows - Big Brothers Big Mouth, 1 Leicester TV.'

Ms Berger claims some of Brand's behaviour, she would nowadays not accept - such as him being in underwear around her but it was 'so normalised' at the time.

'He always only wore his underwear,' she said. 'His tighty-whities.

'I dont think today I would accept a boss only being in his underwear around me.'

Referencing his 'sex addiction', Ms Berger claims he 'could not stop sleeping with women' and was 'never satisfied'.

READ MORE: Channel 4 and BBC launch probe into Russell Brand rape and sex assault scandal as questions are asked about how much TV executives knew - and celebrity friends start distancing themselves in the wake of allegations Advertisement

She claims he used to ask her to take down phone numbers of female audience members at his shows. Ms Berger said that if she were to see that behaviour now she would think it wasn't right, but at the time it was so 'normalised'.

The former employee claims that one night at Edinburgh festival, where Brand was headlining, she had been in a bar with him and his writing partner Matt Morgan, among others.

She said: 'A producer was with us and he was like "show us some of those pictures".

'Russell pulled out his phone and he started showing us pictures of women and they all were just sort of giggling at the photos. These are women that are sending them pictures of themselves, their boobs you know, naked.'

Ms Berger added: 'At a certain point I was like "Okay let me see what were looking at" and I leaned in but as hes going through these pictures he gets to a picture of somebody I knew.'

After seeing a woman she knew in one of the pictures, Ms Berger felt 'sick' and admitted to 'feeling shame'.

When asked if she had ever had concerns over the consent of Brand's encounters, she said: 'I never worried. I saw a lot of woman, knowing who he was "sh***er of the year", willingly walking into his bedroom.

'I never once thought that he was somebody that would rape anybody, assault anybody. No I didnt think so. As far as I knew, what could I possibly know about when I wasnt there, but from what I saw.'

Ms Berger claims some of Brand's behaviour, she would nowadays not accept - such as him being in underwear around her

Since the Sunday Times and Channel 4 investigation aired, the Metropolitan Police has said it will speak to the media outlets following their investigation but added that at this time the force has 'not received any reports in relation' to the allegations of sexual assault detailed in the article or documentary.

Banijay UK, which produced Big Brother's EForum and Big Brother's Big Mouth in the early 2000s, revealed it had also 'launched an urgent investigation' into the alleged behaviour of the 48-year-old comedian who hosted the programmes between 2004 and 2006.

Former staff members who worked on the shows have claimed that Brand got them to 'act like pimps' by getting the numbers of women in the audience and passing notes to them from the presenter.

Before the Dispatches episode aired, Brand posted a video to his YouTube channel denying the allegations. He insisted any relationships he had were consensual.
Residents warn that people will die if the fad is not stamped out

Bystanders ran for their lives as cars span out of control within feet of them

Shocking video shows street takeover bringing chaos to the same busy intersection for the second time in three months

Appalled onlookers could only stand and watch as the latest street takeover brought chaos to south Philadelphia in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Nearby residents were woken by the roar of engines and the screeching of tires as hundreds of young people turned a major intersection into a death trap.

But there was little visible response from police who made no arrests at the event on a weekend when six people were killed in shootings across the city.

I did see the police just kind of standing by and at one point they came and tried to clear the intersection, but it was dangerous for them to even walk towards it, said witness Rhonda Walker who filmed the chaos from her nearby apartment.

Regular traffic was left stranded as the intersection of Broad Street and Washington Avenue was taken over for the second time in three months at 2.30am.

Passengers hung out of windows as the cars circled each other at high speed throwing up clouds of noxious smoke

Rhonda Walker who captured the scenes form her nearby apartment said it was the second time in three months he junction had been targeted

Footage shows the gathering of muscle cars throwing up thick clouds of tire smoke as they circle each other at speed, scattering hundreds of young people crowded into the central square of the intersection.

They were doing donuts, they were taking turns, there were kids hanging out the windows of the cars, Walker told CBS.

And the scariest part in one of the videos I took was a green car that did so many doughnuts that went out of control and almost went over towards Target.

And the whole crowd was just like, pushed away.

The video even shows some reckless youngsters dicing with tragedy as they film the cars from inside their turning circle.

Street takeovers have rocketed in popularity since the pandemic with some blaming the influence of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise.

The Los Angeles Police Department recorded a record 7,654 takeovers in 2021 but the phenomenon has spread across the nation with at least eight confirmed deaths.

Hundreds of excited young people urged he drivers on despite the danger to themselves

Regular traffic was left stranded as the rogue drivers took over the intersection

And police too were left on the sidelines as the street takeover tuned the intersection into a death trap

People living nearby were awoken at 2.30am on Saturday morning to the chaos

Few regular drivers were willing to take their chances at the intersection as the illegal event played out

Tire marks still littered the battered intersection the following morning

Walker had filmed a similar event at the same spot just three months earlier

Three weeks ago a 20-year-old pickup driver mowed down multiple pedestrians as he fled from Georgia police after participating in an illegal street show and doing donuts on a busy intersection in Atlanta.

Last week LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said the mere act of walking across the street, returning home from work and the grocery store had become hazardous because of he frequency of street takeovers.

Philadelphia police were also called to deal with a separate takeover at Frankford and Cottman avenues in Mayfair as the rival event was taking place in the south of the city.

There's a fire station near here, an ambulance - maybe someone's dying and they can't get to the hospital because these kids are acting like fools, one resident told ABC6.

If you don't punish the behavior, you just reinforce the behavior, he added.

I honestly believe the more this is allowed to go on, the more violent it will get. People are going to die.

A spokesman for the citys democrat mayor Jim Kenney said: Car meets are disruptive, reckless, and often dangerous, which is why the police department has assembled dedicated teams of officers to monitor and address these events.

Dailymail.com has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department.
READ MORE: Shocking moment Spanish bullfighter is gored and tossed in the air

The bull appears agitated as bullfighters drag and push it down street in Valencia

Horrifying footage of a distressed bull with its horns on fire in Spain has sparked calls for the 'atrocious' tradition of bullfighting to be banned.

Shared by non-profit organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the clip shows a white bull appearing agitated as locals drag it down a street in Valencia. It appears to have wood tied onto its horns, which is set ablaze.

A bull with flaming horns is known as a 'toro embolado' - or 'bull with balls' - and is a sight that can be witnessed in many Spanish towns during bull running events.

The harrowing video shows the terrified beast clashing its horns against the road appears to be pulled by a rope.

A moment later it pushes its horns up against a tree where it seems to get stuck as it pierces the bark.

Horrifying footage of a distressed bull with its horns on fire has sparked calls for the Spanish tradition of bullfighting to be banned

The harrowing clip shows the terrified beast clashing its horns against the road appears to be pulled by a rope

A bull with flaming horns is known as a 'toro embolado' - or 'bull with balls' - and is a sight that can be witnessed in many Spanish towns during bull running events

READ MORE: Shocking moment terrified bull wails with fear as it is tied to post and has flaming torches attached to its horns during Spanish festival Picture shows a man with a knife next to a bull with his horns on fire tied to a pole, in Museros, Spain Advertisement

One man then shocking grabs its tail and tugs harshly on it, forcing the bull to unhook its horns.

The locals continue to drag and push the now-defeated animal down the street as hundreds of people watch on.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, PETA says: 'Look at how terrified this bull is. This atrocious tradition is unjustifiable violence that must be banned.'

A second post by Spanish charity Animalist Party With the Environment (PACMA) also slams the tradition, which has drawn increasing controversy and protests in recent years, with demonstrators arguing it is a brutal and anachronistic event.

The post read: 'National shame. This bull was in a state of shock at the popular festival of Puzol, Valencia, on September 7.

'He left the stalls upset, getting tangled and tripping, but this did not prevent the event from taking place, where there were also minors. In addition, they forced the bull to move by pulling its tail.

'We cannot allow this mistreatment over and over again in our towns.'

Bullfighting mainly takes place in large amphitheater-style rings. Tens of thousands of bulls die in the ring each year as bold matadors tease and coax the animals while trying to avoid being trampled or injured by their horns.

The bull can be seen pushing its horns up against a tree in fear as a bullfighter pulls at its tail

Locals then watch on as a man pulls the bull's tail and others push it down the street

Responding to the clip, horrified viewers condemned the video as 'cruel' while one said she felt 'sick to my stomach' after watching it

In 2010, the Catalan government voted to ban the deadly sport in the northeast region but in 2016 Spain's top court overturned that decision, judging that it was part of Spain's cultural heritage.

Bullfighting also has a long and gruesome history of human casualties; it is estimated that more than 530 professional matadors have died as a result of injuries received in the ring in the past 300 years.

Responding to the clip, one horrified viewer - Katarina Hall - added: 'How can people stand and watch this and think this is entertaining or even ok?

'How can anyone walk away from an event like this feeling happy and elevated?

'I literally feel sick to my stomach looking at this video.'

Another, called Julia, added: 'People say is cultural, but there is a lot of cruelty in some cultural events, being part of culture don't justify how cruel this is!'

And a third added: 'This is so heartbreaking to watch. Why is this inhumane practice still going on. Have we not evolved.'
A cardiologist in Denver will have to stand trial for the 51 felony counts he faces of drugging, assaulting, and raping over a dozen women he met on dating apps Hinge and Tinder.

Dr. Stephen Matthews, 35, would allegedly meet women for mid-morning dates, invite them back to his home to play Jenga while drinking mimosas in his hot tub, before they'd black out and he would assault them.

A total of 13 accusers have recounted unnervingly similar behavior inflicted upon them in affidavits that landed the doctor behind bars on a $5million bond.

Now, he must stand trial after a judge ruled there's 'substantial evidence' that criminality may have taken place.

Many women claim they did not remember the majority of what happened, despite having little to drink - before waking up naked, covered in hickies and bite marks.

Dr. Stephen Matthews will have to stand trial for the 51 felony counts he faces of drugging, assaulting, and raping over a dozen women he met on dating apps Hinge and Tinder

He smiled as he greeted his friends and lawyers outside court - thinking he was facing three felony charges lodged by one witness. But more charges were then sprung against him

Dr. Matthews, a cardiologist in Lakewood, Colorado, was first charged with three felony sex assault counts in April 2023 over an incident from January 2023.

He has since been slapped with a total of 51 felony counts.

During the two-day preliminary trial this week, Matthews' attorney argued there was no forensic evidence the women were drugged.

The attorney also said there was no proof the women were physically helpless when they had sex with the doctor.

However, Judge Eric Johnson rejected the claims - and said that because of the strong similarities across all the cases, Matthews must stand trial. Johnson said that there is 'substantial evidence something was administered.'

According to CBS, when the judge read out the details of each case, the alleged rapist shook his head as if to say 'no.'

Matthews will be arraigned October 6.

Screenshots from his Hinge profile show him posing in his doctors uniform

Matthews told the women that came across his profile he was looking for someone who is 'equally passionate about life as I am, someone who is genuine, authentic, kind, humorous, adventurous, doesn't take themselves too serious, well traveled, and just plain fun'

Dr. Matthews, a cardiologist in Lakewood, Colorado, was first charged with three felony sex assault counts in April 2023 over an incident from January 2023

Jennifer Lott, a sex crimes detective with the Denver Police Department, told the preliminary hearing that she watched a sex video that Matthews made with one woman who did not remember it taking place.

After allegedly drugging and raping her, Matthews sent the woman pictures of her naked in his hot tub.

Watching the video, Lott said it appeared 'like the lights are on but nobody is home... she's out of it.'

The snowballing number of accusations started to be made against Dr Matthews earlier this year.

One woman he was having drinks with claimed she had lost all memory of the night and that a rape test the next day confirmed she had sexual intercourse.

It was for this alleged crime that he arrived in court for a preliminary hearing on May 18.

He smiled as he greeted his friends and lawyers outside the court.

Dr. Stephen Matthews, 35, would allegedly meet women for mid-morning dates, invite them back to his home to play Jenga while drinking mimosas in his hot tub, before they'd black out and he would assault them

Unbeknownst to him, he was immediately served charges for nine more cases and arrested outside the courtroom, before being taken away in handcuffs and hurried into a police car

But unbeknownst to him, he was immediately served charges for nine more cases, arrested outside the courtroom, handcuffed and hurried into a police car.

The DA confirmed the nine new cases against him. He was charged with 16 felony counts, and was taken straight to Denver Jail.

The number of alleged victims who were assaulted by Matthews has increased since then to 13 - after many saw the news of the arrest on the news.

Matthews is facing charges of sexual assault on a helpless victim, sexual assault without consent, sexual assault on an incapable victim and second-degree assault involving drugging women.

The first woman to come forward - who triggered the larger police investigation into the alleged rapist - said she did not remember having sex with Matthews when they met on January 29, 2023 after chatting on Hinge.

They met just after 10am for breakfast and mimosas, and he invited her back to his home afterwards. They played Jenga and got into his hot tub - and the woman claims he made her have a drink.

She began to feel poorly soon after and her next memory was being in her own home and talking to paramedics - with no idea how she got there. She was found in the shower in her underwear by her sister.

One woman (pictured), who he was having drinks with, said she lost all memory of the night and then a rape test the next day confirmed she had sexual intercourse. It was for this alleged crime that he arrived in court for a preliminary hearing on Monday. Her statement triggered another 12 women to come forward with stories about the same man

The alleged victim found hickies on her chest - which she said she did not have prior to blacking out. The next day, she went to University Hospital and underwent a sexual assault nurse exam.

Matthews told police he and the woman had 'consensual sex,' his arrest affidavit said.

He was arrested on three felony counts on March 22. But five days later on March 27, police received another call from a different woman about Matthews.

The second alleged victim coming forward had a similar story. The pair chatted on Hinge and went on a date on January 25, 2023. She had one alcoholic drink, while he was having tequila shots.

They went back to his home, where she went to the restroom and returned to him already having poured her a tequila soda drink.

According to online reports, Matthews studied at New York Medical College

The alleged victim said she had part of the drink 'and was off balance.' She remembered him kissing her and recording her, and then she blacked out. She took a taxi home and was violently ill - and told police she believes he sexually assaulted her.

On April 27, 2023, a third woman came forward claiming Matthews sexually assaulted her. They went for a 10am brunch on October 30, 2019, after matching on Tinder. They had mimosas and a meal, before he invited her back to his place to use the hot tub.

Matthews made her a drink, and after that 'things became very blurry,' the affidavit states. She remembers vomiting in his apartment, but next recalls being in her own apartment with him.

She did not remember how they got there - but she went to sleep, and woke up to Matthews having sex with her, the affidavit states.

After she refused to see him again, Matthews allegedly sent her photos of her naked in the hot tub.

On April 24, 2023, a fourth woman came forward with a similar story about Matthews. She claimed she was sexually assaulted in 2020 after matching with Matthews on Hinge and going on a dog walking date.

They went back to his place to his rooftop to watch the sunset, and he went down to his apartment 'for an uncomfortably long period of time,' before returning with a drink and a Jenga game.

She took a sip of the drink and said it tasted bad. She said she wanted to leave, so went down to his apartment where he asked her to stay five more minutes.

Her next memory was crawling across his bedroom floor, naked, yelling at him asking what he did.

She had a sexual assault nurse examination completed at the time of the alleged rape in 2020.

On April 19, 2023, Matthews' fifth alleged victim made a call to the police.

She said she met the doctor on Hinge between the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021. He suggested she come to the hospital so they could 'hook up.' They instead met up at his apartment - where they had consensual sex, according to the affidavit.

On a second occasion, she went to his place and Matthews gave her a drink, but she immediately blacked out and does not remember anything from the night, the document said.

On April 21, 2023, a sixth woman informed the police that she believed she was drugged by Matthews.

She went to his home to collect his keys, as she would be watching his dog while he was out of town on January 22, 2022. They went for dinner, where she believes he bought her a drink - before she became very ill.

Restaurant staff wanted to call 911 because of how incoherent she was, the affidavit states.

On April 20, 2023, the seventh alleged victim spoke to police about her experience with Matthews.

They matched on Tinder in May 2022, and went on a hike and then back to his place. She remembers having three shots of tequila and playing Jenga, but then blacked out for four hours.

He woke her up at 8pm and told her she needed to leave. She didn't remember what happened.

Police executed a search warrant of Matthews' Denver home

Texts seen between Matthews and one of his alleged victims

On April 19, 2023, an eighth woman claimed she went to his apartment after matching on Tinder, drunk alcohol with him, and then blacked out. She remembered him playing a game, and had a vague memory of him being on top of her and kissing her.

On the same day, another woman, the ninth alleged victim, called the police and said she match with Matthews on Hinge and went on a date on February 5, 2023.

He invited her to his residence, where he wanted to play Jenga, hang out in the hot tub and drink mimosas. She declined a drink that he had already made to give her, and proceeded to get 'touchy' in the tub.

She left, and soon realized he was the same person who had 'sexually assaulted her friend about three years ago,' the affidavit says.

On May 1, 2023, another woman - making her the tenth alleged victim - came forward to claim she met Matthews on Tinder in June of 2022 and went on a date at 11:30am.

They had coffee and walked their dogs nearby, before he invited her back to his to play Jenga. She took a shot of alcohol, and had part of a White Claw drink, but after that 'things got fuzzy.'

The woman did not know what happened, but ended up with bite marks on her arm.

According to online reports, Matthews studied at New York Medical College.

The first woman to come forward, who waived her anonymity in an interview with CBS, said she went on a date with him in January 2023.

After her case was popularized online, more women came forward with similar stories.

She said: 'I should have never, ever, even been able to match with him, because he shouldn't haven't been able to make another account.'

She undertook a rape test, which said she had intercourse, which she does not remember.

'If they had listened to the multitude of reports they received about this person and just banned him in the first place, I would not be sitting here today having this conversation.'

'He's very clearly been doing this for a longtime, in a very similar fashion. And that's terrifying.'

His attorney, Douglas Cohen, has maintained his innocence.

Screenshots of his profile on Hinge show that Matthews presented himself as a 35-year-old, 6'2 man from Madison in Wisconsin.

He called himself 'liberal,' and said he spoke Spanish and liked to drink.

Matthews told the women that came across his profile that he was looking for someone who is 'equally passionate about life as I am, someone who is genuine, authentic, kind, humorous, adventurous, doesn't take themselves too serious, well traveled, and just plain fun.'

A report by CBS revealed that despite Hinge saying he had been 'banned,' he still managed to maintain a profile on the app for three years after the first rape accusation.

He met and dated numerous other women afterwards.
Unwed presidential candidate Tim Scott has given some new insight about his still-shrouded love life - months after revealing he had a girlfriend waiting for him at home.

The comment came as the Republican senator - who billed himself as a God-fearing 30-year-old virgin while seeking a seat in Charleston's city council in 1995 - fielded questions on his campaign trail in Iowa over the weekend.

Probed on-stage by the state's Attorney General for more than 10 minutes, Scott was at one point asked about his love life - which is in the news as he would be the first single president in 162 years.

He responded by labeling such concerns as antiquated, before shedding light on one 'special lady' in his life - one whom he quickly said was not his mother.

A devout Christian, the 57-year-old South Carolinian proceeded to provide a clue about his unnamed muse's own faith - as his single status has continued to serve as a sort of sticking point for many, more traditionally minded Americans.

Scroll down for video:

Unmarried presidential candidate Tim Scott has given a clue about his still-shrouded love life during an on-stage interview with Iowa's attorney general on Saturday - with the devout evangelical revealing he has 'a lovely Christian' girlfriend waiting for him at home

The 57-year-old told Attorney General Brenna Bird: 'I'm dating a lovely Christian girl', before asking members of the Des Moines crowd to 'pray for him'

Foxs Brian Kilmeade: Whats your status?



2024 candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC): I have a wonderful girlfriend. We have a wonderful relationship.



Kilmeade: We met your mom. Will we meet your girlfriend?



Scott: You will, of course  at some point.



Kilmeade: OK. Great. pic.twitter.com/XYFk9qiFcO  The Recount (@therecount) September 11, 2023

The devoted evangelical told Iowa AG Brenna Bird Saturday: 'I'm dating a lovely Christian girl.'

The on-stage assertion, made at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, earned an almost immediate, audible reaction from the auditorium, where many had been expecting more about the candidates' policies as opposed to his personal life.

That said, a large portion of Americans - as well as publications like The Washington Post - have found themselves more infatuated with the latter, especially after a May interview that saw Scott sensationally reveal that while unwed, he is not single.

Held on May 31 by Axios, the spot also saw the aspiring president - who has served his home state's senate for a decade - address what has become one of the more jarring contrasts between him and frontrunners like Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.

'I probably have more time, more energy and more latitude to do the job,' he told the DC crowd after being asked about the apparent anomaly - which was prefaced by the interviewer was last seen from a serving president by James Buchanan in 1861.

Like Scott, Buchanan was also a devout Christian who attended church all through his life, and never married. He stayed single throughout his four years in office, at which time he was in his 60s. When he died at 77 in 1868, he was still a bachelor.

Confronted with that comparison, Scott seemed to defend his single status, before quickly claiming that he was, in fact, dating someone.

The on-stage assertion, made at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, earned an almost immediate, audible reaction from the auditorium, where many had been expecting more about the candidates' policies as opposed to his personal life

A large portion of Americans have found themselves more infatuated with the latter, especially after a May interview that saw Scott sensationally reveal that he is no longer single

The last person to remain single through his presidency was James Buchanan, who left office a bachelor in 1961. Buchanan, a Civil War era Democrat, has long been pegged as the first gay US president - and the comparison saw Scott almost instantly mention that he has a girlfriend

'The fact that half of America's adult population is single for the first time, to suggest that somehow being married or not married is going to be the determining factor of whether you're a good president,' Scott said at the time.

'It sounds like we're living in 1963... not 2023.'

The outspoken candidate also seemed to try to spin being single as a potential plus - especially when compared to previously divorced counterparts like former President Trump, who is currently embroiled in several legal cases that unrelated to the upcoming 2024 election.

'I probably have more time, more energy, and more latitude to do the job,' Scott told the crowd, before dropping the bombshell about his private life seemingly in passing

'My girlfriend wants to see me when I come home,' he joked, receiving whoops and and applause from those in attendance.

The remark - aside from sending social media into a fast frenzy - almost instantly prompted online talks from internet sleuths aware of the Christ-loving conservative's immaculate dating record.

It also spawned a September 12 Washington Post article that provided a lengthy look into the senator's love life - or lack thereof.

Reporting from DailyMail.com that stretches back ten years also shed light on some of the Republican's checkered past, which began as an aspiring politician in the 90s, when he campaigned across South Carolina as a proud 30-year-old virgin.

Scott is seen as a child with an unidentified aunt in this family photo from the 1960s. He credits his upbringing by his single mom in North Charleston as a driving factor for his decision to not to get married

That pledge of abstinence would see him successfully elected later that year, and helped cultivate the image that today many associate with him as a senator.

After 16 years in public life and winning a seat in the US House, however, Scott dropped the bombshell that he is no longer a virgin - but had stayed single, at least publicly, until now.

In the recent Post piece, Scott attempted to explain why he was still keeping the alleged woman's identity a secret, citing privacy concerns.

'I can't imagine dragging her onto the campaign trail unless I have the intention of marrying her,' he said. 'I hope that happens, to be honest with you.'

The Post further reported that during its in-depth dive into the senator's alleged romance, staffers declined to let him meet the woman.

However, in an interview, Scott's campaign manager, Jennifer DeCasper, provided what perhaps could be perceived as a clue to her identity, saying the pair had recently hung out at a zoo.

As of Sunday, Scott has yet to comment further on the alleged mystery woman. Her identity currently remains a secret

It came in contrast to a comments given to the paper from the Scott staffer just a few months ago, in which DeCasper claimed the politico's dating life was 'nonexistent.'

An unnamed insider who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity added that the secrecy also stems from Scott's desire to stay true to the image that got him elected and eventually respected in his home state in the first place.

'He has staked so much on his personal story, character and faith,' the unnamed operative said this week.

'Hes running as Americas pastor, so to speak, as he courts evangelicals in Iowa, and I think a lot of folks may wonder about his lack of a family.'

As of Sunday, Scott has yet to comment further on the alleged mystery woman. Her identity currently remains a secret.
Lauren Boebert has blamed her 'overly animated personality' for the sleazy behavior that got her and her lover kicked out of a production of Beetlejuice the musical.

The Republican firebrand was caught indulging in public heavy-petting with her beau Quinn Gallagher, who is believed to be a Democrat, as well as vaping in the theater.

Toe-curling footage showed Gallagher rubbing Boebert's breasts as she tugged at his crotch at the theater in Denver, Colorado.

Defending her actions, she told One America News Network: 'I was a little too eccentric. I am very known for having an animated personality. Maybe overly animated personality.

'I was laughing, I was singing, having a fantastic time. Was told to kind of settle it down a little bit, which I did but then my next slip up was taking a picture.'

Defending her actions, Lauren Boebert said: 'I was a little too eccentric. I am very known for having an animated personality. Maybe overly animated personality'

Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert 's new beau, who was caught on camera fondling her breasts at a Beetlejuice musical, owns a gay-friendly bar that hosts drag shows

Lauren Boebert has blamed her 'overly animated personality' for the sleazy behavior that got her and her lover kicked out of a production of Beetlejuice the musical

Footage also showed Boebert waving her hands, singing loudly, using flash photography and vaping before being aggressive with staff who removed her from the theater.

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.

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

But she made a startling U-turn late Friday night blaming her behavior on her 'public and difficult divorce.'

'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.'

Speaking about the controversy, she blamed the media for drawing so much attention to her raucous behavior

She said: 'We just had Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House announce the impeachment inquiry.

'We're facing a government shutdown and trying to fund the federal government. We have wide open southern border.'

'And what's the top story? Lauren Boebert getting kicked out of the theater.'

Boebert's campaign manager Drew Sexton said: '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'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.

DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday that Boebert, and Gallagher, a divorced father of a 16-year-old son, have been secretly dating for several months.

Surveillance footage from Sunday night's incident 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.

Surveillance footage from Sunday night's incident 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

It is not clear when Gallagher and Boebert's relationship became romantic

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.

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.

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.
President Joe Biden wished House Republicans 'lots of luck' on their impeachment inquiry, taunting his political opposition as he returned to the White House Sunday.

The president spent the weekend away in Wilmington, Delaware, where he continued to ignore questions on son Hunter's indictment - and attracted an armed protester near his residence.

Biden ignored a shouted question on whether he would pardon Hunter as he departed church Saturday evening.

The president didn't answer the same question when asked it Friday after he addressed the ongoing United Auto Workers strike.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said later Friday that the president would not pardon his son.

President Joe Biden wished House Republicans 'lots of luck' when asked about their opening of an impechment inquiry on Sunday

President Joe Biden smiles as he walks by reporters on the South Lawn Sunday after spending the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware

'I've answered this question before and I was very clear. I said no,' she said at the briefing.

Hunter Biden is facing three federal charges, with up to 25 years in prison, related to his purchase of a gun - allegedly lying on the form to purchase the weapon while he was addicted to drugs.

But it's the first son's foreign business dealings that prompted the announcement Tuesday that the House Republicans would be opening an impeachment inquiry.

While President Biden has denied being involved in Hunter's business deals in Ukraine and China, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated otherwise.

'House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct,' he said Tuesday from the Capitol. 'Taken together these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption.'

'These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. And they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives. That's why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,' McCarthy noted.

'This logical next step will give our committees, the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public. That's exactly what we want to know the answers,' the House speaker added.

President Joe Biden chats with churchgoers Saturday as he departs services at St. Joseph on the Brandywine

Republicans have charged Biden and his family made millions off shell companies Hunter Biden formed when his father was vice president.

Hunter had business deals with an energy company in the Ukraine, received a discounted stake in a private-equity firm in China, and did consulting for a Romanian real-estate magnate.

The president has denied any involvement in his son's business dealings. But Republicans claim at least a dozen Biden family members could be involved in a scheme to benefit financially from Biden's public office.

House investigators are expected to issue subpoenas for the bank records of the president and his family.

GOP lawmakers also claim Biden sat in on at least 24 calls with Hunter's business partners and was referred to as 'the big guy' by Hunter's business associates.

And they say Joe Biden used pseudonyms to discuss his activities related to Ukraine with his son Hunter during his time as vice president.

An inquiry is the first step in the impeachment process.

House Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden Tuesday in an attempt to link him to son Hunter's (pictured) business deals. On Thursday, Hunter was indicted on gun charges

A man carrying a gun in his side-hip holster demonstrated near President Joe Biden's Delaware residence on Sunday before the president returned to the White House

It is when evidence is gathered for the articles, or charges, of impeachment against an official.

It is a massive step with many pitfalls, including infuriating Republican moderates and many GOP senators, who are skeptical of the issue and causing friction with the White House as budget negotiations are underway.

Congress faces a September 30th deadline to fund the government or it will shutdown.

McCarthy, however, is under intense pressure from the conservative wing of his party to make such a move, including threats from some of his own GOP lawmakers to remove him from the speakership.

The White House has repeatedly denied Biden has conducted any wrongdoing. The president himself has said he was not involved with any of Hunter's business deals.

Some of Hunter's former associates, however, have testified that Joe Biden spoke to Hunter's business associates but the president's defenders say it was quick conversation and merely cordial, not related to any dealmaking.

Joe Biden also used various private email addresses from which he would sometimes send, receive and forward government correspondence according to emails found on Hunter Biden's now-infamous laptop.

'Robin Ware,' 'Robert L. Peters' and 'JRB ware' were three pseudonyms used on emails that were about both official and family business.

The White House argues it's common for public figures to use false names.

McCarthy charged Biden was involved.

'Eye witnesses have testified that the President joined on multiple phone calls, and had multiple interactions, dinners, resulted in cars and millions of dollars into his sons and his son's business partners,' he said.

It's estimated Hunter raked in $40 million through 20 shell companies and fake accounts created while Joe Biden was vice president, at the same time the elder Biden was joining Hunter's business calls and stopping by at lavish dinners.

The White House called McCarthy's move 'extreme politics.'

'House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they've turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own Republican members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped because he doesn't have support. This is extreme politics at its worst,' White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams said in a statement.
Police have launched a murder investigation after man was stabbed to death outside a Tesco Express by 'two men with knives'.

Emergency services scrambled to the scene at 1.55am on Saturday after reports hat 'two people had been attacked by what is believed to be two men with knives'.

When officers arrived they found a man in his 30s dead outside the store in the Sundon Park area of Luton, Bedfordshire.

A woman was also taken to hospital for treatment for her injuries.

Officers have been conducting house to house enquiries and specialist teams have been gathering evidence from the crime scene over the last two days.

Emergency services scrambled to the scene at 1.55am yesterday morning and found the man in his 30s dead outside the store on Tenth Avenue in the Sundon Park area of Luton.

Officers have been conducting house to house enquiries and specialist teams have been gathering evidence from the crime scene over the last two days.

READ MORE: Tesco workers to be offered BODY CAMERAS following shocking increase in number of violent attacks on employees as more than 200 staff fall victim to physical assaults every month Advertisement

A spokesperson from Bedfordshire Police said: 'We understand the impact shocking incidents like this have on local residents and want to reassure you that officers are pursuing all lines of inquiry to progress the investigation and identify those responsible.

'We are particularly interested to hear from anyone who was in and around the area between 1am and 3am and may have dashcam footage.

'Knife crime has no place in our society and our thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those affected.

'We would also like to thank the local emergency services for their fast and professional response to this serious incident'.

This comes as more than 200 of the supermarkets employees have been found to be victims of serious physical assaults each month amid an epidemic of lawlessness and anti-social behaviour blighting the high streets of Broken Britain.

In June, Home Secretary Suella Braverman urged police to 'ramp up' use of stop and search in a crackdown on street knife crime.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Tesco would be offering every frontline store worker is to be offered a body camera following a shocking increase in violent attacks on staff.

In an exclusive for the Mail, earlier this month, Tesco boss Ken Murphy workers were being made to feel less safe by customers who will be verbally and physically abusive, or who will threaten and attack them when challenged.

He added: 'These people are small in number but have a disproportionate impact. And the number of these incidents is increasing'.

MailOnline has contacted Bedfordshire Police for further comment.
Amber Swinton thought there was nothing controversial at all about making her cottage eco-friendly with a wind turbine.

But the homeowner was left gobsmacked when military chiefs vetoed the plan  claiming it could stop them detecting nuclear bombs.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) raised concerns over the proposed turbine near Ms Swintons cottage in Hawick, Roxburghshire, saying it could interfere with sensitive equipment at Eskdalemuir Seismological Recording Station.

This was despite the fact it would have been no more than 34ft (10.4 metres) in height and almost 19 miles away.

The normally unmanned station, between Moffat, Dumfriesshire, and Hawick monitors the sound of underground nuclear testing across the world to ensure countries comply with international agreements.

MoD chiefs argue the quota of vibrations it can allow nearby turbines to create before the stations equipment stops working has already been used up.

Amber Swinton is angry and confused as her application to install a 10m high wind turbine for a new eco house build has been turned down by the Ministry of Defence

Ms Swinton said she finds it odd that her application was opposed given the development of a wind farm near her cottage.

The Pines Burn wind farm is less than a mile to the north and already has permission to erect 11 turbines, each up to 500ft high.

Planning documents state that the southern part of the Pine Burns site lies within the stations 16-mile exclusion zone and the rest lies in the Statutory Safeguard Area. There has also been a scoping exercise undertaken for a potential wind farm to be built less than six miles to the east.

It would consist of as may as 80 turbines up to 650ft high.

Ms Swinton said: Naively I thought that when the Pines Burn wind farm was granted I would find it easy to get permission.

Amber was told her planned 34ft-high wind turbine at her Hawick cottage could interfere with the detection of a nuclear blast

She added: The MoD wont even communicate with me.

It seems unfair that the simple person trying to do the right thing cant even get a small turbine because the big guys have used up all the quota.

I asked the MoD if they could put me in a queue so that if the quota changes and there is an opportunity I could maybe be considered. I havent heard anything back.

Established by the UK Atomic Energy Authority in 1962, the Eskdalemuir station is the only facility of its kind in the UK, and fulfils the Governments obligation to monitor countries compliance with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In addition to recording earthquakes, seismic arrays are able to record the unique signature associated with nuclear explosions.

The MoD has previously argued that too many turbines in the vicinity of the station would create enough vibrations to interfere with its recording equipment.

As early as 2010 it said the safe maximum had been reached.

Ms Swinton entered the application for the turbine as part of the development of her eco-friendly cottage in Hawick, which is being built using straw bales.

She built the home next door to her parents so she could be closer to them. Ms Swinton hopes that rather than being carbon-neutral, the two-bedroom home will be so efficient it will actually work out carbon negative.

An MoD spokesman said: Research has confirmed that wind turbines of current design generate seismic noise which can interfere with the operational functionality of the array {the Eskdalemuir station}.

The MoD must, therefore, object to this application due to the unacceptable impact the proposed wind energy development would have on the operation and capability of the array.
The conviction of an 'exceptionally dangerous' woman who murdered a stranger in the street six years after killing her own mother could be quashed in a move that could pave the way for her early release.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission confirmed it had referred the case of double killer Nicola Edgington to the Court of Appeal, adding there was a 'real possibility' her murder conviction will be overturned and replaced with a manslaughter conviction.

Edgington, 43, killed grandmother Sally Hodkin, 58, with a butcher's knife and tried to murder then 22-year-old Kerry Clark in a horrific rampage in Bexleyheath, south-east London, in 2011.

Jailing her for a minimum of 37 years, Judge Brian Barker declared: 'You are manipulative and exceptionally dangerous. What you did could not have been more selfish.'

But in a letter to Ms Hodkin's horrified family, the CCRC  the miscarriages of justice watchdog  said it was referring her conviction to the Court of Appeal 'because new evidence about her mental health suggests that her responsibility may have been significantly diminished at the time of the offence'.

The conviction of an 'exceptionally dangerous' Nicola Edgington (pictured) who murdered a stranger in the street six years after killing her own mother could be quashed in a move that could pave the way for her early release

Edgington, 43, killed grandmother Sally Hodkin, 58, with a butcher's knife and tried to murder then 22-year-old Kerry Clark in a horrific rampage in Bexleyheath, south-east London , in 2011

In a letter to Ms Hodkin's horrified family, the CCRC  the miscarriages of justice watchdog  said it was referring her conviction to the Court of Appeal 'because new evidence about her mental health suggests that her responsibility may have been significantly diminished at the time of the offence'. Pictured: Sally Hodkin

Ms Hodkin's son Len told the Mail: 'We are devastated that we are having to deal with this again. It brings everything back up again. It's soul-destroying.'

In 2006, Edgington was convicted of manslaughter after stabbing her mother Marion to death the previous year and was ordered to be indefinitely detained under the Mental Health Act. She was released from a psychiatric unit just three years later.

Mr Hodkin, a solicitor, fears that if the Court of Appeal changes her conviction to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, it could also decide to alter her sentence to a hospital order, which could allow doctors to release her early.

'I appreciate that there is a system in this country that looks at miscarriages of justice but this is not a miscarriage of justice  she accepts she killed my mum,' he said. 'How many chances do you give one person to go out and be a danger to the public?

'She killed her own mum, she killed my mum and she attempted to murder Kerry Clark. Do we want to live in a society where we just keep giving these people chances to go and kill someone else's mum?'

The CCRC letter, which was hand-delivered to Mr Hodkin last Thursday, reveals that Edgington has changed her name to Nicole Thomas.

It stressed there is 'no suggestion that Ms Thomas was not criminally responsible' for Ms Hodkin's death.

Edgington was convicted of manslaughter in 2006 after stabbing her mother Marion (pictured) to death the previous year and was ordered to be indefinitely detained under the Mental Health Act. She was released from a psychiatric unit just three years later

Steve Keogh, a former detective inspector in the Metropolitan Police, said Edgington was the most chilling murderer he came across during more than a decade of working in London. 'She frightens me, to be honest,' he said. 'I have never felt unsafe arresting anyone or confronting them, but she is frightening.'

Julian Hendy, director of the Hundred Families charity, which supports families after mental health-related killings, said: 'This is an outrageous and deeply concerning decision. She is a highly dangerous and manipulative woman. She has a documented history of lying, deceit and manipulation.'

Edgington called police to beg for help on the day she killed Ms Hodkin and told accident and emergency staff that she needed to be sectioned and felt like killing someone.

The CCRC said it referred Edgington's conviction after 'commissioning fresh psychiatric assessments'.
More than three quarters of Scots are in favour of assisted dying, a poll has found.

The survey by YouGov of 1,084 adults found 58 per cent had seen someone suffering at the end of their life and 77 per cent support assisted suicide.

It found 12 per cent of people are opposed to a Holyrood Bill on the issue.

The poll was carried out for a report called Time For Choice, which will be launched by the Dignity in Dying Scotland charity at a parliamentary event tomorrow.

It estimates up to 650 people who are dying end their own lives every year, and it described the suicides of terminally ill people as often lonely and violent.

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has put forward an Assisted Dying Bill that would allow a terminally ill adult of sound mind to legally seek assistance to end their life through medication, following the approval of two doctors.

It is thought that more than 600 UK citizens have ended their lives at Dignitas clinic in Switzerland since 1998

It has been opposed by the Catholic Church in Scotland and the Scottish Association of Mosques. The Church of Scotland has pledged to review its initial opposition to the Bill due to very deep and meaningful conversations.

Assisted dying legislation is already in use in Australia, New Zealand and ten US states. However, it is illegal across the United Kingdom, with doctors facing up to 14 years in prison if they are found guilty of helping someone to die.

Some terminally ill patients travel to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. It is thought that more than 600 British citizens have ended their lives there since 1998.

An assisted dying Bill for England and Wales, introduced by Baroness Meacher, recently had a second reading in the House of Lords. Dignity in Dying Scotland claimed 79 per cent of disabled Scots and 73 per cent of Church of Scotland members support the Bill.

Its report highlights the case of Robert Easton, 69, a retired firefighter from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, who researched suicide before his death from pancreatic cancer. His daughter Joanne described the methods he considered as brutal, saying: All he wanted was the chance to end his own life when he wanted to.

Ally Thomson, director of Dignity in Dying Scotland, said: The evidence is overwhelming that the current blanket ban forces dying people to make increasingly desperate decisions.

There is nothing compassionate, safe, transparent or regulated about dying people taking matters into their own hands or trying to scrape together 15,000 to have a peaceful death abroad.

Mr McArthur said: We know that excellent palliative care is the right path for the majority of dying people but for those who need more choice, right now they are being failed by a bad law.

I am particularly struck by the fact that support for my proposals is so high among disabled Scots and those who attend the Church of Scotland. I think this is significant in light of some of the concerns that have been raised in the context of the debate about my proposals.

In truth, we know that the evidence shows that tightly safeguarded and compassionate assisted dying laws work not only in giving dying people what they need but in providing protections for all groups as well.

Previously, campaign group Care Not Killing warned that legislation could be extended to include wider and wider groups of people who will be at risk of pressures to die from bureaucrats, or possibly unscrupulous relatives, that are keen to save on the cost of care.

Holyrood has twice rejected assisted suicide Bills, in 2010 and 2015.
Sextortion scammers blamed for the death of a teenager have escaped prosecution after a decade-long investigation.

Daniel Perry, 17, died after becoming a victim of the con, in which internet users are lured into webcam chats and then blackmailed with the footage.

The apprentice mechanic believed he was talking online to a girl in the US but was told by the scammers the conversations had been recorded and would be shared with friends and family unless he paid up.

Daniel, of Dunfermline, leapt to his death from the Forth Road Bridge in July 2013 after being hounded by the blackmailers on Skype, a website where users can make free video calls.

Police Scotland uncovered an internet trail that led to the Philippines and links to organised crime groups there. But the Mail can reveal Scottish prosecutors have decided after careful consideration... there should be no proceedings taken.

A warrant was issued in 2016 for Archie Gian Tolin, an accused cyber-criminal, to be extradited from the Philippines to stand trial in Scotland in relation to the scam.

Tragic Daniel Perry, 17, killed himself by jumping off the Forth Road Bridge hours after falling foul of a internet blackmail scam

Gill Aiton of Kirkcaldy, Mother of Daniel Perry, 17, from Fife, who died in July 2013 at the Forth Road Bridge

In 2021, Daniels uncle Ron Reilly, owner of a garage in Edinburgh, said the family were no further forward and claimed the Philippines government was refusing to release Tolin.

He said: It has not gone anywhere at all. There was a change of leadership in the Philippines and they wouldnt do anything. The Scottish Government is doing nothing  the police have done all they could.

Mr Reilly added: We found his laptop, it was still on and the last page he was on was open. I saw a picture of a girl who looked 16 or 17 and she was very pretty.

They had been typing and swapping pictures. It was a financial scam, the girl wasnt real, then they demanded money.

The criminals are said to have told Daniel he would be dead unless he acceded to their demands.

He apparently begged them not to carry out the threat but police claim the suspects replied: Commit suicide now.

In 2014, his mother, Nicola Perry, said: If we are to make sure that no other parent or family member loses a loved one in the way we lost Daniel, then people must take care when talking to others online and not share intimate pictures or personal information that could be used against them.

Tolin was arrested in the Philippines in 2014 along with many others as part of an operation by British and Filipino police into gangs involved in alleged cyber-crime.

Some 58 people were arrested, with at least three suspects alleged to have been involved in targeting UK citizens, including Daniel. But Scottish prosecutors were believed to have enough evidence to convict only Tolin for more serious charges than he would face at home.

The Perry family declined to comment on the latest developments.

A Crown Office spokesman said: The procurator fiscal received a report relating to a 29-year-old male in connection with an alleged offence in relation to the death of Daniel Perry on July 15, 2013.

After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, Crown counsel decided there should be no proceedings taken. The family of Daniel Perry have been informed.

Scottish Conservative deputy justice spokesman Sharon Dowey said: No one deserves to go through what Daniel Perry did. My thoughts are with his family. Sextortion is a cruel crime that destroys lives. The justice authorities must get the resources they need from the SNP Government to allow them to successfully prosecute these crimes.

 For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.org
Opposition Indigenous Australians senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has outlined the reasons why she will be voting No in the Voice to Parliament referendum.

The coalition senator said an advisory body was a 'step backwards' and will create a 'wall between Australians' in a short opinion piece published by News Corp.

'As more people tune in to the debate, it's clear they understand the significance of the change they've been asked to consider, and they have questions,' she wrote.

'The one I get the most often, 'Why are you, an Aboriginal woman, opposing the Voice? The answer is simple, it's the Voice of division.'

Opposition Indigenous Australians senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has outlined the reasons why she will be voting No in the Voice to Parliament referendum

The coalition senator said an advisory body was a 'step backwards' and will create a 'wall between Australians' in a short opinion piece published by News Corp

Senator Price said Australia had spent 122 years trying to break down barriers between races and encourage better understanding of Aboriginal Australians.

She claimed the Voice would not promote recognition or reconciliation because it had been an 'invite only process every step of the way'.

'A movement of academics, activists and elites who think they know better. Trust us, they say, we'll get it right and give you the details later,' she wrote.

Senator Price said advocates for the Voice had 'doggedly' pursued a advisory body to Parliament despite push back from legal experts.

She claimed those experts had been subject to 'name calling' and 'abuse' for disagreeing with the principles of the Voice.

'When Yes campaigners realised they couldn't win on the merits or their proposal, they turned to emotional blackmail,' she wrote.

'They make promises they know they can't keep.'

Senator Price then turned her attention to Yes campaigners - who she said were dismissing arguments against the voice as 'racist and stupid'.

Professor Marcia Langton described Australia as a 'horrible, racist country' in audio from 2017

Senator Price said Anthony Albanese's Voice to Parliament was being used as a mechanism to undermine the last 122 years of work to bring Australians closer together

She used the example of Yes advocate and Professor Marcia Langton, who branded Australia as a 'horrible, racist country' in a audio recording that resurfaced last week.

'What fantasy world do they live in that would make them even ask the question?' the Voice architect is heard saying in the clip.

'Of course Australia is racist. It's a horrible, racist country.'

Senator Price said the Voice was being used as a mechanism to undermine the last 122 years of work to bring Australians closer together.

'For them, this Voice isn't an attempt to unite, but a tool to divide,' she wrote, adding she didn't want her own family or country divided.

'My mother is Warlpiri, my father is of Irish descent, all three of us are Australian. I want us to be one, together and not two divided,' she wrote.

'That's why I'm voting No to the Voice of division.'

It comes after Prof Langton branded followers of Senator Price as 'barking mad racists' in a piece she wrote for The Saturday Paper in 2018.

Senator Price said Yes campaigners were dismissing arguments against the Voice as 'racist and stupid' and that legal experts were copping 'abuse' for disagreeing with its principles

The Yes campaigner also took aim at the politician's mother, Bess, who she claimed had a 'revulsion' for her own culture.

'Jacinta Price is useful to politicians,' Prof Langton wrote.

'She legitimises racist views by speaking them against her own people.

'When she walks through Alice Springs and Tennant Creek with the prime minister, she waves a flag for the increasingly normal brand of race politics coming from Canberra.

'The damage she causes to the Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory is well known.'

Last week, senator Price claimed colonisation had had no lasting negative impacts on Indigenous Australians during a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra.

Senator Price responded 'I'll be honest, no' when asked if Indigenous people were worse off because of British settlement.

'A positive impact? Absolutely. I mean, now we've got running water, we've got readily available food,' she said.

'Many of us have the same opportunities as all other Australians in this country.

'We certainly have probably one of the greatest systems around the world in terms of the democratic structure in comparison to other countries  that is why migrants flock to Australia.'

Mr Albanese is pictured with Noel Pearson during a Yes campaign event last week

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney blasted the claims, saying she was shocked by the remarks which were 'simply wrong'.

'They are offensive and a real betrayal to the many families that have experienced things like the stolen generations,' the minister said.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has backed Senator Price, despite her failure to endorse a coalition policy of local and regional Indigenous Voices.

Mr Dutton previously said he would support regional Aboriginal Voice-type bodies rather than a national model.

He said people should listen to Ms Price and not the 'capital city views' of others, saying her comments were drawn from experience living in Alice Springs.

'She was brave, prepared to stand up for what she believes in, and believes passionately about making a better society for Indigenous Australians,' he told Nine's Today Show last week.

During the same interview, Mr Dutton backtracked on his previous calls for a second referendum on constitutional recognition for Indigenous people, should the upcoming vote fail.
Cash-strapped councils are sending debt collectors after parents over unpaid school meal bills.

Renfrewshire Council passed some outstanding school meal debts to sheriff officers Walker Love, documents released under freedom of information laws revealed.

Sheriff officers have the power to seize property to settle debts.

The FOI showed Renfrewshire schools contact parents and carers first to remind them of any payment due and offer support.

Meanwhile Dundee City Council sent 15,669 letters to parents and carers who have not activated their ParentPay account in 2022-23. Children were given a letter to take home in their schoolbag.

Pupils from primary one to five are entitled to a free school meal during term time.

Documents released under freedom of information laws revealed school meal debts have been passed on by Renfrewshire Council to sheriff officers Walker Love

But at Holyrood last week, Labour MSP Monica Lennon stressed the universal roll-out of free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils was long overdue. She said: Its shameful that hungry children and struggling families are being hounded over school meal debts and living in fear of sheriff officers banging on their door.

Humza Yousaf must get a grip and stop the debt collectors.

We need an immediate moratorium on school meal debt and an emergency Cabinet meeting to thrash out a new delivery plan for universal free school meals for primary six and seven pupils.

The Scottish Government said it has been working with council umbrella body Cosla to expand the provision of free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils in 2026. It added: Councils have the power to make discretionary offers of free school meals to families experiencing financial hardship due to exceptional circumstances.

But Ms Lennon said: Humza Yousafs hollow words will not fill empty bellies or feed young minds. Ending child hunger and binning the stigma associated with means-tested free school meals must be a genuine priority for the SNP-Scottish Green Government.

Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said: SNP-led Renfrewshire Council must explain why theyve decided to employ the services of a debt collection agency.

The council said: We work with parents and carers to try to resolve school meal debt as early as possible.

Where debt is not resolved, the council will try to recover the debt through its normal processes.

Dundee council said it does not use debt collectors for school meal cash. It added: No child is ever denied their school meal.
SNP campaign chiefs are paying workers to deliver by-election leaflets despite Humza Yousafs claim the partys army of activists would help it to victory.

The cash-strapped Nationalists are paying people to deliver leaflets in Rutherglen and Hamilton West to try to win the seat.

Disgraced former Nationalist MP Margaret Ferrier was removed by constituents after she was convicted of putting lives at risk by travelling between Glasgow and London, despite knowing she had Covid.

Scotlands first ever successful recall petition triggered a by-election, with voters set to go to the ballot boxes on October 5.

At the start of the campaign, the SNP leader dismissed concerns about his partys cashflow woes and insisted an army of activists would descend on the constituency.

He added: I will make sure that the party continues to be the best campaigning machine in the entire country.

Humza Yousaf handing out leaflets with SNP candidate Katy Loudon in Rutherglen

MPs Stephen Flynn and Mhairi Black on the campaign trail in Hillhouse with Loudon

Ms Ferrier won the seat with a 5,230 majority in 2019.

However, it has now been revealed that the party is outsourcing leaflet deliveries instead of relying on its own members and volunteers to do the job.

The SNP has admitted it paid a reputable third-party business to hand deliver leaflets, but denied reports those doing the work were on controversial zero-hour contracts.

Scottish Labours deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the wheels are falling off the SNP, and added: Scottish Labour volunteers are taking our message of hope and change to the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

While the SNPs desperate campaign collapses, it is disappointing but not shocking to see that they need to pay people to deliver leaflets filled with empty rhetoric.

While the SNP rely on zero-hours contracts to make up for their lack of support, a Labour government would introduce a new deal for working people  ending exploitative contracts.

An SNP spokesman said: Activists have been working tirelessly across the constituency delivering candidate Katy Loudons bold plan to put more money into peoples pockets.

The distribution of this leaflet was outsourced to a reputable third-party business.

It comes just days after the SNP criticised Labour for bussing in campaigners from south of the Border to help with its campaign to reclaim the seat, won by Ms Ferrier with a 5,230 majority in 2019.

The party wrote to staff offering to cover all travel to Rutherglen, accommodation and travel either back to London or on to Liverpool for Labour Party Conference  a message that Nationalist MP David Linden claimed showed desperation.

When he won the SNP leadership, Mr Yousaf told supporters: We will only win by making the case on the doorsteps. My solemn commitment to you is that I will kickstart our grassroots, civic-led movement and ensure our drive for independence is in fifth gear.

The SNP recorded an 804,278 deficit last year, leaving the party with only 46,039 in the bank.
Police investigating a parliamentary researcher accused of spying for China have yet to send a file of evidence to prosecutors  despite spending six months on the case.

Scotland Yard officers are liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service for investigative advice, but they have not sent a file of evidence for the CPS to consider.

The revelation will raise questions about whether the researcher and a second man arrested in March on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act will face any charges.

The pair, who deny the accusations, remain on bail until next month.

It emerged yesterday that the researcher was able to access the Palace of Westminster for up to 18 months without any security vetting.

Police investigating a parliamentary researcher (pictured) accused of spying for China have yet to send a file of evidence to prosecutors  despite spending six months on the case

The man, in his 20s, was free to move around the parliamentary estate on daily visitor passes because of his links to security minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, another senior Tory MP.

READ MORE: Chinese teachers in British classrooms are to be replaced by recruits from Taiwan after Commons spy scandal Advertisement

Mr Tugendhat stayed in contact with the suspect after being appointed a Government minister last autumn and used his personal phone to exchange WhatsApp messages with him just weeks before his arrest.

The developments have raised concerns about the lack of background checks on those entering Parliament as visitors.

Although visitors have to go through airport-style checks before entering Westminster, they do not have to undergo any background security vetting and there is no register held of their names.

The parliamentary researcher, who the Mail is not naming, has issued a statement through his lawyers protesting his innocence and insisting that he has spent his career trying to 'educate others' about the 'threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party'.

MI5 chief Ken McCallum revealed last year that the number of investigations being run by the domestic intelligence agency has increased seven-fold in just four years.

The man, in his 20s, was free to move around the parliamentary estate on daily visitor passes because of his links to security minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns (pictured), another senior Tory MP

Mr Tugendhat (pictured above) stayed in contact with the suspect after being appointed a Government minister last autumn and used his personal phone to exchange WhatsApp messages with him just weeks before his arrest

But no one has been charged with any criminal offences in relation to espionage or interference on behalf of the Chinese state.

In comparison, at least 146 individuals have been indicted in America where the laws are different, analysis suggests.

US authorities have pursued cases for offences such as democratic interference, theft of technology, espionage and harassment of dissidents.

Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the joint chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, told the Daily Telegraph: 'The UK security services have had very poor legislation for pursuing spies.

'The (Official Secrets) Act has not been fit for purpose for a long time.'
Most people oppose Labour's plan to give 16-year-olds the vote, surveys show.

A series of polls over the past decade has found that the majority believe the voting age should remain at 18.

Even the elections watchdog has concluded there was 'insufficient current justification' for a change when it last considered the issue.

It will add to Conservative claims that Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer is only in favour of the policy  which will feature in his party's next manifesto and be introduced if he becomes prime minister  because he believes teenagers are more likely to vote Labour.

Last night Matt Vickers, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, told the Mail: 'The only reason Labour would lower the voting age is for their own political gain.

It will add to Conservative claims that Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer is only in favour of the policy  which will feature in his party's next manifesto and be introduced if he becomes prime minister  because he believes teenagers are more likely to vote Labour

'You become an adult on your 18th birthday  with that you get the right to get married, buy a pint, and vote. Labour should stop tinkering with the electorate and focus on winning fair and square.'

An opinion poll carried out by YouGov a decade ago found that almost two in three British adults opposed reducing the voting age to 16 with only one in five supporting the change.

Last night Matt Vickers, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party , told the Mail: 'The only reason Labour would lower the voting age is for their own political gain'

When the question was asked again five years later  shortly after Scotland allowed 16-year-olds to take part in the independence referendum  just over half (51 per cent) opposed the reform and one in four (24 per cent) supported it.

The last major YouGov poll in late 2020 found that support had increased for letting younger teenagers take part in elections  but they were still in the minority. Overall 49 per cent opposed extending the franchise while 42 per cent supported it.

There was a clear generational split, however, with two in three young people in favour while the same proportion of over-60s were against.

When the Electoral Commission last ruled there wasn't justification for a change to the voting age, in 2004, it pointed out that while campaigners say 16-year-olds can join the Army, this requires parental consent.

It also said that while some under-18s appear mature enough to take part in elections, 'many others do not appear ready'.

A Labour Party spokesman said: 'At the age of 16, many young people are paying taxes, working, and engaging in all parts of society  it is right that they get a say in who governs them.'
Ukraine's allies must be prepared for a 'long war' in the country, the head of Nato has said.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that neither side is in a position to put down arms and negotiate a peace deal.

Ukraine continues making slow progress in its counteroffensive to reclaim lost territory, while Russia yesterday continued discussions over military co-operation with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Mr Stoltenberg said in an interview in Germany: 'Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin.

'Therefore we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.'

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a joint press conference with president of Kosovo at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on September 7

Mr Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pose for photographers ahead a joint press conference on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12

He added: 'We are all wishing for a quick peace. But at the same time we must recognise [that] if President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.'

He said there 'is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in Nato' after the war 'otherwise history could repeat itself'.

With winter now approaching, both sides will hunker down once the current Ukrainian counteroffensive ends its main thrust.

Though there have been some strategic gains in recent months, progress has been slower than Ukraine's allies had hoped. Yesterday Russia said it shot down six Ukrainian drones over the Crimea peninsula and one on the outskirts of Moscow.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un yesterday completed his six-day visit to Russia.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) shaking hands with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) after receiving a gift at their luncheon during a visit to the port in Vladivostok on September 17

The leader, who was pictured wearing a Russian fur hat, boarded an armoured train for his journey home following a red-carpet ceremony in the far-eastern Primorye region.

His officials said the visit, in which he met Vladimir Putin and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, would help strengthen 'the strategic and tactical co-ordination' between the countries.

North Korea could provide munitions for Moscow's war on Ukraine in exchange for Russian weapons technology to advance its nuclear ambitions.
Sadiq Khan, his deputies and officials have racked up more than 430,000 air miles since he was first elected London Mayor in 2016, analysis shows.

The Labour politician, who has positioned himself as a champion of environmental causes, attracted condemnation yesterday as he flew to the US for a climate summit.

He is expected to use the trip to promote his Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), which he claims will reduce deaths caused by air pollution, after expanding the scheme last month.

He flew to New York with five aides to attend the UN General Assembly and take part in the Climate Ambition Summit and is also due to appear alongside Prince William at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.

Mr Khan is flying despite repeatedly saying he wants to clean up the air, and analysis shows his latest trip has sent the number of air miles clocked up by him and his team to 430,000.

Sadiq Khan and his team have racked up more than 430,000 air miles since he was first elected London Mayor in 2016

The Labour politician is expected to use the trip to us US to promote his Ultra Low Emission Zone, which has been subject to severe criticism

That is enough to fly around the world 17 times and is estimated to have pumped out 200 tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

The latest New York trip alone will account for 41,412 of the air miles total, when all six attendees and both legs of the journey are taken into account.

It comes after Mr Khan's 'Night Tsar' Amy Lame  tasked with helping London's nighttime economy thrive  jetted off to Sydney, adding a further 21,146 miles to the total. She attended the Neon international nighttime economy forum in May.

Mr Khan faced criticism for a five-day trip to the US in May last year in which he was seen schmoozing with James Corden on a rooftop terrace bar in Los Angeles after visiting a cannabis factory.

Susan Hall, the Tory candidate in May's London mayoral election next year, said: 'Sadiq Khan and his team have racked up enough air miles to travel to the moon, and yet he has the audacity to impose a Ulez tax on the poorest and lecture us on climate change.

Londoners deserve a mayor who will work hard fixing the bread-and-butter issues that matter to them, not someone who swans off to New York to promote himself.'

Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign, said: 'What a hypocrite the London Mayor is. This typifies our capital's clueless, dishonest leader who is so out of touch with grassroot voters who won't forget his hypocrisy at next year's ballot box.'

Mr Khan said: 'My visit to the UN is an opportunity to learn from other nations and ensure London remains at the forefront of global action [on climate change].'
Lucy Letby may have killed three more babies and tried to murder another 15, a paediatrician at her trial claimed yesterday.

Dewi Evans, who gave expert evidence against the neo-natal nurse, raised fresh concerns about the deaths of children not part of the prosecution's case.

He also has suspicions over the cases of five children who survived, including one potentially poisoned with insulin. And he told the Mail's Trial of Lucy Letby podcast that he had identified a further ten surviving children who could have been harmed by Letby.

All were likely to have had their breathing tubes tampered with by the killer nurse whose 'modus operandi changed over time', he said.

Letby, 33, was convicted last month of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neo-natal unit.

Letby (pictured), 33, was convicted last month of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neo-natal unit

Dewi Evans (pictured), who gave expert evidence against the neo-natal nurse, raised fresh concerns about the deaths of children not part of the prosecution's case

She injected children with air, overfed them milk and assaulted them. She was jailed for life. Last week her legal team applied for permission to appeal against the convictions.

Dr Evans said: 'Initially, I looked at 32 cases and there are seven of those [which were not part of the trial] that need more scrutiny.

'These babies had illnesses that were life-threatening and three of them died  but we need to look at them to see if they were placed in harm's way as well. They were poorly so it may be impossible to show beyond reasonable doubt whether they were the victim of inflicted harm.

'But there are seven cases that concern me which we need to look at more thoroughly. I will be liaising with Cheshire Police to bring those cases to their attention.'

Dr Evans said that, following Letby's arrest in July 2018, he was asked to review the notes of another 48 babies  not included in the trial  and found concerns with as many as 18.

'They go back to 2012, although most date back to June 2014  12 months prior to the first fatality,' he said.

'I found several cases that are highly suspicious where an endotracheal tube  placed in a baby's throat when they need breathing support  had been displaced, had come out.

'These tubes can come out accidentally, but for so many to come out is very, very unusual, especially in what I consider to be a good unit.

Mr Evans also has suspicions over the cases of five children who survived, including one potentially poisoned with insulin. And he told the Mail's Trial of Lucy Letby podcast that he had identified a further ten surviving children who could have been harmed by Letby

Letby injected children with air, overfed them milk and assaulted them while working at Countess of Chester Hospital (pictured). She was jailed for life. Last week her legal team applied for permission to appeal against the convictions

'I suspect these tubes were displaced intentionally. Of the 18, there could be up to ten babies who were placed in harm's way. As far as I know they survived without suffering any long-term harm.'

Dr Evans, who was the prosecution's main expert and gave evidence on 17 separate occasions over the ten-month trial, added: 'One thing we can be reasonably sure of is that Lucy Letby did not turn up to work one day and decide to inject a baby with air into their bloodstream.

'I think the modus operandi evolved over time and I think that prior to air embolus tube displacement was probably something that she did.'

During Letby's trial at Manchester Crown Court, the jury were told she completed a training course on air embolus and how to inject drugs just weeks before she murdered her first victim, Baby A, on June 8, 2015. He died when air was injected into his bloodstream.

All of the babies reviewed by Dr Evans were born at the Countess, although he said he had heard 'anecdotally' concerns about babies with displaced breathing tubes at Liverpool Women's Hospital  cases that the police were looking into. Letby did training placements there in 2012 and 2015.

Dr Evans said he was also suspicious that at least one other baby, whose notes detailed that he had a high insulin level, may have been poisoned by Letby around November 2015.

Dr Evans said that, following Letby's arrest in July 2018, he was asked to review the notes of another 48 babies  not included in the trial  and found concerns with as many as 18

During Letby's trial at Manchester Crown Court, the jury were told she completed a training course on air embolus and how to inject drugs just weeks before she murdered her first victim, Baby A, on June 8, 2015. He died when air was injected into his bloodstream

All of the babies reviewed by Dr Evans were born at the Countess (pictured), although he said he had heard 'anecdotally' concerns about babies with displaced breathing tubes at Liverpool Women's Hospital  cases that the police were looking into. Letby did training placements there in 2012 and 2015

This was 'in the middle' of the other two insulin cases: Baby F, who was poisoned in August 2015, and Baby L, who had insulin deliberately administered into his drip in April 2016.

Dr Evans described the failure of doctors on the unit to appreciate the significance of blood test results from Baby F as an 'awful tragedy'.

'If they had acted on that it would have stopped all the other deaths and collapses,' he said.

Three more babies died and another four were harmed by Letby over the following ten months, before she was eventually removed from the ward in June 2016.

Cheshire Police are reviewing the medical notes of 4,000 babies admitted to the neo-natal units of the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital during the 'footprint' of Letby's five-year nursing career.

Their investigation, code-named Operation Hummingbird, is ongoing and they have not ruled out Letby being charged with more crimes.

Following the trial, sources told The Guardian that detectives had identified around 30 other babies, in addition to the 17 who featured in the trial, who may have been harmed by Letby. They all survived.

Dr Evans urged detectives to look closely at the medical notes of the babies named on 257 nursing handover sheets discovered at Letby's home following her arrest.

Her trial heard the sheets should have been destroyed in confidential waste at the hospital at the end of each shift.

Listen to The Mail's podcast on Lucy Letby here.
Hello there you awakening wonders. Now this is not 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 have 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 my community festival should be stopped and I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel.

But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to a time when I was 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, almost too transparent, 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.

Particularly when we have seen coordinated media attacks before, like Joe Rogan where he dared to take a medicine the mainstream media didn't approve of and we saw a spate of headlines of media outlets around the world using the same language.

I am aware that you guys in the comments have been for a while saying 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you,' 'you are getting too close to the truth', 'Russell Brand did not kill himself'.'

I know a year ago there was a spate of articles: Russell Brand is a conspiracy theorists; Russell Brand is right wing.

I am aware of newspapers making phone calls, sending letters to people I know. For ages and ages, it's been clear to me or at least feels to be there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kind of voices.

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, 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.

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 are working very closely together.

We are obviously going to look into this matter because it is very, very serious.

In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake but more importantly than any of that, if you can stay free.
A New York City oral surgeon has been accused of sexual harassment by his chauffeur including attempting to force him to look at his penis while he stroked it as he was driven around.

Driver Christopher Jackson, 43, has filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn Supreme Court against 40-year-old Dr. Gabriel Hershman, an oral surgeon for the NYPD.

Jackson was hired as Dr. Hershman's personal driver in April 2022 and would take him to and from his home in Queens to his office in Brooklyn along with various other routes, such as trips to his Jewish studies class and coffee runs.

But, just two months after taking on the role as Hershman's driver, Jackson, who lives in Brooklyn, left his job with Hershman's medical practice in June because of the alleged ongoing sexual harassment.

The lawsuit details disturbing instances of harassment, including Dr. Hershman repeatedly discussing the size of his own genitals, which he is alleged to have been obsessive about - mentioning it at least four times a week.

New York City oral surgeon, Dr. Gabriel Hershman, 40, pictured, is accused of sexual harassment against his chauffeur, Christopher Jackson, 43

Hershman 'began talking about the small size of his penis,' which became 'an obsessive topic of conversation as he said how he wished he could add inches to it,' the suit claims.

In one conversation, he allegedly expressed a desire to have himself increase in size.

Dr. Hershman also allegedly divulged personal information about his unsatisfactory sex life with his wife and made inappropriate jokes about Jackson's sex life, including offensive comments about a motel, the suit claims.

According to the filing, Hershman said it was the type of place 'a fat n****r named Shanequa would come to your room and sit on your face  you know you want that.'

The dentist also allegedly asked Jackson to look at him while he engaged in explicit behavior, all while making suggestive sounds.

When Jackson refused, Dr. Hershman insisted on eye contact through the rearview mirror while he 'made moaning sounds, saying he was about to ejaculate.'

Jackson repeatedly asked for such conversations to stop, but Dr. Hershman persisted, eventually leading to Jackson's resignation.

Jackson 'would continually request that these conversations cease', the suit states.

Hershman allegedly attempted to coerce Jackson into viewing various explicit actions while driving around while making sexually suggestive noises (photo of Hershman providing visits with a patient)

Jackson made clear his upset and distress at the situation to the New York Post.

'There is not a human being that is trying to work hard to earn a living that should have been subjected to that type of treatment and I think it's absolutely horrible,' he said to the paper.

'He didn't care,' Jackson said. 'He has money and his father has money and he thinks that is something that's going to save them from everything.'

He also highlighted the significant power imbalance, with Dr. Hershman's financial means and social standing adding to the complexity of the situation.

'He walks around like he's a model citizen in his religious community, in the business community and also in the New York City Police Department as well,' Jackson said.

'I hope that he's held accountable. I hope he doesn't do that to anybody else.'

In an attempt to stop the harassment, Jackson took a recording of the misconduct and confronted Dr. Hershman. The doctor did not deny the allegations but instead apologized, claiming it was merely 'locker room talk'.

'Just because we are in the car, doesn't mean we aren't still in a working environment,' Jackson said to Dr. Hershman. 'I'm not going to allow myself to be subjected to this any longer,' Jackson told him.

Jackson, who would be on call every day from 5am to 7pm to drive Dr. Hershman around in his Cadillac Escalade, stressed the importance of maintaining professionalism even in a car environment.

Jackson is now pursuing a lawsuit against Dr. Hershman, his father and their medical practice. He is seeking an unspecified amount of money for a hostile work environment and unpaid overtime wages.

Jackson is now pursuing a lawsuit against Dr. Hershman, his father and their medical practice. Pictured: Hershman (right) with his father

The suit asks for an unspecified amount of damages. Dr. Hershman's attorney, Jason Zoldessy, implied Jackson had mental health issues and made up the allegations after being told he was being fired

Jackson's lawyer, Jon Bell, emphasized that sexual harassment takes many forms and isn't limited to specific genders or actions, while condemning Dr. Hershman's actions as egregious.

'Just talking in a very sexual way with one of your employee subordinates is a violation,' Bell said. 'Chris, rightfully so, felt very uncomfortable.'

'All [Jackson] is doing is trying to support himself and his family during these tough times and the arrogance of this physician to turn around and treat Chris like that, not only with the blatant statements but to treat him unfairly with the amount of wages it's really an egregious case,' Bell explained.

Dr. Hershman's attorney, Jason Zoldessy, implied Jackson had mental health issues and made up the allegations after being told he was being fired.

'When confronted with his termination, he fabricated this salacious narrative. Our clients intend to fight the claims aggressively,' Zoldessy said.

Jackson's lawyer, Bell, dismissed such claims as false and expressed readiness to address them in court.

'We find it incredulous that Dr. Hershman, instead of taking responsibility for his atrocious conduct is now trying to spin the narrative that Mr. Jackson was somehow terminated,' Bell said. ' We look forward to addressing this in court. '

As of now, Dr. Hershman has not commented on the allegations.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly gotten rid of the dress code for members of the Senate in what's seen as a way of appealing to the often casually dressed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.

Fetterman - who, like Schumer, is a Democrat - often causes a buzz on Capitol Hill by showing up in a hooded sweatshirt and shorts, though Republicans like Ted Cruz have also been seen before in sweats.

'Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,' Schumer said.

The previous rules required business attire on the Senate floor, meaning a suit and tie for men.

The change helps Fetterman, as well as lawmakers who are just getting in from an airport or the gym, to allow them to vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has quietly gotten rid of the dress code for members of the Senate in what's seen as a way of appealing to the often casually dressed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman

Previously, leaders would have to vote from the edge of the Senate floor with a foot in the Senate cloakroom if they weren't up to the rules of attire.

Joe Calvello, a spokesperson for Fetterman, responded to the change by joking about a fringe conspiracy that there are body doubles who appear in place of the senator since his stroke.

'Great day for John Fettermans body double, we dont have to buy them suits anymore,' Calvello quipped.

The change to the dress code, isn't the first Democrats have pushed in recent years.

Several years ago, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, pushed to amend the dress code, a move that led to some relaxed standards for women. But it only was after some debate by others.

That led Arizona Senator Krysten Sinema, who was a Democrat who left to become Independent, to wear sleeveless attire on the floor.

'Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit,' Schumer said

The rules have stated that business attire rules the Senate floor, meaning a suit and tie for men

Previously, leaders would have to vote from the edge of the Senate floor with a foot in the Senate cloakroom if they weren't up to the rules of attire

In May, Fetterman wore his favored Carhartt hoodie as he appeared alongside several Democrat heavyweights including Bernie Sanders to tout progress on debt limit negotiations.

GOP Congresswoman Lauren Boebert took to Twitter to express her disapproval at his sartorial decisions, calling his outfit 'truly unbecoming'.

By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues were all dressed in suits, ties and more formal footwear.

'John Fetterman redefined Casual Friday on a Thursday morning. It's truly unbecoming for someone to show up like that to any job, let alone a job that only 100 people are elected to do. There's just no excuse for it,' she railed.

By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues at the debt-limit briefing were all dressed in suits, ties and more formal footwear.

But for regular followers of Fetterman, it would have been no surprise to see him wear such casual clothing.

During his time as the Mayor of Braddock and throughout his campaign for the Pennsylvania Senate he could often be seen wearing a hoodie and shorts.

Fetterman only recently returned to the Senate following a six-week hospital stay for clinical depression.

During that time he was also seen wearing a hoodie and shorts on several occasions.

Democrat Senator John Fetterman wore his signature hoodie and shorts, which led Rep. Lauren Boebert to take to Twitter to express her disapproval

Boebert previously blasted Democratic Senator John Fetterman's choice of attire during a Senate press conference describing him as 'truly unbecoming'

Fetterman's four Democratic colleagues were dressed in suits and ties

Fetterman has been the source of a couple of changes to Capitol Hill since his election.

Fetterman was profiled for a cover story for Time magazine in July and said it was his debate against Republican Senate hopeful Mehmet Oz that led to his depressive episode.

He even revealed he recorded a goodbye message to his children after suffering a stroke last spring.

The senator is still suffering from auditory processing issues 14 months after the stroke, for which the Senate has had to update technology to allow him to participate.

Just days before the Democratic primary, Fetterman encountered his first major challenge in a year's time - the stroke.

On the campaign trail near Lancaster, wife Gisele noticed that her husband's face started slumping and drove him immediately to a hospital.

He easily won the Democratic primary and spent the day of his victory anesthetized, having a pacemaker installed.

Time reported that Fetterman recorded a video message to his children - Karl, 14, Grace, 11 and August, 9 - in case he died.

Fetterman stayed off the campaign trail for most of the summer to recover from the stroke.

By August, however, he had returned and was able to get through a standard stump speech, making some mistakes, but the debate was the event that really highlighted how much progress he still had to make to make a full stroke recovery.

Despite the debate performance, Fetterman beat Oz, the Trump-backed TV doctor, by five points.
A man has been rushed to hospital after he was stabbed during a livestream in Sydney's south-west.

The man was knifed at a unit complex in Gundaroo Street at Villawood just before 5.30am Monday.

Emergency services treated the victim aged in his 20s at the scene for stab wounds.

He was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.

Detectives have set up a crime scene as an investigation was launched.

Police remain in a Villawood street where a man was stabbed early Monday morning

Footage from the scene shows the street swarming with police scouring for evidence.

No arrests have been laid at this stage.

The incident occurred during a social media livestream, Sunrise reported.

Detectives have cordoned off Gundaroo and Lowana streets near Thurina Park, which has disrupted the running of local bus services.

'Buses are diverting from a part of Lowana St due to a police operation near Belar Avenue,' an alert states/

'The buses are using Alcoomie Street and Killanoola Street instead, and missing four stops in each direction.'

Commuters are warned to expect delays.

Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Michael Gove has branded Keir Starmer a 'windsock' for changing his mind on reforms that would have boosted house-building.

Labour's leader vowed earlier this year that he would take the side of the 'builders not the blockers', pledging to tear up planning rules to increase home ownership.

And when ministers unveiled a proposal last month to scrap strict environmental rules blamed for blocking 100,000 homes, the Opposition indicated it would support it.

But last week Labour peers in the House of Lords helped defeat the Government in a crucial vote on restrictions protecting waterways.

Mr Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said that Sir Keir's change of heart told voters 'all you need to know' about his character.

Michael Gove has branded Keir Starmer (pictured) a 'windsock' for changing his mind on reforms that would have boosted house-building

Mr Gove (pictured), the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said that Sir Keir's change of heart told voters 'all you need to know' about his character

He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'We designed a new approach, which would unlock 100,000 homes and deliver millions of pounds of new investment to restore habitats  clean up wastewater and improve farming practices.

'Keir Starmer's rhetoric would have led anyone who placed weight on his words to assume he would be supportive  but then pressure groups began to agitate against our plan.

'He is a windsock politician first and a solid statesman never. As the tens of thousands denied a new home by his actions now know.'

Matthew Pennycook, Labour's housing spokesman, insisted: 'Michael Gove's reckless proposal was defeated by a combination of peers from all parties, including those on the Conservative benches.

'The Government should reflect and embrace Labour's sensible solution that would unlock these desperately needed homes.'
EXCLUSIVE

Instant regret, and then darkness.

Tominey Reid remembers little of the few horrifying seconds when she fell through the air from a seven-storey balcony after she slipped while reaching for her phone.

The fact the 21-year-old Melbourne hairdresser lived to tell the tale is, her doctors agree, nothing short of a 'miracle'.

Falls from a height of seven stories, roughly 21 metres, have a fatality rate of more than 90 per cent.

Although she suffered a gruesome list of injuries - including a snapped femur, shattered knee cap, torn ligaments and multiple brain bleeds - Tominey somehow survived without being permanently paralysed or suffering brain damage.

Now, for the first time, she has opened up about the terrible accident  and her determination to prove doctors wrong by walking again.

'It was horrible, I immediately regretted it,' Tominey told Daily Mail Australia, her voice catching at the memory.

'I don't remember the fall but I do remember slipping and it just... my heart just dropped.'

Tominey Reid, 21, was trying to retrieve her dropped phone when she fell 21 metres from the seventh-floor balcony of her boyfriend's inner-city Melbourne flat in the early hours of Saturday July, 29 (pictured)

Tominey suffered a gruesome list of injuries, including a snapped femur, shattered knee cap, torn ligaments and multiple brain bleeds but was extremely fortunate to avoid being permanently paralysed or suffering brain damage.

Tominey was sitting on the balcony of the seventh-floor flat she shares with her boyfriend, Kyle, in inner-city Melbourne shortly after midnight on July 29.

The couple were on Facetime - Kyle had left the day before for an overseas holiday - when Tominey accidentally dropped her phone onto the downstairs balcony.

'I went down and knocked on their door, but they didn't answer,' Tominey said.

'I could see my phone on the sixth floor balcony. I could see the light of it and I thought that I was able to reach their balcony from our balcony.'

Tominey had not been drinking: it was, she says, a 'freak accident' sparked by a 'silly' decision she will regret for the rest of her life.

The sickening impact of her fall was heard by a retired policeman living in the same building, who immediately rang emergency services.

Tominey had partially landed on a glass fence - shattering it in the process - which may have broken her fall.

Her right femur, the strongest bone in the human body, had snapped in half and was sticking out the back of her thigh.

'I broke the sciatic nerve in the same leg, which is why I'm currently in a wheelchair,' Tominey said.

'I shattered my left knee cap, tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), my MCL (medial collateral ligament), other ligaments and broke my tibia.

'I had multiple brain bleeds, a tear in my heart and had ruptured my spine from neck to thorax.'

But she would only learn of this later.

The balcony where Tominey slipped and fell from while attempting to retrieve her phone. Falls from seven storeys - roughly 21 metres - have a survival rate of just ten per cent

Tominey faces a long road to recovery, determined to prove the doctors who claimed she may never walk again wrong

Tominey's mother, Sarah (pictured, left) has quit her hairdressing job and moved to Melbourne from Phillip Island to look after her daughter full-time

Doctors at The Alfred Hospital placed her in an induced coma in intensive care for four days, fearing they would have to drill a hole in her head to stop the swelling on her brain.

'I had about six surgeries before I had even woken up and I lost 11 litres of blood,' Tominey said.

Her next real memory was waking up in intensive care to see various family members by her side, some of whom had flown down from Townsville.

Everyone was calling it a miracle that I had survived because it's 10 per cent survival rate from seven stories and I survived without being paralysed or even brain damaged,' Tominey said.

Well-wishers have donated almost $55,000 to a GoFundMe page set up by Tominey's aunt to help alleviate the financial burden of being unable to work for the foreseeable future.

After a week in intensive care, Tominey was moved to a neuro-trauma ward where specialists reconstructed her knee.

They also took nerves from her left leg to help repair the damaged sciatic nerve in her right leg.

In all, Tominey underwent around ten surgeries.

After spending five weeks in hospital, Tominey was handed a discharge summary 16 pages long on Friday September 1 and had a special gathering at a local pub on the Saturday with friends and family to celebrate her 21st birthday (pictured)

'I've got no feeling or movement past my knee and it can take up to four years for the sciatic nerve to grow back,' she said.

Despite the intense agony from her injuries, Tominey masked the extent of her pain in a bid to convince doctors and nurses to discharge her before her 21st birthday.

READ MORE: Melbourne hair stylist Tominey Reid, 20, declared a 'miracle' after surviving a seven-storey fall from a balcony Tominey Reid (pictured), 21, plunged 21 metres from a balcony in the early hours of Saturday, July 31 Advertisement

Her plan worked: after spending five weeks in hospital, she was handed a discharge summary 16 pages long on September 1 and had a special gathering at a local pub on the Saturday with friends and family.

'It was really emotional,' she said. 'My pop did a speech and so did my dad.'

The support of her family and friends has been crucial: her mother, Sarah, quit her hairdressing job and has moved to Melbourne from Phillip Island to look after her full-time.

Nurses come in each weekday to give occupational therapy and rehab.

'Now it's a waiting game of waiting for my nerve to grow and lots of rehab,' Tominey said.

But shortly before she spoke to Daily Mail Australia, Tominey was given some devastating news.

'The doctor said to me there's a big chance that I won't ever be able to walk again and it could take three to four years for my nerve to grow,' she said.

'It's heartbreaking. I was really upset for that one day.

'But I've had a bit of a think about it and I am determined to prove that doctor wrong. I've defied all the odds so far so I'd like to think there's a big chance that I could possibly walk again in the future.'

Despite her resolve and determination, Tominey acknowledges that 'some days are really good and other days are really, really low'.

'It's actually been worse being in a wheelchair at home than it was in the hospital because it's sort of feels a lot more real,' she added.

'I have to have full time care. Someone with me all the time. I can't go to the toilet by myself. I can't shower. I have to have a sponge bath on a commode, a which is a waterproof wheelchair basically.

'It's horrible and it's very degrading not being able to have your independence. I used to be really independent and walk to work and very social.'

The impact of Tominey's fall was so severe it snapped her right femur - the strongest bone in the human body - and left a tear in her heart

Tominey was hoping to complete her hairdressing apprenticeship next June and had dreams of eventually opening up her own salon.

But she is slowly coming to terms with the fact the long hours on her feet in her chosen career may not be possible.

'The doctor said even if I could walk again, I'm going to have a lot of leg pain and a pretty bad limp,' she said.

Tominey's one message to other young people is to 'be happy with what you have' and appreciate your health.

'I used to hate my legs. I used to think I looked nicer in pants and would rarely wear shorts or a skirt,' she said.

'Now my legs are all busted up. I have scars literally all over them and I've got a rod in my leg where they repaired my femur.'

To donate to her fundraiser, click here.
Since he married Meghan Markle, Prince Harry has been at pains to repeatedly stress his eco credentials.

In 2021, in the latest of a slew of environment-focused speeches, he warned that climate change is one of the two 'most pressing issues' facing the world.

But, as Prince William continues settling in to his role as heir to the throne with an upcoming trip to the US to promote his Earthshot Prize, some royal fans may now be asking if has stolen his brother's eco crown.

William's trip stateside comes at an opportune time, with a recent poll showing he is viewed more favourably in America than President Joe Biden or even Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.

That popularity might be down to the fact that, according to one expert, the 'eco stuff' is 'huge' with young Americans - and the Prince of Wales has done much in recent years to boost his credentials as an environmentalist.

In recent years, William has been steadily building up his credentials as an environmentalist. Above: Sir David Attenborough meeting William and Kate and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at Kensington Palace in 2020

Harry has been hit with charges of hypocrisy over the fact that he is not afraid to use private jets. Above: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle board a private jet at Nice Airport in August 2019 after visiting Sir Elton John's mansion

His biggest foray into the planet-saving business came in October 2020, when he launched Earthshot - an ambitious decade-long project to award 1million to environmental pioneers who are tackling the most pressing climate issues.

The 50million project was likened to the highly prestigious Nobel Prize.

When he announced the prize, William deliberately drew parallels with his father King Charles, who he praised as having been 'ahead of his time' when he repeatedly spoke about the threat posed by climate change when he was the Prince of Wales.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: 'I've always listened to and learnt and believed in what he was saying.

'But I knew it's a very hard sell, you know, 40 years ago to kind of predict and see some of the sort of slow-moving catastrophes that we were headed towards'.

The announcement came six years after Prince William founded the charity United for Wildlife, in partnership with the Royal Foundation.

Its aim was to protect species endangered by the illegal wildlife trade.

In October last year, he again stressed the need to confront wildlife crime.

Speaking at the United for Wildlife Global Summit at London's Science Museum, the Prince of Wales warned the world does not have 'the luxury of time to tackle it'.

Earlier this month, the Prince of Wales opted to take the train rather than a gas-guzzling car when visiting Bournemouth to promote his campaign to end homelessness

Prince William and Prince Harry listen during the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference at Lancaster House in London on February 13, 2014

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend The Earthshot Prize in Boston last year

Since he married Meghan Markle , Prince Harry has been at pains to repeatedly stress his eco credentials. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Redwoods Tree Walk on October 31, 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand

Prince Harry is seen marking an elephant while taking part in a wildlife project in Malawi in 2016

During his gap year in 2000, William spent three months in Chile, where he worked on community projects with the expedition organisation Raleigh International

During his own gap year in 2004, Harry spent time in Lesotho, where he visited an orphanage

It came after William warned in a speech in 2019: 'Either we continue as we are and irreparably damage our planet, or we remember our unique power as human beings and our continual ability to lead, innovate and problem-solve.'

Harry's own attempts to boost his eco credentials were evident when he set up sustainable tourism project Travalyst in 2019.

Launched with his wife, Harry spent three years as the public face of the initiative to encourage the tourism industry to become more sustainable.

Although he was left out of a major announcement by the group in May about its transition from a 'pilot phase' to a new board of five people with 'world-class expertise', Harry is still believed to be involved behind the scenes.

But he has been hit with charges of hypocrisy over the fact that he is not afraid to use private jets.

When he officially launched Travalyst, both he and Meghan were facing intense criticism after reportedly taking four private jet journeys in 11 days.

The Duke defended himself at the time, saying 'no one is perfect' and that what is important is 'what we do to balance' out negative effects.

Then, in 2021, he boarded a 20-seater 45million plane from a polo match in Aspen, Colorado, to his home in Santa Barbara, California.

He took the two-hour flight, which could have emitted as much as ten tonnes of CO2, shortly after he was pictured on horseback at the polo.

Royal author Tom Quinn said at the time: 'This appears to be enormously hypocritical, given all his talk about climate change.

'Harry seems to see himself as someone who guides the rest of the world and that his own behaviour isn't relevant. It is a huge blind spot.'

Prince William and Sir David Attenborough attend the naming ceremony for The RSS Sir David Attenborough on September 26, 2019 in Birkenhead, England

Britain's Prince William, left, talks with Sir David Attenborough, broadcaster and natural historian, during a session at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2019

In 2019, when guest editing British Vogue, he interviewed hugely respected primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall. Above: The pair at St George's House, Windsor Castle in 2019

Prince William talks with Ellie Goulding backstage at the Earthshot Prize ceremony in Boston in 2022

Prince Harry with Ellie Goulding backstage at the Invictus Games closing ceremony in 2014

The trip came just three months after Harry warned that climate change and mental health are the two 'most pressing' issues facing the planet.

Speaking to Oprah Winfrey on Apple TV, Harry said: 'I believe even more that climate change and mental health are two of the most pressing issues that we're facing and, in many ways, they are linked.

'The connecting line is about our collective well-being and when our collective well-being erodes, that effects our ability to be caretakers of ourselves, of our communities and of our planet ultimately.

'We have to create a more supportive culture for each other where challenges don't have to live in the dark, where vulnerability is healthy and encouraged and, of course, where physical and mental health can be treated equally because they are one.'

He added: 'With kids growing up in today's world, pretty depressing, right, depending on where you live, your home country is either on fire, it's either underwater, houses or forests are being flattened.'

Prince William meanwhile is not known to have used private jets, beyond the RAF Voyager plane that is dedicated for use by the Government and the Royal Family.

Earlier this month, the Prince of Wales opted to take the train rather than a gas-guzzling car when visiting Bournemouth to promote his campaign to end homelessness.

He was filmed walking along the station platform next to a South Western Railway service, in a video posted on social media by Kensington Palace.

Beyond his own United for Wildlife charity, William can further highlight his environmentalism streak with the fact that he is the patron of the Tusk Trust, the British Trust for Ornithology and Fauna and Flora International.

The Tusk Trust was set up in 1990 to advance wildlife conservation across Africa. William became a patron in 2005.

Charlie Mayhew, the charity's chief executive, previously said: 'Prince William's support for Tusk over the years has been immensely helpful in raising both the profile of the charity and the funds that we need.

'His ability to draw global attention to the plight of endangered species being decimated by illegal wildlife trade has been warmly welcomed by conservationists across the globe and we are enormously grateful to him.'

Harry has also had his own involvement with the Tusk Trust, having been an ambassador for the charity in the past.

He is also the UK patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana, which is dedicated to monitoring and protecting wild black and white rhino in Botswana.

Harry made a trip to Botswana in 2018 to meet with senior staff and members of the organisation.

But the Duke of Sussex is not a patron of any other wildlife charities and had to give up nearly all of his other patronages when he stepped down as a working royal in 2019.

Both brothers spent time up close with nature during their gap years.

Although Harry did not follow his brother to university, he still spent time abroad before entering the military.

William spent three months in Chile, where he worked on community projects with the expedition organisation Raleigh International.

He helped build and decorate houses and playgrounds and was seen painting and chopping wood, and he also worked on a dairy farm.

The heir to the throne is also believed to have spent time in Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana, learning about the nations' wildlife and the challenges the local environments faced.

Harry meanwhile spent three months working on a cattle ranch in Queensland, Australia and also headed to Africa, where he visited an orphanage for children with Aids in Lesotho.

It was announced earlier this year that Prince William would pen the introduction to an environmental handbook teaching children about climate change.

The book, being published in collaboration with the Earthshot Prize, aims to encourage children aged nine and above to come up with 'solutions to repair our planet'.

Promoting the 'handbook for dreamers and thinkers', Prince William said: 'Our planet is the only home we have, and we must think big and dream bigger if we are to protect it.'

His eco kudos are perhaps further boosted by his past work with the likes of Sir David Attenborough, environmentalist showbiz stars Cate Blanchett and Ellie Goulding and politician Michael Bloomberg.

Britain's Prince William feeds a baby elephant in the wild elephant valley in Xishuangbanna, or Sibsongbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province on March 4, 2015

Prince William feeds an elephant during a visit to a wildlife entre in Guwahati, India, in 2016

Prince Harry visits a Turtle Conservation Project on the seventh day of an official visit to the Caribbean on November 26, 2016

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex helps to plant trees at the Chobe Tree Reserve in Botswana

In 2021, Sir David sat down with William to talk about his Earthshot Prize.

The pair also featured in BBC documentary The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet in October that year.

READ MORE: 'Your country is either on fire or underwater': Harry says climate change is one of the two 'most pressing issues' facing world - the other issue being mental health Advertisement

And in 2020, Sir David visited William and Kate and their children Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte at their home at Kensington Palace.

Sir David presented George with a tooth from an extinct giant shark.

The visit came two years after Sir David had joined Prince William, Prince Harry and their father King Charles at the premiere of Netflix series Our Planet.

The event was a rare joint engagement for the brothers amidst their increasingly fractious relationship.

The trio were joined by Ellie Goulding, who previously performed at Prince William's wedding in 2011.

Goulding also attended an Earthshot Prize event in Boston, where she was pictured being greeted by Kate with a friendly kiss on the cheek.

As for Harry's list of environmentalist friends, he is known to have also been close to Goulding, to the extent that the pair were once romantically linked.

In 2019, when guest editing British Vogue, he interviewed hugely respected primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall.

The pair discussed issues including climate change and conservation.

Prince Harry is also believed to be close to Greta Thunberg, evidenced by the fact he felt close enough to her to speak to a person whom he thought was her on the phone in 2020.

It turned out that Harry was being tricked by two Russian pranksters who posed as the teenage environmentalist in two phone calls.

He touched on topics including climate change, Prince Andrew and him and Meghan stepping down from senior Royal duties.

William is also known to be conscious about the environmental impact of his fashion choices.

At the Earthshot Prize awards in 2021, William re-used a green velvet blazer that he had previously sported in 2019 when attending Centrepoint's 50th anniversary gala.

Harry has also re-used his clothes, evidenced by his love for the same 188 J Crew Ludlow jacket that he has worn on dozens of occasions.

On Monday, William is flying to the US to raise the profile of the Earthshot prize.

In the recent popularity survey conducted by Gallup, the names of 15 public figures were presented to the American public, who were asked whether they thought of them favourably, or otherwise.

At the Earthshot Prize awards in 2021, William re-used a green velvet blazer that he had previously sported in 2019 when attending Centrepoint's 50th anniversary gala

Harry has also re-used his clothes, evidenced by his love for the same 188 J Crew Ludlow jacket that he has worn on dozens of occasions. Above: Harry in the jacket with Meghan in 2018

William came top with 59 per cent while Russian president Vladimir Putin came bottom, with only 5 per cent of respondents viewing him in favourable terms.

The Prince of Wales will not be joined by his wife or children, but will get support from Earthshot champion and actress Ms Blanchett.

He will also meet the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres during the trip.

Later in the visit he will get wet in the Hudson River to highlight a water project.

The trip will also see him unveil this year's 15 Earthshot finalists before November's final.

An aide told the Sunday Times: 'This trip is part of his evolution as a global statesman which is incredibly important, especially since becoming Prince of Wales.'

They added: 'The US is very important to him. The world's climate movers and shakers will be in New York having conversations about the future of the planet and the prince is keen to be part of those conversations and put Earthshot front and centre.

'He has huge ambitions for what the prize can become and is extremely focused on its legacy and impact.'

The Prince and Princess of Wales will travel together to Singapore later this year for the final of William's environmental award.

The couple will travel to the south east Asian country in November after it was selected as the destination of the third annual awards ceremony for the Prince's Earthshot prize.

During the event the five winners of The Earthshot Prize 2023 will be awarded 1million.

The ceremony will also feature performances by world-renowned musicians and artists.
This robot will be a household must-have that will be doing chores for millions of Americans by the end of the decade, an expert claims.

Geordie Rose, founder of Vancouver-based Sanctuary AI, has created a human-sized bot called Phoenix who has already worked in two retail stores, bagging merchandise and cleaning, he told DailyMail.com.

And he believes that within 10 years Phoenix or his predecessor will be capable of doing any jobs or chores a human can.

The Phoenix android is already capable of doing chores such as cleaning and tidying and even filling the fridge - and is able to 'learn' new skills just like a human.

Geordie Rose with the Phoenix robot (SanctuaryAI)

The robot's flexible hands enable it to perform human tasks - and it has a sense of 'touch'

Rose said: General-purpose robots must be able to sense, understand, and act on the world the same way we do.

'This requires the creation of a type of artificial general intelligence (AGI)  specifically human-like general intelligence.

10 tech breakthroughs which will change our lives this century Advertisement

Rose believes that its realistic that this could happen within a decade.

He said that the best way to create a human-like artificial intelligence is to build humanoid robots, pointing out that at current speeds of innovation, ten years is an eternity for AI.

He said: Every month, there are new developments in the AI world that can fundamentally change and advance the space.

At Sanctuary AI, we believe that the best way to build the worlds first AGI is to build software systems for controlling sophisticated humanoid robots with similar senses (vision, hearing, proprioception and touch), actions (movement, speech), and goals (completing work tasks) as people.

The electrically powered robot stands five foot seven inches tall and weighs 155lb. He has a maximum speed of three miles per hour and can carry payloads up to 55lb.

The company won't sell Phoenix robots, but will instead rent them out to do the jobs of human workers.

Goldman Sachs predicted that the market for humanoid robots could be worth $150 billion a year worldwide within 15 years - and that humanoid robots will be viable in factories between 2025-2028 and in other jobs by 2030-2035.

Elon Musks Tesla is building a rival robot called Optimus which aims to take on any task a human can do - and which Musk has said could be more significant than the companys cars.

Rose believes that humanoid robots will be a defining technology for the 21st century.

He said: 'These are much bigger than vacuum cleaners or washing machines. A vacuum is incredibly valuable, as is a washing machine. But those are special-purpose technologies. What were building is entirely different.

Key to the Phoenix robots success is the AIs hands - as well as the Carbon AI software which the robot uses to think.

This allows the robot to 'learn' different skills: Phoenix is trained to do tasks by a human operator driving it in virtual reality, but then learns to do tasks independently.

Rose said that more than 98 percent of jobs require human hands - and said that Phoenix can already load items into a bag, clean mirrors, sort objects and stock fridges.

The Phoenix robot was unveiled earlier this year

Elon Musk showing off his rival Tesla Optimus robot last year

He said that haptic (vibration) sensors in the robots hands give the machine a sense of touch, and mean that its hands are as close as possible to human hands in their ability to manipulate objects.

Phoenix has the ability to think and then act and complete work tasks just like a person, Rose said.

He said, While we're immensely proud of our physical robot, the real star of the show is the underlying software.'

Sanctuary AI is based in Vancouver, Canada, and has raised $100 million to investigate creating 'human-like intelligence'.

The company believes that one day such robots could be as 'ubiquitous as cars'.

In tests in a Marks retail store in Langley British Columbia, the robot was able to complete 100 different tasks, 40 percent of all tasks that human employees could - including packing merchandise, cleaning, labelling and folding, and another robot completed similar tasks in a Sport Chek store.

Rose said, Moving forward, the goal is that our general-purpose robots will be capable of doing any work that people can do.

Our focus, at the moment, is creating robots for businesses to address the labor shortages they are facing. The world is dealing with declining birth rates and an aging population resulting in a massive labor shortage. In the U.S. alone, there are currently 9.9 million unfilled jobs, but only 5.8 million unemployed workers.
Naomi Campbell can be seen having a 'pre-menopausal hot flush' in a candid moment featured in the upcoming documentary, The Super Models.

The Apple TV+ docuseries sees the runway icon open up about her game-changing career alongside fellow super models Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington - as the legendary stars reflect on how they came to dominate the fashion industry.

During the start of the fourth episode, Naomi, 53, is seen getting flustered on the set of a photoshoot as she exclaims: 'I think Im going through menopause. Its pre-early menopause.'

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com about getting to capture the fashion superstar in such a candid moment, director Larissa Bill stated: 'It's such a real moment, isn't it? To see these women in these moments where you're like, "Oh, that's so relatable...and that's Naomi Campbell". It's so amazing.'

Naomi Campbell is seen having a 'pre-menopausal hot flush' in a candid moment featured in the upcoming documentary, The Super Models

The London-born model is seen looking sweaty and flustered in the relatable moment as she huffs: 'I just got into a furnace.'

A male voice is then heard asking if she is okay, to which she responds: No, I think Im going through menopause. Its pre-early menopause. Pre-menopause.

When asked if she would like a little bit of wind to help her cool down, the model replies: Theres nothing you can do. It just happens. S**t, Lord.

One minute, Im fine. Next minute, just this furnace comes up why do men not get menopause?

Co-director Roger Ross Williams added: 'Naomi obviously goes through menopause, like every woman.'

Perimenopause is the stage before the menopause. During this time your hormones start to change but your periods have not yet stopped for good.

It usually happens in women between the ages of 45 and 60 and can last for a few months or several years. Once you havent had a period for 12 months or more, youve officially reached the menopause.

The mother-of-two is also heard saying in a confessional interview: Aging, your body changes and everything changes

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com , director Larissa Bill stated: 'It's such a real moment, isn't it? To see these women in these moments where you're like, "Oh, that's so relatable".'

Naomi is also heard saying in a confessional interview: Aging, your body changes and everything changes'

'There have been times when I said "Okay Im gonna slow down, Im gonna pull out. But my energy is still the same."'

Naomi surprised fans around the world when she announced she had welcomed her first child in May 2021.

Offering a first look at her new arrival with a picture of her baby girl, whose name has still not been revealed, Naomi penned: 'A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother.

'So honored to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you my angel. There is no greater love.'

In June 2023, the British fashion star shared the news on social media that she had welcomed her second child, saying 'it's never too late to become a mother'.

Posting a photo of the child, Naomi could be seen cradling the baby boy while her daughter, two, held his hand.

Naomi stunned fans by announcing the birth of her first child in May 2021

It came four years after crediting science with giving her the opportunity to start a family

The supermodel shared news of the birth of her second child, a son, in June 2023

Explaining how they managed to get the private models to open up like never-before in the new documentary, Larissa stated: 'Roger and I had met with each of them prior to filming, just on our own without cameras. I think helped set this kind of safe zone... I think we managed to have a really nice bond going there during those interviews.'

The docuseries had been in the works for some time before Roger and Larissa were approached to direct in 2021, with the pair jumping at the chance to help the Supers tell their story.

Roger admitted: 'I grew up with these women. This is so exciting for me to be able to help them tell their stories really because we haven't. We hadn't heard from them directly. We've only heard their stories filtered through the media, and they got a chance to own their own stories and tell their own stories. And that's the beauty of it.'

Elsewhere in the documentary, the models discuss the fact Naomi was held back at the start of their careers due to racism she faced in the industry.

Despite now being known as the queen of the catwalk, the model was repeatedly ignored by fashion designers when it came time to book models for their runway shows.

The Apple TV+ docuseries sees the runway icon open up about her game-changing career alongside fellow super models Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington

Directors Roger Ross Williams, Larissa Bills pictured with designer, Todd Oldham

The tide officially began to turn when the likes of Christy and Linda refused to walk unless their friend was booked for the job as well.

Reflecting on the way the models helped each other's careers at a time when others would have expected them to be more competitive, Larissa stated: ' I liken it to being at camp.

'They're young, in their teens, going to this sort of amazing camp where they're thrown together in these really crazy situations with a lot of people and in a new environment, and that creates a lifelong bond.'

The documentary also gave the models a chance to share their side with regards to the stigma that they became 'divas' due to their meteoric success.

'Do they say that about a man like Elon Musk, the richest guy in the world,' Roger said in defense of the models. 'It's crazy. As Naomi talks about in the film, if you stand up for yourself, you get labeled as a b***h, you get labeled as difficult. If any man who stands up for himself, that's fine. But as black woman, no.'

The new series also sees Evangelista break down in tears as she admits that she thought she 'deserved' to be left 'disfigured' by a botched cosmetic surgery.

The Supermodels is available to stream on Apple TV+ from September 20.
A plus-size model almost lost her life after an online stalker 'groomed' her into a dangerous feeding fetish.

Rosie Jean, from the US, is a voluptuous size 6XL and boasts thousands of followers across Instagram, YouTube, and OnlyFans.

The 31-year-old earns a living flaunting her curves online, but her internet fame led to her being targeted by a 'narcissistic sociopath' who wanted to feed her to death.

Sharing her ordeal on the We're All Insane podcast, Rosie revealed that she met the stalker on Reddit and was quickly groomed and manipulated by him.

'He had an archetype and I'm his archetype to a T,' she explained.

Plus-size model Rosie Jean (pictured) almost lost her life after an online stalker 'groomed' her into a dangerous feeding fetish that could have killed her

Sharing her ordeal on the We're All Insane podcast, Rosie revealed that she met the stalker on Reddit and was quickly groomed and manipulated by him

'Hair color, dark eyes, a certain type of shape, aesthetically good looking. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm not ugly,' she boasted.

Rosie said that the stalker had a sick fantasy of inducing a traumatic brain injury on his victims by creating a heightened sense of trauma 'to kill them psychologically.'

'I believe that he's addicted to trauma porn and I believe that he wanted to turn me into his own trauma porn factory,' she claimed.

Rosie also said that she'd been 'groomed into feederism' by her stalker, which is a sexual fetish that involves feeding people so they'll gain extreme amounts of weight.

Rosie said that the stalker had a sick fantasy of inducing a traumatic brain injury on his victims by creating a heightened sense of trauma 'to kill them psychologically'

The 31-year-old also said she'd been targeted by the stalker due to her good looks. 'Not to toot my own horn, but I'm not ugly,' she boasted

The model admitted that she had a boyfriend the entire time she was seeing her stalker but claims he brainwashed her into believing she was polyamorous which is why she cheated.

'I experienced Stockholm [Syndrome] with this guy. I remember telling him things like, "I love you".

'Not only do I think he groomed me into feederism, I think he groomed slash brainwashed me into believing I'm polyamorous,' she stated.

Rosie believes her stalker had secretly planned to feed her to death.

'The thing about this guy is I think he was into death feederism, and that's where I have a lot of problems,' she said.

'Death feederism is exactly what it sounds like. It's feeding someone to the point of getting so fat and so big that they die.'

Rosie confessed that during one encounter she lied to her boyfriend so she could meet her stalker for sex in a hotel, where she was 'coerced' into engaging in feederism while they made love.

Rosie believes her stalker had secretly planned to feed her to death by having her engage in a sick kink called 'death feederism'

The model admitted that she had a boyfriend the entire time she was seeing her stalker but claims he brainwashed her into believing she was polyamorous which is why she cheated

'I didn't want to go, I didn't want to cheat on my boyfriend, I really didn't,' she explained.

'But at the time I didn't understand the nuance of what the coercion was.'

Rosie, who suffers from ADHD and complex PTSD, said her stalker 'coerced me into an act of feederism'.

She later ended up in a psychiatric hospital after suffering from a mental breakdown.

She has since left the feederism community after some of her former friends publicly accused her of lying about her disabilities.

The former model is now focused on her YouTube channel and is getting treatment for an eating disorder.

'The feederism community has some serious cult-like mentality,' she warned.

Rosie confessed that she lied to her boyfriend so she could meet her stalker for sex in a hotel, where she was 'coerced' into engaging in feederism while they made love

The influencer currently relies on a cane to walk properly but has left the dangerous feederism community, dubbing it a 'cult'

Sadly, Rosie isn't the only plus-size woman to fall victim to feederism.

In 2015, mother-of-four Patty Sanchez revealed that she'd almost died after her boyfriend encouraged her to eat 13,000 calories a day in order to satisfy his perverse kink of being 'squashed' by fat women.

After spending her days stuffing her face with fried potatoes, soda, macaroni and cheese, fast food, and iced tea, Sanchez felt like she was 'dying a slow death'.

She told The Independent that she eventually found the strength to dump her boyfriend and then embarked on a weight loss journey which saw her lose over 100kg.

In 2021, fat fetish model and star of TLC's My 600lb Life Renee Biran died following years of health complication related to her weight.

The 56-year-old, who weighed 286kg, became obese after accepting money from men to feed her so she'd get fatter.

In an episode of My 600lb Life that aired in 2018, Biran almost died while being driven to hospital to see her doctor.

In 2021, fat fetish model and star of TLC's My 600lb Life Renee Biran (pictured) died following years of health complication related to her weight

'I don't know whats going on with me, but I feel like I can't breathe right. Im feeling light-headed and everything else. I want to get me to see a doctor that can put some oxygen in my body. I don't want to die in this car,' she said.

Although she survived the trip, she was later pronounced dead in 2021 from an unknown cause.

An online tribute wall dedicated to her memory is awash with messages from those who'd watched her journey on the TLC show.

As one fan wrote, 'She had many obstacles and she still fought so hard. Her personality was beautiful. I am broken hearted to hear she passed. May your family be blessed to have a wonderful mother. Rip Angel! xo.'
Britain's Got Talent judges Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden have hit their red buzzers to bring many a duff audition to an end.

So it may get very awkward indeed when little Eric Cowell, nine, and Amanda's youngest daughter Hollie, 11, take to the BGT stage as a budding musical duo in the next series.

Ms Holden revealed that the young friends are preparing to impress their famous parents by teaming up to show off their 'brave' and 'sassy' personalities. Though the actress admits she is not sure they will be able to watch.

'Simon and I would just be hiding behind a cushion,' Ms Holden told The Mail on Sunday last week.

She added: 'Considering that Eric and Hollie are such good friends, they see each other most weekends when Simon is in the country, I imagine it'll be a double act.'

Simon or Amanda could shake off accusations of favouritism and simply choose to hit the golden buzzer to fast-track their children to the finals

Eric Cowell (pictured), nine, and Amanda's youngest daughter Hollie, 11, take to the BGT stage as a budding musical duo in the next series

Amanda's youngest daughter Hollie, 11, will be teaming up with Simon Cowell's son, Eric, 9, to perform together as a musical duo in the next series

Ms Holden said Eric and Hollie were 'forever climbing trees and swinging off branches and getting up to all kinds of mischief' when Simon and his family come over to play at their Cotswolds home.

Simon and his wife Lauren have relocated to Oxfordshire to live close to Holden and her family, after selling their 30milllion home in west London earlier this year.

Cowell, 63, recently said Eric was planning to make his television debut, adding: 'He's decided that he's going to audition for Britain's Got Talent. That is going to be total torture. I mean, of all the things I've ever done, this will probably be the hardest.

'I said, because he does play drums, 'Are you going to drum?' and he said he wants to sing. I went, 'Oh God no'.'

Simon or Amanda could shake off accusations of favouritism and simply choose to hit the golden buzzer to fast-track their children to the finals.

Cowell, 63, recently said Eric,9, was planning to make his television debut, adding: 'He's decided that he's going to audition for Britain's Got Talent.

In a touching post, Amanda posted two photos of her daughter Hollie, 11, side-by-side to show how much the little girl had grown, adding in the caption: 'Those years just flew past. Year 7 already. Our little #HRH all grown up. We couldn't be prouder of her. Smart,sassy and funny. The most loving girl. Let's do this Hollie'

Amanda and her mini-me daughter, Hollie, 9, stepped out onto the pink carpet in July to attend the European premiere of 'Barbie'

Amanda was spotted holding hands with her daughter, Hollie, 11, in Leicester Square in London with the pair demonstrating that their excellent fashion sense runs in the genes

Simon was spotting holding his son with joy in 2017 in a heartwarming moment

Simon Cowell's son, Eric, waves as photographers while sat in a luxury car with his mother, Lauren, with a cheeky smile

Simon playfully teases his son, Eric, on the red carpet with Lauren Silverman during a live show of America's Got Talent last year

Simon and his wife Lauren have relocated to Oxfordshire to live close to Holden and her family, after selling their 30milllion home in west London earlier this year

Amanda and her daughter, Hollie, 11, attended the European premiere of the 'Barbie' film together, both wearing pink outfits for the occasion - with Amanda wearing a show-stopping magenta dress with sleeves that merged into gloves

Hollie, 11, held hand with her mother, Amanda, as the mother-and-daughter duo stepped out onto the pink carpet for the Barbie film premiere - Amanda wore hot pink sandals with her outfit while Hollie opted for a sensible pair of white pumps

Mother Amanda, stepped out with her mini-me, Holly, wearing sunglasses on a bright winter's day in London last year

Ms Holden revealed that Holly (pictured), 11, and Eric 9, are preparing to impress their famous parents by teaming up to show off their 'brave' and 'sassy' personalities

Amanda, who is also on a host on heart radio, said Eric and Hollie were 'forever climbing trees and swinging off branches and getting up to all kinds of mischief' when Simon and his family come over to play at their Cotswolds home

Young Hollie was pictured in the heart radio studio, following in her successful mother's footsteps as a presenter

Simon or Amanda could shake off accusations of favouritism and simply choose to hit the golden buzzer to fast-track their children to the finals

Cowell, 63, recently said Eric was planning to make his television debut, adding: 'He's decided that he's going to audition for Britain's Got Talent. That is going to be total torture. I mean, of all the things I've ever done, this will probably be the hardest'

Ms Holden, who has just released her debut collection with the fashion brand Lipsy London, said she expected former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli to return to BGT for a second year after he proved a hit with viewers last year

She said: 'I have known Bruno for years, I've holidayed with him a couple of times, and he smashed it. Our ratings for BGT were the highest for a couple of years when he joined.

'He did really, really well and he's such a professional and super lovely. I had a lovely time with him, and we met up in LA for dinner when I was there. I see him quite a lot and love him to bits... he has known Simon forever. We all share the same friendship group.'
They're famous for flaunting their model figures.

And Lottie Moss and Tigerlily Taylor set pulses racing once again as they attended the Dreaming Eli presentation during London Fashion Week on Saturday.

Lottie, 25 wore a jaw-dropping ensemble that consisted of black stockings and a barely-there skirt.

The reality star looked sensational for her big moment and paired the daring bottom half with a very sheer lingerie style top so as to ensure she showed off her ample assets.

The slinky outfit left little to the imagination and Lottie didn't miss a beat posing for pictures and owning the arrival as if it was her personal runway.

Sensational: Lottie Moss and Tigerlily Taylor set pulses racing once again as they attended the Dreaming Eli presentation during London Fashion Week on Saturday

Breathtaking: Lottie, 25 wore a jaw-dropping ensemble that consisted of black stockings and a barely-there skirt with a sheer lingerie style top

Headturner: Tigerlily Taylor flaunted every inch of her amazing figure in a revealing outfit which flashed her washboard abs and showcased her toned legs

Not to be outdone, Tigerlily Taylor, the daughter of legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor, also made a grand entrance that was quintessentially rock 'n' roll.

She slipped into a racy thigh-skimming tulle skirt which had intricate tie-details on the side and showcased her fearless fashion sense.

Tigerlily flaunted every inch of her amazing figure in the revealing outfit which also flashed her toned stomach.

Paired with thigh-high black leather boots, her look was a striking blend of edgy and glamorous, embodying her rock heritage.

Her blonde hair was slicked back into a bun and she rocked a bold makeup look.

Lottie uploaded a video on her Instagram after the event sounding very worse for wear, detailing her struggle of having a few hectic days.

Talking in an extremely hoarse voice Lottie said: 'Am I the only one that thinks fashion week is just surviving?'

The Only Fans star then laughed into the camera and added: 'I'm just surviving. I'm kind of thriving, but I'm also just surviving at this point.'

Tats the way to do it: Lottie's toned arms were on display which showcased just some of her 29 tattoos

Wow: She tucked her blonde hair behind her ears and let it fall down over her shoulders

Party girl: Lottie has been busy out and about the last few days and uploaded a video after the LFW event on her Instagram sounding very hoarse suggesting she had lost her voice

Model behaviour: Lottie and Tigerlily posed up a storm for the cameras in their racy outfits

Bold: Tigerlily Taylor wore a sheer crop top that bore her breasts and showed off her washboard abs

Looking good: She slipped into a racy thigh-skimming tulle skirt, which had intricate tie-details on the side and showcased her fearless fashion sense

Striking: The daughter of Queen drummer slicked her hair into a bun and wore a bold palette of makeup

Turning heads: Ella Rae Smith was also in attendance and stunned in a pink slip dress

Commanding attention: Lottie put a pink silk trench coat over her racy ensemble

Busy: The reality star has been working the London Fashion Week scene

It comes after Lottie was seen at Rita Ora's Primark launch party on Friday night where she joined the likes of Neelam Gill and Leomie Anderson.

One day before she avoided an awkward run-in with her estranged half-sister Kate Moss, 49 who was attending the glitzy Vogue World bash, whilst she 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 don't get on and have never been close.

She grew emotional while discussing her fractious relationship with her fashion legend sister Kate on the Channel 4 dating show.
It may seem like he has the perfect 'influencer' life, but beneath Harry Jowsey's glittering Hollywood lifestyle lies a harrowing truth.

The Australian reality star, who shot to fame on Netflix show Too Hot To Handle, revealed this weekend that he's been battling with mental health issues for years.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the 26-year-old spoke about the dark thoughts that have followed him since his teenage years, and how he previously turned to self-harm.

'I used to cut the top of my arm instead of the underneath. There is a scar there,' he said.

In a bid to shield his parents from his distress, he masked his injuries as accidents.

Too Hot To Handle star Harry Jowsey, 26, has revealed secret mental health battle behind his 'perfect' Instagram life

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph , the Australian native spoke about the dark thoughts that have followed him since his teenage years, and how he previously turned to self-harm

'I used to do the top of my arms because I didn't want my parents to think that I was sad,' he added.

Sadly the torment followed him into adulthood, plunging him into further periods of darkness, exacerbated by a toxic relationship that left him feeling isolated and gasping for support.

'There was more recently as well where I had a really dark time and I couldn't figure out how to get through it,' Harry divulged.

'I used to cut the top of my arm instead of the underneath. There is a scar there.' In a bid to shield his parents from his distress, he masked his agony as accidents

His journey, however, demonstrates his resilience as he actively sought therapy to navigate his tumultuous emotions.

Despite his internal battles, Harry insists that hope never deserted him.

'It comes in waves, but there's never been a moment where I've been like, I'm going to end it all now. There has always been light,' he continued.

If you, or someone you know would like to talk to someone confidentially contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Reach Out. In an emergency, call 000.
Hugh Jackman's estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness was spotted out on Saturday just one day after announcing the end of their marriage after 27 years together.

The actress, 67, put on a casual display in a short-sleeved, red flannel worn over a long-sleeved white top and capri pants as she walked her dog through New York City.

She rocked a cream fedora and purple-tinted, round sunglasses to hide her face from the sun.

She sported a pair of black Celine platform sandals and continued to go without her wedding ring.

The Beautiful star looked to be in a better mood despite the split  which Hugh admitted to TMZ has been 'a difficult time' for the both of them.

Hugh Jackman's estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness was spotted out on Saturday just one day after announcing the end of their marriage after 27 years together

On Friday, Furness and her longtime husband issued a joint statement confirming their split.

She and the Wolverine actor announced that they would be filing a divorce after nearly three decades of marriage.

'We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,' they said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

'Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,' the couple explained as their reason for ending their marriage.

'Our family has been and always will be our highest priority,' the statement continued. 'We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.'

They also added, 'We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.'

The Australian couple share two adult children together  son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18.

Last April, the pair had celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary and Jackman had posted a gushing tribute to his wife on Instagram.

'I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! I love you so much,' the actor wrote in his caption.

'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,' he shared in the heartfelt post.

Casual: The 67-year-old actress put on a casual display in a short-sleeved, red flannel worn over a long-sleeved white top and capri pants as she walked her dog through New York City

The Beautiful star looked to be in a better mood despite the split  which Hugh admitted to TMZ has been 'a difficult time' for the both of them

Shock split: On Friday, Furness and her longtime husband issued a joint statement confirming their split; seen in April

'Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,' the couple explained as their reason for ending their marriage; seen in 2017

A few months before in February, Jackman revealed the secret to their long-lasting marriage while making an appearance on Smooth Radio.

'I think honesty and intimacy and making time [are the secret to a long and happy marriage],' he said at the time. 'You can't just assume that things will just tick along okay. You have to make time.'

Jackman was also seen in public Saturday  the first time since the news of their separation.

The actor had already ditched his wedding ring, and he was spotted with a bare finger on his left hand.

Jackman briefly spoke with paparazzi in the city and admitted he and his soon-to-be ex-wife are struggling with their split.

As he walked along a street he said, 'It's a difficult time,' but declined to discuss the breakup further.
Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness shocked the world on Friday when they announced their decision to split after 27 years of marriage.

And as the world comes to terms with the end of an era, eyes are turning to the Hollywood couple's mammoth estate.

The 54-year-old X-Men actor and 67-year-old Correlli actress first stepped onto the property ladder in the late '90s and have since acquired a collection of luxury homes in Australia and the U.S.

Before his breakout role in X-Men in the year 2000, Hugh and Deborra-Lee lived in a modest two-bedroom apartment in Melbourne.

The couple bought their first property together for $240,000 in 1997, a year after they married.

Hugh Jackman, 54, (left) and wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 67, (right) announced on Friday they have decided to part ways after 27 years of marriage. And as the world comes to terms with the end of an era, eyes are turning to the Hollywood couple's mammoth estate

They eventually sold the apartment in August 2015 for $740,000, earning themselves a tidy profit of half a million dollars.

The couple's first home featured polished floorboards and high ceilings, as well as an abundance of natural light thanks to its oversized windows.

In 2009, they upgraded by splashing out on a three-storey apartment in the Meier Towers building in New York.

Before his breakout role in X-Men in the year 2000, Hugh and Deborra-Lee lived in this modest two-bedroom apartment in Melbourne

The couple's first home featured polished floorboards and high ceilings, as well as an abundance of natural light thanks to its oversized windows

Their Manhattan address boasts five bedrooms and five bathrooms, a professional-grade kitchen, a gym, library and terraces.

The NYC home originally had a price tag of $40million, but Hugh managed to buy it for just $21million.

The luxury apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows which offer unparalleled views of the Hudson River.

Hugh and Deborra-Lee also have a property in Sydney, where they spend several months a year.

In 2009, splashed out on this three-storey apartment in the Meier Towers building in New York

The NYC home originally had a price tag of $40million, but Hugh managed to buy it for just $21million

Back in 2016, they snapped up an ocean-front apartment in Bondi Beach for $5.9million.

The newly-built, three-bedroom property effortlessly blends Hollywood luxury with quintessentially Australian beach views.

The spacious property also features a state-of-the-art kitchen and superior European oak floors.

And the generous balcony offers seamless indoor and outdoor living, perfect for hot and breezy Bondi afternoons.

Hugh and Deborra-Lee also have a property in Sydney, where they spend several months a year

Back in 2016, they snapped up this ocean-front apartment in Bondi Beach for $5.9million

In addition, Hugh and Deborra-Lee are proud owners of a house in The Hamptons.

The exclusive East Hampton address has pristine views of the water, as well as a lap pool and pavilion.

The main house is still a work in progress and isn't expected to be completed until the end of the year. But, in the meantime, the family has been staying in the guest house.

The generous balcony offers seamless indoor and outdoor living, perfect for hot and breezy Bondi afternoons

In addition, Hugh and Deborra-Lee are proud owners of a house in The Hamptons

On Saturday, Dailymail.com revealed the couple purchased a penthouse in New York City last year for USD$21.12 (AUD$30million).

The couple splashed the cash for a penthouse in New York City's Chelsea district on August 2022.

The 440sqm apartment is located in an ultra chic building which boasts 57 units and listed with Noble Black Real Estate.

The property features a light and airy open layout with four bedrooms centred around the communal living areas.

It has been revealed that Hugh and wife Deborra-Lee had just purchased New York City Home last year for USD$21.12 (AUD$30million)

The X-Men actor and Correlli actress had splashed the cash for a penthouse in New York City's Chelsea district on August 2022

The 440sqm apartment is located in an ultra chic building which boasts 57 units and listed with Noble Black Real Estate

It has floor-to-ceiling windows which stand over four meters and boasts 343sqm of outdoor space with a massive rooftop terrace.

The purchase had come just weeks after the thespian couple listed their incredible three-story condo in New York City for sale.

The pair had lived in the swanky downtown Manhattan apartment since 2008 and they listed it in June 2022 for the whopping price of $38.9million.

In 2018, Jackman is reported to have had his eye on a property in Sydney's Dover Heights after his wife was 'sighted' at an inspection.

The shocking news of the longtime couple's split came on Friday.

'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 couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday.

'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 shocking news of the longtime couple's split came on Friday. The couple are seen in April

The former couple signed the statement as 'Deb and Hugh Jackman,' adding: 'This is the sole statement either of us will make.'

The Australian couple share two children together; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18.

At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, 54, and they've previously stated that they have never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding.
Winnie Harlow and Ashley Graham kicked things off in style as they modelled Matty Bovan's upcoming collection for London Fashion Week on Saturday.

The catwalk queen, 29, cut a striking appearance as she stepped out sporting a dramatic make-up look that saw her eyes outlined in a bold blue.

The colourings made sure to complement the fashion star's vibrant catwalk getup as she was seen strutting her stuff in a patterned dress that boasted dramatic textures and layers.

Winnie paired it with matching-coloured tights and pink lace up heels.

The eccentric display showcased some of the designs for Matty Bovan's Spring/Summer 2024 collection as guests joined Tanqueray No. TEN to experience the new collection in a secret Front Row coupled with the launch of a short film.

Eye-catching: Designer Matty Bovan saw his upcoming collection brought to life by the likes of Winnie Harlow at his Spring/Summer 2024 showcase at London Fashion Week on Saturday

All eyes on her: Ashley Graham, 35, cut a striking appearance as she stepped out sporting a dramatic make-up look that saw her hair and eyes coloured blue

The Central Saint Martins knitwear graduate has previously worked with fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu.

Dinner guests including Georgia May Jagger, Serena Rees, Andreas Kronthaler, Harry Lambert and Zandra Rhodes were first to see the SS24 collection, whilst dining.

The secret dinner played with the idea of a front row experience as the designer showcased and talked through his creativity whilst co-hosting with his mother, Plum Bovan.

In keeping with the focus on craft and artisanship, the menu was curated by culinary aficionados Bistrotheque with the lead serve for the evening being the Tanqueray No. TEN Tiny Ten - named after the still that does the first distillation. Guests were served dishes including Lobster Pot Pie and Spinach Gnudi.

Winnie, who first shot to fame on the 21st season of America's Next Top Model, looked sensational in Bovan's upcoming collection and oozed confidence while modelling the very distinctive look.

She had been diagnosed with vitiligo around the age of four and has gone on to become a spokesperson for the condition, frequently speaking out about the topic.

Despite her insecurities as a child, the starlet hasn't let the condition hold her back and is highly considered as one of the most in-demand models of the moment.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, she recalled: 'Kids called me a cow and mooed at me. I remember sitting by my window wishing upon the stars that my skin condition would go away.

'Everyone asks me what the turning point was but it was just me making the effort to focus on my opinion on myself. I was like, wait I don't actually think I'm ugly - I think I'm beautiful. So where did I get this idea I wasn't? From someone else.'

Stand-out: The colourings made sure to complement the fashion star's catwalk getup as she was seen modelling a vibrantly patterned wrap around that boasted clashing colours

Bold look: Winnie and Ashleigh were joined on the catwalk by a number of other models who who too worked distinguishing ensembles

Beauties: They took to the runway in different colours and textures and sported similar colour eye make-up

The beauty was joined on the catwalk by fellow model Ashley, 35, who too worked the distinguishing look.

Ashley wore a floral print dress with a belt that cinched her in at the waist and a striking multi-coloured piece wrapped around her.

She finished with printed blue printed tights and leopard print heels.

The body positive model has always been candid about her own struggles with body image, once admitting that she was broken up with and called names because of her weight.

Recognising that body image issues will always be a topic she'll be asked to speak on, Ashley told Today Parents: 'There's not a day that goes by where I am not going to have that [body image] discussion with someone else or myself.'

Headturner: The eccentric display showcased some of the designs from fashion designer Matty Bovan's Spring/Summer 2024 collection

Credit: Bovan has previously worked with fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu

She added, 'And also, just being a woman and being in the fashion industry  being an 'influencer' and being on social media  it's constant.'

The former America's Next Top Model judge shares three children with her husband, videographer Justin Ervin.

The couple have been married for thirteen years, after they met at church in 2009.

After the birth of her first son Isaac in January 2020, the accomplished model and television personality gave birth to twins Malachi and Roman a year later.
As part her working visit to the Republic of Cuba, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova has met with President of the National Assembly of Peoples Power Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez, Azernews reports.

Hernandez welcomed the Azerbaijani Speaker warmly and thanked her for her participation in the G77+China Summit in Cuba.

He touched upon friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Cuba and mentioned warm welcome showed to Cuban Vice President Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa during his visit to Azerbaijan this year. According to him, the number of official visits from Cuba to Azerbaijan has increased in recent years. Hernandez highlighted his country's appreciation of Azerbaijan's support for Cuba within international organizations.

Mentioning the centenary of Heydar Aliyev celebrated in Azerbaijan this year, 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.

Hernandez said 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.

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 would serve to strengthen friendship between the countries and peoples further.

Gafarova pointed out that Azerbaijan and Cuba always support each other within international organizations in general and in the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement in particular. According to her, Cuba has always voted for the initiatives of Azerbaijan as the NAM Chair.

Saying then that the parliaments, too, played a role of their own in the progress of 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 the two legislative assemblies.

Hernandez was informed of the current situation in the region, Azerbaijans peace initiatives and Armenias military-political provocations. The head of the Cuban Parliament said that he is aware of the situation in the region and that it was important to restore peace and stability there.








Ellie Aitken, the woman at the centre of society love triangle after her husband bolted with her best friend, has gone 'Instagram official' with her new boyfriend.

Ms Aitken's life was turned upside down in late 2021 when her husband Charlie Aitken, a high-profile investment banker, ran off with her best friend Hollie Nasser - ending two marriages in the process.

The socialite, who hails from Sydney's upmarket eastern suburbs, has since found love with wealthy Bahamas-based fund manager Mark Holowesko.

Debuting her new romance on Sunday, Ellie shared two selfies of the couple attending a formal event together, while writing the words 'my forever' next to a love-heart emoji.

In the caption, she added: 'Lots of travel with this one this year. Can't wait to see you soon Mark Holowesko.'

Ellie Aitken (left) went 'Instagram offical' with her fund manager boyfriend Mark Holowesko (right) on Sundy, calling him 'my forever' while cuddling up for a selfie

Fellow eastern suburbs socialites congratulated Ellie in the comments, including Real Housewives of Sydney star Matty Samaei who wrote: 'You look beautiful.'

Interior design queen Blainey North, who is known to service wealthy society clientele, commented with a series of red love hearts.

James Packer's ex Jodhi Meares, who owns luxury fitness brand The Upside, also posted several love hearts.

Ellie Aitken, was at the centre of society love triangle after her husband Charlie Aitken bolted with her best friend, Hollie Nasser, in 2021. Pictured: Ellie and Charlie in happier times

News of a new romance between Ms Aitken and Mark, the founding partner and CEO of Holowesko Partners Ltd, emerged in April year.

The two were seen enjoying a cosy meal at China Doll in Woolloomooloo in late March.

Mr Holowesko, who is a former Olympian and champion sailor, has also made frequent visits to Sydney over the past six months.

Ellie shared a selfie of the pair at a friend's wedding, with them looking more loved-up than ever. A who's who of Sydney's eastern suburbs wished the pair well. Pictured

Ms Aitken and Mr Holowesko have known each other for years, the insider said, but grew closer over the past year while she has been building her own funds-distribution business in the Bahamas.

Ms Aitken's marriage fell apart towards the end of 2021 when it was revealed her husband Charlie was having an affair with her close friend Hollie Nasser.

The move caused scandal in the tight-knit eastern suburbs, particularly since Hollie was not only Ellie's best friend, but married to Charlie's business partner Christopher.

Mr Holowesko, who is a former Olympian and champion sailor, has made frequent visits to Sydney over the past six months. Pictured

Ms Aitken's life was turned upside down in late 2021 when her husband Charlie Aitken, a high-profile investment banker, ran off with her best friend Hollie Nasser - ending two marriages in the process. (Pictured L-R: Christopher and Hollie Nasser, and Ellie and Charlie Aitken)

'The truth is that despite the support of friends and family I have not coped well with the deeply hurtful lies, gossip and innuendo that has surrounded the breakdown of my relationship,' Ellie said in a statement in December that year.

At the time, she announced she would be 'taking a break from social media' and public view while she and her family adjusted to the separation and her estranged husband's new relationship.

'I had attempted to put on a brave face and tried to manage my feelings and wellbeing despite the fact that I have not had any control over the reasons for my sorrow,' she said.

The Aitkens and the Nassers, once inseparable friends, are seen dining in New York City before the Covid pandemic

Despite the drama, the Aitkens tried to remain on good terms throughout the separation for the sake of their two children.

In May 2022, Daily Mail Australia revealed Hollie and Charlie had quietly parted ways, noting the public pressure was too much for them to bear.

Hollie later confirmed the news to Sunday Confidential, saying in a statement the relationship was over and she was focusing on her children.

'With regards to my private life, my focus is my daughters [and] I have chosen not to be in a relationship,' she said.

Despite the drama, the Aitkens tried to remain on good terms throughout the separation for the sake of their two children. (Pictured: the Aitkens before their split)

She went on to praise her estranged husband Christopher Nasser, saying the two were working together to co-parent their children.

'Chris has always been a loving and devoted father. We are working together to co-parent our children,' she said.

She also reflected on having her affair thrust into the spotlight.

'The past nine months have been very difficult and I have expressed my apologies to my family and others involved,' she said.
Georgia May Jagger cut a stylish figure as she stepped out to a cocktail reception for Matty Bovans SS24 London Fashion Week show on Saturday.

The model and designer, 31, showed off her flair for fashion in a chic polka dot print mini dress as guests joined Tanqueray No. TEN to experience Bovans SS24 collection in a secret Front Row coupled with the launch of a short film explaining the designers approach to his craft through the lens of his new collection, titled XV.

The standout piece clung to her enviable curves and featured a V-shaped neckline.

She styled her blonde tresses in loose waves and wore minimal makeup  letting her dress do the talking.

Georgia accessorised the bold print dress with clashing dotted heels as she headed out to enjoy the drinks.

Dotty: Georgia May Jagger, 31, cut a stylish figure as she stepped out to a cocktail reception for Matty Bovans SS24 London Fashion Week show on Saturday

Polka prints: The model and designer, 31, showed off her flair for fashion in a stand out mini dress that clung to her enviable curves and featured a V-shaped neckline

Central Saint Martins knitwear graduate Bovan has previously worked with fashion houses Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu.

Dinner guests including Serena Rees, Andreas Kronthaler, Harry Lambert and Zandra Rhodes were among the first to see the SS24 collection, whilst dining.

The secret dinner played with the idea of a front row experience as the designer showcased and talked through his creativity whilst co-hosting with his mother, Plum Bovan.

In keeping with the focus on craft and artisanship, the menu was curated by culinary aficionados Bistrotheque with the lead serve for the evening being the Tanqueray No. TEN Tiny Ten - named after the still that does the first distillation. Guests were served dishes including Lobster Pot Pie and Spinach Gnudi.

Earlier this week Georgia, the daughter of Jerry Hall and Rolling Stones' legend Mick Jagger, attended the Vogue World Show in London in the same polka dot shoes from Manolo Blahnik.

She hit the red carpet at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in a quirky pinstripe dress and was joined by a whole host of stars at the event, including Victoria Beckham, Rita Ora and Kate Winslet.

Georgia has been keeping busy of late and was unveiled as the new face of Italian fashion brand PINKO's Fall-Winter 2023-2024 Campaign back in August.

The clothing brand explained that Georgia experimenting with various elements of the looks that form its essential wardrobe, making them increasingly unique in every shot thanks to her charismatic, magnetic, and real personality.

Reuse: Georgia wore the same polka dot shoes from Manolo Blahnik at the Vogue World Show in London earlier this week (pictured right)

Busy bee: The model has had a full on few months fronting different fashion campaigns and celebrating her rockstar dad's 80th birthday

Just a few weeks later the model was then seen fronting 7 For All Mankind Fall 2023 campaign.

Discussing the collection, Georgia said denim had always been an 'essential part' of her style.

She said: 'Denim has always been an essential part of my personal style, and it is an honour to be the face of a brand that celebrates individuality while creating an extraordinary range of fashion-forward pieces that cater to the modern global citizen'.

It comes after Georgia was seen spending some quality time with her rockstar father as she was pictured at his 80th birthday bash in July.

Celebrating at Embargo Republica in Chelsea, Sir Mick celebrated his milestone birthday with a huge party alongside his family, Hollywood A-listers and music legends.

He was joined by his family, including his fiancee Melanie Hamrick, 36.

His ex-partner Jerry, who he was with for 23 years, also joined the celebrations, as well as his Rolling Stones bandmate Ronnie Wood.

There were even surprise appearances from Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Lenny Kravitz as the A-listers travelled from far and wide.
Hugh Jackman once revealed how he safeguarded his marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness by making a 'powerful choice', years before the pair announced their split on Friday.

Back in 2019, WHO magazine published an extract from The Father Hood: Inspiration for the New Dad Generation, in which Hugh, 54, described the pact he made with his wife, 67, before they had children.

'But at those moments, we said we'd ask each other, 'Is this good or bad for our marriage?' Or, now that we've got kids, 'Is this good or bad for our family?'' the Wolverine star wrote.

'And as often as possible, we do the thing that is good for our family.'

Earlier in 2019, Hugh revealed that 'intimacy' was the key to a happy marriage.

Hugh Jackman, 54, (right) once revealed how he safeguarded his marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness, 67, (left) by making a 'powerful choice', years before the pair announced their split on Friday

He told People magazine at the time: 'Without a doubt, it is the most important thing.

'People talk about intimacy and assume that means in the bedroom. Of course it is that, but really, intimacy is being able to share everything together - good, bad, fears, successes.

'Deb and I had that from the beginning. We've always been completely ourselves with each other.'

Close bond: Hugh Jackman, 50, has revealed the 'simple but powerful choice' he made as a young man that safeguarded his marriage to Deborra-lee Furness, 63

The shocking news of the longtime couple's split came on Friday.

'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 couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday.

'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.'

Back in 2019, WHO magazine published an extract from The Father Hood: Inspiration for the New Dad Generation in which Hugh described the pact he made with his wife before they had children

The former couple signed the statement as 'Deb and Hugh Jackman,' adding: 'This is the sole statement either of us will make.'

The Australian couple share two children together; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18.

At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, 54, and they've previously stated that they have never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding.

'But at those moments, we said we'd ask each other, 'Is this good or bad for our marriage?' Or, now that we've got kids, 'Is this good or bad for our family?'' the Wolverine star wrote

The New York-based couple met on the set of Australian TV drama Correlli in 1995, when Hugh was fresh out of acting school.

Although the show only lasted for one season, Hugh has said that being introduced to Deborra-lee was the 'greatest thing to come out of it'.

The couple married in Melbourne in 1996 and, after struggling with infertility, adopted their children, Oscar and Ava, in the early 2000s.
Cindy Crawford ensured all eyes were on her on Saturday as she attended the 10 Magazine x 886 by The Royal Mint Party at Claridge's Artspace.

The supermodel, 57, looked the picture of sophistication in a form-fitting black midi dress with long sleeves.

The elegant number showed off her long legs and boasted diamond-shaped cutouts down the side for an extra glimpse of skin.

Cindy added an extra few inches of height to her statuesque frame with a pair of strappy black high heels.

She completed her stunning look by toting a shiny black clutch and sporting a full face of bronzed make-up, including a slick of pink lipgloss.

Incredible: Cindy Crawford ensured all eyes were on her on Saturday as she attended the 10 Magazine x 886 by The Royal Mint Party at Claridge's Artspace

Classy: The supermodel, 57, looked the picture of sophistication in a form-fitting black midi dress with long sleeves

Fashion forward: The elegant number showed off her long legs and boasted diamond-shaped cutouts down the side for an extra glimpse of skin

She posed for a photo alongside editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, and the fashion editor behind 10 Magazine, Sophia Neophitou.

Her appearance at the event comes after she recently caused controversy with her very airbrushed cover of Vogue, alongside fellow supermodels Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista.

The Nineties greats came together for a joint issue cover for Vogue and the British Vogue, which initially delighted fashion lovers this month.

However Alexandra Shulman, who edited British Vogue from 1992 to 2017, argued in the Mail on Sunday that the publication turned the stars into 'cartoon versions' of themselves.

She wrote: 'Why on earth did they have to be turned into a plasticised version of themselves, dressed in gloomy black widow outfits and run through computer retouching to emerge as a cartoon version of what a glamorous older woman might be?'

Many on social media were quick to agree with her, with one person commenting on Instagram: 'I think a fairly dreadful representation of these beautiful women in their prime and what a sorry excuse not to show them in all their middle aged glory.

'Let's be honest Vogue is not half as aspirational as it used to be!'

Another wrote: 'When I saw this cover it felt a bit clinical and cold. It would've been nice to see them shown as a bit more natural and relatable, a bit more human.'

Fashion royalty: She posed for a photo alongside editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, and the fashion editor behind 10 Magazine, Sophia Neophitou

Backlash: It comes after she recently caused controversy with her very airbrushed cover of Vogue, alongside fellow supermodels Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista

Following the criticism, the stars flocked to the Vogue World show on Thursday, where they took to the stage hand-in-hand to applause from the audience.

They will next be seen in the new Apple TV+ documentary series, The Supermodels, which will be released on September 20.

The four-part show focuses on the top models of the 1990s and is directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and Larissa Bills.

The Supermodels will take fans back to the 1980s at the start of their modelling careers and document how the four women came together from across the globe and collectively achieved a notoriety that transcended throughout the industry.

The series will also examine the ladies' work today, in not only the fashion industry, but activism, philanthropy and business, and how the quartet have blazed a path for the next generation.

Still got it! Following the criticism, the stars flocked to the Vogue World show on Thursday, where they took to the stage hand-in-hand to applause from the audience
Rhian Sugden broken her silence and discussed her short lived fling with Russell Brand after Saturday's bombshell Dispatches documentary.

The show saw the 48-year-old comedian accused of sexual assaults and abusive and predatory behaviour between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame. He has denied the allegations.

Glamour model Rhian, 37, who insisted nothing untoward happened when they were together, did however claim Russell joined the No More Page 3 campaign in 2014 after failing to 's**g his way through' its list of models.

The Get Him To The Greek star previously came out in support of the crusade claiming the love of a 'good woman' [wife Laura Brand] had slain his 'sexist teenage' self.

Taking to X, which was formerly known as Twitter, Rhian wrote: 'I had reporters and Dispatches knocking on my parents door months back asking for information on Russell Brand as we briefly dated when I was younger.

Rhian Sugden broken her silence and discussed her short lived fling with Russell Brand after Saturday's bombshell Dispatches documentary.

Allegations: She claimed Russell joined the No More Page 3 campaign in 2014 after failing to 's**g his way through' its list of models

'He was always very pleasant to me and treated me well.

'Despite him attempting to s*** his way through other page 3 girls and getting declined he soon went full circle and joined a "No More Page 3 campaign" to get us shut down'.

Adding: 'I can't comment on the allegations that have been made against him, I've no scoop on the fella except his hair used to smell bad and he definitely wasn't the one that got away.(sic)'

One woman has alleged Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home, while another accused him of grooming her as they were involved in an allegedly 'emotionally abusive and controlling relationship' for three months when she was just 16 and still at school, and he was 31.

A third accuser claimed the comic 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, and a fourth detailed the alleged sexual, physical and emotional abuse she was subjected to.

Allegations about Russell's 'sinister' behaviour towards women were an 'open secret' among TV and radio executives, it has been claimed.

Bosses at the BBC and Channel 4 are accused of turning a blind eye towards the entertainer's behaviour while he worked for them as a presenter between 2006 and 2013.

The broadcasters have insisted they took all necessary steps over him, but executives could still be called before a Government select committee where MPs will grill them over what they knew.

Speaking out: The Glamour model Rhian insisted while nothing untoward happened when they were together

EX: Taking to Twitter, Rhian wrote: 'I had reporters and Dispatches knocking on my parents door months back asking for information on Russell Brand as we briefly dated when I was younger'

Good cause? The Get Him To The Greek star came out in support of the campaign claiming the love of a 'good woman' [wife Laura Brand ] had slain his 'sexist teenage' self

Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by multiple women, including one who says she was 16 at the time.

His behaviour is alleged to have been common knowledge among female performers on the comedy circuit, who are said to warned each other about him.

rand has posted a video on YouTube and Twitter refuting the allegations and insisted relationships at the time of his promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

However, his attitude towards women is alleged to have been an open secret in radio and TV production, according to sources who briefed The Sunday Times.

He also has a history of making high-profile and controversial remarks about women on his shows - including calling newsreader Andrea Simmons 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.

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.

Shocking: In a string of allegations, the 48-year-old comedian was accused of sexual assaults and abusive and predatory behaviour between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame. He has denied the allegations (pictured on Saturday)

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'

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.
Alex Reid's fiancee Nikki Manashe has shared a slew of adorable snaps of their family of five, after welcoming their 'miracle' twin boys in June.

Nikki, 36, gave birth by caesarean section to their non-identical sons after a traumatic pregnancy and a gruelling seven-year IVF battle.

The couple welcomed their first child Anastasia in 2021 after six miscarriages, while Alex is also father to Dolly, eight, from his past relationship with Chantelle Houghton

The photos show Anastasia wearing a sweet bow in her hair and posing with her sleeping little brothers.

The two boys, named Phoenix Bobby and Hunter George, are seen lying tucked under a blue blanket together.

Touching: Alex Reid 's fiancee Nikki Manashe has shared a slew of adorable snaps of their family of five, after welcoming their 'miracle' twin boys in June

Siblings: The couple welcomed their first child Anastasia (pictured) in 2021 after six miscarriages, while Alex is also father to Dolly, eight, from his past relationship with Chantelle Houghton

Long journey: Nikki, 36, gave birth by caesarean section to their non-identical sons after a traumatic pregnancy and a gruelling seven-year IVF battle

Other heartwarming shots show the twin babies asleep under blankets embroidered with their names.

After the twins' birth, Nikki spoke exclusively to MailOnline about the moment she held her sons for the first time.

She said it was 'magic' after 'a decade of crying and sadness, heartache and pain' from their struggle to conceive.

'To just have them in my arms. I am complete now. I have my family and I never need to revisit that dark place again,' Nikki said.

'All those different surgeries from miscarrying and injecting myself. All those hospital appointments. It was worth it.'

The moment was all the more incredible after the couple who were told by doctors their boys had just a 1% chance of survival when Nikki's waters broke unexpectedly 18 weeks into the pregnancy.

Last year, Nikki, who was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and put on the right medication to help her become a mum, fell pregnant with twins after she was implanted with two embryos.

One was seven-years-old while the other embroyo was one remaining from her IVF cycle from when she fell pregnant with her daughter.

Big sister: The photos show Anastasia wearing a sweet bow in her hair and posing with her sleeping little brothers

Adorable: The two boys, named Phoenix Bobby and Hunter George, are seen lying tucked under a blue blanket together

Sweet: Other heartwarming shots show the twin babies asleep under blankets embroidered with their names

Opening up: After the twins' birth, Nikki spoke exclusively to MailOnline about the moment she held her sons for the first time.

The pregnancy was going well until 18 weeks in, Nikki suffered a Premature Rupture Of Membranes (PROM), leading to a high risk of sepsis and going into labour early.

The couple were advised to terminate because of the risk to Nikki's life, but, desperate to be a mother-of-three, she determinably carried on with her twins who defied all odds.

At 36 weeks, Nikki had a C-section after water levels dropped in Phoenix's amniotic sac.

The influencer admitted she was terrified to have the operation and the sheer relief of having Phoenix and Hunter delivered safely after such a traumatic pregnancy is overwhelming.

She said: 'I thought if I die here and have brought them into this world, I've done my job.

'It's ok done what I've wanted to do which is bring them here safely. I'm so proud of myself. It is such a relief for me.

'I never have to go through pregnancy again. I can close a dark chapter of my life.'

Nikki said Alex was equally as worried when she was wheeled to the operating theatre, but could hear his cries of joy when he saw his boys for the first time.

Incredible moment: She said it was 'magic' after 'a decade of crying and sadness, heartache and pain' from their struggle to conceive

Amazing: The moment was all the more incredible after the couple who were told by doctors their boys had just a 1% chance of survival when Nikki's waters broke unexpectedly 18 weeks into the pregnancy

She said: 'He was really nervous, really scared for them. All I could hear was "my boys". He was very overwhelmed.'

Explaining the reason behind the name Phoenix Bobby, who was born weighing 4lbs 8oz, Nikki said: 'The name is perfect for him. He continued to grow against all odds, his waters broke.

'His name represents strength, resilience, determination. He rose from the ashes and came out stronger than ever.'

Phoenix's middle name, Bobby, is a moving tribute to Alex's father Bob who passed away from a brain tumour some years ago.

Hunter George, meanwhile, was born weighing 5lbs 8oz and is named after Nikki's grandfather and great uncle.

The influencer, who is still in hospital, revealed both boys are doing well but are on antibiotics as a precaution and are undergoing blood tests.

She said: 'The boys are ok, they are so tiny. The premature baby grows are a tiny bit too big.

'They both have cannulas in their hands and they're all wrapped up in bandages and bruised because they are so little.

Scare: The pregnancy was going well until 18 weeks in, Nikki suffered a Premature Rupture Of Membranes (PROM), leading to a high risk of sepsis and going into labour early

Baby joy: Doctors booked Nikki in for a C-section 36 weeks into her pregnancy after water levels dropped in Phoenix's amniotic sac and she delivered them safely on Wednesday

'They have a little bit of jaundice, just because they were a bit premature. They're feeding ok.'

Nikki is looking forward to returning home to her daughter and Alex to start their exciting new chapter.

'I can focus on happy times moving forward. I can't express the kind of love. Being a mum is all I've ever, ever wanted in life. Here I am. It's taken time.'
Natalie Portman put on a stunning display as she danced across the beach as she modelled for a Dior commercial on Wednesday.

The actress, 42, appeared in jovial spirits as she flashed a huge grin while filming, despite allegations her husband Benjamin Millepied cheated on her.

But she appeared to put her reported troubles behind her as she threw her all into the gorgeous shoot for the luxury French fashion house.

For the occasion, Natalie looked as glamorous as ever in a sheer black jewel-encrusted gown with a floating skirt.

Her elegant number was embellished with an array of colourful jewels and beads which dazzled in the sunlight as she frolicked across the beach.

Wow! Natalie Portman put on a stunning display as she danced across the beach while filming a new shoot for Dior on Wednesday

All smiles: The actress, 42, appeared in jovial spirits as she flashed a huge grin while shooting, despite allegations her husband Benjamin Millepied cheated on her

Having fun: But she appeared to put her reported troubles behind her as she threw her all into the gorgeous shoot for the luxury French fashion house

Natalie showed off her natural beauty with a dewy make-up palette and appeared in good spirits as she smiled and laughed during filming.

The Thor star showed off her moves as she danced across the beach and wafted her floating skirt around, giving a glimpse of her toned pins.

She also ran her hands through her hair and was seen walking down to the shoreline and looking out to sea in another gorgeous shot.

In between takes, Natalie was seen sporting a blue robe as a member of the production crew held an umbrella up for her as she walked down to the beach.

It is the second time Natalie has been seen filming for Dior this week, as she was also seen sporting a glamorous red dress while shooting on the beach in Spain.

Natalie has worked with Dior since 2011, when she became a spokesmodel for the brand's Miss Dior fragrance, a role she still holds now.

Amid her busy schedule, Natalie has been facing problems in her 11-year marriage to Benjamin Millepied due to cheating allegations.

Last month, it was reported that the French producer, 46, had an alleged affair with climate change activist Camille Etienne and, as a result, the pair are speculated to be headed for separation.

Stunning: For the occasion, Natalie looked as glamorous as ever in a sheer black jewel-encrusted gown with a floating skirt

Boogie: The Thor star showed off her moves as she danced across the beach and wafted her floating skirt around, giving a glimpse of her toned pins

Glam: She also ran her hands through her hair as she appeared to nail the stunning shoot

Gorgeous: Her elegant number was embellished with an array of colourful jewels and beads which dazzled in the sunlight

Dancing: Natalie showed off her natural beauty with a dewy make-up palette and appeared in good spirits as she smiled and laughed during filming

Frolicking: Natalie was seen grinning as she ran her hands across her hair for one scene

Elegant: She put on a very glamorous display in her eye-catching gown while chatting to her make-up artist

Serious: She was seen walking down to the shoreline and looking out to sea in another gorgeous shot

Sun-kissed: Natalie soaked up the sun as she gave her all to dancing on the beach

Set: Natalie was seen walking down to the shoreline as the crew set up for filming

Since then, both Natalie and Benjamin have been spotted without their wedding rings as they continue to co-parent their two children.

The longtime couple share son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, six, and earlier this month, they reunited in the French capital and were spotted taking a stroll with their two kids.

The pair looked tense and did not have their wedding rings on but appeared to be putting on a united front amid swirling rumours about their marriage woes.

Back in June, French outlet Voici shared an explosive report that claimed Benjamin had an affair with a 25-year-old climate activist named Camille Etienne.

People reported that Benajmin's romance with Camille was 'short-lived' and is now 'over' and a source told the outlet he was 'doing all he could' to get 'Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together'.

The insider revealed: 'He knows he made an enormous mistake and he is doing all he can to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together.'

The source also said that Natalie is continuing to be 'incredibly private' as she 'has no intention of playing this out in the media'.

'Her biggest priority is protecting her children and their privacy,' she added.

Grinning: Natalie was seen laughing with members of the crew in-between takes

Keeping busy: Natalie appeared to brush off her alleged marriage woes as she laughed with the crew

Fashionista: Natalie looked as glamorous as ever in her sparkling gown, while she opted to go barefoot on the beach

Stylish: Natalie let her outfit do all the talking as she kept her accessories minimal

Busy: Natalie looked incredible in her intricately designed gown as she filmed for Dior

Balmy day: Natalie enjoyed the sunny weather as she filmed the beach scenes

Touch ups: Natalie was seen chatting to the crew as she had her hair done on the beachside set

Work: Natalie has worked with Dior since 2011, when she became a spokesmodel for the brand's Miss Dior fragrance, a role she still holds now

Show-stopping: Natalie made sure to turn heads in her dazzling gown while filming

Break: In between takes, Natalie was seen sporting a blue robe as a member of the production crew held an umbrella up for her as she walked down to the beach

Filming: Natalie was seen standing in the sun as she made the most of the weather in-between takes

Directed: Natalie was seen chatting with members of the crew as they perfected the scenes

Model: Natalie has worked with Dior for more than 10 years and continues to wow in their perfume commercials

Hard times: Amid her busy schedule, Natalie has been facing problems in her 11-year marriage to Benjamin Millepied (both pictured in March 2022) due to cheating allegations

The pair first met on set of Black Swan in 2009 when Benjamin was recruited to choreograph the film and train Natalie to dance ballet, and she immediately knew he was 'the person' for her.

Natalie immediately knew he was 'the person' for her and, by the time filming wrapped, the pair had fallen in love and started dating.

A year later, the couple had gotten engaged and were also expecting their first child together.

They welcomed their first child, son Aleph, in 2011, and shortly after, they tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in California. Six years later, they welcomed their daughter Amalia.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley proved to be her own best advert as she shared snaps of herself to Instagram on Sunday morning.

The British model, 36, posed in a blue balconette bra and knickers set from her own lingerie line, Rosie.

She displayed her slender figure in the gorgeous underwear, while opting to wear a nude thong beneath the sheer blue bottoms.

Rosie's high waisted two-piece set boasted floral lace edging and tiny cut out detailing at its centre.

The stunner wrote in the caption alongside the photographs: 'Obsessed with this new set from Rosie Lingerie.'

Wow! Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 36, proved to be her own best advert as she shared snaps of herself to Instagram on Sunday morning

Gorgeous: The British model posed in a blue balconette bra and knickers set from her own lingerie line, Rosie

Incredible: She displayed her slender figure in the gorgeous underwear, while opting to wear a nude thong beneath the sheer blue bottoms

Rosie and Jason Statham, 56, who have been together since 2010, got engaged in 2016 and have insisted they are in no hurry to rush their wedding preparations.

The couple share Jack, six, and Isabella, 18 month, and back in 2018 when their son was born, Rosie told ET that the wedding wasn't a 'huge priority.'

She said: 'We're looking forward to that time. It's also not a huge priority for us; we're so happy.

'I think it will be fun to do it when the baby's grown up a bit and he can be involved in the wedding.'

Rosie has previously described the 'shift in identity' she experienced after becoming a mother, which felt like 'mourning the loss of [her] old life'.

Speaking in an interview with Net-A-Porter's PORTER magazine in 2021, she explained: 'For a period after I had my first son, there was a real shift in identity, and a sort of mourning of the loss of your old life, and who you were.'

Expanding on the transition from model to mother, Rosie added: 'I just remember feeling like the rug was pulled out from underneath me.

'I'd had all these years of being really independent, being able to come and go as I wished, being self-employed to a degree, calling the shots, and then suddenly having [something] that really anchored me to home life.'
Channel Nine's flagship home renovation program The Block is losing the ratings war as frustrated viewers switch to competing reality shows.

The reality show, hosted by Scott Cam, has lost 20 per cent of its viewers in its current 19th season, losing the top spot to Seven's My Kitchen Rules.

Meanwhile, the Manu Feildel-hosted cooking show scored 622,000 metro viewers on Wednesday, comfortably beating The Block's comparatively small 526,000.

An industry insider told The Daily Telegraph these numbers were a bad omen for Cam's show.

Channel Nine's flagship home renovation program The Block is losing the ratings war as frustrated viewers switch to competing reality shows. Pictured: Host Scott Cam

'The collapse of The Block is seriously bad news for Nine, as it was one of their biggest shows and the bookend to the year for them,' they said.

They added that dating show Married At First Sight was one of the few successful reality shows Nine still had, following a string of underperforming programs.

However, it should be noted The Block is known to experience a mid-season ratings dip before surging up for the finale, so critics shouldn't write off the show just yet.

The Scott Cam hosted reality show has lost 20 per cent of its viewers in its current 19th season, losing the top spot to Seven's My Kitchen Rules. Pictured: Queensland contestant Leah

It comes amid reports viewers have branded this season of The Block as 'toxic' and 'disturbing' thanks to the constant squabbles and bullying among the Blockheads.

And contestants have now become upset with the way they've been portrayed on the show, new reports claim.

Speaking to Yahoo! Lifestyle, an insider said several stars have been left 'devastated' by their on-screen edit, adding: 'The tension which keeps building as the series goes on has also shocked the contestants.'

Seven's My Kitchen Rules scored 622,000 metro viewers on Wednesday, comfortably beating The Block's comparatively small 526,000

'What happened during filming isn't matching most of the contestants' ideas on who would be popular with viewers. I'd say it is almost in reverse,' they added.

The source warned that an 'all out war is brewing' between the contestants, many of whom were apparently cast specifically to cause drama.

Meanwhile, dedicated viewers have complained that the Block has become a 'downer' by focusing too much on 'drama' and not enough on home renovations.

Taking to Reddit to air their grievances, viewers have thrown shade on the new episodes calling it a 'soap opera' and comparing it to MAFS.

The low ratings is just over half the million plus viewers The Block used to attract in 2018
Strictly Come Dancing pro couple Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington are reportledy set to rival the BBC's offical tour with their own.

The news comes amid reports that Ukrainian beauty Nadiya, 34, was left 'seething' after not being paired with a celeb partner for the new series.

Kai, 28, is said to be joining his girlfriend seemingly in a sign of solidarity despite bosses teaming him up with with TV legend Angela Rippon, 78.

The couple, who have been dating since January 2022, will tour the country for a second time with their show Once Upon A Time in 2024, with dates yet to be confirmed but last year's clashed with Strictly's arena tour schedule.

A source told The Mirror: 'They found love on and off the dance floor and Nadiya and Kai's chemistry was such a hit they have been asked to do a second tour next year, this time closing in Kai's hometown of Southampton. They're in huge demand.'

Big news: Strictly Come Dancing pro couple Nadiya Bychkova, 34, and Kai Widdrington, 28, are reportledy set to rival the BBC's offical tour with their very own (pictured together earlier this

Fuming: The news comes amid reports that Ukrainian beauty Nadiya was left 'seething' after not being paired with a celeb partner for the new series

MailOnline have contacted Nadiya and Kai's representatives for comment.

Nadiya joined the show back in 2017 and has had a celebrity partner every year since.

And fans were left furious at the BBC's decision to not give the pro one of their 15 celebrities to dance with, but bosses have hit back saying that there are many factors which determine whether a dancer is chosen to be given a celebrity partner or not, including height and how many years they have been on Strictly.

Corporation sources say that when this year's stars and professionals met, there was no chemistry between Ms Bychkova and the male contestants.

One told the Mail: 'Nadiya was very surprised when she learned she would merely be part of he wider dance troupe. She felt like she had done well since she joined the show, so it was a shock.

'She wanted answers so she held several meetings with the bosses so she could get some answers. She is accepting it now.'

In addition The Sun claims that the reason she was snubbed is because the only male tall enough to be partnered with her was EastEnders star Bobby Brazier, 20, - and there was an 'uncomfortable' 14-year age gap between the pair.

Meanwhile the couple are reportedly making the behind the scenes crew feel awkward with their 'over the top' displays of affection.

Sticking together: Kai is said to be joining his girlfriend seemingly in a sign of solidarity despite bosses teaming him up with with TV legend Angela Rippon , 78, for the latest series (pictured together)

Loved up: Meanwhile the couple are reportedly making the behind the scenes crew feel awkward with their 'over the top' displays of affection (pictured earlier this year)

They have been dating since January 2022 and appear to still be going strong as they 'struggle to keep their hands off each other'.

According to The Sun the two were kissing, cuddling and making a 'spectacle' during breaks in filming Saturday's pre-recorded launch episode.

A source told the publication: 'Nadiya and Kai were all over each other during filming and could barely keep their hands off each other.

'It was over the top and awkward for everyone around them.

And while Nadiya has not been paired with a celebrity partner this year the source said she has her beau at her 'beck and call'.

'They definitely seemed to be flaunting their relationship and enjoying the attention.'

The BBC declined to comment, MailOnline have also approached Nadiya and Kai's representatives for comment.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Voters in Yerevan on Sunday headed to the polls to elect a new City Council which will in turn elect a new Mayor.

475 polling stations encompassing 10 electoral districts in the Armenian capital opened at 08:00. The voting will end at 20:00.

13 political parties and 1 bloc are running for office.

824,250 citizens are eligible to vote in the elections, according to data released by the ministry of internal affairs.
Maya Jama stunned in a black bikini before getting candid about the filming of Love Island Games on Saturday.

The Love Island host, 29, took to her Instagram Stories to share a throwback snap of herself and DJ Tiffany Calver as she marked her pal's birthday.

In the snap, Maya looked incredible in a black two-piece as she stuck her tongue out for a playful pose alongside radio presenter Tiffany, 29.

'Happy birthday to my good sis @tiffanycalver,' she wrote alongside the snap.

Maya is currently in Fiji for the upcoming spin-off series Love Island Games and gave an insight into filming on Saturday.

Glowing: Maya Jama stunned in a black bikini before getting candid about the filming of Love Island Games on Saturday

She shared a snap of herself wrapped up in a dressing gown with her hair in a very messy up-do as she told how she had been up late filming.

She wrote: 'Late night filming last night so didn't wash my mascara off properly, don't judge me.'

Teasing fans about the much-anticipated series, she went on: 'Side note, really excited for you to see this show, I feel it's gonna be majorrrrr.'

A whole host of stars have already been revealed as contestants of Love Island Games, ahead of the show's arrival on Peacock in the US in November.

Megan Barton Hanson, 29, and Curtis Pritchard, 27, have 'already jetted off to film the new series' with host Maya, according to The Sun.

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]?'

Megan rose to fame on series four of Love Island in 2018 and made it all the way to the final with then boyfriend Wes Nelson.

Busy! Maya is currently in Fiji filming for the upcoming spin-off series Love Island Games and gave an insight into filming on Saturday as she shared a selfie after a long day hard at work

The Love Island spin-off show, which is yet to announce the full cast, will feature more former stars from the UK, US and Aussie versions.

According to The Sun, Danica Taylor, 22, who appeared on the UK show last year, will also to be taking part in the spin-off show.

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.

Last month, Maya excitedly revealed that she had landed a new job as the host of the first ever Love Island spin-off series.

Ready for love... again: A whole host of stars have already been revealed as contestants of Love Island Games, including Megan Barton Hanson

Signed up? Megan and Curtis Pritchard , 27, have 'already jetted off to film the new series' with host Maya, according to reports

She's back: Danica Taylor, 22, who appeared on the UK show last year, has reportedly also been announced to be taking part in the spin-off show

The series will reunite her with Iain Stirling, known for his narration on both the UK and US editions of the show.

Maya announced the exciting news in a video on Instagram, saying: 'It's going to be amazing!'

The international series will see the stars 'faced with both team and couples' challenges, all while navigating dating, eliminations, recoupling and dramatic new arrivals'.

The show is set to make its debut on November 1 with new episodes streaming six days a week on Peacock, before making its way to UK screens.
Jessie Wallace showed off her sparkling diamond engagement ring as she headed to a jewellers in central London on Saturday.

The EastEnders star, 51, looked effortlessly stylish in a floating white dress with green embroidered patterns as she strolled through the city.

She kept comfortable in a pair of yellow sliders and kept her essentials slung over one shoulder in a black handbag.

Jessie shielded her eyes with oversized grey sunglasses and accessorised her look with silver hoop earrings and an array of silver and pearl bracelets.

She showed off her diamond sparkler during the outing and also toted a small shopping bag.

Stylish outing: Jessie Wallace showed off her sparkling diamond engagement ring as she headed to a jewellers in central London on Saturday

Dazzler: She showed off her diamond sparkler during the outing and also toted a small shopping bag, months after getting engaged to her carpenter partner Justin Gallwey

Jessie confirmed her engagement to her carpenter partner Justin Gallwey with a sweet Instagram post in February.

Announcing her happy news at the time, she shared a cosy snap with her partner and wrote: 'My fiance and moi' in an accompanying caption.

The pair have been together for at least a year and their engagement had previously been reported before they confirmed the news.

Jessie downplayed rumours she was already married to Justin last summer after referring to him as her 'husband'.

She prompted inevitable speculation across social media with an Instagram post, in which she hinted at something more than a committed relationship.

Sharing a photo of herself wrapped in Justin's arms as they relaxed in a London pub, Jessie added the simple caption: 'My hubby.'

Jessie and Justin are said to have known each other since they were teenagers.

Justin hinted at his plans to propose last July, commenting on a photo of Jessie and her friend Jaime Winstone modelling matching costume jewellery on the set of a special flashback episode of EastEnders.

Chic: The EastEnders star, 51, looked effortlessly stylish in a floating white dress with green embroidered patterns as she strolled through the city

Glam: She kept comfortable in a pair of yellow sliders and kept her essentials slung over one shoulder in a black handbag

Taking to Instagram, he wrote: 'See I told you you would have a ring on that finger by the end of the year.'

It was previously reported Justin had been helping Jessie to battle her booze demons after she was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

He told The Sun on Sunday: 'I just want to protect her. Everything is happy and things are good.'

Justin, who is said to keep a Jessie doll from Toy Story in his van, told The Sun last year: 'Our relationship is fine. We are very close.'

Speaking of the police incident, he added: 'I have made my apologies and so has Jessie.'

Big news! Jessie confirmed her engagement to her carpenter partner Justin Gallwey with a sweet Instagram post in February

Speculation: Jessie downplayed rumours she was married to Justin last summer after referring to him as her 'husband'. They are said to have known each other since they were teenagers

Jessie expressed her deep regret' after she allegedly told a police officer to 'f*** off you fat c***' during 'five minutes of carnage' outside a nightclub.

The star, who plays barmaid Kat Slater in BBC soap EastEnders, allegedly kneed the officer in the groin before she was arrested and placed into a police van, but she was later released without charge.

She was warned by BBC chiefs that her behaviour was 'unacceptable' after the incident, with Jessie expressing her 'deep regret'.

A BBC spokesman told MailOnline at the time: 'Senior bosses have spoken to Jessie Wallace about the incident and issued a clear warning that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Jessie has expressed her deep regret.'
Paul Hollywood is reportedly set to marry his girlfriend Melissa Spalding this week on the same island he met his ex-wife.

The Great British Bake Off star, 57, has been in a relationship with the pub landlady, 39, for the past three years and is said to have quietly proposed in 2022.

In pictures obtained by The Sun, the couple were pictured catching rays and relaxing on a beach near the five-star venue with their loved ones.

Paul donned a pair of bright orange swimming trunks as he ran into the sea to cool off.

Sources told The Sun Paul and Melissa are expecting 75 guests, including celebrity pals, such as fellow show judge Prue Leith.

Wedding: Paul Hollywood is reportedly set to marry his girlfriend Melissa Spalding this week on the same island where he met his ex-wife

They said: 'People privately think it's odd he's marrying here because he has so many memories of his first wife connected to the hotel.

'He gets treated like royalty by the owners, but what must Melissa think?

'She's following in the same footsteps where he had another woman on his arm. He publicly talks of how precious the memories are for him at the Anassa. But they all involve other women.'

The TV star was married to his ex-wife Alexandra for 19 years but they announced their split in 2017. Their relationship broke down over cheating allegations.

The couple met while they were both living in Cyprus and later married in the country.

Following their break-up, Paul went public with his romance with Summer Monteys-Fullam, 26, but they then announced their split in 2019.

Sources close the couple said of their engagement: 'Paul proposed some months ago, but they have been keeping it very quiet since then.

'It's only in the past month that she has begun wearing her engagement ring out in public, and sharing their news with friends.

'There are no wedding plans in place yet.'

Split: The TV star was married to his ex-wife Alexandra for 19 years but they announced their split in 2017. Their relationship broke down over cheating allegations

Insiders suggested that Paul asked Melissa to marry him over Easter earlier this year, but she has only just started wearing her engagement ring publicly.

Last year it was revealed Paul was living with his new girlfriend in the countryside home that he bought with his former lover, Summer.

Melissa moved into Paul's 18th-century farmhouse after the owners of The Chequers Inn in Smarden, Kent, where she was living, put it up for sale.

Friends previously spoke about how the couple saying they are 'madly in love'.

'Paul and Melissa spent a lot of time together in lockdown,' said a friend. 'They bubbled up together and stayed at his house. Now she is there for good. They are delightfully happy, though it must be a bit strange given it was bought for Summer.'

The baker met Melissa at The Chequers Inn where he was a regular.

They confirmed their relationship in December 2019 after previously denying they had sparked up a romance.

The TV judge had repeatedly denied that he was enjoying a romance after their friendship was revealed in August 2019 following his split from Summer.

However, after the couple spent Christmas Day at the pub, a spokesman for Paul told the Mail On Sunday: 'They are very happily together.'

GBBO: Sources told The Sun Paul and Melissa are expecting 75 guests, including celebrity pals, such as fellow show judge Prue Leith (Paul pictured with his Great British Bake Off co-stars)

It is understood that the couple headed on a mini break shortly after Christmas of the same year.

A source close to the couple said: 'Melissa was pulling pints and cleaning tables on Christmas Day so they didnt get to spend much time together, but they are away now.'

In November 2019, the pair were spotted holding hands by the pool at the five-star Annabelle hotel in Paphos, Cyprus.

Melissa has previously used Paul's credentials to help her at the pub as he judged a bake sale.

In a screenshot of the pub landlady's Facebook, obtained by The Sun, her post read: 'Who will be our Smarden star baker?'

'Paul Hollywood will be judging your delicious cakes in a winner takes all competition.'

At the time, Paul was settling his divorce and battled for his 10million fortune from his wife Alex out of court.

The TV baker's ex-girlfriend Summer also revealed that she was taking her former flame to court for 4,000 over her two horse shelters, built at his 800,000 Kent farmhouse earlier in the year.

Ex: The TV baker's ex-girlfriend Summer Monteys-Fullam, 26, revealed she was taking her former flame to court for 4,000 over her two horse shelters, built at his 800,000 Kent farmhouse earlier in the year

Summer claimed she'd been left with 'no alternative' but to take legal action against the Bake Off judge four months after they ended their two-year relationship.

She told MailOnline: 'All I have ever wanted was to get back what is rightfully mine - stuff I bought with my own savings... he's punishing my horses with his spite.'

The social media influencer purchased the first stable when she moved her horses to his Grade II-listed home in January, and built the second in March for her mare who was pregnant.

'I'm incredibly disappointed that I've had to choose this course of action against Paul,' she said. 'Dealing with Paul is a nightmare - everything is done through his lawyers.'

Paul and Summer split over the summer after she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement, as requested by the Bake Off star.
TOWIE's Clelia Theodorou has confirmed she welcomed her first child with boyfriend Tommy Cole on Saturday.

The reality star, 28, shared adorable first snaps of her newborn daughter on Instagram, revealing they have named her Cielo Elizabeth Cole.

Alongside a picture of the three of them, Tommy wrote: 'The moment we were desperately waiting for came 2 weeks and 2 days early on September 16th 2023 at 6.53pm and we couldn't be happier.

'Mummy and Daddy's little miracle, Cielo Elizabeth Cole decided enough was enough and she was ready to meet us!

'The respect I have for @cleliatheodorou is immense. She managed to deliver her naturally with just gas and air in just a few hours. A real life superwoman. Both Mum & Baby are doing so well.'

Congratulations: TOWIE's Clelia Theodorou has confirmed she welcomed her first child with boyfriend Tommy Cole on Saturday

Alongside a picture of the three of them, Tommy wrote: 'The moment we were desperately waiting for came 2 weeks and 2 days early on September 16th 2023 at 6.53pm and we couldn't be happier.'

Her famous friends were quick to congratulate her, with Olivia Attwood penning: 'Already so in love with her so proud of you both'

Ferne McCann wrote: 'Congratulations', while Georgia Kousoulou writing: 'Aww congratulations you two.'

Clelia and Tommy announced they were expecting their first child together in March, as Clelia took to Instagram to share a sweet montage video with fans.

In the clip she revealed her pregnancy test and baby scans, and showed off her blossoming bump.

She also shared an image of a baby grow in the video, which had the Canadian flag and Union Jack, along with the words: 'Made in Canada... Coming to Essex... October 2023.'

The reality star captioned her post: 'It's been too hard keeping this one to ourselves, but we are beyond excited to tell you all that our little one is on the way! We cannot wait to meet you baby Cole.'

Clelia revealed she was dating Tommy in June 2021 when a fan quizzed her over the nature of their relationship.

It comes after Clelia revealed she has broken both her legs and feet after a horror car crash at the end of May which left her hospitalised.

The former TOWIE star detailed her 'painful' injuries as she provided a health updated via Instagram on Wednesday.

The TV personality, whose mother was tragically killed in the terrifying accident, revealed she has undergone 'three surgeries' and 'still has another to get through'.

Clelia said she is 'taking each day as it comes' and gushed that their little bundle of joy is 'keeping her going' everyday and 'making her more determined' to get better.

She wrote: 'My reality - 35 weeks pregnant, two broken legs and two broken feet. Broke more bones than I even knew you had in your feet and I'll forever be setting off metal detectors at airports.

'Three surgeries later, the healing process is going well. It's a long, slow process but I'm getting there.

'I still have another surgery to get through and there have been hard some pushbacks, unforeseen delays and a lot of pain along the way but the main thing is our little baby is battling through it with me, keeping me going each day, making me more determined and giving me so much strength, more than I ever I thought I would have in a situation as difficult as this.

Sweet: The reality star, 28, shared adorable first snaps of her newborn daughter on Instagram, revealing they have named her Cielo Elizabeth Cole

Her famous friends were quick to congratulate her, with Olivia Attwood penning: 'Already so in love with her so proud of you both'

Couple: Clelia revealed she was dating Tommy in June 2021 when a fan quizzed her over the nature of their relationship.

'It would be a dream to be standing, up on my feet before our bundle of joy arrives but I just have to take each day as it comes.

Clelia thanked partner Tommy for being 'supportive' and for becoming her 'full time carer' after 'the worst day of her life'.'

She continued: 'Having never broke a bone in my body or experienced anything even close to the pain and discomfort I've been through, I'm truly proud of myself and my body for how far I've come since that day, the worst day of my life.

'@tommy.cole has not only been the most supportive, loving and understanding partner but he's also had to turn into being my full time carer and I couldn't get through a single day without him.

'I can't thank you enough my love @tommy.cole for your unconditional care & love.'

Alongside the message, the reality star shared a gallery of snaps including one of herself in a wheelchair with two black cast boots as she cradled her baby bump in front of the mirror.

In another shot, Clelia snapped a selfie as she lay in a hospital bed while hooked up to an oxygen tube.

Taking to the comments of the post, Tommy gushed that he is 'so proud' of his girlfriend and praised her for her bravery in the wake of the traumatic event.

He wrote: 'Every day that passes is better than the day before and you'll be back on your feet before you know it!

'Very brave to post this, you're stronger than you know and I'm so proud of how far you've come.

'Plus I got some serious credit in the bank. You'll be making the teas again soon don't worry'.

Several fans and famous friends rushed to the comments to send well wishes to the TV personality, including a number of her ex TOWIE co-stars - Jess Wright, Ferne McCann and Frankie Sims.

Last month Clelia revealed that her mother passed away in a horror car crash which took place at the end of May.

Taking to Instagram, the pregnant The Only Way Is Essex star revealed that she too had been involved in the crash, which left her in hospital with 'terrible injuries' for weeks.

Although she is 'continuing to heal', she revealed her 'beautiful' mum tragically 'couldn't heal' from hers.

Clelia wrote: 'At the end of May myself and my Mum were unfortunately involved in an accident, we both suffered terrible injuries.

'I am continuing to heal from mine after weeks in hospital but it's with the biggest regret to say that my beautiful Mum couldn't heal from hers.

'The person I never, ever wanted to say goodbye to. Who loved me unconditionally, the pure definition of a mother's love.'

Heartbroken Clelia described the pain as 'paralysing' and said that the loss was beyond words.

She added: 'My heart will never heal from this, life will never ever be the same. It just doesn't feel real and it never will, I just want my mum back.'

'The worst day of my life': It comes after Clelia revealed she has broken both her legs and feet after a horror car crash at the end of May which left her hospitalised

Tragic: The TV personality, whose mother was tragically killed in the terrifying accident , revealed she has undergone 'three surgeries' and 'still has another to get through'

Clelia went on to say that her 'precious miracle baby' is doing well and 'powering throughout it all.'

Paying tribute to her mum, she added: 'I will always make sure they know how much you already loved them and I promise they will always know they had the strongest, most caring, hilarious, giving and loving Nan they could ever have dreamt of.'

'I go through multiple emotions on a daily basis and the road to my recovery physically is a long one, but our miracle baby gives me so much hope and I will do everything I can to be even half the mum to my baby that my mum was to me,' she said.

Along with the statement, the star shared a slew of throwback pictures of her and her mother.

At the time, Tommy also shared a statement explaining that he was 'away in Marbella' when he got the 'call you never want to receive in your entire lifetime'.

He wrote: 'Where do I start? To say the last 2 months of our life has been traumatic would be an understatement.

'At the end of May, I received a call whilst I was away in Marbella, to say that Cle and her Mum had been involved in a tragic accident and had both sustained very serious injuries.

'A call that you never expect to receive and one you never want to receive in your entire lifetime.

'I flew home immediately and went straight to the hospital, a place in which we would stay day & night for the next 8 weeks. A place where we would receive the best and very worst news imaginable.

'The good news was that although Cle had suffered terrible injuries, after surgery she would slowly recover and our brave little one was ok, is ok and is going to be ok. Our baby had come away unscathed, which under the circumstances is nothing short of a miracle.

'Something we are both eternally grateful for. I am immensely proud of how strong Cle has had to be throughout all of this too.'

He continued: 'It became impossible to enjoy that happiness as 2 weeks later, we lost Cle's Mum, Gill.

She fought hard, as we knew she would, but she could not recover from the injuries she had sustained. This is an extreme loss of an irreplaceable part of the family.

'An extremely special person to me, the whole family and practically anyone who she met. Gill was a tough nut with a brilliant sense of humour.

Heartbroken: Last month Clelia revealed that her mother passed away in the horror car crash which took place at the end of May

Statement: She told followers that whilst she is 'continuing to heal', she admitted that her 'beautiful' mum 'couldn't heal' from hers

'She never took herself too seriously and was happiest around other people laughing, someone who I would wind up at every possible opportunity and vice versa.

'This whole situation still doesn't feel real to me or Cle... Sometimes I'm sure you've just popped out to that nightclub, the one you used to go every night in your dressing gown with your handbag over your shoulder. I never did get an invite!

'The world can feel cruel at times, that she will never get to meet her first grandchild or that Cle won't get the opportunity to have her mothers guidance throughout this life changing journey, but I know you'll be watching over us and your memory will live on through us and our baby.

'It goes without saying that we are all hurting but genuinely touched with all the love and support we have received during this difficult time from our family and friends, who have gone over and above. We couldn't do it without you all.'

Former Miss Great Britain Clelia first appeared on TOWIE in 2018 as Dan Edgar's love interest, but she was given the axe in 2021.

The mass cull saw 10 cast members given the chop including the likes of Courtney Green and best friend Chloe Meadows, Kelsey Stratford and Harry Lee.
Kaz Crossley set pulses racing on Sunday as she showed off her toned figure in a skimpy bikini while on holiday in Spain.

The former Love Island star, 28, left little to the imagination in the colourful patterned two-piece.

Her ripped stomach and ample cleavage were on full display, while the thong bottoms showed off her pert bottom.

Kaz appeared carefree as she enjoyed a relaxing day by the pool, while sipping on a drink.

She swept her hair back behind a pink bow headband and wore several dainty gold necklaces and small matching hoop earrings.

Sizzling: Kaz Crossley set pulses racing on Sunday as she showed off her toned figure in a skimpy bikini while on holiday in Spain

Looking good: The former Love Island star, 28, left little to the imagination in the colourful patterned two-piece

Cheeky: Her ripped stomach and ample cleavage were on full display, while the thong bottoms showed off her pert bottom

It comes after the Muay Thai trainer reopened painful wounds last month, as she reflected on being questioned and held in prison in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of drug offences.

She revealed it was the 'lowest point of her life' as she discussed the 'very scary' experience of being held behind bars.

In 2020, the reality star was filmed without her knowledge, appearing to snort lines of white powder in Dubai by her 'controlling and manipulative' ex-boyfriend.

She said it 'destroyed her mental health and career' and she admitted she 'didn't leave the house for three months due to crippling anxiety'.

After flying into Abu Dhabi for a work trip following the incident, Kaz was put in jail for a week alongside a new mother and her six-month-old baby.

Speaking to GK Barry on her podcast Saving Grace podcast, Kaz discussed her traumatising experience from start to finish.

She explained: 'The Dubai thing for me is so much deeper than anything that was portrayed in the media.'

Kaz has now insisted she 'was not arrested' as she explained how she was moved jails and locked up with a newborn baby and its mother.

Having a good time: Kaz appeared carefree as she enjoyed a relaxing day by the pool, while sipping on a drink

Relaxed: She swept her hair back behind a pink bow headband and wore several dainty gold necklaces and small matching hoop earrings

She explained: 'I wasn't arrested I was just held for questioning. I was not arrested but I was inside the jail so it felt like it but I wasn't put in handcuffs.

'I was treated like any other inmate. I was taken to Dubai and then I got put in another jail for a day. This was really eye opening experience.

'Inside this jail there was a six-month-old baby in with me. In Abu Dhabi it is illegal to have kids if you're not married.

'The child was with the mother in jail and she had it in the hospital by Caesarean and the police came to the hospital and put her in jail with the baby after two days.

'She was in there for six months before I arrived. I still speak with her now but I was probably at the lowest point of my life and I was holding this tiny baby.

'It was a horrible place and it was not nice. I had nothing to wash with no clothes it was disgusting.'
Lila Moss packed on the PDA with boyfriend Yoni Helbitz while out for a leisurely stroll in London on Sunday.

The model, 20, who is the daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, 49, has been dating x for around a year, with his identity confirmed last month.

She flashed her washboard abs in a white crop top, teamed with stylish blue jeans and trainers.

Yoni donned a matching white T-shirt, while completing the look with beige trousers and black trainers.

The couple looked happy as they blissfully enjoyed a walk together before stopping off to share a passionate kiss.

Loved-up: Lila Moss packed on the PDA with boyfriend Yoni Helbitz while out for a leisurely stroll in London on Sunday

Romance: The model, 20, who is the daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, 49, has been dating x for around a year, with his identity confirmed last month

Last month, the MailOnline exclusively revealed that Lila's beau was Yoni, with the pair seen out in London frequently together over the past few months.

A source told MailOnline that the pair, who were first pictured together as friends two years ago, have been dating for around a year.

Yoni's official job title is e-commerce coordinator / fashion marketer for fashion brand Self Portrait where he has been working for just two months.

Before that, he worked as an e-commerce co-ordinator for James Lakeland Ltd and he also had a six months stint as an estate agent.

The happy couple had kept their romance relatively under wraps, yet Instagram posts by Yoni reveal that they have been enjoying each other's company for quite some time.

Casual: She flashed her washboard abs in a white crop top, teamed with stylish blue jeans and trainers

Stylish: Yoni donned a matching white T-shirt, while completing the look with beige trousers and black trainers

Looking good: Model Lila accessorised with a brown belt and handbag

Looking good: She went makeup free during the outing and styled her blonde locks straight

PDA: The couple looked happy as they blissfully enjoyed a walk together before stopping off to share a passionate kiss

Couple: Last month, the MailOnline exclusively revealed that Lila's beau was Yoni, with the pair seen out in London frequently together over the past few months

Love: A source told MailOnline that the pair, who were first pictured together as friends two years ago, have been dating for around a year

And the couple certainly appear to be enamoured with each other, with one photo showing the pair posing for a romantic snap with their cheeks touching and Lila's arm draped over his shoulder.

While another snap shows the young lovers out and about on a city walk, and while model Lila is happy to pose for a picture, Yoni adopts a playful scowl for the camera.

Lila and Yoni have also enjoyed sun-soaked romantic holidays together in the past, with one photo shared by Yoni at the end of last year showing the couple on a beach break together.

And while his girlfriend is used to the camera, she pulled a hilarious unimpressed face as Yoni snapped a photo of her.

They've even headed to Disneyland together, with a picture showing the duo enjoying a lavish dinner with friends in 2021.

The duo certainly let their hair down during the occasion, with Lila seen dressed as Tinkerbell while Yoni was suited and booted as Prince Charming.

Here he is: Last month, the MailOnline exclusively revealed that the identity of Lila's beau was Yoni, with the pair seen out in London frequently together over the past few months

Meanwhile, Lila and Yoni appeared to have headed on a countryside staycation last June and student Yoni appeared keen to document the trip with a bikini-clad snap of his girl in a field.

The fashion marketer's page also featured several snaps of himself enjoying dinner dates and days out with Lila amid their blossoming romance.

Though Yoni is happy to share images of his famous girlfriend on social media, Lila keeps her page relatively professional, with her Instagram mainly filled with modelling shots of herself.

Amid their city walks and holidays, Yoni no doubt has to pull himself away from his model love seeing as he's still studying and will finish his degree next year.
It was following a telephone conversation between Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni that the Elysee announced Gerald Darmanin's visit to Italy "in the coming days". The Minister of the Interior will meet his counterpart Matteo Piantedosi there to discuss the situation on the island of Lampedusa, where thousands of migrants have arrived in a few days, overwhelming local reception structures.

The Head of State and the head of the Italian government committed during their meeting to "strengthen cooperation at the European level (...) to find effective, immediate and longer-term solutions to this crisis", specified the Elysee. Emmanuel Macron and Georgia Meloni also spoke of joint action which could be carried out by Paris and Rome in the Mediterranean, added the French presidency, without further details.

Between Monday and Wednesday, around 8,500 people, more than the entire population of Lampedusa, arrived aboard 199 boats, according to figures from the United Nations migration agency. The migrant reception center built on the Italian island is planned for fewer than 400 people. This migration crisis has been the subject of intense diplomatic activity for 48 hours.

Emmanuel Macron defended a duty of European solidarity with Italy while Berlin has just suspended the voluntary reception of asylum seekers from this country due to strong migratory pressure and the refusal of Rome to apply European agreements.

The time has come first for solidarity with Italy, and also for the mobilization of the European Union, said French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Saturday during a telephone conference bringing together the Ministers of the Interior French, Italian and German.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will travel to Lampedusa on Sunday, at the invitation of Georgia Meloni who, at the head of a right-wing and far-right coalition, denounces migratory pressure " unsustainable for his country.
Twenty-eight departments in a large western half of the country, from Nouvelle-Aquitaine to Ile-de-France, are still on orange alert for thunderstorms on Sunday September 17 in the evening, an intense episode being feared with hail, gusts of wind and torrential rain in places.

Tristan Amm, forecaster at Meteo-France, explained to Agence France-Presse to expect storms which (should) begin to form from New Aquitaine during the afternoon.  They will go up to Normandy until the middle of the night, passing through Centre-Val de Loire and Ile-de-France, he detailed.

These will be intense thunderstorms. We can expect hail, significant lightning strikes, wind gusts that can exceed 100 km/h, and rain that can seem torrential, quite brief most of the time, he said. added. Meteo-France forecasts up to 40 millimeters of precipitation per hour.

The national meteorological institute had placed 33 departments on orange alert on Sunday, from New Aquitaine to Normandy via Ile-de-France. There were still 28 left after 8 p.m., but France will not be done with storms yet.

The situation is unstable across the entire country which is affected by a mass of warm and humid air very conducive to the formation of thunderstorms, when the hot air butts up with the colder air above , explained Mr. Amm.

During the night from Sunday to Monday, "there will be other storms which will form and come up from the Mediterranean via Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur, the lower Rhone valley, the Massif central to Alsace, continued the Meteo-France forecaster.

On Monday, twelve departments located in Normandy, Ile-de-France, as well as Drome and Ardeche will be on orange alert due to storms. These last two departments will also be on orange rain-flood alert.

From the end of the night from Sunday to Monday and during the day on Monday, a new rainy-stormy episode will affect the east of the Cevennes as far as the Drome. Heavy stormy precipitation in a short time is likely, specifies Meteo-France, which expects cumulative rainfall of 80 to 100 millimeters.

More catastrophic

On Saturday, the department of Herault, placed on red alert for rain and floods, recorded very significant amounts of precipitation, which led to the closure of a railway line, while several roads were cut.

This episode notably caused flooding in the town of Lunas, in the north of the department, where the flood of the Orb swept away "several cars" and flooded "several houses in a hamlet located on the edge of the river", without causing any casualties, the mayor of the town, Aurelien Manenc, who is also a firefighter, told AFP.

In Mayenne, a mini-tornado formed on Sunday, around 6 p.m., near Ernee, damaging several buildings which collapsed without causing any casualties, we learned from the departmental fire and emergency operational center. relief.

Temperatures remained well above seasonal norms on Sunday, while France last week beat its record for a month of September, which dated from 1949.

It is complicated to make a direct link between global warming and storms, notes Tristan Amm. However, a warming air mass contains more water, implying a greater precipitation potential. With warmer air, rainy episodes will be on average more intense and more catastrophic in the future, summarizes the forecaster.
Meteo-France now places 33 departments on orange storm alert, forecasting "violent phenomena" on Sunday September 17 afternoon, including heavy rain, hail and gusts of wind from the west of the country to the southwest, in passing through Ile-de-France.

The departments of Seine-Maritime, Eure, Calvados, Manche, Orne, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Cher, Indre, Vienne, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Charente, Gironde, Dordogne, Correze, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Lot, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrenees, Gard, Tarn-et-Garonne, Paris, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val -de-Marne, Val-dOise, Eure-et-Loir and Loiret. The orange vigilance zone may be extended particularly towards the east during the day depending on the evolution of the forecast.

The stormy deterioration will begin "during the afternoon on the Aquitaine coast, then quickly a vast line of storms sets up from the South-West towards Normandy and Ile-de-France", warns Meteo -France. The institute predicts hail, heavy rainfall (up to 40 mm/h) and gusts of up to 100 km/h, as well as intense electrical activity.

The weather is still very cloudy from Roussillon to the Cevennes with some rain. Elsewhere, the sky is cloudy but the impression is of good weather, it is still warm in the afternoon. The easterly wind is strong on the Mediterranean coasts. The Autan wind strengthens during the day with gusts of 70 to 80 km/h. Temperatures will remain well above normal.

Several roads cut in Herault

On Saturday, the department of Herault was placed on red alert for rain and flooding, while Gard and Lozere were kept on orange alert, awaiting improvement in the evening. Due to these not very mobile stormy rains in the Cevennes, more than 500 millimeters of precipitation were recorded locally at 4:30 p.m. in the upper cantons of Herault and 170 to 190 millimeters in the Gard Cevennes , specifies Meteo-France.

The area most at risk is located in the upper cantons of Lodeve, between Bedarieux and Gange, with Roqueredonde as its epicenter, noted in a press release the Herault prefecture, which activated a crisis unit. In total, thirty-eight people were brought to safety in the Roqueredonde and Lodeve sector, but no victims were reported.

Several roads are cut north of Bedarieux and in the Lodeve sector due to rising water levels, landslides and landslides while sectors of the secondary network are closed as a preventive measure, adds the prefecture.

Flooded roads

The railway line between Bedarieux and Millau is also closed, due to a 500-meter collapse due to heavy accumulations of water.

The Orb and Lergue rivers "are in flood and roads are flooded", report the Herault firefighters, inviting the inhabitants of Lodevois, Bousquet-d'Orb and Bedarieux to "observe the exercise caution and avoid traveling.

This rainy-stormy episode, which began during the night from Friday to Saturday, notably caused flooding in the morning in Lunas, in the north of Herault, where the flood of the Orb swept away several cars and flooded several houses in a hamlet located on the edge of the watercourse, without causing any casualties, the mayor of Lunas, Aurelien Manenc, who is also a firefighter, testified to Agence France-Presse.
With the aim to give a global platform to fashion design talent across world, Circular Design Challenge (CDC) has announced its worldwide expansion that culminates at the upcoming season of Lakme Fashion Week in association with FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India).

Presented by R|Elan, the next-gen fabric brand of India's largest conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), in association with United Nations in India, CDC aims towards a greener and more sustainable future globally by promoting eco-conscious creatives of fashion industry, a company statement said.

Five years ago, RIL pioneered concept of Circular Design Challenge, driven by a vision to raise consciousness for sustainability and circular practices across every facet of fashion industry. This endeavour saw partnership between RIL, the UN in India, and Lakme Fashion Week which strive to champion transformative ideals within realm of fashion. Since then, Circular Design Challenge has been pivotal in driving India's fashion industry towards eco-consciousness.

This year, CDC aims to be a global phenomenon with the competition spanning across the UK, EU, and APAC regions, extending invitations to designers around the world.

Hemant D Sharma, Sector Head - Polyester, RIL said, The CDC has nurtured, mentored, and promoted environmental champions leading circular and innovative collections using sustainable and recycled materials.

The Challenge has established itself as largest sustainable fashion award in India. The initiative has played a crucial role in promoting circularity and sustainability in fashion industry, and after four editions in India, we are now going international to promote sustainability, and circular economy adoption globally.

Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India, said: The UN and CDC are united in our belief that fashion can and must be both a source of joy, celebrating culture, human expression, and innovation, and a force for greening our world. Weaving together so many different threads of society and the economy, a more sustainable fashion industry can help drive the achievement of the global SDGs across a rich fabric of value chains and social connections. We look forward to unlocking circular solutions on a global scale with CDC.

The design challenge focuses on crucial parameters of sustainability for evaluation such as biodegradability, durability and multi functionality of products.

CDC partners across borders include the British Council for the UK, Redress for Hong Kong/Asia Pacific, and Istituto Marangoni for The European Union.

Pei-Wen Jin from Taiwan was announced finalist from APAC region whereas 'Studio Medium' by Riddhi Jain and Dhruv Satija, 'Banofi' + 'Studio Beej ' (Consortium) by Jinali Mody and Arundhati Kumar, and 'Without' by Anish Malpani were announced as the three finalists from India edition.

From the UK Jury meet, it was Amesh Wijesekera, Sri Lankan designer based in London, who made it to the finals and Felipe Fiallo was the finalist from the EU jury meet.

The finalists from APAC, UK and EU jury travel to New Delhi in October where together with India finalists, will pitch their work to jury at Lakme Fashion Week, the statement said, adding the CDC winner will receive funding worth Rs 15 lakh, trophy, and a six-month mentorship programme, along with a stand-alone showcase at Lakme Fashion Week in March 2024.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has once again falsely accused Armenia of shooting at its military positions across the border, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said Sunday.

The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan claiming that on September 17, between 12:20 a.m. and 12:40 a.m. units of the Armenian Armed Forces allegedly opened fire against the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the eastern part of the frontier zone, does not correspond to reality, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.
Teachers' Day is the perfect occasion to take stock of our education system and where it is headed

Every year we celebrateTeachers' Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was a distinguished philosopher, scholar, and the second President of India. He was also a prominent educator and believed deeply in the value of education. The significance of Teachers' Day lies in appreciating the immense contribution of teachers to society. Teachers are the main pillar that keeps our nation moving forward. They not only provide knowledge to the students but also groom next-generation citizens.

The quality of the society can be deciphered from the contribution of good teachers.

On teachers' day, students express their gratitude and respect for their teachers through various activities, such as organizing cultural programs, presenting cards and gifts, and delivering speeches. Many educational institutions also organize events and functions to honour their teaching staff. In between these celebrations, we often forget the philosophy of education emphasized by Dr.Radhakrishnan. Teachers' Day is a time to reflect on the current education scenario in the country and the changing roles of a teacher.

The educational philosophy proposed Dr Radhakrishnan by was deeply rooted in the belief that education is not merely a process of acquiring knowledge, but a means to cultivate a holistic and enlightened individual. Radhakrishnan believed in the holistic development of an individual. He emphasized that education should nurture not only intellectual growth but also moral, emotional, and spiritual development. He emphasized the importance of teachers in shaping the intellectual and moral character of students. This emphasis on character formation was central to his vision of education.

Unfortunately in today's education, teachers have taken a back seat in delivering moral values to students. The human touch between teacher and student is hardly seen in their relationship. There was a time when a teacher donned not only the role of a knowledge provider but also a parent. They could even remember the details of family members of their students. Even if a student bunks off the class, teachers used to catch these fellows from movie halls and parks. But with changing times, this culture has drastically shifted, mostly because of the attitudinal change that happened to parents.

Similarly, during earlier periods teachers not only discussed the syllabus but also many topics related to values in life.

Most of the time these values get imbibed into the sub-conscious mind of the student that helps in grooming a good future citizen. Every student remembers these values taught by teachers till the end of life.

With the mushrooming of private educational institutions, even the management and teachers forget the importance of values. The only thing these institutions focus on is to make students successful in competitive examinations and making money. Even teachers have become corrupted because of this. They act in a partisan manner to satisfy the needs of the management, fearing loss of jobs.

The hands of these teachers are tightly bound by the management and they don't enjoy the academic freedom their predecessors enjoyed two decades back.

The higher number of crimes that involve educated people, and increasing malpractices in every sector by the educated people point to our faulty education system.

When someone points out a corruption charge in society, be it against a politician or a government employee, it indirectly points to a teacher who moulded them. Value-based education is the need of the hour. Education coupled with moral values empowers individuals to make ethical decisions, even in complex or ambiguous situations for the betterment of society.

(The writer is an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore; views are personal)
The war of 1962 exposed the inept leadership of a Prime Minister who was thoroughly alienated from the realities of both India and the geopolitics

While receiving the diplomatic credentials from Indias Ambassador KM Panikkar, Mao Zedong had said, India and China cannot afford to have war. We have too many important problems to think about, and added, China had no aggressive intentions towards any body and least of all towards India. Being a socialist, Jawaharlal Nehru, fell for Maos sweetness in good faith. Nehrus dear friend VK Krishna Menon, whose intellect the former was in awe of, was also a communist. Menon believed that no socialist country can go to war with another such country. When General Robert Lockhart, the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in the immediate years after independence, once asked Nehru as to the kind of army he envisaged for India so that he could plan accordingly, Nehru reacted sharply, What army? India is a peace-loving country and doesnt want war. Our police is sufficient to protect us.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels advice dated 7th November 1950, proved to be water off a ducks back. Patel had written, We have practically been alone in championing the cause of Chinas entry into UN. In spite of this, China is not convinced about our disinterestedness, it continues to regard us with suspicion and the whole psychology is one, of scepticism mixed with a little hostility. In the background of this, we have to consider what new situation now faces us as a result of the disappearance of Tibet, and the expansion of China almost up to our gates.

Impervious to his colleagues advice, Nehru followed the socialist line propagated by his buddy Krishna Menon, choosing to befriend Chinese foreign minister Chou En Lai, going about warmly introducing him to his Asian counterpart heads of state and governments. The Bandung Conference of 1955 was an example when Nehru trotted around chaperoning Chou En Lai.

By the same year, Beijing (then Peking) had already built a highway connecting Tibet with Xinjiang (then Sinkiang). When the Government of India came to know of this serious development, Nehru tried to explain it away to Parliament by stating that in Aksai Chin, not a blade of grass grows. I wonder if Rahul Gandhi was referring to this loss of what he called grazing land and about which Prime Minister Modi had not disclosed.

Nehrus pride did not permit him to change Indias approach towards Chinese mischief although with Chou En Lai, he shifted from his charm to gradual animosity. The Chinese reacted by assaulting and killing ten Indian border patrol guards and apprehending another ten at Kongka Pass in the Tibetan region in 1959. This was the final portent, followed by Chous visit to New Delhi in 1960, when he reportedly gave Nehru a final offer of settlement: India should give up claims to Aksai Chin and China would renounce its rights in Arunachal Pradesh, then called North East Frontier Agency (NEFA). The next time India and China met was on the battlefields of Ladakh in the West and Tawang in the east.

While our soldiers fought valorously, the leaders behaved like sissies. Nehru insisted on fighting the Chinese with the helmsmanship of Lt. Gen. Brij Mohan Kaul, who had never witnessed action on a battlefield. The army that was expected to fight in the mountains did not possess a single mountain howitzer. Defence minister Krishna Menon wanted the countrys ordnance factories to produce civilian items like coffee percolators rather than guns and ammunition.

Our jawans thus laid down their lives, having to make do with only the outdated .303 bolt action Lee Enfield rifles. Our troops that went up the hills had only brown canvas shoes and thin woollen pullovers and no warm clothing adequate for the Himalayas. From the distance of Kolkata, it appeared that the Indian high command in 1962 had never heard of anything like strategy. From the days Carl von Clausewitz, the grandfather of modern military science, it was a maxim that a commander should never depend only on terrain for defence, because the enemy, sooner or later, would circumvent it through alternate means of intrusion. This is what the Chinese did at Sela Pass, and Bomdi La had soon to surrender. It did not register on the highest command of our armed forces than an enemy intending to capture and occupy territory does not invade in the autumn but usually in early spring. The Chinese opened fire on October 20, 1962. Every defending army prefers to fight on a level playing field, something that was ignored.

Our troops were ill-equipped, and therefore, adhering to the above strategy was all the more important. Instead of offering immediate resistance the border, had we withdrawn to the plains of Assam, it would have been much easier to fight the invading Chinese army, especially in our thin pullovers and canvas shoes.

In the event, the sorry saga of 1962 exposed the inept leadership of a Prime Minister who was so thoroughly alienated from the realities of both India and international geopolitics. The countrys present leadership, if anything, has not only resolutely stood up to Chinese bullying but has also forced it to eat humble pie at Dokalam and Galwan. It is important for us to learn of what led to the loss of territory for which the current generation of the dynasty responsible for it, is pointing accusing fingers at the present leadership.

(The writer is a well-known columnist, an author and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal)
The Pakistani husband of a 34-year-old Indian mother, who travelled to a remote village in Pakistan to marry him, said on Sunday that she is expected to return to India next month as she is "mentally disturbed and badly missing" her two children.

Anju  who now goes by the name of Fatima after converting to Islam  on July 25 married her 29-year-old friend Nasrullah, whose home is in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They became friends on Facebook in 2019.

"Fatima (Anju) is returning to India next month," her husband Nasrullah told PTI by phone.

"She is mentally disturbed and badly missing her children and she had no other option except to go back," Nasrullah said.

Anju was earlier married to Arvind, who is in Rajasthan. They have a 15-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.

He said he doesn't want her mental health to deteriorate.

"It is better for her to proceed to her country to meet her children," he said.

He said after the completion of the documentation process in Pakistan she will go back.

"It will take some time and likely next month she will proceed to India," he said, adding he will also travel to India if granted a visa.

Anju and her husband were in Peshawar on a day-long visit for the first time since their marriage in August this year.

She has expressed a keen desire to see the ancestral homes of legendary Indian film actors like the late Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan in Peshawar.

"I have learnt some Pashto words. I had no idea before coming to Pakistan that I would be so famous here," Anju said.
From seat-sharing to the boycott of certain media platforms to different tunes on the controversy over Sanatan Dharma, three major differences of opinion have already cropped up in the three-month-old Opposition parties coalition INDIA bloc.

Nonetheless couple of days after announcing that the INDIA alliance will hold its first public rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, difference within some of its stakeholders has led to calling off the rally supposed to be scheduled at Bhopal in first week of October.

Albeit the Congress in its just concluded Working Committee meeting at Hyderabad resolved to make INDIA initiative ideological, electoral success to free country from divisive politics.

Amid a raging row over DMK leaders remarks on Sanatan Dharma, sources said some Congress leaders in its CWC meeting called for a cautious approach on the matter and the party not getting drawn into the BJPs agenda.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Soni Gandhi asked its leaders to avoid media for unnecessary controversy while JD(U) chief Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stated he does not support such a boycott of media and in similar vein leaders of Samajwadi Party too have decided not to get into the media boycott row terming it the Congress agenda.

Sources said former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in the CWC said instead of getting involved in the Sanatan Dharma row, the leaders should focus on the poor and their issues as they have been the partys traditional vote bank.

Another major partners of INDIA alliance  the TMC and the AAP  have already distanced themselves from the Sanatan Dharma remarks by DMK leaders but maintained a status quo on the decision of media boycott.

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin recently caused a storm as he alleged that Sanatan Dharma is against social justice and that it should be eradicated. Days later, DMK leader A Raja said Sanatan Dharma should be compared to diseases such as AIDS and leprosy that have a social stigma attached to them.

On the issue of seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls 2024 amongst the coalition partners, negotiations between alliance partners may be undertaken by a representative of a political party which may have no presence in the current Lok Sabha. As of now INDIA bloc has about 28 partners including the bigger ones like Congress, TMC, RJD, JDU, NCP, Shive Sena, Left parties, AAP and others.

Sources from a party said as of now there is a consensus in the discussed formula for deciding on the strongest party in a State will take into account the results of previous elections.

While the parties will finalise the formula at State level in their negotiations, it would be based on the results of last Lok Sabha elections, or the last Assembly elections, or both, depending on what the parties concerned decide, explained the sources.

Further, in the States where there has been no previous alliance between the partners, or if there comes a deadlock in seat sharing then a neutral leader owing allegiance to a third State will help iron out the differences.

While the alliance is focused on Lok Sabha elections, with elections coming up in five States where the Congress has high stakes, a political party has suggested to reach an understanding where prospective partners can be accommodated to set an example of unity till the India bloc prepares and go public under one umbrella.

However, sources said the Congress will never agree to this absurd equations as its already in power in Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh, and was in power in Madhya Pradesh in the last Assembly and is confident to form Government in Telangana where it also held its Congress Working Committee meeting this weekend. On Sunday the CWC passed a resolution to work towards forming a Congress Government in all the poll bound States.

Less troubling partners of India bloc like in States of Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu seat sharing process have gained momentum after the third meeting of the group held in Mumbai.

In the coordination committee meeting last week, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had suggested that seats which have an Opposition MP should not be disturbed. In the same meeting held at NCP chief Sharad Pawar residence it was decided that seat-sharing will be concluded at the earliest.
The manhunt to track down the group of terrorists, possibly hiding inside natural cave structures in the Garol forest area in Jammu & Kashmirs Anantnag district, entered its fifth day on Sunday even as intermittent firing continued and loud sounds of blasts pierced the relative calm at regular intervals.

The commandos deployed on ground zero have been targeting natural cave-like structures to flush out the hiding terrorists to avoid any collateral damage. The civilian population has been shifted to nearby safer areas to prevent any loss of innocent lives in the exchange of fire.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that the security forces had recovered a charred body from one of the hideouts blasted by the security forces but till late Sunday evening, the Army authorities had not issued any official statement confirming the same.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu & Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat were killed in action by the terrorists on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the security forces have been maintaining a tight cordon in the outer ring to prevent these terrorists from fleeing. The police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in huge numbers to keep a close watch on any suspicious movement in the Kokernag area. The Army has been using surveillance drones and other sophisticated modern tools to zero in on their location but continuous rains and thick vegetation are hampering the ongoing operations.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Armys Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai visited the forward area along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmirs Baramulla to review the anti-infiltration and counter-terrorist grid on Sunday.

Three terrorists were gunned down in the area while they were attempting to infiltrate inside the Indian territory. The Corps Commander Lt Gen Ghai visited the forward area in Uri Sector to review the anti-infiltration and Counter Terrorism grid along the LoC, the Army said.

The Corps commander commended troops for maintaining the highest standards of combat readiness and operational preparedness. He also complimented the troops for the successful conduct of Operation Khanda in which three terrorists were eliminated on September 16.
There was a fight over land between two families in Karamtoli Ahir Toli of Lalpur police station area Saturday in the State Capital. Both the sides attacked each other with swords and axes. The fight took place after a dispute over the land for the road in two families.

After receiving the information, City DySP, Deepak Kumar reached the spot and after investigation, eight people from both the sides were brought to the police station. At present the investigation is ongoing. Four to five people have been injured in the incident. It is known that there was a clash between two parties in the same police station area ten days ago.

Meanwhile, in a move to stop violent incidents in land trading, there is news of ban on entry of land brokers and illegal land traders in the police stations of Ranchi. Under this strategy, entry of land mafia and land parties has been strictly banned in Namkum police station and other police stations of Ranchi. A poster in this regard has also been pasted on the main gate of Namkum police station

It is written in the poster  Entry of land brokers and land mafia into the police station premises is prohibited. Apart from this, similar posters have been pasted in many other police stations also. Let us tell you that Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha had held a meeting with all the police station in-charges a few days ago. In this meeting, the SSP had issued instructions that if any complaint is received about police officials being in contact with illegal land traders in any area, strict action will be taken.

There have been many violent incidents in recent times in the State Capital over illegal land trade. Many people have lost their lives in these. Many steps are being taken by the police to stop land related violence.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday rued the fact that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was not invited to an event, in which a metro line was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Delhi Minister and senior AAP leader Atishi said not inviting the Delhi Chief Minister to an event of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) reflects cheap mentality and added that the prime minister should rise above party lines. Atishi said PM Modi to rise above party lines and said he is the guardian of states.Addressing a press conference, Atishi pointed out that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is a 50:50 venture of the Centre and the city government. This means half the funds are spent by the city government and the other half by the Centre. But it was not considered important to invite the Delhi chief minister to the event. I want to tell the prime minister that he is the guardian of all the state governments. He should rise above party lines, she said. Splendid infrastructure of Delhi is the result of the Central and Delhi governments collaboration, not inviting the Delhi CM to the metro line inauguration is unjust, she added.

The AAP leader said not inviting Kejriwal to a DMRC event reflects cheap mentality and added that since Delhi is the national capital, the Centre and the city government should work together for its development.She remarked that after the G-20 summit, BJP leaders never tire of asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the world's top leaders. A person who is among the world's top leaders and leads the government of the world's largest party couldn't even invite Delhi Chief Minister for the inauguration of a mere two-kilometer metro line, she questioned.

If we want to develop Delhi, then the central government and the Delhi government must work together. Delhi government is ready to collaborate closely with the central government.

However, it becomes the responsibility of a guardian to involve the Delhi government in decision-making, Atishi said Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also criticised Modi for not inviting Kejriwal for the inaugural ceremony of Delhi Airport Metro Express line's extention. He recalled how the PM advocated for vasudhaiva kutumbakam (world is a family) in front of the world leaders during the recently-concluded G20 Leaders' Summit, whereas, he fails to invite Kejriwal to the inauguration event, which he believes is an antithesis to the proposition.

Just a week before PM Modi in front of the world leaders said 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam meaning the World is a family...And now in your own country, you don't invite a three-time elected Chief Minister to inauguration of Metro, Bharadwaj said.

AAP National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Sunday hit out at PM Modi for not sending the invitation to Delhi Chief Minister for the inauguration of the extension of airport express line. Ahead of the inauguration, Kakkar took to X, and accused PM Modi of low-level politics. Taking a dig at PM Modi, the AAP leader said, Your low-level politics is not liked by people of Delhi. Delhi belongs to its people, Prime Minister, that is why you could never win because your heart is small and low level politics is not liked by the people of Delhi, she added.
Bharatiya Janata Partys expelled leader Rahi Masoom Raza, who was absconding after being booked in a rape and murder case in Maharajganj district, was arrested by the police from Nepal border late on Saturday night.

Rahi Masoom Raza, a resident of Veer Bahadur Nagar ward of Maharajganj city, was the district president of the BJP Minority Front. On September 5, a Dalit girl from Sant Kabir Nagar, who lived in his house, had filed a complaint of rape, murder of her father and molestation of her younger sister against Raza.

The very next day, the victim had denied the allegations made in the FIR before the magistrate. After this, the Kotwali police had handed over Raza in the custody of his relatives after the investigation and since then he was absconding.

During investigation, it was revealed that the girl was given Rs 9 lakh to change her statement and her brother was threatened with murder if she did not change her statement. Following the development, over half a dozen policemen have been suspended in the matter so far.

In the meantime, the superintendent of police of Maharajganj formed 15 police teams to nab the absconding Raza. On Saturday night, a team got success after it learnt that Raza planned to flee to Nepal to evade his arrest. The team rushed on the border and managed to nab him when he was slipping out to Nepal.

He was later brought back for interrogation and produced before a local magistrate on Sunday after which he was sent to jail.

The police are likely to seek his custody remand, to grill him further to extract more details of the crime which include involvement of others.

Sources said that bulldozers would be used to raze the illegal property of Rahi Masoom Raza. In the preliminary investigation, it has been found that he constructed a house illegally. After many discrepancies, including the layout map, came to light, the administration issued him a notice.

The police administration has tightened the noose around the accused leader. Preparations are underway to demolish his illegal property. A notice has been issued in this regard.
A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) jawan allegedly committed suicide with his service weapon in Kanker district, police said on Sunday.

Constable Chandrasekhar Yadav (36) of the CAFs 15th battalion shot himself dead with an Insas rifle on Saturday late night when he was on duty at Halba police post, Kanker Superintendent of Police Divyang Patel said.

His colleagues rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.

Yadav hailed from Dhamtari district.

The reason behind such an extreme step is yet to be known.

Further probe is underway.
The fourth and final meeting of the G20 Framework Working Group (FWG) under the Indian G20 Presidency is set to take place from Monday in state capital Raipur.

The meeting will be chaired by Chandni Raina, Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and Sam Beckett, Chief Economic Adviser, HM Treasury, UK. More than 65 delegates from G20 members and invitee countries, and various international and regional organisations will participate in the meeting, an official statement said.

The FWG facilitates discussions on the latest global economic outlook and policy guidance on key macroeconomic issues.

The deliverables from this working group under the 2023 Indian Presidency have been successfully concluded and are referred to in the New Delhi Leaders Declaration: G20 Report on Macroeconomic Impacts of Food and Energy Insecurity and G20 Report on Macroeconomic Risks Stemming from Climate Change and Transition Pathways.

The upcoming meeting will take stock of the discussions in the FWG in 2023 and explore future areas of work.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Reserve Bank of India will host a series of Jan Bhagidari events, including panel discussions on digital banking and financial inclusion, financial literacy programmes, a G-20 awareness programme, a painting contest and a slogan-writing contest.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have agreed to the proposal on simultaneously carrying out humanitarian shipments by ICRC vehicles along Lachin Corridor and the Aghdam route, the Nagorno-Karabakh official InfoCenter reported.

The crisis resulting from the Azerbaijani blockade of Artsakh is deteriorating day by day. The government is organizing the process of obtaining grain and supplying flour to bread bakeries in scarce conditions, and unfortunately, its not always possible to ensure the 200 gram of bread envisaged daily for every citizen by the ration stamp system. Taking into consideration the deteriorating disaster and security situation in the country, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh have made a decision to accept the joint proposal of the International Committee of the Red Cross Stepanakert office and the Russian peacekeeping contingents command on simultaneous shipment of humanitarian goods along the Berdzor [Lachin] corridor through the Goris-Stepanakert highway and the Akna [Aghdam]-Stepanakert road by ICRC vehicles (goods of foreign origin).

"Organizing this process is necessary both for eliminating the threats facing the lives and health of our citizens, as well as for ensuring the future transport of humanitarian goods along Berdzor corridor, the Nagorno-Karabakh InfoCenter said in a statement.






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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instilled new self-confidence in 140 crore citizens of the country while Indias global prestige has also gone up.

The chief minister made the remark during a visit to an exhibition based on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of his 73rd birthday at the GPO in Hazratganj.

He said, A feeling of respect towards Indian citizens worldwide has increased.

The chief minister said that the people of Uttar Pradesh were fortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents the state in the countrys Parliament.

For the first time after independence, the benefits of government schemes have reached every section of society without discrimination. Through his innovative schemes and with the programs that have been initiated over the past nine and a half years, the Prime Minister has brought about extensive changes in the lives of crores of people in the country, including the poor, farmers, youth and women, especially in villages, he said.

Acknowledging the prime ministers achievements Yogi said that for the first time in the countrys history, agriculture was one the priority agendas of the government while jobs and self- employment opportunities were being provided to the youth. He also highlighted various government schemes such as the National Education Policy, Digital India, Start-Up India, Stand-Up India, PM Mudra Yojana, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao for daughters and women, which had brought about extensive changes in the lives of the people of the country.

The chief minister said, The global recognition of yoga, the increasing inclination towards AYUSH during the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing interest in Indias traditional practices worldwide demonstrate the new image of emerging India under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The chief minister also said that the present generation was witnessing Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Kashi, Char Dham of Uttarakhand, the holy temple of Somnath and Mahalok of Mahakal in a new form. Additionally, the construction of the magnificent temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya after 500 years reflects respect for heritage and unwavering faith.

The chief minister said that due to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a new revolution has been brought about in the country through Digital India.

Additionally, the chief minister highlighted the governments commitment towards the welfare of citizens by providing various beneficial schemes, such as housing for the poor, LPG connections, toilets, and Saubhagya Yojana for lighting the houses of the underprivileged without any discrimination.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis successful leadership and the exhibition held on his birthday, which reflects on various aspects of his life, will inspire the people of the state to remain dedicated to society and the nation, he said.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Awas Yojana. Under this scheme the families who were deprived of housing facility in various housing schemes will be given houses. Chief Minister Chouhan launched the scheme in a state level programme organised at Kushabhau Thackeray Auditorium. He got the applications of Mamta Chauhan and Deepak Bansal of Bhopal registered on the portal and started the process. Under the gas cylinder re-filling scheme launched by Chief Minister Chouhan on September 15, Smt. Sharmila Bai and Sangeeta Solanki were registered. Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia, MLA Vishnu Khatri, Additional Chief Secretary Malay Srivastava and departmental officers were present in the programme.

Wishing Prime Minister Modi on his birthday, Chief Minister Chouhan prayed for his health and happiness and keep leading the country and the world and his fame should continue to grow. These are my best wishes.

Chouhan said that a new revolution begins today. My dream is that no one should live in a broken hut. Everyone should have their own permanent house, even if it is a small one. With this in mind, the Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Awas Yojana has been introduced. The families who were deprived of housing schemes will be provided housing under this scheme. During his tour in the state women would often come to him and expressed their need for a home. Relieving the suffering of poor sisters and daughters is my top priority. It is a reality that after food, house is the biggest need of every family. The state government will leave no stone unturned to provide houses to poor families. Chief Minister Bhu-Awas Yojana was also started with the same purpose. Those who do not have land to live in the village, are being provided pattas. Every poor person in Madhya Pradesh will have a piece of land to live on. At many places the poor are being settled on the land reclaimed from the mafia. If there is shortage of land in cities, multi-storey houses will be built.

The Chief Minister said that Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Awas Yojana is a huge step taken for the happiness and respect of women. The scheme will provide houses to the families who are not included in Pradhan Mantri Awas and Awas Plus. More than 4 lakh 75 thousand beneficiaries will get benefits under the Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Awas Yojana. This scheme is for families deprived of the benefits of various housing schemes. Homeless eligible families of all categories will get its benefit.

Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia said that the Chief Minister Ladli Bahna Awas Yojana is the outcome of the commitment of Chouhan to remove the sorrows and pain of poor families. With this, poor sisters and daughters living in kutcha houses will be provided with permanent houses of their own. Minister Sisodia expressed gratitude to CM Chouhan on behalf of all the Panchayats of the state for this scheme being launched on the birthday of Prime Minister Modi.

Such families, whose applications have been automatically rejected on the Awas plus App portal under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural. Such families who have been left out of being registered on the MIS portal of the Government of India or were not included in the list of Social, Economic and Caste Census 2011 and Awas Plus and have not got housing in any government scheme. The scheme will also include those families who do not have houses with pucca roof or who live in kutcha houses with up to two rooms.
The Uttarakhand Congress strongly objected to the BJP State unit's allegation that the decision of the INDIA alliance to boycott the shows hosted by some news anchors is an attack on the freedom of the press. The chief spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress, Garima Dasauni said that it is the democratic right of the opposition to decide which programme it will attend and which it will not. She said that there is nothing wrong in the boycott of some journalists who never ask questions from those who are in power. The opposition has not stopped these anchors from speaking, conducting programmes and not imposed any restrictions on them.

She said that the BJP State media in-charge should remember that the documentary released by BBC on Godhra was forcibly removed from the YouTube and cases were registered on the universities where this documentary was shown. She said that in the last nine years the BJP has not only boycotted some journalists but was responsible for their removal from their jobs. Dasauni said that the BJP should answer why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not addressed a single press conference in the last nine years. She claimed that the decision of the INDIA alliance to boycott some journalists is a positive step in the direction of making a hatred-free India.
The digital crop survey in Uttar Pradesh is advancing at an impressive pace. There has been significant progress in the crop survey programmes being carried out in 10 revenue villages within each of the 54 districts.

The state government has set a deadline for the completion of this survey work in all 54 districts by September 25.

Currently, in five of these districts, 100 per cent of the survey has been completed. Furthermore, in 21 districts, over 90 per cent of the survey work has been successfully completed. In 13 districts, 70 per cent to 90 per cent of the survey work has been completed while another 13 districts have achieved 50 per cent to 70 per cent % of the target.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress in two districts. Their district magistrates have received strict directives to expedite the survey process.

Through mobile app, employees of Agriculture and other departments are preparing records of crops grown in the fields. The government is preparing complete data of the crops being grown in the state. The crop data obtained through the survey will greatly facilitate planning for the farmers of the state.

Digital crop survey is an initiative to open a new path to prosperity in the lives of farmers.

Each surveyor engaged in survey work has been given a target of surveying 50 plots every day, which will be monitored by the district magistrate. A total of 5,764 surveyors have been deployed for this work in the entire state, of which 1,437 are from Agriculture department, 2,733 from Revenue department and 1,594 are panchayat assistants. They have to conduct a digital crop survey of more than 1.19 crore agricultural plots in 27,641 villages of the state.

As per the updated figures, 100 per cent of the survey work has been completed in Baghpat, Azamgarh, Amroha, Balrampur and Gonda.

More than 90 per cent survey work has been done in Ghazipur, Ambedkar Nagar, Sonbhadra, Ballia, Muzaffarnagar, Fatehpur, Aligarh, Agra, Hathras, Bareilly, Lalitpur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Firozabad, Amethi, Saharanpur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Shravasti, Rae Bareli and Maharajganj districts.

About 70 to 90 per cent of the survey work has been completed in Banda, Ghaziabad, Shahjahanpur, Kanpur Nagar, Rampur, Siddharthnagar, Unnao, Budaun, Sambhal, Shamli, Lucknow, Bahraich, and Kushinagar.

In Pilibhit, Bijnor, Mau, Etawah, Mathura, Kannauj, Prayagraj, Mainpuri, Etah, Kasganj, Kanpur Dehat, Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri, 50-70 per cent of the work has been completed.

In only two districts Hapur and Barabanki  less than 50 per cent of the survey work has been done.
A tragic incident cut short the lives of five members of a family, including three children, who died in the early hours of Saturday after the roof of the house they were living in collapsed, burying them under the rubble.

The incident took place in Anand Nagar railway colony under Alambagh police station.

The deceased were identified as Satish Chandra (41), his wife Sarojini Devi (35) and their three children Harshit (13), Harshita (10), and Ansh (5). The family members were fast asleep when the roof of their house collapsed.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the deaths and directed all senior officials to reach the spot. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak visited the spot and instructed the officials to expedite the rescue operation.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Upendra Agarwal said that the incident took place in the early hours of Saturday but it came to light around 5 am.

On Saturday morning, the locals noticed that the roof of the house in the Railway colony had collapsed and they called the police," he said.

We first received information at 8 am that the roof of a house had collapsed in Anand Nagar under the Alambagh police station. Local police, fire brigade, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams were rushed to the spot. It turned out that the terrace had collapsed. The bodies of all those who were recovered were taken to a local hospital, where the doctors pronounced them dead, he said.

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.

The JCP said it would be discussed with the railway officials whether the other residents in the colony would be evicted or not.

Station House Officer of Alambagh, BC Tiwari, said that it had come to light that the house was initially allotted to Satishs father Ram Chandra, who was a class four employee in the Railways, and after his death to his wife Ram Dulari, who also worked in the Railways on a contractual basis as a class four employee. By 2013, both parents of Satish had died and he kept living in the house with his family.

The house was over 40 years old and had been declared abandoned by the Northern Railway's Lucknow Division.

NR Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Rekha Sharma, in a statement, said that the house which collapsed was also under the process of demolition like other abandoned houses.

None of the deceased in this accident was a railway employee. This incident is being investigated, she said.

The narrow bylane of Anand Nagar locality was crowded with people as backhoes struggled to remove the rubble. But as time ticked, hopes of survivors diminished.

Satish Chandras elder brother Amit Chandra was inconsolable after he learnt about the death of his brothers entire family in the tragedy.

Lucknow District Magistrate Surya Pal Gangwar also visited the spot to take stock of the situation.
A girl committed suicide by hanging herself in flat number 304 of Eklavya Tower Block A located in Pundag OP area late on Friday night in the State Capital. The girl is a resident of Jamshedpur.

After receiving information about the incident, the police reached the spot and took the body into custody and sent it for post-mortem. At the same time, two people including the alleged lover of the girl are being detained and interrogated. The police have informed the girl's family. The family members have come to Ranchi from Jamshedpur. Police will take further action based on the statement of the family members.

The body of the girl was found hanging from the fan in flat number 304 of Eklavya Tower. The young man who lived with the girl, removed her from the noose and took her to Richi Hospital where the doctors declared her dead. After this the hospital worker informed the police about the incident. After receiving the information, Hatia DySP, Raja Kumar Mitra and Pundag police station In-Charge reached the flat in the night itself and investigated.

The police took the girl's body into custody and sent it for post-mortem. The alleged lover was also taken into custody. The FSL team conducted the investigation on Saturday morning.
Governor CP Radhakrishnan, while addressing the fourth anniversary celebration of AIIMS, Deoghar today, said that doctors are viewed with utmost respect in our society. People have great faith in them; the real wealth of any doctor is the blessings given by him after the recovery of his patient. He said that many doctors of India have established their unique identity in the world with their remarkable contributions. It is because of doctors and health workers that we have been successful in facing the difficult circumstances of the Covid pandemic successfully.

The Governor said that with the objective of expanding the reach of super specialty health care, new AIIMS institutes have been established in various states and the establishment of AIIMS, Deoghar will benefit not only the people of Jharkhand Santhal Pargana but also the people of the bordering state. .

The Governor said that pain in life teaches us, when we remember our pain, we understand the pain of others better and we ourselves move forward to help them. Therefore, whenever someone suddenly needs medical treatment, we all should come forward and help and take care of him.

The Governor said that AIIMS, Deoghar is one of the many new AIIMS institutes established under the visionary thinking of our Prime Minister. With his encouragement, our scientists developed the Covid vaccine in a very short time and India is the only country which has provided free vaccine not only to its own countrymen but also to other countries. Our country is moving on the path of progress and has become the 5th largest economy in the world and the eyes of the whole world are on us.

The Governor congratulated the AIIMS, Deoghar family and wished for the bright future of the institute.

On the occasion, the Governor inaugurated the newly constructed Nursing Hostel at AIIMS, Deoghar and honoured the talented students in the programme.
Exclusive Dog park opens in Ludhiana

In the heart of Punjab's bustling industrial hub, Ludhiana, a haven for dogs and their doting parents has emerged, and it's bound to set tails wagging. Spread over a sprawling acre in the serene locale of Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, this exclusive park is a testament to the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation's (LMC) commitment to creating a pet-friendly community.

Designed to cater to the diverse needs of our canine companions, Ludhiana's dog park offers a plethora of amenities that promise to delight both pets and their owners. LMC Senior Veterinary Officer Dr Harbans Singh Dhalla, the visionary behind this project, shares his enthusiasm for this unique endeavor. This park is more than just a place for dogs to stretch their pawsit's a holistic experience for our furry friends and their parents, he says.

One of the park's standout features is its state-of-the-art agility equipment, including hurdles and tunnels. These installations are designed to help dogs hone their physical abilities and mental acumen, providing them with an enriching environment for growth. Dogs thrive on challenges and stimulation, and this park is their playground of dreams, remarks Dr Dhalla.

For those pet parents looking to enhance their canine companions obedience and manners, the park offers dedicated obedience training areas. Here, dogs can learn valuable skills while forging a stronger bond with their human counterparts. And let's not forget the piece de resistance  an inviting swimming pool for dogs to take a refreshing dip on hot summer days.

But Ludhiana's dog park isn't stopping there. Civic officials have exciting plans on the horizon, including a pet cafe where pets and owners can relax and socialize together, a clinic to cater to their healthcare needs, and a grooming center to pamper pets and keep them looking their best. Furthermore, a boarding center is in the works, ensuring a safe and trustworthy space for pets when their parents are away.

Dr Dhalla, drawing inspiration from his travels, notes that dog parks are commonplace abroad, and Ludhiana's park aims to be on par with international standards. The idea took root during my visit to a dog park in California, he shares. I witnessed the joy and camaraderie among pet owners and their dogs and thought, Why not bring this joy to Ludhiana? he says.

The primary goal of this park is to offer a secure and stimulating environment where dogs can socialize, exercise, and play freely. The result? Happier, healthier, and more well-rounded pets. Many people often lament that they aren't permitted to bring their dogs to regular parks. With Ludhiana's dog park, they now have a haven meant exclusively for their four-legged companions, Dr Dhalla emphasizes.

Councillor HS Brar, excited about the park's potential, shares plans to host dog shows, games, and competitions that showcase the incredible talents of Ludhiana's furry residents. We want this park to be a hub for the local dog-loving community, a place where both pets and their parents can come together to celebrate their love for dogs, he envisions.

To ensure the park's upkeep and continued excellence, a nominal entry fee will be in place. The park will welcome visitors from the crack of dawn at 6 am until late into the evening, closing its gates at 11 pm. Maintenance of this pet paradise will be entrusted to a reputable Hyderabad-based contractor.

As Ludhiana's dog park opens its gates to the public, it stands as a testament to the city's commitment to fostering a pet-friendly community. This oasis promises to be more than just a park  its a sanctuary of joy, health, and happiness for dogs and their devoted parents, a place where cherished memories are made, and tails never stop wagging.
To create industry-friendly atmosphere, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has established a 24X7 helpdesk at its head office for the facilitation of the entrepreneurs.

This helpdesk will guide the industries regarding obligation towards control of pollution and regulatory clearances. Two officers of the rank of Assistant Environmental Engineer (AEE) shall be available at the helpdesk at head office, Patiala, said the states Environment and Science Technology Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Sunday.

He said that the Board has also started the helpline number (9914498899) for facilitation.

Hayer said that the Chief Minister had invited suggestions from the general public for the promotion of the industry in the state. In compliance with the suggestion received, PPCB has established a helpdesk at Vatavaran Bhawan, Nabha Road, Patiala, which will remain operative 24X7 to guide or facilitate the entrepreneurs of the state regarding their obligation towards control of pollution and compliance with Regulatory Clearances.

The Minister said that recently, the state Government organized Sarkar Sannatkaar milni to ensure direct dialogue with captains of industry to understand their needs and act accordingly. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann interacted with industrialists in different four cities of the State.
To promote organic farming in the state, Punjab Government has undertaken a pilot project under which residue-free basmati has been cultivated in Chogawan block of Amritsar district. Residue-free practices entail minimal or no usage of chemicals.

We have purposely chosen Chogawan block to carry out this pilot project as this area falls in the basin of Ravi river and having favourable climatic conditions to nurture the most aromatic long grain Basmati rice making it export quality produce, said the states Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Sunday.

Basmati rice has a great export potential as most of the basmati produced in the region is being exported to the Arab, European, and Middle-Eastern countries, he said, adding that presently, basmati rice has been exported to more than 60 countries, of which, Amritsar district alone exported Basmati rice around Rs 9000 crore during past year.

In order to increase the export potential of basmati rice from Punjab, Khudian said that Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has also launched a large scale awareness campaign to sensitize the farmers about the judicious use of pesticides for basmati crop, besides, making them aware regarding use of alternative pesticides rather than banned pesticides. As many as 10 insecticides or fungicides have been banned for application on basmati crop, he added.

The Agriculture Minister said that Chogawan block has around a total area of 32,000 hectares cultivated area, of which, 28,753 hectares is covered under the paddy crop and 25,000 hectares are solely under the basmati crop in the block. Out of the total 102 villages, 42 villages of the block have been selected under the project, he said.

Meanwhile, main cultivated varieties in the block are PUSA basmati 1718, PUSA basmati 1121, PUSA basmati 1885, PUSA basmati 1509, PUSA basmati 1692 and Punjab basmati-7.

Intensive Reach Out Campaign For Farmers

Whole staff of the Agriculture Department posted at Chogawan block has been pressed into service to reach out to all the farmers at all the selected villages to register them online on Basmati.net portal of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). As many as 3,691 farmers have been shortlisted after the door-to-door survey conducted by the Agriculture Department.

Over 54 village level camps have been organized to sensitize farmers about banned pesticides, besides, checking all the sale points of pesticide dealers and taking stock reports of banned pesticides and strict instructions have also been issued to dealers regarding non sale of banned pesticides. Special literature compiled by PAU, Ludhiana, is also being distributed among farmers.

Supervisors, Kisan Mitras, Other Staff Hit The Field

As many as 38 Kisan Mitras, three Supervisors, and eight field Supervisors are regularly visiting the field and sensitizing farmers to yield export quality basmati. The entire staff has been trained by the scientists of PAU, so that they can guide farmers in right way. Apart from this, WhatsApp groups, having over 2500 farmers, have also been created wherein suggestions and informative literature is being shared.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh authorities have said that work is underway to organize a meeting with Azeri authorities.

Mediators are working in the direction of organizing a meeting between official representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan with the purpose of mitigating the tense humanitarian and security situation in the republic, the official InfoCenter of Nagorno-Karabakh said in a statement.
In a heartwarming initiative, Rotary International District No. 3250, comprising clubs in Jamshedpur and Chaibasa, is set to launch the 'Gift of Life' program on September 29th. The program aims to provide free heart surgeries for children and youth aged between 6 months to 18 years who suffer from congenital heart defects.

This collaboration between Rotary and Amrita Hospital in Kerala (Kochi) extends its support to BPL cardholders, yellow cardholders, or individuals with an annual income below Rs 1 lakh. While guardians and attendants will need to cover travel expenses to and from Kochi, accommodation, and food during treatment will be provided free of charge. Rotary and Amrita Hospital will fully cover the estimated cost of the operation and treatment, which ranges from Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh per person.

The screening camp will take place on September 29th from 9.30 am to 5 pm at the campus of Karim City College, Sakchi. For further inquiries, please contact the provided mobile numbers: 7903710101 and 7004308382. The final assessments will be conducted by Amrita Hospital's expert team at Raj Hospital in Ranchi on October 3rd and 4th.

This commendable 'Gift of Life' initiative was spearheaded by District Governor S.P. Bagadiya in 2012 and has successfully provided surgeries for over 900 children to date.

Rotary International has a longstanding commitment to health-related initiatives, most notably its work in eradicating polio and efforts in the TB eradication campaign.

In a recent press conference led by Assistant Governor Rotarian Anjani Nidhi and Assistant Governor Rotarian Hetal Adesara, various Rotary Clubs including Chaibasa, Jamshedpur Femina, Jamshedpur Steel City, Jamshedpur Dalma, Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, and Jamshedpur Midtown came together to share information about the program. Their goal is to ensure that this opportunity reaches economically disadvantaged sections of society through newspapers and TV channels, thereby making a positive impact on those in need.

During the press conference, Rotarian Hetal Adesara and Rotarian Anjani Nidhi expressed their gratitude to the journalists for their support and detailed explanation of the program. Presidents, Secretaries, and officers of various Rotary Clubs were also present at the event, highlighting the collaborative effort behind this noble cause.
The 118th birthday of Paramhans Sant Hirdaram Sahibji will be observed with full faith and devotion on September 21, 2023 in various cities of the country and abroad including Sant Hirdaram Nagar.

Mahesh Dayaramani, Secretary of Jeev Seva Sansthan, who is engaged in service activities of Sant Ji, has told that on the incarnation day of Sant Ji, Sampat Path of Sri Sukhmani Sahib will be organized from September 19 to 21, 2023. Devotees can participate in this Path Sahib. Saint Ji taught the lessons to rendor selfless services for the betterment of health, education and peace to all sections of the society.

To imbibe these teachings throughout life, every disciple has been appealed to light five lamps in the courtyard of their Home. He said that these lamps should be lit every year to remember the teachings of the saint.

Shri Dayaramani said that the service work of Saint Ji has been running in various cities of the country and abroad for the last 50 years. More than 40 lakh people have benefited from these service activities. All service activities run by J.S.S. is carried out under the guidance and inspiration of Santji's successor Revered Siddh Bhauji. Considerable support is provided for these service activities by more than 500 volunteers and philonthropist from India and abroad.

He said that on the birthday of Saint Ji, Sewa Sadan Hospital will organize a free eye checkup and cataract operation camp. A free dental check-up camp will also be organized on the same day. While a free urology camp will be organized in Sewa Sadan itself from 23 September 2023. The doors of the Samadhi Sthal of Sri Kutiya Sahib will remain open for devotees throughout the day. On the birthday of Saint Ji, a blood donation camp will be organized outside the Kutiya. Free fruits, food and sweets will be distributed to the poor, orphanages, leprosy rehabilitation centres, slum schools student, Disabled rehabilitation centres, people of visually impaired hostels and schools. Students of schools and colleges of Sant Nagar will be given a pledge to follow the teachings of the Saint. These service works will be done in all those cities of the country and abroad also like Ahmedabad, Ulhas Nagar Rajkot, Ajmer, Jaipur and Udaipur etc where the disciples of Sant Ji live. Shri Dayaramani said that Jeev Daya Sansthan established in Ulhas Nagar will provide free dialysis facility to poor patients ailing from kidney disease throughout the month of September 2023.
Prof Dr Ajai Singh, Executive Director AIIMS Bhopal, delivered the keynote address in the international workshop titled "The Art of Writing Publishable Scientific Manuscript" organized by Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre, Bhopal.

The workshop was attended by around 80 delegates.

Speaking on the subject of "Clinical Perspectives of Biomedical Research: Bench to Bedside", Prof Singh stressed on the need of advancing translational research through extensive collaboration, in order to bring the discoveries of basic science into clinical use for diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis of diseases. Coting the example of COVID-19 vaccines, he stressed on the potential of Indian scientists to deliver clinical solutions that have benefitted not only the country, but a vast section of mankind in meeting the challenge of the pandemic.
The situation caused by heavy rainfall is now getting normal in the heavy rain-affected districts of Malwa and Nimar region. The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed the situation in the affected districts late night around 1.30 am after coming back from the Yatra in Guna the other day. He instructed the concerning collectors through video conference to immediately complete the rescue and relief operations .

In the circumstances of water logging caused by excessive rainfall in districts Indore, Khandwa, Khargone, Barwani and Burhanpur, the State Disaster Emergency Response Force has conducted 89 rescue operations and rescued 8718 citizens and 2637 livestock and shifted them to safe places.

A total of 610 personnel and 801 Home Guard personnel have been deployed for relief work in the flood affected districts. Chouhan said that if necessary, the help of Army and Air Force will be taken for relief in the affected areas.

The collectors concerned have assigned responsibility to the disaster teams in the affected areas. Where waterlogging is being observed, citizens have been shifted to higher places. Adequate arrangements have been made for food and accommodation for the people affected by extreme rains in the districts. Now conditions are rapidly becoming normal. Barring some isolated incidents, no loss of life or loss of animal have been reported.

Collectors of the concerned districts told Chief Minister Chouhan that NDRF and SDRF teams are active in the affected districts.

Chouhan discussed with Collectors and Commissioner of Burhanpur, Alirajpur, Khargone, Khandwa Barwani, Dhar districts of Indore.

Chouhan said that citizens will not be allowed to face any problem. He gave instructions to the collectors of the affected districts. Chief Minister Chouhan also discussed with Commissioner Indore regarding the deployment of disaster teams in the districts and necessary arrangements.

Chouhan received detailed about excessive rainfall in the state and the arrangements made by the local administration in the affected areas.

The Chief Minister discussed with Additional Chief Secretary SN Mishra, Ashok Warnwal and concerned officials and obtained information about the management. Details of excessive rainfall in the state and information about the rescue work being done in the affected areas.

According to IMD, in the last 24 hours, Khargone, Alirajpur, Jhabua, Mandsaur, Harda, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Barwani, Dhar, Indore, Ratlam, Ujjain, Dewas, Neemuch, Sehore, Narmadapuram, Betul, Shajapur, Agar Malwa. Extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall in Raisen, Bhopal, Rajgarh, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur Kalan, Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Satna, Shahdol, Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandsaur, Balaghat, Panna, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Vidisha, Heavy to moderate rainfall has been recorded in Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri and Gwalior.

IMD has issued a warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Ratlam, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Indore, Khargone, Barwani and Mandsaur in the next 24 hours.

The level of Narmada river is gradually receding in Narmadapuram. Camps have been set up as a precaution. The situation is normal. Burhanpur:- Tapti river is flowing above the danger mark. 120 families on the river banks have been evacuated to safe places. Food packets have been distributed.

It is raining continuously in Barwani but there is no disaster like situation. Due to water logging in the lower settlements of Narmada River in Khandwa, 18 families of village Navali, Dhangaon, Chamarwadi and Nagchun of Tehsil Khandwa and 500 people of village Moratakka, Markandeya Ashram, Billora Khurd, Kailashkho and Brahmanpuri of Tehsil Punasa were shifted to Gram Panchayat Bhawan, Mandi Pragan.
After three meetings of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) having reached a broad consensus on seat sharing and political agenda, the Samajwadi Party is gearing up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh is all set to intensify its campaign to reach out to its electorate  PDA (Pichhada, Dalit Alpsankhyak). The SP has also reached a consensus with the Congress on seat sharing.

Sources in the SP said Congress had asked for a minimum 20 Lok Sabha seats in UP. Akhilesh Yadav is reportedly not averse to the idea of sharing 20 seats with the Congress.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is now concentrating his focus on the selection of suitable candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

The sources said the party was working on a strategy to lay more focus on the backward classes, Dalits and minorities and was already standing strong in the INDIA alliance.

The sources said that in the case of the election being fought in alliance, the SP would lay more focus on 35-40 Lok Sabha seats.

Akhilesh Yadav has also initiated the process for forming a committee of 10 members to give representation to the Other Backward Classes, Dalits and minorities in ticket distribution for Lok Sabha. The SP is also working to formulate a plan for PDA Sadho Abhiyan and PDA will defeat NDA slogans. The SP leaders involved in the campaign have been tasked with the responsibility of contacting 100 voters in each polling station and collecting their details.

The party has also created six zones in every assembly constituency and will organise conferences there to garner the support of the backward class.

Akhilesh Yadavs party is planning an aggressive campaign in Uttar Pradesh, where, along with focusing on strengthening the cadre, the party will work on the ground as well. The party will also be working minutely with the candidates on each seat.

Also, the Rashtriya Lok Dal will be looking at double-digit numbers in western Uttar Pradesh, which will be a major concern in seat sharing for the SP. The RLD is anxious to come out of the shadow of the SP. The RLD has maintained that it is a constituent of the INDIA bloc and has no separate alliance with the SP.

Akhilesh Yadav is currently the only face of the opposition in UP, and with a strong coalition and strong groundwork, only the SP has the capacity to challenge the hegemony of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said a senior SP leader.
The state BJP will celebrate the birth anniversary of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi as a service fortnight from 17th September to the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on 2nd October. This information was given by the state general secretary and headquarter in-charge Dr. Pradeep Verma.

He said that tomorrow on 17th September at 11 am, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to launch Vishwakarma Yojana for crores of workers of the country. On this occasion, Union Minister Arjun Munda in the program organized in Jamshedpur, in the program organized in Aryabhatta Auditorium, Morhabadi, Ranchi Minister Dr L Murugan will be present.

He said that a photo exhibition based on the personality and work of the Prime Minister will be inaugurated in the state office at 10 am by State President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and Organization General Secretary Karmaveer Singh. Picture exhibitions will also be organized in all the districts.

At 11 am, party workers and officials will join the Vishwakarma Yojana launch ceremony online in the auditorium of the state office and listen to the Prime Minister's address. Workers from all the districts will also join this program online in their districts.

Verma said that Vishwakarma Yojana will be a historic plan towards realizing a self-reliant India, in which the Government of India will promote the skills of workers associated with traditional professions like blacksmiths, potters, goldsmiths, weavers, handicrafts etc. and connect them to the world market, will be linked to the mainstream of development by providing financial assistance.

He said that apart from this, blood donation camps will be organized by Yuva Morcha in various districts on 17, 18, 19 and 20 September.

He said that programs like cleanliness campaign, free medical camp, pledge for organ donation, creation of Ayushman card for the digitally left out people will be run throughout the fortnight.

State President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and Organization General Secretary Karmaveer Singh will inaugurate a photo exhibition based on the personality and work of the Prime Minister at 10 am in the state office.

Union Minister Arjun Munda will be present at the launch of Vishwakarma Yojana at Aryabhatta Auditorium, Morhabadi.

Various programs like blood donation camp, fruit distribution in hospitals, Ayushman Bharat card making, cleanliness campaign, free medical camp, settlement contact will be organized in Seva Pakhwada.
A meeting of the Board of Directors of Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Company was held today at CM's residence Samatva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The meeting was attended by Mineral Resources and Labour Minister Brijendra Pratap Singh, Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and other senior officials. Various proposals of Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Corporation Limited were approved in the meeting.

Chouhan directed to ensure the quality of the works and complete them on time. Chouhan obtained information about the implementation of water supply schemes operated in various urban bodies. He congratulated the officers of the department for the state's leading position in the field of cleanliness. It was told in the meeting that the award programme is proposed in Indore on Sept 27. In the meeting, Chief Minister Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme, Mauganj Water Supply Project, Petlawad Water Supply Project, Khargone Water Supply Project, Mini Smart City Project, Sidhi along with other topics were discussed.
In a pioneering move to enhance direct communication with the citizens of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has unveiled a novel initiative, the Chief Minister Office, Uttar Pradesh WhatsApp channel.

This platform, launched under the chief ministers guidance, aims to foster a direct and open channel of communication between the common people and the chief ministers office, providing an easy means for individuals to share their thoughts, concerns and feedback with the government, a government spokesman said here on Saturday.

The announcement of this groundbreaking initiative was made through official social media channels, reaffirming the state governments commitment to its citizens. The official handle of the chief ministers office, Uttar Pradesh, @CMOfficeUP, underscored the belief that all 25 crore residents of Uttar Pradesh are considered one family by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. It highlighted the governments unwavering dedication to the well-being and prosperity of every member of this vast Uttar Pradesh family.

Recognising the crucial role of communication in democracy, the state government has taken this significant step to establish an official WhatsApp group, Chief Minister Office, Uttar Pradesh, to facilitate seamless interaction between the chief minister and the citizens.

This new communication platform is expected to play a pivotal role in swiftly disseminating information pertaining to public welfare and government initiatives. Notably, what sets this channel apart is its inclusivity  anyone can join it. By becoming a member of this WhatsApp channel, individuals can directly receive timely updates from the chief ministers office.

The Chief Minister Office, Uttar Pradesh WhatsApp channel promises to bridge the gap between the government and the people, fostering transparency and ensuring that the voices and concerns of every citizen are heard and addressed promptly. This groundbreaking initiative signifies a major step toward more inclusive and accessible governance in Uttar Pradesh.

It is important to highlight that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the trailblazer in adopting this innovative approach, making him the first the chief minister in the country to utilise a WhatsApp channel as a direct mode of communication with the common citizens, the spokesman said.
The Dominican Republics president announced on Thursday he would close all borders with neighbouring Haiti starting Friday in a dispute over a canal on the Haitian side that would use water from a river along their frontier. President Luis Abinader said air, sea and land borders would close at 6 am local time on Friday and would remain shuttered until necessary, signalling that last-minute talks between the countries had failed to head off the closure.

It is a rare move for the Dominican Republic, and could hit economies in both countries, though it will be most acutely felt in Haiti.

The closure is a response to the excavation of a canal by a farming group on the Haitian side that targets waters from the Massacre River, which runs along the border shared by the two countries on the island of Hispaniola.

The International Crisis Group said work on the canal had been suspended since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, and that it resumed based on inaction by the Haitian government, which has failed to respond to the problems created by the drought in the agricultural area of the Maribaroux plain.

The organisation has seen no evidence that suggests there are any major politicians or powerful businesspeople behind it, as the Dominican government has claimed, according to Latin American and Caribbean consultant Diego Da Rin.

Abinader in recent days suspended issuing visas to Haitians and closed the border near the northern town of Dajabon, paralysing a key economic lifeline for Haitians who buy and sell goods there several times a week. Those who live in Haiti but work in the Dominican Republic also cross the border daily.

They are suffering a lot here in Dajabon, and in Haiti, too, because there are a lot of goods that are spoiling, said Haitian businessman Pichelo Petijon. There are millions of dollars in losses.

Abinader accused Haiti of trying to divert water from the Massacre River, and said it would affect Dominican farmers and the environment. The river is named after a bloody clash between French and Spanish colonizers in the 1700s, and it also was the site of a mass killing of Haitians by the Dominican army in 1937.

On Wednesday, Haitis Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was meeting with Dominican officials in the Dominican Republic to talk about the situation. The Dominican government said on Thursday that the meeting had stretched into its second day but provided no details. The meeting was continuing when Abinader announced he would close all borders starting Friday.

Meanwhile, Jean Brevil Weston, leader of a farmers group near the border, was quoted by Haiti radio station Magik9 as saying that he will not stop working on the canal.

Its the canal or death, he was quoted as saying. We are ready to be buried by the canal.

Haitis government issued a statement after Abinaders announcement saying it would always favour dialogue, noting it was underway and on a good track when the president took unilateral action.

The government added that it would do what is needed to ensure the irrigation of the Maribaroux plain. The Republic of Haiti can sovereignly decide on the exploitation of its natural resources, it said. The government ... will take all necessary measures to protect the interests of the Haitian people.

Claude Joseph, Haitis former prime minister and an aspiring presidential candidate, said the excavation does not violate any agreements or treaties between the two countries, and urged workers to keep working on the project. Joseph previously clashed with Abinader over an unrelated issue, prompting the Dominican president to ban him from his country.

Abinader on Thursday also announced bans for nine other Haitians, the majority former government officials and one person he claimed was responsible for backing the canal project.

A line already was forming Thursday at the Dominican border town of Dajabon, with hundreds of people seeking to cross into Haiti for various reasons, many with heavy bags balanced on their heads or suitcases in hand. Dominican authorities were opening the gate only three times a day, and only for crossings into Haiti.

Among those waiting to cross was Haitian vendor Dieuvelaie Bernard, 27, who sold clothes in the Dominican Republic and said she didnt understand why the border in Dajabon was closed.

Why is this happening, if everyone comes here to work? she said.

Bernard stressed that construction of the canal was important: Theres only rice, nothing else. Also in line was a 47-year-old Haitian man who gave his name only as Egnel, who said he had a job at a banana farm in the Dominican Republic. He said he needed to return to Haiti to take one of his daughters there to the hospital, and that he was willing to take the risk of not being able to return to his job. My objective is to take care of my daughter, he said. After Abinader became president in August 2020, he has sought to stop the flow of Haitian migrants into the Dominican Republic in recent years and has expelled tens of thousands of Haitians and those of Haitian descent. His administration also has started work on a 118-mile (190-kilometer) wall along the Haitian border.
Laurentian Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services to personal, business, and institutional customers in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Capital Markets. The Personal Banking segment offers financial services, such as financial advisory services to financial intermediaries; and operates digital direct-to-customer platform to retail clients. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial services, including commercial banking, real estate financing, and equipment and inventory financing to business clients. The Capital Markets segment offers a range of services, such as research, market analysis, and advisory services; corporate underwriting services for debt and equity; and administrative services. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS/BTA.Bulgarian companies at the Thessaloniki International Fair showed a very high level of innovation and technology, Anastasios (Tasos) Tzikas, President of TIF Helexpo, organizer of the Thessaloniki International Fair, said in an interview with BTA.

The fair, which is the largest trade exhibition in Southeast Europe, ends on Sunday. This year, the honoured country of its 87th edition was Bulgaria.

Tzikas noted that this was a difficult year for Greece, with the natural disasters that ravaged the country, but he expressed confidence that in the end "this fair will turn out to be a very successful exhibition."

Tzikas noted the importance of having Bulgaria as a country of honour, a friendly neighbouring country with which Greece has strategic cooperation. He said that this provides an opportunity for improving bilateral relations even more

There have been over a thousand B2B meetings between Bulgarian and Greek companies during the fair. Also, the Bulgarian stands at the fair are an example of what modern Bulgaria is today, said the President of TIF Helexpo, calling Bulgaria an exaple in terms of the investments it has made in modern technologies and in research.

Tzikas pointed out that in recent years Sofia has become a hub for new technologies, and noted that Thessaloniki wants to follow that example.

Tzikas expressed his pleasant surprise at the Bulgarian technology companies and the new products that were presented. For example, a drone has received the first permit in Europe for cargo transport to Thessaloniki.

The TIF Helexpo President highly appreciated the visit of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov. He also noted the successful cooperation with the Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry, Bogdan Bogdanov, and his deputy Nikolay Pavlov. It was an honour for Greece that the President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev also visited the fair, Tzikas said, confirming that year the two countries have come closer.

There already was a strategic partnership, and Tzikas predicted that that in the coming years there will be exceptional cooperation between Greek and Bulgarian companies.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)
Dollarama Inc. operates a chain of dollar stores in Canada. Its stores offer general merchandise, consumables, and seasonal products. It also sells its products through online store. The company was formerly known as Dollarama Capital Corporation and changed its name to Dollarama Inc. in September 2009. Dollarama Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Mount Royal,Canada.
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a leading global biopharmaceutical company with a long and impressive history of innovating and developing medicines that improve the lives of patients around the world. Founded in 1887 when William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers purchased the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company, the company was initially named Bristol, Myers and Company. Its first nationally recognized product, Sal Hepatica, was released in the 1890s.

Bristol Myers-Squibb offers chemically synthesized drugs and biologics administered through injections or infusions to patients. The company's pharmaceutical portfolio includes a large number of well-known products. BMS's primary research and development sites are in New Jersey, California, Spain, Massachusetts, New York, Belgium, Japan, India and Massachusetts. The company's products sell to wholesalers and distributors around the world.

Bristol Myers-Squibb has a robust pipeline of investigational medicines in its pipeline. In addition, the company has established strategic collaborations and partnerships with various companies, successfully launching new products. These partnerships and investments generate portions of the company's revenue.

Bristol Myers-Squibb has acquired several companies over the years, including Medarex in 2009, ZymoGenetics in 2010, Inhibitex Inc. in 2012, Amylin Pharmaceuticals in 2012, iPierian in 2014, Flexus Biosciences in 2015, Cardioxyl in 2015, Padlock Therapeutics in 2016, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals in 2017, IFM Therapeutics in 2017, Celgene in 2019, Otezla in 2019, Forbius in 2020, MyoKardia in 2020 and Turning Point Therapeutics in 2022.

In 2005, the company divested individual consumer products and its subsequent consumer products businesses. In December 2014, the company received FDA approval for its cancer drug, Opdivo, used to treat skin cancers that do not respond to drug therapies. In 2019, the company divested its consumer health business, UPSA, to Taisho.

The company has also faced several scandals, lawsuits and investigations over the years, the biggest of which is the ongoing $1 billion lawsuit from Guatemala for the company's role in a 1940s experiment that infected hundreds with syphilis. In 2001 BMS faced an accounting scandal that resulted in a restatement of revenues from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, BMS faced a lawsuit based on illegally maintaining a monopoly on Taxol, a chemotherapy medication. The former head of the pharma group and the ex-CFO were indicted for federal securities violations in 2005. In July of 2006, an FBI raid on the company's corporate offices revealed that the company took steps to delay the release of a generic version of one of its drugs.

BMS began a significant restructuring in 2009, focusing on the pharmaceutical business and biologic products, productivity initiatives and cost-cutting. The U.S. attorney forced the company into oversight and appointed a monitor as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Lou Schmukler joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2010 as global product development and design president.

In 2013, Forbes magazine ranked the company as the drug company of the year. Dr. Giovanni Caforio took the reigns as CEO in 2015. In 2017, reports began to surface that activist investor Carl Icahn took a stake in the company, widely seen as a signal for a potential future takeover.

As Bristol-Myers Squibb continues to experience success and growth, the company is committed to delivering innovative treatments to patients and staying ahead of the curve in the biopharmaceutical industry. With its focus on research and development and a long and rich history of delivering innovative medicines, BMS offers an excellent long-term investment opportunity.
TELUS International (Cda) Inc. design, builds, and delivers digital solutions for customer experience (CX) in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Central America. The company provides digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, enterprise mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data analytics, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, contact center outsourcing, technical support, sales growth and customer retention, healthcare/patient experience, and debt collection. It also offers IT lifecycle services comprising cloud platform solutions, managed IT services, application development and management, quality assurance and testing, system operations, IT service desk, internet of things, engineering solutions, and enterprise platform services; advisory services consists of digital strategy, CX process consulting, data and customer analytics, workforce management, learning excellence solutions, and business and process transformation; back office and automation solutions, such as robotic process automation, talent acquisition, finance and accounting, and supply chain management; and trust, safety, and security services, including content moderation and social media community management, and fraud prevention and detection. In addition, the company provides AI data solutions comprising data collection and creation, data annotation, data validation and relevance, and linguistic annotation for video, audio, text, image, and geographical data, as well as 3D sensor fusion. It serves technology and gaming, communications and media, ecommerce, financial services and financial technology, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and automotive industries. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. TELUS International (Cda) Inc. is a subsidiary of TELUS Communications Inc.
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.
ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation engages in the sale, maintenance, and support of computers and network systems, software development, information processing, and support services in Japan, rest of Asia, and internationally. It engages in the provision of information services-related to science and engineering; maintenance, operation, and monitoring services; system and network support, system construction, and IT-related training services; IT systems operation and management, infrastructure operation and management, business and application operation and management, and satellite communications and broadcasting operation services; sale of network and security-related equipment, storage-related devices, software and other peripheral devices, etc., and provision of related consulting, deployment/building and support services, as well as building facility operation and management activities for computer centers; and provision of helpdesk and contact center operation services, IT education and training services, creation of instructional manuals, outbound services and back-office services. The company is also involved in the provision of IT infrastructure building, maintenance, and operation services; exportation of IT products; information gathering, research and marketing activities; resale of hardware and software; sale, installation, and implementation of IT systems and networks and application development; and IT Infrastructure, cloud services, and maintenance services. It serves wholesale/retail, financial institutions, offices and factories, telecommunication, automotive and transport, public and educational institutions, science, and energy and resources industries. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation operates as a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation.
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.
Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) pays an annual dividend of $3.56 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 1.55%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 3 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 43.36%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, STZ will have a dividend payout ratio of 26.69% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for STZ.
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.
Global Payments Inc. provides payment technology and software solutions for card, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization, settlement and funding, customer support, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security, and consolidated billing and reporting services. This segment also provides an array of enterprise software solutions that streamline business operations of its customers in various vertical markets; and value-added solutions and services, such as point-of-sale software, analytics and customer engagement, human capital management, and payroll. The Issuer Solutions segment offers solutions that enable financial institutions and retailers to manage their card portfolios through a platform; and commercial payments, and account payables and electronic payment alternatives solutions for businesses and governments. The Consumer Solutions segment provides general purpose reloadable prepaid debit and payroll cards, demand deposit accounts, and other financial service solutions to the underbanked and other consumers, and businesses under the Netspend and other brands. It markets its products and services through direct sales force, trade associations, agent and enterprise software providers, referral arrangements with value-added resellers, and independent sales organizations. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE:GXO) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August, 2nd. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.09. The company earned $2.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.38 billion. GXO Logistics had a net margin of 2.10% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 12.25%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.68 EPS.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Voter turnout in the Yerevan City Council elections stood at 21,36% as of 17:00, Central Electoral Commission member Arusyak Terchanyan told reporters at a press briefing.

176,027 voters from the 824,250 citizens eligible to vote cast their ballots as of 17:00.

As of 17:00, 176,027 voters or 21,36% from the 824,250 eligible citizens participated in the voting, Terchanyan said.

Polling stations will be open until 20:00.
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.






Johnson & Johnson is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical company that started in the early 1870s. Robert Wood Johnson began training as a pharmacist at 16 and founded his 1st company in 1873. That company would be disbanded by 1886 when Johnson joined his brothers to form today's entity. The companys first line of products was sterile surgical dressings which were soon followed up by household products and medical guides.

Today, Johnson & Johnson is one of the worlds largest companies. It is ranked 36th on the 2021 Fortune 500 list and is a Dow Jones Industrial Average member. The company operates via 250 subsidiaries with operations in 60 countries and product sales in 175. As of 2021, annual sales were in the range of $95 billion and growing. The company is also a leader in equality and the advancement of womens rights. Johnson & Johnsons workforce was nearly 50% female by 1910, and many held significant positions of responsibility.

Among the companys many advances in health care is the advancement of sterile conditions to prevent postoperative and secondary infections. Products include sterile gauze, cotton and dressings, and the development of the industrial sterilization process. However, the product that launched the company to success was the combination of a sterile dressing with tape. The company called the new products Band-Aids, which is now synonymous with small, prepackaged bandages. Another major win for the company was Johnson & Johnson Baby Soap.

Today, Johnson & Johnson operates in 3 segments: Pharmaceutical, Consumer Health and MedTech. The Consumer Health segment alone covers brands like Aveeno, Listerine, Tylenol, Zyrtec, Band-Aid and Neosporin, which are among the worlds most recognizable brands. The companys purpose is to blend science and ingenuity to change the trajectory of health for humanity profoundly.

The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in all segments of the healthcare spectrum and has partnerships to develop new drugs with at least 10 other major healthcare providers and dozens of smaller research facilities. Products are offered wholesale to retailers and through healthcare systems. The MedTech segment develops and manufactures various healthcare devices and diagnostic tools. Among the many recognizable products from this segment are ACUVUE contact lenses.

Johnson & Johnson went public in 1944 and began paying dividends soon after. The company began increasing its dividend payment in 1962 and has increased it yearly. The company is a member of the Dividend Aristocrat Index and qualifies as a Dividend King with more than 50 years of consecutive annual increases. The company employs more than 142,000 individuals and serves more than 1 billion daily. Regarding the companys health, its track record of dividend payments is backed up by a AAA credit rating. Johnson & Johnson is one of only 2 US corporations with such a rating and is more trusted than the US government.

The company announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies in 2021. The move is expected to be complete in late 2023 and will result in a Consumer Health company and a Pharmaceutical company.










JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the 5th largest bank in the world and the largest in the U.S. The current company is the result of a series of mergers that began in the earliest days of American banking history and include more than 1,200 original banks. The oldest predecessor is The Bank Of The Manhattan Company which was founded in 1799 by Aaron Burr. At the time, The Bank Of The Manhattan Company was the 3rd oldest bank in the U.S. and the 31st oldest in the world. The Chase Manhattan Bank, a precursor to JPMorgan Chase, was later formed when The Bank Of Manhattan Company purchased Chase Bank which was established in 1877.

JPMorgan & Co came to life in 1895 in order to finance the United States Steel Corporation. Itself a result of merger, the company also financed other early American businesses as well as aided the federal government by backing a bond offering. It wasnt until the year 2000 and after several more mergers that JPMorgan Chase & Co was born. It will be four more years before the merger with Bank One which is notable because it brings CEO Jamie Dimon into the picture.

JPMorgan Chase & Co was instrumental in aiding the US government during the 2008 financial crisis. It backed the accounts of several major banks including Bear Stearns and eventually took over their operations. Today, JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide with operations on every continent and in more than 60 countries.

JPMorgan Chase & Co operates through four segments that are Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). Services are available in branches in 48 of the 50 US states and around the world. Services are available via ATM, online, mobile, and telephone.

The CCB segment offers traditional banking services to consumers that include but are not limited to deposits, loans, mortgages, and lines of credit. The CIB segment provides investment banking products and services to businesses, institutions, and governments that range from prime brokerage, insurance, corporate strategy, and access to capital markets, to lending, cross-border financing, and derivative instruments. The CB segment provides financial services for small, medium, and large businesses including commercial real estate banking of all types.

The AWM segment provides investment management solutions to institutional and retail investors. This segment also provides retirement products, brokerage, trusts and estates, and investment management products.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation manufactures and sells motion and control technologies and systems for various mobile, industrial, and aerospace markets worldwide. The company operates through two segments: Diversified Industrial and Aerospace Systems. The Diversified Industrial segment offers sealing, shielding, thermal products and systems, adhesives, coatings, and noise vibration and harshness solutions; filters, systems, and diagnostics solutions to ensure purity and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors used in fluid and gas handling; and hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical components and systems for builders and users of mobile and industrial machinery and equipment. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and distributors who serve the replacement markets in manufacturing, packaging, processing, transportation, construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, agricultural, and military machinery and equipment industries. The Aerospace Systems segment offers products for use in commercial and military airframe and engine programs, such as control actuation systems and components, engine build-up ducting, engine exhaust nozzles and assemblies, engine systems and components, fluid conveyance systems and components, fuel systems and components, fuel tank inerting systems, hydraulic systems and components, lubrication components, avionics, sensors, pneumatic control components, thermal management products, fire detection and suppression systems and components, and wheels and brakes, as well as fluid metering, delivery, and atomization devices. This segment markets its products directly to OEMs and end users. The company markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, and sales representatives. Parker-Hannifin Corporation was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets personal care and consumer tissue products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The company's Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swimpants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, reusable underwear, and other related products under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Thinx, Poise, Depend, Plenitud, Softex, and other brand names. Its Consumer Tissue segment provides facial and bathroom tissues, paper towels, napkins, and related products under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Neve, and other brand names. The company's K-C Professional segment offers wipers, tissues, towels, apparel, soaps, and sanitizers under the Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, and KleenGuard brands. In addition, it sells household use products directly to supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drugstores, warehouse clubs, variety and department stores, and other retail outlets, as well as through other distributors and e-commerce; and away-from-home use products directly to manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and public facilities, as well as through e-commerce. The company was founded in 1872 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Jacobs Solutions Inc. provides consulting, technical, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, and PA Consulting. The company offers cybersecurity, data analytics, systems and software application integration and consulting, enterprise and mission IT, engineering and design, nuclear, enterprise level operations and maintenance services; software development, testing, mission integration, program management, research, development, test, evaluation services, training, and environmental remediation services; and other technical consulting solutions, as well as construction management services. It also provides consulting services for consumer and manufacturing, defense and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government, health and life sciences, and transport industries. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Twilio Inc. is a leading American company in the communication technology industry. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and founded in 2008, Twilio provides programmable communication tools through its web service APIs. The company enables businesses to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages and perform other communication functions programmatically.

Twilio's mission is to fuel the future of communications by providing developers and businesses with powerful tools to create innovative and engaging customer experiences. The company offers a range of products and services, including Voice, Messaging, Video, Email, and more, all delivered through its cloud-based platform. Twilio's solutions are designed to be flexible, scalable, and easy to integrate into existing systems, empowering businesses to communicate effectively with their customers.

The company serves a wide range of industries, including e-commerce, healthcare, financial services, transportation, and entertainment. Twilio's target market includes businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. Some of the key customers of Twilio include Airbnb, Uber, Netflix, and Lyft.

A strong and experienced management team leads Twilio. Jeff Lawson serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, bringing extensive leadership experience and a deep understanding of the communications industry. Other key management team members include Aidan Viggiano as the Chief Financial Officer, Mark Simms as the Chief Technology Officer, Dana R. Wagner as the Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, and Alice Katwan as the Senior Vice President & General Manager of Sales. The team's diverse backgrounds and expertise contribute to Twilio's success in driving innovation and delivering value to its customers.

Twilio has shown impressive financial performance in recent years. The company has experienced significant revenue growth, driven by increased adoption of its communication tools and services. Twilio's revenue has consistently increased, reflecting its strong market position and customer demand. However, the company is still pre-profit, meaning it has yet to report a profitable year.

Instead of reporting a profit, the company has focused on investing in its platform and expanding its product offerings to capture new market opportunities. Twilio's profitability metrics, including earnings and profit margins, have improved over time, indicating the company's ability to generate positive financial results.

Twilio's positive valuation metrics reflect the market's confidence in the company's future. The factors driving Twilio's valuation include its consistent revenue growth, expanding customer base, and position as a market leader in the communication technology industry. The company's innovative products and services and ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences contribute to its positive valuation.

Various factors influence the company's stock performance, including financial results, product innovations, market trends, and broader industry dynamics. News and events related to Twilio, such as product launches or strategic partnerships, can also impact the company's share price. The company's stock was a hot pandemic stock, and the price soared during the 2020 - Q1 2022 pandemic years. However, the stock returned to approximately its pre-pandemic price once the pandemic ended.

Twilio operates in the communication technology industry, which is characterized by rapid technological advancements and evolving customer expectations. The industry is highly competitive, with several established players and emerging startups vying for market share. As communication becomes increasingly digital and businesses seek more efficient ways to connect with their customers, the demand for communication platforms and services continues to grow.

Twilio competes with both traditional telecommunications companies and other cloud-based communication service providers. Its key competitors include Vonage, Bandwidth, and Nexmo (a subsidiary of Vonage Holdings Corp.). These competitors offer similar services, but Twilio has differentiated itself through its developer-friendly approach, robust API ecosystem, and focus on delivering a seamless user experience.

One of Twilio's competitive advantages is its extensive network of developers and partners. The company has built a strong community of developers who leverage Twilio's APIs to build custom communication solutions. This network effect creates a virtuous cycle as more developers contribute to the platform, attracting customers and driving further innovation.

Another advantage of Twilio is its ability to cater to businesses of all sizes. Its scalable and flexible platform allows startups and small businesses to easily integrate communication capabilities into their applications while also serving the complex needs of enterprise customers. This versatility has helped Twilio expand its customer base and penetrate various industries.

The industry also presents challenges and risks for Twilio. Regulatory and compliance requirements, such as data privacy and security regulations, can impact the company's operations and impose additional costs. Government policy or regulation changes could also affect the competitive landscape and market dynamics.

Competition within the industry remains intense. Rivals may introduce innovative products or services, potentially disrupting Twilio's market position. The company must continuously invest in research and development to stay ahead of the curve and meet evolving customer expectations.

To mitigate these risks, Twilio maintains a proactive risk management strategy. The company closely monitors regulatory developments and complies with applicable laws and regulations. Twilio also emphasizes security and privacy in its product offerings, prioritizing the protection of customer data.
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Crowds have gathered in cities and towns in every state and territory to show their support for the October 14 poll. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Valeriu Campan

Thousands of supporters of the Voice to Parliament have taken to the streets across the country, with a crucial message for Aussies that history is calling us ahead of the October referendum.

Supporters of the Yes campaign turned out in record numbers on Sunday afternoon across major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.

It marks one of the biggest campaign pushes for the Yes vote since the referendum date was announced.

Minister for Indigenous Australians told a roaring crowd in Melbournes CBD that history is calling us and that each and every one of you can help answer the call from generations of Indigenous people.

Melbourne crows stretched from Swanston to Bourke streets. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Valeriu Campan

For 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been speaking 363 languages, but no voice, Ms Burney said to raucous applause.

In 27 days, you have the power to do something about it. You have the power to use your voice to allow Indigenous Australians to have a bigger say in the future.

Ms Burney said she was speechless and almost crying to witness the number of people in attendance.

To look out over this crowd and see you. To know where your hearts are, to know where your spirit lives. And that you, like us, want to embrace this opportunity to move this country forward together, the minister said.



Thank you Melbourne for turning out in such massive numbers to support the Voice to Parliament - walking together for a better future. #voteyespic.twitter.com/nm2tgIsGvR  Mark Dreyfus (@MarkDreyfusKCMP) September 17, 2023

Peter Garrett: Countries only get to make decisions like this once in a lifetime I think all of us know that this cannot be wasted. It must be understood as one of the most important things that we, as a fair nation, can ever do. pic.twitter.com/tSNQ1Bgsuz  Henry Belot (@Henry_Belot) September 17, 2023

Campaigner and co-author of the Uluru Statement from the Heart Megan Davis said the number of people who turned out in support of the Voice just blows our minds.

Story continues

It wasnt just one city, it was many, many cities, including towns, she told NCA Newswire.

Its really overwhelming and I think its a really historic moment.

Ms Davis said that the show of support could be a sign that there is probably a silent majority of people who support it.

Rallies are just an extraordinary demonstration of the support thats out there, they are big numbers, she said.

I was in Melbourne and even though I was at the back of the crowd, it was just an extraordinary, huge number [of people].



Australias Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who joined the mass rally in Melbourne, took aim at No campaigners while speaking to reporters.

Mr Dreyfus said anti-Voice advocates like Warren Mundine had no solutions for addressing Indigenous disadvantage.

The no campaign talks about wanting to get practical improvement, the no campaign should be voting yes if they want practical improvement in the lives of Aboriginal people because thats what this referendum is about, he said.

Australians will vote in four weeks on the whether to have a constitutionally-enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Valeriu Campan

Mass rallies follow polls that suggested falling support for the Voice. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Valeriu Campan

Thousands of people descended into Redfern Park in Sydney to march as temperatures climbed above thirty-degrees, with organisers urging rally goers to stay in the shade and remain hydrated.

An estimated 5,000 people turned out to rally in Canberra with crowds parked outside the front lawn of Parliament House carrying large Vote Yes signs.

Brisbanes pro-Voice rally saw a about 20,000 people chanting Yes holding signs which read Stop the Trumps, Vote Yes and Maintain the love.

In response, a large Aboriginal flag was pictured draped across Victoria Bridge which read Vote No.

Just a glimpse of the huge rally in support of #TheVoice at Redfern Park, Sydney. We are moving off heading for Victoria Park. More to come. #VoteYespic.twitter.com/OCyw0NV5AH   Russell Darnley OAM maximos62@mastodon.au (@maximos62) September 17, 2023

Sundays mass rallies come after polls this week indicated a downfall for the October 14 referendum, with the national average support for Yes reportedly falling below 45 per cent.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke out this week about questions over the Yes campaigns success and said while referendums were hard to win said he had confidence that voters would turn out in favour.

Im confident that every Australian will take up the opportunity to vote Yes, the PM said on Thursday.



Since 1901, only eight of 44 proposals for constitutional change have been approved.

The Australian Electoral Commission reported that a record number of Australians are enrolled to vote ahead of the date, with enrolments for First Nations people above 90 per cent for the first time in history.
YouTube travellers who use their privilege to make money off poor people in Third World countries are a despicable type of parasite that leaves a shameful stain upon the Developed World. One YouTuber called Kurt Caz, an Afrikaans South African, is responsible for 8  10 Cubans receiving 20-year jail terms in the communist dictatorship of Cuba, purely for views and advertising revenue on his exploitative channel.

Profiting Off Poverty Porn

This despicable exploitative creature manipulated many poor Cubans purely for profit in his videos, which make hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenue.

The worst part about the egotistical user YouTube traveller, Kurt Caz is that he knew he was in a communist country, and he knew that by exposing how ordinary Cubans have to get by in their poverty-stricken country that these people he filmed would get into serious trouble, but because he was more concerned with the revenue and subscribers he would gain from exposing these poor people, he carried on without any form of conscience or responsibility for his actions.

Cuban Communist Dictatorship

In Cuba, many activities are deemed as illegal by the secret police who answer to the communist party ruling the country. However, can one blame the people steeped in severe poverty for doing illegal stuff to put food on their table? This is what Curt Kaz exploited, and it is a truly shameful act. The people Kurt Caz exploited who are now serving 20-year jail terms will think about Kurt Caz every day in the horrible Cuban prisons where they will rot away.

In the video below, you can see this guy showing off his Ferrari while he wines and dines some exploited Venezuelan girl in the UAE. All of the filthy proceeds Kurt Caz has made in the hundreds and thousands of dollars are off the pain and suffering from countless people, but he doesnt care, he is rolling in the money, and paid women.

As the YouTuber Kurt Caz drives off into the sunset in his Ferrari, lighting up another Cuban cigar, he has no thought or care for the people who will rot in a stinking damp Cuban jail for the next twenty years. This manipulative exploitative scumbag deserves nothing but a serious dose of karma. As for the idiots who blindly follow and subscribe to Kurt Caz, you are enabling this asshole, and you directly are part of the problem as well.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a gathering at the Telangana Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad on Sunday. (DC)

HYDERABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hit out at "political parties pursuing vote bank politics" for ignoring the celebration of Telangana Liberation Day on September 17 despite the formation of a separate state. Without naming any particular political party, Shah said these parties are "uncertain whether they should celebrate the day or not. Let me remind them that the political parties that are worried and those who turn away from history, will realise people will turn away from them."

Shah was addressing a gathering at the Parade Grounds where the Government of India, for the second year running, celebrated the liberation of the then Hyderabad state on September 17, 1948. "For decades no government celebrated the day and it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who on the occasion of Indias 75th Independence Day last year decided that Telanganas liberation should be celebrated under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture," he said.

"The 399 days after India achieved Independence in 1947 were nothing short of hell in Hyderabad State and it was the then Home Minister and Iron Man of India, Sardar Patel who decided that the only solution to end the woes of the people suffering under the rule of the Nizam and atrocities of the Razakaars was to use force and liberate Hyderabad," Shah said. And on the 400th day, this was achieved without shedding a single drop of blood and the Nizam capitulated paving the way for Hyderabad State, with the Telangana region, Bidar in Karnataka and Marathdwada in Maharashtra being liberated, he said.

It is important that we celebrate this day to keep the generations that will follow us informed about our history, so it can inspire them, and us, to rededicate ourselves for the development and well-being of India, Shah said.
Amit Shah was addressing a large gathering at the Parade Ground where the Government of India, for the second year running, celebrated the liberation of the then Hyderabad state on September 17, 1948. (Image By Arrangement)

Hyderabad: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday hit out at "parties pursuing vote bank politics" for ignoring the Telangana Liberation Day celebrations on September 17, despite the formation of a separate state. Without naming any political party, Shah said these parties are "uncertain whether they should celebrate the day or not. Let me remind them that these parties that are worried, those who turn away from history, will realise people will turn away from them."

Shah was addressing a large gathering at the Parade Ground where the Government of India, for the second year running, celebrated the liberation of the then Hyderabad state on September 17, 1948. He said that for decades, no government celebrated the day and it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, on the occasion of Indias 75th Independence Day last year, decided that Telanganas liberation should be celebrated under the aegis of the ministry of culture.

"The 399 days after India achieved Independence in 1947 were nothing short of hell in Hyderabad state and it was the then home minister and Iron Man of India, Sardar Patel, who decided that the only solution to end the woes of the people suffering under the rule of the Nizam and atrocities of the Razakaars was to use force and liberate Hyderabad," Shah said.

And on the 400th day, the Nizam capitulated, paving the way for Hyderabad state, with the Telangana region, Bidar in Karnataka and Marathwada in Maharashtra being liberated, he said.

Shah said: "Without hesitation, I can say without Sardar Patel, Telangana could not have been freed. Patel put the country first and working as a team with K.M. Munshi, liberated Hyderabad state without shedding a drop of blood."

It is important that we celebrate this day to keep the generations that will follow us informed about our history, so it can inspire them, and us, to rededicate ourselves for the development and well-being of India, Shah said.

"I want to remind people and families who suffered untold miseries under the Razakars, (Sardar) Patel had said a that and independent Hyderabad in the heart of India was like a cancer in Indias stomach and an operation is needed. Ando so he launched the Police Action and freed this region," Shah said.

Paying tribute to the lakhs of people who fought for freedom from Nizams rule, Shah recalled the horrors of the last year of Nizams rule and said in Parkala, many were killed by the Razakaar army when they tried to hoist the Indian Flag, with similar incidents taking place in Bidar and Marathwada. "They are the kind of events that make your hair stand on their ends," Shah said.

Union minister for culture G. Kishan Reddy, whose ministry organised the celebrations, said some parties refuse to recognise that Hyderabad state was liberated and are, instead, calling it integration.

"Even today, after all these years, they are trying to cheat people. When the rest of India was celebrating Independence, people of Hyderabad were facing terrible atrocities. For 75 years, this history was sought to be buried and under Modis leadership and Amit Shahs guidance, the day of liberation is being celebrated now," he said.

Several officials from various central security forces, whose contingents took part in a march past, along with senior leaders from the BJP, attended the event.

Also marking Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday, the start of the Sewa Pakhwada by the BJP, Shah distributed battery-operated tricycles to the differently abled at the venue.

Shah also released special postal covers commemorating the lives of Shoaibullah Khan, the journalist who wrote against the Nizam and his government, and Ramji Gond, who battled the Nizams forces. The Union home minister also laid a foundation stone for a family residential complex for the Seema Suraksha Bal in the city.
Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and other leaders at the all-party meeting ahead of the special session of Parliament, at Parliament Library building, in New Delhi, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the special session of Parliament, the government on Sunday called a customary all-party meeting to brief floor leaders of different parties and hear their views ahead of the session.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the deputy leader of the House in Lok Sabha; Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi represented the government in the meeting. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, DMK's Kanimozhi, TDP's Ram Mohan Naidu, TMC's Derek O'Brien, AAP's Sanjay Singh, BJD's Sasmit Patra, BRS' K. Keshava Rao, YSR Congress Party's V. Vijayasai Reddy, RJD's Manoj Jha, JD(U)'s Anil Hegde and SP's Ram Gopal Yadav were among those who attended the meeting.

It is learnt that during the meeting, national parties like the Congress and regional parties such as the BJD and the BRS pushed for the tabling of the Womens Reservation Bill in the special session.

At the all-party meeting, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said his party plans to raise issues raised by senior leader Sonia Gandhi in her letter to the Prime Minister during the special session. These issues include price rise, unemployment, social conflicts, the farmer's issue and the Manipur situation. Even the BJP's ally, the breakaway faction of the NCP, supported the Womens Reservation Bill.

"All Opposition parties demanded passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in this Parliament session," said Mr Chowdhury after the all-party meeting.

On Monday morning, the leaders of the Opposition bloc will meet to discuss their floor strategy and ways to counter the government in the two Houses.

The all-party meeting took place hours after vice-president and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar unfurled the national flag in the new Parliament building. The regular functioning of the new Parliament building will begin on Tuesday, the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Members of all parties, including Mr Chowdhury, attended the flag-hoisting event.

Various departments of parliamentary staff are all set to don new uniforms in a signal from the government that the shift to the new building is likely to be marked with a fresh start in more ways than one.

The special session of Parliament is set to begin on Monday amid intense buzz on whether the government will have some surprise item up its sleeve during the five-day sitting that will see a discussion on Parliament's 75-year journey and take up for consideration four bills, including one on the appointment of election commissioners. The unusual timing of the session has left everyone wondering, even though the main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years starting from the "Samvidhan Sabha" (Constituent Assembly).

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had recently said the government could bring up some "legislative grenades" during the special session.

Besides the discussion on the parliamentary journey of 75 years scheduled for September 18, the other listed business for the Lok Sabha includes the Advocates (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023. Both bills were already passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3.

In addition, the Post Office Bill 2023 has also been listed in Lok Sabha business, according to an official bulletin. The bill was earlier introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10.
Chandrababu Naidu. (Twitter File)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has started a fresh offensive on Chandrababu Naidu in relation to the corruption in AP Skill Development Corporation.



The ruling party, led by the CM, is likely to make good use of the AP assembly session starting on Sept 21 to expose Naidu and others in the scam.



Jagan Reddy had, previously too, exposed the involvement of the Telugu Desam government and Naidu in several acts of corruption, in the state assembly through power point presentations. As the AP politics heats up now, the chief minister, ministers and the treasury benches as a whole will plunge into action and counter the defensive attacks from the Telugu Desam.



The chief minister gave power-point presentations on the Three Capitals, Polavaram, drought situation, new districts formation, volunteers system, AP finances, debts, industries, investments, welfare, ease of doing business etc in the assembly.



TD leaders, led by party general secretary Nara Lokesh, launched a campaign in the national capital, Delhi, against Naidus arrest and were gathering the support of national leaders.



The chief minister had plans to visit Delhi after his return from the London tour but in view of Chandrababus arrest and the G-20 meeting in Delhi, the tour plan was cancelled. But he came down heavily against Naidu during a public meeting at Nidadavolu and recalled Chandrababus involvement in the Vote for Note case of Telangana, in which TD offered `50 lakh for casting vote.



Interestingly, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan who was eager about a poll alliance with TD, met Naidu in Rajahmundry prison and immediately announced a poll alliance between the JS and TD. According to reliable sources, TD, which is continuing the protests and agitations against Naidus arrest, is waiting for the outcome of Chandrababus bail petitions in the AP high court before it chalks out a future plan of action.



TD was claiming that several persons across AP died due to the "shock" of Naidus arrest. YSRC leaders laugh away such claims. Chandrababus brother-in-law and MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna is planning to undertake an Odarpu Yatra following Jagans similar programme to console the victims.



Further, the TD is planning agitations against the Jagan-led government after the release of Naidu. The TD is not interested in attending the present assembly session and, alternatively, they might create ruckuses to get suspensions if they attend the assembly.



According to these sources, the CM, ministers and legislators are gearing up to expose the corruption of Naidu in the skill development and other scams. They are readying to further expose other leaders like state TD president Kinjarapu Atchannaidu involved in the ESI scam.



The YSRC leaders said the pro-opposition media is maligning the reputation of the YSRC government and hence the Jagan-led government would make good use of the assembly sessions to expose in detail all the TD governments corruption. They said the scheduled assembly session will turn hot with discussions and debates on contemporary issues including the AP skill development scam.



Minister for finance and legislative affairs, Buggana Rajendranath said that the agenda of the assembly session will be decided in the business advisory committee meeting on Sept 21 and they are readying to take up all issues.
FedEx Corporation is a global courier delivery services company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Founded in 1971, it is one of the largest logistics companies in the world, with operations in over 220 countries and territories. FedEx offers various services, including express shipping, ground shipping, freight forwarding, and e-commerce solutions. The company has over 600 aircraft and more than 180,000 vehicles in its fleet and employs over 600,000 people worldwide.

Frederick W. Smith is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Corporation. He has been at the company's helm since its inception and has been instrumental in its growth and success. In 2022 Frederick Smith passed the baton to Raj Subramaniam. Raj Subramaniam has over thirty years of leadership experience and moved into the CEO role from his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In recent years, the company has made a few critical changes in its leadership team, including the appointment of Lance Moll as President and CEO of FedEx Freight in 2020, who started his career as a manager at a FedEx distribution center.

FedEx reported that revenue has risen at an excellent pace yearly for several years. Net income, while only a fraction of revenue, is pacing in growth with the revenue. This is due to FedEx maintaining a healthy profit margin, with a net profit margin of approximately 3.5%. The company has also been actively managing debt to reduce its debt levels. Total assets on hand are robust enough to cover total liabilities within the company. FedEx has a price-to-earnings ratio lower than the industry average and a price-to-book ratio lower than the industry average. These valuation metrics suggest that the company's stock may be undervalued compared to its peers. FedEx's stock had performed well in recent years, with the stock price recovering from a tumble in 2022 when FedEx pulled its earnings forecast due to worsening business conditions.

FedEx operates in the highly competitive logistics and courier delivery services industry with low margins and intense competition. The company faces competition from established players like UPS and DHL and newer entrants like Amazon, which has been expanding its delivery network. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, such as changes in trade policies and tariffs, which can impact the flow of goods across borders.

Despite the challenges in the industry, FedEx has several growth opportunities. The company has expanded its e-commerce capabilities by acquiring ShopRunner, a membership-based e-commerce platform, in 2021. The company has also invested in autonomous delivery technology, launching the FedEx SameDay Bot, designed to make deliveries in urban areas. In addition, the company has been expanding its presence in healthcare logistics by acquiring Cargex in 2021.

Several risks and challenges could impact FedEx's future growth prospects. One significant risk is the potential for changes in consumer preferences, particularly with the growth of online shopping and the increasing demand for faster and more convenient delivery options. The company also faces regulatory risks, particularly with changes in trade policies and tariffs. Competitive pressures are also a significant challenge, with Amazon expanding its delivery network and other logistics companies competing for market share. Finally, the company is also subject to risks related to its operations, such as disruptions to its supply chain or the impact of natural disasters on its infrastructure.
DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. provides a software platform for digital media measurement, and analytics in the United States and internationally. The company provides solutions to advertisers unbiased data analytics that enable advertisers to increase the effectiveness, quality and return on their digital advertising investments. It also offers solutions include DV Authentic Ad, a metric of digital media quality, which evaluates the existence of fraud-free, brand-suitable, viewability, and geography for each digital ad; DV Authentic Attention solution that provides exposure and engagement predictive analytics to drive campaign performance; and Custom Contextual solution, which allows advertisers to match their ads to relevant content to maximize user engagement and drive campaign performance. In addition, it offers DV Publisher suite, a solution for digital publishers to manage revenue and increase inventory yield by improving video delivery, identifying lost or unfilled sales, and aggregate data across all inventory sources; and DV Pinnacle, a service and analytics platform user interface that allows its customers to adjust and deploy controls for their media plan and track campaign performance metrics across channels, formats, and devices. Further, the company software solutions are integrated in the digital advertising ecosystem, including programmatic platforms, social media channels, and digital publishers. It serves brands, publishers, and other supply-side customers covering various industry verticals, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, telecommunications, technology, automotive, and healthcare. DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
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.
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.
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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PowerSchool Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, offers cloud-based software to the K-12 education market. Its solution embedded in school workflows and is used on daily basis by educators, students, administrators, and parents in schools and districts. In addition, the company provides cloud-based technology platform helps schools and districts manage state reporting and related compliance, special education, finance, human resource, talent, registration, attendance, funding, learning, instruction, behavior, grading, college and career readiness, assessments, and analytics. The company serves state departments of education, public school districts, charter schools, independent schools, virtual schools, and others. PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Folsom, California.
Derry, long established as one of (if not the) musical heart of Ireland, has been on a roll concert-wise in recent times (thanks in no small part to people like Lee Mason and Kieran Dunlop).

The past few years have seen our fine city welcome acts as diverse as Glen Hansard, Fontaines D.C., Alabama 3 and Night Demon.

This week Im talking to another one of the great artists making Derry a stop on their tour, Jill Andrews. Jills song Rust or Gold will be familiar to any fans of Greys Anatomy, the show set in what must be one of the worst hospitals in the world, but even though their patient (and staff) mortality rate is through the roof, they always have great music as those routine issue goes horribly, horribly wrong.

I spoke with Jill recently about, among other things, having her song featured in such a famous show, and her upcoming gig in St. Augustines.

First up, we spoke about coming to Ireland: Ive never been to Ireland before. Ive always wanted to go to Ireland, and Im really excited for the opportunity, for sure. Ive seen loads of pictures, for years and years and years, and I picture it as very green and hilly.

We then moved onto the aforementioned cursed Seattle hospital, with the great music: Ive had a few songs in Greys Anatomy over the years. My first song was called Rust or Gold, which is on my album The War Inside, and it was a really big moment for me, because its such a big show and such a good look for a song. It was very exciting. Ive had several songs in that show at this point. Its a great show and I definitely watch it myself.

Next, we spoke a bit about her own musical background: I grew up in East Tennessee, in the Appalachian Mountains, and I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories when I was a little kid. I sang in church choir pretty much my whole childhood. I started playing guitar when I was nineteen.

"I worked at a summer camp and all the camp councillors were playing guitar and I got inspired and I went home that first weekend and I got a guitar and brought it back to camp. I started learning how to play all those easy camp songs, the ones that are just G, C and D. I immediately started writing songs when I started playing the guitar because I had a songbook, but it wasnt great, and I didn't feel like learning those boring songs so I started writing my own.

Ive always really liked to write down my feelings and things like that, so it was a natural avenue for me to go down, and thats kind of how my song writing is. Its very personal and emotional. After that I co-founded a band called the Everybodyfields.

"I was in that band for probably about seven years and we toured all over the US and released three albums and thats where I really learned how to write songs and perform in front of people. It was a good time of exploring and learning what to do, and also, what not to do. I started my solo career in 2009 and ever since then Ive just been chugging along. I try to release new music as much as I can and tour as much as I can.

After that, Jill told me about some of the people shes enjoyed working with over the years: Ive worked with the Avett Brothers. Ive opened a lot of shows for them in the past and Seth Avett sang on one of my songs. Its a song called Im So In Love With You on my album The War Inside. Ive worked with a guy named Langhorne Slim.

"We collaborated on a song called Sea of Love that we wrote together. A long time ago, I opened for Willie Nelson [whos new album is available in Cool Discs]. That was a crazy opportunity for me. That was a once in a lifetime thing and it was once in a lifetime!

And thats it for another week. Jill Andrews will be playing St. Augustines on the 29th September with support from Rosborough, and The Black Box in Belfast the following day with support from Paul Casey. Her new album, Modern Age, is out now.

She can be found on Instagram @jillandrewsmusic.
Publications

Find publications from government departments and agencies, including news, press releases, reports, and Freedom of Information responses. This page is still in development and is not a complete list of all publications. Further information on publications can be found on the individual department websites.
One man was taken to hospital and another arrested after an apparent stabbing at Dublin Airport.

The public order incident happened outside terminal 1 on Sunday morning.

Airport operator DAA said there was no disruption to any flights as a result of what happened.

The injured man, in his 50s, was taken from the scene to Beaumont Hospital for treatment to apparent stab wounds.

His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

He was initially treated at the scene by ambulance personnel from the Airport Fire Service.

It is understood Dublin Airport Police responded to the incident within 90 seconds.

They initially detained the suspect, who is also in his 50s, before he was transferred to Garda custody.

He was taken to a Garda station in the north Dublin area.

The scene of the incident was cordoned off to facilitate a forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

Gardai have appealed to any witnesses to come forward.

They have urged any pedestrians or road users who were in the vicinity of terminal 1 between 11-11.45am and who may have camera footage, including from a dash cam, to make it available to the Garda.

A DAA spokesman said: Airport police at Dublin Airport responded to an incident outside terminal 1 this morning.

One person has been arrested by the Gardai. Flights at Dublin Airport are operating normally.
Environmental activists have urged Irelands political leaders to act fast on fossil fuels as they head for New York for talks on global climate action.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and environment minister Eamon Ryan will attend the UN General Assembly in the week ahead.

Global leaders will be discussing progress on the UNs sustainable development goals amid concerns targets set for 2030 will be missed.

The UN will also host a climate ambition summit in New York during the week.

Ahead of the high-level meetings, Friends of the Earth organised a demonstration on Sandymount Strand in Dublin, with the tall chimneys of the Poolbeg power station providing the background.

It was staged as part of series of events internationally to mark Global Day Of Action to End Fossil Fuels.

The demonstration at Sandymount on Sunday afternoon was endorsed by a range of organisations, including Trocaire, Christian Aid, Not Here Not Anywhere, Young Friends of the Earth and Christian Blind Mission.

Friends of the Earth chief executive Oisin Coghlan called for a fast, fair, and forever end to fossil fuel dependence in Ireland.

The case for getting off fossil fuels has never been clearer, he said.

The UN secretary general recently confirmed what we already knew  climate breakdown has begun and that were now entering the era of global boiling.

Ireland is very much part of the problem  the country remains hugely dependent on polluting expensive fossil fuels and, to make matters worse, the Government is still considering more polluting gas infrastructure.

We have to draw a line in the sand. Fossil fuels must stay in the ground now, not in 20 years time.

He added: We also need Government to drive down demand for fossil fuel energy.

That means setting a date for a ban on new gas boilers for industry and homes. We say 2028.

It means getting a grip on the unregulated growth of data centre demand for electricity which is driving demand for gas.

Data centres used 18% of Irelands electricity in 2022, thats almost twice the amount used by all rural homes put together, and projected to use 30% by 2030. The European average is less than 3%.

And in the run-up to the Cop28 UN climate summit its also important the Government supports global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, particularly through a new treaty to end the expansion of fossil fuels.
The Alzheimers Annual Memory Walk takes place at over 30 locations across Ireland on Sunday 24 September 2023, including Drogheda in Co Louth.

The event gives families, friends and those living with dementia the opportunity to come together, honour, celebrate and raise funds for the vital support services that The Alzheimer Society of Ireland provides. The Louth Alzheimers Memory Walk starts at 2pm from St Dominics Park on Sunday, 24th September for a 5km or 10km walk to ensure everyone can get involved.

Ann Shortt will lead the Louth Alzheimers Memory Walk in Drogheda on September 24th and she said, I am thrilled to be a Local Champion for the 2023 Alzheimer's Memory Walk.

"I'm really looking forward to the Louth Alzheimer's Memory Walk on Sunday, September 24th and meeting up with families to remember loved ones. We will raise awareness and funds for the services that the Alzheimer Society of Ireland provides across the county. I would urge everyone to get behind the walk and register now for their participation pack at www.memorywalk.ie.

The Alzheimers Memory Walk is a family-friendly event suitable for all ages and walking abilities to unite friends, families and communities to raise awareness and funds for dementia supports.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is aiming to secure over 3,000 walkers across Ireland to participate and help raise funds for vital services that support so many people living with dementia and those who care for them. These services include Daycare, Daycare at Home, Family Carer Training, Social Clubs, Cafes, and a National Helpline.

An estimated 64,000 people live with dementia in Ireland, which according to leading dementia experts will more than double in the next 25 years to over 150,000 by 2045.

Members of the public can sign up now to participate in the 2023 Alzheimers Memory Walk on Sunday, 24th September 2023 at www.memorywalk.ie. Registrations cost 5 for kids and 18 for adults and include a participation pack with a Memory Walk t-shirt.

The closing date for registrations to receive your participation pack before the walk is 12noon on Wednesday, 20th September. For those who cannot walk on the day, they can still support the Memory Walk by donating at www.Alzheimer.ie.

Mairead Dillon, Head of Fundraising for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland commented, The Alzheimers Memory Walk for 2023 is set to be our biggest and best to date. Id like to say a heartfelt thank you to our partners Payzone who are supporting the event and are in attendance today.

"With over 30 locations nationwide, there will be a Memory Walk in your locality, and it is the ideal event for the whole family to get together and walk to remember or support a loved one living with dementia. We are really looking forward to September 24th this year to get people together supporting people with dementia.

Michele Ann Kelly, Payzone Ireland, said, Payzone is honoured to support the Memory Walk, The Alzheimer Society of Irelands flagship event. This campaign is important to us, as it is to many. Every day in Ireland, 30 people develop dementia, while over 64,000 people currently live with dementia.

"Unfortunately, many at Payzone have first-hand experience of the effects that Alzheimer's can have on families and loved ones, a reason The Alzheimer Society of Ireland was voted as one of Payzones charity partners by our employees. We hope to support this wonderful event as best we can to play a small part as The Alzheimer Society of Ireland continues to provide vital dementia-specific services.

"Funds raised from the Memory Walk will help to keep these services going. The team at Payzone are excited to come together this September, honour and celebrate those with dementia, and raise much-needed funds for continued support. We encourage everyone in Ireland to join in on this great cause."
Louth female entrepreneurs are encouraging others from the county to join the latest cycle of ACORNS - a highly-successful free development initiative to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland.

The call for applications for the 9th cycle of ACORNS was recently launched by Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. ACORNS is funded through the Departments Rural Innovation and Development Fund.

The programme comes highly recommended by previous participants, with 100% of those surveyed at the end of the 8th cycle saying they would recommend the programme to others.

The 46 entrepreneurs in ACORNS 8 made significant progress over the six months of their involvement, reporting significant growth in their new businesses. Their combined turnover almost doubled in the six months to April 2023 - from 1.9m to 3.6m. Participants in ACORNS 8 employed 96 (55 full-time, 41 part-time) staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 16. There were also five new exporters over the cycle.

There are 50 places available for ACORNS 9 which will run from October 2023 to April 2024. Those wishing to receive an application form for ACORNS 9 should register on the website (www.acorns.ie). The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22.

Past participants from Louth include Emma Lynch of EQ Vibration (www.eqvibration.com), Ali Molloy of High Tide Experience Management (www.hightidexm.com), and Joan McCann of The Code Lab (www.thecodelab.ie ).

Emma Lynchs 16-year career working in the pharmaceutical industry revealed emotional intelligence training as the key to unlocking team and individual high performance. She decided to set up a consultancy firm, EQ Vibration (EQV), to help medical affairs professionals thrive in the pharmaceutical industry. Emma was a participant on ACORNS 6 and has also completed ACORNS Plus, a further development cycle.

Emma says: An entrepreneurs journey can be isolating  the ACORNS programme solves this problem and more! It creates a community of like-minded women, leadership and mentorship from business women that have walked in your shoes before, a mirror of self-reflection and accountability each month that inspires and uplifts!

"I am proud and energised to have taken part in the ACORNS 6 cycle and look forward to always being a member of this amazing and uplifting community of women in the future!"

Ali Molloy, founder of High Tide Experience Management, was a participant on the most recent cycle, ACORNS 8. High Tide creates experiences that rise like the tide  they are memorable, powerful and leave an unforgettable impact on our minds.

They help brands connect face-to-face or online through highly-curated experiences. Ali was a participant on ACORNS 8 and says: I couldnt recommend the ACORNS programme enough. It opens up a massive supportive network of inspiring female entrepreneurs who all learn from one another.

"This programme celebrates initiative, courage and success in a positive and open environment. The roundtable sessions are invaluable  you really share and learn from each others businesses and you walk away feeling empowered. Overall, a top class programme!

Joan McCann was also a participant on ACORNS 8. Launched in February 2021, her company, The Code Lab, offers online courses and hands-on workshops to children in coding, robotics, and electronics. The courses, which are recorded from Joans studio in Castlebellingham, Co. Louth, are available through The Code Lab website.

Joan says: ACORNS has been a fantastic experience for me and for my business. It has given me the confidence and motivation to drive my business forward. The biggest thing I gained from ACORNS is support, both from my Lead Entrepreneur and from the amazing business women in my group.

"Its hard to explain how a group of women with very different businesses can support each other so much, but they do. We all have each others back, we all encourage and question each other and drive each other forward to success and we will continue to do so into the future.

"I am delighted to be part of the ACORNS network and encourage any woman thinking of applying to do so, you wont regret it! 

ACORNS is based on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. Participants interact with each other in the monthly round table sessions, which are facilitated by a Lead Entrepreneur, who has first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing a business in rural Ireland. Each of the Lead Entrepreneurs give their time to the programme on a voluntary basis, as they believe in the philosophy of entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs.

Only early-stage female entrepreneurs operating in rural Ireland, and who have had no sales before the end of June 2020, are eligible to apply.

There will be no charge for those selected to participate in ACORNS 9, thanks to the continuing support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the voluntary contribution of time by the Lead Entrepreneurs.

While 46 participants completed ACORNS 8, the initiative also provided continued support to more than 200 past participants through the ACORNS Community, which provided past participants with the opportunity to take part in workshops, roundtables, and other networking events.

This years voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs are Anne Reilly, formerly Paycheck Plus; Caroline Reidy, The HR Suite; Deirdre McGlone, Hospitality & Tourism Advisor; Eimer Hannon, Hannon Travel; Larissa Feeney, Accountant Online; Mary B Walsh, Ire Wel Pallets; and Triona MacGiolla Ri, Aro Digital Strategies.

Speaking at the launch, Minister McConalogue said: While there are many rewards to being an entrepreneur, it can be a lonely journey with many challenges. To provide support in dealing with these challenges, I am pleased to be able to provide further funding to female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland through the 9th ACORNS Programme.

"This programme will not only help develop businesses, but will provide networking opportunities to participants that may not be as available in rural parts of the country.

To date through the ACORNS programme, I have been able to support over 400 female entrepreneurs to realise their business ambitions, while contributing to society in a meaningful way. The impact of this support has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting both increased sales and the creation of additional jobs.

Considering the wide-ranging benefits accrued, I am delighted that we are in a position to continue to support a further 50 participants for this years initiative which is funded under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund".
Design student Neil ODonoghue has been named as the 2023 recipient of the Conor Farrell Design Award, a collaboration between Ardee-based Farrell Furniture and Atlantic Technological University, Connemara.

Neil is the fourth winner of the now annual award, established in 2020 in tribute to the late Conor Farrell. His winning design, entitled Podium, is a set of fully recyclable end tables, designed in response to the EU Legislation in progress Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

This years award presentation took place at the Trees to Treasures Exhibition at Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Trees to Treasures is an exhibition showcasing excellence and innovation in furniture design, manufacture, technology and education by students, staff and graduates of ATU Connemara.

Having completed four years at ATUs Furniture Design & Manufacturing programme, Neil is now beginning aMasters in Design Innovation at Maynooth University.

Asked what it means to win the award, he said: To win the Conor Farrell Design Award, its a big deal for me, to recognise my design, its a very proud moment. Accolades such as this, supporting the work Im doing, its very encouraging.

Designed utilising eco design principles, Podium consists of three materials, assembled without the use of adhesives, allowing the ease of separation at the products end of life. Two of the materials are biodegradable; linoleum and cotton, with the other being fully recyclable; glass.

Above: Neil ODonoghue's winning design, entitled 'Podium'

Explaining the thought process behind the market-ready product, Neil said: My research began by attending Dutch Design Week in October of 2022, the largest annual design event in Northern Europe.

Research and testing of renewable materials was the theme of the event, which inspired me to conduct my own research into the flooring material linoleum. Linoleum is a biomaterial made from natural, renewable raw materials.

Each Podium consists of two layers of linoleum placed back-to-back, forming one enclosed loop. The shape is achieved from utilising the flexibility and structural properties inherent in linoleum combined with the tension created from hand sewing the material together against two pieces of toughened glass which sit in rebates cut into the linoleum.

The seam sits into a slight groove made in the linoleum. Through prototyping and refinement, Podium is a functional, playful and simplistic design.

This years trophy was designed by Jeremy Madden, Lecturer in Furniture Design and Manufacture, ATU Connemara. Jeremy has over 25 years of experience in education and the furniture industry both nationally and internationally.

ABOVE: Jeremy Madden and Paul Farrell

Im really happy that Neil has won the award this year because his work was the epitome of what Conor had and what he did for Farrells, he was an innovator and creator, Jeremy explained.

Whats unique about Neils design is that he took a chance, he was a risk taker and he used innovation, creativity and especially sustainability. It was those features that set himself out from the other pieces in this years Conor Farrell Design Award.

The standard this year was extremely high. I value the students every year, putting their designs forward, taking a chance, willing to be put on a pedestal and be valued. I think the level and standard every year is increasing.

Jeremy added: Neil and the previous winners should be very proud of their achievements. To see a company invest in students is so important and I think companies such as Farrell know how the future can make a difference.

Taking an opportunity on something thats so dear to their hearts, taking that loss and giving the students an opportunity to take Conors legacy through as a designer in Farrells is really important. Companies like Farrell taking a chance in doing this just shows the commitment that they have to the young designers in Ireland is something that they take very seriously.
BirdWatch Ireland says it welcomes An Bord Pleanalas decision to uphold the need to protect sites for threatened bird species by refusing to grant permission for a proposed new section of the Boyne Greenway.

The proposal for the construction of a pedestrian walkway and cycleway from Drogheda town to Mornington Village in County Meath was refused by An Bord Pleanala (ABP) at the end of August.

In its report, ABP stated that it was not satisfied that the local authority has demonstrated beyond reasonable scientific doubt that the proposed development would not adversely affect the integrity of three protected sites  Boyne Coast and Estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC), River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC and the Boyne Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA).

It noted that an absence of detailed information about a 2.4 km boardwalk proposed to be built inside the protected areas meant that avoiding adverse effects on these sites could not be guaranteed should the development go ahead.

ABP also stated that it was not satisfied that important sand dune habitats would not be damaged by the greenway, nor that post-consent monitoring aimed at mitigating damage could be relied upon.

The impact of increased human activity along the Boyne Estuary and the risk of adverse impact that this could have on wintering waterbirds of the Boyne Estuary SPA was also noted, with ABP adding that it was not satisfied that proposed mitigation measures would be effective in preventing disturbance of these species.

BirdWatch Ireland says that this refusal and the reasons behind it are in line with concerns that have been raised by them since the project was initially put forward. They say that they made their first submission to An Bord Pleanala regarding the greenway during the initial public consultation process in September 2020.

While, as an environmental organisation, they say, they welcome initiatives that reduce car usage and subsequently, greenhouse gas emissions, they objected to this development due to the significant threat to the bird life in the Boyne Estuary SPA.

With 2.4 km of the greenway proposed for construction within the boundary of the Boyne Estuary SAC and SPA and adjacent to the River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC, they say they had strong concerns about the threat of human disturbance and potential displacement this could cause to waterbirds in this area.

From information provided by the developers, BirdWatch Ireland estimated that 210,000 new walkers including with dogs and cyclists would be using the boardwalk within the habitats for migratory waterbirds during the winter period when the birds are refuelling and resting before returning to Greenland, Iceland and the high Arctic to breed.

Migratory birds need access to safe roosting and feeding sites in order to rest and feed while overwintering in Ireland. However, disturbance from pedestrians, cyclists and dogs can cause birds to leave or completely avoid certain sites, leading to increased daily energy expenditure coupled with insufficient rest and fuel levels.

This negatively impacts the fitness of these birds (defined as the ability of an individual to survive, and breed and produce viable offspring, hence securing future generations of the species), so therefore can lead to population declines. As the frequency and duration of human activity on the proposed greenway would be high, there is no doubt, BirdWatch Ireland says, that it would lead to disturbance to the bird life in the SPA.



BirdWatch Ireland made an additional submission in May 2022 following a request by ABP for further information from Meath County Council. On reviewing the additional information provided, they concluded that those proposing the project had not proved that disturbance caused by the greenway could be mitigated by their suggestions of screening and signage along the boardwalk.

BirdWatch Ireland says their submission was underpinned by I-WeBS data showing both national and site-specific declines in the waterbird species listed for the Boyne Estuary SPA.

Of the ten wintering waterbirds of special conservation interest listed for the Boyne Estuary SPA, half have a declining site status based on the long-term 23-year trend  Oystercatcher, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing and Turnstone.

The fact that these species are in decline at sites that are designated to provide a safe space for them, they say, underscores its unsuitability for a greenway. It further highlights the failures of the relevant authorities to manage existing activities that are causing deterioration of habitats and disturbance to waterbirds. The sand dune habitats, in particular, they say, have undergone a great amount of damage due to a lack of management.

The overarching Conservation Objective for Boyne Estuary SPA is to ensure that waterbird populations and their wetland habitats are maintained at, or restored to, favourable conservation condition.

BirdWatch Ireland says they welcome the fact that, in this instance, this objective and threats posed by development to already vulnerable waterbirds have been acknowledged.

However, looking forward, they say they believe there is a clear need for strategic guidance on greenway proposals, guidance which gives equal footing to biodiversity, climate and the needs of local residents. Not only would this approach prevent environmental damage, they say, it would also reduce the amount of time and public money spent deliberating such proposals.



BirdWatch Ireland say they fully support the development of greenways and initiatives that promote a modal shift in transport. These have obvious important benefits to climate but also economic and well-being benefits, they acknowledge.

However, they add, it is vital that such developments do not come at a cost to our biodiversity, which is already experiencing pressures from all sides. In May 2019, Dail Eireann declared a climate and a biodiversity emergency. BirdWatch Ireland says both must be addressed together.
Following last weeks revelation of driving a new saloon car I have a double revelation this week.

I was in a small petrol-engined car that for transportation purposes is probably all the car wed ever need.

Most journeys are short journeys with the majority of these, borne out of census data, undertaken on a solitary basis.

So how big a car do you need for just one?

It has a 231litre boot which is par for the class of car it is in, but when the rear seats were folded I transported a Harry push lawnmower in it.

It wont take an American fridge for sure, but I was genuinely surprised at how easy it was to arrange the car to take a big load.

I also think Fiat/Citroen are missing a big trick here with the delay in selling the Ami/Topolino here from the get-go.

It would be ideal for all-electric urban driving and meet quite a lot of peoples motoring requirements.

Power in the Aygo-X comes in at 71 hp from a 1.0 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine.

Whatever the motives of car companies are to relieve us of our hard-earned cash, they do tend to get the engine/car balance right.

For sure, wed all love a powerful engine in our cars but in these days of constant monitoring of our road behaviours we cant use it nor, for a lot of reasons, should we.

With two up and the lawnmower onboard the car didnt feel as sprightly as when I was on my own but thats exactly my point.

I was using it out of my usual configuration and for the brief time I was doing that I had to compromise.

If you get the car and engine combo right for your usual use then you cant go wrong and that includes what form of engine too be it hybrid, petrol, diesel or electric.

On my own in the Aygo you could be in any other full-sized car.

Driver space and comfort is optimum with the only real tell-tale sign you are in a small car is its performance on a motorway.

You wont set a blistering pace and overtaking isnt done without thought and planning because the engine wont get to the level of performance it is capable of quickly.

Not an issue in town but on the motorway youll be keeping left a lot which isnt a dreadful thing, leads to more relaxed driving and less fuel use. I managed 5.1l/100kms in the Aygo-X.

The Aygo-X is the SUV version of the Aygo and now the only one you can get so it caters to the demand for higher seating.

Consequently, that gives the suspension more travel that makes for a much more bigger car ride experience with no small car bouncy feel here.

Mine was a fetching green colour with some orange decals that in the meatal look cool and Id opt for this despite my fathers green for grief mantra.

Whatever about car companies getting the car/engine combination right I do worry about their group-think consensus in terms of equipment.

My car had no central air vent but had a wireless charger and wireless Apple Car play.

Id adaptive cruise control but no rear winding windows, just pop-out ones.

The mirror wasnt auto-dimming which I feel is always a requirement, but the handbrake was manual which is becoming unnecessarily rare these days.

You get a very decent glovebox and the doors have particularly good storage space too.

There are three trim levels with pricing starting at 20,180 rising to 22,990. I find the extra moola and buy the Envy trim version which is only a 14% additional cost for all the bells and whistles like automatic climate control, rain sensor, fabric and synthetic leather upholstery, 9" multimedia screen with HD display and projector LED headlamps.

Small is certainly big in terms of specification and value for money.

Competitors in the small car space are the Kia Picanto which is the shortest car currently on sale, the Hyundai i10, the Suzuki Ignis, which is the same length at 3,700mm and the new Volkswagen e-Up which is, get this, 100mm shorter but an incredible 233kg/11% heavier.

Batteries certainly pile on the weight which is the prime range diminishing factor.

In a head-to-head price comparison with the smallest car currently on sale, the Kia Picanto, Toyota will ask you for 3,690 more.

Ive driven and see merits in both but on balance Id probably opt for the Aygo-X as it has that bit more style about it with its SUV wannabe elevation that provides a better ride and feels more fun, an important factor.

Against that, the price is extremely attractive for the Picanto and if I adhered to my advice above and picked a car based on regular needs/use, then it would make sense to opt for the Picanto.

As ever, do your own homework carefully and then decide.
Organisers of the Louth International Film Festival (LIFF) say they are thrilled to announce the appointment of the internationally renowned Irish film and television director, Dearbhla Walsh, as a festival patron.

With a trailblazing career and a portfolio of groundbreaking television shows to her name, Dearbhla has captivated audiences worldwide with her exceptional storytelling.

She will attend the festival on October 1 to present the prestigious Dearbhla Walsh Award for Best Director.

Dearbhla Walsh's distinguished career includes critically acclaimed works such as 'The Handmaid's Tale,' 'Fargo,' 'Traitors,' 'Shameless,' and the multi-award-winning black comedy 'Bad Sisters.'

Her creative vision and dedication to the craft have earned her a place among the industry's most celebrated filmmakers.

LIFF, a festival dedicated to promoting and nurturing talent in the arts, film and television industry, says it is honoured to have Dearbhla Walsh as a patron.

As part of the festival's commitment to education and industry training, LIFF has partnered with the Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

In a special event, students of DkIT's Film and Television Production course had the privilege of engaging in a Q&A discussion with Dearbhla.

This unique opportunity allowed students to gain candid insights and practical advice on the art and business of film and television production and development from an industry veteran.

Dearbhlas impact on the screen industry aligns with LIFF's mission of supporting emerging talent and fostering connections with established film artists worldwide.

Her involvement as a patron will undoubtedly enhance the festival's commitment to providing a platform for filmmakers to learn from industry luminaries.

We are thrilled to have Dearbhla Walsh join us as a patron of the Louth International Film Festival," said Lorcan Dunne, festival Co-Director and DkIT Lecturer.

Her achievements and expertise bring immense value to our festival and our mission of supporting emerging talent. We are honoured to have her support and look forward to the impact she will make on our festival and its participants.

The Louth International Film Festival recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for learning and professional development within the film industry.

Through insightful panel discussions, workshops, and masterclasses, attendees gain access to industry experts, gaining insights into the latest trends and techniques. Past guests have included Diarmuid Goggins, Elaine Gallagher, Luke McManus, Mick Mahon, and Frankie Fenton.

Colm Mullen, DkIT Lecturer and Artistic Director of the festival, emphasized the significance of these educational initiatives, stating, we believe in the power of sharing knowledge and lived experiences.

By bringing together established filmmakers, aspiring talents, and students from DkIT, we create an environment where learning and growth thrive.

Our industry panels serve as a platform for collaboration and dialogue, enabling filmmakers to expand their skills and vision.

The Louth International Film Festival will take place at DkIT and the IMC Cinema Dundalk on September 29 and at the An Tain Arts Centre on September 30 and October 1.

Awards include Best Short Fiction, Best Short Documentary, Seamus McGarvey Award for Best Cinematography, Best Student Film, Audience Choice, Best in Louth, Best Feature Documentary, Best Feature Fiction, Best Actor (gender-neutral), Dearbhla Walsh Award for Best Director, Best International Short, and Best International Feature.

The festival schedule can be found here.
The Sila Community Harbour and Al Fayiyi Island Marina in Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi have been inaugurated by Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region.

The projects have been built as part of a series of marina developments by the Department of Municipalities and Transport and was executed by Abu Dhabi Maritime, part of AD Ports Group.

The Al Dhafra master development plan aims to strengthen the local maritime community by creating employment opportunities and preserving local heritage and culture.

Sheikh Hamdan toured the modernised Sila Community Harbour, which now features two sets of pontoons to accommodate 64 fishing boats and private vessels, a dhow quay wall and middle shore quay wall, a Ro-Ro ramp, a 14-m slipway and 68 wet berths alongside other facilities, including a fish market to serve the residents of the area, an administration building and a restaurant.

He was briefed on the new Al Fayiyi Island Marina and its facilities. The marina includes a navigational canal spanning 500 m in length and 35 m in width, a 220-m road connecting the land to the basin, a 1.5-m-deep basin for mooring and handling boats, 26 wet berths, solar lighting, a dhow ramp, a slipway, and a ramp for navigational aids in the canal providing safe and reliable access to and from Al Fayiyi Island for residents and visitors.

Sheikh Hamdan said: "Today's inaugurations mark an important milestone in enhancing the commercial, economic, maritime and logistical capabilities of the Al Dhafra Region, elevating its position as a distinguished maritime destination. These development projects contribute to strengthening the local fishing sector and advancing a sustainable maritime community, but they also significantly promote economic diversification and create new investment opportunities in the UAE and the region.

AD Ports Group earlier announced the completion of enhancement works at Mugharraq Port and the recent provision of free wet and dry parking for residents as part of its efforts to develop Al Dhafra Region and support the local community.
STAFF at the Kilkenny Store on Lavitts Quay were faced with a 39-year-old man who picked up a bracelet on sale in the store and waved it in front of them before walking out without paying.

Peter Casey of Cork Simon Community pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to carrying out this theft shortly after 2 p.m. on August 28 2022 after 2 p.m..

Sergeant John Kelleher said the accused picked up a bracelet and waved the 50 bracelet at staff before walking out of the store in front of them.

The same man was caught driving without licence or insurance around the same time at this theft.

He was shouting at pedestrians at Church Road, Blackrock, while driving a car in the middle of the day.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, referred to the pleas of guilty and the limited nature of the offending.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a total sentence of five months imprisonment on Peter Casey and disqualified him from driving for a period of six years.
The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival celebrates its 45th year in Cork this October with arguably its best line-up yet. What started as a pretty low-key event in the Metropole in 1978 developed into a highly respected worldwide festival soon after, but its fair to say there have been moments in recent times when it lacked a bit of identity.

Most of these problems have been ironed out and it is now a festival which succeeds in both artistic and commercial terms. Crucially, for Cork, its the biggest weekend of the year by far. Today Im gonna offer an overview of this years festival, which I will explore in more detail in the weeks approaching it in late October.

First of all, weve now got one of the most important people in music in Ireland shaping the music of the Jazz weekend. Mark Murphy of Choice Cuts is now the festival director and has been so since the pandemic disrupted the whole country in 2020. The Jazz made a tiny attempt to get something back off the ground that year, on a few weeks notice, and finally came back in a more familiar shape last year. This year is the first year where the fruits of his role can really be seen though. Mark has been more responsible than anyone for helping bring the best jazz acts to Ireland in the last 20 years and, most importantly, he has always booked cutting edge acts alongside some of the legends who have paved the way.

The Cork jazz festival had already helped bring some of the biggest names in jazz history to Cork and, from its inception, acts such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock played shows here. The list continues and I remember seeing Chick Corea, Roy Ayers, McCoy Tyner, Robert Glasper, Gregory Porter, Jimmy Smith and many others here, in a 45-year history that runs deep.

Sadly, many of the heritage names of jazz are now departed, and many on my short list are no longer with us. Its pretty understandable when you consider that for many people the heyday of jazz took place in the 50s and 60s and 70s.

Id argue that jazz continued to be innovative and relative beyond this point but that much of the artistic creativity involved other genres, such as hip-hop, funk, soul, house and others. Jazz is arguably the bedrock of many of these genres and its influence on hip-hop can never be over-estimated.

Jazz purists might not agree, but innovators and pioneers such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock not only kept up with but helped spearhead new trends and new musical forms as they got older.

Herbie thankfully still walks among us but most of the trailblazers from 50 or so years ago are now gone, which leaves a jazz festival with some tricky decisions to make.

Thankfully, Choice Cuts have been at the forefront of booking the best acts, young and old, and many of them will be in Cork this October.

The Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief are two of the best hip-hop groups to combine jazz with hip-hop and they are doing a double bill together in Cork Opera House.

Some of the other big names on the bill also have a relationship with jazz although they may not be jazz per se. Macy Gray, Corinne Bailey Rae, Morcheeba and others are certainly a lot more jazz than some of the previous names who were high up the bill, and they will draw big crowds.

Matthew Halsall, Kurt Elling, Hypnotic Brass, Brandee Younger and Max Exodus all return while DJ wise the festival is bringing back much loved regulars from times gone by, Mr Scruff, Luke Una and Giles Peterson.

Importantly, newcomers from Cork and Ireland play a big role, and you can catch Jar Jar Jr, Kean Kavanagh, Yenkee and many others, and there will be plenty of more announcements of Irelands new wave coming in the next few weeks.

Theres still acts that have little or no relationship with jazz on the bill, but they dont dominate the bill, and that to me is important for the credibility of the festival.

Its gonna be an absolute blast, and in coming weeks Ill delve deeper into some of Irelands emerging artists who you can catch this October weekend!
James Cox

The Dail reconvenes after its summer recess on Wednesday, September 20th, and there are already a number of issues in the spotlight.

Here, BreakingNews.ie takes a look at what to expect.

Budget 2024

Budget 2024 is right around the corner, due to be unveiled on Tuesday, October 10th.

Unsurprisingly it was central to the party think-ins during the week.

The Government has set its budgetary envelope at 6.4 billion, with additional public spending measures worth 5.2 billion and taxation changes costing an extra 1.1 billion.

Income tax cuts, more cost-of-living supports and tax cuts for small landlords to keep them in the market are among the measures that have been mooted.

At the Fine Gael think-in, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also said mortgage interest relief will be a possibility to help homeowners.

Amid the cost-of-living and housing crisis, the Opposition will undoubtedly call for more to be done.

However, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) has said the economy is in "an unusually strong position" and called on the Government not to "repeat past mistakes" on spending.

Speaking at her party's think-in, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said housing will be "absolutely key" in any post-election government negotiations.

New electoral constituencies

The creation of four new constituencies and 14 additional seats in the Dail have been recommended following a major review of Ireland's electoral map.

The Electoral Commission review follows an 8 per cent increase in the population since 2016.

Just seven of the current 39 constituencies will remain untouched.

The largest parties - Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein - will likely either be helped or unchanged by the revisions.

However, the likes of the Green Party, Labour, the Social Democrats and Independents may suffer as the increase in three-seat constituencies could see them lose out.

Photo: PA Images

There has also been controversy over some of the new constituencies, such as the new Wexford-Wicklow constituency.

Taking land from the south of Wicklow and north of Wexford, the new constituency will comprise 41 electoral districts with a population of 49,743 from north Wexford and 31 electoral districts with a population of 35,708 from south Wicklow.

Gorey, Co Wexford, and Arklow, Co Wicklow are the two biggest towns in the new constituency.

Disability services

A new report has shown thousands of children are waiting for initial contact from Childrens Disability Network Teams (CDNTs).

Waiting lists for health services are always hotly-debated topics in the Dail, and this is likely to be no different, especially given the report showed children are waiting over 12 months for initial contact on disability services.

Abroad

An alleged Chinese spy in Westminster is dominating UK political discourse, with British prime minister Rishi Sunak likely to face calls from Conservatives and Labour MPs to respond forcefully.

In the US, Republicans have announced an impeachment inquiry into US president Joe Biden.

It came after pressure on US House speaker Kevin McCarthy from hardline Republicans. Even if it passed the House, it would be highly unlikely Mr Biden would be found guilty in an impeachment trial in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Political analysts in the US have said the impeachment inquiry, over business dealings involving Mr Biden's son Hunter, is one of the weakest to date.
By David Young, PA

The Taoiseach did not overrule the Agriculture Minister on the EU nitrates derogation issue, a Government colleague has insisted.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue last week made clear that Brussels would not reverse its decision to reduce the volume of nitrogen produced per hectare in Ireland.

Ireland is one of three EU member states that is granted a derogation to enable some farmers to work to a higher nitrate limit than is applied in the rest of the bloc.

However, that allowance is now being reduced in response to concerns about water quality levels in Ireland.

Farmers held protests at Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels respective think-in events last week, insisting the reduction in the nitrate limit would force them to reduce herd sizes.

At the Fianna Fail picket in Co Tipperary, the farmers declined to have a meeting with Mr McConalogue, insisting they would only speak with his party leader and Tanaiste Micheal Martin.

Charlie McConalogue had said Brussels would not reverse its decision (PA)

At the Fine Gael think-in later in the week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met farming representatives in Co Limerick and during talks he agreed to invite EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius for a meeting in Ireland to discuss the derogation issue.

That led to suggestions that the Taoiseach had intervened to overrule Mr McConalogues position that he would not be going back to the EU to renegotiate the limit cut.

Fine Gael minister of state at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon rejected that characterisation.

He said the meeting requested by the Taoiseach would focus more on the renewal of the four-year derogation when the current one expires at the end of 2025.

Mr Heydon accompanied Mr Varadkar at the meeting with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) in Limerick on Friday.

Just to nail this point, the Taoiseach did not go over his head (Mr McConalogues), Mr Heydon told RTE Radio Ones This Week programme.

Leo Varadkar told farmers he would invite the EU commissioner to Ireland to discuss the derogation issue (PA)

I spoke with Minister McConalogue straight after the meeting with the IFA to brief him on what had happened in the meeting. He had been in the Agriculture Committee at that time, and he filled me in on how that had gone.

He was happy enough for that letter (invitation) to go to commissioner because thats following on from an invitation that he has extended to the commissioner and that letter to the commissioner is in consultation with minister McConalogue. Its an important point.

Mr Heydon said it was clear that the commissioner would not revisit the nitrate reduction, however he said details still had to be worked out on the mapping zones of where it would apply.

Fianna Fail minister of state Niall Collins also insisted the EU was not for turning on the derogation issue.

I think we have to face up to the challenge of improving our water quality in this country, he told RTEs The Week In Politics programme.

There is a challenge, obviously, for the Government and for the farming community to work our way through this and were committed to doing that.
IN the annals of Cork history, few events have been so unspeakably horrific, so gut-wrenchingly tragic, that the city and its people simply wipe it from their collective memory.

But the massacre that occurred at 33, Maylor Street on the night of Thursday, September 17, 1914, falls into that sorry category.

In the family home, a deranged father, William Mullanny, murdered his wife Abina, his daughter Dolly, 18, and son Paul, 9, before killing himself. Another daughter almost died and some of his other children witnessed the bloodbath and narrowly escaped.

In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, an inquest was held, the four people were buried, and their names were not mentioned by the media again.

The citys stunned, mourning people - already coming to terms with the start of the Great War a week before - could barely bring themselves to discuss what had happened. It became the tragedy that Cork forgot. Here is that story...

******

William Mullanny was born in 1865, the son of a sailor, and the family lived in Harpers Lane (now St Pauls Avenue), running from Lavitts Quay to Paul Street.

When he was 21, he met Abina Brookes of Kinsale, who was 19, and they wed soon after. She was from an industrious family of second-hand clothes dealers and involved in the family business selling in the marketplace in Kinsale.

William was a cobbler, but after they wed in December, 1886, took a more active role in Abinas business. Soon, they had an extra stall in the Coal Quay.

The couple also began to buy property - at first as a place to store the clothes, then as a means to supplement their income as landlords.

The Mullannys had their first child, Kate, in 1889 and would go on to have 12, of whom eight survived past their first year: Kate, Bridget (Biddy), Dolly, John, Walter, Lizzie, Paul and Christina (Dina).

They moved regularly to accommodate their growing family and after spells in Harpers Lane, Lavitts Quay and Cornmarket Street, settled, in 1900, at 33, Maylor Street, off Patrick Street - a large four-bedroom house.

They had no neighbours, as they were sandwiched between a large Masonic Hall and a wine store, with a butter factory two doors down.

SCENE OF CRIME: Maylor Street is now a bustling, largely commercial thoroughfare in Cork city

In the ensuing years, Williams drinking became problematic. He had stopped working and was living off the income his wife and eldest daughters brought in, as well as the rents. When drunk, he would return from Jim Barrys pub down the road at 23, Maylor Street, and become physically abusive and threatening.

In December, 1911, he was arrested, charged at Cork Courthouse with two counts of assaulting his wife, and given two months hard labour in Cork male prison. Upon his release he returned to the family home, but matters deteriorated and at some point he moved into a bedroom in the house shared with his sons.

The first of the Mullanny children to leave home was Kate in February, 1914, when she married John Lingwood and went to live in St Finbarrs Street on the southside of the city. Soon after, 16-year-old Walter left to join the Royal Navy.

There were six children left in the house when the next alarming incident occurred, in August, 1914. Again, police were called when Abina claimed her husband had threatened to kill her and pleaded with police to arrest him. In a statement to Sergeant McGloin, she said: My husband is very much addicted to drink. On August 13, 1914, at about 8.45am, I came home. I had not slept at home the previous night, through fear of him.

Immediately that I entered the house he made use of the filthiest expressions to me, and he said he would take my life and blow the head off me. I know he has a revolver. He is a violent man, and I am afraid that he will do me bodily harm, and I pray for a warrant for his arrest.

Sgt McGloin arrested William and brought him before the Police Court. The resident magistrate, Robert Starkie asked if he had a revolver, but he vehemently denied it.

Mr Starkie ordered two police-men to accompany him and his wife to their home and search the premises. When the police returned, they stated they could not find any firearms.

The Magistrate told the accused he would be discharged by entering the sum of 10, to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. William agreed to this.

******

A month later, on Thursday, September 17, William again went to Jim Barrys pub but seemed unusually sober and quiet when he returned at about 11pm.

In the early hours, a neighbour heard shots but could not determine their location. The first inkling of the tragic events that had occurred in the night was when the children began to spill out on to the street at around 8am on the Friday and scream and shout for help.

Lizzie, 15, had a chest wound and was bleeding badly. While a neighbour called an ambulance, another ran to the nearby General Post Office where a policeman was always on duty. Constable OConnor and Constable Sharpe raced to Maylor Street where they found Lizzie in the street, standing against a wall.

The house seemed quiet, so the police tended to her, gave her a drink of water, and waited until the ambulance took her to the South Infirmary for treatment.

The constables, along with Gus Groeger, a near neighbour and family friend, then entered the house and were met by a sight that would forever haunt them.

in a room on the first floor they found teenager Dolly lying dead. On the next landing they found the body of Abina, 45. On the top landing, on opening a bedroom door, Constable OConnor found William lying with serious bullet wounds to the head, unconscious but alive. A revolver was grasped in his hand and OConnor quickly took it and found it contained two live cartridges and two spent ones.

In the same room, the Constable found Paul dead on the bed.

On ascertaining no-one else was in the house, Constable Sharpe telephoned Dr John Booth, a doctor who lived in the South Mall, who arrived and determined there was no hope of saving William, 47. He died 20 minutes later without regaining consciousness.

Dr Booth briefly examined the other bodies, the house was locked up, and an inquest was scheduled for the next day at 3pm on the premises at 33, Maylor Street.

The Examiner report on Saturday, September 1914

It was clear to all that William had, in an act of madness, shot his wife and two children and them himself. However, the trauma of that night for the children who survived was yet to be revealed.

******

On Saturday afternoon, September 19, a large crowd gathered at the house and, on the jury being sworn in, the Coroner, Mr William Murphy, began taking statements from witnesses to the massacre, who included Bridget, 23, and John, 17.

A reporter described the scene as particularly pathetic, the survivors cried piteously, and the screams of John and Bridget, whose escape from death was so narrow and providential, were heart-rending in the extreme.

Bridget, in reply to District Inspector Walsh, confirmed her father had come home about 11pm and seemed sober. That day, she, her mother, and Dolly had been supporting the family by selling clothes at the market.

William went to the pantry outside where he used to keep a revolver, and she heard him unlock the door and later lock it again. Bridget next heard him go to the front door and bolt it, and she told her mother: There is something up.

Bridget was sleeping with her mother when she was woken at about 2am on hearing Dolly screaming and crying: Oh my Lord, I am shot. Her father then broke into their bedroom door.

As quick as she could, Bridget jumped out of bed and went underneath it. Her mother called out: Biddy, what is the matter, to which her father replied: I will let you know what is the matter.

Abina at once got out of bed and her husband fired two shots at her and she fell on a trunk and breathed heavily. He lit a candle, reloaded his revolver and, on leaving the room, remarked chillingly: There are two more to be shot. He then went and shot Lizzie - who survived -and Paul, who was asleep in his bed.

The apparently random nature of the killings may be explained by the fact the crazed William believed some of the children were not his own

He then ran downstairs looking for Bridget, and with that she ran upstairs and hid under his bed, on which her brother Paul lay dead.

It occurred to her he would never think of looking for her there. Her brother John came to her and pulled down the quilt so she would not be seen.

When William came back into the room, he gave John a letter and said: Here is a letter, give it to your aunt.

Horrifically, William then slept in the bed with his dead son while Bridget tried to remain quiet underneath it.

In the morning, he got up and had a look at his dead wife, and when he returned, Lizzie was moaning and asking John to come and save her. Her brother pleaded with her father not to shoot Lizzie and thus saved her. William asked John to get a glass of water as he felt sick.

Having drunk it, he noticed Dina talking to Bridget under the bed, so she decided to come out. She asked her father if he was going to shoot her. No, he said, I want you to take care of them. You are my daughter. The others are not. He then went into his bedroom and shot himself.

The coroner asked Bridget if she ever saw a revolver in the house and she told him three or four years earlier, while her father was on an excursion, she burst open a drawer in the outhouse and saw it. He also had at one time a double-barrel shotgun. He threatened them several times.

Bridget said people used to say her father was mad, but she could not see anything wrong with him.

The next witness, John, 17, stated he was in bed when his father came home. He shared his bed with his little brother Paul and his father had also been sleeping with them of late. When William came home that night, John was reading in bed and his brother was asleep next to him. His father put the light out and went downstairs.

John fell asleep only to be woken by the sound of three gunshots. He got up and saw smoke coming from his mothers bedroom. His father was coming up the stairs with a revolver in his hand, passed John without comment, and went in and shot Paul as he slept.

He went to the next bedroom and shot Lizzie, added John. She was screeching and roaring that she was shot, and I said to my father Shoot her and put her out of pain. He said: No, she will die in a few minutes. Johns father told him to go to bed and get some sleep, then brought up a letter, telling him not to give it to anyone but my aunt.

The envelope, produced in court, contained a note stating A brothers request to a sister along with three receipts in connection with burials of members of his family in St Josephs Cemetery.

John went into heart-breaking detail about how he had helped saved Lizzie. His father went into her room and said he was going to shoot her again, but her pleading seemed to have an effect and William hesitated; John pleaded with his father not to shoot Lizzie, he agreed and left the room.

John said his parents did not get on and confirmed his father had a revolver.

Williams sister, Mrs Rose Cahill, was the final witness and said she did not think he was right in his mind for some time. He used to talk at random, and one could not rightly understand what he was saying. She did not know him to utter threats to his family, but on Sunday night he told her he was going away to France. She believed he would as he and his wife were living unhappily for a number of years.

Coroner William Murphy called it an appalling tragedy that had struck consternation into the hearts of the community where they were unaccustomed to such occurrences. He was nearly 30 years a coroner, and never remembered such an appalling calamity.

The funerals took place amid heart-breaking scenes. The eldest child, Kate, went against her fathers last wishes and interred her mother and siblings in her husbands Lingwood family plot in St Josephs cemetery on Tory Top Road. The large crowd were testament to the high regard in which Abina was held.

The next day, in a much quieter ceremony, William was interred in the cemetery a few hundred yards from his wife and children. None of the surviving children attended.

POSTSCRIPT Bridget married James Neary, a soldier in the Connaught Rangers stationed in Crosshaven. They later relocated to Wales and had four children, one of whom emigrated to California. Bridget died in the U.S state in December, 1964.

Christina moved to Wales with Bridget and there met her husband Walter Webb, the son of a miner. They wed in 1929 and raised a family in Bedwellty. She died in London in 1992, aged 84.

Walter had some sort of breakdown after the tragedy and was discharged from the Royal Navy but seemed to get his life back together, found work with British Rail, married, and raised a family. He died in London in January, 1967.

Lizzie recovered from her wounds and went to work in the UK, but eventually returned to Cork where she died in July, 1978. She was buried in the Lingwood plot with her mother and siblings.

John moved to New York within six months of the massacre. He took up art as a therapeutic tool and sent some of his paintings to an old neighbour in Maylor Street, Michael Malloy - who had been on the inquest jury and befriended John after the tragedy. John died in 1960, aged 63.

As for the house at 33, Maylor Street, it was demolished when the Merchants Quay complex was built in the 1990s and nothing remains to remind us of the terrible tragedy that occurred there in September, 1914.
A NEW school year can be very scary for some kids  as the toxic dynamic between bullies and the children they target could resume.

The prospect of a new year of bullying, or the first experience of being a target for school bullies, can blight the lives of pupils and become something that terrifies both them and their parents, who are often unaware of the persecution of their child.

Indeed, new research by the anti-bullying charity The Diana Award for its #BacktoBullying campaign has revealed 65% of children are scared of going back to school, with a third saying the thought of returning to school makes them want to cry. And its not just the kids who are scared  the study found half of parents dread sending their children back to school due to bullying.

When the new school year starts it can be an exciting and sometimes unsettling time for children, points out Martha Evans, director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA). There will be new pupils, new class groupings and, for some, new schools. It can be a worrying time and were often told friendships and bullying are high on the list of worries.

Parents should be aware of the signs that their child might be on the receiving end of bullying behaviour, and know how to respond.

Evans says research suggests being bullied can have serious implications for a childs life chances, with the effects often lasting into adulthood. Thats why anti-bullying training and programmes for schools, including Anti-Bullying Week (November 13-17), are so vital for schools to help tackle the problem.

Evans says its useful for parents who are concerned about bullying to understand exactly what bullying is, as its not just falling out or banter.

The ABA defines bullying as: The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can happen face-to-face or online.

Martha Evans.

What are the signs of bullying?

Martha Evans, director of the UK Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) says warning signs of bullying may include

Coming home with torn clothes or missing belongings.

Unexpectedly not wanting to go to school.

Complaining of unexplained illnesses or headaches.

Becoming quiet and withdrawn.

Children who are being bullied may want to leave for school much earlier than necessary or come home late to avoid other children.

What should you do if your child is being bullied?

Stay calm

You should focus on gently speaking to your child and listening carefully, she explains. Your job is to reassure them that it can be sorted out.

Get the facts

Talk calmly to your child and establish whats happened and who did what, and when.

Keep a diary of when the bullying happens - to see the pattern of bullying over time and share it with the school, if and when you decide to speak to them.

Tell them not to retaliate

Evans says parents shouldnt encourage their child to retaliate to bullying, especially through violence, as it can have negative and unpredictable results. Instead tell your child to walk away and get help.

Be aware of mental stress

Dont underestimate the effect bullying can have on a childs mental health and keep an eye out for warning signs.

If your child is showing signs of serious distress, such as depression, anxiety and self-harm, always see a GP.

Find out what your child wants

Parents should ask their child what they want to happen next, and help them to identify their choices, the potential next steps to take, and the skills they have to help stop the bullying.

Speak to the school

Ask to see the schools anti-bullying policy, so both you and your child know the process for getting things sorted out, advises Evans.

Dont let them blame themselves

Make it clear that bullying is never acceptable and if a child or young person is being bullied then its others who are to blame, not them.
Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity will host a celebration of Jimmy Carter's birthday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at its current work site at 119 Perrine St., Auburn.

The event will feature cake, work on the home at the site with Habitat's partner family, and more in celebration of Carter's years of contributions to Habitat.

The event is free and open to the public, and joining to help work on the home is welcome.

For more information, visit cayugahabitat.org.
Doblin [ d-bleen ]/ d blin / New Word List Save This live slot pragmatic heb crypto atmWord! [ d-bleen ]/ d blin /Save ThisWord!

nounAlfred [ahl-freyt], /l fret/, 18781957, German physician and novelist.

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The Secret Service Submarine|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull It's a barrister's throat I haveI caught it waiting for briefs in me chambers at Doblin.' Grey Roses|Henry Harland

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nouna city in S Durham, in NE England.

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How to use Darlington Darlington/ (dltn) / nounan industrial town in NE England in Darlington unitary authority, S Durham: developed mainly with the opening of the Stockton-Darlington railway (1825). Pop: 86 082 (2001)a unitary authority in NE England, in Durham. Pop: 98 200 (2003 est). Area: 198 sq km (77 sq miles) 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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Definition of Parallelism

Parallelism is betfair es sportsbookthe repetition of grammatical elements in writing and speaking. Parallelism influences the grammatical structure of sentences but can also impact the meaning of thoughts and ideas being presented. When writers utilize parallelism as a figure of speech, this literary device extends beyond just a technique of grammatical sentence structure. It may feature repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis, or it can be used as a literary device to create a parallel position between opposite ideas through grammatical elements as a means of emphasizing contrast.

Parallelism takes many forms in literature, such as anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, epistrophe, etc. Parallelism is a literary device in itself, but it is also a category under which other figures of speech fall, such as those mentioned previously. Therefore, these other literary devices and figures of speech are specific types of parallelism.

One of the most well-known examples of parallelism is featured in Neil Armstrongs statement, made as he stepped on the moon: Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. The structure of the two noun phrases in this sentence is similar due to the repeated use of one. This engages the audiences attention and emphasizes the contrast between small step for man and giant leap for mankind. The significance of the event and the meaning of Armstrongs statement are enhanced through his use of parallelism.

Common Examples of Parallelism

Many common phrases feature parallelism through repetition of words, structure, or other grammatical elements. This calls attention to the wording and can emphasize the phrases meaning. Here are some common examples of parallelism:

he that will cheat at play, will cheat you any way

stupid is as stupid does

cousins by chance; friends by choice

luck is the idol of the idle

no pain, no gain

in for a penny, in for a pound

you get what you get

where there is smoke, there is fire

when the going gets tough, the tough get going

it takes one to know one

have money in your head, not in your heart

I think, therefore I am

dont marry someone you can life with; marry someone you cant live without

today a reader, tomorrow a leader

fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me

Examples of Parallelism in the Bible

Parallelism is found throughout the Bible, particularly in psalm verses and proverbs. One use of this literary device in Biblical poetry and phrasing is to create synonymous lines in which an idea is presented and then repeated by being rephrased with parallelism to reinforce or emphasize the meaning. Here are some examples of parallelism in the Bible:

In the way of righteousness is life / And in its pathway there is no death (Prov. 12:28)

i am the rose of Sharon / And the lily of the valleys (Song 2:1)

As the deer pants for the water brooks / So pants my soul for You, O God (Ps. 42:1)

Hatred stirs up strife / But love covers all sins (Prov. 10:12)

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous / But the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps, 1:6)

The earth is the Lords and everything in it / the world, and all who live in it (Ps. 24)

Famous Examples of Parallelism

Parallelism is also found in many famous examples of poetry, prose, drama, speeches, and quotations to create an intentional effect for the reader. Here are some famous examples of parallelism:

Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced. (James Baldwin)

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof / Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth (lyrics by Pharrell Williams)

 and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. (Abraham Lincoln)

Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster. (Elizabeth Bishop)

It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. (Pope John XXIII)

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont matter, and those who matter dont mind. (Bernard M. Baruch)

You deserve to need me, not to have me. (Augusten Burroughs)

Follow love and it will flee; flee love and it will follow. (proverb)

To err is Human, to forgive, divine. (Alexander Pope)

But the sad truth is that the truth is sad, and that what you want does not matter. (Lemony Snicket)

Difference Between Parallelism and Repetition

It can be difficult to distinguish between parallelism and repetition. They are similar literary devices in the sense that their function is based on something being repeated for effect. However, repetition specifically features the intentional use of a word or phrase, two or more times in close proximity of each other. Parallelism can involve the repetition of words or phrases, but it also must reflect the repetition of grammatical and/or structural elements. In fact, the only requirement for parallelism as a literary device is the repetition of grammatical elements and/or structure in a written workapart from strictly word or phrase repetition.

A good example to demonstrate the difference between parallelism and repetition is a soliloquy spoken by the title character in Macbethby William Shakespeare. The line, Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow features word repetition. It also features parallelism due to the grammatical structure of the phrasing, utilizing and as conjunction. This grammatical similarity enhances the rhythm of the phrase and emphasizes the concept and meaning of tomorrow as an ongoing, repeating aggregate of time and experience.

There is another line in Macbeths soliloquy that features repetition, but not parallelism: Out, out, brief candle! In this line, the word out is repeated twice, but there is no indication of a repeating grammatical element. Though the effect of this repetition is to emphasize the word out in terms of extinguishing the candle, which represents death, there is less of a poetic nature to the line than the repetition and parallelism of the tomorrow phrase. Therefore, as literary devices, repetition emphasizes a word or phrase and can certainly reinforce its meaning; however, parallelism often adds even deeper meaning through the repetition of grammatical structure.

Writing Parallelism

Overall, as a literary device, parallelism functions as a means of creating a harmonious flow and rhythm with words and phrases. This is effective for readers in that parallelism can capture a readers attention and enhance the structure of writing to make the literary work more meaningful. Parallelism is also an effective way for writers to set up relationships between two or more things or ideas, through comparison or contrast.

Its important that writers use parallelism sparingly in order for it to be effective. Too much repetition of grammatical elements can distract and/or fatigue a reader. For example, this well-known proverb features parallelism: Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a life time. Its effective in that the repetition of sentence structure emphasizes the meaning and perceived truth of the proverb for the reader. However, if the proverb were to continue this repetitive structure, it would lose effectiveness: Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a life time. Teach a man to sell fish, and he eats steaks. Give a man a chain of seafood restaurants, and he eats whatever he wants. The continued parallelism undermines the initial meaning of the proverb.

Here are some ways that writers benefit from incorporating parallelism into their work:

Create Sense of Rhythm

Writers can create a sense of rhythm in their works with parallelism. Repeating grammatical elements such as words, sounds, nouns, or verb phrases, helps to pace writing for the reader. This adds to the artistic and/or poetic value of language in a literary work while allowing the writer to reinforce or elaborate on a particular idea.

Create Sense of Relationship

Parallelism allows writers to create a sense of the relationship between words, phrases, and sentences, which then establishes relationships between things and ideas. This can be done through comparison or contrast, either within a single sentence or a group of sentences. By repeating grammatical elements, writers can draw the readers focus towards similarities and differences in expression and therefore enhance meaning.

Difference between Parallelism in Grammar and Rhetoric

Parallelism, especially in the grammatical sense, means the construction of a sentence having parallel elements whether it comprises verbs, nouns, infinitives, or clauses. If the sentence has a parallel structure, it improves grammar and brings flow in writing. However, in rhetoric, parallelism means the coordination of ideas in phrases or sentences or even in paragraphs in a way that the element of balance is present.

Parallelism in Literature

In literary texts, parallelism is the repetition of words, phrases or sentences, and even ideas. It works as a balancing act in literature to balance ideational presentation as well as stylistic features. The major purpose of using parallelism in literature is to make the text flow well, stands out or is highlighted from the rest of the text, and become memorable or create a lasting impression.

Synthetic Parallelism

When synthetic parallelism is used, it means the expansion of ideas to the point where their first part becomes parallel to the other parts, or when one idea is balanced with the other idea, and so on. Its major function is to create tempo and metrical patterns in the poetic text. Some of the parallelisms having synthetic features are synonymous parallelisms as well as antithetical parallelisms. In the first, synonyms are used to make the construction of a sentence parallel, while the second uses antithesis to complete parallelism in a sentence or a paragraph. These types of parallelisms mostly occur in ancient religious texts.

Use of Parallelism in Sentences

When they move around in a group, they help each other and organize events to make the public enjoy. When people come in groups, join the queues and help the service members, they enjoy our service the most. Most of the goats are busy jumping, bleating, and eating. When it rains, the weather becomes pleasant, beautiful, and cozy. They have worked hard to get a promotion, win success, and obtain an increase in salaries.

Examples of Parallelism in Literature

Parallelism is an effective literary device when used properly. Here are some examples of parallelism and how it adds to the significance of well-known literary works:

Example 1: Pygmalion(George Bernard Shaw)

If you cant appreciate what youve got, youd better get what you can appreciate.

In this line from his famous play, Shaw utilizes parallelism to set forth a contrast of ideas by inverting the wording of the phrases but maintaining their grammatical structure. The effect for the reader/audience due to parallelism as a literary device in this line is the connection between what someone has and what they appreciate. Professor Higgins, the speaker of the line, is calling Elizas attention to the choice she is facing: she can either appreciate what she has in him as a companion, or she can pursue someone else.

This choice between contrasting ideas in this line is underscored by Shaws use of parallelism in the expression of it. This adds meaning to the situation Eliza is facing in the play, but also calls upon the reader/audience to consider the choice they would make in her stead. In addition, the reader/audience is also confronted with the potential contrast between appreciating what they have or pursuing what they would appreciate.

Example 2: The Things They Carried(Tim OBrien)

To generalize about war is like generalizing about peace. Almost everything is true. Almost nothing is true.

In OBriens story about soldiers in Vietnam, he uses parallelism to create a relationship between war and peace, though they seem to be opposing concepts. In this passage, OBrien warns against generalizing about either war or peace as the outcome ends up the samethat almost everything is true and almost nothing is true. The repetition of grammatical structure in these three sentences enhances the relationship between war and peace by creating the sense that, in general, they are more alike than the opposite. This causes the reader to reflect on how this relationship between war and peace is possible.

OBriens use of parallelism in this passage also creates a relationship between words and their meanings. When spoken in generalities, words such as war and peace lose their meanings. With this loss of meaning, the truth is lost as well. This parallel relationship between the meaning of words and the truth indicates to the reader that there is no meaning or truth to generalities when it comes to war or peace.

Example 3: How Cruel Is the Story of Eve (Stevie Smith)

Put up to barter,

The tender feelings

Buy her a husband to rule her

Fool her to marry a master

She must or rue it

The Lord said it.

In her poem, Smith utilizes parallelism to create a sharp sense of rhythm to instill empathy in the reader for Eve and her story. The grammatical structure of the poetic lines creates the sense of a list being presented to the reader of Eves judgments and punishments. The parallel pacing of the stanzas structure, in addition to the connotations and repetitive sounds of the words (rule, fool, rue), create a rhythm that is almost like a whip. This expands and reinforces the theme for the reader that Eve is a victim of her story and her fate as a woman.

Synonyms of Parallelism

Some words that come very close to parallelism in meanings are likeness, alikeness, community, comparability, correspondence, similarity, or resemblance.
SALT LAKE CITY  It's lunchtime at the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District and a colony of sabethes cyaneus  also known as the paddle-legged beauty for its feathery appendages and iridescent coloring  find their way to Ella Branham.

They're not very aggressive and theyre kind of picky eaters, said Branham, a technician, as she exhaled into a glass tank to attract the insects to the carbon dioxide in her breath. So I'll be feeding them with my arm.

Branham had volunteered to let the South American mosquitoes feed on her blood so they can produce eggs and maintain the colony for education and research at the lab in the Salt Lake City district. It's one of the many mosquito control districts around the United States that seek to hold in check one of the world's deadliest animals  one well-positioned to thrive as climate change fosters a warmer and wetter environment.

Mosquitoes can carry viruses including dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. They are especially threatening to public health in Asia and Africa but are also closely monitored in the United States. Local agencies reported more than 1,100 cases of West Nile virus in 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Most humans who contract West Nile show no symptoms. But for some, it can cause vomiting, fever and in rare cases seizures or meningitis. Over roughly the last 25 years, nearly 3,000 deaths and more than 25,000 hospitalizations linked to West Nile were reported throughout the United States  most of them in August.

West Nile deaths have been reported this year in states including Texas and Colorado, and mosquitoes are thought to be the source of locally acquired malaria infections of people in Maryland, Florida and Texas.

Ary Faraji, an entomologist and the executive director of the Salt Lake City mosquito abatement district, said monitoring shows the mosquito season starting earlier and lasting longer as the climate has warmed. The district used to historically shut down each year in mid-September, but that has gotten later and later. Last year, district workers were still setting and checking traps until Thanksgiving.

And this year  where an abnormally snowy winter and a very rainy spring left more water across the landscape for mosquitoes to breed in  his staff estimated that there were five times as many mosquitos in May compared to the average year.

That's where the health threat comes in. While both males and females feed on sugar or nectar throughout their lives, females require blood meals to nourish and develop their eggs.

They are the true vixens, Faraji said. Some can be so beautiful and yet some can be so deadly.

Faraji's staff  made up of scientists and college and doctoral students  traps, sorts and tests mosquitos for viruses using drones, boats and ATVs. Their work takes into account how trends ranging from weather patterns to population growth will affect disease transmission.

The more people you put in a closer vicinity of where the mosquitos are, the higher chance of pathogen transmission, he said, noting the challenges of the wetland areas surrounding Utah's Great Salt Lake.

Though dangerous, mosquitoes are also critical to ecosystems throughout the world, with various species serving as pollinators or food sources to fish, birds and frogs.

We try to maintain a balance and suppress them to the point that theyre not negatively affecting communities, Faraji said. Taking them away would definitely negatively impact our ecosystem overall.

Banish mosquitoes from your yard with these traps and repellents 1. Cutter Backyard Bug Control Spray 2. Stafi Outdoor Wireless Mosquito Zapper 3. TIKI Citronella Candle 4. Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern 5. Murphys Naturals Mosquito Repellent Incense Sticks
What Is Statistics?mexican sweat poker chiliz sports

Statistics is a branch of applied mathematics that involves the collection, description, analysis, and inference of conclusions from quantitative data. The mathematical theories behind statistics rely heavily on differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, and probability theory.

Statisticians, people who do statistics, are particularly concerned with determining how to draw reliable conclusions about large groups and general events from the behavior and other observable characteristics of small samples. These small samples represent a portion of the large group or a limited number of instances of a general phenomenon.

Key Takeaways

Statistics is the study and manipulation of data, including ways to gather, review, analyze, and draw conclusions from data.

The two major areas of statistics are descriptive and inferential statistics.

Statistics can be communicated at different levels ranging from non-numerical descriptor (nominal-level) to numerical in reference to a zero-point (ratio-level).

A number of sampling techniques can be used to compile statistical data including simple random, systematic, stratified, or cluster sampling.

Statistics are present in almost every department of every company and are an integral part of investing as well.

Statistics

Understanding Statistics

2:00

Statistics are used in virtually all scientific disciplines such as the physical and social sciences, as well as in business, the humanities, government, and manufacturing. Statistics is fundamentally a branch of applied mathematics that developed from the application of mathematical tools including calculus and linear algebra to probability theory.

In practice, statistics is the idea we can learn about the properties of large sets of objects or events (a population) by studying the characteristics of a smaller number of similar objects or events (a sample). Because in many cases gathering comprehensive data about an entire population is too costly, difficult, or flat out impossible, statistics start with a sample that can conveniently or affordably be observed.

Two types of statistical methods are used in analyzing data: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Statisticians measure and gather data about the individuals or elements of a sample, then analyze this data to generate descriptive statistics. They can then use these observed characteristics of the sample data, which are properly called "statistics," to make inferences or educated guesses about the unmeasured (or unmeasured) characteristics of the broader population, known as the parameters.

Statistics informally dates back centuries. An early record of correspondence between French mathematicians Pierre de Fermat and Blaise Pascal in 1654 is often cited as an early example of statistical probability analysis.

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

The two major areas of statistics are known as descriptive statistics, which describes the properties of sample and population data, and inferential statistics, which uses those properties to test hypotheses and draw conclusions. Descriptive statistics include mean (average), variance, skewness, and kurtosis. Inferential statistics include linear regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), logit/Probit models, and null hypothesis testing.

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics mostly focus on the central tendency, variability, and distribution of sample data. Central tendency means the estimate of the characteristics, a typical element of a sample or population, and includes descriptive statistics such as mean, median, and mode. Variability refers to a set of statistics that show how much difference there is among the elements of a sample or population along the characteristics measured, and includes metrics such as range, variance, and standard deviation.

The distribution refers to the overall "shape" of the data, which can be depicted on a chart such as a histogram or dot plot, and includes properties such as the probability distribution function, skewness, and kurtosis. Descriptive statistics can also describe differences between observed characteristics of the elements of a data set. Descriptive statistics help us understand the collective properties of the elements of a data sample and form the basis for testing hypotheses and making predictions using inferential statistics.

Inferential Statistics

Inferential statistics are tools that statisticians use to draw conclusions about the characteristics of a population, drawn from the characteristics of a sample, and to decide how certain they can be of the reliability of those conclusions. Based on the sample size and distribution statisticians can calculate the probability that statistics, which measure the central tendency, variability, distribution, and relationships between characteristics within a data sample, provide an accurate picture of the corresponding parameters of the whole population from which the sample is drawn.

Inferential statistics are used to make generalizations about large groups, such as estimating average demand for a product by surveying a sample of consumers' buying habits or to attempt to predict future events, such as projecting the future return of a security or asset class based on returns in a sample period.

Regression analysis is a widely used technique of statistical inference used to determine the strength and nature of the relationship (i.e., the correlation) between a dependent variable and one or more explanatory (independent) variables. The output of a regression model is often analyzed for statistical significance, which refers to the claim that a result from findings generated by testing or experimentation is not likely to have occurred randomly or by chance but is likely to be attributable to a specific cause elucidated by the data. Having statistical significance is important for academic disciplines or practitioners that rely heavily on analyzing data and research.

Understanding Statistical Data

The root of statistics is driven by variables. A variable is a data set that can be counted that marks a characteristic or attribute of an item. For example, a car can have variables such as make, model, year, mileage, color, or condition. By combining the variables across a set of data (i.e. the colors of all cars in a given parking lot), statistics allows us to better understand trends and outcomes.

There are two main types of variables. First, qualitative variables are specific attributes that are often non-numeric. Many of the examples given in the car example are qualitative. Other examples of qualitative variables in statistics are gender, eye color, or city of birth. Qualitative data is most often used to determine what percentage of an outcome occurs for any given qualitative variable, and qualitative analysis often does not rely on numbers. For example, trying to determine what percentage of women own a business analyzes qualitative data.

The second type of variable in statistics is quantitative variables. Quantitative variables are studied numerically and only have weight when about a non-numerical descriptor. Similar to quantitative analysis, this information is rooted in numbers. In the car example above, the mileage driven is a quantitative variable. However, the number 60,000 holds no value unless it is understood that is the total number of miles driven.

Quantitative variables can be further broken into two categories. First, discrete variables have limitations in statistics and infer that there are gaps between potential discrete variable values. The number of points scored in a football game is a discrete variable because (1) there can be no decimals and (2) it is impossible for a team to score only 1 point.

Second, statistics also makes use of continuous quantitative variables. These values run along a scale - whereas discrete values have limitations, continuous variables are often measured into decimals. When measuring the height of the football players, any value (within possible limits) can be obtained, and the heights can be measured down to 1/16ths of an inch if not further.

Statisticians can hold different titles and positions within a company. According to Glassdoor, the average total compensation for a statistician as of December 2021 was $98,034. An equally analytical role of data scientist yielded annual compensation of almost $119,000.

Statistical Levels of Measurement

After analyzing variables and outcomes as part of statistics, there are several resulting levels of measurement. Statistics can quantify outcomes in these different ways:

Nominal Level Measurement. There is no numerical or quantitative value, and qualities are not ranked. Instead, nominal level measurements are simply labels or categories assigned to other variables. It's easiest to think of nominal level measurements as non-numerical facts about a variable. Example: The name of the President elected in 2020 was Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. Ordinal Level Measurement: Outcomes can be arranged in an order, however, all data values have the same value or weight. Although numerical, ordinal level measurements in statistics can't be subtracted against each other as only the position of the data point matters. Often incorporated into nonparametric statistics, ordinal levels are often compared against the total variable group. Example: American Fred Kerley was the 2nd fastest man at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics based on 100-meter sprint times. Interval Level Measurement: Outcomes can be arranged in order; however differences between data values may now have meaning. Two different data points are often used to compare the passing of time or changing conditions within a data set. There is often no "starting point" for the range of data values, and calendar dates or temperatures may not have a meaningful intrinsic zero value. Example: Inflation hit 8.6% in May 2022. The last time inflation was this high was December 1981. Ratio Level Measurement: Outcomes can be arranged in order, and differences between data values now have meaning. However, there is now a starting point or "zero value" that can be used to further provide value to a statistical value. The ratio between data values now has meaning, including its distance away from zero. Example: The lowest meteorological temperature recorded was -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit in Antarctica.

Statistics Sampling Techniques

To gather statistical information, it would often not be possible to gather data from every data point within a population. Instead, statistics relies on different sampling techniques to create a representative subset of the population that is easier to analyze. In statistics, there are several primary types of sampling.

Simple random sampling calls for every member within the population to have an equal chance of being selected for analysis. The entire population is used as the basis for sampling, and any random generator based on chance can select the sample items. For example, 100 individuals are lined up and 10 are chosen at random.

calls for every member within the population to have an equal chance of being selected for analysis. The entire population is used as the basis for sampling, and any random generator based on chance can select the sample items. For example, 100 individuals are lined up and 10 are chosen at random. Systematic sampling calls for a random sample as well. However, its technique is slightly modified to make it easier to conduct. A single random number is generated, and individuals are then selected at a specified regular interval until the sample size is complete. For example, 100 individuals are lined up and numbered. The 7th individual is selected for the sample followed by every subsequent 9th individual until 10 sample items have been selected.

calls for a random sample as well. However, its technique is slightly modified to make it easier to conduct. A single random number is generated, and individuals are then selected at a specified regular interval until the sample size is complete. For example, 100 individuals are lined up and numbered. The 7th individual is selected for the sample followed by every subsequent 9th individual until 10 sample items have been selected. Stratified sampling calls for more control over your sample. The population is divided into subgroups based on similar characteristics. Then, you calculate how many people from each subgroup would represent the entire population. For example, 100 individuals are grouped by gender and race. Then, a sample from each subgroup will be taken in the proportion of how representative that subgroup is of the population.

calls for more control over your sample. The population is divided into subgroups based on similar characteristics. Then, you calculate how many people from each subgroup would represent the entire population. For example, 100 individuals are grouped by gender and race. Then, a sample from each subgroup will be taken in the proportion of how representative that subgroup is of the population. Cluster samplingcalls for subgroups as well. However, each subgroup should be representative of the population. Instead of randomly selecting individuals within a subgroup, the entire subgroup is randomly selected.



Not sure which Major League Baseball player should have won Most Valuable Player last year? Statistics, often used to determine value, is often cited when the award for best player is awarded. Statistics can include batting average, number of home runs hit, and stolen bases.

Examples of Statistics

Statistics is prominent in finance, investing, business, and the world. Much of the information you see and the data you are given is derived from statistics, which are used in all facets of a business.

In investing, statistics include average trading volume, 52-week low, 52-week high, beta, and correlation between asset classes or securities.

In economics, statistics include GDP, unemployment, consumer pricing, and inflation, and other economic growth metrics

In marketing, statistics include conversion rates, click-through rates, search quantities, and social media metrics.

In accounting, statistics include liquidity, solvency, and profitability metrics across time.

In information technology, statistics include bandwidth, network capabilities, and hardware logistics.

In human resources, statistics include employee turnover, employee satisfaction, and average compensation relative to the market.



Why Is Statistics Important?

Statistics provide the information to educate how things work. Statistics are used to conduct research, evaluate outcomes, develop critical thinking, and make informed decisions. Statistics can be used to inquire almost any field of study to investigate why things happen, when they occur, and whether its reoccurrence is predictable.

What Is the Difference Between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics?

Descriptive statistics are used to describe or summarize the characteristics of a sample or data set, such as a variable's mean, standard deviation, or frequency. Inferential statistics, in contrast, employs any number of techniques to relate variables in a data set to one another, for example using correlation or regression analysis. These can then be used to estimate forecasts or infer causality.

Who Uses Statistics?

Statistics are used widely across an array of applications and professions. Any time data are collected and analyzed, statistics are being done. This can range from government agencies to academic research to analyzing investments.

How Are Statistics Used in Economics and Finance?

Economists collect and look at all sorts of data, ranging from consumer spending to housing starts to inflation to GDP growth. In finance, analysts and investors collect data about companies, industries, sentiment, and market data on price and volume. Together, the use of inferential statistics in these fields is known as econometrics. Several important financial models from CAPM to Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) and the Black-Scholes options pricing model, rely on statistical inference.
What is mr green deposit methodsa Bearish Engulfing Pattern?

A bearish engulfing pattern is a technical chart pattern that signals lower prices to come. The pattern consists of an up (white or green) candlestick followed by a large down (black or red) candlestick that eclipses or "engulfs" the smaller up candle. The pattern can be important because it shows sellers have overtaken the buyers and are pushing the price more aggressively down (down candle) than the buyers were able to push it up (up candle).

Key Takeaways

A bearish engulfing pattern can occur anywhere, but it is more significant if it occurs after a price advance. This could be an uptrend or a pullback to the upside with a larger downtrend.

Ideally, both candles are of substantial size relative to the price bars around them. Two very small bars may create an engulfing pattern, but it is far less significant than if both candles are large.

The real bodythe difference between the open and close priceof the candlesticks is what matters. The real body of the down candle must engulf the up candle.

The pattern has far less significance in choppy markets.

What Does the Bearish Engulfing Pattern Tell You?

A bearish engulfing pattern is seen at the end of some upward price moves. It is marked by the first candle of upward momentum being overtaken, or engulfed, by a larger second candle indicating a shift toward lower prices. The pattern has greater reliability when the open price of the engulfing candle is well above the close of the first candle, and when the close of the engulfing candle is well below the open of the first candle. A much larger down candle shows more strength than if the down candle is only slightly larger than the up candle.

The pattern is also more reliable when it follows a clean move higher. If the price action is choppy or ranging, many engulfing patterns will occur but they are unlikely to result in major price moves since the overall price trend is choppy or ranging.

Before acting on the pattern, traders typically wait for the second candle to close, and then take action on the following candle. Actions include selling a long position once a bearish engulfing pattern occurs, or potentially entering a short position.

If entering a new short position, a stop loss can be placed above the high of the two-bar pattern.

Astute traders consider the overall picture when utilizing bearish engulfing patterns. For example, taking a short trade may not be wise if the uptrend is very strong. Even the formation of a bearish engulfing pattern may not be enough to halt the advance for long. Yet, if the overall trend is down, and the price has just seen a pullback to the upside, a bearish engulfing pattern may provide a good shorting opportunity since the trade aligns with the longer-term downtrend.

Example of How to Use a Bearish Engulfing Pattern

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

The chart example shows three bearish engulfing patterns that occurred in the forex market. The first bearish engulfing pattern occurs during a pullback to the upside within a larger downtrend. The price proceeds lower following the pattern.

The next two engulfing patterns are less significant considering the overall picture. The price range of the forex pair is starting to narrow, indicating choppy trading, and there is very little upward price movement prior to the patterns forming. A reversal pattern has little use if there is little to reverse. Within ranges and choppy markets engulfing patterns will occur frequently but are not usually good trading signals.

The Difference Between a Bearish Engulfing Pattern and a Bullish Engulfing Pattern

These two patterns are opposites. A bullish engulfing pattern occurs after a price move lower and indicates higher prices to come. The first candle, in the two-candle pattern, is a down candle. The second candle is a larger up candle, with a real body that fully engulfs the smaller down candle.

Limitations of Using a Bearish Engulfing Pattern

Engulfing patterns are most useful following a clean upward price move as the pattern clearly shows the shift in momentum to the downside. If the price action is choppy, even if the price is rising overall, the significance of the engulfing pattern is diminished since it is a fairly common signal.

The engulfing or second candle may also be huge. This can leave a trader with a very large stop loss if they opt to trade the pattern. The potential reward from the trade may not justify the risk.

Establishing the potential reward can also be difficult with engulfing patterns, as candlesticks don't provide a price target. Instead, traders will need to use other methods, such as indicators or trend analysis, for selecting a price target or determining when to get out of a profitable trade.
Although Chinas growth data for the first half of the year is yet to be released, a glimpse into the positive changes in economic fundamentals showed China is moving steadily towards its goal of high-quality development.

With overall economic activity maintaining stable expansion and industrial and service production picking up pace, Chinas sound economic fundamentals once again dismissed some persistent doubts over the health of the worlds second largest economy.

Official data showed the countrys manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) came in at 51.5 in June, above the boom-bust line of 50.

While the reading was lower than 51.9 in May, it surpassed an average of 51.3 for the first half of this year, indicating upward momentum, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In the first five months, profits at Chinas major industrial firms grew 16.5 percent, quickening from the 15-percent expansion for the January-April period.

Other economic indicators, including energy consumption, freight traffic, and producer prices all ticked up in May, pointing to a stable real economy and progress in structural transformation.

Along with economic resilience, the job market also remained stable, giving policymakers more room to push reforms. In May, Chinas surveyed unemployment in urban areas declined to 4.8 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from April and 0.1 percentage point lower than last May.

Generally speaking, Chinas economic operation has maintained its trend of steady and improving development, said NBS spokesperson Mao Shengyong.

According to a forecast by financial institutions and economists, Chinas economy is predicted to expand 6.7 percent in the first half of 2018, slightly retreating from the 6.8-percent growth seen in Q1 but still well above the government target of 6.5 percent for the whole year.

In regards to the second half of the year, chief economist of CITIC Securities Chu Jianfang believes there will be no big risk of recession and the economy will remain resilient, citing rising industrial investment, steady infrastructure investment and warming external demand.

The better-than-expected performance is largely attributable to Chinas supply-side structural reforms, which helped increase utilization efficiency of industrial capacity and enhance supply quality of products and services.

The advancing of supply-side structural reforms are showing spill-over effects, and better quality of the supply system will push stable growth of the economy, said Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Meanwhile, the countrys deleveraging efforts are happening in a stable and orderly manner. The credit profile of China reflects a number of strengths, including the vast size and growth rate of its economy, denoting very high shock absorption capacity, according to a report from global rating firm Moodys.

Last month, the World Bank upgraded its forecast for Chinas economic growth in 2018 to 6.5 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than its January forecast.

The World Banks latest China Economic Update said that economic activity had remained resilient, and the new economy was now a more prominent source of growth.

Morgan Stanley also raised its forecast on the pace of Chinas economic expansion for this year and 2019 in a research note, saying growth had become more sustainable and less reliant on credit.

The New York-based investment bank expects Chinas GDP to rise 6.6 percent year on year in 2018, up from its previous projection of 6.5 percent. Its forecast for 2019 improved from 6.3 percent to 6.4 percent.

Xinhua

Chinas economic fundamentals point towards high-quality developmentadded by chinatimesonline on

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There is a surprising amount of confusion between these two words (one of which isnt actually a word) and which is the correct form to appear in your sentences.

Today, I want to go over the difference between a lotvs. alotand show you a few tricks to remember which of them to use. After reading this post, you wont ever confuse them again.

Alot vs. A lot?

While it may be common to see the word alot throughout Internet commenting or text messaging, the word is never seen in print, and the reason is simple: it isnt an actual word.

Thats right. If you go to any dictionary, you will not find the word alot as an entry, which makes it all the more interesting why the confusion between the two exists.

What Is a Lot?

The two-word construction a lotis just that: two separate words. You have the article aand the noun lot. The word lotis defined as, a large number or amount, a great deal.

For example,

You just drank a lot of milk with dinner.

Your car uses a lot of gas.

You read a lot of books.

Just as you wouldnt combine other instances of article+ nounconstructions in your sentences, adog, acat, ahorse, etc., you dont combine the two words a lot. Theres no rhyme or reason to why people combine the words, but plenty of people make the mistake.

And no one knows exactly why. It could be that since the word lot isnt used in many other instances besides the phrase a lotthat writers began to think of alot as the actual word being used and not lot.

Other uses of lot, such as a beautiful lot of landor a parking lot, often pale in comparison to the frequency of the phrase a lot, so its easy to see how people could get mixed up. Even this, however, isnt a totally convincing reason because the plural use of lot(lots) is used correctly with great frequency.

Another possible explanation is the similar features the phrase a lothas with the unrelated word allot.

When to Use Allot

Despite sounding similar toand being spelled similar asa lot, the single word allotis an unrelated verb. To allot something is to give or apportion something to someone as a share.

For example,

Will you please allot me my share of the inheritance?

The lawyer allotted the remained assets from the will.

During the debate, equal time will be allotted to each party.

As I said above, the fact that this word sounds alike and looks similar to a lotmay cause some people to confuse the two.

Remember the Difference

Now that we know a lotis the correct choice for our sentences, here are a few tricks to remember this fact.

Something my grade school English teacher would say to help us remember is,

A lot is a lot of words.

Another great trick I learned from a reader of mine is similar to the analogy I gave above about combining words like a dog into adog.

You cannot say alittle, so you cannot say alot.

Makes sense doesnt it?

Summary

Its important to keep track of these two words in your writing because alot vs. a lot are very different.

Alot is not a word.

A lot is the correct choice.
online gambling iphoneshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dobla [ doh-blah ]/ do bl / 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.[ doh-blah ]/ do bl /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna former gold coin of Spain.

Words nearby dobla

How to use dobla Spanish, from Latin dupla, feminine of duplus twofold, double

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 dobla15901600;
What Are Accruals?fun gambling games

Accruals are revenues earned or expenses incurred which impact a company's net income on the income statement, although cash related to the transaction has not yet changed hands. Accruals also affect the balance sheet, as they involve non-cash assets and liabilities.Accrual accounts include, among many others, accounts payable, accounts receivable, accrued tax liabilities, and accrued interest earned or payable.

Key Takeaways

Accruals are needed for any revenue earned or expense incurred, for which cash has not yet been exchanged.

Accruals improve the quality of information on financial statements by adding useful information about short-term credit extended to customers and upcoming liabilities owed to lenders.

Accruals and deferrals are the basis of the accrual method of accounting.

Accruals are created via adjusting journal entries at the end of each accounting period.

Understanding Accruals

Accruals and deferrals are the basis of the accrual method of accounting, the preferred method by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Using the accrual method, an accountant makes adjustments for revenue that has been earned but is not yet recorded in the general ledger and expenses that have been incurred but are also not yet recorded. The accruals are made via adjusting journal entries at the end of each accounting period, so the reported financial statements can be inclusive of these amounts.

The use of accrual accounts greatly improves the quality of information on financial statements. Before the use of accruals, accountants only recorded cash transactions. Unfortunately, cash transactions don't give information about other important business activities, such as revenue based on credit extended to customers or a company's future liabilities. By recording accruals, a company can measure what it owes in the short-term and also what cash revenue it expects to receive. It also allows a company to record assets that do not have a cash value, such as goodwill.

In double-entry bookkeeping, the offset to an accrued expense is an accrued liability account, which appears on the balance sheet. The offset to accrued revenue is an accrued asset account, which also appears on the balance sheet. Therefore, an adjusting journal entry for an accrual will impact both the balance sheet and the income statement.

Examples of Accruals

Let's look at an example of a revenue accrual for an electric utility company. The utility company generated electricity that customers received in December. However, the utility company does not bill the electric customers until the following month when the meters have been read. To have the proper revenue figure for the year on the utility's financial statements, the company needs to complete an adjusting journal entry to report the revenue that was earned in December.

It will additionally be reflected in the receivables account as of December 31, because the utility company has fulfilled its obligations to its customers in earning the revenue at that point. The adjusting journal entry for December would include a debit to accounts receivable and a credit to a revenue account. The following month, when the cash is received, the company would record a credit to decrease accounts receivable and a debit to increase cash.

An example of an expense accrual involves employee bonuses that were earned in 2019, but will not be paid until 2020. The 2019 financial statements need to reflect the bonus expense earned by employees in 2019 as well as the bonus liability the company plans to pay out. Therefore, prior to issuing the 2019 financial statements, an adjusting journal entry records this accrual with a debit to an expense account and a credit to a liability account. Once the payment has been made in the new year, the liability account will be decreased through a debit, and the cash account will be reduced through a credit.

Another expense accrual occurs for interest. For example, a company with a bond will accrue interest expense on its monthly financial statements, although interest on bonds is typically paid semi-annually. The interest expense recorded in an adjusting journal entry will be the amount that has accrued as of the financial statement date. A corresponding interest liability will be recorded on the balance sheet.
What Was the New Deal?betway bet 10 get 30 slot judi55

The New Deal was a comprehensive and broad set of government-directed projects introduced by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in an attempt to help the United States economy emerge from the Great Depression. It launched in the early 1930s and was designed to bolster the United States economy, reduce unemployment, provide a social safety net, and instill confidence in the governments ability to protect its citizens.

Key Takeaways

The New Deal was a series of domestic programs introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in an attempt to end the economic ravages of the Great Depression.

The New Deal also attempted to curb the excesses of untrammeled capitalism through such policies as setting minimum wages, regulating working conditions, promoting labor unions, and bolstering retirement security.

The New Deal made the governments role in steering the economy more important.

Understanding the New Deal

The stock market crash of 1929 began on October 24a day known as Black Thursday. It brought a period of roaring growth to a sudden halt. Companies and banks across the United States started failing, and the unemployment rate skyrocketed to the point that nearly a quarter of the workforce was unemployed.

President Franklin Roosevelt launched the New Deal after taking office in 1933. It consisted of a variety of government-funded programs aimed at getting people back to work, as well as legislation and executive orders that propped up farmers and stimulated business activity.

The New Deal engendered controversy by introducing a number of radical reforms and increasing the governments role in guiding the economy. Several of its programs were ultimately declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, including two major pillars: the National Recovery Administration (NRA)which set working conditions, minimum wages, and maximum hours, while guaranteeing the right of labor to bargain collectivelyand the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), which intended to stabilize farm prices.

Public opinion was for the New Deal, though, and, as a result, in February of 1937 Roosevelt tried to increase the number of Supreme Court justices in order to prevent future programs from being shuttered. Though he failed in this court-packing attempt, he succeeded in his objective. In May 1937, the Supreme Court declared the Social Security Act to be constitutional by a five-to-four vote after one of its justices changed his antiNew Deal stance. No other New Deal program was ever again judicially invalidated by the court.

The New Deal was enacted in two parts: the first in 1933 and the second in 1935.

History of the New Deal

The New Deal is often broken into two segments. The first New Deal was launched in 1933 during the initial two years of the Roosevelt presidency. In addition to the NRA and AAA, it consisted of measures to stabilize the banking system (Emergency Banking Act), ensure bank deposit security (Banking Act of 1933, known as the Glass-Steagall Act), and increase confidence in the stock market (Securities Act of 1933).

The second New Deal, in 1935, introduced perhaps the programs greatest and most enduring legacy: government-sponsored retirement plans in the form of Social Security. It also increased government employment (Works Progress Administration) and minimum wages (Fair Labor Standards Act).

Was the New Deal a Success?

Historians credit the New Deal with some success in reviving the countrys fortunes. The economy did slowly recover during the 1930s, confidence was restored to the banking system through federal deposit insurance, working conditions were improved, and labor unions strengthened the hand of workers.

It was World War II, however, that ultimately provided the impetus to get America fully back to work. The unprecedented spending worldwide on ships, arms, and planes propelled the country into full employmenta feat that the New Deal programs, despite their best efforts, were unable to achieve on their own.
At least one operator is loki womenmore than a little confused by the updated Alcohol and Gaming of Ontarios (AGCO) Advertising Standards, announced last week.

The new restrictions will come into effect Feb. 28, 2024.

The AGCO is prohibiting the use of athletes in internet-gaming advertising and marketing in Ontario. Standards have also been strengthened to restrict the use of celebrities who would likely be expected to appeal to minors, the AGCO said in a statement. Igaming ads, like the ones for BetMGM featuring Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and retired sports stars Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Garnett, for example, will soon no longer be seen in Ontario.

The AGCO held consultations on its proposal to ban ads and took in submissions from a range of stakeholders. AGCO Registrar and CEO Tom Mungham told an audience at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto in June that the agency received 38 responses to that consultation, from igaming and land-based operators to the charitable-gaming sector and associations in the health sector, like the Canadian Mental Health Association.

More specifically, the additions to the AGCO Standards for Internet Gaming are (bolded):

2.03  Advertising, marketing materials and communications shall not target high-risk, underage or self-excluded persons to participate in lottery schemes, shall not include underage individuals, and shall not knowingly be communicated or sent to high-risk players. (Also applicable to Gaming-Related Suppliers)

Requirements  At a minimum, materials and communications shall not:

Be based on themes, or use language, intended to appeal primarily to minors.

Appear on billboards or other outdoor displays that are directly adjacent to schools or other primarily youth-oriented locations.

Use or contain cartoon figures, symbols, role models, social media influencers, celebrities, or entertainers who would likely be expected to appeal to minors. [This requirement has been changed]

Use active or retired athletes, who have an agreement or arrangement made directly or indirectly between an athlete and an operator or gaming-related supplier, in advertising and marketing except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices. [This requirement is new]

Use individuals who are, or appear to be, minors to promote gaming.

Appear in media and venues, including on websites, and in digital or online media, directed primarily to minors, or where most of the audience is reasonably expected to be minors.

Exploit the susceptibilities, aspirations, credulity, inexperience or lack of knowledge of all potentially high-risk persons, or otherwise extoll the virtues of gaming.

Entice or attract potentially high-risk players. Instead, measures shall be in place to limit marketing communications to all known high-risk players. [This requirement has been changed]

The AGCO says it plans to issue additional guidance in the coming weeks and that will be welcome by people in the industry.

I was quite surprised at the heavy handedness of the restrictions as announced by the AGCO a couple of days ago, said Aly Lalani, head of marketing at BetRegal. Im not totally sure I understand exactly what they mean. They seem to paint with an awfully wide brush. How is it possible to say social influencers are part of the restriction? How exactly is a social influencer defined? Is it follower count? Is it content? Is it follower demographics?

My opinion is that there are a number of operators who are sitting on the fence with regards to the realistic feasibility of growing a successful Ontario business, primarily because of the tremendous competitive influence, and the dominance of casino in terms of the really important KPIs, Lalani said. Restrictions like these will help push some of those operators over the fence and I think well see a trickle of brands choosing not to pursue Ontario.

While some would say moves like this level the playing field, I would disagree and say moves like this are actually just making the playing field smaller and forcing operators to rely on more traditional marketing channels where the bigger brands budget dominance will be even more obvious. Restrictions like this really limit operators ability to be creative marketers.

One of the big critiques has been the volume of igaming ads on television now. But as Canadian Gaming Association president and CEO Paul Burns said, gaming ads represent just five percent of the advertising on TV. There is a need for more clarity in the industry, as the news sinks in, he added.

We all want to make sure there is a healthy relationship with the customers, he said. I think the request for a compliance guidance on the standards is absolutely necessary for operators to better understand, so they have the tools and clarity to comply, which everyone wants to do. The AGCO needs to help create that.

From primarily appealing to minors to likely appealing, what does that mean? Now lets figure out how everyone can comply. As we all know, a lot of money is invested in advertising and marketing campaigns, so the industry wants to know how they can effectively produce marketing programs that comply.

No one wants to go and create a campaign and the find out they cant do what they wanted to do after the fact, he said. The business needs certainty going forward.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which ran ads featuring Maple Leafs captain John Tavares and retired goalie Curtis Joseph in the past, said in a statement they will ensure all their advertising will continue to be produced in alignment with AGCO standards on marketing.

The Tavares partnership expired. However, the Joseph ad was for responsible gambling, promoting the PlaySmart program.

Amanda Brewer, country manager for Canada of Kindred Group, said the news wasnt surprising and it cleans up any possible integrity issues involving athletes and the sports they represent.

The AGCO still needs to provide clarification on what athlete or celebrity or role model or influencer means. So until further information lands, this is a bit premature, she said.

Unibet doesnt use athletes in their advertising, so the change doesnt impact them.

Brewer also added that no operator has been fined for violating the advertising standards specific to responsible gambling or appealing to minors since the market launched in April 2022.

Nic Sulsky, chief commercial officer of PointsBet Canada, in a statement commended the AGCO for setting the new standards after months of rumors.

As a part of the evolving regulated igaming industry in Ontario, we are in full support of continued progress toward a truly leveled playing field for all operators. And one of the best ways to build toward that is with clear and concise rules, so we all can properly develop and execute effective marketing strategies that will foster a healthy and responsible gaming ecosystem, he said.
Definition of Paralipsis

Paralipsis blackjack 7 card game rulesis from the Greek word paraleipein, which means to omit, or to leave something on one side. It is defined as a rhetorical device in which an idea is deliberately suggested through a brief treatment of a subject, while most of the significant points are omitted. It is explained through the use of this device that some points are too obvious to mention. Also, paralipsis is a way of emphasizing a subject by apparently passing over it.

This is one of the finest contemporary examples of paralipsis:

Im not saying Im responsible for this countrys longest run of uninterrupted peace in 35 years! Im not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a Phoenix metaphor been more personified! Im not saying Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an iced tea, because I havent come across any one man enough to go toe to toe with me on my best day!

(Iron Man 2by Justin Theroux)

Features of Paralipsis

Paralipsis is a literary device in which a speaker pretends to hide what he exactly wants to say and enforce. It is a type of irony in which an outline of a message is conveyed in a manner that seems to suppress the exact message. Paraliptic strike-through is a form of paralipsis. It is a standard rhetorical device in journalism and print media.

Examples of Paralipsis in Literature

Example #1: The Knights Tale(By Geoffrey Chaucer)

The music, the service at the feast,

The noble gifts for the great and small,

The rich adornment of Theseuss palace

All these things I do not mention now.

In the example above, paralipsis is used wonderfully. Though all the important points are mentioned clearly, Chaucer seems to pretend in the final line that he has not given any significance to these points.

Example #2: A Modest Proposal(By Jonathan Swift)

Therefore, let no man talk to me of other expedients: of taxing our absentees  of using neither clothes, nor house hold furniture  of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming, of learning to love our country

This excerpt is a good example of paralipsis, as Swift briefly suggests the idea of expedients, while trying to show that this idea is not of much significance and should be passed over.

Example #3: Blue Shoes and Happiness(By Alexander McCall Smith)

Ssh, said Grace Makutsi, putting a finger to her lips. Its not polite to talk about it. SO I wont mention the Double Comfort Furniture Shop, which is one of the businesses my fiance owns, you know. I must not talk about that. But do you know the store, Mma? If you save up, you should come in some day and buy a chair 

Here, the orator emphasizes the point by passing over it, saying, I must not talk about that. The nullifying statement is mentioning the furniture shop. The paraliptic line is in bold.

Example #4: Julius Caesar(By William Shakespeare)

Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it.

It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.

You are not wood; you are not stones, but men;

And, being men, hearing the will of Caesar,

It will inflame you, it will make you mad  For if you shouldohwhat would come of it!  But heres a parchment, with the seal of Caesar;

I found it in his closet. Tis his will.

Let but the commons hear this testament

Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read 

This is one of the most famous paralipsis examples. Here, Mark Antony provokes the public by talking about the will of Caesar; meanwhile, he suppresses the matter without directly mentioning the subject.

Function of Paralipsis

The purpose of the employment of paralipsis is to deliberately emphasize or assert an idea by pretending to ignore or pass over it. Paralipsis examples are very common in literary works, journalism, and political speeches. The orators use this device to draw the attention of readers towards a sensitive matter, while the orator ostensibly seems detached from it. Often, descriptive works that lack the direct meaning of an idea use paralipsis. Besides, as a rhetorical device, its approach is ironic because the intentions of writers are different. However, writers use paralipsis in order to keep themselves away from unfair claims, though they bring them up quite often.
Theonline casino free spins no deposit bonus photo taken on November 1, 2022 shows Yan Ning at Shenzhen Global Innovation Talent Forum. Photo: VCG

Chinese structural biologist Yan Ning announced on Tuesday that she will resign from Princeton University in the US and join in the establishment of Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART) in the near future. The move comes amid efforts by the country to attract more top talent to return to China for opportunities and development."In the near future, I will return to China full-time to assist in establishing a new research and development institution in Shenzhen, which is named SMART, integrating several functions including scientific research, transformation, student cultivation and financial support," 45-year-old Yan said at the Shenzhen Global Innovation Talent Forum on Tuesday.Yan received her degree from the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at Tsinghua University in China in 2000. She was the regional winner of the Young Scientist Award (North America) co-sponsored by Science/AAAS and GE Healthcare in 2005 for her thesis on the structural and mechanistic study of programmed cell death, according to her biography on the Princeton University website.Yan earned her PhD at Princeton in 2004, and returned in 2018 as the first Shirley M. Tilghman Professor of Molecular Biology. She was elected as National Academy of Sciences Foreign Associate in 2019 for outstanding contributions to research.The establishment of the new medical academy in Shenzhen is one of the main projects in building a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics in Shenzhen, according to the medical academy.The academy is being set up by the Shenzhen local government and the head of the academy is the legal representative of SMART."Shenzhen is the city of dreams, and I want to realize my next dream here," Yan said during the forum.Yan said she wanted to support more outstanding scholars and to tackle various health threats facing mankind, according to The Paper on Tuesday. Shenzhen offered the right opportunity and the city can build its place in the global biomedicine field, Yang said.The topic "Yan announced to leave the US and return to China" has got more than 300 million clicks on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as of press time, with many netizens welcoming Yan's decision to return to the motherland.
National Voter Registration Day this year will be celebrated on Sept 19. On this day, across the country, Fortune 500 companies, voting rights groups, community organizations and many others come together for a democracy blitz  registering voters in person, or reaching out through the media to educate voters on registration.

According to 2020 U.S. Census data, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, dont update their registration, or arent sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day aims to make sure no one who wants to cast a ballot misses the opportunity due to an easily fixed registration problem.

Arizona has many tools to help citizens register, check their status, or update their registration. If you are registered and havent moved, you should be all set. You do not need to reregister for each election. You do need to update, if you have moved or changed your name. If youre not sure of your status, go to my.arizona.vote. This site will also tell you if you are on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) - this is Arizonas great vote-by-mail system where your ballot is delivered to your address.

If you need to register and have an Arizona drivers license there is an easy process on servicearizona.com/VoterRegistration. You must be a US citizen, at least 18 years old to vote  but you can still register in advance if you will be 18 by the time of the next election. Young people are an important voice for the future and many schools run events to register students. Need more help? Have more questions? Your local county officials are there to help (Coconino registrar 928-679-7860; Yavapai registrar 928-771-3248, ext. 9). You can also access voter and registration information at www.lwvnaz.org. You can also find listed there the days and times we will be at local libraries.

Why is encouraging voter registration important? When the registered voting population doesnt reflect the population as a whole, we end up with a distorted democracy that fails to reflect the views of the country at large. If were going to build a democracy that truly represents us all, the best solution is closing registration gaps and making sure all eligible Americans are registered voters. On the local level, elected officials make decisions that directly affect our lives such as property taxes, police funding, or community services. Many local races are extremely close. Registering and voting provides an opportunity to be an active participant in your own local government.

The calendar may say 2023, but the 2024 elections are just around the corner. You can get ready to participate. Here are a few important dates:

Presidential Preference Election  Mar 19, 2024 (Last Day to Register: Feb 20, 2024) This election is open only to those registered in a specific party (Independents who wish to vote in this election will need to choose a party affiliation by Feb 20.)

Primary Election - Aug 6, 2024  (Last Day to Register July 8, 2024) This election includes state-wide candidates such as senators and many municipal elections. Independents can vote in this election, but need to request a ballot.

Election Day - Nov 5, 2024 (Last Day to Register Oct 7, 2024) This is the Big One. Youll want to be part of the action!

National Voter Registration Day is a day of civic unity. Its an opportunity to set aside differences; enjoy the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities we all share as Americans; and celebrate our democracy togethere pluribus unum - from many, one.

Content for this article included material from Nationalvoterregistrationday.org. Visit their site for more info.
Khalid al Najar, 27, was half dazed as he walked back toward Khan Younis with a plastic bag of clothes.

He was the guy who hit people with paddles in Dazed and Confused.

In 2010, Jake Holmes sued over Dazed and Confused, claiming it bore a strong resemblance to his own song of the same name.

Everyone was dazed by their look at death, but relieved by the opportunity to decompress. I Heard About the Latest Crazed Shooter While I Watched the World Cup with Guys He Almost Killed|Daniel Genis|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If not for movies like Dazed and Confused, hemp would have all but disappeared from American discourse. Kentucky Tells Feds: Hands Off Our Hemp!|Abby Haglage|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Goblin stared about him in a dazed manner for a moment, and then said, "Sindbad the Sailor's house." Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl

The violent shock dazed Malcolm for a second, but all might yet have been well were it not for an unavoidable accident. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

Donny found himself, dazed and alone, upon the cross-ties, groping toward the oncoming train. A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward

The one with the dazed look carried a small metal case that could be unfolded into a portable desk. Fee of the Frontier|Horace Brown Fyfe
Dali [ dah-lee ]/ d li / New Word List Save This csgo low jackpot relic raiders slotWord! [ dah-lee ]/ d li /Save ThisWord!

nounSalvador [sal-vuh-dawr; Spanish sahl-vah-thawr], /sl vdr; Spanish sl vr/, 190489, Spanish painter and illustrator.

Words nearby Dali

How to use Dali Dali/ (dl, Spanish dali) / nounSalvador (slvd). 190489, Spanish surrealist painter 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!QuestionDaley, Daley, Richard, Dalglish, dalgyte, Dalhousie, Dali, Dalian, Daliesque, Dalila, Dali, Salvador, DalitDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Kerry Washington - Scandal Is there room for only one Shonda Rhimes darling in Best Actress in a Drama?

But of course dude's had his ups and downsit's been 15 years.

The former Czech leader, once a global darling of libertarians, is losing friends fast.

His ups and downs professionally outside of the World Cup are a vital a part of his story in the book.

Take Joni Ernst, a GOP darling now favored to be the next senator from Iowa. If You Think D.C. Is Awful Now, Wait Until Wednesday|Jonathan Alter|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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Our friend, North Binner Downs, is better than paying cost, but very little. Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
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Holacracy is a system of corporate governance whereby members of a team or business form distinct, autonomous, yet symbiotic, teams to accomplish tasks and company goals. The concept of a corporate hierarchy is discarded in favor of a fluid organizational structure where employees have the ability to make key decisions within their own area of authority.

Key Takeaways

Holacracy is a system a system of self-management where leadership roles are not subject to a traditional hierarchy of command.

Instead of having a static job description, individuals in a holacracy assume multiple roles, each associated with a purpose, domain, and accountabilities.

Individuals in a holacracy are given broad authority to make decisions within their role, so long as they do not break any prior rule in doing so.

Any problems that arise within the organization can be raised in periodic governance meetings.





How Holacracy Works

Holacracy seeks to replace the rigidity of a traditional command structure with a system of flexible roles, each with wide authority within their specific area of responsibility. Instead of a traditional pyramid-shaped structure, a holacracy is described as a series of nested circles, each representing autonomous teams with many roles.

Rather than having fixed job responsibilities, individuals functioning in a holacracy may occupy several roles, each with a specific purpose, and one or more "domains" and "accountabilities." Since each individual has multiple roles, it is possible for the CEO of a company to take a leadership role on one team and a subordinate role on another. Any conflicts that arise are resolved in periodic governance meetings within each circle.

Role leads are empowered to make key decisions without having to defer to the management chain of command. This gives rise to what is described as the "golden rule" of holacracy: "To fulfill your role, you have the full authority to make any decision or take any action, as long as there's no rule against it."

Holacracy looks to do away with managing from the top-down and gives individuals and teams more control over processes.

Origin of Holacracy

Arthur Koestler, author of the 1967 Book The Ghost in the Machine, coined the term holarchy as the organizational connections between holons (from the Greek word for "whole"), which describes units that act independently but would not exist without the organization they operate within.

Brian Robertson then developed the concept and dynamics of Holacracy while running a software development company named Ternary Software in the early 2000s. In 2007, he and Tom Thomison founded HolacracyOne and published the Holacracy Constitution three years later. Companies that have publicly adopted Holacracy in some form include Zappos.com.

Zappos.com, with 1,500 employees, is the largest company to adopt Holacracy.

Examples of Holacracy

The largest company to integrate holacracy into its management practices is Zappos.com, an online retailer for clothing, shoes, handbags, and other accessories that has over 1,500 employees. According to Zappos, holacracy "allows every employee to quickly surface and act on customer feedback."

HolacracyOne lists around 185 organizations that have publicly adopted holacracy principles. Besides Zappos, others include Liip, a digital agency in Switzerland; Springest, a Dutch company that produces learning software; and Mercedes-benz.io, the online arm of the auto manufacturer.

Special Considerations

Critics have described holacracy as "hype," or the latest in a long series of tech-sector buzzwords. When Zappos integrated holacracy into its management practices, nearly one in five employees elected to receive a severance rather than continue with the company, and many of them cited holacracy as their reason for leaving.

Some tech companies that adopted holacracy later abandoned it. For example, Medium, a blogging site that adopted holacracy in 2013, ended its experiment three years later. In a blog post, the company said that holacracy "was getting in the way of work."

CorrectionJune 18, 2022. A previous version of this article incorrectly listed Valve as an example of a holacracy-based company.


In English, as in all languages, some words sound the same, even if they have different meanings. These words, called homophones, have the potential to seriously confuse fledgling writers and language learners.

Threw and through are two such homophones. They sound the same when spoken aloud, but they mean different things and are actually even different parts of speech.

Threw and through can be tricky, and using the wrong one can alter the meaning of your sentence and confuse your readers. Continue reading to learn the correct way to use these words.

What is the Difference Between Threw and Through?

In this article, I will comparethrew vs. through. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence; this way, you will be able to see them as they appear in context.

I will also show you a helpful memory tool that you can use to decide whether threw or through is the word you need.

When to Use Threw

What does threw mean? Threw is the past tense of the verb throw, which has several meanings. Threwusually means to hurl something with ones arm, the way an American football quarterback might complete a pass or a baseball pitcher might strike out a batter.

It can also mean to lose a contest on purpose.

Here are a few examples,

Sandy Koufax threw most of his pitches for strikes, and most batters missed them.

When I threw my old papers in the garbage, the office manager scolded me for not recycling.

The Chicago White Sox allegedly threw the 1919 World Series, but no one knows for sure if it is true.

Noah Syndergaard, the Mets ace, threw six scoreless innings, walking none and striking out seven with a combination of high-90s sinkers and demonic breaking balls. The New York Times

Phrases That Use Threw

There are a number of phrases that use the word threw in its various conjugations.

Throw me for a loop : to completely surprise someone. Youre always late. You threw me for a loop when I saw you here on time.

: to completely surprise someone. Throw in the towel : abandon a struggle; admit defeat. On my third mile of the marathon, I have to throw in the towel.

: abandon a struggle; admit defeat. Throw good money after bad : incur further loss in a hopeless effort to recoup a previous loss. You should stop investing money in that company. Youre throwing good money after bad.

: incur further loss in a hopeless effort to recoup a previous loss.

There are many other phrases, but these are a few common ones.

When to Use Through

What does through mean? Through is a preposition. It describes where or how something happens.

Something that cuts through something else moves amidst it, and something that occurs through a process transpires according to the events described.

Here are some examples,

Fish swim through the water, and birds fly through the air.

I will enact my policy goals through budget reconciliation, if I am to enact them at all.

Through the entire trip, the guidebook was not as helpful as we had hoped.

Atlas Mara Ltd. burned through another $100 million of equity last year on weaker African currencies, marking the latest setback for the listed Africa banking business co-founded by former Barclays PLC Chief Executive Bob Diamond. The Wall Street Journal

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, lets go over a trick you can use to choose throughor threw.

If the word you are using is a verb, then threw is the word you need. If you are using the word as a preposition, it should be spelled through. These words mean completely different things and are never interchangeable, so its important to get them right.

Since verb and threw are each spelled with the letter E, you could easily remember that threw is a verb by keeping in mind its spelling.

For a discussion on thruvs. through, see here.

Summary

Is it threw or through? Threw and through are homophones, which means they have the same pronunciation but different meanings.

Here are three points to remember on through vs. threw,

Through is a preposition, describing where or how something happens,

Threw is a past tense verb, meaning having tossed something with ones arm in the past.

These words are never interchangeable.

To remember that threw is a verb, remember that it shares an E with the word verb. Then, you will always know when to use each of these homophones.
odds on green bay winning the super bowlshows grade level based on the word's complexity. daze [ deyz ]/ dez / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: daze / dazed on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ deyz ]/ dez /Save This Word!See synonyms for: daze / dazed on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object), dazed, dazing.to stun or stupefy with a blow, shock, etc.: He was dazed by a blow on the head.to overwhelm; dazzle: The splendor of the palace dazed her.

nouna dazed condition; state of bemusement: After meeting the author, I was in a daze for a week.

OTHER WORDS FOR daze

OTHER WORDS FROM daze

Words nearby daze

Words related to daze C14: from Old Norse dasa-, as in dasask to grow weary

First recorded in 12751325; Middle English dasen (verb), from Old Norse dasa- (as in dasask to become weary); compare Danish dase to doze, mopeundazing, adjectiveday-trip, day-tripper, Da Yunhe, daywear, daywork, daze, dazed, dazibao, dazzle, dazzling, DbDictionary.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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International financial institutions and commercial creditors,super bowl 55 picks pokiespins239 which are the main creditors of developing countries, should take part in the debt reduction and suspension for developing countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Tuesday.



The International Monetary Fund should speed up the on-lending of SDRs to low-income countries, Xi said at the G20 summit.



China is implementing the G20's Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) in all respects, and has suspended the largest amount of debt service payment among all G20 members, Xi said.



Meanwhile, China is working with some G20 members on the debt treatment under the Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the DSSI, thus helping relevant developing countries navigate through the difficult time, Xi said.


Supreme Court upholds Second Amendment in NY gun permit case

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National Security Institutes Jamil Jaffer responds to Justice Clarence Thomas' use of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments in gun permit ruling.

The Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a bill on Tuesday banning the possession of firearms within 100 yards of a place of public assembly.

The bill comes after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York law that made it difficult to obtain a concealed carry permit, which invalidated similar laws in Maryland and other states.

The new bill in Maryland's most populous county includes exemptions for law enforcement officers and security guards licensed to carry a firearm. It also doesn't apply to possession of firearms in a person's own home.

Monique Chapman shoots at a target during a live fire test to get a concealed carry permit at Maryland Small Arms Range in Upper Marlboro, MD on July 17, 2022. (Robb Hill for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Aside from those exceptions, it bans the possession of firearms in most public places, including "a park; place of worship; school; library; recreational facility; hospital; community health center; long-term facility; or multipurpose exhibition facility, such as a fairgrounds or conference center."

SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO HEAR ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO FEDERAL BUMP STOCK BAN

Council President Gabe Albornoz argued that guns "create immeasurably more problems, often with tragic outcomes, than they attempt to solve."

"This legislation will help to ensure that we do everything possible to minimize the number of guns in our public space," Albornoz said in a statement.

"I have confidence that the Maryland General Assembly will take action but given the urgency of gun violence in our community, I felt strongly that we could not wait at the local level."

A concealed carry holster is displayed for sale at a gun show. (Reuters)

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Local governments and state legislatures around the country have scrambled to enact new firearm legislation in the wake of the Supreme Court's June ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

Paul Best is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @KincaidBest.
What Is a Frequency Distribution?winning slot machines

A frequency distribution is a representation, either in a graphical or tabular format, that displays the number of observations within a given interval. The frequency is how often a value occurs in an interval while the distribution is the pattern of frequency of the variable.

The interval size depends on the data being analyzed and the goals of the analyst. The intervals must be mutually exclusive and exhaustive. Frequency distributions are typically used within a statistical context. Generally, frequency distributions can be associated with the charting of a normal distribution.

Key Takeaways

A frequency distribution in statistics is a representation that displays the number of observations within a given interval.

The representation of a frequency distribution can be graphical or tabular so that it is easier to understand.

Frequency distributions are particularly useful for normal distributions, which show the observations of probabilities divided among standard deviations.

In finance, traders use frequency distributions to take note of price action and identify trends.

Understanding a Frequency Distribution

As a statistical tool, a frequency distribution provides a visual representation of the distribution of observations within a particular test. Analysts often use a frequency distribution to visualize or illustrate the data collected in a sample. For example, the height of children can be split into several different categories or ranges.

In measuring the height of 50 children, some are tall and some are short, but there is a high probability of a higher frequency or concentration in the middle range. The most important factors for gathering data are that the intervals used must not overlap and must contain all of the possible observations.

Visual Representation of a Frequency Distribution

Both histograms and bar charts provide a visual display using columns, with the y-axis representing the frequency count, and the x-axis representing the variable to be measured. In the height of children, for example, the y-axis is the number of children, and the x-axis is the height. The columns represent the number of children observed with heights measured in each interval.

In general, a histogram chart will typically show a normal distribution, which means that the majority of occurrences will fall in the middle columns. Frequency distributions can be a key aspect of charting normal distributions which show observation probabilities divided among standard deviations.

Frequency distributions can be presented as a frequency table, a histogram, or a bar chart. Below is an example of a frequency distribution as a table.

Height of Children in a School Interval (Height) 4' 4'5" 5' 5'2" Frequency 2 5 6 3

Frequency Distribution in Trading

Frequency distributions are not commonly used in the world of investments; however, traders who follow Richard D. Wyckoff, a pioneering early 20th-century trader, use an approach to trading that involves frequency distribution.

Investment houses still use the approach, which requires considerable practice, to teach traders. The frequency chart is referred to as a point-and-figure chart and was created out of a need for floor traders to take note of price action and to identify trends.

The y-axis is the variable measured, and the x-axis is the frequency count. Each change in price action is denoted in Xs and Os. Traders interpret it as an uptrend when three X's emerge; in this case, demand has overcome supply. In the reverse situation, when the chart shows three O's, it indicates that supply has overcome demand.

What Are the Types of Frequency Distribution?

The types of frequency distribution are grouped frequency distribution, ungrouped frequency distribution, cumulative frequency distribution, relative frequency distribution, and relative cumulative frequency distribution.

What Is the Importance of a Frequency Distribution?

A frequency distribution is a means to organize a large amount of data. It takes data from a population based on certain characteristics and organizes the data in a way that is comprehensible to an individual that wants to make assumptions about a given population.

How Can I Construct a Frequency Distribution?

To construct a frequency distribution, first, note the specific classes determined by intervals in one column then sum the numbers in each isolated category based on how many times it shows up. The frequency can then be noted in the second column.

The Bottom Line

A frequency distribution is used to display the number of observations within a particular interval. This method, while not always commonly used in investing, is still used by some traders. In this case, the frequency chart is called a point-and-figure chart and is used to identify trends through the observation of price action.
Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!See date rapeFirst recorded in 198085

Words related to date rape

date rape

nounthe act or an instance of a man raping a woman while they are on a date togetheran act of sexual intercourse regarded as tantamount to rape, esp if the woman was encouraged to drink excessively or was subjected to undue pressure

Other Idioms and Phrases with date rape

date rape

Sexual intercourse forced by the victim's social escort. For example, Date rape is much more common on college campuses than was previously realized. This term originated in the 1980s, when awareness of the phenomenon increased exponentially.

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.
I am in support of our hospital moving and building a new facility south of town for a multitude of reasons, not least of which is the economic benefit NAH brings to Flagstaff.

We have such a vibrant and special community it is often easy to forget that we are a small rural town, hundreds of miles from any other city of reasonable size. If it were not for NAU, our draw as a tourist destination, and the fact that we are the Coconino County seat, Winslow or Williams could be the largest town in northern Arizona. We enjoy a quality of life that is out of keeping with the economic reality of our community. We are not home to Google, Intel or Ford. We have lost the forestry industry that once existed here. Outside of NAU, tourism and government expenditures, our economy does not see a large influx of outside dollars.

Given this reality, NAH plays a pivotal role in maintaining the quality of life we can enjoy in Flagstaff. In 2022, approximately 7,000 of the over 11,000 patients seen by NAH came from outside of Flagstaff. In simple terms that means of the approximately $400 million in salary and benefits that NAH pays to its employees and contractors each year, more than half is based on its status as a regional hospital, serving all northern Arizona and western New Mexico.

That is hundreds of millions of dollars entering our economy and being spent and taxed locally. This economic influx drives the tax dollars that we spend on roads, ambulances, water treatment plants, you name it. We simply could not support the services and the quality of life we enjoy without that influx of funds.

So, when voting this fall, please remember, our hospital not only treats the sick in our community, but it also plays a huge role in supporting our tax base, and subsequently our amazing quality of life.

DAVID HAYWARD

Flagstaff
What Is an Outside Reversal?gamefi crypto price celtics picks

An outside reversal is a price pattern that indicates a potential change in trend on a price chart. The two-day pattern is observed when a securitys high and low prices for the day exceed the high and low of the previous days trading session. Outside reversal is also known as either a bullish engulfing (after a downward price move) or a bearish engulfing pattern (after an upward price move) when observed on candlestick charts.

Key Takeaways

Outside reversal is a two-day price pattern that implies a reversal if it runs counter to the existing trend.

The first day is typically a small range day and the second is a larger range day.

This pattern is known as an engulfing pattern in candlestick studies.

Understanding an Outside Reversal pattern

Outside reversal is a two-day price pattern that shows when a candle or bar on a candlestick or bar chart falls outside of the previous days candle or bar. This chart pattern is commonly employed by technical analysts who seek to identify points in the price action which imply a bullish or bearish reversal of an existing trend.

An outside reversal pattern is typically one of the more precise candlestick patterns; however, these patterns require a strict definition to be useful forecasting tools. Technical analysts and experienced traders prefer to build trading signals using this identification in conjunction with other information such as trend, support and resistance or technical studies.

Image by Julie Bang  Investopedia 2020

On occasion, traders see volume or support and resistance levels as a way to corroborate the outside reversal. For example, a stock price that undergoes a bearish outside reversal when it approaches trend-line resistance on high bearish volume is considerably more reliable than a stock that is moving sideways and has a bearish outside reversal on lower-than-average volume.

Bullish Outside Reversal

A bullish outside reversal, also called a bullish engulfing, happens when the second candle is a move higher. For instance, a stock may make a small move lower on the first day, then open even lower than the prior day, but rally sharply higher by the end of the second day. The indication is that bears had control over the market, but then bulls took over and overwhelmed them, signifying a change in the prevailing trend.

In the chart above, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) shares appeared to be consolidating before a bullish outside reversal marked a renewal of the uptrend. Its stock price continued to rise the subsequent days as the trend reversal took hold.

Bearish Outside Reversal

A bearish outside reversal, also called a bearish engulfing, transpires when the second candle is a move lower. For instance, a stock may have a small move higher on the first day, climb even higher the second day, but then sharply decline by the second days end. This demonstrates that the bulls had control over the market before the bears took the reins in a meaningful way, signaling a shift in the overall trend.

The stock price of Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) rose for three consecutive days before a bearish outside reversal. Share prices plunged the day after the outside reversal as the overall trend did an about-face.
This is why the Supreme Court ruling on concealed carry matters

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Concealed carry instructor tells 'The Ingraham Angle' that today was a great day for gun ownership and empowerment for people to be able to defend themselves.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday temporarily reinstated parts of New York's new concealed carry law after a judge last week blocked some provisions that restrict the carrying of firearms in certain public spaces.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals issued the temporary injunction while a legal challenge filed by a Second Amendment-rights group makes its way through the courts.

"Defendants-Appellants seek a stay pending appeal, and an emergency interim stay, of the preliminary injunction issued by the district court on November 7, 2022," Tuesday's ruling states. "IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that a temporary stay is granted pending the panels consideration of the motion."

STRICT GUN BILL ON OREGON BALLOT WILL CAUSE 'GREATER RISK OF VIOLENCE,' HARMFUL TO PUBLIC SAFETY, CRITICS WARN

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul was "served a plate of humble pie" from a New York district court judge last week, Second Amendment group says. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court issued a temporary stay against the earlier ruling. (Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)

On Nov. 7, District Court Judge Glenn Suddaby said New York's conceal carry law invoked "unprecedented constitutional violations" and granted a partial preliminary injunction in favor of Gun Owners of America (GOA), forcing the state to cease enforcement of parts of the law, which was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in July.

Suddaby ruled the state can still prevent people from carrying guns in Times Square, public playgrounds, libraries, nurseries and preschools. However, mental hospitals, places of worship, public parks, zoos, theaters, conference centers, protests and bars were no longer off limits for people with a concealed carry permit.

A sign zip-tied to a utility pole at the intersection of East 47th St and Avenue of The Americas declares Times Square is a gun free zone. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court issued a temporary stay against the earlier ruling. (Karlo Pastrovic/Fox News Digital)

Tuesday's ruling blocks Suddaby's order.

"New York has once again defied the Constitution and the Supreme Courts Bruen decision," GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt said in response to Tuesday's ruling. "And this brings us just one step closer to standing before SCOTUS, where we know that Justice Clarence Thomas is waiting to slap down NY lawbreakers once again!"

Video

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The GOA lawsuit came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that a state law requiring citizens to show "proper cause" for self-defense to obtain a concealed carry permit was unconstitutional. New York lawmakers made changes to the concealed carry law after the decision.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
What Is the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio?how to transfer crypto from webull to wallet

The Tier 1 leverage ratio measures a bank's core capital relative to its total assets. The ratio looks specifically at Tier 1 capital to judge how leveraged a bank is based on its assets. Tier 1 capital are those assets that can be easily liquidated if a bank needs capital in the event of a financial crisis. The Tier 1 leverage ratio is thus a measure of a bank's near-term financial health.

The Tier 1 leverage ratio is frequently used by regulators to ensure the capital adequacy of banks and to place constraints on the degree to which a financial company can leverage its capital base.

Key Takeaways

The Tier 1 leverage ratio compares a bank's Tier 1 capital to its total assets to evaluate how leveraged a bank is.

The Tier 1 ratio is employed by bank regulators to ensure that banks have enough liquidity on hand to meet certain requisite stress tests.

A ratio above 5% is deemed to be an indicator of strong financial footing for a bank.

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

The Formula for the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio Is:

1:24

 Tier 1 Leverage Ratio = Tier 1 Capital Consolidated Assets  1 0 0 where: Tier 1 Capital = Common equity, retained earnings, reserves, plus certain other instruments \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Tier 1 Leverage Ratio} = \frac{ \text{ Tier 1 Capital} }{ \text{ Consolidated Assets} } \times 100 \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &\text{ Tier 1 Capital} = \text{ Common equity, retained earnings,} \\ &\text{ reserves, plus certain other instruments} \\ \end{ aligned} Tier 1 Leverage Ratio=Consolidated AssetsTier 1 Capital100where:Tier 1 Capital=Common equity, retained earnings,reserves, plus certain other instruments

How to Calculate Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

Tier 1 capital for the bank is placed in the numerator of the leverage ratio. Tier 1 capital represents a bank's common equity, retained earnings, reserves, and certain instruments with discretionary dividends and no maturity. The bank's total consolidated assets for the period is placed in the denominator of the formula, which is typically reported on a bank's quarterly or annual earnings report. Divide the bank's Tier 1 capital by total consolidated assets to arrive at the Tier 1 leverage ratio. Multiply the result by 100 to convert the number to a percentage.

What Does the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio Tell You?

The Tier 1 leverage ratio was introduced by the Basel III accords, an international regulatory banking treaty proposed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 2009. The ratio uses Tier 1 capital to evaluate how leveraged a bank is in relation to its overall assets. The higher the Tier 1 leverage ratio is, the higher the likelihood that the bank could withstand a negative shock to its balance sheet.

Components of the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

Tier 1 capital is the core capital of a bank according to Basel III and consists of the most stable and liquid capital as well as the most effective at absorbing losses during a financial crisis or downturn.

The denominator in the Tier 1 leverage ratio is a bank's total exposures, which include its consolidated assets, derivative exposure, and certain off-balance sheet exposures. Basel III required banks to include off-balance-sheet exposures, such as commitments to provide loans to third parties, standby letters of credit (SLOC), acceptances, and trade letters of credit.

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio Requirements

Basel III established a 3% minimum requirement for the Tier 1 leverage ratio, while it left open the possibility of increasing that threshold for certain systematically important financial institutions.

In 2014, the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) released regulatory capital rules that imposed higher leverage ratios for banks of certain sizes effective as of Jan. 1, 2018. Bank holding companies with more than $700 billion in consolidated total assets or more than $10 trillion in assets under management must maintain an additional 2% buffer, making their minimum Tier 1 leverage ratios 5%.

In addition, if an insured depository institution is being covered by a corrective action framework, meaning it demonstrated capital deficiencies in the past, it must demonstrate at least a 6% Tier 1 leverage ratio to be considered well-capitalized.

Real-World Example of the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

Below are the capital ratios taken from the financial statements of Bank of America Corporation (BAC) as reported in the bank's Q3 earnings report on October 31, 2018.

Highlighted in yellow at the bottom of the table, a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 8.3% for the period was reported by the bank.

We can calculate the ratio by taking the total Tier 1 capital of $186,189 billion (highlighted in green) and divide it by the bank's total assets of $2.240 trillion (highlighted in blue).

The calculation is as follows:  $ 186 , 189 billion $ 2.240 trillion  100 = 8.3 % \frac{ \$186,189 \text{ billion} }{ \$2.240 \text{ trillion} } \times 100 = 8.3\% $2.240 trillion$186,189 billion100=8.3%

$2.240 trillion$186,189 billion100=8.3% Bank of America's Tier 1 leverage ratio of 8.3% was well above the requirement of 5% by regulators.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

The Difference Between the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio and the Tier 1 Capital Ratio

The Tier 1 capital ratio is the ratio of a banks core Tier 1 capitalthat is, its equity capital and disclosed reservesto its total risk-weighted assets. It is a key measure of a bank's financial strength that has been adopted as part of the Basel III Accord on bank regulation.

The Tier 1 capital ratio measures a banks core equity capital against its total risk-weighted assets, which include all the assets the bank holds that are systematically weighted for credit risk. The Tier 1 leverage ratio measures a bank's core capital to its total assets. The ratio uses Tier 1 capital to judge how leveraged a bank is in relation to its consolidated assets, whereas the Tier 1 capital ratio measures the bank's core capital against its risk-weighted assets.

Limitations of Using the Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

A limitation of using the Tier 1 leverage ratio is that investors are reliant on banks to properly and honestly calculate and report their Tier 1 capital and total assets figures. If a bank doesn't report or calculate their figures properly, the leverage ratio could be inaccurate. A leverage ratio above 5% is currently what regulators are looking for, but we won't actually know until the next financial crisis hits to find out whether banks are truly able to withstand a financial shock that it causes.
No matter what your career, business math will give you indispensable real-world knowledge to help you take control of your finances. Take the first step in making better choices with your money by getting familiar with business mathematics.

What Is Business Math?

Business math is a type of mathematics course that is meant to teach people about money and provide them with the tools they need to make informed financial decisions. Business math not only teaches about the specifics of finances related to owning and operating a business but also offers helpful advice and information related to personal finance. These classes prepare any consumer to manage their finances responsibly and profitably by explaining everything they need to know about accounting, economics, marketing, financial analysis, and more. Business math will help to make the ins and outs of money and commerce make sense, even to the most math-averse individuals, using relevant and authentic applications.

Why Take Business Math?

Business math is not just for business owners, contrary to what its name might suggest. A number of different professionals utilize business math-related skills every day.

Bankers, accountants, and tax consultants all need to become well-acquainted with every aspect of corporate and personal finance in order to deliver appropriate advice and problem solve with customers. Real estate and property professionals also employ business mathematics often when calculating their commission, navigating the mortgage process, and managing taxes and fees upon closing a deal.

When it comes to professions that deal more with capital allocation, such as investment consulting and stockbroking, understanding investment growths and losses and making long-term financial predictions is a fundamental part of the daily job. Without business math, none of these jobs could function.

For those that do own a business, business math is even more important. Business math can help these individuals to be successful by providing them with a solid understanding of how to manage goods and services to make a profit. It teaches them how to juggle discounts, markups, overhead, profits, inventory management, payroll, revenue, and all of the other complexities of running a business so that their career and finances can flourish.

Topics Covered in Business Math

Economics, accounting, and other consumer math subjects likely to be taught in a business mathematics course include:

Annuities

Credit

Depreciation

Discount Factor

Financial Statements (personal or business)

Future and Present Values

Insurance

Interest rates

Investment and Wealth Management

Loans

Markups and Markdowns

Mortgage Finance and Amortization

Product inventory

Taxes and Tax Laws

Statistics

Simple and Compound Interest

Mathematical Skills That Will Prepare You for Business Math

If you decide that a business math course will help further your career or if you would just like to be more financially savvy, a strong understanding of the following mathematical concepts will help to prepare you for this course.

Integers

Be comfortable reading, writing, and making estimates for whole numbers up to 1,000,000.

Be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide any integers (using a calculator if needed).

Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages

Be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions, simplifying as needed.

Be able to calculate percentages.

Be able to convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages.

Basic Algebra

Be able to solve equations with one or more variables.

Be able to calculate proportions.

Be able to solve multi-operational equations.

Formulas

Be able to correctly apply values and variables to any given formula (e.g. when given the formula for calculating simple interest, I=Prt, be able to input the correct values for P=principal, r=interest rate, and t=time in years to solve for I=interest). These formulas do not need to be memorized.

Statistics

Be able to solve for the mean, median and mode of a data set

Be able to interpret and understand the significance of the mean, median, and mode.

Graphing
Facebook

M.S., Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Colorado - Boulder

B.S., Education, University of Colorado

Volcanism is one of the major forces that shape many worlds in the solar system. Our home planet, Earth, has volcanoes on every continent and its landscape has been significantly changed throughout history by volcanism. Here is a look at the six largest volcanoes in our solar system. It has also transformed worlds beyond Earth, starting with the Moon. For example, this geological process continually "paves over" the surface of Io, one of Jupiter's moons. It's also reshaping the planet Venus beneath its thick blanket of clouds.

Not all volcanoes spew rock. Ice volcanoes operate on the moons of Europa (at Jupiter) and Enceladus at Saturn, and may well be changing the distant world, Pluto.

Olympus Mons: Mars Volcanism

Olympus Mons on Mars is the largest known volcano in the solar system.NASA

The largest known volcano in the solar system is actually on the planet Mars. Its name is "Olympus Mons" and it towers some 27 kilometers above the planet's surface. This giant mountain is a shield volcano. If it existed on Earth, it would tower over Mount Everest (the tallest mountain on our planet). Skiers would love this mountain (if it had snow) because it would take at least a day to navigate from the summit to the base.

Olympus Mons is on the edge of a huge plateau called the Tharsis Bulge. It was built up by continual lava flows over millions of years, and contains several other volcanoes. The mountain is the product of continuous lava flows that occurred beginning about 115 million years ago and continuing until about two million years ago.

It now seems to be dormant. Planetary scientists do not know if there is still any activity deep within the volcano. That knowledge may have to wait until the first humans can walk the planet and do more extensive surveys.

Mauna Kea: Volcano of Paradise

Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawai'i, as seen from orbit. While it is dormant, and hosts a number observatories, it is theoretically possible this mountain could erupt again.NASA

The next-largest volcanoes are on planet Earth. The tallest one is called Mauna Kea, and it rises up nearly 4,267 meters above sea level on the Big Island of Hawai'i. However, there's more to Mauna Kea than meets the eye. Its base is deep beneath the waves, some six thousand meters. If Mauna Kea were all on land, it would tower up higher than Olympus Mons at an astounding 10,058 meters.

Mauna Kea was built up over a hot spot. That's a plume of heated melted rock called magma that rises up from Earth's mantle and eventually reaches the surface. Over millions of years, the plume has spurred the build-up of the entire Hawaiian Island chain. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano, meaning that it hasn't erupted in well over four thousand years, so it may not be centered directly over the plume any longer. However, that doesn't mean it won't erupt again.

It could wake up someday, even though most of the activity on the island is now dominated by the Kilauea shield volcano on the slopes of nearby Mauna Loa.

Mauna Kea is home to a collection of astronomical observatories and is protected as both a research park and a historical site. Currently, there are 13 facilities up there, and astronomers around the world use them.

Ojos del Salado In South America

The Ojos Del Salado volcanic range in South America tower between two countries.USGS

Mauna Kea may be the tallest volcanic mountain when measured from base to summit, but another mountain claims the highest elevation if measuring from the sea bottom. It's called Ojos del Salado, and it rises up to 6,893 meters above sea level. This enormous mountain is located in South America, on the border between Argentina and Chile. Unlike Mauna Kea, Ojos del Salado is not dormant. Its last major eruption was in 1993 and it continues to rumble quietly.

Tamu Massif: Undersea Volcanic Action

Tamu Massif, (named after Texas A&M University), is under the Pacific Ocean's waves a thousand miles from Japan. It sprawls across the sea bottom and is still being mapped.USGS

One of the largest volcanoes on Earth wasn't even discovered until 2003. It remained such a well-kept secret largely due to its location deep in the Pacific Ocean. The mountain is called Tamu Massif, and it rises up about four kilometers from the sea floor. This extinct volcano last erupted 144 million years ago, during the geologic time period known as the Cretaceous. What Tamu Massif lacks in height it more than makes up in the size of its base; it sprawls across 191,511 square kilometers of the ocean bottom.

Mauna Loa: More Big Island Volcanic Action

A view of a 1986 eruption of Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawai'i.USGS

Two other volcanoes are in the "Big Mountains" hall of fame: Mauna Loa on Hawai'i and Kilimanjaro in Africa. Mauna Loa was built up the same way that its sister peak Mauna Kea was, and towers some four thousand meters above sea level. It's still active, and visitors are warned that eruptions can take place at any time. It has been erupting almost continuously for more than seven hundred thousand years and is considered the largest volcano in the world by mass and volume.

Like Mauna Kea, it's a shield volcano, which means that it has been built up layer by layer through eruptions through a central lava tube. Of course, smaller eruptions do break out through vents in its flanks. One of its more famous "offspring" is the Kilauea volcano, which began erupting some three hundred thousand years ago. Volcanologists once thought it was merely an offshoot of Mauna Loa, but today Kilauea is considered a separate volcano, cuddled up next to Mauna Loa.

Kilimanjaro: African Volcanic Beauty

Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, as seen from space.NASA

Mount Kilimanjaro is a massive and tall volcano in Tanzania in Africa that towers nearly five thousand meters above sea level. It's actually considered a stratovolcano, which is another term for a very tall volcano. It has three cones: Kibo (which is dormant but not dead), Mawenzi, and Shira. The mountain exists within the Tanzania National Parks. Geologists estimate that this massive volcanic complex began erupting some two and a half million years ago. The mountains are nearly irresistible to mountain climbers, who have swarmed its flanks since the 19th century.

Earth has hundreds of volcanic features, many much smaller than these massive mountains. Future explorers to the outer solar system, or even to Venus (if they should ever be able to descend close enough to see its volcanoes), will find exciting possibilities for volcanic activity out in the universe, as well. Volcanism is an important force on many worlds, and on some, it has created some of the most beautiful landscapes in the solar system.

Volcanism Continues on Earth

An eruption of Anak Krakatau in 2018. Mike Lyvers, Getty Images

Volcanic activity continues to change and shape Earth and other worlds. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, thought to be one of the largest in modern times, changed the weather for years afterward. Eruptions of its successor, Anak Krakatau, have rumbled Indonesia. The most recent one in December 2018 caused a deadly tsunami. Far from being an ancient and dying process, volcanism remains an active world-builder both on Earth and across the solar system.
goldwin slot 88 casino royaleaces. netshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decided [ dih-sahy-did ]/ dsa dd / New Word List Save This Word!See decidedFirst recorded in 178090; decide + -ed2 OTHER WORDS FROM decided decidedly, adverbdecidedness, nounpredecided, adjectivewell-decided, adjective Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-sahy-did ]/ dsa dd /Save This Word!See decidedFirst recorded in 178090; decide + -eddecidedly, adverbdecidedness, nounpredecided, adjectivewell-decided, adjective

Words nearby decided

Words related to decided decided/ (dsadd) / adjective (prenominal)unmistakablea decided improvementdetermined; resolutea girl of decided character Derived forms of decided decidedly, adverbdecidedness, 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

deciare, decibar, decibel, decidable, decide, decided, decidedly, decider, deciding, decidua, deciduateDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Meaning of Conundrum

Thesamosa no deposit term, conundrum, seems to have originated back in 1590. It was used for a person in the meanings of a pedant with further evolution in meanings the 16thcentury and later. Its Latin equivalent conandrummeans to attempt something that was used in the meanings of a riddle during the 18thcentury and later evolved into this meaning.

In literature, a conundrum is a difficult situation that is unresolvable or almost unresolvable. It is akin to a dilemma or a riddle in a novel or a poem. Whereas a riddle involves a pun or twisty argument or narrative, a dilemma is a situation where two or more options are available.

Examples of Conundrum in Literature

Example # 1

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

To be,or not to be:that is the question.

Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,38

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To die,to sleep

No more,and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to.Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished.

This soliloquy occurs in Hamlet. Hamlet speaks these words when he finds himself in a dilemma; the dilemma is that he is to kill his uncle, king Claudius, as per the words that he has given to the Ghost of his father. On the other hand, he doubts the morality of his action in which murder is a heinous crime. Therefore, he faces this conundrum in which he thinks that he is options but not sure which one is righteous.

Example # 2

A Raisin in The Sun by Hansberry Lorraine

Mama: My children and they tempers. Lord, if this little old plant dont get more sun than its been getting it aint never going to see spring again. (She turns from the window) Whats the matter with you this morning, Ruth? You looks right peaked. You aiming to iron all them things? Leave some for me. Ill get to em this afternoon. Bennie honey, its too drafty for you to be sitting round half dressed. Wheres your robe?

Mama speaks these words in the play of Hansberry Lorraine. On the one hand, she sees the plant not getting more sun, and on the other hand, she sees Ruth not doing enough. She faces this conundrum about what to do as she has options after having money in her hands. This dilemma is purely moral as well as social, for if she invests money in the education of her daughter, it would be able to uplift them as well as ruin them. The fate of the entire family depends on her resolution of this conundrum.

Example # 3

A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy

Love is new, and fresh to us as the dew; and we are together. As the lovers world goes, this is a great deal. Stephen, I fancy I see the difference between me and youbetween men and women generally, perhaps. I am content to build happiness on any accidental basis that may lie near at hand; you are for making a world to suit your happiness.

Elfride is speaking to Stephen after having not resolved the conundrum of her love. She is in a real conundrum as she explains that though they are in love and that they are together yet she states, I see the difference between you and me that exists between a man and a woman. In fact, she finds herself in a conundrum that seems unresolvable to both of them.

Example # 4

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

This passage occurs at the end of the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. Other animals are looking in the barn at the pig as many as twelve voices are shouting in anger. They see that they cannot differentiate between the pigs and men as all of them are fully drunk and this poses a serious conundrum when they cannot identify any one of them.

Functions of Conundrum

The use of a conundrum depends on the writer whether he uses it as a mild dilemma or a riddle or a simple unresolvable option. In many cases, the writers put a serious issue amid various options. In such a case, it heightens the suspense of suspense and makes readers feel the same agony as the characters feel. However, in the case of a simple dilemma, the function of such a conundrum is to just make the readers feel the unresolvable situation and try to find a solution on their own. In case, it is just a riddle, the readers are implicitly given a chance to find the answer and imbibe this lesson so that they could apply it in the future. Overall, its function is to make readers feel the thirst to read more and find how characters resolve their respective conundrums.

Related posts:
I'll be darned to darnation if it didn't make my blood bile to hear how he went on. Highlife in New York: a series of letters to Mr. Zephariah Slick,|Ann S. Stephens

They raly du mean tu carry on all kinds of develtry; who'd a thought of finding one of these darnation lottery offices here. Highlife in New York: a series of letters to Mr. Zephariah Slick,|Ann S. Stephens

It goes with me every time, and I pray the good God of this darnation wilderness it always will. The Heart of Unaga|Ridgwell Cullum
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Every person yawns. So do many other vertebrate animals, including snakes, dogs, cats, sharks, and chimpanzees. While yawning is contagious, not everyone catches a yawn. Around 60-70% of people yawn if they see another person yawn in real life or in a photo or even read about yawning. Contagious yawning also occurs in animals, but it doesn't necessarily work the same way as in people. Scientists have proposed many theories for why we catch yawns. Here are some of the leading ideas:

Yawning Signals Empathy

Probably the most popular theory of contagious yawning is that yawning serves as a form of nonverbal communication. Catching a yawn shows you're attuned to a person's emotions. Scientific evidence comes from a 2010 study at the University of Connecticut, which concluded yawning does not become contagious until a child is about four years old, when empathy skills develop. In the study, children with autism, who may have impaired empathy development, caught yawns less often than their peers. A 2015 study addressed contagious yawning in adults. In this study, college students were given personality tests and asked to view video clips of faces, which included yawning. The results indicated students with lower empathy were less likely to catch yawns. Other studies have identified a correlation between diminished contagious yawning and schizophrenia, another condition linked to reduced empathy.

Relationship Between Contagious Yawning and Age

However, the link between yawning and empathy is inconclusive. Research at the Duke Center for Human Genome Variation, published in the journal PLOS ONE, sought to define the factors that contribute to contagious yawning. In the study, 328 healthy volunteers were given a survey that included measures of sleepiness, energy levels, and empathy. Survey participants watched a video of people yawning and counted how many times they yawned while watching it. While most people yawned, not everyone did. Of the 328 participants, 222 yawned at least once. Repeating the video test multiple times revealed that whether or not a given person yawns contagiously is a stable trait.

The Duke study found no correlation between empathy, time of day, or intelligence and contagious yawning, yet there was a statistical correlation between age and yawning. Older participants were less likely to yawn. However, because age-related yawning only accounted for 8% of the responses, the investigators intend to look for a genetic basis for contagious yawning.

Contagious Yawning in Animals

Studying contagious yawning in other animals may provide clues to how people catch yawns.

A study conducted at the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University in Japan examined how chimpanzees respond to yawning. The results, published in The Royal Society Biology Letters, indicated two of six chimps in the study clearly yawned contagiously in response to videos of other chimps yawning. Three infant chimps in the study did not catch yawns, indicating young chimps, like human children, may lack the intellectual development needed to catch yawns. Another interesting finding of the study was that chimps only yawned in response to videos of actual yawns, not to videos of chimps opening their mouths.

A University of London study found dogs could catch yawns from humans. In the study, 21 of 29 dogs yawned when a person yawned in front of them, yet did not respond when the human simply opened his mouth. The results supported a correlation between age and contagious yawning, as only dogs older than seven months were susceptible to catching yawns. Dogs aren't the only pets known to catch yawns from humans. Although less common, cats have been known to yawn after seeing people yawn.

Contagious yawning in animals may serve as a means of communication. Siamese fighting fish yawn when they see their mirror image or another fighting fish, generally just prior to an attack. This could be a threat behavior or it could serve to oxygenate the fish's tissues prior to exertion. Adelie and emperor penguins yawn at each other as part of their courtship ritual.

Contagious yawning is linked to temperature, in both animals and people. Most scientists speculate it is a thermoregulatory behavior, while some researchers believe it is used to communicate a potential threat or stressful situation. A 2010 study of budgerigars found that yawning increased as temperature was raised near body temperature.

People commonly yawn when tired or bored. Similar behavior is seen in animals. One study found the brain temperature in sleep deprived rats was higher than their core temperature. Yawning reduced brain temperature, possibly improving brain function. Contagious yawning could act as a social behavior, communicating a time for a group to rest.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that scientists aren't completely certain why contagious yawning occurs. It has been linked to empathy, age, and temperature, yet the underlying reason why isn't well understood. Not everyone catches yawns. Those who don't may simply be young, old, or genetically predisposed to not-yawning, not necessarily lacking empathy.

References and Recommended Reading
Get your flu shot in 'sweet spot' season before mid-November: Dr. Anne Rimoin

closeVideo

University of California in Los Angeles Department of Epidemiology professor Dr. Anne Rimoin advises how to best prepare for cold and flu season.

Several Southern California hospitals have begun using overflow tents outside emergency rooms to cope with a rising number of patients with flu and other respiratory illnesses.

The San Diego-Union Tribune reported Friday that overflow tents were put up at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla and Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa to handle an increase in respiratory illness.

Scripps hospitals and doctor's offices reported 1,695 positive flu tests since Sept. 1, up from 471 during the same time period one year ago.

A patient receives a dose of vaccine during a vaccination campaign against the flu. (Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

The move comes amid a rise in flu symptoms in emergency room patients in San Diego County. About 9% of these patients had flu symptoms last week, up from 7% two weeks ago, according to a county report.

The San Diego-Union Tribune also flagged an increase in patients with COVID-19 symptoms, though not as quickly, according to the countys weekly respiratory illness report.

EARLY, SURPRISING SURGE OF RSV IN KIDS HAS HOSPITALS, MEDICAL CENTERS CONCERNED

"The fear is that everything is just sort of bouncing off everything else and once youve been through the flu you could still get hit by COVID or whatever other virus youre going to get," said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, Scripps Health's chief medical officer of acute care operations and clinical excellence.

"Im hopeful, but were still kind of planning that its going to be this way through February," Sharieff said.

A pharmacist administers a free flu shot at a CVS Health Corp. Pharmacy in Miami, Florida, on Sept. 30, 2020. (Marco Bello/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Generally, the flu hits hardest from late December through February.

The Southern Hemisphere also dealt with an earlier than usual influenza season. Chile's influenza positivity rates reached epidemic thresholds as early as January, several months sooner than usual.

AMOXICILLIN PRESCRIBED FOR CHILDREN IS IN SHORT SUPPLY, FDA SAYS

Health experts said it was not immediately clear whether flu cases would reach an earlier-than-usual peak in California, which typically sees the bulk of cases in December through February, or a prolonged flu season.

Nurses prepare injections during a flu shot clinic at Dorchester House, a health care clinic, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Much of the United States is seeing a fast start to the flu season. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more flu cases are being reported than is typically expected at this time.

JUST 2 OMICRON SUBVARIANTS MAKE UP 44% OF ALL US COVID CASES

On Friday, the CDC reported that the flu and similar viral illnesses are notably high in Georgia, New York City, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.

"Early increases in seasonal influenza activity continue nationwide. The southeastern and south-central areas of the country are reporting the highest levels of activity followed by the Mid-Atlantic and the south-central West Coast regions." the CDC said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Most of those are influenza A, specifically a strain called H3N2. While any version of the flu can be dangerous in vulnerable populations, this strain has been known to cause more severe illness.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sarah Rumpf is a Fox News Digital Production Assistant. You can reach her on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc
It's a secluded hut with few neighbors,

with a trail leading to the wilderness,

Birds chirp on trees by the ponds,

Bathed in moonlight, a monk is knocking the door.

A bridge splits the landscape,

Cliffs dive in the bottom of the sea of clouds,

The monk leaves for the moment,

and will return soon to keep his promise.
Cate Blanchett was nominated for a 2015 Oscar for her dazzling performance in Carol.

In conclusion, Biohackers is an entertaining, visually dazzling thriller representing various biohacking subcultures while delivering cohesive science and a less-cohesive plot.

The blue braided band Apple sent me to go with the blue watch creates a dazzling look, for example.

Like many investors, this one had initially been won over by a dazzling demo, only to watch things go wrong, not just technically but culturally.

The regular camera has a dazzling 108 megapixels and is designed, theoretically, to provide sharper images, while the ultrawide and 5X telephoto lens both have 12 megapixel sensors. Samsung Note20 Ultra review: Why this big phone works for the COVID era|Aaron Pressman|August 18, 2020|Fortune

He's dazzling, fielding questions, spinning out anecdotes and limericks, sounding 35 and hungry for publicity. Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

More than anyone he set the stage for the dazzling dominance of genre narratives in our own time. Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World?|Ted Gioia|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

McEwan novels often have formally dazzling conclusions that recast the meaning of the preceding story. Ian McEwan's New Novel Keeps Life at Arm's Length|Nick Romeo|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Is there an equivalent risk for fiction writers (who usually work obsessively without the promise of that dazzling income)? Vikram Chandra Is A Novelist Who's Obsessed With Writing Computer Code|Jane Ciabattari|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Even plain vanilla is dazzlingsmooth and pure beyond description. Dr. Mikes Makes the Best Ice Cream on Earth|Jane & Michael Stern|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The concerto made a generally dazzling and difficult impression upon me, but did not "take hold" of me particularly. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

Never before had so dazzling a prize shimmered before him in the near distance. The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

Her features were perfectly regular, and she had a proudly-cut mouth, and such dazzling little teeth! Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

The house was painted a dazzling white; the outside shutters, or jalousies, were green. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
By offering fast-paced action on-demand,circa casino las vegas nevada online casinos have become some of the most popular gambling platforms in the modern age.

But for something that boasts such easy accessibility, the sheer amount of variety is enough to confuse any would-be player.

Ignore the barrage of free spins and bonuses. Instead, read on for my three-step beginners guide to getting started with online casinos.

Find the best casino for you

So youve got an itch to place some bets?Luckily for you, there are hundreds of online casinos looking to take your wager. However, picking the right casino is a tricky process; research is vital to ensure you dont fall at the first hurdle.

Here are the four main factors which separate the best casinos from the worst:

Games: The most important feature of any casino is its selection of games. There are hundreds of games from blackjack to poker, all with unique themes and stipulations. I see no reason why you should commit to a single game off the bat and miss out on such great variety. Beginners like yourself, are in a privileged position to play everything for the first time. Find an online casino offering a lot of games, and play them all to find your favorites.

Customer Support: Many issues can arise when dealing with a website or phone application. For one, servers can crash. And two, you are placing banking details in the trust of a faceless platform. So making sure there is a good support system available when things go wrong is a must. Take Bet365 Casino as an example of stellar customer service. Bet365 provides a 24/7 live chat with real employees; a personal touch will give you that extra bit of confidence going forward.

Software:There are many big-name developers in the online casino industry. These are not only a sign of fun games but also evoke a sense of quality in your chosen casino. Among others look out for names like Quickspin, Big Time Gaming, and NetEnt.

RTP rating:Return to player ratings (RTPs) illustrate the percentage of player bets that are eventually won back from the casino. Say you wager 100 on a game of blackjack  an RTP rating of 99% means 99 of the original 100 will be returned over time. Ideally, narrow your search down to online casinos with an RTP rating over 95%.

Try the free games first

Now youve chosen your casino, give the free games a try before anything else. These games will help you get a feel for the casino experience without having to put any real money at risk.

Some online casinos require you to signup before playing but dont let that put you off. There is no real pressure making you wager hard cash; the site understands when you are playing a free game and will keep any deposits intact.

Dont rush into wagering just yet and take your time. In my opinion, free to play games are the best way to enjoy casino classics and build up your confidence. In short, free to play is all the fun and none of the stress.

Bet responsibly

So youve played the free games and feel ready for the next step? Just keep one thing in mind  remember to have fun.

Avoiding greed is key and will go a long way in enhancing your overall experience. Betting lots of money is not conducive to enjoyment. I assure you that no casino is pay to win. The more money you invest in a game, the more there is to lose.

The house will always have an edge. And bringing the house down is a fools errand, virtually impossible to achieve. The real winners bet infrequently and with modesty. Your winnings should be nothing more than an added bonus.

Recommended reading: Guide To Progressive Bonuses In Online Casino

Online casinos operate in a highly competitive market and its a difficult task to narrow down your choices. Dont take a risk, do your research. By following my beginners guide to online casinos, in the end all you will need to worry about is the games.

Category: Casino Blog
What Is the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP)?living skies casino bayern bet 1x2

The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is a measure of inflation in the European Union (EU). It reflects change over time in the prices paid by households for a representative basket of goods and services. The European Central Bank (ECB) uses the HICP for the Eurozone comprising the 19 EU states using the euro common currency to pursue its objective of price stability, defined as 2% annualized inflation over the medium term.

Key Takeaways

The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) is a measure of inflation in the Eurozone and the European Union.

The HICP tracks consumer price inflation based on the spending patterns of consumers in each EU country, weighted according to that country's share of aggregate consumer spending.

The most important HICP number for financial markets is the monthly flash estimate of the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices, reflecting inflation in the Eurozone comprising the 19 EU states using the euro currency.

The ECB uses the MUICP to calibrate its pursuit of price stability, aiming for 2% inflation over the medium term.

Understanding the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP)

Each EU state's statistical agency compiles a national HICP using a common methodology. Eurostat, a department of the European Commission, then uses the national HICPs to calculate the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP), the aggregate HICP for the 19-country Eurozone area that serves as the ECB's primary inflation gauge. Eurostat also calculates the European Index of Consumer Prices (EICP) covering the entire European Union as well as the European Economic Area Index of Consumer Prices incorporating data from EU trading partners Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

The flash estimate of the Eurozone's MUICP, published by Eurostat on the last working day of each month, is a key economic release for financial markets.

Each country's HICP measures the change over time in the prices of a basket of goods and services reflective of the spending patterns of that country's households. The index tracks the prices of goods such as coffee, tobacco, meat, fruit, household appliances, cars, pharmaceuticals, electricity, clothing, and many other widely used products and services. Owner-occupied housing costs are excluded from the HICP, though the ECB's Governing Council recommended their inclusion in 2021.

Weighted Baskets

Eurostat calculates the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices using the weighted average of the HICP from each country in the euro area based on the country's share of aggregate Eurozone consumer spending.

Each country's HICP measures the change over time in the prices of a basket of goods and services representative spending by that country's households.

The baskets of consumer goods and services and the weightings of each country are updated annually to reflect the most recent spending patterns.

The MUICP was first compiled in 1998 ahead of the euro currency's launch on Jan. 1, 1999.
Today, the train chugs north out of Kanchanaburi over the famous bridge before it hits a spectacular bend in the river.

But you know, I had only one other hero in my life acting and that was River [Phoenix].

He observes the bodies floating away on the river, pulling on his cigarette with a sneer.

Then, in February 2014, a pipe ruptured at a Duke Energy coal-fired plant, flooding North Carolinas Dan River with 39,000 tons of ash.

The film helps to draw scores of visitors to this sleepy river town year after year. Riding Thailands WWII Death Railway|Liza Foreman|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And then, on one recent morning, the train made a stop at a small station near an especially beautiful section of the river. Riding Thailands WWII Death Railway|Liza Foreman|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This city stands upon almost two equal parts on each side the river that passes through. Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift

In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

Dick was at the wharf, one day last week, when one of the up river boats arrived. The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

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
online slots free slots reel slots free online slots reel rushshows grade level based on the word's complexity. darn 1[ dahrn ]/ drn / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: darn / darned / darner / darnest on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dahrn ]/ drn /Save This Word!See synonyms for: darn / darned / darner / darnest on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object)to mend, as torn clothing, with rows of stitches, sometimes by crossing and interweaving rows to span a gap.

nouna darned place, as in a garment: an old sock full of darns.

Words related to darn (2 of 2) darn2/ (dn) / interjection, adjective, adverb, nouna euphemistic word for damn (def. 1), damn (def. 2), damn (def. 4), damn (def. 4), damn (def. 15) 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 darnFirst recorded in 177585; see origin at darnedDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
It was a dose of dazzle for a talented offense that has seemed staid in spots this season.

Any stall of any possession seemed lethal given the opposition ready to take the football and dazzle.

The shows musical elements, including several full-song performances in each hour, dazzle.

As you put it, Kates charm is less about dazzle and more about sheen.

But he did speak to the issue of the razzle-dazzle camera moves, at least indirectly. Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

That kind of behavior would be in keeping with somebody who had been slipped a date rape drug such as Midazolam, aka Dazzle. Alleged U.Va. Abductor Accused of Rape at Christian College|Michael Daly|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Movies are meant to dazzle, and American Hustle does just that. American Hustle Is Overrated|Kevin Fallon|January 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

There was a kinetic energy, a vibrancy that leapt off the screen that did, indeed, dazzle. American Hustle Is Overrated|Kevin Fallon|January 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But it was too late, as critics and audiences had already written it off once the show failed to dazzle them from the outset. Sound of Music Star Laura Benanti Is About to Be One of Your Favorite Things|Kevin Fallon|December 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He supposed they had scoured all Jursa for a real beauty to dazzle him; but they would discover that it would not work. The Envoy, Her|Horace Brown Fyfe

But to do this I must dazzle him into giving me a great pleasure. The Hermit Of ------ Street|Anna Katharine Green (Mrs. Charles Rohlfs)

There lay his wife in all the finery she had arrayed herself to dazzle her fashionable acquaintances, a speechless corpse! The Mysteries of Montreal|Charlotte Fuhrer

It did not dazzle me, however; it simply filled me, and gave me a sensation of peculiar buoyancy. Unveiling a Parallel|Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Marchant
Holidays and Observances in German-Speaking Europe

Holidays (Feiertage) marked with an asterisk ( * ) are official national holidays in Germany and/or the other German-speaking countries. Some of the holidays listed here are regional or specifically Catholic or Protestant celebrations only.

Note that certain holidays (Erntedankfest, Muttertag/Mother's Day, Vatertag/Father's Day, etc.) are observed on different dates in different countries in Europe and around the world. For holidays that do not fall on a fixed date, see the Bewegliche Feste (movable feasts / holidays) table following the January through December table.

Holidays with Fixed Dates

Feiertag Holiday Datum/Date Neujahr* New Year's Day 1. Januar (am ersten Januar) Heilige Drei

Konige* Epiphany,

Three Kings 6. Januar (am sechsten Januar)

A public holiday in Austria and the states of Baden-Wurttemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), and Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany. Maria

Lichtmess Candlemas

(Groundhog Day) 2. Februar (am zweiten Feb.)

Catholic regions Valentinstag Valentine's Day 14. Februar (am vierzehnten Feb.) Fasching,

Karneval Mardi Gras

Carnival In Catholic regions in Feb. or Mar., depending on the date of Easter. See Movable Feasts Day of the Ill am ersten Sonntag im Marz (first Sunday in March; only in Switzerland) International Women's Day 8. Marz (am achten Marz) Josephstag St. Joseph's Day 19. Marz (am neunzehnten Marz; only in parts of Switzerland) Maria

Verkundigung Annunciation 25. Marz (am funfundzwanzigsten Marz) Erster April April Fool's Day 1. April (am ersten April) Karfreitag* Good Day Friday before Easter; see Movable Feasts Ostern Easter Osternfalls in March or April, depending on the year; see Movable Feasts Walpurgisnacht Walpurgis Night 30. April (am dreiigsten April) in Germany (Harz). Witches (Hexen) gather on eve of St. Walpurga's feast day (May Day). Erster Mai*

Tag der Arbeit May Day

Labor Day 1. Mai (am ersten Mai) Muttertag Mother's Day 2nd Sunday in May

(Austria, Germany, Switz.) Father's Day 12. Juni 2005

2nd Sunday in June

(Austria only; diff. date in Germany) Johannistag St. John the Baptist's Day 24. Juni (am vierundzwanzigsten Juni) Siebenschlafer St. Swithin's Day 27. Juni (am siebenundzwanzigsten Juni) Folklore: If it rains on this day it will rain for the next seven weeks. A Siebenschlaferis a dormouse.

Feiertag Holiday Datum/Date Gedenktag des Attentats auf Hitler 1944** Commemorative day of the assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944 20. Juli - Germany National-

feiertag* Swiss National Day 1. August (am ersten Aug.)

Celebrated with fireworks Maria

Himmelfahrt Assumption 15. August Michaelis(das)

der Michaelistag Michaelmas (Feast of St. Michael the Archangel) 29. September (am neunundzwangzigsten Sept.) Oktoberfest

Munchen Oktoberfest - Munich Two-week celebration beginning in late Sept. and ending on the first Sunday in October. Erntedankfest German Thanksgiving End of September or early October; not an official holiday Tag der

deutschen

Einheit* Day of German Unity 3. Oktober - Germany's national holiday was moved to this date after the Berlin Wall came down. National-

feiertag* National Holiday (Austria) 26. Oktober (am sechsundzwanzigsten Okt.) Austria's national holiday, called Flag Day, commemorates the founding of the Republik Osterreichin 1955. Halloween Halloween 31. Oktober (am einunddreiigsten Okt.) Halloween is not a traditional German celebration, but in recent years it has become increasingly popular in Austria and Germany. Allerheiligen All Saints' Day 1. November (am ersten Nov.) Allerseelen All Souls' Day 2. November (am zweiten Nov.) Martinstag Martinmas 11. November (am elften Nov.) Traditional roast goose (Martinsgans) and lantern light processsions for children on the evening of the 10th. The 11th is also the official start of the Fasching/Karneval season in some regions. Nikolaustag St. Nicholas Day 6. Dezember (am sechsten Dez.) - On this day the white-bearded St. Nicholas (not Santa Claus) brings gifts to children who left their shoes in front of the door the night before. Maria

Empfangnis Feast of the Immaculate Conception 8. Dezember (am achten Dez.) Heiligabend Christmas Eve 24. Dezember (am vierundzwanzigsten Dez.) - This is when German children receive their presents (die Bescherung) around the Christmas tree (der Tannenbaum). Weihnachten* Christmas Day 25. Dezember (am funfundzwanzigsten Dez.). Zweiter

Weihnachtstag* Second Day of Christmas 26. Dezember (am sechsundzwanzigsten Dez.). Known as Stephanstag, St. Stephen's Day, in Austria. Silvester New Year's Eve 31. Dezember (am einunddreiigsten Dez.).

Movable Holidays with No Fixed DateMovable Feasts | Bewegliche Feste
the star casino gold coast accommodationshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dalliance [ dal-ee-uhns, dal-yuhns ]/ dl i ns, dl yns / New Word List Save This Word!See dallianceFirst recorded in 130050, dalliance is from the Middle English word daliaunce.See dally, -ance Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dal-ee-uhns, dal-yuhns ]/ dl i ns, dl yns /Save This Word!See dallianceFirst recorded in 130050, dalliance is from the Middle English word daliaunce.See dally, -ance

Words nearby dalliance

Words related to dalliance dalliance/ (dlns) / nounwaste of time in frivolous action or in dawdlingan archaic word for flirtation 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

Dalit, Dalkon Shield, Dallapiccola, Dallas, dalles, dalliance, Dallin, Dallis grass, Dall's sheep, dally, DalmaneDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is Obsolete Inventory?super lion slot roulette game odds

Obsolete inventory is a term that refers to inventory that is at the end of its product life cycle. This inventory has not been sold or used for a long period of time and is not expected to be sold in the future. This type of inventory has to be written-down or written-off and can cause large losses for a company.

Obsolete inventory is also referred to as dead inventory or excess inventory.

Key Takeaways

Obsolete inventory is inventory at the end of its product life cycle that needs to be either written-down or written-off the company's books.

Obsolete inventory is written-down by debiting expenses and crediting a contra asset account, such as allowance for obsolete inventory.

The contra asset account is netted against the full inventory asset account to arrive at the current market value or book value.

When obsolete inventory is disposed of, both the related amount in the inventory asset account and the contra asset account are removed in the disposal journal entry.

Understanding Obsolete Inventory

Inventory refers to the goods and materials in a companys possession that are ready to be sold. It is one of the most important assets of a business operation, as it accounts for a huge percentage of a sales companys revenues.

In the past, if the inventory was held for too long, the goods may have reached the end of their product life and become obsolete. Currently, with technology, the state of abundance, and customers' high expectations, the product life cycle has become shorter and inventory becomes obsolete much faster.

Obsolete inventory is inventory that a company still has on hand after it should have been sold. When inventory cant be sold in the markets, it declines significantly in value and could be deemed useless to the company. To recognize the fall in value, obsolete inventory must be written-down or written-off in the financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

A write-down occurs if the market value of the inventory falls below the cost reported on the financial statements. A write-off involves completely taking the inventory off the books when it is identified to have no value and, thus, cannot be sold.

Accounting for Obsolete Inventory

GAAP requires companies to establish an inventory reserve account for obsolete inventory on their balance sheets and expense their obsolete inventory as they dispose of it, which reduces profits or results in losses. Companies report inventory obsolescence by debiting an expense account and crediting a contra asset account.

When an expense account is debited, this identifies that the money spent on the inventory, now obsolete, is an expense. A contra asset account is reported on the balance sheet immediately below the asset account to which it relates, and it reduces the net reported value of the asset account.

Examples of expense accounts include cost of goods sold, inventory obsolescence accounts, and loss on inventory write-down. A contra asset account may include an allowance for obsolete inventory and an obsolete inventory reserve. When the inventory write-down is small, companies typically charge the cost of goods sold account. However, when the write-down is large, it is better to charge the expense to an alternate account.

Example of Obsolete Inventory

For example, a company identifies $8,000 worth of obsolete inventory. It then estimates that the inventory can still be sold in the market for $1,500 and proceeds to write-down the inventory value. Since the value of inventory has fallen from $8,000 to $1,500, the difference represents the reduction in value that needs to be reported in the accounting journal, that is, $8,000 - $1,500 = $6,500.



Provision for Obsolete Inventory

Account Debit Credit Inventory Obsolescence $6,500 Allowance for Obsolete Inventory $6,500

The allowance for obsolete inventory account is a reserve that is maintained as a contra asset account so that the original cost of the inventory can be held on the inventory account until it is disposed of. When the obsolete inventory is finally disposed of, both the inventory asset and the allowance for obsolete inventory is cleared.

For example, if the company disposes of its obsolete inventory by throwing it away, it would not receive the sales value of $1,500. Therefore, in addition to writing-off the inventory, the company also needs to recognize an additional expense of $1,500. The allowance for obsolete inventory will be released by creating this journal entry:

Account Debit Credit Allowance for Obsolete Inventory $6,500 Inventory Obsolescence $1,500 Inventory $8,000

The journal entry removes the value of the obsolete inventory both from the allowance for obsolete inventory account and from the inventory account itself.

Alternatively, the company could have disposed of the inventory for some money, say through an auction for $800. In this case, the proceeds of $800 from the auction is $700 less than the book value of $1,500. The amount of $700 will be charged to an expense account, and the journal entry will record the disposal of the inventory and receipt of $800 in proceeds from the auction:

Account Debit Credit Cash $800 Allowance for Obsolete Inventory $6,500 Cost of Goods Sold $700 Inventory $8,000

The $1,500 net value of the inventory less the $800 proceeds from the sale has created an additional loss on disposal of $700, which is charged to the cost of goods sold account.

A large amount of obsolete inventory is a warning sign for investors. It can be symptomatic of poor products, poor management forecasts of demand, and/or poor inventory management. Looking at the amount of obsolete inventory a company creates will give investors an idea of how well the product is selling and how effective the company's inventory process is.
What Is Behavioral Finance?royal aces no deposit bonus codes 2021

Behavioral finance, a subfield of behavioral economics, proposes that psychological influences and biases affect the financial behaviors of investors and financial practitioners. Moreover, influences and biases can be the source for the explanation of all types of market anomalies and specifically market anomalies in the stock market, such as severe rises or falls in stock price. As behavioral finance is such an integral part of investing, the Securities and Exchange Commission has staff specifically focused on behavioral finance.

Key Takeaways

Behavioral finance is an area of study focused on how psychological influences can affect market outcomes.

Behavioral finance can be analyzed to understand different outcomes across a variety of sectors and industries.

One of the key aspects of behavioral finance studies is the influence of psychological biases.

Some common behavioral financial aspects include loss aversion, consensus bias, and familiarity tendencies.

The efficient market theory which states all equities are priced fairly based on all available public information is often debunked for not incorporating irrational emotional behavior.

Behavioral Finance

Understanding Behavioral Finance

1:38

Behavioral finance can be analyzed from a variety of perspectives. Stock market returns are one area of finance where psychological behaviors are often assumed to influence market outcomes and returns but there are also many different angles for observation. The purpose of the classification of behavioral finance is to help understand why people make certain financial choices and how those choices can affect markets.

Within behavioral finance, it is assumed that financial participants are not perfectly rational and self-controlled but rather psychologically influential with somewhat normal and self-controlling tendencies. Financial decision-making often relies on the investor's mental and physical health. As an investor's overall health improves or worsens, their mental state often changes. This impacts their decision-making and rationality towards all real-world problems, including those specific to finance.

One of the key aspects of behavioral finance studies is the influence of biases. Biases can occur for a variety of reasons. Biases can usually be classified into one of five key concepts. Understanding and classifying different types of behavioral finance biases can be very important when narrowing in on the study or analysis of industry or sector outcomes and results.

Behavioral Finance Concepts

Behavioral finance typically encompasses five main concepts:

Mental accounting : Mental accounting refers to the propensity for people to allocate money for specific purposes.

: Mental accounting refers to the propensity for people to allocate money for specific purposes. Herd behavior: Herd behavior states that people tend to mimic the financial behaviors of the majority of the herd. Herding is notorious in the stock market as the cause behind dramatic rallies and sell-offs.

Herd behavior states that people tend to mimic the financial behaviors of the majority of the herd. Herding is notorious in the stock market as the cause behind dramatic rallies and sell-offs. Emotional gap : The emotional gap refers to decision-making based on extreme emotions or emotional strains such as anxiety, anger, fear, or excitement. Oftentimes, emotions are a key reason why people do not make rational choices.

: The emotional gap refers to decision-making based on extreme emotions or emotional strains such as anxiety, anger, fear, or excitement. Oftentimes, emotions are a key reason why people do not make rational choices. Anchoring : Anchoring refers to attaching a spending level to a certain reference. Examples may include spending consistently based on a budget level or rationalizing spending based on different satisfaction utilities.

: Anchoring refers to attaching a spending level to a certain reference. Examples may include spending consistently based on a budget level or rationalizing spending based on different satisfaction utilities. Self-attribution: Self-attribution refers to a tendency to make choices based on overconfidence in one's own knowledge or skill. Self-attribution usually stems from an intrinsic knack in a particular area. Within this category, individuals tend to rank their knowledge higher than others, even when it objectively falls short.

Behavioral finance is exploited through credit card rewards, as consumers are more likely to be willing to spend points, rewards, or miles as opposed to paying for transactions with direct cash.

Some Biases Revealed by Behavioral Finance

Breaking down biases further, many individual biases and tendencies have been identified for behavioral finance analysis. Some of these include:

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is when investors have a bias toward accepting information that confirms their already-held belief in an investment. If information surfaces, investors accept it readily to confirm that they're correct about their investment decisioneven if the information is flawed.

Experiential Bias

An experiential bias occurs when investors' memory of recent events makes them biased or leads them to believe that the event is far more likely to occur again. For this reason, it is also known as recency bias or availability bias.

For example, the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 led many investors to exit the stock market. Many had a dismal view of the markets and likely expected more economic hardship in the coming years. The experience of having gone through such a negative event increased their bias or likelihood that the event could reoccur. In reality, the economy recovered, and the market bounced back in the years to follow.

Loss Aversion

Loss aversion occurs when investors place a greater weighting on the concern for losses than the pleasure from market gains. In other words, they're far more likely to try to assign a higher priority to avoiding losses than making investment gains.

As a result, some investors might want a higher payout to compensate for losses. If the high payout isn't likely, they might try to avoid losses altogether even if the investment's risk is acceptable from a rational standpoint.

Applying loss aversion to investing, the so-called disposition effect occurs when investors sell their winners and hang onto their losers. Investors' thinking is that they want to realize gains quickly. However, when an investment is losing money, they'll hold onto it because they want to get back to even or their initial price. Investors tend to admit they are correct about an investment quickly (when there's a gain).

However, investors are reluctant to admit when they made an investment mistake (when there's a loss). The flaw in disposition bias is that the performance of the investment is often tied to the entry price for the investor. In other words, investors gauge the performance of their investment based on their individual entry price disregarding fundamentals or attributes of the investment that may have changed.

Familiarity Bias

The familiarity bias is when investors tend to invest in what they know, such as domestic companies or locally owned investments. As a result, investors are not diversified across multiple sectors and types of investments, which can reduce risk. Investors tend to go with investments that they have a history or have familiarity with.

Familiarity bias can occur in so many ways. You may resist investing in a specific company because of what industry it is in, where it operates, what products it sells, who oversees the management of the company, who its clientele base is, how it performs its marketing, and how complex its accounting is.

Behavioral Finance in the Stock Market

The efficient market hypothesis (EMH) says that at any given time in a highly liquid market, stock prices are efficiently valued to reflect all the available information. However, many studies have documented long-term historical phenomena in securities markets that contradict the efficient market hypothesis and cannot be captured plausibly in models based on perfect investor rationality.

The EMH is generally based on the belief that market participants view stock prices rationally based on all current and future intrinsic and external factors. When studying the stock market, behavioral finance takes the view that markets are not fully efficient. This allows for the observation of how psychological and social factors can influence the buying and selling of stocks.

The understanding and usage of behavioral finance biases can be applied to stock and other trading market movements on a daily basis. Broadly, behavioral finance theories have also been used to provide clearer explanations of substantial market anomalies like bubbles and deep recessions. While not a part of EMH, investors and portfolio managers have a vested interest in understanding behavioral finance trends. These trends can be used to help analyze market price levels and fluctuations for speculation as well as decision-making purposes.

What Does Behavioral Finance Tell Us?

Behavioral finance helps us understand how financial decisions around things like investments, payments, risk, and personal debt, are greatly influenced by human emotion, biases, and cognitive limitations of the mind in processing and responding to information.

How Does Behavioral Finance Differ From Mainstream Financial Theory?

Mainstream theory, on the other hand, makes the assumptions in its models that people are rational actors, that they are free from emotion or the effects of culture and social relations, and that people are self-interested utility maximizers. It also assumes, by extension, that markets are efficient and firms are rational profit-maximizing organizations. Behavioral finance counters each of these assumptions.

How Does Knowing About Behavioral Finance Help?

By understanding how and when people deviate from rational expectations, behavioral finance provides a blueprint to help us make better, more rational decisions when it comes to financial matters.

What Is an Example of a Finding in Behavioral Finance?

Investors are found to systematically hold on to losing investments far too long than rational expectations would predict, and they also sell winners too early. This is known as the disposition effect, and is an extension of the concept of loss aversion to the domain of investing. Rather than locking in a paper loss, investors holding lose positions may even double down and take on greater risk in hopes of breaking even.
Richard Hugo, the poet and patron saint of Montanas ghost towns and abandoned places, said it best: You might come here Sunday on a whim.

That line comes from Degrees of Gray in Phillipsburg, Hugos ode to the tiny town in the mountains near Anaconda. But he could be talking about hundreds of communities that dot Montanas massive plains. There are places here that you dont go to unless youre planning on it. And you never really get a reason to visit. Its hard to just pass through.

One of them is Utica. Its in Judith Basin County in the foothills of the Little Belts, where Waite Creek (remember that name) and Courtneys Creek flow together to form the Judith River. Uticas main drag is called Pigeye Road.

When Hugo wrote Degrees of Gray in Phillipsburg in 1973, Phillipsburg and Utica had a lot of similarities. It was silver that brought people to Phillipsburg, but in Utica it was two things. First there was the cattle, driven up the prairies from Texas to gorge themselves on the sweet grass of the Judith Basin, which stays green long into the year, well past the time most of the Great Plains have turned yellow. But what really put Utica on the map was Yogo sapphires, the brilliantly blue gemstones that can only be found in Yogo Gulch, a small fold in the Little Belt Mountains. Utica was the closest thing that passed for a town near Yogo Gulch.

Theres an old story that Yogo sapphires are part of the Crown Jewels of England. Its probably not true, but the myths prolificacy is a testament to the gems power in Montanas imagination. The sapphires are our great claim to legitimacy, the priceless jewel you cant find anywhere else. Miners flocked to the area to try and find the blue pebbles.

It didnt last. In September 1959 organized mining in Yogo Gulch came to an end. Its become a place of hobbyists, and despite some rare success stories, widespread mining of Yogo sapphires has never really picked back up.

Phillipsburgs mines dried up sooner, ending most economic activity in the town by the First World War. When Hugo visited in the 1970s he saw a town in disrepair, a ghost town just barely holding off its death rattle.

He wrote of the two stacks high above the town / two dead kilns  that wont fall finally down.

Then a funny thing happened. Phillipsburg came back. The town rebranded itself as a tourist hub. Nowadays Phillipsburg is best known for being home to one of the states best and most prosperous breweries. Theres a candy store folks drive from miles away to peruse, as well as art galleries and upscale eateries. Its a trendy wedding destination for movie stars, a sort of pretend old West. For a few bucks, visitors can try their hand at mining for sapphires, the former life and death struggle turned into an Instagramable vacation moment.

Utica is still stuck in its degrees of gray. In fact, its worse off than Hugos Phillipsburg ever was. The poet bemoaned that, One good / restaurant and bars cant wipe the boredom out. But Uticas only got one, a bar and grill called the Oxen Yoke Inn where you can get a cold beer and a hamburger roughly the size of a hubcap.

Uticas streets are dusty  the pavement turns to dirt after a couple hundred feet. And the residents mailing address is Hobson, whose population of 179 (enough to make it a city) have absorbed Uticas 23 (still stuck as an unincorporated community). There are a few signs that mark historic buildings, but many are old and sunbaked, the metal clamshells protecting the words are falling apart. Theres a museum, but the hours posted in the window are from summer 2018.

But one man has dedicated himself to telling Uticas story. His name is Don Waite. Hes now 83-years-old, but in his time Waite worked a series of federal jobs that brought him to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Currently, he lives in Spokane. But he keeps coming back to Utica.

For almost 20 years, Waite has been building in his hometown. His work is now the most prominent thing in Utica, and if you drive by, you cant miss it. Hes constructed a series of buildings that now line Uticas main street. Its difficult to say exactly how many there are because they all blend together, like something off of a western film set. Theres a hotel and a cafe, a pair of saloons, and a prominent general store with a big false front.

Those buildings might look familiar. Thats because Waite based them on the most famous depiction of Utica ever made. Waite based them on the structures you can see in the background in Charlie Russells painting A Quiet Day in Utica, which the painter, whose western works are so iconic theyve become the images most people see when they imagine what the old West looked like, finished in 1907.

Waite has filled the buildings with paintings and pictures, telling the story of Russell and his connections to the Utica area. Hes built a great museum to this specific place, way out in the middle of nowhere, not on any major highways and at least 75 miles from the nearest interstate. Waite is so invested in the story of Utica because its also the story of himself.

Waite was born in 1939, and he grew up in Utica. He was raised in a small cottage thats the first building on your left when you drive into town, across the street from his reconstructed buildings.

We had fun, Waite remembered of his childhood. Wed go down to the Judith River and hunt magpies. Theyd give you a penny for a magpie egg, and five cents for two magpie feet. It was the darndest thing. Wed be gone all day and our mother never worried about us.

A Quiet Day in Utica captures a gang of cowboys tin-canning a dog, which was a pastime where bored people would tie tin cans around a dogs tail and watch the animal run around, clattering about. It feels too old-timey to be true, but Waite remembers seeing it happen on the streets of Utica when he was a kid, years after Russell made his memories here.

The Waite family goes in deep in Utica. His first cousin twice removed, Jack Waite, came out here first. Shortly after, in 1882, Dons grandfather Walter Waite followed Jack, who was his cousin. Utica was a rough and tumble cow town back then, full of cowboys who would drive stock out from Bozeman to feast on Uticas grasslands. Walter took a look at the little town and saw a need.

He decided to build them a big, fancy hotel, Don Waite said.

So Grandpa Waite, along with a business partner, did just that, finishing the Silver Dollar Saloon in 1888. It was a grand place, with a bar in the front and an upstairs for dancing. There was a barbershop, and the saloon eventually expanded into a large livery stable. They even sold coffins out of the back.

Back then, Utica was on the main stage road through central Montana. Freighters needed a cool spot to store their perishables overnight, and Walter Waite obliged by building a pair of cellars.

The business was so profitable that they expanded into a full hotel, called the Judith.

This was a first class operation, Don Waite described. They had 15 rooms, and a dance hall. You could eat, go to your room, go dancing, go to the bar.

Waite can rattle all of this off the top of his head. Hes a student of Utica, full of endless stories. Sometimes one tangent will interrupt another. Waite knows so much about this place its hard to keep it all strait.

Russell, like Waite, knew Utica. Its him, not sapphires, not cows, not even hamburgers, that gives Utica its great claim to fame. Russell was born in Missouri, but at age 16 he grew tired of the east and moved to Montana. He spent some time on a sheep ranch but quit, eventually winding up as a night herder on a ranch near Utica.

Being a nighthawk, as the cowboys call it, was a lonely job. Russell had plenty of time to think. Pretty soon he started to put the images in his head onto paper. His first major sketch, Waiting on a Chinook, is of a skeletal cow freezing to death in the legendarily tough winter of 1886-87, which Russell spent on the O-H Ranch near Utica. The sketch became something of a phenomena in pre-statehood Montana, and pretty soon the night herder started taking painting seriously.

His first makeshift studio was in the Shelton Saloon, which is one of the buildings Waite has dutifully rebuilt.

He started the project in earnest in 2006. The buildings are made with reclaimed lumber that he found in broken and decrepit shacks along the Judith Basin plains. Those logs had been split decades, maybe a century ago, and used well. But with nobody left to live in them, Waite turned them into something else.

He also went into the mountains to cut down lodge pole pines, and got some shingles from an old church in Lewistown.

Waite does copious research to reconstruct these buildings. Hes got a packet of writing hes done about the area. And hes not alone. His older brother Walt wrote two books about Utica history. And his father Charles left a note in an early biography of Russell that misidentified the Shelton Saloon, confusing it for another building in town.

Wrong! Charles Waite wrote underneath the photo. He signed the correction and dated it 1948.

Russell churned out art from the saloon. His early paintings bear little resemblance to the majestic work hed do later in his career. Theyre sparse and flat, clearly done by a greenhorn who has yet to fully learn about life on the plains.

But theyre full of character. Waite has many of them printed out and on display in his replica buildings. One, an 1887 work called Cowboy Camp During Roundup, captures Utica at its early cow-town peak. The painting includes portraits of many of his friends on the range. Waite has taken the time to annotate the painting, labeling each figure. Theyve got great cowboy names like Kid Antelope and Slack Jackson.

Waite is done with his buildings now. Truthfully, he only spends a few weeks a year now in Utica. The buildings are locked when hes away, but you can admire them plenty from outside, and hes installed an open air gallery full of pictures and writing about Uticas history, which included icons like Calamity Jane in addition to Russell. And his phone number is on the sign that welcomes people to the buildings. He's always willing to talk Utica.

Why does he do this? Why has Waite, the world traveler, dedicated this much time to the tiny town he grew up in?

Im crazy, he admitted, before doubling over in laughter. Well, at least some of the ranchers around here think Im crazy. But people are really enjoying it. And I did it for the community.

Charles Russell is huge for Utica, he continued. Hes huge worldwide. He got his start right here.

But its deeper than that. If you compare Waites buildings to the ones in Russells painting, youll see a couple discrepancies. The structures hes built in Utica are just a little bit different from Russells painting. Thats because hes included the Hotel Judith and the Silver Dollar Saloon, which were on the opposite side of the street from Russells point of view. These buildings are about Russell, of course, but theyre about the generations of Waites who have roots here, too, including Dons two daughters, Karla and Kim.

I did this for my granddad and my pioneering family that came here and weathered all of this, he said. I did this to share it with people. In 50 years, people can come by and learn that all of this happened here in Utica, Montana.
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nouna nail driven into a wooden tie, pole, etc., bearing on its head the date of installation or last treatment of the timber.

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noun Chemistry, Physics.a superheavy, synthetic, radioactive element with a very short half-life. Symbol: Ds; atomic number: 110.

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Scientific definitions for darmstadtium

darmstadtium[ darmshtate-m ]

DsA synthetic radioactive element, first produced by bombarding lead atoms with nickel atoms. It has a mass number of 281, and its most stable isotope has a half-life of over one minute. Atomic number 110. See Periodic Table.

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 darmstadtiumFirst recorded in 200005; named after Darmstadt, the city in Germany where it was first created.Darling Downs, Darling Range, Darling River, Darlington, Darmstadt, darmstadtium, darn, darnation, darned, darnedest, darnelDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022The American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
What Is Capitulation?fat cat poker chip set

Capitulation in finance describes the dramatic surge of selling pressure in a declining market or security that marks a mass surrender by investors. The resulting dramatic drop in market prices can mark the end of a decline, since those who didn't sell during a panic are unlikely to do so soon after.

Capitulation typically follows significant downturns in price, which can take place even as many investors remain bullish. As the downturn accelerates, it reaches a point where the selling by the investors unwilling to suffer further losses snowballs, leading to a dramatic plunge in price.

The heavy trading volume accompanying the decline shakes out "weak hands"the investors lacking convictionand replaces them with more risk-tolerant holders who may not have suffered prior losses and were willing to buy at the end of a protracted decline capped with a dramatic drop.

Traders look for unusually high trading volume accompanying sharp declines in price to signal capitulation. They try to anticipate the surest sign of a capitulation: the rebound in price that follows once the panic selling has run its course.



Key Takeaways

Capitulation happens when a significant proportion of investors succumbs to fear and sells over a short period of time, causing the price of a security or a market to drop sharply amid high trading volume.

Capitulation marks a short-term low in the price and is followed by at least a relief rally.

Until the price rebounds significantly, there can be no assurance the apparent "capitulation" won't be followed by additional dramatic drops.

Capitulation causes heavy turnover among investors, enabling a rebound by replacing risk-averse sellers with risk-tolerant buyers, but it can't guarantee those buyers won't eventually sell even lower.

What Is Capitulation?

Understanding Capitulation

1:09

Capitulation means surrender. In financial markets, capitulation marks the point in time when a large enough proportion of investors simultaneously give up hopes of recouping recent losses, typically as the decline in prices gathers speed.

Suppose a stock you own dropped by 30% but you were sure it would bounce back. Imagine it then fell another 20% but it was clear the fundamentals were solid. Maybe you bought a little more on the dip. Now imagine the same stock is down 15% intraday and the grind of daily disappointment has given way to certain knowledge that you bought a loser that could go even lower. Selling the stock as a result would be an act of capitulation.

Important

Investors can only identify capitulations with certainty after they have occurred and the price has rebounded.

Note that the stock was already down 15% in a day, suggesting others felt the same. While misery may like company, a capitulation requires a panicked crowd.

Capitulation mean the sellers were "wrong" or the buyers "right." While a short-term rebound follows capitulation by definition, it doesn't mean prices can't go even lower later, if future reverses turn the new "strong hands" into sellers.

Bear markets can feature repeat high-volume plunges in price and premature calls of capitulation. The truth is that the condition can be diagnosed conclusively only in hindsight, if the price rebounds.

Using Technical Analysis to Identify Capitulations

Capitulations often signal major turning points in the price action of underlying securities and financial instruments. Technical analysts use candlestick charts to identify capitulation patterns. One such pattern is the hammer candle, which marks a trading session in which the price drops well below its opening level but reverses to regain much of the loss by the close. When accompanied by heavy volume, it suggests the decline reached a climax.

Image by Julie Bang  Investopedia 2020

Conversely, a shooting star candle describing a session in which price rallies sharply but then reverses to close near opening level often forms at the end of a buying spree, indicating a top is in place.

Real World Example of Capitulation

While capitulations can be hard to tell apart from run-of-the-mill high-volume declines as they happen, they're easy to spot with the benefit of hindsight: just look for a significant rebound in the price.

On March 18, 2020, the S&P 500 index was down nearly 10% from the prior day's close amid the COVID-19 market collapse, only to reverse and close down 5.2% on the day and 1.6% below where it opened. That wasn't quite capitulation, however, in retrospect.

On March 23, 2020, the S&P 500 plunged nearly 5% intraday at its lows but managed to close with a loss of "just" 2.9%. We know that was capitulation because the index went on to gain 17% over the next week.


What is timeform greyhound tipsBRICS?

BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC (without South Africa) in 2001, claiming that by 2050 the four BRIC economies would come to dominate the global economy. South Africa was added to the list in 2010.

This thesis became conventional market wisdom in the aughts. But there were always skeptics, including some who claimed the phrase was Goldman marketing hype. Indeed, few talk about BRICS much anymoreat least not in terms of their global domination. Goldman closed its BRICS-focused investment fund in 2015, merging it with a broader emerging markets fund.

Key Takeaways

BRICS started in 2001 as BRIC, an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs for Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa was added in 2010.

The notion behind the coinage was that the nations' economies would come to collectively dominate global growth by 2050.

The BRICS nations offered a source of foreign expansion for firms and strong returns for institutional investors.

The party had largely ended by 2015, when Goldman closed its BRICS-focused investment fund.

Understanding BRICS

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa ranked among the world's fastest-growing emerging market economies for years, thanks to low labor costs, favorable demographics and abundant natural resources at a time of a global commodities boom.

It's important to note that the Goldman Sachs thesis wasn't that these countries would become a political alliance (like the EU) or even a formal trading association. Instead, Goldman said they have the potential to form a powerful economic bloc, even acknowledging that its forecasts were optimistic and dependent on significant policy assumptions.

Still, the implication was that economic power would bring political power, and indeed leaders from BRICS countries regularly attended summits together and often acted in concert with each others interests.

Early Development of the BRIC Thesis at Goldman Sachs

In 2001, Goldman's ONeill noted that while global GDP was set to rise 1.7% in 2002, BRIC nations were forecasted to grow more quickly than the Group of Seven, the seven most advanced global economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. In the paper "Building Better Economic BRICs," O'Neill outlined his view of the potential of the BRIC nations.

In 2003, O'Neill's Goldman colleagues Dominic Wilson and Roopa Purushothaman followed up with their report "Dreaming with BRICs: The Path to 2050. Wilson and Purushothaman claimed that by 2050, the BRIC cluster could grow to a size larger than the G6, and the worlds largest economies would therefore look drastically different in four decades. That is, the largest global economic powers no longer would be the richest, according to income per capita.

In 2007 Goldman published another report, "BRICs and Beyond", that focused on BRIC growth potential, the environmental impact of these growing economies and the sustainability of their rise. The report also outlined a Next 11, a term for 11 emerging economies, in relationship to the BRIC nations, as well as the ascendancy of new global markets.

Closure of Goldman's BRICS Fund

Growth in the BRICS economies slowed down after the global financial crisis and the oil price collapse that began in 2014. By 2015, the BRICS acronym no longer looked like an attractive investment venue and funds aimed at these economies either shut down or merged with other investment vehicles.

Goldman Sachs merged its BRICS investment fund, which was focused on generating returns from these economies, with the broader Emerging Markets Equity Fund. The fund had lost 88% of its assets from a 2010 peak. In an SEC filing, Goldman Sachs stated that it did not expect "significant asset growth in the foreseeable future" in the BRICS fund. Per a Bloomberg report, the fund had lost 21% in five years.

BRIC is now used as a more generic term. For example, Columbia University established the BRICLab, where students examine foreign, domestic, and financial policies of BRIC members.
Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ bak-ground ]/ bkgrand /Save This Word!See synonyms for: background / backgrounds on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

an inconspicuous or unobtrusive position (esp in the phrase in the background) (as modifier)a background influence

the plane or ground in a picture upon which all other planes or forms appear superimposed the parts of a picture that appear most distantCompare foreground (def. 2), middle-distance (def. 2)

the social, historical, or technical circumstances that lead up to or help to explain somethingthe background to the French Revolution (as modifier)background information

a low level of sound, lighting, etc, whose purpose is to be an unobtrusive or appropriate accompaniment to something else, such as a social activity, conversation, or the action of a film (as modifier)background music

unwanted effects, such as noise, occurring in a measuring instrument, electronic device, etc (as modifier)background interference

nounthe part of a scene or view furthest from the viewerarta person's social class, education, training, or experienceAlso called: background radiation physics low-intensity radiation as, for example, from small amounts of radioisotopes in soil, air, building materials, etcelectronics
Dannay [ dan-ey ]/ dn e / New Word List Save This free play to earn crypto games 2022Word! [ dan-ey ]/ dn e /Save ThisWord!

nounFrederic "Ellery Queen", 190582, U.S. mystery writer, in collaboration with Manfred Bennington Lee.

Words nearby Dannay

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What Is Holder of Record?best week 4 prop bets

A holder of record is the name of the person who is the registered owner of a security and who has the rights, benefits, and responsibilities of ownership.

Key Takeaways

A holder of record is the person who is the registered owner of a security and who has the rights, benefits, and responsibilities of ownership.

For a stock, the holder of record typically has shareholder voting rights and receives dividend payouts, if there are any.

For a bond, the holder of record owns the bond and receives the principal and interest payments.

Holders of record may be recorded in a register of shareholders or similar type of ledger.

Understanding Holder of Record

The holder of record for a stock typically has shareholder voting rights and receives dividend payouts, if there are any. The holder of record for a bond owns the bond and receives the principal and interest payments. When the owner sells the security, they cease to be the holder of record. Holder of record may also correspond to the legitimate owner of other securities, such as commodities and derivative contracts.

Securities can be issued in either "registered" or "bearer" form. Registered form means the issuing firm itself keeps records of a security's owner and mails out payments to them. Bearer form means the security is traded without any record of ownership; physical possession of the security is the sole evidence of ownership. Bearer form securities have largely been phased out due to their potential for misuse. Presently, securities are mostly issued in registered form.

A registered holder is also distinct from a beneficial owner or holder, whose holdings are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or nominee in street name. But as shareholders of a company, registered holders and beneficial owners will have the same rights with regard to voting, receiving dividends and communications, etc., the only difference being the manner in which voting rights are exercised and dividends or communications received. Although holding securities in street name is the norm, some investors still prefer to hold physical certificates in their own name. Because it is more expensive to transfer ownership this way, brokers will charge a higher rate for the inconvenience.

The shareholder register is fundamental to the examination of the ownership of a company.

Register of Shareholders

Holders of record may involve a shareholder register, a list of active owners of a company's shares, updated on an ongoing basis. The shareholder register requires that every current shareholder be recorded and includes each person's name, address, and number of shares held. In addition. The register can even detail the holder's occupation and the price paid.

The shareholder register differs from a shareholder list in that the shareholder list is updated only once per year, whereas the register keeps track of the current partial owners of a company.
What Is Capitalized Interest?raging rhino casino flexi trifecta

Capitalized interest is the cost of borrowing to acquire or construct a long-term asset. Unlike an interest expense incurred for any other purpose, capitalized interest is not expensed immediately on the income statement of a company's financial statements. Instead, firms capitalize it, meaning the interest paid increases the cost basis of the related long-term asset on the balance sheet. Capitalized interest shows up in installments on a company's income statement through periodic depreciation expense recorded on the associated long-term asset over its useful life.

Capitalized Interest

Understanding Capitalized Interest

1:01

Capitalized interest is part of the historical cost of acquiring assets that will benefit a company over many years. Because many companies finance the construction of long-term assets with debt, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) allow firms to avoid expensing interest on such debt and include it on their balance sheets as part of the historical cost of long-term assets.

Typical examples of long-term assets for which capitalizing interest is allowed include various production facilities, real estate, and ships. Capitalizing interest is not permitted for inventories that are manufactured repetitively in large quantities. U.S. tax laws also allow the capitalization of interest, which provides a tax deduction in future years through a periodic depreciation expense.

Key Takeaways

Capitalized interest is the cost of borrowing to obtain a long-term asset.

Unlike typical interest expenses, capitalized interest is not expensed immediately on a company's income statement.

Because many companies finance long-term assets with debt, companies are allowed to expense the assets over the long term.

By capitalizing the interest expense, companies are able to generate revenue from the asset in order to pay for it over time.

From the perspective of accrual accounting, capitalizing interest helps tie the costs of using a long-term asset to earnings generated by the asset in the same periods of use. Capitalized interest can only be booked if its impact on a company's financial statements is material. Otherwise, interest capitalization is not required, and it should be expensed immediately. When booked, capitalized interest has no immediate effect on a company's income statement, and instead, it appears on the income statement in subsequent periods through depreciation expense.

Important

In accordance with the matching principle, capitalizing interest ties the costs of a long-term asset to the earnings generated by the same asset over its useful life.

Example of Capitalized Interest

Consider a company that builds a small production facility worth $5 million with a useful life of 20 years. It borrows the amount to finance this project at an interest rate of 10%. The project will take a year to complete to put the building to its intended use, and the company is allowed to capitalize its annual interest expense on this project, which amounts to $500,000.

The company capitalizes interest by recording a debit entry of $500,000 to a fixed asset account and an offsetting credit entry to cash. At the end of construction, the company's production facility has a book value of $5.5 million, consisting of $5 million in construction costs and $500,000 in capitalized interest.

In the next year, when the production facility is used, the company books a straight-line depreciation expense of $275,000 ($5.5 million of the facility's book value divided by 20 years of useful life) of which $25,000 ($500,000 of capitalized interest divided by 20 years) is attributable to the capitalized interest.
dag 1[ dag ]/ dg / New Word List Save This poly bridge crypto crypto buy listWord! [ dag ]/ dg /Save ThisWord!

nounone of a series of decorative scallops or foliations along the edge of a garment, cloth, etc.Scot. daglock.

verb (used with object), dagged, dagging.to edge (a garment, cloth, etc.) with decorative scallops or the like.

Dag[ dahg, dag ]/ dg, dg /

nouna male given name.

How to use dag back formation from daggy

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 dag (4 of 4)Dictionary.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 Tick Size?victor prediction correct score

Tick size refers to the minimum price movement of a trading instrument in a market. The price movements of different trading instruments vary, with their tick sizes representing the minimum amount they can move up or down on an exchange.

In U.S. markets, the tick size increment is expressed in terms of dollars or cents. Stocks generally trade in one-cent tick size increments, while currencies have tick sizes in pips, and rates in basis points (bps).

Key Takeaways

Tick size is the minimum price increment change of a trading instrument.

Tick sizes were once quoted in fractions (e.g., 1/16 th of $1), but today are predominantly based on decimals and expressed in cents.

of $1), but today are predominantly based on decimals and expressed in cents. For most stocks, the tick size is $0.01, but fractions of a cent may also occur. "Pips" and "bps" are also tick sizes used in currencies and fixed-income markets.

How Is Tick Size Measured?

In modern trading, tick sizes generally have a basis of decimals. Up until the early 2000s, however, U.S. stock markets expressed tick sizes based on fractions of a dollar. For most stocks, that fraction was one-sixteenth, so a tick size represented $0.0625, although some stocks had 1/8 (for thinly traded stocks) and some 1/32 tick sizes (for more active and liquid issues). This somewhat ungainly fraction tick size convention originated with the early New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which first modeled its measurements on a centuries-old Spanish trading system that used a base of eight, or the number of fingers on a persons two handsminus the thumbs since they aren't considered fingers.

In 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission introduced Rule 612, also known as the Sub-Penny Rule. Rule 612 requires the minimum tick size for stocks over $1.00 to be $0.01 while stocks under $1.00 can be quoted in increments of $0.0001. This process was known as decimalization. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now requires all U.S. exchanges to effectively use hundredths, which is why the tick size today is $0.01, or one cent, for most stocks, though it has recently experimented with larger tick sizes for some less liquid stocks.

Futures markets typically have a tick size that is specific to the instrument, with $1 minimum tick sizes known as "points". For instance, one of the most heavily traded futures contracts is the S&P 500 E-mini. Its tick size is 0.25, or $12.50. That means if, say, the March 2021 contracts current price is $2,553, and someone wanted to offer more for it, they would have to bid, at a minimum, $2,565.50. However, other index futures can move as little as $10, and some $5.

Example of Tick Size

On Oct. 3, 2016, the SEC started a two-year pilot program to test the potential benefits of larger tick sizes for stocks with closing prices of $2 or greater, market capitalizations of $3 billion or less, and consolidated average daily volume of 1 million shares or fewer. The Tick Size Pilot Program period ended on Sept. 28, 2018, although data collection and reporting requirements were set to continue for six more months.

The test collected data, including the profit margins of market makers in these securities. As part of the test, the SEC separated a sample of small-cap securities into one control group and two test groups. According to the SEC, each test group included about 400 securities, with the remainder placed in the control group.

The first group in the test used tick sizes of $0.05, although stocks in this group continued to trade at their current price increments. The second group also quoted tick sizes of $0.05, and traded them in these increments, although it included a small number of exceptions to this general rule.

The third group quoted in $0.05 increments, trades in $0.05 increments, though a rule prevented price matching by trading organizations that do not display the best price unless an exception applies. Securities in the control group continued to trade at $0.01 increments.

Results of the Tick Size Pilot

While it was merely a test, some retail brokers and traders criticized the study, arguing that a move to $0.05 tick sizes benefited market makers by potentially raising trading margins at the expense of individual investors. A white paper on the plan, Tick Size Pilot Plan and Market Quality, released in January 2018, found that stocks in the test groups experienced an increase in spreads and volatility and a decrease in price efficiency, relative to stocks in the control group.

The exchanges and FINRA submitted to the SEC a publicly available joint assessment of the impact of the Tick Size Pilot in July 2018.

Pips and Forex Quotes

Pips are the equivalent of 1/100, one basis point, or 0.01%. The foreign exchange (forex) market uses a four-decimal quoting convention utilizing pips for the tick size.

For example, the EUR/USD may have a 1.1257 bid. Some forex brokers also offer fractional pip pricing, which is to the fifth decimal place. For example, the above quote could be further specified as 1.12573. There are 10 factional pips to a whole pip, representing 1/10 the value of a full pip. The value of a pip varies based on the currency pair being traded.
A growing number of electricity transmission projects are in the works to help North Dakota address its expanding energy demands.

The North Dakota Transmission Authority, the group tasked by the Industrial Commission to facilitate transmission infrastructure in the state, published its annual report earlier this month.

Much of the rise in demand has come from oil and gas development in western North Dakota, according to the report. Pumping oil out of the ground has high energy requirements, as does the processing of natural gas which is mostly a byproduct of oil in North Dakota.

Transmission typically is always lagging but thats usually not such a large problem except in an area like the Bakken where there is so much growth, said Transmission Authority Director Claire Vigesaa while addressing the Industrial Commission earlier this month.

Population growth in the west along with the related expansion of services and industries have also contributed to demand.

Its all of the above, but its driven by oil and gas, Vigesaa said.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative has two new transmission projects in the works to address the regions energy needs. One transmission line will travel from east of Lake Audubon to Tioga. Another stretches from Killdeer to Johnsons Corner in McKenzie County.

Those two lines will double the transmission capacity to the Bakken oil field area so that will be very helpful to bring more reliability and stability to that part of the state as well as providing room for growth and industry out there, Vigesaa said.

Basin Electric also has plans for another two power lines connecting the United States and Canada. Both are expected to be completed in 2027.

The demands these transmission lines plan to address are only expected to grow as outside companies eye the state for new energy intensive industrial projects such as carbon storage and cryptocurrency mining centers.

Rising demand in the west can cause grid congestion in other parts of the state, Vigesaa said.

Grid congestion is a phenomenon that occurs when there is not enough transmission infrastructure to deliver energy without going over capacity.

If you compared it to Interstate 94; if there were traffic problems in Valley City, a hold-up, that would impact traffic from Fargo to Bismarck, Vigesaa told the Tribune.

Population growth in the eastern part of the state also is fueling increased electricity demands.

North Dakota is growing all across, theres growth on both the east and the west, the west has just gotten a lot more attention maybe because of the dramatic increase from oil and gas, Vigesaa said.

Two new transmission lines are planned to reduce congestion in eastern North Dakota. One will be built from Jamestown to Ellendale. It is a partnership between Otter Tail Power Company and Montana-Dakota Utilities connecting two of their substations. Another Otter Tail project that runs from South Dakota to Minnesota also will improve reliability issues for eastern North Dakota, the report says.

More transmission projects effecting the state have been planned. Beyond new projects, there are also efforts to update aging infrastructure which should also increase capacity, according to the report.
What Is Behavioral Economics?bed liners for pickup trucks utah

Behavioral Economics is the study of psychology as it relates to the economic decision-making processes of individuals and institutions. The two most important questions in this field are:

1. Are economists' assumptions of utility or profit maximization good approximations of real people's behavior?

2. Do individuals maximize subjective expected utility?

Behavioral economics is often related with normative economics.

Understanding Behavioral Economics

In an ideal world, people would always make optimal decisions that provide them with the greatest benefit and satisfaction. In economics, rational choice theory states that when humans are presented with various options under the conditions of scarcity, they would choose the option that maximizes their individual satisfaction. This theory assumes that people, given their preferences and constraints, are capable of making rational decisions by effectively weighing the costs and benefits of each option available to them. The final decision made will be the best choice for the individual. The rational person has self-control and is unmoved by emotions and external factors and, hence, knows what is best for himself. Alas behavioral economics explains that humans are not rational and are incapable of making good decisions.

Click Play to Learn What Behavioral Economics Is

1:42

Behavioral economics draws on psychology and economics to explore why people sometimes make irrational decisions, and why and how their behavior does not follow the predictions of economic models. Decisions such as how much to pay for a cup of coffee, whether to go to graduate school, whether to pursue a healthy lifestyle, how much to contribute towards retirement, etc. are the sorts of decisions that most people make at some point in their lives. Behavioral economics seeks to explain why an individual decided to go for choice A, instead of choice B.

Because humans are emotional and easily distracted beings, they make decisions that are not in their self-interest. For example, according to the rational choice theory, if Charles wants to lose weight and is equipped with information about the number of calories available in each edible product, he will opt only for the food products with minimal calories. Behavioral economics states that even if Charles wants to lose weight and sets his mind on eating healthy food going forward, his end behavior will be subject to cognitive bias, emotions, and social influences. If a commercial on TV advertises a brand of ice cream at an attractive price and quotes that all human beings need 2,000 calories a day to function effectively after all, the mouth-watering ice cream image, price, and seemingly valid statistics may lead Charles to fall into the sweet temptation and fall off of the weight loss bandwagon, showing his lack of self-control.

Applications

One application of behavioral economics is heuristics, which is the use of rules of thumb or mental shortcuts to make a quick decision. However, when the decision made leads to error, heuristics can lead to cognitive bias. Behavioral game theory, an emergent class of game theory, can also be applied to behavioral economics as game theory runs experiments and analyzes peoples decisions to make irrational choices. Another field in which behavioral economics can be applied to is behavioral finance, which seeks to explain why investors make rash decisions when trading in the capital markets.

Companies are increasingly incorporating behavioral economics to increase sales of their products. In 2007, the price of the 8GB iPhone was introduced for $600 and quickly reduced to $400. What if the intrinsic value of the phone was $400 anyway? If Apple introduced the phone for $400, the initial reaction to the price in the smartphone market might have been negative as the phone might be thought to be too pricey. But by introducing the phone at a higher price and bringing it down to $400, consumers believed they were getting a pretty good deal and sales surged for Apple. Also, consider a soap manufacturer who produces the same soap but markets them in two different packages to appeal to multiple target groups. One package advertises the soap for all soap users, the other for consumers with sensitive skin. The latter target would not have purchased the product if the package did not specify that the soap was for sensitive skin. They opt for the soap with the sensitive skin label even though its the exact same product in the general package.

As companies begin to understand that their consumers are irrational, an effective way to embed behavioral economics in the companys decision-making policies that concern its internal and external stakeholders may prove to be worthwhile if done properly.

Notable individuals in the study of behavioral economics are Nobel laureates Gary Becker (motives, consumer mistakes; 1992), Herbert Simon (bounded rationality; 1978), Daniel Kahneman (illusion of validity, anchoring bias; 2002), George Akerlof (procrastination; 2001), and Richard H. Thaler (nudging, 2017).
There are many words in English that despite having very similar sounds have completely different meanings. This can lead to confusion and usage problems for native and non-native speakers alike, and the words implicit vs. explicit are no exception to this.

These two words have almost opposite meanings but are regularly confused because of their similar sound. Since they do have such different meanings, you want to be sure youre using the right one. In this post, I want to go over the definitions of these words, explain their differences, and have you take a quiz on their meanings.

After reading this post, you wont ever again ask yourself the question, Is it explicit or implicit?

When to Use Implicit

The definition of implicit is, implied or understood though not plainly or directly expressed. Something is, therefore, implicit when it is not directly stated but is either suggested in the wording or necessary to effectuate the purpose. For example,

There is a morality implicit in his writings.

She implicitly said she likes white shoes by saying she likes all colors but tan.

In the first example, the writer may not have clearly or directly laid out a moral vision, but it is understood through the characters, their actions, and their experiences.

In the second example, the woman states that she likes all shoe colors but tan. While she doesnt directly say she likes white shoes, she implicitly does because white is not tan.

When to Use Explicit

The definition of explicit is, to fully and clearly express something, leaving nothing implied. Something is explicit when it is cleared stated and spelled out and there is no room for confusion, as in the writing of a contract or statute. For example,

The law was explicit in whose tax rates were to be raised.

He said explicitly, you will not attend that concert.

In both of these examples, the word explicit is used to demonstrate something that has been clearly and unambiguously expressed or stated. There is no room for doubt because everything is clearly and directly communicated.

This is what separates these two words. Something is implicit when it is implied but not directly stated. Something is explicit when it is directly stated and leaves no room for uncertainty.

Quiz and Sentence Examples

The speakers intentions were not made ______. The students found an ______ political statement in their teachers remarks. Let me be ______, I do not support this. We have not finalized the decision, but have an ______ agreement.

Display the answers below.

Tricks to Remember

Here is a handy trick to remember the difference between these words. Remember this and you wont ever fall short when thinking, Is it implicit or explicit?

A good way to keep explicit vs implicit apart is to remember that Implicit is an Implied or Indirect statement. Both of these start with the letter I.

Explicit starts with an E and is Spelled Out, so there is no confusion.

Summary

Implicit and explicit have near opposite meanings, so its important to remember their difference.

Implicit is indirectly stated or implied.

Explicit is directly stated and spelled out.



If you have any other questions about commonly misused English words, feel free to check out our other posts on affect/effect, principal/principle, and countless others.

Answers
Dario [ dah-ree-aw ]/ dri  / New Word List Save This lucky nugget casino loginWord! [ dah-ree-aw ]/ dri  /Save ThisWord!

nounRuben [roo-ven], /ruvn/, Felix Ruben Garcia Sarmiento, 18671916, Nicaraguan poet and diplomat.

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How to use Dario Dario/ (Spanish dario) / nounRuben (ruen), real name Felix Ruben Garcia Sarmiento. 18671916, Nicaraguan poet whose poetry includes Prosas Profanas (1896) 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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Definition of Tragic Flaw

Tragic flaw is super bowl 55 matchup oddsa literary device that represents a flaw or deficiency in character that results in the downfall of the hero in a tragic literary work. A tragic flaw is the principal defect in character or judgment that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero. Such a defect can be in the form of bias, limitation, or imperfection possessed by a character that affects their actions, motives, or abilities in a hindering or ruinous way. Tragic flaws allow writers to create characters that are complex and fully human, in addition to providing the reader with a deeper understanding of the impact of these defects.

In Greek tragedy, the literary device of tragic flaw is essential to the action of the work, its fatal disclosure, and destructive outcome. One of the most common tragic flaws exhibited by protagonists in Greek tragedies is Hubris, referring to a heros excessive pride or self-confidence. For example, in Oedipus The Kingby Sophocles, Oedipus demonstrates his hubris by ignoring several well-intentioned warnings by Tiresias, Creon, Jocasta, and the Herdsman in his effort to discover who murdered King Laius.

I thought it wrong, my children, to hear the truth from others, messengers. Here I am myselfyou all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus.

The excessive self-confidence and pride displayed by Oedipus in terms of his assertions that he is correct and the messengers are wrong, leads him to the truth that he has unknowingly killed his father and ultimately married his mother. As a result of the tragic flaw of Hubris, this tragic hero is brought to ruin and exile.

Classical Greek Interpretation of Tragic Flaw

The term tragic flaw is what Aristotle would have referred to as Hamartiain his work Poetics. Hamartiais derived from the Greek word meaning to err or to miss the mark. However, a tragic flaw is not as simple as a character that makes a mistake. Instead, this literary device refers to a tragic heros inherent defect or shortcoming. In tragic Greek drama, a tragic hero is created as a superior character that is initially favored by fortune. It is the tragic flaw of this hero that leads to actions that result in a downfall or reversal of fortune.

There is discrepancy as to whether the Classical Greek interpretation of tragic flaw encompasses errors of judgment, inherent defects in the protagonist, wrongdoings, or errors as a result of ignorance. Ultimately, a tragic flaw is a personality defect that leads to actions considered unworthy of a hero, which brings about their destruction in some way. As the Greek dramatists portray tragic flaw, tragic heroes inflict their own fates upon themselves. In other words, a characters fate is intertwined with inherent aspects of who they are and these personal characteristics determine the characters destiny.

Common Examples of Tragic Flaws

Many characters exhibit tragic flaws in both Greek and modern tragedies, including Hubris.Here are some common examples of other tragic flaws that a heroic character may possess, leading to their undoing:

selfishness

lack of judgment

misplaced trust

greed

indecision

self-doubt

anger

misplaced loyalty

extreme curiosity

defiance of gods, science, or nature

Modern Interpretation of Tragic Flaw

As a literary device, the modern interpretation of tragic flaw can be traced back to the tragedies of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare did incorporate many of the elements of Hamartiaas interpreted by the Greeks. However, in many of Shakespeares plays, the tragic hero is not established as a being superior to all others and favored by fortune. Instead, Shakespeares tragic heroes are more relatable to an audience in terms of their power and abilities. This is significant in the audiences understanding of more complex and humanized protagonists, which in turn leads to a greater understanding of the portrayal of tragic flaws.

This interpretation of tragic flaw as it is applied to more everyday characters has continued throughout literary movements into current literature. As a result, writers are able to showcase protagonists that are fully formed, and not all good or all bad, which enhances the readers relationship with the character and the literary work itself.

Common Examples of Shakespearean Characters with Tragic Flaws

Many of Shakespeares most well-known characters reflect tragic flaws that bring about their reversal of fortune, ruin, or even death. Here are some common examples of Shakespearean characters with tragic flaws:

Macbeth

Hamlet

Brutus

Romeo

Juliet

Othello

Julius Caesar

King Lear

Mark Antony

Coriolanus

Common Examples of Series Characters with Tragic Flaws

Many current series are centered around a modern tragic hero with tragic flaws. This appeals widely to audiences who enjoy the complicated situations in which these characters find themselves and their dramatic decisions that are often motivated by a flaw or defect in their character. Here are some common examples of series characters with tragic flaws:

Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)

Anne Montgomery (What/If)

Don Draper (Mad Men)

Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Beth Harmon (The Queens Gambit)

Marty Byrde (Ozark)

Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision)

Jimmy McNulty (The Wire)

Jonathan Fraser (The Undoing)

Claire Underwood (House of Cards)

Examples of Tragic Flaw in Literature

Through the use of tragic flaw as a literary device, writers are able to create memorable characters and narratives for their readers. The presence of a tragic flaw in a heros character allows them to be relatable and fully realized. In turn, this can create connections to characters and empathy for them on behalf of readers.

Here are some examples of tragic flaw in characters of well-known works of literature:

Example 1: Macbeth(William Shakespeare)

I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itself and falls on th other.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeares most famous tragic plays. The title character, Macbeth, is a tragic hero and clearly demonstrates a tragic flaw which is ambition. What makes Macbeths character complex and intricate for the audience/reader is that, at the start of the play, he does not appear to be motivated by or prepossessed with ambition. In fact, this passage illustrates Macbeths lack of motivation with no spur to prick the sides of my intent, and indicates that the only factor driving his thinking and behavior at this point is ambition.

Therefore, initially, Macbeth reveals to the audience/reader that he understands how ambition can result in hasty decisions and mistakes. Though Macbeth succumbs to his tragic flaw, his character is more fully developed by the fact that Shakespeare reveals that Macbeth possesses a level of insight early in the narrative regarding ambition that could have preempted his violent actions and consequential ruin.

Example 2: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Washington Irving)

He could not help, too, rolling his large eyes round him as he ate, and chuckling with the possibility that he might one day be lord of all this scene of almost unimaginable luxury and splendor. Then, he thought, how soon hed turn his back upon the old school-house; snap his fingers in the face of Hans Van Ripper, and every other stingy patron, and kick any itinerant pedagogue out of doors that should dare to call him comrade!

Irvings legend is a well-known American story about a superstitious schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane who decides to pursue the daughter of a wealthy farmer in the town where he has relocated. Ichabod is not the only suitor interested in Katrina Van Tassel, and he becomes a rival of Brom Bones. However, Ichabod is a tragic hero due to his fixation with superstition and the greedy idea that his marriage to Katrina will allow him to inherit her fathers great wealth. Ichabods proposal to Katrina fails at a harvest party, and, on his way back to his quarters, Ichabods superstition and imagination are preoccupied with the ghostly legends Brom has told at the party. This results in Ichabods sighting of the infamous headless horseman, after which Ichabod disappears and is not heard from again.

Most readers focus on Ichabods superstitious nature as the primary flaw that results in the characters undoing. However, Ichabods greed is perhaps his primary and most fatal tragic flaw. This defect in Ichabods character is what sets in motion his actions of pursuing Katrina, simply because of her fathers wealth, and incurring the anger of Brom Bones who then undermines Ichabod with pranks and stories that prey on his superstition. Had Ichabods character been flawed by superstition alone, his outcome may have been different. Instead, Ichabod is motivated by his greed which results in his tragic downfall.

Example 3: Frankenstein(Mary Shelley)

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be his world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.

In her well-known novel, Mary Shelley presents the story of Victor Frankenstein, a gifted scientist, who decides to create a perfect being and give it life. When Frankenstein realizes that his creation is not the perfect specimen he imagined and intended but is instead a hideous creature, Frankenstein rejects his creation and forces it into human exile. The Monster then exacts revenge and ultimately destroys his creators life.

In this passage, the Monster describes its perception of Frankensteins tragic flaw, which is hubris in the form of ambition and desire for knowledge and scientific power over nature. The Monster is correct in pointing out this defect in Frankensteins character. However, Frankenstein suffers from an even greater tragic flaw, which is lack of responsibility and empathy for what he has created. Had Frankenstein any empathy for the Monster or shown any responsibility for its care, his fate may not have been so tragic and violent.

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What Is Economics?rainbow riches free demo

Economics is a social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, and analyzes the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and nations make to allocate resources.

Key Takeaways

Economics is the study of how people allocate scarce resources for production, distribution, and consumption, both individually and collectively.

The two branches of economics are microeconomics and macroeconomics.

Economics focuses on efficiency in production and exchange.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) are widely used economic indicators.





Zoe Hansen / Investopedia

Understanding Economics

Assuming humans have unlimited wants within a world of limited means, economists analyze how resources are allocated for production, distribution, and consumption.

The study of microeconomics focuses on the choices of individuals and businesses, and macroeconomics concentrates on the behavior of the economy as a whole, on an aggregate level.

One of the earliest recorded economists was the 8th-century B.C. Greek farmer and poet Hesiod who wrote that labor, materials, and time needed to be allocated efficiently to overcome scarcity. The publication of Adam Smith's 1776 book, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations sparked the beginning of the current Western contemporary economic theories.

Microeconomics

Microeconomics studies how individual consumers and firms make decisions to allocate resources. Whether a single person, a household, or a business, economists may analyze how these entities respond to changes in price and why they demand what they do at particular price levels.

Microeconomics analyzes how and why goods are valued differently, how individuals make financial decisions, and how they trade, coordinate, and cooperate.

Within the dynamics of supply and demand, the costs of producing goods and services, and how labor is divided and allocated, microeconomics studies how businesses are organized and how individuals approach uncertainty and risk in their decision-making.

Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics is the branch of economics that studies the behavior and performance of an economy as a whole. Its primary focus is the recurrent economic cycles and broad economic growth and development.

It focuses on foreign trade, government fiscal and monetary policy, unemployment rates, the level of inflation, interest rates, the growth of total production output, and business cycles that result in expansions, booms, recessions, and depressions.

Using aggregate indicators, economists use macroeconomic models to help formulate economic policies and strategies.



What Is the Role of an Economist?

An economist studies the relationship between a society's resources and its production or output, and their opinions help shape economic policies related to interest rates, tax laws, employment programs, international trade agreements, and corporate strategies.

Economists analyze economic indicators, such as gross domestic product and the consumer price index to identify potential trends or make economic forecasts.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 36% of all economists in the United States work for a federal or state agency. Economists are also employed as professors, by corporations, or as part of economic think tanks.

What Are Economic Indicators?

Economic indicators detail a country's economic performance. Published periodically by governmental agencies or private organizations, economic indicators often have a considerable effect on stocks, employment, and international markets, and often predict future economic conditions that will move markets and guide investment decisions.

Gross domestic product (GDP)

The gross domestic product (GDP) is considered the broadest measure of a country's economic performance. It calculates the total market value of all finished goods and services produced in a country in a given year. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) also issues a regular report during the latter part of each month. Many investors, analysts, and traders focus on the advance GDP report and the preliminary report, both issued before the final GDP figures because the GDP is considered a lagging indicator, meaning it can confirm a trend but can't predict a trend.

GDPNow

The GDPNow forecasting model, used by the Federal Reserve, provides a "nowcast" of the official estimate before its release by estimating GDP growth using a methodology similar to the one used by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Retail sales

Reported by the Department of Commerce (DOC) during the middle of each month, the retail sales report is very closely watched and measures the total receipts, or dollar value, of all merchandise sold in stores. Sampling retailers across the country acts as a proxy of consumer spending levels. Consumer spending represents more than two-thirds of GDP, proving useful to gauge the economy's general direction.

Industrial production

The industrial production report, released monthly by the Federal Reserve, reports changes in the production of factories, mines, and utilities in the U.S. One measure included in this report is the capacity utilization ratio, which estimates the portion of productive capacity that is being used rather than standing idle in the economy. Capacity utilization in the range of 82% to 85% is considered "tight" and can increase the likelihood of price increases or supply shortages in the near term. Levels below 80% are interpreted as showing "slack" in the economy, which may increase the likelihood of a recession.

Employment Data

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases employment data in a report called the nonfarm payrolls on the first Friday of each month. Sharp increases in employment indicate prosperous economic growth and potential contractions may be imminent if significant decreases occur. These are generalizations and it is important to consider the current position of the economy.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI), also issued by the BLS, measures the level of retail price changes, and the costs that consumers pay, and is the benchmark for measuring inflation. Using a basket that is representative of the goods and services in the economy, the CPI compares the price changes month after month and year after year. This report is an important economic indicator and its release can increase volatility in equity, fixed income, and forex markets. Greater-than-expected price increases are considered a sign of inflation, which will likely cause the underlying currency to depreciate.

Economic Systems

Five economic systems illustrate historical practices used to allocate resources to meet the needs of the individual and society.

Primitivism

In primitive agrarian societies, individuals produced necessities from building dwellings, growing crops, and hunting game at the household or tribal level.

Feudalism

A political and economic system of Europe from the 9th to 15th century, feudalism was defined by the lords who held land and leased it to peasants for production, who received a promise of safety and security from the lord.



Capitalism

With the advent of the industrial revolution, capitalism emerged and is defined as a system of production where business owners organize resources including tools, workers, and raw materials to produce goods for market consumption and earn profits. Supply and demand set prices in markets in a way that can serve the best interests of society.

Socialism

Socialism is a form of a cooperative production economy. Economic socialism is a system of production where there is limited or hybrid private ownership of the means of production. Prices, profits, and losses are not the determining factors used to establish who engages in the production, what to produce and how to produce it.



Communism

Communism holds that all economic activity is centralized through the coordination of state-sponsored central planners with common ownership of production and distribution.

Schools of Economic Theory

Many economic theories have evolved as societies and markets have grown and changed. However, three disciplines of economics, neoclassical, Keynesian, and Marxian, have influenced modern society.

The principles of neoclassical economics are often used as a framework to illustrate the virtues of capitalism, including the tendency of market prices to reach equilibrium as the volume of supply and demand changes. The optimal valuation of resources emerges from the forces of individual desire and scarcity.

John Maynard Keynes developed the theory of Keynesian economics during the Great Depression. Arguing against neoclassical theory, Keynes showed that the restrained markets and government intervention in markets create a stable and equitable economic system and advocated for a monetary policy designed to boost demand and investor confidence during economic downturns.

Marxian economics is defined in Karl Marx's work Das Kapital. Marxian economics is a rejection of the classical view of economics arguing against the idea that the free market, an economic system determined by supply and demand with little or no government control, benefits society. He espoused that capitalism only benefits a select few and that the ruling class becomes richer by extracting value out of cheap labor provided by the working class.



What Is a Command Economy?

A command economy is an economy in which production, investment, prices, and incomes are determined centrally by a government. A communist society has a command economy.





What Is Behavioral Economics?

Behavioral economics combines psychology, judgment, decision-making, and economics to understand human behavior.

Who Has Influenced the Study of Economics in the 21st Century?

Since 2000, several economists have won the Nobel Prize in economics, including David Card for his contributions to labor economics, Angus Deaton for his study of consumption, poverty, and welfare, and Paul Krugman for his analysis of trade patterns.
Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Left-wing former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,has narrowly defeated incumbent right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and won Brazil's presidential election on Sunday. His victory leads a growing left-wing tide in Latin America toward a new peak, marking a fundamental change in the political landscape across the continent.At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the left-wing forces of more than ten countries in Latin America successively won elections. Some observers refer to the phenomenon as Latin America's collective "left turn" and "pink tide." At that time, Lula was a left leaning moderate. Lula's administration encouraged people to participate in politics, reconciled economic growth with an increase in social spending and public investment in critical sectors of the economy, introduced regulations for the domestic workforce , providing them with social assistance and higher wages, promoted social justice by expanding employment and proactively participated in the formulation of international rules His government had handed over an answer sheet that satisfies the Brazilian people, who call Lula "the best president Brazil has ever had."However, since the 2015 Argentine general election, left-wing forces in many Latin American countries have lost in the elections, and the argument of "the end of the Latin American left wing" has been rampant. But only three years later, the left has begun to emerge again, starting with the 2018 elections in Mexico, Venezuela, and Costa Rica, and the elections in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Nicaragua, Colombia and other countries. Up to now, about two-thirds of Latin American countries have elected leftist governments.In terms of geopolitics, the US views Latin America as its sphere of influence, and its influence on Latin America can be described as ubiquitous. In the 1980s, it used Latin America as a "testing ground" to promote neoliberalism. To be the alternative to neoliberalism was the driving force for the last round of wave of leftism in Latin America. They made significant achievements in promoting the integration process in Latin America and weakening the influence of the US, accumulating experience for resistance to US hegemony. The failure of neoliberalism and the negative consequences remain the fundamental motive for the formation of the current wave of leftism.The governance deficits caused by the development model that the US has been promoting in Latin America have been magnified by COVID-19 pandemic, leading to people's unprecedented level of dissatisfaction with liberal democratic institutions. In Chile, one of the first countries to initiate reforms with some success, the government considered renegotiating the free trade agreements and sought to join Mercosur as a full member in response to the public outcry.The domestic crisis in the US and its hegemony over Latin America are the main external forces fueling the left-wing backlash. COVID-19 has exposed the weakness of the American liberal democracy. The inefficiency and disorder of the response to the epidemic exposed the inherent crisis and flaws of the capitalist development model. This has further strengthened the determination of the Latin American to explore the possibility of a non-Western path.The left-wing wave in Latin America highlights the weakening of US global leadership and the decline of its control over Latin America. The Sao Paulo Forum and the World Social Forum have provided a platform for the left-wing, anti-neoliberal forces in Latin America and the world. Lula's victory may significantly advance the process of the Latin American left-wing cooperation to explore a new alternative international order.The author is a researcher at Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee. [email protected]
Pos dreams came true. He became the Dragon Warrior to protect the Valley of Peace with his jackpot block party slot machine online freefriends: Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But this topissime life is threatened by a new enemy, Lord Shen, a wicked peacock decided to conquer China and destroy the kung-fu using a secret weapon and indestructible barrel. How can Po and his friends triumph over a weapon more powerful than the kung-fu?

Presented in preview at Cannes last month, the second episode of the adventures of Po the Kung-fu Panda, unwittingly illustrated one of the major themes of the Festival 2011: the family and the father-son relationship.

In this new animated film, whose implementation was entrusted to a woman (Jennifer Yuh, co-writer of the first episode), Po finds a childhood trauma came from that prevents it from effectively fighting the minions of the Lord Shen. His family was massacred by the evil peacock, which was predicted that a panda would prevent him from reigning over all of China. Only Po, still a baby, had escaped the massacre before being adopted by Mr. Ping, the restorer of the village.

KUNG FU PANDA 2added by chinatimesonline on

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Creating a simple greeting card in Microsoft Publisher is easy to do, especially if you use one of the included templates as a starting point. Customize the design to reflect your preferences and the personality of the person you're giving the card to.

Instructions in this article apply to Publisher for Microsoft 365, Publisher 2019, Publisher 2016, Publisher 2013, and Publisher 2010.

Choose a Greeting Card Template

The quickest way to create a greeting card is to start with one of the built-in greeting card templates in Publisher.

Go to the Filemenu and choose New to see the template categories. Select Greeting Cards. To find something specific, enter your query in the Searchbox. In Publisher 2010, click the Available Templatesdrop-down arrow and choose Installed Templates. The Greeting Cardscategory contains subcategories such as Birthday, Holidays, Thank You, and blank cards. Choose a template or select a folder to view all templates in that category. Select the Color schemedrop-down arrow and choose a color combination. The preview image shows the change in template elements. Some graphics retain their original colors while decorative elements, shapes, and text change to match the selected color scheme. When you select a color scheme, that color scheme is applied to every template (even after closing and restarting Publisher). To display the original colors, select the Color schemedrop-down arrow and choose default template colors. Select the Font schemedrop-down arrow to change the look of the text. Select the Page sizedrop-down arrow to change the card size and orientation. Select the Layout drop-down arrow to change the look and position of graphics and images. There isn't a default layout. When a new layout is selected, the templates stay in that layout. To return to the default view, close and restart Publisher. Select Create to open the template in Publisher.

Create Your Card

After you select a template (with or without modifications) and create the basic card, the first page of the card opens in the main viewing area. To view other pages, select the page thumbnail in the Pages navigation pane.

Now it's time to customize the card. Edit the text so that the card says exactly what you want, add or replace images, and make other changes to add your own touch of creativity.

To make changes to the card:

To replace the text, select a text box and enter the new text. To make font and color changes to selected text, go to the Home tab and select a different font, font size, font color, or style. To change the look of selected shapes, go to Drawing ToolsFormat to add a fill color, outline, or effect to a shape. To change the look of a selected text box, go to Text Box Tools Formatto apply a WordArt style, emboss the text, change the font, or change the color. To change the global colors or fonts, go to Page Design and change the template, orientation, or color scheme. Color and font changes within the Page Design tab affect the entire document. You can use preset schemes or create your own.

Use the Design Checker

Before printing a document, run the Design Checkerto look for problems so you can fix them in advance. To run Design Checker, go to File > Infoand choose Design Checker.

In this example, Design Checker warns that the graphic is partially off the page. The graphic is designed to print on the back of the card, which is on the same side of the sheet of paper, so it won't be an issue.

Print Your Card

To choose print options and preview the document, go to File > Printto specify the paper size, the number of copies, and other printing options.
What Is a Performance Bond?toca world nft games in binance

A performance bond is a financial guarantee to one party in a contract against the failure of the other party to meet its obligations. It is also referred to as a contract bond. A performance bond is usually provided by a bank or an insurance company to make sure a contractor completes designated projects.

Key Takeaways

A performance bond is issued to one party of a contract as a guarantee against the failure of the other party to meet the obligations of the contract.

A performance bond is usually issued by a bank or an insurance company.

Performance bonds can also be used in commodity trades as a guarantee of delivery.

In commodity markets, a seller is asked to provide a performance bond to reassure the buyer if the commodity being sold is not delivered.

Click Play to Learn How Performance Bonds Work

Understanding Performance Bonds

1:10

A performance bond is a financial guarantee that the terms of a contract will be honored. If one party to a contract cannot complete their obligations, the bond is paid out to the other party to compensate for their damages or costs.

The Miller Act instituted the requirement of placing performance bonds. The Act covers all public work contracts $100,000 and above. These bonds are also required for private sectors that necessitate the use of general contractors for their company's operations.

Jobs that require payment and performance bonds go through job or project bidding first. As soon as the job or project is awarded to the winning bidder, payment and performance bonds are provided as a guarantee for the completion of the project.

Performance bonds are common in construction and real estate development. In such situations, an owner or investor may require the developer to assure that contractors or project managers procure performance bonds, in order to guarantee that the value of the work will not be lost in the case of an unforeseen negative event.

Parties to a Performance Bond

A performance bond is an agreement between three parties, as explained below.

The principal (usually a contractor), is the person or company who is providing a service.

(usually a contractor), is the person or company who is providing a service. The obligee is the party that is paying the principal to perform certain work.

is the party that is paying the principal to perform certain work. Thesuretyis the party that provides a performance bond to guarantee that the principal will complete their work. In the event of a partial or total failure by the principal. the surety will pay any additional costs for completion, up to the limits of the performance bond.

Performance bonds are also used in commodity contracts.

Protecting Parties

Performance bonds are provided to protect parties from concerns such as contractors being insolvent before finishing the contract. When this happens, the compensation provided for the party that issued the performance bond may be able to overcome financial difficulties and other damages caused by the insolvency of the contractor.

A payment bond and a performance bond work hand in hand. A payment bond guarantees a party pays all entities, such as subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers, involved in a particular project when the project is completed. A performance bond ensures the completion of a project. Setting these two together provides the proper incentives for laborers to provide a quality finish for the client.

Commodity Contracts

Performance bonds are also used in commodity contracts, where a seller is asked to provide a bond to reassure the buyer that if the commodity being sold is not in fact delivered, the buyer will at least receive compensation for lost costs.

The issuance of a performance bond protects a party from monetary losses due to failed or incomplete projects. For example, a client issues a contractor a performance bond. If the contractor is not able to follow the agreed specifications in constructing the building, the client is given monetary compensation for the losses and damages the contractor may have caused.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Performance Bond

Performance bonds protect the contracting party in the event that their contractor may become insolvent or otherwise unable to meet the terms of a contract. If the costs of completing the project overrun their projections, the obligee will not be responsible for the additional expenses. This reduces the risk for developers or other companies when they engage in large-scale construction projects.

However, there are some risks to consider. The surety may attempt to argue that the obligee did not comply with all the requirements of the bond in order to deny payment. Or, they may try to get the obligee to settle on a lesser amount.

Moreover, it is up to the obligee to calculate the financial cost of a failure by the contractor. If the obligee underestimates the cost of non-performance, they will have to absorb those extra costs on their own.

Pros and Cons of a Performance Bond

Protects an obligee from additional costs if work is not completed.

Reduces the risk for developers in construction and other large projects.

Bond issuers may attempt to deny payment.

If the obligee underestimates the cost of non-performance, they will have to absorb these extra costs on their own.

Performance bonds add an additional cost to the contractor that may be passed on to the obligee.

How to Get a Performance Bond

ProsCons

In order to get a performance bond, contractors need to apply to a surety for a letter of bondability. This non-binding letter states the monetary limits that the surety would be willing to provide to bond the contractor, based on factors like the contractor's experience and creditworthiness, and the size of the proposed project(s).

The bondability letter also confirms that the surety is registered and licensed in the state where the work will be performed, and provides contact information. Although this letter is not legally binding, it is a useful way of demonstrating a contractor's qualifications before they have to spend any money.

In order to become fully bonded, the contractor must provide certain financial information to the surety in order to underwrite the bond. This will depend on the amount being bonded: Smaller projects might require only good credit and a clean license history, while larger projects may require financial statements, balance sheets, and several years of tax returns. The contractor will also pay the company to provide surety, usually a small percentage of the bond amount.

Example of a Performance Bond

Suppose a hypothetical developer is looking for a contractor to construct a new apartment building. Because of the size of the project, they will require their contractor to be bonded. This provides the developer with protection if the contractor fails to meet the requirements of their contract.

The contractor will engage with a bond provider, or surety, to provide a performance bond for that project. In order to get a performance bond, the contractor agrees to pay the surety a small percentage of the total bond amount, usually between 1% and 4%. In exchange, the surety promises to pay up to the agreed bond amount if the contractor fails to deliver on its obligations.



If the contractor does fail to deliver, the developer can file a claim with the surety for damages equal to their losses, up to the value of the performance bond. The surety then investigates to determine the extent of the losses.

Industries That Use Performance Bonds

Usually, performance bonds are provided in the real estate industry. These bonds are heavily used in real property construction and development. They protect real property owners and investors from low-quality work that may be caused by unfortunate events, such as bankruptcy or insolvency of the contractor.

Performance bonds are also useful in other industries. The buyer of a commodity may ask a seller to provide a performance bond. This protects the buyer from any risk that the seller is unable to deliver the commodity, for any kind of reason. If the commodity is not delivered, the buyer receives compensation for losses and damages caused by the non-completion of the transaction.

How Much Does a Performance Bond Cost?

The cost of a performance bond depends on a variety of factors, such as the size of the project, the creditworthiness of the contractor, their license history, and the overall financial strength of the bonding party. In general, the rate usually ranges between 1.5% and 3.5% of the total value of the performance bond.

What Is a Payment Bond?

A payment bond is similar to a performance bond, but it is used to guarantee payment to the contractors and subcontractors in the event that the principal becomes insolvent or otherwise unable to pay.

How Long Does a Performance Bond Last?

The time limit for claiming a performance bond will be spelled out in the bond contract. However, most performance bonds have a duration of twelve months, with some lasting for 36 months. In addition, your bond may be renewable or non-renewable.

The Bottom Line

Performance bonds are used to ensure satisfactory completion of contracted work. If a contractor is unable to deliver on their obligations, a performance bond allows the paying party to cover any additional costs due to their failure to deliver. These bonds are usually used for large construction or government projects that might take a long time to complete.
What Is the Capital Market Line (CML)?casino extreme no deposit bonus may 2022

The capital market line (CML) represents portfolios that optimally combine risk and return. It is a theoretical concept that represents all the portfolios that optimally combine the risk-free rate of return and the market portfolio of risky assets. Under the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), all investors will choose a position on the capital market line, in equilibrium, by borrowing or lending at the risk-free rate, since this maximizes return for a given level of risk.

Key Takeaways

The capital market line (CML) represents portfolios that optimally combine risk and return.

CML is a special case of the capital allocation line (CAL) where the risk portfolio is the market portfolio. Thus, the slope of the CML is the Sharpe ratio of the market portfolio.

The intercept point of CML and efficient frontier would result in the most efficient portfolio called the tangency portfolio.

As a generalization, buy assets if Sharpe ratio is above CML and sell if Sharpe ratio is below CML.

Capital Market Line

Formula and Calculation of the Capital Market Line (CML)

1:21

Calculating the capital market line is done as follows:



R p = r f + R T  r f  T  p where: R p = portfolio return r f = risk free rate R T = market return  T = standard deviation of market returns  p = standard deviation of portfolio returns \begin{ aligned} &R_p = r_f + \frac { R_T - r_f }{ \sigma_T } \sigma_p \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &R_p = \text{ portfolio return} \\ &r_f = \text{ risk free rate} \\ &R_T = \text{ market return} \\ &\sigma_T = \text{ standard deviation of market returns} \\ &\sigma_p = \text{ standard deviation of portfolio returns} \\ \end{ aligned} Rp=rf+TRTrfpwhere:Rp=portfolio returnrf=risk free rateRT=market returnT=standard deviation of market returnsp=standard deviation of portfolio returns

What the CML Can Tell You

Portfolios that fall on the capital market line (CML), in theory, optimize the risk/return relationship, thereby maximizing performance. The capital allocation line (CAL) makes up the allotment of risk-free assets and risky portfolios for an investor.

CML is a special case of the CAL where the risk portfolio is the market portfolio. Thus, the slope of the CML is the Sharpe ratio of the market portfolio. As a generalization, buy assets if the Sharpe ratio is above the CML and sell if the Sharpe ratio is below the CML.



CML differs from the more popular efficient frontier in that it includes risk-free investments. The intercept point of CML and efficient frontier would result in the most efficient portfolio, called the tangency portfolio.

Mean-variance analysis was pioneered by Harry Markowitz and James Tobin. The efficient frontier of optimal portfolios was identified by Markowitz in 1952, and James Tobin included the risk-free rate to modern portfolio theory in 1958. William Sharpe then developed the CAPM in the 1960s, and won a Nobel prize for his work in 1990, along with Markowitz and Merton Miller.

The CAPM is the line that connects the risk-free rate of return with the tangency point on the efficient frontier of optimal portfolios that offer the highest expected return for a defined level of risk, or the lowest risk for a given level of expected return.

The portfolios with the best trade-off between expected returns and variance (risk) lie on this line. The tangency point is the optimal portfolio of risky assets, known as the market portfolio. Under the assumptions of mean-variance analysisthat investors seek to maximize their expected return for a given amount of variance risk, and that there is a risk-free rate of returnall investors will select portfolios that lie on the CML.

According to Tobin's separation theorem, finding the market portfolio and the best combination of that market portfolio and the risk-free asset are separate problems. Individual investors will either hold just the risk-free asset or some combination of the risk-free asset and the market portfolio, depending on their risk-aversion.

As an investor moves up the CML, the overall portfolio risk and returns increase. Risk-averse investors will select portfolios close to the risk-free asset, preferring low variance to higher returns. Less risk-averse investors will prefer portfolios higher up on the CML, with a higher expected return, but more variance. By borrowing funds at a risk-free rate, they can also invest more than 100% of their investable funds in the risky market portfolio, increasing both the expected return and the risk beyond that offered by the market portfolio.

Capital Market Line vs. Security Market Line

The CML is sometimes confused with the security market line (SML). The SML is derived from the CML. While the CML shows the rates of return for a specific portfolio, the SML represents the markets risk and return at a given time, and shows the expected returns of individual assets. And while the measure of risk in the CML is the standard deviation of returns (total risk), the risk measure in the SML is systematic risk or beta.

Securities that are fairly priced will plot on the CML and the SML. Securities that plot above the CML or the SML are generating returns that are too high for the given risk and are underpriced. Securities that plot below CML or the SML are generating returns that are too low for the given risk and are overpriced.

Why Is the Capital Market Line Important?

Portfolios that fall on the capital market line (CML), in theory, optimize the risk/return relationship, thereby maximizing performance. So, the slope of the CML is the Sharpe ratio of the market portfolio. As a generalization, investors should look to buy assets if the Sharpe ratio is above the CML and sell if the Sharpe ratio is below the CML.

How Is Capital Allocation Line (CAL) Related to CML?

The capital allocation line (CAL) makes up the allotment of risk-free assets and risky portfolios for an investor. CML is a special case of the CAL where the risk portfolio is the market portfolio. As an investor moves up the CML, the overall portfolio risk and returns increase. Risk-averse investors will select portfolios close to the risk-free asset, preferring low variance to higher returns. Less risk-averse investors will prefer portfolios higher up on the CML, with a higher expected return, but more variance.

Are CML and Efficient Frontier the Same?

CML differs from the more popular efficient frontier in that it includes risk-free investments. The efficient frontier is made up of investment portfolios that offer the highest expected return for a specific level of risk. The intercept point of CML and efficient frontier would result in the most efficient portfolio, called the tangency portfolio.

Are CML and Security Market Line (SML) the Same?

The CML is sometimes confused with the security market line (SML). The SML is derived from the CML. While the CML shows the rates of return for a specific portfolio, the SML represents the markets risk and return at a given time, and shows the expected returns of individual assets. And while the measure of risk in the CML is the standard deviation of returns (total risk), the risk measure in the SML is systematic risk or beta.
A stripmall Taekwondo instructor is off to jail after being caught surreptitiously filming kids in changing rooms. Erik Chen, 32, received a 50-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections from a Douglas County judge on Friday. Complaints from the youngsters in his care led investigators to his computer, where they found "hundreds of thousands of images of child pornography."

Among the pornographic material seized from his home were more than a half dozen videos which investigators determined were recorded in local bathrooms and locker rooms where both boys and girls were changing clothes. Chen, in fact, was seen in some of the videos setting up the phone to record, according to the press release.

The District Attorney's press release offers more details of the crime and how Chen was caughtthanks, largely, to the vigilance and courage of his targets. "By coming forward, these young girls likely saved many others from being victimized by this defendant," District Attorney John Kellner said.
nyspins free spins mega joker demoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dateless [ deyt-lis ]/ det ls / New Word List Save This Word!See datelessFirst recorded in 158595; date1+ -less Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ deyt-lis ]/ det ls /Save This Word!See datelessFirst recorded in 158595; date+ -less

Words nearby dateless

Words related to dateless dateless/ (detls) / adjectivelikely to remain fashionable, relevant, or interesting regardless of age; timelesshaving no date or limit 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

datcha, date, datebook, dated, Datel, dateless, dateline, date mussel, date night, date of record, date palmDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Greg Gutfeld: Let's check in on Elon Musk

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Greg Gutfeld and his guests weigh in on Elon Musk's Twitter takeover and the downfall of FTX on 'Gutfeld!'

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Happy Tuesday, everyone. You know, I have to say, this is the best looking audience we have had so far. Yummy. There's more tens than in the Christmas cards I give my staff. They smile so much when they open it. But you people at home can't see this audience. But trust me, it's like looking at a sea of Larry Kudlow's. The only man who can make sock garters sexy.

But speaking of rich people, let's check in on Elon Musk, who may just be the best tweeter since Trump. It began Sunday with Musk tweeting about Twitter being super slow in other countries. That's when a Twitter engineer called out the Musk tweet, adding, quote, "I have spent six years working on Twitter. I could say this is wrong." When someone pointed out you probably shouldn't call out your boss publicly, he kept going. And that's when Musk hit back, "He's fired."

Well, now, if you don't find that hilarious, then you're not my friend and you've never fired anyone who really deserves it. It's why I had a trap door installed in my office and hired a contractor who could keep a secret. But if I tweeted about how I run this show, I'd probably be arrested, possibly for murder. If you guys had any idea what I spent on bleach and rope alone last month, and that's just on the interns who made eye contact.

GREG GUTFELD: RECREATIONAL DRUG USE IN US IS LIKE RUSSIAN ROULETTE

But for Musk, it only gets better. On Sunday, he announced plans to end free lunches at Twitter headquarters, saying the meals cost the company 13 million bucks a year. That's still $2 million less than "The View" spends on feeding Joy Behar. Hey, they don't like Joy. The problem was no one was coming to the office, and that was driving up the cost. They were throwing food away like it had been cooked by Kat.

But Musk making a sound business call made him even more evil. One Democrat activist wrote, quote, "He fired three fourths of the employees. Now he's planning to starve the rest of them." Yeah, yeah. They're all going to die because their bosses won't cover their sushi. What lame-o's? Here's a tip. You want a free lunch? Then, brown bag it, you losers. It's what my staff does. It's great. I just take a bite from each one of their sandwiches. I haven't bought a lunch in years. They all got hepatitis.

And what does Elon know about business, anyway? I mean, he's just the world's richest man. Unlike some unemployed 32-year old activist moaning on Twitter about food. The bottom line, it's great watching someone run a company with full transparency. He does everything with the door open. Like when Doocy uses the bathroom on the plane. Even more, Musk is willing to ask seemingly obvious questions that no one ever had the guts to ask. Does that remind you of anyone? Yeah. When Trump was in charge, he would question everything from trade with China to the water pressure of showers.

[VIDEO]

DONALD TRUMP:But how about the shower? You go into a shower and I have this beautiful head of hair. You turn on the water. Drip, drip, drip. And the water comes dripping out, just dripping out very quietly. So what do you do? You just stand there longer. You take a shower longer. Because my hair. I don't know about you, but it has to be perfect.

He sounds like Joe talking about taking a leak. Oh. But no wonder Musk has taken Trump's place as the Left's top target. The only difference is Musk can't run for president, which is probably a good thing for the Dems, because he'd probably win.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

And speaking of the Dems, oddly, they're obsessed with bringing Musk down, but they don't seem to care about the Bitcoin bandit, Sam Bankman-Fried. The founder of a crypto exchange called FTX, resigned last week after his company went belly up quicker than a five-year old's goldfish. So why no concern over him? Why haven't you heard of him until now? Well, he was Biden's second biggest donor and pumped millions into the Democratic Party. So imagine that coincidence.

But it turns out he used his crypto company to borrow real dollars that he couldn't pay back. Reuters reported that between one and $2 billion of customer funds are gone, but not before the Dems spent $40 million of his money just in time for the midterms. Yeah, the timing is impeccable. Kind of like vanishing a story on the Biden family before the 2020 election. You know, I'm sensing a pattern here. So now his company is under investigation for a scam that could make Bernie Madoff look like an Eagle Scout. And where is the media? Well, they suspended their skepticism when it was so obvious this guy's a clown.

[VIDEO]

NAS DAILY YOUTUBER:Sam is not a traditional billionaire because he believes in the concept of earn to give.

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED:Earning to give is thinking about which causes, which charity save the most lives per dollar.

NAS DAILY YOUTUBER:Next year, he's planning to donate $500 million a year. And next decade, he will probably give away more than $10 billion. And he is funding everything you can think of. Global warming.

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED:It's one of the biggest problems that we have to tackle together as a world.

NAS DAILY YOUTUBER:COVID 19 preparedness.

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED:We have to be ready for the next pandemic.

NAS DAILY YOUTUBER:And of course, animal welfare.

SAM BANKMAN-FRIED:Animals deserve to live just like we do. It's also why I'm vegan.

Dude. If you're that rich, buy a bra. Oh, my God. Terrible. It's not body-shaming. I'm just concerned. Now, if you believe anything that fruitcake says, maybe you should lose all your money. But he tricked them all with the right virtue signals. You've heard them. The right left-wing causes and all the right cash.

So will the media have any interest in digging further into a story filled with sex, drugs and corruption? Well, maybe they should read Harris Faulkner's new book. I want to talk about it, but who am I kidding? The media has about as much chance of covering that story as a belly shirt does Jerry Nadler's navel.

Greg Gutfeld currently serves as host of FOX News Channel's (FNC) "Gutfeld!" (weekdays 11PM/ET) and co-host of "The Five" (weekdays 5PM/ET). He joined the network in 2007 as a contributor. He is the author of several books. His latest is "The Plus: Self-Help for People Who Hate Self-Help." Click here for more information on Greg Gutfeld.
Photo: Screenshot of Weibo video

Did the People's Liberation Army (PLA) send a drone to Kinmen and shoot a high-resolution video of the local watchhouse and soldiers?No, it's likely just a blogger on the mainland livestreaming flying his or her private craft, an influencer on Weibo said.The defense authority on the Taiwan island said on Wednesday that they expelled a civil drone that shot a defense area in the Kinmen county, from a high altitude on August 16, according to media reports.Kinmen, a county of the Taiwan island, is located about ten kilometers to the east of the mainland city of Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province.The authority said that they deployed reconnaissance means around the Dadan defense area and could effectively grasp the situation in the areas. They also said they had conducted camouflage measures in vital equipment and areas and would deal with emergencies accordingly, media reported.The authority made the remarks after a high-resolution video, which clearly showed an outpost of the Taiwan defense authority went viral on social media. Citing netizens, some media in the Taiwan island claimed that the video was shot by a drone sent by the PLA and was also released to social media platforms by the PLA.The incident came amid tension in the Taiwan Straits following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to the Taiwan island in early August. The PLA conducted live fire military drills encircling the Taiwan island for days after the visit and vowed to take firm actions to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.It soon became a trending topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. Amid heated discussion, an influencer on Weibo said on Wednesday that the drone was released by a blogger instead of the PLA."If the drone was sent by the PLA, the video would not be released to social media platforms," the influencer said. The information remains unverified.In the video, some guards came out of the outpost after they found the drone. Some of the guards tried to expel the drone away by throwing stones toward it.A screenshot of the video showing two guards of the defense authority of the island looking up to the drone bluntly also circulated virally on social media platforms."The guard looks so clean and their skin looks so good, they apparently have not been trained enough," some Weibo users said jokingly.Kinmen county consists of two groups of islands, which have been governed by the Taiwan authorities since the Kuomintang (KMT) regime lost the civil war with the Communist Party of China and retreated to the island of Taiwan in 1949. The islands' strategic position has reflected the significant changes in cross-Straits relations.They have been, for example, a battlefront during the KMT authority's military action against the mainland and a prosperous trading point between the mainland and Taiwan.
English has standard conjugation rules that most verbs follow. These words are called regular verbs.

Not all verbs follow the rules, though. Words that do not follow standard conjugation rules are called irregular verbs, and there is no easy way to tell how they should be conjugated except to memorize them.

Cast is one such verb. Is its past tense castor casted? Continue reading to learn which form you should use.

What is the Difference Between Cast and Casted?

In this post, I will compare cast vs. casted. 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 it easier to choose cast or casted in your own writing.

When to Use Cast

What does cast mean? Cast can be a noun or a verb.

As a noun, castmeans an object made by shaping molten materialin a moldor the actors taking part in a play or movie.

After the cast has taken shape, it is removed from the furnace.

The cast in this movie is incredible.

As a verb, casthas several meanings. It can mean to throw something, like in these examples,

Peter cast his net into the water and waited to catch some fish.

The tree cast a long shadow over the stream in the late afternoon sun.

Cast can also mean to shape molten material in a mold.

For example,

The queen ordered the blacksmith to cast her a new scepter out of solid gold.

Cast is an irregular verb, so it does not follow the standard rules of English conjugation.

Conjugations of Cast

I/we cast: first person singular and plural present

You cast: second person singular and plural present

He/she/it casts: third person singular present

They cast: third person plural present

Casting: present participle

Cast: simple past/past participle

As a past participle, cast can also function as an adjective, where it modifies a noun, like in the phrase cast iron.

When to Use Casted

What does casted mean? Casted is an incorrect past tense conjugation of the verb cast. It almost never appears in print or edited works of any kind.

As you can see in the above chart, which graphs castedvs. castacross time, casted doesnt even register a blip on the radar for over 200 years.

Bryan Garner, in his book Garners Modern English Usage, estimates the disparity in usage between these two words to be 1,484:1. In other words, avoid casted in your writing. It has no use in professional writing of any kind.

Trick to Remember the Difference

You should use cast in all situations. Castedis an improper conjugation that should be avoided.

Since cast rhymes with other past tense verbs like passed and gassed, you can use the rhymes as a reminder that it can function as its own past tense conjugation.

Summary

Is it casted or cast? While it might be tempting to use both of these conjugations in your writing, only one of them is an accepted past tense of cast.

Cast is the correct past tense of It is an irregular verb.

Casted is an incorrect past tense conjugation of cast.

You should use cast in your writing exclusively.
B.A., Seattle Pacific University

Here is a Spanish version of the popular Christmas carol and Advent hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The song, whose author is unknown, comes originally from Latin, dating to around the 11th century, and is known in both English and Spanish in multiple versions. This Spanish version is one of the most popular.

Oh ven!, Oh ven, Emanuel!

Oh ven!, Oh ven, Emanuel!

Libra al cautivo Israel,

Que sufre desterrado aqui,

Y espera al Hijo de David.

Estribillo:

Alegrate, oh Israel!

Vendra, ya viene Emanuel.

Oh ven, Tu, Vara de Isai!

Redime al pueblo infeliz

Del poderio infernal

Y danos vida celestial.

Oh ven, Tu, Aurora celestial!

Alumbranos con tu verdad,

Disipa toda oscuridad,

Y danos dias de solaz.

Oh ven, Tu, Llave de David!

Abre el celeste hogar feliz;

Haz que lleguemos bien alla,

Y cierra el paso a la maldad.

English Translation of Spanish Version

Oh come! Oh come, Emmanuel!

Free captive Israel

Which here suffers, displaced,

And waits for the Son of David.

Chorus:

Be joyful, O Israel!

He will come, Emmanuel is coming.

O come, You, Rod of Israel

Redeem the unhappy people

From hell's power

And give us heavenly life.

O You, come, celestial light of dawn!

Illuminate us with your truth,

Dispel all darkness,

And give us days of solace.

O come, You, David's Key.

Open the happy heavenly home.

Make it so we arrive there well,

And close the path to evil.

Translation Notes

Oh:This interjection usually expresses amazement or happiness, so it isn't always the equivalent of "oh." It is far more common in poetic writing than in everyday speech. It should not be confused with the homophone and conjunction o, meaning "or," even though it is pronounced the same.

Ven:The Spanish verb venir, usually meaning "to come" is highly irregular. Venis the singular, familiar imperative form, so in Spanish this song unambiguously is written as if speaking to Emanuel.

Emanuel:The Spanish word here is a personal name transliterated from Hebrew, meaning "God is with us." The name is still used today, often in the shortened form of Manuel. In Christianity, the name usually refers to Jesus.

Libra:This is the singular familiar imperative form of librar, meaning to free or liberate.

Al: Alis a contraction of a(to) and el(the). The use of the personal ain the second line indicates that Israel is being personified.

Desterrado:The adjective desterradois derived from the noun tierra, meaning Earth. In this context, it means "exiled," referring to someone removed from his or her homeland. In informal contexts, it can mean "banished."

Danos:It is common to attach object pronouns to verbs in the imperative mood. Here the pronoun nos, or "us," is attached to imperative of dar.

Tu:The familiar form of "you" is used throughout this hymn as it is the pronoun that Spanish-speaking Christians use in prayer while addressing God or Jesus.

Vara de Isai:A varais a rod or stick. Isaiis a poetically shortened form of the name Isaias, or Isaiah. The reference here is to Isaiah 11:1 in the Christian Old Testament that there "shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse." Christians have interpreted this as a prophecy of the Messiah, whom they believe to be Jesus. In the common English version of this hymn, the line is "Come O rod of Jesse's stem."

Redime: From the verb redimir, to redeem.

Poderio:This noun, usually translated as "power," comes from the verb poder, to have ability or power. Poderiooften refers to the power available to someone or something that has authority or financial or military might.

Alegrate:From the reflexive form of the verb alegrar, to be happy or joyous.

Aurora:The aurorais the first light of dawn. In the English version, "Dayspring" is used here.

Alumbranos:Alumbrar means to enlighten or to give light.

Disipar:Although this verb can be translated as "to dissipate," in the context of this song it is better translated as "to get rid of" or "to dispel."

Oscuridad: This word can mean "obscurity," as when referring ideas. But it far more often means "darkness." The related adjective is oscuro.

Solaz:In some contexts, solazrefers to rest or relaxation. It is a cognate of the English "solace."

Llave de David:This phrase, meaning "key of David," is a reference to an Old Testament verse, Isaiah 22:22, which Christians have understood to refer symbolically to the authority of the coming Messiah.

Lleguemos: This verb for is an example of the subjunctive mood. Llegaris a common verb meaning "to arrive." Note that llegaris irregular because the -g-of the stem changes to -gu-when followed by an eto maintain the correct pronunciation.

Celeste:Here, this word has the meaning of "celestial." However, in other contexts it can refer to the blue color of the sky. Placing the adjective before the noun, hogar, gives it a stronger emotional impact.

Haz: This is an irregular form of hacer.

Maldad: The suffix dad- is used to turn an adjective, in this case malor "bad," to a noun.
University of Idaho

Auburn University

Notre Dame

Western Governors University

The Structured Query Language offers database users a powerful and flexible data retrieval mechanism  the SELECT statement. In this article, we'll take a look at the general form of the SELECT statement and compose a few sample database queries together. If this is your first foray into the world of the Structured Query Language, you may wish to review SQL fundamentals before continuing. If you're looking to design a new database from scratch, learning how to create databases and tables in SQL should prove a good jumping-off point.

Now that you've brushed up on the basics, let's begin our exploration of the SELECT statement. As with previous SQL lessons, we'll continue to use statements that are compliant with the ANSI SQL standard. You may wish to consult the documentation for your DBMS to determine whether it supports advanced options that may enhance the efficiency and/or efficacy of your SQL code.

Getty Images/ermingut

The General Form of the SELECT Statement

The general form of the SELECT statement appears below:

SELECT select_list

FROM source

WHERE condition(s)

GROUP BY expression

HAVING condition

ORDER BY expression

The first line of the statement tells the SQL processor that this command is a SELECTstatement and that we wish to retrieve information from a database. The select_list allows us to specify the type of information we wish to retrieve. The FROMclause in the second line specifies the specific database table(s) involved and the WHEREclause gives us the capability to limit the results to those records that meet the specified condition(s). The final three clauses represent advanced features outside the scope of this article  we'll explore them in future SQL articles.

The easiest way to learn SQL is by example. With that in mind, let's begin looking at some database queries. Throughout this article, we'll use the employee's table from the fictional XYZ Corporation human resources database to illustrate all of our queries. Here's the entire table:

EmployeeID LastName FirstName Salary ReportsTo 1 Smith John 32000 2 2 Scampi Sue 45000 NULL 3 Kendall Tom 29500 2 4 Jones Abraham 35000 2 5 Allen Bill 17250 4 6 Reynolds Allison 19500 4 7 Johnson Katie 21000 3

Retrieving an Entire Table

XYZ Corporation's Director of Human Resources receives a monthly report providing salary and reporting information for each company employee. The generation of this report is an example of the SELECT statement's simplest form. It simply retrieves all of the information contained within a database table  every column and every row. Here's the query that will accomplish this result:

SELECT *

FROM employees

Pretty straightforward, right? The asterisk (*) appearing in the select_list is a wildcard used to inform the database that we would like to retrieve information from all of the columns in the employee's table identified in the FROM clause. We wanted to retrieve all of the information in the database, so it wasn't necessary to use a WHERE clause to restrict the rows selected from the table. Here's what our query results look like:
Definition of Naturalism

Naturalism is apple pay casino onlinea literary genre that started as a movement in late nineteenth century in literature, film, theater, and art. It is a type of extreme realism. This movement suggested the roles of family, social conditions, and environment in shaping human character. Thus, naturalistic writers write stories based on the idea that environment determines and governs human character.

We also see use of some of the scientific principles in naturalistic works, and humans struggling for survival in hostile and alien society. In fact, naturalism took its cue from Darwins theory of evolution, which holds that life is like a struggle and only the fittest survive.

Naturalism vs. Realism

Both naturalism and realism are literary genres and interlinked. However, there are some differences between them:

Naturalism suggests a philosophical pessimism in which writers use scientific techniques to depict human beings as objective and impartial characters; whereas realism focuses on literary technique.

Realism depicts things as they appear, while naturalism portrays a deterministic view of a characters actions and life.

Naturalism concludes that natural forces predetermine a characters decisions, making him/her act in a particular way. Realism poses that a decision of a character comes from his response to a certain situation.

Examples of Naturalism in Literature

Example #1: The Grapes of Wrath (By John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck is one the most popular writers coming from the school of American naturalism. Steinbeck, in his novel The Grapes of Wrath, portrays the Joad family and its changing environment from the naturalistic point of view, during the t Great Depression in the United States. He depicts the Joad family as insignificant, instinct-bound, and small creatures bound to seek a paradise they might never find.

Initially, when the Joads leave home, they are very simple and animal-like people, who could barely understand their plight. They face constant opposition from two powerful predators  society and nature. However, as the narrative progresses, they begin to adapt to new circumstances.

Example #2: The Open Boat(By Stephen Crane)

Stephen Crane, in his short story The Open Boat, portrays men on a boat, representing human endurance against indifferent nature, where they feel themselves helpless. Thus, it contains a theme of naturalism. Whenever a huge wave of water arrives, it shuts everything from the mens view, and they imagine this particular wave would be the final outbreak of the ocean, like in the following lines:

If I am going to be drownedif I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven gods, who rule the seven seas,?

This lays emphasis on their struggle for survival and lack of choice. Besides, The Open Boatsymbolically represents human place in the huge universe where man struggles against nature. Then we see a definite determination, as men cannot play any part in their outcome, which results in unexpected death of Oiler, despite being an expert sailor.

Example #3: The Awakening(By Kate Chopin)

Kate Chopins novel, The Awakening,gives an example of a perfect naturalistic novel, as its leading character, Edna Pontellier, lives in a world where no one understands her. Neither does she fit in the Creole society. This often causes misunderstandings in her life, as she cant understand its people:

Edna wondered if they had all gone mad.

Then, she realizes that she has chosen the wrong man as her husband:

taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. She stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it

In addition, we see the determination by individual traits and by societal forces inside the family. Consequently, Edna becomes a victim of her sociological pressures.

Example #4: To Build A Fire(By Jack London)

The theme in Jack Londons novel, To Build A Fire, is man versus nature; thus it is another good example of naturalism. Naturalism in this novel shows how human beings need to be careful at every corner, as death could reach them anywhere, waiting for them to commit a mistake and take their lives. We see the story is about a man with his dog trying to survive harsh, cold weather by building a fire. In fact, the author uses the Darwinian Theory of survival of the fittest in his work.

Function of Naturalism

The impact that naturalism has left on literary writers is colossal, leading to the evolution of the modern movement. Generally, naturalistic works expose dark sides of life such as prejudice, racism, poverty, prostitution, filth, and disease. Since these works are often pessimistic and blunt, they receive heavy criticism. Despite the echoing pessimism in this literary output, naturalists are generally concerned with improving the human condition around the world.
He wore white gloves, a dignified long black coat, and matching pants and vest, and he carried a dark walking stick.

Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.

Sands was involved in a scandalous-for-the-time romance with the carpenter and there were rumors she was pregnant with his child.

France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.

I thought about the mother, her fear of the dark, of the harm she feared might come to her daughters. I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|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

Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

Ripperda's eye fell upon the mantle,it was discoloured a dark red in many places, he nodded his head, and the man withdrew. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

He glanced aside, and saw an exceedingly pretty, dark face, which looked vaguely familiar. Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
deboite [ French dey-bwa-tey ]/ French de bwate / New Word List Save This eboitecrypto pi network valueWord! [ French dey-bwa-tey ]/ French de bwate /Save This eboiteWord!

noun, plural deboites [French dey-bwa-tey]. /French de bwate/. Ballet.a step in which the dancer stands on the toes with legs together and then springs up, swinging one foot out and around to the back of the other.

Words nearby deboite

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 deboite
M.A., Medieval Studies, Sheffield University

B.A., Medieval Studies, Sheffield University

Victory in the French and Indian War had opened up new areas of North America for British settlers. The previous inhabitants, France, hadnt settled to the extent that the British now tried, and had not impacted the Indian populations to a great extent. However, colonists now flooded into the newly conquered areas. Indian representatives made it clear to the British that they were unhappy with the number and spread of settlers, as well as the increasing number of British fortifications in the area. This last point was especially heated as British negotiators had promised that the military presence was only to defeat France, but they had stayed on regardless. Many Indians were also upset with the British apparently breaking peace agreements made during the French and Indian war, such as those promising certain areas would be kept for Indian hunting only.

Initial Indian Rebellion

This Indian resentment caused uprisings. The first of these was the Cherokee War, caused by colonial infringement on Indian land, attacks on Indians by settlers, Indian revenge attacks and the actions of a prejudiced colonial leader who tried to blackmail the Cherokee by taking hostages. It was bloodily crushed by the British. Amherst, the commander of the British army in America, implemented stringent measures in trade and gift giving. Such trade was vital to the Indians, but the measures resulted in a decline in trade and greatly increased Indian anger. There was a political element to Indian rebellion too, as prophets began preaching a divide from European cooperation and goods, and a return to old ways and practices, as the way in which Indians could end a downward spiral of famine and disease. This spread across Indian groups, and chiefs favorable to Europeans lost power. Others wanted the French back as a counter to Britain.

'Pontiac's Rebellion'

Settlers and Indians had become involved in skirmishes, but one chief, Pontiac of the Ottowa, acted on his own initiative to attack Fort Detroit. As this was vital to the British, Pontiac was seen to take on a much greater role than he actually did, and the whole broader uprising was named after him. Warriors from a number of groups flocked to the siege, and members of many othersincluding Senecas, Ottawas, Hurons, Delawares, and Miamisallied in a war against the British to seize forts and other centers. This effort was only loosely organized, especially at the start, and didnt bring to bear the groups full offensive capacity.

Indians were successful in seizing British hubs, and many forts fell along the new British frontier, although three key ones remained in British hands. By the end of July, everything west of Detroit had fallen. At Detroit, the Battle of Bloody Run saw a British relief force wiped out, but another force traveling to relieve Fort Pitt won the Battle of Bushy Run, and later the besiegers were forced to leave. The siege of Detroit was then abandoned as winter approached and divisions between Indian groups grew, even though they were on the brink of success.

Smallpox

When an Indian delegation asked the defenders of Fort Pitt to surrender, the British commander refused and sent them away. While doing so, he gave them gifts, which included food, alcohol and two blankets and a handkerchief which had come from people suffering smallpox. The intent was for it to spread among the Indiansas it had done naturally in the years beforeand cripple the siege. Although he didnt know of this, the head of British forces in North America (Amherst) advised his subordinates to deal with the rebellion by all means available to them, and that included passing smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians, as well as executing Indian prisoners. This was a new policy, without precedent among Europeans in America, one caused by desperation and, according to historian Fred Anderson, genocidal fantasies.

Peace and Colonial Tensions

Britain initially responded by attempting to crush the rebellion and force British rule onto the contested territory, even when it looked like peace might be achieved by other means. After developments in the government, Britain issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763. It created three new colonies in the newly conquered land but left the rest of the interior to the Indians: no colonists could settle there and only the government could negotiate land purchases. Many of the details were left vague, such as how Catholic residents of the former New France were to be treated under British law which barred them from votes and offices. This created further tensions with the colonists, many of whom had hoped to expand into this land, and some of whom were already there. They were also unhappy that the Ohio River Valley, the trigger for the French Indian war, was given over to Canadian administration.

The British proclamation enabled the country to negotiate with the rebellious groups, although these proved messy thanks to British failings and misunderstandings, one of which temporarily returned power to Pontiac, who had fallen from grace. Eventually, treaties were agreed, reversing many of the British policy decisions passed in the aftermath of the war, allowing alcohol to be sold to the Indians and unlimited arms sales. The Indians concluded after the war that they could earn concessions from the British by violence. The British tried to pull back from the frontier, but colonial squatters kept flowing in and violent clashes continued, even after the dividing line was moved. Pontiac, having lost all prestige, was later murdered in an unconnected incident. No one tried to avenge his death.
A Buffalo firefighter was injured after a two-alarm fire broke out at a Buffalo home on the Lower West Side on Sunday.

Firefighters were called to a house at 77 Maryland St., just after 5:30 a.m. The fire started outside in the rear of the occupied building, said city spokesman Michael DeGeorge in a statement.

Damage was reported at $160,000 to the house. The neighboring property at 79 Maryland St., also suffered exposure-related fire damage estimated at $70,000, DeGeorge said.

One firefighter was taken to Erie County Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries. DeGeorge said it appears the firefighter suffered a hand injury.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

- Sandra Tan
We have all seen abstract or confusing movies and wondered to ourselves, Who is the hero of this story? Who is the villain?

In many stories, the roles arent clear-cut, or they can change throughout the movie. Some stories might have many protagonists or antagonists, and postmodern fiction might not feature any.

But what about the words protagonist and antagonist themselves? What do those mean, and to which characters do they refer in stories? Continue reading to find out.

Whats the Difference Between Protagonist and Antagonist?

In this article, I will pit protagonist vs. antagonist, just like in the movies. I will use many example sentences so that you can see how these words appear in context.

Finally, I will show you a helpful memory trick to use to help you decide which is which next time you see a movie or read a book.

What is a Protagonist?

What does protagonist mean? The protagonist of a story is the leading character. This character often takes on the role of the good guy, but this isnt an essential attribute of a protagonist. The word protagonist is a noun.

Here are a few examples of protagonist in a sentence,

The crime novel features a grizzled protagonist who has spent many years on the police force and must learn to trust his hotshot new partner.

Sigourney Weaver plays the protagonist in the space horror film Alien, which was released in 1979.

If you are a protagonist in Game of Thrones, you are probably going to die a gruesome death.

For such a fat book  528 dense pages  the 12th Bernie Gunther mystery is as brisk and agile as its German police detective protagonist. The Washington Post

While the protagonist doesnt necessarily have to be the good guy, the character most often is.

What is an Antagonist?

What does antagonist mean? Antagonist is also a noun. The antagonist is a person who actively opposes or is hostile to the protagonist. In many stories the antagonist takes on the form of the bad guy in a story.

Here are a few examples,

Although the viewer doesnt realize it at the beginning of the story, Meryl Streeps character is the main antagonist of The Devil Wears Prada.

The villain Darth Vader is one of the most recognizable villains of all time.

I am the antagonist of the life stories of everyone who stands in my way, but in those stories, the antagonist wins.

New York states attorney general, to date one of the most vocal antagonists of President Donald Trump, is preparing to escalate his offices litigation against the presidents administration. The Wall Street Journal

Again, the antagonistmost often takes the form of the bad guy, but this isnt an essential attribute. The antagonist is simply someone who works against the protagonist.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Sometimes, it is difficult to remember what role does what in literature, so lets go over a trick to remember antagonist vs. protagonist.

In general,

The protagonist is the hero of the story.

The antagonist is the villain of the story.

The way I always remember the roles of these words is that the antagonist is always antagonizing the protagonist. If you can link the words antagonistand antagonize, you will be all set.

Summary

Is it protagonist or antagonist? Protagonist andantagonist and are nouns that refer to characters in a story.

The protagonist is the main character, often a hero.

The antagonist is the character who opposes the protagonist, often a villain.

Of course, stories can have multiple protagonists and antagonists, and dynamic characters can even switch between these roles as the story develops.

If you arent sure if someone is an antagonist or protagonist, remember that the antagonist antagonizes the protagonist.

Writing fiction can be difficult because the writer must juggle several aspects of storytelling at the same time. Be sure to check this website any time you have a question about difficult writing topics.
Biden's border failures forced Arizona to build its own wall, Yuma official says

closeVideo

A Yuma County Supervisor explained how the shipping containers the Governor used to fill gaps in the U.S.-Mexico border wall have limited migrant crossings

YUMA, Ariz.  The shipping containers used to fill the border wall's gaps in Arizona have forced migrants to enter the U.S. through legitimate ports of entry, which has eased the strain on an overwhelmed Border Patrol, a border town official told Fox News.

"We had thousands of people coming through this area on a daily basis," a Yuma county supervisor, Jonathan Lines, told Fox News. "They would be in a residential neighborhood within less than a mile of crossing in this area."

"Because of the governor's action we dont have that anymore," Lines said. "Not very many people are excited about trying to scale the containers, especially with the barbed wire over the top of it."

WATCH A YUMA OFFICIAL EXPLAIN HOW ARIZONA'S SHIPPING CONTAINERS LIMIT MIGRANT TRAFFIC:

Video

WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE

Gov. Doug Ducey plugged gaps in the border wall with shipping containers over the summer and argue that the move was necessary because of the White House's inaction on immigration. The Biden administration accused Ducey of trespassing and ordered the Arizona Republican to remove the containers. The governor filed a lawsuit in response.

The container wall has allowed Border Patrol to focus its manpower elsewhere and has given the agents an"operational advantage," Lines told Fox News.

BIDEN ADMIN ACCUSES ARIZONA OF TRESPASSING BY BUILDING BARRIER ON US-MEXICO BORDER

SEE WHAT ARIZONANS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE BARRIERS ALONG THE BORDER:

Video

"Had the administration done its job, then Gov. Ducey would not have had to have acted with the legislature using state resources instead of the federally funded wall that we had already paid for," Lines said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Biden halted the construction of the border wall in January 2021, leaving border wall unfinished.

"I don't want to speak for Gov. Ducey, but he is committed to keeping those containers in place until the federal government steps up and does its job," Lines said.

Katie Hobbs, the state's Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said she would remove the containers if she wins her election. Hobbs leads her Republican opponent, Kari Lake, 50.5%-49.5% with 93% reporting in the undecided race, according to the Fox News Decision desk.

To hear more from Jonathan Lines on the effectiveness of the shipping containers filling the wall, click here.

Megan Myers is an associate producer/writer with Fox News Digital Originals.
What Is S&P Capital IQ?cooks casino oppabet888 free spin

S&P Capital IQ is the research division of S&P Global, one of the world's largest providers of ratings, data, research, and the S&P Dow Jones Indices. S&P Capital IQ provides detailed research and analysis of the stock market to a variety of investing stakeholders.

Key Takeaways

S&P Capital IQ is the research arm of S&P Global, the provider of research, ratings, and market indices.

The company was first bought by McGraw-Hill Financial in 2004 when it was called Capital IQ. McGraw-Hill has since been rebranded as S&P Global and Capital IQ is now known as S&P Capital IQ.

S&P Capital IQ analyzes more than 135 billion data points from an assortment of sources to provide actionable intelligence to subscribers.

Understanding Capital IQ

Founded in 1999, Capital IQ started as a provider of software and analytics related to the markets. It was sold to publisher McGraw-Hill Financial in 2004 for more than $200 million. McGraw-Hill Financial was rebranded as S&P Global in 2016, and Capital IQ was rebranded as S&P Capital IQ.

Standard & Poors was established in 1941 and has grown to become the worlds leading index provider and independent credit rating source. Since having been acquired by Standard & Poors in 2004, the company has expanded to become a global presence, with operations in more than 20 countries overseen from its headquarters in New York City. It has made a number of significant acquisitions for growth and expansion. These include the acquisition of Heale Financial in 2006 for $13 million and ClariFI, Inc. for $87 million in 2007.

How S&P Capital IQ Works

S&P Capital IQs web portal offers various software and data feeds to advisory firms, banks, corporations, investment managers, private equity funds, universities, and more, providing overall market awareness and investment analysis audiences can use to inform their investment strategies.

Every year, S&P Capital IQ collects and analyzes more than 135 billion data points in order to serve as the leading provider of financial services research. The data S&P Capital IQ collects and reports to its users includes company profiles, executive summaries, financial information, and independent analyst reports.

Understanding S&P Capital IQ

S&P Capital IQ investigates financial news, market insights, company performance data, and sector-specific data. The firm provides subscribers with intelligence on more than 62,000 public companies and 4.4 million private firms. According to the company's website, it covers financials for 88,000 publicly-listed companies or 99% of global market capitalization.

Additionally, S&P Capital IQ researches and analyzes more complex investment structures, including mutual funds and hedge funds, providing investors with up-to-date performance comparisons, insights, and fund strategies.

Capital IQ's widespread approach to market analysis provides information that can be valuable to investors of all types, ranging from large institutional traders to smaller, individual investors, and financial hobbyists.

Capital IQ Products and Services

The web portal for Capital IQs products offers many powerful tools for institutional and individual investors alike. These tools give users the ability to gain broad market understanding through the use of its various features, including market snapshots, industry and sub-industry reviews, surveys, and general economic insights.

Major products of the Capital IQ platform include Compustat, Xpressfeed, and Money Market Directories (MMD). Together, this suite of tools provides users access to desktop research, screening, real-time market data, backtesting, portfolio management, financial modeling, and quantitative analysis through web-based and Excel-based applications.

Compustat, one of Standard & Poor's flagship services, has provided financial and statistical market data since 1962, and the Xpressfeed service is a formatting and delivery method of the Compustat database that permits users the ability to access and interpret real-time market data using their own tools. Money Market Directories are a powerful prospecting tool, offering comprehensive, global insights into foundations, endowments, and similar funding sources.
day trading New Word List Save This fore bet prediction betensured1x2Word! Save ThisWord!

nounthe practice of buying and selling shares on the same day, often via the internet, in order to make a quick profit

Derived forms of day trading day trader, noun

Words nearby day trading

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

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 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

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

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

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!Questiondaytime, day-to-day, Dayton, Daytona Beach, day-trade, day trading, day-trip, day-tripper, Da Yunhe, daywear, dayworkCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
scatter judi golden acorn casinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. date 1[ deyt ]/ det / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: date / dated / dating on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ deyt ]/ det /Save This Word!See synonyms for: date / dated / dating on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun In addition to the idiom beginning with date date rape also see bring up to date

double date

make a date

out of date

to date

up to date

The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright  2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
China US File Photo:CFP

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Friday that the Biden administration "iswaiting to see how leadership changes in China will affect the economic relationship between the countries, and will continue to defend American interests." "I think it's really 'wait and see' and 'to be determined,' Tai said in an interview with Bloomberg.Be it before or after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China's foreign policy has always maintained its continuity and stability, and its purpose of promoting common development has not changed. A wait-and-see stance is totally unnecessary and unreasonable if US politicians try to artificially create uncertainty and play up the tensions of "US-China confrontation."While the global economy, still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and rampant inflation, is facing an increasingly gloomy and uncertain outlook, the week-long 20th CPC National Congress offers a great sense of certainty for China's social and economic development. China's development and opening up won't stagnate, but will continue to advance.It should be pointed out that China's economy will maintain sustained and stable growth. The US should not misjudge China's economic situation and make wrong policies in its cooperation with China. The strong resilience and solid fundamentals of China's economy has not changed. China will continue to deepen reform, expand opening-up, and improve its domestic market environment, which will bring more opportunities for foreign companies, including American companies.While saying it will take a wait-and-see approach, the US is actually pushing an economic decoupling, which is fully responsible for the current bilateral economic and trade tensions. The US side should stop the decoupling approach as soon as possible and promote the bilateral economic relationship back on the right track.The Biden administration has clearly continued the Trump administration's tough stance on China, trying to shift the US economic problems by blaming China. However, the US decoupling policy violated economic laws, seriously hurt interests of US businesses, and aroused strong dissatisfaction among them.The American Chamber of Commerce in China in May released the 2022 American Business in China White Paper, stating that the chamber remains opposed to any effort at outright decoupling of the US-China relationship. The costs of decoupling from losing trade and foreign investment benefits for both countries would be significant and are unlikely to generate clear winners.As a global manufacturing hub, China has a significant status in global industrial and supply chains. China's economic progress and upgrading will not be affected by the US' geopolitical gambits that are designed to contain China and exclude China from supply chains. China is also the largest and fastest-growing market, an important destination of US exporting products and services. The Chinese market has strong research and development systems and is a key revenue source of many US companies.The China-US trade and economic relationship is currently at a low point. What is needed is not to wait and see, but to take concrete actions. The recovery of China-US trade and economics to the right track will benefit the US economy. It is hoped that the US side will heed calls from the rational and pragmatic voices emanating from US companies and push China-US relations back to the right track of healthy and stable development.The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]
Foreign exchange Photo:Xinhua

China's cross-border capital flows remained within a reasonable range in October,as trade in goods and foreign direct investment have kept stabilizing capital inflows, a Chinese official said on Tuesday.Cross-border capital under the current account recorded a net inflow in October, up 43 percent year-on-year. Merchandise trade saw a net cross-border capital inflow of $32.9 billion, up 19 percent year-on-year, Wang Chunying, deputy administrator and spokesperson of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), said in a statement.Foreign direct investment saw a net inflow and inbound investment in the domestic bond market continued to recover, demonstrating the resilience of the Chinese economy and the willingness of foreign investors to invest in China and allocate yuan-denominated assets in the long run, Wang said.There will be an intensive period at the end of the year when export enterprises settle receivables and foreign firms launch investments. This will lead to an increase of cross-border capital flows, strengthening support for the foreign exchange market, Wang said.China's foreign exchange reserves stood at $3.0524 trillion at the end of October, up by $23.5 billion or 0.77 percent, from the end of September, according to SAFE data.In the first 10 months, cumulative foreign exchange settlements and sales by banks stood at $2.176 trillion and $2.069 trillion, respectively. Cumulative cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking institutions hit $5.216 trillion and $5.153 trillion, respectively, read a statement of the SAFE.The yuan has strongly rebounded against the US dollar recently, with its central parity rate set at 7.0899 on Monday, appreciating by 1,008 basis points (bps) against the greenback, the yuan's biggest daily surge in 17 years. It strengthened another 478 bps to reach 7.0421 on Tuesday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.Yet, the external environment remains complex and volatile. As economic growth and inflation levels change, the monetary policies of major developed economies and related spillover effects in the world will also change, Wang warned.The fundamentals of China's economy remain resilient. With further optimized epidemic prevention and control measures, the trend of economic recovery will continue to be consolidated.The resilience of China's foreign exchange market has been significantly enhanced. With solid fundamentals to resist external shocks, China's cross-border capital flows and foreign exchange market are expected to maintain steady and orderly development, Wang noted.
What Is Capital Investment?5g helium network blackjack 1 deck

Capital investment is the acquisition of physical assets by a company for use in furthering its long-term business goals and objectives. Real estate, manufacturing plants, and machinery are among the assets that are purchased as capital investments.

The capital used may come from a wide range of sources from traditional bank loans to venture capital deals.

Key Takeaways

Capital investment is the expenditure of money to fund a company's long-term growth.

The term often refers to a company's acquisition of permanent fixed assets such as real estate and equipment.

The funds for capital investment can come from a number of sources, including cash on hand, though big projects are most often financed through obtaining loans or issuing stock.

A venture capital firm is by definition a source of capital investment.

Capital Investment

How Capital Investment Works

1:28



Capital investment is a broad term that can be defined in two distinct ways:

An individual, a venture capital group or a financial institution may make a capital investment in a business. The money can be provided as a loan or a share of the profits down the road. In this sense of the word, capital means cash.

The executives of a company may make a capital investment in the business. They buy long-term assets such as equipment that will help the company run more efficiently or grow faster. In this sense, capital means physical assets.

In either case, the money for capital investment must come from somewhere. A new company might seek capital investment from any number of sources, including venture capital firms, angel investors, or traditional financial institutions. When a new company goes public, it is acquiring capital investment on a large scale from many investors.

An established company might make a capital investment using its own cash reserves or seek a loan from a bank. It might issue bonds or stock shares in order to finance capital investment.

There is no minimum or maximum capital investment. It can range from less than $100,000 in seed financing for a start-up to hundreds of millions of dollars for massive projects undertaken by companies in capital-intensive sectors such as mining, utilities, and infrastructure.

Capital investment is meant to benefit a company in the long run, but it nonetheless can have short-term downsides.

Special Considerations

A decision by a business to make a capital investment is a long-term growth strategy. A company plans and implements capital investments in order to ensure future growth.

Capital investments generally are made to increase operational capacity, capture a larger share of the market, and generate more revenue. The company may make a capital investment in the form of an equity stake in another company's complementary operations for the same purposes.

Disadvantages of Capital Investment

The preferred option for capital investment is always a company's own operating cash flow, but that may not be sufficient to cover the anticipated costs. It is more likely the company will resort to outside financing.

Capital investment is meant to benefit a company in the long run, but it nonetheless can have short-term downsides:
Daniels was in Help, a play by poet and writer Claudia Rankine.

Daniels touts the scale of Purdues actions to safeguard the campus.

The Klansmen showed up at Danielss door in the middle of the night.

In Danielss telling, Fletcher falls in love with the singer.

Daniels fired three shots into the end zone in a four-snap sequence, with Kearis Jackson hauling in the last for a 40-yard go-ahead touchdown. College football winners and losers for Week 12: Northwestern on track for Big Ten title game|Patrick Stevens|November 22, 2020|Washington Post

In 2009, Lee Daniels announced that he would direct Selma and that Liam Neeson would play President Lyndon Johnson. Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of Selma|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Daniels, 28, was allegedly the first to force Jane Doe to perform sexual acts on johns. The Navy Hero Who Pimped an HIV-Positive Teen|M.L. Nestel|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In an interview last week, Jeff Daniels, who plays ACN anchor Will McAvoy, talked to me about this. Newsroom Premiere: Aaron Sorkin Puts CNN on Blast Over the Boston Bombing|Kevin Fallon|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Daniels thought that was one of the more important moments of the episode. Newsroom Premiere: Aaron Sorkin Puts CNN on Blast Over the Boston Bombing|Kevin Fallon|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Daniels says, championing the plight of an ethical news producer. Newsroom Premiere: Aaron Sorkin Puts CNN on Blast Over the Boston Bombing|Kevin Fallon|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The soft plan of dealing with Germany's war cost was championed by Secretary Daniels. Harper's Pictorial Library of the World War, Volume XII|Various

Yes, they did with a preacher by the name of Daniels, because he would not pray for the American cause. The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 9 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll

Riley sank into the engine room, and Daniels went forward to the forecastle, reappearing before Forsythe had reached a conclusion. The Wreck of the Titan|Morgan Robertson

"Orders from for'a'd, sir," said Daniels, noticing Denman's involuntary look of surprise. The Wreck of the Titan|Morgan Robertson
decent

New Word List

Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dee-suhnt ]/ di snt /Save This Word!See decentC16: from Latin decens suitable, from decere to be fitting
The first phase of the AED122 million ($33.32 million) Al Saf residential complex in the city of Kalba has been inaugurated by HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

The project totally consists of 151 homes on an area of 417,000 sq m, with various services and facilities. Each residence includes 5 rooms with an area of 322 sq m. The first phase of the complex took 18 months to complete, and the second phase is expected to be delivered by next February-end, a WAM report said.

HH Dr Sheikh Sultan said that providing adequate and safe housing for the Emirati family is a major part of his vision of providing a stable life.

Variety of services

He directed the development of a variety of services in Al Ghail, such as sanitation and roads, among other services.

HH Dr Sheikh Sultan stressed the need to continue developing the areas one after the other according to the requirements of each area, whether by replacing buildings or providing infrastructure to make all areas of Kalba developed.

He also watched a video that covered the stages of Al Saf residential complex project, its most important facilities and features, and the impact it will have on the stability of the Emirati family.

The complex includes residences of various designs, as it provides three models: Islamic, local, and modern design.

Public park

The project also includes a public park for the residents of the complex and various other services, in addition to the completion of road works and electricity, gas and sewage services.

During the inauguration, the Ruler was shown a model of the housing key box that will be delivered to citizens who are eligible for housing, as way to welcome and congratulate the owners on their new homes.

He planted an almond tree within Al Saf Park, which is in the middle of the complex and will provide the complexs families with an outlet for all its members, including men, women and children.

The event witnessed the presence of Sheikh Saeed bin Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Vice Chairman of Sharjah Rulers Office in Khorfakkan, Sheikh Haitham bin Saqr bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Vice Chairman of Sharjah Rulers Office in Kalba, Khalifa Musabeh Al Teneiji, Chairman of Sharjah Housing Programme, Ali bin Shaheen Al Suwaidi Chairman of Sharjah Department of Public Works, Yousef Khamis Al Athmani, Chairman of Roads and Transport Authority, Dr Sulaiman bin Sarhan Al Zaabi, Chairman of Department of Municipalities Affairs, Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Chairman of Protocol Department, Saeed Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority, and a number of officials.-- TradeArabia News Service
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for allegedly selling guns in New York State without a license, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross reported.

Christian Arroyo Collazo, 27, of New Castle, is charged by criminal complaint with engaging in the firearms business without a license, unlawful shipment and transportation of firearms and firearms trafficking.

He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released on conditions. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Prosecutors claim Collazo was identified as an associate of drug dealers and users during an investigation of methamphetamine and heroin trafficking in Jamestown.

According to prosecutors, investigators traced three firearms to Collazo after they were seized in Jamestown between November 2021 and May 2022. Two of them were found during arrests of two other federal defendants.

Prosecutors said the guns were purchased at two firearms dealers in New Castle and that social media was used to contact and send photos of the guns to potential buyers.

Ross said the case is being prosecuted under provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which specifically targets unlawful purchases and straw purchases of firearms.

 Dale Anderson
What Is a Startup?south african crypto trading platforms

The term startup refers to a company in the first stages of operations. Startups are founded by one or more entrepreneurs who want to develop a product or service for which they believe there is demand. These companies generally start with high costs and limited revenue, which is why they look for capital from a variety of sources such as venture capitalists.

Key Takeaways

A startup is a company that's in the initial stages of business.

Founders normally finance their startups and may attempt to attract outside investment before they get off the ground.

Funding sources include family and friends, venture capitalists, crowdfunding, and loans.

Startups must also consider where they'll do business and their legal structure.

Startups come with high risk as failure is very possible but they can also be very unique places to work with great benefits, a focus on innovation, and great opportunities to learn.

Investopedia / Laura Porter

Understanding Startups

Startups are companies or ventures that are focused on a single product or service that the founders want to bring to market. These companies typically don't have a fully developed business model and, more crucially, lack adequate capital to move onto the next phase of business. Most of these companies are initially funded by their founders.

Many startups turn to others for more funding, including family, friends, and venture capitalists. Silicon Valley is known for its strong venture capitalist community and is a popular destination for startups, but is also widely considered the most demanding arena.

Startups can use seed capital to invest in research and to develop their business plans. Market research helps determine the demand for a product or service, while a comprehensive business plan outlines the company's mission statement, vision, and goals, as well as management and marketing strategies.

The first few years are very important for startups This is the time that entrepreneurs should use to concentrate on raising capital and developing a business model.

Special Considerations

There are a number of different factors that entrepreneurs must think of as they try to get their startups off the ground and begin operations. We've listed some of the most common ones below.

Location

Location can make or break any business. And it's often one of the most important considerations for anyone starting up in the business world. Startups must decide whether their business is conducted online, in an office or home office, or in a store. The location depends on the product or service being offered.

For example, a technology startup selling virtual reality hardware may need a physical storefront to give customers a face-to-face demonstration of the product's complex features.

Legal Structure

Startups need to consider what legal structure best fits their entity. A sole proprietorship is suited for a founder who is also the key employee of a business. Partnerships are a viable legal structure for businesses that consist of several people who have joint ownership, and they're also fairly straightforward to establish. Personal liability can be reduced by registering a startup as a limited liability company (LLC).

Funding

Startups often raise funds by turning to family and friends or by using venture capitalists. This is a group of professional investors that specialize in funding startups. Crowdfunding has become a viable way for many people to get access to the cash they need to move forward in the business process. The entrepreneur sets up a crowdfunding page online, allowing people who believe in the company to donate money.

Startups may use credit to commence their operations. A perfect credit history may allow the startup to use a line of credit as funding. This option carries the most risk, particularly if the startup is unsuccessful. Other companies choose small business loans to help fuel growth. Banks typically have several specialized options available for small businessesa microloan is a short-term, low-interest product tailored for startups. A detailed business plan is often required in order to qualify.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Startups

There are a variety of advantages to working for a startup. More responsibility and opportunities to learn are two. As startups have fewer employees than large, established companies, employees tend to wear many hats, working in a variety of roles, which leads to more responsibility as well as opportunities to learn.

Startups tend to be more relaxed in nature, making the workplace more of a communal experience, with flexible hours, increased employee interaction, and flexibility. Startups tend to also have better workplace benefits, such as nurseries for children, free food, and shorter workweeks.

The work at startups can also be more rewarding as innovation is welcomed and managers allow talented employees to run with ideas with little supervision.

One of the primary disadvantages of a startup is increased risk. This primarily applies to the success and longevity of a startup. New businesses need to prove themselves and raise capital before they can start turning a profit. Keeping investors happy with the startup's progress is critical. The risk of shutting down or not having enough capital to continue operations before turning a profit is ever-present.

Long hours are characteristic of startups as everyone is working toward the same goalto see the startup succeed. This can lead to high-stress moments and sometimes compensation that isn't commensurate with the hours worked. Competition is also always high as there tend to be a handful of startups working on the same idea.

More opportunities to learn

Increased responsibility

Flexibility

Workplace benefits

Innovation is encouraged

Flexible hours

Risk of failure

Having to raise capital

High stress

Competitive business environment

Examples of Startups

ProsCons

Dotcoms were a common startup in the 1990s. Venture capital was extremely easy to obtain during this time due to a frenzy among investors to speculate on the emergence of these new businesses. Unfortunately, most of these internet startups eventually went bust due to major flaws in their business plans, such as lacking a path to sustainable revenue. However, a handful of companies survived when the dotcom bubble burst. Amazon (AMZN) and eBay (EBAY) are just two examples.

Many startups fail within the first few years. That's why this initial period is important. Entrepreneurs need to find money, create a business model and business plan, hire key personnel, work out intricate details such as equity stakes for partners and investors, and plan for the long run. Many of today's most successful companiesMicrosoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), and Meta (META), formerly Facebook, to name a fewbegan as startups and ended up becoming publicly traded companies.



How Do You Start a Startup Company?

The first step in starting a startup is having a great idea. From there, market research is the next step to determine how feasible the idea is and what the current marketplace looks like for your idea. After the market research, creating a business plan that outlines your company structure, goals, mission, values, and objectives, is the next step.

One of the most important steps is obtaining funding. This can come from savings, friends, family, investors, or a loan. After raising funding, make sure you've done all the correct legal and paperwork. This means registering your business and obtaining any required licenses or permits. After this, establish a business location. From there, create an advertising plan to attract customers, establish a customer base, and adapt as your business grows.

How Do You Get a Startup Business Loan?

A startup can obtain a loan from a bank, certain organizations, or friends and family. One of the best and first options should be working with the U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides microloans to small businesses. The average SBA loan is $13,000 and the max loan amount is $50,000. These loans are usually from nonprofit community lenders and can be easier to obtain than traditional loans from banks.

What Are the Benefits of Working for a Startup?

The benefits of working at a startup include greater opportunities to learn, increased responsibility, flexible work hours, a relaxed work environment, increased employee interaction, good workplace benefits, and innovation.

How Do You Value a Startup Company?

Valuing a startup can be difficult as startups don't usually have longevity in which to determine their success. Startups also don't generate profits or even revenue for a few years after starting. As such, using the traditional financial statement metrics for valuations doesn't apply. Some of the best ways to value a startup include the cost to duplicate, market multiples, discounted cash flow, and valuation by stage.

The Bottom Line

Starting a company can be a difficult venture but a rewarding one. Having a great idea and attempting to bring it to market comes with a host of challenges, such as attracting capital, employees, marketing, legal work, and managing finances. Keep in mind, though, that startups lead to increased job satisfaction and the possibility of leaving a legacy.


Ahead of ICE North America,wyndham days inn las vegas we sat down with Perform CEO, Ross MacEacharn, to discuss the role live streaming plays in driving in-play betting and the role it might play in driving entertainment and engagement for sportsbooks in the US.

Why is live streaming so popular with global sports bettors?

Live streaming creates the ultimate first-screen experience by putting round-the-clock action straight into the sportsbook for sports fans to watch and bet upon. It provides quality live content to fill gaps around main domestic sport schedules, for example helping to drive activity in the daytime, weekdays and summer. Its been a key reason for the global growth of in-play betting, turning sportsbooks into more complete entertainment providers, and delivering uplifts in all the key user metrics. Our partners have also reported that the availability of streams helps drive pre-match betting too, and that its a great acquisition tool.

What sports work well for live streaming in a betting environment?

Most sports work. We particularly aim for sports that are timed around a countrys major domestic sports. A good example is tennis, which is an easy sport to follow, well-known players, easy to decide whether a particular player has superiority, offers exciting, fast-resulting betting opportunities throughout a match, high TV production values. But most importantly, tennis tournaments also have the great benefit of taking place during the week, across timezones. That makes tennis streams a great property for sportsbooks, even in countries where it isnt traditionally known as a key sport. Its why in Mexico for example, a country where tennis isnt widely followed, with no high profile local players, our tennis streams are enormously popular with bettors. Wed expect an even better performance in the US.

Will in-play betting take off in the US?

Contrary to the views from some quarters its already in excess of 50% of bets placed online on some sports including soccer and tennis, and rapidly growing in the newly regulated US market, especially where mobile betting is permitted. Live streaming will rapidly accelerate this growth and well probably see a higher proportion than the 70% average seen of all sports bets placed online outside the US.

How have operators around the world integrated streaming?

Putting streams front and centre and next to the relevant betting opportunities is key. Because our streaming portfolio is so broad, operators can do this 24/7/365 days a year. Weve been helping turn bookmakers into broadcasters for over 10 years and we pride ourselves on making integration easy through our flexible Content Player, which also includes additional content like live stats and facts. This helps bettors make faster betting decisions which ultimately leads to a more immersive, exciting experience.

What are your key streaming properties for the Americas?

We have top football competitions from around the world including the top leagues and cups from Spain, France, Portugal and multiple South American countries. We also have great tennis coverage from both the WTA and ATP tours. Great global basketball coverage too including this years FIBA World Cup. Global Ice Hockey and baseball. Overall we have in excess of 20,000 live streaming events per year to fill the year-round, round-the-clock timeslots.

Ross is participating on the following panel session at ICE North America, breaking down the in-play opportunity for US stakeholders and the role which premium sports content will play.

The ultimate player engagement solution: The future of in-play wagering

Boardroom, Wednesday 15th May, 1.45  2.30pm

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions News
Across the world,betfair exchange champions league gaming is a pastime thats only skyrocketed following the technological advancements made in the 20thand 21stcenturies. However, while gaming as a whole is worth some $450 billion dollars worldwide, only 25% of that global market share belongs to physical casinos. The other 75% of revenue comes from sports betting and mobile gaming, both of which have been particularly prone to evolve with technology.

Currently, mobile gaming developers are racing one another to create the most impressive online experience that works for desktop as well as handheld devices. This fierce competition has seen the introduction of new gaming fads, such as role-player games (RPGs) for slots or even massive multi-user online (MMO) features for card games like blackjack.

There are also finer, technical considerations like random number generators (RNGs) and even legal considerations, as will be discussed below. As the gaming world shifts into an online industry, sports betting is also subject to similar massive changes.

Sports betting, as a part of gaming, is much more accessible for the general population to understand and interact with, than complex card games like poker. However, even though major league sports leagues have huge followings across the world, sports betting still has plenty of room to expand.

While punting is widespread throughout countries like the UK or Spain, its relatively new to the US. However, given that the NFL is the highest-grossing sports league worldwide with annual revenue hovering around $8 billion, it should come as no surprise that many fans are interested in joining in the action with their favorite team.

However, there are more than just legal considerations when it comes to sports betting. First, betting technology needs to be accessible to fans. Second, bets, from prop bets to moneylines, should be understandable for newcomers. Third, the process itself needs to be seamless and enjoyable for the user.

While online sports betting sites are already busy making this process a reality (with many sites succeeding), one big idea within the sports betting industry is to create a self-serve kiosk that's a one-stop-shop for punters looking for a bet to wager on.

Not only does a kiosk offer a physical point for betting, but it also grounds the experience in the real world. Consider this: despite the proliferation of online betting sites, some gamers simply want the feel of a ceramic chip in their hand.

Sports betting in the US

Sports betting will only continue to expand in the US market as more states articulate legislation that navigates the federal ban on sports betting. As such, more and more physical kiosks are expected to be introduced not only to the casinos on the Vegas Strip but even at locations like stadiums or certain viewing venues.

Take the USs most lucrative sports league, for example, the NFL. Once NFL futures odds for the 2020 season are set by expert handicappers, betting begins for the NFLs some 150 million fansbut confusing legalities and even a generational tech gap prevent many from engaging with parlays or prop bets.

A kiosk has the ability to address these problems. Because it's a physical item, legislation has an easier time regulating its placement and overall function. Its much easier for an authoritative body to work in the physical world than in online sectors.

A kiosk is also familiar to older generations who may be uninterested in using a mobile device. Additionally, many prefer not to link their personal banking information to a mobile device, which makes the self-service payment utilized by the kiosk familiar and safe for a user with these concerns.

Terminals are able to print physical receipts, which add a measure of security for the user. But the kiosks are also able to validate coins and bills. This adds more security in cash handling, which is a major concern throughout the gaming world.

Self-service terminals

SUZOHAPP

SUZOHAPP is one of the few self-service terminals that have emerged recently with great success. Not only does this kiosk offer a full range of sports betting services, but it can also be automated for gaming, amusement, lottery, and bingo programs.

In fact, SUZOHAPP is now the worlds most inclusive self-service kiosk for the gaming industry. The kiosks are designed specifically for three separate needs: sports betting, casino components, and cash handling.

SUZOHAPPs most important component may very well be the cash handling feature, which also takes into consideration the integrity of the kiosk itself. The companys SDS-35 Smart Deposit Solution is a major facet of its cash management system.

Playtech BGT Sport

This kiosk allows for more personalization that many in the market for sports betting kiosks will appreciate. In fact, one of the main features of the Playtech BGT Sport is the variety of wagers that can be created and uploaded into the software of each kiosk.

Though the Playtech BGT has a hold on the UK with a market share over of over 95%, the Playtech is incredibly versatile. Theres even a compact terminal, similar in size and scale to an Apple iPad.

Playtech also offers a till, shop television, retail tablet, and online solution in addition to their standard and compact terminals. Playtech also has a mobile app, which allows users to track their bet no matter how far theyve wandered from the physical kiosk. This wide range of options could easily be adapted for a US market.

In fact, in the UK, Playtech specifically drove itself to adapt physical kiosks for punters that could both physically fit into smaller venues (like pubs or convenience stores) and also be integrated into existing software without causing delays or usurping bandwidth.

While the US market may not be ready for such an inundation of kiosks given the slow rise of sports betting compared to a market like the UK bettors market, it does show the dynamic application and possibilities of the sports betting kiosk. We only have to wait a bit more to see technologies like this appearing in many more places around the world.

Category: Casino Blog
A rash of gambling-related suspensions hit the NFL this the best slots mobile betway loginoffseason, with the league levying penalties on 10 players. As a result of the sports betting infractions, the organization increased its educational efforts ahead of the 2023 season.

Education about gambling policies isnt new, but the league has tried to improve the measures, especially for rookies. From videos to in-person training to facility signage, the NFL has tried to spread its gambling policy message before the 2023 season begins Thursday.
Definition of Chronology

Chronology means the list in an order of the occurrences or incidents,las atlantis no deposit bonus codes august 2022 mostly historical. Etymologically, chronology is made up of two Grecian words Kronosand Logiathat means the study of time. Later, this Grecian term of Kronoschanged into a Latin term chronologiawhich transformed into chronology in English in the 16thcentury or later. It is a noun and is also used as a plural such as chronologies. It happens with the counting of time such as historical events or the timeline of some events or an event.

In literature, it happens in the novel that a character goes through incidents during their life in chronological order. Therefore, it is an integral part of a narrative. It shows the full timeline of the events that characters go through. It could also be used for other such events such as the chronology of the virus, or chronology of pottery, or the chronology of the United States.

As far as events in a narrative are concerned, they could happen in a linear way that is also called a straightway. They could happen In Medias Reswhich means to pick an event from a characters life and then unravel the past or the present of the character. Therefore, it is important in the development of a plot. However, in the postmodern world, most of the writers have turned this important element of the narrative topsy-turvy.

Examples from Literature

Example #1

From The Old Man and the Seaby Ernest Hemingway

When the boy came back the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down. The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old mans shoulders. They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward.

This passage taken from the novel of Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, shows the use of chronology in the very first line. Although the direct start of the old man from this age seems that Hemingway has not paid much attention to this narrative element, the novel shows just a few days of the life of the old man. Therefore, the sun was down shows that it is the evening time and that the old man is going to sleep. The next passages show the timeline of the old man from this evening to onward. This is a good use of the existing chronology.

Example #2

From Animal Farmby George Orwell

Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring. As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals.

This passage occurs in the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. The Manor Farm is now going to stop all of its activities. It seems that it is the evening time as the light in the lantern seems to have woken up. The second hint is at the light that goes out in the bedroom and then the mention of the previous night. It shows that chronology does not need to happen in apple-pie order in a narrative. It could be an implicit use of the natural objects to let the readers enjoy the narratives smooth flow.

Example #3

From A Tale of Two Citiesby Charles Dickins

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other wayin short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

This passage occurs in the popular novel of Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. Although it does not point to the chronology used in it, it gives hints about the time and season with the mention of times, age, spring and winter. A good reader can immediately connect these dots and apply them to the characters.

Example #4

Preface to Aeneid by R. W. MacFarland

This narration occupies the second and the third nooks, which, therefore, in the order of time, are first and second, while which stands, first, is the third in the course of events. The others are in their natural order. But this arrangemnet of the first three books, has the advantage of making the hero relate the destruction of Troy.

This passage from a preface of the book shows not only the use of chronology in writing but also its use in narrations, events, and stories. The author is clear that though the books are first and second in order, they are not first and second in the order of the events given in Aeneid.

Function of Chronology

Chronology gives readers a sense of the events as they happen. A reader can understand the time whether it is past, present, or future, and understand the story and events as they unfold when he/she reads. He/she can also understand the order of the events.

Related posts:
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.

Even if your site is written in English only and does not include multilingual translations, you may need to add Greek language characters to that site on certain pages or for certain words.

The list below includes the HTML codes necessary to use Greek characters that are not in the standard character set and are not found on a keyboard's keys. Not all browsers support all these codes (mainly, older browsers may cause problems; newer browsers should be fine), so be sure to test your HTML codes before you use them.

Some Greek characters may be part of the Unicode character set, so you need to declare that in the head of your documents:

<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" />

Here are the different characters you may need to use.

Display Friendly Code Decimal Code Hex Code Description     Capital Alpha     Lowercase Alpha     Capital Beta     Lowercase Beta     Capital Gamma     Lowercase Gamma     Capital Delta     Lowercase Delta     Capital Epsilon     Lowercase Epsilon     Capital Zeta     Lowercase Zeta     Capital Eta     Lowercase Eta     Capital Theta     Lowercase Theta     Capital Iota     Lowercase Iota     Capital Kappa     Lowercase Kappa     Capital Lambda     Lowercase Lambda     Capital Mu     Lowercase Mu     Capital Nu     Lowercase Nu     Capital Xi     Lowercase Xi     Capital Omicron     Lowercase Omicron     Capital Pi     Lowercase Pi     Capital Rho     Lowercase Rho     Capital Sigma     Lowercase Sigma     Lowercase Final Sigma     Capital Tau     Lowercase Tau     Capital Upsilon     Lowercase Upsilon     Capital Phi     Lowercase Phi     Capital Chi     Lowercase Chi     Capital Psi     Lowercase Psi     Capital Omega     Lowercase Omega

Using these characters is simple. In the HTML markup, you would place these special character codes where you want the Greek character to appear. These are used similarly to other HTML special character codes that allow you to add characters that are also not found on the traditional keyboard, and therefore cannot be simply typed into the HTML in order to display on a web page.

Remember, these character codes may be used on an English language website if you need to display a word with one of these characters. These characters would also be used in HTML that was actually displaying full Greek translations, whether you actually coded those web pages by hand and had a full Greek version of the site, or if you used a more automated approach to multi-lingual webpages and went with a solution like Google Translate.

Edited by Jeremy Girard
From 19th-26thNovember,blackjack online casino canada Punta Canas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will enjoy a schedule of events and poker tournaments as part of partypokers Caribbean Poker Party.

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is described as one of the best casinos in the Caribbean, and the idyllic setting is sure to provide a memorable backdrop for competing players and their families.

With a total jackpot of $2 million youd be forgiven for thinking that this is a tournament exclusive to the professionals, but thats far from the truth with satellites for the tournament available from just $0.01 and a number of buy-ins ($109 or $1,050) throughout the qualifying stages.

Its not all about the poker though, because as well as winning your way into one of the biggest poker tournaments of the season and trying your skills against some of the best in the industry, youll also be able to spend time soaking up the sun and immersing yourself in the luxury of this impressive resort which plays host to a huge number of famous faces throughout the year. Alongside the poker tournaments, the hotel will also be offering evening parties, excursions and activities such as water polo and volleyball throughout the week to ensure that guests enjoy a varied escape.

To get yourself on the guest list for this impressive, fun-filled tournament, there are a few steps to come first. Each week, the players who finish on partypokers top 10 leaderboard for the tournament will grab themselves a $6,000 package which includes:

$1,000 toward the flight, tournament buy-in for the partypoker Million, all-inclusive accommodation, food and beverages at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana

There is also the chance to sell or transfer a package should you be lucky enough to win more than one.

To get onto the leaderboard the partypoker site says youll need to:

play any Power Series tournament with a buy-in of $109* or more to get on the leaderboards. The more you play, the more points you earn, and the higher you climb. Every Monday a new Leaderboard will start, giving you 10 chances to bag a prize package!

Category: Casino Blog
In this pandemic year, many Americans are focused on how to have a socially distanced romantic dinner or prepare the perfect date night at home.

Too often, the result has been anxiety, petty quarrels, debt and a tendency, on the part of guests with minimal attachment to the families involved, to treat weddings as free date nights that do not always meet their entertainment expectations.

However, if youll only be pumping once a week or on the occasional date night, a manual pump can be comfortable and get the job done.

For now though, one rogue router can upend your date night plans.

This game is great for date night, game night, teaming up with friends and family, or just playing on your own. The best spooky board games for late night gaming|PopSci Commerce Team|January 8, 2021|Popular-Science

People watch night soaps because the genre allows them to believe in a world where people just react off their baser instincts. Empire Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

On Dec. 22, 1799, Sands told her cousins that she would be leaving to elope with a fellow boarder named Levi Weeks that night. New Yorks Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

As of Thursday night, the brothers remained on the loose, last seen in northern France. U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

At the moment, the only chance I get is when I go do Late Night with Seth Meyers. Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On Portlandia, Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swifts Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Are you bi-coastal now, between Portlandia and Late Night with Seth Meyers? Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On Portlandia, Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swifts Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Bessires was included because he would never win it at any later date, but his doglike devotion made him a priceless subordinate. Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

The night wore on, and the clock downstairs was striking the hour of two when she suddenly awakened. The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

Without preface, he abruptly asked, what had been told him of the Duke of Wharton's behaviour the preceding night. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

Nevertheless the evening and the night passed away without incident. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has fined and chastised several gaming operations across the state after identifying violations of different nature, it emerged this week.

The regulator has issued a total of $284,000 in fines to Boyd Gaming, Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, Valley Forge Convention Center Partners, and Sugarhouse Gaming. In addition, the agency has undertaken non-monetary punitive actions against Snow Shoe Travel Plaza and Pit Stop Travel Plaza.

Boyd Gaming was slapped with the largest fine among the above-mention operators that were sanctioned by the Keystone States gambling watchdog. The casino operator was hit with a $150,000 fineover its failure to notify PGCB members of all pertinent facts regarding the surrender of a principals license in 2020. The companys failure to provide the necessary information hindered the regulators suitability determination, it became known.

Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing, the Penn National Gaming subsidiary that operates Hollywood Casino, was issued a $70,000 fineafter an individual, who was on the Gaming Control Boards self-exclusion list, was able to gain entry to the propertys gaming floor. They were served alcoholic beverages which resulted in intoxication and damage to other patrons vehicles parked in the propertys vicinity.

Mountainview Thoroughbred faced a separate $50,000 finedue to incidents that saw two former employees willfully funnel payments to gaming service providers to provide inaccurate disclosures to the regulatory agency and its licensing bureau of lower payment amounts needed to determine the classification of some of the propertys vendors. In other words, those inaccurate disclosures resulted in lower license fees.

More Sanctions

In addition, Valley Forge Convention Center Partners, the organization that operates Valley Forge Casino Resort, received a $14,000 penaltyfrom the state gambling regulator for failing to prevent an underage visitor from accessing its casino floor.

The young gambler was aged 20 and was able to gamble at the venues table games.

Rush Street Gaming subsidiary Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, which operates Rivers Casino Philadelphia, was not imposed a fine but was ordered to implement additional security measures and enhance the propertys surveillanceafter an individual left two children, aged two and four, in a parked vehicle in the gambling venues parking lot.

Snow Shoe Travel Plaza and Pit Stop Travel Plaza also avoided a monetary punishment, but were ordered to surrender two video gaming terminal establishment licenses and two principal licenses for failing to adhere to various requirementsfor holding licenses from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Pennsylvanias licensed gambling operators generated revenue of $413 millionin May, up from $404 million in April, according to the latest data from the state Gaming Control Board. Their properties were closed during the same month a year ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The reported May 2021 figure represented a 42% increase from May 2019 when revenue totaled $290.8 million.

Source:Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board issues penalties totalling $284,000, SBC Americas, June 17, 2021
Greg Gutfeld: 'Our country is now a cautionary warning'

closeVideo

'The Five' co-hosts discuss an anti-drug ad from Mexico showing homeless addicts from Philadelphia and a study that found 1 in 179 Americans will eventually be murdered.

A controversial Mexican anti-drug ad shows the United States has essentially become a cautionary tale for the drug smuggling and addiction crisis  a distinction that used to belong sorely to other countries, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld suggested Tuesday.

A Mexican ad warning against the dangers of drug addiction notably featured scenes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  home to one neighborhood Republican surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz dubbed the world's "largest open-air drug market" in recent weeks.

On "The Five," Gutfeld remarked Americans are supposed to be the ones pointing out how "bad" Philadelphia is, not the Mexican government.

"It says something now that our country is a cautionary warning," he said.. "I don't see a way out until we have legal alternatives for our own oblivion."

Scenes from Kensington  a long-troubled neighborhood in Philadelphia --were featured in the ad, which the AP reported was "proudly presented" to the Mexican public by the Lopez Obrador administration in Mexico City.

LAST BLUE DOG HENRY CUELLAR REVEALS WHETHER GOP PRESSED HIM TO SWITCH PARTIES

Video

Gutfeld said there is another aspect to the video ad that is notable  reports of people being upset they did not grant consent to be filmed.

"And I'm thinking to myself, sorry, did the drug addicted zombie get your consent when they defecated in front of a packed school bus?" he asked. "I think that goes out the window when their stuff is going out of their bodies on a sidewalk."

BIDEN'S CHINA DIPLOMACY STRATEGIC INSANITY WITH REAL-WORLD REPERCUSSIONS: THIESSEN

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gestures during a news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, June 20, 2022. (REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo)

Officials in Philadelphia, which voted heavily for Democrats in the midterms, have the power to change course if they so choose, fellow "Five" co-host Katie Pavlich added.

"You see the Mexican side of the border doing nothing to stop it," she said. "And the people in charge of Philadelphia and other cities in America have the power to change things and they refuse to."

Pavlich added that it was "embarrassing" that a country like Mexico, known for it's troubles with drug trades and cartels, could present an anti-drug ad that focuses on th

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In a statement responding to the ad, Philadelphia Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney lamented it being "hard to see our city's people and neighborhoods portrayed in a limited and negative light."

"No neighborhood and no person should be defined by this tragic and widespread crisis," Kenney said.

Meanwhile, the city's elected prosecutor, Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner, encountered the first step in impeachment proceedings Tuesday  in response to claims his leadership has exacerbated the city's crime wave.

A committee led by State Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Chambersburg, voted 14-8 to move forward with Articles of Impeachment.

Krasner responded by saying the GOP proved "yet again that they have no desire to govern responsibly," while pointing to the party's losses in the midterms as evidence Pennsylvanians' public sentiment isn't on their side.

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].
Buffalo Public Schools began offering its own preschool special education programs four years ago with one class.

With the need for special education services rising  and data showing early intervention is immensely helpful for preschool students with disabilities  Buffalos preschool offerings for students with disabilities have soared.

Buffalo Schools now runs 11 classrooms for preschool students with disabilities and plans to open five more in November through January as more students are referred, Assistant Superintendent for Special Education Kim Hoelscher said last week during a School Board work session presentation.

Special education services for children under 3 years old are offered by the Erie County Department of Health through its Early Intervention program. When the children turn 3, Buffalos Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) evaluates students and gives parents a choice between three programs that could fit their childs needs.

Acting as an agency, the Buffalo School District partners with Erie County and receives funding alongside Head Start, day-care programs and other preschools, depending on enrollment.

We have conversations with the county to address as many needs as possible, Hoelscher said.

Park District representative Terri Schuta, in her first year on the board, on Wednesday shared concerns she has heard from South Buffalo parents with 3- and 4-year-old students with disabilities. Those discussions prompted Schuta to request the presentation.

The parents said that during Covid-19 disruptions, their children didnt get normal care or screenings that would lead to early intervention, she said.

Special education has become a major focus in Buffalo schools due to pandemic effects, the responsibilities of a large urban district and a growing number of students with disabilities.

Buffalos special education department has come under fire this summer from parents and teachers, who argue that district changes to autism classrooms were poorly communicated and did not show compassion for students with the greatest needs.

The districts preschool special education classrooms vary in structure, but emulate the state-mandated continuum of services that aims to place students in the least-restrictive setting.

For example, a student with minor behavioral or speech needs may be placed in a typical preschool classroom and receive assistance from a special education teacher for a portion of the day, while a nonverbal student may be placed in a smaller class with all special education students and more adult staff.

Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center School 99 on Jefferson Avenue will receive four of the five new classrooms, Hoelscher said. There will be two classes of eight students, one teacher and three aides (8:1:3); and two classes of six students, one teacher and two aides (6:1:2). The fifth class will be an 8:1:2 class at Early Childhood Center School 90.

School 99 already holds two integrated classes with students with disabilities, while Bennett Park Montessori, West Hertel Elementary, Dr. George Blackman School of Excellence and School 90 are the schools with at least one preschool special education classroom.

Hurdles stand in the way of further growth. Prekindergarten students referred to special education services essentially double over the course of the year, according to data Hoelscher shared.

Those trends were consistent each year from 2018-19 through last year, in which 674 preschool students with disabilities were referred at the beginning of the year, and 1,174 received services by the end.

'Hard transitions': Buffalo Schools' special education faces backlash over late-summer changes for students with autism Several parents of students with autism are angry by changes Buffalo Public Schools implemented in July and August to address special education class size and structure for the 2023-24 school year.

Hoelscher said those numbers were even greater when considering the number of CPSE meetings held with students, which exceeded 2,000 last year. She said preschool special education classrooms around the county are shrinking due to staff shortages, insufficient state reimbursements and difficulties evaluating students due to language barriers.

While Buffalos offerings are growing, they may not chip significantly at the countys overall need as other agencies struggle to accommodate the surge of students.

Compared with money allocated to special education from kindergarten through 12th grade, resources for kids ages 3 to 5 with disabilities are more scarce. According to the districts approved budget, the federal grant budgeted for Buffalo this year is $582,000, the same as last year. About $270,000 from the American Rescue Plan funds were used last year to supplement preschool students with disabilities, but that money is not available this year.

Buffalo Schools has other funding sources, but Hoelscher said the districts preschool special education program is not fully covered by state, federal and county funds. That struck at least one board member as a key point.

These are the most critical pieces, and we have to advocate on multiple levels, said Buffalo School Board member Ann Rivera, who led the development of two board committees on special education last school year. Theres not a lot of funding that follows it.
Definition of Olfactory Imagery

Sensory imagery plays an important role in creating mental images for the reader while reading. So that he/she can engage himself to that level at which the writer desires. Olfactory imagery is casinos like rich casinoall about the smell. Also, very few writers use olfactory imagery in their work because it is not an easy one to master. It may include perfumes, fragrances, or different types of odors. As smell is the direct tool to activate or trigger the mind and feelings. It is also important to note that smell and taste are most often linked together, and so as in sensory imagery, by using both, the writer can better explain one with the help of the other. Olfactory imagery represents those smells or odors that are related to memory or prior experience. It is not a direct stimulation. The writer can create a certain feeling or mood through this imagery. Some studies conclude that olfactory sensory plays a vital part in visual memory performance.

Examples of Olfactory Imagery from literature

Example #1

The Awakening by Kate Chopin (1899).

There were strange, rare odors abroada tangle of the sea smell and of weeds and damp, new-plowed earth, mingled with the heavy perfume of a field of white blossoms somewhere near.

In the above lines, the writer has compared the smell of the sea to the smell of earth while comparing the smell of flowers, soil, and weeds in a very beautiful way.

Example #2

Perfume (Novel) by Patrick Suskind

In the period of which we speak, there reigned in the cities a stench barely conceivable to us modern men and women. The streets stank of manure, the courtyards of urine, the stairwells stank of moldering wood and rat droppings, the kitchens of spoiled cabbage and mutton fat; the unaired parlors stank of stale dust, the bedrooms of greasy sheets, damp featherbeds, and the pungently sweet aroma of chamber pots. The stench of sulfur rose from the chimneys, the stench of caustic lyes from the tanneries, and from the slaughterhouses came the stench of congealed blood. People stank of sweat and unwashed clothes; from their mouths came the stench of rotting teeth, from their bellies that of onions, and from their bodies, if they were no longer very young, came the stench of rancid cheese and sour milk and tumorous disease.

In the above-mentioned example writer discussed the surroundings of the 18th century using olfactory imagery and the unsentimental behavior of that time. The hidden animal in human disguise is also described through odors that are released by sweat and the lack of basic hygiene. Especially in areas where peasants or poor people lived without amenities and water. The markets and the streets were probably never cleaned, the people had no facilities to clean their bodies or teeth unlike the royalty and rich people who enjoy all the knacks.

Example #3

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

My captor, whoever he was, seemed not much taller than I. I smelled a faint flowery scent, as of lavender water, and something more spicy, mingled with the sharper reek of male perspiration.

The author is known to use heavy imagery in her works. The current example explains a protagonists interaction with a stranger when he tries to get closer to her. She describes his personality combined with the type of perfume he is wearing and also indicates that he is tired because shes able to smell his sweat.

Examples of Olfactory Imagery in Poetry

Example #1

Rain in Summer by T.W Longfellow

The toilsome and patient oxen stand

Lifting the yoke encumbered head,

With their dilated nostrils spread,

They silently inhale The clover-scented gale,

And the vapors that arise

From the well-watered and smoking soil.

In the above example, the poet has very successfully used olfactory imagery using the words smoking soil and clover scented gale. The imagery here is very rich in emotions and feelings that explain hard work and lifts the reader to the level of the writers imagination.

Example #2

After Apple Picking by Robert Frost

The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.

I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight

I got from looking through a pane of glass

I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough

And held against the world of hoary grass

In these lines, frost allows the reader to enjoy the smell of apples, he didnt mention the type of apple as he left its smell for the imagination of the reader. He beautifully merged olfactory imagery with visual imagery to take the reader to the desired height of imagination and feelings. Thus allowing the readers to understand the surroundings of the apple farm.

Example #3

Prelude by T.S Eliot

The winter evening settles down

With smells of steaks in passageways

Six o clock.

The burnt- out ends of smoky days.

The morning comes to consciousness

Of faint stale smells of beer.

The first two lines and the last line of the above-mentioned example is reflecting the Olfactory imagery. The smell of wintry evening mixes with the steak smoke and further merges with the smell of the beer.

Example #4

Smell by William Carlos Williams

Oh strong-ridged and deeply hollowed

nose of mine! what will you not be smelling?

What tactless asses we are, you and I, boney nose,

always indiscriminate, always unashamed,

and now it is the souring flowers of the bedraggled

poplars: a festering pulp on the wet earth

beneath them. With what deep thirst

we quicken our desires

to that rank odor of a passing springtime!

Can you not be decent?

This modern poem is the address to the nose, criticizing it for letting him smell bad odors like rotten flowers. The nose cant be shut down as eyes through eyelids. One has to use hands or fingers to shut the senses of hearing and smell. Because of this reason poet is scolding his nose and using olfactory imagery.

Example #5

Miss Thompson Gees Shopping  Martin Amstrong

The old strange fragrance filled the air

a fragrance like the garden pink,

but tinged with vague medicinal stink

of a camphor, soap, new sponger, blent,

with chloro form and violent scent.

The words like camphor and chloroform are used as olfactory imagery for pharmacists as they smell strong and metallic. So, a human nose can detect the medicines as mentioned in each line of the poem. Medicine stink is the noticeable imagery.

A Few More Examples of Olfactory Imagery in Regular Usage

Nancy dressed up in a velvety green gown and put on her musky jasmine perfume, and went out for the party.

As he opens the shoe polish, its smell spreads all around the room.

She put the popcorn packet in the microwave, and in seconds the cheesy smell of popcorn started making her more hungry.

The little boy started coughing and put his hand on his nose to avoid the rotten smell of cigarettes.

The waiter served him a glass of Mint Margarita, and its fresh lemony smell soothes his thirst after a long summer drive.

Her refrigerator became out of order; the nauseating smell of rotten eggs and stale bread forced her to run away from the kitchen.

The gardener was watering the plants, and the grandfather, who was sitting nearby in a wheelchair, took a deep breath as he aromas the wet soil.

When James sprayed mosquito killer, Elena ran away from the room, scrunching her nose, unable to bear overpowering decomposing smell.

Examples of Olfactory imagery in Biblical Verses

The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of mans heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.  Genesis 8:21

He shall then bring it to Aarons sons the priests; and shall take from it his handful of its fine flour and of its oil with all of its frankincense. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke as its memorial portion on the altar, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord.  Leviticus 2:2

Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.  Exodus 30:22-29

I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.  Hosea 14:5-6

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines [with] the tender grape give a [good] smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.  Song of Solomon 2:13

Conclusion

Olfactory imagery can be more creative through descriptive language and appropriate adjectives. Olfactory imagery also helps the reader to imagine what we breathe or smell of the described item. It plays an important role in envisioning the scene, plot, and character. It not only enhances the piece of writing but enhances the thoughts and feelings of the reader. Imagery helps the readers track their imagination and glide with them.

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Betrs real-money sportsbook product is city with casinoslive in Virginia, the company announced Wednesday morning. The sports betting operator has now launched in three states, as its also operational in Ohio and Massachusetts.

Betr is the 15th operational mobile sportsbook in Virginia, entering the states legal sports betting market thanks to a license availability made possible by Golden Nuggets exit. Betr received the license in March.

We are thrilled to continue expanding our online sports betting business by launching in Virginia just in time for the NFL season, Joey Levy, founder and CEO of Betr, said in a statement. Virginia will be the final state where we launch V0 of the Betr Sportsbook, before rolling out our V1 Sportsbook product in existing and new states next year.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas will be closed after next years Super Bowl Sunday and will remain closed for the greater part of its transformation into Virgin Hotel Las Vegas, news emerged on Friday.

Businessman Richard Bransons Virgin Hotels bought the property last year and announced a multi-million plan for its remodel into a Virgin-branded resort. It was originally announced that during its transformation, the property would be partially closed after the Super Bowl weekend in 2020 for a period of four months that would be followed by a total closure for another four months.

Richard Boz Bosworth, President and CEO of J.C. Hospitality, Virgins partner in the endeavor, said last week that they have scrapped the phased closing planin favor of a total closure of the resort during construction work.

Heres Mr. Bozworths full statement from this past Friday:

We determined that a phased closing of four months, followed by a total closure of four months was not efficient from a construction process nor could we provide a hospitality service experience our guests deserve. Therefore an approximate eight-month closure would be most efficient and ensure a timely opening prior to January 2021. We might be ready in October, but construction is an imperfect process. Until early February 2020 it is business as usual at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas promises to be one of the most exciting, vibrant, and anticipated properties to open in Las Vegas in years.

Property to Reopen by January 2021

Mr. Bozworth pointed out that they could be done with the resorts transformation as early as October 2020, but construction is an imperfect process, so it make take them a little more time. However, the official said that the property will certainly open doors as Virgin Hotel Las Vegas before January 2021.

Business will go as usual at Hard Rock Las Vegas until the Super Bowl weekend next February. Programming at the resorts entertainment venue  The Joint  will run through the end of the year with scheduled acts by Mary J. Blige, Caske and Ben Folds, Stone Temple Pilots, and Gary Allan, among other artists.

When news first emerged that Virgin Hotels had bought Hard Rock Las Vegas, the hospitality company run by British businessman Sir Richard Branson, it said that it would invest $150 million into the renovation and transformation of the complex. Earlier this year, Virgin Hotels said that it has upped that initial investment to $200 million.

The propertys planned overhaul will include renovation of its 1,500 hotel rooms, 5-acre pool deck, as well as of its food and beverage, gaming, nightlife and daytime entertainment, and gaming offering. Partners for the resorts different amenities will be announced in November.

J.C. Hospitality revealed last month plans to team up with AEG Presentsas its booking partner for The Joint. The entertainment venue will, too, be refreshed as part of the transformation process.

Construction work at Hard Rock Las Vegas was initially planned to kick off later this summer. However, the propertys new owners decided to push the start of the remodel to February 2020 and its launch to late 2020, as it did not want its grand opening to get lost in the distraction of the presidential election.

Mr. Bosworth said earlier this year he and his company didnt want to compete with the distraction of the campaign, with the state of Nevada and Las Vegas playing a pivotal role in the election.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories
Panama and China said they hoped to reach a mutually beneficial bilateral free trade agreement (FTA),black oak casino winners after launching negotiations here on Monday.

Chinas Ambassador to Panama Wei Qiang told Xinhua that in negotiations of this kind, the key words are mutual benefit.

The two countries aim to negotiate a modern, ample, comprehensive and high-level FTA that reaffirms Chinas interest in Panama as a Latin American gateway, given its role as a trade and distribution hub, said Wei.

For the Chinese government, the guiding principle for negotiations is to develop and consolidate bilateral and international ties, to have mutually beneficial cooperation, said Wei.

Nothing is beneficial when it is sustainable only for one side, he said.

Chinese companies have been operating in Panama for years, and their number is due to increase as the newly established ties between the two countries have spurred bilateral business and investment, Wei said.

The Panamanian economy is very strong in the finance and services sectors, for which China can offer an attractive market for greater exchanges between the two, he said.

Panama holds numerous advantages for China, and China in turn represents numerous opportunities for Panama, Panamanian Minister of Commerce Augusto Arosemena told Xinhua during a break in a closed-door meeting held at a hotel close to the offices of the Panama Canal Authority.

The first round of talks, set to continue through Friday, is centered on outlining the main areas of the trade deal, said Alberto Aleman, head of the Panamanian negotiating team.

Leading the Chinese delegation is Zhang Shaogang, director of the Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs at Chinas Ministry of Commerce.

Since establishing diplomatic ties in June 2017, the two countries have stepped up bilateral cooperation and aimed to strengthen trade with an FTA.

The idea is to forge a win-win relationship marked by mutual trust, respect and complementarity, said Arosemena.

For Panama, its highly important to boost our access to the Chinese market and attract Chinese investment, as well as position ourselves as a gateway for Chinese products and investment in the Latin American region, a goal both countries see as one of the essential principles of the negotiation, he said.

The Central American country is ready to export typical regional products, such as tropical fruits, coffee and fishmeal to China, Arosemena said, adding the Panamanian government has met with representatives of the private sector in the past month or so to discuss changes or improvements based on their expectations.

Xinhua

Panama, China launch free-trade talks for mutual benefitadded by chinatimesonline on

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Bhutan [ boo-tahn ]/ butn / New Word List Save This pachislot  geass r2Word! [ boo-tahn ]/ butn /Save ThisWord!

nouna kingdom in the Himalayas, NE of India: foreign affairs under Indian jurisdiction. About 19,300 sq. mi. (50,000 sq. km). Capital: Thimphu.

Words nearby Bhutan

How to use Bhutan Bhutan/ (butn) / nouna kingdom in central Asia: disputed by Tibet, China, India, and Britain since the 18th century but most closely connected with India; contains inaccessible stretches of the E Himalayas in the north. Official language: Dzongka; Nepali is also spoken. Official religion: Mahayana Buddhist. Currencies: ngultrum and Indian rupee. Capital: Thimbu. Pop: 725 296 (2013 est). Area: about 46 600 sq km (18 000 sq miles) 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!QuestionBhubaneswar, Bhumibol Adulyadej, bhuna, bhungi, bhut, Bhutan, Bhutanese, Bhutatathata, Bhutto, bi, BiaDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Place value is an extremely important concept that is taught as early as kindergarten. As students learn about larger numbers, the concept of place value continues throughout the middle grades. Place value refers to the value of the digit based on its position and can be a difficult concept for young learners to grasp, but understanding this idea is essential for learning math.

What Is Place Value?

Place value refers to the value of each digit in a number. For example, the number 753has three "places"or columnseach with a specific value. In this three-digit number, the 3 is in the "ones" place, the 5 is in the "tens" place, and the 7 is in the "hundreds" place.

In other words, the 3 represents three single units, so the value of this number is three. The 5 is in the tens place, where values increase by multiples of 10. So, the 5 is worth five units of 10, or 5 x 10, which equals 50. The 7 is in the hundreds place, so it represents seven units of 100, or 700.

Young learners grapple with this idea because the value of each number is different depending on the column, or place, in which it resides. Lisa Shumate, writing for the website of Demme Learning, an educational publishing company, explains:

"Regardless of whether dad is in the kitchen, the living room, or the garage, he is still dad, but if the digit 3 is in different locations (tens or hundreds place, for example), it means something different."

A 3 in the ones column is just 3. But that same 3 in the tens column is 3 x 10, or 30, and the 3 in the hundreds column is 3 x 100, or 300. To teach place value, give students the tools they need to grasp this concept.

Base 10 Blocks

Base 10 blocks are manipulative sets designed to help students learn place value with blocks and flats in various colors, such as small yellow or green cubes (for ones), blue rods (for tens), and orange flats (featuring 100-block squares).

For example, consider a number such as 294. Use green cubes for ones, blue bars (which contain 10 blocks each) to represent 10s, and 100 flats for the hundreds place. Count out four green cubes representing the 4 in the ones column, nine blue bars (containing 10 units each) to represent the 9 in the tens column, and two 100 flats to represent the 2 in the hundreds column.

You don't even have to use different-colored base 10 blocks. For example, for the number 142, you would place one 100 flat in the hundreds place, four 10-unit rods in the tens column, and two single-unit cubes in the ones place.

Place Value Charts

Use a chart like an image atop this article when teaching place value to students. Explain to them that with this kind of chart, they can determine place values for even very large numbers.

For instance, with a number such as 360,521: the 3 would be placed in the "Hundreds of Thousands" column and represents 300,000 (3 x 100,000); the 6 would be placed in the "Tens of Thousands" column and represents 60,000 (6 x 10,000); the 0 would be placed in the "Thousands" column and represents zero (0 x 1,000); the 5 would be placed in the "Hundreds" column and represents 500 (5 x 100); the 2 would be placed in the "Tens" column and represents 20 (2 x 10), and the one would be in the "Units"or onescolumn and represents 1 (1 x 1).

Using Objects

Make copies of the chart. Give students various numbers up to 999,999 and have them place the correct digit in its corresponding column. Alternatively, use different-colored objects, such as gummy bears, cubes, wrapped candies, or even small squares of paper.

Define what each color represents, such as green for ones, yellow for tens, red for hundreds, and brown for thousands. Write a number, such as 1,345, on the board. Each student should place the correct number of colored objects in the corresponding columns on her chart: one brown marker in the "Thousands" column, three red markers in the "Hundreds" column, four yellow markers in the "Tens" column, and five green markers in the "Ones" column.

Rounding Numbers

When a child understands place value, she is usually able to round numbers to a specific place. The key is understanding that rounding numbers are essentially the same as rounding digits. The general rule is that if a digit is five or greater, you round up. If a digit is four or less, you round down.

So, to round the number 387 to the nearest tens place, for example, you would look at the number in the ones column, which is 7. Since seven is greater than five, it rounds up to 10. You can't have a 10 in the ones place, so you would leave the zero in the ones place and round the number in the tens place, 8, up to the next digit, which is 9. The number rounded to the nearest 10 would be 390. If students are struggling to round in this manner, review place value as discussed previously.
In recent years,judi spin slot csgo betting sites casino streaming has expeditiously grown in popularity, with more and more streamers joining the industry. Casino streaming is a form of marketing that involves broadcasting live casino games on online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch. For casino streamers to prosper in the highly-competitive industry, they need to acquire thousands of subscribers, which is a challenge to many. Fortunately, several techniques can help streamers in subscriber acquisition. From being persistent to broadcasting high-quality gaming content, there are many ways casino streamers can win enormous numbers of subscribers. Continue reading and learn ways good Casino Streamers can get more subscribers on their live streaming platforms.

5 Ways Casino Streamers Can Acquire More Subscribers

There are many tips and tricks that you can do to help your casino live streaming constantly grow its audience. Here are some tips to help good casino streamers get thousands of subscribers.

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#5. Cross-promote on all social media platforms

Casino streamers can boost their following by cross-promoting their live stream on different platforms. You can use your social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Post visually appealing video teasers, graphics, or text information on such channels to increase activity in your Livestream. You can mention your live stream in other places, such as podcasts and online forums. Or use email newsletters to create awareness about your upcoming broadcast to ensure people show up and subscribe.

Conclusion

A casino streamer can increase the live stream viewership using the right strategies. If you are a casino streamer looking for safe, legitimate, and licensed casinos to play and live stream. Casino.online's new streaming section can help you identify one. They provide online casino reviews from a team of experts who have been in the industry for decades.

All you need to do is go through their guide and identify the one you think will fit you. The top-rated best online casino 2022 on this platform is 888 casino, with a rating of 9.8. A live casino provides casino streamers a great platform for interacting with audiences as they play their favourite games. A good live casino should offer a wide range of live dealer games from the best live casino software providers, such as Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, and NETENT. Some of the most popular live dealer games to play online include money wheel games, roulette, baccarat, bingo, dice games, lottery, and more

Category: Casino Blog
If you are describing a society that is made up of very similar people, would you describe this society as homogenousor homogeneous?

Despite their spelling similarities, these words are not synonyms. One is an outdated term from biology, while the other is an adjective that refers to sameness. They are confusing enough that even professional journalists often misuse them.

You, however, are a discerning writer, and you understand that proper word choice can preserve your credibility. This article will explain which of these words is correct in your writing.

What is the Difference Between Homogenous and Homogeneous?

In this post, I will compare homogenous vs. homogeneous. I will include example sentences for each word, so that you will be able to see their correct usage in context.

Finally, I will show you a mnemonic device that makes it easy to choose homogenous or homogeneousin your own writing.

When to Use Homogenous

What does homogenous mean? Homogenous(pronounced huh-mah-je-nus) is an outdated biological term that refers to organs or body tissues with genetic similarities.

Today, most scientific writers would use the more recent term homologous instead.

Still, if you are reading older scientific texts, you might run across homogenous from time to time.

Here is a possible example:

The host body rejected even the homogenous tissue implants.

The usual mistake with these words is to use the word homogenous when the writer really means homogeneous. Since homogenous is declining in use, even in the scientific community, this should be an easy error to avoid.

When to Use Homogeneous

What does homogeneous mean? Homogeneous (pronounced hoh-muh-jeen-ee-us) is an adjective. It is not a synonym for homogenous, despite its spelling similarities to that word.

Homogeneousmeans having similar or uniform characteristics. A community where most members share similar characteristics, e.g., a biker gang composed of low-income males in their 20s and 30s who all have similar tattoos, could be said to be homogeneous. A box of crayons that only contains blue crayons would also be homogeneous.

Here are a few more examples:

Cake batter starts as a collection of disparate ingredients, but soon becomes a gooey, homogeneous mixture.

Sales figures for existing branches vs new branches are remarkably homogeneous; there are no statistically significant differences between branches during the most recent quarter.

The net result is parties that are much more internally homogeneous than was the case a generation ago. The Washington Post

Homogeneous has appeared in English since the 17th century. It is somewhat unique in that its etymology can be traced through both Latin and Greek. It should be pronounced with five distinct syllables, hoh-muh-jeen-ee-us.

The associated noun for homogeneous is homogeneity, and its verb is homogenize. You will likely have seen milk labels advertising the product as homogenized. Homogeneous also has an antonym, heterogeneous, that means having dissimilar characteristics.

How to Pronounce Homogenous and Homogeneous

These words have different pronunciations, and pronouncing each word correctly is key to using the correct word in your writing.

How to pronounce homogenous: The pronunciation of homogenous (huh-mah-je-nus) has four syllables.

How to pronounce homogeneous: The pronunciation of homogeneous (hoh-muh-jeen-ee-us) has five syllables. Homogeneous, along with its antonym, heterogeneous, both contain more syllables than homogenous.

Homogenous = four syllables.

Homogeneous = five syllables.

Heterogeneous = six syllables.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Unless you are a 19th century biologist, you should avoid using homogenous. Today, scientists would be more likely to use homologous in place of this archaic term.

For all situations where you need to describe something as having similar or uniform characteristics, choose homogeneous.

Homogeneous vs. Homogenous Check:Since homogeneous has an extra E, like the word characteristics, you can remember that homogeneous describes similar characteristics.

Summary

Is it homogeneous or homogenous? Homogenous is an older scientific term that describes similar tissues or organs. It has been replaced by homologous. Homogeneous is an adjective that describes similar or uniform characteristics.

In summary,
Chinese film Buddha Mountain () directed by Li Yu,agen4d sloth meaning synonym Sunday has been named best feature film in the official section of Casa Asia Film Week 2011.

Buddha Mountain, performed by Fan Bingbing, Sylvia Chang, and Bao Zhenjiang, is a drama shot in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, scene of one of the most violent earthquakes in history in 2008. The winning film is a tragicomic portrait of contemporary Chinas youth through the story of three friends and a former opera singer.

Between the drama and comedic moments, the film unfolds the reasons in the present life and past of each of the protagonists.

The festival is celebrated for the first time in Barcelona. This year it had 30 films, eleven of which have competed in the official section.

Chinese Film Buddha Mountain Awarded Best Film of Casa Asia Film Weekadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
New Zealand is bet rivers indiana online casinoa nation in which gambling has always been a popular pastime. This is helped by progressive and pragmatic government attitudes. Placing a bet has never been frowned upon, and while traditionally, sports betting has been the most popular form of gambling, casino gaming has captured the imaginations of New Zealanders in recent years, particularly since the advent of online casinos.

Again, that Kiwi pragmatism has come to the fore. Rather than greet web-based casinos with suspicion, the government has moved quickly to create a regulatory framework so that New Zealand businesses can operate their own online casinos, as opposed to sending all that revenue overseas. The result? New Zealand is becoming something of an igaming hub.

Thats good news for the local economy, but what about the gamers themselves? Traditional games like poker, blackjack and roulette have their fans, but in New Zealand, its the slots or pokies that are most popular of all.

Starburst

In its comprehensive LeoVegas review, New Zealand review site CasinoWatch discusses the local popularity of good old fashioned no-nonsense pokies. They dont come much more traditional than Starburst, so we shouldnt be surprised that this tops the popularity stakes in New Zealand. While the basic graphics and no-frills gameplay have a retro feel, the five reel format means there are significant rewards to be had if you hit the jackpot.

Frankie Dettoris Magic Seven

Horse racing has a huge following in New Zealand, so mixing the Sport of Kings with cutting edge slot technology was always going to be a winning combination. Frankie Dettori is among the most successful jockeys of all time, and he achieved legendary status when he won all seven races on the card at Ascot in 1996. His unique achievement is commemorated in this Playtech slot, where the jackpot payout is 7,777 times the stake.

Beach Life

The surf scene might be more associated with Australia, but this sun, sea and sand themed slot has truly captured the imaginations of New Zealand gamers. The sound and graphics have a light-hearted feel, but dont be fooled. The progressive jackpot can reach dizzying sums, so this is a game that appeals to the serious gamblers as much as the hobby players.

Age of the Gods

Another from Playtech, this slot game plays like an epic journey through Greek mythology. The more you play it, the more depth you will discover, which explains why so many New Zealand casino goers return to it time and again. Each of the different Gods will lead the player to a different type of bonus, so there is far more to this one than just spinning the reels and hoping for the best.

Desert Treasure

Finally, another game with multiple layers. There are two distinct bonus events, the Dollar Ball and Oasis Bonus, both of which can pay out handsomely. Add to that a progressive jackpot and an impressive RTP of more than 97 percent, and you can see why this one makes the top five slots among New Zealand casino players.

Category: Casino Blog
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.
English contains many uncommon words that are only used in specific contexts. In some cases, these words may cross the border into jargon, but in other cases, they allow for clear distinctions between concepts which may be difficult to explain using other words.

Endorsement and indorsement are two similar words that many writers confuse. Indorsement is the rarer term, and it only appears in reference to certain financial documents.

Still, if you are writing in the financial industry or reading legal documents, you will need to know the difference between these words, as well as when to use each.

What is The Difference Between Indorsement and Endorsement?

In this post, I will compare indorsement vs. endorsement. I will use each of these words in example sentences.

Then, at the end, I will reveal a helpful memory tool that you can use to remind yourself whether indorsement or endorsement is the proper term, based on the context of your writing.

When to Use Endorsement

What does endorsement mean? Endorsement is a noun. An endorsement is a public indication of approval or support.

Here are some example sentences,

The endorsement from a popular religious leader gave the presidential candidate a boost in the polls.

I do not give my endorsement to the terms of this merger agreement, said the company representative.

I seek the endorsement of the American people, said the politician.

The Journal editorial board, which is separate from the newsroom, abstained from an endorsement in the presidential race. The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Indorsement

What does indorsement mean? Indorsement is also a noun. In American English, an indorsement is a signature on a legal or financial document, especially a check.

See the sentences below for common examples.

This check has the indorsement of one Charles J. Macallaster, said the detective.

You cannot deposit or cash a check that does not have your indorsement.

This indorsement is illegible, said the banker, in exasperation.

While endorsement is sometimes used in place of indorsement for legal contexts, indorsementis never used in place of endorsement for a public indication of approval.

For example,

In order to make this contract valid, I will need your endorsement. (Correct)

In order to make this contract valid, I will need your indorsement. (Correct)

-but-

The president endorsed me as his successor. (Correct)

The president indorsed me as his successor. (Incorrect)

Trick to Remember the Difference

Endorsement and indorsement are both nouns. Indorsement is only used in financial contexts, and then only rarely. Even most checks say endorse here, rather than indorse here.

For any public show of support, endorsement is the only spelling. Choose endorsement for financial contexts in British English, as well.

For financial contexts in American English, choose indorsement if your audience is exceptionally strict with regard to legal terminology. For common usage, endorsement is fine here, too.

Here is a helpful trick to remember endorsementvs. indorsement.

Since endorsement begins with the letter E, like everyday, you can remember to use endorsement for everyday financial contexts, as well as to indicate public showings of support.

Summary

Is it indorsement or endorsement? While indorsement and endorsement are both nouns, they refer to different concepts.

An endorsement is a public indication of approval or support.

An indorsement is a legal signature on some financial documents, like checks.

Indorsementis used in American English, but only rarely. If you are not writing for an audience which expects strict legal terminology, you can use endorsement in these contexts as well.

Since endorsement and everyday both begin with the same letter, you can remember to use endorsement in most day-to-day writing contexts.

If you need a quick refresher, be sure to check this article to jog your memory.
What Is a Bank Reconciliation Statement?dr slot casino royal slots casino

A bank reconciliation statement is a summary of banking and business activity that reconciles an entitys bank account with its financial records. The statement outlines the deposits, withdrawals, and other activities affecting a bank account for a specific period. A bank reconciliation statement is a useful financial internal control tool used to thwart fraud.

Key Takeaways

A bank reconciliation statement summarizes banking and business activity, reconciling an entitys bank account with its financial records.

Bank reconciliation statements confirm that payments have been processed and cash collections have been deposited into a bank account.

All fees charged on an account by a bank must be accounted for on a reconciliation statement.

After all adjustments, the balance on a bank reconciliation statement should equal the ending balance of the bank account.

Bank Reconciliation Statement

Understanding the Bank Reconciliation Statement

1:20

Bank reconciliation statements ensure that payments have been processed and cash collections have been deposited into the bank. The reconciliation statement helps identify differences between the bank balance and the book balance to process necessary adjustments or corrections. An accountant typically processes reconciliation statements once per month.

For example, a business has an operating account with a balance of $15,000 on July 1. During the course of the month, they write three checks for $1,000, $397, and $1,900. They also make a deposit of $7,000. According to their reconciliation statement, they have a balance of $18,703, but the book balance shows a balance of $18,648. Upon looking at the bank reconciliation statement, they found that they didnt record the accounts $25 monthly service fee. They also find that the check for $397 was mistakenly cashed for $367 instead. They can now take steps to rectify the errors and balance their statements.

Placeholder

Software that automates bank reconciliation can help reduce errors associated with manual processing.

How to Do a Bank Reconciliation

To successfully complete your bank reconciliation, youll need your bank statements for the current and previous months as well as your company ledger. Many templates available online can help guide you, but a simple spreadsheet is just as effective.

Start with your closing balance for the prior month. That will be your starting number. Add any deposits that may not have cleared or deduct any checks in transit. This is your adjusted cash balance. Now that you have your adjusted cash balance, add in any earned interest or deduct any fees, non-sufficient funds (NSF) checks, or penalties that may not have been recorded in your company records. Make sure that your deposits and cleared checks match the amounts that the bank recorded. The ending balance should then be the same. If there are discrepancies, investigate to see what might have been missed in your recording or errors that may have been made at the bank.



All deposits and withdrawals posted to an account must be used to prepare a reconciliation statement.

Adjusting Balance per Books

The balance of the cash account in an entitys financial records may require adjusting as well. For instance, a bank may charge a fee for having the account open. The bank typically withdraws and processes the fees automatically from the bank account. Therefore, when preparing a bank reconciliation statement, any fees taken from the account must be accounted for by preparing a journal entry.

Another item that requires an adjustment is interest earned. Interest is automatically deposited into a bank account after a certain period of time. Thus, the accountant may need to prepare an entry that increases the cash currently shown in the financial records. After all adjustments are made to the books, the balance should equal the ending balance of the bank account. If the figures are equal, then a successful bank reconciliation statement has been prepared.

Benefits of a Bank Reconciliation Statement

Bank reconciliation statements are effective tools for detecting fraud. For example, if a check is altered, resulting in a payment larger than anticipated, measures can be taken to interrupt the unscrupulous activity.

Bank reconciliation statements also help identify errors that could adversely affect financial reporting. Financial statements show the health of a company for a specific period or point in time and are often used to calculate profitability. Accurate financial statements allow investors to make informed decisions and give companies clear pictures of their cash flows.

Reconciling bank statements helps to identify errors that affect tax reporting. Without reconciling, companies may pay too much or too little in taxes.



Example of a Bank Reconciliation Statement

Bank reconciliation statements compare transactions from financial records to those on a bank statement. Where there are discrepancies, companies are able to identify the source of errors and correct them.

For example, ABC Holding Co. recorded an ending balance of $480,000 on its records. However, its bank statement shows an ending balance of $520,000. After careful investigation, ABC Holding found that a vendors check for $20,000 had not been presented to the bank, and a $20,000 deposit made by a client was inadvertently omitted from the companys records. Therefore, ABC Holding adjusted its records, noting the check as outstanding and adding the missing deposit.

What are the steps in a bank reconciliation?

The first step in reconciling a bank statement is to compare financial record activities to bank statement activities. For any bank errors, unaccounted-for deposits, and unpresented checks, adjustments to the bank statement balance should be made. Some personal or business accounts do not account for bank-related additions and charges, such as interest and maintenance fees. Adjustments should be made to the cash account records for these differences. Once corrections and adjustments are made, compare the balances to see if they match. If not, repeat the process until the accounts are reconciled.

What are common problems with bank reconciliations?

Infrequent reconciliations make it difficult to address problems when they arise, as the needed information may not be readily available. Also, when transactions are not recorded promptly and when bank fees and charges apply, a mismatch can occur.

Where do non-sufficient funds (NSF) checks go on a bank reconciliation?

Non-sufficient funds (NSF) checks are recorded as an adjusted book balance line item on the bank reconciliation statement, with the NSF amount deducted from its balance.

Why is bank reconciliation important?

Bank reconciliation helps to identify errors that can affect tax and financial reporting. It also helps to identify and further prevent fraud.

How often should you do a bank reconciliation?

To quickly identify and address errors, reconciling bank statements should be done monthly or as frequently as statements are generated.

The Bottom Line

Bank reconciliation statements are useful check-and-balance tools used to detect errors, omissions, and fraud. When done frequently, they help companies thwart fraud before serious damage occurs and prevent errors from compounding. It is also a simple and invaluable process to help manage cash flows.
Marylands six casinos generated $161,ovo77 slothful meaning398,690 in revenue from slot machines and table games during August 2023. The figure is almost $8 million down or 4.7% less than in August last year.

The number also represents a 7.3% monthly drop from Julys 174.3 million. In terms of casino revenue, August was the states second weakest month after February

Throughout August, casino gaming contributions to the state totaled $68.1 million, representing a 3.9% decrease compared to August 2022. The figure is a nearly 7% monthly decrease compared to the $73.2 million collected in July.

MGM National Harbor remains the leader among Maryland casinos, generating over $68 million in revenue. The largest gaming floor in the state, Live! Casino & Hotel came in second.
People who want to play casino games can go to their local land-based casino or choose one of the many online operators. Whats interesting about some gambling websites is carlos ulberg odds superbet gamingthat they also have a mobile application. Therefore, if you create an account and download the app, you can play casino games on your handheld device whenever you want to.

Nowadays, mobile casinos are top-rated because most people have a hectic lifestyle. Hence, the only way for them to play slots and table games is by using their handheld device.

If you havent visited any mobile casinos so far, here are several things that you can come across.

1. Mobile-exclusive games

Besides the fact that you can bet on the go, another advantage of choosing a mobile casino is that you can access special games that are not available on the desktop platform. If you check this list with mobile casinos, you will find plenty of operators that will provide you with unique slots and all sorts of other surprises. Dont forget to read the full review of a given brand before you start punting.

Whats interesting about the mobile-exclusive games is that they are perfectly optimized for most handheld devices. In other words, you should have a fantastic betting experience, even if you are not using the newest phone and tablet.

2. Loads of bonuses

One of the things that you will come across on most online casinos is different bonuses. Companies use those things to give their new signees bonus funds, free spins, cashback, and other types of benefits. Depending on which operator you go to, there might be several rewards for existing customers as well.

The vast majority of online casinos decided that they dont need any mobile-specific promotions. As a result, you can use the desktop offers even if you are on your mobile device.

Luckily, some companies realize that having a special bonus will bring them more clients, which is why you may come across an exclusive mobile promotion. If this thing is available, make sure you read the particular T&C before you start betting.

3. Different payment options

Besides games and promos, the most advanced betting operators have included several payment options. Thanks to them, mobile clients can make a deposit and claim their winnings without using the casinos desktop platform.

There are different types of banking solutions that you can come across, depending on whether the betting site is available worldwide or only in several countries.

4. Affiliate program

One of the things that some companies use to attract new clients is an affiliate program. Those who become affiliates with a given brand will earn a commission each time they bring over a new client.

The commission is usually based on the revenue that the given player will generate, but there are some exceptions.

5. Live Chat

Almost every mobile casino is straightforward to use so that even inexperienced bettors can have fun on the go. Nevertheless, some people might need help with certain things, which is why the best brands have implemented a live chat option inside their mobile apps/websites.

Category: Casino Blog
monte carlo casino monaco insideshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dacryorrhea [ dak-ree-uh-ree-uh ]/ dk ri ri  / 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-ree-uh-ree-uh ]/ dk ri ri  /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Medicine/Medical.excessive flow of tears.

Words nearby dacryorrhea

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 dacryorrheadacryo- + -rrheaD/A converter, dacquoise, Dacron, dacryo-, dacryon, dacryorrhea, dactinomycin, dactyl, dactylic, dactylo-, dactylogramDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
The use of alright(one word) and all right(two words) is one that confuses many writers, especially young writers who may not even be aware of the debate behind the two forms.

It is easy, however, to mistake the two for one another. After all, when you say them verbally, theres no telling them a part. They sound identical in speech, but which option should be used in written communications? Or can they both be used?

Today, I want go over the differences between these words, talk about their histories, and give you a few tricks to remember which is which for the future. After reading this post, you shouldnt ever mix up alright vs. all right again.

When to Use Alright

Alright is the nonstandard variant of the two-word all right. It is widely considered incorrect and is best to avoid in your writing, especially any type of formal writing.

The show we went to last night was alright. (Incorrect)

I felt alright after I left the restaurant. (Incorrect)

As time unfolds, however, we see alrightbeing used with greater frequency. As the below graph shows, from the 1970s onward, alrighthas seen its use increase considerably, signaling that it may eventually become standard as other words such as altogether and alreadyonce did.

Altogetherand alreadyare much older and much more established words, however, dating back to the Middle Ages. Alrightis a relatively new variant, with a first recorded use in 1893.

For this reason, the two-word all rightstill dominates in popular usage and is much more heavily preferred, being used at a rate 8 times that of the one-word alright.

In fact, in the 2009 American Heritage Dictionaryusage survey, two-thirds of the Usage Panel rejected the use of the one-word alright, while over 90 percent accepted the two-word all rightis similar constructions.

Things may change in the future, but when writing an essay for school or book for publishing today, you should avoid the use of the single-word alright.

When to Use All Right

All Right , as two words, is a phrase that can function as both an adjective and an adverb. All righthas a few different meanings: in proper or satisfactory condition; acceptable, allowable; in a satisfactory way; adequately. For example,

The mechanic looked at the brakes to see if they were all right. (Adjective)

If school is cancelled today, that is all right by me. (Adjective)

I did all right, considering all the pressure. (Adverb)

Anytime you are looking to use all right, it should appear as two separate words. As I mentioned above, the single-word alrightis generally considered an error and your instructor or editor will probably strike it out.

In order to avoid any unnecessary mistakes, its best to just remember that, in this case, two words is the answer.

Remember the Difference

Alrightis not all right.

The above sentence is a good memory tool to remember which option to use in your writing.

Summary

Confusing the words all right vs. alright can be an embarrassing and unnecessary mistake in your writing.

Alright, one word, is considered to be a spelling error and should be avoided.

All right, two words, is the preferred form. It is the older form and is used much more frequently than alright.
B.A., Seattle Pacific University

Spanish or Castilian? You'll hear both terms used in referring to the language that originated in Spain and spread to most of Latin America. The same is true in Spanish-speaking countries, where their language can be known as either espanolor castellano.

To understand why requires a look at how the Spanish language developed to its current form:What we know as Spanish is primarily a derivative of Latin, which arrived on the Iberian Peninsula (the peninsula that includes Spain and Portugal) around 2,000 years ago. On the peninsula, Latin adopted some of the vocabulary of indigenous languages, becoming Vulgar Latin. The peninsula's variety of Latin became quite well entrenched, and with various changes (including the addition of thousands of Arabic words), it survived well into the second millennium before it came to be considered a separate language.

Variant of Latin Emerged From Castile

For reasons more political than linguistic, the dialect of Vulgar Latin that was common in what is now the north-central portion of Spain, which includes Castile, spread throughout the region. In the 13th century, King Alfonso supported efforts such as the translation of historic documents that helped the dialect, known as Castilian, become the standard for educated use of the language. He also made that dialect the official language for government administration.

As later rulers pushed the Moors out of Spain, they continued to use Castilian as the official tongue. Further strengthening Castilian's use as a language for educated people was Arte de la lengua castellanaby Antonio de Nebrija, what might be called the first Spanish-language textbook and one of the first books to systematically define the grammar of a European language.

Although Castilian became the primary language of the area now known as Spain, its use didn't eliminate the other Latin-based languages in the region. Galician (which has similarities to Portuguese) and Catalan (one of the major languages of Europe with similarities to Spanish, French, and Italian) continue to be used extensively today. A non-Latin-based language, Euskara or Basque, whose origins remain unclear, is also spoken by a minority. All three languages are officially recognized in Spain, although they are of regional use.

Multiple Meanings for Castilian

In a sense, then, these other languagesGalician, Catalan, and Euskaraare Spanish languages, so the term Castilian (and more often castellano) has sometimes been used to differentiate that language from the other languages of Spain.

Today, the term "Castilian" is used in other ways too. Sometimes it is used to distinguish the north-central standard of Spanish from regional variations such as Andalusian (used in southern Spain). Often it is used, not altogether accurately, to distinguish the Spanish of Spain from that of Latin America. And sometimes it is used simply as a synonym for Spanish, especially when referring to the "pure" Spanish promulgated by the Royal Spanish Academy (which itself preferred the term castellanoin its dictionaries until the 1920s).

In Spain, a person's choice of terms to refer to the languagecastellanoor espanolsometimes can have political implications. In many parts of Latin America, the Spanish language is known routinely as castellanorather than espanol. Meet someone new, and she may ask you "Habla castellano?" rather than "Habla espanol?" for "Do you speak Spanish?"

One Way Spanish Remains Unified

Despite regional variations in Spanish and its spread to three continents outside EuropeNorth America, South America, Africa (it's official in Equatorial Guinea), and Asia (thousands of Spanish words are part of Filipino, the national language of the Philippines)Spanish remains remarkably uniform. Spanish-language films and TV shows transcend national boundaries without subtitles, and Spanish speakers can can usually converse easily with each other despite national boundaries.

Historically, one of the major influences on Spanish uniformity has been the Royal Spanish Academy, which has published Spanish dictionaries and grammar guides since the mid-18th century. The Academy, known as the Real Academia Espanolaor RAEin Spanish, has affiliates in nearly every country where Spanish is spoken. The Academy tends to be conservative about accepting changes to the Spanish languages, but remains highly influential. Its decisions do not have the force of law

Primary Hemispheric Differences in Spanish

Since English speakers frequently use "Castilian" to refer to the Spanish of Spain when contrasted with that of Latin America, you may be interested to know some of the major differences between the two. Keep in mind that the language also varies both within Spain and among Latin American countries.

Spaniards usually use vosotrosas the plural of tu, while Latin Americans almost universally use ustedes. In some parts of Latin America, particularly Argentina and parts of Central America, vosreplaces tu.

Leismois very common in Spain, not so in Latin America.

Numerous vocabulary differences separate the hemispheres, although some vocabulary, especially slang, and can vary considerably within individual countries. Among the common differences between Spain and Latin America are that in the former manejaris used to refer to driving, while Latin Americans usually use conducir. Also, a computer is usually called a computadorain Latin America but ordenadorin Spain.

In most of Spain, the z(or the cwhen it comes before eor i) is pronounced much like the "th" in "thin," while in most of Latin America it has the "s" sound.

In Spain, the present perfect tense is often used for recent events, while in Latin America the preterite is consistently used.

In degree, the differences been Spain and Latin America are roughly comparable to those between British English and American English.

Key Takeaways
Sen. Cotton: Biden climate agenda is an ideological war: 'They want high gas prices'

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., torches Democrats for being responsible for high gas prices

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The one promise that President Joe Biden has faithfully kept is his pledge to "close down" fossil fuels. We get two-thirds of our energy in America from fossil fuels, and almost one-third of our power comes from coal. That's quadruple the amount of energy we get from wind and solar, which are niche forms of energy.

But Biden doesn't see it that way. He recently reiterated his pledge to end coal production altogether.

"No one is building new coal plants because they can't rely on it," Biden said on Nov. 4 while in California. "We're going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar."

LEFT-WING GREEN AGENDA BACKED BY JOHN KERRY WOULD BE 'DISASTER' FOR DEVELOPING WORLD, EXPERTS SAY

I hope the people in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming are listening because thousands of mostly union jobs are associated with the coal plants he wants to shutter.

Video

Biden says we need to "shut down" these plants and the jobs that come with them because we need to combat climate change. One problem: Most of the rest of the world is using morecoal even as we use less. Even the sanctimonious Europeans are turning to coal because their natural gas supplies from Russia are no longer reliable.

Germany is even burning wood now for home heating, which is about the most environmentally damaging way to get energy.

But the biggest polluting villain by far is China. Beijing is now powering its rapid industrial expansion with fossil fuels. The Chinese have more than doubled their coal production and consumption over the last decade, even as we in America have cut our domestic coal by almost half. Beijing recently announced it is building dozens of massive newcoal plants.

COP27: DELEGATES WEIGH CLIMATE COMPENSATION' FOR POOR NATIONS IMPACTED BY GLOBAL WARMING

Does it sound like this nation of more than 1 billion people is concerned about climate change?

Video

White House climate envoy John Kerry has to explain how we are reducing global warming if every time we shut down a coal plant, China builds a new one or two or three.

Coal was the critical fuel source that powered the industrial revolution in America, which made our economy the strongest in the world. Back then, coal was dirty, and the constant gurgling of emissions from massive coal plants turned cities like Pittsburgh into 50 shades of gray smog.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

That was then. Now, American coal plants are cleaner all the time. In 2020, the Department of Energy issued a report that found: "Coal-fired electricity generation is cleaner than ever. Research shows that a new coal plant with pollution controls reduces nitrogen oxides by 83 percent, sulfur dioxide by 98 percent, and particulate matter by 99.8 percent compared to plants without controls."

Video

That's a giant reduction. It's one of the major reasons why the air that we breathe today in America has been getting cleaner for 50 years. We've reduced levels of lead, carbon monoxide, sulfur and other pollutants by more than 50% -- not bad, given that our economy is four times bigger.

The same DOE report found that "over the next 30 years, new coal production of 145-345 million tons could result in 47,500 coal mining jobs. The carbon products could also result in product value of near $139 billion and 480,000 manufacturing jobs tied directly to carbon products." That's a lot of jobs, but the operative word here is could.

Will we? Not if Biden has his way.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

That would be a damn shame. Under the Biden plan, we would move technologically in reverse in our energy sources. America got rich by replacing windmills with coal plants, and now, 150 years later, Biden wants to replace coal with windmills.

That's a strategy for energy poverty and cold, dark nights. If you don't believe me, ask the Europeans who are back to using candles to light their homes during rolling power blackouts.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM STEPHEN MOORE

Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an economist with FreedomWorks. His latest book is "Govzilla: How the Relentless Growth of Government is Devouring our Economy."
What Is Franchisee?Pachislot Madoka Magica Rebellion Story

A franchisee is an independent small business owner who operates a third-party retail outlet called a franchise. In doing so, the franchisee has purchased the right to use an existing business's trademarks, associated brands, and other proprietary knowledge to market and sell the same brand, and uphold the same standards as the first business.

Key Takeaways

A franchisee is a small-business owner who operates a franchise.

The franchisee pays a fee to the franchisor for the right to use the business's already-established success, trademarks, and proprietary knowledge.

The franchisee receives continuous guidance and support from the franchisor.

The franchisee markets and sells the same brand, and upholds the same standards as the original business.

Understanding Franchises

Franchises are an extremely common way of doing business. In fact, it is hard to drive more than a few blocks in most cities without seeing a franchise business. Examples of well-known franchise business models include McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Subway, United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), and H&R Block (NYSE: HRB). In the United States, there are franchise business opportunities available across a wide variety of industries.

When a business wants to garner more market share or increase its geographical presence at a low cost, one solution could be to create a franchise for its product and brand name. The franchisor is the original or existing business that sells the right to use its name and idea. The franchisee is the individual who buys into the original company by purchasing the right to sell the franchisors goods or services under the existing business model and trademark.

The relationship between a franchisee and franchisor is inherently one of advisee and advisor. The franchisor provides continual guidance and support concerning general business strategies such as hiring and training staff, setting up shop, advertising its products or services, sourcing its supply, and so on.

To start, the franchisor assigns the franchisee an exclusive location where no other franchises within the same underlying business currently operate in order to prevent competition and help ensure success. In return for the franchisor's advisory role, use of intellectual property, and experience the franchisee generally pays a startup fee plus an ongoing percentage of gross revenues to the franchisor.

There are benefits and drawbacks to investing in an already successful business; as with any investment, research your options thoroughly before you decide to purchase a franchise.

Franchisee Benefits

Operating a franchise could be an ideal venture for some entrepreneurs with little experience because:

The costs of opening a franchise are often lower compared to starting a company from the ground up, so franchisees require very little capital to start; Consumers may already have brand recognition for the franchise and benefit from their advertising campaigns; and Franchisees typically get a lot of help, as franchisors will tend to supervise their new franchisees closely.



Franchisee Responsibilities

A franchisee must follow the proven business model that is already in place, as it helps to provide a consistent state of operations within all companies under the same brand name. The franchisee is responsible for growing the franchise via the usual means of advertising and marketing within its exclusive area of operation.

However, all marketing campaigns must comply with and be approved by the original establishment before releasing them to the public. As the manager of the franchise, the franchisee is expected to protect the brand name of the franchisor by offering only approved products and services that are linked to the brand name of the original company.

Franchisee Example: McDonald's

A company that has a global presence because of its franchises is the fast-food behemoth, McDonalds. McDonalds was founded in 1940 by the McDonald brothers in San Bernardino, California. However, Ray Kroc opened the first official franchise for the McDonalds System, Inc.a predecessor of today's McDonalds Corp. (MCD)in 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago).

At fiscal year-end 2020, there were 39,198 McDonald's restaurants in 119 countries around the world, 93.17% of which were franchised. So, the company has 36,521 franchisees. The companys long-term goal is for 95% of McDonalds restaurants to be owned by franchisees.

McDonalds either owns the land and buildings used by the franchisees or secures long-term leases for the franchised sites. As part of the contractual agreement with the company the franchisee provides a portion of the capital required by making an initial investment in the equipment, seating, decor, and signs in the location that the company will provide. For would-be franchisees, McDonald's requires an initial down payment of 25% (of the total cost) for the purchase of an existing restaurant; and at least 25% of the down payment must be in cash.

The legendary success of the McDonald's franchise story is partly a result of the company's commitment to maintaining consistent standards in its menu that resonate across its various chains. A Big Mac in Los Angeles should and does have the same quality as one in London. Franchisees manage their own pricing decisions and staffing matters while benefiting from the brand equity and global experience of McDonalds.

Does a Franchisee Own a Business?

Yes, a franchisee is considered a business owner, although the type of business they own is a franchise. This can limit the scope and autonomy of what the business owner is allowed to do, per the franchise agreement. For instance, a McDonald's franchisee cannot sell Burger King items and must use the official McDonald's logo and branding.

Is a Franchisee the Same as a Franchisor?

No, the franchisor is the entity that owns the intellectual property, patents, and trademarks of the brand or business being franchised. A franchisee buys the rights and licenses to operate a location of the franchisor.

Can a Franchisee Be Fired or Removed?

Yes, if the franchisee breaks the terms or covenants in the franchise agreement they may be terminated with cause. A termination that is seen as not for cause can be litigated as wrongful termination of the franchise in court.
Sandra Betters says she did nothing wrong to deserve being driven out of Nardin Academy in June, after her controversial, two-year tenure.

Her termination followed an uproar over her management style, which raised growing concerns from a majority of faculty, as well as a large swath of parents, alumni and students. Nearly half the school trustees, and 22 former trustees, also voiced worries.

Betters filed a lawsuit last month in federal court against the private Catholic school and eight people with ties to Nardin.

She told The Buffalo News in a recent interview that criticisms leveled against her had zero substantiation. Instead, Betters said, she became a foil of powerful interests at the school, who leveled false allegations against her to draw attention away from their misdeeds.

I became a diversion  this thing we were going to talk and write about for months at a time  while what was happening at Nardin became a nontopic, she said.

The diversion, Betters said, involved financial malfeasance, academic deficiencies and resistance to diversifying the school  charges the former school president levels against Nardin in her 63-page lawsuit.

During The News interview, Betters singled out nine former trustees who called in April for her and Chairwoman Tish Van Dyke to resign, as well as Nardin Together, a group that galvanized opposition to both of them.

Former Nardin president files lawsuit, claims 'hatred, vitriol' and more by past and current leaders The former embattled president of Nardin Academy forced to resign in June filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the private Catholic school and eight former or current board members and others, charging the school with financial improprieties, academic deficiencies, resisting diversity initiatives and defamation.

Two of the nine trustees, Michael Lawley and Frank Ewing, are defendants in the lawsuit. Three others  Marsha Sullivan, Betters predecessor and now board chair, Luke Jacobs and Charlie Chiampou  are trustees on the current board. Also named are Therese Forton-Barnes, a leader of Nardin Together, former English high school teacher Trish Lorence and her husband, Kent.

The all-out attacks on me opened my eyes to individual behavior that Ive never seen in my life and, quite frankly, I am still processing a lot of what happened, Betters said.

How could so many people, many of them highly educated, have been swayed against her?

Those leading the charge, she said, were the important people, the big players in Buffalo, so why wouldnt you believe them?

The Paris-based Daughters of the Heart of Mary, the religious order that founded Nardin in 1857, dismantled the board on May 29. The move came three days before a June 1 deadline for re-enrollment deposits for the 2023-24 school year. Nearly 40% of the student body was still uncommitted, with dozens of parents signing onto a letter declaring their children would return only if there was a change in leadership.

Anita Baird, U.S. Provincial for the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, said Friday that Nardin will energetically challenge allegations in the lawsuit in court.

We have no problem in defending Nardins reputation and we will do so, Baird said. We will do it energetically and we will do it truthfully. We remain committed to providing our students with an education that is faith-centered and rooted in social justice.

Great expectations

Betters, a native of Batavia and graduate of St. Bonaventure University, came to Nardin Academy after three years as principal at Our Lady of Mercy Academy, a private all-girls Catholic school on Long Island.

During her time there, Betters had supporters and detractors, according to five parents and a former assistant principal who spoke to The News.

We followed what happened in Buffalo, and it sounded just like what we experienced at Our Lady of Mercy Academy, said Christina Kokkoris, the parent of a child at the school.

There was tremendous division and the stronger teachers resigned, said her husband, Dmitri.

Meghan McArdle, an assistant principal under Betters whos also no longer at the school, and who Our Lady of Mercy officials referred The News to for comment, praised Betters leadership during the pandemic.

Naturally, there will always be families who do not fully align with leadership; this is the case at every school for every leader, McArdle said. When Sandra left OLMA, many employees and parents, including me, were very upset, but we fully supported her move to Buffalo.

Betters had high hopes for her return to Western New York in July 2021.

I was really excited to be at Nardin and take on the next challenge in my career, she said. I was excited to work in a single-sex setting, which is something I had done, to work in Montessori, which was new, and with a system of schools that all had a common goal to prioritize Catholic education.

She also looked forward to advancing diversity initiatives, which the hiring committee told her was a priority.

Her questions were met with active avoidance, she said, after she realized financial deficits were mounting and believed funds were mishandled.

Differences grow

Differences between Betters and the Nardin faculty became evident in September 2022, when high school faculty sent a letter to the board signed by 32 of 36 teachers, with six writing Anonymous. They expressed no confidence in the current executive leadership of Nardin Academy.

There is daily evidence that our president is intent on continuing to foment a culture of intimidation, mistrust and harassment that is ignorant of  and antithetical to  the educational and Catholic values that have been hallmarks of Nardin Academy for more than 160 years, the teachers wrote.

A previously unreleased letter written this year from 10 trustees, nine of whom later resigned as part of an arrangement for Betters to also step down, raised broader concerns about Betters leadership.

The past two years have been marred by authoritarian rule fueled by misrepresentations, unilateral decision making, a lack of transparency, a stifling of constructive criticisms, a disregard for impartiality and lack of collegial collaboration, the April letter to Van Dyke said.

The letter went on to fault Betters for toxic morale among faculty and staff, high employee turnover, including at senior levels, poor relationships with alumni and donors, and weak fundraising.

Betters said the criticisms were whipped up by critics to deflect attention from longstanding issues she was raising at Nardin.

The claims in her lawsuit include exorbitant unauthorized spending, self-dealing on the part of some board members and staff, and misuse of Paycheck Protection Funds dispensed during the pandemic. Educators and administrators lacked proper credentials and the school failed to meet certain state education requirements, and efforts to expand diversity initiatives were fiercely opposed, she said.

Betters was also the victim, the lawsuit says, of retaliation and defamation.

A fracture intensifies

Betters most ardent supporters on the 25-member board included those who served on the boards six-member executive committee, which had the authority to act on behalf of the whole board.

She is critical of the board for failing to act on her concerns, but reserves blame for the nine trustees who in the spring called for her resignation.

They continued to throw allegations, derail our meetings and continually requested special meetings, said Betters, who as president was an ex-officio board member. The board became this entire monstrosity they blew up rather than working toward the betterment of Nardin.

Betters said she became the story rather than the issues she was trying to get addressed.

Each time I would bring up a conflict, there would be stories in the media or picketing outside, she said, and there was more aggression to remove me as president.

The two diversity initiatives Betters introduced were clubs for students of color and for queer students, and mandating diversity training and workshops for faculty.

Both met with some resistance, she said. Some parents objected to the clubs, and some high school faculty displayed their disapproval during the training sessions.

Betters departs

Nardin Academy president removed; former principal named as interim Sandra Betters has been replaced on an interim basis by Rebecca Reeder, whose 40 years at the school before retiring included 25 years as principal of the girls high school and seven years as senior vice president of academics.

Nardin Academy announced May 3 that Betters would step down June 30 for the betterment of all within the Nardin community, including students and employees.

The nine trustees who opposed her agreed at the same time to step off the board.

Some took the statement as an acknowledgement by Betters that she had become too divisive a figure to continue leading the school, but she told The News she made her decision to assure removal of the trustees she considered obstructionists.

Betters said she was close to reaching a separation agreement with the board when the Daughters of the Heart of Mary removed the trustees, but the newly empaneled board then reneged on what the previous board offered.

With the sides far apart, and Betters contending she was no longer bound by the June 1 departure date, the board terminated her.

Betters said she is still figuring out her next steps.

I didnt take this job for it to end up like this, she said. I didnt go into this job to find out what is wrong with this school. I went into this job because this is my vocation.

For me, the lawsuit is a way to share my side of the story and find a house of education, if you will, that aligns with what I believe students and families need and deserve, and thats where my next step will be. I am completely confident there are more of those in the world than the Nardins.

Betters said, in hindsight, that the only thing she would have done differently was to focus the board more quickly on critical areas.

When I think of my behavior of working toward academic excellence, trying to make the school somewhat financially solvent, and really think about the ways to make the school an equitable place for all students in Western New York, I would have pushed harder on all three of those things, she said.

I would have worked harder to provide this understanding to the board a little bit earlier.
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noun, plural dacrya [dak-ree-uh]. /dk ri /. Anatomy.the point of junction of the maxillary, lacrimal, and frontal bones.

Words nearby dacryon

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What Is a Bonus?best casino bonuses 2020

A bonus is a financial compensation that is above and beyond the normal payment expectations of its recipient. Companies may award bonuses to both entry-level employees and to senior-level executives. While bonuses are traditionally given to exceptional workers, employers sometimes dole out bonuses company-wide to stave off jealousy among staffers.

Bonuses may be dangled as incentives to prospective employees and they can be given to current employees to reward performance and increase employee retention. Companies can distribute bonuses to its existing shareholders through a bonus issue, which is an offer of free additional shares of the company's stock.

Key Takeaways

A bonus is a financial compensation that is above and beyond the normal payment expectations of its recipient.

Bonuses may be awarded by a company as an incentive or to reward good performance.

Typical incentive bonuses a company can give employees include signing, referral, and retention bonuses.

Companies have various ways they can award employee bonuses, including cash, stock, and stock options.

Understanding Bonuses

In workplace settings, a bonus is a type of compensation an employer gives to an employee that complements their base pay or salary. A company may use bonuses to reward achievements, to show gratitude to employees who meet longevity milestones, or to entice not-yet employees to join a company's ranks.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers bonuses as taxable income, which means employees will need to report any bonuses they receive when filing their taxes.

Incentive Bonuses

Incentive bonuses include signing bonuses, referral bonuses, and retention bonuses. A signing bonus is a monetary offer that companies extend to top-talent candidates to entice them to accept a positionespecially if they are being aggressively pursued by rival firms. In theory, paying an initial bonus payment will result in greater company profits down the line. Signing bonuses are routinely offered by professional sports teams attempting to lure top-tier athletes away from competitive clubs.

Referral bonuses are presented to employees who recommend candidates for open positions, which ultimately leads to the hiring of said candidates. Referral bonuses incentivize employees to refer prospects with strong work ethics, sharp skills, and positive attitudes.

Companies offer retention bonuses to key employees, in an effort to encourage loyalty, especially in downward economies or periods of organizational changes. This financial incentive is an expression of gratitude that lets employees know their jobs are secure over the long haul.

Performance Bonuses

Performance bonuses reward employees for exceptional work. They are customarily offered after the completion of projects or at the end of fiscal quarters or years. Performance bonuses may be doled out to individuals, teams, departments, or to the company-wide staff. A reward bonus may be either a one-time offer or a periodic payment. While reward bonuses are usually given in cash, they sometimes take the form of stock compensation, gift cards, time off, holiday turkeys, or simple verbal expressions of appreciation.

Examples of reward bonuses include annual bonuses, spot bonus awards, and milestone bonuses. Spot bonuses, which reward employees who deserve special recognition, are micro-bonus payments, typically valued at around $50. Workers who reach longevity milestonesfor example, 10 years of employment with a given firmmay be recognized with additional compensation.

Some businesses build bonus structures into employee contracts, where any profits earned during a fiscal year will be shared amongst the employees. In most cases, C-suite executives are awarded larger bonuses than lower-level employees.

Bonus Inflation

While bonuses are traditionally issued to high-performing, profit-generating employees, some companies opt to issue bonuses to lower-performing employees as well, even though businesses that do this tend to grow more slowly and generate less money. Some businesses resort to distributing across-the-board bonuses in an effort to quell jealousies and employee backlash. After all, it's easier for management to pay bonuses to everyone than to explain to inadequate performers why they were denied.

Furthermore, it can be difficult for an employer to accurately assess their employees' performance success. For example, employees who fail to make their activity quotas may be very hard workers. However, their performance may be hampered by any number of conditions out of their control, such as unavoidable production delays or an economic downturn.

Bonuses in Lieu of Pay

Companies are increasingly replacing raises with bonusesa trend that vexes many employees. While employers can keep wage increases low by pledging to fill pay gaps with bonuses, they are under no obligation to follow through. Because employers pay bonuses on a discretionary basis, they may keep their fixed costs low by withholding bonuses during slow years or recessionary periods. This approach is much more viable than increasing salaries annually, only to cut wages during a recession.

Dividends and Bonus Shares

In addition to employees, shareholders may receive bonuses in the shape of dividends, which are carved from the profits realized by the company. In lieu of cash dividends, a company can issue bonus shares to investors. If the company is short on cash, the bonus shares of company stock provide a way for it to reward shareholders who expect a regular income from owning the company's stock. The shareholders may then sell the bonus shares to meet their cash needs or they can opt to hold onto the shares.
Gratian completed the Decretum about 1151, and probably survived some years, but I have not met with the date of his death.
ICE London (6th  8th February,lucky bets casino 50 free spins ExCeL London, UK) has underlined its credentials as a centre of learning for the international gaming community with confirmation of the free entry Seminar Programme that will take place both close to the show floor in the South Gallery of the ExCeL Centre, and on the show floor itself. The eight strong seminar programme, which has been curated to complement the pay-to-attend ICE VOX conference stream, covers contemporary issues including Affiliate Marketing, Casino Trends, Diversity in Gaming, Research in Gaming, Gaming Start-Ups, Training, Opportunities in Italy and Conducting Business in Indian Country.



Dan Stone, Senior Marketing Manager, responsible for ICE London, said: Our aim is to deliver a 360 degree perspective on the industry in order to complement the full range of equipment on the show floor at ICE London, which covers every gaming vertical. As well as providing the ICE VOX stream of paid content, we recognise that some ICE delegates will want a less intense learning experience, and may wish just to select one or two topics of interest as part of their ICE London experience. The seminar programme is current and informative, delivered by experts in their chosen field.



The ICE Seminar programme comprises:



TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2018



Casino Trends from Around the World

South Gallery Room

The world of gaming is expanding and while European models still remain very gaming focused, lessons can be learnt from markets in the US, Singapore and Macau on how to maximise other sources of revenue and increase the attractiveness of casinos. This seminar will feature four dedicated sessions focussing on global issues, comprising; Gaming vs. non-gaming trends; eSports in a casino; Marrying chance and skill; and,IR developments from around the world and their future in Europe.



Pitch ICE

Game Design Theatre N7-450

Pitch ICE offers an opportunity for gaming start-ups to debut their companies at the worlds premier gaming technology event and present them to the wider gaming industry on a dedicated stage. Start-ups, selected in a submission process, are given ten minutes to pitch their new companies on the ICE showfloor, and in the process reach potential investors and partners.



Totally Gaming Academy

S9-260

Exclusively at ICE, the Totally Gaming Academy is offering the opportunity to attend a 45 minute taster session for each of its gaming training courses. The free to attend sessions will be conducted in the Totally Gaming Academy Theatre located at S9-260. The following taster sessions have been confirmed:

Slot Academy; Table Games Academy; Affiliate Management Academy; Online Gaming Masterclass; Responsible Gaming Academy; Online Slot Development Academy; Sportsbook Management Academy; Lottery Academy; Anti-Money Laundering Academy; Online Genius Bar; Sportsbetting & Lottery Genius Bar; and, Land Based Genius Bar.



Tribal Gaming Exchange

South Gallery Room

The Tribal Gaming Exchange at ICE will continue educating the global gambling industry on doing business in Indian Country, with a particular focus on partnerships and business exchange. The days activities will include an educational programme, lunch hosted by the National Indian Gaming Association, and a series of one-on-one meetings with the members of the tribal delegation to ICE.





WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017



Affiliate Marketing

South Gallery Room

Following major developments in the UK iGaming affiliate landscape under the auspices of increasing macro-environment pressure, the affiliate space was hit hard by the closure of the Sky Betting & Gaming affiliate programme.

This seminar seeks to further assess ways in which operators, affiliates, suppliers, regulators and the media can progress their work together to ensure that affiliate marketing - the bastion of both user acquisition and player advocacy in the iGaming space for a generation - continues to serve the industry in a progressively responsible manner to protect customers.



Diversity & Inclusion in Gaming

South Gallery Room

Following the first seminar on this topic held at ICE 2017, this years seminar will continue the discussion on how the gambling sector can become a more inclusive industry, allowing for more innovation through diversity, and thus achieving better financial results. This seminar will once again focus on the specific strategies that organisations within the sector can implement to improve their diversity, going beyond just gender.



Italy Briefing

South Gallery Room

Continuing the successful co-operation that spans across Clarion Gaming events ICE and iGB Live!, Gioconews will be providing an update on the licensing process for online gaming in Italy, and the developments within the land-based sector in one of the most successful gambling markets in Europe.



Pitch ICE

Game Design Theatre N7-450

Pitch ICE offers an opportunity for gaming start-ups to debut their companies at the worlds premier gaming technology event and present them to the wider gaming industry on a dedicated stage. Start-ups, selected in a submission process, are given ten minutes to pitch their new companies on the ICE showfloor, and in the process reach potential investors and partners.



Research Exchange

South Gallery Room

The Research Exchange at ICE is set to answer the industrys call for evidence-based decisions, in particular, when it comes to regulatory developments often influenced by calls for more consumer protection in gambling. Clarion Gaming is currently inviting researchers from around the world to submit their research ideas, proposals and projects within the following categories: Consumer Protection and CSR; Online & Land-based Gaming; Data Analysis & Consumer Insights; Marketing; Operations Analysis; Game Innovation; Online/Mobile Gaming; Applied Mathematics of Gambling; Sports Betting; and, Social Gaming. To submit, complete the submission form, and send to [email protected] by Wednesday, 3 January.



Totally Gaming Academy

S9-260

Exclusively at ICE, the Totally Gaming Academy is offering the opportunity to attend a 45 minute taster session for each of its gaming training courses. The free to attend sessions will be conducted in the Totally Gaming Academy Theatre located at S9-260. The following taster sessions have been confirmed: Slot Academy; Table Games Academy; Affiliate Management Academy; Online Gaming Masterclass; Responsible Gaming Academy; Online Slot Development Academy; Sportsbook Management Academy; Lottery Academy; Anti-Money Laundering Academy; Online Genius Bar; Sportsbetting & Lottery Genius Bar; and, Land Based Genius Bar.





THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017



Totally Gaming Academy

S9-260

Exclusively at ICE, the Totally Gaming Academy is offering the opportunity to attend a 45 minute taster session for each of its gaming training courses. The free to attend sessions will be conducted in the Totally Gaming Academy Theatre located at S9-260. The following taster sessions have been confirmed:

Slot Academy; Table Games Academy; Affiliate Management Academy; Online Gaming Masterclass; Responsible Gaming Academy; Online Slot Development Academy; Sportsbook Management Academy; Lottery Academy; Anti-Money Laundering Academy; Online Genius Bar; Sportsbetting & Lottery Genius Bar; and, Land Based Genius Bar.



ICE London is the worlds most international business-to-business gaming event, with 151 countries represented by the record 30,213 visitors who attended the 2017 edition. Featuring world-leading innovators drawn from across the gaming landscape, ICE London provides visitors with the most comprehensive shop window on the international industry. To register for 2018 edition of ICE London, which will comprise 500+ exhibitors occupying a record 43,500sqm of net space, visit: icetotallygaming.com

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions News
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adjectivepertaining to or following a decree.established by a decree; judicial.

OTHER WORDS FROM decretory

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Equal and equitable are similar words with similar meanings, so it can be tempting to substitute them for each other without worrying much about their true meanings. This problem is especially true in academic writing, where overly decorative prose can unfortunately be rewarded for its own sake.

Though their meanings can overlap in some contexts, equal and equitable are distinct words that should be used intentionally. Continue reading to learn more.

What is the Difference Between Equal and Equitable?

In this post, I will compare equitable vs. equal. 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 you can use as a reminder of whether equitable or equal is a better word for your sentence.

When to Use Equitable

What does equitable mean? Equitable is an adjective that means fair or impartial.

Something that is equitable does not unduly benefit one person more than any other person.

For example,

Dividing the remaining food evenly amongst the three survivors is the most equitable solution.

An equitable plan would consider the well-being of everyone involved, without being influenced by favoritism or outside interests.

It is not difficult to understand why the United States would seek more equitable spending from NATO allies, but Washington gains more from the security architecture NATO enshrines than it would from marginal increases in European defense spending. The Washington Post

Equitable also has a legal sense, where it means able to be considered as equity. Equity means a share in something, like a house, a company, or other property. This usage is rare, though, and seldom appears outside of technical legal documents.

When to Use Equal

What does equal mean? Equal, another adjective, has a broader meaning than equitable. Equal means even or balanced. Since something which is even or balanced is also often fair, equal can be a synonym of equitable in some circumstances.

Two glasses that have the same amount of water in them hold equalamounts of water. However, two glasses containing the same amount of water wouldnt be said to have equitable amounts of water.

The phrase equal rights refers to the idea that all people are entitled to the same basic treatment under most circumstances.

For example,

If you mix equal parts of iced coffee and milk, you will have a refreshing beverage to enjoy on a hot summer morning.

Equal measures of trust and respect are crucial to maintaining a fulfilling and successful relationship.

All things being equal, companies that are shifted from popular indexes are likely to see their share prices fall because investors who track the benchmark are no longer required to hold the stock in question. The Wall Street Journal

Equal can also be a verb, where it means to be the same.

Two plus two equals four.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Equitable and equal can both mean even or fairin some contexts. Most of the time, though, they cannot be interchanged. In order to keep these words straight, lets go over a trick to remember equalvs. equitable.

Equitable only applies in the context of fairness or equal treatment. Equal, meanwhile, refers to any two things which are the same: equal volumes of water in two containers, equal scores in a sporting event, or equal measurements on all four sides of a square.

Since equal refers to so many contexts where some sort of math is involved, remember that the symbol =in math problems is an equal sign.

Summary

Is it equal or equitable? Equal and Equitable are adjectives that describe sameness or evenness.

Equal can refer to quantity, volume, measurement, and most other contexts involving sameness

Equitable only refers to similar treatment, whereas.

To summarize,
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What Is the Terminal Capitalization Rate?no deposit bonus casino slots

The terminal capitalization rate, also known as the exit rate, is the rate used to estimate the resale value of a property at the end of the holding period. The expected net operating income (NOI) per year is divided by the terminal cap rate (expressed as a percentage) to get the terminal value.

Terminal capitalization rates are estimated based on comparable transaction data or what is believed to be appropriate for a particular property's location and attributes.

Key Takeaways

The terminal capitalization rate, or exit rate, is used to estimate the resale value of a property at the end of the holding period.

The going-in cap rate is the property's projected first-year NOI divided by the purchase price of the property.

If the terminal capitalization rate is lower than the going-in rate, it usually means that the property investment was profitable.

Understanding the Terminal Capitalization Rate

The going-in cap rate is the projected first-year NOI divided by the initial investment or purchase price. In contrast, the terminal capitalization rate is the projected NOI of the last year (exit year) divided by the sale price. If this rate is lower than the going-in cap rate, it usually means that the property investment was profitable.

Most real estate investing professionals agree that it's important to match the terminal capitalization rate to the current rate of the market, keeping in mind that it may be a safer test for the development to nudge the terminal cap rate up a bit. A dynamic spreadsheet can be useful to stress test the development project to establish the highest terminal capitalization rate that would still provide a sufficient upside to investors.

Savvy real estate investors look for markets and property types for which market capitalization rates are expected to fall since a lower terminal capitalization rate, compared to the going-in cap rate, will result in capital gains, assuming that the NOI will not decrease over the holding period. Some of the data that must be considered includes supply-and-demand metrics for each category of space, as well as for the services and expenses assumed to be related to each area of operation.

While the future is always uncertain, two things are certain about the end of any holding period: the buildings will age and the markets will change. It's thus critical that all real estate investors compile and analyze as much data as possible to accurately pinpoint a terminal capitalization rate for a project.

Example of the Terminal Capitalization Rate

An investor buys a fully occupied property for $100 million. First-year NOI is estimated at $5.0 million. The going-in cap rate is therefore 5.0%.

Seven years later, the investor believes that the terminal capitalization rate is approximately 4.0%. Last year NOI, which has taken into account rent escalation along the way, is projected at $5.5 million (again, assuming full occupancy).

The resale value is estimated at $137.5 million ($5.5 million in NOI divided by the 4.0% terminal capitalization, or exit, rate).
What Is Market Research?oddsshark mlb consensus

Market research, also known as "marketing research," is the process of determining the viability of a new service or product through research conducted directly with potential customers. Market research allows a company to discover the target market and get opinions and other feedback from consumers about their interest in the product or service.

This type of research can be conducted in-house, by the company itself, or by a third-party company that specializes in market research. It can be done through surveys, product testing, and focus groups. Test subjects are usually compensated with product samples or paid a small stipend for their time. Market research is a critical component in the research and development (R&D) of a new product or service.

Key Takeaways

Companies use market research to test the viability of a new product or service by communicating directly with a potential customer.

With market research, companies can figure out their target market and get opinions and feedback from consumers in real-time.

This type of research can be conducted in-house, by the company itself, or by an outside company that specializes in market research.

The research includes surveys, product testing, and focus groups.

Market research is a combination of primary informationinformation gathered directlyor secondary information, which is information an outside entity has already gathered.

Market Research

Understanding Market Research

1:10

The purpose of market research is to look at the market associated with a particular good or service to ascertain how the audience will receive it. This can include information gathering for the purpose of market segmentation and product differentiation, which can be used to tailor advertising efforts or determine which features are seen as a priority to the consumer.

Market research is a critical tool in helping companies understand what consumers want, developing products that those consumers will use, and maintaining a competitive advantage over other companies in their industry.

A business must engage in a variety of tasks to complete the market research process. It needs to gather information based on the market sector being examined. The business needs to analyze and interpret the resulting data to determine the presence of any patterns or relevant data points that it can use in the decision-making process.

How Market Research Gathers Information

Market research consists of a combination of primary information, or what has been gathered by the company or by a person hired by the company, and secondary information, or what has been gathered by an outside source.

Primary Information

Primary information is the data that the company has collected directly or that has been collected by a person or business hired to conduct the research. This type of information generally falls into two categories: exploratory and specific research.

Exploratory research is a less structured option and functions via more open-ended questions, and it results in questions or issues being presented that the company may need to address. Specific research finds answers to previously identified issues that are often brought to attention through exploratory research.

Secondary Information

Secondary information is data that an outside entity has already gathered. This can include population information from government census data, trade association research reports, or presented research from another business operating within the same market sector.

Example of Market Research

Many companies use market research to test out new products or to get information from consumers about what kinds of products or services they need and don't currently have.

For example, a company that was considering going into business might conduct market research to test the viability of its product or service. If the market research confirms consumer interest, the business can proceed confidently with the business plan. If not, the company should use the results of the market research to make adjustments to the product to bring it in line with customer desires.

History of Market Research

Formal market research began in Germany during the 1920s. Around the same time, market research in the United States took off during the advertising boom of the Golden Age of Radio. Companies that advertised on the radio began to understand the demographics that were revealed by how different radio shows were sponsored.

Types of Market Research

Face-to-Face Interviews

From there, companies were developed that would interview people on the street about publications that they read and whether they recognized any of the ads or brands within the ads that were published in the magazines or newspapers the interviewer showed them. Data collected from these interviews were compared to the circulation of the publication in order to see how effective those ads were. Market research and surveys were adapted from these early techniques.

To get a strong understanding of your market, you should understand demand, market size, economic indicators, location, market saturation, and pricing.

Focus Groups

A focus group is a small number of representative consumers, who are chosen to try a product or watch an advertisement. Afterwards, the group is asked for feedback regarding their perceptions of the product, the company's brand, or competing products.

Phone Research

Data collection then shifted to the telephone, making face-to-face contact unnecessary. A telephone operator could collect information or organize focus groupsand do so quickly and in a more organized and orderly fashion. This method improved the market research model greatly.

Survey Research

As an alternative to focus groups, surveys represent a cost-effective way to determine consumer attitudes without having to interview them in person. Consumers are sent surveys in the mail, usually with a coupon or voucher in order to incentivize participation. These surveys help determine how consumers feel about the product, brand, and price point.

Online Market Research

With people spending more time online, many market research activities have shifted online as well. While the platform may have changed, data collection is still mainly done in a survey-style form. But instead of companies actively seeking participants by finding them on the street or by cold calling them on the phone, people can choose to sign up and take surveys and offer opinions when they have time. This makes the process far less intrusive and less rushed since people can do so on their own time and of their own volition.

How to Do Market Research

The first step to effective market research is to determine the goals of the study. Each study should seek to answer a clear, well-defined problem. For example, a company might seek to identify consumer preferences, brand recognition, or the comparative effectiveness of different types of ad campaigns.

After that, the next step is to determine who will be included in the research. Market research is an expensive process, and a company cannot waste resources collecting unnecessary data. The firm should decide in advance which types of consumers will be included in the research, and how the data will be collected. They should also account for the probability of statistical errors or sampling bias.

The next step is to collect the data and analyze the results. If the two previous steps have been completed accurately, this should be straightforward. The researchers will collect the results of their study, keeping track of the ages, gender, and other relevant data of each respondent. This is then analyzed in a marketing report that explains the results of their research.

The last step is for company executives to use their market research to make business decisions. Depending on the results of their research, they may choose to target a different type of consumer, or they may change their price point or other features of their product. The results of these changes may eventually be measured in further market research, and the process will begin all over again.



Benefits of Market Research

Market research is essential for developing brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. Since it is unlikely for a product to appeal equally to every consumer, a strong market research program can help identify the key demographics and market segments that are most likely to consume a given product.

Market research is also important for developing a company's advertising efforts. If the company's market research determines that their consumers are more likely to use Facebook than Twitter, they can then target their advertisements to one platform instead of another. Or, if they determine that their target market is value-sensitive rather than price-sensitive, they can work on improving the product rather than reducing their prices.

What Are the Main Types of Market Research?

The main types of market research are primary research, which includes focus groups, polls, and surveys, secondary market research, which includes articles, infographics, and white papers, qualitative research, which gives insights into how customers feel and think, and quantitative research, which uses data and statistics, such as website views, social media engagement, and subscribers.

What Is Online Market Research?

Online market research is market research that is conducted over the Internet. Online market research can be either qualitative or quantitative and follows the same format as primary and secondary market research methods.

What Are Paid Market Research Surveys?

Paid market research involves a group of individuals that are paid to partake in a research study. This can involve filling out surveys, partaking in group studies, research panels, and more. The individuals are usually pre-selected and monetarily rewarded for their time and effort.

What Is a Market Study?

A market study is the proactive analysis of market demand for a product or service. A market study looks at all of the factors involved in the market that influence the demand for that product or service. This includes price, location, competition, substitutes, and general economic activity.

The Bottom Line

Market research allows companies to understand the demand and viability of their product and to see how it might perform in the real world. Market research is conducted either through primary information or secondary information, both providing unique insights into a company's offering. Market research is a key component of a company's research and development (R&D) stage and is a key aspect of its success and growth.
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WASHINGTON  The effort to make Joe Biden yet another impeached president will occupy three House committees over the coming months  and the Buffalo areas newest member of Congress, Rep. Nick Langworthy, will be in the middle of the impeachment probe.

Langworthy, a Republican who represents much of rural and suburban Erie County, as well as the Southern Tier, serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which will lead the investigation. That panel, along with the Ways and Means and Judiciary committees, will probe whether President Biden is guilty by association with his long-troubled and now indicted son, Hunter.

On X, the social media outlet formerly known as Twitter, Langworthy last month echoed the term former President Donald Trump has been promoting lately, citing his concerns about the Biden crime family.

But in an interview last week, Langworthy avoided such rhetoric, saying Republicans plan a serious investigation of Biden, who has denied any wrongdoing. In addition, independent fact-checkers have voiced skepticism about the accusations.

This is not us approving articles of impeachment, Langworthy said. This is saying that were doing the investigation that could ultimately lead to articles of impeachment. And I think the circumstantial evidence and the fact-based evidence that have come forward certainly make this a natural next step.

Biden brushes off House impeachment inquiry, says Republicans want to shut down government House Speaker Kevin McCarthys sudden decision to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden appears to have won over even the most reluctant Republicans.

Langworthy said the impeachment probe is an extension of the eight-month investigation that the Oversight Committee undertook into the Biden family dating back to Joe Bidens days as vice president. Republicans say the probe found 20 shell companies that Biden family members used to do business with overseas entities, and that Joe Biden himself lied 16 times about his familys business connections. They also say that Hunter Biden  who was recently indicted on federal gun charges  frequently got his father on the phone when he was doing business with foreign entities.

The impeachment probe will bolster the Republicans power to subpoena documents and should allow them to obtain personal bank records, and not just the records of those shell companies, Langworthy said.

Were there to go gather more facts, he said. An impeachment inquiry will allow this investigation to have more severity and cut through some of the obstruction that we faced in the document gathering.

Langworthy said he will participate actively in the coming probe.

As a member of the committee, I take it very seriously, he said. I will say that when you look at how this (the web of Biden family businesses) is structured, it has an organized crime appearance.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, ordered the impeachment probe last Tuesday, saying: House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Bidens conduct.

The Biden White House dismissed those allegations out of hand.

House Republicans have been investigating the president for nine months, and theyve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing, White House spokeman Ian Sams said.

Meanwhile, independent fact-checkers and even some Republicans have said that while the earlier Biden probe turned up some murky business transactions, there was no evidence that directly implicated the president.

There is currently no proof that Joe Biden was involved in the business deals of his son, Hunter, or that the president ever benefited from those deals or ever used his position as vice president to assist the companies on his sons behalf, FactCheck.org reported.

Since gaining the House majority in January, House Republicans have aggressively investigated Biden and his son, claiming without evidence that they engaged in an influence-peddling scheme, the Associated Press reported.

The time for impeachment is the time when theres evidence linking President Biden  if theres evidence linking President Biden  to a high crime or misdemeanor, Rep. Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican, said earlier this month. That doesnt exist right now.

But the vast majority of House Republicans whove commented back the impeachment probe, which, according to Politico, Trump has been advocating.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, who represents rural Niagara County and much of Orleans County along with Genesee and Wyoming counties, voiced strong support for the probe in a statement that repeatedly referred to the Biden crime family.

House Republicans have extensive evidence that the President is beyond compromised, she said.

Alleging that Biden family members and likely the president himself took multimillion-dollar payments from Ukraine, Romania and China, Tenney added: It is unacceptable that the president is making policy decisions based on self-interest and also enriching himself and his family at the expense of the American people. House Republicans are moving forward to responsibly investigate the presidents alleged crimes with an impeachment inquiry.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents the North Country and who serves as chair of the House Republican Conference, echoed Tenneys allegations.

For the past eight months, through the course of our constitutional oversight duties, House Republicans have uncovered that Joe Biden has lied to the American people about his knowledge and involvement in his familys foreign business dealings and that he has potentially committed multiple, impeachable offenses, she said last week.

Democrats, however, regard the impeachment inquiry with disdain.

Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, said the impeachment inquiry is a Republican attempt to detract attention away from the many criminal charges facing Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination for president in 2024.

I think what theyre trying to do here is take the moral high ground from the president because the guy thats going to run against him has no morals, Higgins said.

Higgins termed the impeachment inquiry a complete waste of time, a complete waste of money, a distraction from the important work that Congress still has to do.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat, agreed.

I think the impeachment inquiry is absurd, Schumer told reporters last week. The American people want us to do something that will make their lives better, not go off on these chases and witch hunts.

Schumer said he is concerned that the House Republicans focus on impeaching Biden will get in the way of the two parties agreeing on a spending plan for the coming fiscal year. Such a deal is needed to avoid a government shutdown that would start Oct. 1 unless Congress acts.

Schumer blamed Republican extremists for pushing the House speaker into the impeachment inquiry.

I have sympathy with Speaker McCarthy, Schumer said. Hes in a difficult position. But sometimes you got to tell these people who are way off the deep end, who have no interest in helping the American people, who just want to pursue their own witch hunts, that they cant go forward with it.
Kids everywhere may revel in the fact that bees are no longer stinging them as frequently on playgrounds and in backyards, but the decline in honeybee populations in the U.S. and elsewhere signals a major environmental imbalance that could have far-reaching implications for our agricultural food supply.

The Importance of Honeybees

Brought here from Europe in the 1600s, honeybees have become widespread across North America and are bred commercially for their abilities to produce honey and pollinate crops90 different farm-grown foods, including many fruits and nuts, depend on honeybees. But in recent years honeybee populations across the continent have plummeted by as much as 70 percent, and biologists are still scratching their heads as to why and what to do about the problem which they have termed colony collapse disorder (CCD).

Chemicals May Be Killing the Honeybees

Many believe that our increasing use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, which honeybees ingest during their daily pollination rounds, are largely to blame. Of particular concern is a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. Commercial beehives are also subjected to direct chemical fumigation at regular intervals to ward off destructive mites. Genetically modified crops were once a suspect, but there is no clear evidence of a link between them and CCD.

It may be that the build-up of synthetic chemicals has reached a tipping point, stressing bee populations to the point of collapse. Lending credence to this theory is that organic bee colonies, where synthetic pesticides are mostly avoided, are not experiencing the same kind of catastrophic collapses, according to the non-profit Organic Consumers Association.

Radiation May Push Honeybees Off Course

Bee populations may also be vulnerable to other factors, such as the recent increase in atmospheric electromagnetic radiation as a result of growing numbers of cell phones and wireless communication towers. The increased radiation given off by such devices may interfere with bees ability to navigate. A small study at Germanys Landau University found that bees would not return to their hives when mobile phones were placed nearby, but it is thought that the conditions in the experiment do not represent real-world exposure levels.

Global Warming Partly to Blame for Honeybee Deaths?

Biologists also wonder if global warming may be exaggerating the growth rates of pathogens such as the mites, viruses, and fungi that are known to take their toll on bee colonies. The unusual hot-and-cold winter weather fluctuations in recent years, also blamed on global warming, may also be wreaking havoc on bee populations accustomed to more consistent seasonal weather patterns.

Scientists Still Searching for Cause of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder

A recent gathering of leading bee biologists yielded no consensus, but most agree that a combination of factors is likely to blame. Were going to see a lot of money poured into this problem, says University of Maryland entomologist Galen Dively, one of the nations leading bee researchers. He reports that the federal government plans an allocation of $80 million to fund research in connection with CCD. What were looking for, Dively says, is some commonality which can lead us to a cause.

Edited by Frederic Beaudry
English has a lot of confusing words, especially those words that look alike and sound alike. The two words I want to talk about today are no exception.

Choosing between aisle and isle can be difficult since they are only a single letter apart, and they sound identical when spoken. But, if youre not sure which word to use and when, dont worry. This is a common question.

What is the Difference Between Aisle and Isle?

Today, I want to discuss the difference between these two words, their definitions, and how to use them in a sentence. Plus, Ill give you a few tricks for telling them apart. After reading this post, you shouldnt ever mix up aisle vs. isle again.

When to Use Aisle

An aisleis a passageway between rows and seats in a building, such as a church, theater, or auditorium.

The aisle was crowded with people looking for seats.

The musical had actors dancing in the aisles.

The aisles in these stores seem to get smaller and smaller.

An aisle can be more than a passageway between seats, of course. Supermarkets have aisles, factories have aisles, warehouses have aisles, etc.

Another common use of aisleis in a political context. When members of one political party talk about working with members of the opposing party, they often speak about their reaching across the aisle.

We need to reach across the aisle to fix this problem.

Solutions to the nations problem dont reside on one side of the aisle.

There is no shortage of sound bites from either side of the aisle.

The metaphorical use of the word refers to the ways parties arrange themselves in meetings of Congress or Parliament, with certain parties sitting on certain sides of the aisle. As a result of this segmentation, political opinions or public policies became known as coming from one side of the aisle or another.

When you see people using islein a political context, it is a mistake. The correct word choice is aisle.

When to Use Isle

An isleis an island, usually a small one.

The British Isles is a great place to visit.

I was stranded on a desert isle for six years.

The pirates were in search of the lost isle for buried treasure.

Remember the Difference

As you can see, both words have widely different meanings. Aisle refers to a passageway between rows and isle refers to a mass of land.

But, if you have a hard time remembering this difference, have no fear. There is a great trick you can use each and every time you cant decide which is correct, aisle or isle.

An aisle is something that you find on an airplane. Both of these words start with the same two letters, AI.

An isle, on the other hand, is an island. Both of these words start with the same two letters, IS.

Summary

The two words, isle vs. aisle, may sound similar, but their meanings could not be more different. Many writers arent sure when to use isle or aisle, but the trick to remember is actually quite easy.

Aisleis a passageway between rows or seats that is found in churches, airplanes, auditoriums, etc.

Isle is a small island.

Both words start with the same two letters as their hints, Aisle, Airplane; Isle Island.
The Tejon Indian Tribe has announced the design and construction firms that it has tapped to work on its proposed $600 million casino near Highway 99, just south of the California City of Bakersfield.

In a news release published this Monday, the tribe announced that Los Angeles-based company The PENTA Building Group will serve as general contractor and Las Vegas-based Klai Juba Wald has been hired as the primary architect.

Friedmutter Group Architecture & Interior Design Studios, which too is based in Las Vegas, has been selected as the design architect and interior designer. All three companies boast considerable experience in designing and building casino and hospitality facilities.

The Tejon Indian Tribe secured federal recognition in 2012. It has since then been looking to build a hotel and casino resort in partnership with Florida-based gaming and hospitality powerhouse Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

In January, the tribe received long-sought federal approval of the site it plans to develop the complex on. The US Department of the Interior also allowed gaming to take place at the location. The fate of the project now lies with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who must concur with the decision within a 12-month period after it was first issued.

If he concurs with that decision, the Interior Department can take 306-acre of land into trust for the Tejon Indian Tribes benefit. The tribe plans to build its casino complex on 52 acres of the larger portion of land.

Unionized Construction Workers to Handle at Least Part of the Project

While the tribe did not name all the companies that will help with the propertys construction, it suggested in its press release that at least part of the job will be handled by unionized workersfrom the host Kern County.

If Gov. Newsom concurs with the federal governments decision, construction is tentatively expected to begin within a year and to take around 18 months to complete.

The Tejon tribe and Hard Rock plan to build a hotel and casino resort with a 166,500-square-foot gaming floorand an 11-story hotel with 400 rooms. The complex will also include a spa and fitness, 13 food and beverage facilities, a concert venue, and the largest conference and meeting space in Kern County.

It has also become known that live entertainment will be a key component at the new property, just as it is at all Hard Rock-branded resorts around the nation.

Aside from the main resort, the tribe has also designated an adjacent 22-acre site for an RV park.

Tribal officials have promised the mega-scheme will have a significant positive impact on Kern Countys economy. Construction is expected to generate 900 jobs, while the resort will employ more than 2,000 people once fully operational.

Source:Tejon tribe chooses firms to guide hotel-casino project, Bakersfield.com, July 19, 2021
Jay Leno suffers burn injuries after car fire: Report

closeVideo

Fox News correspondent Christina Coleman on reports the 72-year-old comedian was rushed to a burn center after one of his cars 'erupted' in flames.

Comedian and classic car collector Jay Leno was injured on Sunday while working on one of the vehicles in his Big Dog Garage in Burbank, California.

Leno was hospitalized with burns to his face, but is expected to recover.

"I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am OK. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet," Leno told Fox News Digital.

Leno's long-time mechanic George Swift told Access Hollywood that "he got sprayed with some gas" while working on one of his steam-powered cars.

JAY LENO SAYS HE LIKES DOMESTIC CARS BECAUSE IM AMERICAN'

Jay Leno was working on a White steam car when he was burned. (Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank)

Leno owns several of the archaic vehicles, including several Stanley Steamers, a 1925 Doble E-20, and a 1907 White that TMZ reported that the car involved in the incident.

But where does the gasoline come in?

Steam engines are also known as external combustion engines, because fuel is burned outside the cylinders that drive them.

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Typically, a boiler full of water is heated by a burner, similar to how a home heating system works, but creates high pressure steam that is directed into a set of reciprocating pistons.

The Doble's boiler is located under the car's hood. (Colin Creitz/The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images/Getty Images)

As the steam enters one end, it pushes the piston in the opposite direction, then steam is introduced into the other end to push it back.

Steam is created as the water is heated by a burner below the tank. (Colin Creitz/The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images/Getty Images)

The engines operate smoothly and produce a lot of torque, which is why larger versions were common in industrial applications  a few of which Leno also has in his garage  but internal combustion engines eventually became more efficient, powerful and easy to operate, contributing to steam's demise in automobiles.

ULTRA RARE 1963 CHRYSLER TURBINE CAR SOLD TO MYSTERY BUYER

The burner needs fuel to operate, of course, and while kerosene was often used because it is less volatile than gasoline and burns cleaner than some other fuels, early Stanley Steamers were designed primarily for gasoline, and Whites and Dobles could run on either.

Jay Leno once received a speeding ticket in a Stanley Steamer car. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Leno was reportedly trying to unclog a fuel line when it sprayed fuel that was ignited by a spark.

Like many of his cars, Leno does not just leave the steam vehicles in his garage. He keeps them in running condition and is often seen around the Los Angeles area driving them.

And not always slowly. He was once famously caught speeding in a Stanley Steamer.

"I have the record for the oldest vehicle to be done for speeding. It was a 1912 Stanley Steamer, and I had it cranked up to 75mph on a freeway," Leno told Visor Down in 2010.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I'm kind of proud of that, especially considering the engine is steam-powered and makes less than 10 bhp. The cop who issued the citation was remarkably straight-faced and unimpressed with my feat, which I thought was a little unimaginative of him. How could you seriously issue a speeding ticket to something with the same engine as a small steam locomotive?"

Gary Gastelu is Fox News Digital's automotive editor.
As Danielle departs her comfort zone, so, too, did Marxs technique.

My friend Danielle was due the same month I was but still went to the post office to send her favorite sweater from earlier pregnancies, saying Texas weather wasnt cold enough to warrant her keeping it.

Her grandmother, an avid shopper, would help shape the relationship Danielle would develop with fashion- using it as a means of creative expression and a way of showing up in the world as her best self.

Danielle was vaccinated because she works in health care, but Chris was not  Hes a very proud, hardheaded conservative, Danielle says.

His mother, Danielle, starred at the University of North Carolina alongside Mia Hamm and made six national team appearances in 1993. Gio Reyna is primed for his USMNT debut. And hes only 17.|Steven Goff|November 11, 2020|Washington Post

Or a category populated with Orange Is the New Black actresses, like Kate Mulgrew, Laura Prepon, and Danielle Brooks? Emmys 2014: Who Will and Who Should Be Nominated|Kevin Fallon|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It will be great in every possible way, she assured Danielle and Brandon. Can Suze Orman Save America?|Adam Auriemma|November 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

She charged Brandon with keeping his emotions bottled up, and Danielle with failing to give him opportunities to vent. Can Suze Orman Save America?|Adam Auriemma|November 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Marlene Danielle was the only actress who stayed with the musical from its first performance through to the end. The Week in Nostalgia: SNL Launches, OReilly Debuts & More (VIDEO)|Chancellor Agard|October 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Writer-director Danielle Gardner makes compelling use of all the horrifically iconic images. Reliving 9/11, With Tears: Out of the Clear Blue Sky, Reviewed|Lloyd Grove|September 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

I gather the Commission has Mr. Danielle's interview with Mr. Castro on the subject. Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

Suppose she had grown very stoutor were gawkily thin like his sister Danielle, or bold and forward, or dull. Rough-Hewn|Dorothy Canfield
A leading progressive legal advocacy group is spinning off from the sprawling dark money network that seeded it, the group tells Axios.

It was initiated by a consortium of conservative states attorneys general, funded by dark money.

Some of the money raised from Fancelli flowed to dark money groups that supported the rally, according to wire transfers described to ProPublica, planning documents and interviews with insiders.

At, or at least near, the top of the campaigns chain was sitting GOP Virginia state senator and veteran political operative Jill Vogelmanaging partner at Holtzman Vogel, a heavyweight in the world of conservative politics and dark money groups.

In part, some suggest media owners might be leery of running misleading or distasteful ads from dark money groups. Wouldnt make economic sense: Despite hyped targeting restrictions on 2020 political ads, few new limits are in place|jim cooper|October 12, 2020|Digiday

And Epstein continues to steer money toward universities to advance scientific research. Sleazy Billionaires Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Speech, in this case, is our ability to spend money on a goofy entertainment. Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke ONeil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

He wore white gloves, a dignified long black coat, and matching pants and vest, and he carried a dark walking stick. The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate|Philip Dray|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I thought about the mother, her fear of the dark, of the harm she feared might come to her daughters. I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Then she managed to struggle a mile through dark, rainy woods. The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivors Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

If Mac had been alone he would have made the post by sundown, for the Mounted Police rode picked horses, the best money could buy. Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

Ripperda's eye fell upon the mantle,it was discoloured a dark red in many places, he nodded his head, and the man withdrew. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

He glanced aside, and saw an exceedingly pretty, dark face, which looked vaguely familiar. Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

All the Italian merchants in the realm of France, called money lenders, seized by order of Philip the fair, for their ransoms. The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
When Jonathan Greenblatt,the red garter hotel chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, learned that Nets guard Kyrie Irving had posted a link on Twitter to an antisemitic film, he was touring a college with his son.

I was not familiar with the film but I am very familiar with the tropes perpetrated in the film, Greenblatt said Thursday of Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a 2018 film driven by antisemitic stereotypes and misinformation.

Irving was eventually suspended by the Nets for at least five games for the post, which he eventually took down, and his behavior that followed, including a news conference in which he would not say directly that he did not have antisemitic beliefs. General Manager Sean Marks told reporters on Nov. 4 that Irving would have to meet with Jewish leaders and with the organization before he could return to play. He also said that Irvings apology on Instagram, which came after the suspension was announced on Nov. 3, was certainly not enough.

Before the suspension, Greenblatt met with Irvings father, Drederick Irving, and his stepmother, Shetellia Riley Irving, who is also Irvings agent. She did not respond to a request for comment. Greenblatt also received a call from Joe Tsai, the Nets owner, after criticizing Irvings sharing of the film.

Now, the Nets return home from a road trip for a game on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, and reports from The Athletic and ESPN this week indicated that the Nets are on the verge of lifting the suspension. Irving has missed eight games, including Thursday nights 109-107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. But the team, which did not respond to a request for comment from The New York Times, has not said whether Irving has fulfilled its conditions for his return.

Greenblatt said in an interview with The Times on Thursday that he had not spoken with Irving, and that he had shared suggestions with the Nets for Jewish leaders Irving could meet with but did not know whether any meetings had taken place. He also said he had maintained contact with Tsai and N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver in the past week.

Tsai told the New York Post in an interview published Saturday that Irving still has work to do.

If Irving returns within the next few games, Greenblatt said, Im not surprised by this turn of events.

Before Irvings suspension, the Nets announced that they and Irving would work with the A.D.L. to donate $500,000 each to organizations committed to anti-hate causes. When Irving next spoke with reporters, he offered vague answers to questions about the film and was not clear about what parts he disagreed with. Greenblatt responded on Twitter by saying that the A.D.L. would not accept Irvings donation.

In the interview with the Times, Greenblatt said that he hoped Irving would still meet with Jewish leaders in Brooklyn and that he took Irvings associates at their word when they said Irving was not antisemitic. He praised Tsais general handling of the situation and said that he didnt know whether the A.D.L. would work with Irving and the Nets to donate the pledged money.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity and length.

Why was Kyries tweet such a big deal?

Kyrie is an exceptional person in many ways. No. 1, hes an incredible basketball player. An extraordinary talent. One of the best players in the league. No. 2, he has an outsized influence on the popular culture. I mean, my kids wear his shoes, literally, and they have his jerseys. And he had his deal with Nike. And hes just a bigger figure than just one of 10 players on the court on any given night. Hes Kyrie. He is pretty much a household name.

So when someone of his profile and of his talent uses their social media, when he essentially endorses a film or a book or a product, the tweeting about it in an uncritical manner, in a positive manner, if you will, not just uncritical but in a positive manner, that constitutes to millions of people, not a tacit approval, but a real-life endorsement. Now, that might not have been his intent. At a moment in time, when antisemitic acts have reached historic levels.

I think its important to make sure that I explain the context in which were operating. So antisemitic incidents, its 2,717 incidents last year. And I know that because the A.D.L. is the organization which tracks those incidents.

So theres a reason why theres a level of anxiety in our Jewish community, which is incredibly high right now. I want to be clear I have not spoken to Kyrie directly. Spoke to members of his family, Ive spoken to his friends, spoken to the N.B.A. front office. Ive spoken to the Nets management, Ive spoken to the players association. So a lot of different stakeholders, if you will.

Irrespective of his intent, the impact is validating the same kind of tropes, which, for example, led to almost three years to the day, like right now, a shooting in Jersey City.

How did the meeting go with Irvings father and stepmother?

It was a constructive conversation. They listened. I really have a great deal of respect. His stepmom works as his agent, as you likely know. Shes walking a line between the personal and professional. His dad, Drederick, hes a father, and I think it was very painful for him to be in a situation where his son was pushing out a film  Ive heard this from so many people  that this isnt who Kyrie is. Ive spoken to Adam Silver about this. Other people around Kyrie about this. Many of them told me theyve never heard him express an antisemitic sentiment. So I take them all at their word.

So there are a whole bunch of people that are telling you Kyrie is not antisemitic. You also have not heard from him directly. What was your reaction to him not actually meeting with you?

No. 1, I understand these issues are hard and complicated. Hate is hard in general.

Unpacking these issues of bigotry and intolerance typically is not easy for people. And I see this again and again with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations not unique to this league.

No. 2, Kyrie doesnt have a history of trafficking antisemitism. I really must confess, having not spoken to him, I dont know if he watched the film or not in its entirety, how closely he tracked the contents of the film if he did, whether or not he did any additional research.

But I do appreciate that if youre unfamiliar with these antisemitic tropes presented in the right way, they might sound plausible to people. And thats one of the insidious things about conspiracy theories in general and antisemitism in particular.

I think he and his camp were really struggling with how to confront this issue and werent sure how to do so. So there are a lot of people around Kyrie. Would I like to speak to him? Absolutely, and Id be ready to speak to him this afternoon. And Ive said this repeatedly. The fact that I havent spoken to him yet, I am still optimistic that I will. And when I do, Ill have the opportunity to talk to him about the specifics in terms of what was problematic about the film and how contemporary antisemitism manifests in general.

What is the A.D.L.s stance currently on working with Irving and the Nets, specifically given the donation that was pledged? Is it still your stance that you cant accept that money?

I dont know. And I just think the money becomes a distraction.

We never set the terms of his return. I had nothing to do with that. I was reached out to by the Nets and they said, Would you be willing to meet with Kyrie? And I said, Of course I should meet with him, but we didnt set the terms for his return. At the end of the day, thats up to the Nets and the N.B.A. and the players association to figure that out.

It was never about the money. It still isnt.

What would you like to hear from Kyrie Irving?

I think it is that he is authentically committed to a process of self-education and then taking those learnings and sharing it with others.

One of the things that the Nets said publicly is that one the requirements for him to return was that he has to meet with Jewish leaders. To your knowledge, has he done that? He hasnt met with you, but have you recommended other leaders that he should talk to?

They did ask me and I believe I have given them names.

I think it would be useful for Kyrie to meet with Jewish leaders, and he could meet with me. He certainly doesnt have to. I dont make the requirements here.

But I think something else that matters  that I didnt say before about Kyrie, that is worth saying now  Kyrie Irving plays in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has one of the largest Jewish populations. It has the largest Jewish population of any of the boroughs in New York.

When he mainstreamed that film that is so hurtful, and he plays for a team where hes got Jewish fans in the Barclays every single night, and Jewish kids like my own wearing his jerseys because he plays for Brooklyn, hes right down the road. Thats part of what was so challenging here, too.

So to bring it to bring it back, yes. I would be willing to sit down with Kyrie this afternoon or at any point in time. I also think he needs to meet with Jewish leaders from Brooklyn.

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Cambodian Minister of Rural Development Ouk Rabun (C front) cuts ribbon to inaugurate the China-aided rural road in Kampong Chhnang province,main slot demo pragmatic definition synonym Cambodia, Nov. 17, 2022. The second phase of the China-aided rural road project in Cambodia has come to an end successfully, building asphalt and concrete paved roads in a total length of 120 km, officials said here on Thursday. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua)

KAMPONG CHHNANG, Cambodia, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- For Dul Sarath, the 34-year-old vegetable grower in central Cambodia's Kampong Tralach district, a China-aided rural road project has made traveling and transportation of agricultural produce from farms to town markets easier, saving both time and money.

The mother of four children said on Thursday that previously, due to poor-conditioned rural roads, she had to spend three hours shipping vegetables from her farm to markets in the provincial town about 37 km away, but now with the China-funded rural road project, the travel time is shortened to an hour.

"Previously, traveling on this road was very difficult, and when there was rain, it was heavily muddy," she told Xinhua after attending an event to mark the completion of the China-aided rural road project in the Southeast Asian nation.

"Now, traveling on this road is fast, and not difficult like before, so villagers go to town markets more easily, and they can bring vegetables to sell in the markets conveniently," she said.

Sarath said the new road could be a life line route as it has also enabled patients to travel fast and easily to hospitals.

"Previously, no ambulances would come here, patients were transported by motorbikes, ox-carts, motorized rickshaws, or trucks, and it was really difficult for them to reach medical facilities, but now it is no longer the way it was," she said.

Un Theam, a 34-year-old grocer, also echoed Sarath's remarks, saying that travel on the new road is much faster than before, saving both gasoline and time.

"With this new road, farmers make transportation of their agricultural products such as vegetables or other goods to markets easily," she told Xinhua.

Rice farmer Phan Ngoeu, 70, expressed his gratitude to China for funding the project, saying that the road was necessary to help improve the livelihoods of rural people in Cambodia.

"Villagers have benefited a lot, saving them both fuel and labor, reducing travel time," he told Xinhua. "For example, previously, we spent the whole day traveling to some places, but now we need only two hours."

According to Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development, from 2017 to October 2022, the China-aided Rural Road Improvement projects, in Phases I and II, had constructed at least 25 rural roads with a total length of 155 km and two new bridges in eight provinces.

Cambodian Minister of Rural Development Ouk Rabun said the roads were a new achievement for Cambodia under the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation with China, saying that the roads were necessary to boost rural economy and livelihoods.

"China has provided a large amount of grant to Cambodia for rural road and clean water development, and China's aid to Cambodia has no strings attached," he said at the ceremony to mark the completion of the second phase project.

"This truly reflects China's commitment and efforts in helping improve livelihoods and wellbeing of the rural people in Cambodia," he added.

Rabun was confident that the new roads would help improve the rural people's living conditions, reduce poverty and boost rural economic development, as well as narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas.

"These new roads will undoubtedly contribute to facilitating travels and transport of agricultural products from farms to markets," he said.

Wu Guoquan, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, said that he was pleased to see the new roads in Cambodia's rural areas, which truly reflect the kingdom's rapid development.

"This project will not only promote the sense of closeness between the two peoples, but also nourish the towering tree of friendship between China and Cambodia," he said at the event.

Wu said the road project was just one of the numerous China-aided projects that had been designed to help boost socio-economic development and poverty reduction in Cambodia's rural areas.

"I believe that this project will contribute to further building a community with a shared future between China and Cambodia," he said. 

This photo taken on Nov. 17, 2022 shows a China-aided rural road in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia. The second phase of the China-aided rural road project in Cambodia has come to an end successfully, building asphalt and concrete paved roads in a total length of 120 km, officials said here on Thursday. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Nov. 17, 2022 shows a China-aided rural road in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia. The second phase of the China-aided rural road project in Cambodia has come to an end successfully, building asphalt and concrete paved roads in a total length of 120 km, officials said here on Thursday. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua)
What Is Basket Trade?slotomania big coin links

A basket trade is a type of order used by investment firms and big institutional traders to buy or sell a group of securities simultaneously.

Key Takeaways

A basket trade is a portfolio management strategy used by institutional investors to purchase or sell a large number of securities at the same time.

A basket trade typically involves the sale or purchase of 15 or more securities and is generally used to purchase stocks.

Trading baskets can be an eclectic mix, from collections of securities to soft commodities to investing products.

Different types of weighting criteria are used in basket trades.

Understanding Basket Trades

Basket trading is essential for institutional investors and investment funds that wish to hold a large number of securities in certain proportions. As cash moves in and out of the fund, large baskets of securities must be bought or sold simultaneously, so that price movements for each security do not alter the portfolio allocation.

To consider how a basket trade is beneficial to an investment fund, suppose an index fund aims to track its target index by holding most or all the securities of the index. As new cash comes in that could increase the value of the fund, the manager must simultaneously buy a large number of securities in the proportion they are present in the index. If it were not possible to execute a basket trade on all of these securities, then the rapid price movements of the securities would prevent the index fund from holding the securities in the correct proportions.

A basket trade typically involves the sale or purchase of 15 or more securities and is generally used to purchase stocks. Such baskets are typically measured against a benchmark or tracked against an entity, such as an index, to measure their returns.

Suppose an investment fund wishes to take advantage of the volatility in an index. The fund manager creates a long/short basket to track the index. The basket does not actually contain securities. Instead, it has a collection of call and put options.

Baskets can also be used to trade currencies and commodities. For example, an investor may create a basket that includes soft commodities, such as wheat, soybeans, and corn. Most investment or brokerage firms that offer basket trading require a minimum investment amount.

The distribution of dollars between various components of a typical basket can be determined using various types of weightings. For example, dollar-weighting criteria distribute the overall dollar amount for the basket equally between its components. A basket trading strategy that uses share weighting will divide the overall amount equally between blocks of shares.

Basket trades allow investors to create a trade that is tailored to them, that allows for easy allocation across many securities, and that gives them control over their investments.

Basket Trade Benefits
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M.F.A., Creative Writing, Manchester Metropolitan University

Diploma in Translation (IoLet Level 7, Russian), Chartered Institute of Linguists

Davai () literally means "give" in Russian. However, the word is used in many expressions with different meanings, the most popular of which is "come on." In this article, we look at ten different ways to use .

Davai Meaning

The verb  is in the imperative singular mood in the imperfective aspect. Due to the fact that Russian only has three tensespast, present, and futureaspects are necessary in order to show if an action is complete or incomplete.

The imperfective aspect points to an ongoing or incomplete action. This means that in the case of , the aspect of the verb indicates that the "giving" is ongoing. Although this verb is literally translated as a command "continually give," it is most often not used as such and performs instead as "let's," "bye," or "come on."

 , .

Pronunciation: noo VSYO, daVAI

Translation: then that's all, give

Meaning:all right then, bye

Used as a friendly goodbye, this expression is suitable for informal speech only and indicates that the speaker has positive intentions and wishes the other person good luck.

Example:

-  , , . (noo VSYO, daVAI, paKAH)

- Okay then, see you, bye.

   

Pronunciation: daVAI ya tyBYE padaZHOO

Translation: give I will show you

Meaning: let me show you

Used to mean "let's," this way of using  is suitable for any register, formal or informal. Remember to conjugate the verb according to the correct second person (singular/familiar  or plural/respectful ):

 (daVAI) - singular "you"

 (daVAItye) - plural "you"

Example:

-      . (daVAItye ya vam VSYO syCHAS raskaZHOO)

- How about I tell you all about it now.

 

Pronunciation:daVAI myREETsa

Translation: give to make up

Meaning:let's make up

Used in a similar way to the previous expression, here  means "let's" and is suitable for any register.

Example:

-   ? (a daVAI paZHYEnimsya?)

- And what if we get married?

  

Pronunciation: daVAI ny BOOdym

Translation:give we will not be

Meaning: let's not, let's not start

Another universal meaning of , this expression is suitable for all registers but has negative connotations.

Example:

-        . (vot daVAI TOL'ka ny BOOdym DROOK DROOgoo VRAT')

- Let's just not lie to each other, alright?

, ! and  !

Pronunciation: daVAI, eeDEE/eDEE daVAI

Translation: give, go!/go, give!

Meaning: go on, go!/go on, get out!

A somewhat aggressive command, this expression is suitable for informal speech only.

Example:

-     ? , ! (noo ee SHTOH ty staEESH? daVAI, eeDEE!)

- What are you still standing here for? Go on, get out!

 

Pronunciation: daVAItye padazhDYOM

Translation:give we will wait

Meaning: let's wait (plural)

A universal and polite request, this way to use  is fine for any social situation.

Example:

-  ,    . (daVAItye padaZHDYOM, navyrnyKAH aNEE SKOra padayDOOT)

- Let's wait for them, I'm sure they will be here soon.

  

Pronunciation:daVAI ny NAda

Translation:give not needed

Meaning: don't, don't start, let's not start

Very similar to   , the expression is more informal due to the deliberately awkward grammar.

Example:

-     ,  . (vot daVAI TOL'ka ny NAda, nadaYEla ooZHE)

- Can we just not, it's getting old.

  

Pronunciation: noo daVAI oozh

Translation: well give already

Meaning: fine then, fair enough, okay fine

Another informal expression,    indicates that the speaker either seeks a compromise or generously agrees to one.

Example:

-      , ? (noo daVAI oozh naTYA by ZAFtra, ah?)

- Come on, how about at least tomorrow, please?

  

Pronunciation: noo tagDA daVAI

Translation: well then give

Meaning:in that case let's (do it)

Another agreement-related expression, this is more universal and can be used in most social situations.

Example:

-   , . (noo tagDA daVAI, oogavaREEL)

- Fine, let's do it then, you've convinced me.

  -

Pronunciation:daVAI oozh kak-nyBOOD'

Translation:give already somehow

Meaning: let's somehow, try your best

Another expression that has more than one meaning,   - usually means that the speaker is trying to sort out a situation by persuading someone. However, it can also be used in a sarcastic way to mean "do your best" or "manage somehow."

Example:

-   -   ,    . (daVAItye oozh kak-neeBOOD' vsyo EHta SDYElaem, ya vas Ochen' praSHOO)

- Let's get this done somehow, I'm begging you.
More than 100,000 people lost power during the Buffalo Christmas weekend blizzard, roughly one-third of them in Erie County, as freezing temperatures, fierce winds and lake-effect snow caused whiteout conditions that made even foot travel treacherous for three days. Nearly 50 people died in Erie County alone, mostly stranded motorists and others caught outdoors, or who froze to death in residences that lost heat in its largest city.

The casualties could easily have included a 1-year-old city boy who got snowed in and needed a ventilator. His family had two, both powered with eight hours of battery life.

Once the batteries died, the boys parents used an Ambu bag, a manual resuscitator that supported his breathing round-the-clock.

Thats part of the teaching that we provide before they leave the hospital, said Dr. Geovanny Perez, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Oishei Childrens Hospital, who treated the boy. But as you can imagine, you cannot do that forever.

As the U.S. population ages, more and more older Americans will rely on in-home caregiving from family or paid aides. Adults and children with disabilities also need the critical help caregivers provide.

At the same time, severe weather events, including the blizzard and multiday power outages this year in Michigan and the American South, are increasingly common, making potential solutions  especially for the most vulnerable  more pressing.

In such perilous circumstances, caregivers face mounting stress over keeping their loved ones safe when the lights go out, or when driving may be dangerous or even impossible. They wonder if evacuation options are safe and accessible for those receiving care, and spend hours devising contingency plans in case they end up in the path of a monster storm.

When you have special needs kids ... you have to be ready for a war, said Crystal Attisha, 39, a mom and caregiver to 7-year-old twin daughters with disabilities in West Bloomfield, Mich. Our everyday life is not the normal of most families.

The major threat

Special needs shelters save lives during hurricanes. Could they work for blizzards? The shelters are popular in Florida and could help others as Buffalo and Erie County prep for the next big storm.

New York State needs better ways to battle blizzards.

Its state Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan doesnt include the kind of robust early warning system for major snowstorms that long ago became common practice for tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Communication between state, county and municipal emergency management teams, including those in Western New York, can grow murky as calls for help multiply, and the likelihood is high for a greater number of damaging storms to come, according to a report released Aug. 4 on the state response to the Buffalo blizzard of 2022.

Given the ongoing reality of climate change, New York State will see a storm like this again, concluded the 49-page review commissioned by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. As temperatures stay warmer for longer periods, it will get increasingly difficult for Lake Erie to freeze. This will only intensify the lake-effect snow phenomenon. Going forward, New York will need to maintain a constant state of readiness, centered on the philosophy of continuous improvement.

Erie County, snowmobile clubs working on formal blizzard response agreement Erie County has reached an agreement in principle with the Erie County Snowmobile Federation to help in snow emergencies after start-and-stop talks going back nearly a decade.

This and other studies about why so many people died during the blizzard pointed to gaps in communications to the public on the severity of the storm, inadequate emergency planning and the use of outdated software to help agencies assist those in need.

In the case of the Buffalo 1-year-old, first responders couldnt find a way to the familys Buffalo home. Desperate, the boys mother begged for help on Facebook.

Two days later, strangers made the trip from Niagara Falls on Christmas night, dug the family out of their home and brought them to safety.

Erie County officials aim to harness that kind of goodwill by forming two networks  Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs) and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs)  before the next blizzard.

Both forms of response worked well during other disasters. The Red Cross says the networks supported communities in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

A COAD is a group of community organizations that work together to get information and resources out before, during and after a disaster.

Were focusing on community resilience, and were focusing on providing tools and education long before an emergency weather event happens, Deputy Erie County Executive Lisa Chimera said. The county learned a lot from winter storms in November and December, she said, and were making a really cohesive plan with community organizations and volunteer organizations.

During Decembers blizzard, it took emergency services in Buffalo more than 22 hours on average to respond to a call. Seven people died due to delayed EMS responses.

Blizzard conditions will still prevent such disaster networks from helping all of those in need during turbulent times, but they could ease the burden on emergency services by providing more people with resources, and responding to less severe or hard-to-get-to calls.

Once implemented, the disaster networks also may be hampered by the kinds of communication issues that occurred during the Buffalo blizzard. A government response without clear and frequent communication among partner agencies and organizations may lead to duplication of efforts, confusion and inefficiencies, the state blizzard report warned.

County officials will meet with key organizations  including food banks, civic groups and service agencies  to create a COAD in Erie County.

The network will allow Erie County to expand its pre-existing emergency preparedness efforts. The collective will be able to educate more people about disaster preparedness, to distribute more blizzard boxes of food and supplies to families in need, and more thoroughly check in on older adults and people with disabilities on the countys functional needs registry.

Were thinking about all of the things that we can do, all of the resources that are available during an emergency, Chimera said.

The county is also developing a network of volunteers, a VOAD, to more effectively deploy those who want to help during and after a disaster. Volunteers might, for example, shovel nearby driveways or check on a neighbor in need.

Erie County is also working with local snowmobilers to assist with rescues during blizzards under memorandums of understanding the county signed with area snowmobile clubs, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.

Its those volunteer organizations that want to be helpful, Chimera said, but just need to be told where help is needed and how they can support [others] during the emergency.

Not only blizzards

Dorothy Harris rushed through her darkened home, gathering her sisters medications and extra clothes, after the power went out last February, as one of Michigans largest ice storms in half a century barreled down on her hometown of Southfield, coating wires and driveways in up to a half-inch of ice.

Without electricity, Harris sister, Bernice Goode, 75, who lives with Harris and has dementia, couldnt use the in-home oxygen unit that helped her breathe. Harris needed to get Goode to a place with power  and fast.

Their brother lives in Warren, about a 25-minute drive away, and he had a generator. They headed there, then stayed for a few days as the local utility company began restoring power to nearly 500,000 customers in southeastern Michigan in the wake of the storm.

Youre gonna rely on your family, so I went to him because I had nowhere else to go, said Harris, 65. We hadnt been through that before, and I had no resources.

Jen Rivera, of Rochester, cares for her 80-year-old father with dementia. She manages all his medications, including insulin, which require a refrigerator to keep them at safe temperatures. Her father also uses medical equipment that requires power.

It will be challenging to provide adequate care if their power were to be cut by any kind of strong storm, Rivera said.

She also questioned whether she could access groceries and shelter for her father in a severe weather event, if needed: How do we cook? Where do we have to evacuate? How can we leave and where can we go to remain safe?

A study published last year in the Journal of Applied Gerontology on the mental health of home-based care providers during disasters found they felt feelings of helplessness and immense stress as they tried to juggle their patients needs with the hurricanes impacts on their own personal lives.

The providers, interviewed after several recent hurricanes in the southeastern United States, stressed the importance of having a hurricane preparedness plan for their own family that would ensure their safety, while allowing the provider to also prioritize the client in an emergency.

Role of power companies

Amid a growing number of power outages and more severe weather events, utilities in many places are under greater scrutiny about their level of preparedness in keeping the electricity flowing and customers safe.

For instance, outages that left more than 500,000 DTE customers without electricity in February.

Trevor Lauer of DTE Energy apologized for the outages and told state lawmakers that accelerating investment in the power grid, amid a changing climate, would be key to limiting future problems, the Detroit News reported.

In such severe weather events, utilities seek to restore power first to hospitals, nursing homes or care facilities and fire and police stations, followed by areas with the most dense population.

Customers using life-sustaining, power-generated equipment at home and who have lost power should contact their utility immediately, said Dave Akerly, spokesperson for DTE Energy in Michigan. The utility delivered generators to more than 40 customers who needed power for life-critical equipment during the February ice storm, he said.

Register as a life support customer in the Buffalo region by calling National Grid at 800-642-4272 or New York State Electric and Gas at 800-572-1111.

In Erie County, all residents can get an emergency preparedness app for their cellphone at erie.gov/readyerie.

Caregivers and those with medical needs that require a constant supply of electricity at home can file a functional needs registry form online at www3.erie.gov/dhses/form/functional-needs-registry-form.

"It is a good idea to talk through common emergency scenarios, like power outage or loss of transportation and impassable roads, with a medical provider, case worker or trusted friend to come up with plans that make sense for your household, said Kara Kane, spokesperson for the Erie County Health Department.

Emergencies can happen at any time, Kane said, and people who are caregivers for individuals who have significant medical needs that require consistent electricity or oxygen, regular transport to medical services like dialysis, or critical pharmaceutical needs like suboxone need to have plans and backup plans in place to handle disruptions.

Grant Ashley is with The Buffalo News, Sarah Taddeo and Justice Marbury with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and Hannah Mackay with the Detroit News.
Theplay win casino ilani players club Nevada Gaming Control Board Wednesday recommended Red Rock Resortss Durango Casino & Resort get the go-ahead to open the $780 million property in southwest Las Vegas on Nov. 20 during Thanksgiving week as planned.

The issue now goes before the Nevada Gaming Commission on Sept. 21 for approval.

The new resort will feature 211 hotel rooms, 83,000 square feet of casino space, convention and meeting areas, a pool with cabanas, outdoor social areas, four restaurants, and a 10-outlet food hall.

We dont just build local casinos. We build entertainment centers in the neighborhood, Red Rock Resorts President Scott Kreeger told the Board. Whether youre a gambler or like to participate in things like dining, bowling, movie theaters, we believe the projects we build are complementary to the entire community that we develop in. This proven track record has set the table for us for the growth path for the next 10 years.

Over the last 20 years, Red Rock has strategically invested in key locations around Las Vegas and has a roadmap of seven developable sites, Kreeger said. All are in high-growth areas and near freeways.

This roadmap will allow us to grow the company a full 100% in the next 10 years, Kreeger said. Not only will that create growth in the valley from a job perspective, but it will also generate tax dollars and reinvest in the community. Durango is the next item in our growth story.

David Horn, vice president and general manager of the Durango, who started with the company in 1994 at Palace Station as a front desk clerk and valet parker, said hes excited about the project thats employed more than 1,500 construction workers over the last year and will be run by more than 1,700 full-time employees, most of them transfers from other Red Rock properties.

Were located in a densely populated area amongst other businesses (at the 215 Beltway and Durango Drive), Horn said. The common theme in talking to the business partners and neighbors around that area is, what took you so long?

The casino will have 2,284 slot machines and 63 table games.

Our lobby bar area will overlook the fantastic pool, creating a stunning view of the resort experience, Horn said. Our race and sports book experience will be unique. I know there is a lot of heavy competition for race and sports book venues in this city, but ours is an immersive audio-visual experience combining our George restaurant to create quite a few technological AV (experiences) people havent seen yet. Youre going to be able to see a game everywhere.

Red Rock Resorts, which does business as Station Casinos, announced Wednesday the launch of hiring websites as part of a recruitment campaign. So far, about 500 employees have already been hired. The company will be hiring for 1,200 more positions at all levels and in all departments. Durangos third-party restaurants will begin hiring in the coming weeks and will have job listings referred from the Durango job site.

I would tell you its exciting and challenging at the same time, Horn said of the hiring. Theres a lot of interest in this project and a tremendous amount of applications and resumes coming in.

The property is expected to draw 80% of its visitors from Las Vegas residents and 20% from tourists, about the same ratio as their Red Rock Casino property in Summerlin. Company officials said it could have more tourists than Red Rock Casino, because of its location closer to the Strip.

Stephen Cootey, Red Rocks chief financial officer, told the Board that the company has performed well since reopening in June 2020 after closing at the start of the pandemic. The second quarter of 2023 ended up being third best in the history of the company in same-store revenue and adjusted earnings and margins.

When you compare the first half of 2023 and first half of 2022, we were a stones throw from potentially having the best year on record for Red Rock Resorts, Cootey said. Theres stability in gaming and non-gaming going forward and sales in group and catering continue to grow in the second half of 2023, he noted.
Thecool cat casino no deposit codes 2019 Fontainebleau Las Vegas set its opening date for Dec. 13, starting the countdown to the publics first chance to see the inside of a building thats been in the works for nearly two decades.

The Wednesday opening, pending regulatory approvals, fulfills a decades-long dream for Fontainebleau Development CEO Jeffrey Soffer to open the property on the north Strip.

For almost 70 years, the Fontainebleau brand has challenged boundaries and expectations, Soffer said in a statement. With Fontainebleau Las Vegas, we have transcended aspiration and set the stage for a new era of luxury hospitality defined by innovation, sophistication, and opulence, with an inextricable link to our roots at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. This building represents a remarkable new chapter in our storied legacy and will be a beacon for those seeking to indulge in the unforgettable.
Those who love football betting and never miss the latest super bowl odds are familiar with Moneyline bets. If youre new in the sports betting world,real casino slot machine games its vital to understand how this incredibly popular kind of bet works.

Walk the Line

Sports betting is a lot of fun but can also get very complicated, especially for first-timers. If thats your case, Moneyline is the best way to start. Its one of the most straightforward kinds of betting, where punters put their money into the outcome of a match. Bettors can usually recover their wagers in case of a draw.

Image: Pixabay

Heres what a Moneyline bet looks like: Team A (-200) vs Team B (+120). Here, the odds are displayed by positive and negative numbers. Positive numbers are more rewarding and are usually assigned to the underdog of the match. The team thats likely to win is the one thatll reward less than you bet.

You can tell the favorites by the negative numbers. The lower the number, the more likely that team is to win. All these numbers boil down to how much you need to bet to win 100 bucks. If youre betting on Team A, youll need 200 dollars to win 100. If youre betting on Team B, you can win 120 bucks per 100 bucks wagered.

Both Sides of the Line

Now that you know how it works, its time to learn when to go with the top dogs and when to support the underdogs so that you can make the right picks from the Super Bowl odds. Heres how to make the best of each option:

Going With the Flow

Backing the favorites pays less but pays more frequently. Its an excellent strategy for betting on less popular matches. In the Moneyline, bets flow to the favorite, and the favorites odds go down. Less important matches will also have fewer punters, so the odds are higher even for the probable winner.

Against the Tide

The best sportsbooks calculate odds fairly, and when thats the case, these numbers tell a lot about the expected outcome of a match. Still, sportsbooks are there to make a profit and make ends meet. So, its possible to find valuable information that hasnt yet been translated into odds. Do your research, and dont be afraid of backing the underdogs if theres evidence that they could win.

Off-Time

You dont need to be a sports geek to enjoy sports betting. Still, the more knowledge you have about your choices, the higher your chances to succeed. A Moneyline bet is a great way to begin exploring this new world.

Category: Casino Blog
wildz bonus code 2022shows grade level based on the word's complexity. dark mineral 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 Geology.any rock-forming mineral that has a specific gravity greater than 2.8 and that is generally dark in color.

Compare light mineral.

Words nearby dark mineral

How to use in a sentence He wore white gloves, a dignified long black coat, and matching pants and vest, and he carried a dark walking stick. The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate|Philip Dray|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate|Philip Dray|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST I thought about the mother, her fear of the dark, of the harm she feared might come to her daughters. I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST Then she managed to struggle a mile through dark, rainy woods. The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivors Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivors Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST These are dark times for network TV, but experiments like Galavant are the silver lining. Galavant: A Drunken, Horny Musical Fairy Tale|Melissa Leon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST Luke Skywalker is an evil robot who has fallen to the dark side of the force. 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 Ripperda's eye fell upon the mantle,it was discoloured a dark red in many places, he nodded his head, and the man withdrew. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter He glanced aside, and saw an exceedingly pretty, dark face, which looked vaguely familiar. Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson Down in his galleries and chambers where it was dark as a pocket Grandfather Mole enjoyed himself thoroughly. The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey His dark, shining, almost too intelligent eyes looked at Nigel, and looked away. Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

Bella Donna|Robert Hichens The seeds of some species are of a dark brown while others are of a lighter shade. Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondarkling, darkling beetle, darkly, dark matter, dark meat, dark mineral, dark money, dark nebula, darkness, dark of the moon, dark reactionDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Are Capital Goods?spain online casino minecraft rtx

Capital goods are physical assets that a company uses in the production process to manufacture products and services that consumers will later use. Capital goods include buildings, machinery, equipment, vehicles, and tools. Capital goods are not finished goods, instead, they are used to make finished goods.

Key Takeaways

Capital goods are physical assets that a company uses in the process to manufacture products and services that consumers will later use.

Capital goods include fixed assets, such as buildings, machinery, equipment, vehicles, and tools.

Capital goods are also produced for the service sector, including hair clippers used by hairstylists and coffee machines for coffee shops.

Capital Goods

Understanding Capital Goods

1:33

Capital goods are called tangible assets because they are physical in nature. Capital goods are assets that companies use to produce products that other businesses can use to create finished goods. Manufacturers of automobiles, aircraft, and machinery fall within the capital goods sector because their products are subsequently used by companies involved in manufacturing, shipping, and providing other services. In other words, capital goods don't create satisfaction (called utility in economics) for the buyer per se but instead are used to produce the final product, which does create satisfaction.

Depreciation

Capital goods that a business does not consume within a single year of production cannot be entirely deducted as business expenses in the year of their purchase. Instead, they must be depreciated over the course of their useful lives, with the business taking partial tax deductions spread over the years that the capital goods are in use. This is done through accounting techniques such as depreciation.

Depreciation accounts for the annual loss of the tangible assets value during the course of its useful life. Depreciation helps a company generate revenue from an asset by expensing only a portion of it each year. Expensing the asset means the annual cost reduces profit or net income, which creates a lower taxable income and provides the company with tax savings.

Depletion

If a company is extracting natural resources, such as timber, depletion is an accounting technique utilized for spreading out the cost of those natural resources as they are depleted or used up by a business. Depletion can be calculated by using either cost depletion or percentage depletion.

For example, when deducting the cost of standing timber, taxpayers must use the cost depletion technique, based on the total number of recoverable units and the number of units sold during the tax year. Percentage depletion assesses the cost of the materials as a percentage of the companys gross income during a given year.

Types of Capital Goods

Capital goods are not necessarily fixed assets, such as machinery and manufacturing equipment. The industrial electronics industry produces a wide variety of devices, which are capital goods. These can range from small wire harness assemblies to air-purifying respirators and high-resolution digital imaging systems.

Capital goods are also produced for service businesses. Hair clippers used by hairstylists, paint brushes used by painters, and musical instruments played by musicians, are among the many types of capital goods purchased by service providers.

Core capital goods are a class of capital goods that excludes aircraft and goods produced for the Defense Department, such as automatic rifles and military uniforms. The Census Bureaus monthly Advance Report on Durable Goods Orders includes data on purchases of core capital goods, also known as Core CAPEX, for capital expenditure.

This information is closely followed as a forward-looking indicator of the degree to which businesses plan to expand. Durable goods are products with an expected useful life of at least three years.

Capital Goods vs. Consumer Goods

Consumer goods are the finished products that consumers buy as a result of the production process. Although consumer goods have different classifications, examples of consumer goods include milk, appliances, and clothes.

Conversely, capital goods are not usually sold to consumers but instead are used to produce other goods, which might be sold to consumers. However, there are capital goods that can also be consumer goods, such as airplanes, which are used by airlines but also by consumers.

Examples of Capital Goods

Below are some examples of capital goods that are used in the various industries as well as examples of goods that can be both capital and consumer goods.

Capital Goods

Factories or assembly line equipment used to manufacture cars and trucks

Machines and technology

Types of infrastructure, such as trains and cable or broadband lines

Coffee machines used by a coffee shop

Capital and Consumer Goods
European online gambling operator Tipico has teamed up with NetEnt to support its expansion into the United States, according to a Tuesday press release on the Swedish content providers website.

Under the terms of a recently penned content supply deal, NetEnt will provide its operator partner with access to a selection of its award-winning games portfolio as Tipico moves into the regulated online gambling market in New Jersey.

The Garden State will be the first stop in Tipicos US expansion campaign. The operator has applied for a license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcementand awaits regulatory clearance to launch an online casino and a digital sportsbook in the state.

Tipicos New Jersey website will feature NetEnt content from day one, it became known. A selection of the Swedish providers games portfolio will become available to Tipicos New Jersey players when the operator launches its locally licensed business, including a range of NetEnt slots such as Divine Fortune, which enjoys massive popularity among US slots fans, as well as many of the companys table games.

The Swedish supplier plans to continue to roll out more content with Tipico in New Jersey over the second half of the year. Aside from NetEnts games portfolio, the operator will also gain access to its partners marketing tools, including Free Spins and more.

Happy to Be Chosen as One of First Content Partners

Commenting on their partnership with Tipico, Brian Craft, Vice President Commercial of NetEnt Americas LLC, said that they are happy to have been chosen by the gambling operator as one of its first content providersas it begins its US journey.

Mr. Kraft went on to say that they are looking forward to having their games in front of Tipicos players and working with the operator to grow its business across regulated markets in the US.

Tipico US Business Managing Director Adrian Vella said that they are excited to land a partnership with NetEnt as they kick off their expansion into the US and that with a proven track record in New Jerseys regulated market and its acclaimed catalog of branded games, they are confident that their players will love NetEnts gaming offering.

News about Tipicos alliance with NetEnt emerge just a week after the operator announced that gambling software giant Scientific Games would power its entry into the New Jersey market.

Under the terms of its agreement with Scientific Games, Tipico will gain access to its partners Open Gaming System aggregation platform as well as the OpenGaming product suite. Scientific Games library of aggregated content includes more than 2,000 proprietary and third-party studio titlesand innovative engagement features such as Free Rounds and Jackpots.

As mentioned above, Tipico awaits regulatory approval from New Jersey regulators to go live in the state. The company has teamed up with Atlantic Citys Ocean Casino Resort to secure a Garden State market entry.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories
A farmer scatters the rice for screening at a family farm in Jiutai District of Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 20, 2022. Autumn harvest has recently started at the rice-growing areas across the province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has extended festive greetings and sincere regards on behalf of the CPC Central Committee to farmers and people working on agricultural and rural fronts ahead of the fifth Chinese farmers' harvest festival.Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed making solid progress in rural vitalization, as well as bringing prosperity, happy lives and a beautiful environment to rural residents.
If you're learning to speak French, you might find yourself talking about la familleamong friends and relatives quite a lot. To simplify the learning for you, this article first introduces an overview of close and extended family members in French, then clarifies some of the common misconceptions and differences between the English and French expressions. Finally, you are presented with a sample dialogue on the topic of family.

La Famille Proche (Close Family Members)

As you will see, there are a few similarities between some of the English and French vocabulary about family that might help your understanding and memorization. You might also note commonalities between the two genders, as in some cases it is possible to simply add an "e" to the end of a word to change it from masculine to feminine.

Masculine Feminine French English French English Un pere Father Une mere Mother Papa Dad Maman Mom Un grand-pere Grandfather Une grand-mere

(note no "e" at "grand") Grandmother Papy Grandpa Mamie, meme Grandma Arriere-grand-pere Great grandfather Arriere-grand-mere Great grandmother Un epoux Spouse Une femme

(pronounced "fam") Spouse Un mari Husband Une epouse Wife Un enfant Child Une enfant

(no "e") Child Un fils

("L" silent, "s" pronounced) Son Une fille Daughter Un petit-fils Grandson Une petite-fille Granddaughter Les parents Parents Les grandparents Grandparents Les petits-enfants Grandchildren

La Famille Etendue (Extended Family)

Masculine Feminine French English French English Un oncle Uncle Une tante Aunt Un cousin Cousin Une cousine Cousin Un cousin germain First cousin Une cousine germaine First cousin Un cousin issu de germains Second cousin Une cousine issue de germains Second cousin Un neveu Nephew Une niece Niece

Famille par Mariage (Family by Marriage) / La Famille Recomposee (Blended Family)

In French, step-family and family-in-law are labeled using the same terms: beau- or belle- plus that family member:

Masculine Feminine French English French English Un beau-pere Step-father Father-in-law Une belle-mere Step-mother Mother-in-law Un beau-frere, demi-frere A half brother A stepbrother Une demi-soeur, une belle-soeur A half-sister A stepsister Un beau-frere Brother-in-law Une belle-soeur Sister-in-law Unbeau-fils Step-son Une belle-fille Step-daughter Unbeau-fils, un gendre Son-in-law Une belle-fille, une bru Daughter-in-law Les beaux-parents, la belle-famille In-laws

French does not have a special word for a step-sibling. The dictionary would say un beau-frereand une belle-soeuror un demi-frereand une demi-soeur (the same as half-brother or half-sister), but in everyday French, you might also use a phrase like quasi frereor quasi soeur(almost brother, almost sister) or explain your relationship using your stepparent.

Other Family Terms

Masculine Feminine French English French English Un aine Older or oldest brother The first-born son Une ainee Older or oldest sister The first-born daughter Un cadet A younger brother The second-born son Une cadette A younger sister The second-born daughter Le benjamin The youngest child in a family La benjamine The youngest child in a family

Parents vs. Relatives

The phrase les parents usually refers to the parents, as in "mom and dad." However, when used as generic terms, un parent andune parente,the meaning changes into that of a "relative."

Using parent/parentecan become confusing in some sentence structures. Note the use of the word desin the second sentence:

Mes parents sont en Angleterre. My parents [my mom and dad] are in England.

Jai des parents en Angleterre. I have some relatives in England.

Because of the confusion, French speakers dont use un parent andune parenteas often as English speakers do the word relatives. Instead, you will hear them use the word famille. Its singular and feminine.

Ma famille vient dAlsace. My family is from Alsace.

You may add the adjective eloigne(e)(distant) to make the distinction, as in:

Jai de la famille (eloignee) en Belgique. I have relatives in Belgium.

Or, you can be more specific about identifying relationships, as in:

Jai un cousin aux Etats-Unis. I have a cousin in the U.S.

Jai un cousin eloigne aux Etats-Unis. I have a distant cousin in the U.S.

In French, this means s/he is not necessarily a first cousin (child of a parent's sibling), but could be the persons a second or third cousin.

Common Confusions

It might also be a good reminder that the adjectives grand and petit in family vocabulary dont pertain to peoples sizes. They are rather indicators of age.

Similarly, the adjectives beau and belle dont mean beautiful when describing family relationships, but are used for in-law or step family.

Family Vocabulary in Dialogue

To aid in learning French family vocabulary, you can view the terms we learned above in a simple dialogue, as in this example where Camille et Anne parlent de leurs familles (Camille and Ann are talking about their families).
mgm grand dcshows grade level based on the word's complexity. daffy [ daf-ee ]/ df i / New Word List Save This Word!See daffy188085; daff (obsolete; see daff1) + -y1 OTHER WORDS FROM daffy daffily, adverbdaffiness, noun Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ daf-ee ]/ df i /Save This Word!See daffy188085; daff (obsolete; see daff) + -ydaffily, adverbdaffiness, noun

Words nearby daffy

Words related to daffy C19: from obsolete daff fool; see daft

daff, daffadilly, daffadowndilly, daffing, daffodil, daffy, daft, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, Dafydd ap Gwilym, dag, da GamaDictionary.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 Are Accounting Principles?lucky tiger casino australia

Accounting principles are the rules and guidelines that companies and other bodies must follow when reporting financial data. These rules make it easier to examine financial data by standardizing the terms and methods that accountants must use.

The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is the most widely used set of accounting principles, with adoption in 167 jurisdictions. The United States uses a separate set of accounting principles, known as generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Key Takeaways

Accounting standards are implemented to improve the quality of financial information reported by companies.

In the United States, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issues generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

GAAP is required for all publicly traded companies in the U.S.; it is also routinely implemented by non-publicly traded companies as well.

Internationally, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issues International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

The FASB and the IASB sometimes work together to issue joint standards on hot-topic issues, but there is no intention for the U.S. to switch to IFRS in the foreseeable future.

Accounting Principles

The Purpose of Accounting Principles

1:33

The ultimate goal of any set of accounting principles is to ensure that a companys financial statements are complete, consistent, and comparable.

This makes it easier for investors to analyze and extract useful information from the companys financial statements, including trend data over a period of time. It also facilitates the comparison of financial information across different companies. Accounting principles also help mitigate accounting fraud by increasing transparency and allowing red flags to be identified.

The ultimate goal of standardized accounting principles is to allow financial statement users to view a companys financials with certainty that the information disclosed in the report is complete, consistent, and comparable.

Comparability

Comparability is the ability for financial statement users to review multiple companies financials side by side with the guarantee that accounting principles have been followed to the same set of standards.

Accounting information is not absolute or concrete, and standards are developed to minimize the negative effects of inconsistent data. Without these rules, comparing financial statements among companies would be extremely difficult, even within the same industry. Inconsistencies and errors also would be harder to spot.

What Are the Basic Accounting Principles?

Some of the most fundamental accounting principles include the following:

Accrual principle

Conservatism principle

Consistency principle

Cost principle

Economic entity principle

Full disclosure principle

Going concern principle

Matching principle

Materiality principle

Monetary unit principle

Reliability principle

Revenue recognition principle

Time period principle

The most notable principles include the revenue recognition principle, matching principle, materiality principle, and consistency principle. Completeness is ensured by the materiality principle, as all material transactions should be accounted for in the financial statements. Consistency refers to a companys use of accounting principles over time.

When accounting principles allow a choice among multiple methods, a company should apply the same accounting method over time or disclose its change in accounting method in the footnotes to the financial statements.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are uniform accounting principles for private companies and nonprofits in the U.S. These principles are largely set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), an independent nonprofit organization whose members are chosen by the Financial Accounting Foundation.

A similar organization, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), is responsible for setting the GAAP standards for local and state governments. And a third body, the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB), publishes the accounting principles for federal agencies.

Although privately held companies are not required to abide by GAAP, publicly traded companies must file GAAP-compliant financial statements to be listed on a stock exchange. Chief officers of publicly traded companies and their independent auditors must certify that the financial statements and related notes were prepared in accordance with GAAP.



Privately held companies and nonprofit organizations also may be required by lenders or investors to file GAAP-compliant financial statements. For example, annual audited GAAP financial statements are a common loan covenant required by most banking institutions. Therefore, most companies and organizations in the U.S. comply with GAAP, even though it is not a legal requirement.

Accounting principles differ around the world, meaning that its not always easy to compare the financial statements of companies from different countries.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issues International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These standards are used in more than 120 countries, including those in the European Union (EU).

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. government agency responsible for protecting investors and maintaining order in the securities markets, has expressed interest in transitioning to IFRS. However, because of the differences between the two standards, the U.S. is unlikely to switch in the foreseeable future.

However, the FASB and the IASB continue to work together to issue similar regulations on certain topics as accounting issues arise. For example, in 2014, the FASB and the IASB jointly announced new revenue recognition standards.

Since accounting principles differ around the world, investors should take caution when comparing the financial statements of companies from different countries. The issue of differing accounting principles is less of a concern in more mature markets. Still, caution should be used, as there is still leeway for number distortion under many sets of accounting principles.



Who sets accounting principles and standards?

Various bodies are responsible for setting accounting standards. In the United States, generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are regulated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). In Europe and elsewhere, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are established by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

How does IFRS differ from GAAP?

IFRS is a standards-based approach that is used internationally, while GAAP is a rules-based system used primarily in the U.S. IFRS is seen as a more dynamic platform that is regularly being revised in response to an ever-changing financial environment, while GAAP is more static.

Several methodological differences exist between the two systems. For instance, GAAP allows companies to use either first in, first out (FIFO) or last in, first out (LIFO) as an inventory cost method. LIFO, however, is banned under IFRS.

When were accounting principles first set forth?

Standardized accounting principles date all the way back to the advent of double-entry bookkeeping in the 15th and 16th centuries, which introduced a T-ledger with matched entries for assets and liabilities. Some scholars have argued that the advent of double-entry accounting practices during that time provided a springboard for the rise of commerce and capitalism. What would become the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) attempted to launch the first accounting standards to be used by firms in the United States in the 1930s.

What are some critiques of accounting principles?

Critics of principles-based accounting systems say they can give companies far too much freedom and do not prescribe transparency. They believe because companies do not have to follow specific rules that have been set out, their reporting may provide an inaccurate picture of their financial health. In the case of rules-based methods like GAAP, complex rules can cause unnecessary complications in the preparation of financial statements. These critics claim having strict rules means that companies must spend an unfair amount of their resources to comply with industry standards.

The Bottom Line

Accounting principles are rules and guidelines that companies must abide by when reporting financial data. Whether its GAAP in the U.S. or IFRS elsewhere, the overarching goal of these principles is to boost transparency and basically make it easier for investors to compare the financial statements of different companies.

Without these rules and standards, publicly traded companies would likely present their financial information in a way that inflates their numbers and makes their trading performance look better than it actually was. If companies were able to pick and choose what information to disclose and how, it would be a nightmare for investors.
Its the first Wednesday of the month at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in downtown Buffalo and a group of soon-to-be citizens stands before a federal judge to take the naturalization oath of allegiance to the United States.

One by one, each person is called to receive their citizenship certificate.

Their next stop? Voter registration.

The new citizens are eager to complete their voter registration forms, excitedly spouting off their questions: When can they vote? What will be on the ballot? Where is their polling place?

They are energized to exercise their voting rights after lives spent in countries where their voices are ignored at best and brutally silenced at worst.

We can all learn something from the enthusiasm for voting of our newest citizens.

Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, dont update their registration or arent sure how to register. As a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrated on Sept. 19, National Voter Registration Day seeks to make sure everyone checks their voter registration status before the next election.

When the registered voting population doesnt reflect the population as a whole, we end up with a distorted democracy that fails to reflect the views of the country at large. If were going to build a democracy that truly represents us all, the best solution is closing registration gaps.

Because voter turnout tends to be lower in local elections, the power of the individual voter is exponentially magnified.

From property taxes and police funding to trash pickup and school curriculum, the decisions local officials make have some of the most direct effects on our daily lives. Registering and voting provides us the opportunity to be an active participant in our democracy and address the issues that directly impact our communities.

Decisions are made by people who show up.

Make a commitment to show up this November, by checking your voter registration status, or register for the first time, by visiting Vote411.org, where youll find bilingual assistance, as well as information that is particular to New York State.

It only takes two minutes to register to vote.
What Is a Notice Of Deficiency?fortunejack free spins

A notice of deficiency is a legal determination by the IRS of a taxpayers tax deficiency. It is an official written claim that a taxpayer owes additional income tax (and often interest on that amount, plus additional penalties). It is issued when the IRS proposes a change to a tax return because they found that the information reported on a return does not match their records. A notice of deficiency is also sometimes referred to as a statutory notice, a statutory notice of deficiency, or an IRS 90-day letter. The official name for a notice of deficiency is IRS Notice CP2319A: Notice of Deficiency and Increase in Tax.

Tax laws require that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues a notice of deficiency before assessing additional income tax, estate tax, gift tax, and certain excise taxes (unless the taxpayer agrees to the additional assessment). Although the language in the notice of deficiency says that the IRS is proposinga change, the notice of deficiency is a legal determination of tax deficiency that is presumptively correct.

Key Takeaways

A notice of deficiency is a legal determination by the IRS of a taxpayers tax deficiency; the official name for the form is IRS Notice CP2319A: Notice of Deficiency and Increase in Tax.

A notice of deficiency is issued when the IRS proposes a change to a tax return because they found that the information reported on a return does not match their records.

A notice of deficiency is usually triggered by tax information received from a third party filersuch as an employer or a financial institutionthat does not match the information reported by the taxpayer.

How a Notice Of Deficiency Works

A notice of deficiency is usually triggered by tax information received from a third party filersuch as an employer or a financial institutionthat does not match the information reported by the taxpayer. A notice of deficiency is triggered by a taxpayers failure to timely respond to, or to successfully appeal, a pre-assessment letter known as a 30-day letter. 

When an examination results in a proposed tax deficiency, the first step the IRS takes towards amending this deficiency is to issue a 30-day letter to the taxpayer. It is known as a 30-day letter because the taxpayer has 30 days to respond before the IRS processes the changes made to the return.

A notice of deficiency explains any adjustments and how the amount of any deficiency was calculated. It explains the taxpayers options to either agree to the additional tax liability by signing a Waiver Form 4089 or challenge it in U.S. Tax Court. 

A notice of deficiency is sometimes referred to as a 90-day letter because it gives the taxpayer 90 days to dispute the tax assessment in the Tax Court. The 90-day period within which a petition may be filed is prescribed by statute and cannot be extended. The 90-day period is counted from the date the notice of deficiency is mailed to the taxpayers last known address. The IRS is required by law to include the last day a petition may be filed directly on the notice of deficiency. Until 90 days expireor a Tax Court decision is finalwhichever is later, the IRS is barred from any assessment or collection activity.

It is important to note that a notice of deficiency is not a tax bill. However, if the taxpayer has not signed a Waiver Form 4089 agreeing to the changes or filed a petition with the Tax Court within the 90-day period, the IRS will assess the tax, penalties, and interest shown on the notice of deficiency and send a bill.  This is one of the events that precedes and triggers IRS collection efforts.
Definition of Metalepsis

Metalepsis ruby slots casino 0 no deposit bonus codes 2021 maynilad contactis derived from the Greek word metonymia, which means substitution or sharing. It is a figure of speech like metonymy or metaphor. However, it is an advanced form of figurative speech in which one thing refers to another thing that is only slightly related to it. There are two ways to make this association. One is through showing causal relationship to seemingly unrelated things. The other is through indirect intermediate replacement of terms.

Features of Metalepsis

Metalepsis is a reference in which a phrase or a word taken from figurative speech is employed in a new context. Metalepsis is also known as transumption. According to Werner Wolf, It is a fictional representation that consists of different levels and worlds, among which unconventional transgression takes place.

Metalepsis often conveys metaphorical expression by using a word associated with a thing that it is being referred to. In addition, this figure of speech could be a reference for a literary work, such as if somebody says, Something smells in Denmark, it would be considered to be a reference to Shakespeares famous play Hamlet.

Examples of Metalepsis in Literature

Example #1: Macbeth(By William Shakespeare)

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. . . .

Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player.

There are many examples of metalepsis in Shakespeares works, since he multiplies metaphors and duplicates figures of speech in various guises. He works on one figure, and then moves onto the next and continues from where he started off. There is a concatenation of different figures that quickly pile on one another as shown in bold.

Example #2: Out, Out(By Robert Frost)

As he swung toward them holding up the hand

Half in appeal, but half as if to keep

The life from spilling

In these lines, the poet makes reference to keeping the life from spilling, meaning the spilling of blood. He makes a connection between blood and life, which means too much loss of blood shows loss of human life.

Example #3: Lycidas(By John Milton)

But now my oatproceeds,

And listens to the herald of the sea

That came in Neptunes plea,

He asked the waves, and asked the felon winds,

What hard mishap hath doomed this gentle swain?

In the passage above, Milton uses oat as a musical instrument that is made from an oat stalk. Therefore, the word oat is employed as a reference to the song that the poet composes beside the ocean.

Example #4: Gone with the Wind(By Margaret Mitchell)

Im mighty glad Georgia waited till after Christmas before it secedes or it would have ruined the Christmas parties.

Here, Georgia is used to develop a relationship between politicians, government, and citizens. It is now common to use the name of a country to refer to its government and its whole nation.

Example #5: Dr. Faustus(By Christopher Marlowe)

Was this the facethat launched a thousand ships

and burnt the topless towers of Ilium? 

A reference is made here to a mythological figure called Helen of Troy, who was abducted by Paris, which led to the idea of using a thousand ships for starting the Trojan war. Here, the word face is used as metalepsis.

Function of Metalepsis

Generally, it is employed in a literary text to develop symbolism and metaphor, by giving profound meanings to ideas and objects. By using metalepsis, the text shows deeper and hidden meanings, and therefore draws the attention of readers. In addition, it adds more poetic effect to the piece of writing. The readers are provided with allusions using another figure of speech in order to make them understand the hidden meaning communicated through it.

Also, it is used in literary comedies because the words in allusion could cause a comical exaggeration. However, in narratology, metalepsis plays with the structure of a fictional book, since the narrator may seem separated from the action, but he interacts in the middle of the story to create heightened effect and deeper meanings for the readers. A survey of metalepsis examples will help us understand the functions of this device.
What Is Electronic Data Gathering,real raging bull casino Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR)?

EDGARElectronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrievalis the electronic filing system created by the Securities and Exchange Commission to increase the efficiency and accessibility of corporate filings. The system is used by all publicly traded companies when submitting required documents to the SEC. Corporate documents are time-sensitive, and the creation of EDGAR has greatly decreased the time it takes for corporate documents to become publicly available.

Key Takeaways

Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) is an online database of public filings maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under the Securities Act of 1933, public companies are required to disclose certain information to the public.

In addition to equity information, EDGAR can also be used to search the public filings of mutual funds, variable insurance products, or other types of securities.

EDGAR was launched in 1992, but electronic filings did not become mandatory until 1995.

Today, EDGAR can be used to find annual or quarterly reports for public companies as far back as 1995 or even 1994.





Understanding EDGAR

Under the Securities Act of 1933, public companies are required to publish their financial data every three months. Although this information was theoretically available to all investors, it was difficult to access in the age of paper communication.

The SEC began developing an electronic reporting system in the early 1980s, launching the first pilot in 1984. The first operational EDGAR system was launched in 1992, but electronic reporting was still voluntary at that time. Beginning in 1993, the commission began to phase in the requirement for electronic filing.

Corporate documents filed with the SEC through EDGAR include annual and quarterly statements, information on the holdings of institutional investors, and many other forms. These filings include some of the most important information used by investors and analysts. Some public companies may be exempt from filing if they fall below certain "thresholds."



The Securities Act of 1933 requires all public companies to disclose certain financial data. EDGAR makes this information more accessible to retail investors.

Using the EDGAR System

EDGAR consists of a searchable database with more than twenty years of electronic filings. Users can search the database in the same manner as an online search, using either the name of a company or individual. Search results can be further narrowed down by date, location of the company's executive offices, or the type of file sought.



In addition to company data, EDGAR can also be used to research mutual funds, variable insurance products, or confidential treatment orders. These are orders that restrict access to data that is otherwise required to be filed.



Advantages and Disadvantages of EDGAR

A drawback of the EDGAR system is that the filings are highly stripped down and often difficult to read compared to annual reports received by shareholders. All the information is contained in the filings, but details can be difficult to find in one huge text file. However, the information is always structured in the same way regardless of which company filed the information.

For example, if an analyst is interested in knowing if a company made any changes to its accounting methods, the investor will find that information in Part II, Item 9, in the annual report (or 10-K).

Due to increased access to the Internet, most of the reports on EDGAR can be found on the websites of the company that reported them. This can be an easier user experience than the EDGAR database, where users might have to sift through many reports by similarly-named companies in order to find the document they want.

Pros and Cons of EDGAR

Provides a single repository for public filings.

Allows easy access to 20+ years of corporate financial data, as well as mutual funds and variable investment products.

Search function can be clumsy, and cluttered with similar-sounding companies.

It may be easier to find reports on the webpage of the reporting company.

Documents That Can Be Accessed From EDGAR

ProsCons

Documents that are accessed using EDGAR and filed with the SEC include quarterly and annual corporate reports and financial statements. Annual Reports (Form 10-K) includecompany history, audited financial statements, a description of products and services, and an annual review of the organization, its operations, and the companys markets. Quarterly Reports (Form 10-Q) include unaudited financial statements and information about the companys operations in the previous three months.

Documents filed before 1995 may not be available on EDGAR but can be requested through the Freedom of Information Act.

Other reports that are often searched by investors are Registration Statements, which are required before stock can be sold to the public; Form 8-K, which discloses notable events such as bankruptcy; Forms 3 and 4, which contain ownership information; and Form 5, which reports transactions not reported on Form 4.



How Far Back Does the EDGAR Database Go?

EDGAR documents are available as far back as 1995 or 1994. Paper filings from earlier dates may be available through the Freedom of Information Act.

How Did Hackers Access EDGAR?

In 2016, a Ukrainian hacker used stolen login credentials to access filings on the EDGAR system that had not yet been released. This information was then passed on to traders, who were able to trade on the advance knowledge of company reporting figures before they were published.

What Is EDGAR Filer Management?

Edgar Filer Management is a portal for companies and individuals who wish to submit electronic filings to the SEC. This is more complicated than searching the EDGAR database, and it requires Filers to submit a Form ID for authorization in order to create an access code.

How Do You Find a Proxy Document in the EDGAR Database?

One can find a proxy filing, or any other public filing, by searching the EDGAR database by company name. The search results may need to be refined with additional specifications like filing date or category. Proxy statements are filed under form 14K.

What Is the Canadian Version of EDGAR?

The System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) is an electronic reporting tool used by Canadian public companies and securities issuers. This is the Canadian equivalent to EDGAR, maintained by the Canadian Securities Authority (CSA).

The Bottom Line

EDGAR is a convenient way to access the electronic reports of any public company in the United States. However, the search function can be clumsy, and it is far from intuitive. In the age of the Internet, much of this data can be found just as easily on a company webpage.
What Are International Accounting Standards (IAS)?mozzartbet login my account sign

International Accounting Standards (IAS) are a set of rules for financial statements that were replaced in 2001 by International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and have subsequently been adopted by most major financial markets around the world. Both sets of standards were issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), an independent body based in London.

The United States does not follow IFRS. Instead, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission requires public companies in the U.S. to follow Generally Accepted Accounting Standards (GAAP). China and Japan also declined to adopt IFRS.

Key Takeaways

International Accounting Standards were replaced in 2001 by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

Currently, the United States, Japan, and China are the only major capital markets without an IFRS mandate

The U.S. accounting standards body has been collaborating with the Financial Accounting Standards Board since 2002 to improve and converge American accounting principles (GAAP) and IFRS.

Understanding International Accounting Standards (IAS)

International Accounting Standards (IAS) were the first international accounting standards that were issued by the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), formed in 1973. The goal then, as it remains today, was to make it easier to compare businesses around the world, increase transparency and trust in financial reporting, and foster global trade and investment.

Globally comparable accounting standards promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in financial markets around the world. This enables investors and other market participants to make informed economic decisions about investment opportunities and risks and improves capital allocation. Universal standards also significantly reduce reporting and regulatory costs, especially for companies with international operations and subsidiaries in multiple countries.

Moving Toward New Global Accounting Standards

There has been significant progress towards developing a single set of high-quality global accounting standards since the IASC was replaced by the IASB. IFRS have been adopted by the European Union, leaving the United States, Japan (where voluntary adoption is allowed), and China (which says it is working towards IFRS) as the only major capital markets without an IFRS mandate.

As of 2022, 144 jurisdictions required the use of IFRS for all or most publicly listed companies, and a further 12 jurisdictions permit its use.

Globally comparable accounting standards promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in financial markets around the world.

The United States is exploring adopting international accounting standards. Since 2002, America's accounting-standards body, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the IASB have collaborated on a project to improve and converge the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and IFRS. However, while the FASB and IASB have issued norms together, the convergence process is taking much longer than was expectedin part because of the complexity of implementing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which regulates U.S. securities markets, has long supported high-quality global accounting standards in principle and continues to do so. In the meantime, because U.S. investors and companies routinely invest trillions of dollars abroad, fully understanding the similarities and differences between U.S. GAAP and IFRS is crucial. One conceptual difference: IFRS is thought to be a more principles-based accounting system, while GAAP is more rules-based.
What Is a Capital Gain?free spins 21 casino rockets pick

The term capital gain refers to the increase in the value of a capital asset when it is sold Put simply, a capital gain occurs when you sell an asset for more than what you originally paid for it.

Almost any type of asset you own is a capital asset whether that's a type of investment (like a stock, bond, or real estate) or something purchased for personal use (like furniture or a boat).

Capital gains are realized when you sell an asset by subtracting the original purchase price from the sale price. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxes individuals on capital gains in certain circumstances.

Key Takeaways

A capital gain is the increase in a capital asset's value and is realized when the asset is sold.

Capital gains apply to any type of asset, including investments and those purchased for personal use.

The gain may be short-term (one year or less) or long-term (more than one year) and must be claimed on income taxes.

Unrealized gains and losses reflect an increase or decrease in an investment's value but are not considered a taxable capital gain.

A capital loss is incurred when there is a decrease in the capital asset value compared to an asset's purchase price.

Capital Gain

Understanding Capital Gains

1:15

As noted above, capital gains represent the increase in the value of an asset. These gains are typically realized at the time that the asset is sold. Capital gains are generally associated with investments, such as stocks and funds, due to their inherent price volatility. But they can also be realized on any security or possession that is sold for a price higher than the original purchase price, such as a home, furniture, or vehicle.

Capital gains fall into two categories:

Short-term capital gains are those realized on assets that you've sold after holding them for one year or less

Long-term capital gains are realized on assets that you've sold after holding them for more than one year

Both short- and long-term gains must be claimed on your annual tax return. Understanding this distinction and factoring it into investment strategy is particularly important for day traders and others who take advantage of the greater ease of trading in the market online.

Realized capital gains occur when an asset is sold, which triggers a taxable event. Unrealized gains, sometimes referred to as paper gains and losses, reflect an increase or decrease in an investment's value but are not considered a capital gain that should be treated as a taxable event. The tax rates for capital gains are listed below.



A capital loss is the opposite of a capital gain. It is incurred when there is a decrease in the capital asset value compared to an asset's purchase price.

Capital Gains Tax

Short- and long-term capital gains are taxed differently. Remember, short-term gains occur on assets held for one year or less. As such, these gains are taxed as ordinary income based on the individual's tax filing status and adjusted gross income (AGI).

Long-term capital gains, on the other hand, are taxed at a lower rate than regular income. The exact rate depends on the filer's income and marital status, as shown below:

Long Term Capital Gains Tax Rates for 2022 Filing Status 0% 15% 20% Single Up to $40,400 $40,401  $445,850 $445,851 and above Married filing jointly Up to $80,800 $80,801 $501,600 $501,601 and above Married filing separately Up to $40,400 $40,401$250,800 $250,801 and above Head of Household Up to $54,400 $54,401$473,750 $473,751 and above

Special Capital Gains Tax Rules

Note that there are some caveats. Certain types of stock or collectibles may be taxed at a higher 28% capital gains rate, and real estate gains can go as high as 25%. Moreover, if the capital gains put your income over the threshold for the 15% capital gains rate, the excess will be taxed at the higher 20% rate.

In addition, certain types of capital losses are not deductible. If you sell your house or car at a loss, you will be unable to deduct the difference on your taxes. However, when you sell your primary home, the first $250,000 is exempt from capital gains tax. That figure doubles to $500,000 for married couples.

Individuals whose incomes are above these thresholds and are in a higher tax bracket are taxed 20% on long-term capital gains. High-net-worth investors may have to pay the additional net investment income tax, on top of the 20% they already pay for capital gains.



Assets Eligible for Capital Gains

Not all investments are eligible for the lower capital gains rates. The following are some assets that are and are not eligible.

Eligibility of Certain Assets for Capital Gains Tax Treatment Eligible Assets Not Eligible Stocks Business inventory Bonds Depreciable business property Jewelry Real estate used by your business or as a rental property Cryptocurrency (including NFTs) Copyrights, Patents, and Inventions Homes and Household furnishings Literary or Artistic Compositions Vehicles Collectibles Timber Fine artworks

Capital Gains and Mutual Funds

Mutual funds that accumulate realized capital gains throughout the tax year must distribute these gains to shareholders. Many mutual funds distribute capital gains right before the end of the calendar year.

Shareholders receive the fund's capital gains distribution and get a 1099-DIV form outlining the amount of the gain and the typeshort- or long-term. When a mutual fund makes a capital gain or dividend distribution, the net asset value (NAV) drops by the amount of the distribution. A capital gains distribution does not impact the fund's total return.

Tax-conscious mutual fund investors should determine a mutual fund's unrealized accumulated capital gains, which are expressed as a percentage of its net assets, before investing in a fund with a significant unrealized capital gain component. This circumstance is referred to as a fund's capital gains exposure. When distributed by a fund, capital gains are a taxable obligation for the fund's investors.



Example of Capital Gains

Here's a hypothetical example to show how capital gains work and how they're taxed. Let's say Jeff purchased 100 shares of Amazon (AMZN) stock on Jan. 30, 2016, at $350 per share. He then decides to sell all the shares on Jan. 30, 2018, at a price of $833 each. Assuming there were no fees associated with the sale, Jeff realized a capital gain of $48,300 ($833 x 100 - $350 x 100 = $48,300).

Jeff earns $80,000 per year, which puts him in the enormous income group ($40,001 to $441,500 for individuals and $80,001 to $496,600 for those married filing jointly) that qualifies for long-term capital gains tax rate of 15%.

Jeff should, therefore, pay $7,245 in tax ($48,300 x 0.15 = $7,245) for this transaction.



How Are Capital Gains Taxed?

Capital gains are classified as either short-term or long-term. Short-term capital gains, defined as gains realized in securities held for one year or less, are taxed as ordinary income based on the individual's tax filing status and adjusted gross income. Long-term capital gains, defined as gains realized in securities held for more than one year, are usually taxed at a lower rate than regular income.

How Do Mutual Funds Account for Capital Gains?

Mutual funds that accumulate realized capital gains must distribute the gains to shareholders and often do so right before the end of the calendar year. Shareholders receive the fund's capital gains distribution along with a 1099-DIV form detailing the amount of the capital gain distribution and how much is considered short-term and long-term. This distribution reduces the mutual fund's net asset value by the amount of the payout though it does not impact the fund's total return.

What Is a Net Capital Gain?

The IRS defines a net capital gain as the amount by which net long-term capital gain (long-term capital gains minus long-term capital losses and any unused capital losses carried over from prior years) exceeds net short-term capital loss (short-term capital gain minus short-term capital loss). A net capital gain may be subject to a lower tax rate than the ordinary income tax rate.

The Bottom Line

Capital gains are the profits that are realized by selling an investment, such as stocks, bonds, or real estate. Capital gains taxes are lower than ordinary income taxes, providing an advantage to investors over wage workers. Moreover, capital losses can sometimes be deducted from one's total tax bill.

For these reasons, a thorough understanding of capital gains taxes can make a big difference for an investor.


live political betting oddsshows grade level based on the word's complexity. conger [ kong-ger ]/ k gr / 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.[ kong-ger ]/ k gr /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna large marine eel, Conger conger, sometimes reaching a length of 10 feet (3 meters), used for food.any other eel of the family Congridae.

Words nearby conger

How to use conger C14: from Old French congre, from Latin conger, from Greek gongros sea eel

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 conger12501300; Middle English kunger, congre
What we are trying to do is to tell them to not come here; they are not welcome, said Dania Beach Mayor Anne Castro.
There are few situations where word choice matters more than in discussions of race and ethnicity.

Such topics are often politically-charged minefields of taut emotions and flared tempers. Even small mistakes can be distracting and even unintentionally insultingthings serious writers should seek to avoid at all costs.

Here, more than ever, then, it is important for writers to choose their words carefully. One relatively benign misstep in writing can cause you to lose readers.

In everyday speech, these words are used interchangeably, but, in formal writing, the difference can be important. Knowing whether race or ethnicity is a more appropriate choice for a given context is one step on the road to culturally competent writing.

What is the Difference Between Race and Ethnicity?

In this post, I will discuss the differences between these two words. I will use both of them in sentences, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a mnemonic device that can help you decide whether to use ethnicity or race in your next piece.

When to Use Race

What does race mean? The word race has several meanings, one of which is a contest of speed.

In this article, however, we are primarily concerned with race as human affiliation based on shared physical characteristics. The word is a noun in this sensethe adjective form is racial.

Here are a few examples,

Greg felt he was being discriminated against based on his race.

The law should treat people equallyregardless of their race or religion.

Attorneys also asked if race might influence their verdict, or if theyve heard arguments that race was a factor in the investigation. The Washington Post

In most cases, people use racewhen referring to physical characteristics of humans, although advancements in human genetics have disproved many of the traditional classifications, making the word racemore vague and less precise.

In everyday speech, raceis usually a polite term for skin color.

When to Use Ethnicity

What does ethnicity mean? Ethnicity is also a noun. It refers to human affiliation based on shared cultural characteristics, like language, religion, or other aspects of culture.

Here are a few more examples,

Anders threw a party celebrating cultural aspects of his Scandinavian ethnicity.

One of my coworkers tried to explain to me the difference between Eritrean and Ethiopian ethnicity, but I still did not understand.

Hispanics make up 39 percent of the new cadet class, in a department that is 27 percent Hispanic, while Asian and Pacific Islanders make up 21.9 percent of the new cadets, or triple the percentage of current officers of that ethnicity. New York Post

In most cases, people use ethnicitywhen referring to cultural characteristics of humans. As such, ethnicity, generally speaking, is a more useful idea than race, as it encompasses racial characteristics in addition to aspects of culture.

Race vs. Ethnicity  How to Decide

Both race and ethnicity are accepted terms for human categorization, and, in everyday language, they are often used interchangeably, since both terms have some overlap in people groups. Still, for formal writing (and linguistic precision) you will need to know how to choose between them.

Race refers to the physicalcharacteristics of someone. In this sense, race is something that is outwardly manifested. For example, the color of someones skin would be described as his or her race, not ethnicity. Since race deal with physical characteristics, it is a much more limited idea than ethnicity.

Ethnicityrefers to the cultural characteristics of someone. In this sense, ethnicityis something that is not always visible. Looking at an individual, you will not always know the language he speaks, the religion he practices, the country he comes from, etc.

This is because ethnicity doesnt deal with physicalattributes.

Now, how can you easily keep these two term separated in your mind for future writing? Heres a helpful mnemonic to remember ethnicity vs. race.

Ethnicity and culture each contain the letter T, so you can mentally link them that way.

Summary

Is it race or ethnicity? Race and ethnicity are two systems of human affiliation.

Race refers to physical characteristics.

Ethnicity refers to cultural characteristics, like language and religion, and can include race as well.

Ethnicity and culture each contain the letter T, so remembering this fact can help you decide when to use ethnicity to describe categories of humans.

Language has the power to both clarify and confuse, but by choosing words carefully you can be sure that your point is always understood. Be sure to check this site any time you have questions about difficult writing topics.
What Is the Euro Overnight Index Average (EONIA)?oddschecker southwell

The Euro Overnight Index Average (EONIA) is the average overnight reference rate for which European banks lend to one another in euros. The EONIA is the interest rate for one-day loans between European banks and is considered an interbank rate. However, European regulatory reforms resulted in the EONIA rate being replaced by the ESTER (Euro Short-Term Rate) effective January 2022.

Key Takeaways

The Euro Overnight Index Average (EONIA) is the average overnight reference rate for which European banks lend to one another in euros.

The EONIA is the interest rate for one-day loans between European banks.

The Euro Overnight Index Average is calculated by the European Central Bank (ECB) based on the loans made by 28 panel banks.

Due to European regulatory reforms, EONIA was replaced in 2022 with a more comprehensive benchmark called ESTER.

How the Euro Overnight Index Average Works

EONIA is a daily reference rate that expresses the weighted average of unsecured overnight interbank lending in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). It is calculated by the European Central Bank (ECB) based on the loans made by 28 panel banks.

Banks must meet certain reserve requirements that are typically set by the central bank. A reserve is the amount or percentage of total deposits that a bank must keep on hand and not lend out. A reserve requirement helps protect banks so that they have enough cash or liquidity in case of loan losses. However, banks can experience short-term cash flow shortages at the end of a business day, such as when there are unexpected cash withdrawals. As a result, the banks that are short on cash can borrow from other banks that have cash flow surpluses. The rate that banks borrow from each other is called the overnight rate.

In Europe, EONIA represents the average overnight rate of 28 of the most established banks called panel banks.

EONIA vs. EURIBOR

EONIA is similar to EURIBOR, which is short for Euro Interbank Offered Rate. EURIBOR is also an interbank rate and is comprised of the average interest rates from large European banks that are used for lending to one another. However, EURIBOR has various maturities in which each maturity has its own interest rate.

Both benchmarks are offered by the European Money Markets Institute (EMMI), which is a non-profit organization founded in 1999. However, EURIBOR is calculated by a benchmark administrator called Global Rate Set Systems Ltd., and not by the ECB.

The key difference between EONIA and EURIBOR is the maturities of the loans upon which they are based. EONIA is an overnight rate, while EURIBOR has five interest rates based on loans with maturities that range from one week to 12 months. Also, EURIBOR has 18 banks that contribute to the rates while EONIA has 28 panel banks.

EURIBOR is important since it is the benchmark rate used by banks when determining the interest rate for various financial products, including mortgage loans and savings accounts.

ESTER

In 2018, the ECB formed a working group to help establish a new benchmark rate for Europe. Historically, bank scandals have occurred using quote-based interest rates as benchmarks. As a result, banking reforms led to ESTER or "STER," which is short for Euro Short Term Rate, replacing EONIA.

ESTER is also an overnight interest rate but represents an average of the wholesale rates in Europe. These wholesale rates are typically used with banks and institutional investors such as pension funds. One of the key reasons for the switch to ESTER is that there will be more banks contributing to the average ESTER rate than currently with EONIA.
What is treasure island casino red wing mnMarket Sentiment?

Market sentiment refers to the overall attitude of investors toward a particular security or financial market. It is the feeling or tone of a market, or its crowd psychology, as revealed through the activity and price movement of the securities traded in that market. In broad terms, rising prices indicate bullish market sentiment, while falling prices indicate bearish market sentiment.

Key Takeaways

Market sentiment refers to the overall consensus about a stock or the stock market as a whole.

Market sentiment is bullish when prices are rising.

Market sentiment is bearish when prices are falling.

Technical indicators can help investors measure market sentiment.

Understanding Market Sentiment

Market sentiment, also called "investor sentiment," is not always based on fundamentals. Day traders and technical analysts rely on market sentiment, as it influences the technical indicators they utilize to measure and profit from short-term price movements often caused by investor attitudes toward a security. Market sentiment is also important to contrarian investors who like to trade in the opposite direction of the prevailing consensus. For example, if everyone is buying, a contrarian would sell.

Investors typically describe market sentiment as bearish or bullish. When bears are in control, stock prices are going down. When bulls are in control, stock prices are going up. Emotion often drives the stock market, so market sentiment is not always synonymous with fundamental value. That is, market sentiment is about feelings and emotion, whereas fundamental value is about business performance.

Some investors profit by finding stocks that are overvalued or undervalued based on market sentiment. They use various indicators to measure market sentiment that help determine the best stocks to trade. Popular sentiment indicators include the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), High-Low Index, Bullish Percent Index (BPI) and moving averages.

Indicators to Measure Market Sentiment

The VIX

The VIX, also known as the fear index, is driven by option prices. A rising VIX means an increased need for insurance in the market. If traders feel the need to protect against risk, it's a sign of increasing volatility. Traders add moving averages to the VIX that help determine if it's relatively high or low.

The High-Low Index

The high-low index compares the number of stocks making 52-week highs to the number of stocks making 52-week lows. When the index is below 30, stock prices are trading near their lows, and investors have a bearish market sentiment. When the index is above 70, stock prices are trading toward their highs, and investors have a bullish market sentiment. Traders usually apply the indicator to a specific underlying index, such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 or NYSE Composite.

Bullish Percent Index

The bullish percent index (BPI) measures the number of stocks with bullish patterns based on point and figure charts. Neutral markets have a bullish percentage around 50%. When the BPI gives a reading of 80% or higher, market sentiment is extremely optimistic, with stocks likely overbought. Likewise, when it measures 20% or below, market sentiment is negative and indicates an oversold market.

Moving Averages

Investors typically use the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) and 200-day SMA when determining a markets sentiment.

When the 50-day SMA crosses above the 200-day SMA  referred to as a golden cross, it indicates that momentum has shifted to the upside, creating bullish sentiment. Conversely, when the 50-day SMA crosses below the 200-day SMA  referred to as a death cross, it suggests lower prices, generating bearish sentiment.

Real World Example of Market Sentiment

Market sentiment turned bearish in December 2018 when several factors worked together to unnerve investors. Firstly, fears grew over slowing corporate earnings. After several years of double-digit earnings growth for many companies in the S&P 500, many analysts predicted that 2019 earnings would increase by just 34%.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stoked those fears at his monthly press conference when he said the central banks balance sheet runoff was on autopilot. The market viewed his comments as hawkish and not accommodative for a slowing economy, which further dampened market sentiment.

Finally, unresolved trade tensions between the United States and China that saw tit-for-tat tariffs imposed by the worlds two largest economies throughout 2018, as well as a U.S. government shutdown, compounded with the issues above to severely damage market sentiment over the month.

Bearish sentiment damaged investor confidence that caused the stock market to have its worst December performance since 1931. The broad-based S&P 500 index fell 9.2% for the month, while the Dow Jones Industrial Index (DJIA), comprising of 30 industrial bellwether companies, shed 8.7% over the period.

The S&P 500 High-Low index fell below 30 in late December and remained near zero until mid-January, showing the extent of bearish sentiment gripping the market at that time.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

PROMINENT attorney Advocate Thabani Mpofu, popularly known as the legal representative of Nelson Chamisa, involved in a wrangle with Zimbabwean-Croat Joseph Crnkovic, a former finance officer for Chegutu-based mining company Dallaglio Investments, over allegations that he received a bribe to conceal racism allegations levelled against the company and its chief executive Michael Fowler, says he is facing "extortionate means" from his accuser."I want to bring to your attention an unfolding attempt by Mr. Joseph Crnkovic to interfere with my discharge of function as an advocate. The attempt is in my view extortionate and I have for that reason taken a very serious view of it," Mpofu says.Mpofu said he was instead paid - not bribed, by Dallagio for the services he rendered in heading the inquiry that looked into the human rights abuse allegations levelled against Crnkovic and Fowler."It is apparent that I acquitted the complainant on the allegations he was facing. I stand by his acquittal," Mpofu wrote.Mpofu also said he has not been responsible for the dismissal of Crnkovic who was sacked after the inquiry since he exonerated him during the hearings, which he said can be confirmed by Dallagio.Crnkovic said it was his belief that there was clear corruption between Hossack and Mpofu.The case was allocated case number RRB003547 at Zacc and the investigating officer, Takunda Mulambo, is reportedly seized with the matter.
If you are a researcher for the World Health Organization, you will need to know how to describe the various diseases and populations that you study. Two words that describe diseases, endemic and epidemic, may seem similar, but they are actually two different words with separate meanings.

To make matters even more confusing, both of these words can be used as multiple parts of speech. Still, if you want to maintain your credibility as one of the globes foremost authorities on human health and wellness, you will need to know how to use these words appropriately.

What is the Difference Between Endemic and Epidemic?

In this post, I will compare endemicvs. epidemic. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so that you can see how they look in context. I will also show you a mnemonic device that makes choosing either endemic or epidemic a much easier task.

When to Use Endemic

What does endemic mean? Endemic can be a noun or an adjective.

As a noun, endemic means a disease that is regularly found in a population of people or certain area. It can also refer to a species that is always present in a region.

Here are some examples,

Advancements in modern medicine have eliminated many endemics.

Chickenpox is an endemic in the United Kingdom.

As an adjective, endemic describes the quality of always being present exhibited by some diseases and species.

Here are two more examples,

Mosquitos that are not endemic to Brazil have been the target of genetic modification to reduce their population.

Malaria is a disease endemic to some regions in Africa.

When to Use Epidemic

What does epidemic mean? Epidemic can also be a noun or an adjective.

As a noun, epidemicmeans a disease that spreads rapidly and causes devastation.

Here are two examples,

There was an epidemic of polio in the United States in the early 20th century.

The worldwide epidemic of the Zika virus in 2015-2016 caused the Pope to make controversial comments regarding the moral permissibility of birth control.

An an adjective, epidemicrefers meansof, relating to, or of the nature of an endemic.

Here are two more examples,

Epidemic diseases sometimes kill many people, but sometimes kill no people.

This disease has now reached epidemic proportions.

Of the two words, epidemicis much more common.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Despite their similar names, remember epidemic vs. endemicis actually quite easy.

If you are describing something that spreads rapidly, choose epidemic.

If you are describing something that is always present, choose endemic.

Since epidemic and rapid each contain the letter P, this should be an easy decision to make.

Summary

Is it endemic or epidemic? Both endemic and epidemic can be used as adjectives and nouns.

Endemic describes a disease or condition that is regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.

Epidemic describes a disease that spreads rapidly or the quality of spreading rapidly.

The words epidemic and rapid are both spelled with the letter P, so choosing epidemic to describe something that spreads rapidly should be a simple matter.

Careful word choice can often make the difference between strong writing and an embarrassing blunder.

Be sure to check this site any time you have questions about confusing words, and if you get stuck choosing epidemic or endemic, check back with this article.
What Is an Equity Swap?wonky wabbits netent nj bets

An equity swap is an exchange of future cash flows between two parties that allows each party to diversify its income for a specified period of time while still holding its original assets. An equity swap is similar to an interest rate swap, but rather than one leg being the "fixed" side, it is based on the return of an equity index. The two sets of nominally equal cash flows are exchanged as per the terms of the swap, which may involve an equity-based cash flow (such as from a stock asset called the reference equity) that is traded for fixed-income cash flow (such as a benchmark interest rate).

Key Takeaways

An equity swap is similar to an interest rate swap, but rather than one leg being the "fixed" side, it is based on the return of an equity index.

These swaps are highly customizable and are traded over-the-counter. Most equity swaps are conducted between large financing firms such as auto financiers, investment banks, and lending institutions.

The interest rate leg is often referenced to LIBOR while the equity leg is often referenced to a major stock index such as the S&P 500.

Swaps trade over-the-counter and are very customizable based on what the two parties agree to. Besides diversification and tax benefits, equity swaps allow large institutions to hedge specific assets or positions in their portfolios.

Equity swaps should not be confused with a debt/equity swap, which is a restructuring transaction in which the obligations or debts of a company or individual are exchanged for equity.

Because equity swaps trade OTC, there is counterparty risk involved.

How an Equity Swap Works

An equity swap is similar to an interest rate swap, but rather than one leg being the "fixed" side, it is based on the return of an equity index. For example, one party will pay the floating leg (typically linked to LIBOR) and receive the returns on a pre-agreed-upon index of stocks relative to the notional amount of the contract. Equity swaps allow parties to potentially benefit from returns of an equity security or index without the need to own shares, an exchange-traded fund (ETF), or a mutual fund that tracks an index.

Most equity swaps are conducted between large financing firms such as auto financiers, investment banks, and lending institutions. Equity swaps are typically linked to the performance of an equity security or index and include payments linked to fixed rate or floating rate securities. LIBOR rates are a common benchmark for the fixed income portion of equity swaps, which tend to be held at intervals of one year or less, much like commercial paper.

According to an announcement by the Federal Reserve, banks should stop writing contracts using LIBOR by the end of 2021. The Intercontinental Exchange, the authority responsible for LIBOR, will stop publishing one week and two month LIBOR after December 31, 2021. All contracts using LIBOR must be wrapped up by June 30, 2023.

The stream of payments in an equity swap is known as the legs. One leg is the payment stream of the performance of an equity security or equity index (such as the S&P 500) over a specified period, which is based on the specified notional value. The second leg is typically based on the LIBOR, a fixed rate, or another equity's or index's returns.

Example of an Equity Swap

Assume a passively managed fund seeks to track the performance of the S&P 500. The asset managers of the fund could enter into an equity swap contract, so it would not have to purchase various securities that track the S&P 500. The firm swaps $25 million at LIBOR plus two basis points with an investment bank that agrees to pay any percentage increase in $25 million invested in the S&P 500 index for one year.

Therefore, in one year, the passively managed fund would owe the interest on $25 million, based on the LIBOR plus two basis points. However, its payment would be offset by $25 million multiplied by the percentage increase in the S&P 500. If the S&P 500 falls over the next year, then the fund would have to pay the investment bank the interest payment and the percentage that the S&P 500 fell multiplied by $25 million. If the S&P 500 rises more than LIBOR plus two basis points, the investment bank owes the passively managed fund the difference.

Since swaps are customizable based on what two parties agree to, there are many potential ways this swap could be restructured. Instead of LIBOR plus two basis points, we could have seen one bp, or instead of the S&P 500, another index could be used.
Top 5 reasons why Macau is Mimi and Magic Staffnow World Casino Capital

Naturally, Las Vegas will always be Las Vegas, however for those of us who are into the ca-ching, bling and the excitement of land-based casinos, Vegas may have now become a little ho-hum and a blast from a soon-to-be-forgotten past. Certainly, as the worlds population is now more global than ever before, casino players are prepared to travel to discover more exotic gaming options.

On a global scale, the big-money, high-roller action bets seem to have been relocated to Macau, which has rapidly become the blast of the present-day with enormous new gaming and entertainment halls such as those in the Grand Lisboa Palace, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, The Banyan Tree and City of Dreams  Crown Towers Macau.

Of course, not everyone has the cash or the time to head to Asias leading jackpot city. If youre looking for online casino that can mix it with Macaus reputation of producing winning jackpots, check out the Jackpot City Online Review for a guide to all the best online casino gaming action, big cash jackpots and huge welcome bonuses.

Meanwhile, lets examine the Top 5 reasons why Macau is now the World Casino Capital;

Macau is THE World Leader is Gaming Revenue

It seems odd to think that the Worlds Leading City in global gambling revenue is a former Portuguese settlement in Far East Asia and boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic centre of Macau is in the heart of the most densely populated region in the world, with almost 700 000 people living in an area of only 30.3 square kilometres (12 square miles).

This autonomously-governed Chinese region is the only part of China where gambling is legal. With its ubiquitous neon-lit skyscrapers, Macau has fast become the gaming capital of the world.

Macau superseded Las Vegas as the worlds leading city in terms of gambling revenues more than a decade ago. Macau generates more than CAD $60 billion annually from an estimated more than 30 million visitors who travel to the former Portuguese colony.

More than 20 per cent of the local population are employed in Macaus 33 casinos.

Macaus Proximity to China Brought Investment

Over 400 years ago, in Macau, Portugal identified a strategic and ideal location in which to settle down and so it became the first port to be settled permanently by Westerners in the Far East.

On the 20 December 1999, Macau formally became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China, ending Portuguese administration of the region.

Open to the Chinese market post-1999, Macau has become the biggest jackpot city in the world thanks to the gaming tourists pouring in from mainland China. The proximity and accessibility to the huge, and growing, China market that has triggered billions of dollars in investment and unrestricted access to the growing Chinese middle class market.

Visitors to Macau play the Tables

Unlike its little brother, Las Vegas, Macaus punters generally prefer playing table-based casino tables over the slot machines.

In Macau, Baccarat one of the favourite game for players mostly because it offers a lower house advantage while the slot machines offer generally a lower payout to players and a higher edge to the house.

However, its pertinent to remember the Macau government insists you adhere to its strict gaming regulations. It is recommended to leave your gaming hacks at home. Forget the card-counting and other tricks you might have picked up. They will be considered criminal offences in Macau.

Increased Competition = More Choice for Players

Until 2002, Casino tycoon Stanley Ho was the man in the Macau Casino Industry for 40 years. At that time, the government changed the rules to allow competition. The six casino operators that now operate in Macau brought an end to the former monopoly system. US casino giants like Las Vegas Sands, MGM and Wynn Resorts have their branding emblazoned across many of Macaus biggest casinos. The Chinese middle class is loving the choices-on-offer and gaming revenues have increased as a result.

The Portuguese Connection

The Portuguese made Macau the first port to be settled permanently by Westerners in Asia. Modern culture in Macau to this day has numerous Chinese-Portuguese traditions which include its distinctive cuisine, art and stone architecture.

Visitors to Macau can also take a break from Macaus fabulous casino resorts to visit the many historic Portuguese monuments in this beautiful city. Having been granted UNESCOs World Heritage status in 2005, Macaus delightful Portuguese culture in the old city centre is worth a visit in itself.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
Why do you enter a land-based casino?video gambling machines near me To win, of course! Going beyond the fun hours you spend with your mates drinking and laughing, your main focus when passing through the doors of that establishment is to score some winnings. That applies to online casinos too, but despite the physical ones, the gambling websites come with a helping hand in the form of bonuses suitable for all types of players.

Everybody knows that winning on slots, Blackjack or Roulette is not guaranteed, yet punters believe in their lucky star and do their best to create the best strategy or never give up on that unique symbol that can change all. The UK gambling market registered some high winnings over the years, accomplishments that may motivate British players to keep enjoying their time with all kinds of games.

10. A woman got her hands on staggering jackpot

Mrs. Patricia entered Aspers Casino without any clue that she would go home a million times happier. She inserted several pounds in the Fort Knox machine, set her stake at 40p and started spinning the reels. After a few moments the jackpot was announced and the woman won a prize of 18,265. The progressive jackpot allows for a big prize pool to continuously accumulate as people play the game. The General Manager declared that the casino was thrilled to see Patricia win the jackpot. Furthermore, the new government law allowed gamers a higher chance to win the cash prize.

9. Man banned from casino after winning 28,000 on Roulette

Balvinder Sambhi from Birmingham discovered a way to trick failure and created a no-lose system. He spent years perfecting his betting system and ended up winning 28,000 at Grosvenor Casino. But the casino didnt like that, said the player that never lost with his custom-made system. He declared that I used to go into the casino every day and there was never a problem when I was losing thousands of pounds. Mr. Sambhi is writing a book that will tell everything and its primary purpose is to help other punters.

8. Punter from Glasgow scooped 73,887 on Blackjack

Do you fancy playing your cards on Blackjack? Maybe the next time you do it, you will be more focused on your strategy. A local gambler from Glasgow sure was and ended up winning an overall prize of 73,887.27 on Ace King Suited table game. That was the highest jackpot prize ever won in the country. We dont know what the lucky winner did with his prize, but we are sure that he enjoyed it to the fullest.

7. A shopkeeper took home more than 111,698 from a casino

Lady luck smiles at you when you least expect it. A 39-year-old shopkeeper from Coventry had an epic night when he left Grosvenor Casino with a prize of 111,698.26. He was playing Ace King Suited side bet and got a chance of winning one of three jackpots. If you draw a Blackjack match with the dealer, you will be the lucky winner and the shopkeeper did. Paul Davies, general manager at the casino, said that they were very excited to have a jackpot winner with the new Ace King Suited progressive side bet.

6. Mike Ashley won 1.3m on Roulette spin

The billionaire businessman amazed gamblers when it hit the jackpot on a single spin of the Roulette wheel. The magic happened in a private casino in Mayfair where Mike Ashley wagered a certain amount of cash on every inside bet that included the number 17. Mr Ashley is a member of the casino and his love of number 17 extends to football too. The billionaire left the table after 15 minutes and received rounds of applause.

5. Sir Phillip Green almost broke Les Ambassadeurs

A constant visitor of Les Ambassadeurs and a European Roulette enthusiast, Mr. Green won 2 million in one lucky night and maybe further 1 million on subsequent sessions. When he was asked about the amazing jackpot, he simply responded that I had a fantastic night at the tables. No kidding! The retail magnate fancies playing a mixed system of even-money bets alongside straight up bets.

4. Fisherman got a 5 million jackpot prize on slot

If you were to ask us, we would choose to retreat in a quiet place after this high win, but the deep-sea fisherman from Aberdeenshire keeps working. He succeeded to get his hands on a 5.4 million jackpot by playing Hall of Gods. The man is a regular customer at BetVictor and when he was asked about his thoughts about this great jackpot he replied that the biggest ever UK online jackpot has been a dream come true for me and my family as it will change our life.

3. BGO player won a fortune on Mega Fortune

Chris was a player at BGO and decided to enjoy some fun hours playing Mega Fortune. Little did he know that it was the day that would change his life because the father-of-two scooped a high win from a stake of 1.25. The symbols arranged in their best way and Chris won an incredible 6.2 million. Danny Mahon from the online casino said it was the biggest win in the sites history.

2. Newbie struck 6.3 million on Hall of Gods

Neil from Aberdeen followed the new player path: discovered an online casino, opened an account and deposited 5. After that, he launched Hall of Gods and started to play with a bet of 4 on a spin. He was having fun in the kitchen, enjoying its time with Hall of Gods. Lady Luck smiled at him and Neil hit the multi-million windfall and ended up with his own 6.3 million. With all that money, Neil decided to buy a house for his parents, take his children to Disneyland and donate some of his winnings to charity.

1.UK Veteran won amazing 13.2 million on Mega Moolah

Jon Heywood, 26, from Crewe, Cheshire was shocked when a particular Tuesday night transformed into the best night of his life. The Afghanistan veteran soldier was playing Mega Moolah online and a 25p casino bet brought him 13.2 million. He made a total deposit of 30 and placed 25p bets, which made the winning spin come in after just seven minutes. Lance Corporal Heywood decided that he would give some of his money to his father that suffers some health problems.

Now, theres no need to focus just on winning when you start playing at a casino or online casino. Your purpose must be to have fun and if it happens to hit that spectacular jackpot, well, lucky you!

Category: Casino Blog
In the ancient past of casino marketing,big win at the casino things seemed simpler. You organized parties, created print and magazine ads, and oversaw an agency that did your TV, Outdoor and Radio. One standard joke was that other than Statistics 101, marketing undergrads didnt have to take any math in college. Those good ole days are no more. Today, you still have to do some of those early tasks, but your skill set has changed to include being a computer tech, math major, and data scientist. Its not easy, and it can be time-consuming.

Josh Crowder at The Casino @ Dania Beach in Florida can relate. Hes their director of marketing and says, We have a small database marketing team. The amount of time it was taking to create offers was tremendous. We use the IGT system, and there was one set of offers that we had trouble getting into the system. In a two-day period, just to get the first week of the offers done, it took me and our data analysts 12 hours each just to build one weeks worth of offers. That was before they signed up with Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI).

Today, we input our files to the QCI Loader. It reads, and it builds all of the offers. It saves us a tremendous amount of time. And thats been my favorite part of QCI. I know most people will say the reporting and all that, but Loader saves us so much time getting the offers built.

Offers, or direct and email campaigns, are critical in Dania Beachs overall marketing plan. They are in an extremely competitive area. One of the countrys largest casinos, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, is just a few blocks away, and similar-sized operations that share their demographics, like Gulfstream Park, The Big Easy, and Harrahs Pompano Beach, are less than a half hour away.

Our market is unique, even more so than Southern California where I used to work, says Crowder, We have such a loyal high-frequency local clientele. Its not like a trip-based market. So, we try to keep our customers engaged. We need to know when they redeem an offer. If they dont have something coming up, we try to have something out there as a come back and see us instead of going somewhere else. The QCI Loader helps a lot with that.

Saving time can be critical in reaching customers. As QCI says in their new book, Beginners Guide To Casino Resort Database Marketing, In a fast-paced industryit is important for businesses to be agile and able to respond quickly to changing customer preferences and market trends. If businesses are too rigid in their segmentation strategies, they may miss out on opportunities to engage with new customer segments or respond to changing market conditions.

The Casino @ Dania Beach implemented the entire QCI suite, which includes Slots, Table, Marketing, and Host applications about two years ago. Hosts also play a major role at this property. We set up surveys regularly with our customers and the hosts come up a lot: I go there because of my hosts. They like that level of personal service. They like to feel special and like a VIP. We dont deal with extremely high-end clientele like Hard Rock does. So, we treat everyone great here. Our players wouldnt get the same treatment at a big casino like that. Here, they get a lot of attention.

Crowder again credits some of the QCI features for helping both managing the hosts and the hosts themselves. Ive seen an increase in identifying customers that our hosts can reach out to that may not have been contacted in some time, and we try to get them back on property. Im able to assign monthly lead lists to the hosts with a certain criteria customer and evenly distribute the list. I can put a start date and an end date to it, and I can review what percentage of their list that theyve contacted and run an analysis of what kind of business that brought in. Even better is that the hosts can also see that same data to know how they are progressing.

The other QCI applications, like Slot Manager, allow marketing users to understand customer preferences and develop offers or marketing campaigns targeted to specific products. A slot player is more likely to respond to Free Play offers, whereas other players may prefer meals or other comps.

The bottom line is that Crowder says the real key is effectiveness, QCI makes us more efficient. Its relatively easy to use and it saves us a lot of man-hours so we can focus on other areas. I mean, just the time that it saves us.

The Casino @ Dania Beach features 750 slot machines, ETGs, and a 20-table poker room. They have a 750 to 900-seat entertainment venue, a 100-seat Jai Alia Fronton, a Simulcast Sports Lounge and three restaurants.
Thebest pc games right now on/off availability of land-based casinos during various lockdowns has meant that many Canadian casino fans are now playing online instead and most are thoroughly enjoying the experience.

However, for some of you the online experience is marred by the pressing problems of trying to find legitimate online casinos that accept bank transfer payments, as well as the fact that a number of Canadian banks wont pay them.

As this was a subject that has come onto our radar with increasing frequency, we decided to check out the state of play and to track down some solutions for you.

The Law

In Canada, online gambling, including playing at online casinos, is completely legal and has been since 1996.

Canada is also very generous in that it does not require its residents to pay any type of tax on either sports betting or casino winnings, unless you choose to declare yourself as a professional gambler that is.

Why does this payment problem exist?

When we really started looking into this issue we found that here are actually several potential answers to that question.

Location

As we are sure you know, there are nine provinces and one territory that make up Canada and each has its own gambling laws, which are radically different. Several provinces operate their own gambling sites, like Play Now and the Atlantic Lottery.

At the end of the day, whilst almost anything goes in Quebec or Ontario, if you live in the Yukon Territory, then there is just the tiny Diamond Tooth Gerties casino and very little else.

Payment Methods

Along with the gambling laws, the powers that be can also prevent the use of certain payment methods where gambling sites are concerned. In Alberta you are free to use your credit or debit card to gamble, but on Prince Edward Island card payments to gambling sites are banned.

The Banks

Banks also have their own policies where online gambling is concerned, so even when a casino accepts bank transfer as a funding method, your bank might still block the payment.

The toughest of the anti-gambling banking institutions use specialist software and manual methods to scrutinise transactions and successfully block around 50 - 70% of payments destined for online gambling sites. If in doubt, throw it out, would be one way to describe their policy.

Alternatives for Canadian Casino Fans

There are currently only two services that will guarantee that your casino deposits will not be intercepted and that can also be used to withdraw from your online casino account:

Bank Wire

Bank wire is different to a bank transfer, so it is a slower and more tedious process. First you will need to arrange the transaction with your bank and pay for the privilege of completing it. Transactions usually have a substantial minimum of $75 - $100 and the money may take anything from 2  10 days to arrive with the recipient.

Instadebit

Instadebit is a relatively new service, but one that is certain to become increasingly popular with Canadian casinos and their customers. The service acts as an intermediary between your bank and your betting site, but you do not need to load the account as you would with an ewallet.

All of the major Canadian banks support this service; all you have to do is to link your existing bank account to your Instadebit account. Payments and withdrawals are very fast, but both incur a $2 transaction fee and at present, there are only a handful of online casinos that offer Instadebit as a funding option, but that is likely to change.

Other options

There are a number of other services you could use to make a successful casino deposit, but which do not process withdrawals, including:

American Express

PaySafe

ecoPayz

Another very viable solution is using Bitcoin, provided you feel comfortable with the crypto wallet processes and are able to find an online casino that offers it as a funding source.

At the end of the day

Of course there is more to choosing an online casino than the ways you can fund your account. Once you have overcome that problem, its time to have fun and we wish you all the very best Canadian luck!

Category: Casino Blog
These are dark times for network TV, but experiments like Galavant are the silver lining.

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I thought about the mother, her fear of the dark, of the harm she feared might come to her daughters.

He wore white gloves, a dignified long black coat, and matching pants and vest, and he carried a dark walking stick.

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What Is a Call Option?sportpesa online registration

Call options are financial contracts that give the option buyer the right but not the obligation to buy a stock, bond, commodity, or other asset or instrument at a specified price within a specific time period. The stock, bond, or commodity is called the underlying asset. A call buyer profits when the underlying asset increases in price.

A call option may be contrasted with a put option, which gives the holder the right to sell the underlying asset at a specified price on or before expiration.

Key Takeaways

A call is an option contract giving the owner the right but not the obligation to buy a specified amount of an underlying security at a specified price within a specified time.

The specified price is known as the strike price, and the specified time during which the sale can be made is its expiration or time to maturity.

You pay a fee to purchase a call option, called the premium; this per-share charge is the maximum you can lose on a call option.

Call options may be purchased for speculation or sold for income purposes or for tax management.

Call options may also be combined for use in spread or combination strategies.

Call Option Basics

Understanding Call Options

4:10

Let's assume the underlying asset is stock. Call options give the holder the right to buy 100 shares of a company at a specific price, known as the strike price (exercise price), up until a specified date, known as the expiration date.

For example, a single call option contract may give a holder the right to buy 100 shares of Apple stock at $100 up until the expiration date three months later. There are many expiration dates and strike prices that traders can choose. As the value of Apple stock goes up, the price of the option contract goes up, and vice versa. The call option buyer may hold the contract until the expiration date, at which point they can take delivery of the 100 shares of stock, or they can sell the options contract at any point before the expiration date at the market price of the contract at that time.

You pay a fee to purchase a call option, called the premium. It is the price paid for the rights that the call option provides. If at expiration the underlying asset is below the strike price, the call buyer loses the premium paid. This is the maximum loss.

If the underlying asset's current market price is above the strike price at expiration, the profit is the difference in prices, minus the premium. This sum is then multiplied by how many shares the option buyer controls.

For example, if Apple is trading at $110 at expiry, the option contract strike price is $100, and the options cost the buyer $2 per share, the profit is $110 - ($100 +$2) = $8. If the buyer bought one options contract, their profit equates to $800 ($8 x 100 shares); the profit would be $1,600 if they bought two contracts ($8 x 200).

Now, if at expiration Apple is trading below $100, obviously the buyer won't exercise the option to buy the shares at $100 apiece, and the option expires worthless. The buyer loses $2 per share, or $200, for each contract they boughtbut that's all. That's the beauty of options: You're only out the premium if you decide not to play.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2022

Long vs. Short Call Options

There are two basic ways to trade call options.

Long call option: A long call option is, simply, your standard call option in which the buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock at a strike price in the future. The advantage of a long call is that it allows you to plan ahead to purchase a stock at a cheaper price. For example, you might purchase a long call option in anticipation of a newsworthy event, say a company's earnings call. While the profits on a long call option may be unlimited, the losses are limited to premiums. Thus, even if the company does not report a positive earnings beat (or one that does not meet market expectations) and the price of its shares declines, the maximum losses that the buyer of a call option will bear are limited to the premiums paid for the option.

A long call option is, simply, your standard call option in which the buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock at a strike price in the future. The advantage of a long call is that it allows you to plan ahead to purchase a stock at a cheaper price. For example, you might purchase a long call option in anticipation of a newsworthy event, say a company's earnings call. While the profits on a long call option may be unlimited, the losses are limited to premiums. Thus, even if the company does not report a positive earnings beat (or one that does not meet market expectations) and the price of its shares declines, the maximum losses that the buyer of a call option will bear are limited to the premiums paid for the option. Short call option: As its name indicates, a short call option is the opposite of a long call option. In a short call option, the seller promises to sell their shares at a fixed strike price in the future. Short call options are mainly used for covered calls by the option seller, or call options in which the seller already owns the underlying stock for their options. The call helps contain the losses that they might suffer if the trade does not go their way. For example, their losses would multiply if the call were uncovered (i.e., they did not own the underlying stock for their option) and the stock appreciated significantly in price.

How to Calculate Call Option Payoffs

Call option payoff refers to the profit or loss that an option buyer or seller makes from a trade. Remember that there are three key variables to consider when evaluating call options: strike price, expiration date, and premium. These variables calculate payoffs generated from call options. There are two cases of call option payoffs.

Payoffs for Call Option Buyers

Suppose you purchase a call option for company ABC for a premium of $2. The option's strike price is $50, and it has an expiration date of Nov. 30. You will break even on your investment if ABC's stock price reaches $52meaning the sum of the premium paid plus the stock's purchase price. Any increase above that amount is considered a profit. Thus, the payoff when ABC's share price increases in value is unlimited.

What happens when ABC's share price declines below $50 by Nov. 30? Since your options contract is a right, and not an obligation, to purchase ABC shares, you can choose to not exercise it, meaning you will not buy ABC's shares. Your losses, in this case, will be limited to the premium you paid for the option.

Payoff = spot price - strike price

Profit = payoff - premium paid

Using the formula above, your profit is $3 if ABC's spot price is $55 on Nov. 30.

Payoff for Call Option Sellers

The payoff calculations for the seller for a call option are not very different. If you sell an ABC options contract with the same strike price and expiration date, you stand to gain only if the price declines. Depending on whether your call is covered or naked, your losses could be limited or unlimited. The latter case occurs when you are forced to purchase the underlying stock at spot prices (or, perhaps, even more) if the options buyer exercises the contract. Your sole source of income (and profits) in this case is limited to the premium you collect on expiration of the options contract.

The formulas for calculating payoffs and profits are as follows:

Payoff = spot price - strike price

Profit = payoff + premium

Using the formula above, your income is $1 if ABC's spot price is $47 on Nov. 30.



Important

There are several factors to keep in mind when it comes to selling call options. Be sure you fully understand an option contract's value and profitability when considering a trade, or else you risk the stock rallying too high.

Uses of Call Options

Call options often serve three primary purposes: income generation, speculation, and tax management.

Using Covered Calls for Income

Some investors use call options to generate income through a covered call strategy. This strategy involves owning an underlying stock while at the same time writing a call option, or giving someone else the right to buy your stock. The investor collects the option premium and hopes the option expires worthless (below strike price). This strategy generates additional income for the investor but can also limit profit potential if the underlying stock price rises sharply.

Covered calls work because if the stock rises above the strike price, the option buyer will exercise their right to buy the stock at the lower strike price. This means the option writer doesn't profit from the stock's movement above the strike price. The options writer's maximum profit on the optionis the premium received.

Using Calls for Speculation

Options contracts give buyers the opportunity to obtain significant exposure to a stock for a relatively small price. Used in isolation, they can provide significant gains if a stock rises. But they can also result in a 100% loss of the premium if the call option expires worthless due to the underlying stock price failing to move above the strike price. The benefit of buying call options is that risk is always capped at the premium paid for the option.

Investors may also buy and sell different call options simultaneously, creating a call spread. These will cap both the potential profit and loss from the strategy but are more cost-effective in some cases than a single call option because the premium collected from one option's sale offsets the premium paid for the other.

Using Options for Tax Management

Investors sometimes use options to change portfolio allocations without actually buying or selling the underlying security.

For example, an investor may own 100 shares of XYZ stock and may be liable for a large unrealized capital gain. Not wanting to trigger a taxable event, shareholders may use options to reduce the exposure to the underlying security without actually selling it. In the case above, the only cost to the shareholder for engaging in this strategy is the cost of the options contract itself.

Though options profits will be classified as short-term capital gains, the method for calculating the tax liability will vary by the exact option strategy and holding period.





Example of a Call Option

Suppose that Microsoft stock is trading at $108 per share. You own 100 shares of the stock and want to generate an income above and beyond the stock's dividend. You also believe that shares are unlikely to rise above $115 per share over the next month.

You take a look at the call options for the following month and see that there's a 115 call trading at 37 cents per contract. So, you sell one call option and collect the $37 premium (37 cents x 100 shares), representing a roughly 4% annualized income.

If the stock rises above $115, the option buyer will exercise the option, and you will have to deliver the 100 shares of stock at $115 per share. You still generated a profit of $7 per share, but you will have missed out on any upside above $115. If the stock doesn't rise above $115, you keep the shares and the $37 in premium income.

How Do Call Options Work?

Call options are a type of derivative contract that gives the holder the right but not the obligation to purchase a specified number of shares at a predetermined price, known as the "strike price" of the option. If the market price of the stock rises above the option's strike price, the option holder can exercise their option, buying at the strike price and selling at the higher market price in order to lock in a profit. Options only last for a limited period of time, however. If the market price does not rise above the strike price during that period, the options expire worthless.

Why Would You Buy a Call Option?

Investors will consider buying call options if they are optimisticor "bullish"about the prospects of its underlying shares. For these investors, call options might provide a more attractive way to speculate on the prospects of a company because of the leverage that they provide. After all, each options contract provides the opportunity to buy 100 shares of the company in question. For an investor who is confident that a company's shares will rise, buying shares indirectly through call options can be an attractive way to increase their purchasing power.

Is Buying a Call Bullish or Bearish?

Buying calls is a bullish, because the buyer only profits if the price of the shares rises. Conversely, selling call options is a bearish behavior, because the seller profits if the shares do not rise. Whereas the profits of a call buyer are theoretically unlimited, the profits of a call seller are limited to the premium they receive when they sell the calls.

The Bottom Line

Call options are financial contracts that give the option buyer the right but not the obligation to buy a stock, bond, commodity, or other asset or instrument at a specified price within a specific time period. The stock, bond, or commodity is called the underlying asset. Options can be speculative instruments that rely on leverage. A call buyer profits when the underlying asset increases in price. A call option seller can generate income by collecting premiums from the sale of options contracts. The tax treatment for call options varies based on the strategy and type of call options that generate profits.


data compression New Word List Save This splinterlands coins ruby slots 50Word! Save ThisWord!

A technique in information technology by which the same amount of data is transmitted by using a smaller number of bits; for example, by replacing a string of ten repeated digits with a command to repeat the digit ten times.

notes for data compression

Words nearby data compression

How to use in a sentence Therefore, it is not possible for any F-35 schedule to include a video data link or infrared pointer at this point. Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST The flight management computers include the navigation data programmed for every flight. Red Tape and Black Boxes: Why We Keep Losing Airliners in 2014|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Red Tape and Black Boxes: Why We Keep Losing Airliners in 2014|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST We might even see data that suggest the program is performing efficiently. Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST Take fiscal year 2013, the last year the finalized data is available. Merry Christmas, Defense Contractors!|Veronique de Rugy|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST In short, the existing data makes fracking seem like a judgment call. New Yorks Conservative Fracking Ban|Jay Michaelson|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

New Yorks Conservative Fracking Ban|Jay Michaelson|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST Should it fail, the fluid can generally be pumped out by alternate compression of the tube and the bulb. A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd This compression will be vastly increased through the simultaneous opening of the eight circular speaking ports SP. The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller

The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller The doctrines of free trade are of very recent growth; the data on which its laws are founded are few, and also uncertain. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various In the experiment with the cylinder above described, the compression is due to mechanical energy, a force of another nature. Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler

Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler With regard to the effects on the sexual powers, I have not sufficient data upon which to found positive rules. A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionData compression is essential in technologies that transmit things like digitized movies in real time.data capture, datacard, data carrier, datacenter, data communication, data compression, data deficient, data dictionary, data entry, data exhaust, dataflow architectureThe 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.
There is a lot of information floating around about these two words. Are they both the same? Is one wrong to use? Is one more preferred than the other? Theres no need to worry, however. Once you know the functions of each word, using entitled vs. titled is easy.

What is the Difference Between Entitled and Titled?

Today I want to talk about the difference between these two words, how they should be used in a sentence, and summarize the most popular and authoritative usage guides opinions on them.

After reading this post, you should have a clear understanding on how to use both of these words, and you can decide how to use them in your future writings.

When to Use Entitled

Entitled has two definitions. The first and more common use is to furnish with a right or claim to something. For example,

As an employee here, you are entitled to two weeks of vacation.

She worked the hardest; she is entitled to the promotion.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I think you are wrong.

The second sense of entitled is to give a name or title to. For example,

She wrote a book entitled To Kill a Mockingbird.

Today I read an article entitled Why No One Reads, and it was eye opening.

When to Use Titled

Titledis the past tense of the transitive verbtitle. It is defined as to give a name or title to. For example,

What are you going to title your book?

After much thought, the author titled her book.

Can I Use Entitled and Titled Interchangeably?

The primary question of interest in the discussion of these two words is can entitledbe used to refer to the title of a piece of work? And the answer to this question depends. Depends on what? Well, it depends on whom you ask.

Some people emphatically say that you cannot use entitledin this sense, and that it should be restricted in its use to the first sense seen above, to give a legal right or just claim to something.

The problem with this claim, however, is that the use of entitledin sense two from above is very well established, dating back to the 14th century, and it actually predates the use of sense one.

The AP Stylebookand several other newspaper guides reserve entitled to the first sense. Other usage guides, such as Fowlers Modern English Usage, say that both uses are acceptable.

Still, other guides say that entitledcan be used in both senses but must be done so within limits.

Garners Modern American Usagestates that in best usage entitledshould be reserved to functioning as a past-participle adjective. For example,

I read a book entitled Huckleberry Finn. (CORRECT)

The article entitled Americas Moving Habits was a good read. (CORRECT)

What did you entitle your book? (WRONG)

It goes on to say that as a transitive verb, titleis preferred. For example,

What did you title your book? (CORRECT)

What did you entitle your book? (WRONG)

I think Garnerssuggestion makes the most sense. Given the history of the two words, clearly entitled can be used in both senses, and its also clear why titlewould be a preferred choice in certain circumstances.

Its a general rule in writing that simpler is better, and since titled is simpler than entitled, we can see why it may be preferred.

Of course, as my college English professor used to say, A good writer knows when to break the rules.

Summary

Despite what some people say, titled vs. entitled can both be used to indicate book titles, but in certain circumstances, as outlined above, one may be preferable to another.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Humour, friendship and a bit of "organised chaos" are the ingredients that have kept Umhlobo Wenene FM's iBreakfast Eyondlayo Ekuseni (BEE) going and made it Mzansi's second biggest radio show on SABC radio.Led by host Phiwe "Pastor" Nozewu, news reader Mafa Bavuma and sport presenter Mluleki Ntsabo, BEE, is this month celebrating 14 years in the business, a special fit that this has been hosted by the same team in these years. BEE currently enjoys 1.4-million daily listenership, second best after uKhoziFM's Vuka Afrika Breakfast Show."We joke a lot in our show and we are authentic despite our different characters, I'm just a guy next door', Mlu [Ntsabo] is a serious sporty guy and Mafa [Bavuma] is a joker who loves to laugh. We all bring our different characters into the show. Nothing is staged or scripted and the glue that has kept us together is our quest for excellence," Nozewu told Sowetan yesterday.He said even though they barely spent time together outside the studio, they had formed strong friendships that had kept them together."I call the show an organised chaos because everything is unscripted. There are notes that we make about things happening around us. A lot of our listeners come from rural areas and mostly, it is senior citizens who never went to school. But they still want to be informed and it is our job to provide them with trusted and accurate news daily. But we deliver them with a lot of humour."Nozewu said some of the features that had made the show popular beyond the Eastern Cape, where they broadcast from, included imihlinzo  a segment where they share unimaginable and bizarre stories from around the world.BEE presenters have also created their own lingo of isiXhosa words fused with made-up words such as ukuhlinza, which literally means to slaughter, but they use it to refer to someone who is telling a lie. Other phrases include mnyama tixi to refer to a drunk person when the correct literal meaning of the phrase is used to refer to darkness."When we design the show, we look at figures and features that are loved by our listeners. The one that has more numbers we try to improve it and those that do not do well we remove them, though sometimes our listeners do not understand. We try not to focus too much on what is happening on social media and look at things that affect people in their communities daily," said Nozewu.Bavuma said their main aim was to brighten up their listeners' mood and to educate them."We try to make people's morning light. We present an edutainment. We share stories that are happening around the world. We do it in a light manner. But we also have lingo that we created. We are not trying to make people dump the real isiXhosa language because we also feature experts in the language," said Bavuma.BEE started in 2010 as the brainchild of seasoned broadcaster Mphuthumi 'Putco' Mafani and Nozewu, who was roped in to produce the show from TruFM (Radio CKI). The listenership at that time started at around 700,000 but within six months they doubled the numbers to 1.4-million, and from then it grew to 3-million.Nozewu said when Mafani left in 2016, for a week they felt out of place, not knowing whether they were going forward or backwards."When Mafani left, the team just said I must take over and lead because I had two roles during Mafani's era  I was a producer and co-presenter. The management told me that it was not going to bring in any new person. The first week it was difficult but the second one we regained our confidence," said Nozewu.Ntsabo added: "I guess the fact that we were started at True FM adds something in the team. We arrived at different times. But most importantly, it is the respect that we have for each other."In celebrating their success, the team will take some of their listeners to Zimbabwe next week, where they will spend a week learning about isiXhosa heritage in Zimbabwe."The trip to Zimbabwe is important because many people have no idea that there are Xhosa-speaking people there. We are taking our listeners on this discovery journey. It is important to see how we learn similarities between Xhosas coming from different places," said Ntsabo.
There are many spelling differences between American and British English. One involves the doubling of consonants before suffixing. The British are much more likely to do so than their American counterparts, but enrolmentand enrollmentare an exception to this general rule.

These two spellings are variants of the same word, but they are standard in different language communities. Continue reading to learn more about the meaning of these words, and whether you should choose enrolmentor enrollmentin your own writing.

What is the Difference Between Enrolment and Enrollment?

In this article, I will compare enrolment vs. enrollment. I will give you an idea of what these words should look like in context by using them in example sentences.

Then, I will show you how to use a memory tool that will make it easy to choose between these two words.

When to Use Enrolment

What does enrolment mean? Enrolment is a noun that can refer either to the number of people signed up for school or other services or the act of signing up for school or other services.

I have included a few examples here,

The enrolment of women in STEM fields at American Universities is growing, though it still significantly trails male enrolment.

The matchmaking sites disclaimer read, Your enrolment in the companys services does not guarantee you a suitable spouse.

Competition between retailers will help keep inflation in check but the double whammy from energy prices and sterling could hardly have come at a worse time, since businesses are already having to cope with a higher minimum wage, pension auto-enrolment and the apprenticeship levy. The Guardian

Enrolment is the standard spelling in British English, which breaks the general rule that British words carry with them an extra consonant.

In many cases, such as traveling-travelling, canceled-cancelled, totaled-totalled, labeled-labelled, etc., it is the British spelling that contains the two lls. But, in the case of enrolment, the standard spelling in British English only has one L.

Other inflected forms of the word still carry two lls, just not enrolment.

For example, here is an entry from the popular British usage guide Fowlers Dictionary of Modern English Usage,

enrol. So spelt, with -ll- in the inflected forms (enroller, enrolled, enrolling, enrolment). In AmE, the usual forms are enroll, enroller, enrolled, enrolling, enrollment).

Im not sure if there is a history behind the one L in enrolmentor not, but the important takeaway is that if you are writing to a primarily British audience, enrolmentis the standard spelling.

When to Use Enrollment

What does enrollment mean? Enrollment is a variation of the same word, applicable in all the same contexts and carrying all of the same meanings.

Enrollment is standard in American English, whereas enrolment is standard in British English.

For example,

Enrollment in Medicaid could exempt you from fees related to being uninsured in America.

Enrollment in accounting programs hit a record in 2014, surpassing 250,000 for the first time since at least the 1993-94 school year, according to a study by the American Institute of CPAs, a trade group. The Wall Street Journal

Again, as I mentioned above, these spelling conventions break the general rule that American spellings drop the extra consonant.

If you are an American writer, you will want to spell the word enrollment.

Usage Patterns in American-British English

Here is a chart that plots enrollmentvs. enrolmentin American English:

As you can see, the double ll spelling dominates in American prose. The two spellings arent even close, which demonstrates the importance of spelling the word with two lls for American writers.

In British English, however, the picture looks quite different,

In this chart, the two spellings are much closer, but enrolmentis clearly the more common choice.

Its important to note that these graphs are not 100 percent exhaustive in their scope, since they only look at data from books published in English since 1800. Still, they are useful for identifying a clear, long-term trend.

Trick to Remember the Difference

As long as you can remember where each spelling variant is standard, choosing enrollment or enrolment is simple. We are in luck, since there is an easy way to remember when to use each word.

Enrollment has an extra L, just like the American city of Dallas, TX. Just as you are more likely to meet a person from Dallas in the United States, you would also be much more likely to see the word spelled enrollment in the United States.

Summary

Is it enrolment or enrollment? Enrolment and enrollment are two variants of the same word.

Enrolment (with one L) is standard in British English.

Enrollment (with two Ls) is standard in American English.

Both words mean the act of signing up for services or the number of people signed up for a given service.

Enrollment and Dallas each have two Ls, so it might be helpful to remember that they are both American.

Remember, you can always reread this article if you need a quick refresher.
For gamblers in there is king of africa slot machine onlinea wide choice when it comes to playing at Canadian online casinos. There are both sites run by the governments of the Provinces, like British Columbias PlayNow.com, and a massive list of offshore casinos with their bases in European markets and who take advantage of Canadas grey-market set-up.

This mixed market has grown up because of the peculiarities of Canadas gambling laws. Whilst the government-run operations are the only ones that can be licensed within the country, there are no laws to stop private firms outside its borders from taking bets from Canadian customers.

Which is what they have been doing for decades.

Big global brands with licensing from Malta and Gibraltar, like 888, Betway and Casumo, are popular in Canada, as are brands licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, like Grand Mondial and Zodiac Casino.

For years the federal government has been talking about creating a properly regulated market, and now it seems that finally momentum is building. Driven partly by the need to raise tax funds after the ravages of the pandemic, and also in response to the success of the US as it builds its own licensed gambling market, Canada has taken steps to legalise sports betting and allow private betting firms to enter the market with their gaming revenues taxed.

This is what we know so far.

Single Event Sports Betting To Be Legalised

Before we come onto casino play its worth mentioning that Canada is on the road to making gambling on the outcome of sports and other events a legal activity. Until now the Criminal Code of Canada made betting in any form other than accumulators illegal. To get around this, punters would have to place their bets with offshore bookmakers.

Then back in February, Private Members Bill C-18 passed a second reading in the Commons. If the bill passes a second reading and the Senate vote it will become law, allowing the state-licensed gambling operators to expand their product portfolios to include gambling on hundreds of live markets daily.

At the time In response to the progress of the bill through the Commons, and illustrating the support within the industry for this, The Director of eGaming at British Columbias PlayNow, Stewart Groumoutis, said, Were calling on all Members of Parliament to work together collaboratively to legalize single-event betting for the benefit of our players and provinces. Our players want single-event sports betting, and we are ready to provide this enhanced offering to them in a safe and responsible manner while also generating additional revenue for the Province of BC.

Ontario Moving Towards Licensing Private Gambling Operators

Legalisation of single event sports betting is just one step on the road to a fully regulated gambling market.

Back in November last year, Ontario announced its own plans to open up the casino sector to private companies alongside its own Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

The Ontario Government will pass legislation that will hand control of regulation to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) who would be responsible for issuing licenses and up-holding standards that protect consumers and prevent gambling operations from being used for criminal purposes.

It is estimated that around $500 million per year could be generated by a regulated market in Ontario alone and it is likely that the other Provincial governments of Canada will follow in their footsteps.

The journey towards online gambling regulation in Canada may take some time, but it seems that it has begun at last. For Canadian online gamblers that is great news  they can look forward to a future in which they can bet safely and securely with licensed operators whose revenues are contributing to the coffers of the government of the country in which they are based.

Keep watching this space for more news.

Category: Casino Blog
Definition of Symbolism

Symbolism is highway king slot game free playa literary device that refers to the use of symbols in a literary work. A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else; it represents something beyond literal meaning. In literature, a symbol can be a word, object, action, character, or concept that embodies and evokes a range of additional meaning and significance.

For example, in his poem Fire and Ice, Robert Frost utilizes symbolism to indicate to readers how the world may be destroyed:

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what Ive tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

In the poem, fire symbolizes destructive and consuming emotions such as jealousy, desire for power, anger, and impulsivity. Ice, in the poem, symbolizes destructive and withholding emotions such as hate, indifference, loneliness, and isolation. Of course, the poet indicates to the reader that the literal meanings of fire and ice make them capable of destroying and ending the world. However, its the symbolism of fire and ice that enhances the meaning and significance of the poem.

Common Examples of Symbolism in Everyday Life

Everyday words, objects, and even concepts often have more than a single meaning. Across time, certain aspects of everyday life and experience evolve in meaning and associated significance, making them symbols of something besides what they actually are. Here are some common examples of symbolism in everyday life:

rainbowsymbolizes hope and promise

red rosesymbolizes love and romance

four-leaf cloversymbolizes good luck or fortune

wedding ringsymbolizes commitment and matrimony

red, white, bluesymbolizes American patriotism

green traffic lightsymbolizes go or proceed

tree blossomssymbolize spring season

Pilgrim hatsymbolizes Thanksgiving holiday

dollar signsymbolizes money, earnings, wealth

image of shopping cartsymbolizes online purchases

Examples of Types of Symbolism and Their Effects

Writers utilize many types of symbolism, both as a way to convey meaning to their overall readership and as a method of allowing individual readers to make their own interpretations and discover meaning. In addition, different types of symbols create different effects for readers, though the overall goal of symbolism as a literary device is to enhance the readers experience with literature.

Here are some examples of types of symbolism and their effects:

emotion : symbols often evoke emotional responses in readers, allowing them to invest in the plot and characters. This emotional effect of symbolism also creates a lasting impression for the reader of the literary work.

: symbols often evoke emotional responses in readers, allowing them to invest in the plot and characters. This emotional effect of symbolism also creates a lasting impression for the reader of the literary work. Imagery : symbols can create imagery and provide visual elements that allow readers to understand complex literary themes. This also has a beneficial effect for writers so that they dont feel an overreliance on language to explain their intended meaning.

: symbols can create imagery and provide visual elements that allow readers to understand complex literary themes. This also has a beneficial effect for writers so that they dont feel an overreliance on language to explain their intended meaning. thematic connection: symbols can connect themes for readers within a single literary work and across literature itself. This allows for greater understanding of literature as an art form.

symbols can connect themes for readers within a single literary work and across literature itself. This allows for greater understanding of literature as an art form. Character attributes: symbols can represent different attributes of characters, both in a literal and figurative sense. This has an effect for readers in that they can identify character traits and understand their actions based on symbolism in the literary work.

symbols can represent different attributes of characters, both in a literal and figurative sense. This has an effect for readers in that they can identify character traits and understand their actions based on symbolism in the literary work. deeper meaning: symbolism also allows writers to convey deeper meaning in their work for the reader. This creates a layered effect of understanding so that different readers can find their own individual significance in a literary work, and individual readers can find different levels of significance with each exposure to the literary work.

Famous Examples of Symbolism in Movies

Symbolism is a device utilized by many film artists as well. Symbolism in cinema allows the audience to make connections and understand meaning, adding to both the entertainment and thematic value of a film.

Here are some famous examples of symbolism in well-known movies:

white cowboy hat = hero in classic Westerns

mockingbird = innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird

balloons = hopes and dreams in Disneys Up

feathers = beginnings and endings in Forrest Gump

Yellow Brick Road = street paved with gold in The Wizard of Oz

coin toss = fate, chance, free will in No Country for Old Men

fog = confusion and the unknown in Apocalypse Now

cat = home and belonging in Breakfast at Tiffanys

doors = separation and transition in The Godfather

deer = prey and vulnerability in Get Out

Difference Between Symbolism and Motif

Symbolism and motif are both effective literary devices that can appear to be synonymous or interchangeable. However, these devices serve different purposes in literature. Symbolism, as a device, utilizes symbols such that the concept of a word or object represents something beyond its literal meaning. Symbols can be featured singularly or several times in literature. A motif is a recurring element, in the form of an image, phrase, situation, or concept, that is integral to the plot and appears several times throughout a literary work and emphasizes or draws attention to the overall theme.

Examples of Symbolism in Literature

Symbolism is an effective literary device utilized by writers to connect with readers and allow them to actively participate in understanding the deeper meaning of a literary work. Writers use symbolism to evoke emotion, create a sensory experience, and to demonstrate artistic use of language so that words have both literal and figurative meanings. Here are some examples of symbolism in literature:

Example 1: The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams)

Yes, movies! Look at them  All of those glamorous people  having adventures  hogging it all, gobbling the whole thing up! You know what happens? People go to the movies instead of moving! Hollywood characters are supposed to have all the adventures for everybody in America, while everybody in America sits in a dark room and watches them have them! Yes, until theres a war. Thats when adventure becomes available to the masses! Everyones dish, not only Gables! Then the people in the dark room come out of the dark room to have some adventures themselves  Goody, goody!  Its our turn now, to go to the south Sea Island  to make a safari  to be exotic, far-off!

In Williamss play, Toms character frequently goes to the movies to escape the monotony and pressure of his life at home with his mother and sister. Therefore, movies offer Tom both a literal and figurative escape from his home, though it is a passive escape in darkness with no true experience of adventure. The movies symbolize Toms dreams and fantasies as well as their unattainability and manufactured reality. In this passage, Williams also makes artistic and ironic use of the word movies in that the act of going to the movies actually makes Tom feel more stagnant, stuck, and unmoving.

Example 2: The Lesson (Toni Cade Bambara)

Miss Moore lines us up in front of the mailbox where we started from, seem like years ago, and

I got a headache for thinkin so hard. And we lean all over each other so we can hold up under the

draggy ass lecture she always finishes us off with at the end before we thank her for borin us to tears.

But she just looks at us like she readin tea leaves. Finally she say, Well, what did you think of F.A.0.

Schwarz? Rosie Giraffe mumbles, White folks crazy.

In Bambaras short story, the famous New York City toy store F.A.O. Schwarz is a symbol for economic wealth and frivolous spending. Miss Moores character, by bringing a group of underprivileged black kids to the toy store, also wants F.A.O. Schwarz to be viewed as a symbol of systemic racial and social division in America as well as monetary separation. By exposing this group of kids to such an outrageously expensive toy store, Miss Moore intends to teach them a lesson and instill a deeper concept of failed American opportunity and equality through the symbolism of F.A.O. Schwarz.

Example 3: The Great Gatsby(F. Scott Fitzgerald)

And as I sat there, brooding on the old unknown world, I thought of Gatsbys wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisys dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no mattertomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

The color green is a strong motif in Fitzgeralds novel, used frequently to reinforce the theme of money, wealth, and materialism. The green light across the water from Gatsbys home does play a role in this color motif; however, Fitzgerald uses the green light at the end of Daisys dock as symbolism in the novel. In fact, as the narrator Nick Carraway mentions in the above passage, Gatsby believes in the green light because of what he feels it symbolizes.

The light not only represents Gatsbys future hopes and dreams, especially in terms of his love for Daisy, but the green color of the light symbolizes, to Gatsby, permission to follow and pursue these hopes and dreams. Despite the knowledge that Daisy is a married woman, Gatsby views the green light as guidance and a signal to proceed with his futile quest to win Daisy.

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come upon

New Word List

Words nearby come upon

Words related to come upon come upon see come across, def. 1; come on, def. 3. The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright  2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Save ThisWord!Seecome under, come unglued, come up, come up against, come up in the world, come upon, comeuppance, come up roses, come up to, come up with, come what mayCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Basketball star Jeremy Lin is visiting his roots in Taiwan this week. The player, whose success as a point guard in the North American National Basketball Association sparked an international fan reaction known as Linsanity, hopes his second stop in Taiwan this month will help raise the status of basketball in Asia.

Sixty young basketball students gathered in a Taipei stadium to welcome Jeremy Lin Monday. They were excited to meet the 24-year-old American whose parents are Taiwanese. Lin led the New York Knicks to a rapid series of wins after fighting and finally winning a chance to play as point guard in February. Lin signed with the Houston Rockets last month.

Jeremy Lin is in Taiwan with friend and Golden State Warriors player David Lee to help an elite group of Taiwanese children learn techniques of the game. At a news conference Monday, Lin said he wants to boost basketball play in Asia.

When it comes to basketball, [Asia] is kind of a little underdeveloped. But I think thats changing and I think theres huge potential here and the game is growing at a rapid pace, Lin said. And so the thing that I want to do, the thing David wants to do, the reason he wanted to come, was because we felt like we can have a lot of insights we wanted share and spread to the kids here in Taiwan. Thats why we made the trip.

Lin also visited Taiwan early in August to teach basketball. He went on to attend promotional events in Beijing and Hong Kong, returning to the island Sunday. Mainland Chinese have been wild about basketball since fellow national Yao Ming started with the Houston Rockets in 2002. Elsewhere in Asia, the sport is also big in the Philippines, where leagues exist in even the remotest parts of the country. But Lin is one of the few Asian or Asian-American players in the NBA.

Taiwanese and other Asians look up to the 1.91 meter player partly because he struggled to get where he is. The Harvard University graduate was demoted by the Warriors three times before joining the Knicks. The New York team, also doubtful of Lins ability, gave him a crucial chance to prove himself after a teammate suffered an injury.

Lin declined to compare himself to other NBA players and suggested his 120 summer camp students enjoy themselves so they remain interested.

I think the biggest thing that we want to teach these kids is to have fun playing basketball, he said. At the end of the day its a game, its a sport. And if you play it, you should love it. So we want to make this camp educational, but I think the biggest thing is to allow them to have fun so when they leave theyre really excited to continue playing.

Lin is also known for citing his belief in Christianity for getting him through rough spots in NBA play. He will take part in an evangelical event hosted by a Taiwanese television station before leaving the island on September 3.

Ralph Jennings

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What Is the Child Tax Credit?betpawa ug livescores results today

The Child Tax Credit is a tax benefit granted to American taxpayers for each qualifying dependent child. Designed to help taxpayers support their families, this credit was greatly expanded for 2021 taxes by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The Child Tax Credit decreases taxpayers tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The American Rescue Plan increased the maximum annual credit from $2,000 per child (under age 17) in 2020 to $3,000 per child (under age 18) or $3,600 (children younger than 6) for 2021 and made the 2021 credit fully refundable.

In addition, beginning in July 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) distributed the Child Tax Credit to eligible taxpayers in advance payments on a monthly basis. Because it is fully refundable, parents dont have to owe taxes to receive it.

Key Takeaways

The Child Tax Credit is a refundable tax benefit claimed by filing Form 1040 and attaching Schedule 8812 to the return.

To qualify for the credit, the taxpayer's dependent must generally be age 18, be a specific relative, have lived with the taxpayer for more than half the year, and provide no more than half of their own financial support.

For 2020 taxes, the tax law allowed a credit against income tax of up to $2,000 per eligible child (under age 17) that was partially refundable for some taxpayers.

For 2021 taxes, the credit was $3,000 (children under age 18) or $3,600 (children under age 6) per eligible child for American taxpayersit was fully refundable and could be received in monthly advance payments.

Legislation to extend the increased credit for 2022 was not passedthus, the credit will revert back to $2,000 and be partially refundable on an annual basis for tax year 2022.

How the Child Tax Credit Works

The Child Tax Credit for the 2021 tax year differs from the credit allowed in 2020. The 2021 changes, mandated by the American Rescue Plan, are limited to just that single tax year. For 2022 taxes, the credit will revert to the rules in effect for 2020, with some inflation adjustments. Here's a look at the credit rules and how they vary across years.

In 2020

For 2020, eligible taxpayers could claim a tax credit of $2,000 per qualifying dependent child under age 17. If the amount of the credit exceeded the tax owed, then the taxpayer generally was entitled to a refund of the excess credit amount up to $1,400 per qualifying child. The refundable portion of the crediti.e., the additional Child Tax Creditwas designed to help taxpayers whose tax liabilities were too low to benefit from part or all of the credit.

For 2020, a special look-back rule allowed taxpayers to determine the amount of their credits on the basis of their 2019 income. This special provision was particularly important for taxpayers whose difference in earnings from 2019 to 2020 affected their eligibility for 2020 credit.

The 2020 credit was subject to a phaseout at the rate of $50 for each additional $1,000 (or fraction thereof) above a high-income threshold of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). MAGI is defined as adjusted gross income (AGI) increased by the amount of certain income exclusions, deductions, and credits.

The threshold level was set at $400,000 for a joint return and $200,000 in other cases. Taxpayers entitled to claim the Child Tax Credit were permitted to adjust their income tax withholding and/or calculate their installment tax payments to reflect their allowed credit amounts.

IRS Letter 6419

In Jan. 2022, the IRS will send Letter 6419 to inform taxpayers of the total amount of advance payments of Child Tax Credits distributed to them in 2021information that they will need for their 2021 tax returns.

For 2021

For 2021, the credit increased and the age for a qualifying child extended to those under 18. The credit amount rose to $3,000 (children under age 18) or $3,600 (children younger than 6) and became fully refundable to the extent that it exceeded the taxes owed.

The credit phaseout generally remained $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction thereof) of modified adjusted gross income above a MAGI threshold. However, the MAGI threshold amounts for the credit phaseout were substantially reduced for 2021.

For a joint return or surviving spouse, the threshold was $150,000; for heads of households, $112,500; and for all others, $75,000. Thus, in 2021, a family with annual MAGI of $150,000 and three children, ages 2, 5, and 11, is entitled to total Child Tax Credits of $10,200, payable in advance payments of $850 per month.

Advance payments: The Child Tax Credit for 2021 introduced a new feature: advance payments. Taxpayers could receive direct advance payments of their Child Tax Credits, in amounts of $250 or $300 per qualifying child depending on age. The U.S. Treasury distributed payments on a monthly basis beginning in July 2021. The advance payment program enabled taxpayers to use their benefits during the year.

Taxpayers who were entitled to the credit for 2021 and wanted to receive advance payments as early as possible could confirm the direct deposit information for their bank through an online portal. For taxpayers who filed 2020 tax returns, the 2021 direct deposit payments were based on their 2020 income and information about dependent children. Non-filers for 2020 could receive the advance payments by registering in 2021 on an online IRS portal.

Eligible taxpayers who received advance payments for the last six months of 2021 are entitled to claim the balance of their annual credits on their 2021 tax returns. Because the advance payments represent early receipt of the tax benefits from the credits, the advance payments are not taxable income.

Underpayments or overpayments: If taxpayers received too little or too much in advance payments, then these will be reconciled, with the credit amount and refundif anyclaimed on tax returns for the 2021 year. Any shortfall in advance payments would add to the credit allowed on taxpayers 2021 tax returns.

Taxpayers whose advance payments exceed the allowable credit generally must pay back the excess with their tax returns. However, for lower-income taxpayers, a safe harbor amount of their repayment will be waived or reduced. Taxpayers who were U.S. residents for more than half of 2021 and whose MAGI for 2021 fell below specified MAGI ceilings can qualify for repayment protection and will not be required to repay any excess.

The full repayment protection applies for taxpayers whose MAGI is not more than the following: $60,000 for joint returns and qualifying widows and widowers, $50,000 for heads of households, and $40,000 for single filers or married individuals filing separate returns. No repayment protection is available for taxpayers with MAGI of $120,000 for joint returns and qualifying widows or widowers, $100,000 for heads of households, and $80,000 for single filers and married people filing separate returns.

In Jan. 2022, the IRS will send taxpayers a Letter 6419 reporting the full amount of advance payments received by them in 2021. Taxpayers should refer to this letter when preparing their tax returns for 2021 and retain it in their tax records.

Online help:During 2021, taxpayers who received advance payments that are excessive or too low were able to have their payments adjusted by providing corrected and updated informatione.g., change in marital status or number of qualified childrenthrough an online information portal. Taxpayers who werent required to file a tax return in 2021 and had a main home in the United States for more than half of 2021 could use the IRS Non-filer Sign-up Tool to be sure that the IRS had their information for sending the advance credit payments. Wage withholding could be adjusted to reflect Child Tax Credits and advance payments. Also, taxpayers could elect not to receive advance payments and wait until filing their tax returns to claim their credit amount.

The IRS website provides extensive information about the 2021 rules for qualifying for the Child Tax Credit, calculating its amount, and dealing with advance credit payment issues.



After 2021

The rules in effect for 2020 will again become effective, with some inflation adjustments, for 2022 through 2025.

The Child Tax Credit is not considered income. Therefore, it does not affect other government benefits such as unemployment insurance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or Public Housing.

Qualifying for the Child Tax Credit

To claim the Child Tax Credit, two qualifications must be met: The person receiving the credit must be a qualifying taxpayer, and the dependent child also must meet tax law requirements.

Qualifying Taxpayer

Although most taxpayers qualify for the Child Tax Credit by claiming credits with respect to their children or stepchildren, other family members also may qualify if the taxpayer provided more than half of their financial support during the tax year. A taxpayer may be entitled to credits with respect to siblings, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews if they meet the dependency, age, citizenship, and residency requirements. Adopted and foster children also can qualify for the credit.

Only one taxpayer can claim the Child Tax Credit, even if the qualifying child divides time between more than one household during the tax year. If one parent had primary custody of the child, that parent usually receives the tax credit. In cases of joint custody, the parents must reach an agreement about when each will claim the creditin alternate years or according to some other formula.

In addition to meeting the applicable income and relationship qualifications for the Child Tax Credit, the taxpayer and qualifying dependent(s) must have Social Security numbers before the due date for the taxpayers tax return and must report them on the return. Taxpayers who make fraudulent claims for Child Tax Credits will be ineligible to claim such credits for 10 years. A taxpayer who is determined to have made an improper claim due to reckless or intentional disregard of rules and regulations (but not fraud) will be denied credits for two years.

Qualifying Child/Dependent

The tax law prescribes several factors that determine a childs eligibility for the Child Tax Credit. To qualify, individuals must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. resident aliens and must meet the dependency, age, and residency requirements. They also must have lived with the person who is claiming the tax credit for more than half of the tax year and must be claimed as a dependent on that taxpayers return. The child must not have provided more than half of their own support during the year.

For both 2020 and 2021, eligible taxpayers can claim a nonrefundable tax credit of $500 for each dependent other than a qualifying child.

The IRS offers a useful tool to help taxpayers figure out if their child or dependent qualifies for the Child Tax Credit.

SSN and ITIN

If you or your spouse do not have a Social Security number or ITIN number before the due date of your tax return, you are ineligible for the Child Tax Credit. In addition, if you have a qualifying child who does not have a required Social Security number, they are ineligible for the Child Tax Credit.

How to Claim the Child Tax Credit

Taxpayers may be able to claim the Child Tax Credit even if they don't normally file a Federal tax return. To claim the Child Tax Credit, a taxpayer must file Form 1040 (U.S. Individual Income Tax Return). In addition, a taxpayer must attach Schedule 8812 (Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents).

Schedule 8812 is used to determine the amount of Child Tax Credit a taxpayer is eligible for and to calculate any additional taxes owed if a taxpayer received excess advance child tax credits in 2021.

Child Tax Credit: Impact on Policy and Poverty

The expansion of the Child Tax Credit for 2021 has important policy and economic implications. When the Child Tax Credit was first enacted, it was intended to benefit low- and moderate-income families. Since its enactment in 1997, it has benefited these taxpayers. At higher income levels, the credit is phased out gradually. However, the Child Tax Credit had been criticized regularly for providing little or no benefit to the poorest families, many of whom are not taxpayers and do not file tax returns.

Over the years, frequent amendments increased the Child Tax Credit amount and provided refunds that were limited in amount and scope; at one time, refunds were restricted to taxpayers with three or more children. High-income phaseouts continued, and credit disallowance rules addressed fraudulent, reckless, or improper claims. But, for years, the Child Tax Credit did not reach the poorest families.

In 2021, for the first time, the significant increase in the credit amount and the provision of total refundability extended benefits to the neediest families. According to the Center on Poverty & Social Policy at Columbia University, "...the sixth Child Tax Credit payment kept 3.7 million children from poverty in December (2021). On its own, the Child Tax Credit reduced monthly child poverty by close to 30%."

The expanded and fully refundable Child Tax Credit was enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, a law formally targeted at relieving the economic problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also addresses many limitations considered problematic in the earlier versions of the Child Tax Credit.

Beyond these origins, the revised credit with its advance-payment feature represents a broader recognition of the importance and the substantial cost of raising children and of the role that government can play in supporting families.

The enlarged credit constitutes an enormous financial commitment. Congressional Democrats strongly supported the increased Child Tax Credit. Although Republicans generally favored some expanded benefits for children, they criticized the version of the Child Tax Credit that was enacted for its cost and for the lack of any work requirement. The Biden administration undertook an extensive public educational and promotional program to maximize the credits use and benefits.



Who Is Eligible for the Child Tax Credit?

There are eligibility requirements for the taxpayer and the dependent. The taxpayer must meet certain relationship requirements with the dependent, and the taxpayer's income may limit their ability to claim the Child Tax Credit. The taxpayer must have a social security number, and only one taxpayer may claim the Child Tax Credit for any single dependent (even if that dependent can be claimed by other taxpayers).

It's often more difficult to meet the requirements for the qualifying child. The individual must be under the age of 18 at the end of the year, provide no more than half of their own financial support, and have lived with the taxpayer for at least half of the year. The qualifying child must be the taxpayer's son, daughter, stepchild, brother, sister, stepsibling, half-sibling, or a descendant of any of these.

Is the Tax Credit for 2021 the Same as the 2020 Credit?

No. Although there are some similarities, the 2021 child tax credit differs significantly from the 2020 allowance. First, the credit increases from $2,000 for children under age 17 in 2020 to $3,600 for each child under 6 years and $3,000 for each child age 6 up to age 17 for 2021. Also, beginning in July 2021, the credit was distributed in monthly advance cash payments. The 2020 credit was only partially refundable, the 2021 credit is fully refundable. The 2021 credit targets more to benefit low- and middle-income taxpayers.

Are the Advance Payments of the Child Tax Credit Treated as Taxable Income for 2021?

No. The advance payments are not treated as taxable income. Half the total credit amount was paid in advance monthly payments in 2021 and you claim the other half when you file your 2021 income tax return.

What Is the Child Tax Credit Income Limits for 2022?

For the 2021 Child Tax Credit claimed as part of 2022 tax returns, the credit is maximized for single filers making less than $75,000, heads of household making less than $112,500, and married filing jointly filers earning less than $150,000. These figures are based on the filer's modified adjusted gross income.

There are two phaseout limits for the Child Tax Credit. The first phaseout limits the Child Tax Credit amount for every $1,000 of modified adjusted gross income the taxpayer exceeds the amounts above. The first phaseout stops when the credit is reduced to $2,000 per qualifying child.

The second phaseout enacts the same reduction practice ($50 reduction for every $1,000 of modified adjusted gross income above threshold limits) starting at $400,000 for married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 for all other filing statuses.

How Do the Monthly Advance Payments of the Child Tax Credit Affect the Credit on the Tax Return for 2021?

The IRS estimated the advance payments based on the number of dependent children reported on a taxpayers prior year return. If taxpayers claim more or fewer eligible children for 2021, the total payment amount may be more or less than their actual credit. If, as will be the case for most taxpayers, the advance payments constitute less than a taxpayers entire annual child tax credit, the taxpayer can claim the remaining undistributed credit balance on their 2021 tax return.

If a taxpayer received advance payments that exceeded their total credit for the year, they may be required to repay the excess when filing their return. However, repayments for low-income taxpayers and repayments of small amounts generally will be waived.
Arizona voters stress importance of education, school choice

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Fox & Friends Weekend host Pete Hegseth talks with voters in Gilbert, Ariz., about the issues driving them to vote on November 8.

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Proponents of empowering parents with education choice should feel encouraged by the outcome of the midterm elections. States that went big on choice policies in the last two years overwhelmingly re-elected the policymakers who made it happen.

Opponents of education choice have long claimed that choice policies were politically unpopular. Despite polls showing high levels of public support, opponents like the teachers unions were better organized and well-funded. When they threatened politicians with electoral consequences for supporting choice policies, that was often sufficient to push fence-sitters into voting against empowering families with education choice.

But the lesson from the midterms for lawmakers inclined to support education choice is clear: Be not afraid!

A group of friends walk into school together. (iStock)

In 2021, West Virginia enacted the Hope Scholarships, which are K-12 education savings accounts that families can use for private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks, online courses, special needs therapy, and more. The Hope Scholarships are available to all West Virginia students who are switching out of a public school or entering kindergarten, making it the most expansive education choice policy at the time it was enacted.

AMERICA'S SCHOOL CHOICE MOMENT CAN'T BE MISSED AT MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The bill passed without the support of a single Democrat in either legislative chamber, while Republicans were overwhelmingly in favor. If opponents of education choice were right, then Republicans should have suffered at the ballot box in West Virginia. Instead, Republicans expanded their majorities in both chambers, gaining at least six seats in the state Senate and nine seats in the state House with five races still to be decided as of this writing.

Additionally, in primary races earlier this year, three of the 10 Republican defectors with contested primaries lost their races. Support for education choice is emerging as a litmus-test issue.

Gov. Chris Sununu speaks during the Concordia Lexington Summit on April 7, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images for Concordia)

New Hampshire passed the second-most expansive education choice policy in 2021, with about one-third of K-12 students eligible for Education Freedom Accounts. Gov. Chris Sununu signed them into law and was handily re-elected for a fourth two-year term by a healthy margin (57% to 42%) in a year when Democrats won re-election in the U.S. Senate race and both congressional races.

Although votes are still being counted in the legislative races, the GOP is poised to maintain its control over both chambers of the New Hampshire legislature.

PARENTS, EXPERTS SEE RED UNDERCURRENT FROM MIDTERMS IN SCHOOL BOARD RACES: PARENTS ARE FIRED UP

Several states also significantly expanded their existing education choice policies in 2021, including Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Oklahoma. All four maintained Republican trifectas with most gaining legislative seats, while the three with gubernatorial races saw their Republican governors overwhelmingly re-elected.

Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a victory speech after during his election night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on Nov. 8, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made education choice a signature issue, signing legislation to expand eligibility for Floridas choice policies to more than two-thirds of students and boasting that the Sunshine State is "leading the way in school choice." Hes right. The Heritage Foundations inaugural Education Freedom Report Card ranked Florida No. 1 overall and No. 3 for education choice. He won re-election by a margin of 59% to 40% and the GOP gained seats in both legislative chambers.

Support for education choice in Pennsylvania is more bipartisan than most states. In 2021, the Pennsylvania legislature adopted Senate Bill 381 to expand the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, which provides scholarships for students from low- and middle-income families. Though all six state senators in opposition were Democrats, so were about a dozen of the 41 senators voting in favor. Likewise, though all 47 votes against the bill in the state House came from Democrats, so did 43 of the 154 votes in favor. The bill was signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat.

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Wolfs successor, Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro, made waves earlier this year when he endorsed Lifeline Scholarships, a policy similar to the K-12 education savings accounts in 10 other states albeit limited to students assigned to low-performing public schools. Shapiro will be one of two Democratic governors openly supporting education choice along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who won re-election this year after reversing his prior opposition to his states tax-credit scholarship policy.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro talks to Fox News Digital on Sept. 1, 2022. (Fox News Digital/Haris Alic)

In 2022, Arizona took the education choice crown back from West Virginia by expanding its education savings account policy to all children, making it the nations first truly universal choice policy. Now the families of all Arizona K-12 students are eligible to receive an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) worth about $7,000 to choose the learning environments that work best for their children. Since lawmakers expanded ESA eligibility, more than 25,000 students have signed up for an account.

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Unlike in Pennsylvania, the vote in Arizona was along party lines. Although Arizona is still counting votes, the GOP appears poised to maintain its trifecta. Moreover, an attempt by choice opponents to refer the ESA expansion to the ballot failed to garner enough signatures due to the heroic grassroots efforts of families who support education choice.

As education choice becomes more widely available to more families, policymakers are waking up to the reality that it neednt be a partisan issue. Rather, education choice is, rightly, now being viewed not as a Democrat versus Republican cause, but as parent-oriented versus special-interest oriented. And as the 2022 midterms have just demonstrated, those who sided with parents were on the winning side of their contests.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM LINDSEY BURKE

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY JASON BEDRICK

Lindsey M. Burke is Director of the Center for Education Policy and Mark A. Kolokotrones Fellow in Education at The Heritage Foundation.

Jason Bedrick is a research fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation.
What Are General and Administrative Expenses (G&A)?Crystal Classics

General and administrative (G&A) expenses are incurred in the day-to-day operations of a business and may not be directly tied to a specific function or department within the company. General expenses pertain to operational overhead expenses that impact the entire business. Administrative expenses are expenses that cannot be directly tied to a specific function within the company such as manufacturing, production, or sales. G&A expenses include rent, utilities, insurance, legal fees, and certain salaries.

G&A expenses are a subset of the company's operating expenses, excluding selling costs.

Key Takeaways

General and administrative (G&A) expenses are expenses unrelated to a specific business unit or function, which may be incurred as a benefit to the company as a whole.

G&A expenses are displayed on the income statement below the cost of goods sold (COGS).

A portion of G&A expenses is fixed, as they are incurred regardless of the level of production or sales in a given period.

For the variable portion of G&A expenses, management will attempt to reduce G&A expenses to the greatest extent possible because they do not have a direct impact on the goods or services being provided to customers.

Understanding General and Administrative Expenses (G&A)

General and administrative (G&A) expenses are listed below cost of goods sold (COGS) on a company's income statement. The top section of an income statement always displays the company's revenues for the given accounting period. COGS is deducted from the net revenue figure to determine the gross margin. The general and administrative expenses are then deducted from the gross margin to arrive at net income. Not all general and administrative expenses are grouped as one line item. For example, fees and interest may be classified as their own line item when deducting expenses to arrive at net income.

Even in the absence of any production or sales, a portion of G&A expenses will still be incurred. Therefore, many G&A expenses are fixed dollar amounts that are not easily affected through cost-reduction strategies. Other G&A expenses are semi-variable. For example, some minimum level of electricity will always be used by a business just to keep the lights on and necessary machines running. Beyond that point, measures can be taken to reduce unnecessary spending on electricity.

Because G&A expenses may be eliminated without direct impact on the production or sale of goods and services, management has a strong incentive to minimize these types of expenses. Companies with centralized management typically experience higher G&A expenses compared to companies with decentralized management structures. The sales to administrative expense ratio compares a company's sales revenue to the amount of expenses incurred in supporting operations.

Most G&A expenses incurred can be deducted on the entitys tax return provided the expenses are reasonable, ordinary, and necessary. These expenses typically must be deducted in the year they were incurred, and they must have been used during the usual course of business.

G&A expenses are those which are related to the day-to-day costs of running a business and may vary depending upon the industry or the individual company.

Examples of General and Administrative Expenses (G&A)

Examples of general and administrative (G&A) expenses include building rent, consultant fees, depreciation on office furniture and equipment, insurance, supplies, subscriptions, and utilities. Salary and benefits attributable to certain employees, such as corporate management as well as the legal, accounting, and information technology (IT) departments are also classified as G&A expenses.

To view the full costs associated with running certain business units, a company may allocate its G&A expenses out to each business unit based on a percentage of revenue, expense, square footage, or other measure. As a managerial accounting technique, reviewing this information with internal management allows for more informed decisions about expanding or reducing individual business units.

For example, if the total electricity bill at XYZ Company is $4,000 per month, and the business records the electricity bill under general and administrative expense, it can allocate out the electricity costs to individual departments based on square footage. Assume the production facility is 2,000 square feet, manufacturing is 1,500 square feet, accounting is 500 square feet, and sales is 500 square feet. The total square footage is 4,500, so the electric bill could be allocated out to each department as follows: production $1,777.78 (2,000 / 4,500 * $4,000), manufacturing $1,333.33 (1,500 / 4,500 * $4,000), and accounting and sales both receive $444.44 (500 / 4,500 * $4,000).
What Are Blue Sky Laws?doubledown casino vegas slots on facebook

Blue sky laws are state regulations established as safeguards for investors against securities fraud. The laws, which may vary by state, typically require sellers of new issues to register their offerings and provide financial details of the deal and the entities involved. As a result, investors have a wealth of verifiable information on which to base their judgment and investment decisions.

Key Takeaways

Blue sky laws are state-level, anti-fraud regulations that require issuers of securities to be registered and to disclose details of their offerings.

Blue sky laws create liability for issuers, allowing legal authorities and investors to bring action against them for failing to live up to the laws' provisions.

Most states' blue sky laws follow the model Uniform Securities Act of 1956 and are superseded by federal securities laws in case of duplication.

Understanding Blue Sky Laws

Blue sky lawswhich serve as an additional regulatory layer to federal securities regulationsusually mandate licenses for brokerage firms, investment advisors, and individual brokers offering securities in their states. These laws require that private investment funds register not only in their home state but in every state where they wish to do business.

Issuers of securities must reveal the terms of the offering, including disclosures of material information that may affect the security. The state-based nature of these laws means each jurisdiction can include different filing requirements for registering offerings. The process usually includes a merit review by state agents who determine whether the offering is balanced and fair for the buyer.

While blue sky laws vary by state, they all aim to protect individuals from fraudulent or overly speculative investments.

The laws' provisions also create liability for any fraudulent statements or failure to disclose information, allowing lawsuits and other legal actions to be brought against issuers.

The intent of such laws is to deter sellers from taking advantage of investors who lack experience or knowledge and to ensure that investors are presented with offers for new issues that have already been vetted by their state administrators for fairness and equitability.

There are certain exceptions regarding the types of offerings that must be registered. These exemptions include securities listed on national stock exchanges (part of an effort by federal regulators to streamline the oversight process where possible). Offerings that fall under Rule 506 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, for example, qualify as covered securities and are also exempt.

History of Blue Sky Laws

The term "blue sky law" is said to have originated in the early 1900s, gaining widespread use when a Kansas Supreme Court justice declared his desire to protect investors from speculative ventures that had "no more basis than so many feet of 'blue sky.'"

In the years leading up to the 1929 stock market crash, such speculative ventures were rife. Many companies issued stock, promoted real estate, and other investment deals while making lofty, unsubstantiated promises of greater profits to come. There was no Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and little regulatory oversight of the investment and financial industry. Securities were sold without corroborating material evidence to support these claims. In some cases, details were fraudulently hidden to attract more investors. Such activities contributed to the hyper-speculative environment of the 1920s that led to inflation of the stock market before its inevitable collapse.

Although blue sky laws did exist during that time periodKansas enacted the earliest one, in 1911they tended to be weakly worded and enforced, and the unscrupulous could easily avoid them by doing business in another state. After the stock market crash and the onset of the Great Depression, Congress enacted several Securities Acts to regulate the stock market and the financial industry on a federal level and to establish the SEC.

In 1956 the Uniform Securities Act was passed, a model law providing a framework that guides states in the crafting of their own securities legislation. It forms the foundation for 40 out of 50 state laws today, and itself is often nicknamed the Blue Sky Law. Subsequent legislation, such as the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, pre-empts blue sky laws where they duplicate federal law.
Definition of Assertion

When someone makes a statement investing his latest play to earn crypto gamesstrong belief in it, as if it is true, though it may not be, he is making an assertion. Assertion is a stylistic approach or technique involving a strong declaration, a forceful or confident and positive statement regarding a belief or a fact. Often, it is without proof or any support. Its purpose is to express ideas or feelings directly, for instance, I have put my every effort to complete this task today.

Types of Assertion

Assertion has four types, including:

Basic Assertion

It is a simple and straightforward statement for expressing feelings, opinions, and beliefs such as:

I wish I could have expressed this idea earlier, because now someone else has taken the credit.

Excuse me, first I want to finish my work, then I shall go with you.

Emphatic Assertion

It conveys sympathy to someone, and usually has two parts: the first encompasses recognition of the feelings or situations of the other person, and the second is a statement that shows support for the other persons viewpoint, feelings, or rights such as:

I understand you are busy, and me too, but it is difficult for me to finish this project on my own. So, I want you to help me complete this project.

I know this is making you angry and frustrated because you have not gotten a response yet. But I can help you by giving you an estimate of how long it might take.

Escalating Assertion

It occurs when someone is not able to give a response to a persons basic assertions, and therefore that person becomes firm about him or her such as:

If you do not finish this work by 6:00 tonight, I I will engage the services of another worker.

I really want to finish this point before you start yours.

Language Assertion

It involves the first person pronoun I, and is useful for expressing negative feelings. Nevertheless, it constructively lays emphasis on a persons feelings of anger such as:

When you speak harshly, I cannot work with you because I feel annoyed. Therefore, I want you to speak nicely and then assign me a task.

When I dont get enough sleep, it affects my nerves and I feel irritated. Therefore, I try to go to bed earlier.

Examples of Assertion in Literature

Example #1: Animal Farm (By George Orwell)

In Animal Farm, pigs make use of assertion as a tool for making propaganda in the entire novel. This is to weaken the position of other animals, preventing contradiction with their rules and leadership. In chapter seven, Squealer informs other animals that they need not sing the original anthem of the Old Major, Beasts of England  a song they used to inspire the revolution in the chapter one. Squealer asserts, saying:

Its no longer needed, comrade  In Beasts of England we expressed our longing for a better society in days to come. However, that society has now been established. Clearly this song has no longer any purpose.

Look at his language where he gives them information that is obvious, which they have realized already, and no one can make arguments against it. Thus, no one argued against his assertion.

Example #2: Pride and Prejudice(By Jane Austen)

Elizabeth conceals her surprise at the news of Darcys plan to marry her. When Lady Catherine objects to this marriage, as Bennets have low connections and their marriage would ruin Darcys position before his friends and society, Elizabeth attempts to defend her family background by asserting:

I am a gentlemans daughter.

In fact, she sets herself free from the exasperating control of snobs like Miss Bingley, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine, and declares:

I am  resolved.

Then further says with assertion:

 to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.

Example #3: Cherry Orchard(By Anton Chekov)

Trofimov and Lopakhin exchange barbed words, and Lopakhin calls Trofimov an eternal student. When Lopakhin asks Trofimovs views about him, Trofimov replies that he considers Lopakhin as a soon-to-be-millionaire, and a beast of prey. Then, Gayev points towards the conversation about pride the two men had earlier.

Trofimov asserts with reasoning about the folly of their pride, as man is a pretty poor physiological specimen, they are in misery, and the only thing to do is work. Although, he was pessimistic about the current situation of humans, however, he starts feeling optimistic for their future. He expresses this idea with assertion and rebukes Russian intellectuals, as they do not even know the meaning of work.

Example #4: Othello(By William Shakespeare)

DESDEMONA:

I never did

Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio

But with such general warranty of heaven

As I might love. I never gave him token.

In these lines, Desdemona makes a dying assertion that she is innocent, denying Othellos accusations. However, blinded by emotion and furious, Othello is resolved to kill her.

Function of Assertion

The function of assertion is to let readers to feel that they should not disagree or dispute what they read or hear; rather, they should accept the idea or notion as an indisputable fact. It has proved to be one of the best approaches for writers to express their personal feelings, beliefs, and ideas in a direct way. By using this technique, writers can defend others feelings and rights if violated. This rhetorical style also expresses self-affirmation and rational thinking of personal respect or worth. It is very common in various fields of life, like literature, politics, advertisements, and legal affairs.
Family members of American citizens detained overseas participate in a Bring Back our Families rally on May 3, 2023, in Washington. Anna Moneymaker/via Getty Images

The Biden administrations agreement with Iran for a planned swap of prisoners could be seen as a simple business transaction to free five Iranians from imprisonment in the U.S. and five Americans, some with dual citizenship, from detention in Iran.

But the agreement has broader implications for U.S.-Iranian relations, the future of Irans nuclear program and for the tense relationship between Iran and Israel, which is largely defined by the status of Irans nuclear capabilities.

Under the deal, the U.S. unfreezes US$6 billion in Iranian oil revenue so the Iranian government can purchase humanitarian goods, such as food and medicine. The money was frozen in a restricted South Korean bank account in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal and reinstated strict U.S. sanctions against Iran. The U.S., Russia, China, the U.K., France and Germany had reached the deal with Iran in 2015.

As part of the hostage agreement, Iranian officials can use the funds only under strict oversight of the U.S. Treasury Department. The Biden administration issued a waiver in early September 2023 so that international bank officials dont fear U.S. penalties when they transfer the once-sanctioned Iranian funds to the central bank of Qatar.

Yet, in the world of global politics, matters are seldom as simple or straightforward as they may appear. In fact, in this instance, they could hardly be more complex. And the geopolitical and domestic stakes involved could hardly be higher. There are three primary reasons for this.

1. Iran has been a long-standing issue in US domestic politics

Ever since the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, which ended President Jimmy Carters hopes for a second term in office, few countries have aroused as much emotional hostility in the U.S. as Iran. As soon as President Joe Bidens deal with Iran was announced, foreign policy hawks in Congress, mostly from the Republican Party, such as senators Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, issued dire warnings.

Story continues

Buses carrying the 52 former American hostages from Iran are mobbed by well-wishers on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 27, 1981. Bettmann/via Getty Images

The deal, they argued, would only give Iran incentives to imprison many more Americans on false charges in order to get U.S. ransom payments, which the Iranian regime could use to sponsor international terrorism.

Nor did the deal do anything, they complained, to discourage Iran from attacking U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq, from endangering ship traffic in the Persian Gulf or from selling dangerous drones and other arms to Russia for use in Moscows war against Ukraine. Iran may also use American money to support its nuclear program, they contended.

Much of this criticism, though, was based on speculation and false assumptions. For instance, only frozen Iranian funds are involved in the deal, not U.S. money.

Nevertheless, the rancor undermined the Biden administrations attempt to engage with the ayatollahs in Tehran and eventually use the prisoner swap deal to achieve a new nuclear agreement with Iran. Id argue, however, that the administration could have communicated the terms of the deal to Congress earlier to better prepare members. While, for instance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the bank waiver on Sept. 8, 2023, Congress was informed only three days later.

2. The protest movement in Iran

The prisoner swap is certainly a symbolic victory for Iran and is likely to be celebrated by the countrys government-controlled media. Still, the clerics have now ruled for 44 years, and there are very few people in Iran who have illusions about the totalitarian nature of the ruling elite.

People participate in a demonstration in Brussels, Belgium, against the death of Iranian Mahsa Amini. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

By contrast, Iranians, especially young ones  those between 13 and 27  view western movies, music, political freedom and products positively. After the 2022 ban on iPhone sales in Iran, people began buying used iPhones on the black market for much higher prices. More than two-thirds of Irans 89 million people are under the age 30.

Many of those young people are participating in the civil unrest and protest movement that is largely led by women. The movement erupted in Iran after the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini. She was a 22-year-old Iranian woman who was arrested by the morality police for allegedly not covering her hair properly.

The movement has severely undermined the credibility of the regime among the Iranian people. While it has given hope in the western world that political changes in Iran are happening, Iran has executed seven protesters and arrested thousands to put the movement down. The U.S. sanctioned Iran in October 2022 for repressing protesters.

The regimes unrelenting brutal clampdown on the protests has driven the protesters underground, but the movement continues. In fact, the ongoing movement is the regimes most severe domestic crisis ever.

3. The future of Irans nuclear weapons program and global stability

The prisoner swap and the release of the frozen Iranian oil funds have eliminated a long-standing severe obstacle for improving U.S.-Iranian relations. The countries interactions have been fraught for so long that their escalation into military conflict is quite feasible.

The prisoner swap confirms to the Iranian regime that the U.S. is a reliable negotiation partner. This is a crucial basis for the reopening of formal nuclear negotiations, which the European Union intends to begin in the next few months.

In the Iran nuclear deal of 2015, the Iranian regime agreed not to develop a nuclear bomb in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. But ever since the Trump administration withdrew from the deal, Iran has been ratcheting up its enrichment of uranium close to the 90% purity level needed to produce nuclear weapons.

All attempts to go back to the 2015 agreement have proven futile so far. In 2022, reconvened talks collapsed before they had even started. Iran wished to obtain a U.S. commitment that any deal reached could not again be overturned by the next president. The Biden administration was in no position to promise anything like this.

Nevertheless, according to media reports, during indirect U.S.-Iranian talks in Oman in May 2023, the U.S. and Iran reached an understanding on Irans nuclear weapons program. Iran reportedly committed itself to not enriching uranium to a purity level beyond 60%, not allowing Iranian proxy forces to attack U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq and not arming Russia more extensively. Omani officials served as messengers for the two countries.

Officially, both the Biden administration and Iranian leaders dispute that they reached an informal agreement. Each side fears a domestic backlash.

Roxanne Tahbaz, the daughter of Morad Tahbaz, who is being held in Iran, holds placards outside government offices in London on April 13, 2022. Rob Pinney/Getty Images

The planned prisoner swap will go well beyond getting imprisoned U.S. citizens out of Iran and releasing frozen Iranian oil funds for humanitarian reasons. It may well be the basis for making sure that Iran will refrain from attacking American troops, endangering international shipping lines and arming Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Most importantly, the prisoner swap might be a decisive step for the West in reaching a new informal nuclear limitation agreement with Iran. This would stabilize the entire Middle East by preventing an Israeli attack on Iran if Iran were to further develop a nuclear bomb.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Klaus W. Larres, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Read more:



Klaus W. Larres does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
backdoor

New Word List

back door

a means of entry to a job, position, etc, that is secret, underhand, or obtained through influence (as modifier)a backdoor way of making firms pay more nouna door at the rear or side of a building

Other Idioms and Phrases with backdoor

back door

An entry at the rear of a building, as in Deliveries are supposed to be made at the back door only. [First half of 1500s]

A clandestine, unauthorized, or illegal way of operating. For example, Salesmen are constantly trying to push their products by offering special gifts through the back door. This term alludes to the fact that the back door cannot be seen from the front. [Late 1500s]

Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ bak-dawr ]/ bkdr /Save This Word!See backdoorCollins 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.
Tamara Loertscher went to the Eau Claire Mayo Clinic in early August when she thought she was pregnant.

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.

A Chateau Vancouver 2020 cabernet might well make the earth move. Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries|Clive Irving|December 7, 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

Their Chateau en Espagne seemed invisible, as such chateaux usually are; and where it might be found, who was there to tell? Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|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
One of the so-called rules of poetry is that good poets should avoid adverbs. Most poets scoff at the notion that poetry has any rules at all, although most would agree that it is better to use a strong verb by itself than to use a weak one with an adverb.

Outside the world of poetry, though, adjectives and adverbs are useful parts of speech. They modify nouns and verbs, respectively, to add clarity and detail to language.

But how does one tell the difference between two similar phrases, like not surprisingly and not surprising? One is an adverb phrase and the other an adjective phrase, but they are so similar that it can be difficult to know the difference.

What is the Difference Between Not Surprisingly and Not Surprising?

In this post, I will compare not surprisingly vs. not surprising. I will use each of these phrases in an example sentence, so you can see it in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that will allow you to choose not surprisingly or not surprising correctly every time.

When to Use Not Surprisingly

What does not surprisingly mean? The phrase not surprisingly is an adverb phrase. It is related to the adverb unsurprisingly, which means the opposite of surprisingly, namely, predictable or expected.

The phrase not surprisingly is much more common than the single-word unsurprisingly, even though they mean the same thing.

Here are a few examples of not surprisingly in a sentence,

Not surprisingly, my ex-girlfriend did not respond when I invited her to my birthday party.

Not surprisingly, the team began winning more games after its star player recovered from an injury.

Not surprisingly, state banks are bitterly opposed by major Wall Street institutions, which pour lobbying money into scuttling public banking legislation wherever it crops up. LA Times

You can usually tell that a word is an adverb when it ends in -ly. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Italy is a proper noun, not an adverb, and words like afterward and soon are adverbs that do not end in -ly.

When to Use Not Surprising

What does not surprising mean? Not surprising is an adjective phrase. You can think of not surprising as a version of the adjective unsurprising.

Adjectives modify nouns, and unsurprising describes something that is expected or predictable.

Similar to the adverb versions above, not surprising is far more common than unsurprising in modern English.

Below are a few example sentences,

Jims failure to follow through on his promises is not surprising.

The movies final twist was not surprising; the film had telegraphed its villains true identity and motivations since almost the beginning.

Its brazen stuff, but not surprising. In the wake of an economic cataclysm that has left much of the country struggling to feed itself, Maduros approval ratings have fallen to 20 percent to 25 percent. The Washington Post

Adjectives are not as easy to identify as adverbs. There is no single rule that describes how these words look. All adjectives describe nouns, though, so they are easy to spot that way.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Even though these phrases are very similar, there is an easy way to remember not surprisingvs. not surprisingly.

The adverb phrase not surprisingly ends in the letters -ly, which is the telltale sign that a word or phrase is an adverb. Use this suffix as a reminder of when to use not surprisingly.

If you need an adjective, use not surprising instead.

Summary

Is it not surprising or not surprisingly? Not surprising is an adjective phrase that describes something that is predictable or expected. Adjectives modify nouns in sentences.

Not surprisingly is the adverb version of this phrase. It also means predictable or expected, but as an adverb, it modifies verbs instead.

To summarize,
datal / (detl) / New Word List Save This free codes for double down casinoWord! / (detl) /Save ThisWord!

adjectiveNorthern English dialect slow-witted

Words nearby datal

How to use in a sentence The datal made a sign, whereupon the corsairs dragged her struggling forth. The Sea-Hawk|Raphael Sabatini

The Sea-Hawk|Raphael Sabatini It caused a very general outcry amongst a' the 'datal' men and their wives for miles round. Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 18|Alexander Leighton

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondata deficient, data dictionary, data entry, data exhaust, dataflow architecture, datal, data mining, data packet, data pen, data point, data processingCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Definition of Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is what wallet should i use for nftsa type of essay that presents arguments about both sides of an issue. It could be that both sides are presented equally balanced, or it could be that one side is presented more forcefully than the other. It all depends on the writer, and what side he supports the most. The general structure of an argumentative essay follows this format:

Introduction: Attention Grabber/hook, Background Information, Thesis Statement Body: Three body paragraphs (three major arguments) Counterargument: An argument to refute earlier arguments and give weight to the actual position Conclusion: Rephrasing the thesis statement, major points, call to attention, or concluding remarks.

Models for Argumentative Essays

There are two major models besides this structure given above, which is called a classical model. Two other models are the Toulmin and Rogerian models.

Toulmin model is comprised of an introduction with a claim or thesis, followed by the presentation of data to support the claim. Warrants are then listed for the reasons to support the claim with backing and rebuttals. However, the Rogerian model asks to weigh two options, lists the strengths and weaknesses of both options, and gives a recommendation after an analysis.

Five Types of Argument Claims in Essay Writing

There are five major types of argument claims as given below.

A claim of definition A claim about values A claim about the reason A claim about comparison A claim about policy or position

A writer makes a claim about these issues and answers the relevant questions about it with relevant data and evidence to support the claim.

Three Major Types of Argument and How to Apply Them

Classical Argument

This model of applying argument is also called the Aristotelian model developed by Aristotle. This type of essay introduces the claim, with the opinion of the writer about the claim, its both perspectives, supported by evidence, and provides a conclusion about the better perspective. This essay includes an introduction, a body having the argument and support, a counter-argument with support, and a conclusion.

Toulmin Argument

This model developed by Stephen Toulmin is based on the claim followed by grounds, warrant, backing, qualifier, and rebuttal. Its structure comprises, an introduction having the main claim, a body with facts and evidence, while its rebuttal comprises counter-arguments and a conclusion.

Rogerian Argument

The third model by Carl Rogers has different perspectives having proof to support and a conclusion based on all the available perspectives. Its structure comprises an introduction with a thesis, the opposite point of view and claim, a middle-ground for both or more perspectives, and a conclusion.

Four Steps to Outline and Argumentative Essay

There are four major steps to outlining an argumentative essay.

Introduction with background, claim, and thesis. Body with facts, definition, claim, cause and effect, or policy. The opposing point of view with pieces of evidence. Conclusion

Examples of Argumentative Essay in Literature

Example #1:Put a Little Science in Your Lifeby Brian Greene

When we consider the ubiquity of cellphones, iPods, personal computers and the Internet, its easy to see how science (and the technology to which it leads) is woven into the fabric of our day-to-day activities. When we benefit from CT scanners, M.R.I. devices, pacemakers and arterial stents, we can immediately appreciate how science affects the quality of our lives. When we assess the state of the world, and identify looming challenges like climate change, global pandemics, security threats and diminishing resources, we dont hesitate in turning to science to gauge the problems and find solutions. And when we look at the wealth of opportunities hovering on the horizonstem cells, genomic sequencing, personalized medicine, longevity research, nanoscience, brain-machine interface, quantum computers, space technologywe realize how crucial it is to cultivate a general public that can engage with scientific issues; theres simply no other way that as a society we will be prepared to make informed decisions on a range of issues that will shape the future.

These two paragraphs present an argument about two scientific fields  digital products and biotechnology. It has also given full supporting details with names.

Example #2: Boys Here, Girls There: Sure, If Equalitys the Goalby Karen Stabiner

The first objections last week came from the National Organization for Women and the New York Civil Liberties Union, both of which opposed the opening of TYWLS in the fall of 1996. The two groups continue to insistas though it were 1896 and they were arguing Plessy v. Fergusonthat separate can never be equal. I appreciate NOWs wariness of the Bush administrations endorsement of single-sex public schools, since I am of the generation that still considers the label feminist to be a complimentand many feminists still fear that any public acknowledgment of differences between the sexes will hinder their fight for equality.

This paragraph by Karen Stabiner presents an objection to the argument of separation between public schools. It has been fully supported with evidence of the court case.

Example #3: The Flight from Conversationby Sherry Turkle

Weve become accustomed to a new way of being alone together. Technology-enabled, we are able to be with one another, and also elsewhere, connected to wherever we want to be. We want to customize our lives. We want to move in and out of where we are because the thing we value most is control over where we focus our attention. We have gotten used to the idea of being in a tribe of one, loyal to our own party.

This is an argument by Sherry Turkle, who beautifully presented it in the first person plural dialogues. However, it is clear that this is part of a greater argument instead of the essay.

Function of Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay presents both sides of an issue. However, it presents one side more positively or meticulously than the other one, so that readers could be swayed to the one the author intends. The major function of this type of essay is to present a case before the readers in a convincing manner, showing them the complete picture.

Synonyms of Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay synonyms are as follows: persuasive essays, research essays, analytical essays, or even some personal essays.

Related posts:
Thecomeon free spinsre are a lot of reasons to be excited about the Japanese online casino market. Though at present, most forms of gambling remain illegal, online and otherwise, industry experts have two reasons to be hopeful: First, the plan to build brick and mortar casinos and, second, the huge popularity of existing, legal forms of gambling.

Japan to Build First Casinos

The most exciting indication about the potential of online casinos in Japan is the passing of the Integrated Resorts Promotion Act (IRPA) in July 2018. This bill saw the Japanese government authorise the development of integrated resorts, featuring hotels, entertainment complexes, restaurants, bars, and, most importantly, casinos.

At present, there are three major cities in the running to build casinos. Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama, as well as Nagasaki and Tomakomai (on Hokkaido island). Though slated for construction, theyre still some way off from them opening their doors, with them due to open in the mid-2020. In fact, some optimists are hoping itll be open in time for World Fair in Osaka in 2025, when Japan is expecting a huge influx of tourists from all over the world. Though many others think this is an unrealistic timescale.

Regardless of whether the first integrated resorts open in time for 2025, the global gambling industry has their eyes on Japan, as it has so much untapped potential. In fact, its believed that Japan, the worlds third-largest economy, could also be third largest gambling market, after Macau and the USA and worth $15bn, with some experts predicting as much as $20bn.

Many hope this legislation will just be the beginning and their success will cause the Japanese government to consider the status of other types of gambling, including the regulation of online casinos in Japan.

Legal Types of Gambling in Japan

This isnt to say that all forms of gambling are illegal in Japan, as there are a limited number of closely-regulated sports that people are permitted to bet on. This includes:

Horse Racing (Keiba) - There are over 21,000 races held annually, including the prestigious Japan Cup.

Cycling (Keirin) - Cycling originally started as a sport after World War 2, solely to place wagers on, before being elevated to a sport after the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Boat Racing (Kyotei) - Like cycling in the past, boat racing mainly exists for betting purposes.

Motorcycle Speedway (Oto Resu) - The last of Japans four public sports, Japans version of the motorcycle started in the 1950s and came under government regulation in 1967.

Soccer pools (Toto) - Introduced in march 2001, this allows bettors to bet on the outcome of a selection of that weeks football matches in Japans J-League.

In addition, theres also the Japanese lottery (Takarakuji), which originally started in 1945 but has been in its current form since 1964, with the establishment of the Japan Lottery Association. Players have a number of games to choose from including daily Numbers 3 and Numbers 4 draws, the bi-weekly Lotto 6 and Lotto 7, and the Jumbo Lottery thats held several times a year.

The Popularity of Pachinko: Japans Favourite Way to Gamble

Of course, no discussion of gambling in Japan would be complete without talking about Pachinko, which first emerged in the 1930s before skyrocketing in popularity after the second world war. Pachinko sits somewhere between a game of pinball and a slot machine, as players drop small, metallic balls into a machines playing field, in the hopes of getting them into a catcher. When they achieve this, theyll be awarded more balls, which they can use to continue to play  with the aim being to win as many as possible.

Pachinko inhabits a legal grey area within Japan. Firstly, it's classified as a game of skill by the Japanese government and secondly, and more importantly, players dont win money but prizes, such as gadgets, toys, and snacks, by cashing in their balls. However, players can also trade their balls for a special prize that can be traded for cash at a separate place close by, known as a token-redeeming business. Its the separate step between winning and cashing in, done at two separate locations that allows Pachinko to operate under Japans complex gambling laws.

On the other hand, theres nothing complex about the amount of revenue that Pachinko brings in, with it generating JPY19.5tn ($180.3bn) in 2017, which is nearly 30 times that of Las Vegas. More impressive still is the fact that this represents close to 4% of Japans GDP!

Also, this is an astonishing three and a half times the JPY 5.206tn ($48.4bn) generated by the four public sports (horse racing: JPY3.3tn ($30.5bn), boat racing: JPY 1.2tn ($11.4bn), cycling: JPY 640bn ($5.9bn), motorcycle speedway: JPY 66bn ($600m)).

In even better news for Japans casino industry, some big pachinko companies, including Sega Sammy Holdings and Dynam Japan Holdings Co., are looking to expand into manufacturing machines for casinos. As such companies already have an understanding of the unique Japanese market and familiarity among consumers, theyll know how to create and market games that will appeal to Japans new casino visitors.

The Future of Online Casinos in Japan

Although at present, there are no licensed online casinos in based in Japan, forcing players to play games like slots, roulette, and blackjack on websites based in countries like the UK and Malta, the future looks bright for the Japanese gambling industry. The massive annual revenues brought in by Pachinko, horse racing, and other legal gambling activities prove that the Japanese have a taste for betting and placing wagers.

Plus, with the novelty factor that casinos offer, and while the proposed casinos are mainly aimed at boosting tourism, they could capture the imagination of the local population, who may visit to experience something new and exciting.

From there, once casinos have grown in popularity within the Japanese market and the government has seen the desired boost in tourism from integrated resorts, the next step is regulating their own online casinos and benefitting from the massive revenues theyre sure to bring in.

Category: Casino Blog
B.A., Seattle Pacific University

Here are Spanish lyrics for "The 12 Days of Christmas," a carol that has been sung in the English-speaking world since at least the 16th century.

'Los 12 dias de Navidad'

El primer dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El segundo dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El tercer dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El cuarto dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El quinto dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El sexto dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El septimo dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

siete cisnitos, seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El octavo dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

ocho lecheritas, siete cisnitos, seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El noveno dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

nueve bailarinas, ocho lecheritas, siete cisnitos, seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El decimo dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

diez senores saltando, nueve bailarinas, ocho lecheritas, siete cisnitos, seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El undecimo dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

once gaiteritos, diez senores saltando, nueve bailarinas, ocho lecheritas, siete cisnitos, seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

El duodecimo dia de Navidad, mi amor me mando

doce tamborileros, once gaiteritos, diez senores saltando, nueve bailarinas, ocho lecheritas, siete cisnitos, seis mama gansas, cinco anillos dorados, cuatro pajaritos, tres gallinitas, dos tortolitas y una perdiz picando peras del peral.

Grammar and Vocabulary Notes

Primer, segundo, tercer, etc.: These are the words for first, second, third, etc. Primer is a shortened form of primero, and tercer is a shortened form of tercero. They are shortened in this manner when appearing before a singular masculine noun. The forms used here for 11th and 12th are not common in spoken in Spanish.

Dia: Dia, meaning "day," is an exception to the rule that nouns ending in -a are masculine.

Navidad: This word can refer not only to Christmas Day but also to the season in general.

Amor: This is the word for "love." It can refer not only to the emotion but also to a person such as a sweetheart. It is related to the verb amar. The noun remains masculine even when it refers to a girl or woman.

Mando: Mando is a past-tense form of mandar, which most often means "to mandate" or "to order," but in this case means "to send."

Perdiz: a partridge or ptarmigan

Picando: This is present participle of picar, which can mean "to bite" or "to peck at." A literal translation of this line would be "a partridge pecking at pears of the pear tree." Note that here, the present participle functions as an adjective. In standard Spanish, the present participle acts as an adverb, but adjectival use such as this is sometimes seen in poetry, journalistic writing, and translations from English.

Pera, peral: a pear or pear tree. The suffix -al often refers to a tree or grove of trees. For example, an orange is a naranja, while an orange grove is a naranjal.

Tortolita: a name for numerous types of doves and related birds. Tortolitais a diminutive form of tortola, which can also refer to a turtledove. Diminutives such as this, while common in children's music and literature, are not used extensively in serious contexts.

Gallinita: a diminutive form of gallina, meaning "hen." A rooster is a gallo.

Pajarito: a diminutive form of pajaro, meaning "bird." This could be translated as "birdie."

Anillo: a ring

Dorado: golden. The word comes from dorar, a verb that means to coat something with gold or to turn something brown. The word for gold is oro.

Mama gansas: This song is about the only place you'll find this phrase in Spanish. It means "mother geese," but you normally wouldn't say it this way (one way would be gansas madre). Mama Gansa and Mama Ganso, however, are common ways of translating "Mother Goose."

Cisnito: a diminutive form of cisne, swan.

Lecherita: a diminutive form of lechera, which refers to a female who works with milk. It usually means someone who sells milk, but could be one who milks cows in this context.

Bailarina: a female dancer, frequently referring to a ballet dancer. It is derived from bailar, the verb meaning "to dance."

Senor: Although this word is often used now as a courtesy title translated as "Mr.," it can also refer to a lord.

Saltando: the present participle of saltar, "to jump"

Gaiterito: a diminutive form of gaitero, a piper. The related word gaitacan refer to instruments such as flutes and bagpipes.

Tamborilero: a drummer. The related words tamborand tamboracan also be used to refer to drums and drummers.

Watch Now: How to Count 1-10 in Spanish
What Is the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)?playtech online value of 1 satoshi

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) is an organization of securities regulators whose aim is to protect investors from fraud. Founded in 1919 in the U.S. state of Kansas, its membership of 67 securities administrators from across North America works to protect customers of investment advice or securities as part of a complementary regulatory system that works at the federal, state/provincial, and industry levels.

Key Takeaways

Organized in 1919, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) is the oldest international regulatory organization devoted to investor protection.

NASAA is a voluntary association whose membership consists of 67 state, provincial, and territorial securities administrators in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Mexico.

It works to protect customers of investment advice and securities as part of a complementary regulatory system that works at the federal, state/provincial, and industry levels.

NASAA seeks to help investors identify and avoid fraud by educating the public, investigating violations of state and provincial law, and filing enforcement actions.

Understanding the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)

NASAA seeks to help investors identify and avoid fraud by educating the public, investigating violations of state and provincial law, and filing enforcement actions. Its membership is made up of regulators that may be appointed, hired for career-focused positions, or are under the jurisdiction of their states' Attorneys General. These regulators are responsible for licensing securities firms and investment professionalssuch as broker-dealers and investment advisersregistering certain securities offerings, reviewing financial offerings of small companies, auditing branch office sales practices and record-keeping, promoting investor education, and most importantly, enforcing state securities laws.

In addition to protecting investors, some state regulators may help small businesses raise money and stay in compliance with securities laws. Some regulators may work in a department that also regulates insurance or banking.

NASAA's membership is made up of securities regulators from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Mexico. NASAA's website features a variety of investor and professional resources, including a fraud center that lists top investor traps, a fraud awareness quiz, fraud red flags, how to contact a local securities regulator, and how to investigate a broker or investment adviser.

Special Considerations

NASAA members work within the government to protect investors and ensure the integrity of the securities industry in the following ways:

Licensing stockbrokers, investment adviser firms (those managing less than $100 million in assets), and securities firms that conduct business in the state.

Registering certain securities offered to the states investors.

Investigating investor complaints and potential cases of investment fraud

Enforcing state securities laws by fining, penalizing, providing restitution to investors, prosecuting white-collar criminals, and imposing legally binding conduct remedies designed to correct specific problems.

Examining brokerage and investment adviser firms to ensure compliance with securities laws and maintenance of accurate records of client accounts.

Reviewing certain offerings that are not exempt from state law.

Educating investors about their rights and providing the tools and knowledge they need to make informed financial decisions.

Advocating passage of strong, sensible, and consistent state securities laws and regulations.

NASAA also administers the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 regulatory examinations, which licenses financial professionals to function as an agent. In most states, the Series 63 is a requirement for all registered securities agents.
WWEs marketing strategy has always been pretty consistent. Thebest games to play when bored for iphone freey take every opportunity to try and get more mainstream exposure and a lot of this comes down to Vince McMahon. They try and use as many celebrities as they can, and they even try and bring superstars back to make additional appearances. At one point, they were so desperate to try and get more mainstream viewers that they employed John Stewart and Cyndi Lauper. Vince seems to be doing this in an attempt to get the crossover he needs, not to mention that it also helps him to get more publicity on social media. Vince himself has actually stated before that bringing celebrities and other influencers within the program will help to bring a rising tide across all of their boats. This is very understandable, and it is certainly something that they have prided themselves on in the past.

Revenue

We know that merchandise is one of the core-revenue earners for the company. Its also another tool that they can use for additional marketing exposure. You can stick The Big Show or even Roman Reigns on the front of a T-shirt or lunchbox and it will earn the company a ton of money. People will buy it because it shows their favourite WWE superstar. In some instances, it may even act as a mini commercial, so its very interesting to see how they make it work in their favour. Another thing that should be noted is that WWE games are very popular. Them alone bring in a ton of revenue for the company and they are also used time and time again for- you guessed it- marketing purposes. They are standalone earners in their own right, and they also appeal to a huge audience too. So as weve discussed, WWE appear to always have their own ways to make money, and they are always trying to expand into new ventures too. It should be noted that there is one industry that they have yet to expand into, and interestingly enough, its the casino industry. Youd have thought that WWE would have an online casino USA game that has all of the stylings of their famous stars. After all- it would be an absolutely fantastic money-maker and it would also give people the chance to gamble while playing as their favourite stars. So many people are now creating slot games that are modelled after famous movies or even TV shows and the cross-over would be a fantastic way for them to make even more money. Developers alone would have so much creativity to work with and they would even be able to create themed games that are modelled after the WWE PPVs that they have. This could include Wrestlemania, Summerslam and more.

You also have to remember that the casino industry is thriving and that more and more games are being released every year. Surely WWE would see this as a chance for them to capitalise on a growing market. With most of the WWE viewers being over the age of 18, it certainly makes sense. Think about it, there are so many themed slots out there and people love to play them. In fact, sometimes themed ones are more popular when compared to un-themed ones, so why arent they pushing this when they are always trying to look into absolutely every marketable avenue out there?

WWE Slot Games

There is one WWE superstar that does have his own slot game. Hes known as Andre the Giant. The problem that its not associated with WWE at all, so even though it looks like there are games out there, they arent actually endorsed by the company.

Its not really known why WWE are refusing to release any slot games. There just isnt an answer, but its safe to say that it is something they should be looking into. So many developers would be willing to work with them and they would also be happy to give them full creative control over the design too. After all, if anyone gets the chance to work with WWE then they would be daft not to take it, especially given the fact that they are one of the biggest sporting companies around.

Maybe theyre trying not to jump on the bandwagon because they believe that they have bigger markets to focus on, but that being said, the casino industry is growing more and more by the year and they have already made such an impact on the world as we know it. People love to play slots when they get home from work and they also love to try out the new releases. Its got a huge market with a lot of potential, not to mention that if WWE did happen to release their own game, it would be super exciting.

Targeting an Adult Market

Maybe Vince is convinced that slots are boring with static designs and spinning reels. This just isnt the case anymore. In fact, they are riddled with bonus features, super graphics and even video clips. This alone provides a much more immersive experience and it also means that people get more excited about the games that they play. Some people might argue that Vince doesnt want to get into a market that is only targeted towards adults. As mentioned above, WWEs fanbase mostly consists of adults. As much as hes trying to make his product child-friendly, its adults that are buying the tickets and it is also adults that are paying for their WWE subscription too. This is certainly some food for thought for the McMahon team and it is certainly something that they should look into. It would open up a whole new world of marketing and it would also give them the chance to really expand their reach. In countries such as the US, it would really take off for them and there are so many chances for them to mix things up by releasing games that are, as mentioned above, specifically related to upcoming PPVs.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
University of Ontario

George Brown College

You don't necessarily need to invest any money into building a website. While it's easy enough to outsource website design and development to a skilled professional, it's also just as easy to do everything yourself with the help of a free website builder.

These platforms are designed for beginners, meaning you don't need to have a programming background to create your own website. They're also the perfect choice if you want to keep initial costs low before investing more in the design, hosting, security, storage, and additional features.

Check out the list below for a roundup of the best free website builders available today.

Wix: The Easiest Website Building Platform To Use

Wix.com. Wix

If you're looking for a dead easy way to create a stunning website as quickly as possible, you can't go wrong with Wix. It's one of the most popular website builders out there, offering over 500 design-worthy templates in categories like business, photography, blogs, travel, health, and more.

What We Like:

The choice to pick either an existing template or start from scratch with a blank one, then use the Wix Editor to add desired features.

The finished website is lightning fast and optimized for both search engines and mobile platforms.

What We Don't Like:

Ads are displayed on free plans and two of the paid premium plans. To remove those pesky ads, you'd have to upgrade to the third most costly plan at $14 a month.

Weebly: A Great Place To Start Your Online Store

Weebly.com. Weebly

Weebly is right up there with Wix, but what makes it really stand out is its free eCommerce features you can integrate into your website. Whether you're selling a product or service online or offline, Weebly offers a host of features to help you run your store, including product listings, gift cards, customer reviews, orders, coupons, and store emails.

Of course, if you just want to build a regular website, you can do that too!

What We Like:

The multiple choice questionnaire Weebly gives new users to help them take the first steps toward getting their websites set up.

What We Don't Like:

You'll see ads on your website if you stick with the free plan and will have to upgrade to a premium plan for $10 a month to remove them.

WordPress.com: The Best Choice If You Eventually Want A Self-Hosted Website

WordPress.com. WordPress

There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.com, which is free, and WordPress.org, which is the open source CMS you can use to host your site yourself with a paid host provider and domain registrar. If you think you'd eventually like to move your free website to a self-hosted one where you have full control and freedom to make your site as awesome as possible, WordPress.com is the way to go.

What We Like:

The convenience of transferring a free WordPress site to a self-hosted WordPress site.

The vast selection of free templates you can use to make your free site look amazing.

Can manage multiple sites all from the same dashboard.

What We Don't Like:

While the template selection is huge, design customization is quite limited unless you're fine with installing several plugins.

You'll have to upgrade to a premium WordPress.com plan for $10 a month to get rid of ads.

Given the customizable freedom of WordPress.org, you'd most likely get a better deal by moving to a self-hosted site.

Webnode: Create A Simple, Ad-Free Site Or Online Store In Minutes

Webnode.com. Webnode

Webnode is a powerful site builder similar to Weebly, with its online store builder and questionnaire you get to run through when setting up your site. There's nothing overwhelming with this platform. It's very simple and straightforward to use.

What We Like:

You get a totally ad-free website without having to upgrade to a paid plan.

The website building process is so simple you can have a basic site completed in as little as five minutes by working with one of the hundreds of gorgeous templates.

What We Don't Like:

A free plan with Webnode doesn't offer a whole lot besides the very basics, especially if you want extra customization features.

You'll have to upgrade to the $4 a month limited plan to get 100MB of storage and 1GB of bandwidth.

Jimdo: Choose From Two Different Ways To Create Your Site

Jimdo.com. Jimdo

When you sign up with Jimdo, you'll be able to choose whether you want to build a website, an online store, or a blog. Once you've made your choice, you'll select one of two website building processes: Jimdo Creator, which gives you the freedom and control to build your site from the ground up, or Jimdo Dolphin, which is an Artificial Intelligence-powered website builder that asks you a series of questions so it can build your site in as little as three minutes.

What We Like:

The choice between website building processes.

Jimdo Dolphin is a much more intelligent tool than the comparable question/answer tools on some of the other platforms listed here.

What We Don't Like:

Can't do much to customize the details.

You'll have to upgrade to a premium plan for at least $7.50 a month to get rid of ads.

Bookmark: Enjoy A Powerful Web Editor With A Variety Of Features

Bookmark.com. Bookmark

If you like the idea of having your website builder practically build your website for you using artificial intelligence, like Jimdo's Dolphin tool does, you're going to want to check out Bookmark, too. This platform has its own AI tool called Aida, which helps you build your site in as little as 30 seconds.

What We Like:

Built-in library of royalty-free stock images and videos you can use on your site, free of charge.

Its powerful editor packs a lot more features than some others on this list, including a wide variety of modules you can drag and drop anywhere into your site.

What We Don't Like:

You're limited to 500MB of storage.

Website footer will include a branded ad.

You can make a small upgrade for $5 a month to get a few extras, but for unlimited storage and to remove the aforementioned ad, you'd have to upgrade to the professional plan for $12 a month.

WebStarts: Get Great Features Using An Editor That Doesn't Overwhelm

WebStarts.com. WebStarts

WebStarts claims to be the number one free website builder on its homepage, but that's really up to you to decide. Regardless of what you're looking for, you shouldn't be disappointed at all by this platform's rich feature offering and gorgeous site templates.

What We Like:

WebStarts' editor has more of a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) feel to it than others, which might be easier and less overwhelming to use for some beginners.

WebStarts is slightly more generous with its features compared to some other platforms on this list, offering unlimited web pages and 1GB of storage to its free users.

What We Don't Like:

WebStarts doesn't offer any of its online store features until you upgrade to a Pro Plus plan for about $7 a month.

If you simply want to remove ads, you can upgrade to Pro for $5 a month.

IM Creator: Take Advantage Of Some Of The Most Visually Appealing Templates

IMCreator.com. IM Creator

For those who are looking to make their website as visually stunning as possible, IM Creator really takes the cake. Its unique and powerful XPRS editor lets you add new sections, then customize them on the fly, including galleries, slideshows, text blocks, forms, testimonials, and so much more.

What We Like:

Its wide selection of themes have been professionally designed to feature imagery in the most impressive ways possible, both on the desktop web and on mobile.

No ads with this one.

What We Don't Like:

Although the XPRS editor is an incredible tool to work with, it can be a little confusing for beginners.

IM Creator doesn't give you a very pretty link on its domain like most others do, at an address like sitename.imcreator.com. Unless you upgrade to an annual license for $8 a month, your site link will be im-creator.com/free/username/sitename.

Sitey: Play Around With A 100% Customizable Template

Sitey.com. Sitey

If you really want to make your website your very own, yet still take inspiration from professionally designed templates, Sitey is the website builder you'll want to consider working with. Its editor is simple to use and offers a full range of features, including options to set up a blog or an online store.

What We Like:

All of Sitey's templates are fully customizable so you're not stuck with certain features or details. From sections and elements to background colors and padding, you really get full control over the look and functionality of your website when you build it with Sitey.

What We Don't Like:

A free Sitey website comes with ads. To remove them, you'll have to upgrade to upgrade to a premium plan for about $5 a month.

Ucraft: Create A Stunning Landing Page

Ucraft.com. Ucraft

Those who are looking to build some kind of creative business or personal website should check out Ucraft for its beautiful templates and easy setup process. A helpful explainer video is launched after you choose your template so you know exactly how to go about customizing your site.

What We Like:

Similar to Bookmark, Ucraft includes some extra site building features some of the others on this list don't offer.

Ucraft might be one of the few that lets you integrate animated effects like fade in, fade down, fade to right/left, and parallax scrolling into your site.

What We Don't Like:
A presentation on the new College of Engineering proposed to be built at the University of Bahrain (UoB) campus in Sakhir was made to Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, during his visit to the campus.

The College of Engineering will be built on a total area of 252,000 sq m. It will include classrooms, halls, a library, modern workshops, well-equipped laboratories, and four auditoriums, in addition to a large multi-purpose hall and parking lots, said a Bahrain News Agency report.

Upon arrival, the Deputy Prime Minister was welcomed by Wael bin Nasser Al-Mubarak, Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister; Ibrahim bin Hassan Al-Hawaj, Works Minister; Yasser bin Ibrahim Hamdan, Electricity and Water Affairs Minister; Amna bin Ahmed Al-Romaihi, Housing and Urban Planning Minister; Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma, and Education Minister and UoB Board of Trustees Chairman, in addition to a number of officials.

Shaikh Khalid highlighted the importance of the educational environment in motivating university students to achieve the highest levels of excellence and creativity, praising the project to build a new College of Engineering, which is one of the most important strategic projects included within the government buildings sector that will be implemented soon.

He indicated that the new college will pave the way for new capabilities, providing a favourable environment for the creation of future engineers.

He added that the college project is a distinctive step towards more creativity and innovation, based on the advanced facilities it will provide to the engineering sector.
FILE PHOTO: Protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, in Tehran

DUBAI (Reuters) - Sporadic protests continued in Iran on Sunday amid a widespread crackdown by security forces a year after a young Kurdish woman's death in custody set off some of the worst political unrest in four decades.

The death on Sept. 16 last year of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman arrested by the morality police 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, Mahsa's father, Amjad Amini, was arrested briefly and warned against marking the anniversary of his daughter's death, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said, and the family was not able to hold a planned vigil at her grave.

A social media video on Sunday showed protesters in the western city of Hamadan, clapping and shouting "Death to Islamic Republic", while another video showed protesters running away after apparent shooting by security forces. Reuters could not immediately authenticate the videos.

Following the publication of the videos, the semi-official Tasnim agency carried a video appearing to show that the streets of Hamadan were calm.

Rights groups, including the activist HRANA news agency, reported that a number of people were arrested in the Kurdish cities of Saqez and Sanandaj. State media reported detentions of dozens of "terrorists" including an individual allegedly planning a suicide attack.

Meanwhile, authorities said unidentified gunmen in southern Iran on Saturday opened fire on the Basij paramilitary volunteer militia, which has played a prominent role in the crackdown, killing one and wounding three. It was not immediately clear if the incident was linked to the current unrest.

Iran's intelligence minister warned that Iran may take unspecified action against overseas media which Tehran accuses of fomenting violent unrest in the country.

Story continues

Iran International, a London-based television station critical of the Iranian government, in February said it was moving its live broadcasting studios to the United States following threats it faced in Britain.

"(Iran) International is a terrorist network, and we will take action wherever and whenever we recognise any terrorist act," the semi-official news agency Fars quoted the minister, Esmail Khatib, as saying.

AMINI 'INSPIRED A MOVEMENT'

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.

U.S. President Joe Biden in a statement on Friday said Amini "inspired a historic movement ... that has impacted Iran and influenced people across the globe." Hundreds of Amini's supporters rallied in front of the White House on Saturday.

Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected as "double standards and lies" Western expressions of support for women's rights in Iran.

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 blames the unrest on its Western foes and rejects criticism of its legal system, saying it is based on a lack of understanding by rights groups of its Islamic laws.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Conor Humphries)
Abe Hamadeh,top dollar slots free play the Arizona Republican locked in a tight race to become the states next attorney general, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday contesting the preliminary results of an election that had already been headed to an automatic recount.

The states final tally from the Nov. 8 election, which was set to be certified by counties by next week, has Mr. Hamadeh just 510 votes behind the Democratic candidate, Kris Mayes  1,254,102 for Mr. Hamadeh and 1,254,612 for Ms. Mayes. That difference was within the margin needed to force an automatic recount under state law.

Mr. Hamadehs lawsuit, filed in State Superior Court in Maricopa County, names as defendants Arizonas secretary of state  Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who won the governors race  as well as the county recorders and boards of supervisors in the states 15 counties. The Republican National Committee joined Mr. Hamadeh in the suit as a plaintiff.

Mr. Hamadeh and the R.N.C., in their complaint, ask the court to issue an injunction prohibiting the secretary of state from certifying Ms. Hayes as the winner and an order declaring Mr. Hamadeh the winner. The suit argues that equipment failures and errors in the management of polling places and in ballot tabulation led to an incorrect final vote count. It says there was no fraud, manipulation or other intentional wrongdoing, but it claims there were mistakes that affected the final tally, given the contests narrow margin.

The suit asks the court to allow additional votes to be counted, including 146 provisional ballots and 273 mail-in ballots that were segregated because the election system showed they came from voters who had already cast in-person ballots. It does not seek a rerun of the election, though it does claim that Mr. Hamadeh should be declared the winner. By state law, Arizonas secretary of state is required to certify the results of the election by Dec. 5.

The Aftermath of the 2022 Midterm Elections Card 1 of 6 Card 1 of 6 A moment of reflection. contributed reporting.

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Containers are loaded on barges at a port in Jiaxing, East Chinas Zhejiang Province on June 16, 2022. The throughput of containers that were shipped between oceangoing vessels and river-going vessels saw a sharp increase of 69.4 percent year-on-year during the first five months of 2022, according to Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group. Photo: Courtesy of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group

Amid the tide of the digital economy, Chinese internet giants are seeking new growth momentum with the integration of data with real economy to foster the stable and healthy development of the sector. Experts said that China will become a major driver for global digital economy on the back of vast domestic market, complete industrial system and high internet penetration.At the 2022 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit in East China's Zhejiang Province, Chinese internet giants discussed ways to create new growth momentum through integration data with real economy.Xu Lei, CEO of Chinese e-commerce giant JD said during the WIC that the company continues to promote the integration of supply chains with goods, warehouses and cloud computing, which not only ensures the stability and reliability of JD's supply chains but also helps save costs for cooperation partners and boosts their digital transformation.Meanwhile, JD also nurtures advanced digital technologies and offers technological services in a bid to promote deep integration between data and real economy for the establishment of new development mode, according to Xu.Alibaba Group CEO Zhang Yong gave the example of Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang. Backed by Alibaba's technologies including cloud computing, artificial intelligence and 5G, the port developed a bespoke operating system, with such functions as autonomous-driving, high-precision positioning and berth prediction. The function of berth prediction alone could save costs about 1 billion yuan ($138 million) every two years, equivalent to a berth.China's digital economy strategy is accelerating the development of digital economy worldwide, Chen Jia, an independent research fellow on international strategy, told the Global Times on Thursday. "China has the most vitality among all major countries in terms of digital economy, with the largest number of internet users and the most complete internet industrial chain," he said, noting that China also gave into play the advantages of all localities such as Zhejiang.Along with the development of digital economy, cyber security has become a hot topic. At the WIC, Sheng Ronghua, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, urged accelerating cyber legislation, strengthen enforcement, increase public awareness of cyber laws through publicity and deepening of international exchange and cooperation.Global Times
The racism he faced in the run up to the record might have darkened Aarons joy, but, for him, bitterness never lingered.

The bots flag restatement as a negative word, which darkens their outlook on a companys prospects.

The on-court clouds that have darkened Torontos early season could be clearing.

At sunset that day, the refinerys rooftop will darken, but only for four months.

That phenomenon occurs when the Moon is farthest away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun, resulting in a ring of light around the darkened moon. Mars missions, a super-powered telescope, and more exciting 2021 space events|Paola Rosa-Aquino|January 7, 2021|Popular-Science

The camera would pull in, the background would darken, and you would give a meta-commentary on the events. Voting for Slavery? Jim Wheeler Gets Into Hot Water|Jamelle Bouie|October 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

If you only vote on how a person personally feels about abortion, you will never want her to darken your door. Sarah Palin's a Brainiac|Elaine Lafferty|October 27, 2008|DAILY BEAST

When the sky began to darken, however, they desisted for a time, and set about making preparations for the coming storm. Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne

Gwynne's mind seemed to darken until only one luminous point confronted it, the visible tormented soul of his kinsman. Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

But you must know, she said, looking at him with her sea-blue eyes, that in moments of tense emotion seemed to widen and darken. The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson

Over her shoulder peered her cousin Dave, and June saw his face darken while she looked. The Trail of the Lonesome Pine|John Fox, Jr.
View of China National Offshore Oil Corporation's oil fields in southern Iraqi province of Maysan Photo:Courtesy of China National Offshore Oil Corporation

China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) oil fields in southern Iraqi province of Maysan broke the benchmark of 300,000 barrels of daily crude oil production, equivalent to about 45,000 tons, reaching the maximum output level, which demonstrates the success of China-Iraq energy cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, CNOOC told the Global Times on Wednesday.Since CNOOC entered the Iraq market in 2010, the company had helped build more than 1,500 kilometers of crude oil transmission pipeline, and the daily oil output has been lifted to 300,000 barrels from only 88,000 barrels before 2010.By the end of October, 2022, the accumulative output of Maysan oil field group has surpassed 1 billion barrels, said CNOOC.The operation of Maysan oil field group has created more than 30,000 jobs for local society, said Xie Wensheng, an representative from CNOOC, who said that the company also helped build water pumping station, improved various infrastructure including road, power grid, a school and an hospital there.Currently, CNOOC has established oversea production bases in over 40 countries and regions in six continents, including in Brazil, Canada and the UK.Global Times
What Is Base Pay?guts free spins

Base pay is the initial salary paid to an employee, not including any benefits, bonuses, or raises. It is the rate of compensation an employee receives in exchange for services. An employee's base pay can be expressed as an hourly rate or weekly, monthly, or annual salary.

Key Takeaways

Base pay is an employee's standard pay rate, which does not include benefits, bonuses, raises, or other compensation.

Base pay can be expressed as an hourly rate or as an annual salary.

Annual pay calculations include the items not included in base pay calculations, namely benefits, bonuses, raises, and overtime.

Many salaried employees do not receive overtime pay for working their jobs.

Hourly employees and salaried employees may have different benefits from their employers.



Understanding Base Pay

Base pay does not include all forms of compensation; for instance, shift differential pay, on-call pay, special assignments, and incentive-based pay are typically excluded from base pay. Generally, an employee's base pay is the minimum amount they should expect to receive during a specified pay period, excluding additional financial or tangible compensation that may increase the total pay above this level.



In contrast to hourly employees who are compensated for the exact number of hours they work in a pay period, a salaried employee is usually expected to work a minimum number of hours in exchange for their base pay. Some companies do not require salaried employees to keep track of their hours.

Many workers who receive a base salary are exempt from federal labor laws governing overtime compensation. Consequently, they do not receive overtime pay if they work more than the minimum hours required by the employer. Some positions may necessitate working significantly more hours than the typical 40-hour workweek.

Some salaried employees that make less than $35,568 are entitled to overtime pay for any hours worked over 40 during a week.

Base Pay vs. Annual Pay

While base pay excludes supplemental compensation received in employment, annual income takes into account actual earnings over the year. Annual pay may be significantly higher than the base pay, including bonuses, overtime, benefits, or awards.

Annual pay also factors in any amounts paid by an employer for a worker's medical, dental, and life insurance policies. The sum of these premiums is added to the base rate and other forms of compensation, such as overtime or bonuses, to calculate the amount of pay received in a calendar year.

Special Considerations

Base pay rates vary significantly between professions. In general, professions requiring advanced education and specialized skill sets pay higher base rates than jobs requiring basic skills. In competitive fields, employers often offer attractive base pay rates to recruit highly qualified applicants.

In addition to paying high base salaries, companies may woo prospective employees with additional perks, including a generous benefits package, retirement plan, bonuses, investment options, and tangible rewards, such as a company vehicle or paid leisure travel. These extras can substantially increase a company's likelihood of hiring and retaining top-notch personnel.

What Is Military Base Pay?

Military base payalso known as basic payrefers to the standard compensation amount received by U.S. military members. Military base pay represents the biggest part of a member's total compensation and excludes other forms of compensation, such as housing and food allowances. Active duty pay is based on the member's pay grade and their number of years of service.

How Is Military Base Pay Calculated?

A military member's monthly base pay is calculated based on their pay grade and the number of years of service. Military base pay is the military member's basic compensation excluding additional allowances. Base pay does not include other forms of compensation that the member receives, such as the basic allowance for housing (BAH), clothing, bonuses, hazard pay, and cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Annual increases to a member's base pay are calculated by measuring the increase in private-sector wages and salaries as reflected in the employment cost index (ECI).

What Is E-5 Base Pay?

E-5 base pay is the standard compensation received by an enlisted member of the U.S. military with the E-5 pay grade. E-5 base pay changes annually due to annual pay raises. In 2021, the E-5 base pay for an active duty member ranged from $2,541.60 to $3,606.90 per month.
how to do a placepot idn via danashows grade level based on the word's complexity. displease [ dis-pleez ]/ dspliz / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: displease / displeased / displeasing on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dis-pleez ]/ dspliz /Save This Word!See synonyms for: displease / displeased / displeasing on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object), displeased, displeasing.to incur the dissatisfaction, dislike, or disapproval of; offend; annoy: His reply displeased the judge.

verb (used without object), displeased, displeasing.to be unpleasant; cause displeasure: Bad weather displeases.

OTHER WORDS FROM displease

Words nearby displease

Words related to displease displease/ (dspliz) / verbto annoy, offend, or cause displeasure to (someone) Derived forms of displease displeasing, adjectivedispleasingly, 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

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 displease130050; Middle English desplesen
Here we have another set of confusing words. Its not uncommon to see confusing words in English, so dont get frustrated if you arent exactly sure when to use ad vs. add or you arent sure which one is correct to use and when. Both of these words sound exactly the same and they are only a single letter a part, so its easy to see how they can get mixed up.

In this post, I will go over the differences between these two words, their definitions, and how to use them properly in a sentence. After reading this post, you shouldnt have any trouble at all remembering them.

When to Use Ad

The word ad is actually a shortened colloquial form of the word advertisement. For example,

Did you see the new political ad that they are running?

The school took out a full-page ad in the local paper.

The first recorded use of ad for advertisement was in 1841, and, since then, ad has become very widespread in informal speech and writing. In formal writing, however, you should still spell out the full word advertisement.

How much is a full-page advertisement in your magazine?

When to Use Add

Unlike ad, which is a noun, add is a verb. It is defined as to join or combine (numbers) through addition. For example,

When adding odd numbers, the result will always be even.

If you add 6 to 7, you get 13.

It also has uses that are unrelated to joining or combining numbers but just refers to an addition. For example,

I will certainly add this to her list of mistakes.

My frequent flyer miles continue to add up with every dollar that I spend.

Add is also used in a few phrasal verbs and idioms such as add up and add up to.

After looking over the bill, the numbers didnt quite add up.

All of the repairs added up to a pretty large repair bill.

Remember the Difference

There is a very easy way to keep track of these two words and make sure you are using them correctly in your everyday writing.

When thinking about the word ad, just remember the full word that it stands for advertisement. If you do this, there is no way that you can get it confused with add because add has two ds in it, whereas ad/advertisement only has one d in it.

Similarly, if you remember that add means to constitute an addition, you wont ever be able to confuse it with the shorter ad.

If you can remember these two tricks, you should be home free.

Summary

Even though these two words sounds alike and are spelled close to the same, they have wildly different meanings and it is important not to confuse add vs. ad in your writing. If you do confuse these two words, people might accuse you of having sloppy writing.

Ad is short for advertisement.

Addis a verb that refers to combining things through addition.
What Is an Interim Statement?nfl odds sportsbet flow crypto nba

An interim statement is a financial report covering a period of less than one year. Interim statements are used to convey the performance of a company before the end of normal full-year financial reporting cycles. Unlike annual statements, interim statements do not have to be audited. Interim statements increase communication between companies and the public and provide investors with up-to-date information between annual reporting periods.

These may also be referred to as interim reports.

Key Takeaways

Interim statements are financial reports produced by firms covering a period of less than one year.

The goal is to keep shareholders and analysts more up-to-date and in regular communication with corporate management, and to alert the public to material changes to the company in a timely fashion.

Quarterly reports are commonly used by companies, and may sometimes be mandated by the SEC.

Understanding Interim Statements

A quarterly report is an example of an interim statement because it is issued before year end.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) suggests certain standards be included while preparing interim statements. These include a series of condensed statements covering the company's financial position, income, cash flows, and changes in equity along with notes of explanation.

The IASB also suggests that companies should follow the same guidelines in their interim statements as they use in preparing their annual reports (which are audited), including the use of similar accounting methods.

Interim statements offer a more timely look into a businesss operations, rather than waiting until year-end statements, which do not officially become available for months after year-end close anyway. Investors find the periodic snapshots helpful when allocating investment capital  all of which leads to greater market liquidity  a prime goal of capital markets.

These reports can also alert investors and analysts to recent changes that meaningfully affect the corporation. A form 8-K, for instance, is used to report unscheduled material events or corporate changes at a company that could be of importance to the shareholders or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The report notifies the public of events reported including acquisition, bankruptcy, resignation of directors, or a change in the fiscal year. Form 8-K reports may be issued based on other events up to the company's discretion that the registrant considers to be of importance to shareholders.

Example: Quarterly Reports

The most common interim statement may be the quarterly report. A quarterly report is a summary or collection of un-audited financial statements, such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements, issued by companies every quarter (three months). In addition to reporting quarterly figures, these statements may also provide year-to-date and comparative (e.g., last year's quarter to this year's quarter) results. Publicly-traded companies must file their reports with the Securities Exchange Commission. This form, known as a 10-Q, does not include all the detailed information, such as background and operations detail that the annual report (known as a 10-K) would.

The SEC also mandates that investment companies file quarterly reports if they manage more than $100 million, using a form 13F.

Most companies have an accounting period that ends with the calendar year: Dec. 31 and quarters that end on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. Quarterly reports are typically filed within a few weeks of a quarter's end.
New Jersey man raises money for homeless veterans with cross-country walk

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Tommy Pasquale of Randolph, N.J., shared with Fox News Digital that he's on a mission to support America's veterans by walking to Venice Beach, California.

A New Jersey man is walking across the country for a very good cause.

Tommy Pasquale of Randolph, New Jersey, is on a mission to trek all the way to Venice Beach, California, from New Jersey to raise money for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

The 24-year-old left Brielle Road Beach in Manasquan, New Jersey, on Sept. 19, 2022, with the goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean by April 2023.

Pasquale said that the 38,000 veterans who go to sleep homeless across the United States is an "unacceptable" number  especially in a country "as great as the United States."

VETERAN OF US ARMY REGAINS ABILITY TO MOVE FINGERS WITH NEW PROCEDURE, PROSTHETICS: HOPE FOR NORMAL FUTURE

"I think its not too much to ask that when they get home, they have a good place to live and rest their hat at the end of the day," he said.

Pasquale revealed to Fox News Digital that his mission is a journey "from sea to shining sea" in true American fashion.

Tommy Pasquale is on a mission to walk from Manasquan, New Jersey, to Venice Beach, California, to raise money for America's homeless veterans. (Tommy Pasquale)

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was forced into lockdown, Pasquale said that it's been a dream of his to "do something crazy" such as walk across the country.

"I decided if theres ever a point where Im going to do it, the time is now when Im young, Im strong and Im healthy," he said.

MILITARY RECRUITS RECEIVE FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS TO ROTC SCHOOLS AT NEW YORK JETS GAME: TRULY GRATEFUL

"So, I went for it and Im glad I did, although its definitely a little crazy."

Pasquale quit his job  he worked in software sales in New York City. He also sold his car, using the money hed saved to take the trip.

Tommy Pasquale of Randolph, New Jersey, walks with his cart as he leaves Manasquan, New Jersey on Sept. 19, 2022. (Tommy Pasquale)

"It should last me until I get there," he said. "But currently, I have no income."

Pasquale decided to pair the cross-country walk with the "good cause" of fighting veteran homelessness. He has several veterans and active-duty military in his own circle.

ON PTSD AWARENESS DAY, IMPORTANT HELP FOR VETERANS, MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS IN SEARCH OF BETTER SLEEP

"Ive always been passionate about helping out veterans in any way I can because theyve given so much to us," he said.

Pasquale is calling the journey "Tommy Walks America"  and he's been keeping his followers in the loop through social media.

Before the trip, Pasquale trained by walking every day. Although he was fit enough for the job, he realized the journey would be physically and mentally tough.

"I knew it was going to be challenging," he said. "Im not quite sure if I realized how challenging it was going to be until I got out here."

NEW YORK JETS PAY TRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S MILITARY, VETERANS WITH ANNUAL SALUTE TO SERVICE GAME

"I was definitely nervous. I was excited, cautiously optimistic  but until you go out there and take the first step and start doing it, its all unknown."

He added, "Sometimes you just got to send it."

Tommy Pasquale takes a final walk on one of his "favorite beaches" in New Jersey before leaving for his cross-country trek on Sept. 19, 2022. (Tommy Pasquale)

Pasquale said he walks at least 20 miles each day, following county highways and small back roads, while pushing a shopping cart full of essentials such as clothes, non-perishable food, toiletries, water, a journal, books and chargers.

The traveler spends most nights in a tent with a sleeping bag that hes brought along with him.

But hes been able to bunk with friends, too  and even people hes met along the way  who live en route.

Since traveling about 925 miles to Nashville, Pasquale revealed that his trusty pairs of New Balance and HOKA sneakers are just about spent.

Tommy Pasquale walks down the street in Manasquan, New Jersey, on Sept. 19, 2022. (Tommy Pasquale)

"They have served their purpose," he said. "Definitely need some new sneakers now."

Pasquale has received "a lot of support" so far from people he knows, as well as from strangers, he said  including country music star Parker McCollum, who offered Pasquale tickets to the Country Music Awards while he was in Music City on Nov. 9.

GOLD STAR FAMILIES LOVE AMERICA PASSIONATELY: LESSONS FROM NONPROFIT'S COMMEMORATIVE JOURNEY

"Any time I get to stop and see something cool or stop in a cool city like Nashville, I definitely want to take my time and enjoy it," he said.

While Pasquale is a third of the way through his journey as of right now, he revealed that hes learned a lot about himself and the world around him, especially in a nation that seems so divided.

Twenty-four-year-old Tommy Pasquale poses with his new cart  after the first cart broke  filled with essentials for his walk across the U.S. on day six of the trip in Pennsylvania. (Tommy Pasquale)

"There are so many good people that are out there still  like, genuine, good people," he said.

"At the end of the day, most Americans just want to help out their fellow Americans any way they can, and I think its a pretty special thing."

SECRETS OF GETTING INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT THIS YEAR: GIVE BACK TO OTHERS

He also said, "Different parts of this country are so different, but people are genuine wherever you go."

Tommy Pasquale stops at American Legion Post 330 in Culpeper, Virginia, as he walks across America on behalf of America's homeless veterans. (Tommy Pasquale)

Pasquales goal is to raise $100,000 for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, but he believes hell be able to raise much more.

"I dont think its out of the question to think that we could raise $1 million," he said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

He added, "Any time you get the chance to meet a veteran, make sure you shake their hand and give them a hardy thank you for what they do for this country."

Pasquale said that 100% of all donations he receives will go to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

Pasquale added that he plans to fly back home to New Jersey once he makes it to his final destination in California.

"When I get home, I might park it on the couch and not take any steps for about a month," he said, laughing.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Donations can be made at GoFundMe and the Tommy Walks America info page at linktr.ee/tommy_pasquale.

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital.
What Does "Spider" Mean?shib a good investment

Spider (SPDR) is a short form name for a Standard & Poor's depository receipt, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) managed by State Street Global Advisors that tracks the Standard & Poor's 500 index (S&P 500). Each share of an SPDR contains a 10th of the S&P 500 index and trades at roughly a 10th of the dollar-value level of the S&P 500. SPDRs can also refer to the general group of ETFs to which the Standard & Poor's depositary receipt belongs.

Key Takeaways

"Spider" refers to Standard & Poor's Depository Receipts, or SPDR, which is an exchange-traded fund that tracks its underlying index, the S&P 500.

The ETF trades at one-tenth of the value of the S&P. IF the S&P is trading at $3,000, SPDR will trade at $300.

SPDRs are the cornerstone of many investor portfolios.

Due to the price, the fund is accessible to almost anyone who wishes to invest in the S&P 500 through an ETF.

How Spiders (SPDRs) Work

Spiders are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after the acquisition of the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) under the ticker symbol SPY. By trading similar to stocks, spiders have continuous liquidity, can be short sold, bought on margin, provide regular dividend payments and incur regular brokerage commissions when traded.

Spiders are used by large institutions and traders as bets on the overall direction of the market. They are also used by individual investors who believe in passive management or index investing. In this respect, spiders compete directly with S&P 500 index funds and provide an alternative to traditional mutual fund investment.

SPDRs can be purchased and sold through a brokerage account, meaning that strategies that use stop-losses and limit orders can be implemented.

SPDRs provide investors with value in much the same way as a mutual fund, but they trade like a common equity. For example, the returns of a SPDR is calculated using net asset value (NAV), just like a fund, which is derived using the aggregate value of the underlying group of investments.

The Origin of SPDR ETFs

SPDRs arrived in 1993 after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a 1988 report faulting automated orders for all index stocks for contributing to the "Black Monday" crash of 1987. The report stated that an instrument for trading a basket of stocks at one time could prevent the problem in the future. In response, the AMEX and several other organizations developed the SPY. The original ETF launched with $6.53 million in securities and, after initial difficulty persuading institutions to purchase the product, it soared to $1 billion in three years. The size of the ETF market as of Sept. 30, 2017, has exploded to $3.5 trillion in assets.

Examples of SPDR ETFs

Investors can use SPDRs to realize broad diversification to specific portions of the market. For example, the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF is an investment vehicle that seeks to provide investment results that track the total return performance of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index. This means that the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF indexes dividend-paying stocks that are a part of the S&P 500. The ETF is made up of a total of 109 companies and tracks performance through its NAV, which is communicated as a price per share.

However, this is not the only SPDR that an investor can use to realize a diversified investment in the S&P 500. Using another real-world example, investors can invest in SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF, which is an investment vehicle that reflects the performance of companies within the S&P 500 that conduct business as regional banks or thrifts. Specifically, the ETF seeks to provide results that match to the total return of the S&P Regional Banks Select Industry Index. The ETF is comprised of 102 companies in the S&P and also derives its value with its NAV, disseminated as a price per share.
After recent rainfall and rising levels in the Rapidan River, Greene County is lifting its mandatory water-use restrictions that were put in place a week into September.

Greene had one of the more stringent responses to the ongoing drought affecting Central Virginia; nearby localities such as Charlottesville and Albemarle County only suggested voluntary restrictions on water use.

In a statement issued Friday, Greene County reminded residents that the area is still in a drought and encouraged water conservation regardless.

While recent rainfalls have increased the water level in the Rapidan River, we could return to low levels without further precipitation, Alan Harrison, director of Greene County Water and Sewer, said in the statement. We encourage everyone to practice voluntary conservation measures until we receive sufficient rainfall.

The mandatory restrictions were lifted Friday.

Residents are still encouraged to use voluntary water conservation measures such as:

Check toilets, faucets, hoses and couplings for leaks and repair.

Take shorter showers, and turn off the water when shampooing, shaving or brushing teeth.

Reduce or eliminate outdoor water use, including watering of lawns and landscaping.

If necessary, use the least amount of water necessary, water lawns on even or odd days.

Based on address, even-number addresses water on even days of the month, odd-number addresses water on odd days of the month.

Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off porches, stairs, driveways and sidewalks.

Wash only full loads in washing machines and dishwashers or use the appropriate water-level selection.

Reduce or eliminate vehicle washing.

Scrape, dont rinse, dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

Wash vegetables and fruits in a basin of water, not allowing the water to run while washing.

Greene County said it will advise residents when river levels either return to the point that mandatory restrictions are again required or when voluntary restrictions are no longer called for.
Definition of Visual Imagery

Imagery is casino castle bonus codesone of the most-used literary devices that allows the writer to sketch or paint the pictures of his choice in the readers mind. It triggers the senses and produces a picture in imagination. In literature, it helps the reader to feel the situations, emotions, setting, and characters more deeply and profoundly. Visual imagery helps to form a mental image and evoke imagination. The writer uses visual qualities i.e., color, shape, light, pattern, even shadows, etc., to allow the reader to better perceive the glimpse of his suggested vision. It helps the writer to engage the reader more actively in the text. In short, it opens a whole new world in front of a reader to explore. You can read about imagery here  https://literarydevices.net/imagery/

Visual Imagery In Poems

In poetries, visual imagery plays a major role. It helps the poet to intensify the impact and strength of his words. Furthermore, visual imagery beautifies the language and leaves a long-lasting impression in the readers mind. Some examples taken from well-known poems are given below.

Prelude by T.S. Elliots

On broken blinds and chimney-pots,

And at the corner of the street

A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.

And then the lighting of the lamps

In Prelude Elliot brings forth clear images of the wintry evening in the readers mind with minute details. It also includes the scene on the street with lights, smoke, and terrible conditions seen by the speaker.

Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frosts

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

The entire scene of snowy evening is brimming with visual images of snow. The poet also gives us the visual imagery of the woods and the lake during the winter season, especially when the sun has gone down.

Summer Night by Alfred Tennyson

Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;

Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;

Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font:

The firefly wakens: waken thou with me.

Now droops the milk-white peacock like a ghost,

And like a ghost she glimmers on to me.

Now lies the Earth all Danae to the stars,

And all thy heart lies open unto me.

Now slides the silent meteor on, and leaves

A shining furrow, as thy thoughts in me.

In this Alfred Tennyson has made great use of visual imagery. The beautiful description through this literary device enhances the beauty of summer night as we see the vivid visuals of fireflies, starlit sky, and nature during summer.

Kubla Khan by S. T. Coleridge

The shadow of the dome of pleasure

Floated midway on the waves;

Where we heard the mingled measure

From the fountain and the caves.

Here the attractive and appealing description of the dome that is floating on the river waves is one of the best examples of visual imagery in poetry.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

That floats on high oer vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

The first and the last stanza of this poem is rich with visual imagery. The poet has used the imagery in an impressive way that strikes strongly and appealingly to our visual senses as well as the others. The readers can visualize the meadows, and flowers and experience peace.

Visual Imagery In Shakespearean Work

William Shakespeare is one of the best authors who has inspired many literary works. The visual imagery that is presented in Shakespeares works has an outstanding impact on their absolute performance and evokes strong feelings in the readers and the beholders minds.

Macbeth

Is this a dagger which I see before me the handle towards my hand?

Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood; stop up the access and passage to remorse. Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry Hold, hold!  Lady Macbeths soliloquy

Never shake thy gory locks at me Macbeth to Banquos ghost.

This is the very painting of your fear Lady Macbeth to her husband.

The above-given examples from Macbeth are the proof that Shakespeare had used his descriptive visual aids in his language to trigger and charge the reader emotionally, such as seeing the dagger in ones hand, Lady Macbeths murderous intent on killing the King, Banquos hair and dreadful looks, and fear on Macbeths face.

The Tempest

of his bones are coral made

Those are pearls that were his eyes

Nothing of him that doth change

But doth suffer a sea-changeInto

something rich and strange

This play is also one of the masterpieces of Shakespeare that is rich in visual imagery. These lines have the most captivating and bewitching visual imagery that we can see as it shows the enchanting land with its ethereal quality as described by Ariel.

Visual Imagery In The Bible

In literature, visual imagery can be found in many places. The Bible is one of the best examples of literature with rich literary devices. Especially the old testament is full of images and visual impressions to enhance the depth of the topic and theme, some examples are as follows.

Your word is a lamp to my feetand a light to my path. (Nun)

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12:

Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammerthat breaks a rock in pieces?  Jeremiah 23:29

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing ithe will be blessed in what he does.  James 1:22-25

The lamp is used here as an image of Gods revelation and knowledge. Here the Bible and the words are described as a double-edged sword. Here the fire of knowledge is enough to melt or smashes away the stony heart into true repentance of sin. So the hard stony heart turns into the heart of flesh and blood. In an up-given verse, the mirror is an image used for an insight view of a man.

A Few More Examples Of Visual Imagery

You can also use visual imagery in daily conversation helps the writer to show not only tells. The range of this imagery can be from objects to something unusual.

James took the torn and faded leather-bound diary from Sonia. As he opened the cover, dried rose petals fell on the ground like dust.

Ashely leaned back slowly on her soft, pink couch, holding her sugary crystal drink. She loved watching the sun setting down as the water shimmered in shades of orange, red, and gold.

Tucker carelessly flipped through the pages, while eating a spoonful of yogurt, with chin in his hand, he looked at the heading of todays newspaper on Page 5. He opened his mouth in shock, sat up straight, and took off his glasses.

Effects Of Visual Imagery

No doubt visual imagery links with the perceptual processes and helps to improve memory. It has a better deep impact on the human brain to recall images. Sometimes it can be treated as a stress balancing tool; it helps the writer to calm the reader through his pictorial details.

The soul never thinks without an image. Aristotle

In short visual imagery helps the writer to bring every detail to life that he wants to show. It gives a realistic touch to a piece of writing and draws the readers interest. It makes the writing more functional and effective through its direct impact. Lastly, it is the art of showing not telling.

Related posts:
William Hill today announced that it has accepted a cash offer from US casino operator Caesars Entertainment Inc. that values the British bookmaker at approximately 2.9 billion.

Todays announcement comes after Caesars tabled its offer this past Monday and after William Hill said in a Friday statement that it has received separate initial cash proposals from the casino powerhouse and US private equity firm Apollo Management International.

Caesars will pay 272p per William Hill sharein cash. The deal is subject to anti-trust and regulatory approvals as well as to William Hill shareholders voting in favor.

Caesars Woos William Hill with 2.9 Billion Takeover Offer

William Hill said that its Board of Directors would unanimously and unconditionallyrecommend the transaction. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2021, if it clears successfully all pending hurdles.

Caesars already owns a 20% in William Hills US businessas part of a joint venture between the British bookmaker and Eldorado Resorts in 2018. Under that partnership, William Hill is now the exclusive operator of sportsbooks at Caesars properties across multiple US states.

It should be noted that Eldorado and Caesars Entertainment Corp. tied-up this summer in a $17.3 billion dealthat created the largest US casino operator by number of properties. The enlarged group inherited Eldorados partnership with William Hill to provide the bookmaker with access to iconic Las Vegas Strip properties such as Caesars Palace and The LINQ, among others.

Caesars, Apollo Line Up to Buy William Hill amid US Sports Betting Gold Rush

Caesars Could Sell William Hills UK, European Business

Caesars said that when and if it acquires William Hill, its focus would be on the bookmakers US operations and that it would seek suitable partners or ownersfor its UK and international operations.

William Hill itself has been focusing a lot of efforts into growing its US footprint since the US Supreme Court Struck down in 2018 a federal ban on athletic gambling paving the way for a number of states to legalize sports betting.

William Hill established its US business in 2012and has since then opened sportsbooks across 13 states.

However, its UK business has been going through a rough patch over the past several years as the government has been tightening rules for operating in the local market. William Hill had to close 700 betting shopsafter a crackdown on the controversial fixed-odds betting terminals.

The coronavirus crisis added to the companys already shaky performance in its domestic market. William Hill announced in August that 119 of its retail sites across the UK would remain closed permanentlyas it did not expect pre-pandemic numbers to be reached any time soon.

Best Option for William Hill

Commenting the acquisition of William Hill, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said that the bookmakers sports betting expertise will complement Caesars current offeringand would enable the combined group to serve our customers in the fast-growing US sports betting and online market.

Caesars said today that it plans to broaden its current joint venture with William Hill in order to fully maximizethe opportunity in the sports betting and gaming sector.

William Hill Chairman Roger Devlin said that Caesars offer is the best option for William Hill at an attractive price for shareholders.

The deal needs the approval of 75% of the British companys shareholdersin order to close. It should be noted that Caesars did not really leave William Hill with much choice when it tabled its offer this past Monday.

The casino operator said that it would be able to exercise its right to terminate aspects of its US joint venturewith the bookmaker if William Hill chose to accept a rival takeover offer from Apollo or other potential bidder.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories
Pat Fallon rips Biden's climate push on the world stage: 'This is ridiculous'

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Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, responds to Biden's war on energy, his failure to discuss COVID and fentanyl with Xi Jinping and Putin's absence from the G20 summit.

President Biden unexpectedly skipped the G-20 gala in Indonesia Tuesday and returned early to his hotel room for the night.

Though the dinner was on the presidents public schedule for the day, he instead turned in early after a lengthy day of meetings and events.

It is unclear why exactly Biden did not hit the gala, but according to the White House press pool, an administration official said, "The president just had spent a full day [of] meetings and needed to attend to a few items tonight."

President Biden speaks during a news conference on the sidelines of the G-20 summit meeting on Nov. 14 in Bali, Indonesia. (AP/Alex Brandon)

BIDEN ANNOUNCES $20B TO MOVE INDONESIA AWAY FROM COAL

The spokesperson said Biden spoke to Indonesian President Joko Widodo about his regret over not attending the dinner who reportedly told Biden "it was not an issue."

The White House official noted that the "items" in question were "not urgent" though his absence comes after he was photographed with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who tested positive for COVID Monday.

President Biden shakes hands with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen before their meeting during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

BIDEN-XI MEETING DID NOT MENTION COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ACCORDING TO WHITE HOUSE

The Cambodian leader hosted Biden and other world leaders at a summit in the capital city of Phnom Penh over the weekend in the lead up to the world forum in Indonesia, where Biden spent considerable time with him and sat next to him during a Saturday event.

Hun Sen said he first tested positive on Monday and was confirmed to have contracted the infectious disease by an Indonesian doctor Tuesday.

Sitting next to Indonesian President Joao Widodo, President Biden smiles during the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment meeting at the G-20 summit, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The White House said Biden tested negative as recently as Tuesday morning and said the president is not considered to be a "close contact" as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden appears to be on track to follow his Wednesday schedule and the White House official confirmed that he "looks forward to seeing [Widodo] at the mangrove planting tomorrow."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.
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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 Davidson CurrentAfter George Davidson (18251911), U.S. astronomer and geodesistDavid Copperfield, David I, Davidic, David II, Davidson, Davidson Current, Davie, Davies, Davila y Padilla, da Vinci, DavisDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Definition of Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is cryptosporidium antigen stoola literary device that writers utilize as a means to indicate or hint to readers something that is to follow or appear later in a story. Foreshadowing, when done properly, is an excellent device in terms of creating suspense and dramatic tension for readers. It can set up emotional expectations of character behaviors and/or plot outcomes. This can heighten a readers enjoyment of a literary work, enhance the works meaning, and help the reader make connections with other literature and literary themes.

nathaniel hawthorne utilizes foreshadowing effectively in his short story Young Goodman Brown. The title characters rendezvous with the devil is foreshadowed by many plot elements, including the example that his nighttime companion carries a crooked staff that resembles a great black snake. This foreshadowing indicates for the reader not only that the devil is Goodman Browns companion, but a sense of the impending temptation and test of faith to follow in the story. The serpent-like staff used by the devil in the story allows the reader to connect Hawthornes tale and themes with those of the book of Genesisand the Garden of Eden.

Common Examples of Foreshadowing

Writers and storytellers utilize recurring symbols, motifs, and other elements as foreshadowing. Readers and audiences often recognize these elements as hints of what might be to come in a story. Here are some common examples of elements used as foreshadowing:

Dialogue, such as I have a bad feeling about this

Symbols, such as blood, certain colors, types of birds, weapons

Weather motifs, such as storm clouds, wind, rain, clearing skies

Omens, such as prophecies or broken mirror

Character reactions, such as apprehension, curiosity, secrecy

Time and/or season, such as midnight, dawn, spring, winter

Settings, such as graveyard, battlefield, isolated path, river

Examples of Titles with Foreshadowing

The title of a literary work can be used to foreshadow its plot events. Here are some examples of titles that contain foreshadowing:

The Fall of the House of Usher

Murder on the Orient Express

Love in the Time of Cholera

The Story of an Hour

Roger Malvins Burial

The Crying of Lot 49

A Telephone Call

As I Lay Dying

A Romantic Weekend

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Famous Examples of Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is an effective device for nearly any type of literary work and most forms of storytelling media. This includes poetry, short fiction, drama, novels, television, and movies. Here are some famous examples of foreshadowing from these forms of narrative:

Poetry

The killing of the albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

The dark, bleak, midnight setting in The Raven

Short Fiction

Apprehension felt by the townspeople in The Lottery

Purchase of arsenic by Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily

Drama

Romeos statement My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love in Romeo and Juliet

The hint of expectation in the title of Waiting for Godot

Novels

the leaves fell early that year (foreshadowing death) in A Farewell to Arms

The symbolic pain of Harrys scar in the Harry Potterseries

Television

House of Stark words Winter Is Coming in Game of Thrones

The appearance of Kennys character in South Park

Movies

Dorothy singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz

The only person who replies to the therapist is the boy who sees dead people in The Sixth Sense

Difference Between Foreshadowing, Flashback, and Flashforward

Foreshadow indicates the future through a seamless narrative happening. A flashback is a memory recall device that occasionally brings some happenings into the narrative having no chronological order or sequence. Foreshadowing just describes what is going to happen in the story, while flashback presents what has happened in the story and has just come into the mind of the narrator.

Some readers may confuse foreshadowing and flashbacks as literary devices. Both techniques are designed to enhance the narrative of a literary work. However, foreshadowing is intended to provide readers with just a hint or sense of what is to come in a story. Flashback is intended to directly provide readers with exposition, or background information in terms of plot and/or character development.

Flashback interrupts a narrative plotline to present an earlier scene or episode in order to provide clarification or information for the reader. This works as a means of promoting and enhancing reader understanding of a literary work by setting forth context and exposition cues. Foreshadowing also enhances the readers understanding of a literary work. Foreshadowing is generally more subtle than flashback and is not intended for expository or clarification purposes. Rather than interrupting the narrative, proper foreshadowing is artfully woven into the story when done properly.

Flashforward, otherwise known as prolepsis, is mostly used to narrate possible events or a storyline that is expected or imagined to happen in the near or distant future. Unlike flashbacks, they reveal significant parts of the story that did not happen yet. Flashforwards are written in greater detail. While it is similar to foreshadowing, in which future events are not shown but somewhat hinted and readers are left to understand it.

Writing Foreshadowing

Overall, as a literary device, foreshadowing functions as a means of focusing a readers attention and/or setting up anticipation of a narrative revelation or plot twist. This is effective for readers in that foreshadowing primes their emotions and expectations for something to be revealed. This can enhance the enjoyment, meaning, and understanding of a literary work when foreshadowing is properly used.

Writers tend to utilize one of two forms of foreshadowing in their work:

Direct foreshadowing : This form of literary device is used by writers who wish to directly and pointedly hint at or indicate a particular outcome for readers. At times, it benefits writers to explicitly reveal what happens in a story through direct foreshadowing. This allows the reader to focus on other aspects of the narrative besides plot outcomes.

: This form of literary device is used by writers who wish to directly and pointedly hint at or indicate a particular outcome for readers. At times, it benefits writers to explicitly reveal what happens in a story through direct foreshadowing. This allows the reader to focus on other aspects of the narrative besides plot outcomes. Indirect foreshadowing: This form of literary device is used by writers who wish to indirectly and subtly hint at or indicate a particular outcome for readers. When it comes to indirect foreshadowing, it is often so effective that it may not be apparent to readers until after the outcome has taken place. In addition, readers may not realize the significance or meaning of indirect foreshadowing until the outcome reveals it.

Unfortunately, when foreshadowing is used poorly, inadequately, or improperly, it can leave readers feeling disappointed and/or confused. This can undermine the effectiveness of a storys plot, character development, theme, and artistic quality. Therefore, writers must consider the use of foreshadowing carefully and artfully, so that it is not misconstrued, too overt, or too subtle to be recognized.

Examples of Foreshadowing in Literature

Foreshadowing is an effective literary device in terms of preparing readers for events to come or narrative reveals. This device is valuable, as it allows readers to make connections between themes, characters, symbols, and moreboth within a literary work and between works of literature. Here are some examples of foreshadowing and how it adds to the significance of well-known literary works:

Example 1: Of Mice and Men(John Steinbeck)

You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasnt no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebodyd shoot me. But they wont do nothing like that. I wont have no place to go, an I get no more jobs.

Steinbeck utilizes foreshadowing in Of Mice and Menis very subtle. Most readers are shocked by the ending of the novel. However, Steinbeck incorporates an earlier scene in the story that mirrors and hints at the final outcome. This foreshadowing takes place when the character Candys dog is shot as a mercy killing. Like Candy himself, his dog is growing old and has outlived his usefulness in the eyes of the ranch hands. Candy confesses to George the agony of his decision to let Carlson kill his dog, the regret of not having done so himself, and his fear that he will have nobody to put him out of his own misery when the time comes. This scene foreshadows the decision George must make regarding Lennie at the end of the novel.

Example 2: Macbeth (William Shakespeare)

By the pricking of my thumb,

Something wicked this way comes.

In Shakespeares play, the second witch makes this pronouncement at Macbeths approach. Her statement indicates an intuitive sense of foreboding, symbolized by the witchs physical sensation in her thumb. This is foreshadowing for the reader of the events to come in the story and Macbeths true nature as someone who is capable of betrayal and murder as a means of keeping his power as king.

Shakespeares use of direct foreshadowing in this scene confirms for the reader Macbeths guilt and corruption. Throughout the play, the witches speak indirectly through their prophecies and veiled predictions, all of which are subtle examples of foreshadowing that must be deciphered and interpreted by the reader. However, with this pointed and direct statement of foreshadowing, there is no doubt for Shakespeares audience that Macbeth deserves his outcome in the play.

Example 3: A Good Man Is Hard to Find(Flannery OConnor)

[I]t would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadnt of reckernized me. Bailey turned his head sharply and said something to his mother that shocked even the children. The old lady began to cry and The Misfit reddened.

In OConnors short story, the news of a recently escaped murderer called The Misfit is mentioned many times by several characters, before and during the familys vacation journey. In fact, the grandmothers character seems preoccupied with The Misfits story, which calls the readers attention to it as well. This is a clever use of foreshadowing on the part of OConnor in the sense that it appears to be almost too direct of a hint for the reader that the family will encounter this criminal.

As a result, the reader is simultaneously prepared for yet surprised by the plot reveal that the family does meet The Misfit and that he is recognized and acknowledged by the grandmother. The resulting violence in the story, however, remains a shock despite the fact that the grandmother and her entire family, as well as OConnors readers, are familiar with The Misfits background and his crimes. OConnors foreshadowing of The Misfit as a murderer has an almost opposite effect on the readers expectations for the outcome of the story.

Synonyms of Foreshadowing

Foreshadow, similar to many literary devices, does not have direct meaning. The closest synonyms include augur, presage, portend, prognosticate, foreshow, foretell, indicate, suggest, herald, signal, forewarn, forebode, anticipate, warn of, and harbinger.

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What Is a Pareto Improvement?bet365 online casino casino war

Under the rubric of neoclassical economic theory, a Pareto improvement occurs when a change in allocation harms no one and helps at least one person, given an initial allocation of goods for a set of persons. The theory states that Pareto improvements can keep enhancing value to an economy until it achieves a Pareto optimum, where no more Pareto improvements can be made.

Key Takeaways

A Pareto improvement is an improvement to a system when a change in allocation of goods harms no one and benefits at least one person.

Pareto improvements are also referred to as "no-brainers" and are generally expected to be rare, due to the obvious and powerful incentive to make any available Pareto improvement.

Analysis of Pareto improvements cannot distinguish between alternatives that create the same amount of improvement but favor different people or groups.

Understanding Pareto Improvement

Named after Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), an Italian economist and political scientist also renowned for the Pareto Principle, a Pareto improvement is an action that makes at least one person better off without making anyone worse off.

Given an initial allocation of goods or resources for a set of individuals, if a change in resources benefits at least one person while harming no one else, a Pareto improvement has been made. These improvements can continue to a point where the allocation is Pareto efficientalso known as Pareto optimal. At a Pareto optimum, no more changes can be made to the allocation without making someone worse off.

The goal of Pareto improvements in the general economy is to create a net benefit to society that also does not harm any member of the society. If a Pareto improvement is possible, it always makes sense to do. Colloquially, a Pareto improvement is also known as a "no-brainer," based on the supposition that only a person with no brain would not take a Pareto improvement.

Pareto in Practice

Aside from applications in economics, the concept of Pareto improvements can be found in the fields of life sciences, engineering, and any academic discipline where trade-offs are simulated and studied to determine the number and type of reallocation of resource variables necessary to achieve Pareto equilibrium.

In the business world, factory managers may run Pareto improvement trials in which, for example, they reallocate labor resources to try to boost the productivity of assembly workers without decreasing the productivity of the packing and shipping workers. If such an adjustment to production can be found, then the business should always make it. Failing to do so is like leaving money on the table.

Consumers can also consider Pareto improvements to the mix of goods that they consume. If some change to a consumer's behavior will allow them to enjoy more of some good, without sacrificing anything else, then such a move would be a Pareto improvement for that consumer. The consumer literally gets something for nothing by making a Pareto improvement.

Pareto Critique

Pareto improvements, along with Pareto efficiency, are criticized in the realm of political economy because they are alleged not to address issues of fairness among different groups of people. Pareto analysis can not distinguish between two different moves that are both Pareto improvements, but that favor different individuals or groups.

Pareto improvements inform only steps to reach an efficient state, not necessarily an "equitable" one based on the other ethical values of the decision-makers, especially if their goal is to do harm to some individuals or segments of the population in the name of "equity." For example, if by some reallocation of society's resources the wealthy class of a society is made better off without hurting the poor, then a Pareto improvement has been made.

Similarly, a change that can make the poor better off without making the rich worse off would also be a Pareto improvement. However, if policymakers' goal is to favor one group over another, or to harm or punish certain classes or individuals in the society, then Pareto analysis has little to say.

A more serious challenge to Pareto improvement is that Pareto improvements are often hard to find in practice, because of the obvious and powerful incentive to always make any available Pareto improvement. Most of the time, we should expect that if a Pareto improvement were possible, then it would have already been made, so true Pareto improvements should be rather rare.

An exception to this is a situation where the existing allocation of resources is based on notions of "equity" that have been put in place to deliberately harm some people. In this case, Pareto improvements may be easily available but forgone in the name of "equity."

Pareto Improvement vs. Kaldor-Hicks Improvement

It might still be possible to effect a change that represents a net gain for society but isn't a Pareto improvement. A Kaldor-Hicks improvement is designed to overcome this shortcoming of Pareto improvements. In a Kaldor-Hicks improvement, someone is made better off and someone else is made worse off, but the gains for the winners are larger than the losses to the losers.

So, with a Kaldor-Hicks improvement, there is a net gain for society when the gains and losses are all added together. These net gains should in theory be enough to compensate for the individuals' losses, though actual transfers from the winners to the losers may or may not occur and are not strictly necessary for a move to be a Kaldor-Hicks improvement.

Examples of Pareto Improvement

Suppose an equal amount of funds can be disbursed (ex nihilo) to two families, one rich and another poor. The amount helps lift the latter above the poverty level but does not make much difference to the overall income of the former.

Either way, this is a Pareto improvement as long as the disbursed funds are not first taken from someone and as long as the resulting distribution of real goods and services once the funds have been distributed and spent by the recipient does not result in anyone's consumption being reduced. In practice, both of these conditions are virtually impossible.

Another example of Pareto improvement is the case of two students exchanging lunchboxes. One of the students, who does not like cheeseburgers, gives their burger to another student who considers it delicious. Even though one of the students gives away their burger, no one is worse off and both students are satisfied with the trade exchange. This is an example of a Pareto improvement.
Stream of Consciousness Definition

Theaura24 exch betty chords of literary device stream of consciousness is the continuous flow of thoughts of a person and recorded, thereof, in literature as they occur. In other words, it means to capture a continuous stream of thoughts into words and then scribble them on paper for others to read. This device is used as a noun. The term was first used by a psychologist, William James, in his work published in 1890.

 it is nothing joined; it flows. A river or a stream is the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, lets call it the stream of thought, consciousness, or subjective life.  William James from The Principles of Psychology.

Another appropriate term for this device is interior monologue, where the individual thought processes of a character, associated with his or her actions, are portrayed in the form of a monologue that addresses the character itself. Therefore, it is different from the dramatic monologue or soliloquy, where the speaker addresses the audience or the third person.

Difference Between Stream of Consciousness and Free Writing

Stream of consciousness and free writing seems the same. However, the stream of consciousness is a literary activity in which the character is planned, sketched, and then thoughts are scribbled afterward. In freewriting, it is specific, planned, and topic-centered. It is non-fiction as well as a fictional activity. On the other hand, the stream of consciousness in literature writing is character-specific and objective-oriented. Yet, in one way, both are similar in that both need a free mind to write on some topic which in the case of fiction could be a character while in the case of free writing could be a non-fictional essay.

Difference between Traditional Prose and Stream of Consciousness:

Syntax: Syntax in traditional prose is correct, has an appropriate structure, and is to the point, while it could be choppy, poor, and even wrong in the case of a stream of consciousness. Grammar: There is no sense of grammar in the stream of consciousness writing when it is jumbled up or the mind is in a state of flux. However, it is correct, pure, and exact in traditional prose. Association: Traditional prose has some association with the general world while the stream of consciousness is removed from reality and is associated with the mind of the character. Repetition: Traditional prose is not repetitious unless it is rhetoric, while the writing in a stream of consciousness could be repetitious to the point of annoyance. Plot Structure: The plotis structureless in the case of a stream of consciousness, while in the case of traditional prose, it is well organized.

How to Write Stream of Consciousness?

A writer must keep the following points in mind when writing in a stream of consciousness style.

It must be character-specific. It must sync with the characters world; profession, relations, work, near and dear ones, and even daily activities. It must seem to follow the thoughts of that person. It must have some links and pieces of evidence of the thought process. It must not have a structure, grammar, or any other formal linguistic evidence unless it is recorded for an educational academic.

Examples of Stream of Consciousness in Literature

The stream of consciousness style of writing is marked by the sudden rise of thoughts and lack of punctuation. The use of this narration style is generally associated with the modern novelist and short story writers of the 20th century. Let us analyze a few examples of the stream of consciousness narrative technique in literature:

Example #1 Ulysses by James Joyce

James Joyce successfully employs the narrative mode in his novel Ulysses, which describes a day in the life of a middle-aged Jew, Mr. Leopold Broom, living in Dublin, Ireland. Read the following excerpt:

He is young Leopold, as in a retrospective arrangement, a mirror within a mirror (hey, presto!), he beholdeth himself. That young figure of then is seen, precious manly, walking on a nipping morning from the old house in Clambrassil to the high school, his book satchel on him bandolier wise, and in it a goodly hunk of wheaten loaf, a mothers thought.

These lines reveal the thoughts of Bloom, as he thinks of the younger Bloom. The self-reflection is achieved by the flow of thoughts that takes him back to his past.

Example #2 Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

What a lark! What a plunge! For so it always seemed to me when, with a little squeak of the hinges, which I can hear now, I burst open the French windows and plunged at Bourton into the open air. How fresh, how calm, stiller than this of course, the air was in the early morning; like the flap of a wave; the kiss of a wave; chill and sharp and yet (for a girl of eighteen as I then was) solemn, feeling as I did, standing there at the open window, that something awful was about to happen 

Another 20th-century writer that followed James Joyces narrative method was Virginia Woolf. By voicing her internal feelings, Ms. Woolf gives freedom to the characters to travel back and forth in time. Mrs. Dalloway went out to buy flowers for herself, and on the way her thoughts move through the past and present, giving us an insight into the complex nature of her character.

Example #3 The British Museum Is Falling Down by David Lodge

It partook, he thought, shifting his weight in the saddle, of metempsychosis, the way his humble life fell into moulds prepared by literature. Or was it, he wondered, picking his nose, the result of closely studying the sentence structure of the English novelists? One had resigned oneself to having no private language any more, but one had clung wistfully to the illusion of a personal property of events. A find and fruitless illusion, it seemed, for here, inevitably came the limousine, with its Very Important Personage, or Personages, dimly visible in the interior. The policeman saluted, and the crowd pressed forward, murmuring Philip, Tony, Margaret, Prince Andrew.

We notice the use of this technique in David Lodges novel The British Museum Is Falling Down. It is a comic novel that imitates the stream of consciousness narrative techniques of writers like Henry James, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf. We see the imitation of the typical structure of the stream-of-conscious narrative technique of Virginia Woolf. We notice the integration of the outer and inner realities in the passage that is so typical of Virginia Woolf, especially the induction of the reporting clauses he thought, and he wondered, in the middle of the reported clauses.

Example #4 Notes from The Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

I have been going on like that for a long timetwenty years. Now I am forty. I used to be in the government service, but am no longer. I was a spiteful official. I was rude and took pleasure in being so. I did not take bribes, you see, so I was bound to find a recompense in that, at least. (A poor jest,but I will not scratch it out. I wrote it thinking it would sound very witty; but now that I have seen myself that I only wanted to show off in a despicable way, I will not scratch it out on purpose!)

This passage can be found at the beginning of the novel. The protagonist of the novel narrates how he has passed more than four decades of his life as it is and has been expelled from the government service. The first-person narration shows his thoughts converted into words. However, the novel was written in Russian and translated into English. Hence, grammar, syntax, and style do not seem to follow the same pattern. However, the monologue occurs in the consciousness of a person.

Example #5 As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Well, it isnt like they cost me anything, I say. I saved them out and swapped a dozen of them for the sugar and flour. It isnt like the cakes cost me anything, as Mr Tull himself realises that the eggs I saved were over and beyond what we had engaged to sell, so it was like we had found the eggs or they had been given to us. She ought to taken those cakes when she same as gave you her word, Kate says. The Lord can see into the heart. If it is His will that some folks has different ideas of honesty from other folks, it is not my place to question His decree.

These passages are borrowed from As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. Cora narrates how she has saved something sugar and floor and that Mr. Tull has made her realize that the eggs are now finished. In the next passage, Kate also adds to things that are coming into their stream of consciousness. This stream of consciousness shows, somewhat, sophisticated thoughts with good wording, good grammar, and good sentence structure.

Example #6 On the Road by Jack Kerouac

During the following week, he confided in Chad King that he absolutely had to learn how to write from him; Chad said I was a writer and he should come to me for advice. Meanwhile Dean had gotten a job in a parking lot, had a fight with Marylou in their Hoboken apartment  God knows why they went there  and she was so mad and so down deep vindictive that she reported to the police some false trumped-up hysterical crazy charge, and Dean had to lam from Hoboken. So he had no place to live. He came right out to Paterson, New Jersey, where I was living with my aunt, and one night while I was studying there was a knock on the door, and there was Dean, bowing, shuffling obsequiously in the dark of the hall, and saying, Hello, you remember me  Dean Moriarty? Ive come to ask you to show me how to write.

This passage, though, has good punctuation, and good wording gives the impression that Sal Paradise shows his understanding of different things and how his mind moves from Chad to Dean and vice versa with different places and persons coming in quick succession. This shows a beautiful example of the stream of consciousness.

Function of Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness is a style of writing developed by a group of writers at the beginning of the 20th century. It aimed at expressing in words the flow of characters thoughts and feelings in their minds. The technique aspires to give readers the impression of being inside the minds of the characters. Therefore, the internal view of the minds of the characters sheds light on the plot and motivation in the novel.

Synonyms of Stream of Consciousness

Stream of Consciousness has no other word or phrase as an exact meaning. However, the following words can be used interchangeably in general meanings such as apostrophe, association of ideas, chain of thought, interior monologue, monologue, aside, or a soliloquy.
He will be captivated some day with a more dashy lady, if not an Italian countess. Aunt Phillis's Cabin|Mary H. Eastman

It was a visitor, and he came alonea young fellow of dashy appearance, handsome black hair and whiskers, and very black eyes. Cudjo's Cave|J. T. Trowbridge

And Laura set the dashy little thing with its head on one side, and held it up coquettishly. Real Folks|Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney
What Is a Position Trader?ladbrokes grand national

A position trader buys an investment for the long term in the expectation that it will appreciate in value. This type of trader is less concerned with short-term fluctuations in price and the news of the day unless they alter the trader's long term view of the position.

Position traders might be seen as the opposite of day traders. They do not trade actively, with most placing fewer than 10 trades in a year.

Understanding the Position Trader

Position traders are, by definition, trend followers. Their core belief is that once a trend starts, it is likely to continue for some time.

Key Takeaways

Position traders are trend followers.

They identify a trend and an investment that will benefit from it, then buy and hold the investment until the trend peaks.

The successful position trader identifies the right entry and exit prices in advance and controls risk using stop-loss orders.

A distinction can be made between position traders and buy-and-hold investors, who are classified as passive investors and hold their positions for even longer periods than do position traders. The buy-and-hold investor is building a portfolio of assets for a long-term goal, such as retirement. The position trader has spotted a trend, made a buy based on that trend, and is waiting for it to peak in order to sell.

This trading philosophy seeks to exploit the bulk of a trend's upwards move. As such, it is the polar opposite of day trading which seeks to take advantage of short-term market fluctuations. In between these two are the swing traders, who might hold an investment for a few weeks or months because they believe it will soon see a price pop.

Tactics for Position Traders

To be successful, a position trader has to identify the right entry and exit prices for the asset and have a plan in place to control risk, usually via a stop-loss level.

A day trader buys and sells within hours or minutes. A position trader buys and holds until a trend peaks. A buy-and-hold investor buys for the long term.

Position traders may use technical analysis, fundamental analysis, or a combination of both to make their trading decisions. They also rely on macroeconomic factors, general market trends, and historical price patterns to select investments which they believe are about to go higher.

A big advantage of position trading is that it doesn't take a lot of time. Once a trade has been initiated and safeguards have been implemented it's a matter of waiting for the desired outcome.

The main risk is that minor fluctuations that a trader chooses to ignore can unexpectedly turn into trend reversals. Another drawback is that it ties up money for a prolonged period of time, possibly causing opportunity costs.

Is Position Trading for You?

All investors and traders must match their trading styles with their personal goals, and each style has its pros and cons.

The first consideration is the reason you are investing in the first place. Are you building a nest egg for the future? Do you plan to make a living by trading? Or do you simply enjoy dabbling in the market and want to own a piece of a company? And how much time do you want to devote each week or each day to tracking your portfolio?

Position trading is ideally suited to a bull market with a strong trend. It doesn't lend itself easily to a bear market. In a period in which the market is flat, moving sideways, and just wiggling around, day trading might have the advantage.
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In Tar,chinook winds resort one of the years best-reviewed films, and also one of the most discussed, Cate Blanchett plays Lydia Tar, a renowned conductor and composer whose true art might be the power she wields  over the orchestra she leads, over the young women she dangles opportunity in front of, and beyond.

The film centers on Tars downfall after some of her past misbehaviors begin to return to haunt her, and it details the ways in which she is protected by those around her, until shes deemed expendable. There are strong analogues to recent real-world scenarios in which the very famous are able to hold on to their platforms, or build new ones, as they come under fire.

On this weeks Popcast, a conversation about the provocations of Tar, and whether repugnant people can make great art, or if anyone should pay attention to it if they do.

Guests:

Alison Wilmore, Vulture film critic

Zachary Woolfe, The New York Timess classical music critic

Connect With Popcast.Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the shows Facebook group and Discord channel. We want to hear from you! Tune in, and tell us what you think at [email protected]. Follow our host, Jon Caramanica, on Twitter: @joncaramanica.

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Ninety minutes of music, history and hopeful speeches celebrated American democracy Saturday afternoon on Charlottesvilles Downtown Mall.

About 40 people gathered at the Freedom of Speech Wall to commemorate Constitution Day, an American holiday that would take place Sunday, and International Day of Democracy, an international commemoration marked on Friday.

There is a major crisis in our country right now, event organizer Kirk Bowers told The Daily Progress. We have to pay attention.

Bowers, who chairs the conservation committee of the local chapter of the Sierra Club, cites a year-ago poll by a national television news network that found that threats to democracy tied with the cost of living as the most important issue facing the country.

We need to be talking about democracy all year round, said Bowers. So were going to continue to promote and support democracy.

One group left out of the mix Saturday was Republicans.

We didnt invite the anti-democracy party, said Bowers. We didnt feel like it would be a productive way to spend our time inviting people who just dont want to promote democracy.

By contrast, one of the days speakers was former Staunton City Council Member Erik Curren, an independent who dressed and spoke of compromise as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who led the United States military during the Civil War.

What I learned as president and what I learned after the war during Reconstruction was that if you extend the hand of friendship to your former enemy, most problems are solvable, said Curren as Grant.

That didnt mean that Curren-Grant espoused compromising on such matters as slavery and secession. He celebrated the Union victory and lamented the widespread Southern resistance to extending civil rights to Black people.

There were some White people who were not willing to accept the verdict of Appomattox, he said. They took off their Confederate uniforms and put on their wives white bed sheets, and they called themselves the Ku Klux Klan.

A musician named Theocles performed three songs including Roses on the Pavement, a remembrance of the violence that rocked Charlottesville and killed anti-racist counterprotester Heather Heyer on Aug. 12, 2017. Another singer, Jon Nafziger, sang Jesus Joined the NRA.

Despite Saturdays temperate mid-September weather and the shade of a still-green willow oak, the event gathered few onlookers beyond the roughly 40 participants, a number that included organizers.

One passerby, former Henley Middle School teacher Amelia Bochaine did pause with her sister to hear a quintet called the Green Grannies sing a song extolling the virtues of electric buses for Charlottesville.

I like to see people who get involved in politics, especially in local politics, because those elections often get overlooked, said Bochaine, who recently became the state coordinator of Virginia Civics Education Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to civic engagement.

This is impressive, said attendee Elinor Glassco, who supports the bus-electrification idea. This is a lot more people than I imagined.

A young man who gave his name as Orion the Wizard wore a multicolored dreamcoat and a star-bedecked pointed hat and said he was visiting from Norfolk.

The state of democracy is struggling at best, said Orion.

One speaker was Josh Throneburg, who vied for Virginias 5th District seat in the House of Representatives last year but lost to incumbent Republican Bob Good. Throneburg read excerpts from presidential concession speeches from losing candidates, including the likes of Walter Mondale in 1984, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and John McCain in 2008.

Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country, McCain was quoted. I applaud him for it, and offer my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day  though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her Creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

And then Throneburg turned to the most recent election which was won by Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump, who asserted widespread voter fraud without evidence.

In 2020, we know what happened, said Throneburg.

Other speakers included Bruce Williams, a professor of media studies at the University of Virginia, Kristin ODonoghue, president of student activism group, and Meg Heubeck, the chair of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.
What Is Nonfeasance?lucky play casino and sportsbook

Nonfeasance is a legal concept that refers to the willful failure to execute or perform an act or duty required by ones position, office, or law whereby that neglect results in harm or damage to a person or property. The perpetrator can be found liable and subject to prosecution.

Nonfeasance differs from malfeasance, which is a willfully harmful act, or misfeasance, which is performing one's duty incorrectly.

Key Takeaways

Nonfeasance is the willful absence of action to help prevent harm or damage from occurring.

Nonfeasance may or may not be illegal in and of itself; however, employers have the legal right to terminate an employee or contractor for nonfeasance.

Financial nonfeasance involves a failure to act by a fiduciary or financial representative on behalf of a client, for instance by failing to input a trade a broker has been given by a customer.

Understanding Nonfeasance

While nonfeasancethe absence of action to help prevent harm or damagewas not originally subject to the penalty of law, legal reforms evolved to make it possible for courts to use the term to describe inaction which assigns liability. In some jurisdictions, nonfeasance carries stiff criminal penalties. At a minimum, it can lead to a notice of termination.

In order for intentional inaction to be considered nonfeasance, it must meet three criteria. They are:

The individual who did not act was the one who would have been reasonably expected to act; That individual did not perform the expected action; and Through inaction, that individual caused harm.

For example, if a daycare provider is employed to supervise children and fails to prevent a child from climbing out on a window ledge from which the child falls, the daycare provider could be found liable for nonfeasance because it was their contracted duty to watch and protect the child from harm, and they failed to take action when necessary.

Financial Nonfeasance

When a corporate director, real estate agent, financial advisor, or another individual with a fiduciary duty breaches that duty through willful and intentional inaction, nonfeasance can be said to have taken place. For example, when a real estate agent accepts an earnest money check from a client but fails to deposit that check, causing the deal to fall through, the realtor might be held liable for nonfeasance, and not a more serious offense, as long as the funds werent misused and the agent had no inappropriate motive.

Similarly, a corporate director might be held liable for nonfeasance if they fail to maintain an active role in the business and monitor corporate affairs, such that their inaction causes harm to the business.

Related Legal Terms

Nonfeasance is different from malfeasance, which refers to the willful, intentional undertaking of an illegal or wrongful act that harms another party. It also differs from misfeasance, which is the willful, intentional performance of an inappropriate or incorrect action or the willful giving of incorrect or inappropriate advice. All three terms fall under the umbrella of misconduct in public office.
Online casinos continue to grow in popularity and they could soon be expanding even faster.

New technology is w88 online casino mexican aztec arton the way that might well make online casinos even more appealing to try.

Augmented reality technology could provide a hugely exciting new development for the industry.

But what else does the near future hold for online casinos? Let's take a look!

What exactly is augmented reality technology?

Virtual reality went through a boom in popularity many years ago, but huge advances in technology in recent years means it is back in a major way.

Augmented reality technology could be the next big thing in the world of tech and online casinos are not going to be left behind.

It works by using computer-generated perceptual information, which is used to develop an interactive experience of a real-world environment - in this case a casino.

Live casinos are already a popular choice for casino customers, who can play games such as blackjack or roulette with other human players and live dealers.

A live casino on an online site is a great alternative to visiting a real life casino but the experience could get even better thanks to fresh technological developments.

Augmented reality technology means a casino would essentially be brought into the home of a user, allowing them to see other players - potentially huge for games such as poker.

It is not hard to see how this is potentially a game-changer for the industry so it is no surprise to see online casinos keeping a close eye on the rise of augmented reality technology.

Mobile gambling continues to grow

Another recent advancement in technology surrounds mobile devices, which over the last decade have become a staple of modern life.

Nearly everybody has their personal smartphone now and these devices are essentially a powerful computer that fits in the palm of a hand.

Online casinos have responded to the rise in mobile technology by providing an optimized experience for those looking to play games such as slots on slots.se while on the move.

At the moment playing at online casinos works quite well but there is still a lot of room for improvement with further developments likely to be made over the course of 2020.

Giving customers the chance to access an experience that is just as good on mobile as it is on a laptop or desktop computer could enable the gambling industry to take another big step.

The rise of cryptocurrencies

Online payments to casinos could be transformed by the continued emergence of cryptocurrencies, which include household names such as Bitcoin.

Some online casinos already allow payments to be made by using cryptocurrencies and during 2020 it seems likely this option is going to become more commonplace.

Being able to use cryptocurrencies to play at online casinos could open up the industry to a brand new market, one that companies within the sector will be hoping they can attract.

Traditional payments, such as those made by using a debit card, are unlikely to go anywhere any time soon. Moreover, in regulated markets such as online casinos In Portugal, cryptocurrencies are not allowed as payment method by the national gaming commissions. But having more options for payment methods can only be a good thing.

Many customers feel cryptocurrencies offer a more safe and secure way of spending their money online, so this is another development to keep a close eye on within the next 12 months.

Cryptocurrencies can allow casino customers to remain somewhat anonymous and this is a big plus for a lot of people who do not necessarily want to share their personal financial information.

What is for sure is that 2020 is shaping up to be another bumper year for online casinos.

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The nation's largest left-wing dark money network raised more than $1.5 billion in anonymous donations to bankroll liberal endeavors in 2021, tax forms reveal.

The secret money network, which consists of five nonprofits managed by Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm Arabella Advisors, also combined for nearly $1 billion in total spending last year, the documents further show.

In recent years, the Arabella-managed nonprofits have solidified how Democrats benefit from substantial amounts of dark money as they simultaneously rail against its influence in politics by targeting right-leaning organizations.

"These latest tax returns prove that the Arabella Advisors network remains the largest dark money player in American politics," Americans for Public Trust executive director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital.

GROUP LEO DICAPRIO FUNNELED GRANTS THROUGH TO FUND CLIMATE LAWSUITS MOVED TO LARGEST US DARK MONEY NETWORK

The Arabella Advisors-managed dark money network has greatly benefited Democrats in recent years. (REUTERS/Leah Millis)

"After raking in nearly $1.6 billion in anonymous contributions, and spending nearly $1 billion, this network has established itself as the preeminent hub on the left to finance efforts to defund the police, pack the Supreme Court, enforce radical green energy policies, and prop up the Biden administrations failing agenda," Sutherland said.

The network's web of groups sits under five Arabella-managed nonprofits: the New Venture Fund, Sixteen Thirty Fund, Windward Fund, Hopewell Fund and North Fund.

Each fund acts as a fiscal sponsor to other left-wing nonprofits by providing their tax status to the nonprofits housed beneath them. This setup allows the fiscally sponsored groups to avoid filing tax forms to the IRS. The five funds also move massive sums to progressive groups outside their network.

"As we've stated in the past, Arabella Advisors is a business dedicated to making philanthropic work more efficient, effective, and equitable," Arabella spokesperson Steve Sampson told Fox News Digital. "We are proud of the work we do for all of our clients, including our nonprofit clients who hire us to provide HR, legal, payroll and other administrative services. Like all service providers, we work for our clients, not the other way around. They make their own decisions on strategy, fundraising, and programmatic goals."

Billionaires, including George Soros, have passed money through the Arabella Advisors-managed dark money network. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP)

The five Arabella-managed nonprofits also hide donor information on their respective tax forms, keeping the public in the dark to the full extent of who is using the network as a conduit to fund left-wing initiatives.

The New Venture Fund remains the largest nonprofit in the network. In 2021, NVF collected $955 million in donations while racking up $553 million in total expenses, including $326 million in grants pushed to outside groups. America Votes, Community Change and the Economic Innovation Group are just a few of the dozens of outside groups to receive its cash, its newest tax forms show.

The Windward Fund, which focuses on environmental initiatives, raised roughly $273 million and spent $107 million, including $72 million in grants to outside groups last year. The Sixteen Thirty Fund raked in $190 million and reported $173 million in expenses. They funneled more than $107 million in donations to organizations outside their network, according to its tax forms.

The Hopewell Fund, meanwhile, took in nearly $123 million in donations, and the North Fund received almost $43 million from secretive donors. Those two groups tallied a combined $155 million in total expenses, including $75 million in grants to outside left-wing causes.

ARABELLA ADVISORS: FIRM OVERLOOKING MOST POWERFUL LEFT-WING DARK MONEY NETWORK IN AMERICA EXPANDS OPERATIONS

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 01: (L-R) Hansjorg Wyss, Michael Bloomberg and Sam Waterston attend Oceana's 2015 New York City benefit at Four Seasons Restaurant on April 1, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Oceana)

Arabella Advisors recently expanded its operations as it deals with massive amounts of cash raised and poured into progressive causes across the country.

The firm recently acquired New York-based Kiwi Partners, which provides nonprofit accounting and consulting services. The group previously told Fox News Digital that the acquisition "deepens Arabella's capacity to support the nonprofit sector."

The network contains dozens of liberal groups ranging from Campaign for Our Shared Future, which formed this year to push back against opponents of Critical Race Theory in K-12 schools, to Governing for Impact, which quietly works behind the scenes with President Biden's administration to shape policy.

Influential Democratic donors use the network to funnel cash to projects, including billionaire George Soros, who provided millions to Governing for Impact and its action fund, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Other financiers - such as Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss - also pass money through the expansive dark money network.

Arabella Advisors collected nearly $47 million in payments from the five funds for administrative, operations and management services in 2021, making it a highly lucrative business.

Joe Schoffstall is a politics producer/reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @joeschoffstall
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

The term saline solutionrefers to a salt solution, which you can prepare yourself using readily available materials. The solution can be used as a disinfectant or sterile rinse or for lab work. This recipe is for a salt solution that is normal, meaning it is the same concentration as, or isotonic to, body fluids. The salt in a saline solution discourages bacterial growth while rinsing away contaminants. Because the salt composition is similar to that of the body, it causes less tissue damage than you would get from pure water.

Materials

Technically, a saline solution results whenever you mix any salt with water. However, the easiest saline solution consists of sodium chloride (table salt) in water. For some purposes, it's fine to use a freshly mixed solution. In other cases, you'll want to sterilize the solution.

Keep the purpose in mind when you mix the solution. If, for example, you are simply rinsing your mouth with saline solution as a dental rinse, you can mix any amount of table salt with warm water and call it good. If, however, you are cleaning a wound or want to use the saline solution for your eyes, it's important to use pure ingredients and maintain sterile conditions.

Here are the ingredients:

Salt: You can use salt from the grocery store. It's best to use non-iodized salt, which doesn't have iodine added to it. Avoid using rock salt or sea salt, since the added chemicals may cause problems for some purposes.

You can use salt from the grocery store. It's best to use non-iodized salt, which doesn't have iodine added to it. Avoid using rock salt or sea salt, since the added chemicals may cause problems for some purposes. Water: Use distilled water or reverse osmosis purified water instead of ordinary tap water.

Use 9 grams of salt per liter of water, or 1 teaspoon of salt per cup (8 fluid ounces) of water.

Preparation

For a mouth rinse, simply dissolve the salt into very warm water. You might wish to add a teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).

For a sterile solution, dissolve the salt in boiling water. Keep the solution sterile by placing a lid on the container so that no microorganisms can get into the liquid or airspace as the solution cools.

You can pour the sterile solution into sterile containers. Sterilize containers either by boiling them or by treating them with a disinfecting solution, such as the type sold for home brewing or making wine. It's a good idea to label the container with the date and to discard it if the solution isn't used within a few days. This solution could be used for treating new piercings or for wound care.

It's important to avoid contaminating the liquid, so ideally make just as much solution as you need at a time, allow it to cool, and discard leftover liquid. The sterile solution will remain suitable for lab use for several days in a sealed container, but you should expect some degree of contamination once it is opened.

Contact Lens Solution

Although it's the proper salinity, this solution isn't suitable for contact lenses. Commercial contact lens solution contains buffers that help protect your eyes and agents to help keep the liquid sterile. Although homemade sterile saline could work to rinse lenses in a pinch, it isn't a viable option unless you are familiar with aseptic techniques and use lab-grade chemicals.
It has been four years now since virtual reality was supposedly set to take over the world and transform gaming as we know it,what is spread betting but up to now, the revolutionary platform has failed to make waves in the mainstream. Online casinos are renowned for jumping on new technology and using it to enhance the gambling experience, so it is reasonable to anticipate that VR will permeate the gambling industry at some point. The question is, when will this happen? When can gamers expect VR to become ubiquitous at online casinos?

News on VR Developments Has Gone Cold

In the early days of VR when devices like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive were set to hit the market, developers in the online casino industry seemed to be scrambling to create content for what they thought would be a ground-breaking technological shift. Microgaming quickly came up with VR Roulette, while NetEnt began working on VR slots that put players face to face with giant reels within a fantasy world. These prototypes were met with critical acclaim and even won awards, but they are yet to be included in the catalogues of online casinos.

Now it seems that these major developers have switched their focus for the time being, with news on VR developments going cold. The Swedish developer NetEnt admitted that it was putting a lot of its resources into improving its live casino offerings, mainly because this form of gaming has emerged as one of the most popular forms of play in recent years. Indeed, a lot of the best online casinos in 2020 now advertise their live casino offerings as a major draw to pull in players. The level of competition in the industry means that casinos are always trying to stand out either in different ways such as through their offerings, by providing a variety of payment methods to be as convenient as possible, or by using sign-up offers such as free spins and welcome bonuses among other things.

VR Projections Suggest a Spike in 2023

After incorrectly predicting that VR would be an instant hit when the first devices hit the market, analysts had to recalibrate their projections. The new consensus is that there will be a spike in VR revenue in 2023, with the industry generating more than $4.8 billion. These projections take into account the evolution of hardware as new generations are released, along with the increased investment in software companies.

That year could be the turning point that allows VR to begin to go mainstream. The path of smartphones can give an insight as to how VR headsets could become essential household items. As new devices are released, the older models will drop in price. This allows a greater number of end users to get hold of the technology. The fact that the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are expected to have a big focus on VR could help the technology reach more people as well.

Is 2030 a Conservative Estimate?

As soon as smartphones became widely owned across the world, online casino developers began to create content for the smaller, portable screen. In 2020, nearly every online casino has a mobile option, and all of the top games have been optimised for the handheld devices. However, it has taken a long time to get to this stage of ubiquity. In fact, the switch to online casinos offering mobile options was a steady process that happened over the last ten years.

For this reason, it might be wise to assume that VR breaking out into online casinos and becoming a must-have may take a similar amount of time. 2030 may seem like a conservative estimate for VR games to become online casino essentials, but realistically it could take this long for the gears usage to become that widespread.

It may take a longer time that previously expected for VR to be a mainstay of online casinos. The devices need to be accessible to a greater number of end users before developers put all their chips in the VR basket. At present, it still seems as though slots and live casino are the primary areas of focus for developers.

Category: Casino Blog
Tongue twisters, known as virelanguesin French, are words or phrases which are repeated as quickly as possible as a test of the speaker's ability to correctly pronounce the succession of similar sounds. For French students, les virelanguesprovide an interesting insight into the French language as well as a way to practice phrases which are difficult even for native speakers.

French Tongue Twisters Beginning With A-E

 A chacun son choix  se dit sa sur Sylvie, suivant son chemin.

Ah ! pourquoi Pepita sans repis m'epies-tu, dans le puits Pepita pourquoi te tapis-tu ? Tu m'epies sans pitie, c'est piteux de m'epier, de m'epier Pepita ne peux-tu te passer ?

Ane et vers et taupe ont-ils os? Ane a os, vers non, taupe si.

As-tu ete a Tahiti ?

As-tu vu le tutu de tulle de Lili d'Honolulu ?

Babette a fait bombance a bord du bateau de Bob.

Bonjour Madame la saucissiere, combien vendez-vous ces six saucisses-la ?

Je les vends six sous, six sous ci, six sous ca, six sous ces six saucisses-la.

Bonjour Madame Sans-Souci. Combien sont ces six saucissons-ci et combien sont ces six saucissons-la?

Six sous Madame sont ces six saucissons-ci et six sous aussi sont ces six saucissons la !

Bonjour Madame Sans-Souci. Combien sont ces soucis-ci?

Six sous, ces soucis-ci.

Six sous ?! C'est trop cher, Madame Sans-Souci.

Ce chasseur sait chasser sans son chien dit le sage garde-chasse, chasseur sachez chasser sans chien!

Ce glougu a voulu tout ce qu'il a vu sur le menu.

Ce ver vert severe sait verser ses verres verts.

Ces Basques se passent ce casque et ce masque jusqu'a ce que ce masque et ce casque se cassent.

Ces cerises sont si sures qu'on ne sait pas si c'en sont.

Ces cypres sont si loin qu'on ne sait si c'en sont !

Ces six saucissons-ci sont si secs qu'on ne sait si c'en sont.

C'est l'evade du Nevada qui devalait dans la vallee, dans la vallee du Nevada, qu'il devalait pour s'evader, sur un vilain velo vole, qu'il a vole dans une villa, et le valet qui fut vole vit l'evade du Nevada qui devalait dans la vallee, dans la vallee du Nevada, qu'il devalait pour s'evader sur un vilain velo vole.

C'est pas beau mais tentant de tenter de tater, de teter les tetons de tata quand tonton n'est pas la.

C'est trop tard pour le tram trente-trois.

Cette taxe fixe excessive est fixee expres a Aix par le fisc.

Chat vit rot. Rot tenta chat. Chat mit patte a rot. Rot brula patte a chat. Chat quitta rot.

Chat vit rot. Rot plut a chat. Chat mit patte a rot. Rot brula patte a chat.

Chez les Papous, il y a des Papous papas et des Papous pas papas et des Papous a poux et des Papous pas a poux. Donc chez les Papous il y a des Papous papas a poux et des Papous papas pas a poux et des Papous pas papas a poux et des Papous pas papas pas a poux.

Chouette chaussures !

Ciel, si ceci se sait ces soins sont sans succes.

Cinq chiens chassent six chats.

Cinq gros rats grillent dans la grosse graisse grasse.

Cinq peres capucins, sains de corps et sains d'esprit, le corps ceint d'une ceinture, portaient sur leur sein le sous seing des saints capucins.

Coco, le concasseur de cacao, courtisait Kiki la cocotte. Kiki la cocotte convoitait un caraco kaki a col de caracul; mais Coco, le concasseur de cacao, ne pouvait offrir a Kiki la cocotte qu'un caraco kaki sans col de caracul. Le jour ou Coco, le concasseur de cacao, vit que Kiki la cocotte arborait un caraco kaki a col de caracul il comprit qu'il etait cocu.

Combien de sous sont ces saucissons-ci?

Ces saucissons-ci sont six sous.

Combien sont ces six saucissons-ci?

Ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous.

Si ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous, ces six saucissons-ci sont trop chers.

Comme il a soigne son piano, la sonorite en a gagne.

Croix creme, croix creme...

Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend.

Depechez-vous de finir votre cafe, et de debarasser la table et le buffet.

Des blancs pains, des bancs peints, des bains pleins.



Didon dina, dit-on, de dix dos dodus de dix dodus dindons



Didon dina, dit-on, du dos dodu d'un dindon.

Didon dina, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon, don du d'un don.

Didon dina, dit-on, du dos d'une dinde, don d'un don du Doubs, a qui Didon a dit: Donne, donc, don, du dos d'une dinde.

Dinon dina, dit-on, du dos dodu d'un dodu dindon du don, et dit : dit donc c'est bon le dos dodu d'un dodu dindon du Don.

Dis-moi, gros gras grand grain d'orge, quand te degrogragrangraindorgeras-tu ? Je me degrogragrangraindorgerai quand tous les gros gras grands grains d'orge se seront degrogragrangraindorges.

Dites a Dede de dire adieu sans se dandiner !

Dix verres six tasses, lait gate pot en terre (diversitas legate potenter).

Douze douches douces.

Ecartons ton carton car ton carton nous gene.

Elle est partie avec tonton, ton Taine et ton thon.

Et si la cathedrale se decathedralisait comment la recathedraliserions-nous?

Etant sorti sans parapluie, il m'eut plus plu qu'il plut plus tot.

French Tongue Twisters Beginning With F-K

Fait faire a Fabien fourbe et fautif force farces fausses et fantasques.

Felix un porc tua, sel n'y mit, vers s'y mit, porc gata.

Fruits frais, fruits frits, fruits cuits, fruits crus.

Gal, amant de la reine, alla tout magnanime, galamment de l'arene a la tour Magne a Nimes.

Grand gras gros grain d'orge quand te de-grand gras gros grain d'orgeriseras-tu?

Je me de-grand gras gros grain d'orgeriserai quand tous les grand gras gros grains d'orge se seront de-grand gras gros grains d'orgegerises.

Gros gras grand grain d'orge, tout gros-gras-grand-grain-d'orgerise, quand te de-gros-gras-grand-grain-d'orgeriseras-tu ? Je me de-gros-gras-grand-grain-d'orgeriserai quand tous les gros gras grands grains d'orge se seront de-gros-gras-grand-grain-d'orgerises.

Il a ecrit l'adresse complete de l'athlete anglais sans oublier ni abreger ses eclatants attributs.

Il a sursaute quand le chat, miaulant, l'a frole.

Il etait une fois, un homme de foi qui vendait du foie dans la ville de Foix. Il dit ma foi, c'est la derniere fois que je vends du foie dans la ville de Foix.

Il faut qu'un si sage garde-chasse sache chasser tous les chats qui chassent dans sa chasse.

Il y a deux especes de fous : il y a les fous ronds, et les fous carres. Les Fourons sont carrement fous, et les fous carres, ca c'est un cas Happart ! (a part)

J'ai chaud chez ce cher Serge.

J'ai vu six cents Suisses sucant six cents six saucisses dont six en sauce et six cents sans sauce.

J'ai vu six sots sucant six cent six saucisses, six en sauce et six cents sans sauce.

Janine a la manie de se promener un moment avant le dejeuner.

Je cherche Serge.

Je dis que tu l'as dit a Didi ce que j'ai dit jeudi.

Je suis ce que je suis et si je suis ce que je suis, qu'est-ce que je suis?

Je veux et j'exige; j'exige et je veux.

Je veux et j'exige ceci aussi.

Je veux et j'exige d'exquises excuses.

Je veux et j'exige; j'exige et je veux.

Jeanne est trop bonne pour etre la femme d'un tel jeune homme.

Jesus loge chez Zachee, chez Zachee loge Jesus.

J'mouille mes coudes, mes coudes s'mouillent, est-ce que j'mouille mes coudes? J'mouille mes coudes, mes coudes s'mouillent, saurais-tu le dire?

Juste juge jugez Gilles jeune et jaloux.

Kiki etait cocotte, et koko concasseur de cacao. Kiki la cocotte aimait beaucoup Koko le concasseur de cacao. Or un marquis caracolant et cacochyme, conquit par les coquins quinquets de Kiki la cocotte, offrit a Kiki la cocotte un coquet caraco kaki a col de caracul. Quand Koko le concasseur de cacao apprit que Kiki la cocotte avait recu du marquis caracolant caduque et cacochyme un coquet caraco a col de caracul, Koko le concasseur de cacao conclu: je clos mon caquet, je suis cocu!

French Tongue Twisters Beginning With L-Q

La caille couve au coin du pont, au coin du pont couve la caille.

La cavale aux Valaques avala l'eau du lac et l'eau du lac lava la cavale aux Valaques.

La chemise de l'archiduchesse est seche, archi-seche.

La grosse cloche sonne.

La grosse rose jaune de gauche est autre chose que la votre.

La mule a bu tant qu'elle a pu.

La mule du juge butte contre le mur.

La nuit reduit le bruit de la pluie sur les tuiles.

La pie niche en haut, l'oie niche en bas, l'hibou niche ni haut ni bas.

La pie pond, pepe paie peu.

La pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.

La pipe au papa du Pape Pie pue.

La robe rouge de Rosalie est ravissante.

La roue sur la rue roule ; la rue sous la roue reste.

La sole a sale son lit mais la mer a lave le lit que la sole a sale et la sole rissole dans la casserole.

L'abeille coule.

Laissez l'aine des bebes chez les Leger cet ete.

L'Arabe Ali est mort au lit. Moralite : Maure Ali, t'es mort alite.

L'assassin sur son sein sucait son sang sans cesse.

Latte otee, trou au toit. Latte remise, trou y'a plus.

Le ble s'moud-il ? L'habit s'coud-il ? Oui l'ble s'moud, l'habit s'coud.

Le chasseur, sachant chasser sans son chien, chassera seul.

Le cricri de la crique cri son cri cru et critique car il craint que l'escroc ne le croque et ne le craque. Mais un espadon a dede donna dudule d'un don si dou donne fit son dada qu'il garda.

Le dandy dodelinant dodeline de la tete devant le dindon dodu.

Le fisc fixe expres chaque taxe fixe excessive exclusivement au luxe et a l'acquis.

Le geai gelatineux geignait dans le jasmin.

Le general Joffrin nous dit : A Toul, ai perdu mon dentier. En general j'offre un outil a tous les peres du monde entier.

Le kitsch tcheque choque, sauf s'il est chic.

Le mur murant Namur rend Namur murmurant.

Le mur murant Paris rend Paris murmurant.

Le poivre fait fievre a la pauvre pieuvre.

Le python de la pythonisse a suce du bois de reglisse. Il est lisse comme un trombone a coulisse lisse et le python de la pythonisse de tristesse se rapetisse ; il n'est plus en suisse qu'un piteux piton d'alpiniste chez un droguiste.

Le riz tenta le rat, et le rat tente tena le riz.

Le ver vert va vers le verre vert.

Le vif vert filait vite sur un fil de fer vert. Le vert fil de fer vit filer le vilain vert de terre.

Les Autrichiens sont des autres chiens!

Les chaussettes de l'archi-duchesse, sont-elles seches ou archi-seches.

Les chemises de l'archiduchesse sont-elles seches ou archiseches?

Les mots doux sonnent faux dans sa bouche.

Les vers verts leverent le verre vert vers le ver vert.



Lily lit le livre dans le lit.

L'oie niche bas, la pie niche haut : ou niche l'hibou ? L'hibou niche ni haut ni bas.

Lulu lit la lettre lue a Lili et Lola alla a Lille ou Lala lie le lilas.

Ma jeune voisine est certaine qu'elle porte un abime dans l'ame.

Madame Coutufon dit a madame Foncoutu : Bonjour, madame Foncoutu! Y a-t-il beaucoup de Foncoutu a Coutufon?

Madame Foncoutu repond a madame Coutufon: Il y a autant de Foncoutu a Coutufon qu'il y a de Coutufons a Foncoutu.

Mais non pas du tout, dit le tatou.

Marcel porc tua. Sel n'y mit, vers s'y mit, porc gata.

Mare y a, cane y but, pie n'osa, chat rit d'elle.

Meme maman m'a mis ma main dans mon manchon.

Mon pere est maire, mon frere est masseur.

Mur pourrit, trou s'y fit, rat s'y mit ; chat l'y vit, rat s'enfuit ; chat suivit, rat fut pris.

Mur use, trou s'y fait, rat s'y met.

Natacha n'attacha pas son chat Pacha qui s'echappa. Cela facha Sacha qui chassa Natacha.

Nino n'a ni nappe ni nippe et ne nettoie nylon ni linon.

Oh! roi Paragaramus, quand vous desoriginaliserez-vous? Moi, roi Paragaramus, je me desoriginaliserai quand le plus original des originaux se desoriginalisera.

Oh! Le sale! Oh! Le sale!...

On admet que la technique des objets en capsule n'est pas exactement stagnante.

On part de la gare St. Lazare pour les ports de la mer du Nord.

Ou niche la pie ? La pie niche haut. Ou niche l'oie ? L'oie niche bas. Ou niche l'hibou ? L'hibou niche ni haut ni bas !

Papier, panier, piano.

Paul se pele au pole dans sa pile de pulls et polos pales. Pas plus d'appel de la poule a l'Opel que d'opale dans la pelle a Paul.

Pauvre petit pecheur, prend patience pour pouvoir prendre plusieurs petits poissons.

Petit pot de beurre, quand te depetipodebeurreriseras-tu ? Je me depetibodebeurreriserai quand tous les petits pots de beurre se pepetipodebeurreriseront.

Petit pot de beurre, quand te depetitpotdebeurreriseras-tu? Je me depetitpotdebeurreriserai quand tu te depetitpotdebeurreriseras.

Piano panier, piano panier.

Pie batit haut, caille batit bas, coq a des os, ver n'en a pas.

Pie niche haut, oie niche bas, ou niche hibou ? Hibou niche ni haut ni bas, hibou niche pas.

Pie niche haut, oie niche bas.

Poche plate plate poche.

Poisson sans boisson, c'est poison!

Posez vos gros pots d'eau au chaud.

Pour qui sont ces serpents qui sifflent sur vos tetes?

Pruneau cru, pruneau cuit.

Qu'a bu l'ane au lac? L'ane au lac a bu l'eau.

Qu'a bu l'ane au quai? Au quai, l'ane a bu l'eau.

Quand la montagne lui fait signe, il en gagne les cimes.

Quand on pense a tout ce qui manque au monde en temps de guerre, on se demande ou commence une telle honte.

Quand un cordier cordant doit accorder sa corde, pour sa corde accorder six cordons il accorde. Mais si l'un des cordons de la corde decorde, le cordon decorde fait decorder la corde. Que le cordier cordant avait mal accordee.

Quat' coquets coqs croquaient quat' croquantes coquilles.

Que c'est crevant de voir crever une crevette sur la cravate d'un homme creve dans une crevasse.

French Tongue Twisters Beginning With R-Z

Rat vit riz, Rat mit patte a ras, Rat mit patte a riz, Riz cuit patte a rat.

Rat vit rot, rot tenta rat, rat mit patte a rot, rot brula patte a rat, rat secoua patte et quitta rot.

Sachez, mon cher Sasha, que Natasha n'attacha pas son chat!

Sante n'est pas sans t, mais maladie est sans t. (sante)

Seize chaises sechent.

Seize jacinthes sechent dans seize sachets secs.

Ses anecdotes, ses blasphemes et ses calomnies l'ont amene a une rupture avec tous les autres acteurs.

Si ca se passe ainsi, c'est sans souci.

Si ceci se sait, ces soins sont sans succes.

Si ces six cent six sangsues sont sans sucer son sang, ces six cent six sangsues sont sans succes.

Si ces six cents six sangsues sont sur son sein sans sucer son sang, ces six cents six sangsues sont sans succes.

Si ces six cents six sangsues sont sur son sein sans sucer son sang, ces six cents six sangsues sont sans succes.

Si ces six scies-ci scient si bien ce cypres-ci, ces six scies-ci scieront ces six cents cypres-ci.

Si c'est rond c'est point carre. (Ciceron c'est Poincarre)

Si ma tata tate ta tata, ta tata sera tatee.

Si mon tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton tondu sera!

Si six cent scies scient six cent saucisses, six cent six scies scieront six cent six saucissons.

Si six cents couteaux-scies scient, en six, six cent six saucisses, la cuisine est sale.

Si six scies scient six citrons, six cent six scies scieront six cent six citrons.

Si six scies scient six cypres, six cent six scies scient six cent six cypres.

Si six scies scient six cypres, six cents scies scient six cent six cypres.

Si ton bec aime mon bec comme mon bec aime ton bec, donne-moi le plus gros bec de la Province de Quebec!

Si ton tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu par ton tonton.

Si tu m'eusses cru, tu te fusses tu, te fusses-tu tu, tu m'eusses plus cru!

Si tu te tues, tu te tues.

Sieur, le censeur, sans cesse sur son seant, s'assied seul sans souci sur son seau.

Six chats sis sur six murs pistent six souris qui sous six lits sourient sans souci des six chats qui les pistent.

Six futs, six caisses : la main entre les caisses, le doigt dans le trou du fut. Six futs, six caisses : le doigt dans le trou du fut, la main entre les caisses.

Six jeunes gens juches sur six chaises chuchotaient ceci : sage chasseur au front chauve, au sang chaud, aux yeux chassieux, sachez chasser le chat chauve qui se cache sous la chiche souche de sauge sechee.

Six saucisses seches.

Six slips chics.

Son chat chante sa chanson.

Suis-je bien chez ce cher Serge?

Suis-je chez ce cher Serge?

Sur six chaises sont assis six freres, sur six cent six chaises sont assis six cent six freres.

Ta Cathy t'a quitte. C'est ta Cathy qui t'a quitte. T'as qu'a tout quitter.

Ta Katie t'a quitte, ta Katie t'a quitte t'es cocu, qu'attends-tu ? Cuite-toi, t'es cocu. T'as qu'a, t'as qu'a te cuiter, et quitter ton quartier. Ta Katie t'a quitte, ta tactique etait toc.

Ta tante t'attend dans ta tente.

Ta tante t'attend. J'ai tant de tantes. Quelle tante m'attend? Ta tante Antoinette t'attend.

Ta tentative a ete totalement futile!

Tas de riz, tas de rats. Tas de riz tentant, tas de rats tentes. Tas de riz tentant tenta tas de rats tentes. Tas de rats tentes tata tas de riz tentant.

T'as ton tacot qu'a la cote, cocotte! Qu'attend ton tacot qu'a la cote? Mon tacot qu'a la cote attend dans la cote que l'accostent des cocottes. Et toc!

Tata, ta tarte tatin tenta Tonton ; Tonton tata ta tarte tatin, Tata.

Tatie, ton the t'a-t-il ote ta toux ? disait la tortou au tatou. Mais pas du tout, dit le tatou, je tousse tant que l'on m'entend de Tahiti au Toumbouctou.

Tentas-tu, Tantale, tremper ta langue?

Tes laitues naissent-elles? Si tes laitues naissent, mes laitues naitront.

Ton mouton boucle tout a coup et ton bouc tombe a Tombouctou

Ton the t'a-t-il ote ta toux?

Tonton, ton the t'a-t-il ote ta toux?

Toto t'as tort, tu t'uses et tu te tues en t'entetant ; crois-moi, Toto tu t'entetes et j'te dis qu't'as tort.

Tout ce que je te demande, c'est un peu de patience ; d'ailleurs je te parlerais bientot de ce que je sais.

Trente-trois gros crapauds gris dans 33 gros trous creux.

Trois gros rats gris dans trois gros trous ronds rongent trois gros croutons ronds.

Trois petites truites non cuites trois petites truites crues. Trois tortues tetus trottent en trottinette.

Trois tortues trottaient sur 3 etroits toits ; trottant sur 3 etroits toits, trottaient 3 tortues trottant.

Trois tortues trottaient sur un trottoir tres etroit.

Tu t'entetes a tout tenter, tu t'uses et tu te tues a tant t'enteter.

Un ananas n'a ni nid ni ninas.

Un ange qui songeait a changer de visage se trouva soudain si change que jamais plus ange ne songea a se change.

Un ange qui songeait a changer son visage pour donner le change, se vit si change que, loin de louanger ce changement, il jugea que tous les autres anges jugeraient que jamais ange ainsi change ne rechangerait jamais et jamais plus ange ne songea a changer.

Un bon ami m'a aimablement donnee un bonnet campagnard.

Un chasseur qui chassait fit secher ses chaussettes sur une souche seche.

Un chasseur sachant chasser chassait sans son chien de chasse.

Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien de chasse.

Un chasseur sachant chasser sait chasser sans son chien de chasse.

Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien est un bon chasseur.

Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien est un excellent chasseur.

Un dragon grade degrade un grade dragon.

Un genereux dejeuner regenererait des generaux degeneres.

Un patissier qui patissait chez un tapissier qui tapissait, dit un jour au tapissier qui tapissait: vaut-il mieux patisser chez un tapissier qui tapisse ou tapisser chez un patissier qui patisse?

Un pecheur pechait sous un pecher, le pecher empechait le pecheur de pecher, le pecheur coupa le pecher, le pecher n'empecha plus le pecheur de pecher.

Un plein plat de ble pile.

Un taxi attaque six taxis.

Un vieux chasseur sobre plein de sante, mais atteint de cecite, chausse de souliers souilles, sans cigare, fut dans la necessite de chasser seul sur ces champs sis en Sicile un sinistre chat sauvage. Il siffla ses chiens, Chatain, Satin, Chauvin et suivit son chemin. Sur son passage, six chastes cherubins siciliens, sans soucis, sans chaussures, chuchoterent ceci : Salut, Sire chasseur, citoyen sage et plein d'age, aux yeux chassieux, au sang chaud, sois chanceux! Sache en ce jour serein, sans chagrin.

Une bete noire se baigne dans une baignoire noire.

Une bien grosse grasse mere avec de biens beaux gros gras bras blancs.

Va a Arles et achete un hareng a Alice.

Va t'en, Satan ta femme t'attend.

Vends vestons, vestes et vareuses vieilles et vetustes.

Vincent mit l'ane dans un pre et s'en vint dans l'autre.

Voici l'etourdi qui parie qu'il aura fini sa chimie a midi.

Voila trois mois qu'il boit moins que toi.

Vos laitues naissent-elles ? Oui, mes laitues naissent.

Vos laitues naissent-elles ? Si vos laitues naissent, vos navets naissent.

Y'a ma moto qu'a des rates.

Zaza zezaie, Zizi zozote.

Zazie causait avec sa cousine en cousant.

Watch Now: Basic Grocery Items in the Refrigerator in French
Compoundsare words that are made of two smaller words that have been joined together.

Flowerpot is a compound of the words flower and pot, for example. Waterproof is a compound of the words water and proof. Any part of speech can be compounded, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

The word foolproof is a compound word that is structured similarly to waterproofand also functions as an adjective in sentences. You may have seen a similar word, fullproof, in unedited writing, but which version should you use?

Continue reading to learn more.

What is the Difference Between Foolproof and Fullproof?

In this post, I will compare foolproof vs. fullproof. I will use the correct version of this word in several example sentences, so that you can see how it appears in the proper context.

I will also demonstrate a memory trick that will help you choose foolproof or fullproof correctly every time.

When to Use Foolproof

What does foolproof mean? Something that is foolproof is incapable of going wrong. Foolproof itself is an adjective; it modifies nouns by describing one of their qualities.

Plans are often thought to be foolproof (until they fail), and a process that operates so simply that it cannot be performed incorrectly might also be thought to be foolproof.

Here are a few example sentences,

I have devised a foolproof plan to rule the world with my dog by my side.

The politician thought his scheme was foolproof, but now he is in jail.

Foolproof is similar to other adjectives, like waterproof and fireproof. Something that is waterproof cannot be damaged by water. Likewise, fools cannot damage something that is foolproof.

This compound word is a relatively recent addition to the English language, having been first recorded at the beginning of the 20th century.

When to Use Fullproof

What does fullproof mean? Fullproof is a mistake some writers make when they actually mean to use foolproof.

Its easy to understand why: full and fool are near homophones, and many English speakers do not pronounce words accurately in informal use. A writer who may not have been familiar with this adjective could easily have misheard it and written fullproof instead, thus creating a new source of confusion for future writers.

Foolproof means immune to fools, just as waterproof means impervious to water. By the same rules, fullproof would mean impervious to full. As you can see, this meaning doesnt make much sense.

There are no contexts where fullproof is considered correct. It would always be seen as a spelling error by editors, college instructors, and your readers generally. As such, you would do well to avoid it.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Only foolproof is a recognized English word, so its really your only choice here. Fullproof is a misspelling.

Since fool and good each have a double O, you can easily remember that using foolproof instead of fullproof is always good practice.

Summary

Is it fullproof or foolproof? Foolproof is an adjective that means impervious to damage at the hands of fools. Fullproof is a spelling mistake based on the similar pronunciations of the words fool and full.

In summary,
Eurhythmics, a general term, but usually used to denote a system of education evolved by mile Jaques-Dalcroze of Geneva. The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various

Breaking away from preconceived ideas of music as a phenomenon of sound only, M. Dalcroze claims that music is innate. The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various

In this, then, as in so much else, Kandinsky and Dalcroze are advancing side by side. The Eurhythmics of Jaques-Dalcroze|Emile Jaques-Dalcroze
Definition of Static Character

A static character is betmgm riggedone that does not undergo inner changes, or undergoes a little change. It is a character that does not develop or grow, such as Sherlock Holmes and James Bond.

In fact, this character does not develop the inner understanding to know how his environment is affecting him, or he does not understand that his actions have positive or negative impacts on others. The personality of this character remains the same at the end of the story as it appeared in the beginning. All his actions stay true and unchanged to his personality in-between the scenes.

Difference Between Static and Flat Characters

Static characters should not be confused or mixed up with flat, one-dimensional characters. Though neither changes as the story progresses, if a character remains unchanged, it does not mean that he is one-dimensional like a flat character. A static character can be perfectly interesting, like Sherlock Holmes, who is completely ingenious, eccentric, and sometimes jerky. He never changes, but the audience still loves him. Thus, a static character could be the protagonist too, and a flat character, on the other hand, only plays a side role in the story.

Examples of Static Characters in Literature

Example #1: Mr. Collins,Pride and Prejudice(By Jane Austen)

The first example of a static character is Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen. He plays a vital role in the novel by making efforts to get Darcy and Elizabeth together, and contributes comedy to the story; however, his character does not change. Thus, he is a perfect example of a static character.

Example #2: Scar, The Lion King(by Don Ferguson)

Scar is another excellent example of a static character. Scar is a sly and clever brother of the Lion King. This cunning character plots to kill Simba and his father. As the film goes on, we notice that Scar does not go through any changes, keeping his personality traits until the end. By the end of the story, he does not survive and dies due to his wicked deeds.

Example #3: Draco, Harry Potter(by J. K. Rowling)

Draco Malfoy is another good example of a static character. Although he gets many opportunities to grow and transform for the better, he prefers not to change. He also dimly senses that Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are evil, even though he continues to believe that only purebloods are worthy, and Mudbloods and Muggles are to be disdained.

Example #4: Loisel, The Necklace(by Guy de Maupassant)

In his short story, The Necklace, Guy de Maupassant introduces M. Loisel as a static character that does not care much to develop himself. He basically appreciates little things in life, seems happy with his life, and plays as a foil to his perpetually dissatisfied wife. He exists because his wife needs an escort, as she cannot attend the balls by herself. Also, Mathilde could not find any way to pay back the diamond necklace herself. Therefore, all she does to help him pay for necklace is to save money in every possible way by doing all laundry work and other household labor.

Example #5: Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird(by Harper Lee)

Atticus Finch is another good example of a static character in the novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. Though his attitude about his father changes, he shows the same fortitude in the courtroom, as he explains that he shot the dog earlier in the story. Finch exercises the same principle of seeing things from other peoples perspectives throughout the narrative. For instance, in the beginning, he gives a warning to the children to give respect to Boos privacy and eccentric ways. Then, towards the end, he again recognizes the value of giving respect to Boos privacy by agreeing with judgment of Heck Tate regarding Bob Ewells death.

Function of a Static Character

The function of the static character is not less than the hero with whom he is often found at every critical juncture in the narrative. It happens that, whenever the protagonist is in some quandary, the static character is there to help him out. It is because the main character or the protagonist cannot get there on his own. He needs other characters to serve some purpose to add to the plot or help outright. This is the static character who helps the protagonist and also serves as a foil to a character. Moreover, the foil helps reveal the differences between the two characters.

Related posts:
NetEnt has been around since 1996 and right now,wizard slots sure high odds today it is one of the well-known online casino gaming software providers out there. This software developer is known for its online slots like Gonzos Quest, Hall of Gods, and Jack Hammer Slot.

This software developer is mainly known for its games that are visually attractive, realistic, modern, and just really challenging. Its games also have some of the highest payout percentages out there.

Recently, NetEnt just acquired Red Tiger Gaming, which is another online casino software provider that mainly specializes in online slots for real money. Both NetEnt and Red Tiger were surely excited to work together and get more great online casino games out there.

However, despite the acquisition, the overall revenue of NetEnt for 2019s Quarter 3 still experienced a 10 percent drop. In an interview, NetEnts chief executive, Therese Hillman, explained that the drop has nothing to do with the acquisition. After all, they are still in the early stages of partnering up.

"We continue to see a challenging situation in some of our largest markets in the third quarter. The primary reason for the lower revenue was attributed to continued weak developments in the Swedish market, was Hillmans explanation.

Contrary to what others think about the acquisition affecting the drop, NetEnt sees that the acquisition only has positive effects on the company. "We expect our slot games, including Red Tigers portfolio together with live casino, will contribute to solid growth for NetEnt in 2020," Hillman further expressed.

Aside from focusing just on the varieties of slots that Red Tiger and NetEnt will be producing, Hillman also said that they are looking forward to other things that both companies could work on, and recently, NetEnt has finally launched its new live auto Roulette studio.

NetEnt continues to be one of the leading software providers for the best online casinos in the USA. With its new live auto roulette studio, this just means that they are not only focused on the slot games that they are well-known for.

The new roulette studio is a combination of the Classic Auto Roulette, Rapid Auto Roulette, and VIP Auto Roulette. It is modernly designed, but it could make its players feel like they are in an actual and traditional casino room.

The new studio boasts of great camera angles, HD streaming, and blue-screen technology for the overall experience of the players to be unique. Its simple a fresh and modern take of the Roulette game from NetEnt.

When players get into a room, the vibrant colors and red and gold would welcome them. A view features three wheels that players can choose to focus on. This means that the players have the ability to switch from one roulette to another.

With this feature, the studio makes it easier for players to choose the wheel that suits their tastes best. Whats even better is that players from many countries are also kept in mind. The voice-overs available for players to choose from are in twelve different languages.

Aside from English, players can choose to have voice-overs in Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Japanese, Russian, Turkish, German, and Italian.

Many see that the future of online casinos lies in the live dealer games and this is mainly why NetEnt is on the run for it. This is definitely a step up from its previous roulette games. Just one look at the new wheels and the surroundings can already make the players see a big improvement.

The director of NetEnt Live, Andres Rengifo, talked about this during the launch. As one of the first suppliers to offer a multi-reel gaming experience, the Auto Roulette Studio is one of our biggest releases of the year and underlines the scalability we offer to operators. It is a deeply engaging title supported by fantastic design and cutting-edge technology that will no doubt set a new standard in auto roulette.

Gameplay on the studios wheels is made available to players 24/7. This may be the time that NetEnt also gets to be popular because of its Roulette games. The company is still striving to continue the program of improvements in its releases.

The launch of this Auto Roulette Studio came after the release of the Network Branded Casino Experience. This release made the 2019 roadmap of NetEnt with regard to Live Casinos set off. The company is expecting that its latest release will be setting the new standard when it comes to auto roulette.

Category: Casino Blog
Yelahahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India:

For several decades, India and Israel have established a long-standing relationship in the defense sector, with cooperation intensifying in the past 30 years. The association has grown from a buyer-seller relationship to a unique and comprehensive strategic partnership, with both countries collaborating on a wide range of defense projects and exchanging expertise in various fields.

This trusted partnership has always been a factor driving the growth of India-Israel defense cooperation. As two democracies whose heritage spans millennia, Israel and Indias bilateral relations stand tall in the changing geopolitical landscape. This trusted partnership has always been a factor driving the growth of India-Israel defense cooperation. As two democracies whose heritage spans millennia, Israel and Indias bilateral relations stand tall in the changing geopolitical landscape. From the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the two countries have stood together side by side. Israel proved a reliable partner, and its advanced defense technology and expertise make it a unique partner for India.



In association with Aeromag Asia

The official Media Partner of Aero-India 2023

These bilateral relations are essential for both sides. For Israel, the stimulus is strategic. As one of the worlds largest economies, India is an important ally that helps forge foreign relations in the region and beyond and a market that can tap Israels innovative technologies in many fields, from defense, security, and aerospace, to science, agriculture, healthcare, water management, and many other areas.

The history of India-Israel defense cooperation can be traced back to the early 1990s when India started purchasing defense equipment from Israel. Over the years, India has become one of the largest buyers of Israeli defense equipment, purchasing a wide range of products, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), radar systems, missile defense systems, and ammunition.

Atmanirbhar Bharat aims to unlock the potential of the Indian domestic industry and manufacturers to meet the countrys growing requirements

One of the significant milestones in India-Israel defense cooperation was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defense cooperation in January 2008. The MoU provided a framework for the two countries to collaborate on various defense projects and exchange expertise in multiple fields.

Joint defense programs between India and Israel include the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering missiles, electro-optics, radars, avionics, electronic warfare equipment, naval countermeasures, and communications systems. The two countries have also developed joint solutions for defense, security, cyber, and counter-terrorism operations, exchanging expertise in various fields.

Keeping their commitment to the Make-in-India policy, Israels defense enterprises have always respected Indias demand for localization and indigenization. All of Israels leading defense companies and some of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have established joint ventures with local partners in India to position their products in the Indian market better. With activities covering various fields that were pursued under JVs with Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU) such as HAL, BEL, and BDL, and Private Sector Companies such as Kalyani, Adani, Tata, Alpha Design, Mahindra, Wipro, among others, opening manufacturing plants in Hyderabad and other locations.

Israels leading defense companies have established JVs with local partners in India to position their products in the Indian market better

The MoU also laid the foundation for establishing the Joint Working Group on Defense Cooperation, which has been instrumental in strengthening the defense relationship between the two countries. This task force works to identify new areas of defense cooperation, examined within the strategic perspective of the two countries. The group examines mutually-beneficial technologies and fosters deeper engagement between the two defense ecosystems.

The defense relationship between the two countries has been shaped by Indias growing need for advanced defense technologies and Israels expertise in developing cutting-edge defense solutions. But the pace of business was determined by Indias complex regulations. In recent years, different rules regarding offset obligations and the mandatory level of domestic origin (known as Make in India) complicated collaborative programs as Israeli companies grappled with how to deal with the regulations and limited the scope to scale and grow. In recent years the policy has evolved into the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) initiative that aims to unlock the potential of the domestic industry and manufacturers to meet the countrys growing requirements. The new policy is challenging and denies foreign players access to major Indian defense programs; on the other hand, it provides foreign companies a path for closer integration in the Indian market, offering up to 74 percent foreign direct investment in local companies. With a more substantial stake in JVs, Israeli companies are becoming assured of the intellectual property (IP) they transfer to the JVs they establish in India, thus overcoming a major roadblock that hindered some transfer of sensitive technologies in the past.

In conclusion, the past three decades have seen significant growth in India-Israel defense cooperation. The relationship has evolved from a commercial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, with both countries collaborating on a wide range of defense projects and exchanging expertise in various fields. This cooperation is expected to grow in the coming years as Israeli defense companies expand their presence and adjust to Indias self-reliance policy to address regional security challenges and tap the true scope of this market. It comes at a time when the military seeks new solutions addressing operational gaps unveiled in recent conflicts and lessons learned from the war in Eastern Europe. A clear lesson is a need for India to become self-reliant. However, self-reliance should also promote synergy in defense research and technology  another facet of what Israel and India have in common.
hold em pokershows grade level based on the word's complexity. debeak [ dee-beek ]/ dibik / 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-beek ]/ dibik /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object) Veterinary Medicine.to remove the upper beak from (a bird) to prevent egg eating or attacks on other birds.

OTHER WORDS FROM debeak

Words nearby debeak

British Dictionary definitions for debeak

debeak

verb (tr)to remove part of the beak of poultry to reduce the risk of such habits as feather-picking or cannibalism

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 debeakFirst recorded in 193540; de- + beakdebeaker, noundebaucherous, debauchery, Debbie, Debbora, debe, debeak, de Beauvoir, de bene esse, debenture, debenture bond, de BezeDictionary.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
Thewunderdog mlb picks zoo keeper nftre are many terminologies used while playing casino games. Understanding these basic terms is a basic step to becoming a successful bettor. We have carefully selected several most commonly used words and phrases during online and land-based casino games.

You can read up while you prepare for your next casino game at your favorite casino, you can also play at Finnish casino sites like this one.

1. Advantage Player: a player that has gained some advantage over the casino.

2. Ante: a bet placed prior to the first hand.

3. Banker: the dealer.

4. Bankroll: the amount of money a player has to gamble with.

5. Bonus: extra cash given to a player for meeting specific requirements.

6. Card shark: a pro at card games.

7. Cashier: where monetary transactions occur at casinos.

8. Casino Advantage: the mathematical advantage casinos have over players.

9. Casino rewards: rewards offered to players by casinos based on how much they play.

10. Chip trays: The tray used by a dealer or croupier to hold house chips.

11. Chips: Tokens used in casinos to represent cash; they come in various denominations.

12. Cold Streak: An extended losing run.

13. Color up: The act of exchanging smaller-denomination chips for larger ones.

14. Comp points: players can earn comp points and exchange them for chips, food, drinks and discounted accommodation rates

15. Croupier: French word for a casino dealer.

16. Cut card: a plastic card used to cut cards.

17. Dealer: a casino employee whose job is to deal cards

18. Degenerate Gambler: a person who gambles frequently and excessively.

19. Download casino: a kind of casino where you will need to download the app to play.

https://unsplash.com/photos/1riTdO9dW3c

Photo by Nathana Reboucas on Unsplash

20. Edge: The advantage held in a casino game mostly held by the casino.

21. Eye in the sky: the overhead cameras used to monitor game tables at casinos.

22. Flash casino: online casinos that allow you to play games using flash technology.

23. Gamblers fallacy: an erroneous belief that the outcome of a random event is influenced by previous events.

24. High roller: a person who plays casino games for high stakes.

25. Hot streak: an extended winning run

26. House edge: also known as the casino advantage.

27. House rules: rules peculiar to a certain casino.

28. Instant casino: a casino that doesnt require you to download the app.

29. Jackpot: A grand prize offered for a particular outcome in a game.

30. Layout: The surface of a gaming table where players can place their bets.

31. Lobby: where you find all the games at an online casino.

32. Loyalty schemes: A scheme offered to reward players for their wagering activities.

33. Live dealer games: An online casino game played against real dealers over a live video stream.

34. Marker: a request from a player to get credit at a casino.

35. Non-sticky bonus: bonus offered by online casinos that can be withdrawn once the necessary requirements have been met.

36. Payout percentage: The approximate value paid out by a casino over time and expressed as a percentage of overall bets placed.

37. Penetration: The part of a deck thats dealt before shuffling the deck.

38. Phantom bonus: bonus offered by online casinos deducted from a players account at the point of cash-out

39. Progressive jackpot: A kind of jackpot that increases in value.

40. Push: a tie or draw.

41. Reload bonus: bonus that is offered to an existing customer for making a new deposit.

42. Shoe: The box from which cards are dealt in casinos.

43. Sign up bonus: bonus offered to new customers when they join.

44. VIP: A high-value player treated specially by a casino.

Category: Casino Blog
Darcy's law [ darsez ] New Word List Save This il online casinoWord! [ darsez ]Save ThisWord!

A law in geology describing the rate at which a fluid flows through a permeable medium. Darcy's law states that this rate is directly proportional to the drop in vertical elevation between two places in the medium and indirectly proportional to the distance between them. The law is used to describe the flow of water from one part of an aquifer to another and the flow of petroleum through sandstone and gravel.

Words nearby Darcy's law

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 Submission is set in a France seven years from now that is dominated by a Muslim president intent on imposing Islamic law. Houellebecqs Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Houellebecqs Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST A few days later, Bush replied, We will uphold the law in Florida. 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 To those who agreed with him, Bush pledged that the law against same-sex marriage would remain intact. Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST In Israel, however, a new law took effect January 1st that banned the use of underweight models. How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans Underweight Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans Underweight Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST We should have to admit that the new law does little or nothing to relieve such a situation. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips He that seeketh the law, shall be filled with it: and he that dealeth deceitfully, shall meet with a stumblingblock therein. The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various To Harrison and his wife there was no distinction between the executive and judicial branches of the law. The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden

The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden Now this setting up of an orderly law-abiding self seems to me to imply that there are impulses which make for order. Children's Ways|James Sully

Children's Ways|James Sully These schools became affiliated Universities, but never equalled the Law University in importance. The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondarby, Darby and Joan, Darby and Joan settee, Darbyite, darcy, Darcy's law, Dard, Dardan, Dardanelles, Dardanus, DardicThe American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Have you ever hooked a fish and reeled it in, only to have it flop pitifully around on the dock or in your boat until someones daughter started crying and you had to throw it back?

That lucky fish was floundering, which earned it enough sympathy to live another day. Or was it foundering?

These two words have related meanings, but there are actually separate usage cases for each. Founder has a long history that stretches back to before English was a widely spoken language, while flounder is interesting for its own reasons.

What is the Difference Between Founder and Flounder?

In this post, I will compare founder vs. flounder. I will use each word in an example sentence that shows it in its proper context, and I will also show you a memory tool that makes choosing founder or flounder easier for your own writing.

When to Use Founder

What does founder mean? Founder has several meanings, one of which is a person who started something.

Ray Kroc is the founder of Mcdonalds.

In this post, however, I will focus on its use as a verb that means to fail or collapse.

Founder has a long etymological history that stretches through Middle English and Anglo-French all the way back to Vulgar Latin. It has always been related to falling to the bottom, or simply the bottom.

Here are a few English sentences that make use of founder.

My earnest attempt to take over the world foundered when I discovered that I lacked the military might to invade other countries.

The ship was tossed toward land by relentless waves before foundering on rocks just off the coast.

Founder can be used in many senses to indicate a failure or collapse.

Of a person or animal: to founder is to go limp.

to founder is to go limp. Of a building: to founder is to fall down or give way.

to founder is to fall down or give way. Of a horseback rider: to founder is to fall to the ground.

to founder is to fall to the ground. Of livestock: to founder is to become sick from overeating.

to founder is to become sick from overeating. Of a ship: to founder is to fill with water and sink.

When to Use Flounder

What does flounder mean? Flounder has multiple meanings, one of which is a type of fish.

The flounder fish is a bottom dweller.

Here, though, I will focus on its use as a verb meaning to struggle or to have difficulty, especially in wet or muddy conditions.

In this sense, the verb is probably an alteration of founder. A more imaginative explanation might be that the word references the way a fish might flop about after being pulled out of the water by a fisherman.

At any rate, here are some examples,

When the teacher called on Mark to solve the math problem, he floundered when answering until so Susi helped him.

I saw Marge kneel by the edge of the creek to fill her canteen, so I pushed her into the water and watched her flounder in the shallows.

Trick to Remember the Difference

As verbs, these words have some overlap.

Someone who founders crashes and burns in utter failure.

Someone who flounders struggles, staggers, or shows great confusion.

Flounder vs. Founder Check: Notice how flounder and flail each being with the letters FL. Since floundering and flailing are similar actions, you can use the shared letters between these words as a reminder of their meaning.

Another way to think of the difference is to think about mud. Yes, mud. One definition of flounder is to struggle or stagger helplessly in water or mud.If you flounder, you dont necessarily fail completely. You just struggle, as if you were in a thick patch of mud.

Just as a patch of mud might slow you down on a bike ride, floundering means you are struggling.

Foundering, on the other hand, is to fail completely.

Summary

Is it flounder or founder? These verbs have some overlap, but careful writers will use them intentionally to communicate exactly their intended meanings.
Li Keqiangs debut as Chinas Premier in front of the worlds press has grabbed extensive attention, both at home and abroad. The 57-year-old person minced no words as he answered journalists questions, laying to rest doubts and concerns as to how he was gong to run the second largest economy in the world over the next years.

Its two hours to go before a historic press conference.

Journalists are busy setting up cameras, iPads are being checked, questions are being readied. No one wants to miss a thing at the Premiers debut.

This is the first time that Li Keqiang will meet the press as Chinese Premier. A new starting point for his political career and for the country.

The moment is here. With the closing ceremony of the 12th NPC, journalsits run as fast as their heels will carry them to the Press Hall. Premier Li is arriving accompanied by four other vice premiers. Applause and the sounds of camera shutters greet them. And then, the wave of questions.

We are wondering, is there a time table for Chinas institutional reform?

Will China stop hacker attacks on American websites?

Some people worry that peasants will become the new urban poor after they lose their lands in the urbanization process. Whats your take?

A total of 12 questions have been thrown at the new Premier.

They have ranged from urbanization plans to corruption, pollution to food safety. Premier Li has handled all with a calm, reassuring face.

The press conference has lasted over 100 minutes. The first official interaction with the members of the worlds press has gone off a success.

CNTV

Premier Li Keqiangs confident press debutadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
WASHINGTON  Attorney General Merrick B. Garlands appointment on Friday of Jack Smith,carnival cruise casino match a longtime prosecutor, as a special counsel to oversee two criminal inquiries involving former President Donald J. Trump renewed attention on a position that has played a significant role in politically charged investigations in recent years. Heres a closer look.

What is a special counsel?

A special counsel is a semi-independent federal prosecutor.

Normally, U.S. attorneys or the head of the Justice Departments criminal division oversee criminal investigations, and they are subject to the departments regular chain of command, leading through other politically appointed officials to the attorney general.

But in extraordinary circumstances, Justice Department regulations allow the attorney general to appoint a special counsel. Such situations include when an investigation would raise the appearance of a conflict of interest for the department or when there is some other reason it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside prosecutor.

In this case, Mr. Garland cited the 2024 election ambitions of Mr. Trump and President Biden. Mr. Trump announced on Tuesday that he would make a third bid for the presidency and Mr. Biden has indicated that he intends to run as well.

Appointing a special counsel here is the right thing to do, Mr. Garland said. The extraordinary circumstances presented here demand it.

How are special counsels different from regular prosecutors?

Special counsels enjoy greater day-to-day autonomy than U.S. attorneys, even though they must obey Justice Department policies and remain subject to the oversight of the attorney general.

They also have protections against being arbitrarily fired: An attorney general may remove them only if they commit misconduct.

Heres where the president stands after the midterm elections. Beating the Odds : President Biden had the best midterms of any president in 20 years, but he still faces the sobering prospect of a Republican-controlled House.

President Biden had the best midterms of any president in 20 years, but he still faces the sobering prospect of a Republican-controlled House. 2024 Questions: Mr. Biden feels buoyant after the better-than-expected midterms, but as he nears his 80th birthday, he confronts a decision on whether to run again that has some Democrats uncomfortable.

Mr. Biden feels buoyant after the better-than-expected midterms, but as he nears his 80th birthday, he confronts a decision on whether to run again that has some Democrats uncomfortable. The Trump Project: With Donald J. Trumps announcement that he is officially running for president again, Mr. Biden and his advisers are planning to go on the offensive.

With Donald J. Trumps announcement that he is officially running for president again, Mr. Biden and his advisers are planning to go on the offensive. Legislative Agenda: The Times analyzed every detail of Mr. Bidens major legislative victories and his foiled ambitions. Heres what we found.

In addition, while an attorney general retains the power to overrule a special counsels decision to take a significant step  like indicting somebody  the Justice Department must tell Congress if that happened when the investigation ends. That rule is intended to serve as a check against abuse by ensuring that lawmakers will find out what happened.

Is the appointment of a special counsel likely to delay the investigations?

No, the appointment is not expected to significantly draw out the inquiry. Mr. Smith could in theory hire all-new investigators and prosecutors to work on the cases, which would slow it down. But the simpler choice would be to keep most or all of the law enforcement officials already working on the investigations that he is now taking over.

Mr. Garland repeatedly emphasized that he wanted the investigations to be completed swiftly.

I am confident this appointment will not slow the completion of these investigations, the attorney general said. The men and women who are pursuing these investigations are conducting themselves in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism.

Is a special counsel the same as an independent counsel?

No. Independent counsels no longer exist.

In the late 20th century, independent counsels were periodically appointed to investigate allegations of wrongdoing among high-level officials. That includes investigations into the Iran-contra scandal during the Reagan administration and former President Bill Clinton over the Whitewater land deal and his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Congress had enacted the law enabling the appointment of independent counsels after the Watergate scandal, when President Richard M. Nixon ordered the dismissal of the Watergate prosecutor in what became known as the Saturday Night Massacre.

Under the law, independent counsels reported to a panel of judges and could not be fired by anyone subject to a presidents control. The Justice Department also had no say in the investigations budget, duration or expansion. But while the Supreme Court upheld this arrangement, critics across the ideological spectrum eventually agreed that the law could allow prosecutors to run amok.

Congress did not renew the law when it expired in 1999. Instead, the Justice Department during the Clinton administration issued internal regulations enabling special counsels to remain subject to the supervision of the attorney general.

What are some other notable special counsel investigations?

In 2017, the Justice Department appointed Robert S. Mueller III, a retired former federal prosecutor and former F.B.I. director, to take over the investigation into Russian election interference and any ties to the Trump campaign.

The F.B.I. began that investigation in July 2016, and Mr. Mueller pursued it  along with a related inquiry into whether Mr. Trump illegally obstructed the investigation  for about two more years. In 2019, he delivered a final report that detailed many links between the Kremlin and associates of Mr. Trump but did not charge any Trump associate with a criminal conspiracy with Russia.

Image Mr. Mueller leaving the Capitol after meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017.Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

After Mr. Mueller finished his work, the attorney general at the time, William P. Barr, assigned a U.S. attorney for Connecticut, John H. Durham, to investigate the origins of the Russian inquiry. In October 2020, Mr. Barr bestowed special counsel status on Mr. Durham, entrenching him to continue his work under the Biden administration.

Mr. Barrs frequent public pronouncements about the investigation helped stoke expectations among Mr. Trumps supporters that Mr. Durham would prosecute high-level F.B.I. or intelligence officials for a deep state conspiracy against Mr. Trump.

But Mr. Durham failed to bring any such cases. Instead he developed two narrow cases involving charges of false statements related to outside efforts to investigate Mr. Trump and Russia. He also used court filings to insinuate that he believed the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democrats conspired to frame Mr. Trump for collusion even though he did not charge such a conspiracy.

Both defendants were acquitted. Mr. Durham is now apparently writing a report for Mr. Garland about his work.

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What Is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)?top mastercard online casinos

A chartered financial analyst (CFA) is a globally-recognized professional designation given by the CFA Institute, (formerly the AIMR (Association for Investment Management and Research)), that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas, such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis.

From 1963 to the first half of 2022, more than two million candidates have sat for the Level I exam, with 291,500 candidates ultimately going on to pass the Level III exam, representing a weighted average completion rate of around 11%. In the last 10 years, the completion rate was slightly lower at 9.6%.

Historically the pass rates on each exam have been below 50%, making obtaining the CFA Charter one of the most difficult sets of financial certifications; a minimum of 300 hours of study is recommended for each exam.

The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered to be the gold standard in the field of investment analysis.

To become a charter holder, candidates must pass three difficult exams, have a bachelors degree, and have at least four years of relevant professional experience. Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying.

There are more than 160,000 CFA chartholders worldwide in 164 countries and regions.

The designation is handed out by the CFA Institute, which has nine offices worldwide and 156 local member societies.

What Is A CFA?

The Basics of Becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

1:47

The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered to be the gold standard in the field of investment analysis. The designation is handed out by the CFA Institute, which is a global nonprofit professional organization of more than 164,000 charter holders, portfolio managers, and other financial professionals in over 151 countries. Its stated mission is to promote and develop a high level of educational, ethical, and professional standards in the investment industry.

Before becoming a CFA charter holder, a candidate must meet one of the following educational requirements. The candidate must have four years of professional work experience, a bachelor's degree or be in the final year of the bachelor's degree program, or a combination of professional work experience and education totaling four years. For the undergraduate qualification, the bachelor's program must be completed before registering for the Level II exam. In addition to the educational requirement, the candidate must have an international passport, complete the assessment in English, meet the professional conduct admission criteria, and live in a participating country.

After meeting the enrollment requirements, the candidate must pass all three levels of the CFA program in sequential order. The candidate must then become a member of the CFA Institute and pay annual dues. Finally, they must sign off annually that they are following the CFA Institute code of ethics and standards of professional conduct. Failure to adhere to the ethics and standards is grounds for possible lifetime revocation of the CFA charter.

Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying. The three exams can be taken once a year in June, with the exception of Level I, which can be taken in December as well.

Although the exams can be taken as many times as needed, each exam typically requires candidates to study in excess of 300 hours. Given the considerable amount of time that must be spent studying, many candidates are deterred from continuing the CFA Program after failing one of the levels. To receive a charter, each candidate must pass all three exams and have four years of qualified work experience in investment decision-making.

The exams are difficult. Only 43% passed the level exam in June 2018, which is similar to previous years. Having the right plan and the discipline to follow the plan are essential skills for passing all three exams. Notably, 2018 saw a record number of test takers, according to the CFA Institute. The Institute said more than 79,000 people sat its Level I test in June, an increase of 25% from 2017. The increase in test takers came primarily from Asia. The Institute now has test-taking centers in 43 countries around the world.

Level I Exam

The CFA Level I examination is administered twice per year in June and December. It focuses on analysis using the tools of the 10 topic areas of the Candidate Body of Knowledge. These areas are ethical and professional standards, quantitative methods, economics, financial reporting and analysis, corporate finance, equity investments, fixed income, derivatives, alternative investments, and portfolio management and wealth planning. The exam format is 240 multiple choice questions to be completed within six hours.



41%

The pass rate for the Level I exam over the past decade has averaged around 41%, with the February 2022 Level I exam seeing just 36% of test takers pass, allowing them to proceed to Level II.

CFA Level I Exam Topic Weights.

Level II Exam

The Level II exam is only offered once per year in June. It focuses on the valuation of various assets and emphasizes the application of investment tools and concepts in contextual situations. Exam questions referring to Financial Reporting and Analysis are typically based on International Financing Reporting Standards (IFRS). The exam format is 21 item sets (mini case studies) with six multiple choice questions for each set (120 questions total).

45%

The 10-year weighted average of CFA Level II pass rate is 45%. In August of 2021, only 29% of Level II test takers passed, allowing them to proceed to Level III.

CFA Level II Exam Topic Weights.

Level III Exam

The Level 3 exam is only offered once per year in June. It focuses on effective wealth planning and portfolio management by requiring the candidate to synthesize all the concepts and analytical methods in the entire curriculum. The exam format is between eight to 12 multi-part structured essay questions and ten multiple choice questions to be completed within six hours. The hand-written answers are graded by hand.

52%

The 10-year weighted average pass rate for Level III is the highest at 52%.

CFA Level III Exam Topic Weights.

Limitations of the CFA Charter

The CFA charter is widely respected, globally-recognized, and a difficult undertaking to accomplish. However, it is not a guaranteed path to riches and glory. Before taking the plunge, carefully consider several drawbacks to earning one. The CFA is not a quick-fix for an ailing career. If you're enrolling in the program to jump-start a stalling career, you may want to look at other reasons your career is not moving forward first. Perhaps before investing inordinate amounts of time and a substantial amount of money into building your pedigree, you might choose to improve your soft skills, such as work ethic and political suaveness.

Becoming a CFA charterholder is a huge investment in timea recommended minimum of 300 hours per year over three yearsor more if you fail and decide to re-take an exam. You will likely sacrifice time with family and friends and the pursuit of hobbies you enjoy. And after committing all that time, there is no guarantee that you will earn the charter.

While the cost factor may not be a major consideration, it is worth pondering. A Level I candidate will pay a one-time program enrollment fee plus an exam registration fee. Level II and III candidates will pay a registration fee as well. There is also the cost of the books and study programs you'll have to buy. Altogether, you should expect to spend several thousand dollars each time you attempt the exams.

How Long Does It Take to Pass the CFA Exams?

The CFA exams are difficult and have a high failure rate. Each exam requires at least 300 hours of study, on average. Successful candidates take an average of four years to earn the designation.

How Much Do the CFA Exams Cost?

Each of the three levels of the CFA exam cost $1,000 (which is reduced to $700 if you register early). In addition, there is a one-time enrollment fee of $350. With early enrollment, you would end up paying a total of $2,450.

Are the CFA Exams Multiple Choice?

The CFA Level I exam is entirely multiple-choice, with 180 questions. The Level II exam consists entirely of item set questions. Level III consists of constructed response (essay) items during the morning session and item set questions during the afternoon. Constructed response items typically have several parts related to a case study that describes one or a series of investment challenges.

Are CFA Charterholders Paid More?

Industry reports indicate that CFA charterholders are paid more than those who have not completed the program. According to test prep provider 300 Hours, a CFA charterholder earns, on average, 53% more than a Level I candidate when controlling for years of work experience.
Part of the reason that French pronunciation and aural comprehension are so difficult is due to liaisons. A liaison is a phenomenon whereby a normally silent consonant at the end of a word is pronounced at the beginning of the word that follows it.

Examples of Liaisons

The sound files below show words such as vous (you), which have a silent "s" at the end, unless they are paired with a word like avez (have). When this occurs, the "s" is pronounced at the beginning of the following word, creating a liaison in French.

In each instance, the words on the left contain a silent letter at the end; the words on the right show how the usually silent letter at the end of the word is pronounced at the beginning of the following word, creating a liaison. The word or words are followed by a transliteration to help you pronounce the terms and phrases as you hear them.

French Word With a Final Silent Consonant Liaison vous [vu] vous avez [vu za vay] ont [o(n)] ont-ils [o(n) teel] un [uh(n)] un homme [uh(n) nuhm] les [lay] les amis [lay za mee]

Pronunciation Key

Use this pronunciation key as a guide to help you get the most out of the previous sound files.

a father

e bed

ee meet

u fool

(n) nasal n

In addition, consonants in liaisons sometimes change the pronunciation. For example, an "s" is pronounced like a "z" when it is used in a liaison.

Liaison Rules

The basic requirement of a liaison is a word that ends in a normally silent consonant followed by a word that begins with a vowel or mute h. This does not mean, however, that all possible liaisons are necessarily pronounced. In fact, the pronunciation (or not) of liaisons is subject to very specific rules, and liaisons are divided into three categories:

Required liaisons (Liaisons obligatoires) Forbidden liaisons (Liaisons interdites) Optional liaisons (Liaisons facultatives)

If you are a beginner, study just the required liaisons and forbidden liaisons, as these are the essential. If you're more advanced, study all three sections. It may be boring, but your pronunciation and ability to communicate at different levels of formality will improve dramatically.

Liaison vs. Enchantment

There is a related phenomenon in French called enchainement (linking). The difference between enchainementand liaisons is this: Liaisons occur when the final consonant is normally silent but is pronounced due to the vowel that follows it (vous vs. vous avez), whereas enchainement occurs when the final consonant is pronounced whether or not a vowel follows it, such as pour vs. pour elle, which translates as "for" vs. "for her."

Note that enchainement is simply a phonetic issue, while the pronunciation of liaisons is based on linguistic and stylistic factors. Additionally, scan the pronunciation chart below to see how various letters are generally pronounced in French liaisons.
Gambling online has exploded in popularity over the past couple of decades. Unfortunately,hard wallet crypto ledger wherever theres mass amounts of money changing hands, there will be unscrupulous characters looking to take advantage of unsuspecting punters.

Aside from that, there will also be plenty of amateurs putting together half-baked websites to try to cash in on the digital gold rush. These sites will inevitably be unsafe and can cause endless problems for players.

With this in mind, we decided to compile this list of safety tips for online gamblers. Make sure youre playing at safe and secure online casinos in the future.

Always Check the Connection

One of the simplest safety tips we can give you is to always check that the web connection is encrypted with the latest Secure Socket Layer encryption.

You wont need any advanced technical skills to do this. Simply open the website and check out the web address. If you see https:// before the domain, its secure. If you dont, then its not, and you should not transmit money or financial information over this connection.

Why is this important? Theres a certain breed of hacker that specializes in snooping on web connections. If the information being transmitted is not encrypted, its like sending a letter in an unsealed envelope.

Look for a Valid Gambling License

Unlicensed gambling sites arent always scams, but theyre much more likely to be than licensed ones. You should always look for a gambling license from the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, or another credible and respected iGaming regulator.

When a gambling website has a license from one of these authorities, it means it complies with the laws and regulations in that jurisdiction. If it doesnt, it will be fined or will have its license revoked. This can cause severe damage to the gambling brand, so operators are keen to play by the rules.

You can usually find information on an operators gambling licences in the footer of the website. You can also verify the license numbers and other information on the websites of the regulators.

Use Secure Payment Methods

Sharing or storing your financial details with any website entails some degree of risk. Even legit, safe gambling sites could be hacked, and any information youve stored on them can be downloaded and used or sold on by data thieves.

Thats why its always a good idea to use safe casino payment methods like PayPal, Neteller, or Paysafecard. The first two are e-wallets which provide a layer of protection between your bank account and the gambling site. The latter is a voucher system that uses a PIN to load cash onto the gambling website.

If a hacker does manage to break into your account or the gambling site in general, theyll see nothing other than your email address and personal details. There will be no sensitive financial information to steal.

Staying Safe When Gambling Online

Dont let the ideas of hackers and rogue gambling sites put you off. The vast majority are honest brokers, and most gambling sites are safe and secure.

Still, implementing these basic online gambling safety tips could save you a lot of headaches. Remember them and make them habits when finding new gambling sites to bet on.

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U.S. federal student loan borrowers can now apply for up to $20,warcraft movie pointsbet referral000 of debt relief online. See how this policy will help achieve sustainability and narrow the racial wealth gap.

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Celebrating its 25 anniversary at the Aero India 2023 exhibition, Brahmos Aerospace shows the Brahmos I air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM) and the new Brahmos NG currently under development. Developed under the Indo-Russian Joint Venture, Brahmos I have been fielded by the Indian Navy and Army and is being fielded with the Air Force. The capability to operate the missile on Su-30 aircraft has raised prospects for Russian interest in obtaining the co-produced missile for their navy and air force. In 2016 such a purchase was discussed, but Russia did not pursue the acquisition. However, Russia may reconsider this opportunity after spending many of its Onyx missiles during the War in Ukraine.

The long-range naval/land attack missile is shown on the static display onboard the Sukhoi- 30MKI fighter platform of the Indian Air Force. Models of the next generation version (Brahmos NG) are displayed on a model at the Brahmos Aerospace stand.

Accelerated by a solid rocket booster and powered by a ramjet, the Brahmos I missile cruises at high supersonic speed (Mach 2.8) and can strike targets on land or sea at distances exceeding 500 km. The ALCM variant weighs 2.5 tons and carries a warhead weighing 200 kg. The Indian Air Force already confirmed a requirement of 400 missiles that will be delivered within five years.

Brahmos NG is designed as a smaller and more agile missile, reaching a top speed of 3.5 Mach. It will have the same range as Brahmos I and carry an equally capable warhead. The manufacturer plans to introduce another variant, Brahmos II, designed to reach an even higher speed, rated at the hypersonic regime (above Mach 5). In addition to achieving hypersonic speed, Brahmos II is likely to be low observable, making it suitable for fifth-generation platforms.

Brahmos I has attracted much interest in India and abroad. In January 2022, the Philippines became the first export customer of the system, deploying the missiles in coastal defense configuration. Some countries in the Middle East have also raised interest, and Brahmos intends to tap this interest, bringing the system to the IDEX 2023 exhibition in Abu Dhabi next week. As a versatile weapon system, Brahmos can be integrated on various platforms, including frigates, submarines, land-attack, and coastal defense weapons.

Brahmos is positioned as a central player in achieving Indias ambitious target to reach defense exports worth US$5 billion by 2025. Beginning in 2024, the missiles will be produced at a new manufacturing site built at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). The site will also accommodate a development center for current and future missiles. More than 20,000 scientists, engineers, and technicians are directly engaged with the program, leveraging an ecosystem of +200 companies throughout India providing components and subsystems for the missile systems.

The Indian Sukhoi Su-30 MKI can carry a single missile on the centerline station. The large size and weight eliminated the ability to catty Brahmos I underwing. Even a single missile significantly reduces fuel and weapon loadout. The next-generation missile will be able to meet the three-missile configuration required by the Indian Air Force, adding two Brahmos NG missiles carried on underwing stations. Integrations for Tejas will expand the use of Brahmos NG with the Indian Air Force and Navy and open more export opportunities. Rafale integration is also considered for the Indian Air Force and could open more export prospects, primarily in the Middle East. The manufacturer also plans integration on Typhoon, targeting potential Middle East customers. Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait are operating Typhoons and could be interested in the Brahmos NG integration on their aircraft. Brahmos NG is slated to begin flight tests within 1-2 years. The hypersonic Brahmos II is expected to follow toward the decades end.
Syllogism Definition

Syllogism is closest riverboat casino to mea rhetorical device that starts an argument with a reference to something general, and from this it draws a conclusion about something more specific.

Let us try to understand the concept with the help of an example. We start with a general argument All men are mortal. We know that John is a man, so John is mortal. It is a deductive approach to reason, and is based on deducing specific conclusions from general facts.

We notice in the above example that syllogism is a three-part set of statements:

a major statement or premise a minor statement or premise a conclusion that is deduced

Therefore, All men are mortal is a major statement or premise, which stands as a general fact. John is a man is minor statement or premise that is specific, and John is mortal is the logical conclusion deduced from the two prior statements.

Syllogism and Enthymeme

Syllogism takes the form of enthymeme when it is compressed. Enthymeme combines the minor premise and the conclusion, omitting the major statement. For instance, a syllogism All dogs are canine. Tommy is a dog. Therefore, Tommy is a canine, can be compressed in an enthymeme as Tommy is a canine because it is a dog. The major premise remains implied or hidden.

Syllogism Fallacy

Syllogism may also be used to form incorrect conclusions that are odd. For instance, All crows are black, and the bird in my cage is black. So, the bird in my cage is a crow. This is a false argument, as it implies a conclusion that all blackbirds are crows, which is incorrect. It is known as syllogism fallacy. Another example of syllogism fallacy is Some televisions are black and white, and all penguins are black and white. Therefore, some televisions are penguins. You can easily see that the conclusion is practically impossible, and in fact has a comical outcome.

Examples of Syllogism in Literature

There are numerous examples of syllogism or coming-of-age novels in English literature. Let us briefly analyze a few:

Example #1: Timon of Athens(By William Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare employs this rhetorical device in his play Timon of Athens, Act 4, scene 3:

Flavius: Have you forgot me, sir?

Timon: Why dost ask that? I have forgot all men;

Then, if thou grantst thourt a man, I have forgot thee.

Timon uses a witty syllogism to tell Flavius that he must have forgotten him like he has forgotten all other men. It can be expanded in a three-set argument as: I usually do forget, as I have forgotten everyone. Therefore, I have forgotten you as well.

Example #2: To his Coy Mistress(By Andrew Marvell)

Poetry is known for its passion and not reason, but we find syllogistic argument in Andrew Marvells poem To His Coy Mistress. The poet says to his bashful beloved:

Had we but world enough, and time. This coyness, Lady, were no crime.

It implies a general truth that life is short and man is mortal. They do not have enough time to love, and cannot waste it in display of coyness.

Likewise, he and his darling may separate eternally before their union in this world is established. Therefore, he says:

But at my back I always hear

Times winged chariot hurrying near;

and speaks to his beloved, with the conclusion that they should avail themselves of the time they have:

Thy beauty shall no more be found

Now let us sport us while we may,

Example #3: Elegy 2 The Anagram(By John Donne)

Compressed syllogism is found in famous metaphysical poet John Donnes Elegy 2 The Anagram:

All love is wonder; if we justly do

Account her wonderful, why not lovely too?

If we expand the above syllogism, it will have the following organization of statements: All that is lovable is wonderful, and the mistress is wonderful. Therefore, the mistress is lovable.

Function of Syllogism

In logic, syllogism aims at identifying the general truths in a particular situation. It is a tool in the hands of a speaker or a writer to persuade the audience or the readers, as their belief in a general truth may tempt them to believe in a specific conclusion drawn from those truths. In literature, syllogism can contribute to add wit to the statements. Moreover, syllogism fallacy may give us an opportunity to enjoy nonsensical conclusions.
Dalek / (dlk) / New Word List Save This firekeepers casino home pageWord! / (dlk) /Save ThisWord!

nounany of a set of fictional robot-like creations that are aggressive, mobile, and produce rasping staccato speech

Words nearby Dalek

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 DalekC20: from a children's television series, Dr Whodalapon, dalasi, d'Albert, Dalcroze, dale, Dalek, d'Alembert, d'Alembert's principle, Dalen, Dales, dalesmanCollins 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 Chief Technology Officer (CTO)?mega casino no deposit bonus 2019

A chief technology officer (CTO) is the executive in charge of an organization's technological needs as well as its research and development (R&D). Also known as a chief technical officer, this individual examines the short- and long-term needs of an organization and utilizes capital to make investments designed to help the organization reach its objectives. The CTO usually reports directly to a company's chief information officer (CIO), but may also report to the chief executive officer (CEO) of the firm.

Key Takeaways

A chief technology officer (CTO) is an executive who is responsible for the management of an organization's research and development (R&D) as well as its technological needs.

As of Jul. 14, 2022, the average base salary of a CTO is $257,971.

Depending on the company, a CTO may play one of several roles, including strategic planner, customer relations liaison, and overseer of infrastructure.

Becoming a CTO often involves at least 15 years of IT experience, along with a graduate degree and certifications in computer sciences and business administration.

Understanding the Role of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

A chief technology officer (CTO) is the highest technology executive position within a company and leads the technology or engineering department. They develop policies and procedures and use technology to enhance products and services that focus on external customers. The CTO also develops strategies to increase revenue and performs a cost-benefit analysis and return-on-investment analysis.

Originally a chief information officer (CIO) previously performed dual roles as CIO and chief technology officer (CTO). However, as technology continued to advance, there was a growing need to separate the CIO job into two roles to ensure a company's success. Hence, the development of the CTO as a separate position.

How do the two differ? Despite the titles, the CTO has more of an outward-looking, strategic planning role, while the CIO has more of a technology-focused, operational role. Generally, a CIO is responsible for technologies that run the company's internal operations and business procedures. The CTO is responsible for technologies that grow the business externally, implementing services and products that serve clients and customers.

Many large corporations need both a CTO and CIO, while smaller companies tend to have one or the other. The choice depends on the company's vision and budget.

As technology focuses more on integrating applications, processes, and the Internet of Things, CTOs must keep abreast of big data, streaming analytics, and cloud technology to remain innovative and stay competitive.

Types of Chief Technology Officers

While research and development have been a component of businesses for many years, the rise of information technology (IT) and computers has increased the importance of the chief technology officer. Companies focusing on scientific and electronic products employ CTOs who are responsible for the oversight of intellectual property and have backgrounds in the industry.

But the responsibilities and role of the CTO also depend on the company. There are typically four different kinds of CTOs, whose main duties may differ.

Infrastructure Overseer

This CTO may oversee the company's data, security, maintenance, and the network of a company and may implement (but not necessarily set) the company's technical strategy. The CTO may also manage the company's technological roadmap.

Strategic Planner

This type of CTO may envision how technology will be used within the company while setting the technical strategy for the company. This CTO will also look at how to further implement new technologies within the company to ensure its success.

Consumer Liaison

In this role, a CTO will act as a liaison between the customer and the business by taking on the responsibilities of customer relations, getting a grasp on the target market, and helping deliver IT projects to market.

Thinker

This kind of CTO will help set up the corporate strategy and fuel technological infrastructure, will analyze target markets, and create business models. Additionally, the CTO will have a close relationship with the CEO and other members of the company's senior management.

Becoming a Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

As with most jobs in the IT industry, the path to CTO starts with a bachelors degree in a computer- or information science-related field (computer programming, software development, management information systems, applied mathematics, cybersecurity).

Many firms also prefer their CTOs to have M.A.s: master's degrees in computer sciences, information technologies, or technology management. Given the fact that CTOs often focus on products for customers and customer relations, sales, and marketing courses are often useful as well. Many chief technology officers have MBA degrees, reflecting the significance of IT in strategic corporate planning and business goals.

On-the-job, practical experience is important: Most CTOs have worked their way up the IT ranks at different organizations. Industry certifications, if not crucial, can significantly enhance an applicant's credentials as well.

A chief technology officer is a high-ranking executive-level position in a company, part of the senior-level, "c-suite." So applicants may need more than 15 years of experience in the IT field before being considered for a CTO job.

As of Jul. 14, 2022, annual salaries for CTOs in the United States range from $216,341 to $301,727, according to Salary.com.

$257,971

The average base salary of a CTO in 2022, according to Salary.com, as of Jul. 14, 2022.

Special Considerations

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job outlook for CTOs, along with other computer and information systems managers, is good: Employment is expected to increase 11% between 2020 and 2030much faster than the average 4% for all jobs.

The continued growth of business conducted over information systems is the main cause of employment growth in this role. Rapid advancements in business solutions and growth in mobile device usage and cloud computing usage have also contributed to the expected increase in job openings.

In 2009, the White House announced the appointment of the country's very first CTO, an official in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. This official's main focus is to use technology to help stimulate job creation, improve healthcare and security systems, and increase broadband access. Aneesh Chopra was the first CTO of the U.S.

Chief Technology Officer FAQs

What Does a CTO Do?

Chief technology officers (CTOs) evaluate new technology and implement it to launch or improve goods and services for their firm's clientele and customers.

Are CTO and CIO the Same?

The CTO title has been in use for over 10 years, but there is still confusion about the role and how it differs from the CIO. The title first developed at dot-com companies in the 1990s and then expanded to IT departments. The CTO role became popular as the information technology (IT) industry grew, but it is also used in other industries such as e-commerce, healthcare, telecommunications, and government.

Although there is overlap between the two positions, since both deal with IT, CTOs generally look outward, using technology to improve the company's customer experiencethe use of the goods and services. CIOs generally look inward, developing and using technology to improve the company's procedures and operations.

Who Does a CTO Report To?

CTOs often report to CIOs. However, they may report directly to a company's CEO, especially if there is no CIO position.

What Does a Chief Technology Officer Do?

A chief technology officer (CTO) is responsible for overseeing the development and dissemination of technology for external customers, vendors, and other clients to help improve and increase business. They may also deal with internal IT operations if a company is small and doesn't have a chief information officer.

What It Takes To Become a CTO

CTOs start out with bachelor's degrees in a computer-science-related field. They often earn master's degrees as well, again in computer sciences or mathematics fieldsthough more general MBAs are common as well.

CTOs generally have at least 15 years of IT job experience under their belts. Along with technical expertise, they must demonstrate leadership, decision-making, management, and business strategy skills.
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Free Quincy

Free Quincy is a project of psychedelic experiences carefully AND haphazardly curated in homemade studios from Amazon soundproofing tiled to AKG clearance microphones incorporating, but not limited to: original sound production & design across multiple DAWs, original (YES ME for fucks sake) vocals, poetry, samples, pop culture, meme references, cringecore, tradition disc jockeyism, and harmonic texture to match. Founded on a passion for artistic and creative integrity coupled with strong appreciation for musical theory, Free Quincy aims to do as the name subjects. To subject our audience to raw emotion to liberate with unadulterated, unapologetic frequencies with respect to the derivative reach of inspiration. We bounce from Skrillex to Rezz to Daft Punk to San Holo to Snails. Fun fact: much of our earlier work was recorded on a broken Corsair vengeance gaming headset held up by duct tape and rubber band for the microphone before we built our studios. Another fun fact: we both spontaneously and simultaneously wiped our hard drives for formatting and did not consult beforehand (oopsies poopies uh-oh stinky

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Year: 2018 1,729 Views Playlists: #12 Promoted

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[INTRO]now look what you made me do you got me writing songs and shit. You got me FUCKED Up. You dumb ass little bitch. You dumb ass stupid ass little biiiiiitch. (Into the windows of her SOUL). (DragonballZ ASMR super Saiyan)[VERSE 1]Tell me lies in disguisewhatd you do to me? That in your mind, through your eyesbaby you cant see?Dont avert your gaze into the truth. We know our love is like a river, why disrupt the flow? Yeah, this could be wrong but let us make a fight. Cause when I feel this strong I want to make it right. [HOOK]How do you feel? Stop holding back. No used to conceal were on the right track. Stop holding back. Were on the right track. Stop holding back. Were on the right track. [VERSE 2]Youve got so much hurt on your mind. And frankly, its made you blind. Delusion, diffusion, confusionI agree. In fusion, our fusion, conclusion: could this be?How could this be wrong?Could this be taking flight?Could this be something strong?Could this be something right? How do you feel?Stop holding back. No use to conceal,Were on the right track. (x2)[BREAKDOWN]Right. Right track. Right right track. Right trackright right track. Track track right track. Rightraright right Right. Right trackTrack. Right track ruhruh track. TRTRTRTR Were on the right track. Riritratra riritraRiririri r r r r tr tr Ri r r trari r r r traRighr r R R r rtra track. Ri ri track track a a track A a a a a/a/a/a track (trtrtrtrtr)A a a a a aRight right rightTTTTTTTTRACK[RESOLVE]How do you feel?Stop holding back!No use to conceal,Were on the right track.
The words ensure, insure, and assure are often confused with each other in English and leave people wondering which one is correct. And not without reason. Its easy to gloss over these words in conversation because they all sound very similar when spoken. Plus, theyre only a few letters apart from each other, which adds to the confusion.

What are the Differences Between Ensure, Insure, and Assure?

Today, I want to clear up that confusion and outline the unique characteristics of each of these words. I will cover the functions, definitions, and grammar behind each word, so you can understand their differences and use them properly.

After reading this post, I can assure you will never misuse ensure vs. insure vs. assure again.

To start, all three words come from the Latin securus, meaning to make safe or to make sure. This is in part why they are so tough to keep apart, because they come from the same word and still have very similar meanings. All three words share an element of making an outcome certain, but they are used at different times and for different things.

When to Use Ensure

Ensure is a transitive verb meaning to make certain or guarantee. To ensure is to make sure that something will (or wont) happen or be the case. For example,

The sunscreen I applied ensures that I will not burn.

You must take the proper precautions to ensure your privacy.

To ensure that we dont run out again, I ordered more food.

What makes ensure different from the other words is that we only ensure events or states of being; we dont ensure things. This means that we ensure that we can get time off from work, but we dont ensure our car.

When to Use Insure

Insure is also a transitive verb meaning to protect oneself financially by insurance. Insure, in best usage, is reserved for underwriting financial risk. For example,

The company insured itself against losses by diversifying.

You should insure your house against theft.

Is your car insured for the full amount?

Unlike ensure, which applies to events, insure applies to things. So we insure our house, our car, and our business.

When to Use Assure

Assure is a transitive verb meaning to inform positively to remove doubt. For example,

The attendant assured us the flight was on schedule.

I assure you nothing is wrong.

Your kindness assured me of your devotion.

In most senses, we assure people that their concerns are being addressed.

Practice Quiz and Examples

Below are a few sentences you can use to practice,

Greg ______ me we were going in the correct direction. This table should be ______ for at least $3,000. In order to ______ a pleasant trip, we ask for your cooperation. My colleague ______ me that he ______ the accounts, ______ that we were in the clear.

Display the answers below

Remember the Difference

A good way to remember ensureis that it has two es in it, just like guaranteedoes. To ensureis to guarantee.

You can remember insure because it deals with finances and underwriting risks. You generally do this taking out an insurance policy. Both words start with insur.

Assure is something that you tell to another person, something that can feel doubt or uncertainty. This means you only assure things that are alive. Both start with an A.

Summary

All three of these words are used in specific instances, so its important to keep track of insure vs. ensure vs. assure.

Ensureis to make certain or guarantee. You ensure events and states of being.



Insure is to protect yourself from financial risk. You insure things like cars or homes.

Assure is to tell someone something positively or confidently to remove any doubt.

Answers
earn with crypto best slots roobetshows grade level based on the word's complexity. deck hand New Word List Save This Word!See deck handAn Americanism dating back to 183545 Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!See deck handAn Americanism dating back to 183545

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Words related to deck hand deck hand nouna seaman assigned various duties, such as mooring and cargo handling, on the deck of a ship(in Britain) a seaman over 17 years of age who has seen sea duty for at least one yeara helper aboard a yacht 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

deck department, decked, deckel, decker, deck gang, deck hand, deckhead, deck hook, deckhouse, decking, deckleDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
spin castle 20p rouletteshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dareful [ dair-fuhl ]/ dr fl / 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-fuhl ]/ dr fl /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

adjective Obsolete.daring.

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How to use in a sentence Dareful she had met her spiritual foes; they had withdrawn defeated! Lilith|George MacDonald

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 darefulFirst recorded in 15951605; dare + -fulDardanus, Dardic, dare, daredevil, daredeviltry, dareful, daren't, daresay, Dar es Salaam, Darfur, dargDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
A casino employee tasked with unclogging cash out machines at Gun Lake Casino admitted to stealing more than $84,newtown casino casino winners 2021500 over the span of 14 months, federal court records show.

Jordan Lewis Cook admitted to the thefts in a written plea agreement with the government. His plea was accepted Friday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Ray Kent in Grand Rapids.

The charge, theft from an Indian Tribal Organization, is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for January.

The thefts happened between September 2021 and November 2022 at the popular Allegan County casino operated by the Gun Lake Tribe.
M.L.S, Library Science, Indiana University

Childe Hassam (1859-1935) was an American painter who played a crucial role in popularizing impressionism in the United States. He formed a breakaway group of artists devoted to the style known as The Ten. By the end of his life, he was one of the world's most commercially successful artists.

Fast Facts: Childe Hassam

Full Name: Frederick Childe Hassam

Frederick Childe Hassam Known For: Painter

Painter Style: AmericanImpressionism

AmericanImpressionism Born: October 17, 1859 in Boston, Massachusetts

October 17, 1859 in Boston, Massachusetts Died: August 27, 1935 in East Hampton, New York

August 27, 1935 in East Hampton, New York Spouse: Kathleen Maude Doane

Kathleen Maude Doane Education: Academie Julian

Academie Julian Selected Works : "Rainy Day, Columbus Avenue, Boston" (1885), "Poppies, Isles of Shoals" (1891), "Allies Day, May 1917" (1917)

: "Rainy Day, Columbus Avenue, Boston" (1885), "Poppies, Isles of Shoals" (1891), "Allies Day, May 1917" (1917) Notable Quote:"Art, to me, is the interpretation of the impression which nature makes upon the eye and brain."

Early Life and Education

Born into a New England family that traced its ancestry to 17th-century English settlers, Childe Hassam explored art from an early age. He grew up in Boston and was often amused that the surname Hassam made many think that he had an Arabian heritage. It began as Horsham back in England and went through several spelling changes before the family settled on Hassam.

The Hassam family suffered the failure of their cutlery business in 1872 after a catastrophic fire swept through the Boston business district. Childe went to work to help support his family. He lasted only three weeks working in the accounting department of the publisher Little, Brown, and Company. Working in a wood engraving shop was a better fit.

By 1881, Childe Hassam had his own studio where he worked as both a draftsman and a freelance illustrator. Hassam's work appeared in magazines like "Harper's Weekly," and "The Century." He'd begun to paint, too, and his preferred medium was watercolor.

Corbis Historical / Getty Images

First Paintings

In 1882, Childe Hassam had his first solo exhibition. It consisted of approximately 50 watercolors displayed in a Boston art gallery. The primary subject matter was landscapes of places Hassam visited. Among those locations was the island of Nantucket.

Hassam met poet Celia Thaxter in 1884. Her father owned the Appledore House hotel on the Isles of Shoals in Maine. She lived there, and it was a destination favored by many key figures in the cultural life of late-19th century New England. Writers Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow all visited the hotel. Hassam taught Celia Thaxter to paint, and he included the hotel's gardens and the island's shores as subject matter in many of his paintings.

After marrying Kathleen Maude Doane in February 1884, Hassam moved into a South End, Boston, apartment with her, and his painting began to focus on city scenes. "Rainy Day, Columbus Avenue, Boston" was one of the most prominent works created shortly after the wedding.

"Rainy Day, Columbus Avenue, Boston" (1885).VCG Wilson / Getty Images

While there is no indication that Hassam saw Gustave Caillebotte's "Paris Street, Rainy Day" before painting his piece, the two works are almost uncannily similar. One difference is that the Boston painting is devoid of any of the political symbolism many observers found in Caillebotte's masterpiece. "Rainy Day, Columbus Avenue, Boston" quickly became one of Hassam's favorite paintings, and he sent it to be shown a the 1886 Society of American Artists exhibition in New York.

Embrace of Impressionism

In 1886, Hassam and his wife left Boston for Paris, France. They stayed there for three years while he studied art at the Academie Julian. While in Paris, he painted extensively. The city and gardens were the primary subject matter. Shipment of the completed paintings back to Boston to sell helped finance the couple's Parisian lifestyle.

While in Paris, Hassam viewed French impressionist paintings in exhibitions and museums. However, he did not meet any of the artists. The exposure prompted a shift in the colors and brushstrokes Hassam used. His style became lighter with softer colors. Friends and associates back home in Boston noticed the changes and approved of the developments.

Hassam returned to the United States in 1889 and decided to move to New York City. With Kathleen, he moved into a studio apartment at 17th Street and Fifth Avenue. He created city scenes in all kinds of weather, from winter to the height of summer. Despite the evolution of European impressionism into post-impressionism and fauvism, Hassam firmly stuck to his newly-adopted impressionist techniques.

Fellow American impressionist painters J.Alden Weir and John Henry Twachtman soon became friends and colleagues. Through Theodore Robinson, the trio developed a friendship with French impressionist Claude Monet.

"Poppies, Isles of Shoals" (1891).Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

In the mid-1890s, Childe Hassam began traveling during the summer to paint landscapes in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Old Lyme, Connecticut, and other locations. After a trip to Havana, Cuba, in 1896, Hassam held his first one-person auction show in New York at the American Art Galleries and featured over 200 paintings from throughout his career. Unfortunately, the paintings sold for less than $50 on average per picture. Frustrated by the impact of the 1896 economic slump in the U.S., Hassam returned to Europe.

After traveling to England, France, and Italy, Hassam returned to New York in 1897. There, he helped fellow impressionists secede from the Society of American Artists and form their own group called The Ten. Despite disapproval from the traditional art community, The Ten soon found success with the public. They functioned as a successful exhibition group for the next 20 years.

Later Career

By the end of the first decade of a new century, Childe Hassam was one of the most commercially successful artists in the United States. He earned as much as $6,000 per painting, and he was a spectacularly prolific artist. By the end of his career, he produced over 3,000 works.

Childe and Kathleen Hassam returned to Europe in 1910. They found the city even more vibrant than before. More paintings emerged depicting bustling Parisian life and Bastille Day celebrations.

Upon returning to New York, Hassam began creating what he called "window" paintings. They were one of his most popular series and usually featured a female model in a kimono near a lightly-curtained or open window. Many of the window pieces were sold to museums.

By the time Hassam participated in 1913's Armory Show in New York City, his impressionist style was mainstream art. The cutting edge was far beyond impressionism with cubist experiments and the first rumblings of expressionist art.

"End of the Trolley Line, Oak Park, Illinois" (1893).Buyenlarge / Getty Images

Flag Series

Perhaps the most popular and well-known series of paintings by Childe Hassam was created very late in his career. Inspired by a parade supporting preparations for U.S. participation in World War I, Hassam painted a scene with patriotic flags as the most prominent element. Soon, he had an extensive collection of flag paintings.

"Allies Day, May 1917" (1917).VCG Wilson / Getty Images

Hassam hoped that the entire flag series would ultimately be sold for $100,000 as a war memorial set, but most of the works were eventually sold individually. Flag paintings found their way into the White House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Gallery of Art.

In 1919, Hassam settled in Long Island. It is the subject of many of his final paintings. A boom in art prices in the 1920s made Hassam a wealthy man. Until the end of his life, he fiercely defended impressionism against critics who saw the style as old-fashioned. Childe Hassam died in 1935 at age 75.

Legacy

Childe Hassam was a pioneer in popularizing impressionism in the United States. He also broke ground demonstrating how to turn art into a massively profitable commercial product. His style and approach to the business of art were distinctly American.

Despite the pioneering spirit of his early career, Childe Hassam frequently spoke out against modern developments late in life. He saw impressionism as the pinnacle of artistic development and movements such as cubism were distractions.

"Winter in Union Square" (1890).Buyenlarge / Getty Images

Sources
What Is a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)?nfl picks against the point spread week 6

The term chief financial officer (CFO) refers to a senior executive responsible for managing the financial actions of a company. The CFO's duties include tracking cash flow and financial planning as well as analyzing the company's financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing corrective actions. The role of a CFO is similar to a treasurer or controller because they are responsible for managing the finance and accounting divisions and for ensuring that the companys financial reports are accurate and completed in a timely manner.

Key Takeaways

A chief financial officer is a top-level executive.

The CFO is a financial controller who handles everything relating to cash flow, financial planning, and taxation issues.

A CFO is often the highest financial position and the third-highest position in a company, playing a vital role in the company's strategic initiatives.

Financial reports completed under a CFO must adhere to financial standards.

People interested in becoming a CFO must have an academic and professional background in finances, economics, and/or analysis.

Understanding Corporate Structure

How Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) Work

1:07

The chief financial officer is a member of the C-suite, a term used to describe the most important executives in a company. Alongside the CFO, these roles include the chief executive officer (CEO), the chief operating officer (COO), and the chief information officer (CIO).

Becoming a CFO requires a certain degree of experience in the industry. The majority of people who end up in this position have advanced degrees and certifications, such as a graduate degree in finance or economics, and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. It also helps to have a background in accounting, investment banking, or analysis.

The CFO reports to the CEO but remains one of the key personnel in any company. In the financial industry, it is a high-ranking position, and in other industries, it is usually the third-highest position in a company.

People in this role have significant input in the company's investments, capital structure, and how the company manages its income and expenses. This corporate officer may assist the CEO with forecasting, cost-benefit analysis, and obtaining funding for various initiatives.

The CFO also works with other senior managers and is a vital participant in a company's overall success, especially when it comes to the long run. For instance, when the marketing department wants to launch a new campaign, the CFO may help to ensure the campaign is feasible or give input on the funds available for the campaign.

A CFO can become a CEO, COO, or they can assume the role of company president.

Special Considerations

The CFO must report accurate information because many decisions are based on the data they provide. The CFO is responsible for managing the financial activities of a company and adhering to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulatory entities.

CFOs must also adhere to regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that include provisions such as fraud prevention and disclosing financial information.

Local, state, and federal governments hire CFOs to oversee taxation issues. Typically, the CFO is the liaison between local residents and elected officials on accounting and other spending matters. The CFO sets financial policy and is responsible for managing government funds.

The Benefits of Being a CFO

The CFO role has emerged from focusing on compliance and quality control to business planning and process changes, and they are a strategic partner to the CEO. The CFO plays a vital role in influencing company strategy.

The United States is an international financial hub and global economic growth increases employment growth in the U.S. financial industry. Companies continue to increase profits leading to a demand for CFOs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts the job outlook for financial managers to grow 15% between 2019 and 2029. The average annual salary for a financial manager was $134,180 in 2020.



Is a CFO an Accountant?

Generally, no, a CFO is not the same as an accountant. Accountants handle bookkeeping tasks and tax filings. Meanwhile, a CFO focuses on the company's financial future, creating forecasts.

What Is the Average Salary of a CFO?

The average salary of a CFO, according to PayScale, is roughly $140,000.

What Is the Highest CFO Salary?

The highest-paid CFO for fiscal year 2020 was Comcast's Michael J. Cavanagh, whose salary was $2.39 million.

How Do You Become a CFO?

Generally speaking, the CFO position is reserved for very experienced professionals with established track records in their field. CFOs are generally equipped with advanced educational designations, such as a Master of Finance or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Many CFOs have professional backgrounds in fields such as accounting, investment banking, or financial analysis. For financial professionals, the CFO is among the most prestigious and highly-paid positions available in a firm.

Are a CEO and a CFO the Same Thing?

No, a CEO and a CFO are not the same thing. However, CFOs are required to work closely with the other senior executives of a company, such as the CEO. These executives are sometimes referred to as the C-Suite of the company, representing the companys highest level of decision-making. Although the CFO is typically subordinate to the CEO in the corporate hierarchy, CFOs will generally be the foremost decision-maker on all matters within the Finance department of their firm.

The Bottom Line

The CFO is the top ranking executive related to managing a company's finances. This includes managing all aspects of financial and cash flow planning, as well as analyzing its financial position. A CFO is comparable to a treasurer or controller. However, unlike a controller or accountant, a CFO is responsible for financial planning, while the other two are in charge of bookkeeping and the company's financial statements.
How does the rapid fielding of modern and mature 88 IFVs reduce the risk and enhance the combat agility of NATOs Eastern front? The combat experience gathered in the Ukraine War reflects the need for agile land combat systems that effectively integrate maneuverability and firepower and rely on logistical support from domestic or neighboring allied countries.

IFVs are Rising to Face New Threats

While forward-deployed heavy armor  main battle tanks and heavily armored infantry fighting vehicles (AIFV)  provide the highest deterrence, the need to cover the long border requires more agile and deployable forces that often consist of wheeled combat vehicles, able to move quickly over long distances, and deploy adequate firepower and infantry troops, anti-tank equipment, self-propelled mortars, and artillery wherever they are most needed. 88 combat vehicles are deemed the most suitable for such missions and are widely available to many NATO countries. Eastern European armies have relied chiefly on Russian 88 vehicles such as the BTR-60, 80, and OT-64. Western APCs  Pandur II, AMV, and Piranha- replaced many of these legacy armored vehicles.

However, the Western vehicles were configured as Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), just like their Russian counterparts. Only recently, NATO embraced the 8x8s as an IFV, equipped with a 30mm automatic cannon, anti-tank guided missiles, sophisticated situational awareness, and target acquisition systems.

Unlike other AFV programs, this concept did not begin with the worlds leading armies but with small nations looking for affordable alternatives to heavy armored formations. Poland was the first to field such a system, mounting the Italian HitFist 30P turret from Leonardo as a standard weapon on the AMV Rosomak. Brazil came second, adopting the new Israeli concept of mounting a medium caliber gun on an overhead remotely controlled weapon station from Elbit Systems.

For several years NATO has been increasing its military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance as a direct result of the Russian onslaught on Ukraine in 2014. In 2016 Allied Heads of State and Government agreed to establish NATOs forward presence in the northeast and southeast of the Alliance in response to the increased instability and insecurity along NATOs periphery. This act was followed by positioning four multinational battalion-size battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland providing some of the forces, led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the United States providing armored units and resources. Additional battlegroups were established following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, positioning four more multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, effectively doubling the number of troops on the ground and demonstrating the Alliances determination to respond to any aggression and protect the Alliances eastern flank  from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.

The High Cost of Integration

Unlike manned turrets that take much of the internal space for the weapon system, unmanned turrets are installed on top, clearing much of the room for the crew and infantry squad. However, without a crew in the turret, all operations must be performed remotely. This process requires extensive electronic integration of mechanical and electrical systems and extensive support to keep those automated systems running smoothly and meeting user expectations. Having those capabilities at close geographic proximity is important for rapid fielding and high readiness of such advanced combat systems.

The complex integration posed significant challenges to countries that opted to move this way. Since most vehicle manufacturers do not provide turrets, users often choose the weapon system and match it with the platform. A typical integration is complex and could take two to four years. The U.S. Army has also encountered problems with its Stryker 30mm Infantry Carrier Vehicle  Dragoon. In 2015, the U.S. Army chose the MCT-30 remotely operated turret from the Norwegian company Kongsberg to be mounted on flat-hull Strykers to increase the lethality of the Stryker Brigade in Europe. These systems have been fielded and operated with the US Army as part of the European Deterrence Initiative since 2018. However, after supplying two brigades, the Army switched to a more protected platform, the Stryker DVHA1, which required repeated integration of the medium caliber weapon system. This program was led by Oshkosh and used a derivative of the Samson 30 turret from Rafael optimized for the Armys requirements. Although the US required local production of the turrets to meet the rapid delivery schedules, manufacturing of turrets is currently undergoing in Israel. The integration was smooth and was completed within a year. Deliveries of the systems are now in the second year of production, under the $942 million program of record expected to complete delivery within four years.

Lithuania also pursued the Samson turret from Rafael for its Vilkas  the 88 Boxers. Lithuania was offered a German turret for the Boxer but preferred to mount the Samson MKII turret, which was more affordable. The integration of German and Israeli systems encountered significant challenges, particularly under the COVID-19 restrictions that prevented the flow of equipment and personnel, lengthy cycles for problem-solving, experimentation, testing, and repair that delayed deliveries by two years. The issues are reportedly resolved by now, but according to Lithuanian press reports, some problems still linger today and affect the operational capabilities of the Vilkas. Nevertheless, the integration challenges encountered in the process have delayed the delivery of the Boxers Lithuania planned to acquire.

Bridging the Gap with Localized, Mature Solutions

Bucharest opted for similar weapons but selected different platforms and turrets  opting for the locally produced General Dynamics Land Systems Europe Piranha V with Elbit Systems UT30MK2 unmanned turret, also built in the country, over the German Boxer and its Lance turret. Rafaels Spike guided missiles are also used on the Romanian APC. Croatia has also fielded a similar turret as part of its Patria 88 modernization program. The company also completed a similar integration of UT30MK2 on the Austrian Pandur II for various customers.

The paths followed by Romania and Lithuania reflect different acquisition approaches to other acquisitions in Eastern Europe. Traditionally, European countries favored the local assembly or full manufacturing of their vehicles, but, for many, the manufacturing of turrets required many specializations that were not readily available in most countries. Furthermore, integrating different platforms, turrets, missile systems, and electronics posed additional risks and delays, particularly for those investing in the independent local development of vehicles or turrets. For example, Poland, like Romania, favored the local production of an upgraded Rosomak equipped with an unmanned turret of a local design. But, unlike the tried and tested Romanian design backed by experienced teams from the original vehicle and turret manufacturers, Poland is currently integrating a new turret into a new vehicle  a significant challenge. Slovakia is also taking the uncharted path, matching the Patria AMV with a locally manufactured turret developed by EVPU. Bulgaria also planned to buy 150 such vehicles but has canceled their plan due to high costs.

Another country encountering a prolonged complex acquisition of IFV is Slovenia. In 2008 the country was one of the first European countries to select remotely controlled medium caliber weapons from Elbit Systems for their 88 IFV; the program stalled due to legal allegations concerning the vehicle manufacturer Patria. In 2018 Slovenia selected the German Boxer in the same configuration developed for Lithuania, but this plan was canceled in 2022. This year Slovenia is initiating this acquisition, this time considering a more considerable buy on a Government to Government (G2G) basis. Slovenia will likely view only European suppliers to ensure timely supply and continuous support even in times of crisis. Italy, Poland, Romania, Austria, and Switzerland already supply modern IFVs for domestic use; some offer local assembly for other European countries. The US Stryker could be considered, but other options are more feasible given that US production lines are full for several years for platforms and turrets. Turret manufacturers havent been mentioned yet. However, given the requirement for rapid delivery and local support from European countries, having fully integrated platform and weapon systems and active manufacturing and support, Romania is considered a good candidate, alongside other European manufacturers, such as the Norwegian Kongsberg and Italian Leonardo.

Fielding multi-role IFVs has been challenging, but these combat systems value to the modern battlespace is clear, but the IFV isnt made as a single system. It combines a chassis, propulsion, and armor systems, an unmanned turret, missile systems, and vetronics delivered by different manufacturers. The integration and assembly represent a complex task. Marrying proven systems and platforms delivered by trusted sources from active production lines is paramount in reducing risks and accelerating delivery and fielding.
da Vinci [ duh-vin-chee; Italian dah veen-chee ]/ d vn ti; Italian d vin ti / New Word List Save This best games to play on laptop with controllerWord! [ duh-vin-chee; Italian dah veen-chee ]/ d vn ti; Italian d vin ti /Save ThisWord!

nounLeonardo [lee-uh-nahr-doh, ley-; Italian le-aw-nahr-daw]. /li nr do, le-; Italian l nr d/. Leonardo da Vinci.

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How to use da Vinci da Vinci/ (d vnt) / nounSee Leonardo da Vinci 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!QuestionDavidson, Davidson Current, Davie, Davies, Davila y Padilla, da Vinci, Davis, Davis Cup, Davis, Jefferson, Davisson, Davisson-Germer experimentDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Greg Gutfeld: We are now the travel hazard, not the other countries

closeVideo

Greg Gutfeld and his guests discuss Mexico using images of Philadelphia citizens in an anti-drug advertisement on 'Gutfeld!'

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Pull my tongue down. Happy Monday. I hope you had a great weekend. I did. After I cleared up the misunderstanding with the park police. Damn. When did restroom custodians start working undercover?

So it appears that the Mexican government is using video of homeless people and open-air drug users from Philadelphia in a national ad campaign to try to scare young people away from drugs. Take a look at this, if you will.

[VIDEO]

They don't speak English? That's right. A third-world country taking shots at a failed Democrat-run city. That's no fair. That's our job. Anyway, some felt this denigrated Philly's image, which I don't understand. What depicts brotherly love better than two guys sharing a dirty needle. Fact is, the only city worse off than Philly is Pompeii. And they had an excuse. Although it's been a few thousand years. I mean, one volcano erupts and they call it a day, not even bothering to build it back up. Come on, Pompeii, grow a pair.

Anyway, people objected to the addicts and degenerates being filmed without their consent. That was another problem. And I'm not just talking about my live studio audience. Yeah, I was just checking if you're awake. But these scenes were filmed in public unlike those videos Kilmeade shows me from the locker room at the YMCA. He's got a shampoo bottle with a hole in it. It's amazing.

But face it, it's hard to give consent when your pants are down, on the sidewalk trying to dislodge that last rock of crack from your butt like it's a gumball from the machine. Honestly, you want that guy to sign a waiver? You'll need a pair of salad tongs to retrieve your pen. But obviously, Mexico is the big source of fentanyl that's killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. It's made overdose the number one cause of accidental death outside of being on the set of an Alec Baldwin Western.

GREG GUTFELD: GOP MUST BRING SANITY BACK TO GOVERNMENT

And so Mexico tells their people, "Do not be like our customers." It's like Ronald McDonald telling Ronald Junior to lay off the Big Macs or me saying, "Don't watch this show. The sheer brilliance could destroy your mind." But it is probably the best advice you can give. Don't get high on your own supply. It's the favorite advice of corner drug dealers and the hobby shop where I buy my glue. But it's also saying, "Stay away from Philly." Yeah, it's sad. We have reached a point where we are now the travel hazard, not the other
What Is a Chief Executive Officer (CEO)?cool poker chip sets buy axie

A chief executive officer (CEO) is the highest-ranking executive in a company. Broadly speaking, a chief executive officersprimary responsibilities include making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of a company, acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors and corporate operations. In many cases, the chief executive officer serves as the public face of the company.

The CEO is elected by the board and its shareholders.They report to the chair and the board, who are appointed by shareholders.

Key Takeaways

The chief executive officer (CEO) is the highest-ranking person in a company.

While every company differs, CEOs are often responsible for expanding the company, driving profitability, and in the case of public companies, improving share prices. CEOs manage the overall operations of a company.

Across many companies, CEOs are elected by the board of directors.

CEOs of the 350 largest companies in America earn on average $24 million, or 351 times more than an average employee.

Studies suggest that 45% of company performance is influenced by the CEO, while others show that they affect 15% of the variance in profitability.

What CEOs Actually Do

Understanding Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)

1:58

A CEO's role varies from one company to another depending on the company's size, culture, and corporate structure. In large corporations, CEOs typically deal only with very high-level strategic decisions and those that direct the company's overall growth. For example, CEOs may work on strategy, organization, and culture. Specifically, they may look at how capital is allocated across the firm, or how to build teams to succeed.

In smaller companies, CEOs often are more hands-on and involved with day-to-day functions.

One study from Harvard Business review analyzed how CEOs spend their time. They found that 72% of CEOs' time was spent in meetings versus 28% alone. Moreover, 25% was spent on relationships, 25% on business unit review and functional reviews, 21% on strategy, and 16% on culture and organization. Some food for thought: the study showed that just 1% of time was spent on crisis management and 3% was allocated to customer relations.

Not only that, CEOs can set the tone, vision, and sometimes the culture of their organizations.

CEO Pay and Notoriety

On average, CEOs of the 350 largest companies in the U.S. have earned $24 million in annual salaries. To look at it another way, that's 351 times the salary of a worker. Since the 1970s, CEO pay is estimated to have skyrocketed over 1,300%. By contrast, worker compensation has grown 18%.

Because of their frequent dealings with the public, sometimes the chief executive officers of large corporations achieve fame. As of Feb. 9, 2022, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla (TSLA) has over 73 million followers on Twitter. Similarly, Steve Jobs, founder and CEO of Apple (AAPL), became such a global icon that following his death in 2011, an explosion of both cinematic and documentary films about him emerged.

Related Chief Positions

Corporate America houses numerous titles of senior executives that begin with the letter C, for "chief." This group of top senior staffers has come to be called C-suite, or C-level in the corporate vernacular.

It's worth noting that for small organizations or those that are still in the startup or growth phases, for example, the CEO may also be serving as the CFO and the chief operating officer (COO), and so on. This can lead to a lack of clarity, not to mention an overworked executive. Assigning multiple titles to a single executive-level individual can wreak havoc on a business's continuity and ultimately may affect its long-term profitability negatively.In short,when it comes to executive-level positions within an organization, assigned titles and the functions associated with each can become muddled quickly.

The Difference Between CEO and COB

The CEO directs the operational aspects of a company. Comparatively, the board of directorsled by the chair of the board (COB)oversees the company as a whole. While the chair of the board does not have the power to overrule the board, the board has the power to overrule the CEO's decisions. Effectively, the chair is considered a peer with the other board members. In some cases, the CEO and the chair of the board can be the same person, but many companies split these roles between two people.

The Difference Between CEO and CFO

The CFO is the chief financial officer of a company. While CEOs manage general operations, CFOs focus specifically on financial matters. A CFO analyzes a company's financial strengths and makes recommendations to improve financial weaknesses. The CFO also tracks cash flow and oversees a company's financial planning, such as investments and capital structures.Like CEOs, the CFO seeks to deliver returns to shareholders through focusing on financial discipline and driving margin and revenue growth.

The Difference Between CEO and COO

Often, the chief operating officer (COO) is ranked second highest after the CEO. As the head of human resources, their responsibilities fall on recruitment, legal, payroll, and training along with administrative duties.



The Difference Between CEO and Other Leadership Titles

There are many other leadership titles, some of which may or may not overlap with a CEO. Other common titles include:

Founder: A founder of a company is an individual that started the company. They helped bring the company into existence, creating the bylaws and articles of incorporation, organization structure, and overall strategy from the first day. A founder can be a title of an individual currently with a company or a title of an individual that started the company but has since left. If the CEO helped start the company, they can also be considered a founder and may be referred to as both simultaneously (i.e. Founder/CEO).

A founder of a company is an individual that started the company. They helped bring the company into existence, creating the bylaws and articles of incorporation, organization structure, and overall strategy from the first day. A founder can be a title of an individual currently with a company or a title of an individual that started the company but has since left. If the CEO helped start the company, they can also be considered a founder and may be referred to as both simultaneously (i.e. Founder/CEO). Chairperson: A chairperson (often called chair, chairman, or chairwoman) is a presiding officer that oversees a group or committee. A chairperson may also go by the title "president". The chairperson is in charge of managing the group of individuals often assigned a specific task or set of responsibilities. For example, a Board of Directors often has a chairperson to oversee the management of the entire board. A CEO may hold a chairperson position if they directly manage a committee.

A chairperson (often called chair, chairman, or chairwoman) is a presiding officer that oversees a group or committee. A chairperson may also go by the title "president". The chairperson is in charge of managing the group of individuals often assigned a specific task or set of responsibilities. For example, a Board of Directors often has a chairperson to oversee the management of the entire board. A CEO may hold a chairperson position if they directly manage a committee. Owner: An owner is a financial stakeholder of a company, usually with an equity position in the business. An owner may be entitled to the profits of a company in the proportion of their ownership weight, as a company may have multiple owners. If there are more than one owners, an individual may be referred to as a part-owner. A CEO may be an owner if they have a financial stake in the company.

An owner is a financial stakeholder of a company, usually with an equity position in the business. An owner may be entitled to the profits of a company in the proportion of their ownership weight, as a company may have multiple owners. If there are more than one owners, an individual may be referred to as a part-owner. A CEO may be an owner if they have a financial stake in the company. Director: A director may refer to a few different positions. First, a director may be upper management or executive-level position depending on a company's organizational structure. Second, a director may be an individual serving on the board of an organization. A CEO may be a director-level employee, although most companies' CEOs are on a higher tier employment level than directors. Alternatively, a CEO is not a director, as a director oversees the activity of a CEO.

Roles and Responsibilities

A Chief Executive Officer's roles and responsibilities will vastly vary between companies, industries, and organization sizes. In general, a CEO may be expected to take on the following tasks:

Oversee the strategic direction of an organization. Lower-level managers are often more engaged in the day-to-day operating activities of a company. A CEO usually synthesizes these results and decides on the long-term plans of a company.

Lower-level managers are often more engaged in the day-to-day operating activities of a company. A CEO usually synthesizes these results and decides on the long-term plans of a company. Implement changes and proposed plans. After crafting the long-term vision, a CEO usually looks to themselves and other executive leadership to begin implementing those plans. Changes are often directly implemented by operational managers, but it is ultimately up to the CEO to ensure the long-term plans are being followed through.

After crafting the long-term vision, a CEO usually looks to themselves and other executive leadership to begin implementing those plans. Changes are often directly implemented by operational managers, but it is ultimately up to the CEO to ensure the long-term plans are being followed through. Engage in media obligations and public relations. A CEO is often the face of the company, and this includes being involved in media relations. A CEO may speak at conferences, address the public on notable changes to the company, or participate in community events.

A CEO is often the face of the company, and this includes being involved in media relations. A CEO may speak at conferences, address the public on notable changes to the company, or participate in community events. Interact with other leadership executives. As companies grow more diverse, it is vital to the success of a company to have a suite of executives that a CEO can rely on. Instead of directly overseeing every aspect of a company, a CEO often relies on other leaders to manage their own realm, then engages with them to get a high-level understanding of how things are going.

As companies grow more diverse, it is vital to the success of a company to have a suite of executives that a CEO can rely on. Instead of directly overseeing every aspect of a company, a CEO often relies on other leaders to manage their own realm, then engages with them to get a high-level understanding of how things are going. Maintain accountability with the board. A Board of Directors oversees the entire company's performance and holds a CEO accountable. A CEO often reports to the board, delivers updates on strategic plans, and gets feedback from the board regarding the overall direction of the company.

A Board of Directors oversees the entire company's performance and holds a CEO accountable. A CEO often reports to the board, delivers updates on strategic plans, and gets feedback from the board regarding the overall direction of the company. Monitor company performance. A CEO is ultimately responsible for the financial performance of a company. A CEO may rely on financial or non-financial metrics to track how things are going. They usually make reporting requests from their direct employees to get a quick sense of how each area in the company is performing and what strategic maneuvers should be taken.



A CEO is ultimately responsible for the financial performance of a company. A CEO may rely on financial or non-financial metrics to track how things are going. They usually make reporting requests from their direct employees to get a quick sense of how each area in the company is performing and what strategic maneuvers should be taken. Setting precedence for the working culture and environment. A CEO is responsible for setting the tone at the top and creating the work environment they believe is best to drive success. Employees working under a CEO often look to the executive to create and maintain the culture of the organization.

The Impact of a CEO Change

During CEO transitions, markets can respond either positively or negatively to the change in company leadership. That makes sense, as studies show that CEOs may have a large impact on a company's performance. For instance, one study found that 45% of company performance is influenced by the CEO. But on the flip side, another shows that CEOs affect just 15% of variance in profitability.

When a new CEO takes over a company, the price of its stock could change for any number of reasons. However, there is no positive correlation between a stock's performance and the announcement of a new CEO, per se.

However, a change in CEO generally carries more downside risk than upside, particularly when it has not been planned. A stock's price could swing up or down based on the market's perception of the new CEO's ability to lead the company, for example. Other factors to consider when investing in a stock that's undergoing a management change include the incoming CEO's agenda; whether there might be a shift in corporate strategy for the worse; and how well the company's C-suite is managing the transition phase.

Investors tend to be more comfortable with new CEOs who are already familiar with the dynamics of the company's industry, and the specific challenges that the company may be facing. Typically, investors will assess a new CEOs track record for creating shareholder value. A CEO's reputation could be reflected in areas like an ability to grow market share, reduce costs, or expand into new markets.

What Does a CEO Do?

CEOs are responsible for managing a company's overall operations. This may include delegating and directing agendas, driving profitability, managing company organizational structure, strategy, and communicating with the board.

Does CEO Mean They Are the Owner of a Company?

It depends. In some cases, CEOs are the owners of a company. In others, CEOs are elected by the board of directors.

Is CEO or CFO Higher?

CEO is the highest position to occupy in a company. The CFO, who is responsible for the financial discipline of a company along with identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a company, ultimately reports to the CEO.

What Position Is Higher than CEO?

A CEO often reports to a board of directors. The board oversees the performance of the CEO and can elect to remove or replace the CEO if they feel the executive's performance isn't producing the results they want to see.
What Is a Horizontal Acquisition?free let it ride poker

A horizontal acquisition is when one company acquires another company in the same industry and works at the same production stage. The new combined entity may be in a better competitive position due to increased market share or scalability than the standalone companies combined to form it.

During a horizontal acquisition, a company can expand its production of products, but it doesn't mean a pivot for the company. Horizontal acquisitions expand the capacity of the acquirer, but the basic business operations remain the same, unlike an acquisition that creates a wholly different company.

Key Takeaways

When one company takes over or acquires a similar company in the same industry, it is called a horizontal acquisition.

When a company purchases a similar company, its basic business operations do not usually change but expand.

During a horizontal acquisition, the two companies often produce similar products and have similar production schedules.

An example of a horizontal acquisition would be a candy company that purchasing another candy company with different products but a similar production schedule.

The key difference between a horizontal acquisition and a virtual acquisition is that in the latter, the companies would be in the same industry but would have completely different production cycles.

Understanding Horizontal Acquisitions

The companies involved in a horizontal acquisition generally produce the same goods or services and produce them at the same point in the production cycle. This is so the new entity can experience more production capacity and take advantage of an increased market share. If the companies were at different stages of the production cycle, the equipment may not overlap and be as valuable to the acquiring entity.

And integrating two like companies in a horizontal acquisition can be challenging if the company cultures are vastly different. There are different types of acquisitions, some of which focus on obtaining equipment or control of operations at another point in the production cycle.

After a horizontal acquisition, a company will gain access to a wider customer base.

In a vertical acquisition, the two companies would be in the same industry, like food production or energy, but at different stages of the production cycle. This allows the acquiring company to obtain equipment that is either further upstream from the end client (backward vertical integration) or further downstream towards the end client (forward vertical integration). This gives the acquiring company more control over the production.

Horizontal integrations allow the purchasing company to reduce competition by acquiring it, diversify product offerings, creating new products, grow in size, and tap into new markets.

Example of a Horizontal Acquisition

For example, an energy producer purchases a rival that also produces energy. This is a horizontal acquisition because it is within the same industry and production schedule.

Next, the same energy producer purchases a company that manages and maintains city power grids. This is an example of a forward vertical integration because the energy producer has purchased a company responsible for bringing its product closer to the end consumer.
What Is the L Share Annuity Class?ladbrokes hurling

The L share annuity class is a version of a variable annuity that starts paying out earlier than most but has relatively high administrative costs. It is designed for investors who want to be able to begin withdrawing funds from an account after a comparatively short period of time. Other share classes offered by variable annuities are A share, B share, C share, O share, and X share annuity classes.

Key Takeaways

L share annuities are a class of variable annuity that allows for shorter surrender periods, typically 3-4 years.

Other variable annuity classes typically have surrender periods of up to 10 or more years.

However, the benefit of earlier access to withdraw funds from the annuity without penalty comes with higher administrative charges.

How the L Share Annuity Class Works

A variable annuity, in general, is a long-term investment vehicle set up by an insurance company for an investor planning for retirement. The investor pays an annual premium fee, which is invested in any combination of assets like stocks, bonds, and money market funds.

The wealth that accumulates from these investments is tax-deferred until the money is withdrawn, and the value of the variable annuity is correlated with the performance of the underlying investments.

In addition to the premium paid, the annuitantor purchaser of the annuityalso pays a mortality risk and expense (M&E) fee to compensate the insurance company for the risk that the annuitant will outlive his or her life expectancy. The insurance company makes guaranteed annuitized periodic payments to the annuity investor.

Variable annuities are regulated by state insurance regulators, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Special Considerations

The L share is most valuable to investors who want access to their investment funds after just four years without being penalized. Consider the following example. A standard variable annuity with a $100,000 initial investment offers a growth rate of 10% over five years.

The surrender period is eight years under the standard contract with annual MEA fees of 1.1%. After five years, the investment grows to $153,157.90, but the annuitant cannot access the funds without being penalized for another three years.

An annuitant with an L share annuity class with a four-year surrender period and annual MEA fees of 1.90% will see that the investment value after five years is $147,614.30, lower than the standard annuity contract above. But the annuitant can withdraw some of these funds during this time, which would not be possible under another annuity class. So the annuitant will pay higher administrative fees but has earlier access to the income.

Advantages and Disadvantages of L Share Annuity Class

The L share annuity class offers some advantages versus other annuity classes, including earlier access to funds and no sales charge.

Advantages

There are various share classes available in variable annuities, one of which is the L share class. The L share class differs from other annuity classes in terms of surrender charges, administrative and expense fees, and the M&E fee schedule. The surrender period is the period of time during which an annuitant may not withdraw funds from the account. Otherwise, a surrender charge or penalty will be applied.

The L share class has a surrender period of three to four years, which indicates that the owner may start withdrawing money after three or four years, depending on the financial institutions contractual agreement. Conversely, the average surrender period for a variable annuity is six to eight years, which makes the L share annuity an advantageous option.

Another advantage of the L share class is that it does not have an upfront sales charge like the A and O share classes. The front-end sales charge associated with A shares is a fee paid when share purchases are made and is deducted from the investment amount of the portfolio. O share classes charge a premium-based sales charge equal to a fixed percentage of the invested amount of an account.

Disadvantages

However, there are disadvantages to L share annuity classes. L share annuity classes offer a relatively higher mortality risk and expense (M&E) charge compared to other variable annuity classes. The M&E charge is a percentage of the annuitants account value and is an ongoing cost that continues even past the surrender period.

The higher the percentage, the smaller the value of the investments. M&E charges for variable annuities typically range from 0.9% to 1.95%, with L share class fees in the higher spectrum of that range.

The administrative and distributive fees are the charges for servicing and distributing annuity payments. Some of these charges relate to the cost of transferring funds between accounts and the cost of preparing monthly statements and confirmation reports.

Variable annuity administrative fees range from 0.0% to 0.6% annually with L shares offering the higher percentage of the account value. Some financial institutions combine the M&E and administration fees into one and classify the combination as an MEA fee, meaning annual mortality and expense fee and administrative charge.

Other fees that may be charged under the L share annuity class include an annual service charge and fees for special features such as long-term care insurance and a stepped-up death benefit.

It is important that investors read the contractual agreements rigorously to know and understand what costs will be associated with their annuity accounts.
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What Is a Sukuk?best online casino to win money

A sukuk is an Islamic financial certificate, similar to a bond in Western finance, that complies with Islamic religious law commonly known as Sharia. Since the traditional Western interest-paying bond structure is not permissible, the issuer of a sukuk essentially sells an investor group a certificate, and then uses the proceeds to purchase an asset that the investor group has direct partial ownership interest in. The issuer must also make a contractual promise to buy back the bond at a future date at par value.

Key Takeaways

A sukuk is a sharia-compliant bond-like instruments used in Islamic finance.

Sukuk involves a direct asset ownership interest, while bonds are indirect interest-bearing debt obligations.

Both sukuk and bonds provide investors with payment streams, however income derived from a sukuk cannot be speculative which would make it no longer halal.

Understanding Sukuk

With the rise of Islamic finance, sukuk have become extremely popular since 2000, when the first such products were issued in Malaysia. Bahrain followed suit in 2001. Fast forward to current times, and sukuk are used by Islamic corporations and state-run organizations alike around the globe, taking up an increasing share of the global fixed-income market.

Islamic law prohibits what's known as "riba," or what we understand as "interest" in the West. Therefore, traditional, Western debt instruments cannot be used as viable investment vehicles or ways to raise capital for a business. To circumvent this, sukuk were created in order to link the returns and cash flows of debt financing to a specific asset being purchased, effectively distributing the benefits of that asset. This allows investors to work around the prohibition outlined under Sharia and still receive the benefits of debt financing. However, because of the way that sukuk are structured, financing can only be raised for identifiable assets.

Thus, sukuk represent aggregate and undivided shares of ownership in a tangible asset as it relates to a specific project or a specific investment activity. An investor in a sukuk, therefore, does not own a debt obligation owed by the bond issuer, but instead owns a piece of the asset that's linked to the investment. This means that sukuk holders, unlike bond holders, receive a portion of the earnings generated by the associated asset.

Sukuk vs. Traditional Bonds

Sukuk and conventional bonds do share similar characteristics, but also have important key differences:

Both provide investors with payment streams.

Bonds and sukuk are issued to investors and may be used to raise capital for a firm.

Both are considered to be safer investments than equities.



Sukuk investors receive profit generated by the underlying asset on a periodic basis while bond investors receive periodic interest payments.

Sukuk involves asset ownership while bonds are debt obligations.

If the asset backing a sukuk appreciates then the sukuk can appreciate whereas bond yield is strictly due to its interest rate.

Assets that back sukuk are halal whereas bonds are often riba and may finance non sharia compliant businesses or fuel speculation.

Sukuk valuation is based on the value of the assets backing them while a bonds price is largely determined by its credit rating.

Sukuk Example: Trust Certificates

SimilaritiesKey Differences

The most common type of a sukuk comes in the form of a trust certificate. These certificates are also governed by Western law, however, the structure of this type of sukuk is more nuanced. The organization raising funds first creates an offshore special purpose vehicle (SPV). The SPV then issues trust certificates to qualified investors and puts the proceeds of the investments toward a funding agreement with the issuing organization. In return, the investors earn a portion of the profits linked to the asset.

Sukuk structured as trust certificates are only applicable if the SPV can be created in an offshore jurisdiction that allows such trusts. This is sometimes not possible. If an SPV and trust certificates can't be created, a sukuk can be structured as an alternative civil-law structure. In this scenario, an asset-leasing company is created in the country of origin, effectively purchasing the asset and leasing it back to the organization in need of financing.
What Is a Trade Signal?atlantis spa reno nevada

A trade signal is a trigger for action, either to buy or sell a security or other asset, generated by analysis. That analysis can be human generated using technical indicators, or it can be generated using mathematical algorithms based on market action, possibly in combination with other market factors such as economic indicators.

Key Takeaways

Trading signals are triggers to buy or sell a security based on a pre-determined set of criteria.

They can also be used to reconstitute a portfolio and shift sector allocations or take new positions.

Traders can create trading signals using a variety of criteria, from simple ones, such as earnings reports and volume surge, to more complex signals that are derived using existing signals.

How a Trade Signal Works

Trade signals can use a variety of inputs from several disciplines. Typically, technical analysis is a major component, but fundamental analysis, quantitative analysis, and economics may also be inputs, as well as sentiment measures and even signals from other trade signal systems. The goal is to give investors and traders a mechanical method, devoid of emotion, to buy or sell a security or other asset.

Aside from simple buy and sell triggers, trade signals can also be used to modify a portfolio by determining when it might be a good time to buy more of one particular sector, such as technology, and lighten up on another, such as consumer staples. Bond traders, meanwhile, could have signals for adjusting the duration of their portfolios by selling one maturity and buying a different maturity. Finally, it can also help with asset class allocation, such as shifting money among stocks, bonds, and gold.

There is no limit to how complex a trade signal can be. However, traders tend to keep things simple by using only a handful of inputs. For practical purposes, it is far easier to manage a simple signal generator and periodically test it to see what components need adjusting or replacing.

Too many inputs would introduce complexity requiring more time than a trader has to offer. And since markets change over time, often with great speed, complex strategies could be rendered obsolete before testing is even finished.

Example of a Trade Signal

Trade signals tend to be associated with quick in and out trading. However, in reality, some signals are less frequent and based on reversion and dip-buying in equities.

Great trading signals of this sort would be to look for periods where price action doesn't line up with the underlying fundamentals. An example would be if the market is selling off due to fear headlines, but the fundamental data indicates good health. Traders may decide to buy the dip if their signal is flashing "good deal."

Creating a Trade Signal

There are endless possibilities when coming up with a trade signal, but traders tend to just want to automate their thinking. An example might be, "for a stock with lower than a certain price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio), buy when a certain technical formation breaks out to the upside, and prices are above a certain moving average while interest rates are falling."

Here are several of the more common inputs. Traders can combine them as they wish to meet whatever criteria they use to select trades.
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Definition of Gustatory Imagery

Gustatory imagery allows the readers to imagine the sense of taste while reading a poem or text. It is best american casino onlinemore functional and effectual when an author describes a taste that the reader has already experienced. To stimulates the readers taste buds, the writer describes the appealing and suitable use of imagery when the characters breathe, eat or visit an unusual place that fills the atmosphere. Thus, through this imagery, the writer creates a picture in the readers mind that approaches that specific taste which writer wants a reader to imagine. This all depends on the richness of gustatory imagery. It includes metallic, sweetness, saltiness, sourness, spiciness, and bitterness. A few examples are given below.

Examples of Gustatory Imagery From Poetry

Man Versus Pepper by Roper

One sniff gives a clue of the heat within.

First bite feels like swallowing a lighted blow torch,

And tears stream from his eyes like a flash flood

As the dying ghost pepper delivers its savage revenge.

In the above-mentioned lines, the poet describes the experience of extra spicy food that how the eyes and stomach reacts to swallowing it.

This Is Just To Say by William Carlos William

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

Here the poet is discussing the taste of sweet icy plums. The imagery helps the writer to make the reader imagine the cool syrupy taste of the fruit and cool drink.

Cooking by Jonathan Swift

Gently blow and stir the fire,

Lay the mutton down to roast,

Dress it nicely I desire,

In the dripping put a toast,

That I hunger may remove:

Mutton is the meat I love.

The above lines make the reader imagines the texture of tender meat, which is also chewy and fleshy food with tasty spices.

To Earthward by Robert Frost

I craved strong sweets, but those

Seemed strong when I was young;

The petal of the rose

It was that stung.

Now no joy but lacks salt,

That is not dashed with pain

In the above lines, the poet very impressively flavored his words with sweet and salt to express his emotions and feelings as if he were tasting rose petals too.

Taste Of Summer by Swati Goswami

Crushed leaves and grass,

tasty tangy smells of summer.

Trees are full and plush.

Fruit are succulent and ripe..

The brisk winds will soon be moist.

I take a deep breath and try to drink the summer

The above poem has beautiful gustatory imagery and alliteration in the repetition of T and a well-defined zest of the summer season.

The Eve of St.Agnes by John Keats

While he forth from the closet brought a heap

Of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd;

With jellies soother than the creamy curd,

And lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon;

Manna and dates, in argosy transferrd

From Fez; and spiced dainties, every one,

From silken Samarcand to cedard Lebanon.

In the scene from the poem, when the person who is hiding in the closet to see his beloved stumbles across the food, the poet very richly combines the description of fruits for sweetness and rich, spicy treats from Lebanese delicacies.

Examples of Gustatory Imagery From Literature

The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle on to the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious. He was quite warm now, and very comfortable.  The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

One of the best scenes from the book, this scene describes the taste of sweets in this imagery and Edmunds love for the Turkish delight as the White Witch fulfills his wish.

The sweetness of new potatoes, fresh peas, broad beans, the grassy herbalness of asparagus  Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

In this example, the readers can imagine the freshness of vegetables as the writer and chef, Nigella, introduces the recipes made by these greens.

It was a rimy morning, and very damp. I had seen the damp lying on the outside of my little window  Now, I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and spare grass  On every rail and gate, wet lay clammy; and the marsh-mist was so thick, that the wooden finger on the post directing people to our village  a direction which they never accepted, for they never came there  was invisible to me until I was quite close under it.  Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

In the above example, the readers can imagine the taste of a place and weather instead of food which is mostly used to express gustatory imagery.

 these are Mothers Day chocolates.  I was  able to pick them up at a bargain price. [Theyre] in perfect condition,  stored under the best of conditions since last spring.  The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

This example describes the taste of old chocolate that hadnt been touched for a year.

Examples of Gustatory Imagery in Sentences

Randy bought his favorite muffin and stuffed it right into his mouth. The creamy, sweet, sugary taste of chocolate ran over his taste buds as he ate a dozen of them.

The drink Lenny offered in his office had a strong, minty flavor.

Obviously, this sugar-free candy tastes synthetic without real sugar. Sugar is rich and salivating but dangerous to health.

The juicy, bright red cherries reminded Kyle of his mothers recipe.

The salty taste of rich, creamy peanut butter was Mandys all-time favorite.

The combination of sweet soft carrots and the tangy flavor of vinegar make the vegetable soup richer.

As Roman dived into the pool, he accidentally swallowed water that tasted like brine carbonated water with a burning taste on his tongue.

Nancy plucked an orange from the tree. She peeled the fruit and squeezed juice, while drinking she tasted the sweet-bitter flavor that quenched her thirst.

Jeniffer took a small bite of the pancake, the sweet honey filled her mouth. She licked the running honey drops from her chin.

Whoa, this is so good! Evan exclaimed as he took a large bite of the buttery, spicy pizza slice.

William Shakespeare and Gustatory Imagery

The sweetest honey is loathsome in its own deliciousness. And in the taste destroys the appetite. Therefore, love moderately.  Romeo and Juliet

In these lines, Shakespeare means that something over-sweet can be unhealthy and may result in a disturbance of appetite. Here gustatory imagery is used as a metaphor.

There were no sallets (nothing piquant) in the lines to make the matter savoury says Hamlet to the players.  Hamlet

Here the words sallets and savory both are gustatory imageries.

Examples Of Gustatory Imagery From The Bible

How sweet are Your words to my taste!

Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Psalm 119:103 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. The people would go about and gather it and grind it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar, and boil it in the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil.  Numbers 11:7-8 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.  Psalm 19:10 Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man,

But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.  Proverbs 20:17 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men  Mathew 5:13

The Role Of Olfactory Imagery (Smell) with Gustatory Imagery

Gustatory imagery is used to describe flavors and food experiences. The relationship between taste and smell cannot be ignored. Where there is a discussion of taste, it is directly connected with smell. Smell plays a vital role in enhancing the flavor of food. For example, one might say that the smoky smell of roasted chicken is making my stomach rumble.

Gustatory imagery allows the reader to imagine food and taste. Sometimes it is known to make the reader hungry by bringing forth the sense of melancholy feeling to eat the described food or dish. This imagery is also effective in describing irritating or unpleasant flavors. Rich gustatory imagery used by the writer allows a reader to dive into well-seasoned words and approach the idea that a writer wants to convey. Writers use gustatory imagery in literal and poetic languages. In some cases, the texture of imagery is as much important as the taste, i.e., crumbly, crunchy, juicy, tender, etc.

In conclusion, its up to the writers skill how he garnishes his work with spell bounding and creamy words that make the reader enter into the writers world.

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Last week (16 March 2023), SIG SAUER announced the acquisition of Israeli robotics expert General Robotics, a world-leading manufacturer of lightweight, remote weapon stations and tactical robotics.

This acquisition will greatly enhance SIG SAUERs growing portfolio of advanced weapon systems. Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG SAUER, Inc., said. The team at General Robotics is leading the way in developing intuitive, lightweight remote weapon stations with their battle-proven solution, Cohen added.

Recently, the U.S. Army selected the SIG SAUER lightweight machine gun (XM250), automatic rifle (XM7), and high-pressure hybrid ammunition for the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program, representing a historic step forward in weapons technology. The NGSW program is in the early stages of adoption, and the U.S. Army will field the weapons at the squad level in 2023.

In January 2023, SiG demonstrated their SIGs MG 338 belt-fed machine mounted on a General Robotics PITBULL Remote Weapons Station installed on a Polaris All Terrain Vehicle. This application enables special operators to deliver precision suppressive fires at long range from defensive positions, using PITBULLs remote control capability. The two companies demonstrated the combined system at the Shot Show 2023 in Las Vegas and IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi.

Combining the General Robotics remote weapons station with SIG SAUERs lightweight squad weapons and high-pressure hybrid ammunition will revolutionize small arms for military forces worldwide. This acquisition exponentially increases the capabilities of our lightweight weapon systems delivering transformative advancements in mobility, greater lethality, and battle-tested force protection for todays warfighters, Cohen commented.

General Robotics currently provides two types of lightweight RWCS  the PITBULL is designed for land vehicles, autonomous ground robots, and marine applications PITBULL and the SHARK is optimized for marine applications in manned and unmanned vessels. The company also markets the DOGO, an armed, tracked robot for indoor surveillance. Dogo was initially designed to operate only with Glock handguns but is now configured to operate some SIG handguns. The companys weapon systems are remotely controlled from a small tablet, featuring an advanced user interface that enables fast orientation, agile movement, effective surveillance, quick weapon alignment, and tracking of targets to facilitate fast and effective engagement. These capabilities also enable the effective use of the weapon as a hard-kill countermeasure against drones.
What Are Checks and Balances?the sandbox crypto reddit

Checks and balances are various procedures set in place to reduce mistakes, prevent improper behavior, or decrease the risk of centralization of power. Checks and balances usually ensure that no one person or department has absolute control over decisions, clearly define the assigned duties, and force cooperation in completing tasks.

The term is most commonly used in the context of government but also refers to limiting power in businesses and organizations.

Key Takeaways

Checks and balances refer to the separation of power to avoid one entity or body wielding too much power.

Checks and balances can help reduce mistakes and prevent improper behavior in organizations.

Checks and balances are most commonly used in the context of government, for example in the U.S. government through the establishment of the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch.

Checks and balances are important in businesses and other organizations where one individual can make decisions that affect operations, such as the CEO or a majority shareholder.

The idea of checks and balances dates back as far as the Roman empire.

How Checks and Balances Work

The U.S. government exercises checks and balances through its three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It operates as a constitutionally limited government and is bound to the principles and actions that are authorized by the federaland corresponding stateconstitution.

Checks and balances are important in businesses and other organizations where one individual can make decisions that affect operations. Checks and balances can cost more money and decrease efficiency but can be critical in helping to identify internal and external theft.

By separating the duties of various employees into clearly defined roles, businesses and organizations are better able to ensure that rogue employees or executives cannot harm a business without the intervention of other employees. Having these types of internal controls in a business can help improve operational efficiency.

Internal control systems of publicly listed businesses in the U.S. use checks and balances. This is a requirement of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. The directors of such businesses have a legal obligation to ensure a proper system of internal control that includes checks and balances.

Checks and Balances in the World Economy

The United Nations has six internal institutions: the International Court of Justice, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the UN Secretariat, and the Security Council.

Each of these institutions has different responsibilities, such as maintaining international peace, policy review and recommendations on economic, social, and environmental issues, and an international court.

The individuals working in these bodies and the bodies themselves cannot influence each other. Given that the UN has a wide global influence, impacting most nations around the world, it's critical that different directives are handled by different groups so as to avoid a concentration of power.



The UN's voting system and veto power policy allow individual countries to check the power of other countries.

Example of Checks and Balances

The U.S. Constitution provides checks and balances for the U.S. government through the separation of powers between its three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The Constitution gives specific abilities to each one of these three branches to ensure that no one section of the government could obtain excessive unchecked power.

Checks and balances are practiced by the U.S. government in the following ways. First, the legislative branch is the part of the government that makes laws, but the executive branch gives veto power to the president, allowing the president to keep the legislative branch in check.

In addition, the judicial branch, the part of the government that interprets the laws put into effect by the legislative branch, can deem certain laws unconstitutional making them void.

Moreover, while the president has veto power, the legislative branch can overturn a president's veto with a two-thirds "supermajority" vote by both houses of Congress. This ensures that the president cannot use his power for personal gain. The executive branch can also declare executive orders, effectively proclaiming how certain laws should be enforced, but the judicial branch can deem these orders to be unconstitutional.

Executive Orders

Executive orders are often declared for the benefit of the country and are rarely considered unconstitutional. They are enacted solely by the president as head of the executive branch of government.

Still, executive orders can be reversed by subsequent administrations. For example, when President Joe Biden first took office in January of 2021, he signed one of his first executive orders, #13986 entitled, Ensuring a Lawful and Accurate Enumeration and Apportionment Pursuant to the Decennial Census.This order effectively reversed policies set forth by a prior executive order enacted by President Donald Trump that would have excluded non-citizens from the U.S. Census count.

What Is the Definition of Checks and Balances in the U.S. Government?

In the U.S. government, checks and balances refers to the separation of power in the government, which is ensured through the establishment of three different branches: the executive branch, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch. All hold different powers and, therefore, can check the power of the other branches.

Who Created the Idea of Checks and Balances?

The idea of checks and balances, which is a separation of power, was first proposed by the Greek statesman, Polybius, in reference to the government of Ancient Rome. During the Age of Enlightenment, French philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu, discussed in his work, The Spirit of Laws,the need for the separation of powers to prevent despotism.

How Does the System of Checks and Balances Work in the World Economy?

Checks and balances in the world economy can be seen through the variety of global organizations that seek to check the power of different nations, organizations, and individuals. Groups such as NATO, the UN, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Criminal Court (ICC), all seek to check the power of other nations and institutions.

The Bottom Line

Without checks and balances, one branch of government can grow too powerful and problematic. In the U.S., three branches of the federal government effectively have a set of checks and balances: the legislative branch as Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate), the Supreme Court as the judicial branch, and the Office of the President as the Executive Branch. Other world governments and international bodies like the United Nations also have checks and balances in place.
Casino Life magazine chats to the sales and marketing Team at Eventus International about thier latest conference the Scandinavian Gaming Show held in Stockholm from the 5th to 6th September.

This captain cooks online casinois clearly an exciting time for iGaming organisations with the new online gaming legislation in Sweden. So is this development the primary reason for this new event?

Yes and No. Yes, because as you mentioned, It is an exciting time in the Scandinavian region as Sweden will be rolling out its new online gambling legislation next year. But we also would like to explore the Scandinavian region like never before and uncover all the hidden gems that await us.

What can those whom may be considering attending the Scandinavian Gaming Show expect to learn and benefit from attending?

Attendees will leave with a lot of knowledge that theyve been seeking. To summarize it, Ive only listed the best things that delegates will learn and benefits from by attending.

Delegates will learn about the following topics:

The new Swedish legislations Cutting edge innovations  Both online and land-based Daily Fantasy Sports and eSports Betting Marketing techniques and rules regarding marketing gambling products in Sweden Adapting to changes in customer behaviour Overcoming legal issues of Intellectual Property in the gambling sector Lessons in best industry practice from Scandinavias iGaming icons And Many More!

Attendees will benefit in the following ways:

Meet the largest stakeholders in the Scandinavian gambling industry Get market ready platforms and software at our exhibition Gain answers to your most burning questions Equip themselves with practical skills to boost their performance and profits Establish new relationships with fellow gaming professionals And much more!

Networking is also an important factor when considering attending exhibitions, can you provide our readership with details of the evening entertainment and events?

At every conference, we host a dinner called Table Talk. Table Talk is an opportunity to engage with leading personalities in the Gaming and betting industry over a 3 course dinner and a renowned industry speaker to discuss a topic related to that region.

Table Talk Swedens speaker is Christina Thakor-Rankin. She will be discussing Betting and Gaming for the next generation which will be a discussion about the needs and wants of punters of the future with an addition element of Diversity and Inclusion.

Can you provide readers with details of the speaker at the Scandinavian Gaming Show and the topics being discussed at the conference?

This is the full list below. If you want more information about each speaker and topic, youre going to have to go to our website:

https://www.eventus-international.com/scandinavian

Alessandro Fried, Chairman, BtoBet Andrew Cochrane, Chief Commercial Officer, SBTech Bodil Ehlers, Partner and CEO, Kastell Advokatbyra AB Bill Pascrell III, Strategic Advisor/Public & Government Affairs Professional/ Lobbyist, Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc. Christina Thakor-Rankin, Principal Consultant, 1710 Gaming Ltd Daniel Gruederich, CEO and Founder, Sportsbookcloud Hampus Hagglof, CEO, FSport Jan Feuerhake, Lawyer/Rechtsanwalt, Taylor Wessing Jake Williams, Director, Sportradar Jenny Nilzon, CEO, Swedish Gambling Association Jindrich Rajchl, CEO, Funtasy sports Johan Sigurdsson, Business Development Consultant, Microgaming Michael Mrak, Head of Department for Corporate Governance Coordination and Compliance, Casinos Austria AG Malin Persson, Associate, Kastell Advokatbyra AB Micheal Doyle CMO, PVP.ME Magnus Silfverberg, CEO, Bisnode AB Michael Pedersen, CEO and Co-founder, Letsbet.com, iGaming Idol, Pioneer Play Stefan Widmark, Partner, Kastell Advokatbyra AB Sverker Skogberg, Senior Vice President, PAF Sven Ivo Brinck, Independent expert for digital, sportsbetting, gaming and lotteries Marc Wood, Owner, Gambler Analytics Henric Andersson, CEO and Co-founder of SuprNation Carsten Muth, General Counsel & Head of compliance, Lotto24 Per Jaldung, Chairman, European Casino Association Iosif Galea, Regulatory Compliance Specialist & Key Official, GamblingConsultantMalta Ihor Kolodyuk, CTO, DiceyBit Luca Sicari, Chief Marketing Officer, Nextwin Vasiliy Polynov, Head of Communications, Trueflip.io Therese Liljeqvist, General Manager & Corporate Vice President Marketing, pa Casino Cosmopol, Svenska Spel Andreas Ternstrom, CEO, Scoutgaming Fredrik Ljungman, Country Manager and Trademark Consultant, Otmore Ismail Vali, Senior Consultant  Online Gaming, Independent Consulting Jack Symons, CEO, Gamban Shireen Haddadeen, Head of CRM, Global Gaming Group

For those wishing to find out more about attending what can you advise?

Those who wish to register for the summit can register online or through our Head of Digital Marketing, Josh Blom. Email: [email protected]

Those who wish to find out about how we can raise their profile in the Scandinavian market can contact or Marketing Director, Lou Mari Burnett. Email: [email protected] Phone: +27829075850

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Only that we look forward to meeting each and every one of your readers who attend the Scandinavian Gaming Show.

Casino Life magazine would like to thank the team at Eventus International for their time and cooperation with this interview.

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions NewsCasino Legislation News
Italys ruling coalition between the Democratic Party and Beppe Grillos Five Star Movement (M5S) has introduced new measures affecting the gambling industry in Italy.

After voting a blanket ban on gambling advertisement in July,super bowl 2021 vegas odds 2018 and enforcing the measure on January 1, 2019, the populist M5S coalition has focused on attacking the segment, fulfilling one of its electoral promises.

Last week, the government introduced another restrictive measure in its first Budget Law Decree, planning to slash the total number of casino licenses (the so called casino con licenza AAMS) to 50 from 85 presently by 2023  one of several changes to come.

Italys Shrinking Gambling Market

M5S has also changed the license fees to $2.2 million with the licenses issued for a period of nine years. The change will also come into effect in 2023 and it will extend to both new casino operators and businesses applying to renew their licenses.

The government is altering the procedure for the permits. Upon receiving a permit, any applicant must provide at least 50% of the fee within a 30-day window. Similarly, the remainder of the licensing fee must be paid within 30 days after signing the permit.

All companies willing to apply will have an opportunity to do so once the application process opens in 2021 or 2022, the government specified.

M5S will further seek to control the availability gaming terminals and venues, capping their number at:

58,000 video game terminals

35,000 gaming points

2,800 gaming venues

Boosting Italys Gambling Taxes

Effective July 14, 2019, Italy also restricted sports betting sponsorships, prohibiting all media companies in Italy from displaying gambling-related advertisement.

However, this hasnt completely affected the total sports handle. In September, Italys sports betting businesses raked in around $142.47 million, as reported by the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM).

The number represented an 8-percent drop in overall handle, but sports betting revenue was still higher than what online casinos generated. Meanwhile, gambling sites brought in an estimated $80 million or a 22-percent increase year-over-year (YOY).

Nevertheless, business isnt out of the woods and media outlets have reported that the government is now considering to increase tax on lottery jackpots to 20% from 12% presently.

Taxes have gone up across the board. On January 1, 2019, the tax on online casinos and bingo increased to 25% of companies Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). Fixed-odds betting also suffered a tax bump to 24% of GGR.

Video lottery terminals now have been slapped with a fresh tax up for a total of 31%, broken down in 9% of turnover and 23% of amusement with prizes (AWP).

Similarly, the government is reportedly considering a 12% tax on all winnings, rounding up the number players would have to pay to 23%.

Dignity Decree Consequences

With the Dignity Decree enforced  referring to the gambling advertisement ban  and new tax changes, a number of businesses are facing tougher regulatory climate.

Some companies licenses are expiring on December 31, 2022. This includes high-profile international brands such as:

William Hill

The Stars Group

GVC

Paddy Power Betfair

Bet365 & others

There are no guarantees this is the end of the road for the offensive that Italys ruling government has launched against gambling. Meanwhile, LeoVegas has teamed up with iSoftBet for the Italian market.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
Dassehra / (dsr) / New Word List Save This agen sicbo betting and gamblingWord! / (dsr) /Save ThisWord!

nounan annual Hindu festival celebrated on the 10th lunar day of Navaratri; images of the goddess Durga are immersed in water

Words nearby Dassehra

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDasht-e-Lut, Dasht-i-Kavir, Dasht-i-Lut, dashy, Das Kapital, Dassehra, dassie, Dassin, dassn't, dast, dastardCollins 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 Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)?wild games casino laker game spread

Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a method of subcontracting various business-related operations to third-party vendors.

Although BPO originally applied solely to manufacturing entities, such as soft drink manufacturers that outsourced large segments of their supply chains, BPO now applies to the outsourcing of various products and services.

Key Takeaways

Business process outsourcing (BPO) utilizes third-party vendors or subcontractors to carry out certain parts of their business operations.

BPO began with large manufacturing companies to aid with supply chain management,

Today BPO has grown to include all sorts of sectors, including services companies.

BPO is considered "offshore outsourcing" if the vendor or subcontractor is located in a different country; for instance, in the case of customer support.

BPO today is an industry unto itself, with companies specializing in facilitating BPO to companies around the world.

Understanding Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

Many businesses, from small startups to large companies, opt to outsource processes, as new and innovative services are increasingly available in today's ever-changing, highly competitive business climate.

Broadly speaking, companies adopt BPO practices in the two main areas of back-office and front-office operations. Back office BPO refers to a company contracting its core business support operations such as accounting, payment processing, IT services, human resources, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance to outside professionals who ensure the business runs smoothly.

By contrast, front office BPO tasks commonly include customer-related services such as tech support, sales, and marketing.

Special Considerations

The breadth of a business' BPO options depends on whether it contracts its operations within or outside the borders of its home country. BPO is deemed "offshore outsourcing" if the contract is sent to another country where there is political stability, lower labor costs, and/or tax savings. A U.S. company using an offshore BPO vendor in Singapore is one such example of offshore outsourcing.

BPO is referred to as "nearshore outsourcing" if the job is contracted to a neighboring country. Such would be the case if a U.S. company partnered with a BPO vendor located in Canada.

A third option, known as "onshore outsourcing" or "domestic sourcing," occurs when BPO is contracted within the companys own country, even if its vendor partners are located in different cities or states.

BPO is often referred to as information technology-enabled services (ITES) because it relies on technology/infrastructure that enables external companies to efficiently perform their roles.

The Attraction of BPO

Companies are often drawn to BPO because it affords them greater operational flexibility. By outsourcing non-core and administrative functions, companies can reallocate time and resources to core competencies like customer relations and product leadership, which ultimately results in advantages over competing businesses in their industry.

BPO offers businesses access to innovative technological resources that they might not otherwise have exposure to. BPO partners and companies constantly strive to improve their processes by adopting the most recent technologies and practices.

Since the U.S. corporate income tax is among the highest in the developed world, American companies benefit from outsourcing operations to countries with lower income taxes and cheaper labor forces as viable cost reduction measures.

BPO also offers companies the benefits of quick and accurate reporting, improved productivity, and the ability to swiftly reassign its resources, when necessary.

Some Disadvantages of BPO

While there are many advantages of BPO, there are also disadvantages. A business that outsources its business processes may be prone to data breaches or have communication issues that delay project completion, and such businesses may underestimate the running costs of BPO providers.

Another disadvantage could be customer backlash against outsourcing if they perceive this to be of inferior quality or at the expense of domestic employment.

A Career in BPO

Business process outsourcing is a fast-growing sector of the economy, which makes it attractive as a career path or startup opportunity. According to industry research, the BPO market was valued at nearly $250 billion in 2021, and is projected to grow at 9% per year over the next decade.

According to data from Zip Recruiter, BPO jobs in America pay an average of $91,100 as of 2022.

What Is the Goal of BPO and What Are Its Types?

BPO is the abbreviation for business process outsourcing, which refers to when companies outsource business processes to a third-party (external) company. The primary goal is to cut costs, free up time, and focus on core aspects of the business. Two types of BPO are front-office and back-office. Back-office BPO entails the internal aspects of a business, such as payroll, inventory purchasing, and billing. Front-office BPO focuses on activities external to the company, such as marketing and customer service.

What Are the Advantages of BPO?

There are numerous advantages to BPO. One of the primary advantages is that it lowers costs. Performing a certain job function internally costs a specific amount. BPO can reduce these costs by outsourcing this job to an external party, often in a less cost-intensive country, reducing the overall cost of performing that job function.

Other advantages include a company being allowed to focus on core business functions that are critical to its success, rather than administrative tasks or other aspects of running a company that are not critical. BPO also helps with growth, particularly in global expansion. If a company is interested in opening an overseas branch or operating overseas, utilizing a BPO company that has experience in the local industry and that speaks the language is extremely beneficial.

What Are the Types of BPO Companies?

There are three primary types of BPO companies. These are local outsourcing, offshore outsourcing, and nearshore outsourcing. Local outsourcing is a company that is in the same country as your business. Offshore outsourcing is a company that is in another country, and nearshore outsourcing is a company that is in a country that is not too far from your country.

What Is a BPO Call Center?

A BPO call center handles outsourced incoming and outgoing customer calls on behalf of other businesses. Many BPO call centers will have agents that can individually handle customer complaints or inquiries standing in for a number of different companies, often within a particular specialty. For instance, one call center agent may be able to field tech support phone calls for a variety of vendors or manufacturers.

The Bottom Line

Business process outsourcing (BPO) utilizes third-party specialists to carry out some part of a business process or operation (as opposed to outsourcing the entire production). BPO can lower a company's costs, increase efficiency, and provide flexibility. At the same time, the BPO industry is rapidly-growing, which means that in our increasingly global economy, process outsourcing is not going anywhere.
Americas Constitutional system is on the brink of collapse: Jonathan Turley

closeVideo

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley reacted to the woke historian who claimed that children will die if the GOP wins this midterm election on Fox & Friends Weekend.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The fault lines for the 2024 elections are already taking shape with the two parties in diametrically opposed positions and there is no greater divide than over parental rights. That stark difference was no more evident than in a tweet from Rep. Eric Swalwell, who mocked the notion of parents making major decisions in the education of their children.

The California Democrat insisted that it is akin to "putting patients in charge of their own surgeries? Clients in charge of their own trials?" Swalwell declared: "Please tell me what Im missing here  This is so stupid."

What Rep. Swalwell, a lawyer, is missing is called informed consent.

Since he asked for assistance, lets deal with each in turn.

ERIC SWALWELL LAMENTS IT'S SO STUPID FOR PARENTS TO CONTROL THEIR KIDS' EDUCATION

Patients and medical consent

Video

American torts have long required consent in medical torts. Indeed, what Swalwell seemed to suggest would be battery for doctors to make the key decisions over surgical goals or purposes. Indeed, even when doctors secured consent to operate on one ear, it was still considered battery when they decided in the operation to address the other ear in the best interests of the patient. Mohr v. Williams (Minn. 1905).

In Canterbury v. Spence the court rejected claims that a physician can make key decisions given "the patients right of self-determination." Thus, doctors in the United States do have to secure the consent of patients in what they intend to do in surgeries or other medical procedures. (There are narrow exceptions such things as "substituted consent" or emergencies that do not apply here).

Ironically, California has one of the strongest patient-based consent rules. As the California Supreme Court stated in Cobbs v. Grant (1972): "Unlimited discretion in the physician is irreconcilable with the basic right of the patient to make the ultimate informed decision regarding the course of treatment to which he knowledgeably consents to be subjected."

While obviously a patient cannot direct an operation itself, the doctor is expected to explain and secure the consent of the patient in what a surgery will attempt and how it will be accomplished. That is precisely what parents are demanding in looking at the subjects and books being taught in school. Moreover, that is precisely the role of school boards, which has historically exercised concurrent authority over the schools with the teachers hired under the school board-approved budgets.

Clients and legal consent

Video

Swalwell is also wrong in suggesting that clients are not in charge of their own trials. Not only must attorneys secure the consent of their clients on what will be argued in trial, but they can be removed by their clients for failure to adequately represent their interests. It would be malpractice for a lawyer to tell a client, as suggested by Swalwell, that they do not control the major decisions in their own cases.

Ironically, the informed consent is defined in the Model Rules of Professional Conduct as the "agreement by a person to a proposed course of conduct after the lawyer has communicated adequate information and explanation about the material risks of and reasonably available alternatives to the proposed course of conduct."

Obviously, lawyers must follow their own ethical and professional judgment in trials, and tactical choices are generally left up to the lawyers. However, the main objectives of the trial remain for the client to "knowingly and voluntarily assume the risks of a particular course." Metrick v. Chatz (Ill. App. Ct. 1994).

Much like the claim of parents, clients demand the right to reject a plan for trial and the arguments or means to be used at trial. This right of consent is ongoing and can be exercised at any point in the litigation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

Rep. Eric Swalwell listens during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on April 6, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Informed consent

Of course, the key to informed consent is that parents are given the information needed to secure their consent. School districts have been resisting such disclosures and pushing back on parental opposition to major curriculum or policy decisions.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

What is most striking about Swalwells reference to patients and clients is that they, under his educational approach, have far more voice in a wart removal or a parking ticket challenge than the education of their children. If anything, his analogies support the call for greater parental knowledge and consent.

In other words, "what is missing here" is that Rep. Swalwells interpretation could constitute both medical and legal malpractice. It may also constitute political malpractice as both parties now careen toward the 2024 elections.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and a practicing criminal defense attorney. He is a Fox News contributor.
New Zealand boasts a plethora of breathtaking sceneries. Apart from being a hotspot for tourists,betnaija official website one thing is for sure; New Zealand is a hub for casino betting.

Gambling in New Zealand dates back to the 1800s, with horse racing as the most popular sport. The gambling climate in New Zealand has suffered a few hiccups, with prohibitions put in place. However, the Gambling Act 2003 allowed only government-licensed casinos to operate in the country. Further regulations stipulated that online gambling is only allowed for people over the age of 18. To get into brick and mortar casinos, players need to be 20 years old and older.

The gambling commission regulates how casinos run their businesses. They are responsible for offering operating licenses to reputable online casinos such as Wildz.

What About Privately-Owned Online Casinos?

Privately-Owned casinos, if not licensed by the government, are prohibited in New Zealand. However, gaming enthusiasts can play their favorite casino games without repercussions if it is an international casino. No laws prohibit New Zealand nationals from engaging in betting at online casinos based in other countries.

Promoting Responsible Gambling in New Zealand

In a bid to safeguard the interests of its players, the government and various private bodies in New Zealand preach social responsibility. All these initiatives are put in place to minimize any potential gambling harm.

From promotional messages to media campaigns, initiates promoting safe gambling are common. However, all these efforts are in vain if players do not take upon themselves to be safe online.

On that note, below are some of the tips and strategies punters can follow to remain safe while gambling.

Go for a reputable casino

Casinos licensed by the government is a great place to start. If online casinos operating abroad are your preferred choice, make sure you join a reputable casino. In case you are unsure of the legitimacy of the website, check online reviews from trusted sources.

Never gamble money you cannot afford to lose

One of the major concerns of gambling is addiction. However, addiction only happens when certain behaviors are allowed to flourish. For instance, engaging in online games without a set amount of money may cause you to go overboard with your spending. Sooner or later, you might find yourself gambling away your rent or children's school fees causing further financial constraints.

Understand rules and regulations

One of the first things to do before joining any online casino is to carefully read the sites rules and regulations. Look at their games and bonuses, thoroughly scrutinizing each of their wagering requirements. It is by doing so that you can smell a rogue casino from miles away; one that can scam you off your hard-earned money.

Apart from the above-named tips, regularly checking your credit card activities and regularly updating your firewalls is a great way to remain safe. However, if by any means you feel like your gambling is getting out of hand, New Zealand has a myriad of advisory websites, and counseling experts can be of great help.

Category: Casino Blog
Thebandar55 slotted bolt Seventh Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday endorsed a decision made by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to expel Bo Xilai from the CPC.

The meeting reviewed and approved the investigation report on Bos case submitted by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The Political Bureau of the the CPC Central Committee decided at a meeting on Sept. 28 to deprive Bo of CPC membership and expel him from public service for severe disciplinary violations.

Bo was formerly secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and also a Political Bureau member, after serving as Dalian mayor, Liaoning governor and minister of commerce.

The Sept. 28 meeting also decided to transfer Bos suspected law violations and related evidence to judicial departments.

Investigations have found that Bo seriously violated CPC disciplines while managing Dalian City, Liaoning Province, and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as serving the Political Bureau member and the Chongqing Party chief.

Investigations also showed Bo had abused his power, made severe mistakes and borne major responsibility in an incident concerning former Chongqing Vice Mayor Wang Lijuns entering, without permission, the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu, and an intentional homicide case involving Bogu Kailai, Bos wife.

A Chinese court on Aug. 20 sentenced Bogu Kailai to death with a two-year reprieve for murdering British citizen Neil Heywood.

Bo was accused of taking advantage of his position to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally or through his family.

His position was utilized by his wife to seek profits for others, and the Bo family accepted a huge amount of money and property from others.

Bo had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women.

He was also found to have violated organizational and personnel disciplines and made erroneous decisions in certain promotion cases, resulting in serious consequences.

Bos behaviors have yielded serious consequences, badly undermined the reputation of the Party and the country, created very negative impacts at home and abroad and significantly damaged the cause of the Party and the people, according to a statement issued after the Sept. 28 meeting.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided at the meeting to expel Bo from the Party in accordance with the Party Constitution and CPC intra-party supervisory disciplinary regulations.

The Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress (NPC), Chinas top legislature, terminated Bos post as an NPC deputy last month.

Xinhua

CPC Central Committee endorses Bo Xilai expulsionadded by chinatimesonline on

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Since Election Day last week,bc lottery poker lotto The New York Posts front pages have been merciless to former President Donald J. Trump. First, the paper heralded his political rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, as DeFUTURE. A day later, it illustrated Mr. Trump as Humpty Dumpty about to have a great fall.

Then, on Wednesday, the paper relegated Mr. Trumps announcement about his latest run for president to a small headline at the bottom of the page: Florida Man Makes Announcement.

All three covers shot around social media, putting the 221-year-old tabloid at the center of the national discussion about Mr. Trumps future and elevating its print front page from New York City newsstands to Twitters global public square.

The covers also had the news media and political worlds talking about whether the recent Trump coverage was another sign that Rupert Murdochs media empire, which includes The Post and Fox News among other news organizations, had broken permanently from the former president after supporting him for years.

Mr. Trump weighed in himself on his Truth Social site, criticizing the no longer great New York Post. He added, Bring back Col!, a reference to Col Allan, the papers former editor in chief.

Many progressives took pleasure in seeing the tabloid turn nasty toward a man it once lavishly praised.

Just like in Australia and the UK, its almost impossible for any conservative politician to survive without the blessing of the billionaire Murdoch empire. Trump is toast , Thom Hartmann, the liberal radio talk show host, tweeted.

A Post spokeswoman declined to make Keith Poole, the editor in chief, available for an interview. A spokesman for The Posts parent company, News Corp, which the Murdochs run, declined to comment.

Image Rupert Murdoch with Mr. Trump in 2016.Credit...Carlo Allegri/Reuters

Editors in The Posts newsroom now regularly hand down anti-Trump story assignments, according to three current staff members. Mr. Poole is often involved in editing these stories to make sure the tone is right, said the people, who would speak only anonymously for fear of retribution.

Front-page headlines involving politics, usually decided on with input from multiple editors, are now decided on only at the highest level of management, one of the people said. The Post spokeswoman disputed this, saying: Part of the joy of working at The Post is that anyone can suggest wood headlines. That has never changed. (Wood is a term used for the front page.)

The staff members said the newsroom had not received an explicit directive on the direction of coverage of Mr. Trump, but the change in tone had been present for months.

The Post, with its conservative bent and cheeky headlines, has long been a favorite of Mr. Murdoch, who bought it in 1976. Mr. Poole took over as editor last year after working at another brash Murdoch tabloid, The Sun in Britain. Mr. Pooles family has now moved from New York to London, and he spends time in both places.

Throughout Mr. Trumps first presidential campaign, his tumultuous four years in the Oval Office and his two impeachments, The Post had his back. Two years ago, the paper splashed Mr. Trumps face across its front page with the headline Make America great again, again  promoting its endorsement for a second term.

But The Post and other properties in the Murdoch empire started to ease from their full support of Mr. Trump after he refused to accept that elections results. Last November, Mr. Murdoch said during a shareholder meeting that conservatives should play an active role in the American political debate, but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past.

In July, The Post published an editorial headlined: Trumps silence on Jan. 6 is damning. The editorial said Mr. Trump had proved himself unworthy to be this countrys chief executive again because he had done nothing to stop the violence as his followers stormed the Capitol.

Another previously pro-Trump platform in the Murdoch stable, Fox News, has shown some more skepticism toward Mr. Trump in recent months, focusing its attention on other Republicans instead. Fox News faces two blockbuster defamation lawsuits for its role in promoting false claims of election rigging in the 2020 presidential election.

Image The Post headline on the bottom refers to Mr. Trump announcing his candidacy.

Image The Posts headline the day after the midterm elections.

The coverage of Mr. Trump is not all negative. The Post extensively covered the recent Palm Beach wedding of Mr. Trumps daughter Tiffany, publishing an exclusive article with video of Mr. Trumps toast. It has also continued positive coverage of Mr. Trumps other daughter, Ivanka Trump, who served in his administration. An article on Thursday included dozens of photos of Ms. Trump in Miami and described her as relaxed and carefree after her decision not to re-enter the political arena with her father.

The paper could also revert to more support of Mr. Trump as the presidential campaign unfolds. But the more critical approach was clear in Wednesdays print article on Mr. Trumps announcement of his intention to run again. A tiny article on Page 26 covered the news in a total of five paragraphs and did not carry the byline of a reporter but instead was attributed to Post staff report.

With just 720 days to go before the next election, a Florida retiree made the surprise announcement on Tuesday evening that he was running for president, the article said. In a move no political pundit saw coming, avid golfer Donald J. Trump kicked things off at Mar-a-Lago, his resort and classified documents library.

The article referred to his age  Mr. Trump will be 78 in 2024  and continued: His cholesterol levels are unknown, but his favorite food is a charred steak with ketchup. He has stated that his qualifications for office include being a stable genius. Trump also served as the 45th president.

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Colenso / (klnz) / New Word List Save This cleopatra keno machine for saleWord! / (klnz) /Save ThisWord!

nounJohn William. 181483, British churchman; Anglican bishop of Natal from 1853: charged with heresy for questioning the accuracy of the Pentateuch

Words nearby Colenso

How to use in a sentence Colenso, found to be evacuated on February 19, was occupied on the 20th. Story of the War in South Africa|Captain A. T. Mahan, U.S.N.

Story of the War in South Africa|Captain A. T. Mahan, U.S.N. The position indicated was on the Upper Tugela, on a line with Colenso. My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War|Ben Viljoen.

My Reminiscences of the Anglo-Boer War|Ben Viljoen. He says Colenso was by far the worst battle, and the last fortnight before the relief of Ladysmith was a terrible strain. In the Ranks of the C.I.V.|Erskine Childers

In the Ranks of the C.I.V.|Erskine Childers His squadron was with Buller all through the terrible struggle from Colenso to Ladysmith, which they were the first to enter. In the Ranks of the C.I.V.|Erskine Childers Clery marching on Colenso, and all that a man holds dear in a little island under the north star. From Capetown to Ladysmith|G. W. Steevens

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questioncole, colectivo, colectomy, Coleman, colemanite, Colenso, colent., coleopter, Coleoptera, coleopteran, coleopteronCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
These are dark times for network TV, but experiments like Galavant are the silver lining.

Then she managed to struggle a mile through dark, rainy woods.

I thought about the mother, her fear of the dark, of the harm she feared might come to her daughters.

He wore white gloves, a dignified long black coat, and matching pants and vest, and he carried a dark walking stick.

Luke Skywalker is an evil robot who has fallen to the dark side of the force. Juiciest Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Ripperda's eye fell upon the mantle,it was discoloured a dark red in many places, he nodded his head, and the man withdrew. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

He glanced aside, and saw an exceedingly pretty, dark face, which looked vaguely familiar. Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

Down in his galleries and chambers where it was dark as a pocket Grandfather Mole enjoyed himself thoroughly. The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

Dramatic adaptation in expressing various characters, emotions, and motives is potentially very great. Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
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Noam Chomsky in his office at MIT.Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images

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 July 03, 2019

Transformational grammar is a theory of grammar that accounts for the constructions of a language by linguistic transformations and phrase structures. Also known as transformational-generative grammaror T-Gor TGG.

Following the publication of Noam Chomsky's book Syntactic Structuresin 1957, transformational grammar dominated the field of linguistics for the next few decades.

"The era of Transformational-Generative Grammar, as it is called, signifies a sharp break with the linguistic tradition of the first half of the [twentieth] century both in Europe and America because, having as its principal objective the formulation of a finite set of basic and transformational rules that explain how the native speaker of a language can generate and comprehend all its possible grammatical sentences, it focuses mostly on syntax and not on phonology or morphology, as structuralism does" (Encyclopedia of Linguistics, 2005).

Observations

"The new linguistics, which began in 1957 with the publication of Noam Chomsky's Syntactic Structures, deserves the label 'revolutionary.' After 1957, the study of grammar would no longer be limited to what is said and how it is interpreted. In fact, the word grammaritself took on a new meaning. The new linguistics defined grammaras our innate, subconscious ability to generate language, an internal system of rules that constitutes our human language capacity. The goal of the new linguistics was to describe this internal grammar.

"Unlike the structuralists, whose goal was to examine the sentences we actually speak and to describe their systemic nature, the transformationalists wanted to unlock the secrets of language: to build a model of our internal rules, a model that would produce all of the grammaticaland no ungrammaticalsentences." (M. Kolln and R. Funk, Understanding English Grammar. Allyn and Bacon, 1998)

"Unlike the structuralists, whose goal was to examine the sentences we actually speak and to describe their systemic nature, the wanted to unlock the secrets of language: to build a model of our internal rules, a model that would produce all of the grammaticaland no ungrammaticalsentences." (M. Kolln and R. Funk, Understanding English Grammar. Allyn and Bacon, 1998) "[F]rom the word go, it has often been clear that Transformational Grammarwas the best available theory of language structure, while lacking any clear grasp of what distinctive claims the theory made about human language." (Geoffrey Sampson, Empirical Linguistics. Continuum, 2001)

Surface Structures and Deep Structures

"When it comes to syntax, [Noam] Chomsky is famous for proposing that beneath every sentence in the mind of a speaker is an invisible, inaudible deep structure, the interface to the mental lexicon. The deep structure is converted by transformationalrules into a surface structure that corresponds more closely to what is pronounced and heard. The rationale is that certain constructions, if they were listed in the mind as surface structures, would have to be multiplied out in thousands of redundant variations that would have to have been learned one by one, whereas if the constructions were listed as deep structures, they would be simple, few in number, and economically learned." (Steven Pinker, Words and Rules. Basic Books, 1999)

Transformational Grammar and the Teaching of Writing

"Though it is certainly true, as many writers have pointed out, that sentence-combining exercises existed before the advent of transformational grammar, it should be evident that the transformational concept of embedding gave sentence combining a theoretical foundation upon which to build. By the time Chomsky and his followers moved away from this concept, sentence combining had enough momentum to sustain itself." (Ronald F. Lunsford, "Modern Grammar and Basic Writers." Research in Basic Writing: A Bibliographic Sourcebook, ed. by Michael G. Moran and Martin J. Jacobi. Greenwood Press, 1990)

The Transformation of Transformational Grammar

"Chomsky initially justified replacing phrase-structure grammar by arguing that it was awkward, complex, and incapable of providing adequate accounts of language. Transformational grammar offered a simple and elegant way to understand language, and it offered new insights into the underlying psychological mechanisms.

offered a simple and elegant way to understand language, and it offered new insights into the underlying psychological mechanisms. "As the grammar matured, however, it lost its simplicity and much of its elegance. In addition, transformational grammar has been plagued by Chomsky's ambivalence and ambiguity regarding meaning. . . . Chomsky continued to tinker with transformational grammar, changing the theories and making it more abstract and in many respects more complex, until all but those with specialized training in linguistics were befuddled. . . .

"[T]he tinkering failed to solve most of the problems because Chomsky refused to abandon the idea of deep structure, which is at the heart of T-G grammar but which also underlies nearly all of its problems. Such complaints have fueled the paradigm shift to cognitive grammar." (James D. Williams, The Teacher's Grammar Book. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)

"In the years since transformational grammarwas formulated, it has gone through a number of changes. In the most recent version, Chomsky (1995) has eliminated many of the transformational rules in previous versions of the grammar and replaced them with broader rules, such as a rule that moves one constituent from one location to another. It was just this kind of rule on which the trace studies were based. Although newer versions of the theory differ in several respects from the original, at a deeper level they share the idea that syntactic structure is at the heart of our linguistic knowledge. However, this view has been controversial within linguistics." (David W. Carroll, Psychology of Language, 5th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2008)

FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationNordquist, Richard. "Transformational Grammar (TG) Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/transformational-grammar-1692557.Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 28). Transformational Grammar (TG) Definition and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/transformational-grammar-1692557Nordquist, Richard. "Transformational Grammar (TG) Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/transformational-grammar-1692557 (accessed November 19, 2022).
A host of Chinese movie heavyweights made an appearance at The Most Beautiful People of China Awards yesterday in Beijing.

Hosted by The Beijing News, the event rewarded 50 Chinese celebrities in the movie and entertainment industry for their contributions to the field.

Megastars Ge You, Zhang Ziyi, Pu Cunxi, Lin Chiling, Huang Xiaoming and Li Yuchun stepped on to the stage receiving honors and flowers on the day.

Making a stunning performance in the AIDS-themed drama Love for Life, Zhang Ziyi was crowned as the Beauty of Valor. She said on the stage that, This award is unique because it doesnt judge people based on their appearance. Otherwise, Mr. Ge wouldnt be sitting here. The two of them also received the People of the Year Award.

Wen Zhang, who is now famous for the break-up themed romance Love is not Blind, received the title of the Most Promising Actor.

Other big names on the list include Tang Wei, Fan Bingbing, Zhou Xun, Jiang Wen, Chen Daoming, Chen Kun and Jet Li.

Chen Nan

Chinese Films

The Most Beautiful People of Chinaadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC)?poker games zynga free

A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is a company without commercial operations and is formed strictly to raise capital through an initial public offering (IPO) or the purpose of acquiring or merging with an existing company.

Also known as "blank check companies," SPACs have existed for decades, but their popularity has soared in recent years. In 2020, 247 SPACs were created with $80 billion invested, and in 2021, there were a record 613 SPAC IPOs. By comparison, only 59 SPACs came to market in 2019.

Key Takeaways

A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is formed to raise money through an initial public offering (IPO) to buy another company.

At the initial public offering or IPO, SPACs do not have business operations or stated targets for acquisition.

Investors in SPACs range from prominent private equity funds and celebrities to the general public.

SPACs have two years to complete an acquisition or they must return funding to investors.

Click Play to Learn How Special Purpose Acquisition Companies Work

How Does a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) Work?

1:31

SPACs are commonly formed by investors or sponsors with expertise in a particular industry or business sector and pursue deals in that arena. SPAC founders may have an acquisition target in mind, but don't identify that target to avoid disclosures during the IPO process.

Called "blank check companies," SPACs provide IPO investors with little information prior to investing. SPACs seek underwriters and institutional investors before offering shares to the public. During a 2020-2021 boom period for SPACs, they attracted prominent names such as Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank, in addition to retired or semi-retired senior executives.

The funds SPACs raise in an IPO are placed in an interest-bearing trust account that cannot be disbursed except to complete an acquisition or it will return the funds to investors if the SPAC is ultimately liquidated.

In 2019, SPAC IPOs raised $13.6 billion in 2019, more than four times the $3.5 billion they raised in 2016. Interest in SPACs increased in 2020 and 2021, with as much as $83.4 billion raised in 2020 and $162.5 billion in 2021. As of March 13, 2022, SPACs have raised $9.6 billion.

A SPAC has two years to complete a deal or face liquidation. In some cases, some of the interest earned from the trust can serve as the SPAC's working capital. After an acquisition, a SPAC is usually listed on one of the major stock exchanges.

What Are the Advantages of a SPAC?

SPACs offer advantages for companies that have been planning to go public. The route to public offering using a SPAC may take a few months, while a conventional IPO process can take anywhere from six months to more than a year.

Additionally, the owners of the target company may be able to negotiate a premium price when selling to a SPAC due to the limited time window to commence a deal. Being acquired by or merging with a SPAC that is sponsored by prominent financiers and business executives provides the target company with experienced management and enhanced market visibility.

The popularity of SPACs in 2020 may have been triggered by the global pandemic as many companies chose to forego conventional IPOs because of the market volatility and uncertainty.

What Are the Risks of a SPAC?

An investor in a SPAC IPO trusts that promoters are successful in acquiring or merging with a suitable target company in the future. However, there exists a reduced degree of oversight from regulators and a lack of disclosure from the SPAC, burdening retail investors with the risk that the investment may be overhyped or even fraudulent.

Returns from SPACs may not meet expectations offered during the promotion stage. Strategists at Goldman Sachs noted in September 2021 that of the 172 SPACs that had closed a deal since the start of 2020, the median SPAC had outperformed the Russell 3000 index from its IPO to deal announcement. However, six months after deal closure, the median SPAC had underperformed the Russell 3000 index by 42 percentage points.

As many as 70% of SPACs that had their IPO in 2021 were trading below their $10 offer price as of Sept 15, 2021, according to a Renaissance Capital strategist. This downward trend could signal that the SPAC bubble that some market experts had predicted may be bursting.

Though popular in recent years, SPACs face new accounting regulations issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission as of April 2021 causing new SPAC filings to plummet in the second quarter from the record levels of 2021's first quarter.

Many celebrities, including entertainers and professional athletes, became so heavily invested in SPACs that the SEC issued an "Investor Alert" in March 2021, cautioning investors not to make investment decisions based solely on celebrity involvement.

By early 2022, SPACs decreased in popularity due to increased regulatory oversight and less-than-expected performance.



Real-World Examples of SPACs

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic was a high-profile deal involving special purpose acquisition companies. Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya's SPAC Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings bought a 49% stake in Virgin Galactic for $800 million before listing the company in 2019.

In 2020, Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, sponsored his own and the largest-ever SPAC, Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, raising $4 billion in its offering on July 22. In August 2021, Ackman planned to liquidate the SPAC but as of 2022, the SPAC has not been liquidated with efforts still underway to find a deal.

How Can an Individual Invest in a SPAC?

Most retail investors cannot invest in promising privately held companies, however, SPACs are a way for public investors to now partner' with investment professionals and venture capital firms. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in SPACs have emerged and these funds typically include some mix of companies that recently went public by merging with a SPAC and SPACs that are still searching for a target to take public. As with all investments, depending on the specific details of a SPAC investment, there will be different levels of risk.





What Are Some Prominent Companies That Have Gone Public Through a SPAC?

Some of the best-known companies to have become publicly listed by merging with a SPAC are digital sports entertainment and gaming company DraftKings; aerospace and space travel company Virgin Galactic; energy storage innovator QuantumScape; and real estate platform Opendoor Technologies.

What Happens If a SPAC Does Not Merge?

SPACs have a specific time frame in which they need to merge with another company and close a deal. This time frame is usually between 18 and 24 months. If a SPAC cannot merge during the allotted time, then it liquidates and all funds are returned to investors.
What Is the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI)?multi hand black jack

The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI) is a monthly survey of consumer confidence levels in the United States conducted by the University of Michigan. The survey is based on telephone interviews that gather information on consumer expectations for the economy.

Consumer sentiment is a statistical measurement of the overall health of the economy as determined by consumer opinion. It takes into account people's feelings toward their current financial health, the health of the economy in the short term, and the prospects for longer-term economic growth, and is widely considered to be a useful economic indicator.

Key Takeaways

The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI) is a monthly survey of how consumers feel about the economy, personal finances, business conditions, and buying conditions.

The University of Michigan conducts the telephone survey. It releases a preliminary report mid-month and a final report at the end of the month.

The MCSI is seen as an important leading economic indicator, as consumer spending accounts for about 68.5% of the U.S. economy.

Understanding the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI)

The Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index was created in the 1940s by Professor George Katona at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. His efforts ultimately led to a national telephone survey conducted and published monthly by the university. The survey queries consumers on their views of their own personal finances, as well as the short-term and long-term state of the U.S. economy.

The preliminary report is generally released during the middle of the month and covers survey responses collected in the first two weeks of the month. The final report is released at the end of the month and covers the full month. It is designed to capture the mood of American consumers. Whether the sentiment is optimistic, pessimistic, or neutral, the survey signals information about near-term consumer spending plans.

Because consumer spending accounts for about 68.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the U.S., the MCSI is regarded as one of many important economic indicators followed by businesses, policymakers, and participants in the investment community.

MCSI Basic Design

Each month, the university conducts a minimum of 500 phone interviews across the continental U.S. The survey asks 50 core questions and covers three areas: personal finances, business conditions, and buying conditions. The answers to these questions form the basis of the index. Consumers are asked questions such as:

Would you say that at the present time business conditions are better or worse than they were a year ago?

Would you say that you (and your family living there) are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?

Do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially, or worse off, or just about the same as now?

What do you think will happen to interest rates for borrowing money during the next 12 monthswill they go up, stay the same, or go down?

During the next 12 months, do you think that prices, in general, will go up, or go down, or stay where they are now?

About 60% of each monthly survey consists of new responses, and the remaining 40% is drawn from repeat surveys. The repeat surveys help reveal the changes in consumer sentiment over time and provide a more accurate measure of consumer confidence.

Special Considerations

According to the University of Michigan, the surveys "have proven to be an accurate indicator of the future course of the national economy." Surveys have demonstrated their ability to accurately anticipate changes in interest rates, unemployment rates, inflation rates, GDP growth, housing, car demand, and other key economic measures.

The Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE) was created as a subsidiary survey of the MCSI. It has come to be included in the larger index of Leading Composite Indicators published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) through the Department of Commerce.
M.S., Applied Ecology, Indiana University Bloomington

B.S., Biology and Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Invertebrates are animal groups that lack a vertebra, or backbone. Most invertebrates fall into one of six categories: sponges, jellyfish (this category also includes hydras, sea anemones, and corals), comb jellies, flatworms, mollusks, arthropods, segmented worms, and Echinoderms.

Pictured below are invertebrates including horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, ladybugs, snails, spiders, octopus, chambered nautiluses, mantises, and more.

Crab

Sandeep J. Patil / Shutterstock

Crabs (Brachyura) are a group of crustaceans that have ten legs, a short tail, a single pair of claws, and a thick calcium carbonate exoskeleton. Crabs live in a wide variety of placesthey can be found in every ocean around the world and also inhabit freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Crabs belong to the Decapoda, an arthropod order that consists of numerous ten-legged creatures that include (in addition to crabs) crayfish, lobsters, prawns, and shrimp. The earliest known crabs in the fossil record date from the Jurassic Period. Some primitive predecessors to modern crabs are also known from the Carboniferous Period (Imocaris, for example).

Butterfly

Christopher Tan Teck Hean / Shutterstock

Butterflies (Rhopalocera) are a group of insects that include more than 15,000 species. Members of this group include swallowtail butterflies, birdwing butterflies, white butterflies, yellow butterflies, blue butterflies, copper butterflies, metalmark butterflies, brush-footed butterflies, and skippers. Butterflies are notable among insects as being superb migrators. Some species migrate long distances. The most famous of these is perhaps the Monarch butterfly, a species that migrates between its winter grounds in Mexico to its breeding grounds in Canada and the northern parts of the United States. Butterflies are also known for their life cycle, which consists of four stages, egg, larva, pupa and adult.

Jellyfish

Sergey Popov V / Shutterstock

Jellyfish (Scyphozoa) are a group of cnidarians that includes more than 200 living species. Jellyfish are primarily marine animals, although there are a few species that inhabit freshwater environments. Jellyfish occur in inshore waters near coastlines and can also be found in the open ocean. Jellyfish are carnivores that feed on prey such as plankton, crustaceans, other jellyfish, and small fish. They have a complex life cyclethroughout the course of their life, jellyfish take on a number of different body forms. The most familiar form is known as the medusa. Other forms include the planula, polyp, and ephyra forms.

Mantis

Frank B. Yuwono / Shutterstock

Mantises (Mantodea) are a group of insects that includes more than 2,400 species. Manids are best known for their two long, raptorial forelegs, which they hold in a folded or "prayer-like" posture. They use these limbs to capture their prey. Mantises are formidable predators, considering their size. Their cryptic coloration enables them to disappear into their surroundings as they stalk their prey. When they get within striking distance, they snatch their prey with a quick swipe of their forelimbs. Mantises feed primarily on other insects and spiders but also sometimes take larger prey such as small reptiles and amphibians.

Stove-Pipe Sponge

Nature UIG / Getty Images

Stove-pipe sponges (Aplysina archeri) are a species of tube sponge that has a long tube-like body that resembles, as its name indicates, a stove pipe. Stove-pipe sponges can grow to lengths of up to five feet. They are most common in the Atlantic Ocean and are especially prevalent in the waters that surround the Caribbean Islands, Bonaire, the Bahamas, and Florida. Stove-pipe sponges, like all sponges, filter their food from the water. They consume tiny particles and organisms such as plankton and detritus that are suspended in the water current. Stove-pipe sponges are slow-growing animals that can live for hundreds of years. Their natural predators are snails.

Ladybug

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Ladybugs (Coccinellidae) are a group of insects that have an oval body that is (in most species) bright yellow, red, or orange color. Many ladybugs have black spots, although the number of spots varies from species to species (and some ladybugs lack spots altogether). There are about 5000 living species of ladybugs that have been described by scientists so far. Ladybugs are celebrated by gardeners for their predatory habitsthey eat aphids and other destructive pest insects. Ladybugs are known by several other common namesin Great Britain, they are known as ladybirds and in some parts of North America, they are called ladycows. Entomologists, in an attempt to be more taxonomically correct, prefer the common name ladybird beetles (since this name reflects the fact that ladybugs are a type of beetle).

Chambered Nautilus

Michael Aw / Getty Images

The chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) is one of six living species of nautiluses, a group of cephalopods. Chambered nautiluses are an ancient species that first appeared about 550 million years ago. They are often referred to as living fossils since living nautiluses so closely resemble those ancient ancestors. The shell of a chambered nautilus is its most distinguishing characteristic. The nautilus shell consists of a series of spirally arranged chambers. As the nautilus grows new chambers are added such that the newest chamber is located at the shell opening. It is in this newest chamber that the body of the chambered nautilus resides.

Grove Snail

Santiago Urquijo / Getty Images

Grove snails (Cepaea nemoralis) are a species of land snail that is common throughout Europe. Grove snails also inhabit North America, where they were introduced by humans. Grove snails vary greatly in their appearance. A typical grove snail has a shell of pale yellow or white with multiple (as many as six) dark bands that follow the spiral of the shell. The background color of the grove snail's shell can also be reddish or brownish in color and some grove snails lack dark bands altogether. The lip of the grove snail's shell (near the opening) is brown, a characteristic that earns them their other common name, the brown-lipped snail. Grove snails live in a wide variety of habitats including woodlands, gardens, highlands and coastal regions.

Horseshoe Crab

Shane Kato / iStockphoto

Horseshoe crabs (Limulidae) are, despite their common name, not crabs. In fact, they are not crustaceans at all but are instead members of a group known as the Chelicerata and their closest cousins include arachnids and sea spiders. Horseshoe crabs are the only living members of a once widely-successful group of animals that peaked in diversity some 300 million years ago. Horseshoe crabs live in the shallow coastal waters that surround North America and Southeast Asia. They are named for their tough, horseshoe-shaped shell and long spiny tail. Horseshoe crabs are scavengers that feed on mollusks, worms and other small marine animals that live in seafloor sediments.

Octopus

Jens Kuhfs / Getty Images

Octopuses (Octopoda) are a group of cephalopods that include about 300 living species. Octopuses are highly intelligent animals and exhibit good memory and problem-solving skills. Octopuses have a complex nervous system and a brain. Octopuses are soft-bodied creatures that have no internal or external skeleton (although a few species have vestigial internal shells). Octopuses are unique in that they have three hearts, two of which pump blood through the gills and the third of which pumps blood throughout the rest of the body. Octopuses have eight arms that are covered on the under-side with suction cups. Octopuses live in many different marine habitats including coral reefs, the open ocean, and the sea floor.

Sea Anemone

Jeff Rotman / Getty Images

Sea anemones (Actiniaria) are a group of marine invertebrates that anchor themselves to rocks and the sea floor and capture food from the water using stinging tentacles. Sea anemones have a tubular-shaped body, a mouth encircled by tentacles, a simple nervous system, and a gastrovascular cavity. Sea anemones disable their prey using stinging cells in their tentacles called nematocysts. The nematocysts contain toxins that paralyze the prey. Sea anemones are cnidarians, a group of marine invertebrates that also includes jellyfish, corals, and hydra.

Jumping Spider

James Benet / iStockphoto

Jumping spiders (Salticidae) are a group of spiders that includes about 5,000 species. Jumping spiders are notable for their superb eyesight. They have four pairs of eyes, three of which are fixed in a specific direction and a fourth pair that they can move to focus on anything that catches their interest (most often prey). Having so many eyes gives jumping spiders great advantage as predators. They have virtually 360 vision. If that weren't enough, jumping spiders (as their name implies) are powerful jumpers as well, a skill that enables them to pounce on their prey.
goldwin slot 88rising concertedshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dasheen [ da-sheen ]/ din / 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.[ da-sheen ]/ din /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounthe taro plant, Colocasia esculenta, native to tropical Asia, now cultivated in the southern U.S. for its edible tubers.

Words nearby dasheen

British Dictionary definitions for dasheen

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 dasheen18951900; representing French de Chine of ChinaDasehra, dash, dashboard, dashcam, dashed, dasheen, dasher, dashi, dashiki, dashing, Dashing White SergeantDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022C19: perhaps changed from French (chou) de Chine (cabbage) of ChinaCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Photo: VCG

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on November 6 that Canada will release a "long-delayed" Indo-Pacific strategy report. According to CBC,it's no accident that Canadian ministers have been travelling to Washington lately to talk about trading more with allies or even decoupling from China. Although the details of the report are not yet clear, CBC has suggested that the strategy as a whole is to "look to Washington" and that Ottawa's views on China are particularly similar to those espoused by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. If so, it is disappointing and regrettable.The delay in the release of the strategy report is said to be due in large part to "intense internal debate.'' A source told Canadian media that after the Meng Wanzhou incident, Justin Trudeau had hoped to make effort to repair relations with Beijing and suppress the idea and practice of decoupling from China's economy and trade. Ottawa has shown a tangled and complicated mindset for some time as to whether to put the China strategy into the new Indo-Pacific strategy, or even let this Indo-Pacific strategy "revolve around China" and push Canada to the forefront of US efforts to suppress China.Washington has shown clear impatience and dissatisfaction with Canada's "silence on the Indo-Pacific strategy." David Cohen, the US ambassador to Canada, said that everyone is waiting for Canada to release its framework for its overall China policy. The American magazine "National Interest" criticized Canada, a "disappointingly meek US ally," for taking a "neutralist strategy" on China. Under the influence of Washington, some Canadian politicians advocated that if allies "lost the confidence," Canada may become a "second-class citizen" in the Five Eyes. Recently, Canada's increasingly negative moves toward China are obviously related to Washington's pressure.But as an independent sovereign country, Canada should have its own choices. Policymakers in Ottawa should be startled if they scrutinize the recent exclusive revelations from The Wall Street Journal and reflect on it from another angle. The radical politician in Washington, John Bolton, almost single-handedly instigated a violent storm between China and Canada, the impact of which continues to this day. A foreign politician's subjective malice toward China turned into Canada's malicious actions toward China unimpededly. Canada has become an American tool that has lost its self-will, and it has also tasted the taste of "sandwich biscuits."How did such absurdity come about? Shouldn't this kind of "remote control," which is unacceptable to any sovereign country, worthy of Canada's high alert and prompt Canada to adjust and avoid relevant decisions and action mechanisms? However, what people see now is that Canada still "follows Washington's lead" and takes the initiative to put itself in a cog position in the assembly line of Washington's suppression of China. Following this trend, Canada will be in a weaker or even humbler position in front of Washington if it walks in this direction. This is not the result that the vast majority of Canadians want to see.To a certain extent, we understand Canada's circumstances. As a neighbor of the US, Canada is large but sparsely populated, and is heavily dependent on the US both economically and for security. It can be said that its lifeblood is tightly held in the hands of the US. All along, Washington will not hesitate to pinch Canada when it needs to. But being under pressure from the US is one thing, taking the initiative to cater to the US is another. Canada is not the only country that is coerced by the US in terms of economy and security, but many countries have not voluntarily given up their insistence and pursuit of diplomatic independence. Canada used to strike a balance in the past. It shouldn't choose to "strategically lie down" just because Washington is piling more pressure on it.Canada is not the 51st state of the US, and has no obligation and should not be willing to be Washington's political tool and vassal. It is certain that if Canada follows the US in its foreign strategy, its value as a sovereign state will be severely depreciated. This "devaluation" is actually already happening. Under the instigation of the US, Canada has recently launched a series of unfriendly actions against China, disrupting normal business cooperation between Chinese and Canadian companies in the name of national security. Carrying out self-destructive pan-national security operations in the mutually beneficial economic and trade field will not only harm Canada's economy but will also further damage Canada's national reputation.For quite a long time, Canada has played a relatively mild role in international politics. The strategic posturing of keeping a distance from geopolitics and supporting free trade and multilateralism can best reflect Canada's values and safeguard its interests. Once detached from it, Canada will encounter risks and pay a price. We hope Canada can walk away from the shadows of Washington's politicians and make foreign policy based on its own interests. Such strategic policy documents can truly be viewed as "strategic" and welcomed by the international community.
B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University

Ever wondered what the Japanese equivalent of "Smith" is? Here is the list of the top 20 most common Japanese surnames. It is said that more than a hundred thousand different surnames exist in Japanese, but roughly speaking one out of every ten Japanese has a surname that is listed here.

Top 20 Japanese Surnames
Your privacy is basic strategy blackjack 1 deckimportant to me. Here are the details of how WritingExplained.org works, so you can protect yourself and your online privacy.

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playing raid shadow legendsshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dalapon [ dal-uh-pon ]/ dl pn / 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-uh-pon ]/ dl pn /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Chemistry.a selective herbicide, C3H4Cl2O2, used to eradicate certain grass weeds in sugarcane and other crops.

Words nearby dalapon

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 dalapon195055; probably d(i)-al(ph)a-(dichloropro)p(i)on(ic acid), an alternate chemical name; see di-, alpha, chloro-, propionicDaktyl, dal, Daladier, Dalai Lama, dalan, dalapon, dalasi, d'Albert, Dalcroze, dale, DalekDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is a Total Return Index?hard rock casino coupons

A total return index is a type of equity index that tracks both the capital gains as well as any cash distributions, such as dividends or interest, attributed to the components of the index. A look at an index's total return displays a more accurate representation of the index's performance to shareholders.

By assuming dividends are reinvested, it effectively accounts for those stocks in an index that do not issue dividends and instead reinvest their earnings within the underlying company as retained earnings. A total return index can be contrasted with a price return or nominal index.

Key Takeaways

A total return index computes the index value based on capital gains plus cash payments such as dividends and interest.

A total return index, in contrast to a price index, better reflects the actual returns that an investor holding the index components would receive.

The total return will tend to exceed the nominal return that only accounts for price increases in the assets held.

Many popular indices compute total return, such as S&P, which produces the S&P 500 Total Return Index (SPTR).

Total Return Indexes Explained

A total return index may be deemed more accurate than other methods that do not account for the activity associated with dividends or distributions, such as those that focus purely on the annual yield.

For example, an investment may show an annual yield of 4% along with an increase in share price of 6%. While the yield is only a partial reflection of the growth experienced, the total return includes both yields and the increased value of the shares to show a growth of 10%. If the same index experienced a 4% loss instead of a 6% gain in share price, the total return would show as 0%.

Example: The S&P 500

The S&P 500 Total Return Index (SPTR) is one example of a total return index. The total return indexes follow a similar pattern in which many mutual funds operate, where all resulting cash payouts are automatically reinvested back into the fund itself. While most total return indexes refer to equity-based indexes, there are total return indexes for bonds that assume that all coupon payments and redemptions are reinvested through buying more bonds in the index.

Other total return indexes include the Dow Jones Industrials Total Return Index (DJITR) and the Russell 2000 Index.

Differences Between Price Return and Total Return Index Funds

Total returns stand in contrast to price returns, which do not take into account dividends and cash payouts. Including dividends makes a significant difference in the return of the fund, as demonstrated by two of the most prominent.

For instance, the price return for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) since it was introduced in 1993 was 789% as of March 10, 2021. The total return price (dividends reinvested), however, is close to 1,400%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average over the 10 years ended in March 2021 had a price return of 162%, while the total return rose to 228%.

Understanding Index Funds

Index funds are a reflection of the index they are based on. For example, an index fund associated with the S&P 500 may have one of each of the securities included in the index, or may include securities that are deemed to be a representative sample of the indexs performance as a whole.

The purpose of an index fund is to mirror the activity, or growth, of the index that functions as its benchmark. In that regard, index funds only require passive management when adjustments need to be made to help the index fund keep pace with its associated index. Due to the lower management requirements, the fees associated with index funds may be lower than those that are more actively managed. Additionally, an index fund may be seen as a lower risk since it provides for an innate level of diversification.
Definition of Round Character

A round character in a novel,link judi online wild thing casino play, or story is a complex personality. Like real people, they have depth in feelings and passions. For instance, in the movie Shrek, the main character says Ogres are like onions, which means that, what appears to them is not the only truth. Rather, there is something more inside them. Similarly, a round character has many layers of personality. Writers define a round character fully, both physically and mentally. It is the character with whom the audience can sympathize, associate with, or relate to, as he seems a character they might have seen in their real lives.

Characteristics of a Round Character

Round characters are major characters in a story, who encounter contradictory situations, and undergo transformation during this phase. Therefore, these characters do not remain the same throughout the narrative, making their traits difficult to identify from beginning until the end.

These characters are more realistic, their personalities somewhat inconsistent.

They are fully developed and show complex traits, like real people.

Round characters are also known as main characters, or major characters, because they are suitable to surprise the readers in a very convincing manner.

Major characters must be round characters to be believable.

Examples of Round Characters in Literature

Example #1: Winston Smith,1984(By George Orwell)

George Orwell named his novels hero Winston Smith, after a great English leader, Winston Churchill. Smith is thirty-nine years old, serves his whole life for the Ministry of Truth, and rewrites history. Then he goes against the rules of the Party and falls in love with Julia, which is a rebellious act written in his diary. There is no past and no future for Smith. He is a round character whose mind is inconstant, while he undergoes his character development during the course of the story.

Smith is the main character who knows the danger he will encounter. For instance, he knows from the very beginning that the members of Party will find his diary. They will use the things he has written in it against him. He also knows that the Police will reveal his illegal affair with Julia. Therefore, he does not stay consistent and is a round character.

Example #2: Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice(by Jane Austen)

Elizabeth Bennet is another good example of a round character. She is the main character of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice, who does not remain the same innocent girl whom readers meet in the first part of the story. Elizabeth develops into a new woman, with different choices and behaviors that have an impact on the people around her. In the beginning, Elizabeth is prejudiced, which is her major flaw, though later she transforms and changes her opinions. In fact, slowly and gradually Elizabeth evolves to understand her true feelings  showing a great example of a round character.

Example #3: Hamlet, Hamlet(by William Shakespeare)

Yet another great example of a round character is Hamlet. He is a complex, enigmatic, and mysterious character that is knowledgeable, philosophical, intelligent, and thoughtful by nature. Hamlet makes hasty decisions, yet he delays his revenge. His contemplative nature also becomes his tragic flaw, and his lack of timely action becomes the cause of his tragedy. Hamlets personality is contradictory, while he also encounters many contradictory situations.

Example #4: Gatsby, The Great Gatsby(by Scott Fitzgerald)

In his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald has introduced a complex and round character in Gatsby. Gatsby is a tragic hero with a fatal flaw  that of obsession over his beloved Daisy. He is a man of great mystery, because no one knows his whereabouts, or how he becomes rich. Readers learn about his different sides and different traits. He appears to them as scared, mysterious, friendly, angry, happy, disappointed, and frustrated man throughout the novel. Through Nicks narration, readers get an insight into his human mind, and all his emotions and whims.

Function of Round Character

In play writing and fiction writing, authors develop round characters to make their stories more believable and effective. These characters bring surprise to the readers expectations by undergoing a significant metamorphosis at the end of a narrative  as compared to what they were in the initial phases. Hence, due to this development, the audience can relate their own lives to this transformed character. By the end, after developing new traits, a round character also demonstrates new facets of human behavior.

Related posts:
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noun Scot.a darling.

Words nearby dautie

How to use in a sentence It's a trowthbut a sair pity, my dautie (daughterdarling). Salted With Fire|George MacDonald

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 dautieFirst recorded in 167080; daut + -iedauphin, dauphine, dauphiness, daur, daut, dautie, D.A.V., Davao, Davao Gulf, Dave, davenDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Nevada is red rock canyon hotel las vegasholding steady for record gaming revenue, with Las Vegas visitation running 8% higher than 2022. Moreover, its expected to swell with the start of football season and the inaugural Formula One race on the Strip in November.

Las Vegas occupancy in July was the highest since prior to the pandemic, helping Nevada set an all-time monthly record of $1.4 billion in gaming revenue, while the Strip set an all-time record at $834.8 million. Strip gaming revenue is 6.5% higher year over year through the first seven months of 2023.

The 3.52 million visitors in July were 1% higher than 2022s 3.49 million visitors, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The total is still 4.3% below July 2019 levels, which indicates room to grow.

Year to date, the 23.85 million visitors are up from 22.07 million through the first seven months of 2022.

Theres a lot of upside to the rest of the year with the opening of the Sphere entertainment venue in September and the Global Gaming Expo in October as well.

As we enter the back half of 2023, Nevada is looking very good in terms of finishing the year ahead of 2022, said Michael Lawton, a senior economic analyst for the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Every market in southern Nevada is currently up year over year, with the Las Vegas Strip leading the way. With the upcoming special events on the calendar, which include the opening of the Sphere, NFL football, and of course F1, another record gaming win for a calendar year is becoming a strong possibility.

Harry Reid International Airport reported its third highest passenger count in history in July, aided by international travelers. The 290,546 passengers from abroad were the most since January 2020 prior to the pandemic, when there were 309,091 passengers. For the year, international travel is 41.4% higher than 2022.

That boost in international visitors caught the attention of Oliver Lovat, CEO of the Denstone Group, who said foreign visitors contributed to the success in July.

Baccarat, a favorite game among many international visitors, recorded a win of $193.3 million, sixth highest all-time.

Lovat also credited the events calendar that was packed with musical performances, UFC and boxing matches, and international soccer games, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal and a USA Tour 2023 game.

This is the summer when international tourism finally came back, Lovat said.

Josh Swissman, founding partner of GMA Consulting, said July gaming revenues are a reflection on Las Vegas drawing visitors for entertainment, such as Usher and Garth Brooks residencies. The strong July follows a mixed showing in June.

It shows Vegas is very much an entertainment-driven city, Swissman said. As you book more entertainment, you see more visitation and as you see more visitation, you see more gaming revenue. Its tremendous that July was the biggest gaming month on record when you consider how big other months are, like February with the Super Bowl. Given all the cool entertainment we have coming in the fall, that triple charges everything.

Drive-in traffic from Southern California fell sharply last month during the record heat. The 49,727 average daily passengers on I-15 at the Nevada border fell 5.4% from July 2022.

Hotel occupancy for the month reached 85.2% in July, a 1.8% gain over July 2022. Its still below the 91.1% occupancy in July 2019.

Weekend occupancy was 92.6%, an increase of 1.5% year over year. Midweek occupancy reached 82.2%, surpassing July by 3.1%.

Strip occupancy was 88.1% in July, up from 86.3% in July 2022. Downtown occupancy was 67%, up from 66.5%.

The strong occupancy led to a slight increase in the average daily room rate in July to $163, up from $160 a year ago, a 1.7% gain. Revenue per room was $139, a 3.9% increase.

Visitation in July was driven by tourists, as convention attendance dropped 16.8% year over year to 270,300. Its down 46% compared to 2019. There were 17 conventions in July compared to 23 in July 2022.
What Is Environmental,spinit casino nz Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing?

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing refers to a set of standards for a companys behavior used by socially conscious investors to screen potential investments.

Environmental criteria consider how a company safeguards the environment, including corporate policies addressing climate change, for example. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates. Governance deals with a companys leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.

Key Takeaways

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing is used to screen investments based on corporate policies and to encourage companies to act responsibly.

Many mutual funds, brokerage firms, and roboadvisors now offer investment products that employ ESG principles.

ESG investing can also help portfolios avoid holding companies engaged in risky or unethical practices are held accountable.

The rapid growth of ESG investment funds in recent years has led to claims that companies have been insincere or misleading in touting their ESG accomplishments.

Click Play to Learn What ESG Criteria Are

How Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing Works

1:21

Investors have, in recent years, shown interest in putting their money where their values are.

As a result, brokerage firms and mutual fund companies have started offering exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other financial products that follow ESG investing strategies. Roboadvisors including Betterment and Wealthfront have promoted these ESG-themed offerings to younger investors.

ESG investors are also increasingly informing the investment choices of large institutional investors such as public pension funds. According to an industry report from US SIF Foundation, investors held $17.1 trillion in assets chosen according to ESG principles in 2020, up from $12 trillion just two years earlier. ESG-specific mutual funds and ETFs also reached a record $400 billion in AUM in 2021, up 33% from the year before - and are expected to continue to grow rapidly in the coming years.

ESG investing is sometimes referred to as sustainable investing, responsible investing, impact investing, or socially responsible investing (SRI). To assess a company based on ESG criteria, investors look at a broad range of behaviors and policies.

58%

The share of respondents to a survey by Investopedia and Treehugger who indicated increased interest in ESG investments in 2020. 19% reported using ESG considerations in selecting investments.

Environmental, Social, and Governance

ESG investors seek to ensure the companies they fund are responsible stewards of the environment, good corporate citizens, and are led by accountable managers.



Environmental

Environmental issues may include corporate climate policies, energy use, waste, pollution, natural resource conservation, and treatment of animals. ESG considerations can also help evaluate any environmental risks a company might face and how the company is managing those risks.

Considerations may include direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, management of toxic waste, and compliance with environmental regulations.

Human influence is unequivocally to blame for the warming of the planet and some forms of climate disruption are now locked in for centuries, according to a report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "This report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels before they destroy our planet," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Social

Social aspects look at the companys relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Does it hold suppliers to its own ESG standards? Does the company donate a percentage of its profits to the local community or encourage employees to perform volunteer work there? Do workplace conditions reflect a high regard for employees health and safety? Or does the company take unethical advantage of its customers?

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is an investment strategy that highlights this one facet of ESG. SRI investors seek companies that promote ethical and socially conscious themes including diversity, inclusion, community-focus, social justice, and corporate ethics, in addition to fighting against racial, gender, and sexual discrimination.

Governance

ESG governance standards ensure a company uses accurate and transparent accounting methods, pursues integrity and diversity in selecting its leadership, and is accountable to shareholders.

ESG investors may require assurances that companies avoid conflicts of interest in their choice of board members and senior executives, don't use political contributions to obtain preferential treatment, or engage in illegal conduct.

ESG Criteria

Investment firms following ESG investing often set their own priorities. For example, Boston-based Trillium Asset Management, with $5.6 billion under management as of December 2021, uses a variety of ESG factors to help identify companies positioned for strong long-term performance.

The criteria are set by analysts who identify the relevant issues facing specific sectors, industries, and companies. Trillium's ESG criteria preclude investments in the following:

Companies that operate in higher-risk areas or have exposure to coal or hard rock mining, nuclear or coal power, private prisons, agricultural biotechnology, tobacco, tar sands, or weapons and firearms.

Companies involved in major or recent controversies over human rights, animal welfare, environmental concerns, governance issues, or product safety.

In contrast, Trillium looks for investments meeting the following ESG criteria:

Environment

Publishes a carbon or sustainability report

Limits harmful pollutants and chemicals

Seeks to lower greenhouse gas emissions and CO 2 footprint

footprint Uses renewable energy sources

Reduces waste



Social

Operates an ethical supply chains

Avoids overseas labor that may have questionable workplace safety or employ child labor

Supports LGBTQ+ rights and encourages all forms of diversity

Has policies to protect against sexual misconduct

Pays fair (living) wages



Governance

Embraces diversity on board of directors

Embraces corporate transparency

Someone other than the CEO is chair of the board

Staggers board elections

Pros of ESG Investing

Some have argued that, in addition to their social value, ESG criteria can help investors avoid the blowups that occur when companies operating in a risky or unethical manner are ultimately held accountable for its consequences. Examples include BP's (BP) 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and Volkswagen's emissions scandal, which rocked the companies' stock prices and cost them billions of dollars.

As ESG-minded business practices gain more traction, investment firms are increasingly tracking their performance. Financial services companies such as JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and Goldman Sachs (GS) have published annual reports that extensively review their ESG approaches and the bottom-line results.

The ultimate value of ESG investing will depend on whether they encourage companies to drive real change for the common good, or merely check boxes and publish reports. That, in turn, will depend on whether the investment flows follow ESG tenets that are realistic, measurable, and actionable.



Cons of ESG Investing

The downside of ESG investing is that you will not be able to hold the full universe of stocks available in the market. After all, tobacco and defense, two industries avoided by many ESG investors, have historically produced well-above-average market returns and can buck recessionary trends. In other words, U.S. investors may be sacrificing a small amount of returns in exchange for making investments that fit their values.



Many ESG investors are willing to make that tradeoff, though; according to a recent survey of Investopedia and Treehugger readers, nearly half of ESG investors said theyd be willing to take a 10% loss over a five-year period to invest in a company that aligns exceptionally against ESG standards. But 74% of respondents said that valuation/price was very or extremely important to them. This indicates that the average ESG-friendly investment trades at a premium, making it a relatively more expensive investment style.

How Is ESG Investing Different from Sustainable Investing?

ESG and sustainability are closely related. ESG investing screens companies based on criteria related to being pro-social, environmentally-friendly, and with good corporate governance. Together, these features can lead to sustainability. ESG, therefore, looks at how a company's management and stakeholders make decisions; sustainability considers the impact of those decisions on the world.

What Does ESG Mean for a Business?

Adopting ESG principles means that corporate strategy focuses on the three pillars of the environment, social, and governance. This means taking measures to lower pollution, CO 2 output, and reduce waste. It also means having a diverse and inclusive workforce, at the entry-level and all the way up to the board of directors. ESG may be costly and time-consuming to undertake, but can also be rewarding into the future for those that carry it through.

How Do I Know Which Investments Are ESG?

Several financial firms have come out with ESG ratings and scoring systems in recent years. For instance, MSCI has come out with a ratings scheme covering more than 8,500 companies around the world, giving them scores and letter grades based on their compliance with ESG standards and initiatives. Several other companies like Morningstar have also released ESG scores for publicly-traded companies.

The Bottom Line

ESG investing focuses on companies that follow positive environmental, social, and governance principles. Today, investors are increasingly eager to align their portfolios with ESG-related companies and fund providers, making it an exciting area of growth that also has positive effects on society and the environment. Whether or not ESG investing is right for you depends on whether you want to combine your values with your investments. From there, you can look to one or more of several ESG ratings systems that have appeared in the past few years to build the right portfolio - or consider at ESG-tailored ETF or mutual fund.
US tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment was granted a one-year extension of its previous deadline to complete the construction of phase one of its planned integrated resort in South Korea.

It first emerged in January that the company had asked the nations government to give it the green light to push back the opening of the property to 2023.

Mohegan originally planned to open the hotel, casino, and entertainment complex in the second half of 2022, but hurdles of different nature forced it to revise the projects timeline.

Reports surfaced in 2020 that the casino operator faced difficulties to secure capitalto complete the mega-scheme and that it had disagreements with its Korean development partners as they reportedly demanded all outstanding funds to be fully paid and further funding to be secured before construction work could resume.

Mohegan also had to pause construction due to the coronavirus pandemic. The companys CEO, Mario Kontomerkos, said in April 2020 that despite the snags, they were on track to open the property in the first half of 2022. However, these snags clearly hampered the developments progress and the company announced late last year that the launch would be pushed back to early 2023.

Tourism Authorities OK Postponement

The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed to Asian casino news outlet GGRAsiathat it has given Mohegan an approval notice for pushing back the opening of its resort.

The casino operator said Wednesday that it has also received approval to add an outdoor themed attraction zoneat its future complex. Andrew Billany, Chief Executive of Mohegans Korean project, said in a statement that they are thrilled to hear the news of the awaited business plan change approval from the government.

The official also revealed that they plan to normalizethe resorts construction shortly and to fully focus their efforts on securing the necessary financing for the mega-plan.

As per its site, INSPIRE Entertainment Resort will spread across 1.7 million square meters of land about an hour from the Korean capital Seoul. It will feature a foreigner-only casino with 700 slot machines and 150 table games, a 5-star hotel with more than 1,200 luxury rooms, suites, and villas, a 15,000-seat entertainment venue, a large meeting and conference venue, retail facilities, dining outlets and bars, and a number of entertainment offerings.

News about Mohegan being granted a deadline extension emerge shortly after another integrated resort project also received a one-year extension of its deadline to open doors. That resorts developers asked the Korean government for a three-year extension.

The scheme was formerly promoted by US casino operator Caesars Entertainment, Inc., but the company sold its stake to its local partners in February.

Source:Mohegan given 1-year delay on Inspire Korea opening, GGRAsia, April 1, 2021
coattail [ koht-teyl ]/ kottel / New Word List Save This racing betting sites betting tipsWord!See synonyms for: coattails on Thesaurus.com [ koht-teyl ]/ kottel /Save ThisWord!See synonyms for: coattails on Thesaurus.com

nounthe back of the skirt on a man's coat or jacket.one of the two back parts of the skirt of a coat, especially one of the tails on a tail coat.

adjectivegained by association with another, especially with a successful or celebrated person: coattail benefits.

Words related to coattail coat-tail nounthe long tapering tails at the back of a man's tailed coaton someone's coat-tails thanks to the popularity or success of someone else 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 coattailFirst recorded in 15901600; coat + tailDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Are 409A Plans?winners otb website a betting app

409A Plans refer to a non-qualified deferred compensation has been earned by an employee but not yet received from their employer. Because the ownership of the compensationwhich may be monetary or otherwisehas not been transferred to the employee, it is not yet part of the employee's earned income and is not counted as taxable income.

The Internal Revenue Service code 409A governs for-profit NQDCs, such as plans for employees working for a large corporation. Other plans for employees of non-profits or government entities are included under IRS Sections 457(b) or 457(f).

Key Takeaways

 A non-qualified deferred compensation (NQDC) has been earned by an employee but not yet received from their employer.

 409A plans emerged in response to the cap on employee contributions to government-sponsored retirement savings plans.

 An NQDC plan sponsored by for-profit plan sponsors is governed by Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 409A.

 An NQDC sponsored by a nonprofit or governmental plan sponsor is governed under IRC Section 457(b) or 457(f).

Understanding 409A Plans

NQDCs as 409A plans reference the section of the tax code they exist in and emerged in response to the cap on employee contributions to government-sponsored retirement savings plans. Because high-income earners were unable to contribute the same proportional amounts to their tax-deferred retirement savings as other earners,

NQDCs offer a way for high-income earners to defer the actual ownership of income and avoid income taxes on their earnings while enjoying tax-deferred investment growth. For example, if Sarah, an executive, earned $750,000 per year, her maximum 401(k) contribution of $20,500 (for tax year 2022) would represent only 2.7% of her annual earnings, making it challenging to save enough in her retirement account to replace her salary in retirement.

By deferring some of her earnings to an NQDC, she could postpone paying income taxes on her earnings, enabling her to save a higher percentage of her income than is allowable under her 401(k) plan. Savings in an NQDC are often deferred for five or 10 years, or until the employee retires.

An NQDC plan sponsored by for-profit plan sponsors is governed by Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 409A, while one sponsored by a nonprofit or governmental plan sponsor is governed under IRC Section 457(b) or 457(f).

NQDCs dont have the same restrictions as retirement plans; an employee could use their deferred income for other savings goals, like travel or education expenses. Investment vehicles for NQDC contributions vary by the employer and may be similar to the 401(k) investment options offered by a company.

Limitations of NQDCs

However, NQDCs are not risk-free; theyre not protected by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) like 401(k)s and 403(b)s are. If the company holding an employees NQDC declared bankruptcy or was sued, the employees assets would not be protected from the companys creditors.

Additionally, the money from NQDCs cannot be rolled over into an IRA or other retirement accounts after theyre paid out. Another consideration is that if tax rates are higher when the employee accesses their NQDC than they were when the employee earned the income, the employee's tax burden could increase.

NQDCs can be a valuable savings vehicle for highly compensated workers whove exhausted their other savings options.
Thehorseshoe casino play online plan was to do something illegal, but no one among the two-dozen climate protesters assembled in a courtyard in Midtown Manhattan would tell me exactly what. Extinction Rebellion organizers were coming through the small crowd, asking who was red role, meaning that they were willing to be arrested. Someone else handed out cookies. Protesters soon started slipping off in twos and threes, heading to the site of the actual protest, part of a weeklong series of actions planned around the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Sandy in late October. Eric Arnum, an organizer from Extinction Rebellion NYC, remained behind; he told me they were acting as decoys to keep nearby police from following the other demonstrators. Theyre waiting for us to make our move, but weve already made our move, he said, gesturing to a group of nearby police detectives.

Put this in your article, he added. We play a giant game of cops and robbers with the best police force in the world, and we always win.

Such acts of civil disobediencelong a part of environmental activismsurged in popularity toward the end of 2019 thanks to Greta Thunberg and the school strikes. That movement, especially powerful in the U.K., largely fizzled in early 2020 due to pandemic lockdowns. But now, the tactics of what climate activists call civil resistance are back, garnering more attention, and controversy, than ever. Some of those protests over the past year have targeted polluting industriesactivists in the U.K., for instance, blocked access to oil terminals this spring, and this fall protesters in Germany glued themselves to the floor in a BMW showroom. Other actions have aimed to create maximum public disruption in the name of alerting people to the danger of climate change, as was seen with hellish traffic jams caused by months-long campaigns to block roadways in Germany and the U.K.

Another tactic has involved protesters targeting museum art pieces, often by attempting to glue themselves to the worksa strategy virtually guaranteed to generate widespread media attention. The trend in Europe exploded to international notoriety last month, when protesters threw tomato soup on one of the worlds most iconic paintings, Sunflowersby Vincent Van Gogh, in Londons National Portrait Gallery, before gluing their hands to the museums walls. Copycat protests quickly sprung up around Europe. In Germany, activists threw mashed potatoes over Grainstacksby Claude Monet, and in Italy, protesters threw pea soup on Van Goghs The Sowernone of the paintings, protected by glass, were damaged.

Just Stop Oil climate activists glue themselves to a Van Gogh painting at the Courtauld Gallery on June 30 2022 in London, U.K. The Just Stop Oil activists call for the government to end new oil and gas and for art institutions to join them in civil resistance. Kristian Buus/In PicturesGetty Images

No one person is directing these actions. The organizations involved, Germanys Letzte Generation (Last Generation) and Britains Just Stop Oil, among others, operate independently from one another. But perhaps the closest thing to a global mastermind is a 36-year-old clinical psychologist named Margaret Klein Salamon, living in Brooklyn, NY. Salamon is the executive director of a group called The Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), which distributes money from wealthy donors to the climate movements radical vanguard around the world, including the activists I met in Manhattan.

Salamon says that CEF doesnt actually fund anything illegal; its grants, generally ranging from $35,000 to $80,000, usually go to help new groups hire coordination staff. Theres a lot of funders out there looking for how to make an impact on climate, she says, walking her dogs in Prospect Park. Even movements that utilize the passion and dedication of volunteers, they still need money.

Many donors come from the ranks of the young and wealthyinheritors getting access to trust funds for the first timeand Salamon sometimes takes them on walks like this to try to alleviate concerns around her groups activities. Institutional philanthropy can get a little squeamish around direct action and disruptive protests, she says. The pitch goes something like this: Society is sleepwalking into a climate catastrophe, a situation best explained by a famous social psychology experiment Salamon often references, in which a room slowly fills with smoke, but the participants dont do anything about it, because no one else in the room seems alarmed. Disruptive protests are like a fire alarm to shake us awake, Salamon says. And refusing to play by the rules allows protesters to punch above their weight. Salamon, for instance, partially credits protesters who followed West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin to his car and protested on kayaks outside his houseboat last year for his ultimate decision to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, the strongest climate legislation ever passed by Congress. The approximately $150,000 that CEF spent funding those groups, she says, provided a substantial return on investment. My point is this approach gets results, she says. Its not about liking their style, or even agreeing with everything that they do. Its an understanding that this is absolutely needed. Playing by the rules, going step by step through normalcy, were walking off a cliff.

Salamon has been touting some form of this argument for close to a decade. She co-founded a group called The Climate Mobilization in 2014 with the goal of launching what she called a WWII-scale climate mobilization, and was instrumental in seeding the term climate emergency into the 2016 Democratic Party platform. She helped lay out the initial vision for CEF in 2019 with oil heiress Aileen Getty. Getty co-founded the group with fellow donors Trevor Neilson, a renewable fuels entrepreneur, and Rory Kennedy, a filmmaker and a daughter of former U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy, before Salamon took over as executive director last year. Shes raised about $10 million since thenincluding $4 million from Dont Look Up director Adam McCay this Septemberand distributed $4.5 million so far in 2022.

Police arrive on the scene as protestors from Just Stop Oil block the Cromwell road near the Natural History Museum in west London on Oct. 19, 2022 in London, U.K. Guy SmallmanGetty Images

Notably, Salamon has never been arrested, unlike many members of the groups CEF funds or has helped to inspire. I think I can help more from the office, she says. Her behind-the-scenes work has been significant, though: Extinction Rebellion, founded in the U.K. in 2018, didnt even have a donate button on its website before Salamon flew to London to help them get organized. Bill Beckler, who helped start New Yorks chapter of Extinction Rebellion in 2018, became involved in climate organizing after a conversation with Salamon four years prior. He describes it as a profound, almost spiritual-level experience, a realization of the scale of impending climate catastrophe. I just felt it in my bones, he says, I turned into a different person.

Jeremy Strong, an actor known for his role as Kendall Roy on the HBO drama Succession, describes having a similar feeling after McCay, one of the shows executive producers, introduced him to Salamon in June. Meeting Margaret, one is reminded of the ending of Rilkes poem, Archaic Torso of Apollo, Strong says. For here there is no place that does not see you. You must change your life. Following that meeting, Strong says he was effectively deputized by CEF. I have been actively fundraising and essentially proselytizing every chance I get while in the middle of filming Season 4 of Succession, on which I essentially own a climate change-denying news network, he says.

Salamons advocacy is based on an understanding of climate change as an apocalyptic threat that can only be solved by a massive societal mobilization, which she refers to as climate truth. Accepting such a truth, she argues, leaves no room to live normally. Your primary moral responsibility, she writes in an essay titled The Transformative Power of Climate Truth, is to fight for your family, your species and all life on Earth. Much of society is living in denial, Salamon says, so it is the job of activists to convey that sense of alarm missing in media and politicians discussions of climate change. Those ideas and others, Beckler says, have birthed much of the radical climate movement: Theres a lot of other people involved, he says, but these people are getting their influence from her.

The Oct. 27 actionin Manhattan, as it turned out, was targeting investment firm BlackRockthough I only figured that out after following the protesters to the companys headquarters on 52nd Street, where they linked arms to block an escalator in a public atrium. One activist dumped a bag of coal on the floor, symbolic of the companys investments in fossil fuels. Hey BlackRock, someone shouted through a megaphone, burn this. Dozens of police soon filed through the atriums revolving doors and, after a cursory message to disperse, began arresting the activists, tapping each on the shoulder to stand up before zip-tying their wrists while BlackRock analysts looked on from a second-floor balcony. After the last protester was led away, custodians moved in with brooms and dustpans. Within 20 minutes, all was as it had been: security guards back in their original places, business people chatting over cardboard takeout boxes. Someone began to play calming, cheerful music at a piano in the middle of the lobby.

Most climate protests have a relatively short shelf life in the public consciousnessif they get any media coverage at all. The Van Gogh protest was differentvideos of the incident swiftly racked up millions of views, and sparked a firestorm of debate online. I was not quite prepared for the level of [media attention], I mean it was so surreal, says Phoebe Plummer, one of the participants. We were sitting outside court, and we hadnt had our phones, we hadnt seen anything. And people started coming up and asking us for selfies. Alice Hu, a climate activist with New York Communities for Change, which helped stage the BlackRock protest and is partly funded by CEF, says the whole movement started getting more attention in the days after the soup video went viral. People are asking more thoughtful questions, and theyre thinking about this stuff critically, she says.

People become habituated to the soup, as it were, that they live in, says Timothy Morton, an eco philosopher and literature professor at Rice University. Thats the point of [the soup protest], to make everything suddenly uncannydeliberately or not, to stop people and make them see things differently.

But not all the attention has been positive. Online, its easy to find calls for Plummer and Anna Holland, the other soup thrower, to be imprisoned, or worse. Some observers have said that the actions risk making all climate activists look silly. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called the protesters attention seeking adult-toddlers. Salamon says the criticism is just as wellthe most important thing is to increase the salience of climate change in the minds of voters and politicians. Its not a popularity contest, she says. The action has generated millions of conversations, so its beside the point.

Its unclear, though, whether its working. In the aftermath of the soup protests, Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist, helped design a study in which researchers surveyed over 1,000 people, 46% of which said the protesters actions decreased their support for climate action. They are alienating potential allies in the climate battle, he wrote in TIME.

Even the activists themselves have admitted that not all attention-grabbing stunts are necessarily in the best interests of the movement, as in the case of an Oct. 2019 Extinction Rebellion action targeting the London Underground, where furious commuters dragged down and beat a protester who had climbed atop a subway carriage.

But in some way, that controversy goes deeper than execution. It has to do with the ideology animating these sorts of protests: that the way to protest climate inaction is not only to target polluters and fossil fuel lobbyists, but also a perceived complacency in the minds of millions of ordinary people. From that perspective, making people angry isnt necessarily a side effect of the activists actionsit may be part of the point. Of course social movements are unpopular, Salamon says. Its a relatively small group of people telling a much larger group that they need to change.
When you want someone to give you fitness advice or instruct you on how to perform an important task, do you need a trainer or trainor?

Since a person who watches over you is a supervisor and a person who judges your performance is an evaluator, it makes sense that someone who trains you in an area should be a trainor. But English spelling does not always echo common sense, and this is one case where you will need to be sure that you are spelling the word correctly.

What is the Difference Between Trainer and Trainor?

In this post, I will compare trainer vs. trainor. I will use each of these words 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 help you choose either trainer or trainor correctly every time.

When to Use Trainer

What does trainer mean? Trainer is a singular noun that has two important meanings. The first is a person who instructs others in a specialty area. Many Americans have personal fitness trainers, for example. On a job site, a new employee may be paired with a trainer to teach them the ways of the workplace.

Here are a few more examples,

My personal trainer begs me to stop smoking cigarettes, but I will never stop.

Mike Fix has 30 years of experience, so he is the designated trainer for the surface grinders.

As the plural trainers, this word also refers to athletic shoes. The plural can also refer to the first meaning above, though.

Trainer is related to the verb to train, which means to practice something or to work out. It can also mean to teach someone how to do something, which is the meaning from which trainer is derived.

When to Use Trainor

What does trainor mean? Trainor is a surname. Meghan Trainor, for example, is an American celebrity singer/songwriter. Traynor is a variant of the same name.

Trainor is a misspelling of the noun trainer, though. The confusion probably arises from related nouns that end in -or, like supervisorand evaluator. Nonetheless, trainer is the standard spelling of the noun that refers to a person who trains people.

This chart shows the relative usage of the terms personal trainer and personal trainor for reference.

As you can see from the chart, which attempts to isolate uses of trainor vs. trainer, there hasnt been a single use of trainor meaning someone who trains in over 200 years.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Trainer is the standard spelling of this noun. Trainor is a surname.

Since neither trainer nor trainee contain the letter O, it is easy to remember the correct way to spell this word.

Summary

Is it trainor or trainer? Only one of these spellings is the correct spelling for the noun meaning a person who trains.
Aerial photograph of Juba,holiday inn express thunder valley the capital of South Sudan. Photo: VCG

For Chinese people, the past decade has been epic and inspirational. The country, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, has made great endeavors in boosting its economy, deepening reforms, improving the rights of its people and acting as a responsible global power.Peter Lam Both (Both), Interim Secretary General of The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), said he was impressed by China's equitable development across the country and China's ability to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. He also shared his views over development of China-Africa ties over the past 10 years in an interview with Global Times (GT) reporters Yu Jincui and Li Aixin.This is the 28th article of the Global Times series about this special decade.Both: When I visited China for the first time in 2018, my impression was the equitable development across the country where no province was left behind. When I asked how this happened they said it was the CPC's equal economic development policy. I was specifically impressed by the ability to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. These two aspects of Chinese development strategy need to the emulated in developing countries.Both: The lessons that can be drawn from CPC experience are many. First, mixing foreign ideology with local experience to have ownership and meaning to the local people is a huge achievement. Second, economic liberalization grounded in local context as well as development assistance without strings attached or interference into the internal affairs of the countries are great lessons for all of us.Both: The focus of national liberation movements is to free our people from colonial yoke and administration. Therefore, by definition, such ideology is people-centered. By contrast, imperialism is driven by the desire for few people to dominant society in term of wealth and power. Therefore, Western political parties do not fight to solve problems of local people. Rather, they fight to gain access to power and resources with intention to perpetuate the imperialist ideology. Therefore, none of them is able to break down barriers and lift the poor people out of poverty.

Peter Lam Both Photo: Courtesy of Both

Both: The SPLM and CPC have established excellent and cordial relations as political forces that are established to liberate the oppressed people of their respective countries and their desire to establish democratic, harmonious and united countries based on the principles of mutual respect and understanding. The CPC and SPLM cooperation focuses in the areas of physical infrastructure development, humanitarian intervention and mutual political support in the international arena.Both: The mutual support between China and Africa is based on mutual understanding that both sides must benefit from such arrangements. China doesn't interfere in the internal affairs of African countries. It rather responds to cooperative requests from Africa for technical support and understanding. Whereas the Western ideology is to keep people trapped in vicious cycles of conflicts by preferring to install puppet leaders who serve the interests of the West rather than the interest of their people. Therefore, these wrong narratives of "debt tap or neo-colonization" are a deflection of what they do through IMF and World Bank to the African people.Both: In South Sudan, China has invested in oil production, road construction network and political support for our country to build sustainable peace. These are cornerstones for South Sudan to lift-frog from backwardness and war to economic prosperity. By contrast, the West doesn't want to support the government of South Sudan to bring peace. They recently withdrew from funding the mechanisms meant to bring peace to the country. They stopped their development assistance since the commencement of the civil war in 2013 and have persuaded other likeminded countries to abandon supporting the government. Instead, they focus on humanitarian support through their humanitarian organizations whose work has been to write negative reports to discredit the government and incite the people against their government.Both: We believe that in order to prosper, communities of Africa and China must work together to create prosperity for all. In so doing, there must be exchange of ideas, funding, technical support and cultural exchange which will create a world that is harmonious and equal.Both: African cultures are rooted in democratic values and principles. When an issue is of concern, traditional Africans would gather under a tree and deliberate until a consensus is reached. This rich democratic heritage doesn't need an importation or imposition of values from the West. Instead, it is up to the African people to create the kind of democracy that works for them based on their objective realities in their countries. The African people fought against the West to be free and live as human beings based on the liberties that are bestowed up on them by God. It is so unthinkable that the sons of slave owners have the audacity to think that they can teach the sons of slaves about democracy and human rights. That is an insult to the intelligence of the former colonized people of Africa.
Gin and white vermouth shaken with salted pomegranate syrup, dappled with rosewater.

When you are riding in nature on uneven terrain, you are facing dappled light from tree coverage, unpredictable surfaces like gravel, fallen branches, and mud, and the possibility of falling onto sharp objects.

It was the Saturday of our first weekend of fall, a bright-enough day that found our trees still in full leaf, so that it was a dappled sunshine that still fell across streets and walls, but with a distinctly late-September look.

Inspecting such dappled shadows can open a vista into hidden worlds.

We headed out soon after, back into the sunlight-dappled gardens of the temple complex, to join worshippers picnicking. Fighting Back With Faith: Inside the Yezidis Iraqi Temple|Michael Luongo|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Up close the color, added by hand after printing, is soft and dappled, and the paper is slightly raised like a new mosquito bite. William Blake's Heavenly Imagination|Chloe Malle|November 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Enron's Ken Lay conducting television interviews, dappled with references to his being the humble son-of-a-pastor. "The Blood Sporting of Picking Off CEOs"|Eric Dezenhall|October 5, 2008|DAILY BEAST

In the Catacomb of St. Sebastian was also found a small terra cotta horse of rude design, dappled with coloured spots. The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow

Out beyond us was a sun-soaked clearing, a tiny swamp on the hillside, and the sunlight dappled in across her skirt. The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton

The low mantel was of Italian marble, white, dappled and veined with red shading to faintest rose. A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral|John Dunloe Carteret

Chime, ye dappled darlings,Down the roaring blast; You shall see a fox dieEre an hour be past. The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886|Ministry of Education
University of Ontario

George Brown College

Every yearjust before Valentine's Day rolls aroundthe creative bloggers on Tumblr create and reblog ridiculous and hilarious Valentine's Day cards. These cards are the internet parody equivalent of the physical cards you buy in stores that feature characters from popular movies, TV shows, music, cartoons, and more.

The cards have similar qualities, ranging from rectangular colored backgrounds and comic sans font, to poorly Photoshopped images and terrible puns or pick-up lines. The cards are fun to look at all year round but have been especially popular in January and February for the past several years. This year is no exception.

Although Tumblr has its share of suggestive memes, you won't find those here. Check out these family-friendly Valentine's Day memes.

The Most Positive Grumpy Cat Valentine Meme

realgrumpycat / tumblr

Grumpy Cat knows how to look on the bad side of everything. However, during one of the most disliked non-holidays of the year, she can find a way to offer a small compliment.

For the Coffee-Lovers in the Crowd

pipipippin / tumblr

If you met your Valentine at the nearest coffee shop, this meme should work for you.

You Can't Go Wrong With a Kitten Valentine

pipipippin / tumblr

You just can't go wrong with kittens.

For the Scientist in Your Life

christinebolt / tumblr

Impress your own personal scientist with a meme especially appropriate for the occasion.

For Your Favorite Minecraft Fan

endcitychest / tumblr

Minecraft is all over Tumblr, and Valentine's Day memes are no exception.

Shaggy-Powered Love

cageyperry / tumblr

Shaggy's infinite power level is bound to be a whole lot of love.

May the Force Be With You on Valentine's Day

blvemars / tumblr

What's Valentine's Day without a sweet shot of Kylo Ren.

Don't Go Overboard With Your Favorite Caped Crusader

JL8comic / tumblr

Forget the hyperbole. Go for the facts.

When Your Valentine Is Out of This World

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When your Valentine is out of this world, this meme works for you.

Superman's on Your Side in this Valentine Meme

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Let your favorite superhero deliver your message to your Valentine.

For the Deadpool Fans

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Send your Deadpool fan this from-the-heart message.

You Can't Go Wrong With Yoda

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The only thing cuter is Baby Yoda.

For Valentines Old Enough to Remember Film

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A niche meme for film photographers, who are the only ones who will understand it.

Food Puns Rule Valentine's Day Memes

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Miso happy. Get it? There is no shortage of food puns on Tumblr.

Dog-Gone It! Be My Valentine

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Even if your Valentine isn't a dog owner, this message comes through loud and clear.
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Infinity is an abstract concept used to describe something that is endless or boundless. It is important in mathematics, cosmology, physics, computing, and the arts.

The Infinity Symbol

The infinity symbol is also known as the lemniscate.Chris Collins / Getty Images

Infinity has its own special symbol: . The symbol, sometimes called the lemniscate, was introduced by clergyman and mathematician John Wallis in 1655. The word "lemniscate" comes from the Latin word lemniscus, which means "ribbon," while the word "infinity" comes from the Latin word infinitas, which means "boundless."

Wallis may have based the symbol on the Roman numeral for 1000, which the Romans used to indicate "countless" in addition to the number. It's also possible the symbol is based on omega ( or ), the last letter in the Greek alphabet.

The concept of infinity was understood long before Wallis gave it the symbol we use today. Around the 4th or 3rd century B.C.E., the Jain mathematical text Surya Prajnaptiassigned numbers as either enumerable, innumerable, or infinite. The Greek philosopher Anaximander used the work apeironto refer to the infinite. Zeno of Elea (born circa 490 B.C.E.) was known for paradoxes involving infinity.

Zeno's Paradox

If the rabbit was forever halving the distance to the tortoise, the tortoise would win the race.Don Farrall / Getty Images

Of all Zeno's paradoxes, the most famous is his paradox of the Tortoise and Achilles. In the paradox, a tortoise challenges the Greek hero Achilles to a race, providing the tortoise is given a small head start. The tortoise argues he will win the race because as Achilles catches up to him, the tortoise will have gone a bit further, adding to the distance.

In simpler terms, consider crossing a room by going half the distance with each stride. First, you cover half the distance, with half remaining. The next step is half of one-half, or a quarter. Three quarters of the distance is covered, yet a quarter remains. Next is 1/8th, then 1/16th, and so on. Although each step brings you closer, you never actually reach the other side of the room. Or rather, you would after taking an infinite number of steps.

Pi as an Example of Infinity

Pi is a number consisting of an infinite number of digits.Jeffrey Coolidge / Getty Images

Another good example of infinity is the number  or pi. Mathematicians use a symbol for pi because it's impossible to write the number down. Pi consists of an infinite number of digits. It's often rounded to 3.14 or even 3.14159, yet no matter how many digits you write, it's impossible to get to the end.

The Monkey Theorem

Given an infinite amount of time, a monkey could write the great American novel.PeskyMonkey / Getty Images

One way to think about infinity is in terms of the monkey theorem. According to the theorem, if you give a monkey a typewriter and an infinite amount of time, eventually it will write Shakespeare's Hamlet. While some people take the theorem to suggest anything is possible, mathematicians see it as evidence of just how improbable certain events are.

Fractals and Infinity

A fractal may be magnified over and over, to infinity, always revealing more detail.PhotoviewPlus / Getty Images

A fractal is an abstract mathematical object, used in art and to simulate natural phenomena. Written as a mathematical equation, most fractals are nowhere differentiable. When viewing an image of a fractal, this means you could zoom in and see new detail. In other words, a fractal is infinitely magnifiable.

The Koch snowflake is an interesting example of a fractal. The snowflake starts as an equilateral triangle. For each iteration of the fractal:

Each line segment is divided into three equal segments. An equilateral triangle is drawn using the middle segment as its base, pointing outward. The line segment serving as the base of the triangle is removed.

The process may be repeated an infinite number of times. The resulting snowflake has a finite area, yet it is bounded by an infinitely long line.

Different Sizes of Infinity

Infinity comes in different sizes.Tang Yau Hoong / Getty Images

Infinity is boundless, yet it comes in different sizes. The positive numbers (those greater than 0) and the negative numbers (those smaller than 0) may be considered to be infinite sets of equal sizes. Yet, what happens if you combine both sets? You get a set twice as large. As another example, consider all of the even numbers (an infinite set). This represents an infinity half the size of all of the whole numbers.

Another example is simply adding 1 to infinity. The number  + 1 > .

Cosmology and Infinity

Even if the universe is finite, it might be one of an infinite number of "bubbles.".Detlev van Ravenswaay / Getty Images

Cosmologists study the universe and ponder infinity. Does space go on and on without end? This remains an open question. Even if the physical universe as we know it has a boundary, there is still the multiverse theory to consider. That is, our universe may be but one in an infinite number of them.

Dividing by Zero

Dividing by zero will give you an error on your calculator.Peter Dazeley / Getty Images

Dividing by zero is a no-no in ordinary mathematics. In the usual scheme of things, the number 1 divided by 0 cannot be defined. It's infinity. It's an error code. However, this isn't always the case. In extended complex number theory, 1/0 is defined to be a form of infinity that doesn't automatically collapse. In other words, there's more than one way to do math.

References
What Is the Total Expense Ratio (TER)?draftkings casino wv login

The total expense ratio (TER) is a measure of the total costs associated with managing and operating an investment fund, such as a mutual fund. These costs consist primarily of management fees and additional expenses, such as trading fees, legal fees, auditor fees, and other operational expenses.

The total cost of the fund is divided by the fund's total assets to arrive at a percentage amount, which represents the TER. TER is also known as the net expense ratio or after reimbursement expense ratio.

Key Takeaways

The total expense ratio (TER) describes a mutual fund's operating costs relative to its assets.

It is a measure of a fund's operational efficiency.

Investors pay attention to the expense ratio to determine if a fund is an appropriate investment for them after fees are considered.

TER is also known as the "net expense ratio" or "after reimbursement expense ratio."

How the Total Expense Ratio (TER) Works

The size of the TER is important to investors as the costs are withdrawn from the fund, affecting investors' returns. For example, if a fund generates a return of 7% for the year but has a TER of 4%, the 7% gain is greatly diminished to roughly 3%.

The TER provides a way for the annual costs of running a particular fund to be covered. It takes all of the known costs associated with the funds operation and expresses them as a single number, generally as a percentage, drawing its basis from the assets associated with the fund. This means that the amount provided as the TER is dependent on the success of the particular fund.

The funds supplied through the TER are used to support the management, trading, and legal fees associated with the fund, as well as any audit costs or general operating expenses. Any time a fund incurs higher or lower operating expenses, those changes are likely passed along within the TER.

The more actively managed the fund, the higher the associated TER. This is due to increased personnel costs, as well as increased transaction-based feesthe fund manager pays a brokerage fee each time a buy and sell trade is executed. By comparison, an automated or passive fund has significantly lower costs of operation, resulting in a lower TER.

The Total Expense Ratio (TER) Formula and Calculation

Below is the formula and the steps to calculate the TER:

TER Formula.Investopedia

To calculate the TER:

Obtain the total assets of the fund, which can be derived from financial disclosures that mutual funds report to regulators or are disseminated to analysts and investors via a prospectus.

Obtain the total costs from the prospectus, which can be more challenging since TER accounts for all costs associated with operating the investment fund, including trading costs, management costs, and overhead and administration costs (such as 12b-1 fees, which are the costs of marketing the fund).



Understanding Operating Expenses

Operating expenses, or operating costs, cover any outgoing financial obligations associated with the management of the fund and the corresponding transactions. This can include employee compensation and brokerage fees, in addition to any accountant fees.

Other common expenses include shareholder communications and financial statements, record-keeping mechanisms, and custodial services from the overseeing organization or asset manager.

A small percentage of the TER may be directed to other business operation costs. This can include expenses as simple as space rental and utilities for the business. Often, these expenses are referred to as overhead and include any financial obligation that is not necessarily directed to the actual production of a good or service.

Total Expense Ratio (TER) vs. Gross Expense Ratio (GER)

The gross expense ratio (GER) is the total percentage of a mutual fund's assets that are devoted to running the fund. In some cases, a fund may have agreements in place for waiving, reimbursing, or recouping some of the funds fees. This is often the case for new funds. An investment company and its fund managers may agree to waive certain fees following the launch of a new fund to keep the expense ratio lower for investors.

The TER represents the fees charged to the fund after any waivers, reimbursements, and recoupments have been made. These fee reductions are typically for a specified time frame, after which the fund may incur all full costs.

Limitations of the Total Expense Ratio (TER)

The TER is meant to capture the entire cost that an investor can expect from owning an investment fund. However, some charges, especially those that are only made once or that are made from the investment capital, may not be included in the TER. These include commission, stockbroker fees, securities transfer tax, and annual adviser fees.
With all the tricky elements that go into creating the Thanksgiving feast,online casino no deposit bonus free spins wines role can fade into the background trimmings with the pumpkins and ornamental corn.

Wrangling the turkey is the tough part. Organizing the stuffing and menu will be a challenge, while parceling out oven space for side dishes requires advanced techniques in both logistics and psychology.

Wine can seem an afterthought. Thats perfectly understandable, as selecting the bottles can be the simplest of chores, the easiest thing to cross off your list. Done with the most modest amount of consideration, wine will be the easiest step in your Thanksgiving preparation.

Yet, as wine sometimes is lost in the morass of more arduous tasks, its worth taking a moment to reflect on its importance.

Elementally but crucially, wine is on the table to refresh, invigorate and delight. If your Thanksgiving is like mine has been historically, it will be a long, rewarding but tiring day. Good wine lightens the load, renews weary taste buds and reawakens the appetite.

Image Wine should bring energy to the Thanksgiving meal.Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Good wine additionally will enhance the food. Not in a fussy, matching-specific-bottles-to-particular-dishes sort of way. The holiday meal is too complicated for that. Unless your Thanksgiving meal mimics a small dinner party, forget about food-and-wine pairing. Whats important is to select bottles that will be versatile with all sorts of foods, that will offer such delicious bursts of energy that you cant wait for another sip after the next bite.

Most important, though, and often lost in the discussion of which bottles to choose and how to serve them, is wines symbolic, ritualistic role in bringing people together and reaffirming social bonds.

Throughout history, from the Bible and in ancient winemaking cultures up through almost every ceremonial modern occasion, wine is what we drink. Its wine that we pour to raise a glass, to look in one anothers eyes and to declare love, affection, trust and belief in the ties, whether familial or chosen, that hold us together. We drink to those born and to those who depart, and, regardless of the prevailing emotion, wine makes us feel closer to one another.

Isnt that what Thanksgiving is all about? Besides football and food comas, of course.

These are the reasons for giving wine a bit more than a passing thought in the Thanksgiving preparations. But its certainly not worth agonizing over. With a finite capacity for holiday problem-solving, let wine be the easiest part of your plan.

For almost 20 years, The Times's Thanksgiving wine panel has been gathering for the sole purpose of helping you to wear the wine burden lightly. We hold an early holiday meal and drink a bunch of wines, not so much for the purpose of recommending specific bottles, although we have done so every year, but to demonstrate the sorts of wines that will work best with the feast. Those are the crucial details: not the bottles themselves but the characteristics that work best.

Image Members of the Food section brought bottles of wine to sample ahead of the holiday.Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

This year, the Food sections old guard gathered  Florence Fabricant, Julia Moskin, Pete Wells and me  along with Victoria Taylor, the head sommelier at Bar Boulud, where we ate a meal that, if not a facsimile of the holiday spread, at least mimicked it well.

As always, the assignment was for each of us to bring two bottles, a white and a red, with each costing no more than $25. That price has not wavered since 2006, whether the economic picture looked sunny, depressed or inflated. Why? Because the range of $15 to $25 then and now represents the area of greatest value in wine, where you can find bottles that are not merely sound but that are both exciting and distinctive.

My assumption is that Thanksgiving will be a large, unruly party. Whether served at a single table or buffet style, the idea is to have plenty of wine. The number to keep in mind is one bottle per wine-drinking adult. That may sound like a lot. But its not a recommendation that everybody should drink an entire bottle. Its simply a formula for not running out. Nothing kills the spirit of Thanksgiving generosity more than, Sorry, thats the last bottle.

Youll want both a white and a red. (As I said, this is not the time for food pairings.) Make them both available from the start and have plenty of each. If you want to supplement with sparkling wine, rose, orange wine or anything else, thats fine. But supply the basics.

Similarly, do not worry about glassware. If you have enough wine glasses of whatever shape and size, thats great. Give each drinker a glass and allow them to reuse it no matter which color or what bottle they are pouring. Not enough glasses? Use tumblers or juice glasses.

Image Each reporter was asked to bring a bottle of red and a bottle of white.Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

The only thing to avoid are single-use plastic glasses: They are an environmental disaster. If you need to use plastic, many reusable options are out there. Govino, for one, makes excellent reusable stemless glasses that will last through many large gatherings.

The only exception to this advice? If you are having a small Thanksgiving, say, eight or fewer, treat it like a dinner party, breaking out whichever bottles you prefer in your best glasses, with different wines for each course, as you like.

While the wine panel excels at selecting wines, it is less diligent about following the guidelines. Instead of bringing a red and a white, Julia decided to bring two reds, she said, because she could not find an interesting white. And Petes white was an orange wine, so-called because its a white made using the techniques for making a red, in which the grape juice soaks with the pigment-bearing skins, yielding an amber, sometimes rosy color and, depending on how long theyve macerated, possibly a tannic texture.

Even if the balance among our 10 selections was a bit off, they still represented the sorts of wines that shine with the Thanksgiving feast. These wines are light on their feet and agile, moderate in alcohol with plenty of lively acidity and little baggage, like undue oakiness or chunky tannins, which can make them less refreshing.

Petes orange wine, the 2020 Field Recordings Skins from the Central Coast of California, was our favorite among the whites. The prolonged contact of the grape skins with the juice can sometimes make an orange wine quite tannic, which can be fascinating  though not in the context of Thanksgiving. But this bottle, a blend mostly of chenin blanc and pinot gris, was fresh and lively, with spicy floral flavors and just a touch of a tannic rasp for textural interest.

Image While the wine panel excels at selecting wines, it is less diligent about following the guidelines.Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Almost imperceptibly behind was Florences white, a 2018 Finger Lakes dry riesling from Empire Estate. I loved this wine. It was dry and textured, with a pebbly mineral quality that made me want to keep drinking it. But Julia felt it was a bit syrupy and wondered whether it would be tiring to drink.

The second tier of whites included mine, a 2021 Apremont from Anne and Sylvain Liotards Domaine des 13 Lunes in the Savoie region of France. I loved this wine, too. It was fresh and lively, and with just 10 percent alcohol I could drink this all night. Victoria liked it as well. But others wondered if it had the weight to last through the meal. Julia said it was best for greeting people at the door.

Victorias white, a 2019 Sambrena Toscana Bianco from Tenuta La Novella, was, like mine, a light, refreshing white that was not as distinctive as the two top whites. In a reverse from the Field Recordings orange wine, this wine was 50 percent sangiovese, a red grape, which was handled with white wine techniques, whisked quickly off the skins and blended with other white varieties. It was quite likable.

Our reds were all superb. Pete also brought our favorite, a 2020 Les Terrasses Chinon from Beatrice & Pascal Lambert. It was entirely cabernet franc, and combined a savory lightness with complexity that made it a pleasure to drink.

I put my own red next because of the added value of coming in a liter bottle. It was the 2021 Boutanche from Broc Cellars, a blend of primarily zinfandel with carignan and valdiguie  spicy, smoky and herbal yet easygoing and thirst-quenching. It, too, was an ideal Thanksgiving red and proved that zinfandel, which is often recommended for Thanksgiving but is too often highly alcoholic and overbearing, can be wonderfully attractive at 13 percent alcohol rather than 15 percent.

Image Even if you stray, its still wine.Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Our No. 2 red was just as good. It was the 2020 Cooper Hill pinot noir from Cooper Mountain Vineyards, one of two Oregon pinot noirs that Julia brought. It was pretty, floral and complex with what Pete called a savory, salty edge.

Julias other pinot noir, a 2020 Primarius, which includes grapes from southern Oregon as well as the Willamette, was spicy, meaty and easy to drink, though Victoria called it brooding and autumnal. Victorias wine, a 2020 Savoie from Charles Gonnet made of the mondeuse grape, was spicy and herbal with a touch of umami. I very much enjoyed it, though Pete thought it might be a touch too tannic for the long haul.

Florences red, like her white, was from the Finger Lakes, a 2019 blaufrankisch from Terrassen. It was bright and fresh, soft, juicy and refreshing, ideal to me though Florence herself called it backgroundy.

Any of these bottles would be great. So would dozens of other choices  Beaujolais, chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, good roses  its hard to go wrong so long as you stay with the guidelines of lively acidity and moderate alcohol. You could consult past Thanksgiving columns for additional ideas.

Even if you stray, its still wine. Youve got great food and most importantly, youve got each other.

Tasting Notes

Whites

 Field RecordingsCentral Coast Skins 2020, 12.1 percent, $21

This mild orange wine is made mostly of chenin blanc and pinot gris, with smaller amounts of albarino, verdelho and riesling. Its fresh, floral, spicy and apricot-scented, with a lightly raspy texture.

 Empire EstateFinger Lakes Dry Riesling 2018, 12 percent, $20

A divisive wine as some wondered whether it might be fatiguing to drink something so distinctive. My feeling: Who would tire of a wine so delicious, with earthy, stony flavors and an intriguing, pebbly texture?

 Anne & Sylvain LiotardDomaine des 13 Lunes Apremont 2021, 10 percent, $22

This alpine wine, made entirely of the jaquere grape, was as fresh and lively as a mountain stream. Great for a long, tiring meal, but some felt it was no more than pleasant, at its best as an aperitif. (Wine Traditions, Falls Church, Va.)

 Tenuta La NovellaToscana Bianco Sambrena 2019, 12.5 percent, $23

Light, lively and delicate. Suprisingly, this was 50 percent sangiovese, a red grape, blended with trebbiano, malvasia and moscato. It was refreshing but perhaps lacked distinctiveness. (Avant-Garde Wines and Spirits, New York)

Reds

 Beatrice & Pascal LambertChinon Les Terrasses 2020, 13 percent, $24

Lively, precise and refreshingly tart, with complex aromas and flavors of fresh red fruits, herbs and a bit of tannic heft. A pleasure to drink with the meal. (Savio Soares Selections, New York)

 Broc CellarsNorth Coast La Boutanche Red Blend 2021, 13 percent, $22, 1 liter

This liter-bottle of red, made in an easygoing, thirst-quenching style, is primarily zinfandel blended with carignan and valdiguie. Nonetheless, it offers intriguing complexity, with spicy, smoky, herbal accents to the tart flavors of red fruit.

 Cooper Mountain VineyardsWillamette Valley Cooper Hill Pinot Noir 2020, 13 percent, $22

An excellent value that is both structured and easy to drink. Its complex and floral with a winning texture, and the red fruit and balsam flavors seem both savory and sweet.

 Charles GonnetVin de Savoie Mondeuse Chignin 2020, 12 percent, $18

Dark and savory, with a saline, almost umami touch. Its spicy and herbal, refreshing and delightful, though some felt its discernible tannins might be a little much over several hours. (Massanois Imports, New York)

 PrimariusOregon Pinot Noir 2020, 13.2 percent, $19

Smooth and easy to drink, with spicy, meaty, herbal, leathery flavors that one panelist called brooding and autumnal.

 TerrassenFinger Lakes Blaufrankisch 2019, 12 percent, $24

Bright and fresh, with soft, juicy flavors of red fruit and cinnamon that hovered in the range of cheerful crowd-pleaser to backgroundy. Refreshing and pleasant nonetheless.

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.

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The Seminole Hard Rock group has reported a record revenuethis fiscal year. The revenue of $528 million is estimated to be as much as all the States other eight racinos one combined.

The most profitable of the Seminole Hard Rock Group was the Tampa Hard Rock resort with close to half of the total revenue. The Seminole groups overall state profit is estimated to $2 billion. The state takes $240 million of them in taxes.

The group is to renew its license with the state which is to be part of the upcoming gubernatorial campaign.

Despite the astounding success of the Simone Group,the overall profits from the gambling industry in Florida State have been declining. Experts say this is mostly due to thewide variety of interrelated pari-mutuels gambling businesses with card rooms. There are overall 24 cardrooms in the State, and most of them are connected with other gambling entertainments, a tradition from decades ago.

Thoroughbred revenue declined by 2% compared to last years one. Greyhounds racino has also reported a decrease of 2.5%. Its management has been eager to separate its profitable gambling section from its racetrack business. The racetrack sector has been holding steady throughout the State, with a minor decline as a whole.

Other pari-mutual businesses such as frontons, card rooms and quarter-horse racing make up a small portion of the gambling industry and also report a steady decline. Pompano, a major gambling resort in Florida, has reported a slow 10% decline in their racing numbers.

On the other hand, the poker rooms have reported much better standings. Compared to the last fiscal year, there is a steady increase of $3.5 million, which is mostly due to the newly renovated Haileah poker hall. Greyhound poker halls has kept the same financial statistics as last year.

The bond between card rooms and dog tracks have kept dog tracks alive until now, however the now common decline in profits might finally become the reason for many of the dog tracks closing, leaving card gambling to earn better profits on its own.

The card rooms in Jai Alai reported a slight decrease. This is mostly due to the transfer of Diana card room to its new location, which unfortunately did not last long and is now closed. Other operators such as Ocala and Ft. Pierce have been drawn back by their non-card room businesses despite having positive revenues.

It is clear that the gaming reality of Floridas gambling industry is complex. Most licensees are hoping on a new legislation to invigorate the industry e.g. slot machines acceptance. The business is well aware of the slowly dying pari-mutuel sector, and expect the card room and possible slot machine sectors to keep them profitable.

The future of Floridas gambling business is at stake, when Disney, which is an advocate of no-gambling has provided $1.7 million compared to the overall gambling businesses $3.4 million to propagate anti-gambling.
be lucky casino bitstarz free chipshows grade level based on the word's complexity. deathsman [ deths-muhn ]/ ds 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.[ deths-muhn ]/ ds mn /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural deathsmen.Archaic.an executioner.

Words nearby deathsman

How to use in a sentence Flie lust, as the deathsman of the soule, and defile not the Temple of the holy ghost. Elizabethan and Jacobean Pamphlets|Various

Elizabethan and Jacobean Pamphlets|Various From his arms thou shalt start with horror, as from those of thy wronged father's betrayer,perchance his deathsman! The Last Of The Barons, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton

The Last Of The Barons, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton Nearer and nearer press the populace,another moment, and the deathsman is defrauded. Zanoni|Edward Bulwer Lytton

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 deathsmanFirst recorded in 158090; death + 's+ mandeath row, death seat, death sentence, death's-head, death's-head moth, deathsman, death spiral, death squad, death tax, death tourist, deathtrapDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is the Gas Guzzler Tax?online casino no deposit required uk

The gas guzzler tax is a surcharge added to the sales or lease price of cars in the U.S. that have poor fuel economy ratings. The tax, which is paid by the manufacturer or importer of the vehicle, varies depending on the miles-per-gallon efficiency of the vehicle and ranges from $1,000 to $7,700.

The gas guzzler tax is imposed on passenger cars but not on trucks, sports utility vehicles, or minivans. This is because the law was passed in 1978 when such models were rarely used as passenger vehicles.

Congress established the gas guzzler tax provision in the Energy Tax Act of 1978 to discourage the production and purchase of fuel-inefficient vehicles.

Key Takeaways

A gas guzzler tax is imposed on passenger cars that don't meet minimum federal fuel efficiency standards.

The tax is paid by manufacturers and importers of gas guzzlers.

SUVS, minivans, and trucks are not subject to the tax.

The gas guzzler tax was introduced in the Energy Tax Act of 1978.

How Does the Gas Guzzler Tax Work?

In order to escape the gas guzzler tax, a car must get at least 22.5 miles per gallon (mpg) in combined city and highway driving.

The amount of the tax due is based on just how much gas the car guzzles. That is, the worse the fuel economy, the higher the tax. Cars that fall just below 22.5 mpg are taxed $1,000, while cars that get less than 12.5 mpg are taxed at $7,000, the top of the range. The tax is reported on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 6197. It is reported after the end of the production year when the total number of vehicles produced is known.

Shoppers for a new car will see the amount of the tax posted on the window sticker of the car if it is subject to the gas guzzler tax.

Which Cars Are Subject to Gas Guzzler Tax?

The EPA published a list of new car models that were subject to the gas guzzler tax up until 2016. It has not published one since, but the 2016 list of gas guzzlers gives a sense of the kind of cars that are subject to the tax.

The majority are high-end luxury and sports cars, including models from Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce. A few American muscle cars were on the list, too, including the Chevrolet Corvette and one iteration of the Ford Mustang.

How Fuel Efficiency Is Tested

Anyone interested in the fuel economy of any vehicle sold in the U.S. can check the Fuel Economy Guide that has been published by the U.S. government for every model year since 1984.

Manufacturers are required to use the same test as the EPA when they measure vehicle fuel economy for the gas guzzler tax and new car fuel economy labels. However, the calculation procedures are different. According to the EPA, an adjustment factor is applied to the fuel economy test results for the purposes of the label, but not for the tax.

The adjustment is meant to reflect the differences between real-world driving and laboratory testing conditions. This difference is referred to as in-use shortfall. To calculate the shortfall, mpg values listed in the Fuel Economy Guide and shown on fuel economy labels are based on three tests in addition to the standard fuel-economy test.

The combined city and highway fuel economy that is used to determine tax liability is not adjusted to account for in-use shortfall, so it is higher than the mpg values provided in the Fuel Economy Guide and posted on the window stickers of new vehicles.

Problems With the Gas Guzzler Tax

When the gas guzzler tax was imposed in 1978, prices at the pump had increased 75% from six years earlier. Meanwhile, U.S. oil production peaked in 1970 and was falling steadily through the decade as demand increased.

The OPEC oil embargo of 1973 added additional pain for consumers in the U.S. and abroad. The decade is famous for its gas shortages and skyrocketing prices.

This is the environment in which the gas guzzler tax was passed. Its purpose was to incentivize more fuel-conscious spending on the part of consumers and fuel efficiency on the part of manufacturers.

Vehicles that are Exempt from the Gas-Guzzler Tax

In 1984, Jeep introduced the Cherokee XJ, which is widely credited as the first sport utility vehicle (SUV). The SUV didn't exist when the gas guzzler tax was passed, but over the next 30 years, it became the most popular type of vehicle sold in the U.S.

In 2019, American consumers continued to favor trucks and SUVs over cars. Nonseasonally adjusted passenger car sales in the U.S. for 2019 declined 10.9% to 4.7 million units, versus 5.3 million units in 2018. Sales of trucks, minivans and SUVs for the year totaled 12.2 million units, up 2.8% from the 2018 figure of 11.9 million units, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis.

Auto manufacturers were keen to take advantage of a loophole in the gas guzzler tax and its interpretation through regulatory agencies like the EPA that exempted "light-duty trucks" from the law. Consequently, the amount of gas guzzler tax collected by the U.S. in the fiscal year 2019 was under $43 million.
Eurovent Middle East, the regions HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) industry association, is set to launch its Leadership Academy and provide certified training to MEP engineers and technicians.

The Leadership Academy will provide focused education and training on products and technologies, including essential information on specifications, regulations, standards, and operation and maintenance practices.

The announcement comes at a time when efficient cooling is gaining awareness as a critical component in broader sustainability objectives within the Middle East region, where cooling is vital to daily life. According to the IEA, the use of air conditioners and electric fans already accounts for about a fifth of the total electricity in buildings worldwide  10% of all global electricity consumption.

Use of ACs set to soar

Reports also noted that in the next three decades, the use of ACs is set to soar, becoming one of the top drivers of global electricity demand. An estimated 70% of a buildings energy consumption is attributed to its cooling and ventilation requirements in the UAE, with up to 30% being potentially saved by simply implementing adequate maintenance procedures.

Eurovent Middle East is dedicated to providing a platform that focuses on education and training of HVACR professionals to increase the skills, understanding and capabilities of the industrys workforce. This will not only contribute a big step towards more energy efficiency in the cooling, refrigeration, and ventilation sectors, but also will help extend service life and longevity of installations, reduce operational costs, and provide a safer and healthier indoor environment to people.

All courses will conclude with a dedicated certificate, helping participants to document their continued education and providing them with improved career opportunities.

Missing knowledge

Markus Lattner, International Director, Eurovent International and Managing Director, Eurovent Middle East, commented: We see that missing knowledge among professionals is one of the prime reasons for inefficient cooling, refrigeration and ventilation. It is also true that dedicated continued education is hard to find. Therefore, the industry believes that action in capacity building is essential for the regions growth and sustainability plans.

Eurovent Middle East and its members consider this its primary responsibility as an industry association. With the joint expertise of our members and selected partners, we are committed to supporting the market with essential training and education for efficient cooling.

Eurovent Middle East has been among the first associations worldwide to issue guidance and recommendations during the pandemic and alerted people on the risks related to Covid-19 associated with lack of ventilation in closed spaces.-- TradeArabia News Service
The FBI raided his home in 2000 with an affidavit questioning his use of $200,000 from his white supremacist fundraising.

There were rumors of shrieks and flashes emanating from the well, and reports of a figure in white.

If Congress accurately reflected our nation on the basis of race, about 63 percent would be white, not 80 percent.

The breakdown of the 114th Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male, and 92 percent Christian.

But after winning 55 percent of the white vote, Duke had a database of supporters some politicians coveted. The Price of Steve Scalises Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

And she would be wearing some of the jewels with the white dressjust a few, not many, of course. Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

None other would dare to show herself unveiled to a stranger, and a white man at that. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full or her beautiful arms more slender. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

That evening in the gondola, with one old and two newer friends, is marked with a white stone in my recollection. Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
What Is Business Economics?winstar hotel deals

Business economics is a field of applied economics that studies the financial, organizational, market-related, and environmental issues faced by corporations.

Business economics assesses certain factors impacting corporationsbusiness organization, management, expansion, and strategyusing economic theory and quantitative methods. Research topics in the field of business economics might include how and why corporations expand, the impact of entrepreneurs, interactions among corporations, and the role of governments in regulation.

Key Takeaways

Business economics is a field of applied economics that studies the financial, organizational, market-related, and environmental issues faced by corporations.

Business economics encompasses subjects such as the concept of scarcity, product factors, distribution, and consumption.

Managerial economics is one important offshoot of business economics.

The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) is the professional association for business economists in the U.S.

Understanding Business Economics

In the broadest sense, economics refers to the study of the components and functions of a particular marketplace or economysuch as supply and demandand the impact of the concept of scarcity. Within economics, production factors, distribution methods, and consumption are important subjects of study. Business economics focuses on the elements and factors within business operations and how they relate to the economy as a whole.

The field of business economics addresses economic principles, strategies, standard business practices, the acquisition of necessary capital, profit generation, the efficiency of production, and overall management strategy. Business economics also includes the study of external economic factors and their influence on business decisions such as a change in industry regulation or a sudden price shift in raw materials.

Types of Business Economics

Managerial Economics

Managerial economics is a field of study within business economics that focuses on the microeconomic factors that influence the decision-making processes with an organization. The strategic decisions of corporations result in either a profit or a loss for the company. Managerial economic principles are intended to influence and guide corporate strategy and decisions toward the best outcomes for a company.

The study of managerial economics is applied to both the public and private sectors, as well as to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. All of these types of organizations must effectively assess the economic climate in order to remain solvent (because all organizations require a source of funding to continue operations). Across all sectors of the business world, the main goal of managerial economics is to use all available resources within an organization, specifically maximizing production while at the same time minimizing any waste.

Business Economics for Nonprofit Organizations

While nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations may have different goals, both of these types of organizations perform similar business functions and require similar expertise. In addition, they must also strive to limit waste and maximize the overall usefulness of their available resources in order to maintain their viability as enterprises.

Both nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations have to maintain the necessary capital to continue working within the economy; this requires them to use many of the same principles. For example, all types of organizations engage in advertising, community, or customer support and need leadership to make appropriate strategic decisions.

Special Considerations

There are various organizations associated with the field of business economics. In the U.S., the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) is the professional association for business economists. NABE is the largest international association of applied economists, strategists, academics, and policy-makers committed to the application of economics; the mission of the organization is "to provide leadership in the use and understanding of economics."

In the United Kingdom, the equivalent organization is the Society of Business Economists (SPE). SPE is the leading organization serving professional economists in the U.K. and Europe.
While it might not boast the huge figures generated by the United States,youtube cryptocurrency mining theres no doubt that the gambling industry in Canada is thriving. In 2021, the total market was worth an estimated US$12.54 billion with projections that it could steadily rise over the next few years.

This means that anticipation is growing already for the industrys biggest business event of the year, the 2022 Canadian Gaming Summit. Due to be held in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre over 7, 8 and 9 June its expected to draw attendees not just from Canada, but from across the world.

It comes in the middle of what is traditionally held to be the key time of year for these kinds of events  for example, a few weeks earlier many of the same delegates may well have visited the Southern Gaming Summit in Biloxi, Mississippi as well as ICE London 2022 in April of this year.

Source: Unsplash

The Canadian Summit is looking forward to attracting its biggest numbers ever thanks to a packed programme of events. The fact that in the world of online casino Canada is showing enormous growth should also mean even more delegates. One only has to look at a typical online site designed to appeal to Canadians to see the obvious confidence of this particular sector. Today, sites such as this offer slots, table games, live casino titles and so on, and by doing so, appeal to the widest user base.

Not only is there a real profusion of games to play, but there are also generous and high profile welcome bonuses and promotions on offer. Some estimates suggest that as high a proportion as 65% of the adult population in Canada visit these sites at least once a year. So the efforts to draw in new players would certainly seem to work.

No doubt, new initiatives to draw in even more players will be high on the agenda for the Summit, and it is also set to offer many other features and attractions. These will include talks and lectures from leading authorities in the industry and plenty of opportunities to observe and participate in round-table discussions.

Source: Unsplash

Education is also going to be very much at the forefront, with subjects chosen according to industry feedback about what delegates most want to learn about. The event website promises timely topics with recognisable presenters and full details are due to be released nearer to the start of the event.

Naturally, networking is also going to be a key component as well as the element that many attendees may well find the most useful. With a range of receptions ranging from the formal to the more casual, there are certain to be many opportunities for the gaming community to get together.

Some of these will also be distinctly social, including the now-famous Annual Summit Golf Tournament and a casual evening drinks party on Wednesday June 8 at the iconic Elephant & Castle pub on Torontos King Street.

With a trade show on the final day and much more to enjoy as well, it certainly seems like the 2022 Summit will reach whole new heights.

Category: Casino Blog
What Is a Chartered Accountant (CA)?casinos not on game stop

A chartered accountant (CA) is an international accounting designation granted to accounting professionals in many countries around the world, aside from the United States. In the United States, the equivalent to the CA designation is a certified public accountant (CPA).

Key Takeaways

The designation of chartered accountant is granted to accounting professionals in many countries around the world, aside from the United States.

The equivalent to the CA designation in the U.S. is a CPA.

CAs typically focus on one of the following areas: audit and assurance, financial accounting and reporting, management accounting, and applied finance or taxation.

Some chartered accountant institutions have reciprocity agreements with the U.S., whereby if they pass certain exams, they can work as CPAs.

Understanding a Chartered Accountant (CA)

A CA credential typically proves that its holder has the qualifications to file a business's tax return, audit financial statements and business practices, and offer advisory services to clients.

On a day-to-day basis, CAs and CPAs perform very similar tasks.

Chartered accountants claim to be the first accounting group to form a professional body, in 1854 in Scotland. Today, there are many organizations that such accountants belong to across the world, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Different countries impose different rules and regulations on the process of becoming a CA. For example, in New Zealand, prospective accountants must complete a recognized academic program such as a three-year bachelor's degree or an accredited master's degree covering accounting and business topics. Then candidates must complete a practical experience program and, finally, a CA program. These programs train candidates in modern accounting methods.

In Canada, people who wish to become chartered professional accountants must complete an undergraduate degree with coursework in business and accounting areas. Then they can enroll in a professional education program for chartered professional accountants.

In most cases, CAs focus on one of four areas: audit and assurance, financial accounting and reporting, management accounting and applied finance, or taxation. Depending on their area of focus, CAs may handle one aspect of a company's business, they may oversee all of a company's accounting needs, or they may work as freelance CAs who handle accounting matters for multiple clients. Chartered accountants work both in the private and public sectors.

Chartered Accountants (CAs) vs. CPAs

The main difference between CAs and CPAs is that the CPA is a designation used in the United States, while CA is used in many other countries. Around the world, the CPA abbreviation can refer to different types of accounting professionals. For example, in Canada, a CPA is a chartered professional accountant; in Australia, a CPA is a certified practicing accountant.

Members of Chartered Professional Accountants Canada, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and Chartered Accountants Ireland have a reciprocity agreement with the United States. If these CA professionals pass a test, their qualifications can transfer to the United States, where they may work as CPAs.
Some of the trickiest English words to differentiate are those words that sound alike or have very similar meanings. The words avenge vs. revenge are just such a set of words. While they arent exactly homophones, they do have similar sounds, both ending in venge.

But, what makes them so difficult to tell apart is how similar they are in their meanings. Sometimes, depending on the dictionary you consult, you may not be able to decipher any difference at all.

What is the Difference Between Avenge and Revenge?

Today, I want to talk about the difference between avenge and revenge and the best ways to use them in your writing. I will go over their definitions, illustrate how to use them with example sentences, and give you a few trick to remember their difference.

After reading this post, you shouldnt ever be confused in picking avenge or revenge again.

When to Use Avenge

Avenge is a verb meaning to inflict a punishment or penalty for an injury or a wrong.

We will avenge your sons death.

I will avenge those who sullied your name.

The victim was avenged after the shooter was sentenced.

As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death.  The Guardian

In this sense, avengeis a word that connotes a pursuit of justice for someone other than ones self. It suggests punishing a person when someone is looking to vindicate someone else other than himself or herselfor is serving the ends of justice.

It could be said that a prosecutor in a murder case is looking to avenge the parents or other family members of the victim.

The key point is that avengehas more to do with justice or retribution than it does with personal retaliation. It connotes an exaction for a wrongdoing and is often something that people seek for those other than themselves.

When to Use Revenge

Revenge is both a noun and a verb and generally means the act of taking vengeance for injuries or wrongs; retaliation. While revenge can function as a verb, it is much more common for it to be seen as a noun.

He was so blinded by a desire to get revenge. (Noun)

It was difficult not to be overwhelmed by feelings or hate and revenge. (Noun)

Rodman, a lifetime fifty-eight-per-cent free-throw shooter, was decidedly less amused, but he got revenge by making nine of twelve from the line.  The New Yorker(Noun)

We are determined to revenge our humiliating loss from last year. (Verb)

Revengeis a more personal form of vengeance and is usually centers around feelings of anger and resentment.

In the example above, for instance, there was no wrong done to the team who lost, but they felt humiliated. Perhaps they gave up an impressive lead and then ended up losing. This is not wrong or immoral, but they are seeking personal retaliation against the other team for this.

Revenge is much less concerned with retributive justice than it is with personal satisfaction or an evening up of the score. Since it is such a personal feeling, revenge often deals with real or perceived wrongs, whether or not any harm was done.

Remember the Difference

Revenge and avenge are difficult to tell apart, but these tricks should help you out.

Avenge means the achievement of justice. Both avenge and achievement start with the letter A.

Revenge means retaliation. Both revenge and retaliation start with the letter R.

Summary

Being careful not to mix up revenge vs. avenge is important for clear and precise writing, and while it is sometimes difficult to tell which is best word, revenge or avenge, choosing one over the other will affect the tone of your writing.

Avengeis a word broadly concerned with inflicting a punishment or penalty in the pursuit of justice.

Revengeis a word broadly concerned with inflicting harm or punishment for personal retaliation.
What Are Affiliated Companies?sports betting trader jobs

Companies are affiliated when one company is a minority shareholder of another. In most cases, the parent company will own less than a 50% interest in its affiliated company. Two companies may also be affiliated if they are controlled by a separate third party. In the business world, affiliated companies are often simply called affiliates.

The term is sometimes used to refer to companies that are related to each other in some way. For example, Bank of America has many different affiliated companies including Bank of America, U.S. Trust, Landsafe, Balboa, and Merrill Lynch.

Key Takeaways

Two companies are affiliated when one is a minority shareholder of another.

The parent company generally owns less than a 50% interest in its affiliated company, and the parent keeps its operations separate from the affiliate.

Parent businesses can use affiliates as a way to enter foreign markets.

Affiliates are different than subsidiaries, which are majority-owned by the parent company.

Companies may be affiliated with one another to get into a new market, to maintain separate brand identities, to raise capital without affecting the parent or other companies, and to save on taxes. In most cases, affiliates are associates or associated companies, which describes an organization whose parent has a minority stake in it.

Understanding Affiliated Companies

There are several ways companies can become affiliated. A company may decide to buy out or take over another one, or it may decide to spin off a portion of its operations into a new affiliate altogether. In either case, the parent company generally keeps its operations separate from its affiliates. Since the parent company has a minority ownership, its liability is limited, and the two companies keep separate management teams.

Affiliates are a common way for parent businesses to enter foreign markets while keeping a minority interest in a business. This is especially important if the parent wants to shake off its majority stake in the affiliate.

There is no single bright-line test to determine if one company is affiliated with another. In fact, the criteria for affiliation changes from country to country, state to state, and even between regulatory bodies. For instance, companies considered affiliates by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may not be considered affiliated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Affiliates Versus Subsidiaries

An affiliate is different from a subsidiary, of which the parent owns more than 50%. In a subsidiary, the parent is a majority shareholder, which gives the parent company's management and shareholders voting rights. Subsidiary financials may also appear on the parent company's financial sheets.

But subsidiaries remain separate legal entities from their parents, meaning they are liable for their own taxes, liabilities, and governance. They are also responsible for following the laws and regulations where they are headquartered, especially if they operate in a different jurisdiction from the parent company.

An example of a subsidiary is the relationship between the Walt Disney Corporation and sports network ESPN. Disney owns an 80% interest in ESPN, making it a majority shareholder. ESPN is its subsidiary.

In e-commerce, an affiliate refers to a company that sells the products of another merchant on its website.

SEC Rules Surrounding Affiliates

Securities markets around the world have rules that concern affiliates of the businesses they regulate. Here again, these are complex rules that need to be analyzed by local experts on a case-by-case basis. Examples of rules enforced by the SEC include:

Rule 102 of Regulation M prohibits issuers, selling security holders, and their affiliated purchasers from bidding for, purchasing, or attempting to induce any person to bid for or purchase, any security which is the subject of a distribution until after an applicable restricted period has passed.

Before disclosing nonpublic personal information about a consumer to a nonaffiliated third party, a broker-dealer must first give a consumer an opt-out notice and a reasonable opportunity to opt out of the disclosure.

Broker-dealers must maintain and preserve certain information regarding those affiliates, subsidiaries, and holding companies whose business activities are reasonably likely to have a material impact on their own finances and operations.

Tax Consequences of Affiliates

In nearly all jurisdictions, there are important tax consequences for affiliated companies. In general, tax credits and deductions are limited to one affiliate in a group, or a ceiling is imposed on the tax benefits that affiliates may reap under certain programs.

Determining whether companies in a group are affiliates, subsidiaries, or associates is done through a case-by-case analysis by local tax experts.
Brattain [ brat-n ]/ brt n / New Word List Save This bet 365 live streamWord! [ brat-n ]/ brt n /Save ThisWord!

nounWalter Houser [hou-zer], /ha zr/, 19021987, U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1956.

Words nearby Brattain

British Dictionary definitions for Brattain

Brattain/ (brtn) /

nounWalter Houser . 190287, US physicist, who shared the Nobel prize for physics (1956) with W. B. Shockley and John Bardeen for their invention of the transistor

Scientific definitions for Brattain

Brattain[ bratn ]Walter Houser 1902-1987

American physicist who, with John Bardeen and William Shockley, invented the transistor in 1947. For this work all three shared the 1956 Nobel Prize for physics.

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questionbrassy, brat, Bratislava, brat pack, Bratsk, Brattain, brattice, brattishing, brattle, Brattleboro, brattyDictionary.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, 2012The American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Legendary Taiwanese film star Brigitte Lin appeared at Peking university yesterday to read excerpts from her new book as part of a promotion tour.

After a 17-year absence from the film industry, the 57-year-old actress introduced her new book Window in the Window : Brigitte Lins Puppetmaster to mainland readers at the Beijing event.

Jiang Wen, director of the film Let the Bullets Fly, hosted the event, while prestigious Hong Kong director Tsui Hark also made an appearance to support his old friend Lin.

Window in the Window contains 50 essays in three sectionsMemories of the Past, On Filmmaking and Nowadays. In the book, Lin recalls her trip to Cannes with late mega pop star Teresa Teng and her feelings about late legendary actor Leslie Cheung when she first met him.

Lin also made two promises to Jiang Wen at the eventthe first was to write the prologue to Jiangs new book, and the second was to read voiceovers in his new movie.

Saying OK is her character, said Tsui Hark. When I found her to perform in Peking Opera Blues, I told her to cut her long hair. She said to me, OK. When I invited her to perform the role of a transgendered man in Swordsman, she told me, OK. So when she asked me to attend this event, I had only one answer: OK.

At the end of the event, Tsui and Jiang sent their calligraphy as a special gift to Lin.

Lin also told her readers and movie fans that they should not consider her a beauty.

I neither want to be a beauty nor a professional writer, Lin said. I just want to communicate with readers through writing.

By Chen Nan

Famous Directors Help Promote Brigitte Lins New Bookadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
Chick-fil-A named best fast food chain: Survey

closeVideo

Fox News correspondent Kevin Corke joins Shannon Bream to weigh in on the best fast food chain on 'Fox News @ Night.'

For the sixth year in a row, a Florida Chick-fil-A celebrated the birthday of a longtime customer who has been coming to the restaurant on a regular basis for over 20 years!

The CFA location in Oldsmar, Fla., hosted a 104th birthday party for beloved customer Mr. Steve on Nov. 8.

In a Facebook post, the restaurant said Mr. Steve visited every morning for over two decades until 2018. He sat in the same booth, ordered the same breakfast and read the morning paper during his daily visits. Now, he visits on a regular basis.

"His visit was a daily highlight and our team would carve out a good five to 10 minutes each day to sit and talk with him," the post said.

OHIO COUPLE CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAYS, 79 YEARS OF MARRIAGE: 'BEEN A GOOD LIFE'

Employees at the Chick-fil-A location in Oldsmar, Fla., celebrate the 104th birthday of longtime regular Mr. Steve. (Chick-fil-A Oldsmar/Facebook)

He is described as one of the "sweetest, most genuine, kind, and humble people we have had the pleasure to know" by the restaurant employees, many of whom have developed a special relationship with him over the years.

"He always gave the best advice about life, about what's really important, and expressed a genuine interest in the happenings of our lives," the post said.

The restaurant shared pictures from each celebration since Mr. Steve's 99th birthday.

When he turned 100, the location said it went "big" by dedicating a booth to Mr. Steve and gifting him free CFA for life. The celebration resulted in national news attention and the opportunity for Mr. Steve to film a Chick-fil-A commercial in New York City.

Longtime Chick-fil-A regular Mr. Steve is seen in one of the restaurant's commercials. (Chick-fil-A Oldsmar/Facebook)

WOMAN CELEBRATING 101ST BIRTHDAY SAYS TEQUILA IS THE SECRET TO A HAPPY LIFE

In 2020 for Mr. Steve's 102nd birthday, CFA team members showed up to his home and celebrated him with a socially distanced party in the driveway.

In 2021, the restaurant opened its dining room just for Mr. Steve in order to celebrate his 103rd birthday.

The restaurant said even though the parties had to shift a bit during the pandemic, the "heart of the celebration has remained the same," which is to honor a man who has impacted the Oldsmar team, and captured the attention of the company and the country.
What Is a Chart of Accounts (COA)?black jack basic strategy chart

A chart of accounts (COA) is an index of all the financial accounts in the general ledger of a company. In short, it is an organizational tool that provides a digestible breakdown of all the financial transactions that a company conducted during a specific accounting period, broken down into subcategories.

Key Takeaways

A chart of accounts (COA) is a financial organizational tool that provides a complete listing of every account in the general ledger of a company, broken down into subcategories.

It is used to organize finances and give interested parties, such as investors and shareholders, a clearer insight into a companys financial health.

To make it easier for readers to locate specific accounts, each chart of accounts typically contains a name, brief description, and an identification code.

How Charts of Accounts (COA) Works

Companies use a chart of accounts (COA) to organize their finances and give interested parties, such as investors and shareholders, a clearer insight into their financial health. Separating expenditures, revenue, assets, and liabilities help to achieve this and ensure that financial statements are in compliance with reporting standards.

The list of each account a company owns is typically shown in the order the accounts appear in its financial statements. That means that balance sheet accounts, assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity are listed first, followed by accounts in the income statementrevenues and expenses.

For a small corporation, COAs might include these sub-accounts under the assets account:

Cash

Savings account

Petty cash balance

Accounts receivable

Undeposited funds

Inventory assets

Prepaid insurance

Vehicles

Buildings

Liabilities account may have sub-accounts, such as:

The company credit card

Accrued liabilities

Accounts payable

Payroll liabilities

Notes payable

Shareholders' equity can be broken down into the following accounts:

Common stock

Preferred stock

Retained earnings

To make it easier for readers to locate specific accounts, each chart of accounts typically contains a name, brief description, and an identification code. Each chart in the list is assigned a multi-digit number; all asset accounts generally start with the number 1, for example.

Here is a way to think about how COAs relate to your own finances. Say you have a checking account, a savings account, and a certificate of deposit (CD) at the same bank. When you log in to your account online, youll typically go to an overview page that shows the balance in each account. Similarly, if you use an online program that helps you manage all your accounts in one place, like Mint or Personal Capital, what youre looking at is basically the same thing as a companys COA. You can see all your assets and liabilities, all on one page.

Example of a COA

Within the accounts of the income statement, revenues and expenses could be broken into operating revenues, operating expenses, non-operating revenues, and non-operating losses. In addition, the operating revenues and operating expenses accounts might be further organized by business function and/or by company divisions.

Many organizations structure their COA so that expense information is separately compiled by department; thus, the sales department, engineering department, and accounting department all have the same set of expense accounts. Examples of expense accounts include the cost of goods sold (COGS), depreciation expense, utility expense, and wages expense.

Special Considerations

COAs can differ and be tailored to reflect a companys operations. However, they also must respect the guidelines set out by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Of crucial importance is that COAs are kept the same from year to year. Doing so ensures that accurate comparisons of the companys finances can be made over time.
The reunion of Hungs family at Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi after the fire, on September 14, 2023. Photo by Nguyen Hanh

Vu Viet Hung was sleeping last Tuesday night, when suddenly the air conditioner shut down and all the alarm lights went off.

After hearing someone yelling that there was a fire, he hurriedly called his family awake.

The 40-year-old man told everyone to cover their noses and mouths with a soaked towel, duck down, and make their way to the entrance. He led them out of Room 702 and down the stairs to get out of the apartment block in an alley off Khuong Ha Street in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan District.

On Tuesday night, a fire engulfed the apartment block , leaving 56 people dead and 37 others injured. Of the victims, 10 were children.

The accident marks the deadliest fire that has ever occurred in Vietnam in the past 21 years since the one at ITC shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City that killed 60 people in 2002.

Seeing the large cloud of black smoke downstairs, Hung realized that they could not leave that way, and he decided to bring his family up to the rooftop.

"At this point, everything was dark ahead. We walked up for a bit before we heard someone yelled this way is blocked! I was afraid that someone in my family would get lost if we continued to stay outside, so I led them all back inside our apartment," Hung said.

On the way back, two of their neighbors, a young man and a 13-year-old girl, sought shelter with them.

To prevent more smoke from entering the apartment, Hung and the young man covered the door cracks with water-soaked blankets and urged everyone to move away from the hallway and towards the open window.

Hung continuously blew the smoke out of the apartment while the others draped themselves with blankets to prevent them from inhaling smoke.

When Hung noticed the signal from the firefighters, he used a flashlight to signal back and shouted: "Were in Room 702!"

"At that moment, there was no smoke flying up, so I opened another window to get some oxygen and call for help," Hung explains.

In the next two hours, he constantly reassured his family. Every five minutes, he would call each persons name to make sure they are all there and checked if they are all right, while he sat next to the window to listen to the instructions of the firefighters down below.

An hour after the fire started, Hung was informed by the firefighters that the toxic gas has traveled up to all the windows. Every time the blankets or towels began to dry up, they would soak them with water again and use it to cover themselves. With the lack of oxygen and the amount of smoke gradually forming a thick fog in the room, there were several times when Hung felt desperate.

"I once considered tying the blankets together to form a rope so that everyone could climb down, but it was too risky, so I abandoned that idea and waited for rescue," Hung said. "It was important for us to stay calm, even if death came for us."

Fortunately, aside from his wife having the occasional panic episode, everyone listened diligently to instructions. Hung kept on reassuring everyone and at times would crack open the window and shine a light out to signal for help.

After 2 a.m., the fire hose finally arrived at the doors of Room 702. "Were saved!" Hung and everyone in the apartment burst out in joy.

When the fire was subdued, the seven of them were led down the stairs by the rescue workers and transported to the Bach Mai Hospital. Currently, all of their conditions are stable.

As Hung suffered from burns to the cornea and coughed up black phlegm, he was taken to the Respiratory Department to be treated. His wife was taken to the Neurology Department due to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

Hungs father is in the Cardiology Department, and his two children, a 9-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl, received treatment in the Pediatrics Department.

Hung reveals that all of the fire prevention and fighting skills that were taught to him annually by his company have helped save his life in this incident. After finding himself on the brink of life and death, the 40-year-old man advises everyone to arm themselves with these skills to protect their lives and others during fire incidents.

"My biggest relief is that everyone in my family is safe. However, I feel heartbroken every time I hear news about some of my neighbors who didnt make it out," Hung says.

The 13-year-old girl that stayed with Hungs family during this incident also survived. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, her entire family has perished in the fire.
888 Holdings is exploring options to bring US investors on board, including a potential IPO, as the local market becomes more meaningful for the London-listed online casino and sports betting firm.

In an interview with Bloomberg News last week, the companys CEO, Itai Pazner, said that there are many opportunities, including to float, to re-float, to split out, and that down the line, we will consider different optionsas the US becomes more important for them.

The gambling executive went on to say that they will definitely consider the above as well as other possible options if the market continues to trade at these kinds of multiples.

Mr. Pazner further revealed that they are looking to seal media and brand dealsthat could boost his companys presence in the lucrative US gambling space. Such partnerships will see 888 join the ranks of other European gaming and wagering operators that have teamed up with US media companies as part of their efforts to grow their operations across the pond.

In a deal of this kind, William Hill (soon to become part of Caesars Entertainment, Inc.) last year became the Official Sport Book and Wagering Data providerof CBS Sports across all of the latters platforms. The two parties in the major media partnership said it aimed to reimagine fan engagement through a unique integration of sports betting, media products, and technology.

888 Says Its in No Rush

888s boss told Bloomberg that they are in no rush to go public in the US and are for now focused on expanding their business in that market. He went on that they do not expect to announce any immediate decisions.

The company has already got in contact with bankers and advisers and has many ideas discussed by its management team about its future.

The Gibraltar-headquartered company saw its shares rise nearly 400%in the past year as the popularity of online gambling soared significantly due to Covid-19-forced lockdowns nearly everywhere in the world.

In the US, in particular, sports betting has been growing rapidly since the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on the practice in the spring of 2018. That resulted in many European companies launching operations in the states where wagering has been legalized since the SCOTUS ruling.

And many of these companies have teamed up with fellow gambling operators in the US to increase their footprint there. Ireland-based Flutter Entertainment purchased a stake in US daily fantasy sports and athletic gambling company FanDuel in 2018 and recently raised that to 95%.

Flutter said earlier this month that it was mulling a listing of a small shareholdingin FanDuel in the US, although a final decision was yet to be made.

Source:888 CEO Says Hed Weigh Public Listing to Tap U.S. Market, Bloomberg, March 18, 2021
Betsson AB has expanded its presence in Denmark by launching its titular Betsson sportsbook in the local market,draft kings sportsbook ad boosting its standing in the country to two brands.

The groups flagship brand will sit alongside the existing NordicBet offering in Denmark, as the company  founded, headquartered and listed in the capital of neighbouring Sweden, Stockholm  pursues a global expansion strategy.

NordicBet has already established a strong foothold in Denmark, where it has strengthened its visibility via a sponsorship deal with the top-flight 1. Division, which presents itself as the NordicBet Liga under the two year deal

Nasdaq group Betssons aforementioned foothold in Denmark has proved fruitful for the firm according to its H1 trading results.
Definition of Simple Paragraph

A paragraph contains a group of sentences intertwined with each other to discuss,videos of slot wins or debate, or explain a central idea. It conventionally begins with an indented line. A beginner writer or a student usually starts writing a paragraph having seven sentences, while some professors of composition advise beginners to start with nine sentences, and some others ask them to start with eleven sentences. Some, however, teach all three paragraph types step by step.

Elements of a Simple Paragraph

A simple paragraph is comprised of three major components. The first sentence, which is often a declarative sentence, is called the topic sentence. It introduces the topic of the paragraph, setting its tone and mood. The next few sentences elaborate, explain, and exemplify the topic introduced in it. These sentences also provide supporting details for the explanation or examples. The final sentence is the concluding sentence, which wraps up the topic discussed in the paragraph.

Difference Between a Simple Paragraph and Body Paragraph of an Essay

A simple paragraph is the first element taught in writing. It is an independent entity, without any connection to any other topic, thought or idea. It exists on its own. However, a body paragraph is part of an organized essay where several thoughts on a topic are discussed, and the body paragraph discusses one of them mentioned in the thesis statement of the essay. It has no ending sentence, as it connects the thought with the next paragraph.

Examples of General Paragraphs in Literature

Example #1: Politics and English Language(by George Orwell)

The inflated style itself is a kind of euphemism. A mass of Latin words falls upon the facts like soft snow, blurring the outline and covering up all the details. The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between ones real and ones declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink. In our age there is no such thing as keeping out of politics. All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia. When the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer. I should expect to find  this is a guess which I have not sufficient knowledge to verify  that the German, Russian and Italian languages have all deteriorated in the last ten or fifteen years, as a result of dictatorship.

Although this is a body paragraph, it can exist on its own. As this a typical example from literature, there are more sentences than a general student-written paragraph has.

Example #2: The Theory of Knowledge(by Bertrand Russell)

The question how knowledge should be defined is perhaps the most important and difficult of the three with which we shall deal. This may seem surprising: at first sight it might be thought that knowledge might be defined as belief which is in agreement with the facts. The trouble is that no one knows what a belief is, no one knows what a fact is, and no one knows what sort of agreement between them would make a belief true. Let us begin with belief.

This is another example of a good paragraph. It has also discussed a single point that is knowledge and then elaborated it further. It has just four sentences, but they are quite long to make it a unified whole.

Example #3: The Olive Tree(by Aldous Huxley)

With clarity and definition is associated a certain physical spareness. Most of the great deciduous trees of England give one the impression, at any rate in summer, of being rather obese. In Scandinavian mythology Embla, the elm, was the first woman. Those who have lived much with old elm treesand I spent a good part of my boyhood under their ponderous shadewill agree that the Scandinavians were men of insight. There is in effect something blowsily female about those vast trees that brood with all their bulging masses of foliage above the meadows of the home counties. In winter they are giant skeletons; and for a moment in the early spring a cloud of transparent emerald vapor floats in the air; but by June they have settled down to an enormous middle age.

This is a very good example of a typical paragraph Aldous Huxley wrote for his essay The Olive Tree. It has more sentences than a common paragraph has but it can exist on its own.

Function of Simple Paragraph

A paragraph is the smallest writing piece that can exist on its own. It discusses a complete thought or idea or point. It tells readers in an organized way about the thing that it discusses, describes or defines. For students, a paragraph is a first step to composition before writing a complete essay.

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What Is the Gartley Pattern?reels of joy free no deposit bonus codes 2021

The Gartley pattern is a harmonic chart pattern, based on Fibonacci numbers and ratios, that helps traders identify reaction highs and lows. In his book Profits in the Stock Market, H.M. Gartley laid down the foundation for harmonic chart patterns in 1935. The Gartley pattern is the most commonly used harmonic chart pattern. Larry Pesavento later applied Fibonacci ratios to the pattern in his book Fibonacci Ratios with Pattern Recognition.

Key Takeaways

Gartley patterns are the most common harmonic chart pattern.

The stop-loss point is often positioned at Point 0 or X and the take-profit is often set at point C.

Gartley patterns should be used in conjunction with other forms of technical analysis that can act as confirmation.

Gartley Patterns Explained

The Gartley pattern is the most common harmonic chart pattern. Harmonic patterns operate on the premise that Fibonacci sequences can be used to build geometric structures, such as breakouts and retracements, in prices. The Fibonacci ratio is common in nature and has become a popular area of focus among technical analysts that use tools like Fibonacci retracements, extensions, fans, clusters, and time zones.

Many technical analysts use the Gartley pattern in conjunction with other chart patterns or technical indicators. For example, the pattern may provide a big picture overview of where the price is likely to go over the long-term, while traders focus on executing short-term trades in the direction of the predicted trend. The breakout and breakdown price targets may also be used as support and resistance levels by traders.

The key benefit of these types of chart patterns is that they provide specific insights into both the timing and magnitude of price movements rather than just look at one or the other.

Other popular geometric chart patterns used by traders include Elliott Waves, which makes similar predictions of trends in the future based on the appearance of the price movements and their relation to each other.

Identifying Gartley Patterns

Here's how the Gartley pattern is structured:

Image by Julie Bang  Investopedia 2020

The Gartley pattern above shows an uptrend from point 0 to point 1 with a price reversal at point 1. Using Fibonacci ratios, the retracement between point 0 and point 2 should be 61.8%. At point 2, the price reverses again toward point 3, which should be a 38.2% retracement from point 1. At point 3, the price reverses to point 4. At point 4, the pattern is complete and buy signals are generated with an upside target that matches point 3, point 1, and a 161.8% increase from point 1 as the final price target. Oftentimes, point 0 is used as a stop loss level for the overall trade. These Fibonacci levels do not need to be exact, but the closer they are, the more reliable the pattern.

The bearish version of the Gartley pattern is simply the inverse of the bullish pattern and predicts a bearish downtrend with several price targets when the pattern reaches completion by the fourth point.

Real World Example of a Gartley Pattern

Here's an example of a Gartley pattern appearing in the AUD/USD currency pair:

In the chart above, the Gartley pattern is followed by a bullish move higher. Point X, or 0.70550 could be used as a stop-loss point for the trade. The take-profit point could be set at Point C, or about 0.71300.
While US gaming groups are focusing on placing their bids for the upcoming Integrated Resort (IR) in Japan,king casino bonus 50 free spins one outlier, to name Hard Rock Casinos, is looking to position itself in the Spanish market.

With the results for the gambling industry in the country consistently improving since 2008, Hard Rock Casinos may be up to a very lucrative investment. The proposed 2 billion project Hard Rock Entertainment Worldwas approved in May 2018.

The project is expected to operate under the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tarragonabrand and it would require a 700 million investment for the first phase of project development. Hard Rock is committed to building spacious gaming and hospitality venues with 1,200 slot machines, 100 gaming tables and estimated 1,100 totals across the entire project.

To benefit from a good location, the Hard Rock project will be erected close to Barcelonas international airport and offer a respite to travelers as well as a place to experience world-class gaming products.

Jim Allen, Hard Rock International chief executive, has confirmed that his company is the only so far to have successfully secured the approval to push ahead with a Spanish integrated resort project.

H2 Hard Rocks Future in Spain Now Under Review

While the Catalonian project has long seem promising some hurdles have been slowing down progress. For starters, Hard Rock has been unable to secure a deal for the land it planned to originally build the project on.

The deal should have been struck by June 2019, but it failed after La Caixa Bank refused to sell at a pre-agreed rate of 110 million. Instead, La Caixa is now pushing for at least 120 million or even 140 million accroding to the bank.

Another issue has been Hard Rocks reluctancy to furnish the initial capital investment worth between 65 million and 200 million in order to secure its position in the country. As per the original agreement, Hard Rock would need to hold at least 10% in terms of capital before it can proceed with construction work.

So far, the company has refused to provide the money. Yet, Catalonian lawmakers are not acting unkindly towards Hard Rock and interested parties have been looking at options to extend the negotiation period so that the investor could fulfil the legal prerequisites.

Meanwhile, Cora Alpha, a California-based company, has expressed hopes to introduce as many as 33 casino online espanoles, making one of the boldest claims in the sector. The companys focused on the autonomous Spanish region of Extremadura where it wants to build its own project - Elysium City.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
The UK Gambling Commission was warned that Football Index was doomed to a collapse of unmatched proportions more than a year before the betting firm suspended its platform.

A report sent to the regulator in January 2020 and obtained by The Guardianlaid out concerns over Football Indexs activities. The documents author, a person with extensive experience in the online gambling sector, argued that the UK-licensed betting firms business model seemed fundamentally flawed and unsustainable and that is potential failure could significantly impact the entire industry.

The report said that the operators activities represented an exceptionally dangerous pyramid schemeunder the guise of a football stock marketand that the regulator should immediately warn and protect users.

Launched in 2015, Football Index ran a sports betting platform that mimicked a stock exchange by offering users the opportunity to buy shares in football players and earn dividends over the term of their wager.

Users were also able to buy and sell their shares between themselves. The firm charged a 2% fee on these transactions. Thanks to its rather unique business model and series of marketing initiatives, including ads during Premier League matches and a recent shirt sponsorship deals with Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers, Football Index accumulated a player base of approximately 500,000 bettors.

Over the past ten or so months, the operator has experienced a series of turbulences, the most recent of which, and the most serious one, occurring early this month when it announced a revised dividend structure that slashed dividends by up to 80%.

Punters reacted furiously to the overnight changes which resulted in the Football Index market crashing. The company suspended its operations and went into administration. The UK Gambling Commission suspended its license on March 11, saying that was the first point where we had sufficient evidence to demonstrate that suspension was necessary.

Football Indexs Product Fueled Unparalleled Levelsof Irresponsible Gambling

The report that the Gambling Commission received early last year noted that its licensees imitation of a stock exchange resulted in unparalleled levels of irresponsible gambling behaviorfrom tens of thousands of customers as they were led to believe they were investing and not gambling their money.

According to the report, these punters had little or no knowledge at all that they were putting their funds at risk.

The report warned that the betting operators liabilities grew every time a punter purchased a share and that in early 2020 its liabilities exceeded 1 millionevery month. It also noted that the only way the company can afford this long term is through the constant sale of yet more new shares to new users alongside a constant churn in positions.

The report concluded that should the growth of the firms user base stop or the number of new users decline, it would quickly find itself unable to pay these liabilities to users.

The reports author also pointed out that this would leave the UK-licensed operator vulnerable [to] and destined for a bank run in which the first X percent of users manage to get some money out before the system collapsesand the remainder lose everything.

Following Football Indexs crash earlier this month, thousands of users fear they will never recoup the money they have invested.

News about the concerning report and the UK Gambling Commissions apparent knowledge of Football Indexs unsustainable business model emerge as the regulator is subject to damning criticism that it failed to act properly as the scandal unfolded. A few days ago, the agencys boss stepped down from his role, although it was announced his departure was unrelated to the issue.

Source:Football Index: Gambling Commission was warned about firm in January 2020, The Guardian, March 18, 2021
If you find yourself in the skirts of Pennsylvania and you enjoy a good gamble,las vegas odds to win the super bowl 2020 you can find good places to indulge in a great night of card games and chances. There are several places to choose from and this will not present a complete list, however, it will highlight some of the best casino experiences around Pennsylvania.

If you are on the lookout for a great casino experience in Pennsylvania, you will be presented with some options in the following. Whether you prefer online experiences or the real deal.

During the pandemic most of us have been stuck at home and in this time, some have turned to online casinos for entertainment. Online casino gaming is generally a popular type of online entertainment, probably because people seek the thrill and excitement of the games.

If you prefer the online experience

Maybe you prefer the online experience or maybe you want to practice your skills before a night at a casino. Either way, you can find the top online casinos in Pennsylvania 2022 to get in touch with your gambling spirit before heading out to take on the casinos around town.

Through this site, you will be able to find the best options for online gambling in Pennsylvania as it is reviewed and rated. Whether you are mostly into the notorious card games or you are drawn to the roulette table, you will find the best sites online to gamble. You can always look for the best bonuses and places with free spins as this will give you a chance to start for free without putting in a big deposit.

The Mount Airy Casino: The exclusive one

In this casino, you will get a classy experience as both the exterior and interior invite an exclusive feeling. This establishment is Pennsylvania's first AAA Casino Resort, and it offers a great and luxurious hotel as well as a great casino. With a combination of fun, luxury, and entertainment this place is a great place for a night out with a loved one or a group of friends. At least if you are looking to indulge in great food and a sense of exclusivity but still have fun gambling, this is the place to go in Pennsylvania.

Parx Casino: The festive one

Just outside the city of Philadelphia, you will find a powerhouse of entertainment and fun in Parx Casino. This venue is a gaming and entertainment destination on 260,000-square feet. In this space, you will find several places to enjoy a meal and drinks when you need a break from the great action of gambling.

This venue presents the perfect setting for a good and festive night out with a group of friends. As a casino, Parx offers plenty of slot machines and naturally exciting card games to sit in at. Besides the many entertaining offers, the casino offers Parx Racing which shows live races from Saturday till Tuesday. As you can imagine there is a great deal of entertainment to experience in this venue.

Category: Casino Blog
Students of Mandarin usually adopt a Chinese name. There are a few reasons for this:

It provides a glimpse into Chinese culture

It makes introductions easier when visiting Chinese-speaking countries

It provides good tonal and pronunciation practice

Western names can be transcribed into Chinese, and this is often done for celebrities and politicians. Elizabeth Taylor is known in Chinese-speaking countries as yi li sha bai tai le ().

Choose a "Real" Name

Such a name, however, is not a Chinese name, which usually consists of three characters. Many people from Mainland China use two-character names.

There is an art to choosing good names, and many parents consult a fortune-teller to name their newborn child. A good name is expected to pave the way to a successful and prosperous life.

Students of Mandarin dont need to consult a fortune teller. You can ask a Chinese-speaking friend to give you a name, or you can consult a name book or use online and offline tools.

Tools for Choosing Mandarin Names

Whichever name you choose, it should be fairly easy to write and easy to pronounce. Its no good if you cant say your own name!

Many of the online resources for picking Chinese names are next to useless. They usually translate a given name and dont include a surname. But the Mandarin Tools website has a highly recommended tool for choosing a Chinese name.

An offline version of this tool is available as part of DimSum Chinese Tools.
What Is an Affiliate?high beta

Affiliateis used primarily to describe a business relationship wherein one company owns less than a majority stake in the other company's stock. Affiliations can also describe a type of relationship in which at least two different companies are subsidiaries of the same larger parent company.

Affiliate is also commonly used in the retail sector. In this case, one company becomes affiliated with another in order to sell its products or services, earning a commission for doing so. This term is now used widely in partnerships among online companies in which the affiliate supports another company by channeling internet traffic and e-sales.

Key Takeaways

An affiliate is a company in which a minority stake is held by a larger company.

In retail, one company becomes affiliated with another to sell its products or services for a fee.

Affiliate relationships exist in many different types of configurations across all sorts of industries.

Understanding Affiliates

There are several definitions of the term affiliate in the corporate, securities, and capital markets.

Corporate Affiliates

In the first, an affiliate is a company that is related to another. The affiliate is generally subordinate to the other and has a minority stake (i.e. less than 50%) in the affiliate. In some cases, an affiliate may be owned by a third company. An affiliate is thus determined by the degree of ownership a parent company holds in another.

For example, if BIG Corporation owns 40% of MID Corporation's common stock and 75% of TINY Corporation, then MID and BIG are affiliates, while TINY is a subsidiary of BIG. MID and TINY may also refer to one another as affiliates.

Note that for the purposes of filing consolidated tax returns, IRS regulations state a parent company must possess at least 80% of a company's voting stock to be considered affiliated.

Retail Affiliates

In retail, and particularly in e-commerce, a company that sells other merchants' products for a commission is an affiliate company. Merchandise is ordered from the primary company, but the sale is transacted at the affiliate's site. Amazon and eBay are examples of e-commerce affiliates.

International Affiliates

A multinational company may set up affiliates to break into international markets while protecting the parent company's name in case the affiliate fails or the parent company is not viewed favorably due to its foreign origin. Understanding the differences between affiliates and other company arrangements is important in covering debts and other legal obligations.

Companies can become affiliated through mergers, takeovers, or spinoffs.

Other Types of Affiliates

Affiliates can be found all around the business world. In the corporate securities and capital markets, executive officers, directors, large stockholders, subsidiaries, parent entities, and sister companies are affiliates of other companies. Two entities may be affiliates if one owns less than a majority of voting stock in the other. For instance, Bank of America has a number of different affiliates around the world including Merrill Lynch.

Affiliation is defined in finance in a loan agreement as an entity other than a subsidiary directly or indirectly controlling, being controlled by or under common control with an entity.

In commerce, two parties are affiliated if either can control the other, or if a third party controls both. Affiliates have more legal requirements and prohibitions than other company arrangements to safeguard against insider trading.

An affiliate network is a group of associated companies that offer compatible or complementary products and will often pass leads to each other. They may offer cross-promotional deals, encouraging clients who have utilized their services to look into the services offered by an affiliate.

In banking, affiliate banks are popular for underwriting securities and entering foreign markets where other banks do not have direct access.

Affiliates vs. Subsidiaries

Unlike an affiliate, a subsidiary's majority shareholder is the parent company. As the majority shareholder, the parent company owns more than 50% of the subsidiary and has a controlling stake. The parent thus has a great deal of control over the subsidiary and is allowed to make important decisions such as the hiring and firing of executives, and the appointment of directors on the board.
In English, words that sound the same but mean different things are called homophones. English has many homophones, and they all have the potential to confuse someone who might not recognize the difference.

The words auraland oralare technically near homophones, rather than true homophones. Nonetheless, when not pronounced clearly, they can sound identical.

Since auraland oralrefer to different sensory faculties, its important to use them correctly, so you can avoid a potentially embarrassing mistake.

What is the Difference Between Aural and Oral?

In this post, I will compare auralvs. oral. I will use each word in a sentence to illustrate its proper context, and I will explain a helpful trick to use when you cant decide whether to choose oralor auralfor your own writing.

When to Use Aural

What does aural mean? Auralis an adjective that means related to ears or the sense of hearing.

Mr. McBurney and his ace sound designers, Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin, have created an aural labyrinth of many layers. The New York Times

Its important to distinguish auralfrom auditory, a similar adjective.

Auditory refers tosound or the sense of hearing,but not the ears themselves.

In the following sentence, auraland auditorycould be used interchangeably.

The patient listened to music as auditory stimulation during rehab sessions.

The patient listened to music as aural stimulation during rehab sessions.

Since the music stimulated the patients ears, auralis appropriate. Music is a form of sound, so auditoryalso fits.

In the next sentence, only auralis correct.

The patient received cochlear implants to assist in aural functioning.

This time, the sentence refers to the functioning of the ears themselves, so auditorywould be an imprecise choice of words. Only auralis correct.

When to Use Oral

What does oral mean? Oralis also an adjective. It means related to the mouth.

Since the mouth is used for many things, oralis used in many contexts, including dentistry, speech language pathology, and others.

For example,

Tania has excellent oral hygiene.

My doctors notes say this pill is an oral medication, and should be taken twice daily by mouth.

Sometimes, oral becomes a synonym for spoken and verbal, like in these sentences,

We are a proud people, with a rich oral history and many festive traditions.

I had to correctly pronounce many words in order to pass my oral French test.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear several hours of oral argument Tuesday on the power-plant regulations. The Wall Street Journal

Trick to Remember the Difference

Its easy to remember whether oralor auralis correct, and here is a helpful trick to remember oralvs. aural.

Oralrefers to the mouth or speech. Both oraland mouthare spelled with an O.

Auralrefers to the ears. Neither auralnor earscontains an O. Keeping these words straight is as simple as remembering how each is spelled.

Summary

Is it aural or oral?Auraland oralare both adjectives, but each has its own separate meaning.

Aural means related to the ears.

Oral means related to the mouth.

Since both of these words are used in connection to the senses we use every day, its easy to get them mixed up. You can remember which is which by thinking about how these words are spelled.

Always remember that you can check this website any time you need to refresh your memory.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) in Nanning, Guangxi province, China, September 17, 2023. Photo: VGP

The opening ceremony drew the participation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim among others.



Trade between ASEAN and China jumped from just US$78.2 billion in 2002 to US$641.5 billion in 2019 to US$975.6 billion in 2022. Both sides have been each other's largest trading partner for many years.

Pham suggested both sides coordinate in formulating connectivity chains, furthering market opening, and improving capacity to meet new standards, while stepping up science and technology cooperation.

He also asked ASEAN and China to foster both hard and soft infrastructure connectivity, promote high-quality and harmonious connectivity between the "Belt and Road" and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for mutual benefits, accelerate the realization of the common percetions reached at the recent ASEAN-China Summit.

Pham called on both sides to strengthen transportation connectivity, especially rail and road connectivity to transport ASEAN's goods to Europe and Central Asia through China.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister also urged ASEAN and Chinia to foster cooperation in such new areas like green economy, digital economy, circular economy, new materials, and sharing economy.

Viet Nam expects to continue working with China and other ASEAN Member States to promptly conclude the ASEAN-China FTA 3.0 upgrade negotiations, and expand the pilot smart border gate model to facilitate movement of goods and people./.
It shouldnt be a hard question for Democrats. Should President Joe Biden run for re-election?slot machine winning videos newest At this point in a Presidents first term, the answer from loyal members of the party is usually an unequivocal yes. But some Democrats continue to dodge the question, reluctant to give a full-throated endorsement for Biden in 2024.

Im not having that conversation, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said with a laugh when asked by a reporter in mid-September.

The sidestepping reflects a tension in the party around Biden heading into the midterms. Hes the oldest sitting President ever and will turn 80 on Nov. 20, with two more years left to go in his first term. His approval ratings have ticked up from the high 30s over the summer, but are still hovering in the low 40s and underwater. Hes facing political headwinds from high inflation and a sputtering stock market, and is struggling to convince a broad swath of the country that their lives will be better off after he landed major legislative accomplishments on stemming climate change and reducing medical costs.

Recent polling has shown Bidens support within his party has started to rebound, reaching 78% approval among Democratic voters, up from 65% in July, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

A lot of folks were unsure about how we were going to finish, but Biden always finishes strong, says Ashley Etienne, a former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris. There is also a desire to give the President and the party the room and space to make the decision.

Still, many Democrats in office and on the campaign trail are not exactly clamoring for him to run, preferring to keep the partys options open. And the answer to the question of Will Biden run again? gains greater significance with each passing week, as Democrats privately weigh the odds for other potential contenders for the office such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

In 2020, Biden had to convince much of his party that he was the right candidate to keep President Donald Trump from winning a second term. He insisted at times that he was the only Democrat who could do the job. Now, as Trump has all but announced he intends to vie again for the office, whether Biden is again the Democrat to potentially take him on is a matter of debate within the party.

Read more: How Joe Biden Won the White House

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left open plenty of space for Biden to decide he doesnt want to run when she was asked about it at a Sept. 22 news conference. The President did a great service to our country: he defeated Donald Trump. Lets not forget that, Pelosi said. He cares about the air we breathe, the water we drink, the education of our children, jobs for their families, pensions for their seniors. Any subject you can name.

Im not going into politics about whether the President should run or not, she added.

Other senior Democrats have said Biden has their support. I have said if he runs, Ill support him, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters in July. Newsom told ABC News in August that he was pro-Biden and team Biden, trying to tamp down speculation that he is planning his own bid for the Oval Office in 2024.

But rank-and-file voters arent as fully on board. A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in late September found that some 56% of Democrats and independents that tend to vote for Democrats said they wanted someone other than Biden to run on the Democratic ticket in 2024.

That sentiment is showing itself on the campaign trail as well. Democrats in tough races have been especially reluctant to say Biden should definitely seek another term. The day before the President traveled to Ohio for the groundbreaking of a semiconductor plant in early September, Rep. Tim Ryan, who is running for Senate against the Trump-backed J.D. Vance, was asked by a local television news station, if Biden should run again.

My hunch is that we need new leadership across the board Democrats, Republicans, I think its time for a generational move, Ryan said.

When asked by TIME in mid-September if Biden should come to Alaska to campaign with Rep. Mary Peltola as she defends the seat she won in an August special election, Peltola demurred: Id like to take a wait-and-see approach. I dont know what is on the horizon. Asked if Biden should run for re-election, Peltola said, I dont have an opinion on that right now.

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips was more blunt at the end of July when asked if he thinks Biden should run again: I dont. Phillips added in an interview on the Chad Hartman radio show on WCCO-AM, I think the country would be well served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats to step up. Fellow Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig voiced similar reservations the following month in an interview with MinnPost, saying, I would say we need new leaders in Washington up and down the ballot in the Democratic Party.

If Biden were to make his re-election run official, it would amplify the debate about his age. Questions were raised again about the Presidents mental sharpness this week, when, during a White House conference on hunger, he asked Wheres Jackie? and looked around for the Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana, who died in a car accident in August.

Biden himself has said he intends to run again, but some in his party have wondered how serious he is. A President who knows he is only going to serve one term might insist he is running again anyway to maintain political influence, at least through the midterm elections.

Read more: Bidens Bland Leadership May Be Getting Results

Asked in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sept. 18, Biden said he hasnt officially declared his candidacy because then a host of requirements kick in under the countrys election laws. But he also allowed for the possibility he simply might not run again. Its much too early to make that kind of decision. Im a great respecter of fate. And so, what Im doing is, Im doing my job, were going to do that job and within the time frame that makes sense after this next election cycle here, going into next year, make a judgment on what to do, Biden said. My intention as I said to begin with is that I would run again, but its just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.

While Biden holds off on making a final decision, a tight group of aides at the Democratic National Committee have been preparing for a potential Biden run. The President gave a preview this month of what his re-election campaign might look like at a Democratic National Committee event in Washington on Sept. 23, delivering a forceful, campaign-style speech in which he criticized Republicans while moving back and forth on stage with a handheld microphone. The MAGA Republicans didnt side with law enforcement; they sided with the insurrectionistsand they still do, Biden said. Dont tell me you support law enforcement if you cant condemn what happened on January the 6th. Dont tell me that. he added.

The song that played as he left the auditorium? It was Daft Punks, One More Time.
What Is Total Utility?free spins no deposit sign up bonus

Total utility is the aggregate amount of satisfaction or fulfillment that a consumer receives through the consumption of a specific good or service. Total utility is often compared to marginal utility, which is the satisfaction a consumer receives from consuming one additional unit of a good or service. Total utility helps economists understand the demand for goods and services.

Key Takeaways

Total utility is the aggregate summation of satisfaction or fulfillment that a consumer receives through the consumption of goods or services.

Economists seek to quantify utility and total utility using utils.

To best understand total utility, one should understand the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, which states that as more of a single good or service is consumed, the additional satisfaction, referred to as marginal utility, drops.

Total utility is a core concept studied when seeking to analyze consumer behaviors.

In general, economic theories believe that consumer actions are usually based on the goal of total utility maximization, which leads to purchasing units perceived to have the greatest utility satisfaction.

Understanding Total Utility

In economics, utility refers to the satisfaction gained from consuming a good or service. Total utility is usually defined as a quantifiable summation of satisfaction or happiness obtained from consuming multiple units of a particular good or service.

Utility and total utility are used in the economic analysis of consumer behaviors within a marketplace. Economists seek to quantify total utility using special calculations. Economists may also study several economic metrics in conjunction with total utility when seeking to understand how consumer behaviors align with supply and demand.

In economics, economists typically view changes in behavior and consumption by analyzing marginal increases and marginal decreases. Marginal changes will usually be either scaled increases or scaled decreases. In the case of total utility, marginal refers to the increasing or decreasing level of utility that is obtained with added consumptions.

Rational Choice Theory

Total utility is often studied alongside Rational Choice Theory and the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Rational Choice Theory says that consumers seek to maximize their utility with each unit of consumption. Consumer theory and demand theory suggest that consumer actions are driven toward utility maximization by attempting to acquire the most satisfaction possible in the most affordable way. In general, classical economic theories show that most consumers want to get the highest possible level of utility per unit for the money they spend.

Total utility is usually measured in relative units called utils. When measuring total utility, analysis can span from one unit of consumption to multiple units. For example, a cookie provides a level of utility as determined by its singular consumption, while a bag of cookies may provide total utility over the course of time it takes to completely consume all the cookies in the bag.

The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility

To better understand total utility, one must understand the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, which states that as more of a single good or service is consumed, the additional satisfaction, referred to as marginal utility, drops. The first good consumed provides the highest utility, the second good has a lower marginal utility, and so on. Therefore, total utility grows less rapidly with each additional unit consumed of the same good or service.

How to Calculate Total Utility

Each individual unit of a good or service has its own utility and each additional unit of consumption will have its own marginal utility. The total utility will be the aggregated sum of utility gained from all units being studied.

"Satisfaction" is a subjective measure and will vary from individual to individual, meaning that total utility acts more as a guide in understanding a consumer's psychological decisions.

A total utility formula will include utils. Utils are typically relative and assigned a base value. Economists usually analyze utils across a spectrum to provide a comparative analysis of the amount of util or satisfaction gained from a unit of consumption. An assigned base value for utils is needed because theoretically there is no real value for utility satisfaction in general.

To find total utility economists use the following basic total utility formula:

TU = U1 + MU2 + MU3 

TU = Total Utility

U = Utility

MU = Marginal Utility

The total utility is equal to the sum of utils gained from each unit of consumption. In the equation, each unit of consumption is expected to have slightly less utility as more units are consumed.

Total Utility Maximization

Economic theory regarding consumer activities suggests that the primary goal of the consumer is to achieve the largest amount of utility for the least amount of cost. This is partly due to the limited amount of funds a person may possess, as well as a desire to achieve as much satisfaction from the consumption of goods and services as possible.

For example, if a consumer is presented with two purchasing options with the same financial cost, and neither option is more necessary or functional than the other, the consumer will choose the good or service that provides the most utility for the money.

Example of Total Utility

John is hungry and decides to eat a chocolate bar. His total utility from eating one chocolate bar is 20 utils. He is still hungry so he eats another chocolate bar, where his total utility is 25 utils. John is still hungry and has two more chocolate bars. The third chocolate bar has a total utility of 27 utils, and the fourth has a total utility of 24 utils. This is best represented in the table below.

Quantity Consumed Total Utility 0 Bars - 1 Bar 20 utils 2 Bars 25 utils 3 Bars 27 utils 4 Bars 24 utils

With each additional chocolate bar, John's total utility increases, until it reaches its max at three chocolate bars. With the fourth chocolate bar, John's total utility decreases. This can be understood with marginal utility; the utility that John derives from each additional chocolate bar.

Quantity Consumed Total Utility Marginal Utility 0 Bars - 1 Bar 20 utils 20 utils 2 Bars 25 utils 5 utils 3 Bars 27 utils 2 utils 4 Bars 24 utils - 3 utils

With every additional chocolate bar after the first, John's marginal utility is decreasing, meaning that he is deriving less satisfaction from another chocolate bar. This makes sense as he is getting more full with each bar. After the third bar, his marginal utility is negative, meaning he is deriving no satisfaction and in fact is made worse off; perhaps feeling sick after consuming so much chocolate and sugar.

Total Utility FAQs

What Is Total Utility?

Total utility is the aggregate satisfaction that an individual receives from consuming a specific quantity of a good or service.

What Is the Relationship Between Total Utility and Marginal Utility?

While total utility measures the aggregate satisfaction an individual receives from the consumption of a specific quantity of a good or service, marginal utility is the satisfaction an individual receives from consuming one additional unit of a good or service. If marginal utility is positive then total utility will increase. Once marginal utility is negative, then total utility will decrease.

How Do You Calculate Marginal Utility and Total Utility?

The basic formula to calculate total utility is as follows:

TU = U1 + MU2 + MU3 

TU = Total Utility

U = Utility

MU = Marginal Utility

Marginal utility is calculated as follows:

MU = Change in Total Utility / Change in Units

Does Total Utility Always Increase?

Total utility does not always increase. When marginal utility is negative, then total utility will decrease. This means that an individual does not derive any satisfaction from the consumption of an additional unit of a good or service and is worse off by doing so.

The Bottom Line

Utility measures the satisfaction an individual receives from the consumption of a good or service. Total utility measures the total satisfaction from a specific quantity of goods or services. Total utility operates hand in hand with marginal utility, which measures the additional satisfaction received from the consumption of a good or service. As long as marginal utility is positive, total utility will increase. Once marginal utility is negative, then total utility will decrease.

Economists aim to study total utility and marginal utility to understand consumer behavior. Consumer behavior helps to predict the demand for goods and services, which impacts supply and their prices; all key metrics of analyzing an economy.
In May, the International Red Cross and representatives of other groups called for the worlds governments to take immediate and decisive action to prevent and stop cyberattacks against the health sector.

For that reason, only a small group of leading companies had taken decisive action before the pandemic hit.

A few weeks later, the citys Republican mayor took a rare trip to the Metropolitan Transit System to cast the decisive vote that made her the agencys chair.

They acted in a civil, as Ive already said, but a decisive and professional manner.

With a need for private and public partners to take decisive action, create long-term solutions, and safeguard families for both the present and the future. Its time to prioritize caregiving, America|Andrew Nusca|November 11, 2020|Fortune

He must be a symbol of decisiveness, wisdom, and compassion. The Walking Deads Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero|Regina Lizik|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Nothing like a former Communist country to show how to handle a problemthey have a long ignoble history of decisiveness. Thank You, Croatia: All Hail Mandatory Vaccinations|Kent Sepkowitz|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Rather, it takes strategy, sharp eyesight, a quick finger, and a right-now decisiveness to play the game well. Sorry, Folks, Playing Dots Wont Make You Smarter|Kent Sepkowitz|June 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST

They typically step forward to calm the nerves, ease the panic, and provide rapid decisiveness for those too stunned to react. What Its Like to Be in a Boston Emergency Room Today|Kent Sepkowitz|April 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But patients hate thisthey want easy decisiveness and jolly confidence as we march calmly, peacefully over the horizon together. Mob Doctor: Boring TV Show Misses the Mark on What Physicians Do|Kent Sepkowitz|September 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Her death had never been even a remote possibility to his mind, though the parting had had the decisiveness of death. You Never Know Your Luck, Complete|Gilbert Parker

"Not much chance of that," said Aunt Maria with her usual decisiveness. Patchwork|Anna Balmer Myers

"Of course," said Buck, turning to him with sombre decisiveness. The Napoleon of Notting Hill|Gilbert K. Chesterton

The present, where we might expect the future, conveys the certainty and decisiveness of the result. Expositor's Bible: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians|James Denney
Darby and Joan New Word List Save This betting website on saleWord! Save ThisWord!

nouna happily married elderly couple who lead a placid, uneventful life.

Words nearby Darby and Joan

How to use Darby and Joan C18: a couple in an 18th-century English ballad

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 Darby and JoanNamed after a couple mentioned in an 18th-century songDAR, daraf, darbies, d'Arblay, darby, Darby and Joan, Darby and Joan settee, Darbyite, darcy, Darcy's law, DardDictionary.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 an Investment Objective?south dakota sportsbooks

An investment objective is used by asset managers to determine the optimal portfolio mix for a client. Investments are chosen using the guidelines of the investment objective.

An investor questionnaire often defines financial goals and objectives and determines the asset allocation within the portfolio based on an individual's time horizon, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

Key Takeaways

An investment objective is a set of goals that determines an investor's financial portfolio.

A financial advisor determines the optimal strategy for achieving the client's goals using an investment objective.

An investor's risk tolerance and time horizon help in determining an investment objective.

Understanding an Investment Objective

Commonly based on one of four strategies that include income, growth and income, growth, or trading, an individual's investment objective clarifies investment ideas to help achieve an individual's financial goals.

The information that an individual provides to determine their investment objective may include annual income and net worth, average annual expenses, timeline to withdraw the money, and the maximum decrease in the value of the portfolio with which the investor is comfortable. The portfolio is tailored according to the answers provided to these questions and a strategy is defined as an investment objective.

Risk Tolerance

Risk tolerance is the degree of risk that an investor is willing to endure given the volatility in the value of an investment.

A client with a high-risk tolerance interested in growth may have a short-term aggressive portfolio, which includes stocks and trading opportunities. A moderate-risk investor may have a balanced portfolio of growth and income instruments that may include stocks and bonds. A conservative investor with low-risk tolerance may focus on an income-generating portfolio using dividends and bonds.

What Factors Influence an Individual's Investment Objective?

In addition to an individuals time horizon and risk profile, other factors that influence an individuals investment decisions include income, capital gains tax, dividends tax, commission and fees for actively managed portfolios, and total wealth, which may include assets like Social Security benefits, expected inheritance, and pension value.

Where Can an Investor Find an Investment Objective Questionnaire?

Investors can find various free questionnaires online at brokerage sites. However, when choosing not to use a personal advisor, it is important to review the questionnaire's assumptions and limitations and accept the firm's terms and conditions. An investment objective will typically not be formally completed until a client has decided to use the services of the financial planner or advisor since the information that will be provided is highly sensitive.

Can an Investment Objective Change?

As financial circumstances or goals change, it may be helpful for an investor to complete an investment objective questionnaire again and reallocate the investments in a portfolio.
If you go on a road trip to the southwestern United States, you will see many strange plants. Some of them have thick, fleshy stems with thin, sharp spines. This plant is called a cactus, and it is common in many parts of America, including Mexico, Canada, and as far down as Argentina.

If you speak with enough people on your tour, you will likely hear the plants name pluralized as both cactuses and cacti by English speakers. Continue reading if you arent sure which version you should use.

What is the Difference Between Cactuses and Cacti?

In this post, I will compare cacti vs cactuses. 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 make choosing cacti or cactuses a bit easier.

When to Use Cacti

Cactus plural: Cacti is a noun. It is the plural form of cactus, which refers to members of a family of spiny plants. Cacti are famous for having sharp spines. They can survive extreme conditions by storing water in their stems for extended periods of time.

Cacti are native to the Americas. They grow wild in the deserts of the western United States and are cultivated as decorative indoor and outdoor plants in many areas. Saguaro cacti are familiar imagery in the Western film genre, where they are instantly recognizable by their stark silhouettes and sharp spines.

Here are some examples of cacti in a sentence.

Botanists have discovered over 1750 distinct species of cacti, which range from one centimeter to nearly 20 meters tall.

Remi decorated her apartment with tiny cacti, which gave the home a southwestern aesthetic.

Given my horticultural history, people might be surprised by the number of gardening books on my shelves. I have killed just about every plant Ive ever owned, including cacti. The New York Times

When to Use Cactuses

Cactus plural: Cactuses is an alternative spelling of the same plural noun. According to Bryan Garner (2016), both are accepted variants. Cactuses is more common in speech and ordinary usage, while cacti is favored in print sources and scientific uses.

The chart below, which graphs cactusesvs. cactiin English books since 1800, verifies the preference for cacti in print.

In the sentences above, cactuses can be substituted for cacti without changing the meaning.

The singular cactus can itself be used as a plural noun, though it is still not as common as cacti.

Cactus is originally a Greek word, and it came to English through Latin. The -i for -us plural is common in Latin, and since the scientific names of plants are usually related to Latin, its not surprising that cacti became widespread in English.

Trick to Remember the Difference

You could use either cacti or cactusesand still be correct. In formal (especially scientific) writing, cacti might be a better choice, since that form is more common in written English.

In most informal writing, you could rely on your best judgment and use whichever version seems more natural.

Since cacti and writing each contain the letter I, you can use this shared letter as a reminder to stick with cacti in formal writing.

Summary

Is it cactuses or cacti? Cacti and cactuses are alternative forms of a plural noun that means more than one member of a family of spiny plants.

Both forms are correct, but cacti is more common in published writing.
What Is Advertising Budget?doddabetta resort

An advertising budget is an estimate of a company's promotional expenditures over a certain time period. More importantly, it is the money a company is willing to set aside to accomplish its marketing objectives.

Key Takeaways

An advertising budget is the amount of money set aside for purposes of marketing and advertisements.

The cost of advertising dollars must be weighed against the potential recognized revenues that those dollars will generate.

Demographic research and customer segmentation can create profiles to help optimize the returns to advertising spending.

Understanding Advertising Budget

An advertising budget is part of a company's overall sales or marketing budget that can be viewed as an investment in a company's growth. The best advertising budgetsand campaignsfocus on customers' needs and problems and on providing solutions to these issues, not company problems such as an overstock reduction.

When creating an advertising budget, a company must weigh the value of spending an advertising dollar against the value of that dollar as recognized revenue. Before deciding on a specific amount, companies should make certain determinations to ensure that the advertising budget is in line with their promotional and marketing goals:

The target consumer  Knowing the consumer and having their demographic profile can help guide advertising spend.

Best media type for the target consumer  Mobile or internet advertising, via social media, may be the answer, although traditional media, such as print, television, and radio may be best for a given product, market, or target consumer.

Right approach for the target consumer  Depending on the product or service, consider if appealing to the consumer's emotions or intelligence is a suitable strategy.

Expected profit from each dollar of advertising spending  This may be the most important question to answer, as well as the most difficult.

The best advertising budgetsand campaignsfocus on customers' needs and solving their problems, not company problems such as an overstock reduction.

Advertising Budget Levels

Companies can determine their advertising budget levels in several different ways, each of which has its positives and negatives:
There are many differences in spelling between American and British English. Americans, for example, shorten many -our endings to -or. Americans are also more likely to drop -k from the end of words that end in -ck.

Other differences are less systematic. Speciality in British English, for instance, loses a letter to become specialty in American English.

British writers use both spellings of this word, though. Should you use specialty or speciality? Continue reading to find out, while learning more about the history of these words along the way.

Whats the Difference Between Specialty and Speciality?

In this post, I will compare specialty vs. speciality. I will outline when its appropriate to use each spelling and show you examples of each in sentence examples for context.

Then, I will share a memory tool that allows you to discern the meanings of these words at a moments notice.

When to Use Specialty

What does specialty mean? Specialty is a noun that means an area of expertise. Scooby-Doos specialty is solving mysteries. Garfields specialty was eating lasagna. This blogs specialty is English grammar and usage.

Here are a few more examples,

When Kevin said he wanted a burger, Jill said Lets go to Killer Burger; burgers are their specialty.

Alessandra and Mariana went to Voodoo Donut for some specialty donuts at 2:45am.

Specialty can also be used as a modifier to mean meeting particular needs or tastes.

Specialty is related to the noun special, which means unique or noteworthy. It has been in English since the 15th century and can be traced back to Latin through Middle English and early Anglo-French.

When to Use Speciality

What does speciality mean? Speciality is an alternative spelling of the noun specialty. It was common in British English for around 100 years between the mid-19th century and the mid-20th century. It was equivalent in meaning and usage to specialty.

The chart below graphs its usage of speciality vs. specialty.

As you can see, even today, speciality is very close to specialtyin British English,though the terms have leapfrogged one another twice since 1970.

In American English, meanwhile, specialty is by far the more popular term,

In addition to being less popular, speciality is not as old as specialty, having first been recorded in English in 1625, compared to specialtys first use in the 15th century.

Trick to Remember the Difference

These words have identical meanings. The only difference is in their spelling.

Specialty is by far the more popular choice in American English, so you should use it exclusively with American audiences.

In British English, the words are roughly interchangeable.

Specialty is common in both language communities, so it is probably the safer default. Note that specialty only has one I, much like America has only one I. This should make it easy to remember to use specialty for American audiences.

Summary

Is it speciality or specialty? Specialty and speciality are alternative spellings of a word that means an area of expertise.

Specialty is used in both American and British English.

Speciality is primarily a British spelling.

To be safe, use specialtyregardless of your location or region since it appears in both language communities.
If someone stabs you with a knife, did they afflict you with a wound, or inflict a wound on you? On the other hand, when you catch a cold, are you inflicted by a virus, or afflicted with one?

Many writers arent sure how to use inflict and afflict correctly, and today I want to discuss how to use these two verbs.

What is the Difference Between Afflict and Inflict?

In this post, I will compare afflict vs. afflict. 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 to help you remember whether the afflict or inflict is the verb you seek.

When to Use Afflict

What does afflict mean? Afflict is a verb that means to be caused trouble or harm.

Afflict is usually used with an object preceded by the preposition with, so that a person is afflicted with somethinga disease, a sickness, a mental problem.

Here are some examples,

While on vacation, I was afflicted with food poisoning.

The entire city was afflicted with malaria during the unusually wet summer.

I would love to turn traitor, but alas, I am afflicted with a sense of duty to my country, said the prisoner.

Reiss has a fine eye for quotes, whether its Marcel Proust remembering his childhood loneliness at bedtime or Henry David Thoreau, afflicted with terrible insomnia, lamenting the freneticism of the industrialized world. The New York Times

When to Use Inflict

What does inflict mean? The verb inflict means to cause trouble or harm. Inflict is a transitive verb; it is always used with an object, and it takes the preposition on.

For example,

The knights inflicted wounds on each other with their lances.

My power attack inflicts 9,000 damage! screamed the excited gamer.

Your words inflict pain upon my broken heart, murmured Johns scorned former lover.

And they bragged about the damage  $100 million, in Canadian dollars  that they claimed to have inflicted on our business. National Review

Nonliving things, such as scourges, punishments, taxes, regulations, etc., are inflicted onsomeone or something.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, lets go over a trick to remember inflictvs. afflict.

Because inflict and afflict are so similar, many writers get them confused. Still, there are specific usage cases for each of these verbs. Bryan Garner, of Garners Modern English Usage,clarifies that non-living objects, especially scourges or punishments, are inflicted on people; living things, especially humans, are afflicted with diseases.

Afflict and atherosclerosis both begin with the letter A. Since afflict is only used with diseases and other maladies, you can use the shared original letter between afflict and atherosclerosis to remind yourself of this verbs appropriate usage.

Summary

Is it inflict or afflict? Inflict and afflict are two verbs that are so similar that it is easy to confuse them.

Inflict means to cause harm or trouble.

Afflict means to be caused harm or trouble by something, usually a disease.

The two words appear similar and have related meanings, but they are used in specific ways. Since afflict is used with diseases, remember that it and atherosclerosis, a type of disease, both begin with the letter A.

Nuances in meaning and usage can make similar verbs difficult to differentiate. Dont forget, you can always check this site when you have questions about confusing words and other writing topics.
Thesolo prediction gg blackjack excel burgeoning gaming industry in Africa has been thrown into stark relief during 2018 with countries across the continent driving key measures to capitalise on emerging sectors and authorities keen to discuss the direct and indirect investment opportunities ahead. Talking ahead of the inaugural ICE Africa (24-25 October, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg), which is set to provide regulators and operators with an ideal platform to discuss the growing market, Amne Suedi, Principal at Shikana Law Group, a law firm operating within East Africa and based in Kenya and Tanzania, explores the where, how and who of investing in the diverse gaming industry across Africa.

Why is there such a focus on Africa at this time?

As a lawyer specialising in investment in Africa and being very active in the gaming industry in Africa, I think this is an investment area that has a lot of potential to grow further and to have an even bigger impact on the countries that welcome this type of investment in terms of job creation and of course the revenues that can be collected by the tax/government authorities. Governments in Africa can leverage a lot more on this industry as they can divert the earnings into development of sports, entrepreneurship centres, etc.

Where do you see the big wins for the industry in the coming months?

Currently the East African market is very exciting in terms of opportunities but also the regulatory space is ever changing as legislators try and keep up with technology. Representing companies in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda I can say that these markets are smaller than say the Nigerian market, however with an immense growth potential. Definitely, there is room for coming in and making a mark. I believe that the recent legislative changes in Tanzania and Kenya and the imminent ones in Uganda should not dissuade investors. There is always room for engaging with legislators and with planning and a sound, reasonable strategy, investors can achieve legislations that are not perfect (that does not exist), but which are balanced and at least meet their investment requirements half way. It has worked in other sectors, so there is no reason it cannot work in gaming!

Who is currently targeting the market?

The type of investors we see particularly in East Africa are not your typical household names in gaming like Ladbrokes, GVC Holdings, but more entrepreneurs who are going into gaming for the first time in Africa because of the market and huge potential for returns. I think a lot of people have to change their perception about investments in Africa. Like everywhere else in the world, if you want excellence you have to pay the price! It is not any different in Africa.

Whats the best place to start for operators looking to work in Africa?

How to invest would be to seek a good legal counsel who can walk you through the process. There are not so many experts in this field however firms like Shikana Law Group have a proven track record of successfully engaging with regulators and setting up sound investments in the gaming space in East Africa. You also need to have a very good understanding of the market you want to operate in. It is a mistake when investors feel like they can use the same capital and business model in Kenya as in Tanzania or Uganda since all these markets are very different. For example, investing and launching mobile gaming in Uganda would be most likely a disappointment since retail gaming is what is preferred by the Ugandan punters. However, retail is becoming less and less in markets like Tanzania. Of course, there are capital requirements and I always get surprised when certain foreign investors feel like they can invest USD$50,000 in gaming and get phenomenal ROIs while they are ready to invest at least USD$1m in their home countries.

Whats your top tip for those interested in doing business in Africa?

I think the number one advice I can give to investors coming into a country in Africa to invest is  forget what you know from other markets and treat each market as separate entity and do not compare.

Image: Amne Suedi, Principal at Shikana Law Group

For more information on the first ICE Africa and to register, visit the ICE Africa website: www.iceafrica.za.com

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions News
The ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians wraps up in Hanoi on September 16 (Photo: VNA)

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, IPU President Duarte Pacheco, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, over 500 young parliamentarians and delegates from IPU member parliaments attended the event.

Speaking at the event, Esti said recently, there have been many disasters worldwide, such as earthquakes, natural disasters, wildfires, causing significant losses in terms of both human lives and property, especially in Morocco, Libya, and Vietnam.

Delegates later observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims.

In her closing remarks, Esti said delegates had discussed various issues over the past few days such as the progress of sustainable development goals and the role of digital transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship in accelerating progress; and explored how cultural diversity could also be a driving force in achieving sustainable development goals, as well as how to responsibly harness technology to leverage its positive aspects while minimising risks.

Delegates attend the event's closing session. (Photo: VNA)

The conference adopted a statement on the role of the youth in promoting the implementation of sustainable development goals through digital transformation and innovation. It is the first statement so far, featuring the young people's commitment to implementing the millennium development goals set by the United Nations.

In the statement, young parliamentarians expressed their concern as with less than seven years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), only 12% of the SDGs are meeting the targets and over 50% of them still lagging behind.

It also emphasised that the world is witnessing a rapid development of technology, digital transformation and innovation, so it is necessary to harness these potentials to accelerate progress towards SDGs, especially for issues that important to youth.

The statement said important gender gaps persist as women are 26% less likely to own a mobile phone than men is unreasonable, therefore digital transformation and innovation must be opportunities that bolster gender equality by facilitating new avenues for empowerment.

As key innovators, users and promoters of technological evolution, young people are uniquely positioned to lead in the positioning of digital transformation and innovation at the centre of action to accelerate progress in making development sustainable for the planet and accessible for the people, leaving no one behind, it said.

In the statement, the young MPs proposed a series of actions to help accelerate the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation and innovation.

These include updating parliamentary rules and working methods to enable greater virtual participation of MPs.

Recommendations also include ensuring all parliamentarians are equipped with necessary knowledge and technical support, and enhance the use of virtual assistance and the development of a digital library of legal documents.

The statement also advocates adoption of laws and policies that help narrow the digital gap and ensure accessibility to all, including through low-cost access, building of digital infrastructure and skills-building as well as development of suitable legal frameworks and strengthen international cooperation to protect their respective digital sovereignty to bring about a safe, healthy network environment and sustainable development.

Regarding innovation and start-ups, the MPs suggest member parliaments to strengthen the innovation and start-up eco-system, including by developing legal frameworks for innovation and start-ups, and scaling up budgets to support to youth-led and youth-inclusive enterprises, start-ups and innovation initiatives of the youth.

They call for promoting education curricula that provide necessary skills to prepare the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on digital skillsets. Special focus should also be given to young women, including by incentivising more to study in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Relating to promoting respect for cultural diversity for sustainable development, the statement calls for promoting inclusivity, intercultural dialogue, and respect for cultural diversity and local knowledge as drivers of sustainable development, prosperity and peaceful coexistence.

Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue delivers a speech at the conference's closing session (Photo: VNA)

In his closing remarks, Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that the success of the ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians shows that the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians is a very necessary and useful one for young parliamentarians. He emphasised the importance of young parliamentarians in particular and young people in general as the future owners of each country, nation and the whole world in participating in the realisation of the goals and tasks of the IPU and the United Nations.

Hue urged the IPU Secretariat and member parliaments to spread the results of the conference to the UNs 2023 SDG Summit, scheduled for September 18-19 in New York, thereby honoring the role and affirming the commitment and actions of the IPU and young parliamentarians in particular to the global joint effort to accelerate the implementation of SDGs.

He also called on the IPU and its member parliaments to actively implement the conference statement and establish appropriate mechanisms to cooperate with and support each other, especially between developed and developing countries in digital transformation and innovation.

"In the era of digital transformation, in the current boom of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), no country, no matter how big, can solve problems of global scale on its own, and vice versa, smaller and poorer countries still have opportunities and can find opportunities to develop. I think that in the time of 4IR, the future is not simply an extension of the past. Developed countries can also return to their starting point. That is an opportunity and also a premise for us to cooperate," he emphasised.

On behalf of the host country of the conference, Hue thanked and appreciated the effective support and collaboration of experts and staff of the IPU and its Secretariat, member parliaments, National Assembly bodies and relevant sectors of Vietnam.

He affirmed that in every stage of development of countries, the parliaments and parliamentarians, with their noble legislation, supervisor and enforcement roles, are always the vanguards in efforts for legal and institutional reforms and international integration. They serve as a bridge between the political will and the aspirations of the people, between domestic law and international law, between people of different countries, contributing to peace, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development, both regionally and globally.

Vietnam's consistent policy is to promote a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, based on the basic principles of the UN Charter and international law. Vietnam attaches great importance to and actively and responsibly participates in multilateral institutions of which Vietnam is a member, Hue said.

"In that spirit, the National Assembly of Vietnam will continue to actively cooperate with the IPU and join hands with member parliaments to realize the goals and resolutions of the IPU in general and the Statement of this Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, continuously promotes noble missions, and elevates parliamentary diplomacy. It affirms that it will continue to actively contribute to the general activities of the IPU and is ready to host other conferences within the framework of the IPUs activities," the leader affirmed.

IPU President Duarte Pacheco speaks at the closing session of the conference (Photo: VNA)

IPU President Duarte Pacheco thanked the National Assembly of Vietnam for hosting this conference, and expressed his gratitude to all the guests, panelists, and speakers who contributed to this conference.

Emphasising that after the conference, there is more work to be done, the IPU President said he believes in the even more active engagement of young parliamentarians in the IPU and its agenda, as young people have much potential, knowledge and strong commitment to promoting sustainable development for all. The participation of young parliamentarians will increase in the future.

He shared his concern about the limited results of the SDGs realisation, with only 12% of the targets met, while 15 experiencing heavy delays. In the next seven years, there are a lot to do to ensure sustainable development for humanity.

Accordingly, the IPU President suggested engaging youth in in politics and digital technologies to accelerate progress, adapt budgets to scale up support for youth led startups and enterprises, and promote science and innovation for sustainable development and enhance digital literacy for young people.

The conference statement presented earlier provides more concrete actions that you can take home with you. It is an important guide on how to act for the SDGs. The continuation of this journey now rests in our capable hands, he stressed.

An overview of the press briefing after the conference wraps up. (Photo: VNA)

He also pledged that the IPU is ready to support young parliamentarians in implementing their commitments at this Conference. "We cannot delay any longer. Let's try to work hard together to implement what we have committed and what we must do. We have the right to be proud of our work, he said.

Meanwhile, Martin Chungong, Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union stressed that the outcomes of the conference have surpassed expectations and its a continuation of success of the IPU- 132 in Hanoi in 2015./.
Definition of External Conflict

External conflict is nhl betting odds 2021a struggle that takes place between the main character and some outside force. Therefore, it is outside the body of the protagonist. Usually, it occurs when the protagonist struggles against the antagonist, a character that opposes the protagonist in the main body of the story. Other types of external conflict could also arise due to some other factors such as the forces of nature, and society in which the protagonist lives.

Types of External Conflict

There are different types of external conflict found in stories. The most common are:

Character vs. Character

This type of conflict occurs when a character struggles against other characters in the story, for instance in the Harry Potterseries. Harry engages in a battle against Lord Voldemort.

Character vs. Society

This external conflict occurs when the main character stands up to support his beliefs and struggles against the social forces, for instance Sophocles Antigone.

Character vs. Nature

In this type of external conflict, the protagonist struggles against the forces of nature, or an external environment. For instance, in the short story To Build a Fire, Jack London tells a story of an anonymous narrator and his dog, traveling through the wilderness of Yukon Trail.

Examples of External Conflict in Literature

Example #1:Romeo and Juliet(By William Shakespeare)

One classic example of character vs. society external conflict occurs in Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet. The two major characters fall in love, despite their belonging to the feuding families, which do not want them to be together. They constantly struggle and strive to get together throughout the play, as they are under the pressure of society, which wants them to hate each other. Thus, it is a struggle between individuals and society that eventually causes their tragic deaths.

Example #2: The Old Man and The Sea(by Earnest Hemingway)

A major external conflict is between the old man, Santiago, and the fish, a marlin. There is fighting back and forth, and a tug of war between them, that lasts for several days, with neither giving up. Santiagos struggle is also against nature  to catch a giant fish, and the sharks  which attack his precious marlin.

The old man tries to catch the marlin, though it fights back pretty hard. The old man struggles against the views of his villagers too, as they think he has run out of his luck and wasted eighty four days without catching a fish. Nevertheless, he is still determined to not give up. We can clearly see his dilemma of catching the marlin, and his conflict with the fish, when he says, Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.

Example #3: Heart of Darkness(by Joseph Conrad)

Marlowe takes an adventure to the Congo Bay in Africa, and feels surrounded by imperialistic forces there. Conflicts of both character vs. nature, and character vs. society, exist here. In fact, Marlowe comes to a place where people are mentally crazy, and kill each other just to follow their nonsense rituals. In this place, even average people become savages.

Marlowe also sees a civilized man, Kurtz, who due to his prolonged stay over there, starts behaving like the local savages. Though Marlowe could not stand a lie, and does not forgive others for this fault when he meets Kurtzs fiancee, he tells her a lie about her fiances last words. Being a protagonist, Marlowe faces numerous external conflicts.

Example #4: Macbeth(by William Shakespeare)

Macbeth faces character vs. society conflict. Initially, he struggles with his internal conflict, which allows his ambition to turn him into a violent person, pushing him to kill the king to dethrone him. However, during all these circumstances, he encounters several external conflicts. Following the murder of the king, the people stand up against him, and he has to engage himself in fight with them. These external conflicts occur between Macbeth and other characters.

Function of External Conflict

Stories told in novels, plays, short stories, and other similar formats, revolve around the conflict. External conflict gives a sense of excitement and immediacy to the story, making it worth reading. It defines uniqueness of a character and reveals his intentions, giving the audience an understanding of his motivation behind the dialogue and action. In addition, it tells the reason of a characters motivation in life that otherwise may appear foolish on the surface. It also makes possible for the readers to build up sympathy and profound connection with the character to eventually learn something and transform their lives through this learning.

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30 years ago, Johnny To ()s first film The Life-taking Golds () was shot on the Mainland. This would be the last he would shoot on the mainland for three decades. Over the past ten years, filmmakers from Hong Kong have switched their focus to the mainland when considering filming locations. Nonetheless, To has still stuck with Hong Kong, aiming to shoot pure Hong Kong films.

Things are going to change. Earlier this month, it was announced that romance film Romancing in Thin Air, directed by Johnny To and starring Louis Koo and Sammi Cheng, would be released during the 2012 Valentines Day holiday slot.

Hot on the heels of this announcement, it was revealed that Johnny To and Wai Ka-Fai are teaming up again for a new project based on the mainland, titled Drug War ().

Rumors about the cast members have already been spreading over the internet, indicating a host of celebrity heavyweights will be among the cast. The production company behind the film, Hairun Movies & TV Group, clarified that the final cast list has not yet been released.

With 100 million yuan in investment, Drug War will be directed by Johnny To and written by Wai Ka-Fai (). The script is still in the polishing stages. It aims to make blockbuster of the gangster genre based on the mainland.

Liu Shuai

Chinese Films

Johnny To and Wai Ka-Fai to Shoot Gangster Film on Mainlandadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
Understatement Definition

An understatement is mlb picks espn canucks flames oddsa figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.

For example, you win 10 million dollars in a lottery. When you tell a news reporter I am delighted, you are making an understatement. Similarly, suppose a team loses to its opponent 50 to 0 in a soccer match, and the captain of the team says in a post-match ceremony, We did not do well, it is an understatement because he is trying to decrease the intensity of the loss.

An understatement usually has an ironic effect, as an equally intense response is expected in severe situations, but the statement in response is the opposite of what was expected. For instance, your friend returns your new coat with a large wine stain on the front of it. In response, you make an understatement, It doesnt look too bad. Therefore, an understatement is opposite to another figure of speech, hyperbole, which is an overstatement.

Common Understatement Examples

Let us try to understand understatement better with the help of some common examples of understatement used in daily conversations:

Deserts are sometimes hot, dry, and sandy.  Describing deserts of the world.

He is not too thin.  Describing an obese person.

It rained a bit more than usual.  Describing an area being flooded by heavy rainfall.

It was O.K.  Said by the student who got the highest score on the test.

It is a bit nippy today.  Describing the temperature, which is 5 degrees below freezing.

Difference between Ironic and Non-Ironic Understatement

An ironic understatement is a statement whose very objective is a mockery. It is also called comedic understatement and comprises verbal irony. In other words, the literal meaning is not what the speaker speaks but what he intends. In non-ironic understatement, the literal meanings are a fact that is being presented without any pretensions.

Differences between Understatement and Hyperbole

Although both hyperbole and understatement appear the same, they have a little difference. Hyperbole is an exaggeration that is always greater than the actual while an understatement is always lesser than the actual. Therefore, despite having a similarity in their functions, both are different from each other where one belittles and the other makes bigger.

Difference between Understatement and Anticlimax

There is a lot of difference between an understatement and an anti-climax. Whereas an understatement means to belittle things with irony or without irony, an anti-climax means to bring down expectations after heightening them to a point that unexpected bringing down causes disappointment.

Difference between Understatement and Litotes

As mentioned above, an understatement means belittling things, a litotes means using double negative to express affirmation. For example, he states that it has rained a bit today is an understatement while if he says it has not rained cats and dogs is a litotes.

Using Understatement in Sentences

She gained a little weight. Its not a big deal jumping from Size 8 to 16. They are doing a bit of their construction these days and of course, therell be a lot of noise. Joes hair fall has led to his downfall. It is not that Im not waking up in the mornings, it is that my mom is not making me sit down. 2020 was not the best of the times and also not the worst of the times.

Examples of Understatement in Literature

Example #1: Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

In Salingers Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield says:

I have to have this operation. It isnt very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.

Having a tumor in the brain is a serious issue, which has been understated in this excerpt.

Example #2: Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

In Emperor Mage, a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, Daine states (as if she has done nothing wrong):

I thought theyd killed you. I lost my temper.

This is an understatement that Daine makes, after raising an army of dinosaur skeletons to destroy the king, and later, she destroys the imperial palace in order to avenge the death of her teacher.

Example #3: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

[Aunt Sally] Good gracious, anybody hurt?

[Huck] Nom. Killed a nigger.

This excerpt from Mark Twains famous work provides one of the great understatement examples found in Twains literary pieces. Hucks response, Nom. Killed a nigger exposes the thinking of the people of the time, who did not consider black men humans. Killing a black man was not considered something serious.

Example #4: Nights Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton

Look at the understatement in Nights Dawn Trilogywritten by Peter F. Hamilton:

Ive always been a massive admirer of the Edenist ability to understate. But I think defining a chunk of land fifteen kilometers across that suddenly takes flight and wanders off into another dimension as a little problem is possibly the best example yet.

Example #5: The Silver Chain by Primula Bond

Another example of understatement comes from Primula Bonds novel The Silver Chain:

And you, who have told me a hundred times how deeply you pitied me for the sorceries by which I was bound, will doubtless hear with joy that they are now ended forever. There was, it seems, some small errorin your Ladyships way of treating them.

The reference of some small error is an understatement as the error which ends somebodys power is not small at all.

Example #6: Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks

In another fantasy novel, Consider Phlebas, an understatement was made about a war that lasted for 48 years, and took the lives of more than 851 billion beings.

A small, short war that rarely extended throughout more than .02% of the galaxy and .01% by stellar population  the galaxys elder civilisations rate the Idiran-Culture war as  one of those singularly interesting Events they see so rarely these days.

Function of Understatement

An understatement is a tool that helps to develop other figures of speech, such as irony and sarcasm, by deliberately decreasing the severity of a situation, when an intense response is expected by the listeners or the readers.

Synonyms of Understatement

As a literary term, no other word can be used as its substitute. However, a few following words are its distant synonyms such as euphemism, understatement, minimization, trivialization, or sometimes subtlety, litotes, and meiosis.

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What Is a Special Power of Attorney?casino apps with free spins

A special power of attorney is a legal document that authorizes one person, called an agent or an attorney in fact, to act on behalf of another person, known as the principal, under specific, clearly laid-out circumstances.

Also known as a limited power of attorney (LPOA), a special power of attorney allows an individual to give another person the ability to make certain legal or financial decisions on their behalf.

Key Takeaways

A special power of attorney allows a person (the principal) to authorize another individual (the agent) to make legal decisions on their behalf.

The agent can act on behalf of the principal only under specific, clearly defined circumstances.

A general power of attorney is broader, giving the agent the ability to make all legal and financial decisions on behalf of the principal.

Understanding Special Power of Attorney

A power of attorney refers to an agreement between two individuals that allows one individual to act on the other's behalf. For example, you might want a power of attorney if you are out of the country and unable to carry out a business transaction yourself, or if your abilities are limited by a medical condition. The person who initiates a power of attorney, whether in oral or written form, is referred to as the grantor or principal. The authorized individual named in the agreement is referred to as the attorney in fact or agent. In the case of a special power of attorney, the actions that the agent can take are limited to very specific circumstances.

Because this type of power of attorney is limited to what has been laid out in the signed document, it is particularly important that the principal is very clear about the powers that they want the agent to have. Additionally, the principal may create more than one special power of attorney, naming a different individual in each one.

General Power of Attorney vs. Special Power of Attorney

While a special power of attorney gives the agent authority for a limited set of actions under a restricted set of circumstancessuch as buying or selling a home, withdrawing money from an account, or running a businessa general power of attorney is more broad.

A general power of attorney grants the agent the legal right to make all financial and legal decisions on behalf of the principal. An individual who will be out of the country for a year may give an agent extensive powers to carry out transactions such as personal and business financial transactions, bill payments, life insurance purchases, charitable donations, real estate management, and the filing of tax returns.

A special power of attorney may need to be notarized to have legal authority.

Special Considerations

A power of attorney becomes ineffective if its principal dies or becomes incapacitated, meaning the principal is unable to grant such power due to an injury or mental illness. However, a special power of attorney can be made durable.

A durable power of attorney is one that authorizes the agent to continue acting on behalf of the principal even after the principal becomes incapacitated, for instance, due to a head injury or Alzheimers disease. Under a durable power of attorney, the authority of the agent to act and make decisions on behalf of the principal continues until the principal's death. For an individual who does not already have a durable power of attorney in place and does not have the capacity to execute a special power of attorney, the court will impose a conservatorship or a guardianship to act on their behalf.

When an individual passes away, the special power of attorney becomes void, and a last will and testament takes precedence.
Representatives of OPEC member countries attend a press conference after the 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 5, 2022.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its non-OPEC allies' plan to cut oil output was seen as a "slap in the face" for the Biden administration which has struggled to respond with very limited options.Chinese analysts said none of Washington's options, including releasing more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, would achieve its purpose, but more importantly, the OPEC+ cut is symbolic as more nations are not succumbing to US pressure over issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict.After expressing disappointment on Thursday, US President Joe Biden said the US was looking at all possible alternatives to keep prices from rising, Reuters reported.Some of Biden's options include releasing more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or exploring a curb on energy exports by US companies. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that the US is reviewing various options regarding its relationship with Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.The OPEC+ announced its plans to cut oil production by two million barrels a day from November, as CNN said the cut is the largest since the beginning of the pandemic and could "lead to a dramatic spike in oil prices." The White House is "having a spasm and panicking," CNN quoted a US official as saying.He Weiwen, a senior fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China and former economic and commercial counselor at Chinese Consulates General in San Francisco and New York, told the Global Times on Friday that Biden can hardly do anything effective to respond to the gas price spike.The US has already released much of its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and releasing the rest of it simply will not temper the price, He said.Instead, soaring oil prices will wound Biden, who has been struggling to deal with high domestic inflation and the midterm elections, analysts said.He said the OPEC+ cut plan annoyed Biden not just because of its domestic crisis, but also because US believes OPEC nations are helping Russia to profit from rising oil prices and mitigate sanctions imposed by the West.But analysts said there is very little the US can do about OPEC+ nations or Saudi Arabia, and He said the US may consider more sanctions against Russia.Lu Xiang, an expert on international relations and a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that US does not have the ability to impose stricter sanctions against Russia right now, after it has done almost everything it can with Russia but failed to achieve its purposes, and any further sanctions may result in the two sliding into a "war."The US has teamed up with its allies from G7 to implement a price cap for Russian oil, however, official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the move was a confirmation that the US and the EU are "devoid of market economic principles," and the "hands-on control and the political pressure on all economic operators," TASS reported.Lu said the OPEC+ nations' plan was a symbolic move that they will not yield to US pressure over issues concerning Russia.Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries are now at a stage where they have lost trust in the US, and OPEC countries will do what they want instead of doing what the US wants, Lu said, noting that the Biden administration will face more chaotic, situations after the midterms since most people predict that the Republicans may win control of the House.This incident is another reflection of the widening cracks between OPEC members and the US, which used to be allies, as the world's major oil producers are growing increasingly impatient with the US' self-centered global strategies, analysts said.OPEC's move came just three months after Biden visited Saudi Arabia to seek an oil production increase, and OPEC+ agreed a few weeks later to a modest 100,000-barrel increase in production, CNN reported.Politicians from the US will only get a polite reception when they visit this region in the future, but US politicians' tricks will no longer work, Lu said.
WARSAW  When a missile slammed into a Polish village just a few miles from Ukraine last week and killed two local residents,vegas hero casino free spins fears surged that Russia had attacked a NATO country and threatened a global conflagration  until it turned out that it was probably a wayward Ukrainian air defense missile that had fallen into Poland by accident.

Just how risky the situation remains, however, was put into focus this week when Poland announced that it had accepted a German offer of Patriot air defense systems and would deploy them near the border with Ukraine.

Poland, like the United States, has provided steadfast support to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February, supplying weapons and unwavering diplomatic backing, but it has no desire to get into a war with Moscow.

Still, even though the new missiles from Germany will not be fully operational for years, by which time the war in Ukraine may well be over, Polands plans to deploy them close to the conflict zone signals growing worries that its own security may be at risk, and that the war next door could spread, by accident or by design.

Putting American-made Patriot interceptor missiles, some of which should be working at least partially by next August, close to Ukraine raises a host of difficult questions rooted in NATOs eagerness to help Ukraine while staying outside the conflict zone.

What happens if our radar shows rockets are coming and they need to be intercepted inside Ukraine? asked Jacek Bartosiak, the head of Strategy and Future, a Warsaw research group focused on security issues.

That scenario, he said, is unlikely to drag NATO into a direct clash with Russia, but would push it into an uncharted gray zone.

Image A grain facility in a Polish village near the border with Ukraine was hit with a missile last week.Credit...Darek Delmanowicz/EPA, via Shutterstock

Russian warplanes, Mr. Bartosiak said, no longer venture into regions of western Ukraine next to Poland, so there is no real risk of their being hit accidentally by a missile fired from Polish territory. And the PAC-3 Patriot missiles offered by Germany have a range of around only 20 miles, which means they would not reach into areas of Ukraine where Russian air or ground forces now operate.

But, Mr. Bartosiak said, there is still the possibility of Patriot missiles operating in Ukrainian air space. That would undermine NATOs hands-off approach to the war, and its strong commitment to support Ukraine with weapons while avoiding at all costs any involvement inside the country that could be used as a pretext by Moscow to escalate.

Dnipro River: A volunteer Ukrainian special forces team has been conducting secret raids under the cover of darkness traveling across the strategic waterway, which has become the dividing line of the southern front.

A volunteer Ukrainian special forces team has been conducting secret raids under the cover of darkness traveling across the strategic waterway, which has become the dividing line of the southern front. Evacuation Plans: The Ukrainian government is preparing to help evacuate residents from the southern cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv, where shattered infrastructure has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis when winter sets in.

The Ukrainian government is preparing to help evacuate residents from the southern cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv, where shattered infrastructure has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis when winter sets in. A Race to Rebuild: Ukrainian attempts to stabilize some of the countrys battered electricity supply and make a dent in the seemingly endless task of demining swaths of the country offered a glimpse into the Herculean effort that lies ahead off the battlefield.

Ukrainian attempts to stabilize some of the countrys battered electricity supply and make a dent in the seemingly endless task of demining swaths of the country offered a glimpse into the Herculean effort that lies ahead off the battlefield. Visual Investigation: Videos circulating on social media have ignited a debate over whether Ukrainian forces committed war crimes or acted in self-defense as they tried to capture a group of Russian soldiers who were then killed. Here's what we know.

Russia, which has railed for years against American missiles deployed in Poland  the Pentagon says they are part of a program to defend against ballistic missiles fired by rogue states like Iran  has had no official comment on the Patriot systems being sent to Poland.

Russian military bloggers, who often reflect the views of Russias defense establishment, scoffed at the effectiveness of Patriot air defense missiles but accused NATO of using last weeks incident in eastern Poland as a pretext for deploying missiles close to Ukraine to help shoot down Russian munitions.

In a post on Telegram, Rybar, an unofficial but influential pro-war Russian blog, said that a couple of additional air defense systems will not provide a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but warned against NATOs tacit potential participation in repelling missile attacks by the Russian armed forces on targets in western Ukraine.

A NATO spokesperson, Oana Lungescu, said the alliance welcomed Germanys offer to help Poland with new missiles but stressed that their mission was to defend alliance territory. In response to Russias war against Ukraine, we are strengthening our defenses in the East, she said.

Germany has already sent Patriot missiles to Slovakia, which also borders Ukraine, and the United States military in April installed its own Patriot batteries at the Polish airport of Rzeszow, a key transit hub near the Ukrainian border for Western weapons flowing into Ukraine.

Image Patriot missiles in Torun, Poland.Credit...Tytus Zmijewski/EPA, via Shutterstock

None of these air-defense systems has been involved in clashes with Russia inside Ukraine.

Whether any of the additional Patriot missiles provided to Poland by Germany are fired into Ukraine could depend in part on who controls them: Polish or German military personnel.

The defense ministry in Warsaw did not respond to questions about who would be in charge. Normal procedures within the NATO alliance leave the nation providing air defense systems in control, not the host nation. The Patriots installed in April at Rzeszow airport, for example, are operated by American personnel.

Robert Czulda, a security expert at the University of Lodz in central Poland, said that Germans would most likely be in control of the new missiles, at least initially, because our army is not trained in how to use Patriots.

On Monday, Col. Michal Marciniak, who oversees air defense at the Polish defense ministry, told the national news agency, PAP, that the first battery of Patriot missiles offered by Germany had arrived in Poland and was being tested. Years of training will be needed, and the systems will not reach full combat readiness until 2024 or 2025, he said.

That postpones difficult decisions on whether the missiles can be fired into Ukraine and under what circumstances.

Colonel Marciniak said the main task of the Patriots from Germany would be to protect population centers, critical infrastructure and army groups. He did not address the question of whether this might mean firing them into Ukrainian skies. The American-operated Patriots in Rzeszow, he said, did not cover the Polish village of Przewodow that was hit last week by the errant missile.

The United States, to Ukraines chagrin, has been careful to avoid anything that would risk NATO getting sucked into the war directly. And Poland shares American wariness of any direct involvement in the conflict.

Image The funeral for one of two victims of a missile that hit the Polish village.Credit...Kacper Pempel/Reuters

We want Ukraine to win, but our priority is to keep Polish and other NATO territory safe, said Mr. Czulda, the Lodz University expert. We are happy to assist them and deliver arms, but there is no discussion of direct involvement. Nobody here wants that.

That was clear, he said, from Polands swift response last week to claims by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that Russia had attacked Polish territory and that a firm response from NATO was needed. Polands president said the explosion was most likely an unfortunate accident, not an intentional attack.

I understand Ukraines point of view, but they have their own goals and interests, Mr. Czulda said. Zelensky wants to get NATO involved, and we want to stay away.

In the early months after Russia invaded, Mr. Zelensky called in vain for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukrainian territory. Washington dismissed the idea as a non-starter because it would have risked Russian and Western warplanes shooting at each other. But his plea for action last week after the missile hit a grain-processing plant in the Polish village shows that he has not given up on trying to get NATO involved.

Mr. Czulda said there was very, very minimal risk of the new Patriot systems dragging NATO into a confrontation with Russia in Ukraine.

These missiles will not engage Russian aircraft in Ukraine, he said. But if Russians fly into Poland, that is their problem.

Image A military band at the funeral for one of the victims. Credit...Kacper Pempel/Reuters

He questioned whether the German-supplied Patriot missiles would add much to Polands military capabilities, saying they were mainly a symbolic and political move to show that Germany is committed to Polish security and to calm often-tense relations between Warsaw and Berlin.

Polands nationalist governing party, Law and Justice, has clashed repeatedly with the German government, mostly over disputes dating back to World War II. It keeps reviving what Berlin views as long-settled arguments over wartime reparation payments and has even accused Germany, Europes biggest economy and the dominant voice within the European Union, of working to establish a Fourth Reich.

If nothing else, the Patriot missile offer should help put relations back on a more even keel and curb Law and Justices desire to stoke the often anti-German sentiments of its political base.

Polands deputy prime minister, Jacek Sasin, on Tuesday hailed Germanys offer of missiles as an important gesture that would ease tensions with Berlin and lead to a real strengthening of Polands defenses. Polish-German relations, he said, are correct, although there are also a lot of problems.

Anatol Magdziarz from Tbilisi, Georgia.

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TheToshi Video Club Supreme Courts decision in 2018 to allow states to legalise sports betting has sparked a huge boom in the gambling industry in the United States.

That is certainly the case where Indiana is concerned, with the state generating revenues of more than $78 million since the first sportsbook was launched there in September 2019.

Further growth is expected, with all of the major North American leagues set to resume play or start new seasons over the next couple of months.

Read on as we take a closer look at some of the latest developments in Indiana that are likely to have an impact on its gambling revenues.

Revenue Dip Just a Minor Blip

The launch of legal online sportsbooks in Indiana quickly generated huge revenues in the state, although things have slowed down a little over the past few months.

That trend was perfectly highlighted in June, with the sports betting handle dropping by more than $7.5m when compared to the previous month.

However, revenues fell by just $257,860 during the same period and were almost double the amount generated during April.

With all five major leagues in North America set to be up-and-running again soon, Indiana seems sure to retain its status as the fourth biggest sports betting market in the US.

Regulators Approve Merger of Big Guns

A second regulatory agency in Indiana has recently approved the $17.3 billion merger between Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts.

The Indiana Gaming Commission were the first organisation to give their consent to the deal and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission quickly followed suit.

One condition of the approval was that Eldorado and Caesars will be required to sell three of their gaming properties located in the state.

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission subsequently removed the last stumbling block to the merger by giving the two parties their endorsement.

Boyd & Fan Duel set for Indiana Launch

Boyd Gaming Corporation and FanDuel Group are awaiting regulatory approval to launch mobile sports betting products in Indiana and Iowa.

The companies have already successfully launched the same service across Pennsylvania and are eagerly to expand their operations.

"Together, Boyd Gaming and FanDuel Group continue to successfully capitalize on the historic opportunity afforded by the legalisation and expansion of sports betting in new states across the country," said Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming.

We are confident our partners at FanDuel will deliver excellent results in Iowa and Indiana as well, further expanding Boyd Gaming's customer base and enhancing our long-term competitive appeal."

Politicians Call for End to Unnecessary Taxes

Indiana lawmakers will be keeping a watchful eye on Pennsylvania over the next few months, with some politicians calling for an end to unnecessary taxation on legal sportsbook operators.

The officials have put forward a bill which would repeal a federal excise tax and an annual employee-based tax that are viewed as a hindrance to industry growth.

They have argued that it is wrong for states to penalise employers for creating jobs at a time when the sports betting sector is still in its infancy.

Many legal sportsbooks operate to extremely low margins and removing the taxes will help them to attract punters away from the black market.

Category: Casino Blog
From my view at least, there hasnt been much of a public debate about it, which reflects the way Italy has handled the pandemic from the start.

All the while the debate about whether or not you need E-A-T for ranking rages on.

Something that involved public debate and public contribution.

I havent been doing mock debates very much, but Ive been just making sure that I understand all that he has said and hasnt said.

Theres still debate as to whether such policies conflict with the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty. NASA will pay for moon rocks excavated by private companies|Neel Patel|September 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Throughout the fifties, in city after city, fluoridation became the subject of fierce debate. Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST

Bush busy engaging constituents on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate ahead of the 2004 presidential election. Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The debate over who really pulled off the Sony hack, then, could continue indefinitely. Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

And it must make sure that the platform of debate where we can freely exchange ideas is safe and sound. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

They already know the answer, but they know by feigning ignorance they can create all this debate about it. Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William OConnor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

On the 13th of February the Stamp Act bill was introduced and read for the first time, without debate. The Eve of the Revolution|Carl Becker

The Cuban debts and the future of the Philippines were really the knotty points in the entire debate. The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

Congress met, and during the debate on the momentous questionpeace or warthe hitherto compact group of intransigents weakened. The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

He had not started the journey brashly, on impulse, but after debate and discussion with Mandy, his wife. Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
Adverbs are useful, but too many of them can clutter up your writing and make it a chore to read. Sometimes, adverb phrases can fill the same function in a more eloquent manner.

On accident and by accident are adverb phrases that mean the same thing as accidentally. One could argue that they arent actually any more elegant than the simple adverb itself, but for varietys sake, they can be interesting in their own right.

Which one should you use, though? Continue reading to find out about on accident and by accident.

What is the Difference Between On Accident and By Accident?

In this article, I will compare the phrase on accident vs. by accident. I will use each of these phrases in example sentences to showcase their proper context.

Plus, I will demonstrate the use of a mnemonic device that makes choosing by accident or on accident a little easier.

When to Use By Accident

What does by accident mean? By accident is an adverb phrase. It is synonymous with the traditional adverb accidentally, which means not on purpose.

If you did not mean to spill a glass of milk, but you spilled it anyway, you would have done it by accident. Likewise, if you burned a batch of chocolate chip cookies, you would likely have done it by accident, and not on purpose.

Here are some more examples,

If I hurt your feelings, it was by accident; you know I would never be mean to you on purpose.

I tripped the waiter by accident, and she spilled our drinks all over the adjacent table.

A record number of Americans are dying by accident and increasingly because of fatal overdoses and falls, and not so much in car crashes. NPR

Adverbs and adverb phrases modify verbs by describing how they were performed. By accident and accidentally describe something that was not done intentionally.

When to Use On Accident

What does on accident? On accident is a variant form of the same adverb phrase. Depending on the person you talk to, it may or may not be considered an error.

Most style guides advise against the use of on accident, and as you can see, almost no one uses it in print.

Some point to the age of the writer or speaker for the differences in usage between by accidentvs. on accident, stating that older speakers and writers are more likely to use by accident while younger ones are more likely to use on accident.

While this might be true in spoken English, its clearly not being transferred to formal written English. As the above graph shows, virtually no one uses on accidentin professionally edited writing.

For every one use of on accident, there is 75 uses of by accident. In other words, professional writers and editors do not find on accidentto be an acceptable variation of this phrase.

Trick to Remember the Difference

In spoken conversation, you can probably use whichever version sounds more natural to you, at least if you are speaking to an American.

In writing, though, by accident is the standard variant of this phrase. Since by comes before on in the alphabet, remember to use by accident before you even think of using on accident.

It might be an even better idea, though, to use the adverb accidentally instead in most contexts.

Summary

Is it on accident or by accident? By accident and on accident are two versions of an adverb phrase that means not on purpose.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. (Photo: VNA)

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.

PM Chinh conveyed greetings from Party leader Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh 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 Vietnam-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 Vietnam's foreign policy.

In reply, Li asserted that China always considers its relationship with Vietnam a priority in the overall framework of its neighbourhood policy.

China backs Vietnams 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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./.
Theonline free pokies australia Blockchain-based computing platform, Alphaslot, has confirmed it will place a core focus on new player acquisition and ensuring content connects with unique international markets as the company prepares to build bridges between differing gaming ecosystems from casino games, console games, and eSports.



Alphaslot claims it will advance the widespread adoption of Blockchain technology in gaming by matching new audiences and age groups in different markets with the trends and sectors within the industry which are having the biggest impact in those countries. Explaining Blockchains universal potential for players, operators and developers, the companys CEO, Raymond Chan, explained: Alphaslots Blockchain is a bridge between differing gaming ecosystems, and also acts as a gateway for any developer or operator to be involved. While it can be said that anyone could be a commercial beneficiary of Blockchain, as with any kind of technology, how Blockchain will be evaluated really comes down to the users. Using Alphaslot as an example, the commercial beneficiaries are the operators of game ecosystems, game developers, and most importantly the people who play games.



In the case of casino gaming, it is becoming more and more difficult to attract new player segments, he continued. A lot of this has to do with the content not connecting to what these player segments are looking for. This is where interaction with gaming ecosystems such as e-sports and mobile gaming will be a powerful tool, providing casino gaming operators the chance to attract players from different gaming environments. This also provides more exposure for such eSports and mobile gaming operators, thus creating a gaming network that benefits all involved.



The Hong Kong-based company has been building Blockchain technology from the ground up since July of this year with its management team boasting luminaries from across the gaming and technology sectors, including key casino gaming industry experts, university professors, and Blockchain technology engineers. Chan believes the next big trend the industry will experience is in decentralized platforms. He explained: In the Blockchain world, these platforms are already the current big thing. Whether it is gaming, accounting, or anything else, Blockchain technology works best with integrating different parties and decentralizing data management. What this means is that it is suitable for IT platforms that would figure to gain the most by tying in multiple parties and not being over reliant on one centralized entity.



Alphaslot will be strengthening its position in the global market over the coming months with a number of dedicated tools and concepts which are set to augment their Blockchain technology across the gaming spectrum in markets across the world. The Alphaslot mobile app will connect players to the Alphaslot Platform via a community comprising land-based casino, online and mobile games, console games and eSports ecosystems. In addition the companys interoperability model is set to advance the widespread adoption of Blockchain technology in gaming by reaching new audiences and age groups in different sectors. Commenting on how these ideas will help evolve gaming internationally, Chan said: Alphaslots interoperability means we will make borderless gaming entertainment possible. Games of differing formats and markets can be integrated and interact with each other through Blockchain enabled digital assets such as avatars, items, points, milestones rewards etc. It doesnt matter if it is mobile games, online social games, console games, eSports, sportsbooks, or casino games. These digital assets can be collected, used in-game, or traded, and in the case of avatars and items, they can also be nurtured and developed much in the same way you would develop your Pokemon.



Of course, our starting point is with casino games, as that is our strongest area of expertise, and Asia is a strong casino gaming market, he added. However, as interoperability grows we also have our eyes set on Europe, North America, and South America. When it comes to gaming in other forms and markets, Korea for example has a very large and lucrative eSports market, Japan has a booming mobile gaming industry, and we see the US embracing sports betting as the next big thing.



To find out more about the Alphaslot Blockchains network expansion, the company will host a product demonstration at the Sora Summit held in Macau on November 13-14 and a panel on gaming innovation at the Sina Conference held at Macao Gaming Show on November 15th.

Image: Raymond Chan, CEO, Alphaslot

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
What Is a Certificate of Deposit (CD)?canvas login bethel school district

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings product that earns interest on a lump sum for a fixed period of time. CDs differ from savings accounts because the money must remain untouched for the entirety of their term or risk penalty fees or lost interest. CDs usually have higher interest rates than savings accounts as an incentive for lost liquidity.

Almost all consumer financial institutions offer CDs, although its up to each bank which terms it wants to offer, how much higher the rate will be compared to the banks savings and money market products, and what penalties it applies for early withdrawal.

Shopping around is crucial to finding the best CD rates because different financial institutions offer a surprisingly wide range. For example, your brick-and-mortar bank might pay a pittance on even long-term CDs, while an online bank or local credit union might pay three to five times the national average. Meanwhile, some of the best rates come from special promotions, occasionally with unusual duration such as 13 or 21 months, rather than the more common terms based on three, six, or 18 months or full-year increments.

Key Takeaways

Top-paying certificates of deposit (CDs) pay higher interest rates than the best savings and money market accounts in exchange for leaving the funds on deposit for a fixed period of time.

CDs are a safer and more conservative investment than stocks and bonds, offering lower opportunity for growth, but with a non-volatile, guaranteed rate of return.

Virtually every bank, credit union, and brokerage firm offers a menu of CD options.

The top nationally available CD rates are typically three to five times higher than the industry average for every term, so shopping around delivers significant gains.

Although you lock into a term of duration when you open a CD, there are options for exiting early should you encounter an emergency or change of plans.

Mira Norian / Investopedia

Understanding Certificates of Deposit (CDs)

Opening a CD is very similar to opening any standard bank deposit account. The difference is what youre agreeing to when you sign on the dotted line (even if that signature is now digital). After youve shopped around and identified which CD(s) youll open, completing the process will lock you into four things.

The interest rate: Locked rates are a positive thing because they provide a clear and predictable return on your deposit over a specific time period. The bank cannot later change the rate and therefore reduce your earnings. On the flip side, a fixed return may hurt you if rates later rise substantially and youve lost your opportunity to take advantage of higher-paying CDs. The term: This is the length of time that you agree to leave your funds deposited to avoid any penalty (e.g., six-month CD, one-year CD, 18-month CD, etc.) The term ends on the maturity date, when your CD has fully matured and you can withdraw your funds penalty free. The principal: With the exception of some specialty CDs, this is the amount that you agree to deposit when you open the CD. The institution: The bank or credit union where you open your CD will determine aspects of the agreement, such as early withdrawal penalties (EWPs) and whether your CD will be automatically reinvested if you dont provide other instructions at the time of maturity.

Once your CD is established and funded, the bank or credit union will administer it like most other deposit accounts, with either monthly or quarterly statement periods, paper or electronic statements, and usually monthly or quarterly interest payments deposited to your CD balance, where the interest will compound.

Certificate of Deposit (CD)

Why Would I Open a CD?

2:01

Unlike most other investments, CDs offer fixed, safeand generally federally insuredinterest rates that can often be higher than the rates paid by many bank accounts. And CD rates are generally higher if youre willing to sock your money away for longer periods.

CDs have become a more attractive option for savers who want to earn more than most savings, checking, or money market accounts pay, but without taking on the risk or volatility of the market.

CDs vs. a Savings or Money Market Account

CDs are a special type of savings instrument. Like a savings or money market account, they provide a way to put money away for a specific savings goalsuch as the down payment on a house, a new vehicle, or a big tripor to park funds that you simply dont need for day-to-day expenses, all while earning a certain return on your balance.

But whereas savings and money market accounts allow you to vary your balance by making additional deposits, as well as up to six withdrawals per month, CDs require one initial deposit that stays in the account until it reaches its maturity date, whether thats six months or five years later. In return for giving up access to your funds, CDs generally pay higher interest rates than savings or money market accounts.

How Are CD Rates Determined?

Anyone whos been following interest rates or business news in general knows that the Federal Reserve Boards rate-setting actions loom large in terms of what savers can earn on their deposits. Thats because the Feds decisions can directly affect a banks costs. Heres how it works.

Every six to eight weeks, the Feds Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decides whether to raise, lower, or leave alone the federal funds rate. This rate represents the interest that banks pay to borrow money through the Fed. When Fed money is cheap (i.e., the federal funds rate is low), banks have less incentive to court deposits from consumers. But when the federal funds rate is moderate or high, banks can do better by paying consumers a competitive rate for their deposits.

In December 2008, the Fed reduced its rate to the lowest level possible of essentially zero as a stimulus to lift the U.S. economy out of the Great Recession. Even worse for savers was that it left rates anchored there for a full seven years. During that time, deposit rates of all kindssavings, money market, and CDstanked.

Beginning in December 2015, however, the Fed began to gradually increase the federal funds rate in light of metrics showing growth and strength in the U.S. economy. As a result, the interest that banks were paying on deposits was rising, with the top CD rates an attractive option for certain cash investments. The federal funds rate began to fall in the latter half of 2019, then were dropped to between 0% and 0.25% in March 2020 in an emergency measure aimed at stifling the economic impact of the 2020 economic crisis. These lower rates currently make CDs a less attractive option for cash investors.

Movements in Feds Rates

When considering opening a CD or how long a term to choose, pay attention to the Feds rate-setting movements and plans. Opening a long-term CD right before a Fed rate hike can hurt your future earnings, while expectations of decreasing rates can signal a good time to lock in a long-term rate.

Beyond the Feds action, however, the situation of each financial institution is an additional determinant of how much interest it is willing to pay on specific CDs. For instance, if a banks lending business is booming and an increasing amount in deposits is needed to fund those loans, then the bank may be more aggressive in trying to attract deposit customers. By contrast, an exceptionally large bank with more than sufficient deposit reserves may be less interested in growing its CD portfolio and therefore offer paltry certificate rates.

Are CDs Safe?

CDs are one of the safest savings or investment instruments available for two reasons:

First, their rate is fixed and guaranteed, so there is no risk that your CDs return will be reduced or even fluctuate. What you signed up for is what youll getits in your deposit agreement with the bank or credit union.

Second, CD investments are protected by the same federal insurance that covers all deposit products. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) provides insurance for banks, and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) provides insurance for credit unions. When you open a CD with an FDIC- or NCUA-insured institution, up to $250,000 of your funds on deposit with that institution are protected by the U.S. government if that institution were to fail. Bank failures are exceptionally rare these days, but its good to know that a bank failure wouldnt put your funds in jeopardy.

The key to ensuring your funds are as safe as possible is to make sure that you choose an institution that carries FDIC or NCUA insurance (the vast majority do, but a small minority carry private insurance instead), and to avoid exceeding $250,000 in deposits in your name at any one institution. If you are holding more than that amount in deposits, you can maximize your coverage by spreading your funds across multiple institutions and/or more than one name (e.g., your spouse).

When Is Opening a CD a Good Idea?

CDs are useful in a few different situations. Perhaps you have cash that you dont need now but will want within the next few yearsmaybe for a special vacation or to buy a new home, car, or boat. For near-term uses like that, the stock market generally isnt considered a suitable investment, as you could lose money over that period of time.

Or maybe you simply want some portion of your savings invested very conservatively, or you shun the risk and volatility of the stock and bond markets altogether. Though CDs dont offer the growth potential of equity or debt investments, they also dont carry a risk of downturns. For money that you want to absolutely ensure will grow in value, even if modestly, CDs can fit the bill.

One of the downsides of CDs can also be a useful feature for some savers. For those who worry that they wont have the discipline to avoid tapping into their savings, the fixed term of a CDand the associated penalty for early withdrawalprovide a deterrent to spending that regular savings and money market accounts do not.

One version of this is using CDs for your emergency fund. This allows you to ensure that you always have sufficient reserves on hand in case of an emergency because the amount in the CD will never decrease. And though you may incur a penalty if you have to dip into your funds early, the idea is that you would only do this in a true emergency, not for lesser but tempting reasons. All the while, youll be earning a better return while the funds are invested than if you had deposited them in a savings or money market account.

Offers a higher rate than you can earn with a savings or money market account

Pays a guaranteed, predictable rate of return, avoiding the volatility and losses that are possible with stocks and bonds

Is federally insured if opened with an FDIC bank or NCUA credit union

Can help fend off spending temptations since withdrawing the funds early triggers a penalty

Cannot be liquidated before maturity without incurring an early withdrawal penalty

Typically earns less than stocks and bonds can over time

Earns a fixed rate of return regardless of whether interest rates rise during the term

Where Can I Get a CD?

ProsCons

Virtually every bank and credit union offers at least one CD, and most have a wide array of terms on offer. Thus, not only is your local brick-and-mortar bank an outlet, but so is every bank or credit union in your community, as well as every bank that accepts customers nationwide via the internet.

In addition, you can open CDs through your brokerage account. These are bank certificates as well. Your brokerage firm simply serves as a middleman.

Why Its Important to Shop Around

Before the internet, your CD choices were essentially limited to what you could find in your community. But with the explosion of online rate shopping, plus the proliferation of internet banksand traditional banks opening online portalsthe number of CDs that one can consider is astounding. Its now possible to shop for CDs at more than 150 banks that accept customers nationwide and allow for opening an account online or through the mail. In addition to that, youll have access to a number of regional and state banks, as well as credit unions, that will do business with you based on your residency in their state.

Note that the range of CD rates across different institutions can vary widely. Its a mistake to just open a CD at the bank where you already have a checking relationship without investigating how its rates compare with those that you can earn elsewhere. You should shop for options available within your state or community, with several online tools able to filter these results and aid in your search.

Always Compare CDs

The top-paying CDs in the country typically pay three to five times the national average rate, so doing your homework on the best options is a key determinant on how much you can earn.

How Much Do I Need to Open a CD?

Each bank and credit union establishes a minimum deposit required to open each CD on its menu. Sometimes a bank will set a minimum deposit policy across all CD terms it offers, while some will instead offer rate tiers, providing a higher annual percentage yield (APY) to those who meet higher minimum deposits.

In theory, having more funds available to deposit will earn you a higher return. But in practice, this doesnt always hold true. For instance, having $25,000 ready for deposit will occasionally enable you to open a CD that is not available to others with lesser amounts. But many of the top 10 rates in each CD term can be achieved with modest investments of just $500 or $1,000. And the vast majority of top rates are available to anyone with at least $10,000. A $25,000 deposit is only occasionally required for a top rate.

Which CD Term Should I Choose?

There are two important considerations when deciding what length of CD term is right for you.

The first centers on your plans for the money. If its for a specific goal or project, the expected start of that project will help you determine your maximum CD term length. In contrast, if youre just socking away cash for which you dont have a specific purpose in mind, you may opt for a longer term to maximize your interest rate.

Second, youll want to consider whats expected to happen with the Feds rate. If its anticipated that the Fed will raise ratesand bank and credit union CD rates will likely rise as wellthen short- and mid-term CDs will make more sense than long-term CDs, since you wont want to be committed to a lesser rate for five years when new, higher rates appear. Conversely, an expectation that rates will decrease in the near term may trigger you to want long-term CDs, so you can lock in todays higher rates for years to come.

What Is a CD Ladder, and Why Should I Build One?

Smart CD investors have a specific tactic for hedging against rate changes over time and maximizing their returns. Its called a CD ladder, and it enables you to access the higher rates offered by five-year CD terms, but with the twist that a portion of your money becomes available every year rather than every five years. Heres how to do it.

At the outset, you take the amount of money that you want to invest in CDs and divide it by five. You then put one-fifth of the funds into a top-earning one-year CD, another fifth into a top two-year CD, another into a three-year CD, and so forth through a five-year CD. Lets say you have $25,000 available. That would give you five CDs of varying length, each with a value of $5,000.

Then, when the first CD matures in a year, you take the resulting funds and open a top-rate five-year CD. A year later, your initial two-year CD will mature, and youll invest those funds into another five-year CD. You continue doing this every year with whichever CD is maturing until you end up with a portfolio of five CDs all earning five-year APYs, but with one of them maturing every 12 months, keeping your money a bit more accessible than if all of it were locked up for a full five years.

Some CD investors also do a shorter version of the CD ladder, utilizing six-month CDs at the bottom end of the ladder and two- or three-year CDs at the top. You thus would have funds becoming accessible twice a year instead of just once annually, but you would earn top rates available for two- to three-year CDs instead of five-year rates.

Why You Should Be Open to Odd-Term CDs

Whether youre building a CD ladder or are saving toward a specific goal with a known time line, stay open-minded to the very best CD deals you find rather than getting hung up on a specific term. This is important because when some banks and credit unions offer a promotional CD to attract new customers, they may stipulate an unconventional term.

For instance, some of the best CD rates youll see have unlikely terms such as five months, 17 months, or 21 months. It may be to stand out, or perhaps to match the birthday that the bank is celebrating, or for any number of other reasons. But if you can be flexible in considering these odd-term CDs instead of the conventional term that you were planning, you can sometimes find yourself with a better-paying opportunity.

How Are CD Earnings Taxed?

When you hold a CD, the bank will apply interest to your account at regular intervals. This is usually done either monthly or quarterly and will show up on your statements as earned interest. Just like interest paid on a savings or money market account, it will accumulate and be reported to you in the new year as interest earned, so that you can report it as income when you file your tax return.

Sometimes people get confused about this because they are not able to actually withdraw and use those interest earnings. Their expectation is that they will be taxed on the earnings when they withdraw the CD funds at maturity (or sooner if they cash out early). This is incorrect. For tax-reporting purposes, your CD earnings are taxed when the bank applies them to your account, regardless of when you withdraw your CD funds.

What Happens to My CD at Maturity?

In the month or two leading up to your CDs maturity date, the bank or credit union will notify you of the impending end date. Its communication will also include instructions on how to tell them what to do with the maturing funds. Typically, they will offer you three options.

Roll over the CDinto a new CD at that bank. Generally, it would be into a CD that most closely matches the term of your maturing CD. For example, if you have a 15-month certificate concluding, they would likely roll your balance into a new one-year CD. Transfer the fundsinto another account at that bank. Options include a savings, checking, or money market account. Withdraw the proceeds. They can be transferred to an external bank account or mailed to you as a paper check.

In any case, the communication to you will stipulate a deadline for you to provide instructions, with an indication of what the institution will do in lieu of receiving your guidance. In many cases, its default move will be to roll your proceeds into a new CD.

Missing the banks deadline for instructing it on how to handle the proceeds of your maturing CD can lead to involuntarily locking yourself into a subpar rate for years to come, or incurring an unwantedand potentially heftyearly withdrawal penalty because you waited too long before extracting your funds.

Should I Let My CD Roll Over?

As a general rule, letting your CD roll over into a similar CD term at the same institution is almost always unwise. If you still dont need the cash and are interested in starting a new CD, rolling it over is certainly the path of least resistance. But its also virtually never the path of maximum return.

As weve mentioned, shopping around is imperative if you want to earn the top rate on your CD investments. And the odds are low that the bank where your CD is maturing is currently a top-rate provider among the hundreds of banks and credit unions from which you can choose a CD. Its possible that youll do well with a rolled-over CD, but the probabilities are against you, and shopping around is always your better bet.

Even if you find that your existing bank is indeed a top contender, youll be able to move into that CD purposefully and with confidence that youve done your homework to score the best possible return.

What If I Need to Withdraw My Money Early?

Even though opening a CD involves agreeing to keep the funds on deposit without withdrawals for the duration of the term, that doesnt mean you lack options if your plans need to change. Whether you encounter an emergency or a change in your financial situationor you simply feel that you can use the money more usefully or lucratively elsewhereall banks and credit unions have stipulated terms for how to cash your CD out early.

The exit wont be free, of course. The most common way that financial institutions accommodate a premature termination is by assessing an early withdrawal penalty (EWP) on the proceeds before your funds are distributed, according to specific terms and calculations that were set out in your deposit agreement when you first opened the certificate. This means that you can know before you agree to the CD if the EWP is acceptable to you.

Most typically, the EWP is charged as a number of months interest, with a greater number of months for longer CD terms and fewer months for shorter CDs. For instance, a banks policy might be to deduct three months interest for all CDs with terms up to 12 months, six months interest for those with terms up to three years, and a full years worth of interest for its long-term CDs. These are just examples, of courseevery bank and credit union sets its own EWP, so its important to compare EWP policies whenever you are deciding between two similar CDs.

Its especially wise to watch out for EWPs that can eat into your principal. The typical EWP policy described above will only cause you to earn less than you would have if you had kept the CD to maturity. You will generally still have earnings, as the EWP will usually only eat up a portion of your earned interest. But some particularly onerous penalties exist in the marketplace, where a flat-percentage penalty is applied. Since this percentage can outweigh what youve earned on a CD that you havent kept very long, you could find yourself collecting less in proceeds than you invested. As a result, these EWP types are best avoided.

Early Withdrawal Policies

Always check a banks EWP policy before committing to a CD. If its especially aggressiveor if you can find another CD with a similar rate and a milder termthen youll be wise to stay away from the toughest penalties.

How do you find the best CD rates?

Shopping for the best CD rate take a lot of research but Investopedia has done the hard work for you and maintains lists of the best rates available no matter what length of time you're looking for:

Best CD Rates

Best 3-month CD Rates

Best 6-month CD Rates

Best 1-year CD Rates

Best 2-year CD Rates

Best 3- year CD Rates

Best 4-year CD Rates

Best 5-year CD Rates

Best 10-year CD Rates

How does a certificate of deposit (CD) work?

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a simple and popular savings vehicle offered by banks and credit unions. When a depositor purchases a CD, they agree to leave a certain amount of money on deposit at the bank for a certain period of time, such as one year. In exchange, the bank agrees to pay them a predetermined interest rate and guarantees the repayment of their principal at the end of the term. For instance, investing $1,000 in a one-year, 5% certificate would mean receiving $50 in interest over the course of one year, plus the $1,000 you initially invested.

Can you lose money on a CD?

Practically speaking, it is almost impossible to lose money on a CD for two reasons. First, they are guaranteed by the bank or credit union that offers them, meaning that they are legally required to pay you exactly the amount of interest and principal agreed upon. Second, they are generally also insured by the federal government, meaning that even if the bank or credit union went bankrupt, your principal would very likely still be repaid. For these reasons, CDs are considered one of the safest investments available.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a CD?

Some savers like CDs because of the safety they provide, as well as the fact that they are perfectly predictable. On the other hand, CDs generally promise a very modest rate of return, particularly in recent years, when the federal funds rate is at historically low levels. If the interest rate offered is below the current inflation rate, then investors in CDs will actually lose money on their investment when its measured on an inflation-adjusted basis. For this reason, yield-conscious investors might prefer investments that are riskier but offer higher potential returns.

The Bottom Line

Certificates of deposit offer stability for people that want to earn more on their money without the risk inherent in stocks and bonds. Although interest rates may be higher than savings accounts and money markets, you'll want to read the fine print carefully. Tying up your money for long set terms may be safe, but you may lose out on higher interest returns if the Federal Funds Rate increases. While you may be able to withdraw your money early, there will be penalties, some of which can cut into your principal. Know the limitations and benefits of your future investment before you sign on the dotted line.
Wedding ceremony halted as kangaroo fight breaks out

closeVideo

An Australian wedding was temporarily delayed after kangaroos near the venue began fighting one another.

A bride and groom about to be married may not have gotten a kick out of this.

A couple's wedding ceremony was delayed when two kangaroos were spotted fighting near the venue.

The Jervis Bay, New South Wales, wedding was about to begin when wedding guests spotted two kangaroos fighting off to the side.

WEDDING MISHAP: BRIDE STOPS ENTIRE CEREMONY WHEN SHE FORGETS PART OF HER WEDDING DRESS

A video captures the moment the large kangaroos were seen on their large and powerful hind legs, fighting each other.

As a result of the fight, the wedding ceremony was temporarily delayed.

The two animals continued to fight, causing the wedding guests to watch in shock and dismay. (@mitchchuri via Storyful)

Videographer and commentator Mitch Churi can be heard talking about the encounter.

WEDDING WINNERS 2022: THE BEST 10 STATES FOR WEDDINGS THIS YEAR (DID YOUR STATE MAKE THE LIST?)

At one point, he jokes about the timing of the incident  wedding day.

Two large and aggressive kangaroos attracted undue attention at a couple's wedding. (@mitchchuri via Storyful)

"Weddings are all fun and games until some of the guests start to fight," he said.

MICHIGAN MAN PROPOSES TO HIS GIRLFRIEND WITH A SWEETGREEN SALAD

In the video, the two kangaroos can be seen standing on their hind legs and attacking one another.

One kangaroo even went for the gut of the other kangaroo.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

"Right in the gut," said the videographer.

The two kangaroos can be seen fighting in the field. (@mitchchuri via Storyful)

The crowd of wedding guests was apparently completely fixated on the fight.

"Everybody stopped looking for the bride and groom and spent 20 minutes watching the fight," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

After the kangaroos calmed down and left the area  the ceremony then began.

Brittany Kasko is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital.
Attain and obtain are two different words that are often confused with each other by writers but both have their own distinct meanings.

Keeping track of these two words can save you and your writing from looking sloppy, but it can be difficult to remember their difference since theyre both verbs and they both have the same ending tain. In this post well outline their differences and give you some tricks to tell attain vs. obtain a part.

When to Use Attain

Attain is a verb that means to accomplish, reach, or achieve something through effort. You can attain a goal that you set for yourself or attain a high-ranking position at your job. For example,

After six months, I attained my goal of losing 15 pounds.

Joe worked so hard he attained the position of Vice President.

My parents were able to attain the American Dream and so was I.

As you can see, attain clearly has to do with the effort and labor that is put into an objective.

When to Use Obtain

Obtain is also a verb, but it means to get, to acquire, or to gain possession of something. For example,

I obtained the latest copy of The Wall Street Journal.

The robbers obtained weapons to commit the crime.

Police obtained a warrant to search the house.

While attain implies there was some effort put forth to produce an outcome, that is not necessarily the case with obtain. Take our example above, and suppose you obtained the latest Wall Street Journal. You could have found it on the side of the street or picked up a free copy at a local diner. There is nothing about obtain that implies a level of difficulty.

There is, however, a fine line between these two words, especially when you attain something that is, itself, closely related to the item that is being obtained. For example,

In college you work hard to attain a degree.

-but-

Once you graduate you will obtain your diploma.

This is a very subtle difference, but it is important to recognize it. In this example you are working hard to attain your academic degree, a B.A., B.S., M.A., Ph.D., etc., but you physically obtain and take ownership of the piece of paper that is your diploma once you graduate.

Similarly, many countries are working to attainnuclear technology, but the nuclear weapons themselves can only be obtained.

Practice Quiz and Examples

It took me 50 years to ______ the wisdom I needed. If you can ______ the tickets, I will go to the game with you. My grandfather ______ the position of Lieutenant. He ______ the car through deceptive means.

Display the answers below.

How to Remember the Difference



A good way to keep these two words a part from each other is to remember that to attain something is to achieve or accomplish something. Achieve and Accomplish both start with As and both involve working to see a goal fulfilled.

Summary

To attain something is to reach or achieve a goal.

Attain involves work and effort.

To obtain something is to take ownership of it and is unrelated to any level of difficulty.

To summarize,

Attain is a verb that means reaching or achieving a goal.

is a verb that means reaching or achieving a goal. Obtainis a verb that means acquiring or gaining possession of something.

Answers
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Microblogs have been a popular means of communication in recent years, though the creators of these weibo probably didnt think they would be used for a darker kind of communication.

Microblogs are the inspiration behind the latest horror film, Midnight Microblog () which stars Taiwanese idol Danson Tang () and mainland horror queen Deng Ziyi ().

Midnight Microblog revolves around a series of supernatural accidents caused by microblogs. Most of the indoor scenes of the film were shot in a hospital in Harbin, with the wards and mortuary being the main setting.

In order to give a real aspect to the characters, makeup and sets, Director Deng Ke decided to use accessible and common props for the film.

According to some reports, the appearance and style of the two lead actors in the film has been released, demonstrating the use of fashionable styles, bringing a different artistic effect to audiences.

The release date of the film has yet to be confirmed.

Zhang Ting

Chinese Films

Still Shots of Midnight Microblog Releasedadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
What Is a Centrally Planned Economy?best sportsbook for esports

A centrally planned economy, also known as a command economy, is an economic system where a government body makes economic decisions regarding the production and distribution of goods. Centrally planned economies are different from market economies, where these decisions are the result of thousands of choices by producers and consumers.

The production of goods and services in planned economies is often done by state-owned enterprises, although independent companies may sometimes be incorporated into economic planning. Prices, wages, and production schedules are typically set by a centralized bureaucracy.

Key Takeaways

In a centrally planned economy, major economic decisions are made by a central authority such as the government.

Centrally planned economies are different from market economies where large numbers of individual consumers and profit-seeking private firms operate most or all of the economy.

Central planning allows the government to marshal society's resources for goals that might not be achieved by market forces alone.

Central planning is commonly associated with socialist or communist forms of government.

Other countries might resort to central planning in times of war or national emergency.

Centrally Planned Economy

Understanding Centrally Planned Economies

1:34

Central planning is frequently associated with Marxist-Leninist governments such as the Soviet Union, North Korea, and East Germany. For most of their history, market activity was extremely limited in these countries, and the government directed economic activity through state-owned enterprises.

After the second world war, many socialist countries chose to adopt economic planning in order to focus resources on government priorities that may not be adequately served by market forces alone. Moreover, since these countries were ideologically opposed to private enterprise, central planning also helped eliminate capitalist modes of production.

While central planning is typically associated with socialist or communist political systems, many other countries may enact elements of economic planning in times of war or national emergency. For example, many countries implemented rationing systems during the world wars in order to prevent shortages and control the prices of essential goods.

There are few countries that can truly be described as a command economy today. Even in North Korea, the private sector performs more economic activity than the state.

Theory of Central Planning

Advocates of central planning believe that the government can direct economic investment more efficiently than private actors, especially towards social goals with lower potential for profits. Moreover, since the planning authority has more resources than any single company or business, government projects can also benefit from economies of scale that make government projects more productive in the long run.

However, in order to coordinate among different producers and resources, central planning typically requires a highly educated technical bureaucracy. This creates something of a paradox for socialist countries, since the bureaucrats may take the role of a de factoruling class.

Criticism of Centrally Planned Economies

The concept of central planning is subject to heavy criticism, especially from scholars in the Austrian school of economics. One major critique, associated with Friedrich Hayek, is that central planners cannot efficiently respond to supply and demand. In a market economy, businesses respond to price signals by increasing or decreasing the production of their goods.

In a planned economy, there are no price signals, so planners cannot accurately forecast which products will be needed or adapt to changing conditions. This means that there may be unnecessary shortages or surpluses of certain goods.

Another critique is that command economies may be less efficient, due to the lack of competitive pressures. While private companies must avoid waste in order to remain profitable, enterprises in a command economy have no pressure to earn profits or reduce expenses.

Examples of Centrally Planned Economies

Central planning is typically associated with the formerly communist countries of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, as well as the contemporary governments of Cuba, China, and parts of Asia. In each of these examples, the state acted as the principal manufacturer, distributor, and employer in almost all sectors of the economy.

Almost all of these countries abandoned central planning in favor of a capitalist or mixed economic model starting in the 1980s. In some cases, such as in China, the privatization of state assets, combined with an influx of foreign investment, resulted in extremely rapid economic growth.

Which Countries Have a Centrally Planned Economy?

While central planning once dominated Eastern Europe and a large part of Asia, most planned economies have since given way to free market systems. China, Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos still maintain a strong degree of economic planning, but they have also opened their economies to private enterprise. Today, only North Korea can be accurately described as a command economy, although it also has a small degree of underground market activity.

How Are Economic Decisions Made in a Planned Economy?

In a planned economy, important economic decisions are made through a combination of political or administrative bodies. Typically, this involves local administrators communicating their capacity and needs to central authorities, who use that information to create a nationwide economic plan. This plan may go through several rounds of revision before it is submitted to the government or legislature.

Do All Socialist Countries Have a Planned Economy?

While socialist economies are typically associated with central planning, several socialist countries incorporated market price signals or private enterprise into their economic systems. Examples include market socialism in the former Yugoslavia, the Socialist Market Economy in Vietnam, or the economic reforms in China under Deng Xiaoping.
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An exempt transaction is a type of securities transaction where a business does not need to file registrations with any regulatory bodies, provided the number of securities involved is relatively minor compared to the scope of the issuer's operations and that no new securities are being issued.

Key Takeaways

Exempt transactions do not require registrations to be filed.

Exempt securities are tax-exempt in most cases.

There are some regulations for exempt transactions such as anti-fraud provisions.

Understanding Exempt Transactions

An exempt transaction is a securities exchange that would otherwise have to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) but does not because of the nature of the transaction in question. Exempt securities which have tax-exempt status are the instruments that the government backs,

Exempt transactions cut down the amount of paperwork needed for relatively minor transactions. For example, it would be a big hassle to perform a filing with the SEC every time a non-executive employee wanted to sell back some of the company's common shares he or she purchased as part of an employee stock purchase plan.

A private placement or Reg D offering is a type of exempt transaction in which the securities are not offered to the public, but are instead sold privately to an accredited investor. According to the SEC, an accredited investor can be:

An insurance company, bank, business development company, small business investment company, or registered investment company

An employee benefit plan administered by a bank registered investment company, or insurance company

A tax-exempt charitable organization

Someone with at least $1 million in net worth, excluding their primary residence

A person with more than $200,000 in income, or joint income of more than $300,000 with a spouse in both of the previous two years

An enterprise owned by accredited investors

A general partner, executive officer, or director of the company selling the securities

A trust with assets of at least $5 million, as long as it has not been formed just to buy the securities in question

Even with exempt transactions, investors and companies are responsible for any misleading or false statements. Exempt transactions are also not exempt from the general provisions of regulating codes, including reporting requirements.

Special Considerations

Other types of exempt transactions include Reg A offerings, also known as small business company offerings, which permit the issuing company to raise no more than $5 million in 12 months. This allows smaller companies to access securities markets to raise capital. Rule 147 offerings, or intrastate offerings, are also exempt. Transactions with financial institutions, fiduciaries, and insurance underwriters may be considered exempt. Unsolicited orders, which are those executed through a broker at the request of his or her client, are also considered exempt.

Usually, an exempt transaction involves a small amount of money or an accredited or sophisticated investor, or does not, for some other reason, warrant a full registration. However, even exempt transactions are subject to some regulations, such as anti-fraud provisions. Investors and companies can still be held liable to misleading or false statements made on behalf of the company, the offering, or the securities, even if the transaction is exempt.

And while exempt transactions may not need to be registered with state securities regulators, those state authorities retain the authority to investigate fraud, collect associated state fees, and enforce state filing requirements. Therefore, companies should take care to remain in compliance with state securities regulations, even if their offerings and transactions are exempt under federal filing regulations.
German news website NTV has published an article highlighting the attractiveness of the Southeast Asian country to German businesses. (Photo: VNA)

According to the September 14 article, Vietnam has long been famous for shoes, garment and textile, coffee and pepper. The country is always ready to innovate and absorb new technologies, so it has a good reputation as an electronics manufacturing hub.

Meanwhile, Made in Germany goods and machinery are also very popular in Vietnam, along with automobiles and chemical products. Germany currently has about 350 companies with offices and facilities in the Southeast Asia country, it said.

Two-way trade turnover reached 18 billion euros (19.2 billion USD) last year, of which shipments from Vietnam accounted for 14.7 billion euros. Germany is currently Vietnams most important trade partner in the European Union (EU) while Vietnam is Germanys largest partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Ludwig Graf Westarp, the representative of the German Association for Small- and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW) in Vietnam, said Vietnam is a country with many development opportunities and a very vibrant market. Over the recent years, the country has poured much capital into infrastructure, roads, ports and airports. Vietnam is also expanding its renewable energy industry which requires not only experience but also technology from Germany.

According to NTV, the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Vietnam has doubled in the past 10 years. It has a young population who are ready to learn and a stable political system. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Vietnamese economy like other countries in the world, experts are still very optimistic about its economy.

The article also said that in addition to the economic field, Vietnam is also quite an attractive country for Germany in terms of geopolitics. A lot of countries such as the Republic of Korea and Japan have set up production bases in Vietnam to enjoy economic benefits.

These things clearly show Vietnam's potential to German businesses, given an increasingly volatile world order, it added./.
Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Ulf Kristersson,the new Swedish prime minister, announced the composition of the new government following elections. Judging from Kristersson's remarks, it is almost certain that Sweden's future foreign policies will be more inclined to be in consistent with those of the US and other European countries, including policies toward Russia-Ukraine conflict and China. Any problems that arise in relations between China and the EU will also be likely reflected in the relations between China and Sweden in the future.A nation that insists on embarking on the "Third Way" now has begun to turn right. This is particularly notable when we observe the changes in Europe. In the 2022 Swedish general elections, the far-right Sweden Democrats surged to become the second-largest party. The party, founded in 1988 and with roots in neo-Nazism, has become a political force that can influence the future development of Sweden - this has reflected the changes in Swedish social thought.Although the Sweden Democrats party is not directly participating in the cabinet this time, they will have a say in drafting any and all new laws, amendments to regulations, and budget decisions. They will also be able to place their own political operatives into government ministries to check up on the work of the other parties.Anti-immigrant political forces in Denmark, Norway, and other Nordic countries have been on the rise in recent years, forming a trend of public opinion changes across Northern Europe. Against this backdrop, the Sweden Democrats party, which has an anti-immigrant stance, expanded and won more votes. In recent years, there has been a continuous wave of gang-related crimes in Sweden, many of which are related to the immigrant community. An increasing number of people are beginning to believe that "it's all the fault of immigrants."However, behind the anti-immigration rhetoric is the "Swedish culture first" nationalist ideology. The Sweden Democrats party is steadfastly opposed to cultural pluralism, especially bicultural identity, emphasizing the need to spare no effort to preserve the purity of Swedish culture. The Sweden Democrats leader Bjorn Soder once said that minorities were not Swedish, as ethnicity and citizenship were two different concepts.According to the Sweden Democrats, Swedes are either born in Sweden, or those immigrated to Sweden but actively identify with Swedish culture, choose to become part of Sweden, and are loyal to Swedish culture.This strong cultural conservatism will become an important reason for them to oppose the further promotion of European integration, to be anti-Russian, and to support a hard-line policy toward Russia.In the elections, many Swedish voters changed their long-standing support for the Sweden Social Democratic Party not because they support the far-right policy choice. They changed because they feel the stronger and stronger sense of crisis in ideology, or Swedish culture.During the long post-war period, in which the Sweden Social Democratic Party was in power for most of the time, the party's insistence on the Third Way has made the Sweden a country with the highest social development index in the world, with per capita GDP remaining within the top 10 for the most of the time. Sweden, home to about 10 million people, is playing a leading role in not only Europe but also around the globe in areas ranging from employment, environmental protection, education, science and technology to social welfare and social stability.But in recent years, as globalization has continued to expand and accelerate, Swedes have felt being impacted, especially in terms of economy and social welfare.This is in line with the overall state of development in Europe. Some European scholars have pointed out that the weakening of sovereign state functions by globalization is mainly manifested in the three aspects - security, currency and welfare.In face of the shock, the Swedes are not giving up the "Third Way," but will take a step back to see if they could hold on to the achievement of the "Third Way." They believe, if they are the best, why can't they just stick around? That's why they voted for the right-wing. It is also one of the reasons why this country, which has not participated in a war for more than 200 years, finally decided to join NATO.The rise of far-right parties in Sweden is by no means a positive signal for globalization. Taking political changes that have occurred in major European countries into consideration, such as the UK, Italy, and France in recent years, people are wondering where Europe is headed. This question will determine the future of Western civilization.The author is a senior editor with People's Daily, and currently a senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. d [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @dinggangchina
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This week, Florida became the 36th state to allow same-sex marriage.

Meanwhile, in Florida, Bush was flooded with questions about whether gay marriage could possibly come to the Sunshine State.

But on Thursday Boxer triggered a Golden State political earthquake, announcing that she would not seek a fifth term in 2016.

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While exploring ancient ruins and forgotten temples, archaeologists and adventures love to stumble upon relics of a long-dead culture.

Some of these objects have incredible cultural significance, while others are worth huge sums of money to collectors. Some are merely trinkets or curios to be displayed on a shelf, and serve as conversation pieces.

There is a word for such objects, but how should it be spelled? Some writers prefer artefact, while others use artifact.

Like many such differences, this one can be attributed to spelling conventions in British and American English. British writers prefer one spelling, and Americans use the other. Continue reading to discover who uses which word.

What is the Difference Between Artefact and Artifact?

In this article, I will compare artefact vs. artifact. I will also provide example sentences for each spelling and show you a helpful trick to use when choosing artefact or artifact for your writing.

When to Use Artefact

What does artefact mean? An artefactis a man-made object of cultural or historical significance. This word is a noun.

For example,

The artefact is on display at the art museum.

French historical theme park Le Puy du Fou bought the 15th-century gold-plated silver ring at auction in London in February for 300,000 but was told after it had arrived in France that it had not obtained the necessary export licence for a historical artefact. The Guardian

It is also used in a much broader sense to refer to byproducts of a complex process that appear in a finished product. Artefactscan show up in data sets, in digitally manipulated imagery, and in manufactured goods, among other places.

In this sense, the word is used like this,

Detective Smolinski knew that the photo had been altered, because he could see digital artefacts in the image.

When to Use Artifact

What does artifact mean? Artifactcarries the same meaning as artefact. They are two different spellings of the same word. Artifactis the standard form in American English, but it is also widely used in British English.

The company behind the Titanic traveling exhibitions is suing France in hopes of winning approval to sell French artifacts from the famous shipwreck. The Wall Street Journal

As you can see from the following chart, it isnt just American writers that use artifact. British writers use both spellings, but there is a slight preference for artefact.

The above chart only references British English books written since 1800, so its not comprehensive by any means. Still, it illustrates the preference for artefact in British English.

In American English, however, the story is quite different. As you can see from the below chart that graphs artefactvs. artifactin American English, there is a strong preference for artifact.

If you are writing for an American audience, you will want to use the spelling artifact.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember artifact vs. artefact.

American English users prefer artifact.

British English users prefer artefact, although they sometimes use artifact as well.

Artefact and England share the letter E, so remembering that artefact is primarily used in British English should be an easy task.

To simplify things even further, you could default to artifactin all contexts, since the British also use that variant. On the other hand, you should strive to use language intentionally, so if you know you will be writing for a primarily British audience, you will enhance your writing by using artefact.

Summary

Is it artefact or artifact?Artefactand artifactare two versions of the same noun. They are only differentiated by the communities in which they are used. Both spellings refer to a man-made object of cultural or historical significance.

Artefact is the British English spelling.

Artifact is the American English spelling.

You can remember to use artefact with British audiences since artefact and England both contain the letter E. Stick with artifact for American audiences.

Now you know whether you should choose artifact or artefact, depending on your intended audience. Be sure to check this site for other questions about word choice and writing in general.
What Is Tomorrow Next (Tom Next)?blockchain exp download funzpoints

Tomorrow next (tom next) is a short-term foreign exchange (forex) transaction where a currency is simultaneously bought and sold over two separate business days: those being tomorrow (in one business day) and the following day (two business days from today).

The point of a tom next transaction is to allow traders and investors to maintain their position without being forced to take physical delivery. Tom next transactions are also important in commodities derivatives markets, although this terminology is not often used there.

Key Takeaways

Tomorrow next refers to the rolling over of a position in the currency markets to postpone delivery.

A trader can roll over their position to the next and next (i.e., two days later) business days to avoid taking delivery and holding onto the currency at the same time.

A tom next transaction can be executed through a broker's forex or STIR desk.

Understanding Tomorrow Next (Tom Next)

In most currency trades, delivery is two days after the transaction date (T+2). Tom-next trades arise because most currency traders have no intention of taking delivery of the currency and so require their positions to be "rolled over" on a daily basis.

This simultaneous transaction is an FX swap, and depending on what currency the person holds, they will either be charged or earn a premium. Those traders and investors holding high-yielding currencies will roll it over at a more favorable rate (minimal) because of the interest rate differential. This differential is known as the cost of carry.

If the two currencies have identical interest rates then they will be swapped at the same rate.

The actual transactions of tom-next trades are effected by dealers in the interbank market. Depending on their transaction direction, the trader will either "buy and sell" or "sell and buy" the currency they are rolling over. A tom-next transaction is generally handled by the forwards trading desk or the STIR (short-term interest rate) team.

If a trader chooses not to roll over their position, they will be forced to take physical delivery of that currency. And because this is rarely the case, a tom-next transaction is essentially the extension of a trader's position.

The principle of rolling a position over is perhaps even more important in commodities trading because if it is not done a trader would be required to take delivery of the underlying commodity at expiration.

Example of Tomorrow Next (Tom Next)

A trader is long on the EUR/USD pair, which is trading at $1.53 (1 euro buys 1.53 US dollars) on its expiration date. The trader issues a tom-next instruction to continue holding onto the pair. Suppose the swap interest rates for the pair are in the range of 0.010 to 0.015.

At the end of the trading day, after the purchase and sale of shares, the trader is offered an interest rate of 0.010. The new price of the trader's position becomes $1.52 the following day.
What Is an Investment Advisory Representative (IAR)?slotty vegas 25 free spins

Investment advisory representatives (IARs) are licensed and authorized personnel who work for investment advisory companies and are permitted to work with clients. The primary responsibility of an IAR is to provide investment-related advice as a financial advisor or financial planner.

In order to become an IAR, individuals must pass the appropriate licensing exam or exams and register with the appropriate regulatory bodies.

Key Takeaways

IARs are individuals employed by or associated with an investment advisor who make recommendations or otherwise give financial or investment advice.

IARs receive compensation by charging fees either on a commission basis, at a flat or hourly rate, or as a percentage of assets under management (AUM).

IARs must be properly registered, and, at a minimum, complete credentialing exams certified by FINRA and other required regulatory agencies.

IARs are often required to pass the Series 63 and Series 65 exams, though requirements vary by state.

IARs responsibilities include making financial recommendations, managing client accounts, providing advisory services to external parties, or overseeing other IARs.

Understanding Investment Advisory Representatives (IARs)

The Uniform Securities Act defines the term investment advisor representative (IAR) as:

"An individual employed by or associated with an investment advisor or federal-covered investment advisor and who makes any recommendations or otherwise gives investment advice regarding securities, manages accounts or portfolios of clients, determines which recommendation or advice regarding securities should be given, provides investment advice or holds herself or himself out as providing investment advice, receives compensation to solicit, offer, or negotiate for the sale of or for selling investment advice, or supervises employees who perform any of the foregoing."

IARs, as the name suggests, are representatives of investment advisory firms. They are typically tasked with duties and roles that would cast them as financial advisors and/or financial planners and often work with individual clients to help them achieve their financial goals and build investment portfolios.

More specifically, IARs commonly engage in the following:

Make Recommendations: IARs use their skill and judgment to make recommendations about different securities. They may use research produced by their firm to make an investment decision such as making a buy recommendation to a client after analyzing a research note.

IARs use their skill and judgment to make recommendations about different securities. They may use research produced by their firm to make an investment decision such as making a buy recommendation to a client after analyzing a research note. Manages Client Accounts: This includes all aspects of account management, from managing discretionary accounts to following up on administration issues. For instance, an IAR may request additional funds from an investor to settle an outstanding trade.

This includes all aspects of account management, from managing discretionary accounts to following up on administration issues. For instance, an IAR may request additional funds from an investor to settle an outstanding trade. Advisory Services: IARs may provide general investment advice. Examples include presenting a daily market report at a local television station or writing a weekly investment column for a newspaper.

IARs may provide general investment advice. Examples include presenting a daily market report at a local television station or writing a weekly investment column for a newspaper. Supervise Other IARs:An IAR might manage other IARs. This could include ensuring that new staff meet all regulatory requirements and helping to train junior team members as well as monitor the investment advice they give to investors.

An employee of an investment firm who does not directly engage in financial advice or investment recommendations to clients would not need to register as an IAR. This includes support staff, administrators, secretaries, etc.

According to regulatory terminology, the "registered investment advisor" or RIA is the firm and the IAR is the individual who represents the firm and must pass an exam.

IAR Requirements

It is essential for RIA firms to ensure their IARs are registered correctly to avoid significant penalties. The first step in the registration process is to create an account with the Investment Adviser Registration Depository (IARD). These accounts are managed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) on behalf of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and states. There are a few states that do not require this, so advisors who only do business in those states do not have to use this system.

Once the account is open, FINRA will supply the advisor or firm with a Central Registration Depository (CRD) number and account ID information. With this, the firm can then file Form ADV and the U4 forms with either the SEC or states.

According to regulations, IARs can only offer advice on topics for which they have passed the appropriate examinations. In addition to obtaining the minimum qualifications, they must register with a registered investment advisor (RIA) firm and the proper state authorities.

IARs register in the state in which they provide investment advice; they do not require SEC registration. In the majority of states, IARs are required to file Form U4, which is the Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration. The form then gets filed on the CRD system.

IAR Qualifications

To expand their knowledge of financial products and principles, many IARs go above and beyond by acquiring either the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. These designations are not required to be an IAR or financial advisor but provide more legitimacy, opportunity, and knowledge to the charter holder.

IARs in most states are typically required to pass the Series 63 and/or Series 65 exams. The FINRA administered exam consists of 130 scored questions which candidates have 180 minutes to complete. As an alternative to passing the Series 65 exam, IARs may pass the Series 66 and Series 7 exams.

Some states allow for the substitution of licensing credentials. For example, an individual may not have to pass the Series 65 exam if they hold a CFP designation. IARs may also have continuing education requirements depending on their jurisdiction.

What Does an IAR Do?

An IAR is a specific type of financial advisor that provides general advice to clients, oversees their accounts, and provides advisory services to external parties.

How Do I Become an IAR?

You can become an IAR by creating an account with the IARD. Once your account is open, your firm can submit Forms ADV and U4 with the SEC and states, if applicable.

What Are the Benefits of Becoming an IAR?

Becoming an IAR legitimizes your status and knowledge as a financial advisor. IARs are recognized by regulatory bodies and often require passing specific tests to provide proficiency.
Definition of Propaganda

Propaganda is world 777 betting doxxbet free betthe spreading of rumors, false or correct information, or an idea, in order to influence the opinion of society. It may advance an idea or bring into disrepute an opposite idea. In literature, writers use propaganda as a literary technique to manipulate public opinion for or against one idea or another. In history, we can search a plethora of literary works used as propaganda to shape public perceptions, and direct their behavior to get a response. Generally, propaganda is a technique for convincing people, but which is misleading in nature, or promotes a false viewpoint.

Popular Examples of Propaganda

The U.S. dropped leaflets in a propaganda campaign in Iraq, to let the people know that Saddam Hussein was the real culprit they were looking for.

People use name-calling as propaganda, such as My enemyis a drug addict.

During the McCarthy era, mass media attempted to persuade the public, through propaganda, that Communists had become very powerful, and that they would take over the U.S.

Slogans or catchphrases can work as propaganda, when they are repeated over and over. Eventually, the public starts believing them.

Selling happiness has become popular concept in ads, and serves as propaganda such as famous celebrities explain to the public why they need to purchase the product because it would solve their problems.

Examples of Propaganda in Literature

Example #1: Animal Farm(By George Orwell)

Propaganda played a very important role in the Russian Revolution. George Orwell wrote his novel Animal Farmafter this revolution, and used anti-communist propaganda as its major theme. The author manipulated the speech of the character Squealer, which is a pig portrayed as Napoleons spokesperson.

One example of Squealers propaganda is to get the support of other animals. He uses manipulated speech to disapprove of Snowballs part in the uprising revolt after his banishment from the farm. He uses the stupidity of animals for his benefit, and plays with their minds by describing a different side of events in the Battle of the Cowshed.

We can see another example of propaganda in this novel, when pigs twist the rules and the Seven Commandments for their own advantage. The original rule reads:

No animal shall be killed by any other animal.

They change this to:

No animal shall be killed by any other animal without cause.

Example #2: The Orphan Masters Son(By Adam Johnson)

Adam Johnsons novel The Orphan Masters Son deals with the themes of identity, state power, and propaganda in North Korea. The story is about two men from North Korea who revolted against the tyrannical government of their country. Through their story, readers get the impression that the North Korean leaders are selfish, as they kidnap their people, steal their money, and cheat them.

Example #3: Richard III(By W. H. Auden)

Many critics consider some historical plays of Shakespeare as Tudor propagandas, as they depict civil war dangers, and commemorate the Tudor dynastys founders. Similarly, in his play Richard III, Shakespeare uses propaganda, when we see Richard shapes the readers perceptions. He gains the sympathies of other characters in the play when he declares his deformity is the root cause of wickedness in his character. Hence, he makes use of deformity as propaganda, and controls, injures, and manipulates other people for his personal gain.

Example #4:Lord of the Flies (By William Golding)

In William Goldings Lord of the Flies, the author introduces the concept of a beast, using propaganda by his character Jack, who plans to take control of a totalitarian government. He uses propaganda by manipulating the cognition of the young boys, frightening them about the existence of the beast in that area. He accuses Ralph, who does not carry out his duty to provide protection to the children, and consequently takes charge of a new tribe that would follow his tyrannical rules.

Function of Propaganda

We can easily find the use of propaganda technique in mass media advertising, politics, and literature. It is a very popular technique in academic commentary, and is taken as an interchangeable form of communication. The primary function of propaganda is to persuade the audience, and to mold their perceptions about a particular cause.

Often, propaganda assists in promoting policies. In addition, it aims at getting a response of the audience taking a certain action. This is because merely securing a commitment or assent would not be enough for making this technique successful, and securing its purpose. Besides, propaganda serves as an effective weapon to rouse people by making them realize their vulnerabilities and frailties, instead of comforting them with illusions.
Some nouns can be counted individually. A person could count the crayons in a box, the eggs in a carton, or the people on a train. These are called count nouns.

Other nouns cant be counted individually. A person could not count air, dirt, or happiness. These are called mass nouns.

English has specific words to use in reference to the quantity of mass and count nouns. Amountand numberare two such words. Continue reading to discover the difference between them, and to find out whether you should use numberor amount.

What is the Difference Between Amount and Number?

In this article, I will compare amountvs. numberand their uses. I will use each word in an example sentence to illustrate its proper meaning and context.

Then, I will explain a helpful trick to use when deciding whether to choose amountor numberfor your writing, depending on context.

When to Use Amount

What does amount mean? Amountcan be a noun or a verb.

As a noun, it refers to the quantityof something. Amountis used with mass nouns. In other words, amountshould be used with nouns that cannot be counted individually, also called non-count nouns. You cannot count the water in a glass, for instance, or the religious freedom in America.

Here are some examples,

Mark asked Julia to read him the amount of olive oil called for in the recipe.

2016 has seen an increase in the amount of web traffic devoted to travel research.

The WISE findings get astronomers within 0.1 parsec, revealing new insights into both the amount of energy that is released when a star is destroyed and the mechanics of black hole behavior as a whole. TIME

When amount is used as a verb, it means to become or to equal. Here are two examples.

Hes too lazy to amount to much.

Our expenditures for the fiscal third quarter amount to $34,000.

When to Use Number

What does number mean? Numberis also a noun or a verb. Like amount, as a noun it refers to the quantityof something. Unlike amount, however, numberis used with count nouns.

Count nouns are nouns that could be counted individually. You could not count the sand on the seashore, for instance, but you could conceivably count how many grains of sand are in a small jar. Sand is a mass noun, and a grain is a count noun.

Here are some examples of number used as a noun.

A number of small children were playing on the jungle gym.

Julia asked Mark to read him the number of garlic cloves called for in the recipe.

The government in recent months also has enforced curfews to reduce electricity usea practice that has trimmed operating hours at malls and therefore cut back the number of screenings a cinema can squeeze in during a day. The Wall Street Journal

Numbercan also be a verb, where it means to countor to add up to.

See the following sentences,

To number the stars is not a trivial undertaking.

The spectators at the football game numbered in the thousands.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now that we understand the differences, lets look at a helpful trick to remember number vs. amount.

Amountand numberboth refer to the quantity of something.

Amountis used with mass nouns.

Numberis used with count nouns.

If you arent sure whether to use amount or number, remember that a mount is used with a mass noun. Amount and a mass noun both begin with the letters am. This should help you keep these words straight.

Summary

Is it amount or number?Amountand numberboth refer to quantity, but each word has its own specific use.

Number is used with nouns that can be individually counted, like stars.

Amount is used for nouns that cannot be individually counted, like starlight.

By remembering the M that is part of the words amount and mass, you can be sure to reserve amount for use with mass nouns.

If you still need help, you can reference this article in the future.
M.A., English and Comparative Literary Studies, Occidental College

B.A., English, Comparative Literature, and American Studies, Occidental College

Minister Louis Farrakhan (born May 11, 1933) is the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam. This Black minister and orator, who has remained influential in American politics and religion, has been known to speak out against racial injustice toward the Black community and voice profoundly anti-Semitic views as well as sexist and homophobic sentiments. Learn more about the life of the Nation of Islam leader and how he's gained recognition from supporters and critics alike.

Fast Facts: Louis Farrakhan

Known For : Civil rights activist, minister, leader of the Nation of Islam (1977present)

: Civil rights activist, minister, leader of the Nation of Islam (1977present) Born : May 11, 1933, in the Bronx, New York City

: May 11, 1933, in the Bronx, New York City Parents : Sarah Mae Manning and Percival Clarke

: Sarah Mae Manning and Percival Clarke Education : Winston-Salem State University, The English High School

: Winston-Salem State University, The English High School Published Works : A Torchlight for America

: A Torchlight for America Spouse : Khadijah

: Khadijah Children: nine

Early Years

Like so many notable Americans, Louis Farrakhan grew up in an immigrant family. He was born on May 11, 1933, in the Bronx, New York City. Both of his parents immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean. His mother Sarah Mae Manning came from the island of St. Kitts, while his father Percival Clark was from Jamaica. In 1996, Farrakhan said his father, who was reportedly of Portuguese heritage, may have been Jewish. Scholar and historian Henry Louis Gates called Farrakhans claim credible since Iberians in Jamaica tend to have Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Because Farrakhan has proven himself to be an anti-Semite and displayed hostility toward the Jewish community time and again, his claims about his fathers ancestry are remarkable, if true.

Farrakhan's birth name, Louis Eugene Walcott, came from a former relationship of his mother's. Farrakhan said his fathers philandering had driven his mother into the arms of a man named Louis Wolcott, with whom she had a child and for whom she converted to Islam. She planned to start a new life with Wolcott, but briefly reconciled with Clark, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. Manning repeatedly tried to abort the pregnancy, according to Farrakhan, but eventually gave up on termination. When the child arrived with light skin and curly, auburn hair, Wolcott knew the baby wasnt his and he left Manning. That didnt stop her from naming the child Louis after him. Farrakhans father didnt play an active role in his life either.

Farrakhan's mother raised him in a spiritual and structured household, encouraging him to work hard and think for himself. A music lover, she also introduced him to the violin. He didnt immediately take interest in the instrument.

I [eventually] fell in love with the instrument, he recalled, and I was driving her crazy because now I would go in the bathroom to practice because it had a sound like youre in a studio and so people couldnt get in the bathroom because Louis was in the bathroom practicing.

He said that by age 12, he played well enough to perform with the Boston civic symphony, the Boston College orchestra, and its glee club. In addition to playing the violin, Farrakhan sang well. In 1954, using the name The Charmer, he recorded the hit single Back to Back, Belly to Belly, a cover of Jumbie Jamboree. A year before the recording, Farrakhan married his wife Khadijah. They went on to have nine children together.

Minister Louis Farrakhan smiles at the crowd after performing at The Wright Museum in Detroit, Michigan in 2014.Monica Morgan / Getty Images

Nation of Islam

The musically inclined Farrakhan used his talents in the service of the Nation of Islam. While performing in Chicago, he was invited to attend a meeting of the group, which Elijah Muhammad started in 1930 in Detroit. As a leader, Muhammad sought a separate state for Black Americans and endorsed racial segregation. He preached against "race-mixing," or people marrying someone outside of their race, as he said this hindered racial unity and was a shameful practice. Prominent NOI leader Malcolm X persuaded Farrakhan to join the group.

Farrakhan did just that, only a year after recording his hit single. Initially, Farrakhan was known as Louis X, the X a placeholder while he waited for his Islamic name and formal renunciation of the "slave name" imposed upon him by White people, and he wrote the song A White Mans Heaven Is a Black Mans Hell for the Nation. This song, which would become like an anthem for the Nation of Islam, explicitly names numerous injustices against Black people by White people throughout history:

"From China, he took silk and gunpowder

From India, he took juice, manganese, and rubber

He raped Africa of her diamonds and her gold

From the Mideast he took barrels of oil untold

Raping, robbing, and murdering everything in his path

The whole Black world has tasted of the White man's wrath

So, my friend, it's not hard to tell

A White man's heaven is a Black man's hell."

Eventually, Muhammad gave Farrakhan the surname hes known by today. Farrakhan rapidly rose through the ranks of the group. He assisted Malcolm X at the groups Boston mosque and assumed his superiors role when Malcolm left Boston to preach in Harlem. Most civil rights activists did not associate with NOI. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for equality and integration through non-violent means, opposed the Nation of Islam and cautioned the world about "hate groups arising" with "a doctrine of black supremacy" during his address at the Thirty-Fourth Annual Convention of the National Bar Association in 1959.

Elijah Muhammad delivers a speech in Chicago, Illinois during 1966 Saviour's Day celebrations.Robert Abbott Sengstacke / Getty Images

Malcolm X

In 1964, ongoing tensions with Muhammad led Malcolm X to leave the Nation. After his departure, Farrakhan essentially took his place, deepening his relationship with Muhammad. In contrast, Farrakhan and Malcolm Xs relationship grew strained when the latter criticized the group and its leader.

Malcolm X publicly stated that he planned to leave the NOI and "take his life back" in 1964. This made the group distrust and soon threaten Malcolm X because they were afraid he would divulge confidential information about the group. Specifically, that Muhammad had fathered children with six of his teenage secretaries, a well-kept secret that Malcolm X did expose after leaving the group later that year. How old these secretaries were exactly is unknown, but it is likely that Muhammad raped some or all of them. One secretary, whose first name was Heather, gave an account of Muhammad telling her that having sex with him and having his children was "prophesied," and exploiting his position as a "messenger of Allah" to take advantage of her. He probably used similar tactics to coerce the other women into having sex with him as well. Malcolm X considered him a hypocrite as the NOI preached against extramarital sex. But Farrakhan considered Malcolm X a traitor for sharing this with the public. Two months before Malcolms assassination in Harlems Audubon Ballroom on Feb. 21, 1965, Farrakhan said of him, such a man is worthy of death. When police arrested three NOI members for murdering 39-year-old Malcolm X, many wondered if Farrakhan played a role in the murder. Farrakhan admitted that his harsh words about Malcolm X likely helped create the atmosphere for the killing.

I may have been complicit in words that I spoke leading up to February 21, Farrakhan told Malcolm Xs daughter Atallah Shabazz and 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace in 2000. I acknowledge that and regret that any word that I have said caused the loss of life of a human being.

A 6-year-old Shabazz saw the shooting, along with her siblings and mother. She thanked Farrakhan for taking some responsibility but said she did not forgive him. Hes never admitted this before publicly, she said. Until now, hes never caressed my fathers children. I thank him for acknowledging his culpability and I wish him peace.

Malcolm Xs widow, the late Betty Shabazz, had accused Farrakhan of having a hand in the assassination. She seemingly made amends with him in 1994, when her daughter Qubilah faced charges, later dropped, for conspiring to kill Farrakhan.

Malcolm X pictured speaking at a rally calling for Black and White Americans to be completely separated.Bettmann / Getty Images

NOI Splinter Group

Eleven years after Malcolm X was killed, Elijah Muhammad died. It was 1975 and the groups future appeared uncertain. Muhammad had left his son Warith Deen Mohammad in charge, and this younger Muhammad wanted to turn the NOI into a more conventionally Muslim group called the American Muslim Mission. (Malcolm X had also embraced traditional Islam after leaving the NOI.) The Nation of Islam is in many ways contradictory to orthodox Islam. For example, the fundamental belief of NOI, that Allah appeared in the flesh as Wallace D. Fard to lead Black people through an apocalypse that would restore their position of superiority over White people, opposes Islamic theology, which teaches that Allah never assumes human form and that Muhammad is merely a messenger or prophet, not a supreme being as NOI believes. While the NOI teaches that Black people were the "original" people and that White people resulted from an evil scientist named Yakub's experiment, Islam preaches no such Black nationalist message. NOI also does not observe sharia law, a core foundation of Islamic tradition. Warith Deen Mohammad rejected his fathers separatist teachings, but Farrakhan disagreed with this vision and left the group to start a version of the NOI that aligned with Elijah Muhammads philosophy.

He also started The Final Callnewspaper to publicize his groups beliefs and he ordered many publications to be written by the NOI's dedicated "research" department to make NOI's claims appear more authoritative. One example of a book he endorsed was entitled "The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews" and it used historical inaccuracies and isolated accounts to blame the Jewish population, who it claims controls the economy and government, for the enslavement and oppression of Black Americans. Using such baseless accusations, Farrakhan has attempted to justify his anti-Semitism. This book was discredited by numerous scholars who criticized it for being riddled with falsehoods. He also created several programs designed to generate income for the group as well as promote its beliefs, including restaurants, markets, and farms, businesses that would make up the Nation's "empire." Videos and recordings made by the NOI are also available for purchase.

Farrakhan got involved with politics as well. Previously, the NOI told members to refrain from political involvement, but Farrakhan decided to endorse the Rev. Jesse Jacksons 1984 bid for president. Both the NOI and Jacksons civil rights group, Operation PUSH, were based on Chicagos South Side. Fruit of Islam, part of the NOI, even guarded Jackson during his campaign. Farrakhan also voiced support for Barack Obama when he ran for president in 2008, but Obama did not return the support. In 2016, Farrakhan criticized President Obama for defending the rights of gay people and Jewish people instead of focusing on Black people to earn his "legacy." He then praised presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016 for boldness while at the same time condemning him for racism, but ultimately stating that Trump would foster the right conditions in America for separatism. With these claims, Farrakhan garnered the support of alt-right groupswhom he called "Trump's people"various white nationalists, and the American neo-Nazi groups, as they all found common ground in some form of a separatist and anti-Semitic agenda.

Jesse Jackson

Of all the political candidates he endorsed, Farrakhan especially admired Rev. Jesse Jackson. I believe that Rev. Jacksons candidacy has lifted the seal forever from the thinking of Black people, particularly Black youth, Farrakhan said. Never again will our youth think that all they can be is singers and dancers, musicians and football players and sportsmen. But through Reverend Jackson, we see that we can be theoreticians, scientists, and whatnot. For that one thing he did alone, he would have my vote.''

Jackson, however, didnt win his presidential bid in 1984 or in 1988. He derailed his first campaign when he referred to Jewish people as Hymies and New York City as Hymietown, both anti-Semitic terms, during an interview with a Black Washington Postreporter. A wave of protests ensued. Initially, Jackson denied the remarks. Then he changed his tune and wrongfully accused Jewish people of trying to sink his campaign. He later admitted making the comments and asked the Jewish community to forgive him.

Jackson refused to part ways with Farrakhan. Farrakhan tried to defend his friend by going on the radio and threatening the Postreporter, Milton Coleman, and Jewish people about their treatment of Jackson.

If you harm this brother [Jackson], it will be the last one you harm, he said.

Farrakhan reportedly called Coleman a traitor and told the Black community to shun him. The NOI leader also faced accusations of threatening Colemans life.

One day soon we will punish you with death, Farrakhan remarked. Afterward, he denied threatening Coleman.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Minister Louis Farrakhan attend a Palm Sunday mass at St. Sabina's church in Chicago in 2004.Scott Olson / Getty Images

Million Man March

Although Farrakhan has a long history of anti-Semitism and has criticized high profile Black civic groups such as the NAACP, he has still managed to gain supporters and stay relevant. On October 16, 1995, for example, he organized the historic Million Man March on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Civil rights leaders and political activists, including Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, and Betty Shabazz, gathered at the event designed for young Black men to ponder the pressing issues affecting the Black community. According to some estimates, about a half-million people turned out for the march. Other estimates report a crowd as large as 2 million. In any case, theres no doubt that a massive audience gathered for the occasion. However, only men were allowed to attend, and Farrakhan was criticized for this blatant display of sexism. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. For many years, Farrakhan barred women from attending his events and encouraged them to care for their families and husbands rather than pursue careers or hobbies, as he believed this was the only type of life that could make a woman happy. Complaints made in response to these remarks and others were dismissed as political plots against him by opponents.

The Nation of Islams website points out that the march challenged stereotypes of Black men:

The world did not see thieves, criminals, and savages as usually portrayed through mainstream music, movies and other forms of media; on that day, the world saw a vastly different picture of the Black man in America. The world saw Black men demonstrating the willingness to shoulder the responsibility of improving themselves and the community. There was neither one fight nor one arrest that day. There was no smoking or drinking. The Washington Mall, where the March was held, was left as clean as it was found.

Farrakhan later organized the 2000 Million Family March. And 20 years after the Million Man March, he commemorated the landmark event.

Million Man March participants raise their hands in fists and peace signs at historic 1995 gathering organized by Minister Louis Farrakhan. Porter Gifford / Getty Images

Later Years

Farrakhan earned praise for the Million Man March, but just a year later, he sparked controversy again. In 1996, he visited Libya. The Libyan ruler at the time, Muammar al-Qaddafi, made a donation to the Nation of Islam, but the federal government didnt let Farrakhan accept the gift. Farrakhan was heavily criticized in America for supporting al-Qaddafi, who had been involved with terrorist attacks around the world.

But although he has a history of conflict with many groups and has made anti-White and anti-Semitic remarks for years, he does have followers. The NOI has won the support of individuals in and outside of the Black community because it has been at the forefront of Black advocacy for decades and because the group's anti-Semitic agenda is "justified" with claims that the Jewish community presents many obstacles to Black freedom. Members applaud the NOI for fighting against social injustice, advocating for education, and pushing back against gang violence, among other issues. Some who do not oppose Jewish people are able to overlook the bigotry of the extremist group in the interest of these causes while others feel that Farrakhan's anti-Semitic views are reasonable, which means that the NOI is composed of both anti-Semites and those who respect or are indifferent to the Jewish community. This fact contributes to the NOI's ability to remain relevant, controversial as it is on the whole.

With that said, there is no denying that the Nation of Islam is a threatening group. In fact, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit committed to fighting racial injustice, classifies the NOI as a hate group. In an effort to promote Black superiority, Farrakhan and other NOI leaders including Elijah Muhammad and Nuri Muhammad have made hateful statements and openly expressed hostility directed at demographics seen as interfering with Black liberation. Because of this and due to the fact that the NOI has been tied to many violent organizations throughout the years, the group is classified as a hate group that targets Jewish people, White people, gay people, and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Gay people have been the target of the NOI's resentment for many years, and Farrakhan did not hesitate to criticize President Obama's decision to endorse and later legalize marriage equality because he felt that gay people getting married was a sin.

Meanwhile, Farrakhan continues to generate publicity for his cutting comments and controversial relations. On May 2, 2019, Farrakhan was banned from Facebook and Instagram for violations of Facebooks policies against hate speech. He was also banned from visiting the UK in 1986, though the ban was overturned in 2001. On multiple occasions, he has stated that he believes homosexuality is not natural. He claims the government turns people gay using chemical reactions in order to castrate and subdue them, and that scientists target Black Americans with these attacks by "tampering" with the resources in their communities. He has also suggested that child sex trafficking is ordained by Jewish Law, among many other claims about why he feels Jewish people are "satanic."

Additional References
Most people who consume Western media have read books or watched movies about a time, centuries past, when knights went to battle, clad in shiny metal uniforms meant to protect them from the murderous blades and arrows of their enemies.

But what are those shiny metal clothes called? Is it a suit of armor, or a suit of armour?

The answer is not as simple as you might expect, and it involves spelling differences between American and British English. If you arent sure whether you should use armouror armorin your own writing, continue reading for an explanation of these two terms.

Armor vs Armour: Whats the Difference?

In this article, I will compare armorvs armour. I will use each of these spellings in a sentence to illustrate the proper context for each. Then, I will tell you a useful mnemonic to help you decide whether to use armoror armourin your own writing.

When to Use Armor

What does armor mean? Armorcan function as both a noun and a verb.

As a noun, armormeans a protective covering.

As a verb, armormeans to don protective covering or to protect oneself. You can see examples in the sentences below:

You must armor yourself in the fight against evil.

Bring me my armor! the knight commanded his squire.

An insects exoskeleton forms an armor around its soft insides.

David H. Brooks, the founder of Americas leading supplier of body armor to the U.S. military, died in prison while serving a 17-year sentence for running a stock-fraud scheme. The Wall Street Journal

Armoris the preferred spelling of this word in American English.

When to Use Armour

What does armour mean? Armouris the British English spelling of the same word. It can be used in all the same contexts as armor. While, armoris the preferred spelling among American audiences, armouris the preferred spelling among British audiences.

Galea is accused of researching homemade bombs, ballistic armour and guns. The Guardian

The charts below display the rate of usage of armorvs. armourin English books in the American and British English language communities, respectively.

As you can see, at least since 1800, American writers have used armor, whereas British writers have gravitated towards armour.

These charts are not scientifically precise; they only graph the usage of these words in books written in English since the dawn of the 19th century. Still, they are useful for illustrating a long-term trend.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember armourvs. amor.

You should use armor for predominantly American audiences, and armour for predominantly British audiences, regardless of context. These preferences hold true whether the word is being used as a noun or a verb.

To help yourself remember when to use these words, remember that armour, the British variant, and U.K. are each spelled with a U. This shared letter can link armour to the British audiences who prefer this spelling.

Summary

Is it armor or armour? Armor and armour are two spelling variants of the same verb, which can function as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it refers to a protective covering, and as a verb it means to wear such a coveringor to otherwise protect oneself.

American writers spell this word armor.

British writers are more likely to spell it

Since armour and U.K. each have a Uin them, this idiosyncrasy should be simple to remember.

In conclusion, armor and armour are two ways to spell the same verb. Armor is the American version, and armouris the British version.
Can Tho bridge, a symbol of Vietnam-Japan friendship (Photo: baodautu.vn)

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Duong Tan Hien said Can Tho now records six foreign-invested projects from Japan worth around 1.35 billion USD, making Japan the biggest out of 22 countries and territories investing in the locality. The city has also received tens of millions of USD in official development assistance (ODA) from the Japanese Government for large-scale projects such as Can Tho bridge and O Mon thermal power plant.



According to him, Japan has provided significant humanitarian and community development assistance through institutions like the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with projects on building capacity, supporting vulnerable groups and language training centres, and improving educational infrastructure which have contributed to socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta and Can Tho in particular.



Japanese Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Ono Masuo said this year marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. He wished to continue active cooperation with key units in Can Tho, such as Can Tho University and the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association in Can Tho city to foster even better connections between the two countries young generations.



Chairwoman of the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organisations Le Thi Thanh Giang said together with the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association, the union has offered all possible support to Japanese firms to do business in the city.



In June, the union in coordination with the Consulate General of Japan and the Can Tho College of Culture and Arts, held a ceremony to receive music equipment funded by the Japanese Government. The event was part of the Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects with a total budget of 75,716 USD, she added.



At present, Japan is the biggest ODA supplier, the second largest investor, the third largest urban partner, and the fourth biggest bilateral trade partner of Vietnam./.
Submitted by admin on Tue,best betting sites without verification 05/09/2023 - 18:34

Former MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren will be chairman of a gaming regulatory authority established by the United Arab Emirates.

A statement released Sunday (Pacific Time) by the UAEs news agency said Murren will chair a board of directors for the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), which was established to introduce a regulatory framework for a national lottery and commercial gaming.

The GCGRA will create a socially responsible and well-regulated gaming environment, ensuring that all participants adhere to strict guidelines and comply with the highest standards, the statement said. It will coordinate regulatory activities, manage licensing nationally and facilitate unlocking the economic potential of commercial gaming responsibly.

Former Missouri Gaming Commission Executive Director Kevin Mullally was named CEO of the GCGRA. Mullally spent the last 17 years as general counsel and the head of government affairs for Gaming Laboratories International, the industry-leading gaming equipment testing facility.

[Kevin Mullally] brings unparalleled category experience and will be invaluable in creating a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for the UAE, Murren said in the statement.

The UAE is made up of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Wynn Resorts is building a $3.9 billion integrated resort development on the man-made Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. Wynn first announced the project, the first legal gaming operation in the UAE, 16 months ago.

Last month, Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings said the company should have its license to operate a casino in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah imminently even though the project wont open until 2026.

Two other Nevada-based casino operators already have non-gaming locations in the UAE and other gaming companies are reportedly exploring the possibility of entering the region.

Caesars Entertainment opened Caesars Palace Dubai and MGM Resorts International is part of a Dubai development that will include two hotels branded under MGM Grand and Bellagio names and a collection of MGM Signature villas

Source: The Nevada Independent

Preview Image: Dubai Shutterstock
The Golden Rooster Awards ceremony, regarded as the Mainlands Academy Awards, will be held in Hefei, Anhui province, on October 22. During the ceremony, the winners of 18 awards will be announced, Yangtse Evening Post reports.

Since the nomination list for this years Golden Rooster Award was first announced, two films have commanded the attention of the press. Aftershock, directed by Xiaogang Feng, received nine nominations, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Meanwhile, Zhang Mengs Piano in a Factory was nominated for Best Leading Actor, Best Actress, Best Film, Best Director and Best Scriptwriter.

In movie awards around the world, most viewers are keen to find out which two actors will be crowned best actor and best actress. At this years event, Fan Xu, the recent winner of the HuaBiao Prize for Best Actress, and Liping Lv, a previous Golden Horse Award winner, are front runners for the title of Best Actress this year at the Golden Rooster Awards.

Vicki Zhao, the previous winner of the Hundred Flowers Award for best actress, will serve as the image ambassador for this years Golden Rooster Awards. According to the sponsor, Vicki Zhao has prepared a video in which she danced with a male dancer underwater. The dream-seeking themed video is intended to demonstrate the relationship between dreamland and reality.

Zhang Ting

Chinese Films

Golden Rooster Awards Ceremony Approachesadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
The topic about Scotlands independencehas been widely discussed over the last couple of weeks and apart from being a subject to fierce public disputes, it also made a former London trader 900,000 richer.

The man, whose name was not published, said that his prediction was not based on pure luck or coincidence. He made a bet that Scotlands residents will disapprove the proposal about the independence, which turned out to be the opportunity that enabled him to live in a lap of luxury. 55% of the Scotland people voted against the independence proposal. The trader increased his stake and won the total of 900,000 last Thursday.

Bookmakers have announced that the bets reached unbelievable amountsand yet, none of the players was even close to the Traders stake of 900,000, made at William Hill Casino. Although a great part of the players staked their bets on a no vote, the number of those who believed that Scotland will become independent from the United Kingdom was also impressive.

In an interview, broadcasted two days ago, the trader, who is located in London, said that he dared to make such a great stalk, relying on his experience in the marketing industry.He has been working as a marketing analyst for more than 30 years and he had used the skills, he has acquired during the years, in order to judge the percentage of people who would give their positive vote. His wife was his biggest supporter, especially when many of the local newspapers came up with articles, where the Trader was called a feckless gambler.

He didnt want his name to become public but he provided the audience with some further curious details from his biography. He said that he is a devoted unionist of Pakistani-German traditions and events and he was not absolutely convinced whether to make such a big stalk or not.

The lucky winner shared that thedecision to make the bet anyway, costed him a lot of time spent in researches and reading tons of information about a previous referendum in Quebec. Then he knew that the scheme followed by Scotland was the same. The polls, which claimed that the voters who will give a yes vote will outnumber the negative voters, were too few.

He confessed that the results from the final polls made him a bit anxious but he was sure that a reversal was not likely to happen.

Many people hurried up to give him disapproving nicknamesbut the winner said that a part of the sum will be donated to a charitable organisation. As an answer to the malicious comments and the offensive attitude of the public about his feckless decision to bet so much money, he says: Im trying to warn people this isnt something we should do lightly.
English homophones are some of the most difficult words to differentiate from one another. Even if you use a word on a regular basis in speech, you might not know how to spell it with the meaning you are thinking.

Thats what makes homophones tricky. They sound exactly alike, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings. You might use the word cordall the time, but when you go to write it, youre not sure if you should use cord or chord.

No worries. Were here to help.

What is the Difference Between Cord and Chord?

In this post, I want to discuss the differences between cord and chord. I will cover their definitions and their functions in a sentence. Plus, I will show you a trick to remember the difference between both words.

After reading this post, you shouldnt have any trouble with cord vs. chord again.

When to Use Cord

Cord functions primarily as a noun and is defined as a slender length of flexible material usually made of twisted strands or fibers and used to bind, tie, connect, or support.

The parachute is connected by a heavy-duty synthetic cord that can hold over 1,000 pounds.

The traitor was hanged by a length of cord.

I graduated with three cords because of my high GPA.

Take this cord and tie a knot around the cleat.

Cord is also the spelling for all anatomical meanings.

My vocal cords hurt from yelling.

The father cut the umbilical cord.

Your spinal cord is out of alignment.

Cord can also function as a verb, but it does so rarely. When it does, it means to fasten or bind with a cord.

He corded a stack of old newspapers to throw away.

The team corded the available lumber and drove it into town.

When to Use Chord

Chord also functions primarily as a noun and is defined as a combination of three or more pitches sounded simultaneously.

Those two chords together sound beautiful.

The opening chords to the symphony are iconic.

Hold that chord for five notes.

Its verb form simply means to play chords on; to produce by playing musical melody.

He chorded the piano.

Hey, chord me a melody.

There is also a second wordthat is spelled chord. It is a homograph of the musical meaning and has a different origin.

In addition to its musical sense, chordis a technical word in mathematics, aeronautics, and engineering meaning a straight line joining the ends of an arc, the wings of an airplane, each of two principal members of a truss, etc.

Origins of Cord and Chord

These three words have a delightfully messy history behind them and all ultimately, albeit in a very roundabout way, stem from the Latin chorda. For those interested, here is a brief outline.

Cordcomes from the Greek khorde, which entered Latin as chorda, which then entered Old French as corde, which then finally made its way to Middle English as cord. The original Greek khorde meant catgut, string of a musical instrument. It was used to refer to the strings, fibered and rope like, on musical instruments. This is the sense we use when we speak of ropes, electric cords, or anatomical structures, vocal cords, spinal cords, umbilical cords, etc.

The musical chordcomes from a shortening of the Middle English word accordand was originally spelled cord. This was logical since the word accordmeant (and still means) agreement, reconciliation. Notes that were in accordwere in agreement; therefore they were part of a cord(now read chord). The spelling changed, however, sometime in the 18th century due to confusion with the mathematical use of the word.

The mathematical chordwas originally spelled cord as well, which created confusion between the mathematical and musical senses. To avoid confusion, the musical cordchanged its spelling to musical chordin the 18th century. However, the mathematical cordat some point was also refashioned to more closely resemble its Latin ancestor chorda, which made the mathematical sense and the musical sense (the latter of which was originally changed to avoid confusion with the former) both spelled the same way again: chord.

So, the original spelling of both words that are now spelled chord(mathematical and musical) was cord; both of these spellings come from the Latin chorda. The modern use of cord, referring to rope like fibers or anatomical parts, comes from the Greek khorde.

As I said, a quite messy, confusing, but, ultimately, delightful history.

Popular Phrases Using Chord

The popular phrase to strike a chord, also to touch a chord, is spelled as such: chord.The meaning is to create an emotional response, appeal to or arouse a particular emotion.

This book really strikes a chord with me.

The author knows how to strike a chord with his readers.

The issue of quality education strikes a chord with all parents.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Still not sure you will be able to remember when to use chord or cord? Heres an easy trick to remember the difference.

You can remember that chorddeals with musical notes that are in harmony. Harmony and chord both have an H in them.

Cord refers to a rope, both of which are four letter words.

Summary

Although they have a long, strange history, chord vs. cord words have different meanings and different uses.

Cordrefers to a rope.

Chord refers to musical notes and has specialized meanings in mathematics.
Dacron [ dey-kron,bank bet casino dak-ron ]/ de krn, dk rn / New Word List Save This Word! [ dey-kron,dak-ron ]/ de krn, dk rn /Save This Word!

Trademark.a brand of polyester textile fiber that is wrinkle-resistant and strong.

OTHER WORDS FROM Dacron half-Dacron, adjective

Words nearby Dacron

How to use Dacron Dacron/ (dekrn, dk-) / nounthe US name (trademark) for Terylene 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!Questiondacks, dacoit, dacoity, D/A converter, dacquoise, Dacron, dacryo-, dacryon, dacryorrhea, dactinomycin, dactylDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
COVID-19 vaccines were designed primarily to prevent severe disease and deathtwo purposes for which they continue to work very well. But when the shots first rolled out,jambofutaa prediction many people also hoped they would block or even reverse symptoms of Long COVID, such as fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, chronic pain, and neurological issues.

By now, its clear that even people who are fully vaccinated and boosted can get Long COVID, and recent research suggests that vaccines arent the Long COVID shields people wished for.

Studies have come to very different estimates about the degree of protection vaccines offer against Long COVID. But some of the latest findings point to fairly disappointing protection. In one July report from the U.K.s Office for National Statistics, more than 4% of vaccinated and boosted adults in the U.K. who were infected by Delta, Omicron BA.1, or BA.2 still had symptoms at least 12 weeks later. A preprint posted online on Sept. 6 (which has not yet been peer-reviewed) suggests the situation isnt any better in the U.S. Researchers surveyed people from June into July, as the BA.5 variant was taking over. Among those who said theyd had COVID-19 at least a month earlier, roughly 20% had symptoms that lasted at least four weeks, with little difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Thats not to say vaccines are useless against Long COVID. A research review published in eClinical Medicine in August analyzed a mix of peer-reviewed and preprint studies, six of which looked at whether people who were vaccinated before they got infected had a lower chance of developing Long COVID than unvaccinated people who got sick. All six studies concluded that vaccinated people are at lower risk.

Read More: Should You Mix and Match Omicron Boosters? Heres What to Know

At first, it appeared that vaccines were pretty protective against Long COVID. Some 2021 research suggested vaccinated people were up to 50% less likely to develop Long COVID after a breakthrough infection, compared to unvaccinated people who got COVID-19. But a large study published in Nature Medicine in May reached a less-encouraging conclusion: it found that vaccinated people were only about 15% less likely to develop Long COVID than their unvaccinated counterparts.

Studies have reached a wide range of estimates because of differences in how they were designed, how long they tracked people, and how they defined Long COVID, says Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, and a co-author of the Nature Medicine study. But regardless of the exact numbers, the common thread is vaccines do offer some protection, but its never complete, he says. Its partial.

That makes sense, Al-Aly explains. The shots werent designed with chronic symptoms in mind, but rather to reduce the severity of acute disease, which offers some secondary benefits for Long COVID prevention. Though anyone can develop the condition, people who have severe initial cases of COVID-19 are at highest riskso the fact that vaccines tend to keep cases milder hopefully means fewer people will develop lasting complications.

Early in vaccine distribution, some anecdotal reports also sparked hope that the shots could improve symptoms among people who already had Long COVID. But its still not clear whether thats true. The authors of the eClinical Medicine research review couldnt find a strong consensus in the 11 studies they analyzed on this topic: seven found that Long COVID patients symptoms improved after vaccination, while four found that they stayed the same or worsened. In rare cases, people have also reported developing Long COVID-like symptoms after getting vaccinated, even if they hadnt knowingly had the virus.

The new Omicron-specific boosters only raise more questions about vaccination and Long COVID, Al-Aly notes, since researchers havent had a chance to study them yet. In the future, he says he hopes researchers will develop vaccines that provide longer-lasting protection against all variants, block viral transmission, and prevent Long COVID. Some of these efforts are underway, as scientists work to develop nasal vaccines that could reduce the risk of infection and shots that could target many different coronaviruses at once.

For now, though, even vaccinated, boosted, and previously infected people arent immune to Long COVID. Any infection could lead to lingering complications, which underscores the importance of limiting exposure to the virus as much as possible.
Justin Trudeau.Photo: VCG

Imagine the leader of a country,which willingly surrenders its sovereignty and right to another nation, is accusing a third country thousands of kilometers away of interfering in its election - how absurd is that!Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rehashing the so-called Chinese interference in his country's elections. According to Canadian media outlet Global News, he warned Monday that China, among some other countries, is "playing aggressive games" with Canadian democracy and institutions.Trudeau's remarks clearly echo the US-hyped "China's infiltration" theory. And they come after another Canadian media reported on Sunday that Canada will release a "long-awaited strategy for dealing with China" that will "look to Washington." What the Canadian PM said on Monday proves yet again that Canada's foreign policy, especially that toward China, doesn't fall far from the US'.In fact, Canada is well aware that the deterioration of relations with its second largest trading partner is hugely damaging to its own interests. But as the US has exerted unprecedented pressure on its allies to keep its alliance system from falling apart, Ottawa has no other choice but to follow Washington's clamors for getting tougher on Beijing.Xin Qiang, deputy head of the Center for American Studies at Shanghai-based Fudan University, told the Global Times that Trudeau's words demonstrate that he is treating China as an imaginary adversary regarding ideology and security. Thus, in his eyes, everything China does now seems to have a hidden purpose, whether to influence his country's politics or to undermine the international order the West dominates.The Canadian PM is making uncalled-for troubles against China, which is bound to affect bilateral relations. In response to his remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that China has "no interest" in Canada's internal affairs.China has always treated Canada as a trading partner without having done anything to violate Canada's interests. The two countries used to enjoy a relatively good relationship for a long time. But in recent years, under the increasing pressure and agitation from Washington, Canada has completely taken the US' side. As a result, friction and even conflicts have gradually replaced cooperation and dialogue in China-Canada relations.In Washington's anti-China choir, Ottawa has become one of the most active members. It not only sings along to US' tune, but also sometimes sings one pitch higher than the US in terms of containing China. But to engage in such a dangerous game as a US pawn, Canada is risking drawing fire to itself.Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that in Washington's strategic competition with China, which the former has regarded as its top mission, the price for countries like Canada to become a pawn of any party will be extremely costly.Canada has the right to determine its foreign policy as a sovereign country. But instead, it has always been subordinate to the US on major security issues. It cannot afford to take a position too different from that of the US, with worries about possible harsh punishment from Washington.In addition, by accusing Beijing of "playing aggressive games," Trudeau seems to partially make a culprit of falling Western democracy out of China, as young Westerners' confidence in democracy is declining in countries such as the US, the UK and Canada.Just like the Canadian PM, some Western politicians tend to blame China for everything that goes wrong in their democratic systems in an oversimplified way to avoid any responsibility. They do not see the root cause of the decay of Western democracy, much less bother to do so. "Justin knows he is going to lose the next election and needs someone other than himself to blame," one Chinese-Canadian netizen argued on Twitter.According to Xin, Western democracy's increasing fragility comes from within. "The polarization of politics, the unreasonable, severe partisan struggle, and the ineffectiveness of governance have torn up Western society and created more confrontations," he said.Instead of blindly following the US to blame China, politicians like Trudeau should ask themselves what really poses a threat to Western democracy. Without genuine self-reflection, shifting the blame to others will never help save the already shattering Western democracy.
Cleaving the deep, he floats with the tide down the flood, and is borne on to his father Daunus' ancient city. The Aeneid of Virgil|Virgil

Carried along by a favorable wind, the ship bore him safely to the capital of his father, King Daunus. The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10)|Various

Thou hast the kingdom of thy father Daunus; and there are other noble virgins in Latium whom thou mayest have to wife. Stories from Virgil|Alfred J. Church
Every casino game is bclc poker online mega mall casinocreated to give the player a good time. But it doesn't end at the fun, playing casino games also allows players to make money from their efforts. For every game won, there is a price paid out.

It doesn't matter if you are playing online or offline, the fun, excitement, and payout remain the same. If you are interested in winning money from playing casino games, you can visit a land-based or play online slots, blackjack, baccarat, etc., and make some money.

Image Credit

There are many casino games that can be played online or offline, and each game has its rules, duration, and payout. Some offer low winnings per game, while others offer larger payouts. If your aim of going into a casino involves making huge profits, you need to pick your games carefully. You can go for games with shorter durations, win money fast, or play games that require a lot of strategies and skill but offer larger payouts.

The Most Profitable / Best Casino Games to Consider

Picking profitable games shouldn't be difficult with the right information. If you are interested in making a higher profit from casino games, these are the top games you should consider playing both in the casino and with online casinos when using live tables.

If you prefer your fun to be more electronic then best slots can be casino slots, you don't have to play online and many players actually prefer the atmosphere and surroundings of a casino. Gambling should always be fun however, it is better if you have an edge so let's take a look at the best casino games to play.

1. Blackjack

Most casino visitors love to play blackjack because it is not just a game of luck. It is a game where you can apply skills, develop strategies, and for seasoned players, apply card counting skills to help determine the outcome of the game.

This is more than a gambling game, and you have an opportunity to make the game go in your favor with the right training and strategy. Blackjack is very easy to learn; first-time players have a chance to win because the house edge for the game is relatively lower than other casino games.

Basic strategy is a set of rules that players can follow to maximize their chances of winning in blackjack. These rules are based on the player's hand value and the dealer's upcard. For example, if the player has a hand value of 12 and the dealer's upcard is 4, 5, or 6, the player should stand. If the player has a hand value of 16 and the dealer's upcard is 7 or higher, the player should hit. By following basic strategy, players can reduce the house edge and increase their odds of winning.

The odds of winning in blackjack depend on various factors, including the number of decks in play, the specific rules of the casino, and the player's skill level. On average, the house edge in blackjack is around 0.5% when basic strategy is employed. This means that for every $100 bet, the player can expect to lose around 50 cents in the long run. However, the actual odds of winning or losing in any given hand can vary significantly due to the element of chance involved in the game.

Basic strategy is a set of rules that provide the best possible move for a player in any given situation. These rules are based on the player's hand value and the dealer's upcard. Here are a few examples of basic strategy moves:

If the player has a hard hand (a hand without an Ace) and the dealer's upcard is 2-6, the player should stand if the player's hand value is 12-16. The odds of winning this hand are around 40%.

If the player has a soft hand (a hand with an Ace) and the dealer's upcard is 4-6, the player should double down if the player's hand value is 13-18. The odds of winning this hand are around 60%.

If the player has a pair of 9s and the dealer's upcard is 2-6 or 8-9, the player should split the pair. The odds of winning this hand are around 54%.

If the player has a pair of Aces or a pair of 8s, the player should always split the pair. Splitting Aces gives the player the best chance of getting two strong hands, while splitting 8s helps the player avoid a hand value of 16, which is known as the "worst hand" in blackjack. The odds of winning after splitting Aces are around 60%, while the odds of winning after splitting 8s are around 58%.

It's important to note that basic strategy is not a guarantee of winning, but rather a strategy that gives the player the best possible chance of winning in the long run. The odds of winning in any given hand depend on various factors, including the specific rules of the casino and the number of decks in play. In general, the more decks in play, the higher the house edge. For example, if a casino uses a single deck, the house edge can be as low as 0.17%. However, if a casino uses eight decks, the house edge can be as high as 0.65%.

By using basic strategy and taking advantage of favorable rules and deck sizes, players can reduce the house edge and increase their odds of winning in blackjack.

2. Roulette

Roulette is known as one of the most profitable casino games ever. It is primarily a game of chance, the table determines your fate, and you have one in thirty-seven chances of winning every time you play.

Developing a betting system will help you make better decisions in this game. Ideally, it may take some time to create a winning system eventually. So, it would be best if you kept working on your strategies until you find a system that works for you. Remember that since this game is unpredictable, most systems are viable for a short period.

There are many different roulette wheels in online and offline casinos. The wheel you choose can play a huge role in increasing your chances of winning at roulette.

In roulette, players place bets on where a ball will land on a spinning wheel. There are two main types of roulette: American roulette and European roulette. The difference between the two is that American roulette has an additional 00 slot, which increases the house edge.

In American roulette, there are 38 slots on the wheel (numbers 1-36, 0, and 00), while in European roulette, there are 37 slots (numbers 1-36 and 0). The odds of winning in roulette depend on the type of bet placed and the specific rules of the game. Here are a few examples:

A straight-up bet (betting on a single number) in American roulette has odds of 37 to 1, while in European roulette, the odds are 36 to 1.

A split bet (betting on two adjacent numbers) in American roulette has odds of 18 to 1, while in European roulette, the odds are 17.5 to 1.

A red or black bet (betting on the color of the number) in American roulette has odds of 1.11 to 1, while in European roulette, the odds are 1.06 to 1.

A column bet (betting on a column of 12 numbers) in American roulette has odds of 2.17 to 1, while in European roulette, the odds are 2.08 to 1.

There are many roulette betting strategies that players use to try to increase their odds of winning. However, it's important to note that no strategy can guarantee a win, as roulette is a game of chance. Here are a few popular roulette betting strategies:

Martingale: This strategy involves doubling the bet after every loss in order to recoup losses and make a profit. However, it requires a large bankroll and can be risky.

D'Alembert: This strategy involves increasing the bet by one after every loss and decreasing it by one after every win. It's considered less risky than the Martingale strategy, but can still result in losses.

Fibonacci: This strategy involves betting based on the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc.). The player increases the bet after every loss by moving up the sequence and decreases it after every win by moving down the sequence.

While these strategies may affect the player's betting patterns, they do not change the odds of winning in roulette. In the long run, the house edge will always favor the casino, so it's important for players to gamble responsibly and within their means.

3. Baccarat

This is one of the easiest games to play in the casino. The rules are simple, and the chances of winning are high. The game can only end in three results, in favor of the player, the bank, or a tie. You have only three options to bet on, which makes choices easier.

This game is very popular because it is slow-paced, and you don't have to be actively involved. The house odds are lower, and most times, you win one out of every three games you play.

Baccarat is a popular casino game that is played with decks of cards. The objective of the game is to bet on the hand that will have a point value closest to 9. Baccarat is often seen as a high-roller game, and it is commonly played in VIP rooms in casinos.

In baccarat, there are three types of bets: Player, Banker, and Tie. The Player bet is a bet on the player's hand winning, the Banker bet is a bet on the banker's hand winning, and the Tie bet is a bet on a tie between the two hands. The odds and payouts for each type of bet are as follows:

Player bet: The player bet has a payout of 1 to 1, and the odds of winning are around 49.32%.

Banker bet: The banker bet has a payout of 1 to 1, but a commission of 5% is charged on winning bets. The odds of winning the banker bet are slightly higher than the player bet, around 50.68%.

Tie bet: The tie bet has a payout of 8 to 1, but the odds of winning are much lower, around 9.53%. This is because a tie is a relatively rare outcome in baccarat.

It's important to note that the odds for each bet may vary depending on the specific rules of the game and the number of decks used. For example, if a game uses a single deck, the odds of winning the banker bet may increase slightly, while the odds of winning the player bet may decrease slightly.

In baccarat, there is no strategy or skill involved, as the game is purely based on chance. However, some players may use a betting system, such as the Martingale system, to try to increase their chances of winning. Despite this, the house edge for baccarat is relatively low compared to other casino games, making it a popular choice among players.

4. Video Poker

Video poker is very versatile and fun. It is played on a machine that looks like a slot machine in physical casinos. However, the fact it looks like a slot machine doesn't mean that it works like it.

Here, the house odds are lower, and it is easier to win. Players will also be refunded unused funds if they decide to quit in the middle of the game. With different variations of the game available, and the advantaged odds it presents, it has become a favorite for casino visitors who are interested in winning big.

The odds for video poker in a casino depend on several factors, such as the specific type of video poker game being played, the paytable used, and the player's strategy. However, in general, video poker is known for having some of the best odds of any casino game.

The most common type of video poker is Jacks or Better, which uses a standard 52-card deck. The objective of the game is to make a five-card poker hand that contains at least a pair of jacks or better. The odds of getting a winning hand in Jacks or Better video poker are as follows:

Royal Flush: 1 in 40,000

Straight Flush: 1 in 9,000

Four of a Kind: 1 in 423

Full House: 1 in 86

Flush: 1 in 90

Straight: 1 in 89

Three of a Kind: 1 in 13

Two Pair: 1 in 7

Jacks or Better: 1 in 4.9

The payout for each winning hand in video poker depends on the specific paytable used. A full-pay Jacks or Better machine, for example, has a payout of 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush. The paytable can have a significant impact on the overall odds of the game and the expected payout percentage.

It's important to note that video poker is a game of skill, as players have the ability to make decisions about which cards to hold and which to discard. By using optimal strategy, players can reduce the house edge and increase their chances of winning. However, even with optimal strategy, the house always has an edge in video poker, which varies depending on the specific game and paytable.

5. Poker

Unlike most casino games, poker is a game that mostly depends on your skills to win. It is like a competition, and you play with other players. If you take time to learn, get better, and harness your skills, you can earn a living playing poker.

One thing that can help you stay ahead is your ability to stay focused. Even when you are losing, self-control is necessary to get you ahead in this game.

Poker is a game that is played against other players, rather than the house, so there is no specific house edge in poker. The odds of winning a hand in poker depend on the specific hand being played and the number of players at the table.

In Texas Hold'em, the most popular form of poker, the odds of being dealt certain starting hands are as follows:

Pocket Aces: 1 in 221

Ace-King Suited: 1 in 82

Pocket Kings: 1 in 110

Ace-Queen Suited: 1 in 81

Pocket Queens: 1 in 121

Ace-Jack Suited: 1 in 75

Pocket Jacks: 1 in 82

Ace-10 Suited: 1 in 68

Pocket 10s: 1 in 110

The odds of making specific hands after the flop (three community cards) are as follows:

Flush: 1 in 118

Straight: 1 in 76

Three of a Kind: 1 in 47

Two Pair: 1 in 20

One Pair: 1 in 2.4

It's important to note that the odds of making a particular hand can vary depending on the specific situation in the game, such as the number of players at the table, the skill level of the players, and the betting action.

While there is no specific house edge in poker, the casino or poker room may take a rake from each pot, which is a small percentage of the total pot. This can vary depending on the specific casino or poker room, but the typical rake is around 2.5% to 10% of the pot, with a maximum amount. The rake can have a significant impact on the overall profitability of playing poker, especially for low-stakes players.

In summary, the odds of winning a hand in poker depend on the specific hand being played and the number of players at the table, while the profitability of playing poker can be affected by the rake taken by the casino or poker room.

The Bottom Line for Gambling in Casinos on the Best Games

Four things come together to make a game profitable - its popularity, its odds, the player's skills, and pure luck. Before picking a game, make sure you have the first three in your favor.

Many players have said that they won more money when having fun and not thinking about winning. Do not make your casino visit a hundred percent about making a profit, play different games and have fun, and you may end up going home richer.

To sum up, the best casino games to play depend on a variety of factors, including personal preferences, the player's skill level, and the specific rules and payouts of the games. That being said, there are a few games that tend to have better odds and lower house edges, making them more favorable for players in the long run.

Blackjack: Blackjack is a card game that is based on skill and strategy, making it one of the best games to play in a casino. When played with optimal basic strategy, the house edge in blackjack can be as low as 0.5%, which means that players have a good chance of winning. Additionally, some blackjack variations, such as single deck blackjack, can have even lower house edges.

Roulette: Roulette is a game of chance, so there is no specific strategy that can be used to increase the player's odds of winning. However, the game offers a variety of betting options, including even money bets such as red/black or odd/even, which have a relatively low house edge of around 2.7%.

Baccarat: Baccarat is a simple card game that is popular among high rollers. The game has a low house edge of around 1.06% for bets on the banker and 1.24% for bets on the player, making it a good choice for players who are looking for a low-risk game.

Video Poker: Video poker is another game that is based on skill and strategy, making it a good choice for players who are looking to increase their chances of winning. When played with optimal strategy, some video poker games can have a house edge of less than 0.5%, which is significantly lower than many other casino games.

Poker: Poker is a card game that is played against other players, rather than the house, so there is no specific house edge in poker. The odds of winning a hand in poker depend on the specific hand being played and the number of players at the table, while the profitability of playing poker can be affected by the rake taken by the casino or poker room. When played with optimal strategy, some variations of poker can offer a lower house edge compared to other casino games, making it a good choice for skilled players looking to increase their chances of winning.

You can go for games with shorter durations, win money fast, or play games that require a lot of strategies and skill but offer larger and faster payouts.

In summary, the best casino games to play are those that offer favorable odds and low house edges, such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, video poker and poker. However, it's important to keep in mind that no casino game is guaranteed to result in a win, so it's important to gamble responsibly and within one's means.

Category: Casino Blog
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Hungary is now forced to look for new ways to import oil and gas, since the previous ones were disrupted as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto said, Trend reports.

Serious opportunities are opening up in this area thanks to cooperation with Turkiye, Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia. Therefore, we need new connections, new supply routes, and the Turkic states offer a very good opportunity to become a bridge between East and West, Szijjarto said.

He also noted that Hungary has signed a contract with Turkiye, according to which it will purchase 275 million cubic meters of gas from it at the beginning of the new year.

This year, Hungary bought 100 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan. There are plans to receive gas from Turkmenistan and Qatar, concluded the Hungarian Foreign Minister.

Azerbaijan began gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor on December 31, 2020. The initial capacity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is the European section of the corridor, is 10 billion cubic meters per year with the possibility of expansion to 20 billion cubic meters.
mysportsbettingsites.com sportsbook bettingshows grade level based on the word's complexity. Darwin's finches 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.

plural nouna group of Galapagos Island finches, observed by Charles Darwin, that provide striking evidence of speciation.

Words nearby Darwin's finches

How to use Darwin's finches Darwin's finches pl nthe finches of the subfamily Geospizinae of the Galapagos Islands, showing great variation in bill structure and feeding habits: provided Darwin with evidence to support his theory of evolution 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 Darwin's finchesFirst recorded in 194550Darvon Compound, Darwin, Darwin, Charles, Darwinian, Darwinism, Darwin's finches, Darwin tulip, das, DASD, Dasehra, dashDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
A full list of entrants from 63 countries and regions for this years Oscar foreign language film award is released at the academys website on October 13, 2011. Mainland director Zhang Yimous The Flowers of War, Hong Kong director Ann Huis A Simple Life and Taiwan director Wei Te-shengs Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale are on the list.

The Oscars, which are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are the worlds top film honors, and being nominated for the foreign language award brings prestige that helps those movies lure audiences.

Among some of the more talked about foreign language titles already in 2011 are Polish entry In Darkness, a Holocaust drama that played well at Septembers Toronto International Film Festival, and Spains Black Bread, which earlier this year won nine of its home countrys top awards, the Goyas.

The motion picture academy will narrow the list of 63 films to five nominees that will be named on January 24. The Oscars take place on February 26, at a gala ceremony in Los Angeles.

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Chinese Flims Line up for Foreign Lauguage Oscaradded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is the Plunge Protection Team?jumbo bet casino agen capsa online

The "Plunge Protection Team" (PPT) is a colloquial name given to the Working Group on Financial Markets. Created in 1988 to provide financial and economic recommendations to the U.S. President during turbulent market times, this group is headed by the Secretary of the Treasury; other members include the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the aides or officials they designate to represent them).

The name "Plunge Protection Team" was coined by The Washington Post and first applied to the group in 1997.

Key Takeaways

The "Plunge Protection Team" (PPT) is a colloquial name given to the Working Group on Financial Markets by The Wall Street Journal.

The Plunge Protection Team's official mission is to advise the U.S. president during times of economic and stock market turbulence.

Critics fear the Plunge Protection Team doesn't just advise, but actively intervenes to prop up stock pricescolluding with banks to rig the market, in effect.

The Plunge Protection Team, composed of high-ranking government financial officials, reports directly and privately to the president of the United States.

How the Plunge Protection Team (PPT) Works

In March 1988, in the wake of the stock market crash of 1987, then-President Ronald Reagan created by executive order the Presidents Working Group on Financial Markets. The concept was to create an informed, but informal, advisory group on the markets for the president and regulators. Charged with "enhancing the integrity, efficiency, orderliness, and competitiveness of our Nation's financial markets and maintaining investor confidence."

Its original purpose was to report specifically on the Black Monday events of October 19, 1987during that event, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22.6%and, what actions, if any, should be taken. However, the group has continued to meet and report to various presidents over the years, usually (but not always) during turbulent times in the financial markets.

In 1999, it issued a recommendation to Congress, requesting changes in the derivatives markets regulations. It convened during the global credit crisis of 2008. The Plunge Protection Team's latest gathering (as of March 2019) was on Christmas Eve, 2018. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin chaired a conference call with other members of the group, in addition to representatives from the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Concerns About the Plunge Protection Team (PPT)

Though not exactly a secret, the Plunge Protection Team isn't widely covered and doesn't release the minutes of its meetings or its recommendations, reporting only to the president. This behavior leads some observers to wonder if the government's most important financial officials are doing more than analyzing and advisingin fact, that are actively intervening in the markets.

Conspiracy theorists have speculated that the group executes trades on several exchanges when prices are heading downward, collaborating with big banks such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in unrecorded transactions. They often point to a 1989 speech published in The Wall Street Journal by former Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Robert Heller, which suggested the Fed could directly support the stock market by purchasing index futures contracts.

How the Plunge Protection Team (PPT) Might Work

On Monday, February 5, 2018, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) experienced a drop that was twice as large as its biggest point decline in history. However, arbitrary and aggressive buying cut the decline in half in one day. On Tuesday and Wednesday of that week, stocks opened lower, and each time aggressive buying buoyed the markets. That aggressive buying, some say, was being orchestrated by the Plunge Protection Team.

Or, to take a more recent example: The Plunge Protection Team's aforementioned teleconference on Dec. 24, 2018. That whole month, the S&P 500 had been heading towards a record declinethe motive for the team's meetingand the DJIA dropped 650 on the 24th alone. But when trading resumed after Christmas, the DJIA rallied over 1,000 points. On the 27th, it lost half those gains, until a late-day reversal stopped the slide, and caused the market to close 600 points up. That's no coincidence, conspiracy theorists argue.

If true, this sort of manipulation is not unlike the actions of consortia of private bankers and financiers in the late 19th and early 20th century who, during financial panics, would step in to shore up the stock market with massive purchases. The difference, of course, is that the Working Group on Financial Markets is composed of U.S. government officials, and the U.S. is supposed to operate on a free-market system. And also an open one, not one influenced by mysterious forces.
What Are Homemade Dividends?buy bitcoin instantly with debit debit card

Homemade dividends are a form of investment income generated from the sale of a portion of an individual's investment portfolio. These assets differ from the traditional dividends that a companys board of directors distributes to certain classes of shareholders.

Key Takeaways

Homemade dividends signify a category of investment income that results from the partial sale of an investor's portfolio.

Homemade dividends are unlike the traditional dividends that a companys board of directors issues to shareholders.

The ability of investors to mine homemade dividends has triggered a debate as to whether traditional dividends offer substantial value.

Understanding Homemade Dividends

The ability of investors to create their own homemade dividends has provoked questions about whether traditional dividends offer real value. Some investment experts argue that since a stock price will decrease by exactly the amount of the dividend on its ex-dividend date, it neutralizes any financial gains.

This idea sits at the crux of the dividend irrelevance theory, which claims that investors fundamentally do not need to pay heed to a company's dividend payment policy, since they retain the option of selling off portions of their equity portfolios, should they ever need to generate cash. Naysayers of this theory counter-argue that when an investor sells a portion of their portfolio, they end up with fewer shares, which consequently results in a depleted asset base, despite any short-term monetary gains they may enjoy.

Economists Merton Miller and Franco Modigliani were among the first voices to espouse the irrelevance of corporate dividends when they publicized their theories in the early 1960s.

Traditional Dividends

As noted, a companys board of directors is charged with the responsibility of declaring dividend payouts to shareholders. Following the declaration date, the company establishes a record date to determine which shareholders are eligible to receive distributions. The ex-dividend date, which occurs precisely two business days before the record date, denotes the final day a seller is still entitled to collect dividends, even if they have already sold their shares to a buyer.

Normal dividends typically occur on a regular monthly or quarterly basis, while extra or special dividends are one-time distributions. Generally speaking, a company's board declares special dividends after witnessing exceptionally strong earnings results or when a company seeks either to materially change its financial structure or to spin off a subsidiary company.

Companies with sector exposure to basic materials, oil and gas, financials, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and utility concerns historically produce the highest dividend yields. Furthermore, companies structured as master limited partnerships (MLPs) or real estate investment trusts (REITs) are also top dividend payers, because these companies are typically mature and they exhibit stable cash flows.

In contrast, start-ups and other high-growth companies, such as many technology plays, seldom offer high dividends. These companies usually prefer to reinvest any earnings they make into research and development or to the expansion of operations.
02:51

Theleovegas mr green real keno online TechCrunch Disrupt conference returned to an in-person conference in San Francisco for the first time since the COVID pandemic hit.

This year's event featured some technological innovations in areas not traditionally thought of as being tech.

For more, check out our exclusive content on CGTN Now and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The China Report.
Darwinian [ dahr-win-ee-uhn ]/ drwn i n / New Word List Save This lotsa slots free spinsWord! [ dahr-win-ee-uhn ]/ drwn i n /Save ThisWord!

adjective(sometimes lowercase) pertaining to Charles Darwin or his doctrines.

nouna follower of Charles Darwin; a person who accepts or advocates Darwinism.

Darwinian/ (dwnn) /

adjectiveof or relating to Charles Darwin or his theory of evolution by natural selection

nouna person who accepts, supports, or uses this theory

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 DarwinianCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Delicious hot drinks are a staple in many cultures. Coffee, tea, hot buttered rum, and many other drinks make cold nights around the fire more enjoyable.

Whats that chocolate-flavored drink in your mug? Is it cacaoor cocoa?

These words are actually very closely related, but they refer to different products. If you are ordering at a trendy, upscale cafe, there may be little or no difference between them at all, but if you are a careful writer (and I know you are), you will need to know the difference between these confusing words.

What is the Difference Between Cacao and Cocoa?

The cocoavs. cacao choice is confusing for many writers, so, in this article, I will discuss the important differences between these words.

I will include several example sentences that show how writers likely use both of these words. Ill also include a mnemonic device that simplifies choosing cocoa or cacao.

When to Use Cacao

What does cacao mean? Cacao refers to a tropical plant that is native to South America: the Theobroma cacao tree.

It can also refer to the beans of this plant and a specific type of product made from the beans. Cacao is also the name of two South American cities.

The beans of the cacao plant are prized the world over for their distinctive flavor and aroma. They are the main ingredient of chocolate and are also used to make cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and other products.

The sentences below show cacao in context.

Although the cacao plant is native to South America, African countries represented three of the top five exporters of cacao in 2005.

Most of the time, if you want pure cocoa powder, you should make sure the label says 100% cacao.

The integrity of a cherished Brooklyn-based brand of craft chocolate bar has been called into question after a food blogger published a four-part series of posts this month that accused the two brothers who founded it of faking how they learned to grind their cacao beans, the ingredients in their candy and even their beards. The New York Times

Cacao products: Cacaocan also refer to a specific type of product made from the cacao bean. If a product is made by cold pressing non-roasted cacao seeds, it is said to be cacao. This further differentiates it from cocoa(more on this below).

When to Use Cocoa

What does cocoa mean? Cocoais a chocolate powder (among other things) made from roastedand ground cacao seeds.

So, while cacaorefers to the plant itself and the products made from non-roasted seeds, cocoaproducts are made from roasting its seeds.

The standard terms are,

Cocoa butter.

Cacao bean.

-not-

Cacao butter

Cocoa bean.

Cocoa powderis what people use to make hot chocolate, among other drinks.

In the English sentence, cocoa can be a noun or an adjective.

As a noun, cocoausually means a hot, creamy drink flavored with chocolate. The sentences below are examples:

Before I go to bed, I like to have a mug of hot cocoa.

Cocoa makes a cold winter night feel festive and cozy.

As an adjective, cocoausually denotes products made from or related to cocoa, like cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and others. You can see more examples in the sentences below.

I used cocoa butter to make a batch of cookies, but they didnt turn out very well.

If you mix cocoa powder with hot, frothy milk, you will get a nice, chocolatey drink to enjoy on a cold day.

The cost of two crucial ingredients in chocolate, cocoa butter and sugar, has risen sharply this year. The Wall Street Journal

Difference in Processing

As I briefly mentioned above, there is a technical difference between these two terms from a food processing perspective. While both products come from the cacao plant and its seeds, cacaoand cocoaproducts are made using a different processes.

Cacao powder is made by cold pressing non-roasted cacao beans.

Cocoa powder is raw cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures.

While the end product of each looks the same to the eye, the heat used in the cocoa-making process affects the cacao beans at the molecular level, removing some of its enzymes. What you have left is a sweeter product that is more commonly used in baking (cocoa).

Cacao retains more of the natural antioxidants of the beans themselves.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Its easy to remember cacao vs. cocoabecause they refer to different things.

Cacao refers to the plant, its beans, or a product using non-roasted beans.

Cocoa is refers to products derived from roasted beans.

Since cocoaand roastedonly have one Ain them, you should be able to remember this easily.

Summary

Is it cacao or cocoa?These terms are beginning to have some overlap, but in general, they have separate usage cases and cannot be substituted for each other.

Cacao is a type of evergreen tree native to South America. Cacao products are made from non-roasted beans.

Cocoa is a drink made from the powdered beans of this tree, or several other products. Cocoa products are made from roasted beans.



To conclude: South Americans (and Africans) grow cacao; people all over the world drink cocoa.
If you are sued for gross negligence by someone who was injured as a result of your careless actions, who will represent you in court?

You could represent yourself, but that might be a risky idea. Civil litigation is not a realm where amateurs generally thrive.

Most of the time, people are represented by legal professionals when they go to court. If you know you are at fault but dont want to suffer the legal consequences, you had better find a talented practitioner.

So, should you be looking for a lawyer or attorney? Is there any real difference between these titles?

Continue reading to find out, but remember, this post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as qualified legal advice. The author is not liable for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information on this site.

What is the Difference Between an Attorney and Lawyer?

In this article, I will compare attorney vs. lawyer. I will use each of these words in example sentences, so you can see them in context.

I will also include a memory tool that should help you choose attorney or lawyer in your next piece of writing.

When to Use Lawyer

What does lawyer mean? A lawyer is a person who practices law. In the United States, a license is required for this type of work. Lawyers represent plaintiffs and defendants in court, and also give advice to clients on legal issues.

For example:

My lawyer says that I would have a fantastic case if I brought it to court.

When Carrie Fisher notified Harrison Ford that she planned to divulge the details of their affair in a memoir, he reportedly raised a finger and simply said, Lawyer!

She is a daughter of Joan L. Lewis and Ira E. Goldberg of New York. The brides father is a lawyer in New York. The New York Times

The word lawyer is a singular noun. Its plural form is lawyers.

When to Use Attorney

What does attorney mean? Attorney is a synonym for lawyer.

Acosta could decide to revise the regulation or to delay it further, but the department will need to conduct research to justify making major changes to a rule thats already been finalized, says Erin Sweeney, an attorney at Miller & Chevalier who consults employers and financial firms seeking to comply with the rule. The Washington Post

Some individuals who practice law prefer the term attorney to lawyer. Lawyer is more likely to carry negative connotations of dishonesty.

In proper English, attorneyrefers to an agent who conducts business for someone else. Thus, a lawyer who represents a client in court is an attorney. The phrase attorneys-at-law, which refers to partners at a law firm, speaks to this usage, as does the phrase power of attorney.

An attorney is someone who conducts business for someone else. In other words, not all lawyers are attorneys. A lawyer only becomes an attorney when he or she has a client.

Still, the words are used interchangeably in common English. For what its worth, lawyer has been the slightly more popular term for over 160 years.

Trick to Remember the Difference

The distinction between these two terms is rarely, if ever, observedeven by those who deal with the law on a full-time basis.

Still, if you have an overly pedantic boss or instructor, you will need to know the difference between these words.

A lawyer is a person who practices law.

An attorneyconducts business on behalf of another person.

Since the original usage of attorney is similar to the modern usage of agentin this sense, you can use their shared beginning letter A to remember that an attorney is an agent.

Summary

Is it attorney or lawyer? Attorney and lawyer and are two terms for a person who practices law.

Attorney used to mean an agent who conducts business for a client.

A lawyer is technically one type of attorney.

Some practitioners of law prefer attorney to lawyer, but in everyday speech, the words are used interchangeably.
This example problem demonstrates how to find the energy of a photon from its wavelength.To do this, you need to use the wave equation to relate wavelength to frequency and Planck's equation to find the energy. This type of problem is good practice at rearranging equations, using correct units, and tracking significant figures.

Key Takeaways: Find Photon Energy From Wavelength

The energy of a photo is related to its frequency and its wavelength. It is directly proportional to frequency and inversely proportional to wavelength.

To find energy from wavelength, use the wave equation to get the frequency and then plug it into Planck's equation to solve for energy.

This type of problem, while simple, is a good way to practice rearranging and combining equations (an essential skill in physics and chemistry).

It's also important to report final values using the correct number of significant digits.

Energy from Wavelength Problem - Laser Beam Energy

The red light from a helium-neon laser has a wavelength of 633 nm. What is the energy of one photon?

You need to use two equations to solve this problem:

The first is Planck's equation, which was proposed by Max Planck to describe how energy is transferred in quanta or packets. Planck's equation makes it possible to understand blackbody radiation and the photoelectric effect. The equation is:

E = h

where

E = energy

h = Planck's constant = 6.626 x 10-34Js

 = frequency

The second equation is the wave equation, which describes the speed of light in terms of wavelength and frequency. You use this equation to solve for frequency to plug into the first equation. The wave equation is:

c = 

where

c = speed of light = 3 x 108m/sec

 = wavelength

 = frequency

Rearrange the equation to solve for frequency:

 = c/

Next, replace frequency in the first equation with c/ to get a formula you can use:

E = h

E = hc/

In other words, the energy of a photo is directly proportional to its frequency and inversely proportional to its wavelength.

All that remains is to plug in the values and get the answer:

E = 6.626 x 10-34Js x 3 x 108m/sec/ (633 nm x 10-9m/1 nm)

E = 1.988 x 10-25Jm/6.33 x 10-7m E = 3.14 x -19J

Answer:

The energy of a single photon of red light from a helium-neon laser is 3.14 x -19J.

Energy of One Mole of Photons

While the first example showed how to find the energy of a single photon, the same method may be used to find the energy of a mole of photons. Basically, what you do is find the energy of one photon and multiply it by Avogadro's number.

A light source emits radiation with a wavelength of 500.0 nm. Find the energy of one mole of photons of this radiation. Express the answer in units of kJ.

It's typical to need to perform a unit conversion on the wavelength value in order to get it to work in the equation. First, convert nm to m. Nano- is 10-9, so all you need to do is move the decimal place over 9 spots or divide by 109.

500.0 nm = 500.0 x 10-9m = 5.000 x 10-7m

The last value is the wavelength expressed using scientific notation and the correct number of significant figures.

Remember how Planck's equation and the wave equation were combined to give:

E = hc/

E = (6.626 x 10-34Js)(3.000 x 108m/s) / (5.000 x 10-17m)

E = 3.9756 x 10-19J

However, this is the energy of a single photon. Multiply the value by Avogadro's number for the energy of a mole of photons:

energy of a mole of photons = (energy of a single photon) x (Avogadro's number)

energy of a mole of photons = (3.9756 x 10-19J)(6.022 x 1023mol-1) [hint: multiply the decimal numbers and then subtract the denominator exponent from the numerator exponent to get the power of 10)

energy = 2.394 x 105J/mol

for one mole, the energy is 2.394 x 105J

Note how the value retains the correct number of significant figures. It still needs to be converted from J to kJ for the final answer:

energy = (2.394 x 105J)(1 kJ / 1000 J)

energy = 2.394 x 102kJ or 239.4 kJ

Remember, if you need to do additional unit conversions, watch your significant digits.

Sources
It has been confirmed that six Taiwanese films will be screened at the Taiwan Film Festival during the 20th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards (GRHFA), according to the website of the organizing committee for this years event.

Director Lin Yu-Hsiens gymnastics-themed movie, Jump! Ashin (),gate777 50 free spins no deposit code will open the Taiwan Film Festival which runs from October 19 to 22. Other Taiwanese films to be screened include Revenge of the Factory Woman, Make Up, Taipei Exchanges, When Love Comes and Young at Heart: Grandma Cheerleaders.

Actor Eddie Peng and Lin Ko, the two leads of the movie, Jump! Ashin, will attend the opening ceremony of the festival.

In addition to this, director Johnny Tos film panorama will be screened during the Hong Kong Film Festival of GRHFA. All About Ah-Long, starring by Chow Yun-fat, will open the festival.

Chen Nan

Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards to Hold Taiwan and Hong Kong Film Festivaladded by chinatimesonline on

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov has held a phone talk with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Trend reports.

The ministers discussed bilateral issues, as well as the current regional situation in the post-conflict period.

During the telephone conversation, issues that arose following the results of recent meetings held between the co-chairs of the Azerbaijan-Iran State Commission on Economic, Trade and Humanitarian Cooperation, and further steps to be taken were discussed.

In addition, the contribution of high-level meetings and interdepartmental contacts between the two countries to the development of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations was highly appreciated.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian once again recalled his meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as part of his visit to the country to participate in the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Coordination Bureau.

At the same time, the ministers discussed the necessary measures for the complete normalization of relations between the two countries.

Minister Bayramov noted that, despite the peace proposals and initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan aimed at normalizing relations in the region, the military-political provocations of the Armenian leadership against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan harmed these efforts.

The parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
deltin daman bet of the day todayshows grade level based on the word's complexity. director general 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, plural directors general.the executive head of an organization or of a major subdivision, as a branch or agency, of government.

Words nearby director general

How to use director general director-general noun plural directors-generalthe head of a large organization such as the CBI or BBC 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 director generalFirst recorded in 187580direct method, direct object, Directoire, director, directorate, director general, directorial, Director of Education, director of photography, Director of Public Prosecutions, director's chairDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley,on line black jack 888 video slots D-Oregon, is leading a coalition of his Democratic colleagues who do not want to see gambling on American elections legalized.

Along with U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, and Dianne Feinstein, D-California, Merkley sent a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) urging Chairman Rostin Behnam to reject a proposal from a private prediction market group that could allow for legal gambling on American elections.

A private predictions company known as Kalshi notified the CFTC in June that it wants to allow people to effectively gamble on election outcomes. Kalshi is a federally-regulated exchange where people can trade on the outcome of events, with the value of their shares increasing or decreasing depending on the probability of an event changing.
Mike Pence on possible Trump run: I think we are going to have better choices

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Former Vice President Mike Pence responds to former President Trump possibly running for reelection and the Russia-Ukraine war on 'Special Report.'

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday that Republicans "have better choices" for president in 2024 than former President Donald Trump.

Pence, in an interview on Fox News' Special Report, emphasized that Republican voters long for a return to the policies of the Trump administration but want to avoid Trump's divisive approach to the White House. While Pence said Trump was the only candidate who could defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he added that "different times call for different leadership."

"I honestly believe that were going to have better choices," Pence said. "I hear people saying that they would like us to move forward with leadership that will unite our country around our highest ideals and reflect the kind of respect and civility that the American people demonstrate to each other every day."

MIKE PENCE LAMENTS COLLAPSE OF TRUMP RELATIONSHIP, FONDLY RECALLS TIME IN WHITE HOUSE

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event to promote his new book ((Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))

Pence's comments come hours before former President Donald Trump will make what he calls a "very big announcement" in a speech at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida that is expected to be a declaration that he will run for president in 2024.

Pence said he is giving a 2024 presidential run "prayerful consideration."

TRUMP FACING CALLS TO DELAY 'BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' AT MAR-A-LAGO

Donald Trump and Mike Pence pose together on a stage. (Getty Images)

The former vice president said he is proud that Republicans took back the House in the midterm elections but wishes they could have won more competitive races. The winning formula, he said, was to focus on the issues that matter to voters at the moment.

"Candidates that were focused on the past, on re-litigating the last election, did not fare so well," Pence said. "Theres a real affirmation here that the Republican Party needs to be focused on the future."

RON DESANTIS FINALLY RESPONDS TO ATTACKS FROM TRUMP, MEDIA: 'CHECK OUT THE SCOREBOARD'

Former Vice President Mike Pence visits "America Reports" at FOX News ((Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images))

Trump, as president, criticized Pence for certifying the 2020 election results, tweeting on January 6, 2021 that the vice president "didn't have the courage to do what should have been done." Protesters at the Capitol were heard chanting "hang Mike Pence." Trump then tweeted that rioters who entered the Capitol should leave and protest peacefully.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Pence said Tuesday that he always stayed loyal to Trump as vice president and kept his concerns between the two of them. January 6, he said, changed that relationship.

"In that moment, when that tweet came across, it angered me," Pence said.

Patrick Hauf is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
What Is a Stock Option?22bet site apostas

A stock option (also known as an equity option), gives an investor the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a stock at an agreed-upon price and date. There are two types of options: puts, which is a bet that a stock will fall, or calls, which is a bet that a stock will rise. Because it has shares of stock (or a stock index) as its underlying asset, stock options are a form of equity derivative and may be called equity options.

Employee stock options (ESOs) are a type of equity compensation given by companies to some employees or executives that effectively amount to call options. These differ from listed equity options on stocks that trade in the market, as they are restricted to a particular corporation issuing them to their own employees.

Key Takeaways

Stock options give a trader the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell shares of a certain stock at an agreed-upon price and date.

Stock options are a common form of equity derivative.

One equity options contract generally represents 100 shares of the underlying stock.

There are two primary types of options contract: calls and puts.

Employee stock options (ESOs) are when a company effectively grants call options to certain employees.

Understanding Stock Options

Options are a type of financial instrument known as a derivativei.e., their worth is based on, or derived from, the value of an underlying security or asset. In the case of stock options, that asset is shares of a company's stock. Essentially, the option is a contract that creates an agreement between two parties to have the option to sell or buy the stock at some point in the future at a specified price, known as the strike price (exercise price).



Stock options come in two basic forms:

Call options afford the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the asset at a stated price within a specific timeframe.

the asset at a stated price within a specific timeframe. Put options afford the holder the right, but not the obligation, to sellthe asset at a stated price within a specific timeframe.

Therefore, if XYZ stock is trading at $100, a $120-strike call would become worthwhile to exercise (i.e., convert into shares at the strike price) only if the market price rises above $120. Or, the 80-strike put worthwhile if the shares drop below $80. At that point, both options would be said to be in-the-money (ITM), meaning that they have some intrinsic value (namely, the difference between the strike price and the market price). Otherwise, the options are out-of-the-money (OTM), and consist of extrinsic value (also known as time value). OTM options still have value since the underlying has some probability of moving into the money on or before the option expires. This probability is reflected in the option's price.

Equity options are derived from a single equity security. Investors and traders can use equity options to take a long or short position in a stock without actually buying or shorting the stock. This is advantageous because taking a position with options allows the investor/trader more leverage in that the amount of capital needed is much less than a similar outright long or short position on margin. Investors/traders can, therefore, profit more from a price movement in the underlying stock.



Exercising an option means using the option holder's right to convert the contract into shares at the strike price.

Stock Option Parameters

American vs. European Styles

There are two different styles of options: American and European. American options can be exercised at any time between the purchase and expiration date. European options, which are less common, can only be exercised on the expiration date.

Expiration Date

Options contracts exist for only a certain period of time. This is known as the expiration date. Options listed with longer expiration dates will have more time value since there is a greater chance of an option becoming in-the-money the longer there is for the underlying stock to move around. Option expiration dates are set according to a fixed schedule (known as an options cycle) and typically range from daily or weekly expirations to monthly and up to one year or more.

Strike Price

The strike price determines whether an option should be exercised. It is the price that a trader expects the stock to be above or below by the expiration date.

As an example, if a trader is betting that International Business Machine Corp. (IBM) will rise in the future, they might buy a call for a specific month and a particular strike price. For example, a trader is betting that IBM's stock will rise above $150 by the middle of January. They may then buy a January $150 call.

Contract Size

Contracts represent a specific number of underlying shares that a trader may be looking to buy. One contract is equal to 100 shares of the underlying stock.

Using the previous example, a trader decides to buy five call contracts. Now the trader would own five January $150 calls. If the stock rises above $150 by the expiration date, the trader would have the option to exercise or buy 500 shares of IBMs stock at $150, regardless of the current stock price. If the stock is worth less than $150, the options will expire worthless, and the trader would lose the entire amount spent to buy the options, also known as the premium.

Premium

The premium is the price paid for an option, It is determined by taking the price of the call and multiplying it by the number of contracts bought, then multiplying it by 100.

In our example, if a trader buys five January IBM $150 Calls for $1 per contract, the trader would spend $500. However, if a trader wanted to bet the stock would fall they would buy the puts.

The volatility of the underlying security is a key concept in options pricing theory. In general, the greater the volatility, the higher the premium required for all options listed on that security.

Trading Stock Options

Stock options are listed for trading on several exchanges, including the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), and the International Securities Exchange (ISE), among several others.

Options can be bought or sold depending on the strategy a trader is using. Continuing with the example above, if a trader thinks IBM shares are poised to rise, they can buy the call, or they can also choose to sell or write the put. In this case, the seller of the put would not pay a premium but would receive the premium. A seller of five IBM January $150 puts would receive $500.

Should the stock trade above $150, the option would expire worthless allowing the seller of the put to keep all of the premium. However, should the stock close below the strike price, the seller would have to buy the underlying stock at the strike price of $150. If that happens, it would create a loss of the premium and additional capital, since the trader now owns the stock at $150 per share, despite it trading at lower levels.

Another popular equity options technique is trading option spreads. Traders take combinations of long and short option positions, with different strike prices and expiration dates, for the purpose of extracting profit from the option premiums with minimal risk.

Example of Stock Options

In the example below, a trader believes Nvidia Corps (NVDA) stock is going to rise in the future to over $170. They decide to buy 10 January $170 calls which trade at a price of $16.10 per contract. It would result in the trader spending $16,100 to purchase the calls. However, for the trader to earn a profit, the stock would need to rise above the strike price and the cost of the calls, or $186.10. Should the stock not rise above $170, the options would expire worthless, and the trader would lose the entire premium.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

Additionally, if the trader wants to bet that Nvidia will fall in the future, they could buy 10 January $120 Puts for $11.70 per contract. It would cost the trader a total of $11,700. For the trader to earn a profit the stock would need to fall below $108.30. Should the stock close above $120 the options would expire worthless, resulting in loss of the premium.

Employee Stock Options

Companies sometimes grant call options to certain employees as a form of equity compensation to incentivize good performance or reward seniority. Employee stock options (ESOs) effectively give an employee the right to buy the companys stock at a specified price for a finite period of time. ESOs often have vesting schedules that limit the ability to exercise. If the stock's market price has risen once the vesting periods end, the employee can benefit greatly by exercising those options.

Employee stock options are not publicly-traded - they are issued exclusively by corporations to their employees. Upon ESO exercise, the company must issue new shares to that employee, which has a dilutive effect as it increases the overall number of shares outstanding. Investors should pay attention to the number of outstanding employee options that have been issued to understand their fully-dilutive potential.

Why Would You Buy an Option?

Essentially, a stock option allows an investor to bet on the rise or fall of a given stock by a specific date in the future. Often, large corporations will purchase stock options to hedge risk exposure to a given security. On the other hand, options also allow investors to speculate on the price of a stock, typically elevating their risk.

What Are the 2 Main Types of Stock Options?

When investors trade stock options, they can choose between a call option or a put option. In a call option, the investor speculates that the underlying stocks price will rise. A put option takes a bearish position, where the investor bets that the underlying stocks price will decline. Options are purchased as contracts, which are equal to 100 shares of the underlying stock.



How Do Stock Options Work?

Consider an investor who speculates that the price of stock A will rise in three months. Currently, stock A is valued at $10. The investor then buys a call option with a $50 strike price, which is the price that the stock must exceed in order for the investor to make a profit. Fast-forward to the expiration date, where now, stock A has risen to $70. This call option would be worth $20 as stock As price is $20 higher than the strike price of $50. By contrast, an investor would profit from a put option if the underlying stock were to fall below his strike price by the expiration date.

What Is Exercising a Stock Option?

To exercise a stock option involves buying (in the case of a call) or selling (in the case of a put) the underlying at its strike price. This is most often done before expiration when an option is deeply in the money with a delta close to 100, or at expiration if it is in the money at any amount. When exercised, the option disappears and the underlying asset is delivered (long or short, respectively) at the strike price. The trader can then choose to close out the position in the underlying at prevailing market prices, at a profit.

The Bottom Line

Options contracts are derivatives that give the holder the right to buy (in the case of a call) or sell (in the case of a put) a quantity of the underlying security at a specified price (the strike price) before the contract expires. Options on stocks come in standard units of 100 shares per contract, and many are listed on exchanges where investors and traders can buy and sell them with relative ease. Options pricing is an important financial achievement, where volatility has been identified as a key component of options theory,

ESOs are a form of equity compensation granted by companies to their employees and executives. Like a regular call option, an ESO gives the holder the right to purchase the underlying assetthe companys stockat a specified price for a finite period of time. ESOs are not the only form of equity compensation, but they are among the most common.
What Is Cash Management?free bets for grand national

Cash management is the process of collecting and managing cash flows. Cash management can be important for both individuals and companies. In business, it is a key component of a company's financial stability. For individuals, cash is also essential for financial stability while also usually considered as part of a total wealth portfolio.

Individuals and businesses have a wide range of offerings available across the financial marketplace to help with all types of cash management needs. Banks are typically a primary financial service provider for the custody of cash assets. There are also many different cash management solutions for individuals and businesses seeking to obtain the best return on cash assets or the most efficient use of cash comprehensively.

Cash Management

Understanding Cash Management

1:15

Cash is the primary asset individuals and companies use to pay their obligations on a regular basis. In business, companies have a multitude of cash inflows and outflows that must be prudently managed in order to meet payment obligations, plan for future payments, and maintain adequate business stability. For individuals, maintaining cash balances while also earning a return on idle cash are usually top concerns.

In corporate cash management, also often known as treasury management, business managers, corporate treasurers, and chief financial officers are typically the main individuals responsible for overall cash management strategies, cash-related responsibilities, and stability analysis. Many companies may outsource part or all of their cash management responsibilities to different service providers. Regardless, there are several key metrics that are monitored and analyzed by cash management executives on a daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

The cash flow statement is a central component of corporate cash flow management. While it is often transparently reported to stakeholders on a quarterly basis, parts of it are usually maintained and tracked internally on a daily basis. The cash flow statement comprehensively records all of a businesss cash flows. It includes cash received from accounts receivable, cash paid for accounts payable, cash paid for investing, and cash paid for financing. The bottom line of the cash flow statement reports how much cash a company has readily available.

Key Takeaways

Cash management is the process of managing cash inflows and outflows.

There are many cash management considerations and solutions available in the financial marketplace for both individuals and businesses.

For businesses, the cash flow statement is a central component of cash flow management.

The Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement is broken down into three parts: operating, investing, and financing. The operating portion of cash activities will vary based heavily on net working capital which is reported on the cash flow statement as a companys current assets minus current liabilities. The other two sections of the cash flow statement are somewhat more straight forward with cash inflows and outflows pertaining to investing and financing.

Internal Controls

There are many internal controls used to manage and ensure efficient business cash flows. Some of a companys top cash flow considerations include the average length of account receivables, collection processes, write-offs for uncollected receivables, liquidity and rates of return on cash equivalent investments, credit line management, and available operating cash levels.

In general, cash flows pertaining to operating activities will be heavily focused on working capital which is impacted by accounts receivable and accounts payable changes. Investing and financing cash flows are usually extraordinary cash events that involve special procedures for funds.

Working Capital

A companys working capital is the result of its current assets minus current liabilities. Working capital balances are an important part of cash flow management because they show the amount of current assets a company has to cover its current liabilities. Companies strive to have current asset balances that exceed current liability balances. If current liabilities exceed current assets a company would likely need to access its reserve lines for payables.

In general working capital includes the following:

Current assets : cash, accounts receivable within one year, inventory

: cash, accounts receivable within one year, inventory Current liabilities: all accounts payable due within one year, short-term debt payments due within one year

Current assets minus current liabilities results in working capital. On the cash flow statement, companies usually report the change in working capital from one reporting period to the next within the operating section of the cash flow statement. If net change in working capital is positive a company has increased its current assets available to cover current liabilities which increases total cash on the bottom line. If a net change in working capital is negative, a company has increased its current liabilities which reduces its ability to pay them as efficiently. A negative net change in working capital reduces the total cash on the bottom line.

There are several things a company can do to improve both receivables and payables efficiency, ultimately leading to higher working capital and better operating cash flow. Companies operating with invoice billing can reduce the days payable or offer discounts for quick payments. They may also choose to use technologies that facilitate faster and easier payments such as automated billing and electronic payments.

Advanced technology for payables management can also be helpful. Companies may choose to make automated bill payments or use direct payroll deposits to help improve payables cost efficiency.

Ratios

In conjunction with internal controls, companies also regularly monitor and analyze liquidity and solvency ratios within cash management. External stakeholders find these ratios important for a variety of analysis purposes as well.

The two main liquidity ratios analyzed in conjunction with cash management include the quick ratio and the current ratio.

The quick ratio is calculated from the following:

Quick ratio = (cash equivalents + marketable securities + accounts receivable) / current liabilities

= (cash equivalents + marketable securities + accounts receivable) / current liabilities The current ratio is a little more comprehensive. It is calculated from the following:

Current ratio= current assets / current liabilities

Solvency ratios look at a companys ability to meet all its obligations in the long term. Some of the most popular solvency ratios include debt to equity, debt to assets, cash flow to debt, and the interest coverage ratio.
Verb conjugation can be one of the most difficult processes for language learners in any language to master. Some verbs do not follow standard rules, and there are many tenses to remember.

Feed and fed are tenses of the same verb. Adding to the confusion, both of these words also appear as nouns. Continue reading to learn more about feed and fed.

What is the Difference Between Feed and Fed?

In this article, I will compare feed vs. fed. I will use each of these conjugations in example sentence to demonstrate their proper context.

I will also oultine a mnemonic device that will help you choose between feed and fed in your own writing.

When to Use Feed

What does feed mean? Feed can be a noun or a verb.

As a verb, feed means to serve or give food, often including direct assistance with eating.

Here are some examples,

Ned, I need you to feed the dog before you leave for work today.

Jenna brings a bottle to work so she can feed her baby.

Andrew is not yet old enough to feed himself.

As a noun, feed refers to food given to cattle or other animals.

Here are two examples,

Chase bought 300 pounds of chicken feed at the supply store.

Ross cited a decision announced last week to raise duties on distillers dried grains  a byproduct of ethanol production used as animal feed  from the United States. The Washington Post

Feed can also be used figuratively as both a noun and a verb. As an example, to feed the meter is to pay ones parking fee, which is done with money, rather than food. Likewise, a video feed or social media feed refers to a stream of digital content, not physical food.

When to Use Fed

What does fed mean? Fed is also a verb. It is the past tense form of the verb feed, defined above.

For example,

Ashley already fed the cat; he doesnt need to eat table scraps.

Aaron fed paper into the shredder all afternoon.

Andronicus fed his horse a cheeseburger at the drive-thru.

Scientists at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, fed the silkworms mulberry leaves coated in a solution that contained graphene in order to create the material. Newsweek

Fed is sometimes used informally as a noun, where it is usually used shortened form of the word federal. It sometimes refers to The Federal Reserve System, and sometimes federal agents(especially of the FBI).

For example,

The Fed is raising interest rates.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember fedvs. feed.

Both feed and fed appear as nouns and verbs. If the action you are describing happened in the past, choose fed, as feed is the present tense form of this verb.

If you cant decide whether to choose fed or feed, remember that fed rhymes with bledanother past tense verb. By using this memory tool, you will always be able to remember that fed is a past tense verb.

Summary

Is it feed or fed? Feed and fed can both function as either verbs or nouns. As verbs, they are the present and past tense, respectively, of the verb feed, which means to give foodor help with eating.

As a noun, feed can refer to food given to animals, or figuratively for a number of uses. Fed is a common nickname for the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States of America.

Since fed rhymes with bled, you will always be able to remember that both of these words are past tense verbs.

If you still need help, you can always check this article for a quick refresher.
What is proper etiquette for airplane seats?

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Fox News correspondent Matt Finn discusses if passengers that recline their seat are seen as rude on Fox News @ Night.

An airline passenger has sparked debate on social media after he shared his experience of being seated in the middle seat between two parents and their infant child.

Sam Neve, who on Twitter calls himself a "former journo" and says he's presently "building digital stuff" in London, expressed his confusion at the seating arrangements when he boarded his flight.

"Just boarded a flight and I'm sat with a couple and their baby, but the husband refused to give up his aisle seat so now I'm just  in the middle of them?" the man tweeted.

AIRPLANE PASSENGER YELLS, DEMANDS WATER FROM FLIGHT ATTENDANT, ALL CAUGHT ON VIDEO

The tweet was retweeted over 300 times and received nearly 2,000 replies.

Neve did not say where he was traveling  either to or from  but said in the replies that the flight lasted a couple of hours and that there was "no harm done."

Neve tweeted that the man "refused to give up his aisle seat." (iStock)

He added that the husband ignored his wife and child the entire flight, saying that "he stuck his headphones in, ate an entire pack of Haribo and didnt talk to her for the entire two-hour flight."

PASSENGER'S RECLINED PLANE SEAT SEEN IN TIKTOK VIDEO REAWAKENS DEBATE: 'BANE OF MY EXISTENCE'

Many people were confused as to why the man would force his wife and child to sit next to a total stranger.

Others noted that the couple probably booked the seats hoping the middle seat would go unsold.

"Let me guess, the mom is taking care of the baby while the husband uses you as a shield so he can chill out?" one Twitter commenter said. (iStock)

"Let me guess, the mom is taking care of the baby while the husband uses you as a shield so he can chill out?" one person wrote.

"My husband and I ended up separated on a flight with our baby girl. After the flight took off, I walked over and handed him the baby, then went back and took a nap."

AIR TRAVEL CONTROVERSY: PASSENGERS WHO RECLINE THEIR SEATS ON FLIGHTS ARE SEEN AS RUDE

Another person commented, "People can be quite strange. I once had a window seat and the man on the aisle seat refused to let me go to the loo. The wonderful steward saw this and whisked me off into first class and gave me the full VIP treatment. Top babe."

The man in aisle seat reportedly ate an entire pack of Haribo during the flight and did not speak to his wife. (Reuters)

Neve said in another tweet that it was a "very busy, full flight," apparently indicating that he could not be moved to a different seat on the airplane.

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Other people defended the husband, suggesting that perhaps he was claustrophobic, afraid of flying or needed the additional space provided by the aisle seat.

One person wrote, "Why should he give his seat up for some nonentity he doesnt know?" (iStock)

Others said that perhaps the couple just wanted that specific seat arrangement.

"He has a right to keep it and not move to the middle. Always you people who think your entitlement comes first. YOU bought the middle seat," posted one commenter.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Another said, "Why should he give his seat up for some nonentity he doesnt know?"

Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
University of Texas at Arlington

Widgets and gadgets are lightweight apps that allow users to interact with other apps or websites. The only difference between the two is that widgets are designed to work on multiple platforms, while gadgets are typically limited in functionality. We compared both to help you understand the difference between these two types of apps.

Refers to a specific type of software.

Usable on any platform.

Refers to both hardware and software.

Made for specific apps or operating systems.

The terms widget, gadget, and app are often used interchangeably. In the context of software, both gadgets and widgets can be considered apps, but these aren't like traditional stand-alone programs. Instead, most widgets and gadgets provide a simplified graphical user interface (GUI) through which users can interact with other programs and online services. Many apps for iOS and Android are technically widgets or gadgets, but not all applications fall into one of these categories.

Widgets Pros and Cons

Easy to insert into any website.

Can be used by anyone.

Interfaces vary in quality.

Some widgets seem superfluous.

A widget is a piece of reusable code that you can plug into any website or operating system. If you run a blog, for example, you might use WordPress widgets to design the layout of your website. You can also add widgets to your blog or personal website (in the form of HTML code) so that users can share your content on social media.

RSS feed readers that provide news headlines, stock quotes, and other information from various sources are widgets. Smartphones support widgets for weather apps that offer real-time updates and alerts on the home screen. Some GUI elements, such as pop-up windows, dialog boxes, and toggle switches, can also be classified as widgets.

Gadgets Pro and Cons

Interfaces can be optimized for specific platforms.

Protected under intellectual property law.

Can only be used on certain platforms.

Limited customization options for users.

A gadget acts just like a widget and often fulfills the same purpose. The only difference is that gadgets are proprietary, which means that these only work on certain devices, websites, or operating systems.

If you're a developer, there are benefits and drawbacks to making gadgets geared toward a specific platform versus making widgets that anyone can use. Gadgets give you greater control over how your program looks and operates, but widgets make your apps more accessible.

Other Meanings for Gadget

The word gadget is also used to describe any small, physical device like a fitness tracker. To make matters more confusing, some physical gadgets rely on software gadgets to work in conjunction with an application. For instance, the Raymio is a wearable device that helps you stay safe in the sun. The device and its interface can both be considered gadgets since each relies on a separate app that runs on a smartphone.
Be innocent or guiltless, as in John's got clean hands; he had nothing to do with it. It is sometimes worded as one's hands are clean, meaning one has done nothing wrong, as in Don't look at memy hands are clean. This metaphor for freedom from wrongdoing dates back to at least 1600.
What Is the Stock Market?real money slots uk

The term stock market refers to several exchanges in which shares of publicly held companies are bought and sold. Such financial activities are conducted through formal exchanges and via over-the-counter (OTC) marketplaces that operate under a defined set of regulations.

Both stock market and stock exchange are often used interchangeably. Traders in the stock market buy or sell shares on one or more of the stock exchanges that are part of the overall stock market.

The leading U.S. stock exchanges include the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq.

Key Takeaways

Stock markets are venues where buyers and sellers meet to exchange equity shares of public corporations.

Stock markets are components of a free-market economy because they enable democratized access to investor trading and exchange of capital.

Stock markets create efficient price discovery and efficient dealing.

The U.S. stock market is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and local regulatory bodies.

Stock Market

Understanding the Stock Market

1:36

The stock market allows buyers and sellers of securities to meet, interact, and transact. The markets allow for price discovery for shares of corporations and serve as a barometer for the overall economy. Buyers and sellers are assured of a fair price, high degree of liquidity, and transparency as market participants compete in the open market.

The first stock market was the London Stock Exchange which began in a coffeehouse, where traders met to exchange shares, in 1773. The first stock exchange in the United States began in Philadelphia in 1790. The Buttonwood Agreement, so named because it was signed under a buttonwood tree, marked the beginning of New Yorks Wall Street in 1792. The agreement was signed by 24 traders and was the first American organization of its kind to trade in securities. The traders renamed their venture the New York Stock and Exchange Board in 1817.

A stock market is a regulated and controlled environment. In the United States, the main regulators include the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

The earliest stock markets issued and dealt in paper-based physical share certificates. Today, stock markets operate electronically.

Though it is called a stock market, other securities, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are also traded in the stock market.

How the Stock Market Works

Stock markets provide a secure and regulated environment where market participants can transact in shares and other eligible financial instruments with confidence, with zero to low operational risk. Operating under the defined rules as stated by the regulator, the stock markets act as primary markets and secondary markets.

As a primary market, the stock market allows companies to issue and sell their shares to the public for the first time through the process of an initial public offering (IPO). This activity helps companies raise necessary capital from investors.

A company divides itself into several shares and sells some of those shares to the public at a price per share. To facilitate this process, a company needs a marketplace where these shares can be sold and this is achieved by the stock market. A listed company may also offer new, additional shares through other offerings at a later stage, such as through rights issues or follow-on offerings. They may even buy back or delist their shares.

Investors will own company shares in the expectation that share value will rise or that they will receive dividend payments or both. The stock exchange acts as a facilitator for this capital-raising process and receives a fee for its services from the company and its financial partners.Using the stock exchanges, investors can also buy and sell securities they already own in what is called the secondary market.

The stock market or exchange maintains various market-level and sector-specific indicators, like the S&P (Standard & Poors) 500 index and the Nasdaq 100 index, which provide a measure to track the movement of the overall market.

Following an IPO, the stock exchange serves as a trading platform for buying and selling the outstanding shares. This constitutes the secondary market. The stock exchange earns a fee for every trade that occurs on its platform during secondary market activity.

What Are the Functions of a Stock Market?

The stock market ensures price transparency, liquidity, price discovery, and fair dealings in trading activities.

The stock market guarantees all interested market participants have access to data for all buy and sell orders, thereby helping in the fair and transparent pricing of securities. The market also ensures efficient matching of appropriate buy and sell orders.

Stock markets need to support price discovery where the price of any stock is determined collectively by all of its buyers and sellers. Those qualified and willing to trade should get instant access to place orders and the market ensures that the orders are executed at a fair price.

Traders on the stock market include market makers, investors, traders, speculators, and hedgers. An investor may buy stocks and hold them for the long term, while a trader may enter and exit a position within seconds. A market maker provides necessary liquidity in the market, while a hedger may trade in derivatives.

How Stock Markets Are Regulated

Most nations have a stock market, and each is regulated by a local financial regulator or monetary authority, or institute. The SEC is the regulatory body charged with overseeing the U.S. stock market.

The SEC is a federal agency that works independently of the government and without political pressure. The mission of the SEC is stated as protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitating capital formation.

Companies listed on the stock market exchanges are regulated, and their dealings are monitored by the SEC. In addition, the exchanges set certain requirements such as mandating timely filing of quarterly financial reports and instant reporting of relevant corporate developments, to ensure that all market participants are equally informed.

Failure to adhere to the regulations can lead to suspension of trading and other disciplinary measures.

What Is the Significance of the Stock Market?

The stock market is a component of a free-market economy. It allows companies to raise money by offering stock shares and corporate bonds and allows investors to participate in the financial achievements of the companies, make profits through capital gains, and earn income through dividends. The stock market works as a platform through which savings and investments of individuals are efficiently channeled into productive investment opportunities and add to the capital formation and economic growth of the country.

What Is an Alternate Trading System?

Alternative trading systems are venues for matching large buy and sell transactions and are not regulated like exchanges. Dark pools and many cryptocurrency exchanges are private exchanges or forums for securities and currency trading and operate within private groups.





Who Helps an Investor Trade on the Stock Market?

Stockbrokers act as intermediaries between the stock exchanges and the investors by buying and selling stocks and portfolio managers are professionals who invest portfolios, or collections of securities, for clients. Investment bankers represent companies in various capacities, such as private companies that want to go public via an IPO or companies that are involved in pending mergers and acquisitions.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Azerbaijan is ready to create a mechanism jointly with the Armenian side to search for missing persons, prisoners and hostages, the Head of the foreign policy department of the Presidential Administration, Habib Mikailli said, Trend reports.

He noted that Azerbaijan cannot do this on its own.

Therefore, Armenia must cooperate with Azerbaijan on this issue. We are ready to create a joint mechanism, Mikailli said.

It should be noted that 10 mass graves were discovered in the liberated territories. 15 remains found in mass graves have been identified.

Up to 3,900 people are missing in Azerbaijan, and there are reports that 872 people have been taken hostage.
In the early 1800s, the impoverished and rapidly-growing rural population of Ireland had become almost totally dependent on one crop. Only the potato could produce enough food to sustain families farming the tiny plots of land the Irish peasants had been forced onto by British landlords.

The lowly potato was an agricultural marvel, but staking the lives of an entire population on it was enormously risky.

Sporadic potato crop failures had plagued Ireland in the 1700s and early 1800s. In the mid-1840s, a blight caused by a fungus struck potato plants across all of Ireland.

The failure of essentially the entire potato crop for several years led to unprecedented disaster. Both Ireland and America would be changed forever.

The Irish Potato Famine

The Irish Potato Famine, which in Ireland became known as "The Great Hunger," was a turning point in Irish history. It changed Irish society forever, most strikingly by greatly reducing the population.

In 1841, Ireland's population was more than eight million. It has been estimated that at least one million died of starvation and disease in the late 1840s, and at least another one million immigrated during the famine.

Famine hardened resentment toward the British who ruled Ireland. Nationalist movements in Ireland, which had always ended in failure, would now have a powerful new component: sympathetic Irish immigrants living in America.

Scientific Causes

The botanical cause of the Great Famine was a virulent fungus (Phytophthora infestans), spread by the wind, that first appeared on the leaves of potato plants in September and October of 1845. The diseased plants withered with shocking speed. When the potatoes were dug up for harvest, they were found to be rotting.

Poor farmers discovered the potatoes they could normally store and use as provisions for six months had turned inedible.

Modern potato farmers spray plants to prevent blight. But in the 1840s, the blight was not well understood, and unfounded theories spread as rumors. Panic set in.

The failure of the potato harvest in 1845 was repeated the following year, and again in 1847.

Social Causes

In the early 1800s, a large part of the Irish population lived as impoverished tenant farmers, generally in debt to British landlords. The need to survive on small plots of rented land created the perilous situation where vast numbers of people depended on the potato crop for survival.

Historians have long noted that while Irish peasants were forced to subsist on potatoes, other crops were being grown in Ireland, and food was exported for market in England and elsewhere. Beef cattle raised in Ireland were also exported for English tables.

British Government Reaction

The response of the British government to the calamity in Ireland has long been a focus of controversy. Government relief efforts were launched, but they were largely ineffective. More modern commentators have noted that economic doctrine in 1840s Britain generally accepted that poor people were bound to suffer and government intervention was not warranted.

The issue of English culpability in the catastrophe in Ireland made headlines in the 1990s, during commemorations marking the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine. Britain's then-Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed regret over England's role during commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the famine. The "New York Times" reported at the time that "Mr. Blair stopped short of making a full apology on behalf of his country."

Devastation

It is impossible to determine precise numbers of the dead from starvation and disease during the Potato Famine. Many victims were buried in mass graves, their names unrecorded.

It has been estimated that at least half a million Irish tenants were evicted during the famine years.

In some places, particularly in the west of Ireland, entire communities simply ceased to exist. The residents either died, were driven off the land, or chose to find a better life in America.

Leaving Ireland

Irish immigration to America proceeded at a modest pace in the decades before the Great Famine. It has been estimated that only 5,000 Irish immigrants per year arrived in the United States prior to 1830.

The Great Famine increased those numbers astronomically. Documented arrivals during the famine years are well over half a million. It is assumed that many more arrived undocumented, perhaps by landing first in Canada and walking into the United States.

By 1850, the population of New York City was said to be 26 percent Irish. An article titled "Ireland in America" in the "New York Times" on April 2, 1852, recounted the continuing arrivals:

On Sunday last three thousandemigrants arrived at this port. On Monday there were over two thousand. On Tuesday over five thousand arrived. On Wednesday the number was over two thousand. Thus in four days twelve thousandpersons were landed for the first time upon American shores. A population greater than that of some of the largest and most flourishing villages of this State was thus added to the City of New York within ninety-six hours.

Irish in a New World

The flood of Irish into the United States had a profound effect, especially in urban centers where the Irish exerted political influence and got involved in municipal government, most notably in the police and fire departments. In the Civil War, entire regiments were composed of Irish troops, such as those of New York's famed Irish Brigade.

In 1858, the Irish community in New York City had demonstrated that it was in America to stay. Led by a politically powerful immigrant, Archbishop John Hughes, the Irish began building the largest church in New York City. They called it St. Patrick's Cathedral, and it would replace a modest cathedral, also named for Ireland's patron saint, in lower Manhattan. Construction was halted during the Civil War, but the enormous cathedral was finally finished in 1878.

Thirty years after the Great Famine, the twin spires of St. Patrick's dominated the skyline of New York City. And on the docks of lower Manhattan, the Irish kept arriving.

Source

"Ireland in America." The New York TImes, April 2, 1852.
Doppelganger Definition

Doppelganger,ladbrokes 20p roulette a German word meaning look-alike, or double walker, originally referred to a ghost, or shadow of a person; but in modern times it simply refers to a person that is a look-alike of another person.

Types of Doppelganger

In literature, a doppelganger is usually shaped as a twin, shadow, or a mirror-image of a protagonist. It refers to a character who physically resembles the protagonist, and may have the same name as well. Several types of doppelganger can be spotted in world literature. It may take the form of an evil twin, not known to the actual person, who confuses people related to that original person.

It may also be figured as one person existing in two different places at the same time. Sometimes, a doppelganger is a persons past or future self. In some cases, it may simply be a persons look-alike.

Doppelganger in Folklore

In traditional folklore, doppelganger is a malicious and evil character, having no shadow or reflection. It troubles and harms its counterpart by putting bad thoughts and ideas in his or her head. In some cultures, seeing ones doppelganger is bad luck, and is often a sign of serious illness or approaching death.

Examples of Doppelganger in Literature

Let us see some doppelganger examples and their role in literature:

Example #1: Hamlet(By William Shakespeare)

The ghost of Hamlets father in Shakespeares Hamletis an example of doppelganger. The idea of getting revenge is put in Hamlets mind by the apparition of his father, who tells him that he was murdered. The use of a doppelganger helps Shakespeare to set up the plot of his play, which revolves around the theme of revenge.

Example #2: William Wilson(By Edgar Allan Poe)

William Wilson, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, follows the theme of doppelganger. William, the protagonist, meets another boy in school, who had the same name and looked surprisingly like him. He dressed like him, and even walked like him. The only difference between them was that Williams doppelganger could only talk in a whisper.

The doppelganger haunts William all his life. Worn out by interference from his double in his affairs, William stabs him, only to discover  looking in the mirror that he has stabbed himself. He hears the voice of his rival as if it was his own:

In me didst thou existand, in my death, see by this image, which is thine own, how utterly thou hast murdered thyself.

Example #3: The Secret Sharer(By Joseph Conrad)

Joseph Conrad uses a doppelganger theme in his short story The Secret Sharer. In the story, Laggatt, the ex-skipper of a ship, acts as a doppelganger of the Captain. The Captain discovers Laggatt swimming in the sea naked, helps him come aboard, and gives him his clothes to wear.

The men have both similarities and dissimilarities. Laggatt, who is full of calmness and self-confidence, helps the Captain to get rid of his uncertainty and undue apprehensions. In fact, Laggatt is other self of the Captain, whom he has failed to discover until then.

Example #4: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(By Robert Louis Stevenson)

Robert Louis Stevenson explores the theme of doppelganger in his novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hyde is an evil double of the honorable Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll creates Hyde by scientific experiments, to prove his statement:

 man is not truly one, but truly two.

He means that the human soul is a mixture of evil and good, and Hyde is the manifestation of the evil that existed in Dr. Jekyll. As a respectable Victorian gentleman, Jekyll can never fulfill the evil desires existing in him. Therefore, he separates his evil-self, giving him a separate identity.

Function of Doppelganger

A survey of doppelganger examples leads one to conclude that this literary device serves a variety of purposes in literature. It may be used to show the other self of a character, which he or she has not discovered yet. This other self could be the darker side of the character that troubles, or the brighter side that motivates. Hence, the use of doppelganger helps writers to portray complex characters.

Moreover, doppelganger gives rise to a conflict in a story. The doppelganger acts in a way that promises dire consequences for the main character, who puts in efforts to undo the actions of his double. Sometimes, the conflict is an inner one, where a character tries to understand himself by understanding his doppelganger.
What Is a Bid-Ask Spread?wynn bet no deposit bonus

A bid-ask spread is the amount by which the ask price exceeds the bid price for an asset in the market. The bid-ask spread is essentially the difference between the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay for an asset and the lowest price that a seller is willing to accept.

An individual looking to sell will receive the bid price while one looking to buy will pay the ask price.

Key Takeaways

A bid-ask spread is the difference between the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay for an asset and the lowest price that a seller is willing to accept.

The spread is the transaction cost. Price takers buy at the ask price and sell at the bid price, but the market maker buys at the bid price and sells at the ask price.

The bid represents demand and the ask represents supply for an asset.

The bid-ask spread is the de facto measure of market liquidity.

Bid-Ask Spread

Understanding Bid-Ask Spreads

1:24

A securities price is the market's perception of its value at any given point in time and is unique. To understand why there is a "bid" and an "ask," one must factor in the two major players in any market transaction, namely theprice taker(trader) and the market maker (counterparty).

Market makers, many of which may be employed by brokerages, offer to sell securities at a given price (the ask price) and will also bid to purchase securities at a given price (the bid price). When an investor initiates a trade they will accept one of these two prices depending on whether they wish to buy the security (ask price) or sell the security (bid price).

The difference between these two, the spread, is the principal transaction cost of trading (outside commissions), and it is collected by the market maker through the natural flow of processing orders at the bid and ask prices. This is what financial brokerages mean when they state that their revenues are derived from traders "crossing the spread."

The bid-ask spread can be considered a measure of the supply and demand for a particular asset. The bid can be said to represent the demand for an asset and the ask represents the supply, so when these two prices move apart, the price action reflects a change in supply and demand.

The depth of the "bids" and the "asks" can have a significant impact on the bid-ask spread. The spread may widen significantly if fewer participants place limit orders to buy a security (thus generating fewer bid prices) or if fewer sellers place limit orders to sell. As such, it's critical to keep the bid-ask spread in mind when placing a buy limit order to ensure it executes successfully.

Market makers and professional traders who recognize imminent risk in the markets may also widen the difference between the best bid and the best ask they are willing to offer at a given moment. If all market makers do this on a given security, then the quoted bid-ask spread will reflect a larger than usual size. Some high-frequency traders and market makers attempt to make money by exploiting changes in the bid-ask spread.

The Bid-Ask Spread's Relation to Liquidity

The size of the bid-ask spread from one asset to another differs mainly because of the difference in liquidity of each asset. The bid-ask spread is the de factomeasure of market liquidity. Certain markets are more liquid than others and that should be reflected in their lower spreads. Essentially, transaction initiators (price takers) demand liquidity while counterparties (market makers) supply liquidity.

For example, currency is considered the most liquid asset in the world, and the bid-ask spread in the currency market is one of the smallest (one-hundredth of a percent); in other words, the spread can be measured in fractions of pennies. On the other hand, less liquid assets, such as small-cap stocks, may have spreads that are equivalent to 1% to 2% of the asset's lowest ask price.

Bid-ask spreads can also reflect the market maker's perceived risk in offering a trade. For example, options or futures contracts may have bid-ask spreads that represent a much larger percentage of their price than a forex or equities trade. The width of the spread might be based not only on liquidity but also on how quickly the prices could change.

Bid-Ask Spread Example

If the bid price for a stock is $19 and the ask price for the same stock is $20, then the bid-ask spread for the stock in question is $1. The bid-ask spread can also be stated in percentage terms; it is customarily calculated as a percentage of the lowest sell price or ask price.

For the stock in the example above, the bid-ask spread in percentage terms would be calculated as $1 divided by $20 (the bid-ask spread divided by the lowest ask price) to yield a bid-ask spread of 5% ($1 / $20 x 100). This spread would close if a potential buyer offered to purchase the stock at a higher price or if a potential seller offered to sell the stock at a lower price.

Elements of the Bid-Ask Spread

Bid-ask spread trades can be done in most kinds of securities, as well as foreign exchange and commodities.

Traders use the bid-ask spread as an indicator of market liquidity. High friction between the supply and demand for that security will create a wider spread.

Most traders prefer to use limit orders instead of market orders; this allows them to choose their own entry points rather than accepting the current market price. There is a cost involved with the bid-ask spread, as two trades are being conducted simultaneously.

How Does Bid-Ask Spread Work?

In financial markets, a bid-ask spread is the difference between the asking price and the offering price of a security or other asset. The bid-ask spread is the difference between the highest price a buyer will offer (the bid price) and the lowest price a seller will accept (the ask price). Typically, an asset with a narrow bid-ask spread will have high demand. By contrast, assets with a wide bid-ask spread may have a low volume of demand, therefore influencing wider discrepancies in its price.

What Causes a Bid-Ask Spread to Be High?

Bid-ask spread, also known as "spread", can be high due to a number of factors. First, liquidity plays a primary role. When there is a significant amount of liquidity in a given market for a security, the spread will be tighter. Stocks that are traded heavily, such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft will have a smaller bid-ask spread.

Conversely, a bid-ask spread may be high to unknown, or unpopular securities on a given day. These could include small-cap stocks, which may have lower trading volumes, and a lower level of demand among investors.

What Is an Example of a Bid-Ask Spread in Stocks?

Consider the following example where a trader is looking to purchase 100 shares of Apple for $50. The trader sees that 100 shares are being offered at $50.05 in the market. Here, the spread would be $50.00 - $50.05, or $0.05 wide. While this spread may seem small or insignificant, on large trades, it can create a meaningful difference, which is why narrow spreads are typically more ideal. The total value of the bid-ask spread, in this instance, would be equal to 100 shares x $0.05, or $5.
Staff members sort packages at a logistics center in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, Nov. 11, 2022. China's annual "Double Eleven" festival, which falls on Nov. 11, was first started by Alibaba's e-commerce platform in 2009 and quickly grew into a major shopping event.(Photo: Xinhua)

Many brands have posted record sales on Saturday as China's Double 11 online shopping festival concluded with new trends and highlights amid a continued recovery in the country's consumption.As Chinese e-commerce platforms place increased emphasis on quality development and integration with the real economy amid economic pressures, major platforms including Tmall and JD.com didn't release the gross merchandise volume (GMV) for 2022's Double 11 online festival like in past years.The shopping festival has shown an increasingly important role of China's digital economy in the overall economy amid the impact of downward pressure on global economy and the COVID-19 resurgence, experts said.On Saturday, Chinese brands including Xiaomi, TCL and Vivo have reported sales hitting new highs.Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, posted on his Sina Weibo account on Saturday that sales across all of the company's sales channels exceeded 17 billion yuan ($2.4 billion) during the shopping festival.Chinese electronics firm TCL announced that the brand's sales of all products in this Double 11 festival exceeded 3.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 60 percent.Although the market sentiment and expectation among consumers and businesses still remain cautious amid the epidemic, companies' sales growth during the Double 11 festival shows China's consumption continues to recover, Tian Yun, former vice director of the Beijing Economic Operation Association, told the Global Times on Saturday.Amid the downward pressure on the global economy, Chinese enterprises are still innovating and stimulating new consumption hotspots, Tian said.This year's Double 11 shopping festival is the most diverse event for participating merchants, with 290,000 brands, millions of small and medium-sized businesses, and livestreaming sellers signing up. More than 21 million products participated in the event, according to a Hangzhou Daily report.New online business models like livestreaming sales have attracted wide attention at the Double shopping festival. The average daily view of livestreaming selling events on Taobao increased by 561 percent year-on-year, according to the report.As China's Double 11 online shopping festival enters its 14th year, China's digital economy not only plays a supportive role for the development of the real economy, but also develops many new forms of businesses, providing a new drive of growth for the Chinese economy, Tian said.Global Times
What Is Delisting?online casino real money nz

Delisting is the removal of a listed security from a stock exchange. The delisting of a security can be voluntary or involuntary and usually results when a company ceases operations, declares bankruptcy, merges, does not meet listing requirements, or seeks to become private.

Key Takeaways

Delisting occurs when a stock is removed from a stock exchange

Delisting usually means that a stock has failed to meet the requirements of the exchange.

A price below $1 per share for an extended period is not preferred for major indexes and is a reason for delisting.

The consequences of delisting are significant and some companies strenuously avoid being delisted.

How Delisting Works

Companies must meet specific guidelines, called "listing standards," before they can be listed on an exchange. Each exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), establishes its own set of rules and regulations for listings. Companies that fail to meet the minimum standards set by an exchange will be involuntarily delisted. The most common standard is price. For example, a company with a share price under $1 per share for a period of months may find itself at risk of being delisted. Alternatively, a company can voluntarily request to be delisted.

Some companies choose to become privately traded when they identify, through a cost-benefit analysis, that the costs of being publicly listed exceed the benefits. Requests to delist often occur when companies are purchased by private equity firms and will be reorganized by new shareholders. These companies can apply for delisting to become privately traded. Also, when listed companies merge and trade as a new entity, the formerly separate companies voluntarily request delisting.

Involuntary Delisting of a Company

The reasons for delisting include violating regulations and failing to meet minimum financial standards. Financial standards include the ability to maintain a minimum share price, financial ratios, and sales levels. When a company does not meet listing requirements, the listing exchange issues a warning of noncompliance. If noncompliance continues, the exchange delists the company's stock.

To avoid being delisted, some companies will undergo a reverse split of their stock shares. This has the effect of combining several shares into one and multiplying the share price. For example, if a company executes a 1 for 10 reverse split, it could raise their share price from 50 cents per share to five dollars per share, in which case it would no longer be at risk of delisting.

The consequences of delisting can be significant since stock shares not traded on one of the major stock exchanges are more difficult for investors to research and harder to purchase. This means the company is unable to issue new shares to the market to establish new financial initiatives.

Often, involuntary delistings are indicative of a company's poor financial health or poor corporate governance. Warnings issued by an exchange should be taken seriously. For example, in April 2016, five months after receiving a notice from the NYSE, the clothing retailer Aeropostale Inc. was delisted for noncompliance. In May 2016, the company filed for bankruptcy and began trading over-the-counter (OTC). In the United States, delisted securities may be traded over-the-counter except when they are delisted to become a private company or because of liquidation.
riversweeps online casino login pageshows grade level based on the word's complexity. backhanded [ bak-han-did ]/ bkhn dd / New Word List Save This Word!See backhandedFirst recorded in 17901800; back2+ handed OTHER WORDS FROM backhanded backhandedly, adverbbackhandedness, noun Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ bak-han-did ]/ bkhn dd /Save This Word!See backhandedFirst recorded in 17901800; back+ handedbackhandedly, adverbbackhandedness, noun

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Words related to backhanded backhanded/ (bkhndd) / adjective(of a blow, shot, stroke, etc) performed with the arm moving across the bodydouble-edged; equivocala backhanded compliment(of handwriting) slanting to the left(of a rope) twisted in the opposite way to the normal right-handed direction adverbin a backhanded manner Derived forms of backhanded backhandedly, adverbbackhandedness, 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

background processing, background projection, background radiation, back hack, backhand, backhanded, backhander, backhaul, backhoe, backhouse, backieDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
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abbreviation forDame Commander of the Order of the Bath (a Brit title)

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How to use in a sentence The front fork and steering post are subject to bending moment due to the reaction from the ground in the direction dcb. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7|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!Questiondbl., DBMS, DBS, dbx, dc, DCB, DCC, DCF, D.Ch.E., DCHP, DCISCollins 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 the late 19th century, an era of robber barons and labor struggles, workers generally had no safety net when economic conditions caused widespread unemployment. As a way of drawing attention to the need of the federal government to become more involved in economic policy, a large protest march traveled hundreds of miles.

America had never seen anything like Coxey's Army, and its tactics would influence labor unions as well as protest movements for generations.

Coxey's Army

Coxey's Army was an 1894 protest march to Washington, D.C. organized by businessman Jacob S. Coxey as a response to the severe economic hardship caused by the Panic of 1893.

Coxey planned for the march to leave his hometown of Massillon, Ohio on Easter Sunday 1894. His "army" of unemployed workers would march to the U.S. Capitol to confront Congress, demanding legislation that would create jobs.

The march garnered a large amount of press coverage. Newspaper reporters began tagging along on stretches of the march as it passed through Pennsylvania and Maryland. Dispatches sent by telegraph appeared in newspapers across America.

Some of the coverage was negative, with the marchers sometimes described as "vagrants" or a "hobo army."

Yet newspaper mentions of hundreds or even thousands of local residents welcoming marchers as they camped near their towns indicated widespread public support for the protest. And many readers across America took an interest in the spectacle. The amount of publicity generated by Coxey and his hundreds of followers showed that innovative protest movements could influence public opinion.

About 400 men who finished the march reached Washington after walking for five weeks. About 10,000 spectators and supporters watched them march to the Capitol building on May 1, 1894. When the police blocked the march, Coxey and others climbed a fence and were arrested for trespassing on the Capitol lawn.

Coxey's Army did not achieve any of the legislative goals Coxey had advocated. The U.S. Congress in the 1890s was not receptive to Coxey's vision of government intervention in the economy and the creation of a social safety net. Yet the outpouring of support for the unemployed created a lasting impact on public opinion and future protest movements would take inspiration from Coxey's example.

In a sense, Coxey would gain some satisfaction years later. In the early decades of the 20th century some of his economic ideas began to be widely accepted.

Populist Political Leader Jacob S. Coxey

The organizer of Coxey's Army, Jacob S. Coxey, was an unlikely revolutionary. Born in Pennsylvania on April 16 1854, he worked in the iron business in his youth, starting his own company when he was 24.

He moved to Massillon, Ohio in 1881 and started a quarry business which was so successful that he could finance a second career in politics.

Coxey had joined the Greenback Party, an upstart American political party advocating economic reforms. Coxey frequently advocated public works projects that would hire unemployed workers, an eccentric idea in the late 1800s that later became accepted economic policy in Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.

When the Panic of 1893 devastated the American economy, vast numbers of Americans were put out of work. Coxey's own business was affected in the downturn, and he was forced to lay off 40 of his own workers.

Though affluent himself, Coxey became determined to make a statement about the plight of the unemployed. With his skill for creating publicity, Coxey was able to attract attention from the newspapers. The country, for a time, was fascinated by Coxey's novel idea of a march of the unemployed to Washington.

The Easter Sunday March

Coxey's Army marching through a town on its way to Washington, D.C.Getty Images

Coxey's organization had religious overtones, and the original group of marchers, calling themselves "The Commonwealth Army of Christ," departed Massillon, Ohio on Easter Sunday, March 25, 1894.

Walking up to 15 miles a day, the marchers proceeded eastward along the route of the old National Road, the original federal highway built from Washington, D.C. to Ohio in the early 19th century.

Newspaper reporters tagged along and the entire country followed the progress of the march through telegraphed updates. Coxey had hoped that thousands of unemployed workers would join the procession and go all the way to Washington, but that didn't happen. However, local marchers would typically join for a day or two to express solidarity.

All along the way the marchers would camp out and local people would flock to visit, often bringing food and cash donations. Some local authorities sounded the alarm that a "hobo army" was descending on their towns, but for the most part the march was peaceful.

A second group of about 1,500 marchers, known as Kelly's Army for its leader, Charles Kelly, had left San Francisco in March 1894 and headed eastward. A small portion of the group reached Washington, D.C. in July 1894.

During the summer of 1894 the press attention given to Coxey and his followers waned and Coxey's Army never became a permanent movement. However, in 1914, 20 years after the original event, another march was held and thattime Coxey was allowed to address the crowd on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

In 1944, on the 50th anniversary of Coxey's Army, Coxey, at the age of 90, again addressed a crowd on the grounds of the Capitol. He died in Masillon, Ohio in 1951, at the age of 97.

Coxey's Army may not have produced tangible results in 1894, but it was the precursor for large protest marches of the 20th century.
resorts world catskills mapshows grade level based on the word's complexity. darshana [ duhr-shuh-nuh ]/ dr  n / 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.[ duhr-shuh-nuh ]/ dr  n /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Hinduism.any of the six principal systems of philosophy.

Words nearby darshana

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 darshanaFrom the Sanskrit word darsana act of seeingdarogha, Darren, Darrow, Darrow, Clarence, darshan, darshana, D'Arsonval galvanometer, dart, dartboard, darter, DartfordDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Online casinos are known for the wide variety of games they offer. Thebig dollar casino 0 no deposit bonus codes 2021 songs youtube various categories within online casinos helps keep fans entertained by appealing to their preferences in games

Some categories include video poker and single and double hand games among others. It is within these categories that many different versions of games are available. Online casinos, however, favor certain games, because people enjoy them more. So, to attract more people, they ensure they have the best versions of such games.

An example of the category of games favored is card games, which is understandable, because the pool is wide and includes many games that offer different options in card games.

However, in the wide pool of card games to choose from, some are clear favorites. They are mainly favorites to fans, hence why they are played more.

An example of such games are the ancient card games, just a little bit modernized to be enjoyed in online casinos. With card games, you can opt to play live online dealerships from the comfort of your home.

Some of them are as follows:

Poker

Poker is a card game with unique versatility since back in the day. It reigns now in online casinos as much as it did before in actual casinos. It may be due to its resilience or versatility, depending on your point of view. The game is played all over the world, 24/7 in live sessions in online casinos.

It is however most popular in North America, more so in the United States. The versions can vary depending on the region, as some are more popular in specific areas, like Las Vegas.

Due to its versatility, poker can be enjoyed in person or online. As this Bovada poker review reveals, gambling online is more convenient. Its particularly enjoyable when playing at a top poker site like Bovada.

That said, pokers popularity has been growing since its invention. One of the main reasons why it has stuck around for as long as it has is is its ability to attract a variety of players.

Additionally, technological advancements experienced over the years, bonuses and mobile gaming all helped popularize it. After all, you can play play poker tournaments online, whether it is Texas Holdem, three card poker or Omaha.

Blackjack

Blackjack goes back further than two centuries ago when it was played in ancient times. It has been around ever since, and never gets boring. This may be because of the way the game is played, alongside its consistency. It requires strategy and a sharp mind to play.

With the two weapons, a weaker opponent stands no chance at all. The edge provided by the game ensures players always come back for more, no matter how many times they play. Other than strategy, the game requires a show of character and discipline to get through.

Blackjack can be played in online casinos on different gadgets. The difference in the game depends on the type of gadget being used, and the interface. A simpler interface will go into a normal desktop.

Advanced gadgets get 3D graphics and an app with a greater user interface. With a lot of practice, you can master the game and use it to make money effortlessly online.

There are live jackpots and tournaments dedicated to the game, where players stand to win a lot of money. However, this depends on the blackjack variant, casino and tournament. Some blackjack games, say Perfect Pairs, pay more than others.

Baccarat

The game might fool you at first with the unassuming presence it possesses. However, it is equally as interesting as the others and is always catching the eyes of many players. It is a bit different in the gameplay and has slightly different rules too.

Nevertheless, the game requires high concentration and mental sharpness to play. The discipline of the player is also put to test when playing this game. Most players love playing the game because of the odds of winning, which often favor them. The game doesnt have to have a winner every round, except for gaining the chips on the table.

Normally, at the end of a round, the player with the deck closest to nine wins. When the game is played online, there are higher chances of players winning over the banker. What makes the game more attractive and appealing is the betting side of it.

Once you have noticed the pattern of the game, it is easy to bet. It is more often for bets placed on this game to be won than lost. The game is preferable to big-money gamblers, who like splashing the cash because the returns are just as heavy.

Three card Poker

There are many different versions of poker and the ones discussed above were just an overview. This version is also known as a brag. It is well known and loved for its volatility. A player with a great hand could lose easily, while a player with a terrible hand could easily win. This offers a unique aspect of unpredictability, which people love about it.

The game is very fast and involves the player and the dealer each getting cards fast. As the name suggests, a player can only have three cards per poker hand. The game is mainly played by bettors who want to bet while playing against the dealer. Many different versions keep the betting markets open and even.

In one, a player is allowed to see one of the dealers cards before placing a bet. This is based on the notion that the player will still get even money when they win. It is the safer betting option because a player gets to know what they are getting into.

Conclusion

There are many enjoyable and interesting card games in online casinos. The toughest part is deciding which one to play because they are all fun in their ways and they can make you good money at the same time.

Category: Casino Blog
US-Bahrain Healthcare Partnership Forum has attracted more than 80 participants, including experts in the healthcare sector from both the US and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Forum provided a unique opportunity for engagement, high-level dialogue through a series of expert-led panel discussions, and opportunities for networking to bolster cooperation, direct contact and business building between Bahraini and US counterparts.

The first day of discussions focused on exploring Bahraini and US Perspectives on International Partnerships in Healthcare, Care for Bahraini Patients Inside and Outside the Country, International Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion Services and International Partnerships in Specialty Care Services.

Developing Bahrain's healthcare

Inaugurating the Forum, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa highlighted the kingdoms dedicated and continuous efforts to develop the medical system and healthcare, with the launch of several important initiatives to enhance the quality of medical services and ensure their sustainability at a high level of efficiency.

He lauded the longstanding healthcare collaboration between the US and Bahrain, highlighting key examples including The American Mission Hospital, formerly known as the Mason Memorial Hospital, as well as the recently launched King Hamad - American Mission Hospital in A'ali, a cutting-edge facility that stands as one of the most advanced healthcare institutions in Bahrain and the Gulf region.

He emphasised the importance of the objectives of this special event in strengthening the bonds of communication and cooperation between Bahrain and the US, as well as enhancing common interests in this highly important sector through strengthening strategic partnerships.

Resounding success

Jarrett Fowler, Senior Director of Strategic and International Initiatives at NCHL, said: It was an honour to be able to lead the largest-ever delegation of US hospitals to Bahrain. Todays event was a resounding success and will certainly result in new cross-border partnerships in healthcare between our two countries.

The first days activities concluded with an evening reception hosted by the US Embassy where attendees had the opportunity for further exchange and follow-up ahead of the Forums final day.

The two-day Forum was organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain) in conjunction with the US Cooperative for International Patient Programmes (USCIPP) and a programme of the National Centre for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL).

US delegation

The Forum, held with the support of FinMark Communications, saw a US delegation representing a number of the USs most prestigious medical centres including Atrium Health, Baylor St Luke's Medical Centre, Cedars Sinai, Childrens National, Cleveland Clinic, CommonSpirit Health, Cook Children's, Indiana University Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, The James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University, UChicago Medicine and UCLA Health.

Supporting the Forum are a number of contributing organisations including the Ministry of Health of Bahrain, the US Embassy in Bahrain, US Commercial Service, FinMark Communications and Affiliate Partner, American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain. Forum sponsors include KRH and American Tele physicians.-- TradeArabia News Service
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society welcomes the agreement on the delivery of goods to the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, along the Agdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads by vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society.

We regret that, despite the fact that an agreement was reached to open both roads on September 1, 2023, it will only be implemented on September 18.

The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society believes that the politicization of cargo transportation is unacceptable. If necessary, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society, which is an independent, impartial organization, is ready to provide any support to this process, the society noted.

Today, the leaders of the separatist regime in Azerbaijans Karabakh have decided to accept the joint proposal of the Khankendi office of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the command of the Russian military group.

Thus, the simultaneous transportation of food cargo by vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross along the Lachin-Khankendi and the Aghdam-Khankendi road will be provided.
paul anka fallsview casinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. daubery [ daw-buh-ree ]/ d b ri / 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.[ daw-buh-ree ]/ d b ri /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noununskillful painting or work.

Words nearby daubery

British Dictionary definitions for daubery

daubery/ (dbr) /

nounthe act or an instance of daubingan unskilful painting

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 dauberyFirst recorded in 154050; daub + -erydatura, DATV, dau., daub, daube, daubery, Daubigny, daud, Daudet, dauerschlaf, DaugavaDictionary.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 Cash Flow From Financing Activities?mlb series lines cba odds pinnacle

Cash flow from financing activities (CFF) is a section of a companys cash flow statement, which shows the net flows of cash that are used to fund the company. Financing activities include transactions involving debt, equity, and dividends.

Cash flow from financing activities provides investors with insight into a companys financial strength and how well a company's capital structure is managed.

Formula and Calculation for CFF

Investors and analyst will use the following formula and calculation to determine if a business is on sound financial footing.

 CFF = CED  (CD + RP) where: CED = Cash in flows from issuing equity or debt CD = Cash paid as dividends RP = Repurchase of debt and equity \begin{ aligned} &\text{ CFF = CED }-\text{ (CD + RP)}\\ &\textbf{ where:}\\ &\text{ CED = Cash in flows from issuing equity or debt}\\ &\text{ CD = Cash paid as dividends}\\ &\text{ RP = Repurchase of debt and equity}\\ \end{ aligned} CFF = CED  (CD + RP)where:CED = Cash in flows from issuing equity or debtCD = Cash paid as dividendsRP = Repurchase of debt and equity

Add cash inflows from the issuing of debt or equity. Add all cash outflows from stock repurchases, dividend payments, and repayment of debt. Subtract the cash outflows from the inflows to arrive at the cash flow from financing activities for the period.

As an example, let's say a company has the following information in the financing activities section of its cash flow statement:

Repurchase stock: $1,000,000 (cash outflow)

Proceeds from long-term debt: $3,000,000 (cash inflow)

Payments to long-term debt: $500,000 (cash outflow)

Payments of dividends: $400,000 (cash outflow)

Thus, CFF would be as follows:

$3,000,000 - ($1,000,000 + $500,000 + $400,000), or $1,100,000

Key Takeaways

Cash flow from financing activities is a section of a companys cash flow statement, which shows the net flows of cash that are used to fund the company.

Financing activities include transactions involving debt, equity, and dividends.

Debt and equity financing are reflected in the cash flow from financing section, which varies with the different capital structures, dividend policies, or debt terms that companies may have.

Cash Flow in the Financial Statement

The cash flow statement is one of the three main financial statements that show the state of a company's financial health. The other two important statements are the balance sheet and income statement. The balance sheet shows the assets and liabilities as well as shareholder equity at a particular date. Also known as the profit and loss statement, the income statement focuses on business income and expenses. The cash flow statement measures the cash generated or used by a company during a given period. The cash flow statement has three sections:

Cash flow from operating (CFO) indicates the amount of cash that a company brings in from its regular business activities or operations. This section includes accounts receivable, accounts payable, amortization, depreciation, and other items. Cash flow from investing (CFI) reflects a company's purchases and sales of capital assets. CFI reports the aggregate change in the business cash position as a result of profits and losses from investments in items like plant and equipment. These items are considered long-term investments in the business. Cash flow from financing activities (CFF) measures the movement of cash between a firm and its owners, investors, and creditors. This report shows the net flow of funds used to run the company including debt, equity, and dividends.

Investors can also get information about CFF activities from the balance sheets equity and long-term debt sections and possibly the footnotes.

Capital From Debt or Equity

CFF indicates the means through which a company raises cash to maintain or grow its operations. A company's source of capital can be from either debt or equity. When a company takes on debt, it typically does so by issuing bonds or taking a loan from the bank. Either way, it must make interest payments to its bondholders and creditors to compensate them for loaning their money.

When a company goes through the equity route, it issues stock to investors who purchase the stock for a share in the company. Some companies make dividend payments to shareholders, which represents a cost of equity for the firm.

Positive and Negative CFF

Debt and equity financing are reflected in the cash flow from financing section, which varies with the different capital structures, dividend policies, or debt terms that companies may have.

Transactions That Cause Positive Cash Flow From Financing Activities

Issuing equity or stock, which is sold to investors

Borrowing debt from a creditor or bank

Issuing bonds, which is debt that investors purchase

A positive number for cash flow from financing activities means more money is flowing into the company than flowing out, which increases the companys assets.

Transactions That Cause Negative Cash Flow From Financing Activities

Stock repurchases

Dividends

Paying down debt

Negative CFF numbers can mean the company is servicing debt, but can also mean the company is retiring debt or making dividend payments and stock repurchases, which investors might be glad to see.

Investor Warnings From CFF

A company that frequently turns to new debt or equity for cash might show positive cash flow from financing activities. However, it might be a sign that the company is not generating enough earnings. Also, as interest rates rise, debt servicing costs rise as well. It is important that investors dig deeper into the numbers because a positive cash flow might not be a good thing for a company already saddled with a large amount of debt.

Conversely, if a company is repurchasing stock and issuing dividends while the company's earnings are underperforming, it may be a warning sign. The company's management might be attempting to prop up its stock price, keeping investors happy, but their actions may not be in the long-term best interest of the company.

Any significant changes in cash flow from financing activities should prompt investors to investigate the transactions. When analyzing a company's cash flow statement, it is important to consider each of the various sections that contribute to the overall change in its cash position.

Real-World Example

Companies report cash flow from financing activities in their annual 10-K reports to shareholders. For example, for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2022, Walmart's cash flow from financing activities resulted in a net cash flow of -$22.83 billion. The components of its financing activities for the year are listed in the table below.

Cash flows from Financing Activities: (in USD millions) Net change in short-term borrowings 193 Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 6,945 Repayments of long-term debt (13,010) Premiums paid to extinguish debt (2,317) Dividends paid (6,152) Purchase of Company stock (9,787) Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest (424) Sale of subsidiary stock 3,239 Other financing activities (1,515) Net cash used in financing activities (22,828)

We can see that the majority of Walmart's cash outflows were due to repayments of long-term debt of $13.010 billion, the purchase of company stock for $9.787 billion, and dividends paid for $6.152 billion. Although the net cash flow total is negative for the period, the transactions would be viewed as positive by investors and the market.
The production team behind the film Confidential () have announced that the film will be released during the Spring Festival period in an effort to tap into the lucrative holiday market. The film is directed by and stars Xu Jinglei, with other stars including Stanley Huang, Christy Chung and Gigi Leung, according to a report in Beijing Times.

The inspiration behind Confidential comes from Xus discontent with her previous piece A Story of Lalas Promotion, after she decided that she could do better in the genre of workplace romance.

The film takes place within the competitive setting of investment banks. Xu spent one year writing the script and during this time she turned to a friend who had more than ten years work experience in investment banks. She also went to Hong Kong to interview elite management executives from investment banks.

As the first female director to tackle the spring festival slot, Xu Jinglei is facing off against blockbusters such as Zhang Yimous The Flowers of War, and Hark Tsuis Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 3D.

She revealed that I am not afraid of this competition. The genres of those films are acrobatic fighting films and war films, while mine is a modern romance.

In order to ensure the quality of the film, Xu has cut out half of the commercials.

The film is slated for release on December 23.

Zhang Ting

Chinese Films

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If you want to make sure you have enough pizza for everyone at a party and dont mind having a little extra, should you order too much or to much pizza?

Pizza is an important part of our lives, and we always need to make sure that we have enough of it to go around. Thus, the difference between too much and to much is vitally important.

What is the Difference Between Too Much and To Much?

In this article, I will compare too much vs. to much. I will outline the correct phrase and use it in several example sentences to demonstrate its proper context.

Plus, I will show you a memory tool that will help you remember whether too much or to much is the correct choice.

When to Use Too Much

What does too much mean? Too much is a phrase that means excessive or excessively. It can be used as an adjective (I ate too much pizza) or an adverb (She texts too much).

The assessment concluded that Obama and his communications team allowed his fifth year to be judged too much by his dealings with Congress, which were poor. The Washington Post

Here are two more examples of too much as an adjective phrase,

Too much work and not enough play make Jack a dull boy.

One gallon is too much milk for most people to drink in one sitting.

And here are two more examples of too much used as an adverb phrase,

I drank too much last night, and this morning I feel ill.

Shellys friends often complain that Shelly complains too much.

When to Use To Much

What does to much mean? Some writers might slip up and use to much when they really mean too much. These phrases dont mean the same thing, though.

To and too are homophones, which means that they sound alike when pronounced out loud but have different meanings.

Too, for instance, is an adverb that means excessively.

To is rarely used as an adverb, and is usually either a preposition or an infinitive marker.

These words have another homophone, two, which is a representation of the number 2, namely, the integer between one and three. See more on to, too, and two here.

As you can see from the chart below, which graphs to muchvs. too muchover time, the phrase too much food is vastly more popular than to much food.

Even though this chart isnt 100 percent exhaustive in its scope (it only looks at books published in English since 1800), it is accurate enough to show that writers nearly universally choose too much over to much. The phrase to muchbarely even registers a blip on the graph.

Thats not to say that the words to and muchshould never appear next to each other, however.

For example, the sentence below uses to as a preposition adjacent to the adjective much.

When Jason returned home to much the same scene as he had left, he questioned his decision to return at all.

This sentence is grammatically sound, but it is using the words to andmuch in a different way than the phrase too much.

Trick to Remember the Difference

If you are using this phrase to mean excessive or excessively, you should always choose too much. It is the only correct version of the phrase. To much is an error based on a misinterpretation of the homophones to and too in spoken English.

Since too has an excessive amount of Os compared to to, you should always be able to remember that too means excessive.

Summary

It is to much or too much? Only one of these spelling is correct. The other is an error.

Too much is a phrase that means excessive or excessively.

To much is a spelling error.

In short, always choose too much.
Danzi [ dahn-tsee ]/ dn tsi / New Word List Save This bobby casino gamesWord! [ dahn-tsee ]/ dn tsi /Save ThisWord!

nounFranz [frahnts], /frnts/, 17631826, German composer.

Words nearby Danzi

How to use in a sentence But Cannabich heard him, and cried, 'Danzi, stay where you are! Life Of Mozart, Vol. 2 (of 3)|Otto Jahn

Life Of Mozart, Vol. 2 (of 3)|Otto Jahn Danzi was immediately appointed Vice-Kapellmeister, and displayed most praiseworthy activity. The Violoncello and Its History|Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDanube, Danube River, Danubian, Danvers, Danville, Danzi, Danzig, dap, Daphne, Daphnephoria, DaphniaDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Some of them already are in Germany taking language lessons.

Like most Jewish mothers, Myerson thought her daughter could do better.

Then came Bess Myerson, a daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants who was raised in the Sholem Aleichem Houses in the Bronx.

Despite the strong language, however, the neither the JPO nor Lockheed could dispute a single fact in either Daily Beast report.

His first language was Russian, then he learned Swedish, but chooses to perform in monosyllabic broken English. The Cult of Yung Lean: Im Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Perhaps you do not speak my language, she said in Urdu, the tongue most frequently heard in Upper India. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

"The Smoker," and "Mother and Daughter," a triptych, are two of her principal pictures. Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement

The Rev. Alonzo Barnard, seventy-one years of age, accompanied by his daughter, was present. Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell

He reached forward and took her hands, and if Mrs. Vivian had come in she would have seen him kneeling at her daughter's feet. Confidence|Henry James
The organizers of CineAsia 2011 have selected actress Li Bingbing as Female Star of the Year.

Li will receive the award at a ceremony on December 8 in Hong Kong.

CineAsia is an exhibition conference for film-related production, the only one of its kind to focus on the film industry in Asia and the East Pacific.

Since 2000, Li has improved her acting skills and starred in a series of influential and successful films.

Li took home the Best Actress award at the 13th Singapore International Film Festival for her excellent performance in the movie Seventeen Years in 2000. She snapped up other Best Actress awards at Huabiao, Chinas most important film festival, and the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers awards for her role in the film The Knot in 2007.

In 2009, she appeared in the film The Message, which was highly popular at box offices nationwide, and was crowned best actress at the Golden Horse Awards that year.

Li has also appeared in international films. She co-starred with Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the popular kung-fu film The Forbidden Kingdom and cooperated with Hollywood megastar Hugh Jackman in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, released earlier this year. Her popularity among international movie fans grew after she appeared in the costume drama Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame and the war epic China 1911.

At present, she is playing the character Ada Wong in Canada in the fifth installment of the Hollywood hit franchise Resident Evil.

Apart from acting, Li is committed to environmental protection and charity issues. She serves as a goodwill ambassador for both the United Nations Environment Program and the World Wildlife Fund. She founded a charity called L.O.V.E in 2009, which is dedicated to various public welfare activities. Because of her charity work, the Chinese media has dubbed Li the charity queen.

Liu Shuai

Chinese Films

Li Bingbing to Be Awarded Female Star of the Year at CineAsiaadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is an Investment?one blackjack pragmatic play

An investment is an asset or item acquired with the goal of generating income or appreciation. Appreciation refers to an increase in the value of an asset over time. When an individual purchases a good as an investment, the intent is not to consume the good but rather to use it in the future to create wealth.

An investment always concerns the outlay of some resource todaytime, effort, money, or an assetin hopes of a greater payoff in the future than what was originally put in. For example, an investor may purchase a monetary asset now with the idea that the asset will provide income in the future or will later be sold at a higher price for a profit.

Key Takeaways

An investment involves putting capital to use today in order to increase its value over time.

An investment requires putting capital to work, in the form of time, money, effort, etc., in hopes of a greater payoff in the future than what was originally put in.

An investment can refer to any medium or mechanism used for generating future income, including bonds, stocks, real estate property, or alternative investments.

Investments usually do not come with guarantees of appreciation; it is possible to end up with less money than with what you started.

Investments can be diversified to reduce risk, though this may reduce the amount of earning potential.

What's an Investment?

How an Investment Works

1:35

The act of investing has the goal of generating income and increasing value over time. An investment can refer to any mechanism used for generating future income. This includes the purchase of bonds, stocks, or real estate property, among other examples. Additionally, purchasing a property that can be used to produce goods can be considered an investment.

In general, any action that is taken in the hopes of raising future revenue can also be considered an investment. For example, when choosing to pursue additional education, the goal is often to increase knowledge and improve skills. The upfront investment of time attending class and money to pay for tuition will hopefully result in increased earnings over the student's career.

Because investing is oriented toward the potential for future growth or income, there is always a certain level of risk associated with an investment. An investment may not generate any income, or may actually lose value over time. For example, a company you invest in may go bankrupt. Alternatively, the degree you investing time and money to obtain may not result in a strong job market in that field.

An investment bank provides a variety of services to individuals and businesses, including many services that are designed to assist individuals and businesses in the process of increasing their wealth. Investment banking may also refer to a specific division of banking related to the creation of capital for other companies, governments, and other entities. Investment banks underwrite new debt and equity securities for all types of corporations, aid in the sale of securities, and help to facilitate mergers and acquisitions.

Types of Investments

There's arguably endless opportunities to invest; after all, upgrading the tires on your vehicle could be seen as an investment that enhances the usefulness and future value of the asset. Below are common types of investments in which people use to appreciate their capital.

Stocks/Equities

A share of stock is a piece of ownership of a public or private company. By owning stock, the investor may be entitled to dividend distributions generated from the net profit of the company. As the company becomes more successful and other investors seek to buy that company's stock, it's value can also appreciate and be sold for capital gains.

The two primary types of stocks to invest in are common stock and preferred stock. Common stock often includes voting right and participation eligibility in certain matters. Preferred stock often have first claim to dividends and must be paid before common shareholders.

In addition, stocks are often classified as being either growth or value investments. Investments in growth stocks is the strategy of investing in a company while it is small and before it achieves market success. Investment in value stocks is the strategy of investing in a more established company whose stock price may not appropriate value the company.

Bonds/Fixed-Income Securities

A bond is an investment that often demands an upfront investment, then pays a reoccurring amount over the life of the bond. Then, when the bond matures, the investor receives the capital invested into the bond back. Similar to debt, bond investments are a mechanism for certain entities to raise money. Many government entities and companies issue bonds; then, investors can contribute capital to earn a yield.

The recurring payment awarded to bondholders is called a coupon payment. Because the coupon payment on a bond investment is usually fixed, the price of a bond will often fluctuate to change the bond's yield. For example, a bond paying 5% will become cheaper to buy if there are market opportunities to earn 6%; by falling in price, the bond will naturally earn a higher yield.

Many investments can be leveraged for higher returns (or higher losses) through derivative products. It's often recommended that investors not handle derivatives unless they are aware of the high risk involved.

Index Funds and Mutual Funds

Instead of selecting each individual company to invest in, index funds, mutual funds, and other types of funds often aggregate specific investments to craft one investment vehicle. For example, an investor can buy shares of a single mutual fund that holds ownership of small cap, emerging market companies instead of having to research and select each company on its own.

Mutual funds are actively managed by a firm, while index funds are often passively-managed. This means that the investment professionals overseeing the mutual fund is trying to beat a specific benchmark, while index funds often attempt to simply copy or imitate a benchmark. For this reason, mutual funds may be a more expense fund to invest in compared to more passive-style funds.

Real Estate

Real estate investments are often broadly defined as investments in physical, tangible spaces that can be utilized. Land can be built on, office buildings can be occupied, warehouses can store inventory, and residential properties can house families. Real estate investments may encompass acquiring sites, developing sites for specific uses, or purchasing ready-to-occupy operating sites.

In some contexts, real estate may broadly encompass certain types of investments that may yield commodities. For example, an investor can invest in farmland; in addition to reaping the reward of land value appreciation, the investment earns a return based on the crop yield and operating income.

Commodities

Commodities are often raw materials such as agriculture, energy, or metals. Investors can choose to invest in actual tangible commodities (i.e. owning a bar of gold) or can choose alternative investment products that represent digital ownership (i.e. a gold ETF).

Commodities can be an investment because they are often used as inputs to society. Consider oil, gas, or other forms of energy. During periods of economic growth, companies often have greater energy needs to ship more products or manufacture additional goods. In addition, consumers may have greater demand for energy due to travel. In this example, the price of commodities fluctuates and may yield a profit for an investor.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a blockchain-based currency used to transact or hold digital value. Cryptocurrency companies can issue coins or tokens that may appreciate in value. These tokens can be used to transact with or pay fees to transact using specific networks.

In addition to capital appreciation, cryptocurrency can be staked on a blockchain. This means that when investors agree to lock their tokens on a network to help validate transactions, these investors will be rewarded with additional tokens. In addition, cryptocurrency has given rise to decentralized finance, a digital branch of finance that enables users to loan, leverage, or alternatively utilize currency.

Collectibles

A less traditional form of investing, collecting or purchasing collectibles involves acquiring rare items in anticipation of those items becoming in higher demand. Ranging from sports memorabilia to comic books, these physical items often require substantial physical preservation especially considering that older items usually carry higher value.

The concept behind collectibles is no different than other forms of investing such as equities. Both predict that the popularity of something will increase in the future. For example, a current artist may not be popular but changes in global trends, styles, and market interest. However, their art may become more valuable in time should the general population take a stronger interest in their work.



An investment (i.e. stocks or bonds) is overseen at a financial institution (i.e. a broker). In addition, there are different vehicles (i.e an IRA) that hold the investments. As you start investing, you'll need to figure out what you want for both.

How To Start Investing

There are many different avenues one can take when learning how to invest or where to start when putting money aside. Here are some tips for getting started in investing:

Do your own research. A common phrase used in the investing industry, it is important for investors to understand the vehicles they are putting their money into. Whether it is a single share of a well-established company or a risky alternative investment endeavor, investors should do their homework in advance as opposed to relying on third-party (and often biased) advice.

A common phrase used in the investing industry, it is important for investors to understand the vehicles they are putting their money into. Whether it is a single share of a well-established company or a risky alternative investment endeavor, investors should do their homework in advance as opposed to relying on third-party (and often biased) advice. Establish a personal spending plan. Before investing, individuals should consider their ability to put money away. This includes ensuring they have enough capital to pay monthly expenses and have already built up an emergency fund. As enticing as investing can be, individuals should be mindful to meet their daily life obligations first.

Before investing, individuals should consider their ability to put money away. This includes ensuring they have enough capital to pay monthly expenses and have already built up an emergency fund. As enticing as investing can be, individuals should be mindful to meet their daily life obligations first. Understand liquidity restrictions. Some investors may be less liquid than others, meaning it may be more difficult to sell. In some cases, an investment may be locked for a certain period and cannot be liquidated. Though not necessary fine print, it's important to understand whether certain investments can be bought or sold at any time.

Some investors may be less liquid than others, meaning it may be more difficult to sell. In some cases, an investment may be locked for a certain period and cannot be liquidated. Though not necessary fine print, it's important to understand whether certain investments can be bought or sold at any time. Research tax implications. On a similar note, though an investment can be bought or sold at any time, it may be tax-adverse to do so. With unfavorable short-term capital gains tax rates, investors should be mindful of strategies that extend beyond what product they hold but what tax vehicle they put that investment in.

On a similar note, though an investment can be bought or sold at any time, it may be tax-adverse to do so. With unfavorable short-term capital gains tax rates, investors should be mindful of strategies that extend beyond what product they hold but what tax vehicle they put that investment in. Gauge your risk preference. As mentioned earlier, investing incurs risk. This means you may end up with less money than what you started with. Investors uncomfortable with this idea can (1) reduce the amount they invest to only what they are comfortable losing or (2) explore ways to mitigate risk.

As mentioned earlier, investing incurs risk. This means you may end up with less money than what you started with. Investors uncomfortable with this idea can (1) reduce the amount they invest to only what they are comfortable losing or (2) explore ways to mitigate risk. Consult an adviser.Many financial professionals would be happy to provide their guidance, let you know what they think about markets, and give you access to online platforms where you can invest money.

Return on Investment

The primary way to gauge the success of an investment is to calculate the return on investment (ROI). ROI is measured as:

ROI = (Current Value of Investment - Original Value of Investment) / Original Value of Investment

ROI allows different investments across different industries to be appropriately compared. For example, consider two investments: a $1,000 investment in stock that increased to $1,100 over the past year, or a $150,000 investment in real estate that is now worth $160,000.

Stock ROI = ($1,100 - $1,000) / $1,000 = $100 / $1,000 = 10%

Real Estate ROI = ($160,000 - $150,000) / $150,000 = $10,000 / $150,000 = 6.67%

Though the real estate investment has increased in value $10,000, many would claim that the stock investment has outperformed the real estate investment. This is because every dollar invested in the stock gained more money than every dollar invested in real estate.

ROI isn't everything; consider an investment that earns a stead 10% ROI each year compared to a second investment that has an equal chance of earning 25% or losing 25%. For some, stable earnings outpace higher earning investment potential.

Investments and Risk

In its simplest form, investment return and risk should have a positive correlation. If an investment carries high risk, it should be accompanied by higher returns. If an investment is safer, it will often have lower returns.

When making investment decisions, investors must gauge their risk appetite. Every investor will be different, as some may be willing to risk the loss of principle in exchange for the chance at greater profits. Alternatively, extremely risk-averse investors seek only the safest vehicles where their investment will only consistently (but slowly) grow.

Investments and risk are often strongly related to prevailing conditions in the investor's life. As an investor approaches retirement, they will no longer have stable, ongoing income. For this reason, people usually choose safer investments towards the end of their working career. On the other hand, a young professional can often bear the burden of losing money as they have their entire career to make that capital back. For this reason, younger investors are often more likely to invest in riskier investments.

Investments and Diversification

One way investors can reduce portfolio risk is to have a broad range of what they are invested in. By holding different products or securities, an investor may not lose as much money as they are not fully exposed in any one way.

The concept of diversification was born from modern portfolio theory, the idea that holding both equities and bonds will positively impact the risk-adjusted rate of return in a portfolio. The argument is holding strictly equities may maximize returns but also maximizes volatility. Pairing it with a more stable investment with lower returns will decrease the risk an investor incurs.

Investing vs. Speculation

Speculation is a distinct activity from investing. Investing involves the purchase of assets with the intent of holding them for the long term, while speculation involves attempting to capitalize on market inefficiencies for short-term profit. Ownership is generally not a goal of speculators, while investors often look to build the number of assets in their portfolios over time.

Although speculators are often making informed decisions, speculation cannot usually be categorized as traditional investing. Speculation is generally considered a higher risk activity than traditional investing (although this can vary depending on the type of investment involved). Some experts compare speculation to gambling, but the veracity of this analogy may be a matter of personal opinion.

Investing vs. Saving

Saving is accumulating money for future use and entails no risk, whereas investment is the act of leveraging money for a potential future gain and it entails some risk. Though both have the intention of having more capital available in the future, each go about growing in a very different way.

One aspect this is most transparent is the process of saving for a down payment on a home. Many advisors will suggest parking cash in a safer investment vehicle when saving for an important major purchase. Because investing incurs a higher degree of risk, an individual must compare what implications of loss of principle would be to their future plans.

Saving and investing are often intertwined because each may have a stated yield or rate of return. Another primary difference is the federal insurance coverage on certain accounts. The FDIC offers insurance coverage for bank accounts balances up to $250,000; this type of financial guarantee is often not present in investing.

How Is an Investment Different from a Bet or Gamble?

In an investment, you are providing some individual or entity with funds to be put to work growing a business, starting new projects, or maintaining day-to-day revenue generation. Investments, while they can be risky, have a positive expected return. Gambles, on the other hand, are based on chance and not putting money to work. Gambles are highly risky and also have a negative expected return in most cases (e.g., at a casino).

Is Investment the Same as Speculation?

Not really. An investment is typically a long-term commitment, where the payoff from putting that money to work can take several years. Investments are typically made only after due diligence and proper analysis have been undertaken to understand the risks and benefits that could unfold. Speculation, on the other hand, is a pure directional bet on the price of something, and often for the short-term.

What Are Some Types of Investments I Can Make?

Most ordinary individuals can easily make investments in stocks, bonds, and CDs. With stocks, you are investing in the equity of a company, which means you invest in some residual claim to a company's future profit flows and often gain voting rights (based on the number of shares owned) to give your voice to the direction of the company. Bonds and CDs are debt investments, where the borrower puts that money to use in a pursuit that is expected to bring in cash flows greater than the interest owed to the investors.

Why Invest When you Can Save Money With Zero Risk?

As mentioned, investing is putting money to work in order to grow it. When you invest in stocks or bonds, you are putting that capital to work under the supervision of a firm and its management team. Although there is some risk, that risk is rewarded with a positive expected return in the form of capital gains and/or dividend & interest flows. Cash, on the other hand, will not grow, and may very well lose buying power over time due to inflation. Put simply, without investment, companies would not be able to raise the capital needed to grow the economy.

The Bottom Line

An investment is a plan to put money to work today in hopes of obtaining a greater amount of money in the future. Though that plan may not always work out and investments can lose money, it is also the primary way people save for major purchases or retirement. Ranging from stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, and modern alternative investments, the digital age has brought about easy, transparent, and fast methods of investing money.
What Is an Adhesion Contract?are there any caesars casinos in ohio

An adhesion contract is an agreement where one party has substantially more power than the other in setting the terms of the contract. For a contract of adhesion to exist, the offeror must supply a customer with standard terms and conditions that are identical to those offered to other customers. Those terms and conditions are non-negotiable, meaning the weaker party in the contract must agree to the contract as it is rather than requesting clauses be added, removed, or changed. Adhesion contracts may also be referred to as boilerplate contracts or standard contracts.

Key Takeaways

Adhesion contracts are "take it or leave it" agreements where you must accept the contract as a whole or walk away.

Adhesion contracts are meant to simplify business transactions by standardizing the agreement between the supplier and the buyer.

To be enforceable, adhesion contracts cannot be unreasonably one-sided.

Courts ultimately decide what is reasonable within an adhesion contract. This evolves over time and may differ across jurisdictions.

Understanding Adhesion Contracts

Adhesion contracts are often used for insurance, leases, vehicle purchases, mortgages, and other transactions where there will be a high volume of customers who will all fall under some standard form of agreement. In an insurance contract, the company and its agent have the power to draft the contract, while the potential policyholder only has the right of refusal; the customer cannot counter the offer or create a new contract to which the insurer can agree. It is important to read over an adhesion contract carefully, as all the information and rules have been written by the other party.

Adhesion contracts are usually enforceable in the United States thanks to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). The UCC helps to ensure that commercial transactions are taking place under a similar set of laws across the country. Although the UCC is followed by most American states, it has not been fully adopted by some jurisdictions like American Samoa and Puerto Rico. Louisiana stands alone among the 50 states in that it has only adopted parts of the UCC. The UCC has specific provisions relating to adhesion contracts for the sale or lease of goods. Contracts of adhesion are, however, subject additional scrutiny and interpretation under state law.

History of Adhesion Contracts

Adhesion contracts originated as a concept in French civil law, but did not enter American jurisprudence until the Harvard Law Review published an influential article on the subject by Edwin W. Patterson in 1919. Subsequently, most American courts adopted the concept, helped in large part by a Supreme Court of California case that endorsed adhesion analysis in 1962.

As with most aspects of contract law, the legality and enforceability of adhesion contracts has been formed over time. The case law and interpretation may vary from state to state, but it is generally agreed that adhesion contracts are an efficient way to handle standardized transactions. Using adhesion contracts saves companies and customers time and money in terms of legal counsel when they are done properly. However, the law around adhesion contracts is always evolving. For example, digital adhesion contracts signed online have been challenged in court for burying clauses or making it difficult to read certain clauses, so a digital adhesion contract must now be as close to a paper contract as possible.

Enforceability of Adhesion Contracts

For a contract to be treated as an adhesion contract, it must be presented as a "take it or leave it" deal, giving one party no ability to negotiate because of their unequal bargaining position. Adhesion contracts are subject to scrutiny, though, and that scrutiny usually comes in one of two forms.

Courts have traditionally used the doctrine of reasonable expectations to test whether an adhesion contract is enforceable. Under this doctrine, specific parts of an adhesion contract or the whole contract may be deemed unenforceable if the contract terms go beyond what the weaker party would have reasonably expected. Whether a contract is reasonable in its expectations depends on the prominence of the terms, the purpose of the terms, and the circumstances surrounding acceptance of the contract.

The doctrine of unconscionability has also been used in contract law to challenge certain adhesion contracts. Unconscionability is a fact-specific doctrine arising from the same equitable principlesspecifically the idea of bargaining in good faith. Unconscionability in adhesion contracts usually comes up if there is an absence of meaningful choice on the part of one party due to one-sided contract provisions combined with unreasonably oppressive terms that no one would or should accept. Simply put, if the contract is exceptionally unfair to the signing party, it can be declared unenforceable in court.

The doctrine of unconscionability shifts the focus from what the customer might reasonably expect to the motive of the supplier. Unconscionability is easier to argue if the supplier is making a significant profit from the agreement, especially if the amount of profit is in some way tied to the weaker party's lack of bargaining power. Some legal experts have pushed back on this approach as it has implications in terms of the freedom of contractthe legal concept that people can freely determine the provisions of a contract without government interference.
Dartmouth [ dahrt-muhth ]/ drt m / New Word List Save This ky online poker bet prediction appWord! [ dahrt-muhth ]/ drt m /Save ThisWord!

nouna coastal city in S Nova Scotia, in SE Canada, on Halifax harbor, across from Halifax.a city in SE Massachusetts.

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How to use Dartmouth Dartmouth/ (dtm) / nouna port in SW England, in S Devon: Royal Naval College (1905). Pop: 5512 (2001)a city in SE Canada, in S Nova Scotia, on Halifax Harbour: oil refineries and shipyards. Pop: 65 741 (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!Questiondarter, Dartford, dartitis, dartle, Dartmoor, Dartmouth, darts, daruma, Darvon, Darvon Compound, DarwinDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
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M.A., Geography, California State University - Northridge

B.A., Geography, University of California - Davis

Many famous geographers and non-geographers have attempted to define the discipline in a few short words. The concept has also changed throughout the ages, making it difficult to create a concise, universal geography definition for such a dynamic and all-encompassing subject. After all, Earth is a big place with many facets to study. It affects and is affected by the people who live there and use its resources. But basically, geography is the study of the surface of Earth and the people who live thereand all that encompasses.

Early Definitions of Geography

Geography, a study of Earth, its lands, and its people, started in ancient Greece, with the study's name defined by the scholar and scientist Eratosthenes, who calculated a relatively close approximation of the circumference of Earth. Thus, this academic field started with mapping the land. Greco-Roman astronomer, geographer, and mathematician Ptolemy, living in Alexandria, Egypt, in 150 defined its purpose as providing "'a view of the whole' earth by mapping the location of places."

Later, Islamic scholars developed the grid system to make maps more accurately and discovered more of the planet's lands. Then, another major development in geography included the use in China of the magnetic compass (invented for divination) for navigation, the earliest known recording of which is 1040. European explorers started using it in the century to follow.

Philosopher Immanuel Kant in the mid-1800s summed up the difference between history and geography as history as being when something happened and geography being where certain conditions and features are located. He thought of it more descriptive than a hard, empirical science. Halford Mackinder, a political geographer, included people in his definition of the discipline in 1887, as "man in society and local variations in environment." At the time members of Britain's Royal Geographic Society wanted to ensure that it was studied in schools as an academic discipline, and Mackinder's work aided that aim.

20th-Century Definitions of Geography

In the 20th century, Ellen Semple, the first female president of the National Geographical Society, promoted the idea that geography also encompasses "how environment apparently controls human behavior" including affecting culture and the history of people, which was a controversial view at the time.

Professor Harland Barrows, who was influential in establishing the subdisciplines of historical geography and the conservation of natural resources and the environment, in 1923 defined geography as the "study of human ecology; adjustment of man to natural surroundings."

Geographer Fred Schaefer rejected the idea that geography wasn't a hard science and said in 1953 that the study should include the search for its governing scientific laws, defining the discipline as "the science concerned with the formulation of the laws governing the spatial distribution of certain features on the surface of the earth."

Throughout the 20th century, more subdisciplines thrived under targeted research. H. C. Darby, a historical geographer, was radical in that his area of interest was geographical change over time. In 1962 he defined geography as "both science and art." Social geographer J. O. M. Broek worked in the area of the field of how man affects the earth, not just the other way around, and in 1965 said geography's purpose was "to understand the earth as the world of man."

Ariid Holt-Jensen, who has been instrumental in the study in subdisciplines of settlement geography as well as environmental, local and regional planning, in 1980 defined geography as "study of variations in phenomena from place to place."

Geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, who in 1991 defined geography as "the study of earth as the home of people," has written about how people think and feel about space and place in a personal sense, from their home and neighborhood to their nation, and how that's affected by time.

The Breadth of Geography

As you can see from the definitions, geography is challenging to define because it is such a broad and all-encompassing field. It is far more than the study of maps and the physical features of the land because people are influenced and influence the land as well. The field can be divided into two primary areas of study: human geography and physical geography.

Human geography is the study of people in relation to the spaces they inhabit. These spaces can be cities, nations, continents, and regions, or they can be spaces that are defined more by the physical features of the land that contain different groups of people. Some of the areas studied within human geography include cultures, languages, religions, beliefs, political systems, styles of artistic expression, and economic distinctions. These phenomena are analyzed with statistics and demographics in relation to the physical environments in which people live.

Physical geography is the branch of the science that is probably more familiar to most of us, for it covers the field of earth science that many of us were introduced to in school. Some of the elements studied in physical geography are climate zones, storms, deserts, mountains, glaciers, soil, rivers and streams, the atmosphere, seasons, ecosystems, the hydrosphere, and much, much more.

This article was edited and expanded by Allen Grove.
daughter cell [ dotr ] New Word List Save This free slot machine games download full versionWord! [ dotr ]Save ThisWord!

Either of the two cells formed when a cell undergoes cell division by mitosis. Daughter cells are genetically identical to the parent cell because they contain the same number and type of chromosomes.

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How to use in a sentence Then came Bess Myerson, a daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants who was raised in the Sholem Aleichem Houses in the Bronx. Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST Like most Jewish mothers, Myerson thought her daughter could do better. Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST Joel Osteen wants to talk about muting your cell phone at the dinner table. No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST This is about no longer accepting thatas so many others have stateda family would rather have a dead son than a living daughter. Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST I noticed a picture of her daughter, who was my classmate, and out of curiosity visited her page. 50 Shades of Iran: The Mullahs Kinky Fantasies about Sex in the West|IranWire, Shima Sharabi|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

50 Shades of Iran: The Mullahs Kinky Fantasies about Sex in the West|IranWire, Shima Sharabi|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST "The Smoker," and "Mother and Daughter," a triptych, are two of her principal pictures. Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement

Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement The Rev. Alonzo Barnard, seventy-one years of age, accompanied by his daughter, was present. Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell

Among the Sioux|R. J. Creswell He reached forward and took her hands, and if Mrs. Vivian had come in she would have seen him kneeling at her daughter's feet. Confidence|Henry James

Confidence|Henry James Every word that now fell from the agitated Empress was balm to the affrighted nerves of her daughter. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter She looked from the picture to her daughter, with a frightful glare, in their before mild aspect. 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!QuestionDaudet, dauerschlaf, Daugava, Daugavpils, daughter, daughter cell, daughter-in-law, daughter language, daughterly, Daughters of the American Revolution, DaumierThe American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
New Pictures, the production company of Zhang Yimous soon-to-be-released epic war blockbuster The Flowers of War, is about to publish a special book in memory of the making of the movie.

Regarded as one of Zhangs most incredible creations to date, the director and his production team devoted themselves completely to the project during the filming stages. In the run up to its release on December 16, a commemorative book, which recalls the 164-day shooting process, will be published in the middle of December.

All of the films cast members, including the original novelist Yan Geling, screenwriter Liu Heng, the male lead Christian Bale, Chinese actor Tong Dawei, Huang Haibo and Nie Yuan, Japanese actor Atsuro Watabe, propmen and costume supervisors have contributed to the book. The new Mou Girl, the actress who portrays the female lead of Yu Mo in the movie, also shares the story of how she finished her first love scene with Christian Bale.

Chen Nan

Chinese Films

The Making of The Flowers of Waradded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
A few years ago some nitwit from Harvard University (USA),top 5 gambling sites omega crypto wrote an article in which he claimed a whole lot of nonsense  and as a result created a volume of literary vomit that can only be described as: Ad caveat ad Nauseam.

Well, first of all he got his facts wrong. Baccarat is not a game of skill. It is one of those games in the casino that are entirely games of pure luck and/or chance.

Video Poker can be a game of skill, but he didn't say that. He used live poker players as his examples of gamblers, but poker players play a game where the house does not participate, because poker is  so far  the only casino game which is NOT banked by the casino.

And then he cited problem gambling statistics from the NGISC (National Gambling Impact Study Commission) as being between 1.5% and 15%, but around 2.5% - but he couldnt seem to settle on which. The report quoted by online casino aggregator Offers.bet itself actually says that these are closer to around 0.85% problem gamblers.

But then, which of the three versions of the NGISC reports was he referring to?

The original?

The revised?

The religious right opposition?

He then equated pathological gambling with a form of dopamine addiction found in cocaine addicts seeking a high. He cited clinical studies which seemed to show an increased blood flow to the brain regions which produce dopamine, resulting in an addicting "feeling of well being" (my quote), which is the repetitious result of certain behavioral patterns in humans - humans seek out those activities which produce, and reproduce, that feeling, in this case that increase of dopamine in those regions of the brain.

This, the author cited, is what causes casino players to be attracted to gambling, and is the reason behind addiction.

Well, these kind of psychologists can go find a lake and jump in!

Pavlov's dog proved that more than 130+ years ago.

The point in question actually happens to be: What is wrong with that?

The simple fact is that a certain portion of all mammals will become prone to certain kinds of behavior, no matter what the rest of their kind do. And the report says that among 167+ million American adults, only less than 1% have what is described as a "gambling addiction." But this does not mean that it is so, and even if it is close, it is statistically and sociologically irrelevant.

The assertion that such persons cause a $5+ billion dollar economic loss to the community, is not only to stretch this argument beyond all reason, but to grossly overestimate the "costs" of such a small percentage of persons.

According to that article's own statement, merely some 5 million American adults suffer from what could be described as a "clinical addition" to gambling. Do these 5 million really cost society $5+ billion?

Wake up and smell the figures!

Even if we accept that position, the author's own admission is that the gambling industry generates some $866 BILLION in economic revenue. And much more so today. Compared to that, even that excessive $5 billion "cost" is barely an economic "glitch." Neither that, nor any diehard gamblers, would ever be considered by any economist as having such significance.

The plain, simple, truthful fact is that some people will always be prone to some kind of a behavioral anomaly, which psychologists will always find as "wrong."

However, "wrong" is a transitory term. What is "wrong" for you, may be perfectly "right" for someone else  or for a society at different times throughout history.

Some people will always be fat, some always thin, some always tall, some always short, some with brown hair, some with blond hair, some with blue eyes, some with green eyes, and so on (until we begin to genetically engineer ourselves to a point of total conformity).

Some people will overeat; some will drink too much; some people will gamble too much and too often.

And if that author thought that this small percentage of people are somehow "abusers," then he is still a fool, and so are all those persons involved in all those studies. They are all merely seeking excuses for additional tax-payer funding for purposeless research.

God save us from the plethora of psychologists seeking to do the right thing!

It is the rest of us who have to pick up the pieces.

(My paraphrase from the screenplay by Paddy Chyawski, "The Americanization of Emily, 1964).

And thats the way it really is.

By: Victor H Royer

Category: Casino Blog
What is cara withdraw slot best bets ascotan Official Strike?

An official strike is a work stoppage by union members that is endorsed by the union and that follows the legal requirements for striking, such as being voted on by a majority of union members. Workers engaging in official strikes have better protections against being fired as opposed to an unofficial strike. An official strike is usually undertaken by employees as a last resort in response to grievances. An official strike may also be called an official industrial action, a strike action or a strike.

Key Takeaways

An official strike is one that complies with the required legal processes for declaring and carrying out a strike or other work stoppage.

Official strikes are considered protected concerted action under the National Labor Relations Act, but whether any particular strike counts as official or not can depend on rulings by the National Labor Relations Board.

Workers engaged in an official strike enjoy better legal protections against dismissal or retaliation by their employer.

Understanding an Official Strike

In the U.S. industrial labor relations are governed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) under the National Labor Relations Act and other relevant laws. Ultimately, the NLRB decides whether a strike complies with the requirements to be considered an official strike. These laws grant workers the right to engage in protected concerted activity, including strikes, provided they follow the required legal processes laid out in the law and enforced by the NLRB. An official strike is one that follows these processes and thus is legally recognized and protected under the law by the NLRB. Workers who engage in an official strike can enjoy protection from retaliation by their employer, such as being disciplined or dismissed.

Strikes are undertaken as part of the collective bargaining process that goes on between labor unions and employers in order to determine wages, benefits, working conditions, and in the case of public servants, legislation governing said services. Generally, union members will vote to go on strike when other bargaining tactics have failed. When workers decide to strike without the approval of a union, it is called a wildcat strike. A wildcat strike may be undertaken when a union refuses to endorse a strike action, or because the striking workers do not have a union; such a strike may not offer workers the same protections as an official strike undertaken with formal union authorization.

Typically, striking workers refuse to go to work and may instead form a picket line outside the place of work in order to hinder the employers normal business or stop strikebreakers from crossing the picket line to go to work. Sometimes, workers conduct a strike by occupying the workplace, but refusing to complete their normal tasks and also refusing to leave the premises; such a strike is known as a sit-down strike. Where employees are public servants, picketing may take place, not at the workplace, but where lawmakers meet, such as in the West Virginia public school teachers strike of 2018.

Historical Example

A famous official strike in the United States was the 1994 Major League Baseball strike, which canceled the end of the regular season and the entire postseason. Some of the replacement players who played during 1995 spring training, when the strike had not yet ended, remained in the major leagues, but were not allowed union membership. One reason this is important is union players receive a certain percentage of Major League Baseball revenues, because MLB licenses players' names and images for items like jerseys and baseball cards. Nonunion members do not receive this benefit.
Definition of End Rhyme

If you have ever sung a song or read a poem aloud,nft games 2021 you must have encountered end rhymes, because these are a common type of rhyming pattern used in a poetic structure. End rhyme occurs when the last syllables or words in two or more lines rhyme with each other. It is also known as tail rhyme, and occurs at the ends of the lines. The lines ending in similar sounds are pleasant to hear, and give musical effect to the poem or song. This is called the end rhyme.

Types of Rhyme

There are several types of rhyme besides end rhyme, of which end rhyme is one of the most commonly used types of poetic rhymes. Other types of rhyme include:

End rhyme  It comes at the end of two successive lines.

 It comes at the end of two successive lines. Internal Rhyme  It occurs within a single line or a verse.

 It occurs within a single line or a verse. Slant rhyme  The rhyming words sound similar; however, they are often not very close to make a complete rhyme.

 The rhyming words sound similar; however, they are often not very close to make a complete rhyme. Eye Rhyme  It comprises of similar spellings, though not pronunciation, such as in rough and through.

 It comprises of similar spellings, though not pronunciation, such as in rough and through. Identical rhyme  It uses the same word having identical sense and sound.

 It uses the same word having identical sense and sound. Masculine rhyme  It ends on stressed syllables like in bells and hells.

 It ends on stressed syllables like in bells and hells. Feminine Rhyme  It rhymes on one or two unstressed syllables, like enticing, and endicing.

 It rhymes on one or two unstressed syllables, like enticing, and endicing. Monorhyme  It uses just a single rhyme in a stanza such as in Blacks poem silent, silent night.

 It uses just a single rhyme in a stanza such as in Blacks poem silent, silent night. Pararhyme It uses vowels in identical consonant pairs, such as in the words groined, and groaned.

End Rhyme and Internal Rhyme

Internal Rhyme uses two rhyming words within a single line of poetry, such as:

Example #1: The Raven(By Edgar Allen Poe)

Once upon a midnight dreary , while I pondered, weak and weary .

However, end rhyme comprises of the final words or syllables of the lines such as:

Example #2: The Tyger(By William Blake)

Tyger Tyger, burning bright ,

In the forests of the Night ;

Examples of End Rhyme in Literature

Mostly, Aesops fables are considered to have strong moral conclusions. However, almost all literary writings have some morals to be conveyed to readers. Literary works aimed at children are replete with moral lessons. They provide children with positive lessons and guidelines for the future. Maxims like Be friends with whom you dont like, Dont judge people by the way they look, and Slow and steady wins the race are normally the lessons found behind many stories.

Example #1: A Word is Dead(By Emily Dickinson)

A word is dead

When it is said ,

Some say.

I say it just

Begins to live

That day.

As can be seen, the first and the second lines use end rhyme with the words dead and said. The other example of this rhyming pattern is in the third line with the sixth line on the words say and day. Thus, it is the choice of the poet whether to use end rhyme throughout the entire poem for creating strong rhythm, or use some other rhyming pattern.

Example #2: In Flanders Fields(By Colonel John McCrae)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly .

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

In these lines, the words blow and row rhyme in the first and second lines, and word below in final line also rhyme with them. Similarly, words sky and fly rhyme in the third and fourth lines. The poet uses end rhyme to create rhythmic flow, as he describes his sorrow for fallen soldiers died in the World War I.

Example #3: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening(By Robert Frost)

Whose woods these are I think I know ,

His house is in the village, though ;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with Snow .

In this example, Frost has used end rhyme at the end of the first, second, and fourth lines with the words know though, and snow. These rhyming lines add flow to the piece, and a pleasant effect to the poem.

Example #4: Midstairs(By Virginia Hamilton Adair)

And here on this turning of the stair

Between passion and doubt,

I pause and say a double prayer,

One for you, and one for you;

And so they cancel out.

See end rhyme occurring on the final syllables stair and prayer of the first and third lines; and doubt and out in the second and fifth lines.

Function of End Rhyme

The poets often use end rhyme to create rhythm in their works. If they use it throughout the entire poem, then it creates a beautiful rhyming pattern, giving musical quality to the poem, because it adds flow in a perfect rhythmic way. It serves as a strong mnemonic device that facilitates memorization. In addition, its regular use marks off the ending of the lines, thus elucidating metrical structure for the audience. Songwriters also make use of it frequently to make their lyrics sound appealing, and often it becomes easier for the audience to remember.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that any attempt to disrupt or even dismantle the industrial and supply chains formed in the Asia-Pacific over many years will only lead Asia-Pacific economic cooperation to a dead end.



Openness brings progress while closing the door can only leave one behind,provider pragmatic Xi said in a written speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit.


There are many homophones in English. Homophones are words that sound the same, but mean different things. Words that sound nearly the same are called near homophones.

Homophones and near homophones may be similar in pronunciation, but sometimes they arent even the same part of speech. That is the case with areand our: two words which confuse many writers.

In this article, I will compare arevs. our, which arent exact homophones but sound similar enough to cause confusion. I will use each word in an example sentence to illustrate its proper use. Then, at the end, I will show you a helpful trick to use if you cant decide whether you mean areor ourin your writing.

When to Use Are

What does are mean? Areis a verb. It is the present tense of the verb to be, which means to exist or engage in something. As such, it is incredibly common in English, since it can be used on its own or as an auxiliary verb.

Areis the second person present singular, and the first, second, and third-person present plural for to be. Here are some example sentences.

Robert, you are insufferable when you talk about sports.

We are so happy that you could join us for lunch today.

You people are the best audience Ive ever had, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

The Martians are everywhere!

Taxpayers will be on the hook for most of that amount because they are government-backed loans; ITT currently has about $90 million set aside to cover forgiven loans. The Wall Street Journal

Areis also a helping verb. It is used in forming the present progressive, again, in second person singular, and in first, second, and third-person plural forms. The following sentences are examples for each of these tenses.

You are going to clean your room, and you are going to do it now.

Saoirse and I are having a small, intimate ceremony with family and a few close friends.

You are deluding yourselves if you think you can take two out of three against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The Martians are attacking us with ray guns!

When to Use Our

What does our mean? Ouris a first person plural possessive pronoun. It is often employed as an adjective pronoun, where it specifies ownership by a group of which the speaker is a part.Here are some examples.

Our flight boards at 10:15am.

This land is our land.

We are going to build our house using sustainable materials.

We often spend our own money to buy supplies and books for our classrooms, and we spend hours of our own time after school talking to our students, grading papers and completing mountains of paperwork required to justify keeping our jobs for another year. The Washington Post

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember ourvs. are.

Areis a verb, while ouris a possessive pronoun.

They cannot be substituted for each other, and to do so would be a mistake.

Areis an important auxiliary verb. Since areand auxiliaryboth begin with the letterA, you can use this similarity to remember that are is a verb.

Summary

Is it are or our?Areand ourare near homophones, but they are actually completely different parts of speech.

Are is a verb.

Our is a possessive pronoun.

In no circumstances are they interchangeable.

You can remember that areis a verb since it is often used as a helping, or auxiliary, verb, and areand auxiliaryboth begin with the letter A.

Areand ourare easy words to mix up if you arent familiar with the English language. Now that youve read this article, youll always know whether to choose our or are in your writing.
Irregular verbs are notoriously confusing in any language, and English has its fair share. To be is one of the most difficult ones, not least because it is so versatile.

In the present tense alone, to be becomes am, is, and are in various tenses. Am is only used in the singular first person. But, what about the other two? If the dilemma of are vs. is has weighed on your mind, continue reading for an explanation.

What is the Difference Between Is and Are?

In this article, I will compare isvs. are. I will use each verb in example sentences to demonstrate its proper use.

Plus, I will show you an easy way to remember when to use each of these tenses, so you will never have trouble choosing is or are again.

When to Use Is

What does is mean? Isis a form of the verb to be, which indicates a state of existenceor functions as an auxiliary verb. Is is the third-person singular present tense of to be.

Here are some example sentences,

Andy is a lying, backstabbing, two-faced, good-for-nothing jerk, and I refuse to invite him to the ice cream social.

That car is a waste of your money; you should look for a newer one with fewer miles.

Abigail is building a tiny house with her husband, Carl.

Antoine Griezmann has insisted he is happy at Atletico Madrid following renewed reports linking him with a big money move to Manchester United. International Business Times

For a further discussion of is as a verb, see here.

When to Use Are

What does are mean? Are is also a conjugated form of to be. Are is the first-person plural present, second-person singular and plural present, and third-person plural present tense of this verb. It also functions as an auxiliary verb.

The sentences below are examples of its use,

Ten thousand lemmings are throwing themselves, headlong, into the sea.

You are such a magnificent beast, Marjorie said to her horse.

You are the most talented players in the league, the coach said. So why did we drop a 3-1 lead in the championship series?

We are going to the sushi bar; are you coming?

Then theres a new crop of fashion biopics in the works, and they are doozies. The New York Times

Trick to Remember the Difference

Are and is are both conjugations of the verb to be. Which one you use depends upon the subject associated with the verb.

In the first person, are is used for plural subjects, like we.

In the second person, choose are for both singular and plural subjects, like you.

If you are writing in the third person, use is for singular subjects, like she, it, and Eleanor Roosevelt. If your third-person subject is plural, like they, lemmings, or Senate Republicans, choose are.

This verb isone of the most difficult verbs to conjugate in English. However, the task is easier if you remember that is is only ever used with singular subjects in the third person. Since is and singular are both spelled with the letter S, you should find it easy to remember this rule.

Summary

Is it is or are? Both is and are form various tenses of the verb to be, which indicates existence or a state of being. They can both be used as auxiliary, or helping, verbs.

Is is the third person singular present indicative form of to be.

Are is the second person singular and plural and first and third person plural present indicative form of to be.

There is no easy rule for determining which conjugation to use for which tense of this irregular verb. However, if you remember that is only pairs with singular subjects in the third person, you can simplify the process.

If you need a refresher, be sure to check this article for additional guidance.
What Is Big Data?tradition casino australia

Big data refers to the large, diverse sets of information that grow at ever-increasing rates. It encompasses the volume of information, the velocity or speed at which it is created and collected, and the variety or scope of the data points being covered (known as the "three v's" of big data). Big data often comes from data mining and arrives in multiple formats.

Key Takeaways

Big data is a great quantity of diverse information that arrives in increasing volumes and with ever-higher velocity.

Big data can be structured (often numeric, easily formatted and stored) or unstructured (more free-form, less quantifiable).

Nearly every department in a company can utilize findings from big data analysis, but handling its clutter and noise can pose problems.

Big data can be collected from publicly shared comments on social networks and websites, voluntarily gathered from personal electronics and apps, through questionnaires, product purchases, and electronic check-ins.

Big data is most often stored in computer databases and is analyzed using software specifically designed to handle large, complex data sets.

How Big Data Works

Big data can be categorized as unstructured or structured. Structured data consists of information already managed by the organization in databases and spreadsheets; it is frequently numeric in nature. Unstructured data is information that is unorganized and does not fall into a predetermined model or format. It includes data gathered from social media sources, which help institutions gather information on customer needs.

Big data can be collected from publicly shared comments on social networks and websites, voluntarily gathered from personal electronics and apps, through questionnaires, product purchases, and electronic check-ins. The presence of sensors and other inputs in smart devices allows for data to be gathered across a broad spectrum of situations and circumstances.

Big data is most often stored in computer databases and is analyzed using software specifically designed to handle large, complex data sets. Many software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies specialize in managing this type of complex data.

The Uses of Big Data

Data analysts look at the relationship between different types of data, such as demographic data and purchase history, to determine whether a correlation exists. Such assessments may be done in-house or externally by a third-party that focuses on processing big data into digestible formats. Businesses often use the assessment of big data by such experts to turn it into actionable information.

Many companies, such as Alphabet and Meta (formerly Facebook), use big data to generate ad revenue by placing targeted ads to users on social media and those surfing the web.

Nearly every department in a company can utilize findings from data analysis, from human resources and technology to marketing and sales. The goal of big data is to increase the speed at which products get to market, to reduce the amount of time and resources required to gain market adoption, target audiences, and to ensure customers remain satisfied.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Big Data

The increase in the amount of data available presents both opportunities and problems. In general, having more data on customers (and potential customers) should allow companies to better tailor products and marketing efforts in order to create the highest level of satisfaction and repeat business. Companies that collect a large amount of data are provided with the opportunity to conduct deeper and richer analysis for the benefit of all stakeholders.

With the amount of personal data available on individuals today, it is crucial that companies take steps to protect this data; a topic which has become a hot debate in today's online world, particularly with the many data breaches companies have experienced in the last few years.

While better analysis is a positive, big data can also create overload and noise, reducing its usefulness. Companies must handle larger volumes of data and determine which data represents signals compared to noise. Deciding what makes the data relevant becomes a key factor.

Furthermore, the nature and format of the data can require special handling before it is acted upon. Structured data, consisting of numeric values, can be easily stored and sorted. Unstructured data, such as emails, videos, and text documents, may require more sophisticated techniques to be applied before it becomes useful.
Gaming and hospitality giant MGM Resorts International announced today that it would look to capitalize on the nascent US sports betting marketand extend its US presence with a duo of key partnership deals.

In separate press releases from minutes ago, the major gambling company announced that it has formed a joint venturewith Isle of Man-headquartered online gambling operator GVC Holdings and with its fellow US gaming and hospitality operator Boyd Gaming to position itself more strongly in its domestic market at a time when multiple states are taking advantage of the recent annulment of the long-standing federal ban on sports betting.

Under the newly penned partnership agreement between MGM and GVC, the two companies will form a joint venture that will operate sports betting and online gambling services across states where the provision of these services is legal. The two gambling operators will each invest $100 millioninto their 50/50 joint business. MGM said in todays statement that the venture will increase its and its partners speed to market in an efficient and prudent manner, lowers execution risk, and creates meaningful early mover advantages.

The joint business will have access across all legal online and land-based gambling sectors across the United States, including sports betting, online real money and free-to-play casino gaming, and land-based poker tournaments and online poker. MGM revealed that playMGM and partypoker will be their headline online brands.

Reports about the partnership between MGM and GVC emerged over the weekend to be confirmed earlier today. This is not the first time the two companies are joining forces. GVC has actually been operating the online casino of the Borgata Casinoin Atlantic City since online gambling was legalized in New Jersey five years ago.

The joint venture is anticipated to commence operations ahead of the upcoming professional football season. The launch of the new business is subject to regulatory approvals.

MGM Partners Boyd Gaming

MGM has struck another key partnership to cement its position in its domestic market. The gaming giant and its fellow operator Boyd Gaming have once again joined forces and this time they will offer online and mobile gaming and betting platformsacross states where any of the two companies has physical presence and where licenses for these activities are available.

Both MGM and Boyd Gaming will thus expand their presence across 15 statesand will have access to approximately 90 million potential customers.

MGM also announced that its joint venture with GVC will, too, benefit from the newly formed partnership with Boyd Gaming, as it will receive extended market access.

MGM and Boyd Gaming previously operated jointly the Borgata, until the latter company sold its 50% stakein Atlantic Citys highest grossing casino to its partner in 2016 for the approximate amount of $900 million.
dacks / (dks) / New Word List Save This star city casino hotel roomsWord! / (dks) /Save ThisWord!

pl nAustralian another word for daks

Words nearby dacks

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDacia, dacite, dack, dacker, Dacko, dacks, dacoit, dacoity, D/A converter, dacquoise, DacronCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
March 22,statsalt mlb picks reddit mybookie Yunnan Province has suffered drought for more than three months. Its the third consecutive year of drought in Yunnan since 2009.

790.10 million people were affected in Yunnan Province, the drought spreads in 125 counties, drying up 413 small reservoirs. 320.34 million people and 1.647 million livestock have problems with drinking water supplies, 676.65 thousand hectares of crops were affected, causing direct economic loss of 3.867 billion yuan.

March 21, in Luxi County, Yunnan Province, the government sent water wagon to villagers.

March 22, in Shilin County, Yunnan Province, a little boy carrying water with his mother.

Severe drought in Yunnanadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is Cash on Delivery (COD)?casinochan casino review

Cash on delivery (COD) is a type of transaction where the recipient pays for a good at the time of delivery rather than using credit. The terms and accepted forms of payment vary according to the payment provisions of the purchase agreement. Cash on delivery is also referred to as collect on delivery since delivery may allow for cash, check, or electronic payment.

Key Takeaways

Cash on delivery (COD) is when a recipient pays for a good or service at the time of delivery.

A COD transaction can take several different forms and each can affect a companys accounting.

COD shipping offers customers an advantage in that they have time to save and make a full payment.

Sellers receive faster payment for sales as long as the goods are accepted by the buyer.

Cash On Delivery (COD)

Understanding Cash on Delivery (COD)

1:09

A cash-on-delivery transaction can take different forms and may affect a companys accounting in different ways. Public companies are required to use the accrual accounting method under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). With accrual accounting, a company recognizes revenue at the time of the transaction and records the payment in accounts receivable if the payment is deferred. Private companies can use either accrual or cash accounting. In cash accounting, the company must wait to record the transaction as revenue until payment is received.

If a customer is dealing with a merchant in person, and the customer makes a purchase from readily available inventory, payment is collected at the time of sale as a form of cash on delivery. Under the accrual accounting method, this leads to a shorter accounts receivable period and higher efficiency.

For longer-term accounts receivable agreements, companies can set up COD shipping that allows the customer to defer payment until the time of delivery. On certain mail order platforms, such as eBay, COD can be used to help minimize the risk of fraud between buyers and sellers. Overall, COD does not require payment from a purchaser until they have received their purchase.

Benefits of Cash on Delivery

For many businesses, in-person COD facilitates the immediate payment of goods and services. This is a significant accounting advantage because it can greatly shorten the days receivable for a business.

If a company allows for COD shipping, it is willingly giving the customer more time to make a payment with somewhat less risk than a credit purchase.

COD typically has shorter timeframes to delivery than standard invoicing. This is beneficial since the customer is required by an intermediary to pay at delivery. With COD shipping, customers have time to collect the money to make a full payment. However, COD shipping increases the risk that a customer will not plan appropriately for payment, and the purchase will have to be returned. Returned purchases do not contribute to profits and may entail shipping return fees, both of which are disadvantageous to the merchant.

For merchants, offering a COD payment option may enhance consumer confidence in a new company that has not yet earned strong brand recognition. Generally, established companies are unwilling to assume the risks of COD shipping, opting for credit payment plans that charge interest and late payment fees.

However, in some cases, COD has an advantage over credit since the seller receives the full payment at delivery. COD can also help merchants avoid some risks of buyer identity fraud, stopped payments, or electronic card disputes. In some countries, such as India, cash-on-delivery transactions are boosting internet commerce. COD transactions appeal to consumers who do not have established credit or alternative means for paying for goods.

Cash on Delivery vs. Cash in Advance

Cash in advance differs from cash on delivery as the buyer pays for the good or service before the product or service is delivered or shipped. Cash-in-advance payment methods, such as credit, are used to eliminate credit risk, or the risk of non-payment, for the seller. The seller benefits from cash in advance, and the buyer risks receiving delayed or damaged goods or goods that are not as expected. Cash on delivery, on the other hand, has benefits for both the buyer and the seller.

For cash-on-delivery terms, goods are shipped before payment is made. For cash-in-advance terms, the seller requires the buyer to make the entire payment upfront in order to initiate the shipping process. This protects the seller from lost money for goods shipped without payment.

Cash in advance is the most common form of payment for online marketplaces, e-commerce, and international business trade. Whether a business chooses to use cash on delivery or cash in advance depends on its ability to assume risk. Larger businesses may offer cash in advance for buyers because their accounts receivable and collections processes are more advanced.

Cash on Delivery (COD) FAQs

What Is the Meaning of Cash on Delivery?

Cash on delivery is when a buyer pays for goods or services once they are received. Cash in advance, on the other hand, is when payment is made before the goods or services are shippedfor example, an e-commerce credit transaction.

How Does Cash on Delivery Work?

Buyers place an order, for example, on a website, and request delivery. The customer does not make payment while ordering the item and chooses cash on delivery as a payment method. Once the order is placed, an invoice is prepared by the seller, which is attached to the parcel. The parcel is shipped from the seller to the address provided by the customer. The customer pays the deliverer or shipper using cash or card. The COD amount is then deposited into the account of the logistics partner or shipper. The logistics company remits the amount to the sellers account after deducting the handling charges.

What Are Examples of Cash on Delivery?

Examples of cash on delivery are when customers pay for a pizza that is delivered to their home, when a courier delivers something that a customer has agreed to pay for when it is delivered, or when a customer picks up clothing from the dry cleaning store. Some online stores will allow cash on delivery.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Cash on Delivery?

For businesses, the main benefit of COD is that the payment period is shorter, and there is no delay in the receipt of cash. This protects businesses from the risk that a customer will not pay or pays late for goods and ensures reliable cash flow. For consumers, COD gives them additional time to fund the full payment. For buyers who do not have access to credit, COD allows them to make purchases they might not otherwise be able to make.

The cons of COD for businesses are that there is a greater risk that goods will be refused on delivery, and there are costs involved in returning items. For buyers, it may be more difficult to return items if they have already paid for them at delivery. A seller may be reluctant or under no obligation to accept returns, even if the consumer is unhappy with the goods.

The payment period is shorter than with other payment methods.

The method provides some protection from customers who might fail to pay or pay late.

Cash on delivery improves cash flow and budgeting.

Consumers who do not have credit can buy products.

Greater risk of delivery refusal.

Returning items can be costly for sellers who lack return infrastructure and support.

Buyers may find it difficult to return items that do not meet expectations.

The Bottom Line

Pros of Cash on DeliveryCons of Cash on Delivery

COD is a payment option that has benefits for both buyers and sellers. For buyers without credit, COD is a convenient way to buy the things that they need. For sellers, as long as the goods are accepted on delivery, payment is quicker. Ultimately, the payment options that a seller provides depend on how much risk the seller is willing to assume and their capacity to handle complications such as returns and late payments.
Dozens of races across the country remained unresolved as of midday Wednesday,pats bucs spread mlb picks youtube yet Republicans were already engaging in that age-old post-election game among members of the side that underperformed: Whos to blame?

And in many conversations among players late Tuesday and early Wednesday, a clear target was emerging: Donald Trump, who inserted himself into dozens of races and even said on the eve of the election that he deserved the credit if his party did well, but not the blame if they didnt.

The election was a lot closer than it should have been because Trump endorsed some candidates in Republican primaries who were inexperienced, first time-candidates not ready for a very intense, high-profile Senate race, says Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist and pollster.

Trump spent Wednesday morning at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., making angry calls to friends and advisors about why the decisive wave of GOP victories that he and so many others had predicted failed to materialize, with the former President blaming others for the endorsement decisions he had made, according to a former Trump White House official still in touch with Trumps inner circle. Trump said in those conversations that candidates that lost should have more fully embraced his lie about winning the 2020 election, singling out TV doctor Mehmet Ozs defeat to John Fetterman in the Pennsylvania Senate race as an especially frustrating outcome, said the former official, who noted that Trump was also fuming that the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Postprinted the headline DeFuture to describe Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose landslide reelection victory on Tuesday topped Trumps 2020 margins in the state.

Read more: How John Fetterman Beat Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania

By the afternoon, Trump had simmered down a bit, writing on his social media platform Truth Social that the election results were somewhat disappointing, but saying that from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory tallying his own count of wins and losses for candidates he endorsed219 WINs and 16 losses in the General.

Those losses, however, included some of the most expensive and hard-fought races of the midterms, ones in which Trump all but determined the Republican nominee with his endorsement. Many of Trumps own supporters criticized his involvement in midterm races.

A Trump supporter at a rally in Miami Andres Kudacki for TIME

While the former President sulked, Republicans took stock of what impact his candidate picks and election denials had on the outcome, which wasnt the clear rebuke to Joe Bidens presidency they had expected. Instead, Republicans are looking at the prospect of controlling the House by a razor-thin margin, if they flip it at all, which would make the prospective speaker Kevin McCarthy beholden to fringe members of the Republican caucus. Control of the Senate remains too close to call.

Matt Langston, a general consultant in Austin, Texas, at Engage Right, a conservative strategy firm, pushed back on the notion that Trumps involvement in the midterms was a mistake, saying such an assessment couldnt be determined until the final partisan make-up of the next Congress was known.

The takeaway of last night was either a referendum on Trump or a referendum on Bidenthat answer is not clear just yet, Langston tells TIME.

Biden, for his part, thinks the answer is not in doubt.

Democrats had a strong night, he said Wednesday afternoon, speaking to reporters in the State Dining room of the White House. Biden said that while the press and the pundits were predicting a red wave. It didnt happen.

The results, although incomplete, were seen inside the White House as a vindication of Bidens measured approach to leadership and his warnings about the dangers that election deniers present to American democracy. With their votes, the American people have spoken once again and proved that democracy is who we are, Biden said.

Ayres agrees that a major drag on Republican candidates was Trumps denial of the 2020 results and his efforts to overturn the election certification on Jan. 6. It turns out that trying to overturn an election is not widely popular with American voters, he says. Ayres pointed to election denier and former TV news anchor Kari Lakes campaign for Arizona governor against Democrat Katie Hobbs, which as of late Wednesday remained neck-and-neck as ballots were still being counted. Kari Lake is a very polished, very effective candidate, Ayres said. Katie Hobbs is a very unpolished, ineffective candidate. And yet that appears to be something close to a dead heat, because of Kari Lakes election denialism.

Read more:How Kari Lake Went From Local Anchor to New Face of the MAGA Right

Supporters cheer as it rains on a Trump rally in Miami Andres Kudacki for TIME

What Trump does in the coming weeks could once again impact which party controls the Senate, or at least, by what margin. In the Georgia match-up between Trump-backed candidate Hershel Walker and Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, neither candidate broke 50 percent of the vote, sending the race to a Dec. 6 runoff. Trump is widely expected to declare his candidacy for President on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at his Florida club. The night before the midterms, Trump told a rally in Dayton, Ohio hed be making a very big announcement that day.

But having a blitz of headlines about Trumps campaign for President may not be what Republicans need in their bid to control the Senate. Some Trump allies, such as former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEneny and Trumps former senior advisor Jason Miller, said they had advised the former President to delay major announcements until after the Georgia runoff was decided.

Langston suggested that the outcome of the midterms might actually make Trump more likely to pull the trigger and announce . History has taught us that you are dealing with a candidate and a team of advisers that, the more of an uphill climb it seems, the harder they fight, he says.
What Is Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)?knicks mock draft mecca free slots

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) is an old international trade term indicating that the seller is responsible for the safe delivery of goods to a named destination, paying all transportation expenses, and assuming all risks during transport.

Once the goods arrive at the agreed-upon location, the buyer becomes responsible for paying import duties, as well as further transport costs. However, Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) indicates that the seller must cover duties, import clearance, and any taxes.

Key Takeaways

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) is an international trade term meaning the seller is responsible for ensuring goods arrive safely to a destination; the buyer is responsible for import duties.

By contrast, Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) indicates that the seller must cover duties, import clearance, and any taxes.

DDU is still commonly used in transportation contracts, even though the International Chamber of Commerce has officially replaced it with the term Delivered-at-Place (DAP).

The primary benefit of delivered duty unpaid (DDU) shipping is that it gives the buyer more control over the shipping procedures.

From the seller's perspective, DDU shipping provides the ability to take more of a "hands-off" approach when it comes to the destination country's shipping rules.

The biggest problem for buyers in DDU shipping is the possibility of surprise duties and/or tax charges when their shipment finally arrives.

Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU)

Understanding Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)

1:06

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is an organization that was originally formed after World War I with the goal of fostering prosperity in Europe by setting standards for international trade. It was this group that, in 1936, published a set of standardized terms for different types of shipping agreements, known as Incoterms.

Incoterms are contract specifications outlining who bears the costs and risks of international transactions; they are subject to change at the discretion of the ICC. Because of the legal and logistical intricacies of international shipping, the ICC seeks to simplify matters for businesses by standardizing its terms.

Notably, 2020 Incoterms revision is available for purchase direct from the site.

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) was actually not included in the most recent (2010) edition of the International Chamber of Commerce's Incoterms; the current official term that best describes the function of DDU is Delivered-at-Place (DAP).

However, DDU is still commonly used in international trade parlance. On paper, the term is followed by the location of delivery (e.g., "DDU: Port of Los Angeles").

DPU Shipping

Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU) is the third term used to differentiate between shipping methods. Under DPU, the seller is also responsible for unloading the goods at the place of destination.

Responsibilities Under Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)

According to DDU arrangements, the seller secures licenses and takes care of other formalities involved in exporting a good; it is also responsible for all licenses and costs incurred in transit countries, as well as for providing an invoice at its own cost.

The seller assumes all risk until the goods are delivered to the specified location, but it has no obligation to obtain insurance on the goods.

The buyer is responsible for obtaining all necessary licenses for importing the goods and paying all relevant taxes, duties, and inspection costs. All risks involved in this process are borne by the buyer. Once the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer, all further transportation costs and risks fall on the buyer.

Seller Obligations vs. Seller Obligations Under DDU Seller Obligations Buyer Obligations Delivers the goods, as well as the documentation that proves the buyer can take legal possession of them. Pays for the delivered goods. Responsible for all documentation required to export the goods. Responsible for all documentation required for import clearance once the shipment has arrived. Once the goods are delivered to the destination country, all risk is transferred to the buyer. Once the goods are delivered alongside the ship, the buyer is responsible for any loss or damage from that point on. Seller pays for the delivery, loading, labor, and transportation costs up to the destination country. Buyer pays for the import duties and taxes, customs charges, unloading costs, and delivery costs to their own warehouses.

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) vs. Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)

In the world of shipping, delivered duty unpaid (DDU) simply means that it's the customer's responsibility to pay for any of the destination country's customs charges, duties, or taxes. These must all be paid in order for customs to release the shipment after it arrives.

On the other hand, delivered duty paid (DDP) means it's the shipper's responsibility to pay any of the customs charges, duties, and/or taxes required to send the product to the destination country.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)

The primary benefit of delivered duty unpaid (DDU) shipping is that it gives the buyer more control over the shipping procedures. For global buyers looking to keep a consistent flow of inventory, having a higher degree of control over the process can be paramount.

For instance, controlling costs and tracking shipments are typically easier to do under DDU shipping than in DDP shipping. Buyers are naturally more knowledgeable of their own country's shipping customs.

From the seller's perspective, DDU shipping provides the ability to take more of a "hands-off" approach when it comes to the destination country's shipping rules. The seller is simply responsible for getting the cargo to its destination, where the buyer can handle all of the legal complications.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to DDU shipping. The biggest problem for buyers is the possibility of surprise duties or tax charges when their shipment finally arrives. Obviously, that's a big negative for buyers. But it's not ideal for shippers, either, because disgruntled customers may refuse to pay for their parcel to be delivered.

DDU Shipping FAQs

Is DDU Shipping or DDP Shipping Better?

As we've discussed, there are pros and cons to each method of shipping. So it ultimately boils down to what the buyer or receiver wants out of their shipping experience.

If the receiver prioritizes control of the shipping process and doesn't mind the legal complications or surprise charges that come with more control, DDU is a good option. But if a buyer wants a streamlined process without the possibility of any surprise charges, DDP is probably the way to go.

Who Is Responsible for DDU Shipments?

Under DDU shipping rules, the seller is fully responsible for the delivery of the goods to the destination country. The seller assumes all risks involved up to unloading.

The buyer bears the risk and cost of the unloading.

Is DAP the Same as DDU?

Delivery-at-place (DAP) was introduced in 2010 to basically replace the term delivery duty unpaid (DDU), so they're essentially the same.
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About I Ran

"I Ran (So Far Away)",springbok casino no deposit free spin bonus codes 2021 also released as "I Ran", is a song by English new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released in 1982 as their third single and it was the second single from their self-titled debut album. It topped the chart in Australia, and reached numbers seven and nine in New Zealand and the United States respectively, although the single did not enjoy similar success in the band's home country (United Kingdom), failing to make the top 40. In an article for Rolling Stone titled, Anglomania: The Second British Invasion, Parke Puterbaugh wrote of the impact of the song's music video on its US chart success, "Fronted by a singer-synth player with a haircut stranger than anything you'd be likely to encounter in a month of poodle shows, A Flock of Seagulls struck gold on the first try. " more 

Year: 2011 3:40 112 Views

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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 ran all night and day
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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 DAT (2 of 2)Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
One month after Dandolo began filming, the first of the five, Rene Gonzalez, was set free. Of Cuban Spies, a Baby, and a Filmmaker: The Strange Tale of the Cuban Five|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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The tears of Dandolo were not shed in hypocrisy, though they could not blind him to the importance of the conquest of Zara. The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 1, April, 1851|Various
What Is Original Cost?slots plus no deposit

Original cost is the total price associated with the purchase of an asset. The original cost of an asset takes into consideration all of the items that can be attributed to its purchase and to putting the asset to use. These costs include the purchase price and such factors as commissions, transportation, appraisals, warranties and installation and testing. Original cost can be used to value an asset type, including equipment, real estate and security instruments.

Original cost is also known as an asset's cost basis for tax purposes.

Understanding Original Cost

Original cost includes all quantifiable facets of a purchased asset. For example, a company purchases of a piece of equipment with a price tag of $20,000. The purchase also involves $1,000 in fees, $700 in shipping and delivery costs, and $3,000 for installation and warranty. The original cost of this piece of equipment would be $20,000 + $1,000 + $700 + $3,000 = $24,700. Also known as historical cost, a common term in generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this is the original cost recorded on the balance sheet. The balance sheet and notes to financial statements will separate historical cost property, plant and equipment (PP&E) and accumulated depreciation of these long-term assets. The difference is known as carrying value.

Original Cost and Depreciation

Determining an asset's original cost is important in calculating the asset's tax basis. The original cost of an asset encompasses more than the asset's purchase price, and the costs added together can reduce the potential taxable gain on the sale of the asset. The tax basis can be calculated by taking the original cost and subtracting the accumulated depreciation of the asset.

For the piece of equipment above, suppose accumulated depreciation is $14,700. The carrying value on the company's books would be $10,000 ($24,700 original cost less $14,700 accumulated depreciation). If the company sells the asset for $15,000, it would record a gain on asset sale of $5,000.
What Is a Stochastic Oscillator?sbo slot 3310 ca3

A stochastic oscillator is a momentum indicator comparing a particular closing price of a security to a range of its prices over a certain period of time. The sensitivity of the oscillator to market movements is reducible by adjusting that time period or by taking a moving average of the result. It is used to generate overbought and oversold trading signals, utilizing a 0100 bounded range of values.

Key Takeaways

A stochastic oscillator is a popular technical indicator for generating overbought and oversold signals.

It is a popular momentum indicator, first developed in the 1950s.

Stochastic oscillators tend to vary around some mean price level since they rely on an asset's price history.

Stochastic oscillators measure the momentum of an asset's price to determine trends and predict reversals.

Stochastic oscillators measure recent prices on a scale of 0 to 100, with measurements above 80 indicating that an asset is overbought and measurements below 20 indicating that it is oversold.

Stochastic Oscillator

Understanding the Stochastic Oscillator

1:39

The stochastic oscillator is range-bound, meaning it is always between 0 and 100. This makes it a useful indicator of overbought and oversold conditions.

Traditionally, readings over 80 are considered in the overbought range, and readings under 20 are considered oversold. However, these are not always indicative of impending reversal; very strong trends can maintain overbought or oversold conditions for an extended period. Instead, traders should look to changes in the stochastic oscillator for clues about future trend shifts.

Stochastic oscillator charting generally consists of two lines: one reflecting the actual value of the oscillator for each session, and one reflecting its three-day simple moving average. Because price is thought to follow momentum, the intersection of these two lines is considered to be a signal that a reversal may be in the works, as it indicates a large shift in momentum from day to day.

Divergence between the stochastic oscillator and trending price action is also seen as an important reversal signal. For example, when a bearish trend reaches a new lower low, but the oscillator prints a higher low, it may be an indicator that bears are exhausting their momentum and a bullish reversal is brewing.



Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2021

Formula for the Stochastic Oscillator

%K = ( C  L14 H14  L14 )  100 where: C = The most recent closing price L14 = The lowest price traded of the 14 previous trading sessions H14 = The highest price traded during the same 14-day period %K = The current value of the stochastic indicator \begin{ aligned} &\text{ \%K}=\left(\frac{ \text{ C} - \text{ L14}}{ \text{ H14} - \text{ L14}}\right)\times100\\ &\textbf{ where:}\\ &\text{ C = The most recent closing price}\\ &\text{ L14 = The lowest price traded of the 14 previous}\\ &\text{ trading sessions}\\ &\text{ H14 = The highest price traded during the same}\\ &\text{ 14-day period}\\ &\text{ \%K = The current value of the stochastic indicator}\\ \end{ aligned} %K=(H14L14CL14)100where:C = The most recent closing priceL14 = The lowest price traded of the 14 previoustrading sessionsH14 = The highest price traded during the same14-day period%K = The current value of the stochastic indicator

Notably, %K is referred to sometimes as the fast stochastic indicator. The "slow" stochastic indicator is taken as %D = 3-period moving average of %K.

The general theory serving as the foundation for this indicator is that in a market trending upward, prices will close near the high, and in a market trending downward, prices close near the low. Transaction signals are created when the %K crosses through a three-period moving average, which is called the %D.

The difference between the slow and fast Stochastic Oscillator is the Slow %K incorporates a %K slowing period of 3 that controls the internal smoothing of %K. Setting the smoothing period to 1 is equivalent to plotting the Fast Stochastic Oscillator.

History of the Stochastic Oscillator

The stochastic oscillator was developed in the late 1950s by George Lane. As designed by Lane, the stochastic oscillator presents the location of the closing price of a stock in relation to the high and low prices of the stock over a period of time, typically a 14-day period.

Lane, over the course of numerous interviews, has said that the stochastic oscillator does not follow price, volume, or anything similar. He indicates that the oscillator follows the speed or momentum of price.

Lane also reveals that, as a rule, the momentum or speed of a stock's price movements changes before the price changes direction. In this way, the stochastic oscillator can foreshadow reversals when the indicator reveals bullish or bearish divergences. This signal is the first, and arguably the most important, trading signal Lane identified.

Example of the Stochastic Oscillator

The stochastic oscillator is included in most charting tools and can be easily employed in practice. The standard time period used is 14 days, though this can be adjusted to meet specific analytical needs. The stochastic oscillator is calculated by subtracting the low for the period from the current closing price, dividing by the total range for the period, and multiplying by 100.

As a hypothetical example, if the 14-day high is $150, the low is $125 and the current close is $145, then the reading for the current session would be: (145-125) / (150 - 125) * 100, or 80.

By comparing the current price to the range over time, the stochastic oscillator reflects the consistency with which the price closes near its recent high or low. A reading of 80 would indicate that the asset is on the verge of being overbought.

Relative Strength Index (RSI) vs. Stochastic Oscillator

The relative strength index (RSI) and stochastic oscillator are both price momentum oscillators that are widely used in technical analysis. While often used in tandem, they each have different underlying theories and methods. The stochastic oscillator is predicated on the assumption that closing prices should move in the same direction as the current trend.

Meanwhile, the RSI tracks overbought and oversold levels by measuring the velocity of price movements. In other words, the RSI was designed to measure the speed of price movements, while the stochastic oscillator formula works best in consistent trading ranges.

In general, the RSI is more useful during trending markets, and stochastics more so in sideways or range-bound markets.

Limitations of the Stochastic Oscillator

The primary limitation of the stochastic oscillator is that it has been known to produce false signals. This is when a trading signal is generated by the indicator, yet the price does not actually follow through, which can end up as a losing trade. During volatile market conditions, this can happen quite regularly. One way to help with this is to take the price trend as a filter, where signals are only taken if they are in the same direction as the trend.

How Do You Read the Stochastic Oscillator?

The stochastic oscillator represents recent prices on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 representing the lower limits of the recent time period and 100 representing the upper limit. A stochastic indicator reading above 80 indicates that the asset is trading near the top of its range, and a reading below 20 shows that it is near the bottom of its range.

What Does %K Represent on the Stochastic Oscillator?

On a stochastic oscillator chart, %K represents the current price of the security, represented as a percentage of the difference between its highest and lowest values over a certain time period. In other words, K represents the current price in relation to the asset's recent price range.

What Does %D Represent on the Stochastic Oscillator?

On a stochastic oscillator chart, %D represents the 3-period average of %K. This line is used to show the longer-term trend for current prices, and is used to show the current price trend is continuing for a sustained period of time.
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But most likely it was linked to the way priests identify with the poor in the face of government and criminal abuses.

The judges who handle arraignments at criminal court in all five boroughs have a small fraction of their usual caseloads.

Applicants are vetted by a panel of experienced criminal lawyers before the state certifies them, according to the states defense agency, the Committee for Public Counsel Services.

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Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Recently,a middle school in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province held a special sports meeting with an agricultural theme. The competition items, including carrying buckets of water relay, carrying grain, transplanting rice seedlings and husking corn, simulating the whole process of cultivating crops from planting to harvest, prove to be far more engaging than traditional sporting events. Before the sports meeting, teachers conducted a survey which revealed that about 90 percent of the students had never taken part in such activities. Students had a great opportunity to learn about agricultural production through these special activities. In recent years, more and more schools in China have tried to hold extracurricular activities in interesting and educational ways. These novel attempts not only let students do more exercise and cultivate team spirit, but also lead them to understand and familiarize themselves with different fields in life, allowing them to learn knowledge and appreciate culture in entertaining ways.
The Florida Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the states new compact with the Seminole Tribe, with Sen. Jeff Brandes casting the single no vote.

State lawmakers convened for a special three-day session to review the provisions of the 75-page compact and vote on it. House legislators are expected to sign off the agreement on Wednesday. It must also secure approval from the US Department of the Interior.

The Seminoles and Gov. DeSantis reached the 30-year deal in late April. Under its provisions, the tribe will be able to add craps and roulette tablesat its casinos and provide online sports betting services across the state via servers located on reservation land.

In exchange, the tribe will have to pay the state at least $500 million during the first five years. The agreement was signed more than a decade after an original compact between then-Gov. Charlie Crist and tribal officials granted the Seminoles the exclusive rights over blackjack.

The tribe had to pay at least $350 millionto the state under that original agreement. However, it halted payments in 2019 following a prolonged legal dispute stemming from the so-called designated player games that many pari-mutuels around the state have been offering for years.

The tribe argued that these games violated the terms of the original compact.

Designated Player Games to Stay

The controversial games have been a sticking point in negotiations over a new compact. However, under the recent deal, pari-mutuels would be able to continue to offer theseas long as they maintain their current footprint and do not attempt to expand them.

The most important part of the new three-decade agreement makes the Seminoles the states hub for retail and digital sports betting. The tribe will be able to run physical sportsbooks at its properties and offer online wagering products via its new Hard Rock Digital division.

In addition, the states pari-mutuels will be able to contract with the tribe and offer sports betting. They will keep 60% of their betting revenue and share the rest with the tribe. As for the Seminoles, in addition to the mandatory $500 million annual payments over the first five years, they would also pay to the state 10%of the wagering revenue generated by pari-mutuels and 13.75%of its own sports betting revenue.

The authorization of sports betting has attracted staunch opposition from some lawmakers and parties traditionally opposing any form of gambling expansion. These argue that the legalization of the practice is subject to Amendment 3, a 2018 constitutional amendment that requires a statewide vote on any proposal for expanded gambling.

The tribe and supporters of the compact maintain that a referendum is not needed because all sports betting servers will be located on tribal land and will therefore be regulated under federal law and not under state one.

It should be noted that ironically, the Seminoles plowed millions of dollars into promoting Amendment 3 before it appeared on the November ballot three years ago.

Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen urged House lawmakers to support the latest compact, saying the state would receive more than $20 billion over the next three decades. He acknowledged that the deal faces massive opposition and heavy scrutiny by the federal government and by opponents, but pointed out that the Seminoles would still have to pay at least $450 million a year if the compact is ratified without sports betting.

Source:Gambling deal teed up for final approval, Fox 35 Orlando, May 18, 2021
By Terry Roses,premier bet zone premier bet zone High-Tech Gaming Consultant with Ed Newman

Whether its dice, slots, roulette or poker, everyone is hoping they can find a way to put the odds in their favor in the gaming room. A simple Google search will bring you all kinds of advice from how to throw the dice in craps to how to distract a dealer at a blackjack table. Most of those tips being proffered are pretty harmless to the casinos, usually giving people a false hope that theyve found an edge.

On the other hand, because of the stakes, there are many others who push boundaries and actively work up new ways to cheat and, if able to not get caught, to win. It is gamers of this latter type, the cheats, that surveillance teams are on the lookout for, because they can be a threat.

The focus in this article will be on card games.

Cheating at poker and blackjack comes in a wide variety of styles. Card mechanics are those who use sleight of hand and manipulation. There are muckers who switch cards or conceal cards. A majority of cheats, perhaps as much as 75%, do so by means of placing large nearly invisible marks on the cards. This will be explained shortly. 15% of cheating involves sophisticated marking that requires optical devices. Finally, and this is what has alarmed todays casinos, there are new, futuristic high-tech sensing devices and poker analyzers which if unchecked will continue to become more of a problem.

Catching cheaters who use high-tech methods has increasingly become a challenge to surveillance. The old ways of gaining an advantage at cards are slowly being replaced by cheaters using sophisticated optical devices such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, modified cameras, and poker analyzers. These optical readers are used to detect invisible inks, analyze poker hands and see near-infrared marks on cards.

Todays surveillance expert is faced with the daunting task of trying to keep ahead of all of this technology.

When it comes to watching what goes on at a card game surveillance is no longer just about keeping a close eye out to catch players or dealers with card mechanic skills who are capable of performing special moves to control, switch or mark cards. Surveillance detectives must also learn to count cards. When catching a card counter the best defense is a good offense.

Complex computer programs have been designed today to track cards, chips and players, count cards, look for and single out suspect games etc. This is an important first step to catching high-tech cheating.

Investigators must develop a sixth sense that gives them the uncanny ability to recognize a cheaters social habits, body language and manifold diversions. To top it all off they must be well-informed on all of the proper table procedures. The list of required skills goes on and on.

It takes genuine devotion and years of study for a surveillance detective to develop these skills. He/she must become a highly trained specialist.

Modern day high-tech cheaters are often the first to apply new discoveries to the gaming tables to gain an unfair advantage. As a result, technology has created a niche for a new breed of specialized surveillance expert.

High-tech cheaters no longer need to develop the skills of a card mechanic, count cards or do business with an inside employee of the casino to gain an advantage over the casino. The years of practice that it takes a card mechanic to master such skills as false shuffling, false dealing, switching cards (mucking) and developing teams to create diversions while a deck or shoe is being switched is no longer necessary.

The fact is that technology has made it possible for anyone to become an instant cardsharp. The big question for surveillance professionals is will you be ready? Lets take a look to see what can be done to help you to detect, prevent and defend your casino from becoming a target of high-tech cheaters.

The first step is to become aware of what high-tech threats are out there; that is the goal of this article Next, you will want to know what can be done to protect and prevent these systems from working in your casino.

Finally, you will need the proper training and equipment to detect these high-tech scams and catch the would be thieves before they ever leave the tables.

To get started it will help to narrow things down. Lets begin by taking a look at some of the older high-tech systems that have been used in the past.

Image:Prism Shoe

About 50 years ago an ingenious prism device was developed by a gentleman in Nevada that allowed the dealer to peek at the top card in a shoe and hold it back until a favorable time. This device could be attached onto the back of a dealing shoe. The dealer could simply pull the top card back into the prism to peek at the value of the card. This eliminated the need for placing a mark on a card. The top card could be held back (second dealing) until it was needed. This system is what I have termed a no mark-mark. This means no marked card was required in order to know the top card.

When a dealer is in league with a player the proper term is called social engineering. Many subtle methods of using this system were developed. Perhaps the most devious method was for the dealer to simply signal a player when to hit or stand. This eliminated any need for the dealer to hold the top card back for second dealing.

An interesting offspring of this invention is an adaptation of this idea to the gaming table enabling a dealer to check the face down card to see if it is a face card or an ace. If the original developer had only taken his idea to another legitimate-level he would have made a fortune.

Marked cards have been around forever. Professional cheaters either mark the cards prior to a game or use a rouge substance that is known as daub to mark cards during play. Decks marked for casino play are known as paper.

There are three main types of marked cards (paper) used by cheaters: shaded, juice and flash.

Shaded cards are marked by applying daub or a shading ink to a pre-determined area of the playing card. This can be done with a Q-tip, brush or during play by placing daub on a finger-tip and touching the card to mark it.

Juice decks are an advanced form of shade. This special type of mark requires considerable training to see. It is a much more sophisticated type of mark, yet still visible to the naked eye.

Flash cards are made before the cards are put on the table. The cheater trains his/her eyes to detect a light area of the cards. The mark is usually a round dot or a line.

Each of the above types of marks require specialized training to see. The advantage to these types of marking systems is that the cards can be identified from a long distance. This means that the cheater can know every players cards simply by glancing across the table.

Many measures must be taken into consideration to detect or use these types of marking systems. Knowing what game is being played, the type of lighting over the table and how to focus your eyes to read the marks are just a few factors.

These types of marking systems are still being widely used in casinos today. Learning to read these types of marks is a must for surveillance. Surveillance experts need to be taught how to read these types of marks so they can catch the scam before the cheaters leave the table.

Over the past decade a great many high-tech invisible inks have been developed that can only be seen while wearing custom eyeglasses, contact lenses or by using special modified cameras. Most of these systems use special colored lenses or filters.

It has been estimated that over 90,000 decks of high-tech marked cards have been produced over the past decade. Three of the main sources where these cards originate are from such countries as China, Korea and Romania, made available through various online sites.

A cheater can even send casino decks to these companies to have them marked. These companies also offer contact lenses, eyeglasses and cameras that are designed to read the marks.

Normally the suspect cards would need to be sent off to a specialized lab for forensic examination. By then the cheaters have left with their winnings. It then becomes problematic trying to make a case to recover any losses.

Some invisible inks cannot be found simply by looking through a red filter or a UV light. This presents a new challenge for surveillance. The only way to detect this type of scam is to have the correct type of optical equipment needed to see the marks.

Nowadays, surveillance experts can locate most of the high-tech marking systems in seconds by using a specialized device known as an Inspecta Card Scanner. This piece of equipment can be held to the eye for instantly identifying high-tech marks.

One of the best features is that the Inspecta Card Scanner can be attached to a cell phone to covertly walk around the casino and take live video of cards on all of the tables. It is then simply a matter of playing back the video to see if any of the cards are marked.

Scanning for marked cards while they are on the tables will not only locate the marks but also record the players who are seated at the table. What better way of collecting evidence?

In his book The Unexpected Gambler, Robert Asiel writes about how the casinos themselves used to cheat and even gave bonuses to blackjack dealers who took the gamblers money. Asiel decided to turn the tables and spent a lifetime as a crossroader, one who works in collusion with others to cheat the casinos. He justified his behavior by calling it a form of revenge.

But things have changed a lot since those earlier days. Today the casinos rake in money honestly, as the odds favor the house. It is more important to maintain a good reputation, and employees who cheat are fired, not rewarded. All over the world the casino industry provides jobs for tax-paying citizens, therefore they have a vested interest in playing fair.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of scammers driven by greed or a need to see how much they can get away with. For this reason, casinos must spend a boatload of money on surveillance and training in order to keep things on the up and up for everyone. Cheating is essentially stealing.

Summary

Surveillance experts need to be taught how to spot shade, juice and flash. These marks are in the visible range and do not require special optical readers to detect the marks other than the human eye and the proper training.

From there, the next step is to be trained and equipped to use the specialized tools needed to locate high-tech marks outside the range of the human eye, that do require special filters for the eye to see. Some of what were finding today is nothing short of sci-fi. For example, there are decks with barscodes written on the edges of the cards that can be read with a modified near-infrared camera. The IR read then sends an image of bar codes to an analyzer in the players pocket that determines which player has the winning hand. The analyzer then converts the signal to an audio message which is sent to a receiver in the players ear.

Not possible, you say? Think about this. Self-driving cars use sensors that feed information to a brain box that must calculate 2 million bits of data per second. Reading cards and calculating who was dealt the strongest hand is relatively easy by comparison. Sending a signal to a player by means of an ear piece is a piece of cake after that.

Microchips, photon beams and RFID sensors within the cards themselves, are no longer future tech. Even the ability to see through cards is already here. Old school cheats will be easier to catch, but casinos need to be prepared for these emerging technologies. This is a growing need and its real, which we hope to address in our next article.

Terry Roses Biography

Terry Roses is the go to person whom many of the worlds leading casinos have reached out to for defense training against high-tech card marking systems. His expertise on how cheaters cheat has made him a much sought-after speaker and instructor at conferences like the World Game Protection Conference (WGPC) as well as The Upper Midwest Intelligence Gathering (UMIC). His Inspecta Card Scanner has been endorsed by leading game protection experts including Ted Whiting, VP of Corp Surveillance at MGM Resorts International.

(See https://bbc.in/2B6cRdO) For more information visit https://detectmarkedcards.com

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
preakness predictions freeshows grade level based on the word's complexity. darning needle 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 long needle with a long eye used in darning.Chiefly Northern and Western U.S. a dragonfly.

regional variations of darning needle

Words nearby darning needle

How to use darning needle darning needle nouna long needle with a large eye used for darningUS and Canadian a dialect name for a dragonfly 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 darning needleFirst recorded in 1755652. See dragonfly.darnedest, darnel, darner, darning, darning egg, darning needle, Darnley, darogha, Darren, Darrow, Darrow, ClarenceDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
LONDON,best games on roblox for girls Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom's (UK) consumer prices index (CPI) rose by 11.1 percent in the 12 months to October, up from 10.1 percent in September and hitting a fresh 41-year high, statistics showed on Wednesday.

Despite the introduction of the UK government's energy bills support package, gas and electricity prices made the largest upward contribution to the change in the annual inflation rate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Over the past year, gas prices have climbed nearly 130 percent, while electricity has risen by around 66 percent, said ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner. Price increases across a range of food items also pushed up inflation.

These were partially offset by motor fuels. While average petrol prices fell on the month, the price for diesel rose, taking the price disparity between the two fuels to the highest on record, Fitzner said.

Rising energy and food costs have more bearing on the inflation rate experienced by low-income households, who spend a greater proportion of their overall expenditure on these purchases compared with high-income households, the ONS noted.

"Despite the higher energy price cap pushing inflation to another high, there are signs that we are reaching its peak," said lead economist Alpesh Paleja at the Confederation of British Industry.

"Global price pressures appear to be easing, and forecasts predict that inflation could fall from double digits to high single digits over the course of 2023," Paleja added. 
Definition of Pejorative

Pejorative means to express disapproval or contempt for something or somebody. In other words,situs poker qq online it means the use of a word or a phrase in a negative sense or in connotations that strike negativity to the readers or audiences. It could be a sentence or a phrase or a word.

In literature, it means the use of a slur or a word or grammatical construction to cause negative connotations in the minds of the readers. Mostly, an author uses it when he wants to express his disapproval or he intends to criticize something, or even give a disregard or express hostility toward somebody, or something, or some idea.

Examples of Pejorative in Literature

Example #1

Its time we stopped using kala as an insult and respected the African-American community By Jannat Majeed from Dawn on February 27, 2017

The colourism that is endemic in our cultures is reflected through our fear of dark skin and our attempts to lighten our skin as much as possible, through the use of creams like Fair and Lovely. Many South Asians both in the United States and in South Asia use terms like  kala  to derogatorily refer to African-Americans and peoples of African descent. We perpetuate false and racist beliefs about African-Americans being more likely to be criminals.

Taken from an article from a Pakistani newspaper, Jannat Majeed has shown that like American colorism where pejorative terms are used against a certain section of the society, the term kala is used in the South Asian context in a pejorative sense. Therefore, it is time that these pejorative terms should end. Here kala which means black in color is a pejorative term used for the people of color from the South Asian context.

Example #2

From A Passage to Indiaby E. M. Forster

You mustnt put off what you think right, said Hamidullah. That is why India is in such a plight, because we put off things. But seeing that his young relative looked worried, he added a few soothing words, and thus wiped out any impression that his wife might have made. During their absence, Mahmoud Ali had gone off in his carriage leaving a message that he should be back in five minutes, but they were on no account to wait.

This extract occurs in the popular novel of E. M. Foster, A Passage to India, in which he presents the story of the Indian people and their relationships with the British Raj. The term India has been used in this passage in a pejorative sense in the view of the Indian readers as it is linked with plight that does not sound positive here. The reason is that every country has its own context and situation and that no outsider can depict the real situation of the people of a country and use such negative words.

Example #3

Why the Suspicion by Tara Katha

Its been nearly eighteen months since the coronavirus brought the world on its knees, with India in the middle of a deadly second wave that is claiming 4,000 lives daily on an average. No one can tell when this will end. But it is possible to probe how this catastrophe began, and Chinas role in it. Fortunately, even as cover ups go on. Several reports are out in the public domain and anybody who isnt afraid of speaking the truth should be able to connect the dots. (Tara Katha from The Print)

This extract occurs in the article of Tara Katha, an Indian journalist. She has mentioned China once in it but the tone of the Claus and Chinas role in it shows the negativity she has associated with it. It shows as if China is a character in this drama and that it has played a role in bringing pandemics to the world. Although she has obliquely left the subject of the phrase covers up go on yet her bias is clear from this association of negativity.

Example #4

The Killer by Earnest Hemingway

None of your damned business,

Al said. Whos out in the kitchen?

The ni***r.

What do you mean the ni***r?

The nigger that cooks.

Tell him to come in.

Whats the idea?

Tell him to come in.

Where do you think you are?

We know damn well where we are, the man called Max said.

Do we look silly?

You talk silly, A1 said to him.

What the hell do you argue with this kid for?

Listen, he said to George, tell the ni***r to come out here.

What are you going to do to him?

Nothing. Use your head, bright boy. What would we do to a ni***r?

This extract occurs in the short story The Killer by Hemingway. Al and Max constantly harp on the word nigger to show not only their bias but also express hostility through their use of this word. It is a pejorative sense that Hemingway has shown through these characters expressing prejudice and hostility.

Functions of Pejorative

The functions of pejorative terms in literature are varied. Not only does the use of pejoratives motivate and influence the readers, but also they cause bias and prejudice. They spread negativity or positivity according to the use the authors make of them in their writings. They are also useful to spread positive news and feelings about one or the other nations.

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D.B.E. New Word List Save This blackjack strategy cardWord! Save ThisWord!

abbreviationDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Words nearby D.B.E.

How to use D.B.E. DBE abbreviation forDame (Commander of the Order) of the British Empire (a Brit title) 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!Questiondazzle, dazzling, Db, DBA, d-bag, D.B.E., Dbh, D.Bib., dbl., DBMS, DBSDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What is nba pick today free free sure tipsPathetic Fallacy?

Pathetic Fallacy Definition

Use of Pathetic Fallacy in Literature

Pathetic fallacy is a literary device that attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature. The word patheticin the term is not used in the derogatory sense of being miserable; rather, it stands for imparting emotions to something else.

Difference Between Pathetic Fallacy and Personification

Generally, pathetic fallacy is confused with personification. The fact is that they differ in their function. Pathetic fallacy is a kind of personification that gives human emotions to inanimate objects of nature; for example, referring to weather features reflecting a mood. Personification, on the other hand, is a broader term. It gives human attributes to abstract ideas, animate objects of nature, or inanimate non-natural objects.

For example, the sentence The somber clouds darkened our mood is a pathetic fallacy, as human attributes are given to an inanimate object of nature reflecting a mood. But, the sentence The sparrow talked to us is a personification because the animate object of nature  the sparrow  is given the human quality of talking.

Examples of Pathetic Fallacy in Literature

Lets us analyze some examples of pathetic fallacy in literature:

Example #1: Macbeth(By William Shakespeare)

Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy in his play Macbethto describe the dark murder of the character Duncan. In Act 2, Scene 3, Lennox says:

The Night has been unruly. Where we lay,

Our chimneys were blown down and, as they say,

Lamentings heard i th air, strange screamsof death,

And prophesying with accents terrible

Of dire combustion and confused events

New hatched to the woeful time. The obscure bird

Clamored the livelong night. Some say the Earth

Was feverousand did shake.

The pathetic fallacy examples in the above lines describe the ominous atmosphere on the night of Duncans murder. The unrulynight, the screams of deathin the air, and the feverousearth depict the evil act of murder that happened a night before.

Example #2: Wuthering Heights(By Emily Bronte)

Emily Brontes novel Wuthering Heightsis full of pathetic fallacies. The title itself shows the use of this device, as the word wutheringmeans blowing strongly with a roaring sound. Therefore, Wuthering Heights means uproarious and aggressive weather that represents the nature of its residents. There are lots of instances in the novel in which the mood of nature portrays the nature of events in the narrative.

For example, the character Lockwood is trapped in a snow storm before the nightmare scene, the wild and windy night at the time of Mr. Earnshaws death, the violent thunderstorm on the night Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights, and the stormy weather outside when Cathy makes a choice between Heathcliff and Edgar indicates her inner turmoil.

Example #3: Ode to Melancholy(By John Keats)

Keats employs pathetic Fallacy in his Ode to Melancholy:

But when the melancholy fit shall fall

Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud

That fosters the droop-headed flowers all

And hides the green hills in an April shroud

The feeling of melancholy has been described by attributing the human emotion of weeping to the clouds.

Example #4: I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud(By William Wordsworth)

William Wordsworth, in his poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, says:

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high oer vales and hills,

The poet describes clouds as lonely, in order to describe his own state.

Example #5: Great Expectations(By Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens makes use of pathetic fallacy in his novel, Great Expectations. At the beginning of Chapter 39, his protagonist, Pip, comments on the wretched weather:

Day after day, a vast heavy veil had been driving over London from the East, and it drove still, as if in the East there were an Eternity of cloud and wind. So furioushad been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death. Violent blasts of rain had accompanied these ragesof wind, and the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all.

The furiousgusts, and the ragesof wind indicate the confused inner world of Pip.

Function of Pathetic Fallacy

By employing pathetic fallacy, writers try to bring inanimate objects to life, so that the nature of emotions they want to convey is understood in a better way. This is because it is easier for readers to relate to abstract emotions when they observe it in their natural surroundings. In addition, the use of pathetic fallacy encourages readers to develop a perspective that is new as well as creative.

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What Is Cash Accounting?royal ace casino 0 no deposit bonus codes 2021 holidays of

Cash accounting is an accounting method where payment receipts are recorded during the period in which they are received, and expenses are recorded in the period in which they are actually paid. In other words, revenues and expenses are recorded when cash is received and paid, respectively.

Cash accounting is also called cash-basis accounting; and may be contrasted with accrual accounting, which recognizes income at the time the revenue is earned and records expenses when liabilities are incurred regardless of when cash is actually received or paid.

Key Takeaways

Cash accounting is simple and straightforward. Transactions are recorded only when money goes in or out of an account.

Cash accounting doesn't work as well for larger companies or companies with a large inventory because it can obscure the true financial position.

The alternative to cash accounting is accrual accounting, where transactions are recorded as revenues are earned and expenses are incurred, regardless of the exchange of cash.

Understanding Cash Accounting

Cash accounting is one of two forms of accounting. The other is accrual accounting, where revenue and expenses are recorded when they are incurred. Small businesses often use cash accounting because it is simpler and more straightforward and it provides a clear picture of how much money the business actually has on hand. Corporations, however, are required to use accrual accounting under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

When transactions are recorded on a cash basis, they affect a company's books with a delay from when a transaction is consummated. As a result, cash accounting is often less accurate than accrual accounting in the short term.

Most small businesses are permitted to choose between either the cash and accrual method of accounting, but the IRS requires businesses with over $25 million in annual gross receipts to use the accrual method. In addition, the Tax Reform Act of 1986 prohibits the cash accounting method from being used for C corporations, tax shelters, certain types of trusts, and partnerships that have C Corporation partners. Note that companies must use the same accounting method for tax reporting as they do for their own internal bookkeeping.

Example of Cash Accounting

Under the cash accounting method, say Company A receives $10,000 from the sale of 10 computers sold to Company B on November 2, and records the sale as having occurred on November 2. The fact that Company B in fact placed the order for the computers back on October 5 is deemed irrelevant, because it did not pay for them until they were physically delivered on November 2.

Under accrual accounting, by contrast, Company A would have recorded the $10,000 sale on October 5, even though no cash had yet changed hands.

Similarly, under cash accounting companies record expenses when they actually pay them, not when they incur them. If Company C hires Company D for pest control on January 15, but does not pay the invoice for the service completed until February 15, the expense would not be recognized until February 15 under cash accounting. Under accrual accounting, however, the expense would be recorded in the books on January 15 when it was initiated.

Limitations of Cash Accounting

A main drawback of cash accounting is that it may not provide an accurate picture of the liabilities that have been incurred (i.e. accrued) but not yet paid for, so that the business might appear to be better off than it really is. On the other hand, cash accounting also means that a business that has just completed a large job for which it is awaiting payment may appear to be less successful than it really is because it has expended the materials and labor for the job but not yet collected payment. Therefore, cash accounting can both overstate or understate the condition of the business if collections or payments happen to be particularly high or low in one period versus another.

There are also some potentially negative tax consequences for businesses that adopt the cash accounting method. In general, businesses can only deduct expenses that are recognized within the current tax year. If a company incurs expenses in December 2019, but does not make payments against the expenses until January 2020, it would not be able to claim a deduction for the fiscal year ended 2019, which could significantly affect the business' bottom line. Likewise, a company that receives payment from a client in 2020 for services rendered in 2019 will only be allowed to include the revenue in its financial statements for 2020.
This forebet both real canadian casinoarticle is part of The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up hereto get stories like this sent to your inbox.

As Washington woke up Tuesday morning, the consensus among establishment-minded insiders pointed to a red wave, one that would easily give Republicans a majority in the House and better-than-even odds at winning the Senate. As Washington dozed off Tuesday evening, things were far more hazy, with a crimson tsunami failing to wash Democrats from their House majority and pick-up chances in the Senate seeming to downgrade from hurricane to a drizzle.

A thumpin it was not, but rather a shellacking that never was. Most Democrats still think their majority in the House is in the rearview mirror, but hardly the 63-seat slap that Barack Obama endured in his first midterms or the 54-seat rejection that met Bill Clintons first at-bat with votes. Even though exit polls showed President Joe Biden underwater with a 45% job approval rating, his party out-performed polls that showed Republicans coasting to victories from Maine to even California.

As the clock ticked past midnight, Republicans seemed on track to win the majority, but only just barely. Republicans needed to pick up just five net seats, and the results so far hint a GOP-held gavel in the offing, having netted six seats. Winning 218 seats gives Republicans a majority, but not one that can govern if dissent is common. And unity in the GOP caucus is far from assured, especially with factions led by traditional conservatives, Donald Trump-modeled trolls, and far-right activists all looking at making their mark by flaming intra-party rivals.

Which is why everyone turned their eyes to Kevin McCarthy, who is expected to launch a second bid for House Speaker in the coming days. Hes the top Republican in the House at the moment, and he hustled a ton to help down-ballot allies save their seats and new friends win. A glad-handing natural, he ran recruitment in 2010 when the Tea Party wave gave the GOP its majority, and most lawmakers have no problem phoning his cell with any manner of questions, from legislation to political instincts.

McCarthy as a Speaker with the slimmest of majoritieswhether its 218 seats or a few morewill have a much tougher time running the chamber than, say, a 225- or 230-vote chief. A narrow majority gives his right flank effective veto power over the partys agenda, and it gives the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene control over McCarthy, as TIMEs Molly Ball reported back in June. Trump could sway the Speaker race in short order should he decide McCarthy is to blame for the GOPs slim win, and there are any number of Trump acolytes in the House who would be more reliable puppets to the Mar-a-Lago agenda.

McCarthy can have moments of strategic smarts, as evidenced in recent weeks as he sent a warning shot about the fragility of funding for Ukraine should the GOP win the majority. He is also a figure who really likes to, well, be liked. In order to build a connection with Trump, he picked out red and pink Starburst candies for the president. He can be painfully confrontation averse. After seething about Trumps role on Jan. 6, 2021, he made a pilgrimage to Florida to court the then-ex-President. And, in that internal conflict, McCarthy may end up becoming his own worst enemy as he chases the No. 3 elected job in the federal government.

The Senate battle, meanwhile, remained up in the air and seemed likely to stay there. Democrats held a 50-50 majority thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking vote. Party leaders fears over vulnerable incumbents Maggie Hassan, Michael Bennet, and Patty Murray proved false. Their hopes of picking up Ohio came up short, but the Democratic nominee in Pennsylvania claimed victory after several news organizations called the race for him. Georgia was a nail-biter and seemed heading toward a runoff. The Senate races in Arizona and Nevada were still unfolding, but not blow-outs either way. In short: the Senate could see a very slight shift, or none at all.

Polls and pundits alike were counting on a seismic remaking of Washington come January. In the end, it seemed like a shudder and defense of the status quo. Races were still being called, ballots counted. But the complete remaking of Washington doesnt seem in the offing. And, in that, the 118th Congress may look a whole lot like todays 117tha remarkable resolution to a fight that cost almost $17 billion.

Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the D.C. Brief newsletter.
Definition of Passive Voice

A passive voice is single deck blackjack perfect strategya type of a clause or sentence in which an action (through verb), or an object of a sentence, is emphasized rather than its subject. Simply, the subject receives the action of the verb. The emphasis or focus is on the action, while the subject is not known or is less important.

For instance, in the sentence [Fern] found an old milking stool that had been discarded , and she placed the stool in the sheepfold next to Wilburs pen (Charlottes Web, by E.B. White), the underlined phrase is an example of a passive voice in which the author has not identified the subject  the reader does not know who discarded the milking stool. Rather, the focus is on the action of placing the abandoned stool.

Everyday Use of Passive Voice

A book was written .

The focus in this sentence is on the action of a bookthat was written; however, readers do not know who wrote the book.

. The focus in this sentence is on the action of a bookthat was written; however, readers do not know who wrote the book. Many people were killed in the war against terrorism.

The emphasis is on the action were killed. Here again the subject is not identified.

The emphasis is on the action were killed. Here again the subject is not identified. The house was renovated last week.

The house has become the subject in this sentence, as it receives the action.

The house has become the subject in this sentence, as it receives the action. The function is ruined.

The focus in on something having been ruined, but the readers do not know who has ruined it.

Types of Passive Voice

Short Passive In this type of construction, the subject or the performer is not known. For instance, in the phrase a mistake is made, there is no subject, or the subject is unknown. Long Passive In this type of construction, the object becomes the subject of the sentence. For instance, in the sentence, The house was cleaned by aunty, the object the house has become the subject.

Examples of Passive Voice in Literature

Example #1: The Oxford History of the American People(by Samuel Eliot Morison)

America was discovered accidentally by a great seaman who was looking for something else America was named after a man who discovered no part of the New World. History is like that, very chancy.

Here, author Samuel Eliot Morison has employed passive voice in the underlined phrases. The first one is a short passive, while the second one is a long passive.

Example #2: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy(by Douglas Adams)

In the beginning the Universe was created . This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

Both of these sentences have used passive voice. They have identified neither the subject, nor the performer. However, the action is clear; the readers able to understand the meanings.

Example #3: Psychological Foundations of Educational Technology(by W.C. Trow and E.E. Haddan)

Thus it is believed that in the elementary school a class of fifteen pupils for one teacher gives better results than either a class of three or a class of thirty.

In this long sentence, the subject is not identified, as the emphasis is on the action of believing. This leaves the question of who believes.

Example #4: Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well(by Maya Angelou)

Her bones were found

round thirty years later

when they razed

her building to

put up a parking lot.

The underlined phrase is an example of a short passive voice construction in which the subject (who found her bones) is not known, because the sentence emphasizes the action and not the subject.

Example #5: The Master of the Game (by Sidney Sheldon)

The large ballroom was crowded with familiar ghosts come to help celebrate her birthday Earlier, dinner had been served outdoors. The large and formal garden had been festively decorated with lanterns and ribbons and balloons. Their corpses had been perfectly preserved by the ammonia in the air, and their hair had turned a bright red.

Sidney Sheldon has not mentioned who crowded the ballroom, who served the dinner, or who decorated garden. He has only mentioned the actions to draw the attention of the readers to the preparations.

Function of Passive Voice

Style guides do not support the use of passive voice in technical writings, because it makes the text lengthy, slow to read, and often ambiguous. However, it is very common in literature, lab reports, and scientific writings, where the performer is given lesser importance than the action. In these types of writings, a passive voice is very helpful to avoid taking responsibility of the actions. It is also useful when a writer wants to shift focus from the subject to an action.

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Colorado-based Century Casinos,kingkong4d slots free downloader which closed its $190 million purchase of the 1,382-room Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks in April, is now the third-largest tenant of real estate investment trust (REIT) VICI Properties.

After closing the sale-leaseback of its four casinos in Alberta, Canada, to VICI last week, eight of Centurys 11 gaming properties are owned by the gaming REIT. The Nugget and Centurys two legacy Colorado casinos are still owned and operated by the company.

Caesars Entertainment is VICIs largest tenant with 18 properties, followed by MGM Resorts International with 13 properties.
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

The term "synesthesia" comes from the Greek words syn, which means "together", and aisthesis, which means "sensation." Synesthesia is a perception in which stimulating one sensory or cognitive pathway causes experiences in another sense or cognitive pathway. In other words, a sense or concept is connected to a different sense or concept, such as smelling colors or tasting a word. The connection between pathways is involuntary and consistent over time, rather than conscious or arbitrary. So, a person experiencing synesthesia doesn't think about the connection and always makes the exact same relationship between two sensations or thoughts. Synesthesia is an atypical mode of perception, not a medical condition or neurological abnormality. A person who experiences synthesthesia over a lifetime is called a synesthete.

Types of Synesthesia

There are many different types of synesthesia, but they may be categorized as falling into one of two groups: associative synesthesiaand projective synesthesia. An associate feels a connection between a stimulus and a sense, while a projector actually sees, hears, feels, smells, or tastes a stimulation. For example, an associator might hear a violin and strongly associate it with the color blue, while a projector might hear a violin and see the color blue projected in space as if it were a physical object.

There are at least 80 known types of synesthesia, but some are more common than others:

Chromesthesia : In this common form of synesthesia, sounds and colors are associated with each other. For example, the musical note "D" may correspond to seeing the color green.

: In this common form of synesthesia, sounds and colors are associated with each other. For example, the musical note "D" may correspond to seeing the color green. Grapheme-color synesthesia : This is a common form of synesthesia characterized by seeing graphemes (letter or numerals) shaded with a color. Synesthetes don't associate the same colors for a grapheme as each other, although the letter "A" does appear to be red to many individuals. Persons who experience grapheme-color synesthesia sometimes report seeing impossible colors when red and green or blue and yellow graphemes appear next to each other in a word or number.

: This is a common form of synesthesia characterized by seeing graphemes (letter or numerals) shaded with a color. Synesthetes don't associate the same colors for a grapheme as each other, although the letter "A" does appear to be red to many individuals. Persons who experience grapheme-color synesthesia sometimes report seeing impossible colors when red and green or blue and yellow graphemes appear next to each other in a word or number. Number form : A number form is a mental shape or map of numbers resulting from seeing or thinking about numbers.

: A number form is a mental shape or map of numbers resulting from seeing or thinking about numbers. Lexical-gustatory synesthesia : This a rare type of synesthesia in which hearing a word results in tasting a flavor. For example, a person's name might taste like chocolate.

: This a rare type of synesthesia in which hearing a word results in tasting a flavor. For example, a person's name might taste like chocolate. Mirror-touch synesthesia: While rare, mirror-touch synesthesia is noteworthy because it can be disruptive to a synesthete's life. In this form of synesthesia, an individual feels the same sensation in response to a stimulus as another person. For example, seeing a person being tapped on the shoulder would cause the synesthete to feel a tap on the shoulder too.

Many other forms of synesthesia occur, including smell-color, month-flavor, sound-emotion, sound-touch, day-color, pain-color, and personality-color (auras).

How Synesthesia Works

Scientists have yet to make a definitive determination of the mechanism of synesthesia. It may be due to increased cross-talk between specialized regions of the brain. Another possible mechanism is that inhibition in a neural pathway is reduced in synesthetes, allowing multi-sensory processing of stimuli. Some researchers believe synesthesia is based on the way the brain extracts and assigns the meaning of a stimulus (ideasthesia).

Who Has Synesthesia?

Julia Simner, a psychologist studying synesthesia at of the University of Edinburgh, estimates at least 4% of the population has synesthesia and that over 1% of people have grapheme-color synesthesia (colored numbers and letters). More women have synesthesia than men. Some research suggests the incidence of synesthesia may be higher in people with autism and in left-handed people. Whether or not there is a genetic component to developing this form of perception is hotly debated.

Can You Develop Synesthesia?

There are documented cases of non-synesthetes developing synesthesia. Specifically, head trauma, stroke, brain tumors, and temporal lobe epilepsy may produce synesthesia. Temporary synesthesia may result from exposure to the psychedelic drugs mescaline or LSD, from sensory deprivation, or from meditation.

It's possible non-synesthetes may be able to develop associations between different senses through conscious practice. A potential advantage of this is improved memory and reaction time. For example, a person can react to sound more quickly than to sight or may recall a series of colors better than a series of numbers. Some people with chromasthesia have perfect pitch because they can identify notes as specific colors. Synesthesia is associated with enhanced creativity and unusual cognitive abilities. For example, synesthete Daniel Tammet set a European record for stating 22,514 digits of the number pi from memory using his ability to see numbers as colors and shapes.

Sources
Definition of Parrhesia

Parrhesia is no deposit slot machinesborrowed from a Greek word that means to speak boldly, freely, or with bombastic bluntness. It is saying something boldly and freely without leaving any doubt behind. It involves not only the freedom of speech, but also implies the use of truth in speech or writing. In Parrhesia, writers open their minds and hearts fully to the readers or audience through discourse, and a speaker makes it clear what his opinion is. In simple words, it is a direct expression shown through words.

Evolution of Parrhesia

Parrhesia first appeared in Euripides as a rhetorical device in Geek literature, and it evolved through several centuries. Later on, parrhesia was introduced in Athenian democracy. Finally it entered into the field of philosophy, where Socrates was known as a true parrhesiastic writer. Examples of parrhesia are found in the works of Seneca, a famous Greek Epicurean, who is famous for having used parrhesia.

Examples of Parrhesia in Literature

Example #1: King Lear(By William Shakespeare)

Kent: Royal Lear

Whom I ever honoured as king,

Lovd as my father, as my master followd 

This hideous rashness 

Kent shows a respectful protest to King Lear on behalf of Cordelia, which is an example of parrhesia. Though he wins sudden banishment and the enmity of the king, he persuades the audience through his uprightness and honesty.

Example #2: The Canterbury Tales(By Geoffrey Chaucer)

Ne that a monk, whan he is cloisterlees,

Is lykned til a fish that is waterlees;

This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloistre  Upon a book in cloistrealwey to poure,

As Austin bit? How shal the world be served?

Lat Austin have his swink to him reserved

Chaucer criticizes a monk through free speech in this passage, by saying that the monk is supposed to do his duty for the church and the welfare of people; but instead, he involves himself in other activities like hunting.

Example #3: A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man(By James Joyce)

The muddy streets were gay. He strode homeward, conscious of an invisible grace pervading and making light his limbs. In spite of all he had done it. He had confessed and God had pardoned him  It was beautiful to live in grace a life of peace and virtue and forbearance with others

Here, the narrator boldly reports the dialogue and thoughts of the character. He speaks in such a way as if the character himself is speaking directly and freely.

Example #4: Animal Farm(By George Orwell)

Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. No, comrades, a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate is good. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.

In this passage, all the animals listen carefully to Old Major, who tells them the plain truth  that their lives are miserable and laborious solely due to human oppressors. He instructs them through free speech that human beings are the only reasons for their plight.

Example #5: A Modest Proposal(By Jonathan Swift)

These mothers instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want of work, or leave  I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children in arms, or on backs, or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is, in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance.

The writer brings into play a sense of melancholy, and delivers a fearless speech for the children and women begging on Irelands streets. He shows his grievance about their miserable condition, and suggests that if anyone does something positive for them, it would be a great service.

Function of Parrhesia

Since parrhesia is free speech, this straight, bold language is preferably used in an attempt to gain the attention of readers, and then to change their beliefs instantly. Often, parrhesia is employed for logical and moral purposes; however, sometimes writers use negative parrhesia in order to unleash their ideas boldly and freely without forethought. Parrhesia examples are in literary and philosophical works. Also, politicians, religious zealots, and the business community use it frequently as a rhetorical device.
The language of science is filled with words that are mysterious to everyday English users. Yet, scientific literature relies on concision and careful word choice as much, if not more, than other kinds of writing.

If you are writing about scientific topics, you will need to be able to keep track of the meanings of many confusing words. Some of these words are superficially quite similar, like centrifugal force and centripetal force.

Despite their appearance, these words actually mean opposite things. To write one when you meant the other could be a serious and embarrassing mistake.

What is the Difference Between Centrifugal vs Centripetal?

In this post, I will compare centrifugalvs. centripetal. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence.

Plus, I will explain a memory tool that you can use to help you choose centrifugal or centripetal when you need one of these words.

When to Use Centrifugal

What does centrifugal mean? Centrifugal is an adjective that describes a force that repels objects away from a center.

Here are some examples,

The centrifugal force of the merry-go-rounds rotation caused the children to be thrown to the side when they let go.

The centrifugal force of an eggbeater is what makes your kitchen a mess if you arent careful while you use it.

I also trusted the phenomenon of centrifugal force, which kept me pressed to my nearly vertical seat. The Wall Street Journal

Centrifugal is sometimes used figuratively, to describe something or someone that causes others to avoid it. See the example below.

Walter died alone due to the centrifugal force of his self-destructive patterns of behavior.

When to Use Centripetal

What does centripetal mean? Centripetal, on the other hand, is an adjective that describes a force that attracts objects toward a center.

I have listed a few examples here,

Gravitys inexorable centripetal force is the mechanism behind the rising and falling of tides.

The centripetal force of magnetism was poorly understood until the 13th century.

Like centrifugal, centripetal can be used figuratively, like in the example below.

Brians house was centripetal for parties, since it was large and in the middle of the city.

Today, however, Congress is centrifugal rather than centripetal, expelling rather than concentrating power. The Washington Post

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember centripetalvs. centrifugal.

A centrifugal force pushes objects away from the center.

A centripetal force pulls objects toward a center.

The word centrifugal is spelled with an F. Remember that centrifugal forces push objects far away. Centripetal forces, spelled with a P, pull objects closer.

In everyday English, centrifugal is more familiar than centripetal. As Bryan Garner notes in Garners Modern English Usage, most nonscientific writers could benefit from substituting central for the high-falutin centripetal (p. 154) to avoid confusing their readers.

Summary: Centrifugal Force vs. Centripetal Force

Is it centrifugal or centrifugal? Centrifugal and centripetal are both adjectives that refer to types of forces.

A centripetal force pulls objects toward a center.

A centrifugal force pushes objects far away from the center.

Remember, centrifugal forces, spelled with an F, push objects far away. You can use the words spelling to remember its meaning.

For a more detailed explanation of different types of forces, consult a physics textbook. Any time you have questions about style or word choice, however, you can check Writing Explained for helpful tips.
Thethe dog house slot game stage was set for a triumphant scene: a capacious Washington ballroom, a sparkling lectern flanked by American flags, the words TAKE BACK THE HOUSE plastered in big letters on the wall behind it. Going into the Nov. 8 midterm elections, Kevin McCarthy, the House GOP leader, was sure he and his party would have much to celebrate.

But the triumph never materializedand as the night wore on, neither did McCarthy. The bar closed; partygoers limped toward the exits. Finally, at 2 a.m., McCarthy emerged to proclaim what he wished to be true: It is clear we are going to take the House back, he said. When you wake up tomorrow, we will be in the majority.

As the dust settled on a most unusual election, most signs still pointed to McCarthys prediction coming to passbut by a slim margin that surprised both parties. In the Senate, too, Republicans fell short of their hopes, with control of the chamber still undecided and a December runoff pending in Georgia. The ingredients had been there for a Republican rout: inflation at a four-decade high, real wages shrinking, gas prices up, an unpopular aging president. But the predicted red wave was barely a ripple.

Vulnerable House Democratic incumbents held onto contested seats from Virginia to Ohio to Kansas. The Democrats flipped governors mansions in Maryland and Massachusetts while thwarting challenges from Donald Trump acolytes in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The abortion-rights side swept ballot initiatives in Michigan, Kentucky, California and Vermont. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Lt. Governor John Fetterman defeated celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, taking a Senate seat previously in GOP hands. Democrats hung on in Senate races the Republicans targeted in New Hampshire, Colorado, Washington, and likely Arizona. The far-right GOP Congresswoman Lauren Boebert appeared in danger of a shocking loss in a deep-red Colorado district.

Republicans biggest cause for celebration was in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis won a staggering victory in the onetime swing state. Republicans retained Senate seats in Ohio, Florida, and Wisconsin; again vanquished Democratic gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams and Beto ORourke in Georgia and Texas; and picked up House races in New York, even upsetting the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Sean Patrick Maloney.

While the balance of power in Washington shifted in Republicans direction, their failure to capitalize on a favorable political environment will lead to more recriminations than celebrations. And while Democrats breathed a sigh of relief, voters dissatisfaction with the countrys direction was evident, particularly when it came to the economy and public safety. Caught between Democratic fecklessness and Republican lunacy, voters delivered a stalematenot a vote of confidence, but a repudiation of sorts for both parties.

TIME illustration

Buy a print of the Democracy cover here

Despite the mixed verdict, messages emerged from the morass. Americans broadly support abortion rights and continue to consider them a high priority in the wake of the Supreme Courts June overturning of Roe v. Wade. The electorate is angry, frustrated, pessimisticand motivated, with turnout approaching 2018s record levels. And in the first national election since Trump left office, his continued attempts to remake the GOP in his image appeared more poison pill than Midas touch, with Trumpist candidates underperforming across the map.

At the same time, the mainstream Republicans who ignored Trump often prevailed, holding governorships in Georgia, Ohio and New Hampshire. Whether despite or because of panicked liberals insistence that democracy itself was under siege, election deniers were defeated in droves. Losing candidates conceded gracefully and election systems functioned as planned, bolstering confidence in institutions of governance. The two parties traded victories, but the election was a triumph for normal politics in abnormal times.

Read More: The Red Wave Was More Like a Pink Splash

The question now is what lessons the parties take as they gear up for the high-stakes 2024 presidential race. Would Democrats, whose policies arguably contributed to historic inflation and rampant crime, be jolted out of their denial and find ways to address the issues closest to voters daily lives? Would Republicans, having squandered opportunities for the third cycle in a row at the hands of a failed ex-president under multiple investigations, steer away from the toxic alternate reality that has claimed so much of their base?

Sometimes an election settles the debate, delivering a clear statement on what lurks in Americas murky heart. This one offered up more questions than answerswith the promise of more turmoil ahead.

Just two years ago, President Biden and the Democrats swept into office promising to banish the COVID-19 pandemic, unify the country and restore a sense of stability. Before Biden was even inaugurated, it became clear these would be difficult promises to keep, as a violent Trump-summoned mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the Jan. 6 tabulation of electoral college votes.

But Democrats couldnt blame Republican intransigence for the missteps that soured the public on the party in power. Their $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan at first seemed like an early triumph, but it soon became clear the economy was overheated and inflation was no mere transitory phenomenon. The vaccines formulated during the Trump presidency were speedily distributed, but proved less effective against new variants as the Biden Administration struggled to roll out testing and articulate clear guidance. A trickle of migrants across the border became a flood, cities grappled with surging crime and homelessness, and the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan became a deadly debacle.

A President whod campaigned on competence, comity, and a mastery of Congress struggled to get legislators on board with his plans for infrastructure and social spending. Republicans found galvanizing themes in the culture wars over racial equity and transgender rights, which were particularly acute in public schools already struggling with the aftermath of pandemic closures. That November, the GOP won the governorship in Virginia, where Biden had won by 10 points.

But if Democrats appeared to be off track, Republicans were on a fast train to La-La Land. Given the opportunity to repudiate Trump after Jan. 6, McCarthy embraced him instead, cementing Trumps place as the partys leader. Candidates flocked to Mar-a-Lago to kiss Trumps ring, where the principal litmus test was validating his delusional insistence that the 2020 election was stolen.

After months of infighting, Bidens legislative agenda revived, with bipartisan bills on infrastructure, veterans, China, NATO and even gun control, and a last-minute resurrection of his party-line climate-and-health-care bill, rebranded the Inflation Reduction Act. He succeeded in unifying the West against Russian aggression in Ukraine, bolstering the former Soviet states surprisingly effective resistance to Vladimir Putin. Then, in June, the Supreme Court delivered a shock to the body politic, overturning the Roe v. Waderuling that had kept abortion mostly legal for 50 years. The issue has long divided Americans, but it soon became clear that voters strongly rejected the courts action. Deeply conservative Kansas rejected an anti-abortion referendum by a nearly 20-point margin in August.

Republicans hammered perceptions of surging crime and a flood of border crossingschaotic situations that Democrats seemed to have no plans to address. The partys message on crime was so unconvincing that Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg advised candidates to avoid the issue altogether. As Democrats frantically tried to change the subject, emphasizing abortion rights and the fate of democracy, voters looked poised to deliver a brutal verdict on their policy failures and out-of-touch priorities.

Republicans were so convinced this would be the case that they barely tried to offer a credible program or craft a sensible, moderate image. Following Trumps lead, they nominated a clown car of politically inexperienced candidates in high-profile races. Up and down the ballot, they put up nominees who participated in Jan. 6, cast doubt on elections, or pledged to ban abortion completely. A highly mobilized electorate clearly sought a change in the countrys direction. But in case after case, they saw the GOP alternative as beyond the pale. It turns out, says Republican pollster Whit Ayres, that trying to overturn an election is not widely popular with American voters.

There are no moral victories in politics, and if the House and perhaps even the Senate are in Republican hands, the GOPs power in Washington has significantly expanded. But Democrats held their own in brutal political conditions. A Presidents party has not been this successful in a midterm election since Republicans won the 2002 midterms in the wake of 9/11 under George W. Bush.

DeSantis rallied supporters in Miami on Nov. 7 before cruising to victory Andres Kudacki for TIME

The day before the election, Ron DeSantis took the stage in a sweaty equipment warehouse a few miles down the road from Mar-a-Lago, behind a lectern with a yellow DONT TREAD ON FLORIDA sign, the traditional serpent replaced with a rearing alligator. Democrats, DeSantis argued, were about to be blown out because of their own failed policies. Meanwhile, in Florida, he said, elections run smoothly, roads get repaired, the budget has a surplus, police are respected and children arent indoctrinated at school. People view the state not just as a refuge of sanity, not just as a citadel of freedom, but also a place where were going to maintain public order, he boasted.

DeSantiss prediction may not have borne out nationally, but in Florida it was vindicated. With a mix of culture-war politics and competent governance, he articulated a case not merely for the pursuit of power, but for an agenda that voters found effective even as liberals decried it as offensive. While around the country you saw freedom withering on the vine, we in Florida were the ones that held the linefor you, for your families, for jobs, for businesses, for our kids education, he said.

Read More: DeSantis Coasts to Re-Election, Setting Stage for 2024 Bid

What Republicans elsewhere may do with their new but precarious power is less clear. McCarthy once predicted a landslide of as many as 60 Republican seats, with which the party promised to hound the Biden Administration. Washington braced for a possible return to gridlock and obstruction, with debt-limit crises, government shutdowns, and impeachments of officials up to and including the President looming on the horizon. Now, with a far narrower majority projected, its unclear whether McCarthy will even be able to claim the speakership he has long sought. No one has yet risen to challenge him, but the blame game is already beginning.

Some Democrats believe the worst is now behind their party. Their actions to bring down gas prices and inflation will continue to bear fruit, partisans hope, while the crime wave and COVID-19 era will recede. The result should quiet the chatter about replacing Biden, though his age remains a concern to Democratic insiders and the base alike. The partys divisions havent gone away, but its apocalyptic warnings that American democracy is imperiled have been tempered by a fresh boost of confidence.

The question now is who Democrats may face in 2024. The midterms could hardly have gone better for DeSantis, who offered Republicans a resounding triumph on an otherwise disappointing night. And it could hardly have gone worse for Trump, who has teased a major announcement on Nov. 15. The former president has been privately seething for months about his onetime proteges success.

On Nov. 6, Trump held a rally in Miami to which DeSantis was conspicuously not invited. It had all the now-familiar trappings of the former presidents carnival-style tours, with a crowd of thousands decked out in MAGA garb. Attendees I spoke to grumbled about the deep state and the stolen election; most fervently wished Trump would run again. But at other Republicans campaign events Ive attended this cycle, there have been vanishingly few of his signature red hats. When I went to see Herschel Walker campaign in Georgia in September, every person I interviewed brought up DeSantis, unprompted, when I asked what they thought about Trumps future prospects.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Miami on Nov. 6 Andres Kudacki for TIME

For an hour and a half, Trump plowed through his familiar list of grievances. Dark clouds massed behind him as the sun began to set. As spooky music began to play, the downpour began. People streamed toward the exits, covering their heads with their LETS GO BRANDON flags. Trump stood in the dark as the rain came down, basking for the moment in his movements adulation.

With reporting by Brian Bennett, Leslie Dickstein, Mariah Espada, and Simmone Shah
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has arrived in New York on a working visit, Trend reports.

During the visit, Tokayev will make a speech at the general debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, and will also take part in the Central Asia-US summit.

In addition, meetings of the President of Kazakhstan with leaders of a number of states, heads of international organizations and heads of transnational companies are scheduled.
What Is a Beneficial Owner?y8 roblox mansion casino sites

A beneficial owner is a person who enjoys the benefits of ownership even though the title to some form of property is in another name.

It also means any individual or group of individuals who, either directly or indirectly, has the power to vote or influence the transaction decisions regarding a specific security, such as shares in a company.

Beneficial Owner

Understanding Beneficial Owners

1:00

For example, when shares of a mutual fund are held by a custodian bank or when securities are held by a broker in street name, the true owner is the beneficial owner, even though, for safety and convenience, the bank or broker holds the title.

Key Takeaways

A beneficial owner is a person who enjoys the benefits of ownership though the property's title is in another name.

Beneficial ownership is distinguished from legal ownership, though in most cases, the legal and beneficial owners are one and the same.

Publicly traded securities are often registered in the name of a broker for safety and convenience.

Wealthy individuals at risk of lawsuits often use trusts to act as the legal property owner.

Beneficial ownership may be shared among a group of individuals. If a beneficial owner controls a position of more than 5%, it must file Schedule 13D under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Beneficial ownership is distinguished from legal ownership. In most cases, the legal and beneficial owners are one and the same, but there are some cases, legitimate and sometimes not-so legitimate, where the beneficial owner of a property may wish to remain anonymous.

Securities

As mentioned in the example above, publicly traded securities are often registered in the name of a broker for safety and convenience.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recognizes this and has regulated the practice. In private companies, for a number of reasons, a beneficial owner may not want their name as a shareholder of record. So long as tax laws and other laws are complied with, this practice is not illegal in itself.

Real Estate

In most countries, real estate registries show the names of the owners of properties. In some cases, a beneficial owner may not want their name to appear on public records. In such cases, it is common for trustees or other entities to act as legal owners in place of the beneficial owner.

For example, famous artists or politicians may not want their home address to be easily found in public records, so they do not appear personally on title deeds.

Asset Protection

Wealthy individuals who are at risk of lawsuits, or simply want to protect their assets and plan their estate, generally use trusts to act as the legal owner of their property, often securities and money, while they and their families continue to be the beneficial owners. Here again, this practice is legal but highly regulated.

Panama Papers

Famously, in early 2016, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists made public what it called the "Panama Papers." These documents, taken from the archives of the law firm Mossack Fonseca & Co., show in detail the beneficial ownership of several thousands of offshore corporations.

While many were used legally, it appears some beneficial ownership was hidden for nefarious or illegal motives.

Newer Rules Regarding Beneficial Owners

On May 5, 2016, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) fortified and clarified due diligence requirements for banks, brokers, mutual funds and other financial entities. Most importantly, the new rules require legal entity customers to identify and verify the identities of their beneficial owners when they open an account. These rules took effect on May 11, 2018.
If you're a fan of casino games,sky casino wynn mega 888 slot game then you'll be happy to know that there are plenty of great android casino apps available. Whether you're looking for something with a wide variety (slots, blackjack, roulette, etc.) or something more specific (such as only online slots), there's sure to be an app that meets your needs.

In this post, we'll take a look at some of the best Android casino apps currently available and discuss what makes them so great. So, if you're ready to start playing some exciting casino games on your Android device, keep reading!

Why Use Casino Apps for Gambling

Casino apps offer the ultimate in convenience for online gambling. Whether you're looking to play slots, blackjack, poker or any other casino game, there's an app that will suit your needs. And with so many different apps available, you're sure to find one that's a perfect fit for your gaming style.

What's more, casino apps are typically very user-friendly and easy to navigate. That means you can get started playing your favorite games quickly and without any hassle. And if you ever have any questions or need assistance, most casino apps offer customer support that is just a click or tap away.

So, if you're ready to get started gambling online, be sure to check out the best casino apps available. With their ease of use and wide variety of games, they offer the perfect way to gamble on the go.

Guide to Using the Top 10 Best Android Casino Apps in 2022

Casino gaming is one of the most popular pastimes in India. People from all walks of life enjoy indulging in a game of chance every now and then. And with the advent of smartphone technology, casino gaming has become even more popular. There are now a number of great android casino apps available to Indian players. Here is a list of the best casino apps for players in India in 2022:

1. LeoVegas- It offers a great selection of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. There is also a live dealer casino where players can interact with real dealers. Besides, LeoVegas is one of the popular teen patti casino sites to play real money game. The app is available in both Hindi and English.

2.Betway- Another excellent choice for Indian casino players, Betway offers a wide range of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. The app is available in both Hindi and English.

3. William Hill- This UK-based bookmaker offers a great selection of casino games to Indian players. The app is available in both Hindi and English.

4. Dafabet- It is another great choice for Indian casino players, offering a wide range of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. The app is available in both Hindi and English.

5. Titanbet- This app offers a great selection of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. Titanbet app also available in both Hindi and English.

6. 888casino- This casino app is available for both iOS and Android devices, and it offers a wide range of casino games for players to enjoy. The 888 Casino app includes slots, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat games, as well as a live casino option.

7. Party Casino- Available for both iOS and Android devices, the app offers a wide range of slots, table games, and live dealer options, all of which can be played for real money. What's more, the app comes with a number of generous bonuses and promotions, making it even more appealing to casino fans.

8. Genting Casino- This app offers a wide range of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. The app is available in both Hindi and English.

9. Sky Vegas- As one of the most popular online casinos in the UK, it's no surprise that Sky Vegas also has a top-notch casino app. The Sky Vegas app is available for both iOS and Android devices, and it offers a great selection of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more.

10. PokerStars- This app offers a great selection of casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, and more. The app is available in both Hindi and English.

These are just some of the best casino apps for players in India. With so many great choices available, there is sure to be an app that meets your needs and preferences. So, what are you waiting for? Start playing today!

Can I play Real Money Game on Android Casino Apps?

Yes, you can. All of the casino apps that we recommend offer real money gaming. You'll need to create an account and deposit funds in order to play for real money, but once you do, you'll have access to all of the same games and features as you would on the desktop version of the site.

What Games Can I Play on Android Casino Apps?

The game selection on offer will vary from site to site, but you can generally expect to find all of the same types of games that you would find on a desktop online casino. This includes popular slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, video poker, and more. In some cases, you may even find exclusive mobile games that can only be played on your Android device.

Are Android Casino Apps Safe to Use?

Yes, they are. All of the casino apps that we recommend are 100% safe and secure to use. They all use the latest security technology to keep your personal and financial information safe, and they are all licensed and regulated by reputable gambling authorities.

Category: Casino Blog
Online casino games provider ORYX Group has inked a content delivery deal with Logrand Entertainment Group that will see its content distributed via the gambling operators online casino brand, Strendus Casino, in Mexico.

As part of this recently formed partnership, the operator and its online operation will gain access to ORYXs exclusive RGS offering, which includes unique, top-performing, and localized online casino content for players of all types from a number of iGaming studios such as GAMOMAT, Kalamba Games, Givme Games, Peter & Sons, Golden Hero, and Arcadem, among others.

The deal also covers ORYXs suite of virtual lottery products. These will be added to Strendus existing offering in the near future.

In addition, the provider will also deliver its player engagement and data toolsvia its ORYX Hub platform. The suite includes real-time leaderboards, free rounds, slot tournaments, jackpots, quests, and achievements, among others. All these have been designed to and have proven to drive player engagement, conversion, retention, and loyalty and to enhance player value.

The deal with Logrand enables ORYX to expand its footprint in the promising Latin American iGaming space,which has become a key focus for the major provider in addition to its aggressive expansion across multiple European markets.

Solidifying Position as a Global Supplier

Commenting on their latest important partnership, ORYX Gaming Managing Director Matevz Mazij said that further strengthening their Mexican foothold is exciting for his company as it continues to solidify its positionas a global supplier of iGaming content.

Mr. Mazij went on to say that Strendus is a reputable and well-known brandand that they are thrilled to extend the online casinos existing offering with their engaging and entertaining content from our sought after RGS studios.

Logrand Online Products Manager Eduardo Pelaez said that they pride themselves in delivering a comprehensive productto their players and that their casino tab and lottery offering will become a lot more attractive with the addition of ORYXs dynamic content.

Logrand was established in 2005. The company runs more than 10 land-based casinos around Mexico. It introduced its Strendus Casino digital brand in 2018 and has since grown to become one of the leaders in the local online gaming space with more than 150,000 active players. The online casino currently offers more than 700 slots, table games, sports betting, betting on eSports, and lottery products.

This is the latest in a series of partnerships announced by ORYX over the past two months. In April, the provider unveiled a deal with Casumothat furthered its expansion into the lucrative Spanish market. And it was last month again when ORYX penned an RGS content distribution deal with iGaming operator Dazzletag.
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B.A., English, Rutgers University

"Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville is one of the most famous and most intimidating novels ever written. Still frequently assigned reading in school, "Moby-Dick" is a polarizing novel for many reasons: Its huge vocabulary, usually requiring at least a few trips to your dictionary; its obsession with 19th-century whaling life, technology, and jargon; the variety of literary techniques used by Melville; and its thematic complexity. Many people have read (or attempted to read) the novel only to conclude that its overrated, and for a long time most people agreed  far from an immediate success, the novel failed upon publication and it was decades before Melvilles novel was accepted as a classic of American literature.

And yet, even people who have not read the book are familiar with its basic plot, major symbols, and specific lines  just about everyone knows the famous opening line Call me Ishmael. The symbol of the white whale and the sense of Captain Ahab as an obsessed authority figure willing to sacrifice everything  including things he has no right to sacrifice  in the pursuit of revenge has become a universal aspect of pop culture, almost independent from the actual novel.

Another reason the book intimidates, of course, is the cast of characters, which includes the dozens of crew members of the Pequod, many of whom have a role in the plot and symbolic significance. Melville actually worked on whaling ships in his youth, and his depictions of life on board the Pequod and the men who worked under Ahab have the ring of complex truth. Here is a guide to the characters youll meet in this incredible novel and their significance to the story.

Ishmael

Ishmael, the narrator of the tale, actually has very little of an active role in the story. Still, everything we know about the hunt for Moby Dick comes to us through Ishmael, and the success or failure of the book centers on how we relate to his voice. Ishmael is a lush, intelligent narrator; he is observant and curious and wanders into lengthy examinations of subjects that interest him, including the technology and culture of whaling, philosophical and religious questions, and examinations of the people around him.

In many ways, Ishmael is meant as a stand-in for the reader, a man who is initially confused and overwhelmed by his experience but who offers that very curiosity and studious attitude as a guide to survival. Ishmael being the [spoiler alert] lone survivor at the end of the book is significant not only because otherwise, his narration would be impossible. His survival is due to his restless quest for understanding that mirrors the reader. Upon opening the book, you'll likely find yourself awash in nautical terms, biblical debates, and cultural references that were obscure even at the time and have become almost unknowable today.

Captain Ahab

The captain of the whaling ship Pequod, Ahab, is a fascinating character. Charismatic and cruel, he lost his leg from the knee down to Moby Dick in a previous encounter and has dedicated his energies to seeking revenge, outfitting the Pequod with a special crew and increasingly ignoring both economic and social norms in favor of his obsession.

Ahab is viewed with awe by his crew, and his authority is unquestioned. He uses violence and rage combined with incentives and respect to get his men to do as he wishes and is able to overcome the objections of the men when he reveals that he is willing to forego profits in pursuit of his enemy. Ahab is capable of kindness, however, and often demonstrates true empathy towards others. Ishmael takes great pains to convey Ahabs intelligence and charm, as well, making Ahab one of the most complicated and interesting characters in literature. In the end, Ahab pursues his revenge to the bitterest possible end, being dragged by his own harpoon line by the giant whale as he refuses to admit defeat.

Moby Dick

Based on a real white whale known as Mocha Dick, Moby Dick is presented by Ahab as the personification of evil. A unique white whale that has amassed a mythical level of celebrity in the whaling world as a fierce fighter who cannot be killed, Moby Dick bit off Ahabs leg at the knee in a prior encounter, driving the embittered Ahab to insane levels of hatred.

Modern readers may see Moby Dick as a heroic figure in a way  the whale is hunted, after all, and can be seen as defending itself when it brutally attacks the Pequod and its crew. Moby Dick can also be seen as nature itself, a force that man can fight against and occasionally stave off, but which will ultimately always triumph in any battle. Moby Dick also represents obsession and madness, as Captain Ahab slowly devolves from a figure of wisdom and authority into a raving madman who has cut all ties with his life, including his crew and his own family, in pursuit of a goal that will end in his own destruction.

Starbuck

First mate of the ship, Starbuck is intelligent, outspoken, capable, and deeply religious. He believes his Christian faith offers a guide to the world, and that all questions can be answered through careful examination of his faith and the word of God. However, he is a practical man as well, a man who lives in the real world and who executes his duties with skill and competence.

Starbuck is the main counterpoint to Ahab. He is an authority figure who is respected by the crew and who disdains Ahabs motivations and is increasingly outspoken against him. Starbucks failure to prevent disaster is, of course, open to interpretation  is it a failure of society, or the inevitable defeat of reason in the face of the brutal power of nature?

Queequeg

Queequeg is the first person Ishmael meets in the book, and the two become very close friends. Queequeg works as Starbucks harpooner and comes from the royal family of a South Sea island nation who fled his home in search of adventure. Melville wrote "Moby-Dick" at a time in American history when enslavement and race were intertwined in every aspect of life, and Ishmaels realization that Queequegs race is inconsequential to his high moral character is clearly a subtle commentary on the major issue facing America at the time. Queequeg is affable, generous, and brave, and even after his death he is Ishmaels salvation, as his coffin is the only thing to survive the Pequods sinking, and Ishmael floats on it to safety.

Stubb

Stubb is the Pequods second mate. He is a popular member of the crew due to his sense of humor and his generally easygoing persona, but Stubb has few true beliefs and believes that nothing happens for any particular reason, acting as a counterweight to the extremely rigid world views of Ahab and Starbuck.

Tashtego

Tashtego is Stubbs harpooner. He is a pureblood Indigenous person from Marthas Vineyard, from a community that is rapidly vanishing. He is also a capable, competent man, like Queequeg, although he lacks Queequegs sharp intelligence and imagination. Hes one of the most important members of the crew, as he possesses several skills specific to whaling that no other crew member could perform.

Flask

The third mate is a short, powerfully-built man who is difficult to like due to his aggressive attitude and a purposefully almost disrespectful manner. The crew generally respects him, however, despite the less-than-flattering nickname King Post (a reference to a specific type of timber) that Flask resembles.

Daggoo

Daggoo is Flasks harpooner. He is a huge man with an intimidating manner who fled his home in Africa in search of adventure, much like Queequeg. As the harpooner for the third mate, he is not as important as the other harpooners.

Pip

Pip is one of the most important characters in the book. A young Black boy, Pip is the lowest-ranking member of the crew, filling the role of cabin boy, performing whatever odd jobs need to be done. At one point in the pursuit of Moby Dick, he is left drifting on the ocean for some time and has a mental breakdown. Returning to the ship he suffers from the realization that as a Black person in America, he has less value to the crew than the whales they hunt. Melville undoubtedly intended Pip to be a comment on the system of enslavement and race relations at the time, but Pip also serves to humanize Ahab, who even in the throes of his insanity is kind to the young man.

Fedallah

Fedallah is an unspecified foreigner of oriental persuasion. Ahab has brought him on as part of the crew without telling anyone else, which is a controversial decision. He is almost unbelievably foreign in appearance, with a turban of his own hair and clothes that are almost a costume of what one might imagine a cliched Chinese outfit would be. He exhibits near-supernatural powers in terms of hunting and fortune-telling, and his most famous prediction regarding Captain Ahabs fate comes true in an unexpected way at the end of the novel. As a result of his otherness and his predictions, the crew stays aloof from Fedallah.

Peleg

Part-owner of the Pequod, Peleg is unaware that Captain Ahab is less concerned with profit than with revenge. He and Captain Bildad handle hiring the crew and negotiate Ishmael and Queequegs salaries. Rich and in retirement, Peleg plays the generous benefactor but is in fact extremely cheap.

Bildad

Pelegs partner and fellow co-owner of the Pequod, Bildad plays the role of the old salt and plays bad cop in salary negotiations. It is clear that the two have perfected their performance as part of their sharp, ruthless approach to business. Since both are Quakers, known at the time for being pacifistic and gentle, its interesting that they are depicted as such tricky negotiators.

Father Mapple

Mapple is a minor character who only appears briefly at the beginning of the book, but he is a crucial appearance. Ishmael and Queequeg attend services at the New Bedford Whalemans Chapel, where Father Mapple offers the story of Jonah and the Whale as a means of connecting the life of whalers to the Bible and the Christian faith. He can be seen as the polar opposite of Ahab. A former whaling captain, Mapples torments on the sea have led him to serve God instead of seeking revenge.

Captain Boomer

Another character who stands in opposition to Ahab, Boomer is the captain of the whaling ship the Samuel Enderby. Rather than bitter over the arm he lost while trying to kill Moby Dick, Boomer is cheerful and is constantly making jokes (infuriating Ahab). Boomer sees no point in further pursuit of the white whale, which Ahab cannot understand.

Gabriel

A crew member of the ship Jeroboam, Gabriel is a Shaker and a religious fanatic who believes Moby Dick is a manifestation of the Shaker God. He predicts that any attempt to hunt Moby Dick will result in disaster, and in fact, the Jeroboam has experienced nothing but horror since its failed attempt to hunt the whale.

Dough Boy

Dough Boy is a timid, nervous young man serving as the ships steward. The most interesting thing about him for modern readers is that his name was a variation on the insult Dough Head, which at the time was commonly used to imply someone was stupid.

Fleece

Fleece is the Pequods cook. He is elderly, with poor hearing and stiff joints, and is a playful figure, serving as entertainment for Stubbs and other crew members and comic relief for readers.

Perth

Perth serves as the ships blacksmith and has a central role in forging the special harpoon he believes will be deadly enough to defeat Moby Dick. Perth has fled to the sea in order to escape his temptations; his former life was ruined by his alcoholism.

Carpenter

The unnamed carpenter on the Pequod is tasked by Ahab with creating a new prosthetic for his leg after Ahab portentously damages the ivory prosthetic in his rage to escape Boomers jovial commentary on his whale obsession. If you view Ahabs weakened appendage as symbolic of his cracking sanity, the carpenter and blacksmiths service in helping him continue his quest for revenge can be seen as committing the crew to the same fate.

Derick de Deer

Captain of the German whaling ship, de Deer appears to be in the novel solely so Melville can have a little fun at the expense of the German whaling industry, which Melville viewed as poor. De Deer is pathetic; having had no success he must beg Ahab for supplies and is last seen pursuing a whale his ship has neither the speed nor the equipment to effectively hunt.

Captains

"Moby-Dick" is largely structured around the nine ship-to-ship meetings or gams that the Pequod engages in. These meetings were ceremonial and polite and quite common in the industry, and Ahabs loosening grip on sanity can be traced through his decreasing interest in observing the rules of these meetings, culminating in his disastrous decision to refuse to help the captain of the Rachel to rescue crew members lost at sea in order to chase Moby Dick. The reader thus meets several other whaling captains in addition to Boomer, each of whom has literary significance.

Bacheloris a successful, practical captain whose ship is fully supplied. His significance lies with his assertion that the white whale does not, in fact, exist. Much of Ishmaels internal conflict comes from his efforts to understand what he sees and to perceive what lies beyond his understanding, bringing into question how much of the story he tells can be relied on as the truth, lending Bachelors comments more weight than they otherwise would carry.

The French captain Rosebudhas two sick whales in his possession when he meets the Pequod, and Stubb suspects they are a source of the very valuable substance ambergris and so tricks him into releasing them, but once again Ahabs obsessive behavior ruins this chance at profit. Once again Melville also uses this as an opportunity to poke fun at the whaling industry of another nation.

The captain of the Rachel factors into one of the most significant moments in the novel, as mentioned above. The captain asks Ahab to assist in searching for and rescuing members of his crew, including his son. Ahab, however, upon hearing about the whereabouts of Moby Dick, refuses this basic and fundamental courtesy and sails off to his doom. The Rachel then rescues Ishmael sometime later, as it is still searching for its missing crew.

The Delightis another ship that claims to have tried to hunt Moby Dick, only to fail. The description of the destruction of its whaleboat is a foreshadowing of the precise way the whale destroys the Pequods ships in the final battle.
Foucault presents possibly the best definition of discourse. He defines discourse as,video poker videos seiko mixer tap Systems of thoughts composed of ideas, attitudes, and courses of action, beliefs and practices that systematically construct the subjects and the worlds of which they speak.

Originally, it has roots in the Latin language. The term assumes slightly different meanings in different contexts. In literature, discourse means speech or writing, normally longer than sentences, which deals with a certain subject formally. In other words, discourse is the presentation of language in its entirety, while performing an intellectual inquiry in a particular area or field, such as theological discourse or cultural discourse.

General Classifications of Discourse

Discourse can be classified into four main categories, namely:

Exposition

The main focus of this type of discourse is to make the audience aware about the topic of the discussion. Definitions and comparative analysis of different ideas and beliefsare examples of discourse exposition.

Narration

Narration is a type of discourse that relies on stories, folklore or a drama as a medium of communication.

Stage play, story, and folklore are narrative discourse examples.

Description

This type involves describing something in relation to the senses. Descriptive discourse enables the audience to develop a mental picture of what is being discussed. Descriptive parts of novel or essayare descriptive discourse examples.

Argument

This type of discourse is based on valid logic and, through correct reasoning, tries to motivate the audience. Examples of argumentative discourse include lectures, essays, and prose.

Examples of Discourse in Literature

Poetic Discourse

Poetic discourse is a type of literary conversation which focuses on the expression of feelings, ideas, imaginations, events, and places through specific rhymes and rhythms. Poetic discourse makes use of common words in appealing ways to present feelings and emotions. The mechanism of poetic discourse involves certain steps starting from different sources, then entering the mental process, mental realization, and then finally into a finished product as poetry.

Example #1: A Character (By William Wordsworth)

I marvel how Nature could ever find space

For so many strange contrasts in one human face:

Theres thought and no thought, and theres paleness and bloom

And bustle and sluggishness, pleasure and gloom.

Expressive Discourse

Expressive discourse does not involve the presentation of facts, or the motivating of others, but is rather a reflection of our emotions that form the foundation of our expressions. This is a form of basic or entry-level discourse, and is beneficial for beginners in the field of literature. It primarily deals with generating ideas with no concrete source. Examples include academic essays and diaries.

Example #2: The Diary of Samuel Pepys (By Samuel Pepys, 1660)

We met very early at our office this morning to pick out the twenty-five ships which are to be first paid off. After that to Westminster and dined with Mr. Dalton at his office, where we had one great court dish, but our papers not being done we could [not] make an end of our business till Monday next. Mr. Dalton and I over the water to our landlord Vanly, with whom we agree as to Dalton 

Transactional Discourse

The basic aim in this kind of discourse is to convey the message in such a way that it is clearly understood without any confusion. Whatever is said has no ambiguity  everything is clear for the reader. Usually, this type of discourse is in active voice. Examples include instructions, guidelines, manuals, privacy policies, and patient instructions as written by doctors.

Function of Discourse

The role of discourse is hard to ignore in our daily intellectual pursuits, for it provides a basis to conduct a comparative analysis and frame our perceptions about different things. For instance, two competing discourses about the civil war in Syria today can be used to qualify the war as either war against dictatorship, or war against imperialism. On the other hand, it could be deemed as war against Islam, or war for humanity. Thus, both discourses provide a distinct style, vocabulary, and presentation, which are required to convey the respective ideas to a specific audience.

According to Jacques Lucan and Ferdinand de Saussure, language (discourse) is the main force which works behind all kinds of human activities and changes in social fabric; whereas Modernists attribute discourse to development and progress. Another important function of discourse is to generate and preserve truth as argued by the Postmodernist theories.
phil galfond poker siteshows grade level based on the word's complexity. deciliter [ des-uh-lee-ter ]/ ds li tr / 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-uh-lee-ter ]/ ds li tr /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna unit of capacity equal to 1/10 (0.1) liter (about 3.38 U.S. fluid ounces). Abbreviation: dl

Words nearby deciliter

How to use in a sentence A person is considered diabetic when levels of glucose in their blood reach 200 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood. The coronavirus may cause fat cells to miscommunicate, leading to diabetes|Tina Hesman Saey|January 4, 2022|Science News

The coronavirus may cause fat cells to miscommunicate, leading to diabetes|Tina Hesman Saey|January 4, 2022|Science News When paramedics arrived and took Gibbs blood sugar level, it was 17 milligrams per deciliter. They Saw Me and Thought the Worst|by Richard A. Webster, WRKF and WWNO, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica|September 24, 2021|ProPublica

They Saw Me and Thought the Worst|by Richard A. Webster, WRKF and WWNO, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica|September 24, 2021|ProPublica A benchmark level of 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood or greater is a signal to take action. Nearly half a million U.S. children missed out on lead tests in early 2020|Aimee Cunningham|February 4, 2021|Science News

Nearly half a million U.S. children missed out on lead tests in early 2020|Aimee Cunningham|February 4, 2021|Science News The actual cortisol levels are between 0 and 1 micrograms per deciliter. Puberty can repair the brains stress responses after hardship early in life|Esther Landhuis|August 28, 2020|Science News

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 deciliterFrom the French word decilitre, dating back to 17951805. See deci-, literdeciduitis, deciduous, deciduous trees and shrubs, decigram, decile, deciliter, decilitre, decillion, decimal, decimal classification, decimal currencyDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
A newly-repaired road linking Xixiang and Zhenba counties, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province. Torrential rainfall hit the county since Saturday morning. A total of 45,000 people and 2,333 hectares of farmland were affected. The direct economic losses reached 220 million RMB yuan (about 34.56 million U.S. dollars).

Submerged paddy field in Yankou Township of Xixiang County, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province.

Villagers rush repair a dam in Yuanba Village of Yankou Township in Xixiang County, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, July 8, 2012.

Xinhua/Liu Xiao

Torrential rainfall affects peoples life in Northwest Chinaadded by chinatimesonline on

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So many words have multiple accepted spellings in English that it can be tempting to assume that they all do.

That is not the case, however. Smooth, for instance, seems like it could be spelled smoothe as well. If sooth and soothe are both words, how about smoothe?

There may not be a single clear answer to that question, but, in actual usage, smoothand only smooth is a commonly accepted word.

What is the Difference Between Smooth and Smoothe?

In this post, I will compare smoothe vs. smooth. I will outline the correct spelling and use it in example sentences to demonstrate its proper use.

Plus, I will show you a memory tool that you can use as a reminder of whether smoothe or smooth is correct.

When to Use Smooth

What does smooth mean? Smooth is a versatile word that can be a verb or an adjective.

As an adjective, smooth means free of bumps or wrinkles.

For example,

Eddie completed his restoration of a classic Mustang by giving it a smooth coat of black paint.

We had a smooth flight from Boston to Chicago, but the flight back to Boston was turbulent and uncomfortable.

Despite a smooth start to trading, Twitter is sure to face continued scrutiny as it works to justify a valuation of $31.7 billion to investors sensitive to the nuances of quarterly earnings reports. The New York Times

As a verb, smoothmeans to remove bumps or wrinkles.

For example,

Aaron will become a better baseball player as he continues to smooth out the mechanics of his swing.

If the top of your cake looks lumpy and imperfect, dont worry- it will look delicious once you smooth the frosting over it.

The verb smooth is a regular verb, which means it follows the normal conjugation scheme for verbs in English.

Conjugation of Smooth:

I/we smooth: first person singular and plural present

You smooth: second person singular and plural present

He/she/it smooths: third person singular present

They smooth: third person plural present

I/we/you/he/she/they smoothed: simple past

Smoothing: present participle

Smooths or Smoothes?As you can see from the above conjugation chart, smoothonly takes the letter ein the past tense. This is typical for regular verbs, which smooth is.

What this means is that not only is smoothe a spelling error but so is smoothes.

When to Use Smoothe

What does smoothe mean? Smoothe is a misspelling of smooth.It is easy to understand why smoothe seems to make sense. After all, the word soothe rhymes with smooth and has a silent E.

The simple past tense of soothe is soothed, just like smooth and smoothed. To someone unfamiliar with English verbs, it is intuitive that the E would have to come from somewhere.

Still, smoothe is a misspelling of smooth. The charts below shows the relative usage of smooth vs. smoothe as a verb in English since 1800.

As you can see, smoothe has never seen widespread use and hardly registers a blip over the last 200 years.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Smooth is the only correct version of this verb, but how can we remember this fact?

Smoothe has an extra E. Since it is an error, and both smoothe and error contain the letter E, it will be an easy task to remember that smoothe is an error.

Summary

Is it smooth or smoothe? Smooth is a verb that means to remove bumps and wrinkles. It is also an adjective that means free from bumps and wrinkles.
What Is Cash Flow?slots empire no deposit bonus for existing players

The term cash flow refers to the net amount of cash and cash equivalents being transferred in and out of a company. Cash received represents inflows, while money spent represents outflows.

A companys ability to create value for shareholders is fundamentally determined by its ability to generate positive cash flows or, more specifically, to maximize long-term free cash flow (CFC). FCF is the cash generated by a company from its normal business operations after subtracting any money spent on capital expenditures (CapEx).

Key Takeaways

Cash flow is the movement of money in and out of a company.

Cash received signifies inflows, and cash spent signifies outflows.



The cash flow statement is a financial statement that reports on a company's sources and usage of cash over some time.

A company's cash flow is typically categorized as cash flows from operations, investing, and financing.

There are several methods used to analyze a company's cash flow, including the debt service coverage ratio, free cash flow, and unlevered cash flow.

Understanding Cash Flow

Understanding Cash Flow

2:28

Cash flow is the amount of cash that comes in and goes out of a company. Businesses take in money from sales as revenues and spend money on expenses. They may also receive income from interest, investments, royalties, and licensing agreements and sell products on credit, expecting to actually receive the cash owed at a late date.

Assessing the amounts, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows, along with where they originate and where they go, is one of the most important objectives of financial reporting. It is essential for assessing a companys liquidity, flexibility, and overall financial performance.

Positive cash flow indicates that a company's liquid assets are increasing, enabling it to cover obligations, reinvest in its business, return money to shareholders, pay expenses, and provide a buffer against future financial challenges. Companies with strong financial flexibility can take advantage of profitable investments. They also fare better in downturns, by avoiding the costs of financial distress.

Cash flows can be analyzed using the cash flow statement, a standard financial statement that reports on a company's sources and usage of cash over a specified time period. Corporate management, analysts, and investors are able to use it to determine how well a company can earn cash to pay its debts and manage its operating expenses. The cash flow statement is one of the most important financial statements issued by a company, along with the balance sheet and income statement.

Cash flow can be negative when outflows are higher than a company's inflows.

Special Considerations

As noted above, there are three critical parts of a company's financial statements:

The balance sheet, which gives a one-time snapshot of a company's assets and liabilities

The income statement, which indicates the business's profitability during a certain period

The cash flow statement, which acts as a corporate checkbook that reconciles the other two statements. It records the company's cash transactions (the inflows and outflows) during the given period. It shows whether all of the revenues booked on the income statement have been collected.

But the cash flow does not necessarily show all the company's expenses. That's because not all expenses the company accrues are paid right away. Although the company may incur liabilities, any payments toward these liabilities are not recorded as a cash outflow until the transaction occurs.

The first item to note on the cash flow statement is the bottom line item. This is likely to be recorded as the net increase/decrease in cash and cash equivalents (CCE). The bottom line reports the overall change in the company's cash and its equivalents (the assets that can be immediately converted into cash) over the last period.

If you check under current assets on the balance sheet, that's where you'll find CCE. If you take the difference between the current CCE and that of the previous year or the previous quarter, you should have the same number as the number at the bottom of the statement of cash flows.

Types of Cash Flow

Cash Flows From Operations (CFO)

Cash flow from operations (CFO), or operating cash flow, describes money flows involved directly with the production and sale of goods from ordinary operations. CFO indicates whether or not a company has enough funds coming in to pay its bills or operating expenses. In other words, there must be more operating cash inflows than cash outflows for a company to be financially viable in the long term.

Operating cash flow is calculated by taking cash received from sales and subtracting operating expenses that were paid in cash for the period. Operating cash flow is recorded on a company's cash flow statement, which is reported both on a quarterly and annual basis. Operating cash flow indicates whether a company can generate enough cash flow to maintain and expand operations, but it can also indicate when a company may need external financing for capital expansion.

Note that CFO is useful in segregating sales from cash received. If, for example, a company generated a large sale from a client, it would boost revenue and earnings. However, the additional revenue doesn't necessarily improve cash flow if there is difficulty collecting the payment from the customer.

Cash Flows From Investing (CFI)

Cash flow from investing (CFI) or investing cash flow reports how much cash has been generated or spent from various investment-related activities in a specific period. Investing activities include purchases of speculative assets, investments in securities, or the sale of securities or assets.

Negative cash flow from investing activities might be due to significant amounts of cash being invested in the long-term health of the company, such as research and development (R&D), and is not always a warning sign.

Cash Flows From Financing (CFF)

Cash flows from financing (CFF), or financing cash flow, shows the net flows of cash that are used to fund the company and its capital. Financing activities include transactions involving issuing debt, equity, and paying dividends. Cash flow from financing activities provide investors with insight into a companys financial strength and how well a company's capital structure is managed.

Cash Flow vs. Profit

Contrary to what you may think, cash flow isn't the same as profit. It isn't uncommon to have these two terms confused because they seem very similar. Remember that cash flow is the money that goes in and out of a business.

Profit, on the other hand, is specifically used to measure a company's financial success or how much money it makes overall. This is the amount of money that is left after a company pays off all its obligations. Profit is whatever is left after subtracting a company's expenses from its revenues.



How to Analyze Cash Flows

Using the cash flow statement in conjunction with other financial statements can help analysts and investors arrive at various metrics and ratios used to make informed decisions and recommendations.

Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)

Even profitable companies can fail if their operating activities do not generate enough cash to stay liquid. This can happen if profits are tied up in outstanding accounts receivable (AR) and overstocked inventory, or if a company spends too much on capital expenditures (CapEx).

Investors and creditors, therefore, want to know if the company has enough CCE to settle short-term liabilities. To see if a company can meet its current liabilities with the cash it generates from operations, analysts look at the debt service coverage ratio (DSCR).

Debt Service Coverage Ratio = Net Operating Income / Short-Term Debt Obligations (or Debt Service)



But liquidity only tells us so much. A company might have lots of cash because it is mortgaging its future growth potential by selling off its long-term assets or taking on unsustainable levels of debt.

Free Cash Flow (FCF)

Analysts look at free cash flow (FCF) to understand the true profitability of a business. FCF is a really useful measure of financial performance and tells a better story than net income because it shows what money the company has left over to expand the business or return to shareholders, after paying dividends, buying back stock, or paying off debt.

Free Cash Flow = Operating Cash Flow - CapitalEx

Unlevered Free Cash Flow (UFCF)

Use unlevered free cash flow (UFCF) for a measure of the gross FCF generated by a firm. This is a company's cash flow excluding interest payments, and it shows how much cash is available to the firm before taking financial obligations into account. The difference between levered and unlevered FCF shows if the business is overextended or operating with a healthy amount of debt.

Example of Cash Flow

Below is a reproduction of Walmart's cash flow statement for the fiscal year ending on Jan. 31, 2019. All amounts are in millions of U.S. dollars.

Walmart Statement of Cash Flows (2019) Cash flows from operating activities: Consolidated net income 7,179 (Income) loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes  Income from continuing operations 7,179 Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Unrealized (gains) and losses 3,516 (Gains) and losses for disposal of business operations 4,850 Depreciation and amortization 10,678 Deferred income taxes (499) Other operating activities 1,734 Changes in certain assets and liabilities: Receivables, net (368) Inventories (1,311) Accounts payable 1,831 Accrued liabilities 183 Accrued income taxes (40) Net cash provided by operating activities 27,753 Cash flows from investing activities: Payments for property and equipment (10,344) Proceeds from the disposal of property and equipment 519 Proceeds from the disposal of certain operations 876 Payments for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired (14,656) Other investing activities (431) Net cash used in investing activities (24,036) Cash flows from financing activities: Net change in short-term borrowings (53) Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 15,872 Payments of long-term debt (3,784) Dividends paid (6,102) Purchase of company stock (7,410) Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest (431) Other financing activities (629) Net cash used in financing activities (2,537) Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents (438) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 742 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 7,014 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 7,756

The final line in the cash flow statement, "cash and cash equivalents at end of year," is the same as "cash and cash equivalents," the first line under current assets in the balance sheet. The first number in the cash flow statement, "consolidated net income," is the same as the bottom line, "income from continuing operations" on the income statement.

Because the cash flow statement only counts liquid assets in the form of CCE, it makes adjustments to operating income in order to arrive at the net change in cash. Depreciation and amortization expense appear on the income statement in order to give a realistic picture of the decreasing value of assets over their useful life. Operating cash flows, however, only consider transactions that impact cash, so these adjustments are reversed.

The net change in assets not in cash, such as AR and inventories, are also eliminated from operating income. For example, $368 million in net receivables are deducted from operating income. From that, we can infer that there was a $368 million increase in receivables over the prior year.

This increase would have shown up in operating income as additional revenue, but the cash wasn't received yet by year-end. Thus, the increase in receivables needed to be reversed out to show the net cash impact of sales during the year. The same elimination occurs for current liabilities in order to arrive at the cash flow from operating activities figure.

Investments in property, plant, and equipment (PP&E) and acquisitions of other businesses are accounted for in the cash flow from the investing activities section. Proceeds from issuing long-term debt, debt repayments, and dividends paid out are accounted for in the cash flow from financing activities section.

The main takeaway is that Walmart's cash flow was positive (an increase of $742 million). That indicates that it has retained cash in the business and added to its reserves in order to handle short-term liabilities and fluctuations in the future.

How Are Cash Flows Different Than Revenues?

Revenues refer to the income earned from selling goods and services. If an item is sold on credit or via a subscription payment plan, money may not yet be received from those sales and are booked as accounts receivable. But these do not represent actual cash flows into the company at the time. Cash flows also track outflows as well as inflows and categorize them with regard to the source or use.

What Are the 3 Categories of Cash Flows?

The three types of cash flows are operating cash flows, cash flows from investments, and cash flows from financing.

Operating cash flows are generated from the normal operations of a business, including money taken in from sales and money spent on cost of goods sold (COGS), along with other operational expenses such as overhead and salaries.

Cash flows from investments include money spent on purchasing securities to be held as investments such as stocks or bonds in other companies or in Treasuries. Inflows are generated by interest and dividends paid on these holdings.

Cash flows from financing are the costs of raising capital, such as shares or bonds that a company issues or any loans it takes out.

What Is Free Cash Flow and Why Is It Important?

Free cash flow is the cash left over after a company pays for its operating expenses and CapEx. It is the money that remains after paying for items like payroll, rent, and taxes. Companies are free to use FCF as they please.

Knowing how to calculate FCF and analyze it helps a company with its cash management and will provide investors with insight into a company's financials, helping them make better investment decisions.

FCF is an important measurement since it shows how efficient a company is at generating cash.

Do Companies Need to Report a Cash Flow Statement?

The cash flow statement complements the balance sheet and income statement and is a mandatory part of a public company's financial reporting requirements since 1987.

Why Is the Price-to-Cash Flows Ratio Used?

The price-to-cash flow (P/CF) ratio is a stock multiple that measures the value of a stocks price relative to its operating cash flow per share. This ratio uses operating cash flow, which adds back non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization to net income.

P/CF is especially useful for valuing stocks that have positive cash flow but are not profitable because of large non-cash charges.

The Bottom Line

Cash flow refers to money that goes in and out. Having a positive cash flow means there's more money coming in while a negative cash flow indicates a higher degree of spending. The latter isn't necessarily a bad thing because it may mean that you're investing your money in growth. But if your spending becomes excessive, you won't have enough for a rainy day and you won't be able to pay your suppliers or lenders. Whether you're running a business or a household, it's important to keep on top of your cash flow.
DBMS New Word List Save This bet now app downloadWord! Save ThisWord!

abbreviation Computers.database management system: a set of software programs for controlling the storage, retrieval, and modification of organized data in a computerized database.

Words nearby DBMS

British Dictionary definitions for DBMS

DBMS

abbreviation fordatabase management system

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in New York on an official visit to participate in the events of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Trend reports.

At the airport, the honored guest was met by the Mayor of New York Eric Adams, the Chairman of the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce (AUCC) Carolyn Lamm and other officials.

In accordance with the program of his stay, on September 19, Mirziyoyev will make a report at the general debate of the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly and present his vision on topical issues of the regional and global agenda.
tulalip players club odds gonzagashows grade level based on the word's complexity. dactylus [ dak-tuh-luhs ]/ dk t ls / 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-tuh-luhs ]/ dk t ls /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural dactyli [dak-tuh-lahy, -lee]. /dk tla, -li/. an enlarged portion of the leg after the first joint in some insects, as the pollen-carrying segment in the hind leg of certain bees.

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How to use in a sentence For the same reason the name Pholas Dactylus has been given by Naturalists to the species which we represent, fig. 66. A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby

A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby The common name for Pholas Dactylus in the market, given to it on account of its cylindrical shape. A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby

A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby It has the shape of a date, or of a finger; whence its name of Dactylus, which in Greek signifies a finger. The Phantom World|Augustin Calmet

The Phantom World|Augustin Calmet There is the Pholas Dactylus, which resembles a small, animated sausage with a pudding head. Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 2 (of 2)|George Jacob Holyoake Pholas dactylus having hollowed out a shelter in a block of gneiss. The Ocean World:|Louis Figuier

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 dactylusNew Latin
What Is End-to-End?slingo bonus code

End-to-end describes a process that takes a system or service from beginning to end and delivers a complete functional solution, usually without needing to obtain anything from a third party. It often refers to vendors that can see a project through from beginning to end, and supply everything needed to create a workable solutionbe it hardware, software, labor, written materials, and procedures.

End-to-end solutions also adhere to a philosophy that eliminates as many middle layers or steps as possible, which helps to optimize the performance and efficiency of a business. This includes pulling in minimal parties along the full project life cycle to ensure minimal disruptions are incurred from start to finish. It is most commonly used in the information technology (IT) sector.

Key Takeaways

End-to-end refers to delivering complex systems or services in functional form after developing it from beginning to end.

End-to-end is most common in the IT sector and is used during the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages.

End-to-end processing can help optimize a business's performance and efficiency by eliminating the middle man.

When dealing with complex services or systems, end-to-end arrangements are often cost-effective.

Logistics, when service providers take care of inventory management, storage, and distribution, is an example of end-to-end in industries outside of IT.

End to End

Understanding End-to-End in Information Technology

1:06

Generally, end-to-end solutions are used with vendors that offer comprehensive systems that keep pace with a businesss ever-changing infrastructure requirements, and the changing demands of the IT sector itself. End-to-end suppliers generally handle all of a system's hardware and software, including installation, implementation, and maintenance. An end-to-end solution might cover everything from the client interface to data storage.

A company that offers end-to-end video conferencing products, for example, will provide everything including the monitors and network connections. In e-commerce, end-to-end processing occurs when one company provides a service to another in which it manages the sales, order tracking, and delivery of a product.

When dealing with complex systems or services, it is often easier and more cost-effective for the customer to have only one supplier and one point of contact. Also, IT solutions that involve multiple providers for different parts of the workflow only increase the cost of managing the process so are not considered to be true end-to-end solutions.

End-to-end processes are often used to embrace operational efficiency. For example, the Bureau of the Fiscal Services Office of Financial Innovation and Transformation of the Federal government developed end-to-end frameworks. This framework strives to reduce unnecessary steps, automate processes, and achieve large-scale efficiencies. By transforming end-to-end services, the department has identified up to $3 billion of potential cost savings.

Examples of End-to-End Services

In the world of procurement, an end-to-end process could mean analyzing each and every point in a companys supply chain, from sourcing and ordering raw materials to the distribution of goods to end consumers. End-to-end procurement software solutions offer organizations a total overview of their supply chain, such as how long it takes for goods to be sent from suppliers and how much those goods cost.

Another example of end-to-end processing is in logistics, where service providers take care of inventory management, storage, and distribution. By eliminating as many layers and steps as possible, a logistics specialist can optimize distribution and minimize disruptions from road congestion, vehicle breakdowns, and the like.

In the petroleum industry, for example, transportation and logistics companies offer customers flexible and cost-effective end-to-end services, from order planning to inventory monitoring, loading, and transportation, to delivery. The latter includes supplying fuel and lubricants to service stations, aviation fuel to airports, and bitumen to the asphalt industry.

What Does the Phrase End-to-End Mean?

End-to-end refers to a full process from start to finish. It is often used to describe a service that sees something through from the kick-off or initiation through the final product. It may be used to describe a one-time project (i.e. implementation of new software) or may be an internal process (i.e. setting up a new vendor in an accounting system from start to finish).

What Is an End-to-End Product?

An end-to-end product is an item that manages the full development process of a new product from the start of development through final delivery to customers. The end-to-end process may incorporate multiple departments, but it refers to the full span of activities needed from start to finish to furnish the final deliverable.

What Is a Full Project Life Cycle?

The project management lifecycle often consists of four stages: initiation, planning, execution, and close-out. An end to end process will often consist of all four stages, as the process begins with the start of a project or process and ends with the final wrap-up after product or project delivery has been made.

How Is End-to-End Services Implemented in IT?

End-to-end services are often utilized in IT as it meshes well with the implementation and utilization of software. Often, a provider will offer support in the set-up of a product. The provider will then offer ongoing support services including troubleshooting, assistance upgrading to new versions, and daily operational support. The provider's goal is to offer assistance in every facet of the software that may be used from start to finish.
What is agen234 slots freepik backgroundActivity-Based Budgeting (ABB)?

Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is a system that records, researches, and analyzes activities that lead to costs for a company. Every activity in an organization that incurs a cost is scrutinized for potential ways to create efficiencies. Budgets are then developed based on these results.

Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is more rigorous than traditional budgeting processes, which tend to merely adjust previous budgets to account for inflation or business development.

Key Takeaways

Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is a method of budgeting where activities that incur costs are recorded, analyzed and researched.

It is more rigorous than traditional budgeting processes, which tend to merely adjust previous budgets to account for inflation or business development.

Using activity-based budgeting (ABB) can help companies to reduce costs and, as a result, squeeze more profits from sales.

This method is particularly useful for newer companies and firms undergoing material changes.

How Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB) Works

Keeping costs to a minimum is a crucial part of business management. When done effectively and not too excessively, companies should be able to maintain and keep growing their revenues, while squeezing out higher profits from them.

Using activity-based budgeting (ABB) can help companies to reduce the activity levels required to generate sales. Eliminating unnecessary costs should boost profitability.

The activity-based budgeting (ABB) process is broken down into three steps.

Identify relevant activities. These cost drivers are the items responsible for incurring revenue or expenses for the company. Determine the number of units related to each activity. This number is the baseline for calculations. Delineate the cost per unitof activity and multiply that result by the activity level.

Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB) Vs. Traditional Budgeting Processes

Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is an alternative budgeting practice. Traditional methods are more simplistic, adjusting prior period budgets to account for inflation or revenue growth. Rather than using past budgets to calculate how much a firm will spend in the current year, activity-based budgeting (ABB) digs deeper.

Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is not necessary for all companies. For example, established firms that experience minimal change typically find that applying a flat rate to data from the previous year to reflect business growth and inflation is sufficient.

In contrast, newer companies without access to historical budgeting information cannot consider this an option. Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is also likely to be implemented by firms undergoing material changes, such as those with new subsidiaries, significant customers, business locations, or products. In these types of cases, historical information may no longer be a useful basis for future budgeting.

Example of Activity-Based Budgeting

Company A anticipates receiving 50,000 sales orders in the upcoming year, with each single order costing $2 to process. Therefore, the activity-based budget (ABB) for the expenses relating to processing sales orders for the upcoming year is $100,000 ($50,000 * $2).

This figure may be compared to a traditional approach to budgeting. If last years budget called for $80,000 of sales order processing expenses and sales were expected to grow 10%, only $88,000 ($80,000 + ($80,000 * 10%)) is budgeted.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Activity-Based Budgeting

Activity-based budgeting (ABB) systems allow for more control over the budgeting process. Revenue and expense planning occurs at a precise level that provides useful details regarding projections. ABB allows for management to have increased control over the budgeting process and to align the budget with overall company goals.

Unfortunately, these benefits come at a cost. Activity-based budgeting (ABB) is more expensive to implement and maintain than traditional budgeting techniques and more time consuming as well. Moreover, ABB systems need additional assumptions and insight from management, which can, on occasion, result in potential budgeting inaccuracies.
Gambling is golden tiger casino appa practice which is legal within the countries that form the European Union. There isn't Europe-wide legislation that covers gambling in all of the countries but there are laws in each state that regulate its practice within their territory. This means that each government has its own law on this subject. Governments want to protect their citizens from the adverse effects of gambling, and therefore many governments are in the situation of re-evaluating gambling policies and creating new regulations within the sector. The main goal of these new regulations and laws is to create a responsible gambling industry and to protect the players. That is the case with the most recent regulatory changes in Sweden.

In Sweden, specifically, gambling has been a common practice that has continued through many centuries. For a long time, there was a state monopoly on gambling. The Swedish Gambling Authority granted permissions to operators that wanted to offer gambling in some form, and it was illegal to offer any form of gambling without such a permission. The market was dominated by Svenska Spel, a gambling company owned by the Swedish state, and ATG (AB Trav och Galopp), owned by the Swedish horse racing associations. There are even four land-based casinos which belong to Svenska Spel. The government created a monopoly to ensure legal use of the gambling services and to reduce illegal practices, in this way protecting the players. The private sector found it very difficult to compete with the state's gambling industry. Therefore, this is the main reason why a high quantity of private sector companies began to offer gambling services online, aimed at the Swedish market.

These companies, however, are based in Malta or Gibraltar. Because of the EUs competition rules, they could not be blocked from providing gambling services to Sweden. This, however, created a lack of oversight which the Swedish state felt the need to address.

The new regulations

In 2018, a new law was voted on and has come into effect as of the 1st of January, 2019. This law states that any company that offers gambling services to players in Sweden is required to have a Swedish license. These companies will also have to pay an 18% tax on the profits made from the Swedish market.

This also brings many benefits to the players. The main ones are increased protections for players, such as a central register through which players can exclude themselves from all casinos with a Swedish license if they feel they have a gambling problem. It is also required that players be given an easy overview of how much they have played for, won and lost, as well as clear information on terms and conditions. There will be stricter rules on marketing, and casinos will only be allowed to offer one bonus to players  the welcome bonus. According to bastacasinobonus.se , the main goal and priority is for the customers to have a better playing situation with a law that focuses on their security and protection. This also opens up the country to a more liberal practice of gambling and market competition which ensures, above all else, a safe environment for the players. It's a way of making a growing market better for the players and companies involved.

To sum up, the new regulation law that Sweden has recently implemented is seeking a change in the policies of online gambling sites with the objective of improving the gambling services for players and businesses alike. The laws are targeted at making gambling safe which is great news for players.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
dbl. New Word List Save This usa accepted online casinosWord! Save ThisWord!

abbreviationdouble.

Words nearby dbl.

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Definition of Digression

While reading a narrative,3 way winner bet ghostbusters slot a reader comes across several sudden interruptions in the main action of the story, which provides him background information, establish his interest, describes a characters motivation, and builds suspense. These interruptions are called digressions. A digression is a stylistic device authors employ to create a temporary departure from the main subject of the narrative, to focus on apparently unrelated topics, explaining background details. However, after this temporary shift, authors return to the main topic at the end of the narrative.

Examples of Digression in Literature

Example #1: Iliad (By Homer)

Homer is one of the earliest users of digression during the Grecian Era. He uses digressions in Iliadto provide the readers with a break from the main narrative, offering background information and enhancing verisimilitudes of the story. For instance, in Book 11, Homer uses a small digression when Agamemnon encounters the brothers Hippolokhos and Peisandros in a battle. When they come to Agamemnon as suppliants, he reminds them that their father once denied emissaries of Menelaos. Homer employs it as a short interlude that provides the readers a serious note on the nature of rivalries and the beginnings of war.

Example #2: The Catcher in the Rye(By J. D. Salinger)

J. D. Salingers novel The Catcher in The Ryeis rich with digression. Many thought patterns of Holden Caulfield in the novel seem to be straying from the main topic, and hence unrelated. However, these digressions are relevant and important for the main topic, as they allow readers to gain insight into this character. For instance, his statements about the intelligence of his sister, followed by a description of how carefully she listens, reveals Holdings concerns.

Another example of digression is his tension about the nuns. Although he enjoyed discussion, he was worried about being asked whether he is a Catholic or not. This shows his tension for being judged morally and ethically, and his associations with moralists, who look down upon those who hide such realities from them.

Example #3: Oliver Twist(By Charles Dickens)

If it did not come strictly within the scope and bearing of my long-considered intentions and plans regarding this prose epic  to leave the two old gentlemen sitting with the watch between them long after it grew too dark to see it  I shall not enter into any such digression in this place: and, if this be not a sufficient reason for this determination, I have a better, and indeed, a wholly unanswerable on, already stated; which is, that it forms no part of my original intention to do so.

Dickens launches a lengthy discussion to show how the plot is progressing. This excerpt is a perfect instance of breaks and digressions in the story, reminding the readers this is not a real story but a novel, which keeps a distance between readers and characters.

Example #4: Odyssey(By Homer)

Homers Odysseyalso contains several interludes and digressions, which take readers away from the main action of the story. Despite that, these digressions are thematically connected to the main narrative, namely Odysseus journey to home and his several encounters during this journey. The poems style ranges from comic and conversational, to pithy, compact, and abstruse. For instance, the poem uses similes, comparing one event or action to another situation or happening in an elaborate or extended manner. For instance, the poet compares a squid clinging to a rock to Odysseus holding to his boat.

Function of Digression

The main function of digression is to provide a description of characters, give background information, establish interest, and create suspense for the readers. However, these functions vary from author to author. Some use it to provide scholarly background, while others use it to prevent confusion of illusions in a narrative.

Another function is to emphasize or illustrate an idea through anecdotes or examples, and establish a channel through which authors satirize a person or place. Besides these, many authors fear that if they do not digress from the main topic, naive readers might not be able to differentiate between the reality and fiction. The reason is that some topics are close to reality, such as poverty, strained relationships, and crime. Hence, they use it to put a check on their audiences sympathetic identification with certain characters.
betting spread nbashows grade level based on the word's complexity. claddagh [ klah-duh ]/ kl d / 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.[ klah-duh ]/ kl d /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna ring in the form of two hands clasping a crowned heart, given in friendship or love.

Words nearby claddagh

How to use in a sentence This particular pattern has been the marriage-ring of the Claddagh fishing tribes for many centuries. Romantic Ireland; volume 2/2|M.F and B. McM. Mansfield

Romantic Ireland; volume 2/2|M.F and B. McM. Mansfield In the Claddagh a pretty little child came up to me and asked me to take her "piccher," hoping for some coppers in payment. Just Irish|Charles Battell Loomis

Just Irish|Charles Battell Loomis As for me, I left the picturesque Claddagh and saw it no more. Just Irish|Charles Battell Loomis

Just Irish|Charles Battell Loomis One nailed me as I was passing her vegetable shop in the Claddagh. Just Irish|Charles Battell Loomis The Englishman who desires a new sensation should pay a visit to the Claddagh. A Little Tour In Ireland|S. Reynolds Hole

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 claddaghFirst recorded in 188085; named after Claddagh, a fishing village near Galway, Ireland, where the ring was supposedly first designed and madeClacton, Clactonian, Clacton-on-Sea, clad, cladanthous, claddagh, Claddagh ring, claddie, cladding, clade, cladismDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What is hack slotomania androidan Offer In Compromise

Offer in compromise is a program instituted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for taxpayers who cannot pay the taxes they owe, or for taxpayers for whom it would create a financial hardship to pay the taxes they owe. An offer in compromise allows taxpayers to settle their tax bill for less than the full amount owed.

When considering whether to allow a taxpayer to settle his bill with an offer in compromise, the IRS will look at the taxpayer's unique circumstances, including their income, ability to pay, expenses, and any assets the taxpayers owes.

Understanding Offer In Compromise

Offers in compromise are only available to eligible taxpayers. Taxpayers can find out if they are eligible for this program by consulting the Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier questionnaire online. The questionnaire will ask whether you are in an open bankruptcy proceeding, have filled out all the tax returns required of you and whether you have filled out the required tax documents of someone who is self-employed or has employed others. You will then have to input your zip code, state, county, the total number of people in your household and your total tax debt.

The next step of the questionnaire concerns your assets. The Internal Revenue Service will require you to input your total bank balances, the value of any home equity you own, the value of any stocks, bonds or other financial assets you own, and other assets. Then it will ask you for your income from any jobs you have, or from interest or dividend income. After giving this information, you will be required to list your expenses, including rent, mortgage, and vehicle related expenses. If you dont have vehicle-related expenses, you will be allowed to list expenses for public transportation. After filing this information, the IRS website will determine whether you qualify for an offer in compromise. If you or your business are involved in an open bankruptcy proceeding, you are not eligible to apply for an offer.

Alternatives to Offer in Compromise

If it turns out that you are not eligible for an offer in compromise, you may still be eligible to pay your taxes through an installment plan. Under such circumstances, the IRS will look at your income, assets, and expenses and determine a monthly payment that you can make until you are current on your tax liability. To apply for an installment plan, you can use the Online Payment Agreement tool. You can also use Form 9465, also known as the Installment Agreement Request.
Young Dylan Smith of New York honors a World War II veteran this Veterans Day

closeVideo

Boy scout Dylan Smith of Tarrytown, New York, honors Pearl Harbor veteran Armando "Chick" Galella in Sleepy Hollow, New York, on Friday, November 11, 2022  Veterans Day.

For one young man in Tarrytown, New York, honoring a local legend on Veterans Day was one of the most important things in his busy teen life.

Eighth-grader Dylan Smith, 13, is passionate about several things: learning, history, scouting, LEGOs  and honoring veterans.

"He is a leader and a doer, too," his mom, Laurie Smith, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.

VETERANS DAY AND ITS HISTORY: 6 KEY FACTS TO KNOW

On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, Dylan Smith took center stage as his Eagle Scout project  two benches honoring one very special veteran  were unveiled in front of the Sleepy Hollow Middle School in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

That veteran, Armando "Chick" Galella, who died on Sept. 29, 2021, at age 100, is a "legend" in the adjacent communities of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, said Laurie Smith.

Army veteran and Bronze Star Medal recipient Armando "Chick" Galella and Dylan Smith pictured together before Galella's passing on Sept. 29, 2021. (Laurie Smith)

"All the children of the town knew him. He had this beautiful home in the middle of town and he was the grand marshal of every parade  you know, he's that guy," Laurie Smith added.

Chick Galella, local treasure

Galella was born in 1921. The Sleepy Hollow native enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1940, according to a veteran profile of him on the National WWII Museum website.

After training, he was assigned to the 443rd Signal Corps at Hickam Air Force Base  and lived through the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, the museum's site also noted.

VETERANS DAY IS NOT ALWAYS EASY FOR OUR HEROES  HERE'S WHAT TO SAY AND DO

Galella served for five years in the Pacific theater in some of WWIIs "bloodiest battles," the museum site said, including Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

He received the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and bravery in the Battle of Okinawa.

Armando "Chick" Galella during his military service days. (Family Handout)

When he left the service in 1945, Galella had "earned the highest rank an enlisted man can achieve"  battalion sergeant major  the museum's site also said.

Teen noticed how Galella honored others

Young Dylan Smith was always moved by the fact that Galella, who lost his best friend, John J. Horan, at Pearl Harbor, stayed close with Horan's family  and particularly with Horan's mother, said Smith.

So close were they that last year, just months before he passed, Galella had a Gold Star Mothers monument placed in Sleepy Hollow to honor Horan's mother, as well as all Gold Star Mothers.

"It was dedicated on Mothers Day," Smith said. "And all the Scouts were there." (See the photo, below.)

"Chick" Galella, World War II veteran, is shown in 2021 standing beside the Gold Star Mothers memorial  which he arranged in honor of his fallen best friend's mother and all Gold Star Mothers. (Mike Galella)

Young Dylan never forgot that significant gesture and what it meant.

Tributes for Galellas great-grandchildren

As part of his show of respect for Tarrytowns heralded veteran after his passing, Dylan Smith, in late September, presented Galellas great-grandchildren  Ellis, a fifth-grader, and Luke, a fourth-grader  with little LEGO figurines that look like Galella, said Laurie Smith.

VETERANS DAY: GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SACRIFICES, SAYS REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM

"This is a passion of Dylans  starting back when he made tiny LEGO representations of his team of middle school teachers," she added.

Dylans dad, Mike Smith, is also a veteran. He retired from the U.S. Navy after serving for 21 years, noted Smith. Dylan made a little LEGO person to honor his dad, as well. (See photo, below.)

Dylan Smith of New York created this LEGO piece to honor his own dad  who served in the U.S. Navy for 21 years. (Laurie Smith)

We have a "sea of tiny little historical figures" around the house, Smith said, laughing, as she shared that her son enjoys creating LEGO replicas of real people from history.

Memorial takes shape

After watching his hero honor Gold Star Mothers with a memorial, young Dylan Smith decided that he would  when the time came  honor Galella with a tangible symbol of appreciation for his service and his significance to the towns.

"No one expected Chick to go so soon, even though he was 100," said Smith. "He died of COVID," she added. "He probably could have made it to 104."

A LEGO version of real-life Pearl Harbor veteran Armando "Chick" Galella, as created by Boy Scouts of America life scout Dylan Smith of New York. (Alex Kent for Fox News Digital)

The memorial, consisting of two stone benches, is placed near the middle school.

"There's a big hill in front of the school where several years ago, Chick started a tradition of having the middle school children  and sometimes little kids, from the kindergarten next door  come and plant American flags all over the hill," said Smith.

MEET THE AMERICAN WHO INSPIRED THE NATION IN TWO WORLD WARS: CHRISTIAN SOLDIER SGT. ALVIN YORK

She added, "And it's beautiful, and really, really big."

Chick would "bring a folding chair and sit and oversee the whole thing," she added.

Armando "Chick" Galella, at age 97, is pictured saluting during an event on the USS Intrepid to mark the 77th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 2018, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

After the unveiling on Nov. 11, others in the community will be able to come and sit where Chick once sat  and remember and reflect on lives dedicated to service and country.

The Eagle Scout project

Dylan Smith first got a concrete slab  and planned to order benches, with Tarrytown donating one and neighboring town Sleepy Hollow donating one as well.

Dylan Smith of New York, in his scouting uniform, salutes American flags commemorating U.S. veterans. (Laurie Smith )

Halfway through the process, said Smith, "the Sleepy Hollow Department of Public Works said, Oh, we have these old benches that used to line the street.'"

"Since they once lined the street, theres a good chance that Chick actually sat on them," she added.

VIRGINIA NAVY VETERAN SAYS ALL VETERANS DESERVE THANKS, NOT JUST THOSE WHO SAW BATTLE

Young Dylan also planted two cherry trees. "Those were Chick's favorite trees," Smith noted  and there is plaque in the veteran's honor as well.

"My father would be so touched by today's ceremonies," said Michael Galella.

So Dylan Smith is honoring a veteran and town legend while also completing an important step in his journey toward Eagle Scout.

"The Eagle Scout service project is the big, visible project" to earn the rank, his mom said.

BSA Life Scout Dylan Smith, 13, displays his merit badges in Sleepy Hollow, New York, on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2022. He completed his Eagle Scout service project, which is a memorial to World War II veteran and local legend Armando "Chick" Galella. (Alex Kent for Fox News Digital)

As her son quickly climbs the ladder to Eagle Scout, Laurie Smith said, "During COVID, when things were shut down, Dylan kept working on things. He didn't stop, and that's why he is at this point able to complete his big project for Eagle Scout."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Chick Galella's son, Michael Galella, is moved by the impression his dad left on people.

He said he didn't realize how his dad's talks throughout the community and his various projects  including "flags at the high school, the Gold Star Mother statue and talking to kids about Pearl Harbor"  would have "such meaning for such a young group of kids," he told Fox News Digital by email.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

It "obviously meant a lot to Dylan Smith, who spearheaded this dedication to my father at the high school," he said.

He added, "It is so beautiful and it's hard to comprehend that this dedication will hopefully withstand this place in time."

He also said, "My father would be so touched by today's ceremonies."

Deirdre Reilly is a senior editor in lifestyle with Fox News Digital.
To-dau I went for a stroll by the river in whose blue waters are mirrored the willows and the houses that befringe its banks. Marguerite|Anatole France

The present and imperfect tense of the potential mood, is formed by dau, and the perfect by gee, suffixed as in other instances. The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft

The imperative is made in gah, and the potential in dau where the second future is daugee. Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 18. The arms trade embargo from the European side is irrelevant to Iran, which has its own domestic production of most weapons and military supplies, said Vahid Jalalzadeh, Head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, Trend reports.

According to Jalalzadeh, the arms trade embargo against Iran, which has been applied for a long time, has resulted in Iran strengthening its armed defense field.

He also said that according to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran was supposed to be free from the arms trade embargo in 2020. However, the European parties to the deal added a new condition in 2020 that extended the embargo for another three years. This meant that Iran could not buy or sell weapons until October 18, 2023. But now, the European parties have announced that they will not lift the embargo, claiming that Iran has not complied with its obligations under the JCPOA.

Recently, the EUs High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Joseph Borell, said that Iran had not fulfilled its obligations under the JCPOA. Because of this, three European countries (the UK, France and Germany) chose to withdraw from some of their commitments in the deal.

On January 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany). In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 and a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.

On May 8, 2019, Iran announced ceasing to fulfill its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations.

On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.

On September 5 of the same year, Iran announced its commitment to enrich uranium, using next-generation centrifuges and not to mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA.

On November 5, 2019, Iran announced to have taking the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.

On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.

Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany), and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.

Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.

---

Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur
What Is the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)?wild streak slot machine

The best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) is the course of action that a party engaged in negotiations will take if talks fail, and no agreement can be reached. Negotiation researchers Roger Fisher and William Ury coined the term BATNA in their 1981 bestseller "Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In." A party's BATNA refers to what a party can fall back on if a negotiation proves unsuccessful.

Key Takeaways

BATNAs exist when negotiations are not agreeable to the parties involved.

A BATNA represents the most attractive option available if negotiations fail.

BATNAs are used to determine the reservation valuethe worst possible offer a negotiator is willing to accept.

Negotiators can also improve their position by exploring multiple BATNAs.

If possible, general negotiations are often a better and quicker strategy.

Understanding a Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)

Parties may tailor BATNAs to any situation that calls for negotiations, ranging from discussions of a pay hike to resolving more complex situations like mergers.BATNAs are vital to negotiation because a party cannot make an informed decision about whether to accept an agreement unless they understand their alternatives. While a BATNA may not always be easy to identify, Harvard researchers have outlined several steps to help clarify the process:

List all alternatives if your current negotiation ends in an impasse. Evaluate your alternatives based on the value of pursuing an alternative. Select the alternative action(s) that would have the highest expected value for you. After you have determined your BATNA in Step 3, calculate your reservation value or the lowest-valued deal you are willing to accept.

If the value of the deal proposed to you is lower than your reservation value, you should reject the offer and pursue your BATNA. However, if the final offer is higher than your reservation value, you should accept the offer.

A strong BATNA can also help a party understand that it has an appealing alternative to the deal and can walk away from a tempting offer.

Negotiation is more than determining a series of alternatives. Understanding the nuances of negotiation tactics can help improve professional relationships by resolving difficult disputes. Understanding negotiation can also help you evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses in the face of conflict and learn to manage your bargaining tendencies. Finally, studying the common and potentially manipulative negotiation tactics employed by some people can help negotiators to neutralize their effects.

BATNA Tips

In order to reach the best possible outcome, it is important to do as much preparation as possible before entering into negotiations. This means not only should you prepare a strong BATNA in advance, you should also research into the BATNAs available to the opposing party. Conversely, you should expect the other party to do the samedon't let the other side attempt to downplay your BATNA.

It is also possible to prepare multiple BATNAs, contrary to what the word "best" might lead you to believe. In fact, you should have as many as possiblethe more BATNAs in your arsenal, the more cards you have to play at the negotiating table.

Despite the name, you can prepare multiple BATNAs, giving you a stronger negotiating position.

BATNA Traps

While there are clear advantages to understanding all the available options, it is still possible to reach an unsatisfactory result. There are many possible pitfalls facing a difficult negotiation, and it is important for negotiators to remain discipline when pressured by the opposing party.

It is also important to understand the value of all the alternatives available. If a negotiator places too high a value on the other party's hand, they risk making big concessions for very few benefits. If a negotiator undervalues the other party's hand, they may talk themselves into a position that can never be resolved.

Many negotiators become emotionally invested in a successful outcome, especially if they have already spent a lot of time at the bargaining table. This is the sunk cost fallacya skilled negotiator should always be ready to walk away. Conversely, one is also likely to come under pressure from the opposing negotiators, who will do their best to diminish the value of your BATNAs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of BATNA

A strong BATNA can be a valuable card at the negotiating table, allowing parties to ground their positions on a factual basis rather than emotions. Strong BATNAs also ensure a backup plan, so that the organization will not be interrupted if the negotiations fail. It also makes a failure less likely; the stronger the BATNA, the more likely the opposing party is to seek a mutual agreement.

However, the BATNA process also has its costs. Depending on how complicated the business at hand is, finding the best alternative can be a lengthy and expensive process in itself. It is also not an infallible process, and negotiators run the risk of miscalculating their options or overlooking some of the possibilities.

Pros & Cons of BATNA

Provides a backup plan if negotiations fail.

Makes agreement more likely, as a strong BATNA is more likely to bring counterparties to agreement.

Allows negotiations from a sound factual basis.

Calculating BATNAs can be an expensive and complicated process.

Negotiators may still miscalculate the cost or benefits of some alternatives.

There is still a risk of making a disadvantageous choice.

Example of a Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement (BATNA)

ProsCons



For example, Company A makes a takeover offer of $20 million to Company B. Yet Company B believes they are worth $30 million in valuation. Company B quickly rejects the offer. However, what Company B did not take into account is the increasing competition in the industry and tighter regulationsall of which will restrict its growth in the coming year(s) and lower its valuation.

If Company B had taken time to incorporate these factors into the current valuation, and clearly moved through the four BATNA steps, including #2, evaluating the alternative of staying the course in a difficult business environment, management might have been persuaded to accept. They would have included these potential risks in their estimate of the reservation valuethe worst possible outcome a negotiator is prepared to accept.



How Do I Find My BATNA?

The first step to determining a BATNA is to list all the possible courses of action that will be available if the negotiations fail. Next, evaluate the value of each alternative, and determine which ones are most attractive. Having calculated your BATNA, you can now make a determination about the lowest-value deal you should be willing to accept.

Should I Reveal My BATNA in Negotiations?

While revealing a strong BATNA can provide valuable leverage, a weak BATNA should never be revealed, because that will only give the opposing side more reason to hold out for more concessions. For example, in employment negotiations, a strong counteroffer from another employer can help you bargain for a higher salary or more vacation time; revealing a weak counteroffer simply shows that you have no advantages to going elsewhere.

What Is a Strong BATNA?

A BATNA, or Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement, represents the best option to one party in a negotiation if the talks fail. A strong BATNA means that that party has a reasonably attractive alternative to negotiation; if they fail to reach agreement, they can implement the BATNA with minimal disruption.

What Is the Difference Between BATNA and Reservation Value?

A BATNA represents the best option available to one party if negotiations fail, while a reservation value represents the worst deal they would be willing to accept. A reservation value should always be higher than the BATNA. For example, when buying a car, the BATNA might represent the option of shopping at another dealer. The reservation value would represent the highest price you are willing to pay, depending on the cost of finding other dealers.
win real money games no depositshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dactylomegaly [ dak-tuh-loh-meg-uh-lee ]/ dk t lomg  li / 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-tuh-loh-meg-uh-lee ]/ dk t lomg  li /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Medicine/Medical.abnormal enlargement of the fingers or toes.

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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 dactylomegalydactylo- + -megalydactylic, dactylo-, dactylogram, dactylography, dactylology, dactylomegaly, dactyloscopy, -dactylous, dactylus, -dactyly, dadDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
zynga poker download macshows grade level based on the word's complexity. Dante chair 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 Italian Furniture.a chair of the Renaissance having two transverse pairs of curved legs crossing beneath the seat and rising to support the arms and back.

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How to use in a sentence While 19 percent of the House is female, just one woman will get to chair one of its 20 committees. The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST She added: NBC News is proud to have David in the important anchor chair of Meet the Press.  David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST Because Chirlane and I have had to talk to Dante for years, about the dangers he may face. The NY Police Unions Vile War with Mayor De Blasio|Michael Tomasky|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The NY Police Unions Vile War with Mayor De Blasio|Michael Tomasky|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST Still fearful and smarting from the pain, I arrived on time and was led to chair in his office. I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST In our screenings, he always sits in the same corner chair and always looks hopeful, no matter what the movie. Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 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

The Wave|Algernon Blackwood With a suffocating gasp, she fell back into the chair on which she sat, and covered her face with her hands. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter The president sat in a chair which came over with the pilgrims in their ship, the Mayflower. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various 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

The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin He noticed at the same time several burnt matches between his cushions and her chair. The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

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 Dante chairNamed afterDantedanseur, danseur noble, danseuse, Dante, Dantean, Dante chair, Dantesque, danthonia, Danton, Danton, Georges, dantroleneDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
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abbreviation fordigitally assisted television: a technique in which special digital signals are transmitted with an analogue picture signal to assist the receiver to display the picture to the best advantage

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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!Questiondatu, Datuk, datum, datum plane, datura, DATV, dau., daub, daube, daubery, DaubignyCollins 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 Are Excess Reserves?free slots land ncaaf vegasinsider

Excess reserves are capital reserves held by a bank or financial institution in excess of what is required by regulators, creditors, or internal controls. For commercial banks, excess reserves are measured against standard reserve requirement amounts set by central banking authorities. These required reserve ratios set the minimum liquid deposits (such as cash) that must be in reserve at a bank; more is considered excess.

Excess reserves may also be known as secondary reserves.

Key Takeaways

Excess reserves are funds that a bank keeps back beyond what is required by regulation.

As of 2008, the Federal Reserve pays banks an interest rate on these excess reserves.

The interest rate on excess reserves is now being used in coordination with the fed funds rate to encourage bank behavior that supports the Federal Reserve's targets.

Understanding Excess Reserves

Excess reserves are a safety buffer of sorts. Financial firms that carry excess reserves have an extra measure of safety in the event of sudden loan loss or significant cash withdrawals by customers. This buffer increases the safety of the banking system, especially in times of economic uncertainty. Boosting the level of excess reserves can also improve an entity's credit rating, as measured by rating agencies such as Standard & Poor's.

The Federal Reserve has many tools in its monetary normalization toolkit. In addition to setting the fed funds rate, it now has the ability to change the rate of interest that banks are paid on required (interest on reserves, or IOR) and excess reserves (interest on excess reserves, or IOER).

Rule Change Increases Excess Reserves

Prior to Oct. 1, 2008, banks were not paid a rate of interest on reserves. The Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006 authorized the Federal Reserve to pay banks a rate of interest for the first time. The rule was to go into effect on Oct. 1, 2011. However, the Great Recession advanced the decision with the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Suddenly, and for the first time in history, banks had an incentive to hold excess reserves at the Federal Reserve.

Excess reserves hit a record $2.7 trillion in August 2014 due to the quantitative easing program. Between January 2019 and February 2020, excess reserves ranged between $1.3 and $1.6 trillion. After March 11, 2020, the excess reserves skyrocketed to reach $3.2 trillion by May 20, 2020, in the wake of the 2020 COVID-related financial crisis.

Proceeds from quantitative easing were paid out to banks by the Federal Reserve in the form of reserves, not cash. However, the interest paid on these reserves is paid out in cash and recorded as interest income for the receiving bank. The interest paid out to banks from the Federal Reserve is cash that would otherwise be going to the U.S. Treasury.

The FRB reduced the reserve requirement ratios on net transaction accounts to zero percent, effective March 26, 2020, in response to the economic fallout from the COVID19 pandemic.

Interest on Excess Reserves and the Fed Funds Rate

Historically, the fed funds rate is the rate at which banks lend money to one another and is often used as a benchmark for variable rate loans. Both the IOR and the IOER are determined by the Federal Reserve, specifically the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). As a result, banks had an incentive to hold excess reserves, especially when market rates were below the fed funds rate. In this way, the interest rate on excess reserves served as a proxy for the fed funds rate.

The Federal Reserve alone has the power to change this rate, which increased to 0.5% on December 17, 2015, after nearly a decade of lower bound interest rates. Since then, the Fed has been using the interest on excess reserves to create a band between the fed funds rate and the IOER by setting it purposely below to keep their target rates on track. For example, in December 2018, the Fed raised its target rate by 25 basis points but only raised IOER by 20 basis points.

This gap makes excess reserves another policy tool of the Fed. If the economy is heating up too fast, the Fed can shift up its IOER to encourage more capital to be parked at the Fed, slowing growth in available capital and increasing resiliency in the banking system.

So far, however, this policy tool has not been tested in a challenging economy. The first test to be watched and analyzed is now with the 2020 crisis, and the doubling of the excess reserves amount in a matter of nine weeks.
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How to use datura C16: from New Latin, from Hindi dhatura jimson weed, from Sanskrit dhattura

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American writers and British writers spell some words differently, even when they mean the same thing. You can see these disparate spellings any time you read American and British publications. An article in The Wall Street Journal, for instance, might contain the word favorite, while an article in The Economist might contain the word favourite.

Many times, these spelling differences are the result of different standardization at the editorial level. As languages evolve, these standards can and do change, as well.

As a writer yourself, you will have to choose between these two variants when you use the word. Neither is incorrect, but there are definitely situations where favorite is preferable to favourite, and vice versa. The difference, like in so many writing dilemmas, comes down to your intended audience.

So, how should you spell favorite in your writing? Lets find out.

What is the Difference Between Favorite and Favourite?

In this post, I will compare favorite vs. favourite. I will outline when these spellings are appropriate and showcase how they are used in example sentences, so that you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful mnemonic device that will help you choose either favourite or favorite for your own writing.

When to Use Favorite

What does favorite mean? Favorite is an adjective. Favoritedescribes something which is preferred above all others.

Here are some examples,

Geraldines favorite food is pizza, but she will never say no to hot wings, either.

Robert has a favorite word, but he cannot repeat it in polite company.

Dominiques favorite thing to do on a sunny afternoon is walk her dog in the city park.

My new favorite heirloom white beans are the small, round Italian purgatory beans, fagioli del purgatorio, which have a tender, creamy texture. The New York Times

Favorite is the standard spelling of this word in American English.

When to Use Favourite

What does favourite mean? Favourite is an alternative spelling of the same word. It is the standard spelling in British English. It can be used in all the same contexts as favorite, and carries the same meaning.

For example,

Bob Baffert, whose Arrogate is the favourite for the $10m Dubai World Cup on Saturday, said here on Wednesday his colt is the dirt version of Frankel, the brilliant champion who won all 14 of his races in England in the same green, white and pink colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah. The Guardian

The following two charts show the relative usage of favourite vs. favoritein American English and British English, respectively, since 1800.

As you can see, favorite has been preferred in American English since shortly before 1850, when it overtook favourite in usage. Favourite has always been preferred in British English.

These charts arent exhaustive in their scope, but they do help for identifying long-term trends.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Choosing between favorite and favourite is simple: you must consider your audience.

For American readers, choose favorite.

For British readers, choose favourite.

Since favourite contains an extra U, like United Kingdom, this should be an easy decision to make.

Summary

Is it favorite or favourite? Favorite and favourite are alternative spellings of the same word, which refers to something that is preferred above all others.

Favorite is the American spelling.

Favourite is the British spelling.

For British audiences, you should use favourite. This is easy to remember, since favourite and United Kingdom are both spelled with the letter U, unlike favorite.

In summary, favorite is the American form of this word. Favourite is the British form.
What Is Odious Debt?directions to the closest casino near me

Odious debt, also known as illegitimate debt, is when a country's government changes and the successor government does not want to pay debts incurred by the previous government. Usually, successor governments argue that the previous government misappropriated money it had borrowed and that they should not be held responsible for the previous regimes alleged misdeeds.

key takeaways

Odious debt is a term applied to a predecessor government's debt that a successor government wishes to repudiate on ostensibly moral grounds.

Odious debt is not an established principle of international law, but is often given as a rationale by the victors of civil or international conflict to repudiate their defeat opponents debts.

The successful application of the concept of odious debt presents a significant risk for investors in sovereign debt and may increase borrowing costs for countries under threat of regime change.

Understanding Odious Debt

Odious debt is not a concept officially recognized in international law. No national or international court or governing body has ever invalidated sovereign obligations on the grounds of odious debt. Odious debt is clearly at odds with established international law, which generally holds successor governments accountable for the debts of regimes that preceded them.

The concept of odious debt is most often raised when the government of a country changes hands violently either through conquest by another country or through internal revolution. The new government in such a situation is rarely eager to take on the debts of the vanquished predecessor.

Other than simply wanting to get out of the debt, governments may consider debt odious when previous government leaders used borrowed funds in ways that the new government does not agree with, sometimes claiming that the borrowed funds did not benefit its citizens, and to the contrary, may have been used to oppress them. Indeed, it is routine for victors of civil war or international conflict to accuse the regimes they have deposed or conquered of corruption, abuse, or general malevolence. As the saying goes, the winners write the history books.

Despite international law, the concept of odious debt has been successfully used as a post hoc rationale when the victors of such conflicts are powerful enough to enforce their will on world financial markets and international lenders. In reality, whether or not the successor regime is held to repayment by the previous governments creditors tends to boil down to a question of who is more powerful. New regimes that gain international recognition or the support of major military powers tend to be more successful at repudiating the old debts.

Examples of Odious Debt

The idea behind odious debt first gained notoriety after the Spanish-American War. The U.S. government argued that Cuba should not be held liable for debts incurred by the Spanish colonial regime, the colonial rulers of Cuba. While Spain disagreed, Spain, not Cuba, ultimately was left with the post-war debt, due to the balance of power between the triumphant colonial power of the U.S. and the defeated Spanish Empire bereft of the last of its overseas territories after the war.

Odious debt has been raised as an argument by regimes in Nicaragua, the Philippines, Haiti, South Africa, Congo, Niger, Croatia, Iraq, and other countries who accuse previous rulers of either personally looting national funds for their own accounts or using the money to restrict liberties and inflict violence on their own citizens. In all such cases, the actual resolution or restructuring of old debt in the wake of regime changes has followed geopolitical and strategic considerations rather than the proposed doctrine of odious debt.

For example, the apartheid-era government of South Africa borrowed from international banks and investors to build dams, power plants, and other infrastructure. When the African National Congress (ANC) took power in 1994, it inherited these debts. Many members of the successor government, led by President Nelson Mandela, argued that these debts were odious due to the social policies of the prior regime.

However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, which had heavily supported the ANC, the new South African government found itself lacking in powerful international allies who would be willing to support repudiation of the existing debt. In order to maintain access to international credit markets, the new government ended up paying those debts, so as not to scare off badly needed foreign investment.

Foreign Investment and Odious Debt

The prospect of regime change and the repudiation of the previous regime's contractual obligations presents a direct risk for investors who deal in sovereign debt. Investors who hold loans or bonds of an existing government run the risk that the funds will not be repaid if the borrower is overthrown or subjugated by another power.

In particular, because the concept of odious debt is generally applied retroactively to debts that were recognized and legal and legitimate at the time, but is also applied nearly universally to the losers of international or internecine conflict, lenders can only account for this as part of the general risk of the political stability of a borrower. This risk is embodied in a premium on the return demanded by investors, which will tend to be greater when potential successor governments become more likely to be able to make charges of odious debt stick.

Moral Arguments and Odious Debt

Some legal scholars argue that, for moral reasons, these debts should not have to be repaid. Proponents of the idea of odious debt believe countries doing the lending must have known, or should have known, of the alleged oppressive conditions upon offering the credit. They have held that successor governments should not be liable for odious debt that earlier regimes passed down to them.

One obvious moral hazard in labeling debt odious after the fact is that successor governments, some that may have a lot in common with the ones that preceded them, may use odious debt as an excuse to wriggle out of obligations they should pay. A potential solution to resolve this moral hazard, forwarded by economists Michael Kremer and Seema Jayachandran, is that the international community could announce that all future contracts with a particular regime are odious.

Therefore, lending to that regime following such a decree would be internationally recognized at the lenders peril, as they would not be repaid if the regime is later toppled. This would transform the concept of odious debt from a post hoc rationalization for countries to repudiate their debts into a forward-looking weapon of international conflict as an alternative or prelude to open warfare. Rival powers and coalitions could then use the concept of odious debt to restrict each other's access to capital markets by accusing their opponents of various misdeeds, before launching a coup, invasion, or insurgency.
B.A., University of NevadaLas Vegas

If you are planning a trip to Italy and you intend to use some Italian to better get around, function, and fit in, of course, many are the things to learn: how to ask for directions, how to order food, and how to count are all important, indeed.

None, however, may be more important than knowing how to greet the people whose country you are visiting and follow their mores. Knowing how to properly say hello and exchange words of courtesy helps smooth your path and express appreciation and respect: After all, while Italians are fun-loving and relaxed, they are an ancient people with a certain way of doing things.

Here are the main phrases of greeting to help you through your travels.

Greetings

Much like English, Italian offers greetings that are appropriate for different times of the day and different circumstances, both for saying hello and goodbye:

Ciao! Hi! Goodbye!

Ciao, now accepted around the world, means both hello and goodbye. It is the most common and informal greeting used in Italy, but take note of its informality: You don't use it with people you do not know or people with whom you are not in a personal relationship (unless they are children); so you don't say it to the random person on the street, to the head of the police, or the shopkeeper. Or the waiter at the restaurant, for that matter, even if it is a young person. You can use it once you have made friends with somebody. Remember that in Italy there are formal and informal ways of addressing people, and they are more subtle than just verb forms.

Salve! Hello!

Salveis a nice way to say hello, appropriate for acquaintances or to greet someone unknown in a store or on the street. It translates most perfectly to a basic, polite "hello." You mostly use it as a greeting when you arrive, as an opening, rather than when you leave. Indeed, salveis the opening word of many a prayer, including "Salve, Regina"to the Virgin Mary.

Arrivederci!Goodbye!

Arrivedercigoes high up on this list because, other than ciao, it is the most common way of saying goodbye when you take leave of a place. While it literally means "to when we see each other again," and it can, depending on the circumstance, mean that you expect to see the person again, it is casually used every day to say goodbye, without any meaning attached. You can use it with people you know, but also when exiting a store or leaving a restaurant or a bank, even though you may never go there again.

Buon Giorno! Good Morning! Good Day!

Buon giornois the most widely used greeting in the morning, from anyone to anyone. You can use it to greet people you don't know while walking down the street; to greet friends at the bar for coffee; to say hello when you walk into a store (and when you walk out, though when you are leaving you could also use arrivederci).

In most places, you can safely use buon giorno(also spelled buongiorno) up to lunchtime and no later. Up North, it is used more generally; in Centro Italia and in the South, it is used more literally, for the morning only. In Tuscany, where people are most humorously honest, if you say buon giornoin the middle of the afternoon, someone is bound to answer, Chiappalo!, which means, try to catch itthe morningif you can!

Buon Pomeriggio! Good Afternoon!

You can use this greeting any time in the afternoon. Though it is not used as often as fellow greetings buon giorno, above, and buona sera, below, you can use it with assurance because it is a fine way of saying hello in the afternoon. In fact, it has a certain distinction and elegance to it.

Buona Sera!Good Evening!

Buona sera(also spelled buonasera) is the perfect way to greet someone while you talk a walk (una passeggiata) or go shopping around town any time beginning in the early afternoon (after lunch). If you are taking leave of a place, still in the afternoon, you can also use buona sera, or arrivederci.

Buona Giornata! Buona Serata!

Buona giornata and buona serataare used when you are saying goodbye to someone (in the day or evening) and they (or you) are moving on to other activities and you don't expect to see them again during the course of that day or evening. The difference between giornoand giornatais that the latter (like serata, and like journeeand soireein French) stresses the experience of the day and its happenings, not its mere being as a unit of time. So, when you say buona giornataor buona seratayou are wishing someone a good day or a good evening.

Buona Notte! Good Night!

Buona notte(also spelled buonanotte) is both a formal and informal greeting to wish somebody a good night. The words echo through the streets and piazzas of Italy everywhere as people part for the night. It is used only when you or someone else is going home to sleep.

(Note, though: Buona notteis also used as an expression to mean, "yeah, right," or "forget about it" in response to something unlikely (like someone giving you back some money they took from you: Si, buonanotte!), and also to put an end to something (as the night does). For example, Pago io e buonanotte!:"I pay, and that's the end of it." You might hear arrivederci used in the same way.)

Polite Exchanges

Beyond the greeting, there are a few essential conversational words and expressions you should know to show off your manners:

Piacere! Nice to Meet You!

When you meet someone, or someone meets you, the common thing to say is, Piacere, which expresses your pleasure to meet. A quite formal person, or a gallant man, might answer back, Piacere mio: the pleasure is mine. (Salveis also appropriate when you meet someone, in the place of piacere.)

After the courtesy of piacereorsalve, you say your name. You can also say, Mi chiamo(I call myself), followed by your name (the verb chiamare).

It is not uncommon in Italy for people to not introduce themselves (or others, for that matter), so if you want to know what your interlocutor's name is, you might have to ask: Lei come si chiama?if the formal is appropriate (a shopkeeper, for example, a fellow guest at a dinner party, or the waiter at the restaurant), or, Tu come ti chiami?if the informal feels appropriate.

Come Sta? How are you?

Italians, unlike Americans, for example, are not wont to casually ask people how they are as a way of saying hello or as a greeting when they meet you. They ask to know how you really are if they are interested: If they have not seen you in a long time, for example; if something happened since the last time you saw each other.

To ask how someone is, using the verb stare, the informal form of the question is, Come stai?The formal is, Come sta?In the plural, Come state?

Among the options for answering are:

Sto bene, grazie!Im well, thank you.

Bene, grazie. Good, thanks.

Non ce male, grazie.Not bad.

Cosi cosi. So-so.

If you are the one who has been asked how you are, politely you can ask back:

E Lei?And you (formal)?

E tu?And you (informal)?

E voi? And you (plural, formal or informal)?

Come Va? How's it going?

Come va?is another way of asking how someone is. It means, "How are things?" It can be used with anyone, formal or informal. Its depth, casualness, sincerity or formality are established by other more subtle things such as a handshake, a smile, or an earnest look in the eye. Remember, though: in Italy people do not say "how is it going" in passing; it is usually a heartfelt question.

In response, you can say:

Bene, grazie.Its going well, thanks.

Tutto a posto, grazie.Everything is going well/as it should.

Per Favore, Grazie, Prego! Please, Thanks, You're Welcome!

Of course, you know thatper favore (orper cortesia) means "please."Grazieis, of course, what you say to thank someone for something (it can never be overused), and pregois the answeryou are welcomeor di niente, which means, "Don't mention it." You will also hear pregoused when someone invites you into a space such as their home or office, or invites you to be seated, or makes way for you somewhere, for example, to your table in a restaurant. It is a kind nod that indicates a welcome of sorts: "Go ahead," or, "Please, after you."

Permesso? May I?

Speaking of welcomes, if you get invited to someone's house in Italy, when you are entering you say, Permesso?You say it after the door opens, between the hello and the entering, and it means, "Do I have permission to enter?" It is a common word of courtesy to express acknowledgment of the sacredness of the home and the graciousness of being welcomed. Alternatively, you can say, Si puo? "May I/we?"

In response, your host will say, Vieni Vieni!Or, Venite! Benvenuti!Come, come! You are welcome!

Remember, if you mess up, it's not a big deal: The sincerity of the effort will be appreciated.

Buon viaggio!
marinabay sands hotelshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dead drop 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 prearranged secret spot where one espionage agent leaves a message or material for another agent to pick up.

Words nearby dead drop

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 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

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 During an emergency that ratio could be allowed to drop to 8.5 people per orbit. Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at Breaking Point, Air Force Says|Dave Majumdar|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST But with the pipeline, transportation costs drop and production would be higher. Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 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

Children's Ways|James Sully 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 When he plays a sonata it is as if the composition rose from the dead and stood transfigured before you. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay To-day I'm more dead than alive, as we had a lesson from him yesterday that lasted four hours. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay It is a fearsome thing for a man to be left alone in the dead of night with a young baby. The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

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 bury their dead, Let the, dead-cat bounce, dead center, dead centre, dead data, dead drop, dead drunk, dead duck, deaden, dead end, deadeningDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
The terrorist state of Russia has created a new private military company. It will be run directly by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

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The group intends to recruit former mercenaries of the Wagner PMC. This was reported by the National Resistance Center.

Currently, the aggressor country's Ministry of Defense is sending its emissaries to Belarus and African countries, including Algeria, Mali and Sudan. The Russians want to convince as many Wagner soldiers as possible to sign a contract with Russia through a new private military company.

According to preliminary data, war criminal Sergei Surovikin has been appointed responsible for the creation of the new private military company.

Thus, the competition for trained human resources continues between Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's GardService and the new Russian PMC under the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry.

As a reminder, the former head of the Joint Forces Group in the Northeast region Sergei Surovikin was spotted outside the country. The war criminal is seen sitting in the hall where an official event is taking place.

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General Sergei Surovikin, who had been missing for a long time, was spotted in Russia. He has not been seen in public since the coup attempt organized by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported:

- Russian propagandists have already started discussing how war criminal Sergei Surovikin will die. According to one version of the Russians, he may have a "heart attack".

- The New York Times reported that Surovikin had been released from custody, but it there is no information on whether any restrictions on his movement or other bans imposed by the Russian authorities remain in place.

Only verified information on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
When it was announced back in October 2020 that PayPal users in the US would be able to buy,odds for rams to win super bowl sell and spend Bitcoin and other digital currencies using the platform, technology writer Romain Dillet summed things up rather well. Many companies have been trying to build the PayPal of crypto, he wrote in TechCrunch. It turns out that the PayPal of crypto could just be PayPal.

PayPal has over 360 million users across the globe, with around 26 million vendors allowing their customers to purchase products and services through the payment platform. So it doesnt take an e-commerce expert to realise what a pivotal moment this is for both PayPal and cryptocurrencies in general. As Matt Frankel of financial advice site The Motley Fool recently put it, This is the first and this is the biggest by far legitimization of Bitcoin as a means of payment in its history. By far, not even close.

The knock-on effect for the online gambling industry is sure to be huge, as PayPal is one of the most popular ways to make deposits and withdrawals at casinos and sports betting sites, according to https://www.compare.bet/betting/banking/paypal. There are a number of reasons for this. Its widely supported by gambling sites, for one thing. It tends to provide a faster way to withdraw funds from your betting site account, compared to using debit cards and bank transfers. It also provides a safe and easy way for people to make transactions, as using an e-wallet removes the need to input your sensitive bank details, severely limiting any chance of exposure to the prying eyes of hackers and hoaxers.

Current limitations with Crypto

By contrast, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies havent constituted a particularly convenient banking method for gamblers. Players looking to deposit and withdraw funds using their cryptocurrency wallet directly have been largely limited to crypto casinos which exist in a kind of shadowy, parallel universe to the big mainstream casinos and betting sites. Regulating and licensing crypto casinos has long been a sticking point. As gambling law expert Richard Williams recently told TechRadar, Because of its historical association with money laundering and dirty money (e.g. the Silk Road) regulators are always going to be more wary of cryptocurrency as a payment method.

The ambiguous, unregulated, transitory nature of crypto casinos and sportsbooks perhaps accounts for their relative lack of popularity compared to mainstream sites. Theres also been concern about the potential presence of bots which, in the words of a 2020 academic study, may attempt to win the jackpot from an application once it becomes statistically worthwhile to pursue.

The change-up at PayPal puts mainstream betting sites back on the menu for crypto users. Thats because users dont actually make deposits using Bitcoin or other digital currencies directly. Instead, PayPal automatically converts the cryptocurrency stored in your account into the equivalent amount of traditional currency, which the betting site then receives. In other words, this wont change anything for all the many betting sites doing business on PayPal  theres no disruption to them, and no need for extra regulatory processes to be slapped on.

Is the hype real?

There has been a mixed response to this landmark moment. Some see it as much-needed acknowledgement that cryptocurrencies are no passing fad. Nigel Green, CEO of the deVere Group financial consultancy, has gushed over PayPals decision, saying The decision by one of the biggest payment companies in the world to allow customers to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin is yet another example that exposes Bitcoin deniers and cryptocurrency cynics as being on the wrong side of history.

Others have been less enthused, raising their eyebrows at the fact that PayPal doesnt allow users to transfer cryptocurrencies to other accounts. Its a closed loop, where you can only buy and sell Bitcoin and other digital currencies within PayPal itself. Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith had a curt response, saying PayPals decision is highly centralised and inflexible.

Such criticisms may be unduly harsh. After all, its still early days, and its very likely PayPal will become more flexible as the use of cryptocurrencies becomes truly widespread among the general populace. In the meantime, itll be fascinating to see how the development might change things in the world of online gambling.

On the face of it, its logical to assume PayPals shift will cause excitement among Bitcoin-savvy gamblers whove shied away from crypto casinos, and who may now be rubbing their hands at the prospect of using their virtual money to fund casino and sportsbook accounts. And yet, it may turn out that gamblers will always be reluctant to gamble using cryptocurrencies, due to the inherent volatility of those currencies themselves. As tech journalist Joel Khalili points out, Day-to-day fluctuations in price mean an investment in crypto is a gamble in itself, no matter what the most effusive Bitcoin evangelists might say.

As betting sites continue to surge in popularity, commentators, CEOs and gamblers alike are sure to keeping a close eye on how the gradual normalisation of cryptocurrencies will impact one of the most lucrative industries on Earth.

Category: Casino Blog
new no deposit casinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decree [ dih-kree ]/ dkri / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: decree / decreed / decrees on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-kree ]/ dkri /Save This Word!See synonyms for: decree / decreed / decrees on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna formal and authoritative order, especially one having the force of law: a presidential decree.Law. a judicial decision or order.Theology. one of the eternal purposes of God, by which events are foreordained.

verb (used with or without object), decreed, decreeing.to command, ordain, or decide by decree.

OTHER WORDS FROM decree

Words nearby decree

Words related to decree C14: from Old French decre, from Latin decretum ordinance, from decretus decided, past participle of decernere to determine; see decern

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 decree12751325; (noun) Middle English decre
Trump facing calls to delay 'big announcement' at Mar-a-Lago

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Vice President of America First Legal Gene Hamilton joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss why Trump is facing calls to delay the announcement and Sen. Josh Hawley demanding answers on the Biden administration's 'disinformation' efforts.

EXCLUSIVE: Ivanka Trump, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, said she loves and supports her father, former President Trump, "very much" but does "not plan to be involved in politics" and says her "focus is prioritizing" her young children and her family.

"I love my father very much. This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family," Ivanka Trump told Fox News Digital. "I do not plan to be involved in politics.

"While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena. I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and will always be proud of many of our administrations accomplishments."

Ivankas comments come after her father announced his third presidential campaign Tuesday night. Neither Ivanka nor Donald Trump Jr. attended their fathers announcement ceremony at Mar-a-Lago. Instead, Jared Kushner and Kimberly Guilfoyle attended to show their support.

2024 WATCH: MEET THE POTENTIAL GOP PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS

During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Tuesday, Ivanka said she is "extremely close" with her father. (Ivanka Trump)

Ivanka told Fox she is "extremely close" with her father.

"That hasnt changed and will never change," she added. "Ive had many roles over the years but that of daughter is one of the most elemental and consequential. I am loving this time with my kids, loving life in Miami and the freedom and privacy with having returned to the private sector. This has been one of the greatest times of my life."

IVANKA TRUMP SENDS 1M MEALS TO UKRAINIAN REFUGEES

Ivanka and Kushner moved to Miami after spending four years in Washington, D.C., and serving in the former Trump administration.

"My kids are thriving, and I want to maintain this cadence  this rhythm  at this point in our familys life," she continued, adding that "time is fleeting, and every parent will tell you it really does go by so quickly."

Ivanka and Kushner, have three children  Arabella, 11, Joseph, 9, and Theodore, 6.

"They are at critical ages, and we are enjoying these moments with them," Ivanka said. "Were happy where we are right now, and we will continue to support my father  as his kids."

Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have three children  Arabella, 11, Joseph, 9, and Theodore, 6. (Ivanka Trump)

Ivanka, who served as a senior adviser in the White House during the Trump administration, told Fox News Digital she "never intended to go into politics."

"Im very proud of what I was able to accomplish," she said. "I left it all on the field, and I dont miss it."

TRUMP CONFIRMS HE VOTED FOR RON DESANTIS, SAYS ELECTION WILL BE 'EXCITING DAY' FOR REPUBLICANS

Tiffany Trump, who got married over the weekend, also did not attend her father's announcement.

A source close to Ivanka told Fox News Digital she is always transparent with her father, saying the decision to stay out of politics is not one she made "yesterday."

"This is where shes been since she left Washington," a source close to Ivanka told Fox News Digital. "She felt she had served the country, and now she is going to focus on her family, and Jared felt the same."

During her time in the Trump administration, Ivanka championed policies that supported economic opportunities for working families, including doubling the child tax credit, child care support, education workforce development and paid family leave.

"My focus is prioritizing our young children and the private life were creating as a family," Ivanka said. (Ivanka Trump)

Ivanka led efforts for legislation that doubled the child tax credit and expanded eligibility while successfully advocating for the largest expansion ever of Child Care and Development Block Grants.

Ivanka also worked with members of Congress to secure 12 weeks of paid family leave for federal workers. She also took part in COVID negotiations to ensure workers at small businesses had paid sick leave to care for themselves or sick family members.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivanka also worked closely with the Small Business Administration and the Department of the Treasury to help enact the Paycheck Protection Program and worked with USDA to create the "Farmers to Families Food Box" program, which delivered more than 170 million boxes of fresh food to families in need.

During her time in Washington, she also pushed to double Department of Justice funding to combat human trafficking.

"She feels proud of what she was able to accomplish," a friend of Ivankas told Fox News Digital. "But she has no nostalgia for Washington."

Since leaving government, Ivanka has focused on her philanthropic efforts. (Getty Images)

Since leaving government, Ivanka has focused on her philanthropic efforts, specifically in supporting farmers in the United States, fighting food insecurity and aiding in various disaster relief efforts at home and abroad.

During the early days of Russias war against Ukraine, Ivanka helped to supply 1 million meals to Ukrainian families in need.

Domestically, Ivanka has provided financial relief and volunteered at disaster-stricken areas across the United States, including Kentucky, Florida and Louisiana.

A source close to Ivanka and Jared told Fox News the couple is committed to the work they are doing in the private sector and in philanthropy.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Kushner last year started a nonprofit, The Abraham Accords Peace Institute, after working in the Trump administration on the Abraham Accords, which officials touted as a "historic peace agreement" between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that normalized Middle East relations.

Brooke Singman is a Fox News Digital politics reporter. You can reach her at [email protected] or @BrookeSingman on Twitter.
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In 1687, Isaac Newton formulated his famous laws of motion, including the First Law (of inertia), but it turned out that a mistake was made in the translation of his law, which in some way distorted what the scientist meant. The error was found only three centuries later, but it turned out that it did not affect the essence of the law too much.

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This is stated in a study conducted by Daniel Hooke, a philosopher at Virginia Tech, who decided to set the record straight. His work was published in the journal Philosophy of Science.

Newton's law of inertia is as follows:

There are such reference frames in which the center of mass of any body on which no forces act, or the sum of the forces acting on it is zero, maintains a state of rest or uniform rectilinear motion until this state is changed by the forces applied to it.

Simply put, an object will continue to move in a straight line or remain at rest unless an external force intervenes.

According to Hooke, the problem is that Newton wrote his laws in Latin, and during the translation, one of the words was not translated quite correctly, resulting in a "gross mistranslation" into English, which was published in 1729.

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However, it was on the basis of this translation that scientists and teachers interpreted Newton's first law of inertia. As the philosopher notes, their interpretation works well, but until you remember that external forces are constantly acting, and Newton undoubtedly understood this.

In the course of his research, Hooke discovered that the error was also reported back in 1999, when two scholars pointed out that the translation of the Latin word quatenus means "insofar as" and not "unless".

According to Hooke, Newton did not mean that an object retains its momentum unless it is acted upon by other forces, but that every change in the body's momentum-every push, dip, turn, and jerk-is caused by external forces.

At the same time, as the philosopher notes, an amendment to Newton's law of inertia has not yet been made.

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"Some people think my reading is too wild and unconventional to be taken seriously. Others think that it is so obviously correct that it is hardly worth arguing about," Hooke said.

At the same time, he himself admits that to a large extent this is just a semantic argument that will not change physics.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL also reported that a "perfect" explosion occurred in space, which makes no sense and contradicts the laws of physics.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest developments.
An unidentified woman lies under a blanket in a cell in the Flathead County Detention Center in Kalispell, Montana. She has been held there for nearly a year after being found mentally unfit to stand trial on burglary charges, a jail official said. (Photo by Aaron Bolton for KFF Health News).

KALISPELL Inside the white-brick hallways of the Flathead County Detention Center, Jail Commander Jen Root walked up to a steel door with a small window and pointed inside.

Shes been here almost a year, just laying on her bed, she said.

Inside the cell, dimly lit by a single window, a woman was curled up under a fleece blanket, only her bright-pink fingernails sticking out.

This woman was charged with burglary in September 2022, Root said. An evaluation after her arrest determined that mental illness prevented her from standing trial and that she required treatment at the Montana State Hospital, the state-run inpatient psychiatric hospital.

Like many inmates deemed unfit for trial due to a mental health condition, she has been stuck on a waiting list for the Montana State Hospitals 54-bed forensic unit, which stabilizes inmates through medication and treatment so they are competent to stand trial. The woman in the Kalispell jail was No. 2 on the units waiting list of 70 people as of June 30. Meanwhile, the northwestern Montana jail where shes waiting isnt equipped to treat mental illness, and the jail staff cant force her to take medication.

So, they just deteriorate within our facility, Root said of her and other inmates with mental health conditions.

Before their legal case can proceed, people charged with crimes in Montana must understand the charges they face and participate in their own defense. But because of bottlenecks in services across the country, people in jail with serious mental illness are waiting months to receive the care needed to restore their competency to stand trial.

The Montana State Hospital for years has struggled to keep up with the number of people who are criminally committed to the facility, but Root said the number of such people at the Flathead County jail has grown since the pandemic and as Montanas recent population boom has pushed up housing costs.

This year, state lawmakers began to address the woes of the troubled state hospital, which lost its federal funding and accreditation in 2022 amid a rash of patient deaths, by creating a $300 million fund to improve behavioral health care in the state and passing bills to increase transparency.

Now, state health officials are asking lawmakers to change criminal commitment laws so the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has a say before a judge orders a patient committed to the Montana State Hospital or another state-run facility.

That is something we would like to address with you, Chad Parker, an attorney for the health department, told the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee in July. That is something wed like to look at to try and change, to give the department some more control, to at least give us a place at the table.

But Republican Rep. Jennifer Carlson, a member of the interim committee, said that there is nowhere else to send patients facing criminal charges for evaluation and treatment, and that the health department should focus on improving patient care instead of denying patients access.

Parker said judges rarely order patients to be committed at community care facilities as an alternative to the state hospital system, though he acknowledged that community service options have dwindled, in part due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates. Lawmakers raised those rates by about 20% this year, but it will take time to determine whether that increase is enough to rebuild mental health services that have shuttered.

In the meantime, patients are funneled to the state hospital as its the only option for many inmates who need mental health care.

When there are no available patient beds or they are not available for some time, the department can be held in contempt or receive another sanction, Parker told the legislative committee. And we need to address that, as well.

In an emailed statement, health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt said that state law doesnt require courts to consider wait times before committing inmates to the state hospital for mental health care. Neither Ebelt nor Parker pointed to specific community services or other mental health facilities that could treat inmates in the criminal justice system to become fit to stand criminal trial.

Interim legislative committees study issues during the Montana Legislatures off years (it is in session only in odd-numbered years), and can draft bills for the next session, scheduled to start in January 2025. During their July meeting, lawmakers on the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee decided to explore what community mental health services are available but did not commit to drafting the legislation sought by the health department.

In an interview with KFF Health News and Montana Public Radio, Kalispell District Court Judge Amy Eddy did not address the health departments proposal to give the state a say on involuntary commitments. But she noted that the state hospital is currently the only facility in the state that can take patients charged with crimes and involuntarily medicate them.

Involuntarily medicating inmates found to be mentally unfit is often the only way to stabilize them so they can stand trial and then be transferred to community services to help them maintain the mental stability that the medications can provide, according to experts in Montanas judicial and mental health systems.

Its not realistic to change the commitment laws and keep people out of Montana State Hospital unless other tools are developed, said National Alliance on Mental Illness of Montana executive director Matt Kuntz, who has worked in the past with lawmakers on changes to commitment laws.

However, Republican Rep. Bob Keenan said Montanas commitment laws do need to be reexamined if the state is to rebuild its struggling behavioral health treatment system and reduce wait times for services in the state hospital.

Keenan requested that another committee, the Law and Justice Interim Committee, also study the commitment laws. But Keenan did not request any specific changes, and that committee had not responded to his letter as of Aug. 30.

Montana has strictness when it comes to forced medication in mental health situations, Keenan said. That is something that needs to be looked at.

Montana guarantees the right to a court hearing before people can be forced to take medication. That could be a hurdle to expanding the types of mental health facilities that can involuntarily medicate patients, particularly among those that can hold patients for only a few days, said Keenan.

The $300 million state lawmakers appropriated this year aims to fund both community-based mental health services and regional mental health facilities that could take on patients who need a lower level of care than whats offered at the state hospital. But it will take years for any of those initiatives to come to fruition.

While additional mental health services are needed, the state also needs to work on improving care at the state hospital for the patients it does serve, said Eddy, the Kalispell judge.

Eddy said once inmates make it to the state hospital for treatment, theyre typically there for two weeks, instead of the allotted 90 days, before being sent back to the county jails. That makes it difficult to truly stabilize them, she said.

Many inmates refuse to take medication once they return to jail to await their legal proceedings, then they mentally deteriorate, according to Eddy and Root, the jail official. The jails also might be unaware of an inmates diagnosis or whether theyre on medication, Eddy said.

That makes it very difficult, having gone through all this effort to restore this persons fitness, to then keep them fit to proceed in the criminal stuff, she said.

Some inmates are left waiting once again in jail only to go back through the process to get treatment at the state hospital.

Then sometimes theyve been here for so long, I think nobody knows what to do, and then they get released, said Root.

With limited community mental health resources, those who are released typically end up back in jail, only to repeat the cycle.

Probably my biggest frustration with our system is the mentally ill and having people in here that should not be criminally charged, Root said. Yes, theyre not safe to be out in the public, but being in jail is not the answer either.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

The post State officials seek more control over Montanas judicial involuntary commitments appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Cardi B is learning not to fight back on social media now she's 30.

Cardi B doesn't snap back as much on social media

The 'WAP' hitmaker admits she is "getting better" at not biting back whenever she is criticised online because she feels like a proper adult now she is in her thirties.

Speaking on SiriusXM's 'Ebro in the Morning' show, the mother-of-two was asked if she cares less about the hate she gets on apps like X and Instagram and replied: "Way less now. I am getting better. It doesn't really affect me. It's just sometimes I have a little extra time ... one thing about me is I can cut a**. I can flame a b****. I can look at you head to toe and crack jokes on your mother, b****.

But you know what, I have to grow up, I just can't do this anymore. Because I could go all day long, b****, let me go through your photos b**** ... but no ... I'm a grown-up now."

The 'Bongos' star - who has Kulture, five, and Wave, two, with husband Offset - previously insisted she won't bite her lip on social media and will continue to speak her mind online.

In 2021, whilst bemoaning criticism of US President Joe Biden, she wrote on Twitter (now X): "How they trying to impeach Biden already ? He hasnt even taken a s*** at the White House yet .This just shows me how delusional and dumb people can be. (sic)"

Cardi - who has 169 million Instagram followers and 31.8 million on X - was subsequently told to "stay in [her] lane" and avoid speaking about politics on social media.

In response, the outspoken star explained: "This is my lane .Im a American that pays taxes right ?Are you a politician? ....No! Sooo how is this your landless more then mine ? (sic)"

Prior to that, Cardi hit out at Donald Trump, Biden's predecessor as the US President.

The rapper revealed she was tired of listening to Trump ahead of the US election last year.

Speaking about the billionaire businessman, she said: "Im tired of this b********. I'm tired of getting upset every single time I see this man talk. It's like, are you f****** serious?"
Hugh Jackman is said to be devastated by his split from his wife Deborra-Lee Furness.

Hugh Jackman is said to be devastated by his split from his wife Deborra-Lee Furness

The Wolverine actor, 54, and his 67-year-old partner, who wed in 1996 and have two adoptive kids  Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 23, and 18-year-old Ava Eliot Jackman  announced on Friday (15.09.23) in a joint statement they were breaking up, and told fans they felt blessed for the time they had together.

A source close to the actor has now told Page Six he is reeling from the separation and feels very sad.

Hugh had previously declared it was love at first sight with Deborra-Lee and said he knew he wanted to marry the Shame actress weeks after meeting her.

He said on the Today show in 2018: I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives.

Their marriage was considered one of the most stable in showbiz, but they stunned fans by issuing a joint statement to People announcing their separation.

It said: 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.

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.

The former couple were regularly spotted out together, including on rides around New York City in scooters and swimming in the Hamptons.

One of The Greatest Showman star Hughs last Instagram posts with his now-estranged wife was when they attended the Met Gala together in May.

It is unclear at the moment why they decided to split so soon after the getaway.

But they often faced trolling over their 13-year age-difference.

In 2014, Deborra said she felt it was an insult to tell her that she was lucky to be married to the younger actor.

She told Womans Weekly: That to me is a putdown. (Its) like you suggesting I won (a) raffle. I think we create our own destiny.

When people look at my life, they dont know the challenges (I face), just like I dont know someone elses (challenges.)
Hugh Jackman has admitted he is going through a "difficult" time.

Hugh Jackman is going through a hard time

The 'Logan' actor announced on Friday (15.09.23) that he and Deborra-Lee Furness - with whom he has Oscar, 23, and 18-year-old Ava - are going their separate ways after 27 years of marriage, and though he doesn't yet feel ready to talk about the split, he admitted things haven't been easy.

Stopped by a paparazzi videographer in New York City on Saturday (16.09.23), Hugh said in footage obtained by TMZ: "It doesn't feel quite right talking about it on the street but I appreciate your thoughts, man.

"It's a difficult time ..."

The reporter then asked the 54-year-old star when he'd be returning to work on 'Deadpool 3', which is currently on hold because of the Hollywood strikes.

He said "I can't really know until [the strikes end], but hopefully soon I hope."

'The Greatest Showman' actor and his estranged wife announced they had split in a joint statement.

They told 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.

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 Hugh had previously declared it was love at first sight for him.

He said on the Today show in 2018: I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives.
Russell Brand allegedly offered to take his naked personal assistant to meet paedophile Jimmy Savile.

Russell Brand allegedly offered to take his naked personal assistant to meet paedophile Jimmy Savile

The allegation is among a litany of claims being made against the 48-year-old comedian, with four women also accusing him of subjecting them to rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse.

Russell faced the claims on Saturday (16.09.23) when they were printed by The Times and broadcast in a Channel 4 documentary  hours after the comic posted a video on X and YouTube strongly denying all the allegations and saying they were part of a coordinated attack on him.

One of the claims printed by The Times alleged that the Get Me to the Greek actor offered up an employee to paedophile Jimmy Savile, who was exposed as one of Britains worst sex predators after his death in 2011.

Sources told the newspaper Russell called the presenter in May 2007, who suggested they could meet if the comedian brought along a sister.

But as Russell does not have a sister he allegedly offered up a personal assistant instead  who he allegedly promised would show up naked.

Sources claim Russell told Savile: Ive got a personal assistant, and part of her job description is that anyone I demand she greet, meet, massages, she has to do it. Shes very attractive, Jimmy.

Russell went ahead with a comedy show on Saturday evening hours after the four womens stories were printed in The Times, and around two hours before the Channel 4 documentary on them aired.

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.

Meanwhile, Russells talent agency Tavistock Wood has severed all ties with him, saying they were horribly misled by the comedian.

And a runner who worked with Russell when he presented Channel 4s Big Brothers Big Mouth has alleged that the star flashed her and made inappropriate advances at her.

Russell is expecting his third child with wife Laura Gallacher, 36, and her TV star sister Kirsty Gallacher, 47, has deleted an Instagram story supporting her brother-in-law.

She shared a link to his video monologue in which he denied the allegations against him on her Instagram Story with a heart emoji  but it was soon deleted.
Pulkit Samrat, the versatile actor celebrated for his acting prowess and charismatic screen presence, has once again electrified audiences with his latest dance number, "Ve Fukrey," from the eagerly awaited film, Fukrey 3. Released recently, the song has already taken the internet by storm, with fans raving about Pulkit's remarkable dance skills.

After nearly a decade since his last dance showcase on the big screen in the foot-tapping track "Kick Lag Gayi" from "Bittu Boss," Pulkit proves he hasn't missed a beat, making a stunning return to dance.

Reflecting on his dance journey, Pulkit shared, "Dance has always been a part of my soul. From my early days in the world of musicals to now grooving in 'Ve Fukrey,' it's been an incredible journey.

A dance film and a musical are on my radar! There's still a lot to be done in that genre I feel. Additionally, I've had training in Kathak up to my 7th standard. I hope to continue surprising and entertaining my fans with every step I take in this exciting industry."

Pulkit Samrat's dance journey began well before his entry into Bollywood. He was the lead in India's very first musical production choreographed by the renowned Vaibhavi Merchant. He even embarked on international tours with this musical troupe, honing his dance techniques and gaining valuable experience on stages across the globe.
Parineeti Chopra-Raghav Chadha Wedding Preps: The countdown to the much-anticipated wedding of Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra and AAP minister Raghav Chadha has officially begun. As the wedding preps kick-start, Parineeti Chopra made her way to Delhi from Mumbai today.

PARINEETI CHOPRA REACHES DELHI FOR WEDDING PREPS

Parineeti who was earlier spotted at the Mumbai airport jetted off to Delhi to kick-start her wedding festivities. She looked her casual best as she opted for a chic and comfy sky-blue long shirt layered over a classic white t-shirt, paired with stylish denim pants.

The actress completed her look with a cap adorned with the initial 'R,' which the netizens thought were a sweet nod to her soon-to-be husband. Parineeti excitement for the wedding was palpable as she flaunted her radiant smile while exiting the airport.

She was welcomed at the Delhi airport by her fiance who twinned with her in a matching sky-blue shirt and black pants. Check out the video.

PARINEETI CHOPRA-RAGHAV CHADHA WEDDING

Meanwhile, Parineeti and Raghav who got engaged in a lavish ceremony on May 13, will reportedly tie the knot on September 24, in Udaipur, Rajasthan. As per reports, their wedding is themed, 'Divine Promises - A Pearl White Indian Wedding.'



During an interview with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, Raghav opened up on his meeting wth Parineeti and called it magical. He said, "Hum jaise bhi mile (However we met), it was very magical and a very organic way of meeting. It is something that I thank god every day for, for giving me Parineeti in my life... Bahut badi blessing hai (It's a huge blessing) and I am extremely happy that I have her as my partner. As I said, I thank god every single day for giving her to me."

On the professional front, the teaser for Parineeti's upcoming film, "Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue," was recently unveiled. The movie, a survival thriller based on the life of Jaswant Singh Gill, portrayed by Akshay Kumar, is scheduled for a theatrical release on October 6th. The actress is also set to star alongside Diljit Dosanjh in Imtiaz Ali's Chamkila.
Kamal Haasan About Thalaivar 171 Photo Credit: Gallery

The 11th edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) 2023 happened on a mammoth scale on September 15 and 16 at the World Trade Centre in Dubai. The event brought together the stars of the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam industries under one roof to celebrate and honour the talent.

The second day's event saw renowned personalities of the Tamil and Malayalam films getting recognized and awarded for their contribution and excellence in the crafts of cinema.

Legendary Kamal Haasan walked away with a couple of awards for his career's biggest hit Vikram. He took the stage by storm with his sheer presence and aura.

Kamal Haasan's Comments On Rajinikanth

The actor saw his most biggest success with Vikram, written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Ever since Lokesh Kanagaraj's next with Superstar Rajinikanth was announced (Thalaivar 171), many are curious about Kamal Haasan's reaction to their collaboration.

The Ulaganayagan took the stage of SIIMA 2023 to address and share his opinion on the issue. He said, "Lokesh Kanagaraj is my fan. I am happy that he is now directing Rajinikanth, my dear friend. We have been friends for many decades. Our friendship is rare and it is hard to find such friendships and relations among the younger generation."

Kamal Haasan's Work Front

Kamal Haasan is vigorously working on his prestigious project after Vikram, Indian 2. The sequel is being helmed by S Shankar. several notable actors are working on the project.

Rajinikanth's Work Front

The veteran, who scored his career's biggest blockbuster with Jailer, is working on Lal Salaam, under the direction of Aishwarya Rajinikanth. The action entertainer's shooting was completed as Lyca Productions announced a wrap.

Thalaivar 170 was announced with TG Gnanavel, who made Jai Bhim with Suriya. The pre-production works of the movie have already begun.

He will begin work on this much-hyped Thalaivar 171 with Lokesh Kanagaraj shortly.
Love and joy has overflowed as Mansi Sharma who rose to fame with her stint in Choti Sarrdaarni in which Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia essayed the lead role, welcomed her second child into the world.

The stunning actress who is married to Punjbai actor Yuvraj Hans is now celebrating the completion of her family with the arrival of a beautiful baby girl. For the unversed, Mansi and Yuvraj tied the knot in a lavish ceremony on February 21, 2019 and is already parents to a three-year old boy, Hredaan.

On September 16, 2023, Yuvraj took to his Instagram handle to share the wonderful news with their fans and well-wishers. He posted an Instagram story announcing the arrival of their precious baby girl and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Almighty for this blessing. His message read, "It's a baby girl  Thank you Baba Ji."

Yuvraj also shared a heartwarming video that featured their son, who radiated happiness as he welcomed his baby sister into the world. The video was captioned as,, "Oo, Riddu ka didi aa gayi."

Meanwhile, during an interview with ETimes, Mansi revealed that her baby was born yesterday but she hasn't been able to see her. She said, "I had moved to Chandigarh a year ago and kept coming to Mumbai whenever I was required to shoot for Choti Sardaarni. The baby girl was born yesterday but I haven't got a chance to see her yet because she was born two weeks before the due date. It will take some time before I get to see her. I am excited because he wanted a girl child from the beginning. When my son Hredaan was born, he wanted a girl and now that a girl is born, he is extremely happy. We are looking forward to holding our little one in our arms soon."

As fans eagerly await more glimpses of the adorable baby girl and updates from the family, we extend our warmest congratulations to Mansi Sharma and Yuvraj Hans on welcoming the newest member.
Syncredible's App Store debut introduces eco-friendly, customizable smart digital business cards with QR code integration, setting a new standard in digital networking

Munich, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - In a truly innovative move that sets them apart from their competitors, Syncredible-a cutting-edge leader in the realm of digital networking-has unveiled their QR code-enabled smart digital business cards on the App Store. Drawing upon their groundbreaking fusion of progressive technologies and comprehensive data security protocols, Syncredible is striving to revolutionize how modern professionals network online.

More information about this launch can be found at https://syncredible.app/en/.





Syncredible Launches QR Code Smart Digital Business Cards on App Store



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/180903_8349d11d44c3b9f2_001full.jpg

With the swift acceleration of digital transformation, there has been a marked rise in demand for efficient networking solutions. As technology continues to catapult forward at a breakneck speed, organizations increasingly seek efficient yet cutting-edge networking solutions - and Syncredible has masterfully stepped up to this challenge. Their networking app offers a streamlined platform to create and share digital business cards with ease and convenience, catering to the fast-evolving needs of modern companies.

Syncredible has redefined business networking with its innovative integration of QR codes into its app. This innovative technology grants users the ability to share their contact information effortlessly and instantly; no manual input is necessary. By acting as an intermediary between physical and virtual media, Syncredible's QR code business card offers unparalleled convenience-the potency of digital sharing meshed with the familiarity of traditional business cards.

Syncredible's app is not just another addition to the plethora of business card makers flooding the market. It stands out with its unique QR code business card feature for seamless and efficient networking. Both businesses and individuals can now design their own custom-made virtual cards, incorporating essential details such as photos, logos, and contact information. Once created, these cards can be shared instantly using a unique QR code. This ensures that the recipient gets accurate details promptly, eliminating the inconvenience of manual data entry.

The app's emphasis on customization also caters to contemporary networking demands. Professionals can meticulously craft their virtual business cards to represent their brand image. Options for logos, color schemes, fonts, and layouts allow users to get creative and develop a distinctive brand identity.

As the professional arena progresses to a dominantly digital climate, first impressions are more likely to form online, making a dynamic and interactive virtual business card crucial for professionals. Syncredible's platform provides this edge, allowing experts to present themselves in a manner that's both contemporary and impactful. Using this innovative technology, Tiger Digital, a leading full-service digital marketing agency, is leveraging digital business cards to creatively engage its clients and audience while amplifying its brand. The emphasis Syncredible places on customization ensures that users can align their smart digital business cards with their professional image, choosing preferred colors, fonts, and layouts.

"Digital business cards are the future of networking. Syncredible's platform offers exceptional flexibility, allowing professionals to update and share their contact information in real time. By transitioning to a digital format, we're not only promoting a sustainable approach to networking but also ensuring that professionals stay ahead of the curve," stated Josef Baumgartner, CEO of Syncredible.

Beyond just being a networking tool, Syncredible's digital business card solution underscores the company's commitment to sustainability. Transitioning to digital means a significant reduction in paper waste and associated printing costs, promoting a more eco-friendly approach to networking.

Syncredible's continuous efforts to enhance the user experience and functionality are evident. The launch of the pioneering QR code-integrated business cards is only the beginning for Syncredible. This digital networking app aims to be the go-to platform for professionals seeking to elevate their networking game in the digital age. With a focus on data security and state-of-the-art features, it's no wonder that Syncredible is making waves in the digital business card industry.

Interested investors and individuals are invited to explore Syncredible, available on the App Store.

Contact Info:

Name: Josef Baumgartner

Email: josef@syncredible.app

Organization: Syncredible GmbH

Address: Munchener Str. 26, 85247 Schwabhausen, Germany, Munich, Bavaria 80331, Germany

Website: https://syncredible.app/en/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180903
The Helicopter Company (THC), Saudi Arabia's premier provider of commercial general aviation services, has announced that it is a strategic sponsor of the Saudi Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) event, from September 18 to 20.

This marks a significant milestone for THC as it steps into the spotlight to showcase its pivotal role in delivering life-saving Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in partnership with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA).

As the leading provider of air ambulance services, THC has been a key contributor to the success of the helicopter emergency medical services in the Kingdom among other stakeholders. At the heart of THCs commitment is their flagship initiative, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Programme (HEMS), a nationwide programme that aims to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to 90% of Saudi Arabia through helicopter operations.

Rapid airborne response

In practice, this translates to rapid airborne response, with THCs expert crews trained to handle all types of medical scenarios including highway accidents and Inter-Facility Transfers (IFT). THCs goal is to reach the target location within 15 minutes of receiving the report, ensuring timely transfers and delivering high-quality emergency care with advanced medical equipment.

By enhancing the quality of emergency medical care, THC aligns with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to improve healthcare services and the overall quality of life for its citizens.

THC CEO, Captain Arnaud Martinez, said: THCs biggest strategic objective is to make a positive impact in the kingdom, and one of the key ways we seek to achieve this is by saving lives. To fulfil this mission, THC have placed a particular focus on delivering cutting-edge medical services in the kingdom to aid the ill and injured. Our partnership with the Saudi Red Crescent Authority is a testament to our dedication to saving lives and providing swift, efficient, and quality care to those in need.

SEMS signifies Saudi Red Crescent Authority's enduring legacy in emergency medical services, spanning 90 years. It is a platform where global experts exchange insights and best practices and features distinguished speakers, workshops, and in-depth discussions on the latest advancements in the field.-- TradeArabia News Service
Insulating windows will help reduce heat loss and save on heating. A cold winter is ahead, the occupiers continue shelling, and the authorities express a high probability that the Russians will resume attacks on critical infrastructure. Therefore, you should take care of home insulation in advance.

ADVERTISIMENT

OBOZREVATEL has collected the easiest and most effective home ways to insulate windows. You will need affordable materials: cotton wool, foam rubber, paper strips, and adhesive tape.

How to insulate windows with foam rubber and tape

The most budget-friendly option is to use foam rubber (or cotton wool) and adhesive tape. Cut the foam rubber into strips and put them in the cracks. After that, seal the surface tightly with tape.

Swedish technology

The Swedish technology is based on the use of tubular material made of silicone rubber. It is important to choose a high-quality sealant that will not be damaged by temperature changes. Typically, a tubular profile has a service life of more than 20 years. It should be pre-glued to the window grooves, sealing them very tightly.

High molecular weight polymers

ADVERTISIMENT

An innovative polyester-based material will also help protect windows and keep your home warm. This energy-saving film contains organic compounds, metals and their oxides, and its structure is inert to aggressive household chemicals and does not contribute to the formation of dust on windows.

In fact, polyester protects the glass from damage. The film has high frost resistance.

The first step is to wash and degrease the glass. After that, the joints of the frames are carefully sealed with foam rubber or another selected sealant. Glue a double-sided tape to the window frame, and attach a layer of film of the right size around the perimeter. Use a hair dryer to smooth the film.

An important note: there is no need to stretch the polyester too much, the material will take the desired shape over time.

Silicone sealant

Sealant is considered a reliable and durable alternative to other means of insulation.

Remove the glass from the window, clean the seat from dirt and dust. Carefully apply a strip of silicone. After that, replace the glass and carefully fix it with glazing beads. In fact, you will repair the windows simultaneously with the insulation.

Insulation of plastic windows

In general, plastic windows do not require insulation, but over time, even these high-quality structures lose their protective properties.

Plastic windows need to be insulated if the rubber gaskets wear out or lose their elasticity. A frequent reason is also the beginning of depressurization of the areas between the slopes and frames. In old houses, the wall shrinks, and as a result, cracks appear.

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Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told how to insulate windows, doors and houses in general.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL 'sTelegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest developments.
Superorder (fka Forward Kitchens), a New York based provider of growth management tools to restaurants, raised $10m in Series A and angel funding.

The round was led by Foundation Capital with participation from Michael Seibel (Managing Director of Y Combinator), Kyle Vogt (Cofounder CEO Cruise), Jon Swanson (Chairman Thumbtack), James Beshara (Founder MagicMind), BBQ Capital, I2BF Global Ventures, and others.

The company intends to use the funds to continue its expansion.

Founded in 2019 by Raghav Poddar, Superorder provides restaurants with tools for Order Management, Automated Marketing, Financial Management, AI-powered Website Builder, as well as AI Images & Menus. The company works with over 1,500 restaurants today in 180+ cities, providing solutions that help them grow revenue from delivery and takeout with virtual brands. It enables them to run shifts with order management, automate their marketing and manage their financials effectively. Restaurants use its proprietary AI algorithms, which identify unmet needs in their market, to maximize revenue and profit for their virtual brands. Additionally, Superorder consolidates all orders from all platforms into a single system, saving time, reducing errors and improving efficiency.

The company also launched a selection of generative AI & order management tools designed to drive restaurants profitability from online sales. The funding follows a period of consistent growth for the company and its recent rebrand from its previous name, Forward Kitchens.

Poddar, who studied at Columbia University, conceptualized the company as part of the Y Combinator Summer 2019 cohort after seeing the lack of quality online presence from the restaurants he loved ordering from. In 2021, Superorder announced a $2.5M seed round, which was used to expand the companys footprint and to hire a team in operations, sales and engineering to help support the initial product. The company now has a team of more than 70+ employees.

FinSMEs

17/09/2023
Today (17 September) marks one year of cheetahs comeback in India. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday released the first batch of eight Namibian cheetahs in Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP). This was the first intercontinental translocation of big cats into India.

India got another 12 wild cats from South Africa in February this year as part of the Project Cheetah. Under the ambitious initiative, the Centre wants to bring around 5-10 cheetahs every year to the country over the next decade with the aim of establishing a viable population of about 35 cheetahs.

A long wait is over, the Cheetahs have a home in India at the Kuno National Park. pic.twitter.com/8FqZAOi62F  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2022

As the cheetahs complete one year in India, lets take a look at how they have fared so far.

Nine dead, 15 cheetahs go on

India has translocated 20 cheetahs from Africa since last September. Four cubs were born to a Namibian pair at Kuno in March.

By June, six cheetahs, including three cubs, died. Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), which is involved in the reintroduction of the animals in India, said at the time that the project was progressing better than anticipated before the translocation.

Its too early to label Project Cheetah a success. But, so far, the cheetahs have shown every ability to survive in India. Theres a long road ahead and there will be more setbacks, but from the perspective of the longest-running cheetah conservation project in Africa, the CCF considers things in India are moving well, news agency PTI quoted the CCF as saying.

After the first six deaths in three months, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said that we take responsibility for whatever happened, but asserted that Project Cheetah will be a big success, as per the news agency.

In July, two adult male cheetahs, Suraj and Tejas, died back to back. Another death of a feline was reported in early August, taking the total cheetah casualties to nine.

This death toll includes four of the 12 South African cheetahs that were translocated in February. Among the founding population that came from Namibia, two are no more.

So far, 14 adult cheetahs and one cub have survived.

No cheetahs have died due to risk factors accounted for in the Cheetah Action Plan 2022, reported Indian Express. The plan, which estimates 50 per cent mortality after cheetahs are released in the wild, mentions deaths due to territorial fights, conflict with competing predators, human-animal interaction and natural causes, noted Mongabay-India.

ALSO READ: Ninth cheetah dies: What is killing the wild cats in Madhya Pradeshs Kuno?

Two unfit for the wild

As per an Indian Express report, three Namibian cheetahs, which were part of the batch of eight brought to India last September, had been raised in captivity in the African nation. While one of them died of kidney failure, the two others are kept inside bomas (enclosures) as breeding females.

These two female cats, Jwala and Nabha, have not been released in the wild at Kuno. It was Jwala who gave birth to four cubs, out of which only one remains.

Row over radio collars

After the two deaths in July, multiple reports blamed satellite collars, which are gadgets put around the necks of cheetahs to track and monitor their movements, for causing infections in the animals.

According to The Hindu report, veterinarians who examined Suraj found a wound on his neck, infected with maggots and its larvae.

However, the environment ministry dismissed the reports of cheetah deaths linked to radio collars as hearsay and speculation.

Speaking to Mongabay-India in August, experts pointed out that different weather patterns in Africa and India could have played a role in the poor survival rate of the cheetahs.

While Namibia and South Africa are drier countries, Madhya Pradesh is known for heavy monsoons. As per the report in the web portal, cheetahs were in thick winter coats when they were translocated to India (which lies in the Northern Hemisphere) as it was winter in the Southern Hemisphere then.

YV Jhala, former dean of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), told Mongabay-India that veterinarians in Kuno were unprepared for cheetahs being infected by maggots.

Although radio collars were not the main problem, the cheetahs were unable to lick themselves clean as the collars posed obstruction, leading to the festering of bacteria and maggots, Jhala explained.

It seems that the thick neck hair on the cheetahs (possibly due to the absence of moulting) combined with the high rainfall and humidity keeping the fur wet and finally the high parasite loads (particularly ticks) are all contributing to the problem, a cheetah expert from South Africa was quoted as saying by Mongabay-India.

Another expert agreed that radio collars are not the underlying reason for the deaths of the cheetahs. Ravi Chellam, a wildlife biologist and Coordinator of Biodiversity Collaborative, told Mongabay-India that it needs to be probed if African cheetahs are vulnerable to some parasites and insects in India and whether collars provide a conducive micro-environment for these to thrive.

Notably, radio collars were later removed from the free-ranging cheetahs by early August. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the CCF said, We have removed collars from the rest of the cheetahs while we develop and test a better collar material for their monitoring devices.

We have removed collars from the rest of the cheetahs while we develop and test a better collar material for their monitoring devices. Two females are still out; we are working to bring them back for comprehensive health assessments and any necessary treatments.  Cheetah Conservation Fund (@CCFCheetah) August 3, 2023

Meanwhile, the head of Project Cheetah, SP Yadav, reiterated that no cheetah died due to radio collars. Speaking to ANI recently, he said, There is no truth that any cheetah died due to radio collars. I want to say that monitoring is not possible in the wild without radio collars.

Yadav also attributed the death of three cubs born at Kuno to climatic factors. Generally, in other countries, poaching and hunting leads to deaths but our preparation was so good that not even a single cheetah has died due to hunting, poaching, or poisoning.. nor has any cheetah died due to human conflict..we have successfully achieved milestones in the past year, he told ANI.

ALSO READ: Wild Wild Best: Inside Kuno National Park, the once-forgotten gem of Madhya Pradesh, now home to cheetahs

Aasha brings hope for Project Cheetah

Not all is gloom and doom though.

Namibian cheetah Aasha has explored her new landscape and adapted to the environment, as per a newsletter by Kuno authorities. She was released into the wild in March and has since travelled 200 km away from the KNP boundary, as per the newspaper Deccan Chronicle (DC).

Aashas journey, thus far, in her new habitat is very exciting and adventurous, typical of a wild cheetah, a forest officer in Kuno told the English newspaper.

Aasha has carried herself in such a manner in the last one year that gives lots of hope for the successful introduction and establishment of cheetahs in India, DC quoted the KNP newsletter as saying.

So, can we say Project Cheetah is a success or not? We will have to wait before attaching labels. As Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Asim Shrivastava, told Mongabay-India, We need to give the project at least three to five years before reaching a conclusion.

Speaking to BBC in August, Laurie Marker, executive director of CCF, said detailed and close monitoring is the key to Project Cheetahs success. She said that closer and faster communication could really assist the success of the project and that these are all measures being taken now.

With inputs from agencies
It took 70,000 man-hours of work; a team with scores of sculptors, designers, engineers, technicians, and support staff; a prolonged three-year period; study-visits to temples across south India; crossing of many technical and logistical hurdles; and, of course, much money! However, one look at the magnificent Mahavishnu sculpture, and all the time, toil, and ideation that went into creating this art piece all seem worth it.

Located at Anuradha Timbers Internationals office in Secunderabad, Telangana, this ekandi sculpture of Ananthaseshashayana Shri Mahavishnumurthy, i.e., the reclining Vishnu, is receiving a steady stream of visitors ever since it was thrown open to the public. The artwork, which includes about 84 large and small sculptures, was unveiled by the former vice-president of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, on 1 July 2023.

This sculpture is made from a single, unitary piece of teakwood estimated to be between 1,000 to 1,500 years old (the annual rings around the log testify to this age). With a weight of approximately 3.5 tonnes, the sculpture is 21 feet in length, 8.6 feet in height, and 20 feet in girth. The material is Burma teakthe worlds largest tree.

The central figure of Mahavishnu, his two spouses, Bhoodevi and Sridevi, and Adisheshu, the celestial serpent on which he reclines, are all carved to amazing perfection. Closing my eyes and running my hands (as recommended) over the hands and feet of Vishnu and the faces of his wives, I sense the exquisite detailing that makes for a lifelike, tactile feel of the skin surface, the jewellry that embellishes them, the curve of the fingers, and even their nails! It is all completely smooth, with not a single grain or node of wood being visible. Even the clothes are so finely and delicately texturedthey seem filamentous.

There is more to the sculpture, with around 84 sculptures, including 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, two Ashwini deities, seven Maruths, Saptharishis, Hanuman, Navagrahas, Ashtadikpalakas, Brahma, Saraswati, Gandharvas, Kinneras, etc. Overhead is a banner containing the inspiration, a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11, Shloka 6.

Behind and beyond all these statistics is a story that is a tribute to faith, craftsmanship, and dedication to a spiritual vision. The visionary is Chadalavada Sharath Babu, managing partner at Anuradha Timbers International, which conducts business with over 40 countries. The company is led by his father, Chadalavada Thirupathi Rao, whose support for this project was complete and unequivocal. The companys past projects include executing the woodwork at the Parliament library building, Thalacauvery temple in Karnataka, the renovated Yadadri Shri Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Telangana, ashrams of spiritual leaders, churches, luxury yachts used by billionaires and royalty like the Emirs of Gulf countries, Saudi Arabian kings, King of Spain, etc. Currently, the company is executing the woodwork, including the doors of the sanctum-sanctorum, of the upcoming Shri Rama Janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya, including the doors of the sanctum-sanctorum.

Speaking of this artwork, Sharath Babu spreads his hands and says philosophically: It is all destiny! I am so overwhelmed by the response! I was just doing business as usual. In between, I just began to envisage this sculpture with one of my purchased logs merely to create a thing of beauty and an offering to God. I had no other aspirations or ambitions. The project took on its momentum. And now, so many people from India and different parts of the world, from commoners to VIPs, art curators, and connoisseurs are viewing and appreciating it.

In a spiritual tone, he adds: In a way, I believe that Mahavishnu was already inside that log. We merely chipped off the upper layers, and he revealed himself! He feels that he and his team just aided in the manifestation!

He narrates how it happened. As a regular sourcing process, we hunt for the best Burma-teak logs for our clients. In 2017, my brother Chadalavada Rajesh identified an enormous log lying in one of Myanmars timber depots. Thrilled, he sent me a photo of him standing beside it! The log was put up for auction by the Myanmar government. We won the bid against 30 countries, paying a record rate because it was a highly prized item. A certain regular customer bought it from us, and we kept it in reserve for him at our Yangon facility. Then Covid happened, and the customer said, if you have a better purpose for this, use it. We took it back.

Sharath Babu now had a dream for the log, which was slowly crystallized. A sculpture of some kind was what he envisioned. He was determined not to cut this enormous, centuries-old log into small sections and make it into doors, windows, panels, etc. I realised its great value. I wanted to preserve this extraordinary log for future generations. I would have loved to bring it back to India in this form. However, this was impossible since Myanmar doesnt allow log forms to be exported. This would entail cutting it, but I didnt want to. So, I resolved to convert this massive piece into a sculpture.

The fact that this variety of Myanmar wooden log has no sap, possesses natural oil, and has very low moisture content also made this dream a practical possibility. Sharaths brother Kiran too was happy to extend all his cooperation.

A friend recommended artist Rayana Giridhara Gowd, based in Garuvupalem village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. Gowd sent four designs: Gajendra Moksham, a futuristic female figure, and two versions of the Ananthaseshashayana Sri Mahavishnu. After much brainstorming, Sharath Babu and Gowd chose the last.

Gowd explains: We decided thus because Sharath sir and his father Thirupathi Rao sir were absolutely adamant that the log remain unbroken and the shape unchanged as far as possible; secondly, the log shape was amenable to a reclining figure; and finally, the central area was such that it could easily be shaped into a hip. Valuable inputs were also taken from Sthapathi Kumaraswamy and other such professionals, as well as Vedic pandits.

Sharath Babu approached the Myanmar government for permission to convert the log into a sculpture. This took over one year. Now, sculptors had to fly from Mahabalipuram in India to Myanmar. However, unfavorable conditions prevented travel to Myanmar. So, we located a small village of award-winning sculptors in Myanmar. It was a big risk! However, we briefed these talented sculptors, installed CCTV cameras and two-way communication facilities to constantly guide them from India. For example, we sent life-size images via computer to our Myanmar staff who printed and gave them to these rural sculptors. For one and a half years, we monitored and supervised everything online! Once, 40 percent was completed, we moved it to India.

Meanwhile, sculptor Gowd and other team-members had visited several heritage sites like Mahabalipuram, Hampi, and especially Ramappa temple in Warangal for study tours. The remaining 60 percent was completed in India. It was indeed a very tough job. A log is a living material and requires thoughtful and extremely delicate handling when sculpting.

Says Gowd: I incorporated as many traditional elements as possible and often changed design ideas given how the log was shaping up. The whole team gave their best. Today, after years of hard work, we feel a great sense of fulfillment.

Encouraged by this success, the company has begun work on a large sculpture of Shri Rama Pariwaar. When asked whats next with this Mahavishnu sculpture, Sharath Babu says: It was not made for commercial purposes. Let God himself decide where he wants to settle finally. We say amen to that.

The writer is a journalist, photographer, translator and author of Forgotten Composers. 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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It was extremely heartening to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi take on the depraved, habitual Sanatan bashers last week, by educating the country on the virtues, inherent in Sanatana Dharma. The Sanatana Dharma has been the bedrock of our civilisational journey into a nation state. Those who want to eradicate this civilizational pride and identity are at war with Indias progress, specifically her economic resurgence. They are secretly working on a Break India mission for their limited gains.

Before I come to the recent well-coordinated onslaught on Sanatan by DMK-SP-RJD-Congress, let us decode the history of this politics since Independence and why this latest bout is the most insidious one.

Hate Sanatan club in India has existed in Indias since Independence

The hatred against Sanatana Dharma caused irreparable harm to the nation until 2014. In a recent article on Firstpost, eminent historian and publisher Sitaram Goel wrote, Today, I view Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as a bloated Brown Sahib, and Nehruism as the combined embodiment of all the imperialist ideologies  Islam, Christianity, White Mans Burden, and Communism  that have flooded this country in the wake of foreign invasions. And I do not have the least doubt in my mind that if India is to live, Nehruism must die.

Sadly, the Congress party, even 50 years after the death of Nehru, could never rid itself of this bloated Brown Sahib mentality, one obvious symptom of which was the inherent disdain for the Sanatan faith.

Way back in 1951, Nehrus opposition to the then president Rajendra Prasads presence at the inauguration of the restored Somnath Temple is well documented. Nehru wrote to him, I confess that I do not like the idea of your associating yourself with a spectacular opening of the Somnath Temple. This is not merely visiting a temple, which can certainly be done by you or anyone else but rather participating in a significant function which unfortunately has a number of implications.

By implications, Nehru obviously meant damage to his notions of secularism. Throughout the process of restoration of the temple, Nehru was seen to have been at loggerheads with his cabinet minister, KM Munshi, who oversaw the restoration. Nehru believed that an overt support to the restoration of the temple would strengthen the Hindu revivalist forces in the country. With this kind of an utterly apologetic attitude towards the majority faith, Nehru paved the way for the hate-Sanatan politics that became the hallmark of certain political parties, including his in parts, in the years and decades to come.

In the south, this hatred against the Sanatan faith was spearheaded by the DMK founder Periyar EV Ramaswamy. No words would suffice to condemn his vitriol against the Hindu faith, which continues till date by the likes of A Raja, Udhayanidhi Stalin and TR Baalu.

The Congress of course has always played a dubious role on the issue. In 1974, when the Indira Gandhi government decided to repackage Tipu Sultan as an icon of secularism by releasing a stamp commemorating the biggest destroyer of Hindu temples and the worst annihilator of Hindus in South India, she inflicted an irreparable damage upon the Sanatan cause.

This Congress duplicity assumed dangerous proportions during the UPA era, when in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the government denied the existence of Lord Ram. The same UPA tried to impose the insidious and biased Communal Violence Prevention Bill upon the country in 2011, which was successfully thwarted by the BJP.

Rahul Gandhi continues that duplicity till date by certifying the IUML as perfectly secular in June 2023. A few weeks later, the IUML takes out a large procession in Kerala calling for the slaughter of Hindus outside temples, emboldened perhaps by Rahul Gandhis certification.

Hence, the attack on Sanatan faith and sentiments is not a recent phenomenon. It has been at play from the time that India became Independent by compromised, Hindu loathing politicians. It was this hate that created a space for the BJP which stood unequivocally for Hindu interests.

Sanatan resurgence is a global phenomenon today

In India, Prime Minister Modi has been at the forefront of this resurgence. The year 2014 was an inflection point for the country. For the second time after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India got a prime minister in Narendra Modi who wore Sanatan pride on his sleeves and is an unapologetic practicing Hindu. This changed the discourse in many ways. The covert support for Islamist terror by certain political parties became the first casualty. Here was a prime minister who was above petty appeasement politics and would do what he deemed was in the best interests of the country.

What followed was the decimation and near ostracization of Pakistan on the global stage, the resolution of the prolonged Ram Janmbhoomi dispute, paving the way for a grand Ram Temple and Indias unparalleled economic and geopolitical surge. In this journey, Prime Minister Modi never shied away from invoking Indias civilisational pride, quoting generously from Hindu religious scriptures and calling out barbarians like Aurangzeb. This led to a large chunk of silent, detached Hindus transitioning into proud, visible Hindus. This transition obviously hurt regional parties like Samajwadi Party, RJD and DMK the most, whose entire politics is based out of creating caste wars among the Hindus.

For the first time, India saw a consolidated Hindu vote, which could see through the evil designs of certain regional parties. These former regional satraps have only one person to blame for their misery  Narendra Modi. Hence, the renewed attack on Sanatan sentiments is an attack on the prime minister who made rooting for and championing the Sanatan faith look cool in Indian politics.

By the way, the resurgence of Sanatan faith is not just an Indian phenomenon. This is a trend visible across the world. Last year US President Joe Biden hosted the biggest ever Diwali celebration at the White House. On 3 September this year, the city of Louisville in the United States, celebrated the day at World Sanatan Day. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been most unequivocal and unapologetic in acknowledging his Sanatan roots. The ISKCON is a thriving movement the world over. It will only be fair to say that Indias increased soft power clout under Prime Minister Modi has been a small contributor in this cultural resurgence.

Hence the well-orchestrated recent attacks on the Sanatana Dharma carries a more sinister plan to derail the ambitious Amrit Kaal goals that India has set for herself under Prime Minister Modi.

Sanatans importance in Bharats journey into 2047

As it has happened so often, Prime Minister Modi, with his fierce espousal of Sanatan ethos in his speeches last week, has turned the tables on the I.N.D.I alliance Sanatan bashing louts. The Sanatana Dharma has survived nearly a thousand years of sustained attempts to uproot it. If Aurangzeb and Babur could not eradicate it, there is no way that the I.N.D.I alliance would even partially succeed. An attack on Sanatan ethos is an attack on the love that Lord Ram had shown for the boatman Kewat and Mata Shabri. It is an attack on the Ganapati festivities started by Lokmanya Tilak to culturally mobilise native Indians against the Britishers. It is an attack on Swami Vivekanandas speech at Chicago where he showcased the plurality of the Hindu religion in the World Conference of Religions at Chicago.

Not many are aware that it was in 1893 that Swami Vivekananda and Jamsetji Tata met on a voyage from Japan to Vancouver and ended up spending a few weeks together wherein they would exchange thoughts on several issues. It was Swami Vivekananda who is said to have convinced Jamsetji Tata that Indian entrepreneurs ought to look beyond trading and explore a road map to get into production. This would require investing in top scientific research. These interactions left a deep influence on Jamsetji, a fact acknowledged by Jamsetji in his writings. The idea behind the Indian Institute of Science which was eventually established in 1911, sadly after the demise of both Swami Vivekananda and Jamsetji, was conceived by Jamsetji based on his conversations with Swami Vivekananda.

The reason I mention this episode is to underline that those who really understand the Sanatana Dharma would know that its the most progressive way of life, a fact that is also reiterated in multiple writings of Mahatma Gandhi on the Hindu faith, as also Pandit Deendayal Upadhyays articulation of his principles of antodaya and integral humanism.

If Prime Minister Modi, as Indias most futuristic and visionary prime minister has the ability to think for the next 24 years, while working 24*7 in the present, that is also the result of his adept assimilation of his Dharma -the religious and moral law guiding personal conduct. Unqualified dynasts with no knowledge of history or religion can keep vilifying the Sanatan faith. They however better remember that this is not the era of Periyar or Nehru where the Hindu samaj would take the insults lying low. This hate Sanatan tirade will have its consequences in 2024.

On Prime Minister Modis birthday, the country is grateful to him for being the unapologetic, proud Hindu that he is. Thank you Prime Minister Modi for invoking Sanatan ethos and pride so often that the younger generation now is more aware and enlightened of our civilisational brilliance than ever before. This awareness and enlightenment will be a boon in Indias journey in achieving her Amrit Kaal goals.

The writer is the national spokesperson of BJP. 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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A week after a wall of water swept through the Libyan coastal city of Derna, killing dozens, the attention shifted Sunday to caring for the disasters survivors.

Estimates of the number of people killed vary greatly.

According to the most current official death toll from the eastern-based administrations health minister, Othman Abdeljalil, 3,166 persons were killed.

However, according to a United Nations estimate issued on Sunday, the death toll in Derna alone has increased to 11,300.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, another 10,100 individuals are still missing in the ravaged city, citing the Libyan Red Crescent.

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.

The banks of a dried riverbed or wadi running through the city centre had been heavily built on, and last weeks torrent swept everything before it as it rushed towards the Mediterranean.

A week on, bodies are still being found.

A rescue crew from Maltas 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 since 1998.

Prosecutor General Al-Seddik Al-Sour has announced an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse.

Like much of Libyas 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 Kadhafis 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 UNs 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 dont know the extent of the problem, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday, as he called for coordination between Libyas 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.
Armenia discussed with Russia its plans to come under the International Criminal Courts jurisdiction, Russian media said on Sunday, a move strongly opposed by Moscow after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.

Since Putin started an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022, relations between the traditional allies have deteriorated significantly. Moscow warned of serious consequences if Armenia moved to bring itself under the jurisdiction of the court.

The Hague court charged Putin in March with war crimes for unlawfully deporting hundreds or thousands of children from Ukraine, a charge the Kremlin dismissed as useless and grossly biassed.

The warrant obliges the courts 123 member states to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory.

The ambassador at large of Armenias Foreign Ministry, Edmon Marukyan, said Yereven has sent proposals on the issue to Moscow, the TASS news agency reported. A meeting was held and the process is underway, it quoted him as saying.

Bilateral ties have further deteriorated in recent months over what Yerevan says is Moscows failure to fully uphold a 2020 ceasefire treaty it helped broker between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end their war over Nagorno-Karabakh  an Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan.

Marukyan said Armenias plan to become a party to the Rome Statute, bringing it under the international courts remit, was not against the Russian Federation but because of war crimes committed on territory of the Republic of Armenia by the Azerbaijani side, TASS reported.

Our Russian partners are well aware of this.

Yerevan has in recent weeks repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of massing forces around Karabakh, which Baku has effectively blockaded since December 2022, causing acute hunger.

A deal struck last weekend to unblock roads to the territory has yet to take full effect.

Nonetheless, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sunday a peace pact with Baku was possible by the end of the year and that Yerevan was doing everything for that to happen, TASS reported.
Police in southern China have detained some employees of China Evergrande Groups wealth management branch, implying a fresh probe that might exacerbate the property giants problems.

Recently, public security organs took criminal compulsory measures against Du and other suspected criminals at Evergrande Financial Wealth Management Co., Shenzhen city police said in a social media statement on Saturday night.

During disgruntled investors rallies at Evergrandes Shenzhen offices in 2021, workers recognised Du Liang as the general manager and legal representative of Evergrandes wealth management business.

Reuters was unable to establish if Du was among those held, and the police statement did not detail the number of persons detained, the accusations against them, or the date they were arrested.

China Evergrande did not immediately react to a comment request made outside of usual business hours on Sunday.

The investigation into the financial management section is still underway, according to the police, who have asked investors to report any future financial offences.

China Evergrande, the worlds most indebted property developer, is at the centre of a crisis in Chinas property sector, which has seen a string of debt defaults since late 2021 that has dragged on the growth of the worlds second-largest economy.

The group, currently undergoing a protracted debt restructuring which has seen it offload a range of assets, said on Friday it has delayed making a decision on offshore debt restructuring from September to next month.

Trade in Evergrandes stock was suspended for 17 months until Aug. 28.

Moodys on Thursday cut the outlook on Chinas property sector to negative from stable, citing economic challenges it said would dampen sales despite government support.
China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified long-range missions, Taipei authorities said Sunday.

Taiwans defence ministry said 20 of the aircraft detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled islands southeast and southwest air defence identification zone.

China was conducting missions such as long-range exercises and training, the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary. It has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years as relations have soured.

Last week, Taipei reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its troops were on high alert following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting through the Taiwan Strait this month.

Taiwans defence ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.

Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to conduct joint sea and air training with Chinas Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said.

The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.

China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific.

In April, Beijing conducted military exercises to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

At the time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour period, matching the record daily high set in December 2022.
A member of Irans Basij paramilitary force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was shot dead during events falling on the anniversary of Mahsa Aminis death, state media reported Sunday.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on 16 September, 2022 following her arrest for an alleged breach of the Islamic republics 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.

One person was martyred and three people were injured on Saturday evening in a blind shooting by two unknown assailants towards Basij guards in the city of Nurabad in Southern Fars province, state news agency IRNA reported.

The news agency did not immediately elaborate on the assailants identity or the motivation for the shooting.

The intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies of the province are trying to arrest the assailants who fled after the shooting, it said.

The Revolutionary Guards meanwhile announced that a dual national was arrested over attempts to organise riots and vandalism in Karaj city west of the capital Tehran.

The Guards did not elaborate further on the suspects identity or other nationality.

On Saturday, authorities arrested several groups over accusations of planning to create chaos and producing content to serve hostile media, according to IRNA.

Many of the arrests were made in Aminis home province of Kurdistan, as well as Irans northwest and south, the agency added.

Others were arrested in the northeastern province of North Khorasan for instigating riots, according to the Mehr news agency.

Authorities in the central city of Isfahan have identified 97 people and blocked 15 Instagram pages for attempting to stir up public opinion on the anniversary of the protests, IRNA said.
For the most part, UFO sightings around the world usually turn out not to be encounters with anything extraterrestrial at all, but rather observations of something man-made or a natural phenomenon. Even the Pentagon admits that 650 UFO reports turned out to be pacifiers.

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Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard and Smithsonian Institutes' Center for Astrophysics, who is often reported on social media, explained to Popular Science what people can actually see when they talk about alien craft in the sky.

"I get a lot of questions through social media and emails, and sometimes calls from random people who have seen something strange in the sky," McDowell said.

According to him, about 90% of such conversations go something like this: "Is that space debris, Jonathan? No, it's just a meteor because it exploded in just two seconds. Or: "Is that a UFO? No, it's a Falcon 9 rocket launch. "Are they aliens? Well, it depends on where you think Elon (Musk - Ed.) is from."

He also noted that the problem often lies in people's inability to understand "how far something is" from them. For example, an insect moving nearby can be confused with something much more distant, or a shining light can seem close, although it is actually Venus, which is millions of kilometers away.

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At the same time, he says that even professionals can get confused. For example, from time to time a satellite or spacecraft is mistaken for a new asteroid because the speed at which it moves across the sky while in a very high orbit around the Earth is "similar to the speed of an asteroid orbiting the Sun."

"There have been many cases where an object has been detected by asteroid observatories, given a temporary asteroid designation, and then started to maneuver. And we say: "Oh, this is probably not an asteroid," he said.

The scientist also explained what is most often mistaken for a UFO in the sky.

Rocket launches

When a rocket reaches space, its exhaust can lose its usual linear shape, creating, under certain conditions, an otherworldly sight. This occurs about two minutes after launch, when the rocket has passed most of the Earth's atmosphere and is in less dense air. As a result, its exhaust plume can reach hundreds of kilometers, forming bizarre shapes, sometimes resembling jellyfish.

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"People are much less able to recognize them as rocket plumes, and they are often reported as UFOs," the scientist explained.

Also, bizarre sights are formed when rockets are turned off and restarted in space, or release their remaining fuel.

At such moments, the ejected large cloud of gas forms ice crystals that reflect sunlight. This creates large clouds that look like comets moving across the sky.

One of the similar cases occurred in 2009, when spiral geometric patterns formed in the sky over Norway, which led to rumors of an alien invasion.

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Spacecraft and satellites

Another category of space objects that are often mistaken for UFOs are the Starlink satellites, which McDowell says "really scare people."

SpaceX launches its Internet satellites into orbit in packs of 22 to 60 pieces. As of September 2023, there are more than 4,700 of them in orbit. After launching, Starlink satellites take several weeks to completely separate from each other and move into their operational orbits, and in the first days of flight, they can reflect the Sun and create a long, bright, and straight line in the sky.

"They march across the sky in this line like little children coming home from school. They are close enough to each other that they cannot be distinguished as separate points. Even if you see them individually, when they march across the sky as 20 different objects, it certainly looks like an alien invasion," McDowell explained.

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The return of satellites, spacecraft, or space debris to Earth can also look quite strange.

"If you see a bright object in the sky that is disintegrating, it could be one of two things: a natural meteor, or a piece of space debris reentering the atmosphere."

The key difference, he said, is that meteors fly across the sky rather quickly and then disappear. A de-orbiting satellite or other debris will be made up of several pieces that cross the sky as it disintegrates over time.

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Another false UFO is the return of a spacecraft such as the SpaceX Crew Dragon.

"It's more like a fireball, like a natural meteor, except it lasts a lot longer," McDowell explained.

Celestial objects

The last type of object McDowell often hears about are natural objects that are very, very far away, such as Venus. He estimates that before DVRs and cell phones began to capture meteors, space debris, and the like, this planet was responsible for about half of all UFO reports.

"Venus is a classic UFO," the scientist jokes.

The most common false observation occurs when very weak, high clouds move at night, and this movement in the foreground can deceive human perception. So the observer has the feeling that a bright light - in this case, a planet - is moving across the sky, although it is actually the clouds that are moving.

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Sometimes ordinary comets are also confused with UFOs.

"People aren't used to seeing comets, so if they haven't heard about a bright comet on the news, they might think it's a UFO," he explained.

Instead, McDowell rarely hears about the International Space Station being confused with an alien craft.

"I think it's just because the number of times the ISS flies over you is relatively small. For some reason, people don't seem to be too concerned about it," he summarized.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, during a hearing in the US Congress, whistleblowers said that the Pentagon has intact UFOs and evidence of the existence of aliens.

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Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viber channels to stay up to date with the latest developments.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addressed practical matters in building up military cooperation with Russias defence minister on Sunday, according to the state KCNA news agency, describing the two nations ties as in a fresh heyday.

On Saturday, Kim, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, toured Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles, and warships.

Kims trip comes at a time when 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, KCNA said, using North Koreas official name.

Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation.

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 reported.

Shoigu told Russian media earlier that Moscow is discussing joint military exercises with North Korea.

On Friday, South Korea and the US said military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate UN sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

Kim also toured Russias 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.

Earlier this month, North Korea launched its first operational tactical nuclear attack submarine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday, ending a visit affirming close ties with Vladimir Putin and fuelling Western fears that Pyongyang might provide Moscow with arms for its assault on Ukraine.

Kims extended tour of Russias far eastern region, which began Tuesday, has focused extensively on military matters, with his own entourage dominated by officers, a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and a tour of a fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Before departing, TASS said Kim had been given five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor.

The Russian agency said the leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a Geran-25 reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff, using the official name of North Korea.

TASS said the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection and special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras.

Later on Sunday the Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kims departure and said a departure ceremony was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station.

Footage shows Kim waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, before the Russian march Farewell of Slavianka is played as the train departs.

The official TASS news agency said that Kims train was headed around 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the border.

Historic allies, Russia and North Korea are both under rafts of global sanctions  Moscow for its Ukraine assault, Pyongyang for its nuclear tests.

The first official visit abroad for the North Korean leader since the coronavirus pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.

Greater cooperation

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.

Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russias help to develop its internationally condemned missile programme.

The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed.

On Saturday Kim met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system.

The pair were seen smiling as they inspected some of Russias nuclear bombers at an airfield before boarding a warship, a video released by the Russian defence ministry showed.

North Korean news agency KCNA has described the atmosphere during Kims visit as fervent and warm and said a new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation was opening between North Korea and Russia.

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.
On Saturday, a top NATO military official cautioned that a sharp increase in ammunition prices meant that members increased defence spending does not always translate into increased security, and he asked for more private involvement in defence firms.

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 NATOs military committee, said on Saturday after a meeting of the alliances 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 pushing for increased military manufacturing to meet a surge in demand for weapons and equipment since Russias invasion of Ukraine, as allies rush supplies to Kyiv while simultaneously stockpiling their own stockpiles.

The lack of 155mm artillery ammunition has been a major source of worry, with Kyiv firing up to 10,000 of these munitions daily.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Kyiv in February that it was using shells considerably quicker than the West could create them.

Bauer advocated for increased private investment in the defence sector in order to increase manufacturing capacity, encouraging pension funds and banks to avoid branding defence investments as immoral.

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 sectors strategic interest as well.

Forty per cent 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.

According to Bauer, there was no correlation between a shortage of ammunition and the arduous progress of the counteroffensive in Ukraine.

The reason why it takes time is because it is extremely dangerous because theres 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.
Russia shot down one Ukrainian drone over the outskirts of Moscow and six others over the annexed Crimean peninsula on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Defence.

At around 1:45 am (2245 GMT on Saturday) one drone was intercepted over Moscows Istrinsky district, the defence ministry said in a Telegram post.

According to preliminary data, there was no damage or casualties at the site where the debris fell, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote in a separate Telegram post.

Emergency services specialists are working at the scene.

Two Ukrainian drones were also destroyed at 1:15 am over the west coast of Crimea, with another four drones detected and destroyed over the peninsula between 1:45 to 2:20 am, according to the ministry.

Since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June, Russia has weathered waves of drone attacks that have sporadically damaged buildings, including in the capital.

Russian officials have downplayed the significance of the attacks.
South Koreas president said the international community will unite more tightly to deal with Russia and North Koreas growing military cooperation, as he prepares to discuss the matter with world leaders at the UN General Assembly this week.

Concerns over Russian-North Korean relations have grown since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia last week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin and a tour of high-profile military and technical installations. Foreign analysts believe Kim may replenish Russias depleted munitions stockpile in exchange for economic help and technologies to modernise his military systems aimed at South Korea and the United States.

Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes UN Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press before his departure to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move, he said.

In his address Wednesday at the annual UN gathering, Yoon will speak about his assessment of the Russian-North Korean moves, according to his office in South Korea, which added it is discussing countermeasures with the US, Japan and other partners.

While Russian-North Korean cooperation is feared to fuel Russias war efforts in Ukraine, it has also stoked security jitters in South Korea, where many think a Russian transfer of sophisticated weapons technologies would help North Korea acquire a functioning spy satellite, a nuclear-powered submarine and more powerful missiles. Some experts still say North Korea would end up receiving food and cash in return for supplying ammunition and shells because Russia closely guards its high-tech weapons technologies.

North Koreas advancing nuclear arsenal has been a major source of tensions in the region, with the North openly threatening to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with its rivals and conducting a barrage of missile tests since last year. In response, Yoon and US President Joe Biden in April agreed to expand joint military exercises, increase the temporary deployments of US strategic assets and launch a bilateral nuclear consultative group.

Our two countries (South Korea and the US) reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response that will bring about the end of the regime, Yoon said.

Going forward, (South Korea)-US extended deterrence will develop into a joint system in which both countries discuss, decide and act together, he said. We will also enhance the ability to deter and respond to any nuclear or missile threat from North Korea.

Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first foreign travel in 4 1/2 years, Kim has inspected some of Russias most advanced weapons systems including nuclear-capable bombers, fighter jets, hypersonic missiles and a warship. During a summit with Putin at Russias most important space launch centre on Wednesday, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin.

Some South Koreans call on their government to consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine in retaliation against Russias possible weapons technology transfers. But South Koreas Defense Ministry said its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remained unchanged.

Yoon recently announced South Korea will provide an additional $300 million to Ukraine next year, on top of the $150 million promised this year. He said South Korea will prepare for a mid-to-long-term support package worth more than $2 billion.

South Korea has provided Ukraine with demining equipment, emergency evacuation vehicles, pickup trucks, medical supplies, tablet PCs and other items. Yoon said in the coming year South Korea will continue to communicate closely with Ukraine to send it what is truly needed.

Since taking office last year, Yoon, a conservative, has made a bolstered military alliance with the US the heart of his foreign policy while pushing to move beyond historical disputes with Japan  Koreas former colonial ruler  and expand a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation. That has triggered concerns that South Koreas relations with China, its biggest trading partner, will be hurt.

Yoon dismissed such a notion, saying The trilateral cooperation harbours no intention of marginalizing any particular nation or establishing an exclusive coalition.

Citing his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping last November and Premier Li Qiang this month, both on the margins of regional gatherings, Yoon said he learned that China also attaches importance to (South Korea)-China relations.

During their November meeting, Yoon said Xi expressed his willingness to visit South Korea when the COVID-19 pandemic situation stabilized. Yoon said Li and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had also expressed their support for resuming a trilateral Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo summit in South Korea for the first time in four years.

All three countries  the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan  share a common understanding that it is important for China to play a responsible and constructive role not only in resolving pending issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the region but also in addressing global challenges, Yoon said.

In his UN speech, Yoon said that hell also raise the issue of gaps in three areas  development, climate responses and digital transformation  and present how South Korea will contribute to resolving them. Yoon said that as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024-25 term, hell also mention that South Korea will play a responsible role in security issues that require international solidarity like the war in Ukraine and the North Korean nuclear program.

While in New York, Yoon said he will hold bilateral summits with the leaders of about 30 countries. Yoon said hell try to use those summits to discuss bilateral cooperation and explain South Koreas hopes to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, South Koreas second-biggest city.
Describing the H-1B visa programme as a form of indentured servitude, Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has vowed to gut the lottery-based system and replace it with meritocratic admission if he wins the race to the White House in 2024.

The H-1B visa, much sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Ramaswamy himself has used the H-1B visa programme 29 times.

From 2018 through 2023, US Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 29 applications for Ramaswamys former company, Roivant Sciences, to hire employees under H-1B visas, Politico reported.

Yet, the H-1B system is bad for everyone involved, the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur was quoted as saying by 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, Ramaswamy said in a statement, adding that the US 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 31 March, the company and its subsidiaries had 904 full-time employees, including 825 in the US, according to its Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

When asked about the mismatch in the Republican presidential hopefuls policy stance and his past business practices, his 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 US 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.

He also said he would use military force to secure the border, and that he would deport US-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, US businesses submitted 780,884 applications for just 85,000 available slots, jumping by more than 60 per cent.

Ramaswamy acknowledged his own experience with immigration during his opening remarks at the first Republican 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 US employment, as part of his sweeping effort to limit the number of immigrants coming into the US.

Every year, the US gives 65,000 H-1B visas which are open to all and 20,000 to those with advanced US degrees.

In July, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, introduced a bill proposing to double the annual intake of highly skilled foreign workers on H-1B work visas coveted by Indian professionals.

The bill also seeks to double the number of H-1B visas available annually from 65,000 to 130,000 to allow American employers, including in critical technology sectors, to draw the best talent from around the world. Currently, nearly three-fourths of H-1B visas go to Indian professionals.

Ramaswamys harsh proposals have helped him stand out in the crowded primary field.

Earlier this week, Ramaswamy said he would fire 75 per cent of the federal workforce if elected the President.

Ramaswamy has garnered attention after his maiden Republican presidential primary debate held on August 23.

The first poll that came out after the debate said that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents said that Ramaswamy performed the best.

He was followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent, and former vice president Mike Pence (13 per cent). Indian-American Nikki Haley received seven per cent of the votes.
The Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland Mariusz Kaminski said that Russian cars will not be able to enter their territory starting from September 17. Russians will have to leave any car registered in Russia in the territory of the Russian Federation.

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This was reported by tvn24.pl. "A ban on the entry of Polish cars registered in Russia will be introduced starting Sunday," said Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Mariusz Kaminski.

Minister Kaminski explained that this means that no passenger cars registered in Russia will be allowed to enter the territory of the Polish state. "Russian trucks have already been affected by this ban. We are now closing this issue. No Russian car will enter Poland," he emphasized.

This applies to all cars, both those used for commercial purposes and private cars, regardless of whether the owner of the car is a Russian citizen or a citizen of another state. The rule is that a car registered in Russia is not allowed to enter Poland, the Interior Minister explained.

"This is another element of the sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens in connection with the brutal war in Ukraine as the Russian state today poses a threat to international security," added Mariusz Kaminski.

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As OBOZREVATEL reported, it is still too early to talk about the emerging trend of lifting sanctions against Russians as the court of the European Union in Luxembourg rejected the appeals of two Russian billionaires who demanded the lifting.

Only verified information is available on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The occupation authorities in the annexed Crimea are seizing Ukrainian property and selling it at auction. We are talking about apartments, sanatoriums and commercial premises.

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This was stated by the so-called "Speaker of the State Council of Crimea" Vladimir Konstantinov on his Telegram page. In total, the occupiers seized dozens of properties. They have already sold it for UAH 310 million.

"In addition, the sale of about 100 nationalized properties is planned shortly. These are residential premises, including the apartment of the Zelensky couple, sanatorium and resort facilities, retail and commercial premises," the occupier wrote.

The occupation authorities of Crimea decided to "nationalize" the property of "foreign citizens and states that carry out unfriendly actions against Russia".

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By the way, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Olena, bought an apartment in Crimea back in 2013. Back then, the Zelensky family was engaged in the media business. According to Zelensky's declaration, the value of this property is 1.3 million hryvnias (more than 160 thousand dollars at the exchange rate of that period).

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed an oil depot and enemy warehouses in the temporarily occupied Crimea. They hit military targets in the Zhovtnevyi district of the Red Guard. At the same time, the Crimean Bridge and the transport infrastructure of Chongar are under attack too, which creates serious logistical problems for the occupiers, including fuel deliveries.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2023.
It is already the fifth ship carrying agricultural products and metal that has left Ukraine since Russia broke the grain deal and began blockading Ukraine's Black Sea ports. The grain will go to Africa and Asia.

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Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov wrote about this on X, formerly known as Twitter. Cargoes with Ukrainian agricultural products will be delivered mainly to Africa and Asia.

"The PUMA bulk carrier left the port of Odesa with 30 thousand tons of rapeseed and metal. This is the fifth vessel to use the temporary evacuation corridor from Ukraine's Black Sea ports," he said.

Following the disruption of the grain deal, the JOSEPH SCHULTE grain carrier was the first to leave the Black Sea on August 16 and reach its destination. Ukraine has announced temporary corridors in the Black Sea for merchant ships sailing to and from Ukrainian ports. Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Black Sea "grain deal" on July 17, repeatedly attacking port grain infrastructure ever since.

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Ukrainian farmers faced serious problems after Russia withdrew from the grain deal and launched massive attacks on Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. Alternative export routes proved too expensive for many businesses, and now farmers do not know how to sell their products. This may lead to grain harvest rotting in warehouses or even in the fields.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Turkey called for an urgent resumption of the grain deal. They are convinced that the Danube ports will not be able to replace the Black Sea for food exports, leading to China and Africa not receiving enough grain.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Russo-Ukraine War - 16 September 2023 - Day 570

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 between October 2022 and March 2023, Russia focused long-range strikes against Ukraine's national energy infrastructure. Air launched cruise missiles (ALCMs), especially the modern AS-23a KODIAK, were at the heart of most of these strike missions. Russia uses strategic bomber aircraft to release these munitions from deep within Russian territory.

Open source reports suggest that since April 2023, ALCM expenditure rates have reduced, while Russian leaders have highlighted efforts to increase the rate of cruise missile production.

Russia is therefore likely able to generate a significant stockpile of ALCMs. There is a realistic possibility Russia will again focus these weapons against Ukrainian infrastructure targets over the winter.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of September 16, there were 30x combat engagements. The Russian invaders launched 8x missile strikes, 50x air strikes and 22x MLRS strikes at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Civilians in Kharkiv suffered from cynical rocket attacks. Unfortunately, the Russian terrorist attacks killed and wounded civilians. More than 15 private residential buildings were destroyed and damaged, as well as a lyceum and other civilian infrastructure.

The operational situation in the east and south of Ukraine remains difficult.

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 Stepok (Sumy oblast), Mala Vovcha, Pletenivka (Kharkiv oblast). More than 20x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Halahanivka (Chernihiv oblast), Rudak, Seredyna-Buda, Bachivs'k, Sadky, Ryasne (Sumy oblast), Strilecha, Hatyshche, Vovchans'k (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Syn'kivka and Kopanka (Kharkiv oblast). The settlements of Fyholivka, Lyman Pershyi, Petropavlivka, Zapadne, Kindrashivka (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Lyman axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive (assault) actions. The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novojehorivka, Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast) and Serebryanka, Spirne (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Dronivka, Sivers'k, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Forces successfully repelled more than 10x Russian attacks in the vicinity of Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces tried to restore the lost position in the vicinity of Kurdyumivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike near Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 20x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted offensives in the vicinity of Sjeverne (Donetsk oblast) to no success. The settlements of Sjeverne and Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast) suffered Russian air strikes. The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Oleksandropil', Stepove, Avdiivka, Nevel's'ke, Keramik, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: during the day of September 16, the Ukrainian defenders repelled more than 10x Russian attacks in the vicinity of Mar'inka. The Russian adversary launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Kostyantynivka, Yelyzavetivka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces launched air strikes against the settlement of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). About 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Bohoyavlenka, Novoukrainka, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Russian occupiers launched air strikes near the settlements of Svitla Dolyna, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 20x settlements, including Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, Pavlivka, Kam'yans'ke, Stepnohirs'k (Zaporizhzhia oblast).

Kherson axis: Russian forces launched air strikes near the settlements of Boryslav and L'vove (Kherson oblast) The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Antonivka and Kherson (Kherson 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 success in the vicinity of Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast).

In some settlements of Berdyans'k district of Kherson oblast, Russian occupation troops are garrisoned in private houses of local residents. At the same time, it is becoming a common practice of vacating private houses after carrying out filtration measures and forcibly relocating local residents of several families into one house.

During the day of September 16, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 2x air strikes on command posts, 12x strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment and 5x strikes against anti-aircraft missile systems of the adversary

Missile troops hit 3x Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems and 5x artillery systems of the Russian invaders.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in the period of 916 September 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 11 group strikes with long-range air- and sea-based precision weapons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, against port infrastructure facilities, production and storage sites for unmanned boats, POL, ammunition, Western weaponry and locations where AFU personnel were stationed.

As a result of the strikes, logistical support for the Ukrainian groups of troops operating in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, supplies of Western-made weapons were disrupted, and a large arsenal of technical ammunition of the AFU was destroyed.

On 11 September 2023, the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a strike on the Dolgintsevo airfield near Krivoy Rog (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The strike destroyed two MiG-29 fighters and three Su-25 ground-attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, according to revised data.

In Donetsk direction, the enemy did not abandon plans to capture Artyomovsk (Donetsk People's Republic) and continued to conduct assault operations by groups of the 28th, 93rd mechanised, 80th Air Assault and 3rd Assault brigades, unsuccessfully trying to dislodge Russian troops from Kleshcheevka and Andreevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Over the past week in this direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces repelled 34 attacks launched by AFU units, as a result of which the enemy lost more than 1,700 servicemen killed and wounded, 16 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 34 motor vehicles, and 12 field artillery pieces.

In Zaporozhye direction, Russian troops repelled 18 attacks launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces close to Rabotino and Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region).

As a result of significant manpower losses, the Ukrainian command was forced to begin withdrawing the 82nd Air Assault Brigade to the rear area in order to recover combat capability.

The 71st Jaeger Brigade of the AFU from the strategic reserve, along with combined assault groups of the 47th, 65th mechanised, and 46th Airmobile brigades of the AFU, are now involved in this operation to hold locations.

? The enemy suffered losses of about 740 Ukrainian personnel, 20 tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, and 20 motor vehicles throughout the battles.

In addition, 38 enemy field artillery guns were eliminated as part of counter-battery warfare.

In South Donetsk direction, Russian troops repelled eight enemy attacks with concerted action during the week, continuing to defeat clusters of AFU manpower and hardware.

During interrogations, Ukrainian servicemen who voluntarily surrendered complain about the psychological condition and extremely low morale of the 36th and 38th brigades of the AFU Marines due to considerable losses in manpower.

Over the past period, the enemy in this direction has lost over 1,100 servicemen killed and wounded, 15 armoured fighting vehicles, 22 motor vehicles, and seven field artillery pieces.

In Kupyansk direction, as a result of active operations, the units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved their tactical position in their areas of responsibility.

Five counterattacks launched by the enemy's 30th Mechanised and 25th Airborne Brigades have been repelled. AFU units suffered severe damage as a result of the effective deployment of army aviation and artillery.

Enemy losses amounted to up to 400 troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, 17 field artillery pieces, and one multiple rocket launcher.

Seven field ammunition depots of AFU units were also destroyed.

In Krasny Liman direction, the AFU made unsuccessful attempts to regain lost positions near Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Serebryansky forestry.

The Tsentr Group of Forces, air strikes, artillery fire, and heavy flame-throwing systems managed to successfully repel 13 enemy attacks. The losses of the AFU were more than 400 servicemen, 18 armoured fighting vehicles, 12 motor vehicles, and ten guns.

In Kherson direction, the main efforts were concentrated on preventing the enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups from landing on the islands and the left bank of the Dnepr River, as well as conducting counter-battery warfare.

In this direction, the AFU lost up to 360 servicemen, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, 26 motor vehicles, as well as 12 field artillery pieces.

A Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was intercepted by Russian fighter jets on 13 September 2023 near Krasny Liman (Donetsk People's Republic).

Black Sea Fleet naval aircraft and ships have located and destroyed 12 unmanned semi-submersible boats and three fast boats that were transporting landing groups of the AFU special operations forces in the Black Sea.

Air defence systems intercepted 19 HIMARS projectiles and shot down 270 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, 472 airplanes and 249 helicopters, 6,810 unmanned aerial vehicles, 437 air defence missile systems, 11,881 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,150 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,403 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,035 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 17 September 2023 - Day 571

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 recent days, Russian forces have likely reinforced their defences around the occupied town of Tokmak in southern Ukraine, which is approximately 16 km behind the current front line.

Russia is likely deploying additional checkpoints, 'hedgehog' anti-tank defences and digging new trenches in the area, which is held by its 58th Combined Arms Army.

Tokmak is preparing to become a lynchpin of Russian's second main line of defences. Improvements to the town's defences likely indicates Russia's growing concern about Ukrainian tactical penetrations of the first main defensive line to the north.



The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of September 17, there were 25x combat engagements. Also, the Russian Federation launched another strike against Ukraine with air-launched cruise missiles and Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs. As a result of combat operations, air defense destroyed 6x cruise missiles and 6x Shaheds. In total, the Russian invaders launched 15x missile strikes, 44x air strikes and 35x MLRS strikes at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements.

The operational situation in the east and south of Ukraine remains difficult.

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 adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Hirky, Pavlivka, Popivka (Sumy oblast). More than 20x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Halahanivka, Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Seredyna-Buda, Koren'ok, Volfyne, Myropillya, Velyka Pysarivka (Sumy oblast), Ivashky, Kozacha Lopan', Nesterne, Kam'yanka (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Nadiya (Luhansk oblast). The settlements of Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Kyslivka, Tabaivka, Krokhmal'ne (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 Terny, Tors'ke, Sivers'k, Vesele (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Zarichne, Tors'ke, Serebryanka, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Vesele (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Forces successfully repelled 5x Russian attacks in the vicinities of Klishchiivka and Bila Hora (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces tried to restore the lost position in the vicinity of Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). The occupiers launched air strikes near Andriivka and New York (Donetsk oblast). More than 15x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Druzhba, Zalizne (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted offensives in the vicinity of Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast) to no success. The settlement of Avdiivka suffered Russian air strike. The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Stepove, Orlivka, Avdiivka, Sjeverne, Nevel's'ke, Keramik, (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: during the day of September 17, the Ukrainian defenders repelled as many as 10x Russian forces attacks in the vicinity of Mar'inka. The adversary launched an air strike near Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast), where the Russia continues to shell artillery and mortars. The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at various settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Maksymil'yanivka, Heorhiivka, Mar'inka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces launched an air strike near the settlement of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Various settlements, including Vodyane, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, Urozhaine, Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Russian occupiers launched air strikes near the settlements of Verbove, Robotyne and Novodanylivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at more than 15x settlements, including Ol'hivs'ke, Chervone, Hulyaipole, Charivne, Novoandriivka, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast).

Kherson axis: Russian forces launched air strikes near the settlements of Odradokam'yanka and Mykolaivka (Kherson oblast) The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Novovorontsovka, Kachkarivka, Boryslav, L'vove, Kizomys (Kherson 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 the Russian enemy and step by step liberating the occupied territories.

During the day of September 17, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 9x air strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment of the Russian adversary.

Missile troops hit 3x anti-aircraft missile systems, 9x artillery systems, 1x ammunition depot and 1x electronic warfare station of the Russian invaders.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces' units, aviation and artillery repelled three attacks of AFU 53rd mechanised infantry and 79th air assault brigades' units near Khimik and Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 180 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one German-manufactured Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery system, and one Grad MLRS system.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian grouping of troops, aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems have repelled one attack by the 47th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

AFU 82nd air assault, 71st chaser, and 47th mechanised brigades' manpower and hardware concentration areas have been hit close to Verbovoye, and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

During combat actions, the enemy losses were up to 140 servicemen, one U.S.-manufactured Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, and four motor vehicles.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, one M777 artillery system, one U.S.-manufactured M119 howitzer, and one D-30 howitzer were destroyed.

One ammunition depot of the 43rd Artillery Brigade of the AFU has been destroyed close to Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region).

In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of competent actions by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, aviation and artillery, two attacks by assault groups of the 12th Special Forces Brigade and the 67th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU have been repelled close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry.

In addition, AFU 21st, 63rd and 67th mechanised brigades have been hit close to Yampolovka, Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryanskoye forestry.

Up to 65 Ukrainian personnel, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two pickup trucks have been eliminated.

In South Donetsk direction, the courageous and decisive actions of the Vostok Group of Forces, aviation and artillery repelled three attacks of AFU 35th, 36th marine brigades' assault groups near Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region).

Aviation and artillery launched attacks at manpower and hardware of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade near Ugledar (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as the 108th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Voskresenka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 170 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and one electronic warfare station.

In Kupyansk direction, the Zapad Group of Forces' aviation and artillery launched attacks at manpower and hardware of AFU 32nd, 115th mechanised, 25th, 95th airborne brigades close to Boldyrevka, Sinkovka, Ivanovka, and Berestovoye (Kharkov region).

Up to 50 Ukrainian personnel and 4 motor vehicles have been destroyed.

In the course of the counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-manufactured M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system, as well as one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system were destroyed.

Moreover, two U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radars have been destroyed near Peschanoye and Petropavlovka (Kharkov region).

In Kherson direction, up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, one armoured fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, as well as one UAV control post have been eliminated close to Dneprovskoye (Kherson region).

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 114 areas.

In addition, a missile strike hit the production workshops of the Kharkov Armoured Plant, where AFU armoured vehicles were being repaired and restored close to Kharkov.

Command and observation posts of AFU 100th territorial defence, and 67th mechanised brigades were destroyed near Serebryanka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The Russian anti-aircraft defence means have intercepted two JDAM guided aerial bombs, one HARM anti-radar missile and one U.S.-manufactured HIMARS MLRS projectile.

28 UAVs were destroyed and suppressed by electronic warfare means close to Vasilevka, Nevelskoye, Spornoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Olshana, Golikovo, Kremennaya (Lugansk People's Republic), Azov, Novoye, Romanovskoye, Ocheretovatoye (Zaporozhye region), and Radensk (Kherson region).

In total, 472 airplanes, 249 helicopters, 6,838 unmanned aerial vehicles, 437 air defence missile systems, 11,919 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,151 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,411 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,090 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of RTX Corporation f/k/a Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE: RTX) between February 8, 2021 and July 25, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important October 2, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the firm.



SO WHAT: If you purchased RTX 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 RTX class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=17866 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 2, 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, throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose, among other things, that: (1) the Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines had been affected from at least 2015-2020 by a quality control issue; (2) this quality control issue would require RTX to recall and reinspect many of its GTF airplanes, affecting customers and harming its business; and (3) 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.

To join the RTX class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=17866 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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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea a "commercial project of the United States." At the same time, the politician claimed that the products allegedly do not end up in Africa but remain in Europe.

ADVERTISIMENT

In addition, Obran considers the export of Ukrainian grain a "fraud." He said this on Hungarian television (to watch the video, scroll to the bottom of the page).

Orban basically repeated the propaganda narrative of the terrorist country Russia that Ukrainian grain allegedly remains in Europe and does not reach African countries. The politician said that "poor children do not see bread".

"It turns out that we export grain from Ukraine, but it does not reach Africa. Thus, European traders, having cheaper grain than Hungarian, Romanian and Polish ones, started buying cheaper Ukrainian grain instead of ours. Poor African children don't see a kilogram of bread. There is obvious fraud here," Orban said.

In addition, the Hungarian prime minister accused the European Commission of "fraud" regarding the export of Ukrainian grain. According to Orban, products from Ukraine end up in Europe at low prices. Following Russian propaganda traditions, he blamed the United States for all the troubles.

ADVERTISIMENT

"That's why we fought in Brussels. We wanted to ensure that Ukrainian grain could not be imported to Central Europe and stayed here. We have to fight such battles with Brussels every day. Brussels is simply not ready to take the side of the member states and peoples of Europe but represents completely different interests. These are not European, Romanian, Polish or Hungarian interests but rather American ones," Orban said.

As a reminder, the office of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban came up with another absurd statement about the Russian-Ukrainian war. The representative of the head of the government Gergely Gulyas said that the terrorist state Russia allegedly needs to be given a "security guarantee".

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to play into the hands of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, saying that the West should reconsider its relations with Russia. In particular, Ukraine's international partners should abandon their beliefs about restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity and joining NATO.

ADVERTISIMENT

Earlier, Orban called the position of the United States, which is firmly convinced of Ukraine's final victory over Russia in its administrative territories, a lie.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Orban blamed the West for supporting Ukraine. According to him, Ukrainians suffer from these actions and the war cannot be stopped peacefully. To end this, there must be a "ceasefire" right now.
Empowering head porters in communities

Graphic.com.gh Editorials Sep - 16 - 2023 , 19:52

This week, 260 female porters, in the West Mamprusi Municipality in the North East Region, were equipped with entrepreneurial skills and start-up kits to establish themselves in their localities to prevent their migration down south and ending up in the big cities.

The project, dubbed: Providing Livelihood Opportunities and Support for Kayayei Porters (KAYAPORT), is initiated by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Navrongo Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese (NABOCADO).

The three-year effort has a funding of $334,446.12.

The Daily Graphic congratulates CSR and its implementing partner, the NABOCADO, on the effort.

Over the past decades, the Daily Graphic has been aware of several of such efforts in the northern regions of Ghana to halt the migration of young girls to the south to engage in the carriage of heavy burdens for a pittance.

Head porters face several risks and problems with sheltering, proper feeding, and clothing themselves, as well as protection from gradually.

The Daily Graphic agrees with what was said by the National Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Rev. Dr Comfort Asare, at the graduation of the 260 girls at Walewale, that the intervention would impact the national development process in the aspect of entrepreneurship skills in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Sector, which duty bearers must ensure that it comes into fruition.They can do that by ensuring that every district or region from time to time enrols these young girls for refresher courses to upgrade their skills.

Additionally, the Daily Graphic holds the view that it is time, after several decades of efforts by NGOs, for the government to institutionalise such a project.

Thus the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection must engage and decide on institutionalising such a programme for head porters in cities across the country.

It must be the goal of the Ministry, through its agency, the Social Welfare Department, to ensure that all young head porters are skilled and economically empowered for their localities.By now, Ghana ought to have a register of all head porters in cities, and the progress of those who have benefited from such initiatives that upgraded their skills and established them in their communities.

The local assemblies must stepped in fully,ensuring that young girls in communities are empowered to prevent their migration into cities for risky jobs. The assemblies have to be innovative in this effort, as that contributes to the growth and development of local economies.

We need the head porters skilled and established for the development of local economies and ultimately end internal migration.
I'm no prophet of doom, I say what God tells me - Nigel Gaise.

Kofi Duah Email From Sandra Sep - 17 - 2023 , 08:32

The founder of True Word Prophetic Fire Ministries, TWPFM (Grace Chapel) Prophet Nigel Gaisie says it will be wrong for anyone to assume that he rides on doom prophecies to be popular since he is a genuine man of God who only tells what he hears from God.

According to him, he has been in the prophetic ministry for long over a decade and will not slur his image with false prophecies just to be popular and at the expense of the true word of God.

 I didnt become who I am today because my prophecies get national attention. It is a gift God has blessed me with. When I see something, I say it. I have been on radio for the past 14 years and TV as well so it will be wrong for anyone to assume that I'm riding on doom prophecies just to be popular or attach it to my popularity now," he stated".

Prophet Gaisie who had been called on phone during a discussion on false prophecies on UTV's United Showbiz yesterday, expressed frustrations at how Ghanaians undervalue their own prophets but hail same and hold them in high esteem from other countries.

If there is a prophecy from Ghana, we do not value it but when it is from another prophet from a different country, we rather pay attention to it," he stated.

Prophet Gaisie similarly expressed concerns about a demeaning statement from one of the panelist on the show and revealed that the continuous disrespect had forced him to turn down media interviews.

" In the name of speaking my mind, people disrespect you by saying anything and talking anyhow to you," he added.

Prophet Nigel Gaise who was not happy with what one of the panelist statement on him said he declines interview from media houses because of this same disrespect.
From Winneba to Accra through roundabout

Oheneba Akyeampong Opinion Sep - 16 - 2023 , 17:32

Winneba was the largest town between Accra and Cape Coast, the regional capital. From 1928 to 1962, it was a thriving port; one of only three ports that handled the countrys maritime trade. (Accra and Takoradi were the other two). With the commissioning of the deep-water harbour at Tema, surf-port operations ceased at Winneba (and Accra).

Petty trading now assumed greater significance in the local economy. For purposes of re-stocking, most retailers had to visit Accra, the national capital.

Winneba Roundabout was the towns most important transport node after the two stations; almost all vehicular traffic to and from the town passed through it. Intra-city transportation had not yet developed at the time.

Winneba Junction had not gained currency yet and there was, indeed, no purpose-built bus-stop. People travelling to other parts of the country joined Swedru-bound trucks, got off at Roundabout and continued the journey.

The route through Roundabout was, however, not the only one to Accra. A second one went eastwards from Winneba town through smaller communities and joined the highway to Accra at Ekotsi.

Parallel to the main Cape Coast-Accra highway, the Bereku Road, as it is known, was shorter but un-tarred, bumpy and dusty; consequently, it is avoided by most motorists.

Farm-steads, green spaces

The left-hand drive was the rule in Ghana. The 40-something year old driver sat behind the steering-wheel to the right-hand of the vehicle and changed the gear with the left hand.

There were even larger tracts of green spaces and farmsteads along the route.

In fact, Awutu Bereku was the largest of the three or four settlements. Milestones enabled one to determine, at any time, the distance left to be covered.

Outwitting cops

As we approached Odupong-Kpehe, the last town in the Central Region, we passed by a vehicle with Save Me O God (SMOG) inscribed on it; the passengers were standing round the vehicle, probably stretching their limbs.

Soon, we passed by the drivers mate as he jogged. Putting two and two together, one could figure out what was happening. A driver from the opposite direction had signalled the presence of the cops a few meters ahead by flashing the lorrys head-light while pointing downwards with the right hand.

The driver of SMOG had, therefore, made a strategic stop. He would have had to part with money for carrying one passenger more than permitted. His mate would have passed by the cops by the time they set off again. Drivers of those days treated the police with a modicum of respect.

Oven-on-wheels

The drivers mate on our vehicle had been cooling his heels up to this time. He dozed off, every now and then.

We were about leaving Odukpong-Kpehe, the last in the Central Region, when the rain started. He quickly got up to demonstrate he was on top of his brief. In a minute, the shutters came down.

The shutters were, actually, five pieces of tarpaulin curtains. They were folded and fastened around the roof of the truck and unfurled during rainfall.

Passengers seated on the extreme ends then held the loose ends closely to the vehicle in such a way that all were shielded from the rain. The vehicle suddenly turned into an oven-on-wheels.

Breathing became a chore as a result of stuffy conditions inside the vehicle. Once in a while, a particular gentleman would flip the curtain to allow in air.

Though partially drenched, he persisted to the admiration of some of us. We all heaved a sigh of relief as the rain subsided.

The year was 1967, 64 years since the advent of automobiles in the Gold Coast. Technological advancements have significantly lowered the level of hassle and discomfort associated with travel.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus Christ alluded to the dangers that confronted travellers of the time. Travail, the root word of travel, captures it all.

Coastal road

In 1954, the coastal road from Winneba Roundabout turned right at the Panbros area and entered the city through the suburbs of Chorkor, Korle Gonno and Akoto Lante.

Today, Winneba Road remains an abiding testament to the initial design. In the early 1960s, however, Accra, moved as Okaishie, emerged the new Central Business District (CBD) and an industrial estate sprang up some three kilometres to the north.

In the ensuing spatial reorganisation, the redesigned coastal road passed through Kaneshie.

After Mango Line, the milestones vanished, while built environments exceeded the total acreage of open spaces. I needed no telling that we were on the outskirts of Accra.

Nearing Accra Central

Our vehicle stopped at the police barrier, opposite Accra Academy. However, the police officer merely exchanged courtesies with the driver and waved us on. We were, for the first time, held up in traffic.

A newspaper vendor rushed to our vehicle. But, unlike his counterpart in Winneba, this one was not lucky; no one appeared interested in his wares. It turned out we were approaching Abbosey Okai, now Obetsebi Lamptey Roundabout. This roundabout, unlike the one in Winneba, was so busy that traffic jam could induce street hawking.

We turned right at the intersection and turned left, after about 100 metres. At a bridge over the Korle Lagoon, I spotted Accra High School; its decrepit buildings did not match the name.

At timber market, we turned left again for the home stretch. We had spent about two hours covering the 60 kilometres, without any dual carriage-way; no traffic jam, no army of street hawkers, except the newspaper chap encountered near Abossey Okai Roundabout.

The fare was 30 pesewas, almost half of the minimum daily wage of 65 pesewas.

Landmark features

Pre-departure information search had thrown up landmark features such as high rise buildings, neon signs, department stores, the two Makola markets and cold chocolate drink sold with meat pie.

I had also learnt about Kojo Thompson, a local politician who attended Winneba Methodist Middle School, with the longest road in the city named after him.

So, as we entered the CBD, I was primed for these sights and more. At the central lorry station at Tudu, a horde of hawkers, not four as witnessed in Winneba, sought to draw my attention to their wares. I continued walking towards the Ghana National Fire Service station said to mark the centre of the CBD.

Suddenly, there was this public place of convenience that emitted a pungent smell. That one was a familiar sight, though not found in the literature.

The writer is a retired lecturer.
Accra Central in sorrowful state: How did we get here?

Vicky Wireko Reality Zone Sep - 17 - 2023 , 10:33

If there was a day I had recently cried for my beloved country, it was last Monday. I cried for the total neglect of the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, left to a chaotic state and yet ironically located in its midst is the Accra Regional Police Station, a big one at that.

For close to 10 years now, I have not had any cause to go into the Tudu and Okaishie enclave.

Last Monday, I necessarily had to go in person to sort out issues at my bank branch, which is located right in there.

I have hated Internet banking right from day one, even though I have been coaxed into living with it.

This day brought me face to face with a hidden curse in Internet banking, which leaves ones scarce finances in the hands of a far removed, impersonal device to manage for us.

I cursed my bank over and over again that day as I got stuck in the chaos at Okaishie. I could not turn back, because I was in the middle of the deep blue sea of Okaishie chaos. Once one got into it, there seemed to be no turning back.

Budding market

No, Accra Central using the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue is a complete mess. From the old Kingsway, past COCOBOD offices down to old UTC, it took me precious 50 minutes.

As one sat in a nerve wracking traffic, commuter buses (tro-tro), loaded trucks and taxis literally squeezed private vehicles who wanted to stay careful and cautious to size.

What makes driving in the area even more agitating is how hawkers and other sellers have covered every pavement, and sadly, part of the road, making it a complete market place.

Pedestrians and buyers in their numbers have been pushed over as a result, to walk in front of or very close to moving vehicles. One has to be extra cautious not to scratch or knock someone or goods down.

So how did we get to this mess in Accra Central? The unacceptable behaviour of hawkers and sellers who have conspicuously taken over pavements and well into the streets is happening right under the nose of a Regional police station.

A budding market with the active selling of vegetables, dried fish, foodstuffs, secondhand clothing and shoes as one will find in any market is live there. Have the police given up on the situation and left us to our fate?

What is of even more concern is the volume of litter that has accumulated on the sides of the road with pedestrians and vehicles passing over them.

So all these sellers descend on the city centre and virtually live there for eight to 10 hours every day and leave their litter behind? Do they pay daily rates to the assembly, I wondered.

Places of convenience

And where are the public places of convenience for all the people who are there, those who have pitched their open markets and those who come in to shop?

One shudders to think how that area will look like in the period leading up to Christmas and the new year. That is the period when many more window shoppers and active buyers descend on the area and so sellers rush in there to find spaces to occupy.

Accra Central needs to be saved from the mess that is going on there. A lot of discipline is wanted and needed.

Not until then, my experience this week has taught me a great lesson and I have sworn never to set foot in the Central Business district, even if it means changing banks since that is the only reason that would drag me there.

Okaishie and adjacent areas in Accra Central house prominent businesses and commercial properties.

All of them must be paying property rates even though one is not sure if the sellers perching in front of commercial buildings and on the streets and pavements are paying rates to the assembly.

Can the assembly devote a proportion of some such revenues to clean and tidy up Accra Central as a matter of concern? Can they restructure the area and give grace and beauty to those offices including the busy Regional police station?

One key worry is how in an emergency situation an ambulance or a fire tender could make its way through to administer emergency services. Has the Assembly ever thought about that with the magnitude of human and vehicular activities in Accra Central?

We cannot just throw our hands up in the air and give up on the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and around the Okaishie enclave and allow lawlessness at its highest to take over.

Pavements and streets in the area must be saved and kept as such. Is anyone listening?
Ada: Search for 2 missing fishermen suspended, one more body found at Anloga

Benjamin Xornam Glover Sep - 17 - 2023 , 09:42

The search for two missing fishermen in last Thursday's canoe disaster at Ada has been suspended.

Out of the 19 fishermen who were involved in the accident, 17 have been found, 15 alive and two dead.

Two of them are still missing.

The Ghana Navy and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) on Saturday evening ended the search for the two missing fishermen.

They fishermen went missing on Thursday after strong waves capsized two fishing canoes around the estuary at Azizanya in Ada.

The search and rescue mission on Saturday evening announced the end of the search efforts, three days after the canoes capsized.

Another body found

One more body was recovered Saturday morning. The body was found at Anloga in the Volta Region and has been handed over to the family in Ada for immediate burial due to its decomposing state.

Of the 19 fishermen who were involved in the accident, 17 have been found, 15 alive and two dead.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ada East NADMO office, Ebenezer Dan-Doe speaking to journalists on Saturday, [Sept 16, 2023] said the team had decided to call off the search after three straight days of search.

He, however appealed to communities along the coast to be on the look out and alert the security agencies should they sight anything.

Mr Dan-Doe also advised fishermen and residents particularly those living close to water bodies to prioritise the use of life jackets to help reduce disasters on the water bodies in the area.
I have many professionals ready to work with me as President - Ken Agyapong [VIDEO]

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Sep - 17 - 2023 , 11:10

Presidential aspirant Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has reacted to assertions that he was not an intellectual, was temperamental and therefore was not a "presidential material."



Reiterating his seriousness about the campaign to lead the governing New Patriotic Party to Election 2024 and why he was the best candidate for that role, Mr Agyapong said those making the assertions and the views that he was not a presidential material were not aware that he has a strong force of university professors, lecturers and professionals behind him that are ready to work.

He said all those intellectuals, professors, lecturers and professionals were highly convinced that "Kennedy Agyapong has a message" and is the one who can help to "break the 8" for the NPP.

"I have met at least 45 of them [professionals] in Accra. Monday, I am going to meet lecturers at Tech [KNUST]. Many of these intellectuals have seen and are aware that Ken Agyapong has a message and want Ghanaians to give Ken Agyapong the chance," Mr Agyapong said when he addressed a health walk dubbed, "The Showdown Walk" in Accra on Saturday [Sept 16].

Pragmatic plans

Mr Agyapong listed some of his pragmatic plans on why he should be the one to lead the NPP to Election 2024.

Explaining why he will not step down from the competition with Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and two others, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai Nimoh in the race to elect a flag bearer for the NPP, Mr Agyapong said he has big plans to help transform Ghana's economy.

"The opportunity is there to break the 8 with Ken Agyapong. Don't go and make a mistake and take money and vote otherwise, you are voting for your destiny, you are voting for your children and unborn children," he told the gathering some of whom were NPP delegates who will be selecting the flag bearer on November 4 and impressed on them to convince all delegates to vote for Ken Agyapong.

For the well being of the country, we need pragmatic leaders, we don't need theories, book long people... we need people who will speak our local dialects, Twi, Ayigbe [Ewe] and Dagbani for it to turn around and reflect as monies in our pockets, he said in the Twi language.

He said he will use tourism to turn the country around and would ensure that he will reverse the trend of the migration from northern Ghana to the south in search of job opportunities.

Rather, people from southern Ghana will rather migrate to the north to take advantage of the numerous large scale agricultural opportunities because of the vast availability of lands compared to the southern parts of Ghana.

"There is one man in Ghana that voters are ready to give him the nod if NPP should allow him to lead and that is Kennedy Agyapong. Ghanaians are willing to give Kennedy Agyapong the opportunity to lead this country because as an ordinary member," he has already demonstrated that with the establishment of companies and his philantropic moves.

He added that in the history of Ghana, economists, lawyers and soldiers have been voted into office to lead and now Ghanaians are saying "Let's give a businessman the chance and see what a businessman can do. Of all the contestants, including that of the opposition NDC, when it comes to business, I stand tall".

Watch the video below

Mr Agypaong, who is currently the Member of Parliament for Assin Central said the New Patriotic Party per how things have been managed lost the 2024 elections in 2022 due to three major economic reasons.

One being the massive depreciation of the cedi and financial losses recorded by the middle class and pensioners.

Mr Kennedy Agyapong said the NPP has already lost the 2024 elections attributed the supposed defeat to the cedi depreciation, which, he said has destroyed business and depleted the savings of many Ghanaians in the middle class as well as the investments of many pensioners.

We lost the 2024 elections in 2022. At the time the Ghana cedi destroyed the hard work of many businessmen, all the way to the tomato seller. Ghanaians will never forget that.

"The time the middle class went to court because their monies were lost, and the time the pensioners had their monies gone, Ghanaians will remember that, he stated.

He, however, reassured the people that Ken Agyapong was that person in the NPP who is always looking out for the masses and making sure no such situation happened again.

Writer's email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Follow @enochfrimpong Follow @Graphicgh
U.S. senators appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to immediately provide Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles. They see an additional delay in the provision of such weapons as a threat of prolonging the war.

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Several representatives of the Republican Party issued a corresponding appeal. Among others, its text was posted by Arkansas Senator Bryant Thomas Cotton.

He and his colleagues Roger Wicker (from Mississippi), Susan Collins (from Maine), and Lindsey Graham (from South Carolina) insist that the transfer of a small part of the ATACMS that Washington has to Ukraine does not pose a risk to their country's combat capabilities.

Ukrainian officials have long stated that the Armed Forces need these missile systems. The Republicans' letter notes that the Senate Committee on Armed Services unanimously approved sending Ukraine the long-range missiles.

The senators mentioned the recent strike on the Sevastopol naval port using British long-range Storm Shadow weapons. According to them, it demonstrated the effectiveness of such weapons on the battlefield.

ADVERTISIMENT

Therefore, the Republicans emphasized that providing ATACMS to Ukraine would maximize the likelihood of success in its current counteroffensive and future operations. In addition, the missiles could also enhance the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ability to destroy Russian defense formations.

"The Ukrainian military has achieved some breakthroughs in the Russian-occupied territory. However, there are reportedly only 30 days left before the end of the regular combat season. The United States must provide ATACMS immediately so that Ukraine can achieve vital goals before winter sets in and deny Russia the opportunity to strengthen its positions," the statement reads.

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Its authors expressed their belief that the United States is quite capable of transferring such weapons without any noticeable risk to its own combat capability. After all, Ukraine has already significantly weakened Russia's military power, and it needs only a small portion of the US ATACMS stockpile. In addition, the United States can "produce hundreds of ATACMS and precision strike missiles per year," replenishing its stockpile fast.

An additional delay in providing Ukraine with such weapons, Republicans believe, will further expand and prolong the war.

"The Senate Committee on Armed Services unanimously approved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2024 that calls on the Department of Defense to consider sending long-range missiles to Ukraine. Its delay will only cost more lives and prolong the conflict. We urge you to authorize the immediate transfer of ATACMS to Ukraine," the senators concluded.

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According to media reports, the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States next week will not guarantee the receipt of long-range ATACMS missiles needed for the counteroffensive. The White House continues to debate whether the Ukrainian army should receive military assistance of this type of missile, but so far the result is likely to be negative.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken allowed the use of ATACMS missiles by the Ukrainian army outside of Ukraine, although Washington does not approve of this. At the same time, he noted that Ukrainians should be able to use such weapons effectively.

Only verified information on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Week 37 in review: Apple brings out the iPhone 15 series with USB-C

This week was Apple's iPhone 15 event so naturally most of the top stories were related to that.

Apple announced four new iPhones in the same configuration as last year - two vanilla models - the 15 and 15 Plus - and two Pro models - the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The biggest upgrade is that all new iPhones now have USB-C ports! Heck, even the AirPods got upgraded to USB-C.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus got bumped up to the A16 Bionic chip, have new 48MP main cameras, and now have a Dynamic Island, instead of a notch.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have the world's first 3nm chip in the A17 Pro, faster USB 3.0 speeds, a bigger-sensor 48MP main camera, and a new ultrawide camera. But while the Pro gets the same 3x zoom camera as before, the Pro Max debuts a 5x zoom camera, which Apple calls a tetrapixel (it's sort of a periscope lens). Both Pro models also swap the alert slider to an Action button.

All of Apple's new iPhones went on pre-order this Friday and will start shipping next week.

Apple also announced the Apple Watch Series 9, and the Watch Ultra 2 with brighter screens, faster processors, and a new Double Tap gesture.

Stories from the world of Android feature the Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro's prices and renders, Huawei making a return to the global market, and the Remi Note 13 Pro+ among others.

The full list of our most popular articles is below!



Don't buy the Apple iPhone 15 You're getting much more with the iPhone 15 Pro for not a lot more money.





Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro pricing around the world The iPhone 15 Pro Max now has 256 GB storage in its base version.





Watch the Apple iPhone 15 announcement live here We expect four phones, a new Watch Series 9 and a Watch Ultra 2.





Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro prices leak along with images of all the color options There is a leatherette option for both models. They will have roughly identical specs, save for the chipset and battery charging hardware.





HMD Global to establish its own HMD smartphone brand The announcement comes from the CEO of HMD Global on their LinkedIn profile.


The long-awaited iPhone launch was this week and the newest models are already on pre-order  for the first time with USB-C. Other firsts include Apples first periscope (on the iPhone 15 Pro Max) and the first vanilla models with a Dynamic Island.

But there are no deals to be had on the new models, Apple isnt feeling the pressure to offer pre-order goodies. That said, its worth having a look at the older models as some got price cuts, others got discontinued entirely (but are still available through third-party sellers).

There are a couple of new Android launches this week too. As for the older Androids, we're tracking their slide down the price ladder too.

USA

Were not sure what happened  Amazon normally has tons of old iPhones to sell. Not this week, though, there were only refurbished units left. And Best Buy only had carrier deals on the iPhone 14 generation, no SIM-free options.

We did manage to find an iPhone 13 mini, which you can no longer get from Apple. The last mini was discontinued before a replacement arrived (presumably the next SE), so if you want a small iPhone its between an iPhone SE (2022) at $430 and an iPhone 13 mini for $630. But considering that you can get an iPhone 13 from Apple itself for $600, this doesnt seem like a good price  wed recommend holding off for a few weeks to see if the big retailers find more stock of the old models.

Besides the new iPhone 15 models, the AirPods Pro 2 also made the jump to USB-C. However, if youre using an older iPhone with Lightning and you dont want to switch to USB-C just yet, you can pick up the older model with a small discount.

Apple has been making a push to become a sustainable, eco-friendly company, so its no surprise that it dropped its leather cases. The replacement is the so-called FineWoven cases. These are made from recycled material and have a soft touch to them. Material aside, the cases are built pretty similar to the old leather cases. Also, they add some much-needed color to the pretty dull hues of the iPhone 15 series. The price is the same for all models, $60.

The Motorola Edge+ (2023) is one of the best that Android has to offer. With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a 6.67 165Hz OLED with FHD+ resolution (and HDR10+, Dolby Vision support), this can handle anything you throw at it. The main camera has a 50MP 1/1.55 sensor with OIS, then there is a 50MP ultra wide (114) and a 12MP 2x portrait cam, plus an impressive 60MP selfie camera. The battery has plenty of gas in the tank (5,100mAh) and supports 68W wired and 15W wireless charging.

There were no new iPads at the Wanderlust event, so if youre looking for an Apple tablet, the options are the same as before. Two models from 2022 are the base iPad and the iPad Air, both with 10.9 displays with 1,640 ax 2,360px resolution and 60Hz refresh rate.

The Air is more powerful with an Apple M1 chip and double the RAM (8GB, plus it supports Stage Manager) and the display works with the 2nd generation Apple Pencil (the vanilla iPad uses the 1st gen Pencil). Other than that, the two are quite similar.

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is from earlier this year and it is now at a point where it gets discounts pretty regularly. You can grab it for $40 off from both Amazon itself or Best Buy. This is a cheap tablet that is built for streaming  it has an 11 IPS LCD (2,000 x 1,200px, 15:9) and stereo speakers. It has a slightly beefier MediaTek chipset than other Fires, so it can handle light gaming too and it has a large battery (14 hour battery life, according to official numbers) with 15W charging.

Germany

The new iPhones are here, so the old iPhone 14 Pro pair is gone  at least gone from the Apple store. You can still find the phones at other retailers and at a lower price too.

Is the iPhone 15 Pro enough of an upgrade to justify paying 200 more than you would for a 14 Pro? The new model didnt get a periscope like the Pro Max, so the only big upgrade are the new 3nm A17 chipset and the titanium frame (which makes it 19g lighter). And the USB-C port, of course, which is the way of the future for portable electronics.

As mentioned, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with Apples first periscope  it has 120mm focal length, up from 77mm on last years model. This is still short of the longest lenses on Android (e.g. the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 230mm periscope) and crucially you lose the 3x lens, so mid-range zoom duties fall on the main camera, which got no upgrades this year. Still, the savings may not be worth it  you may as well pay the extra 140 and get Apples best camera yet.

Moving on to the vanilla models, while they got a Dynamic Island (finally!), the displays still run at 60Hz. Thats disappointing, but the new 48MP sensor supports 2x zoom natively  something that the non-Pros have always lacked. Also, the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus may only be a USB-C 2.0 (480Mbps, compared to 10Gbps on the Pros), it still supports DisplayPort.

Theres also the new chipset on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, which is actually the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max chipset from last year. Its still a solid performance upgrade, though. At the end of the day its up to you to weigh the new upgrades over the lower costs of the iPhone 14 series.

Apple killed off the last mini but kept the SE around. The iPhone 13 mini can still be found at third-party retailers, but it costs nearly the same as the larger (and pricier) iPhone 13. Maybe these prices will fall, maybe they wont  the 13 mini was the last properly petite high-end phone (its noticeably smaller than the Galaxy S23, Zenfone 10 and Xperia 5 V).

The iPhone SE (2022) is fairly small too, though you dont get much screen size due to its old-fashioned design. Perhaps more importantly, the SE is cheap too  slightly cheaper on Amazon than it is on Apple.com (530).

Keeping up with the old vs. new theme, the Nothing Phone (2) is slowly sliding down the price ladder  the 12/256GB model was 730 at launch, the top 12/512GB model was 850. Now they are 60 and 100 less respectively.

There is still a long way to go before it gets close to the Nothing Phone (1), however. That one has a lower class chipset (Snapdragon 778G+ vs. 8+ Gen 1) and display (6.5 OLED vs. 6.7 LTPO OLED, both FHD+ 120Hz). However, the camera setup is fairly similar and the battery on the second gen model is only 200mAh bigger (it does also supports faster charging, 45W vs. 33W).

The Sony Xperia 1 V price has fallen since launch too. Perhaps not to where we would want it to be, but still. This features the unique ExmorT sensor (48MP, 1/1.35) with OIS and a similarly unique 85-128mm variable focal length tele camera (12MP sensor, OIS), plus a fairly standard 12MP ultra wide and 12MP selfie cameras. Just as importantly, Sony loaded this camera with several photo and video apps and even though the Auto stuff has been significantly improved, this is still a phone to get if you prefer to shoot in manual mode.

The Motorola Edge 40 is not strictly a gaming phone, even though it is equipped with a 6.55 144Hz OLED panel (with HDR10+ support and FHD+ resolution). It also has a Dimensity 8020 chipset, which is a decent all-rounder, especially at this price. Also worth mentioning are the 50MP main camera (1/1.55, OIS) with a 13MP ultra wide companion and 32MP selfie, plus a 4,400mAh battery that eked out a 98h endurance rating and supports 68W wired and 15W wireless charging.

New from this week is the Motorola Edge 40 Neo. Its similar to the Edge 40 above, except it switches to a Dimensity 7030 chipset, which is less capable. The camera is mostly similar, though again with some cuts (e.g. no 4K video capture with the 32MP selfie camera, which the regular Edge 40 can do). The battery is bigger at 5,000mAh and still supports 68W wired charging, but it loses the wireless option. Another cutback is that there is no Ready For (Motorolas desktop mode).

The Motorola Moto G23 still lives in a 4G world with its Helio G85 chipset, but it is an affordable model. If anything, the 6.5 IPS LCD is the bigger issue with its HD+ resolution (though the 90Hz refresh rate is nice). Theres a 50MP main camera and 5MP ultra wide (118), plus a large 5,000mAh battery with 30W charging. The phone has expandable storage, stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack  not all that bad for a sub-200 device.

UK

The vanilla iPhone 15 followed their Pro siblibgs in adoption the Dynamic Island (finally!), however, their displays still run at 60Hz. Thats disappointing, but the new 48MP sensor supports 2x zoom natively  something that the non-Pros have always lacked. Also, the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus may only be a USB-C 2.0 (480Mbps, compared to 10Gbps on the Pros), it still supports DisplayPort.

Theres also the new chipset on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, which is actually the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max chipset from last year. Its still a solid performance upgrade, though. At the end of the day its up to you to weigh the new upgrades over the lower costs of the iPhone 14 series.

Apple killed off the last mini but kept the SE around. The iPhone 13 mini can still be found at third-party retailers, but it costs nearly the same as the larger (and pricier) iPhone 13. Maybe these prices will fall, maybe they wont  the 13 mini was the last properly petite high-end phone (its noticeably smaller than the Galaxy S23, Zenfone 10 and Xperia 5 V).

Apple also released a new Ultra watch with an intensely bright 3,000 nits display, up from 2,000 nits on the original Apple Watch Ultra. The new model also has a new S9 chipset with better offline AI capabilities and double the storage (64GB), plus UWB 2 with direction finding. Still, these arent major upgrades, so you may want to consider getting the original Ultra at a lower cost.

The Nothing Phone (2) is slowly sliding down the price ladder  the top 12/512GB model was 700 at launch. Now it is down 40.

There is still a long way to go before it gets close to the Nothing Phone (1), however. That one has a lower class chipset (Snapdragon 778G+ vs. 8+ Gen 1) and display (6.5 OLED vs. 6.7 LTPO OLED, both FHD+ 120Hz). However, the camera setup is fairly similar and the battery on the second gen model is only 200mAh bigger (it also supports faster charging, 45W vs. 33W).

The Honor 90 Lite has a 100MP main camera, which is surprising for a sub-200 phone. That is the highlight of the phone as the 5MP ultra wide and the 16MP selfie cam are nothing special. The Lite is powered by the Dimensity 6020 (so its a 5G phone) and a 4,500mAh battery with 35W wired charging. It has a 6.7 90Hz IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution.

The Honor Pad 8 is quite cheap for its size  it has a 12 IPS LCD and not a bad panel either, it has 10-bit colors and 2,000 x 1,200px resolution (15:9). Its only 60Hz, but that doesnt matter for streaming video. What does is the impressive number of speakers on board, eight. This slate has a slender 6.9mm aluminum frame and weighs 520g, this is with a 7,250mAh battery.

You can go cheaper still with the Honor Pad X8. However, this one is smaller with a 10.1 LCD (19,200 x 1,200px, 16:10). It has stereo speakers and a smaller 5,100mAh battery inside the 7.6mm thick shell, which weighs 460g. The Pad X8 is also less powerful with an older MediaTek chipset compared to the Snapdragon 680 inside the Pad 8.

India

The new iPhones are here, so the old iPhone 14 Pro pair is gone  at least gone from the Apple store. You can still find the phones at other retailers and at a lower price too.

Is the iPhone 15 Pro enough of an upgrade to justify paying 15,000 more than you would for a 14 Pro? The new model didnt get a periscope like the Pro Max, so the only big upgrade are the new 3nm A17 chipset and the titanium frame (which makes it 19g lighter). And the USB-C port, of course, which is the way of the future for portable electronics.

As mentioned, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with Apples first periscope  it has 120mm focal length, up from 77mm on last years model. This is still short of the longest lenses on Android (e.g. the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 230mm periscope) and crucially you lose the 3x lens, so mid-range zoom duties fall on the main camera, which got no upgrades this year. Still, the savings may not be worth it  you may as well pay the extra 16,000 and get Apples best camera yet.

Moving on to the vanilla models, while they got a Dynamic Island (finally!), the displays still run at 60Hz. Thats disappointing, but the new 48MP sensor supports 2x zoom natively  something that the non-Pros have always lacked. Also, the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus may only be a USB-C 2.0 (480Mbps, compared to 10Gbps on the Pros), it still supports DisplayPort.

Theres also the new chipset on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, which is actually the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max chipset from last year. Its still a solid performance upgrade, though. At the end of the day its up to you to weigh the new upgrades over the lower costs of the iPhone 14 series.

Apple killed off the last mini but kept the SE around. The iPhone 13 mini can still be found at third-party retailers, but it costs nearly the same as the larger (and pricier) iPhone 13. Maybe these prices will fall, maybe they wont  the 13 mini was the last properly petite high-end phone (its noticeably smaller than the Galaxy S23, Zenfone 10 and Xperia 5 V).

The iPhone SE (2022) is fairly small too, though you dont get much screen size due to its old-fashioned design. Perhaps more importantly, the SE is cheap too  slightly cheaper on Amazon than it is on Apple.com (50,000).

Apple also released a new Ultra watch with an intensely bright 3,000 nits display, up from 2,000 nits on the original Apple Watch Ultra. The new model also has a new S9 chipset with better offline AI capabilities and double the storage (64GB), plus UWB 2 with direction finding. Still, these arent major upgrades, so you may want to consider getting the original Ultra at a lower cost.

Earlier this week the Honor 90 made its debut in India, marking the brand's return to the country after a 3-year hiatus. Sales start on September 18 (Monday at noon) and you can already check out the offers on Amazon, prices start at 38,000.

The iQOO 11 was the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phone to reach India and it cost 60,000 for the 8/256GB model and 65,000 for the version with 16GB of RAM. Both are now 5,000 cheaper. Besides the chipset, this phone also boasts a huge 6.78 LTPO AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution, 144Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colors. It also has a 50MP main camera (1/1.57, OIS), 13MP 2x portrait cam and an 8MP ultra wide. The 5,000mAh battery is screeching fast with 120W charging (it needs just 22 minutes for a full charge).

The Realme Narzo 60x and Samsung Galaxy F23 are fairly even in pricing. The Narzo has a slight edge in the screen department with a 6.72 IPS LCD (120Hz) compared to 6.6 LCD (120Hz) for the Galaxy, both FHD+. The chipsets are similar enough despite their different pedigrees (Dimensity 6100+ and Snapdragon 750G) and both phones have microSD slots. Both have 3.5mm jacks too.

They both have 50MP main cameras, but only the Samsung has an ultra wide (8MP, 123). Both have 5,000mAh battery, but the Narzo has slightly faster charging (33W vs. 25W).

The Motorola Moto E13 and Nokia C12 are two Android Go edition phones that cost about the same, if youre looking at the models with 2GB RAM. Both have HD+ 60Hz IPS LCDs (6.5 and 6.3, respectively) and basic cameras (13/5MP, 8/8MP). The Moto has a much larger 5,000mAh battery (vs. 3,000mAh), though. Crucially, the Moto E13 has a version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage for 2,500 more  its not a small upcharge when were talking about 6,000 phones, but its a huge upgrade in capabilities. The Moto already had the much more capable chipset (12nm vs. 28nm and with two Cortex-A75 cores to boot).

The Xiaomi Pad 6 is equipped with a fast 11 IPS LCD  a 144Hz panel with 10-bit colors (HDR10, Dolby Vision) and it is quite sharp too with 2,880 x 1,800px resolution (16:9). It is powered by the old-but-gold Snapdragon 870 chipset and an 8,840mAh battery with 33W fast charging. There are 4 speakers on board.

We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
Its not every day that restaurant food servers get a touching handwritten message of appreciation from their customers. So when Krist A. Felizardo of Dennys at Micronesia Mall got one from a tourist, it instantly made her day.

The heartwarming note also came with a generous cash tip.

Chris (sic) did an amazing job serving us this morning. It was the best customer service we have had since a week visiting Guam, according to the message, written across the customers receipt for $54.02 worth of breakfast on Sept. 12.

Felizardo, 28, said the unnamed customers handwritten note makes a lasting impact.

After reading the message, she said she feels more inspired to do her best every single day, knowing that people do notice the value of great customer service and hard work.

It also strengthened her faith in peoples capacity to show kindness, considering that restaurant customers could also get rude or obnoxious at times.

The handwritten note also included the word excellent, with an exclamation point, to describe Felizardos customer service.

The tourist who wrote the note, she said, was with two other people at the time.

Actually they asked for a survey note but we dont have any survey note so I told them You can just write whatever you want to say in the receipt. So anyways, they wrote all these compliments and I was so happy, and it just gives me motivation to be better every day of our work here. As a server, sometimes its not easy but we try, I try my best to accommodate them the best I could, Felizardo said in an interview with the Pacific Daily News.

Its not the first time that the restaurant got a handwritten note of appreciation from its customers but this one certainly was remarkable, according to Marian Ocampo, general manager for Dennys Micronesia Mall.

Ocampo said at times, the negative feedback from customers tends to get more attention online even though in reality, there are more messages of appreciation from customers  either verbal or written  towards restaurants and their employees.

We want to make this a better world, Ocampo said, adding that the restaurant has been working towards fostering a culture of positivity while also welcoming customers suggestions and constructive criticism.

The handwritten note went on to say, We will be recommending this Dennys to friends and family because of the service they provided us! Thank you Chris! (sic) Keep crushing it!

Dennys is Felizardos first and so far only job since arriving on Guam in 2014 from the Philippines. She started as a cashier before becoming a server.

Its a wonderful feeling, she said, when customers take the time to provide feedback. Felizardo studied hotel and restaurant management.

It doesnt matter how much you gave me, as long as it is from your heart then it is a lot, it means a lot to me, so for me, yes, Felizardo said about the tip that came with the note.

The customer also gave cash tips to the cooks and other staff members.

Second kitchenIf the customer who wrote the message can read this story, Felizardo said, she would like to again convey her thanks.

Its the same message of appreciation she wants to send to all the other customers, especially those who frequent their restaurant.

I just want to say thank you for your patience and for always choosing Dennys as part of your second kitchen. I would say second kitchen because theyre always here, they love us. Appreciate you guys, we appreciate you. Our team is really grateful for your time and effort to visit us, she said.

Both Felizardo and Ocampo said the good customer service is also the result of team effort, from the server assistants to the cashiers, cooks and managers.

The receipt with the heartwarming note has since been posted on the restaurants wall and on the companys social media page, along with comments from the local management of the American diner-style restaurant chain.

We couldnt be more grateful for the wonderful feedback and support we receive from our fantastic guests. Your kind words warm our hearts! And a special shoutout to our rockstar server, Chris (sic), the statement reads. Your dedication to providing top-notch customer service truly shines through. Were grateful to have you on our Dennys Micronesia Mall team.

(Editors note: Do you have stories about human kindness and perseverance? Send us an email hgilbert@guampdn.com or news@guampdn.com.)




Haiti - News : Zapping...





Canal Crisis : remarks by the Dominican Ambassador

Following his summons to the Haitian Chancellery https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40512-haiti-flashthe-dominican-ambassador-to-haiti-summoned-to-the-haitian-chancellery.html the Ambassador Farouk Miguel Castillo, reported that the Haitian authorities consider the decision to close the borders as a "strong" and "very radical" measure, while also emphasizing that the Haitian Government has recognized its difficulties in putting an end to the construction of this irrigation canal in Haiti which provides a water intake on the Massacre River. According to the Dominican diplomat, the Government of Haiti has recognized that "it does not control the area" where the construction of the canal is taking place, a project which, according to him, is "an initiative of a private group", which makes the solution to this conflict even more complicated...



Passing of Agr. Jean Paul Piner Duperval

It is with deep sadness that Charlot Bredy, the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, learned of the passing away of Engineer-Agronomist Jean Paul Piner Duperval, following a long and courageous struggle against illness. Agronomist Duperval was an exceptional expert who had remarkable mastery of several areas of expertise, including agronomy, hydrology and food safety. In these difficult times, the Minister joins all executives and employees of the Ministry, to offer his most sincere condolences to his family members, friends, agronomist colleagues and loved ones affected by this bereavement.



Claude Joseph calls for demonstrations against the PM

Former chancellor Claude Joseph, leader of the EDE political party, calls for the departure of Prime Minister a.i. Henry for his mismanagement and calls for peaceful demonstrations this Sunday, September 17, 2023, in Port-au-Prince.



BRH to the AFI Board of Directors

The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) joins the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) for a two-year mandate starting this month of September 2023. Continued to this appointment, Governor Jean Baden Dubois participated this week in the Global Policy Forum in Manila (more than 70 participating countries).



Femina Prize : Lyonel Trouillot selected

Haitian writer Lyonel Trouillot, in the list of the first selection of French novels for the 2023 Femina Prize (heard to men), with his latest novel "Veilleuse du Calvaire" from Editions Actes Sud.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Korean Movie | 2014

 Comedy

Directed by Kim Jin-young ()

Written by Jo Joong-hoon ()

119min | Release date in South Korea: 2015/04/30

Link

Formerly known as "Police Family" (, gyeong-chal-ga-jok) and "Clash of the Families 2" on HanCinema

Synopsis

"How dare you...my daughter! It's unthinkable! If you become the Korean police then I'll think about it."



A detective father is about to retire. With the eldest of the family being a leader of scientific investigation, a brother-in-law who teaches at Police School, a second sister who is a detective, a younger sibling whose whole family is made up of policemen or women. Yeong-hee is a former national fencing athlete and current detectve in the narcotics department. She's been supporting her boyfriend for 7 years in a row to help him get through police test.



His father specializes in cultural asset theft and his mother specializes in document forgery; Cheol-soo has inherited only the emotions of a detective and is preparing for police test 7 years in a row.



"...emotions of a criminal but is getting ready to take the police test 7 years in a row."



I will not allow my daughter to marry the son of a wanted man! vs. I am going to make my son a cop!



The two very different families go head-to-head.

Source
Published on 2023/09/17

Starring Lee Hanee, Bang Hyo-rin, Jin Sun-kyu, and Cho Hyun-chul! Director Lee Hae-yeong of "Believer" and "Phantom" Presents His First Series

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Netflix has confirmed the production of its upcoming series "Aema" and unveiled the casting of Lee Hanee, Bang Hyo-rin, Jin Sun-kyu, and Cho Hyun-chul. "Aema" is a Netflix series that follows the struggles of Hui-ran and Joo-ae in the process of creating the film "Madame Aema", a sensational hit that swept Korea during the early 1980s. It is a fictional comedy set in 80s Chungmuro, the heart of the Korean film industry, revealing the harsh realities of actors behind the glitzy veneer of show business.

Lee Hanee plays Jeong Hui-ran, hailed as the best actress of her generation but removed from the lead role in the new film "Madame Aema" due to her dispute with the production studio. Having captivated audiences with her charismatic and effortlessly hilarious performances in "Killing Romance", "The Fiery Priest", and "Extreme Job", Lee Hanee is poised to pull off yet another perfect transformation as Hui-ran, an actress who may be unfriendly to everyone but is unafraid to speak her mind about what is right or wrong.

Meanwhile, the up-and-coming actress Sin Joo-ae, cast as the new lead of "Madame Aema", is played by Bang Hyo-rin, who has made her presence known in short films with her unparalleled aura and portrayal of intense emotions. Joo-ae, a nightclub dancer aspiring to become an actress, suddenly finds herself chosen as the new star of the most anticipated film in Korea, "Madame Aema". Rising star Bang Hyo-rin promises to breathe exciting tension and dynamism into the story as Joo-ae, armed with her distinct look, passion for acting, and unfazed confidence.

Producer Goo Joong-ho is portrayed by actor Jin Sun-kyu, celebrated for his ability to alternate between good and evil in his roles in "Count", "Confidential Assignment 2: International", "Space Sweepers", "The Outlaws", "The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch", and "Bargain". Joong-ho is a producer who would stop at nothing to survive in the competitive film scene in Chungmuro, adding dimensions to the narrative by holding a large-scale audition and replacing Hui-ran with a rookie actress for the lead role of "Madame Aema" to rein in the uncontrollable Hui-ran.

Having left a lasting impression on viewers with his performances in the Netflix series "D.P" as well as "Hotel Del Luna", "MAL-MO-E: The Secret Mission", and "Samjin Company English Class", actor Cho Hyun-chul returns as Kwak In-woo, the timid aspiring director about to make his directorial debut with "Madame Aema". Cho Hyun-chul adds dynamic energy to the overall story with his impeccable portrayal of In-woo, who is torn between a multitude of choices.

"Aema" is written and directed by director Lee Hae-yeong of "Believer", "Phantom", and "Like A Virgin". Having seized the hearts of audiences with unique premises for stories and fascinating characters across various genres, Lee Hae-yeong will invite Netflix viewers around the world to Chungmuro, the heart of Korean cinema during the 1980s. Adding to the anticipation for the series is its production studio, The LAMP, whose projects based on true stories have been beloved by audiences and critics alike, including "A Taxi Driver", "MAL-MO-E: The Secret Mission", and "Samjin Company English Class".

Amping up anticipation with the announcement of the production and cast, "Aema" will be released exclusively on Netflix in 190 countries around the world.

Production Information

Title : "Aema"

Directed/Written by: Lee Hae-yeong

Starring : Lee Hanee, Bang Hyo-rin, Jin Sun-kyu, Cho Hyun-chul

Produced by : The LAMP Co., Ltd., Studio Kik Co., Ltd.

Distributed by : Netflix
A photo showing the Russian Samum small missile ship hit by a SeaBaby drone being towed into port appeared online. It is no longer able to sail on its own, although the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that "the attack was repelled."

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The date when the photo was taken is unknown, but the network claims that the photo was taken after the attack of the SeaBaby. The day before, OBOZREVATEL's sources in the Security Service of Ukraine reported that the drone hit the rear right side of the missile carrier, which was heavily damaged and lost its momentum.

As a result, the Russian military had to tow the Samum for repairs with a large trim to the stern (difference between bow and stern draft - Ed.) and a roll to the starboard side.

It was hit on September 14 near the entrance to Sevastopol Bay. The SSU used an experimental model of a surface marine drone capable of operating in a storm and hiding behind high waves. The wave height reached 1.5-2 meters during the special operation.

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As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- The attack on the Samum with a surface drone was confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry. Howevery, they said it was allegedly repelled. The SSU, in turn, said that a Sea Baby surface drone was used against the Russian missile carrier.

- On September 13, a shipyard of the Russian occupiers was attacked in occupied Sevastopol, damaging two vessels: the Rostov-on-Don missile submarine and the Minsk large amphibious assault ship, which were undergoing repairs in a dry dock.

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- According to Sky News, Ukraine hit them with British Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

- On the night of September 14, SSU and Navy counterintelligence destroyed a $1.2 billion Russian S-400 Triumph Air Defense system near Yevpatoria. Drones and Neptune missiles were used to hit the target.

- On the morning of September 14, the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit two Vasily Bykov patrol ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, where the enemy was on combat duty.

- According to British intelligence, Russia's attempts to restore the ships that were catastrophically damaged will take many years and hundreds of millions of dollars. In addition, removing the wreckage from dry docks will put them out of commission for many months. The loss of the Rostov ship also deprived the Black Sea Fleet of one of its four submarines capable of carrying cruise missiles.

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- All the bases of the Russian Black Sea Fleet are now "under threat", which was a serious step towards the de-occupation of Crimea. Read more about this in the article.

Only verified information on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Occupied Crimea is among the three regions controlled by Moscow which have the highest rate of cases of discrediting the army of the aggressor country. People on the peninsula are persecuted even for Ukrainian music and photos in embroidered shirts. Some residents actively inform the police and the Russian Federal Security Service.

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This is evidenced by data from the Russian OVD-Info human rights project. For its part, Verstka notes that almost as many people were prosecuted in Crimea in 2023 as in 2022 when public anti-war activity was higher.

Thus, the courts of occupied Crimea in 2022 issued guilty verdicts in 198 cases. There were 179 such cases in the first half of 2023. Two-thirds of the defendants are men, and one-third are women.

Court decisions show that the police find out about anti-war Crimean residents in three ways.

The first is monitoring the Internet. During working hours, police officers search for anti-war posts on social media by using keywords, monitoring comments under news stories, joining large chats on Telegram, WhatsApp and VKontakte and watching videos of local bloggers on YouTube.

The second is the data from the FSB, whose employees also monitor social media during working hours and pass it on to the police if they find "dirt" for a fine.

ADVERTISIMENT

The third way is denunciation. Dozens of administrative cases have been initiated after Crimeans filed complaints themselves.

In addition, they report to the Crimean Smersh Telegram channel, which, according to opposition Russian media, "has made Crimea a leader in the number of cases discrediting the Russian army."

One of the most recent videos on this channel is with a man who was forced to apologize for Verka Serdyuchka's songs.

In Crimea, not only opponents of the war are put on trial but also those who listen to Ukrainian music or post photos in embroidered shirts. The occupiers often do not limit themselves to protocols and force people to record apologies to "Russian citizens" on camera, Verstka writes.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- Earlier, the ATESH guerrilla movement warned of repressions intensifying in the occupied Crimea. In particular, railway employees were ordered to spy on passengers to identify patriots of Ukraine.

ADVERTISIMENT

- Internet providers were also ordered to spy on Ukrainians. They must report all cases of using VPN services that allow anonymous connection to the network.

Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Cocaine is set to become Colombias main export, overtaking oil, as production of the narcotic continues to expand as the government take a more lenient policy regarding drugs, according to estimates by Bloomberg Economics. Members of the Colombian Navy stand guard along with three tons of cocaine that were seized in San Andres, Colombia on September 13.(Reuters)

Oil exports posted a drop of 30% in the first half and the trend of cocaine trade has consistently risen, meaning the latter could be Colombias No. 1 export as soon as this year, according to Bloomberg economist Felipe Hernandez.

We estimate cocaine export revenues jumped to $18.2 billion in 2022  not far behind oil exports of $19.1 billion last year, Hernandez said in a note. The government is destroying laboratories where coca leaves are manufactured into cocaine, but that hasnt prevented production from expanding.



ALSO READ: Liquid cocaine: A new technique for smuggling drugs in India? Here's how

Colombias cocaine output surged to a record 1,738 tons last year, while the amount of land planted with coca, the raw material for making the drug, rose 13% to a record 230,000 hectares (570,000 acres) in 2022 from the previous year, according to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime report published this week.

Hernandez said the increase in cocaine production has had a short-term effect on activity, domestic demand and external accounts while not seeming to correlate with the performance of the Colombian peso.



ALSO READ: Over 5-tonne cocaine worth $946 million found near Italy's Sicilian coast

President Gustavo Petro, the first Colombian leftist leader, has changed the nations approach toward drug trafficking, seeking to hit drug lords who benefit more from the sale of narcotics overseas rather than targeting coca leaf producers, who are the weakest link in the production chain. Petro is seeking talks with the nations main drug-trafficking groups, in the hope of ending six decades of civil conflict though peace accords.

The new policy approach toward drugs is facilitating illegal groups to increase cocaine production, Hernandez said.

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In an effort to boost timely repayments, particularly among its retail borrowers, the State Bank of India (SBI) is introducing a novel strategy: greeting those at risk of defaulting on monthly instalments with a pack of chocolates, news agency PTI reported. The personal touch of home visits has yielded remarkable success rates: SBI official(Mint)

Ashwini Kumar Tewari, the managing director in-charge of risk, compliance, and stressed assets at SBI, said, With two fintechs which use artificial intelligence, we are piloting a novel way of reminding our retail borrowers of their repayment obligations. While one is doing conciliation with borrowers, the other is alerting us on the propensity of a borrower to default. And to such borrowers who are likely to default, the representatives from this fintech will visit them, carrying a pack of chocolates for each of them, and remind them of the forthcoming EMIs.

Tewari said the unique method of offering chocolates and conducting surprise home visits was adopted because borrowers planning to default tend to ignore reminder calls. The personal touch of home visits has yielded remarkable success rates so far.

SBI's retail loan portfolio expanded by an impressive 16.46% to reach 12,04,279 crore in the June 2023 quarter, up from 10,34,111 crore in the same period the previous year. This makes retail loans the largest asset class for the bank, which has a total book of 33,03,731 crore, growing at 13.9% year-on-year.

Interestingly, the entire banking system has experienced double-digit loan growth of around 16%, driven primarily by retail loans.

Although the official did not disclose the names of the fintechs involved, he mentioned that the initiative is in the pilot phase and was implemented just 15 days ago. "We are also talking to a few other fintechs to improve our collection efficiencies and hopefully by the end of the year, we will have formally tied up with at least half of them," he said, adding that the bank wants to continue the pilot for at least four to five months."

SBI's retail portfolio of over 12 lakh crore includes personal, auto, home, and education loans. With a home loan portfolio exceeding 6.3 lakh crore as of June, SBI retains its position as the largest mortgage lender in the country.

(With inputs from PTI)

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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
The infamous Bengaluru traffic often gives many moments that give social media a reason to go frenzy. Recently a woman from Bengaluru was found peeling vegetables while stuck in the traffic and it led to a massive discussion on X about the traffic snarls in Bengaluru. Bengaluru woman peels vegetables while stuck in traffic, internet responds.

Also Read - PM Modi responds to actor R Madhavan's praise on Bengaluru airport's terminal 2

A user named Priya took to social media and shared a picture of her peeling vegetables from the car and wrote, Being productive during peak traffic hours.

The post went viral on the internet with almost 50, 000 views and roughly 100 comments. A user wrote, There is so much to learn, achieve, and grow when travelling in #Bengaluru during peak hours. Our visionary politico-bureaucratic-builder combo who saw this potential did a great job narrowing our roads.

Another user said, Haha.. I wont be surprised if a startup comes up with an idea of mobile hydroponics farms. Plants grow as a vehicle reaches Indiranagar from Silkboard amidst Bangalore traffic.

A few users also said that it is a common practice in Mumbai local trains to peel vegetables on the go, to save the time and increase the productivity.

A user wrote, Classic Bombay train activities have finally made it to Bengaluru, giving #peakbengaluru a whole meaning, and another person said, Reminded me of a movie perhaps Lunchbox where Nawaz used to cut vegetables while commuting to office in Mumbai local.

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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
An army man was killed and another injured after the accidental discharge of a weapon from their colleague in north Kashmirs Bandipora district on Sunday. An army jawan was killed in accidental firing In Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipora. (HT File)

Police officials said there was an accidental discharge of a weapon resulting in death of an army rifleman and injury to another.

The accused army person has been detained. Necessary legal action has been initiated, the Bandipora Police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter)..

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Bandipora Lakshay Sharma told HT that they have taken legal action after accidental discharge of a weapon belonging to an army man. He refused to reveal the names.

The investigation is proceeding accordingly under section 304-A CrPC. An FIR will be initiated, he said, adding that the person has been detained.

Due to the accidental discharge of his weapon, the personnel in the patrol were injured of which one died while the other was being treated, he said.

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A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was injured in accidental discharge of his weapon as the anti-insurgency operation by security forces against militants in Garol forests of Kokernag in south Kashmirs Anantnag continued on the fifth day on Sunday, crossing 100 hours. Security personnel on their way to the encounter site in Garol, Kokernag, in Anantnag district on Sunday. (Waseem Andrabi /HT)

Officials said the firing continued as forces targeted terrorists possible hiding spots in the alpine forests. The area was rattled with sounds of explosions and gunfire during night hours and intermittently during the day.

Forces in particular targeted another cave-like structure suspected to be a terrorist hideout after locating it using a drone. The late afternoon showers disrupted the operation in the treacherous terrain.

The encounter is still going on. There is no official confirmation of killing of any terrorist so far, a police official of Anantnag said on Sunday evening.

Police did not comment on unconfirmed reports about the recovery of a charred dead body from a hideout destroyed in the past two days in the forest.

A call and a message to senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anantnag Asish Kumar Mishra, meanwhile, did not elicit a response.

The officials said that CRPF havaldar Manoj Kumar, guarding the outer periphery of the cordon on the encounter site, was injured when his weapon discharged accidentally hitting his leg.

Sharing details, CRPF spokesperson Junaid Ahmad said, He was on the encounter spot when his weapon discharged accidentally. It was raining and he was hit from inside his raincoat.

Kumar was rushed to district hospital Anantnag where his position is stated to be stable. He was on duty at the outer perimeter of the encounter site from where civilians are not allowed to move ahead, the spokesperson said.

The forces have lost four of their men including 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 in the initial day of encounter on Wednesday. Singh, Dhonchak and Khan were leading teams that were hot on the trail of the militants in the treacherous terrain and were fired upon from concealed positions while climbing a steep slope.

Since the initial blow, security forces have proceeded cautiously to take out the hiding terrorist believed to be two to three in number. Police believe that the Lashkar e Taiba commander Uzair Khan was one of the terrorists involved in the encounter.

Residents said the sound of blasts rattled the area, with a local adding, There was constant use of explosives. We could hear numerous blasts throughout the day.

The forest cover, hilly terrain and dense foliage were proving a boon for the hiding militants making it difficult for the forces to hunt them out.

The forces have used sophisticated weapons and surveillance systems like drones and heron. Owing to the hilly terrain, there has been constant use of shoulder-fired weapon systems, under-barrel grenade launchers and rocket propelled grenades, besides the weaponized drone. A cave hideout was located and destroyed using a drone deep in Garol forest on Saturday.

The forces, so far, have not clarified about the death of any militant, but Garol has been completely cordoned with the cordon extended further back from Saturday onwards. The residents living too close to the hilly forest have been evacuated.

At the core of this operation, who are at the front, are para forces, a senior official said.

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Residents of Nabha town in Patiala district urged the district administration to stop the reconstruction work of the Cinema Road and the Sadar Thana Road immediately. These roads were built of bituminous and were being dug up to replace it with interlocking tiles. The residents claimed that the roads were already in good condition and had been built just a few years ago. They said interlocking tiles wouldnt withstand the load of heavy trucks. Residents of Nabha town in Patiala district urged the district administration to stop the reconstruction work of the Cinema Road and the Sadar Thana Road immediately. These roads were built of bituminous and were being dug up to replace it with interlocking tiles. The residents claimed that the roads were already in good condition and had been built just a few years ago. They said interlocking tiles wouldnt withstand the load of heavy trucks. (HT Photo)

The road was constructed about four years ago and rules say it cant be rebuilt before five years and the previous contractor is liable for its maintenance for five years. However, the same contractor has been given the task to rebuild the road before the completion of five years, said residents of Sadar Thana Road in their written complaint.

Nabha residents in their complaint to the Patiala deputy commissioner said that the level of roads was being raised by laying interlocking tiles. So, in case it rains, their houses would be inundated.

Patiala DC Sakshi Sahney said, We have already marked an inquiry into this. The work of laying interlocking tiles has already been stopped. A technical team is examining when the road was built and what has prompted the need to replace it with interlocking tiles.

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The border security force (BSF) personnel, in a joint operation with Punjab Police, recovered over 5 kg heroin from border villagers in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur on Sunday. Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police recovered a drone from a paddy field in the Rajoke village of Tarn Taran on Sunday. (ANI Pic Service)

In Tarn Taran, the forces recovered 3.1kg heroin airdropped by a Pakistani drone in Amisha village around 2.10pm. During the search, our troops recovered a big-sized packet, containing heroin, wrapped in a yellow adhesive tape and attached with an iron hook, he said.

The recovered consignment has been handed over to Tarn Taran police which has registered a case under the NDPS Act and under the Indian Aircraft Act against some unidentified persons, a BSF spokesperson said.

In Ferozepurs Gatti Rajoke village, the BSF suspicious drone activity around 4:10 am and promptly shot it down.

A BSF spokesperson said, Simultaneously, a joint search operation was conducted with Punjab Police. At approximately 6:35 am, our teams discovered a large parcel containing 2.5 kilograms of heroin, equipped with an iron hook (presumably for attachment to a drone), in a field near Gatti Rajoke village.

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After brewing a success story of the crafted kinnow-flavoured aromatic gin in May this year, Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited (PAIC), a state-run agri-processing organisation, is elated after its in-house team has developed two juice variants of the king fruit after stabilising its bitterness in taste. After brewing a success story of the crafted kinnow-flavoured aromatic gin in May this year, Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited (PAIC), a state-run agri-processing organisation, is elated after its in-house team has developed two juice variants of the king fruit after stabilising its bitterness in taste. (HT File)

Stakeholders said the unique natural taste was a major hindrance to marketing it in the packaged juice industry.

Officials associated with the project said on Sunday that the kinnow juice mixed with lemon and apple in another variant was launched in Chandigarh in July on a limited scale and it yielded an impressive response from the retail and catering sector.

PAIC general manager Ranbir Singh said the Punjab Agros initiatives to process kinnows in the liquor and juice sectors are aimed at boosting the economy of citrus fruit growers as the low-grade fruits will have a market and they may earn well. The in-house team of the agency is soon launching two variants of kinnow juice mixed with beetroot and carrots, he added.

There is a potential to process more than 50,000 tonnes of kinnows of C and D grades. Kinnow juice has a distinct natural bitterness and after years of experiments, we are able to bring it to an optimum level. These juices stand distinct with a sugar content of 4-5% which makes them a healthier option than other packaged juice options in the market having up to 40% sugar, he added.

The top official said it is important for farmers to segregate low-grade fruits before waxing, a popular technique to enhance the shelf life of fruits in which a layer of wax is put on the farm produce.

Punjab leads the country in the cultivation of kinnow with an average annual production of more than 5 lakh tonnes, with the Abohar belt alone contributing up to 60% of the states total production. The fruit is cultivated on nearly 33,000 hectares in Punjab.

A state award-winning kinnow grower from Abohar Arvind Setia said that the fruit has immense potential in the domestic and international markets and an organised food processing boost by PAIC may bring a change.

Reducing bitterness in the juice was the main issue that kinnow could not create its space in the packaged industry. But PAICs achievement on this front has cheered us, said Setia.

Another orchardist and kinnow trader from Gidderanwal in Fazilka district, Pardeep Dawra said that industrial use of lesser-grade fruit will have a positive impact on farmers.

After a gap of two consecutive failed seasons, kinnow growers are hopeful of a bumper crop this year. Farmers are paid a meagre amount for under or oversized fruits, or when it bears marks. But if demand for quality is created in the food industry, farmers will get fair rates and give a much-needed boost to kinnow cultivation, said Dawra.

States kinnow-based gin a success in Goa

PAIC roped in a Goa-based distillery having specialisation in brewing gin after a citrus-flavoured gin was conceptualised in research labs of the state agency. Officials said the alcoholic beverage was first rolled out in Goa where it was highly appreciated by the alcohol connoisseurs and tourists from abroad and India.

After its launch was a success, we have tied up with the navy for supplies of the gin and the beverage will soon be available in the selected cities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Punjab and Chandigarh. Our team has initiated the process to attain permission from the excise authorities, said PAICs Ranbir Singh.

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Everyone says, Do your duty. But what is duty? Who teaches us about duty? Who taught duty to the Sun, clouds, Earth etc.? Who taught a seed to germinate? Who taught a mango tree to bear fruit? Who taught a bird to return to its nest at sundown? Who taught the digestive system to process food? Who taught the nose and lungs to breathe? Who taught a womans body to mature a foetus in her womb, give birth to the child and then breast feed? The list is endless  these timeless duties are ingrained within! These are the unwritten laws laid down by God Himself  Sanatana Dharma! To each, his own! Of late, there has been a lot of chatter about Sanatana Dharma. (HT File)

Of late, there has been a lot of chatter about Sanatana Dharma. Perhaps there is lack of understanding about what it really is.

The word Sanatana literally means eternal. It is that which has no beginning nor end; was never born nor will ever die. God alone is eternal. God is Santhana and the dharma/law/duty mandated by Him is Sanatana Dharama. It is the eternal law! And it belongs to everyone just like the sun, the moon, the planets etc.

All forms of life, whether humans, trees, animals, birds among others are born and they die. Even mountains, rivers, volcanoes and all landforms are created and as time passes, they cease to be.

But each of these entities, whether living or non-living has a dharma to execute, that is ingrained in them. Just like that, the principles of Sanatana Dharma are ingrained in humans too. These are the code of conduct for the welfare of all. The basic tenets of living are Sanatana Dharma.

Sanatana Dharma is not derived from or prescribed by any avatar or sage, religion or sect. It is the primal essence of the rules of the universe. It is the Law of the Universe. Religion facilitates us to understand Sanatana Dharma, but we cannot narrow down its scope to any religion. Limiting it to any religion is inappropriate, because it is beyond boundaries.

All religions, recommend pleasing God. All propagate seeking to emulate Divinity and about aspiring to merge into Him. If we aspire to merge into Divinity, we have to be worthy of mergence. And for that we have to conduct ourselves in accordance with the eternal laws of the universe!

When people fail to do their duty or follow the laws of the universe, humanity gets afflicted by fear and agony in many ways and this leads to sorrow.

The Hindus are bestowed with a wealth of knowledge through the scriptures. God is the personification of Dharma. Lord Rama stood and lived by the principle: Raghukul reet sada chali aayi, praan jaaye par vachan na jaaye. So much was his commitment to his duty that Rama was prepared to lay down His life for upholding Dharma.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that the essence of all sculptures is, Love all, Serve all!

Indian culture has been eroded in many ways due to multiple aggressions by invaders and also the influence of the West. It is because we do not know about our culture and do not stand up for it, that others hurl stones at us.

Let us not forget that our culture is based on the Vedas. It is divine and potent. We need to wake up and take stock of what we are losing before its too late.

In 1665, Newton discovered the force of gravitation and later formulated the Law of Gravitation in 1686. But does that mean that before Newton discovered it, there was no force of gravitation? It was always there! ,

Recently, India landed its Chandrayaan on the moon. It is sending pictures of the surface of the celestial body, but whatever it is documenting has been there forever. Certain things just are! So is the Sanatana Dharma  it was, is and shall always be!

priyatandon65@gmail.com

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Eminent writer, journalist, and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaiks elder sister Gita Mehta passed away in Delhi on Saturday evening. Eminent writer, journalist, and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaiks elder sister Gita Mehta (PTI Photo)

She was 80 and was ailing for quite some time. Gita is survived by his son Ajay Singh Mehta.

Gita, the daughter of prominent politician Biju Patnaik, was married to renowned American publisher late Sonny Mehta, who passed away in Manhattan in December 2019 at the age of 77.

Soon after the news of her death, Naveen Patnaik left for Delhi.

Born in 1943 to Biju and Gyan Patnaik in Delhi, Gita studied in India before moving to the University of Cambridge in the UK, where she met her future husband Sonny Mehta, who later went on to become president of the renowned publishing house Alfred A. Knopf.

In 1979, Gita wrote her first book Karma Cola, a collection of essays on Indian spirituality and the perception of the Western world about it.

In 1989, she wrote her first novel Raj where she discussed Indias colourful history and culture against the backdrop of the Indian colonial past. Snakes And Ladder written by Gita is among the most seminal work.

During the years 19701971, she was a television war correspondent for the US television network NBC and produced four documentaries.

Her film, a compilation of the Bangladesh revolution, Dateline Bangladesh, was shown in cinemas both in India and abroad. She also made films on elections in the former Indian princely states.

In January 2019, the government of India awarded her Padma Shri in the field of literature and education, which she declined saying it may be misconstrued due to the timing of the award as it had come just before the general election.

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Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said that Ukrainian troops will continue to destroy enemy targets in the temporarily occupied Crimea. According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will continue to strike until the enemy leaves the Ukrainian peninsula.

ADVERTISIMENT

At the same time, Danilov emphasized that the strikes on Crimea are carried out mostly with domestic weapons. He said this on the air of Ukrainian Radio.

Danilov noted that the situation with the shelling of military targets in Crimea will continue. The NSDC Secretary emphasized that the enemy will have to be driven away from the peninsula with the help of missile weapons.

"This is our peninsula, and it will be liberated in the way we deem necessary. As of today, it looks like the Russians do not intend to leave Crimea on their own. Thus, we will have to drive them away with the weapons we have available," Danilov said.

The NSDC Secretary also added that Ukraine's missile program is showing results in Crimea, as not only Western weapons are being used.

"The missile program, which was launched in 2020, is bearing fruit. Part of the weapons that strike the enemy on our territory, namely in Crimea, is the implementation of the missile program. These are our latest developments, which today are no worse than Western models," Danilov said.

ADVERTISIMENT

On the morning of September 14, explosions were heard near Yevpatoria in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The Russian occupiers complained about another drone attack and reported the work of their Air Defense system.

Later, it became known that the military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy conducted a unique special operation in the temporarily occupied Yevpatoria in Crimea. As a result, the Russian Triumph Air Defense system worth $1.2 billion was destroyed.

The day before, explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol in Crimea. The occupiers' shipyard was hit, with a fire breaking out. This enterprise, which is located on the Sevastopol Shipyard, is the main site for the construction and repair of ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

ADVERTISIMENT

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- Sky News reported that Ukraine hit the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with British Storm Shadow cruise missiles during the night attack on Sevastopol on September 13. As a result, two Russian Black Sea Fleet ships were damaged.

- The attack on Sevastopol caused hysteria among Russian propagandists. In particular, well-known Kremlin host Vladimir Solovyov was outraged and called for a retaliatory attack on Western facilities that produced the missiles used by Ukraine.

Only verified information on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
A massive fire erupted in a hotel situated on the picturesque Camel Back Road in Mussoorie, resulting in the complete destruction of two vehicles parked nearby. Several fire tenders were rushed to the site to control the blaze. Fire at Sidus Rink Hotel in Mussoorie.

Shankar Singh Bisht, the Station House Officer (SHO) at Mussoorie Police Station, said the hotel was undergoing extensive renovation and was empty when the fire broke out.

Renovation work was going on in this hotel located on Camel Back Road, due to which the hotel is empty and there has been no loss of life. Police and fire brigade are trying to control the fire, ANI quoted the officer as saying.

Further details are awaited.

(This is a developing storyplease check back for updates)

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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
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal has promised central government funds for community Durga puja organisers if they project central schemes at the states biggest festival to be held between October 20 and 24, inviting sharp reactions from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which accused the saffron party of spending central funds for political gains. Around 40,000 community Durga pujas are held in Bengal, with Kolkata and its surrounding areas accounting for around 3,000. (File Photo)

Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, Community clubs that organise pujas have been told that central ministries may bear their cost of decorations and themes if they are based on social welfare and development projects undertaken by the (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi government.

Our leaders have been told to be associated with as many Durga pujas as possible. They will coordinate with the Union ministries if any club comes up with decorations and themes that project central schemes. The ministries have allocated budget for advertisements, he added.

The move invited a sharp reaction from the TMC as it comes during the run-up to the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It also comes at a time when the TMC is demanding release of funds for various social welfare schemes that Union ministries have suspended citing either corruption or mismanagement.

TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said the saffron camp should not forget that it is because of the chief ministers efforts that UNESCO added Durga Puja in Kolkata to its 2021 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, giving international recognition to the festival.

There was a time when BJP used to say that Mamata Banerjee does not allow people to hold Durga Puja in Bengal. And now it is ready to spend central funds for political gains. I will urge the clubs to take the money and ensure that people vote for TMC, said Sen.

The TMC also sees the BJPs new move as an outreach exercise to counter chief minister Mamata Banerjees decision to hike the states financial assistance to the clubs to 70,000 each this year. The amount was 60,000 in 2022. In 2018, when Banerjee started the assistance scheme, the amount was 10,000.

Opposition parties, including the BJP, had earlier criticised Banerjee for this monetary grant saying tax-payers money is being spent for political gains.

Banerjee also announced in August that the clubs will have to pay only one-third of the electricity bills and the rest will be waived by the state.

Around 40,000 community Durga pujas are held in Bengal, with Kolkata and its surrounding areas accounting for around 3,000.

For the clubs, especially those having big budgets, themes provide an opportunity to bag awards offered by corporate houses and media groups. The themes mostly focus on current issues or events.

Durga puja in Bengal had traditionally witnessed sections of political leaders reaching out to the masses by associating themselves with community pujas, offering prayers and taking part in cultural events.

The picture radically changed after TMC overthrew the Left regime in 2011 and BJP rose to become Bengals second largest party.

In 2020, Narendra Modi virtually joined the commencement of the first Durga Puja the state BJP organised at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) campus in Salt Lake on eastern outskirts of Kolkata. No other prime minister had inaugurated Durga Puja in Bengal till then.

In his speech, Modi invoked the goddess in Bengali and talked of female empowerment, laws to curb crime, Jan Dhan accounts for women and central schemes such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (save and educate the girl child). The speech was streamed live by the party to its supporters at all 294 assembly constituencies.

However, in 2021 the party won only 75 of Bengals 294 assembly seats.

Themes created by puja organisers often send out strong messages on raging political issues. 2021 was no exception.

The theme of a puja in Kolkata depicted the farmers long march in Maharashtra in 2018 and 2019, movements against the controversial farm laws and the killing of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. It drew the ire of the saffron camp.

Last year, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar inaugurated the partys third Durga puja at EZCC and said it was the last one.

We started the puja in 2020 and held it for three consecutive years, as customs mandates. It is an expensive exercise that now costs around 5-6 lakh. There will be no puja in 2023, Majumdar said in October 2022.

BJP wrested 18 of Bengals 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and has set a target of winning at least 35 in 2024.

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GORAKHPUR Former BJP minority cell in-charge of Maharajganj district, Rahi Masoom Raza, who is accused of the rape of a dalit girl and murder of her father, was arrested by Maharajganj police from Sunauli border on Saturday evening. Raza was released from Kotwali police station on September 6 on a personal bond after the victim retracted her previous allegations of rape and thrashing of her father which led to his death on August 31. (Pic for representation)

Raza was released from Kotwali police station on September 6 on a personal bond after the victim retracted her previous allegations of rape and thrashing of her father which led to his death on August 31, three days after the incident of rape that took place on August 28.

The girl, her sister and deceased father were tenants in the house of the former BJP leader. Taking a serious note of negligence of police personnel, SP Maharajganj had suspended five cops and attached 14 others to district police lines on September 9 for their alleged mishandling of the case.

SP Dr Kaustubh had constituted 15 teams for the arrest of the accused and a notice for the demolition of his house was also pasted on Thursday. Fearing stringent action by the police force, his tenants had vacated the house.

Rahi Masum Raza who posed as a lawyer, is not a member of the Civil Court Bar Association, Maharajganj as he had no registration as lawyer in Bar Council that was confirmed by district unit president of the association Dharmendra Tripathi.

Additional superintendent of police Atish Kumar Singh confirmed that the accused had taken shelter somewhere in Nepal and he was arrested while making an attempt to enter India at Sunauli border. He said that though the accused was released on personal bond, the case against him was not withdrawn and investigation was going on.

Meanwhile, addition district magistrate Maharajganj, Pankaj Kumar said the district authorities had arranged an outsourced job in the municipality for the victim girl.

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Two persons arrested in connection with a molestation case in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar sustained injuries to their legs on Sunday after being shot at by a police party, which, a senior officer claimed, retaliated after the accused fired at guards in an attempt to flee from their custody.' Accused being taken to hospital after the 'encounter' (Image courtesy: Livehindustan)

A third accused, the Superintendent of Police (SP) said, broke his leg in the melee.

They fired at the police party with rifles snatched from the party. In retaliatory firing, two were injured in their leg, while the third fractured his leg. We will take them on remand after first-aid...within 10 days we will file a chargesheet and secure a conviction within one month, the Ambedkar Nagar SP said.

On Friday, the victim, a class 11 student, was returning from school with her friend when two men who came from behind, pulled her dupatta, making her lose balance and fall off her bicycle. She was hit by another motorist, leading to injuries to her head, and death.

It is not known whether the motorist is connected to the other two. According to HT's sister website Livehindustan, the duo has been identified as Shehbaz and Arbaz, and the third, as Faisal.

All three have been booked under relevant sections of the penal code, as well as POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.

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Mumbai: A man was arrested on Saturday for illegal possession and attempted sale of nails of a tiger and a lion. The accused, identified as Jigar Pandya, 28, is a resident of Gandhinagar in Gujarat. HT Image

According to the police, on Saturday evening, they received information from the crime branch officials that a man from Gujarat was coming to sell animal nails worth 11 lakh.

Acting on the tip-off, the police officers laid a trap on SV road near the MTNL office and found a man wearing a shirt and jeans standing suspiciously.

The police officers approached him and asked his name, to which he replied that he was Jigar Pandya. On searching the accused, they found two nails of a lion and a few nails of a tiger in his jeans pocket, which he was trying to sell in the city illegally and as he did not have a legal permit, said the police. We have arrested Pandya under sections 39, 44, 48, and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, said a police officer from Borivali police station.

The police are now inquiring and trying to find out who was trying to buy the nails and from where Pandya acquired them. We suspect that the nails are from lions and tigers in the wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra and Gujarat, however, we are checking to find out what is the use of these nails and whether Pandya is involved in illegal smuggling and selling of other parts of the animals, the officer said.

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Mumbai: As the two-week-old stalemate over the Maratha reservation issue continued in the state, chief minister Eknath Shinde emerged as the leader safeguarding the interest of the community while his two deputies strategically kept themselves away from the issue. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis surprisingly avoided visiting the agitators in Jalna on Saturday despite being at the state cabinet meeting which was held just 70 km away, while Ajit Pawar categorically maintained silence on the entire issue. Jalna, Sept 14 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde meets Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike to protest for the Maratha reservation, at Antarwali-Sarati, in Jalna on Thursday. (ANI Photo) (CMO Maharashtra Twitter)

Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil called off his 17-day indefinite hunger strike only after CM Shinde visited him on Thursday. The visit of the CM and two deputy CMs was the precondition put forth by the activist for withdrawing his strike, and was scheduled to take place a day earlier. Ajit Pawar was supposed to accompany Shinde to Jalna, but cancelled at the last minute.

On Saturday, Shinde and his two deputies were in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, just 70 km away from Antarvali-Sarati village where Jarange-Patil has continued his protest, but neither Fadnavis nor Pawar visited the agitators. Fadnavis, in fact, visited agitators from the OBC community in Nagpur over 400 km from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and assured them that their share of reservation would not be touched. The OBC outfits are protesting against the governments decision to award Kunbi certificates (in the OBC category) to Marathas from Marathwada.

While Fadnavis move has surprised many in political circles, a Shinde faction Shiv Sena leader justified the move. Fadnavis kept away from the issue for a couple of reasons, he said. First, he is being held responsible for the lathi charge on Maratha protesters on September 1, after which Jarange-Patil criticised him very harshly. Secondly, the governments decision to award Kunbi certificates to Marathas has rattled OBCs, which comprise the traditional BJP vote bank. The partys success in Vidarbha is mainly dependent on this vote bank. It was natural for Fadnavis to side with OBCs.

Ajit Pawar, from Day One, distanced himself from the protests. Despite being a Maratha leader, Ajit chose to keep a low profile on this issue, said an Ajit faction NCP leader. This is because he cannot hurt other communities, including Dhangars, who are in huge numbers in his constituency Baramati. Also, Ajit is a politician who does not like to be seen as bowing down to the irrational conditions put forth by the protesters. He is believed to be of the opinion that Jarange-Patil arm-twisted the government after the lathi charge.

Insiders also believe that maintaining a balance between communities was a ruling alliance strategy. Shinde emerged as the saviour of the Marathas after his intervention, especially after he visited Jarange-Patil and made him call off the hunger strike, said the NCP leader. On the other hand, Fadnavis tried to woo OBCs. It could be an understanding between the two ruling parties which will go to polls as an alliance. This way it could be beneficial to both of them.

Mumbai-based political analyst Hemant Desai agreed that it could be a strategic move before the elections. However, he felt that both the deputy chief ministers staying away from the protest could play out in favour of the chief minister. The entire issue was handled by Shinde himself right from the beginning, he said. Perhaps he wanted to grab all the credit and reinforce that he is the real leader of the Marathas. At the same time, the BJP cannot afford to lose OBC support, and hence Fadnavis chose to visit the OBC protesters instead of the Maratha ones.

Chandrakant Bavkar, working president of the OBC Janmorcha said that Fadnavis could have met OBC protesters in Nagpur because the majority of OBC communities were with the BJP.

Shiv Sena parliamentary party leader Rahul Shewale has said that the Sena will push for reservation for the Maratha and Dhangar communities. The issue was raised by him at an all-party meeting under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh before the special session of Parliament.

Our leader and CM Eknath Shinde is quite positive about reservation for Marathas, said Shewale. He is pursuing the case, and the Centre must help us. At the meeting, I said that total reservation for OBCs needed to be increased by 10 per cent so that the OBC quota is not touched. It will be easier thus to give reservation to Marathas, and the Centre must table a proposal on this. Shewale said that other states also wanted reservation for other communities, and added that his government was also positive about reservation for Dhangars.

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There was relief for health officials in Kerala on Sunday as 42 more samples including those of high-risk symptomatic persons tested came back negative for the Nipah virus. As of now, six cases of the zoonotic virus have been reported in the state, including two deaths and four others under treatment. Health workers shift a man with symptoms of Nipah virus to an isolation ward at a government hospital in Kozhikode in Kerala on Saturday. (AFP)

Its a relief that 23 of the 42 samples that were tested and came back negative were of high-risk symptomatic persons. Results of a few more samples are awaited. 19 teams of the health department are continuing their work in the field today. Most of those on the contact list of the infected persons have been identified, said health minister Veena George.

We will find the remaining contacts by tracking their mobile networks with the help of police. Because, when we find certain persons, they claim that they were never there at that place. The gaps in the contact list will be filled with the help of police, she added.

The minister said that teams of central health officials will carry out inspections at the epicentre of the 2018 Nipah outbreak and find out if there have been any ecological changes. Officials from the National Institute of Virology, Pune and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Chennai are also conducting studies in the field today.

Those under treatment in the hospitals are stable and among them, the nine-year-old boy who was on ventilator support has shown signs of improvement, the minister said.

The incubation period of the virus is 21 days, which means that a person is likely to start showing symptoms within that period of being infected from another person. But we are observing a double incubation period of 42 days, as per medical science. This means we must continue to remain alert and our surveillance mechanisms must be active for 42 days since the last positive case was detected, George said.

We are also carrying out genomic sequencing of the virus to get more fact-based results out of this outbreak, she said.

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LUCKNOW Just a day after the molestation case in Ambedkar Nagar, the two accused arrested by the police sustained injuries to their legs on Sunday after being shot at by the cops when they attempted to escape from police custody while being taken for a medical examination. The third accused broke his leg while attempting to flee from police custody. Representative pic (HT File)

They fired at the police team with rifles snatched from the police party in a bid to escape while being taken for a medical examination to the community health centre (CHC), said Ajit Sinha, superintendent of police, Ambedkar Nagar, on Sunday.

In retaliatory firing, two were injured in their legs, while the third fractured his leg while trying to escape. We will take them into custody after they receive first-aid, Sinha added. Within 10 days, we will file a chargesheet and aim to secure a conviction within one month, said the SP.

It may be pointed out that the Ambedkar Nagar police had arrested brothers Shahnawaz and Arbaaz and another person, Faisal, on Saturday in the Ambedkar Nagar molestation case. A 17-year-old class 11 schoolgirl died when Shahnawaz and Arbaaz, who were riding a motorcycle, pulled the girls scarf when she was returning home on a bicycle at the Ambedkar Nagars Hirapur bazaar on Friday. The girl lost her balance and was hit by a speeding motorcyclist, Faisal.

The police have booked three youths, all aged between 19 and 22 years, under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 354 (for the use of criminal force on any woman with the intention to outrage her modesty), 279 (for negligent driving), and 304-A (for causing death due to negligent driving), based on the complaint filed by the girls father at the Hanswar police station.

Ritesh Pandey, the in-charge of the Hanswar police station, was suspended on Saturday on charges of dereliction of duty.

Sabhajeet Varma, the girls father, has accused the officers of inaction despite his verbal complaint against the stalkers. According to Varma, his daughter had complained about harassment by the three stalkers. Varma stated that he was himself keeping a watch on the stalkers when officers did not take any action. However, the police have denied receiving any written or verbal complaint from Sabhajeet Varma.

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The Bihar education departments tough posturing to improve attendance of students in schools, which was hitherto conveniently ignored, has led to the disenrollment of over one lakh students remaining consistently absent and not reporting to schools despite their admission, said an official aware of the matter. Bihar additional chief secretary (education) KK Pathakdirected the removal of names from the registers if they did not report consistently for more than three days (Representative Photo)

The number of missing students could rise further, as it had happened over a decade ago, as the drive would continue to get the right picture for improving facilities and attendance in schools and growing apprehension that many of the habitually absent ones might be enrolled elsewhere or studying in private schools, added the official.

The decision to remove names of students remaining absent for long periods was taken by the order of additional chief secretary (education) KK Pathak, who has himself been inspecting schools, sending teams across the state and monitoring the presence of students and teachers on a daily basis.

During an inspection, Pathak had suggested the teachers and school administration striking off the names of students not reporting consistently.

He has been particular about the attendance of students and directed the removal of names from the registers if they did not report consistently for more than three days without any valid reason and remained unresponsive for a fortnight despite reminders. That order is being followed. If at any later stage, the students will report, they will have to give an affidavit stating they will be regular for re-admission. Some students may have enrolled to avail of direct benefit transfer (DBT) and are studying elsewhere, said the education departments public relations officer Amit Kumar.

This is, however, not the first time it has happened in Bihar. In 2011-12, rampant fake enrolments in Bihar schools surfaced during the implementation of the health guarantee scheme for all students and later the operation register clean pointed to an astronomical number of missing students.

The department had then said that the preliminary findings of operation register clean had pointed to inflated admissions to the tune of around 20 lakh, though not many details were shared later on.

The department officials later said that many names might have been deleted without ascertaining actual reasons for the absence of students and the issue was closed, though the problem apparently remained unchecked.

The reasons for inflated admissions were attributed to the massive exercise of bringing all out-of-school children to schools since 2006 through the governments Sankalp programme, in which the schools fudged admissions in connivance with local officials to improve their record and it confounded over the years.

A senior official of the department said that Pathaks insistence on better attendance in schools and close monitoring could unravel the real enrolment figures and also save the exchequer by saving a lot of money going to undeserving and fake students through DBT.

The government gives a lot of incentives for improving education, but it cannot be allowed to become a source of scam. It is public money and meant for improvement in schools helping the needy. The drive will separate the wheat from the chaff, added the official.

He said that enrolment was the yardstick on which the entire educational planning in the state was done  be it the requirement of teachers, schools, classrooms or distribution of funds for mid-day meals (MDM), bicycles, books, dresses etc.  and if the figures would go wrong, it would be difficult to achieve the desired objective.

The focus is on improving attendance and it has been observed that despite improvement over the last three months, the desired outcome is not reflecting. This led to apprehension if the same students are enrolled in two or more schools or are studying elsewhere, as was detected in 2011-12 by state quality mission during random checks in schools with consistently poor attendance but high enrolment, added the official.

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LUCKNOW Stray dogs have once again unleashed terror in the Khairabad area of Sitapur district. If reports from the area are to be believed, approximately 15 people have fallen victim to dog bites in the last 24 hours. The injured have been discharged after receiving treatment. (HT Photo)

There are distressing accounts of stray dogs mauling and injuring 15 individuals, including seven children, within the past day. Among the victims are Rehan, aged 9, a resident of Kulhan Sarai; Mahendra, aged 7, and Shivani, aged 10, residents of Kajiara; Altama, aged 10, a resident of Miyan Sarai; Mohammad Kaif, aged 11, a resident of Sheikh Sarai; Ritesh, aged 4; Mohammed Sohail, aged 32, a resident of Miyan Sarai; Abrar Ahmed, aged 32; Brajesh Kumar, aged 38; Kashiram, aged 27; Ramendra Shukla, aged 69, and more. The families of these dog bite victims rushed them to CHC Khairabad for treatment.

The injured have since been discharged after receiving treatment, according to CHC officials. Meanwhile, residents of Laliapur town cornered a stray dog that had been attacking children and beat the dog to death. Municipal EO Prem Shankar Gupta stated that a team from Lucknow will be summoned to capture the stray dogs.

At the same time, HCHC Superintendent Dr. Ramashankar Yadav revealed, Over the past month, 106 individuals have received rabies injections at CHC.

However, all attempts to contact DM Sitapur have gone unanswered, with no response to calls or messages via WhatsApp and social media.

Ghosts Of The Past

The resurgence of dog bites in Khairabad is deeply troubling because six years ago, in 2017-18, dogs had instilled terror when they attacked children in Mahsingpur, Budhanpur, Chaubeypur, Peepur, Tikariya, and Gurpalia villages in the Khairabad block of Sitapur. During that period, 14 innocent children lost their lives due to dog bites, and 75 people were injured by these canines. At that time, several animal rights activists protested against action targeting the dogs.

Back then, chief minister Yogi Adityanath himself visited Sitapur after taking note of the deaths of two innocent individuals in Gurpaliya village. He had issued directives to the forest department and the district administration to apprehend stray dogs. Subsequently, hundreds of dogs were captured by a special team of dog catchers from Lucknow.

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Knest, India's largest and the world's fastest growing aluminium formwork firm, has signed a deal with ABR Jeddah Contracting Co to set up an aluminium formwork factory in Saudi Arabia.

The factory will boost aluminium formworks supply in Saudi Arabia and other Middle East and North Africa (Mena) countries. Along with the investments, the alliance is set to kickstart knowledge sharing and collaborative growth in the sector.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on the sidelines of the India-Saudi Investment Forum 2023 during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Government endorsement

The MoU has been endorsed by key government and industry partners including Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment, India's Ministry of Commerce & Industry & the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

Nitin Mittal, Chairman & MD, Knest, said: "The effort is to take Knest to the world, and continue building an efficient, inter-connected and consistently productive global real estate ecosystem. We are grateful to both the Indian and Saudi Governments for supporting us in creating value for all."

Yaser A Almalki, Chairman, ABR Jeddah, commented: "Knest is a pioneer in the aluminium formwork industry, and we have been fascinated by their value engineering. Our vision is to start using the technology in Neom, Al-'Ula & National Housing Company for housing and commercial projects. And then take it to the entire Mena region. We are confident that working with Knest and India will be a watershed moment for all."-- TradeArabia News Service
Russia lost about 200 elite combat specialists in airfield and airport capture who had been participating in relevant military exercises for decades in the battle for the Hostomel airfield. The heavy losses came as a surprise to the Russians, as they were very confident and expected to repeat the scenarios of airfield seizures in Kosovo and Kazakhstan.

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This was stated on September 16 by the Hero of Ukraine, commander of the Special Forces unit of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and an intelligence officer who participated in the Battle of Kyiv. He spoke with representatives of the diplomatic corps on the peace formula at the eighth meeting, which was held by the Head of the Presidential Office Andrii Yermak on behalf of the Head of State at the Antonov airport.

In particular, the intelligence officer recalled the details of the battles in Hostomel, where the occupants wanted to land and seize the Antonov airfield. The latter, according to the Kremlin's plan, was to serve as a key hub for the rapid transfer of equipment and manpower by transport aircraft and the subsequent occupation of Kyiv.

"It seems that the Russians thought they would repeat the scenario of seizing the airfield, as during the Pristina offensive in Kosovo on June 12, 1999. They thought that they would repeat the scenario of seizing the airfield in Hostomel, as during the events in Kazakhstan in early January 2022. They were so overconfident that they failed to realize that they were dealing with Ukrainians," said the DIU Special Forces commander.

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He added that the actions of the DIU Special Forces and other units of the Defense Forces in Hostomel were aimed at destroying as many enemy resources as possible and preventing the capture of the airfield.

As a result of the fierce fighting, the airfield's runways became unsuitable for Russian transport planes with personnel and equipment. The enemy suffered heavy losses.

The aggressor state lost about 200 elite combat specialists in the capture of airfields and airports in the battles for the Antonov airfield, who had been participating in military exercises of this type for decades," the intelligence officer said.

The officer also called on the ambassadors of 70 countries to support the Ukrainian formula for peace and "push Russia to the limit".

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As a reminder, the fighting for the Hostomel airport began on February 24, 2022, and continued intermittently until February 27. At first, the airport was attacked by Russian helicopters, which landed there.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces recaptured the airport, but the enemy launched a second attack a day later. During the battle, our soldiers killed the attackers and damaged the runway, which prevented Russian Il-76s from landing their main forces. Later, the invaders occupied the territory of the Hostomel airport, but could no longer store their aircraft there. In these battles, the invaders almost destroyed the world's largest aircraft, the An-225 Mriya, which was in the hangar.

In March 2022, the ex-advisor to the head of the OP Oleksiy Arestovych said that about 200 Russian special forces, specialists in airport seizures, had been eliminated in Hostomel. The DIU noted that more than 50 occupiers from the 31st Separate Guards Brigade from Ulyanovsk (Russia) were among the losses in Hostomel.

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As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, a video of the first hour of the Russian invasion was posted online, showing Russian helicopters flying to Hostomel and shooting down our military over the Kyiv Sea.

Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
GORAKHPUR In a rather unusual incident at the vice-chancellors (V-C) office of DDU Gorakhpur University on Saturday evening, an IPS officer and the in-charge of Cantonment police station were asked to deposit their mobile phones at the reception before entering the V-Cs chamber. Carrying mobile phones inside the V-C chamber would be permitted only under special circumstances. (HT Photo)

Although no police official confirmed this on record, Professor Poonam Tandon, the V-C of the university, stated that, from a standpoint of discipline and security, the submission of mobile phones at the reception had become mandatory and should not pose an issue for anyone.

Carrying mobile phones inside the V-C chamber would be permitted only under special circumstances. DDU authorities have issued a guideline stating that, without prior permission, no one would be allowed to bring a mobile phone into the vice-chancellors chamber.

Interestingly, on Saturday evening, the IAS officer and the Cantonment police station in-charge, who had arrived to inspect the venue and discuss matters with the V-C, were asked to leave their mobile phones at the reception counter.

Authorities Overwhelmed with Back-to-Back Events

Meanwhile, two convocation programs in two different universities -- DDU and Madan Mohan Malviya (MMM) Technical University -- scheduled within a 24-hour gap, on September 18th and 19th respectively, have kept officials and the academic council on their toes.

Notably, this would mark the first visit of the governor of Uttar Pradesh to the DDU Gorakhpur University campus since it achieved an A++ accreditation. A full dress rehearsal for the convocation ceremony was conducted on Sunday. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Poonam Pandey emphasized that the convocation was for the students, and their participation was essential.

The convocation program at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University is scheduled for September 18th, while at MMM Technical University, it is slated for September 19th.

Governor Anandiben Patel is expected to arrive on Monday morning to attend the DDU convocation ceremony and is likely to stay overnight in Gorakhpur, as she will participate in the convocation ceremony of MMM Technical University on Tuesday.

Additionally, district authorities are on high alert for the two-day scheduled program of chief minister Yogi Adityanath and for the Governors overnight stay at the Circuit House.

9 Girls Among Eleven Gold Medalists to Be Awarded

In keeping with the academic trend of recent years, female students have outperformed their male counterparts in securing gold medals at DDU Gorakhpur University, with nine out of eleven top achievers set to receive their gold medals from governor Anandiben Patel. According to the universitys media liaison, a total of 32 gold medals will be awarded, including eight from the university itself and 24 donor medals, among them, 11 for meritorious students.

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LUCKNOW A 44-year-old patient tragically lost his life as he leaped from the window of the orthopaedic ward on the third floor at the King Georges Medical University (KGMU) campus on Sunday morning, according to the police. KGMU orthopaedic ward (HT Photo)

The patient, Ram Vriksh Chauhan, had been admitted to the ward and underwent spine injury surgery on September 13. This unfortunate incident occurred around 9:30 a.m.

Dr Sudhir Singh, the spokesperson for the medical university, said, The patient was admitted on August 25 and hailed from Kushinagar. He possessed an Ayushman Bharat card and was receiving treatment for a spinal injury under the scheme.

Authorities at the Chowk police station were alerted, and they are currently investigating any possible foul play. The base of the window from which the patient fell was approximately two feet above the ground, with glass covering half of it and grills on the other half. The glass had been shattered at the time of the incident, it is believed.

The patient was alone when the morning ward cleaning was underway, as his family members had temporarily stepped out of the ward. He took the tragic leap from the third floor of the orthopaedic department while unaccompanied, said inspector in-charge of Wajirganj police station, Manoj Kumar Mishra.

Chauhan was a resident of Padauli village in Kushinagar and worked as a labourer. He had sustained his spinal injury while working on the construction of a bridge near his village, as reported by the police.

The patient was in the process of recovery and exhibited no neurological issues post-operation. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident, which will shed light on what led to this tragic incident, said Dr Singh.

In a somewhat similar incident on August 3, a four-year-old girl named Mahi Saba suffered severe injuries after falling from the third floor to the first in the old OPD block of KGMU. She had slipped through the grills on the ramp. Following this incident, the KGMU administration promptly took measures to secure the space between the grills for safety.

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A district court in North Tripura sentenced two men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment after they were convicted of gang-raping a minor, police said on Sunday. . The incident took place in 2017, following which the accused were arrested (Representative Photo)

The accused, police said, gang-raped a 16-year-old girl multiple times by abducting her to the jungle. The incident took place in 2017, following which the accused were arrested.

They were arrested on 28 August 2017, a day after the incident and were booked under sections 342, 376D, 109, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 4 of the POCSO Act, police said.

Six years after the incident, the duo were sentenced under section 06 of the POCSO Act and another 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under 376D of the IPC.

The convicts would suffer both the sentence of imprisonment concurrently, said police.

The investigating officer SI (sub-inspector) Haradhan Bose of Damcherra PS (now retired) thoroughly investigated the case and submitted a charge sheet which subsequently ended in conviction, reads the press communique released by the state police.

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LUCKNOW The recent tragedy in Fateh Ali Ka Talab railway colony, where five people lost their lives after a dilapidated buildings roof collapsed on Saturday, has raised numerous questions and concerns. The City of Nawabs is no stranger to decrepit buildings that could easily become death traps. According to an assessment by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, 241 buildings in the city are marked as dangerous, yet people continue to inhabit them. Lucknow Municipal Corporation (HT Photo)

The situation in railway colonies is equally dire, with 31 such colonies housing around 6,000 residences for railway employees of various categories. Among them, approximately 1,750 buildings are in a dilapidated state, with 750 of them classified as highly precarious and unsafe. Shockingly, many of these structures still house families.

Despite the looming danger posed by these buildings, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and the railways have taken minimal action to safeguard the occupants. No concrete steps have been taken to address the perils posed by these deteriorating structures.

When questioned about the issue, chief engineer Mahesh Varma of LMC stated, We have the authority to compile a list of such buildings, but we lack the authority to demolish them. That responsibility falls on the police.

Conversely, the police have contended that it is the municipal corporations duty to compile the list of dilapidated buildings and arrange for their demolition.

Allegations have also surfaced that the LMC has been lax in periodically updating its list of dilapidated buildings and that the list was not meticulously prepared in the first place. A lack of incentives is cited as one reason for the irregular updates, as an LMC engineer mentioned, No engineer wishes to invest their time visiting the site and becoming entangled in legal disputes, given that most of the dilapidated buildings are tied up in legal battles.

LMC authorities have also acknowledged that some of these buildings could collapse at any moment, yet they persist in being used for both residential and commercial purposes. Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh has taken the issue seriously, stating, I have already instructed the chief engineer to ensure that a comprehensive physical survey of each ward is conducted to prepare the list. They must also guarantee that no lives are endangered due to their negligence.

Meanwhile, railway officials have pledged to verify the state of the dilapidated houses to prevent anyone from inhabiting them. Although the power and water connections to these decrepit houses have already been severed, people still manage to sneak inside and live in them. Railway officials have announced their intention to commence a campaign to evict individuals residing in these perilous structures.

Shravan Nayak, the corporator of Shri Guru Govind Singh ward, which includes the Fateh Ali Talab area, expressed his frustration: The railway authorities show little concern for the living conditions of their staff, and the roads in Fateh Ali Ka Talab colony are also in a state of disrepair. When I confront railway officials about the dilapidated houses and roads in the colony, they make excuses. In reality, officials must be held accountable for their negligence.

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All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal will end the application process for 94 senior residents posts today, September 19. Interested candidates can apply online through the official website at aiimsbhopal.edu.in. AIIMS Bhopal ends application process for 94 senior residents posts; Apply online at aiimsbhopal.edu.in(Mujeeb Faruqui/HT photo)

AIIMS Bhopal Recruitment 2023 vacancy details: This recruitment drive is being conducted to fill 94 vacancies of which 56 vacancies are for the post of backlog vacancies for the Post of Senior Residents (NonAcademic) and 38 are the Current vacancies for the Post of Senior Residents (NonAcademic).

AIIMS Bhopal Recruitment 2023 educational qualification: A Postgraduate Medical Degree viz. MD/MS/DNB/MDS in respective disciplines recognized by NMC/DCI/Institute of National Importance.

AIIMS Bhopal Recruitment 2023 age limit: The upper age of the candidates should be 45 years as on the date of the Interview.

AIIMS Bhopal recruitment: Know how to apply

Visit the official website of AIIMS Bhopal at www.aiimsbhopal.edu.in

On the homepage click on the vacancy tab

Click on the apply link given against the Advertisement

Fill out the application form and upload all the required documents

Pay the application fee

Keep the hard copy of the same for future reference.

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Vishal Bhardwaj and Irrfan Khan have enjoyed a storied collaboration on screen. From Maqbool (2003) to Haider (2014), their partnership lasted for over a decade. In a new interview with The Lallantop, the filmmaker has revealed that he had a fallout with the actor in between and it happened after Irrfan refused to be a part of Ishqiya. Vishal said he was laughing about it, sarcastically, as he had already rejected an female actor who refused to work with Irrfan in the film. (Also Read: Khufiya: Vishal Bhardwaj, Tabu's thriller to release on Netflix India on October 5. Watch promo) Vishal Bhardwaj recalled his fallout with Irrfan Khan

What Vishal said

We were making Ishqiya (2010), which Abhishek Chaubey was directing. And obviously, Irrfan had to be in it. We never used to think beyond Irrfan Khan. And he had already agreed. So when we reached out to him, he said, Oh Vishal sir, Ive given my dates to another film.' I asked him why. He said, Your No Smoking (2007) flopped so I thought you wont make another film now.' And we'd said no to a big female actor because she said I won't work with Irrfan because he's not a commercial actor. And we'd told her if you won't work with Irrfan, we won't work with you. Now, I'm laughing at it, but I was very angry at him. I said, Films work and flop, but how dare you think that Id not stand by my films.' I didn't talk to him, pick his calls for two-three years. Then he also stopped calling because I didn't want to talk to him, Vishal said in the interview.

How Vishal and Irrfan had a patch-up

Nobody was saying yes to a character in Saat Khoon Maaf (2011) because he was a wife-beater. It was a complex character as he used to feel sexually aroused only by beating up his wife. It was such a terrific character, and written by Ruskin Bond. Every actor, big or small, was saying no to that role. So I thought if Irrfan was there, he'd have got this character. So I called him but dropped the call after the first ring. He called back and asked me why I called him. I told him there's a role. He said I don't want a narration, I just want to work with you. So from then, our friendship started again, Vishal added in the interview.

Vishal and Irrfan were working on an adaptation of Jane Borges and Hussain S Zaidi's crime novel Mafia Queens of Mumbai, when he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer.

Vishal has two projects lined for release in the coming weeks: Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley, a whodunit that will release on SonyLIV on September 27, and Khufiya, a spy thriller releasing on Netflix India on October 5.

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Actor Priyanka Chopra has reacted to the news of the death of Indian-origin woman Jaahnavi Kandula. The 23-year-old died on January 23, 2023, after being struck by a Seattle police patrol vehicle in the US. Months after her death, a recording from a body-worn camera surfaced, where two union leaders from the Seattle Police Department joked about her death. (Also Read | Priyanka Chopra responds to 9-year-old Indian origin girl who sang American national anthem at US Open) Priyanka Chopra shared a post on Instagram. (Instagram)

Priyanka reacts to Jaahnavi's death

Taking to Instagram Stories on Saturday night, Priyanka re-shared a post by People. She wrote, "It's appalling to learn that such a tragic incident that happened 9 months ago is only coming to light now. A life is a life. One cannot put any value on it." Jaahnavi hailed from Andhra Pradesh. She was pursuing a masters degree from the Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union and was set to graduate in December this year.

Priyanka Chopra shared a post about Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula's death.

Farhan earlier condoled Jaahnavi's death

Recently, filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar took to Instagram and paid his condolences. "#JaahnaviKandula. We didn't know each other but I know that as a student preparing to make a place for herself in the world, your potential was limitless and your value immeasurable. Condolences to your family. RIP," he wrote, adding a picture of Jaahnavi.

Northeastern University will award Jaanhavi her degree posthumously

The Northeastern University announced that it will award Jaanhavi her degree posthumously. The announcement was made by Chancellor of the University, Kenneth W Henderson who affirmed hope that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability. The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family, the university stated on its Facebook page.

What happened with Jaahnavi

On September 11, the Seattle Police Department released footage from Officer Daniel Auderer's body camera. Daniel 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 Jaahnavi Kandula, according to an NBC News report.

A day after the incident, the police said that the officer had been responding to a "priority one call." In the footage, Daniel, who serves as vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, drove and talked about the accident in a call with the guild's president Mike Solan.

In the video, Daniel said "she is dead" before bursting out into laughter. Referring to Jaanhavi, he said, "No, its a regular person." Towards the end of the clip, he also said, through bursts of laughter, "Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway," misstating her age. He further said, She had limited value," the New York Post reported.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail
Parineeti Chopra has reached Delhi to reportedly kickstart her wedding celebrations with fiance Raghav Chadha. The Aam Aadmi Party leader came to receive her at the Delhi airport and the two were even seen twinning in blue shirts. They will take part in an ardaas function in Delhi on Sunday, which will kickstart their week-long pre-wedding festivities ahead of their wedding in Udaipur on September 24. Also read: Parineeti Chopra tells paparazzi bus kijiye as they follow her ahead of wedding with Raghav Chadha Raghav Chadha and Parineeti Chopra at Delhi airport on Sunday. (Pallav Paliwal/Hindustan Times)

Parineeti was spotted at the Mumbai airport Sunday noon as she arrived to catch her Delhi-bound flight. She wore a black cap, which had the letter R embroidered on it. Hours later, she was photographed at the Delhi airport with Raghav Chadha joining her.

More about Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha wedding

A source recently told Hindustan Times, The wedding festivities are set to start in Delhi on September 17 with ardaas and shabad kirtan, which will be followed with some intimate get-togethers for the close family members. Following which the whole family along with the bride and groom will head to Udaipur for the grand wedding.

Recently, Parineeti and Raghav's wedding card had also surfaced online. According to the card, the couple will have a A Pearl White Indian Wedding during the day at The Leela Palace in Udaipur on September 24. It will be followed by a reception at The Leela Palaces Courtyard, for which the theme is "A Night of Amore". A day before, there will be a welcome lunch and a '90's Edition' party at The Leela Palace.

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha's engagement

Parineeti and Raghav got engaged few months ago. Parineeti's cousin and actor Priyanka Chopra had flown to India for a day to attend the function and perform the rituals as an elder sister. She is expected to be a part of the wedding celebration. The engagement also had several politicians, like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who are expected to take part in the wedding reception in Delhi.

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Soni Razdan has shared a long note, reminiscing memories of her time travelling to college or to meet friends in the double-decker BEST buses in Mumbai, called Bombay in those days. She mentioned how sometimes she would even get a peek into houses which were too near the road, noticing how people were carrying on with their lives. Also read: Soni Razdan reveals how she met baby Mahesh Bhatt in anniversary post: 'Bahut lambi kahani hai' Soni Razdan has penned a note about the BEST double-decker buses which are no longer in service.

Soni Razdan's post about BEST buses

Sharing a few pictures of the old BEST bus and a new one, Soni wrote, And one more icon bids us adieu. Bombays and Mumbais double-decker bus of yore, which I grew up with  and which I used every day going to college and to meet friends in Colaba. Still remember the thrill of clambering up the noisy stairs and finding the front seats empty. The streets looked fascinating from there.

She continued, Just one ride gave one so much food for thought. I remember the proximity to some buildings in crowded streets and many a time would get a glimpse into the rooms yonder. Life was teeming in every direction where people went about their day  be it eating or cleaning or getting a child ready. In some streets dancing girls would be practising, in others people hanging out of their windows watching the world go by while I watched them all, fascinated.

Soni said she would have painted those scenes had she been an artist. "If I had been an artist all that would have been my inspiration, and my houses would be works of art in some gallery somewhere by now. Maybe some inherited affinity from my architect father perhaps! Nowadays may not travel by the lovely new ones, but I fondly remember the old. Bye bye Bombay busses. (waving hand emoji)," she wrote in a goodbye note to the double-decker buses.

Fans and friends react to Soni Razdan's post

Many praised Soni for her choice of words. Aahana Kumra commented on her post, So well put @sonirazdan. Sandhya Mridul wrote, Ohhh this post made me sad.. well said Soni ji.. sad to hear this aaaaaah! A fan said, Exactly my thoughts. Nostalgic. Beautiful memories of childhood. Another said, Gosh your words stirred so much nostalgia! Suggesting her to become an author, a fan also wrote, "@sonirazdan upper deck front seat is a common theme for many of us Bombaywallahs!! Judging by this post, you should start writing and would be a great author."

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Vishal Bhardwaj has said that the audience has been conditioned to believe that Imran Khan is a bad actor. He was speaking with The Lallantop when Vishal recalled working with Imran Khaan in Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola. Vishal is currently promoting his new show, Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley. (Also read: Vishal Bhardwaj, Tabu's Khufiya to release on Netflix on October 5) Anushka Sharma and Imran Khan in a still from Vishal Bhardwaj's Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola.

Ajay Devgn was the first choice for Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola

Talking about Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola, Vishal said that the topic of the farmers' land being grabbed in the name of progress intrigued him and Bertolt Brecht's play inspired the story. When the interviewer said that the film's casting was a bit off as Pankaj Kapur was pitched opposite Imran Khan, the filmmaker said that Ajay Devgn was originally supposed to do the role but he walked away to accommodate Son of Sardar.

'We are biased against Imran Khan

"I can now say that. I was very angry. The number of films that got canned is double of what I have made, including Midnight's Children, which was so close to my heart. If I directed 11 films, 22 were shut down. I was very angry and just wanted to make the film with anyone, I just wanted to tell the story. I just made the film with whoever was available at the time. And I think we are a little biased against Imran. We have been conditioned to think he is a bad actor. I am not saying he is Uttam Kumar or Dilip Kumar, but we have been conditioned. Never said that he is a weak actor, Vishal added in the interview.

Naseeruddin and Vishal

During the interview, he also recalled the time he worked with Naseeruddin Shah and revealed that the veteran actor was supposed to play the role eventually essayed by Makarand Deshpande in Makdi, but he made excuses and did not do it. "Mujhe laga wo bahane bana ke nikal gae (I felt he just made excuses and walked out)." The filmmaker also said that he later gave the script of Maqbool to Naseeruddin and asked him to choose one role. He initially chose the role of Abba (Pankaj Kapur's part), but later asked to be given the role of Inspector Pandit.

More about Imran Khan

After appearing with Kangana Ranaut in Katti Batti, Imran took a break from films and is now back in the limelight again. He is set to make his comeback soon, he announced on Instagram.

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The large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has failed, which is important for Ukraine and for the security of the whole of Europe. Norway will continue to strongly support the Ukrainian defense. Kyiv will receive about 7.5 billion euros within the framework of the five-year Oslo program.

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This was stated by Norwegian Defense Minister Bjrn Arild Gram during the opening of the annual NATO Chiefs of Staff Conference in Oslo on September 16. "As NATO Allies, we stand with Ukraine in supporting its defense against Russian aggression. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has failed, and this is important both for Ukraine and for European security," he said.

The Defense Minister added that Norway's support for Ukraine's defense remains "firm".

"We will continue to provide military and civilian assistance. There is a political agreement between all political parties in Norway around a multi-year program of support for Ukraine worth about 7.5 billion euros, which is designed to be transferred through the Nansen program to support Ukraine for five years," he said.

According to Gram, Oslo also supported NATO's long-term program to support Ukraine adopted at the Vilnius summit as the allies should stand by Ukraine in its struggle for as long as necessary.

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At the same time, the Norwegian Defense Minister emphasized the importance of NATO's efforts to ensure the security of the entire Nordic region and welcomed the membership of Finland and soon Sweden, which are already joining forces to strengthen the Alliance's security on its northern flank.

For his part, the Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces, General Eirik Kristoffersen, said that the courage and resilience of Ukrainians impress NATO Allies.

"We are holding a meeting in time of war. Our Ukrainian friends are fighting for their homeland, for freedom, democracy and peace: for the values that we all share and hold in high esteem," he said.

The general reminded that the words "never again " are said in Norway every year on April 9, the day Hitler attacked the country in 1940. The people of Norway learned at least two important lessons from that war. The first is that peace, freedom and democracy should not be taken for granted. And the second is that we need reliable friends and allies to protect and preserve peace.

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"Our neighbor Russia and President Putin wanted to test the capabilities of the Alliance. By attacking Ukraine and at the same time attacking the rules-based international order, they achieved the opposite. The resistance of the Ukrainians and their will and resilience have impressed us all. In Norway, we pay great attention to a people's will to defend themselves. This is what we see Ukrainians are doing right now. We stand with our Ukrainian friends," Kristoffersen said.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- Ukraine and Norway have agreed on a "transport visa-free regime". This means that public transportation between them will be carried out without permits.

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- Norway has supported the Ukrainian aviation coalition and prepared relevant decisions. The country has also allocated a new defense package to strengthen air defense and other very important equipment.

Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
BTS' Suga will start military service on this date

The statement read, "Hello. This is BigHit Music. Thank you for your continued support for BTS. We have further information regarding Sugas military service. Suga will be beginning his required service on September 22. There will not be any official events taking place on the day he starts his service or on the day he enters the training camp."

Fans barred from visiting Suga at his workplace during service

It added, "We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting Suga at his workplace during the period of his service. Please convey your warm regards and encouragement in your hearts only. Furthermore, please be mindful to avoid getting adversely affected by unauthorized tours or package products that illegally use the artists intellectual property."

The statement concluded, "Our company will take appropriate measures against attempts at any commercial activity that make unauthorized use of artist IP. We ask for your continued love and support for Suga until he completes his service and returns. Our company will also strive to provide all the support he needs during this time. Thank you."

BigHit Music issued a statement in August

Last month, BigHit Music said that Suga, whose real name is Min Yoongi, had started the military enlistment process. He will be the third member of the BTS to fulfil his mandatory duty. The agency shared the announcement on Weverse, a day after the BTS rapper concluded his D-Day concert in Seoul.

The statement read, "We would like to inform our fans that Suga has initiated the military enlistment process by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement. We will inform you of further updates in due course. We ask you for your continued love and support for Suga until he completes his military service and safely returns. Our company will spare no effort in providing support for our artist."

About BTS

Currently, Jin and J-Hope are already serving in the military. Other members of the group who will soon join them are RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook. BTS hopes to reconvene as a group around 2025 following their service commitment.

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Bengali actor and Trinamool Congress leader Sayantika Banerjee recently confirmed reports of harassment in Bangladesh, where she had gone for a shoot. While reports claim that she returned to Kolkata suddenly, without finishing her work, Sayantika denied being unprofessional. Talking about facing problems on the sets, she said it was the choreographer Michael who misbehaved with her. She also said that she received no help from the film producer. Also read: Abir Chatterjee says I have no problem with anyone calling me a Bengali actor Politician, actor Sayantika Banerjee returned to Kolkata after harassment in Bangladesh.

Sayantika Banerjee's Bangladesh shoot

After a Bangladeshi media outlet reported about Sayantika's ordeal with the choreographer, the actor broke her silence. She told Anandabazar Online that her problems started elsewhere and she faced harassment due to mismanagement by the producer. She said, Initially, a teacher came for the dance shooting but he left because of monetary issues. Then the young boy called Michael came. Michael, without my consent, held my hand and I stopped him in front of everyone, she added.

Sayantika was filming for her film Chayabaj. Directed by Taju Kamrul, the film is the first production of Manirul Islam. It also stars Jayed Khan.

Sayantika Banerjee on harassment

She also refuted allegations of not completing the shoot. I am a professional artist and can't think of doing such things." "Time and again, I tried to contact the producer regarding some technical issues but did not get any response. He has no planning and no management. We were suddenly told that a dance sequence would be shot. When Manirul did not respond after being called many times, I said that I would not work with Michael like this, added Sayantika. She said she waited for two days in Cox's Bazar before returning to India, to hear from the producer, however, received no solution.

Sayantika also claimed that the producer told her she had to work with the same choreographer for the film. She now says she might resume the film if given proper details regarding the shoot, screenplay and more. While it's not known if Sayantika will be seen in Chayabaj or not, she has reportedly signed another film with co-star Jayed, before leaving for Kolkata.

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Punjab is seeing a high demand for machines to manage farm residue, the burning of which cause severe air pollution in northern India every autumn, as around 157,000 farmers have applied for 24,569 subsidized machines that will be distributed this week, officials said. Punjab is seeing a high demand for machines to manage farm residue which cause severe air pollution in northern India. (HT Archive)

Applications for smart seeders, machines that are used to plant winter wheat after harvesting paddy without removing the stubble, comprise a third (59,000) of all requests, officials of the state agriculture department said. The department will provide 11,970 such machines at subsidized rates to farmers, custom hiring centres and panchayat groups, they said.

Similarly, for zero till drill machines to be given for stubble management, the department has received 26,915 applications. The state government provides a subsidy of 50% to individual farmers and 80% subsidy to hiring centres and panchayat groups for these machines.

For collecting paddy stubble and making bundles, the department will give 130 balers that cost 15 lakh to 20 lakhs, for which the farmers have shown keen interest as 6,878 have applied for 130 machines.

Besides these, the state government will provide 30 big balers worth 1 crore each and capable of making bundles of hay from over 100 acres a day, to farmer groups or hiring centres this year. The machines will be offered on 65% subsidy, for which the industry using the stubble will contribute 25% and the hiring centres will contribute 10%.

In Punjab, paddy is grown over 3 million hectares (7.5 million acres), which generates around 19-20 million tonnes of the foodgrain and 22 million tonnes of stubble.

About 60% (12 million tonnes) of the stubble is managed through on-site techniques -- mixed in the soil or used as fuel in the industry -- while the rest of about 10 million tonnes is set ablaze, leading to severe air pollution. The stubble burning forms a smog blankets every year in autumn over northern India, including the national capital region.

In the upcoming season, the focus is also on ex-situ management, for which we are roping in big industrial units and power plants, which could use stubble as fuel in boilers and for that balers are important, said Jaswant Singh, director at the agriculture department. The machines with foreign technology are being assembled in Punjab, which will help remove stubble by making bales of three to five quintals.

Apart from the smart seeder, most of the machines in the subsidy list are for collecting, making bundles and evacuating the paddy stubble.

For on site management, machines such as reverse plough (390), mulcher (391), straw chopper (115) and shrub master (305) are to be given, for which thousands of applications have been received, official said. However, straw management machines made mandatory by the state government to be attached with harvesters have found few takers, as only 1,002 have applied for 1,006 machines.

This is the sixth consecutive autumn harvest season since 2018 when subsidised machines are being distributed for which the Centre is giving a financial grant. However, unlike the previous five kharif seasons (2018-22), when 100% grant was given, this time the Centre will contribute 60% of 350 crore sanctioned funds. The Punjab government will contribute the rest ( 140 crore).

In the past five kharif harvest seasons, 1.17 lakh subsidized machines were provided to farmers, custom hiring centres and panchayat groups at a cost of 1,370 crore, but stubble fires continued to rage in the states farms.

Last year, 49,000 fires were reported, down from 71,000 in 2021. They still caused considerable environmental and health hazards for the people living in the north Indian plains.

After the distribution of machines this year, the total number of machines supplied for stubble management will touch 1.41 lakh at a total expenditure of 1,720 crore. In the past seasons, the delivery of machines had been delayed to end of harvest, for which the Centre pulled up state officials.

This time the delivery of machines will start with the start of paddy harvest, said an officer. The states agriculture department and its procurement agencies will start buying paddy from October 1, and has set a target of procuring 180 lakh tonnes.

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All Opposition parties have demanded passage of women's reservation bill in the Parliament's special session beginning on Monday, Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said after an all-party meeting on Sunday. Defence minister Rajnath Singh with Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan arrive at the Parliament library building to attend the all-party meeting on Sunday. (ANI)

Praful Patel, the Nationalist Congress Party leader and Bharatiya Janata Party-ally in Maharashtra said the party has appealled to the government to pass the women's reservation bill in this Parliament session.

Parliament will shift to the new building on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on September 19, Patel.

News agency PTI reported that several regional parties, including the BJD and the BRS, pushed for the tabling of the women's reservation bill in Parliament in the all-party meeting on Sunday, a day ahead of the start of a five-day session.

Before the meeting, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said his party would raise issues such as price rise, unemployment, social conflict and the Manipur situation. He arrived at the Parliament House Complex to attend it.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, the deputy leader of the House in Lok Sabha; Union minister Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha; and Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi represented the government in the meeting.

BJD and BRS leaders said they would push for the tabling and passage of the women's reservation bill in the five-day session.

Congress's Chowdhury, former prime minister and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda, DMK's Kanimozhi, TDP's Ram Mohan Naidu, TMC's Derek O'Brien, AAP's Sanjay Singh, BJD's Sasmit Patra, BRS' K Keshava Rao, YSR Congress Party's V Vijayasai Reddy, RJD's Manoj Jha and JD(U)'s Anil Hegde and SP's Ram Gopal Yadav were among those who attended the meeting.

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The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday dismissed the six guarantees announced by the Congress for the upcoming assembly elections in Telangana. T Harish Rao (ANI)

Senior BRS leader and state finance minister T Harish Rao said forget about implementing the six guarantees for the people of Telangana, there is no guarantee that the Congress would come to power.

Rao, who is a nephew of KCR, even wondered whether the Congress was a national party or a regional party. If it is a national party, why is it releasing a separate manifesto for each state? Why cant it announce these guarantees for the entire country and pass a resolution to that effect in the CWC [Congress Working Committee]? he asked.

The minister asserted that Telangana state had become a reality not because of the mercy of any individual. The people of Telangana had fought for it and hundreds of youths had sacrificed their lives to achieve the statehood, he said.

Meanwhile, BJP state official spokesperson N V Subhash alleged that the Congress had the habit of announcing guarantees before the elections and ignoring them at a later stage. Let the Congress disclose how many pre-election promises it had given during the Karnataka elections are being implemented now, he said.

The BJP spokesman, too, demanded why the Congress was not able to implement similar guarantees in the states ruled by it.

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Congress Working Committee (CWC) members from Punjab and Delhi have expressed reservations about the partys poll alliance with the Aam Admi Party (AAP) at the meeting of the extended CWC in Hyderabad on Sunday, people familiar with the matter said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi during the second day of the Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday. (PTI)

The leaders alleged that the AAP is attempting to fight polls in states where the Congress had been the traditional rival of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some of the Congress leaders present in the meeting also said that while the AAP is trying to fight polls in Congress-ruled states such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, their campaign is entirely focused against the Congress and not the BJP.

After at least three leaders spoke against the AAP over the two days of the CWC meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the state units will be consulted before taking any decision on poll pacts.

The reservation among a section of the Congress also comes amid the INDIA alliances efforts to wrap up the seat sharing talks at the earliest.

On September 13, the INDIA blocs coordination committee asked the state units to start seat negotiations that would cover the upcoming assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While the committee announced seats talks should conclude at the earliest, two leaders added that the state units will be informally asked to finish the talks by end of October.

Earlier, in the Mumbai meeting of the Opposition parties on September 1, AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was among the four leadersothers included West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Bihar CM Nitish Kumarwho pushed for early completion of seat adjustments.

A Delhi-based Congress leader told HT that in both Delhi and Punjab, The Congress unit would be decimated if we enter into any seat pacts with AAP.

If you look at both states, AAP has won primarily at the cost of the Congress. Our cadres will be demoralised. In the past, AAP contested in states such as Goa and even in Karnataka to eat into the Congress vote share, the leader said.

While the AAP has informally agreed to give two seats to the Congress in Delhi, seat negotiations are expected to be tough for the INDIA alliance in Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal.

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Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday announced six guarantees for the people of Telangana ahead of the crucial assembly polls, as she made an emotional pitch to the voters, saying it is her dream to see the partys government that will work for all sections of society in the state. Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi addresses the 'Vijayabheri Maharally', in Rangareddy (ANI)

Read here: My dream is to see: Sonia Gandhi as she announces 6 guarantees for Telangana

We are announcing six guarantees for the people of Telangana and we are committed to implementing each of them, Gandhi said while addressing a rally  Vijaya Bheri  at Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The former Congress president said that under Mahalakshmi  first of the six guarantees  2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana, gas cylinders at 500, and free travel for women in state transport buses across the southern state.

Telangana will go to assembly elections later this year.

I along with my colleagues had the opportunity to be a part of the birth of this great state, Telangana. Now, it is our duty to elevate the state to new heights, Gandhi  who was also accompanied by her MP son Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge  said.

Making an appeal to the people to support her party, she added: It is my dream to see a Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of the society.

The other five guarantees announced by the Congress, included those for states farmers, poor families and students.

Under Rythu Bharosa scheme, the Congress promised an annual financial assistance of 15,000 for farmers, 12,000 per year to agriculture labourers, and a bonus of 500 per quintal for paddy above the minimum support price.

The Indiramma housing scheme promises a piece of land and 5 lakh for construction of house for houseless poor, besides a 250 square yard plot for house for the families of martyrs in the state. The Gruhajyothy scheme promises 200 units of free electricity to each poor household, while a health insurance cover of up to 10 lakh and 4,000 pension to the poor under the Cheyutha scheme.

The Yuva Vikasam scheme offers 5 lakh financial assistance to students from poor background for pursuing higher education, besides establishment of Telangana International Schools in every block.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked political rivals  the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisis All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)  saying his party was fighting all three simultaneously.

Though these three parties appear to be operating independently, they are all one behind the screen. The BRS supported the BJP government at the Centre in Parliament on several occasions. They have conspired together and held separate rallies in Hyderabad today, only to create hurdles for the Congress rally, the Wayanad MP said.

He was referring to the two events on Sunday, one held by Union home minister Amit Shah and other by BRS chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the merger of the erstwhile Hyderabad state into the Indian Union on this day in 1948.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi treats KCR and Owaisi as his loyalists. That is why, no [ED, CBI] cases have been filed against them, Rahul Gandhi alleged, describing the BRS as BJP Rishtedaar Samithi.

Kharge also assured that the Congress will implement all six guarantees if his party comes to power in the upcoming polls. On seeing the overwhelming response of the people, I am now confident that the Congress will come to power in the state, the Congress chief said.

Reacting to the development, both BRS and BJP ridiculed the Congresss guarantees as false promises.

Read here: BRS, BJP hit out at Congress over its 6 poll promises for Telangana

The Congress leadership is giving these false promises only to hoodwink the people, knowing fully well that the party cannot come to power. Moreover, some of these promises are a direct lift from the schemes which are already being implemented by our chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, senior BRS leader and state finance minister T Harish Rao said.

BJP state spokesperson NV Subhash said it was ridiculous on the part of the Congress to announce six guarantees without any financial commitment. The state has become bankrupt during the regime of the BRS. How can the Congress implement these tall promises? he said, alleging that the Congress has a habit of announcing guarantees before the polls only to ignore them later.

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The Congress on Sunday announced that it is fully ready for the battle ahead and expressed confidence that the people of India want change, after two days of intense deliberations in the Congress Working Committee, whose extended panel met on Sunday to strategise for the upcoming elections. Hyderabad: (L-R) Congress leaders Pawan Khera, P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh duirng a press conference after the CWC meeting.(PTI)

The meetings, however, saw at least three Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab express strong reservations against any pact for Lok Sabha seats with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Congress legislative party chief in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, was most vocal against the AAP as he cautioned that if the states ruling party and the main Opposition party come together, our votes will shift to the Akalis and the BJP.

Read here: CWC calls for reservation upper limit to be raised

It was also pointed out that AAPs plan is to contest elections in states where the fight has traditionally remained between the Congress and the BJP. The critics of the AAP also drew the attention of the party brass to the fact that in these state elections, the AAP invariably attacks the Congress and spares the BJP in its campaign.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had to intervene and assure the wary leaders that no decision would be taken without consulting the partys state units.

The resentment underlined how the Congress as well as the INDIA alliance face steep hurdles at the state level ahead of negotiations on seat-sharing. The coordination committee of the bloc last week directed all parties to start discussions on seats at the earliest.

At the beginning of the extended CWC meeting, which was attended by all members, chief ministers, PCC presidents and legislative party leaders, Kharge said, The Congress party laid the foundation of the Constitution and democracy and the responsibility of protecting them also lies with the Congress.

He added that 2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress president and removing the BJP from power next year will be a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Kharge, in whose tenure the Congress has won two assembly polls so far, asked party leaders to continuously raise basic issues, expose the shortcomings and anti-people policies of the BJP and reminded the party the Modi government does politics of distracting and diverting people from their basic issues by bringing new issues.

At the extended CWC meeting, the Congress resolution exuded confidence of winning all the five assembly states. The Congress party meeting of the Extended Congress Working Committee concludes by expressing its confidence that the Indian National Congress will receive a decisive mandate from the people of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana in the assembly elections that will be held shortly, it said.

The Congress also announced that it will fulfil peoples expectations on law and order, freedom, social and economic justice, equality and equity  indicating its thrust areas in its pitch for power in 2024.

It also reaffirms the preparedness of the party organisation for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, which are due in April-May 2024. The Congress party is fully ready for the battle ahead. It is confident that the people of our country are wanting change. We will fulfil their expectations of law and order, freedom, social and economic justice, equality and equity, the resolution of the extended CWC said on Sunday.

But differences over the AAP came out in the open during the two-day deliberations. On Saturday, former Union minister from Delhi Ajay Maken cautioned the top leadership that any alliance with the AAP would not be fruitful as they will not help us.

On Sunday, Bajwa led the charge against the AAP, dishing out data to show that the Congress must go it alone in Punjab. He was the most vocal against the AAP. Bajwa also said that the alliance between the ruling party and the main Opposition party would result in votes shifting from the Congress to the BJP and the Akali Dal, said a leader present in the meeting.

Kharge, according to leaders present in the meeting, intervened at this stage and said, This is not the meeting for seat-sharing.

Delhi chief Arvinder Singh Lovely also spoke against the AAP but he was not as aggressive as the others, said a senior leader.

Several leaders spoke about sticking to peoples issues and how the Congress got a head start on the campaign for 2024 through the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the INDIA alliance. According to insiders, leaders including Abhishek Singhvi said that the abuse of federal agencies by the BJP should be a key election plank.

He also cautioned the leaders that the BJP could resort to manipulative tactics such as declaring early elections or usurping scarce resource through electoral bonds. Dont fall for the Sanatana Dharma debate. We will not play on their ground. We should focus on basic issues such as price rise and unemployment, Singhvi said in the meeting.

The reservation among a section of the Congress also comes amid the INDIA alliances efforts to wrap up seat-sharing talks at the earliest.

On September 13, the INDIA blocs coordination committee asked the state units to start seat negotiations that would cover the upcoming assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While the committee announced that seat talks should conclude at the earliest, two leaders added that the state units will be informally asked to finish the talks by the end of October.

Earlier, in the Mumbai meeting of the Opposition parties on September 1, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was among four leaders  the others included West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar  who pushed for early completion of seat adjustments.

Read here: Kharge tells extended CWC not to praise PM unnecessarily

A Delhi-based Congress leader told HT that in both Delhi and Punjab, the Congress unit would be decimated if we enter into any seat pacts with the AAP.

If you look at both states, the AAP has won primarily at the cost of the Congress. Our cadres will be demoralised. In the past, the AAP contested in states such as Goa and even in Karnataka to ate into the Congress vote share, the leader said.

While the AAP has informally agreed to give two seats to the Congress in Delhi, seat negotiations are expected to be tough for the alliance in Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 73 on Sunday, said he was deeply touched by wishes that poured in from all over the country and the world. PM Modi took the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro to reach Dwarka on Sunday.

Deeply touched by the outpouring of wishes from all over India and the world. I thank each and every person who has shared their wishes. Overwhelmed to see so many people engaging in selfless social work on this day. Every gesture is special and strengthens our collective spirit, he said in a post on X (previously Twitter).

The occasion, however, did not stop the prime minister from having a busy day. He began the day by inaugurating the extension of the Delhi Metro's Airport Express Line to Dwarka Sector 25 in the national capital; a newly-built facility, the station is named Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 Station. To reach there, Modi travelled in the Metro from the Dhaula Kuan station.

The PM then inaugurated phase one of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), named Yashobhoomi. At the same event, he launched the PM Vishwakarma Yojana; his birthday coincided with Vishwakarma Jayanti.

Modi, who has been prime minister since 2014 and is currently in his second term after a 2019 re-election, is the first occupant of the office who was born after independence. The 14th prime minister of India, he will seek a third straight term at parliamentary polls in April-May next year.

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One of the key Bills to be introduced during the Parliament's special session is the one to change the mechanism for appointing the election commissioners. The proposed law seeks to dilute and override a Supreme Court judgement that barred the executive to have absolute power to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners (EC). The Election Commission (EC). (HT Photo/ Representational image)

Arguing that the proposed Bill 'downgrades' the service conditions of three election commissioners by equating their salaries with that of a Cabinet Secretary instead of a Supreme Court Judge, which they are currently entitled to, a group of former CECs has decided to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise their concern on the matter, The Indian Express reported.

Former CEC SY Quraishi told News18 the new Bill will lower the status of the Election Commission of India along with that of the top poll panel officials. He pointed out that when these top officials will be renumerated equivaltent to a bureaucrat their status will be considered below a Minister of State which may cause hindrance for them to take action against the politicians, adding that election commissioners in most countries are judges themselves. They will not look upon our bureaucrats with the same respect that they have been doing so far, he said.

In the letter, the former CECs are expected to advise the government against the implementation of this change and preserve the status quo of the EC.

However, the government has countered these concerns by saying that the new Bill isn't going to amend the Table of Precedence  a protocol list used to determine the ranks of government functionaries and authorities  and the CEC will have the same rank or status as earlier.

What does the new Bill say?

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, was introduced by the government in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon Session. The Bill was introduced essentially to remove the Chief Justice of India from the earlier formed panel to appoint EC and CECs, contrary to the Supreme Court judgement. The panel will have three members including the Prime Minister, a Union minister and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

The Bill also seeks to change salary and allowance structure of top poll officials, thereby altering their service conditions from that of a judge in the top court to a Cabinet Secretary.

Earlier, the ECs and CECs were appointed based on recommendations of suitable candidates by Union law minister to PM, who then selected the candidates and then President made the appointment.

Opposition on the Bill

The government faced criticism for introducing the Bill as the Opposition parties called it an assault on the Constitution, the judiciary and peoples rights to elect their own government in fair and impartial manner'.

They said the panel proposed in the Bill does not constitute a check and balance and that the appointment committee is an empty formality as they are ascertained that not a single Cabinet minister would vote against the Prime Minister.

With these three members, we know which direction it is going to go in... Now onwards, there is no doubt, we cannot even think of free and fair elections and Article 324 is virtually redundant. If you look at the past record of the way how the EC has handled complaints against the ruling party, now onwards when they will have the patronage, they believe they have been chosen by a regime...even the election commission shall become more than what the word sham describes, RJD MP Manoj Jha said earlier.

Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections in an Election Commission.
On September 16, Russian troops attacked Kharkiv with S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems. At least five civilians were injured as a result.

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This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Synehubov. The condition of the victims is not serious, there is no threat to their lives, and doctors provided them with the necessary assistance.

"The occupants launched 5 S-300 missiles at the Kholodnohirsky district of Kharkiv. According to preliminary information from medics, 5 civilians were wounded, their condition is light and moderate and their lives are not in danger. Emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the attack," the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration sad.

He reported about the explosions in Kharkiv at 11:10 a.m.

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Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov also confirmed the attack.

"We can hear the sounds of explosions in Kharkiv. I urge everyone to be careful and stay in shelters," the mayor said.

Later, Synehubov clarified that the occupiers struck the regional center at least four times.

"The occupants struck at the city of Kharkiv at least four times. Emergency services have arrived at the sites of hits. Stay in the shelters until the air raid alarm goes off!" he wrote.

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According to preliminary data, the missiles were launched from the Russian city of Belgorod. Video launches have appeared in Belgorod channels. Judging by the voiceover in one of the videos, Russians are very happy when a terrorist state attacks Ukraine.

"The enemy has once again struck the Kharkiv region from Belgorod with the help of S-300 air defense systems. Information on possible damage and casualties is being established," said Brigadier General of Justice Serhiy Melnyk (Marcel).

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the air alert in the Kharkiv region at 11.11 a.m.

A few minutes later, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Poltava, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa regions also became "red". A ballistic threat was announced in these regions.

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At about 11:50 a.m., the alarms began to sound in the regions.

Earlier, the Air Force assessed Russia's missile stockpile and the risks to Ukraine this fall. The defenders of the Ukrainian sky believe that the aggressor state will have fewer missiles than a year ago by the fall of 2023. However, the enemy's attacks on Ukraine will continue, in particular, with the use of Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones.
Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building today, a day before the special session of the Parliament. The function was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Ministers of State of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V. Muraleedharan, and leaders of political parties in both Houses, among others. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar hoists national flag at Gaj Dwar in new Parliament building in Delhi.

It is a historic moment. Bharat is witnessing epochal change. The world is in total recognition of might, power and contribution of Bharat. We are living in times, where we are witnessing development, achievements which we never dreamt of, Dhakhar told reporters after the ceremony.

Our ground reality today is being reflected globally in the most affirmative manner and today's occasion is indeed historic and a milestone development.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is in Hyderabad for a two-day meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee, was not present during the flag-hoisting ceremony. The Congress president on Saturday wrote to Rajya Sabha Secretary General, Pramod Chandra Mody, expressing disappointment over the late invitation to the function.

Dear P C Mody ji, 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 quite late in the evening.

Since the programmes had been fixed much in advance. I am presently in Hyderabad to hold the meetings. As I will return to Delhi late night on September 17, it will not be feasible for me to attend the function scheduled for tomorrow morning, Kharge said in his letter.

All-party meeting

A meeting of the floor leaders of all political parties is scheduled for 4.30pm today, ahead of the five-day special session of the Parliament from September 18 to 22.

"Ahead of the parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM," Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a social media post earlier this week.

"The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow," he added.

Agenda for special session of Parliament

After days of speculation over the agenda of the special session called by the government, a parliamentary bulletin said the two houses will discuss Parliaments 75-year journey on the first day. The tentative list of business for the Parliament Session includes the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage.

The other listed business for Lok Sabha includes 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023', already passed by Rajya Sabha on 3 August 2023.

Besides, 'The Post Office Bill, 2023' has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business.

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Four members of a Nepalese family were found dead at a poultry farm in Bengaluru rural district of Karnataka on Sunday morning, police officers said, adding that the exact cause of the deaths could not be ascertained. Four members of a Nepalese migrant family died in mysterious circumstances at a poultry farm in Bangalore rural district of Karnataka late on September 16 (Representative Image.)

According to the police, the family worked at Holeyarahalli, near Doddabelavangala in Doddaballapur taluk. The deceased have been identified as Kale Sarera (60), Lakshmi Sarera (50), Usha Sarera (40), and Pool Sarera (16). The family joined for work just 10 days back at the poultry farm on graveyard road, a police officer said, requesting anonymity.

All four were found dead on Sunday morning. The incident came to light when the poultry farm owner, Mohan, called the workers in the morning, but none answered, the officer said.

The owner then contacted the relatives of the deceased, who were working at the neighbouring poultry farm, the officer said.

The cause of death of the four family members remains unknown, the officer said.

Initial findings suggest the family members may have used a charcoal heater to keep warm and ward off mosquitoes on the rainy night, police said. Closing the shed door might have led to a buildup of smoke from the burning charcoal, resulting in a lack of oxygen and increased carbon monoxide levels, which could have resulted to their deaths, officers added.

When checked the house, there was some smoke inside the room. The Forensic Science Laboratory team (FSL) has been called in to determine the actual cause of death of the four individuals, Bengaluru rural district SP Mallikarjuna Baladandi said.

He ruled out any foul play in the incident saying the door and windows were locked from inside the shed and there was no sign of any kind of poisonous substance inside. The FSL team also confirmed initially that the deaths were due to asphyxiation, he said, adding they are waiting for the autopsy report.

A case has been registered at Doddabelavangala police station under Criminal Procedure Code 174 and further investigation is on. The bodies were shifted to Victoria hospital in Bengaluru for autopsy and handed over to their relatives on Sunday.
To make health care accessible and inclusive across the country, the health ministry implemented the Ayushman Bhav campaign on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday on Sunday. The health ministry rolls out Ayushman Bhav scheme to make health care inclusive on PM Modis birthday. (PTI)

Read here: Ayushman Bhav campaign to be rolled out on PM Modi's birthday. Who will benefit?

Representatives of the health department will make doorstep visits to create and deliver cards to beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, organize health fairs, launch drives to get organ donation pledges and organise blood donation camps, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted on X. The minister pledged to donate his organs under the campaign at an event in Agra in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

The campaign will be implemented during the Seva Pakhwada (service fortnight) from September 17 to October 2.

Launched by President Droupadi Murmu on September 13, Ayushman Bhav is a nationwide initiative to provide full health coverage, reaching every village and town in the country.

The campaign embodies a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach. It unites government sectors, civil society organizations and communities under a common mission to ensure that every individual receives essential health services without any disparity or exclusion, the health ministry said in a statement. This groundbreaking initiative builds upon the success of the Ayushman Bharat programme and signifies a paradigm shift in health care services.

The campaign is a collaborative effort spearheaded by panchayats in coordination with the department of health and other government departments. It aims to saturate coverage of health services through three components that include Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman melas at health and wellness centres and community health centres, and Ayushman sabhas in every village and panchayat.

Ayushman Apke Dwar intends to provide Ayushman cards to remaining eligible beneficiaries enrolled under the PM-JAY scheme, ensuring that more individuals have access to essential health services. Ayushman melas will facilitate the creation of Ayushman Bharat Health Account IDs and issuance of Ayushman Bharat cards. They will also offer early diagnosis, primary health care services, tele- consultation with specialists and appropriate referrals.

Ayushman sabhas are gatherings in every village and panchayat that will play a pivotal role in distributing Ayushman cards, generating health IDs and raising awareness about health schemes and disease conditions, such as non-communicable diseases, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, as well as blood donation and organ donation drives.

Read here: 'Ayushman Bhava campaign on PM Modis birthday: Mansukh Mandaviya

The Ayushman Bhav campaign is aligned with the vision of creating Healthy Villages and Healthy Gram Panchayats, laying the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country. Panchayats that successfully saturate the health schemes will earn the prestigious title of Ayushman Gram Panchayat or Ayushman Urban Ward, symbolizing their dedication to equitable health care provision, the ministry said.

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Amid the ongoing operations of the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar issued a strong warning to India's enemies as he said if anyone goes to war with India, their children will be raised by someone else. "India has seen war and does not want war but if you go to war with India, someone else will raise your children," the minister tweeted. New India will not back down and won't be intimidated, the minister asserted. "India has enemies - These enemies want to stop Indias rise. But they should know this. Indian Military is now a modernized high tech and lethal machine - make no mistake about it. You will be wise to avoid it," the minister wrote replying to a tweet on Army's use of hi-tech equipment for surveillance and delivery of firepower in the operations. Operation to nab the terrorists responsible for the killing of 4 security personnel going on in Anantnag.

Four security personnel including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and rifleman Ravi Kumar Rana were martyred in the Anantnag operations that began on Tuesday. Drones and helicopters were deployed to track the terrorists holed up in the forest at Gadole in the Kokernag area.

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar's warning amid J&K operations.

While the Anantnag gunfight brought the J&K situation under focus, three terrorists were killed in Baramulla. The terrorists were trying to cross the LoC in the Hathlanga area. Brigadier P M S Dhillon said the Pakistan Army gave cover fire to the terrorists who targetted the Indian Army quadcopters. "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.

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina said Pakistan will have to pay a huge price for its continuous sponsor of terror acts in Kashmir.

Anantnag gunfight over 100 hours, Uzair Khan one of the terrorists

The operations inside the forest area to nab the terrorists enter the 5th day on Sunday. Since Wednesday, the operation continued non-stop even amid rain. The terrorists are believed to be holed up in a hill cave. The officials are positive that the operation is it its final stage and the terrorists will be neutralised soon.

One of the terrorists hiding is believed to be Uzair Khan, who has been operating in the area and knows the lay of the land. He joined the Lashkar last year and within a year became a so-called commander.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail
The India Meteorological Department on Sunday issued a red alert for Gujarat, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, from September 17 to 18. The IMD also issued an orange alert for the state on September 19. Commuters seen walking through heavy rains on Saturday.(HT Photo/Sanchit Khanna)

READ | As rain activity picks up in September, downpour deficit shrinks

"Red Alert Issued! #Gujarat Region is expected to witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, surpassing 204.4 mm, from September 17th to 18th. Be prepared and stay safe! #Gujarat Region is under an orange alert for heavy rainfall, with the possibility of extremely heavy downpours (more than 204.4 mm) on September 19th" the IMD wrote on X (formally Twitter).

In view of flood reports in many villages of the Narmada district, after water was released from the Narmada Dam, the district administration issued a notification to keep all schools, colleges, and ITIs closed in the district on Monday. Earlier, several villages along the Narmada River were put on alert due to the increased water levels in the river.

Along with Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh is expected to witness intense rainfall on September 17. Moderate rainfall will be witnessed in other parts of the state, the IMD said.

READ | Rain intensifies in Madhya Pradesh, monsoon activity to pick up in these states

Three districts of southwest #MadhyaPradesh recorded the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours. Katthiwada (Alirajpur) recorded 341 mm rainfall, Meghnagar (Jhabua) 316 mm and Dhar city - 301.3 mm rainfall. This is the highest rainfall in Madhya Pradesh since 1958, the weather department posted on its official handle. Amid incessant rainfall in the state on Saturday, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a meeting to review the situation.

"I am in touch with the collectors and other officials of the affected areas  Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore. The situation is under control and NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed. If needed, we will also rope in the Army and the Air Force," Chouhan said.

Meanwhile, other parts of the country including Rajasthan and Haryana also received heavy rain in the past few days. An orange alert has been issued for the regions of Saurashtra and Kutch for September 19 and 20.

Prepare for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall, with amounts ranging from 115.6 to 204.4 mm, on September 19th and 20th, the IMD posted on X.

(With inputs from ANI)
Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials investigating the alleged cash-for-ticket scam involving Hindutva activist Chaitra Kundapur on Sunday said they now know how she used 3 crore a businessman gave her on a spurious promise of a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket in the recently concluded Karnataka state elections. PREMIUM Police arrested Kundapur and six others on September 12 on charges of cheating Govind Babu Pujari (44) by falsely promising him a BJP ticket to contest the assembly elections from Byndoor in Udupi district. (File)

Police arrested Kundapur and six others on September 12 on charges of cheating Govind Babu Pujari (44) by falsely promising him a BJP ticket to contest the assembly elections from Byndoor in Udupi district.

Pujari filed a complaint at Bandepalya police station in Bengaluru on September 8 against eight people, including Kundapur, accusing them of extorting money from him by promising a BJP MLA ticket. Poojari owns Cheftalk Food and Hospitality Service Pvt Ltd, which has been running the subsidised Indira Canteens since 2017. The company also runs a hospitality business in several cities of Karnataka such as Bengaluru and Mysuru.

Elaborate swindle

The fraudsters included a pro-Hindutva activist, a seer, a kebab maker and a barber.

Kundapur and her associates convinced Pujari that they have connections with the leaders of the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and the Prime Ministers Office, while promising him a BJP ticket.

In 2022, Pujari is said to have been introduced to Kundapur by Prasad Bynduar, a mutual friend who claimed to be a BJP worker. At the time of introduction, Kundapur was popular in Karnataka as a pro-Hindutva activist, police said. Bynduar had told Pujari that she was close to top BJP leaders in the state and Centre and could get anything done, a police officer aware of the development said, declining to be named.

Once Pujari was convinced of her influence, an elaborate plan was made to dupe him, police said. Kundapur introduced Pujari to Gagan Kadur and Ramesh Naik, who posed as senior RSS leader Vishwanath from Chikkamagaluru, claiming he had over 45 years of experience as a campaigner in the organisation.

Pujari was also made to meet Channa Naik, who was introduced as a member of the BJPs central election committee, in a posh residence in Bengaluru, police said.

To convince Pujari that Naik was an important functionary of the BJP, the accused used the official government car of Saalumarada Thimmakka, a 110-year-old environmentalist and Padma Shree awardee, who was given cabinet status by the Karnataka government, to access the secretariat and the state assembly.

Kadur was close to Thimmakkas son Umesh, a CCB officer said. He managed to get the official car and Channa Naik used to come to meet Pujari in the car. Naik and Pujari went to Kumara Krupa Guest House and Vidhana Soudha (state assembly) in the case, the officer said, seeking anonymity. All this was done to dupe Pujari.

Ramesh Naik under the guise of Vishwanath also claimed to be a member of the BJPs national election committee, and promised Pujari a ticket if 50 lakh was paid in three days to start the process and another 3 crore later. Ramesh Naik promised a full refund to Pujari if the ticket was not given, the CCB officer said.

Pujari told police that he gave 1.5 crore to a seer, Abhinava Halashree Swami, on Ramesh Naiks directions. Kundapur had taken the complainant to the ashram and introduced him to the seer as Ramesh Naiks friend.

Between July 7, 2022, and January 16, 2023, Pujari paid them 5 crore, he said in his complaint.

Days before the BJP announced its candidates for the Karnataka state election, Kadur allegedly informed Pujari that Vishwanath had died at a Kashmir hospital. Pujari became suspicious, enquired about it and found that there was no RSS leader named Vishwanath.

When Pujari asked for his money back, Kundapur and Kadur went incommunicado, after which the defrauded person approached police. The seer has been absconding since the arrest of Kundapur and police have launched a hunt for him.

Pujari later learnt that Ramesh Naik, who posed as RSS leader Vishwanath, worked at a hair dressing salon in Chikkamagaluru. Channa Naik, who posed as a BJP election committee leader, turned out to be a street vendor selling kebabs in Bengalurus KR Puram.

Rag to riches with ill-gotten money

Kundapur took most of the money, Abhinava Halashree of Halaswamy Mutt got about 1.5 crore and rest was distributed among the other accused, police said.

Kundapur invested 1.8 crore in fixed deposits in a co-operative bank in Kundapura and gold jewellery worth 65 lakh was found her house, according to CCB officials. Kundapur is said to have deposited 40 lakh in Shriram Bank with the help of a relative who worked at the lender.

The account has been seized by the authorities, police said, adding that they have recovered 23 lakh worth of gold biscuits kept in another bank locker belonging to Kundapur.

Kundapur used some of the money for construction as well -- 40 lakh to build a new house for herself and 15 lakh to repair her sisters house. She paid 12 lakh in cash and took loan to buy a high-end Kia car, the CCB officer said. We seized the Kia car that Kundapur had bought from Mudhol in Bagalkote district, the officer added.

Police have also found that 35 Lakh was spent on Kadurs marriage and another 10 lakh for a new car for him. Ramesh Naik got 1.5 lakh, Channa Naik got 93,000 and 1.5 crore went to Halashree.

Three teams have been formed to arrest Halashree, who is said to be shifting his hideouts. On Sunday, the CCB took the seers Innova car and driver into custody from Mysuru. We are searching for the seer, trying to locate him by interrogating the driver. We are trying to find out where he was last dropped, where he has taken shelter and other information, the CCB official said.

Before his escape from Mysuru, the seer had reportedly bought four new SIM cards and four mobile phones. He stopped his car in Mysuru and escaped. Before escaping, the number plate of the car was removed and it was parked at a relatives house, the CCB official added.

On Saturday, a court in Bengaluru adjourned the anticipatory bail application by the seer. The lawyer for the seer had applied for bail at a city court on September 15. The hearing has been adjourned to September 19, police said.

Kundapur and her six associates have confessed to their crime during interrogation, CCB officials said on Sunday. They admitted to have received 3 crore, instead of 5 crore as alleged by the victim, the officials said.

Political slugfest

The scam must have been done at the national level, Karnataka excise minister and Congress leader RB Thimmapur said on Sunday, alleging that a senior BJP leader must be behind it.

It looks like a scam at the national level. Investigation will reveal all the scams, whether it is in Bagalkote, Karwar, Mangaluru, Madhya Pradesh, etc. It looks like Chaitra Kundapur was doing it at the national level. I think behind the curtains there must a senior BJP leader. He should be traced, Thimmapur said.

Taking a jibe at the BJP leadership in Karnataka, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Sunday said, When we see instances of not giving tickets to elders in the BJP, such cases come out. The BJP should introspect on this. People in real estate business are given tickets in Ramdurga. What does this mean? It is true that something has gone wrong. It is proven that the money transaction took place. Chaitra Kundapura being the accused proves this.

Several BJP leaders including CT Ravi, V Sunil Kumar and Basavaraj Bommai have distanced themselves from the scam and said the party had anything to do with the cheating.

I do not know anybody who is already arrested by the CCB officials in the connection of the case, Kumar said. Other BJP leaders refused to comment.
The body of an Indian Army soldier was found at Khuningthek village in Manipurs Imphal East district on Sunday, officials said. Sep Serto Thangthang Kom (41), was abducted & later killed, by 3 unidentified miscreants, while on leave at Tarung, Happy Valley, Imphal West. (PRO, Kohima & Imphal, Ministry of Defence on X)

He was identified as Sepoy Serto Thangthang Kom of the Armys Defence Security Corps (DSC) platoon at Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district, they said.

He hailed from Tarung in Imphal West, officials said.

According to officials, unidentified armed men abducted Sepoy Kom, who was on leave, from his home around 10am on Saturday.

"An Indian Army soldier, Sep Serto Thangthang Kom (41), was abducted & later killed, by 3 unidentified miscreants, while on leave at Tarung, Happy Valley, Imphal West. He was deployed at DSC Platoon, Leimakhong, Manipur. He is survived by his wife & 2 children," the Public Relations Officer (PRO) & Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, Nagaland, Manipur & Rest of Arunachal Pradesh wrote on X.

According to his 10-year-old son, who was the only eyewitness to the crime, three men entered their home while his father and he were working on the porch.

"The armed men placed a pistol on the Sepoys head and forced him into a white vehicle before fleeing the spot," officials said quoting his son.

"There was no news of Sepoy Kom till Sunday early morning. Around 9.30am, his body was found at Khuningthek village, east of Mongjam under Sogolmang PS in Imphal East. His identity was confirmed by his brother and brother-in-law who said the soldier had a single bullet wound on his head," officials added.

Sepoy Kom is survived by wife, daughter and son.

The last rites will be conducted as per the wishes of the family, officials said, adding the army has rushed a team to assist the bereaved family.

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Bengaluru The Golla community in Tumakuru district still practices the superstition of isolating women during menstruation (File photo)

Officials, acting on a tip off, raided a village in Tumakuru district of Karnataka and released three menstruating women from a room outside the village on September 16.

According to officials, Gubbi taluk tehsildar B Arathi raided Chikanettagunte village and released the three menstruating women, belonging to the Golla community.

The Golla community in Tumakuru district still practices the superstition of isolating women during menstruation, despite awareness programme and campaigns being conducted, officers aware of the matter said.

The district administration took the issue seriously and instructed all tahsildars to visit Kadu Golla colonies. Surprise visits will be done to check this practice, Gubbi taluk magistrate and tahsildar B Arathi told HT. She said that in many such colonies, where women have education, the practice doesnt prevail. However, in a few colonies, this practice still exists. We will take stern action against such practice. We are organising awareness campaigns and meetings regularly to eradicate this, she added.

Officers said that an Anganwadi worker, Sujatha, a midday meal cook Savitramma, and another woman were put in an isolated room outside the village by the community as they were menstruating. It is common practice in many villages where Kadu Golla community are in majority. The Golla community is a backward community in the state which belongs to the Scheduled Tribe category.

The community believes that menstruating women and pregnant women are Sutak (inauspicious) and keeps them away from the village. Pregnant women is allowed to enter the village only after a month, post purification.

On July 26, a newborn infant died due to extreme cold after the child and the mother were kept away by the community in Mallenahalli Gollarahatti village near Tumkur, in a similar practice.

On August 24, Gubbi civil court judge Undi Manjula Shivappa visited Varadenahalli Gollaratti village in Gubbi taluk and rescued an infant and mother from isolation. The judge had urged the family members to allow both inside the house. She also warned the community elders of legal action if such acts were repeated.

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Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not inviting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the inaugural ceremony of Delhi Airport Metro Express line's extention. He recalled how the PM advocated for vasudhaiva kutumbakam (world is a family) in front of the world leaders during the recently-concluded G20 Leaders' Summit, whereas, he fails to invite Kejriwal to the inauguration event, which he believes is an antithesis to the proposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with employees of the Delhi Metro after inaugurating the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express line(PTI)

"Just a week before PM Modi in front of the world leaders said 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam meaning the World is a family...And now in your own country, you don't invite a three-time elected chief minister to the inauguration of Metro," he told news agency ANI.

Another Delhi minister Atishi recommended PM Modi to rise above party lines and said he is the guardian of states. Not inviting CM Kejriwal to inaugurate a project which constitutes funds from Delhi government shows the frivolous thinking of PM Modi, she said. It also doesn't suit the dignity the Prime Minister's position when Modi goes to inaugurate a 2-km-long metro line all by himself, she added.

PM Modi inaugurated an extention of the Delhi Metro's Airport Express line to Dwarka Sector 25, a station which is named after YashoBhoomi  the state-of-the-art convention and expo centre  which the Prime Minister also launched on Sunday.

The metro station was extended by nearly two km further from Dwarka Sector 21 station. The YashoBhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 station was constructed underground using the cut-and-cover technology. The new metro station will enable people to reach the convention centre conviniently.

A high-speed metro service, the Airport Metro line will now be operated at 120 kmph speed from earlier 90 kmph, reducing the travel time to 21 mins from New Delhi to YashoBhoomi Dwarka Sector 25.
No fresh cases of Nipah virus was detected in Kerala on Sunday as 42 more samples, including those at high-risk, came back negative. Six cases of the zoonotic virus have been reported in the state; two have died of the infection and the rest are receiving treatment. Health workers at a Nipah virus isolation ward, at a medical college in Kozhikode (PTI)

Read here: No new Nipah virus cases in Kerala. Govt tells how long vigilance needed

Its a relief that 23 of the 42 samples that were tested and came back negative were of high-risk symptomatic persons. Results of a few more samples are awaited. Nineteen teams of the health department are continuing their work in the field today. Most of those on the contact list of the infected persons have been identified, health minister Veena George said. We will find the remaining contacts by tracking their mobile networks with the help of police.

The contact list of infected persons has been extended to 1,233 names and over 34,000 homes in containment zones were visited by health workers. There are close to 100 wards that have been declared containment zones in Kozhikode district across nine gram panchayats (village councils), one municipality and one municipal corporation.

Teams of central health officials will carry out inspections at the epicentre of the 2018 Nipah outbreak and find out if there have been any ecological changes, George said. Officials from National Institute of Virology in Pune and Indian Council of Medical Research in Chennai are also conducting studies in the field.

Additionally, samples of 36 live bats have been collected from areas close to the two epicentres of the viral outbreak and sent for testing to the Pune lab.

Those under treatment in hospitals are stable. Among them, a nine-year-old boy who tested positive for the virus on September 12 and was on ventilator support has shown signs of improvement, the minister said.

He has been temporarily taken off ventilator support. He is currently on oxygen support. Doctors have said he is improving, George said. The minister on Saturday had spoken to the boys mother, who had tested negative for the virus. His father, who died on August 30, is considered to be the index case in the outbreak.

Vigilance must continue in Kozhikode district, even though no fresh cases have emerged in the past two days, the minister said.

Read here: 42 more samples test negative for Nipah in Kerala

The incubation period of the virus is 21 days, which means that a person is likely to start showing symptoms within that period of being infected from another person. But we are observing a double incubation period of 42 days, as per medical science. This means we must continue to remain alert and our surveillance mechanisms must be active for 42 days since the last positive case was detected, George said.

We are also carrying out genomic sequencing of the virus to get more fact-based results out of this outbreak, she said.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has said that Russia continues to "raise the stakes" in the wake of the incident with the combat drone that landed in the NATO country of Romania, which puts other Allies in an extremely delicate situation and threatens to unleash a full-scale war that will go beyond Ukraine and cover the entire continent.

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Moreover, according to the country's leader, the likelihood of Moscow using weapons of mass destruction is extremely high and continues to grow. Niiniste spoke about this in an interview with The New York Time.

"Against this background, it is extremely unreasonable to blame the policy of Chancellor Olaf Scholz or President Joe Biden, who are in no hurry to supply Ukraine with weapons capable of striking the territory of the Russian Federation. There is a difference between those who bear responsibility and those who do not," the Head of State emphasized. of the Finnish people.

As a reminder, on the night of September 4, during a massive drone attack in Odesa region, some UAVs fell and detonated in Romania. Russian "chessmen" flew into Romanian territory during an attack near the port of Izmail.

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Romanian President Klaus Iohannis reacted to the downing of Russian Shaheds on the territory of his country. He said he demanded an urgent and professional investigation into the origin of the wreckage and the circumstances under which it ended up in Romania.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Finland's new Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has appealed to Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. The politician took a firm stance in support of our country and emphasized that the Russian occupiers have no chance of winning.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Kerala travel vlogger Shakeer Suban, booked by police on Saturday for sexually harassing a 29-year-old Saudi woman, refuted the allegations against him through a video he released on YouTube from Canada on Sunday and claimed that the complainant and her male partner, who is from Kerala, had asked for financial favours from him. Kerala travel vlogger Shakeer Suban. (Video grab)

Suban, who runs a YouTube handle by the name Mallu Traveler and has over 2.7 million subscribers, was booked by the Ernakulam Central police on the complaint of the Saudi woman who alleged that he had made an attempt to sexually harass her when she had gone to meet him at a hotel in Kochi on September 13.

An FIR has been registered against the YouTuber under sections 354 (assaulting or using criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354 (A) (engaging in unwelcome and explicit sexual behaviour) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The probe is ongoing and the accused will be questioned, said an officer at the Ernakulam Central station.

However, Suban, currently on a tour in Canada, posted a video on his YouTube account dismissing the charges against him as fake.

The Saudi woman and her partner who is a Malayali man had met me for the first time claiming that they were my fans. They later came to my home also even though I didnt invite them. On September 13, they came to the hotel room where I was staying in Kochi and their aim was to get financial favours or help in promoting them. The woman had come from Saudi with around 5-8 lakh and they had spent all of it. Her partner was not employed, claimed Suban in his video.

He claimed that the woman had cooked up the allegations against him as she wanted reach or attention on social media. He said the hotel has CCTV footage that shows the couple entering and exiting the hotel together. I will release all the evidence and prove my innocence in court, he said.

The complainant alleged in a video that Suban molested her while her partner had stepped out of the room briefly. She said she has complained to the police as well as informed the Saudi authorities in India. I studied law and no one has the right to touch anyones body without their permission, she said.
Kerala travel vlogger Shakeer Suban, booked by police on Saturday for sexually harassing a 29-year-old Saudi woman, refuted the allegations against him through a video he released on YouTube from Canada on Sunday and claimed that the complainant and her male partner, who is from Kerala, had asked for financial favours from him. Suban, currently on a tour in Canada, posted a video on his YouTube account dismissing the charges against him as fake. (HT Archives)

Suban, who runs a YouTube handle by the name Mallu Traveler and has over 2.7 million subscribers, was booked by the Ernakulam Central police on the complaint of the Saudi woman who alleged that he had made an attempt to sexually harass her when she had gone to meet him at a hotel in Kochi on September 13.

An FIR has been registered against the YouTuber under sections 354 (assaulting or using criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354 (A) (engaging in unwelcome and explicit sexual behaviour) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The probe is ongoing and the accused will be questioned, said an officer at the Ernakulam Central station.

However, Suban, currently on a tour in Canada, posted a video on his YouTube account dismissing the charges against him as fake.

The Saudi woman and her partner who is a Malayali man had met me for the first time claiming that they were my fans. They later came to my home also even though I didnt invite them. On September 13, they came to the hotel room where I was staying in Kochi and their aim was to get financial favours or help in promoting them. The woman had come from Saudi with around 5-8 lakh and they had spent all of it. Her partner was not employed, claimed Suban in his video.

He claimed that the woman had cooked up the allegations against him as she wanted reach or attention on social media. He said the hotel has CCTV footage that shows the couple entering and exiting the hotel together. I will release all the evidence and prove my innocence in court, he said.

The complainant alleged in a video that Suban molested her while her partner had stepped out of the room briefly. She said she has complained to the police as well as informed the Saudi authorities in India. I studied law and no one has the right to touch anyones body without their permission, she said.

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Hyderabad: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told the extended CWC not to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi unnecessarily after Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister T S Singh Deo apologised suo motu for complimenting Modi at an event in Raigadh on Thursday. Rangareddy, Sept 17 (ANI): Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi with party President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana party chief Revanth Reddy(Congress Twitter)

Sharing the stage with the PM, Singh Deo had said, You have come here today to give something. You have given a lot of things to Chhattisgarh. And I have confidence that in the future too, you will provide us more. He also added, in my experience, I did not feel any partiality. If the state wanted something from the Centre, the government always cooperated.

While the Congress initially dubbed Singh Deos remarks as a courtesy, at the meeting of the extended CWC, the Chhattisgarh minister apologised for his comments. For the past many months, Singh Deos demand to replace Bhupesh Baghel as the chief minister was overlooked. In July this year, less than six months before Chhattisgarh goes to the polls, he was made the deputy CM in a balancing act.

But Kharge, who is leading the Congress attack against the PM in Parliament and elsewhere, expressed his disappointment. He told Singh Deo that his apology will not undo the mistake. He asked Singh Deo and all other CWC members to be careful and not praise the PM unnecessarily, said a leader present in the meeting.

On Saturday, the Congress Working Committee had adopted a resolution criticising the Modis governments systematic undermining of the federal structure and its allegedly discriminatory attitude against Opposition-ruled states.

The Modi government has systematically undermined federalism through overriding legislation, reduction in the states share of tax revenues, misuse of the office of the Governor, creating roadblocks in implementing schemes and programmes in Opposition-governed states (like it has happened in regard to the food security guarantee in Karnataka), and denying emergency funds and disaster relief to states like Himachal Pradesh that have been hit by floods and landslides, it said.

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Sonia Gandhi, the Congress veteran, on Sunday announced six guarantees for the poll-bound Telangana and assured that her party are committed to fulfilling each one of them. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi prior to attending the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Hyderabad. (AICC)

Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near Hyderabad, Sonia Gandhi said,  2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana under the Mahalakshmi scheme, gas cylinders at 500, and free travel for women in TSRC buses across the state, to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Telangana we are announcing 6 guarantees and we are committed to fulfill each one of them.

What are the six guarantees for Telanaga?

Mahalakshmi

Women shall receive:

- 2500 every month

- Gas cylinders for 500

- Free Travel in RTC buses

Rhythu Bharosa

Every year:

- 15,000 for farmers & tenant farmers

- 12,000 for agricultural labour

- 500 bonus for paddy crop

Gruha Jyothi

- 200 units of free electricity for all deserving households

Indiramma Indlu

- House site and 5 lakh for people not having own house

- 250 sq yards plot for all Telangana movement fighters

Yuva Vikasam

- Vidya Bharosa Card worth 5 lakh for students

- Telangana International Schools in every mandal

Cheyutha

- 4000 monthly pension for the elderly

- 10 lakh Rajiv Arogyasri insurance cover

The former Congress president said it is her dream to see a Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of the society. "Are you going to support us," she asked the Congress supporters gathered at the public rally in Vijayabheri Sabha in Tukkuguda, Rangareddy district, in large numbers.

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will go to assembly elections later this year.

While concluding her speech, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson said, I along with my colleagues had the opportunity to be part of the birth of this great state Telangana. Now it is our duty to take it to a new height.

Earlier on Sunday, the two-day Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Hyderabad concluded, with party leaders expressing optimism about receiving a clear mandate in the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

Congress chief of all poll-bound states has given presentations during the meeting about their strategy and preparations, reports claimed.

Congress leaders' reservation about poll pact with AAP

CWC leaders from Punjab and Delhi units of the party have expressed their reservations about the poll alliance with Aam Admi Party (AAP) at the meeting of the extended CWC. The Congress leaders pointed out the AAPs attempt to fight polls in states where the Congress had been the traditional rival of the BJP.

Some of the Congress leaders present in the meeting also alleged that while the AAP is trying to fight polls in Congress-ruled states such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, their campaign is entirely focused against the Congress and not the BJP.

After at least three leaders spoke against AAP over the two days of the CWC, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the state units will be consulted before taking any decision on poll pacts.

The reservation among a section of the Congress also comes amid the INDIA alliances efforts to wrap up the seat-sharing talks at the earliest.

Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" "Exciting news! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp ChannelsSubscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

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Bihar chief minister and a key exponent of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance Nitish Kumar on Saturday said he does not support any ban on journalists. He said he had no idea of INDIA bloc boycotting the journalists. "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 said. Nitish Kumar said he supports journalists commenting on the INDIA bloc's 'ban' on 14 television anchors.

If journalists have full freedom, they will write what they like. Everyone has their rights," the Bihar chief minister said.

"Right now those who are at the Centre have controlled a few people...,Those who are with us must have felt that something is happening. However, I am not against anyone, the INDIA leader said fanning BJP's theory of rift inside the opposition alliance.

The INDIA bloc on Thursday came up with a list of 14 anchors whose debate shows will not be attended by INDIA representatives. The list triggered a controversy and the BJP called it the Emergency mindset of the Congress trying to gag the media. Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday said it is wrong to call the move as 'ban, boycott or blacklist' as it is a 'non-cooperation' move. Pawan Khera said the 14 journalists named on the list are not being stopped 'from spreading hatred', but the INDIA parties -- in a consensus -- decided to not be part of the television shows these anchors host. In future, if the journalists realise what they were doing was wrong for the country, INDIA parties will again send their representatives to their shows, Pawan Khera clarified.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Nitish Kumar has openly taken a stand on the 'boycott' of the journalists and called it wrong. "Congress left red faced! Many more are opposing this EMERGENCY FATWA of Congress inside INDI alliance," Poonawalla said adding that the Samajwadi Party violated that fatwa within minutes after it was issued.

The list of the 14 journalists include Aditi Tyagi, Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan, Anand Narasimhan, Arnab Goswami, Ashok Shrivastav, Chitra Tripathi, Gaurav Sawant, Navika Kumar, Prachi Parashar, Rubika Liaquat, Shiv Aroor and Sudhir Chaudhary

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Kerala has not reported any fresh cases of Nipah virus infection, with 42 samples of high-risk contact returning negative results, state health minister Veena George said on Sunday. She told reporters that all active cases of the Nipah virus remain in stable condition, offering some respite from the deadly outbreak. Police and health officials manning a road checkpoint let residents enter a containment zone following an increase of Nipah virus cases in Cheruvannur village of Kozhikode district in Kerala on September 16, 2023.(AFP)

Among the patients receiving medical care, a significant improvement has been observed in a nine-year-old boy who was previously on ventilator support. The minister said that test results of more samples are awaited and may be available during the day.

Kerala has so far confirmed a total of six cases of Nipah infection since the latest outbreak in the Kozhikode district. Two individuals lost their lives due to the virus, bringing the number of active cases down to four.

Asked how long the vigilance and caution need to be exercised since no new positive cases are being reported, George, citing guidelines and protocols, said it is 42 days from the last positive case, reported PTI.

The incubation period of the virus is 21 days and therefore, "a double incubation period of 42 days from the last positive case" is considered as the period during which caution has to be exercised, George said.

Stringent measures, including contact tracing, quarantine protocols, and public awareness campaigns, have been implemented in Kozhikode to curb the outbreak's progression. The health minister said police help will be sought to complete contact tracing as many persons who may have been in the area visited by those infected, deny having been there when called over the phone.

"So we will seek police help to get their mobile tower locations. It is only being done to plug the gaps in the contact tracing," she said.

The central team will be surveying the area of the 2018 Nipah outbreak and will look for any ecological changes there, the minister said. Meanwhile, the teams from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) are also carrying out field surveys in the district.

"Bat survey is also going on. Bat survey was carried out last year and earlier this year too," George noted.

Studies by the World Health Organization and ICMR have revealed that the entire state, not just Kozhikode, is vulnerable to such infections.

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Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday said the controversy surrounding Sanatan Dharma first started when Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat raised the issue of discrimination in the Hindu religion few days back. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been targeting the opposition INDIA bloc over Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's controversial remarks on Sanatan Dharma. Congress leader Pawan Khera and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

This issue started from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He was the first to speak 15 days ago that we have done exploitation for 2000 years. He said it on the subject of Hindu religion, Khera told reporters in Hyderabad where the newly-constituted Congress Working Committee has gathered for the two-day meeting.

Khera was referring to a recent statement by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in which he called for the continuation of reservations as long as there is discrimination in society.

"We kept our own fellow human beings behind in the social system. We did not care for them, and it continued for 2000 years. Until we provide them equality, some special remedies have to be there, and reservations is one of them. Hence, reservations have to continue till there is such discrimination. We at the RSS give all support to the reservations provided in the Constitution," he said at an event in Nagpur earlier this month.

"It is about giving respect and not just about ensuring financial or political equality, the RSS chief further said. If the sections of society which faced discrimination suffered for 2000 years, "why cannot we (those who did not face discrimination) accept some trouble for 200 more years," he added.

Earlier in the day, Pawan Khera said that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has warned party leaders against walking into the irrelevant traps of the BJP.

Rahul Gandhi laid specific stress on the need to have an ideological clarity. I think all of us emerged from that hall of the CWC meeting in deep thought and crystal clear clarity. He warned us against walking into the irrelevant traps of the BJP.

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The Congress party laid the foundation of the Constitution and democracy and the responsibility of protecting them also lies with it, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge told the extended Congress working committee that met at Telanganas capital on Sunday to brainstorm on the upcoming elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge (PTI)

Read here: Kharge tells extended CWC not to praise PM unnecessarily

The year 2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress president and removing the Bharatiya Janata Party from power next year will be a true tribute to him, he said.

Kharge, under whose charge the Congress has won two assembly polls so far, asked party leaders to continuously raise basic issues and expose the shortcomings and anti-people policies of the BJP, reminding them that the Modi government does politics of distracting and diverting people from their basic issues by bringing new issues.

On Sunday, the extended panel, which includes chief ministers, state unit chiefs and legislative party leaders, besides members of the working committee, met to discuss the partys strategy for the upcoming assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The campaign planning comes in the backdrop of the working committees deliberations and resolution on various issues and policies on Saturday.

The Congress has laid the foundation of the Constitution and democracy. Therefore, the responsibility of protecting them also lies with Congress. For this, we will have to fight till our last breath. 2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress President. 2023 is the centenary of Congress Seva Dal. Removing BJP from power in 2024 will be a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Therefore, we have to continuously raise all the basic issues, the Congress president said.

Pointing out that India is looking forward for a change from the current regime and the signs are evident, Kharge said the party has to work hard. He asked his colleagues to remain in constant touch with the electorate and immediately counter falsehoods as Indias democracy has to be saved by removing this dictatorial government.

The country wants change. The sign is in front of us. Our victory in the recent elections in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh is proof of this. This is not the time to sit back. You will have to work hard day and night, Kharge said on the second day of the meeting.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram are due later this year. The Lok Sabha polls are expected in April-May.

Kharge announced that the country is waiting for the message of the meeting. Starting a brainstorming session to devise a poll strategy, he reminded the leaders how the party had conquered many challenges in 138 years of its existence and said, We are aware of the challenges of the future. These challenges are actually the challenges of Indian democracy. The country is challenged to save the Constitution.

While he described how, at the central level, review meetings of 20 states have been completed, the Congress president focused on the preparations at the ground. In the last two months, we held detailed meetings with officials and prominent leaders of 20 states and made a strategy. Rahulji (Gandhi) participated in these meetings. Recently, we also went to many rallies in election states. Priyankaji (Gandhi) is also holding a public meeting. There is a good atmosphere in favour of Congress everywhere, he said.

Read here: CWC calls for reservation upper limit to be raised

Kharge, who joined the Congress in 1969, advised delegates to maintain strict discipline. Keep in mind that we should not do anything for the sake of ego or our applause that the party may suffer loss, he said. No one becomes a leader without discipline. If we remain disciplined, only then will people follow and listen to us.

He emphasised on unity, a virtue that the Congress often lacks in key areas, and pointed to its benefits that accrued in the Karnataka assembly polls. We remained united in Karnataka, the result of which was seen by all.

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AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday said it was not a matter of concern for him that his party was not invited to the opposition's bloc of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. Many parties of the Hindi heartland, Maharashtra and the northeast are not part of this bloc, including the Bahujan Samaj Party and some parties from the northeast. "I don't care that I was not invited to this alliance. In fact, Mayawati and KCR are not there. Many northeast parties are not there. These people have become the custodians of self-styled secularism," Owaisi said. Owaisi said he urged Telangana chief minister KCR to lead a third front with the parties that are not in the opposition alliance. (PTI)

The statement comes as the Congress holds its two-day working committee convention in Hyderabad keeping its eye on the Telangana assembly election.

"I have told our CM to come in the front and make a third front taking the parties which are not there in the opposition alliance. There is a political vacuum which will be filled if KCR takes the lead. I don't know whether KCR will take the lead for such a front but I feel the INDIA alliance is not being able to fill the political vacuum," Owaisi said.

September 17 is observed as National Integration Day to mark the merger of the princely state with the Indian Union 75 years ago. BJP calls it Telangana Liberation Day.

28 parties have joined the opposition alliance bloc INDIA which held three meetings so far -- in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Several committees have been set up to discuss crucial issues among the partners including seat sharing, the most important of them.

The alliance has come under fire after DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin compared Sanatan Dharma with dengue and malaria and said Sanatan needs to be eradicated. Even PM Modi addressed the Sanatan row while a new controversy over banning 14 journalists hit the alliance. The INDIA bloc came up with a list of 14 television anchors and said the alliance will not send any of its representatives to the debate shows of these journalists.

ABC is Asaduddin Owaisi, BRS and Chanakya: Pawan Khera

Replying to Owaisi's allegation, Pawan Khera said Owaisi has a secret ally whose name is Amit Shah. "We knew it long before and now the country also knows it. Amit Shah was supposed to do a rally in Maharashtra, but then as he got to know that the Congress would hold a rally in Hyderabad, he came to Telangana. Owaisi did not hold any rally in Hyderabad for a long time. But now he will also hold a rally. Owaisi has another friend which is BRS. So this is ABC (Asaduddin Owaisi, BRS and Chanakya)," Pawan Khera said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail
Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the opposition parties of distorting the history of Telangana and said the people would teach a fitting lesson to all such forces who had been trying to bury the real history of the country. Union home minister Amit Shah speaks during the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Ground in Hyderabad district on Sunday. (PTI)

He was addressing a gathering after unfurling the national flag as part of the official celebration of 75th year of Telangana Liberation Day at Secunderabad Parade Ground to commemorate the merger of Hyderabad state with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948.

I would like to tell such forces that people of the country would give a fitting reply to those who have been trying to bury the history of the country, Shah said.

Paying rich tributes to thousands of martyrs who had laid down their lives for the liberation of Hyderabad from the autocratic rule of the Nizams, the Union home minister said the whole credit would go to first home minister of the country Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

If not for Sardar Patel, it would have taken many more years for Hyderabad to get liberated. Patel had taken the bold decision to order a police action, as it was the only way to liberate the people of Hyderabad from the clutches of the Razakars and fulfil the dream of Akhand Bharat, he said.

He recalled that Sardar Patel had described the idea of having an independent nation of Hyderabad within India as an ulcer in the belly of India which needed to be removed surgically.

Shah pointed out that several organisations like Arya Samaj and Hindu Maha Sabha had played an active role in bringing freedom to Telangana from the Nizam rule. The Vandemataram movement launched in Osmania University had sent shivers down the spine of the Nizam, he recalled.

Recalling the efforts of leaders such as KM Munshi and Sardar Patel for the liberation of Hyderabad, Shah urged the people of Telangana, Karnataka and Marathwada region of Maharashtra to always remember the sacrifice made by the patriots.

He found fault with the previous rulers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for turning a blind eye to the official celebration of Hyderabad Liberation Day on September 17 every year. The people of this part of the country, who got the independence 13 months later, have desired to celebrate the event officially, but the previous governments had no guts to do so, as they were interested in playing vote bank politics, he said.

The home minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for deciding to officially celebrate the golden jubilee of Hyderabad liberation day. It was only after Modis decision that the Telangana government and other parties chose to celebrate the event, he said.

The home minister virtually inaugurated the residential quarters of Sasastra Seema Bal (SSB) officials and also an exhibition on Telangana culture at Bollaram.

Earlier, Shah inspected the ceremonial parade of the central paramilitary forces. The event was marked by march past by the armed forces, army bands, cultural troupes and folk artistes of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

BEWARE OF COMMUNAL FORCES, SAYS KCR

Meanwhile, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called upon the people of the state to be wary of the communal forces who were out to distort the history, disturb the communal harmony and damage the culture of Telangana for petty politics.

Addressing the gathering after unfurling the national flag, the chief minister paid glorious tributes to the martyrs of Telangana armed struggle and others who fought for the integration of Hyderabad with the rest of India.

After the merger of Hyderabad with India, Telangana remained a separate entity till 1956, when it was merged with Andhra much against the wishes of the people. After a prolonged struggle, we could get back the Telangana state in 2014 and it emerged as a front-runner in many sectors, he said.

Stating that in the last nine years, Telangana had become a torchbearer for the entire nation, the chief minister explained the initiatives taken by his government to develop the state on all fronts. What we need now is the unity of all sections of people, which is our strength. Let us not fall into the trap of disruptive forces and disturb the harmonious atmosphere in the state, he said.

Earlier, he paid floral tributes to people who laid their lives for Telangana State, at Telangana Martyrs Memorial.

At the Congress head office at Gandhi Bhavan, the partys state working president Mahesh Kumar Goud unfurled the national flag and paid rich tributes to the martyrs.

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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
On September 16, Russian troops shelled Beryslav in the Kherson region. A 63-year-old woman was injured as a result of the attack.

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This was reported by the Kherson Regional Military Administration. As noted, the occupiers hit an apartment building, and a resident was wounded in her apartment.

She was hospitalized in a moderate condition; doctors are providing her with medical care.

The Office of the Prosecutor General stated that the enemy opened fire around 14:00. It has been preliminarily established that the occupants conducted an air strike.

In total, the shelling damaged about 15 private houses.

A pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) has been initiated.

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As OBOZREVATEL previously reported:

- On September 16, Russia attacked Kharkiv with Iskander missiles. At least five civilians were injured, and a seven-meter-long crater was left after the missile hit.

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- According to British intelligence, Russia is likely to resume attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure in the winter. Moscow is currently stockpiling cruise missiles.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched his government as a partner of the Vishwakarmas and inaugurated a state-of-the art India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC)  Yashobhoomi  at Dwarka in southwest Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India International Convention and Expo Centre in New Delhi on Sunday. (HT Photo)

The PM, on his birthday, also launched the 13,000 crore PM Vishwakarma scheme to offer monetary and logistical support to workers engaged in traditional crafts and skills.

Today I dedicate Yashobhoomi to every labourer, every Vishwakarma of the nation, he said inaugurating the first phase of the convention centre, built at the cost of 5,400 crore.

Underlining the contribution and importance of the Vishwakarmas in everyday life, the Prime Minister said that Vishwakarmas will always remain significant in society, no matter the advancements made in technology.

It is the need of the hour that Vishwakarmas are recognised and supported, he said at an event organised to mark Vishwakarma Jayanti, which coincides with his birthday.

The government has come forward as a partner to elevate the respect, enhance the capabilities, and grow the prosperity of the Vishwakarmas, he said.

His government at the Centre, Modi added, is one that prioritises the deprived. Modi stands for those who have nobody to care about them, he said, adding that he will ensure a a life of dignity for the people. This is Modis guarantee, he said.

The goal of the Vishwakarma scheme is to enhance the accessibility and quality of products and services offered by traditional artisans and craftsmen, broadly divided into 18 sections that include carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, sculptors, potters, cobblers, tailors, masons, hairdressers and washermen, among others.

The scheme offers collateral-free enterprise development loans of 1 lakh (first tranche for 18 months repayment) and 2 lakh (second tranche for 30 months repayment).

A concessional rate of interest of 5% will be charged from the beneficiary with interest subvention cap of 8% to be paid by the Union ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises. The credit guarantee fees will be borne by the central government.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the PM last month approved the scheme for a period of five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28), after he made an announcement on the same in his Independence Day address.

Sharing his experience while talking to artisans during his foreign visits, the Prime Minister said there is a growing demand for handmade products and big companies sub-let their work to small enterprises globally. This outsourced work should come to our Vishwakarma friends, and they should become a part of the global supply chain, we are working for this. That is why this scheme is an effort to take the Vishwakarma friends into the modern age, he said.

The PM said that the government will offer support to the workers in order to adapt and upskill themselves to face challenges posed by technological advancement.

For this, he said, the government will provide and allowance of 500 a day during the training programme and a toolkit voucher worth 15,000 in addition to help in branding, packaging and marketing their products.

With the announcement of the scheme, the PM reiterated his governments push for encouraging locally manufactured product.

Vocal for Local is the responsibility of the entire country, the PM said.

The PM also urged workers to ensure they purchase tools that are Made in India and from stores that are GST registered.

He further said that conference tourism, estimated at 25 lakh crore, presents a huge opportunity for India. Yashobhoomi has the complete ecosystem for conferences and organising exhibitions, he said.

The message from Yashobhoomi is loud and clear. Any event that takes place here will attain success and fame. Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi Center are going to make Delhi the biggest hub of conference tourism, he said as he extended an invitation to the film and TV industry to host their events at the centre.

Today I invite people associated with the exhibition and event industry from countries around the world to come to Delhi. I will invite the film industry and TV industry of every region of the country, east-west-north-south. I invite people associated with international event companies, exhibition sector to join Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi, he said.

Bharat Mandapam, where the G20 Summit was recently held, and Yasobhoomi are a confluence of Indian culture, he said, and reflect the aspirations of the new India which desires the best facilities for itself.

The Viksit Bharat of today is crafting a new identity for itself in every sector India is not going to stop now, he said and urged the citizens to keep going forward, creating new goals, striving for them and transforming India into a developed country by 2047.

Our Vishwakarma colleagues are the pride of Make in India and this International Convention Center will become a medium to showcase this pride to the world, he said.

Political commentators perceive the scheme as a sop for the OBC communities that the Bharatiya Janata Party has assiduously wooed and relied on for favourable outcome during the elections.

Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Narayan Rane, and Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma were present on the occasion.

Yashobhoomi will also be connected to Delhi Metros Airport Express line after the PM on Sunday inaugurated the new Metro station, Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25.

Delhi Metro will also increase the operational speed of Metro trains on Airport Express Line from 90km/hour to 120km/hour, reducing travel time on the key line. The journey from New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 will take about 21 minutes.
Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has asked various airport operators to take necessary steps to curb congestion during the upcoming festive season and winter peak travel, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday. Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also held a meeting with all stakeholders (HT File)

Scindia has also held a meeting with all stakeholders in this regard; however, civil aviation ministry officials pointed out that the primary focus of the meeting was to augment capacity of major airports in the country.

The meeting held on Wednesday focused on capacity augmentation of six major airports, one of the officials present in the meeting said, requesting anonymity. Ten other airports have also been identified that need increased capacity.

The official listed out the six major airports as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata while the 10 other airports identified in the meeting were Goa (Dabolim), Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Patna, Jaipur, Guwahati, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum and Cochin.

Presentations on 16 airports were made wherein capacity assessment in these airports along with the suggested mitigation measures were proposed. These are aimed at capacity augmentation to meet the challenges of growth in passenger traffic, a second official said, also declining to be named.

The direction from the Union minister ahead of the festive season comes as a learning from last winter, when the Delhi and Mumbai airports reported massive challenges in passenger handling in December 2022, resulting in several passengers even missing their flights.

The airport operators, officials said, have been asked to use CTX (explosive-detection device) machines for a seamless security check without having to take the trouble of getting all electronic gadgets and liquid items out of the luggage.

In order to mitigate bunching, various airport operators have been assigned individual tasks, the officials added.

The operator of the Bangalore airport, along with the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has been asked to preferably add more immigration counters. Mumbai airport has been asked to add capacity in security checkpoints and immigration counters, while Delhi, Chennai and Guwahati airports have been asked to finalise the plan of immigration with the help of BOI, the second official said. Along with this, DIAL [Delhi International Airport Ltd.] has been asked to finalise capacity augmentation for international, special category passengers.

According to the latest Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data, during the period between January and August this year, the number of domestic fliers stood at 100.6 million as against around 77 million during the corresponding period last year, registering an annual growth of 30.55%.

Meanwhile, online travel agencies (OTAs) exuded confidence of registering significant uptick in the number of fliers during the upcoming festive season.

In the upcoming festive season, we expect that the domestic passenger footfall will cross the pre-Covid numbers, Ayyappan R, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cleartrip, said.

The daily domestic passenger footfall is expected to be around 4.6 lakh (460,000) per day, Ayyappan said, adding he would not be surprised if the count touched 4.8 lakh a day.

We have seen a 90% recovery in the international travel and a 100% recovery for domestic travel. In comparison to 2022, this year we are witnessing a 29% uptick in segments and a 17% uptick in airfares for Diwali, Gaurav Patwari, VP - Air Category, Cleartrip, said.

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The Congress party laid the foundation of the Constitution and democracy and the responsibility of protecting them also lies with Congress, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge told the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) that met in Hyderabad on Sunday to brainstorm on the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections. A meeting of the extended Congress Working Committee is currently underway in Hyderabad (Twitter/@INCIndia)

The Congress has laid the foundation of the Constitution and democracy. Therefore, the responsibility of protecting them also lies with Congress. For this, we will have to fight till our last breath, he said.

Kharge said that 2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress President and removing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power next year will be a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Kharge, under whose regime the Congress has won two assembly polls so far, asked the party leaders to continuously raise basic issues, and expose the shortcomings and anti-people policies of the BJP.

Also Read: CWC calls for reservation upper limit to be raised

2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress President. 2023 is the centenary of Congress Seva Dal. Removing BJP from power in 2024 will be a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Therefore, we have to continuously raise all the basic issues, the Congress president said.

On Sunday, the extended CWC, which included chief ministers, state unit chiefs, and legislative party leaders apart from the members of the Working Committee, met to discuss the partys strategy for the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

The election planning comes against the backdrop of the CWCs deliberations and resolution on raging issues and policies which were discussed on Saturday.

Pointing out that India is looking forward to a change from the current regime and the signs are evident, Kharge said that the party has to work day and night. He also asked the party leaders to remain in constant touch with the voters and immediately counter falsehoods as Indias democracy has to be saved by removing this dictatorial government.

The country wants change. The sign is in front of us. Our victory in the recent elections in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh is proof of this. This is not the time to sit back. You will have to work hard day and night, Kharge said on the second day of the CWC meeting.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram are due towards the end of this year. The Lok Sabha polls are expected in April-May, 2024.

Kharge said that the country is waiting for the message of the CWC meeting.

Kickstarting a brainstormer of the poll strategy, he reminded the leaders how the party had conquered many challenges in 138 years of its existence and said: We are aware of the challenges of the future. These challenges are actually the challenges of Indian democracy. The country is challenged to save the Constitution. SC/ST/BC is a challenge to protect the rights of women, poor and minorities.

Also Read: BJP tarnishing Indias secular image: Kharge at Congress key meet

While he described how, at the central level, review meetings of 20 states have been completed, the Congress president focused on the preparations on the ground. In the last two months, we held detailed meetings with officials and prominent leaders of 20 states and formed a strategy. Rahulji (Gandhi) also participated in these meetings. Recently we also went to many rallies in election states. Priyankaji (Gandhi) is also holding a public meeting. There is a good atmosphere in favour of Congress everywhere, he said.

The leaders have been told to be in constant touch with the voters, answer their queries and immediately counter the rivals falsehoods. You have to express your views on the basis of issues and facts, he said.

Kharge, who joined the Congress party in 1969, advised the delegates There are ups and downs in the life of all of us, but we should always remain disciplined. Keep in mind that we should not do anything for the sake of ego or our applause that the party may suffer loss. No one becomes a leader without discipline. If we ourselves remain disciplined, only then will people follow us and listen to us.

He harped on unitya virtue that the Congress sometimes lacks in key areasand pointed out the Karnataka assembly poll results (which the Congress won) and said, We remained united in Karnataka, the result of which was seen by all.

The extended Congress Working Committee meeting concluded by expressing its confidence that the Indian National Congress will receive a decisive mandate from the people of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana in the upcoming assembly elections.

It also reaffirmed the preparedness of the party organisation for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, which are due in April-May 2024.

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It is striking even for a casual observer, a reluctant speaker in comparison to the array of firebrand orators of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Udayanidhi Stalin raised a storm that refuses to calm the nerves of parties and cadres in opposite camps of both the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) and the DMK. The rest of the political parties are wondering the potential of implications of Udayanidhi Stalins teasing speeches and steel nerves to convert the momentum into an unequivocal challenge to the Sanatana Dharma and the call for eradicating the same like dengue disease caused by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito or corona. Udhayanidhi Stalin (ANI)

Given the current trends in Tamil cinema and Udayanidhis movie background, it was meant as a punch dialogue that incidentally knocked open the ideological interiors of the DMK and provoked the BJP to the extent that the party found itself in a hysterical mood of joy and desperation to convert Udayanidhis statement into an election issue in the near future and even in the parliamentary elections-2024. The first question that comes to ones mind is whether BJP is run out of steam to pick this up as the battle point before the next parliamentary elections or is it trying to run away from other pressing issues facing the country? The real desperation of BJP is revealed from the charges of genocidal violence raised by the party and its leaders against Udayanidhi. All said and done without any amicable settlement of this rage and controversy, this is potentially one of the most creative conflicts in Indian politics in the last two decades that belongs to the category of public debate, at least in Tamil Nadu.

It requires us all to revisit Sanatana Dharma and the reality check over the eternal law of Hinduism or the Hindu way of life. In the process, the DMK appears to be more engaging and revitalised than in the last few months and even pushed aside the hop and jump padayatra by the BJP state unit president Annamalai into obscurity.

Sanatana Dharma is understood in other parts of the country as Hindu Dharma - Universal or Eternal Law as well as a way of life. In Tamil Nadu the same is seen from an anti-caste pedagogy, Dravidians see themselves outside the Hindu Sanatana Dharma which advocates/practices the Varna system (oppressive and discriminatory caste structure). Manusmriti is often cited as the core reflection of this caste structure by the DMK and the Dravidian Movement leaders. There are several quotes cited from Ambedkar, Phule and Periyar to justifiy the remarks of Udayanidhi Stalin.

This controversy is likely to have both a negative and creative impact on Tamil Nadu and for the DMK. It will continue to isolate the party and government from a section of the Hindu community and at the same time will serve the creative function of uniting others behind the DMK party. This creative component, will also generate a positive response of mobilising the anti-caste politics consistent with the history and objectives of the Dravidian movement, especially the anti-caste movements in the state. The BJPs leaders and cadres including the prime minister, defence minister and the party chief have joined this debate, in one way or the other to portray the DMK as an anti-Hindu party and the opposition alliance of I.N.D.I. A, especially the Congress, as complicit to the position stoutly defended by the DMK party. At the same time neither BJP nor DMK are likely to withdraw from this all-out ideological battle and political dividends linked to this controversy.

Caste divides the people and the nation. But how the I.N.D.I.A bloc views this division without challenging the Sanatana Dharma and how the DMK resists the Sanatana Dharma as a discriminatory way of life are different. Major political parties in the north, west, east are not likely to support DMKs position because of the nature of religious and political discourse prevailing in other parts of the country. They may not approve of the DMKs position because of the fear of Hindu backlash orchestrated by the BJP. Yet there are political elements within these parties that are deeply aware that this controversy can unsettle BJP even in Hindi heartland with potential alignment and realignments of caste politics.

BJP cannot undermine the impact of this debate in the south and the resurfacing of this debate through a backstroke by political parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and even Trinamool Congress in Bengal. BJP had something to project in the Mandir vs Mandal debate in the north. It will be stretching itself beyond its potential to defend the Sanatana Dharma without engaging itself to advocate and defend social justice.

Neither DMK nor Udayanidhi had anticipated the virulent response from the BJP. At the same time DMK is not wary or hesitant to stay in the political-ideological fight. BJP is unlikely to travel with this debate beyond the electioneering and may even gain certain traction. But DMK and its allies will continue to keep this ideological debate alive.

This is why it is important to consider this controversy as one of the most creative conflicts in Indian politics in the recent period. BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevek Sangh (RSS) may deny the ideological contents and social narratives hidden in this debate but not long without addressing them in other parts of the country, outside Tamil Nadu.

It needs to be mentioned here that this entire debate on Sanatana Dharma Versus Social Justice is taking place in the country and, particularly, in Tamil Nadu coinciding with the groundbreaking progress of three non-Brahmin women who have completed training to be priests under the All Caste Archakas scheme (All Caste Hindu Priests Scheme) in Tamil Nadu, even as 15 others have been enrolled for the course conducted by the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE).

In Tamil Nadu, there are priests from Scheduled Castes, Most Backward Classes, Backward Classes, Brahmin and non-Brahmin forward caste communities. It may be useful to recall the 26th July, 2023 ruling of the Madras High Court that caste-based pedigree wont play a role in appointment of archakas (priests) as long as the candidates are qualified on all parameters. The times are changing and along with it our metaphors and minds also must change.

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(Prof. Ramu Manivannan is a scholar-academic-social activist in areas of education, human rights and sustainable development through an initiative Multiversity. He is currently the Visiting Professor at the Global South Institute, Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, Colorado, USA).
The famed Santiniketan town in West Bengal where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore built Visva-Bharati  the states only Central university  over a century ago, has been inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. The famed Santiniketan town in West Bengal where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore (File photo)

New inscription on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Santiniketan, #India. Congratulations! the organisation posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday. India was striving for long to get a Unesco tag for this cultural site in Birbhum district.

The decision to include Santiniketan in the list was taken at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee currently underway in Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the inclusion of Santiniketan a proud moment for all Indians. Delighted that Santiniketan, an embodiment of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagores vision and Indias rich cultural heritage, has been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a proud moment for all Indians, he posted on X.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is touring Spain, welcomed UNESCOs decision in her message on social media. Biswa Banglas pride, Santiniketan was nurtured by the poet and has been supported by people of Bengal over the generations. We from the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to its infrastructure in 12 years and the world now recognizes the glory... Kudos to all who love Bengal, Tagore, and his messages of fraternity..., she posted on X.

India had been striving since 2011 to get a Unesco tag for Santiniketan, retired bureaucrat and Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, who was principal secretary in the Union culture ministry till 2012, said. This is Bengals first man-made historic site to be declared a World Heritage Site. The other two... on this list are the Sunderbans biosphere and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Sircar added.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress on Sunday evening were busy taking credit, with both parties lauding their top leaders  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, after Santiniketan in Birbhum district was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Prime Minister Modi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

While BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra praised Modi's vision, Banerjee claimed that the West Bengal government has significantly added to Santiniketan's infrastructure in the last 12 years.

READ | Santiniketan proposed for inclusion in Unesco heritage list, says govt

Santiniketan, the famed place in West Bengal where poet Rabindranath Tagore built Visva-Bharati over a century ago, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a proud moment for all Indians. Delighted that Santiniketan, an embodiment of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's vision and India's rich cultural heritage, has been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a proud moment for all Indians, Modi said on X.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, Banerjee wrote, Glad and proud that our Santiniketan is now finally included in UNESCO's World Heritage List We from the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to its infrastructure in last 12 years and the world now recognizes the glory of the heritage place. Kudos to all who love Bengal, Tagore, and his messages of fraternity. Jai Bangla, Pranam to Gurudev.

Hailing the PM's dynamic leadership on Santiniketan making it to the UNESCO list, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi wrote, A birthday gift from the Prime Minister to Bharat! Delighted to share that Santiniketan has been successfully inscribed as Bharats 41st World Heritage property on the UNESCOs World Heritage list This successful nomination is dedicated to the vision and dynamic leadership of Honble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, also the Chancellor of Visvabharati, whose keen interest in Indias heritage and its global acknowledgment and appreciation that guides us for inscribing Indias tangible heritage on the World Heritage List.@MinOfCultureGoI@MEAIndia@ASIGoI

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya too thanked the efforts of the central government. "Earlier in 2021, Durga Puja was declared as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Now this recognition for Shantiniketan No Prime Minister has done more to recognise and restore the glory of West Bengal. Thank you PM @narendramodi, he wrote.

TMC MP and nephew of the chief minister Abhishek Banerjee said, An immensely proud moment for all citizens of our great nation and Bengalis around the world. May Bengal forever remain a shining beacon of hope, embracing the teachings and ideals of Rabindranath Tagore.

The Trinamool Congress posted on its official handle on X, Proud moment for Bengal! Santiniketan, the cherished home of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore, has earned its place in @UNESCO's World Heritage List... Let us continue to cherish and protect this treasure for generations to come.

Santiniketan was founded by the renowned poet and philosopher Tagore in 1901. It served as both a residential school and an artistic center, drawing inspiration from ancient Indian traditions. Its core mission was to foster unity among humanity, surpassing the limitations of religious and cultural divisions. In 1921, a "world university" was founded at Santiniketan, known as "Visva Bharati," emphasizing the concept of the unity of humanity.
The Supreme Courts decision to refer a bundle of petitions challenging the validity of the sedition law prescribed under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to a Constitution bench of at least five judges has once again brought the controversial colonial era law into the spotlight. The Supreme Court in Delhi. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)
Taking a jibe at the Congress over its national president Mallikarjun Kharge skipping Sunday's flag hoisting ceremony at the new Parliament, Union minister Smriti Irani accused the grand old party of not being proud about the tricolour being hoisted at the new complex. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar hoists national flag at Gaj Dwar in new Parliament building in Delhi.

Today is an auspicious day. The nation's Parliament is the pride of the country. The national flag which you talk about hoisting is the flag for which many people and our soldiers laid their lives. As a citizen, if we get the opportunity to hoist our national flag at the Parliament, it will be a matter of pride for us. The answer to why the Congress party does not experience that pride is with the Gandhi family, not me, Irani remarked.

On Saturday, Kharge wrote to Rajya Sabha general secretary PC Mody, informing the latter that he would not be able to attend the ceremony as he would be in Hyderabad on September 16 and 17 for a 2-day meeting of the newly-constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC).

However, other leaders of the party, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, attended the event.

Earlier, Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, missed the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort, though he unfurled the tricolour at the Congress headquarters. Then, last week, his name did not figure in the list of invitees for President Droupadi Murmu's dinner for world leaders who were in the national capital for the September 9 and 10 G 20 Summit.

Congress and its opposition allies also boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament, accusing prime minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated it on May 28, of insulting the President by inaugurating it himself instead of inviting the President  the head of state  to do the honours.

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As many as eight bills have been listed for consideration and passage during a five-day session of Parliament beginning on Monday. The session will be held amid an intense buzz on whether the government will have some surprise item up its sleeve during the sitting that will see a discussion on Parliament's 75-year journey and House proceedings moving to the new building. The new Parliament building on the eve of a special session in New Delhi on Sunday. (Sanjeev Verma/ HT)

Parliament special session: What's on agenda?

1. Pralhad Joshi said a total of eight bills have been listed for consideration and passage during the session.

2. At an all-party meeting on Sunday, floor leaders were informed that a bill on the welfare of senior citizens and three related to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes order have been added to the agenda.

3. The bills listed earlier include the one on the appointment of chief election commissioner and election commissioners. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session and has drawn protests from the Opposition as it seeks to put service conditions of the chief election commissioner and two election commissioners on par with the cabinet secretary and not a Supreme Court judge, as is the case now.

4. Though there is no official word on any probable new legislation, some reports claimed that some of the bills include - The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022, The Post Office Bill, 2023, The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, Senior Citizens Welfare Bill, 2023 and The Constitution (SC/ST) Order, 2023.

5. There has been a view, including in the BJP circles, that a bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like Lok Sabha and state assemblies. When asked about the government's stand on the demand, Joshi said the government would take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time.

6. According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the function will commemorate the rich legacy of the Parliament of India and resolve to make Bharat a developed nation by 2047.

7. Two issues which were rumoured to be taken up in the special session of Parliament include the One Nation, One Election bill and a resolution to rename India as Bharat.

8. According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the function will commemorate the rich legacy of the Parliament of India and resolve to make Bharat a developed nation by 2047.

9. According to the bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, all MPs have been called for a group photograph at 9.30am on Tuesday. An official said arrangements are in place at the inner courtyard of the old building for the group photo. The government's legislative business will commence from September 20 in the new building. All members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been called for a group photograph on Tuesday morning.

10. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday morning and Joshi said that after a ceremony at the Central Hall of the existing building, the session will move to the new building.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday hoisted the national flag atop the new Parliament building, a day before the beginning of the new session. The event was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Pralhad Joshi, Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal among other, however, Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi were absent. Although, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took part in the event. Congress LoP in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury(ANI)

After the event, reporters asked Chowdhury on Kharge and Gandhi's absence, to which, the Congress MP replied, Is it no sufficient that I am here? If I am not useful here, tell me and I will leave. He further suggested to concentrate on those who are present at the venue.

The Congress chief earlier expressed his dissapointment after he received a late invite for the function. He was Hyderabad for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting when he received the invite.

Writing to Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, Kharge told, "I am writing this letter with a sense of disappointment that I have received your invite for a flag hoisting function tomorrow at the new Parliament Building only on September 15, quite late in the evening."

He is currently attended meeting of the party's newly constituted working committee and is scheduled to return to Delhi Sunday night. He said it will not be feasible for him to attend the function
The head of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that the Ukrainian army has changed the nature of modern warfare and the Armed Forces are approaching victory over the Russian occupiers every day. According to him, the North Atlantic Alliance will continue to support Ukraine during the war and many years after the end of Russian aggression.

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Bauer added that Ukraine has changed modern warfare and this will be written about in historical books. The head of NATO's Military Committee said this during the opening of the annual NATO conference at the level of the chiefs of staff of the Alliance, Ukrinform reports.

The admiral emphasized that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting a war of unprecedented scale. He noted that such a battle has not yet been covered in the doctrinal field.

"They are fighting a war of unprecedented scale, in an uncharted doctrinal field. Historical books will tell how Ukraine transformed modern warfare. They are moving forward every day, and each success is another step towards victory," Bauer said.

At the same time, the admiral said that the Russian invaders continue to lose more and more positions in the temporarily occupied territories. At the same time, Russia is suffering from the economic impact of sanctions and diplomatic isolation.

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Brower emphasized that despite the situation on the battlefield, the Russian leadership still believes that it can "wait out" the collective determination of the Ukrainian people and partners. The Russian propaganda machine is sowing disinformation, hoping to divide the West.

"President Putin wanted NATO to be divided, and he made every attempt to do so. But we are now standing side by side, more united than ever. We are united in the belief that the rule of law is the same for everyone, that conflicts should be resolved through lines of communication, not on the battlefield, and that the right to self-determination is inalienable," said the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

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As a reminder, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their counteroffensive in the Bakhmut direction. Andriivka was liberated. Ukrainian troops also achieved success in the area of Klishchiivka, which worsened the situation of the occupation forces in the area of Bakhmut.

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.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday trained guns at the Bharatiya Janata Party over the ongoing row on Sanatana Dharma, triggered by Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. Sibal questioned the saffron party's credibility to claim themselves as the protectors of the Hindu religious beliefs, while pointing to the Narendra Modi government's handling of issues including Manipur ethnic clashes, and Brij Bhushan Singh on wrestlers row. New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal at Parliament House complex in New Delhi.(PTI file)

Are they (BJP) the votaries or the protectors of 'Sanatana Dharma? Sibal asked, asserting that the virtues of 'Sanatana Dharma' are honesty, no injury to living beings, purity, charity, and patience, etc.

Can they ever protect 'Sanatana Dharma' when their whole activities are unrelated to the virtues of a 'Sanatani'?...Is it 'Sanatani' to protect somebody who is alleged to have molested women wrestlers? Is it 'Sanatani' to keep quiet about what was happening in Manipur, he said, and asked if building a Ram Temple is sufficient to become a Ram bhakt. BJP lawmaker Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is currently under investigation for alleged multiple counts of sexually abuse during his tenure as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India since 2012.

The Rajya Sabha MP further challenged the BJP leaders to display their Sanatani qualities and said Building a Ram temple is politics, while becoming a Ram Bhakt is purity...I challenge them, please tell the people of this country what one quality of a 'Sanatani' you have?"

The Sanatana Dharma controversy refuses to die down as the BJP is repeatedly targeting the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A over the controversial comments made by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader  an ally of the alliance. Stalin, in early September, had triggered a row by equating 'Sanatana' (Sanatan Dharma) with "mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, fever and Corona", adding that it should be eradicated like these ailments.

While the DMK defended Stalin's position, saying that his comments were taken out of context and linked the eternal nature of Sanatana Dharma with social evils such as untouchability and casteism, the I.N.D.I.A bloc has not issued any official statement in this regard. However, many non-DMK I.N.D.I.A leaders condemned disrespect to any religious sentiments in their personal capacity.

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Health department officials on Sunday confirmed two more deaths due to scrub typhus in two different districts, taking the death toll in Odisha to eight. Two more deaths due to scrub typhus infection, toll reaches to eight in Odisha. (Representational Image)

Scrub typhus, also known as bush typhus is a mite-borne bacterial infection caused by bites of infected larval mites.

Chief district medical officer of Kalahandi, Niharendra Panda said, a 34-year-old woman farmer of Kalahandi district who had died in a private hospital on August 30 was found to have succumbed to the scrub typhus infection on Sunday.

In Bargarh district, one more person succumbed to infection while being treated at a private nursing home on Sunday, Panda added. In Sundargarh, where 11 persons tested positive for the infection on Sunday, an elderly person has already succumbed to the disease last month. So far 180 persons have tested positive for Scrub Typhus in Sundargarh.

Sundargarh CDMO Kanhu Charan Nayak said there is ample stock of medicines for the patients and a special team of doctors has been pressed into service to attend to the scrub virus patients in the district. At the same time, a sensitisation programme was organised in Sundargarh district for doctors on Friday with a view to checking the disease. Scrub typhus can be detected through ELISA system available at the District Public Health Laboratory of all District Headquarters Hospitals in the state. If diagnosed early, the disease can be treated effectively,

The chiggers that transmit the disease generally live in low temperature and high humidity conditions, said Dr Shankar Ramchandani, assistant professor of medicine in Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research of Sambalpur district. He said four years ago Scrub Typhus cases were reported in south Odisha districts as well as Keonjhar while Bargarh district saw scrub typhus outbreak in 2014 last.

The western Odisha districts may have experienced climatic condition that is favourable for the growth of the mites, he said.
Bengaluru They emphasized that lack of road connectivity has created significant challenges to their community, impacting their daily lives and access to essential infrastructure.

A Dalit community in Mandya district of Karnataka submitted a complaint to the deputy commissioner of the district on September 14 (Check) alleging that a family belonging to an upper caste has blocked the road leading to their houses.

In a memorandum submitted to the DC, the villagers from Hoothagere village of Maddur taluk urged the district administration to intervene and clear the road encroached by the upper caste family. They emphasized that lack of road connectivity has created significant challenges to their community, impacting their daily lives and access to essential infrastructure.

According to people familiar with the matter, the deputy commissioner instructed the taluk tehsildar to look into the complaint.

Soon after receiving the complaint, we visited the spot along with social welfare officers, Maddur Tahsildar B Narasimha Murthy said. He said that the mentioned road is not on the official revenue department map and the land belongs to by private people. However, we have solved the problem by instructing owners to leave 12 feet of road and they agreed to this.

Trouble arose when the Dalit community questioned the installation of the barbed wire fence. The landlord who is also the encroacher, allegedly used derogatory language, against the Dalit community.

The small village has concrete roads, water supply, and drainage facilities and the Gram Panchayat imposes annual taxes, revenue, and government dues on the houses located there. The villagers have been demanding immediate road access and a long-term solution to their predicament.

The public road, situated in Survey No. 366 of Hoothagere village, is a 19.5-feet road is not on the village map. However, with the installation of an allegedly illegal wire fence in the middle of the road, the upper caste family has encroached the road. The villagers have urged the DC to take action against this encroachment on the public road and ensure justice.

The problem is that the road was not mentioned anywhere on the map of the revenue department, and the road is situated in the middle of the three acres of land owned by Ramesh and Shashi Kumar, who are brothers, Hoothagere gram panchayat member Shwetha Janardhan told HT.

She said that however the intervention of gram panchayat and revenue officers and social welfare officers has solved the problem as the land owners agreed to provide 12 feet road.

Since the last five decades, we were using the road which has a width of 19.5 feet and 60 meters of length, as this is the only road to connect 16-18 houses of Dalit families, Javarappa, a Dalit elder told reporters. He said the land owners were trying to grab the road meant for road and urged revenue authorities to include the road in the village map.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien on Saturday wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, expressing his displeasure over a post made by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The post was referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe at Dubai airport. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee-Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickramasinghe at Dubai airport.

The TMC leader claimed in the letter that Suvendu Adhikari, through his social media post, 'ridiculed' the interaction between Mamata Banerjee and the Sri Lankan president. He alleged that Adhikari misused his position as an MLA to try and maliciously hinder the economic cooperation between the the Government of Sri Lanka and the West Bengal government.

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 wrote.

Derek asserted that Adhikari's remarks concerning the West Bengal economy are entirely baseless. Praising Banerjee's leadership, he said Adhirkari's remarks were a deliberate attempt to tarnish the state's emergence as an attractive FDI destination.

The TMC leader demanded that the Ministry of External Affairs step in and reprimand Adhikari for his vicious ploy to damage the relations between the State of West Bengal and the Republic of Sri Lanka.

The development followed as Banerjee who is on her 12-day official trip to Dubai and Spain, had an unexpected encounter with Wickremesinghe at Dubai International Airport on a Wednesday. The leaders interacted and Banerjee invited him to the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2023, scheduled in November.

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Udhampur Railway Station was formally rechristened as Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station on Saturday, days after Union minister Jitendra Singh made the announcement. The Northern Railway on Saturday notified the name change in honour of the Army braveheart following the approval by the Jammu and Kashmir administration. Udhampur railway station renamed as 'Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station'.

"It is notified for the information of the general public that with immediate effect, the name of UDHAMPUR (UHP) Railway Station in Firozpur Division of Northern Railway has been changed to " Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan" (MCTM) Railway Station," Northern Railway said in a notification on Saturday.

Singh on Saturday paid tributes to Captain Tushar Mahajan and unveiled the renaming of the station in Udhampur. He hailed the trend of naming public places after soldiers and said it was a historic moment in the history of Udhampur.

"A historic moment for Udhampur! Unveiling of the renamed "Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station". Saga of a Son of Soil" preserved for posterity. Thanks PM Narendra Modi," Jitendra Singh later said in a post on X.

Who was Captain Tushar Mahajan?

Captain Tushar Mahajan was an officer in the Indian Army who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. He was a part of the 9 Para Special Forces unit, also known as the "9 Parachute Commando." Captain Tushar Mahajan was born on May 25, 1987, in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

He gained recognition and respect for his bravery and leadership during a counter-terrorism operation in Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir, in February 2016. During the operation, he displayed remarkable courage and skill in neutralizing terrorists who had holed up in a government building. Tragically, he was killed in action during the operation.

Captain Tushar Mahajan's selfless dedication to his duty and his bravery in the face of danger earned him posthumous awards and honours, including the Shaurya Chakra, which is one of India's highest peacetime gallantry awards.

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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
In the fourth outbreak of Nipah in Kerala since 2018, a total of six cases have been reported this year putting the state almost under a siege with Covid-like containment zones being put in place. Educational institutes have been closed, high-risk patients have been asked not to come out of their houses. Apart from the strict containment measures, the government is also focussing on the treatment as India has reached out to Australia for procuring monoclonal antibody for the treatment. Nipah in Kerala: Experts are of the opinion that Nipah might remain undetected in other states.

Read | Rare, deadly Nipah virus: What are the symptoms?

How Nipah spread in Kerala?

The first Nipah outbreak in Kerala was in 2018. Before 2018, India saw two more outbreaks of Nipah but both were in West Bengal. After 2018, all Nipah outbreaks were reported only from Kerala. One case was reported in Ernakulam in 2019. In 2021, there was a death from Nipah in Kozhikode. Nipah is a zootonic virus and can spread between animals and people. A person can get the virus from an infected fruit, animal or another infected person.

However, it's not yet known how the first person got Nipah. "The first outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala was in May 2018...The most important thing is that we still don't know how the primary case contracted the disease. That is the key aspect we have to address right now," Indian Medical Association Public Health Standing Committee Chairman Dr A Althaf said.

The first infection spread from nature but it's not known whether it was a bat or any other animal or from fruits.

Former health minister KK Shailaja said the present outbreak is not as scary as 2018 when the state did not have any experience in battling the infection.

A survey by the National Institute of Virology revealed that the Nipah virus is in circulation among the bat population across nine states and one Union Territory. Nipah viral antibodies were found in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Pondicherry. But why has Nipah been resurfacing only in Kerala? According to experts, it may have many explanations. The Nipah virus might have become endemic in the Kerala bat population. Another cultural reason attributed to Nipah outbreaks is the custom of drinking fresh toddy or sweet tree sap which may get contaminated by infected bats. Experts have not ruled out the possibility that Nipah may have remained undetected in other states.

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Ananya Pandey and Khushi Kapoor are two of the most fashionable Gen Z stars of B-town. Ananya is a true style icon and has been proving her fashion prowess with her back-to-back head-turning looks. On the other hand, Khushi Kapoor just like her sister Janhvi Kapoor is no less when it comes to slaying fashion goals. Both Ananya and Khushi are quite active on social media and have millions of followers. Their Insta-diaries are filled with the stylish looks of their daily snippets, providing a treasure trove of fashion inspiration to all their followers. Their latest looks in chic casual outfits are sure to be bookmarked for your next outing. Keep reading to take some style notes. (Also read: Suhana Khan, Ananya Panday and Shanaya Kapoor serve BFF fashion goals in stylish summer-ready fits: Watch ) Ananya Pandey and Khushi Kapoor elevate Gen-Z fashion with stylish casual looks.(Instagram )

Ananya Pandey and Khushi Kapoor Exude Gen Z Chic in Casual Outfits

Decoding Ananya's stylish holiday look

On Saturday, Ananya gave her followers a weekend treat as she took to Instagram to upload a series of pictures accompanied by a quirky caption, "The Pest in Buda". Her post quickly went viral on social media, garnering more than 400k likes and several comments from fans who could not stop gushing over her. One fan wrote, "What a cutie" while others commented, "Love these pictures". In the post, Ananya can be seen chilling with her group of friends on the streets of Budapest, Hungary. Let's have a look at her pictures.

For her chic casual look, Ananya chose a purple micro-cap sleeve tank top with a quirky floral pattern. She teamed it with a white denim mini-skirt and a pair of white flats. She accessorised her chic look with a blue Louis Vuitton shoulder bag, which perfectly complemented her street-style look. In another look, she wore a white tank top, jeans and an oversized black puffer jacket. Ananya completed her make-up look with nude eyeshadow, mascara-lined lashes, blushed cheeks and a light pink lip colour. With her hair left loose in the centre parting, she looked effortlessly stylish.

Decoding Khushi Kapoor's stunning date night look

On the other hand, Khushi Kapoor went out with her friends over the weekend and the pictures filled her Insta diaries. She uploaded a series of glam pictures with a cloud emoji and the number 9 as the caption. Her post received more than 100k likes and several comments from her bestie, Orry, who can't seem to stop praising her. For her stunning look, Khushi wore a black cropped tank top and teamed it with black flared trousers.

She accessorised with a bright pink shirt with multi-coloured prints to add a pop of colour. Keeping it chic with her accessories, Khushi styled her look with a Dolce & Gabbana statement multicoloured bag, black heels, a sleek silver chain featuring a diamond pendant and hoop earrings. With nude eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, mascaraed lashes, contoured cheeks, lots of highlighter, glossy peach lipstick and her hair loose in a centre part, Khushi served up weekend fashion inspiration.

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Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: The special time of the year is here. Every year, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all over the country. From installing huge idols of Lord Ganesha to having a pompous Ganesh Visarjan after ten days, the devotees pray to Lord Ganesha for happiness, wealth and prosperity. Ganesh Chaturthi commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha and is celebrated by the devotees all over the country. Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telengana celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi with more pomp. Especially in cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated as a ten-day festival. Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 bhog: Lord Ganesha's 6 favourite foods that you can offer(pexels)

Lord Ganesha is known for having a sweet tooth. For ten days, different types of bhogs are prepared with his favourite dishes. Here are a few dishes that you can add to the bhog for the festival:

ALSO READ: Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Why Ganesh Utsav is celebrated for 10 days

Modak: One of Lord Ganesha's most favourite foods is modak. Modaks for rice flour dumplings with sweet fillings that are steamed to perfection. Most of Ganesha's idols can be seen holding a modak.

Pooran poli: It is a roti made with wheat flour which is then stuffed with sweet fillings such as jaggery and coconut. Pooran poli is a quintessential dish prepared in homes during Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ladoo: Another dish absolutely loved by Lord Ganesha. Made of gram, flour, rava, ghee and sugar, these sweet balls are savoured by lord Ganesha, and also by his devotees.

Peda: A type of milk sweet prepared by Ganesh Chaturthi, Peda consists of milk, cardamom, flour, sugar and dry fruits.

Bananas: Lord Ganesha is also known as the elephant-headed God. Hence, his love for bananas come to us as no surprise. It is also a ritual to make a garland with bananas, banana leaves and stems and offer it to the lord during Ganesh Chaturthi.

Payasam: Especially in South India, payasam or rice pudding is prepared with milk, rice, sugar, coconut, jaggery and cardamom.

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Hartalika Teej 2023: The auspicious festival of Hartalika Teej is just around the corner and all Hindu married women are busy making preparations. Hartalika Teej honours the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and is celebrated on Shukla Paksha Tritiya in the month of Bhadrapada. This year it is celebrated with much pomp and enthusiasm on September 18. On this day, women observe a fast and adorn themselves in clothes of red and green colour. They also offer prayers for their family, including their husbands, and worship the idols of Shiva and Parvati. Unmarried women often fast to ask the gods for a good husband. Hartalika Teej is considered to be one of the most important festivals in Bihar, the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Hartalika Teej 2023: Wishes, images, messages, quotes to share with loved ones(HT Photo)

In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Hartalika Vrat is called Gowri Habba. Women observe Swarna Gowri Vratha on this day and offer prayers to Goddess Gowri for a happy marriage. As we gear up to celebrate the festival, here is a list of some thoughtful wishes, images, messages and greetings to make this festival more special for your loved ones. (Also read: Hartalika Teej 2023: Date, history, significance and celebration of the festival )

Hartalika Teej 2023 Images, Wishes, Greetings, Messages:

On this auspicious day of Hartalika Teej, may your bond with your spouse be as strong and eternal as the love between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Happy Teej!

Hartalika Teej is a significant Hindu festival celebrated primarily by married women.(HT Photo)

May the swings of joy, the melody of love, and the fragrance of flowers fill your life with immense happiness on Hartalika Teej. Enjoy the festivities to the fullest!

On the holy occasion of Hartalika Teej, may Lord Mahadev bless you and your wife with happiness, peace, good health, love, wealth and prosperity.

The festival is dedicated to the reunion of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva.(HT Photo )

As you fast and pray on this special day, may your wishes and desires be fulfilled. Sending you heartfelt Hartalika Teej wishes for a blissful and prosperous life ahead.

Wishing you a very warm and Happy Hartalika Teej blessed with good fasting and great feasting and lots of memories with your loved ones.

Married women observe a day-long fast and offer prayers for the well-being of their husbands.(HT Photo)

Teej is a day to celebrate the strength and resilience of women. May you continue to inspire and shine brightly like Goddess Parvati. Happy Hartalika Teej!

May your Teej fast and all your prayers become fruitful and you get a successful, long-lasting, and prosperous married life. Happy Teej!

Women dress in traditional attire, wear bangles, and apply mehndi (henna) on their hands.(HT Photo)

On this auspicious occasion of Hartalika Teej, may your home be filled with laughter, love, and togetherness. Wishing you a wonderful celebration with your loved ones.

Temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are decorated and visited by devotees.(HT Photo)

Discover your hidden strengths and connect with the inner self as you meditate. May Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati bless you and your husband with everything you both have wished for. Happy Hartalika Teej.

The festival is particularly popular in North India, especially in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.(HT Photo)

May this Teej light up for you the hopes of happy times and dreams for a year full of smiles. Happy Hartalika Teej!

Wish you and all your loved ones a very Happy Hartalika Teej! May Goddess Parvati showers her blessing and you enjoy a happy and peaceful married life!

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Bamboo is a type of grass that grows rapidly and is known for its strength, flexibility and eco-friendliness and to celebrate the many uses and benefits of this versatile and sustainable resource, World Bamboo Day is observed annually. The day serves as a platform for not just raising awareness about the importance of bamboo but also promoting its role in sustainable development, poverty alleviation, environmental conservation and cultural preservation. World Bamboo Day 2023: Date, history, significance and celebration (Photo by Twitter/Sihabuddin723)

Date:

World Bamboo Day is marked annually on September 18.

History:

World Bamboo Day was established courtesy the efforts of the World Bamboo Organization, a non-profit organization that was founded in 2005 by Susanne Lucas and David Knights to promote bamboo as a valuable and versatile resource. In 2009, the WBO organised the first World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, Thailand which brought together bamboo enthusiasts, experts, researchers and industry professionals from around the world and proposed the idea of creating a dedicated day to celebrate bamboo.

On September 18, 2009, during the 8th World Bamboo Congress, the participants officially declared September 18 as World Bamboo Day to coincide with the birthday of the renowned bamboo researcher, Nobel Laureate and India's former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who was a strong advocate for bamboo's potential to combat poverty and environmental degradation. Following the declaration, World Bamboo Day gained recognition and support from bamboo organisations, environmental groups, governments and bamboo enthusiasts worldwide and the day was dedicated to promote the sustainable and versatile uses of bamboo.

Significance:

World Bamboo Day aims to promote the environmental friendly and sustainable resource (as bamboo grows quickly, requires minimal water and pesticides and can be harvested without harming the plant's root system), increase awareness about the diverse uses of bamboo (from construction and furniture making to textiles and culinary applications), emphasises the economic potential of bamboo for communities and businesses (as bamboo-based industries can create jobs and income opportunities in many parts of the world), recognises the cultural significance of bamboo in various societies and its role in traditional crafts, music and rituals. Given that bamboo is often a habitat for various wildlife species, celebrating bamboo further highlights the importance of conserving bamboo forests for biodiversity, encourages research and innovation in bamboo-related industries and fosters collaboration among governments, organisations and individuals to promote the responsible cultivation and use of bamboo resources.

Celebration:

On World Bamboo Day, various activities and events including workshops, exhibitions, art displays and educational programs are held for bamboo enthusiasts, environmentalists, policymakers and businesses to come together and explore the potential of bamboo in addressing environmental and economic challenges. Bamboo's versatility, sustainability and cultural significance make it an important resource deserving of recognition and celebration.

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky showed a new series of powerful photos from the front. He said that the initiative is invariably in the hands of our soldiers and that it is the heroism of Ukrainians that will determine how the war with Russia ends.

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A corresponding publication appeared on Zelensky's official Telegram channel on September 16. The published footage captures the moments of combat work of Ukrainian defenders (to view, scroll to the end of the news).

"The initiative is in the hands of our soldiers week after week. It is Ukrainian heroism that determines how this war will end. We must all remember this," the president wrote.

The day before, Zelensky said that he had honored the soldiers of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are taking part in the fighting in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

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Photo: Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Slava Ratynski, Kostiantyn Liberov and Vlada Liberova, Yakiv Liashenko, Marian Kushnir, Diego Ibarra Sanchez, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, on September 15, Zelensky thanked Ukrainian soldiers for fighting the invaders and announced a "significant result" in the Bakhmut direction. In particular, he noted the liberation of Andriivka and added that active hostilities continue in the areas of Kurdiumivka and Klishchiivka, as well as near Opytne and Vodiane.

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Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Travel, transport and taxi business units in Shimla affected by the monsoon fury await the completion of the restoration works on the 96-km British-era Kalka-Shimla railway line that was damaged during the rains. Restoration work of Kalka-Shimla railway track underway after it was damaged due to a landslide following heavy rainfall, at Summer Hill in Shimla. Toy train, taxi business units await resumption of Kalka-Shimla railway line (PTI)

The train services on the over 120-year-old heritage railway line that meanders through the hilly terrains of the Himalayan region had been hampered due to landslides, floods and heavy rain for almost two months.

As a result, the transport, travel and taxi business units that were completely dependent on the train have been jobless for over two months now.

Speaking on the issue, a local taxi driver, Sohan Lal said, "Our job is almost over, we have not done any job for over two months now. Tourists have started arriving here but we are completely dependent on the train services. It will take 8 to 10 more days for the complete restoration of the train services. We are eagerly awaiting for it to resume."

"The transporters are paying salaries to drivers and clearing EMIs and are not earning anything. Now these business units are looking forward to the restoration and resuming of the train services on the heritage railway track," he added.

Another transporter Vijayant Sharma expressed his concerns and said, "Shimla is a tiny city and there are several taxi unions present, it has been about two months since a train arrived here. We all anticipate that the train will begin running here from October 1 onwards. Paying loans and the drivers' salaries is getting more difficult. I've been in the travel industry for more than ten years, but have never encountered such an issue."

"We come here clean and take care of our business and go back home. Some of the vehicle owners and drivers could not even come to check the cars, the batteries are dying and it is becoming difficult for everyone," Sharma further added.

The foreigners have also become disappointed as the toy train on the Kalka-Shimla Railway is a preferred choice of travel for foreign tourists but due to the bad track and railway line, they are not able to avail this facility.

"I wanted to travel through Kalka to Shimla by the toy train but the road was damaged and I had to travel by taxi, it was very expensive for me. Shimla is a beautiful city, with nice buildings and tasty food. I hope the train services on the railway line resume so I can travel through the hill state on it," said Alexander a tourist from Russia.

Built during British rule, the 96-km Kalka-Shimla railway line is an architectural marvel of Himachal Pradesh.

The railway line provides a glimpse of the sheer beauty of nature and breathtaking vistas of the hill state while passing through 18 stations, 102 tunnels and 988 bridges on the way.

The KalkaShimla Railway was built between 1898 and 1903 to connect Shimla, the summer capital of India during the British Raj, with the rest of the Indian rail system.

UNESCO on 8 July 2008, added the KalkaShimla Railway to the mountain railways of India's World Heritage Site.

The repair work on the railway line started in July at the 352 damaged locations, of which 327 have been repaired and work is going on at the remaining 25.

The Railways Ministry had sanctioned 15 crore for the repair and restoration of the track.

The Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge railway, a UNESCO world heritage site, is expected to be functional again from October 1 after services were halted due to damage at 352 locations following heavy rainfall in the state.

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NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is set to create history on September 24, 2023, by bringing back samples from the asteroid Bennu after spending seven years in deep space. Asteroid Bennu is a potentially hazardous, near-Earth space rock that has a nearly 1 in 1,800 chance of colliding with Earth in the next 300 years. It makes a close approach to Earth every six years. The OSIRIS-REx Curation Lab, where samples will be processed, is seen during a media day hosted by NASA to preview the OSIRIS-REx Sample Lab at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on July 24, 2023. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP)(AFP)

What is NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission

Launched in 2016, the spacecraft reached Bennu in October 2020 and successfully collected samples from its surface. The return of these samples is scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range near Dugway, Utah, using a special capsule and parachute. As NASA eagerly anticipates the landing, scientists are preparing for the spacecraft's return to Earth, which involves a high-speed entry into the Earth's atmosphere, followed by the deployment of parachutes to slow it down to a manageable 10 mph. The spacecraft will then head to Apophis, another potentially dangerous space rock, for a rendezvous in 2029.

In a crucial move, NASA initiated a thruster firing on September 10, aligning the probe's course toward Earth, ensuring the successful asteroid sample delivery. Brian May, the Queen guitarist, played a significant role in creating 3D images of Bennu's surface, aiding mission leaders in identifying safe landing spots.

The OSIRIS-REx team conducted a drop test on August 30, practicing the procedures they will employ when the real asteroid sample arrives on September 24. Bennu, initially designated as 1999 RQ36, was discovered by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) survey on September 11, 1999.

All about Asteroid Bennu

Some fascinating facts about Bennu include its low density, which is only about 30 percent more than water, suggesting it is a loose collection of rocks. Scientists believe it may eventually burn up in the Sun or possibly collide with Venus, however it comes closer to earth every 6 years. Additionally, Bennu lacks a moon and features a significant boulder at its south pole, measuring approximately 164 feet (50 meters) high and 180 feet (55 meters) wide.

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The European Southern Observatory has recently unveiled a distinctive image featuring galaxies, wherein one luminous mass is encircled by four smaller points, resembling a flower with blue petals. Image of galaxies resembling flowers with four petals.(ESO/A. Cikota et al.)

These observations were conducted using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument at ESOs VLT in Chile.

Decoding four petals galaxies

The four 'petals' are actually images of a distant galaxy concealed behind the central orange galaxy. Something very fascinating happens to allow us to detect the light from this hidden object: the galaxy at the centre acts as a gravitational lens, bending the light emitted from the distant galaxy around it, ESO said.

Consequently, it explained, we perceive multiple distorted and magnified images of the distant galaxy. In this particular alignment, the concealed galaxy manifests as four images arranged around the central 'lens' galaxy, forming a cross-like or flower-like pattern known as an Einstein Cross.

What is gravitational lensing, and how is Einstein connected to it?

Gravitational lensing occurs when light from a distant object passes near a massive object in space, causing it to bend or curve. When observed from Earth, this bending alters the appearance or position of the distant object, much like the effect seen through a magnifier. Gravitational lensing refers to this phenomenon.

In 1915, Albert Einstein introduced his theory of general relativity, which included a key prediction: massive objects such as stars or galaxies could deflect the path of light as it traversed through spacetime.

What is the significance of the observation?

An important consequence of Gravitational lensing distortion is magnification, allowing us to observe objects that would otherwise be too far away and too faint to be seen.

This phenomenon offers invaluable insights into astrophysics and cosmology, aiding in the determination of galaxy mass profiles and the refinement of cosmological parameters.

The results of these observations, featured in a new research paper, reveal that the distant galaxy is undergoing rapid star formation. Since the light from this galaxy originated when the Universe was only about 20% of its current age, studying it provides vital clues about the early formation of galaxies in the Universe.

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Rohit Sharma-led India will face Sri Lanka, led by Dasun Shanaka, in the final showdown of the Asia Cup 2023 today at the PR Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Both teams have won 11 games each during the Asia Cup, which adds to the excitement of this highly anticipated showdown. Asia Cup 2023 Final: An X user shared this meme on the India vs Sri Lanka match today. (X/@gkd_world)

Ahead of the much-awaited match between India and Sri Lanka, people took to Twitter to share their reactions. Take a look at a few reactions below:

An X user shared this poll asking who will win the Asia Cup Final today. While many voted for India, a few even supported rain washing out the match.

This individual shared this funny meme ahead of the match.

Another shared a poll asking who will score more in todays match between India and Sri Lanka.

This tweet shows a compilation of Virat Kohli smashing sixes and fours.

In their extensive history of ODI encounters, India has clashed with Sri Lanka 166 times, emerging victorious in 97 matches. Sri Lanka secured only 57 wins in those matches. Remarkably, 11 matches concluded with no result, and one ended in a tie.

Catch live updates on Asia Cup 2023 Final here: India vs Sri Lanka Live Score, Asia Cup 2023 Final

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What a win! wrote the BCCI after India lifted the Asia Cup final trophy in a 10-wicket win. It all started with Jasprit Bumrah picking a wicket in only the third ball of the first over. Following suit, Mohammed Siraj delivered a stunning performance, rattling the Sri Lankan side with six wickets in just seven overs. Hardik Pandya then joined in, taking three wickets, ultimately bundling out Sri Lanka for a paltry 50 runs in a mere 15.2 overs. After India won the Asia Cup 2023 title in the final showdown against Sri Lanka, Durex celebrated the win with this post. (Instagram/@durex.india)

India wasted no time chasing down the modest target of 51 runs, achieving it in a mere 6.1 overs. Ishan Kishan and Shubham Gill led the charge, completing the job with an astonishing 263 balls to spare. As India lifted the Asia Cup trophy for the eighth time, various brands have taken to social media to celebrate this remarkable victory.

Heres what BCCI tweeted after India lifted their 8th Asia Cup trophy:

From Swiggy to Blinkit and Durex, heres how brands reacted to Indias win against Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2023:

Thats what we call a quickie! wrote Durex while sharing a creative that will leave you with a smile.

Swiggy shared a witty response to Indias victory over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 202.

Zomato couldnt complete a special cooking instruction because the match got over too soon.

Obviously, everyone is in awe of Mohammed Sirajs bowling skills.

Heres what Uber tweeted on Indias easy win in todays match:

I was standing in the slips, and something we take pride in - our seamers have been working really hard. Very very clear in their mind. It was good to see that. Such a performance we will cherish for a long time. I never thought its going to do that much. Comes down to the skillset of individuals. Siraj has to be given a lot of credit. Rare for seamers to move the ball in the air and off the pitch. Hes coming off age. We did everything we couldve achieved as a team in this tournament, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said after the match.

Also Read| Netizens erupt in jubilation after Mohammed Siraj takes six wickets

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A plane crash in Brazil's northern Amazon state on Saturday has left 14 dead, the state's governor said. Some Brazilian media outlets reported that U.S. citizens were among those killed.(@choquei/ X)

The accident took place in the Barcelos province, some 400 km (248 miles) from the state capital, Manaus.

"I deeply regret the death of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the plane crash in Barcelos on Saturday," said Wilson Lima, Governor of Amazonas state on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our teams have been working from the outset to provide the necessary support. My sympathy and prayers go out to their families and friends."

The Manaus Aerotaxi airline issued a statement confirming that there had been an accident and that it was investigating but offering no details about deaths or injuries.

"We count on respect for the privacy of those involved at this difficult time and will be available to provide all necessary information and updates as the investigation progresses," the statement said.

Some Brazilian media outlets reported that U.S. citizens were among those killed. Reuters was unable to confirm those reports.
At least 20 employees of mining giant De Beers have been killed in a road accident in South Africa, local officials said Sunday. "The bus came into collision with a lorry," said Vongani Chauke.(Rep image)

The bus involved was ferrying staff from the Venetia mine, one of the biggest diamond mines in the country, said a transport official in Limpopo province, in the north of the country.

"The bus came into collision with a lorry," said Vongani Chauke.

Chauke told AFP the accident happened at around 1600 GMT, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the mine, at the village of Musian on the border with Zimbabwe.

The cause of the accident has not been established.

South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but also has one of the worst road safety records.

The Venetia mine, which lies near the borders with Botswana and Zimbabwe, has been run by the De Beers group for more than 30 years.

It accounts for more than 40 percent of the country's annual diamond production, employing more than 4,300 staff including many local people.

It was once the country's largest open-cast mine, before De Beers invested $2 billion in a major underground project to access the less easily available diamonds . The group aims to produce four million carats a year.

In July, De Beers announced the start of underground diamond production from the new seams opened underneath the open-cast mine.
China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan on Sunday, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified "long range" missions, Taipei authorities said. China-Taiwan Conflict: A Chinook helicopter carrying a Taiwan flag flies over the city during the country's National Day celebration in Taipei, Taiwan.(Reuters)

Taiwan's defence ministry said 20 of the aircraft detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled island's southeast and southwest air defence identification zone.

China was conducting "missions such as long range exercises and training", the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary. It has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years as relations have soured.

Last week, Taipei reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its troops were on "high alert" following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting through the Taiwan Strait this month.

Taiwan's defence ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.

Read more: 14 killed after aircraft carrying US tourists crashes in Brazil

Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to "conduct joint sea and air training" with China's Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said.

The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.

China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific.

In April, Beijing conducted military exercises to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

At the time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour period, matching the record daily high set in December 2022.

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Climate activists sprayed orange and yellow paint on the columns of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to push demands for a stop to the use of fossil fuels by 2030. Climate Protests: The columns of Berlin's landmark the Brandenburg Gate are covered in orange paint.(AFP)

"Members of the so-called 'Last Generation' sprayed the columns on the east side of the Brandenburg Gate with orange paint from fire extinguishers during the morning," Berlin police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It added that police officers noticed a hydraulic lift was being operated at the gate and they kept the protesters from scaling the landmark building. They arrested all 14 protesters at the site and launched an investigation into property damage.

The Last Generation, a Germany-based group within the Europe-wide A22 network that includes Britain's Just Stop Oil, has made headlines in Germany with hundreds of road blocks by protesters who glued themselves to the tarmac.

Their action has triggered a law-enforcement crackdown by Germany's federal states.

The Last Generation posted pictures of the spray-painting on X.

"We will not stop our protest unless a pivot is initiated. We have to exit oil, natural gas and coal by 2030 at the latest," it said.

Germany aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, but it missed annual targets for the last two years.Rea
The World Health Organisation's (WHO) chief urged China to offer more information on the origins of Covid-19 and as the health body is ready to send a second team to probe the matter, it was reported. The genesis of the pandemic remains unclear nearly four years after the first cases emerged in China's Wuhan. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation(WHO), is seen. (AP)

Were pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral meetings  [to urge Beijing] to co-operate, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as per Financial Times. We have already asked in writing to give us information . . . and also [are] willing to send a team if they allow us to do so," he added.

This comes as world leaders will for the first time discuss pandemic preparedness at high-level meetings during the UN meet in New York next week. The WHO chief told the Financial Times that he travelled to Beijing in order to convince Chinese president Xi Jinping in January 2020 to allow the first Covid-19 mission of WHO experts.

No scientific consensus has emerged on the origins of the virus, the WHO boss said, reiterating that all options remained on the table.

Unless we get evidence beyond reasonable doubt, we cannot just say this or that, he said. We will get the answer. Its a matter of time," he asserted.

On his meeting with Xi Jinping, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, I went and met the president. The officials below him were not willing to allow us to send a team. So I had to travel to convince him why its so important.

On the origin study, since they are not giving us full access, we started discussions in private and then when they refused to co-operate, we made it public. If we know [the origin], then we can prevent the next one. So its science. It will not be morally correct if we dont know what happened," he continued.

He said the pandemic was politicised from the start there were still no answers for all those who have paid for this pandemic.

In many countries, health is not taken as central to development. And health is actually considered as a cost. And now [after the pandemic] I think people are starting to realise that its actually an investment that can prevent pandemics from happening," he said.

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During the counteroffensive operation in Andriivka, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, the Russian command ordered to shoot at their own soldiers. The reason for this phantasmagorical decision was the massive surrender of the invaders to the Defense Forces.

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Andriy Biletsky, commander of the Third Assault Brigade and founder of the Azov Regiment, said this on his Telegram channel. It was his fighters who were engaged in the liberation of a strategically important settlement (to watch the video, scroll to the end).

"The explosion is heard. The command post is quiet, everyone is shaking. The smoke is clearing and we see that all our targets are dead, one is smashed to pieces and two are lucky to be taken out alive. Luck plays a huge role in war," the defender said.

Biletsky believed that Russia's operation to kill its soldiers was on the verge of fantasy. He also assured that key footage from Andriivka, where the Ukrainian flag was restored, is still to come.

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As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the liberation of Andriivka is extremely important as it is a springboard for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to advance on Bakhmut.

Olena Danko, the head of the Ivanivkyi Starostynskyi district said that Andriivka is a small village that did not have infrastructure or even a post office. 7 people lived there before the outbreak of the war. They were mostly elderly people.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Some of Donald Trump 's top rivals for the Republican presidential nomination will address a gathering of influential Iowa evangelical Christians on Saturday night, hoping to woo them away from the former president at an event he is skipping. FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he campaigns at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. August 12, 2023.(REUTERS)

Former Vice President Mike Pence planned to attend the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual banquet and town hall in Des Moines along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Also on the schedule of speakers were Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor who served as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, as well as Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican who has not endorsed a candidate, was attending, too.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump's rhetoric claims Joe Biden sparked 'World War Two' and chaotic running against Obama in 2016

The crowd will largely consist of devout and well-connected social conservatives whose ranks are large enough to play a decisive role in Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses in January. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz used strong appeals to evangelical Republicans to win the GOP's 2016 caucuses.

This time, however, Trump's rivals face a much tougher task as he has built a large GOP primary lead.

Despite skipping the event and many of the gatherings that attract most of the candidates, Trump has maintained his popularity with evangelical Christians and social conservatives in Iowa and elsewhere. They were delighted to see his three picks for the U.S. Supreme Court vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision last year and erase a federally guaranteed right to abortion.

No president has ever fought for Christians as hard as I have, and I will keep fighting for Christians as hard as I can for four more years in the White House, Trump said at the Family Research Councils annual Pray Vote Stand conference in Washington on Friday night. He added, "Every promise I made to Christians as a candidate, I delivered.

The banquet is the last time a large group of Iowa evangelical conservatives will have the chance to see the candidates side-by-side, meaning they won't see Trump. The former president skipped similar events with crowds of thousands in Iowa in April and June.

Abortion often dominates the discussion at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition events, but candidates will also likely be asked about gender education in schools, an issue that has risen to the top of social conservatives priorities in the past two years.

DeSantis held a series of pre-banquet Saturday events, including speaking in the rural community of Red Oak and at an evangelical Christian church on Des Moines south side, where politically active Iowa pastor Mike DeMastus serves.

You are going to face blowback, youre going to face attacks, youre going to face smears, and its the faith in God that gives you the strength to stand firm against the lies, against the deceit, against the opposition, DeSantis said at Friday's Family Research Council event.

As President Joe Biden runs for reelection, the Democrat and top members of his party are championing abortion rights, promising to codify the guarantees of Roe v. Wade. But getting such a measure through a divided Congress is almost impossible.

ALSO READ| Meghan Markle's cheers with a beer at Invictus games during Prince Harry's spirited birthday bash

Biden has also proposed federal rules to prohibit schools from categorically banning transgender athletes in school sports. His proposal would allow schools to institute limits designed to ensure fairness or prevent sports-related injuries.

DeSantis, during his appearance in Red Oak, promised to battle gender education and a host of other polices he said had pushed society too far to the left. He said 2024 will be about stopping the woke mind virus.

As president we must, together, work to leave the woke ideology in the dustbin of history, the governor said.
Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert, a hard-right Republican firebrand, issued an apology on Friday night for her conduct at a recent showing of the musical Beetlejuice in Denver, where she was caught on surveillance video vaping and causing a disturbance in the theater. FILE - U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., a member of the House Freedom Caucus, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, July 14, 2023, in Washington. Boebert was kicked out of a Beetlejuice show in Denver on Sunday, Sept. 10, according to security footage. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)(AP)

Boebert, 36, had previously denied reports that she had been vaping, despite a pregnant woman sitting behind her asking her to stop before she was kicked out for causing a disturbance at the performance, according to The Denver Post.

Im truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community, Boebert said in a statement on Friday night.

The past few days have been difficult and humbling. 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.

The Colorado Rep., who has four sons and often shows off pictures of her new grandchild to her colleagues in Congress, said that her behavior was influenced by her public and difficult divorce and that she simply fell short of my values on Sunday.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump's rhetoric claims Joe Biden sparked 'World War Two' and chaotic running against Obama in 2016

She also said that she genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when she instructed her campaign to issue a statement denying it. She acknowledged that she would have to work hard to regain the trust of her constituents.

Boebert, who won re-election in 2022 by a narrow margin of 546 votes, may have a tough time convincing Colorado voters that she deserves another term. She has been acting in ways that many Republicans consider harmful to their chances of keeping the House in 2024 and to her own political future.

In June, the 36-year-old attempted to force a vote on impeaching President Biden, alleging that his immigration policies were grounds for high crimes and misdemeanors. Some of her colleagues called the move crazy, and it was eventually referred to committees for further consideration.

Boebert also stood out during the speakers race in January as one of the most stubborn opponents of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, using the opportunity for maximum exposure on Fox News.

In the House, the Florida native has developed a reputation for being abrasive and confrontational, often heckling her Democratic colleagues in the Capitol hallways and largely ignoring reporters questions, except to occasionally proclaim, I love President Trump!

ALSO READ| Donald Trumps rivals woo Iowa evangelicals as the former president skips key gathering event

The behaviour has also earned her a cult following on the right. Boebert, who frequently wears five-inch Lucite heels and tight-fitting dresses, has a national fan base who enjoy her antics and extreme rhetoric.

On the House floor, Boebert has denounced drag shows for children and claimed that the left was grooming children by exposing them to obscene content.
A member of Iran's Basij paramilitary force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was shot dead during events falling on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, state media reported Sunday. Iran Anti-Hijab Protests: A woman holds a placard with a picture of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death.(AP)

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 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".

"One person was martyred and three people were injured" on Saturday evening in a "blind shooting" by two unknown assailants towards Basij guards in the city of Nurabad in Southern Fars province, state news agency IRNA reported.

The news agency did not immediately elaborate on the assailants' identity or the motivation for the shooting.

"The intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies of the province are trying to arrest the assailants" who fled after the shooting, it said.

The Revolutionary Guards meanwhile announced that a dual national was arrested over "attempts to organise riots and vandalism" in Karaj city west of the capital Tehran.

The Guards did not elaborate further on the suspect's identity or other nationality.

On Saturday, authorities arrested several groups over accusations of "planning to create chaos" and producing content to serve "hostile media", according to IRNA.

Many of the arrests were made in Amini's home province of Kurdistan, as well as Iran's northwest and south, the agency added.

Others were arrested in the northeastern province of North Khorasan for instigating "riots", according to the Mehr news agency.

Authorities in the central city of Isfahan have "identified 97 people" and blocked 15 Instagram pages for attempting to stir up "public opinion" on the anniversary of the protests, IRNA said.

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Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell and chief of police Adrian Diaz on Saturday issued an apology in response to the tragic death of Jaahnavi Kandula, an Indian student who lost her life after a collision with a speeding police patrol car in January. A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula displayed with flowers in Seattle, at the intersection where she was killed by a Seattle Police officer driving north while responding to a nearby medical incident.(AP)

Mayor Harrell extended his apology in a private meeting held on Saturday with representatives from the South Asian immigrant community in the Seattle area. "We want to express our extreme condolences for your loss. Many comments that have been made do not reflect the sympathy and the empathy and the condolences that we have," the mayor said.

READ | Every human life is invaluable: Jaahnavi Kandula's family distressed by Seattle union leader's insensitive comments

Meanwhile, the chief of police in Seattle, Adrian Diaz, stated, ...I know that I talked to the brother and some of the other family. But we're here to continue to listen, because we're here. We want to stand with you. We want to figure out ways that you also feel in a situation. We want to work to ensure that that we value our human life that we do not dehumanise others.

During the hour-and-a-half-long meeting at City Hall between Harrell and members of the South Asian immigrant community, approximately 20 supporters came together to address Jaahnavi Kandula's tragic passing away and the way the case has been managed since. These participants conveyed their worries and called for responsibility and transparency in relation to the incident.

Community leaders said during the discussion, Harrell was attentive and displayed empathy.

In addition to the meeting, over 100 individuals from the community organised a rally at the location where Kandula was tragically struck. Holding placards bearing slogans like "Jaahnavi had more value than SPD" and Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops, the demonstrators voiced their demand for justice on behalf of the victim and called for comprehensive reforms in police training and recruitment.

Simultaneously, Northeastern University, where Kandula was pursuing her studies, made the decision to posthumously confer her degree and present it to her family.

Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student enrolled at Northeastern University in Seattle, was struck by Officer Kevin Dave while crossing a street. Dave was travelling at a speed exceeding 119 kilometres per hour, responding to an overdose call at the time. The subsequent unveiling of bodycam footage exposed another officer, Daniel Auderer, who was seen laughing and making inappropriate remarks regarding the student's death.

Auderer, in his explanation, chuckled at the absurdity of how such incidents were being handled in legal proceedings and the surreal nature of witnessing the unfolding of these events.

(With inputs from PTI)

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President Joe Biden derided the Houses impeachment probe against him, responding with sarcasm when asked about the inquiry launched by Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week. US President Joe Biden (AFP)

Lots of luck, Biden said Sunday at the White House in response to a reporters question.

McCarthy initiated the probe saying Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into the president. The formal inquiry is expected to focus on seeking to implicate the president in his son Hunter Bidens overseas business affairs, though the full scope of the investigation isnt clear.

Biden has denied GOP allegations, saying in August that he never talked business with his sons business associates. Last week, he scoffed at the move propelled by hard-line Republicans, saying that best I can tell, they want to impeach me because they want to shut down the government.

McCarthy has toed the line trying to please far-right conservatives who have threatened to remove him as speaker if their demands arent met. The House ha passed only one of 12 bills that are typically used to fund the government, raising a serious possibility of a partial federal government shutdown after the fiscal ends on Sept. 30.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up his visit to Russia on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, leaving the far eastern region of the country on his armoured train. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, is greeted by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.(AP)

The Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kim's departure, and said a "departure ceremony" was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station. The TASS news agency said that Kim's train was headed around 250 kilometres towards the border.
Shortly after being released from custody in the Master Plan case by a Lahore court, the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pervaiz Elahi, was re-arrested in a terrorism case on Sunday, ARY News reported. Elahi has been imprisoned and arrested numerous times since the May 9 riots took place.(X)

After being detained by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) yesterday, Elahi was brought before the on-duty court magistrate today.

Elahi will be transported from Lahore to Adiala jail in the evening, according to sources, as per ARY News.

Pervaiz Elahi was arrested on Saturday by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab, a day after the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case's ATC had granted him bail. Soon after being released from Adiala prison, the ACE team re-arrested the former chief minister of Punjab.

Elahi was brought in front of the courthouse for temporary remand. After hearing the case, duty judge Shahrukh Arjumand approved Elahi's one-day transit remand. According to officials, Pervaiz Elahi would be transported to the ACE headquarters in Lahore by nightfall.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) held a hearing on Friday and granted bail to Elahi in a judicial complex attack case.

The former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi was granted bail by ATC judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain in exchange for a surety bond of (PKR) 20,000 when the PTI president was brought before his court.

On September 1, after the LHC had prevented the police from arresting him earlier that day, the PTI leader was taken into custody a few hours after being released from NAB detention.

It is important to note that Elahi has been imprisoned and arrested numerous times since the May 9 riots took place.

After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former prime minister Imran Khan was taken into custody on May 9 at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), violent confrontations broke out throughout Pakistan.

Due to the party workers' agitation over the detention of their chairman, rallies were held in both remote and populous towns, and Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad called in the armed forces to maintain peace and order. During a demonstration by PTI activists, army installations and the house of the corps commander in Lahore came under attack.
A Picasso masterpiece entitled Femme a` la montre is expected to fetch more than $120 million when it goes up for auction this auction. The 1932 oil painting, measuring 51 1/4* 38 inches depicts Picasso's golden muse Marie-Therese Walter, who is featured in many of his famous portraits. The painting will be the main at the two-day event at Sotheby's in New York in November when the collection of the late Emily Fisher Landau goes on sale.

Picassos Femme a la Montre is a masterpiece by every measure. Painted in 1932Picassos annus mirabilisit is full of joyful, passionate abandon yet at the same time it is utterly considered and resolved. Its bold primary colors sing from the five-foot-tall-canvas, said Julian Dawes, Sotheby's head of Impressionist & Modern Art for the Americas in a statement.

The painting will be the main at the two-day event at Sotheby's in New York in November when the collection of the late Emily Fisher Landau goes on sale. It is part of Emily's collection of 120 paintings. She was a world-famous contemporary art collector who died earlier this year at the age of 102.

The collection also has works by Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning and Georgia O'Keeffe, and is expected to sell or more than $400 million.

The portrait is from one of the most prominent times of the artist's career and was the subject of an entire exhibition organised by Musee Picasso in Paris and London's Tate Modern in 2018.

The story behind the painting

Picasso first met Marie in the year 1927 in Paris when she was just 17 years old and the painter was still married to his first wife Olga Khokhlova, a Russian-Ukrainian ballet dancer.

Marie went on to become the inspiration for the artist's most sought-after creations.

As time went on, Picasso was more and more infatuated with his muse, so much so it ended his marriage. While Picasso died in 1973, Marie died in 1977.

According to Sothebys, the sense of release from keeping secrets about his affair seem to have spilled out onto this extraordinary canvas, in which he gives full painterly rein to new-found freedoms, drenching the painting in strong primary colors and beautiful forms, while at the same time paying careful attention to every small detail, creating a composition that is both intensely complex and deeply harmonious.

Other works of Picasso inspired by Maire

Picasso's most curious painting of Walter, in which she appears as a tentacled sea monster was sold last year for $67.5% million at Sotheby's.

His other 1932 works namely, Femme assise pres dune fenetre (Marie-Therese), sold for $103.41 million in 2021, and Nude, Green Leaves and Bust, sold for $106.5 million in 2010.
Canada will contribute C$33 million ($24.5 million) to a British-led partnership that is buying air defense equipment for Ukraine to help it fend off Russian missile and drone attacks, Defence Minister Bill Blair said on Sunday. Russia-Ukraine War: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a press conference.(AFP)

In a statement, Blair said the contribution was part of the C$500 million worth of military aid for Kyiv that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in June.

Canada, home to one of the world's largest Ukrainian diasporas, is a vocal supporter of Kyiv. Since Russia invaded in February 2022, Ottawa has committed over C$8 billion in aid, including around C$1.8 billion in military assistance.

The partnership, which also includes the United States, the Netherlands and Denmark, aims to buy hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles and associated systems.

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Russia and Ukraine will square off before the International Court of Justice on Monday in a case that centres around claims by Moscow that its invasion of Ukraine was done to prevent genocide. Russia-Ukraine War: Firefighters work to extinguish fire at a warehouse destroyed in shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk.(Reuters)

Ukraine brought the case to the United Nations' highest court just days after the Russian invasion on Feb. 24 last year. Kyiv argues Russia is abusing international law by saying the invasion was justified to prevent an alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine.

Russian officials continue to accuse Ukraine of committing genocide.

Russia wants the case to be thrown out and objects to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The hearings, set to run until Sept. 27, will not delve into the merits of the case and are instead focused on legal arguments about jurisdiction.

Moscow says Ukraine is using the case as a roundabout way to get a ruling on the overall legality of its military action.

Ukraine has already cleared one hurdle as the court decided in its favour in a preliminary decision in the case in March last year. Based on that, the court ordered Russia to cease military actions in Ukraine immediately.

In the hearings the court will also hear from 32 other states, all supporting Ukraine's argument that the court has jurisdiction to move the case forward.

"It is looking fairly positive for the court to find it has jurisdiction," Juliette McIntyre, a law lecturer at the University of South Australia and ICJ watcher, said.

While Russia has so far ignored the ICJ's orders to stop its military actions and the court has no way of enforcing its decisions, experts say an eventual ruling in favour of Ukraine could be important for any future reparations claims.

"If the court finds there was no lawful justification under the Genocide Convention for Russia's acts, the decision can set up a future claim for compensation," McIntyre said.

The United Nations' 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as crimes committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.Rea

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On September 17, the terrorist state of Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine, mainly targeting the south of the Odesa region. Explosions were heard there in the morning. An agricultural enterprise was hit and no casualties were reported.

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The air alert in the region was on from half past four on Sunday. The threat was reported by the head of the Regional Military Administration Oleh Kiper on his Telegram channel (scroll down to the end to see the photo).

"Residents of the Odesa region, there is still a missile threat to our region. Please stay in shelters! Take care of yourself and your loved ones," the official said.

The Ukrainian Air Force reports that Russia launched a combined attack on Ukraine overnight, using air-launched cruise missiles and attack UAVs.

A total of 16 targets were recorded: six Shahed-136/131 drones and 10 X-101/X-555/X-55 missiles. The aggressor directed them mainly to the south of the Odesa region.

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The defenders of the sky shot down 12 targets: six drones and six missiles. At the same time, missiles hit the territory of a civilian agricultural enterprise in the Odesa region. Rescuers were working at the site.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army South and head of the Public Council at the Odesa Regional Military Administration, said that the enemy used complex maneuvering tactics when launching X-101/X-555 cruise missiles. However, the air defense forces were working with maximum concentration. In particular, two Russian kamikaze drones and five missiles were shot down by the defenders of the sky over the Odesa region.

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According to Oleh Kiper, the head of the RMA, infrastructure was damaged in the Bereziv district. Russian terrorists damaged agricultural infrastructure there, including farmland and a grain storage facility. Fortunately, there were no casualties. All relevant services were working to eliminate the consequences of the attack.

As OBOZREVATEL reported, on the night of September 8, the Russian occupation forces launched 20 kamikaze attack drones towards the Odesa region. The defenders of the Ukrainian sky shot down 16 Shaheds.

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Only verified information on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Russia said it thwarted a coordinated Ukrainian attack on Crimea early on Sunday, while drones also targeted Moscow, disrupting air traffic in the capital, and caused a fire at an oil depot in the southwest of the country. Russia-Ukraine War: View of a damaged Russian ship following a Ukrainian missile attack on Sevastopol, Crimea.(Reuters)

Ukraine in recent days has launched a series of strikes on Russian military targets in occupied Crimea and the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet's facilities, seeking to undermine Moscow's war efforts in the critical region.

Attacks deep inside Russia, far from the front lines, have also increased, with Moscow's mayor saying at least two drones were shot down in the capital region early on Sunday.

Reuters could not independently verify Sunday's reports and there were no immediate comment from Kyiv.

In an opinion piece late on Saturday, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's Security Council, urged Kyiv's allies to speed up the delivery of weapons, saying this was the only way to end the war.

"For example, the complete or partial elimination of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is a doable task, should significantly accelerate the process of Russia's search for a way out of the ongoing war," Danilov wrote on the Ukrainska Pravda news site.

Russian air defence systems destroyed at least six drones targeting Crimea from different directions, Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday.

The report on the Telegram messaging app did not say whether there was any damage or casualties in the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in a broadly condemned move in 2014, eight years before Moscow's full-fledged invasion.

In the Moscow region, a drone was destroyed over the Istra district and another over the Ramensky district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram, adding there were no casualties or damage from drone debris.

At least 30 flights were delayed and six cancelled at Moscow's major airports, Russian state news agencies said - a frequent move by aviation authorities during drone strikes.

In southwestern Russia, a Ukrainian drone damaged an oil depot early on Sunday, sparking a fire at a fuel tank that was later extinguished, the regional governor said.

"There are no casualties, all emergency services are working on the territory of the facility," the governor of the Oryol region, Andrei Klychkov, said on Telegram.

He did not specify whether the depot was hit by debris or targeted by the drone.

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New York employers will have to disclose proposed pay rates in the help-wanted advertisements as a statewide salary transparency law goes into effect with the aim to give women and people of color a way to advocate for equal pay for equal work. The rule, as per which salary ranges for any job advertised externally to the public or internally to workers interested in a promotion or transfer should be disclosed, will apply to employers with at least four workers. A help-wanted sign is posted in a storefront in New York. (AP)

The new law aims to promote pay transparency that will prevent employers from offering some job candidates less or more money based on age, gender, race or factors other than their skills. The rule will also be useful for underpaid workers in making them realize that they make less than people doing the same job. Similar pay transparency ordinance has been in effect in New York City since 2022. States like California and Colorado also have the same law in place.

Read more: 14 killed after aircraft carrying US tourists crashes in Brazil

There is a trend, not just in legislatures but among workers, to know how much they can expect going into a job. Theres a demand from workers to know of the pay range, Da Hae Kim, a state policy senior counsel at the National Women's Law Center, told Associated Press.

Frank Kerbein, director of human resources at the New York Business Council, said that compliance will be a challenge.

We have small employers who dont even know about the law," Frank Kerbein said adding that there could be a lot of unintentional noncompliance.

State Senator Jessica Ramos appreciated the new law saying that it is a win for labor rights groups.

This is something that, organically, workers are asking for. Particularly with young people entering the workforce, theyll have a greater understanding about how their work is valued," she said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail
During former President Donald Trump's appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, an unexpected trend emerged as some individuals called for a boycott of the long-running show. The episode was intended to be the debut of Kristen Welker as the new host, but it generated social media discussions as progressives, liberals, and Democrats expressed their concerns over Trump's presence on the popular Sunday news program. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks on the stage at a South Dakota Republican party rally in Rapid City,(REUTERS)

The backlash against the interview was palpable, with thousands of furious messages flooding social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Many criticized the decision to give Trump a "soapbox" on Meet the Press, and the controversy only escalated with each new clip released by NBC News.

One of the key moments of the interview was when Trump made a series of questionable statements. Here are some points from the interview where the former president flubbed numbers, misstated facts, or omitted critical context.

Immigration numbers: Trump claimed that "millions of illegal immigrants" would enter the U.S. by the end of the year, but there's no evidence to support this figure.

Terrorists at the border: He also alleged a surge in terrorists crossing the southern border, but in fact, there were more such encounters in 2019 during his presidency.

False claims on equipment to the Taliban: Trump wrongly stated that the U.S. gave $85 billion worth of equipment to the Taliban during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The actual estimate was around $7.1 billion.

Misleading on Jan. 6 sentences: Trump asserted that individuals who never entered the Capitol on January 6 received long sentences. However, some of those with the longest sentences were convicted of seditious conspiracy, not just for entering the Capitol.

Repeated claims of rigged election: Despite extensive evidence to the contrary, Trump persistently claimed that the 2020 election was "rigged." His numerous lawsuits attempting to overturn the results were unsuccessful.

Exaggeration on food prices: Trump exaggerated the increase in food prices, particularly bacon, claiming it was up "five times." In reality, the price increase was significantly lower.

Inaccurate on tax cuts and revenue: Trump stated that his tax cuts generated more revenue, which contradicts independent studies and projections showing increased deficits.

Blaming COVID-19 for deficits: Trump attempted to blame the increase in national debt solely on COVID-19, ignoring the fact that the debt rose annually during his presidency, even before the pandemic.

Misrepresentation of Democrats on abortion: Trump falsely claimed that Democrats support infanticide, an assertion without basis in reality.

Exaggerated border wall claims: Trump stated he built "almost 500 miles" of border wall, but the majority of it replaced existing barriers rather than creating entirely new walls.

Media coverage of Ukraine: Trump inaccurately accused the media of ignoring the Ukraine war, despite extensive reporting by major news networks, including NBC.

The interview reflected the ongoing divisions in American politics, with Trump's appearance on Meet the Press triggering mixed reactions from various political quarters. As the nation faces complex challenges, fact-checking and objective reporting remain essential tools for ensuring a well-informed electorate. Additionally, NBC News has extended an invitation to President Joe Biden for an interview.
The United States' highest-ranking military officer said Sunday that while Ukraine's counteroffensive has not "failed," the country's broader goal of ousting Russian forces from its territory faces a "very high bar." Milley said some $40 billion in weapons and $100 billion in overall aid was "extraordinarily generous."(AP)

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also defended US weapons assistance being sent to Kyiv, saying Washington is doing its best and cannot just boost Ukraine's battlefield power by sprinkling "magic dust."

Milley said that while the current counteroffensive by Ukraine was "slower than the planners had anticipated, it has been steady."

"I know there's some commentary out there that somehow this offensive has failed. It hasn't failed," Milley said, adding that Ukraine has "a lot of combat power remaining. The Ukrainians are not a spent force."

However, when it comes to the likelihood of achieving more ambitious goals such as reaching the southern coast and recapturing the city of Mariupol, Milley said he didn't want to "make a prediction."

He said that the overall strategy of liberating all Ukrainian territory from occupation and managing to "completely kick out all the Russians" is "going to be a very significant effort."

"It'll take a considerable length of time to militarily eject all 200,000 or plus Russian troops out of Russian-occupied Ukraine. That's a very high bar. It's going to take a long time to do it."

Milley defended the rate at which the US has been providing weapons and other aid to Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022.

Despite criticism -- including from inside Ukraine -- that the US government is dragging its feet, Milley said some $40 billion in weapons and $100 billion in overall aid was "extraordinarily generous."

The speed of deliveries, however, is governed by logistics and how fast they can absorb it. So, it's not just, sprinkle magic dust and the stuff starts showing up.
Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy called the H-1B visa programme indentured servitude, vowing to gut the lottery-based system and replace it with meritocratic admission if he wins the race to the White House next year. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations which require theoretical or technical expertise. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's fall banquet.(AP)

Vivek Ramaswamy himself has used the visa programme 29 times as from 2018 through 2023, US Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 29 applications for his former company, Roivant Sciences, to hire employees under H-1B visas.

Vivek Ramaswamy said that the H-1B system is bad for everyone involved", as per 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.

The people who come as family members are not the meritocratic immigrants who make skills-based contributions to this country," he continued.

Vivek 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.

On mismatch between Republican presidential hopefuls policy stance and his past business practices, his 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," explaining, Vivek believes that regulations overseeing the U.S. energy sector are badly broken, but he still uses water and electricity. This is the same.

Earlier, Vivek Ramaswamy had said during his opening remarks at the first Republican debate in Milwaukee, My parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago. I have gone on to found multi-billion-dollar companies.

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Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech executive-turned-presidential hopeful, has made a name for himself with his outspoken and controversial policy proposals. Former president Donald Trump, 77, has lavished praise on the 38-year-old Indian-American presidential contender, calling him a "smart, young guy" days after he caught the attention of the American media following his maiden Republican presidential primary debate on August 23. Former biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the first Republican candidates' debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 23, 2023.(Reuters)

Ramaswamy presents himself as a confident and charismatic entrepreneur who thrives on conflict. However, insight from some of his former employees, as per a Business Insider report, paints a different picture of his personality and management style.

Behind closed doors, some of his former employees describe him as neurotic, mercurial, and paranoid, with an entitled edge. A person who worked closely with Ramaswamy said the Republican believes people are meant to serve him, despite his campaign trail persona of being down-to-earth, according to the report.

While Ramaswamy portrays himself as the child of penniless immigrants who worked hard to succeed, his upbringing was relatively affluent, the report said. His parents held stable and well-paying jobs, and he attended prestigious schools. Despite later defending receiving a fellowship for Yale Law School due to financial constraints, he earned substantial income while applying for the fellowship, raising questions about his claims.

Ramaswamy's management style, according to former employees, is marked by quirks such as an obsession with office temperature. He insists on the office thermostat being set to 64 degrees or below, making workspaces uncomfortably cold.

"Yes, Vivek likes it chilly," Business Insider quoted campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.

Ramaswamy hired former Army Rangers for personal security, citing safety concerns and death threats. These security personnel would even ensure the temperature of his hotel rooms met his standards before his arrival.

Despite these allegations, Ramaswamy's campaign disputes the characterization of him as entitled and demanding. They emphasize his work ethic, stating that he works around 18 hours a day and is respectful of others.

Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley are two Indian Americans seeking to be the GOP presidential nominee. The race is currently being led by Trump who is far ahead of others.

Read full Business Insider report here

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Kim Jong Un received five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor on his visit to Russia. This was the North Korean leader's first official visit abroad since the coronavirus pandemic. During the last day, the leader met Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system. The "leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a 'Geran-25' reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff", state news agency TASS reported using the official name of North Korea. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signs a guest book.(AFP)

As per the report, the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, "offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection" and "special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras".

Kim Jong Un's extended tour of Russia began on Tuesday and focused extensively on military matters. Later on Sunday the Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kim Jong Un's departure, and said a "departure ceremony" was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station. Footage showed the North Korean leader waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by natural resources minister Alexander Kozlov.

During the meet, Vladimir Putin talked up the prospect of greater cooperation with North Korea and the "possibilities" for military ties while North Korean news agency KCNA described the atmosphere during Kim's visit as "fervent and warm" and said a "new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation" was opening between North Korea and Russia.

Vladimir Putin also accepted an invitation to visit North Korea and offered to send a North Korean to space, which would be a first.

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In a case that has ignited a debate over due process in campus sexual assault hearings, Saifullah Khan, a former Yale University student, is challenging the way universities across the United States handle allegations of sexual misconduct. His story is one of two hearings, two outcomes, and a defamation lawsuit that could reshape Title IX procedures. FILE - Harkness Tower on the campus of Yale University, in New Haven, Conn., on Sept. 9, 2016. In a decision that could have national implications on how colleges investigate sexual assault allegations, Connecticut's highest court ruled on Friday, June 23, 2023, that a former Yale student is not immune from a defamation lawsuit by a fellow student who was exonerated after she accused him of rape. (AP)

Khan's found himself accused of rape following a Halloween party in 2018. At Yale, his accuser gave a statement via teleconference to a university panel. Notably, Khan and his lawyer were not allowed in the room with the panel, nor could they cross-examine her. Instead, they were confined to a separate room, receiving her testimony through a speakerphone. Khan was subsequently expelled.

However, Khan's criminal trial had a different outcome. His lawyer cross-examined the accuser, raising questions about her attire, alcohol consumption, and text messages. After just three hours of deliberation, Khan was acquitted.

The discrepancy between the two hearings prompted Khan to sue his accuser for defamation, challenging the way universities handle sexual assault cases. Such a lawsuit would typically face significant hurdles due to absolute immunity granted to witnesses in quasi-judicial hearings in many states. However, the Connecticut Supreme Court's June ruling allowed Khan's defamation lawsuit to proceed, stating that the Yale hearing lacked due process, including the ability to cross-examine witnesses.

The decision only applies within Connecticut but has sent shockwaves through universities nationwide. College officials are now reconsidering their disciplinary hearing processes, fearing potential defamation lawsuits against witnesses.

The case has intensified an ongoing debate over how colleges handle sexual assault allegations on campus, balancing fairness for both parties. Title IX, the federal education law governing such cases, has seen shifting guidelines under different administrations.

The Obama-era guidance discouraged cross-examination, while the Trump administration mandated it. The Biden administration is expected to revise Title IX, potentially returning to the Obama-era approach, which makes cross-examination optional.

However, the threat of defamation lawsuits like Khan's could dissuade sexual assault survivors from coming forward. They may face the difficult choice of forgoing cross-examination, exposing themselves to defamation claims, or submitting to an interrogation during hearings.

Women's rights advocates argue that cross-examination can be intimidating and retraumatizing for victims. They believe current procedures already provide due-process rights, such as responding to investigator reports and submitting written questions to the hearing panel.

The Connecticut Supreme Court's decision did not address the merits of Khan's defamation case but underscored the belief that colleges may be ill-equipped to handle rape accusations.

While some argue that cross-examination is essential for fairness, others believe it may not be effective at uncovering the truth. Critics say it often rewards those with powerful attorneys and may discourage reporting.

Khan's defamation lawsuit, currently in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, remains uncertain. Legal experts suggest it could run up significant bills and prolong proceedings, potentially deterring others from pursuing such cases. Khan's larger mission, he says, is to abolish campus Title IX hearings, a goal he shares with other students accused of sexual misconduct.
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

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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

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Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said that the world will receive news of new shipwrecks of the Russian navy shortly. Ukraine has entered the phase of active production of naval combat drones and is also testing artificial intelligence systems that will allow it to recognize enemy vessels.

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The words of the Ukrainian minister are reported by Reuters. Fedorov emphasized that there will be more drones and fewer ships for the occupiers.

"In 2023, the production of aerial drones in Ukraine increased more than 100 times compared to last year. And by the end of the year, it will increase 120-140 times," the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation said.

As for the artificial intelligence implemented in maritime drones, it is currently being tested. The goal is to detect surface objects at a distance of several kilometers and launch drones, even if external communication is disrupted by electronic warfare.

As OBOZREVATEL reported, as a result of the attack on the temporarily occupied Sevastopol on September 13, a Russian large Minsk landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don submarine, from which the occupiers launched missiles at Ukraine, were hit at a shipyard.

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On the morning of September 14, the Defense Forces hit the enemy's Vasyl Bykov patrol ships. Both vessels sustained significant damage and are unable to perform their tasks at sea.
After returning from his ideal vacation in Bali, a man contracted a rare autoimmune condition that paralyzed him from the face down.

Tom Pegg, a 23-year-old real estate agent originally from Cheshire, England, returned to Dubai in June with an upset stomach. It is believed to be a frequent ailment among tourists returning from the island.

According to the Independent, his condition deteriorated over the following five days, first causing swelling around his eye and then his throat. He sought medical attention, and the attending physician injected him with antihistamines due to his history of allergic reactions.

In an interview, Pegg's sister, a beauty therapist in Cheshire, claimed the news was terrifying and that she had never heard of the disease before. "My brother is a very charismatic, charming, laid-back guy. He's gone from being a fit, healthy, fun-loving guy to being frail- he looks like a little boy. It's such a horrendous disease that happens so quickly and out of the blue, it's put my brother's life on hold," her sister stated.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

The uncommon condition Guillain-Barre, which causes the body to attack itself and shut down, was identified when Pegg was readmitted to Al Qaassimi Hospital in Dubai.

Reportedly, Pegg has a very bad form of the disease, and it has paralyzed him completely from the neck down. It is unclear how long it will take for him to regain his mobility and begin walking again.

In most cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, the autoimmune response to an infection causes the immune system to target the nervous system rather than the invading pathogens mistakenly. Most individuals get well within a year, but one in five will have long-term issues, and it may be fatal, according to the NHS website.

Pegg's father and sister traveled out to be with him during his five days in an induced coma. His mother could not go with them since she is undergoing stage three breast cancer treatment and is too weak to fly.

The Pegg family has contributed almost 100,000 (about $124,000) so that he may return home to get medical care at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

See Also: India Rushes To Contain Deadly Nipah Virus After Confirmed Cases Rise

Progressive Improvement

Pegg is taking things easy as he begins the laborious process of relearning how to walk and communicate. No one can predict how much longer he will remain hospitalized. He has already been there for nine weeks.

He reported a favorable response to plasma exchange therapy, in which the patient's blood is filtered to eliminate dangerous antibodies harming the nerves. He now has use of his limbs, too. His eyesight, which had been briefly impaired, has now returned.

Pegg uprooted his life in Cheshire and headed for the sunshine of Dubai back in January.

See Also: New Study Brings MDMA Closer to FDA Approval for Use in PTSD Treatment

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The Biden administration is cracking down on health insurance companies that violate federal legislation mandating that they cover mental health treatment at par with other types of care. The government has proposed new regulations that, it claims, would ensure compliance on the part of insurers or face steep penalties.

The insurance industry is claiming innocence and has the support of some of America's largest corporations in their argument that the Biden administration's proposal might make a difficult situation much tougher to solve.

Health Insurers Under Scrutiny

The fight comes at an all-time high for the United States demand for mental health treatment, which has been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic and shows no signs of slowing.

Neera Tanden, chairman of President Joe Biden's domestic policy council, told POLITICO, "We always hope for collaboration, but the rule has sticks as well. We hope insurers will change their behavior going forward without the sticks, but we will continue to fully enforce the parity law."

One of the sticks is a daily fee of $100 per policyholder if insurance companies do not plug the loopholes allegedly being used to reduce the amount they pay for mental health services. The government claims that these strategies include mandating prior clearance from insurers before providing treatment, paying providers less for mental health services, and restricting patients' access to sufficient doctors inside their insurance networks.

Insurance firms argue that Biden is unfairly blaming them and that they are making significant progress using tools like telemedicine to improve patient's access to treatment, broaden their choice of providers, and raise their reimbursement rates. Additionally, they are working to encompass mental health into primary care better.

According to insurers, there is a critical shortage of trained professionals in the field of mental health. KFF health policy researchers estimate that almost half of all Americans reside in regions that are severely understaffed in the field of mental health.

The White House, however, cites a 2022 report to Congress from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, which concluded that not a single one of the 156 insurance plans and issuers examined had been measuring their compliance with the 2008 legislation as required.

See Also: Biden Admin Accused of Persuading Socmed Giants to Violate Free Speech

Anxiety, Depression During COVID Era

Anxieties about the illness and the social isolation of government lockdowns aggravated preexisting mental health issues and drug use disorders, propelling the issue to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.

KFF found that over a third of respondents reported experiencing anxiety or depression during the COVID outbreak and that 90% of US citizens believe the country is in the midst of a mental health crisis.

According to the latest current statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rate reached a record high of 14.1 per 100,000 persons in 2021.

However, there has been a delay in getting necessary medical attention. According to the most recent statistics from HHS, more than half of individuals with mental illness are not treated.

See Also: 'How Are You?' Ukraine's First Lady Leads Country's Mental Health Front

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The U.K. gonorrhea cases hit record high. Because of this, the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a warning.

Here's what the health agency suggested to young people, especially college students.

UKHSA Issues Warning as Gonorrhoea Cases in UK Hit Record Levels

According to the Independent UK's latest report, gonorrhea is one of the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that concern the United Kingdom.

This is because gonorrhea cases in the U.K. reached over 82,500 in 2022, a 50% increase compared to the record in 2021.

Based on statistics, there are more than 400 gonorrhea diagnoses each day in the United Kingdom. Individuals who have this disease are usually between 15 to 24 years old.

Health experts said that STIs can be treated with antibiotics in most cases. However, if these diseases are left untreated, patients can suffer serious health issues.

"It is very important to be aware of the risks of catching STIs from condomless sex," stated UKHSA sexually transmitted diseases head Dr. Katy Sinka.

She added that STIs could have serious consequences. Luckily, there are things people can do to reduce their chances of contracting these sexually transmitted diseases.

Dr. Katy said that college students entering universities for the first time or returning can get tested before they start being sexually active.

She encouraged young people to use condoms since these contraceptives are the best defense against STIs.

"If you didn't use one the last time you had sex with a new or casual partner please do get tested even if you are not showing any symptoms, it's free and confidential," explained Sinka.

Read Also: Golden Cancer Killers: Medical Researchers Develop Gold Particles Designed to Kill Tumors

About Gonorrhea

Sexual Health London explained that gonorrhea is caused by the bacteria called Neisseria. Usually, people who contract this disease are under 25 years old.

Gonorrhea can infect the urethra, the rectum, the cervix, and even the eyes and throat. Men and women who are infected by gonorrhea experience the following symptoms:

Males

Swelling of the foreskin/head of penis.

Pain or tenderness in the testicles.

Pain in the urethra or a burning sensation when urinating.

A white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis.

Females

Heavier periods and bleeding after sex.Pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area.

Pain during sex.

Bleeding between periods.

An unusual vaginal discharge may be thin or watery and green or yellow in color.

Pain or a burning sensation when passing urine.

Related Article: Tennessee: Flu-Like Symptoms Lead To Teen's Amputations; What to Know About This Rare Bacterial Infection

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A United Nations committee has agreed to designate the archaeological finds surrounding the ancient city of Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine, which has infuriated some Israeli authorities.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) oversees the World Heritage Committee.

In 2019, Israel resigned from UNESCO due to what it saw as the organization's anti-Israel bias, EuroNews said. Jericho is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited towns and one of the most populous places in the West Bank.

'Ancient Jericho' / Tell Es-Sultan

The remains outside the city, known as Tell es-Sultan or "Ancient Jericho," were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site after a referendum. As a place of religious significance to Jews and Christians alike, the organization stressed that Jericho was excluded from the scope of their proclamation. The ancient monument is instead acknowledged.

According to ABC News, an official from UNESCO stated during the talk, "Later historical developments, which span over millennia and are demonstrated by material remains beyond the boundaries of Tell as-Sultan, constitute a rich cultural context, worth of historical interest and preservation, covering among others, Jewish and Christian heritage. However, this is not the focus of the proposed nomination."

The Book of Joshua details Israel's conquest of Jericho and is the biblical source for the city's prominence.

Israeli legislator Dan Illouz opposed the proposal on the eve of the weekend vote. He stated, "Jericho is first and foremost a city of Biblical significance. Blurring this fact is an insult to the millions of Jews and Christians all over the world."

See Also: Venice and Its Lagoon Avoid Inclusion on UNESCO List of Heritage Sites in Danger

US Position Towards UNESCO

According to Fox News, there have been accusations that UNESCO is a haven for anti-Israel prejudice, with the organization being singled out for criticism of Israel's occupation of east Jerusalem, the designation of historic Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites, and the admission of Palestine as a full member in 2011.

After Israel's charges of prejudice were heard, the Trump administration decided to leave UNESCO in 2019 as well. Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that UNESCO was among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies.

Nevertheless, early this year, the Biden administration sent signals that it was interested in rejoining UNESCO.

According to a June statement from a State Department spokesperson, the Biden administration is unanimous in its belief that the US must be engaged and active on the global stage wherever its interests may be preserved and promoted.

Those interests include, according to the representative, a focus on educating the public about the Holocaust, ensuring the safety of journalists, preserving cultural artifacts, protecting press freedom, and establishing best practices for developing technology.

See Also: The World's Safest, Least Expensive Countries to Live and Work

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The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) to collaborate in the area of conformity assessment and accreditation and develop sustainable solutions for the petrochemical and chemical industry in the GCC region that will contribute to establishing a robust quality infrastructure.

The MoU will establish a framework that aims to improve the efficiency of conformity assessment processes in the region and ensure that chemical and petrochemical products and processes meet specified standards and regulations.

Additionally, it is aimed at streamlining accreditation procedures, fostering conformity across various certification activities, and establishing a robust quality infrastructure within the GCC region.

Recognising the critical importance of environmental preservation, the MoU highlights a shared commitment by both GPCA and GAC to combatting plastic waste.

The agreement will involve the adoption of an efficient plastic pellets, flakes and powder management scheme to address plastic material leakage and safeguard marine environments and marine wealth regionally and globally, underlying GPCA members commitment to the Operation Clean Sweep program and foster a sustainable and circular plastic economy.

Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: I welcome this valuable partnership with the Gulf Accreditation Center which marks a significant milestone in the history of the regions chemical and petrochemical industry, underlying its commitment to accountability, transparency and compliance. Together we will collaborate closely on raising the bar and welcoming a new era in conformity assessment and accreditation across the industry in the region.

Moteb Al-Mezani, Director General of GAC, commented "We are thrilled to support the initiatives of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) and contribute with GAC internationally recognised accreditation services to achieve the goals of this Memorandum of Understanding that reflects our joint dedication to fostering excellence and sustainability in the chemical and petrochemical industry within the GCC region. Together, we will pave the way for a future marked by accountability, transparency, and compliance, ensuring that our industry meets the highest standards and contributes to a cleaner, more environmentally responsible world."-- OGN/TradeArabia News Service
Biodiversity Research Institute Attempts to Revitalize Loon Population

DALTON, Mass.  The Biodiversity Research Institute is attempting to revitalize the loon population in Massachusetts.

Earlier this season, the institute deployed rearing pens at Windsor Reservoir with the goal to translocate a total of nine to 15 male chicks this season.

The institute, based in Portland, Maine, works internationally to assess threats to wildlife and ecosystems and conducts research to inform policy decisions. It collaborates with a range of public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Its loon research program began in 2013 with the goal of strengthening and restoring the birds' population and developing protocols that can be replicated elsewhere.

The institute's rearing program puts more chicks and adult loons into the system so that they come back to specific areas to breed. They do this in two ways, by pen rearing and direct release, Loon Project Director Lucas Savoy said.

When pen rearing, the researchers survey areas where the loon population is strong and determine which pairs have more than one chick.

Once that is determined, they will return to the site after dark and retrieve one of the chicks. They will then have it evaluated by a wildlife veterinarian in the area to make sure it can travel.

Prior to the trip, the research team will give the chick fluids so it doesn't get dehydrated and should arrive at the pen by 4:30 or 5 a.m.

The Windsor Reservoir site has three pens that hold a single loon chick at a time. The chicks will remain in the pen for about three weeks while being cared for by the research team. The Windsor Reservoir team has a crew of five.

Other captive programs and zoos showed that adult loons do not tolerate being in captivity. They become highly stressed and can develop a fungal and respiratory disease called aspergillosis that can lead to death.

The institute will collect blood samples when they bring the chick to the pen and again upon release to test for stress hormones or abnormalities in blood panels.

Their research shows that loon chicks are much more tolerant to captive settings than adults and are not showing as much signs of stress since they are only in captivity for a brief time.

When the institute captures the chick they are between 6 to 14 weeks old and when they are just starting to catch food on their own.

"So, we can bring them to the pen. We can release minnows in their pen and are able to catch their own fish and they don't get nearly as stressed," Savoy said.

During the direct release process, the research team will visit lakes where the loon chick population is strong and catch chicks that are at least 9 weeks old but are still with their parents.

"So, those birds don't need to go to the pen at all. They're completely independent. They're still with their parents, but they can catch their own food," Savoy said.

"They're harder to catch, but we do catch them in Maine, and then they're driven to Massachusetts and just let go in the lakes that night."

Once the loons fledge in the freshwater lakes, they will migrate to the ocean where they will remain for approximately two to five years. Only 50 percent of the loons make it back to the lakes to breed.

The institute released 48 loon chicks in eastern Mass over the course of 2016 through 2017 and out of those 48, they have observed 24 coming back to those lakes.

"When we started doing this in 2015 in the eastern part of the state, we're now starting to see those birds come back as 5, 6, or 7-year-olds, coming back to eastern Mass and starting to form pairs and breed," Savoy said.

"The program is doing very well. We won't know the success of the Berkshires, like I said for a few more years because we just started moving chicks there last year in 2022 but given our success in the eastern part of the state we don't see any reason why it shouldn't do well in the western part of the state too."

A loon can live upwards of 30 to 35 years.

Having loon chicks in an area enhances the water system and fisheries because they eat fish or crayfish that are easy to catch.

They will typically eat the warmer water fish, like perch and sunfish, rather than the colder water fish like trout and salmon, Savoy said.

"They will eat trout and salmon for sure, don't get me wrong, if they can catch them they will but typically the warmer fish or the slower fish are easy to catch," he said.

They are also eating the fish that are surviving but have some issues, whether its form a disease or malfunctions.

"They're kind of culling off some of those fish that are maybe compromised a bit and loons typically are found on some of the most prestigious fisheries throughout New England. So, loons are known to not impact local fisheries; they actually can enhance them," Savoy said.

The state had lots of loons in the late 1800s but they were wiped out by the 1900s because of hunting.

"Loons just take forever to come back on their own. They don't disperse well, so when they do come back to an area they don't expand very quickly on their own," Savoy said.

Although loons could still be seen in the area it became a rarity  the population was struggling.

There are only 50 pairs of loons condensed in the central part of the state, Savoy said.

Unpaired loons could still be seen in the eastern part of the state, indicating that the habitat was still viable, however there were not enough of them to form pairs on their own.

"On the eastern part of the state there were not any pairs at all of loons, but we would see adult loons there that were unpaired, so we knew that the population was trying," Savoy said

"... at least in the eastern part of the state, we knew that habitat was good. It is attracting loons, it's just not attracting enough loons to jumpstart a population."

The western part of the state is a little more advanced, Savoy said. Not only did the area have some single loons, it also had two existing pairs that were producing young on their own.

But loon pairs do not hatch chicks consistently every year.

"They might go two or three years without fledging a chick and then they might fledge a chick and then that chick has a 50 percent chance survival rate of coming back as an adult," Savoy said.

"So there just wasn't enough chicks being hatched in the western part of the state to kind of formulate that population."

To prevent history from repeating itself, the common loon is currently listed as a "Special Concern" under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act so there is a severe penalty if someone is caught killing or harming a loon.
The McCann Technical School Committee voted Thursday to award a contract for construction of the new HVAC building.

McCann Tech Awards $2.9M HVAC Building Contract

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  McCann Technical School officials are hoping to get students into the HVAC technician classrooms by February next year.

The School Committee on Thursday night awarded the contract for the 5,800 square-foot building to Salco Construction of Pittsfield, which came in with the low bid of about $2.9 million.

Salco has worked on a range of local construction projects from residential homes to larger enterprises such as the Berkshire Museum renovation and Jiminy Peak. Bradley Architects was the designer.

McCann received a $3,110,000 state Skills Capital Grant last year to implement the new heating, ventilation and air conditioning program. This would include the new building on the school's campus as well as equipment for the program.

The bid came in higher than planned but Superintendent James Brosnan assured the committee the school had enough to cover the increased cost and would look at other grant opportunities for help with equipment.

"I'll look at other grants to come in and help with that piece as we go and we'll get to tier that too because as we start it's not like 100 percent occupied both sides, both shops," he said. "I intend to do an awful lot of work with corporate America on donations of trainers and equipment. I'm comfortable we can go ahead."

Students are taking the program this fall as an exploratory and it will take four years for the program to be filled out. The contract will depend on negotiated timelines as there's a push to get students into the building by this winter.

"It's a little more money than we had originally planned. But the building is a little bit larger than we had planned also. According to Mr. Brosnan, we have the money to do it," said committee member Richard Bernardi.

Committee member David Westall said the higher price was "about spot on" considering the estimates were a year old and the building is nearly 600 square feet larger than anticipated.

"The estimates we put together for the grant that you had to apply for was almost a year ago. An estimate based upon a blank piece of paper with a building that we thought would be about 5,200 to maybe 5,300 square feet," he said. "The building ended up being between 5,800 and 5,900 square feet. It is not wasted space, but needed space for the actual building program and what the architects ended up designing."

Westall said he would have liked a third bidder, but the project only received two bids with the second higher at $3.4 million.

The committee also approved a school improvement plan that was mainly tweaked from last year.

Principal Justin Kratz said there were five goals this year: to implement the standards-based grading and an advisory pgoram that they had been building; reducing the achievement gap; improving student engagement through things like pep rallies and getting the school store reopened; and continuing the school council's community service initiative.

Kratz said one part of addressing the achievement gap is through the student success team, an intervention and support initiative.

"It's a referral process that the teachers, when students are struggling in their classrooms, it requires that the student success team and the teacher goes then to interact to support that student before referral to special education or higher level services are put in place," said Kristin Steiner, director of student services.

Laurie Casna, former superintendent in Central Berkshire Regional, did some professional development training with the team last month to help prepare the team's deployment.

Chair Gary Rivers, the school's former principal, said he was impressed with the improvement plan, saying it could be used as a template for at least the next four or five years.

Kratz said initial enrollment numbers for incoming freshmen was at about 128, Grades 10 and 11 around 140 each and seniors were 111. During the summer, the numbers for incoming students was closer to 140 and so was reduced somewhat because of the difficulties the school has had scheduling the larger classes.

In the past, there had been some trickling out but it isn't happening now, he said. "If we had 140 across all four grades, we'd be dead in the water."

In other business:

The committee closed the books on fiscal 2023 with the transfers to balance accounts and surplus amounts to the excess and deficiency account that now stands at $290,448.22.

The committee approved two amendments to the admissions policy: the third round of applications deadline will be at the end of the school year and a language about having to pass all classes to be accepted will be removed. Kratz said it was difficult to get information from sending schools during the summer and disruptive to let students know where they will be going two weeks before school starts. The latter was being removed as it is not in line with the state guidelines and that students are already being assessed on grades so it was essentially unneeded.

Kratz reported the use of Yondr pouches to lock up cell phones is going well. "We had some lines out here but now we're getting the kids in the building pretty quickly," he said. "They're coming through, they've got their phones out their pouches ready to go."

There have been very few phone sightings in the school and students are also exiting the school quickly in the afternoon to get to their phones, he said.
The impact has been particularly severe in the Al-Haouz Province, a region with a population of approximately 570,000, where the death toll continues to rise as rescue efforts go on in the search for survivors amidst the rubble.

The earthquake shattered villages with houses made of clay and mud brick, reducing them to ruins. Even the historic walls surrounding the old city of Marrakesh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 12th century, did not escape unscathed, with cracks and crumbling sections being visible after the earthquake.

This vibrant city, renowned for its palaces, spice markets, and bustling Jemaa El-Fna Square, felt the tremors reverberate through its very foundations. As law enforcement and aid workers, both local and international, converge on the hardest-hit areas, the affected residents find themselves in dire need of essentials like food, water, and electricity.

Steep mountain roads have been blocked by massive boulders, exacerbating the challenges faced in providing assistance.

The epicentre of the earthquake was located high in the Atlas Mountains around 70 km (44 miles) south of Marrakesh in a region characterised by picturesque red-rock mountains, stunning gorges, and shimmering streams and lakes and having many rural communities.

While last weeks earthquake was one of the most severe ever to strike Morocco, the country has not been free of such catastrophic events in the past.

1755: Great Lisbon Earthquake - On 1 November 1755, the earth convulsed with terrifying force off the coast of Portugal, triggering what would be known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake. Waves of seismic energy radiated through the ground reaching as far as Morocco. The ancient city of Agadir, situated on the Atlantic Coast, felt the wrath of natures fury. As the earth shook violently, buildings crumbled like sandcastles, and the ground beneath peoples feet turned treacherous, trapping them amidst the chaos. The devastation also did not end there, as a colossal tsunami, born from the seismic upheaval, crashed upon the shore further ravaging the already battered city.

1909: Ghomara Douars Earthquake - In the depths of a winters night on 21-22 January 1909, a cataclysm of almost unimaginable force struck the serene landscape near Tetouan. The earth trembled as if its fabric was unravelling before the eyes of the unsuspecting inhabitants. The village of Ghomara Douars five km from Tetouan bore the brunt of natures wrath. The ground convulsed, shattering homes like fragile porcelain and reducing them to fragments. Amidst the ruins, cries of anguish mingled with the mournful wails of a grieving community. The quake claimed the lives of 100 people.

1960: Agadir Earthquake - In the early hours of 29 February 1960, the city of Agadir was jolted awake by a malevolent force. The ground beneath the city rose and fell, and with a magnitude of 5.9, an earthquake unleashed its destructive might upon the unsuspecting city. Once orderly and familiar streets were twisted in a gruesome dance of destruction and reshaped by the horrifying reverberations. Amidst the chaos, the people of Agadir faced an agonising choice: to fight for survival or to surrender to the power of the quake. Tragically, at least 12,000 lives were cruelly snatched away as a result of the earthquake.

2004: Al-Hoceima Earthquake - On 24 February 2004, chaos descended upon the unsuspecting coastal town of Al-Hoceima in northern Morocco. The ground trembled in fury as the tectonic plates clashed in a cataclysmic dance of seismic proportions. With a magnitude of 6.4, the earthquake unleashed its wrath upon the town. Homes and businesses crumbled like porcelain, their foundations shattered and walls reduced to dust in an instant. In the aftermath of this devastating ordeal, at least 628 lives were cruelly claimed.

2016: Al-Hoceima Earthquake - On 25 January 2016, Al-Hoceima became the stage for a seismic spectacle. With a magnitude of 6.3, an earthquake unleashed its raw power upon the city. The ground quivered beneath the feet of its inhabitants, threatening to swallow their hopes and dreams in an instant. Cracks snaked across walls, while fragile facades crumbled under the assault of natures wrath. Tragically, amidst the chaos at least 926 lives were cruelly snatched away.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 September, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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A 45-year-old forest department official was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Indian state of Maharashtra as he was recording a video of a herd that had entered a farm.

The incident happened in the Dongargaon (Halbi) forest in Gadchiroli district, an official release said. The herd entered the farm at 5pm on Saturday and a team of forest officials was sent to the spot to keep a watch.

Sudhakar B Atram, who worked as a driver with the department, parked his vehicle and was recording a video of the herd when an elephant broke away and suddenly charged at him. While others managed to escape, Atram tripped and fell, according to NDTV.

The elephant picked him up and flung him in the air as his colleagues watched in horror.

His team later chased the herd away and retrieved his body from the forest. He died of the multiple injuries he suffered. Atrams body was sent for autopsy and forest officials were investigating the incident.

A report in the Times of India newspaper said the Gadchiroli district was grappling with human-elephant conflict for a while, and the herd had migrated from neighbouring Chhattisgarh in 2021, injuring farmers and ruining crop fields. Last year a villager was trampled to death near the Navegaon National Park.
 Close Hurricane Nigel to rapidly intensify

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Hurricane Nigel has strengthened slightly overnight and is set to intensify further, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Nigel, the sixth hurricane to form in the Atlantic Ocean this season, developed into a Category 1 storm yesterday and was forecast to rapidly intensify to become a Category 3 hurricane.

At the moment, Nigel has sustained winds of 80mph (130kph) but forecasters in the National Weather Service (NWS) and National Hurricane Center expect the storm to have sustained winds of at least 111mph as it grows.

Nigel was located approximately about 875miles (1,410km) east-southeast of Bermuda and was moving northwest at a speed of 12mph (19kph).

The hurricane is not expected to make landfall and no warnings or watches have been issued.

As of now, the National Hurricane Center predicts Nigel will veer off right into the open Atlantic Ocean by Wednesday morning.

Nigel developed shortly after Hurricane Lee landed in Nova Scotia as a post-tropical storm.
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The Italian Air Force said it was investigating whether an aircraft of its acrobatic team struck birds before it crashed near an airport, killing a child on the ground.

A 5-year-old girl and her family were traveling in a car near the perimeter of the airport near the northern city of Turin when the aircraft crashed Saturday afternoon, bursting into flames and smashing through the airport fence.

The girls mother and older brother remained hospitalized for treatment of burns while the father was released Sunday, hospital officials said.

Video of the crash shows nine aircraft in two tight V-formations, before one of the aircraft drops below the others and crashes, sending a fireball into the air. In the video, the pilot identified as Maj. Oscar Del Do  can be seen ejecting with a parachute shortly before impact inside a fence airfield. He suffered burns.

The Air Force said the reason for the crash was under investigation, but said one hypothesis was that the aircraft suffered a bird strike during takeoff. Italian prosecutors were also investigating.

The Frecce Tricolori squadron, Italys premier team of acrobatic pilots, was preparing for an air show scheduled for Sunday as part of events marking the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force.

They typically perform dramatic fly-bys at events of national importance, leaving streaks of red, green and white smoke, the colors of the Italian flag. They perform intricate acrobatics during air shows.

In 1988, three aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori collided and crashed to the ground during an air show at Ramstein Air Base in Germany attended by around 300,000 people. The three pilots and 67 people on the ground died. Hundreds more suffered injuries.
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French President Emmanuel Macron is extending an olive branch to video gamers after previously linking computer games to rioting that rocked France earlier this year.

Posting on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Macron backpedaled on remarks in June where he blamed video games for having intoxicated some young rioters.

Those comments dismayed some in the gaming community, even beyond France. Japanese game director Kastuhiro Harada tweeted in response that blaming something is a great way to escape the burden of responsibility.

Macron started his unusually lengthy post this weekend with a mea culpa, saying; I startled gamers.

He then sought to clarify his thinking and showered video games and the industry with praise.

Video games are an integral part of France, Macron declared.

"I expressed my concerns at the end of June because delinquents had used video game habits to trivialize the violence on social networks," he said. It is this violence that I condemn, not video games.

The unrest started after the police shooting of Nahel Merzouk in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27. The French-born 17-year-old of north African descent was stopped by two officers on motorbikes who subsequently alleged that he'd been driving dangerously. He died from a single shot through his left arm and chest.

From Nanterre, violent protests quickly spread and morphed into generalized nationwide mayhem in cities, towns and even villages that was celebrated on social networks.

In a government crisis meeting at the time, Macron accused social networks of playing a considerable role in the unrest and of fueling copycat violence and castigated video games.

Among the youngest (rioters), this leads to a sort of escape from reality. We sometimes have the feeling that some of them are living out, on the streets, the video games that have intoxicated them, Macron said.

His latest post, however, struck an entirely different tone.

I have always considered that video games are an opportunity for France, for our youth and its future, for our jobs and our economy, he said.

The industry inspires, makes people dream, makes them grow! Macron continued.

He concluded: You can count on me."
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A man has been charged with attempted murder after a boy, 14, was stabbed in the chest in Sheffield city centre.

Emergency services were called to Norfolk Street on Tuesday afternoon after receiving reports that a teenager had been seriously injured.

It is understood that the incident occurred near the Town Hall.

He was rushed to hospital where his condition remains serious but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

John Jubb, 48, was arrested on Friday and has now been charged with attempted murder.

Jubb, of Wincobank Avenue, remains in police custody and is due to appear before Sheffield Magistrates Court on Monday, 18 September.
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Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones defended Russell Brand from rape and sexual assault allegations  by saying the comedian is being targeted because hes come out against globalists.

Jones said hes been friends with Brand for six years in a video recorded at an airport and circulated on social media on Sunday, a day after stunning allegations emerged against Brand.

Ive never seen women throw themselves at anyone like with him, Jones said, comparing women throwing their panties at Elvis.

Its like that, he said, adding that it was literally women jumping at us.

No one ever accused him, for the last 15 years, of assault because they say hes such a big sweetheart.

Jones claimed - without any evidence - that suddenly allegations are happening to Brand because he has come out against Big Pharma and the globalists.

The allegations were revealed in a joint investigation released by British media outlets The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 on Saturday (16 September). The report accused Brand of sexually assaulting four women between 2006 and 2013 - including a 16-year-old girl. Others have accused Brand of predatory and abusive behaviour.

The comedian says he absolutely refutes the allegations and said his relationships were absolutely, always consensual.

The BBC has said it has started to investigate the serious allegations about Mr Brand, who was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 during that period.

Mr Brand has repeatedly posted his complaints about big Pharma for several years, but the connection that Mr Jones is asserting between the actors views and the allegations against him is less than clear.

Last year, Mr Jones was found guilty of defaming the families after suggesting the Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax and accusing the families of being actors; he owes the families $1.5bn.
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EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni toured Sunday a migrant center on Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa that was overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a 24-hour period this week.

Tensions have spiked on the island in the days since, with residents expressing impatience with the constant flow of migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa arriving on their shores, with occasional spikes, for decades.

Television images showed Meloni speaking to islanders expressing their frustrations; she told them the government was working on a robust response, including 50 million euros ($53.4 million) to help the island. An unidentified person in the crowd said it wasn't just money that they needed.

New arrivals also have chafed at the long wait to be transferred to the mainland; TV footage on Saturday showed hundreds surging toward the gate as police used shields to hold them back. In other shots, single migrants climbed over the fence of the migrant center. Some 2,000 remained this weekend after another 500 arrived on Saturday.

In the face of the crisis, Meloni has pledged tougher measures and is calling for a naval blockade of North Africa to prevent migrants on smugglers boats from departing. Her interior minister on Saturday held a video call with counterparts from the European Union including France, Germany and Spain to seek a common line.

The crisis is challenging unity within the EU and also Melonis far-right-led government.

Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, head of the populist, right-wing League, has challenged the efficacy of an EU-Tunisia deal that was meant to halt departures in exchange for economic aid. He is hosting French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen at an annual League rally in northern Italy later Sunday.

Most of the migrants arriving this week departed from Tunisia.

The number of migrants making the perilous sea journey to Italy has doubled over last year and is on pace to reach record numbers hit in 2016.

 Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
 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.
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Two cargo ships have arrived in Ukraine using a new route to sail into Black Sea ports defying Russia's effective blockade of its ports.

Two ships reached Chornomorsk on Saturday to load almost 20,000 tonnes of wheat for African and Asian markets, Ukraine's infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on social media.

The ships will deliver the wheat to Egypt and Israel, the minister added.

The vessels  Resilient Africa and Aroyat  were located between Ukraines Danube River delta and Odessa, Bloomberg reported. The ships carry the flags of Palau and crew members are from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Ukraine.

The vessels were the first ships to reach a Ukrainian port after Russia pulled out from the Black Sea grain deal, which was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 to combat a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Since Russias exit from the deal, prices for grains and oilseeds have already risen and are expected to get higher if the deal isnt resumed.

Ukraine last month announced a "humanitarian corridor" in the waters to release ships trapped in its ports since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.

At least five vessels have so far left the port of Odesa, using the corridor which hugs the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria. Kyiv, which has been a global food producer and exporter also wants to use the corridor for its food exports.

"While the UN 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 UN official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

"We continue our efforts to facilitate exports for agricultural products from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation."

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However, the passage of the ships comes at a risk with Russia warning that it would treat any vessels headed to Ukraines ports as carriers of weapons. The Russian Navy in August opened fire on a cargo vessel to force it to stop for checks.

To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons, the Russian defence ministry said. A Ka-29 helicopter carrying Russian soldiers was then scrambled to inspect the ship.
Giorgia Meloni welcomed Ursula von der Leyen to Lampedusa on Sunday, 17 September, after thousands of migrants arrived on the Italian island this week.

The European Commission President held talks with the Italian prime minister after Ms Meloni said Italy is being placed under "unsustainable pressure".

Ms Von der Leyen's has pledged to provide help for Italy to cope with the spike in arrivals as part of a 10-point plan.

"Irregular migration is a European challenge and it needs a European answer, so we are in this together," Ms Von der Leyen said.
Protesters took to the streets of London on Saturday (16 September) to campaign against the Iranian regime a year after the death of student Mahsa Amini.

The 22-year-old died in police custody on September 16, 2022, after being jailed for not wearing her headscarf correctly.

Officials said she had a heart attack in her cell.

Protesters shouted Woman, life, freedom outside the Iranian embassy, and a march was held from the building to a rally in Trafalgar Square as part of global demonstrations on the anniversary.
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.
Real-time reporting of benefits to cause practical difficulties, body claims

New enhanced reporting requirements by Revenue on expense payments could result in employees being out-of-pocket for weeks at a time, it is claimed.

A grouping of the main accountancy bodies in Ireland  the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies Ireland (CCAB-I)  has written to Finance Minister Michael McGrath to raise grave concerns about the requirement that comes into effect on January 1, 2024.

Crona Clohisey, tax and public policy lead at Chartered Accountants Ireland, part of CCAB-I, told the Sunday Independent that she was deeply concerned about the timing of the implementation of new rules that would impact every employer in the country.

An information campaign planned by Revenue on the issue in the coming weeks may be too little too late, she said.

Every single tax-free benefit or payment made to a worker, which will include ad-hoc items like an easter egg or a bunch of flowers on the birth of a child, must be reported to Revenue at the time or even before it is made, she said. We know from speaking to accountants that this real-time reporting requirement is going to cause all manner of practical difficulties for employers, many of whom are trying to operate as best they can against rising costs and staff constraints.

An annual reporting requirement would be more practical, she said.

Crona Clohisey of Chartered Accountants Ireland

The new requirements require real-time reporting of non-taxable benefits and payments, for example remote working daily allowances and travel and subsistence payments.

This did not reflect how such benefits were administered in practice, warned CCAB-I chair Enda Faughnan in a letter to Minister McGrath last week. The remote working allowance and travel and subsistence expenses were not benefits, he wrote.

Rather, these payments are a cost of doing business and do not form part of the employees remuneration. It will be a disproportionate use of employer resources (both from a time and cost perspective) to require employers to implement a payroll-like process for non-taxable reimbursements, where the primary aim of the reporting is data collection, and no tax collection is involved, it said.

In response to queries, Revenue said that an interim period since the introduction of the provision by the Finance Act 2022 allows sufficient time for stakeholder engagement on the successful implementation of the measure.

Revenue had designed the reporting requirements to seamlessly integrate with all payment processes, and had issued invites to over 320,000 employers, software providers and agents to participate in a survey on the implementation of this measure.
Galway maker of spirits in move to lay down whiskey stock

Ahascragh Distillery in Galway is seeking to raise 4.55m as part of a move to lay down its own whiskey stock.

The private equity investment is being undertaken by investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald as part of the Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS).

Preference shares will accrue an annual dividend of 5pc and through the issue of preference shares, redeemable after five years.

The newly commissioned whiskey and gin distillery and visitor centre, which opened in July, is said by its backers to be Irelands first eco-distillery, entirely powered by geothermal and other renewable energy that produces zero emissions.

The distillery is located in a nineteenth century historical mill in the centre of the east Galway village. It was set up by husband and wife team Gareth and Michelle McAllister, a Dublin couple who returned from time abroad with a plan to produce zero emissions Irish spirits.

Gareth McAllister, the CEO of the firm, is a chemical engineer who was most recently based with multinational firm Lord Corporation in Hong Kong. Michelle McAllister is a trained psychologist and avid collector of gins from around the world.

The pair invested 1.5m in the distillery and raised a seed round of 1.76m, as well as crowdfunding 1.86m. Overall, the company has raised 5.1m in funding to date, with a further 3.4m to be raised this year, of which 2.9m has been committed.

Clan Colla 11-year-old whiskey from Ahascragh Distillery

The new distillery has launched three brands to date: Clan Colla Irish Whiskey, UAIS Irish Whiskey and Xin Gin. It is planning for further product releases later this year.

Cantor Fitzgerald clients have invested 3.5m in the distillery to date, it is understood.

Cantor has raised more than 50m in new capital over the past 10 years for a number of players in the Irish whiskey sector to fund early-stage development, including Teelings, West Cork Distillery, Powerscourt Distillery and Lough Gill Distillery.

As well as laying down whiskey stock, Ahascragh Distillery will use the investment as working capital and has a target of growing its revenue to 4.9m and earnings to 2.6m by the end of 2028.

Ahascraghs long-term strategic aim will be on growth, especially in the Asian markets, with a particular focus on Hong Kong, Taiwan and India, it is understood.
Irish Life Health has invested 30m, mainly in tech, since entering the domestic market

Health insurer says digital delivery is key to keeping prices down

Ger Davis, head of Irish Life Healthcare. Photo: Mark Condren

Fearghal O'Connor Sun 17 Sep 2023 at 03:30

Irish Life Health has invested  or plans to invest in the short term  a total of over 30m in establishing a foothold in the Irish health insurance market and in building out additional services.
The Irish medical sector is being bombarded by patients

Certific, a medical communications startup co-founded by the boss of fintech firm Wise, is expanding into the Irish market.

The Estonian company has developed a software platform for GP practices and primary-care facilities to receive and manage communications from patients.

It was co-founded in 2020 by Taavet Hinrikus, who is chairman and former CEO of Wise, the fintech giant formerly known as TransferWise.

Certific has entered the Irish market as part of an expansion into English-speaking markets and has signed up four clinics so far.

Chief executive Liis Narusk told the Sunday Independent that the company chose Ireland as its next market after establishing its presence in the UK early on.

The UK was a steppingstone with connections to Ireland. We also saw similar problems in the Irish healthcare sector, the same overall problem  of being bombarded by patients in different channels, she said.

Certifics main selling point to clinics is that it can streamline communications by moving to a digital system that reduces the number of phone calls to clinics that will free up staff for other tasks.

Theyre super overburdened, they struggle with big workloads.

Narusk said that the Irish expansion is still in its early stages, but added that initial feedback from clinics has been positive.

It would be great to get more pilots going with clinics who are forward-looking and interested in getting the digital tools to enable them to work better.

However she said that convincing clinics to make the jump to a digital platform is still challenging.

My mom lives in Ireland so I know the Irish a bit. Shes not Irish but shes lived in Ireland for the past 15 years. Culturally, its a difficult market.

She added that while Certific wants to expand into more markets swiftly, it must still contend with some reticence among doctors and clinics.

Certific has no staff in Ireland currently but that is under consideration, depending on how the market develops.

As it grasps the mood of the Irish market, the company is testing different pricing models.

Especially in a new country, its always the brave ones who want to be the first ones to go with the change, Narusk said.

In Estonia, we currently charge 200 per patient list, which is approximately 2,000 patients.

Thats the core platform form fee. There are other functionalities that we can charge extra for, she said.

For example, we have a mass communication tool. If you want to invite all of your patients to get vaccinated, then you can seamlessly send that information out.

Narusk co-founded Certific alongside Hinrikus and Jack Kreindler, a physician and research fellow at Imperial College London.

Certific raised 7.4m last year in a funding round led by Plural VC.

Narusk said that Certific will begin raising funds for its next round in the coming weeks but no figures have been finalised.

Longer-term, Certific is eyeing plans to expand into the US and Canada  but she said that these plans are still in their early days and will require a state-by-state strategy to meet different regulations across the US.

Getting from zero to one is always the hardest thin. Scaling from there is the next stage.
Presenter quips about Irish dancing and going to Mass

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 universe...I think Carlos will be able to teach me, he is direct...I feel like there is a directness that I might respond to, like brutal honesty that Carlos has.

The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 line-up so far

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 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.

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 human...but 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.
Northern Ireland surfers and nature reservists have taken park in a wake for Lough Neagh to highlight the concerns surrounding blue green algae which continues to plague the lake.

Surfers against Sewage alongside environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth and Love Our Lough gathered at the side of Lough Neagh near Ballyronan Marina in Magherafelt to lay flowers and wreaths in a wake style commemoration to protest against the continued contaminated water.

Participants also wore black to represent being in mourning for the lough.

Environmentalists hold wake for Lough Neagh over toxic algae bloom

Crowds of spectators also gathered at the event and accompanied a coffin which was carried along the lough shore.

Over the past several months, blue algae also known as cyanobacteria, it is linked to a nutrient overload, has been sighted on the surface of the water.

Pollution from farming and NI Water are said to be major contributing factors, along with increased temperatures and sunlight.

Ruby Free and colleagues protest against the sewage pollution

Earlier this week, government health and food safety bodies have this week warned against eating fish caught recreationally in the lough but suggested it might be fine to eat the same fish caught by a commercial vessel, with restaurants such as Mourne Seafood Bar having to put out statements to say they dont acquire fish from the lough.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph just prior to the wake taking place, environmental campaigner Ruby Free who earlier this year was named the Sunday Life Spirt of Northern Ireland Awards Climate Champion told the Belfast Telegraph, the wake was designed to reflect campaign groups feelings over alleged in-action over the damage to the water.

Environmental campaigners held a wake at Ballyronan beach for Lough Neagh lake amid claims toxic algae is killing the UK and Irelands largest freshwater lake (Liam McBurney/PA)

We really wanted to highlight how this issue is affecting local communities and our wildlife - we know its the most Irish thing ever. It was an idea from Friends of the Earth and weve worked together to highlight what is going on, she said.

Its a stunt that we hope really raises this issue even further.

Ruby, who lives outside Portglenone in Co Antrim, described the situation in Lough Neagh as heart breaking and said the issue of algae blooms is something campaigners have been attempting to raise for several months.

Im just heartbroken to be honest. I've seen these blooms before but never on this scale and I think it's even more heart breaking, especially because we started a campaign in May because we were worried that this issue was going to get worse.

We held at paddle out in May, where around 80 people local people came to that and we all paddled out in our surfboards and kayaks and swam out to highlight the issue and basically demand better from the likes of NI Water.

We have been shouting out about this and hoping something would change and then here we are four or five months down the line and it's pretty much the maximum level now.

Watch: Sam McBride's in-depth look at Lough Neagh's blue-green algae crisis

She said Surfers Against Sewage, which was initially founded in the 1970s in Rubys home town of Cornwall wish to highlight the detrimental affects on wildlife.

This isn't only harmful for us in terms of drinking water, because we know 200,000 tons of raw sewage is dumped in the lough, but its also harmful for wildlife - combined with the intensive farming practices across Northern Ireland and around the lough, has just led this toxic soup were experiencing now.

A public meeting about the water pollution is also set to take place this week at the Seamus Heaney Centre where concerns about the impact of the algae are set to be raised.
Disgraced garda Paul Moody is facing a new criminal investigation after another woman came forward to gardai alleging domestic abuse and coercive control by the former officer.

The Sunday Independent can reveal that specialist officers have launched a preliminary investigation into the claims.

One source said the probe was at a sensitive stage and confirmed detectives were making preliminary inquiries into the matter, ahead of an expected launch of a full-scale criminal investigation.

Specialist gardai attached to a Divisional Protective Services Bureau (DPSU) in south Dublin are leading the inquiries and are speaking to the former girlfriend of Moody, who recently came forward.

This newspaper revealed in January that Moody would not face criminal charges over allegations of historical sexual abuse as part of a separate investigation.

In that case, the DPP informed gardai in Dublin that there was insufficient evidence to charge the 42-year-old with the alleged sexual offences.

Moody was arrested over these allegations.

The statement of complaint made against him relate to alleged incidents of serious and sustained sexual abuse over a number of years.

Moody has not been arrested or spoken to by gardai over the most recent allegations.

In July of last year, Moody was jailed for three years and three months for the coercive control of his terminally-ill ex-partner.

He conducted a campaign of harassment using threats, assaults and coercive control.

The abuse came to light when he voluntarily gave his mobile phone to gardai after making a false allegation against one of her relatives.

In her victim impact statement, the former gardas victim said Moody told her that the only reason he had visited her while she was ill in hospital was to watch you bleed to death.

He bombarded her with abusive text messages, and threatened to stick a knife in her in one voice message.

He also took photos of her naked, unbeknownst to her, and threatened to post them online.

Moody, of St Raphaels Manor, Celbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of coercive control in relation to the woman on dates between January 1, 2019 and November 30, 2020.

The law for the offence came into effect in January 2019.

Judge Martin Nolan said he abused his position as a garda to obtain information which he used to harass and humiliate the victim and he also endangered her life by driving recklessly at one point.

Moody joined An Garda Siochana in 2000 but was suspended in March 2021 following a search of his home arising out of this investigation.

Sean Gillane SC, defending, told the court that his client would resign from the force.
Gardai are treating the stabbing of a man at Dublin Airport this morning as a random attack.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident outside Terminal 1 at approximately 11.30am on Sunday.

Airport police responded to the serious assault within 90 seconds of being alerted to the matter before gardai arrived on scene.

One man, aged in his 50s, was stabbed a number of times in the neck and abdomen.

He was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he is being treated for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

A suspect was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault and is currently being detained at a north Dublin garda station.

The man, also aged in his 50s, is not known to the victim and there is understood to be no clear connection between the men.

A source told Independent.ie: "Investigations into this matter are ongoing but at this moment in time this is being treated as a random attack.".

The scene outside the departures hall of Terminal 1 has been preserved to facilitate a technical examination.

A spokesperson for the DAA, which manages and operates Dublin Airport, said: "Airport Police at Dublin Airport responded to an incident outside Terminal 1 this morning. One person has been arrested by the Gardai. Flights at Dublin Airport are operating normally."

The police service arrived on scene within 90 seconds and detained the suspect before gardai arrived, while ambulance personnel from the Airport fire service attended to the victim at the scene.

A garda spokesperson said: "Gardai are investigating a public order incident that occurred outside Terminal 1 of Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin, at approximately 11.30am today, Sunday 17th September 2023.

"A man (50s) was taken from the scene to Beaumont Hospital to be treated for injuries believed at this time to be non-life-threatening.

"A second male (50s) was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the North Dublin area.

"the scene is currently preserved for a forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

"Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to contact them.

Any pedestrians or road users who were in the vicinity of Terminal 1 between 11am and 11.45am this morning, Sunday 17th September 2023, and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available to investigating Gardai.

"Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Dublin Airport Garda Station on 01 666 4950, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station," the spokesperson added.
Tributes have been paid to an Irish mountaineer who died in the Austrian Alps.

Malcolm McDonald, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone 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.
Jules Thomas said she was 'gobsmacked' when she received the letter. Photo: Frank McGrath

Jules Thomas, the ex-partner of Ian Bailey, said she was forced to take legal action against her former solicitor for not releasing her files, after he said he would only release them if she waived her right to sue him and her entitlement to take independent legal advice before doing so.

Thomas, an artist, said she was gobsmacked to receive the letter from Frank Buttimer, a prominent Cork-based solicitor who represented her in a civil action against the State that was ultimately dropped.

Buttimer continues to represent Bailey, who has been convicted of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in absentia by a French court. Bailey denies having anything to do with Toscan du Plantiers 1996 death and Irish courts have refused to extradite him to France.

Thomas, who maintains her former partner had no role in Toscan du Plantiers murder, said she has been seeking the return of her legal file from Buttimer for almost a year.

It is understood one of the reasons Thomas wants the records is to assist her in a personal injury High Court action she has brought against Netflix over a documentary she claims portrays her as an accomplice to murder.

Thomas said she was forced to file a High Court action against Buttimer, in a case where she is representing herself, after she received a letter from him last month that set out a series of preconditions before her documents would be released.

The letter, dated August 4, said that if Thomas withdrew her threat of litigation, her files could be released. 

The waiver would mean Thomas had formally withdrawn her threat to sue the firm and would confirm that no complaint to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority or litigation would arise from the Cork firms representation of her.

'My prayer has always been for the truth to be revealed' - Jules Thomas on Ian Bailey and sueing Netflix

It also said Thomas was waiving any entitlement that you have in that regard and waiving your entitlement to independent legal advice in relation to receipt and waiver.

Thomas said she was stunned and completely gobsmacked by the letter and had no intention of signing such a waiver.

She said she was tired of being treated as flotsam and not having her rights respected so she had decided to instigate a High Court action to recover the files.

Her High Court action also seeks damages from Buttimer for alleged breach of contract, breach of duty and negligence.

Buttimer said he was made aware of Thomass legal action through media contacts.

I will deal with it appropriately when I have seen it, he said.

Bailey, who is recovering in hospital from what he said was a double heart attack, said he was astonished by Thomass crazy decision.

No solicitor could have done more for his clients than Frank Buttimer, he said.

He worked extremely hard for us and it was entirely pro bono.

Bailey said he believed Thomas had been influenced in her decision to sue Buttimer by Vincent ODonoghue, a struck-off solicitor who was convicted of fraud in 2013.

Thomas confirmed that ODonoghue is one of a number of contacts who were providing her with advice.

ODonoghue has worked as an adviser to film director Jim Sheridan in recent years.

Sheridan made a documentary, Murder at the Cottage, in 2021 for Sky about Bailey and the Toscan du Plantier case.
A decision by the Department of Health to exclude frontline blood transfusion workers from a Covid-19 bonus payment scheme led to plummeting morale for the workers who were rejected.

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) said 434 of its staff had faced higher exposure to infection because of working closely with thousands of donors, blood, bodily fluids and potentially infectious materials during their work.

In an appeal to the Health Minister, the IBTS said it was very concerned about the exclusion of its staff from the 1,000 pandemic bonus scheme and that it was having a very negative impact on staff morale when it was struggling to retain people.

Correspondence shows the Department of Health said blood transfusion staff had not been exposed to Covid-19 because people with symptoms were urged not to attend donation clinics.

In response, the IBTS said this was difficult to square with the fact that an entire team in Cork had been exposed, and subsequently developed Covid-19, after being involved in providing services.

It also said there were multiple occasions where non-symptomatic people had attended clinics with their donations subsequently recalled due to notification of a positive test.

The Department of Health claimed the IBTS had not been expressly included in a list of non-HSE organisations where staff would be eligible for payment.

A departmental letter said: Those who do not qualify for this particular payment may feel disappointed, and they too have made a significant contribution to the States response to the pandemic. It was tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which eligible frontline workers faced.

In response to that, the IBTS said it was a critical part of the health service in Ireland. We do not believe there is any basis on which IBTS staff should be distinguished from the other healthcare workers deemed eligible, it said. 

In other correspondence, they provided data on just how many of its staff had been affected by Covid-19.

However, the department said it could not change the eligibility criteria for the scheme. In February it sent a final rejection saying it did not accept that blood transfusion staff met the threshold for getting the payment.
Certain types of mobile phone use can cause immense damage to young people. Photo: Getty

Education Minister Norma Foley has invited social media companies to take part in a roundtable discussion on online safety for children and young people.

On Friday, Foley wrote to Irish representatives of Facebook and Instagram parent firm Meta, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter), inviting them to discuss the ongoing issue of cyberbullying on social media.

The invitation was issued in the context of Foleys plans, revealed in the Sunday Independent two weeks ago, to support primary schools who want to impose a voluntary ban on smartphones, by providing them with as-yet-unspecified measures and guidance on how to do so.

She is likely to ask the companies what input, if any, they could have into such measures.

In her letter to the social media companies, she writes: The continued access by children to harmful and negative online content is an issue of serious concern, as is the ongoing issue of cyberbullying on social media.

There are a range of actions underway in the Department of Education and the broader education sector to address these issues. She describes it as a deeply complex issue and one which requires a strong response from a range of stakeholders.

I believe more can be done to ensure young people do not access social media sites which are inappropriate for their age group, and I also believe more can be done to protect young people who use social media from harmful and negative content.

While any formal directive to ban smartphones has been ruled out, the decision to back schools who decide (with parental support) to bring in a ban, signals the coalitions tacit support for such measures.

It comes after Health Minister Stephen Donnelly called for a voluntary nationwide school smartphone ban, citing the damage devices are having on childrens mental health and the risks to young people posed by AI.

There is incontrovertible evidence, from the US surgeon general and from around the world, that certain types of mobile phone use causes immense damage to young people, Donnelly said earlier this month.
Famous as the oldest woman in Ireland, Mairin Hughes has died at the age of 109 after a wide and varied life. She was noted for her tireless energy and unfailing good humour.

She was born on May 22, 1914, in Belfast where her father, William Sheehan, also known as Liam, worked as a customs and excise officer. Liam was originally from Newmarket, Co Cork, and had previously worked in London where he met his future wife Annie, a teacher who was from Rathmore, near Killarney, Co Kerry.

After a stint in Belfast, the family moved to Dublin before going on to Killarney when Mairin was two-and-a-half years old. They finally settled at Ballydowney, said to be the birthplace of Robert Emmet.

Annie was a distant relative of the renowned lexicographer Fr Patrick Dinneen (Padraig O Duinnin), who compiled what is generally known as Dinneens Irish Dictionary, first published in 1904. She too lived to be over 100.

Working as a pensions officer in Killarney, Liam Sheehan delivered the payments by motorbike on a monthly basis to the recipients home, to ensure it was the right person  the local post office had no role in this regard at the time.

Ms Hughes gave comprehensive interviews about her life to Valerie Cox, for a collection titled Independence Memories (Hachette Books Ireland, 2021) and to Maurice OKeeffe of Irish Life and Lore (which is accessible online at www.irishlifeandlore.com).

In these, she recalled an incident that took place when, as an eight-year-old, she was attending the Mercy Convent in Killarney. The school was about a mile away from a Royal Irish Constabulary barracks  and the nuns must have had an inkling that the barracks was about to come under attack by Irish republicans, because the children werent allowed out to play at lunchtime.

The nuns gave us milk and sandwiches and then, all of a sudden, we could hear shooting. Killarney barracks was being taken over by the Irish, Ms Hughes remembered.

She recalled the Black and Tans and an incident where a potato-picker in a field was shot from a British military lorry, but the man survived.

Ms Hughes also remembered the high esteem people had for Michael Collins. We had a picture of him in our house and, everywhere you would go, there would be a picture of him hung up in the house.

The family of four children included three boys, two of whom sadly passed away at an early age. The eldest, Rory, died at 17 from an acute appendix. A similar condition ended Cons life some months later, at the age of 16.

His father had brought a surgeon from Cork to the house on the back of his motorbike  but it was too late to save him. The two brothers were buried in a double grave.

Wakes were a common occurrence in those days and Ms Hughes recalled a corpse was never left on its own.

When her father died, the women were all sent off to bed around eight or nine oclock and the men, including her uncles, stayed on. They all had a good feed in the middle of the night, she recalled.

When someone died, the big question was whether the priest was there to give the last rites: That was important, in fact more so than the doctor.

She attended the Eucharistic Congress in 1932, marking the 1,500th anniversary of St Patricks arrival in Ireland, where Count John McCormack sang Panis Angelicus to a congregation of an one million at High Mass in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Ms Hughes served as an air-raid warden during The Emergency, as World War II was called in neutral Ireland. Her main recollection of those years was the shortages and the coupon rationing system which caused difficulties for her mother.

She never remembered to bring her coupons, Ms Hughes recalled.

After receiving her secondary education from the Mercy Sisters in Killarney, Ms Hughes enrolled at University College Cork where, following the example of the head girl at her secondary school, she studied chemistry and physics.

At the end of the first year her father, who was in his late 50s, developed leukaemia and died. He had a British civil service pension which, after some difficulty, was passed on to his widow, who had no other income.

Having been awarded a bachelor of science degree and a higher diploma in education, Ms Hughes secured a job as a chemist in the UCC medical school where she was meant to finish up after three weeks working for 3 a week, but stayed on for 16 years until she got married.

Her younger brother Sean also attended UCC and qualified as a chemical engineer. She loved the college, saying: There was no place like UCC.

She met her future husband on a boating holiday in Glengarriff, Co Cork. Frank Hughes worked as a senior clerk with CIE at Heuston and at what was then Amiens Street railway station. The couple wed at St Patricks Church in Cork city and, after a honeymoon at Gougane Barra in West Cork, they set up home at Palmerstown in Dublin.

Ms Hughes wanted to have a family, but it was not to be. She suffered two miscarriages and told Valerie Cox: I carried them, but I lost them. I never saw them. It was very sad when no more came after them.

In 1957 she was approached by a friend in Dublin who invited her to do some part-time teaching. She took it up on a temporary basis and was eventually made permanent and pensionable at the vocational school in Ballyfermot. Frank died from leukaemia a year after she started, and she felt very fortunate to have the job.

She was awarded the presidential medals to mark the years she lived to be 100 and over, as well as an alumni achievement award from UCC in November 2018.

Asked about her recipe for a long life, Ms Hughes replied: The secret is everything in moderation. I smoked in college but not for very long. I enjoy my glass of wine, but again in moderation.

She read a lot, played a great deal of Scrabble and other games, and kept a bottle of wine at the bottom of the wardrobe. Loving her life, she said: The Lord has spoiled me rotten.

Ms Hughes died peacefully on September 5, after a short illness, at Maryfield Nursing Home in Chapelizod, Co Dublin, where she became a resident 38 years ago at the age of 71. She is survived by her niece Nuala, nephew Michael, cousin Bairbre and the entire Maryfield community who said in a tribute: She lived all of her 109 years to the fullest  and we will miss her every day.

Funeral mass in Maryfield Chapel on September 9 was followed by cremation at Glasnevin cemetery.

Her wide range of interests and activities included serving as secretary of Apostolic Work Ireland, which was founded in 1923 by lay people and religious to support Irish missionaries and others wherever they served.

She also promoted the Pink Run to raise awareness and support for those affected by breast cancer.
States ability to investigate cases of alleged harm questioned

One child with special educational needs was left with bruises after allegedly being grabbed by a teacher. Picture posed by model

Parents have raised concerns about the States ability to investigate and address cases where it is alleged children with special educational needs have been harmed in schools. The cases include alleged assaults, bullying, intimidation, seclusion and restraint.

Several families told the Sunday Independent of difficulties they encountered when trying to report incidents where children were physically, emotionally or psychologically harmed because of how they were treated by teachers or staff.

In some cases the families reported the allegations to gardai, but it was not possible to proceed with prosecutions because of difficulties the children have communicating.

One case relates to incidents where a child with special educational needs was left with bruises after allegedly being grabbed by a teacher last year.

When the childs parents sought an explanation for the bruises the school was initially unable to provide one, only to later tell them the injuries were the result of the child using playground equipment.

A doctor later said the injuries were not consistent with this theory and were likely to have been caused by being grabbed. The incident was reported to gardai and Tusla.

Gardai investigated the incident and sent a file to the DPP, but it was felt there could not be a prosecution in the case. Specialists were unable to get a necessary statement from the child, who has difficulties communicating.

Tusla told the family it could not investigate the incident but offered to mediate with the school and staff, the parents said. The childs family contacted the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), which has powers to help people defend their legal rights, but were advised legal assistance could not be provided in their case.

Separately, at another school, a teacher was accused of being aggressive towards a child and assaulting them twice in 2019. The assaults were witnessed by a staff member who reported them to senior school staff.

The childs family contacted Tusla, the Childrens Ombudsman and the IHREC but was also unhappy with the responses received.

In a third case, gardai investigated a teacher last year who allegedly placed a child in a sensory room without parental permission and the necessary expert recommendations or medical and therapeutic advice. It was claimed the use of light and sounds was inappropriate for the child who later became more sensitive to sound, it was difficult to get them to sleep and they became more agitated and aggressive.

The case was treated as an alleged assault as the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act states an assault can relate to the reckless use of force against a person, which may include the use of light and sound. No prosecution was brought in this case, with issues obtaining a statement from the child a factor.

The three cases were the subject of complaints to the boards of management at the respective schools but each family was unhappy with how the cases were handled. The parents said the children showed prolonged signs of distress after the alleged incidents. It was also claimed these children were being secluded from classmates and sometimes had their hours reduced.

Each of the families told the Sunday Independent they still wish to pursue the cases but feel frustrated by a lack of state support.

The children cannot be identified because their parents are concerned about possible implications.

Inclusion Ireland chief executive Derval McDonagh said an inability to access justice is a major issue for children with special educational needs.

We do hear from parents at times where there is a serious issue at school, and because the child cannot rely on speech to communicate or might be non-speaking, they find it incredibly hard to get justice for their child. They try all avenues and unfortunately cannot get answers. That is incredibly distressing for families and we feel it is discriminatory, she said.

This newspaper is aware of two other legal cases being taken by families after they claimed a child was secluded and restrained in school. About a dozen families in total said they have had similar experiences.

An Inclusion Ireland survey of 270 members carried out online in May showed 10pc of parents said they had a child who was secluded in school. Another 10pc said their children were restrained or immobilised with physical force, a device or medication.

Unfortunately, when a child is secluded or restrained it is a response by that school to a child who is in distress, maybe not coping in the school environment or with aspects of the school day, but that is not the childs fault, Ms McDonagh said. Its an environmental problem, a school problem and an education problem if the set-up and supports are not there to meet a childs needs.

Tusla said it does engage with parents and schools where abuse is alleged against staff. Where investigations have taken place it works with school staff to ensure child safety. Alleged assaults and other criminal behaviours are reported to gardai, a spokeswoman added, and specialist disability services work on cases where their support and guidance is needed.

The DPP said it does prosecute cases where victims or other witnesses have communication difficulties, and highlighted how specialist garda interviewers, technology and intermediaries may be used to enable victims to give evidence.

It is also important to note that an intellectual disability in and of itself is not a factor. A persons evidence is not regarded as any less reliable because they have a disability, a spokeswoman added.

The IHREC said each application for its support is considered carefully and strategically, and not all are successful. Legal assistance can only be granted where an application meets specific criteria and cases relating to criminal law, tort or personal injuries are outside this scope.

The Department of Education said any concerns it is made aware of are brought to the attention of gardai and Tusla. It has no powers to investigate child protection concerns but has significant oversight measures in place. Its inspectorate carried out 100 child protection and safeguarding inspections last year.

It said where a school board of management fails to investigate a request complaints can be made to the Ombudsman for Children, who may independently investigate complaints.
President Michael D Higgins reviews a guard of honour before the unveiling of An Garda Siochana Monument of Remembrance at Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park in Dublin. Picture date: Saturday September 16, 2023.

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.

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.

Justice minister 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I know too that 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.
Priest says ex-billionaire blames others for his own mistakes

The parish priest who was the first to call out the paymaster behind the attack on a director of Sean Quinns former companies has described the former billionaires new book as a highly selective and self-serving exercise in revising history.

In an article in todays Sunday Independent, Fr Oliver OReilly writes that Quinns memoir reveals the former billionaire to have written a vengeful account of his fall from grace, blaming others for his own serious mistakes.

Father Oliver OReilly gives his thoughts on Sean Quinn's book

Fr OReilly adds that there comes a time in our lives when we need to let go of all bitterness and resentment and develop a spirit of gratitude.

I wish to share that sentiment with Sean Quinn. There are no more scores to be settled. Your achievements were many. By and large all your former businesses are going better than ever, he writes.

Sean Quinn launched his memoir, In My Own Words, in the Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan on Thursday before a crowd of at least 1,000 people.

Fr Oliver O'Reilly. Photo: John McVitty

Quinn, who lost his businesses in 2011, has said he wrote the book because of what he claims is the continuous character assassination of him and his family and the disgraceful insinuation he may have had some involvement in the abduction of Kevin Lunney, a director of his former companies now called Mannok.

Kevin Lunney, who once worked closely with Quinn, was abducted and tortured in September 2019 by a gang who instructed him and his colleagues to resign as directors of former Quinn businesses.

Fr OReilly writes that he was surprised by Sean Quinns claim that he knew Cyril McGuinness, known as Dublin Jimmy, only by sight and by reputation. McGuinness was the criminal identified in court as the organiser of the attack on Mr Lunney.

Fr OReilly says Quinn and Dublin Jimmy were both regulars at the Woodford Arms pub in Ballyconnell.

Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that Sean Quinn and Dublin Jimmy occasionally met up there and their engagement was more than a greeting, he writes.

He accused her of writing lies about him in the past

A week after the abduction, Fr OReilly condemned the paymaster and the mafia-style godfather behind the attack from the pulpit.

Quinn has described Fr OReilly as a loose cannon who had made up his mind he was involved in the abduction.

In an interview on RTE last week, Quinn said he went to the priests house and said: Father you are wrong, wrong, wrong and you have done my family an awful lot of damage.

Quinn has denied having any hand, act or part in Kevin Lunneys abduction.

The Sunday Independent tried to contact Sean Quinn for comment.

During the launch of his memoir last week, Quinns solicitor, Chris McGhettigan, again criticised Sunday Independent journalist Maeve Sheehan, for her reporting of the repeated insults uttered by Quinn during a two-hour interview.

He accused her of writing lies about him in the past, which the journalist denies.

Quinn apologised after she reported on his behaviour in this newspaper.

However, in subsequent interviews Quinn repeated his criticism of the journalist, culminating in his solicitors claim at the book launch that the journalist had tried to make this book about herself.

Seamus Dooley, of the National Union of Journalists, described the solicitors comments as simply unacceptable.
Holly Cairns plans to build house more than twice the size of average home

Leader of the Social Democrats has sought planning permission for a 243sqm house in West Cork

Holly Cairns

Hugh O'Connell Sun 17 Sep 2023 at 09:30

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns  who claimed last week that ministers dont understand the cost-of-living crisis because they can pay for everything  has sought planning permission to build a 243sqm home in West Cork on her familys farm.
The Government decision to reopen pubs and restaurants in the run up to Christmas three years ago and the subsequent delay in imposing a lockdown led to many Covid deaths that should have been prevented, the former chief medical officer has claimed.

In his new memoir, We Need to Talk, serialised in todays Sunday Independent, Dr Tony Holohan sharply criticises the coalitions decision-making towards the end of 2020 as Covid-19 cases soared.

He claims the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), which he chaired, clearly recommended that the hospitality sector remain closed throughout December 2020 and January 2021.

However, the Government reopened pubs and restaurants for the first two weeks of December in the hope of giving the public what then taoiseach Micheal Martin infamously described as a meaningful Christmas.

I still cannot understand why pubs and restaurants were allowed to remain open

Holohan writes: There were more than 1,500 Covid deaths in January 2021. It was the single worst month for deaths over the entire course of the pandemic.

"This was at a time when we knew how to control the spread of the virus, but we failed to do so as a country. Many of the people who died were probably not far away from the point at which they could have been offered the protection of vaccination."

I still cannot understand why pubs and restaurants were allowed to remain open over that Christmas, despite the clear Nphet advice. It set the scene for a return to pre-pandemic levels of socialisation.

The former CMO said the decisions made in government, including moving much more slowly to lockdown as 2020 drew to a close created the circumstances in which so many people died.

'We Need To Talk' by Dr Tony Holohan

I cannot say that all of the deaths in January 2021 could have been prevented. But I think we should have prevented a lot more of them.

Holohans views are likely to reignite what has become a sharp difference of opinion between the coalition and its top pandemic advisers over the decisions taken that led to the darkest time in Irelands two-year Covid nightmare.

Ministers have since argued that Nphet did not explicitly advise against reopening hospitality in the run up to Christmas 2020, and also insist that a new variant of the disease  Alpha  was the primary driver of soaring case numbers.

Alpha drove it wild, said Micheal Martin said in Pandemonium, another book on Irelands Covid crisis.

While Tony Holohans memoir is largely focused on his life with his late wife Emer Feely and her long battle with cancer, the now-retired former public servant devotes considerable space to defending and explaining his actions during the Covid years.

Holohan also recounts how his late wife was left devastated, inconsolable and with a feeling of betrayal after watching Leo Varadkar criticise Nphet members on Claire Byrne Live in early October 2020.

In the interview, Varadkar was critical of Nphets decision to recommend a nationwide lockdown in response to rising case numbers. He argued that, as public servants, they were not impacted by the consequences of such decisions.

That wasnt fair or true, Holohan writes. We lived in the real world. We were impacted. Our families were impacted, financially and emotionally. Emer was slowly dying and would be cut off from all her friends and family in her last few months of life.

He says Varadkar did not apologise for the remarks, but later inquired as to his wifes well-being  before going on to change his position on Nphets recommendation to implement a lockdown.

In a strident defence of Nphets decisions, Holohan also disputes suggestions that Irelands long lockdowns were due to a lack of ICU capacity. He argues that even with more intensive care beds, they would not have substantially changed their approach.

We would still have done everything we could to prevent people ending up in ICU in the first place, he writes.

He is critical of the upper ranks of the HSE in relation to the vaccination programme, writing that there could have been greater understanding of the need for the logistics to follow the science and data on both safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Holohans book also gives the first detailed account of his actions during the crisis over the CervicalCheck screening service in 2018.

He is critical of the former health minister Simon Harris, who he says pushed to establish an immediate investigation into the misreading of cervical smears against his advice.

There was no stopping him, he writes of Simon Harris.

In what amounts to a staunch defence of his actions during that crisis, he describes CervicalCheck as a perfect storm, arguing that from the beginning there was confusion, misinformation and disinformation.

Dr Holohan writes: It shows how easily misunderstandings and false beliefs can be established among the public  and that once established, they seem to persist, even when the facts show them to be false.

Speaking in advance of the publication of We Need to Talk on Friday last, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that Tony Holohan was a loss to the public service, but noted that he was somebody he did not agree with all the time.

'The Garden became a really important place'  Dr. Tony Holohan on his late wife's love for nature
Senior counsel claims he never retired and is threatening to sue State to recover payments he says are due from his 180,000-a-year role

Edmund Honohan insists he still legally holds the position of master of the High Court and is considering taking court action against the State to recover salary payments he says are due from the 180,000-a-year role.

The master of the High Court is a quasi-judicial role that involves ensuring a case is in order before it is referred to a judge. Mr Honohan, who has campaigned for greater protection for consumers from financial institutions, had all debt cases removed from his list by the then president of the High Court in 2019 over concerns about his handling of such cases.

Mr Honohan seemingly retired in April last year on his 70th birthday.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he said he wrote to Micheal Martin, the then taoiseach, early last year, seeking a two-year extension of his role as master but this was ultimately denied.

On his final day in his courtroom, he said Angela Denning, the chief executive of the Courts Service, and senior lawyers came to his court in preparation for making some comments to mark his retirement. Mr Honohan said that because he did not accept he was retiring, he simply rose from his bench after his list was complete and said Im gone and left before any remarks could be made.

I didnt want any speeches to formalise the event, he said. I am still the master.

The senior counsel said his case is made stronger by the fact the Government has failed to appoint a replacement to the role.

The list of cases is currently overseen by deputy master John Glennon, who was a probate officer. The Department of Justice said it was planning legislation to extend the eligibility of those who could be appointed master and it is holding off on a permanent appointment until that law is passed.

Mr Honohan said he accepted that there was no statutory obligation to offer me a two-year extension but argues that European and English law meant it was wrong for the State to enforce a cliff-edge retirement date after he had sought an extension.

In English law, they decided to incorporate a mechanism within the test of whether a cliff-edge retirement is appropriate, he said. The mechanism obliged the employer to consider whether an extension is justified. The judicial thinking is that it shouldnt be a cliff-edge but should be tailored or tapered off. The failure to consider an extension could be illegal. The English decisions can be persuasive and illustrate how European law should be applied.

Mr Honohan has engaged solicitors who are in correspondence with the Chief State Solicitors Office. He said while he will not be insisting he be given his job back now, he believes there should be consequences for the State for failing to justify their cliff-edge policy.

I havent resigned and I havent been dismissed, he said. The question is does the provision in the act operate in the way its described and the answer is no, it doesnt. It now requires a number of boxes to have been ticked before I could be considered retired and those boxes havent been ticked. So we are in limbo.

He said he believes it is a mistake for the Government to permit non-lawyers to fulfil the role of master.

It is entry-level justice in the masters court, said Mr Honohan.

Youre increasingly met with lay-litigants who dont know whats what. There is a complexity of law in terms of consumer terms and case law.

The lay litigants are completely unable to get up to speed and its the masters function to give them the breather to do that. Its a matter of justice that equal arms [are] preserved. There is no legal aid for property or debt cases.

Mr Honohan said he believes many of the judges who are promoted by the Government from the High Court to the Court of Appeal tend to be specialists in contract law but are not au fait with consumer protection law.

There is an element of lets give him a fair trial before we hang him, said Mr Honohan.

I think judges who have shown a propensity to impose summary judgment rather than allow hearings have been promoted to the Court of Appeal.

Thats an attempt to Americanise the system where cases are decided summarily without calling witnesses and those judges predominate in the Court of Appeal. The law they learned is the certainty of contract but they have not learned about consumer law which disregards the small print in many ways to see if it is intelligible.

In the last year, Mr Honohan has worked with rural TDs to draft the Impaired Farm Credit Bill which would offer an examinership process to farmers in financial difficulty.

The Courts and Courts Officers Act, 1926 provides that persons holding the office of master shall retire at 70.
Priest who has known the family for years was shocked by lack of concern former billionaire showed as livelihoods were threatened when his businesses came under attack

Fr Oliver OReilly was born in Cornafean, Co Cavan. He has spent 15 to 20 years of priestly ministry in the Quinn heartland around Cavan, Fermanagh and Leitrim. He was parish priest in Kildallan parish  which takes in Ballyconnell  from 2015 to 2022. Over the years, he got to know Sean Quinn as well as some of the directors of his former companies. He was aware of the intimidation campaign that culminated in the vicious attack on Kevin Lunney and the devastating impact it had in the community. A week after the attack, Fr OReilly delivered a sermon in which he called out the Mafia style group with its own godfather operating behind the scenes in the region, the powerful paymaster with his criminal gang.
Maia Dunphy: Aliens, conspiracies, mysterious beach holes  why our appetite for the bizarre is growing

The Portmarnock crater and Mexican aliens are byproducts of an age where people are searching for answers no matter how daft or dangerous

Remains of an allegedly 'non-human' being on display in Mexico City. Photo: Reuters

Maia Dunphy Sun 17 Sep 2023 at 03:30

It was the confidence with which the astrophysics enthusiast relayed his discovery to the television news camera crew who turned up to report on the mysterious cosmic crater that appeared on Portmarnock Beach in north Dublin last week that reeled us in.
Sometimes Northern Irelands capacity for absurdity defies the expectations of even the most cynical observers. Last Monday, a high-profile peace event prompted verbal warfare between those supposedly illuminating the path to reconciliation: the British and Irish governments. What lies behind this is a fascinating political tussle involving cash from Irish taxpayers and the next general election.

Last Mondays event was to announce Peace Plus, a 1bn replacement for EU peace funds. The British government is now contributing three quarters of the money, the EU is paying about 20pc, and the remainder is coming from the Irish Government and Stormont. But thats not what anyone reading Leo Varadkars press release would have thought.
Russell Brand is at the centre of a police inquiry as well as separate internal investigations by Channel 4 and production company Banijay UK following allegations of serious misconduct, while the BBC said it is urgently looking into the issues raised.

The comedian and actor is facing sexual assault allegations from four women which allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2013, as well as claims of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

And the Metropolitan Police has confirmed it has received an allegation of sexual assault dating back to 2003.

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and said all of his relationships have been consensual, in a video posted online.

Here is a timeline of the allegations made against Brand:

 2003

A woman has made a complaint to the Met Police alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Brand in Soho, central London. The claims are not part of the allegations published in The Sunday Times.

 2006

A woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a three-month relationship when she was 16 and still at school in 2006.

The woman described his behaviour towards her as grooming, alleging he would provide her with scripts on how to deceive her parents into allowing her to visit him.

 2007

A woman alleges Brand sexually assaulted her and was physically and emotionally abusive towards her during a six-month relationship.

She made the allegations in a book published in 2014 and told The Sunday Times she stands by her account during its investigation.

 2012

A woman alleges that Brand raped her at his Los Angeles home on July 1, 2012.

 2013

A woman 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.

 2020

The woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a three-month relationship when she was 16, contacts his literary agent at the time, who was also the co-founder of talent agency Tavistock Wood.

A statement given to the PA news agency by Tavistock Wood 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.

 2023

September 15

Brand posts a video posted online saying all of his relationships have been consensual, before accusing the media of a co-ordinated attack.

He added: Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.

September 16

A joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches is published, detailing allegations made against Brand.

A 90-minute Channel 4 Dispatches special titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight airs, in which the four unidentified women detail their allegations, while other women speak of their experiences of working with Brand on TV sets.

The special sees him accused of pursuing audience members for sex while presenting Big Brother spin-off shows EFourum and Big Brothers Big Mouth on Channel 4, while other allegations related to when he was a radio presenter for the BBC.

A researcher claims concerns about Brands behaviour were reported to production managers at Endemol, the company commissioned by Channel 4 to produce the programmes in 2004 and 2005, but were dismissed.

September 17

Channel 4 announces it is conducting its own internal investigation after the allegations about Brand, and encourages anyone who is aware of such behaviour to contact them.

Russell Brand is facing sexual assault allegations (James Manning/PA)

Production company Banijay UK, which bought Endemol in 2020, also announces it is launching an urgent internal investigation in light of the allegations and similarly encouraging anybody who feels that they were affected by Brands behaviour while working on these productions to contact them.

The BBC says it is urgently looking into the issues raised while Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008, having first appeared on BBC 6 Music in April 2006 before he was moved to Radio 2 that November.

The Metropolitan Police says the force will speak to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure any victims of crime who they have spoken with are aware of how they may report any criminal allegations to police.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) says they do not have an open investigation into Brand, and another confirms there have been no arrests following two allegations that are said to have happened in the US.

September 18

Russell Brand vehemently denies the allegations (John Stillwell/PA)

The Times said it has been contacted by several women with claims about Brand since publication of the original allegations.

It said their allegations have not yet been investigated and will now be rigorously checked.

The Met Police announced it has received the Soho sexual assault complaint dating back to 2003.

The Theatre Royal Windsor in Berkshire also announced that Brands Bipolarisation show on Tuesday (September 19), along with further shows in Plymouth and Wolverhampton scheduled in the next two weeks, had been postponed.
This ones for you Dad, said designer Richard Quinn as he dedicated his London Fashion Week (LFW) show and his 44-piece Spring Summer 24 collection to his late father, Patrick, who died in June.

The Quinn father and son were very close, running their scaffolding and fashion/textile printing businesses from neighbouring railway arches in Peckham, south east London.

When Queen Elizabeth attended Richards show at LFW in 2018, the young designer put his proud dad, a scaffolder from Athboy in Co Meath, sitting opposite the royal and he nodded across a hello.

Saturday nights show was visually thrilling but it was an emotional one and for the finale, the models in beaded gowns walked to the strains of Bob Dylans folk ballad, The Mighty Quinn.

Richard Quinn Collection at London Fashion Week.

In times of great sadness and loss comes a sense of reflection and calm, the designer wrote in his show notes. For SS24, he explored refined shape and volume, each garment finds its beauty in the detail.

Stand out pieces were undoubtedly the intricate rustling embroideries with Swarovski crystals and beads twinkling under the lights, one more ambitious than the next.

It opened with a white story going from full skirted modern bride to mini, column and bell shape dress to full length gown. There were, of course, the big, blown out floral digital prints for which Richard is famous. Polka dots and plain block colours were in the mix and the collection featured rich surface details including feathers, lavish bows and a series of stunning strapless gowns with bow and long gloves.

After the show, Richard embraced his mother, Eileen who comes from Rathmullan in Co Donegal and the audience gave him a standing ovation.

Designer Sinead ODwyer from Tullamore, Co Offaly brought us back to her old alma mater, the Royal College of Art in Kensington and sitting in front of the glazed-iron roof of the Royal Albert Hall, the Irish woman explained her collection entitled Assembly.

Sinead O'Dwyer collection at London Fashion Week. Photo: Zoe Natale Mannella.

Recollections of her uniform from Killina secondary school informed her box pleated culottes, rara shorts, shirting and her first denim jean features Swarovski crystal applique.

Sinead has a big fan base for her figure-cladding webbed dresses and for SS24, they come in schoolhouse stripes, using an intricate technique that fuses picot-trimmed, shirred satin bands with robust elasticated knit.

Michael Stewarts reputation for sculptural modern eveningwear in fluid jersey is on the rise and rise.

Michael Stewart's Standing Ground collection at London Fashion Week.

Actress Salma Hayek wore the Co Clare mans body hugging ivory gown in Toronto and this was his third season at LFW with Fashion East.

Named Tethys after the prehistoric ocean, Michaels Standing Ground label stands out because of his intuitive way with fluid jersey and how he creates svelte lines snaking round the body with a mix of open backlines, cascading hips and bare torsos.

Fabric surfaces looked almost fossilized and he explored his trapped beadwork again, capturing stones within the fabric. His colour palette ran from cobalt and striking lapis blue to nephrite green, muted stone, opaque black and pearlescent silver.
Image Credit: Facebook/Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati/IBNS: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Saturday slammed the Congress, alleging that they demonstrated their indifference towards the Northeast and its people while mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their latest social media post.

A video shared by the Congress on its official handle on X, formerly Twitter, allegedly showed a distorted map of India, with the entire Northeast region missing.

Responding to the post, Sarma alleged that it seemed from the clip that the Congress had already bartered away the Northeast to a "foreign country'.

Taking a screenshot of the Congress's post, Sarma posted on X, "Seems the Congress party has secretly struck a deal to sell the entire land of the Northeast to some neighbouring country. Is this why Rahul went abroad? Or has the party given membership to Sharjeel Imam (a former student activist jailed under UAP(A) sections)?"

Seems the Congress party has secretly struck a deal to sell the entire land of North East to some neighbouring country. Is this why Rahul went abroad? Or has the party given membership to Sharjeel Imam? pic.twitter.com/oO9fLp86p8  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 16, 2023

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Sarma called on people across the country to take note of the Congress's act and give them a befitting reply in next year's Lok Sabha elections.

"I saw that tweet. It felt like the Congress has given away our beloved Northeast region to China. They put out an India map from which the entire Northeast region had been cut off. This is a deliberate anti-national act. The people of the Northeast and across the country should take note of this and give them a befitting reply (in the Lok Sabha elections next year)," the Assam CM told ANI.

The controversial post was taken from a famous scene from the Bollywood film 'Deewar'.

The scene featured Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor, the two main protagonists in the film, in a fiery exchange, with the latter eventually saying, "Mere paas maa hai' (Mother is with me).

The Congress shared an animated video of that scene from 'Deewar', with Prime Minister Narendra Modi portrayed as Amitabh Bachchan and Rahul Gandhi depicted as Shashi Kapoor.

In the video, PM Modi could be heard saying "I have ED, police, power, money, friends... what do you have?"

To this, Rahul Gandhi replies, "The entire country is with me."
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

UNESCO on Sunday announced Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's home in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, Shantiniketan, has been added to the World Heritage Sites list.

UNESCO posted on X: "New inscription on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Santiniketan, #India. Congratulations!"

Tagore had spent a significant time of his life in Shantiniketan.

The original name of Shantiniketan was Bhubandanga. It was named after the village where it was located.

Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore, had founded Shantiniktan town.

In 1863, Maharshi Devendranath Tagore purchased a large piece of land in Bhubandanga, which he renamed Santiniketan, meaning abode of peace, as per the official website of Shantiniketan.

Rabindranath Tagore first visited Shantiniketan in 1878 when he was 17 years old. In 1888, Debendranath dedicated the property to establish a Brahmavidyalaya through a trust deed, the website reported.

In 1901, Rabindranath started a Brahmacharyaashrama, which became known as Patha Bhavana in 1925. In 1913, Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1921, Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva Bharati, which was declared a central university and institute of national importance in 1951, read the website.

Shantiniketan is also a popular tourist destination in West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee tweeted: "An immensely proud moment for all citizens of our great nation and Bengalis around the world. May Bengal forever remain a shining beacon of hope, embracing the teachings and ideals of Rabindranath Tagore."
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Three Nigerian citizens accused of cyber fraud by duping people in the name of giving costly gifts were arrested by the Azamgarh police from Nihal Vihar area of New Delhi, police sources said here on Sunday.

Police sources told UNI that on May 14 the victim, a resident of Sahatwar area in Ballia district, lodged a complaint that a Nigerian youth be-friended her on social media platform and got Rs 32 lakh transferred to different bank accounts on the pretext of giving costly gifts on marriage.

"The police after lodging a case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) transferred the case to the cyber cell in Azamgarh zone," they said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ballia Durga Prasad Tiwari said that taking action in the case, the cyber crime police arrested Chibuike Austine, Chimezie Justice and Chimamkpa Kizito from New Delhi.

"During questioning the accused revealed that they came to India on medical and student visas," he said.

He said that the accused revealed that with the help of their accomplices from Mizoram and Nagaland they used to be-friend the people on social media platforms and get several lakh rupees transferred in their Indian and African bank accounts on the pretext of sending expensive gifts.

The ASP said that two laptops, seven mobile routers, four Indian and Nigerian sim cards along with four fake Instagram IDs and passwords, 1,000 Indian contacts and fake documents were recovered from the arrested accused.

(With UNI inputs)
Hollywood actor Russel Brand accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Popular comic and actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse of four women between 2006 and 2013.

The allegations were made against the actor in a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches.

During the years covered by the allegations, Brand had various high-profile jobs at different times, including at BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, and as an actor in Hollywood films, a BBC report stated.

According to it, one of the accused said she was 16 while Brand was 31 at the time of the alleged assault in London.

The literary agency Tavistock Wood, who had been listed as Brands representative, told CNN on Saturday that 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.

Meanwhile, the actor has denied all allegations levelled against him.

Posting a video on X, Brand said he had received letters from a TV company and newspaper, containing "a litany" of "aggressive attacks".

"Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," the actor was quoted as saying in the video.

"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," he said.

"Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual."

After beginning his career as a comedian and later becoming an MTV presenter in the UK, in 2004, Brand gained a role as the host of the television show Big Brother's Big Mouth, a Big Brother spin-off.

In 2007, he had his first major film role in St Trinian's, and the following year he landed a major role in the romantic comedy-drama Forgetting Sarah Marshall; the film led to him starring in a spin-off, the rock comedy Get Him to the Greek, in 2010. Brand also worked as a voice actor in the animated films Despicable Me (2010), Hop (2011), Despicable Me 2 (2013), and Trolls (2016), and played the title character in the remake of the romantic comedy Arthur (2011).

In 2013, he released the successful stand-up special Messiah Complex. He hosted his own radio show The Russell Brand Show (20062008, 2010, 2013, 2017) and also hosts the podcasts Stay Free with Russell Brand and Under the Skin with Russell Brand.
Photo courtesy: Drew Barrymore Instagram page

After facing backlash following her decision to resume filming, actress Drew Barrymore has decided to pause the premiere of her US talk show until the ongoing Hollywood strikes are over.

Informing her fans about her decision to halt the premiere of her daytime talk show 'The Drew Barrymore Show', Drew wrote on Instagram: "I have listened to everyone and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over.'

"I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today," she said.

Drew said: "I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon."

She was planning to return to screens on Monday.

She took the decision to resume filming despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

Interestingly, the shooting for the fourth season of her show took place recently.

Drew, earlier, said the show followed all strike rules.

However, she faced backlash on social media over her decision.
Photo Courtesy: TIFF

Toronto: In a cinematic world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Norwegian filmmaker Sara Margrethe Oskal's debut feature, 'The Tundra Within Me', was screened taking the audience on a visually stunning and emotionally resonant expedition to the snow-covered landscapes of Sapmi in northern Norway.

This evocative narrative navigates the intricate threads of love, heritage, and self-discovery amidst the reindeer herds of Scandinavia.

Synopsis

After years spent in the bustling city of Oslo, Lena (Risten Anine Kvernmo Gaup) makes a life-altering decision to return to her roots in Sapmi, embracing her Sami heritage. Accompanied by her young son, Lena embarks on an art project that delves into the nuances of Sami's gender identity.

Against the backdrop of the wintry tundra, Lena's exploration of cultural expression leads her to an unexpected encounter with Mahtte, a charismatic reindeer herder.

Their love blossoms amidst the breathtaking beauty of the region, but it encounters resistance from Mahtte's mother, the matriarch of their herding family. As Lena's past decisions cast a shadow over her newfound happiness, she grapples with the profound question of whether her and Mahtte's contrasting lifestyles can ever find harmony.

Director's Vision

Director Sara Margrethe Oskal, drawing from her own experiences as a former professional reindeer herder who transitioned to an artist, brings a deeply personal perspective to 'The Tundra Within Me'.

In her poignant director's statement, Oskal highlights the challenges faced by Saami youth who must navigate the delicate balance between traditional values and the allure of modern urban life.

"I want to dig into the feeling of not belonging in the traditional society where the collective mindset and its expectations have a strong influence on every individual," Oskal stated.

Her words resonate with anyone who has felt the pull of their heritage and the desire for self-discovery in the face of societal expectations. Oskal's film beautifully captures the essence of this struggle.

As Lena and Mahtte's love story unfolds against the backdrop of an ever-changing Sapmi landscape threatened by external forces, Oskal's lens unveils the profound importance of reindeer herding for Sami culture and society. 'The Tundra Within Me' is a testament to the redemptive powers of love, forgiveness, and the enduring call of home.



In a world that continually grapples with cultural preservation and adaptation, Oskal's cinematic debut underscores the urgency of safeguarding and revitalizing the cultural heritage of reindeer herding.

Her film passionately asserts that the Sami community, in its journey towards progress and evolution, cannot afford to exclude anyone. Not everyone may choose the life of a reindeer herder, but everyone can play a role in nurturing and advancing Sami culture and traditions.

Director Sara Margrethe Oskal presents her film at TIFF | Photo Courtesy: Suman Das

'The Tundra Within Me' is a visual and emotional masterpiece that will captivate hearts and minds alike. As the film makes its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, it promises to be a cinematic experience that lingers in the soula poetic ode to love, identity, and the eternal bond between human and land.

(Reporting by Suman Das)
In image plane crash site in Amazon/ courtesy: UNI

Sao Paulo/IBNS/UNI: At least 14 people were killed when a small plane crashed on Saturday in Barcelos, an inland city of Amazonas state in northern Brazil , local authorities said.

"They were all tourists who were going on a fishing trip," Amazonas governor Wilson Lima told a press conference, adding that initial information showed all the tourists were Brazilian.

It was reported that the pilot had trouble finding the runway for landing in Barcelos, a sport fishing destination.

The Manaus Aerotaxi airline, owner of the crashed Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, a Brazilian twin-turboprop light transport aircraft, confirmed the accident in a social media statement.

According to Barcelos mayor Edson Mendes, Civil Defense teams found 14 bodies, which included 12 passengers, the pilot, and the co-pilot.


Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Brussels/IBNS/UNI: 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.

"In 2024, the Alliance will be holding its largest collective defence 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 defence," 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.


Image Credit: UNI

Pyongyang/UNI/IBNS: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday during his visit to the country's Far East city of Vladivostok, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday.

Kim, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, conducted an inspection of Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles, and warships on Saturday.

Kim and Shoigu discussed military and political situations and agreed to strengthen coordination and cooperation between their armed forces and national defense and security.

The intensifying military relations between the two neighbouring countries concern the United States and its allies, especially in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's pursuit of missile and nuclear technologies.

South Korea and the U.S. 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, Reuters reports.

Putin and Kim held talks at Russia's Vostochny cosmodrome, located 8,000 kilometers from Moscow.

During their meeting, Putin accepted an invitation to visit North Korea and proposed sending a North Korean into space, media reports said.

Kim left Russia on Sunday after his six-day visit to Russia.
Photo Courtesy: UNI

Tehran/UNI: Iranian law enforcement forces have apprehended 137 individuals in the northwestern province of West Azerbaijan for inciting protests against the government.

According to Rahim Jahanbakhsh, the commander of the province's law enforcement forces, these individuals were identified for encouraging unrest via social media platforms.

In addition, 52 Instagram accounts have been blocked and permanently removed. Out of the 137 detainees, 14 have been arrested and handed over to the judicial authorities.

Iran's intelligence organization within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reported the neutralization of a terrorist network comprising 15 individuals in the province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad.

This group had purportedly planned to carry out a series of terrorist attacks using improvised explosive devices.

The heightened security measures coincide with the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's tragic death, a young woman who passed away in the custody of Iran's morality police last year, following her detainment for not wearing a proper head covering.

Her death triggered widespread protests across Iran.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Local administration continued to suspend internet services in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region amid sectarian tension between Sia and Sunni communities, causing trouble to the residents of the region.

It has been over a fortnight since the sectarian tensions between the Shia majority in Gilgit Baltistan and the Sunni community boiled into massive protests against Islamabad and its new amendment in blasphemy laws, reports ANI.

Internet service in Gilgit-Baltistan is available in only a few pockets.

Students complained about shutting down the internet in the locality disrupted their online education schedule.

Due to the unavailability of internet services for the last 15 days, our studies have been disrupted. We request the administration to restore the internet services a student from Gilgit city told ANI.

People are feeling frustrated as their business is also hit due to the non-availability of the internet.

A small businessman providing financial services to locals, told ANI, I work for Easypaisa (a financial services app). About 20-25 Easypaisa retailers are doing business in this area. All of them are unemployed these days. Due to the internet shutdown over the last 20 days, all of us are out of work. We urge the administration to restore internet services as it would enable us to start our businesses again.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Jaffarbad: Security forces have gunned down two suspected terrorists in Jaffarabad area of Pakistan's Balochistan region on Saturday, media reports said.

According to reports, terrorists opened fire at security forces when they were conducting an operation in the area.

The CTD officials also recovered weapons and explosive material from the dead terrorists, reports ARY News.

Pakistan is witnessing a spike in terror attacks in recent times.
Photo Courtesy Pixabay

Students of Karakoram International University (KIU) in Pakistan's Gilgit city recently demonstrated against the administration for an unprecedented fee hike.

The poor students of the university said they are unable to pay the hiked semester fees.

The unreasonable raise in the university fees has affected the students and their parents as administration has allegedly increased the fees by 25 per cent two times in a semester, the news agency reported.

A student protesting against the University told ANI: Before we could enter the second semester, they had already released the notification regarding 25% hike in the fees, after we submitted the fees they again raised the fees by 25% for the same semester, due to which the situation here has deteriorated further."

Students have blamed the Vice Chancellor of the university for corruption and fleecing money from the students for his personal tours abroad.

A student from Karakoram University revealed that the Vice Chancellor remains absent from the University and spends money granted for the development of the university on his foreign tours.

She told ANI, Gilgit Baltistan is a region which doesnt have much resources (for education). Most of the students here are financially poor. The Vice Chancellor of the University is found to be on a tour to China or other foreign tourist destinations most of the time. He doesnt come here and stays in Islamabad. He should facilitate the students here, but he is never present at the University. It shows the irresponsible attitude and incompetence of the Vice Chancellor
Photo Courtesy:Unsplash

Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has fined Chinese-owned short video platform TikTok for breaching privacy laws related to the processing of children's personal data in the European Union.

The regulatory body has fined the platform 345 million euros ($370 million).

The regulator body said TikTok breached several EU privacy laws between July 31, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.

"This own-volition inquiry sought to examine the extent to which, during the period between 31 July 2020 and 31 December 2020 (the Relevant Period), TTL complied with its obligations under the GDPR in relation to its processing of personal data relating to child users of the TikTok platform," read the statement issued by DPC.

"At the conclusion of its investigation, the DPC submitted a draft decision to all Supervisory Authorities Concerned (CSAs), for the purpose of Article 60(3) GDPR, on 13 September 2022," the body said in a statement.

The body gave TikTok a period of three months to bring processing into compliance where it found infringement.
Gadar 2 is roaring in theatres with massive numbers. Starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel in the lead, the film has been declared an all-time blockbuster with worldwide collections of over Rs 675 crores. Among the celebrations, theres also a horrific incident that has now surfaced.



TOI

In Chattisgarhs Bhilai district, a 30-year-old man was killed for echoing Gadar 2s dialogues.

On 15th September, Malkit Singh alias Veeru was beaten to death by his own friends for raising the popular Hindustan Zindabad (Hail India) dialogues. The police arrested four people identified as Tasavvur, Faizal, Shubham Lahare and Tarun Nishad. One of them is currently absconding.

Indiatimes

Malkits father is the head of Khursipar Gurudwara.



Several people from the Sikh community including family members of Malkit reached Khursipar police station soon after learning about the incident. FPJ also reported that they blocked the National Highway in protest demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a government job for Malkits wife.

Gadar 2s storyline massively relies on the communal divide within and across the borders of this country.

When asked if the film is Anti-Pakistan, Sunny Deol told BBC UK that after partition there has been hatred among one another but he believes whatever has happened, has happened. He added, I think people in both countries are like let it all go, we are normal humans on both sides.

Sunny detailed, But throughout the film, whenever I have portrayed any character, I have never run anyone down. I dont believe in that. Even Tara Singh is not that kind of person, not that kind of character. And I believe in such cinema. But we need to look at cinema, its not trying to affect this side or that side.

Also Read: Ending 16-Year-Old Tiff With Sunny Deol, Shah Rukh Khan Attends 'Gadar 2' Success Party

Thats not what we are. We are global, we are for everyone. Its only when its read and spoken by a certain sector of people, then that thoughts come in time. The majority dont do that, its a handful of people. Thats when the wave comes.





On 15th September, Gadar 2 reached the mark of being called an all-time blockbuster'.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, #Gadar2 stays steady in Week 5, despite #Jawan juggernaut Biz at a glance Week 1:  284.63 cr Week 2:  134.47 cr Week 3:  63.35 cr Week 4:  27.55 cr Week 5:  7.28 cr Total:  517.28 cr #India biz. Nett BOC. #Boxoffice.

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
The British government has announced that a proposed hike in visa fees will become effective from October 4, when a visitor visa for under six months will cost 15 (1,543) more and student visas will be 127 (13,070) more expensive for travellers from around the world, including Indians.

Credit: Canva

What will be the cost now?

Following legislation tabled in Parliament on Friday, the U.K. Home Office said the changes mean that the cost for a visit visa for less than six months will rise to 115 (11,835) and the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the U.K. will rise to 490 (50,428)  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.

premiumtimesng

Why is there a steep hike?

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.

Sunak mentioned, "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."

The Home Office justified these changes, explaining, "Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Office's 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."

This fee hike applies to various visa categories, including health and care visas, applications for British citizenship, and fees for visit visas spanning six months, two years, five years, and ten years.

rishi-sunak-uk PM

Its impact

The increase also impacts most entry clearance fees and specific applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study. It extends to fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain, as well as fees related to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


Breaking with tradition, the press conference given by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the 87th Thessaloniki International Fair
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.

Recall that the stool became vacant as a result of the transition of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who joined his ancestors in April 2022.

Makinde who spoke during the commissioning of 34.85 kilometres Oyo-Iseyin Road at the weekend, insisted that position will not go to the highest bidder.

He further warned that anyone with intent to sell the throne would meet his waterloo.

While addressing residents of the town, he noted that his administration had delivered on its promises to the people since the road is a key project that will open up parts of the State.

READ ALSO: PDP Never Wanted Akeredolu Back Alive  APC Fires Back Over Govs Relocation To Ibadan

His words: 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.

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.
The Commissioner for Education in Anambra State, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, has adopted the embattled student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, Mmesoma Ejikeme who tampered with her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), result to emerge with the highest score.

While speaking in Awka on Saturday, Chuma-Udeh posited that step adopted Mmesoma to help her actualize her dreams in life.

Recall that Mmesoma stirred reactions in Nigeria after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) accused her of manipulating her UTME score from 249 to 362, and falsely parading herself as UTME highest scorer for 2023.

After investigations, the examination body slam a three-year ban on Mmesoma to serve as a deterrent to others.

Chuma-Udeh while receiving an award in her office revealed that she adopted Mmesoma to see her through school.

READ ALSO: Most Popular Nigerian Artistes Are Cultists  Solomon Buchi Reveals

Mmesoma is not the first person I am adopting. Even as a lecturer, I was adopting children and training them through schools.

Mmesoma is doing very well and she is still undergoing a psychotherapy class with the state-appointed psychotherapist.

I decided to adopt her to help her actualize her dreams. She is a human being, so we cannot throw her away just like that.

We are not going to let her down. We are still pleading with JAMB to reconsider its decision concerning her.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo is very passionate about every citizen in Anambra State and so, we will train her through her education.
The wife of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Mrs Taiwo, on Sunday asked for forgiveness from the Obas and Yoruba race over a recent action of her husband.

Recall that Obasanjo, who was a special guest of honour at the commissioning of projects executed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde had slammed some Yoruba traditional rulers for not standing up to accord him respect as a former president.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the former Nigerias leader, angrily ordered them to stand up and recognize his presence.

The statement reads: This is my own personal stand on the manner Chief Olusegun Obasanjo addressed the Kings at Iseyin at the road commissioning by Governor Makinde of Oyo State on Friday 15th September 2023.

As a legitimate member of Chief Olusegun Obasanjos family, l would like to state publicly worldwide and privately that the manner in which Daddy Obasanjo addressed the monarchs is not acceptable to God, to the Yoruba race and the throne of Kingship and it must not be repeated again by any leader in Yoruba land.

Daddy Obasanjo should not have treated the kings with open contempt and humiliation in order to correct them and reveal their secret that they bow for him privately. It is not good at all. It is too humiliating.

Protocols could have corrected them privately and respectfully, humbly with love and friendliness.

READ MORE: Angry Obasanjo Orders Oyo Monarchs To Stand Up, Greet Him (Video)

The only person that is infallible is God. God Himself is known as the King of kings and mortals too speak up to God when there is a misunderstanding of His intent. An example was when God in annoyance wanted to destroy the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses had to speak up and beg God not to destroy them.

Another example was when Cain after killing his brother Abel, God pronounced terrible judgment on Cain but Cain pleaded with God that the punishment was too much and unbearable for him, that anyone who sees him will kill him. God listened to Cains appeal despite his horrible act of murdering his brother. etc There are many examples in the Bible of men speaking up to God, but they spoke not in arrogance or self-justification but in humility and remorse.

God Himself sent his priest to King David privately to correct him with respect for his error when he killed Bathshebas husband. God didnt humiliate King David because of his error and because He is Almighty God, God still accorded respect and honour to a mortal king he created and crowned when he erred.

Monarchy is an institution God Himself established before any political government came up to manage the affairs of men.

I want to publicly state here that on behalf of the family, the children, the wives, the grandchildren and all members of the family of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, l am offering a big and genuine apology both spiritual and physical to all the kings of Oyo State, all the kings of Yoruba land and the entire Yoruba race both in Nigeria and Diaspora.

Please, l beg for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings in Yoruba land. Please l humbly appeal with all humility dont avenge on any of us the misdeeds of Daddy Obasanjo.

I am a full Yoruba woman married to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for over 40 years and l have two children for him both male and female. I am a grandmother.

I do not support the humiliating treatment of the kings of Oyo State by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Let history bear my record that l came out to apologize to the Oyo kings and Yoruba land on behalf of the family of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has claimed that it would take South-East 2025 years of hard work to produce the President of Nigeria.

Igbokwe made this declaration in response to the load of accusations levelled at his statements where he termed Igbo people as onlookers in the Nigerian project.

While his continued romance with the All Progressives Congress has been seen as treachery, bootlicking, sleazy, and unbecoming, be took the opportunity to respond to comments regarding the issue, saying, This is the problem. You terrible and pathetic bigots think you are the best God ever created and this is the biggest problem facing Igboland today.

Jisienu Ike. Every election year you cry. Play politics. Mbanu. Make friends across Nigeria. Mbanu. Build bridges. Mbanu. We have become onlookers in Nigeria. See 2031 and 2039 are also settled. Continue.

But know this and have inner peace: it will take any Igbo man 20 -25 years of hard work to produce the president of Nigeria.

READ ALSO: GSK Exit Not Responsible For Increase In Prices Of Drugs  NAFDAC

Igbokwe also referred to the way he had been branded a saboteur, betrayal and sell-out, likening his situation to what was obtained during the Nigerian civil war.

Maintaining that Igbos were still making the mistakes they made during the civil war, he said: We are getting worse by the day and I am worried to the marrows given what I read here. Speak the truth and instantly you become a traitor, saboteur, betrayer, sell out, the kind of stuff we witnessed during the civil war from 1967 to 1970 and Biafra lost many competent, educated and committed Soldiers.

My take: If you believe that LP won the presidential elections you can believe anything. Shame has enveloped me. Just read the narratives above and you will want to throw up. What has happened to Igbo? We are still making the mistakes we made during the civil war.
The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of lashing out at traditional rulers in the State because they failed to allow themselves be used to make the 2023 Labour Partys presidential candidate, Peter Obi Nigerias President.

The party in a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare accused Obasanjo of being a vindictive individual who is not worth the status of a statesman, title chief, and leader on the African continent.

The APC said this in reaction to the viral clip of the former President angrily ordering traditional rulers to stand up to greet Governor Seyi Makinde at the venue of the road project commissioning in Iseyin, Oyo State on Friday.

The APC statement added that Chief Obasanjo not only disrespected the kings but also desecrated the Yoruba culture.

It is evident that Chief Obasanjo used the avenue of his questionable invitation to the road project commissioning to get back at certain individuals who openly rejected his presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the build-up to the last general election. We recall that one of the monarchs on the seat appeared on some private radio stations during the electioneering and mobilized support for Tinubu, who won the election eventually. This did not go down well with the former popular president for his vindictiveness, and he used the opportunity handed down to him by one of his loyalists (Gov. Makinde) to hit back at his target.

READ ALSO: You Desecrated Our Kingship  Oluwo Faults Obasanjo For Ordering Oyo Monarchs To Stand

Meanwhile, we condemn in strong terms the conduct of Chief Obasanjo, who threw decorum into the wind on account of being a former president and chose to desecrate the rich culture and traditions of the Yoruba people.

By assaulting the monarchs, who were at the occasion on invitation, the Owu-born former military dictator had shown the world that he was not worth his status as a statesman, title chief and leader on the African continent.

It is on record that despite ruling Nigeria for a combined period of 12 years, Obasanjo did not make a significant impact on the lives of the people of Oyo state as the best he did (and still does) was removing an elected governor of the state and refusing to add value in the areas of infrastructure, wealth creation and empowerment of our people.

So, the good people of the Pacesetter state do not hold him in high esteem, and they expect little or nothing from him, even if he has another opportunity to become president again.

However, there is a pertinent question begging for an answer regarding the choice of Obasanjo as the chairman of the occasion at the instance of Gov. Makinde.

The simple truth is that the whole scenario has further exposed the hypocrisy in Gov. Makinde, who has done everything possible to claim the glory of President Bola Tinubus victory in Oyo state in the February 25 presidential election.

How can you be loyal to two opposing characters in a political contest at the same time? It is obvious, Obasanjo is anti-Tinubu and Makinde is also pro-Obasanjo while we watch keenly as the governor continues his tricky game in the political space. Sadare stated.
The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has backed Professor Wole Soyinkas claims that its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, did not win the February 25 election.

The faction made this known in a statement on Saturday, made available by the spokesperson of the faction, Abayomi Arabambi, in support of the comment made by the Nobel Laureate, on the 2023 presidential election.

According to Arabambi, Obi and the factional National Chairman, Julius Abure, knew the truth about the performance of the party at the presidential election, adding that President Bola Tinubu won the election.

He revealed that the party sees the reaction of the Abure faction to Soyinkas statement as nothing but affront and abuse from a rude boy to his grandfather.

Arabambi asserted that the party, in its preparation towards the 2023 elections, had poor logistics, no party agents in the majority of the polling units and suffered dearly for it.

He claimed that the party has been reduced to a regional party under Obi and that he is only interested in national officers of Igbo extraction.

The statement reads: It is condemnable and highly disturbing that rather than going back to the drawing board to meticulously examine where things have fallen apart and re-strategize for 2027 elections, some irredentist masquerading as members of the Labour Party have chosen to attack the highly revered scholar for only re-echoing the truth that is not hidden to discerning Nigerians.

Even Prof. Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, where Obi hailed from, had also said in the past that the probability of Obi clinching third position in the presidential race was very slim, not to talk of winning the elections.

READ MORE: Peter Obi Still Forcing Lies, Deceit For A Party That Came Third  Soyinka

As a party, we knew that Professor Wole Soyinka was right in his submission because how does anyone claim to have won an election based solely on pejoratives, assumption, vague rhetorics and zero evidence pointing to such being the case, but on the expectation that the actual winner would be disqualified and by some stroke of black magic, the candidate in the 3rd place will suddenly be declared winner without any proof of having scored the majority vote is absolute judicial madness on display by Peter Obi, Julius Abure and their blind allies.

We know we lost that election; it was true Obi and Abure wanted to do gbajue because ab initio, even when the Presidential campaign council was formed, in the North, Peter Obi uses Igbo as State Coordinators while northerner remains their deputies.

Thats why we failed woefully. Imagine somebody that has no polling unit result sheet, and no agents in the majority of the polling units now turn around to claim election victory. So, how then do we say we won?

Labour Party has been reduced to a regional party under him as he is only interested in National officers of Igbo extraction.
Nigerian playwright and Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, on Saturday, insisted that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, did not win the election.

Soyinkas statement is coming days after he claimed that the Labour Party is trying to force an impression on Nigerians that the former Governor of Anambra State won the election.

According to him, Atiku and Obi donated the election voluntarily to President Bola Tinubu by running as separate candidates.

The statement was released following the angry reactions by supporters of Obi over Soyinkas statement earlier in the week

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.

READ ALSO: Kano Man Who Wanted Male Child Allegedly Poisons Day-Old Daughter To Death With Otapiapia, Drugs Wifes Tea

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.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo, over the desecrating action towards Oyo monarchs at the inauguration of the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin road in Oyo State.

Recall that Obasanjo had ordered the monarchs to get up to greet Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, during the commissioning of the Iseyin Campus of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Iseyin.

Obasanjo, a special guest of honour at the event, expressed dismay over the behaviour of the kings, describing it as disrespectful toward the Governors office and himself when they were being introduced and the monarchs were seated.

Reacting to Obasanjos remark, Fani-Kayode, in a statement via X, said Obasanjos action saddens him.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain who stated that Obasanjos words and behaviour are a desecration of Yoruba values and a grave insult to the traditional institutions, stressed that Obasanjos support for the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has demystified him in the eyes of most Yoruba traditional rulers.

Fani-Kayode further said that the ex-president displayed Peter Obis spirit of dishonesty and urged him to stop embarrassing those who still respect him.

His words: I am deeply saddened and utterly mortified by the way in which former President Olusegun Obasanjo lambasted our revered traditional rulers in Oyo state and ordered them to stand up and sit down as if they were children.

This is the same OBJ that, once upon a time, displayed his respect, humility, and, I daresay, greatness by bowing, kneeling and prostrating before our monarchs, even when he was President, yet today he talks to them as if they are his garbage collectors and orders them to jump up and down like a molue driver talking to his beleaguered passengers and a motor park tout talking to a bunch of jobless and worthless underlings.

READ ALSO: Nigerias Most Successful Economic Period Was Under Obasanjos Tenure  El-Rufai

Many think that the whole thing is some kind of joke, but I do not. We must not take it lightly, and the truth is that by doing what he did he has spat on all our faces.

I am constrained to be gentle and restrained in my criticism of Baba OBJ on this and so many other issues because of the undying love, respect and reverence I have for him. This is all the more so given the fact that I proudly served in his Government.

However, his association with and support for Peter Obi in the last presidential election has diminished and demystified him in the eyes of most to such an extent that it has become pitiful and embarrassing. It is also indefensible.

How can a man who dedicated his life to and fought for a united Nigeria support a closet secessionist, a political fraud, a patently deceitful, vainglorious and dishonest man and a religious bigot like Peter to be President?

That the great OBJ is now a flaming Obidient is the 8th wonder of the world. It really makes no sense, and it is simply mind-boggling.

What we witnessed when OBJ insulted our traditional rulers in Oyo state yesterday was the Obi spirit, which is now firmly embedded in him at work.

First, he was at a gathering in Awka where the Yoruba race was labelled political rascals by some Igbo leaders without a response from him, and now he has the guts and effrontery to tell our traditional rulers to jump up and down like yoyos and clowns?

Baba, this is too much. Please respect yourself and stop embarrassing those of us who still have some affection and respect left for you.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed two new ministers to lead the Ministry of Youth

Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, who revealed this in a statement listed them to be Ayodele Olawande, Minister of State for Youth and Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth.

According to him, Senate must confirm the appointments.

The President has further approved the nomination of Mr. Ayodele Olawande to serve as the Minister of State for Youth, pending his confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim is a young medical doctor and most recently served as the President of the Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF). She has also served as the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

READ ALSO: Obi, Abure Know LP Truly Lost The Election  Lamidi Apapas Faction Backs Soyinka

Mr. Ayodele Olawande is a community development expert and youth leader in the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). He most recently served in the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Innovation from 2019 to 2023.

President Tinubu charges the above-mentioned nominees to ensure that they consistently reflect the dynamism, innovative zeal, and unyielding productivity that are synonymous with the young people of Nigeria as they discharge their duties, the statement read.

Recall that the Youth Ministry became vacant after the President redeployed Abubakar Momoh to the Niger Delta development Ministry.
Kristen Welker takes over as the new moderator on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday., Sept. 17, 2023. Read more

Philadelphia native Kristen Welker debuts as the new moderator of NBCs flagship politics show Meet the Press on Sunday, and shes not wasting any time putting her own stamp on the long-running show.

Meet the Press will air an interview between Welker and former President Donald Trump during her debut, his first appearance on NBC since June 2019 and his first broadcast TV interview since leaving the White House. The interview was pretaped to allow the network to fact-check Trump, and NBC said the same invitation has been extended to President Joe Biden.

Welker, 47, is no stranger to the news spotlight. Shes covered the White House for NBC since 2011, reporting on three administrations and drawing rave reviews for her role moderating a 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Biden. She offered a glimpse into her approach as moderator last weekend during a send-off for Chuck Todd, whom she credits with bringing her to Washington.

I want to approach this as a reporter. Thats who I am, thats who Ive always been, Welker said. Ive traveled all over world with all of these presidents, and I really want to bring that to the show every Sunday to make sure that we are giving our viewers the information that they need.

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And now my beat, by the way, is all of Washington, the campaign trail and frankly, the world, and I want to be asking those tough questions, Welker added. The role of the moderator is to bring Washington to the rest of America, and vice versa.

Heres everything you need to know about Kristen Welker, the new moderator of Meet the Press:

Kristen Welker discovered journalism in Philly

Welker was raised in Fairmount, and knew in the sixth grade she wanted to be a reporter after watching Barbara Walters dance with Patrick Swayze during a 1988 interview.

She graduated from Germantown Friends School in 1994, and the following year her career goals solidified when her mother, Julie, ran unsuccessfully for Philadelphia City Council.

Some reporters asked her about being married to my father  they have an interracial relationship  as if that was somehow a negative thing, Welker told The Inquirer in a 2016 interview. I think my parents handled it with grace; I would get very upset about this line of questioning. It made me realize how important it is that political reporters are being fair. Tough, but fair.

Welker spent five years at NBC10

Welker interned on the Today show in 1997 while attending Harvard University. After graduating, she spent several years working for ABC affiliates in Providence, R.I., and Redding, Calif., before joining NBC10 as a general assignment reporter in 2005. She later became the stations weekend news anchor.

She remained in Philadelphia for five years before taking a temporary reporting assignment at NBCs Los Angeles bureau. That turned into a role as a network correspondent for NBC News based in Burbank, Calif.

NBC10 has been a jumping-off platform for a number of national media figures. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was once a reporter for the station, and it was the launching pad for CBS News executive editor and former NBC News president Steve Capus. Former NBC Nightly News anchor and MSNBC host Brian Williams covered South Jersey for WCAU when it was still owned by CBS.

Its hard not to feel inspired and excited that Im following in their footsteps, to some extent, Welker told Philly Mag in 2010. It doesnt suggest that Ill rise to the level of Brian Williams.

Welker received widespread praise for role moderating debate

Following the 2020 presidential debate, media figures publicly praised Welkers performance  including Chris Wallace, who faced criticism for the disorder in the first presidential debate.

During Fox News postdebate coverage, Wallace said he was jealous of how the Welker-hosted debate went, according to USA Today. In a tweet, news anchor Dan Rather said he gave a tip of the Stetson to Kristen Welker, whom he called a consummate pro on a big and difficult stage.

Welker was the first Black woman to serve as debate moderator in about three decades, which Washington Post reporter Marissa Lang lauded in a tweet.

I have been waiting for months to watch a woman of color moderate one of these presidential debates and, boy, [Welker] did not disappoint, Lang wrote. Unflappable, smart and in control every step of the way. Expertly done.

So what happens to Chuck Todd?

Todd will stay on staff at NBC, the network reported in June. He plans to serve as chief political analyst, as well as work on long-form news projects that are focused on bridging our divides, piercing these political bubbles, he said in his final appearance as moderator on Sunday.

His role as moderator, he said on his final show, was something my younger self never would have imagined.

I still always have had a pinch me, I cant believe it feeling every time I hear my name introduced as the moderator of the longest running show in the history of television, Todd said. I used to joke my goal is not to be the last moderator of the longest running show in American history, and I have achieved that goal and then some.

Welker is the latest in a long line of Meet the Press moderators

Welker will become the 16th moderator on Meet the Press, the longest-running television show in history, airing consecutively for more than 76 years.

Welker will become the shows first Black moderator and its second female anchor. When Meet the Press launched in 1947, it was hosted by broadcasting pioneer and cofounder Martha Rountree, who remained in the role until 1953.

Probably the most well-known Meet the Press moderator is the late Tim Russert, who anchored the show for more than 16 years until his death in 2008. The Buffalo native placed an emphasis on probing interviews with high-profile Washington guests, and Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008.

Here are the previous moderators of Meet the Press:
Philadelphia police investigating the shooting death of two men late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Read more

Philadelphia police are investigating an early Sunday shooting on North Bonsall Street in North Philadelphia.

Shortly after 2:30 a.m., police responded to a report of a shooting victim on the 2800 block of North Bonsall Street.

A male in his 30s had suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and back. Police transported the victim to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:47 a.m.

No weapon was recovered, and no arrest has been made.

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City police are also investigating the fatal shooting of a man in the citys Fern Rock section late Saturday.

The incident happened shortly before 11:30 p.m., according to police, at West Chew near North Broad Street, close to the SEPTA Olney Transportation Center.

Officers found a man, believed to be in his 20s, laying in the street. He had been shot in the chest, abdomen, and buttocks.

The man was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center where officials said he was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m.

No arrest has been made.

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.
Stoneman Willie, who was accidentally mummified by the local funeral director, and has become sort of a Reading mascot for over 125 years, at the Theo C. Auman Inc. Funeral Home. Read more

Not every funeral home has a mummy. And not every mummy has a name. But that has been the case in Reading, Pa., where for nearly 130 years the preserved remains of a pickpocket, who died in a city jail, and was accidentally mummified by a mortician, have been displayed at a local funeral parlor.

The people of Reading have remained on informal terms with the mummy in their midst. Generations of curiosity seekers and children, church groups, and Sunday school students, researchers and reporters who have peered into the coffin of this man turned to stone have only known him by a nickname: Stoneman Willie. The true identity of Stoneman Willie, arrested under a false name and whose relatives could never be found, has remained an intriguing and morbid mystery.

For many in Reading, for whom the public display of the wizened corpse of a drifter who died in the citys custody has never given them pause, Stoneman Willie became something more than just the local mummy. He became a treasured, if macabre bit of local nostalgia.

He is so endeared in the community, said Kyle Blankenbiller, director of Theo C. Auman funeral home, where Stoneman Willie has lain in an open coffin since 1895. Hes been a legend for so long.

Soon, though, answers to at least some of the questions surrounding the mummy will come to light. As part of Readings weeklong 275th anniversary celebration next month, the city will give Stoneman Willie a proper and long overdue burial, one befitting a legend.

There will be a parade and a week of viewings, for which Stoneman Willie will wear a donated, period-appropriate suit. On Oct. 7, a New Orleans jazz band will lead Stoneman Willies glass-encased hearse down Penn Street to Forest Hills Memorial Park, where a minister will offer prayers. In the quiet of the cemetery, Stoneman Willies true name, identified by Blankenbiller and others after a review, will be revealed, inscribed on a polished stone of black granite.

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Hes our friend, and we want this to be very reverent and respectful, said Blankenbiller, who is overseeing the funeral with city officials.

Organizers are not revealing Stoneman Willies name before the burial, said Blankenbiller. Thats not how Reading has ever known him.

Hes always just been Willie, he said.

Things didnt go so well the last time the funeral home tried to bury Stoneman Willie. Local editorial pages screamed in the early 2000s when it was learned that the owners of the national funeral chain that had bought Aumans were planning on burying Stoneman Willie on the sly. That was before Blankenbiller joined the funeral home. He wanted to do it right.

The timing of the anniversary seemed fitting, said Laura Reppert, city coordinator for the 275th anniversary. Reading, a former factory town now trying to reimagine and revitalize itself, is proud of its past, she said. For so long, Stoneman Willie has been part of that past.

Hes just such a storied part of the history and heritage of Reading, she said. We thought it would be a beautiful thing to dignify him in this way, and to bury him with the pomp and circumstance that he would never have gotten in his real life.

The funeral will mark an end to Stoneman Willies long journey to a place of rest finally free of prying eyes. In life, Stoneman Willie did not want anyone in Reading to know his real name.

An itinerant petty thief and alcoholic, he came to Reading by train from Philadelphia in October of 1895 to pick pockets at the State Firemens Convention, said Blankenbiller, who credited his research to Reading historians Charlie Adams and George Mesier IX. He was quickly arrested for public drunkenness and sent to the old Berks County Prison. There, he said he was 37, and gave his name as either James or William Penn, the records arent clear. Guards noted him as 5-foot-11 and 159 pounds, with sandy brown hair. He spoke in a slight, unidentifiable accent and listed his trade as saddler.

Released days later, he was rearrested a few nights after that burglarizing a boardinghouse (a chambermaid who awakened in the night spotted Willies feet as he scurried under a bed). Police found a gold watch, a razor, and purse in his pockets. None his.

Back in prison, Stoneman Willie shaped his handkerchief into a noose and looped it around the cell door. He survived only when the garment tore. Soon, he suffered acute alcohol withdrawal. He languished over a month before dying in jail of kidney failure.

When no next of kin could be found, his body was released to the Auman funeral home. At the time, embalming was still a relatively new practice. Theo Auman was sure he had a better formula than the commonly used arsenic  one he found for preserving meat in a Philly bookshop.

The chemicals he used exploded Stoneman Willies tissue. Within days, he began to mummify.

The formula was just too high octane, and certainly nothing wed use today, Blankenbiller said.

Auman kept the mummified remains at the funeral home.

He was curious about how long the body would remain preserved in that condition, Blankenbiller said.

Word got out. The press ran with the story (Like Egyptian Mummy, read one Reading Times headline from 1900). Soon, the mummy had his nickname.

Scant details were gleaned from Stoneman Willies cellmate. He told authorities Stoneman Willie had confided to him that he gave a fake name to protect his family name. He did not want to embarrass his well-to-do father back in Ireland, or his wealthy siblings living in New York, the cellmate said.

Still, newspapers settled on a series of possible matches. A Polish nobleman. A murderer. A Reading barfly. All were false leads.

More than anything, people in Reading wanted to see the mummy.

Auman didnt advertise the mummy, Blankenbiller said. But Willies lid was always kept open.

Soon, Reading parents told ghost stories to their children about Stoneman Willie, his mouth agape, his hollow eyes, his clasped hands. Mourners peeped in for a look. Sunday School teachers rang the doorbell.

Can you imagine if you were at school one day and you went home and told your parents you went to a funeral home and saw a mummy? Blankenbiller said.

In more recent years, the funeral home ran a hair analysis to obtain DNA, but nothing was conclusive. National experts did tests, but couldnt find an answer. They did find 20 coins, lodged in Stoneman Willies throat, dating to the early 1900s, and theorized that visitors dropped them in Willies mouth as coins for the dead.

Like the River Styx, said Blankenbiller.

For his part, Blankenbiller was determined to find Stoneman Willies real name before burying him. Earlier this year, he located and visited the grave of the last possible match. He was certain he knew who Willie really was.

Though theyre keeping the name secret for now, Blankenbiller said that the cellmate was right all along. Stoneman Willie was an Irish immigrant worried about disgracing the family name. So he went a century in death without one.

It was shame, Blankenbiller said.

For now, the mummy rests in an upstairs room, Stoneman Willie for just a little while longer.

We hate to see him go, but its time this poor guy had his day of rest, Blankenbiller said.
An April procession in Yerevan, Armenia, honored the 1.5 million people lost to genocide a century ago. Elisa von Joeden-Forgey writes that another genocide looms today. Read more

In the year that marks the 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention, the world faces the real threat of a second Armenian genocide, this time in the contested South Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh.

Since Dec. 12, the Azerbaijani regime of President Ilham Aliyev, openly supported by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been blockading the 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Artsakh by preventing the movement of vital supplies and people along the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting the area to Armenia. On June 15, Azerbaijan completely sealed off the region from the outside world. Even the International Committee of the Red Cross is not able to enter.

This total siege has created a humanitarian crisis that is nearing catastrophe and is now widely believed to constitute an effort at genocide  either by starving the population to death or by forcing it to flee and thus destroying a civilization.

Aliyevs aggressive policies toward the indigenous Armenians in Artsakh are not surprising. His military seized much of the disputed enclave in a 2020 war that ended with Russian peacekeepers in the area. Aliyev now covets the core that remains as well as part of Armenia proper, and he is hoping that Russias preoccupation with Ukraine, Turkeys importance as a broker with Russia, and the European Unions hopes for Azeri natural gas will create a space in which he can act with impunity.

The foot-dragging of the international community in the face of this potential genocide is harder to understand, particularly now that there is so much more awareness of early warning signs and global training of government officials in genocide prevention.

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Genocide experts have taken note of the way in which Aliyevs statements have made clear that he has set his sights on a total victory over the Armenians of Artsakh, which will constitute a fulfillment of, in his words, a historic mission and a restoration of national dignity. His ideology of an Armenian cosmic foe closely resembles the ideologies of some of the most deadly perpetrators of genocide in history.

On the ground, there have been horrific atrocities perpetrated against Armenian civilians and soldiers that aim at humiliating and desecrating Armenian identity, many of which harken back to the atrocities of the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923. Indeed, Aliyevs regime has lauded the Ottoman war criminals who committed those century-old atrocities.

Because of these alarming red flags for genocide since the 2020 war, international nongovernmental organizations and professional groups devoted specifically to the prevention of genocide have been sounding the alarm about a threatened genocide in the region. Some American politicians have joined them.

The Philadelphia-based Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, which I helped found, along with Genocide Watch and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have each published statements and alerts.

Others, including Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, have warned that the population of Artsakh is at serious risk of genocide.

Aliyev is clearly using the blockade as a test of the international communitys commitment to protecting Armenians in their ancestral lands  a test that the international community has so far failed. The international press has displayed only lukewarm interest, and foreign diplomats are engaging in the language of false equivalencies. This sends a dangerous green light to Aliyev.

The hope that genocide can be avoided through a peace deal is naive. And Aliyev has demonstrated time and again his contempt for international law and treaties. Not only has he routinely violated the tripartite cease-fire agreement that ended the 2020 war, but he has also proudly ignored the binding order of the International Court of Justice earlier this year that mandated he immediately lift the blockade.

Almost all the red flags of genocide are evident now. Western leaders ignore them at their peril. The stakes are incredibly high  and not just for Armenians. If the international community sits by idly as a genocide occurs, it could spell the end of multilateralism in the world order.

Genocides are hard to imagine until they happen. Once underway, they are almost impossible to stop. For this reason, 75 years ago, the international community agreed on the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The hope was that with the proper institutions, we may be able to identify this man-made catastrophe before it happens and prevent it.

We have the institutions to stop an Armenian genocide this time around. The question is: Will we use them?

Elisa von Joeden-Forgey is an endowed chair in the department of Holocaust and genocide studies at Keene State College. She is cofounder and executive director of the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, based in Philadelphia.
The initial, overrepeated mantra of Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential campaign was that Florida is the state where woke goes to die. Now, a growing number of scientists and public-health experts are worried that the governor of Americas third-largest state may be adding a second risk of death to that list.

His own citizens.

In what should be seen as an alarming moment in Americas descent into misinformation and political demagoguery, DeSantis hand-picked state surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, is telling Florida residents under age 65 to avoid a new anti-COVID booster vaccine. Thats the exact opposite of what the nations public-health agencies and most experts are recommending to prevent a fall 2023 resurgence of the pandemic. Our would-be POTUS DeSantis is totally on board with his anti-vax medical adviser, claiming he wont allow healthy Floridians to be guinea pigs.

But history and science suggest that some folks who refuse to become guinea pigs could become corpses, or will suffer the debilitating impact of long COVID. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, had two words for the Washington Post about Floridas anti-vaccine guidance: Its dangerous.

Offit told the newspaper theres legitimate debate over who should be prioritized for receiving the new booster  reformulated to attack recent, dominant strains of the coronavirus  but that what Ladapo and DeSantis are doing is casting deeper and unwarranted doubt on the effacy of COVID-19 vaccines more generally. They have been given a platform and abused it, he said.

Indeed, at a moment when objective testing  such as levels of the coronavirus in municipal sewage wastewater  is showing a COVID-19 spike equal to some of the worst peaks in 2020 and 2021, Florida is already at severe risk. In fact, the state with one of the five oldest populations in the United States is currently leading the nation in new COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 11.81 per 100,000 residents, and those numbers have been increasing.

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Given the health danger, its sad but not a total surprise that DeSantis  whose White House bid is badly foundering and trails far behind Donald Trump  would demagogue around vaccines. It was the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 that thrust the then-first-term GOP governor onto the national stage, with his aggressive stance on reopening schools and businesses  popular with voters even if the science is mixed. But DeSantis  like Trump and other top Republicans  initially encouraged the initial vaccine when it was introduced in December 2020. Now, the Florida governor panders to an increasingly conspiratorial and anti-science base of the GOP primary electorate.

If it were an isolated incident, Floridas stance in opposition to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration would be viewed as a stunning assault on the nations public-health infrastructure. But its not an isolated incident. Rather, its another glimpse  courtesy of authoritarian governors and lawmakers in Florida, and also the nations second-largest state in Texas, and elsewhere  of the looming disaster for democracy if Republicans retake the White House on Jan. 20, 2025.

The chances of that happening are 50-50, or better. Most recent polls show that Trump  the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination for the third straight time despite his 91 felony charges  is in a dead heat with President Joe Biden, and thats not even accounting for the GOP advantage in the Electoral College. Meanwhile, the Beltway-based media continues to do a terrible job conveying the stakes for democracy in the 2024 election  yet again on Sunday when Kristen Welker, the new host of NBC News Meet the Press, conducted a debut interview with Trump that generally platformed his authoritarianism and allowed him to spout nonsense on how hed bring peace to Ukraine and bridge the abortion divide, with too little pushback. Instead, journalists could be conveying the risk to the American Experiment by looking at how current Republicans govern.

Under the sway of DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and far-right lawmakers in Wisconsin and elsewhere, red states have become laboratories of autocracy. Theyve laid the groundwork for anti-democratic rule in Washington by inventing voter-fraud scandals (DeSantis election police) and undoing the results of democratic elections (the unwarranted removal of two Florida elected prosecutors). Both DeSantis and Abbott endorse sometimes violent demonization of The Other, with their migrant flights and buses and a killer barrier against refugees in the Rio Grande. Republicans politicize justice by going after the innocent (Wisconsin justice Janet Protasiewicz) and clearing the guilty (Texas AG Ken Paxton). Their opposition to knowledge, science, and the tolerance that DeSantis calls woke is destroying education, with 47% of Floridas public college professors looking for work in other states.

 READ MORE: America is drunk on a warped idea of freedom, and now its killing people | Will Bunch

On one level, the current anti-vax follies in the Sunshine State are a grim warning of how the United States might respond  or not respond  to the next pandemic that arrives on our shores. But the dangerous doctoring of Ladapo also points to something even more insidious: the GOP promise, through a formal agenda known as Project 2025, to demolish the administrative state by undoing civil service protection, so that career servants and experts could be replaced with true believers in the religion of Trumpism.

That would mean that key federal decisions about your health and welfare would be made by zealots like Ladapo, who was hired in 2022 by DeSantis as the states top health official even after his colleagues at the University of California-Los Angeles said the surgeon exaggerated his own experiences in treating COVID-19 and that they wouldnt recommend him for the Florida post because he had created stress and acrimony with his anti-vaccine views.

It wasnt a total surprise, then, that a special task force at the University of Florida, where Ladapo was given a tenured faculty post, found that the states top doc used flawed science and may have violated the schools integrity rules when he recommended that men under 40 should not take the then-current iteration of the COVID-19 vaccine. The panel found that his recommendation  claiming an increased risk of heart problems  was based on a small sample studied with shaky methodology.

And yet Ladapo was not disciplined. Instead, he has become point man for DeSantis 90-degree right-turn on vaccine science, which has coincided with his run for the presidency. The Florida governors early support for COVID-19 vaccines was reflected in the states early 70% vaccination rate, on par with the rest of the United States. That was before DeSantis stuck his finger in the wind and grasped that public-health measures and the public face of those interventions, Dr. Anthony Fauci, were increasingly seen by core GOP voters as threats to liberty from a deep state. Now, only 12% of Floridians received the most recent booster shot, compared to 17% nationwide.

An in-depth analysis by the New York Times earlier this year found that Floridas drop-off in vaccinations left the state ill-prepared when the Delta variant of COVID-19 hit in late 2021. During those months, the newspaper found, Florida actually had a higher death rate than almost any other state. The 23,000 who died in Florida included 9,000 people under age 65, the group that Ladapo now urges not to get a booster; most of those who succumbed, according to the Times, were unvaccinated or had not received the second dose.

How many thousands more of Floridians will die needlessly this fall because of the politically poisonous Big Lie about vaccines from DeSantis and Ladapo? In fact, the current anti-vaccine and anti-federal government rhetoric is so extreme that public health experts are deeply concerned theyll be a drop in other vaccines like the flu shot or protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) headed into the winter virus season. That could be disastrous in a state with so many elderly residents.

These are the stakes, looking ahead to next years election. We dont have to speculate about what Republican government in 2025 and beyond would look like. Just look south to Florida, an authoritarian regime where knowledge and expertise are increasingly despised, cruelty is the point of government, and needless death and despair is on the rise. Meanwhile, pray for the souls of those swayed by the cynical anti-science of DeSantis and Ladapo. They are the only real guinea pigs here.

 READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter
Former U.S. Army Sgt. Peter Farley (left) congratulates his Iraqi interpreter Wisam Al-Baidhani, now a U.S. citizen, who ran the Boston Marathon for charity in 2018. Al-Baidhani's family has been awaiting a special visa to enter the U.S. for seven years. Read more

Theres a gaping hole in the endless argument over immigration  and it drives me up the wall. It involves a crisis that should have united both immigration hawks and doves in an effort to resolve it, yet you rarely hear it mentioned.

Indeed, few Americans are aware that as many as 100,000 Iraqis have yet to receive the visas to which they were legally entitled by an act of Congress  under the so-called P-2 Direct Access Program  because their family members worked for the U.S. military or civilian officials in wartime. This has put their lives at risk up until the present day, from Iraqi Sunni and Shiite Islamists.

Former President Donald Trump shut these families out entirely with his travel ban on Muslims. President Joe Biden has barely done better. And while there is lingering sympathy for Afghan military translators left behind by the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, you rarely hear these days about our betrayals of Iraqis.

One endangered Iraqi family, whose struggles I have been reporting on since 2016, is caught in this shameful mishandling of visas.

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Khalid and Wisam Al-Baidhani, both former U.S. military translators from 2006-2010 and now American citizens  have been trying to rescue their parents and siblings since 2011.

 READ MORE: Wartime allies deserve visas | Trudy Rubin

Their latest, jolting disappointment occurred late last month.

As a result of his service, Khalid was shot in the face by Shiite militiamen while leaving a U.S. base in Baghdad (he returned to work after he recovered). Three years later, Wisam was sent a single bullet wrapped in a note: This is for your heart if you do not stop working for them. Khalids uncle, also a translator, was murdered and his body left in a dumpster.

In 2011, the officers for whom the brothers worked helped them get special immigrant visas for translators for the U.S. military, a program that no longer exists.

Given the risk to their family, the two brothers applied immediately to the P-2 program to get them to America. After five years of security checks and interviews, the family was informed by the U.S. Embassy in 2016 that they were cleared for visas.

But the night before departure, the family received a call from the embassy informing them that their travel clearance was revoked, and shortly afterward, their visas were denied.

 READ MORE: From Iraq, a good-news immigration story | Trudy Rubin

The family had already sold their home and all their possessions and had to move in with a daughter. Khalid told me the reversal shattered his fathers health.

Amazingly, the refusal was reversed on appeal  a rare occurrence, spurred by a campaign by Peter Farley, the former U.S. Army sergeant with whom Wisam went out on daily patrols. Farley gathered nearly 150,000 signatures on an Change.org online petition, and the family was conditionally approved again in 2017.

But then nothing.

Wisam told me in May 2018, Now my family is living in limbo. I feel like this is not the place [country] we were dreaming about. At least the government should allow the families of people who helped U.S. soldiers to come here. All I ask is to be fair.

Farley, Wisams U.S. military buddy, added: These are the people we rely on in our war efforts. What message are we sending?

 READ MORE: A shameful saga of U.S. callousness toward Iraqis who helped our soldiers | Trudy Rubin

Under Trump, that message was clear: betrayal. The P-2 program was virtually shut down during his four years in office. Only 158 Iraqis were admitted to the U.S. in fiscal year 2018.

With the election of Biden, the Al-Baidhanis hoped their chances would improve. Yet the Biden administration suspended the P-2 program for Iraqis in early 2021 because of some suspected misuse, and only restarted it in March 2022. The numbers are creeping up to around 100 admissions a month, which barely touches the backlog.

One apparent reason is the huge lack of sufficient personnel to interview and adjudicate visa applications. But such problems are fixable, as the International Refugee Assistance Project has laid out in an excellent 2022 report.

 READ MORE: Trump immigration disgrace: Not just at the border, but blocking legal arrivals, too | Trudy Rubin

Nor has the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made its impenetrable procedures any clearer. The Al-Baidhanis family was finally reinterviewed in Baghdad on Aug. 23 for a total of nine hours about every mundane detail of their lives, friends, work, travel, and associations.

But instead of finally getting visa approval, they received a printout stating that further review of your eligibility was required, and we are unable to estimate how long it will take to make a final decision. This, after 12 years in process.

We served in the army, we proved our loyalty. This is so frustrating, Khalid told me by phone this week. There is no way to find out how long it will take. And during the interview, they never mentioned us brothers, or my uncle, or the sacrifice we made.

Equally upset was Wisams congressman, Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.), who has cowritten a letter about the case to Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This is not only frustrating, it is outrageous, McGovern told me. This family is put on an endless merry-go-round, given that the two brothers served and got threats, and were shot.

We have a special obligation to those who helped us, and this family should be reunited, McGovern said. Yet we have been given no reason why it hasnt happened. There clearly is no sense of urgency.

Thats absolutely unacceptable. The White House could make this program a bipartisan success story that would offset Americas growing reputation as a country that betrays its allies. That would also require visa action on left-behind Afghans who helped Americans.

But in the meantime, the immigration service should let the Al-Baidhanis family in immediately. There is no conceivable excuse for holding them in limbo for a moment more.
Biden impeachment

Thank heavens for Trudy Rubins column, especially the one on the House impeachment effort. She offers large doses of truth confronting and refuting the outrageous and absurd propaganda that has perpetually characterized President Joe Biden as the head of a criminal family and convicted Ukraine as totally corrupt.

Political operatives from right-wing television and biased social media outlets have been working overtime  and with great success  to discredit Biden with untruths, and also to ignore the humanitarian suffering of millions being perpetrated by the Russian terrorist invasion of a sovereign nation.

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This Orwellian strategy is simple. Just keep repeating the same lies over and over without any evidence and the populace will soon be turned into believing lemmings. Sounds familiar.

Tactics used so well by the totalitarians decades ago.

Joseph Batory, Philadelphia

. . .

If anyone needs more proof that the United States government is broken beyond repair, look no further than the impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. Sadly, the precedent has been set that it is normal to impeach the sitting president when the opposite political party has control of the House of Representatives. Denigrating impeachment to what it was while Donald Trump was in (and out) of office, and whats happening now is surely not what the Founding Fathers intended when the Constitution was written.

Nick DOrazio, Conshohocken, nickdorazio01@gmail.com

Taking a stand

This is a plea for Pennsylvania Republican representatives to petition the secretary of the commonwealth to disallow Donald J. Trump from being on the primary ballot, per Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Leadership should promote a non-MAGA extremist candidate who did not support the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Leadership should have more productive pursuits than enabling insurrectionists to blather on about being insurrectionists. Please protect democracy.

Craig McBride, Coatesville

Questionable strategy

A recent article about the coming election noted that [Cherelle] Parker is expected to coast to victory ... [she is] rarely seen in public ... In addition, the article reported that the Parker campaign would slow roll requests for interviews. Is this Parkers overall strategy? Hide, refuse to appear with or debate David Oh, and hope the public wont notice as Parker coasts to victory. Is this a harbinger of how she will govern as mayor  hide and hope people wont notice? The citizens of Philadelphia deserve better.

Tom Elsasser, Philadelphia

Empty audience

Theres a very simple solution to the issue of having white nationalist Jared Taylor speak at Penn: Let him spew his garbage to an empty room. If no one shows up to listen to his filth, hes talking only to himself and to his ultra-right collaborative professor.

Steve Arcidiacono, Havertown

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in the Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
Felicia Williams, a technician in radiology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) positions a 2,000-year-old child mummy for a CT, or "cat scan," on Sunday morning. A mummy obtained by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology goes through a CT scan test at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Sunday, October 7, 2018. The mummy is assumed to be a girl that lived around 270-280 CE during the Roman period in Egypt. The scans will be used to create a 3-D model for researchers to further investigate. Read more

In the hushed early-morning hours Sunday, a team of anthropologists gingerly lifted a plain white box, roughly three-feet long, and slid it into the back of a staffer's SUV parked in front of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. There was nothing remarkable about the foam-core box. And that's exactly how the museum staff planned it, so as not to catch the attention of thieves.

It held a 2,000-year-old treasure: a child mummy that had come to Philadelphia by way of Egypt.

"Unfortunately, there's an antiquities market around the world. Things have value," explained James Mathieu, head of collections at Penn Museum on South Street, near 32nd Street. "You just have to be smart about not screaming out to the world, 'Hey, I'm a target.'"

About 7:30 a.m., museum curators and anthropologists transported the mummified remains a short distance to a loading dock at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. There, they were met by Sabah Servaes, a pediatric radiologist who agreed to conduct a CT, or cat scan, on the mummy  a first in the hospital's 163-year-old history.

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Penn Museum staff already knew some things about the ancient remains. They believe the remains are of a girl, based on the painted decorations on the plaster mask and linen shroud. She lived about 270 to 280 AD  a "newer mummy," given that she was born roughly 1,000 years after King Tut. The style of her shroud indicates she lived in a region of Egypt under Roman control at the time near what is now the city of Luxor. An X-ray, taken about a year ago, revealed "skeletal abnormalities," anthropologist Samantha Cox noted.

"She looks like she's the size of a 2-year-old, but her skeletal development, the growth of her teeth and bones, is more like a 5-year-old," Cox said. "Maybe a type of dwarfism."

There was so much more to learn, and Cox and her colleagues hoped that a CT scan, which can produce a 3-D image, would help solve the mystery of how she died or whether she suffered from any disease.

"It's likely she still has some organs," Cox said.

She would soon find out.

Ancient Egyptians practiced some form of mummification over a span of 5,000 years. "They believed that the person's life force would return to its own body after they died so they made every effort possible to preserve the body," said Jen Wegner, an Egyptologist and associate curator at the museum.

Typically, the internal organs were removed and the body was "dried out" by packing it in salt for about 70 days. Then the body was "anointed with oils" and wrapped in layers of linen, which is painted with designs that protect the dead, said Wegner.

At a CHOP loading dock, security guards rolled out a child-sized hospital gurney draped with a blue sheet. Wegner and Mathieu carefully carried the mummy from the back of the car to the gurney. The idea was to use a private elevator to bring the mummy up to the radiology department on the second floor, but they couldn't get it to work. The group maneuvered to a different back entrance.

"She's been waiting almost 2,000 years so I guess she can wait a little longer," joked Yael Eytan, the museum's director of marketing and communications.

"Is she cursed?" Wegner laughed, eyeing the box.

"She's too little to be cursed," Cox said.

Once upstairs in radiology, museum staff opened the box, removing bubble wrap and paper tissue to reveal the tiny mummy with an ornate mask and linen painted with images of Anubis, a funerary god in the form of a jackal, and Sokar, a god shaped like a falcon, along with lotus flowers, a symbol of birth and regeneration.

The whole scene felt surreal to CHOP security guard Rachel Wherry, who volunteered to stand sentry over the mummy. "This is history right here," she said.

CHOP radiologic technologist Felicia Williams, wearing purple rubber gloves, positioned the mummy and then went into an adjoining control room to run the CT machine, the outside of which was painted with colorful zoo animals. "We ready to rock-and-roll?" Williams asked radiologists.

Unlike with a pediatric patient, doctors didn't have to worry about using the highest dose of radiation to produce the best details. Williams took 5,202 images in horizontal and vertical slices, which are then layered together to form a 3-D reconstruction.

Within minutes, the team of radiologists and anthropologists huddled around computers said they could see that some of her organs were still there. Her ribs and teeth are mostly intact, but the girl's skull had collapsed into pieces. Cox said she is pretty sure the damage to the skull occurred long after death.

"Basically, the way bone fractures once someone has been dead for a while is different than the way it fractures when people are alive," Cox said. "You can see the fracture patterns, and it doesn't hold its shape and it breaks a little more like glass does, so at a lot of right angles that are very sharp. When you are alive, it breaks more like a windshield on a car, like kind of rounded spider cracks, which we don't really see here."

In fact, many parts of the skeleton appear to have been damaged post-mummification. (Archaeologists excavated her sometime in the late 19th century.)

"You can see the knees don't quite line up the way they should and the feet are gone. They've actually been placed on top of the shin bones," Cox said, "and that whole disturbance is probably from even after she was mummified. It might be from when they excavated her and they kind of knocked things around."

Cox and CHOP radiologist Seth Vatsky noted a curve in the girl's spine, an indication that perhaps the girl had suffered from scoliosis. Servaes, the other radiologist, pointed out what she calls "growth recovery lines," or dense lines in the bones that could mean the girl's growth development bounced back after an illness or injury.

"It's a positive term," Servaes said. "In the living, we really like that."

"Oh, I see. I'm not used to working with living people," Cox said, laughing slightly. They're called "Harris lines," or growth arrest lines, in archaeology.

"It's basically if you had an episode where you aren't growing properly, maybe because you don't have proper nutrition or because you've been very, very sick, but something where your body has got to put all that energy into more surviving, than growing, but then recovers from it," Cox said, adding that it's hard to know whether the condition led to her death.

Cox said they will continue to study the CT images closely in coming weeks to see what other mysteries  or answers  the mummy may yield.

The public will have a chance to see the mummy when it goes on display at Penn Museum in February.
Bank stocks are notorious for trading at prices below book value per share, even when a bank's revenue and earnings are on the rise. As banks grow larger and expand into nontraditional financial activities, especially trading, their risk profiles become multidimensional and more difficult to construct. This increases business and investment uncertainties.

This is presumably the main reason why bank stocks tend to be conservatively valued by investors who must be concerned about a bank's hidden risk exposures. Trading for their own accounts as dealers in various financial derivatives markets exposes banks to potentially large-scale losses, something investors have decided to take into full consideration when valuing bank stocks.

Key Takeaways The book value per share is a company's book value for every common share outstanding. The book value is the difference between total assets and liabilities.

Bank stocks tend to trade at prices below their book value per share as the prices consider the increased risks from a bank's trading activities.

The price-to-book (P/B) ratio can be used to compare a company's market cap to its book value. This provides a comparison of market price to shareholders' equity rather than earnings, which can fluctuate more often, particularly through trading activities.

An above-one P/B ratio means the stock is being valued at a premium in the market to equity book value, whereas a below-one P/B ratio means the stock is being valued at a discount to equity book value.

Companies with large trading activities usually have P/B ratios below one because the ratio considers the inherent risks of trading.

It Is More Accurate Than Price-To-Earnings

Book value per shareor total shareholders' equity divided by total outstanding sharesis a way to value bank stocks. The price-to-book (P/B) ratio is applied with a bank's stock price compared to equity book value per share, meaning that the ratio looks at a company's market cap compared to its book value.

The alternative of comparing a stock's price to earnings, or price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, may produce unreliable valuation results, as bank earnings can easily swing back and forth in large variations from one quarter to the next due to unpredictable, complex banking operations.

Using book value per share, the valuation is referenced to equity with less ongoing volatility than quarterly earnings in terms of percentage changes because equity has a much larger base, providing a more stable valuation measurement.

Price-To-Book Shows Discount or Premium

The P/B ratio can be above or below one, depending on whether a stock trades at a price more than or less than equity book value per share. An above-one P/B ratio means the stock is being valued at a premium in the market to equity book value, whereas a below-one P/B ratio means the stock is being valued at a discount to equity book value.

For instance, Capital One Financial (COF) and Citigroup (C) had P/B ratios of 0.73 and 0.436, respectively, on Sep. 15, 2023.

Proprietary trading in banks can lead to substantial profits, but trading, particularly derivatives, comes with significant amounts of risk, often through leverage, that must be considered when evaluating a bank.

Many banks rely on trading operations to boost core financial performance, with their annual dealer trading account profits all in the billions. However, trading activities present inherent risk exposures and could quickly turn to the downside.

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) in 2021 saw its stock trading at a premium due to its equity book value per share, with a P/B ratio of 1.24 at the end of 2021. One reason for this was that Wells Fargo was relatively less focused on trading activities than its peers, potentially reducing its risk exposures.

Price-To-Book Valuation Risks

While trading mostly derivatives can generate some of the biggest profits for banks, it also exposes them to potentially catastrophic risks. A bank's investments in trading account assets can reach hundreds of billions of dollars, taking a large chunk out of its total assets.

For Q4 2021, Bank of America (BAC) recorded its equity trading revenue at $1.4 billion, while its fixed-income trading revenue was $1.6 billion over the same period. Moreover, trading investments are only part of a bank's total risk exposures when banks can leverage their derivatives trading to almost unimaginable amounts and keep them off the balance sheets.

For example, at the end of 2021, Bank of America had total derivatives risk exposure of more than $18 trillion, and Citigroup had more than $47 trillion. These stratospheric numbers in potential trading losses dwarfed their total market caps at the time of $377.8 billion and $122.8 billion for the two banks, respectively.

Faced with such a magnitude of risk uncertainty, investors are best served to discount any earnings coming out of a bank's derivatives trading. Despite being partly responsible for the extent of the 2008 market crash, banking regulation has been minimized over the past few years, leading banks to take on increasing risks, expand their trading books, and leverage their derivatives positions.

What Is a Good Price to Book Value for Banks? It depends on your risk tolerance, but generally, a ratio close to 1.0 is ideal. If it gets too far below or above one, it might indicate that you should investigate further before investing.

What Is the Best Ratio To Value Banks? There are several ratios used, but one of the most popular is the price to book. Some examples are the gross non-performing asset, net non-performing asset ratios, and the net interest margin ratio in your evaluation. Whichever you choose, make sure you compare it to industry averages for similar banks.

What Is the Largest Bank by Value? If you prefer market cap to look at total value, JP Morgan & Chase is usually at the top of the list of largest banks.

The Bottom Line

Banks and other financial companies may have attractive price-to-book ratios, putting them on the radar for some value investors. However, upon closer inspection, one should pay attention to the enormous amount of derivatives exposure that these banks carry. Of course, many of these derivatives positions offset each other, but a careful analysis should be undertaken nonetheless.
Dublin is a port city with an active fishing fleet, and a signature song about a lady who sold shellfish alive-alive-o. And yet it has a dispiritingly small number of seafood restaurants for a city of its size.

This same thought occurred to restaurateur Joe Oualadi, I suspect. Just a few weeks ago he opened The Seafood Bar on the corner of Blessington Street and Dorset Street, just a few doors down from his pizza restaurant The Wood Fire Cafe.

Dorset Street is one of the most unloved streets in Dublin and long overdue a rejuvenation, especially at the Blessington St. end. This is the street where Sean OCasey was born after all, and Leopold Bloom lived on Eccles St. just a step away. Maybe the Seafood Bar will start a trend  the best place to open a restaurant is near another busy one.

And it is busy, I visited for a late lunch on a sunny Tuesday and even in mid-afternoon there were still plenty of customers dropping by. The menu is Spanish-themed and I was pleased to see Kellys, Flaggy Shore and Rossmore oysters (15 for 6, 28 for 12) as well as the famed Ensaladilla Rusa Anchovies from Cantabria (9).

We decided to skip these famed treats and began with a snack course entitled Bread (9) which included crunchy sweet Pan con Tomate, silky Iberico bellota ham slices and marinated Malaga olives and a jar of pickles. A bargain starter.

Calamari & Shrimp at The Seafood Bar

Next came Deep-Fried Calamari with Shrimp (14) served with a well-executed Tartar Sauce. The shrimps were tiny and sweet (as they should be), but the calamari had been breaded and fried at least a minute or two longer than needed so were rather rubbery  the only unsatisfactory item in our meal.

Tuna Poke Tacos at The Seafood Bar

The calamari was soon forgotten once we tried the Tuna Poke Tacos (14)  freshly made blue corn tortilla filled with raw tuna, chopped avocado and peppers with sliced cucumber and green chilli. I loved the freshness of these as did my guest although he would have liked a little more chilli to add extra heat.

Amejas Al Ajillo (14) came next, a cast-iron pan of spanking fresh clams coated with garlicky salsa verde that enhanced the briny sweet flavours rather than overpowered  perfect. Of course, we had to try the Patatas Bravas (6), properly crispy chunks of potato topped with aioli and a lightly spicy tomato sauce, while Hand Cut Fries (5) were also good, properly crispy and nicely salted.

Valencia Paella at The Seafood Bar

Valencia Paella (36) was large enough to share and had pleasing chunks of monkfish plus fresh prawns and mussels nestling in earthy sweet saffron-flavoured rice. The trick with the best paella is to cook the rice until the grains are tender and creamy but not soggy, and ideally a socarrat crust has begun to form underneath (but has not yet begun to catch and burn). The Seafood Bar had it virtually spot on and this was as good as many a Paella Ive eaten in Spain.

The wine list is short but with some good choices including Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet, Zarate Albarino and a relatively rare Italian Pinot Noi  Endrizzi Pinot Nero imported by A Taste of Italy from Wexford, a solidly reliable importer. Our bottle of organic Pinzeri Grillo from Sicily was also from A Taste of Italy and was very fairly priced at 36. Grillo is always a good choice for seafood I find, and this had that classic combination of lemon-tinged peach and tropical fruits balanced by texture and acidity  it worked particularly well with the Paella.

For dessert we opted for Tiramisu (7) and Crema Catalana (7), the tiramisu having a pleasing coffee kick and the correct texture while the Crema Catalana had a rich custard base beneath a properly caramel crisp top. A complimentary glass of Amaretto each was another welcome treat.

The Seafood Bar is warmly recommended, the kind of casual quality restaurant we all wish we could stroll to from our house  Molly Bloom (from Gibraltar after all) would have loved it.

The Verdict:
Gardai are seeking the public's help to find a missing man from Cork.

Kieran Quilligan was last seen on Friday, September 1 at around 9.30pm.

Gardai say they are "very concerned" for his safety and well-being.

They say that an "extensive investigation into the disappearance of Kieran Quilligan is ongoing, coordinated from an Incident Room established at the Bridewell garda station."

Mr Qullligan was reported missing on September 1 after he had left a premises on Anderson's Quay at around 8.30pm.

He was in the company of another man at that time.

A number of CCTV enquiries have been carried out to track Kieran's last movements through the city.

He moved from Anderson's Quay towards Sullivan's Quay and subsequently to Proby's Quay.

The last known movement of Kieran Quilligan is entering St Finbarrs Place, off Probys Quay.

The last known sighting of Kieran Qulligan, entering St Finbarrs Place, off Probys Quay. Picture: Gardai

In addition to tracking Kierans movements on CCTV, gardai have spoken to a number of witnesses and have carried out a search along St Finbarrs Place.

They say: "It is not known how Kieran Quilligan left St Finbarrs Place. There is no further sighting of Kieran Quilligan at this time."

Kieran is described as being approximately 57" in height with a medium build, brown/grey hair and blue eyes. He has a large tattoo on the side of his head.

When last seen Kieran was wearing a black baseball hat, an orange t-shirt, blue zip-up hooded jacket, blue Under Armour tracksuit pants and black Nike runners.

A family liaison officer has been appointed to Kierans family who will be kept updated on this missing persons investigation.

A Garda spokesperson said: "Anyone with any information on Kieran's whereabouts is asked to contact the Bridewell Garda station on 021 4943330, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station."
The Taoiseach did not overrule the Agriculture Minister on the EU nitrates derogation issue, a Government colleague has insisted.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue last week made clear that Brussels would not reverse its decision to reduce the volume of nitrogen produced per hectare in Ireland.

Ireland is one of three EU member states that is granted a derogation to enable some farmers to work to a higher nitrate limit than is applied in the rest of the bloc.

However, that allowance is now being reduced in response to concerns about water quality levels in Ireland.

Farmers held protests at Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels respective think-in events last week, insisting the reduction in the nitrate limit would force them to reduce herd sizes.

At the Fianna Fail picket in Co Tipperary, the farmers declined to have a meeting with Mr McConalogue, insisting they would only speak with his party leader and Tanaiste Micheal Martin.

Charlie McConalogue had said Brussels would not reverse its decision (PA)

At the Fine Gael think-in later in the week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met farming representatives in Co Limerick and during talks he agreed to invite EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius for a meeting in Ireland to discuss the derogation issue.

That led to suggestions that the Taoiseach had intervened to overrule Mr McConalogues position that he would not be going back to the EU to renegotiate the limit cut.

Fine Gael minister of state at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon rejected that characterisation.

He said the meeting requested by the Taoiseach would focus more on the renewal of the four-year derogation when the current one expires at the end of 2025.

Mr Heydon accompanied Mr Varadkar at the meeting with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) in Limerick on Friday.

Just to nail this point, the Taoiseach did not go over his head (Mr McConalogues), Mr Heydon told RTE Radio Ones This Week programme.

Leo Varadkar told farmers he would invite the EU commissioner to Ireland to discuss the derogation issue (PA)

I spoke with Minister McConalogue straight after the meeting with the IFA to brief him on what had happened in the meeting. He had been in the Agriculture Committee at that time and he filled me in on how that had gone.

He was happy enough for that letter (invitation) to go to commissioner because thats following on from an invitation that he has extended to the commissioner and that letter to the commissioner is in consultation with minister McConalogue. Its an important point.

Mr Heydon said it was clear that the commissioner would not revisit the nitrate reduction, however he said details still had to be worked out on the mapping zones of where it would apply.

Fianna Fail minister of state Niall Collins also insisted the EU was not for turning on the derogation issue.

I think we have to face up to the challenge of improving our water quality in this country, he told RTEs The Week In Politics programme.

There is a challenge, obviously, for the Government and for the farming community to work our way through this and were committed to doing that.
You have to hide who you are, Sinead OConnor once said, giving voice to the depth of the stigma that clings to severe mental ill-health.

Indifferent to the effects of detox celery juice, butt-shaping spinning classes, or trendy mindfulness rituals, severe mental illness refuses to yield to the quick fix. From its messiness, its complexity, and its cruelty, we turn away, even as we begin to normalise and raise the profile of milder forms of mental distress.

Despite our efforts to sanitise it, severe mental illness is a big white elephant in the room. You cant hide it and it doesnt go away, the same as if you lost your leg or fractured your spine", says Izabella McKeown, a 42-year-old Ukrainian woman who has lived in Dublin for over two decades.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, McKeown has been working as an immigration officer in Saggart. Within the first few minutes of our meeting, the civil servant tells me about her 18-year-old daughter, who was just one year old when, in 2006, McKeown experienced her first episode of psychosis.

An umbrella term, psychosis describes a collection of symptoms that interfere with your capacity to perceive and interpret reality. It can be a feature of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, severe depression, and the diagnosis which McKeown received in her 25th year  bipolar affective disorder.

McKeown remembers the circumstances surrounding her first breakdown vividly: I was having a hard time as a mother because my family was at home in Ukraine and there was no one to help. Weaning my daughter off breastfeeding was difficult and I was sick  always so moody.

For McKeown, her diagnosis was precipitated by a psychotic episode during mania, which she describes as a period of heightened energy, sleeplessness, and chaotic thoughts.

When youre manic, youre high, youre not in touch with reality. Youre really not able to work or do anything

You struggle to do the everyday things like washing and getting dressed because youre constantly in your mind, which is racing.

"You start doing erratic things like getting rid of your important paperwork or your jewellery collection at charity shops. So much is going on inside your head that you can snap at people on the bus, start yelling at random strangers, or even commit crimes. Youre in such a vulnerable state, and when youre out of the mania, you think, Oh, what did I do?

'It wears you down'

For Lorcan OConnor, a 29-year-old barman and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher from Galway, mania was one of the best feelings you could experience, a fun chaos, a kind of elation".

Yet, as he and McKeown outline in painstaking detail, this drug-like high comes at an enormous cost.

Its totally unsustainable, OConnor says.

It just wears you down and becomes this vicious self-reinforcing cycle: you cant sleep because youre thinking all the time  a million thoughts per minute  and youre thinking all the time because you cant sleep. It gets to the point where you really need to seek help or, more often than not, someone else seeks help for you.

Mania is insidious because, from the inside, everything feels and looks normal, according to OConnor, who has experienced two episodes of mania and two episodes of severe depression since his diagnosis at the age of 22.

Reflecting on his first bout of mania, he says: I really honestly thought that there was nothing wrong with me at all because I felt great. I even remember seeing a GP who tried to explain to me that I was experiencing this abnormal state of elation, and becoming so angry that I left the consultation. I just couldnt grasp it.

Over a span of about six months, OConnors first manic episode took shape gradually from a state of moderate anxiety to what felt like an explosion in [his] mind".

He was going to paint 20 million paintings, despite never having painted before in his life. He wrote a play fuelled by the bizarre conviction that everything was cosmically linked  a play which, upon being examined in a lucid state, turned out to be almost unintelligible. Just prior to being hospitalised, OConnor says that he went over a cliff".

The barman-turned-novelist, who will soon be working as a mental health peer support worker at the University of Galway, has had zero hospital admissions in the last two years. Having self-published Binge, a mental health-themed novel, during his last depressive episode three years ago, he says that channelling his more uncomfortable emotional states into writing has helped to contain the chaos.

Equally crucial to maintaining his recovery is his adherence to his medications, something which OConnor admits demanded a deliberate shift in his perspective.

When I got out of hospital that first time, I had the mentality of thats that done, he admits.

I dont have an illness; this was just a blip of some kind.

So, I came off the meds and I spiralled again and hit another manic episode. Thats when it really dawned on me: this is a long-term condition that needs to be managed

Its a [lifelong] condition. It doesnt just go away, echoes McKeown, who emphasises all the hard work and deliberate effort it has taken to maintain her wellness, as well as the price many like her continue to pay in negative social judgment.

After spending six weeks in the hospital on medication following her first manic episode, McKeown describes coming back to herself again, though the stigma she encountered was deep-rooted and pervasive.

I lived in a close-knit neighbourhood. Everyone knows each other. I got Get Well cards from kids down the road, but they all talked behind my back. If I passed my neighbours on the street, they would whisper to each other.

McKeown has been well for eight years now, a stability which she attributes both to medication and her engagement with a range of community services. In particular, she has forged strong connections within her local Alcoholics Anonymous and gained social and employment support from Saol Clubhouse in Finglas. Her roles as an Ambassador for See Change with the national mental health organisation, Shine, and a peer support worker for the Housing Association for Integrated Living (HAIL), hold great significance for her.

Oh, your mother is mad'

Though she is now an active member of her community, McKeown often reflects on the period from 2006 to 2016, which she identifies as the most difficult of her life. During this decade, marked by alternating episodes of mania and depression, she lacked a circle of friends and saw the breakup of her marriage, which resulted in several years of separation from her daughter.

It was very hard for my ex-husband to see me the way I was, she recalls.

Living with a child in the house, he wanted to protect [our daughter] from my mania. While my daughter and I are close todayshe knows that I love her dearlyshe made the decision at the time [of the marriage breakdown] not to see me very often. In school, they would have said to her, Oh, your mother is mad.

In addition to the stigma attached to having a mother with bipolar disorder, McKeown believes that her daughters choice to separate herself may have been influenced by the substantial heritability of her illness. Research indicates that if one parent has bipolar disorder, there exists a 10% likelihood that their child will also develop the condition.

My daughter can be moody as well, and shes terrified that she might inherit it. I think she didnt want to be near me at the time because she thought that if she could just distance herself from me, maybe she wouldnt get it too

McKeown is not the only one for whom the shadow of mental illness lingers in the family.

Pat [who wishes not to disclose his surname], a 57-year-old home care assistant from Glasnevin, Dublin, experienced his first major depressive episode at the age of 26, after he was called to identify his mother following her death by an alcohol overdose.

I used to follow my mother around when she was an alcoholic. She brought me from pub to pub and town to town when I was only seven or eight years of age. All that stuff was there and it had never been addressed, says Pat.

For Pat, his first breakdown in 1992 marked merely the tip of the iceberg, floating on top of years of buried trauma. During his second major depressive episode in 2018, he lay in bed in the foetal position, unable to return to his former retail job. It was not until last year, after having lived with depression for three decades, that Pat sought professional help. He was admitted to a local mental health facility, and so began what he describes as the search for what was underneath the iceberg.

Now an outpatient, Pat volunteers for both the mental health charity Aware and the suicide bereavement support charity HUGG. He believes that there remains a lack of societal understanding about the debilitating nature of severe mental illness and the types of support people require when they are faced with it.

[Clinical depression] is different to alcoholism. People used to say, Bring your mother down to the pub and sit her in the corner with us and well make sure she only has one or maybe two drinks, he explains.

But when it comes to a mental health crisis, people dont understand. They think, Give yourself a kick up the ass. You have a job and you have a family and you have a good car, so what are you whining about?

But what its really like is youre two feet away from the ladder. You know you want to get to the ladder but you cant put one foot in front of the other to get to it. When youre in that dark place where you can see the ladder but you cant move, thats when you need a kind word. Its very important that people dont judge.

What is Pats recipe for mental health?

Its like a child with different foods. You have to put all the different things in their reach and eventually theyll reach for one of them, he says. For OConnor, the process of finding mental health supports and management tools is akin to choosing a genre of musicthere is no one-size-fits-all.

The same might be said for each persons unique experience of stigma. While both McKeown and Pat seem to perceive stigma as an external force, Lorcan conceptualises it as an internal battle: Nobody ever came up to me and said, You were acting weird, or pointed the finger at me. Ive never really experienced that kind of stigma. For me, stigma has always been something inside myself, saying, This is wrong. I shouldnt be like this.

Amidst all these natural variations, however, one truth remains constant: mental illness is neither a matter of choice nor something that can be dispelled through magical thinking. Despite societys efforts to conceal and sanitise it, serious mental illness remains resistant to the attempt, as OConnor describes it, to lock it away in a box in the past.

Equally harmful, however, is the stereotype that people with mental illness live lives that are unrelentingly dark, humourless, and devoid of any significant contribution to our society. For McKeown, mental health is the process of recovering a life that is meaningful to you and doing your best in the world, though you may be limited in many, many ways.

She says: Theres a lot of people suffering with mental illness who, because of shame, dont want to talk about it. If they only had the courage to talk about it more, it would empower the rest of us to live more openly.

In the spirit of Sinead OConnors refusal to hide the truths of severe mental ill-health, McKeown, Pat, and Lorcan OConnor choose to live and share their stories openly, each with a determination to support others facing similar challenges.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has held discussions with Russias defence minister on strengthening strategic and tactical co-ordination between the two countries, according to state media.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the talks with Sergei Shoigu took place during Mr Kims visit to Russia which has seen him visit some of Russias most advanced weapons systems, including nuclear-capable bombers and hypersonic missiles, and a key warship from the Pacific fleet.

Mr Kim also appears to be using his trip to encourage broader exchanges between the countries as he tries to break out of diplomatic isolation.

Russias RIA Novosti state news agency released a video of Mr Kim visiting the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island.

Kim Jong Un, centre, with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, right, at an airport near the port city of Vladivostok (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

The governor of Russias Primorye region, which includes Vladivostok, said he plans to meet with Mr Kim on Sunday to discuss exchange programs for schoolchildren and other ways to cooperate in sports, tourism and culture.

Russian media said the Korean leader may also visit food industry businesses in Primorye.

A day after visiting an aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Mr Kim was given a tour of an airport near Vladivostok containing warplanes which have seen active use in the war in Ukraine.

Mr Kim and Mr Shoigu later inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate where Russias navy commander, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Korean leader on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles which Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

KCNA, which has reported on the trip a day late, said Mr Kim was accompanied on Saturdays visits by his top military officials.

At a performance of Tchaikovskys Sleeping Beauty ballet performance, KCNA said Mr Kim received a rousing ovation and expressed deep thanks to the performers and the theatre for their impressive and elegant ballet of high artistic value.

RIA Novosti said he left after the first act.
Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame.

Four women, including one who was just 16 at the time, have alleged sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, as well as starring in Hollywood films.

The comedian and actor also faces allegations of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Russell Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set (James Manning/PA)

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and in a video posted online, stated all of his relationships have been consensual, before accusing the media of a co-ordinated attack.

It comes after Channel 4 Dispatches aired a 90-minute film titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight on Saturday night, which saw four unidentified women detail their allegations, and other women speak of their experiences working with Brand on TV sets.

It included Brands former personal assistant Helen Berger, who called him a narcissist in an interview for the programme.

Meanwhile, Brand appeared as scheduled at the 2,000-capacity Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London to perform a sold-out comedy gig on Saturday evening.

Russell Brand leaving comedy gig while facing claims about his sexual behaviour at the height of his fame (James Manning/PA)

His show, titled Bipolarisation, had been due to begin at 7pm, but was delayed by more than 45 minutes and lasted around an hour.

While not directly addressing the allegations, audience members told the PA news agency Brand said he hoped they could appreciate there were things he could not talk about during the set.

The allegations made against Brand include one woman who claims she was sexually assaulted during a three-month relationship with him 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 talent agency Tavistock Wood.

A statement given to the PA news agency by Tavistock Wood 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 his video statement, posted online ahead of the publication of the claims, Brand said he was facing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.

The 48-year-old continued: 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 Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee chair, Caroline Dinenage, said that MPs would be closely monitoring the response to the allegations against Brand.

The Sunday Times has reported some very serious and concerning allegations against Russell Brand. In yet another story of alleged power exploitation within the TV industry, his behaviour has been characterised as an open secret by those in his orbit, she said.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee are keen to understand the response of the police to the body of evidence collected. We will be closely monitoring the responses of the media, especially our public service broadcasters, to these allegations, and looking at the questions that this, yet again, raises about the culture in the industry as a whole.

During his career, Brand achieved prominence as host of Big Brothers spin-off show Big Mouth for three years until 2007.

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.

The broadcaster added that in the years since the alleged incidents took place, there has been extensive change at Channel 4 and now has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct, it said.

Comedian Russell Brand in 2006 (Ian West/PA)

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Brand previously said he had no regrets about his previous sexual behaviour, claiming to have had intimate relationships with hundreds of women in the past.

In 2008, Brand made headlines for his BBC Radio 2 prank, now known as Sachsgate, when he and guest Jonathan Ross 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  with a third on the way.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry married in 2010 (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 three dates left in September.
Poland has begun enforcing a European Union ban on all Russian-registered passenger cars seeking to enter the country  the latest in a series of sanctions on Russia in punishment for its war against Ukraine.

Under the EUs decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc.

A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland,

Announcing the imminent imposition of the ban on Saturday, Polish interior minister Mariusz Kaminski said: A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland.

This is another element of the sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens in connection with the brutal war in Ukraine, due to the fact that the Russian state today constitutes a threat to international security.

People cross the border from Ukraine into Poland, at Krakovets-Korcheva (Roman Baluk/AP)

The move comes just days after the nearby Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia banned vehicles with Russian licence plates from entering their territory  a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the EUs sanctions on Moscow.

Poland and the Baltic states are among the most vocal European critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

On Tuesday, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council chaired by Mr Putin, denounced the European Commissions move as racist. He suggested Moscow could retaliate by suspending diplomatic ties with the EU and recalling its diplomats from Brussels.

Poland shares a land border with the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, which is an exclave separated from the Russian mainland. The Border Guard agency said the ban will be the same regardless of which border the vehicles seek to cross.

In addition to Kaliningrad, Poland has Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern borders. It is otherwise bordered by EU and Nato allies Germany, Slovakia, Czechia and Lithuania, where there are no border checks.

The Border Guards website said Russian-tagged cars will be returned to the non-EU country from which they came, regardless of whether it is Russia or another country.

It added: Such actions will be carried out even if the driver of the car is not a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Yellow Door Energy (YDE), the leading sustainable energy partner for businesses in the Middle East, Africa and beyond, has announced its participation in the first Global Water, Energy and Climate Change Congress (GWECCC).

The congress, which took place from September 5 to 7 at the Gulf Convention Centre, aims to address growing and urgent concerns about protecting natural resources and mitigating the effects of climate change.

GWECCC is set to become an annual initiative by the Kingdom of Bahrain to raise awareness of these critical issues in the Arabian Gulf region.

Throughout the congress, YDE took part in various roundtable discussions, contributing its industry knowledge and expertise as a leading solar energy provider in the region.

These interactions fostered collaborative dialogues and potential partnerships that underscored the importance of the role solar energy plays in achieving national and regional sustainable development goals.

We are honored to have been a part of the first GWECCC, a very important congress that brought together leaders from both the public and private sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain, said Oskar Laupsa, Business Development Manager of Yellow Door Energy. Thanks to GWECCC, we met with key stakeholders to share knowledge and collectively push for a brighter and more sustainable future.

At the congress, Laupsa discussed the advantages of solar energy solutions for businesses in Bahrain.

He also highlighted the significant cost savings that come with a solar power purchase agreement ("PPA), and shared compelling case studies from the companys regional projects.

Moreover, solar power as a clean source of electricity helps businesses lower their carbon emissions, contributing to Bahrains net-zero by 2060 target.

The GWECCC showcased advanced technologies and innovations in the water and energy sectors.

YDEs participation underlines the companys commitment to a just energy transition and its contribution towards national and regional initiatives to protect and preserve our planet's resources.--OGN/ TradeArabia News Service
Dozens of people, including at least 26 police officers, have been injured during unrest surrounding an Eritrean cultural festival in Germany.

Shortly before the event was set to begin in Stuttgart on Saturday afternoon, around 200 protesters gathered in the area outside and began throwing stones, bottles, and other items at police and participants.

Six of the 26 injured police officers were treated in hospital. Four event participants and two protesters were also hurt, according to police, although the severity of their injuries was not clear.

The protest was the latest in a string of unrest surrounding Eritrean cultural events in Germany and elsewhere.

In July, a clash at an Eritrean festival in the western German city of Giessen left 22 police officers injured.

A police officer stands in the street after riots at an Eritrea event in Stuttgart (Jason Tschepljakow/dpa/AP)

A fight between Eritrean government supporters and opponents in Tel Aviv in early September led to one of the most violent street confrontations among African asylum seekers and migrants in the citys recent memory.

The event in Stuttgart was organised by several groups considered close to the government of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.

Tens of thousands of people have fled Eritrea for Europe, many alleging they were mistreated by the repressive government.

The conflicts surrounding gatherings like Saturdays highlight the deep divide among members of the Eritrean diaspora, those who remain close to the government and those who have fled to live in exile and strongly oppose Mr Isaias.

On Saturday, Stuttgart police vice-president Carsten Hoefler condemned the protesters actions and said in a statement that neither the extent nor the intensity of the violence was apparent in advance.

City officials said there had been no reason to ban the gathering in advance, but they will take steps to prevent similar unrest in the future.

We must take decisive action against the emergence of conflicts from other states on German soil, said Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper, according to German news agency dpa.
German climate activists sprayed orange paint onto Berlins Brandenburg Gate in an attempt to urge the German government to take more urgent action against climate change.

Members of the group the Last Generation used fire extinguishers filled with paint to spray all six columns of the popular landmark in Germanys capital.

The groups priorities include getting Germany to stop using all fossil fuels by 2030 and take short-term measures, including imposing a general speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) on highways, to cut emissions more quickly.

The protest makes it clear: It is time for a political change. Away from fossil fuels  towards fairness

In a statement, the group said: The protest makes it clear: It is time for a political change. Away from fossil fuels  towards fairness.

Police cordoned off the area surrounding Brandenburg Gate and confirmed that they detained 14 activists affiliated with the Last Generation.

The group, best known for its protests in which activists glue themselves to roads and block traffic, plays a provocative and polarising role in German politics and society.

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the groups actions, saying their tactics go beyond legitimate forms of protest.

With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse about the important issues of our time and future

He told German news agency dpa: With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse about the important issues of our time and future.

In Sweden, police said they detained 17 people suspected of sabotage after climate activists entered Stockholms Bromma Airport, which operates mainly domestic routes, and sprayed red paint on one aircraft, police told Swedish news agency TT.

An ambulance flight was forced to land at Stockholms main international Arlanda airport instead of Bromma, due to the action, according to Swedish airport authorities.

The climate activists announced later that the action was part of a global campaign calling for a ban on private jets.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged the swift return of irregular migrants to their home countries and a crackdown on the brutal business of migrant smuggling during a visit with Italys premier to a tiny fishing island overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a single day this week.

Tensions have spiked on Lampedusa, which is closer to Tunisia than the Italian mainland, with residents expressing impatience with the constant flow of migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa arriving on their shores  not just this week but for decades.

Migrant numbers this week briefly surpassed that of the islands residents, who have been witness to countless tragedies.

Ms von der Leyen said: We will decide who comes to the European Union, and under what circumstances. Not the smugglers.

Ursula von der Leyen and Giorgia Meloni on toured a migrant center on Lampedusa that was overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a 24-hour period (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

The Red Cross said 1,500 migrants remained in the centre built to accommodate hundreds.

In the face of the new crisis on Lampedusa, Italys Giorgia Meloni has pledged tougher measures and is calling for a naval blockade of North Africa to prevent migrants on smugglers boats from departing.

Ms von der Leyen vowed to crack down on this brutal business of migrant smuggling and help Italy cope with the spike in arrivals. But the 10-point plan appeared to stop short of a naval blockade, at least a quick one.

She instead offered support for exploring options to expand existing naval missions in the Mediterranean, or to work on new ones.

The plan also includes speeding funds to Tunisia as part of a deal with the EU to block departures in exchange for aid, helping Italy accelerate asylum requests and setting up humanitarian corridors in countries of origin to discourage illegal routes.

Ms von der Leyen pledged the Frontex border agencys support in ensuring the swift return of migrants to their country of origin who dont qualify to stay in the EU.

And she called on EU nations to accept voluntary transfers  a frequent source of discord  as the EU dispatches experts to help manage and register the high number of migrants arriving in Italy.

Ms von der Leyen said: It is very important for me (to be here) because irregular migration is a European challenge and it needs a European answer. So we are in this together.

Ms Meloni, who has softened her once-combative stance against the EU since coming to power last year, framed Ms von der Leyens visit as a gesture of responsibility of Europe toward itself, and not just a sign of solidarity with Italy.

Rescued migrants disembark from a boat on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday evening (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse/AP)

She said: If we dont work seriously all together to fight the illegal departures, the numbers of this phenomenon will not only overwhelm the border countries, but all of the others.

She continued to press for an efficient naval blockade, noting that previous EU missions were not properly carried out, resulting in a Mediterranean deployment that she alleges encouraged smuggler departures though that contention is disputed by migrant experts.

The Italian government intends to quickly activate a system for repatriating migrants who are not eligible to stay in Europe as part of measures to be decided during a Cabinet meeting next week, she said.

Save the Children expressed hopes that the visit by the two leaders would bring concrete responses and called for a European structure to search for and rescue migrants in danger at sea.

Earlier in the day, television images showed Ms Meloni speaking to islanders expressing their frustrations.

She told them the government was working on a robust response, including 50 million euros (43 million) to help the island.

New arrivals also have chafed at the long wait to be transferred to the mainland. TV footage has showed hundreds of people surging toward the gate as police used shields to hold them back. In other shots, individual migrants climbed over the fence of the migrant centre.

The crisis is challenging unity within the EU and also Ms Melonis far-right-led government.
Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the US Constitution by 39 brave men on Sept. 17, 1787, recognizing that all who are born in the US or naturalized are citizens. Join teachers, politicians, scholars and artists to make the Constitution relevant in ways that engage, inspire and motivate citizens. On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created.

Have you read it lately? We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Find the complete text at ConstitutionDay.com

The Constitution contains 4,400 words (4,543 words when including the signatures of 39 of the 55 delegates representing the states). It is written on four sheets, 28-3/4 inches by 23-5/8 inches each. Including the 27 amendments, the document contains 7,591 words. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world. Approximately 4 million people lived in the country when the Constitution was signed.

Florida's first constitution as a U.S. territory was implemented in 1838. On March 3, 1845, Florida was granted admission into the Union as the 27th state. The current Constitution of Florida was ratified on Nov. 5, 1968, and has been modified by initiative and referendum several times since.

For more information on civic engagement and everything you need to know about voting in Miami, go to GoVoteMiami.org.

For the last #kbvotes, click here.
Sunday, Sep 17th, 2023 (12:01 am) - Score 5,520

The recent increase in protests against the use of telecoms poles, which are often used to deploy new full fibre broadband ISP infrastructure across the UK, has prompted one network operator, Grain (Grain Connect), to reinforce its pledge to never use poles as part of network deployment.

Grain has so far unveiled full fibre builds for over 50 locations across the country (plus 150 new build housing developments), which includes patches of various urban areas like Leicester, Liverpool, Accrington, Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Scarborough, Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Hartlepool, Newport, Sunderland, Blackburn and so forth. But theyve revealed no information on their premises passed and take-up progress.

NOTE: Grain has so far secured funding commitments of around 220m for their build ( Grain has so far secured funding commitments of around 220m for their build ( here ) and initially aim to cover 400,000 UK premises. The operator has 150 full time staff and made 48.7m of capital expenditure in the year to 31st March 2023 (up from 11.2m in 2022).

The operator is also deploying in a number of locations that have recently been impacted by protests against the use of poles to deploy new fibre. Poles are fairly cost-effective and have long since become a common sight across much of the UK, but they tend to cause irritation when they pop up in areas that havent previously had them.

Suffice to say, weve definitely observed a rise in complaints as more operators make use of them (examples here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here). But not all operators are using poles and, in light of the recent concerns, Grain has moved to reinforce their pledge never to use them.

Grains Statement We are closely following recently launched resident-led campaigns in parts of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Hull, protesting against the use of unsightly poles in any Full Fibre broadband rollout. Residents in some areas have started campaigns to boycott networks that are installing telegraph poles onto their streets, in protest at the use of unsightly poles being erected and their dismay at a lack of consultation about this. We wanted to make it clear that Grain does not use poles as part of their network and has pledged never to do so and will always bury our cables underground.

The catch is that this will make some parts of Grains network (i.e. areas where they cant run new fibre via Openreachs existing ducts and poles) slower, louder and more costly to build, which can result in a higher cost per premises and  in a market that is already under strain from rising costs and competition  that wont necessarily make the job of reaching maximum coverage and a viable payback any easier.

Nevertheless, many of those protesting against poles will welcome a stance like this, which could generate some positive feedback for Grain and potentially aid their expansion; it will be interesting to see if any other network operators see viability in making a similar pledge.

UPDATE:

Thinkbroadband has informed us that they currently estimate Grains full fibre network to cover around 60,000 premises (RFS).
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned there will be no swift end to the Ukraine war, in an interview published Sunday, as Kyiv pushes on with its counteroffensive against Russia.

"Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin," Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germany's Funke media group.

"Therefore we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine."

The conflict began in February, 2022 when Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine, bringing war back to Europe for the first time in decades.

Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in June, pushing back against entrenched Russian positions in the south and east, but it has made limited gains.

"We are all wishing for a quick peace," said Stoltenberg.

"But at the same time we must recognise: if President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.

"If President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace."

On Ukraine's ambitions to join the alliance, Stoltenberg said: "There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO."

Kyiv had "moved closer to NATO" at a summit of the alliance in July, he said.

"When this war ends, we need security guarantees for Ukraine. Otherwise, history could repeat itself," he added.

At the July summit in Vilnius, NATO leaders agreed that Ukraine could join the alliance once certain conditions are met, and US and German officials made it clear that these would include Kyiv carrying out reforms to protect democracy and the rule of law.

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A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Two cargo ships arrived in one of Ukraine's ports over the weekend, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by Kyiv following Russia's withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded countrys ports.

Two Palau-flagged bulk carriers, Aroyat and Resilient Africa, docked Saturday at the seaport of Chornomorsk in the southern Odesa region, according to an online statement by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority.

The vessels are the first civilian cargo ships to reach one of the Odesa ports since Russia exited the grain deal.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraines deputy prime minister, said in an online statement Saturday that the two ships will be delivering some 20,000 tons of wheat to countries in Africa and Asia.

For months, Ukraine, whose economy is heavily dependent on farming, was able to safely export its grain from Black Sea ports under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to ensure safe shipments.

But Russia withdrew from the deal on July 17, with Kremlin officials arguing their demands for the facilitation of Russian food and fertilizer shipments had not been met.

Following the withdrawal, the Russian Defense Ministry said it would regard any vessels in the Black Sea headed to Ukrainian ports as military targets.

Since then, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the Danube River, and road and rail links into Europe. But transport costs that way are much higher.

Some European countries have balked at the consequential local grain prices, and the Danube ports cant handle the same volume as seaports.

The interim corridor in the Black Sea, which Kyiv has asked the International Maritime Organization to ratify, was opened on Aug. 10 as United States and Ukrainian officials warned of possible Russian attacks on civilian vessels.

Sea mines also make the voyage risky, and ship insurance costs are likely to be high for operators.

Ukrainian officials said the corridor will be primarily used to evacuate ships stuck in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi since the war broke out. Kubrakov said Saturday that five vessels have since used the corridor to leave Ukrainian ports.

After tearing up the grain deal, Russia intensified attacks on the southern Odesa region, targeting its port infrastructure and grain silos with missiles and drones.

On Sunday, Ukraine's Air Force Command reported another attack overnight in which the Odesa region was the main target. Russian forces fired 10 cruise missiles and six Iranian-made Shahed drones, the statement said.

All drones and six missiles were downed, while the rest hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa region.

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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  For the past two weeks the Mediterranean has been reeling from the massive devastation wrought regionally by Hurricane Daniel, the Medicane that has visited more damage on this region than any storm in recorded history. In the east thirteen days ago, Daniel struck Greece, flooding the fertile valleys where a quarter of the countrys food was being grown and turning this agricultural heartland into a huge lake, devastating crops and killing 200,000 animals. As is becoming increasingly common, Daniel hovered over Greece, flooding it for a substantial period of time rather than moving along rapidly.

Greece had been hit by a cyclone, Ianos, three years ago, which was also very destructive but did only about a tenth of the damage that Daniel did this year. Cyclones are fed by warm seas, and the warmer they are the more intense they become. Warm seas release water vapor in the air above them, making cyclones more prone to dump walls of water when they make landfall and increasing the chance of major flooding. The seas have been heated up to a degree unprecedented in the modern period by the billions of tons of carbon dioxide human beings emit into the atmosphere annually.

Helena Smith writes in the Guardian that the crop crisis in Greece has shaken the publics confidence in the center-right government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis for not having taken more flood control measures, which Storm Ianos had shown the need for fully three years previously.

She writes, On Thursday the polling company Metron Analysis, releasing its first survey of public opinion after the floods, noted that 61% of respondents had a negative opinion of the governments work, versus 57% in May. For the first time since Mitsotakis, who won a second four-year term in June, assumed power, analysts have begun to speak of the nation resembling a failed state.

Likewise, in eastern Libya the warlord Haftar has ruled with more regard for his own position than for the welfare of the people of Libya. He has spent enormous sums on mercenaries, including on the dangerous Wagner fighters from Russia. But Haftar could not be bothered to reinforce the two rickety dams that regulated water flow in the Derna region, and people are blaming him in part for the disaster that washed away a fourth of the city, according to Samer al-Atrush at the Financial Times.

Libyans, in shock at the way Storm Daniels deluges caused two dams to collapse and to release mountains of water that washed away some 20,000 people in the city of Derna and neighboring areas, are calling for the resignation of Haftar and his cronies.

Article continues after bonus IC video

Sky News: Libya Floods: Fury on streets of smashed Libyan city of Derna

What Storm Daniel and its dire impact on Greece and Libya demonstrate is that the climate crisis that contributed to making Daniel such a powerful doomsday machine does not suffer fools gladly. Many in Libyas east saw Haftar, the strong man backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, as a flawed warlord who nevertheless provided needed security and kept out the fundamentalist forces based in Tripoli.

Now they are having buyers remorse, and many are angry at the warlord for not doing a better job of upkeep.

In the Holocene era, with its relatively cold and relatively stable climate, maybe some imperfect leaders could get lucky and spend their years in office without incident.

Those days are over. In order to confront the challenges of climate change we need leaders who recognize that it is a real phenomenon and that societies need to be reorganized to remain resilient and to stave off its worst effects.

For Americans, the lesson is that we cannot afford four more years of the buffoon Trump, and never had been able to afford his first four years in office. He called climate change a hoax and actively attempted to promote coal, the dirtiest of the fossil feuls. He built no new infrastructure intended to make the US more resilient in the face of challenges from climate change. The Republican Partys response to these challenges has been to deny them and to deny their cause. The Republican-dominated legisture in North Carolina tried to outlaw even mentions by state officials of the states eroding shore line lest property values fall and insurance rates rise. But ostrich-like policies cannot be mandated by legislation. State Farm has ceased accepting new insurance applications in Florida and California because these states are on the front lines of climate change.

As bad as negative climate effects will be, they will be much, much worse if we dont cease emitting carbon dioxide and methane in such great amounts. And as for the global heating already baked in, it has immediate implications for how we build new infrastructure and how we begin making our residents, towns and cities more resilient.

People like Trump and Haftar are not up to the job, clearly. But they arent the ones who will suffer most; it will be their constituents, led like lambs to the slaughter.
By and

Fereshteh Ghazi

RFE/RL )  Sharmin Habibi recalls the circumstances of her husbands killing at the hands of Irans security forces. But she could be talking about any number of the protesters who died across the country during a brutal state crackdown on dissent over the past year.

I was told that they did not kill him, that he must have had an enemy, that no officer had opened fire, and no bullets were fired, Habibi told RFE/RLs Radio Farda while speaking about the death of her husband, Fereydun Mahmudi.

More than 500 demonstrators have paid the ultimate price for expressing their outrage at the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman who died in police custody in Tehran on September 16, 2022, after being detained for allegedly violating the countrys controversial hijab law.

The 32-year-old Mahmudi was among the first to die  and the first in Aminis hometown of Saghez, in the northwestern Kurdistan Province  for his support of what began as a local call for an investigation into the 22-year-old womans suspicious death.

When the authorities responded with force and made clear they would not tolerate any dissent, the protests quickly spread as tens of thousands of people poured onto streets across the country.

The monthslong protests began as a rebuke against the brutal enforcement of the hijab, a key pillar of the Islamic republic. But they soon snowballed into one of the most sustained antiestablishment demonstrations against Irans theocracy, with some protesters calling for an end to clerical rule and demanding their social and political freedoms.

The most sustained protests and the deadliest crackdowns during the demonstrations occurred in regions that are home to ethnic minorities, including Kurds, Azeris, and Baluch, which have long-standing grievances against the state.

Women, Life, Freedom

Just hours after Amini was taken into custody by Irans morality police on September 13, 2022, she was lying in a coma in what would be her death bed in a Tehran hospital.

How she went from a visit to the Iranian capital with her family to a grave in Saghez within a week was the question that sparked months of unrest.

Based on eyewitness accounts, her family maintained that Amini had been beaten by the morality police while being driven to a Tehran detention facility. The family also refuted officials claims that she had fallen into a coma after a dispute with guards due to a preexisting health condition. During her brief stay at the Kasra Hospital in northern Tehran, images of her bleeding from one of her ears cast further doubts on the official narrative.

Upon hearing news of Aminis death, dozens of people gathered in the vicinity of the hospital, pinning the blame for what they called a murder squarely on the clerical establishment that had just weeks before vowed to punish violators of the hijab law.

Gatherers, including women who had removed their hijab, chanted: We will kill the one who killed our sister and Down with the dictator, in reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Security forces, wary that the loose-knit protest would spread, quickly stepped in to block off streets and beat back participants with batons and warning shots.

The Secret Is Out

On the day of Aminis death, Kurdish political parties called for a general strike to be held in Kurdistan Province on September 19 to protest what they called a state crime.

But by the time Aminis body arrived in Saghez for burial on September 17, public anger in the province  where residents have long accused the authorities of suppressing and discriminating against the Kurdish ethnic minority  was already at a fever pitch.

Backed by a large crowd that assembled before dawn in front of the small citys cemetery, Aminis family prevented security forces from burying her in secret, and announced that they would hold their own funeral late that evening.

They tried to pressure us to bury Mahsa [in secret], which I said I would not allow under any circumstances and that the people and families and even her mother should be present, said Aminis father, Ahmad Amini. At my insistence, the [funeral] plan was changed.

He also fiercely denied claims by Iranian officials that his daughter had had brain surgery at the age of five that may have contributed to her death, saying she was perfectly healthy and lamented that his request that a coroner examine bruises on her body was refused.

My concern is that the authorities are spreading lies about my daughter every day, Ahmad Amini said.

More arrests and violence ensued after some mourners attempted to march toward the local governors office.

After the burial, the atmosphere in the city was highly securitized, Bakhtiar Khoshnam, head of the Mukrian news agency in Saghez, told Radio Farda. The situation in Saghez resembled undeclared and unofficial martial law.

A Rallying Cry

Ahead of the anniversary of Aminis death, Habibi explained her husbands motivations to join the general strike that had been called in Saghez.

Why was he so upset? [Aminis] father said many times that there were no problems with her hijab, so why did they bring this calamity on this young girl? Habibi told Radio Farda. I said, I know you are upset. It is very difficult for me, too.'

She begged Mahmudi not to go to the streets on September 19. But she said he could not get over the belief that he had to do something.

I was sure he was going because he was very sad for Amini. He prayed and said goodbye to my son, but he didnt say anything to me, Habibi said.

That night, when he did not come home, his cousin called and I told him that Fereydun had not returned, she added. He said that many people had been arrested and I collected our documents to head [to the police station] with my son.

It was an experience that was repeated countless times across the country over the course of the year.

The local police initially denied Mahmudi had been arrested, before reversing course and telling her that he had, all the while pressing Habibi for information about who her husband had been in contact with.

It was 3 or 4 in the morning when we found out that he had been shot near a mosque, Habibi said. Mahmudi had been beaten, both of his hands had been broken, and his body was riddled with bullets, she said.

Local officials then denied security forces had killed him or that any shots had been fired. But Habibi said she was also warned against holding a funeral for Mahmudi, because they didnt want a crowd like the one that had turned out for Aminis burial.

Despite the threat of repercussions, Mahmudis went ahead with the funeral, laying him to rest just 200 meters from Aminis grave.

Via RFE/RL

Copyright (c)2023 RFE/RL, Inc. Used with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Samples Up To 4.54% Li2O Along 3 Km Long Zone

HIGHLIGHTS

New spodumene bearing pegmatites zone discovered at the Ear Falls Project with grab samples up to 4.54% Li 2 O.

Favorable geology and a highly fractionated sample located 2 km northeast of the new discovery spodumene zone suggest the potential for a minimum 3-km-long trend for exploration of spodumene bearing pegmatites.

The discovered spodumene-bearing pegmatites are located along a structurally controlled zone of 1 km in strike length, open in all directions.

Exploration plan has been submitted to Ontario's Ministry of Mines for a stripping and a drilling program in October.

Ear Falls Project was expanded from 3,375 ha to 20,623 ha (~600% expansion) upon the successful discovery of the new spodumene bearing pegmatites zone for a cash cost per hectare of only $7.98.

The eastern expansion of the project provides a new exploration opportunity to search for a potentially identical geological system.

Winnipeg, Manitoba--(Newsfile Corp. - September 17, 2023) - Beyond Lithium Inc. (CSE: BY) (OTCQB: BYDMF) (the "Company" or "Beyond Lithium") is pleased to announce the discovery of a new spodumene-bearing pegmatite zone at its 206 sq. km Ear Falls Project in Northwest Ontario. Grab samples have assayed up to 4.54% Li 2 O and a minimum 3-km-long prospective trend has been identified. A highly fractionated sample located 2 km northeast of the spodumene pegmatite zone establishes a minimum of 3-km-long trend for spodumene bearing pegmatites exploration.

Upon making this new discovery, Beyond Lithium strategically expanded the Ear Falls Project from 3,375 ha to 20,623 ha (~600% expansion) in area (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Ear Falls Project Expanded Claims Map

The Ear Falls Project, previously referred to as the Wenasaga Property, is located right outside the town of Ear Falls, 70 km south of Red Lake and 145 km north of Dryden in Northwest Ontario. Ear Falls has excellent infrastructure including highway and logging road access, power lines, services, and local labour.

Mr. Lawrence Tsang, VP Exploration for Beyond Lithium, commented, "This spodumene discovery is significant as it occurs within a 13-km-long metasedimentary-granite structural corridor where there's opportunity for more discoveries as we ramp up exploration. We are targeting subparallel spodumene pegmatite dykes along the main metasedimentary-batholith structure and the major regional fault. Exploration on the eastern expansion of the project also provides an opportunity to search for a potentially identical geological system."

Mr. Tsang added that, "Exploration at the Ear Falls Project is ongoing, and we have already submitted an exploration plan with Ontario's Ministry of Mines to carry out a stripping and a drilling program to further delineate the spodumene pegmatites zone. The stripping and drilling program is targeted to commence in October."

Figure 2. Overview Exploration Trend at the Ear Falls Project Showing the 3 km trend of Spodumene/Beryl Zone (black arrow) and a 13 km long Metasedimentary-Granite Structural Corridor (red polygon outline) and a Potential Subparallel Structure (blue polygon outline)

Allan Frame, President & CEO, commented that, "This exciting news supports that new discoveries are possible outside of the remote regions of northern Quebec and Ontario. With just three months into our 2023 exploration program trying to cover all 64 projects with over 150,000 ha in area, Beyond Lithium has made two major discoveries in Ontario: the Allen Graeme pluton at Cosgrave and this new high grade spodumene bearing pegmatites zone at the Ear Falls Project. This early success shows the effectiveness of our exploration program. Many assay results remain to be received and announced and we are confident in delivering additional positive results before the end of the year."

Mr. Frame added, "In a recent news release I mentioned that it is important for our shareholders to keep in mind that while we are as anxious as they are to share all assay results as they come in, it is sometimes a better course of action to first consolidate our land position either through staking, optioning or both in certain districts. I am proud to report that this approach has allowed us to acquire 17,233 additional hectares around the discovery announced today at an average cash cost of $7.98 per hectare and the issuance of only 300,000 shares."

The finding of the spodumene pegmatites zone by Beyond Lithium at the Ear Falls project is a brand-new discovery in this region. Beyond Lithium recognized the potential of this area and was able to stake most of the prospective open grounds around the original claims and consolidated additional claims from a few prospectors to assemble a contiguous project of 20,623 ha in area.

The expansion has delineated two high priority areas for exploration associated with the labels in Figure 3 below:

Explore along the main metasedimentary-batholith structure and the major regional fault and look for subparallel spodumene pegmatite dykes. Explore for additional prospective structure along the newly mapped metasedimentary-batholith in the northwest and look for additional spodumene pegmatite dykes.

Figure 3. Overview of the High Priority Areas for Exploration at the Ear Falls Project

Background of the spodumene discovery

The Phase 1 exploration program at the Ear Falls Project was completed in June. We have since updated the geology of the project and more significantly located the batholith-metasedimentary contact within the project as this contact is probably the preferential structure for LCT pegmatites (Figure 4). After discovering the spodumene pegmatites zone, Beyond Lithium's field team further explored along this metasedimentary-batholith contact and was able to locate three new beryl bearing pegmatites (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Phase 1 Mapping of the Ear Falls Project with the Spodumene Pegmatites Zone and the 3 New Beryl Pegmatites Discovered Along the Metasedimentary and the Granite Contact

Subparallel spodumene bearing pegmatites along a minimum of 1 km strike length were discovered along the main logging road of the Ear Falls Project up to 6 meters wide in exposed outcrops (Figure 6). The spodumene pegmatites are hosted in both granite and metasediment trending generally at 40 to 60 degrees following the regional foliation with local variabilities. These spodumene pegmatites are covered by a thin layer of vegetation. A follow-up stripping program has been planned to include the removal of the overburden to further outline the true thickness and the density of these spodumene pegmatites.

Sampling and assay results

A total of 205 individual pegmatite outcrops have now been mapped along the main structural corridor to date illustrated as blue dots in Figure 8 and we have collected 68 samples at the project. So far, 48 of the samples have received assays. From the 48 assays, four samples were taken from the spodumene pegmatites zone with Li 2 O ranging from 0.76% to 4.54% and cesium ranging from 32.83 ppm to 68.97 ppm (Table 1). More samplings including channel sampling are planned on the beryl and the spodumene pegmatites by the end of September to early October to further outline the lithium bearing zone.

Figure 5. Spodumene Crystals in Pegmatite

Table 1 Assays Results of the 4 Grab Samples from the Spodumene Pegmatites Zone

Mineralogy Sample ID Easting Northing Lithology QTZ KSPAR MUS BIO GARNET TOUR BERYL SPOD Cs ppm Li2O % E00105585 483944 5620144 PEG 1 1 68.97 0.76 E00105886 483770 5620063 PEG 1 1 1 1 1 52.24 2.28 E00105887 483743 5620021 PEG 1 1 1 1 1 37.76 4.54 E00105892 483340 5619761 PEG 1 1 1 1 1 32.83 3.90 * Li2O%=Li ppm*2.153/10,000

Figure 6. Assays of Spodumene Pegmatites Zone

A couple of samples, E00105586 and E00105888, were collected just meters away from the spodumene pegmatites in the granite and metasediment host rocks. These two samples in the host rocks show significantly elevated Cs, 134 ppm and 636 ppm, and Li ,408 ppm and 1407 ppm, respectively (Table 2). In addition, the Cs values in the host rock or the alteration halo of the spodumene mineralization (134 and 636ppm Cs) are much higher than the Wenasaga Lake batholith (average of 7ppm Cs) implies the melt is highly enriched in incompatible rare elements and volatiles for the formation of lithium bearing pegmatites which has gone through a high level of fractionation (Breaks 2003) (Figure 7). This geochem baseline in the host rock with elevated Cs and Li could be the alteration halo signature of the spodumene pegmatites at the Ear Falls Project. This signature would be a great exploration tool for exploring blind target in the area.

Table 2 Assays Results of Grab Samples from Host Rocks of the Spodumene Pegmatites Zone

Sample ID Easting Northing Lithology Cs ppm Li ppm E00105586 483944 5620144 GRA 134 408 E00105888 483741 5620022 MSED 636 1407

Geological interpretation

Cesium versus K/Rb variation in samples is a common and convenient diagram to display the fractionation trend or the relative degree of evolution of S-type, peraluminous granites and related pegmatite granites and the rare-element pegmatite groups that fractionated from the parent granitic rocks. With increasing fractionation of the pegmatite-forming melt, the compositions of the potassium feldspar and mica become more enriched in rubidium and cesium thus the fractionation trend point to the lower right corner in the plot as the higher fractionated area. By plotting up the K/Rb vs Cs values of the 48 completed assays, a distinctive fractionation trend progresses from the SW to the NE orientation with an increase in Cs and a decrease in K/Rb ratio (Figure 7). One sample, E00105574, is plotted in the higher fractionated quadrant of the plot and this sample is located 2 km northeast on trend of the spodumene zone (Figures 2 & 3).

Figure 7. K/Rb vs Cs Plot of Ear Falls Project Compared to the Wenasaga Lake Batholith & Fractionation Trend with the Higher Fractionated Sample located 2 km NE of the Spodumene Pegmatites Zone

Regional geological context

The Ontario Geological Survey's released collected data in 2002 and outlined a couple of 1.1% and 1.2% A/CNK ratio samples in the eastern expansion of the Ear Falls project which suggested the presence of a nearby fertile pluton (Tindle 2002). Based on LCT pegmatites literature, a molecular ratio [Al2O3/(CaO + Na2O + K2O)] is commonly used to indicate whether a sample or a stock/pluton is mildly peraluminous (A/CNK = 1.0 to 1.1) or strongly peraluminous (A/CNK > 1.2) (Tindle 2006). These mildly to strongly peraluminous A/CNK samples also coincide with an area of elevated deep lake sediment in lithium just situated northeast from the Ear Falls project (Figure 8). This eastern expansion could be a new area to explore for a separate system than the new spodumene pegmatites zone associated with the Wenasaga Lake batholith and the Sandy Creek beryl pegmatites group.

Figure 8. Brand New Exploration Target in the Eastern Area of the Expanded Ear Falls Project with >1% A/CNK and Elevated Lake Sediment in Lithium

Beyond Lithium acknowledges the effort and work preformed by the project vendors, Bounty Gold Corp and Last Resort Resources, that led to the first discovery of its kind around the fertile Wenasaga Lake batholith and provides a proof of concept for the methodology used to assemble for the 64 prospective projects. Notably, Beyond Lithium's Ogani Lake Project is located just 30 km northeast of the Ear Falls Project and 65 km west of Green Technology Metals' Root and McCombe Lithium deposits. The Ogani Lake Project was also recently expanded from 1,427 hectares to 5,177 hectares after beryl was found in several white tourmaline-muscovite pegmatites up to 10 meters wide during Beyond Lithium's phase 1 program (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Beyond Lithium's Projects in the Area of the North Caribou Terrane & English River Subprovince District in Relation to the Green Technologies Metals' Root-McComb Lithium Deposits

Regionally, the Wenasaga Lake batholith was described as a S-type fertile pluton which is likely the parental pluton of the Sandy Creek beryl pegmatites. The Sandy Creek beryl bearing pegmatites that were discovered in the early 1960s are located 7 km southwest of the new spodumene pegmatites zone (Breaks 1993). Very limited to no exploration work was done in the area since the discovery of the Sandy Creek beryl pegmatites for over 60 years. Beyond Lithium recognized this area to be favourable for LCT pegmatites because there are a well-established Wenasaga Lake batholith as the potential source of LCT pegmatites of the area and the higher fractionated Sandy Creek beryl occurrence in the area that led Beyond Lithium's field crew discovering the new spodumene pegmatites zone.

Based on the geochem plot of the 2023's collected samples in comparison with the batholith and the Sandy Creek beryl pegmatites (Figure 7), the Wenasaga Lake batholith is likely the parental pluton of the new spodumene bearing pegmatites zone. The batholith was mapped concordant to the Uchi-English River sub provincial boundary covering approximately 260km2 in area (Breaks 2003). The Sandy Creek beryl bearing pegmatites were noted to follow this regional foliation orientation of the host metasedimentary rock (Breaks 1993). This regional NE structure is an ideal host and fluid pathway for the formation and fractionation of LCT pegmatites as most LCT pegmatites deposits in the world have some sort of structural control for its formation (Bradley 2017).

Sources

1 Breaks, F.W. and Bond, W.D., 1993. The English River Subprovince - An Archean Gneiss Belt: Geology, Geochemistry and associated mineralization; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 5846, v.1, p.1-483, 884p.

2 Breaks, F.W., Selway, J.B. and Tindle, A.G. 2003. Fertile peraluminous granites and related rare-element mineralization in pegmatites, Superior Province, northwest and northeast Ontario: Operation Treasure Hunt; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 6099, 179p.

3 Tindle, A.G., Selway, J.B. and Breaks, F.W. 2002. Electron microprobe and bulk analyses of fertile peraluminous granites and related rare-element pegmatites, Superior Province, northwest and northeast Ontario: Operation Treasure Hunt; Ontario Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Release-Data 111

4 Tindle, A.G., Selway, J.B. and Breaks, F.W. 2006. Electron microprobe and bulk rock and mineral compositions of barren and fertile peraluminous granitic rocks and rare-element pegmatites, northcentral and northeastern Superior Province of Ontario; Ontario Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Release-Data 210.

5 Bradley, D.C., McCauley, A.D., and Stillings, L.M., 2017, Mineral-deposit model for lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5070-O, 48 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20105070O.

6 Breaks, F.W. and Bond, W.D., 1993. The English River Subprovince - An Archean Gneiss Belt: Geology, Geochemistry and associated mineralization; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 5846, v.1, p.1-483, 884p.

6 Green Technology Metals https://www.greentm.com.au/root-project

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

All collected rock samples were put in sturdy plastic bags, tagged, and sealed at site. Sample bags were then put in rice bags and kept securely before being sent by road transport or delivered by the crew supervisor to SGS's preparation facility in Red Lake or Sudbury, Ontario, for sample preparation. Pulps are analyzed at the SGS facility in Burnaby, BC. All samples are analyzed with Four-Acid Digestion/Combined ICP-AES/MS package (49 elements). Samples with lithium overlimit (>10,000 ppm Li) are analyzed with another Four-Acid Digestion with higher detection limit of up to 10% Li. Batches of samples with overlimit >10,000 ppm or 1% Li are analyzed with Sodium Peroxide Fusion for validation. The QA/QC protocol included the insertion and monitoring of appropriate reference materials, in this case high concentration and low concentration certified OREAS and CDN lithium standards to validate the accuracy and precision of the assay results.

Qualified Person and Third-Party Data

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Lawrence Tsang, P.Geo., VP Exploration of the Company. Lawrence Tsang is a "qualified person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Beyond Lithium Inc.

Beyond Lithium Inc. is the largest greenfield lithium exploration player in Ontario with 64 high potential greenfield lithium properties totalling over 150,000 hectares. The Company has adopted the project generator business model to maximize funds available for exploration projects, while minimizing shareholder dilution. Beyond Lithium is advancing certain of its projects with its exploration team and will seek to option other properties to joint venture partners. Partnering on various projects will provide a source of non-dilutive working capital, partner-funded exploration, and long-term residual exposure to exploration success.

Beyond Lithium currently has 28,259,658 common shares outstanding.

Please follow @BeyondLithium on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

For more information, please refer to the Company's website at www.beyondLithium.ca

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding future capital expenditures, anticipated content, commencement, and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Company's projects and mineral properties, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, resources and/or reserves on the Company's projects and mineral properties, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "will", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In stating the forward-looking information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious and base metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future exploration of the Company's properties, the availability of financing on suitable terms, and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements of forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, statements as to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, the proposed expenditures for exploration work on its properties, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the Canadian Securities Exchange), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, the Company's limited operating history, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated February 23, 2022 and other filings of the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release except as otherwise required by law.

For further information, please contact:

Allan Frame

President and CEO

Tel: 403-470-8450

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jason Frame

Manager of Communications

Tel: 587-225-2599

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gawad Madiskarte 2023 Awards

Women entrepreneurs helping each other is a beautiful thing to witness. By fostering a supportive ecosystem and prioritizing social impact, they are driving positive change on multiple fronts. These women are the inspiring mompreneurs of Madiskarte Moms (MMPH), an online community of Filipino mothers who want to learn, start, and grow their online home businesses while enjoying their home life.





At the second annual Gawad Madiskarte, which recognizes mompreneurs with creative and innovative businesses, eight women stood out for creating successful businesses that made a transformative impact not only in their own lives, but also in the communities around them.





Gawad Madiskarte 2023 Awards



Gawad Madiskarte 2023 Winners (From L-R) Joelle Dianne F. Venegas of Golden Pots Agriculture, Jazel T. Gallaza of Kapekoh, Irene D. Herrero of Jacob's Gourmet Food, Eraiza Camille A. Ramos of Eleiras Crochet, Catherine K. Fabello of Cami Candles, Erica Joana Angela Redrico of Produkto PH, Rojerette May Martin-Pimentel of Moms@Work Management Consultancy Firm and DigiTalent, and Ayn Stephanie Buyco Angeles of HERS by Godfather

PLDT Home first launched Gawad Madiskarte in 2022 to celebrate mompreneurs and to encourage more women to act on their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs. The audience at the awards luncheon -- many of them also tireless and hardworking mompreneurswas inspired to hear the winners talk about their struggles and successes, many with tears in their eyes. It was also heartwarming to hear how Madiskarte Moms PH, the tight-knit community of local mompreneurs honored by Gawad Madiskarte, was the catalyst that changed their lives for the better.





Six winners from the Start Up and Scale Up categories received P100,000 each, three Special Award winners received P50,000 each from PLDT Home, and a trophy by world-class sculptor Ram Mallari. Each winner also received a one-year PLDT Home Fiber subscription, a laptop from ASUS, and a one-year Canva Pro subscription.

Start-Up Category





Gawad Madiskate 2023 Start-Up Winners





Gawad Madiskarte 2023 Awards





In the Start Up category, Diskarteng Angat was awarded to Catherine K. Fabello of Cami Candles; Diskarteng Digital went to Eraiza Camille A. Ramos of Eleiras Crochet; and Diskarteng May-Puso went to Joelle Dianne F. Venegas of Golden Pots Agriculture.





Eraiza Camille Ramos learned to crochet because she didnt have the money to buy nice clothes for her newborn daughter, she said when she accepted the trophy. When she started posting monthly photos of her baby wearing crochet headbands, hats, socks, and dresses on Facebook, her inbox was flooded by mommies inquiring whether she was selling them online. I started and grew my business online, she said as her cute products were flashed on the screen behind her.





Today, Eleiras Crochet sells crocheted baby clothes and accessories, dolls and toys, and even Christmas ornaments. The young mom has truly embraced digital tools to help her business grow.





Mom of three boys Catherine Fabello of Cami Candles said that during the pandemic, she experienced anxiety and couldnt sleep. Instead of allowing her mental health to deteriorate or passively waiting for the pandemic to be over, she leapt into action.





Why not make something out of the problem Im currently dealing with? she said. The solution for her was to make aromatic candles. I also wanted to help others who were experiencing the same thing, lalo na yung mga mahirap makapag-relax, she added.





Remember the plantito and plantita craze that reached its peak during pandemic? Joelle Dianne F. Venegas of Golden Pots Agriculture started selling plants knowing that people found them relaxing to have around in their houses and gave them something to physically care for.





Then I discovered that there was a better product with fewer competitorsorganic fertilizers, she narrated. For the first two years she sold only one type of organic fertilizer but has since expanded and focused on seeds, herbs, and other organics.

As a mother, I realized that its important to teach children environmental protection, and that we can reconsider our lifestyle choices to ensure that we have a bright future, she said.





Scale Up Category





Gawad Madiskate 2023 Scale-Up Winners





Gawad Madiskarte 2023 Awards



In the Scale Up category, the award for Diskarteng Angat was given to Irene D. Herrero of Jacob's Gourmet Food; Diskarteng Digital went to Rojerette May Martin-Pimentel of Moms@Work Management Consultancy Firm and DigiTalent; and Diskarteng May-Puso went to Erica Joana Angela Redrico of Produkto PH.





Irene D. Herrero or Chef Irene is a single mom of four kids. Shes one of the pioneer manufacturers of 100% organic gourmet food in the Philippines. Chef Irene believes that everyone has the power to keep toxins out of their bodybut they must have products to choose from to make that decision.

I started with three kilos of tuyo, she said. And from there, dumami ang products namin. Jacob's Gourmet Foods product range includes pasta sauces like creamy tuna pesto and Italian pepperoni; Filipino favorites tuyo, dulong, dilis, bagnet, gambas and suka. Chef Irene scaled up Jacob's Gourmet Food not only in the Philippines, but in 28 other countries as well.

Rojerette May Martin-Pimentels Moms@Work provides consultation and talent, and education for moms who want to become freelancers. Freelancing allows anyone to work remotely, she said, and you can offer that service to clients anywhere in the world. Her company wants mothers to be able to earn a living while looking after their families.





Moms@Work is a one-stop website for those looking for talents and those offering their particular set of skills to employers. Technology really brings us closer to our dreams and closer to our goals.





Thirty-one-year-old Erica Joana Angela Redrico, wife and mother to an 11-year-old, considers her company a curator of products. Produkto PH is a multi-vendor online marketplace for ingenious Filipino entrepreneurs. More than just a retail concept, it brings together like-minded people who want to support their communities, so buyers need only one online store to choose from multiple vendors.





Produkto PH also holds physical pop-up events. Wherever you look, there are products and people who make them, she said. They just need someone to support them. As an example, she mentioned the weavers from Aklan who made P100,000 in two days of a Produkto PH selling event. This enabled them to open a small shop in Aklan.





Special Awards





Gawad Madiskate 2023 Special Awardees





Gawad Madiskarte 2023 Awards



Gawad Madiskarte also gave special awards to three mompreneurs. Diskarteng Malikhain went to Ayn Stephanie Buyco Angeles of HERS by Godfather; Diskarteng Pasulong was awarded to Jazel T. Gallaza of Kapekoh; and Diskarteng Homebiz to Eraiza Camille A. Ramos of Eleiras Crochet.





Jazel T. Gallaza, mother of two, is a former OFW and creator of Kopekoh corn coffee. During the pandemic, she found herself unemployed and without income. She was torn between going back to working on a cruise ship or staying in the Philippines and putting up a business.





Jazel said she prayed to God for a sign on what to do. Despite the uncertainties, the latter option won in her heart. Nagkasakit ako ng acid reflux, and I thought, what did my lolo give us kapag sumasakit ang tiyan namin? That gave me the idea to make corn coffee, and we had to go to Bukidnon to source the corn.





Kapekoh proves that even an old idea (corn coffee is common in the provinces) can become new again to a whole new market.





Ayn Stephanie Buyco Angeles said that 95% of their clients for handcrafted shoes by HERS by Godfather are online. The Marikina-made shoes are loved by their clients from different parts of the Philippines and abroad. Her brand has become synonymous with quality, good design and craftsmanship.





Ayn said that entrepreneurs need to shut out the noise and discouragement of other people and focus on themselves, their dreams, and their products.





Compelling Stories





Actress Marjorie Barretto, one of this years Gawad Madiskarte judges, told the women during the awarding, I want to be like all of you. It was so hard to judge the entriesit took me several days. I read all your stories and sineryoso ko.





Barretto herself is an entrepreneur with her own online home and clothing brand called Everything Avery. Joining her as judges were Maxine Loyola, AVP & Head of PLDT Home Marketing Public Relations, Influencer Marketing and Brand Advocacies; entrepreneurs Jorge Wieneke and Jenny Wieneke; Janine Khazaiealiabady, owner of Massage MNL; Donna Nievera-Conda, president and co-CEO of Stratworks, Inc.; and Maisie Littaua, Head of Growth for Canva Philippines.

Big dreams often start with small beginnings, and we have mompreneurs to prove that. They have shown us that motherhood is not an obstacle but the inspiration to do things better at work and in life, PLDT Home Senior Manager Linette Garcia-Perez said after the awards. They have shown us that the love they pour into their families is the same love that fuels their entrepreneurial spirit. For that, we are all grateful.
Top 5 Must-Try Filipino Craft Beers

Throughout the Philippines, the beer scene is changing. The nation, famously known for its selection of traditional beers, has begun to make a name for itself in craft beers. More and more brewers are taking their unique spin on beer, infusing local ingredients and embodying Filipino culture into their brews.





Top 5 Must-Try Filipino Craft Beers

image from pexels.com

Exploring the Filipino Craft Beer Scene





Interestingly, while many continue to buy scotch whisky online in the Philippines , there's an equally compelling narrative emerging in the country's beverage landscape: the rise of craft beer. This explosion of local breweries is not merely a trend; it's a testament to the adventurous and innovative Filipino spirit.





But what drives the rapid growth of the craft beer scene in the Philippines? Let's dive deeper into the fascinating world of Filipino craft beer and uncover the secrets behind its rise to prominence.





The Rise of Craft Beer in the Philippines





In the past few years, the craft beer scene in the Philippines has blossomed. Small breweries have pushed their way through a market previously dominated by giant beer makers, creating a variety of beers that genuinely reflect the Filipino taste. Theres also the rise of digital marketplaces that has fine beer selections, such as Thirst: Philippine's First Online Liquor Marketplace, a unique kind in the market.





So, what sparked this craft beer revolution? Many brewers attribute it to a broader global trend of beer enthusiasts seeking unique and flavorful brews. However, the rise of craft beer in the Philippines is also closely tied to the evolving Filipino palate, which is constantly looking for something beyond the standard commercial beers.





This shift in consumer preferences has opened up new opportunities for local brewers to experiment and create innovative beer recipes that cater to the unique tastes of the Filipino people. With a growing demand for craft beer, it's an exciting time in the Philippine alcoholic beverage industry.





Understanding What Makes Filipino Craft Beer Unique





What distinguishes Filipino craft beers from their counterparts around the world? Aside from the brewer's ability to design unique flavors, the Philippines' geography plays a significant role.





The nation's 7,641 islands house a diverse flora that brewers can capitalize on, resulting in beers that taste Filipino. With an abundance of local ingredients at their disposal, craft brewers in the Philippines can create brews infused with the essence of the archipelago.

Local Honey- The Philippines is home to various types of honey, each with its distinct flavor profile. Craft brewers have tapped into this resource, incorporating different kinds of honey into their recipes to add depth and complexity to their beers

The Philippines is home to various types of honey, each with its distinct flavor profile. Craft brewers have tapped into this resource, incorporating different kinds of honey into their recipes to add depth and complexity to their beers Native Fruits- With an array of tropical fruits available, brewers can experiment with flavors not commonly found in traditional beer styles. From the tangy calamansi to the sweet and aromatic mango, these native fruits introduce a new range of flavor profiles to the craft beer scene.

With an array of tropical fruits available, brewers can experiment with flavors not commonly found in traditional beer styles. From the tangy calamansi to the sweet and aromatic mango, these native fruits introduce a new range of flavor profiles to the craft beer scene. Indigenous Herbs and Spices- These add another layer of complexity to Filipino craft beers. From the fragrant pandan leaves to the fiery kick of chili peppers, these unique ingredients bring a distinct Filipino twist to craft beer.



As the craft beer scene in the Philippines continues to evolve, brewers constantly push the boundaries of what is possible. With their creativity and passion, they are crafting beers that not only reflect the Filipino taste but also showcase the rich and diverse culture of the country.





The Art of Filipino Craft Beer Making





Making Filipino craft beer is a careful balance of art and science. Like any craft, delivering exceptional flavors and complex beers requires knowledge, skills, and creativity.





Filipino craft beer is more than just a beverage; it manifests the Philippines' rich cultural heritage and diverse flavors. Each sip tells a story, a narrative of the local ingredients, brewing techniques, and the passion of the brewers.





From the bustling city streets of Manila to the serene landscapes of the countryside, Filipino craft brewers draw inspiration from their surroundings to create beers that capture the essence of the Filipino spirit.





The Brewing Process of Filipino Craft Beers





Brewing craft beer is a four-step process - malting, brewing, fermenting, and packaging. Yet, in these steps, brewers have the freedom to experiment and create their unique twists.





Behind the scenes, in the heart of the breweries, dedicated artisans meticulously control the temperature, timing, and ingredients to create the perfect brew. They carefully select the malt, ensuring it provides the desired flavors and aromas, and the hops add bitterness and aroma to the beer.





Fermentation, a critical stage in the brewing process, is where the magic happens. Filipino craft brewers go beyond the basics, introducing local elements that elevate their beers to new heights. Some brewers add local herbs during brewing, while others infuse beers with local fruits during fermentation. The limitless possibilities make craft brewing in the Philippines exciting and vibrant.





As the beer matures, it transforms, developing complex flavors and a distinct character. The brewers carefully monitor the progress, ensuring that each batch reaches its full potential before moving on to the next stage.





Key Ingredients in Filipino Craft Beers





Aside from the standard malted barley, hops, water, and yeast used in brewing, Filipino craft brewers often mix things with local produce.





For instance, some craft beers use local rice variations, native wild yeasts, palm sugar, and even local fruits like mangoes, mangosteens, and passion fruits. These ingredients add a unique touch and provide an element of surprise in every sip.





Using local ingredients not only showcases the diversity of the Philippines but also supports local farmers and communities. Craft brewers collaborate with farmers, sourcing the freshest and highest quality ingredients, creating a symbiotic relationship that strengthens the local economy.





Moreover, the infusion of local flavors in craft beers creates a sense of pride and identity. Filipinos can celebrate their culture and heritage in a glass, sharing their unique traditions and flavors with the world.





Review of the Top 5 Filipino Craft Beers





With the growing Filipino craft beer scene, choosing which brews to try can be a daunting task. Here's a rundown of the top 5 Filipino craft beers that are a must-try.





1. Engkanto Brewery High Hive Honey Ale





This honey ale stands out with its golden hue and shimmering clarity. The aroma captivates with sweet notes of honey complemented by subtle floral undertones. On the palate, the malt sweetness harmoniously blends with the natural honey, resulting in a medium-bodied beer with a refreshingly smooth finish. Perfect for those who appreciate a touch of sweetness in their brews.





2. Engkanto Live It Up Lager





A classic lager with a Filipino twist, the Live It Up Lager boasts a bright golden color. It delights with a crisp malt profile, followed by a mild hop bitterness. The finish is clean, making it a versatile drink suitable for any occasion. Its the quintessential representation of a lager done right.





3. Monkey Eagle Summer Slice





As the name suggests, Summer Slice is a refreshing brew perfect for warm days. Pouring a hazy pale yellow, this beer greets the senses with hints of citrus and tropical fruits.





4. Monkey Eagle Witful Thinking





Its aroma is a delightful blend of citrus zest, coriander, and subtle spicy notes. Flavors of orange peel and a slight banana sweetness harmonize with the beers wheaty backbone. The finish is smooth, with a lingering spice note, making it a delightful choice for those seeking complexity in their brew.





5. Three Foxes American Pale Ale





This APA pours a beautiful amber with an inviting frothy head. The aroma is a blend of pine, citrus, and floral hop notes, underpinned by a toasty malt character. Flavor-wise, expect a balanced play of caramel malt sweetness and hop bitterness. The finish is moderately bitter, resonating with the classic traits of an American Pale Ale.
Le Se Hee took to social media her regrets after she fell victim to theft that had happened one too many times, alarming her beloved fans.

The actress last appeared in the highly loved court drama "Bad Prosecutor," and has starred in various popular works since her debut. Keep on reading.

Lee Se Hee Shares Regrets Over Stolen Bike

On September 14, "Bad Prosecutor" actress Lee Se Hee stirred worry among her loyal supporters after she revealed her experience as a theft victim.

Lee Se Hee shared on Instagram that her electric bicycle which she uses as a mode of exercise as well as transport was stolen.

According to the actress, it was not the first time that her bicycle had been stolen as it was already the third time, causing greater anxiety among the public.

The Hallyu star shared a photo of herself riding a shared city bicycle from the riding application "Ttareungi" in Seoul, which works as her current mode of transportation for her daily errands.

Lee Se Hee then showed her desperation as she asked the thief to return her bicycle to her. Many fans showed their concern, telling the actress to be more careful of her surroundings.

Television personality Kim Min Ah also showed her support, saying that the police should be more aware of what's happening in the city which she called "land of bicycle thieves."

READ MORE: Shin Hye Sun & Lee Jun Young's 'Brave Citizen' Finally Hits Cinemas This Fall

Meanwhile, Lee Se Hee is a popular actress born in 1991 who has appeared in numerous works like "Love Revolution," "Midnight Runners," "SF8" and more.

Where To See More of Lee Se Hee

Besides the mentioned works, Lee Se Hee also starred in the family drama "Young Lady and Gentleman" which spanned 52 episodes from 2021 to 2022.

She worked as a love interest to her tutees' stern and workaholic father, played by Ji Hyun Woo. Thanks to her impressive performance, she was named as the Best New Actress in 2021 at the KBS Drama Awards.

Lee Se Hee also made a cameo appearance in the fantasy romance series "My Roommate Is A Gumiho" with Lee Hyeri and Jang Ki Yong.

In November 2022, the actress signed an exclusive contract with J Wide Company which houses big stars like Kim So Yeon, Lee Bo Young, Lee Chung Ah, Choi Daniel and more.

As for Lee Se Hee's comeback, the actress is currently reviewing the acting offers presented to her with the guidance of the representatives of her new company.

ALSO READ: Queen Is Back! Park Eun Bin Debuts As 'Castaway Diva' This Fall

Follow and subscribe to KDramaStars for more K-Drama, K-movie and celebrity updates!

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
After surprising us with the behind-the-scenes stories regarding the casting and experience filming the series, "Moving" director Park In Je dishes on the costs of the drama's production, which reportedly reached billions of won.

The 20-episode K-drama left viewers amazed with its star-studded cast lineup, amazing storyline, and, of course, the impressive visuals that kept everyone hooked on each episode.

In an interview obtained by a local news portal, the director revealed how he utilized CGI to create jaw-dropping effects that viewers loved.

Park In Je Considers Himself an 'Inexperienced Director' Despite Creating 'Kingdom 2' and 'Moving'

Although Park In Je made a mark in the industry, thanks to his hit K-drama "Kingdom," he still considers himself an "inexperienced director."

According to him, he hasn't directed the same project like "Moving." However, "it's more fun to do something" that he has never tried before rather than something that he is good at.

This is why he still sees himself as an "inexperienced director," because there's something that he needs to learn.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: 'Moving' Director Reveals Why He Made Jo In Sung 'Ugly' in the Series

Besides the K-Zombie series, which stars Joo Ji Hoon, he also helmed and penned the movie "Moby Dick" and the political drama film "The Mayor."

'Moving' Budget Per Episode Costs THIS Much, According to Park In Je

Dubbed as "the most expensive K-drama in history" by various media outlets, "Moving" has a production budget of a whopping 50 billion KRW or 37 million USD.

It was the largest production cost invested by Disney+ among Korean contents, and to add to that, it is one of the largest-scale works among the recent K-dramas.

As for director Park In Je, they didn't rely on the production cost alone.

"I'm just a maker. I don't think production costs are something I should think about," he said, and he even joked about how the production budget is something that Walt Disney "should think about."

For him, he focuses on the quality of the series, in which he did not fail.

"I thought it would do well if it was made well," the director pointed out.

Director Park In Je also added that 50 billion won might seem big to some, but in reality, it was just right.

"We spent 2.5 billion won per episode," he said, adding, "Rather, I am proud of having completed this work with such a small amount of money."

As mentioned, "Moving" created a huge craze, especially among K-drama viewers. In a report cited by Flix Patrol, the sci-fi thriller series ranked first in four countries. It includes Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, they are about to air their last three episodes on September 20 via Disney+ and Hulu.

READ MORE: 'Moving' Kdrama: Will Jo In Sung Appear in the Final Episode?

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Following the success of their dramas "Little Women" and "Glitch," fan-favorite actresses Nam Ji Hyun and Jung Da Bin team up for the first time in the brand new show "High Cookie."

The two transform into sisters who face the huge consequences after falling into the trap of their desires. Check out the teasers by reading more.



'High Cookie Drops New Posters With Nam Ji Hyun & Jung Da Bin

On September 15, the upcoming series "High Cookie" dropped new posters featuring lead stars Nam Ji Hyun and Jung Da Bin.

The series follows the lives of high school students from an elite university which is swallowed up by dangerous handmade cookies that make people's dreams come true.

In the series, Nam Ji Hyun plays Choi Soo Young, a part-time factory worker who tries to make ends meet to raise her younger sister Choi Min Young, played by Jung Da Bin.

To save her sister from impending doom, Choi Soo Young then voluntarily jumps into the swamp created by the cookies.

READ MORE: Lee Se Hee Victim To Theft? Here's What Happened

The newly published poster heightens the heart-thumping danger that is about to come as a mysterious cookie is surrounded by the students' name tags.

In another teaser, Choi Soo Young and Choi Min Young shake the expectations of the viewers as they exude intense remorse due to their debt of gratitude to one another.

The photo suggests the differences in their thoughts, raising curiosity as to what kind of future plays out for the two of them. In addition to that, curiosity about how a bite of the harmless-looking cookie shakes up people's lives is also doubled.

"High Cookie" will be released on October 23 on U+ Mobile TV, LG U+'s OTT streaming platform.

Nam Ji Hyun & Jung Da Bin's Previous Works

Both stars dominated prime time in the past year with their recent works "Little Women" and "Glitch."

Nam Ji Hyun transformed into Oh In Kyung, a reporter who plans to eradicate the mayoral candidate's corrupt ways after growing up in a destitute home.

"Little Women" is an offbeat drama that received great responses from the public in both domestic and international scenes.

Meanwhile, "Glitch" tells the grief of a young woman who loses his boyfriend to UFOs. To uncover the truth, she joins a group of UFO watchers in hopes to reunite with her lover.

Jung Da Bin joined the cast as Kim Young Gi, a member of the New Beginnings Peace Corps in the show.

Check the two highly loved dramas now while waiting for the arrival of LG U+'s enticing mystery drama "High Cookie."

ALSO READ: Queen Is Back! Park Eun Bin Debuts As 'Castaway Diva' This Fall

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
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I am struck by how often crying is overlooked or trivialized by doctors despite its therapeutic value and need for recognition. Crying can play a significant role in healing and overall well-being. Research has shown that crying serves as an emotional release, provides pain relief, reduces stress, improves mood, and enhances communication. Encouraging a culture of acceptance and understanding around crying in medical settings can contribute to holistic and empathetic patient care.

Women are more prone to crying than men, and this does not always benefit them when distressed and seeking care. Crying women are often labeled hysterical or emotional. Their complaints are taken less seriously, and their fears are often diminished. Women may feel vulnerable and may need more time with a caregiver to help process their concerns, yet they are afforded less time, either because the caregiver is unsure how to react to a crying woman  and retreats from sight  or because they view providing solace to a woman in tears is someone elses job. Male physicians are highly likely to turn their backs on crying women, reacting out of bias, without showing a modicum of bedside manner.

British humanities and womens rights scholar Elinor Cleghorn demonstrates in her book Unwell Women how the medical profession is mired in myth and misbeliefs about women. The history of medicine shows that men donning white coats have controlled the fate of women, and doctors knowledge about womens susceptibility to illness and disease has been shaped and distorted by prejudicial beliefs dating back to ancient Greece.

For example, centuries ago, it was believed that a disconnected and wandering womb (uterus) was to blame for a variety of ailments, including excessive emotion, or hysteria. Hence, hysterectomy, from the Greek word hysterika, meaning uterus, became a viable cure for physical and mental disorders in women. Contemporary medical research has shown that women are less likely than men to survive traumatic health episodes like heart attacks when under the care of male doctors. Women are considerably more likely to say they prefer treatment by a female physician.

My wife and I witnessed first-hand just how callous and unsympathetic some male physicians can be. Prior to and after the birth of our son in 1986, my wife had suffered several miscarriages. In 1988, we discovered she was pregnant again and in her first trimester. The fertility specialist she was seeing suggested we come into the office to confirm the pregnancy by ultrasound. The ultrasound technician turned to me and asked, Would you be upset if I told you I think I see two heartbeats? Miracle of miracles! Twins!

We were elated, and my wife began to cry happy tears. We returned to the waiting room to see the doctor. Tears continued to flow down my wifes cheeks, and I hugged her tight. No one in the busy waiting room inquired what was happening. None of the staff came to check on us. No one offered my wife a box of Kleenex. No one  anyone  asked if everything was alright. They simply assumed my wife had miscarried  after all, it was a fertility clinic accustomed to delivering bad news. (Even under those circumstances some consolation should have been forthcoming.)

My wife blurted out: Were having twins! People came over to congratulate us, sharing in the joyous occasion. It was only then that kindness and good wishes were bestowed upon us. The doctor was nonplussed by everyones reaction, attributing the outcome to good science.

Several years later, we suffered an agonizing loss: fetal demise. Everything was going well until the OB/GYN informed my wife that, at 20 weeks gestation, he did not hear a heartbeat on his exam, and it was subsequently confirmed by ultrasound. Later that night labor was induced to deliver the baby, a dead baby boy whom we had already named. The doctor let us view him briefly, and then they  the doctor and our baby  vanished. The nurses unemotionally took care of my wife while both of us wept. We were handed the discharge instructions with barely a goodbye.

Let me be clear. This essay is not meant to be a battle of the sexes. Not all male doctors are indifferent to the plight of female patients  women physicians can show disregard too  and its not only women whose symptoms may not be taken seriously. Mens ailments may be ignored by physicians of either gender, and men tend to suffer silently and are more reluctant to seek care in general. Its just that Ive heard more accounts from women about how dispassionately male doctors have treated them.

My colleagues wife, a psychologist, nearly bled to death after a complicated delivery. Once stabilized, she was left alone for hours with unimaginable thoughts and without her doctor checking in on her. She was permanently traumatized by the experience. Along with her (then) husband (my colleague), the psychologist decided to write a textbook: Managing the Psychological Impact of Medical Trauma. The book was the first to conceptualize medical trauma and provide health care practitioners with best practices for treating trauma in health care settings, trauma ranging from neglect to near-death experiences.

I commend my colleagues for producing a textbook on trauma-informed, patient-centered care, and I lament that it had to be written in the first place. Why has it taken countless stories from grieving women to have their feelings validated? How is it that some medical professionals cannot identify or deal with patients who suffer and cry, patients who are then at risk for PTSD and other mental health disorders due to aversive medical encounters? Such encounters can arise so easily, and they occur too often.

Worse yet, why, when I tried to find out more information about physicians reactions to crying patients by googling the topic on the Internet, was the first hit an article titled Should Doctors Cry at Work? Give me a break!

Crying holds a significant therapeutic value in medicine. Crying is a natural response to many feelings created by the hardships and uncertainty associated with physical and mental illnesses. Crying can be incorporated into comprehensive patient care plans and inform treatment. But women should not have to cry a river of tears to be accurately diagnosed, tended to with empathy, recognized for courage, and treated respectfully.

Arthur Lazarus is a former Doximity Fellow, a member of the editorial board of the American Association for Physician Leadership, and an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. His forthcoming book is titled Every Story Counts: Exploring Contemporary Practice Through Narrative Medicine.
The farming sector is going through a lot of changes at the moment with the introduction of the Nitrates Derogation and the reduction in milk prices, which of course leads to uncertainty all round.

On the plus front, cattle prices have remained strong this week with plenty of customers ringside.

Cattle Sale

Many of the farmers buying cattle today waited as they saw a weekly drop in beef quotes and thought that the decrease in store prices would follow.



This time the factories played a very short term game as the constant drop in quotes eroded confidence but they soon found that beef numbers were not as plentiful and Northern Ireland buyers started to appear which helped to generate more interest in this sector, leading to a price increase.



It has been suggested that factories may start looking at special quotes for suckler breed animals, but this suggestion has been long awaited and I feel if it does come about its already too late.

Many suckler farmers in Kilkenny and surrounding counties have exited this sector due to the fact they found it to be a loss making category.



On Thursday, in Kilkenny, a bigger number of animals were on offer (900) with strong prices all round resulting in a TO in excess of 1 million.

Beef bullocks ranged from 1400 to 2070 per head with quality Friesians to 2.40 per kilo.

Forward store bullocks also sold well ranging from 1100 to 1710 per head with lighter types to a high of 3.53 per kilo eg 2 Limousins 445 kilo 1570.

Cull cows recorded a 99% clearance with heifers repeating this figure.

Remember, cattle should be entered before 3.30pm on the previous Wednesday by contacting the mart on 056 7721407.

Sheep Sale

Mondays sheep sale was a more subdued affair with butcher lambs peaking at 162, with prices in this category ranging from 142 to 162 per head. Factory types 115 to 135 per head and stores 80 to 112.



A small selection of cull ewes ranged from 77 to 180 per head with breeding hoggets a disappointing trade 160 to 220 per head.



Weather

With a change in the weather we can only hope the showers will not continue too long and if you intended going to the ploughing next week that conditions are fairly dry for this popular yearly event.

Dairy Sale

Kilkenny Mart will be holding its first autumn Dairy Sale on Monday, 2nd October, with the next day, 3rd October, being the special weanling sale.

Entries are now being taken for both these sales. Contact the mart office.

Until next time do be careful on the farm and good buying, good selling and good luck.
Kilkenny GAA have announce that Avonmore will continue to sponsor all Kilkenny inter-county GAA teams in 2024.

The famous milk brand, founded in Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny in 1966, has featured on Kilkenny jerseys since 1994, making it one of the longest running GAA partnerships in the country.

Avonmore owner Tirlan, formerly Glanbia Co-Op, is a 100% farmer owned Co-operative based in Kilkenny City and is Irelands largest milk and grain processor, employing 2,300 staff.

Chairman of Kilkenny GAA, PJ Kenny, said that he was delighted to see the relationship transition to Tirlan and thanked all the team in Glanbia plc for their superb support of Kilkenny GAA for many years.

"We are delighted to seamlessly transition to Tirlan and retain the association with an organisation that makes a huge contribution to the south east of the country," Mr Kenny said.

Jim Bergin, Chief Executive of Tirlan commented: "As a Co-operative based in Kilkenny, we are immensely proud of our hugely successful association between the number one dairy brand with one of Irelands most successful GAA teams of all time. The commitment, dedication and pursuit of excellence exhibited by the Kilkenny inter-county teams fits really well with the values that we pursue in Tirlan Co-operative."

Meanwhile, Glanbia plc, the better nutrition company which is also headquartered locally, will continue its proud association with Kilkenny Camogie. Kilkenny Camogie confirmed its new partnership with Glanbia this week, to include the sponsorship of all senior, intermediate, minor and junior county camogie teams, commencing in 2024. The new three-year partnership will see all Kilkenny Camogie jerseys and leisurewear carry the Glanbia brand for the 2024 season onwards.
A group of German travel agents and journalists  all specialising in luxury travel  has been exploring Kilkenny on a visit to Irelands Ancient East, as guests 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 travellers and to highlight some fantastic luxury and culinary experiences.

The groups action-packed itinerary included an overnight stay at Mount Juliet Estate, as well as a fine dining experience in the Lady Helen restaurant.

Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite this group of luxury travel agents and journalists to visit Kilkenny 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," said Nadine Lehmann, Tourism Irelands Manager Germany.

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, 749,000 German visitors came to the island of Ireland.
Minister for State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan has welcomed the launch of the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of the environmental status of the North-East Atlantic.

OSPARs Quality Status Report (QSR) 2023 highlights how a loss of marine biodiversity, pollution and climate change continue to affect the North-East Atlantic. Among a myriad of findings the report concludes that climate change and ocean acidification, which is caused by the seas increased uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and which impacts the ability of organisms to form shells and skeletons, are important drivers of change in the North-East Atlantic, in turn threatening marine biodiversity. It also presents further evidence that the state of marine food webs is changing. Improvements in relation to human activities have however been recorded in a number of areas, such as the prevention of pollution by radioactive substances and a reduction in negative impacts from oil and gas activities.

Commenting on the ground-breaking report and its findings, Minister Noonan said:

As living witnesses to a changing Atlantic, its crucial that we regularly and rigorously gather the science and present the evidence that tells us how our marine environment is doing, and that we do that in concert with our neighbours in the UK, mainland Europe and our Nordic and Icelandic partners. OSPAR and the QSR 2023 provide that platform, to work together for our shared marine environment and to point out where decisive action is needed to protect it and restore it.

For Ireland, the QSR 2023 assessments indicate how the comparatively lower level of urbanisation and industrial activity around our coasts and in our seas has so far afforded us a relatively clean, healthy, diverse and productive marine environment. However, its clear that the identified wider and growing challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, including marine litter, and the ongoing poor status of many marine species and habitats demonstrate a clear need for further coordinated action by OSPAR Contracting Parties.

The Marine Institute commented:

"Our seas and our ocean are simply priceless to us as an island nation. They are part of our daily lives and activities, of our weather and our climate, and of our economy, our health and wellbeing. The OSPAR Quality Status Report helps us to better understand the current state of the marine environment surrounding Ireland and provides us with a necessary evidence base to inform policy and future action to protect our seas."

Eimear Cotter, Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment of the Environmental Protection Agency said:

"The EPA is delighted to have contributed to this report alongside national and international OSPAR partners. This report provides the scientific facts, gathered over more than a decade from over 400 international experts, to bring us the most comprehensive report dealing with the North-East Atlantic area. This report will be valuable for all of the countries in the area, including Ireland, as we continuously monitor and report on the marine environment nationally to support clean, healthy and biologically diverse oceans."

Encompassing many years of work by 16 parties to the OSPAR Convention, including Ireland, the report sets out the evidence to inform important international and national decisions on how to improve this vital environment. The QSR 2023 results from the combined efforts of over 400 experts, scientists, data analysts and policy colleagues, supported by contributions from OSPAR observers coming from industry, environmental non-governmental organisations and international partner organisations.
Simone Rocha has become the latest high-profile fashion designer to partner with divisive footwear brand Crocs.

The Irish designer unveiled a range of Crocs at her spring/summer catwalk show at London Fashion Week, held at the home of the English National Ballet on the Leamouth Peninsula.

Following in the footsteps of Spanish label Balenciaga and Scottish designer Christopher Kane, Dublin-born Rocha upgraded the traditional backless clog by adding chunky pearls and crystals.

Sporty lace-up styles in black and pink were decorated with silver and floral embellishments.

Fresh footwear aside, Rocha  who graduated from esteemed Central Saint Martins college in 2010  returned to two familiar themes for SS24: bows and bouquets.

There were thin blue satin bows strewn over voluminous dresses and oversized bows adorning black and silver evening gowns.

They just kept getting bigger  a red satin one-shoulder top looked like a giant bow wrapped around the model and was teamed with a matching mini skirt.

Utility-style jackets in white, pale pink and khaki were decorated with fabric corsages.

A series of black and nude tulle dresses came with long pockets, with a pink rose (stem and all) inserted into each one, and some models had fake rose tattoos on their shins and faces.

Photos of an elaborate two-tiered white cake posted on the brands Instagram account before the show hinted at what else was to come.

Sure enough, there were a variety of full-skirted white and mint green dresses with rows of ruffled lace-like icing on a cake.

Displaying her usual mix of hard and soft elements, there were flashes of silver leather trousers, biker jackets, and lots of slouchy tailoring alongside the parade of frilly frocks.

Rochas glamorous garments have previously been worn by celebrities including Rihanna, Julianne Moore and Saoirse Ronan.

At last weeks star-studded Vogue World event that kicked off London Fashion Week, the designer dressed actors Bel Powley, Douglas Booth and Cole Sprouse.
Kilkenny-based author Ann Murtagh has published her third childrens novel titled, The Climbing Boys, about the dangerous lives of the children employed as chimney cleaners in Dublin in 1830.



The novel follows protagonist Hugh Scholar O Dare as he leaves school to become a chimney sweeper to provide for his family after his father gets injured.



Later, Scholar comes across another young sweeper whose circumstances are much worse than his own, and a shocking secret comes to life.



Ann said that there was a huge amount of research done into the history behind which the story was set but it was something she took pleasure in doing.



I nearly have to pull myself back from it, she said.



Ann has a strong background in history.



She qualified as a primary school teacher and received a degree in Local History from Maynooth College.



She is also a council member of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society.



I would be very faithful to the history in anything I write.



Meticulous research into the day-to-day lives of the real people whom her protagonist was based on allowed Ann to get an authoritative grip on the worldbuilding of the time which helped inform her writing.



Some of Anns sources included commissioners reports on schools and education at the time as well as newspapers and street directories.



With this being the release of her third book, Ann has noticed how her approach to writing has developed over time.



I would be much more forgiving of the first draft now, I wouldnt make as many demands as I did in book one, she said.



She remembers expecting an unrealistic standard with her first draft when she was writing her debut novel, The Sound of Freedom, but this time she was more focused on getting the first draft done and then getting to work editing it.



Ann remembered having to learn the craft behind writing fiction when she first started out, despite having previously designed and facilitated history courses for teachers both locally and nationally.



She is still learning and perfecting her craft to this day and is thoroughly enjoying it.



She added that her skin was getting thicker with each book she publishes.



In 2022, Ann was a recipient of the Agility Award from the Arts Council which aided her in the writing and research process.



The Agility Award aims to support individual professional freelance artists and arts workers at any stage in their careers.

That endorsement as a writer is hugely supportive and encouraging, any of those supports are so empowering for a writer or an author, she said.



She is also a part of a campaign known as Discover Irish Childrens Books, which is an initiative aiming to champion childrens books written by those living and working in Ireland.



We are proud of our culture and our own unique way of seeing the world and if we want to transmit that to our younger people we have to support Irish literature, she said.



She said that it is really important to connect a younger audience with Irish history.



"It is part of the culture we are passing on," she added.

The Climbing Boys was published on September 4.
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Columbia City Council will vote on the new budget at 7 p.m. Monday.
Post-tropical cyclone Lee makes landfall in Nova Scotia, forecast to bring strong wind gusts and rain as it moves inland
Morguard North American Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (the Trust) is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Trust's investment objectives are to generate stable and growing cash distributions on a tax-efficient basis; enhance the value of the REIT's assets and maximize long-term Unit value through active asset and property management, and expand the asset base of the REIT and increase adjusted funds from operations per Unit primarily through acquisitions and improvement of its properties through targeted deployed capital expenditures. The Trust owns multi-suite residential rental properties in Canada and the United States. The Trust owns interest in a portfolio of over 10 Canadian residential apartment buildings and approximately 30 residential walk-up garden communities in the United States, consisting of over 13,470 residential suites that are located in Alberta, Ontario, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
"Herbst," Korea's first museum showcase of German post-war master Anselm Kiefer, opened at Heredium in Daejeon, Sept. 8. Built in 1922, the building originally operated as the Daejeon branch of imperial Japan's Oriental Development Company during Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) as a state-led economic enterprise to exploit Korea's land and resources. Yonhap





By Park Han-sol







DAEJEON  It was in 1908, shortly before Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) began, when imperial Japan established the Oriental Development Company in the heart of Seoul as a state-led economic enterprise to control and exploit Korea's land and resources.







As years went by, its business grew rapidly, prompting the company to set up outposts in other cities across Korea, including Mokpo in South Jeolla Province, Busan and Daejeon.







The Daejeon branch's two-story building  an eclectic blend of Japanese and Western architectural features with a pitched roof and structures built with reinforced concrete and red bricks  has stood for a century since its establishment in 1922, surviving both the 1950-53 Korean War and the sweeping urban redevelopment that came in the following decades.







And after two years of extensive renovation, the once-forgotten Japanese colonial company has come back to life this year as a new cultural complex, known as Heredium.







The facade of the Japanese Oriental Development Company-turned-cultural complex Heredium in Daejeon / Courtesy of Heredium





To mark its official opening this month, the center has put forth its inaugural art exhibition, "Herbst" (translated as "autumn"), as Korea's first museum showcase of German post-war master Anselm Kiefer.







The show brings together Kiefer's 17 latest paintings and installations, most of which have never been unveiled before this occasion. The pieces on view are all anchored in the poignant verses of Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who penned three poems dedicated to the fall season  "Autumn Day" (1902), "Autumn" (1906) and "End of Autumn" (1920).







Overall, "Herbst" encapsulates the essence of Kiefer's long-standing artistic practice, all the while providing a timely chance for visitors to take a contemplative look at their autumnal melancholy.







Installation view of Anselm Kiefer's "Herbst" at Heredium / Yonhap





The battle-scarred landscapes of post-World War II Germany of the painter's childhood came to have a significant influence on his works. So much so, that it can be felt in his "Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr (Whoever has no house now, will never have one)" series, for instance, which illustrates his preoccupation with unearthing cultural memory and history from the ruins in his art through symbolic materials such as lead, dirt, dried plants, charcoal and bricks.







But more importantly, Kiefer's somber pieces  which highlight the eternal cycle of decay and rebirth  resonate with the museum's own history, explained Heredium's founding director Ham Sun-jae.







"For both the artist and the museum, the ruins are where new beginnings are made possible. The very building we are standing in was once on the brink of destruction and oblivion, but has experienced a remarkable rebirth as a cultural complex," she said.







"As we embark on a fresh start to chart a new cultural narrative, we wanted to demonstrate our vision going forward through this showcase."







Taking this idea of the duality of life and death into consideration inside Heredium makes the viewing experience an intriguing one.







Just as how the waning remnant of Japanese colonial history revived as a relevant cultural institution, Kiefer's falling leaves painted in intense autumn browns on canvas are seen not only as decaying debris but as the unexpected foundation for a new beginning. The same goes for the incomplete mud-brick house installed in the middle of the upper floor. Is it a half-destroyed structure or a half-finished one?







"Herbst" runs through Jan. 31, 2024 at Heredium.






Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun, third from left, speaks to Deutsche Bank's global management team during a meeting at the bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday. Courtesy of FSS



By Lee Yeon-woo



Deutsche Bank announced a capital allocation increase for its Seoul branch of 211.5 billion won ($150 million), Sunday, to support the bank's growth in the country and undertake more activities for its clients.



The plan was outlined at the meeting between Deutsche Bank's global management team and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun, who visited the headquarters of Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt last Friday. The parties discussed the current state of Korea's financial market, its investment environment and the direction of the country's financial supervisory policies.



Deutsche Bank's decision to allocate additional capital to its Korean business is underscored by the confidence it has in the stability and growth potential of the Korean market, according to the bank.



"Korea is one of the leading economies in Asia and a cornerstone for the tech sector globally. Its focus on innovation and technology industries combined with its world-class infrastructure, highly skilled workforce and dynamic private sector position it strongly for long-term growth," said Alexander von zur Muehlen, Deutsche Bank CEO of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) and Germany.



"This additional capital, along with our recent re-entry of the local debt capital market, will enable us to better support our client's expansion plans in the country and reinforce the successful platform that we have built over past decades," Muehlen added.



Lee welcomed the decision. "This capital increase decision is a prime example representing the favorable view of foreign investors towards the Korean financial market. We hope this will pave the way for continued additional investments in the Korean financial industry by global financial companies and foreign investors."



"Through this investment, I hope that Deutsche Bank's Seoul branch, marking its 45th anniversary in Korea, will enhance its business presence in Korea and take a fresh leap forward," Lee said.



Lee's visit to Deutsche Bank's headquarters was in recognition of the close ties between Korea and Germany, which celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations this year, and the bank's global commitment to the country.


A statue of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean-born Catholic priest, is unveiled at the Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 16. AP-Yonhap



A statue of Korea's first Catholic priest, St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon (1821-1846), was officially unveiled at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican during a Mass on Saturday, the anniversary of his martyrdom.



The 3.8 meter-high marble statue was erected at a niche of St. Peter's Basilica, making it the first Asian saint's statue to be installed at the universal headquarters of the Catholic Church.



Created by Korean sculptor Han Jin-sub, the statue wears a traditional Korean hat, called "gat," and a traditional men's outfit called "dopo" in Korean.



Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy of the Holy See, blessed its installation in a Mass, which was attended by the members of the Korean Church delegation, including Bishop Mathias Ri Long-hoon and Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung.



Kang Seung-kyoo, a senior presidential secretary for civil society, also attended the Mass in the capacity of President Yoon Suk Yeol's special envoy.









"I expect and pray that young people around the world will emulate the life of the priest, Kim Tae-gon who did not lose hope and courage in the face of any difficulties though he had lived a short life of 25 years," You said in the Mass.



You cast the installation of the statue as yet another "astonishing and touching" moment that came after Seoul was chosen last month as the host of the 2027 World Youth Day, a global Catholic Church event.



You proposed the initiative to Francis Pope in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the martyr's birth in 2021, and the Korean Bishops' Conference funded the project.



Born to a family of Christian converts, Kim was baptized at the age of 15 and soon after left for Macao under Portuguese rule to enter a seminary there. He was ordained a priest in China in 1845 and returned to his homeland for evangelization.



In 1846, at the age of 25, he was tortured and beheaded near Seoul at the Han River.



Kim was canonized and made a saint with 102 other martyrs by Pope John Paul II in 1984.



In 2021, UNESCO celebrated the 200th anniversary of the martyr's birth and selected him as a world monument. (Yonhap)





A statue of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean-born Catholic priest, is unveiled at the Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 16. AP-Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during his visit to Vladivostok, Saturday, in this photo provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has held talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on strengthening bilateral military cooperation and exchange, state media reported Sunday.



Kim held the talks in Vladivostok on Saturday as he is on a tour of Russia's Far East after holding a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Wednesday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).






South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 20, 2022 at U.N. headquarters. AP-Yonhap





South Korea's president said the international community "will unite more tightly" to cope with deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, as he plans to raise the issue with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week.







Worries about Russian-North Korean ties have flared since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Russia last week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin and to tour a slew of high-profile military and technology sites. Foreign experts speculate Kim could refill Russia's ammunition inventory drained in its 18-month war with Ukraine in return for economic aid and technologies to modernize his weapons systems targeting South Korea and the U.S.







"Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press before his departure to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly.







"The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move," he said.







In his address Wednesday at the annual U.N. gathering, Yoon will speak about his assessment of the Russian-North Korean moves, according to his office in South Korea, which added it is discussing countermeasures with the U.S., Japan and other partners.







While Russian-North Korean cooperation is feared to fuel Russia's war efforts in Ukraine, it has also stoked security jitters in South Korea, where many think a Russian transfer of sophisticated weapons technologies would help North Korea acquire a functioning spy satellite, a nuclear-powered submarine and more powerful missiles. Some experts still say North Korea would end up receiving food and cash in return for supplying ammunition and shells because Russia closely guards its high-tech weapons technologies.







North Korea's advancing nuclear arsenal has been a major source of tensions in the region, with the North openly threatening to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with its rivals and conducting a barrage of missile tests since last year. In response, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden in April agreed to expand joint military exercises, increase the temporary deployments of U.S. strategic assets and launch a bilateral nuclear consultative group.







"Our two countries (South Korea and the U.S.) reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response that will bring about the end of the regime," Yoon said.






Chinese tourists arrive at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, Aug. 24. Joint Press Corps



Passenger travel on air routes connecting to China in August recovered to around half of the 2016 level before Beijing restricted travel to South Korea in 2017 over a row over Seoul's hosting of a U.S. missile defense system, data showed Sunday.



The number of travelers on such routes came to 931,272 in August, which accounts for around 45 percent of the 2.06 million posted in the same month of 2016, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.



In 2017, China banned group tours to South Korea in retaliation for the deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea.



China pressed South Korea to withdraw the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, claiming that the deployment could hurt Beijing's security interests. Seoul and Washington said the anti-missile system is only meant to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.



China's tourism authorities, meanwhile, announced the decision to lift the ban on group tours to South Korea in August, ending a six-year hiatus.



Air travel between South Korea and China also has been recovering throughout this year on the back of eased COVID-19 restrictions.



The latest figure marks more than a twentyfold growth from just 43,675 tallied in August 2022. (Yonhap)


China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu, center, attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 2. Reuters-Yonhap



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 focused 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 China's 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.





China's President Xi Jinping, third from left, holds a meeting with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, Sept. 13. Reuters-Yonhap
Attempts have failed for decades  the human immune system immediately destroyed foreign animal tissue. Whats new: Trying pigs genetically modified so their organs are more humanlike.

Dozens of doctors and nurses silently lined the hospital hallway in tribute: For a history-making two months, a pigs kidney worked normally inside the brain-dead man on the gurney rolling past them.

The dramatic experiment came to an end as surgeons at NYU Langone Health removed the pig kidney and returned the donated body of Maurice Mo Miller to his family for cremation.

It marked the longest a genetically modified pig kidney has ever functioned inside a human, albeit a deceased one. And by pushing the boundaries of research with the dead, the scientists learned critical lessons theyre preparing to share with the Food and Drug Administration - in hopes of eventually testing pig kidneys in the living.

Its a combination of excitement and relief, Dr. Robert Montgomery, the transplant surgeon who led the experiment, told The Associated Press. Two months is a lot to have a pig kidney in this good a condition. That gives you a lot of confidence for next attempts.

Montgomery, himself a recipient of a heart transplant, sees animal-to-human transplants as crucial to ease the nations organ shortage. More than 100,000 people are on the national waiting list, most who need a kidney, and thousands will die waiting.

So-called xenotransplantation attempts have failed for decades  the human immune system immediately destroyed foreign animal tissue. Whats new: Trying pigs genetically modified so their organs are more humanlike.

Some short experiments in deceased bodies avoided an immediate immune attack but shed no light on a more common form of rejection that can take a month to form. Last year, University of Maryland surgeons tried to save a dying man with a pig heart  but he survived only two months as the organ failed for reasons that arent completely clear. And the FDA gave Montgomerys team a list of questions about how pig organs really perform their jobs compared to human ones

Montgomery gambled that maintaining Millers body on a ventilator for two months to see how the pig kidney worked could answer some of those questions.

Im so proud of you, Millers sister, Mary Miller-Duffy, said in a tearful farewell at her brothers bedside this week.

Miller had collapsed and was declared brain-dead, unable to donate his organs because of cancer. After wrestling with the choice, Miller-Duffy donated the Newburgh, New York, mans body for the pig experiment. She recently got a card from a stranger in California whos awaiting a kidney transplant, thanking her for helping to move forward desperately needed research.

This has been quite the journey, Miller-Duffy said as she and her wife Sue Duffy hugged Montgomerys team.

On July 14, shortly before his 58th birthday, surgeons replaced Millers own kidneys with one pig kidney plus the animals thymus, a gland that trains immune cells. For the first month, the kidney worked with no signs of trouble.

But soon after, doctors measured a slight decrease in the amount of urine produced. A biopsy confirmed a subtle sign that rejection was beginning - giving doctors an opportunity to tell if it was treatable. Sure enough, the kidneys performance bounced back with a change in standard immune-suppressing medicines that patients use today.

We are learning that this is actually doable, said NYU transplant immunologist Massimo Mangiola.

The researchers checked off other FDA questions, including seeing no differences in how the pig kidney reacted to human hormones, excreted antibiotics or experienced medicine-related side effects.

It looks beautiful, its exactly the way normal kidneys look, Dr. Jeffrey Stern said Wednesday after removing the pig kidney at the 61-day mark for closer examination.

The next steps: Researchers took about 180 different tissue samples - from every major organ, lymph nodes, the digestive tract - to scour for any hints of problems due to the xenotransplant.

Experiments in the deceased cannot predict that the organs will work the same in the living, cautioned Karen Maschke, a research scholar at the Hastings Center who is helping develop ethics and policy recommendations for xenotransplant clinical trials.

But they can provide other valuable information, she said. That includes helping to tease out differences between pigs with up to 10 genetics changes that some research teams prefer  and those like Montgomery uses that have just a single change, removal of a gene that triggers an immediate immune attack.

Why were doing this is because there are a lot of people that unfortunately die before having the opportunity of a second chance at life, said Mangiola, the immunologist. And we need to do something about it.

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Every year, millions of monarch butterflies migrate south to Mexico for the winter.

One Lehigh Valley man is helping keep track of that migration.

Doug Burton was at the WM (Waste Management) Grand Central Environmental Education Center at 891 Grand Central Road in Plainfield Township on Wednesday engaged in his annual activity of monarch butterfly tagging.

The East Allen Township resident has been going out to fields every September for the last nine years to tag the orange-and-black butterflies for Monarch Watch, a nonprofit education and research program based out of the University of Kansas.

The tag numbers are logged in a system that keeps track of the population status and migration patterns of the butterflies.

Burton also hosts classes at the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center to teach people how to identify, catch and tag the butterflies. This state park facility in Bushkill Township hosted a tagging event of its own on Wednesday with Monarch Watch.

Burton said the best way to catch a butterfly without harming it is to wait for one to land on a flower. Then slowly approach the butterfly and carefully place a net over the butterfly.

Dont swing it like youre Bryce Harper of the Phillies, Burton said.

Once netted, the butterfly isnt just pulled off the net, to avoid hurting the insect, Burton said. He places his hand under the butterfly and lets it grab onto to his finger.

Then he uses tweezers to place an adhesive tag on the lower right wing of the butterfly. By placing the tags consistently in the same spot, it makes it easier for spotters in Mexico to locate a tag and record its number.

Burton said two of the hundreds of butterflies he has tagged have been spotted in Mexico. While that may seem like a low percentage, Burton said it is important to remember that there are millions of monarch butterflies that migrate to Mexico each year. So, spotting any of the ones he tagged in Pennsylvania is not an easy task.

Monarch butterflies round-trip migration is a multigenerational journey. The butterflies Burton tags will never return to this area again after they fly south.

A new generation of eggs will be laid in Mexico on milkweed, the monarch butterflys host plant. Those butterflies will fly north in the spring into the southern U.S. and lay eggs.

A third generation will then fly farther north and lay its own eggs. The butterflies Burton tags in September in the Lehigh Valley are the fourth generation of the butterflies that had been in Mexico.

Burton said he was able to tag 11 monarch butterflies Wednesday at the Grand Central Environmental Education Center.

People can find information for Burtons classes by calling the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center at 610 746-2801 or visiting the centers website through dcnr.pa.gov.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The Portland Pokey may not inspire the imposing awe of, say, Philadelphias Eastern State Penitentiary or Jim Thorpes Old Jail. But the little jail in the middle of a little borough has a fascinating history all its own.

The pokey occasionally opens up for visits, like one Portland Community Day 10 years ago this week when lehighvalleylive.com ran a feature story on the pint-sized penitentiary.

Built in 1877 as the first borough hall, the first floor was where the local government met, which later became an officers quarters. The single cell below became a landing spot for drunks and burglars.

Two small windows and an iron door are all that allowed light into the Portland Town Hall and Lockup, known as the Portland Pokey, seen here in 2013.Bill Adams | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

Its use fell off in the early to mid-20th century. The building was saved and restored in the 1990s. An Eagle Scout doing additional work discovered a bucket of whiskey flasks, and the original jail door buried outside. The tally marks on the wall? A prisoner really made those.

According to a history published on Scenic Wild Delaware River, there are plans for the Portland Pokey to open more regularly to visitors in 2024.

During restoration, scrawling was found on the wall, most likely left behind by a former prisoner of the Portland Town Hall and Lockup, also known as the Portland Pokey.Bill Adams | lehighvalleylive.com file photo

MORE LEHIGH VALLEY HISTORICAL HEADLINES

 10 YEARS AGO | This week in 2013, work begins on the Hoover-Mason Trestle. The former Bethlehem Steel elevated rail line is converted into a pedestrian promenade and history tour up close to the blast furnaces on the SteelStacks campus.

 20 YEARS AGO | This week in 2003, Marian Bright, the granddaughter of a slave who with her husband Thomas Brother Bright fought for racial equality in Easton, dies at age 85. She was known in the community as Mother Dear.  A contract settlement ends a 50-day nursing strike at Easton Hospital.

 25 YEARS AGO | This week in 1998, city leaders worry that the pending $2.75 million sale of the bankrupt Hotel Bethlehem wont be completed before Christmastime. It would mark the first time in 76 years the Main Street building was empty for the holidays.

 100 YEARS AGO | This week in 1923, a large fire nearly destroys the entire Phoenix Cement plant outside Nazareth. At least four buildings are lost.

This story is part of Lehigh Valley Then, a weekly series that recalls historical headlines from lehighvalleylive.com, The Express-Times and their predecessors from 10, 20, 25, 50 and 100 years ago. Headlines are pulled from microfilm at the Easton and Bethlehem area public libraries.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
A man has been jailed for the sexual assault of a teenager in Laois earlier this year.

Hassan Salem, 31, with an address at the refugee hostel, Abbeyleix admitted sexually assaulting a teenage girl on a bus on February 9 this year.

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the man approached the teenager in Laois Shopping Centre in Portlaoise at around 5pm. He said the girls shoes were untied and offered to tie them for her. She told the man she was fine.

This man continued following her, said Sgt Kirby.

He explained that the woman got on a bus and the defendant also got on board.

She sat at a window seat towards the rear of the bus, he explained.

He said the defendant followed and sat down blocking her path. The man began rubbing his leg against hers.

Sgt Kirby said the man then began rubbing his right hand on her left thigh.

She was very frightened by the experience, he said.

Judge Andrew Cody asked if the victim was a complete stranger? Sgt Kirby confirmed that she was.

A barrister for the accused said there was a guilty plea in the matter and the man had instructed her to issue an apology to the victim. She said the man was from Yemen and was married with two daughters and living in direct provision.

He instructs me that he feels terrible about his actions, she said.

She said he had no previous convictions and was working part time in a restaurant. The man also supports his mother who is living in Egypt, she said.

Perhaps a community service order? she suggested.

Maybe working in Laois Shopping Centre, is that what you are suggesting? Judge Andrew Cody responded.

He is someone that would benefit from engagement with probation, the barrister said.

Sgt Kirby said the injured party was just barely over 18 years of age when the incident occurred.

Judge Cody described it as an appallingly frightening incident for a young lady.

Restrictions had been in place in relation to identifying the accused in the case but Judge Cody said these need now only apply in relation to the victim.

No reporting restrictions in relation to the accused. The community in Portlaoise need to know the danger posed by this man, he said.

Judge Cody then jailed the man for four months. He fixed recognisance in case of appeal.
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Michael McCabe, based in Cloone Co. Leitrim, in conjunction with the Philip Sorohan and Oliver Leslie memorial tractor run, is raising funds for the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Service in Beaumont Hospital.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease ten years ago, Michael underwent DBS surgical therapy and is hoping to help others in the same situation he has been in.

"Parkinson's is a progressive and debilitating disease with no known cure as of yet. It could only be controlled with medication until recently when this pioneering surgery became available.

"However, only one in ten people is suitable for it [DBS surgical therapy], and luckily, I happened to be one of them. It has changed my life completely from where I had been just a year ago", Michael said.

DBS procedure involves implanting electrodes within certain areas of the brain, and it is recommended for patients whose symptoms cannot be treated with medications.

It is commonly used to treat conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Dystonia and Essential tremor.

Michael explains that prior to 20233, all patients undergoing DBS surgery had to travel to England. "For many patients with severe motor function symptoms, their physical limitations ruled out the option of travelling to receive treatment", he says.

In 2022, the first DBS surgery was performed in Beaumont Hospital Dublin, and now it is estimated about 68 to 70 patients have cleared for DBS surgical therapy.

More information regarding Michael's DBS Service fundraising can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-aid-of-beaumonth-dbs.
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 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.

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.
World leaders need to make up for lost time and strive to meet 2030 targets for sustainable development, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar will address a summit in New York on Monday on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The goals cover 17 interlinked areas for action agreed by world leaders in 2015.

They are designed to increase global prosperity, tackle inequalities and protect the environment.

Ahead of his visit to the US, Mr Varadkar said countries needed to redouble efforts to achieve the 2030 goals, with progress currently behind schedule.

My visit to the United Nations comes at a time of critical challenge for the world, he said.

Ireland has been centrally involved in developing and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals which were adopted in 2015.

Progress towards achieving them has been set back by the pandemic, the consequences of conflict, including in Ukraine, and by the increasing pace and ferocity of extreme weather events.

I will be urging leaders to make maximum use of the time ahead to make up this lost ground, and to really focus on ensuring we reach the targets we have set ourselves by 2030.

The worlds most vulnerable people in particular, are depending on us.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Environment Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan are also attending the UN in New York.

UN General Assembly kicks off this week. Countries from around thewill gather to act on global issues. As Ireland marks 100 years of peace building, we will advocate strongly for our values of fairness, equality and solidarity#Ireland  at #UNGA23 This is #GlobalIreland pic.twitter.com/j4ucRLX7Hp  Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) September 16, 2023

On Tuesday Mr Varadkar will be at the opening of the UNs 78th General Assembly, at which he will have a number of meetings, formal and informal, with counterparts from around the world in the margins.

He will deliver Irelands National Statement to the Assembly on Friday.

He will also meet young Irish people involved in the tech sector; make an address to the Council on Foreign Relations on Irish foreign policy priorities; and attend a lunch for the Ireland Funds organisation.

He will also visit the Irish Arts Centre, which is hosting an exhibition of work by artist Colin Davidson.

I am also greatly looking forward to renewing contacts with the Irish community in New York, including young people working in tech, and board members of the Irish Funds who have done so much to promote peace and reconciliation in Ireland, he said.

The Taoiseach will also travel to Miami, where he will officially open Irelands ninth consulate general in the US and meet representatives of the Irish community there.

I am also pleased to have the opportunity to officially open Irelands new consulate general in Miami, our ninth in the United States, and a further signal of the Governments commitment to continuing to deepen our diplomatic presence in the Americas, he said.
Bain & Company recently launched a report highlighting the increasing demand for sustainable tourism among leisure travellers across the globe, driving the market for sustainable tourism to develop strongly in the coming years.

Leisure travellers worldwide will choose destinations and providers (airlines, hotels, restaurants, and tour companies) based on their sustainability records and are starting to pay a premium for it, said the report titled: Sustainable Tourism: An Untapped Opportunity for Green Growth

The research showed that travellers feel that the travel and tourism sector is not making enough effort to be more sustainable and there is much this sectors can do to protect the environment.

We spoke to Karim Henain, Partner, Bain & Company Middle East on some of the issues raised by the report. Heres an excerpt:

What are some of the key findings in the report?

Following a dip in 2020, tourism is again on the rise, expected to reach $17 trillion in size by 2027, compared to $11 trillion prior to Covid-19. There is an increasing appetite for more sustainable tourism among leisure travellers across the globe, driving the market for sustainable tourism to develop strongly in the coming years. Leisure travelers worldwide will choose destinations and providers (airlines, hotels, restaurants, and tour companies) based on their sustainability records and are starting to pay a premium for it. On the other hand, research shows that travellers feel that the travel and tourism sector is making little or no effort to be more sustainable, indicating that there is still much room for the sector to respond and make a difference.

What makes sustainability enthusiasts such an important target group?

Sustainability enthusiasts were found in the six markets covered in the research (Germany, Italy, France, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and China), but demographics varied by market.

For example, sustainability enthusiasts from China and Saudi Arabia were predominantly highly educated (university or higher) Millennials, whereas their European counterparts were almost equally spread across age groups, income, and education levels.

Sustainability enthusiasts are such an important group, because compared with the rest of the survey respondents, they were:

 4x more likely to consider sustainability aspects as extremely important when choosing a holiday destination.

 7x more likely to recommend a holiday destination driven by sustainability considerations.

 1.6x more willing to pay for more sustainable choices, at a premium of 15 to 20 percentage points compared to non-enthusiasts.

While we recognise that there is a say vs do gap in terms of what consumers actually choose and how much more they are willing to pay for more sustainable choices, sustainability enthusiasts remain a significant segment that countries can tackle through different sustainability offerings.

What is the status of sustainable tourism in UAE, KSA and Egypt?

Driven by the opportunity presented by sustainable tourism, holiday destinations and travel and tourism providers worldwide take steps to improve their sustainability performance and traveller perception of how sustainable their practices and offerings are. Egypt has already launched several initiatives to improve the sustainability performance of its travel and tourism sector.

To evaluate how travellers perceive Egypts sustainability efforts, we asked the survey respondents to rank Egypts sustainability performance vs main competing destinations in MENA (Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, UAE, Morocco).

Overall, Greece ranked first as the holiday destination perceived to be most sustainable, while Egypt ranked fourth.

On the other hand, the perception of Egypt significantly improved among sustainability enthusiasts, while we saw significant differences in how Egypt and other competing destinations were perceived across the different markets (China, Saudi Arabia, Europe).

What is the status of sustainable tourism in the UAE?

The UAE has taken multiple steps towards sustainable tourism. For example, Dubai has recently launched, in collaboration with the hospitality sector, the Dubai Sustainable Tourism stamp, which encourages hotels throughout the Emirate to take initiatives around energy and water efficiency, waste management, and staff education and engagement.

Our research shows that the perception of the UAE with regards to sustainable tourism remains to be still in the middle of the pack, however, with significant variation among different traveller segments. For example, sustainability enthusiasts from the ME region see UAE to be the top destination for sustainable tourism compared to other markets. Whereas individuals from the same segment from other markets (e.g., China and Europe) see the UAE lagging other regional tourism markets.
The oenologist Miquel Palau has been wandering around the vineyard since 6.30 a.m. to taste grapes and select some for Abadals laboratory. The Chardonnay harvest has been moved a week earlier due to the heat. Throughout the 50 hectares of this winery in Bages, a region of central Catalonia, more than 10 varieties of centuries-old grape have been recovered with a lot of patience, research and red tape. The soul of this winery, which was instrumental in creating one of the 12 designations of origin for Catalan wine  a quality label similar to Frances appellation dorigine controlee  is tied to the roots of a region that used to be a wine-growing power at the end of the 19th century. Palau does not lose sight of a very special hectare, located 18.5 miles from where he is standing. It only represents a couple thousand bottles of the 300,000 that the estate produces a year, but it holds a national rarity: the Arboset vines.

Among olive trees and oaks, there are several 80-year-old vines that guard an 18th or 19th-century construction made of dry stone and typical of the area, called a tina and used back in the day to make wine directly on the estate. It was given to them by local farmer Miquel Gibert, whose father made wine in it after it had been abandoned for nearly a century. Encouraged by the Roca brothers sommelier, Josep, the Abadal family revitalized this forgotten patch of land to use it as a laboratory. Since 2011, several vintages have been produced here, but the family waited until 2017 to market this very artisanal Arboset wine. The ones from 2017 and 2019 achieved the highest score in the Penin Guide (94 points) as well as that of the American wine critic James Suckling (92 points).

The Abadal winery's Arboset wine is produced in a very artisanal way. CRISTOBAL CASTRO

The tina, which is 10-foot tall and 6.5 feet in diameter, has a capacity of up to 22,000 pounds of grapes, but the Abadal winemakers only fill a third of the space. Between its glazed clay walls, they blend 10 native grape varieties, mainly Mando, Picapoll and Sumoll. First they crush them the old-fashioned way: with their feet, to preserve around 30% of the stem. This method lets them keep that part of the grape without breaking it, to avoid bitterness. Then they use a stick for the first few days before letting the product ferment for months, when it becomes covered with a layer or hat that separates the skins from the pulp. This layer, produced by the carbon dioxide of the grape, explains Palau, is so strong that it can hold a person. Finally, they extract the liquid with the bleeding method, where the cork stopper at the bottom of the deposit has been replaced with a tap. Above all, Palau explains that this wine has the essence of the wines from the past, but it is not like the wines from the past. If they pressed the entire contents of the vat, including the skins, it would result in a very bitter, hard drink. However, we want a wine with identity, not a weird wine.

Miquel Palau inside one of the restored dry stone 'tinas' in the Bages region, in central Catalonia. Winegrowers used to spend long hours in these 18th and 19th-century structures, sometimes even sleeping there to guard the wine. CRISTOBAL CASTRO

That tina is one of the 100 that remain in an area of four square miles between the towns of Manresa and Terrassa, and it is the only one that has been restored to make wine and is surrounded by vines. This region once had 30,000 hectares dedicated to wine in a sort of wine boom, when the Bages area exported to the north of Catalonia and France. Then, in the late 19th century, a phylloxera plague contaminated all those vineyards. The region ended up converting to textile production. The tinas were very useful in their time, because it was more profitable to work the grapes on the hill and then transport them in a liquid state than to transport the grapes for processing elsewhere, considering the state of the roads back then. For Palau, however, these historical constructions are much more than that: They are the most important wine legacy of the Bages, structures common throughout southern Europe, but which in this particular region have been a dead heritage, unknown to the locals for many years. He applauds that the Barcelona Provincial Council recently decided to restore them.

Rather than using the trendy label of natural wine, Palau prefers to refer to Arboset as one that is very little intervened. After removing it from the tina, it spends a year aging, half of it in clay vats  a more porous material that leaves a lighter aroma  and then in an oak barrel. He believes that the sector has gone too far with industrialization and the preponderance of the stainless steel tank, although he does not fall into pure romanticism either: We didnt recover the ancestral method just because; we believe it adds value for the future. He speaks in a scenario marked by climate change that will generate more alcoholic, acidic and mature wines. Still, he does not want to believe that the only alternative for the winemakers of tomorrow is fleeing to the hillsides.

The Bages forest is the differentiating element that Abadal fights for with all its products. The land is not as fertile as the Priorat, somewhere between the heat of the coast and the coolness of the Pyrenees, but it provides a unique balsamic touch that is enhanced by mixing several native grape varieties. Their vineyards are on a more stressful clay and limestone terrain where they have to make the most of every drop of water.

Miquel Palau talks with Ramon Roqueta in the basement of the Roqueta farmhouse, where wine has been made for 800 years in the heart of the Bages region. CRISTOBAL CASTRO

Palau has closely followed the achievements of this 40-year-old winery, which is just two years younger than himself. He has seen recognition awarded to their red Mando variety, which took a decade, and praise bestowed on their white Picapoll. However, before Valenti Roqueta created the brand, his family had already been making wine in the same farmhouse in Santa Maria d Horta d Avinyo for 800 years. Like any good Catalan farmhouse, it has a room with thirteen barrels to defy droughts, plagues and any bad luck that comes its way, explains Ramon Roqueta, the current general director. In those same chestnut barrels in their basement they make a vi ranci of up to 70 years, which they sell along with their exclusive, sophisticated 3.9 estate wine, which received accolades in 2016.

The hours go by and the thermometer reads 102 degrees Fahrenheit. In the middle of the heat wave, Miquel Palau describes the vineyards of Abadal and tells the story of the tinas, sounding as fascinated as if he had just discovered them. He has been Abadals oenologist for 14 harvests, but he maintains the same enthusiasm as the first time, when he arrived as one of the first graduates in this discipline after studying agricultural engineering. There is a lot of craftsmanship involved, but also some science and a lot of method. Many months must pass before he knows if he was able to improve any aspect of the previous season, but patience is an essential ingredient of his job. And never forgetting about his roots.

The vineyards of the Abadal winery, near Santa Maria dHorta, Barcelona. CRISTOBAL CASTRO
The sister of murdered journalist Lyra McKee has said that the extremism that destroyed her family is growing in the political vacuum left by a lack of devolved government.

Nichola McKee Corner spoke to the PA news agency following the announcement that the One Young World summit has named its Journalist of the Year Award 2023, the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery, in honour of her sisters life and work.

Lyra McKee was 29 years old when she was fatally shot during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry in April 2019.

At the time of her death, the devolved government at Stormont was not functioning after it collapsed in 2017 in the fallout of an energy scheme scandal, and Sinn Fein subsequently declined to go back into the executive to secure an Irish language act.

Ms McKee Corner said politicians did not uphold promises for change they made in the wake of Ms McKees death.

Because we were in a political deadlock when Lyra was killed as you know.

And Lyras funeral was one of the first times in a number of years that all of the political leaders were together in one building, she said.

And they had been making promises at that time that they would do what was necessary to get our political institutions back up and running.

That was in April, by August, nothing had changed.

The devolved institutions are not currently functioning due to the DUPs boycott of government in a protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

At the beginning of September 16 police officers were injured during unrest in the Creggan area of Derry that involved children as young as eight.

Searches carried out following the unrest revealed guns and quantities of ammunition.

Ms McKee Corner said more needs to be done about growing extremism.

I wrote to them every politician in the land, not just this country, the whole island and mainland UK and eventually change did happen but as we know it wasnt long lasting.

It was for completely different reasons this time but its still having the same impact on people, she said.

Because at the time Lyra was killed there was a political vacuum, as we know, which only gives opportunity for extremism to flourish.

And opportunities are being lost and extremism is growing.

Because if you dont have a stable government, there is a tendency towards anarchy as well, which is what we saw in 2019, which is what weve seen intermittently throughout that time, and particularly in the last number of weeks.

And a lot more needs to be done about that.

When we see that happening, its heartbreaking.

Because it doesnt need to be like this. It absolutely doesnt.

And things need to be done to change it.

People need to learn to find a way to compromise.

She added: We keep taking steps forward, steps back. Seeing the violence, I despair, I just think has anybody learned anything?

Because all it takes is one person coming onto the street with a handgun.

Somebodys child could be dead.

Is that worth it?

Because I dont think it is.

Its destroyed my family, killed my sister and my mum.

I dont want to see anybody have to go through that.

Ms McKee Corner said that, if compromises are not made, there will be more unnecessary deaths.

People digging their heels in and not giving in and wanting everything their own way hasnt got us anywhere in the past.

Its not going to get us anywhere in the future.

So we have to do something different. Absolutely, she said.

If not therell be more conflict related deaths, which is my greatest fear because I know what people will have to experience.

Four years on from Ms McKees death the One Young World summit has named its Journalist of the Year Award 2023, the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery.

The annual One Young World Summit convenes young leaders from 190 countries and 250 organisations, working to accelerate social impact.

This years One Young World Summit is taking place in October in Belfast and has been recognised by the City of Belfast and the UK Government as being part of the official celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Lyra McKee Award for Bravery is designed to recognise five outstanding journalists under the age of 35, from across the world.

Ms McKee Corner said Ms McKee would be blown away to have the award in her name.

She would be emotional, and she would be so proud.

But she would also be so pleased that she would be connected to such an amazing award that would help to inspire and influence and push forward, other young people going forward, she said.

She added: She wanted everyone to have truth and justice and wanted our little country here to become a better place.

And the only way you can do that is by speaking out.

And by telling the truth and by using your voice and Lyra did that.

And to know that shed be inspiring other young people across the world to be able to do that, I know she would think it would be absolutely phenomenal.

One Young World managing director, Ella Robertson McKay said naming the Journalist of the Year award after Ms McKee was a fitting tribute.

Lyra was a talented and brave journalist who reported the truth without fear or favour and was a relentless advocate for the LGBTQ+ community before she was so tragically killed in 2019 on the 21st anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, she said.

As the One Young World Summit in Belfast marks the 25th anniversary of the Agreement, we felt naming the Journalist of the Year award in Lyras honour would be a fitting tribute to such a remarkable young woman.

Highly respected by her peers, Lyras writing was so full of love and hope for the future, famously penning a letter to her 14-year-old self in which she describes journalism as her calling.

In that same letter she declared; It wont always be like this. Its going to get better and signed it off by saying Keep hanging on, kid. Its worth it. I love you.
United Auto Workers (UAW) picket outside a Ford assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, September 15, 2023. MATTHEW HATCHER / AFP

The US president has expressed clear support of the auto workers who began targeted strikes on Friday, September 15 against the country's three historic automakers, General Motors (GM), Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler). "Let's be clear, no one wants a strike. I'll say it again. No one wants a strike. But I respect workers' right to use their options under the collective bargaining system. And I understand the workers' frustration," the Democratic president said in an address at the White House. Although the automakers have "made some significant offers," Biden believes that they "should go further to ensure that record corporate profits translate into record contracts [for the UAW]," the United Auto Workers, the industry's historic union.

The combined worldwide operating profit of the three Detroit (Michigan) based automakers soared from 4.8 billion dollars (4.5 billion euros) in 2020 to 29.4 billion in 2021 and 37.2 billion in 2022.

The strikers are demanding a 36% pay rise over four years, a 32-hour week and a return to guaranteed pensions. The three companies have proposed pay rises of around 20%. GM boss Mary Barra, who is close to President Biden, has expressed her disappointment. "I'm extremely frustrated and disappointed," she told CNBC on Friday, "this is a strike that didn't need to happen. We have a historic offer on the table."

For the first time ever, the UAW has chosen to strike all three automakers together, but for the time being it is targeting just one plant per manufacturer. Employees have walked out at the Ford Bronco plant in Detroit, the Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio, and a GM truck plant in Missouri. The union is targeting the factories that produce the three companies' most profitable products, although so far only around 12,700 employees are on strike out of a total of 140,000 unionized auto workers.

Offensive strategy

The tactic is meant to minimize the impact on the union's financial resources while leaving the management of the companies in a state of uncertainty. The approach was designed by new UAW boss Shawn Fain, a former Chrysler electrician from Ohio who hails from the left wing of the union. Fain, 54, was elected this winter in the aftermath of a corruption scandal that hit the union in 2020 and sent some former leaders to prison. In response, the federal government demanded that the UAW president be henceforth elected directly by members rather than by union section leaders.

When he took office, Fain refused to endorse Biden for re-election, breaking with the UAW's custom of backing the Democratic candidate. He also refused to shake hands with the Big Three bosses at the start of negotiations, another tradition. The new union leader adopted an openly offensive strategy that included the possibility of strike action. "We got to do what we got to do to get our share of economic and social justice in this strike," said Fain outside the Ford Bronco pickup plant on Friday, "we're going to be out here until we get our share of economic justice. And it doesn't matter how long it takes."

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The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Saturday, September 16, condemned the "disproportionate and unprecedented" move by Iran to withdraw accreditation from several of its most experienced inspectors. Iran's foreign ministry said in response that the move was in retaliation for "political abuses" by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.

But IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said that this would seriously hamper the ability of the International Atomic Energy Agency to carry out its work. "Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran informed me of its decision to withdraw the designation of several experienced Agency inspectors assigned to conduct verification activities in Iran" under an existing agreement, said Grossi.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Iran's domestic challenges offset by international success

"This follows a previous recent withdrawal of the designation of another experienced Agency inspector for Iran," his statement added. "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," said Grossi.

In 2015, major world powers reached a deal with Iran under which Tehran would curb its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions. But that started to unravel in 2018 when then US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed sanctions.

Tehran in turn stepped up its nuclear program while continuing to deny it harbours ambitions of developing a nuclear weapons capability. Efforts to revive the deal have been fruitless so far.

'Arrogance'

The United States and the so-called E3 group  France, Germany and the United Kingdom  are threatening to call for a new resolution against Tehran at an IAEA board meeting. "Iran persists in its deliberate refusal to engage earnestly with the Agency," the US and E3 group said in a midweek joint statement.

If Iran did not fully abide by its obligations the Board would have to be prepared to take further action to support its Secretariat and hold Iran accountable, they added. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani responded to the IAEA statement Saturday.

"Three European countries and the United States abused the space of the (IAEA's) Council of Governors for their own political purposes with arrogance and with the aim of destroying the atmosphere of cooperation." "Of course, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its positive cooperation within the framework of the agreements made, emphasizing the necessity of the agency's neutrality," he added.

Read more Iran, an Islamic Republic in ruins

In his statement Saturday, Grossi said the experts affected had "unique knowledge in enrichment technology" and had previously conducted essential verification work at Iranian enrichment facilities under IAEA safeguards. While the move was formally permitted under an existing agreement, Iran had done it "in a manner that affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to conduct effectively its inspections in Iran," said Grossi.

"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 added Without effective cooperation from Tehran, the agency would not be able to "provide credible assurances that nuclear material and activities in Iran are for peaceful purposes," Grossi stressed.
General Brice Oligui Nguema (second right), after his inauguration as interim president, in Libreville, on September 4, 2023. - / AFP

In Gabon, the transition's institutional architecture has been gradually taking shape since the August 30 coup that deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba (2009-2023), just minutes after the ostensibly rigged presidential election results were announced.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Gabon: General Oligui Nguema takes power and promises democracy

Brigade General Brice Oligui Nguema, the country's new strongman, has demonstrated a real sense of political balance: He has reached out to some of the former regime's fallen figures, is breathing new life into a stifled civil society and has reinvigorated an opposition that had previously been forced to either make concessions or accept predetermined defeats by a regime that had maintained its grip on power and privileges since 1967. But this subtle game does not conceal the omnipotence of the republican guard's former commander-in-chief, who has now become the grand master of the transition's timeframe.

The preamble to the transition charter published on September 4 in the official bulletin of the Gabonese Republic is clear and straightforward: "We, members of the Gabonese Republic's defense and security forces, grouped in the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions [CTRI], inspired by the desire (...) for change for the sovereign people of Gabon's well-being and togetherness that led to the effective seizure of power by the Gabonese army (...) approve and adopt the present charter."

This text, which General Nguema unveiled on the day of his inauguration, takes precedence over the March 26, 1991 Constitution. Under the signature of the president of the CTRI are those of six generals: Serge Herve Ngoma, the chief of the national police; Jean Martin Ossima Ndong, the chief of staff of the armed forces; Yves Barrassouaga, the chief of the gendarmerie; Jean Germain Effayong Onong, the chief of prison security; Jean Raymond N'zenze, the chief of the military health service; and lastly, Gabin Oyougou, the director general of military engineering. No civilians were invited to participate.

Almost all powers

Primus inter pares, Oligui Nguema has been granted almost all powers. As President of the transition, "he carries out the duties of Head of State, Minister of Defence and Security." He appoints and, if necessary, dismisses the president of the transitional senate and the four vice presidents. He chooses the 50 senators and the National Assembly's 70 lawmakers while also appointing the transitional constitutional court's nine members.

It should be noted that neither the prime minister nor the members of the government or the presidents of the transitional institutions are "eligible for the presidential election, which will be organized to mark the end of the transition." However, this restrictive provision does not apply to the all-powerful head of the transition, therefore avoiding impairing his own political future.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Gabon's new regime wants to get rid of Ali Bongo's 'foreign legion'

Admittedly, the president of the transition did open up the political game to representatives of the former opposition platform Alternance 2023, which presented a single candidacy against Bongo Ondimba in the August 26 presidential election. It won the prime ministry and the presidency of the Senate for the most senior positions. As far as civil society is concerned, among other personalities, the human rights activist Marc Ona Essangui has been promoted to third vice-president of the Senate. Some prominent members of the former ruling party, the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), were also not left out. Among them is Jean-Francois Ndongou, former Minister of the Interior and new president of the National Assembly.

While public opinion celebrated this overture to the PDG, it had a harder time understanding the leniency granted to former Bongo clan officials released from prison or judicial supervision by the new prince. At the top of the list was Bongo's former chief of staff, Brice Laccruche Alihanga, known as "BLA," all-powerful until his ouster in 2019. Sentenced on October 29, 2021, to five years' imprisonment for forgery and accused since 2022 of embezzlement of public funds, he was released on Monday from Libreville's central prison.

Largesses

The same reservations were expressed regarding the pardon granted to Renaud Allogho Akoue, one of "BLA's" close friends who was also detained at Gros-Bouquet. This former National Health Insurance and Social Security Fund director was arrested in 2019 as part of "Operation Scorpion," launched to fight corruption while eliminating a few enemies in the process. In 2022, the special criminal court sentenced him to eight years in prison for "embezzlement of public property," "suspected money laundering," "influence peddling" and "attempted corruption." The release of Leandre Nzue, the former mayor of Libreville and another close friend of "BLA," elicited the same reaction.

Such largesse is part of the exceptional regime in force in Gabon. Yet the head of the transition refuses to be called a coup perpetrator. On Wednesday, during one of the many consultations he held with all sectors of Gabonese society, he repeated his credo and invoked the support of the heavens: "Let people take a good look at what has happened around the world, at the coups d'etat that have taken place. Ours is not a coup d'etat. It is a freedom coup. We had to free the Gabonese people. We led an action in which there was no bloodshed, in which God was with us. He spared us from all this ruckus." For now, at least.
TEN PROJECTS run by Limerick City and County Council have been shortlisted for national awards.

The schemes are in the running for prizes at the 20th annual Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government awards.

The scheme, sponsored by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recognises and celebrates the outstanding work being carried out by local authorities all over Ireland.

Limericks first School Street located at the Model School at OConnell Avenue in the city has been shortlisted in the climate change category.

Crafting Connections has been recognised in the Age Friendly Initiative section.

And the councils bid to market Limerick as a Student City is shortlisted under the communications section.

Its student planner pack is shortlisted in the inspiring future generations category.

Limerick on Foot is listed in the health and wellbeing category, while the Housing Assistance Payment hub scheme is named in the local authority innovation category.

A community jobs fair held in Regeneration areas and at the Engine collaboration building at Cecil Street also in the running.

Elsewhere, the new Discover Limerick brand is named in the supporting tourism category.

And a project named Decarbonising Together is listed in the sustaining the arts category.

Mayor Gerald Mitchell said: These projects are just a small sample of the great work being carried out in collaboration with other stakeholders across the county to improve quality of life for us all. The awards take place in November.
MORE than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the planned new garda station in Castletroy, Limerick to proceed without delay.

The government has included the provision of a new station in what is Limericks fastest growing suburb, but the onus is now on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to approve the project.

Fianna Fail councillor Joe Pond and Deputy Willie ODea have collected hundreds of signatures calling on him to do just this.

Councillor Pond says he wants to secure 3,000 signatures before sending it to garda headquarters.

He says Castletroy has become devastated by crime and anti-social behaviour.

People are afraid to leave their homes particularly at night due to the fact gangs of youths hang around the area constantly intimidating them. They are continuously suffering financially from damage to their property by these individuals. Parents cannot allow their children to attend a nearby play area, established at great expense to the taxpayer, he said.

However, Superintendent Andrew Lacey, Henry Street, indicated that it might be better to only have a garda office, as opposed to a full station in Castletroy.

Having a station is one thing, having gardai to staff it is another, he told councillors at a special meeting on anti-social behaviour in the city.
SIX youths were arrested after a garda chase and major containment operation in the city and county overnight.

A garda spokesperson confirmed to Limerick Live that a car failed to stop when directed to do so by gardai in Raheen, on the outskirts of Limerick city, after 11pm on Saturday night.

"Gardai put in place a managed containment operation in Limerick.

"The vehicle later came to a stop in the Patrickswell area following a collision with an unmarked garda vehicle. No injuries were reported," said a garda spokesperson.

Six males youths were arrested and taken to a garda station in Limerick.

"All six have since been released. Investigations ongoing," said the garda spokesperson.

According to one source, there were up to eight garda vehicles involved in the chase and "managed containment operation".

"The guards stopped them, all young fellows, in their tracks anyway and arrested them. That hour of a Saturday night there would be people coming home so thank God the guards caught them," they said.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today encouraged students to take advantage of new student supports as it emerged only one in four of those eligible had applied for a 500 grant towards their contribution fee.

Changes introduced as part of Budget 2023 included a measure which allows students from households with an income of between 62,000 and 100,000 apply for a 500 grant towards their student contribution fee.

However, although in the region of 40,000 students are estimated to be eligible for the grant, the most recent figures suggest only 10,000 have applied.

Speaking today, Minister Harris said: We have been working hard to reduce the cost of going to college for students and their families by putting money back into peoples pockets.

Thats why we have brought in important changes for this academic year so that more people can avail of the supports available.

One of these changes is a 500 grant for students from households earning between 62,000 and 100,000.

While a large number of students have already applied for the grant, there are potentially tens of thousands more who could be availing of this support.

Today I am encouraging students and their families to go to susi.ie and to use the eligibility reckoner and take advantage of the supports that are there to reduce the cost of education.

As well as the 500 grant towards the student contribution fee for eligible households earning between 62,000 and 100,000, the household earnings threshold for the 1,500 grant towards the student contribution fee was increased from 55,240 to 62,000

Students in this 2023/24 academic year will also see the full benefit of increases to the maintenance grants announced in Budget 2023. From 1 January 2023, the Special and Band 1 maintenance grant rates increased by 14 per cent and all the other maintenance grant rates increased by 10 per cent.

The increase in student earnings outside of term time from 4,500 to 6,552 has also come into effect this academic year and there has been a reduction in the eligibility period from 5 years to 3 for second chance mature students who did not complete a course and are returning to college to pursue an approved course at PLC, undergraduate or postgraduate level.
An indefinite strike at the factories of top US automakers has hit the operation since Friday. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union on 15 September launched a protest at three US auto plants after failing to reach an agreement over new contracts. It is the first-ever labour action against the Detroit three automakers (General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler parent Stellantis).

The Detroit automakers, like their global counterparts, have been focused on cost reductions, which in some cases include job cuts, to help accelerate a shift to electric vehicles (EVs) from gasoline-powered vehicles.

What is UAW negotiating with?

The UAW, which represents 46,000 GM workers, 57,000 Ford employees and 43,000 Stellantis workers, kicked off negotiations with the companies in July.

Contract talks between the UAW and the Detroit automakers in past years had gone on until the strike deadline and beyond.

The UAW contracts at General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler parent Stellantis expired on Thursday.

What are the three Detroit offerings?

They have hiked wage offers, proposing raises of 20% over a four-and-a-half-year contract term, including an immediate 10% hike.

The automakers say the proposals work out to a cumulative 21% hike over the period.

What UAW saying after the offer?

The union previously rejected the companies' offers. It has demanded a 40% wage hike, including a 20% immediate increase, and improvements in benefits.

What are the demands of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union?

The Union is pushing automakers to eliminate the two-tier wage system under which new hires earn as much as 25% less than veterans.

The UAW also wants strong salary increases, given the financial success of the automakers, citing generous executive payouts and large US federal subsidies for EV sales.

The union also wants defined benefit pensions for all workers restored, 32-hour work weeks and additional cost-of-living hikes, job security guarantees, and an end to the use of temporary workers.

The UAW has been wary of the industry shift to EVs and called on the Biden administration to soften its proposed vehicle emission cuts that would require 67% of new vehicles to be electric by 2032.

What automakers are saying?

The Detroit Three wants to close the cost gap they have with foreign automakers with non-unionized US factories.

The companies also want greater flexibility in how they use their US workforces to increase efficiency and cut costs as the industry shifts to EVs.

What is at stake?

A full strike would hit earnings at each affected automaker by about $400 million to $500 million per week assuming all production was lost, Reuters reported.

A broad strike could also trickle down and squeeze quarterly profits for auto part suppliers such as Aptiv, Lear Corp, and Magna.

A 10-day strike by the UAW could cost manufacturers, workers, suppliers, and dealers more than $5 billion, according to an analysis by the Anderson Economic Group, a consulting firm Reuters said.

(With Reuters inputs)

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So this is where weve got to: the signal you needed to stop drinking vodka soda at all your parties and move on to cocktails that are a little more sophisticated, a little more fun to drink. Not because the classic old fashioned, screwdriver, cuba libre or whatever you want to call it tastes bad, but maybe it has become a bit boring; especially since youve been drinking the same thing since that night when you started dating a long, long time ago.

Today we bring you five cocktails that are perfect for your get-togethers. Besides being refreshing and delicious, they all come from Latin America. Well travel to Peru for the classic pisco sour, to Cuba for a refreshing daiquiri and while were there, well have a mojito. Continuing to Mexico, well pick up a good margarita, and end up in Puerto Rico for a pina colada. They are all internationally famous cocktails, but also internationally abused: these five recipes will provide you with a balanced drink that is not too sweet and lets all the ingredients shine.

Like the whole world of drinks, cocktails are shrouded in mystery. Theyre quite intimidating. But dont let grandiloquent words and exact measurements make you dizzy: rustling up any of these five cocktails is extremely simple, and much cheaper than ordering them at a bar. Besides, telling your guests that you have prepared pina coladas will go down much better than if you send a text message asking whos bringing the rum and coke?

Pisco sour

After ceviche, the pisco sour is probably the best-known example of Peruvian food and drink: a sour and refreshing drink, it wakes you up and stimulates your appetite. Pisco, for those who do not know it, is a grape brandy, similar to traditional brandy or cognac, but not ripened in wooden barrels. Although there are a few varieties, acholado is usually recommended for cocktails. It is produced with a mixture of grapes and is softer and sweeter than the stronger version, pisco quebranta.

Lets start by making a double syrup, that is, two parts sugar and one part water: add 100 grams (4 ounces) of sugar and 50 milliliters (1.7 fluid ounces) of water to a saucepan, put it over medium heat, and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer it to a jar and let it cool completely. We are going to make a single glass of pisco in a shaker, but you can multiply it as many times as you want, add all the ingredients to a blender, and make enough for all the guests you have.

A pisco sour. DIEGO DOMINGUEZ ALMUDEVAR

Add to the shaker 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) of pisco, 25 milliliters (0.9 fluid ounces) of lime juice  a little less than the juice of one whole lime 15 milliliters (0.5 fluid ounces) of the syrup, and finally, 15 grams (0.5 ounces) of egg white. Weighing the egg white is a bit difficult because of its consistency, the amount is more or less a heaping tablespoon. If putting a raw egg white in a drink sounds strange, dont be alarmed: its common in cocktails, so as to give them a little more texture, and above all, to create foam on top. Close the shaker and give it a dry shake (without ice) for 15 seconds.

Open the shaker, add ice cubes to fill 3/4 of the glass, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds, to create a good foam and to cool everything well. If you are preparing it in a blender, add two ice cubes for each serving of the recipe and beat them for 10 seconds. All that remains is to serve, preferably strained (you can leave the ice in if you have crushed it). Drink it as is or top it off with three drops of bitters or angostura.

Daiquiri

The daiquiri is one of those cocktails that must be enjoyed in moderation, because it is almost entirely white rum. Thats why youre going to benefit a lot from using a good quality rum, which doesnt taste like rubbing alcohol. Daiquiris come from Cuba, and although I dont want you to change the way you say it  I havent either, after I found out  you might want to learn how daiquiri is really pronounced.

Again, youll need a shaker, but it can be made in a blender, and you can multiply the ingredients as many times as you want. As in the pisco sour, well also need a double syrup: if you get into the world of cocktails, youll get used to having this type of preparation on hand, because theyre needed in many recipes. To the shaker add 50 milliliters (1.75 fluid ounces) of a good white rum and 15 milliliters (0.5 fluid ounces) of lime juice  the average, more or less  but before cutting it, remove a strip of peel with a peeler to garnish the drink later.

We continue with 10 milliliters (0.35 fluid ounces) of double syrup and, optionally, five drops of bitters or angostura to give it a little more complexity. Fill 3/4 of the shaker glass with ice and shake for 15 seconds. If you are using a blender, add one ice cube for each serving of the recipe you are making, and blend for 10 seconds. Serve it immediately in a glass and twist the lime peel on top, to squeeze out the oils it contains and flavor the drink (you can also decorate with a quarter of lime on the edge).

Mojito

Oh, the mojito, the legendary mojito. I said in the introduction that all these cocktails are internationally abused, but this poor man takes the cake: its either too sweet, it tastes like toothpaste, or its been diluted to death with ice. Best of all, theres no mystery, and is far less laborious than many recipes would have you believe.

The first thing we need is a tall, wide glass, with a capacity of about 350 milliliters (13 fluid ounces). The second thing, which is important for the recipe to be a success, is crushed ice: crushed medium-sized ice cubes, which still have sharp edges, so that they do not dilute instantly and water down our mojito. Add 15 peppermint or spearmint leaves to the empty glass 15, 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) of rum, 10 milliliters (0.33 fluid ounces) of double syrup, the juice of half a lime (15 milliliters/0.5 fluid ounces), and the other half of the lime cut in two. Fill half the glass with crushed ice, and vigorously mix everything with a spoon, using vertical movements: we want the edges of the ice to extract the essential oils from the mint leaves and the lime peel, so you have to mix with purpose.

There are recipes that recommend crushing the leaves with sugar beforehand for optimal extraction, but I find that type of mojito too sweet and, above all, too minty (besides, the leaves look poached and ugly). Once everything is mixed, fill the rest of the glass with crushed ice, and then finish with 15 milliliters (0.5 fluid ounces) of soda  not 7up or Sprite, which are already super sweet in themselves. In case you dont want to buy soda and youre going to use one of those two, skip the double syrup above, to compensate for the extra sweetness. Stir the glass a couple of times with a spoon and thats it.

Margarita

As with the daiquiri, you have to be a little careful with the margarita, because before you know it, youll have drunk five and youll be rethinking your decisions. The margarita is a classic and popular drink for a reason: its perfectly balanced, with an acidity that makes it addictive and refreshing, and of course, the salt around the rim of the glass, which I know has many detractors, but it drives me crazy. Lets start there, with the salted rim: spread a little salt on a flat plate, and then, cut half a lime into quarters and moisten the outside of the glass with one of them. You have to be careful not to wet it, and especially not to do it inside the glass, because we do not want there to be too much salt either. Finally, roll the rim of the glass on the salt, and thats it.

To make the cocktail: in a shaker add 50 milliliters (1.75 fluid ounces) of tequila, 25 (0.875 fluid ounces) each of triple dry and lime juice, and finally, two drops of a 4:1 saline solution. This ingredient is similar to the double syrup that we used in the other recipes and is used in many cocktails. Just as we add salt to food to intensify its flavors, these two drops will make the cocktail much more sophisticated. To prepare the solution, simply mix 20 grams (0.7 ounces) of salt with 80 milliliters (2.8 fluid ounces) of water in a saucepan over low heat until it has dissolved, and then cool it completely.

If you are not a fan of very acidic drinks, such as the margarita, you can balance it a little with five milliliters (1 teaspoon) of double syrup. Fill 3/4 of the shaker with ice, and shake for 15 seconds. Serve it immediately in the glass with the salted rim and enjoy.

Pina colada

If you like Pina Coladas... This is the cocktail that automatically transports you to summer, period. It is the favorite of many who still do not know, because if you liked the classic Malibu with pineapple, the pina colada is its adult version, for palates that are a little more demanding. Were going to make this cocktail in a blender, because it is the only way to prepare it, so it is a great way to prepare a lot at once (the quantities in this recipe make four glasses).

The key ingredient for a good pina colada is a good pineapple juice. It costs nothing to prepare it at home: buy a ripe pineapple at the market, peel it, remove the heart and cut it into eighths, cut them into cubes and blend them with a glass of cold water for two minutes, until there are no lumps and the mixture is foamy. Then, strain it, leaving all the fiber behind.

With our homemade pineapple juice ready, lets get to work. Add the following ingredients to the blender: 240 milliliters (8.45 fluid ounces) of white rum, 420 milliliters (14.8 fluid ounces) of pineapple juice, 60 milliliters (2 fluid ounces) of lime juice (about two limes), and eight drops of the same 4:1 saline solution that we made for the margarita, to enhance all the flavors. So much for the liquid part of the cocktail, lets make a creamy one: add 90 milliliters (3.2 fluid ounces) of coconut milk. Its very important that it has more than 75% coconut concentrate, since there are some that come a blend of coconut milk cut with water.

The most common ingredient for pina colada is coconut cream instead of coconut milk. Its a condensed and sweetened version of the same. If you have difficulty finding it, you can compensate by adding two teaspoons of sugar to the coconut milk. Finally, for the creaminess of the drink, add 30 milliliters (1 fluid ounce) of cooking cream or single cream  not whipping cream  which has a percentage of fat around 18% and will give the drink its classic creaminess and nice dairy touch. Top with six heaping tablespoons of crushed ice, and beat everything for 10 seconds. Then serve it and garnish with a piece of pineapple on the edge of the glass and a straw (not plastic, its 2023 after all).
Foxconn , Taiwan-based Apple supplier, has said that they are planning to double their investment and workforce in India within the next twelve months, according to V Lee's LinkedIn post on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 73rd birthday.

Taiwan-based Foxconn, the world's largest contract manufacturer of electronics, has rapidly expanded its presence in India by investing in manufacturing facilities in the south of the country as the company seeks to move away from China.

Notably, Foxconn already has an iPhone factory in the state of Tamil Nadu, which employs 40,000 people.

V Lee, Foxconn's representative in India, in a LinkedIn post to mark Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 73rd birthday, said the company was "aiming for another doubling of employment, FDI (foreign direct investment), and business size in India" by this time next year.

In August this year, Karnataka governments had said that Foxconn has planned to invest $600 million for two projects in the state to make casing components for iPhones and chip-making equipment.

Earlier this month, Young Liu, Chairman and CEO of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) had said, India will be an important country in terms of manufacturing in future.

In the past, it took 30 years to build the entire supply chain ecosystem in China, he noted, adding that while it will take an "appropriate amount of time in India" and the process will be shorter given the experience. The environment too is not quite the same, he said pointing to the advent of new technologies like AI and generative AI.

Meanwhile, Apple Inc. has announced plans to make the India-built iPhone 15 available in the South Asian country and some other regions on the global sales debut day, according to a Bloomberg report.

While the vast majority of iPhone 15s will come from China, that would be the first time a latest generation, India-assembled device is available on the first day of sale, they said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private.

Apple introduced the iPhone 15, updated watches and AirPods at a gala event at its US headquarters. Sales of new products begin typically around 10 days after the unveiling.

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India Sothebys International Realty (India SIR), which focuses primarily on luxury residential sales and large property transactions, Sunday said the company has bagged a mandate to sell 800 crore worth ultra-luxury apartments at Worli in Mumbai.

The property consultant, in a statement, said the company has signed an exclusive sales and marketing agreement with The Residency, Worli, Mumbai that houses 19 ultra-luxury residences.

Prime Realty is the developer of this project, India SIR said.

These ultra-luxury residences are ready with completion and occupancy certificates, India SIR added in the statement

The property consultant said the price of these ultra-luxury residences, size of each flat is around 5,510 square feet, starts at 60 crore each and few units have already been sold.

India Sotheby's International Realty has got mandate to sell 800 crore worth properties.

Amit Goyal, Managing Director of India Sotheby's International Realty, said, "Luxury real estate sales in India's financial capital and its wealthiest city, registered record-setting sales in the first six months of 2023."

India Sotheby's International Realty did not disclose how much brokerage fee it will earn from sales of these units.

The company had in April announced growth of over 50% in the gross property sales turnover for FY 2023 over FY 2022. The sales value of real estate transacted in FY 2023 stood at $450 million against $300 million in the previous year.

Out of the total property transactions, around 92-93% were in the residential segment while the rest are in commercial properties and capital market property transactions.

The company's other business highlights for FY23 include a strategic investment in prop tech firm CRE Matrix, with an acquisition of 12 percent equity.

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Elon Musk, the owner of micro blogging site X (former Twitter) has issued a whip for X Corp employees with regards to free speech on the social media platform. Elon Musk requoted a tweet by X News Daily, which quoted German prosecutors saying, X is complying with more German requests compared to pre-acquisition when it comes to identifying users in Hate speech cases". The news daily channel of microblogging platform X reported, X is complying with more German requests compared to pre-acquisition when it comes to identifying users in Hate speech cases, German prosecutors say. This has raised concerns among civil liberties advocates, due to the strict and broad nature of Germany's hate speech laws." At the risk of stating the obvious, I dont know whats going on with every part of this platform all the time, but our policy worldwide is to fight for maximum freedom of speech under the law. Anyone working for X Corp who does not operate according to this principle will be invited to further their career at any one of the other social media companies who sell their soul for a buck", Elon Musk replied on X.

Elon Musk since after taking over X, has perpetrated himself as a self-appointed advocate of free speech on social media, earning the scorn of human rights activists. The latter were worried that the social media platform was on its way to become an extremely unsafe platform, giving way to cyber hatred.

Elon Musk hailed free speech in his first tweet after clinching a deal to buy Twitter Inc for $44 billion.

 Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, , and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," Tesla CEO wrote. The SpaceX founder also hoped that his worst critics also remain on Twitter, "because that is what free speech means," he had said.

Read Elon Musk's full statement after clinching Twitter deal

Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential -- I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it," his statement read.

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Congress' former chief Sonia Gandhi announced six guarantees in poll-bound Telangana during an elections rally near Hyderabad. It is my dream to see Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society" Sonia Gandhi said at the election rally.

Sonia Gandhi on Sunday appealed to people to support the Congress. Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near Hyderabad, Gandhi said that "we are announcing six guarantees and we are committed to fulfil each one of them". I along with my colleagues had opportunity to be part of birth of this great state Telangana" Sonia Gandhi added. 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana under the Mahalakshmi scheme, gas cylinders at 500, and free travel for women in TSRC buses across the state, to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Telangana we are announcing 6 guarantees and we are committed to fulfill each one of them", she said explaining some of the guarantees.

Stressing on unity and organizational discipline, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday asked party leaders to set aside personal differences and take on adversaries with their full might in the coming state and Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the extended CWC meeting on the second day of deliberations, the Congress chief said the party's goal must be to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and work diligently to form an alternative government in the country.

In a scathing attack on the Modi government, Kharge accused it of playing politics and distracting people from basic issues. He said the party leaders should stay away from such distractions and remain focussed on real issues.

Noting that 2024 also marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's election as the Congress president, Kharge said the most fitting tribute to the Mahatma would be to oust the BJP from power in 2024.

"From Telangana, we will go with renewed strength and a clear message. We leave Hyderabad today with a firm commitment: to win not only in Telangana but in all the upcoming elections, relieving people from miseries of the BJP's misrule," he said.

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Ardeshir Irani's "Alam Ara" marked a significant milestone in Indian cinema. It stands as a pivotal moment in the history of Indian filmmaking as it was the first-ever Indian movie to integrate sound into the film, ushering in the era of talkies.

This breakthrough opened the door for the production of more sound films in the future. While silent films were still in existence at the time, their popularity was on the decline and eventually ceased production for mainstream audiences. However, this trend took a turn in 1987, thanks to Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, a renowned director known for his work on films like "Michael Madana Kama Rajan" and Magalir Mattum." Rao decided to create a film devoid of dialogue once more. This unique film boasted an ensemble cast that included notable names such as Kamal Haasan, Amala Akkineni, Pratap Pothen, Tinu Anand, and Samir Khakhar. It was released under two titles: "Pushpak" and Pesum Padam."

In a recent development, Kamal Haasan's production company, Raaj Kamal Films International, made an announcement on social media regarding the re-release of this 1987 film in theatres. The production house's post mentioned:

Pushpak, Pesumpadam, a pioneer in silent black comedy and an iconic masterpiece of Indian cinema, will be re-released in theatres soon."

Earlier this year, Kamal Haasan's 2006 action-thriller "Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu," directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, also experienced a re-release. This re-release received a highly positive response from the public.

Also Read: Kamal Haasan joins Prabhas, Deepika Padukone-starrer

The versatile actor Vikram has a busy schedule ahead with four films in the pipeline, although specific release dates have not been announced for any of them. He is set to appear in Nag Ashwin's upcoming film, "Kalki," which boasts a star-studded cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and more.

Additionally, post-production work for "Indian 2," the sequel to the 1996 film directed by S Shankar, is currently in progress. Besides these projects, Kamal Haasan has also signed on for a film with H. Vinoth, tentatively titled KH233 - Rise to Rule."

Moreover, there's an exciting reunion with Mani Ratnam after 37 years for "KH234," which is rumoured to feature Dulquer Salmaan, Trisha, and Jayam Ravi in prominent roles.

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Goods trade marked another month of lacklustre performance. Trade deficit widened to a 10-month high of $24 billion in August as import and export performance remained dismal. Headline exports contracted by 6.9% year-on-year last month, a faster pace compared to the 5.2% drop seen in imports.

Akin to July, much of the decline in exports and imports in August was driven by the sharp year-on-year contraction in oil shipments led by lower price and volume. But what is encouraging is that stripping off the volatile items of oil, gold and gems and jewellery; both core exports and imports have shown some signs of recovery with an increase in shipment of some heavyweight items.

The uptick in core imports reflects robust domestic demand and resilient economic momentum. Notably, the increase is broad-based across consumption items like electronics and capital goods, electrical and non-electrical machinery, and project goods. While this reinstates confidence in Indias growth story, an upturn in imports also casts concern over the already widening trade gap.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

Here, in the near term, there are upside risks to imports. This could primarily arise from higher global oil prices amid supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The benchmark Brent crude oil price is now trading above $90 per barrel. If crude prices remain strong, it will exert upward pressure on Indias oil import bill, in turn, leading to further widening of the trade deficit.

To be sure, oil imports have already risen by 12% month-on-month in August. Incorporating the recent rise in crude oil prices we see upside risk to our current account deficit estimate to 1.8% of GDP in FY24. USDINR trading range is expected to be between 84 to 82, till December 2023. Depreciation pressures on INR is expected to be higher in the near-term with crude oil prices above $90 per barrel and dollar strength," wrote Gaura Sen Gupta of IDFC First Bank in a report on 16 September.

Moreover, in August, gold imports have risen as much as 39% y-o-y. The prospects for gold imports remains healthy owing to the solid demand in the upcoming festival and wedding season. Further, the likely surge in consumer spending driven by festival demand may aid imports of consumer goods like electronics, gems and jewellery and ready-made garments. Also, sustained momentum in Indias capex cycle would likely aid demand for capital goods. This may support imports and thereby, to that extent, curtail the narrowing in the trade deficit.

In short, this means that a combination of resilient domestic demand along with subdued external growth is likely to create upward pressure on the trade deficit in the coming months. Besides, there have been some other recent unsettling developments, too, on the external front. Services exports likely contracted by 0.4% y-o-y in August, as per government estimates. This is the first negative reading after many months.

Meanwhile, on the capital flows front, data from NSDL shows that foreign portfolio investment in Indian markets turned negative in September, after remaining positive in the preceding months. Net FDI inflows fell sharply to $5 billion in Q1FY24 from $13 billion in the same period previous year, as per latest Reserve Bank of India data. In this backdrop, investors will watch the outcome of the US Federal Reserve meeting this week.

The evolving risks warrant monitoring of the external sector dynamics. With imports expected to stay high, concerted measures to boost exports alongside strengthening services trade and sustaining capital inflows would be crucial to keep the rupee on a steady footing. This should also ward off the depreciation pressures seen lately.
A five-day session of Parliament is set to begin Monday, September 18, 2023, amid intense buzz on whether the government will have some surprise in store. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said a total of eight bills have been listed for consideration and passage during the session.

At all-party meet, floor leaders were informed that a bill on the welfare of senior citizens and three related to SC/ST order have been added to the agenda. The bills listed earlier include the one on the appointment of chief election commissioner and election commissioners.

During the last Monsoon session, the bill related the chief election commissioner and two election commissioners were introduced in Rajya Sabha. The bill had drawn protests from the Opposition as it seeks to put their service conditions on par with the cabinet secretary and not with a Supreme Court judge, as is the case now. This is being seen as a downgrade in their stature.

Though there is no official word on any probable new legislation, there has been a buzz that a bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like Lok Sabha and state assemblies may be presented, as Prime Minster Narendra Modi has often highlighted, including in the recent G20 Summit, the growing role of women in different fields in the country.

Asked about the government's stand on the demands by various parties to bring the women's reservation bill in the five-day session, Joshi said the government will take "an appropriate decision at an appropriate time".

In the last few weeks, several parties, including the BJD and the BRS, have demanded reviving the bill, while the Congress also passed a resolution for it at its Hyderabad Congress Working Committee meeting on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday morning. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joshi said that after a ceremony at the Central Hall of the existing building, the session will move to the new building.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, the function will commemorate the rich legacy of the Parliament of India and resolve to make Bharat a developed nation by 2047.

The government's legislative business will commence from September 20 in the new building. All members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been called for a group photograph on Tuesday morning.

The catering will also shift to the new building on September 19, the officials said.

Recently, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had given vent to the sense in the opposition about the session, saying the government could be having some "legislative grenades" up its sleeve.

Commenting on the listed agenda, he had said it "is much ado about nothing" and all this could have waited till the Winter session in November.

Various departments of parliamentary staff are all set to don new uniforms in a signal from the government that the shift to the new building is likely to be marked with a fresh start in more ways than one.

The new dress code with floral motif for a section of staff has already kicked up a political row, with the Congress dubbing it as a "cheap" tactic to promote the ruling party's poll symbol - the lotus flower.

On August 31, Joshi, while announcing the "special session" of Parliament for five days from September 18, did not spell out any specific agenda for it. "Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament," Joshi had posted on X.

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Amid growing tension between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir border, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a strong message to India's enemies suggesting that going in war with us can turn catastrophic for one's family. Noting that Indian Military is now a modernized high tech and lethal machine, he said, if anyone goes to war with India, their children will be raised by someone else.

Taking to Twitter, Chandrasekhar wrote, India has enemies - These enemies want to stop Indias rise. But they should know this. Indian Military is now a modernized high tech and lethal machine - make no mistake about it. You will be wise to avoid it." This is NewIndia - India will not be intimidated , India will not back down. India has seen war and does not want war but if you go to war with India, someone else will raise your children," he went on to add.

The minister was responding to a tweet on Army's use of hi-tech equipment for surveillance and delivery of firepower in the operations.

Four security personnel including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and rifleman Ravi Kumar Rana were martyred in the Anantnag operations that began on Tuesday. Meanwhile, three terrorists were killed in Baramulla.

The Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police resumed operations Saturday against terrorists "holed up" in the forest area of the Gadole in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district. The operation is going on for the fourth consecutive day. As per officials, 2-3 terrorists are believed to be engaging security forces in the hilly terrain of Anantnag district.

Drones and helicopters were deployed to track the terrorists holed up in the forest at Gadole in the Kokernag area.

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Indian Army has decided to advance its firepower, with a greater emphasis on mobility, precision attacks, range, quick strikes, and survivability, after getting influenced by the Ukraine war that entered 571 days on Sunday.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the Indian Army is also ramping up its weapons including guns, rocket systems, and missiles.

Army's five-pronged strategy, which will cost thousands of crores, evolved after assessing the needs of the artillery regiments on a battlefield.

Citing an official, the HT report said all regiments would be equipped with advanced 155mm artillery gun systems, inducting missiles and rockets with longer ranges, lethal ammunition, reorganisation of surveillance, and shortening the sensor-to-shooter loop for swift detection.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has reaffirmed the primacy of firepower as a battle-winning factor, therefore, the Army has revised its profile of weaponry. One of the key lessons learned from the 19-month-old war is to deploy more self-propelled and mounted gun systems for improved mobility, missiles, and rockets with superior range, ensuring increased survivability against the enemy.

In the past five years, all gun systems bought or are in the process of being procured, are aimed at enhancing the artillery's lethality, reach, and versatility. The artillery's focus is on pursuing modernisation through indigenisation. However, M777 ultra-light howitzers are imported from the US.

Notably, the Defence Research and Development Organisation began a project called Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) in 2013 to replace older army guns with a modern 155mm artillery gun. DRDO partnered with Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems -- to manufacture the gun, which has a range of 48 km. The urgent priorities of the army also include buying more self-propelled K9 Vajra-T guns manufactured by Larsen & Toubro with technology transfer from South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin, mounted gun systems, modern towed gun systems, and equipping more regiments with Dhanush artillery pieces and upgraded Sharang guns, an official told HT. The army has inducted 100 155mm/52 calibre K9 Vajra-T guns under a 2017 contract worth $720 million, and several of them have been deployed in Ladakh. Besides, the Indian army has also deployed its first regiment of 155mm/45-calibre Dhanush towed guns near the China border.

It has ordered a total of 114 such guns, which have a range of 38 km. The India-made Dhanush is an electronically and mechanically upgraded version of the imported 155mm FH 77 BO2 guns, better known as Bofors.

BHARAT FORGE More Information

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The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has issued red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh 's Indore on Monday. Western Madhya Pradesh is expected to witness intense rainfall on September 17. Moderate rainfall will be witnessed in other parts of the state, the IMD said.

IMD has informed that a Low Pressure Area lies over Southeast Rajasthan and adjoining West Madhya Pradesh. It is likely to move gradually over southwest Rajasthan during next 2 days," the IMD informed.

IMD has warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in West Madhya Pradesh and North Konkan during 17-18 September.

IMD issues Flash Flood risk warning in Madhya Pradesh

Light to Moderate flash flood risk likely over few watersheds and neighborhoods of adjoining West Madhya Pradesh during next 24 hours.

MP records exceptionally heavy rainfall in past 24 hours

Three districts of southwest #MadhyaPradesh recorded the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours. Katthiwada (Alirajpur) recorded 341 mm rainfall, Meghnagar (Jhabua) 316 mm and Dhar city - 301.3 mm rainfall. This is the highest rainfall in Madhya Pradesh since 1958," IMD posted on its official handle.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the Army and Air Force will be called in if required for flood relief operations amid heavy rains in the state.

He held a virtual meeting with his officials at 1:30am and gave instructions to deal with the situation.

Chouhan said he reviewed the situation caused by heavy rains in Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore and spoke to officials of these districts.

The situation is under control but the people are on alert and the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) and NDRF are working in these areas, while the flow in water bodies as well as rain has reduced, he said.

"The water has started receding in the affected areas. Our efforts are to keep the people safe. If required, the army and Air Force would also be called in," Chouhan said.

"I am in touch with the collectors and other officials of the affected areas  Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore. The situation is under control and NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed. If needed, we will also rope in the Army and the Air Force," Chouhan said.

Pregnant woman, family airlifted from flooded Ujjain village

An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on Sunday rescued a pregnant woman and two other members of her family from the rooftop of their house located in a flooded agricultural field in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

Amid incessant rains in Ujjain district, the information was received that a man is stranded with his pregnant wife in their house in a flooded area in Semalia village under Badnagar tehsil, said district collector Kumar Purushottam.

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As ambient music goes through a second period of splendor, Midori Takada, 71, feels a bit indifferent.

The genre  which became a pillar of the music industry in the early-1980s  began a new evolution by the 1990s, with digital production software helping it become key to intelligent dance music (IDM), avant-garde electronic music of a more introspective nature. For many listeners  even today  ambient is like amputating the rhythm of house and techno.

Forty years ago, Takada  the Tokyo-born composer and percussionist  released an album titled Through the Looking Glass, inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Only 2,000 vinyl copies of the musical collection were made at the time. Today, however, each is valued at nearly $1,000.

During and after the pandemic, many were encouraged to listen to immersive music that replaces choruses, with direct and subtle impacts on the mind and body. It could be said that this effect is thanks to changes in intensity and frequencies, as well as the use of sounds of different timbres. This helps listeners mediate with the unseen and connect with nature.

Festivals, podcasts, magazines, record labels and new platforms such as Bandcamp  made by and for generation Z  have marked the scene that has revitalized the genre of ambient music. And, by extension, this new era has reintroduced various minimalist legends, including Debussy, John Cage, Robert Fripp, Steve Reich and, above all, Brian Eno. However, the acoustic aspect of ambient music owes a big debt to Midori Takada  the woman who shyly looks at her computer screen to chat with EL PAIS, just days before she performs in Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain.

Midori Takada.

Charmingly close to the camera  with very short hair, dark glasses and two small black earrings that look like grains of wild rice  Takada believes that the acoustic effect of percussion on humans is, in general, intense and disturbing. People increasingly need to escape from an uncertain reality. Ambient music provides real, tangible emotions a space to escape, along with originality, she notes.

After studying music and spending time playing as a youth in Germany, she returned to Japan to study African and Asian music. She set up a group in the early 1980s: Mkwaju Ensemble. The author of two solo albums and three more in collaboration (as well as one in the company of some Buddhist monks), it could be said that her compositions have one foot in the physical world and another in the hidden one. This is especially the case in Through the Looking Glass (1983) and Tree of Life (1999), which depend on percussion instruments that connect matter with emptiness. This is a very Japanese concept, as are the neutral curtains that decorate the apartment, visible behind Takada. In her song Mr. Henri Rousseaus Dream, such notions of minimalism also come across.

With a slow rhythm, Takada intersperses marimba, gongs, bells and an ocarina that imitates birds. No. I dont feel like Japans ambassador to the world, nor do I feel like my music is Japanese, Takada responds flatly when asked about her nationalitys role in her music. In the 1980s, in Japan  a country known for its structural machismo  being a woman and making minimalist music wasnt an easy task. All traditionally-closed locks can be opened thats the mission of art, she points out. Despite this context, Takada managed to gain a voice and take her music around the world.

Today, its the same. Nothing has changed, she laughs. Every time she says something important and severe, she laughs afterwards, as if shes breaking a prohibition by having a firm opinion. Musicians like me  who play percussion and drums  cannot make a professional living from it. If you play the piano or violin, you have more recognition. In any case, I feel gratitude, because I had the opportunity to make an album, my debut. Those songs were able to be recorded (I remember that the producers didnt fully understand what they were doing) and, today, inspire others. But in Japan, I still dont get recognition. Many people will think that I have money, but I dont. Im not sad: Im 71 years old, I live here and I will continue fighting for the status of women.

Sometimes, Im bothered by [the lack of recognition], but, instead of breaking down, I make more music. Besides, I no longer have time to think about all that, she reflects.

For years, YouTube was the only place to enjoy Midori Takadas debut, Through the Looking Glass (1983). The video has already accumulated 260,000 views, in addition to quite moving comments. A notable number  especially the most recent ones  connect listening to the album with the ingestion of psychedelic substances. Originally released in the1980s by RCA Records, it was gloriously reissued in 2017 by the Swiss label WRWTFWW Records. The original vinyls are sold on the specialized website Discogs  the largest database of vinyl music  for up to $960. I dont know how many of the reissues have been sold, but I dont have the rights and I dont receive a single dollar, she notes, adding that, when she recorded the album and was given an advance, nobody thought that those four strange songs would have value in the future. Takada has attempted to find the original file, but it was apparently lost when Sony Japan absorbed RCA.

Recently, she collaborated with the fashion brand Bottega Veneta and made three songs, pairing music to a room designed by architect Kengo Kuma at the V&A Dundee museum in Scotland. And now, shes on a new tour, which will premiere on Sunday, September 17, in Santiago de Compostela, within the program of Galicias WOS Festival. It has the support of the British Film Institute and the Japan Foundation.

In her show, Takada plays music to accompany footage from old Japanese films. Shell be taking this experimental concept across Europe. I was wondering what the difference is between people who lived a hundred years ago and today. I think the answer is nothing. Theres some evidence of this  we can see it in these movies. Im interested in reflecting on how the past and the future always coexist, she explains.

When asked what her present is like, Takada says that it consists of making music and going for walks with her 100-year-old mother. We dont see many older people in music we forget that the brain is deep and there are always new possibilities. Thats the best thing about getting older: new discoveries. And the worst thing? Memory, which becomes fragile.

More depth, but less endurance. Just like in the world on the other side of the mirror, where Alice discovered that everything happens the other way around.
H-1B visa programme "indentured servitude" and will gut" if he becomes the US president in 2024, Indian-American Republican presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy made another big claim. He further asserted that the lottery-based system will be replaced with more-effective meritocratic admission.

The comment comes as the time when million of Indians are struggling to obtain US work visa due to long wait time.

Ramaswamy was quoted as saying by Politico, H-1B system is bad for everyone involved," .

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 US 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 himself has used the visa programme 29 times. From 2018 through 2023, US Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 29 applications for Ramaswamys former company, Roivant Sciences, to hire employees under H-1B visas.

H1B visa woes in India

The H-1B visa, the much-sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Every year, the US gives 65,000 H-1B visas which are open to all and 20,000 to those with advanced US degrees. Since, many applicants come from India and China, currently their is a huge backlog

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday. Prime Minister Modi turned 73 today. "My best wishes to PM Shri Narendra Modi ji on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and long life," Congress chief Kharge said on X. In a post on X, Gandhi said, "Wishing PM Narendra Modi a happy birthday."

Wishes also poured from dignitaries and politicians, including President Droupadi Murmu.

Extending best wishes, the President said she wished that Modi with his foresight and strong leadership paves the way for India's development in every field during the 'Amrit Kaal'.

Lauding him as the architect of new India, Home Minister Amit Shah said he has laid a strong foundation of a grand and self-reliant India on the basis of the country's ancient heritage.

"Be it the party organisation or the government, we always get inspiration of national interest being supreme from Modi ji," he said, adding that he considered it his good fortune to serve the country under such a unique leader.

How to with PM Modi on his birthday

BJP will also launch "Sewa Pakhwara" from today till October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to reach out to different sections of society with a host of welfare initiatives to mark the birthday of its preeminent leader.

The 'Seva Pakhwada' campaign comprises 6 engagements or activities for which the countrymen can enlist participation and, through their involvement, extend their greetings to PM Modi on his 73rd birth anniversary.

To enlist their participation in any of these activities, one needs to log into the 'NaMo' app using his/her mobile number or email id, which is also registered with the Mera Saansad Portal.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday turned 73 therefore the BJP party leaders and workers have planned celebrations at various places. Prime Minister Modi on his 73rd birthday will inaugurate the first phase of the India International Convention Centre (IICC), known as Yashobhoomi in Dwarka, New Delhi. Besides, he will also dedicate the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line, connecting Dwarka Sector 21 to a newly constructed metro station at Dwarka Sector 25.

Also read: PM Modi will turn 73 tomorrow; Here's how he celebrated his birthday in last 5 years

With 'Vishwakarma Jayanti' falling on Sunday, PM Modi will launch his government's ambitious scheme, "PM Vishwakarma", which is aimed at helping artisans craftsmen, and others engaged in traditional skills on the occasion. On August 16, 2023, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to implement PM Vishwakarma Yojana in the whole of India.

Also read: Yashobhoomi Inauguration LIVE: PM Modi to inaugurate Convention Centre in Delhi

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will reach out to different sections of society and organise various welfare activities across the country as it launches 'Sewa Pakhwara' (fortnight of service) to mark PM Modi's birthday on Sunday.

The exercise will continue till October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a practice the BJP has been following annually for the past several years.

During the 'Sewa Pakhwara', BJP members are involved in a slew of activities, including reaching out to people with the government's various achievements and also welfare activities like blood donation camps, cleanliness drives, and health camps.

For instance, the Union Health Ministry will introduce the Ayushman Bhav campaign on PM Modi's birthday  to ensure optimum delivery of health schemes to every intended beneficiary, including those in the last mile  during the Seva Pakhwada.

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.

For Modi's birthday on September 17, Yoga followers hosted four 'yog shivirs' in Gujarat's Rajkot to create awareness among the people for yoga. The two-day event held to celebrate PM Modi's 73rd birthday was attended by more than 500 people in Rajkot.

Additionally, a BJP worker in Pune showcased PM Modi's portrait using grains and millet on Saturday. The 10X18 feet portrait was created by artist Ganesh Khare and his team in 18 hours. Around 60 kg of grains like wheat, lentils, and millets (Jawar, Raagi) were used to make the portrait.
NEW DELHI : The union health ministry may shortly notify proposed amendments to rules in order to make good manufacturing practice (GMP) mandatory for all pharmaceutical firms after a spate of scandals linking Indian-made drugs to childrens deaths abroad.

With the Indian drugs failing quality checks in other countries, the government recently made GMP mandatory for micro, small and medium enterprises manufacturing drugs. India is the largest supplier of medicines to low-middle-income-countries (LMIC), which requires the World Health Organizations GMP certification.

Only 2,000 of the 10,500 manufacturing units in the country have the certification.

GMP, as mandated by the WHO, prescribes essential standards to enhance product quality through control measures related to materials, methods, machinery, processes, personnel, facilities, as well as the environment.

A meeting was recently called by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Rajeev Raghuvanshi with industry stakeholders and drug firms. Meetings or workshop have also being held with state drug controllers to sensitize them about the enforcement of the new GMP regime.

Revision in schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules is the new legislation and hence there are several doubts and queries with the pharma companies about its implementation. In the past, DCGI held several meetings with the state drugs controllers to discuss the subject matter and now its the turn of pharma companies and associations," said one of the state drug controllers.

GMP under schedule M is under revision and it under active consideration of the health ministry to publish final notification on revised schedule M," said Raghuvanshi to all pharma stakeholders in a communication seen by Mint.

In this regard, it is decided to conduct one-day regional workshops across India for dissemination of revised schedule M requirement to all stakeholders," he said.

The first such meetings were held in New Delhi, Baddi and Hyderabad last week while other will be organized in Kolkata, Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the coming days.

Daara B Patel, Secretary General at the Indian Drugs Manufacturing Association (IDMA) said, We have disseminated the information to all our member companies to participate in meeting with DCGI on 30 September and are hopeful for a fruitful discussion."

Under the proposed amendment in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, the Centre has given six months to large companies (with a turnover exceeding 250 crore) and 12 months to MSMEs (below 250 crore) to implement the upgraded GMP standards.

Queries sent to the health ministry remained unanswered.
Chinese authorities have escalated their involvement in the ongoing Evergrande crisis, detaining personnel from the property giants financial subsidiary. The Shenzhen police disclosed the detentions in a social media statement on September 16 evening but provided minimal details. Among the detainees, only one was partially identified  someone with the surname 'Du', Bloomberg reported.

Evergrande is navigating through what is termed as the largest restructuring in the history of China. However, critical decisions concerning its offshore debt overhaul have been delayed till October, leaving the process in a state of uncertainty.

Evergrande sits squarely in the centre of a credit crisis affecting China's property market and has repercussions on the overall growth of the worlds second-largest economy.

The detained individuals, as per Bloomberg, are part of Evergrande Financial Wealth Management Co., an entity fully owned by China Evergrande Group. Located in Shenzhen, this subsidiary was set up in 2015 and has been managed by Du Liang, although it remains unconfirmed if he is among those detained.

The detainments come against a backdrop of considerable financial chaos. In 2022, the beleaguered firm was unable to honour payments amounting to 40 billion yuan ($5.6 billion) for its wealth management products. This triggered nationwide protests and intensified the scrutiny from Beijing, as the firm had drawn funding from over 70,000 investors, including its own employees, as per Bloomberg.

The police have announced that their probe into the financial arm of Evergrande is still active. Investors have been urged to assist in the investigation by filing online complaints and providing relevant information.

China's government has taken charge of Evergrandes insurance division. Evergrande Life Assurance Co. will now be managed by state-supported Hai Gang Life, as announced by the National Administration of Financial Regulation on September 15.

(With Bloomberg 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
In the wake of allegations of rape and sexual abuse against comedian and social influencer Russell Brand, Tesla owner Elon Musk, social media influencer Andrew Tate and political commenter Tucker Carlson have came in support of him.

In response to Brands video suggesting he was targeted as part of a coordinated attack for his right-wing criticism of the media, Musk wrote on X: Of course. They dont like competition."

In a post on X, Tate wrote: Welcome to the club."

He also posted a picture of a cartoon knight with a caption: On my way to fight the crazy bh allegations."

Tate is awaiting a trial in Romania for rape and human trafficking charges, according to a report by NYpost.com.

Criticize the drug companies, question the war in Ukraine, and you can be pretty sure this is going to happen," wrote Carlson on X in support of Brand.

The 48-year-old British comedian has denied the allegations, saying that all of his relationships have been consensual.

He said that the media reports were part of a coordinated attack to discredit him because of his views.

According to reports by The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4's Dispatches, one woman has alleged that she had been raped, while three others have accused Brand of sexual assault. One of the women also said that he had been physically and emotionally abusive.

Before the reports were published, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations.

Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," the comedian 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," Brand added.

Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual," he said. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well."

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Today's Google Doodle is dedicated to Picos de Europa National Park, a picturesque natural wonder situated in northern Spain. This park spans across 11 charming villages and boasts a stunning landscape featuring lush meadows, serene lakes, and a rugged mountain range with steep slopes.

As per the description, the significance of today's date, September 17, goes back to the year 2001 when the Bulnes cable car was officially inaugurated. This event marked the end of the town of Bulnes' isolation, which is nestled within the boundaries of the Picos de Europa National Park.

"A fun detail to note is that in the Doodle artwork, you can spot the Bulnes train station cleverly incorporated within the second "G" of the Google logo," it read.

Also Read: Google Doodle celebrates 32nd independence anniversary of Eastern Europe's Moldova

Meanwhile, the parks natural beauty and abundant resources attract more than millions of visitors annually. From flourishing grasslands to dense forests, its 67,127 hectares provide ideal dwelling places for protected species like bearded vultures, brown bears, and Iberian wolves.

The Cantabrian chamois has become the unofficial mascot of the park. Statues of the mountain goat antelope decorate trail signs and lodging throughout. Picos De Europa is also a flower enthusiast's paradise with over 40 orchid species and rare fauna like the pulsatilla rubra  known for its vibrant red petals with golden yellow stamens," it added.

Additionally, in 2003, UNESCO approved Biosphere Reserve status for the park, establishing it as a site for scientific work. Nearly a decade later, Spain extended the parks boundaries to its current size.

Picos de Europa remains one of natures wonders and reminds us why we should protect it, it noted.

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The Mayor of Seattle has issued an apology for the death of an Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula.

This comes in the wake of a viral bodycam video in which Officer Daniel Auderer was heard making light of the incident, wherein Jaahnavi Kandula lost her life in a collision involving a police car earlier this year.

Mayor Bruce Harrell issued an apology to the Indian community for the insensitive comments made by Daniel Auderer. "Members of the Indian community have come together because of the unfortunate and insensitive remarks I believe were made. We are making sure that our apology as city officials is felt to your community and family, my condolences for your loss," he said.

Also Read: Who was Jaahnavi Kandula, the Indian student who was killed by US cop in Seattle

Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz also extended his condolences for the tragic passing of the 23-year-old individual. "We are here to continue to listen. We had these insensitive comments, we will ensure that it never ever occurs. We value human life," he said.

Approximately 20 individuals, who represented the Indian community in the area, held a meeting with the Seattle Mayor and Police Chief on Saturday. During the meeting, both the mayor and the police chief reaffirmed their dedication to establishing a Seattle where "every neighbour feels safe, heard, and respected."

The US government has provided assurance to India of conducting a prompt and impartial investigation into the tragic demise of Jaahnavi Kandula.

Also Read: Jaahnavi Kandula's death: Videos taken out of context, says Seattle Police

Earlier this week, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco has raised concerns over the handling of an Indian-origin woman, Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by a police vehicle, and has also demanded a thorough investigation and action against those involved.

In the video, Officer Daniel Auderer can be heard laughing about the fatal accident and even stated that there was no necessity for a criminal inquiry into his colleague Kevin Dave, who was operating the vehicle.

"But she is dead...No, it's a regular person. Yeah, just write a cheque," he is heard, before laughing again. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value."

Also Read: US cop makes joke about death of Indian girl who got killed in road accident, probe launched

The video was made public on Monday, several months after Kandula's death. The release came with a concise statement indicating that it had been brought to attention by a Seattle Police Department staff member during their regular duties.

Jaahnavi Kandula, daughter of a single mother hailed from Andhra Pradesh. She was pursuing her master's degree at Northeastern University in Seattle and went to the US in 2021 from Bengaluru on a student exchange program. Her uncle Ashok Mandula had told Seattle Times in January that Jaahnavi was due to graduate in December this year.

On 23 January, 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.

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A top NATO military official on Saturday warned 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.

The remarks came after a meeting of the alliance's chiefs of defence in Oslo on Saturday, according to a report published by Reuters.

Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, the chair of NATO's military committee said, Prices for equipment and ammunition are shooting up. Right now, we are paying more and more for exactly the same. 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, Reuters reported.

Earlier in February, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Kyiv was burning through shells much faster than the West could produce them.

Long-term stability needs to prevail over short-term profits. As we have seen in Ukraine, war is a whole of society event. Such investment was in the private sector's strategic interest as well," he said.

"Forty per cent 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 added as quoted by Reuters.

However, there was 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 that 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, as per Reuters reports.

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.

(With Reuters inputs)

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The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak-led government has decided to implement a hike on student visa and visitor or tourist visa effective from 4 October. The British Government has announced that a UK Tourist Visa for under six months will cost 1,543 ( 15) more and UK Student Visa s will be 13,070 (127) more expensive for travelers from around the world, including Indians.

UK Student, Tourist Visa fee hike

The UK Home Office had earlier indicated a 15% increase in the cost of most work and tourist visas to UK, and an increase of at least 20% in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship in UK.

The hike in fees applies to the following visa categories

-Health and care visa

-Applications to register and naturalize 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

-Fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies

UK Student Visa Fees: How much you will pay now

UK Home office had informed fee for applying for a UK Student Visa from outside the UK will rise to 50,428 ( 490)

UK Tourist Visa Fees: How much you will pay now

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 ( 115)

UK work Visa Fees: How much will you pay now

As pointed out by FREETH in an earlier article of Mint, if you are immigrating to the UK with a skilled worker visa (where a certificate of sponsorship has been issued for three years or less), you will have to pay 718 ( 77,147). Currently the fees for this visa category is 625.

Why UK is implementing a visa fee hike?

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  1 billion, so across the board visa application fees are going to go up significantly and similarly for the IHS," he said.

Sunak justified that the move is entirely right" as these fees have not been increased recently. And cited that the UK visa fee hike is appropriate given that the costs have risen since the last hike.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sayantani Biswas Sayantani is an editor with Livemint. She covers Indian and International political news Read more from this author
The police stations in Venezuela are being emptied out. Resignations, leave requests and desertions have multiplied in recent months. After a brief recovery in 2022, the economic crisis is now worsening, leading police officers to abandon the country. Due to their training, they are perhaps in better physical condition than other migrants who try to cross the dangerous Darien Gap, the jungle between Colombia and Panama.

In 2023 alone, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants have tried to make this jungle crossing. One of them who was successful was Omar Rincon, a police officer from Caracas, who began the journey in mid-July and, just last week, arrived in the United States via Arizona. I waited more than a month for [my superiors] to give me my leave. I sold my motorcycle, I took out my savings and I came.

Rincon brought canned goods, cookies and a few changes of clothing. He took boats, canoes and buses; he walked along trails at night and dodged immigration authorities in the most complicated countries on the way north. After arriving in Mexico City, he made an appointment to apply for admission through the CBP One mobile application, which the American government implemented earlier this year, in an attempt to control the enormous flow of migrants that has been accumulating at the southern border.

The money that Rincon took with him was mostly spent on transportation costs and hiring coyotes to guide him north. After a long series of stops  including Caracas, Medellin, the jungle of Darien, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico City, Arizona and, finally, New York  he will soon travel to Atlanta, where he has a job waiting for him. Along the way, I found six police colleagues waiting for their [immigration] appointments. Some of them took The Beast (a freight train that runs through Mexico, which migrants get on irregularly to reach the border). So far, out of my unit, Im the only one who has already entered the United States. I think Ive been lucky.

This group of Venezuelan migrants not only share a uniformed past, but also the motivations for leaving. After 15 years of service, everything was going downhill. I left for myself, for my daughter, Rincon tells EL PAIS by phone. Political interference into the police force has complicated things. The salary, the conditions you dont have the logistics necessary to practice the profession as a dignified civil servant. Oftentimes, police officers are forced to procure essentials from informal markets, such as uniforms, boots and even ammunition. This, when their salaries are only equivalent to around $20 a month on average.

Migrants cross a river in the jungle of Darien, between Colombia and Panama, in October 2022. Fernando Vergara (AP)

During one of the many police operations carried out against the dangerous Koki gang in a western Caracas neighborhood, shrapnel from a grenade hit another police officer, who prefers not to identify himself. The institution for which he worked didnt offer medical insurance, so he had to pay out-of-pocket to care for his wounds. With a salary of less than $15 a month, he eventually left the country. He has been in the United States for the past 14 months, after 11 years of service in various police departments across Venezuela. To migrate, he crossed the Darien during one of the toughest seasons, where it took more than a week of walking to reach the camps set up by humanitarian agencies. On the way, I saw about 12 dead people we saved the life of a Cuban woman who had passed out. I used the first aid tools that I [knew how to use] from my time as police officer, he recalls by phone from New Jersey, where he now makes deliveries with his car.

At the moment, one of his daughters is walking the same road through the Darien Gap with her mother. His other daughter will be brought later on. The migration of Venezuelan police officers is so large that they already have a WhatsApp group in the United States, made up of 618 graduates of the National Experimental Security University. This institution was created in 2009 by Hugo Chavez, who ruled Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013. It was meant to professionalize and expand the police force.

Through this digital community, the unnamed officer learned that, in the state of Indiana, local authorities are said to be accepting migrants with law enforcement experience to cover the deficit in the local security forces. This is an option for many former Venezuelan police officers to continue their profession. Now, while Im talking to you, Im talking to four other colleagues who are on their way here. Im going to receive them in the United States.

The government of Nicolas Maduro (2013-present) has recently made a huge investment in the countrys police forces, especially in the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), founded in 2009 together with the university, based on the principle of the civic-military-police union. It is used as a source of power and social control by the ruling Chavista regime. The PNB has about 40,000 officials. State and regional police forces, meanwhile  once powerful and autonomous  now fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior and Justice. With few exceptions, these forces have been bleeding resources and personnel in recent years, particularly if they are under the authority of opposition mayors and governors, who are denied financing by Maduros federal government. These officers have fewer powers and weapons to face the underworld when compared to the PNB, although, across the board, all officers have similarly meager salaries.

A member of the National Police on patrol in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 9, 2021. Getty (Ramses Mattey/Anadolu Agency)

Lawyer and criminologist Luis Izquiel points out that the salaries of the Venezuelan police are the lowest in South America. Wages are even lower in the regional police forces. A policeman earns a salary of between $10 and $20 a month when hes starting out. There are premiums, benefits, insurance but these are modest. However, there are lines of volunteers who want to join the PNB. Javier Gorrino  an experienced commissioner, criminologist and university professor, who directs the security of the mayors office in El Hatillo, an upper-middle class municipality in eastern Caracas  agrees with this analysis. The boys really like the job but with the salaries, you cant support a family, because the main headache here is the daily [cost of] food, he admits.

You have to consider the spirit of adventure that every police officer has  the vocation implies this. Thats why some of them take the Darien route  something very popular among the police  but there are others who, unfortunately, take another path, which is that of corruption. They [collect bribes] or [exchange favors and services] with merchants and individuals, to boost their income and, sometimes, to alleviate the deficiencies of their institutions, which leads to a confusion of values.

This past week, Rafael Ramirez  the mayor of Maracaibo, the second-largest city in the country, located in Zulia, a state bordering Colombia  acknowledged the exodus with concern. Our police officers are the first who feel that they have the physical conditions necessary to leave for Darien. Last week, at least 22 officers left  they took leave and crossed [the jungle], he lamented at a press conference. He also added that the number of remaining agents is insufficient to protect the city. With the current amount of active-duty police officers, the authorities can barely cover 10% of the municipality.

De-professionalization and lethality

Its difficult to obtain data on the number of police or security agents who have emigrated, because the government hasnt published that information since 2012, says Rocio San Miguel, a lawyer and director of the NGO Control Ciudadano (Citizen Control). But its very evident that the number of officers requesting leave and police officers who emigrate through border areas  especially regional ones  is increasing. Control Ciudadano has determined the principal causes of police and military emigration as being insufficient salaries, job stability, political participation and de-professionalization. Officer Rincon  who recently arrived in New York  says that the generations being trained now have no expectations and no real chance for promotion. Theyre not getting the training and discipline that the rest of us got.

This de-professionalization and politicization also correlates with other alarming figures that describe the Venezuelan police forces as being the most lethal in the region. One out of every three homicides in Venezuela are committed by state security agents, according to a 2022 report by the Monitor of Use of Lethal Force in Venezuela (MUFLVEN). Added to this is the file on extrajudicial executions being investigated by the fact-finding mission ordered by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The agency has called for the elite body of the PNB  the Special Action Forces (FAES)  to be dissolved.

Police officers during a security operation in Caracas in 2018. Fernando Llano (AP)

Maduro has declared that he wants to bring 100,000 officers into the PNB  an institution with very low standards, which accepts recruits who have gone through Chavista doctrinal training. In [times of] democracy, there was a weaker police structure, but there was more money. [A police officer] could have a career, get insurance and buy an apartment, Izquiel points out. Now, the police force is growing but many civil servants drop out quickly, or emigrate looking for other options. The criminologist points out that Maduro has completely militarized all police functions in the country. This has had consequences in how operations are carried out, while causing grievances among career police officials. A policeman spends years studying to be a director and they come and put a soldier above him, says the former policeman, who now works as a delivery driver in New Jersey.

An active municipal police officer in Caracas  who wishes to remain unnamed  affirms that the disappointment among his colleagues is widespread. He has decided to use his vacation time to explore other trades, such as mechanics. He has no motivation to return to his department. There are no longer bonuses given out on the basis of having children or completing studies, nor are the other benefits established in the contracts or labor regulations being offered. The public administration in Venezuela has ceased to comply with any legal obligations. Other police officers moonlight as delivery drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, or security guards, taking advantage of the 24-hour on-duty, 48-hour-off schedule that has been standardized across various institutions, to lighten the financial load and manage the deficit in personnel.

In some police forces in Venezuela, they have begun to delay the granting of leave, to stop the exodus. But, given the rapid progression of the economic crisis, there are more and more police officers who simply desert.
United States Presidential Election 2024 Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American businessman has garnered attention for several controversial beliefs which perpetrated during televised debated, election rally speeches.

The controversial statements, often mirroring his beliefs, has awarded Ramaswamy the image of a person of ideologies bordering on impeached former US president Donald Trump.

From what began as a string of controversial statements during the Republican debate, only went downhill from there. Vivek Ramaswamy in his distinctly Trumpian and conspiratorial fashion had declared We live in a dark moment.

The US presidential candidate also gained attention for his comments on 9/11 attacks, for calling himself 'skinny guy with a funny last name'.

Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech executive-turned-presidential hopeful, has been termed as neurotic, mercurial, and paranoid by some of his former employees.

One cannot of course, forget the closing statements, Ramaswamy made during his Republican debate. He said, God is real. There are two genders. Fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity. Reverse racism is racism. An open border is not a border. Parents determine the education of their children. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to man. Capitalism lifts us up from poverty."

Will gut H1-B Visa programme

Vivek Ramaswamy said if he becomes the US president in 2024 he will gut the H-1B visa programme which he said is an indentured servitude". He further asserted that the lottery-based system will be replaced with more-effective meritocratic admission.

Will disband FBI, other federal agencies

Vivek Ramaswamy noted that he would fire over 75% of the federal work force if he is elected the US President. He further asserted that he will make a move to disband some major agencies like Department of Education, the FBI, the Food and Nutrition Service, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Ukraine should make major concessions

Ramaswamy has called for Ukraine to make "major concessions" in order to end the conflict. "What I think we need to do is end the Ukraine war on peaceful terms that, yes, do make some major concessions to Russia, including freezing those current lines of control in a Korean-war style armistice agreement," he told ABC News in June.

Ramaswamy opposes sending aid to Kyiv and instead believes the president should focus on American interests. "I think that by fighting further in Russia, by further arming Ukraine, we are driving Russia into China's hands." he said.

The government has told lies about 9/11

Ramaswamy has been widely criticised for remarks he made about the 9/11 attacks in an interview with The Atlantic magazine.

"It is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers," he said.

"Maybe the answer is zero. It probably is zero for all I know, right? I have no reason to think it was anything other than zero," he continued. "But if we're doing a comprehensive assessment of what happened... absolutely that should be an answer the public knows the answer to."

'Racism is often manufactured'

On the heels of comparing a Black Member of Congress to a Klu Klux Klan grand wizard, Ramaswamy said he believes racism in America is "manufactured in a way that creates more racism in this country."

"Is there existing racism in the United States? Of course, there is. But those last burning embers of racism  the last thing I want to do is throw kerosene on it," Ramaswamy said on "Meet the Press" on NBC News. "Yet that's exactly what I believe the modern culture is doing by creating race-based quota systems that deny people access to goods or services based on the color of their skin."

There are TWO genders

Ramaswamy's Trump like ideologies are no surprise to the world. His ideas that reject the queer community's existence, that take away abortion rights from women, do also include anti-war notion which suggests that Moscow keeps a part of Ukraine and the later does not join NATO.

Ramaswamy is a penchant believer of an ideology that says gender dysphoria should be treated as a mental illness

'All US candidates are bought and paid'

Vivek Ramaswamy during his debate boldly claimed all the other presidential candidates onstage in Milwaukee were bought and paid for" by donors, making his case stand distinct from his competitors.

Climate agenda is a hoax

The climate change agenda is a hoax Vivek Ramaswamy jumped at the conclusion when during the debate all eight candidates were asked if they believed human behavior was causing the climate crisis. Ramaswamy jumped in, stridently rapping out: Unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear."

The climate change agenda is a hoax  more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate." Ramaswamy said.

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A perturbing news came from Jharkhands capital Ranchi recently. Students of the Thakur village public school there enacted a play, Jo Google kar sakta hai, wah tera bhagwan nahin kar sakta (What Google can do, your God cannot), whose video went viral on the internet. Parents of some students of the school staged demonstrations before the institution terming the play as an affront to sanatan dharma . They said the teacher who wrote the play belonged to a different faith and had purposely insulted their religion. The school administration terminated the teacher.

This is what happens when politics begins to exploit society.

This chaos was sparked recently in Tamil Nadu at an event where Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of chief minister M.K. Stalin and a minister of the state cabinet, uttered such remarks for sanatan dharma. His words caused an uproar in North India. But Udhayanidhi said nothing new. In the 1950s and 1960s, DMK founder C.N. Annadurai led a vigorous anti-Brahmin and anti-Brahminism movement. His remarks touched the hearts of the oppressed and backward sections of society. His efforts led to the formation of the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu in 1967. Since then, the countrys oldest party has been unable to reclaim power in the state. It is another matter that Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have been political allies for many years.

This is why the BJPs IT cell seized the opportunity on social media. The embers of the fire that Annadurai stoked in Tamil Nadu half a century ago are singeing North and West India even today. If Annadurais views appeal to the majority of voters in Tamil Nadu, the same can play a significant role in uniting the majority this side of the Vindhyas. This is a win-win for the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance.

That is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue at public rallies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP has also decided to make this an electoral issue. The inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya may give an impetus to this endeavour. In fact, NDA, unified behind the Prime Minister, is fully aware that if Hindus prioritize religious identity over caste, the parties practising politics in the name of backward and extremely backward people will suffer massive losses. The majority of parties in the INDIA coalition have made decisions based on these equations. Udhayanidhi, former Union minister A. Raja, and others like them have consciously or otherwise provided the BJP with a potent political weapon.

An in-depth examination of the Prime Ministers long and successful political career reveals that he is skilled at creating a positive electoral mix of religion, society, and welfare programmes. He recently backed the Uniform Civil Code at a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh. This brought a fresh attitude and style to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and BJPs longstanding demand.

Similarly, by appealing for one country, one election", the Prime Minister hopes to demonstrate that the massive expense of numerous forms of elections may be avoided. The electoral code of conduct also stopped all development activity for several weeks. If elections are held simultaneously, progress work would be able to continue uninterrupted.

INDIA will have to respond logically to these calculated political moves, but till now, besides voicing political resistance, they have not put forward any concrete action plan. Are INDIA leaders waiting for the right moment? Such experienced political leaders can surely not fail to see the significance of the political manoeuvring of NDA.

Nonetheless, INDIA has decided to boycott select TV anchors or journalists. The ruling party refers to the move as a new chapter in the mentality of those who once declared the Emergency, while the leaders of INDIA rebut this by pointing to the boycott of some TV channels by the BJP, which has gone on for years now. Although all political parties have boycotted some anchors or networks, one time or another, this is the first time that an entire list has been released jointly. The move will nurture journalists and intellectuals who are not afraid to display their political beliefs freely. Is this beneficial or harmful to journalism? Journalists will have to solve this problem on their own.

Whether or not our journalistic community comes to a conclusion, it is certain that in the following days, not only flowers but also thorns will appear in the political sphere.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.

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Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently said that the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) could turn India into a major producer and exporter of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). He was referring to a class of biofuels that could potentially reduce the climate-harming gas emissions of aircraft by up to 80%, as widely touted. With jet engines burning fossil fuels, aviation accounted for 2% of all carbon exhaust in 2022, a slice that will widen rapidly unless this sector finds a way to decarbonize. Electric planes of jetliner size remain a challenge of technology. They would need very light-weight batteries. As take-offs demand enormous thrust, an airframe design that can get airborne on electric power remains a steep ask. Until key breakthroughs are made, there will be no estimated-time-of-arrival for clean air travel. Hence, the industrys best bet right now for carbon neutrality is the adoption of SAFs (combined with carbon capture). This is a transition that the GBA aims to accelerate.

The SAF-led path to carbon neutrality, however, is unlikely to be smooth, strewn as it will be with various possible air pockets. Consider SAF supply capacity. Biofuels typically require vast quantities of agricultural produce. Ethanol yielding crops like sugarcane and corn are used for it and their acreage has been increasing across the world. Yet, as it involves a diversion of farm resources away from primary purposes like nutrition, output constraints will kick in sooner than wed like. Thankfully, other kinds of biomass can be used too. The government has indicated that Indias SAF plans are based on making use of bio-wastelike used cooking oil, forest residue and agricultural and municipal refuseapart from non-food crops. Even so, feedstock sufficiency will be hard fought. The idea is to start with a blend of very little biofuelsay 1%mixed with regular jet fuel, and then gradually raise the bio-content as SAF-adapted aircraft come along. According to Puri, even if a 50% mix comes into use by 2030, our domestic needs would be less than half of what the country could make. If so, it would be impressive, but thats a big if, given what all it will take. Right now, SAFs make up barely 0.1% of global aviation fuel consumption. Their long and complex production process makes them far costlier than jet fuel and their low energy density means larger volumes are needed to refuel planes. As with batteries, this is a burden.

Clearly, SAF conversion will require a heavy regulatory push. Globally, this has begun as carbon offsets slowly come into play under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation laid down by the UNs apex body for this sector. Foreign flights run by Indian airlines will have to comply with those norms within half a decade. To this end, we have made a small start. On 19 May, we celebrated a Pune-Delhi AIX Connect flight that used a 1% SAF blend produced locally. This is the direction in which Indian air carriers will be prodded as soon as we have enough of the stuff. The real test of SAFs, however, will come once carbon tradingin a market where companies buy and sell the right to polluteassumes significance, wider track records emerge, and all claims are put to rigorous scrutiny. Sceptics abound of their emission-cutting claim of 80% even in a best-case scenario. Whether an SAF shift will actually help clean up aviation wont be known for many years. The innovations well eventually need might have to focus on aeroplanes more than what goes into fuel tanks.
The Indian tea industry is big. It is the second-largest producer of tea in the world (with more than 1.3 million tonnes of tea production annually) and the third-largest exporter (earning about $1 billion a year). But despite consuming about 85% of its tea domestically, Indias per capita tea consumption, at around 800gm per year, is among the worlds lowest.

India has grown tea for more than 180 years, but is not the oldest tea producer globally. It was Chinese tea sold in Britains American colonies that had created the 1773 storm in a teacup known as the Boston Tea Party, which contributed to US independence. India is also not a producer of newer categories of tea, like the Kenyan yellow tea that is becoming a new craze.

The government has encouraged small tea growers (STGs), who number a little over 200,000 and have an average tea-growing area of about 2 acres, with promotional schemes and incentives. Consequently, Indias tea production has grown at about 4% per annum in the last 15 years. However, as tea consumption has grown by less than 2.5% per annum during this period and exports are static, the tea industry has encountered downward price pressures.

The number and acreage of large regulated tea growers (RTGs), with a count of about 230 in all, have remained static or declined. From 60%, the market share of RTGs has come down to less than 50% now.

The Indian tea industry, in general, is in a spot of bother; RTGs, especially.

Reforms imperative: There are four major reform imperatives to sustain the Indian tea industry and make it flourish.

The highly-regulated RTG tea-estate model is anachronistic. The statutory requirement to provide labour housing, schooling and numerous other facilities on the estate itself is neither necessary nor economical, as all villages and habitations are now connected with all-weather roads and there is good public schooling, health and other facilities available everywhere.

The current tea auction model, which forces transportation of tea to a limited number of tea auction centres and subjects each lot to numerous cumbersome processes, has also outlived its utility. Besides wasting time, it unnecessarily adds about 7-10 per kg of cost to the tea sold. Still, it generates large unsold odd-lots. In any case, only about 40% of the tea gets sold through tea auctions.

There is also a tremendous lack of standardization and classification of tea in India. There are reportedly about 800 types of tea manufactured or sold in India, whereas the industry estimates that there are essentially only about 25-30 major tea varieties.

More than supply, it is demand that needs our attention. Tea needs to be promoted as a good health drink.

Certain ideas are simply not workable: Some tea industry interests have proposed making it mandatory to sell 100% of the tea through auctions and providing a minimum floor price guarantee for all tea produced at cost plus a 50% profit margin.

The idea of cost plus 50% profit is borrowed from the system of minimum support prices (MSP) for foodgrains. The MSP system, however, works only in the case of bulk commodities such as rice; that too, only when there is assured procurement by the government. The market price for the foodgrains procured rarely equals their MSPs. The cost plus 50% profit system will never work in the tea industry with no government procurement and the prevalence of price differentials of 5-10 times for different varieties.

Similarly, the idea to mandate 100% tea sales through the countrys limited auction-houses is completely impractical and unworkable. This will only burden the entire tea industry with unnecessary costs and single-handedly make Indian tea globally uncompetitive.

The right solution: This involves addressing reform imperatives. It is high time that the Indian Tea Act 1954 is transformed into a developmental and facilitative legislation from a regulatory one. All the mandates (compulsory labour housing and provision of other facilities, 50% mandatory sales through tea auction houses, etc.) simply need to be done away with.

The Tea Board should be converted into a consumption and export promotion body with no regulatory authority. Existing tea auction houses can be converted into industry-managed voluntary tea auction centres, where interested tea producers may sell their tea voluntarily on payment of a fee.

The new Tea Act should give birth to agencies tasked with the development and codification of standards for the tea industry along the lines of the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) and promotion and certification on the lines of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

Indian tea, in standard market lots, should be allowed to be freely sold through any of the marketing channels available in the world todaydirect sale, e-commerce, tea auction houses, commodity exchanges or others.

This much-needed liberalization can ensure that the Indian tea industry grows well, tea-estate workers benefit from higher volumes, productivity and prices, and the country is able to establish itself as the tea producer of the world.

Subhash Chandra Garg is chief policy advisor at Subhanjali and former finance secretary, Government of India
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the best way to avoid conflict within the party is refraining from media to make controversial statements. Kharge's comment came during a Congress's Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad.

Asserting that the party should not lose its integrity, Kharge said, We must exercise self-restraint, avoid going to media with statements against our leaders so that party's interests are not harmed

Exuding confidence about the upcoming elections, he said it is evident that people are looking for an alternative and Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka are such examples.

People are looking for alternative, Cong victories in HP, Karnataka polls clear proof of this, Kharge said and further added, Must unite and overthrow this "dictatorial" govt in order to save our democracy"

In a scathing attack on the Modi government, Kharge accused it of playing politics and distracting and diverting people from basic issues by bringing new ones.

"Recently, during the Mumbai meeting of INDIA alliance, Modi government formed a committee on 'One Nation, One Election'. In contravention of all conventions, it also included a former President to fulfil its agenda," Kharge said.

He noted that elections in five states are scheduled in the next two to three months, while the Lok Sabha elections are only six months away.

CWC meeting in Hyderabad

In a two-day extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, the party's senior leadership discussed key strategies for the forthcoming Assembly elections and the highly anticipated 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The initial session of the reconstituted CWC convened on Saturday.

The extensive meeting comprised regular CWC members, permanent and special invitees, as well as state party heads, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders, parliamentary office-bearers, and Central Election Committee members.

As part of their political agenda, the Congress announced a grand rally in Tukkuguda, near Hyderabad, coinciding with Telangana National Integration Day. This event commemorates the historic merger of the princely State of Hyderabad with the Indian Union in 1948. During the rally, the party is set to unveil six significant commitments for the upcoming Telangana assembly elections.

(With inputs from agencies)

CW

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Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday sent out a strong signal of unity to the 28-member opposition alliance INDIA bloc during the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC panel . We have to fight unitedly against the BJP," Gandhi told the Congress Working Committee members.

The grand old party also 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, according to PTI reports.

During the meeting, 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.

The CWC panel expressed grave concern at the "increasing unemployment and continuous rise in prices, especially of essential commodities".

In its resolution, the CWC panel said, 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."

It claimed that the failure to conduct the decennial census, due in 2021, is a "national and an international shame".

"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," the resolution read.

The sparks from Manipur are now threatening to spread to the wider North-Eastern region, the CWC claimed, as per PTI reports.

The Congress further alleged, The silence and neglect of the Prime Minister, the failure of the Home Minister (Amit Shah), and the intransigence of the Chief Minister (N Biren Singh) have led to an unprecedented situation where there are repeated clashes between the security forces and civilians and between the Army/Assam Rifles and the state police force."

The Congress' highest decision-making body unequivocally condemned the "incursions by China into Indian-held territory and the repeated provocations such as publishing maps that include Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of India".

Top Congress leaders held deliberations at the first meeting of the new CWC here 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.

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.

(With PTI inputs)

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The Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankar, hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday, a day before the special parliamentary session.

Among the attendees at the event were Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, along with Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V. Muraleedharan, as well as various leaders representing political parties from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, among others.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, currently in Hyderabad for a two-day session of the newly formed Congress Working Committee, will not be in attendance at the flag hoisting ceremony at the new Parliament building.

Also Read: Not feasible for me to attend flag-hoisting in new Parliament building, Mallikarjun Kharge pens to RS Secy General

This decision comes after the Congress president expressed dissatisfaction in a letter to Rajya Sabha Secretary General Pramod Chandra Mody, citing disappointment over the delayed invitation to the event.

Dear P C Mody ji, 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 quite late in the evening."

Since the programmes had been fixed much in advance. I am presently in Hyderabad to hold the meetings. As I will return to Delhi late night on September 17, it will not be feasible for me to attend the function scheduled for tomorrow morning," Kharge said in his letter.

Meanwhile, a gathering of floor leaders from various political parties is set to take place at 4:30 pm today, preceding the upcoming five-day special parliamentary session scheduled from September 18 to 22.

Also Read: Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge hits out at BJP for diverting basic issues, coining slogans

"Ahead of the parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM," Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a social media post earlier this week, adding, The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow."

Following several days of speculation regarding the government's agenda for the special session, a parliamentary bulletin has clarified that the inaugural day will focus on commemorating Parliament's 75-year journey. The provisional agenda for the session also includes deliberation and approval of the bill concerning the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners.

Additional items on the agenda for the Lok Sabha encompass 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023,' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023,' both of which were previously approved by the Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023.

Furthermore, the Lok Sabha's agenda includes 'The Post Office Bill, 2023' as one of the listed items of business.

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Russell Brand, the well-known comedian and actor, has recently faced a slew of serious allegations, including rape, sexual assaults, and emotional abuse, spanning a seven-year period during the peak of his fame. These allegations came to light through a collaborative investigation conducted by the Sunday Times, the Times, and Channel 4s Dispatches.

Russell Brand has been outspoken against governments for many years. He is a self-described anarchist and has criticized governments for a variety of reasons, including their corruption, incompetence, and abuse of power.

In a 2013 interview with Jeremy Paxman on the BBCs Newsnight program, Brand said that he does not believe in voting and that he thinks a popular uprising against entrenched politics is imminent. He has also spoken out against government surveillance, the war on drugs, and austerity measures.

Brands views on government have been controversial, but he has also been praised for his willingness to speak out against authority. He has a large following on social media, where he uses his platform to share his political views and to encourage his followers to get involved in activism.

In recent years, Brand has become increasingly critical of the British government. He has spoken out against Brexit and has accused the government of being out of touch with the needs of the people. He has also been critical of the governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Brand quit YouTube after his channel was penalized for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. He said that he felt he could no longer speak freely on the platform and that he would be moving to a new platform where he could communicate our message more freely.

Brands outspokenness against governments has made him a popular figure among some people, but it has also made him a target of criticism. He has been accused of being a conspiracy theorist and of spreading misinformation. However, Brand has defended his views, saying that he is simply trying to encourage people to think critically about the world around them.

Like many other serious critics he has magically been accused of rape.

The accusations involve four women who claim to have experienced sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013. In response, Brand vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that all his relationships were consensual. This period of alleged misconduct coincided with Brands high-profile roles in various domains, including BBC Radio 2, Channel 4, and Hollywood films.

The investigation also delves into claims of Brands purported controlling, abusive, and predatory behavior. The findings were published in the Sunday Times, while Channel 4 aired a documentary titled Russell Brand  In Plain Sight.

Shortly after the allegations became public, Brand performed a scheduled comedy gig at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London, making indirect references to the accusations without directly addressing them. During his hour-long set, he expressed a desire to discuss certain matters but refrained from doing so.

Multiple women have come forward with allegations as part of this investigation:

One woman accused Brand of raping her at his Los Angeles residence, receiving immediate medical attention at a rape crisis center. Medical records reportedly support her claim. Another woman alleged that Brand assaulted her when she was just 16 years old and still in school, describing an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship in which she was referred to as the child. A third woman claimed that Brand sexually assaulted her while they worked together in Los Angeles and threatened legal action if she disclosed the incident to others. The fourth woman alleged both sexual assault and physical/emotional abuse by Brand.

In response to the impending allegations, Brand released a video denying the serious criminal allegations and described them as part of a coordinated attack. He pledged to investigate the matter further.

The Metropolitan Police noted that they were aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault but had not yet received any formal reports. They encouraged potential victims to contact them regardless of when the alleged incidents occurred.

According to the Sunday Times, the women decided to speak out after being approached by reporters, partly because of Brands growing prominence as an online wellness influencer. Most of the women have chosen to remain anonymous.

The Sunday Times provided Brand with eight days to respond to the detailed allegations, leading to his response video posted on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).

These allegations also prompted repercussions in Brands professional relationships. The woman who claimed she was 16 when she first encountered Brand inappropriately reported the incident to his literary agent, Angharad Wood, who subsequently terminated all professional ties with Brand.

Channel 4 expressed shock over the allegations, especially those linked to programs produced for the network between 2004 and 2007. They pledged to investigate the matter further, emphasizing their commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment in the TV industry.

One particular episode from Brands time as a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music also came under scrutiny. Allegations surfaced of Brand undressing in the studio during his show and making inappropriate sexual remarks on air about a newsreader, which he later suggested had been advised by BBC production staff to apologize for. It was also reported that a complaint had been made to BBC management regarding Brands alarming display of aggression and disrespect.

The BBC responded by noting that Brand had left the organization in 2008 following a significant editorial breach and emphasized their commitment to addressing workplace concerns through established policies and codes of conduct.

Shayne Heffernan
Patiently awaiting regulatory approval, BitGo and Swan recently announced plans to create the first Bitcoin-only trust company in North America.

BitGo has been one of the most successful Bitcoin custodians in the entire industry and well ahead of its time having managed to secure clients assets for the bulk of the industrys existence. Swan is a leading Bitcoin financial services company. The user-friendly Swan app simplifies Bitcoin purchases with instant and recurring buys, while Swan IRA provides a tax-advantaged solution for saving Bitcoin in retirement accounts. Swan has been onboarding users to Bitcoin the proper way whereby their Bitcoin centric model of education and macro insight experts inform users about they hold and are provided with a convenient way to convert dirty fiat for precious bitcoins and encourages self custody.

The new joint venture will combine BitGos best-in-class Bitcoin cold storage technology and regulatory compliance expertise with Swans industry-leading capabilities in onboarding, fraud prevention, AML/KYC, and dedicated Bitcoin experts, was stated in the press release.

We believe the best model for the Bitcoin industry is the same battle-tested model that has been part of the US financial industry for over a century: the separation of exchange and custody. Our teams have worked closely together for nearly a year on stronger qualified custody models. Early in 2023, we recognized the opportunity to establish a Bitcoin-only custodian, combining the unique capabilities of each company and supporting the innovators that will be at the forefront of pushing Bitcoin adoption, BitGo CEO Mike Belshe said.

With the market increasingly demanding wallet and custody features that leverage the specific benefits of Bitcoin, Belshe and Klippsten expect to serve company treasuries, asset managers, governments, pension plans, insurers, family offices, and on-ramps like Swan itself that require qualified custodians to serve regulated customer segments like retirement and registered investment advisors.

The trust company will offer Bitcoin-specific features such as institution-grade advanced wallet management capabilities, more ways for clients to hold their own keys, inheritance planning, and more, Yan Pritzker, co-founder and CTO of Swan, said.

Swan encourages and supports self-custody with free, automated withdrawals and world-class client service. The vast majority of Swan clients choose to withdraw to self-custody. With the Bitcoin-specific trust company, well finally be able to deliver the product that marries the best of self-custody service with the components that require qualified custody. This has never been achievable before, because existing offerings focus on breadth of token support rather than the absolute best custody for Bitcoin, the CTO added.

For years, weve heard from major clients, partners, and other Bitcoin companies that they would prefer a Bitcoin-only software and services stack that is focused strictly on the best custody that leverages Bitcoins unique features. Its important to us to build a custodian without the risks of securing many altcoins within the same trust company as Bitcoin. We want to do our part to build a dedicated ecosystem for Bitcoin, separate from industry speculators, to allow for innovation in custodial offerings, Klippsten mentioned

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The military-industrial complex (MIC) is a powerful force that has a significant influence on our government and our society. It is also a major driver of war and conflict around the world.

The MIC is a close-knit relationship between the government, the military, and the defense industry. The government provides funding for the military, and the military contracts with defense companies to develop and produce weapons and other military equipment. The defense industry then lobbies the government for more funding, and the cycle continues.

The MIC has a number of negative consequences. It leads to militarism, as governments are more likely to use military force to solve problems when they have a large and powerful military. It also diverts resources away from other important priorities, such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Additionally, the MIC can lead to corruption, as defense contractors have a vested interest in promoting military spending, even when it is not necessary.

We need to break the grip of the MIC on our government and our society. We need to invest in diplomacy and peacebuilding, rather than war and militarism. We also need to hold the defense industry accountable and ensure that it is not profiting from war and violence.

The military industrial complex is a self-perpetuating machine that feeds on fear and conflict. It is a parasite that consumes our resources and undermines our democracy. Shayne Heffernan

Here are some things we can do to challenge the MIC:

Educate ourselves and others about the MIC and its negative consequences.

Support organizations that are working to promote peace and disarmament.

Hold our elected officials accountable and demand that they reduce military spending and invest in other priorities.

Boycott companies that are involved in the production of weapons and other military equipment.

It will not be easy to break the grip of the MIC, but it is essential that we do so if we want to create a more peaceful and just world.

The USD is the worlds reserve currency, meaning that it is the most widely used currency in international trade and finance. This gives the US government a significant amount of power and influence over the global economy.

The MIC benefits from the USDs status as the worlds reserve currency in a number of ways. First, it makes it easier for the US government to borrow money to fund the military. Second, it gives the US government more leverage in trade negotiations and other international disputes. Third, it allows the US government to impose sanctions on other countries by restricting their access to the US dollar.

The MIC also benefits from the fact that the US is the worlds largest arms exporter. The US sells billions of dollars worth of weapons to other countries each year, and these sales are typically conducted in USD.

As a result of these factors, the USD is the currency of the MIC. The MIC depends on the USD to maintain its power and influence, and the USD benefits from the MICs economic activity.

It is important to note that the MIC is not a monolithic entity. There are a variety of different companies and organizations that are involved in the MIC, and they have different interests and goals. However, they are all united by their desire to maintain and expand the US militarys power and influence.

Shayne Heffernan
When she got out of the car, dressed in a white suit, Gloria Orwoba immediately realized that she was stained with blood. It was February 2023 and she had just arrived in Kenyas Parliament, where she has served as a senator for the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) since last year. Her first impulse was to turn around and go home to change. Then she changed her mind: after all, she had been fighting for years against period poverty, the inability to pay for pads, tampons or cups  something that affects 65% of Kenyan women, despite the fact that this country was the first in the world to exempt those products from VAT  and against what she refers to as the stigma on menstruation, the shame of acknowledging the existence of the period. So, she went ahead and entered the Senate, as several workers gave her the same warning they had given to many women before: Careful, you stained your pants.

Although some media outlets claimed that the incident, as she calls it, was actually a planned performance, Orwoba insists, talking in the office where she works with an NGO and manages a free sanitary pad bank with private donors, that it was accidental. I have been talking to girls since as far back as 2007 about how to manage their periods, menstrual hygiene, that they should not feel ashamed. Ive been telling girls in school that they should be proud of their periods. So at that moment, I had to tell myself: be proud of your period. Less than an hour later, she was asked to leave after an altercation in which another member of Parliament accused her of failing to comply with the dress code. But Orwoba did not go home to change; she stayed and spoke to the media outside. Then she went to distribute sanitary pads at a school, as she has been doing for a few years. The image of her blood-stained pants spread through media outlets and social networks around the world.

Question. Driving through Nairobi, one doesnt take long to find you on billboards, wearing a t-shirt that says: Anything you can do, I can do bleeding, and announcing that you want to end period shaming. What is the idea behind this?

Answer. Period shaming is making a girl or a woman feel that menstruation is something that they should hide, something they should not talk about, a sinful, dirty thing. Like what happened to me in Parliament when they said, You need to go and change your clothes. Why do I need to go and change my clothes? Because it makes you uncomfortable. Because you think its something that should not be seen. Thats what I call period shaming.

Q. You also campaign against period poverty.

A. Yes. Its intertwined. For instance, people who cant afford the disposable pads sometimes feel like they have to use the reusable ones. But then, one thing you will find is that people cant wash them well. They will wash them, but they cant hang them on the lines because it is like, Oh, people will see that Im hanging my reusable pads on the lines. And that becomes a problem, because if I cant hang them in the sun so they can dry so that theyre safe for me to use, then I cant use them, because Ill get infections.

It affects, even just carrying the pads when youre going to the toilet. We always wrap them and hide them. You dont see someone putting a tampon on the desk in their office. If we end period shaming, then girls can come and say, I dont have any pads. Can you help me? But as long as its shameful, they are just going to suffer, figuring out how to manage their periods.

Q. What is the situation like for a woman who cannot afford to buy menstrual hygiene products in Kenya?

A. If a person is living on a dollar a day, you can be 100% sure that that person is not able to afford menstrual hygiene products. Right now the cheapest pad is around 48 Kenyan shillings [approximately $0.33]. 65% of women and girls in Kenya cannot afford menstrual hygiene products. And if they cant afford it, they have to find a way to manage their periods. And thats where you have the sexual favors, the sex for pads. In rural areas, when the parents realize that you have started your period, thats an extra burden for them, so they marry you off. Or they use other materials that are not hygienic to manage their bleeding; old pieces of sponge from chairs, for instance. Or they simply stay at home during the four to six days of their periods. Thats why you hear me saying that this is a shadow pandemic; its just that you dont see it. When you dont see it, you think it doesnt exist.

Q. Kenya was the first country in the world to remove VAT on menstrual products, in 2004, and it has also removed import taxes on pad-making materials. But the issue of period poverty remains.

A. They removed the wrong taxes. They removed the import tax. That means that we opened the market to products from abroad, particularly from China. That doesnt solve the issue of period poverty. It actually elevates it, because we have local manufacturers who shut down their companies because they could not compete. The importers bring products at a very low cost, double up the price and make money out of it.

Q. The law in Kenya dictates that school-aged girls must receive free menstrual products.

A. The law just says that the Ministry of Education should provide sanitary pads to girls in schools. The law doesnt say how many times the ministry should provide, to how many schools, with how big or small a budget, what kind of materials, pads, tampons, how frequently, what is the monitoring and evaluation of the product.

Thats where my bill comes in. First of all, this provision of sanitary pads should not be in the hands of the Ministry of Education. It should be the Ministry of Gender. This is an activity that should happen every quarter, and we are going to give the business to local manufacturers. If we address the issue of local manufacturing, even with the VAT, we can bring down the price to 35 shillings [approximately $0.24].

Q. In 2019, a tragedy related to that stigma you mentioned shocked Kenya and other African countries: a 14-year-old girl killed herself after being harassed at school for staining her uniform.

A. When we launched the bill this year, my team told me that the story of Jacqueline needs to take the center stage of it. I agreed, because this is the worst thing that could happen to a girl who cannot afford sanitary pads.

Q. What do you think of the campaigns to distribute reusable pads in developing countries?

A. I have reservations about reusable pads because of two things. One is that the stigma and the shame around menstruation cause hygiene problems. My second reservation is this: I dont believe that help should come in the form of regressive material. I have lived in Europe. I have not seen a push for Europeans to take on reusable sanitary pads. In fact, in Europe, there is a push for Europeans to take on menstrual cups, which is the next progressive, innovative menstrual hygiene product. But we havent really embraced tampons as we should, which means that embracing the menstrual cup would be an issue. But why take us back to washing our blood when we can work on getting eco-friendly products to create disposable pads?

Q. Some will say that this problem of poverty and the stigma on menstruation are important, but not as serious as others problems affecting Kenya.

A. Ive been told that my bill should not even come to the Senate. The men were saying that this is a stupid bill. That it does not deserve their attention. And I keep reminding them that menstruation is the beginning of life. I keep telling them, You can ignore us. You can say everything you want. But every single one of you is on Earth because of a missed period [laughs], and you dont want to talk about periods.

Q. You were raised by your father. You were four sisters. How did you experience your period?

A. It was awkward, but with time he also learned that he should not wait for us to ask, so when we went to the supermarket, he said: Everybody go get what you need and come back. And then we would meet at the counter where he would pay. And Im privileged because he could pay, but I cant imagine how it is for people whose parents are not able to do that.

Q. Are young women today better informed about menstruation?

A. I feel like education has evolved. Parents are more open and talk about these things more. And even outside of the schools, in social media and phones, there is more access to information. We didnt have that, we didnt have phones, we didnt have computers. We had to talk to each other and hear stories from each other and figure out what the truth was.

Q. Do you define yourself as a feminist?

A. No, because here it has a negative connotation. I am a womens rights activist. Which is the same thing; but if you say feminist, youre a noise maker.
Last Sunday at noon, when Storm Daniel was beginning to hit eastern Libya, the poet Mustafa Trabelsi, from the city of Derna, was sharing a premonitory poem titled The Rain. It read: The rain exposes the drenched streets, the cheating contractor, and the failed state. It washes everything, bird wings and cats fur. Reminds the poor of their fragile roofs and ragged clothes. It awakens the valleys, shakes off their yawning dust and dry crusts. The rain a sign of goodness, a promise of help, an alarm bell.

A few hours later, the center of Derna was completely devastated. The intense rains and stormy weather that night broke two dams built in the course of a river that runs through a valley behind the city, releasing enormous volumes of water. A quarter of the city was swept. The tragedy has killed more than 11,000 people. Trabelsi, the poet, is said to be among the victims. The final death toll is feared to rise to 20,000, as search teams continue to comb the area where some 10,000 people remain missing and nearly 40,000 are displaced.

Now that the magnitude of the tragedy is becoming clearer, Libyans are beginning to express their anger at what they believe was to blame for the disaster. For many, the mix of division and political paralysis, corruption and negligence  due, in part, to the fact that the country is controlled by two rival governments  was just as much to blame as Storm Daniel for one of the worst tragedies to hit the region.

What has happened is, in many ways, the worst possible scenario, says Jalel Harchaoui, an expert in Libya at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), based in London. It is a juxtaposition of different dimensions that have combined and produced an apocalyptic scale [disaster] of global [resonance].

Decades of neglect

The dams in the Libyan city of Derna were built by a Yugoslavian construction company in the 1970s as part of an infrastructure development plan promoted by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who had seized power in Libya through a coup detat in 1969. After they were built, however, many analysts agree that they fell into neglect under his regime. This state of negligence continued after his overthrow and assassination during the 2011 popular revolution supported by NATO.

Evidence of this neglect has emerged in recent days. In 2007, the Turkish construction company Arsel began a project to rehabilitate the two Derna dams and build another one. And although on the Arsel website the project appears to have been completed in 2012, when the country was plunged into instability, the reality is that the work was never done. A decade later, in 2021, the Libyan Audit Office published a report noting that almost 2.3 million had been allocated to the Ministry of Water Resources for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the same dams. But this work was not carried out either.

Political divisions

Harchaoui believes that worrying about and allocating human and financial resources for the maintenance of dams that, in principle, were working, was unlikely to happen in a country marred by political divisions and with a culture deeply rooted in the military dictatorship. And this poses a long-term problem. Harchaui argues that if there were a tradition among the Libyan authorities of caring about the maintenance of national infrastructure, that would create human resources (engineers, experience, etc.) and institutionalize procedures that would help detect problems  such as the risks posed by the dams  and act to stop them. But since that tradition does not exist, explains the analyst, nor does all the human and institutional structure that would come with it exist.

The dangers of that inaction were well known. In 2022, Libyan hydrologist Abdelwanees Ashoor published a study warning that the Derna Valley had a high potential for flood risk. And that, for this reason, the dams in the river basin needed periodic maintenance.

Whats more, Derna was particularly vulnerable to a disaster of this kind. Once known for being the birthplace of artists and writers, in 2011, the city became more famous for its resistance to Gaddafi. And in 2014, it made headlines after it was occupied by the Islamic State, who were forced out a year later by an alliance of Islamist militia and ex-officers.

The city then opposed Khalifa Hafter, a marshal of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), which militarily controls the east of Libya. Hafter responded with a brutal bombing campaign until it was subjugated to his iron fist. Hafter authorities launched a war against Derna, imposed a siege, carried out a very destructive urban war in 2018-2019, which made very little distinction between civilians and combatants. So the context of Derna is unique, notes Harchaoui.

Countdown

It was in this context that eastern Libya was hit by Storm Daniel. Local authorities, emergency services and the population were aware of the risks. But the measures and instructions that were adopted before the disaster, and even while it was taking place, proved deadly.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that alerts about the danger of the storm were issued 72 hours in advance, and that the Libyan authorities were urged to take extreme precautions. On Saturday afternoon, a day before the tragedy, a local space science federation warned the storm could break the Derna dams.

Authorities in eastern Libya, led by the LNA, formed a crisis cabinet, made up almost entirely with officials from Benghazi, the regions main city, and headed by figures with little or no experience. Almost all the warnings referred to Benghazi, 186 miles (300 kilometers) from Derna, while the rest of the area received hardly any attention. The instructions were confusing and unspecific, and the final directive  in the case of Derna  was to evacuate the areas adjacent to the coast and decree a curfew until further notice, as urged by the city council on social media.

According to witnesses in Derna, even early on Monday, about 10 minutes after the explosion that caused the dam to break was heard, the citys authorities continued to urge the population to remain inside their houses. They were ordered to stay, and this was coming from the army. We have a long history of war, seige, repression, which has been violent. So, if the army tells you to stay home, what you are going to do is basically be afraid to go out, says Harchaoui.

In its next message, shortly after midday on Monday, the city council acknowledged that the situation was catastrophic and called for urgent international intervention. The director of the WMO, Petteri Taalas, said Thursday that most of the human casualties could have been avoided with the right warnings and instructions.

In addition to the political factors that contributed to the Derna disaster, Harchaoui points out that it is equally important to frame it within the context of a very violent storm that many link to the effects of climate change. An exogenous event occurred in Libya that has nothing to do with the Libyans and which in itself is very unusual and must be recognized as such, he concludes.

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Generac has recalled about 64,000 of its portable generators after reports of overheating resulting in severe burns.
Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential race, arrives at a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, on September 8.
Three women are to stand trial in connection to a violent brawl inside a department store in Longford town last year after the State re-entered the case nine months after the charges were struck out.

The trio, Teresa Dinnegan (36) of Grian Ard, Longford, Cindy Duignan (39) of Ardnacassa Avenue, Longford and Annalise Power (26) of The Hollows, Farnagh Hill, Longford appeared at a sitting of Longford District Court last Tuesday week following an incident at Penneys, Longford Shopping Centre on March 16, 2022.



The case had been struck out last December by presiding Judge Bernadette Owens on foot of delays in obtaining directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The court, at the time, heard there was "no reason" as to why directions had not been furnished, prompting Judge Owens to strike out the case on foot of a request by a defence solicitor for one one of the accused.



However, the court was told the State was now re-entering the case with Sgt Enda Daly informing Judge Owens that all three were being sent forward to stand trial.

Ms Dinnegan and Ms Duignan, who are sisters, were charged with assault causing harm to Ms Power and violent disorder with the former also being charged with producing a glass cased candle stick during the course of a dispute.



Their co-accused, Ms Power, was charged with assault causing harm to Ms Dinnegan, violent disorder and producing a knife during the same incident.

Sgt Daly said the DPP had consented to all three women being sent forward on a signed plea "should that arise" in due course.



Their co-accused, Ms Power, was charged with assault causing harm to Ms Dinnegan, violent disorder and producing a knife during the same incident.

Sgt Daly said the DPP had consented to all three women being sent forward on a signed plea "should that arise" in due course.



All three were initially charged with assault causing harm following the unruly row which took place in front of shocked customers and staff.

One of the accused, Ms Dinnegan, courted controversy in June after the court agreed to relax her bail terms to allow her to fly to Turkey to undergo cosmetic dental surgery while on free legal aid.

The court had previously heard the alleged incident stemmed from an alleged ongoing feud between rivalling factions in Longford town.



Legal aid was granted to Ms Dinnegan and Ms Power, owing to both women currently being out of work.

A similar application for Ms Duignan was reserved to allow for a statement of means to be handed into the court.



All three were remanded on bail to a sitting of Longford District Court on October 3 when books of evidence are expected to be served on each of the accused.
If you are planning on running in the 2024 Local Elections or know a woman who would make a great County Councillor, then a series of free Fast Track to Election workshops from See Her Elected aimed at women in rural Ireland will help with the necessary skills and knowledge.

The Fast Track to Election workshops are open to women from all over rural Ireland and the first workshop begins on the week September 18  21.



There are seven workshops in total, running until mid-December 2024. All workshops are free of charge and run online at three different times per week to fit in with womens lifestyles and to offer better choice and flexibility.

You just need to commit to one hour per month to get set for the next Local Elections which will be in early June 2024.

See Her Elected supports women across rural Ireland to become county councillors and to be part of their campaign teams.



Programme Manager with See Her Elected, Dr Michelle Maher explained that this is a great opportunity to get ready for the 2024 local elections.

With only nine months to the next local elections in June 2024 our Fast Track to Election series of workshops offer a high level of very practical support to women in monthly workshops with See Her Elected.



Registration for the workshops is now open  you can sign up on our website www.seeherelected.ie or drop us an email on admin@seeherelected.ie or phone us on 086 0320455.



By the end of the Fast Track to Election series of workshops every woman participating will have a solid foundation in place for their campaign, canvassing, communications and social media strategies.

They will be able to hit the ground running as candidates or as campaign team members to help get a woman in their area elected.



There will be continuous support available from See Her Elected both between and after the workshops end in December, right up to the local elections., explained Dr Maher.

The workshops will also help equip women with practical skills as Mairead OShea the Communications Manager with See Her Elected explained:



As well as focusing on campaign and canvassing strategy our workshops will also equip women with the practical skills, they will need to develop a communications strategy so we will look at topics such as writing a press release, public speaking, radio tips, social media strategy and using paid social media promotions.



The workshops run once a month on Mondays at 8pm, Wednesdays at 7am and Thursdays at 1pm- you simply pick the day and time that suits you best.

All participants will also receive a free hard copy of the See Her Elected Guidebook to Running in the 2024 Local Elections.



Currently women only hold about 26% of council seats around the country.

The 2019 local elections reveal a notable urban-rural divide in the likelihood of women being selected and elected for the council.

Women accounted for 35 per cent of candidates contesting for seats in urban areas but just 23 per cent of candidates in more rural areas, according to research by the National Womens Council of Ireland (NWCI).



We want to see more diversity in our rural county council chambers. As it stands, there are very few women councillors and virtually no representation of minority communities.

Our aim is to increase the numbers of women in local politics in rural counties where anything from 78% to 95% of the elected local authority councillors are men.



We need our chambers to be more reflective of society and we need to see more women in politics in order to have more balanced decision making, said Dr Maher.

See Her Elected is a grassroots organisation built on the ethos of women learning and supporting each other with a specific focus on rural Ireland.



SHE is a collaboration between Longford Womens Link and 5050North West and the programme is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Registration for the workshops is now open  sign up via www.seeherelected.ie or email admin@seeherelected.ie or phone 086 0320455.
IFA National Dairy Chair Stephen Arthur (pictured below) 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.
Longford households and businesses are being asked to support a nationwide army of superheroes aiming to raise 2million during Irelands biggest coffee morning.

The official event day is September 21, and people across Longford are being asked to join the cause and host a coffee morning of their own, or if they cannot host, donate. Hollywood star Domhnall Gleeson joined the initiative, urging people across the country to support extraordinary hospice services.

Together for Hospice, The National Hospice Movement, represents 26 Hospice and specialist palliative home care providers supporting patients and their families. Funds raised locally stay local and go back into each hospice to innovate, build new facilities, develop new services and deliver quality improvements and extra benefits for their patients and family members.

Dan Rooney, of Longford Hospice Homecare, said: We are delighted Bewleys Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice, which is one of Irelands longest and most loved fundraisers, is now entering its fourth decade of raising funds in support of Hospice in-patient and community services around Ireland.

Register now to host a coffee morning on September 21 - or on a date that suits you - at hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 0818 995 996. If you cannot host or attend one, you can make a donation at hospicecoffeemorning.ie/ donate
How many years does breathing polluted air take off our lives? For a dozen countries in Southeast Asia and Africa, the answer is devastating: on average, the inhabitants of Bangladesh live almost seven years less; those in India, five years less, and those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, essentially three years less, according to the Air Quality of Life Index (AQLI), recently published by the University of Chicago. The report concludes that if nothing changes, the air that the worlds inhabitants breathe will take an average of about 2.3 years off their lives. In other words, this study says that, around the world, air pollution already kills as much as tobacco, three times more than alcohol consumption, five times more than traffic accidents and seven times more than AIDS.

We are talking about an invisible killer and the major public health problem of our time, Maria Neira, the director of the World Health Organizations (WHO) Department of Public Health and Environment, tells this newspaper. We never read: this person died because his lungs were exhausted from breathing bad air, which paved the way for lung cancer and the heart attack he suffered, and yet seven million people die prematurely each year from diseases associated with air pollution. I think this figure should make us stop and reflect.

This ominous calculation of the amount of time polluted air steals from peoples lives depends on the level of pollution, how long one lives in the affected area, and the age and state of health of the person, but there are particularly hard-hit places, all in the Global South, where people are suffocating, experts say. New Delhi, the Gazipur district in Bangladesh, the regions of Mai-Ndombe, Kwilu, and Kasai, east of Kinshasa, the Mahottari area in Nepal and the city of Mixco in Guatemala, offer particularly serious figures in terms of life expectancy lost through the simple act of breathing, the AQLI report explains.

According to the WHO, 94% of the worlds population breathes air that does not meet quality standards

In India, surgeons are operating on 17-year-olds whose lungs are similar to those of an 80-year-old who has smoked all his adult life, Neira says.

To sound the alarm and underscore the inequality between the Global North and South in tackling this enormous threat, in 2020 the UN declared September 7 to be International Clean Air Day for Blue Skies. If the problem is not addressed, the number of deaths caused by outdoor air pollution is set to increase by over 50% by 2050. In addition, the WHO plans to hold the second global meeting on air pollution and health in Ghana in October 2024 (the first was held in 2018).

Investing in a global fund

Air quality is measured by so-called suspended particulate matter below 2.5 microns (PM2.5). The WHO states that a concentration of these microscopic particles above five micrograms per cubic meter begins to be harmful to the body. The organization estimates that 94% of the worlds population breathes air that does not meet quality standards. For example, in New Delhi the concentration of particles is 25 times higher than WHO guidelines, while it is an average of 2.5 times higher in Europe.

Air pollution kills, and this is especially true for those who have the least resources, and particularly the most vulnerable populations among them. We already know that these microparticles can pass into the bloodstream and be linked to diseases like strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, but now we are also seeing that they cross the placental barrier and begin to affect the brains of fetuses before they breathe, Neira warns. She adds that the list of air pollutions harmful effects continues to grow as more studies are completed.

The investment necessary for reversing the situation caused by poor air quality would be three times less than what it costs us to treat the diseases it causes Maria Neira, WHO

According to the University of Chicago report, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan  which account for almost a quarter of the worlds population  have the worst pollution rates in the world and their inhabitants life expectancy will decrease by an average of five years if pollution levels persist. Since the turn of the century, the degree of particulate pollution in these countries has increased by more than 50% due to industrialization, economic development, and population growth, which have boosted energy demand and fossil fuel use across the region.

In sub-Saharan Africa, while AIDS and malaria remain the top health priorities, the impact of exposure to particulate pollutants is already equally serious: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi are among the worlds most polluted countries.

A man carrying goods on his bicycle in New Delhi is enveloped in a cloud of pollution, November 2020. DANISH SIDDIQUI (Reuters)

Unfortunately, the countries experiencing some of the worst pollution levels today do not have the tools to address these basic deficiencies in air quality management, such as generating high-quality data, say the authors of the University of Chicago report, Michael Greenstone and Christa Hasenkopf. For example, they note that only 6.8% and 3.7% of governments in Asia and Africa, respectively, provide information about air quality.

Neira explains that the WHO wants to create a global fund for climate change, air quality and health, one modeled on past initiatives to alleviate other urgent health problems. We are trying to whet countries appetites to invest in this issue and to provide more means and infrastructure for the most affected countries, so that, for example, health centers are better equipped and the health workers on the front lines of patient care are better trained, the expert explains.

At the moment, the investment necessary to reverse the situation caused by poor air quality would be three times less than what it costs us to treat the diseases it causes, Neira adds. In a statement released on the occasion of International Clean Air Day, the WHO says that air pollution also threatens the global economy, because huge health costs are involved. In 2019, pollution-related expenses already represented 6.1% of global GDP, around $8.6 trillion.

Citing data from the Clear Air Fund, the University of Chicago report notes that philanthropic foundations devoted $63.8 million to fighting air pollution in 2021, but the entire African continent receives less than $300,000. However, Neira cautions that comparisons are [terrible], and of course we dont want anyone to stop devoting funds to malaria or AIDS.

The WHO director believes that it is essential to support the most-affected countries in making the transition to cleaner energy as soon as possible. In Africa, less than 1% of the population currently benefits from solar energy, and that is not because there is no sun. It is because there are other interests involved, says Neira, who recently participated in the African Climate Summit in Nairobi, where this issue came up.

According to Xavier Querol, a research professor at the Spanish National Research Councils Institute for Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies, the Global North has dirtied and filled the atmosphere with polluting gases for years and has the obligation to help the peoples of the Global South opt for renewable energies and less-polluting technologies when it comes to finding alternatives for burning rice straw in India, for example. We need funding for that, but also training, education and health, the expert says in an interview with this newspaper. Querol also criticizes northern companies polluting activities in countries that are already affected by poor air quality, noting that its a sort of relocation of pollution that can no longer be allowed without [imposing] restrictions.

Reversing the trend

Despite the current dire figures, experts acknowledge that progress is indeed being made, although it is not as fast and as strong as necessary. They stress that in recent years, Europe, the United States, Japan, and China have been able to significantly reduce air pollution. For example, the University of Chicago report notes that pollution in China has decreased by 42.3% since 2013, and that today the average Chinese citizen can expect to live 2.2 years longer, although pollution in the Asian giant is still six times higher than the WHO guidelines.

A street in Bangladeshs Gazipur district, one of the most polluted areas in the world, in a February 2022 image. MOHAMMAD PONIR HOOSSAIN (REUTERS)

China had economic  business  reasons, because presenting a country where the population was suffocating was not attractive, economically or socially. And theres been a fast, positive impact, Neira says.

In the United States, which once had levels higher than those in Southeast Asia, air pollution has been reduced by almost 65% since 1970. In 2021, the average concentration of PM2.5 particles was 7.8 micrograms per cubic meter, very close to the WHO limit. In Europe, according to the European Environment Agency, between 2005 and 2020, the number of premature deaths attributable to air quality fell by 45% to fewer than 250,000 per year.

Querol concludes that investment to improve air quality coexists alongside a certain social culture. In countries where there is good healthcare, where the authorities are concerned, for example, about gender equality or family reconciliation, air quality is on the agenda as well, they go hand in hand It is not [associated] with pure economic development, as the data from China and the United States showed a few years ago, he says.
The Taoiseach did not overrule the Agriculture Minister on the EU nitrates derogation issue, a Government colleague has insisted.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue last week made clear that Brussels would not reverse its decision to reduce the volume of nitrogen produced per hectare in Ireland.

Ireland is one of three EU member states that is granted a derogation to enable some farmers to work to a higher nitrate limit than is applied in the rest of the bloc.

However, that allowance is now being reduced in response to concerns about water quality levels in Ireland.

Farmers held protests at Fianna Fail and Fine Gaels respective think-in events last week, insisting the reduction in the nitrate limit would force them to reduce herd sizes.

At the Fianna Fail picket in Co Tipperary, the farmers declined to have a meeting with Mr McConalogue, insisting they would only speak with his party leader and Tanaiste Micheal Martin.

At the Fine Gael think-in later in the week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met farming representatives in Co Limerick and during talks he agreed to invite EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius for a meeting in Ireland to discuss the derogation issue.

That led to suggestions that the Taoiseach had intervened to overrule Mr McConalogues position that he would not be going back to the EU to renegotiate the limit cut.

Fine Gael minister of state at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon rejected that characterisation.

He said the meeting requested by the Taoiseach would focus more on the renewal of the four-year derogation when the current one expires at the end of 2025.

Mr Heydon accompanied Mr Varadkar at the meeting with the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) in Limerick on Friday.

Just to nail this point, the Taoiseach did not go over his head (Mr McConalogues), Mr Heydon told RTE Radio Ones This Week programme.

I spoke with Minister McConalogue straight after the meeting with the IFA to brief him on what had happened in the meeting. He had been in the Agriculture Committee at that time and he filled me in on how that had gone.

He was happy enough for that letter (invitation) to go to commissioner because thats following on from an invitation that he has extended to the commissioner and that letter to the commissioner is in consultation with minister McConalogue. Its an important point.

Mr Heydon said it was clear that the commissioner would not revisit the nitrate reduction, however he said details still had to be worked out on the mapping zones of where it would apply.

Fianna Fail minister of state Niall Collins also insisted the EU was not for turning on the derogation issue.

I think we have to face up to the challenge of improving our water quality in this country, he told RTEs The Week In Politics programme.

There is a challenge, obviously, for the Government and for the farming community to work our way through this and were committed to doing that.
Local News

By Long Island Published: September 17 2023

Two friends' heroic actions save a life in a dramatic water rescue after a fishing mishap in Wantagh, leaving one victim in critical but stable condition.

The Seventh Squad reports the details of a Water Rescue that occurred on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at 4:45 a.m. in Wantagh.

According to Detectives, a 911 call was received for a person who fell into the water from underneath the Greene Island Fishing Pier. The first male victim, 30, was fishing with three of his friends when he accidentally fell into the Sloop Channel.

The second male victim, 26, jumped into the water to help save his friend. Both victims drifted approximately a half mile west of the pier into the Channel where they were rescued from the water by Nassau Countys Marine Bureau.

The first victim was found unresponsive and not breathing. Officers aboard began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and transported both victims to a nearby hospital. The first victim is in critical but stable condition at this time. The second victim was not injured.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned there will be no swift end to the Ukraine war, in an interview published Sunday, as Kyiv pushes on with its counteroffensive against Russia.

Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin, Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germanys Funke media group.

Therefore we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.

The conflict began in February, 2022 when Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine, bringing war back to Europe for the first time in decades.

Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in June, pushing back against entrenched Russian positions in the south and east, but it has made limited gains.

We are all wishing for a quick peace, said Stoltenberg.

But at the same time we must recognise: if President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.

If President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace.

On Ukraines ambitions to join the alliance, Stoltenberg said: There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO.

Kyiv had moved closer to NATO at a summit of the alliance in July, he said.

When this war ends, we need security guarantees for Ukraine. Otherwise, history could repeat itself, he added.

At the July summit in Vilnius, NATO leaders agreed that Ukraine could join the alliance once certain conditions are met, and US and German officials made it clear that these would include Kyiv carrying out reforms to protect democracy and the rule of law.
Saint Petersburg, RussiaFor a year and a half Galina Artyomenko had been raising funds to help refugees from Ukraine after the Kremlin sent troops to the pro-Western country.

Then in July the 58-year-old resident of Saint Petersburg in northwestern Russia discovered that one of her bank cards as well as those of two other volunteers had been blocked.

According to the bank, our collections were for questionable purposes, said Artyomenko, insisting that she can justify every ruble spent.

After President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine last year, the authorities ramped up a crackdown on dissent, with those criticising the assault facing long prison terms.

Like other volunteers helping Ukrainians, Artyomenko is careful not to express an opinion on the ongoing conflict as even humanitarian operations can sometimes be viewed with suspicion in Russia.

Despite the obstacles she has faced, she collects donations online and uses the money to buy clothes, medicine and food for people forced to flee to Russia or Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

She regularly welcomes Ukrainians arriving in Saint Petersburg by train, helping them find accommodation, work, or arrange for their onward travel to the European Union from Russia.

Artyomenko said that thousands of people in Russia were helping Ukrainians.

But they prefer not to talk about it, for security reasons, she said.

Even if no law prohibits helping people who have fallen into misfortune.

Many volunteers refuse to speak about Moscows offensive in Ukraine or their help to refugees, for fear of attracting the attention of the authorities who regularly arrest people accused of collaborating with Kyiv or discrediting the Russian army.

Lyudmila, a 43-year-old volunteer who preferred to withhold her last name, said many such people are pacifists who cannot openly express their position and ease their conscience by helping the victims of the conflict.

We cannot stand idly by, we must help those who are in a worse situation than us and who are suffering, said Lyudmila.

Artyomenko added: This is the only way left for us to exist. Thats all we can still do.

According to the United Nations, nearly 1.3 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded in Russia as of December, 2022.

According to Russias estimates  disputed by NGOs  the count stands at more than five million.

Some of those people are in transit, particularly in northwest Russia, which borders the European Union.

Others say they want to stay in Russia.

Kyiv has accused the Kremlin of having deported Ukrainians to Russia and of pushing them to obtain Russian passports.

In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for childrens rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

Moscow has denied the charge, insisting that the Ukrainians arrived voluntarily or were evacuated to safety.

Solidarity networks helping refugees such as the one involving Artyomenko have been operating in Russia since the start of the offensive in 2022.

On a recent Saturday, Artyomenko bought and dropped off some household products at a humanitarian aid warehouse for Ukrainian refugees.

Shoes, clothes, food products, and household appliances could be seen sitting on wooden racks at the collection point that is visited by up to 10 families a day.

Then Artyomenko went to buy a pair of glasses for a woman from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, which Moscow captured in the spring.

In Moscow the Mayak.fund, one of Russias best-known charities, receives up to 50 people a day, down from record numbers seen last year, said volunteer Yulia Makeyeva, 49.

Makeyeva admitted that it was hard to see the suffering of refugees.

To maintain energy and hope, I try to keep my distance, otherwise I cant work, I can only cry, she said.

As AFP visited, Yulia, who fled the town of Kupyansk in northeastern Ukraine almost a year ago with her children, aged seven and three, began to sob as she recounted the story of their survival under attacks.

Kupyansk and nearby areas in the Kharkiv region were retaken by Kyiv last September, after six months of being in Russian hands, but Moscow is now pushing back.

I just want peace, said Yulia. AFP
Derna, Libya  A week after a wall of water devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the focus on Sunday increasingly turned to caring for the survivors.

Amid the chaotic rescue efforts in the war-scarred country, the death toll from the floods has varied widely, from more than 3,000 to over 11,000.

The most recent official toll, from the health minister of the eastern-based administration, Othman Abdeljalil, was that 3,252 people were killed.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Sunday warned that the toll from Derna alone could be as high as 11,300, with another 10,100 missing.

But the Libyan Red Crescent, which was cited by the UN agency, had previously denied a UN death toll of over 10,000, saying it only had one official spokesperson and calling on media to exercise caution and accuracy.

The conflicting tolls are testament to the division and absence of centralized power that have wracked Libya since 2011s NATO-backed uprising that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi and plunged the country into years of war.

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 upriver from the port city of 100,000 people after it was hit by significant flooding in the mid-20th century.

The banks of a dried riverbed or wadi running through the city center had been heavily built on, and last weeks torrent swept everything before it as it rushed towards the Mediterranean.

A week on, bodies are still being found, some washing up on the sea shore.

A rescue crew from Maltas 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.

The aid includes water, food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits and medicines and emergency surgical supplies, as well as body bags and heavy machinery to help clear the debris.

In Al-Bayda, 100 kilometers west of Derna, residents waded through the layer of mud caking the floors of what were once their homes.

Ayman Jabril Saleh, a resident of Al-Bayda who survived the flood with his family inside their house, said when we saw the state of Derna, we felt blessed for suffering material losses only.

The damage for the devastating flooding brought by Storm Daniel was exacerbated by poor infrastructure in Libya.

Questions are being asked as to why the disaster could not have been 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.

Like much of Libyas crumbling infrastructure, the two dams in Derna fell into disrepair during years of neglect, conflict and division.

The country is currently ruled by two rival administrations  the UN-backed, internationally recognised government in Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east.

With tens of thousands of people displaced, aid organizations have warned of the risks posed by leftover landmines and other unexploded ordnance that may have been shifted by floodwaters.

The risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera are also high, according to aid groups.

The National Centere for Disease Control reported that at least 55 children were poisoned by drinking polluted water in Derna.

But the eastern-based health minister insisted that samples were being analysed daily to avoid contamination, urging residents not to use groundwater.

Abdeljalil also denied reports of a possible evacuation of Derna, saying that only certain areas could be isolated to facilitate relief efforts.

To assist the hundreds of thousands in need, the UN has launched an appeal for more than $71 million.

The scale of the devastation has prompted shows of solidarity, as volunteers in Tripoli have collected 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. AFP
Clearly, these are dangerous times, and the Philippines, by geographical proximity and its own active alliances, would surely be embroiled in the conflict

Last August 30, I was invited to speak before a forum sponsored by the De la Salle Universitys School of International Studies, on the subject Philippines -Taiwan Relations: Challenges and Opportunities in the Evolving Regional Security EnvironmentA.

The audience, aside from the DFA Spokesperson, retiring Ambassador Teresita Daza, UP Prof. Jay Batongbacal, Rear Admiral Rommel Ong (ret), Taiwans new resident representative, Wallace Chow, other officials of our national security establishment, and political science and foreign studies academicians were invited by Prof. Renato de Castro, who also moderated the event, aside from presenting a brief history of the conflicts surrounding the WPS/SCS issues.

Taiwan sent no less than Chancellor Chung Kwang Tien, former resident representative to India and other countries, and currently the head of the Foreign Service Institute of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who flew in just a few hours before the conference.

The Taiwanese chancellor spoke about the persistent threats to the island nation of its powerful neighbor, the Peoples Republic of China under President Xi Jinping, and called for mutual cooperation with democratic nations around the world, particularly the Indo-Pacific region, to preserve the peace and guarantee the security and present status of Taiwan, which, as he rightfully said, impacts on the Philippines, Taiwans closest neighbor to its south, which is just about 200 kilometers distant from Batanes.

For my part, as former chairman and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office from the start of the Duterte administration in 2016 up to July 2021, when I resigned because of active participation in the last elections, I first discussed the challenges to generating better economic cooperation and investments from our prosperous neighbor.

In various trade conferences which MECO and the DTIs Taiwan trade counsellor which we supervise, we presented the Philippines as a safe haven for Taiwanese investments, with DTI Undersecretary and Board of Investments Governor Perry Rodolfo making several trips to the Taiwan capital to entice their businessmen to invest in our country.

Banco de Oros economist Jonathan Ravelas, along with heads of Clark and Subic ecozones, as well as those of the Semi-Conductors Industries (SEIPI) were consistent resource persons in our forums.

This was to take advantage of the Taiwan governments announced New Southbound Policy which seeks greater cooperation with its southern neighbors in the Indo-Pacific.

MECO succeeded in signing a new bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan in 2017, the first in ASEAN, and by November of the same year, to enhance tourism exchanges, the Taiwan government allowed visa-free entry for Filipinos for a 14-day stay, a policy which has been extended through the years, save for the pandemic period, and which has just been recently renewed.

But in the investment events we sponsored, the most frequent problems addressed to us included the high cost of power in the country, traffic and port congestion, changes in rules and regulations, taxation, as well as too many holidays, including national and locally declared special holidays which disrupt production schedules and add to the costs of doing business.

These. I explained, were the reasons why most FDIs, not only coming from Taiwan but elsewhere, prefer Vietnam and Thailand, despite physical proximity to the Philippines.

Not being a national security expert, I left the discussion of those to the other speaker and the participants in the open forum that followed.

My main concern when I was head of MECO was how to safely secure our 160,000 OFWs, plus other nationals in the event hostilities erupted between China and Taiwan.

Repatriation is going to be well nigh impossible, because unlike in the Middle East or North Africa, even in Ukraine, where our diplomats were able to transport Filipinos by land through friendly border nations, Taiwan is an island surrounded by waters which would be the theater of war in such an event.

The air corridors would likewise be dangerous for commercial aviation.

Were there enough underground shelters and safe building basements to house some 900,000 foreigners, mostly from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, on top of Taiwans 23.4 million citizens?

How do we ensure enough food and other essentials should a present Cold War turn blistering hot, with bombs in the air and navies fighting in the waters of the Taiwan Strait and our very own Luzon Strait?

For our part, we created a reserve fund for a contingency such as this, growing it to some $400 million through the years, but, realistically, even this may not be enough to secure our nationals in the event of war.

Augmentation must come from the national government if the hostilities are prolonged.

The Taiwanese side is still doing an inventory of shelters, food and other essentials, and the logistics needed for such a massive operation as keeping the inhabitants safe and secure.

I then segued into my final statement that we should all strive for peace in Taiwan and the straits that surround the island, that both sides will realize that war is a lose-lose situation, especially since most of the protagonists come from the same race.

Our national security establishment and our president has expanded the EDCA to include four new basing agreements, three of which are proximate to Taiwan. Recently, the probability of adding more EDCA bases is being discussed.

The reasoning for this is that these would be deterrents to war, and we could invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty should China include us in their hostile actions against what they consider an integral part of their country, even if Taiwan does not agree to it.

The forthcoming presidential elections in Taiwan, scheduled for 13 January 2024, in which the incumbent vice-president, William Lai is the DPPs candidate, will give us an inkling of whether the Cold War would turn hot.

Arrayed against the DPP are the Koumintangs candidate, former police director general and New Taipei City mayor Hou You-ih, Taiwan Peoples Partys candidate, former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je, and latecomer, independent Terry Gou, who just resigned as chairman of the huge Hon Hai/Foxconn business empire which is the manufacturing arm of Apple electronics.

At present, surveys show the DPP candidate with a widening lead, but then again, it aint over till the fat lady sings.

And even if the DPP wins again, will they come to a mutually acceptable compromise to preserve peace across the Taiwan Strait, and will China find it in its interest to preserve the peace?

Many observers say that Xi Jin-pings belligerence could be triggered by the war preparations of the US and its allies, as well as domestic economic problems in the mainland that could hasten military adventurism.

Then again, whether the US of As announced challenge to Chinas rising military power will get it to be actively involved in a hot war would depend on the directions of their foreign policy after January 2025, when the winner in next years election defines its foreign policy towards the region.

Clearly, these are dangerous times, and the Philippines, by geographical proximity and its own active alliances, would surely be embroiled in the conflict.
Joining the league of empowered women with noble purpose is Kirsten Almarinez, the official Miss Philippines candidate for Miss Teen Model Universe in Spain this November.

Almarinez, 18, is a student at the University of British Columbia taking up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Aside from all the academics, her extra-curricular activities are diverse, and fun  part of the dance team, school theatre productions, and mental health club, and currently serves as an advisory leader.

Her involvement contributes to the development and refinement of her leadership skills, while also helping her appreciate the importance of teamwork. Her creative pursuits in dance, music, and theater keep her grounded and instill qualities such as discipline and professionalism, showing how the arts can build character.

She studies Political Science because becoming a lawyer is a dream she wishes to realize.

I am excited to explore the many sectors of political science. There is so much to learn, and process. You know, my goal is to have a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the law so that when my turn as a lawyer happens, I know it by heart and in mind, and I will be able to use it to promote justice and fairness to all, the teen beauty explained.

Another endearing aspect of this talented miss is her passion for mental health advocacy. Being part of the mental health club.

I have had the opportunity to learn and understand more about mental health and the stigma about it. There is so much that we can do to be of assistance to people who have mental health concerns and afflictions, she says.

In person, Kirsten is articulate, and sincere, and answers questions with poise and grace. The way she addresses the queries reminds you of the spontaneity and charm of the Philippiness fourth Miss Universe Catriona Gray. Her beauty grows on you. She has a genuine warmth and friendliness about her. And she looks you in the eye when she makes a rejoinder and ends it with the sweetest of smiles.

Kirsten was chosen by the organizers after her audition. They asked for an essay about her motivation to join, followed by a personal interview. After a suspenseful wait, she received the official email, making her dream of becoming a beauty queen a reality.

Kirsten is the stepdaughter of actress Ara Mina and the child of businessman Dave Almarinez  both are supportive and filled with pride and excitement as Kirstens beauty queen is all official.

The Miss Teen Model Universe is one of the major beauty titles under the Miss Teen Philippines International Organization headed by its founder Charlotte Dianco. The main objective of this beauty pageant organization is to discover young misses with great potential to become beauty title holders. Their main advocacy is the promotion and support of education. They also give books to public libraries and schools.

Her chances of winning, Kirsten says: I am ready to represent our country. I will do my best and let God do the rest.
The noise that sneaks into our home deprives us of the quiet we need to sleep.

The price of living in a city that never sleeps is precisely that: inadequate sleep. And we must not forget that proper nighttime rest, while often undervalued, is a key physiological process to maintain good health. If we do not get enough sleep, our well-being will end up paying the consequences. But how much is enough? It depends on age, but a healthy adult, on average, needs seven to nine hours a day, and that figure increases when it comes to children, who may need from nine to even 16 hours of sleep a day.

Now, when should you sleep? Being diurnal animals, we sleep at night. With some variations, however, due to the different chronotypes: some people tend to go to bed and wake up later (the night owls or evening people) while others have a natural tendency to wake up and go to sleep early (the early birds or morning people).

Despite these individual differences, nighttime is the time that our physiology reserves for sleep. Over millions of years, evolution has made our physiological processes revolve around the alternation between light and darkness. However, the night has changed a lot since electric light became widespread a century and a half ago; today, in many urban environments, night and darkness have stopped being synonymous. Artificial light has allowed human beings, whose eyes are made for daylight, to colonize the night, destroying its darkness and extending their period of activity to all kinds of late hours.

The light that keeps us awake

Artificial light at night is considered a pollutant and leads to a series of health problems. First of all, it keeps us awake for longer. Studies indicate that as the level of artificial light in the nighttime environment increases, adults and the elderly tend to sleep less. It has also been observed that artificial light at night, both outdoors and indoors, can increase sleep problems by 22%. This light is the enemy of sleep because it disorients the clock that regulates it: it tells it that it is daytime, not yet time to sleep.

In addition to reducing sleep hours (something already serious), excessive use of artificial light at night can have other serious health consequences. Among them, a greater probability of suffering from cardiovascular and metabolic disorders (obesity or diabetes), mental health disorders and even some types of cancer such as breast, prostate or colorectal, has been described. Controlled laboratory studies leave no doubt about the harmful effects of artificial light at night.

However, in epidemiological terms, the disparity in results is still a cause of controversy. This is due, above all, to the so-called confounding factors: circumstances specific to the most illuminated areas that prevent the experts from differentiating which damages are due to night light and which are due to other factors.

Traffic and nightlife noise, the enemy of health

One of those confounding factors is noise. With humans able to colonize the darkness thanks to the electric light , nights have become noisy, depriving us of the quiet we need to fall and stay asleep. The noise that sneaks into our home harms us at any time of the day, whether it bothers us or not; but at night, it also interferes with our sleep.

According to the European Environment Agency, prolonged exposure to environmental noise contributes to 48,000 new cases of heart disease and 12,000 premature deaths each year in Europe. In addition, 22 million people suffer from chronic discomfort and 6.5 million suffer from major chronic sleep disorders. It is estimated that one million years of healthy life are lost each year due to the effects of noise, including ischemic heart disease and sleep disorders, which account for most of the noise-related disease burden.

The negative consequences of road traffic noise have been widely demonstrated. However, the cities have other sources of noise that cause discomfort at night. One of the most important is nightlife. Another one is street cleaning, which often takes place at night until the early morning. Paradoxically, we could say that cleaning the streets at night interferes with the cleaning that sleep sets in motion in our brain through the glymphatic system.

What can local governments do to protect our rest?

Many of the problems that make it difficult to sleep could be solved with greater awareness and empathy on the part of citizens. However, an adequate legal framework is also necessary, and the authorities need to effectively ensure compliance.

How could a local government help its citizens sleep better? To begin with, we must start from the premise that sleep, due to its close connection with health, should always be prioritized over other things like leisure. Therefore, some suggestions would be:

 Limiting the hours of use of noisy street cleaning machinery. Even if the vehicles engine is electric and silent, the water pumps are not. This should never be done at night.

 Replacing noisy public transport vehicles with electric models and ensuring that private vehicles comply with regulations.

 Reducing the hours and the number of tables used by the hospitality industry in residential areas.

 Lowering the permitted volume in noisy establishments (which can often be harmful to the clients hearing) and avoiding nighttime operation in residential areas, not only due to the structural transmission of noise, but also due to the frequent accumulation of people outside.

 Not having noisy shows in areas close to inhabited homes, especially at night.

 Reviewing the location of streetlights and other sources of light to reduce light pollution in general and, especially, that which enters homes through windows.

And finally, the most important thing: understanding, both at the institutional and the individual level, that to build a healthier society it is essential to protect an environment that facilitates our sleep and that of our neighbors.

Sleep and let sleep.

Maria Angeles Bonmati is a postdoctoral researcher at the Spanish Network for Biomedical Research in Fragility and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES) and a collaborating professor at the University of Murcia. This article originally appeared in Spanish in The Conversation.
The death of a baby is under investigation in Lawrence, according to the Essex County District Attorneys Office.

State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorneys office along with Lawrence police are investigating after the infant was brought into Holy Family Hospital Friday evening, Sept. 15.

The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital, the office said. Officials did not say why the baby was brought to the hospital, or what prompted the investigation.

The district attorneys office is awaiting results from the medical examiner. No other information was initially released.
A Brockton man accused of dragging a Massachusetts state trooper down the road while avoiding a traffic stop last week is being held without bail, NECN reported.

Derek Lobo was held without bail pending the outcome of a dangerousness hearing after the 31-year-old appeared in Brockton District Court on Friday, Sept. 15, the outlet reported.

Lobo, who is believed to have dragged a trooper while fleeing a traffic stop on Wednesday, was found and arrested by Massachusetts State Police on Thursday, officials said.

At 6 p.m. on Sept. 13, troopers pulled over Lobo, who was driving his Mercedes on Montpellier Street in Brockton for motor vehicle violations, the department said. Dash cam video from the traffic stop shows Lobos drivers side door open, with two troopers standing close to the door and speaking with Lobo.

One trooper, who was leaning on the top of the car with one hand, bent in closer and reached inside the car with his other hand, the video showed. Suddenly, there appears to be a struggle coming from inside the car between Lobo and the trooper, and the trooper lurches forward further into the car.

The other trooper standing outside the Mercedes reached with both hands in an apparent grapple to assist to his partner, but Lobo began to drive the Mercedes away with the first trooper still inside.

The trooper was dragged several yards down the pavement, curling his legs up into his body while hanging to the accelerating car until coming to a bumping halt as he dropped, skidding onto the street.

The trooper immediately got up and ran back to the cruiser to chase Lobo, the video showed. He had minor injuries from the incident, police said.

Police began looking for Lobo following the traffic stop, asking for the publics assistance in locating him, and arrested him at a home in Brockton on Thursday. The trooper who placed Lobo in custody was the same officer whod been dragged, police said.

According to state police, Lobo was charged with the following:

Assault and battery on a police officer

Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon

Trafficking in fentanyl, more than 10 grams

Negligent operation of a motor vehicle

Failure to stop for police

Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle

Number plate violation

No inspection sticker

Speeding

Window tint violation

Not in possession of license

Lobos dangerousness hearing is scheduled for September 20, NECN reported.
SPRINGFIELD  Now that voters have whittled down a strong field of five mayoral contenders, the race has been reset with two candidates chasing votes in the hopes of becoming the next leader of the city.

After all the ballots were counted for Tuesdays preliminary election, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno came out on top with 7,120 votes, or 47.7% of the turnout, and 10-year City Councilor Justin Hurst finished second with 4,292 votes, or 28.8% of the turnout, to earn spots on the November ballot.

This years mayoral race was extraordinary simply because it drew so many candidates, nearly all of whom are political gladiators. Orlando Ramos, who is currently serving in the state House and was a former city councilor, finished third with 2,032 votes, which was 13.6% of the turnout. while City Council President Jesse Lederman followed with 1,344 votes or 9% of the ballots. Psychotherapist David Ciampi finished in a distant fifth place with 93 votes.

In November voters will answer the biggest question most residents, office holders and political pundits are asking: Is it time for a change or should the city stay with the mayor who has been governing for the past 16 years?

Sarno and his supporters believe being the longest-serving mayor in Springfield brings benefits to residents. They point to his years of experience and say he passed tests such as leading the city through financial crises, rebuilding after the June 1, 2011, tornado and developing the states first resort casino.

But not all has been perfect. As the city hits a record 26 homicides this year and its police department is under a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice due to officer misconduct, critics question if Sarnos efforts to battle problems with unlawful guns and crime is working.

On Election Day Sarno showed up at his campaign party late and apologized to his volunteers, explaining he cut his campaigning short because of a major water main break. After giving a perfunctory victory speech essentially thanking supporters, he veered to a press conference announcing a boil water order.

I love my job but it is about living it 24-7, he said, while eating cold pizza after the press conference.

Sarno was not available later in the week but his campaign put out a statement from him saying, I will continue to work hard for the people of Springfield and I will continue to campaign vigorously. I never take anything for granted.

Two days after the preliminary, Hurst said his campaign is regrouping to beef up fundraising and find the best way to reach voters.

Our message is not going to change. It is about needing a change after 16 years, he said. The election showed 52% of the people who voted want someone other than Domenic Sarno.

While Hurst talked mostly about crime and police reform during his campaign, he said voters will now hear more about his other issues including reducing taxes and with that eliminating the trash fee, supporting small businesses and having a comprehensive plan to ensure attention is paid to all neighborhoods.

We need to invest in education so we will have a system that we all can be proud of, said Hurst, whose wife Denise Hurst is a member of the Springfield School Committee.

While Hurst said money will not buy the election, he said his campaign is certainly going to fundraise so he can have the capital to get his message out through mailings, television commercials, radio spots and other ways.

Hurst was a strong fundraiser for the preliminary election, collecting $90,000, but as of Sept. 1, he had just $1,000 left. Sarno, who already had a balance in his account, raised $154,000 in 2023 and has $87,000 on hand.

The message for a change resonated with fifth-place candidate Ciampi, who endorsed Hurst for mayor three days after the preliminary.

All the candidates for mayor got into this because they feel change is necessary for the city. Change is a healthy thing, he said. That being said I have great respect for Domenic Sarno and I feel he has done a good job but 20 years is too long.

Ciampi said he got into the race well knowing he had an uphill battle against four people with extensive political experience and name recognition. But after seeing so many social ills in his job, he said he would not be doing anyone a favor by staying quiet.

He is now hoping Hurst or Sarno will pick up his campaign message of fighting crime by having a tailored, holistic approach to drug addiction. Included in his plan is to help people find a job and move from Springfield after they complete rehab treatment so they are away from the environment where they started using.

This isnt the first time in Western Massachusetts that mayoral fields have generated large numbers of qualified candidates. Two years ago five candidates who had strong political or public service backgrounds vied for Holyoke mayor when Alex Morse stepped down to become town manager of Provincetown.

Running for a statewide seat or for congress takes huge amounts of money so more people interested in politics are looking more toward local seats including city council, which in this preliminary drew 21 candidates, said Paul Robbins, a political consultant with Paul Robbins Associates of Springfield.

The question of how the general election will play out is one political experts said will depend on why voters selected their candidates.

The question was is the 13% of people who voted representative of the whole electorate and generally it is, Robbins said.

In past general elections turnout hovers around 20% in Springfield, which would be about 22,000 voters, or 7,000 more people than the 14,966 that cast ballots in the preliminary race, Robbins said.

Justin (Hurst) is going to have to focus on every single soul who didnt vote for Domenic (Sarno) and who wanted a change, Robbins said. It is a challenge and it will take resources.

If he was a candidate, Robbins said he would concentrate on the fact that 52% of the electorate did not vote for Sarno which makes a win difficult but possible.

Political consultant Anthony L. Cignoli, owner of A.L. Cignoli of Springfield, said Sarnos nearly 50% win in the preliminary is good news for him but not surprising because everyone predicted he would be the frontrunner and secure one of the two slots on the ballot.

But does being a whisker away from 50% mean bad news for him and good news for Hurst? Probably not, he said.

Not everyone who voted for someone else is against the mayor, Cignoli said. All the votes for other people will not go to Justin Hurst, that is absolutely not how it works, ever.

In preliminary elections, a lot of people come out to support a specific candidate. If their choice was knocked out of the race, they could turn to either Sarno or Hurst depending on what they hear from each of them.

They are two very different choices, he said.

One of the other things that came into play in this election is the Hispanic Latino Leaders Now political action committee, which helped support Orlando Ramos and sent multiple targeted texts and mailings.

Ramos has not responded to requests for comment after the preliminary election.

Political action committees are rare in Springfield and Cignoli said he questions how that impacted turnout of Latino voters. It also could have motivated Black voters who saw the movement and wanted to support Hurst, whose parents, attorneys Frederick A. and Marjorie J. Hurst, are founders of An African American Point of View monthly newspaper.

Going forward the two candidates will have to be more focused on ideas and their platforms will have to be multi-faceted, veering off from the preliminary when much of the discussion was about the rising homicide rate and gun violence, Cignoli said.

For example, poll after poll shows Springfield residents of all ages, income levels and races want money invested in creating good schools, which does not happen in every community. Candidates are going to have to talk more about investments and turnaround plans for schools to get support, he said.

Lederman, who at 29 was the youngest candidate but hardly inexperienced since he has served as a city councilor since 2017 and is the current City Council president. While he said the results were not what he wanted, he is moving on and focusing on getting work done on the council.

He said he was happy to see a lot of leaders stepping up to run and forcing discussions about different ideas.

He hasnt endorsed anyone yet and did not say if he would, but is urging candidates to talk about issues in a substantive way if they want to attract the people who cast ballots for him.

I think the voters who supported me are looking for a candidate who is not only listing the issues but has a concrete way to solve them, Lederman said.
The body of Sergio Browns mother was found in a creek near her home and is now being investigated as a homicide. Brown, who spent two seasons with the New England Patriots, is missing.

According to WGN 9 in Chicago, Maywood, Ill. police were notified that Brown went missing on Saturday night. Their search led to the discovery of 73-year-old Myrtle Brown in a creek near her home.

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Were going to find out what happened because its not normal for my sister to not answer her phone, not to respond to text messages, Shelia Simmons, Myrtle Browns sister, told WGN 9. People have been reaching out to her since Friday. No one was able to reach her. Now, I got the call this morning saying that shes missing, so immediately I came out here and find out my sister is dead.

Simmons, according to WGN 9, went to the house where her sister and nephew lived and admitted things around the house were out of the ordinary. She later searched the creek with the police but didnt find anything in their initial search. Simmons went back with other family members later in the day when they discovered Myrtle Browns body.

As of Sunday afternoon, Brown was still missing and family members have not heard from him since Friday, per Maywood police.

NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.

Enter your email address here to receive MassLive's Patriots newsletter every Monday and Friday.





Sergio Brown signed with the Patriots after going undrafted in 2010 and was released after two seasons. The safety also played for the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills before retiring at the age of 29 in 2017.
SPRINGFIELD -- Firefighters battled a house fire at 19 Eloise St. Sunday afternoon.

According to Drew Piemonte, Springfield Fire Department spokesperson, the 12:45 p.m. fire was extinguished quickly and without any reported injuries.

Three people living in the home were displaced by the fire, Piemonte said, and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad.
Down to his final strike with two outs in the ninth inning, Rafael Devers hit an opposite-field game-tying home run.

Devers connected on a 96.5 mph fastball at the top of the zone from righty Erik Swanson and sent it 380 feet to left. But his 33rd homer this season only delayed the inevitable.

The Blue Jays beat the Red Sox anyway.

Matt Chapmans RBI double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning against Garrett Whitlock gave Toronto a 3-2 walkoff victory.

Boston went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base in a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Sunday.

Toronto swept the three-game series. The Red Sox scored four runs in the three games. They went 3-for-33 with runners in scoring position and left 29 men on base in the series.

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Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta pitched 6  innings and allowed just two runs, four hits and no walks while striking out six. Kevin Kiermaier hit an RBI sac fly in the second inning to put the Jays ahead 1-0. Daulton Varshos 392-foot solo homer to right field off Pivetta in the fifth inning made it 2-0.

The Red Sox finally scored in the seventh inning. Pablo Reyes two-out RBI single to left field cut it to 2-1.

Boston didnt score against Blue Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu but they worked up his pitch count and the lefty lasted only 4  innings. He allowed six hits and two walks while striking out two.

Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.



The Red Sox will travel to Texas this evening and begin a three-game series against the Rangers on Monday. Righty Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.26 ERA) will start opposite Rangers lefty Jordan Montgomery (9-11, 3.47 ERA).
After Hurricane Lee brought fierce winds, heavy rainfall and harsh waves to the Massachusetts coast Saturday, a sunny and seasonable Sunday is on deck for the state, making it the perfect day for people to attend The Big E in West Springfield.

The National Weather Service said Sunday will be a gorgeous day for any outdoor activities, on X, formerly known as Twitter.

[Sunday] A sunny and seasonable Sunday is ahead! High clouds will increase from SW to NE this afternoon, but it will be a gorgeous day for any outdoor activities! pic.twitter.com/VmfX7wrPIr  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) September 17, 2023

The weather in West Springfield will be somewhat foggy until 10 a.m., but get sunny later with a high near 78 degrees. A slight breeze between 5-8 mph will also persist throughout the afternoon, forecasters said.

Sunday night will be cool and slightly breezy, with a low around 59 degrees, the weather service said. Rain is possible mainly after midnight, so it should not have an impact on fairgoers. The chance of rain is 50%.

The Big E already welcomed more than 86,000 people on opening day Friday, and more than 95,000 people on Saturday.

Be sure to follow all of MassLives coverage of The Big E for more information. And get daily weather updates for the fair right to your email through MassLives Big E newsletter.
It is Claras fourth birthday, and she is about to open her presents. Her friends watch her attentively as she shows off her new treasure: Its a Black Barbie in a wheelchair! The parents exchange glances and smile. Her friend Juan (also four years old) brings his Hulk doll closer, stretches his hands and says: Come on, Barbie, Ill take you to the park. Neither the children nor the adults have ever seen a paralyzed doll before. In addition to their fascination with the wheelchair mechanism (and Barbies hair), the following scene unfolds at the entrance of the school the next day: a girl five years older enters the school in a wheelchair, and Clara and Juan look at each other in mutual comprehension; without saying a word, they fully understand what is going on. This is a real example that demonstrates the importance of children having diverse references in their daily lives and, as a result, being fully committed to diversity in education and in life.

Laura Marcilla is a psychologist and sexologist. She is part of the association Almeria Con Orgullo (Almeria with Pride), an LGBTQ association that also works for representation of the gay community in the broader culture. She says that all people need to see themselves reflected because they look for points of similarity with others; she adds that the feeling of belonging, of perceiving that we are part of a community, is very important for building self-esteem. While this applies to everyone, it is especially important for children, particularly those who belong to a minority or underrepresented group, Marcilla explains. Self-conceptthat is, how children perceive themselvesis formed in comparison with people they consider to be the same, similar or different from themselves. Therefore, if a child, for example, has no examples around her in pictures or stories, it can lead to feelings of isolation or inferiority, says the psychologist. If there are representations but they are stereotyped or exaggerated and always reproduce the same prejudices, the result wont be positive either, she says.

A total lack of representation for children can have a negative impact on feelings of worth. Rocio Quillahuaman was born in Peru and came to Barcelona as a child. She was gifted at school and did her homework while her mother cleaned apartments. Now, she is well known on social media for her funny cartoons; she has almost 200,000 followers on Instagram alone. A few months ago, she published Marron [Brown], a book for teenagers in which she explains how different (brown) she felt when she was young. Quillahuaman says that seeing oneself reflected in the culture serves to validate a person, helps people feel hope and gives them the ability to aspire to something: It would have helped me to accept my identity back thenNot seeing myself represented in any cultural product I consumed made me feel like I was worthless to society. Being rendered invisible makes you feel like you dont exist for everyone else, that you are not part of [a place]. Its another way of pushing us aside, of marginalizing us.

Marcilla explains that in Europe the representation of white, normative bodies that do not have any kind of disability is predominant. And often the exceptions, when there are any, are relegated to a secondary role or even associated with the storys villain. For example, in the Little Mermaid, Ursula is fat and also the bad guy. The movies for children and young people with which parents grew up didnt always get it right: The cats with Asian characteristics in Lady and the Tramp are evil. Aladdin gets whiter over the course of the movie, so you can associate whiteness with success, she observes.

Its true that Mattel and Disney have started to make progress in this regard: racially diverse and even single princesses already exist, but there still isnt an overweight or lesbian character. Disneys latest movie Strange World stars a biracial, openly gay teenager, but the plot has nothing to do with his skin color or sexuality; he could just as easily be white and have a girlfriend. On the other hand, Mattel has released a line of inclusive Barbies: there are now dolls that are curvy, short, hard of hearing (with hearing aids), as well as ones who have Downs syndrome or vitiligo.

In 2019, Mattel launched its Black Barbie doll in a wheelchair, part of its Fashionistas line.

Writer and educator Desiree Bela-Lobedde has two daughters, ages 14 and 16. She also teaches anti-racism workshops, and says that, as a mother, it is necessary to provide children with a diversity of references. If they are [children] with normative bodies, it helps them to see those other bodies; if they are [children] with non-normative bodies, it helps them to recognize themselves in those references and see a positive representation of bodies like their own, she says. She adds that if minors are being taught that their body is not appropriate, preventing them from seeing bodies like theirs reinforces the feeling that there is indeed something wrong with their body and therefore it should not be shown. That, in turn, promotes body shaming.

Contrary to popular belief, imagination does have certain limits. It is easier to imagine what we know or are familiar with. Just as we cannot imagine a new color that we have never seen, its much more difficult to imagine realities that we have never observed, says Marcilla. For that reason, the psychologist recommends childrens stories that open up new worlds and normalize others existence.
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.

Yoel Carrasquillo Vega is the director for diversity of Department of Medicine at UMass Medical Center. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

Yoel Carrasquillo Vega

Age: 36

Community: Worcester

His story: Looking back on his career, Yoel Carrasquillo Vega sees his work in healthcare as the bridge between doctors and patients within his community.

Carrasquillo Vega lives in Worcester but was born in Puerto Rico. He grew up there, eventually graduating from medical school at Universidad Central del Caribe in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in 2013. Carrasquillo Vega also enrolled in a residency program while at UMass Chan Medical School, which moved him into the role of becoming a staff doctor in the Hospital Medicine division, followed by more leadership roles after that.

In Carrasquillo Vegas mind, education gives value and character to anyone with a willing heart and spirit.

These roles were supported with the knowledge and tools I acquired with my MBA (healthcare-focused) degree, he said. These roles included Director of Hospital Medicine at UMass Memorial Health  Marlborough Hospital, Clinical Operations Project Leader and, currently, the Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice for the Department of Medicine at UMass Chan.

Looking back on the early days of the pandemic, Carrasquillo Vega, as part of the United States Army Reserve, was mobilized in response to the first wave. In that role, he said he personally saw the disparities in which communities suffer, along with how those disparities were accentuated in urban areas.

Overcrowded living spaces, being unable to shelter in place due to work, a lack of healthcare access and the tendency to have a preexisting condition were all among many barriers affecting Hispanic communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing in 2022.

This has sparked my passion to work with these communities and be a voice and expression for change and cohesion in an agonizing healthcare landscape, he added.

In his work, Carrasquillo Vega said he found that Latinos are the racial and ethnic group least likely to visit the doctor and more than one-fourth lacks a regular healthcare provider.

From a patient and a provider perspective, Latinos have been historically underrepresented in all areas of medicine, he said. Approximately less than 6% of U.S. doctors identify as Hispanic or Latino... This is the main reason cultural and social connections between patients and doctors are extremely important.

Identifying as a Latino physician has left Vega feeling humbled and honored as an agent of change, he said, one that brings forth the solidification of that cultural and social connection.

Read more: Luzed Guzman Romano advocates for more equitable work environments for women

In his words: Mahatma Gandhi said it best. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. Education doesnt always translate into a degree, what we are focusing on is the learning process where we educate ourselves to be prepared for life.... We need to embrace the gift of a new day, live healthy, love family and learn in the journey.

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.
The Africa Money and DeFi Summit has announced nine ventures selected to showcase their cutting-edge Web3, Blockchain, Fintech, and Decentralised Finance (DeFi) businesses to investors and industry leaders, live on stage, in Accra, Ghana on October 3rd and 4th.

With a focus on forging connections and bridging the gap between African ventures, corporates and global investors, the West Africa edition drew applications from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, and Cote dIvoire.

The ventures are:

Hurupay (Ghana) is a stablecoin payment platform that enables African businesses to accept stablecoin payments from customers as a more stable and reliable payment method, eliminating concerns related to currency depreciation or high transaction costs.

Save App (Kenya) is disrupting the saving habits of African consumers, reshaping their perspective on spare change. The company launched Ukonga, a micro-savings platform that enables users to save their spare change for future use.

Coinazer (Nigeria) is empowering businesses and individuals with cutting-edge blockchain solutions. The Web3 crypto platform provides a secure environment for users to safely buy, sell, and store a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and many more.

PAL (Cote dIvoire) is a digital banking platform and liquidity provider acting as an off-ramp for remittance and payments companies seeking to innovate cost-effectively within the Francophone African market.

Safi Protocol (Kenya) is a Web3 startup that leverages Decentralized Finance (DeFi) to build climate resilience. With a deficit of $1bn funding gap in the Renewable Energy Sector in Africa and Southeast Asia, the company seeks to bridge the global liquidity gap in the energy sector by tokenising qualified real world clean energy projects.

VerifiBuy (Ghana) is an e-commerce platform dedicated to bridging the trust gap between online buyers and sellers.

BluPay (Ghana) is a digital payment solution platform that enables businesses and merchants to instantly receive MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) and card payments from their customers directly into their bank accounts.

One Chain Africa (Nigeria) Is addressing the challenges facing blockchain adoption and innovation in Africa. One Chain Africas blockchain solution aims to create a more inclusive and accessible blockchain ecosystem on the continent, enable stablecoin deployment for each country, integrate on-chain KYC infrastructure, and facilitate the growth and innovation of blockchain technology across the continent.

PayBox (Ghana) is driving innovation in cross-border payment and fund transfers across more than 23 African countries for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Millennials.

The Africa Money and DeFi Summit is supported by key industry stakeholders including Amazon Web Services, HBAR, EMTECH, Native Teams, One Liquidity, International Trade Centre, Raenest, BudPay, Fuse, Turaco, Okra, Wewire Africa, Waza, Fonbnk, Fez Delivery, Fincra and Semoa, will connect African fintech and crypto leaders with international players.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The recapture, by Ukrainian forces, of the oil and gas platforms off the coast of Crimea known as the Boyko towers has both strategic and symbolic significance. Their position, between the westerly-most point of Crimea and Snake Island, in waters close to Ukraines border with Romania, puts them in a key location for monitoring Russian activities in the Black Sea.

Russia had seized control of these drilling platforms in 2015, in the wake of its annexation of Crimea the previous year. It used them for military purposes including installing radar equipment that gave them surveillance of the sea between Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula.

Announcing the recapture of the platforms, which reportedly took place at the end of August, Ukraines intelligence service, the GUR, stated that: Russia has been deprived of the ability to fully control the waters of the Black Sea, and this makes Ukraine many steps closer to regaining Crimea.

Though the Bokyo towers are oil and gas platforms, they contain helipads and have the potential to host missile systems. They also provide underwater and surface reconnaissance and monitoring. Control of the platforms greatly enhances Ukraines ability to operate in the Black Sea, while at the same time reducing Russian capabilities.

Ukraines ground counteroffensive continues to pressurise Russian defences in the east and south. But in recent months, Kyiv has also directed airborne attacks on targets inside Russia, including drone attacks on Moscow itself. And a missile strike on Russias naval installation in Sevastopol  Ukraines biggest attack on Russian facilities in annexed Crimea so far  highlights Kyivs growing missile capabilities.

That attack, reported to have involved ten western-supplied cruise missiles and three unmanned boats, targeted a dry dock servicing Russias Black Sea fleet. Ukrainian sources claimed a Ropucha-class landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine were both directly hit and set ablaze.

Russian weakness

Regaining control of the Boyko towers and the strike on Sevastopol are notable morale-boosters at a crucial phase of Ukraines wider offensive operations.

The success of Kyivs spring and summer counteroffensive has been a source of fierce debate. A great deal of attention has focused on what is seen by many as the relatively slow progress made by Ukrainian forces, faced with Russias considerably strengthened defensive lines. This is lending weight to those who are arguing for a negotiated ceasefire in the face of the massive cost of supplying arms to Ukraine.

After spending the winter and much of the early part of the year in an attritional battle for the town of Bakhmut, in which both sides lost thousands of men for insignificant territorial gains, the majority of Russias offensive operations have been limited to missile and drone strikes. Kyiv announced recently that Russian strikes had targeted 105 port facilities, severely restricting the countrys ability to export grain.

Russias bombardment has also aimed to erode the Ukrainian peoples will to fight. Yet its Russian morale  both military and domestic  which remains under question, thanks to a shortage of ammunition and depleted reserves of troops. The Kremlin is reported to be debating a second wave of mobilisation in October and November. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has reported a Russian Telegram channel which claims the Kremlin wants to mobilise at least 170,000 reservists and recruit a further 130,000 contract military. The post, quoting intelligence sources, says that the plan is to replenish the ranks of the army  within a short time window  before the start of the active presidential campaign in 2024.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin hosted the North Korean president, Kim Jong-un, in Vladivostok on September 13. The pair reportedly discussed a deal whereby North Korea would supply Russia with ammunition, primarily artillery shells that Russia is using far more quickly than it can manufacture them. In return, Russia would provide expertise for North Koreas satellite programme, which has hitherto been unsuccessful.

The overall image presented by these events is not one of Russian strength.

Ukraine battles on (slowly)

Despite this apparent Russian weakness, the slow progress of Ukraines counteroffensive is causing a degree of concern in the west. The large amount of sophisticated weaponry supplied by Kyivs allies  as well as training of Ukrainian officers in programmes such as Operation Interflex  has increased expectations of more rapid progress towards Ukraines goals.

The key goal at present involves breaking through Russias defensive lines in the south, with the aim of driving southwards towards the Sea of Azov and effectively cutting Russias land bridge to Crimea. Yet Ukraine has struggled to break through these lines apart from in isolated instances, such as around Robotyne in the western Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukrainian troops are reported to be making small daily advances in both Zaporizhzhia and further east around Bakhmut, where fierce fighting continues.

Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, reacted sharply at the end of August when he told a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Spain: I would recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimetre by themselves. Natos secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, also sought to quieten western critics, telling CNN: Ukrainians have exceeded expectations again and again  We need to trust them.

But its clear that Kyivs allies in the west will be watching Ukraines progress in the field carefully over the next few weeks. They will be hoping for significant movement before the changing weather forces a slowdown in the field, and gives Russia the chance to regroup and rebuild its defensive fortification.
Diamondbacks right-hander Drey Jameson has been on the injured list since early July due to elbow problems, and unfortunately the 26-year-old is now facing the worst case scenario. Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Jameson will undergo a Tommy John surgery, which will almost certainly keep the pitcher out of action until Opening Day 2025.

The outcome isnt unexpected, as Jameson was almost immediately shifted to the 60-day injured list soon after his initial 15-day IL placement, and Lovullo indicated in July that the rightys UCL had suffered some type of damage. Jameson had been trying to work through the injury without surgery and had been on a throwing program, though that program was paused earlier this week.

Jameson now faces a much more extensive rehab process and an unfortunate stoppage in his young career. Selected 34th overall by the DBacks in the 2019 draft, Jameson was still able to blaze a quick path to the majors even despite losing 2020 as a development year because of the pandemic. He made his Major League debut with four starts and a 1.48 ERA over 24 1/3 innings in 2022, and then battled for a starters job in Spring Training before opening this season in Arizonas bullpen.

Some tough early results got him sent to Triple-A for much of May, after Jameson had been moved into the rotation to fill in for the injured Zach Davies. Jameson returned to the big league bullpen at the end of May and looked pretty sharp before his elbow injury, at least in terms of bottom-line results. Jameson had a 3.32 ERA over 40 2/3 total innings this season, with a 4.49 SIERA reflecting his below-average strikeout and walk rates, though he at least limited damage with a 45.8% grounder rate and a hefty 87% strand rate.

The TJ surgery could well factor into any future decision over Jamesons role as a starter or reliever, though that determination will certainly wait until after he is healthy and ready to pitch. Rebuilding arm strength for a relief role isnt quite as extensive as rehabbing to take on a starters workload, so there is a slim chance Jameson might be able to make it back at the very end of the 2024 regular season, but the much likelier scenario is that hell miss all of next season recovering.

Even if Jameson might have been a depth starter for 2024, his injury removes another arm from the Diamondbacks depth chart heading into the offseason. The Snakes have hung in the wild card race despite not getting much from their rotation beyond Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, leaving pitching as a question to be more fully addressed over the winter. Tommy Henry, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt will all be in the running to compete for rotation jobs, but Arizona will surely look to acquire at least one veteran arm. Davies could be retained on a $5.5MM mutual option, though that doesnt seem likely to be exercised given Davies struggles this year.
The penetrating eyes of Vladimir Kosarevsky, 39, looked directly at the camera of the EL PAIS photographer on February 24. The director of Moscows Anna Akhmatova Library, one of the most important in the Russian capital, had fled Russia after disobeying Vladimir Putins government order to destroy all books by LGBTQ+ authors, or those that mentioned homosexuality. He was approaching the end of the maximum period he could stay at the shelter that had welcomed him in A Coruna (northern Spain) and was about to be left out on the street. To make matters worse, he had been given a laughably late date for the appointment to process his claim for asylum: May 15, 2025. Ive been looking at that photo. My face shows fear and insecurity, I didnt know what was going to happen to me. Today I feel that I am in a safe place and I have everything that can help me integrate smoothly here. Six months later, Kosarevsky is celebrating. The NGO Accem has provided him with legal protection, psychological support, training, and most importantly, accommodation in a refugee apartment in Vigo. And he is especially happy these days: he has just been granted a work permit.

The publication of information about his odyssey provoked a wave of sympathy that changed his life. Today he shares a home with five refugees from South America and has completed a digital marketing course. Together with the Galician association (BAMAD) and the Spanish federation of librarians, he has given lectures against censorship at conferences in Santiago de Compostela and Granada. On October 16 he will give another talk in Vitoria. Kosarevskys activism goes beyond his native country and resonates strongly in Spain, where hate speech is spreading, says Daniel Boveda, spokesperson for Accem in Galicia. Vladimirs testimony is exemplary because he has experienced firsthand a danger that is present due to the advances of far-right parties in Europe, says Sandra Lopez, spokesperson for Les Coruna, the association for lesbian visibility that first helped to Kosarevsky in Galicia. In Italy it is already happening and in Spain it will happen if Vox enters the government. Society has to know that this is not the way.

Kosarevsky, in front of the hostel where he stayed in A Coruna. Photo from an interview with EL PAIS on February 24. oscar corral

Kosarevsky arrived in Spain without speaking a word of any of its languages and ended up in Galicia not knowing the first thing about this northwestern region where Galician is also spoken besides Spanish. Now he is advancing in his Spanish classes and has opened a Telegram channel in Russian to spread knowledge about Galicia among his compatriots, in addition to an Instagram account and a Tik Tok account. He has received help that does not get to all refugees,and yet the difficulties remain many. With a degree in Library Science and a postgraduate degree in municipal, cultural, and educational policies, he is immersed in the complicated procedures to have his university diplomas recognized by the relevant Spanish bodies, which is a very, very long process. Its a shame that I cant do what I did in Russia, he laments. I know of a case of a refugee surgeon who is working in a canning factory because with[out recognition of] his degree, he cannot even work as a nurse.

Kosarevskys life in exile has improved while the situation in his homeland has deteriorated. Nearly a million Russians have escaped to places around the world, according to statistics released by the independent Russian press, he says. Propaganda and repression have tightened. Every Friday, he explains, a list is published of citizens whom Putins government declares foreign agents and who from that moment on are prohibited from teaching classes or giving public talks. A new history book laden with hateful ideology has arrived at schools, he denounces.

Despite being 4,500 kilometers from Moscow, he sees how the Russian exodus has worsened. On the streets of Vigo he hears his native language more and more often, despite the town being an unusual destination for Russians. What is happening there now is hell, and for the LGBTQ+ community it is unbearable. They have approved more homophobic legislation, he explains. Putin has now targeted the transgender population, with a new rule that prohibits changing sex. Recently, two trans people fleeing Russia arrived in Vigo, he points out. According to data from the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, between January and June of this year, Spain registered 898 requests for international protection made by Russian citizens, which is 214 more requests than in all of 2022. So far in 2023, Accem has helped 504 exiles, of which 110 belong to the LGBTQ+ community.

More book blacklists

Censorship in the Kosarevsky library has also worsened. There are new blacklists of books that the staff must destroy. The works of Haruki Murakami, Michael Cunningham, Danielle Steele, and Sara Waters have been joined by those of Linor Goralik, a writer opposed to the war with Ukraine: This author is very dangerous for the Putin regime because she has a very large following among teenagers. In a very simple and interesting way, she explains what is happening with the war, with the LGBTQ+ community, and with the curbs on freedom. It is breaking the ideological patterns that the state wants to impose.

The librarian who fled from Russia in the port of Vigo. OSCAR CORRAL

Kosarevsky receives letters from compatriots asking him for advice on escaping or saving relatives from being enlisted in the army. A distressed mother recently wrote to him because her son is about to turn 18 and may soon be sent to war. She wanted to know what procedures he would have to go through so that he could study a university degree in Spain. But, as Accem says, if being a refugee is complicated in itself, those fleeing Putins regime have to overcome many more obstacles, even in a Europe that claims to oppose the Russian leader. Boveda states that there are exiles who prefer to say that they are Ukrainians so as to avoid rejection from local people and the banks do not even allow them to open an account. The worst consequences of the sanctions against Russia are being suffered by civilians fleeing Putin, the NGO spokesman laments. Russians are not held in high esteem, and they are all tarred with the same brush.

Kosarevsky asks the European authorities not to make life more complicated for political refugees. While the rich Russians who are responsible for what is happening continue to travel, do business, and enjoy their homes in Europe and nothing happens to them, the sanctions hit ordinary people the hardest, he complains. My only wish is for the war to end. It is a black hole that is sucking in everything around it, and there are people who are getting very rich from it.

While looking for work, Kosarevsky spends time writing his memoirs. In the refugee flat he shares a small room where it is difficult to concentrate. So, as he spends the mornings studying Spanish, in the afternoons he usually seeks refuge in the towns libraries and writes. The plan was ruined in July and August, as the venues closed during the summer. But a curious solution has occurred to him. He has obtained a free voucher to travel by train from Vigo to A Coruna and makes continuous round-trip literary journeys: The train car is like a capsule that allows me to write quietly. So, along the way, I visit A Coruna, my second city here.
DETROIT, MI -- A building in Detroits Eastern Market was severely damaged and a pedestrian was injured when a segment of the building suddenly collapsed Saturday morning, officials said.

Shortly before noon Saturday, Sept. 16, the Detroit Fire Department responded to the report of a partial building collapse on Russell Street in the Eastern Market district of Detroit.

The building -- located between Winder and Adelaide streets -- houses the Beyond Juice and Jabs Gym businesses, officials from the Eastern Market Partnership said in a Facebook post.

A pedestrian walking beneath the building when the collapse took place suffered injuries from falling debris, said Detroit Fire Chief James Harris. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Harris said.

The damage was most severe to the third and fourth floors on the buildings south side, Harris said. Police and fire crews are still accessing the full extent of the damage to the building. No other buildings were damaged in the incident, officials said.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, Harris said.

Eastern Market Partnership will work closely with the owners of Beyond Juice and Jabs Gym to relocate their businesses, officials said.

The public market remained open Saturday and the Sunday market will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 17, officials said. Tailgating events will happen as scheduled on Sept. 17, though parking in front of the building and on Winder Street is blocked until further notice.

More from MLive:

We dont feel safe. Protest calls out racism, harassment at Jackson College

Victim suffers serious injury in Kalamazoo shooting, police say

UAW President Shawn Fain responds to Ford, GM layoffs: Their plan wont work

TeenQuest to be offered at five Genesee County schools this year
FLINT, MI  Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute (GHCI) will soon conduct free breast cancer screenings for women and men ages 18 and older.

The screenings will be offered 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 at GHCI, 302 Kensington Ave. in Flint, off Robert T. Longway Boulevard between Dort Highway and I-475.

No appointment or registration is necessary. Those interested can simply walk in between 5-7 p.m. to see a physician who will conduct the exam.

If the physician determines a mammogram is needed, it will be scheduled for a later date and provided free of charge to those without health insurance or are underinsured and cannot afford the co-pay. This service is made possible thanks to the Pink Par-Tee fund, which provides financial support for a mammogram clinic for these individuals.

Breast cancer cant be prevented, but steps can be taken to help detect it in its early stages, according to a press release from GHCI.

In addition to taking advantage of the free screenings offered at Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute, women of all ages are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month. Breast self-exams will help women become familiar with how their breasts look and feel so they can alert their physician if they notice any changes.

When breast cancer is detected early, it can be treated more successfully, increasing the chances for survival, according to the release.

Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute also offers a new support group  Pink Hope  for breast cancer patients and survivors. The group will meet in person from noon to 1 p.m. every Tuesday beginning Sept. 19.

Discussions  led by Teresa Fowler, MA, CRC, a licensed professional counselor with Silver Lake Counseling in Fenton  will focus on the survivorship journey. Pink Hope is provided at no charge.

For more information about the breast screenings of Pink Hope support group, call Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute at 810-762-8226 or visit www.ghci.org and register online.

Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter.

Read more from The Flint Journal:

Serenity House fighting addiction stigma with Recovery Walk and Rally

Love of music shared across generations at 20th Goodstock festival

Rare G.I. Enthusiast Harley Davidson makes appearance at Bikes on the Bricks

This is the biker community: Motorcycle charity raises money for foster children
HOLLAND, MI -- Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a bedroom fire and save a family pet in Holland Saturday.

At about 11:56 a.m. Sept. 16, firefighters from the Holland Department of Public Safety responded to a report of smoke inside a residence in the 100 block of West 40th Street in Holland.

Crews arrived on scene to find a working fire in the bedroom of a single-story residence, fire officials said in a news release.

Crews located the source of the fire and extinguished the flames about 10 minutes after arriving, officials said.

Firefighters searched the smoke-filled residence and were able to find a cat that had been in the structure at the time of the fire. The cat was saved and is in good health, officials said.

No occupants of the residence or responders were injured in the fire. Crews remained on scene until around 2 p.m. for ventilation and air monitoring, officials said.

Flame damage was confined to the room where the fire started and the contents of that room, officials said. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and is under investigation.

Firefighters were aided at the scene by the Holland Police Department and American Medical Response.

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1 injured in partial building collapse at Detroits Eastern Market

Missing fisherman found dead near Grand Haven

Victim suffers serious injury in Kalamazoo shooting, police say

UAW President Shawn Fain responds to Ford, GM layoffs: Their plan wont work
UPDATE: Police arrested one suspect and reopened the road just before 10 a.m. Sunday.

KENT COUNTY, MI  Investigators have closed a road in Kent County thats near the scene of a reported home invasion.

Kent County sheriffs deputies closed Peterson Road between Young and Myers Lake avenues in Courtland Township just before 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17. Drivers are being asked to seek an alternative route.

Sheriffs deputies are investigating a home invasion in the area.

The sheriffs offices Tactical Team and negotiators are also at the scene of the home trying to communicate with the suspect, police said in an 8:47 a.m. post on X, formerly Twitter.

Police also said no one else is in the home.

Read more on MLive:

2 ejected from side-by-side in Mecosta County crash

American Idol competitor sentenced for stealing from Grand Rapids music program

Man injured in Southwest Michigan crash after losing control of vehicle
CASS COUNTY, MI  A man was injured in a crash after he lost control of his vehicle and ran it off the road, Cass County sheriffs deputies reported.

Police responded to a 2:50 p.m. report of a crash Saturday, Sept. 16, near the intersection of Dailey Road and M-60 in Jefferson Township.
Chairwoman Kristina Karamo pledged to unify the Michigan Republican Party. So in late August the partys general counsel, Dan Hartman, proposed a peace summit to heal a rift in the Kalamazoo County Republican Party.

It failed spectacularly.

Kalamazoo party leaders derided the offer as authoritarianism, an attempt by the state party to meddle in local affairs, and backlash quickly spread.

The absolute distaste the (state party) has for autonomously operating county parties is worrisome, the Oakland County partys chair and vice chair, Vance Patrick and Terri Nallamothu, wrote in a Sept. 7 memo.

Macomb County Republican Party Chair Mark Forton had been a staunch Karamo ally, but in a letter he called the summit illegal and suggested Karamos administration might be working to take total control over Michigan Republicans.

As infighting has reached a fever-pitch in some parts of the state, Karamos state party has found itself navigating increasingly contentious relationships with the same activists that catapulted her to power.

We asked one thing of you: succeed, Forton said of Karamo in an interview. Right now, its been nothing but a doggone mess since the beginning. Nothing but controversies  of course we knew thered be controversy, dont get me wrong  but the controversies have been largely started by the administration. Its incredible.

The rift in Kalamazoo began after leaders kicked out a faction of malcontented delegates, but issues with the summit were clear: Some delegates had already sued the county party in court and lost. And despite being mentioned as a hired lawyers for the delegates in court filings, Hartman proposed making himself an impartial mediator with Karamo and her associates appointed judges of sorts. Local leaders viewed it as a naked power grab.

Amid the furor, Karamo, a leader who multiple sources described as increasingly insulated, kept silent.

In the months following her February election as chair, many of Karamos promises have not come to pass. An ambitious fundraising plan never went into motion and she remains preoccupied with conspiracies of widespread election fraud and global totalitarianism.

Flashback: Conspiracies and a Holocaust meme mark the dawn of Karamos Michigan Republican Party

Last week MLive found Karamo in the downtown Lansing space her administration leased in May. It was nearly empty; all the offices but hers appeared vacant and, after some legislators departed, she was the only person there.

In an interview she suggested Republicans unsettled by the peace summit were misinformed  never mind the summit proposal wouldve left the delegates fate up to her and the state committee.

People oftentimes shoot from the hip and may not have thought about things, Karamo said. A lot of stuff is just kind of silly and, you know, I dont have time to indulge with silliness. Our goal is to win elections.

Local Republican leaders throughout Michigan, however, are preparing for a 2024 election season in which they dont expect the state party to play much of a role. In past cycles the Michigan Republican Party had spent millions on political advertising and helped to coordinate field operations. As of now, all of it seems out of reach.

The most unfortunate thing about this whole summit and other recent distractions surrounding (the Michigan Republican Party) is that a Republicans chances of winning Michigan in 2024 get diminished each hour of each day that (the state party) plays in the weeds, the Oakland County Republican Party leaders wrote.

Central dysfunction

Karamo, in her chair race, promised transparency and communication would be replacing distrust and alienation, enticing activists and voters.

But since securing the post, Karamos inner circle within the party has shrunk and increasingly little information trickles out, multiple sources said. In July, Karamo fired Dawn Beattie, who had worked as executive administrator and pushed the chair to be more open.

It became apparent that the level of paranoia and lack of transparency was through the roof, Beattie said in an interview. Her trusted advisors, most of which arent even paid staff  They just promoted a culture of dissension and mistrust within the party staff  Some of us were unable to even do our jobs because we were put into silos.

Karamo said it wouldnt be appropriate to comment on party staff. Elected leaders in the state party, too, are cut out.

All of the vice chairs were kind of sidelined and left in the dark, Coalitions Vice Chair Hassan Nehme said in an interview. You know, put on a smile and act like everythings OK, but we dont even know whats going on. Were not involved or a part of anything. Were kind of just pushed aside.

Karamo ascribed the push for more openness to naivete and fear but encouraged faith.

I think theres a lot of people who are new, have never been involved in a party, Karamo said. I think also people are scared. I think people are really scared, so I dont take it personally. I get emails from people who are like, Im scared, what is happening in our country? so its not even so much me, they just want to know are you guys on top of it? And we are.

Tension has spilled over into the state committee, the Michigan Republican Partys central decision-making authority. At the end of June, Karamo unilaterally removed the budget committee chair, Matt Johnson, after he agitated for more transparency around the partys finances.

The budget committee was kept in the dark about almost all financial activity, even when we made numerous and specific requests, Johnson said in an email. As far as we could tell from the piecemeal information we received, the partys fundraising had been extremely meager, and the spending was so far out of proportion with income as to put us on the path to bankruptcy.

Karamo, in reply, accused Johnson of lying, intentionally sowing chaos, and claimed he had been unprofessional in his demands for financial information. She asserted the majority of the budget committee asked me to remove him.

The current state of the partys finances is unclear, but Karamo claimed the party was moving in the right direction financially after beginning her tenure with the party nearly $500,000 in debt. She declined to be more specific.

In running for chair Karamo laid out a plan to raise tens of millions of dollars, in part by reaching out to hundreds of thousands of small business owners. That didnt happen, and Bree Moeggenberg, who represents the 2nd congressional district on the state committee, said leaders have yet to share a fundraising plan.

I think we all know that the party hasnt reached those fundraising goals that were set through her campaign, and moving forward there has been no clearer picture provided as to what that fundraising outlook will look like as we move into the election, Moeggenberg said.

Things came to a head at a state committee meeting in early July, where a brawl broke out between party members that made national news, after one delegate attempted to enter a closed committee meeting and party officials left the meeting without having their concerns heard.

It would help the party move forward if staff respected the duty of state committee and could communicate their thoughts in an appropriate manner, which did not minimize state committee for having a difference of opinion, Moeggenberg said.

Feeling their concerns remained unheard, a contingent of state committee members including Moeggenberg decided in July to call a special meeting via a letter from a third of the state committee. Hartman responded with a letter of his own alleging the meeting may very likely cross the lines of illegality in many areas, deeming it unsanctioned.

Minutes from the meeting show 38 committee members or their proxies attended anyway  including state party vice chair Malinda Pego, who has clashed with Karamo in the past over the partys finances. She declined numerous requests for an interview.

They passed party bylaw amendments aimed at limiting Karamos power to unilaterally remove committee chairs and mandating she share information about party finances.

Moeggenberg, and many other concerned Republicans, said they want Karamo to succeed but more work needs to be done to unify the party. It seems unlikely their gesture will produce real change.

I dont think theyre legitimate concerns, Karamo said of Moeggenberg and others worries. I think theres an agenda. She declined to describe what that agenda would be.

Nehme, the coalitions vice chair, said he spent the first part of this tenure going around the state and putting out fires from outrage in the grassroots.

We knew there was gonna be some mistakes, some balls dropped along the way. Its more how we went about it  well, granted, we werent really involved  but how the party went about it, kind of covering it up and not wanting to talk about it, instead of just being honest and saying, Hey, you know, were learning, Nehme said. I feel like that caused a lot more issues. All this kind of blew up and escalated where it really didnt have to be.

Conspiracies ad infinitum

In recent weeks Karamo has begun sending her message directly to the people through video dispatches on social media. With a scenic Upper Peninsula view for her latest post, Karamo spoke about Gov. Gretchen Whitmers plan to make Michigan carbon-neutral by 2032  Whitmer previously called for carbon neutrality in Michigan by 2050 and recently supported a carbon-free energy standard in Michigan without mentioning a deadline.

Karamo alleged Whitmers plan is eerily similar to the United Nations Agenda 2030. This plan is to usher in global totalitarianism  and were determined to stop it here at the Michigan Republican Party.

Karamo places a loftier aspiration behind her focus on such theories. She told reporters at a press conference  the second one of her tenure  our goal isnt just to win elections so we can say Republicans are in charge; our goal is to save the country.

The party had convened reporters in the Lansing office to pose a series of rhetorical questions about an article from the far-right website The Gateway Pundit. The post speculates, without evidence, that Michigan Democrats were connected to a vast election fraud conspiracy in the runup to the 2020 election. Karamo demanded to know why the FBI, which doesnt comment on the existence or progress of investigations, hadnt conducted a true inquiry into the matter.

The conspiracies, Karamo said, arent campaign issues but action items, though they make up the bulk of her public-facing statements.

But both Republicans believers and nonbelievers in theories of widespread election fraud fear Karamos focus will cost them next year. Even Trump, who in the face of all evidence to the contrary still maintains he won the 2020 election, has moved away from his once-marquee issue while under federal indictment.

Matthew Muir, who sits on the Oakland County partys executive committee, is not a believer in election conspiracy theories. Its left him disheartened by what hes seen from the state party.

Its become an obsession that consumes and takes over what we should be doing, you know, focusing on issues that matter, focusing on issues that resonate with voters, Muir said.

Muirs priority in Oakland County, where well-to-do, college-educated suburbs have been steadily shifting blue, is winning elections. Hed happily vote for former president Donald Trump, if he wins the primary, if thats what it takes to get current President Joe Biden out of office.

Election integrity is important. And we need to everyone needs to keep an eye on that, he said. But when it becomes the focus, when it becomes the issue that drives your messaging in the field, its a disaster.

Moeggenberg, from Isabella County at the center of the lower peninsula, said although the new chair was left with very minimal tools, shed like to see the focus return to fundamentals.

Theres a lot of time thats been put in other places that could have been put doing exactly what we need to do with fundraising and door knocking and moving the party forward and at a different pace, Moeggenberg said. Its an unfortunate series of events in many ways.

Key people in Karamos orbit have carried over from her unsuccessful 2022 campaign for secretary of state. Hartman, the partys top attorney, crafted Karamos failed lawsuit that attempted to halt all absentee voting in Detroit days before the 2022 general election. The judge later fined them $58,459 for filing a frivolous case he called rife with speculation, an absence of facts and a lack of understanding of Michigan election statutes.

Two co-plaintiffs, Braden Giacobazzi and Phil OHallaran, are now officials in the party who serve on the state committee.

Even attorney Matt DePerno, who was once the foremost election fraud theorist in Michigan and is under criminal indictment for fruitless attempts to investigate voting equipment after the 2020 election, said the party has to shift its focus.

DePerno lost to Karamo in the race for chair, and hes become a willing foil against her administration, telling MLive we have a state party right now run by children. He defended the county party in the suit against the ousted delegates and gleefully lambasted the peace summit proposal. Election fraud conspiracies birthed DePernos political career, but hes soured on the the Republican agitators still lifting up the issue, characterizing them as counterproductive.

They dont help candidates. They dont donate money. Theyre only there to be disruptive, DePerno said. And you know, some of us are tired of that, living sort of in that world. And listen  I come from that world, right? I was sort of that guy.

Karamo said people whod like her to stop talking about stolen elections and one world government are the same people that have led to Republicans failure.

There are individuals, I will say, who are out of touch and thats why our party has shrunk, Karamo said. If we want to do what are called Grey Poupon Republican politics, people who think like that  this party died on their watch. Were just trying to bring it back to life.

Rifts unclosed

Karamo has no problem stoking division for politicians shes ascribes as Grey Poupon. She bristled at the news Michigans most recent Republican governor, Rick Snyder, would help lead House Republicans fundraising for the 2024 election, telling MLive in June the selection was horrific and disturbing.

Yet House Republicans, with Snyders help, have outraised their Democratic counterparts in the first half of the year.

I think the party is moving towards unity, Karamo said. Theres gonna be mistakes I make and things that I need to improve on. And I want to hear that because I want to do the best I can. And you have some people who are just disgruntled and most folks in the party are just kind of tired of it.

But at the local level, divisions have had little to do with Karamo and everything to do with increasingly stark ideological rifts.

Kent County, home to Grand Rapids, was once a bastion of support for Republicans. In August the county party chair Tim Walenga and seven members of the executive committee resigned after new grassroots delegates agitated to oust them.

In Hillsdale County, two competing factions have been feuding without resolution for more than a year. One slate of officials continued to assert it was the legitimate county party in apparent violation of a court order.

The state party attempted in May to form a conflict resolution committee. Karamo said the committee is an effort to make sure problem solving isnt centralized to just the chair, but thats exactly how some counties have viewed it.

The Macomb County Republican Partys executive committee unanimously passed a resolution Thursday refusing to recognize the conflict resolution committee, as has Oakland County. Kalamazoo has already amended its bylaws to ice out the committee.

After weeks of silence on the topic, Karamo responded Friday in an email to Republicans.

She expressed her support for the ousted Kalamazoo delegates and said the county party chair had delusions of grandeur and attempted usurpation of power. She planned a special state committee meeting, apparently to determine whether the state party should move to reinstate the delegates in Kalamazoo County.

We want to make sure that were dealing with conflict because there are real victims and real issues, Karamo said. But we also want to make sure that it doesnt become the center point of what we do.
The Atlanta Braves on Sunday selected the contract of pitcher Dereck Rodriguez after optioning pitcher Jared Shuster to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Rodriguez pitched in Atlantas 16-2 loss to Miami on Sunday, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits and three walks in two innings.

Heading into the day Sunday he had a 4.22 ERA in 56 Major League appearances, working 232 1/3 innings with the Giants, Twins and Braves.

He was selected off waivers by the Tigers in 2020 but did not appear in a game for Detroit. Granted free agency in November of that year, he then signed with Colorado.
Ghanaian Afrobeats diva MzVee after an exciting ten-year anniversary celebration has released a new single release dubbed Destiny.

The two-time BET nominee and Come and See My Moda hitmaker is thrilling her fans with this new afrobeat/dancehall rhythm after a successful decade of making monster hit records, winning multiple awards, and gracing countless prominent local and international stages.

Destiny promises to be everything MzVee, a mid-tempo groovy afrobeat rhythm with a feel of dancehall.

Mzvee talks about being a winner and ruling her destiny in this song, the lyrics in this song are very catchy and relatable to everyone striving to keep it up and believing in their ability to make it!

I am a winner; I am a superstar.

How you see yourself is just how you are

No compromising, no second-guessing

Stay true to yourself and youre gonna make it far!

Cant stop my Destiny, its my Identity!!

MzVee intends to reach a wide audience with a well-planned promotion across Africa and beyond.

This release is scheduled in line with her upcoming Australia tour slated for November 2023.

Mzvee is the most nominated Ghanaian female musician at the Ghana Music Awards with back-to-back hits over the past ten years with Global hits like Sing My Name ft Patoranking, Coming Home ft Tiwa Savage, etc. Destiny promises to be nothing short of a great globally acclaimed single.

The song is produced by ace Ghanaian producer, Kizzy Beats and video shot and directed by American director, Zack Manzella.

Stream Destiny here: https://mzvee.fanlink.to/miqJ
16.09.2023 LISTEN

A petition has been lodged with the Council of Elders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), urging them to reconsider their recent appointment of former Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah as the Director of Elections and IT.

Delanyo Agbe, who describes himself as a concerned NDC supporter and social activist, deeply invested in the progress and success of our party called out Dr Omane Boamahs lack of expertise in electoral processes and information and communication technology.

Mr Agbe wrote in his petition that Election management and ICT are critical components of modern political campaigning.

Dr. Omane Boamah's medical background, while noteworthy, does not seem to align with the intricate technicalities of information and communication technology and the complexities of electoral processes.

I implore you to consider this petition seriously and to engage in an open dialogue regarding the concerns raised.

The NDC's future success hinges on our ability to adapt, evolve, and address shortcomings effectively.

In response, Dr Omane Boamah denied an accusation that he was a board member and practitioner in charge of Afrah International Hospital, clarifying that he only practiced medicine part-time at the hospital.

He urged all to refrain from impugning the professional integrity of medical practitioners and their practice.

-DGN online
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 two countries.

In a letter seen by French news agency AFP on Friday, the ministry warned that attache Emmanuel Pasquier and his team had two weeks to leave the Sahel country, 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.

'Overhaul'

In recent months the Burkinabe authorities have suspended RFI and its sister TV station France 24 as well as the French network LCI. They have also expelled the correspondents of the French newspapers Liberation and Le Monde.

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 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.

Turn towards Russia

Anger within the armed forces led to a coup on 24 January 2022, toppling elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

On 30 September, Kabore's nemesis, Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was himself overthrown by Traore, who has promised a return to democracy with presidential elections by July 2024.

Since the French pullout in January, Burkina has developed closer contacts with Russia, an ally of the junta in neighbouring Mali.

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.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba also said Burkina needed to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" with Iran.

(with AFP)
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), launched its annual edition of Safety Week on Sunday, with an opening ceremony at the Movenpick hotel.

The event was attended by key representatives and stakeholders from the airport industry.

Safety Week is held on an annual basis to reinforce a culture of safety awareness, transparency and efficiency towards aerodrome safety and to sustain the airports reputation as an efficient and safe workplace and environment for all. Just Culture, the main theme of this years Safety Week, promotes and inspires open communication and improvement to safety, to prevent and reduce accidents by inspiring teams to talk about safety with a positive approach, said a statement.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer at Bahrain Airport Company, said: BACs dedication to safety not only upholds the highest standards but also inspires continuous improvement in the realm of aerodrome safety, making the airport a trusted and secure hub for travellers and workers. We are proud to be aligned with global regulatory bodies and international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), fostering harmonization, consistency and interoperability in aviation safety procedures.

He continued, We are incredibly grateful for all our partners and employees for following the safety procedures and ensuring effective communication between all departments.

The 2023 Safety Week will run for a week and will include a series of activities including a special exhibition held at Bahrain International Airport. The week-long series of activities includes panel discussions, training sessions, workshops, and a Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Walk.

As part of BACs priorities, the company continuously institutes training and awareness programs to educate its staff about the importance of aerodrome safety and the principles of a Just Culture. BAC has held awareness sessions, where a total of 951 employees participated in 2022 and 545 to date in the past year.  TradeArabia News Service
I was a crack addict and that was that. The story of Hunter Biden, Joe Bidens 53-year-old son, including his descent into addiction, is one of the U.S. presidents weak spots. Republicans are trying to use Hunter Biden to smear the Democrat leaders image. This is nothing new. The campaign against Hunter Biden began when Donald Trump was president. Trumps efforts to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy into investigating Hunter Biden led to the first impeachment trial against him. Now that the Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives, they want to turn the tables. Last week, they launched a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden over his alleged involvement in his sons overseas business affairs. This is despite the fact that they have not found any compelling evidence against the president and that the acts under investigation took place before Biden was president.

In addition to hurting his campaign, the legal troubles of Hunter Biden  who was indicted last week for allegedly lying about his drug use when he bought a .38-caliber Colt Cobra  are also taking an emotional toll on the president. Joe Biden has lost two of his four children and struggled to recover Hunter from his self-destructive spiral. He has always supported him, especially in his lowest moments, even though it may have hurt his approval ratings.

The accident that destroyed and united the family

In Hunter Bidens 2020 memoir, Beautiful Things, the presidents son says he comes from a family forged by tragedies and bound by a remarkable, unbreakable love. His first memory is from when he was two years old: he is sitting in the back of the familys spacious white Chevy, next to his brother Beau, who is a year older than him. His mother Neilia is at the wheel, and his one-year-old sister, Naomi, is in the front seat. They were going to pick up a Christmas tree. But at an intersection, the car was hit by a tractor-trailer carrying corn cobs. It was December 18, 1972. His mother and sister died almost instantly. Hunter suffered a serious skull fracture. The first thing he remembered after the accident was waking up in the hospital, next to his brother Beau. That accident brought the two brothers and their father together: The most profound love Ive ever known, Hunter wrote of the relationship between the three.

The Bidens faced tragedy again in 2015, when Beau  an Iraq war veteran and the attorney general of Delaware, with a promising political career ahead  died from a brain tumor at the age of 46. Hunter Biden says that is what triggered his descent into drug abuse. Im an alcoholic and a drug dealer. Ive bought crack cocaine on the streets of Washington, DC, and cooked up my own inside a hotel bungalow in Los Angeles. Ive been so desperate for a drink thank I couldnt make the one-block walk between a liquor store and my apartment without uncapping the bottle to take a swig, he wrote in his memoir after recovering.

Hunter had had a successful professional career. He graduated from Yale and Georgetown University, rose to the rank of executive vice president at financial services company MBNA (later bought by Bank of America) and was appointed by George W. Bush to the Amtrak Board of Directors. He worked as a lobbyist in Washington, founded investment firms and  in an appointment that, unexpectedly, has marked the recent history of the United States  was a director of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm, from 2014 to 2018. Hunter Biden assumed the position when his father was vice president and earned $50,000 a month.

Ive worked for someone other than my father. I rose and fell on my own, Hunter Biden maintained in his memoirs. I have done serious work for serious people. Theres no question that my last name has opened doors, but my qualifications and accomplishments speak for themselves. That those accomplishments sometimes crossed my fathers sphere of influence during his two terms as vice-president  how could they not?

Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to directly link Biden with his sons businesses. But the most that their investigations have been able to demonstrate is that Biden, when he was Barack Obamas vice president, once said hello on the phone to Hunters partners and attended a dinner with them. Joe Biden claims that he has never been involved with his sons business affairs, although it is difficult to think Hunter would have been appointed to positions, such as the one at Burisma, if he were not the son of the then vice president.

In his memoirs, Hunter describes how he was attacked by the Republican Party during the 2020 presidential campaign. I became a proxy for Donald Trumps fear that he wont be reelected, he wrote. He pushed debunked conspiracy theories about work I did in Ukraine and China, even as his own children had pocketed millions in China and Russia and his former campaign manager sat in a jail cell for laundering millions more from Ukraine.

Trump believed that if he could destroy me, and by extension my father, he could dispatch any candidate of decency from either party, all while diverting attention from his own corrupt behavior, he added.

A lost computer, in the hands of Trump's lawyer

In 2020, the presidents son took his laptop to be repaired at a repair store in Wilmington, Delaware, where the family lives. He forgot to pick it up. A copy of its contents, with tens of thousands of emails, text messages and photographs, including some containing sordid sexual content, reached the hands of Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York and Trumps lawyer. The content ended up on the front page of the New York Post, including a message that the vice president was going with his son to a dinner with his partners. The Biden campaign argued it was Russian disinformation to influence the elections (and initially managed to get social media moderates to silence the story). Republicans saw it as definitive evidence against Biden, even though it wasnt at all.

Biden clearly won the 2020 presidential election, even if Trump refused to recognize the result. The day after taking office, lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trumps loyal squire, filed articles of impeachment against Biden over his alleged role in Hunter Bidens businesses. But it was too soon. Republicans instead launched an investigation that has been trying to find evidence against Biden for months, but to no avail. They have an anonymous tip to the FBI that Biden received bribes from Ukraine. But the allegation is unverified and was dismissed by FBI investigators. They have bank account transactions that were flagged suspicion, but that did not warrant further investigation. They have testimonies that Biden greeted one of his sons associates on the phone and apparently attended a dinner.

In a 2020 election debate, Biden said his son didnt do business in China, which turned out not to be true. But its unclear whether he was lying or simply didnt know. The president claims that he has never discussed business with his son. He said that he only told him that he hoped he knew what he was doing when he accepted the position at Burisma. Is that talking business with your son? Does it justify an impeachment?

Trump, indicted four times for 91 charges

The White House has launched a legal and communications offensive to discredit the Republican accusations. Democrats believe it is a political battle, in which, in the absence of evidence and compelling arguments, Republicans want to prolong the probe as long as possible. With Trump indicted four times for 91 charges, the Republicans are trying to spread the allegation that there is a culture of corruption surrounding the Biden family. The president, meanwhile, is avoiding the topic. I get up every day, not a joke, not focused on impeachment, he said last week when asked about the issue. Ive got a job to do.

The indictment against Hunter Biden is another blow for the president, who has repeated said his son has done nothing wrong. It is likely that the trial will take place in the midst of the race for the presidential elections, which will take place next year on November 5. And new charges against Hunter Biden cannot be ruled out, even if they are for the two minor tax crimes for which Hunter was willing to plead guilty before the pact with the prosecution collapsed.

Ive faced and survived worse. Ive known the extremes of success and ruin, said Hunter Biden in his 2021 memoir, published after the Republican smear campaign. Im not going anywhere.

For the Bidens, the impeachment inquiry is yet another personal and political hurdle.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition




Police officers have been admonished to emulate the qualities of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

They have, in the same homily, been told not to look up to Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, who is the outgoing Director-General of Operations of the Ghana Police Service.

This admonition was given by the Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Alhassan Sayibo Suhuyini, on Saturday, September 16, when he appeared on The Keypoints on TV3.

It has to do with the appearance of the two senior officers before the ad hoc committee of Parliament, probing the leaked audio tape of some persons purportedly plotting the removal of IGP Dampare.

For the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmaker, the IGP was more mature and more professional in his outlook than COP Alex Mensah.

I have said it that police officers and especially because these days, our police officers, many of them, get the opportunity to wear uniforms as a result of their relationships with politicians, many of them.

Because of that I am saying that police officers who want to be professionals and rise despite how they got into into the Service must make it a point to listen to the two officers.

They should listen to the two officers who appeared before the committee and make a conscious decision not to be an Alex Mensah but to be a Dampare despite your political affiliation.

The Tamale North MP said after watching the two anybody will be convinced that despite apparent political affiliations, the IGP showed that he is a professional.

He showed class when he appeared before the committee.

The IGP appeared before the Atta Akyea committee on Tuesday, September 12 to respond to allegations made by some senior officers including COP Alex Mensah, whom he called my senior brother.

Dr Akuffo Dampare expressed pains about the allegations, describing them as baseless and unfounded.

3news.com
NDC serial callers in the Volta region has congratulated H.E Alhaji Said Sinare for his call on party leadership to focus on supporting former President John Dramani Mahama's candidacy in the next presidential election.

Alhaji Said Sinare, former National Vice Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned individuals within the NDC against prioritizing personal interests over the partys success.

He added that former President John Dramani Mahama is the most viable option to be elected the next leader of the country.

The callers on Shine 96.9fm with Cosmos Amen Posh, the morning host of the Akatsi based Radio station, emphasized the importance of this call, stating that the party's leadership should work together towards the goal of making Mahama the next president of Ghana.

According to Volta NDC Serial callers, Mahama has the experience and capabilities needed to lead Ghana toward growth and development which the party must recognize his leadership as crucial to achieving these goals.

The callers emphasized the need for the party's unity and pointed out that supporting Mahama's candidacy should be a top priority for all members of the party.
Ghanas former Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, H.E Alhaji Said Sinare in an interview with Samuel Huntor of Original TV made a statement expressing his desire to see every member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) hungry for 2024 political power.

As a senior member of the National Democratic Congress and the Founder of Zongos For NDC, H.E Alhaji Said Sinare hopes to encourage and motivate individuals of the party to actively and passionately pursue 2024 political power and influence.

For the NDC to succeed as a political party, the former National Vice Chairman believes that all members must be fully involved in the pursuit of political power.

He stated that this hunger for power will drive innovation, creativity, commitment, dedication, and hard work, all of which are essential for success in the political arena of the country.

Alhaji Said Sinare's call for every sector of the NDC to be hungry for political power is a rallying cry for action and collaboration.

He hopes that his fellow party members will be inspired to work harder, think smarter, and come together to make sure former President John Mahama wins the 2024 General elections to rescue the people of Ghana.

According to Alhaji Said Sinare, former President Mahama possesses the necessary qualities to steer Ghana towards economic recovery from its current unfavorable, sorry, deplorable, and unfortunate condition.

"With his past experience as president, H.E John Dramani Mahama has exhibited the skills and knowledge required to drive Ghana towards economic prosperity. Therefore, it is apparent that such a leader would be beneficial in mitigating the current economic challenges facing Ghana," he noted.
Nii Dzata (I) on the left

17.09.2023 LISTEN

The distinguished youth chief of Abola-Akwatse We in Accra, Nii Dzata (I) played an instrumental role at the recently ended Madina festivals held in Accra last weekend.

Nii Dzata (I) was among other top dignitaries invited to grace the prestigious event where he made presentations to some Muslim awardees.

The highly respected youth chief used the opportunity to advise the youths in the various communities to emulate good culture and also thrive for excellence.

According to him, the youth play major roles in the development of a country.

"I want to urge the youth to live up the challenge and exhibit good moral. They should also continue their education, keep pushing for more knowledge. And I am sure they will excel when in their various endeavors.

"They are the backbone of every country, so the youth are really important in our society. I would urge our leaders especially the various community chiefs here presence to pay critical attention to youth development," he said.

Nii Dzata (I) officially known as Michael Mensah has been described as a philanthropist and well-educated personality across the country.
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) saw a peaceful transition of power as the 56th administration, led by Dennis Appiah Larbi, handed over the baton to the 57th administration, led by Kyeremeh Oppong Daniel (KOD) at the GNAT hall in Accra on the 9th of September 2023.

In his acceptance speech, KOD emphasized the importance of development in all its forms, promising to work tirelessly for the growth, empowerment, and progress of all students, regardless of their background or circumstances.

The incoming president also pledged to ensure that every student had access to quality education, from the basic level up.

According to him, he plans to continue the NUGS Basic Support Project, launched a few years ago, which seeks to improve access to education for all students.

Moreover, KOD promised to foster an environment of inclusivity and diversity, where every voice is heard and represented.

He also pledged his commitment to advocacy, promising to use NUG's arsenals to champion the issues that matter to students.

However, Mr Kyeremeh Daniel emphasized that NUGS was not just an institution, but a family  a community that cares, uplifts, and supports each other.

He therefore called on all students to work together to shape a brighter future for NUGS and uplift Ghana.

KOD extended his appreciation to the outgoing administration, wishing them well in their future endeavors, and urged all students to exhibit discipline, integrity, and honesty, pledging to be an example of the kind of leader Ghana needs.

KOD, an acronym that represents Keen On Development quoted Abraham Lincoln, calling on everyone to strive for the common goal of development together, leaving no one behind.

The future of Ghana is in the hands of young people, and KOD challenged everyone to become responsible, committed and invested leaders who demonstrate integrity and discipline in all their dealings.
17.09.2023 LISTEN

"ChrisCares Foundation will continue to support the vulnerable in society to have accessible and affordable quality Healthcare delivery in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region," Founder of ChrisCares Foundation, Mr. Chris Arthur has hinted.

According to him, the Foundation was going to make sure that every single person in the Agona West Municipality gets National Health Insurance Scheme membership card to access quality but affordable healthcare to reduce the high level of self medication as a result of lack of financial resources to seek proper medical treatment at health facilities .

"We contacted Agona West Municipal Directorate of the National Health Insurance Scheme to find out communities with low membership enrollment to assist them obtain the cards free of charge.

"The ChrisCares Foundation observed that most of the rural communities do not have NHIS Membership Card so they prefer to have self medication to attending Health facility which is far above their financial status.

"Management of ChrisCares Foundation therefore took it as a project to ensure that every single individual gets NHIS Membership Card to stop rampant self medication most of which leads to health complications.

"We therefore decided to embark on Free Registration and Renewal for the vulnerable in society most of whom are women and children.

"As I speak, over 5,000 people have been enrolled into the database of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Agona West Municipality alone within the space of two months and it will continue unabated till every person is covered," Mr. Chris Arthur noted.

He mentioned some of the beneficiary communities such as Agona Bobikuma Upper and Lower, Agona Nkum with its 43 surrounding communities, Agona Otsenkorang and surrounding areas as well as Agona Otapirow where over 700 people got their free NHIS membership registration and renewal cards.

Mr. Chris Arthur in an interaction with newsman at separate locations in the Agona West Municipality disclosed that the free NHIS registration and renewal project was to complement government's effort to improve the health status of Ghanaians as well as reduce financial constraints of accessing quality healthcare.

"As the name implies, ChrisCares Foundation exist to cater for the well-being of every individual person in its operational areas. We offer free services to society in the areas of Education, Health and Sanitation, Youth Employment, Agriculture and Counseling among other things.

"This is to lessen burdens of people in their quest to have a meaningful lives and to be Self-sufficient rather than always depending on relatives and friends with cup in hand.

"It is worthy to note that ChrisCares Foundation in collaboration with Youth Employment Agency has been able to facilitate job opportunities for a good number of people especially the youth to feed for themselves and their families," he stated.

A student nurse at the Dunkwa On-Offin College of Nursing, Miss Christabel Mbroh commended ChrisCares Foundation and its Founder, Mr. Chris Arthur for getting admission for hundreds of youth in the Agona West Municipality to pursue various courses in Colleges of Nursing Schools across the country.

She noted that through Mr. Chris Arthur who doubles as the Director of Technical Services of the Youth Employment Agency, youth in Agona West have gotten the opportunity to work as Community Police Assignment (CPA), Community Health Workers Assistant (CHWA) at various Health Facilities, Prison Office Assistant (POA) while others are working at Ghana National Fire Service.

"On behalf of my colleagues, I will like to thank Mr. Chris Arthur and his ChrisCares Foundation for relieving stress on our parents and dependants. We will remain grateful to him.

"Am overwhelmed by these humanitarian services given to the society free of charge. It is a huge financial relief to the beneficiaries of this benevolent gesture," Miss Christabel Mbroh emphasized.
AngloGold Ashanti School in Obuasi has held its 8th graduation ceremony with a call for more attention to be placed on how the digital revolution can be regulated in the way it is used in the classroom.

Delivering a speech as the chairman of the occasion, the Coordinating Dean of the Knust Obuasi campus Professor Richard Boamah said the digital revolution holds immeasurable potential but particular attention must be paid to how it is used in education.

According to him, its use must enhance learning experiences and for the wellbeing of students and teachers and not to their detriment.

He said "We must remember to keep the needs of the learner paramount and note that online teaching or connections are not substitute for the human interaction but to complement it."

Professor Boamah talked about the importance of STEM education saying the current global economy is knowledge based and science driven hence there is a high demand for Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and ICT skills.

He said Ghana alone is expected to offer 9 million digital jobs and nearly 4billion dollars in revenue potential by 2030. In view of this, he said Ghana requires massive infrastructure, social and knowledge capacity development to meet this expectation.

Touching on the theme for the graduation ceremony "Shaping tomorrow's leaders, stepping stones to success", the Executive Director of the AGA school Simon Peter Atta Cato said it resonates with the mission and vision of the school as an educational institution. He said it emphasises the importance of preparing and guiding learners to become future leaders and achieve success in their endeavors.

Academic milestone

Mr. Atta- Cato said the school remains the top performing BECE school in Ashanti Region, a feet they have held since 2019. He said over the past four years, the school grabbed three Presidential awards.

"In 2022, out of 238 candidates who sat for the BECE, 234 achieved distinctions, 80% achieved single digit distinction with our worst grade being 16. An outstanding 99% of our students secured placements in Grade A SHS across Ghana," he stated.

On his part, the Senior Manager Sustainability, AngloGold Ashanti Emmanuel Baidoo said education features prominently in AGA's 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan which is a blueprint to guide the interventions AGA wants to implement with its stakeholders to facilitate development.

He said AngloGold Ashanti is currently constructing a 9-unit classroom block at Sanso and in the process of cutting sod for the construction for a 24-unit classroom block at Anyinam.

"We are also constructing an examination centre at the Obuasi East District whiles we have also provided text books to schools through the partnership with Otumfuo Foundation," he stated.

The Obuasi Municipal Education Director George Alfred Koomson said the AGA school is an embodiment of hardwork, excellence, resilience, discipline in the perspective of a public school.

He said the school has carved a niche for itself as a school of excellence in diverse fields of endeavor including academics, sports, music and culture hence needs to be celebrated.

Zakaria Yahaya, the Obuasi Municipal Finance Director who represented the Municipal Chief Executive also lauded AngloGold Ashanti school for its support over the years.

He said the school has over the years produced people who are contributing in diverse ways towards the development of the country.

About 672 school children who were making different transitions were graduated on the day.
For the first time, France's Visa Pour l'Image photojournalism festival is showing an exhibition made up almost entirely of anonymous images. They are the photographic and video testimonies taken by Iranians during the mass protests that have shaken the country since the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.

Marie Sumalla and Ghazal Golshiri, two journalists from the French daily newspaper Le Monde, collected and authenticated thousands of images featured in the exhibition entitled "Uprising in Iran".

"From 16 September 2022, the day Mahsa Amini died, the reality of what was happening in the streets was visible on social networks," Sumalla told RFI.

"It was important to think about how we were going to collect these images in order to verify them, publish them and give them to our readers."

The French journalists asked two Iranian experts to help them authenticate and geolocate the images, check the sources and verify the dates.

"From then on, the videos and photos began to appear on social networks, but with great difficulty," Golshiri says.

"In Iran, WhatsApp and Instagram have been blocked since September 2022. Facebook and Twitter have been blocked since 2009, and Telegram since 2019. So the Iranians need anti-filtering software."

The exhibition in Perpignan documents the death of Amini in a hospital, the uprisings on the streets and the Muslim funeral rite 40 days after her death.

 Visa Pour l'Image runs in Perpignan from 2 to 17 September 2023. It will also be on display at La Villette in Paris from 16 to 30 September.
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 to his home, as sporadic protests were reported nationwide despite heavy security, rights groups said.

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 as 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.

Security personnel were stationed outside the family home to prevent him leaving, the groups added in separate statements.

"Amjad Amini is under house arrest... Security forces are preventing him from visiting his daughter's grave," said IHR.

Official news agency IRNA described reports of the father's brief detention as "false", adding they were aimed at "inciting the population to protest".

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 5 September and remains in custody.

'Chokehold on dissent'

There was no sign of the ceremony taking place at her grave at the Aichi cemetery in Saqez, with the rights groups saying security forces had blocked access.

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 run-up 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.

'Take back Iran'

Witnesses in Tehran meanwhile 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.

Monitory 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.

Simular gatherings were also reported in the central city of Isfahan and the southern city of Shiraz.

'Say her name'

In a symbolic move on Friday, President Ebrahim Raisi met with families of security personnel killed during the protests while on a visit to the northeastern city of Mashhad, state media said.

Activists have said there has been a new wave of arrests in Kurdish-populated western Iran ahead of the anniversary. The state news agency reported authorities had arrested several groups on suspicion of "planning to create chaos" and producing content to serve "hostile media".

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.

Read also:

(AFP)
17.09.2023 LISTEN

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says it is irresponsible for vehicle owners to fail to purchase extinguishers for their vehicles to save lives and property during a fire outbreak.

Divisional Officer (DOIII) Abdul Wasiu Hudu, the Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Service, told the Ghana News Agency that the reasons for some drivers not having fire extinguishers were beyond understanding, considering the huge sums of monies spent in acquiring those vehicles.

The vehicular fires are such that before the firefighters get to the scene, the vehicle might have burnt beyond repairs, he noted.

DOIII Hudu expressed worry that in the Region alone, about 36 vehicles were lost to fire in the first half of 2023, as against 32 recorded in 2022.

Majority of the fires are preventable if drivers had serviceable fire extinguishers at the time the fire started, he said.

A fire extinguisher is even more important in your vehicle than your spare tyre.

He said the trend was worrying, particularly on major highways on the Accra-Mankessim-Cape Coast, Cape Coast-Assin Fosu Assin Praso, and the Komenda stretch of the Accra-Takoradi Highway.

Others were the Twifo Praso, Diaso and Dunkwa-on-Offin roads, he noted, and pledged the Service's commitment to liaising with all its stakeholders to crack down on recalcitrant drivers having no fire extinguishers in their vehicles.

The Service, in collaboration with other security institutions, is vigorously enforcing regulations to reduce the incidents of vehicular fires across the region.

Public and institutional education on fire safety had also been intensified through media platforms and durbars.

DOIII Hudu expressed concern about the increasing spate of general fire outbreaks and appealed to residents to take safety precautions seriously to prevent fires.

He advised the public to ensure that they put off all electrical appliances before leaving the house and the workplace, while urging food vendors in the markets to properly extinguish all fires before leaving.

We are committed to ensuring fire safety, prevention and combating fires to guarantee public safety. Fire safety is a shared responsibility, we all need to come on board to accept and implement the safety tips being released by the GNFS.

Also, let us be mindful of whatever we use fire for, he cautioned.

GNA
One of the images used by NASA in its report. The sphere that flies through the skies is a weather balloon released from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The long-awaited NASA report on unidentified flying objects (UFOs)  or, more precisely, unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)  commissioned to a group of independent experts, has led to the agencys appointment of a research director for the subject. But that was done in a peculiar way: at the press conference to present these new developments at the agencys Washington headquarters, the person who would occupy this position was not named. In a surprise announcement eight hours later, NASA posted that Mark McInerney  who previously served as the agencys liaison with the U.S. Department of Defense and therefore has experience dealing with sensitive issues  will head the research effort.

The panels study contains the keys to NASAs potential future involvement in the search for explanations to any mysteries that may arise, and it also offers recommendations for better understanding such phenomena through scientific method. Doing so, the report contends, may help to overcome the stigma sometimes attached to sighting reports from aeronautical professionals who may find their careers in jeopardy as a result. The experts did not find any evidence that the phenomena had extraterrestrial origins, but they do not entirely discard that possibility, either. However, they warn that it is time to move from sensationalism to science.

1. New name

For decades, people have been fascinated with UFOs, an interest fed by Hollywood science-fiction blockbusters. Partly to overcome the association of UFOs with flying saucers and extraterrestrials and partly to cover broader phenomena that are not strictly flying objects, scientists and official agencies (including the Pentagon) began to speak of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) instead. Later, aerial or atmospheric was changed to anomalous, in order to include potential phenomena in other environments, like the sea. The NASA report uses the term UAP, but that acronym has not yet taken hold in the broader population.

2. Stigma

The NASA report was adamant about the need to overcome the stigma around UAP sightings, which stems in part from the association between UFOs and extraterrestrials. For example, aircraft pilots sometimes prefer not to report UAP they have seen for fear of being considered unstable or unhinged. NASA believes that its involvement in the study of such phenomena can be helpful in this regard.

Known as a red spectrum, this type of lightning is a rare, seldom-photographed phenomenon that NASA has included in its report. Stephane Vetter (TWAN)

The negative perception surrounding the reporting of UAP poses an obstacle to collecting data on these phenomena. NASAs very involvement in UAP will play a vital role in reducing stigma associated with UAP reporting [...] NASAs long-standing public trust, which is essential for communicating findings about these phenomena to citizens, is crucial for destigmatizing UAP reporting. The scientific processes used by NASA encourage critical thinking; NASA can model for the public how to best approach the study of UAP, by utilizing transparent reporting, rigorous analysis, and public engagement, the report says.

3. The mystery

NASAs report is not a review of past incidents, but rather a series of methodological recommendations. The team of 16 experts has analyzed only unclassified information, which somewhat limits the studys scope; however, NASA maintains that this was the only way to unreservedly state their opinions. There are not many conclusions about the nature of the phenomena. The report is illustrated with images of meteorological and atmospheric phenomena, in what appears to be a subliminal message.

A section is devoted to debunking one of the most famous sightings, the so-called GoFast sighting, a Pentagon video in which an object appears to move at high speed (above video). The scientists believe that this is an optical illusion resulting from the observers movements and relative positions, and they use geometry to point out that the speed would only be 40 miles per hour.

The report also concedes that UAP are one of our planets greatest mysteries, but it does not go into more detail. Despite numerous accounts and visuals, the absence of consistent, detailed, and curated observations means we do not presently have the body of data needed to make definitive, scientific conclusions about UAP, the report states.

4. Extraterrestrials

The word extraterrestrial appears a dozen times in the report. In presenting the study, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was convinced that there is life beyond Earth, but experts have not found any indication that the UAP are extraterrestrial in origin. To date, in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, there is no conclusive evidence suggesting an extraterrestrial origin for UAP, the report says.

Bill Nelson addresses the media following the release of the report on September 14 in Washington, D.C. Celal Gunes (Getty Images)

The extraterrestrial aspect clearly arouses passions. Some members of the expert panel have been harassed for participating in the report. Study Team members also noted firsthand knowledge of colleagues who were warned to stay away from research in areas like extraterrestrial technosignatures, which could damage their scientific credibility and promotion potential. These experiences further confirm the negative stigma associated with studying unusual or unexplained phenomena. Such criticism, either by detractors or by proponents of the extraterrestrial hypothesis, are anathema to the scientific method, which NASA always has and will continue to promote in an objective and open-minded fashion, one of the documents appendices explains.

In other words, NASA sees no reason to consider extraterrestrial origins, but it does not completely discard the possibility, either. In the search for life beyond Earth, extraterrestrial life itself must be the hypothesis of last resort  the answer we turn to only after ruling out all other possibilities. As Sherlock Holmes said, Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

5. From sensationalism to science

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that one goal of the agencys involvement is to shift the conversation about UAP from sensationalism to science. The entire report employs the scientific method to examine the issue. In that vein, during Thursdays press conference, the director of the team of experts was asked about the alleged non-human mummies from Nazca recently exhibited in the Mexican Congress.

In its report, NASA shows these images of incidents to illustrate the difficulties in figuring out these enigmas, which in some cases derive from technical problems with the recordings.

This is something I have only seen on Twitter [now called X]. When you have unusual things, you want to make data public, David Spergel has said; NASA itself did so with moon rocks. If you have something strange, make samples available to the world scientific community and well see whats there, he added. Another speaker said that it is simply a matter of moving from conjecture and conspiracy towards science and sanity.

6. Bringing NASAs technological muscle to bear

At the heart of the report are its recommendations for how NASA can improve its study of the phenomena. The agency submitted eight questions to the experts about the type of data now being collected, what data should be obtained, what technologies should be used to process them, and so on. The experts point out that the observations now available are often unintentional; they appear when one is looking for or at other things. They suggest taking advantage of existing technologies, expressly dedicating some resources to studying UAPs, using artificial intelligence and automatic learning tools, documenting the findings in standardized databases, and coordinating with other agencies. The report even broaches the idea of creating a collaborative cell phone application that allows citizens to contribute their own observations in a standardized way.

We recommend that NASA play a prominent role in the whole-of-government effort to understand UAP by leveraging its extensive expertise to contribute to a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that is rooted in the scientific method. We specifically recommend that NASA utilize its existing and planned Earth-observing assets to probe the local environmental conditions associated with UAP that are initially detected by other means, say the experts. They further advise increasing cooperation with the private U.S. remote-sensing industry, which has powerful constellations of high-resolution Earth observation satellites.

At present, the detection of UAP is often serendipitous, captured by sensors that were not designed or calibrated for this purpose, and which lack comprehensive metadata. Coupled with incomplete data archiving and curation, this means that the origin of numerous UAP remain uncertain. The importance of detecting UAP with multiple, well-calibrated sensors is thus paramount, the report states.

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Thousands of people, some dressed in traditional warrior clothes, on Saturday attended the funeral of South Africa's divisive Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who was implicated in a wave of deadly violence that marked the country's emergence from apartheid.

Mourners crowded a small stadium in Ulundi, the ancient capital of the Zulu kingdom in eastern South Africa, to pay tribute to the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), who died on September 9 aged 95.

"The sun has set on an era and on a life that witnessed and had an impact on much of our country's modern history", President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a eulogy.

Earlier, family members dressed in black led a coffin covered by an animal skin and an IFP flag across a red carpet before it was placed under a black canopy on the pitch.

Mourners paid their respects at a small stadium in Ulundi. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP)

Around it sat mourners, some wearing traditional leopard skins and holding spears and shields made from cow hides, others in white IFP t-shirts bearing a portrait of the late leader.

"He treated all of us Zulus as one person. That is why I am here," said Bonga Makhoba, 31, who said he drove 150 kilometres (90 miles) and slept in his car to attend the service.

"I just respect him and I want him to... rest in peace."

During the ceremony, which started in the morning and continued well into the afternoon, the IFP Women's Brigade chanted "he has led us this far" in Zulu while other mourners paid tribute to "Shenge", as Buthelezi was known after his clan name.

Guests sitting under white marquees opposite an altar included former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki.

Buthelezi was once a rival of Ramaphosa and his former boss Nelson Mandela, as the pair led negotiations to end white rule in South Africa. For years, he was locked in a bitter rivalry with the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The party had been his political home until he broke away to form the Inkatha movement in 1975.

Born of royal blood, he was to some the embodiment of a proud and feisty Zulu spirit, while to others he often acted as a warlord.

A contested legacy

As premier of the "independent" homeland of KwaZulu, a political creation of the apartheid government, Buthelezi was often regarded as an ally of the racist regime.

He was dogged by allegations of collaborating with the white government to fuel violence and derail the ANC's liberation struggle -- a claim he furiously denied.

Mourners crowded a small stadium to pay tribute to the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP)

Violence between Inkatha supporters and rival liberation groups claimed about 12,000 lives, as unrest between the ANC and IFP escalated in the run-up to the democratic elections in 1994.

Ramaphosa conceded he and Buthelezi "did not always agree" but speaking of the violence said it was "not the day to point fingers and cast blame".

"South Africa might be a vastly different place today" had Buthelezi not taken an 11th-hour decision to participate in the vote, Ramaphosa said.

He was later appointed home affairs minister in the national unity government led by Mandela.

Buthelezi's legacy is bitterly contested. By RAJESH JANTILAL (AFP)

Admired as a charismatic speaker, Buthelezi went on to become one of the country's longest-serving lawmakers, widely recognisable with his slender silhouette and distinctive rectangular glasses.

But while considered a cultural protector for the more than 11 million Zulus, his legacy remains contested.

Buthelezi's epitaph should read "Chief apartheid collaborator and mass murderer", wrote Mondli Makhanya, editor of the City Press newspaper.

The Sowetan, a daily paper born out of the liberation struggle, wrote that "For his supporters, who worshipped the ground he walked on, he is held in high regard as a hero".

However he would "remain a despised figure in the eyes of those who suffered brutality and violence in the hands of his party henchmen".

The Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Foundation rejected such criticism as "unspeakably evil" and "old lies".

At the funeral, current IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa, described Buthelezi as a "giant of Africa" who was "unjustly vilified" for standing by his convictions.

"Everybody has their past but Buthelezi to me, he was the best," Fisokhule Buthelezi, 45, a distant relative sporting a black IFP beret, who sat on the stands.

After the ceremony, the body was taken for burial in the family homestead.
Ethiopia's human rights body has accused federal government forces of carrying out extra-judicial killings in the restive region of Amhara and mass arbitrary detentions.

Fighting erupted in Amhara in early July between the national army and local militia fighters known as Fano, after months of tensions.

The unrest prompted the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on August 4 to declare a six-month state of emergency which gave the authorities sweeping powers to arrest people, impose curfews and ban public gatherings.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said in a statement late Friday it had been told by witnesses, residents and victims' families of "extra-judicial killings committed by government security forces in various parts of the region" which it described as "very concerning".

The state-backed but independent body said "many civilians" had been killed and injured and property destroyed in the fighting in cities, towns and some rural villages across Amhara.

It also said there had been widespread "arbitrary arrests" not only in Amhara but the neighbouring region of Oromia and the capital Addis Ababa.

An unknown number of civilians remain in detention, with those arrested usually accused of supporting the Amhara militias and/or hiding weapons, it added.

"EHRC calls for the necessary investigations to be made and accountability to be ensured on those entities that committed killings and arbitrary arrests on civilians."

The UN Rights Office said in late August that at least 183 people had been killed in the Amhara unrest since July.

The situation is impossible to verify on the ground, as the federal authorities restrict access to the region.

The Amhara clashes revived worries about the stability of Africa's second most populous country, months after a peace deal in November 2022 ended a two-year conflict in the neighbouring region of Tigray.

Amhara was also caught up in the Tigray war, with its regional forces fighting alongside federal government troops against Tigrayan rebels.

But in April, Abiy's government announced it was dismantling regional forces across the country, triggering protests by Amhara nationalists who said it would weaken their region.

A mosaic of more than 80 ethno-linguistic communities, Ethiopia has long struggled with territorial conflicts inside its borders.

The Amhara region is inhabited mostly by the Amhara people, the country's second most populous ethnic group.
The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger on Saturday signed a mutual defence 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 defence 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 defence 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).

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.
Antimicrobial resistance  the ability of microorganisms to resist drugs that have been developed to control them  is a severe problem in African countries . The continent has the highest global burden of antimicrobial-resistant infections, with 114.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

One of the causes of resistance is inappropriate use of antibiotics. Using the wrong antibiotic to treat an infection enables resistant bacteria to flourish and spread. It's challenging to address the resistance problem when there are gaps in three areas:

access to effective antimicrobial agents

laboratory capacity to identify the source of infections

funding to carry out planned solutions.

It's essential to identify the type of infection present so that the right antimicrobial agent can be selected. Treatment guidelines stress the importance of using laboratory data to guide treatment. Physicians need laboratory data to choose the right antibiotic, at the right dose, for the right period of time. This is known as antimicrobial stewardship.

But in low- and middle-income countries, hospital budgets don't include much funding for laboratories . So laboratory data to create local treatment guidelines for doctors are scarce. Treatment choices become empiric  the doctor's best guess based on the patient's signs and symptoms and the doctor's experience. This can lead to choosing ineffective antibiotics, which can lead to increases in resistant bacteria.

Our combined experience in understanding and addressing the spread of antimicrobial resistant organisms in African countries, and Nigeria in particular, spans 40 years. Over this time, we have noted how the lack of laboratory data hinders the effective treatment of patients with infections. We have also observed that the cost of producing quality laboratory data is high and rising.

Read more: Health system inequalities in East Africa drive antimicrobial resistance

One way forward is to pool laboratory data from other hospitals in the region to guide therapeutic choices. In other words, to develop a list of what bacteria are prevalent in the region and which drugs work against them.

To accomplish this, we recently conducted a study of multidrug-resistant bacteria obtained from patients in six hospitals in northern Nigeria. Our goal was to determine which antimicrobial agents might still be effective therapies in this region.

The results indicate that the mechanisms by which bacteria have become resistant in the region are complex. But there may be ways to support antimicrobial stewardship efforts in local hospitals.

Drug-resistant bacteria in Nigeria

We chose to analyse bacteria that are resistant to more than one drug because they are the biggest challenge when treating infections. We focused primarily on bacteria from blood and urinary tract infections.

We found that about 85% of the bacteria isolated from infections were resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics. So, without laboratory data, the most frequent choices of antibiotics would probably be ineffective.

In addition, 65% of the bacteria analysed were resistant to the antibiotics of last resort. Those are antibiotics reserved for treating the most difficult infections. This result was higher than anticipated. It underscored the need for laboratory data to indicate where antibiotic resistance was becoming a serious problem.

The good news was that two antibiotics, tigecycline and fosfomycin, remained very active even against highly resistant strains of bacteria. The bad news was that these antibiotics are expensive and not readily available in many hospitals in Africa.

Nevertheless, this data on the resistance patterns of multidrug resistant infections supports the value of regional guidelines. It points to strategies of antimicrobial stewardship that might work specifically in Nigeria. Such strategies could include judicious use of tigecycline or fosfomycin for serious infections when guided by laboratory data.

Genetic mechanisms

Our study went beyond the use of routine testing methods and included whole genome sequencing of the resistant bacteria. This was done to understand what made these organisms so resistant to antibiotics at the molecular level.

The data revealed an astonishingly high number of genetic mechanisms making the microorganisms resistant. This shows that the choice of agents to treat infections has not been optimal in the past.

Genes which inactivated some classes of antimicrobial agents such as beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones were present.

In some cases, the genetic information encoding resistance was capable of being shared among other microorganisms. This increases the potential for spread of the resistance problem.

Additionally, among the isolates studied, several belonged to newly emerging high-risk bacterial clones. These are bacterial species of high virulence that are easily spread among patient populations. Hospitals need to pay closer attention to infections caused by resistant bacteria to ensure infections do not spread to other patients.

The need for antimicrobial stewardship

Some of the resistance genes were capable of moving from one microorganism to another (mobile resistance genes). Other genes were embedded within the bacterial chromosome. Unlike the mobile genes, which can be unstable and lost, the ones in the chromosome are often stable. This mix of mobile and embedded resistance genes suggests that resistance will not go away any time soon.

However, there is hope for decreasing the impact of resistance through effective antibiotic prescribing. Antimicrobial stewardship based on laboratory data is effective especially if done locally, regionally and nationally.

Antimicrobial resistance is everyone's concern

Four points are important for the public to note.

First, similar multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria have been detected in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. This is a global issue.

Second, the data could have been much worse. We did identify antibiotics that are still effective even against the most resistant bacterial strains we studied.

Third, there are efforts in place in Nigeria and other African countries to limit the spread of resistant microorganisms.

Read more: Antimicrobial resistance calls for brainpower of a space agency and campaigning zeal of an NGO

Fourth, there are things that everyone can do to help bring antibiotic resistance under control. For example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list five things that everyone should know about drug resistance and 10 activities to protect yourself and your family against resistance.

This is a global battle that we need to win.

Fred C. Tenover previously was employed by a molecular diagnostics company (Cepheid). He is affiliated with the International Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Nubwa Medugu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Fred C. Tenover, Distinguished Research Professor of Microbiology, University of Dayton And

Nubwa Medugu, Clinical Microbiologist , Nile University of Nigeria
A week after a tsunami-sized flash flood devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the international aid effort gained pace on Sunday to help the grieving survivors.

Search-and-rescue teams wearing face masks and protective suits kept up the grim search for any survivors who may still be trapped in the mud-caked wasteland of smashed buildings, crushed cars and uprooted trees.

Traumatised residents, 30,000 of whom are now homeless in Derna alone, are in dire need of clean water, food, shelter and basic supplies amid a growing risk of cholera, diarrhoea, dehydration and malnutrition, UN agencies warn.

"In this city, every single family has been affected," said one 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: "Her entire family died, she was the only one who survived."

Emergency response teams and relief goods have been deployed from France, Iran, Malta, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, with more on the way from multiple other European and Arab nations.

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 aid effort has been hampered by the political division of Libya, which was thrown into war and chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising led to the overthrow and killing of veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The oil-rich North African country now remains split between two rival governments -- a UN-backed administration in the capital Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east.

Amid the chaos, the true death toll remained unknown, with untold numbers feared swept into the sea.

Thousands missing

Tunisian rescue workers recover a body while assisting in relief work in Libya's city of Derna. By - (Tunisia's National Office of Civil Protection/AFP)

The health minister of the eastern administration, Othman Abdeljalil, has said that 3,252 people were confirmed dead in Derna, where corpses wrapped in blankets and in body bags have lined squares and streets.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned on Sunday that the eventual death toll from Derna alone could be as high as 11,300, with another 10,100 missing.

But the Libyan Red Crescent, which was cited by the UN agency, earlier denied a UN death toll of over 10,000 and called on the media to "exercise caution and accuracy".

The massive flood came as Libya was lashed on September 10 by the hurricane-strength Mediterranean Storm Daniel, which had earlier brought deadly floods to Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.

A boy stands next to rubble and debris in Libya's eastern city of Soussa on September 15, 2023. By Mohamed Shalash (AFP)

The rapidly rising waters burst two upstream river dams in Derna, sending a late-night tidal wave crashing through the centre of the city of 100,000, sweeping entire residential blocks into the Mediterranean.

UN experts have blamed the high death toll on climatic factors as the region has sweltered under an unusually hot summer, and the legacy of Libya's war that has depleted its infrastructure, early warning systems and emergency response.

Questions are being asked about whether the disaster could not have been prevented, when cracks in the dams have been reported since 1998.

Bodies on the beach

An Emirati rescue team assists in relief work in Libya's eastern city of Derna following deadly flash floods. By - (UAE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE/AFP)

A week on, bodies are still being found, many washing up on the sea shore of the Mediterranean, along with vast amounts of debris.

A rescue crew from Malta's Civil Protection Department said it discovered a beach strewn with bodies on Friday, the Times of Malta newspaper reported.

"There were probably 400, but it's hard to say," team leader Natalino Bezzina told the newspaper, saying access was difficult due to strong winds.

A Libyan rescue team in an inflatable boat reported seeing "perhaps 600 bodies" at sea off the Om-al-Briket region, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Derna, according to a video shared on social networks.

The United Nations has launched an aid appeal for more than $71 million.

Vehicles are buried in mud and rubble in the aftermath of a devastating flood in eastern Libya's city of Derna. By - (AFP)

The aid being sent to Libya includes water, food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits, medicines and emergency surgical supplies as well as heavy machinery to help clear the debris, and more body bags.

The scale of the devastation in Derna and surrounding areas has prompted shows of solidarity across divided Libya, as volunteers in Tripoli have collected aid for the flood victims.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned of another risk in the flood area -- unexploded landmines and other ordnance left over from the war that may have been washed into areas previously free of weapon contamination.

burs/ezz/fz/jsa
17.09.2023 LISTEN

The Briphildon Foundation, a registered Non-Governmental and humanitarian-based Organisation, has called on everyone to get involved, spread awareness, and take action to combat suicide.

This was contained in statement signed and released by the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of the Briphildon Foundation, Bright Philip Donkor, on Sunday September 10, 2023, to commemorate the World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), under the theme Creating hope through action.

The statement emphasised the importance of combating the stigma associated with suicide and the need for proactive measures to prevent it. It, therefore, urged individuals, communities, and health authorities to join hands in raising awareness and providing support for those facing mental health challenges.

We urge health authorities to provide an efficient health delivery system for mental health and make it more accessible to encourage people to seek the required help they need, portions of the statement read.

The Briphildon Foundation stressed that suicide is not the only way out of lifes challenges and called upon everyone to recognise the value of each life. Through collective action, the Foundation believes it is possible to create a future where no one feels alone or without help when facing mental health issues.

Commitment

Bright Philip Donkor in the statement affirmed his organisations commitment to taking tangible steps towards attaining this goal through various initiatives and strategies like seminars, summits, and awareness campaigns to educate individuals about the signs of mental distress, depression, and suicidal tendencies.

According to him, this would be made possible by collaborating with the right stakeholders to create a comprehensive network of support and enlightenment for individuals.

Suicide is a complex and deeply distressing issue that can be attributed to a myriad of factors, including neglect, marginalisation, poverty, the experience of being underprivileged, among others. Therefore, these interconnected elements often create a perfect storm of despair, hopelessness, and emotional pain that can push individuals to contemplate or even act on suicidal thoughts, the statement said.

The statement stressed the need to understand the role these factors play in suicidal issues since it is crucial for developing effective prevention and support strategies. For instance, the Foundation pointed out that a report by the WHO in 2021 indicated that about 700,000 people commit suicide every year globally. Although suicide is a global phenomenon that affects all countries, WHO estimates that 77 per cent of all suicide cases occurred in low and middle-income countries.

Cases

The statement, said, in Ghana, a report by the WHO in 2020 showed that there were 1,993 suicide cases annually on the average. It noted that apart from actual suicide, attempted suicide is also a canker, with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) estimating that 2,781 people attempted to commit suicide between 2018 and 2021.

According to the statistics by Ghanas Mental Health Authority (MHA), in 2018 the number of people who attempted suicide was 797. This rose to 880 in 2019 and to 902 in 2021, while those who died by suicide went up from 69 in 2020 to 86 in 2021. There are many cases that are not reported because of stigma and fear of community backlash and legal repercussions, the statement added.

The Foundation further acknowledged the positive step taken by the Parliament of Ghana in March 2023 when they successfully decriminalised suicide. It also entreated individuals who may be experiencing any mental health crisis to call the toll-free number of the Ghana Mental Health Authority (MHA), 0800678678, for psychosocial support.
17.09.2023 LISTEN

In 2015 my wife and I watched in Ghana German TV. People on the streets of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Dortmund, and Frankfurt lamented and complained about the influx of 1 Mio. refugees. We had a blast of laughter knowing what Germans witnessed was the appetizer the starter of what we witnessed around us ready to march on Europe.

As much as democracy is hated in Africa it works seemingly well for the white man. Crisis exposes the strengths and weaknesses of any political and moral system. Democratically elected politicians of modern days rarely have professional qualifications nor serious exposure to life events with a track record of overcoming them in victory. Their behind-the-scenes understanding of what is going on in this world really is shocking. Knowing their time in the office is limited during which they can possibly leave a mark behind when retired makes the audience more worried.

As last week German government declared categorically not to accept further refugees to the capacity signed for exposes the intellectual capability of our German leaders in government and opposition to being of low level.

UK PM Rishi Sunak, Italian PM Maroni, French President Macron, etc. cry foul over human traffickers (they are not the problem only profiteurs), rescue ships before Lampedusa, African coups, collaborating behind the curtains with black corrupt leadership and white men's companies to keep the old system of misusing the African continent in check and balance.

A problem is best solved at its roots not when the wound is bleeding the cancer cells leave the body to infect anything around it.

The cure for sicknesses requires professionals not amateurs holding the beacon of power with the mindset "The serious problems to come my successor will have to tackle not me as it has not yet hit us and my position" which is the guarantee for historic disaster. Out of the turbulent circumstances to solving any problem leads constantly to panic and wrong decisions worsening the open wound.

On the world stage inside and outside of Africa no political, no intellectual, no philanthropist mind shares possible concepts of how best to change the situation for the next 100, 200 even 300 years ahead. Why? This requires a deep understanding of history many don't have or shy away from.

The current eruptions in many global aspects of the world are a clear sign for the wise to understand Africa is breaking through again to take dominion of the world and humanity. What we witness is the fight of the old forces against the process which cannot be denied by the visionary people who are not blinded by the shining sun of the moment and polished surface. We are in the phase lasting at least 3-4 generations ( 80-100 years) of transformation. The country that comes out on top is the one well aware of the cycle of humanity which heads back to its origin (this world lives by cycles in everything) and puts itself now in the first place of the queue to be best friends with the next world leader.
17.09.2023 LISTEN

The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific is a comprehensive statement that delineates the strategic vision of the ASEAN on collaborative efforts in the Indo-Pacific. It acknowledges the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions as regions characterized by fast economic expansion and significant geopolitical transformations. The objective of this perspective is to foster peace, security, stability, and prosperity within Southeast Asia, as well as in the broader areas of Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean. It underscores the vital role of ASEAN in defining the economic and security framework of the aforementioned areas.

The ASEAN Outlook aims to foster a conducive atmosphere that facilitates peace, stability, and prosperity. The member states work together to address common issues like terrorism, transnational crime, maritime security, cyber security, climate change, disaster management, and sustainable development to achieve this. These countries are demonstrating their commitment to the rules-based regional framework by complying with established international legal principles and standards, including the United Nations Charter, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), and the ASEAN Charter. Moreover, it is fostering increased economic collaboration through bolstering trade, investment, connectivity, innovation, and digitization between ASEAN and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region.

The AOIP also provides backing for the execution of established endeavors, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025), and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI). The process of community-building in ASEAN is being augmented by the reinforcement of ASEAN's centrality and unity in determining the regional agenda and fostering collaboration with foreign partners. The AOIP aims to provide further impetus to established ASEAN-led processes, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF).

The AOIP aims to make a meaningful contribution towards the establishment of a regional order in the Indo-Pacific that is characterized by openness, transparency, and inclusivity. This vision is intended to bring about advantages for all nations and populations within the region. The primary objective of the AOIP is not to generate new mechanisms or supplant preexisting ones. Instead, it serves as a framework that directs ASEAN's involvement and collaboration with other regional and sub-regional processes concerning certain domains of shared concern.

The East Asia Summit (EAS) serves as a venue for facilitating discourse and fostering the implementation of Indo-Pacific cooperation by ASEAN. The perspective also promotes collaboration with other regional and sub-regional mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions on particular topics of shared interest. The objective is to mitigate poverty and enhance the quality of life for a significant population. The primary objective of this initiative is to prevent the exacerbation of distrust, miscalculations, and behavioral patterns rooted in a zero-sum paradigm that may emerge as a consequence of the ascendance of material forces, including economic and military capabilities.

The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and the US Indo-Pacific Policy exhibit a convergence of concepts and aims. The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific has received the support of the United States, which applauds its core principles of inclusivity, transparency, and the creation of a region under the rule of law, effective governance, and adherence to international legal norms. The concepts outlined in the US vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific are likewise in alignment with these aforementioned values. Both the ASEAN Outlook and US policy place significant emphasis on the need to maintain peace and ensure maritime security within the Indo-Pacific region. These statements recognize the need for a framework guided by established norms and the upholding of principles rooted in international law. Furthermore, the United States maintains its commitment to the ASEAN-centered regional architecture situated in the core of the Indo-Pacific region. The endorsement of the comprehensive and efficient execution of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) by ASEAN member states is consistent with its officially stated Indo-Pacific Outlook.

Although there may be some points of agreement between the two methodologies, it is crucial to acknowledge that they are separate frameworks characterized by their unique traits. The ASEAN launched the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific project to advance ASEAN's crucial role in establishing the economic and security framework of the Indo-Pacific region. The US Indo-Pacific policy delineates the key aims and objectives of the United States within the area. Furthermore, the perspective presented does not overtly address the continuing competition between the United States and China in the region. The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific places its primary emphasis on advancing ASEAN centrality, notwithstanding the potential impact of geopolitical forces such as the US-China competition on regional developments.

Nevertheless, the nations of ASEAN express concern about the escalating aggressiveness shown by China as well as its territorial assertions inside the South China Sea. During the 2023 ASEAN Summit, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, the leaders reiterated their endorsement of the comprehensive and efficient execution of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). Additionally, they expressed their desire for the prompt finalization of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is both effective and substantial while adhering to international law, notably the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The leaders engaged in a discussion over the persistent tensions in the South China Sea, which have the potential to precipitate regional instability.

All participating nations strongly encouraged China to display the utmost caution and actively pursue dialogue as a means to achieve a peaceful resolution. Furthermore, ASEAN continues to exhibit internal divisions on the appropriate approach to address China's assertive conduct inside the contested maritime territories as well as its efforts to garner assistance from external allies outside of the ASEAN region. The lack of consensus among ASEAN countries about China's forceful actions in the South China Sea has been evident for more than ten years. Furthermore, it is a cause for concern that the leaders of ASEAN have shown a lack of unity in their reaction to China. This might be a sign of China's exerting a lot of regional influence over ASEAN.

In conclusion, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific presents a comprehensive structure for fostering collaboration within the Indo-Pacific region based on fundamental values such as transparency, inclusiveness, respect for sovereignty, and non-intervention.

Authors Bio

Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy Proma is a Research Associate at the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD). She is a research analyst in security studies. She obtained her Master's and Bachelor's in International Relations from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She can be reached at [email protected].
Mr Kennedy Agyapong, a contender for the New Patriotic Partys flagbearer position, has firmly rebutted claims that he lacks the intellectual capacity and temperament required to serve as President.

Reaffirming his commitment to lead the NPP in the 2024 elections, he passionately articulated why he believes he is the most qualified candidate for the role.

Agyapong pointed out that those asserting that he is not presidential material are unaware of the substantial support he enjoys from a formidable group of university professors, lecturers, and professionals who are ready to collaborate with him.

He emphasized that these intellectuals, professors, lecturers, and professionals are resolutely convinced that Kennedy Agyapong has a message and is the one who can lead the NPP to break the 8 in the upcoming elections.

Agyapong revealed that he has personally met with at least 45 professionals in Accra and has plans to engage with lecturers at KNUST. He emphasized that these intellectuals recognize and endorse his vision for Ghana, urging Ghanaians to give him the opportunity to lead.

Addressing a health walk event titled The Showdown Walk in Accra on Saturday, September 16th, Agyapong listed some of his pragmatic plans for leading the NPP in the 2024 elections.

I have met at least 45 of them [professionals] in Accra. On Monday, I am going to meet lecturers at Tech [KNUST]. Many of these intellectuals have seen and are aware that Ken Agyapong has a message and want Ghanaians to give Ken Agyapong the chance, Mr Agyapong said.

Agyapong passionately appealed to voters not to be swayed by monetary inducements when making their choice, emphasizing that their votes would determine their destiny and the future of their children and grandchildren. He stressed the need for pragmatic leaders who can effectively communicate in local dialects such as Twi, Ayigbe (Ewe), and Dagbani, envisioning these actions translating into tangible economic improvements for ordinary citizens.

The opportunity is there to break the 8 with Ken Agyapong. Dont go and make a mistake and take money and vote otherwise, you are voting for your destiny, you are voting for your children and unborn children,

Agyapong concluded by highlighting the trust and support he has garnered from voters, emphasizing that Ghanaians are ready to entrust him with leadership due to his track record as an ordinary member who has established successful companies and engaged in philanthropic initiatives.

He underscored that it is time to give a businessman the chance to lead, citing his business acumen as a distinguishing factor among the contestants, including those from the opposition NDC.

Citi Newsroom
The Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) and stakeholders in the Liberian maritime domain have validated the countrys first-ever National Maritime Security Strategy after months of scrutiny with support from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the European Union (EU)-funded Support for West African Integrated Maritime Security (SWAIMS) project through ECOWAS Commission. The milestone was achieved at a two-day workshop held at the headquarters of LiMA in Monrovia, September 13 to 14, 2023.

Speaking on behalf of the Officer-In-Charge of LiMA, the Hon. Emmanuel Nuku. Reeves, the Director of Corporate Strategy, John Cuffey said given the fact that the maritime industry is one of the largest on the planet, ensuring that operation at sea continues, takes determined efforts like the strategy that has been validated to guide the countrys preparedness to deal with security issues such as terrorism, piracy, robbery at sea, illegal trafficking of goods and people, illegal fishing and pollution.

Mr. Cuffey pointed out: Let us be clear that no single agency owns maritime security or can manage their specific maritime threats without the support of other agencies and stakeholders. Our ability to understand, engage with partners, and prevent and respond to maritime threats, builds the foundation of a cohesive multi-agency approach that draws together and utilizes the full range of national capabilities. Through supervision, inspection, and proactive procedures, the maritime industry does its best to minimize threats both malicious and accidental. Liberia is expected to deliver maritime security through a whole of governments approach that is driven by a joint governance module based on maritime security agencies executing this strategic direction set by the maritime security and oversight committee in this national maritime security strategy.

In remarks, the Maritime Security Adviser to SWAIMS, Rui Amado said the support scheme is a collaborative effort between the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with a proud record of cooperation with Liberia. He mentioned that SWAIMS is specifically an ECOWAS project.

According to Mr. Amado, the project team of SWAIMS had been working with LiMA to finalize this important strategy. He indicated that over two months, the technical working group went through the document line by line and the validation session marks the completion of the task as well as acknowledging the efforts of the team and the milestone achievement.

It is an honor to be here to mark this turning in Liberias maritime security policy. As we go forward, SWAIMS will be at hand to support the implementation of the security strategy. I want to congratulate the members of the technical working group, particularly, my colleagues at the Liberia Maritime Authority for their commitment and professionalism, the SWAIMS Maritime Security Adviser stated.

The Director of Maritime Security, Mr. Simeon T. Cheah, said Liberia is glad to be in partnership with SWAIMS in arriving at a point close to concluding a process that was started two months ago with all hands on deck from stakeholders.

The importance of this document is to ensure the protection, safety, and security of Liberias waters. Todays validation is a fulfillment of a major obligation as a nation in the Gulf of Guinea and in the ECOWAS region as one of the coastal countries. It is mandatory that we prepare this document having been reminded at many meetings to have Liberias National Maritime Security Strategy, Mr. Cheah emphasized.

He disclosed that the formulation of the National Maritime Security Strategy started as far back as 2019 in the aftermath of a request from the Liberia Maritime Authority to the IMO to assist with an expert who would assess the countrys maritime security sector in collaboration with maritime stakeholders in Liberia.

Mr. Cheah stated that works on the preparation of the strategy resumed in 2021, following his appointment as Director of Maritime Security. We had fourteen (14) experts over the last two months from various maritime stakeholders institutions to review the draft version of the document for four consecutive days. It is the outcome of that review process that led to the historic validation exercise, the LiMA Security Director said.

The National Security Advisor to the President of Liberia, Mr. Jefferson Karmoh said the National Maritime Security Strategy is very critical to enhancing the governments overarching responsibility for providing security for the citizenry and more importantly securing the territorial integrity of Liberia.

We believe very strongly that the countrys maritime territory is an important and integral part of the Republic which must not be overlooked in any aspect. Most times, we emphasize our land boundaries and borders and ignore the maritime terrain because these are areas that are easily penetrable, the National Security Advisor stressed.

Mr. Karmoh continues: The office of the President of Liberia welcomes the fulfillment of this national and international requirement ensuring that Liberia is in compliance with international regulations as far as maritime security management is concerned. Your contribution on our collective behalf is applauded and we want to assure you of the support of the Office of the President in ensuring that this document, once finally endorsed by the relevant maritime security committee through the President, the entire National Security Council will fully support its full implementation.

For his part, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Major General Prince C. Johnson, III said the participants at the validation session demonstrated that the document is a whole of government approach which confirms that one agency cannot mind the countrys maritime domain.

Major General Johnson said there is a shifting of maritime crimes from the Gulf of Eden to the Gulf of Guinea based on what the global index reported in 2021 and 2022 as compared to the Gulf of Guinea.

To sit in this room as a whole of Government and finally complete the countrys national maritime strategy is an important note for Liberia because, with this document, all stakeholders will be able to extract their own responsibilities in order to mind our about 300 nautical miles shore. The biggest threat we face in the region is the issue of the expansion of terrorism in the region. With this strategy, there will be an added mechanism to what we already have from the Yaounde Accord to be able to protect our terrestrial waters. I can assure you of the Armed Forces of Liberia's support of this strategy. We appreciate the support of SWAIMS to the AFL Coast Guard which has enhanced its operations.

European Union Liberia Green Economy Team Leader, Ms. Montse Panteloni, said the EU is glad to see that Liberia is moving forward with the validation of the countrys national maritime security strategy because of the increasing security concern in the Gulf of Guinea. She stressed that Somalia used to be the hub of piracy and kidnapping and security concerns are growing in the Gulf of Guinea. The EU Mission to Liberia official asserted the need for countries to encourage and promote cooperation because the sea does not belong to anybody.

According to her, illegal fishing should be given serious consideration in the strategy which would be another area that the EU is looking forward to working together with Liberia to curtail. She announced that a fishery program is being developed to help artisanal fishermen in Liberia. Sometimes, we forget that Liberia is an amazing coastal country and we see all these fishermen risking their lives in spite of the strong sea waves. I look forward to the next step of this strategy, she stated.

The proxy of the Chairperson on the Maritime Affairs Committee at the Honorable House of Representatives, Hon. Solomon George said this committee stands ready to support the National Maritime Security Strategy.

The two-day workshop brought together representatives of the Ministry of Defense, Liberia Coast Guard, the National Port Authority (NPA), Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NAFAA), Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of States.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 17, 2023 - 10:45 | Feature, All, Japan

More pet owners in Japan, graying or living alone, are turning to "guardianship" services for their dogs and cats in case they cannot look after the beloved animals upon their death or other unforeseeable events.

A nonprofit organization in Gifu, central Japan, has provided such services through a mutual aid group it launched in 2017 to assist owners struggling to find reliable places to entrust their pets.

Naoko Taketomi, who is in her late 70s, decided with her husband to join the group for the sake of their Shiba Inu dog Riki, who has given the couple a renewed sense of purpose in their lives since they welcomed him as the puppy to their home from a pet shop around a decade ago.

Riki has been like a great-grandchild to them and the future of this canine companion had been a source of concern for the aging couple.

"We want to live with our dog without worries while fulfilling our responsibility as pet owners," said the couple living in Hashima, Gifu Prefecture. After discussions, they signed up with the mutual aid group in 2017.

Members of the Tomonowa group pay an initial fee of 100,000 yen ($690) as well as a monthly membership fee of 1,000 yen. Owners should also be ready to pay at least 1 million yen as lifelong care costs, such as by leaving a will.

As of Aug. 21, Tomonowa has taken care of a total of six dogs and cats, with some adopted out to new owners.

While the costs required for each pet may vary, Tomonowa's method of averaging these costs among the members reduces the financial burden on pet owners, compared to using ordinary boarding services for senior cats and dogs, according to the group.

"Our aim is to make this mutual aid system a more familiar option and spread it across Japan," said Yoriyuki Okuda, a veterinarian who heads the NPO.

In a similar vein, Cafe Gatto, a cat shelter cafe in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, has been receiving a number of inquiries -- more often from the pet owners' children and their relatives rather than the owners themselves -- on whether it can take care of animals left behind.

Hoping to contribute to the problem, the cafe in Koga started a mutual aid program, promising to look after a cat for members who pay a monthly fee of 3,000 yen for at least three years, in addition to 500,000 yen that is needed to accommodate the animal at the cafe when the owners are no longer able to care for it.

The cafe said inquiries have been on the rise, possibly because the coronavirus pandemic made people think about the need to prepare for unexpected situations.

Kaoru Togita, an administrative procedure specialist who serves as the general manager of the cafe, pointed out that "there are surprisingly few measures that can be taken once people have decided that they can no longer care for their pets."

"I hope people could explore available services in their regions while they are fit," Togita added.

Related coverage:

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A week after a tsunami-sized flash flood devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the international aid effort to help the grieving survivors slowly gathered pace Sunday.

Search-and-rescue teams wearing face masks and protective suits kept up the grim search for bodies or any survivors in the mud-caked wasteland of smashed buildings, crushed cars and uprooted trees.

Traumatised residents, 30,000 of whom are now homeless in Derna alone, badly need clean water, food, shelter and basic supplies amid a growing risk of cholera, diarrhoea, dehydration and malnutrition, UN agencies warn.

Rescue teams work amid the devastation of Derna. By Karim SAHIB (AFP)

"In this city, every single family has been affected," said one resident, Mohammad al-Dawali.

Another, Mohamed al-Zawi, 25, recounted how he saw "a large mountain of water bringing with it cars, people, belongings... and pouring everything out into the sea".

Emergency response teams and aid have been deployed from France, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, with more on the way from other nations.

The aid effort has been hampered by the political division of Libya, which plunged into years of war and chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising led to the overthrow and killing of veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The oil-rich North African country now remains split between two rival governments -- a UN-backed administration in the capital Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east.

The International Organization of Migration's Libya chief Tauhid Pasha posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the aim now was to channel all authorities "to work together, in coordination".

Britain's foreign secretary, James Cleverly, said "the big challenge with Libya" was that it lacks a fully functioning government to coordinate with.

"Sadly, in the eastern part of Libya, we just don't have that, and that is why we are not seeing the international support on the ground ... we would wish," he told the BBC.

Thousands missing

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)

Amid the chaos, the true death toll remained unknown, with untold numbers swept into the sea.

The health minister of the eastern administration, Othman Abdeljalil, has said 3,252 people were confirmed dead in Derna.

But Libyan officials and humanitarian organisations warned that the final toll could be much higher with thousands still missing.

The massive flood came as Libya was lashed on September 10 by the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel, which had earlier brought deadly floods to Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.

Tunisian rescue workers recover a body while assisting in relief work in Libya's city of Derna. By - (Tunisia's National Office of Civil Protection/AFP)

The rapidly rising waters burst two upstream river dams in Derna, sending a late-night tidal wave crashing through the centre of the city of 100,000, sweeping entire residential blocks into the Mediterranean.

UN experts have blamed the high death toll on climatic factors as the Mediterranean region has sweltered under an unusually hot summer, and on the legacy of Libya's war that has depleted its infrastructure, early warning systems and emergency response.

Questions are being asked about whether the disaster could not have been prevented, as cracks in the dams were first reported in 1998.

Bodies on the beach

A boy stands next to rubble and debris in Libya's eastern city of Soussa on September 15, 2023. By Mohamed Shalash (AFP)

A week on from the disaster, bodies are still washing up on the sea shore, along with vast amounts of household items and debris.

Hamza Al-Khafifi, 45, a soldier from Benghazi, described to AFP finding the unclothed bodies of "old, young, women, men and children" strewn along the seafront.

"Bodies were stuck between rocks," he said.

A Libyan rescue team in an inflatable boat reported seeing "perhaps 600 bodies" at sea off the Om-al-Briket region, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Derna, according to a video shared on social networks.

An Emirati rescue team assists in relief work in Libya's eastern city of Derna following deadly flash floods. By - (UAE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE/AFP)

In Derna port, three volunteer divers from the west looked on as an Italian team used an underwater camera to search for bodies.

The United Nations has launched an aid appeal for more than $71 million.

The aid being sent to Libya includes water, food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits, medicines and emergency surgical supplies as well as heavy machinery to help clear the debris, and more body bags.

A field hospital sent from France was now operational, President Emmanuel Macron posted on X on Sunday.

Vehicles are buried in mud and rubble in the aftermath of a devastating flood in eastern Libya's city of Derna. By - (AFP)

The scale of the devastation in Derna and surrounding areas has prompted shows of solidarity across divided Libya, as volunteers in Tripoli have collected aid for the flood victims.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned of another risk in the flood area -- unexploded landmines and other ordnance left over from the war that may have been washed into areas previously free of weapon contamination.

burs/ezz/srm/hkb
A Nigerien couple has been turned away from registering in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise being held at the Ketu South Municipal office of the Electoral Commission (EC).

The man and his wife, who had been resident at Aflao for the past 26 years, on Saturday showed up and queued awaiting their turn to register for the Ghanaian Voter Identification card to enable them vote in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections next year.

Mr Kofi Sakyi Boampong, Municipal EC Officer for Ketu South who made them out as non-Ghanaians, told them to leave explaining to them that the exercise was meant for Ghanaians and that it excluded foreigners residing in the country.

The EC Officer, who is also a lawyer, advised the couple to consider the option of legally acquiring the Ghanaian citizenship should they so desire saying, until then, they had no business attempting to register as voters.

He came with the wife, who is also a Nigerien to register. He said he came to Ghana in 1997, built a house here in Aflao and that all his children were given birth to while residing here.

I made them to leave as this exercise is for Ghanaians. I told them if they want to become Ghanaians, they should contact the Aflao Command of the Ghana Immigration Service and take the necessary steps, Mr Boampong spoke to Ghana News Agency (GNA).

I spotted them during one of my routine checks on the queue to ensure orderliness and to also identify the elderly and persons with disability to attend to them. Their demeanor and posture gave them out and so, I got closer to them and upon questioning, they confessed that they're Nigeriens, the EC Officer explained.

Meanwhile, attempts by GNA to get the identity of the couple failed as they were unwilling to mention their names.

GNA
The author of this publication is strongly admonishing Ghanaian church members to not allow their pastors to tell them which direction they must vote come general elections. These pastors and prophets, whether their instruction to their church members to vote for a particular person or political party is based on their own selfish and parochial interests, or the collective interests of their church members, must be scrutinized, and possibly, not swallowed hook, line and sinker.

Are most of these so-called pastors and prophets indeed men of God? Does the bible not tell us that by their actions we shall know them?

I have come across a video in which one pastor or prophet called Adom Kyei Duah, was directing his church members not to vote for a person that insults. Fine.

Is he himself a true man of God? Does he ensure that his church members have same access to the benefits that he enjoys? Does he still not take offerings and possibly, tithes, from the poor members of his church for his personal enjoyment?

Does he expect the church members to vote for non-insulting persons who may rather be corrupt, visionless, incompetent and without the love of the collective interests of the nation and citizens at heart? Does he want his church members, who are like sheep without an honest shepherd to guard and direct them to vote for persons who have exhibited incapacity to enforcing the adherence to the laws, or encouraging the disobedience to the laws, to come to govern Ghana?

Look at someone like former President John Dramani Mahama who has publicly promised to allow, encourage and resource the very group of individuals destroying the nations water bodies, arable and fertile lands and forests and also, allegedly known to be overwhelmingly corrupt, is he much better than the one who insults but is not corrupt and can stop the devastations of the mentioned elements of life?

The author of this publication is calling on Ghanaians to vote for a more visionary, honest, dedicated, capable and able person that has the resolute determination to curb the lawlessness and joblessness militating against the development of Ghana and the welfare of many an ordinary Ghanaian.

The pastors and prophets in manipulating their congregation to exploit them to the hilt, should please cease using politics as a further means to attain their goal.

I wonder why Ghanaians are until now not savvy enough but continue to allow their mostly fake pastors and prophets to deceive them and rip them off.

Ghana should not continue to suffer because of the obvious lack of enforcement of the laws. It is about time we came out of that deplorable situation by voting for he who has the mojo to guarantee the strict enforcement of the laws to yield positive returns to all of us, even if he is an insult-singing parrot.

Fellow Ghanaians, please let us note that without an honest, visionary, dedicated, competent, strict and fair leader, our country will perpetually wobble in stagnation in poverty, crimes and economic deprivation.

Prophet Adom Kyei Duah was indirectly directing his congregation to not vote for Kennedy Agyapong (Hon.), however, he is the one able to bring about the desired positive changes to Ghana, a country abounds in lawlessness, official corruption and other problems made worse by the teeming fake pastors and prophets.

Rockson Adofo
PIMCO Global Stocksplus & Income Fund is a closed ended balanced mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. It invests in fixed income and public equity markets across the globe. The fund uses a long/short strategy to invest in securities by using financial derivatives such as options. It invests in mortgage-related, government, corporate and other debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers and emerging market bonds. The fund invests in investment grade securities with a low- to intermediate-average duration. It invests in stocks of companies across diversified sectors. PIMCO Global Stocksplus & Income Fund was formed on April 30, 2003 and is domiciled in the United States.
Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc. is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Apollo Credit Management, LLC. The Fund invests in fixed income markets. It primarily invests in senior secured loans made to companies whose debt is rated below investment grade. The Fund employs a conservative approach to credit selection that focuses on collateral coverage, structural seniority, and credit fundamentals, with emphasis on leading defensible market positions, stable companies with positive cash flow, and proven management teams. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against the S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index. Apollo Senior Floating Rate Fund Inc. was formed on February 23, 2011 and is domiciled in United States.
Credit Suisse High Yield Bond 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 invests in the securities of companies across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in below-investment-grade corporate bonds with an average credit quality lower than BBB by Standard & Poor's and an average duration of 5.07 years. It focuses factors like financial condition, cash flow and borrowing requirements, value of assets in relation to cost, strength of management, responsiveness to business conditions, credit standing and anticipated results of operations to make its investments. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the BofA Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II Constrained Index. Credit Suisse High Yield Bond Fund, Inc. was formed on July 31, 1998 and is domiciled in the United States.
1 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Yamaguchi Financial Group in the last twelve months. There are currently 1 hold rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" YFGSF shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in YFGSF, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View YFGSF analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.
15 hours ago

Exxon Mobil or Chevron? Which is the better buy?

The answer to whether Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) or Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is a better buy is relative. Exxon was clearly the better buy for investors before the Q3 results were released, but now that those results are in, the tables have turned. While the 2 reported roughly in alignment with each other and analysts targets, there is something wrong with Chevron. Chevrons results highlight why it acquired Hess Corporation and catalyzed a buying opportunity for investors. The takeaway is that Chevron has some hurdles to

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Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones. In addition, it provides laptops, monitors, accessories, smart home and collaboration solutions, augmented and virtual reality, commercial internet of things, and smart infrastructure data center solutions. Further, the company manufactures and distributes IT products, computers, computer hardware, and peripheral equipment; and offers IT, business planning, management, supply chain, finance, administration support, procurement agency, data management, intellectual property, and investment management services. Additionally, it is involved in the retail and service business for consumer electronic products and related digital services; development, ownership, licensing, and sale of communications hardware and software; and develops software and applications. Furthermore, the company distributes smartphone, tablet, server, and storage. It operates in China, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. Lenovo Group Limited was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.
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.
By Eriko Arita, KYODO NEWS - Sep 17, 2023 - 20:35 | All, Feature, Japan, Travel/Tourism

The Asakusa Samba Carnival, a late-summer Tokyo highlight, returned Sunday following a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with sounds of passionate Brazilian music and explosive percussion filling a street in downtown Asakusa, drawing 300,000 spectators.

More than 2,500 people in 16 samba teams, including many dressed in colorful costumes, danced and sang while bands played Brazilian music as they paraded Asakusa's Kaminarimon Street, passing a landmark gate that leads to the popular Sensoji Temple.

The event was scaled down from the previous one, with a shorter parade course and without its typical contest format inspired by Rio de Janeiro's world-famous Carnival. Samba teams also did not have floats.

This year, spectators were prohibited from sitting on the ground along the street or using chairs and tripods amid overcrowding concerns.

Since its start in 1981, the carnival has grown into a major event due to support from festival-loving locals, its organizing committee said, boasting it is the largest Brazilian carnival in the Northern Hemisphere. The event attracted some 500,000 spectators in 2019.

However, the annual samba parade was canceled between 2020 and 2022 following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Nobuyuki Suwa, chairman of the Asakusa Samba Carnival organizing committee, explained that over a year ago when preparations began, the committee decided to scale down the event. The decision was made due to the stagnant Japanese economy at the time, brought about by the pandemic, and the challenges faced in securing funding for the event, he said.

He also noted that samba teams had seen fewer members joining music and dance practices then.

"This round is a step toward holding a full-fledged event next year or later," Suwa told Kyodo News.

The annual event was first held 42 years ago by an association of stores in Asakusa to revitalize the area, according to the organizing committee.

The event has been held in the same spirit as the Rio de Janeiro celebration, with some local volunteers even visiting Brazil's second-most populous city to experience its unique atmosphere and bring the vibrant spirit back home, it said.

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By Mie Sakamoto, KYODO NEWS - Sep 17, 2023 - 14:42 | Feature, All

When Maya Crahe-Sato had to sleep at her son's bedside in a children's hospital near Tokyo, a makeshift cot offered to her was so thin that her French husband described it as like lying on the grates of a barbecue grill.

After her son Leon was found in 2017 to have developed neuroblastoma, a type of cancer, at the age of 4, he was hospitalized in Belgium, France and Japan for treatment, with Crahe-Sato, now 45, remaining by his side often during each stay.

Crahe-Sato wanted to stay with her child at Japanese hospitals to provide emotional support, but she experienced "culture shock" due to the markedly different approach, not to mention the meager accommodations, compared with overseas medical facilities.

In some cases, the Japanese hospitals did not welcome her presence. She says often parents are never even given a choice of whether or not to stay with their child at a hospital.

"First, I was surprised that I was not given a choice to accompany my son or not," Crahe-Sato said. The Japanese hospitals would not even allow her to eat with her son, citing "sanitary reasons," which was not the case in Belgium and France, she says.

"At one hospital in Tokyo, I even felt as if I was not supposed to be there. Staff said they would take care of my son, 'so please don't worry,' but I never felt reassured after seeing unattended crying babies at hospitals that were short-staffed," she said.

In other cases in Japan, parents are often asked by hospitals to attend to their children's daily requirements, and sometimes even asked to take on jobs that are normally reserved for hospital staff, a recent survey by Keep Moms Smiling, a nonprofit organization, showed.

All hospital expenses are covered by medical service fees, meaning parents should not be expected to assist in the care of their hospitalized children, but they are still allowed to stay on if doctors approve, according to the health ministry.

In the survey of around 3,600 parents who have stayed with hospitalized children in the past five years across Japan, 79 percent said hospitals "requested" they accompany their children, the NPO said. It also showed that 71 percent of the respondents were required to accompany their children, whether they wished to or not. This is despite the cost of their entire treatment being fully covered.

Although parents are technically banned from carrying out nursing duties, around 80 percent of respondents said they bathed their children and helped them take medication, while some were even engaged in medical care such as monitoring a ventilator or injecting insulin.

As many parents were unable to sleep or rest sufficiently due to poor facilities and were often forced to skip meals, half of the respondents said their health deteriorated while staying with their hospitalized children, the online survey conducted in November and December last year showed.

In June, the group demanded the government improve conditions for parents who are accompanying their hospitalized children and set up a study panel to address the issue. The government says it will conduct a survey on hospitals to ascertain the situation.

Yuki Mitsuhara, who heads the group, said the problem has been neglected for a long time, as issues related to parents are not prioritized at the health ministry despite the load they are required to bear.

"Parents have not had a chance to raise their voices," Mitsuhara said. "Many parents never questioned the hardships they face because everyone thought it was natural for them to do their best for their children."

Hospitals also face a conflict of interest as parents have become an "important workforce" although they are not supposed to be enlisted to care for their hospitalized children, making it challenging for hospitals to improve conditions for families, Mitsuhara said.

But the group says the solution is not for parents to stop accompanying their children, pointing to a standard-setting charter that protects children's right to be with their parents advocated in 1988 by the European Association for Children in Hospital, an international group seeking to improve the situation for ill children.

"Parents shouldn't be deprived of everything," said Chizuru Watanabe, director of the group that conducted the survey. "Many (parents) want to take care of their children, as providing mental and physical care can help them feel at ease."

But Watanabe said experts must draw the line on the types of care that should be left to medical staff and what should be entrusted to parents.

Hiroko Umeda, an associate professor at Hiroshima International University specializing in pediatric nursing, said parents should be given a choice on whether to accompany their hospitalized children, due to their varying circumstances, including work commitments.

"If parents cannot accompany their children, hospitals need to prepare an environment where children can feel safe and are taken care of by someone who can act as another parental figure," she said.

Umeda said the NPO's survey was "very significant" as it shed light on the important roles of parents, whose health greatly impacts their own children's development.

When Crahe-Sato stayed with Leon at a French hospital, she said she was impressed by the hospitality as she was provided with a daily free breakfast and could even get a facial massage and haircut free of charge.

The hospital also provided her and her son counseling during his hospital stay, as parents were incorporated into their children's treatment program, she said.

"When my son was hospitalized, he told me to 'smile,' as I was probably showing a sad face feeling very sorry for him because of the disease," Crahe-Sato said. Tragically, Leon died last May at the age of 9.

"It is so hard for children if their parents look tired or frustrated," Crahe-Sato said. "I want hospitals to create an atmosphere that will make us feel it is okay to rest and relax."

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Nivedita Jayaram Pawar is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist, who writes on food, art, design, travel and lifestyle.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 17, 2023 - 10:00 | All, Japan

A total of 86 percent of municipalities across Japan feel the need to increase foreign labor, a recent survey by Kyodo News showed, underscoring the serious shortage of workers in farming and other key sectors in the local regions as the country grapples with a declining population.

In the survey that covered Japan's 47 prefectures as well as cities and other municipalities, 84 percent of local government heads said they were either "strongly" concerned that their communities are at risk of disappearing, or "somewhat" afraid.

The figure marks an increase compared to a 2015 study that showed 77 percent of local government leaders were apprehensive about their communities' future. A private group had warned a year before that 896 municipalities could face extinction in the future.

The latest poll, conducted between July and August, was based on a population forecast in April by a research institute that estimated foreign nationals will rise to about 10 percent of Japan's total population in 2070 from around 2 percent in 2020.

The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research also projected that Japan's total population will decline by about 30 percent to 87 million in the same year, with people aged 65 or older accounting for nearly 40 percent.

Of the surveyed respondents, 30 percent felt it "necessary" to promote bringing in foreign workers and 56 percent considered it "somewhat necessary." In contrast, 8 percent believed it to be either "unnecessary" or "somewhat unnecessary."

In 16 prefectures, the ratio of local leaders who recognized the importance of accepting foreign labor stood at 90 percent or higher, with Shimane and Kochi in western Japan seeing the level reach 100 percent.

They primarily cited staffing shortages as the reason, including for medical and nursing care services, for primary industries such as agriculture, and the manufacturing industry.

Among municipalities deeming it unnecessary to increase foreign labor, Shichigahama in Miyagi Prefecture pointed to limited job opportunities the town can offer.

The city of Nishinoomote on Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, said efforts should first focus on luring young Japanese citizens to move and settle down in its area.

Meanwhile, 63 percent of local governments said they were taking steps to help foreign residents integrate in their communities, such as offering Japanese-language education and translating government information into multiple languages.

A total of 20 percent said they are providing financial incentives to companies that hire foreign workers and have job-matching programs between foreign nationals and businesses.

The survey was conducted by sending questionnaires to governors of all 47 prefectures and the heads of 1,741 cities, wards, towns and villages. It received responses from 1,682 people, or 94 percent.

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Sundeep Khanna is a senior journalist and the author of the recently released book 'Cryptostorm: How India became ground zero of a financial revolution'. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Pallavi Aiyar is an award-winning independent journalist who has reported from, and parented in, China, Europe, Indonesia and Japan. She is the author of 'Babies and Bylines: Parenting on the move'.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 17, 2023 - 12:11 | World, All

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un discussed "practical issues" related to the deepening of military cooperation with Russia when meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Vladivostok, North Korean state media reported Sunday.

The remarks came after Shoigu hosted a luncheon to welcome Kim, who visited a Russian Pacific fleet frigate in the country's Far East on Saturday. Kim is in Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.

Kim and Shoigu exchanged "constructive opinions on the practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchange between the armed forces" of their countries, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Kim's visit comes at a time when the two countries have what KCNA described as "a fresh heyday of friendship and solidarity and cooperation."

When Kim and Putin met last week at a space launch center, KCNA reported the two leaders talked about "immediate cooperation matters arising in defending the sovereignty" and vowed to further strengthen bilateral "strategic and tactical cooperation."

Their meeting came amid international concern that North Korea could provide ammunition to Russia, which is struggling to replenish its rapidly depleting stockpiles as its war in Ukraine drags on.

North Korea continues to foster close ties with Russia, with Kim meeting Shoigu when he visited North Korea in July at the time of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

The North Korean state-run media outlet reported during Shiogu's visit that Kim showed him around an arms exhibition that featured weaponry including intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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KYODO NEWS - Sep 17, 2023 - 17:49 | All, Japan

China has been increasing its surveillance of Japanese nationals following Tokyo's decision to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, sources close to the matter said Sunday.

Beijing has investigated the backgrounds of individuals involved in negotiations over the water discharge and a revised counterespionage law took effect in July, broadening the scope of what constitutes spying under Chinese law.

Some political experts have said that the Communist Party may have tried to detain Japanese citizens living in China, with the leadership under President Xi Jinping having become increasingly vigilant about the activities of foreign nationals within the country.

There are more than 100,000 Japanese nationals living in China, and concern has grown among the international community about Beijing's stance, which appears to treat foreign citizens as potential hostages, the experts said.

In April 2021, Japan decided it would discharge the treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean "in around two years." Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government gave the green light to begin the water release on Aug. 24, triggering a strong backlash from China.

Japan has claimed that the discharge is safe, given that the treated water is diluted to reduce tritium levels to less than one-40th of the concentration permitted under national safety standards before being released into the sea.

China, however, has criticized Japan for allowing the discharge of "nuclear-contaminated water" from the plant, which was wrecked in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

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Drew Barrymore poses on the red carpet as she arrives for the Time Magazine 100 gala celebrating their list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world in New York City, New York, April 26, 2023.
The Emergency Rental Assistance office at the ITC Building in Tamuning is shown Wednesday, May 11, 2022.
HOUSTON, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a hard-right Republican firebrand and firm ally of former President Donald Trump, was acquitted of all impeachment charges including corruption, lawbreaking and power abusing in a state Senate voting on Saturday.

The votes fell mostly along party lines, with only two GOP senators voting to convict Paxton on some of the 16 charges after a two-week trial, a stark contrast to over 70 percent of House Republicans who impeached the attorney general in May.

Republicans hold a 19-12 majority in the Senate of the country's largest red state, and a two-thirds majority is required to convict Paxton on any of the charges.

Angela Paxton, the attorney general's wife and a Republican senator, attended the whole proceedings but was not allowed to vote.

The trial has become a political spectacle drawing attention nationwide and is widely expected to deepen rifts among the state's Republican Party.

After the voting, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick slammed the fact that the House of Representatives and its Republican leadership voted to impeach Paxton after only three days of consideration in May and thus wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.

Meanwhile, House impeachment managers said they were disappointed by the Senate's decision.

Lead House impeachment manager Andrew Murr, a Republican, said they made a convincing case to remove Paxton from office while Ann Johnson, a former prosecutor, decried the verdict as "hyper partisan," arguing that overwhelming evidence of Paxton's corruption was ignored.

Paxton, who only attended two days of the trial and was absent during the verdict, said in a statement on Saturday: "The weaponization of the impeachment process to settle political differences is not only wrong, it is immoral and corrupt."

The state's top lawyer said the impeachment was coordinated by the Joe Biden Administration with the state's Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan.

"The House did not come here lightly," Murr said in the closing remarks on Friday. "We discovered unprecedented abuse in the Texas Attorney General's Office by Mr. Paxton."

During the trial, a number of witnesses, including former senior officials under the attorney general, testified that Paxton had repeatedly abused his office by helping Austin real estate developer and campaign donor Nate Paul investigate and harass his enemies, delay foreclosure sales of his properties and obtain confidential records on the police investigating him, The Texas Tribune reported.

House impeachment managers also accused Paul of paying to renovate Paxton's Austin home and helping him carry out and cover up an extramarital affair with a former Senate aide.

In return, Paxton's lawyers called current staffers who said they saw no wrongdoing, and Paxton received no remodeling work by Paul.

Besides a trial on felony securities fraud charges dating back to 2015, Paxton is facing a separate FBI investigation for the same corruption allegations in his impeachment case.

Paxton is only the third sitting official in Texas's nearly 200-year history to have undergone an impeachment process, following Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and District Judge O.P. Carrillo in 1975. 
Reporter

Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post.
Canvassing efforts will begin in two weeks to find families still affected by Typhoon Mawar and get them the support services they need.
Tourists visit the open areas of the grand hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Feb. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

SHANGHAI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Egypt is now ready to open, Eltayeb Sayed Abass Adris, assistant minister for archaeological affairs at the GEM, said in Shanghai on Friday, adding that he is looking forward to undertaking exchanges and dialogues with Chinese museums.

He made the remarks while attending the 3rd Shanghai International Art and Science Forum at the Shanghai Art Collection Museum.

The highly anticipated GEM is located near the Giza Pyramid Scenic Area. It is a museum of ancient Egyptian archaeology covering a huge time span, with more than 57,000 artifacts collected.

The assistant minister said that certain areas of the museum, such as the lobby area and commercial section, are already in operation. "When the entire museum opens, you will be able to fully appreciate all the stunning tomb artifacts of King Tutankhamun and King Khufu," he added.

He said that Egypt and China both enjoy an acclaimed history and have had a huge influence on ancient civilization, a fact that provides a broad foundation for cooperation between the GEM and China's museums.

"We can tell ancient civilization stories together," he said.

He added that the GEM is ready to embrace more and more Chinese tourists. 
Zimbabwe Dollar Depreciates Following Disputed General Election

Since the contested general election held last month, the Zimbabwe dollar has been experiencing a gradual depreciation on both the official and parallel forex markets. Prior to the harmonized elections on August 23, the official exchange rate was at US$1 to $4,568,385.3, while the parallel rate stood at US$1 to $6,500.

As of Friday, the Zimbabwe dollar had further depreciated to US$1 to $4,714,534.1 on the official forex market and US$1 to $8,000 on the parallel market.

Persistence Gwanyanya, a member of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwes monetary policy committee, dismissed the exchange rate decline as purely sentiment-driven, with no significant changes occurring on the economic front. Gwanyanya mentioned that the exchange rate had started to stabilize even before the election date, and while there was a temporary depreciation after the elections, the market rebounded due to the lack of actual changes in the economy, real sectors, and fiscal monetary prudence.

Gwanyanya emphasized the need for continued tight monetary policies to maintain the temporary stability and encourage the exchange rate to firm up again. The central bank has been implementing hawkish monetary policies to address the depreciation of the currency by mopping up local currency liquidity and controlling the money supply.

Economist Prosper Chitambara stressed the importance of fiscal discipline in maintaining exchange rate stability. He emphasized the need to control public spending and enhance the efficiency of government projects undertaken by contractors. Chitambara also highlighted the significance of managing money supply growth, particularly during the upcoming agricultural season associated with increased public spending and monetary expansion.

The depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar following the disputed general election has prompted discussions on the importance of fiscal discipline, controlling money supply growth, and maintaining tight monetary policies to stabilize the exchange rate.

Breaking News via Email
SAO PAULO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed when a small plane crashed on Saturday in Barcelos, an inland city of Amazonas state in northern Brazil, local authorities said.

"They were all tourists who were going on a fishing trip," Amazonas governor Wilson Lima told a press conference, adding that initial information showed all the tourists were Brazilian.

It was reported that the pilot had trouble finding the runway for landing in Barcelos, a sport fishing destination.

The Manaus Aerotaxi airline, owner of the crashed Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, a Brazilian twin-turboprop light transport aircraft, confirmed the accident in a social media statement.

According to Barcelos mayor Edson Mendes, Civil Defense teams found 14 bodies, which included 12 passengers, the pilot, and the co-pilot. 
President Mnangagwa: A Life of Triumphs and Challenges

During his 81st birthday celebrations at State House, President Emmerson Mnangagwa reflected on his remarkable life, marked by numerous hardships and near-death experiences. The event, organized by First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa and members of the First Family, gathered dignitaries, politicians, diplomats, and family members.

President Mnangagwa recounted three instances in which he narrowly escaped death. The most recent incident occurred in 2017 when he was poisoned at a ZANU PF rally in Gwanda while serving as Vice President. Swiftly airlifted to Harare and then to South Africa while unconscious, he credits his survival to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and the First Lady.

The Presidents journey began in 1959 when he joined UNIP (United National Independence Party) in Zambia, later transitioning to ZAPU and meeting nationalist leaders like Herbert Chitepo and Robert Mugabe during his time in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). He underwent military training in Egypt, where he and 13 colleagues were imprisoned for supporting Zimbabwean nationalists who were referred back home as rebels, for deserting Dr Joshua Nkomo after a split in the liberation movement around 1963.

The rebels were led by Ndabaningi Sithole and also included Cde Mugabe and Cde Enos Nkala. President Mnangagwa was the sole survivor among the group, as his colleagues were executed.

Reflecting on his time in prison, he mentioned spending ten years in a dark room at Khami Prison. His survival from the death sentence was attributed to being underage during that period. He also highlighted two other brushes with death, including an incident in Iringa, Tanzania, and his involvement with the Crocodile Gang.

During my time, (the) age of majority was 21; that is why I survived (the death sentence)  my colleagues got hanged, he said.

I was the only survivor. I then spent 10 years at Khami Prison in a dark room. God has been very kind with me.

None of my colleagues, the 13  we were together in Egypt in 1962 and 1963 none survived.

In China, when we trained, we were only five; no one else is alive . . . my colleagues again were hanged here  I am the only survivor, even members of the Crocodile Gang, I am the only survivor.

I had a taste of death three times.

First in Iringa (Tanzania), but that is a story for another day; second, when I was captured and I got my 10 years (imprisonment) because I was underage, I survived.

The third one is very recent, in 2017, when I was poisoned there. I am here because of this young man (Vice President Constantino) Chiwenga.

He and the First Lady were able to rush me to South Africa, where I survived.

They tell me how I travelled, but I dont know.

They tell me from Gwanda (we went to) Gweru (then) to Harare; I was sleeping on Chiwengas lap while I was unconscious.

So, I want my family to know that this young man saved me. He took me to South Africa. It has been a challenging journey.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga acknowledged the Presidents resilience and the numerous adversities he has overcome throughout his life. He emphasized the importance of destiny and divine intervention in President Mnangagwas journey, praising his commitment to the liberation struggle and his enduring spirit.

The President humorously shared his experience of using different names, Dambudzo at home and Emmerson at school. He adopted the name Emmerson without his parents knowledge and delighted the audience with a story about his mothers surprise upon hearing his school name during a results announcement.

He got the name Emmerson from a book he read in a school library.

So, in the 40s, when we went to school, results would be announced on a weekend and parents would come, he continued.

So, class teachers would announce results class by class.

At home, I was called Dambudzo, but at school I was Emmerson, because I had never told my parents that I had changed (my name).

So, the teacher said Emmerson, you did well in English and Arithmetic, stand up, while pointing at me.

But I could not stand up because I was sitting with my mother.

When I then stood up, my mother said: Hezvo! Hezvo! Ko wava kunzi ani?

The birthday dinner, which exceeded the Presidents expectations, brought together family members, Cabinet Ministers, Vice Presidents, traditional chiefs, politicians, diplomats, and clergy. The menu featured a combination of Western and traditional dishes known for their nutritional value and medicinal properties.

First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa emphasized the importance of womens roles in building and uniting families, urging them to create peaceful environments free from societal vices. She also encouraged the celebration and preservation of traditional dishes for their health benefits.

President Mnangagwas life is a testament to resilience, sacrifice, and divine protection. As Zimbabwe celebrates his 81st birthday, his remarkable journey continues to inspire and shape the destiny of the nation.

Breaking News via Email
Biden Regime and NATO may be collaborating with Bill Gates to attack Russia with virus-spreading genetically-mutated MOSQUITOES

Look, up in the sky, it's not birds or planes, it's genetically modified mosquitoes. Sure, you've heard of weapons of mass destruction, but nothing like this before. Kremlin military police are up in arms about the distinct likelihood that Bill Gates and his globalist minions are planning to attack Moscow, the Russian capital (and try to assassinate Putin in the process), with genetically mutated mosquitoes equipped with gain-of-function viruses concocted in laboratories, much like Covid-19, but worse.

Is this paranoia, or just the next phase of the US-NATO insidious alliance to ignite World War III? It's now a cold hard fact that there exists a Columbian mosquito factory funded by the insidious Bill Gates, where scientists are breeding at least 30 million virus-infected mosquitoes every week. Using the infected mosquitoes like WMDs, the US and NATO could release them from drones or catapult them from the western border of Ukraine, into Russia, and literally wipe out millions of Russians in a matter of weeks or months.

Of course, the pharma-controlled mass media of America would just say some terrorists invaded a laboratory in Ukraine, or someone ate another infected bat at a Russian food market, or maybe just call it the "Skito-23" variant of Covid-19. Release the Skito-Kraken! Biden would declare, saying the quiet part out loud, like he so often does.

The "Kraken" is a Scandinavian folklore creature capable of destroying entire legions of ships and dragging sailors to their death. Instead, Bill Gates GMO mosquitoes would just fly around Russia, biting the civilians, military, and Putin, infecting them with Covid-23, the most "deadly" and "contagious" form of Wuhan virus yet.

Biological warfare comes in many forms, including genetically modified mosquitoes

No, population reduction is not a conspiracy theory. It's been going on for thousands of years, and many psychopathic dictators and tyrannical leaders have engaged it quite successfully. Today's globalists are no different, except they use vaccines, gain-of-function viruses, and wait for it virus-infused, genetically mutated mosquitoes. Maybe the GM insects will inject spike proteins into the populace of Russia, and make them all suffer from myocarditis and sudden "unexplainable" heart attacks. Only time will tell.

Bill Gates already invested a couple hundred million to erect the mosquito factory at the epicenter of his WMP (World Mosquito Program). Gates likes to infect third world countries and nations, like India, Brazil, and Africa, with his genocide experiments, while pretending to be trying to save them from famine, disease, and runaway fertility. Remember the Zika, Swine, and (nasal spray) Polio vaccines?

Maybe the GM-Gates-Mosquitoes will just inject infertility chemicals into the masses, to help with climate change. We already know that Bill "Population Reduction" Gates gave his WMP operation synopsis of how he would breed and release Wolbachia-bacteria-infected mosquitoes to kill other wild mosquitoes that may be carrying viruses, which makes about as much sense as throwing gasoline on a fire to try to put it out. Sure, create a new deadly mosquito population to try to reduce a different deadly mosquito population. Again, release the Kraken to kill the other Kraken!

Sure Bill. Sounds like a brilliant plan. Instead of WMDs, the Biden Regime is teaming up with Bill Gates and NATO to use WMPs to kill those pesky Russians who keep destroying the US-NATO gain-of-function labs in Ukraine. Keep your truth news in check by adding Preparedness.news to your favorites list and tuning in daily for updates on real news about surviving and thriving the mosquito apocalypse coming to a summer picnic near you.

Sources for this article include:

Censored.news

NaturalNews.com

The-Sun.com

GreatGameIndia.com
HEALTH FREEDOM VICTORY: California legislature quietly scraps medical misinformation law AB 2098 after judge obliterates its constitutionality

In an unexpected but expedient turn of events, the infamous "medical misinformation" bill, known as Assembly Bill 2098, that was passed last year in California and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom has been quietly struck from the books after Judge Danielle Forrest obliterated the arguments put forth by its supporters.

AB 2098 would have given Newsom and the California legislature free rein to strip the licenses of doctors who disagree with the official "scientific consensus" on the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and other health-related issues. Thankfully, AB 2098 is dead thanks to the efforts of five doctors  Tracy Hoeg, Ram Duriseti, Aaron Kheriaty, Pete Mazolewsky, and Azadeh Khatibi  that sued over the bill's unconstitutional violations of both the First and Fourth Amendments.

In court, the five physicians successfully argued that AB 2098 would have prevented them from providing pertinent and relevant information to their patients that may contradict what the law would have restricted or prohibited them from saying. In essence, AB 2098 was a bullying bill that threatened to demolish the entire medical system in the Golden State by turning it communist.

Watch Dr. Kheriaty's testimony in opposition to AB 2098 below:

(Related: Another thing the rogue California legislature, Newsom included, is trying to do involves de-licensing all doctors throughout the state who refuse to follow the official COVID script.)

California legislature behaving suspiciously with AB 2098 repeal as it toys around with shell game tactics to deter lawsuit

The lawsuit has not yet ended, but the California legislature can clearly see that it is losing, which is why it quietly added a provision to Senate Bill 815 to repeal AB 2098.

"It's incredibly last minute," commented Laura Powell, one of the lawyers representing the five suing doctors who successfully obtained a preliminary injunction against AB 2098 back in January.

"Thursday is the last day to vote on bills, and it has to be passed by both chambers. We are unlikely to move for dismissal at this time, certainly not until repeal is complete."

In other words, Powell seems to be expressing concern that the California legislature might be trying to pull a fast one by inserting the AB 2098 repeal language into SB 815, which may not end up passing, in order to persuade the plaintiffs to lower their guard and even drop the case too soon before SB 815 has the chance to get passed and signed into law.

"I guess the state doesn't feel good about its chances of prevailing since we obtained a preliminary injunction against this unconstitutional law," Powell tweeted.

In the court room after Deputy Attorney General Kristin Liska tried to claim that AB 2098 is necessary to stop doctors from telling patients that "garlic cures cancer," as one example, Judge Forrest blasted her tactics and further indicated that the California legislature is on the losing side of this battle.

"You give some dramatic examples, and I understand why," Judge Forrest chided, adding that disagreement over COVID treatments is an entirely different matter and "has existed even amongst the medical community about what we do about it."

Judge Forrest would go on to explain to Liska, and ultimately the California legislature itself, that AB 2098 unnecessarily refers to "consensus in the scientific community as though that's something different or in addition to the standard of care" that doctors are already expected to follow.

"Not allowing 'medical misinformation' when half of all medical research gets overturned eventually actually means forcing medical misinformation," one commenter noted.

"Real science, not The Science, needs open discussion, dumb ideas, bad ideas, wrong ideas, and free speech in general to function."

The idea of "medical misinformation" is just another phony notion, just like the concept of a "hate crime" that free speech haters are trying to use as justification to abolish the First Amendment. Learn more at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Missing American-Israeli thinktank chief and whistleblower to Bidens familys CORRUPT dealings charged with China-linked offenses, arms trafficking

press release from Damian Williams , U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York, came out July 10 announcing the unsealing of an eight-count Indictment charging Gal Luft, head of a U.S. think tank and retired Israel Defense Forces (IDF) lieutenant colonel, with offenses related to willfully failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, arms trafficking in China, Libya, the U.A.E. and Kenya, Iranian sanctions violations and making false statements to federal agents.

The timing of the charges is highly suspect, given Luft's efforts to blow the whistle on Biden crime family corruption and bribery. It seems that every person who attempts to shed light on the criminality of the regime in power gets indicted by that same regime.

The 57-year-old is a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, who was indicted on November 1, 2022, and extradited on February 17, 2023, in the Republic of Cyprus based on the charges in the Indictment. The unsealed indictment described him as a fugitive, having skipped bail in the country in April while awaiting extradition.

Williams said in the statement: "As alleged, Gal Luft, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and co-head of a Maryland think tank, engaged in multiple, serious criminal schemes. He subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking U.S. government official; he acted as a broker in deals for dangerous weapons and Iranian oil; and he told multiple lies about his crimes to law enforcement. As the charges unsealed today reflect, our Office will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to detect and hold accountable those who surreptitiously attempt to perpetrate malign foreign influence campaigns here in the United States."

Should he be found guilty of the offenses stated in his arrest warrant, he could potentially be sentenced to a maximum of 96 years of imprisonment.

The U.S. attorney on the other hand lauded the "outstanding investigative work" of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its New York field office, Counterintelligence Division. He also thanked the Internal Revenue Service  Criminal Investigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) National Security Division, and the DOJ's Office of International Affairs for their assistance.

Before the extradition, Luft accused President Joe Biden of China-linked corruption involving his son, Hunter. The former has been presented by GOPs as a "missing" witness against the president. A few days prior to the unsealing of the indictment, the Israeli professor laid out his bribery allegations against the president's family in a video filmed in an undisclosed location while he was on the run. In the 14-minute recording, obtained exclusively by the New York Post, he said he was arrested in Cyprus to stop him from testifying to the House Oversight Committee that the Biden family received payments from individuals with alleged ties to Chinese military intelligence and that they had an FBI mole who shared classified information with their benefactors from the China-controlled energy company CEFC. (Related: The Biden crime syndicate is one of the most evil secret societies in world history, guilty of child trafficking and high treason against America, FBI And DOJ whistleblowers allege.)

BREAKING: Just days after Biden corruption whistleblower Gal Luft came forward with the following video detailing Biden family corruption, the DOJ announces multiple indictments against him. The Department of Justice solely exists to protect the Washington elites. After pic.twitter.com/UEZeyjmcE9  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 10, 2023

According to him, he provided the evidence to six officials from the FBI and DOJ in a secret meeting in Brussels in March 2019. He alleged that it was covered up. "I, who volunteered to inform the US government about a potential security breach and about compromising information about a man vying to be the next president, am now being hunted by the very same people whom I informed and may have to live on the run for the rest of my life," he said, adding he is not a Republican nor a Democrat. "I have no political motive or agenda  I did it out of deep concern that if the Bidens were to come to power, the country would be facing the same traumatic Russia collusion scandal  only this time with China. Sadly, because of the DOJ's cover-up, this is exactly what happened."

I've been arrested in Cyprus on a politically motivated extradition request by the US. The US, claiming I'm an arms dealer. It would be funny if it weren't tragic. I've never been an arms dealer. DOJ is trying to bury me to protect Joe,Jim&Hunter Biden. Shall I name names?  Gal Luft (@GalLuft) February 19, 2023

The recent "unsealing" has received backlash from critics, especially from Republicans who are currently working on seeking the truth about the Biden crime family's illegal business dealings. Last Friday, James Comer of Kentucky, chair of the House oversight committee, said Luft was "a credible witness that the FBI flew all the way to Brussels to interview and sent several agents to interview."

Moreover, in a tweet dated July 10, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin raised his concern: "Is DOJ trying to silence Dr. Gal Luft from publicly exposing Biden family corruption?"

Is DOJ trying to silence Dr. Gal Luft from publicly exposing Biden family corruption? The American people deserve the truth and Dr. Luft must have the chance to testify before Congress. pic.twitter.com/7bTv6R8inE  Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) July 9, 2023

He said that Luft's claim must also be subject to investigation. "The American people deserve the truth and Luft must have the chance to testify before Congress," the lawmaker added.

Luft worked with IDF for 15 years, during which he concluded his active duty after fulfilling the role of an artillery battalion commander. Subsequently, he relocated to Washington to pursue studies at the prestigious Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. There, he successfully earned a Ph.D. in the field of international security under the esteemed guidance of Professor Eliot Cohen.

Bookmark BigGovenment.news to follow stories on how the current regime goes out of its way to "cover up the crimes" it commits.

Sources for this article include:

Justice.gov

NYPost.com

GreatGameIndia.com
Another train accident in Nebraska just released massive plume of perchloric acid, evacuations ordered for four-mile radius

Another freight train, this one owned by Union Pacific Railroad (UP), has exploded in a Nebraska railyard , sending up massive plumes of toxic perchloric acid.

Reports indicate that the incident occurred in the city of North Platte in the early afternoon hour of September 14, prompting an evacuation order for a four-mile radius around the city.

"Emergency evacuation for the area between splinter and front North of railroad track due fire at the railroad involving heavy toxic smoke," reads a social media post from the North Platte Volunteer Fire Department.

Later in the afternoon, North Platte VFD shared an update that the explosion occurred at approximately 12:10 pm, and was extinguished later that same evening.

The incident occurred at North Platte's Bailey Yard inside a stationary container aboard a railcar. The ignition of perchloric acid caused several nearby railcars to catch fire.

"No Union Pacific personnel were injured, and our employees have been safely evacuated," UP spokesperson Robynn Tysver told the North Platte Telegraph.

(Related: In the coming years, "cancer clusters" are expected to emerge all around East Palestine where earlier this year a freight train carrying vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed and was intentionally blown up by authorities.)

Explosion produced two plumes of smoke: one black and the other orange

In this incident, it was not a train derailment such as what occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, but rather a mysterious explosion that occurred for an unknown reason inside a car that "had been stationary in the yard for a couple hours."

Perchloric acid, by the way, is a hazardous material used not only in explosives but also in some processed foods, pharmaceutical drugs, and biocidal products. And investigation has ensued to determine the cause of the "accident."

An evacuation order was issued for all homes between Homestead and Front "due to wind and weather changing," which authorities feared would send the toxic plume that direction.

Authorities sent out an emergency SMS notification to all affected residents throughout the area notifying them about the evacuation order and which areas were being evacuated.

"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 Bailey's west hump. U.S. 30 traffic was also being stopped at Buffalo Bill Avenue inside North Platte," the North Platte Telegraph further reported.

"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 city's emergency notification system."

The Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and State Recreation Area has been closed due to the explosion, as has the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center located just to the south of Bailey Yard.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation posted barricades in the late afternoon on Thursday both at West A and West Front streets along Lakeview Boulevard. U.S. 30 reopened for traffic at around 5pm.

"I just saw something and I looked and it was just a big ball of flame," said volunteer Gregg Robertson about what he saw of the explosion while speaking with someone inside the tower.

"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."

According to Robertson, there were two smoke plumes that rose from the blast site: one to the east that looked like black smoke and one to the west that looked like orange smoke, "something like I've not seen from a fire," he commented.

You will find more strange and concerning news stories like this at Chaos.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NPTelegraph.com

NaturalNews.com
YouTube censoring evidence of Ukrainian troops embracing Nazi symbols

If you have some genuine information about Nazis in Ukraine, YouTube will prevent you from posting. I tried repeatedly tonight to upload the second video below 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 (I had to use Rumble). 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.

(Article by Larry Johnson republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

However, remember the Nazi Boneface? Turns out he is a fake Nazi and, according to information obtained by Laura Loomer (and I can confirm her source is legit), Boneface is a Confidential Human Informant being run by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Boneface has never been in Ukraine, despite his claims to the contrary. And he is not a CIA asset and the CIA has not paid him a dime to travel overseas. DHS has been trying to use him to keep tabs on the American Nazi movement despite his documented criminal past. I will write in detail about this tomorrow.

Lest you think that YouTube rejects all Nazi content, think again. YouTube is quite happy to allow a documentary on rightwing American Nazis. No problem. Here is one example:

Now look at the following video. This is genuine footage from Ukraine. 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?

Ukraines 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. How so? Let me show you one of the images sent to Laura Loomer to ostensibly prove Boneface was in Ukraine. Take a look at the following two images. The top one is allegedly Boneface standing next to a civilian corpse in Ukraine. But it is a sloppy photoshop. Look at the mouth in the top image. The tattoo on the upper lip matches one on the upper lip of Boneface. But that image is a forgery. Look at the second image. That is the original. Notice the different angle on the mouth.

This image is being used by elements of Ukrainian intelligence to discredit Loomer and anyone else who buys into the fantastical tale of Bonefaces claim that he was fighting in Ukraine. He has never been there.

Here is Roger Stones interview of Laura. She goes into some important details about Boneface and his ties to the U.S. Government. I do not have a problem with U.S. law enforcement using informants to penetrate genuine Nazi organizations. But I do have a problem when the U.S. Government handlers are facilitating criminal activity and tacitly supporting Ukraines efforts to discredit the evidence that there is a living, breathing Nazi element at the heart of Ukraines Government and military. More tomorrow.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com
Tropical Storm Nigel could become the next Atlantic hurricane in the coming days, with the potential to follow the tracks of Hurricane Lee. The developing tropical storm, classified as Invest 97L, may threaten the eastern Caribbean region and the United States East Coast once it becomes either a hurricane or a major hurricane, according to the latest weather forecast.

Earlier this week, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the former tropical system hovering over the Atlantic Ocean could threaten the U.S. by mid-September, a forecast covered by Nature World News.

Since then, the system has become more organized and strengthened into a storm, moving at a west-northwestward pattern at a speed of 10 to 15 miles per hour over the Central Atlantic Ocean.

Tropical Storm Nigel

According to AccuWeather meteorologists, Nigel poses a greater threat in Bermuda than Lee, when it passed the island country over the past week, adding the developing tropical storm could impact the country by the middle of next week. During this period, strong to hurricane-force winds are possible, as well as heavy rain and flooding.

Tropical Storm Nigel, which was last detected between West Africa and the Leeward Islands, formed a week after the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season's third major hurricane, Lee, formed on September 5. Just like other storms in the region, Lee started as a tropical depression powered by a tropical wave from the coast of West Africa and into the Atlantic.

Major Hurricane Lee has impacted the New England region in the U.S. and the eastern parts of Canada in recent days. As the gaze focused on Lee, AccuWeather says the next area to monitor will be the said tropical wave between Africa and the Caribbean region.

There is no specified date and location for Nigel's landfall. However, Lee is expected to make landfall in New England or Atlantic Canada this coming weekend.

Also Read: Hurricane Lee at Category 3: New England, Atlantic Canada Brace for Damaging Winds

Hurricane Weather Hazards

During the Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30 each year, hurricanes or major hurricanes are the most destructive systems due to their powerful winds. In the past, coastal areas of countries in the Caribbean and the southern parts of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard were the most affected by storms and hurricanes, especially during landfall.

According to the NHC, the major hazards linked with hurricanes are storm surge, storm tide, heavy rain, and inland flooding, as well as high winds. In previous hurricane events, coastal flooding, or coastal erosion, caused by large waves due to powerful winds, has devastated coastal communities.

Storm Surge

The U.S. hurricane monitoring agency explains that a storm surge can lead to loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and bridges, along the coast. There are also instances where a storm tide can reach several miles inland.

Earlier this month, a strong Mediterranean storm resulted in deadly flooding in communities across eastern Libya, with a death toll reaching 11,300 in the coastal city of Derna. Prior to the disaster, eastern Libya officials reportedly warned residents to evacuate over fears of a storm surge from the sea.

Related Article: New Tropical System Over the Atlantic Ocean Could Threaten US by Mid-September
Tokyo's issue of having fewer farmers is addressed by a smart farming method that uses 5G and smart eyewear and is attracting interest from all around the world.

Dwindling Birth Rate Means Fewer Farmers

Japan has been seeing a declining birth rate and an aging population, which leads to certain obstacles with its agriculture sector being one of the most challenging.

This has resulted in a significant drop in agricultural laborers, with key workers in private farming enterprises decreasing by 394,000, constituting a 22.4% decline from 2015 to 2020, falling from 1.76 million to 1.36 million.

The 2020 Census of Agriculture and Forestry in Japan, published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, revealed that 69.6% of these key agricultural workers were 65 years or older, marking a 4.7% increase in the average age of laborers over five years.

This trend jeopardizes Japan's food production capacity and global agricultural competitiveness.

To counteract this, various entities, including NTT AgriTechnology Corporation, are implementing innovative smart agriculture initiatives to enhance productivity and reduce labor needs.

Quality Tomatoes, 5G, and Smart Glasses

In 2020, NTT AgriTechnology, Tokyo Development Foundation for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT East) launched a three-year collaboration for a project known as "cutting-edge agriculture," which will be using private 5G.

The project, now in its third year, aims to create a Tokyo-based model to enhance Japanese agriculture.

Private 5G offers stable communication, ideal for addressing immediate crop issues.

Greenhouses in Chofu City, Tokyo, equipped with private 5G, grew tomatoes using ultrahigh-resolution cameras and smart glasses.

The collaborators explained that automation manages greenhouse environments, optimizing crop photosynthesis by monitoring temperature and indoor CO2 levels.

Even inexperienced workers achieved quality tomato production through remote guidance.

Additionally, the project established a local production for local consumption model, selling tomatoes within Chofu City and supplying local elementary schools.

Also Read: Researchers Find Gene for Breeding Virus-Resistant Cassava - Africa

Smart Farming Tailor-Fitted for Japan

The Netherlands and Spain have exemplified the successful implementation of advanced environmental management technologies and labor optimization in establishing large-scale agricultural systems.

The Netherlands, the world's second-largest agricultural producer with an area roughly 40% of Japan's, serves as a compelling model.

NTT AgriTechnology representatives conducted research in the Netherlands and were particularly impressed by the semi-automated and standardized operations in large-scale greenhouse horticulture systems.

However, replicating this model in Japan presents unique challenges due to seasonal variations, including summer heatwaves, typhoons, heavy snowfall, and coastal winds.

Additionally, the shortage of experienced growers and workers in large-scale greenhouse horticulture required innovative solutions.

Their objective was to develop a versatile facility, incorporating knowledge acquired overseas and integrating monitoring systems focusing on labor and work management, as well as digitalization.

This Tokyo-based agricultural innovation has attracted agriculture professionals and researchers worldwide.

The strategic location in Tokyo, easily accessible for international visitors, has garnered substantial attention.

NTT AgriTechnology is now considering global dissemination of these technologies along with training programs.

This Tokyo-based agricultural system holds the potential not only to address issues within Japan's agricultural sector but also to contribute to alleviating global food crises.

Related Article: Mozambique Coffee Farming Saves Gorongosa National Park and Its Community of Farmers
Workers are busy in a workshop of Harbin Turbine Company Limited of Harbin Electric Corporation in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 11, 2023.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

This photo taken on June 16, 2022 shows a wind farm in Qiqihar City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

This photo taken on Sept. 13, 2023 shows an offshore wind farm in Dalian City of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

This photo taken on Sept. 13, 2023 shows an offshore wind farm in Dalian City of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

This aerial photo taken on June 29, 2022 shows the reservoir of the Huanggou pumped-storage hydropower station in Hailin City of Mudanjiang, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a wind turbine under construction in Yilan County, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 8, 2021 shows a wind farm in Daqing City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

This photo taken on Sept. 13, 2023 shows an offshore wind farm in Dalian City of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

This photo taken on Sept. 13, 2023 shows an offshore wind farm in Dalian City of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Staff members work at the Huanggou pumped-storage hydropower station in Hailin City of Mudanjiang, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 29, 2022.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

A worker is busy in a workshop of Harbin Electric Machinery Company Limited of Harbin Electric Corporation in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, April 11, 2023.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

Staff members look at monitors at a control office of a biomass power generated company in Dandong City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 15, 2023.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

A staff member inspects a gas storage area of PetroChina Liaohe Oilfield gas storage group in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2021.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

A worker of CSSC Haizhuang Windpower installs a part of a wind turbine, in northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 13, 2023.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 7, 2023 shows a wind farm in Yilan County, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

Workers of CSSC Haizhuang Windpower lubricate wind turbines, in northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 13, 2023.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 9, 2021 shows a photovoltaic power plant in Daqing City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

This aerial photo taken on March 8, 2023 shows a wind farm in Tongyu County, northeast China's Jilin Province. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Jiang Mingming)

This aerial photo taken on July 11, 2023 shows photovoltaic panels in Zhangwu County in northeast China's Liaoning Province. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Long Lei)

This aerial photo taken on July 25, 2023 shows a view of the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) under construction in Huludao, northeast China's Liaoning Province. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Long Lei)

This aerial photo taken on March 8, 2023 shows wind turbine blades produced by Chongtong Chengfei New Material Co., Ltd. in Da'an City, northeast China's Jilin Province. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Jiang Mingming)

This aerial photo taken on July 11, 2023 shows photovoltaic panels in Zhangwu County in northeast China's Liaoning Province. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Long Lei)

A villager weeds at the field under photovoltaic panels in Zhangwu County in northeast China's Liaoning Province, July 11, 2023. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Long Lei)

A worker is busy in a workshop of Harbin Turbine Company Limited of Harbin Electric Corporation in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 27, 2022. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

Workers are busy in a workshop of Harbin Turbine Company Limited of Harbin Electric Corporation in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 27, 2022. In recent years, the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang have sped up the development of clean energy generation such as wind power, photovoltaic power and biomass power generation. This is of great significance for ensuring safe and reliable power supply, accelerating clean energy transition and low-carbon development, and promoting the full revitalization of northeast China. (Xinhua/Wang Song)
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The Constitution (108th amendment) Bill, 2008better known as the Womens Reservation Bill sought to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies. In other words, 181 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha and 1,370 out of a total of 4,129 seats in the state Assemblies across the country would be blocked for women. Besides, one-third of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were to be reserved for women of those communities in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies. It also provided for the rotation of reserved seats and an end date for the womens quota15 years after the bill was enacted. The legislation was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but was never taken up in the Lower House and lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014.

Why in news now

The Womens Reservation Bill was never out of the news. Two recent developments have brought the floodlights back on it. First, former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP and the current MLC, K Kavitha, the daughter of BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, staged a six-hour protest at Delhis Jantar Mantar seeking the passage of the bill. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury was the chief guest at the protest while more than 10 political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Rashtriya Lok Dal, joined it. Ironically, most of these parties had been staunchly against the legislation in the past. Kavithas protest drew eyeballs as it was staged on March 9, a day before she had to appear before the Enforcement Directorate for her alleged role in the Delhi excise scam. The BJP dismissed it as a ploy to change the headline on the scam.

Second, after a surprise announcement of a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, its been widely speculated that the womens bill could be introduced and passed to derive electoral mileage. In 2014, the BJP promised 33% reservation for women in its manifesto and repeated the promise in 2019. Analysts believe that by passing the bill now, the BJP could win the crucial support of the female electorate, while also catching its rivals by surprise in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Since the BJP has a massive majority in the Lok Sabha, the bill can easily sail through, 13 years after it was passed by an overwhelming majority by the Rajya Sabha in 2010.

What happened in 2010

The bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in May, 2008 and referred to a standing committee. On June 4, 2009, while addressing the first session of 15th Lok Sabha, President Pratibha Patil listed the 100-day agenda of UPA-II government, which included the early passage of the Womens Reservation Bill and a constitutional amendment to provide 50% quota for women in panchayats and urban local bodies. Though it didnt happen within the promised 100 days, nine months later, Rajya Sabha passed the Womens Reservation Bill on March 9, 2010. Drafted during UPA-I, it was pushed through in UPA-II with unequivocal support from the primary opposition BJP and the Left in the Upper House where ruling coalition was in a minority.

At the time of voting, the effective strength of the 245-member House was 233. However, only 187 members voted and the bill was passed with a thumping majority of 186-1 after two days of high drama that saw the suspension of seven members who violently disrupted the proceedings. UPA ally Trinamool Congress, with two members in the Rajya Sabha, did not participate in the voting. BSP, having 12 members, walked out of the House saying the bill did not contain amendments suggested by it. The JD(U) and its then president Sharad Yadav were its most vocal opponents. However, its members in the RS voted in favour of the legislation. The SP, which opposed it, demanded 33% reservation for backward groups within the 33% quota for women.

For their part, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley described the measure as momentous and historic. The bill was passed by the Upper House 14 years after its first version was introduced by the United Front government in 1996 but was allowed to lapse. Bills pending in the Lok Sabha lapse with the dissolution of the House, but those pending in the Rajya Sabha are put in a live register and can be taken up subsequently.

Need for the bill

In the present Lok Sabha, there are 78 women MPs, which is the highest ever, but in terms of overall share, it works out to be under 15%. The share of women in the Rajya Sabha is just 11%. It is much less than the global average. According to data from PRS legislative research, Rwanda (61%), South Africa (43%) and even Bangladesh (21%) are well ahead of India. India ranks 144 out of 193 countries in terms of the representation of women in Parliament, says the Inter-Parliamentary Unions latest report. Those in favour of enhanced participation of women in politics point out that affirmative action is necessary to improve their condition. Some recent studies on panchayats have shown the positive effect of reservation on the empowerment of women and on the allocation of resources. Besides, the presence of women leads to gender sensitisation in lawmaking. A study by the American Economic Association shows that countries with higher share of women in Parliament are more likely to pass and implement gender-sensitive laws. After the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution - which reserved one-third of all seats and chairperson posts for women in rural and urban local governments - the panchayati raj system has seen the worlds largest number of women joining the political mainstream.

The naysayers

Those opposing the quota argue that it would perpetuate the unequal status of women since they would not be perceived to be competing on merit. They also contend that this policy diverts attention from the larger issues of electoral reform such as criminalisation of politics and inner-party democracy. The reservation of seats in Parliament restricts the choice of voters to women candidates. Thus, some experts suggested alternative methods, such as reservation in parties and dual member constituencies, as per PRS report.

Besides, male politicians are wary of the rotation of reserved constituencies, claiming it may reduce the incentive for any MP to work for his constituency as he may be ineligible to seek re-election from the same constituency. The bill has also been opposed by politicians from socially and economically backward classes. They argue that reservation would only help women of the elitist groups to gain seats. Some also cite the example of Pradhan Patis in UP and Bihar where women candidates contest on reserved seats but real power remains with the husbands.

THE PRECURSORS

Pre-Independence: Prominent women leaders like Begum Shah Nawaz and Sarojini Naidu argued against any preferential treatment, saying it would violate the integrity of Indian womens demand for absolute equality of political status. Womens reservation came up in Constituent Assembly debates as well, but it was rejected with the assumption that once India becomes a democracy, all social groups would be taken care of

1971

A Committee of the Status of Women in India underlined the declining political representation of women in India and sought quota in local bodies. State govts began announcing reservations

for women in local bodies

1988

The National Perspective Plan for Women recommended that reservation be provided to women right from the level of the panchayat to Parliament

1992/93

Recommendations of the National Perspective Plan for Women resulted in the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, which mandated all state governments to reserve one-third of seats for women in panchayati raj institutions and one-third of the offices of the chairperson at all levels. Also provided for horizontal one-third reservation for SC/ST women

1996

United Front government led by Deve Gowda tabled the Womens Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha as the 81st Amendment Bill but was blocked by SPs Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJDs Lalu Prasad and then Samata partys Sharad Yadav. The bill was referred to a joint parliamentary committee, which submitted its report to the Lok Sabha in December, 1996. But it lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

1998

Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government reintroduced it in the 12th Lok Sabha amid pandemonium. An RJD MP tore a copy of the bill in the House. It failed to get the required support and lapsed again. It was reintroduced in 1999, 2002 and 2003. By and by, more and more parties came on board to support it

2008

Introduced as the 108th Constitution Amendment Bill, it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha and passed on March 9, 2010. That is where its journey stalled



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LUCKNOW: The Constitution (108th amendment) Bill, 2008better known as the Womens Reservation Bill sought to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies. In other words, 181 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha and 1,370 out of a total of 4,129 seats in the state Assemblies across the country would be blocked for women. Besides, one-third of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were to be reserved for women of those communities in the Lok Sabha and the legislative assemblies. It also provided for the rotation of reserved seats and an end date for the womens quota15 years after the bill was enacted. The legislation was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but was never taken up in the Lower House and lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. Why in news now The Womens Reservation Bill was never out of the news. Two recent developments have brought the floodlights back on it. First, former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP and the current MLC, K Kavitha, the daughter of BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, staged a six-hour protest at Delhis Jantar Mantar seeking the passage of the bill. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury was the chief guest at the protest while more than 10 political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Rashtriya Lok Dal, joined it. Ironically, most of these parties had been staunchly against the legislation in the past. Kavithas protest drew eyeballs as it was staged on March 9, a day before she had to appear before the Enforcement Directorate for her alleged role in the Delhi excise scam. The BJP dismissed it as a ploy to change the headline on the scam. Second, after a surprise announcement of a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, its been widely speculated that the womens bill could be introduced and passed to derive electoral mileage. In 2014, the BJP promised 33% reservation for women in its manifesto and repeated the promise in 2019. Analysts believe that by passing the bill now, the BJP could win the crucial support of the female electorate, while also catching its rivals by surprise in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Since the BJP has a massive majority in the Lok Sabha, the bill can easily sail through, 13 years after it was passed by an overwhelming majority by the Rajya Sabha in 2010.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); What happened in 2010 The bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in May, 2008 and referred to a standing committee. On June 4, 2009, while addressing the first session of 15th Lok Sabha, President Pratibha Patil listed the 100-day agenda of UPA-II government, which included the early passage of the Womens Reservation Bill and a constitutional amendment to provide 50% quota for women in panchayats and urban local bodies. Though it didnt happen within the promised 100 days, nine months later, Rajya Sabha passed the Womens Reservation Bill on March 9, 2010. Drafted during UPA-I, it was pushed through in UPA-II with unequivocal support from the primary opposition BJP and the Left in the Upper House where ruling coalition was in a minority. At the time of voting, the effective strength of the 245-member House was 233. However, only 187 members voted and the bill was passed with a thumping majority of 186-1 after two days of high drama that saw the suspension of seven members who violently disrupted the proceedings. UPA ally Trinamool Congress, with two members in the Rajya Sabha, did not participate in the voting. BSP, having 12 members, walked out of the House saying the bill did not contain amendments suggested by it. The JD(U) and its then president Sharad Yadav were its most vocal opponents. However, its members in the RS voted in favour of the legislation. The SP, which opposed it, demanded 33% reservation for backward groups within the 33% quota for women. For their part, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley described the measure as momentous and historic. The bill was passed by the Upper House 14 years after its first version was introduced by the United Front government in 1996 but was allowed to lapse. Bills pending in the Lok Sabha lapse with the dissolution of the House, but those pending in the Rajya Sabha are put in a live register and can be taken up subsequently. Need for the bill In the present Lok Sabha, there are 78 women MPs, which is the highest ever, but in terms of overall share, it works out to be under 15%. The share of women in the Rajya Sabha is just 11%. It is much less than the global average. According to data from PRS legislative research, Rwanda (61%), South Africa (43%) and even Bangladesh (21%) are well ahead of India. India ranks 144 out of 193 countries in terms of the representation of women in Parliament, says the Inter-Parliamentary Unions latest report. Those in favour of enhanced participation of women in politics point out that affirmative action is necessary to improve their condition. Some recent studies on panchayats have shown the positive effect of reservation on the empowerment of women and on the allocation of resources. Besides, the presence of women leads to gender sensitisation in lawmaking. A study by the American Economic Association shows that countries with higher share of women in Parliament are more likely to pass and implement gender-sensitive laws. After the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution - which reserved one-third of all seats and chairperson posts for women in rural and urban local governments - the panchayati raj system has seen the worlds largest number of women joining the political mainstream. The naysayers Those opposing the quota argue that it would perpetuate the unequal status of women since they would not be perceived to be competing on merit. They also contend that this policy diverts attention from the larger issues of electoral reform such as criminalisation of politics and inner-party democracy. The reservation of seats in Parliament restricts the choice of voters to women candidates. Thus, some experts suggested alternative methods, such as reservation in parties and dual member constituencies, as per PRS report. Besides, male politicians are wary of the rotation of reserved constituencies, claiming it may reduce the incentive for any MP to work for his constituency as he may be ineligible to seek re-election from the same constituency. The bill has also been opposed by politicians from socially and economically backward classes. They argue that reservation would only help women of the elitist groups to gain seats. Some also cite the example of Pradhan Patis in UP and Bihar where women candidates contest on reserved seats but real power remains with the husbands. THE PRECURSORS Pre-Independence: Prominent women leaders like Begum Shah Nawaz and Sarojini Naidu argued against any preferential treatment, saying it would violate the integrity of Indian womens demand for absolute equality of political status. Womens reservation came up in Constituent Assembly debates as well, but it was rejected with the assumption that once India becomes a democracy, all social groups would be taken care of 1971 A Committee of the Status of Women in India underlined the declining political representation of women in India and sought quota in local bodies. State govts began announcing reservations for women in local bodies 1988 The National Perspective Plan for Women recommended that reservation be provided to women right from the level of the panchayat to Parliament 1992/93 Recommendations of the National Perspective Plan for Women resulted in the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, which mandated all state governments to reserve one-third of seats for women in panchayati raj institutions and one-third of the offices of the chairperson at all levels. Also provided for horizontal one-third reservation for SC/ST women 1996 United Front government led by Deve Gowda tabled the Womens Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha as the 81st Amendment Bill but was blocked by SPs Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJDs Lalu Prasad and then Samata partys Sharad Yadav. The bill was referred to a joint parliamentary committee, which submitted its report to the Lok Sabha in December, 1996. But it lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. 1998 Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government reintroduced it in the 12th Lok Sabha amid pandemonium. An RJD MP tore a copy of the bill in the House. It failed to get the required support and lapsed again. It was reintroduced in 1999, 2002 and 2003. By and by, more and more parties came on board to support it 2008 Introduced as the 108th Constitution Amendment Bill, it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha and passed on March 9, 2010. That is where its journey stalled Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

RAJASTHAN: A government school teacher in Rajasthans Alwar district is on a special mission  she is empowering young girls by teaching them self-defence, so that they may never live in fear. Asha Suman from the Government Primary School in Kharkhara in Rajgarh block of Rajasthans Alwar, has so far imparted self-defence techniques to thousands of girls, including hundreds who are visually impaired, or suffer from speech and hearing disabilities.

Recently on Teachers Day, Asha was honoured by the President of India with the prestigious National Award to Teachers-2023 at a special ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. She was one among the 50 selected educators across the country recognised for their outstanding contributions in the areas of education, health and safety.

Ashas endeavours span across curriculum development, community outreach and women empowerment. She has directly interacted with more than 50,000 women to promote women empowerment and taught self-defence training to 3,000 girls, enhancing womens safety. But her most notable achievement lies in her dedication in training disabled and deaf-mute girls. Currently, she imparts self-defence and martial arts training to a record 250 deaf and dumb girls. She also trains thousands of school girls, women including housewives, and male and female teachers.

When President Draupadi Murmu awarded Asha with a cash prize of Rs 50,000, a citation and a shawl, Vigyan Bhavan resonated with thunderous applause. But her journey to this accolade was marked by significant challenges. She started her teaching career in the remote and underprivileged Mewat area of Alwar district, where no school building existed. She conducted classes underneath a tree with just 20 students. The village was located three-and-a-half kilometres away from the nearest road.

In this predominantly Muslim community, many families were reluctant to send their daughters to school. With the support of the village sarpanch, Asha organised street plays and inspired families to prioritise education for their daughters. Ashas efforts yielded significant results and within two years, the enrolment grew from 20 to 120 students. In response to this, the education department constructed a school building in 2007.

However, a tragic incident near the school derailed Ashas mission. A mentally challenged girl living just 500 metres away from the school was raped, deeply affecting the village. In the aftermath of the distressing event, the number of girls attending the school dwindled. Parents stopped sending their daughters to school since they had to travel three kilometres on the footpath to reach there.

Asha herself had to walk through fields alone and feared for her safety. This incident made Asha think of teaching self-defence to girls to ensure their safety. In a turn of events that she describes as divinely orchestrated, the education department offered her a chance to provide self-defence training at the Rajasthan Police Academy around the same time. I was a Hindi teacher. But after that training, my confidence soared to the point that I believed I could protect myself, no matter how many people came, said Asha.

Asha never looked back. She initiated self-defence training for groups of 10 girls, teaching them to avoid solitary outings and encouraging travelling in groups, and raising alarm when danger lurked. Her efforts yielded fruit; the girls began to find their voices as they felt safe, and their attendance in school rose.

In 2018, a horrific incident occurred in Thanagaji, Alwar. A married woman was gang-raped in front of her husband, gaining national notoriety. This event shook Asha, leading her to make self-defence training her lifes mission. She thronged schools, colleges and villages, conducting free workshops at the panchayat, district and state levels.

Asha emphasizes that 90 per cent of self-defence training is mental, with only 10 per cent being physical. The training covers body awareness, emergency responses, knowledge of relevant laws, and information about support agencies, helplines and life-saving techniques. It also covers outdoor sessions that teach damage control, and attack and defence strategies.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

RAJASTHAN: A government school teacher in Rajasthans Alwar district is on a special mission  she is empowering young girls by teaching them self-defence, so that they may never live in fear. Asha Suman from the Government Primary School in Kharkhara in Rajgarh block of Rajasthans Alwar, has so far imparted self-defence techniques to thousands of girls, including hundreds who are visually impaired, or suffer from speech and hearing disabilities. Recently on Teachers Day, Asha was honoured by the President of India with the prestigious National Award to Teachers-2023 at a special ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. She was one among the 50 selected educators across the country recognised for their outstanding contributions in the areas of education, health and safety. Ashas endeavours span across curriculum development, community outreach and women empowerment. She has directly interacted with more than 50,000 women to promote women empowerment and taught self-defence training to 3,000 girls, enhancing womens safety. But her most notable achievement lies in her dedication in training disabled and deaf-mute girls. Currently, she imparts self-defence and martial arts training to a record 250 deaf and dumb girls. She also trains thousands of school girls, women including housewives, and male and female teachers.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); When President Draupadi Murmu awarded Asha with a cash prize of Rs 50,000, a citation and a shawl, Vigyan Bhavan resonated with thunderous applause. But her journey to this accolade was marked by significant challenges. She started her teaching career in the remote and underprivileged Mewat area of Alwar district, where no school building existed. She conducted classes underneath a tree with just 20 students. The village was located three-and-a-half kilometres away from the nearest road. In this predominantly Muslim community, many families were reluctant to send their daughters to school. With the support of the village sarpanch, Asha organised street plays and inspired families to prioritise education for their daughters. Ashas efforts yielded significant results and within two years, the enrolment grew from 20 to 120 students. In response to this, the education department constructed a school building in 2007. However, a tragic incident near the school derailed Ashas mission. A mentally challenged girl living just 500 metres away from the school was raped, deeply affecting the village. In the aftermath of the distressing event, the number of girls attending the school dwindled. Parents stopped sending their daughters to school since they had to travel three kilometres on the footpath to reach there. Asha herself had to walk through fields alone and feared for her safety. This incident made Asha think of teaching self-defence to girls to ensure their safety. In a turn of events that she describes as divinely orchestrated, the education department offered her a chance to provide self-defence training at the Rajasthan Police Academy around the same time. I was a Hindi teacher. But after that training, my confidence soared to the point that I believed I could protect myself, no matter how many people came, said Asha. Asha never looked back. She initiated self-defence training for groups of 10 girls, teaching them to avoid solitary outings and encouraging travelling in groups, and raising alarm when danger lurked. Her efforts yielded fruit; the girls began to find their voices as they felt safe, and their attendance in school rose. In 2018, a horrific incident occurred in Thanagaji, Alwar. A married woman was gang-raped in front of her husband, gaining national notoriety. This event shook Asha, leading her to make self-defence training her lifes mission. She thronged schools, colleges and villages, conducting free workshops at the panchayat, district and state levels. Asha emphasizes that 90 per cent of self-defence training is mental, with only 10 per cent being physical. The training covers body awareness, emergency responses, knowledge of relevant laws, and information about support agencies, helplines and life-saving techniques. It also covers outdoor sessions that teach damage control, and attack and defence strategies. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

BIHAR: A railway police officer has taken up a major initiative to provide free education to ragpickers, abandoned and needy children  groomed as educated and responsible citizens, pre-empting the chances of them entering into a world of crime.

Meet Muzaffarpur SP (Railway) Kumar Ashish who is the brain behind Rail Police Pathshala operating out of the Muzaffarpur railway junction. The Rail Police Pathshala, a first of its kind in the state, was inaugurated on the occasion of Independence Day on August 15. Classes are held from 8 am to 11 am every day as the police personnel teach them on rotational basis, after finishing their official duties.

An educator in his own right, Ashish, a 2012 batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, said that he chose to open a school for children who stand the risk of a vulnerable or troubled childhood. For this, he also took assistance from his sub-ordinating officers.

It is like nipping the bud at the chance of them entering a world of crime, he remarked. The Rail Pathshala, which was inaugurated on August 15, has around 25-30 children studying.

Railway SP, DSP, GRPs SHO, SIs and constables take initiative to teach the students. At present, there are two lady constables  Beauty Kumari and Priyanka Kumari  are engaging in teaching.

Each child has been given a bag, slate and other stationery items.

The SP (rail) said that children even after admissions in the government schools would attend tutorial classes at the Rail Police Pathshala, and divulged that five new Rail Police Pathshalas would be opened at Samastipur, Chhapra, Siwan, Darbhanga and Hajipur railway stations by the end of this month.

A few students enrolled in Rail Police Pathshala had earlier been involved in pickpocketing and other petty offences. But after getting admission in the Rail Police Pathshala, their behaviour and attitude had undergone a sea change. They now repent for their past (mis) deeds, Ashish said.

The IPS officer described the Rail Police Pathshala as a part of preventive policing. Teaching is my hobby and I enjoy it the most after finishing my official duties, he said.

He was certain of fulfilling his social obligations by taking up such initiatives wherever he was posted.

Under community policing, SP (rail) Dr Ashish has done many such experiments as an SP in various districts People of Madhepura, Nalanda, Kishanganj and Motihari still remember his efforts fondly, and their social media posts prove it.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

BIHAR: A railway police officer has taken up a major initiative to provide free education to ragpickers, abandoned and needy children  groomed as educated and responsible citizens, pre-empting the chances of them entering into a world of crime. Meet Muzaffarpur SP (Railway) Kumar Ashish who is the brain behind Rail Police Pathshala operating out of the Muzaffarpur railway junction. The Rail Police Pathshala, a first of its kind in the state, was inaugurated on the occasion of Independence Day on August 15. Classes are held from 8 am to 11 am every day as the police personnel teach them on rotational basis, after finishing their official duties. An educator in his own right, Ashish, a 2012 batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, said that he chose to open a school for children who stand the risk of a vulnerable or troubled childhood. For this, he also took assistance from his sub-ordinating officers.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It is like nipping the bud at the chance of them entering a world of crime, he remarked. The Rail Pathshala, which was inaugurated on August 15, has around 25-30 children studying. Railway SP, DSP, GRPs SHO, SIs and constables take initiative to teach the students. At present, there are two lady constables  Beauty Kumari and Priyanka Kumari  are engaging in teaching. Each child has been given a bag, slate and other stationery items. The SP (rail) said that children even after admissions in the government schools would attend tutorial classes at the Rail Police Pathshala, and divulged that five new Rail Police Pathshalas would be opened at Samastipur, Chhapra, Siwan, Darbhanga and Hajipur railway stations by the end of this month. A few students enrolled in Rail Police Pathshala had earlier been involved in pickpocketing and other petty offences. But after getting admission in the Rail Police Pathshala, their behaviour and attitude had undergone a sea change. They now repent for their past (mis) deeds, Ashish said. The IPS officer described the Rail Police Pathshala as a part of preventive policing. Teaching is my hobby and I enjoy it the most after finishing my official duties, he said. He was certain of fulfilling his social obligations by taking up such initiatives wherever he was posted. Under community policing, SP (rail) Dr Ashish has done many such experiments as an SP in various districts People of Madhepura, Nalanda, Kishanganj and Motihari still remember his efforts fondly, and their social media posts prove it. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: An Army soldier in Manipur was found dead on Sunday, a day after he was abducted by some unidentified armed men.

The body of Sepoy Serto Thangthang Kom, which bore bullet wounds, was recovered from the Khuningthek village in the Imphal East district. He was a Kom, a smaller tribal community that was unaffected by the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis.

Sepoy Serto, who was on leave and would have joined duty on Monday, was serving in the Armys Defence Security Corps (DSC) at Leimakhong in the hill district of Kangpokpi in the state. He had joined the DSC after opting for VRS from the Armys Assam Regiment.

According to his 10-year-old son who was the sole eyewitness, three unidentified armed persons entered their house at Neikailong in the Imphal West district at around 10 am on Saturday when the two of them were working on the porch. The child said the person placed a pistol on his fathers head and forced the latter into a car before driving away with him.

There was no news of the soldier until the body was found at around 9:30 AM on Sunday. It was identified by his brother and brother-in-law. The body bore a single bullet wound on the head. The post-mortem report is awaited, officials said.

The Army condemned the killing and rushed a team to assist the bereaved family in all manners possible.

The brave soldier who breathed his last at the hand of miscreants is survived by his wife, daughter and son. The last rites shall be conducted as per the wishes of the family, a defence statement said.

It added that the Army stands by his family in these difficult times. The police said they were investigating the case.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

GUWAHATI: An Army soldier in Manipur was found dead on Sunday, a day after he was abducted by some unidentified armed men. The body of Sepoy Serto Thangthang Kom, which bore bullet wounds, was recovered from the Khuningthek village in the Imphal East district. He was a Kom, a smaller tribal community that was unaffected by the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis. Sepoy Serto, who was on leave and would have joined duty on Monday, was serving in the Armys Defence Security Corps (DSC) at Leimakhong in the hill district of Kangpokpi in the state. He had joined the DSC after opting for VRS from the Armys Assam Regiment.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); According to his 10-year-old son who was the sole eyewitness, three unidentified armed persons entered their house at Neikailong in the Imphal West district at around 10 am on Saturday when the two of them were working on the porch. The child said the person placed a pistol on his fathers head and forced the latter into a car before driving away with him. There was no news of the soldier until the body was found at around 9:30 AM on Sunday. It was identified by his brother and brother-in-law. The body bore a single bullet wound on the head. The post-mortem report is awaited, officials said. The Army condemned the killing and rushed a team to assist the bereaved family in all manners possible. The brave soldier who breathed his last at the hand of miscreants is survived by his wife, daughter and son. The last rites shall be conducted as per the wishes of the family, a defence statement said. It added that the Army stands by his family in these difficult times. The police said they were investigating the case. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
SHENYANG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- At a factory run by SIASUN Robot & Automation Co., Ltd., in northeast China's Liaoning Province, industrial robotic arms move back and forth at the command of a computer program.

"The industrial robots are widely used in automobile production, and they can greatly improve production safety and efficiency, and lower labor costs," said Zhang Lei, the company's technical director.

Founded in 2000, Siasun Robot has become a leading enterprise in China's robotics industry, developing robots for areas such as the manufacturing sector, health care, services and consumption.

The company's rapid growth exemplifies Liaoning's years of efforts to upgrade its industries by fostering innovation.

Once the heartland of China's heavy industry, Liaoning has a centuries-long industrial history that has seen a number of national firsts. Having experienced both glory and decline, the province is now doubling down on technological innovation as a primary driver of growth, aiming to shed its image as an old-fashioned heavy industry base.

From January to July, the added value of Liaoning's high-tech manufacturing industry grew 8.3 percent year on year -- 6.7 percentage points higher than that of the whole country.

In Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning, the Northern Heavy Industries Group Co., Ltd. (NHI) is running at full steam as orders pour in. In the first half of the year, the traditional heavy machinery manufacturer's new orders increased by 34 percent year on year. In July alone, its new orders surged 76 percent year on year.

Following a path of innovation, NHI now possesses more than 200 patents and proprietary technologies, designing and manufacturing 180 sets of new products that were the first in each of their product categories in China. The company's tunnel boring machines have been exported to countries such as Singapore and Australia for major projects, serving tunnel construction projects globally.

"It has been proved that as long as we steadfastly implement an innovation-driven strategy, we are sure to achieve self-reliance in major high-end technical equipment," senior engineer Liu Shubing said.

While traditional manufacturing industries are seeking modernization in Liaoning, emerging industries are burgeoning, injecting new growth vitality into the region.

Dalian Rongke Power Co., Ltd., a Dalian-based services provider for vanadium redox flow batteries, is taking on a pioneering role in the global energy storage industry.

"We have built the world's largest intelligent manufacturing base for vanadium flow battery energy storage equipment, and our product is widely utilized in areas such as grid peak shaving, renewable energy grid connection, and industrial and commercial microgrids," according to General Manager Wang Xiaoli.

The company's products are now in operation on 40 projects at home and abroad, covering countries such as the United States, Australia and Germany, with a cumulative power generation of 670,000 kilowatt-hours, Wang said.

"We are upbeat about our prospects in Liaoning," Wang said. Given its talent advantages, government support and a rosy industry outlook, the company is planning to expand its two industrial bases in Liaoning.

The data attests to Liaoning's achievements in its innovation drive. During the first seven months of the year, the province cultivated 20 fully connected 5G factories and 15 pilot areas for the application of "5G plus industrial internet." And the numerical control rate of key processes in major enterprises has reached 60.3 percent, data shows.

"Liaoning is now shifting from traditional and modern industrialization to new industrialization," said Li Kai, deputy head of the China Academy of Northeast Revitalization, highlighting the government's efforts in core technology research and in enhancing the autonomy and control of the industrial chain.

"The upgrade of Liaoning's manufacturing industry is expected to make more contributions to the comprehensive revitalization of northeast China, and to promote the high-quality development of the whole country," Li said. 
By PTI

HYDERABAD: The Congress top brass held their second round of deliberations on formulating a strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stressing on unity and maintaining discipline to take on adversaries and ensure success.

In his speech on the second day of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here, Kharge urged party leaders to set aside their personal differences to ensure the party's success and work towards forming an alternative government in the country.

Kharge told the CWC members, state unit presidents and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders to work towards the goal of defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections as well as in the upcoming five assembly polls.

He also asked them to be ready for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, whenever it is announced.

The Congress chief accused the Narendra Modi government of diverting people's attention from basic issues.

On the day the opposition INDIA alliance held its meeting in Mumbai, the Modi government formed a panel on 'One Nation, One Election' and "in contravention of all conventions, it also included a former president to fulfil its agenda", Kharge said.

"This is not the time for us to rest...We must unite and overthrow this dictatorial government to save our democracy," the Congress president told the leaders.

He said the people are looking for an alternative and the Congress' victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka elections are clear proof of this.

"We must work tirelessly putting aside personal interests. We must prioritise the success of the party putting aside our personal differences. We must exercise self-restraint and avoid going to media with statements against our leaders or party so that the Congress' interests are not harmed," Kharge asserted.

Organisational unity is of utmost importance, he said and stressed that "only through unity and discipline can we defeat our adversaries."

This was evident in Karnataka where all remained united and fought with discipline to achieve success, Kharge said. "Our goal must be to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and work diligently to form an alternative government in the country," he noted.

Kharge said the year 2024 also marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's election as the Congress president and the most fitting tribute to him would be to oust the BJP from power.

"From Telangana, we will go with renewed strength and a clear message. We leave Hyderabad today with a firm commitment: to win not only in Telangana but in all upcoming elections, relieving people from the miseries of BJP's misrule," he exhorted party leaders.

Noting the challenges that lay ahead, he said these challenges aren't just for the Congress as they concern the survival of Indian democracy and the preservation of the Constitution too.

"I would like to ask the state presidents and legislative party leaders present here: Are your committees at the mandal, block and district levels ready? Are we giving them regular programmes? Have we started identifying potential candidates?" the Congress president asked state unit chiefs.

He said in the last 10 years under BJP rule, the challenges faced by ordinary people have multiplied.

The prime minister, he alleged, refuses to address the concerns of the poor, farmers, labourers, women, and youth. The PM cannot look beyond himself, the Congress president alleged. "In such circumstances, we cannot remain mute spectators."

This was the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC under Kharge's presidency.

Besides regular members, permanent invitees and special invitees, the extended meeting of the apex decision-making body of the party included state party chiefs, CLP leaders, parliamentary party office-bearers and its Central Election Committee members.

In the evening, the Congress will hold a mega rally in Tukkuguda near Hyderabad on the occasion of Telangana National Integration Day which marks the day when the princely State of Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union in 1948.

At the rally, the party will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections.

While the Congress MPs would return to Delhi after the rally for the special session of Parliament, other leaders, CWC members, state unit presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies.

Gearing up for the upcoming Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Saturday made a strong pitch for social justice and resolved to make the opposition INDIA bloc an "ideological and electoral success" to free the country from "divisive politics."

After about five hours of deliberations at the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC, the party also called for the passage of the women's reservation bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament, conducting a caste census and increasing the limit of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs.

The resolution also rejected the idea of "one nation, one election", calling it an attack on the federal structure.

The CWC resolution on Saturday also reiterated the Congress' demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue.

It is after years that the CWC met outside of Delhi, a move seen as an attempt to consolidate the support base in poll-bound Telangana and go all out to oust the Bharat Rashtra Samithi from power in the state.

The CWC "wholeheartedly" welcomed the continuing consolidation of the INDIA alliance, claiming it has already rattled Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.

"The CWC reiterates the Congress party's resolve to make the INDIA (bloc) 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," the resolution read.

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HYDERABAD: The Congress top brass held their second round of deliberations on formulating a strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stressing on unity and maintaining discipline to take on adversaries and ensure success. In his speech on the second day of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here, Kharge urged party leaders to set aside their personal differences to ensure the party's success and work towards forming an alternative government in the country. Kharge told the CWC members, state unit presidents and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders to work towards the goal of defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections as well as in the upcoming five assembly polls.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He also asked them to be ready for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, whenever it is announced. The Congress chief accused the Narendra Modi government of diverting people's attention from basic issues. On the day the opposition INDIA alliance held its meeting in Mumbai, the Modi government formed a panel on 'One Nation, One Election' and "in contravention of all conventions, it also included a former president to fulfil its agenda", Kharge said. "This is not the time for us to rest...We must unite and overthrow this dictatorial government to save our democracy," the Congress president told the leaders. He said the people are looking for an alternative and the Congress' victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka elections are clear proof of this. "We must work tirelessly putting aside personal interests. We must prioritise the success of the party putting aside our personal differences. We must exercise self-restraint and avoid going to media with statements against our leaders or party so that the Congress' interests are not harmed," Kharge asserted. Organisational unity is of utmost importance, he said and stressed that "only through unity and discipline can we defeat our adversaries." This was evident in Karnataka where all remained united and fought with discipline to achieve success, Kharge said. "Our goal must be to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and work diligently to form an alternative government in the country," he noted. Kharge said the year 2024 also marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's election as the Congress president and the most fitting tribute to him would be to oust the BJP from power. "From Telangana, we will go with renewed strength and a clear message. We leave Hyderabad today with a firm commitment: to win not only in Telangana but in all upcoming elections, relieving people from the miseries of BJP's misrule," he exhorted party leaders. Noting the challenges that lay ahead, he said these challenges aren't just for the Congress as they concern the survival of Indian democracy and the preservation of the Constitution too. "I would like to ask the state presidents and legislative party leaders present here: Are your committees at the mandal, block and district levels ready? Are we giving them regular programmes? Have we started identifying potential candidates?" the Congress president asked state unit chiefs. He said in the last 10 years under BJP rule, the challenges faced by ordinary people have multiplied. The prime minister, he alleged, refuses to address the concerns of the poor, farmers, labourers, women, and youth. The PM cannot look beyond himself, the Congress president alleged. "In such circumstances, we cannot remain mute spectators." This was the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC under Kharge's presidency. Besides regular members, permanent invitees and special invitees, the extended meeting of the apex decision-making body of the party included state party chiefs, CLP leaders, parliamentary party office-bearers and its Central Election Committee members. In the evening, the Congress will hold a mega rally in Tukkuguda near Hyderabad on the occasion of Telangana National Integration Day which marks the day when the princely State of Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union in 1948. At the rally, the party will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections. While the Congress MPs would return to Delhi after the rally for the special session of Parliament, other leaders, CWC members, state unit presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies. Gearing up for the upcoming Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Saturday made a strong pitch for social justice and resolved to make the opposition INDIA bloc an "ideological and electoral success" to free the country from "divisive politics." After about five hours of deliberations at the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC, the party also called for the passage of the women's reservation bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament, conducting a caste census and increasing the limit of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs. The resolution also rejected the idea of "one nation, one election", calling it an attack on the federal structure. The CWC resolution on Saturday also reiterated the Congress' demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue. It is after years that the CWC met outside of Delhi, a move seen as an attempt to consolidate the support base in poll-bound Telangana and go all out to oust the Bharat Rashtra Samithi from power in the state. The CWC "wholeheartedly" welcomed the continuing consolidation of the INDIA alliance, claiming it has already rattled Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. "The CWC reiterates the Congress party's resolve to make the INDIA (bloc) 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," the resolution read. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: Heavy rain lashed many parts of Gujarat on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and cutting off several villages as Narmada and other rivers are in full spate, following which 9,600 people were shifted to safety and 207 others rescued in five districts.

Several areas in Ahmedabad were waterlogged after the city received 76 mm of rainfall in 12 hours ending at 6 pm on Sunday, throwing the normal life out of gear.

Authorities blocked underpasses for traffic as a precautionary measure.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts predicting isolated extremely heavy rainfall till Tuesday morning.

It has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat in its forecast till Thursday morning.

The release of massive amounts of water from the Sardar Sarovar dam (SSD), which touched its full reservoir level of 138.

68 metres on Sunday morning, in the Narmada river due to heavy rains in the catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh caused massive flooding in low-lying areas in Narmada district.

A total of 9,613 people hit by floods were shifted to safer locations while 207 others were rescued in Narmada, Bharuch, Vadodara, Dahod and Panchmahal districts, officials said.

Among them, a majority of 5,744 people were relocated in Bharuch, followed by 2,317 in Narmada, 1,462 in Vadodara, 20 in Dahod, and 70 in Panchmahal, they said.

Those shifted to safer places include people from 28 affected villages and those located near the world's tallest monument the Statue of Unity in Narmada district, officials said.

As the Narmada river is in spate after the heavy discharge of water from the dam, parts of Vadodara and Bharuch districts near the river banks were flooded, they said, adding that the situation is being monitored closely to ensure the safety of the affected people.

Apart from Narmada, rain-fed rivers such as Orsang, Heran, Mahi, Meshri and Panam are swollen due to heavy rain coupled with the release of water from various dams, resulting in the inundation of low-lying villages.

Narmada collector Shweta Teotia said rescue efforts were underway and the administration is keeping close tabs on the situation caused by the release of water from the (Sardar Sarovar) dam.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel carried out an aerial survey of the region.

Patel was at Ekta Nagar in Narmada district on Sunday morning to offer prayers to the river after the SSD touched the full reservoir level of 138.68 metres.

The government has deployed two teams of NDRF in Narmada, and one each in Bharuch, Rajkot, Junagadh and Vadodara, officials said.

This is in addition to three teams each of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) being deployed in Narmada and Vadodara and one each SDRF team in Dahod, Bharuch and Banaskantha to carry out relief and rescue operations.

Two teams of Army are on standby in Vadodara, officials added.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and local rescue teams evacuated people stranded in flooded areas, including around 70 students of a residential school in Narmada district, and around 100 labourers trapped under a bridge near a river in Panchmahal district.

Some patients stranded in a hospital in Vasantpara village in Narmada district were also rescued by an NDRF team.

A Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) official said in the evening that the water level of the dam eased below its full reservoir level of 138.68 metres with the inflow of water gradually coming down.

As the water released in the river was reduced, it was likely to ease the flooding situation along the river bank, according to the official.

Parts of Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Kheda, Dahod, Vadodara and Ahmedabad districts were among the worst hit by the downpours on Sunday.

Godhra and Sehra talukas in Panchmahal district received 226 mm and 220 mm rainfall in 12 hours till 6 PM on Sunday, the highest in Gujarat for the day.

Virpur taluka (205 mm) in Mahisagar district, Talod (181 mm) of Sabarkantha, and Morva Hadaf (171 mm) of Panchmahal were among around 16 talukas that received over 100 mm of rainfall during this period, as per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).

At least ten major dams are near their overflowing marks including Ukai, Damanganga, Kadana and Bhadar, the government data shows.

Gujarat has so far received nearly 90.8 per cent of the average annual rainfall, with Kutch and Saurashtra regions recording 137 per cent and 111 per cent rainfall, followed by south, east-central and north Gujarat with 85 per cent, 83 per cent and 76 per cent of rainfall, respectively, as per SEOC data.

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AHMEDABAD: Heavy rain lashed many parts of Gujarat on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and cutting off several villages as Narmada and other rivers are in full spate, following which 9,600 people were shifted to safety and 207 others rescued in five districts. Several areas in Ahmedabad were waterlogged after the city received 76 mm of rainfall in 12 hours ending at 6 pm on Sunday, throwing the normal life out of gear. Authorities blocked underpasses for traffic as a precautionary measure.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts predicting isolated extremely heavy rainfall till Tuesday morning. It has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat in its forecast till Thursday morning. The release of massive amounts of water from the Sardar Sarovar dam (SSD), which touched its full reservoir level of 138. 68 metres on Sunday morning, in the Narmada river due to heavy rains in the catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh caused massive flooding in low-lying areas in Narmada district. A total of 9,613 people hit by floods were shifted to safer locations while 207 others were rescued in Narmada, Bharuch, Vadodara, Dahod and Panchmahal districts, officials said. Among them, a majority of 5,744 people were relocated in Bharuch, followed by 2,317 in Narmada, 1,462 in Vadodara, 20 in Dahod, and 70 in Panchmahal, they said. Those shifted to safer places include people from 28 affected villages and those located near the world's tallest monument the Statue of Unity in Narmada district, officials said. As the Narmada river is in spate after the heavy discharge of water from the dam, parts of Vadodara and Bharuch districts near the river banks were flooded, they said, adding that the situation is being monitored closely to ensure the safety of the affected people. Apart from Narmada, rain-fed rivers such as Orsang, Heran, Mahi, Meshri and Panam are swollen due to heavy rain coupled with the release of water from various dams, resulting in the inundation of low-lying villages. Narmada collector Shweta Teotia said rescue efforts were underway and the administration is keeping close tabs on the situation caused by the release of water from the (Sardar Sarovar) dam. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel carried out an aerial survey of the region. Patel was at Ekta Nagar in Narmada district on Sunday morning to offer prayers to the river after the SSD touched the full reservoir level of 138.68 metres. The government has deployed two teams of NDRF in Narmada, and one each in Bharuch, Rajkot, Junagadh and Vadodara, officials said. This is in addition to three teams each of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) being deployed in Narmada and Vadodara and one each SDRF team in Dahod, Bharuch and Banaskantha to carry out relief and rescue operations. Two teams of Army are on standby in Vadodara, officials added. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and local rescue teams evacuated people stranded in flooded areas, including around 70 students of a residential school in Narmada district, and around 100 labourers trapped under a bridge near a river in Panchmahal district. Some patients stranded in a hospital in Vasantpara village in Narmada district were also rescued by an NDRF team. A Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) official said in the evening that the water level of the dam eased below its full reservoir level of 138.68 metres with the inflow of water gradually coming down. As the water released in the river was reduced, it was likely to ease the flooding situation along the river bank, according to the official. Parts of Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Kheda, Dahod, Vadodara and Ahmedabad districts were among the worst hit by the downpours on Sunday. Godhra and Sehra talukas in Panchmahal district received 226 mm and 220 mm rainfall in 12 hours till 6 PM on Sunday, the highest in Gujarat for the day. Virpur taluka (205 mm) in Mahisagar district, Talod (181 mm) of Sabarkantha, and Morva Hadaf (171 mm) of Panchmahal were among around 16 talukas that received over 100 mm of rainfall during this period, as per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). At least ten major dams are near their overflowing marks including Ukai, Damanganga, Kadana and Bhadar, the government data shows. Gujarat has so far received nearly 90.8 per cent of the average annual rainfall, with Kutch and Saurashtra regions recording 137 per cent and 111 per cent rainfall, followed by south, east-central and north Gujarat with 85 per cent, 83 per cent and 76 per cent of rainfall, respectively, as per SEOC data. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Shruti Kakkar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Centre is using Enforcement Directorate (ED) to target opposition leaders who are not towing lines of the Government, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has told Supreme Court in his plea seeking to stay and quash probe agencys September 11 summons issued against him in a money laundering case.

Soren has been summoned to appear before ED's Assistant Director, Deovrat Jha on September 23.

Calling the summons prima facie illegal, null and void, the Jharkhand CM in his plea has argued that ED's summon exposes the probe agencys intent of misusing its power conferred under the PMLA to target prominent opposition leaders including him at Centres instance which is seeking to destabilize constitutionally elected Government in Jharkhand.

The Central Government is using the Enforcement Directorate to target opposition leaders who are not towing the lines of the Government and this targeting has picked up pace with the date of General Elections fast approaching and the formation of the opposition alliance 'INDIA' against the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The Respondent No. 2, (ED) therefore, needs to be restrained by this Hon'ble Court and its functioning be monitored to ensure that such brazen misuse of the investigating machinery is not permitted, said the petition.

The application has been filed on the eve of SCs hearing in his plea also challenging the legality of sections 50 and 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and summons dated August 7 and 18 issued by ED.

Reminding the court of its constitutional mandate to quash the Unions act which is vitiated by malice and designed to interfere with the franchise exercised by the people of Jharkhand, the minister has also stated in his plea that the manner in which ED has been functioning at centres behest to hound countrys prominent opposition leaders has reduced it into a political tool weaponising it to silence the opposition.

The repeated summon been issued by Respondent No.2 (ED) to the Petitioner (Hemant Soren) is politically motivated to browbeat, humiliate and intimidate the Petitioner, who is a holder of a constitutional office. The said action apart from being derogatory, unwarranted and illegal, has the effect of undermining the high office of the Chief Minister of the State, said the petition.

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NEW DELHI: Centre is using Enforcement Directorate (ED) to target opposition leaders who are not towing lines of the Government, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has told Supreme Court in his plea seeking to stay and quash probe agencys September 11 summons issued against him in a money laundering case. Soren has been summoned to appear before ED's Assistant Director, Deovrat Jha on September 23. Calling the summons prima facie illegal, null and void, the Jharkhand CM in his plea has argued that ED's summon exposes the probe agencys intent of misusing its power conferred under the PMLA to target prominent opposition leaders including him at Centres instance which is seeking to destabilize constitutionally elected Government in Jharkhand.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Central Government is using the Enforcement Directorate to target opposition leaders who are not towing the lines of the Government and this targeting has picked up pace with the date of General Elections fast approaching and the formation of the opposition alliance 'INDIA' against the ruling National Democratic Alliance. The Respondent No. 2, (ED) therefore, needs to be restrained by this Hon'ble Court and its functioning be monitored to ensure that such brazen misuse of the investigating machinery is not permitted, said the petition. The application has been filed on the eve of SCs hearing in his plea also challenging the legality of sections 50 and 63 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and summons dated August 7 and 18 issued by ED. Reminding the court of its constitutional mandate to quash the Unions act which is vitiated by malice and designed to interfere with the franchise exercised by the people of Jharkhand, the minister has also stated in his plea that the manner in which ED has been functioning at centres behest to hound countrys prominent opposition leaders has reduced it into a political tool weaponising it to silence the opposition. The repeated summon been issued by Respondent No.2 (ED) to the Petitioner (Hemant Soren) is politically motivated to browbeat, humiliate and intimidate the Petitioner, who is a holder of a constitutional office. The said action apart from being derogatory, unwarranted and illegal, has the effect of undermining the high office of the Chief Minister of the State, said the petition. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Our profession will continue to thrive or it will self-destruct based on whether we do or do not maintain our integrity, Chief Justice of India Dhananjay Chandrachud said here on Sunday.

Integrity is the core of the legal profession, the CJI asserted.

Integrity is not eroded by one thunderstorm, it gets eroded by small, little concessions and compromises made by lawyers and judges, the CJI said while speaking at an event on the theme 'Enhancing collaboration between Advocates & Judges: Towards strengthening legal system'.

"Our profession will continue to thrive or it will self-destruct based on whether we do or do not maintain our integrity. Integrity is eroded not by one thunderstorm, it erodes by small little concessions and compromises which are made by lawyers and judges," he said.

"We all sleep with our conscience. You can fool the whole world but can't fool your conscience. It keeps on asking questions every night. Integrity is the core of the legal profession. With integrity, we will either continue to survive or we will self-destruct," the CJI added.

Lawyers get respect when they respect judges and judges get respect when they respect lawyers, and the mutual respect takes place when there is realisation that both are part of the same wheel of justice, he said.

Talking about women in the judiciary, he said gender is not a woman's issue alone and it was equally a man's issue. "I believe one significant challenge before the Indian legal profession is to create an equal opportunity profession. Because the composition of the legal profession today will define it 30 or 40 years down the line," CJI Chandrachud said.

"When I am asked why we don't have enough women judges, I tell them don't look at the collegiums today because it has to select among the talent available at the bar. You have to look at the status of our society 30-20 years ago. The judges who are entering higher judiciary today are members of the bar from 20-25 years ago," he said.

As key stakeholders in the legal profession it is for the judges and lawyers to ensure women are given an appropriate voice in the legal system, he added.

He asked lawyers to adopt technology and keep pace with time to manage the expectations of people.

"Eliminating the barriers to access to justice is another significant challenge. At the judicial level, we are trying to manage the expectations of the Indian people by developing, adopting various technology-related initiatives such as virtual courts and e-filing. The lawyers must adopt technology. Today we cannot say I come from the rural part. We have to keep pace with time," he said.

Talking about the initiatives of the Supreme Court, the CJI cited ESCR, a free service that provides access to all judgments of the apex court.

"Thirty-six thousand judgments (are available) free of charge. We are now about to launch digital SCR. We have launched a mission of translating all the judgments of the Supreme Court in all the Indian languages, including Marathi. The purpose is to ensure young lawyers, law students are not denied access to law because they don't understand English," the CJI said.

Asserting that the best minds were now coming into the legal profession, he said senior lawyers should spend a few hours a week teaching courses at law universities, while retired judges should play an active role in imparting their knowledge and experience to law students.

It is our responsibility that young lawyers have knowledge about substantive law and procedure to enter judicial service, the CJI asserted.

"I think seniors have to start paying junior lawyers much better. All of us seniors have a perception that young juniors who come to us come to learn. But there is so much they can teach you which you don't know about," he added.

The CJI's lecture, at Mahatma Gandhi Mission University here, was organized by the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court and Advocate Association of the Bombay High Court here.

Justices Abhay Oka, Deepankar Datta, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, PV Varale, SV Gangapurwala, RV Ghuge, Advocate General Virendra Saraf, President of Advocate Association NC Jadhav and Secretary RK Ingole were present at the event.

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CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Our profession will continue to thrive or it will self-destruct based on whether we do or do not maintain our integrity, Chief Justice of India Dhananjay Chandrachud said here on Sunday. Integrity is the core of the legal profession, the CJI asserted. Integrity is not eroded by one thunderstorm, it gets eroded by small, little concessions and compromises made by lawyers and judges, the CJI said while speaking at an event on the theme 'Enhancing collaboration between Advocates & Judges: Towards strengthening legal system'.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Our profession will continue to thrive or it will self-destruct based on whether we do or do not maintain our integrity. Integrity is eroded not by one thunderstorm, it erodes by small little concessions and compromises which are made by lawyers and judges," he said. "We all sleep with our conscience. You can fool the whole world but can't fool your conscience. It keeps on asking questions every night. Integrity is the core of the legal profession. With integrity, we will either continue to survive or we will self-destruct," the CJI added. Lawyers get respect when they respect judges and judges get respect when they respect lawyers, and the mutual respect takes place when there is realisation that both are part of the same wheel of justice, he said. Talking about women in the judiciary, he said gender is not a woman's issue alone and it was equally a man's issue. "I believe one significant challenge before the Indian legal profession is to create an equal opportunity profession. Because the composition of the legal profession today will define it 30 or 40 years down the line," CJI Chandrachud said. "When I am asked why we don't have enough women judges, I tell them don't look at the collegiums today because it has to select among the talent available at the bar. You have to look at the status of our society 30-20 years ago. The judges who are entering higher judiciary today are members of the bar from 20-25 years ago," he said. As key stakeholders in the legal profession it is for the judges and lawyers to ensure women are given an appropriate voice in the legal system, he added. He asked lawyers to adopt technology and keep pace with time to manage the expectations of people. "Eliminating the barriers to access to justice is another significant challenge. At the judicial level, we are trying to manage the expectations of the Indian people by developing, adopting various technology-related initiatives such as virtual courts and e-filing. The lawyers must adopt technology. Today we cannot say I come from the rural part. We have to keep pace with time," he said. Talking about the initiatives of the Supreme Court, the CJI cited ESCR, a free service that provides access to all judgments of the apex court. "Thirty-six thousand judgments (are available) free of charge. We are now about to launch digital SCR. We have launched a mission of translating all the judgments of the Supreme Court in all the Indian languages, including Marathi. The purpose is to ensure young lawyers, law students are not denied access to law because they don't understand English," the CJI said. Asserting that the best minds were now coming into the legal profession, he said senior lawyers should spend a few hours a week teaching courses at law universities, while retired judges should play an active role in imparting their knowledge and experience to law students. It is our responsibility that young lawyers have knowledge about substantive law and procedure to enter judicial service, the CJI asserted. "I think seniors have to start paying junior lawyers much better. All of us seniors have a perception that young juniors who come to us come to learn. But there is so much they can teach you which you don't know about," he added. The CJI's lecture, at Mahatma Gandhi Mission University here, was organized by the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court and Advocate Association of the Bombay High Court here. Justices Abhay Oka, Deepankar Datta, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, PV Varale, SV Gangapurwala, RV Ghuge, Advocate General Virendra Saraf, President of Advocate Association NC Jadhav and Secretary RK Ingole were present at the event. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

BHOPAL: More than 8,700 people have been shifted to safer places after heavy rains caused the flood-like situation in many areas in the Malwa and Nimar regions of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Sunday.

Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore districts saw heavy rains in the last two days.

The intensity of the downpour reduced comparatively on Sunday.

In Jhabua district, eight persons were swept away after the embankment of a pond collapsed on Saturday night amid heavy rains in Bahadur Pada village, an official said, adding that two bodies were recovered on Sunday morning, while a search for three women and as many children is underway.

In Ujjain district, an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on Sunday rescued a pregnant woman and two other members of her family from the rooftop of their house located in a flooded agricultural field, an official said.

"8,718 people and 2,637 cattle have been shifted to safety in Malwa and Nimar regions. 610 jawans and 801 home guards were involved in rescue operations. The SDERF (State Disaster Emergency Response Force) launched 89 rescue operations," a release said.

Indore, Khandwa, Khargone, Badwani, and Burhanpur districts are most hit by rains in the last two days.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the Army and Air Force will be called in if required for flood relief operations in the state.

He held a virtual meeting with officials and gave instructions to deal with the situation.

Chouhan said he reviewed the situation caused by heavy rains in Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore and spoke to officials of these districts.

The situation is under control but the people are on alert and teams of SDERF and the NDRF are working in these areas, while the flow in water bodies as well as rain has reduced, he said.

"The water has started receding in the affected areas. Our efforts are to keep the people safe. If required, the Army and Air Force would also be called in," Chouhan said.

According to officials, 2,017 people are lodged in 45 relief camps in the Khargone district while 227 were rescued from various villages in the Indore district.

Eight teams of SDERF are involved in the relief operation in the Indore district.

"In Dhar district, 1,993 persons were shifted to higher places due to water-logging in 72 low-lying settlements," officials said.

The water level of the Narmada river is receding in Narmadapuram but in Burhanpur district, 20 families were shifted to safe places after the water level rose in the Tapti river.

In Khandwa, 500 people were shifted to safer places from the areas affected by the rising level of the Narmada River, officials said.

Tapti and Narmada rivers were flowing above the danger mark in Burhanpur and Khargone respectively.

The gates of dams, including Bargi (Jabalpur), Indira Sagar (Khandwa), Omkareshwar, Tawa (Narmadapuram), Bansujara (Tikamgarh), Rajghat (Ashok Nagar), Sanjay Sarovar (Seoni), and Parasdoh (Betul) were opened to release the water, officials added.

A total of 2,482 houses were partially damaged while 78 houses suffered extensive damage so far, officials said.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said medium to heavy rains are likely on Monday in Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch districts.

The rain in the districts under the Indore and Ujjain divisions will reduce from Monday, as per the Met department.

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BHOPAL: More than 8,700 people have been shifted to safer places after heavy rains caused the flood-like situation in many areas in the Malwa and Nimar regions of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Sunday. Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore districts saw heavy rains in the last two days. The intensity of the downpour reduced comparatively on Sunday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In Jhabua district, eight persons were swept away after the embankment of a pond collapsed on Saturday night amid heavy rains in Bahadur Pada village, an official said, adding that two bodies were recovered on Sunday morning, while a search for three women and as many children is underway. In Ujjain district, an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on Sunday rescued a pregnant woman and two other members of her family from the rooftop of their house located in a flooded agricultural field, an official said. "8,718 people and 2,637 cattle have been shifted to safety in Malwa and Nimar regions. 610 jawans and 801 home guards were involved in rescue operations. The SDERF (State Disaster Emergency Response Force) launched 89 rescue operations," a release said. Indore, Khandwa, Khargone, Badwani, and Burhanpur districts are most hit by rains in the last two days. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the Army and Air Force will be called in if required for flood relief operations in the state. He held a virtual meeting with officials and gave instructions to deal with the situation. Chouhan said he reviewed the situation caused by heavy rains in Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore and spoke to officials of these districts. The situation is under control but the people are on alert and teams of SDERF and the NDRF are working in these areas, while the flow in water bodies as well as rain has reduced, he said. "The water has started receding in the affected areas. Our efforts are to keep the people safe. If required, the Army and Air Force would also be called in," Chouhan said. According to officials, 2,017 people are lodged in 45 relief camps in the Khargone district while 227 were rescued from various villages in the Indore district. Eight teams of SDERF are involved in the relief operation in the Indore district. "In Dhar district, 1,993 persons were shifted to higher places due to water-logging in 72 low-lying settlements," officials said. The water level of the Narmada river is receding in Narmadapuram but in Burhanpur district, 20 families were shifted to safe places after the water level rose in the Tapti river. In Khandwa, 500 people were shifted to safer places from the areas affected by the rising level of the Narmada River, officials said. Tapti and Narmada rivers were flowing above the danger mark in Burhanpur and Khargone respectively. The gates of dams, including Bargi (Jabalpur), Indira Sagar (Khandwa), Omkareshwar, Tawa (Narmadapuram), Bansujara (Tikamgarh), Rajghat (Ashok Nagar), Sanjay Sarovar (Seoni), and Parasdoh (Betul) were opened to release the water, officials added. A total of 2,482 houses were partially damaged while 78 houses suffered extensive damage so far, officials said. India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said medium to heavy rains are likely on Monday in Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch districts. The rain in the districts under the Indore and Ujjain divisions will reduce from Monday, as per the Met department. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

RANCHI: More than 8,000 fish were found dead in a dam in Ranchi, following which the fisheries department ordered a probe into the incident, an official said on Sunday.

Fish, weighing 500 gm to 1 kg, were found dead in four cages laid for fish rearing in Getalsud dam, district fishery officer Arup Kumar Chaudhary told PTI.

State Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh ordered a probe into the incident on Saturday evening.

Badal directed the department secretary to carry out a probe into the matter on Sunday and submit a report at the earliest.

Chaudhary said he and his team would visit the dam during the day and try to find out how the fish died.

"There might be several reasons for the death of fish such as lack of oxygen, diseases or pollution.

We suspect a lack of oxygen or disease could be the reason for the death of these fish.

However, the exact cause could be ascertained only after we finish our probe," Chaudhary said.

He said that ideally, the oxygen level in water should be five milligrams per litre or more for the survival of fish.

If it declines below three milligrams per litre, fish die, he said.

Chaudhary said there are around 300 fish cages in the Maheshpur area, adjacent to the incident site and about one and half tonne of fish are being reared there but all of them are safe.

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RANCHI: More than 8,000 fish were found dead in a dam in Ranchi, following which the fisheries department ordered a probe into the incident, an official said on Sunday. Fish, weighing 500 gm to 1 kg, were found dead in four cages laid for fish rearing in Getalsud dam, district fishery officer Arup Kumar Chaudhary told PTI. State Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh ordered a probe into the incident on Saturday evening.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Badal directed the department secretary to carry out a probe into the matter on Sunday and submit a report at the earliest. Chaudhary said he and his team would visit the dam during the day and try to find out how the fish died. "There might be several reasons for the death of fish such as lack of oxygen, diseases or pollution. We suspect a lack of oxygen or disease could be the reason for the death of these fish. However, the exact cause could be ascertained only after we finish our probe," Chaudhary said. He said that ideally, the oxygen level in water should be five milligrams per litre or more for the survival of fish. If it declines below three milligrams per litre, fish die, he said. Chaudhary said there are around 300 fish cages in the Maheshpur area, adjacent to the incident site and about one and half tonne of fish are being reared there but all of them are safe. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

HYDERABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said even after the formation of the state of Telangana, political parties were hesitating to celebrate 'Telangana Liberation Day' to pursue vote-bank politics.

Speaking at the Centre's official celebration here of 'Hyderabad Liberation Day', the day the princely state of Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948, he said it was "very unfortunate" that political parties were hesitating to celebrate the day due to vote-bank politics.

"I would like to tell them that people of the country would turn away from those who turn away from their country's history," he said.

Shah said that Telangana and the country can be taken forward only by respecting the nation's history, the sacrifices of martyrs and the country's freedom struggle.

September 17 is observed differently by the various parties in Telangana.

While the BJP has been fighting for the official celebration of the day as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' for over two decades now, the BRS government today celebrated the day as 'National Integration Day'.

The CPI organised weeklong celebrations of the 'Telangana Armed Struggle'.

The left party contends that the armed struggle spearheaded by the Communists led to the merger of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union.

The AIMIM is organising a bike rally and public meeting on the occasion of 'National Integration Day' on September 17.

Marking 'Hyderabad Liberation Day', Union Home Minister Shah hoisted the national flag and received the guard of honour on the occasion.

He recalled the atrocities committed by the 'razakars' (armed supporters of Nizam) during the Nizam's rule in the places that are in present-day Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, which were parts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state.

Shah credited the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with the liberation of Hyderabad and said that today Telangana is completing 75 years of the liberation and if the 'Iron Man' had not been there, Telangana would not have gotten liberation so soon.

Shah said it was Patel who, following the principle of Nation First, planned the Hyderabad Police Action and forced the Nizam's razakar army to surrender without bloodshed.

He said that even after liberation from British slavery, the "cruel Nizam" ruled here for 399 days, "those 399 days were full of torture for the people of this region".

Shah said that Patel liberated this area by respecting the sentiments of the people.

"Sardar Patel had said that a slave in Hyderabad is like a stomach cancer for India and there could be no other way out except an operation and that is why he worked to liberate Hyderabad through police action," Shah said.

The union minister said no government in the past 75 years has celebrated the historic 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' or planned programmes to remind the younger generation about this great day.

Owing to "appeasement policies", the previous governments were always scared and did not celebrate it, he said.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting a new tradition by celebrating the day since last year, he said it is a tribute to the martyrs of the Hyderabad Liberation struggle and it would inculcate a sense of patriotism among the younger generation.

Marking the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, Shah said the country has marched forward in realising the dreams of freedom fighters under the leadership of the PM during the last nine years.

"India has now reached the fifth position in the world economy from the 11th place in 2014 and Modi has popularised the country's culture, art and so on, through the G20 summit," he said.

The state of Hyderabad, which was under Nizam's rule, was annexed to the Union of India following a police action codenamed 'Operation Polo' that culminated on September 17, 1948.

Shah praised Sardar Patel, K M Munshi and all those who worked towards the liberation of Hyderabad State.

Union Tourism Minister and BJP president in Telangana G Kishan Reddy also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, Shah extended greetings to the people of Telangana, Kalyana Karnataka, or the erstwhile Hyderabad Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, on Hyderabad Liberation Day.

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HYDERABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said even after the formation of the state of Telangana, political parties were hesitating to celebrate 'Telangana Liberation Day' to pursue vote-bank politics. Speaking at the Centre's official celebration here of 'Hyderabad Liberation Day', the day the princely state of Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948, he said it was "very unfortunate" that political parties were hesitating to celebrate the day due to vote-bank politics. "I would like to tell them that people of the country would turn away from those who turn away from their country's history," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Shah said that Telangana and the country can be taken forward only by respecting the nation's history, the sacrifices of martyrs and the country's freedom struggle. September 17 is observed differently by the various parties in Telangana. While the BJP has been fighting for the official celebration of the day as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' for over two decades now, the BRS government today celebrated the day as 'National Integration Day'. The CPI organised weeklong celebrations of the 'Telangana Armed Struggle'. The left party contends that the armed struggle spearheaded by the Communists led to the merger of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union. The AIMIM is organising a bike rally and public meeting on the occasion of 'National Integration Day' on September 17. Marking 'Hyderabad Liberation Day', Union Home Minister Shah hoisted the national flag and received the guard of honour on the occasion. He recalled the atrocities committed by the 'razakars' (armed supporters of Nizam) during the Nizam's rule in the places that are in present-day Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, which were parts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state. Shah credited the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with the liberation of Hyderabad and said that today Telangana is completing 75 years of the liberation and if the 'Iron Man' had not been there, Telangana would not have gotten liberation so soon. Shah said it was Patel who, following the principle of Nation First, planned the Hyderabad Police Action and forced the Nizam's razakar army to surrender without bloodshed. He said that even after liberation from British slavery, the "cruel Nizam" ruled here for 399 days, "those 399 days were full of torture for the people of this region". Shah said that Patel liberated this area by respecting the sentiments of the people. "Sardar Patel had said that a slave in Hyderabad is like a stomach cancer for India and there could be no other way out except an operation and that is why he worked to liberate Hyderabad through police action," Shah said. The union minister said no government in the past 75 years has celebrated the historic 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' or planned programmes to remind the younger generation about this great day. Owing to "appeasement policies", the previous governments were always scared and did not celebrate it, he said. Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting a new tradition by celebrating the day since last year, he said it is a tribute to the martyrs of the Hyderabad Liberation struggle and it would inculcate a sense of patriotism among the younger generation. Marking the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, Shah said the country has marched forward in realising the dreams of freedom fighters under the leadership of the PM during the last nine years. "India has now reached the fifth position in the world economy from the 11th place in 2014 and Modi has popularised the country's culture, art and so on, through the G20 summit," he said. The state of Hyderabad, which was under Nizam's rule, was annexed to the Union of India following a police action codenamed 'Operation Polo' that culminated on September 17, 1948. Shah praised Sardar Patel, K M Munshi and all those who worked towards the liberation of Hyderabad State. Union Tourism Minister and BJP president in Telangana G Kishan Reddy also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, Shah extended greetings to the people of Telangana, Kalyana Karnataka, or the erstwhile Hyderabad Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, on Hyderabad Liberation Day. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

HYDERABAD: Expressing confidence about the party faring well in the upcoming assembly polls in five states, some Congress leaders on Sunday called for delaying the seat-sharing talks with INDIA bloc partners for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections till November so as to do it from a position of strength, sources said.

The call from a section of leaders, particularly those from states where the Congress is directly in contest with some INDIA bloc partners, came while the top party leadership pitched for strengthening the Congress as well as the opposition bloc.

Sources said several leaders supported the call to strengthen the Congress organisation and the opposition INDIA alliance during the two-day brainstorming session of the Congress Working Committee, but they asserted that the party should not rush into seat-sharing arrangements with like-minded parties.

During the two-day parleys, Sonia Gandhi called for strengthening the INDIA alliance, while Rahul Gandhi said both the Congress party and the opposition bloc should be strengthened.

Several leaders pointed out that this should not be done at the cost of the Congress, the sources said.

During the extended CWC meet on Sunday, the party's state unit chiefs of the four poll-bound states gave their reports on preparedness and the road map for winning the polls.

During the deliberations, some leaders expressed apprehensions about AAP leaders continuing their attack and causing hurt to party leaders even when they had stopped doing so, sources said.

Some Delhi and Punjab leaders, including former Union minister Ajay Maken, Alka Lamba and Partap Singh Bajwa, spoke against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the sources added.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the sources said, assured the state leaders that any talks on seat sharing with other parties would be done only in consultations with state units.

Maken, the sources said, told the leadership that while they were in favour of the INDIA bloc, the Congress should not rush into seat-sharing talks and should wait till the results in these five states come.

He called for holding seat-sharing talks from a position of strength instead of doing so now, as the opposition parties were pushing for it in their interest.

Maken, a former union minister, said that AAP leaders were announcing contesting in states where the Congress was in a position to form its government and were attacking Congress leaders and demanded that it should stop.

Punjab leaders Bajwa and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring did not favour having a tie-up with the AAP in their state, as their leaders were being targeted, sources said.

Sources add that Punjab PCC chief Raja Warring also raised the point, but was told to raise the issue and discuss it separately with the party leadership.

Some leaders of the INDIA alliance want seat sharing should be done at the earliest and Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP and Akhilesh Yadav of the SP have called for doing this by September end.

The opposition parties are working towards putting up one joint candidate against the NDA in every Lok Sabha constituency, but there are several obstacles before a final arrangement is made.

There are differences in seat sharing among parties in several states, including Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Kerala.

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HYDERABAD: Expressing confidence about the party faring well in the upcoming assembly polls in five states, some Congress leaders on Sunday called for delaying the seat-sharing talks with INDIA bloc partners for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections till November so as to do it from a position of strength, sources said. The call from a section of leaders, particularly those from states where the Congress is directly in contest with some INDIA bloc partners, came while the top party leadership pitched for strengthening the Congress as well as the opposition bloc. Sources said several leaders supported the call to strengthen the Congress organisation and the opposition INDIA alliance during the two-day brainstorming session of the Congress Working Committee, but they asserted that the party should not rush into seat-sharing arrangements with like-minded parties.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); During the two-day parleys, Sonia Gandhi called for strengthening the INDIA alliance, while Rahul Gandhi said both the Congress party and the opposition bloc should be strengthened. Several leaders pointed out that this should not be done at the cost of the Congress, the sources said. During the extended CWC meet on Sunday, the party's state unit chiefs of the four poll-bound states gave their reports on preparedness and the road map for winning the polls. During the deliberations, some leaders expressed apprehensions about AAP leaders continuing their attack and causing hurt to party leaders even when they had stopped doing so, sources said. Some Delhi and Punjab leaders, including former Union minister Ajay Maken, Alka Lamba and Partap Singh Bajwa, spoke against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the sources added. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the sources said, assured the state leaders that any talks on seat sharing with other parties would be done only in consultations with state units. Maken, the sources said, told the leadership that while they were in favour of the INDIA bloc, the Congress should not rush into seat-sharing talks and should wait till the results in these five states come. He called for holding seat-sharing talks from a position of strength instead of doing so now, as the opposition parties were pushing for it in their interest. Maken, a former union minister, said that AAP leaders were announcing contesting in states where the Congress was in a position to form its government and were attacking Congress leaders and demanded that it should stop. Punjab leaders Bajwa and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring did not favour having a tie-up with the AAP in their state, as their leaders were being targeted, sources said. Sources add that Punjab PCC chief Raja Warring also raised the point, but was told to raise the issue and discuss it separately with the party leadership. Some leaders of the INDIA alliance want seat sharing should be done at the earliest and Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP and Akhilesh Yadav of the SP have called for doing this by September end. The opposition parties are working towards putting up one joint candidate against the NDA in every Lok Sabha constituency, but there are several obstacles before a final arrangement is made. There are differences in seat sharing among parties in several states, including Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Kerala. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Telugu Desam Party at an all-party meeting convened by the government on Sunday raised the issue of its leader N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police and said it will also take it up in Parliament, amid objections by the YSR Congress which is in power in the state.

After the meeting held a day before the five-day Parliament session begins, TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu told reporters here that his party raised the issue of the "illegal arrest".

"We will raise this issue in Parliament as well," he added.

The TDP MP said he also asked the government to take measures for fast-tracking criminal cases involving politicians, saying that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is accused in 38 criminal cases and is out on bail for the past nine years.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised it, and the government should fulfil his promise," he said.

Sources said YSR Congress leaders present in the meeting opposed the claim made by the TDP leader.

The state's ruling party has insisted that the law has taken its own course in the alleged corruption involving the former chief minister.

Ram Mohan Naidu expressed his thanks to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the senior representative for the government in the meeting, for letting him raise the issues.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Naidu's son Nara Lokesh had said on Friday that the arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police in a corruption case was an attempt by a "known corrupt" chief minister to hamper the party's popular campaign to oust him from power.

Chandrababu Naidu is currently lodged in a jail in Rajamahendravaram after being remanded to judicial custody by a court last Sunday for his alleged involvement in a multi-crore corruption scam.

He was arrested on September 9 in connection with a fraud case involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a loss of Rs 300 crore to the state government.

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NEW DELHI: The Telugu Desam Party at an all-party meeting convened by the government on Sunday raised the issue of its leader N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police and said it will also take it up in Parliament, amid objections by the YSR Congress which is in power in the state. After the meeting held a day before the five-day Parliament session begins, TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu told reporters here that his party raised the issue of the "illegal arrest". "We will raise this issue in Parliament as well," he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The TDP MP said he also asked the government to take measures for fast-tracking criminal cases involving politicians, saying that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is accused in 38 criminal cases and is out on bail for the past nine years. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised it, and the government should fulfil his promise," he said. Sources said YSR Congress leaders present in the meeting opposed the claim made by the TDP leader. The state's ruling party has insisted that the law has taken its own course in the alleged corruption involving the former chief minister. Ram Mohan Naidu expressed his thanks to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the senior representative for the government in the meeting, for letting him raise the issues. Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Naidu's son Nara Lokesh had said on Friday that the arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police in a corruption case was an attempt by a "known corrupt" chief minister to hamper the party's popular campaign to oust him from power. Chandrababu Naidu is currently lodged in a jail in Rajamahendravaram after being remanded to judicial custody by a court last Sunday for his alleged involvement in a multi-crore corruption scam. He was arrested on September 9 in connection with a fraud case involving the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a loss of Rs 300 crore to the state government. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state governments officer on special duty (External cooperation) in Delhi, Venu Rajamony, has stepped down from the post. Sources said a tussle with the IAS top brass in the state led to his unceremonious exit. In a letter to the chief minister on Friday, Venu declined the two-week extension given to him till September 30 and requested to relieve him from duty from Saturday.

Last week the government extended his service by two weeks till September 30. Although there was speculation that he may be entrusted with other duties, it is learnt that the Chief Ministers Office decided to end his service. The chief minister personally conveyed the decision to Venu, it is learnt.

In the letter, Venu informed the CM that the two-week extension was given to him to complete an official matter. However, since that matter was cancelled there is no specific reason to continue in the post for two weeks.

The IAS top brass in the state was unhappy with Venus position and his style of functioning, sources close to the government told TNIE. They had reportedly conveyed their displeasure to the government. The government couldnt overlook their displeasure. And Venu was personally informed about it by the CM, they said.

Venus tenure was extended by two weeks till September 30 in view of the CMs proposed visit to Vietnam in the middle of the month. However, the travel plan did not materialise. The state government has decided to cancel the visit. The cancellation of the visit has resulted in the exit of Venu. The coming one week is important for the state for several reasons, a government source said. So, the CMO has cancelled the Vietnam visit, he said.

Venu was appointed as OSD to the Kerala Government in September 2021 after his retirement from Indian Foreign Service.

His service was extended by one year in 2022. Through an order issued on September 5, the government extended his service by two weeks. He had also served as press secretary to former president Pranab Mukherjee.

His appointment as OSD surprised many in the CPM and LDF as he was closely associated with Congress and KSU in his student days. He was the national vice- president of NSUI, the student wing of Congress.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state governments officer on special duty (External cooperation) in Delhi, Venu Rajamony, has stepped down from the post. Sources said a tussle with the IAS top brass in the state led to his unceremonious exit. In a letter to the chief minister on Friday, Venu declined the two-week extension given to him till September 30 and requested to relieve him from duty from Saturday. Last week the government extended his service by two weeks till September 30. Although there was speculation that he may be entrusted with other duties, it is learnt that the Chief Ministers Office decided to end his service. The chief minister personally conveyed the decision to Venu, it is learnt. In the letter, Venu informed the CM that the two-week extension was given to him to complete an official matter. However, since that matter was cancelled there is no specific reason to continue in the post for two weeks.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The IAS top brass in the state was unhappy with Venus position and his style of functioning, sources close to the government told TNIE. They had reportedly conveyed their displeasure to the government. The government couldnt overlook their displeasure. And Venu was personally informed about it by the CM, they said. Venus tenure was extended by two weeks till September 30 in view of the CMs proposed visit to Vietnam in the middle of the month. However, the travel plan did not materialise. The state government has decided to cancel the visit. The cancellation of the visit has resulted in the exit of Venu. The coming one week is important for the state for several reasons, a government source said. So, the CMO has cancelled the Vietnam visit, he said. Venu was appointed as OSD to the Kerala Government in September 2021 after his retirement from Indian Foreign Service. His service was extended by one year in 2022. Through an order issued on September 5, the government extended his service by two weeks. He had also served as press secretary to former president Pranab Mukherjee. His appointment as OSD surprised many in the CPM and LDF as he was closely associated with Congress and KSU in his student days. He was the national vice- president of NSUI, the student wing of Congress. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
TUNIS, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian security authorities launched a security campaign in the southeastern province of Sfax to stop the illegal immigration waves, Tunisian media reported on Saturday.

The security campaign based on instructions from Tunisian President Kais Saied aims to stop the unacceptable flow of illegal immigrants, said the official TAP news agency.

As part of the security campaign, the island of Kerkennah in Sfax province Saturday witnessed an aerial operation with the participation of many special security units and rapid intervention teams.

This campaign is carried out against the backdrop of the coast of the province becoming a major starting point for illegal immigrants as they attempted to sneak into the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The island of Lampedusa, the first stop usually chosen by illegal immigrants for their sea voyage toward Italy, is only about 80 km from the Tunisian coasts. 
P Ramdas By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Though the state government has established fast-track and special courts to ensure speedy trial in cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, the huge backlog of cases is delaying justice for victims.

There are three cases for which trial has been pending since 2010. These were brought under the Pocso Act when it was enacted and enforced in 2012. There have also been instances where delays have resulted in victims being forced to backtrack.

According to the Home Department, 8,506 cases are pending before courts across the state as of July 31, 2023. Of these, 1,384 are with Thiruvananthapuram courts, Ernakulam a close second with 1,147 cases. The long-drawn process of issuing forensic reports and appointing special prosecutors is primarily contributing to the backlog, say experts.

There are too many courts, but only a few victims get justice, noted former director general of prosecution T Asaf Ali. Trial delays will lead to disappearance of evidence by way of death of victims or non-availability of material witnesses. Establishing new courts and change of working hours alone will not reduce pendency. The lack of training of judicial officers of lower courts is one of the main reasons. It is desirable to utilise the services of retired judges to reduce pendency, he said.

The home department has constituted a committee to monitor trials and disposal rates. The panel will compile monthly statistics and submit them before HC judges who are in charge of each district. Of the 56 sanctioned courts, 54 have started functioning. A directive has also been issued to ensure that forensic lab reports are not delayed.

Court timings need to be reworked: HC lawyer

The HC, through maximum monitoring, and the state government, through strenuous efforts, are attempting to comply with statutory mandates of trying pocso matters in a timebound manner, said Kerala State Legal Service Authoritys Victim Rights Centre (VRc) project coordinator Parvathy Menon.

We have been witnessing a large number of cases where the survivor and their families go on the back foot due to severe pressure from the accused, families and social circles. Such pressure is all the more when perpetrators are within the family. In cases where survivors are not institutionalised, families either send survivors abroad or victims are pressured by family and peers to withdraw cases. The family often sends survivors abroad either with the good intention of helping them outlive the trauma or to avoid social policing which could be more traumatic. In these attempts to settle the matter, cases get prolonged, she said.

We need more judges. Moreover, court timings need to be reworked. Though specific officers handle pocso offences in police stations, investigation in such cases can be speeded up if they are separated from those handled by the regular law and order wing, said Raghul Sudheesh, lawyer with Kerala High court.

The home department has adopted steps to expeditiously dispose of cases of victims residing in childrens and Nirbhaya homes and similar institutions. The presence of investigating officers and witnesses for smooth conduct and speedy disposal of cases will be ensured.

To avoid undue delay due to non-appointment of prosecutors, the government has issued directions to appoint public prosecutors and special public prosecutors and accord them training at the district level.

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KOCHI: Though the state government has established fast-track and special courts to ensure speedy trial in cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, the huge backlog of cases is delaying justice for victims. There are three cases for which trial has been pending since 2010. These were brought under the Pocso Act when it was enacted and enforced in 2012. There have also been instances where delays have resulted in victims being forced to backtrack. According to the Home Department, 8,506 cases are pending before courts across the state as of July 31, 2023. Of these, 1,384 are with Thiruvananthapuram courts, Ernakulam a close second with 1,147 cases. The long-drawn process of issuing forensic reports and appointing special prosecutors is primarily contributing to the backlog, say experts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There are too many courts, but only a few victims get justice, noted former director general of prosecution T Asaf Ali. Trial delays will lead to disappearance of evidence by way of death of victims or non-availability of material witnesses. Establishing new courts and change of working hours alone will not reduce pendency. The lack of training of judicial officers of lower courts is one of the main reasons. It is desirable to utilise the services of retired judges to reduce pendency, he said. The home department has constituted a committee to monitor trials and disposal rates. The panel will compile monthly statistics and submit them before HC judges who are in charge of each district. Of the 56 sanctioned courts, 54 have started functioning. A directive has also been issued to ensure that forensic lab reports are not delayed. Court timings need to be reworked: HC lawyer The HC, through maximum monitoring, and the state government, through strenuous efforts, are attempting to comply with statutory mandates of trying pocso matters in a timebound manner, said Kerala State Legal Service Authoritys Victim Rights Centre (VRc) project coordinator Parvathy Menon. We have been witnessing a large number of cases where the survivor and their families go on the back foot due to severe pressure from the accused, families and social circles. Such pressure is all the more when perpetrators are within the family. In cases where survivors are not institutionalised, families either send survivors abroad or victims are pressured by family and peers to withdraw cases. The family often sends survivors abroad either with the good intention of helping them outlive the trauma or to avoid social policing which could be more traumatic. In these attempts to settle the matter, cases get prolonged, she said. We need more judges. Moreover, court timings need to be reworked. Though specific officers handle pocso offences in police stations, investigation in such cases can be speeded up if they are separated from those handled by the regular law and order wing, said Raghul Sudheesh, lawyer with Kerala High court. The home department has adopted steps to expeditiously dispose of cases of victims residing in childrens and Nirbhaya homes and similar institutions. The presence of investigating officers and witnesses for smooth conduct and speedy disposal of cases will be ensured. To avoid undue delay due to non-appointment of prosecutors, the government has issued directions to appoint public prosecutors and special public prosecutors and accord them training at the district level. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

HYDERABAD: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged that the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is the 'B team' of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao have "betrayed" the state.

Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near here ahead of the Telangana assembly polls, he said that the promises made to the state in the last nine years have not been fulfilled.

Highlighting that the Congress created the Telangana state, Kharge said that his party does whatever it says, but the BRS is the opposite.

"BRS is the BJP's B team, hence it is helping the BJP. Modi ji and KCR (K Chandrashekhar Rao) may appear different but they are the same in their ways. Modi ji lies, KCR also lies, both of them have betrayed Telangana," Kharge said.

The Congress president sought support from the people and said he was hopeful that his party would form the government in the state after a few months.

Kharge said Sonia Gandhi brought the MNREGA scheme and the food security law for the poor.

"Congress made a law for the education of children. We do what we say. But the KCR government only says, does nothing," the Congress chief said.

Assembly elections in Telangana are due to be held later this year.

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HYDERABAD: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged that the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is the 'B team' of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao have "betrayed" the state. Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near here ahead of the Telangana assembly polls, he said that the promises made to the state in the last nine years have not been fulfilled. Highlighting that the Congress created the Telangana state, Kharge said that his party does whatever it says, but the BRS is the opposite.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "BRS is the BJP's B team, hence it is helping the BJP. Modi ji and KCR (K Chandrashekhar Rao) may appear different but they are the same in their ways. Modi ji lies, KCR also lies, both of them have betrayed Telangana," Kharge said. The Congress president sought support from the people and said he was hopeful that his party would form the government in the state after a few months. Kharge said Sonia Gandhi brought the MNREGA scheme and the food security law for the poor. "Congress made a law for the education of children. We do what we say. But the KCR government only says, does nothing," the Congress chief said. Assembly elections in Telangana are due to be held later this year. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

HYDERABAD: Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said it is her dream to see the party's government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society, and appealed to people to support the Congress.

Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near here, Gandhi said, "We are announcing six guarantees and we are committed to fulfilling each one of them."

"Under Mahalakshmi, Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free travel for women in buses across the state," she said explaining some of the guarantees.

"I along with my colleagues had the opportunity to be a part of the birth of this great state, Telangana. Now, it is our duty to elevate the state to new heights," Gandhi said.

"It is my dream to see a Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of the society. Are you going to support us," she said at the rally.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

HYDERABAD: Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said it is her dream to see the party's government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society, and appealed to people to support the Congress. Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near here, Gandhi said, "We are announcing six guarantees and we are committed to fulfilling each one of them." "Under Mahalakshmi, Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free travel for women in buses across the state," she said explaining some of the guarantees.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I along with my colleagues had the opportunity to be a part of the birth of this great state, Telangana. Now, it is our duty to elevate the state to new heights," Gandhi said. "It is my dream to see a Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of the society. Are you going to support us," she said at the rally. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Parvez Sultan By

NEW DELHI: Several ministries and departments of the Central government have not been updating the status of court cases being contested by them in different courts and tribunals in the portal designated for it.

The portal, Legal Information Management & Briefing System (LIMBS), was set up to keep a tab on the development of legal matters pertaining to the Centre. According to the Ministry of Law and Justice, some ministries and departments have not revised the details of pending proceedings for more than five years.

The information available on LIMBS is used by agencies such as NITI Aayog and Cabinet Secretariat for planning and other purposes. There are more than 76,000 cases pertaining to 48 ministries and departments, which have not been updated since 2018.

The biggest defaulters are the ministries of railway (31,502 cases not updated since 2018), finance, labour & employment (8,952), defence (12,436), education (3,706) and home affairs (3,000). They jointly accumulate more than 80 per cent of the total pendency. There are over 5.72 lakh live litigations in the courts and tribunals involving ministries and their affiliated departments.

Referring to the issue, the law ministry has recently asked the concerned ministries and departments to suitably instruct the point persons to update the current status of the cases and sought an action taken report for further review and examination.

In a recent review of the data on LIMBS, it has been observed that the details are not being updated regularly by the users... The cases inter alia include those that have not been updated for more than five years. In such a situation, it becomes difficult for this department (of legal affairs), being the nodal officer, to provide reliable data on ongoing court cases to the Cabinet Secretariat, NITI Aayog, and replies to Parliament questions, read the letter from law ministry to the nodal officers of ministries.

It also added that the efficient functioning of LIMBS requires the users to regularly update the details of court cases.

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NEW DELHI: Several ministries and departments of the Central government have not been updating the status of court cases being contested by them in different courts and tribunals in the portal designated for it. The portal, Legal Information Management & Briefing System (LIMBS), was set up to keep a tab on the development of legal matters pertaining to the Centre. According to the Ministry of Law and Justice, some ministries and departments have not revised the details of pending proceedings for more than five years. The information available on LIMBS is used by agencies such as NITI Aayog and Cabinet Secretariat for planning and other purposes. There are more than 76,000 cases pertaining to 48 ministries and departments, which have not been updated since 2018. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The biggest defaulters are the ministries of railway (31,502 cases not updated since 2018), finance, labour & employment (8,952), defence (12,436), education (3,706) and home affairs (3,000). They jointly accumulate more than 80 per cent of the total pendency. There are over 5.72 lakh live litigations in the courts and tribunals involving ministries and their affiliated departments. Referring to the issue, the law ministry has recently asked the concerned ministries and departments to suitably instruct the point persons to update the current status of the cases and sought an action taken report for further review and examination. In a recent review of the data on LIMBS, it has been observed that the details are not being updated regularly by the users... The cases inter alia include those that have not been updated for more than five years. In such a situation, it becomes difficult for this department (of legal affairs), being the nodal officer, to provide reliable data on ongoing court cases to the Cabinet Secretariat, NITI Aayog, and replies to Parliament questions, read the letter from law ministry to the nodal officers of ministries. It also added that the efficient functioning of LIMBS requires the users to regularly update the details of court cases. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Preetha Nair By

NEW DELHI: The suspense and debates over the agenda of the special session of Parliament continue ahead of the all-party meeting being called by the government on Sunday. The Opposition believes that the government is keeping the cards close to its chest and the real intent is yet to be revealed. The five-day session is set to begin from September 18-22.

The government put to rest speculations on Thursday by releasing a tentative list of business. Though the government says it is playing by the book, speculations on the introduction of Bills such as the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Womens Reservation Bill, and One Nation, One Poll, a Bill to change the name India to Bharat and the OBC quota are still doing the rounds.

Adding to the speculations, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that the government might advance the elections. We hope that the elections are in the usual time, which is 6-9 months away. But it is also possible that the government might advance the elections as we have been hearing. We need to be prepared sooner rather than later, he said.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien wrote on X, After all the speculation. Finally, here is the real reason. Parliament Special Session was called to celebrate PM Narendra Modis 73rd birthday on September 17. A week-long birthday celebration from September 18-22, he wrote.

Earlier, OBrien had expressed concerns that the government may be keeping some agenda under the wraps and unexpected decisions may be made as the session begins.

The agenda has still not been announced and I say this because in the list of business, they have written a very sinister line, saying this is not the exhaustive list of business. The government will be up to dirty tricks and they can add some business last minute, he said.

The session is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament moving from the old building to the new one.

The tentative list of Bills that would be taken up includes the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bills, the Post Office Bill, and the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it much ado about nothing. He said this could have waited till the Winter session in November. I am sure the legislative grenades are being kept up their sleeves to be unleashed at the last moment as usual.

CPM MP John Brittas echoed the view. Since the listed agenda could have been discussed in the winter session, more people have started asking why this exercise is actually for. Maybe Modi has something to shock the opposition, he said.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

NEW DELHI: The suspense and debates over the agenda of the special session of Parliament continue ahead of the all-party meeting being called by the government on Sunday. The Opposition believes that the government is keeping the cards close to its chest and the real intent is yet to be revealed. The five-day session is set to begin from September 18-22. The government put to rest speculations on Thursday by releasing a tentative list of business. Though the government says it is playing by the book, speculations on the introduction of Bills such as the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Womens Reservation Bill, and One Nation, One Poll, a Bill to change the name India to Bharat and the OBC quota are still doing the rounds. Adding to the speculations, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said that the government might advance the elections. We hope that the elections are in the usual time, which is 6-9 months away. But it is also possible that the government might advance the elections as we have been hearing. We need to be prepared sooner rather than later, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek OBrien wrote on X, After all the speculation. Finally, here is the real reason. Parliament Special Session was called to celebrate PM Narendra Modis 73rd birthday on September 17. A week-long birthday celebration from September 18-22, he wrote. Earlier, OBrien had expressed concerns that the government may be keeping some agenda under the wraps and unexpected decisions may be made as the session begins. The agenda has still not been announced and I say this because in the list of business, they have written a very sinister line, saying this is not the exhaustive list of business. The government will be up to dirty tricks and they can add some business last minute, he said. The session is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament moving from the old building to the new one. The tentative list of Bills that would be taken up includes the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bills, the Post Office Bill, and the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it much ado about nothing. He said this could have waited till the Winter session in November. I am sure the legislative grenades are being kept up their sleeves to be unleashed at the last moment as usual. CPM MP John Brittas echoed the view. Since the listed agenda could have been discussed in the winter session, more people have started asking why this exercise is actually for. Maybe Modi has something to shock the opposition, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
B kartheek By

HYDERABAD: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) in its first meeting here on Saturday strongly opposed the one nation, one election proposal, denouncing it as a direct assault on Indias federal structure.

The CWC also extended a warm welcome to the Opposition bloc INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). It voiced its opposition to the proposed Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment etc) Bill, which is to taken up for passing during Parliaments special session from September 18-22.

The party argued that the bill would severely compromise the Election Commission of Indias independence in ensuring free and fair elections.

After extensive deliberations lasting five hours, the newly constituted CWC adopted 14 resolutions covering a range of issues, including simultaneous elections, the political landscape, economic conditions and security challenges in regions such as the border with China, Kashmir and Manipur.

It rejected the idea of a new Constitution, asserting that the fundamental structure of the Constitution should remain unchanged.

Moreover, the committee expressed grave concern over the escalating unemployment rates and the continual rise in the prices of essential commodities.

The extended CWC meeting, scheduled for Sunday, will delve into preparations for Assembly elections in five states and the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Later in the day, the party will hold a public rally, Vijayabheri, on the citys outskirts.

Top leaders of the Congress, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of Congress-ruled states participated.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

HYDERABAD: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) in its first meeting here on Saturday strongly opposed the one nation, one election proposal, denouncing it as a direct assault on Indias federal structure. The CWC also extended a warm welcome to the Opposition bloc INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). It voiced its opposition to the proposed Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment etc) Bill, which is to taken up for passing during Parliaments special session from September 18-22. The party argued that the bill would severely compromise the Election Commission of Indias independence in ensuring free and fair elections.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After extensive deliberations lasting five hours, the newly constituted CWC adopted 14 resolutions covering a range of issues, including simultaneous elections, the political landscape, economic conditions and security challenges in regions such as the border with China, Kashmir and Manipur. It rejected the idea of a new Constitution, asserting that the fundamental structure of the Constitution should remain unchanged. Moreover, the committee expressed grave concern over the escalating unemployment rates and the continual rise in the prices of essential commodities. The extended CWC meeting, scheduled for Sunday, will delve into preparations for Assembly elections in five states and the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Later in the day, the party will hold a public rally, Vijayabheri, on the citys outskirts. Top leaders of the Congress, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of Congress-ruled states participated. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Fayaz Wani By

SRI NAGAR: The Pakistan army on Saturday gave cover fire to infiltrators along the Line of Control (LoC) and shot down an Indian quadcopter that was trying to ascertain their whereabouts.

Indian troops noticed terrorists trying to cross the LoC in Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla in the early hours of Saturday, a Srinagar-based defence spokesman said. In the firefight that ensured, the troops killed three terrorists.

The security men fired on the militants attempting to sneak into this side of LoC. The militants retaliated and in the firefight, two militants were killed by noon and their bodies were recovered, he said.

When the troops engaged a third militant near the LoC in gunfire, he received cover fire from the Pakistan Army.

The third terrorist fell down towards the other side of LoC. While the operation was under progress, the quadcopter was flown to ascertain his whereabouts. However, the Pakistan Army shot it down, which establishes that they are abetting terrorism and assisting terrorists to infiltrate across the LoC, he said.

Elsewhere, the security forces intensified their operation to track down two-three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants involved in recent killing of four security personnel, including three officers  Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat.

They are hiding in the dense Gadole forest area of Kokernag.

A security official said troops are targeting their possible hideouts in caves in the forest area through rockets, mortar shells, grenades and ammunition from drones. One of their hideouts was damaged in mortar shelling and rocket fire on Friday.

The official said troops were using drones and quadcopters to pinpoint the locations of cave-like hideouts of militants to target them through gunfire and mortar shells.

Additional Director General of Police in Kashmir Vijay Kumar said the militants will be flushed out.

Rifles, pistol recovered

Two AK rifles, one pistol, seven hand grenades, one IED, cash of Rs 46,000 in Indian currency and Rs 6,000 in Pak currency were recovered at the site.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

SRI NAGAR: The Pakistan army on Saturday gave cover fire to infiltrators along the Line of Control (LoC) and shot down an Indian quadcopter that was trying to ascertain their whereabouts. Indian troops noticed terrorists trying to cross the LoC in Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla in the early hours of Saturday, a Srinagar-based defence spokesman said. In the firefight that ensured, the troops killed three terrorists. The security men fired on the militants attempting to sneak into this side of LoC. The militants retaliated and in the firefight, two militants were killed by noon and their bodies were recovered, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); When the troops engaged a third militant near the LoC in gunfire, he received cover fire from the Pakistan Army. The third terrorist fell down towards the other side of LoC. While the operation was under progress, the quadcopter was flown to ascertain his whereabouts. However, the Pakistan Army shot it down, which establishes that they are abetting terrorism and assisting terrorists to infiltrate across the LoC, he said. Elsewhere, the security forces intensified their operation to track down two-three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants involved in recent killing of four security personnel, including three officers  Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat. They are hiding in the dense Gadole forest area of Kokernag. A security official said troops are targeting their possible hideouts in caves in the forest area through rockets, mortar shells, grenades and ammunition from drones. One of their hideouts was damaged in mortar shelling and rocket fire on Friday. The official said troops were using drones and quadcopters to pinpoint the locations of cave-like hideouts of militants to target them through gunfire and mortar shells. Additional Director General of Police in Kashmir Vijay Kumar said the militants will be flushed out. Rifles, pistol recovered Two AK rifles, one pistol, seven hand grenades, one IED, cash of Rs 46,000 in Indian currency and Rs 6,000 in Pak currency were recovered at the site. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday expressed concern over the situation in violence-hit Manipur.

Addressing the media after its three-day coordination meet in Pune, RSS joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya said: The situation in Manipur is worrisome. It has to be essentially sorted out by the government, he said, adding RSS volunteers are continuously in touch with both Meiteis and Kukis to remove the wedge between the two communities created by trust deficit.

On the raging controversy over Sanatana Dharmas criticism by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, he said those who say they want to eradicate it should first know the meaning of the term. Sanatana Dharma does not mean religion. Sanatana civilisation is a spiritual democracy, he said.

Asked for his comment on the controversy over the proposed name change of the country, he said, It must be called Bharat. That name has civilisational value.

About the Sanghs stand on reservation, he said Our society has deprived the SC and STs of respect, facilities and education for ages. To take them together, there is a Constitution-backed reservation. We support it. All other demands for reservation are political.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday expressed concern over the situation in violence-hit Manipur. Addressing the media after its three-day coordination meet in Pune, RSS joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya said: The situation in Manipur is worrisome. It has to be essentially sorted out by the government, he said, adding RSS volunteers are continuously in touch with both Meiteis and Kukis to remove the wedge between the two communities created by trust deficit. On the raging controversy over Sanatana Dharmas criticism by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, he said those who say they want to eradicate it should first know the meaning of the term. Sanatana Dharma does not mean religion. Sanatana civilisation is a spiritual democracy, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Asked for his comment on the controversy over the proposed name change of the country, he said, It must be called Bharat. That name has civilisational value. About the Sanghs stand on reservation, he said Our society has deprived the SC and STs of respect, facilities and education for ages. To take them together, there is a Constitution-backed reservation. We support it. All other demands for reservation are political. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

MOSCOW: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday, ending a visit affirming close ties with Vladimir Putin and fuelling Western fears that Pyongyang might provide Moscow with arms for its assault on Ukraine.

Kim's extended tour of Russia's far eastern region, which began Tuesday, has focused extensively on military matters, with his own entourage dominated by officers, a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and a tour of a fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Before departing, TASS said Kim had been given five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor. The Russian agency said the "leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a 'Geran-25' reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff", using the official name of North Korea.

ALSO READ | Inside Pyongyang and Moscow's unique media coverage of Kim's visit

TASS said the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also "offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection" and "special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras."

Later on Sunday the Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kim's departure and said a "departure ceremony" was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station.

Footage shows Kim waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, before the Russian march "Farewell of Slavianka" is played as the train departs. The official TASS news agency said that Kim's train was headed around 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the border.

ALSO READ | Putin accepts Kim Jong Un's invitation to visit North Korea

Historic allies, Russia and North Korea are both under rafts of global sanctions -- Moscow for its Ukraine assault and Pyongyang for its nuclear tests.

The first official visit abroad for the North Korean leader since the coronavirus pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.

Greater cooperation

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.

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 programme. The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed.

EXPLAINER | Kim's Russia visit: What do Pyongyang and Moscow want from each other?

On Saturday Kim met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system.

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.

North Korean news agency KCNA has described the atmosphere during Kim's visit as "fervent and warm" and said a "new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation" was opening between North Korea and Russia.

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.

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MOSCOW: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday, ending a visit affirming close ties with Vladimir Putin and fuelling Western fears that Pyongyang might provide Moscow with arms for its assault on Ukraine. Kim's extended tour of Russia's far eastern region, which began Tuesday, has focused extensively on military matters, with his own entourage dominated by officers, a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and a tour of a fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Before departing, TASS said Kim had been given five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor. The Russian agency said the "leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a 'Geran-25' reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff", using the official name of North Korea.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Inside Pyongyang and Moscow's unique media coverage of Kim's visit TASS said the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also "offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection" and "special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras." Later on Sunday the Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kim's departure and said a "departure ceremony" was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station. Footage shows Kim waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, before the Russian march "Farewell of Slavianka" is played as the train departs. The official TASS news agency said that Kim's train was headed around 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the border. ALSO READ | Putin accepts Kim Jong Un's invitation to visit North Korea Historic allies, Russia and North Korea are both under rafts of global sanctions -- Moscow for its Ukraine assault and Pyongyang for its nuclear tests. The first official visit abroad for the North Korean leader since the coronavirus pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal. Greater cooperation 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. 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 programme. The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed. EXPLAINER | Kim's Russia visit: What do Pyongyang and Moscow want from each other? On Saturday Kim met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system. 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. North Korean news agency KCNA has described the atmosphere during Kim's visit as "fervent and warm" and said a "new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation" was opening between North Korea and Russia. 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. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

DERNA: A week after a wall of water devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the focus on Sunday increasingly turned to caring for the survivors.

Amid the chaotic rescue efforts in the war-scarred country, the death toll from the floods has varied widely, from more than 3,000 to over 11,000. The most recent official toll, from the health minister of the eastern-based administration, Othman Abdeljalil, was that 3,252 people were killed.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Sunday warned that the toll from Derna alone could be as high as 11,300, with another 10,100 missing. But the Libyan Red Crescent, which was cited by the UN agency, had previously denied a UN death toll of over 10,000, saying it only had one official spokesperson and calling on media to "exercise caution and accuracy."

ALSO READ | Aid groups sound alarm in Libya as hopes fade for flood survivors

A collage of satellite images shows port facilities in Derna on July 1, 2023 (top) and same flood-damaged area on Sept. 13, 2023. (Photo | AP)

The conflicting tolls are a testament to the division and absence of centralised power that have wracked Libya since 2011's NATO-backed uprising that overthrew dictator Moamer Kadhafi and plunged the country into years of war.

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 upriver from the port city of 100,000 people after it was hit by significant flooding in the mid-20th century.

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.

EXPLAINER | How Libyas chaos left its people vulnerable to deadly flooding

Cracks in the dam

A week on, bodies are still being found, some washing up on the seashore. 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. The aid includes water, food, tents, blankets, hygiene kits and medicines and emergency surgical supplies, as well as body bags and heavy machinery to help clear the debris.

In Al-Bayda, 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Derna, residents waded through the layer of mud caking the floors of what was once their homes.

Ayman Jabril Saleh, a resident of Al-Bayda who survived the flood with his family inside their house, said "When we saw the state of Derna, we felt blessed" for suffering material losses only.

The damage to the devastating flooding brought by Storm Daniel was exacerbated by poor infrastructure in Libya. Questions are being asked as to why the disaster could not have been prevented when cracks in the dams have been known about since 1998.

ALSO READ | Libyan city buries thousands in mass graves, mayor says death toll could triple

Prosecutor General Al-Seddik Al-Sour has announced an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse. Like much of Libya's crumbling infrastructure, the two dams in Derna fell into disrepair during years of neglect, conflict and division.

The country is currently ruled by two rival administrations -- the UN-backed, internationally recognised government in Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east.

Disease risk

With tens of thousands of people displaced, aid organisations have warned of the risks posed by leftover landmines and other unexploded ordnance that may have been shifted by floodwaters. The risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera are also high, according to aid groups.

The National Centre for Disease Control reported that at least 55 children were poisoned by drinking polluted water in Derna. But the eastern-based health minister insisted that samples were being analysed daily to avoid contamination, urging residents not to use groundwater.

Abdeljalil also denied reports of a possible evacuation of Derna, saying that only "certain areas" could be "isolated" to facilitate relief efforts.

To assist the hundreds of thousands in need, the UN has launched an appeal for more than $71 million. The scale of the devastation has prompted shows of solidarity, as volunteers in Tripoli have collected 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."
How do China and the U.S. differ in their ways of engaging with Southeast Asia? Watch this documentary to unravel the geopolitics of a region which Washington tries to turn into a frontline of its "new cold war."
By PTI

SEATTLE: Demanding justice for Jaahnavi Kandula, members of the South Asian community here met the Mayor of Seattle and top city officials and also held a rally at the site where the Indian student was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car.

Kandula, 23, was hit by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving at 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

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. Auderer can be heard making insensitive comments like she had "limited value" and laughing following the fatal crash.

On Saturday, the leaders and organisations representing the South Asian community in Seattle met Mayor Bruce Harrell, Police Chief Adrian Diaz and other city leaders.

"Effective public safety is built on trust between City government and the communities we serve. When that trust is breached, it is the City's obligation to do the work necessary to restore and rebuild it," Mayor Harrell was quoted as saying by Komo TV.

Statements by Mayor Harrell to date, that the offensive remarks represent an isolated incident, don't go far enough to deal with the system and police culture, community leaders said.

Harrell further said, "We want to express our extreme condolences for your loss. Many comments that have been made do not reflect the sympathy and the empathy and the condolences that we have."

"I'm standing with our Chief of Police, Adrian Diaz and again with the Indian...the who's who in the Indian community in the greater region, all coming together because of unfortunate and insensitive remarks that we believe were made. Making sure that our apologies as a city official are felt to your community and your family."

Diaz further added, "...I know that I talked to the brother and some of the other family. But we're here to continue to listen because we're here. We want to stand with you. We want to figure out ways that you also feel in a situation. We want to work to ensure that that we value our human life and that we do not dehumanise others."

ALSO READ | Outrage boils in Seattle, India over Jaahnavi's death and officer's callous remarks

More than 100 members of the Seattle area's South Asian community also gathered at Denny Park on Saturday and made their way to the intersection where Kandula was hit by the speeding police vehicle.

They held signs saying "Jaahnavi had more value than Seattle Police Department" and "Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops."

The rally was organised by UTSAV, an organisation that helps connect South Asians with their communities.

"The South Asian community and I grieve for Jaahnavi and are in shock over the lack of empathy and deeply offensive remarks regarding a young woman's life and potential," said State Representative Vandana Slatter.

"Jaahnavi is a part of our community, and her story is reflected in every one of us. It is time for swift and accountable action, not apathy so that Jaahnavi's family can have justice and the community can begin the long journey to rebuilding trust," she said.

"We're not a monolith, the Indian community," Slatter said to the crowd.

"There's diaspora in the community, but we are all united today," she said.

On Saturday, rally attendees pointed out that Kandula's life did have value.

Shifali Jamwal, who brought her 3-year-old son, said Kandula was a master's student and moved to America for her education so "her life would have more value."

"I can only imagine what Jaahnavi's mom is going through," Jamwal said.

Another attendee, Kyla Carrillo, 25, called Auderer's comments "completely disrespectful."

"Not even unbelievable, not shocking, but just for [him] to value somebody's life as such was disrespectful," she said.

Between lanes at the intersection, marchers lit tea lights spelling out "Jaahnavi" and laid bouquets underneath a sign.

Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India.

Saddened by Kandula's death, Kenneth W. Henderson, Chancellor of Northeastern University in a statement issued on the varsity's official Facebook page on Friday said: "Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and faculty. The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family."

Arun Sharma, founder of UTSAV, said the organisation plans to escalate action if the Police Department doesn't take action against Auderer and Dave. "Let's not wait for another major incident like this to wake us up," Sharma said. Immigrants die by a thousand cuts, he added.

Before dispersing, protesters chanted "Who had unlimited value? Jaahnavi Kandula. Say her name. Jaahnavi Kandula."

An Office of Police Accountability investigation related to the controversial comments is ongoing.

India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state. "Recent reports including in the media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday.

"We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said.

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SEATTLE: Demanding justice for Jaahnavi Kandula, members of the South Asian community here met the Mayor of Seattle and top city officials and also held a rally at the site where the Indian student was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car. Kandula, 23, was hit by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. He was driving at 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call. 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. Auderer can be heard making insensitive comments like she had "limited value" and laughing following the fatal crash.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On Saturday, the leaders and organisations representing the South Asian community in Seattle met Mayor Bruce Harrell, Police Chief Adrian Diaz and other city leaders. "Effective public safety is built on trust between City government and the communities we serve. When that trust is breached, it is the City's obligation to do the work necessary to restore and rebuild it," Mayor Harrell was quoted as saying by Komo TV. Statements by Mayor Harrell to date, that the offensive remarks represent an isolated incident, don't go far enough to deal with the system and police culture, community leaders said. Harrell further said, "We want to express our extreme condolences for your loss. Many comments that have been made do not reflect the sympathy and the empathy and the condolences that we have." "I'm standing with our Chief of Police, Adrian Diaz and again with the Indian...the who's who in the Indian community in the greater region, all coming together because of unfortunate and insensitive remarks that we believe were made. Making sure that our apologies as a city official are felt to your community and your family." Diaz further added, "...I know that I talked to the brother and some of the other family. But we're here to continue to listen because we're here. We want to stand with you. We want to figure out ways that you also feel in a situation. We want to work to ensure that that we value our human life and that we do not dehumanise others." ALSO READ | Outrage boils in Seattle, India over Jaahnavi's death and officer's callous remarks More than 100 members of the Seattle area's South Asian community also gathered at Denny Park on Saturday and made their way to the intersection where Kandula was hit by the speeding police vehicle. They held signs saying "Jaahnavi had more value than Seattle Police Department" and "Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops." The rally was organised by UTSAV, an organisation that helps connect South Asians with their communities. "The South Asian community and I grieve for Jaahnavi and are in shock over the lack of empathy and deeply offensive remarks regarding a young woman's life and potential," said State Representative Vandana Slatter. "Jaahnavi is a part of our community, and her story is reflected in every one of us. It is time for swift and accountable action, not apathy so that Jaahnavi's family can have justice and the community can begin the long journey to rebuilding trust," she said. "We're not a monolith, the Indian community," Slatter said to the crowd. "There's diaspora in the community, but we are all united today," she said. On Saturday, rally attendees pointed out that Kandula's life did have value. Shifali Jamwal, who brought her 3-year-old son, said Kandula was a master's student and moved to America for her education so "her life would have more value." "I can only imagine what Jaahnavi's mom is going through," Jamwal said. Another attendee, Kyla Carrillo, 25, called Auderer's comments "completely disrespectful." "Not even unbelievable, not shocking, but just for [him] to value somebody's life as such was disrespectful," she said. Between lanes at the intersection, marchers lit tea lights spelling out "Jaahnavi" and laid bouquets underneath a sign. Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India. Saddened by Kandula's death, Kenneth W. Henderson, Chancellor of Northeastern University in a statement issued on the varsity's official Facebook page on Friday said: "Her loss will be felt deeply by students, staff, and faculty. The university plans to award Jaahnavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family." Arun Sharma, founder of UTSAV, said the organisation plans to escalate action if the Police Department doesn't take action against Auderer and Dave. "Let's not wait for another major incident like this to wake us up," Sharma said. Immigrants die by a thousand cuts, he added. Before dispersing, protesters chanted "Who had unlimited value? Jaahnavi Kandula. Say her name. Jaahnavi Kandula." An Office of Police Accountability investigation related to the controversial comments is ongoing. India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state. "Recent reports including in the media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday. "We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

Beijing, Sep 16 (PTI) Speculation about the missing Chinese Defence Minister Gen.Li Shangfu may have been removed and detained became rife after he was conspicuously absent at the meeting of the Central Military Commission (CMC) here on Friday.

Regarded as a close confidante of President Xi Jinping, Gen.Li has not been seen in public since early this month, and also had not attended the meeting with senior Vietnamese defence officials on September 7 and 8.

Li is the second high-ranking Minister and ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) official to go missing since July this year.

Gen Li was conspicuously missing from the meeting held on Friday of the CMC, the overall high command of the Chinese military headed by President Xi, according to the footage aired on the state broadcaster CCTV, extending an unexplained public absence now in its third week, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Saturday.

Besides his Presidency, 70-year-old Xi, regarded as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, heads the CPC and the CMC too.

The Friday meeting discussed the political education of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Three of the seven-member Central Military Commission (CMC) He Weidong, the commission's vice-chairman; Admiral Miao Hua, who supervises political affairs, and rocket force General Zhang Shengmin, who is in charge of disciplinary issues, attended the meeting, the Post said.

Also, not in attendance were General Liu Zhenli, the chief of staff of the joint staff department, and General Zhang Youxia, Xi's trusted ally and the first-ranked CMC vice chair.

He, who chaired the meeting, asked the PLA commanders to strengthen their political conviction and step up combat readiness, the Post reported, quoting the official media.

There has been no official explanation for Gen.Li's absence. However, his name still figures as a member of the CMC on the official Chinese Defence Ministry website.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was not seen publicly for weeks, prompting speculation of his detention, was replaced by veteran diplomat and Director of CPC's Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi in July by a resolution of the Chinese Parliament, the National People's Congress.

While the sudden replacement of the two high-profile ministers sparked rumours of purges at the top of the government and the party, they also puzzled analysts as both Qin and Li were close confidants of Xi and handpicked by him for the top posts.

Gen Li's absence followed a major shakeup in the PLA Rocket (missile) Force in which its commander, Li Yuchao, and political commissar, Xu Zhongbo, were both replaced without any official explanation.

He headed the Rocket Force before he was elevated as a minister. Gen.Li, a Chinese aerospace engineer and General of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was appointed as Defence Minister even though he was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for the purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles by China's Equipment Development Department (EDD) in violation of US sanctions on Russia.

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Beijing, Sep 16 (PTI) Speculation about the missing Chinese Defence Minister Gen.Li Shangfu may have been removed and detained became rife after he was conspicuously absent at the meeting of the Central Military Commission (CMC) here on Friday. Regarded as a close confidante of President Xi Jinping, Gen.Li has not been seen in public since early this month, and also had not attended the meeting with senior Vietnamese defence officials on September 7 and 8. Li is the second high-ranking Minister and ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) official to go missing since July this year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Gen Li was conspicuously missing from the meeting held on Friday of the CMC, the overall high command of the Chinese military headed by President Xi, according to the footage aired on the state broadcaster CCTV, extending an unexplained public absence now in its third week, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Saturday. Besides his Presidency, 70-year-old Xi, regarded as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, heads the CPC and the CMC too. The Friday meeting discussed the political education of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Three of the seven-member Central Military Commission (CMC) He Weidong, the commission's vice-chairman; Admiral Miao Hua, who supervises political affairs, and rocket force General Zhang Shengmin, who is in charge of disciplinary issues, attended the meeting, the Post said. Also, not in attendance were General Liu Zhenli, the chief of staff of the joint staff department, and General Zhang Youxia, Xi's trusted ally and the first-ranked CMC vice chair. He, who chaired the meeting, asked the PLA commanders to strengthen their political conviction and step up combat readiness, the Post reported, quoting the official media. There has been no official explanation for Gen.Li's absence. However, his name still figures as a member of the CMC on the official Chinese Defence Ministry website. Earlier, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was not seen publicly for weeks, prompting speculation of his detention, was replaced by veteran diplomat and Director of CPC's Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi in July by a resolution of the Chinese Parliament, the National People's Congress. While the sudden replacement of the two high-profile ministers sparked rumours of purges at the top of the government and the party, they also puzzled analysts as both Qin and Li were close confidants of Xi and handpicked by him for the top posts. Gen Li's absence followed a major shakeup in the PLA Rocket (missile) Force in which its commander, Li Yuchao, and political commissar, Xu Zhongbo, were both replaced without any official explanation. He headed the Rocket Force before he was elevated as a minister. Gen.Li, a Chinese aerospace engineer and General of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was appointed as Defence Minister even though he was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for the purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles by China's Equipment Development Department (EDD) in violation of US sanctions on Russia. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

TAIPEI: China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan on Sunday, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified "long range" missions, Taipei authorities said.

Taiwan's defence ministry said 20 of the aircraft detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled island's southeast and southwest air defence identification zone.

China was conducting "missions such as long-range exercises and training", the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary. It has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years as relations have soured.

Last week, Taipei reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its troops were on "high alert" following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting through the Taiwan Strait this month.

Taiwan's defence ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.

Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to "conduct joint sea and air training" with China's Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said.

The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.

China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific.

In April, Beijing conducted military exercises to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

At the time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour period, matching the record daily high set in December 2022.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

TAIPEI: China flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan on Sunday, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified "long range" missions, Taipei authorities said. Taiwan's defence ministry said 20 of the aircraft detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled island's southeast and southwest air defence identification zone. China was conducting "missions such as long-range exercises and training", the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary. It has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years as relations have soured. Last week, Taipei reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its troops were on "high alert" following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting through the Taiwan Strait this month. Taiwan's defence ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to "conduct joint sea and air training" with China's Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said. The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday around 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said. China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific. In April, Beijing conducted military exercises to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. At the time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour period, matching the record daily high set in December 2022. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Traditional craftsmen, artists given platform to progress under ODOP, VSSY programs: UP CM Yogi

Lucknow, September 16

U ttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that both the 'Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana' and 'One District One Product program' are giving a platform to traditional craftsmen and artists to progress forward and that banks play a crucial role in it.

While addressing the Tool Kit and Mega Loan distribution ceremony for the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector under 'Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana CM Yogi said, "Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana and One District One Product program, both are giving a platform for our traditional craftsmen and artists to progress forward. For this biggest role is played by banks."

The One District One Product program, an initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, aims at manifesting the vision of the Prime Minister to make the country and its people self-reliant by fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country.

The Vishwakarma Yojana' is a scheme that benefits individuals skilled in traditional craftsmanship.

CM Yogi 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 CM's office through this channel.

The official 'X' handle of the Chief Minister's Office said, "For Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh's 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 added.

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 Minister's Office, one can join this WhatsApp channel.

CM Yogi Adityanath is the first Chief Minister to take this unique initiative of using WhatsApp channels to communicate with the common citizens.

Traditional craftsmen, artists given platform to progress under ODOP, VSSY programs: UP CM Yogi

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Dehradun, September 16

T he Uttarakhand government led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has decided to name Government Nursing College Dobh as Ankita Bhandari Government Nursing College.

Chief Minister Dhami took to X and said "Our government has decided to name the Government Nursing College Dobh after Ankita Bhandari. We stand with the family of daughter Ankita and are determined to ensure the respect and safety of every daughter of the state."

The case of Ankita Bhandari pertains to 19-year-old Ankita whose body was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24.

She was reported missing for at least six days before the officials found her body.

She worked as a receptionist at a resort run by Pulkit Arya, the son of political leader Vinod Arya. Pulkit Arya was arrested for allegedly pushing her into the canal following an altercation. Two more people - Ankit Gupta and Saurabh Bhaskar, have also been arrested in the case.

On December 4, the Uttarakhand Police said that the investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case is almost complete. The only procedure that remains is the narco tests of the accused, for which they had sought permission from the Kotdwar court to conduct narco and polygraph tests of all three accused.

Earlier, the three accused, including Pulkit Arya refused to undergo narco and polygraph tests, citing that the SIT did not explain why it wanted to conduct narco and polygraph tests after filing the charge sheet.

CM Dhami names Govt nursing college after late Ankita Bhandari

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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 Tripura and discussed proposed international flight connectivity between the state and Bangladesh, Agartala-Akhaura rail 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 the Tripura government has taken several initiatives to encourage investment in the state's 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.

Tripura CM meets PM, discusses rail, road, air connectivity with B'desh

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Chandigarh, Sep 17

T o move farmers out of the paddy-wheat cycle amidst the depleting groundwater table and to make agriculture a secure and profitable profession in Haryana, India's prominent bread basket, the BJP-led state government is empowering farmers by bringing changes in farming perceptions, a boost it expects will help double revenue.

Experts attribute the state's success to evolving and adapting its own models to make farming sustainable.

To ensure that the farmers become prosperous through crop diversification and eco-friendly techniques, the BJP government led by Manohar Lal Khattar, who has been at the helm since 2014, is providing them incentives, besides a range of subsidies and grants.

As per official data, a whopping Rs 76,000 crore has been directly deposited into farmers' accounts in the past six seasons for crop purchases.

The state -- where the water availability is 20,93,598 crore litres against the demand of 34,96,276 crore litres, a shortfall of 14 lakh crore litres -- holds the distinction of being the first in the country to procure a maximum of 14 crops at the minimum support price (MSP).

Also, the government has set a national benchmark by offering the highest price of Rs 372 per quintal for sugarcane. To facilitate online crop sales, 81 marketing yards have been integrated with the e-NAM portal.

The government linked agriculture with technology by establishing the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal. Approximately nine lakh farmers are registered with it.

Through this portal, the farmers can access benefits such as crop sales and financial assistance for fertilizers, seeds, loans, and agricultural equipment, all just with a click of the mouse.

As agriculture is vulnerable to natural disasters, the Chief Minister introduced an initiative, the 'e-crop compensation portal', enabling farmers to register information about their crop losses.

A government spokesperson told IANS that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, aimed at uplifting the farming community, Rs 4,288 crore has been disbursed in 13 instalments among 1,970,000 farmers in the state.

Additionally, more than 2 lakh farmers have received insurance claims of Rs 7,071 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

Chief Minister Khattar has augmented compensation for crop damage by natural disasters to Rs 15,000 per acre. The state has allocated Rs 3,928 crore to support affected farmers.

To make farming more sustainable, 56,343 solar pumps have been installed with subsidies ranging from 75 to 90 per cent, directly benefiting the agricultural community.

To promote horticultural cultivation alongside traditional crops, the state has set up 14 centres of excellence, besides introducing a unique initiative called the Bhavantar Bharpai scheme to mitigate risks for farmers.

Under this scheme, guaranteed prices have been set for 21 horticultural crops, with the inclusion of bajra in the Kharif season of 2021.

The Chief Minister Horticulture Insurance Scheme offers insurance coverage of up to Rs 40,000 per acre for horticultural crops.

Additionally, the government has facilitated the formation of 746 farmer producer groups, connecting 100,000 farmers for the grading, storage, and marketing of fruits and vegetables.

Subsidies of Rs 20,000 per acre are granted for the establishment of orchards for mangoes, guavas, and citrus fruits, while a 35 per cent subsidy supports the construction of cold chains for fruits and vegetables, and a 40 per cent subsidy encourages mushroom cultivation.

To boost irrigation practices, the government is offering an 85 per cent subsidy on micro irrigation systems, in line with the Prime Minister's Per Drop More Crop initiative.

Through the underground pipeline scheme, farmers receive grants of up to Rs 10,000 per acre, with a maximum cap of Rs 60,000 per farmer.

For water conservation, the Chief Minister launched the Mera Pani -- Meri Virasat scheme, offering financial assistance of Rs 7,000 per acre to farmers engaged in crop diversification and water conservation efforts.

As per the Integrated Water Resources Action Plan (2023-25), the state aims to meet the twin challenges of water depletion and water-logging.

According to the plan, 3.14 lakh acres of land will be covered under crop diversification, which will save 1.05 lakh crore litres (7.6 per cent) water.

The direct seeding of rice (DSR) will be done in 4.75 lakh acres and will save 1.18 lakh crore litres (8.4 per cent) and 27.53 lakh acres will be brought under conservation tillage to save 0.51 lakh crore litres (3.7 per cent) of water.

Using the DSR technique, one can mechanically drill paddy seeds directly into the field. The machine does the seeding of rice and spray of herbicide simultaneously.

A further 0.47 lakh crore litres (3.4 per cent) water will be saved by using high varieties in 3.49 lakh acres, 0.35 lakh crore litres (2.5 per cent) will be saved by using green manure in 9.73 lakh acres and 0.27 lakh crore litres will be saved by covering 0.43 lakh acres under natural farming.

Farmer Amar Godhra of Kurukshetra district has been successful in using the DSR technique in his 20 acres of land over the past three years.

"The mechanical plantation not only saves money but also saves water and electricity to run the tubewell, besides early crop maturity," he told IANS.

Eighty five blocks in 19 districts in Haryana have been critical with low availability of canal water with an increasing dependency on groundwater.

Haryana's status of groundwater extraction is 134.14 per cent in the assessment year 2022, the third worst in the country.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)

Haryana push to pull farmers out of paddy-wheat-rice cycle, save water

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Cindy Crawford's father thought modelling was 'another name for prostitution'

Los Angeles, Sep 17

S upermodel Cindy Crawford said that her father thought modelling was a euphemism for prostitution.

The 57-year-old, who became one of the world's most popular pin-ups in the 1980s and '90s, has also admitted that she initially struggled to convince her mum and dad she was on the path to a lucrative and respectable career, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"My dad really didn't understand that modelling was a real career. He thought modelling was, like, another name for prostitution," she said in a preview for a new documentary show 'The Super Models' about her dad John's reaction to her going into modelling.

Crawford's father and her mother 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 didn't even know it was a real job. I didn't 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."

Cindy Crawford's father thought modelling was 'another name for prostitution'

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Musk was 'lonely and sad' as he struggled to make friends: New book

San Francisco, Sep 17

T esla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was "lonely and sad" as a child as he struggled to make friends in school, his new biography by American author-journalist Walter Isaacson has claimed.

He also struggled to understand social cues and had to rely on books to learn about them, reports Insider.

In the biography, Isaacson wrote that the billionaire's mother Maye Musk put him in the nursery at three years old because he was "intellectually curious," despite the principal's warnings that he would experience social challenges as he was younger than anyone else in the class.

"It was a mistake. Elon had no friends, and by the time he was in second grade he was tuning out," Isaacson wrote.

Moreover, Musk's mother told Isaacson that he "became so lonely and sad," when he started going to school.

"Kimbal and Tosca would make friends on the first day and bring them home, but Elon never brought friends home. He wanted to have friends, but just didn't know how," Isaacson mentioned in the biography.

Tesla's chief revealed his problems were due to Asperger's, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which made him "bad at picking up social cues", the report stated.

"I took people literally when they said something. And it was only by reading books that I began to learn that people did not always say what they really meant," Musk told Isaacson.

Meanwhile, the biography also revealed that Musk and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates got into a verbal spat after the Tesla CEO confronted the Microsoft founder over shorting the electric-car company's shares last year.

Isaacson wrote that in early 2022, Gates spoke to Musk and said he wanted to "come see (him) and talk about philanthropy and climate" at a meeting.

The meeting happened at Musk's Texas plant where the SpaceX owner confronted Gates over the decision to short Tesla stock.

Musk was 'lonely and sad' as he struggled to make friends: New book

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday met with Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Li noted that China and Malaysia are good partners working toward common development, and good neighbors that help each other. He said the two sides in March reached an important consensus on the joint construction of a China-Malaysia community with a shared future -- a milestone in the history of bilateral relations.

Li observed that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties. He said that under the guidance of the consensus, China will take the anniversary as an opportunity to work with Malaysia to pass on and deepen the friendship from generation to generation, enhance the level of political mutual trust, and make overall plans for the next stage of bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields. Such cooperation will continuously bring tangible results and benefits to the two peoples, and make greater contributions to regional stability and prosperity.

Li expressed China's willingness to enhance the synergy of Malaysia's development strategies and its own, and to continue working together to build a high-quality Belt and Road and implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. China is ready to work on flagship China-Malaysia cooperation projects such as the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" and the East Coast Rail Link, he said. It is willing to work with Malaysia to create new growth points for cooperation on new energy vehicles and the digital economy, promote the continuous expansion and upgrading of bilateral cooperation, and strengthen exchanges in education, scientific research, cultural tourism and local areas, he added.

China stands ready to coordinate and cooperate more closely with Malaysia, work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, safeguard the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation framework, and advance the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations to facilitate regional economic integration, Li said.

Anwar said that Malaysia has a high appreciation for China's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, and is willing to further close exchanges with China at all levels and strengthen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, the digital economy and green development. He said Malaysia stands ready to enhance exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations, strengthen coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs, and strengthen Malaysia-China relations.

Malaysia supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, he added. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)
New Delhi, Sep 17

V odafone Idea has made a requisite payment of Rs 1,701 crore to the Department of Telecommunications telecom department towards 2022 Spectrum Auction Instalment.

In a regulatory filing, Vodafone Idea said the payment is in accordance with the terms of Notice Inviting Applications dated June 15, 2022.

In an earlier filing on August 14, Vodafone Idea had said that the company has received a communication from a promoter group entity confirming that in the event of any fund requirement for meeting its impending payment obligations by the Company, it shall provide direct or indirect financial support to the extent of Rs. 2,000 crore.

On August 24, CARE Ratings revised the outlook assigned to the long-term bank facilities and instruments of Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) from 'Positive' to 'Stable' acknowledging delay in fund raising from investors and financial institutions against the envisaged timelines, while the ratings have been reaffirmed.

The ratings factor in the experienced management team, pan-India telecom presence with high brand recognition supported by a stable outlook for the Indian telecommunications industry, stance of the promoter groups [i.e., the Aditya Birla group (ABG) and the Vodafone group Plc (VGP)] in assisting the entity and majority shareholding (33.14% as on June 30, 2023) of the Government of India through the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management.

Furthermore, the ratings take cognisance of the receipt of commitment from a promoter group entity confirming direct or indirect financial support to the extent of Rs 2,000 crore to address impending obligations of the company arising out of any cash flow mismatch.

The ratings, however, remain underpinned by VIL's deteriorated financial risk profile, wherein, the tangible net-worth has eroded, its constantly declining subscriber base and delay in raising funds - both debt and equity, thereby dampening its efforts to gain market share through expansion of 4G services and timely rollout of 5G services.

san/sha

Vodafone Idea pays Rs 1701 crore to DoT for spectrum auction instalment

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Anesthesiology researchers are responsible for some of medicine's most significant advances, from the Apgar score that tests a newborn's health to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). But the number of medical residents in the anesthesiology physician-scientist (researcher) pipeline trails other specialties, particularly among women, according to findings of the Anesthesia Research Council (ARC), published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.

Out of eleven medical specialties, anesthesiology ranked eighth both for the percentage of entering residents with a "research-oriented" background and the percentage of anesthesiology residents who are women, according to the ARC working group's analysis based on data from the National Resident Matching Program and Association of American Medical Colleges from 2009-2019. ARC proposes a variety of recommendations to increase the size and diversity of the anesthesiology physician-scientist pipeline, from increasing the visibility of anesthesiology research to medical students, to expanding research fellowship opportunities, to incorporating child-care-friendly policies at national meetings facilitating attendance and career development.

The research conducted by anesthesiology physician-scientists over the last few decades has led to a revolution in life-saving changes in perioperative medicine and remarkable improvements in safety. But the public and even many physicians aren't aware that the research anesthesiology physician-scientists are involved in extends beyond intraoperative anesthesia care and surgery itself, from understanding the basis of consciousness, to reducing organ injury during transplantation to addressing pain without the need for opioids and using interventional methods to relieve chronic pain." Charles W. Emala, M.S., M.D., chair of the ARC working group and vice chair for research at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York

ARC was formed in 2019 by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) and the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) to address compelling issues in academic anesthesiology. The number of physicians who focus on research -; particularly in anesthesiology -; has been inadequate to meet demands for decades. Efforts to increase the numbers have not made a meaningful difference, prompting ARC to tackle the pipeline as its first issue.

There are several reasons for the shortfall of medical students pursuing anesthesiology research pathways, starting with medical students' reduced exposure to the specialty of anesthesiology. The ARC working group's survey of anesthesiology residency program directors revealed that only 46% of medical schools required students exposure to clinical anesthesiology, and when they do, the average time is two weeks, versus eight for other major specialties such as surgery, pediatrics and internal medicine, Dr. Emala said.

The working group did unearth some encouraging findings. They found anesthesiology ranked fourth out of 11 specialties for residents who identified themselves as belonging to an underrepresented group in medicine. They also noted that since 2015, there has been a 70% increase in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to anesthesiology departments and a 70% increase in the number of NIH early scientist career development awards given to anesthesiologists.

To expand the size and diversity of the anesthesiology physician-scientists pipeline, ARC offers more than 40 recommendations within six categories:

Medical student trainee initiatives, such as increasing financial support of FAER to expand the medical student summer research fellowship and having the specialty of anesthesiology represented at annual national meetings of medical students in the NIH-sponsored medical scientist training program (MSTP). Mentoring and professional development, including expediting full membership status for the Association of University Anesthesiologists to faculty demonstrating research or academic productivity. Training grants, such as awarding mentored foundation grants only to departments that demonstrate a culture of inquiry by investing in the continued development of physician-scientists. Supporting trainees with diverse needs, including by creating pipeline programs to identify and mentor underrepresented minority undergraduate students, medical students and residents who have an interest in becoming physician-scientists, as well as providing financial support for child-care needs during attendance and presentations at national meetings. Supporting anesthesiology leaders to expand institution research, such as embedding early-career physician-scientists within multi-disciplinary teams. Expanding academic anesthesiology by department chairs, such as by petitioning the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Anesthesiology to allow for expanded fellowships that enable one to two years of research.
Customers showing up even when they were sick, not agreeing with the restrictions, and many new tasks for staff. These are factors that contributed to heavier workloads and tougher work environments in pharmacies during the pandemic, a study reveals.

The scientific study, published in the journal Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, was conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Abo Akademi University.

The data consists of a questionnaire that was distributed to all pharmacists working in pharmacies in Sweden. The number of respondents was 2 034, or 41 percent. The group of pharmacists includes prescriptionists and pharmacists.

While many parts of society were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists make up a group that has not received much attention. According to the study, a majority of pharmacists experienced increased workloads and a deteriorating work environments.

Customer conflicts and infection risk

Most pharmacists (62 percent) felt that their workload had increased during the pandemic, while the work environment had deteriorated. 47 percent felt that the physical work environment had deteriorated, while 59 percent of respondents felt that the psychosocial work environment had deteriorated.

Reasons that were highlighted included conflicts due to the unwillingness of some customers to comply with the restrictions. Pharmacists also described an increased fragmentation of their work as their regular tasks were expanded with rapidly introduced new tasks during the pandemic.

For example, pharmacists would ensure that the number of customers in the pharmacy was in line with regulations, carry out extra cleaning or serve customers outside the pharmacy.

Respondents were not satisfied with the communication within pharmacy companies and described a lack of understanding of the situation in pharmacies during the pandemic by both companies and society in general. In addition, there was a fear of contracting COVID-19.

Communication and understanding

Christina Ljungberg Persson is a senior lecturer in community pharmacy at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and the first author of the study.

"When other healthcare services became less available, pharmacies remained open and customers increasingly turned to pharmacies for advice even if they were ill," she says, adding:

"Clear communication within a pharmacy company is important to show that management understands the burden a pandemic places on pharmacists who serve customers."

Despite the increased workload and deterioration of the work environment, 55% of respondents felt that patient safety in pharmacies had not been affected. This result is not in line with other studies where high workloads and poorer work environments have often been linked to impaired patient safety. The researchers therefore call for more studies on patient safety in Swedish pharmacies during the pandemic.
For his work discovering the basis for hemoglobin gene switching and applying those insights to develop a therapy for sickle cell disease and other blood diseases, the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania awarded Stuart Orkin, MD the third Elaine Redding Brinster Prize in Science or Medicine.

Orkin's research advanced the understanding of how the fetal hemoglobin gene-; the main oxygen carrier protein in the human fetus-;is silenced in adults. He also developed a therapy that re-activates the fetal gene for adult hemoglobin gene defects, which cause red blood cell diseases.

Dr. Orkin has beautifully illustrated how a career of basic science investigation into the mechanisms for gene regulation can be applied, in one's own laboratory, to a method for combating devastating human diseases. Notably, his discovery of unexpected details in how the fetal hemoglobin gene is regulated suggested insights for a therapy, for which he availed of the latest gene editing technologies to develop a specific clinical application for sickle cell disease. We are thrilled that Dr. Orkin is the third awardee of the Elaine Redding Brinster Prize." Ken Zaret, PhD, director of Penn's Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Joseph Leidy Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in the Perelman School of Medicine

The prize, supported by an endowment from the children of Elaine Redding Brinster, is awarded annually to a researcher whose singular discovery has made a unique impact on biomedicine. Each winner receives $100,000, a commemorative medal, and an invitation to present a ceremonial lecture at the University of Pennsylvania.

Orkin will accept the prize on March 13, 2024, as part of the day-long Ralph L. Brinster Symposium at Penn's Philadelphia campus. The symposium will feature eminent speakers from across the biomedical sciences, including Titia de Lange, PhD, of Rockefeller University; Carla Shatz, PhD, of Stanford University; Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, PhD, of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research; and Marianne Bronner, PhD, of the California Institute of Technology.

"I am very honored, and humbled, by recognition with the Brinster Prize. I hope that work of my laboratory will inspire others to pursue a career of fundamental discovery for the benefit of patients," said Orkin, the David G. Nathan Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and investigator with Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Orkin has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Canada Gairdner International Award, the Gruber Foundation Prize in Genetics, the King Faisal Prize in Medicine, the Kovaleno Medal of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Harrington Discovery Institute Prize for Innovation in Medicine. Orkin is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences.

Previous recipients of the Elaine Redding Brinster Prize include molecular biologist C. David Allis, PhD, and neurogeneticist Huda Zoghbi, MD.

The Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine is dedicated to researching cells and tissues with an eye toward turning the knowledge gained into new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and tools. A member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research's (ISSCR) Circle of Stem Cell Institute and Center Directors, the institute features faculty from five schools across the University of Pennsylvania and includes representation from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Wistar Institute.
NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Sunday highlighted the role of global trade and warned against using it as a weapon.

"Trade should not be used as a weapon that undermines global economic security," Hun Manet said at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The prime minister noted the new challenges facing the world, such as rising commodity prices, food insecurity, and climate change as the pandemic subsides, and highlighted "the important role of trade in tackling these global challenges to ensure that interdependence and globalization are mutually beneficial."

The prime minister said ASEAN and China are key players in this sense. "We can show the world examples of tangible benefits of strengthening multilateral cooperation -- without leaning towards protectionism, unilateralism, or economic nationalism," he said. 
New research led by data science experts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and United Nations Global Pulse found that there is no strong evidence that YouTube promoted anti-vaccine sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, performed an algorithmic audit to examine if YouTube's recommendation system acted as a "rabbit hole," leading users searching for vaccine-related videos to anti-vaccine content.

For the study, the researchers asked World Health Organization-trained participants and workers from Amazon Mechanical Turk to intentionally find an anti-vaccine video with as few clicks as possible, starting from an initial informational COVID-19 video posted by the WHO. They compared the recommendations seen by these users to related videos that are obtained from the YouTube application programming interface and to YouTube's Up-Next recommended videos that were seen by clean browsers without any user-identifying cookies.

The team then used machine learning methods to classify anti-vaccine content, analyzing more than 27,000 video recommendations made by YouTube.

"We found no evidence that YouTube promotes anti-vaccine content to its users," said Margaret Yee Man Ng, an Illinois journalism professor with an appointment in the Institute of Communications Research and lead author of the study. "The average share of anti-vaccine or vaccine hesitancy videos remained below 6% at all steps in users' recommendation trajectories."

The initial goal of the research was to better understand YouTube's famously opaque techniques for content recommendations  going beyond querying the platform's application programming interfaces to collect real-world data  and whether these techniques funnel users toward anti-vaccine sentiment and vaccine hesitancy.

We wanted to learn about how different entities were using the platform to disseminate their content so that we could develop recommendations for how YouTube could do a better job of not pushing misinformation. Contrary to public belief, YouTube wasn't promoting anti-vaccine content. The study reveals that YouTube's algorithms instead recommended other health-related content that was not explicitly related to vaccination." UN Global Pulse researcher Katherine Hoffmann Pham, co-author of the study

"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," Ng said.

The study also allowed the researchers to examine how users' real-world experiences differ from the personalized recommendations obtained by querying YouTube's "RelatedToVideo" application programming interface. This API is designed to help programmers search for related content on the platform or using clean browsers, replicating the experience of a new user visiting YouTube with no search or view history, which is often used to study the platform's recommendation system.

The study reports that the watch histories of users significantly affect video recommendations, suggesting that data from the API or a clean browser does not offer an accurate picture of the suggestions that real users are seeing. Real users saw slightly more pro-vaccine content as they advanced through their recommendation trajectories. In contrast, searches performed by the API or clean browsers during the study were drawn toward irrelevant recommendations as they advanced.

"I think one benefit of this study relative to others is that it proposes a relatively lightweight methodology to gather real data on how people navigate through YouTube's video recommendations," Pham said. "So unlike the APIs, which will just sort of randomly suggest new links, the users can critically review the links and pick one, which sort of mimics the behavior that many people would use on YouTube in reality."

Understanding recommendation systems is important because it promotes transparency and holds them accountable," added co-author Miguel Luengo-Oroz, a professor at the Telecommunications School of the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. "This helps people understand the choices being made for them by platform designers."

Ng is also affiliated with the Department of Computer Science, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and the Center for Social and Behavioral Science at Illinois.
New analysis of pilot studies on night shift naps conducted from 2012 to 2018 revealed the ideal snoozing strategy that might help counteract drowsiness and fatigue during a 16-hour overnight duty. The findings can also benefit new parents.

Reanalysis of data showed that when staying up all night, scheduling two nap sessions -; a 90-minute one followed by a quick 30-minute shut-eye later -; is the optimal choice over a single 120-minute snooze in putting off drowsiness and fatigue. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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." Sanae Oriyama, study sole author, nursing science professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences

Shift work is a norm in emergency sectors such as healthcare where round-the-clock access to services can be life-saving. And working double shifts on nontraditional hours isn't unheard of among medical professionals. However, night shift work is also known to increase the risk for sleep-related physical and mental health disorders and impair job performance.

During the daytime, our light-sensitive internal clock activates wakefulness. The opposite happens at nighttime when alertness dims as our biorhythm readies to switch off, elevating the likelihood of errors and accidents. In the medical field, this may inadvertently lead to serious harm to patients or to oneself. Naps are usually taken by shift workers to offset disruptions to the body clock.

In Japan, nurses are typically allowed to sleep up to two hours during 16-hour night shifts. Oriyama wanted to find out which napping schedule is the best in fighting off sleepiness and diminished cognitive function during such grueling work hours. And while at it, figure out how sleep quality factors in.

Single versus split naps

Oriyama reexamined past pilot studies she co-authored to compare alertness and cognitive performance after taking a nap and throughout a simulated 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. shift. The one-nap condition experiment was conducted in 2012, the two-nap in 2014, and the no-nap in 2018.

"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," she said.

She found that those who took a single 120-minute nap ending at midnight experienced worse drowsiness as soon as 4 a.m. and lasted until the end of the shift. However, participants who scheduled two naps -; the 90-minute one lasting until midnight and the 30-minute one ending at 3 a.m. -; staved off drowsiness until 6 a.m. Oriyama suggested adding an extra 30 minutes of shut-eye between 5-6 a.m. given that drowsiness might shoot up from 7-8 a.m.

As for fatigue, although all nap groups expressed significantly heightened levels of it from 4-9 a.m., the two-nap group experienced it at an intensity lower than the rest.

"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. when tasks requiring quick responses to maintain a high level of safety are scheduled between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m.," Oriyama said.

Finding the best nap length, timing

Both the single and split naps did not result in improved cognitive task performance. However, Oriyama noted that those who took longer to fall asleep during the 90-minute nap session showed poorer scores in the Uchida-Kraepelin test (UKT), a timed basic math exam meant to measure speed and accuracy in performing a task.

It takes 90 minutes to complete a full sleep cycle. And waking up before it is finished could exacerbate sleep inertia, the grogginess and disorientation felt upon first waking up. Similarly, the study found that if total sleep time is prolonged, fatigue and drowsiness could also increase.

Meanwhile, past research showed that a nap of 30 minutes or less could help boost vigilance, alertness, and energy levels.

The study also found that the timing of your nap plays a crucial role: the later you take it, the more potent it is in fending off sleepiness and exhaustion. However, delaying it too much could interfere with your focus as your sleep drive builds up.

"Hence, the ideal time for taking a nap and the ideal nap schedule during long night shifts need further elucidation," Oriyama said.

Beneficial for new parents, too

Oriyama said her 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 minimize sleep deprivation fatigue in mothers raising infants."

A total of 41 females in their 20s participated in the studies. Research participants were invited to a windowless and soundproofed laboratory for a 16-hour night shift simulation. The room temperature was kept at a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius and light intensity above work desks was set at 200 lux, the typical illuminance level in offices. All took the UKT each hour. Their hourly temperature, self-reported drowsiness and fatigue levels, heart rate, and blood pressure were also measured. After the tests, participants have free time to do anything they want on their desks like reading, drawing, or drinking water. During the scheduled nap time, they moved to a neighboring bedroom where they were allowed to darken the light according to their preference. Their sleep parameters were measured during this time.
An Air India flight scheduled to travel from Mumbai to Delhi has been delayed for five hours, Shiv Sena Arvind Sawant shared in a social media post.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Sawant said that flight AI888 was supposed to take off at 7 pm. The airline responded that the flight would depart at 11:55 pm.

Sawant said, #AirIndia Flight AI888 Mumbai to Delhi was supposed to take off at 7.00. Passengers boarded 1.30 hour back! If there is any technical issue why at first instance officials allowed boarding? @airindia still not ready to improve!!! 

#AirIndia Flight AI888 Mumbai to Delhi was supposed to take off at 7.00. Passengers boarded 1.30 hour back! If there is any technical issue why at first instance officials allowed boarding? @airindia still not ready to improve!!! @RNTata2000 @TataCompanies @DGCAIndia Arvind Sawant (@AGSawant) September 17, 2023

The airline quickly responded to his post saying that the flight was delayed due to operational reasons. We regret the inconvenience caused due to the delay. As per the current status, it will depart at 2355 hrs. We appreciate your continued patience, they added.

Sawant further asked the carrier if the flight was going to be so late then why it did not arrange any other aircraft.

23.55???? Scheduled time was 7.00, 5 hrs delay?If its going to be so late, Why you asked passengers to board??? Why you didnt arranged other aircraft??? @airindia @RNTata2000 @TataCompanies @DGCAIndia @JM_Scindia Arvind Sawant (@AGSawant) September 17, 2023

Earlier on September 14, several flights to and from Mumbai airport witnessed delays after a private jet skidded off the runaway amid heavy rain. The runway, which was closed for some time, later opened for operations post DGCA clearance.

Eight people were injured following Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) witnessed a runway excursion today involving a Learjet 45 aircraft VT-DBL, operating a flight from Vishakhapatnam to Mumbai.

All eight persons including the pilot and co-pilot, 1 crew member and 5 passengers were hospitalised.

Following the incident, many flights were diverted to other airports due to the closure of the runway at Mumbai airport.
The deadline for the Delhi University B.Tech Admission 2023 spot round 1 has been extended pursuant to an official notice published by the university. For B.Tech spot admission round 1, the acceptance and online fee payment dates have now been extended to September 18. The notification is accessible to all candidates through du.ac.in, the universitys official website.

The official announcement states that the last date for admission (Acceptance and online payment of fees) for B. Tech. Spot Admission Round I has been extended till 11:59 PM, Monday, September 18, 2023.

Previously, the deadline for accepting the allotted seats was September 13, and the deadline for paying the enrollment fee was September 15.

DU UG B.Tech ADMISSION 2023 ROUND 1: STEPS TO APPLY

The steps listed below can be followed by applicants to participate in the University of Delhi spot round admission 2023.

Step 1: Go to admission.uod.ac.in, the DU Admissions official website.

Step 2: From the webpage, select the DU vacant seats for round 2 spot admission link.

Step 3: Find the number of available seats in the DU college of your choice.

Step 4: Access the candidate dashboard and select the spot round option.

Step 5: Fill out the DU colleges by preference in the spot round form.

Step 6: Once the form has been filled and reviewed, submit it and make a copy of it for your future records.

The candidate must mandatorily accept the seat that is being offered during the round of spot admission. Upgrade and withdrawal options wont be available during the DU spot admission round. The seat assigned during the spot admission round is definitive.

The second round of UG (excluding B.Tech) admissions was offered to students who had previously applied but had not been accepted by a college or faculty between September 7 and September 9. DU states that those who were offered a place in the prior round but did not complete the admissions procedure are disqualified for this round of spot admissions.Additionally, if extra spot admission rounds are necessary, the university can announce them at a later time.

For further information on Delhi University admissions, candidates are encouraged to frequently visit the official website admission.uod.ac.in.
As part of the package for Marathwada region in Maharashtra, new medical colleges will come up at Parbhani and Nanded, an official said on Saturday.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has made the announcement for a medical college in Hingoli, for which Rs 485 crore has been sanctioned, while dedicated land will be made available for the medical college in Parbhani, he said.

A conservation project for red kandhari and devni cows will be set up in Ambajogai in Beed, while Marathwada will get an additional provision of Rs 1,076 crore for works associated with progress and empowerment of women, he added.

More than 12 lakh women from the region are expected to get benefits, the official said.

Schools in the state can be adopted now, which will better the quality of education. A civil court has been sanctioned in Sillod in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad). New agricultural colleges will be set up in Nanded, Soyegaon here and Parli in Beed, he said.

Parli will be the location of a soybean research centre, while a new ITI incubation centre will come up in Jalna at a cost of Rs 10 crore, the official added.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said out of the 31 developmental works announced for Marathwada in 2016, a total of 23 have been implemented.

The Maharashtra government held its cabinet meeting here on Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of the regions Liberation Day. Marathwada was liberated from the rule of the Hyderabad Nizam on September 17, 1948.

CM Shinde had announced a package of Rs 45,000 crore for the development of Marathwada as well as revised administrative sanctions for irrigation projects worth Rs 14,000 crore.

The Marathwada region comprises eight districts  Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (previously known as Aurangabad), Dharashiv (previously known as Osmanabad), Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani.
From UPSC Civil Services to SSC recruitment exams, from college admissions to group discussions, general knowledge questions mark a significant part of almost every exam. For candidates preparing to crack an exam or those who need to get their news in a compact form, News18 offers a weekly column  GK Capsule. While we provide you a weekly news wrap, to get more information on a specific topic or an exam, reach out at @news18dotcom.

It is important to stay well-versed on global happenings, such as numerous events, incidents, and national and international announcements. General Knowledge questions are significant in practically every examination, from UPSC civil services, bank exams and SSC recruitment exams to college admissions and even group discussions.

Here is a selected list of notable news events to assist candidates in preparing for their upcoming exams:

Nipah Virus Scare In Kerala

On September 15, another person in Keralas Kozhikode city tested positive for the Nipah Virus. This brings the total number of infected people in the state to 6, four of whom are active cases, and the other two have died. The virus has infected Kerala for the fourth time, and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has requested 20 more doses of the antibody vaccination from Australia. It has also been stated that the viruss mortality rate among infected people is exceptionally high (between 40 per cent and 70 per cent) compared to the COVID mortality rate of 2 per cent to 3 per cent.

Teachers In Odisha On Mass Strike

On September 13, an estimated 1.30 lakh teachers from over 56,000 primary and upper primary schools in Odisha went on strike in protest of the states contractual appointment system, raises in grade pay from Rs 2,200 to Rs 4,200, and the reintroduction of the previous pension system. The teachers indefinite strike, which has lasted six days, has kept almost 40 lakh students from attending state-run schools. As a result of the protest, several schools and their students have suffered greatly. Despite the Odisha governments appeal that they end their strike, teachers united under the umbrella of the All Utkal Primary Teachers Federation (AUPTF) began a demonstration on September 8 in order to get their demands addressed.

India-UK FTA Talks

As per a senior official, talks on the planned free trade agreement between India and the United Kingdom are progressing and there is good progress on matters such as rules of origin as well as Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). Many things are moving very fast. Like rules of origin and bilateral investment treaty, there is a good progress. Negotiations are happening Towards the end of the deal, it is the difficult issues which are to be closed and therefore it requires more time and more deliberations, Sunil Barthwal, Commerce Secretary told reporters recently.

IRS Officer Rahul Navin Appointed As EDs In-charge Director

The government on September 15 selected IRS officer Rahul Navin as the Enforcement Directorates in-charge Director, as Sanjay Kumar Mishras tenure as Director of the ED comes to an end. The Supreme Court ruled in July that the extension of the ED chief was illegal and that Sanjay Mishra could lead the ED until July 31 this year. Mishras appointment was later extended by the Supreme Court to September 15, 2023. Mishra received a one-year extension in November 2022. His term as ED Director was set to expire in November of this year.

Centre To Launch National Cooperative Database

India will soon have a centralised database of cooperative societies. This ground-breaking record, the first of its type anywhere in the world, will not only map all cooperative societies and their ecosystems within the country but will also serve as a valuable tool for bridging geographical gaps and discovering untapped areas and sectors ripe for cooperative expansion. Given that India is home to over 8.5 lakh of the 30 lakh cooperative societies worldwide (or more than 25 per cent of the total), a repository like this was desperately needed to keep track of their operations, finances, and membership levels.
Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), commonly referred to as UFOs (unidentified flying objects), are one of the greatest mysteries for scientists over the past several decades. Objects in the skies that cannot be identified as balloons, aircraft, or natural known phenomena have been spotted worldwide, without much scientific explanation or concrete evidence.

In order to study the rare and mysterious occurrences, NASA, in June 2022, established an external independent study team to find a way to study data and resources regarding them and shed light on their nature.

The most-awaited report has finally been released by the space agency and after studying hundreds of UFO sightings, the experts said there is no evidence aliens were behind the unexplained phenomena.

However, the space agency has said that it will investigate UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) with improved technology and artificial intelligence.

No proof Aliens exist

The report has said that there is no reason to conclude that existing UAP reports have an extraterrestrial source. But NASA Administrator Bill Nelson acknowledged with billions of stars in billions of galaxies out there, another Earth could exist.

However, it added, if we acknowledge that as one possibility, then those objects must have travelled through our solar system to get here.

The report didnt make it clear whether extra-terrestrial life exists, but it didnt deny the possibility of potential unknown alien technology.

The observation comes after several UAP sightings in the last few years. Between March 5, 2021, and August 30, 2022, the US Department of Defense received a total of 247 new UAP reports, while there have been more than 800 events collected over 27 years.

New UFO boss

The NASA has also appointed a new director of UAP research, but the agency has kept the identity hidden to avoid any threats and harassment during the study.

Dr Daniel Evans, NASAs Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for Research, said members of the UAP research panel had received actual threats, according to BBC. Therefore, in view of the security and safety of the team, the team decided not to publish the name of the UAP research director.

The new Director will ensure that the agencys vast analytical capabilities, including its proficiency in data management, machine learning and artificial intelligence, are contributed to the governments unified UAP effort, the report said.

AI tools to be Used to Identify UAPs

The report said Artificial intelligence and machine learning are essential tools for identifying UAPs.

These powerful techniques will only work on well-characterized data gathered with respect to strong standards. NASAs extensive experience in the application of state-of-the-art computational and data-analysis techniques should therefore be leveraged to provide critical assistance, the report said.

The report also called on NASA to work together with other branches of the US government, using its expertise in space technology to help determine what both previously seen and future UAPs are.

Pentagon investigation on UFOs

NASAs work is separate from a parallel Pentagon investigation, though the two are coordinating on how to apply scientific tools and methods.

In July, a former US intelligence officer made headlines when he told a congressional committee he absolutely believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomena  as well as remains of their alien operators.

My testimony is based on information Ive been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country  many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony, David Grusch told lawmakers.

Earlier this week, the alleged bodies of two non-human beings were presented during a congressional hearing in Mexico, generating a mixture of surprise, disbelief and ridicule on social media.

The purported mummified remains, which had a grayish color and a human-like body form, were brought by Jaime Maussan, a controversial Mexican journalist and researcher who reported finding them in Peru in 2017.
The operation against terrorists in Kokernag area of Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district has carried over to the fifth day now with security forces encircling the hilly forest area. In the latest update, a fire erupted today near the terrorist hideout spot in Kokernag.

Security forces have been chasing the terrorists, believed to be two or three in number, since Wednesday, the day when Commanding Officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat lost their lives in the operation.

On Saturday, security forces launched a massive assault with mortar shells to flush out terrorists responsible for the killing of the four security forces personnel.

Drones and helicopters were used to track and neutralise the terrorists on Saturday, officials said. The drones and helicopters were deployed 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 added.

Terrorists Hiding in Cave-like hideouts in Forest Area

Security forces fired several mortar shells towards the forest as the encounter resumed on Saturday. Officials said drones were being used to pinpoint the location of the terrorist in the cave-like hideouts in the forest area.

The cave hideouts, a tactically favourable location for terrorists, in forests of Gadol are being said to be the reason behind the encounter going on for days now. The area is also connected to the Pir Panjal range.

The security personnel killed on Wednesday were part of the team that tried to approach the terrorist hideout via the only route available and came under heavy firing. The forces, trapped between the hills on one side and a deep ditches on another, were left without any cover.

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.

Apart from the unfavourable terrain, inclement weather has also been a been hampering security forces effort to locate the terrorists. Amid the ongoing operation, a drone footage surfaced on Friday showing a terrorist running for cover after one such hideout was hit by shells fired by security forces.
In a major boost to the Army, the Defence Ministry has granted approval for the acquisition of a regiment of Pralay ballistic missiles that will be deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Line of Control (LOC).

According to Defence Ministry officials, the decision was taken at the recent meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).

The officials said that the addition of the Pralay, a short-range ballistic surface-to-surface (SRBM) missile, will give more firepower and heft to the Armys war-fighting capabilities. The missile will give the armed forces the capability to hit enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas.

It is Indias first tactical quasi-ballistic missile. Pralay, along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will form the crux of Indias planned Rocket Force.
Maharashtra government issued a notification on Friday officially changing the name of Aurangabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and of Osmanabad district to Dharashiv.

The notification issued by Revenue Department of the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government said 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 decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad was taken on June 29 last year by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray just a day before he resigned from the post following a rebellion by his party colleague Eknath Shinde that eventually led to the ouster of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena.

Chief Minister Shinde and his deputy 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, CM Shindes 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 prefixed Chhatrapati to it.

(With PTI inputs)
AMMAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Foreign Ministry on Sunday strongly condemned the break-in by extremists into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem under the protection of the Israeli police.

The ministry said the acts represent a violation of the historical status and legal status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and a desecration of holy places, according to a statement by the ministry.

Ministry's Spokesperson Sanan Al-Majali called on Israel to cease all actions and violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to respect its sanctity.

The Israeli forces attacked Muslim worshippers on Sunday morning at Bab as-Silsila, also known as the Chain Gate, one of the main entrances to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the official Palestinian News Agency reported.

Israeli media said there were no serious disturbances at the site, and only minor scuffles were reported between police and Palestinians as Jewish visitors toured the site.

The Jordanian official warned against the continuation of these violations and emphasized the necessity of respecting that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. 
An elderly man has been accused of having unnatural sex with a stray dog in Mumbais Mumbra. The gruesome act, which took place at Azad Nagar in Mumbra, was recorded on camera by an alert citizen and shared with some animal activists.

Later, the People for Animals (PFA) lodged an FIR against the accused man at the Mumbra police station, a TOI report mentioned.

The accused man, identified only as Karim, is in his mid-50s. An alert citizen had managed to get video evidence against the accused who was sexually assaulting the dog. On September 10, we managed to lodge an FIR against the accused, but he is currently absconding,  Vijay Rangare, president of PFA-Mumbai, who is an honorary animal welfare officer, was quoted by TOI as saying.

Rangare added that after the photo of the accused was circulated around the Azad Nagar locality, some of the locals identified him as Karim.

Police are trying to locate the accused. Animal activist, Navin N, is also assisting the authorities in catching the accused.

A case under section 377 of the IPC and Section 11(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 has been registered at the Mumbra police station.

Please, always speak up when you see an animal being abused. For if you dont, maybe no one else will. Be the voice of someone who cant speak or defend themselves, Rangare added.
Kerala health minister Veena George, who has been camping in Kozhikode where the latest cases of Nipah virus have been reported, says her department has aggressively begun contact tracing and creating containment zones to control the outbreak.

In an exclusive interview with News18, she spoke of how swiftly the state health ministry began tracking, tracing, and quarantining the relatives and contacts of the two victims who succumbed to the virus in the past two months.

This is Keralas fourth outbreak of the virus since 2018; this variant has been identified as similar to the Bangladesh variant.

George said while there have been no new Nipah cases reported, her department has achieved a major milestone as it has managed to trace the index case or the person who had contracted the virus first.

Edited interview

Q: How is the situation now?

The situation in Kozhikode is totally under control. So far, we could identify six positive cases and 96 samples from those who were listed as 96 contacts; their samples have been found negative.

Q: How did the government identify this as a Nipah Virus case?

It was on the 11th of this month that we got information from a private hospital that there are two unusual fever cases and two of them were children. At that moment itself, I asked my director of health services, Dr. Reena, to conduct a study on this, also surveillance in the area, and to contact the private hospital authorities. That day itself, we could do the surveillance, and we did a tough case study, and we found that these cases were close to the place where we saw the case of Nipah as reported in 2018.

The father of these children died on the 30th of last month. The surveillance and other details we received from the private hospital led us to think that the cases can be Nipah. So, we sent the samples to the microbiology lab at the medical college in Kozhikode. The medical college has BSL level II lab and level 3 facilities, and procedures can be done there. A high-level meeting convened in Thiruvananthapuram, where principal excretory, NHM director, other officials and I participated.

At the same time, we got the information from a private hospital that a man is dead and he also had a fever. The victim was in his 40s. So, we asked the private hospital authorities to keep the body in the mortuary with the protocol-type packing until the sample of the person is also tested.

By 11.30-12 am, the samples were positive. Then, we sent the samples to NIV Pune for the confirmatory test, but at the moment itself, we had already decided to observe the Nipah protocols and asked the health system to observe the guidelines. We asked them to do so on treatment, isolation, contact tracing, everything.

Now, there are six positive cases, the two who died  on August 30 and August 11 and four patients under treatment are stable. One child, who is under ventilator, is also stable now. His status is slightly improving.

Q: You have been camping in Kozhikode and taking stock of the situation. What measures have been taken by the health ministry to keep a check on this outbreak?

On the 11th itself, the directors of health services and medical education and I reached Kozhikode. On the 12th, we constituted 19 core teams, as per the Nipah guidelines. We started contact tracing and also categorising the suspects as high risk and low risk, etc. The very important thing is that we could get the sample of the man who died on the 30th from the private hospital where he was treated for fever. We sent the sample to NIV Pune, and we found the sample to be positive. That was very important information regarding this outbreak. That we could find the index case, and we could prove it through clinical and lab testing that the sample was positive. We also have traced 1,080 persons and categorised them under high and low-risk categories. We have decided to do the sample testing of all those who are high risk.

Q: States like neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are on alert and issued guidelines while keeping a strict vigil on their borders. How do you see the situation, is it likely to spread?

There is nothing to worry about because we have indeed fielded the persons who have come in contact with those who were positive. We have used all the sources, CCTV footage, sought the help of the police department to locate the locations of the positive patients, especially the index case to identify the source also. There is nothing to worry about, and we are keeping a close vigil. The health system, in Kozhikode district and the nearby districts of Wayanad, Malappuram, and Kannur, are on alert, and there is nothing to worry about, and everything is taken care of.
Earlier this week, three security personnel, including two Indian Army officers, were killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district. Official numbers analysed by News18 show that on an average, every month since 2020, India lost at least four security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

The data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) says since 2020, at least 148 security personnel have been killed in the Union Territory, including 11 in the first seven months of the current year.

It is also important to note that there has been a consistent drop in the number of security personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir. Between 2020 and 2022, the number of deaths of security personnel has dropped by almost half.

However, India has lost at least 319 security personnel in the last five-and-a-half years, data shows.

Three Civilians Dying Every Month

As per the Home Ministry data, at least 105 civilians have been killed in the Union Territory in terrorist acts between January 2020 and July 2023 while another 15 were killed due to security officials during the same period. In total, 120 civilians have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir in the 43-month period, making it about three civilians per month. This year, at least 10 civilians have been killed up to July 31.

Further, between January 2018 and July 2023, at least 184 civilians were killed in terrorist initiated incidents while another 35 were killed in encounters or counter-terrorism operations, the Home Ministry data shows.

J&K Reports 10 Terrorist-Initiated Incidents Per Month

At least 10 terrorist-initiated incidents were reported in Jammu and Kashmir per month on an average, the Home Ministry data analysed by News18 shows. The UT has registered 410 terrorist-initiated incidents between January 2020 and July 2023, it shows.

Since 2018, almost 800 terror incidents have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir, including 30 reported this year up to July 31.

Further, the net infiltration reported in the UT has drastically come down since 2019, yet, per month, at least three such incidents have been reported, the data shows. Almost 100 cases of infiltration were registered between January 2020 and December 2022.

At Least 16 Terrorists Killed Every Month

In the 36-month period between January 2020 and December 2022, every month at least 16 terrorists were killed on an average, the Home Ministry data shows. Almost 600 terrorists have been killed in the last three years.

In the five-year period starting 2018, more than 1,000 terrorists have been eliminated from the Union Territory.
The Union Health Ministry has launched a country-wide health campaign Ayushman Bhav on September 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday.

President Droupadi Murmu launched it on Wednesday, September 13.

ALSO READ | Thanks India For its G20 Presidency: WHO Chief Lauds Ayushman Bharat Scheme

The government has introduced this comprehensive nationwide effort to guarantee full healthcare scheme coverage, reaching every village and town throughout India. The campaign has been launched with the aim of creating healthy villages and healthy gram panchayats, ultimately, achieving universal health coverage in the country.

The initiative, officially launched by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on September 11, will continue until October 2. This initiative is led by Gram Panchayats in collaboration with government departments in both rural and urban regions.

The Ayushman Bhav programme has the objective of distributing Ayushman cards, creating ABHA IDs, and promoting awareness regarding healthcare programs and illnesses such as non-communicable diseases, tuberculosis, and sickle cell anaemia.

As outlined by the Union Health Ministry, this initiative encompasses various measures, including Ayushman  Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Sabhas, and Ayushman Melas (medical camps), all aimed at achieving complete coverage of health schemes.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ayushman Bhav initiative involves a set of interventions that include Ayushman  Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Sabhas, Ayushman Melas at health and wellness centres and medical camps by medical colleges at community health centres.

TOP ACTIVITIES UNDER THE CAMPAIGN

A Seva Pakhwada will be held from September 17 to October 2 to ensure every individual receives essential health services. Ayushman Bhav will be launched in Uttar Pradesh on September 17.

Ayushman  Apke Dwar 3.0 aims to ensure the utilisation of an e-card and availing health insurance services under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the eligible beneficiary. This activity has three objectives  improving awareness, increasing e-card penetration, and establishing a continuum of care.

Similarly, Ayushman Mela is another activity under the scheme where health melas will be organised. It is a one-stop platform to address a comprehensive range of health issues.

Sewa Pakhwada begins today!Ensuring saturation coverage of health services to the last mile, the Sewa Pakhwada wellness drive will be conducted from 17th September to 2nd October 2023.#AyushmanBhav pic.twitter.com/Kf0zydpcKo  Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) September 17, 2023

These fairs or melas will create awareness of health and wellness, preventive measures, early detection and treatment. According to the health ministry, the organisation of health mela at each of the Ayushman Bharat-run wellness centres will optimise the uptake of services.

Another one is Ayushman Sabha. It is a community-level activity to be conducted to create momentum among the community to saturate Ayushman cards, ABHA ID generation along with awareness on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), communicable services, tuberculosis and sickle cell disease.
A patient admitted to the orthopaedic ward of King Georges Medical University (KGMU) here died allegedly after he jumped from the hospitals third floor on Sunday, police said.

Confirming the death of the patient, the KGMU administration said that a police investigation into the matter is underway.

Ramvriksh (54), a resident of Kushinagar district, was admitted to the orthopaedic ward and died after falling from the window of the ward on Sunday morning, KGMU spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh told PTI.

Singh said Ramvriksha had suffered a spinal injury and was admitted to the hospital on August 25. Ramvriksha underwent a surgery on September 13.

The spokesperson added that a police investigation into the matter is underway.

However, Keshav Kumar Tiwari, SHO of Chowk police station, said the police have not received any written or oral complaint in this matter, nor has any information been received from the KGMU medical administration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled in Delhi Metro to inaugurate the Airport Express line extension from Dwarka Sector 21 metro station to the new Dwarka Sector 25 metro station.

In the video clip, the prime minister was seen interacting with the passengers who were also enthusiastically clicking pictures while being seated next to him.

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels in Delhi Metro ahead of inaugurating the extension of Delhi Airport Metro Express line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station YashoBhoomi Dwarka Sector 25. pic.twitter.com/O3sKCNDcTK ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

In one of the clips, a passenger said, Mai aapko janamdin ka wish sanskrit mei sunana chahti hoon (I want to wish you happy birthday in Sanskrit) and went on to sing Janmadinam idam..

#WATCH | Birthday Wishes in Sanskrit !A Passenger in Delhi Metro wishes PM @narendramodi on his birthday. Dedicates Happy Birthday song in Sanskrit. pic.twitter.com/oacs4u8Vx2  DD News (@DDNewslive) September 17, 2023

The prime minister  on his 73rd birthday  unveiled the extended Airport Express line.

Passengers in the Delhi Metro were seen clapping and singing happy birthday to the prime minister and taking his pictures.

#WATCH | Passengers in Delhi metro extend their wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 73rd birthday. PM Modi travelled by metro, earlier today pic.twitter.com/fZjxjqzExa ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Further, he also inaugurated the first phase of YashoBhoomi International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka.YashoBhoomi is being built in two phases and is located at a distance of 10 km from Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The IICC is being developed as a modern centre to promote meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) activities to attract and promote business and industry. The complete project is planned over an area of 221.37 acres at Dwarka Sector 25 at an estimated cost of Rs 25,703 crore.

The total project area of the state-of-the-art facility is over 8.9 lakh square meter and the total built up area is more than 1.8 lakh square meter.

The main auditorium comprises 15 convention rooms including the main auditorium, the grand ballroom and 13 meeting rooms with a total capacity of holding 11,000 delegates. It will be one of the worlds largest MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) facilities.

It is expected that the centre will bring New Delhi into the league of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore in the sphere of the exhibition market, according to the commerce and industry ministry.
UNESCO has included Santiniketan, a town located in West Bengals Birbhum district in the World Heritage List. Santiniketan was established as an university town by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the year 1901.

The announcement was made by UNESCO on its official X, formerly known as Twitter handle.

India had been striving for a long time to get a UNESCO tag for this cultural site located in West Bengals Birbhum district. The decision to include Santiniketan in the list was taken in the 45th World Heritage Committee Meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Archaeological Survey of India posted on X saying, A momentous achievement for India as Santiniketan, West Bengal, has been officially inscribed on @UNESCOs World Heritage List, becoming 41st World Heritage Property of India. Abha Narain Lambah, famous conservation architect who had worked on preparing a dossier for its inclusion in the list, said that she was dancing with joy after hearing the news.

We had worked on the dossier in 2009 and, maybe time wasnt right then, but we always believed in the beauty of Santiniketan, and today we feel vindicated seeing it in the UNESCO list, she told PTI.

Lambah is based out of Mumbai and many of her works have received awards and recognitions from the UNESCO. She also said that once the ICOMOS recommended for its inclusion in the list, it was nearly certain that it would happen.

The landmark site was recommended for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, few months ago by international advisory body ICOMOS.

The France-based International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is an international non-governmental organisation that comprises professionals, experts, representatives from local authorities, companies and heritage organisations and is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the architectural and landscape heritage around the world.

Indian Envoy for UNESCO, Vishal Sharma said, India rejoices and celebrates the inclusion of Santiniketan on the World Heritage list. On behalf of my country, I offer my thanks to the World Heritage Committee..I thank the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Indias expert body, the Archaeological Survey of India for their tireless efforts.

He also said, Honourable Prime Minister of India,Narendra Modi is the the chancellor of Santiniketan and its his birthday today, hence the inscription of Santiniketan on the World Heritage list is a welcome gift.

The Indian envoy further quoted the motto of Santiniketan  Yatra Visvam Bhavatyekanidam, which means Where the whole world can find a nest and also said that it was initially established as an ashram in 1863 by Rabindranath Tagores father. However, Tagore in 1901 began its transformation into a residential school and centre of art based on the Ancient Indian teaching system of Gurukul. His vision was oriented at the unity of humanity or Vishwabharati. Santiniketan embraced a unique brand of internationalism that drew upon ancient, medieval and folk traditions of India, Sharma added.

PM MODI SAYS PROUD MOMENT FOR INDIA

Reacting to the new addition of Santiniketan in the World Heritage list of UNESCO, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his delight on his official X handle.

Delighted that Santiniketan, an embodiment of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagores vision and Indias rich cultural heritage, has been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a proud moment for all Indians. https://t.co/Um0UUACsnk Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2023

HOW LEADERS REACTED TO THE UNESCO ANNOUNCEMENT

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proudly shared the UNESCO announcement on her offcial X, formerly known as Twitter handle and said that the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to Santiniketans infrastructure in last 12 years.

Glad and proud that our Santiniketan, the town of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is now finally included in UNESCOs World Heritage List. Biswa Banglas pride, Santiniketan was nurtured by the poet and has been supported by people of Bengal over the generations. We from the Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) September 17, 2023

National General Secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee shared the news on his official X, formerly known as Twitter handle. He said, An immensely proud moment for all citizens of our great nation and Bengalis around the world.

An immensely proud moment for all citizens of our great nation and Bengalis around the world. May Bengal forever remain a shining beacon of hope, embracing the teachings and ideals of Rabindranath Tagore. #PrideOfBengal #BiswaBangla  https://t.co/u6OwzzX38B Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) September 17, 2023

BJP State President from Bengal, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar also shared the news on social media and regarded it as a moment of pride for Indians.

This is a proud moment for every Indian as Santiniketan; the name that resonates with knowledge and enlightenment, paves its way on to the UNESCO World Heritage List@UNESCO pic.twitter.com/lpAk6WEYcq Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) September 17, 2023

ABOUT SANTINIKETAN

According to UNESCO, Santiniketan was established in rural West Bengal in 1901 by the renowned poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, it was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions and a vision of the unity of humanity transcending religious and cultural boundaries. A world university was established at Santiniketan in 1921, recognizing the unity of humanity or Visva Bharati. Distinct from the prevailing British colonial architectural orientations of the early 20th century and of European modernism, Santiniketan represents approaches toward a pan-Asian modernity, drawing on ancient, medieval and folk traditions from across the region.

Visva-Bharati is one of the most prestigious universities in India with degree courses in humanities, social science, science, fine arts, music, performing arts, education, agricultural science and rural reconstruction.

The university was founded by Rabindranath Tagore. It was declared a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951.
Two male cheetahs were on Sunday shifted to a soft release enclosure at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district, officials said.

Notably, Indias cheetah reintroduction project completed one year on Sunday.

The two male cheetahs, namely Gaurav and Shourya, have been staying in the quarantine boma (enclosure) since July 19 this year.

Both the cheetahs were shifted to a soft release boma after the completion of their health examination as per the protocol, officials said.

Gaurav and Shourya were shifted to the soft-release enclosure under the guidance of the expert team, they said.

Under the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, eight Namibian cheetahs  five female and three male  were released into enclosures at KNP on September 17 last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Later in February this year, 12 more cheetahs arrived at KNP from South Africa.

After the cheetahs were reintroduced to Indian soil, four cubs were born to the Namibian cheetah Jwala in March, but three of them died in May.

A total of six adult cheetahs have died since March due to various reasons, taking the overall toll to nine, while 14 cheetahs and one cub are in healthy condition in their enclosures.

Cheetahs were reintroduced in India 70 years after the extinction of the species in the wild in the country.
The India Meteorological Department on Sunday issued a red alert for Gujarat, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on September 17-18. The weather department also issued an orange alert for the state on September 19.

Red Alert Issued! #Gujarat Region is expected to witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, surpassing 204.4 mm, from September 17th to 18th. Be prepared and stay safe! #Gujarat Region is under an orange alert for heavy rainfall, with the possibility of extremely heavy downpours (more than 204.4 mm) on September 19th the weather wrote in an X (formally Twitter) post.

Red Alert Issued! #Gujarat Region is expected to witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, surpassing 204.4 mm, from September 17th to 18th. Be prepared and stay safe! pic.twitter.com/OMjEHxHB8V India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) September 17, 2023

Following flood reports from many villages of the Narmada district after water was released from the Narmada Dam, the district administration announced the closure of all schools, colleges, and ITIs in the district on Monday.

Earlier, an alert was issued for several villages along the Narmada River were also put on alert due to the increased water levels in the river.

Intense Rainfall in Madhya Pradesh

The IMD also predicted intense rainfall in Madhya Pradesh on September 17. Moderate rainfall will be witnessed in other parts of the state, the weather department added.

Three districts of southwest #MadhyaPradesh recorded the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours. Katthiwada (Alirajpur) recorded 341 mm rainfall, Meghnagar (Jhabua) 316 mm and Dhar city  301.3 mm rainfall. This is the highest rainfall in Madhya Pradesh since 1958, the IMD wrote in an X post.

Amid incessant rainfall in the state on Saturday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting to take stock of the situation.

I am in touch with the collectors and other officials of the affected areas  Khargone, Barwani, Dhar, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Alirajpur and Indore. The situation is under control and NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed. If needed, we will also rope in the Army and the Air Force, the chief minister said.

Orange Alert for Central Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Kutch and Andaman

Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for parts of central Maharashtra and Andaman & Nicobar islands on September 17 and regions of Saurashtra and Kutch for September 19 and 20.
Experience the joyful fusion of flavors at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity as they host a cake-mixing brunch to welcome the harvest season and kickstart the Christmas festivities. On September 17th, 2023, head to K3, New Delhis Food Theatre, where Executive Pastry Chef Sachin Rathor will lead a memorable cake-mixing ceremony filled with exquisite ingredients like rich nuts, luscious dry fruits, premium liquors, and aromatic spices.

Following the cake-mixing ritual, guests can indulge in a delightful brunch that complements the flavors of the ceremony. Expect a wide array of delectable savory and sweet dishes while soothing music sets the perfect ambiance for an elevated experience.

This cherished tradition marks the beginning of the Christmas season, celebrating the abundance of the harvest. The cake-mixing brunch will take place in the enchanting K3 Al Fresco setting, starting at 12:30 pm.

JW Marriott New Delhis esteemed guests can immerse themselves in the world of flavours, traditions, and joy. Partake in this unforgettable experience and embrace yourself for a jolly Christmas.

Key Highlights:

Hotel: JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity

Location: K3 Al Fresco, JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity, Asset Area 4, Hospitality District, Near IGI Airport, Aerocity, New Delhi 110037

Date: 17th September 2023

Time: 12:30 PM  3:30 PM

Contact Number: +91 9211631901
BAGHDAD, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Three shepherds from one family were killed Saturday in a landmine explosion in Iraq's central province of Salahudin, a provincial police source said.

The incident occurred when the shepherds took their sheep in a rugged area near the town of al-Eith in the northern part of the province, Col. Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua.

Iraqi security forces rushed to the scene and launched an investigation into the incident, al-Bazi said, adding that the security forces believed that the bomb was planted by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants.

The al-Eith area, some 60 km east of the provincial capital Tikrit, is a vast desert inhabited by shepherds and also used by IS militants as a launching pad for their guerilla attacks.

The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. 
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganeshotsav, is an upcoming auspicious Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Celebrated between August and September, during the holy month of Bhadrapada, Ganesh Chaturthi spans 10 days. This widely observed festival is especially prominent in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, where devotees fervently celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha, seeking his blessings for wisdom and fresh starts.

This year, Ganesh Chaturthi will begin on Tuesday, September 19, and will conclude on September 28, 2023, with Ganesh Visarjan. During these special days, people flock to the pandals, dress up in new attire, and feast on great food. Many devotees even bring Bappa idols home and offer him bhog before sharing the sacred prasad with their family and friends.

ALSO READ: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Top 50 Wishes, Images, Messages, Greetings to Share on Vinakaya Chaturthi!

So, this Ganesh Chaturthi, read and learn about the 10 different bhogs that you can offer to Lord Ganesha for 10 days.

Modak (Dumpling)

In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is referred to as Modakpriya because he has a special fondness for this sweet dish. This delectable dessert, known as Modak, is traditionally served on the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi to welcome Lord Ganesha as he arrives. Modaks come in various styles and flavours, including Steamed Modak, Chocolate Modak, Pineapple Modak, Jaggery Modak, and more, making them a delightful treat during this auspicious festival.

ALSO READ: Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Date, History, Significance, Rituals, Muhurat, Puja Vidhi, Vrat Katha, and More

Banana Sheera

One of the most popular offerings to Lord Ganesha is banana halwa or sheera. It is made using semolina, banana, milk, and cardamom for flavouring.

Payasam

Payasam is a form of kheer commonly prepared in South India. It is prepared for Bappa during Ganesh Chaturthi by cooking rice in milk and jaggery with crushed coconut and cardamom for added flavour.

Motichoor Ladoo

Lord Ganesha enjoys laddoos as well, thus you can present Motichoor Ladoos as bhog on one day.

Kheer

During every sacred/holy festival, the traditional Indian rice pudding, Kheer, is prepared and served to a god. Kheer is cooked from basmati rice, milk, sugar, almonds, saffron, and cardamom. It is topped with dry fruits to add extra flavour.

Shrikhand

Shrikhand is another traditional and simple dish served to Lord Ganesha. Its thick and flavorful yoghurt with cardamom. Its frequently served as part of a thali or alongside puris.

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is also another delicious Indian flatbread packed with chana dal and jaggery. It is typically served with plenty of ghee or butter.

Medu Vada

These delectable doughnut-like fritters are frequently served to Bappa as a bhog. They are primarily cooked in South India with black gramme lentils and spices.

Rava Pongal

Rava Pongal is a popular South Indian food. Its made with rava (sooji) and moong dal, seasonal veggies, toasted cashews, and a dollop of ghee.

Satori

Satori is a sweet flatbread that is a favourite and customary bhog in Maharashtrian households. The luscious treat is created with khoya, poppy seeds, sugar, ghee, and milk.
Ganesh Chaturthi feasts are a cherished tradition during the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha. These sumptuous spreads feature an array of delectable vegetarian dishes, sweets, and modaks, all lovingly prepared and shared with family and friends to honor the Ganesha and seek his blessings for prosperity and wisdom.

Pistachio and chocolate Modak recipe by Chef Vivek Tamhane, Senior Executive Chef, BLVD Club Bangalore

Ingredients

For The Dough

 150 Rice Flour

 200 ml water

  teaspoon Ghee

  teaspoon salt

 25-gram chopped pistachio

 100 grams pistachio paste

Instructions

 In a pan add water, ghee, pistachio paste, chopped pistachio and salt. Keep it on low heat, Let this mixture come to a boil.

 Reduce the heat and add the rice flour. Quickly stir and mix well with the water. Keep Stirring till all the flour is mixed well with the water. Switch off the heat. Remove the pan  let it cool down a bit. Knead the dough very well and cover it with a wet cloth. (Add water if needed). Keep it aside.

For Sweet Stuffing

 100 grams fresh grated coconut

 50 gm finely chopped jaggery

 150 grams of melted chocolate.

 1 teaspoon green cardamoms powdered.

  teaspoon Ghee

Instructions

Making Sweet Stuffing

 Heat ghee in a pan. Add grated fresh coconut, jaggery, and cardamom powder. Mix well and cook this coconut-jaggery mixture on low heat. Stirring often till the jaggery melts.

 Once done and when the mixture is cold enough, add melted chocolate and mix well. Keep it aside.

Making the Modak

 Make small balls of the dough (around 50- 60 grams)

 Roll the ball in around shape  Press in the middle with finger to make a hollow. Use a bit of oil on your hand and make a cup-like shape for the filling to put in. Give pinches to all around the hallow cup.

 You can also use the mould which is readily available in the market.

 Fill the chocolate coconut mixture in the middle of the hallow cup and stick all the upper cover of the dough to give a Modak shape.

 Steam all the Modak in the steamer for 8-10 min. Serve hot Modak with drop of a ghee on top.

Peanut & Jam Modak by Chef Ashish Singh, Corporate Chef, Dhansoo Cafe, Gurugram

Modak is Lord Ganeshas favourite and it holds relevance in Ganapati Puja. We have given a usual modak a twist in its appearance as well as color and taste also.

Ingredients:

Ghee  1 tbs

Peanut Butter  50 gms

Jaggery  40 gms

Green Cardamom Powder  10 gms

Water  100 ml

Salt   tbs

Rice flour  100 gms

Fruit Jam  50 gms

Method & Garnish

Take a large bowl add peanut butter and fruit jam and mix it well.

Now add  tsp cardamom powder and mix well. stuffing is ready. keep aside.

Modak dough preparation:

Firstly, in a large kadai take 2 cup water,  tsp salt and 1 tsp ghee.

Mix well and get the water to a boil.

Further add 2 cup rice flour and mix gently.

Mix until the rice flour absorbs all the water.

Cover and rest for 5 minutes.

Now transfer to a large bowl and start to knead the dough. wet your hand to prevent from burning.

Knead for 5 minutes or until the dough turns soft.

Modak dough is ready. wet your hand and knead if the dough seems dry.

Modak shaping with hand:

Firstly, take a ball sized rice flour dough and flatten it.

With the help of both thumbs start pressing the edges and create a dent in the center.

Slowly press from edges till it forms a cup.

Start creating pleats with your index finger and thumb.

Now scoop a tbsp. of prepared Peanut butter & Fruit Jam mixture.

Anjeer basundi by Six Senses Vana

Ingredients

6 cups milk(coconut)

1 1/2cup Figs  chopped

4 tsp brown Sugar

3gm crushed green cardamom

Pinch of saffron

Instructions

Heat coconut milk in a pan, add sugar and bring to a boil. Take care to stir continuously.

Add cardamom, and the pieces of anjeer/figs, and mix well until thickens.

Add saffron.

Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

Garnish with figs and nuts.

Paan Gulkand Modak recipe by Chef Kush Koli, Head Chef, SAGA, Gurugram

Lord Ganesha loved laddoos since his younger days. As baby Ganesha grew older, his appetite for laddoos also grew. Once, Mata Parvati realised that she wouldnt be able to prepare laddos in a short span and hence, decided to make something else for him that he would relish. Thus, she came up with the recipe of Modaks, a dessert made of rice flour, coconut, jaggery and ghee. Lord Ganesha, who wanted to have laddoos, laid his eyes on the Modaks and gorged on them merrily.

This recipe will give a fresh and cool flavour to traditional modak recipes.

About Paan Gulkand Modak

Though modak is dessert usually prepared during Ganesh festival, but this dessert is such a delight that one can have it anytime. I have given a usual modak a twist in its appearance as well as color and taste also.

Ingredients:

1 cup desiccated coconut.

1/2 cup condensed milk.

4 Betel leaves

4-5 teaspoons gulkand

1 tbsp dry fruits powder

1/2 tsp fennel seeds powder

2 tbsp tutti frutti

1 teaspoon ghee

green food color, optional.

1 cup desiccated coconut, for rolling, optional

Instructions:

Pulse 2 chopped paan leaves and condensed milk till both are well combined. Finely chop remaining 2 paan and add to the mixture. Mix well. Keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a pan on medium heat. Add desiccated coconut and roast for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat stirring continuously.

Add the paan mixture to the pan and combine well. Add few drops of green food color at this point, if required

Mix well, once the mixture is thick, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly

For stuffing, mix gulkand, dry fruits powder, fennel seeds powder and tutti frutti well

Grease palms with little ghee, take small portion of the paan mixture and place in modak mold. Fill gulkand mixture at centre and press the mold

Open the mold and transfer it to serving plate. Do until paan mixture is completed

Paan gulkand modak is ready to be served. Enjoy!

RAGI MODAK

The auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi has arrived with lots of devotion in the air and an irresistible aroma of the traditional modaks. For all health-conscious foodies, we have yet another reason to joyously indulge in the timeless tradition of making modaks.

With a little twist in the ingredients, you can make healthy Ragi Modak in Godrej Microwave in just a few minutes. So, lets embark on a culinary journey that blends the essence of tradition with the goodness of health, all in one delightful bite.

Ingredients:

1 cup Ragi Flour

1 cup Water

Salt to taste

Ingredients for stuffing:

2 tbsp Ghee

1 cup Grated Coconut

 cup Grated Jaggery

 cup Sesame Seeds

 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method of preparation:-

Step 1:- Take a microwave oven-safe glass flat bowl, add ragi flour and salt, mix well, and cook for 4 minutes in micro mode. Keep mixing the flour after every 30 seconds to roast it well.

Take a microwave oven-safe glass flat bowl, add ragi flour and salt, mix well, and cook for 4 minutes in micro mode. Keep mixing the flour after every 30 seconds to roast it well. Step 2:- Take water in another oven-safe bowl and boil the water for 2 minutes. Then slowly add the water to the roasted flour little by little. At the same time keep mixing it with a spatula to make soft dough. Knead the dough until it becomes soft without any lumps. Make small lemon-sized balls by dividing the dough into equal sizes and keep it covered with a damp cloth.

Take water in another oven-safe bowl and boil the water for 2 minutes. Then slowly add the water to the roasted flour little by little. At the same time keep mixing it with a spatula to make soft dough. Knead the dough until it becomes soft without any lumps. Make small lemon-sized balls by dividing the dough into equal sizes and keep it covered with a damp cloth. Step 3:- For the stuffing, in another bowl, add ghee and sesame seeds, mix it all well and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut powder and jaggery, mix it well and cook for 4 minutes. Stir after every minute to get better results. Now, add cardamom powder, mix well, and allow the mixture to cool.

For the stuffing, in another bowl, add ghee and sesame seeds, mix it all well and cook for 1 minute. Add coconut powder and jaggery, mix it well and cook for 4 minutes. Stir after every minute to get better results. Now, add cardamom powder, mix well, and allow the mixture to cool. Step 4:- Now make small-sized balls of the ragi dough for ease of stuffing and keep it aside.

Now make small-sized balls of the ragi dough for ease of stuffing and keep it aside. Step 5:- Take a modak mould and grease it with a brush of oil from inside. Stuff a lemon-sized ball into it. Press and set by making a hole in the center. Add the coconut and sesame stuffing inside and press it gently. Now, seal the bottom with a little more ragi dough. Gently take it out from the mould and arrange it on a microwave-oven safe idli plates.

Take a modak mould and grease it with a brush of oil from inside. Stuff a lemon-sized ball into it. Press and set by making a hole in the center. Add the coconut and sesame stuffing inside and press it gently. Now, seal the bottom with a little more ragi dough. Gently take it out from the mould and arrange it on a microwave-oven safe idli plates. Step 6:- Take a microwave-oven safe wide bowl, pour one cup of water in it and boil water for 2 minutes. Then, arrange the idli plates and place it in the hot water bowl, cover with lid and steam these modaks for 5 minutes in micro mode. Set to cool and serve.

Saffron Pudding by Najmieh Batmanglij

Ingredients

1 cup rice

 teaspoon sea salt

7 cups water

2 cups sugar

 cup oil or unsalted butter

 cup raw American pistachio kernels

 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

 cup rose water

Garnish

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons slivered almonds

 cup candied orange peel, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped pistachios

Instructions

Clean and wash the rice, changing the water several times. Drain. In a large pot, combine the rice and salt with 7 cups of water, and bring to a boil, skimming the foam as it rises.

Cover and simmer for 35 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is quite soft.

Add the sugar, stirring constantly with a long, wooden spoon for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the oil, pistachios, saffron water, cardamom, and rose water. Stir well. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes or until you have thick, smooth pudding.

Remove from heat and immediately spoon the pudding into individual serving bowls or a large bowl. Decorate right away (before the pudding has cooled) with cinnamon, almonds, orange peel, and pistachios.

Allow to cool at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator. Serve the pudding chilled.

Holiday Pistachio Bark By Cobi Kanani

Ingredients

2 lbs. white chocolate

1/2 cup chopped American pistachios, divided

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries, divided

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

Instructions

1. Melt white chocolate in the microwave at 30 seconds intervals, stirring between sets

2. Mix in 1/4 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup dried cranberries

3. Spread the mixture in an even layer on a parchment lined tray and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios, cranberries and pink salt

4. Freeze for 30 minutes

5. Cut into squares and serve

HERSHEYS Choco-Elaichi Peda by Chef Ranveer Brar

Ingredients:

150ml hersheys chocolate flavored syrup

300gm marie biscuit

150 ml condensed milk

1 tsp cardamom powder

50 gm desiccated coconut

10 gm sliced pistachios

clarified butter, for moulding

Equipment Needed:

food processor

1 silicon spatula

1 mixing bowl

Method:

Take a food processor and crush marie biscuits finely.

Add the crushed biscuit to a mixing bowl and pour HERSHEYS Chocolate Flavored SYRUP, condensed milk and cardamom powder.

Mix the ingredients thoroughly to form a dough.

Apply butter or ghee on your palms and divide the mixture into equal small portions.

Form smooth round balls & flatten them to resemble a peda.

Refrigerate and use.

Tip:

Place sliced pistachio or cashew in the centre of the peda before serving.

Time:

15 Minutes

Hersheys Cocoa-Coconut Modak by Chef Ranveer Brar

Ingredients:

For Modak

 cup Water

1 tbsp Ghee

1 cups Rice Flour

 cup grated Mawa (Khoa)

A pinch of Salt

1 tsp ghee

1 cup jaggery / gud

HERSHEYS Cocoa Powder  cup

For Filling

 cup powdered Sugar

8 tbsp grated fresh Coconut or desiccated Coconut

1 tbsp Poppy Seeds

 tsp Cardamom Powder

1 crushed toasted Cashew Nuts

Process:

For Modak, add water & ghee in a pot & bring it to a boil.

Parallelly, mix Hersheys Cocoa Powder, rice flour, refined flour & salt.

Add the mixture of flours in the boiled water & blend it in one direction. Turn off the flame & cover with a lid for one minute.

Get the mixture out in a bowl & knead into a smooth dough, without any lumps.

Add in Mawa & knead it again, then cover it with a damp cloth & keep aside.

Mix all the ingredients required for the filling together.

Divide the dough in 8-10 equal portions & roll each into a smooth ball.

Take one dough ball and press it into the cavity of the Modak mould till it is evenly lined on all the sides.

Fill the dough cavity with a portion of the filling.

Take a smaller portion of the dough and spread it evenly at the base of the Modak mould to seal the filling. .Demould the Modak from the mould.

Heat water in a steamer and steam the Modaks for 15-20 mins.

Take the Modaks out & serve hot.

Modak recipe by Gopal Rao, Pastry Demi Chef De Partie, Novotel Goa Resort & Spa

Ingredients

Dough

Rice Flour  500gms

Salt  10gms

Ghee  20gms

Water  200ml

Steps

1.Prepare the dough by mixing all the above ingredients

2.Once dough is ready steam it for 10 min on medium heat

3. After 10min remove it from the steam and keep aside

Filling Mix

Fresh Grated Coconut  150gms

Jaggery  200gms

Chopped Almond  15gms

Cardamom Powder  1 Pinch

Ghee  15gms

Steps

1.Take a saucepan and set it on medium flame,

2.Heat ghee then add jaggery make sure it melts

3.Then mix all the rest ingredients

Preparation

Take dough make them into small balls, then roll it and make it flat until you get rounding shape

Add filling in the middle of the flat dough and shape it so we can get the perfect modak shape

Almond Coconut Burfi

Ingredients

Freshly grated coconut  1 cup

Grinded, Almonds blanched  1/2 cup

Sugar (fine/ breakfast)  1 cup

Desi ghee 1/3 cup

Method

In a non-stick pan add ghee on a low medium heat and add coconut & almond mixture. Stir to mix well and keep on stirring to prevent the mixture form sticking to the pan or getting burnt, until it begins to leave the sides of the pan, lumping up as one mass. Add sugar and fold it well.

Apply ghee onto a baking sheet and keep aside.

Reduce heat to low and continue stirring for a few more minutes until the residue sticking to the sides of the pan starts to look opaque and dry, which means the consistency is nearing almost right for solidifying.

Remove onto the greased plate / sheet. Mix the dough with greased hands, pat it flat into a neat square with a greased rolling-pin to 1/4 inch thickness. Smooth out the surface if needed.

As it has cooled partially, cut into equal squares with a knife. Once completely cooled (about an hour or so), separate out the burfis with a flat spatula and store in an airtight container

Kaju Gulkand Modak Recipe by Head Chef Gaurav Ramakrishnan, Hyatt Centric MG Road Bangalore

Ingredients

Cashew Nuts  500 gms

Sugar  400 gms

Pista Flakes  125 gms

Gulkand  200 gms

Dehydrated Rose Petals  25 gms

Dark Chocolate  150 gms (optional)

Gold Vark  For garnishing

Method

Soak cashew nut for 1 hour. Remove water and make a paste of it.

Put this paste in a pan, add sugar and let it settle for 15 minutes. then switch on the gas and keep stirring it on slow flame for 45 minutes. And now your dough will be ready.

FOR STUFFING:

Add Gulkand to Pista flakes and make small balls. Stuff these balls in the cashew nut dough that you prepared.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate on a double boiler. The shaped modak can be dipped half vertically in the chocolate and set aside to cool. The other half can be stuck with rose petals with the help of a mould.

Add rose petals to the Modak mould and then the stuffed balls, so that rose petals sticks to the Modak.

For garnishing, add gold varak on it.

Now rose petal Gulkand Modak is ready to serve. Bon Appetit.

Chocolate Hazelnut Modak recipe by Chef Raj Kumar Nandy, Executive Chef, Hotel Royal Orchid Bangalore

An exciting culinary innovation that merges the rich heritage of Indian sweets with the sumptuous flavors of Italy. We are delighted to introduce our distinctive dessert creation: Chocolate Hazelnut Modak

The Chocolate Hazelnut Modak represents a harmonious blend of Indian and Italian culinary traditions. Modak, a traditional Indian sweet, is typically offered during Hindu festivals, particularly Ganesh Chaturthi. In our rendition, we infuse the sweet dumpling with the irresistible essence of chocolate hazelnut and a delightful crunch from Italian amaretti cookie

Ingredients

Rice Flour 1 Cup

Water 1  1.5 Cup

Salt A pinch

Ghee 1 tbsp

Nutella or Chocolate Hazelnut Spread As per taste (Typically 1 Cup)

Roasted Hazelnuts Half cup

Amaretti Cookies Crushed half cup

Hazelnut Liqueur A few drops (2  3 drops)

Method

Begin by preparing the rice flour dough. Mix rice flour with hot water with ghee and a pinch of salt to form a smooth, pliable dough. Knead until soft and set aside

For the Chocolate Hazelnut Filling: In a bowl, mix the Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread with the finely chopped roasted hazelnuts until combined

Shape the rice flour dough into small cups. Fill each with a generous portion of the Chocolate Hazelnut Filling

Seal each modak, ensuring no filling leaks out

Steam the modaks for 10-15 minutes or until the outer covering becomes glossy

Once cooked, allow the modaks to cool slightly

For an Italian touch, roll or sprinkle each modak with crushed amaretti cookies

(Optional) For an elevated experience, drizzle or mix in a few drops of hazelnut liqueur before serving

Coconut Modak By Shangri-La Eros New Delhi

Ingredients

Desiccated coconut powder 0.4 kgs

Sugar grain 0.3 kgs

Khoya pindi 0.3 kgs

Saffron 1 gms

Almond giri 0.1 kgs

Cashewnut broken 0.05 kgs

Raisin green 0.05 kgs

Cardamom green 0.01 kgs

Desi ghee 0.05 kgs

honey 0.02 kgs

Method

Sugar syrup  Boil 400gm sugar with 200 gm of water for 5 minutes on medium flame to make sugar syrup.

Stuffing for modak  Chop (Cashewnut, almond, raisin), add honey and mix well.

To prepare the modak mixture  Take a large mixing bowl, add desiccated coconut, cardamom powder, sugar syrup, khoya pindi, saffron & ghee. Mix well to form a smooth mixture.

Divide the mixture into 25 small balls, place some stuffing in the centre of the balls.

Give modaks the shape using a mould  Grease a mould with a little ghee and fill it with the stuffed coconut balls.

After a while, carefully remove the modak from the mould and keep it on a plate.

Repeat the procedure to make more such modak and your coconut modak is ready.

Sprinkle a little more saffron over the prepared modaks for more taste.

Saffron, Coconut & Pistachio Modak Mousse by Courtyard by Marriott Aravali Resort

Saffron Mousse

Ingredients

600ml full fat milk

100ml Milkmaid

10-15 strands of saffron

30g castor sugar

4 gelatin leaves

400g heavy cream

3nos cardamom

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the milk with the crushed cardamom on a slow flame till it reduces by half. Incorporate the milkmaid and gently mix Soak the saffron strands in some milk to extract the colour Combine the cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until thickened to stick to the back of a spatula Soak the gelatin leaves to bloom in water Once the mixture is of coating consistency, squeeze the excess liquid out of the gelatin and mix it in until completely dissolved. Once the cream is whipped and the gelatin dissolved, gently fold them together until evenly combined. Add the saffron and mix evenly Pour the mousse into the modak shaped silicon mould to one third level, and allow it to set in a freezer for a few hours.

Coconut & Malibu

Ingredients

300g frozen coconut puree

100g heavy coconut cream

60g castor sugar

4 gelatin leaves

400g heavy cream

60ml Malibu (Or any coconut liquer optional)

Heat the coconut puree and cream over a bain marie. In a smaller pan, heat the malibu and flame it to remove the alcohol and incorporate in the mixture Repeat Steps 3 to 6 to prepare the mousse Check that the saffron mousse is set in the mould and pour the mixture into the mould and allow to freeze.

Pistachio & White Chocolate

Ingredients

200g white chocolate

110g pistachio paste

3 gelatin leaves

70g caster sugar

400g heavy cream

25gm sliced pistachio

Method

Heat the pistachio paste and white chocolate over a bain marie until the white chocolate is melted. Repeat Steps 3 to 6 to prepare the mousse Pour the mousse into the mould, add sliced pistachio for texture and allow it to set in a freezer.

Finishing

Ingredients

300g white chocolate

200g cocoa butter

5ml yellow food colour

20g sliced pistachio

Method

In a double boiler gently melt the white chocolate and cocoa butter together to a temperature of 45 deg C. Add the yellow colour and mix to a nice golden tinge Pour in the cocoa butter mixture in a preheated chocolate spray gun Demould the modak mousse from the silicon mould and spray while frozen to get an even coat all across Allow the cocoa butter to set and serve cold garnished with sliced pistachio

Sesame Seed and Date Stuffed Fig Rolls: A delightful fusion of sweet dates and nutty sesame seeds encased in tender fig rolls

Ingredients:

10 dried figs

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts)

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (optional)

Method

Place the dried figs in a microwave-safe bowl, and add a few tablespoons of water.

Place it in your Voltas Beko microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until the figs soften. The Auto Cooking feature in the Voltas Beko microwave ensures that your food is cooked with the touch of a button.

While the figs are still warm, flatten them gently with a fork to create a small rectangular shape.

In a separate microwave-safe bowl, toast the sesame seeds for 1-2 minutes until they turn golden brown, stirring every 30 seconds.

Blend the pitted dates into a paste.

Mix the chopped nuts into the date paste and spread the date and nut mixture evenly onto each flattened fig.

Roll up the figs around the filling and then roll the stuffed figs in toasted sesame seeds to coat.

Place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Slice into bite-sized rolls and enjoy!

Gluten-free Ragi and Hibiscus Modaks: Unique and healthy modaks featuring gluten-free ragi with a hibiscus-infused filling.

Ingredients:

1 cup ragi flour

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup jaggery or palm sugar

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons dried hibiscus petals

A pinch of cardamom powder

Ghee (clarified butter) for greasing

Method

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the ragi flour and water until you get a smooth paste.

Microwave the ragi mixture on high for 2-3 minutes in your Voltas Beko microwave, stirring every minute until it thickens.

In another bowl, microwave the jaggery with a tablespoon of water for 1-2 minutes until it melts. The Digital Display in the Voltas Beko microwave helps you keep an eye on the jaggery and you can ensure that it is getting properly melted.

Add desiccated coconut, dried hibiscus petals, and cardamom powder to the melted jaggery.

Roll the ragi mixture into small, flat discs.

Place a small amount of the hibiscus-infused filling in the center of each disc and shape them into modak-like cones.

Grease a plate with ghee and arrange the modaks on it.

Microwave for another 1-2 minutes to set.

Let them cool before serving.

Mango Almond Barfi Roll: A delightful fusion of ripe mangoes and rich almond barfi, rolled into a sweet and nutty treat

Ingredients for the Mango Almond Filling:

1 cup ripe mango pulp (fresh or canned)

1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 cup condensed milk

1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

A pinch of saffron strands (optional)

Chopped pistachios and almonds for garnish

For the Outer Layer

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Ghee (clarified butter) for greasing

For the Mango Almond Filling

In a microwave-safe bowl, add the ghee and microwave it for 20-30 seconds until it melts.

Stir in the almonds and place mixture on high for 2-3 minutes in your microwave, stirring every minute until it turns light golden brown and releases a nutty aroma.

Add the milk powder, condensed milk, and cardamom powder to the bowl, continuously mixing to combine the ingredients.

Microwave the mixture on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute, until it thickens and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Add the mango pulp and saffron strands (if using). Microwave on medium-high for another 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute until the mixture thickens into a smooth dough-like consistency.

Remove from the microwave and let it cool slightly.

Assembling the Mango Almond Barfi Roll:

Grease a clean surface or silicone baking mat with ghee.

Transfer the mango almond mixture onto the greased surface and flatten it into a rectangle or square, approximately 1/4-inch thick, using a rolling pin.

In a separate microwave-safe bowl, mix desiccated coconut with a few drops of ghee to moisten it slightly. Microwave on high for 20-30 seconds to enhance the coconuts aroma.

Evenly sprinkle the moistened coconut over the mango almond mixture.

Starting from one end, carefully roll the mango almond mixture into a log, similar to a sushi roll.

Press the edges gently to seal the roll.

Garnish the roll with chopped pistachios and almonds, pressing them lightly to adhere.

Allow the roll to cool and set for about 2-3 hours at room temperature or in your Voltas Beko refrigerator. The NeoFrost Dual Cooling technology keeps the natural goodness intact.

Once set, slice the roll into rounds or desired shapes and its ready to serve.

Iced Chai Latte recipe by Tea Culture of the World

Ingredients

2 Cups water

 Cup Darjeeling Tea Leaves/ 5 tea bags (BUY)

1 Cup milk

1 Cup low fat cream

tsp Ground cardamom

3 Cloves, crushed

2 Black peppercorns, crushed

1/8 tsp Ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp Ground ginger

 Cup sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

In a medium sized saucepan, bring the water to a gentle boil. Stir the tea leaves into the water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the milk, cream, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and ginger. Increase the heat and bring to a full boil, being careful not to let the milk boil over. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass/heatproof container. Stir in the condensed milk. Let cool, then chill and serve over ice.

Honey-Kissed Chocolate Chip Banana Bread by by Yusuf Galabhaiwala, Founder & CEO, Honey All Day

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Optional: additional chocolate chips for topping

Method

Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 95-inch loaf pan and keep it aside for later.

Combine the mashed bananas, honey, melted butter, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar in a sizable mixing bowl. All of the ingredients should be thoroughly combined after mixing.

Combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a different bowl.

Stirring gently to blend, gradually add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Avoid overmixing because it can result in dense bread.

Gently stir the chocolate chips into the batter until they are all incorporated.

Evenly distribute the batter as you pour it into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the banana bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Caramel Mawa and Toasted Almond Modak recipe by Chef Ishant Khanna, Corporate Chef, Badmaash, VRO Hospitality

Ingredients

Milk 200ml

Sugar 200gms

Cream 75ml

Almond 150gms

Green cardamom powder 5gms

For the dough

Ingredients

Rice flour 300gms

Water 750ml

Ghee 20ml

Salt 5gms

Method

For the filling

Heat milk in a pan and let it come to a boil by constantly stirring.

Reduce the milk to one fourth of the quantity making sure it doesnt stick to the bottom.

In a separate pan make caramel from the sugar and add the cream to it.

Cook the mixture till the cream and caramel have completely combined.

Now add this caramel sauce to the reduced milk mixture and cook it further.

Cook the milk till it becomes thick and starts coming into a slightly solid form.

Add the green cardamom powder, remove the mixture from the pan and keep aside to let it cool.

Toast the almonds in the oven at 170; C for 20 minutes.

Let the almonds cool completely and chop them fine.

Combine the caramel mawa mixture and the chopped toasted almonds.

For the Modak dough

In a pan add water, ghee and salt and bring the water to a boil.

Reduce the heat and add the rice flour gradually. Quickly stir and mix the flour with the water. Stir till all the rice flour is mixed with the water.

Remove the pan from the heat and then cover this pan with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes.

Now take all the dough in a large plate. Gather the dough together and begin to knead it with wet hands to prevent your hands from burning.

Make small balls from the dough. Apply water on your hands and roll the balls till smooth, in your palms.

Keep the balls covered with a kitchen towel. The balls should be smooth in appearance and should not have any cracks.

Grease the modak mould with a bit of ghee. Then lock the mould.

Put the dough ball inside the mould and press it so that a space is made. Place the mawa filling inside.

Cover the bottom with a small piece of dough. Press and smoothen it sealing the modak.

Open the modak mould, remove the modak gently from the mould. Shape all modaks this way with mould.

Keep the shaped modak covered with a napkin so that the rice dough does not dry out.

Steaming the Modak

Grease a steamer pan lightly with oil or ghee. Place the shaped modak in the greased pan with some space between them. Cover with a kitchen napkin.

Take about 250ml water in a pot, and place a trivet or a rack.

Heat the water on high flame until begins to boil.

The water should be hot or boiling when you place the modak in the large pan. Cover the pan and steam modak for 10 to 15 minutes on a medium-low heat.

Remove the modaks from the pan and let it cool. You can drizzle some ghee on the modak, based on your preference.

Rava Modak recipe by Chef Sohail Karimi, Executive chef, Radisson Blu resort and convention centre, Karjat

Ingredients

For stuffing:

1/2 cup grated coconut, fresh or frozen

One-fourth cup jaggery (Gur)

1/4 teaspoon powdered green cardamom seeds

12 tablespoons of white poppy seeds (Khas khas)

Four cashews

One teaspoon of raisins

Outside cover:

12 cups Sooji (fine variety; rava or semolina)

1/8 teaspoon salt;

12 teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter)

12 cups of water; 12 cups of milk;

Method

To make the stuffing, melt the coconut and jaggery together in a medium-sized pan. Mix and cook until the mixture thickens and the majority of the moisture is gone. Around 6-7 minutes are needed.

Poppy seeds, cashews, raisins, and cardamom powder can now be added. Stir and heat for a minute.

Remove the stuffing to a platter and allow it to cool after turning off the stove.

Preparing the outside dough: Semolina should be placed in a skillet and dry-roasted while being regularly stirred until it begins to change colour somewhat. It takes 7-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn or brown excessively. Put it aside and transfer it to a plate.

Milk and water should be combined in a pan. Turn the heat to medium, add the ghee, and let the mixture come to a boil. Carefully unmold, open, and arrange on the plate. Repeat as before.

Continue to mix and simmer; after a few minutes, it will thicken and come together like dough. Remove it from the dish and allow it to become warm to the touch.

Using a dough mixer:

Begin kneading the dough as soon as you can handle it, creating a tight but smooth dough ball.

Keep the mixture warm; cooling it will keep it crumbly and prevent it from becoming smooth. If you start to get warm, put your hand in some water and continue kneading.

Creating Rava Modaks:

Use ghee to grease the modak mould. Keep it nearby. Take a tiny dough ball and place it into the mould through the bottom hole.

Make a depression in the centre by pressing your finger firmly and evenly along the edges. Place the prepared stuffing in the centre.

Next, use some dough to smooth out and seal the bottom portion. Make sure the seal is tight and effective.

At this point, carefully unmold, open, and arrange on the plate.
VISHWAKARMA PUJA 2023: Vishwakarma Jayanti or Vishwakarma Puja is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect and engineer of the universe. It is observed on the second day of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the month of Bhadrapada, which usually falls in September or October. This year it is being celebrated today on Sunday, September 17, on the day of Kanya Sankranti. On this day, Lord Vishwakarma can be worshiped throughout the day but the auspicious time of worship is from 7.50 am in the morning to 12.26 pm. There is another Muhurat which is considered even more special which is from 1:58 pm to 3:30 pm on Sunday, September 17.

Lord Vishwakarma is revered by artisans, craftsmen, and engineers alike. On the day of Vishwakarma Jayanti, people worship Lord Vishwakarma and offer prayers for his blessings. They also clean and decorate their tools and equipment as a mark of respect for their work. Here are some wishes, quotes, messages, and greetings that you can share with your loved ones on Vishwakarma Jayanti.

VISHWAKARMA PUJA 2023 WISHES

1. Happy Vishwakarma Jayanti to all! May Lord Vishwakarma bless you with the skills and creativity to achieve your goals.

2. On this auspicious day of Vishwakarma Jayanti, I wish you all the success and happiness in the world. May your work be appreciated and rewarded.

3. May Lord Vishwakarma bless you with the wisdom to create and the strength to execute. Happy Vishwakarma Jayanti!

VISHWAKARMA PUJA 2023 QUOTES

1. Lord Vishwakarma is the architect of the universe. He is the creator of all things, both seen and unseen.  Unknown

2. Lord Vishwakarma is a symbol of skill and creativity. He is an inspiration to all who work hard and strive to achieve excellence.  Unknown

3. Hard work and dedication are the keys to success. On this day of Vishwakarma Jayanti, let us all pledge to work hard and achieve our goals.  Unknown

VISHWAKARMA PUJA 2023 MESSAGES AND GREETINGS

1. Happy Vishwakarma Jayanti to all my friends and family who are involved in the fields of engineering, architecture, and craftsmanship. May Lord Vishwakarma bless you with all the success and happiness in the world.

2. On this auspicious occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti, I wish you a lifetime of happiness, prosperity, and good health. May Lord Vishwakarma guide you on your path to success.

3. Happy Vishwakarma Jayanti to all! May this festival bring you joy, peace, and good fortune. May Lord Vishwakarma bless you and your loved ones.

VISHWAKARMA PUJA SAMAGRI

Idol or picture of Lord Vishwakarma

Flowers

Akshat (rice grains)

Roli (red powder)

Chandan (sandalwood paste)

Dhoop (incense sticks)

Deep (lamps)

Prasad (offerings)

VISHWAKARMA PUJA VIDHI

First, clean the puja area and install the idol or picture of Lord Vishwakarma. Then, offer flowers, Akshat, Roli, Chandan, Dhoop, and Deep to Lord Vishwakarma. Perform Aarti of Lord Vishwakarma. Chant the mantras of Lord Vishwakarma. Pray to Lord Vishwakarma for success in your work and skills. Finally, distribute Prasad.

VISHWAKARMA PUJA MANTRAS

Om Vishwakarmane Namah (I bow down to Lord Vishwakarma.) Om Namaste Vishwakarmane Devaya Sarvakaryani Sadhaya Mam (I bow down to Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect, who fulfills all my tasks.) Om Namaste Vishwakarmane Sarvashaktimaanaya Sarvashastraastraoupadanirmayaaya (I bow down to Lord Vishwakarma, the all-powerful, who creates all weapons and tools.)

SPECIAL PUJA

On Vishwakarma Jayanti, people also worship their tools and machines. They clean and decorate them, and pray to Lord Vishwakarma for safety and success in their use.

Happy Vishwakarma Jayanti!
Sonam Kapoor is a bonafide global fashion icon and has become Indias cultural ambassador to the West with her massive clout in the fashion and luxury segment. Sonam is the definitive voice in fashion in India and she is the only Indian to have been invited by British luxury fashion house, Burberry, for their exclusive Ready To Wear (RTW) show in London on September 18th.

Sonams influence on fashion is so huge that international luxury brands in this segment have always looked to associate with her. Her exclusivity in being extremely premium and choosy makes her a cut above the rest of her contemporaries.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (@sonamkapoor)

Sonam will be attending to see Burberrys new Chief Creative Officer, Daniel Lees RTW collection in London. Daniel was the creative director of the Italian luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta from 2018 to 2021 and subsequently was appointed as Riccardo Tiscis replacement at the helm of Burberry.

Sonam, known for her extraordinary and iconic fashion statements in India and at global events, is the only Indian actor to have been invited to this prestigious moment.

On the work front, Sonam will be seen in two tentpole projects starting next year, details of which have been kept under wraps.
Bhumi Pednekars upcoming film Thank You For Coming is yet to release but it is already getting a lot of love from the audience. The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and it received an overwhelming response. Well, a video has surfaced from the event in which Bhumi along with her girls is seen posing for the camera when suddenly Anil Kapoor photobombs. He is seen grooving to the beats of the dhol.

In the video, shared by Anil Kapoor, we can see Bhumi wearing an off-shoulder gown standing with Shehnaaz Gill, Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh, and Shibani Bedi posing for the shutterbugs. Suddenly Anil Kapoor comes in to photobomb their photoshoot. All were seen laughing as he danced. Even fans were also excited. One of the fans wrote, Awwww shehnaazians are to cute they arrange dhol to welcome shehnaaz. That pretty girl truly deserve this much lv So happy to see her success lv u. Ma shaa Allah. Another wrote, More power to these small town girls you guys did it.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by TIFF (@tiff_net)

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.
Jaideep Ahlawat has come a long way in showbiz with rich content driven and commercial films. While the actor is currently gearing up for the release of Jaane Jaan with Kareena Kapoor and Vijay Varma, he recollected working with Shah Rukh Khan in Raees.

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 couldnt 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 Indias Marvel Wastelanders to play Hawkeye, Paatal Lok and The Broken News 2, Jaideep Ahlawat is on a roll of challenging and exciting roles.

Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan is currently basking in the success of his recently released film Jawan. Helmed by Atlee, the film also stars Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani and Deepika Padukone in pivotal roles. Released on September 7, the film already surpassed the 500 crore mark at the ticket window.
Prajakta Koli is engaged! The popular social media influencer and Jugjugg Jeeyo star announced that shes engaged to her longtime boyfriend Vrishank Khanal. The actress shared a selfie on Instagram on Sunday to make the announcement. In the photo, Prakajta was seen posing with Vrishank and revealing her engagement ring. Sharing the photo, a witty Prajakta wrote, @vrishankkhanal is now my ex boyfriend. . The happy post received love from many, including her Jugjugg Jeeyo co-stars Varun Dhawan and Anil Kapoor.

Anil Kapoor gave her his blessings by writing,  Congratulations!!! Always JugJuggJeeyo . Varun Dhawan dropped a heart emoji. Maniesh Paul, who was also seen in the movie, joked, Congraaaats guys!!! All the best @vrishankkhanal . He added, @mostlysane now return his passport to him .

Fans also congraulated her. Best news ever  congratulations @mostlysane and @vrishankkhanal, a fan wrote. WAKING UP TO THISSSS! OMGGGG CONGRATULATIONS PRAJAKTA , added another. A third comment read,  kya caption hai yaaaar mazzzzzzeytttt congratulations . Another fan added, Yayie!!! Happiest news  congratulations my cutus @mostlysane @vrishankkhanal .

It seems like the proposal took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, over the weekend. The couple has been enjoying a much-needed break in Pittsburgh. Prajakta had been sharing photos from their trip on Instagram.

Prajakta has been a popular name for years now. She started off as a YouTuber before she ventured into Instagram and other social media platforms to create content. She moved into the acting space with a few projects, including Netflix series Mismatched. She plays the role of Dimple Ahuja, and stars opposite Rohit Saraf. Last year, she was seen playing the role of Varun Dhawans sister in JugJugg Jeeyo. Although a small role, she impressed everyone with her performance.
Bollywood-Hollywood actress Priyanka Chopra reacted to Indian student Jaahnavi Kandulas death which happened in the US. For the unversed, the 23-year-old student, who was a resident of Andhra Pradesh and studying in the US, died in January this year after she was hit by a Seattle police patrol vehicle. A bodycam video revealed that an officer made fun of her death. Sharing a post reporting about Jaahnavis death, Priyanka called the incident appalling.

Sharing a post by People on her Instagram Stories, Priyanka wrote, Its appalling to learn that such a tragic incident that happened 9 months ago is only coming to light now. A life is a life. One cannot put any value on it. Check out the post below:

Priyankas Dil Dhadakne Do co-star Farhan Akhtar also reacted to the incident. On Instagram, the filmmaker-actor offered condolences to the Jaahnavis family. #JaahnaviKandula. We didnt know each other but I know that as a student preparing to make a place for herself in the world, your potential was limitless and your value immeasurable. Condolences to your family. RIP, he said.

Jaahnavi Kandula was a student of Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union. She was walking close to the Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street when a police vehicle hit her. Massive outrage sparked after a purported bodycam video in which a police officer was heard mocking her death surfaced online and went viral. In the conversation, an officer is heard saying that the girls life was of limited value and that the city should write a check.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco called the incident deeply troubling. In a post on social media site X, the Indian Mission in San Francisco wrote: Recent reports, including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandulas death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC.

The Consulate and Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all authorities concerned, added the post. An investigation is underway.
Vicky Kaushal is all excited for his next film The Great Indian Family. The trailer of the film has created much-needed curiosity among the fans. Well, he will be seen with Manushi Chhillar and both are seen promoting the comedy entertainer on all platforms. Amid this, Vicky today shared an adorable photo with his mother on the social handle. Fans are in awe of his chemistry and calling it a cute moment. Needless to say, it has been trending on social media.

In the photo, Vicky can be seen wearing a green colour sweatshirt and with a beard as his mother is seen resting on his chest. He also cuddled her and smiled. The moment is surely one of the most cherished ones. He did not write much for a caption. The actor called it Cutiep ! Fans dropped heart emojis in the comment section. One of the fans wrote, BEST CAPTION Tu hai To mujhe Phir Aur Kya Chaiye Another wrote, AWWWW OMGGGG! THIS IS SO ADORABLE!.

Take a look here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09)

Talking about the film, it is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and will be released on September 22. The trailer starts with Vicky introducing his character as Bhajan Kumar and his family who do pooja, and katha. They are Brahmins and have a good name in the society. Manushi is also introduced but her character has not been introduced in the trailer. However, as the trailer advances, there is a major twist shown. Vicky comes to know that he is not a legal child of his parents and belongs to a Muslim family. Then starts the real story as his family has disown him. It will be interesting how the situation has been handled.

Sharing her excitement, Manushi Said, Im super excited and thrilled that two of my films have been announced today. Operation Valentine and The Great Indian Family. Two films on the very same day! Both drastically different genres. Operation Valentine is an action  drama, its an air force action which is very different from The Great Indian Family which is a family entertainer, a very light hearted, sweet story. Two roles, two shades, two announcements  only Gratitude. In both the films people will get to see me in completely different roles. I have absolutely enjoyed shooting for both the films and Im very excited for their release.

Vicky Kaushal is set to star in Meghna Gulzars biopic on Sam Maneckshaw, with aims at a December release. Former Miss World Manushi Chillar made her debut last year in Akshay Kumars Prithviraj.
The Delhi Police on Sunday apprehended six members of a family, who were on their way to Union Home Minister Amit Shahs residence on Krishna Menon Marg. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal said information was received that six members of a family were proceeding towards Krishna Menon Marg without proper authorisation.

A police team, on receiving the information, reached the area and while these people were looking for the location, apprehended them in a timely manner to avert any incident, the DCP said. Further action in accordance with law has been taken, he added.

Sources said those apprehended used to set up carts in Delhis Anand Vihar area and were upset due to the removal of the carts.
Delegates attending the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China pose for a group photo in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

"We can say that the Havana summit has been successful," said Rodolfo Benitez, a director general at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that G77 member states want to change the current global order to build their development models.

HAVANA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Group of 77 and China Summit (G77+China Summit) ended Saturday at Havana's Palace of Conventions with a call for promoting multilateralism and international cooperation.

"During these days, Cuba has been the capital of the Global South, space of the everlasting hope, home of those who receive the least of global wealth despite having contributed the most," said Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero.

He thanked attending delegations for their firm support against the six-decade-long U.S. embargo on Cuba.

The final declaration of the summit was also approved on Saturday, stressing the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture and a more inclusive and coordinated approach to global financial governance.

"We reject the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions against developing countries, and reiterate the urgent need to eliminate them immediately," the declaration said.

"We also reaffirm the commitment to strengthen the unity and solidarity of the Group in order to achieve its objectives and to reinforce its role in the current international context," it said.

The summit agreed to declare Sept. 16 as the Science, Technology, and Innovation Day in the Global South.

This summit confirmed that Cuba is not alone, said Rodolfo Benitez, a director general at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We can say that the Havana summit has been successful," he said, adding that G77 member states want to change the current global order to build their development models.

Cuba took over the rotating presidency in January. The next G77+China Summit is scheduled to take place in Kampala, Uganda in January 2024. 
Ahead of the Parliament special session on Monday and the all-party meeting scheduled for today, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar hoisted the national flag at the Gaja Dwar of the New Parliament building.

In attendance at the ceremony were, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi reacted to parties saying that they received the invitation for the flag hoisting ceremony quite late and to Mallikarjun Kharge skipping the ceremony. Joshi said that the invitation was sent out early, adding that, how come Adhir Ranjan has come but not Mallikarjun, Congress always wants to play politics. He added that the same logic was also given by some other opposition parties, like TMC.

Reacting to this, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, Am I not enough? If I am not useful here, tell me I will leaveConcentrate on those who are present here I am here, does it not suffice the media people

The government will hold an all-party meeting on Sunday to brief them and hear their opinions. The meeting will place amid the buzz over whether the centre will present a surprise element during the session.

The unusual timing of the session, which begins on Monday, has left everyone wondering, even though the main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on Parliaments journey of 75 years starting from the Samvidhan Sabha (Constituent Assembly).

The government on Wednesday declared the agenda for the upcoming special session of Parliament and at the top of the list is a discussion on Parliaments history.

Members are informed that on 18 September, 2023, besides other formal business like laying of papers, etc., a Discussion will be held on the subject Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha  Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings, a Parliament bulletin read.

As per sources, the special session will begin in the old Parliament building and will then move to the new Parliament building on September 19 on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Other than discussing the history of the Parliament, the government has also listed five bills for passage during the five-day session.

1. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. This bill was introduced in the previous monsoon session of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, despite severe opposition from the other side. The bill proposes that a three-member committee led by the Prime Minister will be responsible for appointing future chief election commissioners and election commissioners.

2. The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3, laid on the table of the Lok Sabha on August 4. It proposes regulation of the legal profession by only Advocates Act, 1961 and repeals the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879, while retaining a provision dealing with touts in courts.

3. The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, was also passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3 and laid on the table of Lok Sabha on August 4. The government says it will lead to ease of doing business for media and publishing companies, simplify the process of registration, and decriminalise several colonial-era penal provisions.

4. The Post Office Bill, 2023, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10. The bill is in consideration and after being cleared by the Rajya Sabha it will be laid on the Lok Sabha table. It repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, and provides for matters related to the functioning of the Post Office, an undertaking of the central government.

5. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 has been listed by the Rajya Sabha. This bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and it seeks to repeal 65 laws that are obsolete or that have been made redundant by other laws. It also corrects a minor drafting error in the Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.

There have also been some talks about a bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

However, what has added to the curiosity about the session is the strong likelihood of the session being shifted to the new Parliament building. Various departments of parliamentary staff are all set to don new uniforms in a signal from the government that the shift to the new building is likely to be marked with a fresh start in more than one way.

The new dress code with floral motif for a section of staff has already kicked up a political row, with the Congress dubbing it as a cheap tactic to promote the ruling partys poll symbol  the lotus flower.

While announcing the session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had described it as special session. But the government had later made it clear that it was a regular session, 13th session of the present Lok Sabha and 261st session of Rajya Sabha.

During the upcoming five-day special session, there will be no Question Hour or Zero Hour.

(With inputs from PTI)
Parliament Special Session updates: An all-party meeting was held on Sunday ahead of the special session of Parliament from September 18 to September 22.

The government scheduled an all-party meeting to brief the leaders and hear their opinions amid a buzz on whether it will have some surprise item up its sleeve during the five-day sitting.

#WATCH | Delhi: All-party meeting underway at the Parliament library building, ahead of the special session of Parliament that will begin tomorrow pic.twitter.com/Sn66dXZ3yo ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

ALSO READ: From 1947 to 2017, Why Special Sessions of Parliament Have Been So Special

The unusual timing of the session, which begins on Monday, has left everyone wondering, even though the main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on Parliaments journey of 75 years starting from the Samvidhan Sabha (Constituent Assembly).

The government has also listed the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage during the session. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session. The government enjoys the prerogative of tabling in Parliament some new legislation or other items that might not have been part of the listed agenda.

ALSO READ: 5-day Special Session of Parliament in September: How are Sittings Called, News18 Explains Process

Parliament Special Session: All-party Meeting | Updates

The Telugu Desam Party at an all-party meeting raised the issue of its leader N Chandrababu Naidus arrest by the Andhra Pradesh Police and said it will also take it up in Parliament, amid objections by the YSR Congress which is in power in the state.



Several opposition leaders dubbed the bill on the appointment and service conditions of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners as anti-Constitution and anti-democratic, sources said. The bill seeks to replace the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet minister in the panel for selection of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners, in a move that will allow the government to have more control in the appointment of members of the poll panel.



PM Modi is likely to be the first speaker in Lok Sabha during the special discussion on Parliaments journey of 75 years starting from the Samvidhan Sabha (Constituent Assembly) while Piyush Goyal will be the first speaker in Rajya Sabha, top government sources said.



DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said there is something that is being concealed. We want to know thatI have never come across such a situation where the political parties and the MPs are kept in the dark, he said.

#WATCH |  There is something that is being concealed, we want to know thatI have never come across such a situation where the political parties and the MPs are kept in the dark, says DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on the special Parliament session pic.twitter.com/y0rK3k0e67 ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on the first day, the session will be held in the Old Parliament House. Next day i.e. on 19th September, there will be a photo session in the Old Parliament, then at 11 am there will be a function in the Central Hall. After that, we will enter the new Parliament. Parliament session will start in the new Parliament on the 19th of September and regular government work will start from the 20th of September, he added.

#WATCH | Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi says, On the first day, the session will be held in the Old Parliament House Next day i.e. on 19th September, there will be a photo session in the Old Parliament, then at 11 am there will be a function in the pic.twitter.com/xwzJ6gRxN7 ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

After the all-party meeting, Congress MP Jose K. Mani said the Centre is not clear about its agenda. They are not telling usthe agendas (of special Parliament session) that are taken up are normal subjects. They are hiding something, and we wanted to ask them what is the agenda, he said.

On parties demand for womens reservation bill, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said an appropriate decision will be taken at the appropriate time.

At all-party meeting, tributes were paid to security forces personnel who laid down their lives in Kashmir, said Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.

Several parties, including from the ruling and opposition sides, made a strong pitch for tabling and passage of the womens reservation bill. Several leaders said the long-pending bill should be tabled and hoped that it can be passed with consensus.

Defence Minister and Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh, Union Minister and Leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were present there.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Congress, Derek OBrien from Trinamool Congress, Vandana Chavan from National Congress Party (NCP), Farooq Abdullah from National Conference, Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi from DMK, Vaiko from MDMK have arrived to attend the meeting in Parliament.

Other leaders including Binoy Viswam from the Communist Party of India, Vijaysai Reddy from YSRCP, Praful Patel from Ajit Pawar faction of NCP, ST Hasan from Samajwadi Party, K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageswara Rao from BRS, H. D. Deve Gowda from Janata Dal (S)Pinaki Misra and Sasmit Patra from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are also present there.

5 BILLS TO BE DISCUSSED DURING FIVE-DAY SESSION

1. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. This bill was introduced in the previous monsoon session of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, despite severe opposition from the other side. The bill proposes that a three-member committee led by the Prime Minister will be responsible for appointing future chief election commissioners and election commissioners.

2. The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3, laid on the table of the Lok Sabha on August 4. It proposes regulation of the legal profession by only Advocates Act, 1961 and repeals the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879, while retaining a provision dealing with touts in courts.

3. The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, was also passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3 and laid on the table of Lok Sabha on August 4. The government says it will lead to ease of doing business for media and publishing companies, simplify the process of registration, and decriminalise several colonial-era penal provisions.

4. The Post Office Bill, 2023, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10. The bill is in consideration and after being cleared by the Rajya Sabha it will be laid on the Lok Sabha table. It repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, and provides for matters related to the functioning of the Post Office, an undertaking of the central government.

5. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 has been listed by the Rajya Sabha. This bill was passed by the Lok Sabha and it seeks to repeal 65 laws that are obsolete or that have been made redundant by other laws. It also corrects a minor drafting error in the Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.

There have also been some talks about a bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

(with PTI inputs)
Asserting that the Communists played a heroic role in the countrys freedom movement and against Nizams rule in Hyderabad, CPI General Secretary D Raja on Sunday said BJPs predecessor Jan Sangh and RSS had no role in the freedom struggle.

Speaking at an event on the completion of the week-long celebration of the Telangana Armed Struggle organised by CPI in Hyderabad, he said nobody can write the history of modern India and Telangana without recognising the heroic role played by the Communists.

He referred to the celebration of Hyderabad Liberation Day by BJP, the day the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad under Nizam rule merged with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948, and said it is irony of history that BJP is observing this day, even BRS is observing this day. Whatever may be the name they call it, but what was the role of BJP? The predecessor of BJP was Jan Sangh. The mentor of Jan Sangh was and is RSS. They had no role in the freedom struggle of our country, he pointed out.

They cannot claim anything as their contribution to the independence of our country, he said. The freedom movement became a mass movement only when Communists came to the forefront and the Communists emerged as the prime players in the struggle for the independence of the country, he said.

In Telangana, Communists had called for armed struggle against the rule of landlords and razakars (armed supporters of Nizam rule), he said. It was Communists who made sacrifices during the freedom struggle, he said.

Now, I challenge Mr Amit Shah, BJP leaders. Where was RSS? Where was Jan Sangh? What was your struggle?, he asked. In Telangana, it was Communists who fought against Nizams rule, taking up the problems of farmers, agriculture workers and the poor, he pointed out.

Communists never looked at it as a dispute or conflict between Hindus and Muslims. Now, BJP is trying to distort the history as though it was a struggle between Hindus and Muslims. I reject that, he said. The values of India should be safeguarded, he asserted.

Raja, who hit out at the Modi governments alleged misrule since 2014, said the BJP should be defeated. Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the Hyderabad Liberation Day celebration organised by the Centre in the city on Sunday. September 17 is interpreted differently by different parties in Telangana.

CPI contends that the Telangana Armed Struggle spearheaded by the Communists led to the merger of the Hyderabad State with the Indian Union, and organised week-long celebrations to mark the occasion. The BRS government celebrated the day as national integration day today.

The BJP celebrates the day as Telangana liberation day and has been fighting for its official celebration by governments for over two decades now.
The two-day-long meeting of the recently reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) concluded in Hyderabad on Sunday.

While addressing a public rally after the meeting, party leader Rahul Gandhi announced six poll guarantees for Telangana including financial assistance and free travel for women in state buses. The party also promised gas cylinders at Rs 500.

     6  :       5       250        2,500 ,       500     200   pic.twitter.com/adNaeWYXlB  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 17, 2023

Rahul further hit out at the ruling BRS in the state and asserted that Congress didnt give statehood to Telangana for the benefit of KCR and his family members. He also termed BRS as BJP Rishtedar Samithi.

Kharge Takes a Dig at BJP

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, while addressing the public rally, also took a dig at the BJP saying those who havent done anything keep saying that they have given Independence to the country.

#WATCH | Hyderabad: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge says, Those who havent done anything keep saying that they have given Independence to the country. We did the hard work. Congress helped liberate Telangana. Congress made Telangana a separate state. However, these pic.twitter.com/4cMXmZpKy9 ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Financial Assistance, Free Travel for Women in State Buses

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi promised financial assistance and free travel in state buses to women of Telangana.

Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana under the Mahalakshmi scheme, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free travel for women in TSRC buses across the state, to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Telangana we are announcing 6 guarantees and we are committed to fulfilling each one of them,  she said.

#WATCH | Telangana: Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana under the Mahalakshmi scheme, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free travel for women in TSRC buses across the state, to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Telangana we are pic.twitter.com/X1NP3keKCa ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

What Did Congress Leaders Say on CWC Meeting?

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar called the meeting very very fruitful. It will change the face of Telangana, it will change the face of India. We have assured the country that Congress will come back, he said.

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On the CWC meeting, Karnataka Dy CM and Congress leader DK Shivakumar says,  Very very fruitful (meeting). It will change the face of Telangana, it will change the face of Indiawe have assured the country that Congress will comeback pic.twitter.com/uaCsTIb70H ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Congress Rajya Sabha MP & partys general secretary K C Venugopal said the two-day meeting has put up a clear agenda to remove the BJP government from the Center in 2024.

This two-day meeting has put up a clear-cut agenda. In 2024 we have to remove this (BJP) government. Therefore this is a call from the CWC to the workers of the party throughout the country. Now without taking a rest, we have to fight to win. As far as assembly elections are concerned, we are very confident that we are going to form the government in all five states, he said.

#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet, Congress Rajya Sabha MP & partys general secretary K C Venugopal says, This two-day meeting has put up a clear-cut agendaIn 2024 we have to remove this (BJP) government. Therefore this is a call from pic.twitter.com/1yaYPbSRjE ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Former Rajasthan DCM, Sahin Pilot noted the meeting was held to chalk out a strategy for elections.

This meeting was held for elections. Despite getting a complete majority, the BJP government has failed. We have discussed and made strategies on how to defeat the BJP and other parties. The Congress will win the upcoming elections in all five states, Pilot stated.

#WATCH | On the CWC meeting, Congress leader Sachin Pilot says, This meeting was held for electionsDespite getting a complete majority, the BJP government has failed We have discussed and made strategies on how to defeat the BJP and other parties. The Congress will win pic.twitter.com/YYgt8fx2WQ ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Senior party leader Ambika Soni stated that the discussion on the INDIA bloc alliance was not on the agenda of the CWC meeting. That (discussion on the INDIA alliance) was not on the agenda but to fight the election, everybody gave their opinion, Soni said.

#WATCH | On CWC meeting, Congress leader Ambika Soni says,   That (discussion on INDIA alliance) was not on the agenda but to fight the election, everybody gave their opinion pic.twitter.com/h3IeSXLdqr ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asked party leaders at the CWC meeting to focus on peoples issues and maintain ideological clarity, and cautioned them against walking into traps of the BJP.

He (Gandhi) laid specific stress on the need to have ideological clarity. All of us emerged from that hall of the CWC in deep thought with absolute clarity. He warned us against walking into irrelevant traps of the BJP. These are not issues of the common man or woman or to any of us, said Pawan Khera while addressing a press conference on the second day of deliberations of the CWC.
The Congress Working Committee on Saturday passed condolence resolutions over the loss of lives in the ethnic violence in Manipur and the natural disaster in Himachal Pradesh. The top decision-making body of the Congress, holding its first meeting since its reconstitution, also passed a resolution condoling the demise of veteran leader and former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy.

In the resolution on Manipur, the Congress Working Committee (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.

Schools and colleges were closed for nearly three months, adversely affecting the education and learning of children and youths in Manipur, it noted.

The lives and livelihoods of a vast majority in the state across communities are at peril, it said.

The CWC conveyed its heartfelt condolences and said it stands firmly with the bereaved families and people of Manipur.

It resolved that the party will take all possible measures to support their rehabilitation.

In its resolution on Himachal Pradesh, the CWC appealed to the Centre to set aside politics and declare it as a national disaster and provide financial assistance.

It expressed its deepest condolences and extended 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. 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 Rs 13,000 crore, the resolution said.

The CWC resolved that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is fully committed to rebuild the state and compensate the people for their loss.

It also appreciated the volunteers of the Congress for their active involvement in the relief and rescue operations. Considering the magnitude and quantum of loss to the people of Himachal Pradesh, the working committee appealed 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, the resolution stated.

On Chandys demise, the CWC said he will always be remembered for his contributions to the Congress and the state of Kerala. Top Congress leaders held deliberations at the first meeting of the new CWC, focusing on preparing a comprehensive roadmap for ensuring the partys victory in the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, 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.
Manoj Jarange, the new face of Maratha reservation, was asked to sit on an indefinite hunger strike by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, state Congress chief Nana Patole has alleged.

ALSO READ | Maratha Manus Eknath Shinde: Maha CM Cements Position by Calming Down Fasting & Furious Jarange

Jarange ended his fast after 17 days on Thursday, as Shinde and his cabinet ministers visited him in Jalna and assured him of Maratha reservation in the state. In a cabinet meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on Saturday, the government announced development works worth Rs 45,000 crore for Marathwada.

Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Patole alleged, To divert the attention from the I.N.D.I.A meeting in Mumbai, Jarange was asked to sit on hunger protest on August 31. On September 1, in the afternoon, home minister of the state gave orders for lathicharge on the protesters. It was done to take away the attention from the Mumbai meeting. It is now clear that the lathicharge for which the home minister of the state tendered an apology was an attempt by the government to create tension between two communities.

Patoles allegations are likely to ignite a political controversy in the state.

Talking about the reservation, Patole said that the Congresss stand is clear. Those who are backward should get justice. It should be done by caste-wise census and not snatching reservation from their hands. Other Backward Classes (OBC) should be given 27% reservation and Marathas, Dhangars should be given further reservation by crossing the limit of 50%.
Amid the Maratha demand and protest for reservation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the existing composition of the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation will not be disturbed.

ALSO READ | Maha CM Eknath Shinde Asked Manoj Jarange to Sit on Hunger Strike: State Congress Chief Nana Patole

The governments stand is that no injustice will be done to the OBC community, he said after visiting the protesters at the spot of the ongoing relay hunger strike by the National OBC Federation and Sarvashakiya OBC Kunbi Federation in Nagpur.

He was accompanied by Babanrao Taiwade, Sudhakar Kohre, Sameer Meghe, Parinay Fuke, Ashish Deshmukh and Pravin Datke.

Fadnavis said that he had also met those protesting for the OBC quota in Sambhajinagar.

The Maratha community wants to get the same sort of reservation they had when I was the Chief Minister. For the same, a curative petition has been filed and work is also on to implement the suggestions by Justice Bhonsle Committee, he said.

Now, a Justice Shinde committee has been set up to look into the issue of Kunbi-Maratha in greater detail. The committee will submit its report in a month. The situation is not such that the two communities should be at loggerheads. Even the government doesnt want that. The problems of each community should be addressed separately, Fadnavis said.

Listing the work done so far, the deputy CM said, We have issued 26 GRs for the OBC community. Quite a few of them have already been implemented and work on the remaining ones is on.

Recently, we held a meeting to discuss the issue of setting up hostels in each district. The issue of scholarship has been addressed. Soon, a meeting will be held with all stakeholders in Mumbai to discuss other demands as well, he said.

ALSO READ | Maratha Manus Eknath Shinde: Maha CM Cements Position by Calming Down Fasting & Furious Jarange

The Prime Minister is all set to launch the Vishwakarma scheme which will prove to be of great benefit to the OBCs, he added.

CONTRACTUAL APPOINTMENTS ARE TEMPORARY

Regarding the rumours of appointments on contractual basis, Fadnavis said it was a temporary move. Permanent appointments take time and work cant stop till then. As per the precedence, contractual appointments are done, even this is a decision by the earlier government. We have ensured that those hired get paid directly into their accounts. We have decided to fill 75,000 posts. The figure has not gone upto 1.5 lakh. All vacancies will be filled up eventually, Fadnavis said.
BJP ally NISHAD party has written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister demanding the removal of an illegal mosque from the premises of the Nishadraj Fort at Shringverpur Dham of Prayagraj.

The party says it will get the green flag removed from the mosque and unfurl a saffron flag in its place just as was done in Ayodhya.

Shringverpur Dham is considered by Nishads as the abode of Nishadraj, the head of the riverine clan, who helped Lord Ram cross the Ganga during his 14 years in exile.

The partys demand, which has the potential to become a rallying cry for the Nishad community, comes just months ahead of the much anticipated Lok Sabha polls.

I have apprised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about the matter and will personally meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss it, NISHAD party chief Sanjay Nishad told PTI.

The way the green flag was removed from the Ram temple in Ayodhya, we want the same to be done in a democratic way at Lord Rams friend Nishadrajs Shringverpur Dham, where Lord Ram had spent a night, the cabinet minister said.

The politician said the removal of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya could only be made possible by the BJPs reaching out to people with Indian Sanskriti, of which the story of Nishadraj is a part and he will tell people about it.

He claimed there was no mosque at the place when he started getting it cleaned in 2013 but later a mosque appeared which has now spread across acres.

The mosque is very close to the site where a statue of Lord Ram and Nishad king is being installed, he said.

There was no mosque in records and also in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) map. It should be removed, he said.

The NISHAD (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) party has been celebrating events like Nishadraj Jayanti and Vimukti Diwas since 2013 at Shringverpur Fort.

He said due to his efforts, the tourism department has declared the area, where there is also a helipad, a tourism spot and has sanctioned Rs 20.28 crore for its development.

Nishad said that at a recent party meeting, party workers had raised the issue and that there has been anger in the machhua community due to the illegal structure.

It is a matter of faith for Hindus. I am also consulting lawyers and exploring other democratic means for removal of the structure in the pious land of Nishadraj, he said.

NISHAD party had contested 2022 polls as BJP ally. It has six MLAs. His son Shravan Nishad is BJP MLA and his elder son Praveen Nishad is a BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar.
Telangana saw two events on Sunday, the Hyderabad Liberation Day, celebrated at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, with Union Minister Amit Shah as the chief guest and the Telangana National Integration Day in Nampally, with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at the centre.

Addressing the gathering at Parade Grounds, Amit Shah extended greetings to the people of Telangana and criticized the state government for not celebrating the day officially.

The BRS led state government is not celebrating the Telangana Liberation Day officially eyeing on vote bank politics. The people of Telangana will teach a befitting lesson to it, Shah said.

The central government has been celebrating the Telangana Liberation Day officially with three reasons including to educate the future generations on freedom struggles, felicitating the struggle warriors and rebuilding the state, Shah added.

Meanwhile, in the other celebration KCR unfurled the national flag and received honorary salute from the police

Realizing the Telangana state is nothing but a lifetime achievement for me. The state became a role model to the country in implementing welfare schemes and development programmes from the day of its inception June 2, 2014. The country has been following the state accordingly, KCR said.

Though financial problems and poverty surrounded, the country became a symbol to national integration. In an attempt to recollect the injustice meted to Telangana in undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The combined Andhra Pradesh was formed in 1956 against the wishes of people of Telangana and the region has faced lot of injustice under United Andhra Pradesh rule, KCR alleged.

He said that after formation of the state his government has completed the irrigation projects on war footing basis.

The chief minister also elaborated various welfare schemes and development programmes implemented by the BRS-ruled-state government.
Did you notice the blue cat while scrolling through X, YouTube or Instagram? You must have since the blue cat has taken the internet by a storm. If you dont know how it emerged or where this trend started from, we will tell you! The Blue Smurf cats started as a TikTok meme trend with the Russian hashtag #, which is called Shailushai. This is garnering millions of views and comments all across social media.

Also Read: Man And Woman Slap Each Other As Aggressive Brawl Breaks Out in Delhis Connaught Place, Video Goes Viral

For those who dont know, the entity looks like a tiny blue smurf. It has the facial features of a cat wearing a mushroom as a hat. The image shows the creature trotting down a tree with a dead snail.

These videos are not just your basic video but come with Alan Walkers song The Spectre playing in the background. At first, it was just TikTok but now it has spread to platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X. You can spot the black beady eyes cat in the comments sections of these platforms. The blue cat has even made a special appearance in games like Roblox and Minecraft. An artist named Nate Hallinan first drew the picture in 2014.

Many people have started to raise complaints about how these creatures became the only thing they ever saw on their feeds. Many have also asked social media platforms to stop showing this creature.

TIKTOK PLEASE STOP THIS SMURF CAT, wrote an X user as he posted a video.

TIKTOK PLEASE STOP THIS SMURF CAT pic.twitter.com/Du6B2w6PGC Shin (@SeNiTy13) September 11, 2023

we live we love we lie #Memes smurf cat pic.twitter.com/sNvncUWb7b Dragonary (@Dragonaryy) September 14, 2023

Also Read: Video of Mumbai Women Entering a Moving Local Train Has People Saying City Deserves its Infrastructure Dues

The popularity of the two hashtags #smurfcat and # cannot be underestimated and it has surpassed 691.9 million views and 443.1 million views.
People receive China-donated humanitarian assistance in Farah province, Afghanistan, Sept. 16, 2023. The distribution of China-donated humanitarian assistance has started in west Afghanistan's Farah province as 29 needy families received aid packages, an official said on Saturday. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua)

FARAH, Afghanistan, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The distribution of China-donated humanitarian assistance has started in west Afghanistan's Farah province as 29 needy families received aid packages, an official said on Saturday.

Each family was given two bags of rice, each weighing 50 kg, and 329 more destitute families will be receiving their share from the aid in the coming days, according to provincial director for Natural Disaster Management Authority Mohammad Israel Sayar.

"China has provided assistance to our destitute countrymen and we expect it to continue its assistance in the future," Sayar told Xinhua.

Abdul Rahim, one of the aid beneficiaries, said: "I am thankful to China for sending the aid and we hope to receive more assistance from the country. The donation will solve our problems to some extent."

China, as a neighboring country of Afghanistan, has provided the war-torn country with humanitarian aid, including winter clothes, tents, foodstuffs and COVID-19 vaccines over the past years. 

People receive China-donated humanitarian assistance in Farah province, Afghanistan, Sept. 16, 2023. The distribution of China-donated humanitarian assistance has started in west Afghanistan's Farah province as 29 needy families received aid packages, an official said on Saturday.(Photo by Mashal/Xinhua)
Eighteen civilians and one soldier have been killed in attacks by militia groups in western DR Congo, where sectarian violence has flared since June 2022, government officials said Sunday.

The civilians were killed in the village of Final in Kimvula, around 190 kilometres (120 miles) southeast of the capital Kinshasa, allegedly by the Mobondo militia last Monday, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said after a government cabinet meeting.

He said one soldier had also been killed and another was still missing alongside the 18 civilians killed, adding that the village had been burned.

The sectarian violence in the region had waned in recent months before flaring in March, with attacks targeting the Teke community by groups not originally from the area.

The violence comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling to quell rebellions in the countrys east, where dozens of armed groups have emerged in the mineral-rich area, a legacy of regional wars that raged in the 1990s and 2000s.

DR Congo has repeatedly accused its much smaller neighbour Rwanda of backing the rebels in the east, a charge Kigali denies.
Fourteen people were killed Saturday when a plane crashed in the Brazilian Amazon while attempting to land in stormy weather in the popular tourist town of Barcelos, the incident fatal for all aboard, officials said.

The small planes pilot was approaching the town in heavy rain, with low visibility, and appeared to inadvertently start his landing mid-runway, Amazonas state security secretary Vinicius Almeida told a news conference.

The plane ran out of landing strip and crashed, killing all 12 passengers and two crew, he said. Initial investigations indicated the passengers were all Brazilian men traveling to the region for sport fishing, the state government said in a statement.

Our teams have been on the ground responding since the moment of the crash to provide the necessary support, Governor Wilson Lima wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. My solidarity and prayers to the victims family and friends.

Media reports showed the small white plane belly-down on a dirt track, its front end crumpled into the dense vegetation to the side. The plane was an EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer.

The plane was on its way from the state capital, Manaus, to Barcelos, about a 90-minute flight. Officials said two aircraft approaching Barcelos around the same time had to turn back to Manaus because of the weather.

The Brazilian air force and police will investigate the crash, authorities said. Initial news reports had said US nationals were believed to be on the plane, but Amazonas officials said preliminary investigations indicated all the victims were Brazilian.

 Sport fishing paradise 

Officials said the victims bodies would be taken to the state capital Sunday to be identified. Traveling sooner was impossible as take-offs and landings at night are not permitted in the region, they said.

An air force aircraft will leave Manaus tomorrow around 5:00 am with investigators and emergency officials, said Almeida. The expectation is that tomorrow well be able to bring the bodies to Manaus and immediately take them for forensics and then release them to the families.

Located on the Rio Negro, an Amazon tributary, Barcelos is bordered by several national parks and other protected areas. This is peak season for fishing in the region, a popular spot for catching tropical river species such as the tucunare, or peacock bass.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged the swift return of irregular migrants and a crackdown on the brutal business of migrant smuggling on Sunday during a visit with Italys premier to a tiny fishing island overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a single day this week.

We will decide who comes to the European Union, and under what circumstances. Not the smugglers, von der Leyen declared after touring the islands hotspot. The Red Cross said 1,500 migrants remained in the centre built to accommodate hundreds.

Tensions have spiked on the island, which is closer to Tunisia than the Italian mainland, with residents expressing impatience with the constant flow of migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa arriving on their shores  not just this week but for decades.

In the face of the new crisis, Italys Giorgia Meloni has pledged tougher measures and is calling for a naval blockade of North Africa to prevent migrants on smugglers boats from departing.

Von der Leyens vow to crack down on this brutal business of migrant smuggling and help Italy to cope with the spike in arrivals as part of a 10-point plan appeared to stop short of a naval blockade, at least a quick one.

She instead offered support for exploring options to expand existing naval missions in the Mediterranean, or to work on new ones. The plan also includes speeding funds to Tunisia as part of a deal with the EU to block departures in exchange for aid, helping Italy accelerate asylum requests and setting up humanitarian corridors in countries of origin to discourage illegal routes.

She also pledged the Frontex border agencys support in ensuring the swift return of migrants to their country of origin who dont qualify to stay in the EU, working with the countries of origin.

Von der Leyen also called on EU nations to accept voluntary transfers  a frequent source of discord  as the EU dispatches experts to help manage and register the high number of migrants arriving in Italy.

Meloni, who has softened her once-combative stance against the EU since coming to power last year, framed von der Leyens visit as a gesture of responsibility of Europe toward itself, and not just a sign of solidarity with Italy.

If we dont work seriously all together to fight the illegal departures, the numbers of this phenomenon will not only overwhelm the border countries, but all of the others, Meloni said.

She continued to press for an efficient naval blockade, noting that previous EU missions were not properly carried out, resulting in a pull factor for migrants. The Italian government intends to quickly activate a system for repatriating migrants who are not eligible to stay in Europe as part of measures to be decided by Monday, she said.

Television images showed Meloni speaking to islanders expressing their frustrations; she told them the government was working on a robust response, including 50 million Euros (USD 53.4 million) to help the island. An unidentified person in the crowd said it wasnt just money that they needed.

New arrivals also have chafed at the long wait to be transferred to the mainland; TV footage on Saturday showed hundreds surging toward the gate as police used shields to hold them back. In other shots, single migrants climbed over the fence of the migrant centre.

The crisis is challenging unity within the EU and also Melonis far-right-led government.

Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, head of the populist, right-wing League, has challenged the efficacy of an EU-Tunisia deal that was meant to halt departures in exchange for economic aid. He is hosting French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen at an annual League rally in northern Italy later Sunday.

Most of the migrants arriving this week departed from Tunisia.

The number of migrants making the perilous sea journey to Italy has doubled over last year and is on pace to reach record numbers hit in 2016.
Former PTI leader Raja Riaz has officially joined the PML a month after relinquishing the role of opposition leader in the National Assembly in August. Riaz joined the party after meeting PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and party president Shehbaz Sharif in London, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) said Riaz expressed his complete confidence in the three-time prime minister Nawazs leadership, during their meeting. The public announcement of his membership was made by former PM Shehbaz in a presser in London. He expressed hope Riazs inclusion would lend great strength to the party.

The newly inducted leader, who is a former member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), thanked the Sharif brothers for reposing their trust in him. He said he would play his role in improving and enhancing the party and welcoming Nawaz to Pakistan upon his return.

Riaz was appointed the opposition leader in the National Assembly in May last year after the ouster of the Imran Khan government. After the government collapsed, Riaz refrained from joining any other party and became the opposition leader till the assembly completed its constitutional tenure. However, reports suggested that his tenure as opposition leader did not give tough time to the government.

He was one of the most prominent PTI dissidents and was expelled by PTI in August this year. Before joining PML-N, Riaz led the party exodus last year. Moreover, he had publicly acknowledged that he wished to contest the next elections on a PML-N ticket.

Taking shots at Riaz, his former PTI colleague Fawad Chaudhry quipped that Riaz had rendered countless services for the Shehbaz Sharif government in his role as the opposition leader and his membership was only a token of gratitude.

PTI leader Taimur Jhagra was more forthright in his criticism, saying that the match was fixed.

Everyone knew the match was fixed. But think of how shameless you have to be to shamelessly announced you fixed the match.pic.twitter.com/EYADI2QTBc Taimur Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) September 16, 2023

Everyone knew the match was fixed. But think of how shameless you have to be to shamelessly announced you fixed the match, he said in a social media post on X, formerly know as Twitter.
Famous UK personality Russell Brand has been accused of rape, and sexual assaults during a seven-year period at the height of his television career, according to the results of a media investigation published Saturday. Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013 when Brand was at the height of his fame working as a presenter for BBC Radio 2, Channel 4 and acting in Hollywood movies, British media said.

The allegations, which Brand denies, were made in a joint probe by UKs The Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4 Dispatches. According to the investigation, published in the Sunday Times, others have made a range of accusations about Brands controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.

In a video released on Friday, Brand denied the very serious criminal allegations. Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute, he said.

The 48-year-old actor, who has now turned into a political commentator on YouTube, 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 Ive written about extensively in my books I was very, very promiscuous.

Brand, who is very critical of the mainstream media, said he believed he was the subject of a coordinated attack and he was going to look into the matter because it was very, very serious. He added that during that time of promiscuity, the relationships he had were always consensual.

This is happening pic.twitter.com/N8zIKLbJN2 Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 15, 2023

A Channel 4 spokesperson told BBC: 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 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.

British comedian Brand is also known internationally as the former husband of pop star Katy Perry. He was the host of the chat show Big Brothers Big Mouth, a spin-off of the popular reality series. He also played rock star Aldous Snow in the 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and its 2010 sequel Get Him To The Greek.

Brand has long been a famous comedian and internet personality, first gaining household recognition in the early 2000s. More recently, in his role as a political commentator, he discusses topics such as the war in Ukraine and covid on YouTube, where he has over six million subscribers.

(With agency inputs)
Pakistani authorities on Sunday arrested Sheikh Rashid, a key ally of former premier Imran Khan and leader of Awami Muslim League, for his alleged involvement in corruption, said his nephew.

Rashid, 72, and two of his aides were arrested from his residence in Bahria Town of Rawalpindi and shifted to an undisclosed location, his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq said in a video message.

I request the top judiciary to take notice of the arrest of a senior politician as he was not wanted in any case, Sheikh Shafiq said, adding that his elder brother and a servant was also arrested by police.

The details of the charges against Rashid have not been released so far.

Rashid, who is the head of AML party, remained a staunch ally of former prime minister Khan and was appointed as interior minister during his government.

In a tweet on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf condemned Rashids arrest.

The political victimisation and fascism continues, this time with the arrest of Sheikh Rashid, it said.

Rashids arrest seems to be part of the crackdown unleashed after the May 9 violence by the PTI workers who torched several state buildings, including the official residence of Corps Commander Lahore.

Earlier this year in June, the AML leader had alleged that the Islamabad police broke into his house and beat up his servants.

He had also claimed that in a second incident, a force clad in plain clothes tortured his employees at his Lal Haveli residence in Rawalpindi.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un discussed practical issues in stepping up military cooperation with Russias defence minister, state KCNA news agency said on Sunday, having what KCNA called a fresh heyday of relations between the two countries.

During his visit to Russia, Kim inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

Kims trip comes at a time when 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, KCNA said, using North Koreas official name. Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation.

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 reported.

Shoigu told Russian media earlier that Moscow is discussing joint military exercises with North Korea. On Friday, South Korea and the U.S. said 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 the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

Kim also toured Russias 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.

Earlier this month, North Korea launched its first operational tactical nuclear attack submarine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday, ending a visit affirming close ties with Vladimir Putin and fuelling Western fears that Pyongyang might provide Moscow with arms for its assault on Ukraine.

Kims extended tour of Russias far eastern region, which began Tuesday, has focused extensively on military matters, with his own entourage dominated by officers, a symbolic exchange of rifles with Putin and a tour of a fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Before departing, TASS said Kim had been given five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor.

The Russian agency said the leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a Geran-25 reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff, using the official name of North Korea.

TASS said the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection and special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras.

Later on Sunday the Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kims departure, and said a departure ceremony was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station.

Footage shows Kim waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, before the Russian march Farewell of Slavianka is played as the train departs.

The official TASS news agency said that Kims train was headed around 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the border.

Historic allies, Russia and North Korea are both under rafts of global sanctions  Moscow for its Ukraine assault, Pyongyang for its nuclear tests.

The first official visit abroad for the North Korean leader since the coronavirus pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.

 Greater cooperation 

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.

Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russias help to develop its internationally condemned missile programme.

The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed.

On Saturday Kim met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system.

The pair were seen smiling as they inspected some of Russias nuclear bombers at an airfield before boarding a warship, a video released by the Russian defence ministry showed.

North Korean news agency KCNA has described the atmosphere during Kims visit as fervent and warm and said a new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation was opening between North Korea and Russia.

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.
Amid growing concerns over the delay in the general elections in Pakistan, caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said the situation on the countrys borders is alarming, but it would not hinder the holding of polls.

I see no such possibility at present. Although there is an alarming situation on our western and eastern frontiers in which the security threat and the required response mechanism are being enhanced, we are sure that we will control the situation and complete the electoral process at the same time, Kakar told the Voice of America (Urdu).

Kakars remarks come amid growing demand for immediate announcement of the poll date by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which has already said elections will be pushed beyond the constitutionally mandated period of 90 days following the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9.

The ECP decided to conduct a fresh delimitation of Constituencies based on the new census, delaying the general elections. President Arif Alvi has proposed to the ECP to hold general elections by November 6, citing a constitutionally mandated time frame for the polls.

The caretaker prime minister affirmed that measures would be taken to ensure that the election process proceeds smoothly without disruptions and emphasised upon the commitment to upholding the democratic process in the country. Kakar reiterated that the interim set-up was ready to assist the ECP in the provision of financial resources and security for the polls.

Speaking on former PM Imran Khans legal cases, Kakar strongly rebutted the impression that efforts are being made to keep him out of politics. He said it was a sub-judice matter as there were allegations against him. If this is the perception which is going forward (about Imrans attempted exclusion from politics) then I dont think it is correct, Kakar said.

I hope the judicial process will be transparent so his (Imran) followers and other observers see this is not a process to remove anyone from politics but the law of the land taking its course, he said.

Imran Khans conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case last month resulted in him being barred from contesting national elections. In late August, a high court suspended Khans prison sentence for corruption, but a prior order for his remand in custody in the cypher case related to the alleged disclosure of state secrets prevented his release from jail.

When asked about whether there were any options for military response in Afghanistan given the growing threat from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said: Pakistan has the right to defence. Wherever we will feel the need for action to protect our land and people, we will take it. Kakar said Pakistans interests were the top priority in talks with the Afghan Taliban.
Atlantic storm Lee pummeled a large swath of New England and Maritime Canada with destructive winds, rough surf and torrential rains that toppled trees, flooded roadways and cut power to tens of thousands on Saturday. One person was killed in Maine when a tree limb fell on his vehicle.

The center of the sprawling post-tropical cyclone made landfall about 135 miles (215 kilometers) west of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Thats about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Eastport, Maine. It had near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (110 kph), though the storm was weakening as it headed north to New Brunswick and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Lee flooded coastal roads in Nova Scotia and took ferries out of service as it fanned anxiety in a region still reeling from wildfires and severe flooding this summer. The provinces largest airport, Halifax Stanfield International, cancelled all flights.

People are exhausted.  Its so much in such a small time period, said Pam Lovelace, a councilor in Halifax.

The storm was so big that it caused power outages several hundred miles from its center. At midday Saturday, 11% of electricity customers in Maine lacked power, along with 27% of Nova Scotia, 8% of New Brunswick and 3% of Prince Edward Island.

Hurricane-force winds extended as far as 140 miles (220 kilometers) from Lees center, with tropical storm-force winds extending as far as 320 miles (515 kilometers)  enough to cover all of Maine and much of Maritime Canada.

In the United States, a tropical storm warning remained in effect from Stonington, Maine, north to the U.S.-Canada border.

That included Bar Harbor, the touristy gateway to Acadia National Park, where a whale watch vessel broke free of its mooring and crashed ashore. Authorities worked to offload 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to prevent it from spilling into the ocean.

A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, died after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle Saturday on U.S. Highway 1 during a period of high winds, the first fatality attributed to the storm.

The tree limb brought down live power lines, and utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, said Police Chief Brian Lunt. The unidentified man died later at a hospital, Lunt said.

Storm surge of up to 3 feet (0.91 meters) was expected along coastal areas, accompanied by large and destructive waves, the hurricane center said.

The storm skirted some of the most waterlogged areas of Massachusetts that experienced severe flash flooding days earlier, when fast water washed out roads, caused sinkholes, damaged homes and flooded vehicles.

In eastern Maine, winds died down enough by late afternoon for utility workers to begin using their bucket trucks to make repairs. Both Central Maine Power and Versant Power had hundreds of workers, including out-of-state crews, to assist in the effort.

At this point, the storm is resembling a noreaster, said Sarah Thunberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist, referring to the fall and winter storms that often plague the region and are so named because their winds blow from the northeast. They typically have a much wider wind field than tropical systems, whose winds stay closer to a storms center.

But the entire region has experienced an especially wet summer  it ranked second in the number of rainy days in Portland, Maine  and Lees high winds toppled trees stressed by the rain-soaked ground in Maine, the nations most heavily wooded state.

Cruise ships found refuge at berths in Portland, while lobstermen in Bar Harbor and elsewhere pulled traps from the water and hauled boats inland.

Billy Bob Faulkingham, House Republican leader of the Maine Legislature, and another lobsterman survived after their boat overturned while hauling traps ahead of the storm Friday, officials said.

The boats emergency locator beacon alerted authorities, and the two clung to the hull until help arrived, said Winter Harbor Police Chief Danny Mitchell. The 42-foot boat sank.

Theyre very lucky to be alive, Mitchell said.

Forecasters urged residents to stay home, but many ventured out anyway.

Betsy Follansbee and her husband, Fred, jogged to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, Maine, to watch surfers  some wearing helmets  paddling out to catch waves reaching 12 feet (3.6 meters). They were the biggest waves Follansbee has seen in her 10 years living there, she said.

Were impressed that theyre bold enough to try, Follansbee said.

On Maines Bailey Island, a slender spit jutting into the Gulf of Maine, Ren Renton watched the ocean roil. It comes and goes and takes what it wants, but hopefully not too much, she said.

Lee shared some characteristics with 2012s Superstorm Sandy. Both were once-strong hurricanes that became post-tropical cyclones  cyclonic storms that have lost most of their tropical characteristics  before landfall. Lee was not expected to be nearly as destructive as Sandy, which caused billions of dollars in damage and was blamed for dozens of deaths in New York and New Jersey.

Lee also isnt anywhere near as severe as the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which a year ago washed houses into the ocean in eastern Canada, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea, said Canadian meteorologist Jill Maepea.

Destructive hurricanes are relatively rare so far north. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts Blue Hill Observatory. But there have been no storms that powerful in recent years.
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Koh Ker archaeological site on Sunday was inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List, bringing the country's tangible cultural properties on the list to four, said a government's statement.

The inscription was made during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the statement said.

"This is a new pride for Cambodia and our people," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said in the statement.

"It is a new prestige of our nation on the international arena that resulted from steady efforts made by the royal government of Cambodia... in safeguarding, preserving and developing our cultural properties."

Located in the Kulen district in northwestern Preah Vihear province, the Koh Ker archaeological site was nominated for the status of UNESCO's World Heritage Site in January 2021.

UNESCO confirmed the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on the World Heritage List in its news release posted on its website on Sunday.

"This marked a momentous achievement in the commitment of the royal government of Cambodia to the preservation of cultural heritage, and a key milestone in the recognition of Cambodia's rich heritage worldwide," the news release said.

It added that UNESCO acknowledged the exceptional historical and architectural significance of the Koh Ker archaeological site and its outstanding universal value, serving as a tribute to the enduring legacy of the Cambodian civilization and efforts made by Cambodia to safeguard its treasures for future generations.

According to the news release, Koh Ker was the capital of the Khmer Empire for a brief period between 928-941 C.E. under its founder King Jayavarman IV.

Koh Ker boasts several archaeological remains, including unique-in-style temples, impressive Shiva-lingas sanctuaries, as well as civil structures, ponds, dykes, reservoirs, and ancient roads that reflect the influence and grandeur of the Khmer Empire, it added.

"This archaeological marvel offers a profound insight into its era's well-organized projects of regional, social, economic, and architectural development, town planning, and rural infrastructure," the news release said.

To date, four tangible cultural properties in the Southeast Asian nation have been placed on the world heritage list. The first three listed properties are Angkor Archeological Park inscribed in 1992, the Temple of Preah Vihear in 2008, and the Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk in 2017. 
Former colleagues of Vivek Ramaswamy have shared some damning insights into his behaviour, revealing a different side to the youngest GOP presidential candidate. Ramaswamy, a renowned biotech executive, has gained popularity in the United States due to his radical policy proposals and charismatic debate performances. However, his former associates have a different story to tell.

Behind closed doors, some former employees describe Ramaswamy as neurotic, mercurial, and paranoid, with a sense of entitlement, according to Business Insider. In the report, the unnamed employees recount instances of demanding behaviour, including ordering specific temperatures in office spaces and expecting white-glove service. According to the report, Ramaswamys intense focus on temperature even extended to hotel rooms, where former Army Rangers were tasked with ensuring rooms were at the sufficient temperature before he entered. He thinks people are put on this earth to serve him, one of the colleagues said.

The report also raises questions about the 38-year-olds credentials as a self-made individual from humble beginnings. It states that Ramaswamys upbringing was affluent, with both his parents in professional careers. He attended prestigious schools and received a George Soros-backed fellowship at Yale Law School while simultaneously earning substantial sums working at a hedge fund. Ramaswamys net worth is estimated at around USD 950 million.

The Ohio businessman declared his campaign for US president with little fanfare in February this year. He is still behind in most polls but has been gaining ground on many of his rivals, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is now fighting to retain his second spot. The White House hopeful has been defending former President Donald Trump while seeking to appeal to Christian evangelicals, an important part of the Republican primary electorate. Although a proud Hindu, Ramaswamy has been telling voters that the US is based on Christian values and Judeo-Christian values.

In the business world, Ramaswamy is recognised for his ability to raise funds and his innovative approach. He founded Roivant Sciences at a young age and later established Strive Asset Management, attracting notable investors. Roivants ventures have brought drugs to market, but there have also been setbacks. Ramaswamys critics argue that he is a skilled hype man, adept at promoting his ventures and now his presidential candidacy.

The Indian American political outsiders ambitions became apparent when he started writing op-eds in 2020, gaining traction in conservative circles. US media reports state that Strive Asset Management, his latest venture, has capitalised on a backlash against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. The company offers anti-ESG investment options and has attracted attention from state pension funds.

However, Strive has faced legal challenges, with former employees alleging violations of securities laws and other misconduct, according to the Business Insider report. Critics argue that the company lacks a unique investment strategy beyond its anti-ESG stance.

As Ramaswamys presidential campaign gains momentum, Strive has also seen growth in assets under management, reaching over USD 1 billion. Ramaswamys stake in Strive is estimated to be around USD 40 million. While some view Ramaswamys presidential bid as a calculated move to boost his business prospects, others believe he is genuinely striving for a seat at the White House. Regardless, claims about his personal conduct and business practices have come under intense scrutiny as he continues his race for the Republican nomination.
Pakistans Justice Qazi Faez Isa took the oath as the 29th Chief Justice of the country in the capital city of Islamabad on Sunday. The swearing-in ceremony was administered by President Arif Alvi, in the presence of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Army Chief Asim Munir.

Who is Paks new Chief Justice?

Justice Isa was born in Quetta on October 26, 1959, and he has had a distinguished legal career of 27 years. He enrolled as an Advocate of the Balochistan High Court in 1985 and as an Advocate Supreme Court in 1998. Over nearly three decades of legal career, he practiced before the High Courts of Pakistan, the Federal Shariat Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He also served as a member of various bar associations.

Justice Isa is known for his meticulously researched, lengthy judgments that draw from a wide range of academic sources. Despite being assigned relatively fewer cases involving substantial legal and constitutional matters in recent years, he has produced a substantial body of work, although his talents have been underused by three chief justices, according to a Dawn report.

As the new Chief Justice, Justice Isa faces several challenges. According to Pakistani newspaper, there has been criticism of the judiciarys perceived practice of forming benches consisting of like-minded judges for constitutional matters, which has raised concerns about impartiality. On the very first day, he will address the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, which involves the formation of benches for constitutional matters by a committee of senior judges. An eight-judge bench, led by the outgoing Chief Justice, suspended the enforcement of this act on April 13.

President Dr. Arif Alvi administered the oath of office to Justice Qazi Faez Isa as Chief Justice of Pakistan, at Aiwan-e-Sadr. pic.twitter.com/YhJCkRIcxO The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) September 17, 2023

Challenges Ahead

Perhaps the biggest test for Justice Isa will be the potential involvement of the Supreme Court in controversies surrounding general elections within 90 days of the dissolution of national and provincial assemblies. He will need to maintain working ties with the executive branch.

Earlier in June, Justice Isa decided not to sit on a bench hearing cases on the trial of civilians by the military courts, saying he did not want to violate the suspension of the law. Justice Isas previous dissenting judgment against military courts in 2015 highlighted concerns about trying civilians in military courts and the need for effective implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

With his understanding of the legal dynamics and his experience as the top judge of the Balochistan High Court during sensitive periods of military operations in Balochistan, Justice Isa, according to Dawn, is well-equipped to tackle the challenges ahead, including addressing the backlog of over 56,000 pending cases.

Role of the Judiciary in Pakistan

The role of the judiciary in crisis-marred Pakistan in the recent past has been controversial. The judiciary has been praised for its activism in upholding the rule of law and protecting the fundamental rights of citizens. At the same time, it has been criticised for overstepping its constitutional bounds and interfering in the domain of the executive and legislative branches of government.

The judiciary has also been criticised for its use of the suo motu jurisdiction to take up cases without being approached by the parties involved. This power has been used to intervene in a wide range of issues, including political disputes, government policies, and even social issues. It has also been accused of being biased in favor of certain political groups and individuals.
The deadly fires across Maui last month were triggered by a secret "weather weapon" tested by the US government on its own citizensor so suspected Chinese operatives want you to believe. Researchers from Microsoft and other organizations have described an organized disinformation campaign out of China that aims to sow discord in the US ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the New York Times reports. Russia, accused of meddling in the 2016 election with similar campaigns, also made "political use of the Maui fires," with social media posts suggesting US funds sent to Ukraine would be better used at home, the Times reports, noting the combined efforts of the two countries "suggest a new phase of the disinformation wars is about to begin, one bolstered by the use of AI tools."

China appears to have taken a page from Russia's book, building a network of accounts across social media platformsFacebook, X, YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Medium among themto be used in future information operations, Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center, tells the Times. "We don't have direct evidence of coordination between China and Russia in these campaigns, but we're certainly finding alignment and a sort of synchronization," said William Marcellino of the RAND Corporation, which also investigated. In regard to China, "this is going into a new direction, which is sort of amplifying conspiracy theories that are not directly related to some of their interests, like Taiwan," added Brian Liston, a researcher at cybersecurity company Recorded Future.

NewsGuard, a company that tracks disinformation, said the campaign is the most expansive Chinese operation it has uncovered, per Gizmodo. Some of the posts included images crafted by generative artificial intelligence, which have been found to draw "higher levels of engagement from authentic social media users," Microsoft said in its report, per Axios. However, the posts garnered few interactions, reports Gizmodo, which spoke to reps from YouTube and Meta. It remains to be seen how Chinese accounts might be used closer to the election. But US intelligence officials believe China favors former President Trump over President Biden, partly because Trump has called for pulling US troops out of Japan and South Korea. (Read more disinformation stories.)
The cost of raising a kid up until college in the US has reached nearly $240,000, and that amount includes just the basics, according to CBS News . They broke down research from Lending Tree that found parenting costs from birth to age 18 averaged $237,482. These expenses covered "bare bones" necessities like food, housing, child care, clothing, transportation, and health insurancebut excluded enrichment activities such as sports, arts, and after school programming. Child care was the most substantial component, averaging nearly $12K per yearan amount that's led some parents to leave the workforce, or even decide not to have children at all.

"It's completely understandable that people are scared to death of how they are going to pay to raise that kid," LendingTree's chief credit analyst told CBS MoneyWatch. "It's daunting when you consider that we don't even factor in the cost of college, for example, in these numbers." To prepare financially, people who wish to start a family should save early, consider high-yield savings accounts, explore government and nonprofit assistance programs, and allocate funds for future educational expenses, such as a 529 plan. Depending on where a student attends college, tuition could double the costs of raising a child, so saving as children leave child care and enter public school is one way to get ahead, CBS noted.

Lending Tree broke down how costs add up depending on where you live. Hawaii tops the list as the most expensive state to raise a child, mainly due to parents paying an extra $4,000 annually in rent compared to those without children, and an additional $4,000 per year on health insurance premiums. The District of Columbia and Washington state follow closely behind, with DC residents paying an average of $25,523 annually for infant day care alone. In these top three expensive locales, the cost of raising a child surpasses $28,000 per year. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansasthe states with the lowest costsexpenses were less than half of that in more costly states, but parents still paid an extra $1,000 in rent yearly than homes without children. (Nationally, child poverty rates have jumped as pandemic benefits end.)
Sales trends in breakfast foods suggest that Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam may be looking for new work in the future. The Wall Street Journal reports that the top players in the cereal industryKellogg, Post Holdings, and General Millshave seen declining sales in recent years, and expect the trend to continue. Other than a significant (5.2%) sales bump in 2020, when more people ate breakfast at home during the pandemic, sales have been on a downward trajectory, falling 8.7% in 2021 and another 3.9% in 2022.

The Journal notes that while people "gorged" on cereal in the '80s and '90s due to nutritionists favoring carbs over high-protein, high-cholesterol foods like eggs, experts now warn that the high sugar content found in breakfast cereals may not be the best way to start your day. Barclays analyst Andrew Lazar tells the Journal that more shoppers are picking up frozen food options like breakfast burritos or opting for on-the-go choices such as breakfast shakes or bars. Fewer Americans are eating breakfast, according to a recent poll, Paste Magazine reports, which also contributes to less sales. They note that rebranding cereal as a dessert or snack is another way to restore the appeal of sugary products that perhaps have no business on the breakfast table, like Cookie Crisp.

Of the big three, General Mills has weathered the cereal decline best. "If you look at who was supporting growth in the category, through marketing and innovation, it has been falling almost completely to General Mills," Lazar said. Meanwhile, Kellogg has branched off its cereal business as a stand-alone entity. An example that bucks the trend is in the gluten-free market, Yahoo! Finance says, which is seeing a spike in sales globally and is expected to reach a market size of $15.7 billion by 2032. (Some breakfast cereals fortified with vitamins may pose a risk to kids.)
A Catholic priest accused of taking part in torture sessions during Argentina's "Dirty War" regularly says Mass in the small town in northern Italy where he now residesbut victims still hope to see him face justice in Argentina. Franco Reverberi left Italy for Sorbolo, the town his parents emigrated from when he was a child, in 2011, the year after he was charged with crimes committed under the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. People who were detained by the regime say Reverberi was present during torture sessions. They say Reverberi, a military chaplain, would watch the torture, sometimes holding a Bible and telling detainees it was God's will that they give the torturers information.

"The moment I saw Franco Reverberi, the priest from my village, come in, was the moment I thought I was going to die," Mario Bracamonte, who was tortured at a clandestine detention center because of his left-wing activism, tells the BBC. "I was lying on the floor soaked in blood after a night of torture. He came in dressed in his military uniform and looked at me impassively. I could not believe it." Another former detainee testified at a hearing in Argentina that Reverberi would even bless the instruments used by torturers, reports the Buenos Aires Times. Bracamonte was freed after a year. An estimated 30,000 others were killed by the regime, including many who were drugged and thrown into the sea from helicopters.

Attempts to extradite Reverberi, who is 85 and has heart problems, from Italy have dragged on for a decade. In 2013, an Italian court rejected an extradition request because torture was not a crime in Italy's legal code. It was added in 2017. In 2021, another extradition accused Reverberi of being involved in the murder of a 20-year-old man who disappeared in 1976. In Sorbolo, the community is divided, with some boycotting his services and others rallying around the priest. "If he really committed crimes as heinous as those he is accused of, I wonder how he can continue to be a priest with that weight on his conscience," retired teacher Lorenza Ramazzotti tells the BBC.

story continues below

Italy's justice minister signed an extradition order last month but Reverberi has appealed and the process is expected to last at least a few more months. Bracamonte, whose wife was also detained under the military junta, hopes to see the priest sent back to Argentina soon. "I am almost 80 years old, I want to be able to look him in the eyes and ask him where the bodies of the other activists who disappeared are," he says. (Read more Dirty War stories.)
KHOST, Afghanistan, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Police in east Afghanistan's Khost province have arrested a drug trafficker and confiscated 11 kg of hashish from his possession on Sunday, provincial police spokesman Tahir Ehrar said.

The smuggler, according to the official, had placed 11 kg hashish in the cavities of a car and was attempting to take the contraband outside the province, but police on a tip-off intercepted the car and detained the man along with his illegal object.

Earlier on Saturday, police in a similar operation arrested a man and discovered 2.3 kg of heroin in his possession in northern Badakhshan province.

Personnel of the counter-narcotics police have also detained eight drug smugglers in the western Herat and 12 others in the neighboring Ghor province over the past week. 
Florida's Republican Party decided in May on the wording of a loyalty pledge that would require candidates to agree to support the GOP's eventual presidential nominee before they could have a spot on the state primary ballot. Gov. Ron DeSantis supported the idea, but Donald Trump, given his large lead in polls over him and other party rivals, opposed it. So on Friday night, the Florida party voted to drop the pledge, an effort driven by Trump allies, USA Today reports. "We do not want to create unnecessary roadblocks for qualified candidates for president," said state Sen. Joe Gruters, whose motion was approved, "and I think once again this shows the Republican Party of Florida and the base loves the former president."

The voice vote at a quarterly GOP meeting in Orlando showed less fondness for DeSantis in his own state. "We believe anyone who wanted to run for president as a Republican should be willing to pledge their support for our eventual nominee," a DeSantis spokesman said afterward, per NBC News. "It is surprising that anyone interested in seeing the defeat of Joe Biden in 2024 would disagree." Trump told Newsmax previously that he wasn't interested in a similar, national pledge, and he has not signed it. "Why would I sign it?" Trump said. "I can name three or four people that I wouldn't support for president. So right there, there's a problem." DeSantis signed the Republican National Committee's loyalty pledge in August, per CNN. The Florida primary is March 19. (Read more Florida primary stories.)
An armed man accused of impersonating a federal officer was taken into custody outside a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign event in Los Angeles, police said. A Los Angeles Police Department statement said a caller Friday afternoon reported that a man with a loaded gun and holster and wearing a US Marshals Service badge was outside a theater where the Democratic presidential candidate was scheduled to give a speech. A campaign statement said Kennedy's security team surrounded the man, who later was taken into custody by the LAPD. The FBI also was on the scene. No one was injured, the AP reports.

"The man claimed to be part of Kennedy's security team," the campaign statement said. He told the candidate's security team "that he needed to be taken to the candidate immediately." The man was taken into custody on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Police identified the suspect as Adrian Paul Aispuro, 44, per the Washington Post, who was held in lieu of $35,000 bail. Raymond Aispuro, told the Post he drove his brother to the event for what he thought was a private security job. He said that both of them are supporters of Donald Trump but that his brother "doesn't care about Robert Kennedy in terms of trying to hurt the guy or his political stance."





In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kennedy said he was grateful for the swift police response. His campaign said Kennedy's requests for Secret Service protection have been rejected, and he plans to apply again this month. Although Kennedy has said the decision is President Biden's, it is not. The candidates have to meet polling and other requirements, per the Post. Secret Service protection is then provided only after approval by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a committee of congressional leaders. (Read more Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stories.)
UPDATE

Oct 4, 2023 5:40 PM CDT

Hollywood writers are back at workand the Drew Barrymore Show is returning, this time probably without people picketing outside while it is taping. The show announced in an Instagram post Wednesday that its new season will kick off on Monday, Oct. 16. Barrymore faced a backlash last month when she attempted to relaunch the talk show while the strike was ongoing. She later issued an apology and said she would wait until the strike was over. Other daytime talk shows are back or are on the way back, including the Jennifer Hudson Show, which returned Oct. 2, and The Talk, which will return on Oct. 9, per the Hollywood Reporter. Kelly Clarkson announced Wednesday that she plans to bring her show back on Oct. 16.

Sep 17, 2023 11:35 AM CDT

After saying Friday that "there's nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK" while facing a backlash for relaunching her TV talk show during Hollywood strikes, Drew Barrymore decided that maybe there's one thing. She announced Sunday that The Drew Barrymore Show won't resume just yet. "I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over," the host posted on Instagram, per Variety. "I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward."
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U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to more than 1,000 service members to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 during a remembrance ceremony at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 11, 2023. Biden highlighted continued commitment to defense of the nation and support to allies as an on-going tribute to the lives lost that day. Biden, returning from a summit in India and visit to Vietnam, chose to mark the anniversary at one of the nations premier power-projection platforms and hub for the United States commitment to free and independent Arctic and Indo-Pacific regions. (Photo by Justin Connaher)
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BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er, southwest China, embodies the wisdom of China's agrarian culture and is an example of positive interaction between people and nature, and of their sustainable development, a Chinese official has said.

Li Qun, deputy minister of culture and tourism and head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on Sunday during the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee ongoing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

With the addition of this new listing, China's number of UNESCO World Heritage sites has risen to 57. The Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er is the very first tea-themed world cultural heritage site globally.

On what makes this site stand out and on what sort of cultural insights it offers, Li said the cultural landscape comprises five ancient tea forests, nine traditional villages and three protective forests, which maintain their vitality to this day.

"According to archaeological findings, the cultivation of tea trees in ancient China can be traced back over 6,000 years," Li said. "Subsequently, tea culture and the practice of growing and consuming tea spread from China to neighboring countries and beyond."

The cultural landscape has resulted in a unique protection system combining government management with grassroots governance, which ensures the protection of cultural and biological diversity and the sustainable use of natural resources, Li said.

This heritage, he said, also demonstrates the unique tradition of the complementary use of natural resources in mountainous environments by many of China's ethnic groups.

Its success in achieving World Heritage Site status is "a significant achievement in presenting an authentic picture of ancient and modern China to the world," the official said.

China plans to implement preservation and management initiatives in five key areas, Li said.

Emphasizing the importance of prioritizing protection and planning ahead, Li highlighted the need for the coordinated planning of protection and management measures for ancient tea forests, villages and traditional residential architecture. Such an approach aims to strike a balance between heritage preservation and development.

Furthermore, China intends to invest in research on core technologies to enhance its monitoring capabilities for ancient tea forests as well as rare flora and rare fauna, and its capabilities for climate change responses.

To promote the sustainable development of its heritage sites, China aims to improve the participation mechanism for locals and other stakeholders. The involvement of local communities, particularly people from younger generations, will be encouraged and guided to contribute to the dissemination of tea culture and the growth of the tea industry.

China will continue to delve into the history of the tea industry, explore the philosophical depth of tea culture, and elucidate the global influence of Chinese tea culture. The country seeks to tap into the value of this heritage and promote its traditional culture further.

The official said that efforts are underway to promote the effective utilization and regulated development of cultural World Heritage Sites, aiming to breathe new life into these invaluable treasures. 
Thousands of members of the United Auto Workers went on strike at three U.S. assembly plants of General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis, after the union and the automakers failed to reach a deal on a new labor contract Thursday night.

The facilities are GMs midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri; Fords Ranger midsize pickup and Bronco SUV plant in Wayne, Michigan; and Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.

12,700 workers will be on strike. The UAW represents about 146,000 workers at Ford, GM and Stellantis.

The UAW Stand Up Strike begins at all three of the Big Three.#StandUp pic.twitter.com/WsUdPt0or5  UAW (@UAW) September 15, 2023

If all three faced a strike, shrinking auto production would cut quarterly annualized growth by 0.05 to 0.1 percentage points for each week it lasted, Goldman Sachs estimates. However, Goldman Sachs said growth would then rise by the same amount it declined in the quarter following a strike.

Ford, GM offered 18-20% raises but were rejected. The bigger parts are the 32 hour work week would have overtime kick in a day earlier for workers still working 50-60hours per week and forcing the UAW into the new electric car and battery plants. The companies only have half UAW workers. They can phase out the UAW plants and only build at global non-UAW plants.

Former Ford CEO Mark Fields said

Fields: UAW could win the battle but lose the war.

If the automakers are forced to reinstate pensions, provide healthcare for retirees and take other steps, they could decide to just move factories  and jobs  overseas.

The automakers are going to be very rational about this. If this is what my cost per unit is here in the US  including labor  and its uncompetitive, Im going to have to move it to where its more competitive, like Mexico, said Fields, who is currently a senior advisor to private equity firm TPG Capital. You dont want the UAW to win the battle but lose the war.
Ukraine was able to destroy a submarine and a navy landing ship in dry dock but under the protection of several Russian S-400 anti-missile systems. It is interesting for how they succeeded because it effects how we think about Chinas air defenses. Ukraine defeated the S-400 anti-missile batteries and radar. Russia has about three times as many S-400 systems as China does. Each set is 8 launchers and 32 missiles. 16+ sets Russia and China bought 6 sets and has older S-300s. Ukraine was able to overwhelm the S-400s with drones, cheap S-200s and then anti radar missiles and then the UK Storm Shadow missile. $40 Million of attacking missiles beat $400-800 million of defending systems. China defending systems would be 3 times more costly. China bought from Russia and Russia charged a market price of about $500-625 million each instead ofthe $200 million cost to Russia. The UK Storm Shadow missiles are about $2 million each.

Ukraine started with a distraction attack using suicide explosive ship drones. They then launched some S-200 missiles to allow them to identify the Russian air defense. Ukraine launched anti-radar missiles to blind the air defense and then they launched the Storm Shadow missiles.

This shows that the Russian S-400 systems are fairly sophisticated and effective. It shows that multi-pronged missile attacks can overwhelm the defense systems. A regular S-400 battalion consists of up to eight launchers with 32 missiles and a mobile command post. TASS reported that as of the end of 2015, a total of eleven Russian missile regiments were armed with S-400, and by the end of 2016 their number was expected to increase to sixteen.

China has at least six batteries of S-400.

Here is the 196 page, 2022 US Military assessment of China Military.

The PRC has a robust and redundant IADS (Integrated Air Defense System) architecture over land areas and within 300 nm (556 km) of its coast that relies on an extensive early warning radar network, fighter aircraft, and a variety of SAM systems. The PRC has also placed radars and air defense weapons on outposts in the South China Sea, further extending the range of its IADS. It also employs point defenses, primarily to defend strategic targets against adversary long-range cruise missiles and airborne strike platforms.

The PLA has increasing numbers of advanced long-range SAMs, including its indigenous CSA-9 (HQ-9) and its follow-on HQ-9B, Russian SA-10 (S300PMU), and SA-20 (S300PMU1 / PMU2), all of which have the advertised capability to protect against both aircraft and low-flying cruise missiles. To improve its strategic air defenses, the PLA possesses Russian-built SA-21 (S-400) Triumf SAM systems as a follow-on to the SA-20. Compared to these other systems, the SA-21 systems possess a longer maximum range, improved missile seekers, and more sophisticated radars.

The PRC manufactures a variety of long-range air surveillance radars, including models claiming to support ballistic missile defense (BMD) and other models asserting the ability to detect stealth aircraft. Marketing materials also emphasize these systems ability to counter long-range airborne strike and combat support aircraft. PLAAF AEW and C aircraft such as the KJ-2000 and KJ-500 can further extend the PRCs s radar coverage well past the range of its ground-based radars.

There is clearly no perfect defense. China has a lot of offensive missiles. In a US-China war both sides would be firing at each other.
BEJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China released the world's first geothermal industry standard at the 2023 World Geothermal Congress, which concluded on Sunday in Beijing.

The standard recommends medium-to-low-temperature hydrothermal geothermal heating practices, based on China's own heating practices.

Previous tests carried out in north China's Hebei Province have demonstrated that the standard can ensure the sustainable development and usage of geothermal heating projects.

Contributors to the standard include Sinopec Group, the China National Petroleum Corporation, Tsinghua University, the China University of Petroleum and the China University of Geosciences.

This is the first year that China has hosted the World Geothermal Congress. The event ran from Friday to Sunday and was themed "Clean Geothermal, Green Earth." Over 1,400 guests from 54 countries attended the congress, which was hosted by the National Geothermal Energy Center and organized by Sinopec Group. 
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Postal Code
The First Lady of Ekiti State, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has condemned the jungle justice meted out to a woman who was accused of stealing tubers of yam in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.





Some individuals, following the accusation, allegedly brutalised the woman, inflicted bodily injury on her, stripped her and circulated videos of her nakedness on various social media platforms.





The governors wife, who described the treatment meted out to the woman as a violation of the dignity of her human person, insisted that nobody should resort to self-help instead of going through due process of the law to ventilate grievances.





According to a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Odunayo Ogunmola, on Sunday, The First Lady has mobilised the Gender Unit of her office to work with the Office of the Attorney-General to ensure that the victim gets justice.





Maanwhile, An Ekiti State Chief Magistrates Court, Ado Ekiti Division, has remanded two persons, Owoseni Adefolaran and Oluwatade Olaleye, for their alleged roles in meting out jungle justice on the victim.





The two accused persons and others at large had been accused of brutalising the victim.





The defendants are standing trial on a three-count of conspiracy to commit felony, assault and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.





According to the charge, they were alleged to have committed the offences at about 6.00 am on September 5 at Aduramigba Community, Afao Road, Ado Ekiti, contrary to and punishable under Sections 421, 186 and 181 of the Criminal Law, Volume 1, Laws of Ekiti State 2021 respectively.





Counsel to the defendants, Mr. Adefolaju Ayobioloja, who said the offences were bailable, urged the court to admit his clients to bail in liberal terms, describing the first accused person as the security man in the community and the second, as the secretary of the community.





The State Counsel, Mrs Shirley Atane, said that judging by the circumstances surrounding the offences and the number of people involved, granting bail would not assist in getting justice and given that other alleged offenders are still on the run.





Chief Magistrate Oluwasanmi, in his ruling, upheld the submission of the prosecution and denied the accused persons bail.





Oluwasanmi adjourned the case till September 19 for resumption of trial.




A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Femi Fani-Kayode has taken a swipe at the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo over what he called humiliation of monarchs in Oyo State.





According to a viral video, Obasanjo had berated traditional rulers for not acknowledging his presence by standing up for him at a public event in Iseyin, Oyo State, on Friday.





The former president was sighted asking the Obas to stand up for him and later ordered them to sit down.





The development has triggered reactions from Yoruba stakeholders, who described Obasanjos action as disrespect to the traditional rulers.





Reacting, Fani-Kayode in a statement issued on his official X handle, said he was deeply saddened and utterly mortified, by Obasanjos action.





The former Aviation Minister said the action of the former president was beyond jokes, stressing that Obasanjo has spat on the faces of all Yoruba indigene.





Part of the statement reads, I am deeply saddened and utterly mortified by the way in which former President Olusegun Obasanjo lambasted our revered traditional rulers in Oyo state and ordered them to stand up and sit down as if they were children.





This is the same OBJ that, once upon a time, displayed his respect, humility and I daresay greatness by bowing, kneeling and prostrating before our monarchs, even when he was President, yet today he talks to them as if they are his garbage collectors and orders them to jump up and down like a molue driver talking to his beleaguered passengers and a motor park tout talking to a bunch of jobless and worthless underlings.





Many think that the whole thing is some kind of joke but I do not. We must not take it lightly and the truth is that by doing what he did he has spat on all our faces.




The Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has charged security agencies to unravel the cause of the death of a 27-year-old journalist, Yusuf Mubaarak, who was allegedly murdered in Ilorin, the state capital.





The body of the late journalist was discovered in Ilorin on Saturday.





The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, which was released to newsmen on Saturday evening described as shocking and saddening the death of Mubaarak under hazy circumstances that he said must be investigated by security agencies.





Mubaarak, a new media personality who hails from Ilorin according to a statement from the Government House, went missing on Wednesday night but his remains were eventually found around the Unity road area of the state capital on Saturday.





He was buried on Saturday evening in Ilorin amid tears by friends, associates and acquaintances, the statement said.





The Governor sends his heartfelt condolences to the family of Mubaarak, his friends and all the youth constituencies in the state.





The Governor, himself a father, strongly condemns the cowardly violence meted to the lad and demands immediate and thorough investigation into the death of the promising chap to arrest and bring his assailants to justice.





No resources should be spared to get justice for Mubaarak and his family. We charge the security agencies to cast their nets as widely as possible to answer all pending questions about his painful death.





The Governor prays Allah to grant Mubaarak Al-Jannah Firdaus and comfort his family and everyone who mourns the promising lad, the statement further said.





Kwara PDP Commiserates with family, and friends over Mubaraks Death; Decries Resurgence of cult-Killings in Ilorin





In the same vein, the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has described the death of the 27-year-old promising young Kwaran as an irreparable loss to the state and a call for concern over the resurgence of cult killings, hooliganism and violence in the state capital.





This was made known in a statement by the partys spokesman, Olusegun Olusola, who noted that available records showed that the late Mubaraak, during his lifetime, used his social media skills to fight injustice, advocated good governance and exhibited good conduct as a student and an entrepreneur.





The PDP, under the chairmanship of Rt. Hon. Tunde Mohammed received with a deep sense of loss, the news of the unfortunate death of Mr. Yusuf Mubarak, a young promising Kwaran, who was declared missing late Wednesday until his remains were said to have been recovered before he was eventually laid to rest yesterdays evening.





Our party commiserates with the bereaved family at this trying moment and also mourns with friends, schoolmates and associates while praying to God to grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.





In our mourning state, we strongly condemn the unfortunate resurgence of cult killings and gang violence across the city of Ilorin, an issue that had long been forgotten before 2019. This cold-blooded murder of Mubarak by suspected cultists is a sad reminder of the severe damage that this menace is inflicting on our state.





The statement read further, In Kwara state, cult killings are on the rise and criminal gangs have become bolder, killing, maiming and destroying property of rival gang members and innocent citizens alike. This is not to even talk of banditry and kidnapping that have put all rural dwellers in Kwara under serious fear and siege and with the government turning deaf ears to public outcry.





We, therefore appeal to Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to return home from Abuja, where he seems to have relocated to the Kwara state capital, so he can focus more on the serious business of governance that is already suffering serious negligence.





Our party is disturbed that the man, on whose palms, the destiny and well-being of over 3 million population of Kwarans are resting will be operating from the diaspora while every sector of government suffers back home. We wish to remind Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq that he is not the first Kwara governor to emerge as the Governors Forum chairman.





Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, (CON) was governor of Kwara between 2003-2011 and made an indelible mark as one of the most resourceful Governor s Forum chairmen who did not relocate Kwara Capital to Abuja during his time.





Instead, he turned Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara into a tourist center for all Nigerian Governors. Virtually most of the Governors who served with Dr. Bukola Saraki had one reason or the other to come to Kwara every week, the statement said.
Elderly people take a walk in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 18, 2023. Japan's elderly citizens, defined as those aged 65 and above, saw their percentage in the overall population at a historic high of 29.1 percent, according to the demographic statistics announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications a day before the country's Respect for the Aged Day holiday.

It made Japan the country with the highest percentage of elderly citizens among 200 nations and regions worldwide. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- One out of 10 people in Japan is now aged 80 or older, while the ratio of elderly to the total population rose to a record high, ministry data showed Sunday.

Japan's elderly citizens, defined as those aged 65 and above, saw their percentage in the overall population at a historic high of 29.1 percent, according to the demographic statistics announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications a day before the country's Respect for the Aged Day holiday.

It made Japan the country with the highest percentage of elderly citizens among 200 nations and regions worldwide.

Elderly numbers, however, saw the first drop since records became comparable in 1950, falling by about 10,000 from last year to 36.2 million as of Friday, the data showed.

The number of individuals aged 75 and above has surpassed 20 million for the first time. Those aged 80 or older rose by 270,000 from last year to a record 12.5 million, or more than 10 percent of Japan's population.

On a different note, the working population among the elderly has continued to rise, increasing for the 19th consecutive year in 2022 to a total of 9.12 million.

The employment rate among the elderly has also climbed to 25.2 percent. With nearly one out of every seven people employed in the country considered elderly, Japan's ratio of working elderly is the highest among the major economies.

As the country grapples with declining birthrates and labor shortages in an aging society, the ministry said these ratios are expected to continue to rise. 

An elderly woman sits at her fruit shop in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 18, 2023. Japan's elderly citizens, defined as those aged 65 and above, saw their percentage in the overall population at a historic high of 29.1 percent, according to the demographic statistics announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications a day before the country's Respect for the Aged Day holiday.

It made Japan the country with the highest percentage of elderly citizens among 200 nations and regions worldwide. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

An elderly clerk waits to serve customers in front of a shop in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 18, 2023. Japan's elderly citizens, defined as those aged 65 and above, saw their percentage in the overall population at a historic high of 29.1 percent, according to the demographic statistics announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications a day before the country's Respect for the Aged Day holiday.

It made Japan the country with the highest percentage of elderly citizens among 200 nations and regions worldwide. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

An elderly person walks on a business street in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 18, 2023. Japan's elderly citizens, defined as those aged 65 and above, saw their percentage in the overall population at a historic high of 29.1 percent, according to the demographic statistics announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications a day before the country's Respect for the Aged Day holiday.

It made Japan the country with the highest percentage of elderly citizens among 200 nations and regions worldwide. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Russia on Sunday on his armoured train, Russian news agencies reported, wrapping up a six-day trip that has focused largely on military matters.





Kims first official visit abroad since the coronavirus pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.





The Ria Novosti agency published a video of Kims departure and said a departure ceremony was held at the Artyom-Primorsky-1 station, while the TASS news agency said that Kims train was headed around 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the border.





The footage shows Kim waving goodbye from his train to a Russian delegation led by Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, before the Russian march Farewell of Slavianka is played as the train departs.





Earlier Sunday, TASS said Kim had been given five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor.





TASS said the leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a Geran-25 reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff, using the official name of North Korea.





TASS said the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection and special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras.





On Saturday, he met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system.





Kims extended tour of Russias 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.





Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russias help to develop its internationally condemned missile programme.





The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed.





Kim also met with North Korean students studying in Vladivostok on Sunday.





North Korean news agency, KCNA, has described the atmosphere during Kims visit as fervent and warm and said a new era of friendship, solidarity and cooperation was opening between North Korea and Russia.
Fire broke out in the basement of the Washington School in Lyndhurst on Saturday, causing heavy damage to a classroom and leaving officials and closing the building until further notice.

The fire alarm sounded at 6:09 p.m. and quickly went to two alarms. Firefighters from Lyndhurst, East Rutherford and North Arlington arrived at the school on Ridge Road to find fire and smoke pouring from the basement, said Lyndhurst Assistant Fire Chief Paul Haggerty.

The blaze was declared under control a half-hour later, though not before a classroom sustained heavy damage. Haggerty said all the classroom doors had been shut in the basement, which helped stop the fire from spreading.

This could have been much worse, he said.

The cause of the blaze has not been determined, but did not appear to be suspicious, Haggerty said.

Haggerty said the school will be closed on Monday while the district determines the extent of the damages. The district is putting together a plan to send students to other schools for instruction, and will notify parents by email on Sunday, he said.

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Richard Cowen may be reached at rcowen@njadvancemedia.com.
A group of men, women and children gathered at a Cumberland County park on Saturday afternoon to remember that a young member of their community is still missing after four years.

The event at Bridgeton City Park has become a regular occurrence each September to mark the day Dulce Maria Alavez disappeared.

Dulce was 5 when she visited the park with her family on Sept. 16, 2019. The kindergartner ran off to a playground with her 3-year-old brother while her mother waited in the car nearby.

A short time later, Dulce was gone and answers about her whereabouts remain elusive four years later.

Investigators believe she was taken from the park, but witness descriptions and a sketch of a person of interest released in 2019 have produced no answers.

Dulce would be 9 years old now and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children produced a new age-progression rendering this week of how she may look today.

Authorities have released a new age progression rendering (left) of how Dulce Maria Alavez would appear today as a 9-year-old. Dulce was 5 (right) when she vanished from a park in Bridgeton.

Investigators hope the image will spur fresh interest in the case.

Dulces family and a group of supporters gathered Saturday at Dulces tree, a spot dedicated in the girls honor near the playground where she was last seen.

In addition to work by local, county and federal agencies, a Florida-based non-profit investigation group called the Anti-Predator Project recently joined the effort at the request of supporters helping the missing girls family.

They are asking anyone with information about the case to contact them at 305-796-4859 or by email at info@antipredatorproject.org.

On Thursday, local investigators issued a press release along with the new age-progression rendering, saying their search for Dulce remains active.

Tips continue to come in regarding this matter and each and every bit of information has been investigated, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae and Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari said in a joint statement. In the past year, investigators have traveled out of state to follow up on tips that have recently come in regarding Dulces disappearance.

Officials said they still hold out hope that Dulce is alive, noting they have found no evidence of her death.

Anyone with information about Dulces disappearance is asked to contact authorities via one of these options:

Bridgeton Police: 856-451-0033

Cumberland County Prosecutors Office: 856-453-0486

New Jersey State Police: 609-882-2000, ext. 2554

FBI: 1-800-CALL-FBI. Select option 4, then option 8.

Anonymous tips may be sent to Bridgeton Police at bpdops.com/tips or to the prosecutors office at njccpo.gov/tips.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
A Democratic congressman from New Jersey has joined critics calling on Princeton University to stop teaching a book they say is antisemitic but the university defends on the grounds of academic freedom.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., sent a public letter this week to the president of the Ivy League school about the book, The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability by Jasbir Puar, a professor at Rutgers University.
A veteran police officer in a Morris County township has filed a lawsuit against the police department, claiming he was denied promotions and job opportunities because of his leadership role in a police union.

Chad Rossy, a corporal in the Mount Olive Police Department, states in court documents he served as president of the Fraternal Order of Police for two years, but declined to run for election after 2019 due to a hostile work environment.

Mount Olive Police Chief Stephen Beecher denied Rossy job opportunities and a promotion to sergeant because of his involvement with the FOP, states the suit, filed Aug. 29 in Superior Court of Morris County.

Neither Beecher nor Fred Semrau, the township attorney, returned calls seeking comment on the lawsuit Friday.

Rossy, 41, has been a member of the Mount Olive department since 2007 and served as union president in 2018 and 2019, according to the suit.

After 2019, he did not seek elected office because of the fear of retaliation, the suit states.

In March 2021, Rossy suffered an injury to his right hand and requested light duty, according to the suit. Beecher denied the request and Rossy instead had to use 144 hours of sick time, the suit says.

No other member of the Mount Olive Police Department has ever been denied light duty, the lawsuit alleges.

In May 2021, Rossy submitted a letter to the department expressing his interest in working for the Communications and Records Division. A worker with less experience than Rossy was picked for the job, the suit says.

Later that year, Rossy was denied a promotion to sergeant, even though he had scored higher than the officer who was eventually selected for the promotion, according to the suit.

At the time, Rossy was the senior corporal in the police department, the suit states.

A denial of a promotion to sergeant is retaliation for the plaintiffs activity in the FOP, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit demands Rossys promotion to sergeant, along with a judgment against Beecher. Also named as defendants in the lawsuit are the mayor, council and township.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Anyone who turned their eyes to the sky Saturday night might have noticed a bright string of white lights moving across New Jersey. It wasnt a fleet of UFOs, as some on social media mused, but a line of SpaceX Starlink satellites.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by business magnate Elon Musks American aerospace company Space X.

Relatively clear skies on Saturday night provided a great view of the satellite constellation around 9:00 p.m. Videos posted on social media show a string of white lights hovering in the sky.

According to the SpaceX launch website, the Falcon 9 rocket launched 22 additional Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday at 11:38 p.m. from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

This was the fifth launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched NASAs sixth crewed flight to the International Space Station, the SES O3b mPOWER constellation of commercial satellites, and now three Starlink missions.

The satellite-based global internet system is intended to bring internet access to underserved areas of the world. Hundreds of the satellites are now in low Earth orbit.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
Columbus Day, a federal holiday, will be observed in 2023 on Monday, Oct 9.

The day commemorates the arrival of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in the Americans in 1492.

Columbus Day is observed on the second Monday in October each year, though many states have switched to observing the holiday as Indigenous Peoples Day.

Columbus three-ship fleet reached a Bahmaian Island he named San Salvador on Oct. 12, 1492 after a 10-week trip from Spain, according to the Library of Congress. Though Columbus was not the first non-native explorer to reach the Americas, his voyage is credited with paving the way for future journeys from Europe.

Upon arriving in the so-called New World Columbus enslaved and physically abused natives, forced many to convert to Christianity and brought new diseases, according to historians.

Columbus made four additional trans-Atlantic journeys between by 1504.

According to the White House, President Benjamin Harrison created Columbus Day in 1892 after 11 Italian Americans were lynched in New Orleans in 1891. It didnt become a federal holiday until 45 years later

In 1937, Congress passed a bill that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law following lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal and charitable organization. It has been commemorated on the second Monday in October since 1971.

Ceremonies were held in 1792 and 1892 to mark the 300th and 400th anniversaries of the expedition.

Columbus Day is the eighth of 11 federal holidays observed in the U.S. Election Day is not a federal holiday.

Columbus Day is the ninth of 13 state holidays observed in New Jersey in 2023. All state offices will be closed. The remaining state holidays this year are Election Day (Nov. 7), Veterans Day (Nov. 10), Thanksgiving (Nov. 23) and Christmas (Dec. 25).

The Christopher Columbus statue, foreground, in Journal Square in Jersey City, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

Less than half of states observe Columbus Day as a state holiday. Five of the 10 most populous states dont observe the day as state holiday  California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. At least 20 states observe the day as Indingenous Peoples Day, though New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware are not among them.

New Jerseys largest city  Newark  is among a growing legion of municipalities across the country to recognize Indingenous Peoples Day. Princeton also refers to the day by that name.

Columbus Day will be observed on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

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Theres an unwritten rule that says that once the summer tourists leave, the beaches are open to all comers - fishermen, surfers, beachcombers and even a few bennies whove wandered out of their habitat.

For as long as Ive lived at the Shore, thats been the practice.
America has a migrant crisis. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have been streaming to the border, fleeing from oppressive poverty, endemic gang violence and failed governments, in search of asylum. The federal government has dropped the ball not only on dealing with the sheer number of migrants but also with enacting any measure of legislative reform that may ease the crisis.

The fed plan seems to be to call on the states to pick up the slack. New York received more than 100,000 migrants and is currently housing around 58,000 of them. An earlier version of Gov. Phil Murphys position on the issue seemed amenable to offering a helping hand. He declared New Jersey a sanctuary state but when the feds came knocking last week he turned off the lights and pretended he wasnt home.
Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost.

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People visit the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Sept. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

TIANJIN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 6th China Helicopter Exposition, concluding on Sunday, has served as a platform for fostering innovation, development and win-win cooperation.

A raft of activities, such as exhibitions, forums, airshows, new product releases and business negotiations, took place during this four-day expo held in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Over 350 exhibitors, including many major global helicopter manufacturers, attended the expo, seeking lucrative business opportunities in China's aviation industry.

During the expo, Airbus Helicopters, the European aircraft manufacturer, signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for strategic cooperation with Wanjiang Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. According to the LOI, both parties will provide one-stop customized helicopter products and financing solutions for Chinese enterprise customers in general aviation, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

This photo taken on Sept. 14, 2023 shows the signing ceremony of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for strategic cooperation between Airbus Helicopters and Wanjiang Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. at the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in north China's Tianjin. (Xinhua)

Airbus Helicopters has been a key partner in the Chinese helicopter sector for over 50 years. Currently, there are more than 300 Airbus helicopters flying in China, serving more than 90 customers.

According to a report released by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Ltd. (AVIC), the total number of China's civil helicopters is expected to reach 1,449 by 2027 and exceed 2,000 by 2032.

The rapid recovery and promising prospect of China's aviation market have ignited a strong desire among global helicopter manufacturers and suppliers to forge collaborations with their Chinese counterparts.

Alexander Tarasov, deputy CEO and head of design of the National Helicopter Center, Russian Helicopters, said he is interested in different Chinese components. "We would like to apply Chinese components to our helicopters. We want to expand our business with Chinese partners."

China's Fenglei aerobatic team performs at the opening ceremony of the 6th China Helicopter Exposition in north China's Tianjin Municipality Sept. 14, 2023. (Photo by Chen Kai/Xinhua)

Diverse exhibits featuring technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and human-machine interaction were also showcased during the expo, with a total of 65 helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles put on display.

Sunkiss Matherm is a French company manufacturing equipment for drying system, which is needed in making aircraft.

"I'm looking for more Chinese customers. This expo gives me bright ideas of identifying who is who and what to do and to expand my business with Chinese potential customers," said Herve Vigier, general manager of the company. 
Victor Campbell doesnt like to stay in one musical place. The Cuban-born pianist may open his solo set with some James Booker, as he did during a concert last year hosted by the Jazz National Historic Park, and glide into blues before heading to Cuba for a jazz piece by composer Ernesto Lecuona and the guaracha Bilongo. Along the way, listeners may hear the subtle musical connections between New Orleans and Cuba.

Right now I like to move to another [genre], because thats my point of view sometimes  never being in the same place, Campbell says.

Campbell, whos 28, moved to New Orleans from Cuba in 2019  one of several Cuban-born musicians who have settled in the city in recent years  and can now be seen around town in a number of configurations. He plays solo under the name VicJcom, leads his own trio and quartet, gigs with Cuban-born percussionist Alexey Marti, and he recently formed La Timba Swamp, a project performing the Afro-Cuban genre timba with Yusa, Cesar Bacaro and more New Orleans musicians.

Campbell next performs two sets as a trio with bassist Nick Salcido and drummer Jafet Perez on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Snug Harbor. The music starts at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., and tickets are $25 via snugjazz.com. The concert is presented in partnership with CubaNOLA Arts Collective.

Growing up in Camaguey, Cuba, Campbell started to learn the piano at 5 years old. My mother, she was my first professor, and I grew up on a farm, but the environment of my house was my mother inviting a lot of friends to sing traditional [songs] and different kinds of music, Campbell says.

He later started studying at the National Art Schools in Havana, first focusing on classical piano, but when he found jazz, it changed my life forever and ever, Campbell says. He wanted to learn more, especially about the jazz musicians in his home country.

One year, Campbell caught Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center performing in Havana, and it helped lead the young pianist further into jazz. I started to play more Latin jazz in Cuba, more popular music, and I decided to take this way to live, he says. Little by little, it changed my world.

Seeing Wynton Marsalis father, Ellis Marsalis Jr., perform helped convince Campbell that he wanted to someday live in New Orleans. In 2012, Campbell was 17 and visited New Orleans as part of an exchange program through the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp. He loved the vibe of the city, and seeing Ellis Marsalis perform blew my mind, he says.

Campbell spent the next several years performing and recording in Cuba and touring with vocalist Omara Portuondo, called the Diva of Buena Vista Social Club. But around 2019, he decided to take a chance in New Orleans.

Kidd Jordan  who Campbell had met during his 2012 visit to New Orleans  and the Jordan family helped ground him in the city. When I came here, I could feel the vibes, the people, its music for my life, Campbell says.

Campbell has been digging further into New Orleans-styles of music since moving to the city, especially learning more about players like James Booker and Professor Longhair. He says he enjoys finding the similarities between New Orleans styles and the genres of his home country.

Not all the New Orleans music, but for example, here is the second line and in Cuba we have conga, Campbell says. I think also in the clave [rhythm], too.  Professor Longhair puts in drums  conga  and the clave in his music, its another vibe, its another diction, but I can feel points of contact.

Keep up with Victor Campbell on Instagram, @victorcampbell.art.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that bassist Nick Salcido will be performing with Campbell.
A father shows his son a Triceratops skull, named Jason, during Dino Day at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum in Baton Rouge on June 25, 2022. The museum is looking for volunteers to work as docents and in operations ambassadors positions of membership assistants and admissions clerks.
State Rep. Richard Nelson, a Mandeville Republican who campaigned for Louisiana governor on an ambitious policy platform but never gained trac
Hunter Biden, center, watches his father, President Joe Biden, hug first lady Jill Biden during the 59th presidential inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. At left are Vice President Kamala Harris and the president's daughter, Ashley Biden.
* The two-day Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China concluded on Saturday with a call for more participation and say of the Global South in the global governance system.

* Terming the group "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."

* "China has been very active in promoting a fairer economic and political order in keeping with the interests of developing countries. It has maintained a systematic and consistent policy supporting the multilateral bloc," said a senior researcher from Cuba.

HAVANA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The two-day Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China concluded on Saturday with a call for more participation and say of the Global South in the global governance system.

The event was attended by delegations from more than 100 countries, including over 30 heads of state and government.

First established in 1964, G77 now has over 130 members, with its chairmanship rotating among member countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America based on regional principles.

Being the largest multilateral coordination organization among developing countries, G77's member states account for more than 80 percent of the world's population and over two-thirds of UN member countries.

China is not a member but has been supporting and cooperating with the group under the framework of "G77 and China."





STRONGER VOICE FOR GLOBAL SOUTH

Highlighting the challenges faced by countries in the Global South, the summit underscored the need for a more balanced international order with greater attention to the Global South nations.

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.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)

Terming the group "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."

Cuban expert Ramon Pichs said that the G77 and China Havana Summit played an important role in advancing the global agenda including addressing the threat of climate change.

"For developing countries, for G77 and China and Cuba, the moment to act regarding climate change is now," the expert said, adding this is a huge challenge for the development of all nations.

In the final declaration of the meeting, the delegates urged international institutions to make additional efforts to support nations in the Global South in such areas as science, technology and innovation.

The summit will help boost the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, noted Francisco Pichon, UN resident coordinator in Havana.

"A reform to the international financial system, climate change and its funding as well as multilateralism agenda are paramount priorities for the United Nations," he said, in response to calls for more representation and a stronger voice of the Global South in the international governance system.

"The unity and activism of G77 and China in international forums and debates are fundamental to advancing the legitimate aspirations of our peoples," the Cuban daily newspaper Granma said.





CHINA'S CONTRIBUTION

Since the 1990s, with more Chinese involvement under the framework of "G77 and China," the organization has been playing a more relevant role in the international arena.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cuban revolutionary leader Raul Castro and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (L-R, front) pose for a group photo at the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)

During his welcoming speech at the summit, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted China's efforts to promote international cooperation.

"The Global Development Initiative promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping is an inclusive and coherent proposal in keeping with a just and equitable new international order," he said.

Citing the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative as an example, President of the Union of the Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union Azali Assoumani said at the summit that China is aimed at creating a balanced and inclusive scenario based on cooperation with all.

Echoing these leaders' words, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recalled that during the COVID-19 pandemic, China helped Venezuela acquire medicines and COVID-19 vaccines to tackle the emergency.

"I feel impressed with the scientific, social and technological achievements reached by China," said Maduro, adding China can help G77 nations increase access to modern technology.

"China has developed different initiatives that are related in one way or the other with the aims of the group," Jose Ramon Cabanas, director of the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, told Xinhua.

Cabanas added that the impressive performance of the Chinese economy boosts the economic and social relations between China and G77.

China gets closer to Asian, African, and Latin American countries "not to impose sanctions, but to contribute to progress and the wellbeing of all," Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said, calling China a partner "with the will to help and express its solidarity."

Unlike other global powers, the relationship between China and G77 is based on respect for self-determination, solidarity, and cooperation, said Eduardo Regalado, a senior researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba.

"China has been very active in promoting a fairer economic and political order in keeping with the interests of developing countries. It has maintained a systematic and consistent policy supporting the multilateral bloc," he added. (Video reporters: Lin Zhaohui, Kang Wenjun; video editors: Zhang Nan, Li Qin, Zhou Sa'ang, Hui Peipei, Wang Han, Lin Lin)
People walk on a road on the Car Free Day in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sept. 16, 2023. The Car Free Day, an annual event promoting a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement, featured the closure of 20 city blocks to vehicle traffic here. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

People walk on a road on the Car Free Day in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sept. 16, 2023. The Car Free Day, an annual event promoting a low-carbon lifestyle and community engagement, featured the closure of 20 city blocks to vehicle traffic here. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)
Local campaigners have engaged solicitors and barristers to challenge the decision of Devon County Council to end the mobile library service in December.

On the July 12, the County Council cabinet took the decision despite staunch opposition to the idea in its consultation earlier in the year.

Michael Imperato of solicitors Watkins & Gunn, who has had past success saving libraries in South Wales, Northamptonshire, and Liverpool, said: "I consider the Councils decision has not taken into account properly the impact on the elderly, disabled and young. Mobile libraries are a lifeline for vulnerable people in rural parts of the County. The Councils decision-making and logic is flawed and challengeable."

Watkins & Gunn have sent a detailed letter of claim to the Council setting out the legal arguments and inviting the Council to withdraw its decision. If Devon County Council fail to back down, the matter will go to the High Court.

"It is important that people affected by the service closure come forward with examples" said Mr Imperato, "there must be many who will be impacted."

Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, who has been leading the campaign to save Devons mobile libraries, said: "The fact that we have been able to secure legal representation for our campaign shows what firm ground we are on fighting this campaign.

"We have been arguing all summer that the decision was not only cruel but based on flawed data. I urge County Councillors to reconsider their decision when they meet later this month, and to look seriously at some of the options we have suggested to fund and develop the service."

Meanwhile, Childrens Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE, pictured below with Councillor Cottle-Hunkin, has written to the Leader of Devon County Council, Councillor John Hart, saying: "To cut back, to cancel, the only access to libraries to those in most need, those young and old in poverty or isolation in our villages and remote rural areas, is simply wrong. Libraries, like education, like the health service, should be for everyone, and especially for the most needy."

The petition to Save Devons mobile libraries can be signed at: www.change.org/SaveOurMobileLibrary

The full text of the letter appears below.

Dear Councillor John Hart,

Im told the Council is planning to withdraw mobile libraries from rural areas of Devon.

I understand completely that at the moment councils up and down the country are cutting back, that money is tight, and times are hard.

But times are harder still for the most disadvantaged amongst us. You will know that in many far-flung villages and communities of Devon there are many such people, many old people living in isolation with ever fewer services to sustain them at home, and many families existing in poverty - rural Devon is high on the list of poverty amongst children, as Im sure you are aware.

It is sadly all too common in this country, that town and city libraries are often targeted for closure when councils need to cut back. But to cut back, to cancel, the only access to libraries to those in most need, those young and old in poverty or isolation in our villages and remote rural areas, is simply wrong. Libraries, like education, like the health service, should be for everyone, and especially for the most needy.

Exeter, as you know, has recently been enjoying a year as UNESCO City of Literature, an honour much deserved. There is a fine tradition of literature in Devon, of which we are all proud. It is therefore shameful that we should celebrate this honour by denying those most needy amongst us from the opportunity to access books.

Mobile libraries have been much valued over the decades amongst country people, very much part of the community. So many, old and young especially, have come to rely on this regular service as an essential part of their lives. Those mobile libraries are much loved. To think of taking them away is unkind and unfair. We need kindness and fairness in our society, as Im sure you agree.

I would appeal to you to urge your colleagues on the council to do the right thing and keep our mobile libraries.

Best wishes,

Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE

Childrens Laureate
Do you want to support the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and have a fun night out? The Symphony will hold its annual gala on Friday, Oct. 6, at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts in Munster. The gala will feature a performance of the CoverGirls Violin Show, a colorful, high-energy, musical revue of the greatest pop and rock hits all performed on the CoverGirls signature purple electric violins. The Girls have performed for three U.S. Presidents and alongside musical legends such as Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Peter Gabriel and Kristin Chenoweth. Enjoy an electric evening including cocktails, dinner and silent auction to benefit the Symphony. Proceeds to benefit the Northwest Indiana Symphonys music and education programs. nisorchestra.org

Portrait photographer Larry Lapidus is donating his time for a portrait shoot as a fundraiser for the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District beginning on Sept. 18 and continuing through Oct. 9, 2023. A current Miller Beach resident, Larry has been a prominent portrait photographer in New York and Chicago for nearly 40 years. Interested participants need only give 30 minutes of their time and make a $200 contribution to the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, where Larry serves on the board. The photos will be exhibited at the Districts Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts with an opening reception on Oct. 29. To make an appointment, email Lapidus721@gmail.com or text 773/456-4316.

One week remains for the "Treasures from the Archive" exhibit of 37 works culled from the Art Barns collection of over 2,000 pieces amassed and bequeathed to the organization by founder Janet Sullivan. These, along with many more unframed works on paper, are being made available for purchase to help support Art Barn operations and growth. Key artists include Ruth Bremner, Norman LaLiberte, Tom Lynch, Joanne O'Conner, Harriet Rex Smith, and Janet Smedley, as well as Art Barn founder Janet Sullivan herself. Through Sept. 22. chestertonart.org

Finally, South Shore Arts presents the 30th (and final) edition of my annual Holiday Reading at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 14, with wine in the gallery at 11 a.m. and luncheon and reading to follow at noon. My first holiday reading was in December 1994, starting with Truman Capotes poignant A Christmas Memory. Stories by Jean Shepherd, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, John Cheever and even selections from The Andy Warhol Diaries followed. With this years event, I will conclude my run and bid farewell to this beloved tradition with two hilarious and touching radio stories by writers whose family members have brought them to emotional extremes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Make your reservations today! Reservations close Nov. 9, 2023. Call 219/836-1839, ext. 100.

As always, please visit the South Shore Arts Regional Calendar for organizational contacts and updates on current exhibits, concerts, plays, and other arts events at southshoreartsonline.org
The LaPorte County Historical Society, which celebrated its 117th anniversary this year, is showing an exhibit about its current home.

For the last three decades, the local history society has operated a museum at 2405 Indiana Ave., Suite. 1 in LaPorte. The Kesling Building opened as the Door Prairie Museum 30 years ago.

"This September marks the 30th Anniversary of the Kesling Building," Assistant Director Savannah Jackson said. "Join us for the whole month of September to celebrate the 30 Years of the building. Learn more about the history of this building."

Veterans can see the exhibit for free on Tuesday. The museum is having a free day for veterans in honor of Air Force Founding Day. They just have to bring a form of ID such as a Veterans Affairs Card, DD-214 or a Driver's License with a Veterans ID.

The exhibit will explain the history of how the dentist and car enthusiastic Dr. Peter Kesling opened the Door Prairie Auto Museum, which displayed a wide array of vintage and odd cars. He later donated the museum to the LaPorte County Historical Society, which was looking for more space after long being based in the basement of the Carnegie Library and then the LaPorte County Courthouse.

It reopened in its current location in 2006. Among other historical artifacts, visitors can see the Kesling automotive collection that includes a DeLorean like in "Back to the Future," a Tucker Jeff Bridges drove in the Francis Ford Coppola film "Tucker: A Man and his Dream" and an experimental electric vehicle from the 1970s.

For more information, visit laportecountyhistory.org.
INDIANAPOLIS  Mike Pence posed the most important question of his lengthy career to conservatives and Republicans from beneath the deep shadow of Donald J. Trump while campaigning in New Hampshire earlier this week.

"Republican voters face an important choice next year," the former vice president and Indiana governor said. "It will determine both the fate of our party and the course of our nation. Will we be the party of conservatism, or will we follow the siren song of populism unmoored to conservative principles? The divide between these two factions is unbridgeable."

He was conspicuous in naming Trump, his former presidential boss, while speaking at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester on Wednesday. The truth is the Republican Party did not begin on a golden escalator in 2015," Pence said of Trump's campaign kickoff at his Manhattan skyscraper. "He promised to govern as a conservative, and together we did. But it's important for Republicans to know that he and his imitators in this Republican primary make no such promise today."

Pence connected Trump to current and distant progressive populists  Vermont Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, thrice-defeated Democrat presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan, and the late Louisiana strongman governor and senator Huey Long  saying they were fellow travelers on the same road to ruin. Donald Trump, along with his imitators, often sound like an echo of the progressive they would replace in the White House.

Pence, who is expected to testify against Trump in future trials that will determine the former president's fate after 91 criminal indictments in four jurisdictions, said that Republican populists would "erode our constitutional norms." Trump faces a federal indictment, alleged to have tried to persuade Pence to break with the Constitution over the counting of Electoral College ballots, leading to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection.

He then cited "a leading candidate last year" (Trump) who called for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution, while his imitators have demonstrated willingness to brandish government power to silence critics. Republican populists would have us trade in our time-honored principles for passing public opinion.

"That isnt a trade I am willing to make.

But a populist movement is now rising in the Republican Party," Pence warned. "This growing faction would substitute our faith in limited government and traditional values for an agenda stitched together by personal grievances and performative outrage. Should the new populism of the right seize and guide our party, the Republican Party as we have long known it will cease to exist. And the fate of American freedom would be in doubt.

This is a Republican Party that has lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections, including twice by Trump. President George W. Bush was the only Republican to carry the popular vote in his 1988 reelection bid since 1992.

Pence cited the nations brilliant system of checks and balances, divisions of authority, coequal branches of government and sovereign state governments. Conservatives understand that to advance an agenda. We must work through this system."

Are Hoosier Republicans willing to follow Pence into this historic GOP battle?

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, the Republican U.S. Senate frontrunner in 2024, tweeted the jail mugshot of Trump following his Georgia indictment and arrest, saying, There can be no other candidate in 2024. It was an incredible departure from American political norms where an indicted candidate in the past fades and folds.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, House Speaker Todd Huston and U.S. Reps. Greg Pence and Larry Bucshon have endorsed Pence's presidential bid. Holcomb told me in late June that the coming campaign sequence will be defining. "Well be in a different place in September than we are today," he said.

There are signs that the Trump fever is breaking here in Indiana. Beyond Banks, the Republican congressional delegation is mostly uncommitted.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young urged Republicans to nominate a candidate who can win, saying Trump cant. U.S. Sen. Mike Braun told reporters he is undecided, while expressing interest in Vivek Ramaswamy.

U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym told me earlier this that he is confident we will have a Republican president. At this point, I have not endorsed, or am backing, anyone.

In late August, Buchson told the Evansville Courier & Press, I think a lot of people who are still supporting President Trump, the support is soft, and youre hearing that when you actually talk to people. I dont think hes going to drop out; I just think people are going to overtake him and win the nomination because of all the things around him.

U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin told me on Aug. 24, I am not backing anybody as yet in the presidential race. Ive made my support known for Trump-era policies in the past. I think were better off with a Republican in the White House. I think primaries are good for the party. I think it will vet out who our party wants the nominee to be. It looks like it could be Donald Trump. We shall see.

Republican U.S. Reps. Jim Baird and Victoria Spartz  who is Mike Pence's congresswoman  have not announced who they are supporting.
NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on Sunday expressed the country's continued support for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Laos will maintain close cooperation with China and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and contribute to the initiative's implementation, Sonexay said at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The prime minister said the two country's cooperation in infrastructure is producing practical results. He hailed the China-Laos Railway for promoting cooperation between China, Laos, and other ASEAN countries, creating jobs, and enhancing personnel exchanges. 
News broke recently that George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, might want to revise American drinking guidelines to match what is suggested in Canada. The guidelines put forward in Canada, in a report published by the Canadian Centre for Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), state that those who do consume alcohol should consume no more than two drinks per week.

Yes, according to the researchers at the CCSA, anything more than two drinks weekly is a big problem.

As a Canadian, I can tell you that the Department of Agriculture should wholeheartedly ignore the proposed Canadian guidelines because those guidelines are nothing more than junk science. So much so that experts from the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research called it a pseudo-scientific amalgamation of selected studies of low scientific validity that fit their preconceived notions. More recently, 16 prominent Canadian harm reduction experts, professors and researchers have stated that the CCSAs report misleads consumers with statements like even in small doses, alcohol has consequences for everyone.

The guidelines put forward in Canada are nefariously put together by researchers with ties to the temperance organization Movendi. Movendi is an international temperance group that preaches a zero-consumption approach to alcohol. Movendi was founded in the 1800s under The Order of Good Templars, but rebranded itself in 2020.

Movendi is significant in the conversation about alcohol policy internationally because it partners with the World Health Organization and its affiliate researchers are the authors of the CCSA report that the Agriculture Department seems keen on implementing.

The authors of Canadas guidelines on alcohol are openly affiliated with an international anti-alcohol organization whose primary goal is creating an alcohol-free future.

How do we know this? The authors of the CCSA report  Tim Stockwell, Timothy Naimi and Adam Sherk  have ties to Movendi. For example, two days after the CCSA report was published, an interactive summary of the report was published on Movendis website, authored by the same authors.

These researchers cite on their conflict-of-interest page that they are affiliated with Movendi International. And while their disclosure states that they are volunteer members with Movendi, according to the disclosures, they have traveled on Movendis dime to Movendi events in Sweden and are featured on the Movendi podcast dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol.

And just how strident are these anti-alcohol lobbyists and the organization they are tied to? According to Movendis website, its members take a pledge stating that they are required to lead a life free from the use of alcohol and other intoxicating drugs.

There is nothing wrong with abstaining from alcohol and other intoxicating drugs. To each their own. That said, there is something exceptionally nefarious about taking ones personal view and masquerading it as scientific and, in turn, lobbying the government for policy change.

Imagine if the Canadian government commissioned a study on the appropriate level of meat consumption and it was discovered that the authors of the study, after coming to what is obviously a pre-drawn conclusion, are strident vegans affiliated with anti-meat organizations?

While Canada has many policies worth implementing in the United States, its alcohol guidelines are not one of them.
The recent hubbub about the lack of codes of conduct for the U.S. Supreme Court caused me to reflect on the need for codes of ethics in units of local government. I began doing an informal survey to determine what the status of such codes might be in Indiana. The results were not encouraging.

My own city (LaPorte) adopted such a code in 2004, but it does not appear that it has been followed. Frequently, the response from other government officials was, No, I dont think we have one, but I found the response from the secretary to the county commissioners in one county most revealing: Thats an interesting question. Id like to know the answer to that myself.

The latest information I could locate indicated that Indiana has 2,638 units of local government  1,662 of them are general purpose (counties, cities, towns, etc.) and 976 special districts (libraries, school districts, sewer and water authorities, etc.). The 2022 Census of Governments indicated there were 206,274 employees in local government in Indiana, generating an annual payroll cost of over $1.659 billion.

Add to that number the thousands of appointed officials who serve on various boards and commissions, and it is clear that local government is a huge enterprise in Indiana!

The complexity of decision-making processes and the number of people and groups involved creates many opportunities for ethical issues to arise. That alone makes setting standards of ethical conduct and enforcing them a worthy objective. If there are downsides to doing so, Ive been unable to identify them.

We are fortunate to have a Shared Ethics Advisory Commission in Northwest Indiana. It encourages units to make a commitment to four values:

Honesty/Integrity

Respect/Civility

Accountability/Responsibility

Fairness/Justice

The Commission provides state-of-the art training for governmental units and their employees and volunteers, but the impact of the Commission is diminished by the fact that only a minority of counties, cities and towns have joined the commission, and some who have joined have not participated.

I hope other units of government not only commit to membership in the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission but also take advantage of the excellent training resources it provides. We need a broader and deeper understanding of the importance of high ethical standards in government and gain commitment to them.

While I favor voluntary compliance, it may be time for the Indiana General Assembly to address the need for the creation of codes of ethics in local government. North Carolina has done so, and their approach could be a template for Indiana. They require all cities, counties, local boards of education, sanitary districts, and consolidated city-counties to adopt a resolution or policy containing a code of ethics to guide actions by the governing board members.

The ethics policy must address at least five key responsibilities of board members, responsibilities that reflect concern for ethical principles as well as for the effects of board members decisions on others.

The five areas to be addressed are:

1. The need to obey all applicable laws regarding official actions taken as a board member.

2. The need to uphold the integrity and independence of the board members office.

3. The need to avoid impropriety in the exercise of the board members official duties.

4. The need to faithfully perform the duties of the office.

5. The need to conduct the affairs of the governing board in an open and public manner, including complying with all applicable laws governing open meetings and public records.

The North Carolina statute leaves local boards a good deal of leeway in deciding what else their codes will contain, as long as the code addresses the five topics listed above.

I encourage readers to reflect on the importance of establishing and/or gaining commitment to ethical standards for local government. The Shared Ethics Advisory Commission (sharedethics.com) is a wonderful resource to help make that happen.

I hope the Indiana General Assembly will consider enacting legislation that will require all units of local government to adopt codes of ethics that will meaningfully enhance the integrity and reputation of local government in Indiana. I think thats a very worthy objective.
Dyer memorial Kiley Nowaczyk, 13, holds the hand of a statue of her and her father, Army Staff Sgt. David P. Nowaczyk, moments after the statue was unveiled

DYER  The monuments were a long time coming.

After 12 years of planning and fundraising, a bronze statue of Dyer native and fallen soldier Army Staff Sgt. David P. Nowaczyk with his daughter Kiley was unveiled Saturday morning at Pheasant Hills Park. Two hours later, a monument dedicated to Gold Star families whose loved ones died during military service was uncovered at Central Park.

"This moment has been a long time in the making, with the Nowaczyk family driving us to get to this day," Dyer Town Manager David Hein said.

Andrew and Patti Nowaczyk worked closely with the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation to raise the $250,000 to create, erect and maintain the monument for their son and the Gold Star families. David was killed April 15, 2012 during his third tour of Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device went off under the vehicle he was riding in. He was raised in Northwest Indiana and was a 1997 graduate of Lake Central High School.

"I'm proud, but it's bittersweet," Patti said after the monument was uncovered. "This [park] is where David used to bring Kiley as a baby." A sign dedicating the play area of the park to David was installed in 2013.

Dyer memorial Patti, left, and Andrew Nowaczyk prepare to speak to a crowd of supporters at a ceremony for the unveiling of a memorial statue of their son A

David's wife, Rachel, daughter and stepson, Connor shared their testimony about the loss of David. Friend and fellow serviceman Matthew Djukic spoke to the crowd, about their experience overseas and what David's death taught him about life.

"Dave taught me how to live my life every day," Djukic said. "I want to take advantage of every moment, every opportunity. Life is precious, and it can be taken away."

Families and loved ones laid yellow carnations next to both monuments, signifying sympathy.

David enlisted in the army in fall 2005. In 2006, he was deployed with the Third Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan as a rifleman for eight months. He was deployed again in 2009 with the same team, this time serving as a Fire Team Leader for 12 months. An engraved concrete slab across from the state reads: "When asked why he kept going back to Afghanistan, David said, 'So all girls will have the freedom to go to school, play and choose their future.'"

At the Gold Star Memorial dedication ceremony, numerous families of fallen soldiers were in attendance. Indiana Fallen Heroes set up a display of posters with the names of every person from Indiana who served and died serving the United States military. The Lake County Sheriff's Department's helicopter flew over the crowd right before the ceremony began. Pat O'Donnell, Vietnam veteran and founder of Veteran's Viewer Radio Show on WJOB, emceed the ceremony.

"To me, today is a solemn day," O'Donnell said. "Nothing can erase the tragedy from [the Gold Star families'] lives. But today, we honor their sacrifices."

The term Gold Star family originated in World War I when family members would wear black arm bands with gold stars to represent a loved one who died in the war, O'Donnell said. Banners with blue stars were hung to remember immediate family members who were serving. In the event of a death, that blue star is replaced with a gold star.

Dyer memorial Former military veterans and families who have lost loved ones in wars stand next to a memorial for Gold Star families that debuted Saturday a

"This is a group we did not want to join," Patti said. "Your child will miss so many experiences that should have been shared with family and friends. It means an empty chair at the table that will never be filled. But becoming Gold Stars means we joined another family--our other Gold Star families."

Nine other fallen soldiers who grew up in Dyer were honored: World War I Army Private Herbert Keilman, World War II Army Cpl. Homer "Binks" Gettler, Cpl. William Walden and Robert Keilman, Korean War Cpl. James Farmer, Vietnam War Marine Corps Cpl. William Trent, Army 4th Class Specialist Joseph Mitchell, Specialist 5th Class Daryl Grothaus and Nowaczyk.

"Our hope is that Gold Star families can come here and remember their loved ones with a smile in their heart," Patti said. The four sections of the monument pay tribute to the United States, family, patriotism and the sacrifice the soldiers made.

Afghanistan veteran and retired Lake Central High School teacher Tom Clark made note of a wide gap in the monument between the sections of patriotism and sacrifice as a motif for the "hole in your heart" families feel when they lose a loved one.

"But if you look through it, you can see the great America we have today," Clark said. "And it's because of your sons and daughters who have given their lives."

GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week
GARY  Over the last year, there have been numerous instances of children getting ahold of weapons and shooting themselves in Northwest Indiana.

Most recently, a 4-year-old boy found a weapon in his mother's purse and fired a shot Tuesday evening inside his family's apartment in the 1900 block of Burr Street. The week prior, 5-year-old Edan Oliver Johnson died after picking up a weapon left out by a family friend.

Local community activists are encouraging gun owners to put locks on their weapons to ensure no such instances happen again. Founder Andrew Holmes of the Lock It Down Foundation was joined Thursday afternoon by Executive Producer Lisette Guillen of Case Files Chicago, Calumet Township Assessor Cozey Weatherspoon, and Circle of Love founders Sylvia Galvan and Tina Moreno to hand out free gun locks to all residents in the apartment complex where the shooting took place.

"We need to get these gun locks out to families in Northwest Indiana," Galvan said. "We need to keep guns locked down because we're losing entirely too many children."

Numerous neighbors expressed gratitude for the locks, with some saying they did not own guns but would be passing them along to friends or family members who own firearms. Most of them were unaware that the shooting happened.

"A baby was shot?" one neighbor said. "In this building? Oh, that hurts me."

Upon knocking on the door to the apartment where the boy was shot, the child's father opened the door. He said the boy was OK and home from the hospital where he received treatment for his injury. Gary police did not respond to requests for comment on the status of the investigation.

Holmes said he purchases the gun locks for $2.50 per lock with money out of his own pocket or through donations from community members. He established the Lock It Down foundation in August 2022 and has distributed more than 6,500 gun locks since.

"People keep calling these accidents," Holmes said of the shootings. "How is this an accident? This is not an accident. This is pure negligence."

As a public official, Weatherspoon said he feels a responsibility to bring awareness and solutions to pervasive issues in the community he serves.

"There is a trend of violence going on across this nation, particularly in Black communities," Weatherspoon said. "I wish everyone would step up and help. It takes a village."

Between 1999 and 2020, 64 Indiana children under 18 died from accidental shootings, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER database. Data shows 21% of those children were from Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties.
Region Recovery Riot Joshua Johnson and his daughter Violet draw a message of hope in sidewalk chalk at the Region Recovery Riot Saturday outside the Gary Aquatorium.

GARY  At the Region Recovery Riot, attendees spent their Saturday at the Gary Aquatorium offering hugs, smiles and resources to those who showed up to support a group that promotes the celebration of anyone in recovery from substance abuse.

"This is what church is to me," said Sabrina Colbert, who helped organize the event. "This is an ongoing service. This is my family."

The event invited anyone in recovery, their families, social service professionals and anyone interested in supporting the cause for an afternoon of volleyball, a DJ, arts and crafts, yoga, hiking, and the chance to visit a memorial room for those who have lost their life due to substance use. The event highlights different forms of recovery from substance use and shows those who are in recovery that any positive change should be celebrated.

"When you know better, you do better," Colbert said. "And that's a big part of recovery."

More than 40 social service organizations and other vendors from around the state had booths set up with their offerings. This included Regional Health Systems, Limelight Recovery, the Community Change Center, local halfway houses, holistic wellness businesses, local recovery clubhouses, advocacy centers, housing resources, medicated assisted treatment centers and more.

Region Recovery Riot Attendees at the Region Recovery Riot commemorated the lives of their loved ones in the event's designated Memorial Room Saturday at the Gary 

"Today has been amazing," Gary Harm Reduction Founder Kristen Martin said. "Especially seeing all the pathway of recovery be accepted and seeing the memorial."

Abstinence from substances is what many people think of when they think of recovering from substance use. While it is still a completely viable method, alternative pathways to recovery include use of medicated assisted treatment, changing your relationship with drugs and use of harm reduction services, which help those who use drugs and equip them with "life-saving tools and information to create positive change in their lives and potentially save their lives," according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This can include equipping them with overdose reversing medication naloxone, fentanyl testing strips for drugs, needle exchange programs and more.

According to data from the Indiana Department of Health, drug deaths in Indiana increased by approximately 21% between 2020 and 2021. During that time, Lake County saw an approximately 30% increase in drug-related deaths. Provisional data shows a decrease in deaths for 2022, but the need for assistance persists. Organizers said it's evident in how many people showed up to access resources and how many people came to support the event.

Kristina Majstoric, a community outreach organizer for the event, said she's proud to see how the event grew from under 200 attendees to more than 350 this year.

"A lot more of the recovery community is coming together," Majstoric said. "I'm proud of the amount of willingness from everybody to be a part of this."

Region Recovery Riot Region Recovery Riot event organizers and volunteers celebrate the event Saturday at the Gary Aquatorium. The event invited anyone in recovery

Among them was Michael Gagliano, who has been in recovery for six years and works as a Mobile Integrated Response Coordinator for HealthLinc, an organization that offers comprehensive and adaptive medical care to individuals.

"We have few resources for our people here in Lake County," Michael Gagliano said. "We have to connect ourselves because [the county] won't."

Gagliano said he wants people in recovery to know that it is possible to recover and heal with the anchor of community.

"You can still be yourself, you can still have fun," he said. "I don't do this for me. It's to see every single person living a happy and fulfilling life."

If you or someone you love is in the process of seeking harm reduction services or treatment from substance abuse, visit garyharmreduction.com.

GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week
PORTAGE  When residents and visitors think about Northwest Indiana's natural amenities, visions of sand dunes and Lake Michigan come to mind.

But Rob Albrecht-Mallinger said one of the Region's most important environmental resources is "right under our noses and under our bridges."

He's talking about the East Branch of the Little Calumet River.

Most of us encounter rivers when we drive over them in our cars," Albrecht-Mallinger, of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, said. "But, if you got down out of your car and into the river, you would see incredible wildlife. You would see pawpaw and marsh marigolds and Joe Pye weed and beavers... the river just absolutely teems with life."

Though clams, salmon and herons may enjoy the Little Calumet River's relatively clean water today, that was not always the case.

On Friday representatives from several environmental nonprofits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a few local municipalities, Cleveland Cliffs and NIPSCO gathered to reflect on the history of the East Branch of the Little Calumet and plan for the waterways future.

An untold story

Victoria Wittig said the Friday event, held at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk, marked the first time people came together to specifically discuss the east branch of the river in at least a decade.

Wittig, the Northwest Indiana Ambassador for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Urban Waters program, got the idea to host a summit while she was working on the Calumet Region Conservation Action Plan. Released in July, the conservation action plan details how to restore several key locations throughout the Calumet Region. The plan was created by the "Calumet Land Conservation Partnership," which includes Save the Dunes, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, the National Parks Conservation Association, Audubon Great Lakes, Openlands, the Metropolitan Planning Council, the Wetlands Initiative and the Field Museum.

The plan also highlights restoration efforts currently underway along the east branch, work that Shirley Heinze Executive Director Kristopher Krouse said is "in some ways, kind of an untold story."

With headwaters in Red Mill County Park, the Little Calumet River flows across the Illinois-Indiana border. In Indiana, the Little Calumet River and its tributaries flow through Hammond, Highland, Griffith, Gary, Hobart, Lake Station and Portage.

Industry and development have reshaped much of the Little Calumet. Albrecht-Mallinger said the creation of multiple shipping canals drew water away from the river and "it began to die."

Today, the only section of the river that has maintained its original flow is the east branch, Albrecht-Mallinger said.

The arch of has history changed," Albrecht-Mallinger said. "We had 150 years of degradation and now in the last 25, (we've had) conservation."

Though conservation efforts along the river may be relatively new, environmental groups have been able to make rapid progress.

Krouse said work along the east branch really began a little over a decade ago.

East Branch Summit and Paddle Kayakers prepare to head out at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach during the Friday summit.

In 2009, the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association was created, bringing attention to the need for more accessible waterways in the Region. In 2014, Shirley Heinze and several partner organizations were able to get the East Branch of the Little Calumet River Corridor designated as an Indiana Bicentennial Nature Trust Conservation Area. Using Indiana Bicentennial Nature Trust funds, Shirley Heinze has been able to preserve hundreds of acres of land along the river corridor.

In total, over 1,900 acres of land along the East Branch has been preserves, over 500 acres have been restored, 5.5 miles of new hiking trails have been added, log jams are currently being cleared from about 14 miles of river and three public boats launches have been installed, with plans for two more.

Wittig said the nature preserves along the East Branch are some of the most beautiful in Northwest Indiana.

"It's almost like its own mini national park," Wittig said. "But it all depends on the health and integrity of the river."

Around the next river bend

What will the East Branch of the Little Calumet look like in 10, 20, 30 years?

Attendees at the Friday summit were asked to brainstorm opportunities for expanded conservation as well as any potential barriers.

Conservation efforts along the West Branch of the Little Calumet have received more attention in recent years. After the historic 2008 flood, local organizations began restoring wetlands in communities like Gary and Highland.

Wetland restoration along the East Branch is also important, however tactics may look a little different. Much of the area surrounding the East Branch is farmland, which means much of the river's pollution comes from fertilizer runoff.

Excess fertilizer can cause toxic algal blooms. This toxic algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from reaching underwater plants  ultimately creating aquatic dead zones.

Shirley Heinze is already working with local farmers, helping them implement different management practices that will reduce the amount of fertilizer needed.

Paul Botts, executive director of the Chicago-based Wetlands Initiative, said his organization has helped over a half a dozen Illinois farmers create what they call "smart wetlands."

Botts said that in the Midwest, farmland is full of tile drainage, which are essentially pipes that carry excess water into ditches. Smart wetlands are strategically located to capture all of agricultural tile drainage outfall. The plants in the wetland are then able to filter the water, removing much of the excess fertilizer before it reaches the drainage ditch. The smart wetland has been popular among farmers because it requires relatively little land.

Smart wetlands could be a part of the East Branch's future, Botts said.

Krouse said all of the feedback heard at the summit will be used to create a strategic plan for the East Branch.

"The river corridors in this Region are the hidden, inland ecosystem gems that have the potential to be just as significant of a resource as Lake Michigan," Krouse said.

PHOTOS: Conservation along the East Branch of the Little Calumet River East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle
The anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in the skies over Pennsylvania, demands considered reflection.

Two decades provide useful distance for relatively dispassionate discussion of how we reacted to the shocking, grotesque mass murder. The shorthand reference to the horror is 9/11. How would an objective analyst evaluate the response of us Americans?

Concerning our national institutions and behavior as people, there is solid justification for high marks. Despite the terrible nature of the attacks, and the thousands of deaths of Americans as well as citizens of other countries, as a national community we were remarkably mature.

The population as a whole did not react with hysteria or any extremism. Such incidents that occurred were infrequent, relatively isolated and have waned over time. Illegal anti-Islamic acts brought prosecution.

The clearest parallel event to 9/11 is Japans surprise attack on United States military forces at Pearl Harbor Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, which had severe, continuing repercussions within our social and political life. Intense fear as well as anger led to the internment and widespread persecution of Japanese-Americans on much of the West Coast of the U.S. Brutal island combat in the Pacific war brought atrocities on both sides, though arguably, that is in the unavoidable nature of war.

Internment was contrary to President Franklin D. Roosevelts wartime emphasis on national unity, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover opposed the move, but politically ambitious California Attorney General Earl Warren was adamant. This context makes all the more heroic the military service of Japanese-American troops in the European theatre.

Persecution of Japanese-Americans is particularly notorious but not entirely unique. There was less extensive discrimination against German-Americans during both World War I and World War II, and against Italian-Americans in the latter conflict. During the Civil War, bloody riots in the North against the military draft included beating and murder of African-Americans.

Against this backdrop, American tolerance of Islamic-Americans and Muslims in general in the aftermath of 9/11 is impressive and noteworthy. In a fundamental way, Americans have demonstrated maturity that is both ethically right and practically helpful.

Terrorist groups want to promote discord within our borders, along with anti-U.S. and anti-Western sentiment elsewhere. To date, they fail in any way strategically significant.

Failure to anticipate the Pearl Harbor strike reflected inter-service rivalry and intelligence limitations, plus arrogance about Japans military effectiveness. In reality, Japans navy, with stunning efficiency, had destroyed the Russian fleet only a few decades earlier.

Pearl Harbor demonstrated Tokyo's innovative use of tactical aircraft for strategic destruction of capital ships. American commanders failed to foresee this, although the British earlier used the same strategy successfully against Italys navy.

Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, more worried than most about a Japanese attack, acted to keep aircraft carriers safely at sea. However, he was concerned primarily about submarine rather than air attack at Pearl.

Likewise, rivalries among our intelligence services along with cultural arrogance facilitated 9/11.

Immediately after 9/11, the United Nations and NATO acted, with unity. This marked the first wartime deployment of the military alliance.

Americans should feel considerable pride about how we as a people responded to grotesque mass murder within our borders. This benchmark date provides opportunity for reflection  and renewal.

That is especially important given our Afghanistan disaster.

Learn More: Roberta Wohlstetter, Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision
Max Gramillano didnt wait to enter this world at a hospital with a doctor, nurses, delivery room and medical assistance. He arrived in the front seat of his parents minivan at the intersection of Indiana 149 and County Road 700 North in rural Porter County.

Robert and Francesca Frankie Gramillano didnt make it to St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart early Wednesday morning. They were just five minutes from their Valparaiso home when Francesco told her husband to pull over on the side of the road.

A baby delivery somewhere between home and hospital: 'Pull over now!' Francesca Frankie Gramillano sits in the backseat of her minivan with her two sons, 20-month-old Frank, on the left, and 2-day-old Max, who 

Their baby, Maximillian Gordon Gramillano, was ready to introduce himself. On his actual due date.

Just as their car passed through that intersection, Frankies water broke. She felt her babys head begin to push out. She pushed hard, twice. Her son plopped into her arms. Max cried. His father called 911.

The vehicles hazard lights twinkled in the dark as they waited for police and an ambulance to arrive. Frankie clutched her newborn to her bare chest to provide natural body heat. She wiped off Maxs face with a towel she brought, making sure his nose passages were clear.

Max breathed. Frankie exhaled.

Police arrived within five minutes. An ambulance was right behind them. Frankie and Max were placed on a gurney and transported to St. Mary, where she was scheduled to deliver. If either of them appeared to be in danger, they would have been transported to the nearest hospital in Valparaiso. Technically, Max was born in Porter County though the hospital is in Lake County.

A baby delivery somewhere between home and hospital: 'Pull over now!' Robert and Francesca Frankie Gramillano had to stop driving their minivan at this spot near the intersection of Indiana 149 and County Road 

Maxs birth certificate states his time of birth at 4:25 a.m. Wednesday, but no one knows for sure. Everything happened so fast. Just 20 minutes earlier, the couple called Frankies aunt to come to their house to watch their other son, Frank, whos 20 months old.

When she arrived, Robert began chatting with her. Frankie cut them short. They needed to leave. Right now. She could feel the miracle of life erupting from her body.

Frankies contractions were fast, hard and painful. Still, the couple figured they had time to get to the hospital. Their first son wasnt in such a hurry when he was born. Maxs birth would be very different. No epidural. No modern medicine. No medical help of any kind.

A baby delivery somewhere between home and hospital: 'Pull over now!' Robert and Francesca Frankie Gramillano revisit the roadside spot where their son, Max, was born at the intersection of Indiana 149 and Coun

At one point on their drive, Robert felt tempted to hit the accelerator and get to the hospital. Even if they got pulled over by the cops. Frankies voice of calm urgency changed his mind. He pulled over when she told him to.

And then she did what comes naturally to mothers in that magical moment. She had no choice. Adrenaline surged through her body. Two pushes and Max was out, less than an hour after the first contraction. Paramedics cut Maxs umbilical cord, which tethered him to his mother.

At the hospital, Frankie pushed out the placenta. It felt more painful than the delivery. No meds. No adrenaline. No excitement of a baby entering the world.

A baby delivery somewhere between home and hospital: 'Pull over now!' Robert and Francesca Frankie Gramillano had this Baby on Board sign in the window of their minivan on the morning she gave birth to her se

You could never tell how Max arrived if you looked at the passenger seat of his parents minivan. No stains. No nothing. Robert pointed out this fact on Friday afternoon as vehicles whizzed past their car.

The couple recreated their actions of that unforgettable day, step by step. They happily returned to that exact spot with both sons in tow. (Watch a video and view more photos at the online version of this column.)

A baby delivery somewhere between home and hospital: 'Pull over now!' Robert and Francesca Frankie Gramillano stand in the front of their vehicle at their home with their two two sons, Frank and Max. Max was bo

Frank looked over at his little brother from his car seat. Max seemed content to be tethered again to his mother, this time in the backseat. He weighs only six pounds, nine ounces, a small baby just like his big brother.

Someday, they might joke about it, just as they might joke how Frank slept through Maxs birth. Someday, they may cruise through that intersection and point to the exact spot where Max was born. Someday, Max may even share his exhilarating birth story with his own children and maybe with his grandchildren.

He might joke to them, Mom and dad were there, but I did all the work that day."

PHOTOS: Conservation along the East Branch of the Little Calumet River East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle East Branch Summit and Paddle
In a statement issued late Saturday by a representative for Little, Brown and Company, the publisher of his book, Mr. Wenner said: In my interview with The New York Times I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks.

The Masters is a collection of interviews Ive done over the years, he continued, that seemed to me to best represent an idea of rock n rolls impact on my world; they were not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career. They dont reflect my appreciation and admiration for myriad totemic, world-changing artists whose music and ideas I revere and will celebrate and promote as long as I live. I totally understand the inflammatory nature of badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences.

Mr. Wenner founded Rolling Stone in 1967 with the music critic Ralph J. Gleason and made it the pre-eminent music magazine of its time, with deep coverage of rock music as well as politics and current events. Much of it was written by stars of the new journalism movement of the 1960s and 70s like Hunter S. Thompson. Mr. Gleason died in 1975.

Mr. Wenner sold the magazine over a series of transactions completed in 2020, and he officially left it in 2019. Last year, he published a memoir, Like a Rolling Stone.

Mr. Wenner was also part of a group of music and media executives that founded the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in 1983, and inducted its first class in 1986; its affiliated museum, in Cleveland, opened in 1995. Mr. Wenner himself was inducted in 2004 as a nonperformer.

The Rock Hall has been criticized for the relative few women and minority artists who have been inducted over the years. According to one scholar, by 2019 just 7.7 percent of the individuals in the hall were women. But some critics have applauded recent changes, and the newest class of inductees includes Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow and Missy Elliott, along with George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and the Spinners.
Jump to: Tricky Clues | Todays Theme

SUNDAY PUZZLE  Jill Rafaloff and Michelle Sontarp, both New Yorkers, met when they joined the same law firm more than 30 years ago. They have been friends ever since. Ms. Rafaloff has been solving crosswords since college; Ms. Sontarp for six years or so.

This is their New York Times debut. Their inspiration for the puzzle was 34-Across, which is lovely, but 84-Across is the entry thats burrowed so far into my brain that its chorus is the first thing that comes to mind in response to anything anyone has said to me in the last three days.

Todays Theme

There are seven entries in the theme set, at 24-, 34-, 52-, 66-, 84-, 95- and 114-Across. Each corresponding clue, all of which are italicized, has a reference to a character in Greek mythology, as well as a mention of a different music group, in parentheses. Note the title of the puzzle  Classical Music  and your ears may well prick up because what we have here is a game of Name that tune (that has a punny relationship to a figure from antiquity).

Take 24-Across, Supplication to Ares (Plastic Ono Band). Your task is to: a) remember what Ares was known for, and b) connect that to a song from the Plastic Ono Band, which was an experimental (or imaginary) supergroup that consisted of John Lennon, Yoko Ono and anyone who sang, banged a tambourine or even clapped to one of the bands tunes  including you, should you choose.
People ride bikes and scooters on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

People ride bikes on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

People ride bikes on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

A man rides bike on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

People ride bikes on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

People ride bikes on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

People ride bikes on Car Free Sunday in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 17, 2023. The annual "Car Free Sunday" event was held in the Belgian capital on Sunday, offering the public an opportunity to rediscover the city using alternative means of transport. During the day, the whole Brussels Region is closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. till 7 p.m., with the exception of public transport, taxis, emergency, police and persons with a special permit. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
But reports that some of the children were revived with the overdose-reversal medication Narcan suggested that they probably had been exposed to opioids, a class of synthetic drugs that includes prescribed pain relievers and narcotics such as heroin and fentanyl, said Dr. Sharon Levy, the chief of the division of addiction medicine at Boston Childrens Hospital.

Opioids generally kill by binding to a receptor in the portion of the brain that controls breathing and heart rate, causing a persons breathing to slow or stop. Narcan binds to the same receptors, effectively blocking the effects of opioids.

If some of the children in the Bronx responded to being treated with Narcan, that is sort of making the diagnosis that there was an opioid on that receptor, Dr. Levy said.

How can children be exposed?

It is not clear how the children at the Bronx day care might have come into contact with any drugs.

But nearly all cases of children being exposed to opioids involved their ingesting the drug, a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics in 2019 found.

The study looked at more than 80,000 records of children under 18 who had been exposed to drugs containing an opioid over a five-year period. Three-quarters of the children had unintentionally come into contact with the drug. The study found that roughly 99 percent of the exposures involved children orally ingesting it.
About 64,000 portable generators have been recalled because of serious fire and burn hazards, according to federal regulators.

Generac Power Systems, a manufacturer of backup power-generating products based in Wisconsin, recalled two of its generators after reports that its fuel tanks sometimes failed to vent properly. The failure caused its gas tanks to build up excess pressure and expel fuel when opened, posing risks of fire and burns, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.

Generac said it had received reports of 27 incidents in which its GP15000E and GP17500E generators overheated and expelled fuel when opened. Three of those incidents resulted in severe burn injuries.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled generators and contact Generac for a free repair kit, the company wrote in a statement posted to its website. Consumers can order the kit with instructions on how to install a new rollover valve online. Those who order one should expect it to arrive in six to eight weeks, the company said.
The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Fla., was riding high as From Chaos to Order, an exhibition of ancient Greek art, became its first major traveling show in years, making stops at museums in Florida and South Carolina before preparing to head west.

The idea was to look at the origins of Greek art in a new way, said Michael Bennett, the former St. Petersburg curator who organized the show of works from the Geometric period, circa 900 to 700 B.C. We felt it had something new to say about Greek art.

But earlier this year, when the exhibition was scheduled to travel to the Denver Art Museum, the staff there balked because many of the 57 artifacts lacked detailed provenances. None of the antiquities, on loan from the businessman and collector Sol Rabin, were known to have been looted, but some had been purchased from sellers who have been accused of handling stolen antiquities in the past, Denver museum officials noted.

The Denver museum had recently had its own scandal, when it returned four artifacts to Cambodia. Its director, Christoph Heinrich, suggested postponing the Florida exhibition in the hope that the provenance issues could be resolved.
My vibe is cozy, comfortable, the R&B musician Josiah Wise, professionally known as serpentwithfeet, says near the start of Heart of Brick. Covered in a fuzzy blanket, sipping a glass of wine, he tells us that he prefers to stay at home.

Its an unusual introduction for a show in a theater. But Heart of Brick, which had its premiere at the Joyce Theater in Manhattan on Friday, is an unusual production. Its somewhat like a staged concert of songs from Wises latest album, GRIP, which he performs live to recorded tracks. But its also like an 80-minute jukebox musical in which he stars as a version of himself, the songs threaded with scenes of dialogue heard in voice-over while he and the other performers silently act and dance.

The story is sweet and slight. Having made a confidante of the crowd, Wise gets up the courage to visit a nightclub where he has heard his ex-boyfriend might be showing up. The ex-boyfriend might as well be named MacGuffin, since he isnt mentioned again. Instead, Wise meets Brick (Dylan M. Contreras), one of the owners of the club, and the two fall for each other immediately. Will the affair last? Is Brick a heartbreaker?

These are the dramatic questions.

While the format takes some getting used to, it focuses the point of view. Wise  the only one talking and singing to us directly, the only one holding a microphone  is telling us his story. The songs, which he delivers in a sensitive, tremulous tenor, express his feelings of romantic hope and vulnerability. The dialogue, by Wise and Donte Collins in collaboration with the other performers, is naturalistic and conversational, not too subtle or shaded. A slightly catty clique of five clubgoers offers a little comic relief, but between jokes and what Wise calls heart stuff, heart stuff predominates.
Guy Wildenstein, the international art dealer, is scheduled to return to court in Paris this week to face accusations of massive tax fraud and money laundering in a lengthy legal battle that has slowly chipped away at the prestige and secrecy of a family dynasty that once dominated the global art market.

French prosecutors are on their third attempt to convict Mr. Wildenstein, 77, whom they say hid significant chunks of his familys storied art collection and other assets in a dizzying labyrinth of trusts and shell companies when his father, Daniel, died in 2001, and after his brother, Alec, died in 2008. The motive, according to the prosecutors, was to avoid paying hundreds of millions of euros in inheritance taxes.

Mr. Wildenstein, the Franco-American family patriarch and president of Wildenstein & Co. in New York, was acquitted of the tax fraud and money laundering charges in 2017. That ruling was upheld by a higher court but then overturned in 2021 by Frances top appeals court, which ordered a new trial to be held, beginning Sept. 18.

The Wildensteins, a family of French art dealers spanning five generations since the 1870s, were notoriously secretive about their collection, which included works by Caravaggio, Fragonard, Manet and many others.
The comedian Russell Brand denied serious criminal allegations against him in a video he posted shortly before three British news organizations published an investigation Saturday in which four women accused him of sexual assault.

The investigation was a collaboration by The Sunday Times and The Times of London newspapers, and Channel 4 Dispatches, a television program that broadcast a documentary about the allegations on Saturday. They reported that the women had accused him of sexual assault in a series of incidents between 2006 and 2013.

Mr. Brand, an actor and former TV host who has more recently built a significant following on his YouTube channel, where he often opines on wellness and interviews prominent conservative figures, released a short video on social media on Friday in which he said he had received notes from media organizations listing 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, Mr. Brand said in the video, going on to say that while he has spoken previously about a time of promiscuity in his life, the encounters during that time were always consensual.
After an onslaught of criticism over her decision to return her show to the air while Hollywood is on strike, Drew Barrymore reversed herself on Sunday and at least two other shows did the same.

Barrymore announced her change of course in an Instagram post, just a day before her talk show was to begin broadcasting. Taping resumed last Monday for the daytime program.

After the announcement, The Jennifer Hudson Show, which is produced by Warner Bros., and the CBS show The Talk, rolled back previously announced plans to start broadcasting new episodes on Monday. CBS said in a statement on Sunday regarding The Talk, that it would pause its season premiere and evaluate plans for a new launch date.

The return of production for Barrymores show attracted picketers from the striking writers and actors unions, and on Friday, she defended her decision in an emotional Instagram video, saying, This is bigger than me.
At the start of the Feb. 16 episode of the ABC morning talk show Live With Kelly and Ryan, before the actress Camryn Manheim demonstrated her knowledge of American Sign Language, before Ryan Seacrest and the shows resident D.J. competed in a game called Love Songs, the shows host Kelly Ripa made an announcement: Seacrest, who had hosted with her for six years, would soon be departing. His replacement? My husband, Mark Consuelos, in what Ryan and I are calling the nations weirdest social experiment.

Live, which began in 1988 as Live With Regis and Kathie Lee, hosted by Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford, has always depended, as its executive producer Michael Gelman told me, on the illusion that the hosts are a married couple who have invited some unusually glamorous friends over for morning coffee. He referred to the hosts  any hosts  as this faux husband-and-wife, only theyre better looking and smarter and more vivacious than your normal neighbors, he said.

But Ripa and Consuelos (Riverdale, Alpha House) are actually husband and wife. Theyve been married for over 27 years. Thats 270 in showbiz years, Ripa joked. What would it mean when Take Your Husband to Work Day was suddenly every day? What would it mean to perform your marriage for millions of households?
In 2001, a British man named Tom Morgan decided to host an extreme car race. It would start in Britain and end in what he thought was the worlds most difficult destination for most people to reach: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, more than 5,500 miles away.

He called it the Mongol Rally. Participants had to drive the worst car they could find, avoid any planning and have as much fun as possible. Only six cars raced the first year. But interest grew as people began to talk about the rally online.

Its gone ballistic, Morgan said. More than 2,000 teams are on the wait-list to join the next Mongol Rally.

The growing popularity of the race is one example of interest in trips to remote destinations. Adventure travel companies and insurance providers are reporting record sales this year. Weve never been busier, said Michael Pullman, head of marketing for Wild Frontiers, an adventure travel company. Global Rescue, a company that offers emergency rescues to clients anywhere in the world, said consumer sales were 36 percent higher last year than in 2019 (the last year before the pandemic).
In the gloom of Chinas economy, one area of business is booming: cosmetics.

After enduring nearly three years of mandatory masks and frequent lockdowns during the pandemic, many Chinese consumers, wary of big-ticket purchases like apartments, are now splurging on lipstick, perfume, moisturizers and other personal care products.

But cosmetics companies from France, Japan, South Korea and the United States, which have invested heavily in China, are missing out on a lot of the action.

As Chinas cosmetics companies are booming, imports of cosmetics are wilting under regulations that the country imposed on foreign manufacturers during the pandemic.

While Chinas trade conflicts with the West over semiconductors pivot on national security and technological innovation, the dispute over cosmetics is largely about money.
BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's car rental services have seen robust business growth thanks to a strong recovery in the tourism market.

Domestic car rental services giant CAR Inc. said the total orders for its car rental services during the July-August period surged some 50 percent year on year and exceeded that of 2019, as many people chose to travel during the summer vacation.

The orders from new users climbed nearly 80 percent, logging a record high, and cross-city orders made up over 80 percent of the total orders, it added.

The company also saw a boost in long-period car rental services, with orders for rental periods of five days or more rising 70 percent year on year.

As the country's new energy vehicle (NEV) infrastructure, like charging stations, improves, rental service orders for NEVs skyrocketed over 150 percent year on year, data from CAR Inc. showed.

The summer tourism market posted a strong recovery that surpassed that of 2019. Domestic tourist trips this summer surpassed 1.8 billion in number, generating a total tourism revenue of 1.21 trillion yuan (about 137.6 billion U.S. dollars), according to the China Tourism Academy.

The company said bookings during the Aug. 17-Sept. 15 period for car rental services for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday gained over 200 percent year on year and over 30 percent compared with 2019.

The service sector posted remarkable performance this year, serving as a major underpinning of China's economic growth.

Official data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that prices related to travel and accommodation rose faster in August than in July, pointing to the strong driving force of services consumption.

"Public consumption steam has been gathering, evidenced by the robust travel market," said NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui, who estimated that services consumption growth might maintain a fast clip thanks to the upcoming 8-day-long holiday. 
Why a Landfill as Tall as the Statue of Liberty May Rise Even Higher

A plan for Seneca Meadows would fill a valley with enough trash to fill MetLife Stadium 10 times, at least.
In one sense, the Hunter Biden indictment just isnt that remarkable, or interesting. Aside from the fact that its brought against the presidents son, its just plain vanilla gun charges, and the prosecution seems to have him dead to rights. He lied on Form 4473  the federal form he was required to fill out when he purchased the weapon in question  by certifying that he was not illegally using drugs. He has since publicly stated that he was regularly using drugs, including crack cocaine, when he bought the gun. Thus, theres overwhelming evidence he committed two related crimes, lying on the form and possessing the weapon itself. Federal law prohibits unlawful users of controlled substances from possessing firearms.

But these are not ordinary times, and in another sense, the Hunter Biden case is very interesting indeed. Ironically enough, it could ultimately end up undermining a key element of federal gun regulations. The case could be so threatening to federal gun control efforts that in less polarized times many Republicans would be supporting at least one element of Bidens likely defense  that the prohibition against unlawful drug users owning guns is unconstitutional, at least as applied to him.

Some background is necessary. In 2008 the Supreme Court decided the case District of Columbia v. Heller, which established that the Constitution guaranteed an individual right to possess a weapon in your home, apart from any service in an organized militia. But the decision raised as many questions as it answered. Which precise types of firearms were covered by the Second Amendment? Which forms of government gun control regulations remained viable? And, critically, what kind of constitutional test should courts apply to gun control regulations after Heller?

The last question arguably mattered the most. But the Heller decision did not establish a test. Instead, it spoke of the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home. It noted that the amendment protected the kinds of weapons that are ordinarily used for a traditionally lawful purpose. And it took pains to say that nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.
To the Editor:

Re We Can Fight Learning Loss Only With Accountability and Action, by Michael J. Petrilli (Opinion guest essay, nytimes.com, Sept. 5):

Mr. Petrilli warns that U.S. students are falling farther behind, emphasizing that this should be a national emergency. He cites issues that stemmed from No Child Left Behind, the pandemic and the failure of politicians to act.

Yet Mr. Petrilli leaves out two of the biggest factors explaining why our students are struggling: the increase in mental health issues and social media addiction. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has warned that social media is the driving force in students mental health issues, calling it the defining public health crisis of our time.

As a public high school English teacher, I can attest to Dr. Murthys declaration. Unless you are in the classroom every day with students, it is difficult to understand the barriers that teachers face.

Mr. Petrilli writes that we need leaders willing to say education matters and achievement matters, and educators who are willing to act as if these simple propositions are true. Educators want this too. We want it more than anything.
The result is less economic security for affected households and even wider inequality across households and childhood environments than economic changes would have wrought alone.

College-educated adults have seen their earnings rise over recent decades, and they have continued to get married at relatively high rates, typically to one another. Their household income has grown considerably. Meanwhile, adults without a college degree have experienced declining rates of employment and relatively modest increases in wages, while becoming more likely to set up households without a spouse or a partner. As a result of the decline in marriage, the economic security of the high-school educated has weakened even more.

A higher level of income is a key mechanism through which married parents transmit advantages to their children. One-parent homes generally do not have the same income as two-parent homes, even when we compare the homes of mothers of the same age, education level, race and state of residence. This largely reflects a simple fact of math: Two adults have the capacity to earn more than one. Even if one thinks, as I do, that the United States should provide more support to low-income families with children in order to help children thrive and also to secure a stronger work force and future for our country, we will most likely never have a government program that fully compensates single parents with the equivalent of the annual earnings of a spouse who works full-time.

Congress allowed the expanded child tax credit to expire at the end of 2021, rejecting a policy that provided families who met certain income thresholds with annual tax credits of $3,000 per child age 6 to 18 and $3,600 per child under 6. What are the odds that the government will start providing one-parent families with, say, benefits equal to the median earnings of an adult with a high school degree, which comes to around $44,000 a year? I would put the odds at zero. As long as thats the case, income gaps between one- and two-parent homes will be substantial, and income matters a lot for kids prospects and futures.

Income differences are not the only driver of differences in outcomes. A second committed adult in the home can contribute considerable time and energy to taking care of children. We can and should do more as a society to try to compensate for these gaps in parental investments. But again, it is highly unlikely that government or community programs could ever provide children from one-parent homes with a comparable amount of the supervision, nurturing, guidance or help that children from healthy two-parent homes receive. That means a generation of children will grow up more likely to get in trouble and less likely to reach their potential than if they had the benefits of two parents in their homes.
Jules Melancon, a third-generation Louisiana oysterman who, rather than giving up after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill ravaged the Gulf Coast, found an innovative, sustainable and much tastier way to bring his briny delicacies to New Orleans restaurants, died on Aug. 31 at his home in Cut Off, La. He was 65.

His father, Loyman Melancon, said the cause was metastatic cancer.

Mr. Melancon spent most of his life farming oysters the old-fashioned way, working a dredge across the bottom of the shallow, brackish waters of the lower Mississippi River Delta. He captained his own 65-foot steel-bottom boat, My Melanie, named for his wife, and returned every evening sagging under the weight of the days catch.

It was backbreaking work. In his prime, the ursine Mr. Melancon would lug two 120-pound sacks of oysters onto a truck. But it was lucrative, too: Hed sell 400 of those bags in a day, at up to $15 a bag, to canneries and wholesalers that shipped worldwide.
As President Biden shifts his re-election campaign into higher gear, the strength of his candidacy is being tested by a striking divide between Democratic leaders, who are overwhelmingly unified behind his bid, and rank-and-file voters in the party who harbor persistent doubts about whether he is their best option.

From the highest levels of the party on down, Democratic politicians and party officials have long dismissed the idea that Mr. Biden should have any credible primary challenger. Yet despite their efforts  and the presidents lack of a serious opponent within his party  they have been unable to dispel Democratic concerns about him that center largely on his age and vitality.

The discord between the partys elite and its voters leaves Democrats confronting a level of disunity over a president running for re-election not seen for decades.

Interviews with more than a dozen strategists, elected officials and voters this past week, conversations with Democrats since Mr. Bidens campaign began in April, and months of public polling data show that this disconnect has emerged as a defining obstacle for his candidacy, worrying Democrats from liberal enclaves to swing states to the halls of power in Washington.
Ed Siskel moved from Chicago to Washington last weekend to begin his new role as White House counsel. He had one entire day  last Monday  to settle into his office, in a coveted corner on the second floor of the West Wing.

By Mr. Siskels second day on the job, Speaker Kevin McCarthy had unilaterally opened an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, plunging Mr. Biden into one of the more dramatic situations a president  and the person holding the job of counsel to the president  can face.

In a statement, Mr. Biden praised Mr. Siskel as a seasoned lawyer who could hit the ground running as a key leader on my team to advise on everything from policy litigation to judicial nominations. Still, it was an unusually busy week  and one focused squarely on impeachment  even by Washingtons frenetic standards.

A veteran of the Obama White House, where he countered Republican efforts in the Benghazi and Solyndra investigations, Mr. Siskel, 51, will help steer Mr. Biden through a political maelstrom as an ultraconservative bloc of Republicans pushes for impeachment.
Former President Donald J. Trump said he hoped Mark Meadows  his final White House chief of staff and a co-defendant in a sweeping racketeering indictment in Georgia stemming from efforts to thwart the 2020 election  was still loyal to him.

Mr. Trump made his comment during a lengthy interview with Kristen Welker, the new moderator of NBCs Meet The Press, broadcast on Sunday morning. Mr. Trump has been warned by the federal judge in a case also stemming from his efforts to stay in office, brought against him by the special counsel Jack Smith, to avoid saying anything that might affect the testimony of witnesses. His comment about Mr. Meadows could attract new interest.

A lawyer for Mr. Meadows did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Both Mr. Meadows and Mr. Trump are among 19 co-defendants in the Fulton County, Ga., indictment brought by the district attorney, Fani T. Willis. It accuses those charged with a criminal conspiracy to overturn Mr. Trumps loss in the state in his re-election effort.

By the way, do you think your former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, is still loyal to you? He just pleaded not guilty in the Georgia case, Ms. Welker asked.
Former President Donald J. Trump, whose Supreme Court appointments led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, harshly criticized his top rival in the Republican presidential primary, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, for a six-week abortion ban that he called a terrible thing.

Mr. Trump issued his broadside  which could turn off socially conservative Republican primary voters, especially in Iowa, where evangelicals are a crucial voting bloc  during an interview with the new host of NBCs Meet the Press, Kristen Welker, that was broadcast on Sunday morning.

Asked whether Mr. DeSantis went too far by signing a six-week abortion ban, Mr. Trump replied: I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.

Since announcing his candidacy last November  just a week after Republicans underperformed expectations in midterm elections shaped by a backlash against the overturning of the abortion ruling  there has been no policy issue on which Mr. Trump has appeared more uncomfortable than on abortion.
As Chinas spy balloon drifted across the continental United States in February, American intelligence agencies learned that President Xi Jinping of China had become enraged with senior Chinese military generals.

The spy agencies had been trying to understand what Mr. Xi knew and what actions he would take as the balloon, originally aimed at U.S. military bases in Guam and Hawaii, was blown off course.

Mr. Xi was not opposed to risky spying operations against the United States, but American intelligence agencies concluded that the Peoples Liberation Army had kept Mr. Xi in the dark until the balloon was over the United States.

American officials would not discuss how spy agencies gleaned this information. But in details reported here for the first time, they discovered that when Mr. Xi learned of the balloons trajectory and realized it was derailing planned talks with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, he berated senior generals for failing to tell him that the balloon had gone astray, according to American officials briefed on the intelligence.
MOGADISHU, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Saturday launched the national identification and registration process in a bid to foster digital transformation in the country during a forum held in the capital of Mogadishu.

Barre said that the new biometric ID system will open more opportunities for the citizens and create a conducive environment to foster national cohesion.

"The inception of the national ID will help the Somali people overcome myriad socio-economic challenges that hinder their potential development while advancing democracy and rule of law," Barre said.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud who received his national identification card said that having national identification will boost the country's security, and recognize suicide bombers, militants, and other malign actors.

According to Villa Somalia, President Mohamud was issued his ID card as part of the national ID issuance rollout in the country, hailing the initiative as a significant milestone in Somalia's state-building process since it will enhance security among other national priorities. 
The White House announced on Sunday that its national security adviser met over the weekend with Chinas top diplomat in Malta, as part of efforts to keep communication open between the two nations and as political purges roil elite circles in Beijing.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, met with Wang Yi, the Communist Partys top foreign policy official and Chinas foreign minister, on Saturday and Sunday, the White House said in its summary of the talks. The summary said they spoke about relations between the two nations, Russias war in Ukraine and tensions between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, a de facto independent democratic island that the party aims to rule and that is an important U.S. partner.

A senior White House official told reporters in a telephone briefing on Sunday that Mr. Sullivan reiterated American concerns about recent Chinese military actions around Taiwan and other coercive activities, and said that any disputes or conflicts must be resolved peacefully.

The U.S. official also said Mr. Sullivan stressed that China should not try to aid Russia in its war on Ukraine. The core of those concerns pertains to the U.S. intelligence assessment that since the winter, China has been considering sending weapons to President Vladimir V. Putin for his war. U.S. officials announced those findings in late February and confronted Chinese officials with them at the time. The White House official said China had so far refrained from sending any substantial weaponry.
The impeachment trial of Ken Paxton that ended in his acquittal on Saturday was about more than the fate of the Texas attorney general. It was also the most dramatic flashpoint in a yearslong struggle among Republican leaders in the Legislature over control of the party and the future direction of the state.

The trial occurred only because a majority of Republicans in the Texas House voted in May to impeach Mr. Paxton, sending charges of bribery and abuse of office to the State Senate. Constitutionally obligated to hold a trial, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the staunchly conservative politician who sits at the head of the Senate, vowed to do so impartially.

But after the voting was done on Saturday, and Republican state senators decided overwhelmingly against removing Mr. Paxton from office, the lieutenant governor lashed out at the Texas House, whose Republican members are more moderate. He accused them of wasting millions of dollars and called for a full audit" of public spending on the case since March, when the House investigation began, as well as stricter impeachment rules in the Texas Constitution.

An impeachment should never happen again in the House like it happened this year, Mr. Patrick said.
The woman said she woke in the middle of the night to find Mr. Khan on top of her. She tried to push him off, she said, and in the morning, found herself naked, even though she remembered lying down fully clothed. She had bruising on her legs and saw used condoms on the floor, she said.

What you did to me last night was wrong, she told Mr. Khan, according to an affidavit. You should leave.

During the criminal trial, his lawyers challenged that account, saying that the sex was consensual, and that he had been invited into her room.

In the cross-examination, they asked questions such as: Why did her memory blank on certain details, but not others, like the assault itself? Why did she send Mr. Khan what they called flirty text messages before the alleged assault? And why did she wear a black cat costume for Halloween instead of a more modest one, such as Cinderella in a long flowing gown?

The woman, who has been called Jane Doe in the defamation case, did not respond to a request for an interview. But to womens rights advocates, that cross-examination proves their point: The practice is used to intimidate and retraumatize victims.
Mia Lee Sorensens Danish parents used to tell her that her birth family in South Korea had put her up for adoption. According to her adoption papers, she was born prematurely in 1987 to a family that could not afford her medical bills and wished for her to have a good future abroad.

But when Ms. Sorensen found her birth parents in South Korea last year, they could not believe she was alive. They told her that her mother had passed out during labor and that when she woke up, the clinic told her that the baby had died.

South Korea has the worlds largest diaspora of intercountry adoptees, with more foreign adoptions overall than any other nation. About 200,000 children have been sent abroad since the end of the Korean War in 1953, mostly to the United States and Europe.

Those adoptions have continued today, even as the country suffers one of the worlds lowest birthrates. In 2021, the top intercountry adoption hubs were Colombia, India, Ukraine and South Korea. (Before the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, China had topped the list.)
Yosef Chaim Bernfeld, a young businessman from New York who is trying to straighten out his life, journeyed to Uman this weekend for a spiritual fix.

Every Jewish New Year, even this one during a raging war, thousands of Hasidic pilgrims turn this city in central Ukraine into a mini Jerusalem.

They roam around in big groups sucking down Coke Zero and kosher pizza, paying in shekels. They pump out Hebrew hip-hop and dance hard together in the middle of the street.

They exchange blessings  I ask God to give you a sense of belonging, to give you stability, to grow your business this year  and drink copious amounts of red wine way past the wartime curfew.
The president of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, is the person considered most responsible for bringing his country into the NATO alliance  and Sweden, too, which is awaiting ratification  following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Biden has consulted him about Russia and its president, Vladimir V. Putin, whom Mr. Niinisto has met numerous times.

In a long interview in his light-filled modernist residence in Helsinki, Mr. Niinisto warned European leaders and citizens not to become complacent over the risks of escalation in Russias war against Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine will last a long time, he said, and wars can take unexpected paths, even toward the use of nuclear weapons.

The invasion, Mr. Niinisto said, was a wake-up call for Europe and NATO.

Well, it was ringing loudly in February 2022, he said. But do you hear it anymore? That clearly? That might be a good question  whether all Europeans realize that this is a European issue.
Ukraines military said Sunday it had retaken the small village of Klishchiivka, the second settlement to come back under Kyivs control in three days and the most significant recent advance in its hard-fought counteroffensive to drive Russian forces from the countrys east.

Klishchiivka had been occupied by Russian forces since January, when Wagner mercenaries captured it after weeks of combat as part of the nearly yearlong battle for the nearby city of Bakhmut.

After Bakhmut fell to Russian troops in May, Ukrainian forces almost immediately began a push to drive Moscows troops from areas to the north and south of the city. With Klishchiivka sitting on high ground overlooking roadways in and out of a ruined Bakhmut, the village was very much in their sights.

In recent weeks, Kyivs troops had been slowly advancing on Klishchiivka, taking heavy casualties in pitched battles.
Nearly a week after a powerful storm caused catastrophic flooding in northeastern Libya, rescue groups assessing the damage left behind after two dams collapsed in the city of Derna  washing entire neighborhoods out to sea  said that the death toll was still being assessed amid diminishing hopes for finding survivors.

There are still bodies in the water, said Salem Al Naas, a spokesman for the Libyan Red Crescent in Derna, adding in an interview that workers were still searching hundreds of buildings where families were feared to have died.

People are being found alive  one person was pulled from the rubble yesterday, Mr. Al Naas said. But the chance to find survivors is very low, he said.

The United Nations had said on Saturday that at least 11,300 people had died and that more than 10,000 people were still missing, citing figures it said were from the Libyan Red Crescent. But Mr. Al Naas walked that back a bit, and said that while those numbers might be an approximate number, the final death toll is yet unknown. We just think that the number will be huge, he said.
There were 14 named storms last year, after two extremely busy Atlantic hurricane seasons in which forecasters ran out of names and had to resort to backup lists. (There were a record 30 named storms in 2020.)

This year features an El Nino pattern, which arrived in June. The intermittent climate phenomenon can have wide-ranging effects on weather around the world, and it typically impedes the number of Atlantic hurricanes.

In the Atlantic, El Nino increases the amount of wind shear, or the change in wind speed and direction from the ocean or land surface into the atmosphere. Hurricanes need a calm environment to form, and the instability caused by increased wind shear makes those conditions less likely. (El Nino has the opposite effect in the Pacific, reducing the amount of wind shear.)

At the same time, this years heightened sea surface temperatures pose a number of threats, including the ability to supercharge storms.
NAIROBI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan military confirmed on Sunday that they killed at least two al-Shabab militants on Saturday in coastal Lamu County.

The troops recovered three AK47 rifles, more than 300 bullets, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) launchers and warheads during an ambush in Bodhei area, said an officer who declined to be identified, adding that the troops in the area had received intelligence about the presence of the militants who were hiding in two sites within the vast Boni forest.

The source said the military believed the insurgents were planning an attack in Lamu County.

The latest operation follows a terrorist attack on a military vehicle that claimed the lives of 14 soldiers last week. 
FUD is an abbreviation for fear, uncertainty and doubt  the whirlwind of anti-crypto news, data and online chatter that evangelists deride as propaganda spread by enemies of the new financial order.

The term predates crypto: For decades, corporate experts have used it to refer to disinformation spread by a business to hurt a competitor.

In recent years, though, its become a staple of the crypto lexicon. Among blockchain believers, ignoring FUD is a badge of honor, a sign of ironclad commitment to the crypto cause.
Offaly is going global thanks to the new worldwide advert for homegrown whiskey Tullamore Dew being shot in the town in recent months. The ad made its social media debut and will appear all over the world as the beloved whiskey goes from strength to strength on the global stage.

USE THE ARROWS ABOVE OR NEXT BUTTON BELOW TO SEE MORE PICTURES AND SEE THE VIDEO BELOW

RTE Kin star and proud Tullamore man Sam Keeley starred in the ad alongside one very handsome Irish wolfhound named Isobel in the clip. A number of photographs from behind the scenes have been released to the public, and if you look closely, our very own Tullamore Tribune features in one of the actor's hands.

The finished ad features Sam's character after his wolfhound goes missing but the whole town works to locate her, ending up in Digan's pub for a reunion.

You can watch the advert below:
DMKs Mupperum Vizha (Triple Celebrations) In Vellore Today, Kalaignar Award To I Periyasamy

Chennai

oi-Oneindia English Desk

Today marks the DMK's Mupperum Vizha celebrations, in which CM Stalin will participate and present various awards. This event encompasses three important occasions - the birth anniversary of Periyar; birth anniversary of DMK's founding father Annadurai (celebrated on September 15) and the foundation day of DMK, forming a triple festival tradition upheld by the DMK each year.

Click Here to Watch the Live Event

Despite the passing of DMK leader and former Chief Minister Karunanidhi, Mupperum Vizha continues to thrive. This year, significant efforts have been dedicated to the construction of a magnificent stage pavilion near the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway in Kandaneri, adjacent to Vellore.

In preparation for the event, DMK flags have been prominently displayed in the vicinity. CM Stalin arrived in Vellore yesterday via train and received a warm welcome at Katpadi railway station. He spent the night at the Vellore Government Tourist House.

The celebration commences in the morning with a variety of events, including a debate event. An elaborate public gathering will also be held in the evening, which will be attended by the CM. Stringent security measures have been implemented for the Chief Minister's visit, and the use of drones in Vellore has been prohibited for security purposes. A contingent of 2000 police officers has been deployed to ensure security during the Chief Minister's visit to Vellore.

Furthermore, as part of the DMK's tradition of annual awards presented at the triple event ceremony, the recipients of this year have been announced. The recipients of the awards are given below:

Periyar Award: Awarded to Mayiladuthurai K. Sathyaseelan

Anna Award: Awarded to Minjur K. Sundaram

Kalaignar Award: Awarded to I. Periyasamy

Pavendar Award: Awarded to Tenkasi's Malika Kathiravan

Professor Award: Awarded to Bangalore's N. Ramasamy
Will It Rain Today In Chennai, Bengaluru? Get Latest Weather Report

'Leo' Success Meet To Be Held In Chennai As TN Govt Grants Permission

Kalaignar Scheme: Have Queries On Registration, Application Status Of Magalir Urimai Thittam? Helpline Numbers

Chennai

oi-Prakash KL

Kalaignar Scheme: Have Queries On Registration, Application Status Of Magalir Urimai Thittam? Helpline Numbers

The Tamil Nadu government's Rs 1,000 monthly financial assistance scheme for women was rolled out in Kancheepuram on Friday by Chief Minister M K Stalin on the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon C N Annadurai.

Stalin launched the scheme here and distributed bank debit cards to several beneficiaries and state ministers rolled out the programme in their districts.

A basic income programme, it is named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the state government has christened the assistance the "right" of women.

The government has identified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer.

How To Register?

Eligible women should visit nearby ration shops. Each family can designate one female member on the ration card to avail the benefit. If a man is listed as the family head on the ration card, his wife will be eligible for the scheme. It's essential to note that only one beneficiary is permitted per family's ration card.

How To Check Status?

Log Into : https://edistricts.tn.gov.in/socialwelfare/status.html or official website https://kmut.tn.gov.in/

You will get two options: Search by Application ID or Registration Number

Enter details including your date of birth.

Click the 'get status' button.

Having enquiries or questions about Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam scheme? Call the below helpline numbers:

The helpline numbers connecting to GCC headquarters are: 044-25619208 (landline), 9445477205 (WhatsApp) and 1913 (Call Centre).

The zonal helpline numbers:

9445190201 (Tiruvottiyur)

044-25941079 (Manali)

9445190203 (Madhavaram)

9445190204 (Tondiarpet)

9445190205 (Royapuram)

9445190206/9445190926 (Thiru Vi Ka Nagar)

9445190207/044-26257880 (Ambattur)

9445190208 (Anna Nagar)

9445190209 (Teynampet)

9445190210 (Kodambakkam)

9445191432 (Valsaravakkam)

9445190212 (Alandur)

9445190213 (Adyar)

9445190214 (Perungudi)

9445190215 (Sholinganallur)
Tamil Nadu Rain: What Weather Looks Like In Chennai During Ganesh Chaturthi Festival?

Chennai

oi-Prakash KL

Chennai and neighbouring places are predicted to get light to moderate rain in the next 48 hours are people prepare to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

In its weather latest update for the next 48 hours, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai said, "The sky condition is likely to be partly cloudy. Light/Moderate rain with thunderstorms & lightning is likely to occur in some areas,"

The maximum temperature is likely to be 34-35 C and the minimum temperature is likely to be 25-26 C for the next 48 hours.

The weather monitoring agency said that several places in the state will receive heavy rain in the next 48 hours.

"Light to moderate rain at a few places with thunderstorm and lightning at one or two places is likely to occur over Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal area. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai and Sivaganga districts of Tamilnadu and Puducherry and Karaikal area," the statement said.

"Fairly widespread thunderstorms likely to continue over Tamil Nadu as the hotspot shifts slight to the south over Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and adjoining areas. Chennai and suburbs may see moderate #rains during evening/night hours," a weather blogger stated.

Meanwhile, Chennai is getting ready for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Going by the weather reports, it is clear that Tamil Nadu's capital might witness rains but it will not impact the festive celebration.

However, the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) have issued specific guidelines and regulations pertaining to the placement and worship of Ganesh idols within the city. The authorities have banned the bursting of crackers during the procession and at the places where idols have been installed.
Regional parties to come to one platform at INLDs initiative to take on BJP

JJP Chief Slams INLD for Shifting Stance on Congress Alliance

Ajay Singh Chautala, JJP chief, has criticized the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) for their readiness to align with the Congress. His comments follow his brother Abhay Singh Chautala's recent statement that he would invite the Congress to the party's Kaithal rally marking former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal's birth anniversary.

India

-Krishna Kripa

In a recent political development, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) chief Ajay Singh Chautala launched a blistering attack on the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), accusing it of abandoning its long-standing opposition to the Congress party. The INLD is led by his father, former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, and senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala is his younger brother.

Allegations of Political Opportunism

Ajay Singh Chautala's criticism came in response to Abhay Singh Chautala's recent statement indicating his willingness to invite the Congress party for the upcoming Kaithal rally. This event, scheduled for September 25th, will mark the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal.

"I was reading in the newspaper that Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala and the INLD, which opposed the Congress for its entire life, are saying if Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda comes to Samman Divas rally on September 25 they will welcome him," said Ajay Singh Chautala during a public address.

JJP's Standpoint

The JJP leader further highlighted what he perceived as hypocrisy within INLD ranks. He pointed out that while they had previously criticized JJP for allying with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), they were now open to collaborating with their erstwhile adversary -Congress. "While they used to target us JJP for joining hands with BJP, now they are ready to sit in Congress' lap," he remarked.

Claims of Wasted Resources

Ajay Singh also made allegations about wasteful expenditure by INLD leadership. He claimed that train tickets had been booked by INLD to Patna, Mumbai, and Bengaluru for party leaders to attend the INDIA bloc meetings. However, these tickets reportedly went unused.

Conclusion

The unfolding political drama in Haryana underscores the fluid dynamics of Indian politics where alliances are often formed and dissolved based on changing circumstances and strategic considerations. The allegations made by Ajay Singh Chautala against his own family's political outfit have added a new twist to this narrative. It remains to be seen how these developments will impact the forthcoming rally and more importantly, the larger political landscape of Haryana.
Bangladesh Strain Of Nipah Virus Can Kill 9 Out Of 10: Top Epidemiologist

India

oi-Prakash KL

India's top epidemiologist Dr Raman Gangakhedkar has said that the Bangladesh strain of Nipah virus can kill nine out of 10 people.

Speaking to News18, he highlighted the importance of finding the source of the virus to prevent its spread. "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," the website quoted him as saying.

Kerala is battling its fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus since 2018. The state has confirmed six cases so far and two people have died, this year.

Days ago, Veena George, State Health Minister, said that Nipah cases detected in the state were of the Bangladesh strain.

"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," India's top epidemilogist said. He claimed that 89 per cent of patients were killed out of 23 infected patients in 2018.

On Friday, Dr Rajiv Bahl, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General, said that the mortality rate of the Nipah virus is much higher than Covid-19.

"Mortality among those infected with Nipah virus is very high- between 40 to 70 per cent as compared to that of Covid which was around 2-3 per cent," Bahl said at a press meet as Kozhikode in Kerala reported a fresh case on Friday.

The first case of Nipah was reported in Kerala in Kozhikode in 2018. It was detected in Ernakulam in 2019.

The viral infection was reported again in Kozhikode in 2021.

At present, six cases of Nipah infection have been confirmed in the state. Of the six, two persons have died bringing the number of active cases to 4.

In a relief for the Kerala government, no fresh positive cases of Nipah virus were reported on Saturday in the state even as five more persons, who came into contact with those infected, showing some symptoms of the disease were admitted in isolation at the medical hospital.

To prevent the spread of the viral infection, the state government has announced that all schools and colleges will conduct online classes from September 18 in Kozhikode.

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Story first published: Sunday, September 17, 2023, 9:26 [IST]
Confident Congress Calls For Delay In Seat-Sharing Talks With INDIA Bloc Ahead Of Assembly Polls

In light of the upcoming assembly polls, some Congress leaders have called for a delay in seat-sharing talks with their INDIA bloc partners. The decision is aimed at negotiating from a position of strength and was supported by several party members during a two-day brainstorming session.

India

-Krishna Kripa

On September 17 in Hyderabad, Congress party leaders expressed their confidence about the forthcoming assembly polls in five states. Despite this optimism, there was a call from some within the party to delay seat-sharing discussions with INDIA bloc partners for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections until November. This strategy is aimed at negotiating from a position of strength, according to sources.

Strengthening the Party and Opposition Bloc

The suggestion came particularly from those leaders who are directly contesting against some INDIA bloc partners in their respective states. The top leadership of Congress has been advocating for strengthening both the party and the opposition alliance. During a two-day brainstorming session of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), several leaders supported this notion but insisted that haste should not be made regarding seat-sharing arrangements with like-minded parties.

Call for Strengthened Alliance

In these discussions, Sonia Gandhi called for bolstering the INDIA alliance while Rahul Gandhi emphasized on fortifying both, Congress and its opposition bloc. However, it was pointed out by several leaders that such endeavors should not come at a cost to Congress itself.

CWC Meet Highlights

The extended CWC meeting on Sunday included state unit chiefs of four poll-bound states among other attendees. These meetings serve as platforms where critical strategic decisions are taken concerning electoral alliances and campaign strategies.

This recent call to postpone seat sharing talks underscores an important aspect of political strategizing - timing negotiations correctly can potentially influence outcomes favorably. In politics, much like in other fields that involve negotiation or deal-making such as business or diplomacy, being able to negotiate from a position of strength can often yield better results than when one is perceived as weak or desperate for an agreement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while there's optimism within Congress about the upcoming assembly polls, there's also a clear understanding that strengthening both the party and its alliances is paramount. The call to delay seat-sharing talks with INDIA bloc partners reflects this strategic approach. However, leaders have cautioned that while pursuing stronger alliances, the interests of Congress should not be compromised. How these strategies will play out in reality - both in terms of election results and seat-sharing agreements - remains to be seen.
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. 
With 69 Kg Gold, 336 Kg Silver, This Is The 'Richest' Ganpati Mandal In Mumbai

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Gowri Habba And Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Quotes, Greeting Messages, Wishes To Share

India

oi-Prakash KL

Hindus will celebrate the Gowri and Ganesh festival with great fervour and pomp mainly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh along with a few other states in India.

This year, the Gowri festival falls on September 18. On this special day, Hindu women offer prayers to Goddess Parvati and observe fast. Usually, this comes a day before Ganesh Chaturthi, which is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha.

In some states, people celebrate both Gowri and Ganesh festivals on the same day, this year.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on Monday (September 18) itself. However, in some states, the Ganesh festival is celebrated on September 19.

The festivity of Ganesh Chaturthi ends on the 10th day that is Anant Chaturdashi. This is the day when Lord Ganesha's idol is taken out in a procession and immersed in the water also known in many parts as Ganesh Visarjan.

Gowri Habba Pooja Muhurat: September 18, 2023 (source: Drikpanchanga)

Pratahkala Gowri Puja Muhurat - 06:07 AM to 08:34 AM

Duration - 02 Hours 27 Mins

Tadige Tithi Begins - 11:08 AM on Sep 17, 2023

Tadige Tithi Ends - 12:39 PM on Sep 18, 2023

Ganesh Festival Puja Muhurat: September 19

Chaturthi Tithi Begins - 12:39 PM on Sep 18, 2023

Chaturthi Tithi Ends - 01:43 PM on Sep 19, 2023

Madhyahna Ganesha Puja Muhurat - 11:01 AM to 01:28 PM

Duration - 02 Hours 27 Mins

Ganesha Visarjan on Thursday, September 28, 2023

On previous day time to avoid Moon sighting - 12:39 PM to 08:10 PM, Sep 18

Duration - 07 Hours 32 Mins

Wishes, Greetings To Share With Well Wishers

On the auspicious occasions of Gowri Habba and Ganesh Chaturthi, I send my warmest wishes and blessings to you and your family. May Goddess Gowri and Lord Ganesha fill your lives with joy, love, and prosperity. May all obstacles be removed, and may your path be blessed with success and happiness. Happy Gowri Habba and Ganesh Chaturthi!

May Goddess Gowri bestow upon you wisdom, happiness, and prosperity. Happy Gowri Habba!

On this auspicious day of Gowri Habba, may you be blessed with a life filled with love, joy, and success.

Wishing you and your family a blissful Gowri Habba. May the goddess shower her blessings upon you.

Life as long as his trunk, Trouble as small as his mouse, Moments as sweet as modaks. Sending you happiness on Ganesh Chaturthi!

May Lord Ganesha bless you and your family with peace and happiness. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone!

Let this Ganesh Chaturthi be the beginning of everything that is prosperous and inspiring.

Hope this year is super joyous and prosperous. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to you and your family!

May the Lord of wealth & success, shower his blessings on you and your family, on Ganesh Chaturthi and always.

May Lord Ganesha remove all obstacles from your path and bless you with success and prosperity. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Sending you warm wishes on Ganesh Chaturthi. May Lord Ganesha fill your life with love, happiness, and prosperity."

As we welcome Lord Ganesha into our homes and hearts, may he bring peace and harmony into your life. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

As we celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha, may his wisdom guide you, his blessings enrich you, and his presence always be with you. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!
Heavy Rain Lashes Gujarat, Release Of Water From Narmada Dam Causes Floods

India

pti-PTI

Heavy rain lashed many parts of Gujarat on Sunday, flooding low-lying areas and cutting off several villages as Narmada and other rivers are in full spate, following which 9,600 people were shifted to safety and 207 others rescued in five districts.

Several areas in Ahmedabad were waterlogged after the city received 76 mm of rainfall in 12 hours ending at 6 pm on Sunday, throwing the normal life out of gear. Authorities blocked underpasses for traffic as a precautionary measure.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts predicting isolated extremely heavy rainfall till Tuesday morning. It has also warned of isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat in its forecast till Thursday morning.

The release of massive amounts of water from Sardar Sarovar dam (SSD), which touched its full reservoir level of 138.68 metres on Sunday morning, in the Narmada river due to heavy rains in the catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh caused massive flooding in low-lying areas in Narmada district.

A total of 9,613 people hit by floods were shifted to safer locations while 207 others were rescued in Narmada, Bharuch, Vadodara, Dahod and Panchmahal districts, officials said. Among them, a majority of 5,744 people were relocated in Bharuch, followed by 2,317 in Narmada, 1,462 in Vadodara, 20 in Dahod, and 70 in Panchmahal, they said.

Apart from Narmada, rain-fed rivers such as Orsang, Heran, Mahi, Meshri and Panam are swollen due to heavy rain coupled with the release of water from various dams, resulting in the inundation of low-lying villages. Narmada collector Shweta Teotia said rescue efforts were underway and the administration is keeping close tabs on the situation caused by the release of water from the (Sardar Sarovar) dam.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel carried out an aerial survey of the region. The government has deployed two teams of NDRF in Narmada, and one each in Bharuch, Rajkot, Junagadh and Vadodara, officials said. This is in addition to three teams each of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) being deployed in Narmada and Vadodara and one each SDRF team in Dahod, Bharuch and Banaskantha to carry out relief and rescue operations.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and local rescue teams evacuated people stranded in flooded areas, including around 70 students of a residential school in Narmada district, and around 100 labourers trapped under a bridge near a river in Panchmahal district. Some patients stranded in a hospital in Vasantpara village in Narmada district were also rescued by an NDRF team.

Parts of Panchmahal, Mahisagar, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Kheda, Dahod, Vadodara and Ahmedabad districts were among the worst hit by the downpours on Sunday.
Did You Know, The Cost Of ISRO's Aditya L1 Is Lesser Than 'Jailer', 'Gaddar 2' Collection?

'I Was About To Meet Chandrababu Naidu...': Rajinikanth

India

oi-Prakash KL

Rajinikanth on Sunday said that he wanted to meet TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu, but due to his other commitment, he could not call on the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.

"I was about to meet former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu but due to family function it didn't happen," he told the reporters on Sunday.

Earlier, reports claimed that Rajinikanth was going to visit Rajahmundry to meet Naidu in Rajamahendravaram Central Prison. It was said that the Tamil superstar had spoken to Nara Lokesh and offered words of encouragment following his father's arrest.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody for his alleged role in a multi-crore Skill Development Corporation scam.

#WATCH | Actor Rajinikanth leaves for Coimbatore to participate in the family event, from Chennai airport



Actor Rajinikanth says, "I was about to meet former Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu but due to family function it didn't happen". pic.twitter.com/2mRurGxmIy  ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

He was arrested on September 9 in connection with a case involving misappropriation of funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state government.

Naidu has been a Z-plus category security protectee for several years already, with a team of NSG commandos guarding him always.

On the other hand, Naidu has filed two bail petitions, interim and regular, in a Vijayawada court.

In the interim bail petition, Naidu denied all the allegations levelled against him and claimed that there was no prima facie evidence on record against him.

"We have filed two petitions, one is for interim bail and another for regular bail. However, the hearing may not be done today (Friday)," advocate G Subba Rao, a member of Naidu's legal team, told PTI.
Nostalgic Farewell: Indian Women MPs Reflect on Old Parliament Building Experiences

In a nostalgic farewell, ten women Members of the Indian Parliament reminisce about their time in the old parliamentary building. They shared handwritten notes expressing their feelings and experiences ahead of their move to a new complex during an upcoming session.

India

-Krishna Kripa

On September 17, in the capital city of New Delhi, a nostalgic event transpired as ten women parliamentarians penned down their memories and experiences associated with the old Parliament building. As they gear up to bid adieu to this iconic structure and move into the new complex during the forthcoming session, these MPs from diverse political parties paid heartfelt tributes to this emblematic edifice that has been at the heart of India's democratic journey.

A Journey Through Time

The Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal shared her journey within the revered halls of this historic building in her note. She reminisced about how she went from being an awed visitor in 2006 to becoming a first-time MP in 2009, followed by a ministerial stint for the first time in 2014. "These 144 pillars in this temple of democracy hold a multitude of memories for me," she expressed emotionally.

An Architectural Marvel

Badal also spoke highly about how this beautiful establishment is adorned with history and craftsmanship of thousands of Indian artists, sculptors and labourers. The old Parliament building has served not just as a place where laws were made but also as an arena for intense learning and immense satisfaction.

More Than Just A Building

Priyanka Chaturvedi from Shiv Sena UBT echoed similar sentiments. Her note reflected on various aspects related to her experience at Parliament - Memories; Learnings; Policy Making; Friendships; History. She referred to it as an architectural marvel which has witnessed fervent debates and disruptions over years. Stating that stalwarts and history makers have all worked within its precincts, she acknowledged how significantly it had shaped India's journey through seventy-five years since independence.

A Farewell to Remember

These heartfelt tributes by the women parliamentarians underscore the emotional bond they share with this iconic building. The old Parliament has not just been a place of work but also a repository of memories, experiences and learnings for them. As they prepare to move into the new complex, these notes serve as a fitting farewell to the structure that has stood witness to India's democratic journey over decades.

In conclusion, as we look forward to welcoming the new Parliament building, it is essential to remember and value what the old one represents - an embodiment of our democratic history and tradition. The poignant messages from these women MPs remind us that while buildings may change, their essence continues in spirit through those who have walked their halls and left indelible imprints on their walls.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Discusses Global Relations in Asianet Interview

In an interview with Malayalam news channel Asianet, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed his views on the relationship between Asia, Africa, and the West. He made it clear that he believes there is a need to move away from viewing the West as 'the bad guy'. The minister was in Thiruvananthapuram for the launch of PM Vishwakarma scheme.

India

-Krishna Kripa

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has recently expressed his thoughts on the perception of Western countries in relation to their economic impact on Asia and Africa. Speaking during an interview with Malayalam news channel Asianet, Jaishankar stated that it was time to move beyond the dated viewpoint of viewing the West as 'the bad guy' in terms of flooding these markets with goods.

The minister was present in Thiruvananthapuram for the launch of the PM Vishwakarma scheme when he made these remarks. His comments come at a time when there has been increased discussion about global trade dynamics and how they impact developing nations.

Not Batting for The West

In his conversation with former Indian diplomat T P Sreenivasan who interviewed him for the channel, Jaishankar clarified that his statement should not be interpreted as him advocating for Western countries. Instead, he emphasized that it is not only Western nations which are responsible for flooding Asian and African markets with goods on a massive scale.

"I think we need to get over the syndrome of the past that the West is 'the bad guy' and on the other side are developing countries," said Jaishankar. He further added, "The world is more complicated; problems are much more complicated than that."

A Complex Global Scenario

This perspective offered by Jaishankar draws attention towards understanding international relations from a nuanced standpoint rather than resorting to black-and-white dichotomies such as developed versus developing or East versus West. It underscores how intricacies exist within global politics and economies which require careful analysis instead of oversimplified assumptions based on historical narratives.

G20 Summit Attendance Speculations

Besides discussing trade dynamics, another topic touched upon during this interview was Chinese President Xi Jinping's absence from the G20 summit in New Delhi. When asked if this was due to China not wanting India to be seen as a leader of the Global South, Jaishankar responded by stating that such reasons were open for speculation.

This statement indicates how international diplomacy involves intricate decision-making processes which may often be influenced by multiple factors. It also highlights how interpretations of these decisions can vary based on different perspectives.

In conclusion, Minister S Jaishankar's recent comments during his interview with Asianet have shed light on some critical aspects of international relations and global trade dynamics. His views encourage a shift away from viewing world affairs through narrow lenses and instead promote an understanding that accounts for the complexities inherent within these domains. At the same time, his remarks about the speculated reasons behind President Xi Jinping's non-attendance at the G20 Summit underline how diplomatic actions are subject to various interpretations and conjectures.
Maharashtra CM Pledges Retribution for Recent Anantnag Encounter Casualties

India

-Krishna Kripa

In a recent statement, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha vowed to avenge the death of Army and Police officers killed in a recent encounter in Anantnag. They assured that terrorists will be met with an appropriate response for their actions.

Unwavering Resolve Against Terrorism

The two leaders expressed profound grief over the unfortunate incident where Indian security forces lost their lives. "Our jawans, be it police or the Army, put their lives at risk to protect our borders. That is how we are able to celebrate our festivals and move on with our lives," said Shinde while addressing reporters after attending a function in Srinagar on September 17th. He further added, "Every citizen of the country condemns this incident and so do I."

Shinde also asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would ensure justice for these martyrs' sacrifice. He stated emphatically, "PM Narendra Modi will account for every drop of blood and the terrorists will be given a befitting reply."

Martyrs Remembered

The tragic encounter resulted in the loss of several brave hearts including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles; Major Ashish Dhonchak; Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat; as well as another soldier whose identity was not disclosed immediately.

A Call For Justice

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha echoed similar sentiments during his address to the gathering post-incident. He stressed upon avenging every drop of martyr's blood shed by terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir region.

"We have complete faith in the bravery of our soldiers," he reassured those present at the gathering before adding, "I want to assure that every drop of the martyrs' blood will be avenged and the terrorist handlers will have to pay a heavy price."

In conclusion, both leaders demonstrated an unwavering resolve against terrorism and pledged their commitment to maintaining peace and security in India. Their statements serve as a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers on the frontlines for protecting our borders. The promise of retribution sends a clear message to those who threaten India's sovereignty - that they will face stern repercussions for their actions.
Controversy Surrounds Election Commissioners Bill: Opposition Labels it Anti-Democratic

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office Bill, 2023 has been criticized by several opposition leaders. They label it as anti-Constitutional and anti-democratic. Amidst this criticism, the government may reconsider discussing the bill in an upcoming session.

India

-Krishna Kripa

On Sunday, September 17, New Delhi witnessed a wave of criticism from several opposition leaders against the bill concerning the appointment and service conditions of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners. The all-party meeting saw these leaders denouncing the bill as anti-Constitutional and anti-democratic, causing a stir in political circles.

The Controversial Bill

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office Bill, 2023 has been a topic of heated debate ever since it was listed among the four bills proposed by the government for discussion in an upcoming five-day session. This bill proposes to replace the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet minister in the panel responsible for selecting members for crucial roles such as that of chief election commissioner and other election commissioners. Critics argue that this move could grant excessive control to the government over these appointments.

Reconsidering The Decision

In light of severe backlash from both opposition leaders and former CECs (Chief Election Commissioners) and ECs (Election Commissioners), official sources have indicated that there might be a reconsideration on whether or not to proceed with discussing this controversial bill during the session beginning Monday. "We are yet to take a final call," said one source when asked if they would continue to push for its passage during this session.

Implications For Democracy

This development comes at a time when concerns about democratic backsliding are rife across nations globally. Critics argue that any move which allows greater governmental influence over independent constitutional bodies like Election Commission could potentially undermine their autonomy, thereby posing serious threats to democracy itself. Many believe that maintaining checks-and-balances is essential for ensuring free-and-fair elections  one of many pillars upon which successful democracies stand.

Awaiting A Final Decision

As of now, it remains unclear whether the government will proceed with the bill or withdraw it in response to the criticism. However, this incident has sparked a broader conversation about the balance of power within democratic institutions and the role that independent bodies play in safeguarding democratic principles. It is an issue that demands careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation.

In conclusion, while bills like these may seem procedural at first glance, they carry significant implications for democracy and governance. The controversy surrounding this particular bill highlights not only its potential impact on India's electoral system but also underscores wider concerns about governmental overreach into independent constitutional bodies. As we await a final decision from the government on whether to proceed with this bill or not, one thing is clear: This debate is far from over.
Telangana Elections: How BJP Is Trying To Trump BRS, Congress Through OBC Card?

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Ready For Polls, People Want Change: Congress Working Committee In Hyderabad

India

oi-Prakash KL

The Congress on Sunday expressed strong confidence in securing a clear and decisive mandate in the forthcoming assembly polls across five states.

The assertion was made in a resolution adopted at the conclusion of the extended Congress Working Committee meeting here. "This meeting of the Extended Congress Working Committee concludes by expressing its confidence that the Indian National Congress will receive a decisive mandate from the people of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana in the assembly elections that will be held shortly," the resolution stated.

The Congress Party stands fully prepared for the upcoming challenge, firmly believing that the citizens of the country desire a change, as affirmed in the resolution. The party pledged to meet their aspirations for law and order, freedom, social and economic justice, equality, and fairness.

The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) took place on Saturday.

Besides regular members, permanent invitees and special invitees, the extended meeting of the apex decision-making body of the party included state party chiefs, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders, parliamentary party office-bearers and its Central Election Committee members.

Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stressed on unity and maintaining discipline to take on adversaries and ensure success.

In his speech on the second day of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Kharge urged party leaders to set aside their personal differences to ensure the party's success and work towards forming an alternative government in the country.

Addressing the CWC members, state unit presidents, and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders, Kharge urged them to unite in the common objective of defeating the BJP in both the 2024 general elections and the upcoming five assembly polls. He also emphasized their readiness for elections in Jammu and Kashmir whenever they are announced.

The Congress leader criticized the Narendra Modi government for deflecting public focus from fundamental concerns.

"This is not the time for us to rest... We must unite and overthrow this dictatorial government to save our democracy," the Congress president told the leaders.

He said the people are looking for an alternative and the Congress' victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka elections are clear proof of this.

"We must work tirelessly putting aside personal interests. We must prioritise the success of the party putting aside our personal differences. We must exercise self-restraint and avoid going to media with statements against our leaders or party so that the Congress' interests are not harmed," Kharge asserted.

The Congress on Saturday had 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.

The party had made the assertion in a 14-point resolution adopted by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on the first day of the deliberations.

Meanwhile, INDIA Bloc cancels its first public rally in Bhopal. Congress leader Kamal Nath confirmed the news while addressing the media in Bhopal.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, September 17, 2023, 17:22 [IST]
BJP Issues Show Cause Notice To Bidhuri For His Objectionable Remarks Against Danish Ali In LS

RS Chairman Dhankhar Hoists National Flag At New Parliament Building

India

pti-PTI

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building here. Flanked by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he hoisted the flag atop the "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building.

The hoisting ceremony takes place a day before the five-day Parliament session begins Monday which may see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building. Earlier, Dhankhar and Birla were separately accorded a guard of honour by the CRPF's Parliament Duty Group.

"It is a historic moment, Bharat is witnessing epochal change. The world is in total recognition of might, power and contribution of Bharat," Dhankhar told reporters after the ceremony. Union ministers, including Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and Arjun Ram Meghwal, attended the ceremony where leaders from other political parties were also present.

Dhankhar and Birla interacted with the guests after the event as a CRPF band played in the background. Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had said on Saturday that he would not be able to attend the flag hoisting function and expressed disappointment over getting the invite "quite late".

#WATCH | Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar hoists the national flag at Gaj Dwar, the New Building of Parliament. pic.twitter.com/dwlGNDfjGq  ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

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. The Congress Working Committee is meeting in Hyderabad.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Attacks Leftist Influence in Education System

Speaking at a book launch event, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat criticized what he perceives as the leftist ecosystem's intrusion into education. He cited a case where kindergarten students were asked about their private parts as an example of this influence.

India

-Krishna Kripa

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief, Mohan Bhagwat, on Sunday described an educational exercise of finding out whether kindergarten students were aware of their private parts as an attack by the leftist ecosystem. Speaking at the launch of a Marathi book 'Jagala Pokharnari Davi Walvi' (World-Weakening Leftist Termites) in Pune, he expressed his concern over what he perceives as a growing influence of leftists not only against Hindus or Bharat but also globally.

The Controversial Education Exercise

Bhagwat recounted his visit to a school in Gujarat where he was shown instructions given to kindergarten teachers. The directive asked class teachers to find out if KG-2 pupils knew the names of their private parts. "The attack of leftist ecosystem has come this far and it is not possible without the help of the people," expressed Bhagwat. He interpreted such exercises as part of a larger plan by leftists to infiltrate and disrupt traditional Indian values and culture.

Global Impact

Highlighting how these attacks are being made on all auspicious things in "our" culture, Bhagwat drew parallels with recent decisions taken by foreign governments. He cited an example from the United States where after Donald Trump's term ended, one of the first orders issued related to school education guidelines concerning gender identity discussions among pupils.

"Pupils should be able to decide on their own," said Bhagwat referring to these guidelines which stipulate that teachers should refrain from talking about gender with their students. The idea behind this policy change is that children should have autonomy over self-identifying their gender; for instance, if a boy identifies himself as a girl then he should be allowed to use facilities accordingly.

A Call to Action

The RSS chief's comments are a call for vigilance against what he perceives as the leftist ecosystem's detrimental influence on cultural values and norms, both domestically and globally. He believes that these attacks are not just targeted at Hindus or Bharat, but have wider implications for societies worldwide.

In conclusion, Bhagwat's speech at the book launch was an attempt to highlight his concerns about perceived threats from leftists to traditional Indian culture. His comments drew attention to educational practices in schools as well as policy changes in foreign countries which he views as part of a larger global trend of leftist influence. The RSS chief emphasised the need for increased awareness and vigilance against such influences which he believes could potentially undermine societal norms and values.
MOGADISHU, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Somali National Army killed more than 30 al-Shabab fighters on Saturday evening in operations in central Somalia.

"The operation resulted in the death of 30 fighters, the destruction of four vehicles, and the seizure of two more vehicles and weapons," the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism said in a statement released on Saturday evening in Mogadishu.

"We are grateful to the brave citizens who chose to stand against the enemy. We are united in our mission to eradicate al-Shabab," it added.

The ministry also confirmed that Mohamed Bashir Muse, a senior al-Shabab leader, was among the 30 fighters killed during the operations. It said the joint military operations are underway in areas under Mahaday district in Middle Shabelle region targeting senior al-Shabab fighters hiding near river banks.

Residents said the armed forces and the local forces have taken full control of Sargo and Qodqod villages in the region of Mudug.

The move came as the African Union Transition Mission is expected to scale down its troops this month by a further 3,000 personnel after successfully withdrawing 2,000 troops and handing over six military bases to the Somali side in June. The withdrawal of 3,000 AU troops in the second phase is expected to be completed by the end of September. 
Joyous Moment as Santiniketan Enters UNESCO World Heritage List - Mamata Banerjee Shares Her Happiness

West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee expressed her joy on social media over the inclusion of Santiniketan in the UNESCO's World Heritage list. She credited this achievement to the tireless efforts by former Vice Chancellors since 2005 and support from people of Bengal.

India

-Krishna Kripa

In a recent announcement that has caused waves of joy and pride across the country, Santiniketan, the town closely associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, has been added to UNESCOs World Heritage List. The news was received with particular enthusiasm by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is currently in Spain.

Mamata Banerjee's Reaction

Banerjee expressed her delight on social media platform X saying, "Glad and proud that our Santiniketan, the town of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is now finally included in UNESCOs World Heritage List." She further emphasized how Santiniketan had been nurtured by the poet himself and continued to be supported by people of Bengal over generations.

Government's Contribution

The chief minister also highlighted the role played by her government in this achievement. She said,"We from the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to its infrastructure in the last 12 years and the world now recognises the glory of this heritage place." In an expression of gratitude towards all those who love Bengal and appreciate Tagore's messages of fraternity, she ended her statement with a spirited "Jai Bangla" and paid homage to Gurudev.

Acknowledging Past Efforts

This accomplishment did not come easily or overnight. It was made possible due to relentless efforts put forth by various individuals over time. Former Visva Bharati officiating vice-chancellor Sabujkali Basu acknowledged this fact when she said,"This is a proud moment for everyone and it was the result of sincere efforts by former VCs since 2005."

She went on to mention names like Rajatkanta Roy and Sushanta Kumar Duttagupta among others who had tirelessly worked towards achieving this honour. The sense of satisfaction and pride in her voice was palpable when she said, "We are obviously happy."

Significance of the Honour

It is important to note that this honour has not been bestowed upon any university located in the area but to Santiniketan itself. This underlines the cultural and historical significance of the town as a whole, beyond just its educational institutions.

In conclusion, Santiniketan's inclusion into UNESCOs World Heritage List marks a significant milestone for India. It serves as recognition of our rich cultural heritage and pays tribute to one of our greatest poets, Rabindranath Tagore. This achievement is also testimony to the persistent efforts made by various individuals over time who believed in the value and potential of this place. As we celebrate this momentous occasion, let us also remember Gurudev's messages of fraternity and strive towards creating a world that embodies these ideals.
Soldier On Leave Kidnapped From His Home In Manipur, Killed

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Body of a soldier of the Indian Army was found at Khuningthek village, east of Mongjam in Imphal East. The soldier was recognised as Sepoy Serto Thangthang Kom.

Sepoy Kom, who was on leave at his home in Manipur, was kidnapped by some unidentified people on Saturday. His 10-year-old son who was the only eyewitness to the crime reportedly informed the police that three men entered their home while his father and he were working on the porch. The men placed a pistol on Sepoy Kom's head and forced him into a white vehicle.

According to the police officials, Sepoy Kom was kidnapped by the armed men from his home around 10 AM yesterday.

The police found his body on Sunday at Khuningthek village, east of Mongjam in Imphal East. His brother and brother-in-law identified the body and confirmed by spotting a single bullet wound on his head.

Sepoy Kom who hailed from Tarung in Imphal West was survived by his wife, daughter and son.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, Nagaland, Manipur And Rest of Arunachal Pradesh took to platform X, formerly Twitter, "An Indian Army soldier, Sep Serto Thangthang Kom (41), was abducted & later killed, by 3 unidentified miscreants, while on leave at Tarung, Happy Valley, Imphal West. He was deployed at DSC Platoon, Leimakhong, Manipur. He is survived by his wife & 2 children." .

A statement by the Army read, "We strongly condemn the killing of Sep Serto Thangthang Kom and stand by his family in these difficult times."

The last rites of Sepoy Kom shall be conducted as per the wishes of the family, as per an official statement. Reportedly, Army has rushed a team to assist the family in all manners possible.
Will Obey High Command Decision: Siddaramaiah On Pitch For 3 More DCMs In Karnataka

India

pti-PTI

With voices from within his cabinet pitching for the appointment of three more deputy chief ministers in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the high command would decide on it ultimately, and that he would comply with the decision.

Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna had on Saturday floated the idea of having three more DCMs in Karnataka and said he would discuss it with the Congress high command, keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Noting that it was the personal opinion of the minister, who will raise it before the party leadership, the chief minister on his part made it clear that he has no say on the issue and it is for the high command to decide.

"He (Rajanna) has expressed his opinion, but ultimately high command has to decide. The high command had said that one Deputy Chief Minister was enough and had appointed one. He (Rajanna) has said that he will speak to the high command on three more DCMs. Let him," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I don't have anything (to say). Ultimately high command has to make the decision. Whatever is the decision taken by the high command, I will obey it."

Rajanna had pitched for the three posts to be given to leaders from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities.

Currently, D K Shivakumar from the Vokkaliga community is the only Deputy Chief Minister. He is also the state Congress President.

Rajanna's pitch for three DCMs comes despite the Congress decision at the time of cabinet formation that Shivakumar would be "the only" deputy CM -- amid stiff competition between him and Siddaramaiah for the chief minister's post after the Assembly election results came out in May this year.

It was said that it was one of the commitments that the Congress leadership had 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.

Reacting to Rajanna's statement, Home Minister G Parameshwara, who was a DCM aspirant when the government was being formed in May, said on Saturday that there is nothing wrong in Rajanna asking for more DCMs.

Rajanna has said it with good intention, he had 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."

Parameshwara, a Dalit leader, who is the longest-serving KPCC President, has served as DCM in the past, during Congress-JD(S) coalition government.
Actor Russell Brand Accused Of Alleged Sexual Assault

International

oi-Sushmita Halder

Comedian and actor Russell Brand faces backlashes over rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse. Reportedly, four women are allegedly accused Brand of sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013.

However, Brand has denied the allegations and claimed that his relationships have been "always consensual".

During the years covered by the allegations, Brand had various high-profile jobs at different times, including at BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, and as an actor in Hollywood films.

On Friday, Russell Brand released a video in which he denied "serious criminal allegations" he said were about to be made against him.

The actor and comedian said he had received letters from a TV company and newspaper, containing "a litany" of "aggressive attacks".

In the video, posted on YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, Brand said: "Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some 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."

The Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault" but had not received any reports.

"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."

Most of the women, who the Times said do not know each other, have chosen to remain anonymous.

The woman who said she was 16 when she first came into contact with Brand. Another woman alleged to the newspaper that she repeatedly told Brand to get off her during one sexual assault, and that when he eventually relented he "flipped" and was "super angry".

A different woman claimed that Brand pushed her up against the wall and raped her, without a condom. She alleged Brand tried to stop her leaving until she told him she was going to the bathroom.

Brand has hosted a number of radio and TV programmes for networks including Channel 4, MTV, Radio X and the BBC.

He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the early 2000s but got his big break a few years later as the host of Big Brother's Big Mouth on E4.

After his profile surged, Brand was cast in Hollywood films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek and Arthur.

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.

The relationship with the 16-year-old is alleged to have taken place at a time when Brand was working as a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music.

It is alleged Brand would undress in the studio while working on the show. It is also alleged that Brand made a series of sexual remarks on air about a newsreader, which he later implied he had been told by BBC production staff to apologise for.

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Literacy for Life founder Jack Beetson has helped educate Indigenous youth for decades, now hes calling on Australians to help by voting Yes.
Portugals Vincent Pinto was sent from the field when jumped for the ball and made contact with the head of a Welshman Mason Grady with his boot. He was given a yellow card initially, which was upgraded to red.
The move is part of the EU's sweeping sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with Poland joining its Baltic allies. Poland's interior minister said cars registered in Russia have "no right" to enter.
German police say 26 officers were among those injured after violence on the sidelines of an Eritrean event in Stuttgart. Tensions run deep within the diaspora over the eastern African nation's polarized politics.
Oneindia 12 Oct 2023

Stave Scalice, a Republican representative, secured the nomination for the next speaker of the US House of Representatives within..
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. 
Three judges of the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg have dismissed Jacob Zuma's attempt to revive his private prosecution of President Cyril Ramaphosa  and found that the former president's advocate, Dali Mpofu, "sought to mislead" them in that litigation.
The body of former IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has entered the eponymous regional stadium amid ululation, high emotions and praise-singing in the mid-morning in uLundi, KwaZulu-Natal.
Eurasia Review 11 Sep 2023

Every nation irrespective of its size and system has its flag, which stands for a nation's land, people, culture, and government. A..
We must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germanys Funke media group published Sunday.



Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin, he said.



We are all wishing for a quick peace, Stoltenberg said, but at the...
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Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) September 17, 2023: I recognize that I have blind spots, so to speak, about myself - that is, I know that I have had to learn from others about certain limitations and tendencies that I have. When others have called certain limitations and tendencies that I have to my attention, I have not always acknowledged and recognized them immediately. More often than not, I have resisted acknowledging and recognizing certain limitations and tendencies that others have called to my attention. At times, I have even been defensive about them.

However, even after I have come to acknowledge and recognize them, I have not usually scolded myself publicly for them. As a matter of fact, I have not publicly acknowledged certain limitations and tendencies that others have called to my attention - after I have come to acknowledge and recognize them.

Consequently, I do not expect that Pope Francis (born in 1936) will ever publicly acknowledge that he does not understand the import of the Doctrine of Discovery that Robert P. Jones insightfully discusses in his new 2023 book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future (Simon & Schuster).

I have discussed Jones' new 2023 book in my 2,900-word OEN article "Robert P. Jones on the Doctrine of Discovery" (dated September 15, 2023):

Click Here

In it, toward the end, I mention Pope Francis' 2020 apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia ("Beloved Amazon") - which is available in English and other languages at the Vatican's website. It would have been fitting for Pope Francis to discuss the Doctrine of Discovery in his 2020 apostolic exhortation. But, alas, he did not. So it remains for him to discuss the Doctrine of Discovery in a future document.

Now, in addition to criticizing Pope Francis for his apparent ignorance about the Doctrine of Discover in his new 2023 book, Jones also criticizes the unnamed Vatican officials who formulated the Vatican's 2023 official repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. Briefly, Jones criticizes both Pope Francis and those unnamed Vatican officials for a lack of candor - which in my judgment is a justified criticism.

Granted, a lack of candor is not unusual. Nevertheless, I want to explore here certain other thoughts regarding Pope Francis and the unnamed Vatican officials who formulated the Vatican's 2023 official repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery.

I have profiled the doctrinally conservative Pope Francis in my OEN article "Pope Francis on Evil and Satan" (dated March 24, 2019):

Click Here

Now, in S. I. Hayakawa's terminology, the word empire today is not a purr-word. Nor is the word colonialism.

Nevertheless, I would call your attention to the title of the Italian journalist Massimo Franco's book Parallel Empires: The Vatican and the United States - Two Centuries of Alliance and Conflict, translated by Roland Flamini (Doubleday/ Random House, 2009). Granted, there are people who resist thinking of the United States as an empire, just as there are people who resist thinking of the Roman Catholic Church as an empire.

The Wikipedia entry about Massimo Franco reports that he was born in 1954. However, it is so short that it does not even mention his book Parallel Empires: The Vatican and the United States - Two Centuries of Alliance and Conflict.

Click Here

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(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
After running a 10K race in just over an hour, Alisha Carter stood near the finish line of the Martin Luther King Dream Run in North Portland on Sunday, dancing, stretching and cheering for others who finished their races.

To see the things that you worked hard for, to see them happen in real time and to come across the finish line and give it all that you have  its just amazing, Carter said. We have good music, good people; this is what its about, she added, pausing to whoop in support of another finisher.

Hundreds gathered at Portland Community Colleges Cascade Campus over the weekend for the 12th annual Dream Run, a fundraiser for the Soul District Business Association and a youth entrepreneurship program. Black-owned businesses sold earrings and clothing and baked goods from tents on a campus lawn. Neighbors, sponsors and runners flocked to the college for an 8 a.m. race time with supporters and kids in tow.

I like it out here, said 14-year-old Tigard student Amira Rutherford, who ran a 5K with her dad, Abdul Rutherford. Its very diverse; theres a lot of different kinds of people from a lot of different kinds of places.

Adrien Bennings, president of Portland Community College, kicked off Sundays activities with a short speech invoking the theme of the event, eyes on the prize. To Bennings, the phrase means setting goals and working to achieve them  something important to athletes, as Bennings knows from her days in professional track and field, but also to the 50,000-plus students she leads at one of Oregons most racially diverse colleges.

Each of the students we serve has a dream and goals, and at PCC were here to help them keep their eyes on the prize. In our community were here to help you keep your eyes on the prize, Bennings said. Let us run this race with our eyes firmly fixed on the prize of a brighter, more unified tomorrow.

Bennings words resonated with Ebony Foreman, who walked at the back of the 5K crowd with her 1-year-old son, Christopher, perched on her hip. Foreman said she saw the run as a chance to bring people together under the goal of strengthening the community by supporting diverse entrepreneurs and making sure communities of color are seen and represented in the Humboldt neighborhood of PCCs Cascade campus.

I think especially for BIPOC businesses in this community and as (Bennings) said, for many BIPOC students, its hard to feel represented in Portland, specifically when its a predominantly white city, Foreman said. Coming together in a neighborhood that was historically of color, unified under the idea of Dr. Kings dream, has a way of continuing that message and ensuring that his vision is alive.

Jesse Kamau Rogers, president of Portlands Coalition of Black Men, said people dont always remember that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for economic development. The coalition counts that among its goals and hosts training and entrepreneurial opportunities. It also mentors students and works to serve the needs of Black youth. The coalition ran a booth where runners could stash their bags during Sundays run and has for several years participated in the event to recruit new members.

Its been good, Rogers said. The energy has been good, the weather has definitely been great and look at the people  theyre just glad to get back out.

Carter, who danced and cheered near the coalitions booth, spent her whole weekend at the campus on Killingworth Street. Her 13-year-old son won a youth race on Saturday, and Carter came back for her 10K on Sunday.

The race was a chance for Carter to be active and participate in her community, she said. Running with other people demands a level of vulnerability, she said, even when you get tired and want to give up, you have to push yourself to keep going. She tried to encourage those she saw struggling along the route, and when she got tired, others did the same.

You have to run your race. Everybody here, they are committed to something. They are fighting for something, Carter said. If you can show up and be the best you, you never know who youre encouraging on the way.

Sundays overall event winners in each race were:

5K:

Demetrius Rhodes with a time of 17:47

Carre Heineck with a time of 18:06

10K:

Michael McGehee with a time of 36:40

Caitlin Ranson with a time of 37:17

15K:

Firaol Woticha with a time of 54:01

Corinne Robitaille with a time of 54:02

This story was brought to you through a partnership between The Oregonian/OregonLive and Report for America. Learn how to support this crucial work.

Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.
Oregons carbon cap program aims to achieve environmental justice goals alongside a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. But in building out this one-of-a-kind program, state leaders should beware of sacrificing transparency and effectiveness to get there. Unfortunately, the program is already raising questions about their commitment to both.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced last week that it has chosen the well-regarded Seeding Justice foundation as its partner for the Community Climate Investment Fund. That initiative, which is part of the states Climate Protection Program to cap and lower emissions levels, allows oil companies and natural gas utilities to pay Seeding Justice for state-issued credits to cover emissions that exceed their permissible limits.

Seeding Justice would then invest the money in projects around the state that are intended to help transition from fossil fuels and reduce the impacts of climate change, particularly on communities of color, tribes, low-income and rural communities, as The Oregonian/OregonLives Gosia Wozniacka reported. The program is expected to raise $150 million per year  or more  depending on how many fuel suppliers and natural gas utilities opt to pay for credits.

Notwithstanding the programs good intentions nor our shared imperative to lower emissions, theres no getting around the fact that this is a risky set-up that gives a private entity incredible authority for a state program funded by regulated companies. Seeding Justice will spearhead decisions on which counties, communities and projects receive money without the obligation to follow public records and open meetings laws that govern state agencies and decision-making bodies. While Seeding Justices grants must comply with a state-approved work plan and operate under state oversight, such an arrangement does not build in by law the broad public input and scrutiny that decisions by public agencies must undergo.

In a call and emails with The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board, DEQ managers stressed the importance of transparency for the programs success and noted the agency will be negotiating a contract with Seeding Justice that seeks to protect that. Already, in addition to the requirement that Seeding Justice spend funds only in line with the agency-approved work plan, DEQ will mandate regular reporting on metrics about chosen investments, including location, emissions reductions, benefits to Oregonians and how decisions were made. Reports will be shared publicly.

But the department has already shown a willingness to shield discussions from the public with its Equity Advisory Committee, a 10-member body that has helped guide the agencys development of the Community Climate Investment Fund. The committee recently met in a closed meeting to discuss the selection of Seeding Justice and sensitive financial information, the agency said. As an advisory committee, it does not have to follow the same open meetings requirements. But considering that DEQ emphasized how critical this committee will continue to be in guiding the climate investment fund, the agency should recognize and embrace a higher level of transparency than what the letter of the law calls for. Sensitive data can be shared in an executive session while the rest of the meeting is held publicly, for example.

The public is paying attention. In fact, Wozniackas story prompted Portland accountant Tom Busse, who has worked in nonprofits, to contact The Oregonian/OregonLive to draw attention to the transparency implications. We should follow good government principles, Busse said, a noncontroversial stance that is too frequently compromised.

Certainly, theres nothing about Seeding Justice that triggers any particular concern  the nonprofit has demonstrated nearly 50 years of commitment to communities around Oregon, with a strong presence in rural areas. This structural arrangement, born in part because DEQ does not have legislative authority to collect carbon payments from regulated entities, would prompt questions regardless of which private entity were to administer the program. But scrutiny is necessary. This is a massive new program with broad public impact  in how it may affect the prices consumers pay at gas pumps and for heating homes and in whether it achieves the emissions reductions that are promised.

That raises another concern. While companies will be paying Seeding Justice in exchange for emissions credits from the state  $123 per ton is this years price  the nonprofit will be largely funding projects that have yet to produce the emissions savings that the credits are supposed to represent. That means that, by design, emissions reductions may or may not meet the states annual cap, considering both the time lag for projects to get up and running and the uncertainty of whether the projects will achieve the emissions reductions as projected.

Colin McConnaha, manager of DEQs Office of Greenhouse Gases, said the agency doesnt expect that that one credit purchased through Seeding Justice will match up precisely with one metric ton of greenhouse gas reduction. Rather, the expectation is that some projects will deliver more and some will deliver less than that benchmark, with the group of investments as a whole evaluated for their effectiveness. While any new program will incorporate some uncertainty, the number of questions surrounding this effort ratchet up the degree of difficulty in achieving its goals.

To be sure, the two-dozen fuel suppliers and natural gas utilities regulated under the Climate Protection Program arent required to buy credits through Seeding Justice. They can comply with the program by staying within their allowance or trading amongst themselves for credits. But the reality is that many will see little choice but to do so. The market for trading in this only-in-Oregon program is small and many of the companies will be unable to meet demand and limit price hikes without exceeding their caps, at least until greater clean-energy sources are developed.

DEQ should revisit its program and objectively examine how it can increase transparency and certainty of emissions reductions under the current set-up, or whether the agency should seek legislative authority to take payments itself. Oregon should be following good-government principles; equally important, it must be willing to change course when it is not.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

Sign up for our free Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email:


TOKYO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The rich and vibrant history of the ancient Silk Road has come to life here in Tokyo as an exhibition featuring a dazzling array of Chinese cultural treasures has opened its doors to the Japanese public.

Commemorating the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the Great Silk Road World Heritage Exhibition has opened at the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum in Tokyo.

In 2014, a joint application by China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan led to the recognition of "the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor" as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The exhibition, which opened Friday, features 237 sets of Silk Road artifacts carefully selected from 27 major museums and institutes across China.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao, when speaking at the opening ceremony, expressed his hope that this exhibition would contribute to a better understanding among the Japanese people of the historical origins and cultural significance of the Silk Road, fostering goodwill and mutual understanding between the two nations.

"This exhibition reaffirms the indispensable role of cultural exchange in the future prosperity and peace of both Japan and China," said Masanori Aoyagi, former cultural affairs commissioner and honorary adviser to the exhibition.

The exhibition, which will run in Tokyo until Dec. 10, is scheduled to tour Fukuoka, Miyagi, Ehime, Okayama, and Kyoto from January 2024 to February 2025. 
After reading the print edition of The Oregonian on Sept. 10, Im tempted to think that little in government works as planned.

The Oregon Department of Corrections doesnt track prisoner deaths from drug overdoses, (Oregon doesnt track ODs by prisoners even as drug use surges behind bars, Sept. 8). This is blamed on outdated medical charting and billing systems. Actually, each drug death could be recorded by hand -- on lined paper in a three-ring binder, one for each prison -- and tallied monthly and yearly.
I could not have been happier to see that a judge with good common sense prevented the old Pac-12 from meeting last week, (Bill Oram: Funnel cake, speed traps and Oregon States alliance with Washington State to save the Pac-12, Sept. 11). Had they met it would have been a hypocrisy of the highest order.

At this point, there are only two legitimate members of the old Pac 12: OSU and WSU. When UCLA and USC announced last year they were leaving the conference, they were immediately dropped from the voting board. It was the same earlier this year when Colorado announced it was leaving. It is beyond the pale for the rest of the members who have recently announced they are leaving to have the audacity and hypocrisy to try to hold a board meeting.

If OSU and WSU prevail, as they should, they actually will be in a rather favorable position going forward to reconstitute something akin to the old Pac-12 and all its prior iterations. I agree with letter writer Dave Andress who said the remaining Pac-2 schools should schedule a game for Thanksgiving weekend in 2024, (Readers respond: Thoughts on the PAC-12 evaporation, Sept. 11). I would go to that wherever it is held. I say that as a previous season ticket holder to the Ducks. I vow to never set foot in Autzen Stadium again.

Harold Weight, Beaverton

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
I pass on to you a message from my friend Scott Gordon, the president of FAIR LDS, about FAIRs upcoming virtual conference on Defending the Book of Mormon, which will occur on 22-23 September (commemorating the 200th anniversary of the appearance of the angel Moroni to the young Joseph Smith):

Join us September 22-23 for a FREE virtual Book of Mormon conference with keynote speaker Richard Bushman

Please join us for this event commemorating the day in 1827 when the prophet Joseph Smith received the gold plates from Moroni from which the Book of Mormon was translated. We will be pleased to hear a presentation from our keynote speaker, Richard Bushman, on the evening of September 22 at 7:00 PM MDT, followed by a day of presentations on September 23. The entire event will be streamed free of charge on our YouTube channel. More information is available here.

Brother Bushmans presentation will stream here. Click notify me to get a reminder from YouTube when the session is about to begin.

Saturdays presentations will be:

Jake Billings  All things denote there is a God: Lehis discourse on natural theology in Second Nephi 2

Matthew Roper  The Book of Mormon and Archaeology Challenges: Questions and Perspectives

Stephen Smoot  Is the Book of Mormon a Translation or a Revelation?

Joshua Gehly  The Cross of Christ and Golden Plates  Using an Established Historical Method to Authenticate Ancient Artifacts

Morgan Deane  Greater Portion of the Word: The Decisive Book of Mormon in the Debates on War and Peace

Charles Dike  Observations on Jaredite Ships and Travel to the Promised Land A Peculiar Journey

Spencer R. Marsh and Spencer Kraus  The Lehites God-Imposed Affliction by the Red Sea: A New Solution to the Puzzling 2 Nephi 19:1

Brent Schmidt  The Restoration of Relational Grace Through the Book of Mormon

Neal Rappleye  Written Upon Gold Plates  Comparing Witness Descriptions with Artifacts from the Pre-Modern World

During the conference, you can send questions for the Q&A by text at:

(801) 801-4959

Help us commemorate 200 years since Moronis first visit to Joseph Smith as these scholars share their insights on defending the Book of Mormon.
Ghanas presidential contest, without a doubt, is increasingly drifting away from the regime of populist propaganda and mere political affiliation to a regime of competency, integrity, and proven track records.



This consideration constitutes the very qualities citizens look out for when electing political leaders, particularly presidential candidates.



The appetite, demands, and expectations of citizens have expanded due to a form perception emanating from an opulent lifestyle of some political figures and the nature of African political campaigns.



It is natural for right-thinking members of society to align themselves to political candidates known for making positive impacts on society, and with policies targeting especially the vulnerable.



A political opponent whether internally or externally will naturally attack their fierce competitor, who ideally will be the centre of attention in all propaganda and major discourse.



Ghanaians would require an extension of current leadership with nuanced mixture of acumen wedged in an understanding of the broad political polarization of our country, the huge diversity, huge demands and interest.



Ghanaians will love to have a leader who can build bridges in the midst of global economic challenges; a leader with the magic wand, the most committed and experienced one with an extraordinary qualities to cause extraordinary political history, and gains to break the Ghanaian historic political eight year cycle.



A man who exudes an aura to unite people of ethnic, political, religious, age, gender, and academic divide, an emotionally intelligent, positive-minded, humble, focused, with integrity and respectful.



One man stands tall and fits in perfectly into our current political quest to get a leader come January 2025. The current political cynosure is no other person but H.E. Mahamudu Bawumia.



Lady Vera Wiredu

Development Communications Specialist

Source: Lady Vera Wiredu Development Communications Specialist









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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In the last week of August 2023, Joy FM premiered the investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkors latest documentary Forests under siege. Showing drone/aerial pictures of the devastation to forests and the environment and water bodies in Apamprama Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region, I asked myself a question I have heard journalist Raymond Acquah ask in frustration, what is wrong with us Ghanaians? Why will Ghanaians collude with foreigners to destroy our environment as if there is no tomorrow?



The documentary reminded one of the caustic question by the Chinese ambassador on radio/TV in 2019. Reacting to criticisms of his countrymen/women destroying Ghanas environment through galamsey, he asked who takes them when they arrive at Accra Airport to the galamsey sites? He told Ghanaians in the face to blame ourselves and not his countrymen/women.



Again, Erastus efforts reminded me of Professor Wangari Maathai of Kenya. Who is Maathai?



Professor Wangari Maathai



On 8th October 2004, Kenyan environmentalist Prof Wangari Maathai (1940  2011) earned a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace," becoming the first African woman to win the award.



A beneficiary of then Senator (later President) JF Kennedy Airlift programme of 1960 which at Kenyas independence, saw 300 young Kenyans including President Obamas father airlifted to the US to study, Wangari Maathai studied in the United States. Having earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from American universities, in 1971 she received a PhD in Veterinary Anatomy from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.



In 1977, the environmentally-conscious Prof Maathai created the Green Belt Movement (GBM), an indigenous grassroots organization in Kenya that empowered women through the planting of trees. Since Wangari Maathai started the movement in 1977, more than 51 million trees have been planted, and more than 30,000 women have been trained in forestry, food processing, bee-keeping, and other trades that help them earn income while preserving their lands and resources.



Having lived in Kenya myself, I am a witness of the results of her GBM. The ecological friendliness aside, the forest beautifies Nairobi. However, it came at great cost and sacrifice on her part including personal attacks on her life!



In recognition of her commitment to Kenyas environment, in October 2016, a major avenue, Forest Road in Nairobi was renamed to Wangari Maathai Road for her efforts to oppose several attempts to degrade forests and public parks through the Green Belt Movement.



Erastus Asare Donkor



In July 2023, Joy/Luv FM journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, was awarded the Environmental Sustainability Personality for 2023 by the Department of Planning at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The honour was in appreciation of his consistent dedication and commitment to protecting Ghanas natural environment through his work, in spite of attacks on him by the sponsors of galamsey.



Erastus investigative report, Destruction for Gold was described as insightful in uncovering the environmental havoc of galamsey in Ghana.



According to Professor Clifford Amoako, Head of the Department of Planning, Erastus deserves to be applauded for his bravery. He commended the steadfastness of Erasmus despite victimization from perpetrators of environmental crime.



Erastus expressed gratitude for the recognition and encouraged corporate entities to join in the battle to fight the growing canker saying;



I feel humbled. I feel honoured. This is no mean an award. Its coming from an institution that does planning of our resources across the country . . . It is our duty, it is all our responsibility, each one of us, including academia, to take charge and bring it to the fore and demand that we stop what is going on at the moment and preserve these resources for future use. I think that the Department of Planning (KNUST) has taken that lead and Im grateful, he said.



Discussion



Responding to questions on Chinese nationals involvement in the illegal mining after speaking at a lecture organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast in Graphic of 8th April 2019, Chinese Ambassador Mr Shi Ting Wang stated;



We dont know where your gold is. We dont issue visas too for the Chinese people coming to Ghana. Ghanaians issue the visas. Ghanaians aid the Chinese to where they can find your gold. Why are Chinese not doing illegal mining in South Africa where there is also a lot of gold...because they cannot do that there and the locals dont support such illegalities.



He added, the Chinese Embassy was surprised as to how some Chinese arrested for illegal mining were released without any communication with the embassy for their repatriation.



Ambassador Shi advised it was important that Ghanaians must first stop aiding foreigners in the galamsey business if efforts at fighting the menace are to be successful.



Need Ghana be schooled on such a basic commonsensical issue about our own national survival?



Like Nobel Prize laureate Wangari Maathai fought for environmental sustainability of Kenya, Erastus Asare Donkor deserves commendation and encouragement as he fights far stronger forces in the minefields of galamsey where officialdom has failed woefully!



At the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya from 4- 6 September 2023 Kenyas President William Ruto stated;



Kenya will leverage on its long-standing and warm relations with Ghana to increase its tea and horticultural products exports. Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we will also collaborate to pursue investment opportunities in agriculture and energy for our mutual prosperity.



The question is, with galamsey being allowed to destroy our environment as cocoa trees are decimated, land degraded and rivers/streams polluted, what is Ghana leveraging on for posterity?



Like Otumfuo Asantehene Nana Osei-Tutu has shown the way destooling derelict/wayward chiefs, institutions, chiefs and individual Ghanaians must join Erasmus Asare Donkors effort to save our environment for posterity!



Leadership, LEAD! Fellow Ghanaians, WAKE UP!





Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd)



Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association



Nairobi, Kenya.





Council Chairman



Family Health University College,



Teshie, Accra



[email protected]

























Source: Brig Gen Dan Frimpong (Rtd), Former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya









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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YANGON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's authorities have seized 5.62 kilograms of heroin and 240,000 stimulant tablets worth 204.3 million kyats (about 97,285 U.S. dollars) in the country's eastern state of Shan, said a release by the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotic police raided the home in Laukkaing Township of Shan State on Sept. 16 and found the drugs.

The suspect was charged under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, it said.

On Friday, 7,420 stimulant tablets were seized in the Kawkareik township of Southern Myanmar's Kayin State, it mentioned. 
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Finance and Administration of the National Youth Authority (NYA) and an aspiring parliamentary candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Adentan constituency, Madam Akosua Manu, has pledged her commitment to addressing healthcare imbalance in her constituency.



She has, therefore, vowed to champion enhanced healthcare services for constituents,, irrespective of their political party affiliations as well as prioritize their overall welfare.



Speaking at a health screening exercise, Kozie Cares Medical Outreach, at Otanor, Madam Akosua Manu emphasised the importance of regular check-ups, accessible and quality healthcare for residents of Adentan. She believes that healthcare is a fundamental right that should not be compromised and is determined to work tirelessly to ensure that the healthcare needs of the people she aspires to represent are met.



The healthcare exercise includes check-ups and free national health insurance registration and renewals for 16 Electoral Areas in Adentan. The health drive began on Thursday, September 14, 2023, and is scheduled to conclude on Friday, September 22, 2023.



The areas covered by this exercise include Otanor, Nmai Djorn, Adjiringano, Ogbojo, Nii Ashale East and West, New Adentan East and West, Man-Hee, Gbentanaa North and South, New Legon, Loose, Amrahia Marhejor, among others.



She further stressed that this effort is aimed at placing a premium on health and adequately preparing for the tasks ahead of the party. She also emphasised the importance of regular check-ups, which many Ghanaians often neglect, and her approach to bringing healthcare services to the doorstep of the people.



Additionally, she disclosed that eye screening will take place at the Adenta station on Saturday as part of the ongoing healthcare initiative. This screening, she said, is intended to address the issue of perennial Apollo infections and ensure the well-being of her constituents.



On the upcoming parliamentary elections, Kozie stressed the significance of conducting a clean campaign to unite the party ahead of victory. The Deputy NYA CEO also cautioned fellow flagbearer aspirants to maintain a fair and transparent campaign.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt says the banter over the new price of cocoa announced by the President Nana Akufo-Addo is "useless" as, to him, it doesn't address the main concerns in the cocoa industry.



According to him, the increment in cocoa producer price per bag to GHC1308, although duly acknowledged by him, is not the solution to the plight of the farmers.



He noted that increasing cocoa price isn't enough stressing there are pressing issues that must be addressed in order to streamline the cocoa industry.



"Something is wrong with the cocoa industry and what is wrong with the cocoa industry is not the money we are paying to the farmers. It is not the price; there's some fundamental problem with the cocoa industry", he exclaimed.



He argued that cocoa production in the country has drastically reduced from 1 million metric tonnes to under 600000 metric tonnes.



Also, the farmers are beset with illegal miners transgressing on their farms or illegal mining (galamsey) activities destroying their cocoa farms.



Furthermore, he raised concerns over the inadequacy of Ghanaian chocolate products on the market.



To Kwesi Pratt, these and many more are the main problems that cocoa farmers are encountering which call for immediate solutions.



"The (bickering over) price is such a useless argument because it is not the price that will make cocoa production go up", he emphasized.



Mr. Pratt made these submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Friday morning.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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General Manager of strategy and investment at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Dr. Kwame Amoah Baah-Nuakoh, has said that the Corporation is poised to define a realistic, workable path to a net zero future.



According to Dr Baah-Nuakoh, this decision by the GNPC is informed by the global call for collaborative action to prioritize good governance and a sustainable energy future for all.



He was speaking ahead of the upcoming World Petroleum Congress (WPC 2023) set for Calgary, Canada.



The WPC is a platform that 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.



The GNPC, alongside the Petroleum Commission, will at this years congress, host a Pavilion to, among other things, share Ghanas 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.



But more than a simple projection of Ghanas petroleum industry as a pristine sector for business, 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 unique business opportunity, generate significant revenues for economic development through the establishment of an added energy hub that could provide much-needed jobs.



Dr. Kwame Amoah Baah-Nuakoh said the WPC presents Ghana with an opportunity to market the availability of credible opportunities for international companies to explore partnership avenues for sustainable exploitation of Ghanas untapped Offshore and Onshore hydrocarbon deposits.



GNPC is at an advanced stage in its prospecting activities in the Voltaian Basin which holds 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, GNPC Chief Executive Officer, Opoku-Ahweeneh Danquah, stated that his outfit was continuously evaluating opportunities to leverage its technical competence and financial strength in unlocking 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 license, GNPC will seek to attract interest in not just funding but in knowledge exchange across strategies and technology necessary for successful explorations in Ghana.



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 concluded.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The thoughts of one Moroccan schoolteacher immediately turned to her pupils when she felt the 6.8-magnitude earthquake strike a week ago.



Nesreen Abu ElFadel was in Marrakesh - but Adaseel, the mountain village that was home to her school and pupils, was closer to the epicentre.



The Arabic- and French-language teacher returned to Adaseel where she went searching for the children.



She discovered that all 32 - ranging from six to 12 years old - had died.



"I went to the village and started asking about my kids: 'Where is Somaya? Where is Youssef? Where is this girl? Where is that boy?' The answer came hours later: 'They are all dead.'



"I imagined holding my class's attendance sheet and putting a line through one student's name after another, until I had scratched off 32 names; they are all now dead," she told the BBC.



They were among the almost-3,000 people killed by the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Morocco, which struck on the evening of 8 September.



The hardest-hit areas were those south of Marrakesh, where many mountain villages were completely destroyed. Adaseel was one of those places.



Ms ElFadel recalled how she heard about what happened to six-year-old Khadija.



Rescuers found the body of the child lying next to her brother Mohamed and her two sisters, Mena and Hanan. They had all been in their bed - probably asleep - during the quake, and they all went to Ms ElFadel's school.



"Khadija was my favourite. She was very nice, smart, active and loved to sing. She used to come to my house, and I loved studying and talking to her."



The language teacher described her students as "angels", and respectful children who were eager to learn. Despite struggling with poverty and a crushing cost-of-living crisis, the children and their families thought of going to school as "the most important thing in the world".



"Our last class was on Friday night, exactly five hours before the quake hit," Ms ElFadel said.



"We were learning Morocco's national anthem, and planned to sing it in front of the whole school on Monday morning."

Source: BBC









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Rev. Dr. Grace Sintim Adasi, the Principal of the Agogo Presbyterian Womens College of Education at Agogo, Asante Akyem, in the Ashanti Region, has shared a fascinating story about her life as an academic and religious leader.



Rev. Dr. Grace Sintim Adasi, who has an exceptional record of leadership and doubles as a Research Fellow with the Religions and Philosophy Section of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, appeared on Joy News' "PM Express Personality Profile" with host Ayisha Ibrahim and poured out nuggets of wisdom that have guided her journey from being a young woman with ambition to becoming a living testimony of the ambition.



She shared her thoughts on gender and change, talking about the unique roles that women, when educated, play in society.



"Women should be pushed into education. They should be empowered", she told the host.



Rev. Sintim Adasi also took a sneak peek into a book authored by her titled "Gender and Change: Roles and Challenges of Ordained Women Ministers of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana" which addresses the debate on women's ordination.



She stated, from her research, that women until 1976 were not allowed into ministry or ordained as Pastors in the Presby church and this problem even lingers till date.



Her book takes a holistic look into the challenges of women in ministry and determines the extent to which their roles have been marginalized by the Churchs heirachy and the congregation at large.



Having become a beacon of hope for women who desire to be ordained as religious leaders, Rev. Grace Sintim Adasi uses her book to bridge the gap between men and women in ministry and also position women as an important substance in the growth of the society.



Watch Rev. Grace Sintim Adasi on PM Express Personality Profile:





Gender And Change...A Must Read!

The book, "Gender and Change: Roles and Challenges of Ordained Women Ministers of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana", is a great read.



Read below:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Scientists in the UK and Belgium think they have figured out how brain cells die in Alzheimer's disease.



It has been a mystery and a source of scientific debate for decades.



But the team, writing in the journal Science, connect the abnormal proteins that build up in the brain with "necroptosis" - a form of cellular suicide.



The findings have been described as "cool" and "exciting", as they give new ideas for treating the disease.



Long-awaited clues



It is the loss of brain cells, called neurons, that lead to the symptoms of Alzheimer's, including memory loss.



And if you look inside the brains of people with the disease you'd see the build-up of abnormal proteins called amyloid and tau.



But scientists have not been able to join the dots between these key traits of the disease.



This is what the researchers - at the UK's Dementia Research Institute at University College London and KU Leuven in Belgium - now think is happening.



They say abnormal amyloid starts to build up in the spaces between neurons, leading to brain inflammation, which the neurons do not like. This starts to change their internal chemistry.



Tangles of tau appear and the brain cells start producing a specific molecule (it's called MEG3) that triggers death by necroptosis. Necroptosis is one of the methods our bodies normally use to purge unwanted cells as fresh ones are made.



The brain cells survived when the team were able to block MEG3.



"This is a very important and interesting finding," researcher Prof Bart De Strooper, from the UK's Dementia Research Institute, told the BBC.



"For the first time we get a clue to how and why neurons die in Alzheimer's disease. There's been a lot of speculation for 30-40 years, but nobody has been able to pinpoint the mechanisms.



"It really provides strong evidence it's this specific suicide pathway."



The answers came from experiments where human brain cells were transplanted into the brains of genetically modified mice. The animals were programmed to produce large quantities of abnormal amyloid.



There has been recent success in developing drugs that strip amyloid out of the brain and they mark the first treatments to slow the destruction of brain cells.



Prof De Strooper says the discovery that blocking the MEG3 molecule can hold off brain cell death could lead to a "whole new line of drugs development".



However, this will take years of research.



Prof Tara Spires-Jones, from the University of Edinburgh and the president of the British Neuroscience Association, told me "that is a cool paper".



She said it "addresses one of the fundamental gaps in Alzheimer's research these are fascinating results and will be important for the field moving forward."



However, she stressed that "many steps are needed" before knowing whether it could be harnessed as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's.



Dr Susan Kohlhaas, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said the findings were "exciting" but still at an early stage.



"This discovery is important because it points to new mechanisms of cell death in Alzheimer's disease that we didn't previously understand and could pave the way for new treatments to slow, or even stop disease progression in the future."

Source: BBC









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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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Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has expressed her disapproval of former President John Dramani Mahamas recent comments accusing President Akufo-Addo of stacking the judiciary with judges affiliated with the NPP.



Sophia Akuffo criticized Mahamas remarks, characterizing them as unnecessary and potentially detrimental to the judiciarys integrity.



The NDC flagbearer at the third annual lawyers conference of the NDC in Akosombo, claimed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has packed the courts with judges aligned with the ruling party.



He indicated that the NDC lawyers should be ready to be appointed to the bench to bring a balance if the NDC wins the 2024 elections.



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, Mahama said.



In response, the former Chief Justice in an interview with Asaase Radio, said such comments unfairly tarnish the reputation of the judiciary.



She questioned whether appointments made by Mahama during his tenure were based on political affiliation and emphasized the importance of avoiding such labels, which could create unnecessary pressures within the judiciary.



He has been through the process of appointing other people before, so was it that because they were NDC?it always upsets me when you get comments like oh this one is NPP judge, oh this one is NDC and yet you have never seen the person on any partys rally or platforms.



She added And these are some of the unnecessary pressures that are put on the judiciary. What difference will that tag make to me, my career and my work?sometimes it gets to you.



President Akufo-Addo on Monday, September 11, strongly criticized Mr Mahama for his remarks during a speech at the Bar Conference in Cape Coast.



He described Mahamas comments as very dangerous and said they constituted a brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary.



The GBA also said it shared Akufo-Addos concerns about the independence of the judiciary, but that it did not agree with his methods.



The GBA believes that the best way to protect the independence of the judiciary is to ensure that all politicians, regardless of their party affiliation, respect the rule of law and the separation of powers.

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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U.S. Senator John Fetterman drove from Pennsylvania to Michigan Saturday to picket with striking United Auto Workers members, according to a statement from Fetterman and photos provided by his office.

Fetterman appeared with striking workers in Wayne, Michigan, including a photo outside UAW Local 900, the union chapter which represents workers at Fords assembly plants there.

On Friday, members of the UAW - one of the nations largest labor organizations - voted to begin a strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, the European-based conglomerate that owns the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge brands in the U.S.

I drove 290 miles from Braddock in my UAW-made Ford Bronco to stand in solidarity with these brave workers as they walk the picket line. Pittsburgh is a union town just like Detroit is and we are always going to have these workers back, Fetterman said in a statement provided by his press office on Sunday.

U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman joins striking UAW members in Wayne, Michigan on Sept. 16, 2023 (photo courtesy Fetterman press office).

Approximately 12,700 workers - roughly 8% of the UAWs membership - are on their third day of the strike, which is the first by the UAW to target all of the countrys Big 3 top automakers simultaneously.

UAW members are striking for larger pay raises than what the auto companies have thus far offered in the latest round of collective bargaining. The union has pointed to record corporate profits and executive pay raises during the pandemic as indicators that the major automakers arent doing enough to share the wealth with workers.

On Sunday, UAW leadership said the union would reject an offer from Stellantis to raise pay 21% over the next four years, noting that automakers CEO pay had increased 40% over the previous four years.

It is time for the Big 3 to come to the table and start bargaining in good faith. Enough is enough, last year the Big 3 CEOs made a combined $74 million, the Big 3 need to stop with their greed and give these workers what they deserve, Fetterman said Sunday.
On a slightly cloudy Saturday in mid-September the temperature was a mild 70 degrees.

Being a weekend, folks were likely out and about  witnesses even said families were out with children at a playground in New Cumberland.

At 12:25 p.m. on Sept. 17, 1983, the routine day was interrupted when a small sight-seeing airplane slammed nose-first onto Fourth Street at Eutaw Avenue and burst into flames.

The plane came down on the street  missing rows of houses on either side and people at nearby Memorial Park.

The mayor of New Cumberland at the time, Terry Stoner, told The Patriot-News, It was quite an accomplishment for that pilot to bring that plane down in the street [without striking houses lining the street]. He speculated that the pilot had considered an emergency landing at nearby Memorial Park but had turned away when he saw many people on its grounds.

It was a sad affair that four people perished, but it certainly could have been 40. We were very lucky, Stoner said.

Killed in the crash were the pilot, James Karl, 20, of Wellsville; and the three passengers, Harold L. Stone, 43, of Shiremanstown; his son, Jeffrey, 12; and Jeremiah Minahan Jr., 25, of Dillsburg.

Karl was the son of Jerry Karl, a midget and sprint car racer. Jerry Karl operated Karl Aviation at Capital City Airport and started in six Indianapolis 500 races, according to The Patriot-News archives. He died at the age of 66 in 2008 in a car accident in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to newspaper archives, James Karl was flying the Beechcraft 23 that snared a power line shortly after taking off from Capital City Airport in Fairview Twp., York County. The plane burst into flames on impact and the spreading fire destroyed two cars and damaged two others.

The sightseeing flight had been arranged the day before the crash. The Patriot-News reported that Karl had piloted many sight-seeing flights in the four years since he received his pilots license.

It was described as a routine flight and he was thoroughly familiar with the routine for making a pleasure flight.

Alan Mays, director of flight training and chief pilot for Clark Aviation, also based at Capital City airport, said Karl , certainly did what he could to avoid jeopardizing others. He made efforts to avoid damage. He took the path of least resistance, if you will.

I think this young man did everything possible to avoid hurting others.

An investigation into the accident by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the plane was 175 pounds over its weight limit.
SEOUL, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday during his visit to the country's Far East city of Vladivostok, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday.

Kim and Shoigu discussed the regional and international military and political situation, and exchanged opinions on 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 defense and security, the report said. 
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CNNs Jake Tapper asked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) if Biden should have done more before the UAW strike, and Sen. Sanders turned the tables.

Tapper asked Sanders if Biden should have done more before the strike, and he answered:

Well, President Biden gave a speech a couple of days ago in which he made the absolutely correct point, corporate profits for the automakers are storing and that they have got to use those profits to benefit their employees. And he has made the point many, many times that a strong labor movement benefits all of us. So I think, you know, the president has, has made it clear which side he is on in the struggle.

But I think, Jake to tell you the truth that all of us in this country have got to stand with the UAW now. Theyre not just fighting the decent wages and benefits for automobile workers. Theyre really standing up to the kind of corporate greed that is impacting tens and tens of millions of Americans and what they are really saying, theyre saying this to the big three. But I think that message has gotta go out all over corporate America. You people on top, youve never had it so good, more income and wealth inequality today than ever in the history of America. Richest people are becoming phenomenally richer, but 60% of American workers are living paycheck to paycheck. So UAW is standing up against corporate greed and I applaud them for what they are doing.

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Sen. Sanders was correct. This isnt the time for the medias blame Biden games. The UAW strike is about greed. Auto workers took a pay cut when the industry needed it most during the Great Recession. In the time since then, corporate profits have soared, executive wages have skyrocketed, and employees have been left behind.

Sanders pointed out that the starting wage for auto workers is now $17/hour. Some workers have been placed on permanent temp status and earn even less.

The strike is about workers being fairly compensated for their work, and the media blame Biden games for missing the point about what is really happening.
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Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) pointed out that Trump is still giving aid and comfort to Americas enemies with promises of pardons if he gets back into the White House.

Raskin said on Inside with Jen Psaki:

Its predictable but utterly outrageous and scandalous. Youve got a former President Of The United States whos running for president saying that he will consider thereby telegraphing his real intent to all of his followers, pardoning people who have been convicted of seditious conspiracy, which means conspiracy to overthrow the government of the United States. And of course, Trump set all of those events into motion with his determination to overthrow the 2020 presidential election to void out Joe Bidens victory by more than 7 million votes in 306 to 232 in the electoral college.

And now hes further giving aid and comfort to the insurrectionists by promising them or at least heavily intimating that he will give them a pardon for what they did. So we are up against exactly the same kind of authoritarianism that we witnessed on January 6th. And America needs to understand. Were just in the middle of this struggle. Were not over it in a sense. I know. You know, theres a way in which the Republicans opposition to Trumps impeachment or conviction, except for a noble 10 members in the House and Senate in the Senate, that their opposition was a tragedy. And theres a temptation to look at all of this as a farce, but it is a farce that could bring the Republic to its knees. And I would much rather see the dissolution of the Republican Party than the US Constitution.

Video of Raskin:

In the same Meet The Press interview, Trump said that he would consider pardoning the 1/6 terrorists presumably including himself, and the former president accepted the endorsement of Putin in the 2024 election. Trump is continuing to be the North Star for Americas enemies both foreign and domestic. He is the greatest hope for the enemies of America who want to see democracy destroyed from within.

Trump will only stop aiding those who want to harm the nation if he is behind bars. If Donald Trump is allowed to roam free and unchecked by American media, the threat to democracy will remain.
The decibel level in Virginia Acres Park rose to one of its annual highs Sept. 16, with help from a variety of farm equipment, emergency vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, military machinery and several hundred kids.

Sirens and horns, in keeping with tradition, provided a soundtrack for this year's Touch a Truck event, and a few horses and a police dog provided relatively warm and fuzzy options for visitors looking to steer clear of internal combustion engines.

Event coordinator Kathleen Hutto, with Aiken's municipal government, estimated attendance at 2,670 and noted that one of this year's most unusual vehicles was outside the "truck" category: an AH-1F attack helicopter with overseas experience. The chopper, measuring 53 feet from nose to tail and belonging to the Celebrate Freedom Foundation, has a maximum speed of 190 knots (almost 219 miles an hour) but was firmly rooted to the earth for the gathering of kids.

Broome Service Center, of Beech Island, has towing as its focal point and was among the companies represented Rick Burckhalter, a manager with the company, confirmed that the questions directed at him Sept. 16 tended to emphasize the location of the horn and whether or not children might be allowed to take a vehicle out for a spin. Burckhalter's company had a light-duty truck and a Peterbilt on display  both with horns and both firmly in park for the duration of the Saturday festivities.

Lance Johnson, director of operations for Greco Transportation, in Evans, Georgia, had an ambulance on the scene. "They loved when we turned the sirens on, and the flashing lights," he said.

The power stretcher was also a hit, and kids had fun operating it until they were noticed and the battery was removed, to help prevent any rude surprises, Johnson noted, adding that another young visitor apparently figured out how to operate the climate control and managed to turn up the thermostat by a noticeable margin.
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.
Despite numerous community meetings, hundreds of public comments and a new task force of business and city leaders trying to figure out the best way to redevelop Union Pier Terminal, a four-word phrase in a decades-old document could dictate what will happen to some of downtown Charleston's most valuable real estate.

The language is buried in a Dec. 26, 1957, deed between Southern Railway Co.  a predecessor to Norfolk Southern  and the state of South Carolina.

At the time, Southern Railway was giving the state several parcels between Society and Calhoun streets that are now part of the Union Pier footprint. In return, it wanted a promise that the property wouldn't wind up in private hands.

Specifically, the deed restriction calls for the property  roughly 14 acres  to be used "for exclusively public purposes."

Forever, the deed states.

The State Ports Authority, owner and operator of the Port of Charleston, says it has known all along about the restriction and the limitation on land usage. Although it targets a small portion of Union Pier, the maritime agency said it "has always been part of the master planning process" to convert the site from its current use as a cruise ship terminal to a world-class collection of homes, hotels and public parks.

The SPA's original redevelopment plan, submitted to the city in January, didn't mention of the deed restriction. It showed the potential for "all land uses" on the parcels in question as part of a mixed-use zoning that would allow shops and offices, hotels, condominiums and parks.

Now, it appears that last option could be the only one available for those parcels  unless the restriction is lifted.

"Through ongoing communications about this property, we anticipate it will likely become a future park, though this will be determined by the property owners and the ongoing planning process," a ports authority spokeswoman said last week.
Sledgehammers and other tools of destruction were ceremoniously summoned to a blue partition within an exhibit of the Medal of Honor Museum this week aboard the Yorktown aircraft carrier.

"In true Ranger fashion, I'm going to get us started," Army veteran Leroy Petry said as he grabbed a hatchet hanging from his belt, straightened his hard hat and buried the implement into the wall.

And with that, Petry. the president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, kicked off a multimillion-dollar renovation of the site honoring the nation's most highly decorated war heroes.

The society held a ceremony Sept. 14 to mark the start of the $3.5 million project to update its aircraft carrier-based Medal of Honor Museum. The improvements include new immersive exhibits and never-before-seen artifacts.

The museum has been housed aboard the Yorktown at the state-owned Patriots Point since 1994 and is one of three National Medal of Honor sites formally recognized by Congress in the National Medal of Honor Memorial Act. It's expected to reopen to the public next spring.

The renovations will add exhibits that document the experiences of the recipients of the nation's highest military honor. The museum and archives preserve the legacy of the 3,536 awards of the medal and the 19 dual recipients. Today only 66 are still alive.

Petry is one of them, having received the honor for his service in Afghanistan in 2008. As the Society's president, he said that the museum plays a critical role in passing on the legacy and stories of recipients, and the wars they fought in, down to each new generation. The idea is to turn the existing static exhibits into an interactive experience that guides visitors through the countrys largest and most deadly conflicts. Each section will have a different setting relevant to the time period.

Youre not just reading text on a plaque or looking at pictures on a wall. It is designed to take you to a moment in time, whether its on the battlefield or an underground bunker, to experience it through a recipients eyes, Petry said.
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Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press, and "Us: A Journalist's Look at the Culture, Conflict and Creativity of the South," published by Evening Post Books.
NORTH CHARLESTON  After a devastating fire destroyed part of the former Chicora Elementary School, the historic building sat untouched for more than three years as the nonprofit that owns the site fought for an insurance settlement.

Now, Metanoia plans to start demolition work in the next couple of weeks to remove and repair the fire damage as the effort to renovate the building into a community-focused center resumes.

"When a project sits quiet this long, there's a lot of reanimation," said Bill Stanfield, CEO of Metanoia.

The project goals remain the same  to use community input to create programs that align with the neighborhood's desires. The nonprofit seeks to stick with the original plan of housing an early childhood learning center and city-run affordable artist studios in the space. Plans for the third wing of the building have not been publicly announced but are in the works, Stanfield said.

"I think it's become that much more critical with the amount of redevelopment happening around us that sites like this be put back into use in a way that is in service to the community," said Stanfield.

Metanoia owns the 1930s-era building on the corner of Success Street and Chicora Avenue. When flames engulfed the school's auditorium in February 2020, the building was still owned by the city, even though Metanoia had complete control of the site since 2017 and plans to purchase the property were already in the works.
People take selfies at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

People visit the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

People attend the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A staff member serves beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

An actor attends the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A wagon of a local beer brand attends the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

People enjoy beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

People enjoy beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

People attend the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A musician attends the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A staff member serves beer at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A wagon of a local beer brand attends the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

Musicians attend the parade during the official opening of the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A staff member collects empty beer mugs at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

A staff member sells balloons at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023. The 188th Oktoberfest, one of the largest folk festivals in Germany, officially opened here on Saturday. It is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)
NORTH CHARLESTON  An investigation is underway to determine what prompted a pilot to eject from a military jet Sept. 17 near North Charleston and to locate the aircraft.

Joint Base Charleston said its working with local emergency responders to determine what it described as a mishap involving a Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort F-35B Lightning II fighter jet.

The pilot, after safely ejecting, was picked up near South Kenwood Drive and transported to a local medical center. He is in stable condition, according to a news release from the Joint Base Charleston.

A second aircraft was able to return to Joint Base Charleston without incident.

The military and civilian authorities are asking the public to contact the JB Charleston Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600 if anyone has information to help in the recovery of the jet.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office report in May, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive weapon system program operated by the Department of Defense which estimates the cost at $1.7 trillion to buy, operate and sustain the program over its lifetime. The May 30 GOA report states it is also a decade behind schedule and $183 billion over the original cost estimate.

The Sept. 17 crash isn't the first for the most advance stealth fighter jet, according to news reports. The Air Force Times reported a software glitch likely caused a crash in October 2022, and the Navy Times reported pilot error caused F-35 to crash while attempting a landing on a aircraft carrier in the South China Sea in January 2022. There was also a crash in Beaufort in May 2019, according to a Washington Post report. The jets started flying in 2012, according to the Air Force Times.
As a frequent visitor to Charleston, I have marveled at the beauty of the state. During a recent visit, I also took a side trip to Boston, traveling by air. I am a physician as well as a patient and worker-safety advocate. So when my driver in Boston asked me how he would identify me, I resp Read moreCommentary: Charleston airport needs to improve its air quality
The city of North Charleston soon will undergo a seismic political transformation, not only because longtime Mayor Keith Summey is not seeking reelection but also because five members of City Council have opted not to run again. Adding to the unknowns are the city's regrettable method of ele Read moreEditorial: Eight picks for North Charleston City Council
S.C. state lawmaker Sandy Senn, a Republican who made national headlines after she helped defeat a near-total abortion ban in South Carolina, has drawn a challenge from her party's right flank.

State Rep. Matt Leber, R-Johns Island, confirmed his plans to run against the incumbent Charleston state senator in the newly redrawn Senate District 41.

The seat stretches from West Ashley to Johns Island and Ravenel before reaching into parts of Dorchester County, including Ridgeville, as well as Colleton County, around Cottageville.

In an exclusive interview with The Post and Courier, Leber questioned Senn's conservative bona fides, including her 2017 vote to support a gas tax increase, as well as a bill that requires all bars, restaurants and venues that serve alcohol after 5 p.m. to carry a $1 million liability insurance policy.

His greatest critique was on abortion, specifically Senn's efforts to block the state's so-called fetal heartbeat bill that bans abortions roughly six weeks into a pregnancy. He called her "CNN Sandy" for her national profile.

"I am a conservative. We know from her record that shes a progressive Republican  and I say that lightly," Leber said, clarifying, "And the word I say lightly is 'Republican.'"

Leber described himself as pro-life, and said he is comfortable with the current six-week ban, which also includes exceptions for victims of rape and incest, fetal anomalies, as well as protections for the life of the mother.

"Sandy was OK with South Carolina being an abortion destination state. She joined with Democrats to vote their platform, and then she went on CNN and bragged about it," Leber said. "We have a fundamental disagreement on the right to life."

The GOP primary election, which will take place in the spring of 2024, will test whether Republican primary voters will embrace or reject Senn's more moderate approach to abortion.

"Anybody who describes abortion with two words is simply uninformed," Senn said, referring to the phrase "pro-life." She then added, "I don't think my position at first trimester or 12 weeks is unreasonable."
David Bromberg is a master of the blues and just about every other genre of popular American music. Tuesday he turns 78. To celebrate the occasion I want to revisit my comments after seeing him perform live over two nights in April 2022.

When my friend Tom Edelstein invited me to see him perform at the Dakota back in 2019, I only vaguely remembered Bromberg as the blues virtuoso I used to hear on the cool old KQRS back in the day. As I recall, the cool old KQ had Brombergs I Like to Sleep Late in the Morning (below) in regular rotation.

I couldnt believe how good the 2019 show was. When he was scheduled to return for two shows that were postponed to April 5 (Tuesday) and April 6 (Wednesday), 2022, I bought tickets for the first nights show. He opened with Blind Willie Johnsons Nobodys Fault But Mine.

It turned out to be an emotional evening. Bromberg announced after the opening number that his friend Paul Siebel had died that morning. Starting with the second number, Bromberg played four songs written by Siebel that he cant have had in mind to perform before he heard the news that morning. The packed house was both appreciative and, as the show proceeded, rowdy. Long Afternoons was one of the four Siebel songs he played. On Wednesday night he said this was his favorite Siebel song. I think he performs it with great affection in the recording below.

One of the highlights of Tuesdays show was First Time She Quit Me (This Month). Is this a Bromberg original? The lyrics humorously exaggerate a classic blues theme.

I was impressed and moved by the show. The place was packed with rabid fans. We were excited by the opportunity to see him live again in a first-class venue. In 2019, the gentleman sitting next to Tom and me had seen David in years past at a small town in rural Wisconsin and at the ramshackle Cedar Cultural Center on Minneapoliss West Bank.

When I caught up with Bromberg in 2019 I wondered where he had been. I had completely lost track. Trying to retrace the steps of his career, I discovered that he took a long-term break from his performing career starting in 1980. Mark Demings Allmusic profile notes that in 1980 Bromberg decided he was tired of the rigors of touring and took a sabbatical from the road, occasionally playing sessions for friends and staging occasional live shows but devoting most of his time to studying at the Kenneth Warren School of Violin Making in Chicago. According to the bio he has posted, his sabbatical amounted to a period of self-imposed exile from his passion (1980-2002)[.]

Some time in that period he opened David Bromberg Fine Violins in Wilmington, Delaware. He has retired from that business and handed the shop over to Teal Wintsch. He unsuccessfully sought to sell his lovingly acquired collection of more than 250 violins to the Library of Congress in 2016. Jon Kalish told the story for NPRs All Things Considered here. Ryan Cormier has more on Brombergs collection (this is my life savings) for Delaware Online here (and the sequel is here).

What else? He has put together a fabulous band. The extended versions of the songs he plays live show off their talents. He opened the 2019 show with Robert Johnsons Walkin Blues. The live version below derives from a 2014 eTown episode.

I thought the highlight of that 2019 show was Ill Take You Back. He really kept it going that night, both vocally and instrumentally. As I listened to it in 2019, I was drafting additional verses in my head. The relatively condensed version below also derives from the 2014 eTown episode.

Bromberg has kept the band on display in the eTown episode together for an unusually long time. It was the same one he had with him back in 2019 and again in 2022.

The encore for his Tuesday evening show was something special. The band came back out with Bromberg as they all took positions at the front of the stage with the microphones behind or beside them. Performing a cappella without amplification  that was one way to quiet the crowd  they sang Roll on John (not the Dylan number), a song I had never even heard of. It was stunning. In the video below they play it live in the studio with acoustic instruments for the DVD accompanying Big Road (2020), his most recent recording.

I enjoyed Tuesdays show so much that I returned by myself for Wednesdays. I snapped the photo at the right from my table Wednesday night.

When I saw guitarist Mark Cosgrove setting up onstage, I went up and introduced myself. I told him I had attended the show on Tuesday (sitting right in front of him) and wondered if they had just rehearsed the Paul Siebel songs after hearing the news of his death that morning. Smiling, he asked, Did it sound like it? No, it didnt, but he confirmed that was the case. They worked them up that day. It was an emotional day, he added. I told him we could see and hear the emotion. He could not have been friendlier.

Bromberg played those four songs again at Wednesdays show. He said that Siebel was several years older than he was, but they shared a birthday. They celebrated birthdays together for more than 50 years  closer to 60 than 50 years, he said. He added that the songs were easier to do tonight than they had been the night before.

Apart from the four Siebel songs, I dont think Bromberg repeated a song from Tuesdays show. And whereas Tuesdays show accented his blues repertoire, Wednesdays accented his folk, country, bluegrass, and gospel repertoire. The crowd was nevertheless just as rowdy as the evening before and Bromberg slapped them down as he always does. If you shout out a demand for one of his songs, he vows not to perform it.

At Wednesdays show I took notes on the setlist and on the quoted comments. My notes reflect that he opened with Sharon, which he said a rogue Columbia promoter had turned into a number 1 hit on AM radio in Minneapolis in 1972.

He followed up the four Siebel songs with Dark Hollow. Its a song I know only from the Grateful Deads covers of it. Bromberg turned it into a showcase to display the instrumental prowess of his band. In the video below hes sitting in with friends, but it went like this.

He closed the set with the medley that begins with an old English drinking song he wrote.

Bromberg plays every form of blues music and makes each one beautiful in its own way. Yet he also adds folk, bluegrass, country, rock, and gospel to the mix. His shows provide a living lesson in the Cosmic American Music. I wanted to document these shows because I thought they were noteworthy and I couldnt find anything about them online.

Lets bring him back for an encore. I believe I Will Not Be Your Fool is his own composition.

This is his take on Jerry Jeff Walkers Mr. Bojangles. Bromberg had also backed Jerry Jeff on the album version released by Atco in 1968. Jerry Jeff is one of the many accomplished artists  artists ranging from Bob Dylan and George Harrison to the Reverend Gary Davis and Tom Paxton  who have enlisted Bromberg to work as a session player and/or sideman.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-18 00:01:26

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2023 / Bernstein Liebhard LLP:Do you, or did you, own shares of Enviva, Inc. (NYSE:EVA)?Did you purchase your shares between November 3, 2022 and May 3, 2023, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Enviva, Inc.?Do you want to discuss your rights?Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of Enviva, Inc. ("Enviva" or the "Company") (NYSE:EVA) between November 3, 2022 and May 3, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Enviva common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Enviva, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com According to the Complaint, Enviva develops, constructs, acquires, and operates fully contracted wood pellet production plants. These plants take wood fiber and aggregate and process it into dry, densified, uniform pellets that can be effectively stored and transported around the world. The Company, describing itself as a "growth-oriented company," uses its wood pellets to displace coal and other fossil fuels to generate power and heat as part of its efforts to accelerate the transition away from conventional energy sources.Plaintiff alleges that Defendants represented that Enviva was on track to achieve EBITDA of $305-$335 million for fiscal 2023 and a yearly dividend payout of $3.62 per share, and that Enviva's liquidity going into 2023 was "strong".On May 3, 2023, Defendants issued a press release before the market opened, dramatically lowering their FY 2023 guidance downward and suspended Enviva's dividend payments going forward. Defendants now projected that Enviva's 2023 EBITDA would be substantially lower, in the range of $200-250 million, the Company's net loss would be substantially higher, increasing to a range of $136-$186 million, and its $0.905 per share quarterly dividend was eliminated.On this news, Enviva's stock price declined $14.34 per share, or approximately 67.2%, to close at $21.35 per share on May 4, 2023.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. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.If you purchased or acquired Enviva common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Enviva, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2023 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com(212) 951-2030pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been against Shift4 Payments, Inc. ("Shift4") (NYSE:FOUR). The action charges Shift4 with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Shift4's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Shift4's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR SHIFT4 LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/shift4-payments-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=four&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: OCTOBER 19, 2023CLASS PERIOD: NOVEMBER 10, 2021 THROUGH APRIL 18, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.SHIFT4'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTThe Class Period begins on November 10, 2021, when Shift4 issued a shareholder letter before markets opened, announcing the company's Q3 2021 financial results. In the shareholder letter, the company recorded $19.3 million of customer acquisition costs in the investing activities section of its unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, as well as $25.6 million in net cash provided by operating activities, for the nine months ended September 30, 2021.On October 21, 2022, Shift4 disclosed in an SEC filing that certain of its financial statements should no longer be relied upon and would need to be restated because of a material weakness in the company's financial controls, which had caused it to incorrectly treat "customer acquisition costs" as cash used in investing activities rather than cash used in operating activities in its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As a result, Shift4 was forced to negatively revise its net cash provided by operating activities in certain past financial statements. On this news, Shift4's stock price fell $1.21 per share, or 2.67%, to close at $44.16 per share on October 24, 2022.Then, on April 19, 2023, market analyst Blue Orca Capital published a report alleging that Shift4 "engaged in a string of highly questionable and hyperaggressive accounting maneuvers seemingly designed to keep the stock afloat," including "cash flow manipulation" and "inexplicable distributor acquisitions that enabled it to capitalize a major component of COGS." The report also indicated that Shift4 engaged in unreported related-party transactions and that the company's questionable accounting maneuvers "inflated 2022 gross profit by 13%, Adj. EBITDA by 34%, and operating income by close to 3x."Following this news, Shift4's stock price fell $5.95 per share, or 8.68%, to close at $62.59 per share on April 19, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Shift4 investors may, no later than October 19, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Shift4 investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Shift4, O'Meara v. Shift4 Payments, Inc., et al., Case No. 23-cv-03206, is filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania before the Honorable Joseph F. Leeson Jr.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com CONTACT:Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPJonathan Naji, Esq.280 King of Prussia RoadRadnor, PA 19087(484) 270-1453info@ ktmc.com SOURCE: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2023 / SAN FRANCISCO - Hagens Berman urges AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Expanded Class Period: Nov. 2, 2018 - July 26, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Sept. 26, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/t Contact An Attorney Now: T@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895AT&T Inc. (T) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges AT&T made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that AT&T: (1) owns cables around the U.S. that are highly toxic due to their being wrapped in lead, and which harm company employees and non-employees alike; (2) faces potentially significant litigation risk, regulatory risk, and reputational harm as a result of its ownership of these lead-covered cables and the health risks stemming from their presence around the U.S; and (3) was warned about the damage and risks presented by these cables but did not disclose them as a potential threat to employee safety or to everyday people and communities.Investors began to learn the truth after the Wall Street Journal published a series of articles spanning July 9 - July 26, 2023.These articles revealed that AT&T and others left behind toxic lead cables that they laid years ago. The WSJ also reported that independently tested samples from underwater cable sites revealed lead on the banks of the Mississippi, Willamette, and Passaic Rivers as well as in parts of Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.The WSJ further reported that AT&T officials have known for decades that lead in its networks was a possible health risk to its workers, some workers have illnesses that can be linked to lead, and lead could leach into the environment.Finally, on July 26, 2023, the WSJ reported that the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency are investigating whether telecom companies knew of the potential risks posed by the abandoned lead cables.As a result, AT&T's stock has been downgraded by analysts and its price was inflated over the past five years."We're focused on investors' losses, AT&T's knowledge of potential liability stemming from its sprawling network of toxic lead-sheathed cables across the U.S., and whether the company historically understated its expenses," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in AT&T and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding AT&T should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email T@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Saturday announced it has signed a gas supply agreement with Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited.

According to NNPCL, the signing of the agreement was in a bid to promote the use of natural gas by large-scale gas utilization industries.

NNPC Ltd. and Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd., have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore and develop suitable opportunities within the remits of both parties interests across the hydrocarbon value chain in Nigeria, the oil firm said in a statement signed by Garba Deen Muhammad, the companys chief corporate communications officer on Saturday.

Mr Muhammad said the signing of the agreement is a development that the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, summarized thus: NNPC Limited is on the threshold of making value out of gas beyond any imagination.

Mr Muhammad said as the national energy company, one of the NNPC Ltds roles as enshrined in article 64(i) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) is to promote the use of natural gas through the development and operation of large-scale gas utilisation industries.

This role is in alignment with Nigerias Nigasification strategy which is a consolidation of critical programs embarked upon by the company to utilize natural gas and its associated liquids to be the energy source of choice, spur economic growth, free up crude oil for exports, and ultimately enable job creation, he said.

We are seeing an annual contribution of $3bn to the nations GDP and a lifetime contribution of $18bn to government revenue, the statement quoted Mr Kyari as saying.

It said as part of the companys vision of operating the largest Petrochemical Hub in Africa, Indorama which owns the worlds largest single-train Urea Plant located in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, is currently working on expansion plans within the next six years, in the gas-based heavy manufacturing industries including fertilizer, methanol, and petrochemicals.

In his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of Africa Indorama Energy, Manish Mundra, noted that This is a strategic collaboration to unlock Nigerias upstream sector, but more importantly, to partner downstream, in order to share the value chain.

Nigerias gas reserves should position the country as one of the largest producers of urea in the western hemisphere, he said.

The statement noted that the key benefits of the opportunities include the monetization of over 1.7 TCF of gas and 100 million barrels of oil reserves, generation of upstream lifecycle revenue of over $18 billion, downstream production of about 4.8 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) of products including methanol, urea, and fertilizer to boost national food security.

Other benefits include the creation of about 55,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, the development of a condensate refinery to boost petroleum product supply and reduce product importation, annual GDP contribution of over $3.8bn, and attraction of over $7bn of foreign direct investment into the country, it said.

The NNPC Ltd said the MOU with Indorama follows Nigerias President Bola Tinubus commitment in India a few weeks ago, to strengthen business relations between both countries.

Earlier in the month, Mr Tinubu secured commitments totalling $14 billion from various Indian investors, following his assurance to create a safe haven for foreign investments.

We are ready to give you the best returns for investment possible, theres nowhere else like our country. Nigeria offers the best returns for investment today, so invest now, Mr Tinubu said during the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Conference in New Delhi, India.

Among these many new investments, Indorama Petrochemical Limited pledged a new investment of $8 billion in the expansion of its fertilizer production and petrochemical facility in Eleme, Rivers State.

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The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election in Kaduna State, Isah Ashiru, has assured his supporters and citizens of the state that his party, the PDP, will triumph at the governorship election tribunal sitting in Kaduna.

In a chat with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, Mr Ashiru said he was confident he would win at the tribunal when the judgement is delivered.

The PDP is challenging the declaration of Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the 18 March governorship election.

Mr Sani polled a total of 730,002 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Ashiru, who polled 719,196.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Jonathan Asake, came in a distant third with 58,283 votes, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate, Suleiman Hunkuyi, scored 21,405 votes.

Thank you, Premium Times; it was quite an honour to speak with you again. Interestingly, I have never felt so confident about the election tribunal as now that we are waiting for the judgment. We have presented our case, and we are optimistic about the outcome.

There is nothing hidden in what we are challenging; we are clear with all our presentations; our lawyers were on it, and they did what was necessary. There are no two ways about it. We are robbed of our winnings. Kaduna people are robbed.

They voted for us, and we will get back their mandate and serve them better than they ever had. We are not expecting any contrary judgment other than winning at the tribunal. That is what we are hoping, and Gods willing, it shall be so.

All I want to say is to thank the people of Kaduna for standing by us throughout the tribunal sitting. As we await the pronouncement of the judgment by the court.

 I enjoin the people to remain calm; we shall get back their stolen mandate.

PDP rejects results

The PDP and Mr Ashiru rejected the results of the election alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the wrong person winner of the election.

Mr Ashiru and the PDP alleged irregularities and electoral fraud during the election.

Tribunal sittings

At the last sitting of the court in Kaduna, on 3 September, all the parties presented their final written addresses before the tribunal, with APCs Sanis legal team led by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, SAN, arguing that the petitioners had helped in proving he won the poll fair and square, pointing in particular to the admission of a star witness for the petitioner, Bonett Gwazah, a senior system analyst (SSA) in the VR/ICT Department of INEC in Kaduna State.

However, the PDP argued that two conflicting election results emerged from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the governorship election in the state.

The partys lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, accused INEC of manipulating the result of the election in favour of Sani.

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a speech at the 87th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Sept. 16, 2023. Mitsotakis outlined on Saturday the government's policy priorities for the coming months at the 87th TIF. He announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the public healthcare system, accelerating the delivery of justice, combating tax evasion, and improving the prevention and response mechanism to natural disasters. (Photo by Dimitris Tosidis/Xinhua)

ATHENS, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined on Saturday the government's policy priorities for the coming months at a trade fair in Thessaloniki in northern Greece.

Delivering a speech during the 87th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), he announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the public healthcare system, accelerating the delivery of justice, combating tax evasion, and improving the prevention and response mechanism to natural disasters.

The destructive major wildfires of this summer and the deadly floods last week have led to a radical redrawing of policies for the future, Mitsotakis said, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT.

"What the state and citizens have lost, will be recovered and we will work together... We will do our best so that this unequal battle with the climate crisis does not become a lost battle," he added.

Based on the current strength of the national economy, Mitsotakis announced new increases in pensions and wages in the private sector as of Jan.1, 2024.

He also promised to support vulnerable households to cope with increased energy costs and to keep prices of basic products low. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a speech at the 87th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Sept. 16, 2023. Mitsotakis outlined on Saturday the government's policy priorities for the coming months at the 87th TIF. He announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the public healthcare system, accelerating the delivery of justice, combating tax evasion, and improving the prevention and response mechanism to natural disasters. (Photo by Dimitris Tosidis/Xinhua)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a speech at the 87th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Sept. 16, 2023. Mitsotakis outlined on Saturday the government's policy priorities for the coming months at the 87th TIF. He announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the public healthcare system, accelerating the delivery of justice, combating tax evasion, and improving the prevention and response mechanism to natural disasters. (Photo by Dimitris Tosidis/Xinhua)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a speech at the 87th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Sept. 16, 2023. Mitsotakis outlined on Saturday the government's policy priorities for the coming months at the 87th TIF. He announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the public healthcare system, accelerating the delivery of justice, combating tax evasion, and improving the prevention and response mechanism to natural disasters. (Photo by Dimitris Tosidis/Xinhua)
A former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of distortion of facts over the stalled multi-billion-dollar Mambilla Hydropower Project.

The project, first awarded in 2003 to Sunrise Power and Transmission Limited by the Obasanjo administration, is the subject of decades of a legal dispute that is now under international arbitration between the company and the Nigerian government.

In an interview with TheCable newspaper recently, Mr Obasanjo said Mr Agunloye fraudulently awarded the contract for the project without the approval of the Federal Executive Council.

But in a statement he issued on Sunday, Mr Agunloye rejected the former presidents accounts on the project, alleging that he was being set up as a scapegoat by the Nigerian government to escape sanction for abandoning contractual agreements on the project.

According to Mr Agunloye, the contract for the project was duly awarded in 2003 by the Obasanjo administration on a Build, Operate and Transfer basis to deliver Nigerias biggest power plant with a 3,050 megawatts capacity at no cost to the Nigerian government.

The project was expected to significantly boost electricity to address the shortage of energy in the country.

However, Mr Agunloye said after his exit from government as a minister in 2003, Mr Obasanjo changed his mind about the terms of the contract and decided that the Nigerian government should directly fund the project.

The project was, however, terminated in 2008 by President Umaru Musa YarAdua, who succeeded Mr Obasanjo.

Mr Agunloye said the termination was due to alleged corruption on the part of officials who served under Mr Obasanjo between 2003 and 2007.

The company thus dragged the Nigerian government before an international arbitration court where it is claiming that the termination of the contract was illegal.

an interview with Mr Obasanjo the project was put at $6 billion.

The former president, in distancing himself from the mess that the project has become, claimed that he was not aware that the contract was awarded by his then-minister, Mr Agunloye.

Alledging fraud in the contract award, Mr Obasanjo insisted that no minister under his watch could have signed a contract of such magnitude without his approval.

He added that no minister in his administration had the power to award a contract beyond N25 million.

But in his reply on Sunday, Mr Agunloye dismissed Mr Obasanjos claim, saying the ex-president awarded the contract.

The former president was not correct when he referred to the award to Sunrise simply as a $6 billion contract (that is, N800 billion in 2003) under his watch. In truth, it was a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract in which the FGN did not need to pay any amount to the contractor, Messrs Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (Sunrise).

As a matter of fact, Sunrise has not been paid a single Naira or Dollar by the FGN from 2000 till date (14/9/23). Sunrise was to source for funds and execute the project with own funds. The investment of Sunrise to construct the Mambilla hydroelectric project up to the completion stage to deliver electricity was adjudged at a maximum of $6 billion by four Ministers of Power and the former president (Chief Obasanjo) before I became Minister of Power. Sunrise was to recoup its investment from the sale of the generated electricity over a 30- to 40-year period at pre-determined tariffs, also agreed with FGN before May 2003.

Mr Agunloye stated that in 2003, Mr Obasanjo changed his mind and decided to award the contract, by paying from government own funds.

The former President decided, therefore, to break the Mambilla Hydropower Project into smaller components, like civil engineering works, hydraulic works, structural works etc. with the intention to award them as separate multiple contracts as Government procurements, on cash and carry basis, for which Nigerian Government would pay mobilisation fees and make other payments in stages to contractors.

 When one of the contractors, which got a component of the Mambilla project awarded by President Obasanjo as $1.46 billion procurement contract, presented its request for a $400 million mobilisation fees, President YarAdua scrutinised the contract and cancelled it in 2008 because of proven corruption on the part of officials who served under President Obasanjo between 2003 to 2007.

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Nollywood actor Jimmy Odukoya has been named the senior pastor of the Fountain of Life Church.

It comes after his father, Taiwo Odukoya, the churchs founder, died at 67 in the United States on 7 August.

The Woman King actor is the first son of the late cleric and his deceased first wife, Bimbo Odukoya.

Jimmys journey from the silver screen to the pulpit marks a significant transition.

The actor-now-turned-pastor has been featured in recent movies I am Nazzy, Mambams Diamond, Crazy Grannies, and The Wait.

Jimmy married Kemi Odukoya in 2013, and their union is blessed with two children.

The Announcement

The announcement was made during the church service on Sunday.

Addressing the congregation, Rotimi Okpaise, a pastor at The Fountain of Life Church, said the late Pastor Odukoya confided in the board of trustees (BoT) members about the succession plan before his demise.

Mr Okpaise said the BoT unanimously elected Jimmy as the senior pastor and chairperson of the board.

The board has chosen Saturday, 30 September 2023, as the date of Jimmys installation, he said.

His father, Taiwo Odukoya, founded Fountain of Life Church in 1992 and was the senior pastor until his death.

Pastor Odukoyas passing occurred less than two years after his wife, Nomthi, a South African, succumbed to a two-year battle with cancer on 9 November 2021.

His marriage to Nomthi lasted 11 years and produced two boys.

READ ALSO: Pastor Taiwo Odukoya is dead

Before Nomthi, Pastor Odukoya was married to Bimbo for 21 years.

Bimbo was the host of Single and Married, a television programme broadcast locally and internationally that deals with practical issues people face in marriages and relationships.

However, Bimbo died in the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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There are laws enacted to protect Nigerian children from various forms of abuse, yet many underage home helps still find themselves dehumanised.

Underage home help is a child, male or female, who works in the employers household, performing duties such as cleaning, cooking, babysitting, and other chores.

Many of them can be easily spotted due to their poor state of clothing, nutrition and sometimes, the presence of injuries on their bodies.

A lot of them suffer some form of physical, psychological and or sexual abuse by employers or other members of the family.

Those raped endure it because they are unable to escape, or were threatened with death if they told anyone.

Some will not be served food, until after all members of the family have eaten; some sleep on the floor in indecent spaces. They are the first to wake up to resume chores and the last to sleep.

In most cases, child abuse goes unreported, the few that were reported usually did not receive the needed investigation and prosecution of culprits.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 15 million Nigerian children under the age of 12 are engaged in domestic child labour.

ILO describes child labour as work that deprives children of their livelihood, their potentialities and their dignity as well as that which is harmful to their physical and mental development.

According to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Act of 2015, employing, recruiting, or harbouring a child under the age of 12 as a domestic worker is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment.

Findings reveal that poverty is the major reason parents give out their children to work as maids and domestic help.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) investigations also revealed that there were many incidences where child domestic workers were brutalised, assaulted, and even raped by their employers.

For instance, a nursing mother, Ifeoma Ezia, was arrested on 5 July 2020, in Enugu State, for piercing a six-inch nail into the head of her 10-year-old maid.

She was also alleged to have placed hot electric iron on her body, and inserted ground pepper into her vagina, for not taking proper care of her child.

A neighbour, who heard her wailing, alerted the police command in Enugu.

On 25 July, a civil servant, Ijeoma Ifeanyi, who works with a radio station in Imo, allegedly poured hot water on her underage maid for preparing watery pap for her.

Also on 21 May, the police in Lagos arrested a pregnant woman, Eucheria Ndigwe, for stabbing her maid with a knife in the Ojo area of the state, for not washing her bag.

Some maids suffer sexual abuse at the hands of their male employers. Such was the case of a teenager who was allegedly raped by her boss in the Epe area of Lagos State.

The victim accused her boss of always tying her hands and legs and raping her. He thereafter forced her to take contraceptives and always threatened to kill her if she told anyone about her experiences.

Also, a 15-year-old maid, who was allegedly raped by an Air Force officer in Ikeja, Lagos State on 8 February 2022, was rescued after she confided in a neighbour, who eventually reported the case.

The survivor revealed that the officer started abusing her when she was 13,

These abuses have unfortunately led some of them, who could not withstand the torture, to death or suicide.

One of them was an eight-year-old girl who was beaten to death by her madam, identified as Oby, in the Isolo area of Lagos State.

The employer was apprehended by police officers on her way to dispose of her corpse.

Similarly, Joy Adole was also allegedly tortured to death by her employers, Mr and Mrs Fortune Stephens on 20 April 2020, in the Bariga area of Lagos State, for taking a packet of instant noodles.

The couple, who beat Joy to death, hung her from the ceiling to make it seem like suicide. But during investigations, it was revealed that the victim was beaten to death as marks of violence and a lot of fresh wounds were found on her body.

Some stakeholders, who expressed concern over the rise in young children being engaged as home helps due to the prevailing economic challenges, said that the menace required urgent action to be taken against perpetrators.

The spokesperson, NAPTIP, Lagos Command, Zakaria Dauda, said that sensitisation was ongoing to let the public know the implications of child trafficking and child labour.

Massive sensitisation is already going on in the media. Campaign is being taken to schools, from primary to university, just to create awareness that engaging in such is a crime, he said.

According to him, almost all the states in Nigeria have adopted the Child Rights Law, which clearly states that children are entitled to education as a fundamental right.

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse and poverty should not make anyone do what is wrong, children have rights, grant them those rights.

In most states, primary education is basically free, so do not say that poverty made you send them to where they will be maimed.

If parents also know the condition their children are in when they are given out, I am sure they will not want to do it, he said.

He appealed to the public to always break the culture of silence by reporting cases of all forms of child abuse.

If you see something bad happening to a child, say it. We have what we call informant protection. If you report a case, you are protected; your identity will not be revealed.

Once it is reported, the culprits will be arrested and prosecuted and when people realise that such cases can be reported, they will correct themselves, he said.

In the same vein, Juliana Francis, CEO of Youthlsens Initiative Development, a non-governmental organisation, said it was criminal to employ children as housekeepers.

In Nigeria, children as young as eight, 10 and 13 years are trafficked into sex slavery, child labour and other crimes, many end up being killed in the process, she said.

Ms Francis said that child labour destroyed the health, development and education of children and that parents should not fight poverty by exploiting their children.

Children need to be shown love and properly catered for, they deserve the right to basic education, to help them fit into society and become useful adults.

Parents must resolve to raise their children by themselves. They must be responsible and go through any challenge with their children by their side.

Let us desist from every activity that exploits our children in whom the future of our nation lies.

Employers should stop taking underage as house helps, leave them to develop like other children, she said.

Mr Francis, who is also the head of Media, Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN), urged the government to ensure proper implementation of the laws and ensure violators are made to face the wrath of the law.

Both the parents, who gave out their children as maids and the employers who hire such children should be prosecuted and punished to serve as deterrents to others, she said.

She said that to eradicate child labour and trafficking, concerted efforts were required from everyone.

We can curb child trafficking when the government, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, the police and the public are involved in spreading the message and saving children from abuses, she said.

READ ALSO:

Also, a legal practitioner, Isaiah Ode, described the rising cases of abuse and brutality of underage domestic servants as heartbreaking.

He said that engaging a child as a domestic worker was illegal in Nigeria and contravened the Child Rights Act 2015 as well as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015).

Mr Ode urged employers to stop subjecting their maids to inhuman treatment.

Employers should treat their maids as humans, not as animals. It is not wrong if employers provide them with proper food, clothes and also help them develop by making them learn skills, he said.

According to him, employers who abuse their housekeepers should be prosecuted.

He urged Nigerians to rise against any form of slavery or abuse.

However, a traditionalist, Omowale Adisa, asked a rhetorical question, where is the place of fostering, which is part of the African culture?

He explained that some of the big businessmen and politicians we see today were fostered by people other than their parents.

Mr Adisa said that these laws should define the place of fostering properly and guide the citizenry through the processes and things required by foster parents and their responsibilities.

We cannot adopt the Western way of life completely, it is in our culture to foster children.

We should enact laws that encourage fostering but discourage abuse of any form. These laws should guide parents on what to do for the child.

Education should be top on the list of requirements for a fostered child. Anyone who violates the law should not be spared, Mr Adisa explained.

(NAN)

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) restored bulk power supply to Sokoto State by 6 p.m. on Saturday, an official confirmed.

The General Manager (GM) of Public Affairs at the TCN, Ndidi Mbah, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday.

He assured that the company was diligently working to extend the restoration to Kebbi and other areas affected by the unfortunate Birnin Kebbi Substation fire incident that occurred Thursday night.

The bulk power supply to Sokoto State was reinstated through the Talata Mafara Substation.

Our engineering team, along with the Managing Director/CEO and the Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider (TSP), are on-site, putting in every effort to reconnect Kebbi and its environs to the grid through another substation.

Also, our engineers are actively working on transferring load to the 150MVA and 60MVA power transformers in the substation, which were fortunately unaffected by the fire incident.

Additionally, cables are being rearranged, and reinforcement teams from other TCN regions have equally arrived at the substation with the necessary materials to expedite repair work, he confirmed.

The general manager recalled the commitment of TCNs Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Sule Abdulaziz, who expressed deep concern about the unfortunate incident at the Birnin Kebbi Substation.

Mr Abdulaziz had pledged to ensure the restoration of the bulk power supply to Sokoto State through the Talata Mafara substation and to collaborate with the engineers to temporarily back-feed Kebbi while connecting the 150MVA power transformer as a permanent solution to the bulk power supply in the area.

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According to him, TCN greatly appreciates the patience and understanding of the government and people of Sokoto and Kebbi states and environs.

We are fully committed to expediting work at the substation to ensure stable and reliable bulk electricity supply to all the affected areas, he assured.

(NAN)

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The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) says it has developed software to enhance transparency in revenue generation and sharing among the three tiers of government.

The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Shehu said the software would help the commission perform one of its major functions of reviewing the revenue allocation formula for the entire federation from time to time.

There is something called the vertical revenue allocation formula; who gets what percentage  Federal, State or Local Government (LG). There is also the horizontal formula; how do you share that percentage among states and LGs.

That means you have to consider factors like population, school enrollment, land mass, hospital beds; these are some of the indices.

Previously what we did was to request for the required information manually, and then the commission will go and do the inspection manually, Mr Shehu said.

He said the commission also got data from relevant agencies like the Office of the Statistician-General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission.

So, we now have software through which the states and LGs will input the required data in the system. They have a passcode.

We will collect the data that they sent; analyse it and also send our own team to for verification, and then we will agree on how that horizontal formula will be, he said.

Mr Shehu said that in terms of revenue generation, the commission was trying to also build a data bank whereby it could monitor revenue-generating agencies.

The commission should be able to see in real-time what comes into their system.

We have already moved from multiple accounts to Treasury Single Account, but RMAFC also wants to have a system so that as revenue is coming in we are analysing it, he said.

He called for the cooperation of all revenue-generating agencies in the country in the commissions effort to effectively ensure optimal deployment of government revenue.

The Federal Government and the sub-national governments are concerned with how to make more revenue by also blocking leakages.

Technology will save us the time of going through documents and help us cut down on a lot of leakages, he said.

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A man in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria, has been arrested for allegedly leaking and selling a nude video clip of an unidentified woman in the state on social media.

The suspect, Chinedu Ezeudu, said to be in his 20s, also allegedly used the nude video clip to blackmail the woman.

Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, a media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

She said the suspect hails from Ndi Ikpa, Ezinato, a community in Awka South Local Government Area of the state.

How it happened

The woman, according to the statement, said, in March, she had lost her memory card, where her nude video clip was saved.

She said the suspect, who apparently picked the card, would later chat her up in June via an undisclosed social media platform where he requested a huge amount of money in order not to leak the nude clip.

She declined to pay the amount of money, which made the suspect threaten to upload the video clip on all social media platforms.

Her husband confronted the suspect and asked him to delete the video clip only to realise later that the suspect had duplicated the clip.

But despite being confronted by the womans husband, the suspect still went to upload on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

He also sold the video clip at the cost of N3,000 and above, to willing social media users, according to the statement.

READ ALSO: Police arrest Lagos man circulating nude photos of women

Ms Ikeanyionwu said the suspect was arrested immediately when the woman reported the incident to the commissioner, who quickly contacted the police in the state to carry out the arrest.

The media aide said the suspect will be arraigned at the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka.

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But for Nigerias President, Bola Tinubu, a West African military force would be fighting in Niger to sack the junta there. Mr Tinubu, the current chairperson of the ECOWAS heads of state, stated publicly that he was stalling the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to Niger despite the agreement of West African heads of state.

When the West African leaders agreed last month to deploy an ECOWAS force to Niger to sack the junta and reinstate ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, residents of some of the countries voiced their opposition.

The 26 July coup saw members of Nigers presidential guard topple the democratically elected government of Mr Bazoum and arrested the president and members of his government. The putschists have since formed a new government that is yet to be recognised by the international community including ECOWAS.

With the crisis in Niger yet to be resolved and in the absence of a survey to determine if residents of West African countries support a military invasion, PREMIUM TIMES interviewed many residents of some West African countries to know their stance on the coup and the military option.

The interviews were conducted with everyday citizens in English-speaking Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The interviews suggest that most residents of the West African countries are opposed to a military intervention in Niger.

In Ghana

Solomon Appiah, a 34-year-old car dealer, said he does not support the deployment of soldiers to Niger as he believes it will cause problems for his country, Ghana.

We only have to negotiate with them, sit with them to know what their problem is, know their reason for the coup and what they want, he said, adding that he believes the same situation is obtainable in other African countries where there have been coups.

Even in Ghana, we are also facing challenges, Mr Appiah said.

Abiba Saani, a hairdresser, noted that although she is not aware of ECOWAS plan to deploy the military to Niger but What are the soldiers going there to do?

For her, Ghana must not get involved in Niger otherwise it can be targeted by people or countries that support Niger.

I think ECOWAS can only talk to the soldiers in Niger so that they can restore democracy. If they dont listen, I think we should just leave them alone, Ms Saani told PREMIUM TIMES.

Iddris Mohammed a labourer, thinks putschists in Niger are right as African leaders are taking we the citizens for granted.

He argued that sending the military to Niger is unnecessary and as such should be cancelled.

The soldiers in Niger are fighting for the rights of the citizens. Even today, if there is to be a coup or any serious protest in Ghana, I will be happy to join because we are really suffering while the politicians continue to enjoy, Mr Mohammed said.

Kwame Ansah, a businessman, attributed the recent wave of coups in Africa to the greed of leaders.

The ECOWAS leaders sit down to allow the presidents to mismanage their countries and when the citizens act, they want to intervene, he said, adding that an intervention is not necessary and countries should be allowed to do what they want.

Nobody supports coup detats or violence but we also dont support presidents being greedy, Mr Ansah said.

In The Gambia

Even though Tijan Jallow, a petty trader, thinks the military should never be allowed to rule, he does not support a military intervention in Niger.

He believes the recent coups in Africa are preplanned and orchestrated by European powers.

The Europeans sent the military to do this. The White people want to take over Africa and they are using our military to do this, Mr Jallow alleged.

He argued that ECOWAS cannot send soldiers to Niger because they did not do the same in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.

For Mr Jallow, the best way to prevent coups is to have term limits. No president should serve more than two terms, he said.

Sohna Tunkara, a university student, insists that even if all diplomatic negotiation proves futile, ECOWAS should not resort to reinstating President Bazoum through violence.

This would only jeopardise the peace and stability of the country thereby putting the lives and property of the people they intend to save in danger, she argued.

Ms Tunkara said many African countries, despite being democratic, are still underdeveloped largely due to corruption.

Coup is not the best solution as well, but once the situation escalates to such a level, violence should not be paid by violence, she noted.

A businessman, Alagie Jallow, said he does not military intervention because they (ECOWAS) are fighting for the white people. The French and Americans are supporting ECOWAS so they can fight and remove the military government from Niger.

He said most Nigeriens are poor despite Niger being a resource-rich country.

What the military did is right. If we want to solve this, all soldiers in Africa, including The Gambia, should join the Niger military to remove the white people from their country, Mr Jallow told PREMIUM TIMES.

Yasukai Singhateh is caught between supporting democracy and military intervention.

I am not a fan of war but I think swift action should be taken to stop this military uprising, she said, adding that this is a tough one, I am all in for democracy but then our leaders fail us.

Ultimately, if diplomatic means do not work, force should be taken to set an example for those planning on doing similar, she said.

In Liberia

Armah Johnson notes that the root cause of the recent coups should be looked into.

He would have supported intervention in Niger if Nigeriens were opposed to the new government. But from events that have happened since 26 July, the people appear to be fans of the putschists, he said.

Mr Johnson said, ECOWAS can sit and watch these African leaders change their countrys constitution in their own interest and say nothing about it but when and if the people through the military take to the rampages, then ECOWAS wants to talk.

Engagements and dialogue are other means through which the political crisis in Niger can be solved, he added.

On whose behalf is ECOWAS even planning such a move when we all know that war is not the answer? Is ECOWAS going to exacerbate the situation or put it under control, I know for a fact, that if ECOWAS go with such a move there will be resistance from the junta and do you know what may happen in the end? Sadatu Fahnbulleh, a civil society activist, asked rhetorically.

Anthony Jiffan, a Liberian journalist, said that while he is opposed to coups, he does not support war against the junta because if you go to war with the junta, instead of protecting lives, ECOWAS will be taking away innocent lives.

He added that the intent for the deployment of troops is to protect ordinary Nigeriens and a military intervention will defeat that.

In Sierra Leone

Baimba Kamara thinks there is a need to respect the sovereignty of states in Africa. This is a Niger problem, it does not require military intervention. French West Africa is liberating itself.

He queried the sudden need to act by ECOWAS and accused the regional body of not responding in a similar manner to previous coups on the continent. The people of Niger have accepted the military regime, and ECOWAS must accept that, he argued.

I am partially in support of the coup and if the government or the state is not doing that which the people want and the military think they can get things together until there is a new government, I think it is not a bad idea, said Isha Sesay, a Sierra Leonian social worker.

Just like Mr Kamara, Ms Sesay questions the threat to use force. She alleged that ECOWAS is acting at the prompting of the West.

The coup is not a good thing but I feel like the coup is just to shape the government and to shape politicians to know that Niger people are watching. This should be an example especially for other African countries and politicians to know that coups are very possible, Ms Sesay said.

In Nigeria

For Stephanie Odukwe, the situation in Niger is dicey as one cannot guarantee that the junta will offer better governance for Nigeriens neither can reinstating the ousted president guarantee that.

If truly the people of Niger are happy with the military take over as it is shown in the media and they believe it will serve them better and foster development, then the military should be temporarily allowed to rule for the sake of peace and to avoid destruction lives/properties which a war would bring, she said.

Ms Odukwe suggested that ECOWAS should think up better ways to convince the junta to allow a peaceful transition after a short time.

I think the major need of the people there and in Africa as a whole is true democracy which is sadly absent in a lot of African nations, she added.

Anthony Ibe, an On-Air Personality, told this newspaper he is indifferent about a military intervention in Niger.

Military coups should not be the way but electoral coups have become the order of the day, he said, alluding to elections in Africa which are often characterised by malpractices.

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Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, the chairperson and CEO of Nestoil Group, a Nigerian oil conglomerate, is set to complete the purchase of a $76 million Gulfstream G-700 jet from the manufacturer in Georgia, United States, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

In addition, Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi and his oil firm are now strategising to expand their dealings with American businesses in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, California, and other states in the US, documents show.

Incorporated in 1991, Nestoil has grown to be one of Nigerias foremost indigenous engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) companies in the oil and gas sector.

Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi, 63, the founder and managing director of the company, has now set his eyes beyond the shores of Nigeria, looking to build a world-class energy conglomerate, those close to his business said.

Aside from expanding Nestoils operation in America, PREMIUM TIMES understands that the billionaire businessmans other priorities include the purchase of a new Gulfstream G-700 aeroplane that sells for $76 million.

At the current official market rate of N780 per US dollars, the amount is equivalent to N59.3 billion.

The G-700 aircraft is an all-new jet that is currently in flight test and is anticipated to enter into service this year, according to Guardian Jet, an organisation providing aircraft owners and operators with market intelligence advice.

The aircraft, its manufacturers say, is an ultra-long-range bespoke private jet with two engines. It will offer the largest cabin in business aviation, carrying up to 19 passengers and having up to five living areas.

The Gulfstream G700 unites a revolutionary cabin with all-new Roy Royce engines and the award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck, the manufacturers said in a product brochure.

Gulfstream said the all-new aircraft will deliver better performance and greater cabin comfort. During certification flying, the aircraft demonstrated increases in range and speed as well as improvements in cabin altitude, Mark Burns, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation President, said recently.

We are undertaking one of the most extensive flight test programmes as the G700 is the first business aircraft to undergo Federal Aviation Administration certification following the passage of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act.

As a result, we will be delivering an extremely mature, rigorously tested aircraft that will outperform expectations in speed, range and cabin comfort. Our certification efforts continue to advance, and we look forward to delivering the G700 to customers around the world.

If the purchase is completed, Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi and his Nestoil will be among the first set of buyers in the world to acquire the luxury jet.

Currently, Nestoil relies heavily on an older Gulfstream jet for which, in addition to its purchase price, the company has spent $31 million (N41 billion) on parts, maintenance, and management, company documents show.

The company also has a Bombardier jet, which is manufactured in Canada and was financed with a $25 million (N33.6 billion) loan from a leading Swiss bank.

However, Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi, the Nestoil CEO, said in a document seen by PREMIUM TIMES that he prefers U.S. jets, adding that he plans to continue purchasing and relying on them for the foreseeable future.

In November 2022, Nestoils aviation subsidiary signed a letter of intent for the purchase of the G-700 aircraft.

This newspaper can now report that the deal is at an advanced stage, with Gulfstream and Mr Azudialu-Obiejesis Nestoil arranging schedules for the completion of the jet.

Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi is also planning a trip to Georgia soon to complete the transaction.

Nestoil Jet Accident

On 25 January 2018, Nestoils Gulfstream G-200 jet got involved in an accident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The aircraft, with registration marking 5N-BTF, took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on that day, operating a chartered flight service with four passengers and three crew onboard.

Although no casualty was recorded, a report from the Accidents Investigation Bureau (AIB) said the aircraft was substantially damaged.

Nestoil says once the G-700 arrives at its headquarters, it will become the star of the Nigerian conglomerates fleet of fixed-wing aeroplanes, helicopters, and dozens of shipping vessels.

Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi and his Nestoil

Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi is known as an astute businessman with a bachelors degree in Accountancy from the University of Benin and an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Nigeria. He established Nestoil in 1991 as an offshoot of the Obijackson Group of Companies.

Nestoil entities within the oil and gas sector engage in oil drilling, oil and gas exploration and production, dredging, aviation, civil construction, ship drydocking, pressure vessel manufacturing, major steel fabrication, and marine shipping.

The companys biggest project to date was its construction for the Royal Dutch Shell company of half of the $1.1 billion 60-mile Nembe Trunk Line in the Niger Delta.

In its 32 years of operations, the company has expanded to become a leading indigenous oil and gas company handling multi-million dollar contracts, with its clientele including the Nigerian government and international oil companies.

The company has further expanded its services through the establishment of affiliates to handle specific industry needs  B & Q Dredging Ltd [dredging and marine operations]; Gobowen E& P Ltd [upstream oil and gas activities]; Hammakkop Consortium Ltd [for civil engineering construction works]; Energy Works Technology Ltd [Offshore Fabrication and pressure vessel manufacturing]; Time Power Global Dynamics Ltd [power distribution]; and Century Power Generation Ltd [electricity generation].

Nestoil spearheaded the founding of the Neconde Consortium to gain a competitive advantage in winning bids for work. That paid off with the consortium acquiring oil block OML 42 from Shell.

In 2019, the London Stock Exchange designated the Nestoil conglomerate as one of the Companies to Inspire Africa.

In October 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari awarded Mr Azudialu-Obiejesi a national honour  Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic.

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Security operatives and local vigilantes have rescued over 30 people kidnapped from Gujin Duguri village in the Alkaleri Local Government of Bauchi State.

The victims were rescued unhurt, a community leader, Adamu Duguri, told journalists on Saturday.

He said the abducted were being held in the vast Yankari, which is along the boundaries of Bauchi with Plateau, Gombe and Taraba States.

He said when security operatives engaged their hideout, the kidnappers fled after initially engaging the operatives in a gunfight.

A resident of the Duguri, Dawa Sani, told PREMIUM TIMES that since December 2022 his family has paid about N30 million to kidnappers as ransom for the release of relatives.

In my family, one of our women was kidnapped in December 2022 we paid N15 million for her release and in August one of our sons was kidnapped we also paid another N15 million before he was released to us.

This insecurity situation has been increasing in the rural areas unabated, especially in the four local government areas of Alkaleri, Toro, Ningi and Tafawa Balewa.

The problem of banditry in this part of the state has been going on for some time now without respite despite the fact that authorities concerned said they are on top of the situation all the time, he said.

As insecurity worsens in Bauchi State, the state governor, Bala Mohammed, recently said his administration was making an effort to tackle the menace once and for all.

The spokesperson of the Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Wakili, could not be reached for comment, as calls to his mobile phone were not going through.

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The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Muhammed Shehu, says political office holders in Nigeria do not earn outrageous emoluments as speculated by Nigerians.

Mr Shehu, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said some civil servants are earning more than ministers and legislators, adding that politicians have yet to see a salary increment since 2007.

I want to disabuse the minds of Nigerians. It is not true that people are getting jumbo salaries. The monthly salary of Mr President is less than N1.5 million; that of a minister is not even up to one million naira.

I know of an average CBN worker who is not even a director, who earns more than a minister.

People in NNPC, NCC, ports authority earn huge salaries. What is the salary of a governor? What is the salary of a legislator? He said.

Recent attempt to increase salaries of public servants

An official of RMAFC had in June stated that a 114 per cent salary increase has been approved for political office holders.

Many Nigerians criticised the proposal at a time when citizens are being asked to adjust to increased prices of goods and services as a result of government policies such as the removal of subsidy on petrol.

However, Dele Alake, the then spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, denied the claim, noting that the president is yet to give his approval.

Reacting to the planned increment of salaries, Mr Shehu said that it is the constitutional responsibility of RMAFC to determine and review the salaries of executive, legislative and judicial officers.

He said salaries of political office holders have not been reviewed since 2007.

From 2008 till date there had not been any single review, Mr Shehu said.

We are Nigerians, we are not going to start talking about reviewing salaries of political office holders now because of the challenges that the government is facing.

As a commission, we are going to do our work but we are not going to say we will do it now.

We will do it when the climate is right and then we will take it forward to the stakeholders for them to decide on what to do, he said.

Legislators not earning jumbo salaries but operating cost  RAMFC

Speaking on the earnings of senators and members of the House of Representatives, Mr Shehu said what Nigerians consider to be jumbo salaries is operating cost.

I know some people will say members of the National Assembly get up to N10 million or N11 million monthly.

Those are not salaries, they are like operating costs of running their offices which in other societies the legislator does not have to see because there is a structure.

Once you get elected, you make that structure from your constituency office to computers to logistics to the size of your constituency.

Mr Shehu stated further that legislators ought to submit receipts for proper documentation and accountability.

Wherever you have constituency office, the workers you hire, It is the National Assembly Service commission that is supposed to take care of that.

But the Nigerian system allows the legislator to be given a certain amount and then he deals with that and retires the receipts, Mr Shehu said.

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In a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center between June and September 2022, spanning six countries in Southeast Asia, the importance of religion in shaping national identity has come to the forefront. The survey, which interviewed 13,122 adults across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, offers valuable insights into the interplay between religion and national identity in the region.

Buddhism, a predominant faith in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia, emerges as a cornerstone of national identity in these nations. Remarkably, over 90% of Buddhists in these countries expressed that being Buddhist is vital to being a true part of their respective nations. In Cambodia, an astounding 97% of Buddhists share this sentiment, followed closely by 95% in Sri Lanka and 91% in Thailand.

Similarly, in Muslim-majority nations Malaysia and Indonesia, the survey reveals that the importance of being Muslim to one's national identity is equally high, with nearly all Muslims asserting this connection. Notably, 75% of Malaysians and 77% of Indonesians consider Islam not only a religion but also an 'ethnicity' or a 'culture' that one is born into or must follow as a family tradition.

Religious diversity appears to be celebrated in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka, where the majority of respondents believe that a variety of backgrounds enriches their countries. Only a small minority (6% or fewer) view it negatively. Furthermore, there is a noteworthy acceptance of neighbors from different religious backgrounds across all surveyed nations, reflecting a degree of religious tolerance.

However, alongside this acceptance, the survey reveals a strong sense of cultural superiority prevailing in these countries. Clear majorities across the board believe in the superiority of their own cultures. For instance, 93% of Cambodians, 92% of Sri Lankans, 91% of Malaysians, 89% of Indonesians, 76% of Thais, and 61% of Singaporeans expressed this belief. Intriguingly, those who consider religion very important in their lives are more likely to endorse the idea of cultural superiority.

The influence of religion on national laws also emerges as a significant theme in the survey. In the Buddhist-majority nations surveyed, a majority of Buddhists believe that their laws should be grounded in religious teachings. A remarkable 96% of Cambodian Buddhists support basing Cambodian law on Buddhist dharma, while 86% of Sri Lankan Buddhists share this belief. In Thailand, 56% of Buddhists favor national laws rooted in Buddhist dharma.

Conversely, in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, where Buddhists are not in the majority, support for laws based on Buddhist teachings is notably lower, with 43% of Malaysian Buddhists and 39% of Singaporean Buddhists in favor.

In the Muslim-majority nations of Malaysia and Indonesia, the survey indicates significant support for the imposition of Sharia law, with 86% in Malaysia and 64% in Indonesia endorsing its establishment. In summary, the Pew survey underscores the profound influence of religion on national identity and the role it plays in shaping attitudes toward cultural superiority and legal frameworks across Southeast Asia.

Sharing seats or the Sanatan Row? Why Was the First I.N.D.I.A. Rally in Bhopal Postponed?

A Union minister issued this warning in the midst of the Anantnag Ops: "If you go to war with India, your children..."

India Should Purchase More Following Russia-Ukraine Howitzers to Boost Artillery Power
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has tendered an apology to women groups over a series of statements on the alleged sex scandal at the University of Calabar.

Her action followed an open letter from a Womans Rights Movement of over 500 activists, practitioners, professionals, and NGOs known as Womanifesto.

They condemned her statements on the matter and demanded a public apology and retraction, else they will spare no efforts in taking further action that may affect your (Ministers) position.

Responding to this letter, the Minister in a press statement on Sunday said I wish to express my sincere apologies to those who were offended by my comments and actions regarding the sexual harassment scandal at the University of Calabar. This is extremely regrettable as my intentions were sincere and aligned with my consistent advocacy for the welfare of Nigerian women and the pursuit of justice.

I stand for all Nigerian women and I stand for justice; and it is my hope that we can work together to actualise the dream of a country where womens rights are respected and protected, and where our daughters feel safe in institutions of learning.

One of the grouses of the women groups was over the ministers statement that since a female student admitted in a leaked phone conversation with the Minister that she was not raped, it means she was not sexually harassed.

This for them meant that only rape (penetrative sexual intercourse) is the only form of sexual harassment recognised by the Minister.

Whereas the United Nations definition of sexual harassment is sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, whether implicitly or explicitly.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how on 14 August, female students of the law faculty held a peaceful rally against the varsitys Dean, Faculty of Law, Cyril Ndifon, whom they accused of harassing them, an allegation he denied when he told this newspaper that the protest was sponsored by lecturers in the faculty who did not like his style of leadership, although the varsity suspended him.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Florence Obi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the university management would investigate the allegations but that the students would be required to provide evidence to back up their complaints.

Reacting to this, the Minister in a video seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, threatened to prosecute parties who lie during the ongoing investigation of the alleged sexual assault at the University of Calabar.

Was the minister right to interfere in the matter?

Although the investigation panel is conducted by the University, the Minister through her statements on the matter has shown interest.

What is the mandate of the ministry in this regard?

As indicated on its website, the mandate of the Ministry is to advise the government on Gender and Children issues.

On the other hand, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in line with the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, 2015 is responsible for investigations of this nature.

The VAPP department shall be responsible for the investigation of all cases of violence against persons and related offences (Rape, Infliction of injury, intimidation, forceful ejection from home, spousal battery, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, Abandonment of spouse and dependants, Incest, Indecent Exposure, stalking, offensive Conduct, harmful traditional practices, other forms of sexual and gender-based violence), as indicated on its website.

Also, the Minister threatened to prosecute and jail liars in the ongoing probe.

But it is within the jurisdiction of NAPTIP as stated on its website, in accordance with the VAPP Act to conduct rescue, arrest, and detention through the NRRS in collaboration with the investigation and operations departments.

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I believe Tinubu probably won the elections. But the idea that Obi and the Labour Party had no duty to challenge the flawed process in court is preposterous. Painting the Obidients as obnoxious agents of lies is incredible emotionalism. The entire space is poisoned on all sides. The conclusion that the court process was not just frivolous but manipulative, seeking to hoodwink the youth into an insurrection is at best a piece of roadside conspiracy theorising.

Professor Soyinka is a genius. Besides his exceptional creativity in drama and poetry, he has fought oppression like an attendant spirit. However, in the last few months, he has spent more time proving that he is human than engaging the demons of corruption and injustice. Before Tinubu, his friend, ran for president, Soyinka would dwell on the credibility of the electoral process and dream of mass participation. And if INEC spent two years seeking the authority to transfer polling unit results electronically to enhance transparency and eliminate substitution of results at collation, Soyinka would insist it was non-negotiable. And if INEC ran into a suspicious glitch on election day, leaving room for mischief at collation centres, Soyinka would worry about the integrity of INEC and lampoon the credibility of the process. Now Soyinka isnt bothered about the commitment the electoral umpire gave the youths. Soyinka appears more interested in the sideshow and what some Sea dogs told him about who came third and fourth in the elections. He is incandescent at the rambunctious overreaction of the once apathetic youth to anomalies, defeat or perceived injustice. Soyinka used to be on the side of political scepticism and activism.

Soyinka is 89 and has paid his dues. So when he is indignant, every effort must be made to see his point of view. He is perhaps disappointed that a dreamed third force has suffered a congenital malformation. He would have preferred a more broad-based movement driven by intellectualism and perhaps idealism. So Soyinka misses the old Labour Party. He thinks the Obidients have made the Labour Party an intellectually wretched regional party of nattering zombies. He doesnt read exuberance in the actions of the youth. He doesnt see any correlation between their intemperate vociferousness and the ruthlessness of the predicament they foresee. He sees only the reactions and not actions. So he sees the force of lies. Soyinka reads perhaps tribalism, charlatanism and extremism.

In 1979, Chief Obafemi Awolowo performed well and earned the right to question the outcome of the presidential election. Awolowo swept the votes from the old western region and did poorly everywhere else. Yet, nobody thought the UPN was a moribund clannish vehicle. It was believed that if the head of the ticket was a morally upright man like Awolowo, then perhaps his own people would be justified in flocking to him like sheep. Awolowos rejection of the results and the legal battle up to the Supreme Court werent deemed a clandestine attempt to truncate the infant democracy. In the 2023 presidential election, the Labour Party was the dominant party in three of the countrys six zones. It was the dominant party in Lagos and Abuja, the most cosmopolitan geographical spaces in Nigeria. Yet, Soyinka thinks the party has either regressed or derailed.

Soyinka knows he is an authority. A man of such gravity that can tilt the moral compass of a nation. He knows that millions of people in this country could rely on him for the balance of reasons to resolve a moral contradiction. Amongst these folks are lawyers and judges. Soyinka knows that the Supreme Court will deliver the final verdict on the presidential election petitions in a few weeks. Rather than wait for the apex court, Soyinka has weighed in.

Soyinka has depth and great convictions. In a sense, he has no peers. As a young man, he seized a radio station with a gun to frustrate vote thieves. Then, a few years later, he did the unthinkable by crossing over to enemy territory in search of reason and compromise to stop the civil war. That earned him a solitary confinement. The man hasnt died in him. He still speaks in favour of diversity of opinions and preferences. Unlike other intellectuals, he isnt scared to pitch his tent with self-determination. So, he doesnt think IPOB is madness. And he understands how many ran to Obi because they thought it was the turn of the Igbo. He knows the youth in Edo and Delta, who had become frustrated in many diverse ways with the lazy politics of the two main parties and wanted something different. Soyinka understands complexities. That is why his obsession with the flammability of temperament of the excited opposition that has made money redundant in politics is beginning to bother his devotees.

In 1998, the South-East voted for PDP. In 2003, the South-East voted Obasanjo. Though a good measure of the support was mediated by ballot box stuffing, the region wasnt ambivalent. In 2007, YarAdua garnered his highest percentage votes from the South-East and South-South. In 2011, Jonathan got more percentage votes from the South-East than anywhere else. Discounting all improprieties, in all these elections, the South-East voted almost unanimously for one party. In 2015, the South-East voted totally for Jonathan. Buharis worst performance was in the South-East. In 2019, Atikus best performance was in Anambra State. He scored a higher percentage than he did in Adamawa or anywhere else. The pattern is therefore predictable. Voting like a headless mob, right? The outcomes were foreseeable. But in 2023, people wonder why the South-East, claiming it was its turn, voted in one direction for its son whom millions deemed different from others.

Soyinka knows he is an authority. A man of such gravity that can tilt the moral compass of a nation. He knows that millions of people in this country could rely on him for the balance of reasons to resolve a moral contradiction. Amongst these folks are lawyers and judges. Soyinka knows that the Supreme Court will deliver the final verdict on the presidential election petitions in a few weeks. Rather than wait for the apex court, Soyinka has weighed in. Its not fascism. He is exercising his freedoms. Soyinka knows that because of his intellectual gravitas, he can affect the scale of the balance of probabilities. He vouches for his organisation, the Sea Dogs confraternity and assumes it has the accurate results of the elections. So, he doesnt mind imposing his judgment on the justices. A few months ago, Soyinka railed against fascism and Obidients because Datti Ahmed attempted to impose his free opinions about the election on the nation in a way that rendered the courts redundant. Perhaps, Soyinka doesnt mind a little fascism brewed in Abeokuta.

Soyinka was categorical in saying Obi placed third. But that wasnt the sensational bit. Soyinka said Obi employed or demonstrated gbajue in going to court to fool his supporters. If the world agreed that Obis votes were brazenly stolen in Rivers, then why wouldnt Obi go to court? Was Obi supposed to allow INEC and the rogues to get away with the heist without a chase?

Soyinkas faith in his confraternity is admirable. The fraternity must have authentic results for Rivers and Benue. International and local observers were united in saying that atrocities happened in Rivers. The BBC has investigated Rivers and said that the results published by INEC were fraudulent. The results announced by INEC are markedly different from the sum of the results published by the INEC on IREV. Rivers could be an isolated event. But If Soyinkas confraternity didnt weep about the electoral heist that happened in Rivers on 25 February, then it must cover its face with 96 masks and proceed for a deliverance at Yiaga Africa. But if the confraternity narrated the story of a riverine Ali Baba and his forty thieves to Soyinka, then the great Kongi must come forth at dawn and tell the public how he arrived at Gbajue. Soyinka was categorical in saying Obi placed third. But that wasnt the sensational bit. Soyinka said Obi employed or demonstrated gbajue in going to court to fool his supporters. If the world agreed that Obis votes were brazenly stolen in Rivers, then why wouldnt Obi go to court? Was Obi supposed to allow INEC and the rogues to get away with the heist without a chase? If INEC were allowed to publish one thing on the public portal and announce a different thing to the world, then wouldnt INEC have been encouraged to continue dancing in the forests?

I believe Tinubu probably won the elections. But the idea that Obi and the Labour Party had no duty to challenge the flawed process in court is preposterous. Painting the Obidients as obnoxious agents of lies is incredible emotionalism. The entire space is poisoned on all sides. The conclusion that the court process was not just frivolous but manipulative, seeking to hoodwink the youth into an insurrection is at best a piece of roadside conspiracy theorising. There are three elephants in the room. An INEC that says one thing and does another without compunction. A buccaneering political class that seeks to win at all costs. A judicial system that has built an unenviable reputation because it houses many Brother Jeros.

Professor Soyinka is a genius. He is not a bigot. He deserves national respect. But perhaps the blood of the covenant of NADECO is thicker than the water of the womb of democracy.

Ugoji Egbujo writes from Lagos.

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I am not in the habit of poking my nose into affairs that dont really concern me except that when fart is released in one corner of the room, it will inevitably spread round in obedience to the direction of the wind.

Ogun State may be comparatively small in the Nigerian community of states, but it is a superpower in terms of human capital development. It is not an accident that many of the most prominent Yoruba personages in various fields of endeavour were produced by this tiny state: Obafemi Awolowo, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ernest Shonekan, Moshood Abiola, Yemi Osinbajo, Bayo Ogunlesi, Akinwumi Adesina, Simeon Adebo, Adebayo Adedeji, Subomi Balogun, Mike Adenuga, Segun Odegbami, Anthony Joshua, Israel Adesanya, Tobi Amusan et al.

Ogun routinely punches above its weight in the community of states. That is why the state is celebrated for many positive reasons. And that is also the reason why it cannot escape censure when it hugs the klieg lights for the wrong reasons.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State used to make headlines with a cocktail of alleged personal scandals of his own. Now that he has graduated to using state machinery, literally and figuratively, to smash the investments of perceived opponents, many critics are wondering why the governor has decided to start his second term with cultivating more enemies.

Datkem Plaza

Many Nigerians were still reeling in shock at the mindless illogic that underpinned the spate of demolitions in Kano State when Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State unleashed his own demolition hurricane to the consternation of even his supporters who had defied the elements to cast their ballot heralding his second term.

The victim this time is Olufunke Daniel, wife of the former governor of the state, Gbenga Daniel. Her one billion Naira edifice nearing completion was demolished by the state government on a Sunday morning on account of not having adequate parking space and inadequate airspace.

As usual, brickbats have been flying from both sides. The state government insists that there is absolutely no political motive behind its action. Perhaps, it is only a coincidence that Gbenga Daniel and Dapo Abiodun are presently not in the same political caucus within the ruling All Progressives Congress. It appears, though, that only the state governor and his followers believe the governments fib. The people feel gutted at the level of pettiness behind the action.

Hell hath no fury like a politician scorned! Tenants of power sniff the hypnotic fumes of executive rulership and fancy themselves as pioneer climbers atop the palm tree. They view humanity with studied disdain from the tree top forgetting that, as far as the palm tree goes, the way you climb is also the same route you will descend. A perceptive climber will not do anything to compromise a safe descent.

Adedayos Impeachment

Another issue that has exposed Governor Abioduns roughneck style is the way he has handled his quarrel with the now impeached Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Wale Adedayo. Let me state that, in fairness, Governor Abiodun is not alone in this kind of imperial attitude. Nigerian governors generally think that local governments are their financial boys quarters. They install and depose chairmen and councillors at will. And, since most of the appointees so installed have no day job, they cannot criticise the godfather, lest they are cast out to the wilderness of joblessness whence they came.

Wale Adedayo dared to be different. A journalist who had worked as Assistant Editor (Politics) in the PUNCH newspaper, Foreign Affairs and later Science reporter at The Guardian, and Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Guardian Chapel, among other achievements, Adedayo holds a B.Sc (Zoology) and MA (Journalism Studies). He is an unlikely candidate for the role of a somnolent lapdog.

By the way, some of his colleagues candidly see him as a stormy petrel of sorts who can hold his own in any political turf. He is by no means a spring chicken. His self-assuredness could make his political bosses feel threatened, some say. His supporters, however, think the world of his forthrightness, rootsy politics and unbridled courage which make him stay the course once hes convinced of a chosen direction.

Adedayos problem started when he authored a complaint to a former governor of the state who is also a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Olusegun Osoba, accusing Governor Dapo Abiodun of withholding statutory allocations from the federation accounts to local governments in the state since May 2019.

Since we (Ogun State Local Government Chairmen) got on board in 2021, it has been ZERO Federal Allocation to each local government. The 10% of the states Internally Generated Revenue, which the Constitution also stipulated should go to the local governments has not been given since Abiodun got into office, Adedayo alleged.

He also listed a number of intervention funds released by the federal government which ought to have been used by the local governments to make life better for the people but which were cornered by the state government. He disclosed that local government funds were being directly managed by the governor because none of the local government officials was a signatory to the Council accounts.

At the onset, it appeared that other local government chairmen supported Adedayo. If his campaign succeeded, they would all reap the benefits. However, when the backlash started coming in the form of Hurricane DA with political thugs and armed policemen on the prowl, many of the chairmen recoiled into their shells and quietly trooped to the Government House to prostrate to the governor and dissociate themselves from Adedayos recalcitrance. That is how debased the Nigerian local government administration has become.

No one was surprised when the councillors of Ijebu East Local Government impeached Adedayo in spite of the fact that they couldnt prove any of the trumped-up allegations against him as required by law.

Cat With Nine Lives

Perceptive analysts who have studied the Nigerian situation dont expect anything to affect Abioduns perch on the gubernatorial seat. He has survived worse accusations.

In 2018, The Cable accused him of certificate forgery. He had claimed in the 2015 senatorial election form for Ogun East to have graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, but in the 2019 governorship form, he claimed to possess only secondary school WASC. Later, in a TV interview, he confessed to have only been a student of the institution but that he didnt graduate. And when the Premium Times, following the Pandora Papers leaks, exposed the governors involvement in two offshore companies as sole director of both Marlowes Trading Corporation and Heyden Petroleum Limited in apparent violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, the governor wriggled out, leaving his defence to third parties.

I hope that someday, the governor will sue Sahara Reporters for claiming that he was jailed in the US in 1986 (Inmate No. 8600B9436) for credit card fraud, petty theft, check forgery and fighting and injuring a police officer in an attempt to resist arrest in Miami Dade Florida, USA under the pseudonym Shawn Michael Davids.

If Adedayo doesnt know that in these climes, governors are infallible, unassailable, unconquerable and indestructible, Governor Abiodun surely does. Oh, how I wish that the sole purpose of power is the common good!

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have rescued five pregnant teenage girls said to be victims of child trafficking in Imo State, South-east Nigeria.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the five girls were believed to be used to produce babies for sale  baby factory.

Mr Babafemi said the girls were intercepted while they were being relocated from their hideout in the Naze area to the Ikenegbu area  all in Owerri, the state capital, on Wednesday.

The NDLEA spokesperson said the operatives were on their routine patrol along the Aba-Owerri Expressway when they intercepted the girls.

The NDLEA, in its statement, mentioned the names of the five girls but PREMIUM TIMES could not publish them because of their underage status.

READ ALSO:

The girls claimed they did not know the men who impregnated them, according to the statement.

The Imo State Command of the NDLEA has since been directed to hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigations, Mr Babafemi said.

The spokesperson said NDLEA operatives, in separate operations across Nigeria, intercepted and seized several illicit drug consignments at different airports and along some highways in the country.

Baby factories in Nigeria

Baby factory, sometimes disguised as an orphanage, is a name given to a facility where traffickers hold women, mostly teenagers, against their will, rape and force them to get pregnant. The newborns at the facility are then sold illegally to adoptive parents.

Girls in such a facility are sometimes forced into child labour and prostitution.

A recent investigation uncovered how a supposed Christian orphanage in Anambra State, another state in the South-east, was illegally selling babies between N1.5 million and N2 million, depending on a babys gender.

The investigation also revealed how the sales were executed with the collusion of the officials of the Nigerian police and the judiciary.

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Residents of Area 8, OPIC Estate, Agbara in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed for the help of the state government after a flood ravaged the area.

The flood followed four days of relentless rainfall in many parts of the state.

Residents said they were being forced to relocate as rainwater continued to submerge buildings.

In a letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun, some of the victims described their situation as an impending disaster.

The letter, co-signed by the estate chairman, Adebowale Odunayo, and the assistant secretary, Iziokhai Ohioze, called the attention of the government to the ravaging effect of incessant flooding that our community has been experiencing over time.

It said the situation was formally reported to OPIC Management on several occasions but each visit ended with promises, which remain unfulfilled, leaving residents to the vagary of nature.

They said, over the past few years, the frequency and intensity of flooding in Area 8, had increased substantially.

They said an absence of drainage systems had worsened the situation during downpours, resulting in water entering our homes and causing damage to the foundations, walls, and interiors of our buildings.

READ ALSO:

This does not only lead to financial losses for us as property owners but also compromises the structural integrity of our homes as well as results in a psychological nightmare once there is an impending rain.

While noting that flooding is a natural occurrence, the people said with well-compacted road network and proper channelisation, it can be minimised and mitigated.

Your Excellency Sir, please kindly come to our rescue. Our lives and properties are being challenged negatively. Our safety and in particular that of our children as well as the aged amongst us is being put in jeopardy.

Sir, we solicit your approval for an immediate upgrade of the entire drainage architecture of the area. We equally crave the indulgence of Your Excellency for rehabilitation of the road within the OPIC Estate, particularly Roads 411, 800, 808, 81 which we believe if tarred, would complement the drainage system, they appealed.

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State's blood supply at a dangerously low point, putting patients at risk

AURORA, Ill., Sept. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Versiti Blood Center of Illinois has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations, pleading with community members to make an appointment to donate blood in the coming days. Heading into the fall, Versiti has seen a drastic drop in scheduled appointments, with nearly 2,500 open appointments over the next seven days.

Emergency blood shortage. Make your appointment to donate today! (PRNewsfoto/Versiti Blood Center of Indiana)

"This is the lowest our blood inventory has been in over a year, which could mean that blood is not available when it's needed the most," said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti. "We are seeing fewer first-time donors walking through our doors, which is adding to an already dangerous situation, and we need the community to step up and donate."

Versiti estimates that around 20 percent of its donors are first-time donors; unfortunately, more than 50 percent of those donors only donate once. With an aging donor base and increased need, first-time blood donors are desperately needed.

"Our loyal donors continue to hear our pleas and roll up their sleeves, for which we are extremely grateful," added Dr. Waxman. "However, if every eligible donor could pledge to donate at least twice by the end of the year and encourage a friend or family member to give blood donation a try as well, the impact on the local blood supply would be significant and save lives."

While Versiti strives for a three-day supply of available blood for local hospitals, the organization currently has less than a one-day supply on the shelves. Not only does this potentially put people's lives at risk, but it limits the ability to respond to the need for blood should the unexpected occur.

What to know about blood donation

Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood to survive. One donation can save up to three lives.

The donation process, including registration and testing, takes about an hour. Because your body constantly replaces blood and fluids, blood donation doesn't take a major toll on the human body.

There is no substitute for blood donation  blood cannot be manufactured. It can only come from volunteer donors.

Roughly 68 percent of Americans can donate blood, but only about 3 percent do so.

Blood donation can help patients of all ages who are victims of traumatic accidents, patients of organ transplants, or fighting through diseases like cancer.

All blood types are needed, with types O-positive and O-negative most in demand. O-positive is the most common blood type, while O-negative blood is the universal type that can be received safely by all patients in emergencies when the blood type is unknown.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call (800) 786-4483 or visit versiti.org. Walk-in donors are also welcome.

Donor center locations:

WESTMONT : 6317 S. Fairview

: 6317 S. Fairview TINLEY PARK : 16100 Centennial Circle

: 16100 Centennial Circle BLOOMINGDALE : 398 W. Army Trail Rd.

: 398 W. Army Trail Rd. NAPERVILLE : 1297 S. Naper Blvd.

: 1297 S. Naper Blvd. WINFIELD : 27W281 Geneva Rd.

: 27W281 Geneva Rd. JOLIET : 2625 W. Jefferson St.

: 2625 W. Jefferson St. GENEVA : 2000 W. State St., Unit 1E

: 2000 W. State St., Unit 1E AURORA : 1200 N. Highland Ave.

: 1200 N. Highland Ave. ELGIN : 1140 N. McLean Blvd.

: 1140 N. McLean Blvd. CRYSTAL LAKE : 6296 Northwest Hwy.

: 6296 Northwest Hwy. YORKVILLE : 728 E. Veterans Pkwy., Suite 112

: 728 E. Veterans Pkwy., Suite 112 DEKALB : 2428 Sycamore Rd.

: 2428 Sycamore Rd. HIGHLAND: 2126 45th Street

Donating blood takes about an hour. Anyone age 16 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

About Versiti Blood Center of Illinois

Versiti Blood Center of Illinois is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Aurora, IL., that specializes in blood products and services and provides expert medical and technical support. Founded in 1943, it is the oldest blood center in Illinois and serves patients at more than 85 hospitals in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. It operates 12 donor centers and conducts nearly 2,200 blood drives annually at area hospitals, churches, businesses, schools and community centers. To learn more, visit versiti.org.

SOURCE Versiti Blood Center of Illinois
State's blood supply is at a dangerously low point, putting patients at risk

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Versiti Blood Center of Michigan has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations, pleading with community members to make an appointment to donate blood in the coming days. Heading into the fall, Versiti has seen a drastic drop in scheduled appointments, with nearly 3,000 open appointments over the next seven days.

Emergency blood shortage. Make your appointment to donate today! (PRNewsfoto/Versiti Blood Center of Indiana)

"This is the lowest our blood inventory has been in over a year, which could mean that blood is not available when it's needed the most," said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti. "We are seeing fewer first-time donors walking through our doors, which is adding to an already dangerous situation, and we need the community to step up and donate."

Versiti estimates that around 20 percent of its donors are first-time donors; unfortunately, more than 50 percent of those donors only donate once. With an aging donor base and increased need, first-time blood donors are desperately needed.

"Our loyal donors continue to hear our pleas and roll up their sleeves, for which we are extremely grateful," added Dr. Waxman. "However, if every eligible donor could pledge to donate at least twice by the end of the year and encourage a friend or family member to give blood donation a try as well, the impact on the local blood supply would be significant and save lives."

While Versiti strives for a three-day supply of available blood for local hospitals, the organization currently has less than a one-day supply on the shelves. Not only does this potentially put people's lives at risk, but it limits the ability to respond to the need for blood should the unexpected occur.

What to know about blood donation

Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood to survive. One donation can save up to three lives.

The donation process, including registration and testing, takes about an hour. Because your body constantly replaces blood and fluids, blood donation doesn't take a major toll on the human body.

There is no substitute for blood donation  blood cannot be manufactured. It can only come from volunteer donors.

Roughly 68 percent of Americans can donate blood, but only about 3 percent do so.

Blood donation can help patients of all ages who are victims of traumatic accidents, patients of organ transplants, or fighting through diseases like cancer.

All blood types are needed, with types O-positive and O-negative most in demand. O-positive is the most common blood type, while O-negative blood is the universal type that can be received safely by all patients in emergencies when the blood type is unknown.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call (866) 642-5663 or visit versiti.org. Walk-in donors are also welcome.

Donor center locations:

Farmington Hills - 29305 Orchard Lake Rd.

- 29305 Orchard Lake Rd. Grand Rapids - 1036 Fuller NE

- 1036 Fuller NE Grandville - 3140 Wilson SW

- 3140 Wilson SW St. Joseph - 2710 Cleveland Ave.

- 2710 Cleveland Ave. Kalamazoo Area - 524 East Milham Ave.

- 524 East Milham Ave. Saginaw - 1771 Tittabawassee Rd.

- 1771 Tittabawassee Rd. Bay City Donor Center - 1017 North Johnson St.

Midland Dow Diamond - 825 East Main St.

Traverse City - 2575 Aero Park Dr.

- 2575 Aero Park Dr. Gaylord - 133 W. Main St. Suite 101

Donating blood takes about an hour. Anyone age 16 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

ABOUT VERSITI BLOOD CENTER OF MICHIGAN

Versiti Blood Center of Michigan is a non-profit blood center headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. Founded in 1955, it is the primary provider of blood products and services for more than 85 hospitals throughout Michigan and is an established leader in quality and service. Versiti collects more than 135,000 units of blood each year throughout the state at ten permanent donation sites and more than 3,400 community blood drives. For more, visit versiti.org/Michigan.

SOURCE Versiti Blood Center of Michigan
BEIJING, Sept. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- When camping in northeast China-situated Harbin City, a bite of Harbin red sausage will always remind campers of how the local delicacy overwhelms their taste buds amid constantly improved flavors and innovated services.

Boasting a history of over one century, Harbin red sausage is a typical cured and smoked pork sausage originated from the sausage workshops affiliated to Churin chambers founded in Xiangfang district of Harbin long ago.

Photo taken on July 15 shows roasted red sausages in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. (Xinhua/Zhu Yue)

With smoky taste as the soul, purplish red color and wrinkled surface, authentic Harbin red sausages are produced with techniques concentrated mainly in the process of smoke curing via stoves, said Liu Hui, the brand manager with Harbin Churin leaderfoods Co., Ltd., a producer of Harbin red sausage.

As Liu introduces, by curing with hardwood, oil transferred from hardwood to red sausages along with smoke can brighten their color and add to their fragrance. But changes in season, humidity and stove temperature all require different arrangements of woods by the bakers who can usually master the technique in 10-plus years.

After the producing technique of Harbin red sausages was appraised as an intangible cultural heritage in Heilongjiang Province in 2007, local producers generally turned their eyes to digital transformation and improved significantly production efficiency by gradually forming a set of producing procedures combining digitization and workmanship.

Currently, Harbin Churin leaderfoods Co., Ltd. is capable of manufacturing 100 tonnes of red sausages per day and nearly 5,000 tonnes annually. From production to sales, the company realized digital management and precise control over related procedures and developed flavors more suitable to demand of consumers by leveraging big data.

For instance, the newly launched "zero starch" series of black pepper crispy bone sausages and spicy crayfish sausages have particularly good sales, noted Liu.

To better satisfy customers, Harbin Dazhong Roulian Food Co., Ltd. (Haroulian), a reputed local meat processing firm, kept innovating its products and developed red sausage products with no fat, lower garlic content and refreshing flavor, said the company deputy general manager Liu Ke.

In its specialty shops, smoke curing stoves are placed and operated to produce red sausages for travelers and widely welcomed by customers nationwide, the company now has more than 400 specialty shops in China, Liu Ke added.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/336124.html

SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road
Seven Years of Uri Terror Attack: The Day When the Indian Army Suffered Its Worst Loss in 20 Years - On September 18, 2016, the Indian Army faced one of the darkest days in its recent history when a group of heavily armed terrorists launched a deadly attack on the 12 Brigade Headquarters in Uri, a town in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. This brutal assault marked the worst loss for the Indian Army in over two decades, leaving 18 soldiers dead and more than 30 others injured. In this article, we delve into the details of the Uri terror attack, the circumstances leading up to it, and its repercussions.

The Attack Unfolds

The Uri terror attack unfolded in the early hours of September 18, 2016, when four highly trained terrorists infiltrated the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border that separates Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The terrorists had crossed the rugged and mountainous terrain, trekking for about six kilometers, before reaching their targetthe 12 Brigade Headquarters.

The attackers were armed to the teeth, each carrying an AK-47 rifle equipped with grenade launchers clipped under their barrels. Their arsenal also included over 50 incendiary grenades specially designed to ignite fires. Their primary objective was to target the fuel depot within the military camp.

The Fuel Depot Inferno

The Uri military camp housed a strategically important fuel depot containing hundreds of 200-liter oil barrels. These barrels contained diesel for military trucks, petrol for Maruti Gypsies used by the 12th brigade stationed near Uri, and kerosene for cooking food in high-altitude posts situated in the Pir Panjal range.

Around 5:30 am, the terrorists launched their brutal assault. They fired a barrage of over a dozen incendiary grenades, setting off a devastating fire. The flames quickly engulfed the entire area, endangering the lives of the soldiers stationed at the camp. The resulting chaos and panic added to the challenges faced by the Indian Army in combating the attackers.

Casualties and Losses

The Uri terror attack inflicted a heavy toll on the Indian Army. Eighteen brave soldiers lost their lives, and more than 30 others sustained injuries of varying degrees. The attack was meticulously planned, and the terrorists showed no mercy, demonstrating their intent to cause maximum destruction and casualties.

The Response

In response to the terrorist assault, the Indian security forces launched a swift and determined counter-operation. Despite suffering heavy losses, they managed to eliminate all four terrorists. Their actions prevented further damage and loss of life at the military camp. The operation showcased the bravery and commitment of the Indian Army in the face of adversity.

Aftermath and Repercussions

The Uri terror attack had profound implications for India-Pakistan relations and the security situation in the region. India accused Pakistan-based militant groups, particularly Jaish-e-Mohammed, of orchestrating the attack. This accusation strained bilateral relations between the two countries, with India demanding that Pakistan take concrete action against the perpetrators and their handlers.

In response to the attack, India also took diplomatic measures to isolate Pakistan on the international stage. It garnered support from several countries condemning terrorism and urging Pakistan to curb militant activities on its soil. The attack further intensified the global focus on terrorism emanating from the region and the need for a coordinated international response.

The Uri terror attack scars still run deep in the hearts of the Indian military and the nation. It remains a grim reminder of the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in the face of terrorism and the enduring need for vigilance and preparedness. The attack also underscored the importance of international cooperation in combating terrorism and holding nations accountable for harboring and supporting terrorist organizations. While time may pass, the memory of that fateful day in Uri will continue to serve as a solemn tribute to the bravery and resilience of the Indian Army.

This Day in History: The 37th US President Gerald Ford's Controversial Pardon of Richard Nixon

This Day In History: Akbar's Triumph, Decisive Battle of Ahmedabad and Conquest of Gujarat
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Ambedkar Nagar : , Sep 17 (IANS) In a freak accident, a young girl died when two miscreants pulled her dupatta, causing her to fall from her bicycle, and another motorcyclist ran over her in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district, police said.

A video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting the police to take action and arrest the three accused: Mohammed Faisal, Shahwaz, and Arbaaz, all in their early 20s, on Saturday.

The victim, 17, was returning home from school when she was accosted by the miscreants, Shahwaz and his brother Arbaaz, both from the Hanswar police station area.

Shahwaz and Arbaaz were riding a motorcycle and allegedly pulled her dupatta to tease her and outrage her modesty.

The girl tried to pull her dupatta back, but she fell to the ground. At the same time, another youth identified as Faisal of Hanswar police station area happened to pass by and ran his motorcycle over her head.

The victim suffered a broken jaw and severe head injuries, and bled to death. The miscreants fled the scene as commuters responded to the incident and rushed the victim to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Superintendent of Police, Ambedkar Nagar, Ajit Kumar Sinha, said that the police have registered a case of outraging modesty and causing death due to negligence against the three accused and arrested them.
Lucknow, Sep 17 : The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a new WhatsApp channel named 'Chief Minister Office, Uttar Pradesh', to facilitate communication of common people with the Chief Minister's Office.

People can easily share their thoughts and concerns with the Chief Minister's office through this channel, said a government statement on Saturday.

The announcement of the channel was made on microblogging website 'X,' where authorities from the Chief Minister's Office said, "For Uttar Pradeshas successful Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath Ji, the 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's Office, Uttar Pradesh', using the powerful and simple medium of communication, WhatsApp."

"CM Yogi Adityanath is the first Chief Minister to take this initiative of using a WhatsApp channel to communicate with common citizens," the government statement added.

It also mentioned that this new and impactful platform of communication will ensure the swift transmission of information related to public welfare and government initiatives.

As per the statement, the special thing about this channel is that anyone can join it. To receive direct and quick updates from the Chief Minister's Office, one can join this WhatsApp channel.
Tripoli, Sep 17 : The special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, has said 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," Bathily added in a post on social media platform 'X' on Saturday.

He said 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, Xinhua news agency reported.

On September 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 Organisation 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.

Meanwhile, the UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator announced the immediate release of $10 million from the UN's Central Emergency Relief Fund to support people affected.
Ankara, Sep 17 : The Turkish military carried out two airstrikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq, Turkey's Defence Ministry said.

The air operations, conducted on Wednesday and Friday, targeted PKK hideouts in the Gara region, destroying a total of 31 targets, and "neutralising" senior group members, according to a statement from the Ministry released on Saturday.

The targets included caves, shelters, and caches used by the PKK members, the Ministry said.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralised" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured, Xinhua news agency reported.

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 Turkey.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
Budapest, Sep 17 : The Hungarian government has extended and expanded a ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports.

The decision was announced by Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy on Saturday.

Nagy highlighted the termination of the European Union's import restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products on Friday night, emphasising the necessity of maintaining the moratorium to address market disruptions, Xinhua news agency reported.

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.
Shamli, Sep 17 : The police have arrested a couple for allegedly attempting to lure a Christian youth into converting to Islam in Madalpur village of Uttar Pradesh's Shamli.

The arrested couple, on Saturday, has been identified as Shaukeen and his wife Kamarbatun, who currently reside in the Okhla area of Delhi.

Shamli Superintendent of Police, Abhishek, said that the police received information about the suspicious activities of a youth named Sooraj and his friend Mahi in Madalpur village.

They were brought to Thanabhawan police station for interrogation, and what they disclosed was sufficient to conclude that Shaukeen and his wife Kamarbatun, who introduced herself as a Christian under the name Mahi, attempted to persuade Sooraj to convert to Islam.

He stated that Sooraj, who had converted to Christianity two years ago, came into contact with Mahi through an online game, where she identified herself as a Christian. During their conversation, they discovered that both were encountering supernatural issues in their lives.

Both visited a priest in the Karali area of Chandigarh to seek a solution to their problems.

Mahi informed Sooraj that she resided with her maternal uncle Shaukeen in the Okhla area of Delhi and invited him there.

Sooraj grew suspicious after seeing her Aadhaar card, which stated her name as Kamarbatun from Jogipura in Bijnor.

However, Mahi managed to convince him, explaining that her mother is Christian, and her father is Muslim.

Sooraj informed the police that Shaukeen and Mahi introduced him to an unknown individual during his visit to Delhi, who attempted to persuade him that Christianity and Islam are two similar religions, and that he should consider adopting Islam.

Meanwhile, Mahi and Shaukeen instructed him on how to offer Namaz and his name was changed to Asad.

It was only during interrogation that Mahias relationship with Shaukeen was revealed -- that she is, in fact, Shaukeenas wife. This clarified that the couple purposefully concealed their relationship to deceive Sooraj and convert him to Islam, said police.

--IANSamita/dpb
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Amid reports of cases of the new Omicron sub-variants BA.2.86 (Pirola) and EG. 5.1 (Eris) in several countries, experts here on Friday expressed concern over the new variants and emphasized continuous monitoring in the country.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is not a threat anymore for most of the world, but the virus has re-entered some countries in the form of two new variants a" BA.2.86 (Pirola) and EG.5.1 (Eris). BA.2.86 is considered to be more infectious than the previous variants. EG.5.1 is spreading quickly, but itas no more dangerous than previous

versions," Dr Vijay Kumar Gurjar, Senior Consultant and HOD-Internal Medicine, Primus Super Specialty Hospital, New Delhi, told IANS.

Citing that these variants have already shown up around the world, including in the US and the UK, he, however, stated that it would be too early to say that the world is facing a new wave.

Referring to India, Gurjar said, "For India, the country has fought several variants in a span of three years. The government has advised people to take proper precautions and get vaccinated. The new variants can be a threat to India if international travel is not closely monitored and proper measures are not taken. "

The previous waves in the country have shown that traveling can cause a spike in cases, so it should be monitored, he said.

He added, "As far as vaccine readiness is concerned, India has comparatively better vaccine coverage than before but recent reports have shown that the country's Covid vax rate has fallen 75 per cent since April. This means, far fewer Indians are getting vaccinated than at the beginning of the financial year."

"So, the fall in vaccination rate is a matter of concern, especially amid an uptick in hospitalizations and deaths in the US and UK due to the new variants," he told IANS.

Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, told IANS, "The global spread of Covid-19, especially in the UK, Europe, and Asia, remains a concern for India. Variants of the virus can potentially enter the country, necessitating continued vigilance and monitoring."

"The possibility of another severe wave in India depends on various factors, including vaccination coverage, public compliance with safety measures, and the behaviour of the virus," he said.

He stressed on the importance of wearing masks, vaccination, and surveillance to prevent future waves.

"The future of Covid-19 and potential pandemics is a subject of ongoing research and concern. Indian experts are collaborating globally to enhance preparedness and response capabilities to tackle not only Covid-19 but also future infectious diseases," Bajaj told IANS.

According to the latest update issued by the Health Ministry on Friday, as many as 60 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in India during the past 24 hours, taking the country's total caseload to 4,49,98,035.

Active cases stand at 541. The death toll is 5,32,029.

As per the Ministry, more than 220.67 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered so far.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is currently in Hyderabad for a two-day Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting wrote to Rajya Sabha General Secretary Pramod Chandra Mody about his inability to attend the flag hoisting function at the new Parliament building on Sunday.

In a letter to the Rajya Sabha General Secretary, Kharge said, "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 15 September 2023 quite late in the evening."

"This is to inform you that meetings of the newly constituted CWC have been scheduled for September 16 and 17, respectively at Hyderabad," he said.

The LoP in Rajya Sabha said that since the programmes had been fixed much in advance, "I am presently in Hyderabad to hold the meetings".

"As I will return to Delhi late night on 17 September 2023, it will not be feasible for me to attend the function scheduled for tomorrow morning," he added.

Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar will hoist the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday, a day ahead of the five-day special session of Parliament.

The event will also be attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Ministers of State of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V. Muraleedharan, and leaders of political parties in both Houses, among others.

A meeting of the floor leaders of all political parties is also scheduled at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday, ahead of the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22.

"Ahead of the parliament session from the 18 of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 P.M.," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a social media post earlier this week. "The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow," he added.

--IANSaks/dpb
New Delhi: The Preamble of G20 Delhi Declaration - singularly important for representing the unanimous voice of all the leaders participating in the Summit - goes beyond the motto 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' as they pledged their commitment not only to 'one earth, one family' but to 'one future' as well and clearly recorded their endorsement of the 'philosophy of living in harmony with our surrounding ecosystem' and cooperation in determining the course for 'global economic growth and stability'.

Announcing that awe will pursue development models that implement sustainable, inclusive and just transitions globally while leaving no one behinda, the joint statement is perhaps the best testimony that Indiaas G20 Presidency had become the anchor of the first-ever resolution of a world forum - cutting across the developed and developing countries - to work for universal welfare.

The global reach achieved by India through G20 for the fulfilment of a noble mission of humanity, is perhaps the biggest tribute to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose credentials as the world counsel on issues of global peace and development, have been fully ratified at the Delhi Summit.

The Prime Minister was in direct touch with the Presidents of both the US and Russia on the eve of the Summit.

Indiaas rise as a global power in terms of its capacity to influence world opinion in the face of international and geopolitical differences on many issues stands vindicated and somewhere this is attributable to the acivilisational appeala of India so effectively garnered by Prime Minister Modi in the run-up to the G20 Summit.

The greatness of Indiaas ancient wisdom helped the process of all smaller concerns being subsumed by a higher humanitarian approach.

India must preserve this in the years ahead and be the thought leader in a world that had hitherto been preoccupied with material rivalries and the pursuit of political supremacy.

In keeping with its prime objective of promoting international economic cooperation, the Delhi Declaration predominantly devoted to measures that could, among other things, accelerate the full and effective implementation of the Agenda for Sustainable Development, urgently address climate challenges, promote steps that reduced the debt vulnerabilities in developing countries, work for digital transformation to facilitate inclusive growth and try to close gender gaps in all fields.

The G20 leaders explicitly declared that they would build a system that abetter empowers countries to address global challenges, is human-centric and brings prosperity and well-being to humanitya.

A perusal of the Delhi Declaration draws attention to the brilliant drafting that produced it and the intellectual depth shown by the team that worked on it.

The profound character of the agenda for the future built on a strong humanitarian content - as indicated in the Declaration - left no scope for dissent as it created a win-win situation for all participants.

The test of the G20 Summit at Delhi was in the handling by India of current geopolitical issues arising out of the Ukraine-Russia military confrontation, impediments to trade and supply chains created by this conflict and the appearance of a new Cold War between the US and China in both economic and military spheres.

The Declaration recorded deep concerns of all participants over the immense ahuman suffering and the adverse impacta of wars and conflicts around the world, acknowledged anational positionsa taken by the UN on the war in Ukraine, urged all states to abide by the Principles of the world bodyas Charter, called for refraining from the threat or use of force to seek aterritorial acquisitiona against the integrity, sovereignty or political independence of any state and declared that the threat of use of nuclear weapons was ain admissiblea.

While reaffirming that the G20 was the premier forum for international economic cooperation and not the platform for resolving geopolitical and security issues it still made the point that the latter could have significant consequences for the global economy.

The Declaration highlighted the human suffering resulting from the war in Ukraine and its adverse impact on global food and energy security, supply chains and macro-financial stability and observed that it had acomplicated the policy environment a for countries.

It however clearly acknowledged that athere were different views and assessments of the situationa.

The joint statement advocated for the peaceful resolution of conflicts through diplomacy and dialogue and gave an assurance that they would all unite to address the adverse impact of the Ukraine war on the global economy - favouring constructive initiatives for a comprehensive, just and durable peace in Ukraine.

The Declaration endorsed Prime Minister Modias stand that "todayas era must not be of wara"

From Indiaas point of view, it was necessary that the Declaration made no mention of Russia in keeping with its policy on the Ukraine-Russia conflict and therefore a balanced treatment of the issue agreed upon by all participants of the Summit no doubt turned out to be a great success for Indiaas G20 Presidency.

India handled the geopolitical scene with strategic finesse.

The Declaration called on all states to follow the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, adopt a humanitarian approach internationally and uphold the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability.

Indiaas belief in a multipolar world and its declared policy of building bilateral and multilateral relations based on mutual benefits without prejudicing the cause of world peace and universal economic growth found an expression and it also indirectly conveyed a message to China that India would be an active member of a forum like Quad to safeguard its interests in Indo-Pacific and derivatively in the Indian Ocean at large.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that the joint statement of the Delhi Summit condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including those rooted in the name of religion or belief and warned that it constituted one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

It strongly condemned all terrorist acts against critical infrastructure and called for international cooperation to deny terrorist groups safe havens, freedom of operation and financial or political support. This clearly had the imprint of a hard-line policy laid down by Indiaas National Security Advisor to counter cross-border terrorism and expose the proven role of Pakistan in using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

The absence of President Putin and President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit - China and Russia were represented by the countryas Prime Minister and Foreign Minister respectively - did not affect the integrity and impact of the unanimous Delhi Declaration backed as it was by the developed countries as well as the entire Global South.

Indiaas G20 Presidency acquired unprecedented weightage with the admission of the African Union as the new member of G20 on Prime Minister Modias initiative.

Russia was satisfied that it was not named in the context of the awar in Ukrainea and that the Declaration acknowledged the differences of views that existed on the issue.

China had a similar stand and apparently wanted to be on the side of the South that had - according to the joint statement - been particularly impacted adversely by the economic fallout of the Ukraine-Russia military conflict and the Western sanctions imposed on Russia.

While maintaining its bilateral bonds with Russia, India has taken to further deepening its strategic friendship with the US - it is natural for the two largest democracies to be together in leading the democratic world against dictatorial regimes and also for promoting their own economic advancement.

The Sino-Pak axis is active against India and its adjustment with Islamic radicals demonstrated by the give-and-take struck by these two countries with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, was further driving the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia and UAE to the US camp.

A remarkable outcome of the G20 Presidency of India is the tripartite agreement between the US, Saudi Arabia and India for building a transport corridor from India to Europe via West Asia that did somewhere counter the B&RI of China pursued by the latter to spread its political and economic hold in the world.

In a nutshell, India has under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi handled its Presidency of G20 on a note of strategic excellence and scored unprecedented geopolitical and economic gains for the country. Today, India stands tall in the comity of nations.

(The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal)
Jaipur, Sep 16 : At a time when the state is witnessing a tug of war between the old and new generation in Rajasthan with Gehlot and Pilot camps facing off, there is yet another war brewing within the Congress circle, and this time, it is between CM OSD Lokesh Sharma and state Education Minister B.D. Kalla.

The reason behind this war is quite simple. Sharma wants to contest from Bikaner West seat which is at present represented by state minister B.D. Kalla. While Sharma has openly expressed his desire for the same, Kalla (74) a six-time MLA, seems displeased over the same request.

In fact, there has been a war of words between the two leaders in recent months which is quite interesting.

While Kalla, after knowing Sharma's desire, said: "There is no young candidate in Bikaner who can contest the polls. I will contest the election. I am the winning candidate."

Sharma on the other hand, came up and said: "Am ready to contest, and you should become our margadarshak."

Kalla went displeased with the statement and said Sharma being CM's OSD is a non-political person and should resign first from his OSD profile if he wants to get into politics. Sharma on the other hand said: "I have been a political person right from 90s and have held many positions in NSUI. I will resign once I get the ticket."

Meanwhile, all eyes are set on who will come out winner in this tug of war on Bikaner West seat as it has been making headlines for its connection with Kolayat landscam in which hearing continues. Veteran leader Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra has been in Rajasthan many times for hearing in this matter and the seat hence has connections with Gandhi family too.

Even in 2018 assembly polls, Kalla's name was not included in the first list as there were discussions to give it to other aspiring candidate. But his followers created noise and Kalla was given the ticket.

However, Sharma, this time, has expressed his strong desire to contest the polls and eyes are all set if he will get the tickets he being in the good books of CM and senior leaders.

Speaking to IANS, Sharma said, "CM has selected me as his OSD looking at my work. He considered me ideal for this task as I have been working with him since years."

"I have been into active politics and have been saying that I am a politician. In 1996, I contested elections in Rajasthan University and since then, have been on different posts in NSUI. As every politician has a desire to get a chance to work as a public representative, I too have the same desire and have been going to Bikaner quite frequently," he added.

"But it seems my tours were not liked by Kalla. He should not have been affected by my tours, but he is affected, he has problems with me, because his roots have been shaken. People are connected with me emotionally. Eventually, he announced that there is no winnable young man here who can contest polls from here. So I have to come forward and say that I am ready to contest from here if you guide me."

"Kallaji then said that I am a government servant and should resign and I replied that I am ready to do it if I get a ticket."

Amid this war of words, Sharma has been going to Bikaner each month and connecting with people.

Sharma has has opened a front against Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

He shared an audio with leaked phone calls with the media in 2020 on July 17 during the rebellion led by Pilot against CM Gehlot's leadership.

After nine months, Shekhawat got an FIR filed against Sharma in the Crime Branch of Delhi Police and initiated an investigation into the phone-tapping case. This FIR was registered for "illegally intercepting telephonic conversations" of MLAs and persons and circulating them to various media houses. It further mentioned the "leaked" conversations were between the complainant and an MLA.

Sharma, speaking to IANS, questioned "Why this complaint was lodged after nine months of the episode and that too in Delhi."

"Why those involved in the case were silent for nine months and why did they go all out to Delhi to get a complaint filed when our agencies were already working on the case," he questioned.

And now when the FIR clearly says that conversations were between the complainant and an MLA, our agencies should take action in the matter, he added.

"This audio was used as a political tool against me; I was simply doing my job. There was a video on social media and I shared it with the media so they know what is going on in the public domain. Those who were engaged in it have accepted that it was their talks so state agencies should move ahead with FIR," he said hinting at Shekhawat.

Sharma in fact has become popular in all these months due to his frequent tweets questioning the claims of Union Ministers like Amit Shah and Anurag Thakur on issues of Kanhaiyalal's murderer and VAT claims. He reverted to Shah's claims that NIA arrested Kanhaiyalal's murders and said that it was state police who did the same. Similarly, he has been leading from the front in making attacks at opposition when 11 advisors to CM and other ministers stay quiet. Further, his travels to Delhi for day to day hearing also keeps him news.

He has requested the court to either quash the complaint or else shift the case to Rajasthan on which judgement is awaited. The next hearing is on October 15 and till then, he keeps his fingers crossed but stays confident on his candidature from Bikaner.

"As of now, I am busy connecting with people of the state. Started Yuva Sanwad Programme in the state and have connected with people across 125 assembly seats. I try to motivate youth to promote govt schemes. They also like it. We are all working to repeat the government and are confident that Congress will come back due to its unique schemes," he added.

Sharma is also leading from the front by giving befitting replies to opposition leaders on matters related to law and order, petrol and diesel issues or so on on X (formerly Twitter). Even when the CM has 11 advisors and a huge Cabinet and MoS, it is Sharma who has been fighting from the front against opposition leaders.

"The team of Central ministers are coming to Rajasthan and making claims which have hollow base and no truth and hence, I need to be prompt to make things clear," he said with a smile, trying to hide the pain when he shared on his tough ongoing trial since last four and half years in judiciary. "My family doesn't sleep a day before and a day after the hearing, don't eat and stay emotionally disturbed. But I stay confident in my deeds and know that truth alone triumphs," he said.
Los Angeles, Sep 17 : Comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period at the height of his fame.

The allegations were made in a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. Four women are alleging sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, reports bbc.com.

Brand has denied the allegations and said his relationships have been "always consensual".

During the years covered by the allegations, Brand had various high-profile jobs at different times, including at BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, and as an actor in Hollywood films.

Other claims made as part of the investigation relate to Brand's allegedly controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour. The investigation is published in the Sunday Times, while the Dispatches documentary, Russell Brand - In Plain Sight, aired on Channel 4 on Saturday.

Within hours of the allegations being published, Brand performed a scheduled comedy gig at the 2,000-capacity Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in north-west London, as part of his Bipolarisation tour.

During the set, which lasted about an hour, Brand alluded to the accusations but did not address them directly. He told the audience there were things he wanted to talk about but could not.

Several women have made allegations against Brand as part of the investigation. Four of the women alleged sexual assault.

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

On Friday, Russell Brand released a video in which he denied "serious criminal allegations" he said were about to be made against him. The actor and comedian said he had received letters from a TV company and newspaper, containing "a litany" of "aggressive attacks".

In the video, posted on YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, Brand said: "Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some 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."

Brand said he believed he was the subject of a "co-ordinated attack" and he was going to look into the matter because it was "very, very serious".

While not referring to the comedian by name, the Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault" but had not received any reports.

"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."

The Sunday Times said all the women felt ready to speak only after being approached by reporters. The newspaper said several felt compelled to do so given Brand's newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer. Most of the women, who the Times said do not know each other, have chosen to remain anonymous.

The Sunday Times said it gave Brand eight days within which to reply to detailed allegations, and when given further opportunity to respond, Brand published his response video on his YouTube channel.

The woman who said she was 16 when she first came into contact with Brand told the Sunday Times: "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."

Another woman alleged to the newspaper that she repeatedly told Brand to get off her during one sexual assault, and that when he eventually relented he "flipped" and was "super angry".

A different woman claimed that Brand pushed her up against the wall and raped her, without a condom. She alleged Brand tried to stop her leaving until she told him she was going to the bathroom.

"I ran out and I jumped in my car - thank God I didn't park in his driveway - and booked it out of there," she said.

According to bbc.com, Brand has hosted a number of radio and TV programmes. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the early 2000s but got his big break a few years later as the host of Big Brother's Big Mouth on E4.

Later he was cast in Hollywood films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek and Arthur.

The victim who said she was 16 when she met Brand said that 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."

A Channel 4 spokesman told BBC News: "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.

It said that in recent years there had been extensive change in Channel 4's management and it was committed to ensuring the TV industry is safe and inclusive. The relationship with the 16-year-old is alleged to have taken place at a time when Brand was working as a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music.

It is alleged Brand would undress in the studio while working on the show. Dispatches also said Brand made a series of sexual remarks on air about a newsreader, which he later implied he had been told by BBC production staff to apologise for.
Kolkata, Sep 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal, has now been able to track some doubtful transactions in the books of accounts of a corporate entity linked to Arpita Mukherjee, a prime accused, that hint towards possible diversion of scam proceeds in real estate business.

The said company, Ananta Texfab Private Limited, having its registered office at a residential flat, owned by Mukherjee at Belgharia in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, had been under ED scanner since last year when the agency started its probe on the money-trail angle in the school job case.

In fact this particular residential flat at Belgharia was one of the twin- residences owned by Mukherjee, where from the ED sleuths recovered huge cash -- around Rs 50 crore -- in addition to gold in the form of biscuits and bars in July last year.

Following the seizure, the ED sleuths arrested Mukherjee and former West Bengal education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee from their respective residences. Both are in judicial custody now.

ED sources said that after careful examination of the books of accounts as well as the inward and outward remittances of the said corporate entity, their sleuths have identified some transactions that clearly hint towards the inward remittances of the scam proceeds being diverted through investments in the real estate businesses.

The ED sleuths are now examining the exact pockets of investments in the real estate segment where such crime proceeds were invested and whether there was any return from these investments. The central agency sleuths are also considering issuing summons for interrogation to those individuals spotted for their associations with such doubtful transactions.
Hyderabad, Sep 17 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said it was unfortunate that even after the formation of Telangana state, political parties were reluctant to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day due to vote-bank politics.

"I want to tell these parties that if they ignore the country's history, the people will ignore them," he said while addressing Hyderabad Liberation Day celebrations at Parade Grounds, Secunderabad here.

He said the country, Telangana and Hyderabad can progress only by being proud of its history and martyrdom of its freedom fighters.

For the second consecutive year, the Union Ministry of Culture organised the celebrations to mark the anniversary of erstwhile Hyderabad State's accession to the Indian Union.

Amit Shah lamented that for 75 years, no government organised any event to explain the importance of this great day to people, especially youth and to highlight the sacrifices of the martyrs and freedom fighters.

"They were scared because of the appeasement politics," he said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting the new tradition of organising the celebrations under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry.

"There are three objectives of these celebrations -- to remind the new generation of the sacrifices made to liberate this region, pay tributes to martyrs and rededicate ourselves to build the nation of the dreams of our freedom fighters," he said.

Paying rich tributes to India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for liberating Hyderabad State to merge it with the Indian Union, Shah said if there was no Sardar Patel, Hyderabad state's liberation would not have happened early.

"After the independence from the British, the cruel Nizam ruled the state for 399 days. These 399 days were torturous for the people of Telangana. Sardar Patel helped the state gain freedom on the 400th day," he said.

The home minister said the duo of Sardar Patel and K.M. Munshi played a key role in designing and executing Hyderabad's liberation.

He recalled the words of Sardar Patel that an independent Hyderabad will be like a cancer in the stomach and its only treatment is an operation. "He conducted the operation called 'Police Action' and without shedding a drop of blood, made Nizam's Razakar Army to surrender," he said.

Shah said lakhs of people participated and many sacrificed their lives in the movement to liberate Hyderabad State which comprised Telangana, Kalyana Karnataka and Marathwada.

He said various organisations and individuals actively participated in the movement.

The home minister released special postal covers on journalist Shoiabullah Khan and tribal freedom fighter Ramji Gond who fought against Nizam.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture and state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy blamed the Congress party for not organising the official celebrations on Hyderabad Liberation Day for last 75 years.

He criticized Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and other parties for celebrating September 17 as the national integration day. "How can it be called integration day," he asked.

Earlier, Shah hoisted the national flag and paid floral tributes to Sardar Patel. He also reviewed the parade by 12 contingents of paramilitary forces. There was a colourful march past by the contingents of CRPF, RAF and CISF.

Union Home Secretary Ajay K. Bhalla, Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General Rashmi Shukla were also present.

Shah also virtually laid the foundation stone for family accommodation for SSB personnel. The family quarters are coming up on 85 acres of land at Ibrahimpatnam near Hyderabad.
Lucknow, Sep 17 : With the Lok Sabha elections approaching, the caste cauldron, as always, is on the boil in Uttar Pradesh -- the only difference being that from caste it has gone on to sub-castes.

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh are unabashedly organising sub caste conferences, ignoring the 2017 Supreme Court order that said that "religion, race, caste, community or language would not be allowed to play any role in the electoral process" .

The BJP which, till now, had put Hindutva on its priority list, is now wooing sub-castes from the OBC category with a vengeance.

The party apparently feels that addressing Hindus, in general, will not bring in adequate numbers in the elections.

The BJP has been holding sub-caste conferences in Lucknow under the leadership of its OBC leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya -- an OBC himself.

The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) President Om Prakash Rajbhar is the new self-proclaimed leader of OBCs and is p[ushing the envelope to muster backward support for BJP.

The BJP is keen to wean away a part of the Samajwadi Party's vote base and also make a dent in BSP's following by wooing Most Backward Castes.

There are over 200 sub-castes among the OBCs that constitute 40 per cent of the state's population. The OBC population is dominated by Yadavs (15 per cent) and followed by Kurmis (9 per cent).

The remaining sub-castes constitute one to two per cent of the population.

The BJP, till now, has held conferences for sub-castes that include Nishad, Kashyap, Bind, Kurmi, Yadav, Chaurasia, Teli, Sahu, Nai, Vishwakarma, Baghel, Pal, Lodh, Jat, Giri, Goswami, Jaiswal, Kalvar, Saini, Mali, Gangwar and even Halwai that has a population of .02 per cent.

The party is assuring these sub-caste groups that it would protect their interests.

A senior BJP functionary admitted that the party was keen to add on to its present vote base since that would make up for any depletion due to the anti-incumbency factor.

"This is a conscious effort to bring marginalised sections of society into the party fold. What is wrong if we are trying to expand our vote base?" said the functionary.

Seeing the BJP making a concerted effort to woo the sub-caste groups, the Samajwadi Party that had so far remained content with its Yadav vote bank, has also started reaching out to non-Yadav OBCs. Its slogan of PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak) is a manifestation of its new strategy.

Samajwadi Party spokesman Sunil Sajan, meanwhile, denied that the Samajwadi Party was following in BJP's footsteps.

"We are not holding sub-caste Sammelan like the BJP and becoming blatantly casteist in approach. We are holding social justice programme for OBCs in general," he said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party, on the other hand, is wooing various Dalit sub-castes through its Bhaichara committees.

The Congress, so far, has avoided any such conferences.
Singapore, Sep 17 : A 54-year-old suspended Indian-origin lawyer has been charged after he allegedly slapped a woman on her cheek and shouted vulgarities at a Hindu temple in Singapore's South Bridge Road.

Ravi Madasamy was charged on four counts at the State Courts on Saturday for voluntarily causing hurt, for disorderly behaviour in public for slapping the woman on her left cheek at Sri Mariamman Temple at 12 p.m. on Friday.

The other two charges laid on Ravi were under the Protection from Harassment Act, The Straits Times reported, adding that the lawyer was also accused of shouting vulgarities and using indecent language.

Before allegedly calling another woman at the temple a prostitute, Ravi had used abusive words on a man in Pagoda Street by shouting a vulgarity in Tamil at him, with the intention of causing harassment.

Ravi, who has two other similar charges pending against him, was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health on Saturday for medical examination.

He will return to court on September 29, The Times reported.

On July 12 this year, he allegedly slapped Sellvaraja T Muniyandi on his left cheek in the vicinity of Yio Chu Kang MRT station, and also shouting at him.

A lawyer for 20 years, Ravi has been currently serving the maximum suspension of five years for making "grave and baseless accusations of improper conduct" against the Attorney-General, officers from the Attorney-General's Chambers and the Law Society.

The misconduct arose from comments he made on socio-political website, The Online Citizen, and Facebook after the Court of Appeal reversed his client's death sentence in 2020.

He was charged in December 2020 with criminal defamation of Indian-origin Law Minister K Shanmugam, but the Attorney-General's Chambers later withdrew the charge and Ravi was given a conditional warning instead, according to a Channel News Asia report.

He has also been given many sanctions for his conduct as a lawyer, which include a 2007 suspension for being rude to a judge and a prohibition from applying for a practising certificate for two years for baseless allegations against a fellow lawyer and the president of the Law Society in 2016, the report said.

As per Singapore law, those guilty of disorderly behaviour in public can be fined up to SG$1,000 and jailed for up to one month. Repeat offenders are up to SG$2,000, or jailed for up to six months, or both.

Under the Protection from Harassment Act, those who are found guilty of intending to cause harassment by using abusive words, can be fined up to SG$5,000, jailed for up to six months or both.
Anantnag: Security personnel stand guard following an an encounter with terrorists. Image Source: IANS News

Srinagar, Sep 17 : At Kokernag in South Kashmir's Anantnag district, an intense gunbattle has been underway between the Pakistan-backed terrorists and security forces which entered the fifth day on Sunday.

In a valiant effort to eliminate a group of terrorists, four brave security forces personnel have made the ultimate sacrifice, including an Army Colonel, a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The operation, which has now lasted for over 100 hours and is still underway, has several key challenges.

The unforgiving terrain and dense foliage that provides a perfect cover for the elusive terrorists. To tackle this threat head-on, cutting-edge weaponry, including weaponized drones have been deployed to blast the cave hideouts.

But the stakes are high, and the security forces are proceeding with utmost caution, determined not to incur any more casualties.

"Every effort is made to ensure that the terrorists are neutralised without any collateral damages," an official said.

On Friday night, riveting footage emerged that captured the use of weaponized drones, strategically employed to neutralize terrorist cave hideouts.

The Anantnag operation has evolved into one of the most prolonged military engagements in Kashmir but the security forces are sparing no effort in their mission to eradicate terrorist hideouts nestled within the challenging terrain of Gadool Hill.

Inputs suggest that the area may be concealing two to three terrorists, including two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, among them self-styled LeT commander Uzair Khan.

"Our forces persist with unwavering resolve as they encircle 2 LET terrorists including Uzair Khan," Jammu and Kashmir Police said.

--IANSzi/dpb
Chennai, Sep 17 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who is on a two-day visit to Vellore to attend a slew of programmes, will unveil a new mobile application named, 'Makkalude Stalin'.

The app allows the public to assess Stalinas field activities and provide information on State government related activities as also government schemes.

Stalin reached Katpadi on Sunday morning travelling by train from MG Ramachandran memorial central railway station, Chennai.

The Chief Minister will garland a statute of EV Ramasamy Periyar of aThanthaia Periyar, the Dravidian ideologue at Vellore. He will also participate in a function to mark the centenary celebrations of his father and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi.

He will inaugurate houses for Sri Lankan Tamils constructed at Melmonavur on Sunday.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Velore, Manivannan, in a statement said that the flying of drones and large balloons will be banned in some areas where the Chief Minister will attend programmes. He also issued a warning that those who defy the ban will be charged.
Divine to rapper Nas: Thank you for what you've done for hip-hop. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Sep 17 : As Grammy-winning Queensbridge rap icon Nasir Jones, born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones turned 50, rapper Divine wished his mentor and thanked him for what he's done for hip-hop.

Wishing his mentor, Divine said: "Wish you many more blessings, Escobar. You continue to push boundaries and leave an unprecedented impact on rap even after 30 years. Thank you for being a rock-solid mentor; and thank you for what you've done for hip-hop."

"Happy born day to my all-time favourite and one of the most influential lyricists in hip-hop history. Grateful to be inspired by you and to know you in real life!"

Sharing videos and pictures from the party on his social media, Divine was notably the only artist of South Asian descent present at Escobar's glittering do. DIVINE's historic appearance at the birthday festivity arrives amid his ongoing 'Baazigar World Tour' featuring Riar Saab, across Australia, the US, Canada and the UK.

Famed American viral rapper Armani White made a special on-stage appearance at the Indian hip hop moghul's New York show.

The rapper's milestone birthday was honored by celebrity friends and family with posts on social media and messages pouring in from Fabolous, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg and Nas' actress cousin, Yara Shahidi.

The star-studded celebration was attended by various cult figures in rap music, art and cinema, including Kendrick Lamar, Diddy, Q-Tip, The Roots, Fat Joe, Raekwon, N.O.R.E., Jadakiss, Mary J. Blige, Styles P, DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, AZ, Havoc, Chris Rock and Robert De Niro.

In addition to commemorating his birthday, Nas released Magic III. The 15-track project, home of the song 'Never Die' featuring Lil Wayne, is the third and final instalment to the Magic series, marking the end of his yearslong run with super producer Hit-Boy.
San Francisco, Sep 17 : Microsoft has shut down its most applauded feature, "Web Select" -- from Edge browser.

To improve end-user experience, the Web Select feature "is being deprecated and will no longer be an option under Web Capture or via keyboard shortcut," Microsoft said in a support document.

According to BleepingComputer, users could use this tool to capture and copy web content while maintaining its format and functionality. Web Select, which could be accessed via the menu or the Control+Shift+X shortcut, gave it an advantage over simple screenshot tools.

Moreover, users could interact with the copied text instead of static images, such as editing it or accessing embedded links.

This feature was especially useful when users wanted to lift sections of tables, allowing them to omit unnecessary columns for faster copying, the report said.

Last month, after iOS and Android, Microsoft announced to shut down its digital assistant Cortana app on Windows 11.

While Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated, the support for Cortana in Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms will end in the fall of 2023.

"Cortana in Outlook mobile will continue to be available. We understand this may affect the way you work, but there are new and exciting ways you can get help with your tasks, calendar, email, and more," the company said in an update.
Noida, Sep 17 : The tragic lift crash which left eight construction workers dead recently at Amrapali's Dream Valley Phase-2 project in Greater Noida West, has once again exposed the faulty maintenance of lifts and the lax attitude of officials concerned. It has also highlighted the crying need for the implementation of the Lift Act by the ruling BJP Government in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the construction workers at the Amrapali Dream Valley Phase-2 project, where the tragedy took place, they had complained about the faulty lift several times to their supervisors but no corrective measures were taken and in the end it resulted in the death of eight construction workers.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was briefed about the tragedy by the Gautam Buddha Nagar District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma. Adityanath directed Verma to take strict action against the culprits responsible for the death of the eight construction workers.

The District Magistrate visited the hospital where the workers were admitted after the mishap, along with the Police Commissioner and the CEO of Greater Noida Authority.

Later, Verma inspected the accident site with the officials concerned in tow, and ordered the sealing of the entire high-rise building project as the safety standards were being flouted with impunity and the lives of the construction workers were being put at risk callously.

The District Magistrate announced that the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) had decided to give a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the four construction workers who died on Friday.

On Saturday morning, four more construction workers succumbed to their injuries. Their families will also be provided compensation after discussions with the NBCC.

Verma said that an FIR against the construction company and several officials who are being held responsible for the deaths of the eight construction workers has been registered at the Bisrakh police station.

According to the police, a case has been registered under Sections 304, 308, 337, 338, 287, 34 and Section 7 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

An FIR has been lodged against General Managers of Girdhari Lal Constructions Harish Sharma, Rishabh Arora, Luvjeet, NBCC General Managers Vikas, Aditya Chandra and Mechanical incharge Rahul, Amarpali Dream Valley Site incharges Devendra Sharma, Sunil, Shailendra and other officials.

A FIR has been registered against nine people and other officers/employees. Police have detained 16 people in this case and they are being questioned.

When the DM, Police Commissioner, Greater Noida Authority CEO and other top officials reached the accident site and initiated an investigation they found that despite it being a high-rise project, no safety net was installed for the safety of the construction workers nor was there any provision for first aid.

Apart from this, there was no adequate provision for safety belts and hard hats for the construction workers. To top it all, after the accident took place the ambulance, too, was not provided on time.

In fact, the families of the construction workers have alleged that the injured workers were taken to the district hospital in private vehicles and if there had been an ambulance at the spot, the lives of their family members could have been saved.

According to sources the accident took place as the lift was quite old and dilapidated and had broken down several times in the past due to technical faults. While riding in the lift, there was always a fear of accidents and loss of life.

This information was also given to the project officials but neither the construction company nor the NBCC officials paid heed.

Taking cognisance of the unfortunate incident Lokesh M, Noida Authority CEO, has issued instructions to all builders and Apartment Owners' Associations (AOAs) in Noida to take stock of the lifts in their buildings and get them serviced. He has said that a compliance report has to be submitted within a month.

Notices will be issued and action will be taken against those builders and AOAs who fail to comply with these instructions and submit their reports within the prescribed time period.

If any untoward incident occurs due to inadequate servicing of lifts, the builder/AOA concerned will be held responsible for criminal negligence and appropriate action will be taken against them.

There are about 900 high-rise societies in Noida and around 3,000 low-floor societies. There are lifts in the low-floor societies too. Therefore, they will also have to take cognisance of this and take action so that peoplesa safety can be ensured.

Recently, an elderly woman died after a lift collapsed in Greater Noida's Sector-137. Apart from this, many incidents of people getting stuck in lifts and falling lifts keep coming to light. Hence people in Noida are scared to use lifts because an accident can take place any time.

In the wake of this latest tragedy the issue of the implementation of the Lift Act has gained momentum and was raised in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly by the MLAs of Noida and Jewar.

Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma has assured that soon the Lift Act will be passed in the State and a strict law will be made to take action against the guilty.

Recently, a proposal regarding the Lift Act was sent to the Uttar Pradesh Government by the Noida Authority. This law will be enacted for high-rise societies as well as for other buildings of the city where lifts are in use.

Getting stuck in lifts has now become a common problem in several high-rise societies in Noida and the elderly and children are particularly vulnerable as they use lifts more than others.

On June 27, nine people were trapped in a lift at Ghaziabad's Gaur Home society and help arrived after nearly 15 minutes.

On the night of July 10, four women and two children were stuck in a lift at Mahagun Mantraa Society in Greater Noida West for nearly 20 minutes and were eventually rescued by the maintenance team of the society. After this incident, the traumatised children have vowed to use the stairs.

On July 28, Ramkishan, 29, who worked as a supervisor in a company in Noida's Sector-63 got stuck in the lift. Suddenly the cable of the lift snapped and it plummeted. After much effort, Ramkishan was taken out of the lift and rushed to the nearby Kailash Hospital by his colleagues. However, he died while undergoing treatment.

On August 3, the cable of a lift in Paras Tierea Society in Sector-137 broke. Fortunately, the falling lift stopped two to three floors below the 24th floor, but the 73-year-old woman in the lift suffered a panic attack and became unconscious. The lift was broken open and the woman was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared her dead.

On August 11, two children and two elderly citizens were stranded for about 25 minutes when the lift suddenly broke down in D-Tower of Charms Castle Society, Rajnagar Extension, Ghaziabad. When the intercom installed in the lift failed to function, people made calls for help from their mobile phones.

Rescuers broke the lift door and used wooden ladders to evacuate all four persons stuck inside. Later, the residents of the society expressed their anger against the builder.

The condition of one of the victims of the September 15 lift mishap in Amrapali Dream Valley Phase-2 in which eight construction workers died is critical.

There is now hope for the implementation of the Lift Act in Noida soon. BJP MLA Pankaj Singh had earlier raised the issue in a meeting with Adityanath on January 21, 2023. A letter was also given by Singh on January 22 and the State Assembly was also urged to implement the Lift Act in the State.

Singh had demanded implementation of the Lift Act under Rule 51 in the Assembly and made a statement on the subject of public importance.

Regarding this matter, Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma has said in a statement that under the provisions of the Central Electricity Authority Regulation 2010, investigation is done from time-to-time by the State Electricity department.

Similarly, after inspection of the Electrical Safety Directorate in various cases of lifts malfunctioning or falling, reports have been issued. Due to increasing urbanisation in the State and the increasing number of tall buildings, the use of lifts is on the rise. AK Sharma has assured that work will soon be done towards implementing the Lift Act in Uttar Pradesh.
EPS pays floral tributes to Periyar on his birth anniversary. Image Source: IANS News

Chennai , Sep 17 : AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) paid floral tributes to EV Ramaswamy Periyar on his birth anniversary.

Palaniswami garlanded the statue of aThanthaia Periyar at Salem, and said that Periyar had fought against social evils like superstitions.

In a social media post, the former chief Minister hailed the struggle of the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) founder in eradicating oppression against women.

EPS also said that the work done by Periyar against caste discrimination, for womenas education and social justice were commendable.

AIADMK presidium chairman A. Tamil Magan Hussain and other senior party leaders paid their tributes to Periyar at his statue near Gemini square in Chennai. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin garlanded the statue of Periyar at Vellore.
San Francisco, Sep 17 : Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was "lonely and sad" as a child as he struggled to make friends in school, his new biography by American author-journalist Walter Isaacson has claimed.

He also struggled to understand social cues and had to rely on books to learn about them, reports Insider.

In the biography, Isaacson wrote that the billionaire's mother Maye Musk put him in the nursery at three years old because he was "intellectually curious," despite the principal's warnings that he would experience social challenges as he was younger than anyone else in the class.

"It was a mistake. Elon had no friends, and by the time he was in second grade he was tuning out," Isaacson wrote.

Moreover, Musk's mother told Isaacson that he "became so lonely and sad," when he started going to school.

"Kimbal and Tosca would make friends on the first day and bring them home, but Elon never brought friends home. He wanted to have friends, but just didn't know how," Isaacson mentioned in the biography.

Tesla's chief revealed his problems were due to Asperger's, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which made him "bad at picking up social cues", the report stated.

"I took people literally when they said something. And it was only by reading books that I began to learn that people did not always say what they really meant," Musk told Isaacson.

Meanwhile, the biography also revealed that Musk and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates got into a verbal spat after the Tesla CEO confronted the Microsoft founder over shorting the electric-car company's shares last year.

Isaacson wrote that in early 2022, Gates spoke to Musk and said he wanted to "come see (him) and talk about philanthropy and climate" at a meeting.

The meeting happened at Musk's Texas plant where the SpaceX owner confronted Gates over the decision to short Tesla stock.
Mumbai, Sep 17 : Veteran actress Soni Razdan posted a note talking about her time travelling to college or to meet friends in the double-decker BEST buses in 'Bombay'. She said she still remembers the thrill of clambering up the noisy stairs and finding the front seats empty.

Taking to Instagram, Soni posted pictures of the old BEST bus and a new one.

She captioned: "And one more icon bids us adieu. Bombay's and Mumbai's double-decker bus of yore, which I grew up with  and which I used every day going to college and to meet friends in Colaba. Still remember the thrill of clambering up the noisy stairs and finding the front seats empty. The streets looked fascinating from there."

"Just one ride gave one so much food for thought. I remember the proximity to some buildings in crowded streets and many a time would get a glimpse into the rooms yonder. Life was teeming in every direction where people went about their day  be it eating or cleaning or getting a child ready."

"In some streets dancing girls would be practising, in others people hanging out of their windows watching the world go by while I watched them all, fascinated."

Bidding adieu to the double-decker buses, she concluded: "If I had been an artist all that would have been my inspiration, and my 'houses' would be works of art in some gallery somewhere by now. Maybe some inherited affinity from my architect father perhaps! Nowadays may not travel by the lovely new ones, but I fondly remember the old. Bye bye Bombay busses."
New Delhi, Sep 17 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday attacked the Prime Minister for not inviting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the inauguration event of a new two-km-long Delhi Metro line in Dwarka.

Delhi Minister Atishi said it was not appropriate for the Prime Minister to inaugurate a two-km-long metro line without extending an invitation to the Delhi Chief Minister.

"Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new two-kilometer-long Delhi Metro line from Dwarka Sector 21 to Yasho Bhumi Complex in Dwarka. We deeply regret that during this inauguration, PM Modi did not extend an invitation to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This Delhi Metro project is a joint venture between the Central and Delhi Governments, with both sharing the expenses equally. Therefore, it would have been appropriate to invite Kejriwal," Atishi said.

Atishi further said that both the PM and the BJP claim to be the largest political party in the world, "with BJP leaders asserting that PM Modi is among the top world leaders. So, the question arises as to why the largest political party and top world leader couldn't invite Kejriwal".

"This reflects their narrow mindset. We are also contributing to the expenses of the Delhi Metro. I urge the PM that for the development of Delhi, we must work together. It is the PM's responsibility to collaborate with the Delhi government," she added.

--IANSatk/dpb
Hyderabad, Sep 17 : Stating that it is ready to make history in Telangana, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday appealed to the people to cast their votes for the party in the upcoming Assembly and Parliament elections to "reignite the dream of a golden Telangana".

Claiming that the Congress government in Karnataka delivered on its guarantees within 100 days, it said the Congress party does not make empty promises or 'jumlas' but makes history. "The Congress party is ready to make history in Telangana," it said.

The CWC alleged that nine years after Telangana was formed, "the promise of Bangaru (golden) Telangana lies shattered, betrayed by governments both in Delhi and Hyderabad".

The highest decision-making body of the party issued an appeal to the people of Telangana at the end of the two-day meeting in Hyderabad and a few hours before the public rally to be held on the city outskirts, where it will unveil six guarantees to the people of Telangana.

"In 2014, the struggle of the people of Telangana bore fruit with the creation of the state of Telangana. The people of Telangana hoped and wished for a Bangaaru Telangana where they set the course of their own future with Nidhilu, Neelu, Niayamakalu - resources, water, employment for all," reads the appeal.

The CWC 'proudly' recalled the key role played by the party in the formation of Telangana state.

"UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resolutely heeded the voices of Telangana's people, consulting every stakeholder and surmounting every political challenge. Yet, nine years after Telangana was formed, the CWC notes with anguish that the promise of Golden Telangana lies shattered, betrayed by governments both in Delhi and Hyderabad. The dream for which people fought for Telangana has remained unfulfilled."

It alleged that the resources of the new state, meant for its people, have instead been siphoned off by those in power. "Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and his family have established family rule and are deaf to the voices of the people. Instead of the promised golden future, they have dragged the state into the past by ruling like the Nizams."

It noted that the Congress party has embarked on a mass contact programme against this misrule, starting with the Bharat Jodo Yatra when Rahul Gandhi covered 405 km across eight districts. Tens of thousands of people shared their experiences of the governments of the BJP in Delhi and BRS in Hyderabad, both enriching a chosen few at the cost of the poor, farmers, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities.

The CWC alleged that the Dharani portal is taking away land rights dating back to Indira Gandhi's era, especially those of Adivasis, minorities, Dalits and OBCs.

"Small entrepreneurs shut shop due to lack of support in a market tilted towards a few large corporates. Irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram have become income sources for BRS-affiliated contractors, draining huge resources but providing little water. The Modi government's relentless privatisation of public sector companies is reducing opportunities for aspirational and hard-working youth. At the same time, the state government's privatisation of schools, educational institutes and hospitals is depriving people of affordable education and health. In contrast, the Congress party, throughout India, has always worked for a strong and inclusive economy whose benefits reach all."

"The CWC shares the pains of our brothers and sisters in Telangana, and resolves to continue the struggle to meet the unrealised objectives of the Telangana movement. The Congress party's track record in Telangana over decades shows its commitment to an inclusive economy -- through measures such as land rights, a strong public sector which accelerated the private sector, MGNREGA, and statehood," it added.
Islamabad, Sep 17 : Pakistan's flagship airline has become a massive financial liability for the government for years, as it slips further more into crisis every year, forcing a bailout injection of billions of Pakistani rupees to keep it running. However, the government has now decided to let go of the airline and has called for a privatisation plan.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has had its fresh episode of financial crisis as it failed to pay the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) for fuel supply, causing flight delays, disruption in flight schedule and cancellation of flights, causing serious disturbance for its customers and passengers.

As per sources in PIA, at least five flights had to be cancelled due to lack of available aircraft. Among these flights were domestic flights flying to and from major cities of the country. There were also delays of about 2 hours witnessed in other domestic flight operations.

The reason behind this was shortage funds with PIA to pay to PSO for fuel. Pakistan's Federal Ministry for Finance has refused to bare the losses incurred by its flagship airline any further, taking a decision to privatize PIA, seeking a privatization plan both from the Privatization Division and the airline's administration.

"PIA, which is already faced with a cash crunch and mounting losses, if faced with over Rs 420 million per day due to aircraft grounding. Governments have been bailing it out every year for a very long time. Now, it seems almost impossible," said economist Irshad Ansaari.

However, PIA spokesperson says that some financial assistance has come its way, allowing it to push its engines roar back to life.

"The on-time departure ratio is expected to 72 per cent now," said PIA spokesperson.

Another source in PIA said that flight operations have started to gradually return to normal as a total of 72 flights (18 domestic and 54 international flights) were scheduled to depart from airports across Pakistan on Sunday.

In the meanwhile, Shamshad Akhtar, the interim-Finance Minister has revealed that the national flag carrier was incurring confounding losses of at least Rs 12 billion every month.

She said that PIA has several times opted to taking loans of Rs 260 billion from commercial banks, which were guaranteed by the government, in order to stay afloat.

An official of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) revealed that PIA owes about Rs 1.25 billion in taxes, while it pays about Rs 1 billion per month to the civil aviation authority.

"PIA's monthly expenses are about Rs 34 billion, while its monthly income stands at Rs 22 billion. This leaves it with an unsound deficit, that keeps piling with every passing month," said economist Talib Fareedi.

"The overall deficit of PIA, as it stands currently comes up to about Rs.740 billion, a staggering figure which has prompted the finance ministry for an immediate privatization plan", he added.

Pakistan government's Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP) has already given approval for the privatization of PIA.

The government has directed the newly appointed privatization minister Fawaz Hasan Fawad to accelerate the process of privatizing PIA.

"The proposed plan aims to swiftly implement the privatization of the state-owned entity, due to the fact that the airline debt size is five times greater than the value of its assets", said a source in the Finance Minister of Pakistan.
Seoul, Sep 17 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left Russia on his armoured train Sunday to return home following a six-day visit to the country, Russian media said.

The train carrying Kim departed the railway station in Russia's Far Eastern city of Artyom as Russian officials saw him off, RIA Novosti news agency said. Kim also waved and gave a salute to the Russian officials, Yonhap news agency reported.

The North Korean leader visited Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. On Wednesday, the two held a summit at the Vostochny space center amid growing concern about possible military cooperation between the two countries.

Earlier on Sunday, North Korean state media reported on Kim's talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu the previous day.

Kim and Shoigu met in Vladivostok and talked about strengthening bilateral military cooperation and exchanges, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

They "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", the KCNA said.

Earlier on Saturday, Kim also visited the Knevichi Airbase, where he inspected strategic bombers, multi-role fighter jets and other warplanes, as well as Russia's Pacific Sea Fleet to board the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate, it said.
Kolkata, Sep 17 : An internal probe committee of Kolkata's Jadavpur University (JU), formed in the wake of the ragging-related death of a fresher on August 10, has identified three senior students being perpetually accused of covering up events of ragging within the varsity campus.

All the three senior students identified by the internal probe committee on this account are leading faces of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students' Union (FETSU), the student's union of the engineering division of the reputed university.

JU insiders said that the internal probe committee has also detailed on the kind of harassment and psychological ragging that the fresher or first-year students, especially those being accommodated at the students' hostels, in the hands of a section of the senior students residing at the same hostel.

"From dress code to hair-style to being followed by the fresher students, everything was determined by this section of the senior students," a JU insider said on strict condition of anonymity.

Worse, fresher students from suburbs getting admission to their dream university, and not geting over the initial mental block of freely interacting with their female batch-mates, were often bombarded with extremely uncomfortable questions concerning their sexual orientation.

This particular phenomenon of extreme psychological ragging surfaced in the case of the death of the fresher student on August 10, as the night before the tragedy, the minor victim was reportedly telling his hostel-mates frantically that he was not "gay".

Already the internal probe committee has suggested immediate rustication of four students due to their involvement in the matter.

It has also suggested that the JU authorities should lodge FIRs against the six former students who were present at the students' hostel at the time of the accident.

It also recommended suspension of 15 students for one semester, 11 students for two semesters, and five for four semesters.

A research scholar associated with the university should be barred from entering the campus for life after the completion of his research, it suggested.

The committee also said that a thorough inquiry should be initiated against the Superintendent of the main students' hostel where the incident took place on August 10, especially on complaints of negligence on his part. If the complaints are found justified, disciplinary action should be initiated against him, it said.
Chennai, Sep 17 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday ordered a departmental enquiry against a doctor who was absent from duty at the Kancheepuram Maduramangalam upgraded Primary Health Centre.

The minister conducted a surprise inspection at the health centre on Sunday morning during which he found the doctor was not present even as his signature was noted in the attendance register.

The minister called the doctor over the phone, who responded that he was on Ayush duty.

The minister enquired the patients at the hospital who informed him that the doctor was always rude to the patients and was unresponsive to them.

A pregnant woman told the minister that she had informed the staff at the PHC of labour pain but they were unresponsive.

The Health Minister has ordered the Kancheepuram District Deputy Director of Health services to conduct a departmental inquiry and submit a report based on the complaints.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a fresh summon to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to join the probe into a money laundering case pertaining to a land grabbing matter on September 23, an official said on Sunday.

This was the fourth summon issued to Soren. Last time, he was asked to appear on September 9.

Soren had also moved to the apex court after he received the fresh summon.

Last year, Soren was questioned in connection with the illegal mining case.

He was questioned for around 10 hours along with his wife at ED's Ranchi-based office.

In the present case, the ED has arrested 13 people, including an IAS officer.

On July 8, a raid was conducted at the residence of Chief Minister's legislator representative Pankaj Mishra.

The ED found a checkbook linked to Chief Minister Hemant Soren's bank account.

Following this, their names were connected to this case. Mishra was then placed under arrest.

The surprising aspect which emerged that these accused used documents from 1932 to wrongfully seize people's lands and would tell the victims that their lands had already been sold by their fathers or grandfathers.

The accused deceitfully took possession of the lands given on lease to the army and also fraudulently sold them elsewhere.

The agency seized a large number of fake deeds from their possession.

In this case, there are allegations of aiding IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, and as a result, the ED later arrested her.

This case is from Jharkhand, but its ramifications extend to Bihar and Kolkata.

The sources said that the accused used to occupy land by referring to pre-Independence documents and creating fake documents from 1932.

They claimed to have owned the land since the time when the entire region was West Bengal, including parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, encompassing both private and government lands.

When the ED conducted a forensic examination of the seized documents, it was revealed that all the documents were forged.

The districts' names that did not exist before independence were mentioned along with pre-Independence documents, and the PIN code from the 1970s was used in old documents.

After uncovering these small discrepancies, the accused were

arrested.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : The government on Sunday said that an appropriate decision on the women's reservation bill will be taken at the right time.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, after an all-party meeting on the eve of the special session of Parliament, said that an appropriate decision on the passage of women's reservation bill will be taken at an appropriate time.

The customary all party meeting was called by the government on Sunday, on the eve of the special session of Parliament, where floor leaders of all parties were present.

During the meeting, opposition parties led by the Congress, sought passage of the bill in Lok Sabha.

Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said after the meeting that all opposition parties demanded passage of women's reservation bill during the special session.

"We appeal to the government to pass the women's reservation bill in this Parliament session," BJP ally and NCP-Ajit Pawar leader Praful Patel said after all-party meeting.

He also said that the Parliament will shift to the new building on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on September 19.

The special session of Parliament will be held between September 18 and 22. At the all party meeting, tributes were paid to security forces personnel who laid down their lives in Kashmir, Joshi said.

Meanwhile four bills including the controversial Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, are to be taken up for consideration and passage during the upcoming session.

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session, and will be put for Lok Sabha's consideration and passing, once it is passed by the upper house.

The bill was introduced essentially to remove the Chief Justice of India from the earlier formed panel to appoint Election Commissioners (ECs) and chief election commissioners (CECs), contrary to the Supreme Court judgement. The panel will have three members including the Prime Minister, a Union Minister and the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha.

The bill also seeks to change salary and allowance structure of top poll officials, thereby altering their service conditions from that of a judge in the top court to a Cabinet Secretary.

Earlier, the ECs and CECs were appointed based on recommendations of suitable candidates by the Union Law Minister to the Prime Minister, who then selected the candidates and then the president made the appointment.

--IANS

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US woman loses all 4 limbs due to bacterial infection from fish. Image Source: IANS News

New York, Sep 17 : In a terrifying case, a US woman lost all her four limbs after suffering a bacterial infection from eating contaminated fish, according to media reports.

Laura Barajas, 40, from San Jose, California, got the infection after eating undercooked tilapia, the New York Post reported.

While surgery saved her life, her limbs had to be amputated.

"It's just been really heavy on all of us. Itas terrible. This couldave happened to any of us," Barajasa friend Anna Messina told KRON.

Messina said Barajas became sick days after eating the fish that she had purchased at a local market in San Jose and made for herself at home.

"She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator," Messina said.

"They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing."

After a month-long stay at a hospital, Barajas is without her arms and legs, the report said.

Messina said Barajas was infected by Vibrio vulnificus -- a bacterial infection the US CDC has been warning about.

The CDC says about 150-200 cases of the infections are reported each year and about one in five people with the infection die -- sometimes within one to two days of becoming ill.

"The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one-you can eat something thatas contaminated with it the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives," Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode, UCSF Infectious Disease Expert was quoted as saying.

Spottiswoode said the bacteria is especially concerning for people who are immunocompromised.

Messina said she and Barajasa family are still waiting to learn more about what happened. She has also set up a GoFundMe to help with her friendas medical expenses. So far, it has raised more than $20,000, the report said.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 17 : Six members of a family, who were on their way to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's house on Delhi's Krishna Menon Marg on Sunday to reportedly commit suicide, were apprehended, a police official said.

As per sources, they used to set up carts in Delhias Anand Vihar area, and they were all upset due to the removal of the carts.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Pranav Tayal said that information was received that a family of six persons were coming on Krishna Menon Marg without proper authorisation.

"The police team reached the area and while they (the family members) were looking for the location, apprehended them In a timely manner to avert any incident," he said.

"Further action as per law has been taken," the DCP added.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Sep 17 : Actor Vicky Kaushal, who is currently on a promotional spree for his upcoming movie 'The Great Indian Family', on Sunday treated his fans with a heartwarming picture with his mother.

Vicky's Instagram account is filled with the posts of his projects, his photoshoots, lovey-dovey clicks with wife and actress Katrina Kaif, candid dance videos, and pictures of his family.

On Sunday, the 35-year-old actor shared a lovable picture with mommy Veena Kaushal.

Vicky is the son of action director Sham Kaushal. In the photo, we can see Vicky donning green tee shirt.

His mother can be seen placing her head on Vickyas chest, and the actor is holding her tightly. Both are flashing their beautiful smiles.

Vicky captioned the post as: "CutiepAai", with a red heart emoji.

Kriti Sanon commented: "So Cute", while Sunny Hinduja wrote: "Sunday phun".

The fans were also left in awe of the photo.

One wrote: "Most gorg people.. the woman behind the green flag man vicky is."

"Pov: two cuties in one frame," another wrote.

"Cutest mama bear with her baby bear," another comment read.

'The Great India Family' is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya.

It is set in the heartland of India and will revolve around the madness that ensues within Vicky's family due to some sudden developments that are beyond anyone's control.

It stars an ensemble cast of Vicky, Manushi Chhillar, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Sadiya Siddiqui, Alka Amin, Srishti Dixit, Bhuvan Arora, Ashutosh Ujjwal and Bharti Perwani.

The film is slated to release on September 22.

He also has 'Sam Bahadur', and 'Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam' in his kitty.
Mumbai, Sep 17 : Popular TV actor Karanvir Bohra is now taking a fun vacation in the beautiful serene mountains of Ladakh.

Taking to Instagram, the actor posted a small snippet of himself throwing pebbles into a lake, and captioned: "Sometimes on the peak of the highest motor pass #khardungla and sometimes at its foothills #ladakh #nubra is a place you have to go once in your lifetime"

Detailing the disconnect he felt from the outside world and the serenity from just being in the Valley, he detailed his vacation, showing videos of him getting up in the morning light; with the golden sun shining resplendently on the mountainous terrain and many small shrubs of greenery.

Waking up in the morning, he addressed his viewers and said in a sleepy voice: "Good morning Ladakh. Oh wait this is Nubra, but then again Nubra is in Ladakh so yeah."

In a video, he showed the outside view of the early morning and taking it all in, he said: "This is the view from my place, and it is awesome. Unbelievable beauty."

After that, the actor went outside wearing a simple black shirt and shorts looking at the serene valley and the morning sun.

After that, Karanvir went to the Desert Himalayan Resort with some of his friends and detailed his time in Ladakh, showcasing its beauty and simply saying: "This place is unbelievably good. Ladakh, so many thanks for your hospitality. Om Namo Shivay."

Just a while ago, the actor who is a resident of Mumbai had posted an emotional note bidding farewell to the Mumbai double-decker bus service, which was disbanded by the state government.

The actor, who also was a part of 'Bigg Boss 12' and is best known for his roles in serials such as 'Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava?', 'Naagin 2', 'Qubool Hai' along with films 'Kismat Konnection', 'Mumbai 125 KM', 'Love Yoou Soniye' and 'Hume Tumse Pyaar Kitna', is making his TV comeback after a brief hiatus.

Karanvir is now all set to make a return in the new season of the television show 'Saubhagyavati Bhava-Niyam Aur Shartien Laagu', which is a spin-off of the original 'Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava?'.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : As Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday, Congress Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury downplayed the absence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the function, asking if his presence was not enough.

Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the upper house, had written to Rajya Sabha General Secretary Pramod Chandra Mody that he will not be able to attend the flag hoisting function at New Parliament building on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Chowdhury and party Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari attended the event.

Asked about media about the absence of Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Chowdhury said: "If I am not useful here, tell me I will leave... concentrate on those who are present here... I am here, does it not suffice for the media people..."
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is all set to release his much awaited bio-science film 'The Vaccine War'.

Going over its shooting, the director detailed the many technical aspects of the film, as well as some of its themes, one of which is in fact women empowerment.

Taking to social media, 'The Kashmir Files' director shared a behind-the-scenes clip, which showcased some of the measures which he had used to make the film.

The clip showcases a greater aspect regarding camerawork, polishing up the frames, creating the sets and photographing actual locations and real life documents, to make it seem as accurate as it can be while still keeping intact the film's focus.

Also, since there is apparently little CGI in the film, the director had said that polishing up the whole thing was of paramount importance. This was in regards to the comparatively much greater and detailed production which was shown in the trailer.

Regarding the technical aspects, Agnihotri stated: "This time we had a higher budget and greater star power, as such it was easier to have a more polished design. We were able to conduct better camera work, and had to speak to many people just to get tidbits of information."

Apart from that, he said: "The very term bio-science in itself was controversial, because the term 'virology' is unknown to so many people, and they are quick to dismiss it. My objective was to create awareness among people that there is such a thing as bio-science."

Unlike his previous blockbuster film, 'The Vaccine War' is a more technical film, given its many scientific details.

As such, the director had stated in a YouTube interview: "We have made the film in collaboration with ICMR and even spoke to members of IIT as well as researched documents from IIM. We conducted a full scale country-wide research while collaborating with IIM to find out the secrets of Covaxin, who made it and how it was really made. While talking about the vaccine, people only referred to biotech and serum, but no one really knew about the process.

"My aim was mainly to uncover just how the formula was discovered, at a time when the whole country was shrouded in darkness and there was just a very stark bleakness. As such, I have called it a 'Bio-Science film' as opposed to a history film or anything."

He also said that one of the themes of the film was in fact women empowerment. Talking about this, he said: "We met everyone in the background while conducting our research, and to our surprise we found out that majority of the developers in this whole vaccine project were almost entirely women. This was not my intention, but after I found out this bit of information, I wanted to highlight this."

'The Vaccine War' is slated to release on September 28, 2023 and is a tribute meant to honour the medical fraternity of scientists and doctors who worked at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, to manufacture vaccine.
This angry Dad went viral after blowing $1,200 on Disneyland tickets, blasting company as the 'biggest money printing machine on earth'  here are other parks costs you must watch out for

If you have a kid whos dying to go to a Disney theme park, you might want to persuade them otherwise  for your wallet and for your sanity.

Mario Zelaya recently posted a TikTok about the 1,100 euros (about $1,200) he spent on tickets for his familys visit to Disneyland Paris.

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I made a huge mistake, he says. Im almost embarrassed at how much money I spent.

Over 682,000 viewers tuned into the Canadian father explaining how he paid for premier access for his family, which allowed them to get into the fast lane for rides. This cost him an extra $50 per ticket (this was included in the total $1,200).

Even so, Zelaya says his family waited for well over an hour for crappy rides, like its a small world. He claims that his family would have spent over 25 hours in lines if he hadnt bought premier access.

The TikToks overlay text says it all: Disney is the biggest money-printing machine on Earth.

With close to 900 comments mainly agreeing with Zelaya, hes not the only one who overpaid for a Disney trip. But tickets arent the only costs thatll make you madder than a hatter. Watch out for these other Disney park expenses.

The food

A Disney travel specialist says that for a family of four, the food at the various parks can run you between $200 to $300 a day. Between restaurants where you can lunch with Goofy or eat jacked-up fast food, this isnt such a wild number. But in three or four days, that translates into nearly $1,000 spent on food.

However, Disney parks arent like movie theaters: you can bring your own food onto the grounds. Packing lunch and snacks for your family could save you hundreds of dollars.

Story continues

Of course, there are the churros, funnel cakes and other sweet treats that are special to the theme parks. You likely dont want to deprive yourself and your kids of trying those delicious and unique foods.

Before you go to Disney, allot a specific amount of money toward in-park food. Youll not only protect your finances, but prevent your kids from sugar crashing throughout the day. A win for both your wallet and your mental health.

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

Souvenirs

Disney has no shortage of stuffed animals, T-shirts and mouse ears for purchase. But do you really need to spend $69 on an adult costume of Bruno from Encanto?

For some people, absolutely. For others, absolutely not.

This presents an excellent opportunity to talk to your kids about your money values. You can explain to your children that you want to fully immerse yourself in your Disney experience and bring home meaningful mementos from your trip (which, fairly, could be that Bruno costume). You just dont want to borrow from their college fund to do so.

You can include your kids in the souvenir budgeting conversation. Go through the Disney merch website with them and show them the prices. Ask them what they think a good number is for an overall souvenir budget. If they suggest a number thats too high or too low, explain to them why.

You can also give each person a personal souvenir budget on the trip so that nobody goes overboard. It could even become a game for each person to find the best deals for their favorite souvenirs.

There are savings to be found

Though there are lots of Disney costs, there are also savings. You have to look at each individual park to see the various seasonal and location-based discounts, but you can find some good deals.

For instance, Walt Disney World in Orlando offers discounts for military personnel, Florida residents and Disney+ subscribers.

But if you ask Zelaya, theres just one way hed suggest you save money on a family trip: Dont go to Disney.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Kolkata, Sep 17 : The announcement of the Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore-founded VIsva-Bharati University (VBU) located at Bolpur- Santiniketan in West Bengal's Birbhum district becoming the first living and functional university to get the UNESCO World Heritage site tag, has left Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee elated.

Banerjee who is currently on a tour to Spain to scout for investments, announced the development through a message on her official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

"Glad and proud that our Santiniketan, the town of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, is now finally included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Biswa Bangla's pride, Santiniketan was nurtured by the poet and has been supported by people of Bengal over the generations. We from the Government of West Bengal have significantly added to its infrastructure in last 12 years and the world now recognises the glory of the heritage place. Kudos to all who love Bengal, Tagore, and his messages of fraternity. Jai Bangla, Pranam to Gurudev," she posted.

Trinamool Congressas national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has also expressed his joy over the development. "An immensely proud moment for all citizens of our great nation and Bengalis around the world. May Bengal forever remain a shining beacon of hope, embracing the teachings and ideals of Rabindranath Tagore," he wrote on X.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 17 : The CPI-M politburo, at the end of the two-day meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, has not taken any decision on sending any representative to the coordination committee of the opposition INDIA bloc.

A communique issued on the party on Sunday evening did not have a single mention even about any discussion in the matter during the crucial meeting, though expressing support for the bloc.

"The Polit Bureau decided to work for the further consolidation and expansion of INDIA bloc to strengthen the efforts to safeguard the secular democratic character of the Indian Republic, the Constitution, Democracy and Peopleas fundamental rights and civil liberties. This requires that the BJP must be kept away from controlling the Union government and State Power. The Polit Bureau decided to further strengthen these efforts.

"The Polit Bureau endorsed the CPI(M) position at the last three meetings of INDIA bloc in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai to organise a series of public meetings across the country and to mobilize the people to ensure the defeat of the BJP in the forthcoming elections. Efforts should be focused to further expand the INDIA bloc and also to draw in significant sections of the peopleas movements in this effort," it said.

However, the communique added: "While all decisions will be taken by the leaders of the constituents, there should be no organisational structures that will be an impediment for such decisions."

"This is clear indication that the chances of sending a representative in the coordination committee is virtually zero. A clearer picture will evolve after the three-day meeting of the partyas Central Committee on October 27 and October 29. Till that time the coordination committee of INDIA bloc will function without any representative from us," a party Central Committee member, who did not wish to be named, said.

Generally, the politburo takes a decision on any issue, implements it and later seeks the concurrence of the Central Committee in the matter. However, in this case, the politburo has decided to take any decision based on the wider consensus within the Central Committee amid rising criticism from the comrades from West Bengal over the partyas General Secretary Sitaram Yechury sharing the dais with Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee at the INDIA front meetings.

Now, sending someone in the INDIA bloc coordination committee will mean that party representative sharing the same dais with Trinamool national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, against whom the party is organising regular protest demonstrations in West Bengal over the various financial scams in the state.

So probably understanding the sensitivity of the matter, the politburo has kept the matter officially untouched in the two- day meeting, feel political observers.

Currently, there are 13 members in the coordination committee of INDIA bloc and the14th berth has been kept vacant for the CPI-M. After the previous meeting of INDIA in Mumbai where the coordination committee was formed, it was decided that the CPI-M will name its representative later.
PM Modi shares pictures with his interaction with cragtsman including masons, tailors, cobblers at Yashobhoomi convention centre on his birthday. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Sep 17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met several craftsmen at 'YashoBhoomi' convention centre here on the occasion of Vishwakarma Puja.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister posted: "India's artisanal diversity on display at Yashobhoomi." He also attached photographs of his meetings with the masons, tailors, craftsman and cobblers.

PM Modi on Sunday launched the PM Vishwakarma scheme and emphasised that in future, technology, tools and training will be essential.

"In the near future, training, technology and tools will be very essential. The government will also help you in branding, packaging and marketing the products you make. In return, the government wants you to purchase toolkits from shops that are GST registered only.

Modi, who also inaugurated the international exhibition centre "Yashobhoomi" at Dwarka in the national capital, further said: "Today, the nation has gotten the International Exhibition Centre YashoBhoomi. The kind of work is done here, it displays the penances of my Vishwakarma brothers. I declare this centre to every Vishwakarma of the nation. This is going to be helpful to the Vishwakarmas.

"This will be a vibrant centre to make Indian art and handicrafts reach the global level. This will play a huge role in making local products global... the way the spine is essential in our body, and our Vishwakarma are essential for society. Everyday life is unimaginable without them," he added.
Chandigarh, Sep 17 : In a bid to promote organic farming, the Punjab government has undertaken a pilot project under which residue-free basmati rice - entailing minimal or no usage of chemicals - has been cultivated in the Chogawan block of Amritsar district.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said they have purposely chosen the Chogawan block to carry out this pilot project as it is falls in the Ravi river basin and having favourable climatic conditions to nurture the most aromatic long grain basmati rice making it export quality produce.

"Basmati rice has a great export potential as most of the basmati produced in the region is being exported to European and Middle Eastern countries," he said.

Presently, the basmati rice has been exported to more than 60 countries, of which, Amritsar district alone exported Basmati rice around Rs 9,000 crore in the past year.

In order to increase the export potential of the basmati, Khudian said the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has launched an awareness campaign to sensitise farmers about the judicious use of pesticides for basmati crop, besides, making them aware regarding use of alternative pesticides, rather than banned pesticides.

Ten insecticides and fungicides have been banned for application on the basmati crop.

The minister said the Chogawan block has around 32,000 hectares cultivated area, of which 28,753 hectares is covered under the paddy crop and 25,000 hectares solely under the basmati crop.

Out of 102 villages, 42 villages of the block have been selected under the project, he said. The main cultivated varieties in the block are PUSA basmati 1718, PUSA basmati 1121, PUSA basmati 1885, PUSA basmati 1509, PUSA basmati 1692 and Punjab basmati-7.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Sep 17 : Financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for every woman, free bus travel for women in TSRTC buses across Telangana, and cooking gas cylinder for Rs 500 are among the promises made by the Congress as part of six guarantees announced on Sunday ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Looking to replicate its Karnataka victory in Telangana, the Congress announced the promises at a massive public meeting addressed by the national leadership at Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday evening.

Kicking off its poll campaign, the party announced promises under six guarantees unveiled for different sections like women, farmers, homeless, youth, and senior citizens.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi announced Mahalakshmi scheme saying this would empower women in Telangana.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced the Rythu Bharosa guarantee. He declared that if voted to power, Congress will provide Rs 15,000 per acre for farmers including tenant farmers. He announced that agriculture labourers will be provided an assistance of Rs 12,000 per year. Farmers will get Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy crop above the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi announced promises under Indiramma Indlu. If voted to power, the party will give house sites and Rs 5 lakh for the homeless. It will also give 250 square yard plots for Telangana movement fighters.

Under Gruha Jyothi, all households will get 200 units of free electricity. Under Yuva Vikasam, the party promised Vidya Bharosa Card worth Rs 5 lakh each for students and Telangana international schools in all mandals. Under Cheyutha, the party promised Rs 4,000 monthly pension and Rs10 lakh health insurance for senior citizens.

Stating the Congress had fulfilled its guarantee of giving statehood to Telangana, Rahul Gandhi appealed to people to bring Congress to power in the state.

"We will implement all guarantees the way we have implemented the five guaranteed given in Karnataka," he said.

The Congress leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the Congress does not fulfill its promises but the Congress implemented five guarantees given in Karnataka soon after the Cabinet was sworn-in.

Kharge claimed that when Congress was in power at the Centre, it implemented whatever it had promised. He recalled that MNREGA and the Food Security Act were brought under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress had also started free rice distribution and brought a law for free and compulsory education of children.

Elections to 119-member Telangana Assembly are slated to be held in November-December this year.

--IANS

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Los Angeles, Sep 17 : Actress Halle Berry is not looking "too happy" with the rapper Drake at the moment, saying that the musician had not asked for her permission before sharing a picture of her covered in slime for his song 'Slime You Out'.

The 57-year old 'X Men' actress, remembering the incident took to her Instagram and rather humorously quipped: "Sometimes you have to be the bigger man. Even if you are a woman."

Letting the message be self-explanatory, she added a hand emoji with the finger pointing up as the caption. This was seemingly addressed to the 36-year-old rapper not asking her for permission to use a photo of her covered in green "slime" during the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for the cover art of his new single 'Slime You Out' featuring SZA, according to People.

Berry went on to confirm that this comment was directly referring to Drake, when she replied to an Instagram user who asked her in the comments what she thought of the cover art for Drake's newly announced single. "He didn't get my permission. That's not cool. I thought better of him!" the 'Bruised' director-star wrote in response.

She added in another comment, "Hence my post today. When people you admire disappoint you, you have to be the bigger person and move on!"

She also responded to another user who wrote, "It's the principle people... You get it... you get it.. you don't... ohhh well it's the principle! Exactly!! It's about principles and integrity. So happy many of you get that," Berry commented back.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Sunday stressed that issues between the Bar and the Bench could be amicably resolved through discussion and co-operation while cautioning lawyers to not take resort to methods like strikes or boycotting courts.

Addressing a gathering of over 600 advocates at Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar to mark the 75th Marathwada Liberation Day, also known as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, he remarked that greater collaboration between judges and lawyers is a prerequisite for strengthening the legal system and making it resilient for future challenges.

The CJI emphasised that women, as legal professionals, should be given a significant voice in the legal system. He said that it is a constitutional duty of every member of the legal profession to provide substantive institutional support and encouragement to women lawyers. Also, he encouraged all the Bar to provide proper guidance and support to the young lawyers.

The CJI unfurled the national flag at the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court in accordance with the annual tradition to commemorate a day of historic significance to Marathwada, Maharashtra and the nation.

Recently, a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Rajesh Jindal had called for cooperation of the members of the Bar saying that it will be very difficult for subordinate courts to deal with the huge arrears of cases if advocates do not extend their cooperation in the conclusion of the trial.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 17 : In a major boost to the Army, the Defense Ministry has granted approval for the acquisition of a regiment of Pralay ballistic missiles that will be deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Line of Control (LOC).

According to Defense Ministry officials, the decision was taken at the recent meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC).

The officials said that the addition of the Pralay, a short-range ballistic surface-to-surface (SRBM) missile, will give more firepower and heft to the Army's war-fighting capabilities. The missile will give the armed forces the capability to hit enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas.

It is Indiaas first tactical quasi-ballistic missile. Pralay, along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will form the crux of Indiaas planned Rocket Force.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Sep 17 : The police in Telangana's Warangal town have booked seven students of Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) for allegedly ragging a first-year MBBS student.

The police have registered a case against the third-year MBBS students after the junior student lodged a complaint alleging physical assault and harassment.

The victim, who is from Jalore in Rajasthan, alleged that the seniors ragged him and when he resisted they assaulted him.

The police booked the accused students under IPC sections 294(b) (pertaining to obscene language in public places), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (acts carried out collectively with common intention) and Section 4 (iii) of the Telangana Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997.

According to the victim, the incident occurred late in the night on September 14 when he was returning to his room from the library.

He stated in his complaint that the seniors who were intoxicated and verbally abusive wanted him to join but refused. When he returned to his room, the senior brutally assaulted him.

His batchmates rushed him to MGM Hospital. This is the second incident of ragging at a government-run medical college in Telangana this month.

Ten students of Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad were suspended on September 10 for ragging their juniors.

However, KMC Principal D. Mohan Das denied that there was any ragging. He said that there was a clash between students and the junior student was beaten up by seniors.

However, the anti-ragging committee took note of the incident. The anti-ragging committee and disciplinary committee will meet on September 19 to probe the incident. The Principal said based on the findings, the committees will take action.

In February this year, KMC was rocked by the suicide of a MD student due to alleged harassment by her senior. Preethi, a first year student of the post graduate (MD) in the department of Anaesthesia, took a lethal injection while on duty at MGM Hospital Warangal on February 22.

She later succumbed at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad. Police arrested her senior M.A. Saif, a second year student in the department of Anaesthesia, for abetment to suicide.

He was also booked under Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Anti-Ragging Act.
Ahmedabad, Sep 17 : The water level at the Golden Bridge in Gujarat's Bharuch soared to 32.38 feet on Sunday, surpassing the danger mark of 24 feet, prompting the authorities to evacuate over 3,000 people to safer places.

An official said that in Bharuch district, around 2,000 people and 210 cattle have been relocated. In neighboring Vadodara district, authorities have evacuated nearly 1,500 people from 13 villages across three talukas.

Another official said that the Narmada river's water level may reach 40 feet, prompting efforts to evacuate additional individuals before the river swells further.

Furthermore, the Vadodara district administration enlisted the assistance of the Indian Air Force to rescue 11 individuals trapped in Vyas Bet in Karjan taluka.

As a precautionary measure, some roads have been closed.

Water releases from the upstream Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam commenced on September 16, beginning with 1.45 lakh cusecs and steadily increasing.

As of Sunday, the outflow from the Narmada Dam into the downstream river stood at 18.35 lakh cusecs.
Claire Coder, 26, founder and CEO of Aunt Flow, holds samples of the period products that her company sells and donates. Coder, who started the company in 2016 when she was 18, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her goal is to have period products freely available in every public restroom.

It turns out that providing free period products is not just a good idea, but a good business.

Aunt Flow founder and CEO Claire Coder says her Columbus-based startup of providing menstruation products at no cost is growing so quickly that she will add 19 workers in Ohio by end of the 2025. She currently has 16 employees, with about half in Ohio and the rest spread across the country including at hubs in Chicago and Denver.

"Im more excited about the company than Ive ever been," said Coder, who started Aunt Flow in 2016 at the age of 18 and is now 26.

As part of the company's expansion, JobsOhio will give the company a $100,000 workforce grant.

In return, the company will invest $600,000 to train new workers for jobs in sales, marketing, operations and administrative positions. The 19 jobs will have an annual payroll of $1.9 million.

Aug 25, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Claire Coder, 26, founder and CEO of Aunt Flow, holds samples of the period products that her company sells and donates. Coder, who started the company in 2016 when she was 18, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her goal is to have period products freely available in every public restroom.

It started with a period

Coder was at an event in Columbus at the age of 18 when she unexpectedly started her period.

"I went to the bathroom and there was a coin-operated dispenser  I naturally didnt have a quarter because who carries coins. As I was making my own tampon out of toilet paper I was thinking toilet paper is offered for free, why aren't period products.

Today, 30,000 bathrooms across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom are served by Aunt Flow products, including every Apple store in North America, 6,300 school bathrooms in Utah and plenty of places in central Ohio such as the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Nationwide Arena, Lower.com Stadium and Progressive Field.

"The Greater Columbus Convention Center has always made sure to provide complimentary menstrual products for our attendees and guests," the convention center said in a statement. "We were intrigued with Aunt Flow because of their mission, the local aspect of them being headquartered in Columbus, and their sustainability efforts within the products."

Aunt Flow products have been well received by guests, the convention center said.

Story continues

While Coder won't disclose the company's revenue, she says sales have tripled in each of the past few years as people see the products in bathrooms around the country and ask their employer to stock them.

Aug 25, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Claire Coder, 26, founder and CEO of Aunt Flow, holds samples of the period products that her company sells and donates. Coder, who started the company in 2016 when she was 18, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her goal is to have period products freely available in every public restroom.

She's a long way from when she went business to business along High Street in the Short North pitching Aunt Flow products.

Now, millions of passengers who go through Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, for example, see Aunt Flow products and ask their employers to stock them, Coder said

Coder came up with the company's name by going through every euphemism around menstruation should could think of and those that had trademark availability and social media availability.

"Aunt Flow did, so that became the name," she said.

What's driving Aunt Flow's business?

The increase in Coder's business has been helped by growing recognition that menstruation products are just as important in bathrooms as soap, paper towels and toilet paper  all products that are free, she said.

"Now is the moment," Coder said. "I cant take all the credit but weve definitely been screaming into the ether that accessible period products are critical and important to advance this next generation of menstruators."

The Ohio General Assembly, for example, included $5 million in the new state budget for dispensers and free pads and tampons to students beginning this fall.

The state of Utah now requires period products in all state-owned buildings and New Jersey just passed a law ensuring students in sixth through 12th grade have access to pads and tampons in public school bathrooms starting next school year.

"For decades, people who menstruate have been told not to talk about menstruation, hide a tampon up your sleeve. It's your responsibility," Coder said.

How the business model works

Aunt Flow sells its products to businesses, schools, governments and others focused on three areas: school buildings from grade school through college, office buildings and venues such as stadiums and convention centers.

Customers buy the Aunt Flow dispenser that is stocked with tampons and pads, and then janitors keep them filled just as they do the soap containers, paper towel dispensers and toilet paper holders in bathrooms.

Sample pads and tampons available from Aunt Flow are on display. The companys goal is to have period products freely available in every public restroom.

The products are free. A push of a button on the dispenser will release a tampon or a pad.

Coder said she spent time with janitors that stock and clean bathrooms to see what kind of dispenser would work best.

She said some companies have tried putting a basket of products out for workers. While that may work for low-traffic bathrooms, it's not so great in high-traffic area where baskets can be knocked to the floor or get wet. Some baskets may even get stolen.

The company was able to develop the dispenser with venture capital money the company raised in 2019. All in all, Aunt Flow has received $17 million in venture capital funding.

The products are made of organic cotton, and Coder says they are far more comfortable than what was has been traditionally available from the dispensers that require a quarter.

The company contracts with manufacturers throughout the world to make the products.

The company doesn't share revenue figures beyond noting its rapid growth, and like most young companies, growth is more of a focus than profit at this point for Aunt Flow.

Aunt Flow also donates one product for every 10 it sells  5.2 million tampons and pads since 2021  to those in need.

Free the tampons

Columbus business leader Nancy Kramer started a program in 2013 called Free The Tampons meant to create a national movement to provide freely-accessible menstrual products in every restroom outside of the home.

"She took it and she really ran with it," Kramer said of Coder who she calls "a remarkable young woman."

Kramer, who has mentored Coder, said she gets a request at least once a day from someone wanting to get access to menstrual and Aunt Flow products.

There's not a woman who doesn't have a story about being caught without having what they need, she said.

"Claire has really helped catalyze the vision. ... Her branding, her personality brings a fresh, youthful vibe to it," Kramer said.

Kramer also credits Coder with bringing more openness to the topic.

"The younger generation has less stigma attached to it," Coder said. "The older generations, you just didn't talk about it."

mawilliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: JobsOhio to provide $100,000 workforce grant to Aunt Flow
Guwahati, Sep 18 : A man -- suspected to be a timber smuggler -- has been shot dead by a Forest Guard in Assam's Kokrajhar district on Sunday, the police said.

The incident happened in the Jharbari forest area.

A senior police officer said that a Forest Patrol party had stopped a bunch of suspected smugglers who were carrying timber logs on bicycles.

The police official said that when the group refused to stop, the Forest Guards fired, following which one of the suspected smugglers died on the spot.

The deceased has been identified as Hemanta Basumatary.

The local residents, later, staged a protest, claiming Basumatary was not a smuggler.

Following the incident, senior police personnel and Kokrajhar (East) MLA Lawrence Islary went to the spot to assess the situation.

The police said that a magisterial inquiry into the incident has been ordered by the Kokrajhar district administration.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jituraj Gogoi has been instructed to conduct the investigation and present a thorough report within seven days.
Islamabad, Sep 18 : Pakistan's Erica Robin, who hails from Karachi has won the title of "Miss Universe Pakistan 2023," becoming the first-ever from the country to earn this title.

However, Erica's win has not been received with celebrations back home. Instead, it has met with either criticism or absolute silence.

The 24-year-old Erica won the title in a first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan event that featured five contestants from Pakistan and was organised by a Dubai-based company Yugen Group.

After winning the title, Erica will not be representing Pakistan at the global level in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant to be held in El-Salvador.

While Erica expressed her profound graciousness on winning the title; her achievement was met with criticism from many back home in Pakistan, especially from religious groups and parties, while the government refused to take ownership of Erica's achievement.

Jamaat-e-Islami's Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said: "It is shameful to prepare young women for the Miss Universe pageant and organise the Miss Pakistan pageants. This is an insult to Pakistan. Women of Pakistan are insulted and exploited. Who are the organisers of this beauty pageant in Pakistan? Who is doing this shameful act? Government should bring them forward. Who has authorised her to represent Pakistan? Is this the decision of the government of Pakistan? Caretaker Prime Minister should immediately clarify the position of his government and stop this ridicule, humiliation of Pakistani women in the name of beauty pageants. This is a deliberate game being played with the religious sentiments of the Muslims of Pakistan."

Prominent religious leader Mohammad Taqi Usmani also raised questions over the news: "There is news that five young ladies will represent Pakistan in the international beauty pageant. If this is true, how far will we go? Let the impression disappear."

Women activists have come out in support of Erica Robin and have slammed criticisers for feeling insecure every time a Pakistani woman achieves a name for herself.

"It's become a norm to attack Pakistani women who achieve a name for themselves on the international stage. Why are women's international successes seen as a blot on the country's morals?" asked rights activist Zohra Yusuf.

Seasoned journalist Mariana Baabar praised the 24-year-old, insisting that anyone can represent Pakistan.

"Pakistan belongs to all. Every Pakistani can represent anywhere, whenever, however. Ladies n Gentlemen, Karachi's Erica Robin was crowned the winner of the first-ever Miss Universe Pakistan. Beauty and Brains!" said Mariana.

Pakistan's interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said that the country has not designated any non-state or non-government person or institution for such an event.

"The government and the state of Pakistan are represented by the state and government institutions. Our government has not designated any non-state and non-governmental person or institution for any such activity and no such person/institution can represent the state/government. The end," he said.

Erica maintains that she intends to bring to light the exquisite beauty that resides within Pakistan's rich culture and traditions, which she added are often concealed in the shadows of media attention.

Erica hails from Karachi. She did her schooling from St. Patrick Girls High School and started her professional modelling career in January 2020. She was featured on the pages of DIVA magazine and later became an assistant manager as Flow Magazine.

In December 2021, she flew off to Dubai -- the UAE. And it was September 14, 2023, when Erica won the Miss Universe Pakistan title at Brennia Kottefaru in Raa Atoll, Maldives.

Erica's next stop will be at the Miss Universe 2023 pageant in San Salvador, El Salvador, on November 18, 2023.

It remains to be seen if Pakistan government would own up to Erica's representation of Pakistan or would keep its distance from her, maintaining Erica's achievement as her own and not of Pakistan.
Lucknow, Sep 18 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in reference to the Ambedkar Nagar incident where a girl fell off her bike after her dupatta was pulled off by two men and then died after being run over by another motorbike, said that if anyone commits a crime like harassing women in the state, 'Yamraj' ( God of death) will be waiting for him.

Yogi highlighted the importance of a strong legal system for safeguarding law and order and stressed that no one will be allowed to misuse the law to disrupt the system.

He was speaking at an event in Gorakhpur on Sunday evening.

The shocking incident took place on Saturday and the three accused were arrested hours later. Two of the accused sustained bullet injuries while one suffered a leg fracture while trying to flee from custody on Sunday, the police claimed.

The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh has often touted the Yogi Adityanath government's handling of law and order in the state as one of its achievements.

In the CCTV footage, the victim, who was a class 11 student, and another girl are seen on their bicycles when a speeding bike approaches her from behind and the pillion rider pulls her dupatta as they pass her.

Superintendent of Police, Ambedkar Nagar, Ajit Sinha, said, "The three accused jumped from the vehicle, snatched a police rifle, and fired at our team. In retaliatory firing, two of them sustained bullet injuries to their legs while the third suffered a leg fracture. The three have been hospitalised for treatment."

The accused were identified as Shahwaz and his brother Arbaz, who pulled the dupatta. The third accused, Faisal, ran over the girl. It is yet to be ascertained if there is any connection between the accused brothers and Faisal, the officials said.

The accused have been charged under the Indian Penal Code for murder and assault to outrage the modesty of a woman and also under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
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The white Ford transit van slowed, its emergency flashers on to warn the many cars and trucks honking as they traveled down Michigan Avenue Sunday morning that it would stop outside the Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne.

The driver looked out his passenger window, seeing if the picketers participating in the UAW strike needed any food or drink. After a few shakes of the head he was gone, down to the next factory entrance, where red-clad women and men held blue and white signs with a simple message: UAW on strike.

In a different life, James was that driver. Back in September 1976, Ford workers walked out from the same factory, striking at the time for a wage increase and more paid vacation. Then working in the paint shop, James  who declined to provide his last name  joined them.

UAW members picket outside the Ford Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. The union announced a strike at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis earlier in the week after negotiators failed to reach a deal by the end of the worker's last contract.

Single and in his early 20s, he had a specific job to help his fellow union members: He and another guy climbed into his brand new LTD, a popular car from Ford at the time, and delivered coffee to picketers at each of the plants gates.

It wasnt so bad, James said, laughing.

'Ford's been good to me; I've been good to Ford'

Now 70, he still works at the plant as a material handler. Born and raised in Detroit, he said hes striking now to help younger workers, to know life as Ive known it.

The storied auto company provided a middle-class lifestyle for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders over the generations, and many employees feel real dedication to Ford. James said his grandfather helped company founder Henry Ford assemble Model Ts, and his father worked at Fords North American Operations Office.

We bleed Ford Blue, said James, wearing a Boston Red Sox ball cap and a black long-sleeve jacket.

Go deeper: Here is what Detroit automakers have to give the UAW to get a deal, experts say

Fords been good to me; Ive been good to Ford.

But the UAW and workers are quick to note the companys success only came through the blood and sweat of the people on the assembly line and in the plants producing millions of cars and trucks. Its a key sticking point in negotiations now: UAW President Shawn Fain argues workers are due a 40% raise over the life of a new contract, citing what he sees as comparable compensation increases for leadership at the three big Detroit-born auto companies in recent years.

Story continues

The inability to find a compromise before midnight Thursday, when the UAWs last contract expired, prompted the strike. While the entire union is striking, Michigan Assembly is one of three plants where many workers actually walked off the job.

A Ford logo decorates the grass outside the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. UAW workers are on strike at the factory as part of a national strategy.

On Sunday morning, more than 100 people joined James outside the plant. Ashes in old grills and charred wood along the sidewalk showed signs of overnight picketing. With pallets of water, pizza, cookies and a slew of porta potties, the union has the supplies and means to survive on the picket line for some time.

'We gave up a lot of stuff and havent gotten it back yet'

While most on the picket line Sunday never participated in other strikes, many shared James familial connection to Ford. Angie Nash, 48, said her grandfather was an electrician at Livonia Transmission and helped her get the job at Michigan Assembly when she was 21.

Nash worked the assembly line for the last 27 years. At first, she admits she hated it, but shes grown to love the job. That doesnt mean the company shouldnt do more for its workforce though, she said.

We havent gotten a pay raise, other than lump sum profit sharing, since back in 2008, said Nash, who lives in Canton.

We gave up a lot of stuff and havent gotten it back yet. Thats the main reason why were out here.

Despite that frustration, shared by many if not most UAW workers, Nash said she did not expect a strike. Past contract negotiations during her time never led to a strike, and she was a bit surprised this one ultimately led to a walkout. The UAW struck General Motors for 40 days in 2019 after designating GM as the "target" company in talks that year. This year, no target was set, and the initial strike action hit one Ford plant, a GM plant and a Stellantis plant.

More: What is UAW? What to know about the union at the heart of industry-wide auto workers strike

Kirstie Tapp, 31 of Plymouth, said some of the veteran workers at the plant started talking weeks ago about the possibility of a strike.

On the line, at this whole plant, (a strike) is all anybody has been talking about for a month now. The older generation has kind of been getting the younger generation ready for the possibilities of what could happen, and kind of showing us or teaching us what to expect, she said Sunday morning, holding her own sign outside the plant.

Kirstie Tapp, 31, picketed outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. She's worked at the plant for about 3 years, and said while she's both excited and nervous, she's prepared to do whatever it takes to help the union achieve its goals.

Tapp works on the line but is also a member of the pool, so she floats around to other areas of the plant as needed. With three years at the plant, she's one of the newer Ford employees on the picket line. But the company, and this specific site, have an outsized influence in her life: Her boyfriend also works here. So does her cousin, and two uncles. Her aunt works for the company in Dearborn.

And, years ago, her great-grandfather worked at the same plant, building an earlier version of the Ford Bronco that she and her relatives assemble and test now.

Were all going through this together, Tapp said.

Its been a roller coaster of emotions  excited to get what we deserve, in a sense. But nervous, because $500 a week is going to be hard to live on for a while. But fully prepared to do whatever it takes to get more money.

Reach Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com, or on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'We bleed Ford blue': UAW strikers talk family, history on picket line
Qatar authorities have foiled another attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, the Ministry of Interior announced.

However, the quantity of the drugs has not been disclosed.

The General Directorate of Drug Enforcement apprehended a substantial quantity of narcotics that was bound for Qatar.

This step came in collaboration with the General Directorate of Coasts and Borders Security and the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya).

The prohibited drugs were dropped near Qatar's coasts, with the intention of being smuggled into the country by sea, the ministry said.
Schoolchildren in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester, have produced artwork highlighting their pride in the local area, which is now on display at Greenfield station.

Mossley-based artist Chris Cyprus guided pupils from Saddleworth High School and the wider area in creating art that illustrates what makes them proud of the place where they live. Chris showed them how to work to a brief, and gave insight on the development of their art.

Pupils contributed various images to the project. One focused on the Dovestones reservoir and the fond memories it holds of her late mother. Another showed her affection for Saddleworth where she now lives after fleeing Ukraine to escape the Russian invasion.

Greenfield station is on the Huddersfield Line twelve miles (20 km) northeast of Manchester Victoria, and is the last station in Greater Manchester before the West Yorkshire boundary.

The project is titled Routes to roots: a platform for art', and has been funded by the Transpennine Route Upgrade. As part of the Upgrade, Greenfield station will be improved, and made fully accessible for the first time.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade has committed to delivering a minimum 50p value to society for every pound spent on construction, aiming to generate 4.28 billion of social value.

Chris Cyprus, artist leading the project said: The Routes to Roots project taps into the creative potential of gifted students who are still in the process of discovering their future direction. Hopefully this will provide inspiration during a pivotal stage of their lives.

Natalie Hewitt, Senior Sponsor for Transpennine Route Upgrade said: The Transpennine Route Upgrade will create opportunities for these young people as they enter the world of work or higher education later in the decade.

Their pride in Saddleworth and the talent and dedication they have applied to this project is inspirational and we know that our ambition for the future of rail travel to and from Greenfield will match it.

Craig Harrop, Regional Director at Northern, said: It's wonderful to see the wealth of creative talent that we have in Saddleworth, which is now on display for everybody to see here at the heart of the community. The entries to the competition have been fantastic, and will really transform the station environment as we head into the programme of station upgrades.
Over the past year, many Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) insiders sold a significant stake in the company which may have piqued investors' interest. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the insider, Eric Francis Thepaut, sold US$2.8m worth of shares at a price of US$52.49 per share. That means that even when the share price was slightly below the current price of US$52.90, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was 81% of Eric Francis Thepaut's stake.

Insiders in Boston Scientific didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Boston Scientific insiders own about US$166m worth of shares (which is 0.2% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Boston Scientific Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. While we feel good about high insider ownership of Boston Scientific, we can't say the same about the selling of shares. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Boston Scientific you should know about.

Of course Boston Scientific may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

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.
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Several political parties, including from the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, on Sunday made a strong pitch for the passage of the women's reservation bill during the five-day Parliament session beginning Monday, with the government asserting that an "appropriate decision will be taken at an appropriate time".

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi during the all-party meeting on the eve of the special session of Parliament, at Parliament library building, New Delhi, September 17, 2023. Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo

At an all-party meeting convened by the government on the eve of the session, the government also formally informed parliamentarians about the move to the new Parliament building on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The demand for discussing issues like caste census, price rise, unemployment, border row involving China, Manipur situation and alleged social conflicts at some places was raised by the Congress, its leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters. A few other opposition parties also spoke in the same vein on some of these matters.

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10 and is listed on the government's agenda for passage in the coming session, was also criticised by some opposition leaders as "unconstitutional".

However, it was the vigorous pitch for legislating reserved seats for women in elected bodies like Lok Sabha and state assemblies that emerged as the highlight of the meeting as BJP ally and NCP leader Praful Patel joined the Congress and its allies besides unaligned parties like the BRS, TDP and the BJD to urge the government to script history on the momentous occasion of Parliament's shift to the new building.

The TMC noted the relatively large contingent of women MPs in West Bengal's ruling party, as it supported the need for such a bill.

"A new era is beginning," BJD MP Pinaki Misra said about Parliament's shift to the new building, asserting it will be a fitting occasion for ensuring women's reservation. He cited Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's longstanding support to the idea.

Patel said he was hopeful that such a bill would be passed with consensus.

Some regional parties such as the RJD and the Samajwadi Party, though, made a case for quota for backward castes, SCs and STs within any such reservation for women.

Asked about the demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi downplayed it, saying parties make different demands during all-party meetings. "The government will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time," he told reporters.

A similar bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010, reserving one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It was never taken up in Lok Sabha and has since lapsed with the dissolution of the then Lower House.

The minister said tributes were paid at the all-party meeting to security forces personnel who laid down their lives in Kashmir as leaders observed silence in their memory.

On September 13, four security forces personnel -- Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier -- were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

The minister said 51 leaders from 34 parties attended the meeting in which the government sought the cooperation of all the parties for a smooth conduct of the five-day session.

On the women's reservation bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said all opposition parties demanded its passage in this Parliament session and criticised the government for not consulting them before summoning Parliament.

Chowdhury told reporters that the government had informed them it was a regular session of Parliament. "Only the government knows what its intention is. It may surprise everyone with some new agenda," he said.

Joshi said a discussion on "Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha - Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings" will take place in the old building on Monday before the ceremony of entering the new building a day later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to speak on the matter in Parliament.

The government's work in the new building will begin from Wednesday, he said, adding that there are a total of eight bills on its agenda.

DMK leader Tiruchi Siva accused the government of keeping other parties in the dark about the reason for calling the session, wondering what was the need for a regular sitting of Parliament when the winter session was due in November.

He wondered if the schedule for a group photo of all MPs on Tuesday meant that this was the last session of this Lok Sabha.

Opposition sources said Siva tore the schedule for Sundays event in the meeting, claiming that he received the invite only on Friday night and the programme was only in Hindi.

BRS leader K Keshava Rao, sources said, criticised the ruling BJP over the Sanatan Dharma issue.

Some opposition leaders also protested the decision to not have the Question Hour and the Zero Hour during this session. A demand was also made to revoke the suspension of two AAP MPs, Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the deputy leader of the House in Lok Sabha, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were among those who represented the government in the meeting.

Former prime minister and JD-S leader H D Deve Gowda, DMK's Kanimozhi, TDP's Ram Mohan Naidu, TMC's Derek O'Brien, AAP's Sanjay Singh, BJD's Sasmit Patra, BRS's K Keshava Rao, YSR Congress Party's V Vijayasai Reddy, RJD's Manoj Jha and JD(U)'s Anil Hegde and SP's Ram Gopal Yadav were also among those who attended the meeting.
The Congress top brass held their second round of deliberations on formulating a strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stressing on unity and maintaining discipline to take on adversaries and ensure success.

IMAGE: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Photograph: @kharge/X

In his speech on the second day of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here, Kharge urged party leaders to set aside their personal differences to ensure the party's success and work towards forming an alternative government in the country.

Kharge told the CWC members, state unit presidents and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders to work towards the goal of defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections as well as in the upcoming five assembly polls. He also asked them to be ready for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, whenever it is announced.

The Congress chief accused the Narendra Modi government of diverting people's attention from basic issues.

On the day the opposition INDIA alliance held its meeting in Mumbai, the Modi government formed a panel on 'One Nation, One Election' and "in contravention of all conventions, it also included a former president to fulfil its agenda", Kharge said.

"This is not the time for us to rest... We must unite and overthrow this dictatorial government to save our democracy," the Congress president told the leaders.

He said the people are looking for an alternative and the Congress' victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka elections are clear proof of this.

"We must work tirelessly putting aside personal interests. We must prioritise the success of the party putting aside our personal differences. We must exercise self-restraint and avoid going to media with statements against our leaders or party so that the Congress' interests are not harmed," Kharge asserted.

Organisational unity is of utmost importance, he said and stressed that "only through unity and discipline can we defeat our adversaries". This was evident in Karnataka where all remained united and fought with discipline to achieve success, Kharge said.

"Our goal must be to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and work diligently to form an alternative government in the country," he noted.

Kharge said the year 2024 also marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's election as the Congress president and the most fitting tribute to him would be to oust the BJP from power.

"From Telangana, we will go with renewed strength and a clear message. We leave Hyderabad today with a firm commitment: to win not only in Telangana but in all upcoming elections, relieving people from the miseries of BJP's misrule," he exhorted party leaders.

Noting the challenges that lay ahead, he said these challenges aren't just for the Congress as they concern the survival of Indian democracy and the preservation of the Constitution too.

"I would like to ask the state presidents and legislative party leaders present here: Are your committees at the mandal, block and district levels ready? Are we giving them regular programmes? Have we started identifying potential candidates?" the Congress president asked state unit chiefs.

He said in the last 10 years under BJP rule, the challenges faced by ordinary people have multiplied. The prime minister, he alleged, refuses to address the concerns of the poor, farmers, labourers, women, and youth.

The PM cannot look beyond himself, the Congress president alleged. "In such circumstances, we cannot remain mute spectators."

This was the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC under Kharge's presidency.

Besides regular members, permanent invitees and special invitees, the extended meeting of the apex decision-making body of the party included state party chiefs, CLP leaders, parliamentary party office-bearers and its Central Election Committee members.

In the evening, the Congress will hold a mega rally in Tukkuguda near Hyderabad on the occasion of Telangana National Integration Day which marks the day when the princely State of Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union in 1948.

At the rally, the party will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections.

While the Congress MPs would return to Delhi after the rally for the special session of Parliament, other leaders, CWC members, state unit presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies.

Gearing up for the upcoming Assembly and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Saturday made a strong pitch for social justice and resolved to make the opposition INDIA bloc an "ideological and electoral success" to free the country from "divisive politics".

After about five hours of deliberations at the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC, the party also called for the passage of the women's reservation bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament, conducting a caste census and increasing the limit of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs.

The resolution also rejected the idea of "one nation, one election", calling it an attack on the federal structure.

The CWC resolution on Saturday also reiterated the Congress' demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue.

It is after years that the CWC met outside of Delhi, a move seen as an attempt to consolidate the support base in poll-bound Telangana and go all out to oust the Bharat Rashtra Samithi from power in the state.

The CWC "wholeheartedly" welcomed the continuing consolidation of the INDIA alliance, claiming it has already rattled Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.

"The CWC reiterates the Congress party's resolve to make the INDIA (bloc) 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," the resolution read.
Amid a raging row over Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders' remarks on Sanatan dharma, some Congress leaders on Saturday called for a cautious approach on the matter and the party not getting drawn into the Bharatiya Janata Party's agenda.

IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, at the CWC meeting, in Hyderabad, Telangana, September 17, 2023. Photograph: ANI on X

Sources said some leaders, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh, said at the Congress Working Committee meeting that the party should stay away from such issues and not be drawn into it.

Rahul Gandhi said that instead of getting involved in the Sanatan dharma row, the leaders should focus on the poor and their issues as they have been the party's traditional vote bank, the sources said.

He said the party should raise the issues of the poor, irrespective of their caste, according to sources.

The sources said that during the CWC meeting, both Baghel and Singh pointed out that speaking on the Sanatan dharma row would hurt the party and will help the BJP.

When asked about the matter at a party briefing, senior party leader P Chidambaram said the issue of Sanatan dharma was not discussed during the CWC meeting.

He said the party believes in respecting all religions and cited the sarvdharam sambhav.

"There has been no discussion on Sanatan dharma issue. Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) has made it absolutely clear that the Congress party is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on Sanatan dharma issue," Chidambaram said.

"We believe in sarvdharma sambhav, equal respect for all religions, and we stand by that position. That has been the consistent position of the Congress party from many many decades and we are not getting drawn into any controversy on that issue," he said.

"Please note the distinction I am making...I am not speaking for the DMK, but the DMK has said that they are not opposed to any religion, they are opposed to the caste oppression and caste hierarchy and all that goes with caste hierarchy...suppression of women, oppression of Dalits and as you all well know, the impediments placed on the so-called lower class by the caste hierarchy," Chidambaram said.

"So, the DMK has explained, it is in that context they have mentioned Sanatan Dharma, but let me make it very clear...we are not getting drawn into that controversy," he said.

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin recently caused a storm as he alleged that Sanatan Dharma is against social justice and that it should be eradicated. Likening Sanatan Dharma to the coronavirus, malaria and dengue, Udhayanidhi Stalin -- the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin -- said such things should not be opposed but destroyed.

Days later, DMK leader A Raja said Sanatan dharma should be compared to diseases such as AIDS and leprosy that have a social stigma attached to them.
Historians and conservation architects describe the old edifice as a "repository of India's history" and its "democratic ethos", and an "architectural jewel" of Delhi.

IMAGE: A view of the Parliament building in New Delhi. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo

The Parliament House, which may soon hand over its position as the country's hallowed legislature to a new complex inaugurated four months ago, has stood for over 96 years as a sentinel of time and a repository of India's democratic journey.

Opened on January 18, 1927, by Lord Irwin -- the then viceroy -- amid fanfare, the landmark has witnessed colonial rule, the Second World War, the dawn of Independence, the adoption of the Constitution, and the passage of many legislations -- some landmark and many controversial.

The government on Wednesday listed a special discussion on the Parliament's 75-year journey, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha, on the first day of the five-day session beginning on September 18.

The session is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament move from the old building to the new complex in its vicinity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new complex on May 28 and expressed hope that it would become a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality.

Several MPs and people from different walks of life, including celebrities, had praised the construction of the new complex when it was inaugurated.

Once legislative businesses move into the new state-of-the-art building, India will, in many ways, turn a page.

Historians and conservation architects describe the old edifice as a "repository of India's history" and its "democratic ethos", and an "architectural jewel" of Delhi.

The historic building, with its circular design and an impressive colonnade of 144 creamy sandstone on the first floor, was opened at a time the new imperial capital of the British Raj -- New Delhi -- was being built at a site in the Raisina Hill area.

According to archival documents and rare old images, a grand ceremony was held to mark the opening of the building, then called the Council House.

The building, with a diameter of 560 feet and circumference of a third of a mile, was designed by Sir Herbert Baker who, along with Sir Edwin Lutyens, was chosen to design the new imperial capital in Delhi.

According to the book New Delhi: Making of a Capital by Malvika Singh and Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Lord Irwin had arrived in his viceregal carriage at a pavilion set up at the Great Place (now Vijay Chowk) and then "proceeded to open the door of the Council House with a golden key, handed to him by Sir Herbert Baker."

The opening of the Parliament House building, revered today as India's temple of democracy, was much talked about then in both the domestic and the foreign press.

The sprawling edifice covering an area of nearly six acres is one of the most distinctive parliament buildings anywhere in the world and among the most defining and widely-recognised structures.

The last legislative sitting in the building till the end of August was the Monsoon session, which concluded on August 11.

The session provided 17 sittings over 23 days.

The multi-chequered history of the old Parliament building will be frozen in time if the proceedings move to the new complex during the five-day session.

"The Parliament House is not just an iconic building, it is a repository of history and a repository of our democracy," noted conservation architect and urban planner AGK Menon told PTI.

He said the government built the new complex citing greater requirement of space in the future and added that it is part of the Central Vista redevelopment project.

"But, the question is, was it really needed? Could we not have discussed and found ways to improve amenities in the old Parliament (building) and continued in it the tradition of democracy, which the building symbolises? Wide consultations should have been held before going ahead with such a project," he argued.

This is a landmark building that witnessed the dawn of free India, its famed chambers heard the echoes of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's "Tryst with destiny" speech and where the Constituent Assembly sat, discussed and adopted the Constitution, Menon said.

The Constituent Assembly had its first meeting on December 9, 1946, in the central chamber (Central Hall) and adopted the Constitution on November 26, 1949.

The Constitution came into effect on January 26, 1950, signifying the birth of the Republic of India.

Anil Krishna (74) recalls his late centenarian father Kewal Krishan, who was part of the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly, and his association with the old Parliament building.

"I visited Parliament as a child with my father. The two places I vividly remember is my dad's office and the Parliament canteen. We are reading that the Parliament will soon shift to the new complex, which was needed as more space and facilities were required with time," he told PTI.

Krishan, who would have turned 110 in July, died a few months ago, his son said.

An old sepia-toned image of a group photograph taken in February 1948 with BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, sitting in front at the centre and Krishan standing behind him is part of the family's well-preserved archives, Krishna said.

Another family has preserved archival pictures associated with the Parliament and the Constituent Assembly.

A group picture of the members of the Constituent Assembly, taken on the Parliament premises, was shot by AR Datt & Sons Studios, one of the oldest studios in Delhi.

Studio founder AR Datt's grandson Anuj Datt told PTI, "My grandfather used a panoramic camera to capture such a large number of people in one frame."

When discussions will be held on 'Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha - Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings', the legacy of the old Parliament building will, in a way, come full circle before it slips into the pages of history, handing over the baton to the new complex.

The new triangular-shaped four-storey building has a built-up area of 64,500 square metres.

It will also have a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.
Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said it is her dream to see the party's government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society, and appealed to people to support the Congress.

IMAGE: Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Tukkuguda near in Hyderabad. Photograph: @INCIndia/X

Addressing a rally in Tukkuguda near in Hyderabad, Gandhi said that "we are announcing six guarantees and we are committed to fulfil each one of them".

"Under Mahalakshmi, Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana, gas cylinders at Rs 500, and free travel for women in buses across the state," she said explaining some of the guarantees.

"I along with my colleagues had the opportunity to be a part of the birth of this great state, Telangana. Now, it is our duty to elevate the state to new heights," Gandhi said.

"It is my dream to see a Congress government in Telangana that will work for all sections of the society. Are you going to support us," she said at the rally.
For many, yoga is a means to relaxation, health and peace of mind.

This Topeka business aims to help followers reach their goals wherever they please.

Yoga on the Go, owned and directed by Misha Reed, will have classes in your home, workspace or other space that best suits you.

Classes include the option of single or private group sessions, along with public community classes and workshops. Options include Gentle, Restorative, Reiki, Yin Yoga and more.

Misha Reed holds her hands in a namaste pose Wednesday at Empower Life before she taught her gentle yoga class. Reed's business, Yoga on the Go, has classes here and other areas around Topeka for $15 per class. The first class is free to try.

Reed said one of the things that sets her apart is the technique she provides to her customers.

"My whole thing, which I think makes me different than other businesses and other yoga studios, not only here in Topeka, but maybe a little bit further out, is that everything I do is focused on relaxation," she said. "So, if you come to one of my yoga classes, you have a better chance of falling asleep than you do sweating."

Love of yoga is 'people feeling physically comfortable in their bodies'

Reed said her love for Yoga stems from her time as Miss Greater Topeka 2015 and later competing for the title of Miss Kansas. During that time, Reed was a 22-year-old Washburn University sophomore who wanted to use her platform to address the issue of sexual assault and the topic of consent.

"When I was researching how to help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, I came across how yoga is an adjunct form therapy," Reed said, "and it can be used to help trauma survivors of all backgrounds."

Reed said her pull toward yoga wasn't because of the exercising and the way it made her feel physically.

"It was about, yes, people feeling physically comfortable in their bodies," she said, "but people feeling emotionally well. And that is what is the driver for me."

Misha Reed, right, instructs, from left, Nicole Lutz, Jessie Conner and Angeique Taylor to roll their necks Thursday during her gentle yoga class at Empower Life.

Although seeing the comfort of others drives Reed, it's also guiding her to want to achieve more.

She said her next step is to specialize in more styles of yoga, such as prenatal and trauma sensitive.

Story continues

Making connections in the community through yoga

Reed began Yoga on the Go in 2018 and since has taught classes at such senior living homes as Celebration Villa, Capital Ridge and others. She has also participated in various community events, most recently the For The Culture KS event that occurred in July at Evergy Plaza.

She said expanding her clientele has been the most challenging part of running Yoga on the Go.

"If I hadn't kept trying and reaching out to people, I wouldn't be where I am today," Reed said. "And I would like to be further along, but I'm not mad about where I'm at. I just keep trying."

Misha Reed says her Yoga on the Go classes are meant for anyone interested in trying yoga. Participants will need to bring their own yoga mat, but everything else will be included.

Reed, who also works as a case manager at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center in Lawrence, said she has found it easy to connect with people once they attend one of her classes.

"I feel like the people that I see in my classes  I feel like we both want to show up as our best selves," Reed said.

She said she would like to see more people who look like her in the crowd, and she wants it to be a space inclusive for everyone.

"I don't see a lot of me in the crowd when I'm up there teaching," Reed said. "But I thought that maybe me being who I am, I could give other people who look like me a space to do this. And I'm just not really seeing that."

When is the next time you can participate in a Yoga on the Go class?

Reed instructs a one-hour Midweek Melt class at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday at Empower Life, 3345 S.W. Gage Blvd. Midweek Melt classes are $15 a person.

All private and group sessions can be booked through the Yoga on the Go website.

A 45-minute Reiki session is priced at $45; one-hour private yoga sessions are $60. Two gift packages are also available  one is a 10-session yoga package for $120.

Nicole Lutz, a volunteer at Empower Life, has been attending Reed's classes for two months. She said she enjoys the quality of the class.

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"They're not hard, but they're very worthwhile. Very fulfilling," Lutz said "I have fibromyalgia, so I have a lot of pain. Like after my first class, my next day was amazing."

Lutz said she had never participated in yoga before. After research, she thought other classes may be too daunting, so she chose Yoga on the Go.

"This class is not intimidating at all," she said. "You can work at your own pace. If something needs modified, she can help you modify it where you can still participate. She's great, she's funny.

"If you need a hug, you get a hug. All around, it's just awesome."

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: Yoga on the Go will come to you for variety of classes in Topeka area
Hires

Prathyusha Pagadala

Stormont Vail Health welcomes Prathyusha Pagadala, M.D., to its medical team as the newest endocrinology physician. Pagadala will provide medical care across the Stormont Vail Health region in Topeka, Lawrence, Manhattan and Emporia. Pagadala was born in India and moved to the United States at a very young age. After spending more than a decade in the U.S., Pagadala and her parents moved back to India in order to spend more time with family. While there, she completed medical school at Sri Ramachandra University before returning to the United States to complete her residency program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Pagadala previously served as a primary care physician at Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in Maryland and has gone through the University of Kansas Medical Center for her Endocrinology Fellowship, beginning in 2021. Pagadala's main goal is to take endocrinological chronic endocrine diseases and make them manageable for patients. Im an empathetic provider, she said . I know its very difficult to be in a position where youre not feeling well and having to seek out care to find answers. Each patient encounter  if they leave their visit with me feeling like theyve learned something, theyre empowered about their health care, and able to self-manage some of their issues or conditions, I define that as a successful visit.

FHLBank Topeka is pleased to announce the following new employees:

Jase Adams as a member products intern while studying data analytics and computer information science at Washburn University.

Rocquel Brown as the new business analysis and quality assurance analyst III after previously serving as a BA lead and senior quality engineer at Cognizant.

Tanner Edge as a model and EUA governance analyst after previously serving as an analyst at CDW.

Deana Hill as scrum master after previously serving as scrum master at T-Mobile/Sprint.

Angela Langley as Housing and Community Development analyst after previously serving as a business analyst at CBW.

Aili Mairehaba as test automation engineer III after previously serving as senior QA engineer at PNC Bank.

Shawn Pearson as a project manager III after previously serving as a management consultant at Pearson Solutions LLC and Triple I Corporation.

Trent Rash as Housing and Community Development coordinator after previously serving as a closing officer and title officer at Kansas Secured Title.

Cory Shivers as a software architect after previously serving as owner and architect at RhinoStack.

Kasey Wurtz returns as the business technology solution manager.

Story continues

Caliyah Cobb

Caliyah Cobb has joined Shawnee County Parks + Recreation as account clerk II in the administrative services division. Cobb previously worked at Empower Retirement, Envista Credit Union and Security Benefit. She is a graduate of Topeka High School and attended Washburn University.

Promotions

Washburn University has promoted three employees:

Eric Just

 Eric Just will be the assistant vice president for facilities services. In this newly created role, Just provides leadership in managing current and future building projects on campus. Just, who was selected following a national search, served as Washburns director of facilities services from June 2019 to December 2022 and has remained a part-time consultant on several university projects.

Teresa Lee

 Teresa Lee is assuming the new title of assistant vice president, human resources. Lee joined Washburn in 2016 as human resources director after spending more than 20 years in the field in the public and private sectors. As assistant vice president, she continues to support the universitys talent which encompasses 75% of Washburns overall budget.

Debbie White

 Debbie White will be the assistant vice president, finance. White joined the university as controller in 2022. This reclassified role is the result of a new financial shared services model at Washburn that includes the School of Law, academic affairs, Washburn Tech and finance. She also oversees the university budget office.

Recognition

Kimberly Brey, current chief of staff and member of the Stormont Vail OB/GYN team, has been awarded the 2023 National Association Medical Staff Services Leadership Award. This prestigious award recognizes her outstanding contributions to healthcare leadership. Each year, the Leadership Award is given to one physician or healthcare executive who demonstrates support for NAMSS or for the activities and mission of education, networking, and advancement of the profession of medical services professional. Breys dedication, passion, and commitment to advancing healthcare elevates our organization and positively impacts patient care daily. Dr. Brey goes well beyond what is asked of her, said Kevin Dishman, Stormont Vails senior vice president and chief medical and quality officer. Shes understanding, supportive, compassionately firm, and appreciative! She cares about others success, accuracy, and education on the latest changes. She is a great leader, and it is an honor to work with her.

Attorneys from Morris Laing Law Firm were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2024. Those honored include the following:

John Ambrosio

 John Ambrosio in the area of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar.

 S. Lucky DeFries in the areas of Litigation & Controversy-Tax and Tax Law.

H. Hurst Coffman

 H. Hurst Coffman in the area of Trust & Estates.

 Roger Walter in the area of Corporate Law and Securities/Capital Markets Law.

Topeka-area hirings, promotions, retirements and other announcements can be emailed to iyb@cjonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: It's Your Business has Stormont Vail, FHLBank, Washburn, Morris Laing
Muy Chameroun has elevated his familys standard of living  and wants to export rats.

The rats squeak as Muy Chameroun nears their cages to feed them foods like corn, rice, potatoes, grass and anything else that is healthy for them..

But these rats number more than 100 and they are not his pets. Muy Chameroun is a farmer, and he is raising the rats as food.

Rats are not only consumed in Cambodia, but also in other countries in the region, including Thailand, China, and India.

From his small farm in Kdol Tahen commune, Bavel district, in the western province of Battambang, Muy Chamroeun breeds and raises a type of rat that he imported from Thailand.

He used to work in the construction industry in neighboring Thailand, but found that he could make more money raising the rodents that he has fond memories of eating in his childhood.

In the four years he has been raising rats, Muy Chamroeun has been able to lift his familys standard of living. The business has allowed him to save 2 to 2.4 million riel (US$486-583) per month.

Growing an Industry

Other farmers in the area are foregoing swine and cattle to try to get in on the rat racket, and Muy Chamroen sells them adults from his mischief to help them get started. He has also set up a Facebook page called Sovanrachna Rat Farm to share tips on raising, feeding and upkeep.

Sum Pina, one of his customers, says the rats do not cost a lot to raise. The largest expense is building a shed to house them in, and their food is negligible, he says. Additionally, these Thai rats are better than the local domesticated and wild breeds because they do not emit such a foul odor, he said.

Rat farmer Muy Chamroeun holds a rat at his farm in western Cambodias Battambang province, Sept. 14, 2023. Credit: RFA

Once the rats have matured and fattened up to around 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) or more, they can be taken to market and sold for 20,000 to 25,000 riel (about $5-6) per head.

Theng Savoeun, President of the Association of Cambodian Farmers' Communities, said that raising rats for meat can help reduce Cambodias meat imports of meat and improve the livelihood of farmers.

There are no domestic regulations on breeding or raising rats or selling their meat, so it is an easy business to get into. Muy Chameroun wants to sell his rat meat overseas, and to do that he would need a license from the Ministry of Agriculture, but currently there are no regulations or procedures for doing that  yet.

Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Eugene Whong.
Reports from Xinjiang suggest persecution against members of the mostly Muslim community continues.

Women walk past a propaganda slogan promoting ethnic unity in "the new era", in both Chinese and Uyghur languages, in Yarkant, northwestern China's Xinjiang region.

In Xinjiang, questions about disappeared family members remain unanswered and reports of dubious arrests continue to emerge despite claims by the Chinese government that a widely condemned internment campaign targeting Uyghurs has ended.

The Chinese government has said the detention camps in Chinas far western region were vocational training centers where the students voluntarily learned new skills. In 2019, the Chinese Communist Party said the attendees had graduated and most had found good jobs.

But RFA Uyghur has confirmed that detentions continue, and satellite images reviewed by the service indicate that some sites previously identified as internment facilities remain intact. Many people rounded up by police remain missing.

Uyghurs are still very much living in a state of brokenness, said Maya Wang, associate director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch.

A security guard checks a car to gain entry to a gas station on the outskirts of Yarkant in northwestern China's Xinjiang region. Houses that were once home to people who went missing in China's crackdown on its Muslim minorities stand locked and silent in Xinjiang's rural heartland. Credit: Pedro PARDO / AFP

An estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and Kazakhs have been allegedly sent to the camps. The information gathered by RFA supports recent reports by Agence France-Presse and other news outlets that Uyghurs continue to face widespread persecution, despite years of international pressure on China to ease the conditions against the group and other Muslim communities in Xinjiang.

Friends and family members have reported to RFA that their relatives are being held for crimes never fully explained by Chinese authorities.

A 45-year-old Uyghur man named Qurban Nur was held at a camp in Seriqbuya township in Kashgar for two years and two months before being released last spring, local officials told RFA.

A village security officer who acknowledged Nurs detention told RFA that people are continuously coming in to the facility.

A woman stands next to a stall in Yarkant in northwestern China's Xinjiang region. Credit: Pedro PARDO / AFP

RFA has also learned of a camp still operating in the city of Korla, within the Bayingolin prefecture, northeast of Kashgar. Two men reportedly in their mid-20s  Burham Hizir and Payzulla Rahman  have been sent there since 2021, local officials said.

RFA is not identifying its sources in Xinjiang because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

International condemnation

The United States has called the crackdown campaign, which reached its peak in 2017-18, a genocide because the goal seems to be to wipe away a peoples traditions and culture through repression. The U.S. bans cotton imports from Xinjiang out of concern that Uyghurs are subjected to forced labor by authorities, in some cases after having completed their vocational training.

Local people try to prevent the taking of a photo outside a mosque in Azatbagh village, outside Yarkant in northwestern China's Xinjiang region. Credit: Pedro PARDO / AFP

A 2022 report from the United Nations high commissioner for human rights found that serious human rights violations had been committed against Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang. Allegations of torture, forced medical treatments and rape were credible, the report found.

In its 131-page response, China said the report was based on disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-China forces.

China has in the past year invited journalists to visit facilities identified as detention camps that apparently had been repurposed as schools and quarantine centers.

Journalists from Sky News in the United Kingdom and the Washington Post in the United States who toured the region last year said the crackdown had eased but that mistreatment of Uyghurs and other Muslims remains a problem.

Detention center in Bostan, Yarkant taken by Planet Labs September 14, 2023.

Some people caught in the mass reeducation campaign appear to have been transferred from the camps to prisons to serve out long sentences for minor offenses.

In its report, the U.N. human rights office noted that even if Chinese claims that its camp system had been dismantled are true, the laws and policies that underpin it remain in place and lead to increased imprisonment.

Some low-security camps appear to have been closed, but the capacity for high security detention and higher security prisons has increased significantly, said Adrian Zenz, a German academic whose research exposed the breadth of the campaign against Uyghurs.

Its difficult to assess the true situation in Xinjiang given that Uyghurs are unable to freely communicate with outsiders, Zenz said.

And theres little expectation for change. Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated support for the Chinese Communist Partys policies in the region as a means to promote social stability in a speech last month in Urumqi, Xinjiangs capital.

A woman passes by a portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping accompanied by a propaganda slogan urging people to "struggle unremittingly to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people", near Yarkant in northwestern China's Xinjiang region. Credit: Pedro PARDO / AFP

Abandoned homes

Agence France-Presse reporters this month visited some of the homes in Yarkant County in southern Xinjiang that Zenzs research identified as the addresses of Uyghurs allegedly gathered up in Chinas ideological reeducation effort. They found that the residences were locked or appear to have been abandoned.

Efforts to investigate further, however, were blocked by locals who ran the reporters off, including by waiving farm implements.

The journalists also visited sites identified by researchers as detention camps and found some that appear to be still operating, although they do not identify where they are located. Several had staffed guard towers, security cameras and high walls topped with barbed wire, the article states.

A man collects marigold (Tagetes) flowers outside Yarkant in northwestern China's Xinjiang region. Credit: Pedro PARDO / AFP

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a Canberra-based think tank, identified in a September 2020 analysis 11 sites in Yarkant County as detention facilities, which includes jails and re-education camps. The locations still had external walls and six had watchtowers as of 2022, according to an analysis of Google Earth satellite images by RFA Uyghur.

The concentration camps have not disappeared, said Bahtiyar Omer, director of the Uyghur Transitional Justice Database, a Norway-based group. The group says more than 12,600 Uyghurs are being held in camps in Xinjiang.

The facade of the headquarters of the Chinese Communist party, in Aral Mehelle village, outside Yarkant in northwestern China's Xinjiang region. Credit: Pedro PARDO / AFP

Maya Wang of the Human Rights Watch said forced assimilation remains at the heart of the CCP policy in Xinjiang.

Uyghurs continue to be fearful, silenced and persecuted for being Uyghurs, she said.

Edited by Jim Snyder and Mat Pennington.
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.
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
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
People worldwide rallied on September 16 to commemorate the first anniversary of a woman's death that sparked anti-government protests in Iran. Demonstrators in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, and other cities chanted the name of Mahsa Amini who died in Iranian police custody a year ago. She had been detained for an alleged violation of Iran's head-scarf law. Hundreds were killed and thousands arrested during the regime's crackdown on protesters outraged by Amini's case.
Ukrainian forces appear to have recaptured the key village of Klishchiyivka as part of their drive to liberate the symbolic eastern town of Bakhmut in a day marked by intensified drone and missile attacks by both sides.

A photo posted on September 17 on Telegram by Andriy Yermak, Ukraines presidential chief of staff, reportedly shows Ukrainian soldiers holding a flag in the mostly destroyed village, which is near already taken Andriyivka, just a few kilometers from Bakhmut.

"Ukraine always takes back its own," Yermak wrote along with the photo.

Ukrainian media reported that the soldiers are standing in front of a known church in Klishchiyivka, which had a prewar population of just more than 500 people.

General Oleksandr Syrskiy, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, later confirmed that Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village, saying it "was cleared of the Russians and liberated."

Russian officials have denied recent claims of gains by Ukrainian forces, and the reports could not be independently verified.

Kyiv earlier announced its forces had recaptured Andriyivka. If both villages are retaken, it could allow Ukraines troops to attack Bakhmut from the north and south, allowing them to liberate the ruined town that was captured by Russia after a bloody monthslong battle and hailed by the Kremlin as a major victory at the time.

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.

The now-departed Russian Wagner mercenary group played a key role in capturing Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces.

The action comes as Kyiv said Russia launched missile and drone attacks early on September 17, targeting mainly the southern parts of the Odesa region as Moscow and other regions of Russia reported Ukrainian drone strikes.

Ukraine in recent days has launched a series of strikes on Russian military targets in occupied Crimea and the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet's facilities.

Attacks deep inside Russia, far from the front lines, have also increased, with Moscow's mayor saying at least two drones were shot down in the capital region early on September 17.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure are continuing, with Ukraine reporting on September 17 that an agricultural facility in the southern Odesa region had been hit in a Russian aerial attack.

Russia launched six Iranian Shahed drones and 10 cruise missiles, with Ukraine's forces destroying six drones and six missiles before they hit their target, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

"Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups, and other means of attack were involved in repelling the air attack," the air force said.

The strike in Odesa comes a day after Kyiv said two cargo vessels arrived there to use a temporary corridor to sail into Black Sea ports and load grain for African and Asian markets.

Ukraine last month announced a "humanitarian corridor" in the Black Sea to allow ships to sail from its ports and to circumvent a de facto blockade after Russia abandoned a deal to let Kyiv export grain.

Elsewhere, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that air-defense systems had destroyed six drones over western, Russian-occupied Crimea.

It did not say whether there had been any damage or casualties on the peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014 in a move widely condemned internationally.

In the Moscow region, a drone was destroyed over the Istra district and another over the Ramensky district, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram, adding there were no casualties or damage from drone debris.

At least 30 flights were delayed and six canceled at Moscow's three major airports, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo, Russian state news agencies said.

In southwestern Russia, a Ukrainian drone damaged an oil depot early on September 17, sparking a fire at a fuel tank that was later extinguished, the regional governor said.

"There are no casualties. All emergency services are working on the territory of the facility," the governor of the Oryol region, Andrei Klychkov, said on Telegram.

WATCH: RFE/RL's Maryan Kushnir travels to the front with the Ukrainian drone operators who are hunting down enemy artillery with increasing accuracy.

Also on September 17, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had carried out a missile strike on a Ukrainian repair plant for armored vehicles in Kharkiv, a major city in Ukraine's northeast.

The ministry did not provide further details and Kyiv has not yet commented.

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.

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.
Friendly's Restaurant has closed in Webster.

129

The Friendly's restaurant at 129 East Main St. has closed, leaving the familiar chain with about two dozen spots in Massachusetts. The Wilbraham-based chain once had more than a dozen locations in the region, most of which have closed over the last decade-plus. A 2012 bankruptcy filing prompted the closing of restaurants in Tatnuck Square in Worcester, in White City Shopping Plaza in Shrewsbury and on Route 9 in Westborough. The Webster closing leaves Central Massachusetts with Friendly's restaurants in Auburn, Gardner, Leominster and Marlborough, according to the company's website.

433 Park Ave, where a new Pho place is opening.

433

The License Commission gave the OK for a Vietnamese restaurant to open in the Park Avenue building that once hosted One Eyed Jack's Tiki Bar Grill. Phoever  the name is a play on the popular Vietnamese noodle soup dish pho  will open at 433 Park Ave. During a brief appearance before the License Commission, owner Nguyet Pham said the new restaurant will be a "noodle shop." One Eyed Jack's was infamously closed by the city at the start of this year because the building did not have a sprinkler system.

A man unloads construction debris from a truck owned by R. Nunes Landscaping of Worcester onto the side of Bow Street in Shrewsbury, as seen in video from a surveillance cameras placed by police.

$6,960

After setting up surveillance cameras on a Shrewsbury spot that had become a dumping ground for people looking to unload construction debris, environmental authorities have fined a Worcester landscaping company for illegal solid waste dumping. Cameras captured two instances of concrete debris being discarded from a truck owned by R. Nunes Landscaping of Worcester, driven by a man wearing a company shirt. DEP fined the company $6,960, with the company removing the debris soon after it was informed the dumping had been caught on camera, according to the agency. The company agreed to the fine and other conditions, notably having workers clean up the area, DEP said.

Pond View Apartment Homes on Mill Street.

22

A motion to dismiss 22 counterclaims made by tenants of the Mill Street apartment building that partially collapsed in the summer of 2022 was denied in Central Housing Court. A motion to consolidate the 22 counterclaim cases is in the works. On July 15, 2022, an early-morning roofing job at the 32-unit Pond View Apartment Homes at 267 Mill St., owned by Franklin-based Fren Management Co. Inc., led to construction material falling through the roof, weakening the building, collapsing some of the front upper floor porches and forcing the evacuation of residents.

Story continues

Members of the Gardner City Council discuss a proposal that would have brought a horse racetrack facility to an area off of Route 140.

180

A zoning proposal that could have brought a thoroughbred horse racing facility to Gardner is off the board. The City Council voted unanimously to approve the official withdrawal of Councilor Dana Heaths proposal to change the zoning on a parcel of land off of Route 140 from residential to commercial, which would have allowed the use of approximately 60 acres of a 180-acre site for a proposed racing facility. Members of Baystate Racing LLC, the group sponsoring the facility, were part of an effort to bring a horse breeding, retirement and racing facility to Hardwick. That pitch, which focused on Great Meadowbrook Farm, was rejected by voters in January.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Central Mass. by the Numbers
Sep 14, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Apartment complexes in Quarry Trails on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

Central Ohio's Parade of Homes starts Thursday, giving home shoppers a chance to visit nearly 60 homes including, for the first time, apartments.

For the third straight year, the parade will be on multiple sites, instead of showcasing one community as it did for decades. The Building Industry Association of Central Ohio, which hosts the parade, made the switch in order to showcase a wider range of homes, and because of difficulties developing one high-end site with multiple builders.

"I understand many people loved the old format, and it served the BIA and our members well for many years. But the reality is, due to opposition from local governments and communities, its incredibly difficult to develop a site to host an event like we used to have," said BIA Executive Director Jon Melchi.

"Our previous format was also limiting in terms of variety of products buyers could see."

This year's parade, like last year's, includes condominiums, townhomes and patio homes in addition to single-family homes, scattered throughout central Ohio from Ashville to Marysville.

And for the first time, the parade features rentals  10 apartments, townhomes and homes for lease.

"Its certainly a change for us, but its reflective of the market today," Melchi said. "Roughly half the housing units built in central Ohio are for lease, and with a 95% occupancy rate, there's great demand and interest in these properties."

But the heart of the tour is 47 homes in about 40 communities, ranging from a 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-level townhome condominium in Reynoldsburg for $290,000, to a 6,356-square-foot six bedroom home in Jerome Village in Union County listed at $2.45 million.

Those in search of the architectural pizzazz of earlier Parade of Homes tours can get their fix in a few communities showcasing million-dollar homes: Jerome Village, in Union County, which will feature homes priced at $1.1 million, $1.55 million and $2.45 million; Evans Farm, in Lewis Center, which will include a home priced at $1.175 million; Maple Glen, in Galena, which will include a home priced at $1.65 million, and Quarry Trails, which will include a $1.3-million condominium.

Story continues

Those looking for a more affordable option can find a handful of neighborhoods with homes under $400,000, including Willow Reserve condominiums in Reynoldsburg ($290,000); Boulder Reserve in Delaware (two models, $334,000 - $344,000); Farmstead patio homes, near Grove City ($363,985); Villas in Renner Park townhomes in Lincoln Village ($379,900); Buckstone Bend in Obetz ($374,900); Retreat at Sugar Farms patio homes in Hilliard ($389,990); and Autumn Grove in Grove City ($382,000).

This year's "featured community" is Quarry Trails, the mixed-use neighborhood and Metro Park developed on a 600-acre quarry site on the West Side, 300 acres of which are still in use as a quarry.

Thrive Companies is developing the 80-acre private portion of the first 300 acres. So far, 43,000 square feet of offices have been completed, in addition to 293 of more than 1,000 apartments planned and 31 of the 200 planned attached condominiums. Construction has also begun on dozens of 300 detached condominiums planned, in addition to 16,000 square feet of retail space.

The parade runs noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays from Sept. 21 through Oct. 8. The event is free. For details, visit the BIA Parade of Homes website.

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio Parade of Homes offers 60 homes, apartments
In accordance with the instructions of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the first Saudi relief flight departed from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday and is scheduled to arrive at Benina International Airport in Benghazi, Libya.

The Saudi relief flight carried 90 tons of essential food and shelter supplies to be distributed to those affected by the recent devastating floods in Libya.

A team from KSrelief in Riyadh, which is responsible for coordinating the distribution of relief aid, will work with the Libyan Red Crescent to make sure that the essential supplies are delivered to those in need.



The Kingdom's leaders have always been committed to helping friendly nations in times of need, and this act of kindness is a shining example of their humanitarian spirit.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for ConocoPhillips is US$99.84 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

ConocoPhillips' US$124 share price signals that it might be 24% overvalued

The US$131 analyst price target for COP is 32% more than our estimate of fair value

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

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.

See our latest analysis for ConocoPhillips

Crunching The Numbers

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$10.7b US$10.4b US$9.02b US$8.42b US$8.11b US$7.95b US$7.89b US$7.90b US$7.95b US$8.05b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x10 Analyst x7 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Est @ -3.76% Est @ -1.99% Est @ -0.75% Est @ 0.12% Est @ 0.73% Est @ 1.16% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.3% US$9.9k US$8.8k US$7.1k US$6.1k US$5.5k US$4.9k US$4.5k US$4.2k US$3.9k US$3.6k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$59b

Story continues

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.2%) 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 8.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$8.0b (1 + 2.2%)  (8.3% 2.2%) = US$135b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$135b ( 1 + 8.3%)10= US$61b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$120b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$124, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at ConocoPhillips 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 8.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.220. 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 ConocoPhillips

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 Oil and Gas market.

Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Opportunity

COP's financial characteristics indicate limited near-term opportunities for shareholders.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Can we work out why the company is trading at a premium to intrinsic value? For ConocoPhillips, we've compiled three fundamental aspects you should further examine:

Risks: To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with ConocoPhillips (including 1 which is a bit concerning) . Future Earnings: How does COP's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE 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.
Direxion, an asset manager with over $30 billion in 78 ETFs, has launched two single-stock exchange-traded funds that give investors magnified or inverse exposure to Nvidia Corp., the chipmaker whose stock has skyrocketed this year.

Both the Direxion Daily NVDA Bull 1.5X Shares (NVDU) and the Direxion Daily NVDA Bear 1X Shares (NVDD) launched on Sept. 13. The funds give investors exposure to Nvidias common stock without the need for the investors to actually buy the stock.

The ability to trade NVDU or NVDD is one way for traders to respond tactically to potential company events and market sentiment, regardless of the stocks direction, Edward Egilinsky, managing director and head of distribution and alternatives at Direxion, said in a statement.

The investment firm rolled out the funds after the smashing success of its similarly structured Tesla single-stock ETF, the Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 1.5X Shares (TSLL) which has garnered over $1 billion in assets under management since its launch in August 2022.

The two new Nvidia funds are intended to be used for short-term bets on the company instead of as a long-term investment strategy, according to the company.

If youre an active trader, whether that be institutional or retail, and you have a strong feel on the next short-term direction on the stock, youll want to get as much juice out of that as possible, said Todd Sohn, ETF analyst at Strategas Securities.

Nvidia Stock Price

Investors are seeking to get exposure to the reigning chipmaker king that has been supercharged by this years artificial intelligence craze. The companys stock has soared 217% year to date, and the firm beat second-quarter estimates with sales up over 100%.

Direxion offers ETFs that give investors exposure to the growing semiconductor industry that is propelling artificial intelligence. Its largest ETF is the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL).

GraniteShares offers investors similar exposure to Nvidia in its GraniteShares 1.5 Long NVDA Daily ETF (NVDL) and its 1.5x Short of NVIDIA Corp (NVD).





Permalink |  Copyright 2023 etf.com. All rights reserved
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.

The open-competitive exams are an opportunity to start a career with New York state. These tests are open to anyone who meets the qualifications listed on the examination announcement.

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.

Some careers offer an additional annual downstate adjustment if they work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties.

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 application filing deadline has passed. There are no application fees for the exams this month.

To be considered for appointment, you must pass the written test.

If approved for a written test, you will receive an admission notice which will indicate your assigned test date and the way your test will be administered. Your test may be administered with paper and pencil or online at a state test site using a state-provided Chromebook. You cannot request to change your scheduled day or request a specific type of test administration.

All positions offer benefits, including paid leave, health benefits and retirement plans. In addition, telecommuting options may be available to employees who meet certain criteria. The salaries for each position vary.

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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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will be hosting a solo exhibit showcasing the work of award-winning photographer Irma Bohorquez-Geisler, PhD.

Beyond being an acclaimed photographer, Bohorquez-Geisler, is an educator, biologist, teaching artist, printmaker, professor, a cultural leader for Mexican-Americans on Staten Island, and the Founder, Artistic and Program Director of the annual Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival on Staten Island.

Some of Dr. Bohorquez-Geislers latest work will be on display for all to see in the solo photography exhibit, Mexican Heritage. The showcase features a carefully curated collection of thirty photographs, rendered in both black-and-white and color. The array of images are drawn from her ongoing photo documentary series of the local Mexican immigrant community, Simple Moments of an Emerging Presence.

Image by photographer Irma Bohorquez-Geisler for the solo photography exhibit, Mexican Heritage, on display at the Bernikow JCC.

I just started taking photographs of the Mexican community and I see the photographs, and I realized that by showing the photographs, people will understand who we are, but also the Mexican people will have a sense of pride and self-esteem in our traditions and culture, Bohorquez-Geisler said. When I have photos in the community, people that didnt know anything about the Mexican community will have the opportunity to understand who resides here in Staten Island.

Each individual image offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of the local Mexican community. The photographs depict cultural traditions, and occasions that hold significance to those subjects captured in the photographs.

By doing this, it has been positive for the general community to see who we (the local Mexican community) are, and to see that not only come here to live, but also we have a culture, we have traditions, we have a lot to share, Bohorquez-Geisler said.

Image by photographer Irma Bohorquez-Geisler for the solo photography exhibit, Mexican Heritage, on display at the Bernikow JCC.

The photo exhibit is free to all and will be on display from Sept. 11 - Oct. 31, 2023. The photos will be available for viewing in Murray Berman Art Gallery, on the second floor of the Bernikow JCC. The gallery will be open the following hours:

Monday - Thursday: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday: 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

An opening reception will be held on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

This year, Staten Island Art presented Bohorquez-Geisler with the DCLA Art Fund Grant to further her work.

This file photo from 2018 shows Irma Bohorquez-Geisler capturing the moment at the 26th Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival, held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel-Benedicta School, West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Bohorquez-Geislers contributions have garnered her numerous recognitions over the years. In 2011, she was honored with a Proclamation from the City of New York for her work on Staten Island Women Who Preserve History. Additionally, she was also presented with the Gabriela Mistral, Julia de Burgos, Frida Kahlo Award, a tribute to her efforts in preserving and promoting Mexican values and cultural heritage for younger generations in New York.

The work of Bohorquez-Geisler has been featured by The New York Times Lens Blog in 2016. That same year she represented Staten Island at the annual Citys Photoville Festival Battle of the Boroughs. In 2021, she was one of the City of York artists to receive the City Artist Corps award. In addition, a selection of her photographic documentary series was showcased in the exhibition Migration Stories at Wilmer Gallery. Her ongoing photography series was exhibited at New York Citys Photoville Festival during its 10th anniversary, and she was also a part of the Photoville panel, Youth Artist ExchangeLooking Outward on 2021. Most recently, she was part of the Staten Island Art and Artists Connected juried exhibition Yes, And 2022-2023 at the Staten Island Museum. Her work was also published in the online magazine F-Stop Photography Collective Exhibition in 2023.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New Yorkers who have fallen victim to electronic benefit theft can now apply to recover their stolen funds.

Late last year, Congress passed a law requiring states to develop systems to replace residents Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that have been stolen through electronic means, such as card skimming, cloning, third party misrepresentation or phishing.

New Yorks benefit recovery system, which was approved by the federal government in April, was implemented last month, meaning Empire State residents can now apply for reimbursement of electronically stolen benefits.

In order to apply for reimbursement of stolen benefits, recipients must first report their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards as stolen by calling 1-888-328-6399, visiting ConnectEBT or through the ConnectEBT mobile app.

No replacement benefits will be issued until the compromised EBT card is reported as stolen.

Replacement SNAP benefits will only be issued if the date of theft is on or after Oct. 1, 2022.

Benefits eligible for replacement include:

regular, ongoing SNAP benefits

restored, replacement or retroactive issuances

Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) benefits

Supplemental Emergency Allotments (EA)

Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits are not considered SNAP benefits, and therefore, are not eligible to be replaced.

SNAP benefits can only be replaced up to two times per federal fiscal year, which spans from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, and replacement benefits are limited to the lesser of the amount stolen or two times the SNAP benefits received in the last full month before benefits were stolen.

The process for submitting a claim varies slightly based on whether the resident received their benefits in New York City or another part of the state.

Regardless of whether the claim will be submitted in New York City or another county, the first step is to gather all necessary information, including your Client Identification Number (CIN), case number, current mailing address and detailed information about each fraudulent transaction.

Residents can review their EBT transaction history for fraudulent charges by visiting ConnectEBT, using the ConnectEBT mobile app or calling 1-888-328-6399.

In New York City, residents must submit their claims to the citys Department of Social Services Human Resources Administration.

City residents are strongly encouraged to submit their claims online for the quickest, most convenient experience.

However, claim forms can also be printed and dropped off in person at any Benefits Access Center or SNAP Center, or mailed to the following address:

Department of Social Services

P.O. Box 02-9121

Brooklyn GPO, NY 11202

New Yorkers who receive their benefits in any county outside of New York City must submit their claims to their local department of social services either in-person, via mail, or through the NYDocSubmit mobile app, if its available in their county.

If the SNAP benefits were stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Aug. 21, 2023, residents have until Oct. 31, 2023 to submit a claim.

Residents who had their benefits stolen after Aug. 21, 2023, must submit a claim within 30 days of discovering that they were stolen.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  I started working for the Advance in 1995 and one of the constant topics of conversation from then until this very day has been the revitalization of the North Shore.

It has seemed incomprehensible that miles of prime waterfront property, with arguably the best views in the world, could be laying largely dormant.

Former congressman and borough president Guy Molinari envisioned a St. George Station project that would revitalize the area. Others whove run for office here have touted their plans to improve what has been called Staten Islands Gold Coast.

Go pretty much anywhere in the world where theres an ocean, lake, river, canal or other waterfront space and youll see economic development. Youll see housing and shops and recreational areas. Just look at any of the other four boroughs and youll see it.

People are just naturally drawn to the water. And waterfront areas are made to be enjoyed, especially in a big city, where they can give respite from the hustle and bustle. Waterfronts are supposed to be economic engines as well.

But that dream has never fully come to fruition on Staten Island, despite the fact that we are an island with miles of available shoreline. Numerous projects have failed here over the years or never got off the drawing board.

Now Mayor Eric Adams takes another crack at it.

After two years of prodding from City Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore), City Hall the other day announced an ambitious plan to invest $400 million in Staten Islands North Shore.

The plan includes housing, a new school, open space and waterfront access, with more than 7,500 jobs created and $3.8 billion in economic impact.

The plan promises to complete the long-sought-for waterfront connection from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the Bayonne Bridge.

Its reason for optimism, despite the fact that the chronic nay-sayers out there will no doubt say that itll never work. Those folks never tire of rooting against their own borough.

And weve seen things crumble here in the recent past.

There was great cause for celebration a decade ago, when we looked forward to the New York Wheel, the Empire Outlets mall and the Lighthouse Point development touching off a North Shore renaissance.

We know how that dream disintegrated. The Wheel was never built, despite nearly half a billion dollars being spent. The Empire Outlets mall is set to be auctioned off. Lighthouse Point has proceeded in fits and starts.

And thats not to mention the crumbling U.S. Coast Guard site and the fallow former Navy homeport in Stapleton.

After the Navy moved out, there was a proposal led by tough-guy actor Danny Aiello to put a film studio at the homeport. But for some reason, the city Economic Development Corp. under Mayor Michael Bloomberg never warmed to the idea.

The only business that ever flew for any amount of time at the homeport was Arnies Bagelicious. You can still see the faded Arnies sign on one of the buildings there. The homeport also served as a home to state Supreme Court facilities.

Adams plan looks to revitalize the Wheel site and to see Lighthouse Point completed, along with a revitalization of the long-dormant Pier One. It looks to transform the waterfront from Richmond Terrace and Jersey Street all the way to where Front Street meets Bay Street.

Again, its very ambitious. And we still need to see all the fine details. There are pros and cons to every plan and nobody gets a blank check when it comes to large-scale development.

But this new effort cant be allowed to come to naught. The city must follow through. And Staten Islanders must be open to the effort, despite the disappointments of the past.

Staten Islanders have waited long enough to fully enjoy their North Shore waterfront.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A water beads activity kit sold at Target has been recalled due to serious ingestion, choking and obstruction hazards  and after one infant died due to the toy, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Buffalo Games recalled about 52,000 Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads activity kits. If a water bead is ingested, it expands and can pose ingestion, choking, and intestinal obstruction hazards inside a childs body, resulting in severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration, and a risk of death to a child.

The company received one report of a 10-month-old childs death from swallowing the recalled water beads in July 2023 in Wisconsin. Buffalo Games also received a report that a 9-month-old child was seriously injured in November 2022 in Maine after swallowing the water beads, which caused an intestinal obstruction requiring surgery to remove them.

On the front of the purple container, the label states Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kit. It includes: 2 ounces of jumbo water beads and 6 ounces of regular water beads. Along with a clear container and lid, there are five small toy fish, a scissor scoop, tweezers, a scoop with a handle, 10 activity cards, and instructions. The activity kit was sold in a purple box with UPC Number 079346627035 on the back.

They were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online at Target.com from March 2022 through November 2022 for about $15.

Consumers should immediately stop using and take the recalled kits away from children. Contact Buffalo Games for a full refund and instructions on how to return the product in a prepaid mailing package supplied by the firm or return the product to any Target store.

Reach Buffalo Games at 800-637-0732, email at beadrecall@buffalogames.com, online at chuckleandroar.com/recall.

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Brevard County's leading economic development agency had its annual county grant cut by 10%, under action taken by county commissioners during their first of two budget hearings. The second and final budget hearing is Tuesday.

In a 4-1 vote, commissioners approved a grant of $1,260,045 for the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast for the county's 2023-24 budget year that begins Oct. 1. That's down $140,005 from the EDC's grant of $1,400,050 for the current budget year.

Under the plan commissioners approved, that $140,005 would be shifted to Brevard County Fire Rescue for fire station capital improvement projects in County Commission District 1 in North Brevard.

Lynda Weatherman, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, details some of the EDC's work during a Brevard County Commission budget hearing.

District 3 Commissioner John Tobia had proposed a 20% cut for the EDC, reflecting what amounted to his district's share of the EDC contract cost within the five-district County Commission. But other commissioners appeared reluctant to cut the grant by that much.

District 5 Commissioner Jason Steele suggested a compromise, under which the EDC grant would be cut by 10%. Commissioners approved that plan, with District 2 Commissioner Tom Goodson voting no.

In his proposal, Tobia noted that the grant agreement between Brevard County and the EDC states that the EDC should focus on working with elected officials to develop a competitive business environment in the county.

What's in Brevard's budget: Proposed Brevard County budget for 2023-24 exceeds $2 billion, while tax rates decrease

But Tobia said an e-mail search through the county's information technology department "found that there were only six instances" in which the EDC contacted his office, "the most recent of which was on May 7, 2019. To our knowledge, we have not received any phone calls or letters with meeting requests."

Tobia suggested the 20% cut, "since the EDC does not communicate with District 3."

EDC officials appearing before the County Commission did not directly address Tobia's concerns, but defended the EDC's overall work.

Story continues

EDC President and Chief Executive Officer Lynda Weatherman said her organization does valuable work in attracting jobs and corporate capital investments to Brevard County. She said the EDC also helped attract defense- and space-related grants; funded a study of wastewater-treatment options; and provided assistance for workforce training programs in high-demand industries.

Elections budget controversy: Brevard County Commission's 3-2 vote ends funding for mailing of sample ballots to voters

"The EDC has always valued the partnership and leadership this county has taken to ensure a strong, viable and sustainable economic climate," Weatherman told commissioners. "It's not that long ago, as a community, we were facing severe economic challenges tied to the economic recession and the retirement of the (space) shuttle. Today, this community's exceptionalism is demonstrated in its growth and diversity of industry, expansion of military assets and competitive workforce."

Tobia countered by reading off a list of companies that the EDC supported in recent years for receiving property tax abatements from the county, but failed to meet their promised job creation, so the companies lost their tax incentives.

EDC Chairman Kirk Hall said the EDC has not received an increase in county funding for 12 years, and its county funding was cut by 5% in 2010 and by 7% in 2011. Currently, the county grant represents 48% of the overall EDC budget.

Although he recommended the 10% cut to the EDC's contract amount as a compromise, Steele lauded the EDC for the long hours of work its staff does in the name of economic development.

"I just am a big fan of EDC's," said Steele, who previously served on the boards of Enterprise Florida and Space Florida.

After the vote, County Commission Chair Rita Pritchett, who represents District 1, complimented Weatherman for her work. Pritchett indicated that the EDC funding might be able to be restored to its previous level a year from now.

"I appreciate all you do," Pritchett told Weatherman. "I think you're awesome."

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Economic Development Commission hit with 10% cut from Brevard grant
TikTok employees in the United States have expressed frustration and dismay after the company introduced a tool for tracking office attendance and threatened disciplinary action for failing to comply with new in-person mandates, in an unusual effort to get workers back into the office with custom data-collection technology.

Employees at TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, received notices last week about the new tool, an app called MyRTO. The app, which is built into the companys internal software, monitors badge swipes and asks employees to explain deviations  absences on days they are meant to be in the office  according to emails and screenshots shared with The New York Times.

Employees at TikTok received notices last week about a new app called MyRTO that tracks office attendance. Credit: AP

A dashboard with the data is visible to employees, their supervisors and human resource staff members.

TikTok requires many of its roughly 7000 US employees to work in offices three times a week beginning in October. Some teams are expected in five days a week. Employees were told that any deliberate and consistent disregard may result in disciplinary action and could impact on performance reviews.
Last week we got a big hint that the economics profession is in the early stages of its own little civil war, as some decide their conventional wisdom about how the economy works no longer fits the facts, while others fly to the defence of orthodoxy. Warning: if so, they could be at it for a decade before its resolved.

Economists want outsiders to believe theyre involved in an objective, scientific search for the truth and are, in fact, very close to possessing it. In reality, theyve long been divided by ideology  views about how the world works, and should work  which is usually aligned with partisan interests: capital versus labour.

Apparently, even though real wages are 4 per cent lower than they were 11 years ago, workers are getting their fair share of pie. Credit: Edwina Pickles

You see this more clearly in America, where big-name saltwater (coastal) academic economists only ever work for Democrat administrations, while freshwater (inland) academics only work for the Republicans.

In the 1970s, the worlds economists argued over the causes and cures for stagflation  high inflation and high unemployment at the same time. Then, in the 1980s, we had a smaller, Australian debate over how worried we should be about huge current account deficits and mounting foreign debt, won convincingly by the academics, who told the econocrats to forget it  which they did.
Michael Caton loves the Bondi Pavilion so much he is planning to have his wake there.

The star of The Castle, Packed To The Rafters and Last Cab To Darwin, who has just turned 80, is hoping that wont be for a long time yet.

Celebrating the success of the campaign to save the Bondi Pavilion as a community asset: (from left) filmmaker Mark Gould, actor and documentary narrator Michael Caton and actor-singer Eliane Morel, who is convener of Friends of Bondi Pavilion. Credit: Edwina Pickles

But since moving to the area in 1985, Catons affection for the beachside landmark has had him involved in two Darryl-Kerrigan-of-The-Castle style campaigns to keep it as a community hub for everything from Alcoholics Anonymous to Zumba amid fears that it would be privatised.

The first was just after he became a local; the second in 2016-17.
Universities are grappling with a record surge in examination cheating attributed to online assessments, made common during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most NSW institutions are not returning to widespread pen-and-paper tests.

University of NSW reported 402 detections, a 79 per cent increase in students caught cheating on exams in 2022 compared with 2021. At the University of Sydney, exam misconduct detections more than tripled in the same period, with 2588 cases investigated in 2022 compared with 831 the previous year.

UNSW students collaborated on Discord to discuss engineering exam questions as the exam was taking place. Credit: UNSW

Whistle-blowers have helped catch students who completed exams together, at the one location or through online platforms including Facebook, WeChat and Discord, UNSWs latest academic integrity report says.

The [chief information officer] expects that significant exam misconduct remains undetected, given the extensive access to private chat platforms where exam questions can be discussed in real time, it read.
New images have emerged of what one conservation group chief describes as the gut-wrenching carnage of logging inside the habitat of the endangered greater glider in the Tallaganda State Forest just outside Canberra, as environmental groups call on the NSW government to extend recent logging bans.

The NSW Environment Protection Agency ordered the state government-owned logging agency, Forestry Corporation, to suspend logging in Tallaganda at the end of last month after a dead greater glider was found near operations, while the NSW Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe last week ordered Forestry Corp to cease logging in identified koala hubs in the proposed Great Koala National Park.

Logging in greater glider habitat in the Tallaganda State Forest. Credit: WWF

Ordering the stopwork, the EPA said it was not confident that Forestry Corporation had adequately surveyed the area to be logged for the large old trees that greater gliders use for their dens.

Over the weekend the World Wide Fund for Nature flew over the logged area with independent Senator David Pocock to inspect the damage to the forest.
Today were farewelling our film critic Paul Byrnes, who has awarded his final stars after nearly 40 years of reviewing (and more than 10,000 films).

Byrnes was a cadet when he joined The Sydney Morning Herald in 1976 and worked as a correspondent in Papua New Guinea, a senior feature writer for Good Weekend, and in the NSW state political bureau (to name just a few of his postings).

In 2007 Paul Byrnes was awarded the Pascall Prize for Film Critic of The Year. Credit: Robert Pearce

He turned to film reviewing full time in 1985. His first review was of Mike Radfords Another Time, Another Place, after which he jokes he got better.

In his later years he wrote for all our mastheads, and his final review last month was of Hlynur Palmasons epic saga Godland, which he gave 4.5 stars.

This review alone offers a snapshot of the skills, insight, passion and wit that Byrnes brought to his work.

During the course of his long career, he was awarded the Pascall Prize for critical writing in the arts in 2007 and also spent 10 years at the helm of the Sydney Film Festival.

Byrnes - who is the author of non-fiction books The Lost Boys of Anzac and Sons of War - has made an undeniable mark on culture and criticism in this country. He is, at least, looking forward to spending a little more time in the sunlight after spending so much of his life in the dark of cinemas.

He penned a wonderful piece about his experiences as reviewer (including 10 of his favourite films) for last weekends Spectrum. You can read it here.
The high point of the Crown case against Ms Lahood is that she allegedly handled two bags of money which contained $1 million in cash, which she knew was the proceeds of crime, Soukie said. That allegation is rejected and Ms Lahood intends to defend the allegations.

She is alleged to have handled the money at the final stage of a conspiracy to import 100 kilograms of methamphetamine into Australia. However, she has not been charged with any drug-related offences. Her lawyer, Abbas Soukie, said there was no suggestion she was involved in drug importation and she looked forward to clearing her name.

Jamelie Lahood was charged with recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime of more than $100,000, and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime after an investigation into an alleged drug supply syndicate, police say.

Lahood, 54, who battled Sydney identity Fadi Ibrahim over a waterfront mansion for years and ran the famous Camperdown brothel Stiletto, was arrested in August as part of a wider police investigation into international drug trafficking.

Former brothel madam Jamelie Lahood has been released on bail over money laundering charges following a police sting allegedly involving $1 million in a car boot in North Sydney, 100 kilograms of drugs in designer bags and a shady character known only as Mr Bond.

According to court documents, police arranged a covert operation using an undercover officer who posed as a drug trafficker to communicate through the encrypted telecommunications platform Threema with an individual who used the name Mr Bond.

Between April and August, Mr Bond allegedly sent the undercover officer the details of a shipment of methamphetamine from Malaysia to Sydney via Singapore and Brisbane. When it stopped in Brisbane, Australian Border Force officers boarded the boat and identified four black duffle bags and one navy blue duffle bag, around eye level at the back of a shipping container. Inside the bags they allegedly found 100 bricks of crystalline substance labelled as Chinese-branded Guanyinwang tea bags. They were allegedly identical to photos previously sent to the undercover officer by Mr Bond.

When it arrived in Sydney, the undercover officer allegedly sent photos of the package to Mr Bond, who then arranged to pay $2 million in even instalments before and after it was received. Mr Bond sent the officer a photograph of cash lying on an off-white marble patterned tiled floor, and arranged via a group chat to drop it off in North Sydney, using a specific $5 note as a token to be placed at the pick-up site and used a receipt.

On August 24, an undercover officer parked a white Mazda on Blues Point Rd, McMahons Point, placing the designated $5 note inside an Uber Eats bag in the boot and a key on the back left wheel, and informing the group that the car was in position.

Within minutes, Lahood allegedly turned up and parked her car behind the Mazda. She allegedly found the key and opened the boot, before returning to her own vehicle and retrieving two full Woolworths bags, whose contents were concealed with a paperback. According to the police facts sheet, she then closed the boot and drove away in her car.
The states top prosecutor has warned that the criminal justice system is failing First Nations victims of crime and her office frequently terminates prosecutions involving Indigenous complainants because existing trial processes are not culturally safe.

NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling, SC, said adapting the justice system to serve the needs of First Nations complainants was a priority, including advocating for judges to give directions to jurors situating the evidence of Indigenous witnesses in a cultural context.

NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling, SC, wants to make the criminal justice system fairer for First Nations complainants and witnesses. Credit: Nick Moir

Its our strong view that theres a potential for First Nations witnesses to be prejudiced in terms of their evidence being understood if lawyers, judges and juries arent familiar with the cultural and language differences that can characterise their evidence, Dowling said.

Sociolinguistics experts have identified the respectful avoidance of eye contact, long silences and gratuitous concurrence  saying yes regardless of whether a person agrees with a proposition  as features of some Aboriginal communication styles that may be misinterpreted by non-Aboriginal jurors.
Sydney students are building a device capable of nuclear fusion  the process that powers stars and could unlock enormous amounts of carbon-free energy on Earth.

The magnet-powered, doughnut-shaped tokamak machine will be the first nuclear fusion device designed and built by students and will drive experiments aimed at bringing fusion to a commercial reality.

Harvey Ling (right) and a group of other nuclear engineering students at UNSW involved in designing a tokamak nuclear fusion machine. Credit: Brook Mitchell

Fusion unleashes four million times the energy of coal, uses hydrogen as fuel, is regarded as safer than fission reactors and produces far less radioactive waste.

Nuclear fusion is the opposite of fission, which powers current reactors by splitting uranium atoms to unleash heat and radiation.
Supporters of an Indigenous Voice to parliament braved the Sydney heat to turn out in their thousands for the citys first big Yes event since the official referendum campaign started.

The Walk for Yes kicked off with a rally at Redfern Park at 2pm on Sunday, and the crowd marched up Chalmers and Cleveland streets to Victoria Park near Broadway, exuberantly singing John Farnhams Youre the Voice.

Supporters of an Indigenous Voice to parliament march in Sydney on Sunday. Credit: Steven Siewert

A NSW Police spokesperson said about 12,000 to 15,000 people attended the event, one of several around Australia. The Yes23 campaign estimates 30,000 people marched in Sydney.

The crowd included a mix of ages and backgrounds, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, with many wearing different variations of Yes T-shirts. A stall at Victoria Park did a roaring trade selling Yes merchandise, including T-shirts, caps, badges and corflutes.
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Centrica's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

The top 21 shareholders own 51% of the company

Insiders have been buying lately

Every investor in Centrica plc (LON:CNA) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 83% to be precise, is institutions. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

And last week, institutional investors ended up benefitting the most after the company hit UK9.3b in market cap. One-year return to shareholders is currently 117% and last weeks gain was the icing on the cake.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Centrica.

See our latest analysis for Centrica

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Centrica?

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.

Centrica already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. 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 Centrica's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Centrica. Our data shows that BlackRock, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.4% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 4.8% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 4.3% by the third-largest shareholder.

Story continues

A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 21 shareholders have a combined ownership of 51% implying that no single shareholder has a majority.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Centrica

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that Centrica plc insiders own under 1% of the company. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own UK1.8m worth of shares. In this sort of situation, it can be more interesting to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 12% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Centrica you should know about.

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.
Puppetry-based theatre company Erth has staged many productions popular with children, such as Erths Prehistoric World and Erths Dinosaur Zoo, but their latest show might give some kids and their parents pause.

Erths Shark Dive is a 40-minute interactive piece that puts audience members inside a (non-submerged) shark cage in a darkened room. As music and a voiceover play on headphones, a realistic four-metre great white shark looms out of the blackness towards them.

Scott Wright is artistic director of Erth Visual & Physical Inc., a company that creates immersive puppetry experiences. Credit: Nick Dent

A shark dive is something that very few people in the world ever get a chance to do, and you can do it all without ever getting wet, Erth artistic director Scott Wright said.

Its very exciting and quite a beautiful experience.
A Ripley man has died and another remains in serious condition after a horror traffic crash south-west of Brisbane on Sunday.

The 25-year-old died after succumbing to life-threatening injuries following the three-vehicle accident at the Ipswich suburb of Amberley.

Police said that at about 6.45pm, a grey Mitsubishi Lancer was turning west onto the Cunningham Highway from Ipswich Rosewood Road when it collided with a truck, which was travelling east.

The Lancer then crashed into a silver Toyota Camry before coming to a stop.
Residents in a rural town in central Queensland have been told they can return to their homes after earlier being told to leave immediately over the risk of a fast-moving bushfire.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services had issued the warning to residents of Emerald about 1.15pm on Sunday, saying the warning area covered homes along Selma Road between Emerald and Fairbairn Dam Road.

The QFES updated the warning advice on Sunday evening, telling residents the fire near Fairbairn State Forest was burning in containment lines, and that they could return with caution.

Watch out for burnt trees, hot embers on the ground and fallen powerlines, the warning said.
An incident report conducted by the fire services in the weeks after the blaze would reveal that their neighbours home, a five-bedroom, two-storey house in Beaumaris in Melbournes upmarket south-east, was covered in a combustible cladding material called expanded polystyrene (EPS).

I just remember that intensity of it. Windows breaking and popping. Glass exploding and obviously a lot of noise from fire trucks, she says.

More than four years on, the night is fresh in her mind.

Within minutes, her family were standing on the street, watching as fire engulfed the top storey.

As she helped her son brush his teeth one evening in early 2019, Melanie Francese saw a red glow outside the bathroom window. When she looked outside, flames were taking hold of the roof of her neighbours home.

It didnt take long for the house next door to burn.

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.

While EPS was banned for use on multistorey apartment buildings by the Victorian government in 2021, its use is unrestricted on detached homes and multistorey townhouse projects, and it is being used widely across Melbourne when building and renovating.

In the past two decades, EPS (which is often combined with a fire retardant when used in construction) has been used to build many homes and properties across the country because it is lightweight and energy-efficient. However, it burns hot and fast, and emits dangerous toxic fumes during a fire.

Consumers will be most familiar with EPS as a packaging material for goods such as televisions and food, and the insulation inside portable coolers.

Angelo and Melanie Francese with son Patrick in front of the empty land next to their home in Beaumaris. Credit: Luis Ascui

When it burns, a kilogram of polystyrene will release more energy than a litre of petrol, says a safety alert about the product issued several years ago by the Victorian Building Authority.

EPS is derived from petroleum and ignites at far lower temperatures than other building materials.

The owners of the home could not be reached by this masthead, and the renters did not want to comment.

After the blaze on the night of February 19, 2019, the house was uninhabitable and what was left was demolished. The family that had been renting it lost most of their possessions.

In Beaumaris, the block next to Melanie Franceses home now sits vacant.

Its not a building product, its a fuel source, he says. Theres no real understanding out there that people are effectively living inside a giant Esky with windows.

This has raised concerns among senior firefighters. A Fire Rescue Victoria fire safety inspector, who wished to remain anonymous to discuss the situation, says the standard response time for fire services to reach a structure fire is 7.7 minutes, but blazes featuring EPS can fully involve a home in five minutes.

Several reports from Fire Rescue Victoria, obtained through freedom of information, have linked the material to at least eight incidents at homes  including the Beaumaris blaze  that occurred between 2016 and 2019 where fires were ignited, proved hard to control and contain, and caused worse than expected damage.

A Fire Rescue Victoria report, obtained by this masthead through freedom of information, was conducted in 2020 after a spate of fires that involved EPS.

These are the kind of fires that have caused alarm among firefighters.

Fire crews were confronted with intense fire through the roof of the house, with conditions made more unpredictable by strong winds.

The report said one of the residents was alerted to the fire after a popping noise was heard in some light fixtures on the ceiling of the upper floor. When they went to investigate, they found flames in the roof space.

A Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now Fire Services Victoria) risk report about the fire, carried out to raise awareness within firefighter ranks about the risks associated with combustible cladding, identified that the upper storey was constructed of EPS sheets screwed to timber frames.

While it is not permitted in high-rise buildings due to these risks, even in low-risk buildings EPS can burn quickly and contribute to the size and spread of a fire, they said, adding it was important owners and renters were aware of what materials were used to build their homes.

It confirmed that its fire investigators had analysed the role EPS played in several significant fires over the past few years, and found it probably contributed to the speed at the which the fires burnt.

It says the product has been found to burn quickly and poses an increased risk to occupants and responding firefighters.

Fire Rescue Victoria said, in all the scenarios, the presence of EPS panels was likely to have accelerated fire spread.

In another, the EPS cladding melted away, leaving only the fixing screws on the face of the timber frame.

In one fire, which took hold in a half-built home, the EPS ignited and melted away from its fixings, causing intense pool fires. Hot gasses rose on the underside of the timber roof, causing it to ignite.

The fires are of particular note due to the relative short time interval between the fires and the extensive damage to the structures, it reads.

Deputy Commissioner Costa Katsikis says Fire Rescue Victoria works with other relevant authorities to address the risks posed by combustible cladding, and will continue to analyse the risks posed by EPS in low-rise buildings.

Stephen Kip, an experienced fire safety engineer, says that while the number of house fires is not increasing, the fire damage is greater because of the way EPS burns.

Expanded polystyrene being used in construction. Credit: Expanded Polystyrene Australia

There is a huge [occupational health and safety] issue for fire brigades now because burning polystyrene produces some really nasty stuff. And if youre attending those fires and breathing that in once a week for 30 years, we dont know what the effect of that will be, he says.

I can see the dilemma theyre in. Theyve got buildings with highly combustible materials that are also hazardous to firefighters. And they have a legal obligation to go to the site as a fire ground is a firefighters workplace.

The fire brigade is in a really awkward position. Its a really difficult time. And I think the governments really unclear about what to do next.

How did we get here?

Rules dictating what materials can be used to build external walls have existed for hundreds of years.

Australias earliest building regulations were modelled on Britain, where combustible walls and roofs were banned following the destruction wrought by the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Since then, building codes have been continually updated, changed and revised, with builders expected to meet an array of different standards.

Lightweight, highly energy-efficient and cheaper than traditional materials, EPS ticked many boxes for builders when it came onto the Australian market in the 1980s. It gained popularity in the building industry as external cladding, as it doesnt rot or attract vermin like rats or termites.

Becher Townshend, the executive director of Expanded Polystyrene Australia, says EPS is regularly used in construction projects as insulation panels. He says the products used are safe, contain a fire retardant, comply with Australian standards, and when installed correctly are not an undue fire hazard.

The products will burn when in contact with a flame, like any other organic building material such as wood, but collapses on itself and will extinguish when the flame source is removed, he says.

An analysis of the cost of using three commonly used types of cladding to build a two-storey, three-bedroom home, prepared by Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors fellow Jay Fernando for this masthead, found EPS was the cheapest by some margin.

The approximate cost for 180 square metres of EPS facade was $20,364, compared with $24,426 for Nasahi panels (made of aerated concrete) and $37,505 for cemental cladding.

But there are downsides. Apart from high flammability and concerns about its potential toxicity to firefighters, there have been issues with moisture ingress and condensation if its not installed properly.

Kip says he believes EPS is the second most common external cladding product in Australia for housing, after brick veneer. It is widely used not just because of its low cost, he says, but because it meets strict energy efficiency requirements set by governments.

Builders changed from cement sheet to polystyrene because the governments regulated high levels of energy efficiency that cement sheet or timber weatherboards couldnt achieve, he says.

Building regulations used to be really simple and clear, they were about health, safety and amenity. But now weve drifted into more complex policy areas such as consumer protection, energy efficiency and disability access.

And, frankly, weve got too many matters now that overlap and contradict each other and polystyrene cladding is one of them.

Requirements for the energy efficiency of new builds are regularly introduced and refined. Last year, the Australian Building Codes Board was asked to update energy efficiency provisions for new residential buildings in its next edition of the National Construction Code.

In a report prepared by a consulting firm asked to assess the costs and benefits of proposed increases in energy efficiency requirements, key groups the Housing Industry Association and BlueScope Steel said one of the unintended consequences of the proposed changes was it could encourage the use of expanded polystyrene, increasing the fire risk of new housing.

A thermometer showing melting and ignition points. Credit: Victorian Building Authority

Concerns about the way EPS and other combustible cladding products have been installed have also been raised in successive reports that have scrutinised Australias building industry.

The landmark Shergold-Weir report completed in NSW in 2018 found building practitioners across the country did not have a sufficient understanding of the National Construction Code, leading to misinterpretation, non-compliance and ignorance. Indeed, this failure has been offered as one explanation for the prevalence of non-compliant cladding on buildings across Australia.

In 2020, the Victorian Building Authority said it was receiving differing opinions from the building industry on the fire behaviour and risks associated with the use of rendered EPS and ordered a literature review from the CSIRO.

The resulting review found that in Australia the presence and application of an industry code of practice for the installation of rendered EPS was limited (and possibly no longer active) and it did not directly address requirements to achieve a suitable level of fire performance.

It also found that expanded polystyrene insulation appears to have been installed on external walls of some buildings without adequate certification or approval.

When these systems are not designed and installed to include appropriate materials, construction and fire protection measures, or they are damaged or poorly maintained, they can support rapid external fire spread, it found.

The Victorian Building Authority then ordered an external wall fire spread test of rendered expanded polystyrene, conducted in mid-2020.

A full-scale fire test conducted in June 2020 examining the fire spread performance of expanded polystyrene cladding with fire retardant on multistorey buildings. The test was commissioned by the Victorian Building Authority and conducted in a laboratory. Credit: Warrington Fire

The laboratory test provided a clear indication that a typical Australian rendered EPS wall system with fire retardant has a propensity for rapid vertical fire spread and pool fires when exposed to large fire sources.

As a result, the government banned its use on class 2 to 9 buildings  including multistorey residential buildings, office or other commercial buildings, factories, warehouses, and public buildings such as hospitals and schools. But concerns remain about its installation before the ban, and its continued use on single-storey homes and townhouses.

These questions will be even more important in coming years amid a growing housing crisis. The federal government aims to add 1.2 million new homes over the next five years through its $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, with a focus on delivering more social and affordable housing. In the first five years, they aim to build 30,000 new homes.

What next?

In the end, it may not be governments or regulators that turn the dial on the issue. The risks associated with EPS have spooked insurers.

Insurance premiums for food processing plants, which use EPS panels to freeze products, have already soared after fires at two of Australias largest meat processors. In New Zealand, four significant EPS-related fires over the past year are estimated to generate claims approaching $200 million, leading the countrys major insurance brokerage Crombie Lockwood to declare that insurance portfolios with an exposure to buildings with ACP and EPS cladding were now attracting far greater insurer attention than ever before.

Major insurers including Suncorp and GIO refused to say what premiums Australian home owners face when their building has EPS. However, the Insurance Council of Australia, in a statement, said the material was considered a high-risk product in many circumstances, and insurers will view the risk associated with its use in any setting, including class 1 buildings [single-storey dwellings and townhouses].

Its a vexed and complicated issue, says Kip, which requires further testing and research to better understand the risks of the product and how it can be made safer.

The government has got to make a policy decision on what to do because if we ban polystyrene on housing, it will drive up the cost, he says.

A VBA spokesman says Victoria continues to lead the world in response to combustible cladding. We always act on the most up-to-date expert advice, and well continue working with other states and territories and the Australian Building Codes Board to determine if any further changes are needed.

He said Victorias cladding audit was restricted to certain higher-risk buildings (class 2 to 9 buildings), and pointed to the federal Australian Building Codes Board as being responsible for setting standards, including when it comes to lower-rise, class 1 dwellings.

He said the VBA shared its research into the performance of EPS with the federal building regulator, to be used if changes to requirements for external wall products on class 1 buildings are considered.

But in certain circumstances, states can impose requirements over and above those in the national code, as was the case when Victoria banned high-risk cladding on new multistorey buildings.

For its part, the Australian Building Codes Board plans to review the National Construction Code provisions for fire safety to reduce the risk of fire spread through external walls and cladding as part of its 2023-24 business plan.

Gary Rake, chief executive of the board, says this will start with research work that will take several years, and any proposed changes will then be presented for public review and comment.

Rake says no changes to the national code are planned for the next edition (scheduled for 2025) as low-rise development has a much lower risk profile than high-rise buildings, which have stringent external wall fire safety provisions due to their larger scale and higher risk.

One senior firefighter said: Each year they leave it, the harder its going to be to change.

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Today, five mothers who gave birth in their teens, and one in year 11 who is 34 weeks pregnant, are sharing stories of life taking an unexpected turn, and of persisting with or returning to education, bringing their babies with them to be cared for by qualified mothercraft staff. Tresize-Brown, a learning and development specialist who worked with principal David Caughey to get the YPEP program going in Cranbourne this year, says that until this kind of service became available, young mothers wanting to finish school in the area had nowhere to go. Isabella Ennis-Spence (pictured in Cranbourne Secondary Colleges young parents classroom) says that once she got pregnant she decided to turn her life around for the better, for the baby to come. Credit: Joe Armao Young parents are no different from any other young person who needs some kind of allowances made in the school to accommodate them; people with learning needs, or disability, physical or intellectual, said Tresize-Brown, a longtime advocate. Rates of teenage pregnancy in Australia are decreasing, but 2016 census data revealed there were 1110 young mothers in Melbournes south-east region alone who do not have a year 12 qualification.

Many schools make it too hard for girls who get pregnant to keep attending, says former senator, Lyn Allison, who is president of the national Young Pregnant and Parenting Network. Schools are said to be required to accommodate all students, but they clearly dont if theyre pregnant because it requires effort, said Allison, who is overseeing a national symposium on issues facing young parents, in Melbourne in October. We need the system to show the kind of courage were talking about here today. David Caughey, principal of Cranbourne Secondary College A lot of principals are really wary of having pregnant or parenting kids in their school because they think its a bad look. She said it was difficult to gauge the need for young parent support around Australia, and that funding and services are inconsistent.

Loading Caughey said keeping young parents connected to education and peers supports their quality of life. The school uses some of its equity funding to run its small, YPEP arm, which caters for one part of a growing need for complementary education settings, to be truly inclusive. I dont think there are a lot of incentives for government secondary schools to stick their neck out and do something that is a little bit left of centre, he said. At this school weve got great staff and a great team of people interested in doing those things, and very motivated to do them ... We need the system to show the kind of courage were talking about here today.

Loading A similar program is run at the Foundation Learning Centre in Narre Warren. Mother-of-one Isabella Ennis-Spence said she decided to turn her life around after becoming pregnant, and being able to finish year 12 meant she could hope to pursue further study. Year 11 student, Azaliah, who had her baby Tekaia eight months ago, said she hoped to study nursing after she finished year 12. Her friend, mother of two Taniesha, said young mothers are aware of stigmas, and this can also make it hard to feel finishing school is possible.

If you get an abortion, youre looked down upon. If you have the baby, youre looked down upon. Being a teen, everyone makes mistakes: but with a baby, theres nothing you can do other than just learn and grow from it, she said. Youre also judged for putting your kids in childcare to study, Im like, Im doing it for them. Taniesha said she went down a bad path in her mid-teens, but after she got pregnant, I just stopped, and so did their dad (with whom she is still partnered and raising their children. With support from YPEP, which includes incidental parenting education and the creation of an education-to-employment plan for each mother, she has finished her year 12 VCAL and is doing certificates in retail and business. When this is done, Taniesha hopes to start her own beauty outlet.
Loading Over the past decade, Marianne has spent more time in hospital than at home, with one admission lasting four years. Unable to absorb nutrients via her digestive system, she has been kept alive by bags of liquid food that have been pumped into veins above her heart. This constant intravenous feeding has led to numerous life-threatening blood infections. Frequent vomiting had disintegrated her teeth, some of which have been replaced with veneers. She experiences constant toothaches but cant afford to visit the dentist. I was too sick to keep going. I was planning my own funeral. I was going to give it one more month of fighting... three days after making that decision, I got the call.

Only 36 per cent of Australians are registered organ donors. There are currently 1800 Australians waiting for a transplant, and in the past six years, 242 Australians have died while waiting for an organ, according to Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry data. Victoria lags the national average and all other jurisdictions in registration rates, with just 23 per cent of Victorians signed up to be organ donors. This compares with 42 per cent of residents in NSW and 72 per cent in South Australia  the only jurisdiction where motorists can sign up for organ donation on their drivers licence. Its a situation that puzzles Dr Rohit DCosta, the medical director of DonateLife Victoria, which coordinates organ and tissue donation across the state.

DCosta said that while Victoria had low registration rates, actual rates of organ donations in the state were high. There were 144 deceased organ donors in Victoria last year, compared with 122 in NSW and 39 in South Australia. In its submission to a state parliamentary inquiry into increasing organ donor registrations, DonateLife Victoria called for motorists to be able to register as organ donors when applying for their licence  a process that was in place in Victoria until 2000, when the Australian Organ Donor Register was set up as the national register. Marianne spent almost two weeks in intensive care following her 22-hour transplant surgery and another three months recovering in hospital. She describes this time as the toughest period in her life. At one stage, she lost almost seven litres of blood in one day. The details of Mariannes donor have to be kept confidential under organ and tissue donation laws. But Marianne and her donors family have exchanged de-identified letters, describing their pain and gratitude.

Loading Marianne has framed the letter from the family, displaying it in her bedroom in Doreen, in Melbournes north-east. Their son gets to live through me now, Marianne said, choking back tears. Hes still alive and I think that is a pretty special thing. Her long-term doctor, Adam Testro, who is the Austin Hospitals director of liver and intestinal transplant medicine, said one of the biggest challenges was finding a donor who was about the same size as Marianne. She weighed just 40 kilograms at the time of surgery. The donor also needed to have the same blood type as Marianne and to die in hospital, most likely on a ventilator so their organs were not starved of oxygen. Only 2 per cent of people who die in Australian hospitals every year are suitable for organ donation.

Loading Testro is impressed with how Marianne has bounced back. He said that before the transplants, the young woman had no quality of life. Marianne will need to take expensive immunosuppressant medication for the rest of her life, which increases her risk of kidney dysfunction and other health complications, and she continues to experience some nausea and pain. Its certainly not a normal life but its a heck of a lot better than what she had two years ago, Testro said. Shes incredibly resilient. As time goes on, the risk of organ rejection decreases. Testro said that the first year post-transplant is the most perilous, and Marianne has clearly surpassed this.

If you make it through the first year, your outlook of getting to five years is pretty good, Testro said. If you get to five years, your outlook of getting to 10 or 20 years is excellent. Most of the complications happen quite early. Marianne has disconnected her intravenous feeding equipment and is receiving all her nutrients from food that she swallows and digests herself. She has finished a real estate qualification and is now working part-time at Morrison Kleeman, an agent in Melbournes north-east. Marianne Thrush wants to show other organ transplant recipients that you can have a career. Credit: Justin McManus Many companies would have probably never employed me because I hadnt worked in over 15 years and I had just had six organs transplanted, she said. But they gave me a chance. She dreams of working full-time, having her own home and starting a family.

Just because you have gone through so much of your life being sick doesnt mean that you cant overcome it, she said. I went from dying to working, having friends and living life to its fullest. Chris Thomas, chief executive of Transplant Australia, said that as well as registering as organ donors, people need to communicate their wishes to their family because families must still consent to the transplants when the time comes. Around 80 per cent of families consent to their loved ones donating their organs if they are registered, compared with 40 per cent of families whose loved ones arent registered. But Thomas is concerned about a 10 per cent rise in families overriding the decision of loved ones who are registered. He suspects this may be due to the pandemic eroding some peoples trust in authority. People are questioning things a lot more, he said. A Victorian government spokesman said it was always looking at ways to improve the states donation rates and that all Victorians should consider registering.
Its great to have nice workmates, but a team of firefighters in Melbournes north have struck gold, at least when it comes to morning tea break.

Leading firefighter Mark Proctor is a former baker, and now regularly serves his mouth-watering home-made cakes at the Fire Rescue Victoria station at Preston in Melbournes north.

A chef in hot demand: Preston firefighter Mark Proctor, centre, serves cake to colleagues Matt Tucker, left, and Lachie Somers, right. Credit: Justin McManus

In between attending false fire alarms, burning houses and car accidents, Proctor plates up everything from Battenberg cakes to danishes to Swiss rolls.

On Friday, it was a sponge with jam, cream and fresh strawberries.
Tens of thousands of people carrying placards and wearing T-shirts supporting an Indigenous Voice to parliament flooded Melbournes CBD on Sunday as Walk for Yes rallies drew crowds at cities across Australia.

First Peoples Assembly of Victoria co-chair Rueben Berg addressed an initial gathering of about 5000 Yes supporters at the State Library, urging them to help increase broad community support for the Voice ahead of the October 14 referendum.

The walk ended at Federation Square. Credit: Chris Hopkins/The Age

Yes to recognition, yes to listening, yes to better outcomes for First Peoples, and yes to a better Australia, he said to a roaring crowd, before the procession headed down Swanston Street to Federation Square.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney was joined at the front of the march by other Labor MPs and senators, as well as AFL legend Eddie Betts, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation CEO Jill Gallagher and Uluru Dialogue member Marcus Stewart.
The crowdfunding effort to bring critically injured WA police officer Ella Cutler home has been reached after Cutlers insurance company denied her family help with medical and repatriation costs.

Cutler, 26, was rushed to hospital on August 26 after slipping and falling 10 metres from a wall between two restaurants, leaving her with multiple fractures to her skull, spine and ribs, and punctured lungs.

The Mirrabooka detective constable was with a 34-year-old Australian man, who also fell. Local media reported the two did not climb the wall, but fell when Cutler leant on the man. He was taken to hospital and underwent surgery.

Her close friend and colleague, Constable Dani Morrison, said on Sunday the $500,000 target had been reached. The campaign was set up after Cutlers insurance company denied her family help with medical and repatriation costs.
In his 40-year career as a journalist, Western Australias Gary Adshead has pursued the truth  no matter how ugly, how dangerous or how ridiculous. Whether on crooks, crimes, state secrets or heroic rescues, we take you behind the headlines of the biggest stories of his career.

This week on The Reporter podcast, Michael Thomson and Gary Adshead discuss the revealing of former Perth politician Barry Urban as a master manipulator.

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Adshead spent years dismantling the web of faked and forged achievements this MP spun to mislead those he was supposed to represent, and finally landed his quarry in jail.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
The U.S.-Made drone aircraft, software sector has been boosted by a crackdown on Chinese drones amid security concerns.

To help you understand what the future holds for drone technology amid regulatory burdens and China-dominated sales, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts ( Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe ). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Heres the latest

Hefty investment bodes well for the future for U.S. firms. Zipline, a delivery company, raised $330 million in funding this year, for example. Scores of other U.S. companies are raising similar, though smaller, sums, especially for drone hardware.

Even homegrown manufacturing is gaining, as a crackdown on Chinese drones by Congress amid security concerns boosts U.S.-made aircraft, flight controllers, software, etc. California-based Skydio, maker of autonomous drones, secured $230 million in February for a big expansion, partly due to China fears.

Among the notable U.S. drone vendors that are approved for military procurement include: AgEagle. Wingtra. Teal Drones. Vantage Robotics. BlueHalo. FlightWave. The enhanced security that is required for military compliance will spur business sales, too.

The elephant in the sky is still Chinas DJI, a Chinese technology company that dominates global sales of small drones and is used extensively by U.S. firms, local police agencies and more, because of its leading systems and low prices.

But the ecosystem of American-made drones will grow, buoyed by further federal and state China restrictions.

Amid an exciting advance of technology, including sensors, batteries, autonomous navigation, and artificial intelligence, look for lightweight delivery as a standout service that will grow fast over the next five years. Zipline, Alphabet, Amazon, FedEx and others are working on it. Walmart has already flown 10,000-plus deliveries and recently announced an expansion with Wing, an Alphabet division. It charges $4 per package under 10 pounds and can arrive in under 30 minutes. Expect rapid drone expansion in areas offering delivery.

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Though the federal government is making headway on some key regulatory burdens, sanctioning flights over people and at night, and finalizing license plates for drones, the commercial industry is still clamoring for fully autonomous flight with a sweeping rule that clears the way for beyond-line-of-sight flights. Exemptions in recent weeks help, but only a new federal rule will unlock the full potential.

Meanwhile, look for more states to prepare for drones by cutting red tape and clarifying laws. Arkansas is particularly drone-friendly, according to one report.
Parents are being charged up to $8365 in non-refundable enrolment fees to lock in their childs place at Perths top private schools, where yearly fees already cost up to $30,000 by the time students reach Year 12.

This year, Scotch College is requiring first time parents to pay more than $8000 after their child is accepted into the school. The fee does not go towards tuition and is often paid years in advance. Without payment, a students placement will not be confirmed.

Multiple schools are charging parents thousands just to secure a place, often paid years before the student even starts at the school. Credit: Fairfax Media/ Supplied

The amount includes a $7650 endowment fee, which the school says supports the development of new buildings and resources on campus and a $715 fee for a life membership to the Old Scotch Collegians programme. The $715 can be refunded if the child does not commence at the school, but the endowment fee cannot.

It is a similar case at Hale School, where the enrolment fee is $8100.
In April 2023, a bird strike caused an engine fire on an American Airlines flight bound for Phoenix Arizona, forcing it to return to Ohios John Glenn Columbus International Airport. In the previous month, another bird strike brought a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft back to Cubas Havana Airport. In August 2023, an Air Canada Boeing 777 diverted from its flight path to Toronto and returned to Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport when the pilots received an alert from the ground proximity warning system (GPWS), designed to avoid a crash. At the time, the aircraft was flying at 30,000 feet, and although this was a false alarm, a faulty GPWS cant be ignored. In December 2022, a Qantas A380 en route from Singapore to London was forced to land at Bakus Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Azerbaijan after an alarm in the cockpit indicated smoke in the baggage area. A fire in the hold cant be fought and therefore the crew had no choice but to divert to the nearest available airport. The flight landed safely and no sign of smoke could be found, with the problem most likely caused by an indicator fault. QF1 on the tarmac at Baku airport in Azerbaijan after making an emergency landing. Credit: Nik Long Bizarre behaviour

In a much-publicised event in 2014, a Korean Air vice president forced a flight bound for Seoul to return to the gate it had just left in New York so a flight attendant who had served her macadamia nuts in a bag instead of a bowl could be ejected. This was after Cho Hyun-ah, the eldest daughter of the airlines chief Cho Yang-ho, made the crew member kneel and beg for forgiveness while jabbing him with a service manual. Facing universal shame, Cho resigned from her position shortly afterwards, spending a total of five months in jail. In 2019, a Saudia flight bound for Kuala Lumpur made a request to return to Jeddah after a passenger remembered shed left her baby in the terminal. A United Airlines flight to Japan returned to Honolulu in 2016 when a passenger insisted on using the galley as a yoga studio, refusing to move. The elderly man was arrested, and ordered to pay the airline $US44,000. Airline missteps In December 2022, a Jetstar flight heading for Bali was forced to turn back four hours into its flight and return to Melbourne. The aircraft originally planned for the flight, an Airbus A321, had been swapped for a larger Boeing 787 to accommodate more passengers, but the airline forgot to notify authorities in Indonesia. Since it was not an approved flight, it was denied landing.

Passengers out of control Inflight disputes, slanging matches and punch-ups have become more frequent as some passengers sense of entitlement allows them to threaten the safety of other passengers and crew. In July 2023, a fight between two women who were travelling together escalated to a brawl as they fought and screamed expletives at one another, forcing a flight from Philadelphia to land at Denver, more than 1000 kilometres short of its Las Vegas destination. In August 2023, a Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to the Canary Islands made an unscheduled stop at Faro in Portugal to offload two drunk passengers who were thumping one another. Four passengers on an Alliance Airlines flight to Groote Eylandt turned back to Cairns and a female passenger was removed and charged with disorderly behaviour, but three members of her party rekindled the fight and were arrested when the flight finally landed at Groote Eylandt.

The great diversion In the immediate aftermath of the attack on New York Citys World Trade Centre in 2001, the US Federal Aviation Administration closed the airspace over the USA and Canada. Aircraft on domestic flights were ordered to divert to the nearest available airport. Some 5000 aircraft were affected and three-and-a-half hours after the first plane hit, US airspace was clear of commercial and private flights. In Canada, Operation Yellow Ribbon went into effect, routing air traffic away from US airspace and landing these aircraft at Canadian airports. More than 200 aircraft were diverted to 17 airports across the country. Some 38 international flights inbound from Europe landed at the town of Gander, Newfoundland, doubling the towns population of 7000 for several days. The hospitality shown by the inhabitants to the so-called plane people inspired a musical, Come from Away. In 2001, the World Trade Center attacks resulted in 38 aircraft rerouted to Gander, which later inspired the musical Come from Away. Could you be entitled to compensation for a diverted flight?
Taiwan, no longer a place of international obscurity, now looms large in the public consciousness as a potential flashpoint for conflict between great powers. This is a sharp contrast to a decade ago, when Taiwan was largely overshadowed by the economic and political rise of China.

Back then, I was a student participant in the 2014 Sunflower Movement  which involved the month-long occupation of the Taiwanese legislature to protest against closer political relations with China. The shift has been striking. There was hardly any attention to our actions but, by contrast, Hong Kongs umbrella movement later that year attracted significant international coverage.

Taiwans Vice President Lai Ching-te is the current front-runner for Januarys election. Credit: AP

Taiwanese voices continue to be left out of discussions of their own future. Taiwan is often spoken of in terms of the US and China, but not in terms of what its own people hope to see regarding their fate. This is what the rapid shift in the international discourse occludes  that Taiwan is still discussed as a geopolitical chess piece.

Taiwan has its own government, military, economy, and free democratic elections. It possesses most of the hallmarks of being a nation-state, though Chinese territorial claims prevent its recognition by the majority of the international community. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has never controlled Taiwan. Though the PRC claims to have inherited the territory during the Qing empire, Taiwan was only spuriously part of China in dynastic history, having been a province of the Qing for a mere seven years and a hinterland of the Ming. No Chinese dynasty controlled the whole of Taiwan. Its original inhabitants, who have faced Han settler colonialism for the past 400 years, are indigenous.
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russias defence minister discussed practical issues to boost military co-operation, state media said on Sunday, in what Pyongyang calls a fresh heyday for bilateral relations.

During his visit to Russia, Kim inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) looks at a military jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant that builds fighter jets. Credit: AP

Continuing his now week-long train journey, Kim will go to several food enterprises, Russias RIA news agency reported on Sunday.

The trip by the North Korean leader, who seldom leaves his country, comes as a fresh heyday of friendship and solidarity and co-operation is being opened up in the history of the development of the relations between the DPRK and Russia, state KCNA news agency said, using the initials for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
Wemding, Germany: It could be mistaken for an abandoned construction site: a row of rectangular concrete blocks on a bare, square foundation.

Yet a crowd of about 300 people gathered on a hill outside the town of Wemding, in southern Germany last week, as a crane lowered another block into place alongside the first three. Some spectators had travelled from as far as San Francisco.

A crowd gathers outside the town of Wemding, in southern Germany, to see the latest stage in the construction of the Time Pyramid, a public artwork. Credit: NYT

They came to see the latest stage in the construction of the Time Pyramid (Zeitpyramide), a public artwork that Wemdings citizens are assembling at a rate of one 180cm by 120cm block every decade. There are 116 more to add before the Time Pyramid will be complete, when it will stand more than seven metres tall. That wont be until the year 3183.

Artist Manfred Laber, a Wemding resident who died in 2018, proposed the project in 1993 to mark the 1200-year anniversary of his town. While he specified the material, dimensions and placing order, he left Wemdings citizens to decide how it evolves. In 2003, he and town officials established the Wemding Time Pyramid Foundation to manage and fund the artwork beyond his lifetime.
Posted Sunday, September 17, 2023 8:37:35 AM

Heartbreaking news for soap fans: Billy Miller passed away at the age of 43 on September 15, 2023. No other details have been made available about his passing, but his management issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly confirming the actor's death and saying that Miller had been "struggling with manic depression when he died."

To read reaction to Miller's death from the daytime community, click here.

Born on September 17, 1979, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, he attended college at the University of Texas in Austin, where he earned a degree in communications. After leaving Texas, Miller moved to Los Angeles, where he got his break when he appeared in an episode of CSI: NY before landing the role of Richie Novak on All My Children, which he played from 2007 to 2008.

As Miller's star rose, he was cast as Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless in 2008. Miller would win three Daytime Emmys during his time on the CBS soap -- a Lead Actor win in 2014 and Supporting Actor wins in 2010 and2013.

In a statement on X, formerly known a Twitter, The Young and the Restless called Miller "a talented man with a heart of gold" who "will be sorely missed."

Billy Miller was a talented man with a heart of gold and always lit up the scene with amazing performances. He will be sorely missed. Our deepest sympathies to his family and all who loved him. ?????? pic.twitter.com/bNUwvaWMt2  Young & The Restless (@YRInsider) September 17, 2023

After six years, he left the Y&R and moved to General Hospital, where he was recast as the infamous mob enforcer Jason Morgan. However, in 2014, Steve Burton returned to the role of Morgan, and Miller's character was revealed to be Jason's long-lost identical twin brother, Drew Cain. In 2018, Miller received his sixth Daytime Emmy nomination for his work on GH.

General Hospital 's executive producer, Frank Valentini, took to X to share, "I am devastated to hear news of the incredibly talented Billy Millers passing. On behalf of the entire General Hospita family, our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time."

I am devastated to hear news of the incredibly talented Billy Millers passing. On behalf of the entire @GeneralHospital family, our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.  Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) September 17, 2023

Upon exiting GH in 2019, the social media shy Miller shared a heartfelt letter to fans, Hello friends, With a slight air of sadness, it is time to ponder what Goodbye means. However, instead of dwelling on what is gone and sure to be missed, there is another way. Maybe our goodbye is really a remembrance of love felt, an appreciation for lives shared, and the lifelong reminisces that come from embraces given and received. Maybe our goodbye is an earnest hope for the brightest path forward for us all. Maybe our goodbye is honoring growth and lessons learned. Now, instead of sadness, I am filled with gratitude for all your support, encouragement, and every emotion shared. I cherish the journey we have taken together. Thank you for allowing me into your homes and lives. With every ounce of myself, I thank you for being you. I would be remiss in this crazy, unpredictable world we all love so much if I did not hold out the possibility that maybe our GOODBYE is really.. UNTIL NEXT TIME. All My Love.

Miller continued to work in primetime television, playing Alex Dunn on Truth Be Told. He also appeared on episodes of Justified, The Rookie, and NCIS. He also starred alongside fellow daytime alum Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex-Kendall Hart, AMC) in the primetime drama Ringer.

Miller is survived by his mother, Patricia; sister, Megan; brother-in-law, Ronnie; nephew, Grayson; and niece, Charley.

Remembrances and tributes have been pouring in since the news of Miller's passing was first reported by soap journalist Michael Fairman. Soap Central has been compiling those messages and you can read them here.
This home at 4213 St. Andrews Dr. in the Walking Stick Estates in Pueblo is for sale.

Pueblo's real estate market remained stagnant in August with overall sold listings down 18% when compared to August 2022.

According to the Colorado Association of Realtors monthly report, 1,586 Pueblo homes were sold this year compared to 2,130 the first eight months of 2022. Year-to-date residential home sales are down 25.5%.

"Low inventory and interest in the 6% to 7% range are factors keeping buyers on the sidelines," said David Anderson of the Pueblo Association of Realtors. "The median sales price of $320,000 is the same as last August, however, the year-to-date median sales price has dropped to $313,000."

The percent of list price received remained flat at 98.5% and is down just 1.3% year to date so, "Prices may finally be shoring up," Anderson said.

The length of time a home for sale is staying on the market is closing in on three months, making those sellers "nervous about how long it takes to get their house sold," Anderson explained.

In the new home construction arena, permits are down 47% compared to this time last year. That means, "builders are being cautious" amid the rising levels of unsold inventory, Anderson said.

Samantha Hardcastle

Pueblo West Chamber welcomes new director, location

A local business owner has been named the new executive director of the Pueblo West Chamber of Commerce.

Samantha Hardcastle, a professional photographer who owns Samantha Hardcastle Photography, replaces Amy Gasperetti, who resigned to take a new job. Hardcastle and her husband are parents to five children.

The chamber has moved to a new office in the San Isabel Electric Building at 781 E. Industrial Blvd. For information, call 719-647-9086.

Pueblo Board of Water Works changing billing cycles

Pueblo water customers may see changes in their billing cycles starting Oct. 1.

The Pueblo Board of Water Works is making the changes to help pave the way for future growth in the city.Customers can find their due date by visiting pueblowater.org and taking advantage of the interactive tools such as a map that shows the city's 14 billing zones.

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Customers who have questions or concerns can email customer service at custserv@pueblowater.org or call 719-584-0250.

Credit union donates food to Pueblo Cooperative Care

Premier Members Credit Union collected donations for local food pantries during August and Pueblo's Cooperative Care Center is one of 13 statewide charities to benefit.

We always want to provide support to our local communities, said Carlos Pacheco, chief executive officer of Premier Members Credit Union. This food drive will help many members of our communities.

AmeriCorps digital navigators needed in Pueblo

The Learning Source, Colorados leading nonprofit resource for adult education classes and family literacy, is currently hiring AmeriCorps digital navigators in the Pueblo area.

Candidates passionate about bridging the digital divide and promoting equal access to technology can help adult learners secure affordable internet access, low-cost devices and provide training.

To apply, go to thelearningsource.org or email Luke Hammons at luke@thelearningsource.org.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's real estate market remains stagnant
A Edgin Column graphic 9/17

Hello A-J readers!

As I mentioned last week, I've been working on several projects, which I hope to release in the coming days. These stories will be a treat for fellow foodies, or people who enjoy random Lubbock facts, so stay tuned.

This week, the article celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Gandy's Dairy in Lubbock published. Some readers might remember that Gandy's location on North University Avenue started out as Bell Dairy, merged with San Angelo's Gandy's, and is now owned by the Dairy Farmers of America.

The officials I spoke with detailed how they use local milk, deliver products across thousands of miles, and why they think the business has continued. It was an interesting interview, and I hope you read the article to learn all the cool details.

More: Lubbock-based Gandy's celebrates 100 years of business, here's how they got there

We are also starting to plan holiday-related stories for the next several months. There are some great ideas in the works, and I think you'll enjoy them.

Since the month has been pretty light so far, I will write about my latest best bite. I've written about Vizo's twice since I joined the A-J, but I never had the chance to go until Thursday evening. When my partner and I went, it was not very busy, but the service was impressive, and the food was delicious. I definitely plan to return soon for the Taste of Africa and Zambezi Grilled Ribs.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting the A-J.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock business news includes Gandy's, projects, best bite at Vizo's
The Walking Dead returned with yet another spinoff: Daryl Dixon. And I think they may have finally gotten it right. The first episode, "L'ame Perdue" was written by creator and showrunner of the series David Zabel (Stumptown, Detroit 1-8-7, ER) and was directed by Daniel Percival (The Man in the High Castle, Strike Back, Death Comes to Pemberly). As everyone knows by now, the show is actually shot in and around Paris, France, adding ambiance and another interesting layer to the story. We and Daryl (Norman Reedus) experience a different landscape and culture.

The episode begins with Daryl washing ashore, tied to a small boat. In true Daryl fashion, he manages to scavenge up weapons and supplies. We get a flavor of how the apocalypse has been going in Europe when he finds a recording of an Irish man recounting his own journey with his wife and daughter  all, we can presume, now dead. Daryl leaves his own message, which naturally turns out to be a mistake

Daryl uncharacteristically and stupidly ends up getting swarmed in what looks to be an old indoor market. He manages to kill them all, but it turns out that these walkers appear to have acid for blood, and Daryl ends up injured after one grabs his arm.

As he makes his way, Daryl sees a person (Clemence Poesy as Isabelle) watching from a cliff. He uses a French/English dictionary  scavenged  to translate a message: God loves you. The woman on the cliff is putting them up. Daryl then stumbles across a young woman  Maribelle (Carmen Kassovitz) and lame, blind man  Gullame (Bernard Bloch). They speak to him in French and he says he doesnt understand them, but Maribelle speaks English. She offers him food. Two soldiers show up. When one tries to drag Maribelle off, Daryl fights back, cutting ones throat. Daryl is shot, but they still get the upper hand and Maribelle kills one of the soldiers, telling Daryl not to shoot him and save his powder. Daryl asks for his medical bag, but at that point Gullame, who isnt blind or lame, hits him over the head and he and Mirabelle steal his stuff. Daryl sees the woman on the hill as he passes out.

Daryl is feverish and ill, lying in a bed, and he has visions of Judith telling him he deserves a happy ending too and Carol. As he lays in bed, a nun (Isabelle) burns his arm where the walker grabbed him. When he finally wakes up, Isabelle tells him that he is a guest and that they cauterized his wound because thats the best way with a wound from a Boiler. Shes listened to his tape recording and knows hes from the Commonwealth. He tells her that he got there through a bunch of bad decisions  but we still dont know the details  which is a good way to engage us.

Daryl falls asleep in the bath and dreams of drowning  is this a re-birth of some kind? A baptism? It is a bit on the nose Isabelle returns to tend to his wounds. Daryl has been looking at their wall of devotion. He tells her that he doesnt take much stock in God  she counters that God does in him. They then compare scars She tells him he should get some air  and we see that once again, Daryl has an iconic look  this time adding suspenders

Daryl asks about the boy he say  Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi). The other nuns are afraid of him, and Daryl tells her that hell be gone soon. There is quite a well stocked armory. There is a radio, and Isabelle tells him that she hasnt got anyone in a while. She tells him that she got there through a bunch of good decisions  its a nice echo of his own comment.

As Daryl eats a meal outside, Laurent sits across the courtyard, mimicking everything the does. The nuns discuss Daryl. An older one asks Isabelle if he is the one  and insists he cant be as he doesnt believe in God. Daryl is amused by Laurent.

Laurent brings Daryl a rubics cube and tells him his record is 3 minutes and 12 seconds. He tells Daryl its his turn, but Daryl tells him that hes not good at that shit. Laurent boasts about his accomplishment and then introduces himself. Laurent tells him how few people he thinks are left in France  and corrects Daryls grammar. He tells him it will take 6 generations to re-populate France. He senses that Daryl is homesick, and then he shocks Daryl by echoing Judiths words, telling him he deserves a happy ending too.

Theres a nice funny moment as Mirabelle and Gullame scoff at the expression everythings gone pear-shaped from the French/English dictionary they took from Daryl. They are then stopped by soldiers. Gullame pisses them off by asking for a reward for information on the other soldiers and Codron (Romain Levi) kills him. They take Mirabelle to show him where the other soldiers are.

Daryl finds Laurent reading to a Priest who has turned. Daryl is freaked out and determined to leave immediately. Isabelle stops him, insisting that he is the one. She shows him a picture that Laurent drew, before Daryl arrived. It looks a lot more like Jesus than Daryl Isabelle tells Daryl that a prophet told them that Laurent was a prophecy, and that Daryl is the one chosen to get Laurent up north to really fulfill his destiny. Daryl helps himself to weapons, including a crossbow! Isabelle meanwhile tells Daryl that Laurent will be safe with this northern community until he is ready to take up the mantel of the new Messiah and lead the revival of humanity. Daryl looks non-plussed. And really? This is SO close to The Last of Us  and it is a rather over-the-top turn to religion for The Walking Dead.

Isabelle insists that everything happens for a reason and this is what Daryl was brought there for. She then confesses the radio is broken. She tells him that there are rumors of ships coming and going from Le Havre. Coincidently, it is also very close to the way that Laurent needs to go. Isabelle tells him that it will be difficult to get there, especially if you dont speak French.

Codron finds Michel (Paul Deby), the soldier that Mirabelle killed, and it turns out is his brother. Codron is determined to find Daryl and kill him. He tells Mirabelle that his mercy is her reward.

Daryl is leaving and Laurent shows up to say goodbye. Isabelle tells Daryl that Laurent doesnt know about any of it. Daryl insists that its not his problem and leaves. He hasnt gone far when Codron and his men show up. Daryl hides and watches them head for the nunnery.

Mother Superior lets them in. Isabelle hides Laurent in the office. The other nuns arm themselves. Isabelle tells Codron there is no man there, and Codron shows her the fliers  her fliers that he found where his brother was killed. Codron is about to shoot his way into the office when he is called to the walker-Priest. Codron insists that one of his men kill the Priest. Phillipe (Elias Hauter) doesnt want to do it  but does in the end. Laurent comes running out  and the Codron says theyll take him with them. Isabelle goes to stop him and one of the soldiers is about to strike her when Daryl show up and kills him from behind and then darts away. A major fight breaks out between the nuns and soldiers.

Daryl takes out Phillipe and then fights Codron. Codron is about to kill Daryl when Isabelle saves him. Codron flees. Only Daryl, Isabelle, Sylvie (Laika Blanc-Francard), and Laurent are left alive. Just an aside to mention that it was great to have Greg Nicotero back in charge of the visual effects and walkers.

Sylvie sings and Laurent plays the guitar as Daryl tells Isabelle how he got there. After he left on his own, he ran into some bad people and they put him on a boat  and it didnt go well. He asks her to take him to the port to get on a boat. He agrees to take her where she needs to go first.

Codron is hurt  and doesnt try to attack them  though hes been hanging around while they bury the dead just a bit of a plot hole And we seem to be back to the CRM right out of World Beyond. Genet (Anne Charrier) seems like a clone from that show regardless, we find out that Daryl has scuttled her plans and that he almost caused a mutiny on the ship carrying her test subjects. The Captain (Gregory Kristoforoff) tells her Daryl went overboard and is presumed dead. She orders her men to find Daryl if he isnt dead.

So far this is still the best spin off of TWD. Daryl was maybe a little more talkative and forthcoming than we are used to, but I think Reedus is up to protecting his character. Poesy is good. We didnt get enough of Charrier to make a judgment there. Codron is a bit stiff. Once again, TWD comes through with the casting of younger cast members in Louis Puech Scigliuzzi. He was solid in this first episode, and I look forward to seeing how he develops. Im also hoping that Cailey Fleming (Judith) may make an appearance  especially now that its been announced that Melissa McBride will make some sort of appearance What did you think? Are you along for the ride?




What trends should we look for it we want to identify stocks that can multiply in value over the long term? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. So, when we ran our eye over Supply Network's (ASX:SNL) trend of ROCE, we really liked what we saw.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Supply Network:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.33 = AU$41m  (AU$169m - AU$46m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, Supply Network has an ROCE of 33%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Retail Distributors industry average of 8.9%.

See our latest analysis for Supply Network

roce

In the above chart we have measured Supply Network's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Supply Network here for free.

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

In terms of Supply Network's history of ROCE, it's quite impressive. The company has employed 214% more capital in the last five years, and the returns on that capital have remained stable at 33%. With returns that high, it's great that the business can continually reinvest its money at such appealing rates of return. If Supply Network can keep this up, we'd be very optimistic about its future.

Our Take On Supply Network's ROCE

In summary, we're delighted to see that Supply Network has been compounding returns by reinvesting at consistently high rates of return, as these are common traits of a multi-bagger. And the stock has done incredibly well with a 342% return over the last five years, so long term investors are no doubt ecstatic with that result. So while investors seem to be recognizing these promising trends, we still believe the stock deserves further research.

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On a final note, we've found 2 warning signs for Supply Network that we think you should be aware of.

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks 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.
Of all of their openness, however, Evangelista steals the show remarkably. From the amusing  being quizzed on her infamous line I will not get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day (I shouldnt have said that [but] if a man said it, its acceptable. To be proud of what you command)  to the actually very heart-wrenching. She revisits the issues she faced following disfigurements from a fat-freezing procedure between 2015 and 2016 (I never went out the door unless it was maybe a doctors appointment that I had to go to) before detailing her struggle with breast cancer, and subsequent double mastectomy. I cant see how anyone would want to dress me. I cant. I cant. Now, to lose my job that I loved so much and lose my livelihood. My heart is broken. I loved my job, she says.
Speaking to the PA News Agency, Mr Slaughter warned: We have got six more of those inquests to come of people who, since Luke died three years ago, have taken their own lives in the Scrubs.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr Cleverly told Sky News Trevor Phillips: There is incredibly important work to do. And the advocates of somehow ignoring China, pretending it doesn't exist, not talking to China, not having an embassy in Beijing, and not having a Chinese embassy in the UK.
But we make it absolutely clear, both directly to the Iranian leadership and more broadly on the international stage, that we completely reject their oppression of women, that we will continue to take action to highlight that, and also to apply sanctions to both the entities and the individuals who are driving this.
If the economy in the last 13 years had grown at the same rate as the last Labour government, wed have tens of billions of pounds to spend on our public services without raising a penny more in tax. And thats where I want that laser focus, he said.
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) said in a statement that investigators from the Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) had been called in to begin an investigation into the reasons for the crash of the small aircraft, an Embraer Bandeirante with the registration PT-SOG.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: Anyone found to be acting against the UKs interests by training our competitors militaries can now expect to be pursued and brought to justice.
He pledged support for the Russian leader in what he has described as the fight against imperialism. The US had warned North Korea not to pledge to sell weaponry to Russia to aid its occupation of parts of Ukraine.
Residents and aid groups gathered the bodies of those who were washed out to sea when a year of rain fell in just a matter of hours caused two dams to burst and sent millions of cubic meters of floodwater through the centre of the city.
Russian forces have been reinforcing defences around the key town of Tokmak in southern Ukraine as they fear breaches in their first lines of defence, according to an update from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Norcros' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

A total of 7 investors have a majority stake in the company with 52% ownership

Insiders have bought recently

Every investor in Norcros plc (LON:NXR) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 80% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Norcros.

Check out our latest analysis for Norcros

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Norcros?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

We can see that Norcros does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Norcros, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Norcros. Our data shows that Fidelity International Ltd is the largest shareholder with 10% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 10% and 9.8%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

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We also observed that the top 7 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Norcros

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Norcros plc. It seems the board members have no more than UK190k worth of shares in the UK131m company. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 19% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Be aware that Norcros is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter 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.
The report on the Telegram messaging app did not say whether any damage or casualties had been caused on the Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Kyiv in a widely condemned move in 2014, eight years before Russias full-fledged invasion.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Channel Infrastructure NZ fair value estimate is NZ$3.02

Current share price of NZ$1.60 suggests Channel Infrastructure NZ is potentially 47% undervalued

Industry average discount to fair value of 56% suggests Channel Infrastructure NZ's peers are currently trading at a higher discount

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Channel Infrastructure NZ Limited (NZSE:CHI) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Channel Infrastructure NZ

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

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10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) NZ$75.2m NZ$85.1m NZ$82.2m NZ$86.6m NZ$89.5m NZ$92.2m NZ$94.8m NZ$97.4m NZ$99.9m NZ$102.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 3.36% Est @ 3.04% Est @ 2.82% Est @ 2.67% Est @ 2.56% Est @ 2.49% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 9.5% NZ$68.7 NZ$71.0 NZ$62.6 NZ$60.2 NZ$56.9 NZ$53.5 NZ$50.2 NZ$47.1 NZ$44.1 NZ$41.3

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$556m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) 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 9.5%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = NZ$102m (1 + 2.3%)  (9.5% 2.3%) = NZ$1.5b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$1.5b ( 1 + 9.5%)10= NZ$587m

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 NZ$1.1b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of NZ$1.6, the company appears quite undervalued at a 47% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

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 Channel Infrastructure NZ 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 9.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.438. 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 Channel Infrastructure NZ

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Oil and Gas market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Dividends are not covered by earnings.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation 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. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Channel Infrastructure NZ, we've compiled three important elements you should explore:

Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Channel Infrastructure NZ . Future Earnings: How does CHI'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 New Zealander 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.
Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) is about to go ex-dividend in just 4 days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Packaging Corporation of America's shares on or after the 22nd of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 13th of October.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$1.25 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$5.00 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Packaging Corporation of America stock has a trailing yield of around 3.3% on the current share price of $149.75. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing.

See our latest analysis for Packaging Corporation of America

Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Packaging Corporation of America paid out 53% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Packaging Corporation of America generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. Over the last year it paid out 55% of its free cash flow as dividends, within the usual range for most companies.

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It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously.

Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. This is why it's a relief to see Packaging Corporation of America earnings per share are up 6.3% per annum over the last five years. Decent historical earnings per share growth suggests Packaging Corporation of America has been effectively growing value for shareholders. However, it's now paying out more than half its earnings as dividends. Therefore it's unlikely that the company will be able to reinvest heavily in its business, which could presage slower growth in the future.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Packaging Corporation of America has delivered 17% dividend growth per year on average over the past 10 years. We're glad to see dividends rising alongside earnings over a number of years, which may be a sign the company intends to share the growth with shareholders.

To Sum It Up

Is Packaging Corporation of America worth buying for its dividend? Earnings per share have been growing modestly and Packaging Corporation of America paid out a bit over half of its earnings and free cash flow last year. Overall, it's hard to get excited about Packaging Corporation of America from a dividend perspective.

If you want to look further into Packaging Corporation of America, it's worth knowing the risks this business faces. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Packaging Corporation of America you should know about.

Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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Who and where  Norman and Linda Shore of Creve Coeur at the Pena Palace, the famous 19th-century summer palace of the kings in the town of Sintra.

Travel tip  It is challenging to access the palace due to its high hillside elevation. Be prepared for a lot of uphill climbing, long lines and windy weather.

Contribute  Email your photo to stlpost@gmail.com. Include the full names of everyone in the photo, including where they are from and where you are standing in the photo. Also include your address and phone number. Please also tell us a little about the trip and a travel tip. Were looking for interesting, well-composed, well-lighted photos.
This story appeared in the Sept. 17, 1962, editions of the Post-Dispatch. In 2023 dollars, $5,000 is equivalent to about $50,000.

More than $5000 was stolen by a well-dressed, armed man in a holdup today at the Ambassador Hotel, 108 North Kingshighway.

Mrs. Rina S. Wolf, hotel auditor, told police she was seated at her desk in the office on the mezzanine when a man entered the unlocked door.

He pointed an automatic pistol at her and said, "This is a holdup and I want your money," Mrs. Wolf told police.

The man then ordered her to empty the contents of a metal cash box Which was on her desk into a paper bag that he handed her, she related. When she complied the robber told her to fill the bag with "just quarters" from an office safe that had been opened earlier.

While Mrs. Wolf was filling the bag with currency, Mrs. Belle Feinstein, an office secretary, entered the room. The man, who stood near the door, grabbed her by the arm and pushed her next to Mrs. Wolf, police were told.

Then Dale P. Williams, a bookkeeper, came in and the robber ordered him to stand by the women.

Before he fled, the man ordered the victims into a storage room adjacent to the office and said, "Don't call the police until 10 minutes after I'm gone." The victims said he indicated he had armed companions waiting for him on the main floor.

Police reported that witnesses saw a man matching the robber's description, and two companions, driving east on Lindell boulevard from Kingshighway moments after the holdup. They were in a late model station wagon.

Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman and Gov. John M. Dalton arrived at the hotel moments after the robber fled. Freeman and Dalton were attending a conference at the hotel.

Bernard H. Tureen, owner and general manager of the hotel, made the estimate of the loss.

He told police that hotel regulations require that the accounting office door be locked when money is being counted. Mrs. Wolf said the door was left open momentarily when Williams, who works with her, walked out of the room just before the robber entered.

Mrs. Wolf told police the man was "very neatly" dressed in a dark blue shirt and tie. He also wore a hat. She said he was about 45 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed about 150 pounds.
AWARDS

TechSTL won the 2022-2023 award for Major Impact on Tech Community out of approximately 60 member organizations of the Technology Councils of North America.

HELPING OUT

Whitetail Properties donated more than $120,000 to six outdoor charitable organizations to provide hunting and other outdoor activities for youth, military veterans, including the All Secure Foundation based in St. Louis.

MEDICAL RESEARCH GRANTS

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded Wayne Yokoyama, director of the Division of Physician-Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine, a $2.4 million StARR grant to support early-career physicians in pursuing infectious diseases and immunology research.

OPENINGS

Alex Henry of Sureste in City Foundry STLs Food Hall opened El Molino del Sureste in St. Louis South Hampton neighborhood at:

5005 South Kingshighway.

PROJECTS

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville announced construction of a 115,000 square foot health science building to be completed by summer 2025.
Tony Messenger Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

WARRENTON  A year ago, Warren County Presiding Judge Jason Lamb received an angry letter from a mom. The woman was upset that the man accused of sexually assaulting her daughter on three different occasions hadnt yet gone to trial.

The girl was 9 when three felony charges of first-degree statutory sodomy were filed against John K. Wilmes Jr. By the time the mom wrote the judge, the girl was already 15.

My daughter and I have been waiting for justice since 2016, the mom wrote the judge. The defendant has been walking freely after sexually abusing my daughter after making $150,000 cash only bail. When you were being elected and I contacted you and you promised to put child cases at the front of the line and that didnt happen.  This has taken an unbelievable toll on us.  We are angry, in turmoil, and suffering greatly because of Warren County.

Its been a year since the mom wrote that letter and there has been no movement on the case. Neither Prosecuting Attorney Kelly King nor Lamb has done anything to bring the case to trial, in a county where the backups in the criminal justice system have become a massive problem.

The mom, who asked that I not use her name to protect her daughters identity, called me because of those backups. She read my three-part series last month on the failure of defendants to get a speedy trial in the county, in part because King clogs the system with too many cases, often overcharging defendants, and then refusing to work with defense attorneys on reasonable plea bargains.

The backups are a particular problem for crime victims, the woman tells me.

Theres really no end in sight, she says. The woman says Kings office told her the case might go to trial next year. Her daughter, already 16, will be graduating from high school then. It taking so long has been detrimental to our emotional states.

Missouri has a crime victim compensation law that allows people like the mom and her daughter to access state funds for therapy. They did that. But the law has a two-year limit. Its been seven years since Wilmes was charged. The mom and daughter have moved to another county to feel safe. They are still both in therapy, but for years now, the cost has come out of their own pockets.

At first the delays in trial were sought by Wilmes defense attorney. Wilmes has pleaded not guilty in the case. His attorney didnt return calls for comment. Those early delays werent opposed by King. The case was set for trial in 2018; and again in 2019, more than once, but the trial kept getting delayed for various reasons, sometimes at Kings request. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, but unlike most other counties, the delays in trials in Warren County havent gotten caught up. Things are so bad that often when trials are set, seven or so are set for the same day, with perhaps one, and sometimes none of them, going forward.

King didnt return requests for comment for this column. And as of last week, the case is no longer her concern. Thats because Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who has said nothing about the massive delays in justice in the county where he used to be an assistant prosecutor, just gave King a new job in his office, as deputy attorney general.

In a news release, Bailey praised King for being a tough-on-crime prosecutor who has sentenced countless criminals to hundreds of years in prison. Never mind that any first-year law student knows that prosecutors dont actually sentence people  judges do that  dont tell this mom who has waited seven years for a prosecution that King is tough on anything.

At this point Ive given up even talking to the prosecutors office, she says. Its just excuse after excuse after excuse.

Shes angry at King, but also at Bailey, who seemed really interested in helping crime victims in St. Louis, when former Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner had issues with massive court backups there, but he doesnt seem to care about whats happening where he used to live and work.

It really aggravates me that Bailey is well aware of whats going on in Warren County and not doing anything to help, the mom says.

She and her daughter are doing their best to move on. They have good days and bad days, but both of them have the weight of this case on their shoulders, like other crime victims and defendants in Warren County, waiting year after year for their day in court, with no end in sight.

Her fear is that the delays have taken so long, the case will eventually be dismissed.

Please, please do something, she wrote Lamb, in that letter she sent in desperation a year ago. The letter is the last entry in the court files of the 7-year-old case. My daughter needs to see justice happen. She has lost all faith in the process. Please I beg of you to do something. I cannot take any more.
ST. LOUIS  A 70-year-old man was shot and injured in the Central West End neighborhood Sunday afternoon, police said.

Police said the man was hit in the leg in the 4500 block of Maryland Avenue, just east of the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Police said the man was conscious and breathing. They did not identify him.

An investigation is ongoing.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story, citing police reports, said the person shot was a 7-year-old boy.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Quaker Chemical is US$236 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Quaker Chemical's US$169 share price signals that it might be 28% undervalued

Our fair value estimate is 1.8% higher than Quaker Chemical's analyst price target of US$232

How far off is Quaker Chemical Corporation (NYSE:KWR) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Quaker Chemical

The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$162.2m US$200.0m US$216.6m US$230.6m US$242.6m US$252.9m US$262.1m US$270.4m US$278.2m US$285.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 8.31% Est @ 6.47% Est @ 5.17% Est @ 4.26% Est @ 3.63% Est @ 3.19% Est @ 2.88% Est @ 2.66% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 7.5% US$151 US$173 US$174 US$173 US$169 US$164 US$158 US$152 US$145 US$139

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$1.6b

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.5%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$286m (1 + 2.2%)  (7.5% 2.2%) = US$5.5b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$5.5b ( 1 + 7.5%)10= US$2.6b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$4.2b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$169, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 28% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important 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 Quaker Chemical as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.070. 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 Quaker Chemical

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Chemicals market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the American market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Dividends are not covered by earnings.

Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the American market.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Quaker Chemical, we've compiled three essential items you should further examine:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Quaker Chemical (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does KWR's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE 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.
ST. LOUIS  Annette Nowakowski has been using Call-A-Ride since she moved to St. Louis more than a decade ago.

Nowakowski is blind. Metro Transits Call-A-Ride, a curb-to-curb service for people with disabilities, allowed her to get to her job, go to church or meet friends for dinner. She rarely had trouble making a reservation, even when she called in the morning for a lift she needed that same evening.

That reliability has evaporated.

Metro Transit has been been hit hard by labor shortages over the past three years. In response, the agency trimmed its service area in April, excluding parts of southwest and far north St. Louis County. Trip denials have decreased 50% since then. And a $5,000 hiring bonus offered since July has quadrupled its typical number of driver trainees, inching it toward a complete slate of workers.

But the progress hasnt gone far or fast enough, critics say. Long wait times, inconsistent scheduling and a lack of transparency from Metro, they argue, has severed a lifeline for people unable to navigate bus or light rail.

Its like Call-A-Ride is the stepchild of the fixed route, said Nowakowski.

Now, three days notice is almost always required to arrange a ride, even though compliance with federal Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines calls for day-ahead scheduling. Regular riders complain of inconveniences that make it difficult to plan their lives, budget their money and, sometimes, feel safe. Blaming those problems on a lack of employees is an incomplete story, they say.

Etefia Umana of the Central West End takes Call-A-Ride to and from his gym, but the drop-off and pickup times are so variable that he sometimes has to stretch his workouts over several hours or cram them into 30 minutes.

One day last month, Wilma Chestnut-House of St. John was supposed to be picked up after her sewing class in Bellefontaine Neighbors at 4:30 p.m. The van showed up at 5:30, a half-hour after the building had closed.

It took two hours for James Verde of south St. Louis to get to his chiropractor recently, a 20-minute drive by car. Verde, who deals with a host of complicated medical conditions, was exhausted by the time he arrived for his appointment. But alternatives such as Ubers or taxis quickly add up when youre getting by on disability income, he said. Sometimes its easier to stay home.

Im just tired, said Verde. Im trapped.

Not just a Metro problem

Metro concedes that when it was fully staffed, the shared-transport system could accommodate more riders, and with less advance notice. Scheduling used to be more streamlined, too, with trip requests clustered at the beginning and end of the workday and to more centralized locations, like downtown.

That changed with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Habits shifted, and the labor crisis strained Metro Transit in every direction. A deficit of bus drivers has prompted cutbacks several times since 2020, most recently this summer.

MetroLink is running with about three-quarters of the operators it needs. Overtime payments have ballooned. And vacancies at Call-A-Ride hover around 45%. As of June, 88 positions out of 201 were unfilled.

Cities across the U.S. are embroiled in similar struggles. Some communities, in places such as Michigan, California and Arizona, coordinate with a network of agencies to plug gaps in paratransit. In the St. Louis area, transportation options for disabled people are limited. Many ride-hailing vehicles are not wheelchair-accessible; a Medicaid-funded program is restricted to transportation to specific medical appointments.

This is not just a Metro problem, said Chuck Stewart, executive director of Metro. This is a local problem, a regional problem, a national problem.

A survey last year by the American Public Transportation Association of 117 transit agencies found that nearly three-fourths had to slash services or delay expansions because of worker shortages. More than 9 in 10 reported having difficulty filling openings.

The Call-A-Ride reductions severed access for 250 people who no longer live within its boundaries. Destinations outside the new borders  including Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County  have been lost for everyone.

Keasha Orban of Hazelwood lives at the end of a long cul-de-sac that was bisected in the Call-A-Ride downsizing. Her home was trimmed out, but the other half of her street is still in. She can schedule rides, but then she has to walk almost a third of a mile to wait for the van in front of a neighbors house.

The street, which has no sidewalks, is difficult to navigate for Orban, who is blind and recovering from knee surgery. She has put off doctors appointments and tried to do her physical therapy exercises on her own to avoid trips. But thats come at a cost.

Everything with my knee has been delayed, she said.

Its killing the progress of the city

Call-A-Ride was established in 1987 for St. Louis and St. Louis County. In the past year, its bright blue vans have served about 2,800 people.

Federal guidelines require paratransit to be available within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed line, during the same hours and days, and for no more than double the cost. A one-way Call-A-Ride fare is $2. The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines scheduling protocols, but generally, a one-hour window on both sides of the requested pickup time is considered acceptable.

Starting pay for Call-A-Ride drivers, at $17.85 an hour, is about $5 less than that of bus and light-rail drivers at Metro Transit. The margin widens with experience. An average van driver makes $19.32 an hour; bus drivers average $28.49 and MetroLink operators, $29.23.

When it was running with a full contingent of employees, Call-A-Ride recorded almost no trip denials, said General Manager Jeff Butler. People could phone a day in advance and consistently nab a seat. Prebooking was an option for folks who needed recurring rides so they didnt have to schedule one every day.

Prior to COVID, the agency provided between 1,800 and 2,000 daily trips, Butler said  double what it does today. Trip denials peaked in February, when Call-A-Ride was unable to fulfill 42% of 45,163 requests. By last month, denials had fallen to under 18% of 40,525 requests.

Were getting there, Butler said.

Mark Detjen of west St. Louis County has been a Call-A-Ride user for almost a quarter century. Detjen, who is blind and has mobility limitations, took the vans everywhere  to meetings and work, for social outings and errands.

Since 2020, he has only successfully booked both legs of a round trip three times. Sometimes, he scrapes together money to pay for an Uber. But mostly, he skips whatever he was going to do.

It really restricts your freedom, said Detjen, who lives alone.

The repercussions extend beyond individual inconveniences: Employers have to cover missed work hours. Health appointments are postponed. Money isnt spent at stores or restaurants.

Its killing the progress of the city, Detjen said. The city doesnt grow when you cant get around in it.

Filing complaints

When Metro announced its service cuts in March, disability rights advocates mobilized. Paraquad, a local agency that serves the disabled, hosts a weekly Zoom meeting to compile grievances and brainstorm solutions. A complaint, signed by a dozen representatives of religious groups and nonprofits, was filed with the U.S. Department of Justice in April. The organizations sent a similar letter to the Federal Transit Administration.

Among the criticisms: Scheduling is possible only by phone, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Call-A-Ride still requires cash payments, unlike the bus or MetroLink, for which tickets can be purchased through an app. Riders are expected to be ready 15 minutes before their pickup window starts, outside of FTA guidelines.

It comes down to quality of life, said Jeanette Mott Oxford of Paraquad. Can people with disabilities engage in a normal, happy life?

In a June meeting with Metro Transit representatives, advocates including Oxford proposed bringing in outside consultants and allowing in-person attendance for the public at commissioners meetings for Bi-State Development, the parent agency for Metro Transit. They also discussed improving wages and benefits for drivers, who will be negotiating a new contract in January.

Barbara Sheinbein of west St. Louis County doesnt feel their concerns are being taken seriously. The driver shortage is a big problem, she said, but its not the only problem.

Sheinbein, who is retired, uses Call-A-Ride to get to a pet adoption center in Olivette for her weekly volunteer gig to cheer up the animals.

It takes perseverance. Her usual routine, she said, is calling at 7:30 a.m., redialing through 10 minutes of busy signals, taking a break and doing it all over again. If she waited until the phone line was free later in the day, nothing would be available.

Its not like one thing is going to fix this, Sheinbein said.

Metro officials say that recent changes are aimed at dismantling barriers for users. Via, a micro ride-sharing program, is available in three small geographic zones in St. Louis County. That could grow, said Stewart, the executive director. Prebooking could return, and other innovations could be on the way  once the employment situation is resolved.

The challenge is matching the available resources to our needs, he said. We certainly understand the frustrations.

In coming months, the agency plans to expand a smartphone pilot program that would allow passengers to pay without cash. Better computer software and an updated call-in process that would reduce busy signals and scheduling headaches are on the horizon.

And hiring is headed in the right direction, Stewart said. Twenty prospective employees enrolled in Call-A-Rides training program last month, and the agency is working through a backlog of applicants.

Sheinbein acknowledges that the paratransit system was designed with good intent, to allow disabled people access to their community. But more than three decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, she is fed up with what seems like a plodding pace.

As disabled people, were supposed to be happy with whatever we get and just deal with it, Sheinbein said. The real answer is a completely different system.
No one likes to pay insurance premiums but when disaster strikes, they sure are relieved to have it. That is what the growing bipartisan group No Labels is offering the electorate.

Poll after poll shows that a majority of Americans do not want a 2020 rematch between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump in 2024. It is hard to imagine a sequence of events that changes the polling or gets better for either candidate, especially since Biden will only get older and Trumps legal liabilities will increase over time.

Imagine the following scenario, which is not beyond imagination:

It is late September 2024 and the nominating conventions have passed. The Republicans met in July and nominated Trump. The Democrats convened in August and incumbent Biden was renominated.

Trump has been convicted in the federal trial for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trumps trial for his mishandling of classified documents is ongoing in Florida, as well as his Georgia trial over election interference. The American public has learned a great deal of information during the trials and a majority of the electorate thinks Trump should be disqualified from holding the office of the presidency.

All the while, President Bidens approval numbers remain low, with Vice President Kamala Harris even lower. Then Biden has a major health event and both confidence in him and enthusiasm for the general election tanks.

With that sequence of events would the American people not be relieved that there was another choice. That there was an insurance policy in place to avert an electoral debacle?

This is what No Labels  a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization established in 2009  is offering.

No Labels spent its first decade plus working to build a bipartisan governing coalition in Congress. They helped create the House Problem Solvers Caucus and an allied Senate group that led passage of the historic 2021 infrastructure bill. Later that year, No Labels launched a project to secure nationwide ballot access to enable the potential nomination of an independent Unity Ticket in 2024.

No Labels identifies themselves as a growing national movement of common-sense Americans pushing our leaders together to solve our countrys biggest problems.

From their website: Our movement includes conservatives, liberals and everyone in between, but we are all united by certain fundamental beliefs. We care about this country more than the demands of any political party. We believe political leaders need to listen more to the majority of Americans and less to extremists on the far left and far right. We are grateful to live in a country where we can openly disagree with other people. We believe America isnt perfect, but we love this country and would not want to live any place else. We can still love and respect people who do not share our political opinions. We support, and are grateful for, the U.S. military.

No Labels has been working on obtaining ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A potential unity ticket would include a Democrat and a Republican candidate, one on the top of the ticket and one on the bottom of the ticket. But only if the American people say that is what they want.

No Labels has not yet committed to offering its ballot line to a presidential ticket. According to their website they will run ONLY under the proper environmental conditions, which must be met for us to proceed. We will measure these conditions rigorously, through regular polling and research.

Their own extensive polling shows that 63% of Americans would be open to supporting a moderate independent presidential candidate in 2024 if the alternatives are Trump and Biden.

No Labels is offering an insurance provision to the country. Their detractors, who at this time are mostly Democrats, worry about the votes a potential unity ticket would take from Biden and Harris. The same critics have been silent on Green Party candidate Cornel Wests potential vote share.

No Labels is on record as saying they will not be a spoiler for Trump. Instead, they are doing the hard work of getting ballot access and would only offer its ballot line to a Unity Ticket if it had a real shot to win the White House. They understand the threat that Trump poses to our Constitutional order. No Labels co-chairs Sen. Joe Lieberman and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. have said unequivocally: Donald Trump should never again be president of the United States.

If the Democratic and Republican parties continue on their current paths, both will be complicit in nominating candidates that a majority of American voters do not want. Neither political party should be limiting the choices for the American electorate. That is undemocratic.

So, if it turns out that the American people want another choice and would actually vote for a Unity ticket, No Labels will be ready to go. I for one would be glad that the glass will be there in 2024 to break in case of an emergency.

Lynn Schmidt is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member. lynnschmidtrn@outlook.com
North Korea is converting 400 of its 1950s era MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters into cruise missiles. North Korea is the last nation to still have many of these aircraft in service, mainly because North Korea cannot obtain any additional modern aircraft. The North Korea Air Force consists of about 1,300 Cold War era Russian and Chinese aircraft, about half of them combat planes. The Chinese aircraft are knockoffs of older Russian designs, and most of the North Korean fleet consists of aircraft designs that were getting old in the 1970s.

North Korean Air Force training exercises with the MiG-17s and 19s are rare because these elderly aircraft are difficult to keep flying. That means pilots get very little time in the air and only have basic flying skills. This is common throughout the North Korean air force and explains why the North Korean Air Force can barely fly and hardly fight. The Russian MiG-19 (over 2,200 built) is an 8.8 ton, single engine, single seat aircraft with a max speed of 1,500 kilometers an hour. It only carries a half ton of bombs and was designed over 70 years ago. The MiG-19 is an improved (supersonic) version of the MiG-17, which entered service in 1952 and weighed six tons. Three years later the MiG-19 appeared.

Currently, North Korea is the only country still using MiG-17s and MiG-19s but has a difficult time keeping them flyable. North Korea obtained 40 used MiG-29s in the 1980s and considers them their best jet fighters. The MiG-29s have more experienced pilots and fly more often. Turning 400 older MiGs into cruise missiles will mean more resources for the MiG-29s.

South Korea considers the North Korean air force more of a nuisance than a threat and plans to destroy most North Korean aircraft in the air or on the ground, including the caves where many are kept, in the early stages of any future war. North Korea seeks to avoid this by using most of these aircraft first in a surprise attack and holding back some of them, safe inside tunnels. South Korea has plans to deal with all that but will not, for obvious reasons, discuss details.

North Korean Air Force training exercises often feature the loss of a MiG-17 or MiG-19. The most modern aircraft the North Koreans have are 40 MiG-29s they got in the 1980s, when they were still getting gifts from the Soviet Union. The rest of their combat aircraft are poorly maintained and infrequently used antiques because of fuel and spare parts shortages.
The event brings investment opportunities for people across the globe.

SAN PEDRO, BELIZE / ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2023 / On August 30, 2023 the Belize Investment Summit Commenced with the mission to assist people in providing significant investment opportunities, h lz nvtmnt ummt 2023 became a successful landmark event for investment. This symposium was put on by the Office of the President and the Department of Finance, Development, and Economic Development. It was centered around the theme, "Endless Opportunities." A key purpose of the event was to attract and promote investment for economic development.

There were presentations from high-profile international experts, policymakers, and enterprise movers and shakers on the government's vision for enhanced and strategic investments at the Summit, as well as a keynote address by Belize's Prime Minister outlining the government's vision for enhanced and strategic investment climate. Several industry experts, including Dustin Rennie from RE/MAX Belize, attended the event held to showcase Belize's readiness to support global investment.

The founder states, "The Belize Investment Summit 2023 is focused on attracting and promoting investment for economic development in Belize, identifying opportunities, and showcasing Belize's readiness to support global investment. This included Belize real estate investment. Dustin Rennie was a Guest Panelist on the Investment and Real Estate Opportunities in Belize."

There are many opportunities for both domestic and international investors in Belize shown and discussed in this presentation. In order to facilitate global globalization, the government proudly displayed foreign news on this platform. In his remarks, former Attorney General John Recenzo outlined the government's commitment to strategic marketing, setting the tone for the remainder of the event.

Attendees benefited from the information shared by corporate experts, public relations personnel, the hotel executive offices, and the key organizers throughout the conference. It is a case for the future development of Belize. In addition to presentations and panels, the summit focused on a comprehensive overview of the opportunities available in Belize. They highlighted development success stories in Belize's current and future opportunities, providing detailed insights for investments in Belize.

Moreover, the panel of experts discussed real estate investment and the establishment of businesses in Belize, bringing together brands and investors. The insights provided by Dustin Rennie into the Belizean real estate market, investment opportunities, and development of the country were invaluable.

The Belize Tourism Board added, "On the panel, Dustin Rennie discussed real estate investment and setting up business in Belize and the requisite preparation in terms of a feasibility study to connect brands or investors with projects-review of Hotel Licensing Requirements and Accommodation taxes. Dustin contributed valuable insight into Belize's real estate market, investment opportunities, and future development." Dustin Rennie RE/MAX Belize

Media Contact

Organization: RE/MAX Belize

Contact Person: Dustin Rennie

Website: https://remaxbelizerealestate.com/

Email: [email protected]

City: San Pedro

State: Belize

Country: Belize

SOURCE: RE/MAX Belize

View source version on accesswire.com:
Continuously promoting industry breakthroughs, Asia will become an important crypto center

Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - Justin Sun, the esteemed founder of TRON and a member of the HTX Global Advisory Committee, was cordially invited to participate in the highly anticipated 2023 Milken Institute Asia Summit on September 14. During this prestigious event, Sun engaged in a profound and insightful dialogue with Kirk Wagar, the President of Wagar Global Advisors and Former Ambassador of US to Singapore, focusing on pertinent issues concerning the future trajectory of the crypto industry.

In the course of their conversation, Justin Sun expressed a notable viewpoint, highlighting the insufficient recognition of stablecoins as a significant real-world use case.

Justin Sun: Firm Belief in Blockchain and Advancing the Crypto Industry

During the conversation, Justin Sun eloquently emphasized the lack of attention given to stablecoins as a significant real-world use case, while also introducing TRON's achievements in stablecoin. Sun revealed that the blockchain currently hosts approximately $50 billion worth of stablecoins, including popular ones like USDT, USDC, TUSD, as well as decentralized stablecoins such as USDD and USDJ. Notably, the TRON network boasts a daily trading volume surpassing $12 billion, surpassing many other platforms trading in US dollars while maintaining significantly lower transaction costs.

Kirk Wagar pointed out during the conversation that there are still concerns in the market regarding cryptocurrencies.

In response to this issue, Justin Sun stated that increasing transparency and ensuring decentralization are key factors, highlighting the importance of decentralized governance in establishing a global financial consensus. As the founder of TRON, Sun reiterated his unwavering commitment to decentralization. The operation of TRON relies on thousands of global nodes, ensuring transparency and decentralization, which in turn inspires confidence in regulatory agencies.

Asia's Crypto Industry Ascends, Setting its Sights on Large-Scale Applications: Insights from Justin Sun at the Milken Institute Asia Summit

During the conversation, Justin Sun eloquently highlighted the remarkable ascent of Asia in the crypto domain. He elucidated that the crypto industry originated in Asia and has progressively expanded from China to encompass influential regions such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. Presently, Asia has reclaimed its position as one of the world's foremost crypto hubs.

Justin Sun emphasized that following the actions taken by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, numerous leading investment institutions in the United States have shifted their focus towards Asia. Consequently, they have dedicated the majority of the past three years to exploring opportunities in locations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan.

During the conversation, Justin Sun shared his experience in promoting the adoption of crypto technology during his tenure at the World Trade Organization (WTO). He noted that while the WTO primarily focuses on traditional trade, a consensus has yet to be formed regarding e-commerce and blockchain. Currently, an increasing number of individuals are embracing crypto technology as a daily payment solution, utilizing TRON network and decentralized methods for transactions. Sun acknowledged that fostering widespread adoption of crypto technology will require sustained efforts over the long term.

Justin Sun remarked, "Although the crypto industry has a history of over a decade, it is still in a very early stage. Its ultimate objective is to achieve widespread adoption and large-scale applications. However, before reaching that milestone, several obstacles, including regulatory challenges and infrastructure enhancements, must be overcome to address user convenience and mitigate risks in daily usage. Establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework holds the key to unlocking substantial growth potential in the crypto industry. Currently, the number of crypto users stands at approximately 100 million." Justin Sun hopes to see regulatory progress in the next 6 to 12 months.

It is worth noting that the 2023 Milken Institute Asia Summit, now in its tenth edition, was hosted by the esteemed non-profit and nonpartisan think tank, Milken Institute, in the United States. This influential event centered around the theme "Bridging Complexity and Opportunity," bringing together prominent figures from diverse fields such as politics and economics. Their collective efforts aimed to foster discussions on pressing global issues, including digital development and access to capital.

Media Contact

Company Name: TRON

Contact: Jessie Huang

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://tron.network/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180900
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 17, 2023) - LFi, a pioneering force in innovative technology, continues to break fresh ground in Dubai as it expands its presence locally with the soft launch of its new LFi Labs office. Over a thousand visitors were recently treated to an exclusive sneak peek of this groundbreaking project, which will serve as a central hub of new advancements and innovations by the LFi brand.

LFI

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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It represents a dynamic fusion of crypto, finance, and technology, aimed at fostering innovation, inclusivity, and financial freedom. The tech startup seeks to provide a diverse range of products and services that give people greater access to tools and information for navigating the crypto and Web3 landscape.

Dubai has long been at the forefront of innovation and progress, consistently pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The establishment of the Labs locally gives the brand a strong foothold in one of the most progressive, influential, and technology-oriented economic hubs in the Middle East and North African region. Furthermore, the city's vibrant and dynamic atmosphere mirrors the ethos of the office, where the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence is paramount.

LFi's presence in Dubai allows the startup to leverage the city's intellectual diversity and strength as it seeks to harness the best and brightest minds in the region. The company looks to collaborate with visionaries, tech enthusiasts, and creators from various backgrounds to realize revolutionary ideas that will shape the future.

The soft launch of LFi Labs served as the perfect occasion for select guests to visit the freshly inaugurated space. Featuring the LFi One smartphone, xLFi Minters, and other innovative products, the immersive experience offered a taste of what the future holds for the brand.

With the official opening on the horizon, CEO Luiz Ges expressed excitement toward the prospect of fresh collaborative opportunities with experts and market participants within the region.The CEO added that the platform's new venture in Dubai aims to attain a "brighter era" for glabal crypto.

About the Project

LFi is a technology company that aims to empower the global fintech movement with new and innovative offerings that combine cutting-edge hardware with next-generation software. Leveraging the power of advanced computing and blockchain technology, the ecosystem seeks to realize a future of financial independence through integrated products and solutions.

Dive deeper into LFi's groundbreaking journey. Visit our website or follow us on social to keep up with our latest updates.

Website - https://lfi.io/

Telegram - https://t.me/lfiofficial

Twitter - https://twitter.com/lfiecosystem

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lfiecosystem

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lfiecosystem/

Medium Blog - https://lfiofficial.medium.com/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCblYGy4pyrJnhgy_h8NMiLg

PR Contact

Samantha Davis

Email: [email protected]

Location: Dubai, UAE

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180741
Taco Del Sol, a full-service Mexican restaurant near East Helena, MT offering tacos and burritos, announces new casual dining menus

Helena, Montana--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - Taco Del Sol is now serving a wider variety of quick service Mexican dishes for lunch and dinner. The restaurant's new menu includes tacos and burritos with meat and seafood fillings together with vegetarian options.

More details can be found at https://www.tacodelsolhelenamt.com/.



Mexican Restaurant Taco Del Sol Launches New Dining Menus In East Helena, MT



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Following the update, customers can choose to dine in amidst the eatery's vibrant atmosphere and colorful dcor or order their food to take out from Monday to Saturday between 11.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m.

Taco Del Sol's signature dish is the fish taco. Made with baked Alaskan cod, shredded cabbage, cheese, salsa fresca, and white sauce, it is a consistent favorite amongst locals.

Other fillings on the menu include chicken, beef, shrimp, shredded pork, or carne asada - grilled meat that is traditionally marinated and seared to impart a charred flavor.

For meat-free cuisine, customers can opt for Taco Del Sol's Bean and Cheese Burrito with a choice of black, pinto, or refried beans. Another option is the Veggie Taco with beans, cheese, lettuce, and salsa fresca. A variety of corn, soft flour, whole wheat, and gluten-free tacos and tortillas are available.

Alongside the main dishes, the restaurant offers taco salad, nachos, and sides such as rice and beans, and chips and guacamole. The beverage menu features local MT brews, a selection of red and white wine, and sangria.

Taco Del Sol first opened in downtown Helena in 2004 and is now based in the historic Placer Hotel. The restaurant supports a number of local organizations including The Friendship Center and The Humane Society.

Interested parties can find more information at https://www.tacodelsolhelenamt.com/.

Contact Info:

Name: Emily Reardon

Email: [email protected]

Phone:406-443-3978

Organization: Taco Del Sol

Address: 21 N Last Chance Gulch #103, , Helena, MT 59601, United States

Website: https://www.tacodelsolhelenamt.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180902
Syncredible's App Store debut introduces eco-friendly, customizable smart digital business cards with QR code integration, setting a new standard in digital networking

Munich, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - In a truly innovative move that sets them apart from their competitors, Syncredible-a cutting-edge leader in the realm of digital networking-has unveiled their QR code-enabled smart digital business cards on the App Store. Drawing upon their groundbreaking fusion of progressive technologies and comprehensive data security protocols, Syncredible is striving to revolutionize how modern professionals network online.

More information about this launch can be found at https://syncredible.app/en/.





Syncredible Launches QR Code Smart Digital Business Cards on App Store



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With the swift acceleration of digital transformation, there has been a marked rise in demand for efficient networking solutions. As technology continues to catapult forward at a breakneck speed, organizations increasingly seek efficient yet cutting-edge networking solutions - and Syncredible has masterfully stepped up to this challenge. Their networking app offers a streamlined platform to create and share digital business cards with ease and convenience, catering to the fast-evolving needs of modern companies.

Syncredible has redefined business networking with its innovative integration of QR codes into its app. This innovative technology grants users the ability to share their contact information effortlessly and instantly; no manual input is necessary. By acting as an intermediary between physical and virtual media, Syncredible's QR code business card offers unparalleled convenience-the potency of digital sharing meshed with the familiarity of traditional business cards.

Syncredible's app is not just another addition to the plethora of business card makers flooding the market. It stands out with its unique QR code business card feature for seamless and efficient networking. Both businesses and individuals can now design their own custom-made virtual cards, incorporating essential details such as photos, logos, and contact information. Once created, these cards can be shared instantly using a unique QR code. This ensures that the recipient gets accurate details promptly, eliminating the inconvenience of manual data entry.

The app's emphasis on customization also caters to contemporary networking demands. Professionals can meticulously craft their virtual business cards to represent their brand image. Options for logos, color schemes, fonts, and layouts allow users to get creative and develop a distinctive brand identity.

As the professional arena progresses to a dominantly digital climate, first impressions are more likely to form online, making a dynamic and interactive virtual business card crucial for professionals. Syncredible's platform provides this edge, allowing experts to present themselves in a manner that's both contemporary and impactful. Using this innovative technology, Tiger Digital, a leading full-service digital marketing agency, is leveraging digital business cards to creatively engage its clients and audience while amplifying its brand. The emphasis Syncredible places on customization ensures that users can align their smart digital business cards with their professional image, choosing preferred colors, fonts, and layouts.

"Digital business cards are the future of networking. Syncredible's platform offers exceptional flexibility, allowing professionals to update and share their contact information in real time. By transitioning to a digital format, we're not only promoting a sustainable approach to networking but also ensuring that professionals stay ahead of the curve," stated Josef Baumgartner, CEO of Syncredible.

Beyond just being a networking tool, Syncredible's digital business card solution underscores the company's commitment to sustainability. Transitioning to digital means a significant reduction in paper waste and associated printing costs, promoting a more eco-friendly approach to networking.

Syncredible's continuous efforts to enhance the user experience and functionality are evident. The launch of the pioneering QR code-integrated business cards is only the beginning for Syncredible. This digital networking app aims to be the go-to platform for professionals seeking to elevate their networking game in the digital age. With a focus on data security and state-of-the-art features, it's no wonder that Syncredible is making waves in the digital business card industry.

Interested investors and individuals are invited to explore Syncredible, available on the App Store.

Contact Info:

Name: Josef Baumgartner

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Syncredible GmbH

Address: Munchener Str. 26, 85247 Schwabhausen, Germany, Munich, Bavaria 80331, Germany

Website: https://syncredible.app/en/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180903
LOS ANGELES , Sept. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Resecurity, Inc. ( USA ), a global cybersecurity solutions provider protecting Fortune 500 and government agencies worldwide, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mohammed Alghamdi as the Managing Director for its operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). With a distinguished professional career spanning government relations management and successful collaborations with both private and public sector organizations, Mr. Alghamdi is well-equipped to lead Resecurity's strategic initiatives and business development in the region.

Mr. Alghamdi's career includes notable tenures at prestigious global consulting firms, including Booz Allen Hamilton, Oliver Wyman , and Bain & Company, specializing in the clients' most critical issues: strategy, marketing, organization, operations, technology, transformation, digital, advanced analytics, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and sustainability across all industries and geographies. During his time at these organizations, he developed a strong reputation for delivering impactful solutions and building relationships with clients across various sectors.

Resecurity's comprehensive portfolio of services is tailored to government and law enforcement organizations, making them a trusted partner in the field of cybersecurity. As the Managing Director for Resecurity in KSA, Mr. Alghamdi will play a pivotal role in overseeing government affairs and mission-critical operations specifically relevant to the national security, aerospace and defense (A&D) verticals.

Gene Yoo , CEO of Resecurity, expressed his excitement for this strategic appointment, stating, "We are excited to have Mr. Alghamdi join our great team to lead and drive our business development efforts in Saudi Arabia . His extensive experience and expertise in government relations and business development will undoubtedly enhance our ability to provide world-class cybersecurity and risk management solutions to our clients in the region."

Resecurity is committed to empowering organizations with actionable intelligence and next-generation tools needed to defend against evolving cyber threats and new security challenges. With Mr. Alghamdi's leadership, Resecurity is poised to expand its presence and deepen its partnerships in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , further contributing to the security and resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030, a program launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, technologically, socially and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman .

About Resecurity

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies with the sole mission of enabling organizations to combat cyber threats regardless of how sophisticated they are. Most recently, Resecurity was named as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California by Inc. Magazine. An Official Member and a Gold Sponsor of InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA), AFCEA, NDIA, SIA, FS-ISAC and the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmChamKSA), Singapore (AmChamSG), Korea (AmChamKorea), Mexico (AmChamMX), and UAE (AmChamDubai). To learn more about Resecurity, visit https://resecurity.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ex-bain-and-booz-allen-executive-to-lead-resecuritys-expansion-in-saudi-arabia-301929770.html

SOURCE Resecurity
(Reuters) - Armenia discussed with Russia its plans to come under the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction, Russian media said on Sunday, a move strongly opposed by Moscow after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.

Relations between the traditional allies have frayed badly since Putin launched an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. Yerevan has said it was moving to come under the court's jurisdiction, prompting Moscow to warn of "serious consequences" if it did.

The court in The Hague accused Putin in March of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds or more children from Ukraine, a claim condemned by the Kremlin as meaningless and outrageously partisan.

The warrant obliges the court's 123 member states to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory.

The ambassador at large of Armenia's Foreign Ministry, Edmon Marukyan, said Yereven has sent "proposals" on the issue to Moscow, the TASS news agency reported. "A meeting was held and the process is underway," it quoted him as saying.

Bilateral ties have further deteriorated in recent months over what Yerevan says is Moscow's failure to fully uphold a 2020 ceasefire treaty it helped broker between Armenia and Azerbaijan to end their war over Nagorno-Karabakh - an Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan.

Marukyan said Armenia's plan to become a party to the Rome Statute, bringing it under the international court's remit, was "not against the Russian Federation but because of war crimes committed on territory of the Republic of Armenia by the Azerbaijani side", TASS reported.

"Our Russian partners are well aware of this."

Yerevan has in recent weeks repeatedly accused Azerbaijan of massing forces around Karabakh, which Baku has effectively blockaded since December 2022, causing acute hunger.

A deal struck last weekend to unblock roads to the territory has yet to take full effect.

Nonetheless, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sunday a peace pact with Baku was possible by the end of the year and that Yerevan was doing everything for that to happen, TASS reported.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by William Mallard)
FILE PHOTO: Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair speaks during a meeting of the special committee on the COVID-19 pandemic, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the House

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will contribute C$33 million ($24.5 million) to a British-led partnership that is buying air defense equipment for Ukraine to help it fend off Russian missile and drone attacks, Defence Minister Bill Blair said on Sunday.

In a statement, Blair said the contribution was part of the

C$500 million worth of military aid for Kyiv that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in June.

Canada, home to one of the world's largest Ukrainian diasporas, is a vocal supporter of Kyiv. Since Russia invaded in February 2022, Ottawa has committed over C$8 billion in aid, including around C$1.8 billion in military assistance.

The partnership, which also includes the United States, the Netherlands and Denmark, aims to buy hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles and associated systems.

($1 = 1.3523 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by David Gregorio)
KYIV (Reuters) - One farm worker died and another was injured on Sunday in Ukraine's southern Kherson region after their tractor hit a mine while ploughing a field, Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Liberated after a long Russian occupation, the Kherson region is heavily mined and farmers risk their lives trying to work in fields that have not yet been cleared of mines.

"I'm once again appealing to the residents of the region. Do not start any work until the fields have been inspected by sappers. Take care of your safety," Prokudin said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal earlier this year said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had created the world's largest minefield with an area of 250,000 square kilometres (96,525 square miles).

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Conor Humphries)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, May 11, 2023. (Chad J. McNeeley/Department of Defense)

The war in Ukraine isnt likely to end anytime soon, according to American and NATO leaders. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNNs Fareed Zakaria on Sunday that it will take a long time to kick all of Russias 200,000 troops out of the country, which is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys broader strategic objective.

Thats a very high bar, Milley said. Its going to take a long time to do it.

Zelenskyy is set to travel to Washington this week to appeal for more assistance, The Washington Post has reported. His visit to Capitol Hill is tentatively expected Thursday, when  backed by the Biden administration  he will try to persuade members of Congress to vote for Ukraine aid. The trip would be his second to the United States since the war began.

Heres the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.

Key developments

Zelenskyys visit to the Hill will be very, very persuasive in getting members to vote for Ukraine aid, Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told Face The Nation on CBS. Zelenskyy is a great spokesperson. He really makes the case better than anyone that this is a fight for democracy. Turner said Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) would have preferred the White House had come to them before proposing the last Ukrainian aid package. The House and certainly the Republican caucus overwhelmingly supports aid for Ukraine. There will be issues over what the administration has asked for and what Congress ultimately gives, Turner said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concluded his trip to Russia, boarding a specially equipped armored train to the fanfare of a military orchestra in the far-eastern city of Artyom on Sunday, Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti reported. Kims visit has drawn attention in Washington and beyond over a possible arms deal between Moscow and Pyongyang, as Russia seeks artillery for its waning stockpiles.

In Russia, Kim viewed aviation equipment and missile systems in the city of Vladivostok, where he was met by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, state media outlet Tass reported. Over the weekend, the leader of North Korea attended The Sleeping Beauty ballet on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. Kim also visited an aquarium, where he watched marine animals perform, Russian media reported.

Kim was gifted five kamikaze drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest by the governor of the Primorsky region, which borders China and North Korea, Tass reported Sunday.

Two merchant ships approached Ukrainian ports on Saturday, the first civilian vessels to travel through a temporary shipping corridor in the Black Sea since the collapse of a grain deal with Russia in July. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the Palauan-flagged ships, Resilient Africa and Aroyat, are headed to Chornomorsk, where they will load nearly 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia.

Jewish pilgrims gathered in central Ukraine to mark Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish new year, which began at sunset Friday and ended at sundown Sunday. More than 35,000 pilgrims  mostly from the United States, Israel and Europe  gathered in the city of Uman, which holds historical significance for the Hasidic community, according to the regional governor, Ihor Taburets. Ukrainian and Israeli police were patrolling the area, which was under air raid alerts Sunday morning.

An apartment in occupied Crimea owned by Zelenskyy is among 100 properties on the peninsula that Russian authorities there plan to sell, according to an announcement Saturday by Volodymyr Konstantinov, the speaker of Crimeas parliament. He wrote on Telegram that eight auctions had concluded, generating about $8.8 million. The other sales will take place soon, he added. Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 from Ukraine.

Global impact

There will be no swift end to Russias war in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told German media in an interview published Sunday. Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin, he told the Funke media group. There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO, he said, adding, We are all wishing for a quick peace.

The war in Ukraine was a topic of conversation between national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinas top diplomat, Wang Yi, according to a U.S. readout of their Sunday conversation. The two sides discussed key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russias war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues, among other topics, per the readout.

Poland will ban Russian-registered cars from entering its borders starting Sunday, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski announced. Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have imposed similar restrictions. An update to European Commission guidelines asked member states to stop Russian citizens from bringing cars and other goods into the European Union in an effort to prevent sanctions-dodging.

Defense firms from 21 countries will participate in Ukraines Defense Industries Forum, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Saturday. The event, which is set to take place this fall, is the first of its kind to be held in Ukraine, he said. Our task is absolutely clear  to provide Ukraine with all the opportunities to produce weapons and ammunition, to provide modern technology to have reliable protection against any form of aggression, Zelenskyy said. Ukraines foreign minister previously said top defense industry firms in France and the Czech Republic have been invited to the forum.

U.K. officials are supporting the family of a British man who reportedly died in Ukraine and are in contact with local authorities, a British Foreign Office spokesman told The Post. Daniel Burke, 36, a former British soldier, was reported missing by his family on Aug. 16 after traveling to the Ukrainian front to fight against Russian forces, according to BBC News. Burkes family told the outlet that Ukrainian authorities recently recovered the former paratroopers body in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said he was skeptical that any munitions North Korea might provide to Russia would be decisive in Moscows war against Ukraine. Would it have a huge difference? Im skeptical, Milley said following Kims rare trip outside his nation to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia. The impact, I wouldnt want to downplay it too much, but  I doubt that it will be decisive, Milley told reporters traveling with him overseas.

Battleground updates
Investors in MJ Gleeson plc (LON:GLE) had a good week, as its shares rose 8.3% to close at UK4.06 following the release of its full-year results. MJ Gleeson reported UK328m in revenue, roughly in line with analyst forecasts, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) of UK0.41 beat expectations, being 7.9% higher than what the analysts expected. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year.

Check out our latest analysis for MJ Gleeson

After the latest results, the five analysts covering MJ Gleeson are now predicting revenues of UK349.7m in 2024. If met, this would reflect a satisfactory 6.5% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are forecast to decrease 9.3% to UK0.38 in the same period. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of UK360.3m and earnings per share (EPS) of UK0.41 in 2024. The analysts are less bullish than they were before these results, given the reduced revenue forecasts and the minor downgrade to earnings per share expectations.

The analysts made no major changes to their price target of UK6.41, suggesting the downgrades are not expected to have a long-term impact on MJ Gleeson's valuation. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values MJ Gleeson at UK12.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at UK4.70. So we wouldn't be assigning too much credibility to analyst price targets in this case, because there are clearly some widely different views on what kind of performance this business can generate. With this in mind, we wouldn't rely too heavily the consensus price target, as it is just an average and analysts clearly have some deeply divergent views on the business.

Story continues

Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that MJ Gleeson's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2024 expected to display 6.5% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 13% over the past five years. Juxtapose this against the other companies in the industry with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenues (in aggregate) 1.5% per year. Even after the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that MJ Gleeson is also expected to grow faster than the wider industry.

The Bottom Line

The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for MJ Gleeson. Regrettably, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, but the latest forecasts still imply the business will grow faster than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates.

With that said, the long-term trajectory of the company's earnings is a lot more important than next year. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for MJ Gleeson going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here..

Plus, you should also learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with MJ Gleeson .

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.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, leaves the AI Insight Forum at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Sept. 13, 2023, in Washington, DC. Lawmakers are seeking input from business leaders in the artificial intelligence sector, and some of their most ardent opponents, for writing legislation governing the rapidly evolving technology. (Nathan Howard, Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  In the same week that tech industry leaders and senators came to a consensus that government should regulate artificial intelligence, a group of lawmakers, staff and advocates leaned into the potential powers of AI to change the legislative branch and how it works.

Rather than something to be feared, AI is a tool that can help streamline constituent services, demystify complex legislation and improve civic discourse, according to a series of ideas presented at the fifth Congressional Hackathon, a meeting of policy wonks and data nerds that unfolded over several hours Thursday in the Capitol Visitor Center auditorium.

I understand the fear, said Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who co-hosted the event with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., referring to anxieties around AI. But I also want to understand the opportunity. And I dont want to see things only happening in the private sector.

The Congressional Hackathon was first convened in 2011 to bat around ideas for improving the inner workings of the Capitol, and subsequent events were held in 2015, 2017 and 2022. This years hackathon was not solely about AI and its potential for good and evil, but the issue permeated much of the discussion and has increasingly demanded attention on the Hill. Critics have griped that Congress has been too slow to grasp the rapidly evolving implications and risks of AI, leaving lawmakers scrambling to catch up.

On Tuesday, a Senate subcommittee held a hearing on AI oversight, at which tech executives  including the president of Microsoft, which has invested billions in the parent company of ChatGPT  urged lawmakers to rein in AI, especially systems that control critical infrastructure.

The next day, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, as well as other top AI experts, were on the Hill for a closed-door meeting with senators. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., who summarized the forum for reporters, said the parties agreed that Congress should play a role in regulating the technology but disagreed on how.

And on Thursday, the House Administration Committee hinted at how those larger debates could hit close to home for lawmakers in their own workplace. While generative AI holds the tantalizing promise of dramatically increased efficiency for rank-and-file staffers, it also poses questions of ethics and transparency, a brief report warned. The committee has asked congressional support agencies to provide monthly updates on how they plan to use AI.

But the mood at the hackathon was considerably more buoyant. While some participants in the public event expressed their anxiety over the potential for misinformation spread by AI, the majority saw opportunities to harness the technology.

Dylan Irlbeck, a congressional innovation fellow with the Senate Finance Committee, spoke about the potential for using large language models, which can scrape and quickly process large amounts of text from the web, to quickly write bill summaries that appear on Congress.gov, which are currently authored by the Congressional Research Service.

The problem is that CRS cannot and does not provide these in a timely way, Irlbeck said. We have this new technology  large language models  that have a lot of amazing properties that make them really good at summaries, including language understanding  contextual awareness, scalability  customization by task and also processing speed. They can generate these summaries in mere seconds.

Irlbeck said AI could be used as a copilot, not autopilot. CRS analysts would need to approve the AI-generated summaries, but would not have to undertake the more rigorous process of writing them.

Andy Curran, CEO and founder of the WeVote Foundation, previewed a social network set to launch in early 2024 that would create hyper-focused forums on which users could comment on specific pieces of legislation. That legislation would be summarized and simplified using AI tools to minimize confusion and encourage participation among users, according to Curran.

And Lars Erik Schonander, a policy technologist at the Foundation for American Innovation, described a tool he built that uses AI to compare House Rules packages from one Congress to the next. A similar tool might one day be used to make appropriations bills  which he called text-file hell  more transparent by quickly extracting numbers from what are often dense and complicated documents.

As the afternoon wore on, attendees swapped ideas from their breakout groups, covering not just the new emergence of AI, but old problems that have dogged Congress for years, like how best to communicate with constituents.

Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., made an appearance. The member of the House Administration panel, who has spearheaded efforts to modernize Congress, fielded questions about time-honored topics.

Asked about congressional scheduling and whether it would be better for collegiality if members and their families lived in D.C., Kilmer responded, You shouldnt have to have your family sleep here to not be an asshole.

2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Visit cqrollcall.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa was sworn in as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan on Sunday.

He was administered the oath of office by President Arif Alvi during a ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir were also in attendance.

The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, following which the notification for Justice Isas appointment was read out. The president then administered the oath to Justice Isa, whose wife Sarina Isa stood by his side.

Who is Justice Isa?

Born in Quetta on October 26, 1959, Justice Qazi Faez Isa is the son of the late Qazi Mohammad Isa of Pishin, who was in the forefront of the Pakistan Movement and a close associate of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Justice Isas father was the first person from the province to acquire the Bar-at-Law degree and helped establish the All India Muslim League in Balochistan after his return from London. His father had served as the only member on the Central Working Committee of the All India Muslim League from Balochistan.

Begum Saida Isa, Justice Isas mother, was a social worker and worked in an honorary capacity on the boards of hospitals and other charitable organisations which focused on education, children and womens health issues.

After completing his primary and secondary education in Quetta, Isa moved to Karachi to finish his O and A levels from the Karachi Grammar School (KGS). He then went on to study law from London, where he completed his Bar Professional Examination from the Inns of Court School Law, London.

Justice Isa enrolled as an Advocate of the Balochistan High Court on January 30, 1985, and as an Advocate Supreme Court in March 1998.

He has practised law for over 27 years before the High Courts of Pakistan, the Federal Shariat Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He became a member of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and Life Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.

From time to time, he was called upon by the High Courts and the Supreme Court as amicus curiae and rendered assistance in certain complicated cases. He has also conducted international arbitration.

Justice Isa took oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on September 5, 2014.

Challenges ahead

The biggest challenge Justice Isa may encounter during his tenure as the CJP would be unifying the court and restoring the courts credibility, so that no one could point a finger at the courts judgements.

The perceived practice of the formation of a particular bench consisting of like-minded judges to hear constitutional matters of public importance has become the basis of criticism of the top judiciary.

There has been a general feeling that senior judges were being left out in the formation of benches for desired outcomes of the proceedings.

On his first day at the helm on Monday, Justice Isa will take up a set of challenges to the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023  a bill that required the formation of benches on constitutional matters of public importance by a committee of three senior judges.

An eight-judge bench headed by the outgoing CJP on April 13 suspended the enforcement of the Supreme Court (Practice & Procedure) Act, 2023.

In a statement, a Justice Isa-led commission had earlier questioned the formation of a bench that was hearing a set of six challenges against the probe body formed to look into the audio leaks, saying that the bench hearing the matter was not determined by a three-member committee of judges as required under the suspended act.

Since the petitions challenging the audio commission were not fixed before the bench constituted by the committee of judges; therefore, these petitions cannot be heard until the committee determines which bench should hear them, the commission had stated.

On June 3, Justice Isa decided not to sit on a nine-judge bench hearing cases on the trial of civilians by the military courts, saying he did not want to violate the suspension of the law; until the court decides about the vires of the practice and procedure law he will not sit on the benches. As a result, Justice Isa chose to do chamber work instead of holding court hearings.

The biggest test Justice Isa may face as the CJP, according to a senior counsel who wished not to be named, will come when the controversy regarding general elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the national and provincial assemblies may land in the Supreme Court.

In addition, he will also have to maintain a working relationship with the executive. President Arif Alvi asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to seek guidance from the Supreme Court on holding general elections on the same day.

About the pending hearing on the trial of civilians by the military courts, the counsel explained that the case may not be his individual challenge but of the entire court, and since Justice Isa had already expressed his opinion in an earlier case, he might even choose to sit on the bench.

In a dissenting judgement against military courts in August 2015, Justice Isa observed the 21st Amendment does not succeed in its attempt to try civilians by the military and that the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which if implemented would help to stem terrorism and also ensure the conviction of terrorists.

To determine how Justice Isa will conduct his business at the SC, the senior lawyer said he understands the dynamics clearly as he remained the top judge of the Balochistan High Court from 2009 to 2014  a very sensitive period when military operations were ongoing in Balochistan. Another challenge for Justice Isa will also be how to tackle the whopping pendency of over 56,000 cases.
Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar left for a five-day visit to the United States on Sunday.

The premier is to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he will present Pakistans perspective on key regional and international issues, according to a statement issued by his office.

Moreover, Kakar is to participate in a conference on climate change besides meeting with representatives of international media and visiting some think tanks in America.

The Foreign Office (FO) had earlier confirmed that the caretaker PM would be addressing the 78th UNGA. He is to be accompanied by Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.

The premier is to outline Pakistan's perspective on a range of regional and global issues of concern, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, according to the FO.

FO spokesperson said that Kakar will elaborate on measures being taken by the caretaker government to consolidate Pakistan's economic recovery and efforts to mobilise domestic and external investment.

He will be participating in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) summit besides meeting with premiers of different countries, heads of foreign organisations and corporate leaders.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Qazi Faez on Sunday took oath as the 29th chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) after his predecessor Umar Ata Bandial hung up his robes a day earlier.

President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath at a ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad. Top government and military officials, including caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Army Chief Asim Munir, senators and foreign ambassadors, attended the ceremony.

Justice Isa's tenure as the country's chief justice, however, will be quite brief, as he is set to retire from the position on October 25, 2024.

He took oath as the apex court's judge on September 5, 2014. Despite being the senior puisne judge, he was not assigned any constitutional case for the past three years, following a presidential reference filed against him in 2019.

The newly-appointed top judge of the country was born on October 26, 1959, in Quetta. His father, the late Qazi Mohammad Isa, was a prominent leader in the Pakistan Movement and a close associate of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

After completing his initial education in Quetta, Justice Isa pursued O and A levels studies from the Karachi Grammar School. He then moved to London to pursue his higher education in law to complete the bar professional examination at the Inns of Court School of Law.

He joined the Balochistan High Court on January 30, 1985, and became an advocate of the Supreme Court in March 1998. After an emergency was declared during the Pervez Musharraf era on November 3, 2007, Justice Isa decided not to appear before judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO).

At the same time, after the decision of November 3 was annulled by the Supreme Court, the Balochistan High Court judges resigned, while Justice Isa was directly appointed as the judge of the provincial high court on August 5, 2009.

He remained associated with the field of law for 27 years before being appointed as a judge in the Balochistan High Court and the Supreme Court. During this time, his assistance was sought in various important cases by different high courts and the Supreme Court, as well as for handling international arbitrations.

For the past five months, Justice Isa  who took the oath as an SC judge on September 5, 2014  has engaged in chamber work only. As a form of protest following his disagreement with chief justice on suo motu powers, he has refrained from participating in any cases.

In March this year, Justice Isa and Justice Qazi Ameenuddin issued a ruling, stating that hearing of all cases under Article 184(3) should be suspended until the apex court first makes its rules with regards to the SCs Practice and Procedure Act.

With a 45-year-long career in the legal field, Justice Isa possesses a rich background. Prior to his judicial appointment, he contributed articles on various topics, such as the Constitution, law, Islam, and the environment, to Pakistan's leading English news publications.

He also co-authored a book, 'Mass Media Laws and Regulations in Pakistan', in 1997. Additionally, Justice Isa authored the report 'Balochistan: Case and Demand' published by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in 2007.
Wan Ka Man uttered only the word cannabis, before going on to claim that he thought the packages contained cigarettes

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.
Creepy loyalist escapes jail by the skin of his teeth

The scene after David McConnell was found in the womans Dee Street home 18 months ago. Despite this, prosecutors dropped a burglary charge

Shamed ex-UVF boss David McConnell has been handed a restraining order after he was found in the home of a terrified woman.

But despite the victim giving the cops a statement that the creepy loyalist  known as Dee to his pals  had met her at the top of her stairs just outside her bedroom, prosecutors dropped a burglary charge and McConnell was convicted only of harassment.

The former UVF commander was also handed a suspended jail sentence for the shocking incident which happened at her Dee Street home in east Belfast 18 months ago.

A social media recording that the woman took of McConnell banging on her front door at the time went viral and she is heard saying, almost in tears, Hes coming through my window now.

The scene after David McConnell was found in the womans Dee Street home 18 months ago. Despite this, prosecutors dropped a burglary charge

The woman also posted pictures on social media of a damaged window and something smashed in the kitchen, but prosecutors dropped the burglary charge, saying they couldnt prove hed been in the property.

Sources who know the woman have accused the authorities of not really wanting to take the case against McConnell, and only for her insisting she wanted to take it all the way, he would never have ended up before a judge at all.

The woman has been so brave in taking this case all the way because the cops werent that interested, said an east Belfast source.

They dropped the burglary charge even though he broke through her kitchen window and walked up her stairs and met her at her bedroom door before she went screaming past him in terror.

Hes only been done for harassment, but at least hes been done. What right did he have to go into her house like that? Can you imagine how scared she was?

McConnell continued to deny the charges until recently when he pleaded guilty to harassment.

Last Monday at Laganside Magistrates Court he was sentenced to five months behind bars, but this was suspended for three years.

The judge also issued a three-year restraining order, saying: It is necessary for the purpose of protecting the victim of the offence from further conduct which amounts to harassment, or cause a fear of violence, with the consent of David McConnell this order is to take effect forthwith and to last 11/09/26.

The court ordered that McConnell is forbidden to intimidate, harass or pester the victim and he must not instruct, encourage or, in any way, suggest that any other person should do so.

He is further banned from contacting the woman either directly/indirectly or via a third party.

A previous court hearing was told: At 1.10am on February 1, police attended the home address of the injured party after an emergency call that a male had broken into her house.

Dee McConnell

On arrival, police observed the complainant running from the property into the street in a hysterical and frightened state screaming that the male was still inside and locked in.

The male person appeared in the street coming from where access to the rear of the building would lead to.

The injured party immediately identified this male as David McConnell, a male she previously dated and knows from the area.

He was interviewed (by police) about this matter and provided no comment. He was advised to return at a later date.

On February 8 police received further information from the injured party highlighting damage to an outside tap at the property believed to have been caused by the defendant.

Police also received further information about damage to the inside of the property caused by the defendant.

The defendant appeared back at Musgrave PSNI station on April 20 and was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to the property.

He was interviewed about the criminal damage and further interviewed in relation to his initial arrest for burglary and made no comment.

McConnell, who once had a rape charge dropped after the alleged victim took her own life, was once one of the leading commanders in the East Belfast UVF and was close to east Belfast loyalist Stephen Matthews.

McConnell was once tight with loyalist Stephen Matthews

But he was deposed three years ago after the terror gang accused him of running unsanctioned drug rackets and pocketing the cash for himself.

Despite this, he has remained close to the UVF leadership who allowed him to remain a member.

Hes also one of the original Ulster Veneer Force  named after the Sunday World revealed McConnell and other leading members of the East Belfast UVF had travelled to Turkey to spend thousands of pounds on new teeth.

In 2019, McConnell launched a social media rant after he was arrested by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, which he accused of ransacking his house and terrifying his son.

The woman targeted by McConnell in this weeks case went public about the incident last year and said she was living in fear in case the UVF intimidated her into not making a statement to the police. In a voice recording shared widely on social media, the woman is heard saying: Ive been sitting in silence most days because my mind is so at peace and hes took that away from me now because when I see or hear a noise Im going, is that somebody coming round to tell me not to make a statement?

The former terror boss enjoys a holiday

She explains that she called police who took forensic swabs but that she had been too upset to make a statement at that stage.

I dont know if hes out or not. I didnt make a statement yet  yet being the most important word but theyve got prints and fibres so I dont know if theyll (PSNI) go ahead and do it themselves.

The police wanted me to make a statement yesterday, but I was too exhausted.

Im glad that he picked my house because Ive literally lived through this before. I pushed past him and ran out of my house even though I knew it was him, which made it a bit more scarier because I havent even been talking to him, so why was he at my house? It makes no sense.

I think thats the most shocking part... obviously he didnt touch me but he wasnt doing all of that to come in and ask me for a cup of tea.

I shouted f**k off get away from my house, what do you want? I mean he wasnt that intoxicated; he was able to enter a home from a locked f**king window.

In 2014, McConnell was jailed for six months at Belfast Crown Court for possessing, supplying and producing cannabis after more than 20,000 worth of gear was found at a disused bakery in east Belfast.

The same year, a charge of rape was withdrawn at the same court when the alleged victim took her own life. The court was told the decision to bring an end to current criminal proceedings against McConnell was made on a without prejudice basis, meaning the case could still be brought back to court at a later stage, though that has not yet happened.

McConnell was at first granted anonymity by the courts, amid a series of death threats from loyalist paramilitaries.

A sympathy card was delivered to his home and a further threat message was delivered through the Samaritans.

Those reporting restrictions were later lifted on the basis that those intent on harming him already knew his identity.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Spectra Systems fair value estimate is UK2.13

Current share price of UK1.66 suggests Spectra Systems is potentially 22% undervalued

Peers of Spectra Systems are currently trading on average at a 32% premium

Does the September share price for Spectra Systems Corporation (LON:SPSY) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ 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.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Spectra Systems

Crunching The Numbers

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$6.80m US$6.76m US$6.75m US$6.78m US$6.82m US$6.88m US$6.95m US$7.03m US$7.12m US$7.21m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -1.58% Est @ -0.69% Est @ -0.07% Est @ 0.36% Est @ 0.67% Est @ 0.88% Est @ 1.03% Est @ 1.14% Est @ 1.21% Est @ 1.26% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8% US$6.4 US$5.9 US$5.5 US$5.2 US$4.9 US$4.6 US$4.4 US$4.2 US$3.9 US$3.7

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$49m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$7.2m (1 + 1.4%)  (6.8% 1.4%) = US$135m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$135m ( 1 + 6.8%)10= US$70m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$119m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK1.7, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 22% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Spectra Systems as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.080. 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 Spectra Systems

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Currently debt free.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Electronic market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the British market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for SPSY.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Spectra Systems, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should explore:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Spectra Systems , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does SPSY'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!

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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.
Recordings reveal how heartless thug terrorised his former partner for almost two years with attacks and intimidation

Scratches on the woman's neck that were inflicted by Kane during his reign of terror

Bruising to the womans arm inflicted by Kane during his reign of terror

Daniel Kane subjected the woman to nearly two years of violence

Daniel Kane (centre) subjected the woman to nearly two years of violence

Irelands first person to be convicted of coercive control made shocking phone calls from jail trying to get his victim to drop charges against him before the case went to trial.

Evil Daniel Kane  who was jailed for 10-and-a-half years for a litany of assaults against his former partner  also lied to investigating gardai who called to his home and asked why there was blood on the floor by answering, I fell.

Terrifying recordings also show the level of intimidation Kane used against his victim during nearly two years of horrendous violence, with one recording in which the woman is heard making a frantic 999 call crying out for help.

Images of the womans facial and body injuries, inflicted on her by the thug, will also be shown and are set to horrify viewers of Virgin Medias The Guards.

Kane tried to persuade his former partner in a series of phone calls from prison to drop the charges, even telling her after all he did to her that he was looking forward to us getting married, you know that.

Daniel Kane (centre) subjected the woman to nearly two years of violence

He added: Just talk to your solicitor; tell him you want all your statements and your evidence taken out of the case.

Just say you fell, that you were drunk in every one of them right. I was drunk and I was angry.

The woman stresses though: Theres enough evidence whether I withdraw it or not. It wont make any difference.

Kane tells her the guards plan is to scare you to get you to court and theyre f**ing liars.

He then warns her theyre going to put you in a cell Im not going to let that happen.

In a recording made previously inside their home, Kane demands his sobbing victim to strip naked and sit in a chair while he took violating images of her.

Get your clothes off you and stop acting like a f**king idiot, that you always were, he fumed.

And the reason Im like this is because I love you so much and thats what Im actually doing here whether you know it or not.

In another incident the woman secretly recorded, he rages at her: You destruct everything. To make it right for you, because people destructed (sic) you.

Daniel Kane subjected the woman to nearly two years of violence

The woman is later seen by a witness running down a road with blood pouring out of a gash in the back of her head.

The victim is heard telling a 999 operator: I have blood dripping down. Where are you? Please help me.

When questioned about blood on the floor of the home, Kane lyingly tells gardai: I must have fell last night or something.

Courageous and dogged work by a team of investigating officers in Blanchardstown Garda Station  which ran into a staggering 250,000 pages in evidence  eventually led to Kane being caged in January 2021.

During a 20-month relationship, Kane (54) repeatedly attacked the woman, including by burning her foot, cutting her face with a pizza slicer, head-butting her while she was recovering from nasal surgery, punching her and stamping on her arm, causing her multiple fractures.

On other occasions, he stamped on her head and strangled her, leaving fingermarks all over her throat.

Even after being charged with the attacks and while in custody, Kane threatened to send explicit images of her to her family if she did not withdraw the case.

A Circuit Criminal court jury convicted Kane, of Waterville Terrace, Blanchardstown, Dublin, of coercive control, intimidation, assault and 12 counts of assault causing harm.

Detective Garda Sergeant Michael Egan can remember taking a call from a doctor at James Connolly hospital in Blanchardstown.

Bruising to the womans arm inflicted by Kane during his reign of terror

The consultant informed me that there was a victim there that she believed was suffering from domestic violence, and that person had attended the emergency department over 20 times in the previous 18-month period, Det Sgt Egan says.

Det Sgt Egan says it motivated them to look into the situation as the victim herself hasnt reported this to the guards  what else, has there been any other hospitals, more serious violence, what else has been going on behind those closed doors?

Det Gda Siobhan Tolan adds: It was only when we looked at the level of records that came from the hospital and the amount of times that beautiful, intelligent woman had presented to A&E from assaults because of domestic violence, we had to get a team involved and work on this.

During the investigation in 2018 coercive control legislation became law and, after engaging with the victim, she made a statement about the abuse and the team started building up a case, which included discovering the controlling element as well as physical abuse.

Coercive control involves not only the violence but the existence of the threat of violence, explains Superintendent Finbarr Murphy. Its the control. Its saying I control the bank, I control the car, I control the house, I control your telephone, who you meet, who you do not meet.

Last year, there were 54,000 complaints of domestic violence to the Gardai. By the end of 2022, there were over 500 complaints of coercive control being investigated. Over 58 coercive control cases are before the courts.

Scratches on the woman's neck that were inflicted by Kane during his reign of terror

A total of 244 women have been unlawfully killed since 1996, 87pc of them by a man.

Kanes victims testimony was crucial in sending him away for 10-and-a-half years, a feat which was lauded by Det Tolan.

If they had of come back with not guilty verdicts, knowing what she had to give and what she suffering, it would have been heart-wrenching to go back to her and tell her, but also for other victims that might be looking at this case and hopeful and remaining hopeful that this is going to be the verdict, that now we can move forward.
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 yesterday accused of offences dating back to the 1960s.

The 81-year-old was charged in court after being brought to Northern Ireland on Friday after an international arrest warrant was issued for him.

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.
Gangland bosss associate furious after plans to give up guns to cops in a bid to secure a shorter sentence backfires badly

Gangland hardman Peadar Keating branded his boss Thomas Bomber Kavanagh a rat this week after he was told he is wanted in the UK on gun conspiracy charges.

Keating, who is serving an 11-year prison term in Portlaoise, is wanted by the National Crime Agency as part of new charges brought against Kavanagh, his son Jack and Liam Byrne, who is fighting extradition in Spain.

Keating has been implicated in a bizarre case which has backfired on Kavanagh after he tried to give up guns to authorities in order to lessen his own sentence for drug trafficking.

He was brought to the High Court in Dublin for an extradition hearing this week, accused of conspiring to possess firearms and helping jailed Kavanagh beat a gun rap.

The State is seeking to extradite the 42-year-old to face the charges over the alleged plot to assist Kavanagh to reduce his 21-year jail term for masterminding a drug smuggling operation.

Peadar Keating faces extradition to the UK

Keating has been a loyal lieutenant of Kavanagh for decades in Ireland, running his drugs and weapons, and is currently in prison over an attempt to kill Hutch loyalist James Mago Gately in a plot directed by Daniel Kinahan and Sean McGovern from Dubai.

A source said: He is spitting fire that Kavanagh has ratted him out to the police. After years of loyalty the gloves are off and he is telling everyone that listens that Bomber is a rat.

A court in the UK heard that Kavanagh and Liam Byrne had assisted officers locating 11 guns in Newry as the mob boss tried to plea bargain behind the scenes for a reduced sentence. But officers double crossed the gang and seized the guns before bringing further charges against the wider group.

Kavanagh pictured after his arrest

Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the extradition case for a hearing date to be set later and Keating was returned to prison after the brief hearing.

He has told fellow prisoners that Kavanagh ratted him out to save his own skin and is furious as he now faces completing his Irish sentence in a UK prison where he will also have to face court on gun charges.

A warrant was issued for Keating at Westminster Magistrates Court on August 16 when Kavanagh and others appeared from custody. He is accused of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by assisting Kavanaghs attempt to reduce his sentence for conspiring to import Class A and B drugs.

The case centres around the seizure of automatic weapons and ammunition and nine offences which are alleged to have happened between January 9, 2020 and June 3, 2021.

Last month Kavanagh appeared in court charged with a plot to acquire firearms and ammunition. He was arrested along with Shaun Kent (37) and Daniel McLoughlin (36) as part of the NCAs investigation.

Kavanagh home in Tamworth

At the hearing Kavanagh appeared over video link from the maximum security Belmarsh jail and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

McLoughlin has denied conspiracies to possess a firearm and ammunitions without a certificate and conspiracies to possess a prohibited weapon and ammunitions.

Kent denied two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm and ammunitions without a certificate and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The UK court heard that the conspiracy to pervert the court of justice charge against Kent reads: You Shaun Kent, conspired with Liam Byrne, James Keating and Peadar Keating and others unknown to do a series of acts to come into possession of firearms. And thereafter to hide them and then reveal their whereabouts to the NCA to enable Thomas Kavanagh to receive a lesser sentence.

The investigation centres on Encrochat handles and information received about firearms, some of which were hidden in Ireland. A trial estimated to last between four and six weeks has been set for September 2 next year at the Old Bailey.

Liam Byrne

In June, Kinahan lieutenant Liam Byrne, a brother-in-law of Kavanagh, was arrested while holidaying in Majorca. Kavanaghs son Jack was also arrested in Spain and both are now fighting extradition from there.

Byrne appeared at Spains Audiencia Nacional court which deals with extraditions via video link and remanded in custody.

Byrne was held on the UK-issued arrest warrant at a restaurant in the Majorcan town of Alcudia while having dinner with his young children, having flown there from his hideaway in Dubai.

In a statement the NCA said: Liam Byrne (42), from Dublin, who is thought to be one of the most trusted members of the Kinahan organised crime gang, was arrested while eating in a restaurant with family members. He had flown into Palma Airport from Dubai, UAE, on May 26th.

Another suspected member of the crime group, Jack Kavanagh, 22, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was arrested by officers from the Spanish National Police while transiting from Dubai to Turkey.

The arrests follow an NCA intelligence led investigation, supported by the Spanish National Police and officers from An Garda Siochana in Ireland. The NCA obtained Trade and Co-Operation Agreement warrants after EncroChat messages showed they were believed to be involved in the supply and acquisition of firearms.

Kay Mellor, Regional Head of Investigations at the NCA said: We have an excellent relationship with the Spanish National Police and will continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure those who think they can stay under the radar have no place to hide.

The implications of the case have far wider concerns within gangland. While Keating is openly distancing himself from Kavanagh, the Kinahan mob are equally horrified that he tried to co-operate with cops when the heat was on him.

A $15 million reward remains in place from US authorities for information into the financial workings of the Kinahan organisations and leader Christy Kinahan Snr and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jnr. They remain in Dubai where a delegation of An Garda Siochana recently visited.
I knew thats time to go. That was the straw that broke my back. That day made up my mind

Former State Pathologist Marie Cassidy says the horror of children killing children in the Ana Kriegel case was the straw that broke the camels back in forcing her to quit her job.

Two 13-year-old boys were convicted of Anas murder, with Boy A  who was caught with a zombie mask after her brutal killing and sexual assault  found to have vast amounts of violent pornography and child abuse imagery on his mobile phone.

Very early on somebody mentioned that they thought it might be somebody she knew and they might be young. Thats when I though good Lord, recalls Dr Cassidy of the murder that shocked the nation in 2018.

Young Ana Kriegel was found dead in a disused house in Lucan in 2018

Ive seen a lot of things and Ive seen some horrendous things, and I can honestly say this was not the most horrendous murder Ive seen but there was just something about that, about children killing children, that I thought no  if thats what society has become, I need out.

Ana lived in Leixlip, Co Kildare with her Irish mother and French father and their family, having been adopted at a young age from Siberia.

Growing up, she had a good time in primary school but when she moved to secondary school she endured severe bullying because of her height and adoption, and craved making friends.

Ana was excited when a boy called to bring her out one afternoon, but was never seen alive again until her naked body was found in a disused house in Lucan.

It was quite obvious from the start from her background, from what we knew about her, that the outcome was not going to be good and it was just a case when are they going to find her? Dr Cassidy says in RTEs Dr Cassidys Casebook.

So it came as no surprise when I got a call saying weve found a body.

The doctor believes Ana had a bright future ahead of her until it was ripped away.

She was on the brink of womanhood, if you like. She was still a child about to tip into adulthood and for everyone, dealing with children is always difficult, adds Dr Cassidy.

She admits examining Anas body was particularly hard for her.

Again, I just had to pull myself together and just say right, as Ive always said right from the very first time when I cried at a post mortem when I had two babies stillbirth, and I thought for goodness sake just pull yourself together, this does not help anybody  this is what youre here to do, get on with it and make sure that you do a damn good job, she says.

The Scottish expert was also careful of how she detailed Anas last moments.

I think from the familys point of view its important that they hear that she did not suffer for a long periods of time, she explains.

We cant sugar coat things, its all going to be read out in court. Whatever I write in that report is going to be read out in court, so that family is going to hear it. They will be able to get a copy of my report if they want.

So you have to be careful how you phrase things and theres no point in trying to make things better, because how can you make anything better; your daughters dead.

But after serving 20 years Dr Cassidy knew her time here was finally up.

We talk about the straw that breaks the camels back, that was the straw that broke my back, she acknowledges.

That was when I decided to leave, because normally I would go into a scene and I would think right, what do I need to do, what have I got to do, is there anything to avoid, what am I doing and Im focused on what Im doing.

But that was the first time in a long, long time I went who would do that and why would they do it? As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I knew thats time to go. I had been thinking about it,  got a few years left, what will I do? That day made up my mind.

Several experts interviewed for the programme in connection with the case say young people having more accessibility to pornography is dangerous and harmful.

The disused house in Lucan where Ana Kriegel's body was found

In some ways we progress, in some ways we may have gone backwards in terms of how girls are perceived, represented, what the expectations of them are, particularly in intimate relationships, maintains Sarah Benson, CEO of Womens Aid Ireland.

How that connects to porn and what thats doing not just to young girls who are bearing the brunt of it, but what its doing to young boys as well in terms of their capacity to have intimate relationships, equal relationships. So were stirring up a whole lot of problems here as well.

John Doyle, director of services for Mens Development Network, believes times have changed dramatically.

Back in our day there wasnt the internet so much, there wasnt the immediacy of pornography on mobile phones, he says.

Not only do you have this objectification of women, but you have that in a very violent way.

Barbara Condon, CEO of Ruhama, confirms the deluge of pornography is a matter of huge concern.

The porn of today, its very hardcore, its brutal, graphic, violent sexual scenes, she reveals.

If young boys watch this, and young men, often enough they become numb and desensitised to the actual pain thats involved in porn and they want to live it out for real. We had the death of young Ana Kriegel, and certainly porn played a factor in one of the boys that was involved there.

And if we dont educate young people about sex and about porn, then the porn industry will.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee claims the Government is trying to address the problem as best they can.

This is a multi billion dollar industry worldwide and... its younger and younger that people have phones and they are able to access it literally by Googling, she says.
He was due to be discharged from the cardiac unit at Bantry General Hospital this weekend but will now continue to receive treatment as his condition has deteriorated.

Ian Bailey has shared his first photo from hospital after suffering two heart attacks earlier this month.

In an image published by the Irish Mirror, the 66-year-old, a suspect in the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (39), sits in a hospital bed wearing a grey beanie hat and a green scarf.

He was due to be discharged from the cardiac unit at Bantry General Hospital this weekend but will now continue to receive treatment as his condition has deteriorated.

The English journalist requires triple bypass surgery but is too unwell for the operation to go ahead, the publication adds.

Mr Bailey yesterday supported Sophie's familys calls for gardai to speed up their cold case review into her murder at her west Cork holiday home.

"I would like to clear my name in case I die, he said.

"Fortunately I was able to get into hospital and hopefully I will make a full recovery, but who knows?

"The thought did occur to me that this could be the end. As everyone knows I have been very highly accused of a crime that I had nothing to do with, there is no evidence whatsoever

"I guess what I am trying to say is this, should I depart now before this cold case review is solved, I had nothing to do with this.

"I will go and meet my maker if there is a maker with nothing on my conscience. I did not kill Sophie and I want to see her killer caught before I die."

Mr Bailey did a brief interview last week from his hospital bed with Cork radio station 96FM.

"I think I am on the improve now," he said.

"I am hoping that somebody will acknowledge [in the ongoing Garda cold case review] that it wasn't me that murdered this poor French lady.

"I would like to think it [a full exoneration] would happen. Whether it will or not, only time will tell."

Mr Bailey had written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris pleading for a cold case review.

My hope and prayer is that before I am dead and gone the truth will come out - and the truth is that I had nothing to do with this terrible crime, he continued.

"It would go a long way towards putting a smile on my face, I can tell you.

Mr Bailey said he and others had long been trying to get to the bottom of the case.

"What I did with [my podcast] I went through a few scenarios [of who was responsible]. There is an independent cold case review that is being conducted by an Irish TV company, they employed forensic experts from the US and UK to go through every piece of evidence - there is an indication that it could be a person still alive who was responsible, he said.

"I do not want to say too much more.

"But there is a strong suggestion of who that person may be. That person is in Ireland, they are Irish and they are still alive."

The poet was working on other projects when, last weekend, he suddenly fell ill with severe chest pains.

"I feel really weak at the moment and do not know what the future holds. The medical team is doing their best for me and I really appreciate it. Each and everyone of them are stars. I have been overwhelmed with support, he said.

"I had been suffering from extreme stress and anxiety for weeks now caused by the whole Sophie case plus the prospect of being kicked out of my home.

"There is nothing worse than being accused of something you did not do. The pressure of losing your home and homelessness is also very very difficult to deal with."

"I did not feel well at all and then it all came to a head. I felt very weak and felt like I was going to die . Thankfully I got to the hospital in time and they were able to treat me."

Mr Bailey - who is also a law graduate - has successfully fought extradition to France three times since 2010 over the murder of Ms Toscan du Plantier.

He has consistently protested his innocence in relation to the killing of the French mother of one at her west Cork holiday home.

Mr Bailey was twice arrested by gardai in relation to the investigation in 1997 and 1998 but was released without charge on both occasions.

The Director of Public Prosecutions ruled in 2000/2001 that he did not have a case to answer. But he was convicted in absentia by a French court of the killing in 2019 - despite repeatedly claiming that attempts were made to frame him for the crime.

The French court imposed a 25-year prison term. The poet, formerly of Liscaha, Schull, Co Cork, but currently living in Bantry, described the Paris proceedings as "a farce" and "a show trial.
Emergency services, including paramedics, gardai and airport police, were alerted to the public order incident outside Terminal 1 this morning.

A man has been hospitalised with apparent stab wounds following an incident at Dublin Airport earlier today.

Emergency services, including paramedics, gardai and airport police, were alerted to the public order incident outside Terminal 1 this morning.

One man suffered injuries during the assault and has since been taken to hospital for treatment.

Sources told sundayworld.com they are suspected stab wounds which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Another male, aged in his 50s, was arrested in relation to the incident.

He is currently being detained for questioning and investigations into the matter are ongoing.

A spokesman for daa, which operates and manages Dublin Airport, said: "Airport Police at Dublin Airport responded to an incident outside Terminal 1 this morning. One person has been arrested by the gardai. Flights at Dublin Airport are operating normally."

A garda spokesperson added: Gardai are investigating a public order incident that occurred outside Terminal 1 of Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin, at approximately 11.30am today, Sunday 17th September 2023.

A man (50s) was taken from the scene to Beaumont Hospital to be treated for injuries believed at this time to be non-life-threatening.

A second male (50s) was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the North Dublin area.

The scene is currently preserved for a forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them.

Any pedestrians or road users who were in the vicinity of Terminal 1 between 11am and 11.45am this morning, Sunday 17th September 2023, and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available to investigating Gardai.

Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Dublin Airport Garda Station on 01 666 4950, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

Investigations are ongoing.
Gilna kickstarts his new run in the Sean OCasey theatre in Dublins East Wall on Wednesday, with proceeds going to Aware

Acclaimed actor and writer David Gilnas groundbreaking play A Bolt From The Blue is set for a new Irish and UK tour  including a special charity performance on Wednesday.

Swordsman Gilna navigates his personal journey of surviving a lightning strike which left him in a coma when he was on a J1 student visit to America, inviting audiences to reflect on their own lives, challenges, and the importance of cherishing each moment.

Playwright David Gilna outside the Ruby theatre in Washington DC

The plays electrifying storytelling and humour has left an indelible mark on audiences across America and Ireland, and on this new tour Gilna hopes to support the vital cause of mental health awareness.

He toured America last year with the play and also won local plaudits when it had a run in Dublins Viking theatre earlier in the year.

This time around Gilna kickstarts his new run in the Sean OCasey theatre in Dublins East Wall on Wednesday, with proceeds going to Aware.

Aware deals with a subject close to my heart, mental health awareness, and its a charity thats in huge need of support, he explains.

In this powerful one-man show, A Bolt From D'Blue, David recounts his early dreams of being a performer, his family history, his first trip to the US, and, of course, the moment that changed his life forever: being struck by lightning. He recalls the humour and horror of this near-death experience, weaving the trauma of this life-changing event into a poignant show.

Ive had an absolute blast touring America, reaching new audiences and performing in new venues, and then the Viking theatre brought in a whole new audience earlier this year, he beams.

David Gilna on stage in the United States

The Dubliner was aged just 18 visiting Boston when he reached out to stop a ladder from falling, only for a fork of lightning to zap him from the heavens, sending 300,000 volts of electricity through his body.

Davids heart subsequently stopped, and it took him years to recover. But the experience also changed the course of his life in more positive ways.

Your life can be taken away in seconds, our time here is so precious, stresses the Dubliner.

After training as an actor, he had travelled to the States to chase the American dream.

I always wanted to be an actor. I got into drama at the National Performing Arts School in Ringsend. We went on a J1 to Boston in 2004, and I got a call from my agent to say I had been cast in a film. I was on my way to LA!

But just two hours later, on a sunny day in South Boston, I went to move a ladder from a balcony. There were kids playing next door and I was worried it would fall over.

The moment I touched the ladder, the lightning hit. It sent me back eight feet, 300,000 volts into my body, David said.

He describes waking up under medical supervision in a hospital in Florida lucky to be alive.

The upcoming tour dates are as follows:

Sean O'Casey Theatre, Dublin - 20th September All ticket proceeds will be donated to the charity Aware, supporting mental health awareness.

St John's Theatre, Listowel - 29th September

Liverpool Irish Arts Festival - 24th October

Tommy Leddy Theatre (Drogheda) - 17th November
A resilient Bay of Plenty lakeside community faced with the challenge of rising lake levels is diving into not one but three clean-ups during this years Keep NZ Beautiful Week.

The Lake Rotoma and Lake Rotoehu communities, who live amidst arguably some of the most picturesque landscapes of New Zealand, are turning adversity into an opportunity for environmental stewardship.

Two clean-ups are happening today, Sunday September 17, at Lakes Rotoma and Rotoehu, and one will be happening on Wednesday September 20 at Matahi.

The Lake Rotoma clean-up, organised by Jo Rees, will be running from 9am today [Sunday September 17], says local resident Jonette Meads.

Everyone helping needs to meet at the Matahi Toilet Block at the very eastern end of Lake Rotoma to register.

Registrations are required to comply with health and safety requirements, ensuring that everyone involved is accounted for.

This is a land clean at Lake Rotoma, along the lake edge. Aotearoa Dive from Rotorua will also be there.

Jonette says the Rotorua Lakes Council are supplying gloves and bags.

At 2pm today, Sunday September 17, another clean-up will be held up the Pongakawa Valley Road area, run by Julie Riggir.

This is a land clean at the bottom of Pongakawa Valley Road. Loads of bottles have washed up with the increased lake levels.

The local Lake Rotoma Rotoehu Community Association will be providing spot prizes during the two clean-ups today.

During the coming week, on Wednesday September 20, Dive Zone Tauranga will be coming to do a lakebed clean.

Jonette says every year two dive teams from Aotearoa Dive and Dive Zone Tauranga regularly come out with their dive students, and give back.

They take bags, dive into the water, and pull out any rubbish they find on the lake bed. They will feel the fear/cold and do it anyway.

Dive Zone Tauranga will be cleaning the lake bed at Matahi submerged boat ramp and playground areas from around 10am, Wednesday, September 20, and possible the same at Otangiwao Point [also known as Letterbox Point].

Well be squeaky clean by the end of that week."

The road closure at Lake Rotoehu. Photo: Supplied.

Jonette says the two lakes are cut off from each other at the moment due to the road connecting them being flooded from the rising lake levels. Students from Rotoehu attending Rotoma School are no longer able to drive through with their parents.

We have students from Kawerau, Rotoiti and Rotoehu, but Rotoehu cant get through, so five kids have their parents drop them off at a closed road barrier and they walk knee deep about 120 metres through the flooded road water.

They are resilient kids, and someone sponsored them gumboots to get to school.

She says one family moved to Rotoma.

One of the staff members navigates through the water to get to school each day. They live in Rotuehu, and walks through the flood as well to get to work.

Jonette says there has been a clean-up happening outside the Lake Rotoma School as well, as part of the Keep NZ Beautiful Week initative.

On Saturday, we had a Frock Swap. This was a fundraiser for Lake Rotoma School. It was also a meet and greet for our local wahine, and a big push to remind people of the disgusting amount of textiles that end up in landfill.

Following the Frock Swap, anything not swapped will be going to the charity shops and op shops in Kawerau.

The week of clean-ups at the two lakes  Lake Rotoma and Lake Rotoehu - show a remarkable resilience and environmental commitment by a lakeside community faced with the ongoing challenge of a relentless and daunting battle against flooding.

Keep NZ Beautiful Week runs from September 16-23.
This month is Blue September  its the month in New Zealand thats dedicated to raising awareness of prostate cancer among Kiwi men and raising funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand.

Did you know that prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in New Zealand? And its the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in Kiwi men?

According to Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ, one in eight Kiwi men will develop prostate cancer at some stage in their lifetime. Some 4000 will be diagnosed this year, and around 42,000 are living with the disease in New Zealand.

Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ is the leading mens cancer charity, which aims to significantly reduce and ultimately end suffering and death from prostate cancer by providing support and education, funding research and advocating to reduce the impacts of the disease.

Blue Dos and fundraising events are held up and down the country during September. Photo: Supplied.

Its hoped that fundraising events up and down the country will raise more than $1 million of much-needed funds during September, with proceeds going towards essential wrap-around support services the charity provides for men and their whanau living with prostate cancer.

Coinciding with Blue September, the Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ has launched a new awareness van, starting an ambitious new programme of education and outreach for the charity, enabling them to travel across New Zealand targeting places where men and their families gather such as health expos, fairs and workplaces.

Manned by a health professional, the van will provide vital information and education about prostate cancer to empower men and their whanau to seek early diagnosis to ensure the best outcome, which is made significantly more likely if the disease is detected before it causes symptoms.

Cambridge Prostate Cancer Support Group member Richard Brand, PCFNZ national support & education manager Raewyn Paviour and events assistant Mel Ion with Cambridges prostate group coordinator Ron Greenwood with the education van in action at Fieldays. Photo: Supplied.

Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ chief executive Peter Dickens says the aim is to encourage the older generation to get their sons  particularly those aged in their 40s and 50s to talk to a health professional  especially if there is a family history of prostate cancer.

The social impact of this disease is immeasurable and were in danger of losing a generation of men to prostate cancer without a coordinated national approach.

A lot of men actively avoid visiting their GP, which can be a crucial step in getting an early diagnosis of prostate cancer, says Peter.

So, we decided that its time to get out to where men are and have those conversations, provide information and education with hopes of early detection to save the lives of our sons, fathers, and mates.

"Were incredibly grateful to Ryman Healthcare for believing in the importance of this work and supporting us to make it possible.

Do Something Blue this September!

So what can you do to help? Do something blue to help a mate through this September!

Find out more, or register your own Blue Do at: www.blueseptember.org.nz

Hellers is getting behind Blue September this year by providing free sausage packs for groups and individuals that register a Blue Do BBQ, to maximise the funds raised for Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ.

This is because the Foundation wants Kiwi men to start talking about their health and taking positive action  because if its caught early, prostate cancer can be very treatable and so many more options are available if its detected before symptoms arise. And a Blue Do will also raise funds for those who already battling prostate cancer.

So go on  visit: www.blueseptember.org.nz
With high winds across New Zealand today, police are warning motorcyclists and drivers of vehicles with a high point of gravity to take care and drive to the conditions.

Vehicles with a high point of gravity include busses, trucks and vans.

"With high winds across Manawatu, Whanganui to Ruapehu, and Taranaki, Police want everyone to arrive safely at their destinations," says a police spokesperson.

"Drive to the conditions, and stop and wait if you feel unsafe."

A strong west to northwest flow is covering the country.

"Fast moving embedded fronts are bringing bursts of heavy rain to western parts of the South Island, with significant spillover into the Canterbury and Otago headwaters," says a MetService spokesperson.

"Gale or severe gale west to northwest winds are expected to affect many areas in central and southern New Zealand."



Warnings and Watches are in force for heavy rain and strong winds.

MetService is forecasting severe northwest gales across parts of New Zealand in the week ahead, with heavy rain expected for the west of the South Island and severe northwest gales for central and southern New Zealand.

A ridge of high pressure is moving onto northern New Zealand from the Tasman Sea on Tuesday bringing settled weather, then moves away to the east on Thursday, says a MetService spokesperson.

"Meanwhile, a strong and moist northwest flow becomes established over southern New Zealand during Tuesday and early Wednesday, then a complex trough of low pressure crosses the South Island from the west on Friday.



There is high confidence rainfall amounts will reach warning criteria about Fiordland and Stewart Island late Wednesday and Thursday, and also about much of Westland and the Otago/Canterbury headwaters on Thursday and Friday.

There is moderate confidence a heavy rain warning being required for the far north of Westland, Buller, far west Tasman, Nelson Lakes and also the Richmond and Bryant ranges on Friday.

Lastly, there is low confidence of heavy rain for Southland and much of Otago on Thursday and Friday and about Mount Taranaki/Taranaki Maunga on Friday.



Additionally, there is high confidence of severe northwest gales about Canterbury, Otago, Southland and southern Fiordland on Wednesday and Thursday.

There is moderate confidence of severe northwest gales about Wairarapa, Wellington and Marlborough on Thursday and Friday.

Please stay up to date with forecasts in case any changes are made to the current warnings or watches, or new ones are added.



Heavy Rain Watch

Area: Nelson Lakes

Valid: 12 hours from 10:00am Sun 17 Sep to 10:00pm Sun 17 Sep

Forecast: A period of rain with some heavy falls, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Thunderstorms possible.



Area: North Otago, Dunedin and Clutha north of Balclutha

Valid: 3 hours from 9:00am Sun 17 Sep to 12:00pm Sun 17 Sep

Forecast: A period of rain with heavy falls possible, and amounts may approach warning criteria.



Strong Wind Watch

Area: The Central North Island high country from south of Lake Taupo to Taihape



Valid: 14 hours from 4:00pm Sun 17 Sep to 6:00am Mon 18 Sep

Forecast: West to northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.



Area: Horowhenua and the Kapiti Coast

Valid: 16 hours from 9:00am Sun 17 Sep to 1:00am Mon 18 Sep

Forecast: Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.



Area: Tasman northwest of Motueka

Valid: 12 hours from 9:00am Sun 17 Sep to 9:00pm Sun 17 Sep

Forecast: Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.



Area: Canterbury Plains and Christchurch including Banks Peninsula

Valid: 11 hours from 9:00am Sun 17 Sep to 8:00pm Sun 17 Sep

Forecast: Northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.



Area: Otago excluding Clutha

Valid: 24 hours from 9:00am Sun 17 Sep to 9:00am Mon 18 Sep

Forecast: West to northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.
John A. Van Den Bosch made the best of the worst of times.

John was born in 1892 in Zeeland, Michigan. He was the great-grandson of Tamme and Grietje Bont Van Den Bosch, who emigrated from the Province of Drenthe in the Netherlands to Zeeland in the spring of 1848.

John married Frederika Lugers in 1912. William, the first of their 12 children, was born later that year.

When William was a boy, people around Zeeland lived on small farms and raised chickens, cows and pigs. They also grew crops. In the parlor of their farmhouses, they had a radio they would gather around in the evenings for news and entertainment. They bought groceries, feed and seed, and hardware from Albert LaHuis, Dick Huizenga, and William DePree. They banked with Jacob Den Herder.

These were the people John and William served in the early years of their business. But initially John and William worked for other business owners: John worked as a feed salesman for a Chicago firm and William worked in the warehouse for the next owner of LaHuiss, David DeBruyn.

Like many people, after the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed, John and William lost their jobs. With nothing left to do, they started their own business.

Steve VanderVeen

In 1932, John and William pooled their money to buy a used truck to deliver vegetables from farms to food processors. But Michigan had only nubbins, so they began by hauling hybrid corn out of Indiana.

In 1933, John and William bought a new truck for $1,500. Then the banks went on holiday. In the days before deposit insurance, this resulted in a haircut for everyone who, and every business that, had money in the bank, meaning they lost part of their savings. Left with only $300, John and William continued, living on sweat and tears.

In 1935, the John A. Van Den Bosch Company bought a mixer and a small grain elevator. They also expanded their truck route. To get more space for his family of 12, John moved them and his business from Centennial Street in Zeeland to Washington Street, just west of State Street, where there was also room for a barn.

Story continues

The John A. Van Den Bosch Company survived because the Depression had forced even city people to have 10-15 chickens in their yard, and all those chickens needed feed.

Soon, Johns son Marv was driving a truck and his daughter Amy was keeping the books.

In those days, truck drivers had to be patient and handy. The truck would often carry vegetables from Michigan to the Campbell Soup Plant in Chicago, or bring corn from Indiana back to Michigan. But in the 1930s, there were no interstate highways. Thus, to get from Zeeland to Chicago, a driver would take Chicago Drive into downtown Holland, go west on Eighth Street, south on River Avenue, west on 17th Street and South Shore Drive, then south on Saugatuck Road.

He'd go from there through every small town along the lakeshore. Top speed for a truck, when it wasn't traveling through town, was 35 miles per hour. To slow down, because trailers didn't have brakes, drivers had to switch gears. If they pushed the truck brakes too hard, the truck and trailer would jack-knife. Thus, to drive to the southside of Chicago and back took 12-15 hours.

Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage

Drivers also had to be mechanics: tires would blow and axles would freeze. Drivers had to take spare parts along with them. One truck driver, while changing a tire, lost his life when a tire rim flew off and struck him. That dead mans fiancee, Anna Schaap, became Williams wife.

Needing more space, in 1939, the John A. Van Den Bosch Company moved to a facility on E. Washington Street, on a triangular piece of land bordered by railroad tracks.

Then, in 1941, World War II began  along with a rationing program to ensure material for the war effort. This meant truck and feed mill parts were difficult to get. This problem became acute for the Van Den Bosches when a fire consumed the plant on Washington Street. Although the building was insured, the materials needed to rebuild it weren't available. So, John had to find another way to survive.

That's the topic of next weeks story.

 Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. His book, "The Holland Area's First Entrepreneurs," is coming soon. You may reach him at skvveen@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland History: The beginnings of John A. Van Den Bosch Co.
Police are seeking to locate Naya Rapiu Fabian Wharekura, who has a Warrant to Arrest.

"The 28-year-old, of Ngaruawahia, is breaching his bail conditions," says a police spokesperson.

"Waikato Police are actively seeking Mr Wharekura, who has serious charges laid against him."

If anyone sees him, they are advised not to approach him, and are asked to report any sightings to Police via 111.

Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 555 111.
Update, 6pm: Police vehicles at 11th Ave Z petrol station in Tauranga have been there since around 2.30pm following a medical event.

"Police were called about 2.20pm to what appears to be a medical event at that location," says a police spokesperson.

Earlier, 5pm: The 11th Ave Z petrol station in Tauranga is cordoned off, with police cars at the station.

A SunLive reporter at the scene says both the Cameron Road and 11th Ave entrances to the 11th Ave Z petrol station have been blocked off to vehicles.

"A police car is stationed across the 11th Ave entrance, and traffic cones have been placed across the Cameron Road entrance," says the SunLive reporter.

"There are two police cars at the scene, and two other cars parked on the forecourt.

"There are no ambulances or other emergency services present."

A caller to SunLive's 0800 number says they went past the petrol station about 3pm.

"There were three St John vehicles there at about 3pm. One ambulance and the incident response vehicle were parked on the forecourt, and the ambulance car was parked down the side of the station," says the Sunlive caller.

"There were three police cars there too,

Roadworkers are also working nearby in Cameron Road.

It is unknown at this stage why the station is cordoned off.

SunLive will update this once more information is available.

At the scene?

Phone 0800 SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz
Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription.

Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service.
Like others in powerful positions, Bernard Looneys past and current behaviour was fair game for critics - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

At a recent talk I gave to a company in California, I asked the audience how many of them had ever been asked about their relationship history in a professional capacity. Not a hand went up.

Meanwhile, now-former BP chief executive Bernard Looney has this week left his position because apparently he did not disclose all of his past relationships with BP employees to the board.

Looney was a student in my Paths to Power class at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2005. He was one of a number of BP employees who attended the Sloan, a one year masters in management programme, from which former BP chief Lord Browne had graduated.

I recall Bernard being smart, very charismatic and charming. He was politically savvy, figuring out that exploration and production was a good place to be in an oil company, rather than for instance refining or retail. Many of his BP colleagues, both at the time and subsequently, told me he was marked for great things in the company.

Looney is still a member of the schools advisory board and on visits to London he and I would occasionally get together.

His experience illustrates the fact that chief executives and other powerful people pay a price for their position  think Boris Johnson and the parties he held at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic.

It is a price worth keeping in mind. Powerful positions come with a great deal of scrutiny and attention. As the Looney example and many others illustrate, there is a focus not just on what the leader is currently doing or planning to do, but also their past activities and writings.

The focus is not just on job-relevant matters, such as, in Looneys case, his commitment to making BP carbon neutral.

Numerous pieces are written about what powerful people wear, the concerts they go to and who they date. In the case of Jack Dorsey, formerly of Twitter and now chief executive of Square, there has been a focus on his beard.

This scrutiny of the powerful has grown over time. President Kennedy was reputed to be a playboy and Lyndon Johnson supposedly had dalliances. Yet the private lives of both US presidents did not tarnish them in office.

Story continues

There are now more news sites that need to be fed. Cell phones with their cameras and other technology permit privacy to be pierced in new ways. The plethora of biographies and autobiographies of business leaders have turned high-level executives into public figures in a way they were not in the past.

The concentration of wealth and power, and the links between business, politics, and the media all make public interest in business leaders greater.

Being constantly in the limelight is exhausting. It also exacts a burden on the leaders friends and family.

There is a second, related price of power nicely illustrated by the Looney example. Because leaders are so much in the limelight and so subject to public scrutiny, their freedom to live their lives as they want is constrained by needing to conform to social expectations and norms.

As my late colleague, the social scientist James G March once said to me, you can have autonomy or power, but you cannot have both.

There are two obvious implications.

First, if you aspire to a position of great power in any social sector, you need to begin living your life differently very, very early in life.

Second, although office romances are reasonably common, they are generally not a good idea.

They are common because simple proximity is an important basis of interpersonal attraction. You are not as likely to go out with someone you have never met and, particularly in todays world of long work hours, most people know a lot of people from their workplace.

The problem is that when relationships sour, there is friction if the people still are working together. Office romances inevitably raise concerns about power differences between the individuals involved. There can also be worries about implicit, or maybe even explicit, use of power to compel unwanted behaviour.

There is no suggestion that this was the case for Looney. BP has said he did not breach the companys code of conduct.

Dating someone from the workplace can also provoke jealousy among coworkers who can be concerned about favouritism that is bestowed because of the relationship.

In general, then, it is better to find romantic companionship in environments distinct from ones workplace.

From all accounts, Bernard Looney was not just a good student in my class at Stanford, he was a good leader of BP, someone who worked his way up the ranks, communicated effectively, and had a vision of how to take the company into a world in which carbon-based energy was falling out of favour.

But, as in many other instances, the technical aspects of his job performance did not protect him from paying an almost inevitable price of power. Having power means ones past and present behaviour is fair game for critics and enemies, and a part of ones identity and record.

Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University

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Geneva, N.Y. -- Geneva police said Sunday there is no danger to the public following a bomb threat a synagogue in Geneva received this morning, police said.

Around 8:15 a.m., police were alerted to a potential bomb threat at Temple Beth-El at 755 S. Main St, according to a news release from the Geneva Police Department.

Due to the nature of the threat against the Jewish house of worship, police said the Ontario County Sheriffs Office Explosive Detection K-9 unit was sent to inspect of the synagogue.

Police said there were no incendiary devices found. The threat was isolated and there is no danger to the public, they said.

The New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force was informed and is leading the investigation, police said.

Geneva police ask anyone with information to contact the on-duty supervisor at (315) 789-1111 or Lt. John Van Savage at (315) 828-6779. Police said information provided by the public can be kept confidential.

Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com
Two Syracuse teens are dead after being shot by an Onondaga County sheriffs deputy investigating a burglary. The deputys future hangs in the balance. The public is being asked to withhold judgment until an investigation by the New York state Attorney General determines whether the shooting was justified.

Unfortunately, Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley isnt withholding judgment.
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that he appreciated recent praise from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In an exclusive interview with NBC Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, Trump said it meant "what I'm saying is right," referring to his positions on the war in Ukraine.

Trump readily claimed in the interview that if re-elected president, he would resolve the war within 24 hours, though he provided few details about how he would end a conflict that has dragged on for more than 18 months. The former president has asserted several times that he could quickly end the war.

"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," he said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Putin, Russia's longtime leader, said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, last week that he had heard "that Mr. Trump says he will resolve all burning issues within several days, including the Ukrainian crisis. We cannot help but feel happy about it."

Then-President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in 2017. (Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images file)

Trump said he was pleased by Putin's comments.

"I like that he said that," he told Welker. "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."

This is Welkers first interview as moderator of Meet the Press, and it will air in full Sunday on NBC stations nationwide. Welker, who covered Trump in the White House, pressed the former president several times to clearly explain how he would end the war.

Tune into Meet the Press with Kristen Welker this Sunday for more from Welkers exclusive interview with former President Donald Trump. Check local listings.

Trump continued to avoid an explanation of what his plan would entail, though he claimed he would "make a fair deal for everybody" when asked if he would allow the Kremlin to keep Ukrainian territory that Russian forces had illegally seized by force.

Story continues

Trump remains the front-runner in the polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Some of his competitors have criticized him for de-emphasizing the war in Ukraine as a U.S. national security interest, while others  such as Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  have adopted his denunciations of the contributions made by American allies, especially compared to those by NATO.

Though Trump did not make clear what he would do in office regarding the conflict, he frequently argued during the interview that there would not have been a war if he had remained president.

Kristen Welker sits down for an interview with former President Donald Trump. (William B. Plowman / Meet The Press)

"There was nobody tougher than me with Russia," he said. "And yet I got along with Putin. Let me tell you, I got along with him really well. And thats a good thing, not a bad thing. Hes got 1,700 nuclear missiles. And so do we."

The former president did not have much to add when Welker pressed him about the Kremlins brutality in Ukraine, however. She noted that Russian forces had bombed maternity wards, buried Ukrainian civilians in mass graves and kidnapped children in the occupied territory.

Its all terrible, Trump said in response.

It is not the first time that he has declined to be overly critical of Putin, whom most American allies and members of the U.S. national security community consider an antagonist.

And Trump's track record in supporting Ukraine, a U.S. partner, has been spotty.

When Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Trump praised Putin as a guy who is very savvy and the invasion of Ukraine as genius in an interview with a conservative podcaster.

President Biden has been clear about how critical it is to support Ukraine against Mr. Putins brutal and barbaric invasion  and hes rallied the world to do just that, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to Trump's remarks, adding, Whats at stake is not just the survival of Ukraine; its the unmistakeable message that in the 21st century a dictator cannot be allowed to conquer his neighbors territory with impunity and threaten the fundamental values of freedom and independence that matter to every American.

Trumps first impeachment in December 2019 came after a daylong debate in Congress about whether the then-president had violated his oath by pressuring Ukraine to damage a political opponent  Joe Biden  by withholding nearly $400 million in U.S. aid to Ukraine.

He also said he took the Russian president at his word at a summit in Helsinki in 2018 and dismissed U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.

President Putin says its not Russia, Trump said at the time. I dont see any reason why it would be.

Days later, the former president claimed he had misspoken.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A few weeks ago, I received a last minute invitation to participate in a livestream panel discussing Nvidia. At the time, there was a wild conspiracy making the rounds on Twitter about the company's results. This panel was clearly going to explore those in depth, and if nothing else, I was intrigued by who was behind the wild rumors and how they benefited from them.

Editor's Note:

Guest author Jonathan Goldberg is the founder of D2D Advisory, a multi-functional consulting firm. Jonathan has developed growth strategies and alliances for companies in the mobile, networking, gaming, and software industries.

So I attended the panel, listened (often in shock at what I heard), and pushed back where I could. The whole experience was a bit unsettling, staring into the mouth of the Internet rumor machine does not give one faith in humanity.

We are not going to dig into that theory, nor are we going to link to any part of it. For the most part, those rumors seems to have subsided and we do not want to add any oxygen to the attention machine. Nonetheless, I wanted to lay out my views on Nvidia, to set the record straight on how I view the company and its current outlook.

As everyone knows, Nvidia's stock is on a tear right now, up 200+% this year alone, solidifying its position as the best performing semiconductor stock probably of all time. The stock has been driven by two consecutive earnings reports delivering blow-out numbers.

For a company of Nvidia's size to grow earnings this much in such a short time is probably something most of us will only see once in our careers. Really strong numbers. This series of sudden surprises is probably what attracted the attention of the rumor mill, with so much attention focused on the company taking a contrary position is going to generate an audience online.

... to be clear, Nvidia's results are driven by real demand.

However, to be clear, Nvidia's results are driven by real demand. The software world is scrambling to catch up with the potential offered by transformer-based AI models. There is a huge change taking place in the landscape and no one wants to be left behind. As I have noted in the past, Nvidia has a lock on the market for AI training semis right now, a position that is unlikely to change any time soon. So all that interest in AI translates into big business for the company.

Moreover, the company has spent the past few years beefing up their offerings for the cloud. I wrote about this about 18 months ago, when their analyst day presentations made it clear that Nvidia was laying claim to dominance in the data center. This means they are selling a lot more than just GPUs for the cloud  they also have CPUs, networking chips and a host of systems tying everything together. They also have deployed some surprisingly robust software offerings, something which challenges all their semis peers.

All of which is to say that they are very well positioned right now, riding the wave of AI, gaining share and garnering those massive earnings.

Will it last? Here I need to break the question into two time frames.

Over the next year or so, the company has all that wind in its sails, but that will not last forever. Right now the company is struggling to meet demand, but at some point next year, supply will likely catch up. No company can keep up the pace that Nvidia is on, and semis are cyclical, so inevitably their earnings will pause. Couple that with the fact the Nvidia has never been terribly good at forecasting quarterly demand, or cared to get better at it, and yes eventually the stock will take a hit.

Given the super-premium multiple the company is trading at currently, any miss will see the stock trashed. Over the past ten years, Nvidia's stock fallen over 5% in a day 53 times. As much as the 30-year view of their stock is up and to the right, zoom in on any two to three year period on that chart and it looks more like a giant zig zag.

All of this makes it a terrible stock for retail investors. Professional investors are spending immense resources right now to get a finger on the pulse of Nvidia's progress, which gives them a big edge versus retail investors intrigued by what they may see or hear on Twitter  tread carefully  and to be clear, I do not own any Nvidia shares, and joking aside, I will not be buying any.

Over the long term, there is still a lot to like about Nvidia. Yes, interest in AI has gotten out of hand. And yes, there is a lot of hyperbole taking place in the segment. Precisely forecasting demand for AI semis is very challenging with a lot of moving parts  consumer adoption, software models, killer apps (or lack thereof), etc.

Nonetheless, the advances in compute that transformers, LLMs and other AI models offer are now clear, and these capabilities will get woven into the fabric of our digital lives no matter what. There is nothing on the horizon that looks set to challenge Nvidia's position in that any time soon. They may not be able to continue an unending series of monster earnings surprises, but they will participate in a major way.
Climate change is about to deal a heavy blow to Brazil, with a new study from the University of Michigan (UM) sounding a clarion call to health organizations worldwide.

A report shared by Yahoo News tells us about a recent study unveiling a startling revelation: rising global temperatures could lead to a 20% increase in mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika and dengue in Brazil within the next three decades.

Climate Change's Impact on Disease Transmission

The study focused on four Brazilian cities: Manaus, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo, each experiencing distinct climate patterns.

Contrary to initial expectations, the sweltering heat in Manaus did not lead to a decline in disease spread; instead, it unveiled a more worrying trend.

Regions with traditionally lower temperatures, such as Sao Paulo, are at greater risk as temperatures surge to levels conducive to outbreaks.

Co-author of the UM study, Andrew Brouwer, noted, "We were expecting a consistent drop in the projections for the risk of arboviral diseases in the hottest regions of the country, but most 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," Brouwer remarks.

Read Also: Facebook's COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation Policies Fail as Design Features Undermine Effectiveness: Study

The Widening Risk

Statistics discussed by Mongabay in a report tell us that warmer conditions increase the likelihood of disease transmission and extend the transmission season's duration, putting more people at risk for infection.

Brouwer emphasized the need for Brazilian health agencies to prepare for increased disease incidence and longer transmission seasons that cover broader geographic areas.

The study also underscored the role of rainfall and drought. While mosquitoes typically lay their eggs in water, drought conditions can exacerbate the problem as people store water inside their homes, bringing the risk of disease closer to families.

Deforestation's Role in Mosquito Outbreaks

Another study from researchers in the Minas Gerais area of Brazil reveals a crucial link between deforestation and mosquito populations.

When biodiversity diminishes due to tree felling and habitat destruction, mosquitoes have fewer predators, allowing them to reproduce at an accelerated rate, thus increasing their chances of survival.

Servio Pontes Ribeiro, a researcher quoted in the study, explained, "Well-maintained and preserved forests fragment the mosquito's population and end up dissolving it."

To combat this, it is essential to avoid supporting businesses and retailers benefiting from deforestation, particularly in Brazil.

Climate Action Matters

Addressing this looming health crisis requires collective efforts to reduce global temperatures.

While government policies play a significant role, individuals can contribute by taking steps to minimize carbon pollution in their daily lives.

This includes considering alternatives like driving electric cars and harnessing clean solar energy to power homes.

Stay posted here at Tech Times for the latest scoop in health, science, and more.

Related Article: Deadly Bangladesh Nipah Virus Strain Emerges with Alarming 90% Fatality Rate

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA is gearing up for another mission to the moon in November 2024, and at the heart of this epic journey is an engine with a remarkable history.

NASA's Artemis 2 mission, set to send four astronauts on a lunar adventure, is breathing new life into an engine that once played a pivotal role in servicing the iconic Hubble Space Telescope.

Meet Engine E2059: The 'Hubble Hugger'

Space.com reports that Engine E2059, known as the 'Hubble Hugger,' is ready to roar back to life as it is installed on NASA's powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

This engine earned its nickname for its role in NASA's STS-125 mission in 2009, when it facilitated the last astronaut visit to the Hubble Space Telescope, ensuring the venerable observatory continued its mission.

Remarkably, the Hubble Space Telescope is still going strong 14 years later, thanks in part to E2059's contributions.

A Historic Mission to the Moon

Artemis 2 is set to be a historic mission in multiple ways.

Firstly, it will mark the return of humans to lunar exploration, a feat not achieved since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Secondly, the mission will break barriers by featuring the first Black astronaut, Victor Glover, the first woman, Christina Koch, and the first non-American, Jeremy Hansen, to travel beyond low Earth orbit.

These astronauts are currently deep in training for the incredible journey.

Read Also: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Measures the Universe's Expansion Rate Made by Hubble

E2059's Impressive Resume

Engine E2059, part of the Boeing-made SLS core stage, boasts an impressive resume.

NASA tells us that it has ventured into space five times during the space shuttle program, playing a crucial role in missions like STS-130 in 2010 when it delivered the wraparound cupola viewing window to the International Space Station.

This engine's reliability and storied history make it a vital component of the upcoming lunar mission.

When E2059 and its three fellow RS-25 engines, all manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne, roar to life on the SLS, they will burn fuel at a jaw-dropping rate, consuming a staggering 1,500 gallons (5,678 liters) per second.

This incredible power is necessary to propel the Artemis 2 mission beyond Earth's gravitational pull and toward the moon.

The Journey from Earth to the Moon

Space.com reports that the core stage of the SLS rocket, including E2059, is currently being assembled at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

Once the assembly is complete, it will be transported to its launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida via barge. The core stage will be mated with the rest of the rocket and undergo rigorous testing to ensure a successful launch.

While the Artemis program is rapidly advancing, it still awaits essential components, such as the SpaceX Starship lander, which will carry astronauts to the lunar surface, and specialized spacesuits for lunar excursions.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Catches Dreamy View of a Distant Galaxy

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In a significant shift from China, Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer and a prominent Apple supplier, has unveiled its ambitious plan to double its workforce and investments in India within the following year, the South China Morning Post reports.

The announcement was made by V Lee, Foxconn's representative in India, in a LinkedIn post commemorating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 73rd birthday.

Diverse Expansion Strategy

Foxconn's aggressive expansion strategy in India is a testament to the country's growing importance in the global electronics manufacturing landscape.

The Taiwanese conglomerate has been progressively bolstering its presence in India by investing in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in the country's southern regions, one being worth $700 million.

While specific details regarding the expansion remain undisclosed, V Lee stated that Foxconn was "aiming for another doubling of employment, foreign direct investment (FDI), and business size in India" within the coming year.

This bold move emphasizes Foxconn's commitment to diversifying its manufacturing base and reducing its dependency on China.

Existing Operations in Tamil Nadu

Foxconn has already established a significant manufacturing footprint in India.

The company currently operates an iPhone factory in Tamil Nadu, employing 40,000 people. This facility plays a crucial role in Apple's global supply chain, contributing to the production of millions of iPhones annually.

Further underscoring Foxconn's dedication to expanding its Indian operations, the state of Karnataka announced in August that the tech giant would invest a staggering $600 million in two distinct projects.

These projects will focus on producing casing components for iPhones and manufacturing cutting-edge chip-making equipment.

Read Also: iPhone 15: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Offer Up to $1,000 off With Trade-in Deals!

Chairman Liu Young-way's Optimism

Foxconn's Chairman Liu Young-way has expressed unwavering optimism regarding the company's prospects in India.

During an earnings briefing last month, he boldly stated, "Several billion dollars in investment is only a beginning."

This statement underscores Foxconn's long-term commitment to the Indian market and its recognition of its growth and innovation potential.

Terry Gou's Political Aspirations

In a surprising twist, Foxconn's billionaire founder, Terry Gou, recently announced his candidacy for the Taiwanese presidency as an independent candidate.

Gou expressed doubts about the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's capacity to secure Taiwan's future and prosperity, a decision that led to his resignation from Foxconn's board.

Given his pivotal role in the company's history and global operations, his political aspirations intrigue the Foxconn narrative.

Global Operations

While Foxconn's expansion in India dominates headlines, it's essential to note that the company still maintains a robust presence in China.

The city of Zhengzhou in Henan province hosts the world's largest iPhone manufacturing plant operated by Foxconn.

This facility plays a pivotal role in Apple's global supply chain despite its endeavors to diversify its manufacturing locations.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Foxconn Pays iPhone Builders Less than Huawei Builders as Apple Starts Diversifying Its Supply Chain

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
When discussing office tools for work, businesses, homes, and educational institutions, the Microsoft Office suite is often the first to come to mind.

It has set the benchmark as the go-to office software across various platforms.

You are using it every day but suddenly the product activation failed error pops up when launching MS Office.

It keeps popping up on every launch and sporadically when working on Microsoft Office apps.

The real problem starts when you are not able to use MS Office because of the activation error.

Therefore, it is important we fix product activation failed error in Microsoft Office to continue our work.

Dont worry, we have easy-to-follow solutions to activation failure errors. You can follow them without calling in an expert,

Fix Product Activation Failed in Microsoft Office

1. Run as Administrator

If you have an active Microsoft Office subscription or a serial key then normally you should not encounter this problem.

One of the reasons can be that the activation check process is not running. You require administrator mode on some computers to make it run with Office apps so here is how you can do it.

1. Search for an Office app such as Word, or Excel from the Start Menu.

2. Right-click and select Run as administrator.

This should remove the product activation failed error when the problem is the activation check app. But if the error persists then head to the next solution.

2. Run the OSPPREARM.exe File

This is a working fix for product activation failed and has worked for the majority of the users.

OSPPREARM.exe is a utility associated with Microsoft Office, specifically with the Office Software Protection Platform (OSPP).

This utility lets you extend the grace period (usually 30 days) of an Office product, letting users evaluate the product without activating it.

By running OSPPREARM you can reset and extend this grace period. Here is how you can do it.

1. Head to This PC by pressing Windows + E together or manually open it.

2. Type the following in the address bar and head to Microsoft Offices installation folder.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16

If you are on an x86(32-bit) version of Windows then head to the following address.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office16

Note  Here 16 in Office16 denotes MS Office 2016. So if you have other versions such as Microsoft 2019 then it will be Office19.

Also, when you cannot find the OSPPREARM.exe file here then head to this address instead.

C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform

3. Run OSPPREARM.exe as an administrator and then the command prompt will open up for a couple of seconds before shutting down on its own.

4. Then head to any of the Microsoft Office app and check if the product activation failed error has disappeared.

If it is appearing then consider repeating the steps for two-three times. However, if is still failing then head to the next solution.

A glitch or bug in Microsoft Office can cause the product activation failed error.

You can fix it by updating MS Office with the latest patches from the company. Here is how you can do perform the update.

1. Launch any of the MS Office apps. We launched Word for this tutorial.

2. Head to Account, located at the bottom of the home page.

3. Select Update Now from the Update Options button.

4. Then a prompt checking for Microsoft Office updates will appear. Meanwhile, you can carry on with your work while it downloads available updates.

5. Then Microsoft Office updates will be prepared to be installed.

6. Then it will ask you to save work and close the Microsoft apps. Click Continue after saving everything to install the updates.

7. Microsoft Office apps will be updated in a couple of seconds and then you can continue using them.

Now check if Product Activated Failed in Microsoft Office still persists in any of the MS Office apps. If it still does then head to the next solution in the basket.

If the date or time on your computer is not accurate, it might prevent Microsoft servers from validating your Office license.

This could lead to errors like product activation failure, amongst other disruptions. Here you can fix the date and time to solve this.

1. Close all apps of Microsoft Office and then move ahead to the next step.

2. Head to Date and Time settings from the Start Menu search.

3. Then enable both the options automatically for time and time zone.

If the time zone option is greyed out then you can set it manually from the option below, as denoted by C.

5. After that, close the time and date settings. Then you can launch Word, Excel, etc., and the product activation failed in Microsoft Production will be solved.

Until Office 2016, MS Office had a one-time purchase model. Now you have to subscribe to their subscription plan under Microsoft 365.

So sometimes you get logged out of your subscription on the PC, or it can be get expired. Here is how you can log into Microsoft Office and keep the subscription active.

1. Head to Microsoft Office from the Start Menu.

2. Click Sign in to log into the account.

3. Put in your Microsoft Offices credentials or select an account to log in.

4. Now look at the top right of the window. If you see an option to buy or renew Microsoft 365 then you will have to subscribe to fix the product activation failed error.

6. Remove Multiple Copies of MS Office

Did you check if there are multiple copies of Microsoft Office installed on your computer.

It is more common than you. Suppose you installed one version a while back and forgot about it when the new version came in.

Therefore you should remove the older versions MS Office to fix the product activation error. Here is the easiest way to do it.

1. Go to Apps uninstallation section by searching Add or Remove Programs in the Start Menu search.

2. Search for Office in the search bar and you will see results below.

3. Single-click to select older Office and then click on the Uninstall button. This will remove the extra copy of MS Office from the computer.

4. After that, restart the computer for making the final changes. Then you can launch MS Office and see the product activiation status.

If it is still failing then you can move to the next solution.

7. Reset Microsoft Office

Sometimes, there might be issues related to the activation of the Office product, or the license might not be recognized correctly.

Resetting can often help resolve the product activation failed in MS Office. And here is how you can do it by going to the apps uninstallation section.

1. Head to apps uninstallation section like the previous section and search for Office.

2. Select Office installation and then click Advanced Options.

3. Scroll down to the Reset section and then click on the Reset button. Then confirm again and Microsoft Office will be reset.

4. Then you can launch MS Office and it will start as a freshly installed application. You might have to sign in again.

This will fix product activation failed error in Microsoft Office. If for any reason it fails to do so then move to the next solution.

8. Uninstall and Reinstall MS Office

Uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft Office can resolve activation failure issues because it provides a fresh start.

This process eliminates any corrupted files, outdated activation tokens, software conflicts, and residual files that might be preventing successful activation.

You can follow the steps we followed in removing multiple copies of MS Office for uninstalling here.

Microsoft Office activation errors can sometimes be caused by outdated software components or bugs within the Office suite itself.

They periodically release updates to address these issues and enhance the softwares functionality.

Microsoft continuously monitors its software for issues. When an activation-related bug is identified, the development team works on a fix, and that fix is usually delivered via an update.

Here is how you can check Windows update to solve the activation issue.

1. Head to Windows Update from the Start menu.

2. Click on Check for Updates and wait a couple of seconds.

3. The available will be downloaded and then you have to click Restart Now to install them right away.

Note  Make sure to save your work before going ahead with the updates installation.

10. Reset Windows

This fix for product activation failure is a big step for your computer. You might want to backup your data and files before proceeding forward.

Resetting Windows essentially gives your computer a fresh start, either by keeping your personal files intact or by removing everything and starting over.

When you are dealing with a persistent issue such as a Microsoft Office product activation failure error, a Windows reset can sometimes be a last-resort troubleshooting step.

1. Head to Reset This PC from the Start menu.

2. Then select Get Started in the Reset This PC section.

3. You will be able to reset Windows to fix product activation failed in Microsoft Office.

Contact Microsoft Support for resolving Microsoft Office activation failures due to their specialized expertise and access to advanced troubleshooting tools.

You can head straight to Contact Us page and select Microsoft 365 for advanced support.

They will start by suggesting to post in their forums. Then you will also get an option to contact them through chat or phone by clicking on Contact Support button at the bottom.

Resolve Product Activation Failed Error

You can fix product activation failed error of MS Office by yourself. Follow the methods discussed here and it will be resolved easily.

Dont use counterfeit MS Office or serial keys as they are unsafe and may cause problems on your computer.
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"
By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit Three automakers entered its third day on Sunday with no immediate resolution on the horizon.

Union negotiators and representatives of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis were set to resume talks starting Sunday, following the start of the most ambitious U.S. industrial labor action in decades. This is the first time the UAW has gone on strike against all three automakers simultaneously.

The coordinated strike comes at a time when Americans' approval of labor unions is at its highest point in decades even as membership in unions remains largely unchanged.

UAW President Shawn Fain told MSNBC on Sunday that progress in the talks has been slow. The UAW resumed talks with GM on Sunday, and will do so with Stellantis and Ford on Monday.

I don't really want to say we're closer, he said. It's a shame that the companies didn't take our advice and get down to business from the beginning of bargaining back in mid-July.

Asked in a subsequent appearance on CBS Face the Nation whether workers would walk out at more plants this week, Fain said the union was "prepared to do whatever we have to do."

About 12,700 UAW workers remain on strike as part of a coordinated labor action targeting three U.S. assembly plants - one at each of the Detroit Three automakers after the prior four-year labor agreements expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Negotiators for the UAW and Ford had "reasonably productive discussions" toward a new contract on Saturday, the union said, while Chrysler-parent Stellantis said it hiked its offer, proposing raises of 20% over a four-and-a-half-year contract term, including an immediate 10% hike. That matched proposals from GM and Ford.

The proposals are about half the 40% wage hike the UAW is demanding through 2027, including an immediate 20% boost.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who has signaled support for the union's efforts, has had acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and advisor Gene Sperling speaking to the UAW and the automakers during the talks.

Story continues

An administration official said on Sunday that Biden believes new agreements with the automakers should ensure that auto jobs going forward are good middle class jobs.

Mark Stewart, the North American chief operating officer for Stellantis, told reporters Saturday the UAW rejected a proposal to resume operations at an assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, noting its offer had been contingent on reaching agreement before the contract expiration.

In late February, Stellantis indefinitely idled operations at the Belvidere plant, citing rising costs of electric vehicle production.

The UAW criticized the company position on the Illinois plant saying now "they are now taking it back. Thats how they see these workers. A bargaining chip."

Stellantis said late Saturday it is willing to negotiate about the plant's future. "The truth is UAW leadership ignored Belvidere in favor of a strike," the company said.

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. GM has been struggling to launch its new EVs and a prolonged UAW strike could hurt those efforts even if it has a chance of helping in the short term, analysts said.

Evercore ISI analyst Chris McNally said in a Sunday research note he expects plants that build more profitable pickup trucks like Ford's F-150, GM's Chevrolet Silverado and Stellantis' Ram to be the next strike targets if the walkout continues.

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, and GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down Monday or Tuesday due to a lack of parts stemming from the strike at a GM Missouri plant.

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.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; additional reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington, Andrea Shalal in Wilmington, Del., and Ben Klayman in Detroit, Editing by Kim Coghill and Deepa Babington)
A newly announced US-led infrastructure project with India, Europe and the Middle East will energise economic development through improved connectivity and integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf and Europe, according to its proponents.

The ambitious plans bear a strong similarity to China's bigger Belt and Road Initiative, and if completed, would be seen as a challenge to the Chinese strategy.

But some observers have cast doubt over prospects for the US-led project, with several of its predecessors having already evaporated.

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.

The highlight of the project - which did not refer to China directly - is a rail and shipping corridor that would connect India with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and ultimately the European Union, to enable greater trade among the countries, including in energy and digital products.

It was announced at this month's Group of 20 Summit, which the Chinese and Russian presidents did not attend.

"It's a big deal. It's a really big deal. This project will contribute to making the Middle East a more prosperous, stable and integrated region," US President Joe Biden said.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and US President Joe Biden at the G20 summit where the infrastructure plan was announced. Photo: AP alt=Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and US President Joe Biden at the G20 summit where the infrastructure plan was announced. Photo: AP>

The Group of Seven - consisting of six Western states and Japan - have launched similar initiatives over recent years, including the Build Back Better World (B3W) programme in 2021, which named China as a strategic competitor, as well as its revamp - the five-year Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment in 2022.

Story continues

B3W focused on "human infrastructure", such as health security and gender equality, while the new project builds tangible ones, such as electricity cables, hydrogen pipelines and high-speed data cables.

According to Josef Gregory Mahoney, politics professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai, the lack of substantial results from previous proposals, like B3W, hints at the ideological - as opposed to practical - nature of the scheme.

"No one is naive enough to believe that this new plan is anything more than a campaign talking point, one that supports Biden's re-election, not unlike his grandiose rhetoric at the recent G20," Mahoney said, adding that it promoted an "anti-[belt and road] green fantasy that US policymakers can't even deliver at home, let alone overseas".

Washington may also be aiming at the growing Chinese influence in the Middle East - a key player in its new plan. This year, Beijing helped to broker the Saudi-Iran deal that ended a seven-year diplomatic rift and made proposals regarding different regional conflicts, including an end to the war in Syria and a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

Yet to detail its strategy, Washington said its project could help "turn the temperature down" on "turbulence and insecurity" coming out of the Middle East.

Andy Mok, a senior research fellow at the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based think tank, said that while easing tensions in the region may be a worthwhile goal, it was unlikely to be realised.

"Leaning heavily on economic solutions without the foundational values of respect for each country's development models and choices may be problematic," Mok said.

"Less-coordinated initiatives", rather than "well-charted strategies", highlighted Washington's "impulsive reaction" to China's diplomatic capacities, he said.

According to the Green Finance & Development Centre, a Fudan University think tank, cumulative Belt and Road Initiative investment exceeded US$1 trillion this year, with more than 100 deals worth US$43.3 billion signed in the first half of this year - a 23.7 per cent year-on-year increase.

According to Zoon Ahmed Khan, a foreign-policy analyst and research fellow at Tsinghua University's Belt and Road Strategy Institute, the US-led infrastructure plans have been "retaliatory, divisive and motive-driven", and their proposition to serve as a positive influence "lacks precedent".

"The caveat for Washington is a limited track record in building advanced infrastructure within the US as well as overseas," Khan said, adding that the belt and road plan had, in contrast, invested in traditional projects such as ports, roads, dams, railways and power plants.

"Given China's growing stakes as a threat to the US' strategic influence in the region, the willingness of Middle Eastern countries to welcome China's role in development, security and regional cooperation is seen as a threat by policymakers in Washington," Khan said.

She said it was unlikely that China would be outbid as the primary provider of traditional infrastructure to developing countries.

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.
State's blood supply at a dangerously low point, putting patients at risk

AURORA, Ill., Sept. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Versiti Blood Center of Illinois has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations, pleading with community members to make an appointment to donate blood in the coming days. Heading into the fall, Versiti has seen a drastic drop in scheduled appointments, with nearly 2,500 open appointments over the next seven days.

Emergency blood shortage. Make your appointment to donate today! (PRNewsfoto/Versiti Blood Center of Indiana)

"This is the lowest our blood inventory has been in over a year, which could mean that blood is not available when it's needed the most," said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti. "We are seeing fewer first-time donors walking through our doors, which is adding to an already dangerous situation, and we need the community to step up and donate."

Versiti estimates that around 20 percent of its donors are first-time donors; unfortunately, more than 50 percent of those donors only donate once. With an aging donor base and increased need, first-time blood donors are desperately needed.

"Our loyal donors continue to hear our pleas and roll up their sleeves, for which we are extremely grateful," added Dr. Waxman. "However, if every eligible donor could pledge to donate at least twice by the end of the year and encourage a friend or family member to give blood donation a try as well, the impact on the local blood supply would be significant and save lives."

While Versiti strives for a three-day supply of available blood for local hospitals, the organization currently has less than a one-day supply on the shelves. Not only does this potentially put people's lives at risk, but it limits the ability to respond to the need for blood should the unexpected occur.

What to know about blood donation

Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood to survive. One donation can save up to three lives.

The donation process, including registration and testing, takes about an hour. Because your body constantly replaces blood and fluids, blood donation doesn't take a major toll on the human body.

There is no substitute for blood donation  blood cannot be manufactured. It can only come from volunteer donors.

Roughly 68 percent of Americans can donate blood, but only about 3 percent do so.

Blood donation can help patients of all ages who are victims of traumatic accidents, patients of organ transplants, or fighting through diseases like cancer.

Story continues

All blood types are needed, with types O-positive and O-negative most in demand. O-positive is the most common blood type, while O-negative blood is the universal type that can be received safely by all patients in emergencies when the blood type is unknown.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call (800) 786-4483 or visit versiti.org. Walk-in donors are also welcome.

Donor center locations:

WESTMONT : 6317 S. Fairview

TINLEY PARK : 16100 Centennial Circle

BLOOMINGDALE : 398 W. Army Trail Rd.

NAPERVILLE : 1297 S. Naper Blvd.

WINFIELD : 27W281 Geneva Rd.

JOLIET : 2625 W. Jefferson St.

GENEVA : 2000 W. State St., Unit 1E

AURORA : 1200 N. Highland Ave.

ELGIN : 1140 N. McLean Blvd.

CRYSTAL LAKE : 6296 Northwest Hwy.

YORKVILLE : 728 E. Veterans Pkwy., Suite 112

DEKALB : 2428 Sycamore Rd.

HIGHLAND: 2126 45th Street

Donating blood takes about an hour. Anyone age 16 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

About Versiti Blood Center of Illinois

Versiti Blood Center of Illinois is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Aurora, IL., that specializes in blood products and services and provides expert medical and technical support. Founded in 1943, it is the oldest blood center in Illinois and serves patients at more than 85 hospitals in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. It operates 12 donor centers and conducts nearly 2,200 blood drives annually at area hospitals, churches, businesses, schools and community centers. To learn more, visit versiti.org.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/versiti-blood-center-of-illinois-issues-emergency-appeal-for-blood-donations-301929730.html

SOURCE Versiti Blood Center of Illinois
Karen Marshall sometimes struggled to find a New Orleans school that matched her passion for teaching science. Over her nearly 18-year teaching career, Marshall had grown frustrated with the increasing emphasis on standardized testing and the whittling away of science curriculums to give more class time to English and math.
Closing the 680-mile-long Ghana-Togo border in September 1986 was initiated by the government of Togo triggered by Ghanaian Armed protesters.

In September 1986, a significant and historically notable incident unfolded along the Ghana-Togo border in Lome. Armed protesters crossed this international border to overthrow President Gnassingbe Eyadema. This incident led to the closure of the border.

President Gnassingbe Eyadema's lengthy tenure in power, which spanned from 1967 until his death in 2005, was marked by many challenges and complexities. One of the primary challenges Eyadema encountered was the presence of a persistent and often vocal political opposition.

Eyadema's rule was criticized for alleged human rights abuses, including political repression, censorship of the media, and restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly. Eyadema survived multiple coup attempts during his time in office.

The Ghana-Togo border is approximately 1,094 kilometers or about 680 miles long. This border separates the Republic of Ghana to the west and the Togolese Republic to the east. The border meanders through various landscapes, including forests, rivers, and savannahs.

Closure of the Ghana-Togo border from September 1986 to June 1987.

The closure of the Ghana-Togo border from September 1986 to June 1987 was initiated by the government of Togo under the leadership of President Gnassingbe Eyadema. To understand the closure of the Ghana-Togo border during this period, it's essential to understand Eyadema survived multiple coup attempts during his time in office, and a group of armed protesters was a threat to his presidency.

At the helm of Togo's leadership was President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had been in power since a military coup in 1967. His rule was characterized by a centralized and authoritarian government, which faced internal opposition and international criticism for alleged human rights abuses.

The closure of the border was triggered by a significant incident that occurred in September 1986. Armed dissidents, believed to have received support from Ghana, infiltrated Togo with the intention of overthrowing President Eyadema's regime. This bold and audacious attempt to destabilize the government led to a swift and severe response.

In response to the security threat posed by the dissidents, the Togolese government, under President Eyadema, took the unprecedented step of closing the Ghana-Togo border. This closure had immediate and far-reaching consequences:

Both Ghana and Togo experienced economic losses due to the interruption of trade, affecting industries ranging from agriculture to manufacturing. One of the most immediate and impactful consequences of closing the border was disrupting trade and economic activities. Both Ghana and Togo relied on cross-border trade for essential goods, including food, fuel, and other commodities.

The closure disrupted the supply chains and led to shortages and increased consumer prices. It also had a negative impact on the livelihoods of traders and farmers who depended on cross-border commerce. The border closure resulted in significant economic losses for both countries. Trade volumes dropped, and revenue from customs duties and taxes declined. Additionally, the increased costs associated with alternative transportation routes and delays at border crossings added economic burdens.

The closure of the Ghana-Togo border was initiated by the Togolese government.

Closing a border typically involves a combination of administrative, logistical, and military actions. The government in control of the border issues official orders and directives to close the border. This can include the suspension of visas, the deployment of border patrol units, and the establishment of checkpoints to prevent unauthorized crossings.

Closing the border strained diplomatic relations between Ghana and Togo. While Togo accused Ghana of supporting the dissidents who attempted to overthrow President Eyadema, Ghana denied involvement. The closure eroded trust between the two countries and hindered their ability to collaborate.

After months of negotiations and diplomatic interventions, an agreement was reached, and the Ghana-Togo border was reopened in June 1987. This marked the end of the border closure and the beginning of a gradual return to normalcy in the region.

Closing the Ghana-Togo border was seen as a bad decision because it had severe economic, diplomatic, humanitarian, and regional consequences. It disrupted the daily lives of people on both sides of the border, harmed the economies of both countries and strained their diplomatic relations.

The closure of the Ghana-Togo border from September 1986 to June 1987 remains a pivotal moment in African history.
Liberia was designated as a settlement for freed African slaves by the American Colonization Society, primarily due to the strategic importance of Mesurado Bay.





The society sought to establish a colony in Africa where freed African Americans could be resettled and provided with opportunities for a better life. Liberia was chosen as the destination for this resettlement effort. One primary reason for selecting Liberia was its strategic location, notably Mesurado Bay.





Situated on the West African coast, Mesurado Bay offered several advantages. It provided a suitable harbor for ships, which was vital for trade and transportation. Additionally, the bay's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean allowed for relatively easy access to the broader region. These geographical features were essential for the logistics and sustainability of the colony.





Liberia's Mesurado Bay, 12 historical facts and descriptions: Portuguese explorers in the late 15th century were among the early European navigators who encountered Mesurado Bay on their journeys along the West African coast. The name Mesurado is believed to have originated from Portuguese explorers, possibly referencing a local ruler or landmark. Over time, this name came to encompass both the bay and its surrounding area. Mesurado Bay played a pivotal role in Liberia's early development. Its natural harbor made it a preferred choice for establishing a settlement, providing ideal conditions for trade and transportation. The bay was a vital gateway for exporting Liberia's valuable natural resources, including rubber, timber, and minerals. These exports were essential sources of revenue for the young colony and vital for its economic growth. In the late 19th century, Liberia faced territorial challenges from British and French colonial powers, leading to international disputes involving Liberia, the United States, and European nations. The founding of Liberia began along the shores of Mesurado Bay in 1822 when the American Colonization Society established the colony, marking the commencement of the colonization effort. Liberia declared its independence on July 26, 1847, becoming the first African republic. This significant event occurred near Mesurado Bay, adding to the bay's symbolism in the nation's history. Liberia's documented history primarily focuses on the settlers and their descendants. However, there was limited knowledge about the indigenous peoples of the interior until the early 20th century. Unlike their British and French counterparts, Liberian settlers lacked the technical resources to establish control over powerful chiefdoms in the hinterland. This process largely occurred after World War I, with the interior remaining largely uncharted and perilous for travelers. Mesurado Bay continues to be a hub of trade and economic activity in Liberia, with Monrovia, the capital city, developing around it. The annual Timket (Epiphany) festival of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is celebrated along the serene shores of Mesurado Bay. This picturesque bay serves as the sacred site for the immersion ritual of the Tabot, symbolizing the Ark of the Covenant. Mesurado Bay's historical significance to colonization was shaped through trade, economic growth, and territorial disputes, shaping Liberia's past and present. One primary reason for selecting Liberia was its strategic location, notably Mesurado Bay. Mesurado Bay offered easy access to other African regions.

Liberia's history as a settlement for freed African slaves is intricately tied to the American Colonization Society's objectives and the strategic significance of Mesurado Bay. In the early 19th century, the American Colonization Society (ACS) emerged to address the complex issue of slavery in the United States.
A woman has been seriously injured after her two pet Rottweilers attacked her at her home in Success, in Perths south, on Saturday afternoon.

In the attack and ensuing police response, one of the dogs was shot.

About 4.35pm, police received reports of a dog attack at a property in Pitta Corner and when they arrived, found the dogs attacking the woman, Nikita Piil, inside.

Police said due to the extremely aggressive nature of the dogs, and the risk to human life, a firearm was discharged to stop the attack.
Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Widgie Nickel (ASX:WIN) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

View our latest analysis for Widgie Nickel

How Long Is Widgie Nickel's Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at June 2023, Widgie Nickel had cash of AU$12m and no debt. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$16m. That means it had a cash runway of around 9 months as of June 2023. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Widgie Nickel's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

While Widgie Nickel did record statutory revenue of AU$218k over the last year, it didn't have any revenue from operations. That means we consider it a pre-revenue business, and we will focus our growth analysis on cash burn, for now. In fact, it ramped its spending strongly over the last year, increasing cash burn by 188%. That sort of spending growth rate can't continue for very long before it causes balance sheet weakness, generally speaking. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Widgie Nickel due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth.

Story continues

How Easily Can Widgie Nickel Raise Cash?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Widgie Nickel shareholders should already be thinking about how easy it might be for it to raise further cash in the future. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Widgie Nickel's cash burn of AU$16m is about 26% of its AU$61m market capitalisation. That's not insignificant, and if the company had to sell enough shares to fund another year's growth at the current share price, you'd likely witness fairly costly dilution.

Is Widgie Nickel's Cash Burn A Worry?

Widgie Nickel is not in a great position when it comes to its cash burn situation. While its cash burn relative to its market cap wasn't too bad, its increasing cash burn does leave us rather nervous. Considering all the measures mentioned in this report, we reckon that its cash burn is fairly risky, and if we held shares we'd be watching like a hawk for any deterioration. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 5 warning signs for Widgie Nickel (3 are a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
The chief executive of Qatar Airways has described Transport Minister Catherine Kings move to block the airlines bid for more flights in Australia as surprising and unfair ahead of a Senate probe into the decision.

In his first public comments on Qatars rejected bid since the controversy over competition in aviation embroiled the Albanese government, Akbar Al Baker told CNN this weekend the airline had done a lot for Australia during the pandemic.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker has described Transport Minister Catherine Kings decision as surprising and unfair. Credit: Bloomberg

But we found it very unfair, our legitimate request not to be granted, especially at a time when we were so supportive of Australia [by] repatriating the stranded citizens from around the world to and out of Australia, helping them receive medical supplies and spare parts, etcetera, etcetera, Al Baker said.

During the COVID period when the national carrier and their partners completely stopped operating [in] Australia, we were there for the people of Australia.
A raft of Labor affiliates have been appointed to water boards across Victoria amid increased scrutiny over whether the Andrews government finds jobs for mates in senior positions.

Three months after Victorian Labor was criticised for appointing former ministers to key board positions, another set of people with links to the party have been added to paid seats on boards managing the states water corporations and catchment authorities.

Bob Cameron has been named chair of Coliban Water. Credit: Jason South

The appointments come as former deputy premier John Thwaites departs as chair of Melbourne Water.

The most high-profile of the appointments is Bob Cameron, who served as police and local government minister during the Bracks and Brumby governments. He has been named as chair of Coliban Water after last year being appointed chair of WorkSafe Victoria.
Rome: Newly discovered correspondence suggests that World War II-era Pope Pius XII had detailed information from a trusted German Jesuit that up to 6000 Jews and Poles were being gassed each day in German-occupied Poland. The documentation undercuts the Holy Sees argument that it couldnt verify diplomatic reports of Nazi atrocities to denounce them.

The documentation from the Vatican archives, published this weekend in Italian daily Corriere della Sera, is likely to further fuel the debate about Pius legacy and his now-stalled beatification campaign. Historians have long been divided about Pius record, with supporters insisting he used quiet diplomacy to save Jewish lives while critics say he remained silent as the Holocaust raged.

Pope Pius XII, wearing the ring of St Peter, sits on his throne at the Vatican in September 1945. Credit: AP

Corriere is reproducing a letter dated December 14, 1942 from the German Jesuit priest to Pius secretary which is contained in an upcoming book about the newly opened files of Pius pontificate by Giovanni Coco, a researcher and archivist in the Vaticans Apostolic Archives.

Coco told Corriere that the letter was significant because it represented detailed correspondence about the Nazi extermination of Jews, including in ovens, from an informed church source in Germany who was part of the Catholic anti-Hitler resistance that was able to get otherwise secret information to the Vatican.
Brussels: Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he will seek the help of government experts on extremism after a series of school arsons. Officials believe the attacks are connected to a controversial sexual education school program.

De Croo spoke after a sixth school in the French-speaking Wallonia region was torched. Signs protesting the so-called Evras program were discovered in some of the schools, according to authorities.

No one has claimed responsiblity for the attacks but Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo says he will consult extremism experts. Credit: AP

The program is a required four hours of training for students aged 11 to 12 and 15 to 16, intended to help them develop their relational and sexual lives. The program had been around and available for all age groups for years, but was not compulsory until now.

In a democracy like ours, we will never allow our schools to be a target, De Croo said. We live in a country of tolerance, and tolerance means we can have a debate, different points of view, but it can never lead to violence, especially in places frequented by our children.
Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrap-up September 10-16, 2023













Auto Central September 17, 2023; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior editor Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, compile The Auto Channel's "take" on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy to digest news Nuggets.

LEARN MORE: Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with thousands of pages of relevant news and opinions, information stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel during the past 25 years. Complete information can be found by copying a headline and inserting it into any Site Search Box.

Here are Larry's picks among the past week's important, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-understand automotive universe news nuggets. for Nutson's Auto News Weekly Wrap-up September 10-16, 2023

* The art of negotiation. Ask for more than you want to achieve your objective. The UAW went on strike against all three Detroit-based automakers. This is an historic move that exploited the leeway created by the just expired contract even as automakers offered raises as high as 20 percent. The UAW struck GM's Wentzville Assembly that builds Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups and the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans, Ford's Michigan Assembly that builds Ranger and Bronco and Stellantis' Toledo Assembly that builds Jeeps. About 13,000 members across the three plants are walking the picket lines.

* Joe White for Reuters writes: The strike is about who gets the billions in profits being spun out by the automakers combustion truck and SUV franchises, and who will benefit from the billions in electric vehicle subsidies on offer from Washington. UAW President Fain wants UAW workers to get a much bigger share of both pots of money.

* The average price Americans paid for a new vehicle in August 2023 was virtually flat year over year due to higher inventory levels and increased incentives. Kelley Blue Book reports that the average transaction price (ATP) of a new vehicle in August was $48,451, up only $42 from one year ago. Prices increased slightly by 0.6% ($286) compared to Julys revised ATP of $48,165. Since the start of the year, transaction prices are down 2.4%, or $1,212, the largest decrease in the past decade. In August, manufacturers incentives averaged $2,365, reaching the highest point in a year. This increase brought incentives to 4.9% of ATP, which is still historically low. Electric vehicle (EV) prices continue to fall, with Tesla leading the way. In August, the average price paid for an EV was $53,376, lower than the previous month and significantly less than a year ago when an EV cost more than $65,000. Incentives for EVs in August were 8.1% of the average transaction price, or $4,298.

* US DoE factoid of the week: Electric vehicle charging consumed less energy than water heating in a typical U.S. household in 2020. In U.S. homes with electric vehicles (EVs), annual household electricity consumption for EV charging averaged 2,363 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2020, which is less than several other household appliances. According to recently released estimates from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, water heating consumed 2,706 kWh of electricity on average in 2020similar to consumption for space heating and air conditioning.

* US Dept. of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholms summer trip through the southeast United States had a few glitches. Granholm and her entourage used a fleet of electric vehicles to journey from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Memphis, Tennessee, with town hall events along the way, NPRs Camila Domonoske wrote in a report. A Cadillac Lyriq, Ford F-150 Lightning and a Chevrolet Bolt provided the transport. Charging in one location didn't go so well to the point that someone called the cops. Have a read HERE

* BMW Group, Ford Motor Company and American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced that they have entered into an agreement to create ChargeScape, LLC, a new equally-owned company that will create a single, cost-effective platform connecting electric utilities, automakers and interested electric vehicle customers. Benefiting both EV customers and the electric utility industry in the U.S. and Canada, ChargeScape will unlock entirely new value that EVs can provide to the electric grid, while enabling EV customers to earn financial benefits through a variety of managed charging and energy-sharing services never before possible with traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

* From AP we read: Most major car manufacturers admit they may be selling your personal information--though they are vague on the buyers, a new study finds. Half say they would share it with the government or law enforcement without a court order. Mozilla Foundation said in their latest "Privacy Not Included" survey, drivers are given little or no control over personal data. HERE

* Roads with built-in charging infrastructure could go a long way toward solving the range anxiety associated with electric vehicles. The roads would allow for wireless charging as consumer, freight and transit vehicles cruise along, as Israel-based Electreon is demonstrating with several pilot projects in Europe, and one planned for Detroit. Have a look at this report from CNBC: HERE

* On the eve before media previews at the 2024 Detroit Auto Show Ford introduced the refreshed 2024 F-150. The F-150 gets new base engine, new tailgate, and design updates. To simplify manufacturing there will be 90 percent fewer build combinations. Ford said it expects to double the truck's hybrid mix from 10 percent today.

* At the Detroit Auto Show the new 2024 Jeep Gladiator 4x4, the refreshed 2025 Cadillac CT5, and the 2024 GMC Acadia were revealed. BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Tesla and Volkswagen participated in the all-new indoor EV track. Like other auto shows, the Detroit show is morphing to more of a mobility show and the first-ever Mobility Global Forum was held.

* Twenty-five vehicles were announced as the Best of 2024 by the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards organization. The list, which emerged from a preliminary field of 52 eligible vehicles, was announced during the kickoff press conference of the Detroit Auto Show in Detroit. Ten cars, five trucks and ten utility vehicles will advance to finalist round of the awards process. Three finalists in each category will be announced in Los Angeles on November 16, and winners will be announced at a special event in Detroit on January 4, 2024. HERE

* Researchers in Sweden have created a female crash test dummy that represents the average-size woman, a first for the industry. Eva Epker of Avestria Ventures sees advancements in data collection and improved safety innovations ahead: "This dummy's very existence may mark a pivotal point in car crash testing and the safety of women in cars."

* The EU is requiring 100% of city buses to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030, and electric city buses now claim a 40% market share in the EU. Meanwhile, electric trucks in the EU are facing a slower transition, accounting for less than 1% of new sales. Truck manufacturers recently indicated that by 2030 they expect electric trucks will have a market share of 60%, with the sector becoming completely fossil-free by 2040.

* All 2023 model year Porsche Taycan vehicles and certain 2023 Audi RS e-tron GT and e-tron GT vehicles are being recalled due to improperly sealed batteries. Sealant was not applied properly and allowed liquid to accumulate in the battery which can cause arcing and a possible fire, according to the NHTSA. The recall affects around 7,000 vehicles.

* From zero to 100 kph (62mph) in less than a second: A racing car built by students has broken the world record for electric vehicle acceleration. Students from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences designed and built the "Mythen" vehicle that achieved the feat. The vehicle weighs just 140 kilograms (309 pounds) and boasts 240 kilowatts of power, or around 326 horsepower. Driver Kate Maggetti, a friend of students involved in the project, was selected "due to her light body weight" and "willingness to take on the challenge." This beat the previous world record of 1.461 seconds, set in September 2022 by a team from the University of Stuttgart by more than a third.

Stay safe. Be Well.
The most expensive government shutdown in history cost about $3 billion. That is what the Congressional Budget Office calculates was permanently taken out of the US economy during a 2019 standoff.

Now, with another shutdown looking increasingly likely to commence in just 13 days, the odds appear to be increasing daily that the price tag this time around could run even higher.

Between deeply entrenched sides  including House Republicans reportedly engaging in shouting matches behind closed doors and openly scoffing at the costs of a shutdown  as well as new risks posed by wary credit rating agencies, the coming shutdown could enter into uncharted fiscal territory, especially if a shutdown grows protracted.

The costs to the government and US economy grow with each passing day of shutdown and, while much of the held up money is belatedly spent when the government reopens, studies have documented that billions of dollars are likely to be lost permanently.

"This is a real thing that impacts people's lives and it doesn't seem to be a big factor in whether something gets done on time or not," notes Casey Burgat of the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University.

"It's just something after the fact that we all point to and say, Man, that was dumb."

How stoppages work

How long could the coming shutdown last? Goldman Sachs said in a recent note that its baseline expectation was two to three weeks, with Strategas Securities similarly looking at "about two weeks" as a strong possibility.

Those estimates  which plenty in Washington say are underplayed  would immediately rank among the longest shutdowns in history.

Others are pondering much longer and historically unprecedented timelines. Moodys Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi has floated the idea of a shutdown that stretches throughout the entire fourth quarter, smashing the all-time record of 35 days and cutting 1.2 percentage points from fourth quarter growth.

Story continues

Meanwhile, many conservative Republicans have sought to downplay the effects. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) characterized a shutdown as simply "a temporary pause in nonessential spending that would allow us to get our fiscal house in order." Adds Rep. Bob Good (R-VA): "We shouldnt fear a government shutdown."

As they point out, much of the federal government continues normally in a shutdown. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare are unaffected.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters as he leaves a House Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol on Sept. 14. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

But other programs that do rely on annual appropriations incur significant costs. These agencies must spend thousands of hours to develop contingency plans before a shutdown and then it is typical for furloughed workers to eventually be paid for their time.

Other federal workers  such as TSA agents in past shutdowns  are asked to report to work but dont get paychecks until the government reopens.

It was just after the end of the longest shutdown in American history, which occurred from Dec. 22, 2018 until Jan. 25, 2019 and centered on a fight between then-President Trump and lawmakers over funding for a border wall, that the CBO analyzed the costs.

It estimated that the partial shutdown delayed $18 billion in federal spending and lowered the GDP in the first quarter of 2019 by $8 billion. Much of that shortfall was made up when the government reopened, but $3 billion was permanently lost due to furloughed federal workers, delays in federal spending, and a reduction in aggregate demand.

The reports authors also note that "estimates do not incorporate other, more indirect negative effects of the shutdown, which are more difficult to quantify but were probably becoming more significant as it continued."

Those costs came in spite of a stoppage that was deemed a "partial" shutdown as Congress had enacted five of its 12 appropriations bills that year without drama.

This year, Congress hasn't found agreement on a single area of appropriations, increasing the likelihood of a full shutdown with wider costs this time around.

A new risk: Credit ratings

In addition to the direct economic costs, observers also see a new economic threat this time from the world of credit ratings.

In August, Fitch downgraded the US government's top credit rating and cited government dysfunction as a key reason for doing so. The move made it the second major agency to downgrade the US after the S&P did so back in 2011.

A sign for Fitch Ratings in New York. (Henny Ray Abrams/AP Photo, File)

Moodys is the last major agency to give the US Treasuries a clean AAA rating but Jeannette Lowe, Strategas Securities managing director of policy research, says that could be at risk.

"One thing that we're watching for with this current shutdown is would Moody's potentially put the US on a credit ratings watch during the shutdown because of it," she said in a recent Yahoo Finance appearance, adding that such a move would be a "significant event for financial markets in our view."

Even if a downgrade doesnt happen, Fitch and others worried about US dysfunction will get more ammunition for that argument in the weeks ahead, notes Greg Valliere, chief US policy strategist at AGF Investments.

At the moment, an extended standoff seems increasingly likely based on newly bellicose statements made this week. Even Speaker McCarthys agreement with his right flank on Tuesday to launch an impeachment inquiry didnt appear to lessen the shutdown pressure.

More and more expect it to be a lengthy affair. "This has all the ingredients of a protracted showdown," notes Gordon Gray of the American Action Forum.

He then added another sour note, pointing out how few shutdowns have ended with America in an improved fiscal position.

"It's costly [and] what do we get for that? Nothing" he says, adding wryly "the past episodes of shutdowns have not produced a reinvigorated republic."

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

Click here for politics news related to business and money

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Cancel culture





THE INDI Alliance, the motley band of the Oppostion parties, has taken a mis-step by taking decision not to send their representatives to the shows of 14 popular television news anchors. However, to some extent, it is well in sync with the character of some in the bloc. Also, one smells in it an attempt of the fake progressive lobby to usher in cancel culture in a democratically rich India. To know more, one has to go back to 1950. Barely within a few months of adopting the Constitution of India that enshrined the freedom of expression, the erstwhile Central Government led by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had imposed a ban on circulation of a Left-oriented weekly Cross Roads for being critical of especially his foreign policy. Also, Organiser magazine published by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was asked to submit to the Government all the material for pre-censorship. In May 1950, the Supreme Court decided both the cases against the Government. In 1951, vis-a-vis freedom of expression, the Government amended the Constitution within 18 months of adopting it. However, the phenomenon continued, as if a legacy, in subsequent regimes led by the Congress party.

The curbs on media were more proclaimed during Emergency, when Mrs. Indira Gandhi led the nation. When the Emergency was imposed at midnight, power supply of newspapers in Delhi was severed. Dissenting voices were punished. It had irked even those close to the power and many had joined the protests against the curbs on media freedom. With time, attempts of exerting control over media got extended to the publication of books, films, airing of songs on radio, cartoons, and television. Then, came an era when political leaders accused media of distorting their statements. In recent times, the phenomenon has taken an ugly turn. One block called critical media Presstitutes. Another came up with Godi Media charge. Instead of taking a saner stand of responding properly to critical media, both sides were happy making the attempts to shoot the messengers. In the era of social media, trolls vitiated the scene, affecting the conventionally rational media like newspapers too.

All these evoked concerns over standards from saner political leaders and also media veterans. Still, things had not stooped to the extent that INDI Alliance has gone to now. INDI Alliances intellectually poor advisors are missing out that the bloc is going to lose out on space it has on television. This mis-step also shows that the Opposition bloc has failed in learning any lesson from how Prime Minister Mr. Modi emerged on the national scene despite facing one of the fiercest media trials recorded in Indian history. Unfortunately, barring criticism of Mr. Modi and tarnishing the image of the country abroad, the INDI Alliance constituents have resorted to divisive politics and freebies instead of putting forth own developmental agenda that would make country stronger and a unified force. Hence, their spokespersons often found it difficult to answer the news anchors tough questions on developmental vision. The INDI Alliances move of not sending representatives to certain news channels is borne out of this failure. This is nothing but Cancel Culture that is popular these days. For, responding sanely to dissenting opinion is not everybodys cup of tea.
CBI raids woman teachers residence in bribery case





Staff Reporter :

A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Nagpur executed searches at residence of a woman teacher in Narendra Nagar area. This operation came following the registration of an offence by CBI New Delhi. An official from the CBI confirmed that the searches were carried out on instructions from the Delhi headquarters. The operation was initiated in connection with a bribery case involving private persons and unknown officers from Bridge and Roof Company (India) Ltd., a central PSU.

The CBI officials seized many incriminating documents from the womans residence who works as a teacher in Thakkar School in Nagpur. The investigation revealed that Shashank Kumar Jain, a private person based in Kolkata, acted as a middleman, collaborating with Somesh Chandra, Veer Thakkar, and Rajiv Ranjan in orchestrating bribes from private contractors which include Hetalkumar Pravinchandra Rajyaguru of Rajkot, Gujarat. The bribes were intended to influence the awarding of tenders by Bridge & Roof Company. The suspects were allegedly involved in ensuring that Rajyaguru secured a tender for construction of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Odisha by providing insider information and manipulating the bidding process. Further investigation revealed a web of corruption, with the accused planning to distribute a significant portion of the tender value as bribes to officers of Bridge & Roof Company, themselves, and Shashank Kumar Jain.

The CBI received information that bribe money had already exchanged hands through various means. As the case unfolds, there is a strong likelihood that the demanded bribe amount or undue advantage will be delivered to Shashank Kumar Jain on September 15. A case has been registered against all the accused under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, read with Sections 7A, 8, and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and entrusted to Sh. Parvender Kumar, Inspector of Police, CBI, AC-III, New Delhi, for further investigation.
Forces kill 3 ultras in Uri braving Pakistani firing





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 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, Armys 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 terrorists 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. SIA conducts searches to bust terror modules in Reasi: THE Special Investigation Agency (SIA) carried out searches in the upper reaches of Reasi following information about desperate attempts by terrorists to revive militancy in the district, police said on Saturday.

The search was conducted by the investigators of SIA, a counter-terrorism wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police, in Pouni and Mahore tehsils based on intelligence reports that some over-ground workers (OGWs) were providing logistical help and information to anti-national elements, a police officer said. BSF SDG reviews security measures along IB in Jammu frontier, visits IB in Samba: BSF Special Director General (SDG) Y B Khurania visited the International Border in Jammu and Kashmirs Samba sector and reviewed the security measures taken by the force, a spokesperson said on Saturday. Khurania arrived here on a three-day visit to review the security situation along the Jammu frontier on Friday. BSF Inspector General (IG) D K Boora gave a detailed presentation to the SDG covering all critical aspects of border security and domination along the borderline in Jammu, the BSF spokesperson said.
Govt approves setting up of 23 new Sainik Schools in partnership mode





Delhi Bureau and Agencies

NEW DELHI,

DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the setting up of 23 new Sainik Schools in partnership mode, officials said on Saturday. The new schools, besides their affiliation to respective education boards, will function under the aegis of the Sainik Schools Society and will follow the Rules and Regulations for new Sainik Schools in partnership mode prescribed by the Society, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The Government has approved the initiative of setting up of 100 new Sainik schools in partnership with NGOs, private schools, and state governments in a graded manner class-wise, starting from Class VI onwards, it said. Under this initiative, a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed by the Sainik Schools Society with 19 new Sainik Schools located all over the country, the statement added. Following further evaluation of applications for opening new Sainik Schools under partnership mode, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has approved setting up of 23 new Sainik Schools in partnership mode, it said.
IAF chief announces plans to buy around 100 more indigenous LCA Mark 1A fighter jets





SEVILLE :

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.
No fresh positive cases of Nipah, results of 51 samples awaited: Kerala Govt





KOZHIKODE (Kerala) :

IN A relief for the Kerala Government, no fresh positive cases of Nipah virus were reported on Saturday in the state even as five more persons, who came into contact with those infected, showing some symptoms of the disease were admitted in isolation at the medical hospital here. Kerala Health Minister Veena George, at a press briefing in the evening, said that in a relief for the state, no fresh positive cases were reported during the day. However, results of 51 samples sent for testing were awaited, she said. The minister also said five more persons, who had come into contact with the infected persons, were admitted in the hospital, after showing symptoms of Nipah infection.

Their samples have also been sent for testing, she said. At present, six cases of Nipah infection have been confirmed in the state. Of the six, two persons have died bringing the number of active cases to 4. The minister said the number of people who were suspected of coming into contact with those infected has risen to 1,192, with 97 persons being traced today. Additionally, house surveillance was carried out in 22,208 homes in the containment zones till date, she said. George also said that all the cases so far have emanated from the first person infected -- the index case -- who died on August 30. So, as of now, there is no secondary wave.

That is welcome news, she said at the press briefing which was also attended by State Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas. Centre to procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia for Nipah treatment: WITH the new Nipah infection in Kerala taking the total number of active cases to four, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has decided to procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for its treatment. Intensifying its efforts to contain the spread of the virus, the State Government also decided to test everyone who is on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons.
FILE  A help-wanted sign is posted in a storefront, Nov. 1, 2022, in Bedford, N.Y. Help-wanted advertisements in New York will have to disclose how much the jobs pay as a statewide salary transparency law goes into effect, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, part of growing state and city efforts to give women and people of color a tool to advocate for equal pay for equal work. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Help-wanted advertisements in New York will have to disclose proposed pay rates after a statewide salary transparency law goes into effect on Sunday, part of growing state and city efforts to give women and people of color a tool to advocate for equal pay for equal work.

Employers with at least four workers will be required to disclose salary ranges for any job advertised externally to the public or internally to workers interested in a promotion or transfer.

Pay transparency, supporters say, will prevent employers from offering some job candidates less or more money based on age, gender, race or other factors not related to their skills.

Advocates believe the change also could help underpaid workers realize they make less than people doing the same job.

A similar pay transparency ordinance has been in effect in New York City since 2022. Now, the rest of the state joins a handful of others with similar laws, including California and Colorado.

There is a trend, not just in legislatures but among workers, to know how much they can expect going into a job. Theres a demand from workers to know of the pay range, said Da Hae Kim, a state policy senior counsel at the National Women's Law Center.

The law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, also will apply to remote employees who work outside of New York but report to a supervisor, office or worksite based in the state. The law would not apply to government agencies or temporary help firms.

Compliance will be a challenge, said Frank Kerbein, director of human resources at the New York Business Council, which has criticized the law for putting an additional administrative burden on employers.

We have small employers who dont even know about the law," said Kerbein, who predicted there would be a lot of unintentional noncompliance.

To avoid trouble when setting a salary range, an employer should examine pay for current employees, said Allen Shoikhetbrod, who practices employment law at Tully Rinckley, a private law firm.

Story continues

State Senator Jessica Ramos, a Democrat representing parts of Queens, said the law is a win for labor rights groups.

This is something that, organically, workers are asking for, she said. Particularly with young people entering the workforce, theyll have a greater understanding about how their work is valued."

___

Maysoon Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Shocking: Bodies of young couple found hanging from tree





The cops brought down the bodies and rushed them to hospital for post-mortem.

Staff Reporter :

The girl had been missing since Wednesday from her hometown Narsinghpur

Police suspect they ended lives as their families were opposed to their relationship

The bodies of a young couple were found hanging from a tree in forests near Maida Mill area. Police said that the deceased were identified as Dharmwati Lodhi (21) and Devendra Lodhi (20), both residents of Ata Pipariya village of Narsinghpur. Police said that the girl was missing from her home since September 13. The cops said that the girl was wearing Sindoor which indicates that she had married Devendra before they ended lives together. On the other hand, their family members have claimed that the youth was working in Indore while the girl was living in her home. They said that the girl went missing on Wednesday and on Friday night they were found hanging.

According to police the bodies were spotted by a few children on Friday evening who alerted the locals. A resident of the area Zubeir Qureshi informed police about these bodies. ASI Singh said that they found the Aadhaar card of the girl inside her bag. Her clothes were also inside the bag, he added. There was cash around Rs 30 in the pocket of the youth, added the ASI. Police suspect that the girl first married Devendra and then they took the extreme step together. As the cops have not found any suicide note they were unable to conclude as what drove the young couple to end their lives together. Two ropes have also been found at the scene which suggests that they had already decided to end lives. The bodies were handed over to the relatives after post-mortem and an investigation is underway, said the MP Nagar police personnel. SHO Jitendra Singh said that the statements of their family members were yet to be recorded. However, it appears that their families were against their marriage due to which they ended their lives, added the officer.
Stalin, DMK must tender apology for their statements: Assam CM





Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressing a press conference while other senior leaders look on.

Staff Reporter :

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while addressing a press conference, on Saturday said the remarks made by Udaynidhi Stalin on Sanatan would have created an uproar if they were made towards other communities. Since we are tolerant it is called freedom of speech. Sarma, who was in city to participate in partys Jan Ashirwad Yatra, underlined that even today it is the Hindus who are chanting slogans in support of Rahul Gandhi. He termed it an opportunity for Rahul Gandhi to become champion of Hindu hearts. Sarma said Gandhi should ask Stalin and DMK to tender apology on their statements. He asked him to demonstrate commitment to Hindu voters through meaningful actions.

CM Sarma said the Congress has already divided the nation. Referring to imposition of Emergency in 1975 when the media was banned, he said the current boycott of 14 TV anchors by I.N.D.I.A is rerun of their past actions. The Assam Chief Minister stressed that with formation of INDI alliance, electoral dynamics have changed in three states. Elections are now no longer a contest against Bharatiya Janata Party, but a battle against a centuries-old Sanatan Dharma. On Congress statement that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has become an old face, Sarma said Congress leader Kamal Nath is a tired face, on which the Congress is betting in Madhya Pradesh. He said with BJPs return to power in Madhya Pradesh, there will be resurgence in development and progress. He praised Chief Minister Chouhan for his inclusive governance, stating that the Madhya Pradesh Government is implementing numerous schemes for upliftment of all sections of the society. Furthermore, Sarma applauded Prime Minister Modi for elevating India to a global superpower. He said if by mistake the Congress comes to power under prevailing environment, then similar situation will be create in entire country like in Tamil Naidu.
THE UNENDING GAME





 By Dheeraj Fartode :

NAGPUR has been grappling with the menace of drugs for several years, prompting the city police to take stringent action against drug peddlers. Over the past four years, the police have been relentless in their pursuit to curb drug-related crimes which resulted in a s ubstantial haul of illicit sub- stances and numerous arrests of traffickers. The statistics obtained from Nagpur City police for a p eriod of 2019 to 2022 shed light on the efforts made by cops in combating drugs trade in the second capital. The total seizures during this period include a staggering 2,664 kg of Ganja, 2,454 grams of Mephedrone (MD), and 1,021 grams of Heroin collectivelly worth Rs 6.60 crore. Such a significant quantity of drugs being intercepted showcases the extent of the drug trafficking problem within the city and its impact on the society.





The data shows a n otable increase in both drug seizures and arrests in the past four years. However, despite the intensified efforts, drug trafficking remains persistent which highlighted the need for a multi-faceted approach to tackle this complex issue. The total quantity of drugs seized by the police increased significantly from year 2019 to year 2022. Notably, there was a s ubstantial rise Ganja seizures which reached 1,627 kg in 2022 as compared to 550 kg in 2019. The seizure of Mephedrone (MD) and Heroin also witnessed fluctuations, with MD seizures peaking in 2020 (810 grams) and Heroin seizures reaching a high in 2022 (1 kg). In 2019, the police seized 550 kg of Ganja worth Rs 53.86 lakh; followed by 318 kg Ganja worth Rs 27.83 lakh in 2020; 662 kg of Ganja worth Rs 86.78 kg in 2021 and 1,627 kg of Ganja worth Rs 2.43 crore in 2022. During the operation against MD, the police take hold of 587 gm of MD worth Rs 17 lakh in 2019; 810 gm of MD in 2020 worth Rs 30.17 lakh; 583 gm of MD worth Rs 58.24 lakh in 2021 and 472 gm of MD worth Rs 69.39 lakh in 2022.





The data shows an overall upward trend in drug seizures, indicating the persistence of drug trafficking activities in Nagpur.The estimated value of the seized drugs demonstrates the magnitude of the issue. In 2022, the combined value of Ganja, MD, and Heroin reached approximately Rs 3.13 crore. The number of cases registered under the NDPS Act increased consistently over the years. In 2022, 162 cases were registered, which is more than the number of cases in 2019 (115 cases). As per the police records, 115 cases of drug trafficking were registered against 166 men and nine women in 2019, the cases decreased to 68 in 2020 with offences registered against 122 men and eight women drug peddlers. The action further surged to 154 in 2021 with registration of offences against 209 men and 12 woman. Year 2022 saw highest number of NDPS Act cases (162) against 497 men and 12 woman drug peddlers.

The data indicates that men constituted the majority of those arrested in drug-related cases. Notably, the number of women involved in drug trafficking and consumption remained relatively low in the city. However, despite the increased police action, drug trafficking continues to persist in Nagpur. The data reveals a continuous rise in drug seizures and indicated that drug networks remain active.This highlights the need for comprehensive strategies beyond law enforcement including community engagement, preventive education, and rehabilitation programmes, to address the root causes of drug abuse and addiction. (To be continued)
DnB Asset Management AS reduced its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ  Free Report) by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 30,951 shares of the companys stock after selling 223 shares during the period. DnB Asset Management ASs holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $7,618,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Constellation Brands during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Old North State Trust LLC lifted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 500.0% in the 1st quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 120 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. lifted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 135.6% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 139 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. 88.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands

In other news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 49,425 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $267.90, for a total value of $13,240,957.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 9,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,495,756.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO William A. Newlands sold 49,425 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $267.90, for a total value of $13,240,957.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 9,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,495,756.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daniel J. Mccarthy sold 1,736 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $269.86, for a total transaction of $468,476.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,232 shares in the company, valued at $872,187.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 100,819 shares of company stock valued at $27,054,755 in the last quarter. Insiders own 16.19% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

STZ has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 3rd. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $277.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 5th. Roth Capital upgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $234.00 to $241.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $270.05.

Read Our Latest Research Report on STZ

Constellation Brands Stock Down 1.0 %

STZ stock opened at $260.34 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average is $262.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $242.09. The company has a market capitalization of $47.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -142.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $208.12 and a 52 week high of $273.65.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, June 30th. The company reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.83 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $2.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.47 billion. Constellation Brands had a negative net margin of 3.14% and a positive return on equity of 22.32%. The businesss revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.66 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 11.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Constellation Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 10th were paid a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 9th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.37%. Constellation Brandss dividend payout ratio is currently -194.54%.

Constellation Brands Company Profile

(Free Report)

Constellation Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, imports, markets, and sells beer, wine, and spirits in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. The company provides beer primarily under the Corona Extra, Corona Premier, Corona Familiar, Corona Light, Corona Refresca, Corona Hard Seltzer, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, Modelo Chelada, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands.

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Six times in the span of about six weeks, Nana Noi heard about people who had died by suicide, and she suspected the numbers were just scratching the surface.

Some were local residents, others were acquaintances of colleagues. Those who died were teenagers, members of the LGBTQ community and the homeless, she said.

I took it really hard and really badly, said Noi, community outreach coordinator for the Rappahannock Emergency Services Council. It just really brought it home. Theres so much to live for, and I was asking, what can we do, what kind of information can we put out to let people know there is help?

About the same time, officials with the Rappahannock Area Health District and the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board were sharing similar concerns. The number of suicides in Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford rose 21% from 2021 to 2022, to 53 deaths, according to the state health department.

In addition, the rate of suicides per 100,000 people was higher in smaller counties such as Caroline and King George than larger ones, said Michelle Wagaman, RACSBs prevention director.

Its such loss, Wagaman said about the impact suicide has on a community. Loss of life, loss of relationships, its also that opportunity, the future that is missing.

Their collective concerns led to a forum on suicide prevention that will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom. Participants will hear local suicide data, the states prevention plan, risk and protective factors, local community resources and supports available for service members, veterans and their family members.

The session is part of the EMS Councils monthly meeting for COPE, Community Outreach Patient Engagement.

Presenters include Allison BalmesJohn, population health manager with the local health district; Angela Jameson, community engagement and partnerships coordinator with the Central Virginia VA Healthcare System; Laura Robertson, suicide prevention coordinator at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; and Wagaman.

Those interested can register at http://bit.ly/45TS4pQ.

Noi said she hopes the same message will be stressed at the discussion on suicide prevention as is emphasized during COPE workshops and outreach.

You are the help until help arrives, you need to know basic skills to save a life, she said.

While COPE campaigns also focus on recognizing signs of stroke, what to do in the event of an overdose or how to stop bleeding, Wednesdays session on suicide prevention will help participants look out for telltale signs that others may be contemplating suicide.

Wagaman wants to encourage people to be noticers, to notice and to reach out and to check in on friends and acquaintances, if something doesnt feel right.

Shes also interested in forming a local coalition on suicide prevention. Anyone in the community whos interested can attend a meeting at 1 p.m. Oct. 16 at the RACSBs River Club, 10825 Tidewater Trail in Spotsylvania County. Those interested can contact Wagaman at mwagaman@rappahannockareacsb.org or 540/374-3337, ext. 7520.

There have been various efforts in the last decade to form a coalition, but they never stuck, Wagaman said. She believes the current energy, and momentum, is right for it.

Suicide has a ripple effect, and reports suggest that for every death by suicide, there are 25 attempts we may not know about and 150 lives affected, she said.

Wagaman believes the number of those impacted are even higher  and everyone has a role to play, not just those with clinical or medical training.

Last week, Lt. Tabatha Merrell of the Fredericksburg Sheriffs Office won the American Legion Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award for the state of Virginia for her efforts in talking down a would-be jumper off the Falmouth bridge in December. When people are in crisis, she said, others need to remind them that whatevers going on right now is not permanent so dont make a permanent solution for a temporary problem.

She also tries to impart the same message thats on the mind of Noi, Wagaman and others with the suicide prevention program.

I try to tell people, check on one another, just be kind, Merrell said. You never know what someone is going through. If we dont look out for one another, who will?
Fulton Bank N.A. cut its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW  Free Report) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,775 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 138 shares during the quarter. Fulton Bank N.A.s holdings in Edwards Lifesciences were worth $450,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 21,874,280 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,632,040,000 after buying an additional 4,712,819 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 15,850,055 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,311,275,000 after buying an additional 578,319 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 104,971.3% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,399,249 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,148,938,000 after acquiring an additional 15,384,593 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 14,341,102 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,069,990,000 after acquiring an additional 115,268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,214,619 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,008,114,000 after acquiring an additional 78,376 shares in the last quarter. 79.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on EW. Citigroup increased their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $101.00 to $110.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and issued a $102.00 target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research report on Friday, July 14th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $88.00 to $83.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $96.00 target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $103.00 to $107.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $92.42.

Edwards Lifesciences Stock Down 1.1 %

Edwards Lifesciences stock opened at $73.20 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $44.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.39, a PEG ratio of 3.95 and a beta of 1.03. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.95. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a 12 month low of $67.13 and a 12 month high of $94.87. The company has a current ratio of 3.15, a quick ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The medical research company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.51 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 25.43% and a net margin of 24.56%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.63 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Edwards Lifesciences

In other news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 4,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.71, for a total value of $331,695.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,911,766.13. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CFO Scott B. Ullem sold 7,255 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.27, for a total transaction of $676,673.85. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 19,248 shares in the company, valued at $1,795,260.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 4,500 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.71, for a total value of $331,695.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 39,503 shares in the company, valued at $2,911,766.13. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 174,359 shares of company stock worth $14,301,522 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock.

Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.

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The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Great Portland Estates (OTCMKTS:GPEAF  Free Report) from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

GPEAF has been the subject of a number of other reports. Peel Hunt upgraded shares of Great Portland Estates to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Great Portland Estates from GBX 600 ($7.51) to GBX 625 ($7.82) in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Great Portland Estates from GBX 520 ($6.51) to GBX 442 ($5.53) in a research report on Monday, July 17th. Finally, HSBC cut shares of Great Portland Estates from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 10th.

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Great Portland Estates Stock Performance

Great Portland Estates Company Profile

Shares of OTCMKTS GPEAF opened at $4.99 on Thursday. Great Portland Estates has a 12 month low of $4.42 and a 12 month high of $6.98. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $5.59.

(Get Free Report)

We are a FTSE 250 property investment and development company owning 2.5 billion of real estate in central London. We proactively manage our portfolio, flexing our activities in tune with London's property cycle to deliver long-term out-performance. We create in-demand spaces that people want to be part of; helping our occupiers, local communities and the city to thrive.

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Research analysts at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE:HT  Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday. The brokerage set a sell rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 28th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from $7.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, August 28th. Stifel Nicolaus cut shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from a buy rating to a hold rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $8.75 to $10.00 in a research note on Monday, August 28th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from $7.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 29th. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $8.00 to $10.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hersha Hospitality Trust currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $9.63.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on HT

Hersha Hospitality Trust Stock Performance

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hersha Hospitality Trust

Shares of Hersha Hospitality Trust stock opened at $9.84 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $394.63 million, a P/E ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 1.71. The company has a fifty day moving average of $7.38 and a 200 day moving average of $6.71. Hersha Hospitality Trust has a fifty-two week low of $5.64 and a fifty-two week high of $10.31.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Hersha Hospitality Trust by 23.1% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 15,626 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $142,000 after buying an additional 2,936 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. increased its holdings in Hersha Hospitality Trust by 8.2% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 35,523 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 2,682 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in Hersha Hospitality Trust during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,075,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Hersha Hospitality Trust during the first quarter valued at approximately $693,000. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in Hersha Hospitality Trust by 14.1% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 28,473 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $259,000 after buying an additional 3,510 shares during the period. 56.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Hersha Hospitality Trust

(Get Free Report)

Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT) is a self-advised real estate investment trust in the hospitality sector, which owns and operates luxury and lifestyle hotels in coastal gateway and resort markets. The Company's 25 hotels totaling 3,811 rooms are located in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida, and California.

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Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Free Report) by 0.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,264 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Johnson & Johnson comprises about 1.5% of Independence Bank of Kentuckys portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Independence Bank of Kentuckys holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $3,685,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Richard P Slaughter Associates Inc now owns 9,059 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,499,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the last quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 8,953 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,482,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Capital Market Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,366,000. Prentice Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 13.6% during the 2nd quarter. Prentice Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,392 shares of the companys stock valued at $727,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at about $212,000. Institutional investors own 68.40% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Johnson & Johnson news, insider William Hait sold 14,698 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.00, for a total value of $2,528,056.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,092,484. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Johnson & Johnson news, VP Peter Fasolo sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.32, for a total value of $3,406,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 102,696 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,491,182.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider William Hait sold 14,698 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.00, for a total value of $2,528,056.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,092,484. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.20% of the companys stock.

Johnson & Johnson Stock Performance

Shares of JNJ opened at $161.45 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a market capitalization of $419.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.68, a PEG ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $166.21 and a 200 day moving average of $161.77. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $150.11 and a 12 month high of $181.04.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The company reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $25.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.63 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.72% and a net margin of 13.35%. Johnson & Johnsons revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.59 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 7th. Investors of record on Monday, August 28th were given a dividend of $1.19 per share. This represents a $4.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 25th. Johnson & Johnsons payout ratio is 96.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $186.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Raymond James cut their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $184.00 to $179.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 5th. Barclays cut their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $175.00 to $158.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 8th. Citigroup began coverage on Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Johnson & Johnson from a c+ rating to a b+ rating in a report on Monday, August 21st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $170.65.

Read Our Latest Report on JNJ

Johnson & Johnson Profile

(Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Consumer Health segment provides skin health/beauty products under the AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, DR. CI:LABO, NEUTROGENA, and OGX brands; baby care products under the JOHNSON'S and AVEENO Baby brands; oral care products under the LISTERINE brand; TYLENOL acetaminophen products; SUDAFED cold, flu, and allergy products; BENADRYL and ZYRTEC allergy products; MOTRIN IB ibuprofen products; NICORETTE smoking cessation products; and PEPCID acid reflux products.

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Amid the UNICAL Vice Chancellor's Fortitude, Florence Banku Obi, the Dean's Malevolence, and the Minister's Sickening Response to Victimized Female Students: The Need for Her Public Apology.

In the realm of higher education across Nigeria, tales of sexual harassment, assault, and academic misconduct have, unfortunately, been far from uncommon. These stories often unfold behind closed doors, shrouded in silence, and perpetuated by the fear of speaking out. It is a predicament that persists, challenging the sanctity of learning institutions and the security of students.

Amid this disconcerting landscape, the University of Calabar (UNICAL) emerged as the stage for a harrowing narrative that would not only unravel the deep-seated issues within academia but also spotlight the in recent times the extraordinary courage of one womanVice Chancellor Florence Banku Obi. As this saga unfolded, it revealed the stark contrast between an academic leader's resilience in protecting students and championing academic justice and the malevolence that could lurk within the corridors of power.

Through the turbulent seas of higher education, students seeking knowledge and enlightenment at times found themselves ensnared in a web of sexual harassment, assault, and academic-related intimidations. It is a story that underscores the immense responsibilities of academic leaders, the imperative need for accountability, and the indomitable spirit of those determined to right the wrongs that threaten the very foundations of education.

We delve into the heart-wrenching accounts of brave students who dared to confront their tormentors, the unwavering resilience of Vice Chancellor Florence Banku Obi in the pursuit of justice, and the dismaying response of a government minister entrusted with protecting the welfare of women and girls. It is a tale that transcends boundaries, serving as both a stark warning and a beacon of hopean invitation to learn from the past and shape a brighter future for all students, faculty, and administrators who walk the hallowed halls of academia.

VC Florence Banku Obi has fully displayed unparalleled courage in addressing allegations of misconduct within her institution. This steadfast commitment to addressing wrongdoing, regardless of its source, serves as a cornerstone of effective leadership in African higher education. To emulate her, all VCs must summon the courage to confront misconduct head-on, understanding that silence only perpetuates a toxic environment.

Above all, she prioritizes the welfare of students and faculty. Every Vice Chancellor in Africa must view the safety and well-being of their academic community as their paramount responsibility. In doing so, they can create an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and academic excellence.

VC Florence Banku Obi's dedication to academic justice is unwavering. She understands that the credibility and integrity of African higher education institutions hinge upon a commitment to fairness, transparency, and accountability in all matters. Emulating her requires creating systems that ensure academic justice prevails, free from favoritism or bias.

Her leadership exemplifies the highest ethical standards. VCs in Africa must strive to set strong ethical examples for their entire academic communities. Upholding integrity and ethics in decision-making and actions is fundamental to preserving the honor of higher education institutions.

VC Florence Banku Obi has demonstrated empathy and support for survivors of misconduct while ensuring that faculty members involved face appropriate disciplinary measures. To follow her lead, VCs must actively work to dismantle the barriers that survivors face in seeking justice. Simultaneously, they should enforce rigorous discipline when misconduct is confirmed. This ensures a safe and accountable academic environment.

VCs must summon the courage to confront misconduct and injustice within their institutions, even when it implicates influential individuals. Courageous leadership is necessary to effect meaningful change.

Prioritizing the welfare of both students and faculty is non-negotiable. VCs must work tirelessly to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all members of the academic community.

Leading by example, VCs should uphold the highest ethical standards in their roles. Ethical leadership sets the tone for an institution's culture and values.

VC Florence Banku Obi's response to the challenges at UNICAL provides a potent model for Vice Chancellors and stakeholders in African higher education. Her resilience, dedication to student and faculty welfare, commitment to academic justice, ethical leadership, and support for survivors and faculty discipline offer crucial lessons. The academic community, faculty, students, and policymakers must internalize these lessons and take robust actions to address misconduct within African higher education. Only through collective effort can we create safer, more equitable, and academically just environments for all members of the academic community in Africa, thereby safeguarding the integrity and future of higher education on the continent.

Within this narrative, we examine the Minister of Women's Affairs' responsean individual vested with the solemn responsibility of safeguarding the rights and dignity of women and girls across the nation. In the face of harrowing accounts and the pursuit of justice, the minister's response was, regrettably, marked by a tone of indifference and skepticism, casting a shadow over the very ideals her office represents.

In the following sections, let us suggest an alternative path, one that aligns more closely with the principles of empathy, accountability, and the unwavering support required to foster a safer and more equitable educational environment.

In the aftermath of the release of distressing audio recordings, the minister resorted to defensive tactics, employing mental methods to apparently scare the students and Vice Chancellor Florence Banku Obi. These tactics included implied strategies, attempts to downplay the gravity of the situation, and references to influential figures such as the First Lady, OluremiTinubu. The minister insinuated that she had contacted the First Lady's office regarding her involvement in the issues and panel at the university. However, rather than suppressing the issue, these actions only served to exacerbate it, thrusting it into the media spotlight.

Wouldn't it be nice to hear these words from the minister: 'I want to take a moment to address the recent developments and the unintended consequences of my private conversations that were made public. I deeply regret the unwanted attention and distress that my words have caused, not only to the Nigerian community but also to the brave students, particularly women and girls, who have been affected by the issues we're discussing today.

The past few days have been humbling and enlightening. I must apologize for the language and tone used in the audio. Those words fell short of the values I hold dear, and they have undoubtedly shaken the trust of not just the victims but also the entire nation.

To Vice Chancellor Florence Banku Obi, who has shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, I extend my sincere apologies. Your dedication to protecting students and championing academic justice serves as a model for all leaders in higher education. I deeply regret any doubts or concerns my words may have caused in the academic community.

To the courageous students who have come forward with their painful experiences, I offer my heartfelt apologies. Your voices matter, and your bravery in shedding light on these issues is commendable. It is my hope that you receive the support and justice you deserve.

To all Nigerians, especially women and girls, I apologize for my insensitive remarks. My role as Minister of Women Affairs carries the responsibility of upholding the rights and well-being of all citizens, and my recent words did not reflect that commitment.

While my private conversations were never intended to be harmful, I acknowledge that the impact of my words has caused concern and distress. I'm truly sorry for any harm caused and any disruption this has caused to important discussions on these critical issues.

Moving forward, I am committed to better educating myself about these pressing concerns, being more empathetic in my responses, and working tirelessly to support and advocate for the welfare of all citizens, with a particular focus on women and girls.

Thank you for holding me accountable, and I appreciate your understanding as I learn from this experience and work towards positive change. I want to acknowledge that this type of public apology is just the beginning of the consequences I may face. While it may not prevent other potential outcomes, whether within the presidential government of Bola Tinubu, civil or criminal actions from the university community, or scrutiny from other concerned groups, it is my ministerial humble homage to the public. It signifies my recognition of the abuse of position and power, and I am committed to making amends. I am fully aware that true change requires more than words; it necessitates meaningful actions and a dedication to upholding the trust placed in me. I am determined to work diligently to regain that trust and contribute positively to the welfare of all Nigerians. Good luck, Madam Minister.

Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, is an American-based police and prisonscientist as well as a forensic, clinical, and legal psychologist.
On the sidelines of the G77 + China Leaders' Summit, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari has signed a Memorandum of Agreement on behalf of the Federal Government with Cuba on food security and agriculture advancement.

The Expression of Interest (EOI) is a historic journey to strengthen the ties between Nigeria and Cuba in the field of agriculture.

The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba in the presence of officials from both countries.

During the pre-signing meeting, Sen. Kyari lauded the willingness of Cubas government to partner with Nigeria, noting both countries share a common vision for their people.

The Minister expressed heartfelt gratitude for the shared insights into Nigeria's pressing food and agricultural opportunities and challenges.

He also underlined Nigeria's demographic advantage, vast land resources, immense agricultural potential, promoting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's vision for food and nutrition security.

It was in this spirit that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development evolved into the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security," he said.

Senator Kyari extended a hand of partnership to his Cuban counterparts with a focus on vital areas such as bio-fortification of agricultural produce, improvement of agricultural seeds and seedlings, agricultural mechanization, cutting-edge technologies for increased yields, and the reduction of post-harvest losses.

The Minister also said that "Nigeria is keenly interested in collaborating with Cuba in the domains of poultry, livestock, and fisheries.

Key areas of cooperation include veterinary medicine, vaccine development, artificial insemination, and the development of pastures and ranching as essential components in curbing the challenges posed by inefficient open grazing of cattle.

Others are training, capacity building, and knowledge transfer as the cornerstone of any thriving agricultural economy.

In his own remarks, Cubas Minister of Agriculture, Ydael Jesus Perez Brito who signed the MOU told the Nigerian delegation about the island nation's agricultural prowess, admitting that the country has "over 500,000 hectares under cultivation" and remains "a global player in the export of tobacco, coffee, honey, and other commodities."

Mr. Brito expressed delight at the opportunity to partner with Nigeria stating that his country would provide impactful cooperation in identified areas contained in the MOU.

The host Minister highlighted Cuba's agricultural human capital and different models of practices which have raised its productivity.

He also explained that his country would deploy its wealth of experience to help Nigeria achieve its agriculture and food security policies.

Nigeria will benefit from Cubas agriculture capacity in areas such as bilateral relationship encompassing agricultural productivity, sustainability, knowledge sharing and technology transfer.

The Nigerian delegation to the G77 + China Leaders' Summit in Cuba was led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari was accompanied to the ceremony by Nigeria's Ambassador to Cuba, H.E. Ben Okoyen and other members of the Nigerian delegation.

Olusola Abiola

Director Information

Office of the Vice President

17th September, 2023


For a while, I have borne on my mind the serious effects of attitudinal deficiencies among Nigerians, but I got sufficiently motivated to comment on it when I saw different videos of the effect of the downpour in Lagos yesterday. In some places, there were no drains and in many other places drains were obstructed by filth so there was no flow and that resulted in different levels of challenges for commuters and residents in Lagos. What do we deduce from this?

Even with appropriate drainage system everywhere, if we do not become human beings with the right attitude who understand that filth should not just be dropped anywhere and everywhere, it would keep looking like we do not have a working government even when the attitude of the citizens may be causing a greater hindrance to the development of the country than the inaction of the government. How does the government come into community members stealing materials supplied for the construction of roads for their own use? How does the government come into the vandalisation and abuse of public infrastructure by the citizens who use them? Is the government also to blame for the "big man" who winds down from his car to dispose of his soda can or who defies traffic light because no one is watching? Is government the reason you eat your orange as commuters and throw away the pith from the bus? Is government the reason the bus driver increases fare because there are many commuters?

Even if the government will have a portion of the blame to take, other stakeholders like parents, teachers and religious organisations have a greater responsibility in the face of our character deficit and attitudinal bankruptcy. This takes me to what education should do for any man. Education captures knowledge, skills, attitude and values which make one a functional member of the society. Ironically, education in Nigeria at this time, at all levels, seems to place emphasis on knowledge and skills at the expense of values and attitude. Sadly, the attitude and value neglected will render the knowledge and skills possessed useless. This is because becoming a star is not as difficult as maintaining stardom. Whatever level competence takes a man to, character is instrumental in sustaining the height.

In psychology, attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviours toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. Attitudes are associated to experiences or upbringing and they have a powerful influence over behaviour and affect how people act in various situations. Some two years ago, I recall trying to rush towards a professor to help with his bag and by the time I was close, another colleague who was at the time an associate professor had got to him before me to collect the bag. I asked to collect from him and he said "we were both his students so let me carry it too". This is the way many of us were raised but we hide under modernity to shy away from this style of living and call it barbaric, outdated and excommunicated. I cannot forget how a student walked with me from the car park to the second floor of my office building discussing with me without even offering to help with my bag until another colleague challenged him then he said "Oh, my mind did not go there?". We have become a generation of people who know what we want from the society but do not know what the society deserves from us. Values and virtues such as hard work, perseverance, dignity, integrity, humility servitude have been replaced with expressions such as "na who know way know book", "if you no know person you no fit reach there" and this mindset does no little to our setback.

I do not mean to bring politics into this, but when an American wakes up, he says "God bless America". This is a mindset and an attitude. How do you see Nigeria? It is okay if you do not like, trust or believe in some political leaders but it cannot be okay when this dislike extends to your country and you can utter expressions such as "this country cannot be good again.", "Nigeria is finished", and even ask people questions such as "why will you believe in this kind of country?".

So much is connected to attitude that we cannot afford to be silent on its collapse in our society. We must work collectively on attitude repair by doing what is right and urging others to do same. Parents must train their children with the right values. Teachers cannot limit their tasks to teaching just the contents of their subjects. Preachers must tell their congregation that they are members of a whole and must live right in the society. Government too must show the right attitude by making the citizens feel the benefits of being patriotic.

I will close this piece with the story of the man who promised to change the world in ten years. He failed then pleaded for another ten years to change Africa. He failed again then asked for yet another ten years to change Nigeria. When he failed this time, he begged for the last chance of another ten years to change his state. After failing at the state level, then he said to himself, "Instead of wasting forty years trying to change the larger society, I could have begun by changing myself then my household. My household would have changed our neighbours and our neighbours would have affected our community positively." Let the change we all desire begin with us. Repair your attitude!

(c) 2023 Ganiu Bamgbose writes from the Department of English, Lagos State University.
These are angry times for Nigeria and Nigerians. Apart from the severe economic downturn of the citizenry, most who never had much to start with, due to largely but by no means exclusively the removal of petroleum subsidy by President Tinubu, the political space which has been fouled up since the February presidential elections seems to become more poisonous each day. The recent drama of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal only increased the cancerous odour.

Quite a large percentage of Nigerians, especially in the under 40 age bracket, have openly advocated for revolution, insurrection or even military intervention as a solution. Given the scenario being played out in mostly Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa where increasingly young military officers are unseating gerontocractic governments against the backdrop of widespread national frustration, it is tempting to say that these advocates are riding on the crest of a pan African youth movement. It is easy to give legitimate credence to their calls, especially when one dispassionately examines what has been going on in the political space since February 25. Apparently pushed to the wall by the INEC electoral robbery and the PEPT judgment, frustrated youths of the generations Z and Alpha, not known for their long-distance approach, now see the gun as an attractive option in Nigeria.

I am unapologetically dissatisfied with the system of things in the contemporary Nigerian political and legal spaces. But the greatest tragedy anyone can unleash upon this country is returning her to military rule. This position may be unpopular but then nation building is not a popularity contest.

The space does not allow me to delve into the history of military interventions in our body polity from January 15 1966 to May 29 1999. That you did not live through the military era (I did) does not mean you are free from the impacts of the three decades of their interventions. The 1999 constitution Nigeria has been wrestling with is their creation. Former presidents Obasanjo and Buhari governed us with military fists enclosed in the folds of their agabada and caftan. The class of 1966 to 1999 dominated and still dominates our public institutions. Directly or indirectly through their children, descendants and minions. The sociopolitical and security upheavals ravaging the country today are rooted in political mismanagements dating back to the era of the jackboots. Military dictatorship only froze them. Then there was the civil war which only God knows when we will recover from, though most of its architects and the generation who witnessed it firsthand are joining the ancestors. Whatever good the military did (and truth be told, they have a lot of credits to their name), these are incidental. Contemporary Nigeria does not need military rule, even if she becomes an island surrounded by a sea of new khaki messiahs elsewhere in Africa. My position is based on these factors.

First, the Nigerian military class is riddled by the tribal, religious and political contradictions in the civilian space. Anyone looking for idealistic supermen who will emerge from the barracks to turn things right will be badly disappointed. The military officers are not from Neptune: the antecedents of the generals should not make any right-thinking Nigerian look up to them for political salvation. The lower and middle cadre officers will be hamstrung by the same factors that made nonsense of the intervention of ostensible radical soldiers in January 1966 and April 1990: they are not in the command structure thus they cannot command the cohesive allegiance which the military requires to function; they may be high on hotheaded idealism like their civilian counterparts clamoring for coups; they cannot escape ethnic and religious colorations; the entrenched political/military establishment will fight back ruthlessly and most likely successfully; and worst of all, if they come to power they will be at sea with the complexities of Nigeria and most likely depend on the political class they shot out of power.

Second, are there actors seeking to capitalize on the current situation to regain power, maybe because the current dispensation, flawed as it is, has upstaged their interests? Professor Wole Soyinka is not the flavour of the month with many members of the Obidient movement. Frankly I have reservations about his interventions in the current political drama. But that is not the point of this article. My attention is on some of the things he said at the Africa in the World event in South Africa which ended on September 16. This latest intervention of his which declared that Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third in the elections struck me with these lines: .they (supporters of Peter Obi) didnt know it but they were being used. Before the elections ever took place, there was a certain clandestine force=reactionary. It included some ex generals who were already calling for an interim government before the elections began.Maybe not consciously, all of them, but some were definitely trying to create a situation to bring back the military.

A man of Soyinkas pedigree cannot make these statements for fun. In civilized climes security chiefs will secretly but courteously call upon the Nobel Laureate to substantiate these assertions. At his age, Soyinka is an institution and should be treated as such. If there are people who want to leverage on the situation to restore military rule, then we should nip their efforts in the bud.

Let us not be deceived. A coup in this day and age in Nigeria will not be like the peaceful takeovers in Niger and Gabon. Irrespective of whom you supported in the last elections, the military will have their agenda and it will have nothing to do with Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and definitely Bola Tinubu in Aso Rock. Love or hate him, Tinubu has a coterie of officers who will defend his administration. Then there are the foreign neocolonial powers.

The best ways out of this quagmire include: the Supreme Court of Nigeria should be just and seen to be just; the man at Aso Rock should resist the temptation to build an ethnic cabal of inner circle power wielders; the opposition, as long as they do not threaten national security, should not be muzzled or cajoled; all the political gladiators must in their own interest avoid tempting our men and women on horseback into seeing themselves as our saviours; whoever loses at the Supreme Court should restrategize for 2027. I do not know who will do it but INEC requires a comprehensive surgery. Finally the economy must be addressed. We do not need our khaki heroes and heroines to be saved.

Henry C. Onyema lives in Lagos. He is an author and historian. Email: [email protected]
Taiwo Obasanjo, Wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has issued a statement, pleading for forgiveness on behalf of her husband over remarks recently made in Oyo State.

It could be recalled that former President, who was at Iseyin, Oyo state during Fridays commissioning of projects executed by the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, had chided some Yoruba traditional rulers at the event for not standing up to accord him respect as a former president.

He consequently ordered them to stand up and recognize his presence.

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, traditional ruler, has to stand up and greet the governor or the President. Stand up, sit down.

Please in the Yoruba land, we respect two things: age and position. The governors position is superior to that of any king in as much as he is a governor. When I was a president, I prostrated for kings openly. But indoors, the king would bow down for me. Let us respect our culture, he had said.

Meanwhile, the action has generated condemnation from stakeholders including the Yoruba Council Worldwide, who has asked him to apologize within three days or face the consequences.

However, in a statement on Sunday, titled Oyo Kings: A plea for forgiveness, Mrs Obasanjo who has two children  Olujonwo and Olubunmi  for the former president begged for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings in Yoruba land.

Noting that she was appealing with humility as a mother, she begged the aforementioned to not avenge on any of us the misdeeds of Daddy Obasanjo.

Part of the statements reads; This is my own personal stand on the manner Chief Olusegun Obasanjo addressed the Kings at Iseyin at the road commissioning by Governor Makinde of Oyo State on Friday 15th September, 2023.

As a legitimate member of Chief Olusegun Obasanjos family, l will like to state publicly worldwide and privately that the manner in which Daddy Obasanjo addressed the monarchs is not acceptable to God, to the Yoruba race and to the throne of Kingship and it must not be repeated again by any leader in Yoruba land.

Daddy Obasanjo should not have treated the kings with open contempt and humiliation in order to correct them and revealing their secret that they bow for him privately. It is not good at all. It is too humiliating.

Protocols could have corrected them privately and respectfully, humbly with love and friendliness.The only person that is infallible is God. God Himself is known as the King of kings and mortals too speak up to God when there is a misunderstanding of His intent. An example was when God in annoyance wanted to destroy the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses had to speak up and beg God not to destroy them. Another example was when Cain after killing his brother Abel, God pronounced terrible judgement on Cain but Cain pleaded with God that the punishment was too much and unbearable for him, that anyone who sees him will kill him. God listened to Cains appeal despite his horrible act of murdering his brother etc There are many examples in the Bible of men speaking up to God, but they spoke not in arrogance or self justification but in humility and remorse. God Himself sent his priest to King David privately to correct him with respect on his error when he killed Bathshebas husband. God didnt humiliate King David because of his error and because He is Almighty God, God still accorded respect and honour to a mortal king he created and crowned when he erred.

Monarchy is an institution God Himself established before any political government came up to manage the affairs of men.

I want to publicly state here that on behalf of the family, the children, the wives, the grandchildren and all members of the family of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, l am offering a big and genuine apology both spiritual and physical to all the kings of Oyo State, all the kings of Yoruba land and the entire Yoruba race both in Nigeria and Diaspora.

Please, l beg for permanent and eternal forgiveness and pardon from all Yoruba sons and daughters worldwide, fathers and mothers, youths, teenagers and children, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, all leaders in Yoruba land and the Council of Kings in Yoruba land. Please l humbly appeal with all humility dont avenge on any of us the misdeeds of Daddy Obasanjo.

I am a full Yoruba woman married to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for over 40 years and l have two children for him both male and female. I am a grand mother. I do not support the humiliating treatment of the kings of Oyo State by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Let history bear my record that l came out to apologize to the Oyo kings and Yoruba land on behalf of the family of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
UTAH

State failed to stop Great Salt Lakes rapid shrinking, lawsuit says

Utah officials have pushed the Great Salt Lake to the brink of an ecological collapse because they allowed upstream water to be diverted for decades to farmers growing alfalfa, hay and other crops, according to a lawsuit filed on Sept. 6 by a coalition of environmental groups.

The conservationists want a court to step in and force the state to let more water reach the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River, which is an oasis for millions of migratory birds, an engine for Utah's billion-dollar mineral industry and a tourist attraction.

The risks of a diminished Great Salt Lake aren't merely beached sailboats and wider shores. They also include species extinction and toxic dust clouds billowing over nearby communities, the lawsuit says.

The lake first hit a record low in the summer of 2021, fueling renewed attention from Utah's Republican-led Legislature. But lawmakers' actions have not been enough to assuage the concerns of a coalition that includes Earthjustice, the Utah Rivers Council and Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, among others.

Colorado Water Congress panel debunks 'big river myths'

Emma Williams, a spokesperson for Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.

State officials have repeatedly identified restoring the lake as a top priority. But despite a temporary rise in lake levels this summer after a record winter snowfall, the lake's long-term outlook is bleak. Earlier this year, Cox created and filled the position of Great Salt Lake commissioner in an effort to find solutions.

Toxic chemicals  including arsenic, lead and mercury  are trapped in the lakebed. As more of the lakebed becomes exposed and dries, those chemicals are carried into the air by the wind. The consequent toxic dust storms could lower life expectancies, as well as heighten cancer and infant mortality rates, said said Brian Moench of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, citing past instances of lakes drying up across the world.

Stu Gillespie, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit, said Utah's constitution clearly outlines the state's obligation to safeguard the Great Salt Lake on behalf of the public. It's called the public trust doctrine, and it was used by California's supreme court in the 1980s to protect Mono Lake from shrinking because of water diversion to Los Angeles. The doctrine is cited in the lawsuit.

MONTANA

Company paid $2.6 million to relinquish oil lease on land sacred to Native Americans

BILLINGS  A Louisiana company will receive $2.6 million to relinquish the last remaining oil and gas lease on U.S. forest land near Montana's Glacier National Park that's sacred to Native Americans, government officials and attorneys involved in the deal said Sept. 1.

The deal would resolve a decades-long dispute over the 10-square-mile oil and gas lease in the mountainous Badger-Two Medicine area of northwestern Montana.

The lease was issued in 1982 but has not been developed. It's on the site of the creation story for the Blackfoot tribes of southern Canada and Montana's Blackfeet Nation. Tribal members bitterly opposed drilling.

In exchange for giving up the lease, Solenex LLC will receive $2.6 million, said David McDonald with the Mountain States Legal Foundation, which represented the company. The government will pay $2 million and the Wyss Foundation, a charitable group founded by Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, will provide the remaining $625,000.

10th Circuit revives lawsuit over misrepresentations of Weld County oil, gas production

The Solenex lease had been cancelled in 2016 under then-U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell at the request of the Blackfoot tribes and conservation groups.

But U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered the lease reinstated last year. Leon said Jewell lacked the authority to withdraw the lease so many years after it was sold and after several prior studies had examined the environmental and other impacts of drilling in the area.

Blackfeet Tribal Historic Preservation Officer John Murray characterized the legal battle over the lease as a "protracted clash of cultures" and said he was relieved it was over.

NEW MEXICO

State to consider increasing hunting limits for black bears

SANTA FE  The New Mexico Game Commission will consider in October increasing hunting limits for black bears in several areas of the state.

Stewart Liley, the state Game and Fish Department's head of wildlife management, presented a plan to the commission on Aug. 24, recommending that the total kills allowed be increased to 864 from the current 804.

The plan also suggested keeping cougar hunting limits the same in all but one management zone, where it would be reduced by 17 kills.

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New Mexico's overall kill limit now is 8% to 12% for a mature population of bears and 17% to 24% for cougars.

Hunters aren't allowed to kill cubs or kittens or mothers accompanying the babies.

CPW's 'Take a Friend Hunting' contest open

Wildlife advocates protest the increased killing of animals they say are vital to the ecosystem, while ranchers and hunters generally support the effort.

"We call for a reduction of the kill quotas across the board for both bears and cougars for the next four years," said Mary Catherine Ray of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter.

Liley said the commonly used term "quotas" is incorrect because the state isn't trying to achieve these numbers but rather is placing a ceiling on how many of the animals can be hunted.

ARIZONA

US will start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s at air base

WASHINGTON  The U.S. will start training Ukrainian pilots to fly U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, beginning at an Air National Guard base in October, the Pentagon said on Aug. 24.

The training is part of a U.S. and European effort to get the advanced fighter jets to Ukraine for its defense against invading Russian forces.

The announcement came as President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to commemorate Ukraine's Independence Day and to reiterate support for the effort to fight back Russian troops.

Biden urges Air Force Academy graduates to 'meet the moment'

The two discussed the F-16 training, and Biden assured Zelenskyy of an expedited approval for other nations to transfer their F-16s to Ukraine once training is completed, the White House said in a statement.

U.S. military officials stress it takes years of training to be able to field F-16 squadrons, limiting the impact the aircraft will have on Ukraine's defense for the near future.

The training will take place at Morris Air National Guard base in Tucson, Arizona. The pilots will first undergo English instruction at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to bring their fluency up to the level needed to operate the aircraft, starting in September, Ryder said.

Police say human skull donated to Goodwill not linked to any crime

GOODYEAR  It's probably not the strangest item ever donated to a Goodwill store. But employees of a thrift store in the Phoenix area knew exactly what to do when they saw what looked like a human skull in one of their donation boxes: Call police.

Officers responded to the store in Goodyear on Sept. 5 and took possession of the skull, which was covered in spots and had its upper front teeth attached, plus a false eye in the left socket.

Committee unanimously advances bill to create a free adult high school in Colorado

The skull was transported to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office where authorities "confirmed that it is in fact a real human skull," police spokesperson Lisa Berry said.

"It appears this human skull is historic and has no forensic significance, meaning there appears to be no associated crime," Berry added of the preliminary findings.

It remains unclear who donated the skull and what would become its final disposition. Berry said police had no additional information to release about the skull.

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Foreign family raises safety concerns after Phuket home invasion, theft

PHUKET: A foreign family residing in Phuket has raised safety concerns after a thief invaded their villa in Chalong while four people, including two children, were in the house. The presence of the residents, who were not even sleeping yet, failed to deter the suspect, who searched the premises and made off with valuables worth over B50,000.

crimetourismSafetyRussian

By The Phuket News

Sunday 17 September 2023 03:00 PM

The home invasion and theft were reported to Chalong Police station by Mr Ilya P., a Russian national, on Thursday (Sept 14). Lt Col Somkiat Sarasit, a long-time officer of Chalong Police, received the complaint at 8.23pm, as per the report provided to The Phuket News by Mr Ilya.



The expat reported that at around 10.20pm the previous night (Sept 13), an unknown suspect entered his rented villa, spent approximately 10 minutes searching the house for valuables, and escaped undetected.



The incident was recorded by the CCTV system, though the cameras date setting had not been configured properly, resulting in incorrect date on the recording.



According to the victims complaint, stolen items included Mr Ilyas passport, credit cards, and Thai driving license; a golden ring worth around B5,000; a wallet and a purse worth B19,000; motorcycle keys; and B33,700 in cash.



Speaking to The Phuket News, Mr Ilya explained that the loss of documents has complicated his urgent trip abroad later this month, but he is more concerned about the safety and security of his family who will stay in Phuket.



The suspect, an unidentified Asian national, entered the villa and took his time to search despite the presence of Mr Ilya, his wife, and two children, who attend private educational institutions in Phuket.



The family is now considering relocation as Mr Ilyas wife and children do not feel comfortable staying in the area.



Mr Ilya has asked Phuket residents to contact Phuket Tourist Police or Chalong Police if they find a discarded Russian passport in his name or have any relevant information regarding his case.



In August, a similar home invasion was reported in Kamala. A local expatriate visited Kamala Police Station on Aug 15 to report a burglary that occurred at his villa at night and requested an investigation.



The case became public knowledge when the victim asked fellow Phuket residents for help in retrieving his Thai bank card and his wifes Thai driving license.



In that case, the thief entered a rented villa at 4.30am while the occupants, a family of three including a one-year-old child, were asleep in the bedroom. Even the presence of a dog failed to prevent the thiefs intrusion, though it was the dog who alerted the husband of the suspects presence.
One night in 2006, I was just done. I had decided that I was a burden on my family, that my husband shouldnt have to, you know, deal with having to take care of a disabled wife. That my children deserved a mother who was present.

People expect dads to go to the military. Nobody really expects moms to go. So, when I came home, everything was different. I definitely wasnt the same person that left. I hadnt even seen combat, which was  it was tougher because I didnt feel like a veteran. I struggled. I struggled with three young children at home that saw a different mom and couldnt understand. I couldnt connect with my children. I emotionally had given up because I was tired of hurting.

 I had gone to my room. I had made the decision. I was resolute in my thoughts. My 5-year-old daughter walked in, and she just came in to sit with me. I kept trying to usher her out, Just go play with your siblings. And she wouldnt leave. She said, I just want to stay here with you, Mommy.

And she stayed with me for a few hours. A 5-year-old. Just doing nothing. And those few hours helped get me through that moment.

That is the powerful testimony of Zaneta Adams, a medically retired Army veteran who once contemplated suicide. Her experiences and feelings arent unique. She had trouble coping, and she felt emotional fatigue. She felt alone  but she wasnt. Of all the people in her life to show a gesture of hope, it was a child who offered the help she needed, when she needed it most.

Veterans are often the first to help others, but it can sometimes be hard for a veteran to accept or ask for help themselves. If youre a veteran who needs support, get help today. Dont wait. Reach out.

Family members and friends of veterans play a critical role as part of a much-needed support system. If you know a veteran whos struggling, let them know about the resources available at www.VA.gov/REACH. Dont wait. Reach out.

Organizations, small businesses, and nonprofits serve a valuable role as a part of the veteran community. Maybe you offer a 10% discount on your products/services, or youre dedicated to employing veterans. Use your various platforms (social media, websites, marketing opportunities) to share public service announcements. Dont wait. Reach out.

Suicide is complex, and stressful events such as life transitions or struggles with housing can be risk factors. VA offers resources to support veterans across a wide range of life challenges, before these problems become overwhelming. Although the veteran suicide rate meaningfully decreased in 2019 and 2020, the suicide rate among veterans in 2020 was 57% higher than nonveteran adults, according to the most recent available data from the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. A few other data points to pull from that report:

1. In each year from 2001 through 2020, age- and sex-adjusted suicide rates of veterans exceeded those of nonveterans.

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2. Among veterans ages 1844, suicide was the second-leading cause of death.

3. 44,298 U.S. adults died in 2020 from suicide. This included 6,146 veteran suicides.

Everyone can be part of the solution by checking in with the veterans in their life and encouraging them to reach out if they need help. Visit VA.gov/Reach to download and share social media content to spread the word.

This September, throughout Suicide Prevention Month, VA is offering events and resources to assist us to help veterans.

Visit mirecc.va.gov/visn19 to learn about some of the resources here in Colorado.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Dial 988, then press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.

In whatever manner you are able, thank you for joining our efforts to encourage veterans to get the support they need as they face hardship. Together, we can spread hope that veterans, and all of us, can overcome difficult life challenges.

Thanks for allowing me to walk alongside you behind friendly lines.

Victory!

Jason T. Strickland is the chief communications officer for the VA Rocky Mountain Network. Email: jason.strickland2@va.gov.
Phukets Nepalese community celebrates Hartalika Teej

PHUKET: Members of the Nepalese community in Phuket celebrated the Hartalika Teej festival on Friday night (Sept 15), marking the end of a three-day fast for women, who are then feted with honour by men who take good care of them.

culture

By The Phuket News

Sunday 17 September 2023 09:00 AM

The event was held at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chao Fah Hotel in Wichit, with Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Somprat Prabsongkram acting as chairman of the occasion.

Jar Ganet, chairman of the Thai Nepali Association, Phuket, explained, The Hartalika Teej is a special day for women of Nepali descent. The festival also continues the good culture of Thai Nepali people, which has been passed down for a long time.

At the event on Friday, special ceremonies were held to mark the occasion, along with cultural performances.

Ratchanee Khanal, a Phuket Nepali woman, explained that the Teej is a special day for women of Nepali descent. In addition to celebrating the culture of Thai-Nepalese people, it also marks the exchange of love for each other, and promoties tourism, she said.

The Teej Festival, or Nepal Womens Day, is a festival that commemorates the reunion of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. On this day women pay home to the two gods, which helps to protect husbands and family to be happy. Single women also pray that they will find a good husband, Ms Ratchanee said.

In addition, this festival is also an occasion for daughters who have already been married and left the family home. The festival provides an opportunity for them to return and visit their parents at home. Therefore it is a day of happiness for women, she added.

On this day, women receive special treatment from men, including fathers, brothers, and Nepali women strictly observe precepts, they fast, and bathe in holy waters to purify their bodies before worshiping Lord Shiva. Then there are traditional dances and songs in homage to Lord Shiva.

t is a special occasion for women that men honour and take good care of women. Meanwhile, women observe precepts and ask for blessings for their husbands and families, which is a practice for creating true love within the family, Ms Ratchanee said.
Phuket pushes health hub plan

BANGKOK: Phukets tourism and property development sectors have urged Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to quickly consider their proposal for an Andaman Wellness Economic Corridor (AWC) to keep pace with the global trend in wellness and boost related investment and the tourism industry.

tourismeconomics

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 17 September 2023 10:58 AM

Kan: Submits proposal

The call follows Mr Sretthas visit to Phuket and Phang Nga on Aug 25-26 after taking office to engage with locals and gather opinions from the private sector to explore ways of promoting tourism in the two provinces, reports the Bangkok Post.

There, a group of businessmen led by Kan Prachumphan, CEO of the Beach Group and Andaman City Development Co, and head of an economic investment stimulation research project in Phuket, submitted the AWC proposal to him for consideration.

The AWC proposal initiated during the Prayut Chan-o-cha government says the corridor will be created in six Andaman provinces (Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong, Trang and Satun) in a similar manner to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

It will help the economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and generate income in a wellness and medical tourism sector known for high growth potential.

Phuket is a centre for the treatment of complex diseases, gender affirmation surgeries, spas in public and private hospitals, international conventions and exhibitions and has a world-class wellness centre.

Phang Nga is a marine tourist service hub in collaboration with the Sky Doctor service, has a claims centre for collecting medical expenses from foreigners to reduce bad debts and has developed a climate therapy treatment system for long-stay tourists including a dental centre.

Krabi promotes the development of the Klong Thom Spa. Trang is the food city hub and wellness destination hub in the Andaman area.

Satun will be developed as a long-term residence city. Ranong has hot springs and spas for healing purposes.

We do not want the prime minister to forget it. We want it to happen in the region as quickly as possible, Mr Kan told the Bangkok Post.

MORE DEVELOPMENT

Helping to pave the way for the AWC, Mr Kan said the government should increase funding to develop Phuket International Airport to handle an international tourist influx expected to reach around 18 million visitors by next year.

The government should also speed up a new airport in Khok Kloi, Phang Nga, he said. This airport project will be the catalyst to generate revenue in the region.

Im confident these Andaman provinces have the potential to serve as an aviation industry hub in the Southeast Asian region, he said.

As well as the airport development, he said the government should amend laws that obstruct the setting up of the AWC in the coastal provinces.

To draw more investors and tourists, Mr Kan suggested the government support Phukets Sister City of Investment policy to help promote finance and investment in the region to further develop real estate, hospitality, a mass transport system and a digital finance market on the island.

Phuket may consider cooperating with a city from China, Hong Kong or Singapore to develop its cable car project.

He also proposed the Transit Oriented Development and Land Bridge project to boost connectivity of the transport network in the Andaman region by developing the mass transit system and creating new landmarks with new technology.

For example, Phuket Old Town should develop its mass transit system to cater to visitors, together with creating a shopping zone and port, he said.

Phuket also plans to develop a labour market to serve as a Smart City.

Phuket is already considered a workation city that is home to quality workers from all over the world whose skills are based on digital knowledge and service experience, Mr Kan said.

Some foreigners in vacation groups originally planned a short-term stay on the island, before deciding to buy real estate for a long-term stay. This can also stimulate the economy, he said.

The governments free-visa policy and tourism promotion will help spur the purchase of real estate in Phuket and the Andaman provinces which will also boost peoples income, he said. He urged the government to amend the law to allow foreigners to buy real estate.

NEW LAW FOR AWC PROPOSED

Thanapat Uttawarapong, an analyst from Andaman City Development, said setting up the AWC is not an easy task but the government cannot avoid it.

Mr Thanapat suggested the government pass a special law to remove legal obstacles that stand in the way.

If we have the special law and the prime minister can establish the project, trials can be complete within two years, he said.

He said the private sector fully supports the AWC project.

They are also ready to help push for other development projects no matter whether they are involved with the real estate sector, hotels or SMEs.

Once the AWC is completed, money from all over the world will flow into Phuket and other Andaman coastal provinces, he said.

Meanwhile, a source said Mr Srettha and his team are scheduled to visit Phuket and Phang Nga again on Sept 29-30 to follow up on the development of Phuket International Airport and other tourism development projects to welcome foreign tourists to Phuket during the peak season in November.
Police say case against Kamnan Nok could secure death sentence

BANGKOK: Police are confident in their case against Praween Chanklai, aka Kamnan Nok, a key suspect in the killing of a highway police officer, that could lead to his death sentence, said Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej.

corruptionmurdercrimepolice

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 17 September 2023 09:28 AM

Jirabhop: Building a strong case

The evidence can prove the suspect ordered the killing of Pol Maj Sivakorn Saibua even though some files from surveillance cameras have yet to be recovered, he said, reports the Bangkok Post.

There were 15 security cameras installed at Praweens house and after the shooting, in which Pol Maj Sivakorn was killed and Pol Lt Col Wasin Pandee, another highway police officer, sustained injuries, two CCTV servers were removed and dumped into a canal.

Once the servers were retrieved, forensic police salvaged files from 13 security cameras.

The evidence we have points to Mr Praween as the mastermind. Witness statements, circumstantial evidence like the gun, the destruction of evidence and the motive are key components we have to get him the death sentence, he said.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said police will gather as much as evidence as they can to make a watertight case because the suspect and his accomplices have no respect for the law.

He said investigators are also speeding up a probe into Praweens businesses to determine the origins of his assets and whether he was involved in price rigging or if he evaded taxes.

The CIB commissioner ordered police to gather information about influential figures in Nakhon Pathom for a planned crackdown to root out mafia-like gangs.

On Friday night, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy national police chief, released CCTV images prior to the shooting and after the shooting.

Most police at the party were armed but didnt try to intervene. Some aided the culprits and some senior officers fled the scene, said Pol Gen Surachate.

He said the motive was clear  the suspect held a grudge.

On the last two security cameras, one stopped working on Aug 23 and the other was turned off at 10:16am on the day of the shooting.
Young cow killed by car after wandering onto back road

PHUKET: Livestock wandering onto a road in Srisoonthorn last night (Sept 16) ended with a young cow being struck by a car and dying.

transportaccidentsanimalsSafety

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Sunday 17 September 2023 09:59 AM

Pol Lt Thitiwat Asasingh of the Thalang Police was called to the scene, on the Thung Suea Khruan - Ban Don Road, at 8:30pm

He arrived to find local residents gathered over the body of the calf, estimated to have been six to eight months old.

Nearby was a Toyota Vios car registered in Nonthaburi askew by the side of the road. The car had sustained damage to its front right panels.

The driver of the car, 40-year-old Nigerian national Wisdom Chukwunonso Onwukwe, was uninjured in the accident.

He said he was driving along the road at about 50km/h when the cow ran out from the side of the road. The calf ran in front of the car, and he was unable to avoid hitting it.

Mr Onwukwe was asked to join officers at Thalang Police Station to provide his statement, while the car and the body of the calf were recovered.

Officers said they needed both as evidence in following up with the owner of the cow to pay for damages.
Blue skies and a snowcapped Pikes Peak welcomed friends, families and members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to Memorial Park Saturday for the 37th annual Fallen Fire Fighters Remembrance Ceremony.

More than 4,000 people from across North America gathered to honor the 572 firefighters and first responders who lost their lives in 2021 and 2022.

Each name of those lost was presented with the toll of a bell, and a survivor received a flag to honor their fallen.

The memorial in Colorado Springs is the only one of its kind in North America and has been in Memorial Park since 1987. It's the only memorial to collectively honor professional firefighters and emergency medical rescue workers across the U.S. and Canada who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Edward Kelly, general president of the IAFF, said an unusually high number of names is being honored in 2023, with this years ceremony also remembering those lost to COVID-19, as well as other occupational illnesses.

Today is a very special day for us as firefighters and IAFF members, but most importantly for our families who endure the sacrifices that we make, Kelly said.

Among the families in attendance were Silvana and Christina Orton, a mother-daughter duo who traveled from Ottawa, Canada.

Saturday, they honored Silvanas husband and Christinas father, Timothy Orton, who served the Local 162 community in Ottawa for 37 years before dying of work-related cancer in September 2022.

He was just such a super guy. He had the biggest smile and the bluest eyes. He was a doer, he was a protector, he just liked doing things for other people, Silvana Orton said.

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And he loved a challenge  talk about a challenge, Christina Orton added.

The Ortons said Timothy did everything he could do for his fire department, whether it be water rescue, handling hazardous materials or high-angle rescues.

Essentially any opportunity to learn and to do something was what he wanted to do, Christina said.

Silvana Orton described being at Saturdays ceremony as overwhelming in the best way."

The family of fallen firefighter Peter Chiodo could be seen wearing New York Fire Department jackets, traveling from the East Coast to honor Chiodo who died in September 2022 of complications from responding to the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

Today shows us that the firefighters thought as much of Pete as we all did, Laura Frank, Chiodos sister-in-law, told The Gazette.

This is such a wonderful ceremony, a time to be close to our family and the firefighting community.

The ceremony began with more than 1,400 honor guard posting colors along the paths of the memorial. The Colorado Springs Chorale performed the national anthems of Canada and the United States.

Colorado Springs Local 5 President Curt Crumb spoke to the crowd, describing the ceremony as a testament to sacrifice, a sacrifice suffered while serving their duties, a testament to those left behind.

The family members, friends and fellow firefighters supported the dreams of these men and women. The price paid by all these brave souls is too high for those left behind, but supporting their dreams is just as courageous as the decision they made to enter this profession.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has launched a childrens book donation drive where citizens would be able to donate all kinds of books to the model schools run by the civic body.

The donated books are to be utilised in the libraries of the KMC model schools to enable students to have access to the books that are generally read by their counterparts in other institutions.

The idea has been floated by the Education wing of the KMC. To begin with, the mayor of KMC, Firhad Hakim donated the first book to the library. The mayor urged the citizens to donate childrens books to the nearest KMC schools. Notably, the KMC is putting efforts to convert some of its primary schools into English Medium and has been able to bring 70 schools in Kolkata under the program.

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According to the mayor, setting up an English medium school by the civic body would help the citizens avoid hassles of rushing for such institutes. The civic body is also mulling over plans to introduce audio- visual classes in some of its schools. There are about 224 KMC schools having more than 13.5 thousand students in them. In the recent annual budget, the KMC has proposed an allocation of rupees 51. 32 crores for education services.

The civic body is emphasizing on bringing more and more model schools in the next financial year with the help of CSR initiative.
SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho has said his company stopped doing business with Huawei Technologies Co., following US chip sanctions against China in 2020 and has not supplied semiconductors to the Chinese smartphone maker.

Last week, the chipmaker said it opened an internal investigation into how its memory chips ended up in a new smartphone made by Huawei, after Bloomberg News reported that the South Korean chipmakers DRAM  LPDDR5  and NAND Flash memory are used in the Chinese tech companys latest smartphone Mate 60 Pro.

We have had absolutely no business (with Huawei), Park told reporters before attending SK Groups event at a hotel in eastern Seoul, reports Yonhap news agency.

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We are investigating the circumstances, he said, adding Huaweis new smartphone is a well-made product  and we need to check more closely what kind of DRAM is being used in that phone.

Last week, SK hynix said it no longer does business with Huawei since the introduction of the U.S. restrictions against the company and with regard to the issue, we started an investigation to find out more details.

Also, SK hynix is strictly abiding by the U.S. governments export restrictions, it added.

SK hynix stopped supplying chips to Huawei in the fall of 2020, after Washington banned the supply of semiconductors made with U.S. equipment, software and design to the Chinese company without prior approval, citing security concerns.

At that time, SK hynix was known to depend on Huawei for some 10 percent of its sales.
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:

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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 Khers 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 Agnihotris bio-science film The Vaccine War, with some other projects in the bag, including Ravi Tejas 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.
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 Greeces 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.

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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.
Confident that the country wants change after nine years of NDA rule, the extended Congress Working Committee, which discussed the election preparedness of the party on Sunday, concluded that it was fully ready for the battle ahead. However, the party president, Mallikarjun Kharge, warned his party men of complacency and emphasized on the importance of organizational unity and prioritizing its success ahead of personal interests and differences.

In his opening speech, Kharge attacked the prime minister, Narendra Modi, accusing him of being narcissistic. The prime minister refuses to address the concerns of the poor, farmers, labourers, women, and the youth; instead, he cannot look beyond himself  We must unite and overthrow this dictatorial government to save our democracy, he said.

Citing the Karnataka assembly election, which the Congress won decisively, Kharge said it was possible only because it was united. The Congress chief called on his party members to oust the BJP in the general election next year. He said, 2024 marks the centenary of Mahatma Gandhis election as the Congress president. The most fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi would be to oust the BJP from power in 2024.

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Later, in a statement, the extended CWC said it was confident of receiving a decisive mandate from the people of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and Telangana in the assembly elections that will be held in a few months. The statement also reaffirmed the partys preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. It said: The Congress is fully ready for the battle ahead.

Kharge also reminded party members that they should be prepared for possible elections in Jammu & Kashmir as well. He said the new model of social justice and welfarism pioneered by Congress governments of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan must be publicized highlighting the welfare schemes.

CWC member Pawan Khera said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi spoke on the need for ideological clarity and urged party members to avoid the traps set by BJP to divert attention from core issues. He also said that the Congress was essentially a movement, which also has an organization. It is the movement that propels the organization, which sets it apart from other parties.

Women Reservation Bill

In its resolution, the Congress Working Committee also demanded that the Womens Reservation Bill be passed during the special session of Parliament.

CWC member Jairam Ramesh pointed out, Bills introduced in Rajya Sabha do not lapse. The Womens Reservation Bill is very much active. The Congress party for the past nine years has been demanding that the Womens Reservation Bill already passed by the Rajya Sabha should now get passed by the Lok Sabha as well.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Ramesh gave the background and said it was Rajiv Gandhi who first introduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas, in May 1989. It was passed in Lok Sabha but failed in Rajya Sabha. But under PV Narasimha Rao, both bills were passed and became law. Dr Manmohan Singh had brought the Womens Reservation Bill for Parliament. Although Rajya Sabha passed it, it was not taken up in Lok Sabha.

BRS MLC from Telanganas Nizamabad Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who has of late taken up the cudgels for the Womens Reservation Bill, welcomed the decision of the CWC. She said, I hope the Congress party will maintain the same spirit in the upcoming Parliament session to exert pressure on the ruling party to introduce and pass the bill.
The 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, on Sunday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 73rd birthday and congratulated him on Indias successful G20 presidency.

The Lama, in a letter to Modi, wished him continued good health and success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of this great country, and in contributing to the creation of a more compassionate, peaceful world.

He wrote: May I also take this opportunity to congratulate you on the success of Indias G20 presidency, culminating in the summit on the theme of Vasudhaiv KutambakamOne Earth, One Family, One Future. This is a theme that resonates strongly with me. I firmly believe in the oneness of humanity and encourage other people to appreciate its importance whenever I can.

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As Indias longest-staying guest, I have found it a great privilege and source of satisfaction to witness Indias growing stature on the international stage, reflected in events such as the G20 Summit. That meeting also provided a great opportunity to highlight the interdependence of our shared world, the Tibetan spiritual leader wrote.

The Dalai Lama said Indias traditions of ahimsa and karuna are more than 1,000 years old. As the largest democracy and most populous nation on the planet, with a long tradition of inter-religious harmony, India presents an example to the world. In addition to this, Indias growing scientific and technological capabilities enhance its emerging leadership.

On behalf of the Tibetan people, may I once again express deep gratitude to the government and people of India for their hospitality and generous assistance to us over the last 64 years, the Dalai Lama wrote in his letter to the PM.
A day ahead of the special session of Parliament, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday hoisted national flag at the new Parliament building. The flag hoisting event was attended by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, and several other leaders of the Opposition parties.

It is a historic moment. Bharat is witnessing epochal change. The world is in total recognition of might power and contribution of Bharat. We are living in times, where we are witnessing development, achievements which we never dreamt of, Dhankhar said.

#WATCH | Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar says It is a historic moment. Bharat is witnessing epochal change. The world is in total recognition of might power and contribution of Bharat. We are living in times, where we are witnessing development, https://t.co/J5ZtANt78y pic.twitter.com/iWEYBetAmD Advertisement  ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2023

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, didnt attend the event and expressed his disappointment. Kharge, who is in Hyderabad to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting, said that the invitation of the event was sent to him quite late.

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 quite late in the evening Kharge said in a letter to Rajya Sabha Secretary General, Pramod Chandra Mody.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attended the event. When asked why Kharge or Rahul Gandhi didnt attend the flag hoisting, Chowdhury said, Concentrate on those who are present here I am here, does it not suffice the media people

The new building is built adjacent to the existing Parliament. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. It is likely that the special session will be held moved to the new parliament building after first day.
The intense gunbattle between the Indian Army-led security forces and Pakistan-backed terrorists in the dense Garol forest of south Kashmirs Kokernag has now stretched for more than 120 hours. As the encounter, which started on September 12, continues, it has become a challenging task for the security forces.

There are reports that the Army has recovered a charred body from a suspected terrorist hideout in the encounter area. More details are awaited on this.

The stakes are high for security forces. In the encounter, the Army lost four soldiers, including a colonel and a major, and one is reportedly missing. The Jammu & Kashmir Police lost a deputy superintendent. Therefore, they are proceeding cautiously to prevent further loss of troops.

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The survival of the terrorists, believed to be two or three in numbers, against the hi-tech weaponry and hundreds of troops for five days indicates that they were trained in jungle warfare and were also well-versed with the topography of the area. The terrorists are believed to be using the natural caves and foliage to escape from the eye of weaponized drones and helicopters of the Army.

The Army, CRPF, and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of J&K Police and continuing their hunt for the hiding terrorists, who were intermittently firing at the security forces. Their movement is being tracked by drones. The security forces have cordoned the entire area and schools have been shut till completion of the operation.

In the Uri sector in north Kashmir, Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire and opened fire as cover to enable three terrorists to infiltrate through the line of control (LoC), on Saturday. However, alert Army troops eliminated the three heavily armed infiltrating terrorists.

The Armys Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said that a Pakistani post in the vicinity of the LoC indulged in firing to prevent our soldiers reaching the body of a killed terrorist.

In a bid to plug the infiltration routes of terrorists in the Uri sector, the Chinar Corps commander, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, visited the forward areas of Uri to review the anti-infiltration and counterterrorism grid along the LoC, on Sunday.

The drift towards long-stretched encounters after a lull has shifted the spotlight to south Kashmir and Rajouri-Poonch districts of Jammu. Prolonged encounters were also witnessed in forest areas of north Kashmirs Kupwara where the Army suffered casualties as well. This indicates that Pakistani agencies have changed the training pattern of terrorists to jungle warfare instead of face-to-face encounters.

It is after 20 years of peace that the Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi districts of Jammu are again witnessing terror strikes. Peace prevailed in these areas along the Pir Panjal Range after the Armys Operation Sarapvinash in 2003, which saw hundreds of Pakistani terrorists, who had built concrete bunkers on the mountainous terrain, neutralized.

In May, 10 soldiers, including five of Para SF commandos, were killed in the Rajouri and Poonch districts in two separate ambushes laid by terrorists. However, terrorists had then escaped after inflicting these casualties. They were later tracked and eliminated.
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh said the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, which the prime minister, Narendra Modi, launched in New Delhi on his birthday, on Sunday, represents a perfect blend of Indias civilizational ethos and traditional craftsmanship.

The scheme offers the option of earning livelihood while at the same time sustaining Indias age-old Guru-Shishya Parampara (teacher-student tradition), said the minister.

Singh was speaking here during the launch of PM Vishwakarma Yojana by Modi.

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Singh said, PM Modi has introduced a culture of combining Indias traditional knowledge with modern technology and Chandrayaan is the most striking example of this.

He said the inputs are sent from the south pole of Moon by the Chandrayaan-3 mission with the state-of-the-art technologies and it proves that India is ahead of the so-called developed nations who now want to be led by India.

He said, This is a historic day in the development journey of India when the exclusive asset of India, the traditional artisans and craftsmen are being brought into the mainstream with the launch of PM Vishwakarma Scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Traditional artisans and craftsmen are as integral as anything in the society who have kept alive the centuries-old traditions and crafts of India but were never taken care of since Independence. It was only possible under PM Narendra Modi that this integral part of the society is supported and skilled now with the launch of PM Vishwakarma Scheme today.

Later, Singh, while flagging off the TB Mukt Express at Udhampur, said public private partnership (PPP) with integrated strategy is essential to achieve TB Mukt Bharat (TB-free India), which is actually inspired by Modis commitment of TB Mukt Bharat by 2025. The event also coincided with the birthday of the prime minister.
The monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly, which starts on Monday, is expected to be stormy as the opposition is preparing to corner the Congress government in the state over handling the devastation after rain fury.

The Congress government has been continuously raising the issue and demanding the BJP-led Centre to declare the natural calamity as a national disaster, which has been ignored, so far. It accused the Centre of not releasing any special package for the state despite the state suffering the worst floods and landslides in the last 50 years.

While the chief minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, is claiming of handling the disaster crisis efficiently, the BJP has been targeting the government for having failed to handle the situation.

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They are set to take the session as an opportunity to expose the state government, charging them of complete mismanagement.

The focus of the assembly session will be on the recent rain-triggered disaster. The Himachal Pradesh speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, told reporters that 70 per cent of the business and questions are related to it.

Former chief minister and leader of opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, blamed the state government for having failed to help the people who have been rendered homeless, as landslides and floods have either partially or totally damaged their houses. He alleged that lack of coordination among the various departments have not helped to provide respite to the affected families. The farmers have also suffered, as their produce could not be taken to the markets, due to many roads being blocked and continuing to remain blocked, he said.

The opposition will also try to corner the state government on rehabilitation of the affected families.

Thakur also said questions will be raised on the guarantees of the state government that are yet to reach the masses and exodus of industries from the state.

The Congress government has targeted the opposition of politicizing the natural calamity, instead of cooperating with the state government to help the state tide over the situation.

Other issues that are likely to be taken up will include the issue of import duty on American apples.

The Congress has accused Centre of lowering the import duty on American and stated that the move would encourage imports and hit the apple growers of the state, whereas the BJP has been alleging the state government of misleading the public on the issue.

The session that will have seven sittings will end on 25 September.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday said that he has asked Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to form a third front for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Owaisis AIMIM and KCRs Bharat Rashtra Samiti or BRS were not invited to join the Oppositions INDIA bloc.

I dont care about not being invited. BSP chief Mayawati, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, and several parties from Northeast and Maharashtra are also not members of this alliance, he told news agency ANI when asked about the INDIA bloc overlooking him.

The AIMIM chief said that there continues to be a political vacuum in the country and the INDIA alliance cant fill that.

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We have asked Telangana CM KCR to go ahead and form a third front and take several parties in this. There is a political vacuum which will be filled if KCR takes the lead. INDIA alliance is not being able to fill this vacuum, he said.

As many as 28 Opposition parties-led by principal Opposition Congress have come together to form an alliance named INDIA  Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance. The INDIA alliance partners have resolved to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible.

However, Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party, KCRs BRS, Meghalya CM Conrad Sangmas NPP and several other regional parties are not part of the alliance. The NPP is an ally of the BJP-led NDA, but Sangma has recently held a meeting with KCR. While he maintained the discussions during the meeting were related to the governance, some political issues did arise.

In an exclusive interview with The Statesman, Sangma was asked about his meeting with regional leaders including KCR. while remaining committed to our NDA affiliation, the NPP remains open to the possibility of contesting elections independently if the situation demands it, he said, hinting towards a split from the NDA.

Mayawati has also denied joining the alliance with INDIA as well as NDA, terming both anti-poor. She, however, said that her party will contest the 2024 general elections on its own.
The Opposition Congress on Sunday termed the arrest of its MLA Mamman Khan in connection with the Nuh violence a witch hunt and demanded a judicial inquiry under the supervision of a sitting judge of the High Court.

Judicial inquiry will bring out the truth and everything would be revealed to the public, which will be acceptable to all. The people of the state know that Congress MLA Maman Khan has been arrested due to political hatred, hence it is necessary for the truth to come out, state Congress President Uday Bhan said.

The Congress leader claimed that inflammatory posts were being circulated on social media weeks before the clashes and accused the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP-JJP government of trying to hide something dark and sinister.

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This makes it clear that there is definitely something dark and sinister, which the government is trying to hide. The governments inaction seems to indicate either its complicity or its failure, the Haryana Congress president added.

In a joint statement, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the incident happened due to the failure of Haryana police therefore people of the state dont trust its investigation.

Also Read: Who is Mamman Khan, Congress MLA arrested over Nuh violence?

Where was the state police when two Home Guard soldiers were martyred during this incident? The BJP-JJP government, which has failed to provide security to the people of Haryana, is trying to escape by blaming others for its failures, he said.

Slamming Chief Minister Khattar for his remarks that security cant be provided to every citizen, Hooda said that if the government cannot provide security to the people of states, it does not have the moral right to remain in power even for a day.

Khan, a Congress MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka constituency was arrested on Friday in connection with the communal violence that took place in Nuh district on July 31. The violence left six people dead, including two homegaurds, and a cleric and injured at least 88 others.

Two names were cropped up in the violence  one was Bajrang Dals Monu Manesar and the other was Congress MLA Mamman Khan. Khans arrest came days after Monu was detained and handed over to Rajasthan police, who was looking for him in connection with a double murder case. The Haryana Police has accused Khan of provoking people through his speeches.
On the occasion of his 73rd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), named Yashobhoomi in Delhis Dwarka and launched PM Vishwakarma scheme for artisans and craftspeople of the country.

Yashobhoomi is a state-of-the-art convention centre built over 73,000 square metres of area at the cost Rs 5,400 crore. The convention centre comprises 15 convention rooms, one auditorium, 13 meeting rooms and a grand ballroom with a total capacity to accommodate 11,000 guests.

Yashobhoomi is constructed in line with Indias commitment towards the net zero emissions and received Platinum certification from Indian Green Building Council. The complex has rainwater harvesting provisions and houses a modern wastewater treatment system.

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Earlier, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station YashoBhoomi Dwarka Sector 25. After the inauguration, he took a metro ride to reach the convention centre. During the ride, PM Modi interacted with passengers, who also wished him a happy birthday.

The nearly 2-kilometre-long Yashobhoomi line of the Delhi Metro will connect Dwarka Sector 21 and India International Convention Centre.

PM Modi launches PM Vishwakarma scheme

The prime minister also launched the PM Vishwakarma scheme to help artisans and craftspeople upgrade their skills and transform their lives with easy credits and marketing support.

Eighteen traditional crafts have been identified for the scheme. They are carpenters, blacksmiths, locksmiths, goldsmiths, potters, sculptor-stone breakers, cobblers, masons, barbers, washermen, tailors, garland makers, fishing net makers; basket/Mat/Broom Maker/Coir Weavers; boat makers, armourers, hammer and took-kit makers and doll amd toy makers.

They will get recognition of their crafts and skills through free registration through Common Services Centres (CSCs) using biometric based PM Vishwakarma portal. They will also get PM Vishwakarma certificates and ID cards.

Addressing the launch event, PM Modi said, Today, it is the need of the hour to recognise our Vishwakarma partners and support them in every possible way. Our government is working for the development of our Vishwakarma partners.

Under this scheme, Vishwakarma partners working under 18 different sectors will be focussedThe government is going to spend Rs 13,000 crores on the PM Vishwakarma scheme, he added.
The world is echoing the fact that this century is Indias century. This was evident from the recently concluded G20 summit, where on the very first day, under Indias Presidency, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a consensus was reached. On the very first day itself, the alliance adopted the New Delhi Declaration.

They were also awestruck with Indias hospitality as it hosted over 40 global leaders and their delegations at New Delhi for the G20 Summit. On the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India pressed members to agree on a common statement that watered down its earlier condemnation of the war. It also acknowledged that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) will require slashing greenhouse gases 43per cent by 2030 from 2019 levels.

Global inclusion: Global leaders praised PM Modi for his statesmanship at the summit. He not only led the group to a consensus, but also piloted the induction of the African Union in the G20. When much of the existing international multilateral architecture was built, most of Africa was still colonised. They did not have an opportunity to have their voices heard. Under Indias presidency, this is another step towards correcting that imbalance. Another key move under PMs leadership was the announcement of launch of the India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor. The US and the EU have backed the ambitious plan, signalling PMs acceptability among world leaders.

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Leadership in space: India under PM Modi has taken a leadership role in space research as well. The landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the unexplored south pole of the moon enhanced Indias standing as a space power, being the first country to do so. The mission is seen as crucial to lunar exploration. This moment is unforgettable. It is phenomenal. This is a victory cry of a new India, said Prime Minister Modi, who waved the Indian flag as he watched the landing. India didnt stop here as it launched a solar mission by sending a solar observatory Aditya-L1. It will monitor the sun with seven specially designed scientific payloads.

Global financial inclusion:India launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in 2016 with an aim of digital inclusivity of Indians at large. It did it very well. Now, the platform has gone global through partnering with many countries and making it operational there. It began with Singapore, after which UAE, Nepal, Bhutan and France, Sri Lanka came on board.
Amid the ongoing military operation in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar has given a stern warning to the enemies of India and asked them to not mess with modernized lethal machine that is Indian Army.

India has enemies  These enemies want to stop Indias rise. But they should know this. Indian Military is now a modernized high tech and lethal machine  make no mistake about it. You will be wise to avoid it, he wrote on Twitter, now renamed as X.

He said that India has seen war and never intend to go for it first but if someone goes to war with the country, their children will be raised by someone else.

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India has seen war and does not want war but if you go to war with India, someone else will raise your children, the minister said.

The remarks have come at a time when security forces are locked in a fierce gun battle with terrorist in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag for the last 5 days. The encounter that started in the intervening night of 12-13 September has turned into a major military operation.

The terrorists are hiding in a cave located on top of a hill in the jungles of Kokernag in Anantnag district. So far, four security personnel have been killed in action, including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, and DSP Humayun Bhutt.

Weather conditions and difficult terrain has forced security forces to use drone and rocket launchers to target the terrorist hideout. The ADGP Kashmir has said that 2-3 terrorists have been surrounded and soon they will be neutralized.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Sunday blew the poll bugle in Telangana and announced six election promises that her party will fulfill if elected to power. Addressing a public rally in Hyderabad after the CWC meeting, Gandhi announced Mahalakshmi Scheme as the first guarantee for women empowerment.

To fulfil the aspiration of the people of Telangana, we (Congress) are announcing six guarantees Mahalakshmi been the first one. We are committed to fulfilling each one of them, she said.

Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, Rs 2,500 per month financial assistance will be given to women in Telangana. LPG domestic gas cylinder will be provided at Rs 500 and women will be given free travel in TSRC buses across the state.

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The second guarantee announced by the Congress party is Rythu Bharosa for the welfare of farmers. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, farmers of the state will be provided with an annual grant of Rs 15,000 per acre. Tenant farmers will get Rs 12,000 per acre. An additional bonus worth Rs 500 will be given for paddy labourers.

The other four guarantees include 200 units free electricity under the Gruha Jyoti scheme, 250 sq yards of plot for all Telangana movement fighters, Rs 5 lakh and land for those not having own house under the Indiramma Indlu scheme, Telangana international schools in every mandal and Rs 5 lakh Vidya Bharosa Cards for students under the Yuva Vikasam scheme and Rs 4,000 monthly pension and Rs 10 lakh Rajiv Arogyasri Insurance for elderly under the Cheyuthu scheme.

Terming Chief Minister KCRs Bharat Rashtra Samiti a BJP Rishtedar Samiti, former Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi accused the ruling party of corruption.

CMs family gets all the benefits. We had given statehood to Telangana for the poor, farmers and laborers here. In the last 9 years, the poor, farmers, women, small traders, youth and laborers did not get any benefits of the state government schemes, Rahul said.

Earlier in the day, the two-day Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was concluded in Hyderabad with party leaders passing a resolution expressing confidence of a decisive mandate in the upcoming assembly elections in five states, including Telangana.

During the CWC meeting attended by top national and state level leaders of the party, a strategy for the assembly elections was planned.
Even as the DMK is continuously attacking Sanatan Dharma, the main constituents of INDIA alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party, on Sunday celebrated Lord Vishwakarmas birth anniversary in the entire state.

According to a party statement, on the instructions of Samajwadi Partys National President Akhilesh Yadav, Lord Vishwakarmas birth anniversary was celebrated with simplicity in the party offices of all the districts of the state including Samajwadi Partys state headquarters, Lucknow.

During the celebrations, a demand was made to declare Vishwakarma Jayanti a public holiday on September 17.

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Partys National Secretary Rajendra Chaudhary, on behalf of National President Akhilesh Yadav, paid floral tributes to the picture of Lord Vishwakarma at the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow.

State President Naresh Uttam Patel garlanded the picture of Vishwakarma ji at Vishwakarma Temple located in Ratanpur, Kanpur.

Akhilesh Yadav, while congratulating all the countrymen, Vishwakarma, Sharma and the artisan community on Vishwakarma Jayanti, said that Vishwakarma ji is famous as the architect of the universe. God Indras most powerful weapon Vajra was also created by Lord Vishwakarma.

Yadav said that BJP is against the backward and the deprived. In the Samajwadi government, Gram Sabha land were given on lease for Vishwakarma community, ITI certificate to the youth of Vishwakarma, blacksmith, carpenter community, employment to those doing ancestral work and declared Vishwakarma Jayanti as a public holiday.

The BJP government has insulted the Vishwakarma community by canceling the public holiday declared on the festival of Puja.
Wishes kept pouring in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 73rd birthday on Sunday.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and many other BJP leaders extended their best wishes to the Prime Minister on his birthday.

President Murmu posted on the X handle of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Hearty congratulations and best wishes to the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi ji on his birthday. I wish that with your far-reaching vision and strong leadership, you pave the way for the overall development of India in the Amrit Kaal. I pray to God that you always remain healthy and happy and continue to lead the countrymen with your amazing leadership.

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The Vice-President also wished the Prime Minister on his birthday.

In a tweet on X, Dhankhar said, Warm birthday greetings to Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi Ji. Your visionary leadership, missionary spirit and exemplary execution have steered Bharat to phenomenal progress and epochal transformation. Your legacy is etched in the annals of our nations history.

The Vice-President said Bharat, home to one sixth of humanity, would ever cherish your commitment to inclusivity, public welfare and visionary outlook in sync with our civilisational ethos.

May you be blessed with good health and happiness by the Almighty to be in service of Bharat in the years ahead, he added.

In a tweet, the Union Home Minister also greeted the Prime Minister and said, Modi ji, the architect of the new India, has worked to lay the strong foundation of a grand and self-reliant India on the basis of the ancient heritage of our country.

Be it an organization or a government, we all always get inspiration from Modi ji that national interest comes first. It is a privilege for me to get the opportunity to serve the country under the guidance of such a unique leader. Happy Birthday Modiji, he said.

Lauding PM Modi as the worlds most popular public leader, the BJP national president said PM Modi gave concrete shape to the global prestige of Indian culture, and the universal progress of the nation.

I heartily congratulate the worlds most popular public leader, respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji on his birthday. You have given concrete shape to the global prestige of Indian culture, the multi-dimensional development of the people and the universal progress of the nation, Nadda wrote on X in Hindi.

Our motto of Antyodaya has today reached every village and every section of the society in the country and has become the mantra to fulfil the resolve of Developed India. I pray to God that all the workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party always continue to receive your leadership. May you be successful and live long, he added.

Kharge greeted the Prime Minister on his birthday and said, My best wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and long life.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi greeted the Prime Minister on his birthday and in a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said, Wishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi a happy birthday.

The Delhi L-G posted on X, Wishing heartfelt birthday greetings and best wishes to the successful Prime Minister of our country, Narendra Modi ji, who has enhanced Indias prestige on the world stage. May God bless you with good health and a long life, and may our nation continue to benefit from your guidance.

Kejriwal said he was wishing for the PMs long and healthy life. Birthday greetings to PM Narendra Modi ji. I pray for your good health and long life, Kejriwal posted on X.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also extended birthday greetings to PM Modi and wished for his healthy and long life.

Respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, wish you a very happy birthday. May you stay healthy and live long. Best wishes that under your leadership, fear, hunger and corruption will be completely eradicated from the country and we will once again attain the position of Vishwa Guru, Gadkari wrote on X in Hindi.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended birthday greetings to PM Modi and wished for his good health and long life.

Happy birthday to the great devotee of Maa Bharati, the architect of New India, the dreamer of Developed India, committed towards One India  Best India, the most popular politician of the world, the famous Prime Minister of the country Shri @narendramodi ji, Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X in Hindi.

Your dedication and vision for building a developed India is incomparable. By the grace of Lord Shri Ram, may you be blessed with long life and good health, and may we all continue to receive your successful leadership, this is our prayer, he added.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also took to X to extend his greetings to the Prime Minister.

Heartfelt greetings to the most popular leader on the global stage, the architect of a harmonious, capable and powerful India, the flag bearer of Sanatan culture, who paved the way for public welfare on a large scale through development-oriented policies in the last 9 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his birthday, Dhami wrote.

I pray to Baba Kedarnath that the country progresses and establishes new dimensions of development under your skilled leadership. May you always lead a long, healthy and prosperous life, he added.

World leaders and prominent film personalities also extended their best wishes to the Prime Minister on his birthday.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed her birthday greetings to Modi via a special message shared on the social media platform X.

Auguri di buon compleanno @narendramodi.

Un amico impegnato a costruire il futuro ed orgoglioso della storia di una grande Nazione vicina allItalia.  Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 17, 2023

In her post, Meloni referred to PM Modi as a dear friend dedicated to shaping the future.

Happy Birthday Wishes @narendramodi. A friend committed to building the future and proud of the history of a great nation close to Italy, Italian PM Meloni said in her post.

The 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, greeted the Prime Minister on his birthday and also congratulated him on Indias successful G20 presidency.

The Dalai Lama in a letter to Modi, wished him continued good health and success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of this great country, and in contributing to the creation of a more compassionate, peaceful world.

He wrote: May I also take this opportunity to congratulate you on the success of Indias G20 presidency, culminating in the summit on the theme of Vasudhaiv KutambakamOne Earth, One Family, One Future. This is a theme that resonates strongly with me. I firmly believe in the oneness of humanity and encourage other people to appreciate its importance whenever I can.

The Prime Minister thanked his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth for good wishes on his 73rd birthday.

Taking to X, the PM said, I thank my friend PM @KumarJugnauth for his greetings.

Heartiest wishes to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on his birthday. May him be blessed with good health and happiness. I have no doubt that his staunch resolve to serve his Nation and uplift partners will remain as steady as ever. @narendramodi  Pravind Kumar Jugnauth (@KumarJugnauth) September 17, 2023

Earlier today, the Mauritius PM extended his greetings to PM Modi and wished him good health and happiness.

PM Jagnauth posted on X, Heartiest wishes to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji on his birthday. May him be blessed with good health and happiness. I have no doubt that his staunch resolve to serve his Nation and uplift partners will remain as steady as ever. @narendramodi

Prominent film personalities including Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Sunny Deol, Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Mammootty,

and Hema Malini have extended their greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan extended his warm wishes to the Prime Minister on his birthday, and expressed hope that he may get some time off from work and have fun.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), SRK wrote: Happy Birthday to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji!!! Have a healthy and joyful day. May u get some time off from work and have a bit of fun too. Best wishes.

Happy Birthday to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji!!! Have a healthy and joyful day. May u get some time off from work and have a bit of fun too. Best wishes.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) September 17, 2023

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan wrote: Wishing PM Narendra Modi ji a very Happy Birthday. @narendramodi

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, taking to X wrote: Happy Birthday @narendramodi ji. Keep inspiring us, year after year. Wishing you great health, prayers and happiness always.

Gadar 2 sensation Sunny Deol wrote: Happy Birthday our Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji, wishing you best of health and happiness always #HappyBirthdayModiJi

Veteran Tamil actor, Kamal Haasan wrote: Heartiest birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji! May you be bestowed with good health and prosperity.

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal wrote: Sending our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji love and best wishes on his birthday! Heres to crossing more milestones and making the nation prouder!

Malayalam megastar Mammootty wishing the PM on his birthday wrote: Birthday Wishes to Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji

Veteran actress Hema Malini extending her wishes wrote: Modi ji @narendramodi stands tall, a beacon light in the modern world with all world leaders looking up to him, admiring the bold, wise decisions he has taken in the interests of our glorious country, India, which is Bharat! Happy birthday to this exemplary leader who leads us by example.

Actress Shilpa Shetty, extending her wishes, wrote: Wishing our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji a very Happy Birthday!

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also celebrated the Prime Ministers birthday in different ways.

In addition, a BJP worker in Pune crafted PM Modis portrait using grains and millet on his 73rd birthday.

Talking to a news agency, Kishor Tarwade, the BJP worker, said, The size of the portrait is 10X18 feet and was made from about 60 kg of grains such as wheat, lentils and millets (Jawar, Ragi). The portrait will be on display from September 16 to September 18 at the Budhwar Peth area of Pune city in Kalika Mata Mandir Bhavan. No fee will be charged for seeing it while it is on display.

Cuttack-based smoke artist Deepak Biswal created a portrait of the Prime Minister on his birthday, also depicting Odishas magnificent heritage with an exquisite representation of the wheel from the Sun Temple in Konark in the background.

The iconic Konark wheel of Odisha was also used as the backdrop by PM Modi as he greeted world leaders and delegates at a presidential dinner in the national capital during the recent G20 Summit.

Talking to the news agency on his latest creation, Biswal said, I have created a smoke portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wish him on his 73rd birthday. In the portrait, I have also depicted the Konark wheel, which represents Odishas magnificent culture and heritage. As we are aware, the Konark wheel was used as a backdrop by PM Modi as he welcomed world leaders and delegates at the G20 dinner. It was a matter of pride for us.

The artist said he uses the smoke of a candle, a needle (or an old pen nib) and a canvas to create his artwork.

73. In the holy scriptures, the number 7 and the number 3 both mean completeness and wholeness. On your 73rd birthday, we celebrate your life, great leadership, and legacy ahead  one complete and full of joy. Happy birthday, Prime Minister Modi! @narendramodi 73.  pic.twitter.com/qhJhaePOwp  Mary Millben (@MaryMillben) September 16, 2023

Deeply touched by the outpouring of wishes today from all over India and the world. I thank each and every person who has shared their wishes. Overwhelmed to see so many people engaging in selfless social work on this day. Every gesture is special and strengthens our collective  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2023
Historically, India has maintained an equidistant relationship with geopolitical power blocs. India located itself at a safe centre in the ideological tug of war, often prompting other countries possessing similar political variables to join hands with India. This phenomenon was tried and tested during the Cold War period. During the Cold War, two blocs of power emerged to rebut the opposing ideology.

In 1949, the Capitalist bloc was unified under the leadership of the U.S. and formed the military alliance, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The opposing power was headed by Russia, which joined military and ideological forces and came together to form the Warsaw Pact in 1955. Both alliances started influencing the Third World, often through coercive measures to align with either of them. In a time of need, when standing tall with ones voice was seemingly difficult, India took the reins of an alternative choice.

Along with Jawaharlal Nehru, Egyptian President Nasser, Yugoslav President Tito, Ghanaian President Nkrumah and Indonesian President Sukarno joined hands in forming an alliance of states that were formally not a part of either of the blocs. At the Bandung Conference of 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement or NAM materialised. The members took an oath to protect territorial integrity, uphold sovereignty, promote equality of all nations and emphasised noninterference. In the latter part of the century, the pertinence of NAM started dimming, thanks to recurring issues of coherence and cohesion, lack of unified decisions, divergence of opinion and action on nuclear policies and the persuasion to act on national motives.

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The refusal to be pawned in international politics was loosened with Indira Gandhi establishing a favourable relationship with Russia. The disintegration of the USSR significantly affected Indias foreign policy and it desired to be a part of the Western-led global economy. In the unipolar order that followed, NAM lost further relevance owing to the groups incapability to back its members in crises, as in the case of the Indo-Pak wars of 1965-71 when Egypt and Indonesia took sides with Pakistan.

Between the growing tensions, India became a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), a reactionary body to Chinas growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. It joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as well, spearheaded by China. India aspires to an active role in global politics, still without aligning with any major power bloc. NAM, which was based on strategic autonomy, didnt have an economic or technological focus, nor did it carry any mechanism for autonomy.

It merely had a name. After the developing stage of the post-colonial countries progressed, the Third World is now in a position to afford to take a geostrategic stance. In 2001, the acronym BRIC was introduced by Jim ONeill, an economist at Goldman Sachs, with his seminal report titled Building Better Global Economic BRICs. ONeill presciently projected that Brazil, Russia, India, and China would ascend as the four most rapidly growing economies on the global stage in the ensuing decades. In 2006, the foreign ministers of these four nations initiated an informal diplomatic gathering, which was subsequently formalised into a summit in 2009.

The year 2010 marked a significant expansion of this consortium when South Africa joined, thereby transforming the acronym to BRICS. This year, on 24 August, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa announced the unified decision of the five-member group to add six members to the group, all from the Global South and including three West Asian nations, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two from Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia, and one from Latin America, Argentina. Back in 1975, at the peak of the oil crisis, five leading industrial nations sent their representatives to deliberate on matters of finance and the global economy.

Delegates from the United States, United Kingdom, France, West Germany, and Japan, attended the meeting to discuss the failure of the Bretton Woods system, the agreement on a comprehensive global economic strategy and steps to tackle global recession. In 1976, Canada joined the group and in 1981 the European Union (EU) was invited to make up the G-7. Russia becoming a member in 1997 had a positive implication for the world order. But in March 2014, pointing to Russias annexation of Crimea, the G7 nations decided to keep the country out, straining any scope for continued cooperation. In 2019, India was invited to participate in the G7 summit when France was hosting the event.

Following this tradition, India was invited in the next four consecutive years by the respective host countries including the US, the UK, Germany and, in May 2023, Japan. India is seen as a valuable and potential contributor to the matured economies of the G7. India has an economy with a GDP of 3.74 trillion USD, larger than that of four G7 countries, Italy, France, United Kingdom and Canada, significant defence expenditure, fertile ground for foreign investment and is the most populous country in the world. India is the fastest-growing economy in Asia and its growth rate is expected to be over a whopping 6.6 per cent in 2024- 25, surpassing Japan and Germany by 2027. The IMF and the World Bank positively testify to these facts. India is at a crossroads, juggling alliances with other countries and more powerful economies.

What makes this step easier is the desire of other nations to have good relations with the country. External Affairs minister S Jaishankar said during GLOBESEC 2022 held at Bratislava, Slovakia: I dont accept that India has to join either the U.S. axis or China axis. We are one-fifth of the worlds population, fifth or sixth-largest economy in the worldwe are entitled to weigh our own side. Indias ambition of multipolarity and developing an Indo-centric collective growth of developing nations that can bridge the gap between the developed and the developing countries, confirms its motive to practise strategic autonomy.

India has good tie-ups with developing nations, including in Latin America and Africa. India and China are in a race to better their economies and lead a multipolar world order. Indias involvement in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gives the organisation space to act as a restrictive force that keeps it from escalating into a full-fledged antiWestern endeavour. An expanded BRICS is expected to dominate the world economy by 2050. Its new Development Banks backing helps India envision a positive change in the financial system and also in the areas of public health, social security, and sustainable development.

These overarching goals connect Indias engagement with countries other than China and Russia. Indias parallel participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), showcases its internationalist foreign policy. The Sino-Indian border issues moved India closer to the bosom of the Indo-Pacific countries. Apart from discussing climate change, technology, infrastructure, maritime possibilities and other research initiatives, Quad also does not restrict India from projecting itself as a security provider in the region. Japan has shown substantial interest in Indias international relations and trade and has joined Indias side against growing Chinese territorial aggression. Japan sees India as a potential partner in overcoming the Chinese threat and for promoting an open and free Indo-Pacific region.

Other countries of the G7 view India as a beacon that can withstand China in the IndoPacific, and hence all the G7 countries have bilateral and multilateral strategic partnerships with India. Italy and India have explored defence and security sectors to strengthen their relations and Italy coming out of BRI offers further hope. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India became the channel for oil supplies for European countries who wanted to escape reliance on Russia. India was the largest supplier of refined fuel to Europe in April 2023. On 9 September, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a joint corridor project termed the largest cooperation project in history, on the sidelines of the G20 New Delhi summit.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will boost the supply chains of the countries in the corridor, essentially countering Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. In the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Indias meticulous balancing of foreign affairs has been on display. India does not project itself as an anti-West nation, and the country participates in the Western-dominated QUAD and G7. India has however not supported the Western sanctions on Russia and has kept the business lines of oil import intact to meet energy demands. Russia also supplies more than half of Indias military needs. India has been collaborating with the US too, strengthening mutual cooperation. The US is also Indias largest bilateral trading partner and is the top destination for Indian exports, standing at $78.5 billion in 2022-23. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expects the bilateral trade between the countries to reach $500-$600 billion by 2030, as opposed to $128.78 billion in FY 2023. Indias deft balancing act has drawn criticism, notably its position on China.

Indias lack of engagement in the Ukraine crisis raises concerns about its diplomatic stance as China and Russia get closer. India faces a tough challenge in achieving a balance between friendship and strategic autonomy in these evolving circumstances. In its efforts to reduce Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific, the United States may wonder how long it can put up with Indias customarily impartial position.

The decisions made by India in this geopolitical conundrum are of utmost importance because they might determine how the next global order will be shaped. India maintains its resolve in this dynamic environment by acting in its own best interests and with sound strategic judgement. It is a country that stubbornly holds the middle ground, without swinging in either direction. With this position, India can manoeuvre through the intricate web of international interactions while preserving its sovereignty and following its path to growth and wealth.

(The writer is Associate Professor, Centre for South Asian Studies, School of International Studies and Social Sciences, Pondicherry Central University.)
Uttarakhand, the hill state in North India carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000, took 60-odd years in the making. It began in the late 1930s when the then General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) PC Joshi, who belonged to the region, first raised the demand for a separate state for the people of the hill region of the United Provinces, the precursor to Uttar Pradesh. The demand was, however, subject to the ebbs and flows of UP politics for the following decades till the late 1980s-early 1990s when the movement for a separate state caught the imagination of a people suffering from lack of development and administrative inattention.

The region threw up leaders of national stature, including GB Pant, HN Bahuguna and ND Tiwari. But the people of Uttarakhand continued to labour under hardship, eking out a living in harsh mountainous terrain and lacking even basic healthcare and educational facilities. When the AB Vajpayee-led Union government conceded the demand for statehood in 2000 after a decade of atrocities committed by police on participants in an overwhelmingly peaceful movement, the hills erupted in joy. While there have been as many governance misses as hits during Uttarakhands existence, the state has, till now, never been subject to communal tensions of the kind observed in the rest of North India. In part, this is because of its homogenous social structure with Hindus, predominantly so-called upper caste, comprising 83 per cent of the population and being the overwhelming majority community in all 13 districts. The states Muslim population, pegged at 14 per cent by the 2011 census, has traditionally been concentrated mostly in the foothills, terai, and railhead towns. But as mobility and economic opportunities have expanded, the hill regions of the state have seen an influx of members of the minority community.

Anyone who has managed to keep their biases aside while travelling through Uttarakhands mountains over the past decade would have discerned the simmering societal tensions. In June this year, these spilled out onto the streets. Self-proclaimed Hindu outfits of unknown provenance began a campaign against love jihad, accusing Muslim men of entrapment and/or abduction of Hindu women. Ideologically motivated civil society groups and media began, almost immediately, to take extreme positions. One side painted the acts of a few vigilante Hindu elements as an orchestrated campaign to drive Muslims out of the state known for its sacred Hindu sites, and refused to acknowledge the societal cleavages which had been apparent for years.

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The other side insisted that incidents of Muslim men entrapping Hindu women were rising exponentially and pointed to the alleged abduction of a Hindu girl in the town of Purola. Officials say integration and respect for Indic traditions regardless of the faith one practices is the way forward. To that end, the Uttarakhand Waqf Boards announcement earlier this week that it will implement the NCERT syllabus, including the teaching of Sanskrit, in the 117 madrasahs under its jurisdiction, is a welcome step in a delicate situation.
Nara Chandrababu Naidu had a long and eventful political journey as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and leader of the Telugu Desam Party. In several respects, Naidu can be considered a prototype of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many years ago, he was striving to accomplish all that Modi is currently attempting. I was ahead of times, he said, talking about his first stint as chief minister from 1995 to 2004. Ups and downs marked his over five-decade career, and he believed all is fair in politics and war.

Currently, Naidu is confronting one of his most formidable crises. Naidu was arrested last week in the alleged Skill Development Corporation scam involving Rs 371 crores in 2015 when he was the chief minister. The arrest triggered political turmoil in the State, leading to political realignments. The Centre and state governments have made things even more difficult for him. The big question is whether he can survive this crisis and regain power. The timing of this arrest couldnt be worse for Babu, as hes currently trying to rally his party. Naidu is actively campaigning for the 2024 elections, which he has stated will be his final bid for political office.

He is 73 and has already groomed his son Lokesh. The TDPs recent victories in the local body and MLC elections indicate some upward trend. He attempted to rejoin the NDA, but the BJP was uninterested. His arrest could perhaps revive TDP and gain voters sympathy. Naidus political journey started as a youth Congress leader in the late 1970s. He then served as a junior minister in the Congress Party. His career took off when he married the daughter of the famous N.T. Rama Rao, a matinee idol. When NTR established his Telugu Desam Party and came to power in 1983, Naidu joined him.

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He gained valuable experience in national politics in the struggle to reinstall his father-in-law in 1984 when Indira Gandhi removed NTR. He also made connections with various leaders, who supported him later on. When Naidu took over from NTR, he lacked many qualities that had made NTR successful. When he started his political journey in Kuppam, Nellore district, he didnt possess strong public speaking skills, a large following or charisma. Additionally, Babu wasnt recognized for his administrative abilities.

He was a shy backroom boy. Moreover, he had the tag of a traitor and backstabber when he usurped power. After that, Babus significant transformation surprised many. He shed his rustic image and grew a goatee to give himself an intellectual appearance. Naidu portrayed himself as Indias most modern chief minister and referred to himself as the States chief executive officer. His reputation as the laptop chief minister allowed him to mingle with the affluent and influential. He frequently conducted video conferences to showcase his governance abilities.

Hyderabad was transformed due to Naidus efforts in getting funding from the World Bank and investments from major multinational Information Technology companies like Microsoft. Naidu rubbed shoulders with renowned figures such as Bill Gates. Despite these accomplishments, Naidus political career hit a snag in 2004 when he and his alliance partner Atal Behari Vajpayee lost power. Simultaneously, since 1996, Naidu has been instrumental in forming coalitions at the national level, except for joining the UPA. He served as the convener of the United Front and played a vital role in the Vajpayee and Modi Governments until 2018.

However, he has encountered a formidable opponent since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. Naidu formed the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh Government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He quit the NDA in 2018 but did not win the Assembly or Lok Sabha polls in the 2019 elections. Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSRCP has emerged as a formidable opponent at the state level. He has made it his mission to end Babus political career. These are challenging times for Babu as Nemesis has caught up with him.

His detractors point out that he did usurp power from his aged fatherin-law, N.T.Rama Rao, leaving him to die a broken man in 1995. Any leaders survival and political future depend on various factors. Several factors come into play for Naidu to determine his success in politics. These include his ability to win elections and maintain support from the electorate, both in assembly and parliamentary elections.

The strength and health of the Telugu Desam Party as an organization also plays a significant role. Building effective alliances with other political parties and groups can influence electoral outcomes. Regional issues and concerns shape political leaders prospects in Andhra Pradesh. Babu has to compete with strong leaders like Jagan Reddy in his State and K. Chandrashekhar Rao in Telangana. Although Jansena is an NDA ally, Naidu has got the support of its chief, Pawan Kalyan, after his arrest.

The BJP is trying to ride two horses and needs to decide whether to ally with YSRCP. Ultimately, Naidus popularity, public perception of his leadership and policies, and ability to connect with voters can impact his political future. Will he turn the arrest into an opportunity? Only time will tell.
The encounter with terrorists in Kokernag area of Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district has turned into a major a military operation as it entered day five on Sunday. Security personnel from the Indian Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police, including para commandos, are engaged in an intense gun battle with terrorists, who are hiding in a cave-like structure on top of a hill in the dense forests of Gadol.

A joint team of Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police launched a search operation on the intervening night of September 12-13 after receiving specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in Gadol forests. However, they search party could trace the terrorists. Later, they were informed that the terrorists are hiding in a cave on top of a hill.

When the security forces reached near their hideout, the terrorists opened fire and Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and DSP Humayun Bhat sustained bullet injuries. They later succumbed to their injuries during the treatment. Two more jawans sustained injuries next day and one of they died in the hospital. Another jawan is said to be missing.

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The trek to the mountain cave where terrorists are hiding is a narrow stretch and gives tactical advantage to the terrorists who can view the climbing soldiers clearly. 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, as seen in the various footages from the encounter site.

Also, the terrorists are highly-trained and came well prepared given the encounter has entered day five. It appears they stored enough food, and ammunition to last several days.

The security forces are now using hi-tech military equipments, including drones, rocket launchers and helicopters to pinpoint and attack the exact location of the terrorists.

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 Army said in a tweet.

Earlier on Saturday, Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, Northern Command reached the encounter spot to take stock of the situation. He was briefed about the ongoing operation.

Several media reports claimed that 3 terrorists have been killed in the ongoing operation. However, the Army has not given an official update on this and has only said that 2-3 terrorists have been surrounded and they will soon be neutralized. According to sources, the operation is likely to end in a day or two.
Indian-American entrepreneur and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has termed the H-1B Visa an indentured servitude and vowed to replace the lottery system with an actual meritocratic admission. Adding that the US needs to eliminate chain-based migration, Ramaswamy said, 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.

The people who come as family members are not the meritocratic immigrants who make skills-based contributions to this country, he added.

H-1B is a non-immigrant visa highly sought after by Indians. Under the H-1B visa regime, US companies employ foreign workers, mostly Indians and Chinese, in occupations that require some theoretical or technical expertise.

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Ironically, the Republican leader has himself used the visa program at least 29 times in the last five years. US immigration authorities have approved H-1B visa applications for his former company Roivant Sciences 29 times between 2018 and 2023 to employ foreigners.

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 US, POLITICO reported citing SEC filings.

Ramaswamy is seen as main challenger to fellow Republican and former US president Donald Trump. According to the first poll debate, Ramaswamys candidature was indorsed by 28 percent of the 504 respondents followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 percent, and Mike Pence with 13 percent. Another Indian-American presidential aspirant Nikki Haley received the vote of 7 percent.

(With agency inputs)
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 29F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 29F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping from the G20 summit in India occasioned much speculation, but one simple reason might well be the current dismal state of the Chinese economy. So many things have gone wrong, and so much of it is blamed on the governments mismanagement, that the countrys currency, the renminbi, has fallen to its lowest levels since before the pandemic. Experts no longer consider it inevitable that China will become, as long predicted, the largest economy in the world, overtaking the US.

What went wrong? The list is dismaying: a slowdown in property investment, a major driver of growth in the past, following the collapse of two major real estate firms with billions of dollars in debt; rising debt levels (Chinas debt-to-GDP ratio is now over 250 per cent, among the highest in the world), limiting the scope for stimulus measures; the ongoing trade war with the US, which has hurt exports; a demographic slowdown, as the working-age population shrinks, putting a strain on economic growth; environmental challenges; and the governments failure to drastically overhaul its growth strategy.

The result of all this is widespread gloom about China. The much-touted post-Covid recovery proved lacklustre, and the performance of state-owned enterprises, still occupying the commanding heights of the economy, has been hobbled by inefficiency. Xis government has contributed to the problems by its autocratic actions, which have seen major capitalists like Alibabas Jack Ma cut down to size, others arrested or going into exile, and increased geopolitical tensions as a result of Xis international belligerence. The macroeconomic forecasting consultancy TS Lombard predicts that Chinas inbound foreign direct investment will slow down in 2023. The Financial Times says foreign investors are openly asking whether China is investible any longer.

Ordinary Chinese householders have become cautious about spending, in turn slowing growth. An extraordinary 70 per cent of Chinese household wealth is held in real estate (more than double that of the US), and much of it is imperilled. According to the World Bank, home price-to-income ratios in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen exceed a multiple of 40. Youth unemployment is said to be rising even as the population shrinks, though the government refuses to release data. And there is no real answer to the question: how can China manage the predicted (and necessary) transition to a consumer-based economy when consumers in general have placed so much of their wealth into properties that, thanks to the governments refusal to bail out property companies, are ending up being worthless? What few measures the government has taken to stimulate the economy have been derided as too little, too piecemeal and devoid of any overarching strategic context. All China knows is to endlessly increase investment, which (since so much of it is unproductive and inefficient) has simply sunk it further into debt.

Xis heavy hand on all government policies, particularly after he won himself an indefinite extension of tenure as president, has not helped. An over-centralised government that micro-manages every major initiative cannot be expected to create or even encourage growth engines in the private sector. It is widely believed that Xi does not know what he is doing economically and has failed to empower those who do. Putting political pressure on the economy to hit government GDP targets does not work. Xis government is less adept than its predecessors at communicating its plans, doing little to inspire confidence in its prospects. And Xis failure to manage the relationship with the US has increased global decoupling from the Chinese economy and severely undermined the confidence of foreign portfolio investors.

Overall, the Chinese economy is still expected to continue to grow in 2023, but at a significantly slower pace than in previous years. The key to sustained growth will be for the government to implement reforms that address the underlying challenges facing the economy, but there are few signs of this happening. With experts declaring that China isnt going to be a powerful driver of global economic growth in the near future, Xi has plenty to do at home.

editor@theweek.in
Comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse at the height of his fame, between 2006 and 2013. The allegations emerged after a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.



Brand denied the allegations and said that his relationships have always been consensual. Of the five alleged victims, four of them were anonymous. The women alleged that Brand abused them when he worked for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 and starred in Hollywood films.

One woman accused him of rape and another one said Brand assaulted her when she was 16 and still at school. The woman who was abused at age 16, when Brand was 31, said that he was emotionally abusive and controlling and once, he even forced his penis down her throat, making her choke. One woman who accused Brand described him of being physically and emotionally abusive, the Guardian reported.

Channel 4 TVs documentary show Dispatches broadcast several clips of the women on X, formerly known as Twitter, describing the alleged incidents, according to an Al Jazeera report.

It isn't clear if any of the women filed a police complaint. Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute, Brand said in a video message posted on X.

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, Brand added.
Day 2 of the rejigged Congress Working Committee's first meeting will discuss strategies for poll-bound states including Telangana. However, all eyes are on the public meeting to held after the panel meet as senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is set to announce six guarantees for the people of Telangana ahead of the assembly polls.

The party will hold the public meeting under the banner 'Vijayabheri' in Thukkuguda, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, in the evening as a precursor to the election campaign. At the meeting, Sonia Gandhi is expected to unveil six guarantees, which would be implemented in Telangana within one month of coming to power. This comes in the backdrop of Congress announcing five guarantees ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections, which saw a landslide victory for the party.

AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal said, Earlier, Sonia Gandhi had promised to give statehood to Telangana and she kept her promise... Congress promised five guarantees in Karnataka and has started implementing them despite BJP government trying to create hurdles for Anna Bhagya scheme by not giving rice. In Telangana too, the six guarantees will be implemented within a month of Congress coming to power.

Interestingly, the date chosen for the meeting  September 17  was when the Hyderabad state, ruled by the Nizam, merged with the Republic of India in 1948. Political parties celebrate the day as integration or merger day depending on their political stance.

The 'extended' CWC meeting on Day 2 is expected to be attended by 147 members, which includes Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders. Besides poll strategies for Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, the panel will also discuss other issues concerning the Grand Old Party and the INDIA bloc.



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.

On the final and third day, September 18, leaders will campaign in 115 assembly constituencies and release chargesheet against the BRS government.

-- with inputs from Rahul Devulapalli
The Indian Army is treading the twin path of 'indigenisation' and 'mediumisation' of its artillery guns with the 155mm gun being the preferred calibrea process that is likely to be complete in the next 19 years.

"The 155 mm will be the standard calibre of all artillery guns in future with automated systems and assemblies. The emphasis is on development of new technologies in sighting systems, ammunition manufacturing, metallurgy, and networking of guns," a top source in Indias military establishment said.



"The plan for mediumisation with indigenous guns is likely to be completed by the year 2042. Capability developments are also planned in the fields of precision fires, rockets, missiles and surveillance equipment," the official added.



Significantly, India is increasingly becoming self-reliantboth in the public and private domainsin the manufacturing of artillery ammunition which is a critical capability to fight a prolonged war.



The Indian Armys artillery gun profile comprises several calibers130 mm (M-46) Russian medium guns, 122 mm (Russian field guns), 105 mm, 122 mm and the 155 mm with the wide gun variants being seen as an issue of concern.



Artillery guns are classed under light, medium, and heavy guns. Artillery ammunition up to 105mm is considered 'light' and is mainly used for close support of ground troops. 'Medium' lies in the 106155mm range and is usually used for bombardment, while projectiles more than 155mm fall in the 'heavy' category and are used for attacking rear installations.



Another important thrust area for the Indian Armys artillery is the development of rockets and missiles with longer ranges and greater precision and of munitions with increased ranges and accuracy. "DRDO is also exploring increasing the range of Pinaka rockets to 120 and 300 km. The missile capability is being enhanced in terms of range and accuracy for both ballistic and cruise missiles by DRDO. Range of the BrahMos missile has been extended and DRDO is also exploring development of a number of other missiles with various ranges and capabilities," the source said.



"Recent conflicts around the world including the Russia-Ukraine war have re-established the primacy of firepower as a battle winning factor. Global attention today is focused on artillery equipment with longer ranges, higher volume of fire and greater precision," the official said.



In the historical context since World War-I, it has been seen that 80 per cent of the war casualties are due to artillery fire. Developments in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict have only buttressed the crucial importance of the artillery.


Anantnag encounter Day 5: Army shells suspected terrorist hideouts in Gadole forest, vigil at villages

The operation to flush out terrorists hiding in the Gadole forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district entered the fifth day on Sunday. The security forces widened the area of operation to neighbouring villages and fired several mortar shells towards the forest, officials were quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Security forces are using drones and helicopters for surveillance of the dense forest area where terrorists are believed to be holed up since Wednesday. Two Indian Army officers and a deputy superintendent of Jammu & Kashmir Police lost their lives in the initial exchange of fire with the terrorists.

There were several cave-like hideouts in the forest area and drones were being used to pinpoint their locations. A drone footage showed a terrorist running for cover after one such hideout was hit by shells fired by security forces on Friday.

The security cordon has been extended to neighbouring Posh Kreeri area as a precautionary measure to ensure that terrorists don't slip into civilian habitation, the officials told PTI.

The Northern Army commander on Saturday visited the site of the gunfight to take stock of the operational situation.

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.

The Northern Army commander inspected the drone which has been used to survey the area and track the terrorists, the officials said.

The police believe two to three terrorists are trapped in the forest area as the forces maintained a tight cordon.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the grand old party, on Sunday, made a passionate appeal to the people of Telangana to elect the party in the upcoming assembly elections. It reminded the people of the state that the party's leadership had heard them and tackled challenges to create the separate state of Telangana in 2014.

The CWC attacked the ruling Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS), equating its rule to that of the Nizams.

"Nine years after Telangana was formed, the CWC notes with anguish that the promise of 'Golden Telangana' lies shattered, betrayed by governments both in Delhi and Hyderabad. The dream for which people fought for Telangana remains unfulfilled. The resources of the new state, meant for its people, have instead been siphoned off by those in power. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and his family have established family rule and are deaf to the voices of the people," read the statement of CWC released on the second day of the meeting held in Hyderabad.

The Congress also accused the BRS of ignoring farmers' woes and found fault with governance projects like the Dharani portal, which is related to land records, and massive irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram. "The CWC shares the pains of our brothers and sisters in Telangana and resolves to continue the struggle to meet the unrealised objectives of the Telangana movement," said the CWC.

The meeting of the Extended Congress Working Committee concluded on Sunday with the members expressing confidence that the party will receive a decisive mandate from the people of five poll-bound statesChhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and Telangana.

The CWC also reaffirmed the preparedness of the party's organisation for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, which are due in mid-2024.

In his remarks at the CWC, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the welfare schemes implemented in Congress-ruled states, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, should be widely publicised as he felt that they were models of social justice. "Friends, our goal must be to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and work diligently to form an alternative government in the country," he said.

On Monday, the third and final day of the CWC programme, senior leaders of the party will visit 115 assembly constituencies to release the 'chargesheet' against the BRS government and also present the '6 guarantees' of the Congress, which would be implemented if they win power.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said even after the formation of Telangana state, political parties were hesitating to celebrate the 'Telangana Liberation Day' due to vote bank politics. Shah was speaking at the Centre's official celebration of Hyderabad Liberation Day' to commemorate the region's freedom from erstwhile Nizam rule and merger of Hyderabad state with the Indian Union on September 17, 1948.

He termed as 'unfortunate' political parties hesitating to celebrate the 'Liberation Day' due to vote bank politics. "I would like to tell them that people of the country would turn away from those who turn away from their country's history," he said.



The Union Minister pointed out that no government in the past 75 years has celebrated the historic 'Hyderabad Liberation Day.



"Owing to 'appeasement policies' the previous governments were always afraid and did not celebrate it," he said, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to celebrate the Hyderabad Liberation day.



Shah credited the country's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the liberation of Hyderabad and said due to his efforts Nizam's Razakars (armed supporters of Nizam rule), surrendered.



Union Tourism Minister and BJP president in Telangana G Kishan Reddy also spoke on the occasion. The State of Hyderabad, which was under Nizam's rule, was annexed to the Union of India following a police action codenamed 'Operation Polo' that culminated on September 17, 1948.



Earlier the day, Amit Shah on Sunday extended greetings to the people of Telangana, Hyderabad-Karnataka and Marathwada region on Hyderabad Liberation Day saying this day marks the unwavering patriotism of the people and commemorates their unyielding struggle.



On September 17, 1948, the then Hyderabad state, which was under the rule of Nizam, was annexed into the Union of India following military action, initiated by the then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.


The release of the Kuno cheetahs - currently lodged in enclosures - into the wild again will be considered only after the onset of winter based on advice of experts, member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), S.P. Yadav, who is also head of Project Cheetah, told THE WEEK.

Even as the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project completes one year on Sunday, all the surviving 15 cheetahs remain lodged in enclosures (bomas) at Kuno National Park following the closely spaced deaths of two cheetahs in July second week. Ten of these cheetahs had earlier been released into the wild.

In all 20 cheetahs  eight from Namibia and 12 from South Africa had been brought to Kuno on September 17, 2022 and February 18, 2023 respectively under the ambitious inter-continental cheetah translocation project. On March 23, cheetah Jwala had given birth to four cubs  taking the total population to 24. But soon after, series of deaths started in Kuno  with six adults and three cubs succumbing between March 27 and August 3.

Ten of the 13 cheetahs who had been released in the wild between March and June were brought back to enclosures following the alarm raised after deaths of two cheetahs in July.

The bringing back of cheetahs from the wild was looked upon as a retrograde step in the ambitious project that aims at survival of the animals in natural conditions in the wild.

However, the 14 other translocated cheetahs and a cub born on Indian soil, though in enclosures, are surviving and healthy, Yadav said. This amounts for 70 per cent survival of the introduced cheetahs at the end of one year.

Yadav said that thus at the end of one year, the project could meet four out of the six short-term success criteria  the primary one being 50 per cent survival of the introduced population for one year. It is a challenging project and the early indications are encouraging, Yadav said.

He mentioned that there were six criteria to measure the short-term success of the project according to the Cheetah Action Plan. Apart from 50 pc survival, the criteria included that the cheetahs establish home ranges in Kuno National Park; successfully reproduce in the wild; some wild born cubs survive for over one year; the first generation breeds successfully and cheetah-based revenues contribute to community livelihoods.

Out of the above 6 criteria, the project has already met four criteria namely: 50% survival of introduced cheetahs, establishment of home ranges, birth of cubs in Kuno and the project has contributed revenue to the local communities directly through engagement of cheetah trackers and indirectly by way of appreciation of land value in the surrounding areas of Kuno, Yadav said.

Success story

The project head said that the challenging inter-continental, wild to wild, cheetah translocation by air, from Namibia and South Africa to India was the first ever such effort undertaken in the world to rectify the ecologically wrong done in the past.

Normally intercontinental long distance cheetah translocations have inherent risk of mortalities, however, eight cheetahs from Namibia and 12 cheetahs from South Africa were successfully translocated to the Kuno National Park. Most of the cheetahs are adapting well to the Indian conditions and showing normal qualities like hunting, exploring the landscape, protecting their kill, avoiding/chasing other carnivores like leopards and hyena, establishing own territory, internecine fights, courtship and mating and no negative interactions with human beings, he said.

Also, one female cheetah has given birth to cubs on Indian soil after 75 years. One surviving cub is now 6 months old and doing well, showing a normal growth pattern. So far no cheetah has died due to causes like poaching, hunting, snaring, accident, poisoning, and retaliatory killing. This has been possible due to huge community support from the local villages, Yadav said.

The Project Cheetah has mobilised the local community and provided them with livelihood options by direct and indirect employment. The community support is overwhelming, he mentioned.

Two Namibian female cheetahs, with wild origin but reared in captivity, are showing signs of wild behaviour due to re-wilding efforts. After some more evaluation and monitoring they may be released in the wild, Yadav said.

The reintroduction of cheetahs will bring much-needed focus to the conservation of the country's dry grasslands and will also generate job opportunities for local communities. The success of this project will open up possibilities for re-wilding initiatives worldwide. It stands as a unique endeavor, being one of the few projects to reintroduce a lost species through intercontinental efforts, he said.

Next batch to be settled at Gandhi Sagar sanctuary

Madhya Pradesh is likely to get the next batch of cheetahs to be brought under the project as there is plan to settle them at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) bordering Mandsaur and Neemuch districts in the state.

The carrying capacity of Kuno is about 20 cheetahs; Kuno at present has 15 cheetahs. We need multiple sites in the country as per the Cheetah Action Plan to establish viable metapopulation. Gandhi Sagar will be the next cheetah habitat. No shifting of Cheetah from Kuno is envisaged. The next batch of 12-14 cheetahs to be imported from South Africa will be introduced in Gandhi Sagar WLS. The Gandhi Sagar site is expected to be ready by November-December 2023; after evaluation of its readiness the decision to import cheetah will be taken, the project head said.

He added that the Project Cheetah is long term and 12-14 cheetahs are planned to be brought from South Africa/Namibia/other African countries, annually for the next 5 years and after that, as and when required.

Apart from Gandhi Sagar, another alternative habitat site is being prepared at Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in (Sagar district) of MP.

Further, there is a plan of setting up Conservation breeding of Cheetah Centre, Cheetah Research Centre, Interpretation Centre, Cheetah Management Training Centre and Cheetah Safari, Yadav mentioned.

Radio collars not cause of death

Yadav underlined that radio collars on the cheetahs were not the cause of deaths of any of them as postulated after deaths of two cheetahs due to Septicemia in July.

Radio collars are important scientific tools used in the world to monitor animals. All cheetahs, fitted with standard quality radio collars, were imported from Namibia and South Africa. Due to infections of flies due to ticks and bruises on the skin, collars have been removed from some animals; collars are not the cause of death of any cheetah, Yadav told THE WEEK.

He also added that the high temperature with humidity, winter coat developed by some cheetah led to ticks attack, laying eggs by flies, maggots and bacterial infections leading to septicaemia - caused death.

All cheetahs were caught, brought to enclosures and have been administered necessary medicines. All 15 cheetahs including a cub are doing fine now. Radio collars will be installed before releasing them in the wild. Besides Cheetahs, several Leopards are also fitted with radio collars in Kuno for monitoring purposes and none of them is facing any problem, he added.

Set up centralized control centre; train special team

Meanwhile, a report of a forest officers team that was sent to the Kuno National Park by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to study the implementation of the Project Cheetah, has suggested several improvements in the project implementation.

Madhya Pradesh chief wildlife warden (CWLW) Aseem Shrivastava wrote to the director of Project Cheetah in Kuno National Park on August 17, highlighting the overviews and suggestions made by the officers team. Activist Ajay Dubey accessed the letter under right to information (RTI) Act.

Among the major suggestions include establishing a centralised control centre with dedicated and trained staff with wireless communication, CCTV surveillance, radio telemetry surveillance, observation registers and records. Also, top officials need to make overall management more scientific and meticulous.

A special team needs to be trained at the forest guard level along with a researcher from WII assigned to each Cheetah. The assigned team should be allowed to continue with the same individual Cheetah at least for the duration of the action plan or at least for next five years, the study team suggested. They also underlined continued involvement of cheetah mitras (supporting community members) in the project.

The officers team also recommended habituating cheetahs to a limited number of people and other selected elements like vehicles of particular type, riding elephants, sniffer dogs etc, through a carefully planned process of controlled habituation.

Integrity of outer fence critical and daily checking should be scrupulously ensured, not just by casual labourers, but also by responsible staff such as forest guard.

More widespread use of camera traps in monitoring has to be encouraged and field staff/trackers/selected Cheetah Mitras should be trained in their deployment and maintenance, the team further suggested in its report, also stressing on enhancing local livelihoods through participatory eco-tourism initiatives.

The team pointed out lack of standard operating guidelines/protocol to ensure scientific methods of monitoring involving all teams on ground and that the additional staff taken on deputation and outsourced watchers were not trained for approaching the animals and making detailed observation.

They also suggested developing a format for reporting health parameters and maintenance of health registers for each animal and mandatory health observation at a fixed frequency as suggested by South African and Namibian experts may be put in place. Health status monitoring should be done jointly by Indian, SA and Namibian veterinarians.
Santiniketan, the town in West Bengal where Nobel laureate, poet, and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore established a residential school and centre for arts in 1901, has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage site.





"BREAKING!



New inscription on the @UNESCO

#WorldHeritage List: Santiniketan, #India . Congratulations!," UNESCO wrote on Twitter.



Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi expressed her delight over Santiniketan getting the UNESCO tag and dedicated it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



"A birthday gift from the Prime Minister to Bharat! 

Delighted to share that Santiniketan has been successfully inscribed as Bharats 41st World Heritage property on the UNESCOs World Heritage list. My congratulations to all and especially to my brothers & sisters from West Bengal. This successful nomination is dedicated to the vision and dynamic leadership of Honble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, also the Chancellor of Visvabharati, whose keen interest in Indias heritage and its global acknowledgment and appreciation that guides us for inscribing Indias tangible heritage on the World Heritage List," she wrote on X.



Established in 1901, with no more than five students on the roll, the school was intended to counter the education system introduced by the British. By 1921 the school expanded into Vishva-Bharati University, which sought a basis for a common fellowship between the cultures of East and West.



Vishva-Bharati is a residential university with separate colleges for fine arts and crafts, Sino-Indian studies, music and dance, research in Asian languages, teacher training, technology, and postgraduate studies and research.



Shantiniketan also contains Udayana, Tagores residence.


Ahead of the five-day special session of the Parliament that begins on Monday, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building in Delhi. He hoisted the flag atop the "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also with Dhankar. They were also separately accorded a guard of honour by the CRPF's Parliament Duty Group.

The hoisting ceremony takes place a day before the five-day Parliament session begins Monday which may see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building.

However, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was notable in his absence. Kharge had said he would not be able to attend the flag hoisting function as he was invited only in the late evening of September 15. Kharge is currently in Hyderabad to attend the three-day meetings of newly constituted Congress Working Committee that began on Saturday. The Congress president added that the programmes had been fixed much in advance.

Meanwhile, the all-party meeting called by the government ahead of the special session will be held on Sunday. The meeting comes amid speculations that the government may have a surprise agenda up its sleeves for the special session. Other businesses listed for the session include a special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years starting from the ''Samvidhan Sabha" (Constituent Assembly), a bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners, 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023'.

Besides, 'The Post Office Bill, 2023' has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business.

However, the government can also table in Parliament some new legislation or other items that might not have been part of the listed agenda. Rumours are that a bill to ensure quota for women in elected legislatures like Lok Sabha and state assemblies may be on the cards.
Ladakh Lt Governor Brigadier (retd) B D Mishra has said his administration is working on a plan to provide winter-friendly houses to people living in border villages of the Union Territory.

The administration is also committed to the promotion, preservation and improvement of production of Pashmina along with reducing mortality of Pashmina goat kids in Ladakh, he said.

"Winter-friendly houses are being constructed in border villages of Ladakh for the benefit of people of those areas," the Lt Governor said at a meeting with a group of goat herders from Nyoma and Durbuk sub-divisions at the Raj Niwas here.

The meeting, which was also attended by senior government officials on Saturday, was convened to discuss prototypes for Pashmina kid pens, an official spokesman said.

He said the villagers raised several issues, including instances of malnutrition in goats, need to arrange fodder for winter months, vaccination, installation of mobile towers to improve telecommunication connectivity and steps to address electricity issues.

The Lt Governor under the slogan of 'Memna Bachao, Memna Badhao' (save lambs, promote lambs) called for protection of Pashmina goat kids from hypothermia, providing adequate nutritious feed to overcome malnutrition in Pashmina goat kids, overcoming occurrences of stampede or overcrowding in pens and providing vaccination to livestock to reduce in mortality of Pashmina goat kids.

Mishra assured that his administration will look into the issue of improving telecommunication facilities in remote areas and take up the matter with the central government.

He said a medical inspection and medical support team comprising doctors can conduct camps in remote areas and provide medical assistance, including vaccination to livestock.

Mishra said a policy needs to be framed before putting restrictions on the import of meat from states outside Ladakh.

The villagers had also raised the need for proper marketing for sale of local meat for consumption, the spokesman said.

The Lt Governor said the sale of frozen meat should be stopped, assuring that he will talk to the army for the supply of fresh meat for their consumption.
Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak proposed legislation that would ban the American XL Bully dogs, a controversial breed, from the country. The decision comes after Sunak declared the dogs were a "danger to communities" following a series of recent dog attacks.

Sunak said he had instructed concerned people to legally define the breed so that it can be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act in England, Wales and Scotland.



But, what is an American XL Bully? What makes them this dangerous? Interestingly, dog experts say American XL Bully is "not a dog breed" at all. Said to have originated in the US in the late 1980s, the American Bully is a cross of American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers. Breeders then went on to create a "bigger and stronger" version after they went on to be crossed with other breeds like English Bulldogs, Old English Bulldogge and American Bulldogs to create an even more muscular dog.



According to the UK campaign group Bully Watch, American Bully began to be popular in the UK around 2014 or 2015 and its population steeply rose during the Covid pandemic. Currently, there are four types of American Bully: standard, pocket, classic and XL. The XL can weigh more than 60kg, and at 33-50cm height, it can easily subdue an adult human.



Debbie Connolly, an expert, told Sky News that American XL Bully have no specific DNA markers, making them difficult to ban outright. "It is not recognised as a breed in this country and therefore you cannot simply write the words 'XL Bully' at the end of the current dangerous dogs list," Connolly said.



However, the US does recognise the American Bully as a specific breed.



Reports quoting local British media claim American XL Bully was behind at least two of four fatal in the UK in 2021. The number rose to six out of ten in 2022 and they were responsible for 45 per cent of dog attacks on humans and other dogs in 2023.



While many dog experts agree the American XL Bully is aggressive, they blame it on the breeders. They say the dogs had been bred for fighting and repeatedly inbred.



American Bully is illegal in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. If banned in Britain, they join the list of four banned breeds of dog in the country: the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro.


European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has toured the Italian island of Lampedusa, as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was overwhelmed with a surge of migrant arrivals. Italy's southernmost island was overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a 24-hour period this week.

PM Giorgia Meloni says Italy is being placed under "unsustainable pressure," BBC reported. Von der Leyen, on Sunday, said that the issue was "a European challenge and needs a European answer".

Von der Leyen visited the island after Meloni asked for EU help. Meloni said that migrants had arrived at the island only due to its location and praised the people of Lampedusa for the support they had given to migrants.

Meloni, who is calling for a naval blockade of South Africa, on Friday had said she would take extraordinary measures to curb the influx of migrants to Italy. According to government data, the number of people arriving by boat after crossing the Mediterranean has more than doubled this year, to 106,000 so far in 2023, compared to 53,000 over the same period last year Politico reported.



Meals are being provided to the arrivals by volunteers and local authorities. They are also helping to transfer new arrivals to Sicily and elsewhere. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, on Saturday, during a video conference with his French, German and Spanish counterparts, and EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, called for concrete measures aimed at blocking the departures at their origins.



Most of the migrants have arrived from Tunisia.
Indian student Jaahnavi Kandulas death has paved way for protests across Seattle demanding action against the police officers responsible for her death. Over 100 members of the South Asian community held a rally on the site where the accident took place.



The bodycam footage released by the Seattle Police Department revealed officer Daniel Auderer mocking the Indian students death while having a conversation with Seattle Police Officers Guild president Mike Solan.

Auderer in his defence said that his comments were taken out of context.

Meanwhile, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel apologised to the Indian community for the insensitive comments made by Auderer.

"Members of the Indian community have come together because of the unfortunate and insensitive remarks I believe were made. We are making sure that our apology as city officials is felt to your community and family, my condolences for your loss," he said.

Also, Seattle police chief Adrian Diaz offered condolences and said that we will ensure that it never ever occurs. "We value human life," he said.

Indian actors reacts to her death

Taking to Instagram Stories, actor Priyanka Chopra reacted to Kandula's death. "It's appalling to learn that such a tragic incident that happened nine months ago is only coming to light now. A life is a life. One cannot put any value on it, she wrote.

Among other actors, actor-director Farhan Akhtar also condoled the student's death on Instagram. "#JaahnaviKandula. We didn't know each other but I know that as a student preparing to make a place for herself in the world, your potential was limitless and your value immeasurable. Condolences to your family. RIP," he wrote.

Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23. Reportedly, he was driving 74 mph on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

Auderer was heard laughing in the footage that was released by the police. He was heard saying, "Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value."

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 Solan while he was in his patrol car and the talks took turn to the lawyers arguing "The value of human life".

Seattle Police also defended its official saying that the video reveals only one side of the conversation. "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," Guilds statement read.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Office of Police Accountability said that it has opened an investigation into the incident.

Saddened by Kandula's death, Kenneth W. Henderson, Chancellor of Northeastern University announced that the university plans to award Jaannavi her degree posthumously and present it to her family.
Authorities in Iran reportedly detained Mahsa Amini's father briefly on the first anniversary of her death to prevent the family from holding a vigil in her memory. On September 16, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman died in the custody of moral police. She was allegedly beaten in police custody, after being detained, for flouting the country's strict dress code.



Amini's death had triggered protests led by women in Iran. Women from across the globe showed solidarity towards the protests too. They showed their anger by chopping off their hair and burning hijabs. At least 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed in the protests, while hundreds were wounded and thousands arrested. The protests lasted for several months.

Mahsa's father Amjad Amini was arrested early on Saturday and released after being warned not to hold a memorial service at his daughters graveside. The official IRNA news agency, however, denied that Amjad Amini had been arrested and said that they had foiled an assassination attempt against him, Al Jazeera reported.

On Saturday, security forces cracked down on protests in Kurdish areas of the country. The Revolutionary Guards conducted several arrests to prevent unrest and sabotage.

There were indications of protests in several parts across the country. In a statement on Friday, US 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."
Jaipur, Sep 16 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the draft of 'Rajasthan Green Hydrogen Policy-2023' and a notification in this regard will be issued soon.

The state government has taken the decision keeping in mind clean energy production, future needs and climate change, according to a release.

'Rajasthan Green Hydrogen Policy-2023' is being brought to encourage investors and search for clean energy sources in the state. Chief Minister Gehlot has approved the policy draft. Notification will be issued soon by the Energy Department, the release said.

Under the policy, companies producing green energy will get various types of subsidies. Employment opportunities will also increase in the state.

Renewable energy sources are available in the state which is most favourable for green hydrogen production, the release said.

Under this policy, the state government will provide various facilities to encourage investors.

These include a 50 per cent exemption in transmission and distribution charges for 10 years for 500 kilotons per annum (KTPA) renewable energy plants installed on the state's transmission network, additional exemption on purchasing renewable energy from 'third parties' and 10 years in 'cross-subsidy surcharge'.
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Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 38F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 38F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
TreeHouse Foods, Inc. manufactures and distributes private label foods and beverages in the United States and internationally. The company provides snacking product, such as crackers, pretzels, in-store bakery items, frozen griddle items, cookies, snack bars, and unique candy; and beverage and drink mix, including non-dairy creamer, single serve beverages, broths/stocks, powdered beverages and other blends, tea, and ready-to-drink-beverages. It also offers grocery comprising pickles, refrigerated dough, hot cereal, and cheese and puddings, as well as natural, organic, and gluten free products. The company sells its products through various distribution channels, including retailers, foodservice distributors, foodaway-from-home customers, and co-manufacturers, as well as industrial and export, which includes food manufacturers and repackagers of foodservice products. TreeHouse Foods, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Rio Tinto Group is a multinational mining operation and the 2nd largest miner worldwide. The company has a dual listing with shares trading on both the London Stock Exchange and the Australian ASX.

Rio Tinto is named for a mining area in Spain. The mines at Rio Tinto have been in operation off and on since 3,000 BC and produce copper, silver, and gold among other minerals. The mines were rediscovered most recently in 1556 and then fell into the hands of the Spanish government in 1724. The Spanish government was a poor steward of the operations and eventually put it up for auction. In 1873 a group of businessmen bought the property for a steal that included Spains relinquishing its rights to any future profits.

The consortium quickly commenced operations as Rio Tinto Mining and focused on developing its resources. Within 10 years it was a leading producer of copper and then it fell into the hands of the Rothschilds. The Rothschilds expanded the operations but failed to diversify the company in a meaningful way. The company reached a peak in the early 1900s that was dashed by WWI and the loss of the US as an end market but the story is not over.

A new management team took control of the business in 1925 and began to diversify the company. Their efforts opened up new territories in other countries including Africa and Australia which was instrumental to long-term success. An increasingly fascist government made it difficult to operate in Spain and led the company to divest itself of its original asset, the Rio Tinto Mine. That could not have been done without operations in other countries. Another series of mergers and acquisitions will grow the company to global status.

Today, Rio Tinto is a diversified and integrated mining operation that engages in the exploration, development and production of mineral-based resources. The company operates in 4 key segments that include Iron Ore, Aluminum, Copper & Diamonds and Energy & Minerals. The company operates mines, smelters and refiners in about 35 countries producing iron ore and iron, bauxite and alumina, industrial diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide and lithium among many other minerals and products. The bulk of operations are in Australia and Canada which are both rich in natural resources.

The companys products are used by all end markets and are essential for the transition to green energy. Not only is the iron and copper required to build the infrastructure but lithium and other minerals are key for electrification. Rio Tinto products are necessary for agriculture and include several key fertilizers including borates.










Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Campuses and Retail & London Urban Logistics assets throughout the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at 13.0bn (British Land share: 8.9bn) as at 31 March 2023 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. We create Places People Prefer, delivering the best, most sustainable places for our customers and communities. Our strategy is to leverage our best in class platform and proven expertise in development, repositioning and active management, investing behind two key themes: Campuses and Retail & London Urban Logistics. Our three Campuses at Broadgate, Paddington Central and Regent's Place are dynamic neighbourhoods, attracting growth customers and sectors, and offering some of the best connected, highest quality and most sustainable space in London. We are delivering our fourth Campus at Canada Water, where we have planning consent to deliver 5m sq ft of residential, commercial, retail and community space over 53 acres. Our Campuses account for 63% of our portfolio. Retail & London Urban Logistics accounts for 37% of the portfolio and is focused on retail parks which are aligned to the growth of convenience, online and last mile fulfilment. We are complementing this with urban logistics primarily in London, focused on development-led opportunities. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our approach is focused on three key pillars where British Land can create the most benefit: Greener Spaces, making our whole portfolio net zero carbon by 2030, Thriving Places, partnering to grow social value and wellbeing in the communities where we operate and Responsible Choices, advocating responsible business practices across British Land and throughout our supply chain, and maintaining robust governance structures.
Ormat Technologies, Inc. engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power business in the United States, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, Chile, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Honduras, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electricity, Product, and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment develops, builds, owns, and operates geothermal, solar photovoltaic, and recovered energy-based power plants; and sells electricity. The Product segment designs, manufactures, and sells equipment for geothermal, recovered energy-based electricity generation; and provides services relating to the engineering, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance of geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants. The Product segment serves contractors; developers, owners, and operators of geothermal power plants; and owners and operators of interstate natural gas pipelines, gas processing plants, and cement plants, as well as companies in other energy-intensive industrial processes. The Energy Storage segment offers energy storage and related services, as well as services relating to the engineering, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance of energy storage units. Ormat Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is based in Reno, Nevada.
Nevada King Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of resource properties in Nevada, the United States. The company explores for gold, silver, iron ore, vanadium, and other base metals. The company was formerly known as Victory Metals Inc. and changed its name to Nevada King Gold Corp in April 2021. Nevada King Gold Corp. is based in Vancouver, Canada.
JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomprom engages in the exploration, production, processing, marketing, and sale of uranium and uranium products in the Republic of Kazakhstan, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, France, and internationally. It also processes rare metals; manufactures and sells beryllium, tantalum, and niobium products; provides communication and security services; and produces semiconductor materials. In addition, the company offers research, project, development, and engineering consulting services; drilling services; and procurement and transportation services, as well as monitors radiation level and environment conditions. Further, it is involved in the investment and administration of financial services. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Nur-Sultan, the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California that provides various banking services to businesses and individuals. The company accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, time certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. It also offers range of lending products comprising commercial, commercial and residential real estate, real estate construction, agribusiness, and consumer loans, as well as equipment leases and credit card services; commercial products, including term loans, lines of credit and other working capital financing, and letters of credit; and financing products, such as automobile financing, home improvement, and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company provides various specialized services consisting of credit card programs for merchants, lockbox and other collection services, account reconciliation, investment sweep, online account access, and electronic funds transfers through domestic and international wire and automated clearinghouse; and online banking services. Further, it offers investment products, such as mutual funds and annuities. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Lodi, California.
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.
United Parcel Service, Inc. is a global package delivery and logistics company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was founded in 1907 and has since become a significant player in the logistics industry. UPS operates in more than 220 countries and territories, with a network of over 500,000 employees worldwide.

UPS's primary business is package delivery, but the company also provides supply chain solutions and specialized transportation services. In recent years, UPS has expanded into e-commerce, offering services like same-day delivery and order fulfillment for online retailers. In addition to its delivery services, UPS also operates a freight division that provides air and ground transportation for commercial shipments.

UPS has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability, with initiatives such as alternative fuel vehicles and a carbon offset program for shipping. Fortune magazine has also named the company one of the World's Most Admired Companies for several years.

UPS is led by CEO Carol Tome, who joined the company in 1995 and became CEO in 2020. Tome has extensive finance experience and served as The Home Depot's CFO before joining UPS. In addition to Tome, UPS's executive team includes Executive Vice President and President of U.S. operations, Nando Cesarone, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Kevin Warren, and Chief Financial Officer Brian Newman.

UPS has reported stable revenue over the past several years. UPS's profit margins have remained steady, with an average gross profit margin of 56.4% and an operating margin of approximately 9.3%. UPS has a strong balance sheet, with total assets of $69.4 billion and total liabilities of $43.4 billion as of the end of 2022.



The company's debt-to-equity ratio is higher than the industry average but within a reasonable range. UPS's valuation metrics are generally in line with industry peers, and overall, UPS's valuation suggests that the market views the company as fairly valued. UPS's stock performance has been robust in recent years, with the company's share price increasing by 33% from 2020 to 2022. This outperformed the S&P 500 index, which increased by 26% over the same period. Trading volume for UPS has been relatively stable, with an average daily volume of around 2.83 million shares.

The logistics industry is highly competitive, with several large players vying for market share. In addition to traditional competitors such as FedEx and DHL, UPS competes with newer players in the e-commerce space, such as Amazon and Shopify. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, such as changes in trade policies and labor regulations.

Despite these challenges, the logistics industry is expected to grow in the coming years. E-commerce, in particular, is driving demand for package delivery and supply chain solutions, and UPS is well-positioned to benefit from this trend.

UPS has several potential growth opportunities in the coming years. The company's expansion into e-commerce has been a significant growth driver, and this trend is expected to continue. UPS's recent acquisition of Roadie, a same-day delivery platform, could also help the company capture more business in the rapidly growing same-day delivery market.

In addition to e-commerce, UPS is investing in technology to improve its operations and customer experience. The company is testing drone delivery in specific markets and has developed digital tools to help customers manage their shipments.

UPS has also announced plans to expand its presence in healthcare logistics. The company has already invested in specialized facilities and services for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and this market is expected to continue growing in the coming years.

UPS faces risks and challenges like any company that could impact its future performance. One critical risk is the potential for increased competition, particularly from newer entrants in the e-commerce space. These companies may have lower overhead costs and more agile business models, making it more difficult for UPS to compete on price and speed.

Another risk for UPS is the potential for regulatory or political changes that could impact the logistics industry. Changes in trade policies or labor regulations could increase costs for the company or limit its ability to operate in certain markets.
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a multinational tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Established in 1902, the company has a rich heritage and is one of the world's largest tobacco manufacturers. Its mission is to deliver "a better tomorrow" by offering high-quality tobacco and nicotine products to adult consumers worldwide while ensuring responsible business practices.

The company produces and sells cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and next-generation products (NGPs), including e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products. British American Tobacco's extensive portfolio of well-known brands, such as Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Dunhill and Rothmans, caters to diverse consumer preferences.

With a global reach, British American Tobacco operates in over 180 markets and has a strong presence in developed and emerging economies. Its target market primarily comprises adult smokers and tobacco consumers who seek high-quality products and innovative alternatives.

British American Tobacco boasts a highly experienced and diverse leadership team that drives the company's strategic vision. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Jack Bowles, the management team combines extensive industry expertise with a focus on innovation and sustainable growth. With over 30 years of experience in the tobacco industry, Bowles has held various senior leadership positions within British American Tobacco before assuming the role of CEO in 2019. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the company's NGP strategy and driving its transformational agenda.

British American Tobacco has delivered solid financial performance over the past few years, driven by its global presence and robust brand portfolio. The company's reported revenue has been up for the past several years, and its operating profit margin has been stable at around 40%, highlighting its ability to generate strong profitability.

Over the years, British American Tobacco has shown resilience in the face of regulatory challenges and changing market dynamics. The company has managed its debt levels effectively, maintaining a healthy balance sheet and a strong credit rating. Its price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratio indicate that the company's stock appears undervalued compared to its peers.

The factors driving the company's valuation include its global market leadership, diversified product portfolio and ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences through its NGP offerings. Recent changes in investor sentiment have been influenced by the company's continued focus on innovation, sustainable practices and its commitment to reducing the health impact of its products.

British American Tobacco's stock performance has shown resilience amid broader market fluctuations. Trading volume has remained robust, indicating sustained investor interest in the company.

Several factors have contributed to this positive market performance. Firstly, the company's ability to adapt to evolving consumer preferences by investing in NGPs has positioned it to capture a growing market segment. Successful product launches and strategic acquisitions have also boosted investor confidence in British American Tobacco's long-term prospects.

British American Tobacco operates in the tobacco industry, which continues to face significant regulatory and social challenges. The industry is subject to strict regulations regarding advertising, packaging, and health warnings aimed at reducing the harm caused by tobacco consumption. This regulatory environment has led to declining smoking rates in many developed countries.

In addition to regulatory pressures, the industry faces increasing scrutiny over the health risks associated with smoking. Growing awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco has led to a shift in consumer preferences towards reduced-risk alternatives, such as NGPs. This trend presents both opportunities and challenges for companies like British American Tobacco.

Despite these challenges, the tobacco industry remains resilient and continues to generate substantial revenue. The global tobacco market is highly competitive, with key players vying for market share. British American Tobacco competes with other major tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International.

In recent years, British American Tobacco has significantly invested in NGPs, leveraging its technological capabilities and scientific expertise. The company has introduced successful products like Vuse and glo, which have gained traction among consumers seeking alternative nicotine experiences. Expanding its NGP offerings presents a significant growth opportunity for British American Tobacco, particularly as the market for reduced-risk products continues to grow.

While British American Tobacco has demonstrated resilience, the company faces several risks and challenges. One of the key challenges is the increasing regulation and restrictions imposed on the tobacco industry. Stricter regulations can impact product development, marketing activities, and consumer demand. The company needs to adapt to these evolving regulatory landscapes while maintaining compliance and finding innovative ways to engage with consumers.

Changing consumer preferences and the growing popularity of reduced-risk alternatives pose another challenge. As more consumers switch to NGPs, traditional tobacco sales may decline, impacting British American Tobacco's revenue streams. The company must continue investing in research and development to stay at the forefront of NGP innovation and maintain its competitive position.

Additionally, ongoing litigation and legal challenges related to smoking-related health issues present financial and reputational risks. British American Tobacco must effectively manage these risks through robust risk management strategies, transparent communication, and responsible business practices.
Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates department stores in Canada and the United States. Its stores offers fashion apparels, accessories, cosmetics, and home products. The company operates its stores under the Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, Find @ Lord & Taylor, Home Outfitters, Galeria Kaufhof, Galeria INNO, and Sportarena names. As of February 2, 2019, it operated 342 stores. The company also operates e-commerce sites. The company was founded in 1670 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. The Fund invests in sectors, such as financials, energy, healthcare, telecommunication services, industrials, utilities, consumer discretionary, materials, information technology and consumer staples. The Fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the Index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the Index. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.
The Coca-Cola Company is one of the worlds most recognized brands. Founded in 1886, the company today is vastly different from its creator's original intent. The original formula was invented by John Stith Pemberton as a health drink, energy boost, and patent medicine following his time in the Civil War. The name is derived from two of the original ingredients coca leaves and kola nuts, although those ingredients are not used today, and was intended to be sold in pharmacies.

Pemberton sold his formula and brand in 1889 to Asa Griggs Candler who then embarked on a nationwide advertising campaign. By 1895 Coca-Cola was being sold in every state in the union and it wouldnt be long before the beverage was being enjoyed worldwide. By 1889 the company was operating under a franchised distribution system that is still in effect today.

Today, the Coca-Cola Company primarily makes syrups that are shipped to bottler/distributors who command exclusive territories. The Coca-Cola Company retains ownership of the largest US bottler, Coca-Cola Refreshments but there are many others around the world. Coca-Cola Femsa, of which The Coca-Cola Company owns 28%, is located in Mexico and is the worlds largest bottler of Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and operates as a beverage company worldwide with sales in over 200 countries. The company manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages and has expanded well beyond soda and pop. After years of expansion and acquisitions, The Coca-Cola Company is represented in verticals from sparkling soft drinks to flavored water, enhanced water, sports beverages, juice, dairy, tea, and coffee. Brands under the Coca-Cola umbrella include Fanta, Fresca, Schweppes, Sprite, Dasani, Gold Peak, Minute Maid, Simply, BODYARMOR, FUZE TEA, and Powerade brands.

The Coca-Cola Company first went public in 1919 and it began paying a dividend in 1920. The company has raised its dividend every year since 1962 making it a Dividend King. To put the companys growth and scale into perspective, one share of KO purchased at the IPO price of $40 was worth nearly $10 million in 2012 and the stock price has nearly doubled since then. Underwriters of the original IPO received $100,000 worth of shares in compensation for the deal and were able to sell it for $2 billion at that time. The Coca-Cola Company is also a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average holding its position from 1932 to 1935 and from 1987 to the present.
The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A  Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited.

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Organon & Co. develops and delivers health solutions through a portfolio of prescription therapies and medical devices within women's health in the United States and internationally. Its women's health portfolio comprises contraception and fertility brands, such as Nexplanon/Implanon, a long-acting reversible contraceptive; Nuvaring, a monthly vaginal contraceptive ring; Cerazette, a daily pill used to prevent pregnancy; Marvelon, progestin and estrogen used as daily pills to prevent pregnancy; Follistim AQ, used to promote the development of multiple ovarian follicles in assisted reproduction technology procedures; Elonva, an ovarian follicle stimulant; Ganirelix Acetate Injection, an injectable antagonist; and Jada, for abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding or hemorrhage. The company's biosimilars portfolio consists of immunology products, such as Brenzys, Renflexis, and Hadlima; and two oncology products, including Ontruzant and Aybintio. It offers cholesterol-modifying medicines under the Zetia, Ezetrol, Vytorin, Inegy, Rosuzet, and Zocor brands; Cozaar and Hyzaar for the treatment of hypertension; respiratory products for treatments of control and prevent symptoms caused by asthma under the Singulair, Dulera, Zenhale, and Asmanex brand names; and Singulair, Nasonex, Clarinex, and Aerius for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis. The company provides dermatology products under the Diprosone and Elocon brand; bone health portfolio, including Fosamax brand name; non-opioid pain management products under the Arcoxia, Diprospan, and Celestone brand names; Proscar for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia; and Propecia for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. The company sells its products to drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, government agencies, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, also known as TD Bank, is a Canadian multinational bank that provides a wide range of financial services to customers in Canada, the United States, and worldwide. The bank was founded in 1855 in Toronto, Canada, and has since grown to become one of the largest banks in North America, with over 85,000 employees and more than 26 million customers. TD Bank is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and has additional offices in New York City and other major cities throughout the United States.

TD Bank's key highlights and achievements include its status as the sixth-largest bank in North America by assets, its recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for 20 consecutive years, and its commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility.

The management team at TD Bank is led by Chief Executive Officer Bharat Masrani, who has been with the company for over 30 years and has held various senior leadership positions before being appointed CEO in 2014.

Regarding financial performance, TD Bank has delivered consistent results over the past few years, with revenue and net income increasing yearly for the past several years. The bank's profit margins have also remained robust, with an average net profit margin of 25%. However, TD Bank has also faced challenges related to debt levels and changes in ownership, with a recent decrease in ownership by TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. Regarding valuation, TD Bank's price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios align with industry peers. The company's market performance has also been relatively stable, with modest price movements and steady trading volume over the past few years.

TD Bank operates in a highly competitive and regulated industry, with other major players, including the Bank of Montreal, Royal Bank of Canada, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The broader banking industry is also subject to regulatory and political issues, such as changes in interest rates and financial regulations.

Despite these challenges, TD Bank has identified growth opportunities in new markets and product areas. These include launching new digital banking services and expanding the bank's presence in key markets such as the United States and Asia. TD Bank has also made several acquisitions in recent years, including the addition of Scottrade Bank in 2017 and the purchase of Chrysler Financial in 2011.

However, TD Bank also faces several risks and challenges, such as changes in consumer preferences and increased competition from fintech startups. The bank's focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility also presents risks related to environmental and social factors, such as climate change and social inequality. There are also recession risks involved. TD Bank could face challenges if there is a downturn in the economy.
Last week 350 Colorado fiction writers gathered to celebrate Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 40th anniversary. We heartily congratulated the founding spirits who have seen Colorados fiction writers blossom over the years; we savored the joys of writers brotherhood.

Organizations like RMFW are not talked about much; not written about nor televised by our many news outlets. Our event was a good news story, certainly as worthy of notice and broadcast as many police car chases, tree climbing or dumpster food thieving bears.

No matter: I write this to celebrate a great organizations birthday, that I joined two decades ago. It was a much smaller group at a heady time for my colleagues and me. We wanted to learn the craft of fiction writing, quite prepared to toil long and hard to develop our craft  thus paying our dues. We spent time in critique groups with others who were as passionate about what we were doing; reading each others work, making it better. The sum total was to become better writers.

Many were the novels I began, only to abandon them midway because they didnt have legs to stand on or I had not thought them out fully. Such is the story of novel crafting and as Malcolm Gladwell says, we become experts by spending 10,000 hours working on something. Not that we counted the hours or pretended we were expert writers. Only a few of us wrote novels but the point is, we learned the basics. Writing no longer gives rise to trepidation; it becomes part of our mind set.

We learned that honesty was our North Star. Whatever one makes their characters do, they always start at the center  truth. Truth of words, truth of the characters actions, truth of the world created. And as one plots the story, it must be logical. Logic and reason are the backbone of a story, for it has to stand in its readers hands. It has been said that writers are the conscience of a nation. If that is so, it requires one to be a responsible writer, responsible purveyor of news and information.

To be a good writer one has to be an omnivorous reader. So as we read our colleagues books, we had the advantage of hearing their thoughts on the why of their characters behavior. In many ways, it was like being in the kitchen as meals were prepared; looking at, examining the recipe. We felt privileged. This ability to be around the ring as the battle unfolded was our reward for the time sacrificed to the god of literature.

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As for me, for a long time I wore two hats: a surgeons and a writers. I had the pleasure of observing in my own brain: a general creative arena full of fictional characters exist beside a very detailed, specific and disciplined surgical thinking. Creating with a pen is as distinct from wielding a scalpel as night is to day; different, but complementary to each other. It was scintillating, one moment to walk from the green fields of speculative fiction; and next, brightly lit, blood soaked scenes of my other life. I learned how to balance the two parts of my existence.

The one regret I have about RMFW is that, like many other groups, its a majority White writers place, though luckily the last decade has seen a few minorities join. BIPOC writers are invited to join; only they can write the books that need to be published at this moment that clamors for literary agents and publishers to seek more BIPOC writers.

The keynote speaker, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, a Lakota writer and professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver gave a rousing speech about the way Americas majority has for so long behaved as if Native Americans are incapable of original thought, and therefore writing. His award winning books have distinguished themselves for their excellence, erudition and content. His speech pointed to a slow change in the national conscience towards BIPOC who have much to say. They too have original thoughts and discipline needed to persist and write books. In fact, the only thing that distinguishes colored people from the majority is skin deep. Many think deep thoughts.

The anniversary celebration allowed us, older writers to recall, relive moments of creation; hearing our colleagues accolades and the general readerships cheers. There were more young writers than Id seen before  tomorrows nations conscience, I thought.

Pius Kamau, M.D., a retired general surgeon, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships (AAHEP); co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and an activist for minority students STEM education. He is a National Public Radio commentator, Huffington Post blogger, and past columnist for Denver dailies.
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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.
Prologis (NYSE:PLD) pays an annual dividend of $3.48 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.58%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 10 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 107.41%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, PLD will have a dividend payout ratio of 62.59% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for PLD.
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. is a closed ended fixed-income mutual fund launched and managed by Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC. It is co-managed by Western Asset Management Company and Western Asset Management Company Limited. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in high-yielding corporate debt obligations. The fund seeks to maintain an average duration of around four years with an average credit quality of B. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Barclays Capital U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Cap Index. The fund was formerly known as High Income Opportunity Fund. Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. was formed on November 16, 1993 and is domiciled in the United States.
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.
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.
Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) pays an annual dividend of $5.20 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 5.94%. PM has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 16 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 100.97%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on EPS estimates, PM will have a dividend payout ratio of 79.03% in the coming year. This indicates that the company may not be able to sustain their current dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for PM.
The Charles Schwab Corporation is a financial services company that offers a wide range of investment services, including brokerage, banking, and financial advisory services. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Westlake, Texas, the company operates through two main segments: Investor Services and Advisor Services. The Investor Services segment offers individual investors retail brokerage and banking services, while the Advisor Services segment provides custodial, trading, and support services to independent investment advisors. In 2020, the company completed its acquisition of TD Ameritrade, further expanding its client base and offerings.

Charles Schwab Corporation's management team is led by Walt Bettinger, who has been the company's President and Chief Executive Officer since 2008. Mr. Bettinger joined the company in 1995 and has held various leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Head of Schwab Institutional.

Over the past few years, Charles Schwab Corporation has experienced steady growth in its key financial metrics. It is reporting increased revenue and increased profit margin. Charles Schwab Corporation's valuation metrics are generally in line with industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings ratio is slightly lower than the industry average, and the company's price-to-book ratio is also somewhat lower than the industry average. Charles Schwab Corporation's stock has generally performed well over the past few years, with some fluctuations in response to broader market conditions and regulatory changes. The company's stock price has outperformed the S&P 500 for several years. The company has also experienced increases in trading volume in response to changes in market conditions and regulatory changes.

Charles Schwab Corporation operates in the financial services industry, which has experienced significant growth and transformation over the past few years. The industry has been impacted by a range of factors, including advances in technology, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory changes. Charles Schwab Corporation competes with other financial services firms, including traditional brokerage firms, online investment platforms, and banks.

Charles Schwab Corporation has a range of potential growth opportunities, including expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of its clients. The company has been investing in technology and digital platforms to improve its services and attract new clients. In addition, the company's acquisition of TD Ameritrade has provided new opportunities for growth and expansion. The company also focuses on expanding its international presence and exploring new markets.

Charles Schwab Corporation faces a range of potential risks and challenges, including changes in regulatory and political environments that may impact the company's operations and profitability. The financial services industry is subject to a wide range of regulations, and changes in these regulations could significantly impact the company's operations. In addition, the industry is subject to intense competition, which could affect the company's ability to attract and retain clients.

Another potential risk is the impact of market volatility on the company's operations. Charles Schwab Corporation generates a significant portion of its revenue from commissions and fees, which are impacted by changes in market conditions. In periods of market volatility, clients may reduce their trading activity, which could affect the company's revenue and profitability.

The company also faces risks related to data security and privacy. The company collects and stores sensitive financial and personal information on its clients. Any breach of this data could significantly impact the company's reputation and financial performance.

To address these risks and challenges, Charles Schwab Corporation is focused on maintaining a robust regulatory compliance program and investing in data security and privacy measures. The company is also focused on diversifying its revenue streams and expanding its offerings to meet the evolving needs of its clients.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

Read More
Addressing homelessness

Your editorial on September 14th regarding the Mayors approach to homelessness in the City of Denver, was right-on-the-money; the more the City spends the more that will come! A number of years ago when I lived in Southern California, I met a young woman at a gathering in the City Center. We had a pleasant conversation. During that conversation she informed me that she was moving to Wisconsin. Thinking to myself about the huge disparity in climate between Southern California and Wisconsin, I inquired why she was making the long move. She unabashedly informed me, because unemployment payments were the highest in the nation in Wisconsin! This pretty much says it all in terms of where Denver is heading. It sounds just and humane, but the end result could be financially crippling to the City of Denver.

Ronald Latreille

Denver

Spinning off axle

My name is Sara Puckett, Im a native American from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Ive been homeless here in Colorado since April 2020. Homelessness isnt something I wanted or asked for but I finished my prison sentence in May 2019 after 6 1/2 years for petty drug charges wound up homeless, unwanted by my family, stranger to my daughter who is 13 years old, and outside with nothing and no one.

So I jumped into an abusive relationship. Never in my life have I seen men so abusive and a world at its peak in narcissism. So with nothing and no one I fled from South Dakota to Arizona, to jumping off the bus here in Colorado without a plan, in transition everyday, denying to myself that I am homeless with no support no stability, no love from any human being.

So now Ive battled not being institutionalized by going back to prison for stability, hots, and a cot. Ive overcame spiritual battles that wanted my soul. Being spiritually saved in December 2020 and being homeless has been the hardest obstacles Ive had to overcome. Ive created my own type of categories, the government tries to define us in one category but Im living proof that every homeless person isnt the same. I am at my bottomless pit yet I have morals, codes, rules, regulations I live by unchangeable, by the world. Im a grand-baby of American Indian Movement Leaders, I am Oglala Lakota Sioux Warrior Woman, I will continue to be a good person and will not grant the government permission to cause me to repeat prophecy.

Denver said their helping us homeless people off the street but I was denied a motel voucher cause I answered one question wrong  did I use blues? No I dont, so I was offered rehab. If I wouldve said yeah I wouldve been in a motel safe from the streets, safe from this fentanyl epidemic, safe to rise up, get a job, and start living. I have nothing and no one who really cares or wants to help me. If someone wouldve given me a chance with a home I wouldnt be in this position but I wont lie, I wont manipulate. I wont wear a mask. I dont conform, wont conform, and yet Im struggling to live life, its a sad cold world thats monopolized, socialized, and conditionalized humanity to be inhumane.

All Ive wanted is a home so I can be a mother and thats so far away from my reach Im losing purpose but my Golden Heart will never die, my flesh is slowing being killed and withering away. I need solidity, I need support and I need encouragement in life. What does a broken beautiful creator of life do when all is failing? Please pray for my health, my family, and humanity as we are spinning off axle.

Sara Puckett

Denver

Voters deserve better

Former President Donald Trump has referred to the 14th Amendment effort as a trick and claimed there is no legal basis for the argument, according to the Denver Gazette. And he has the full support of millions of Americans who decry the Democratic Partys ill-fated scheme to keep him off the ballot.

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Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) declared that removing Trump from the ballot would set a dangerous precedent. Its particularly disturbing that a group that calls itself Free Speech for People is sending out letters to election officials and calling for Trumps name to be taken off the ballot. Colorado voters deserve better.

Brian Stuckey

Denver

Restricting reproductive rightsSince the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 24 Republican-led legislatures have instituted egregious abortion bans, preventing millions of people from making their own reproductive health decisions or accessing necessary medical care.

Abortion bans disproportionately hurt Black, brown, and low-income communities  which is just par for the course for MAGA Republicans. But MAGA cruelty knows no limits and these anti-abortion lawmakers have taken these bans to new, extreme levels, even though voters have made it clear time and again that restricting reproductive rights is overwhelmingly unpopular.

Our bodily autonomy should not depend on what state we live in. We need federal legislation to protect reproductive freedom for all.

Representative Diana DeGette has been fighting back against the Republicans ruthless anti-abortion agenda and is a fierce advocate for reproductive freedom in Congress. Not only have they cosponsored the Womens Health Protection Act to codify Roe v. Wade, but theyve also signed onto:

1) The Ensuring Womens Right to Reproductive Freedom Act  to affirm the right to travel to receive legal abortion care;

2) The My Body, My Data Act  to protect data privacy related to reproductive health information; and

3) The Abortion Justice Act  to ensure that everyone is able to actually access the care they need.

These bills are critical to ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access abortion care, which we know is a winning issue at the polls. We need all Democrats to join Rep. Diana DeGette as strong champions of reproductive freedom, not just to win back the House in 2024, but to actually deliver on these bills for the millions of Americans whose health and lives depend on them.

Robert Renfro

Denver
Danaher Corporation, founded in 1984 by brothers Stephen and Mitchell Rales, is a globally diversified conglomerate headquartered in Washington, D.C. The company has evolved into a major player across various industries, offering a wide range of products and services in the medical, industrial, and commercial sectors. Danaher's mission is to innovate and provide high-quality solutions that positively impact people's lives worldwide. Danaher's began in 1984 as a Massachusetts real estate investment trust called DMG, Inc. The company underwent several reorganizations and strategic acquisitions, culminating in its present-day structure and diverse product portfolio.

Danaher is involved in designing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad array of products and services. Its offerings span medical diagnostics equipment, life sciences and diagnostics tools, environmental solutions, water quality analysis systems, industrial automation tools, and other specialized instruments. Danaher's mission is to leverage its technological expertise and commitment to continuous improvement to develop innovative solutions that enhance human well-being and drive sustainable growth.

The company's diverse product portfolio includes cutting-edge medical diagnostic devices, scientific instruments used in research and healthcare settings, water quality monitoring systems, and automation equipment for industrial applications. Danaher caters to various markets, including healthcare, life sciences, diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation. Its products and services find applications in research institutions, healthcare facilities, industrial manufacturers, and government organizations.

Danaher Corporation boasts a leadership team comprising highly accomplished individuals with diverse expertise, driving the company's success and strategic direction. At the helm is Steven M. Rales, the Co-Founder and Chairman, who played a pivotal role in establishing Danaher and has been instrumental in shaping its strategic vision. With his visionary approach, Rales has steered the company towards sustained growth and innovation. Rainer M. Blair holds the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, leading Danaher's day-to-day operations and spearheading its growth strategies. Blair's dynamic leadership has been crucial in driving the company's expansion and ensuring its position as a market leader.

Danaher has displayed excellent financial performance in recent years, with consistent revenue growth and profitability. The company's financial stability and strategic acquisitions have contributed to its robust performance. Danaher's strong financials indicate its ability to generate revenue and profits, which has positively influenced investor sentiment and contributed to its favorable valuation.

Danaher's valuation metrics demonstrate positive investor sentiment and confidence in the company's future growth prospects. Its favorable price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-cash flow ratio reflect investor willingness to pay a premium for its earnings potential and cash generation capacity. Danaher's stock performance has been noteworthy, driven by its strong financials, strategic initiatives, and positive market sentiment.

Investors should closely monitor any recent news or events that may have impacted Danaher's share price, such as industry developments or major acquisitions. Danaher operates in diverse industries with various competitors. Its competitive advantages, including a broad product portfolio and emphasis on innovation, position it well within its industries.

Danaher has ample growth opportunities, including expansion into emerging markets, strategic acquisitions, and research and development investments. The company's strong focus on continuous improvement and customer-centric solutions will drive its pursuit of growth opportunities.

Danaher faces potential risks and challenges, including market fluctuations, regulatory changes, and economic uncertainties. However, its proactive risk management strategies mitigate potential impacts on the company's financial performance.
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors 500 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The component stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund invests in sectors, such as consumer non-cyclical, financial, energy, technology, communications, industrial, consumer cyclical, basic materials and utilities. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment advisor to the Fund.
IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.
Altria Group, Inc. is a US-based tobacco company and one of the Big-3 tobacco companies internationally. The company was formerly known as Phillip Morris International but emerged with its new name in 2003. The rebranding was intended to help the company improve its image while it shifted away from the smokeable tobacco segments of the business. It is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500. The company was a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for many years but fell from that position due to declining tobacco sales and the divestiture of businesses.

The company operates through a network of subsidiaries that include Phillip Morris USA. Phillip Morris USA is the core segment of business and includes the Marlboro line of cigarette brands. German immigrant Phillip Morris originally founded Phillip Morris in London in 1822. In 1844 the company began making its first line of machine-rolled cigarettes called English Ovals. The English Ovals remained in production in limited quantities until 2017.

By 1902 the company had moved to New York City, where it was incorporated. Operations continued uninterrupted until 1919, when it changed ownership, and then, in 1929, manufacturing operations were moved to Richmond, Virginia and closer to the tobacco fields.

Philip Morris made headlines again in 1933 when it integrated its manufacturing operations. This was done more than 30 years ahead of federal regulations and a ground-breaking move for the industry and America. After another multi-decade run of uninterrupted operations, the company began a series of acquisitions that included Miller Brewing, Kraft Foods and General Mills. Those acquisitions led to eventual mergers and spin-offs that resulted in SABMiller and Kraft General Mills.

Altria Group operates through a network of subsidiaries manufacturing and selling smokeable, smokeless and oral tobacco products. Subsidiaries include but not are limited to Philip Morris USA, John Middleton Inc. and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. Brands include Marlboro, Marlboro Lights, Black & Mild, Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Sky and Husky. The company's principal customers are wholesalers and large retailers.

The company maintains a number of strategic partnerships as part of its efforts to shift away from smokeable tobacco. These include a 35% stake in JUUL smokeless tobacco products, a 45% stake in Canadian integrated cannabis company Cronos Group and a near-10% stake in ABInbev. These partnerships are intended to capitalize on smokeless tobacco and the legalization of cannabis at the US federal level.

Altria brought in more than $21 billion in 2021. The company employs more than 6,000 people and has paid more than $6.5 billion in cumulative dividends. The companys operations help support more than 1,200 US farmers and are sold in over 300,000 US retail establishments. Altria continues to be a leader in workforce quality and has received numerous awards, including a spot on the National Business Consortiums Best of the Best List for 2022.
All firefi

ghters should be honored

This weekend Colorado Springs will honor almost all fallen firefighters from around the country. And rightfully so. We should and must honor these fallen heroes.

The reason I say almost all is because if a fallen firefighter happens to be a volunteer firefighter, such as we have in many communities in Teller County and many other places in this country, these firefighters will not be honored or remembered. Why, because only firefighters who belong to International Association of Fire Fighters are remembered on the Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial.

What a shame. The volunteer firefighter puts his or her life on the line no less that a big-city firefighter, and if dying protecting others, is just as much missed by family and friends and deserves to have their name placed on that same memorial.

John Froehle

Colorado Springs

Nothing was ever done

My wife and I (along with another couple) recently attended a 1970s group concert at the Pikes Peak Center. As we were being seated, I observed a patron on the row in front of me who had obviously had too much to drink, but was drinking even more. She decided to change seats by attempting to climb over her row to my row, nearly falling down in the process. Fortunately, another patron was arriving with the ticket to the seat next to me. She chose to sit further down the row but continued to be loud and disruptive.

During the intermission, she took out her vape and took several puffs. After numerous puffs, I told her to put it away or I would report her as it is illegal to vape indoors. Her response was very loudly calling me the b word. Im sure the entire balcony heard it! That is when I got up to report her.

I went to two ushers standing together (who were also speaking with a patron seated next to me who had also gone to complain about her). They indicated they would get the manager. Nothing happened other than a usher/manager appearing at a door and standing there (I had told then exactly which row/seat she was occupying). Back in the theater, the woman became verbally/physically (hand gestures) abusive toward me the remainder of the evening. The wonderful patron next to me even blocked her advances toward me twice! Nothing was done. I am disappointed in the lack of action on the part of the Pikes Peak Center staff on what was potentially a very dangerous situation.

As I was leaving, I spoke to the usher and said my speaking to you did no good. He felt that since she left the balcony (and went down to the front on the main floor  creating even more of a scene), the situation was handled. I disagree. She should have been removed from the Pikes Peak Center. I will not be attending any more events like this at the Pikes Peak Center in the future.

Steve Harter

Colorado Springs

Any citizen can bring action

I read with rather dismay the column written by Jon Caldara last week.

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If anything was DOA, it was his article. I totally disagree with his opinion regarding legal actions taken under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I know since I am the first person in the country to bring the same type of action in federal court in Denver.

First, you would have to have lived in a shell to not consider the actions spurred on by Donald Trump on Jan. 6 not to be an insurrection or rebellion. Just read their definitions in Blacks Law Dictionary. Blacks Law Dictionary defines insurrection as: A violent revolt to an oppressive authority, usually a government. Blacks Law Dictionary defines rebellion as: 1. open, organized, and armed assault to a established government especially an overt attempt to change the government or ruler of a government usually through violence. 2. open resistance or opposition to an authority or tradition.

It would be hard-pressed, based on those definitions, to argue that what occurred on Jan. 6 was not an insurrection or rebellion, unless you listen to Fox News.

Just ask the families of those who died that day. The relevant section states one must engage in an insurrection or rebellion. Clearly, Trump did. All of the above would be a jury question, not something Caldara would decide as he seems to think he knows the law. He also states that the Denver group has no standing but fails to cite any legal authority to support him for obvious reasons. There are none.

The relevant section does not place any restrictions or conditions on who can bring that action. Based on the way that section is written, any U.S. citizen can bring an action. He then states that if there was a basis for this, Jack Smith would have brought it. Wrong. Smith is dealing with criminal matters.

This is a civil matter. The best thing Caldara could do is really know the truth before he goes rendering completely erroneous statements.

Dennis Sladek

Colorado Springs

Kudos to School District 11

Today, I opened the Gazette, Sept. 14, and as a past member of the D-11 board, I was excited to see Colorado Springs D-11 expands scholarship program, a program that was already had a positive impact at Mitchell High School, one of the lowest performing high schools in Colorado.

I was especially pleased to see private investors coupled with public funds, take a combined positive interest in District 11 education. As an urban school District 11, it has an unacceptable dropout rate. Most informed readers know high school dropouts typically drop into lifelong poverty and often become permanent wards of the local government. Kudos to new superintendent Michael Gaal, and the D-11 board of directors under the leadership of board president Parth Melpakam for their combined positive innovative futuristic leadership.

No doubt via the Promised Scholarship Program, an earned program, requiring students to attain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and meet certain other required criteria will lead to more young people being employed locally, thus being able to become homeowners and significant contributors to our local community. Many of the two-year programs offered at Pike Peak State College will allow a two-year associate degree graduate to enter the work force with starting salaries of $75,000 per year or more.

I was especially pleased to see, this something to be earned, this not an entitlement program. Again, kudos to Colorado Springs School District 11 board who are elected uncompensated officials.

Willie Breazell

Colorado Springs
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[September 17, 2023] Up to 16kWh: OUKITEL Unveils Expandable Home Backup Solution BP2000 & B2000 Tweet

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ALAMOSA  Denise Vigil would rather tend to other things  inventory, payroll, food prep, etc.  than check social media. But checking social media also comes with running a restaurant.

One day this spring, Vigil was checking The Friars Fork Instagram when she came by a message from a local customer. It was a note of congratulations on the James Beard Foundation, the culinary Oscars, naming The Friars Fork a semifinalist for Americas best new restaurant.

Somebody is lying to you, Vigil recalls thinking.

Vigil wasnt the only one who had to scan the semifinalist list twice. Foodies across the nation did a double take.

Nominees included New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore. ...

... Alamosa, Colorado.

It was a little bit surreal, Vigil says.

Soon after the announcement, The Friars Fork website showed traffic from people around the globe. The reservation list suddenly grew with out-of-state visitors.

Everybody I think was interested ... like, what, Alamosa? Vigil says. I mean, even people in Colorado dont all know where Alamosa is.

Alamosa is in the heart of the San Luis Valley, an isolated place between farms and desert and mountains and sand dunes. This is Vigils hometown.

In 2021, along Fourth Street, she came by a historic, abandoned church of Mission Revival architecture: stucco walls, curving parapets, arching windows of stained glass. This is where Vigil, 51, would open her one and only restaurant after a long, winding career in much bigger cities and resort destinations.

After three decades of cooking for the rich and famous, Vigil would cook for the rural, blue-collar people of her town widely unfamiliar with fine dining.

However fine, The Friars Fork cant quite be called fancy. Vigil would not want that. She wears a red T-shirt like the rest of her staff; approachable is the aim.

Her approach to The Friars Fork upon opening last year: Im gonna take it way down. Im not gonna be plating stuff with tweezers anymore. Im gonna go really simple. Simple but good.

Simple but good  thats the braised lamb shank, which falls off the bone and melts in the mouth with herbed polenta. The menu skews Italian, with classics everybody knows: spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan.

Not everyone knows the kind of flavors that can be achieved by a highly trained chef. The difference is in the sauces and in the patience behind that lamb shank, which stews for 12 hours before reaching tables.

Vigil is quick to downplay any magic. Its pretty basic, she says.

Its not all local ingredients, shes sorry to say. Ingredients are far from the exotic she came to know in her career out of culinary school in New York. Such ingredients would threaten prices she seeks to maintain; shes heard one too many local complaints already about $16 spaghetti.

On the topic of anything more elevated, the workforce must also be considered.

Were in Alamosa, Vigil says. While I love our crew, were dealing with what our local talent pool has to offer.

When she opened last year, she hired mostly young people who mostly never worked in the industry. One for the kitchen had previous experience at Jimmy Johns.

Next door to the former parish hall where people dine today is The Sanctuary that Vigil transformed into a speakeasy-style bar. The bar manager is responsible for crafting upscale cocktails.

The bar manager just turned 21. He is a friend of Vigils daughter.

All that matters to Vigil: They give their heart. They pay attention to what theyre doing, and theyre required to be proud of what theyre doing.

It paid off with the James Beard recognition. Judges dine undercover across the country to find nominees.

Thats what representatives for the foundation explained in interviews regarding the surprise Friars Fork. They also explained the mission to diversify, not only when it came to race and gender but also in terms of geography. (The Friars Fork did not advance past the semifinalist round.)

As a woman all too aware of male-dominated kitchens and the industrys unweighted focus on major metros, Vigil appreciated the nomination. There was something else she felt.

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I felt like I was back at that level of high pressure, high stress, like you have to perform at a top, top level, she says. This wasnt supposed to be that.



Following a life in high cuisine and high-octane kitchens, The Friars Fork, she says, was supposed to be a different page out of a different book.

Vigils culinary story starts in the 1990s at Colorado State University, where she increasingly felt uneasy about her English major.

I know this sounds super crazy, she says, but I started feeling really introspective and meditating and praying. Like, what am I gonna do? And I literally just had a dream, like this really intense dream.

In it, she was cooking. And so she followed the dream.

She left college to find herself in the graces of a French-trained chef who happened to cook at a ranch close to Alamosa. Thats where Vigil learned how to hold a knife among other basics. She picked flowers and herbs out a back door to be used in recipes.

Her education continued in New Mexico at Santa Fes acclaimed Coyote Cafe. There she worked under Mark Miller, the first James Beard Award-winning chef whose tutelage she sought.

She then went to New York, a move that startled friends and family back home. It was like I was announcing I was half lizard people, Vigil says.

She forged ahead, drawn to this world of science and sacrifice. She found comfort in the chaos, the shouting and the stove heat, hot as the competition around her, and the long hours and the little pay. She bounced around high-profile kitchens, from Sundance in Utah to Aspen to another James Beard Award-winning boss in Portland.

In 2003, everything came to a screeching halt.



Her daughter was born. A divorce followed. Those kitchens and late nights were no place for a single mom, she thought.

It was hard, because it was what I spent my whole life training for, she says. I got to that level only working for celebrities and billionaires this whole time, and now what?

She joined Starbucks, helping the companys expansion in Colorado. For seven years, she felt out of place, less than herself.

Then the opportunity arose to cook for Louis Bacon and esteemed guests of his ranch in the San Luis Valley. Vigil married a maintenance man she met at the ranch.

Tough, is how Nelson Vialpando came to see Vigil. Very tough. Shes just set in her ways.

And so he wasnt surprised when her relentless ambition took her to the abandoned church on Fourth Street.

Raising a child was a proud accomplishment. But all along for Vigil, perhaps another pride tugged.

You always wonder if this is what youre supposed to be doing. Are you competitive enough? Is what youre doing valid? Does what youre doing matter to anybody? she says. Is there more?

Vigils daughter was grown and off to college. Now Vigil could attempt something she never thought shed attempt: As crazy as kitchens could be, running them seemed even crazier.

It seemed crazy enough cooking back home in Alamosa  the last thing that I was expecting, Vigil says.

Or maybe the James Beard nomination was the last thing.

That was a dream for her, Vialpando says.

But there was little time for celebrating.

For Vigil, as ever, there was work to be done.
Just wanted to catch-up on a few items we're watching. We might have more on a few of these stories for the morning but for right now . . . We check police action, court case updates and community outreach.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

KC pawn shop owner sentenced to 1 year & 8 months for fencing over 14 thousand stolen items A pawn shop owner was sentenced in federal court today after engaging in a $744,000 scheme to fence more than 14, 500 stolen items and sell them on eBay.

Man charged with 5 counts of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing family, setting Shawnee house on fire A husband and father is charged with five counts of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his family and setting their house on fire early Saturday morning in Shawnee, Kansas.

Independence woman found dead overnight from gunshot wound A homicide investigation is underway in Independence after a woman was found dead in front of a residence.

Kansas City man sentenced to life in prison for May 2021 murder, kidnapping Rashaud Q. Lewis was sentenced for his involvement in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Gilberto Gutierrez in May 2021.

Wyandotte County has scanned thousands of files to prepare for Roger Golubski review The $1.7 million project aims in part to find and identify every case touched by indicted former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski.

Attorney-client privileges violated after phone call recordings discovered at Douglas County jail The Douglas County Jail was recording phone calls between defendants and their defense attorneys for several months.

Crime Analyst Honors Family's Mexican Heritage Through Action Shes also translated more than 200 cases for detectives. Of Mexican descent, She is fluent in Spanish. Growing up near Myrtle and Smart Avenues, Spanish was her only language until she entered school. Its also what brought her to KCPD.

Developing . . .
Forty Years Ago This Week: Not long after being elected as treasurer of the Boulder County Republican Party, former Chicago attorney George Hilgendorf was approached by several prominent but unnamed Republicans to run for statewide office.

Responding in true political fashion, Hilgendorf had asked his supporters to be patient. But after nearly nine months in office, he told The Colorado Statesman that he was thinking about running for Colorado treasurer three years down the road in the 1986 election.

Hilgendorf said he was keen to avoid a primary, and while he still wouldnt name the influential members of the GOP who were pushing him to run, he did suggest that he was in contact with Colorado Republican Party Chairman Bo Callaway through members of his staff.

Statesman reporters questioned the incumbent in the treasurers office an up-and-coming politician named Roy Romer, who said he had not yet decided whether he would be seeking reelection.

To be frank ... Ive been concentrating on the work Ive been doing  1986 is a long time away, Romer said.

Serving his second term as treasurer, Romer said that he had a few options in front of him, including running for reelection or returning to the private sector.

But that was not all he had in mind.

I would seriously consider running for governor if Dick Lamm didnt run again, Romer mused. Or maybe I could run for treasurer of Boulder County. The county post is one experience I havent had. Ive got a good job, I enjoy it, and Im doing it well, but maybe the Boulder treasurer has a good job thats more interesting and we can switch.

Thirty Years Ago: Former Sen. Barry Goldwater made a surprise drop-in on a Colorado crowd, throwing his considerable weight behind Republican gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Mike Bird, R-Colorado Springs, at an I Like Mike party hosted at the Westin Hotel in Denver.

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The event netted more than $60,000 for Birds campaign coffers and had more than 450 Republicans in attendance.

Goldwater outlined to the happy crowd why he was supporting Bird. They shared many beliefs, he said, most importantly the strong objection to governmental intrusion in business and personal lives. The former presidential candidate told the crowd how he used to sit in his car in 111-degree heat for an hour to get his exhaust system checked and questioned why such programs were necessary in such a pristine state as Colorado.

Following Goldwaters introduction, Bird described himself as a middle class candidate and outlined his conservative economic beliefs, while describing Gov. Roy Romer as a tax and spend Democrat, a tax and spend governor.

Bird promised to reduce or eliminate welfare programs, if elected governor, as well as cutting back Medicaid, which in 1993 counted for 20% of the states budget. Bird did not comment on abortion rights nor Amendment 2, which would limit rights for homosexuals, but instead castigated Romer for dividing and defying voters by his negative reaction to Amendment 1 (TABOR).

In other news, Swanee Hunt, chair of the Mayors Human Capital Agenda Council and president of the Hunt Alternatives Fund, said she was deeply honored that President Bill Clinton had asked her to service his administration as ambassador to Austria."

I look forward to putting my energy and commitment into carrying out the presidents agenda, as well as strengthening the close bonds between our country and the Austrian people, Hunt said.

A not-insignificant campaign trail donor for Clinton, Hunt had contributed more than $250,000 to the Clinton campaign and was masterminded behind the "Million Dollar Day" symposium, featuring high profile Democratic women. Hunt held a PhD in Theology and was a former president of the Womens Foundation of Colorado.

If confirmed by the Senate, Hunt said she would be joined in Austria by her husband Charles Ansbacher, president and CEO of the New World Airport Commission, after he concluded his opening activities for Denver International Airport.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.
An educational institution has been damaged in Russias shelling of the Chuhuiv districts village of Symynivka.

The relevant statement was made by Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Syniehubov on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Over the past day, Russian troops have been attacking settlements in the Kharkiv regions Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk and Izium districts.

The enemy launched air strikes on the Kharkiv districts Strilecha and the Kupiansk districts Kotliarivka. Russian artillery strikes affected the town of Kupiansk.

Russian invaders dropped a guided bomb on the Izium districts village of Kopanky. One detached house was destroyed completely, and two more were damaged.

According to Syniehubov, no casualties among civilians were reported across the region.

Meanwhile, demining efforts continue. Over the past day, the explosive experts of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service have inspected 6.6 hectares and neutralized 75 dangerous objects.
The German company Quantum Systems will hand over 100 next-generation tactical drones to Kyiv, which the capital will send to the Ukrainian defenders at the front.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

We agreed on this with the investor and the company's leaders today at the Stern Stewart Institute annual summit, which is taking place in Germany," said the Kyiv mayor.

According to Klitschko, the capital continues to help Ukrainian soldiers by allocating funds from the city budget (almost UAH 1 billion last year, UAH 5 billion this year) and attracting assistance from partners.

"We hand over cars, ambulances, equipment, drones, first-aid kits to the soldiers at the front," the mayor said and assured he would continue to negotiate with partners and friends of Ukraine and Kyiv to attract more such aid.

As Ukrinform reported, Klitschko discussed the creation of a prosthetics center for the military in Kyiv with the Berlin mayor.
Over the past 24 hours, more than 30 combat clashes have occurred along the frontlines in Ukraine as the war grinds on.

Thats according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"The Ukrainian Defense Forces remain on the defensive in the east and south of Ukraine, while continuing their offensive operation in the Melitopol direction and offensive raids on the Bakhmut axis, destroying the enemy, liberating the temporarily occupied territories step by step, and gaining a foothold. Today, the Russian Federation launched air and missile strikes on Ukraine. The reports on the consequences of the terrorist attack are currently being verified," the report reads.

According to the General Staff, more than 30 combat clashes took place in the past day. The enemy launched eight missile attacks and 57 air strikes, as well as over 30 attacks involving multiple rocket launchers, on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas. Also, the civilian population in Kharkiv suffered from cynical missile attacks. As a result of Russian terrorist strikes, a number of civilians were killed and wounded. More than 15 households were either destroyed or damaged. A local lyceum and other civil infrastructure objects were also destroyed.

Read also: Russian missiles hit Kharkiv second time within 24 hours

The settlement of Stepok of Sumy region was hit by airstrikes, as were Mala Vovcha, Pletenivka, Synkivka, and Kopanky of Kharkiv region; Novoyehorivka and Nevske of Luhansk region; Serebrianka, Spirne, Klishchiivka, Avdiivka, Severne, Krasnohorivka, Prechystivka, Novomykhailivka, and Staromaiorske of Donetsk region; and Svitla Dolyna, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv and Robotyne of Zaporizhzhia region.

About 100 settlements in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions came under enemy artillery fire.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation saw no significant changes.

In the Siverhchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions, the enemy maintains groups of troops covering the state border, conducting active subversion activities in the areas close to the border with the aim of preventing the transfer of Ukrainian troops to the hot spots along the front line, and increasing the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod region.

In the Bakhmut direction, the Ukrainian defense forces successfully repelled 13 enemy attacks in the Klishchiivka area of Donetsk region. The enemy unsuccessfully tried to break through the defense lines in the Kurdiumivka and Andriivka districts of Donetsk region. As part of the Ukrainian offensive (assault) efforts, the enemy was displaced from their positions in the area of Klishchiivka, Donetsk region.

In the Marinka direction, the enemy ran unsuccessful offensive raids in the Marinka area of Donetsk region. Here, over the last day, the enemy made 11 unsuccessful attempts to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions. In addition, all enemy assaults in the areas of Severne and Rivnopil of Donetsk region, and Novodarivka of Zaporizhia region ended for the occupiers with significant losses in both manpower and equipment. At the same time, in the Avdiivka, Marinka, and Shakhtarske areas, the Ukrainian forces retain the initiative, putting pressure on the enemy, conducting assault operations, and regaining territory.

In the Melitopol direction, Ukrainian soldiers are on the offensive, inflicting significant losses in terms of manpower and equipment on the invading troops, and forcing the enemy to retreat.

In the Kherson direction, Ukrainian defenders continue to engage in counter-battery combat, destroying supply depots and inflicting damage behind the Russian defense lines.

"Throughout the day, the Ukrainian aviation has carried out two strikes on control points, 12 strikes on the manpower and equipment clusters, and five  on the anti-aircraft missile systems. Missile and artillery units hit three Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems and five artillery systems," the General Staff concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, citing the General Staff, since February 24, 2022, Ukraines Defense Forces have eliminated 271,790 Russian invaders.

Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
One civilian has been injured in Russias shelling of the Donetsk region over the past day.

The relevant statement was made by Donetsk Regional Military Administration on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

On September 16, 2023, Russians injured one civilian in the Donetsk region, namely in Zarichne, the report states.

Additionally, it is now impossible to count the exact number of casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha.

A reminder that, on September 16, 2023, Russian troops launched eight missile strikes and 57 air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) on Ukrainian positions and settlements over 30 times.

Photo: illustrative
On the night of September 17, 2023, Ukraines Defense Forces destroyed 12 enemy air targets.

The relevant statement was made by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

A total of 16 enemy air targets were detected within Ukraines airspace.

In particular, Russian invaders launched six Shahed-136/131 loitering munitions from the southeastern and southern directions (Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Chauda).

Additionally, 10 Russian Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 air-launched missiles were fired from nine Tu-95ms strategic bombers around Engels in Russias Saratov region.

Russian missiles and drones targeted primarily the south of the Odesa region. Ukraines air defense units were working along the route.

Russias air attack was repelled by Ukrainian fighter jets, surface-to-air missile units, mobile fire teams, and other forces.

Following the concerted efforts of the Air Force and other subdivisions of Ukraines Defense Forces, six Russian Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles and six Shahed-136/131 suicide drones were downed.

Meanwhile, some Russian missiles hit an agricultural enterprise in the Odesa region. The Ukrainian State Emergency Service is working at the scene.
Four U.S. senators on Saturday sent a letter to U.S. President Joseph Biden, urging him to send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to the Ukrainian military to use in its war against Russia.

The text of the letter was published on the website of one of the senators, Tom Cotton, Ukrinform reports.

We write to urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine. Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict, wrote politicians Tom Cotton, Roger Wicker, Susan Collins, and Lindsey Graham.

Read also: Johnson slams West for delaying shipment of weaponry to Ukraine

The letter says that providing ATACMS would enable Ukraine to strike key Russian logistics and communications targets as well as cruise missile and drone launch sites within Russian-occupied Ukraine.

In particular, the longer-range unitary warhead variant of ATACMS should be sent without delay. Providing these weapons to Ukraine would maximize the likelihood of success in its current counteroffensive and follow-on operations. ATACMS could also augment Ukraines ability to destroy Russian defensive formations, the senators said.

As Ukrinform reported, U.S. President Joseph Biden is considering recommendations of the State Department and the Pentagon regarding the supply of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine and is expected to make a final decision soon.

Photo: Wikimedia
Russia has amassed 52,000 invaders in the Bakhmut sector. In total, there are about 150,000 Russian soldiers in the eastern direction.

Illia Yevlash, the head of the press service of the eastern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this during the nationwide United News telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"They keep 52,000 personnel and about 274 tanks there, more than 1,000 armored combat vehicles, as well as 150 artillery systems and a little more than 120 multiple launch rocket systems," Yevlash said, when asked how many invaders Russia has amassed in the Bakhmut sector.

Yevlash also noted that, in general, Russia has concentrated about 150,000 troops in the eastern direction, as well as about 1,000 tanks, 3,000 armored fighting vehicles, about 1,000 artillery systems, etc.

However, according to Yevlash, Russians have problems with logistics, but he noted that they are "quite well equipped in the Lyman-Kupiansk direction", where various types of weapons have been recorded.

As reported, the day before, Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said that the most active battles are currently taking place in the Bakhmut sector. Following offensive actions, the Defense Forces of Ukraine have achieved success in the area of Klishchiivka, Donetsk region.
After Ukraines successful strikes targeting Russian Navys assets near the coast of occupied Crimea, the invaders opted for dispersing the remaining fleet and moving the warships as far away from Crimea as possible.

Thats according to Serhiy Bratchuk, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army South, who spoke with Channel 24, Ukrinform reports.

As he noted, recently the situation in the Black Sea has become more and more alarming for Russia.

The damage that the Ukrainian missiles and drones inflicted on the Russian warships is so critical that it will take years to restore the affected assets. In order to protect the vessels that are still intact, the Russians are moving them away from the occupied peninsula.

Recent powerful strikes targeting large landing ships have had a significant impact on the invading force as it is this type of transport that they massively used to haul ammunition, weapons, and equipment.

"Strikes are great. But look at this nuance: they were successful in the most protected naval fortresses of the Black Sea Fleet, namely in Sevastopol," Bratchuk said.

According to him, as of today, the entire Russian Black Sea Fleet is under the fire threat from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which forced the enemy to disperse their ships, moving many closer to Novorossiysk, the port in mainland Russia.

At least three large landing ships were moved to the Sea of Azov, away from their usual Black Sea bases.

Perhaps they are afraid of another baby (Sea Baby is a Ukrainian-made maritime drone used to attack Russian warships in the Black Sea  ed.) because you dont mess with the babies, Bratchuk suggested.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraines Defense Ministry confirmed the destruction of a Russian large landing ship and a submarine in temporarily occupied Sevastopol in the early hours of Wednesday, September 13.

On September 14, the Defense Forces of Ukraine damaged two more Russian patrol ships in the southwestern part of the Black Sea.

As of the morning of September 17, a total of 13 Russian warships were on combat duty in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, with no missile carriers among them.
Canadas National Defense Minister, says the country will allocate CAD 33 million (US$24.4 million) for the purchase of equipment to strengthen Ukraines air defense capabilities.

Thats according to a statement published on the website of the Canadian government, Ukrinform reports.

During my visit to Lydd Military Training Camp, I witnessed first-hand how Canadian Armed Forces members are providing Ukrainian recruits with the skills that they need to defend their countrys sovereignty. Together, Canada and the United Kingdom are standing with Ukraine, as it fights to defend itself against Russias illegal and unjustifiable invasion. Canada commends the courage and strength of Ukrainians, and we will continue to support them with the comprehensive military aid that they need to fight and win. Blair said.

It is noted that Canada will allocate CAD33 million as part of a partnership with Britain, which provides Ukraine with hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles and associated systems required to protect Ukraine's critical national infrastructure.

The donation is funded as part of new CAD500 million in military aid funding for Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada announced during Justin Trudeau's visit to Ukraine that Canada will allocate CAD500 million (about US$400 million) in military aid to Ukraine.
While running for the Colorado House of Representatives, Rep. Stephanie Vigil spent her days and nights knocking on constituents doors. Sometimes to ask for their vote. Sometimes to deliver them food.

On a typical day, Vigil started her mornings with campaign meetings at 8 a.m., before jumping in her car at 10:30 a.m. to make deliveries for apps such as DoorDash and GrubHub, her sole paying job before taking office. After the lunch rush, Vigil would work on her campaign until around 7 p.m., canvassing, making fundraising calls and responding to emails. Then, on some days, it was back to delivering from dinner hours until she was too tired to stay out.

Since prime delivery hours overlapped with prime canvassing hours, Vigil often had to prioritize the election over her work. Along the campaign trail, she racked up personal debts and had to make some difficult financial decisions, Vigil said. Doctors visits and car payments were put off. Credit card bills received minimum payments, while other, older debts went to collections.

It was a rather trying time for me, said Vigil, D-Colorado Springs. We really were putting a significant gamble into this.  Youve got to hustle to win.

Vigil is now one of few working-class members of Legislature.

Nationally, less than 3% of state legislators worked in manual labor, service industry and clerical jobs at the time of their election, while 52% of their constituents hold those working-class jobs, according to data compiled in 2018 by Duke University political science professor Nicholas Carnes.

In theory, citizen legislatures like Colorados are meant to ensure its members are ordinary citizens, providing a part-time structure and low pay to keep legislators in the workforce and in touch with their communities. But in practice, the financial burdens of public office often shut out lower-earning individuals from the candidate pool and make it doubly difficult for those who must balance policymaking with other jobs, including running businesses.

Most Colorado legislators earn $43,977 per year, though senators who entered office before 2023 earn $41,449. That means the highest-paid legislator in Colorado makes less than the lowest-paid county commissioner, sheriff, treasurer, accessor or clerk. For comparison, the median income for Colorado households with one earner was nearly $71,000 in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Former Sen. Chris Holbert estimates he gave up $1 million of earning potential during the 12 years he served in the House and Senate.

I took a huge pay cut, said Holbert, R-Douglas County. (But) I knew what I was doing.  I cant think of any legislator who got rich from being in the Colorado General Assembly, he said.

People who serve in Congress often get criticized because they  or a family member  got rich while they served, he noted.

Thats not how your state Capitol works, Holbert said.

Legislative dreams, financial realities

While Im very happy and overjoyed to have the opportunity to serve in the Legislature, its just about the worst financial decision I could make for myself, said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora. Im in my mid-40s, which is kind of prime earning years for wealth building and preparing for the future.

Lindsay said her legislative salary, combined with her husbands income, is enough to pay their rent and put food on the table for their four children, but not much else. The family cant afford to buy a house in Lindsays Aurora district, making her one of only a handful of Colorado legislators who rent their home.

Lindsay is among the legislators who dont have another job outside the Legislature and who, as a result, struggle with finances. Lindsay said when she ran for office she accepted that she wouldnt be able to become a homeowner for the foreseeable future.

Financial constraints also seep into Lindsays legislative work. Lindsay said she cant afford to attend most professional conferences offered to state legislators. While legislators can request reimbursements for conferences and travel expenses, that can take months, requiring legislators to pay hundreds of dollars upfront. Thats money Lindsay doesnt have, she said, joking about having only $20 in her checking account while awaiting direct deposits at the end of the month.

Lindsays legislative pay has become a running joke between her and her husband, with the couple quoting thats like a dollar an hour from the movie Napoleon Dynamite every time Lindsay comes home in the middle of the night following lengthy debates at the Capitol.

The number of hours you spend compared to the amount we make, its kind of laughable, Lindsay said. Even as Im saying I am postponing homeownership, I feel stupid. It feels like a bad financial decision that an adult wouldnt make.

The Colorado General Assembly meets for 120 days a year, from January to May, a decision imposed just over three decades ago.

This part-time structure is intended to allow legislators to work a second job, but Lindsay and other legislators say the workload and hectic schedule make holding other employment difficult.

Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, ran her own interpretation and translation business for over 10 years. But Velasco lost her business when she ran for office last year. Before she was even elected, the time commitment of campaigning made it impossible for Velasco to manage her business time-sensitive requests and forced her to refer clients to other agencies.

Now in the interim after her first legislative session, Velasco said she is looking for work in consulting. But even though shes not in the Capitol voting on legislation every day, Velasco said she still doesnt have the time to draft a business plan.

Velasco said shes still working full-time, leading the interim Wildfire Matters Review Committee, sitting on the air quality committee, hosting town hall meetings, drafting legislation for next year, meeting with elected officials, and launching her reelection campaign.

The job of being a legislator, it definitely doesnt feel like its a part-time job, Velasco said. I want to do a lot. I want to do as much as I can because theres such a big opportunity for change for our communities.

Velasco said she makes way less money as a legislator than she has in the past decade. Since she lives more than 50 miles from the Capitol in Denver, Velasco gets an extra $237 stipend every day of the 120-day legislative session to cover her living expenses away from her district. But Velasco said even with that added money, she spends the session living out of a basement 20 minutes away from the Capitol  because its all she can afford.

And since shes required to spend four months of the year in Denver, around 160 miles away from her Glenwood Springs home, finding another job to work half of the year between her frequent interim work is proving difficult.

It feels like Im starting from zero, Velasco said. I have to come up with something different to do.

During his 16 years as a legislator, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg said he lost more money trying to keep his businesses running than the Legislature paid.

While he was in the Capitol during the session, Sonnenberg was forced to use his legislators salary to hire someone to manage his cattle trucking business, ranch and farm until his sons were old enough to take on that responsibility.

Back then, my salary was $30,000, and it would cost me over $20,000 a year to hire my spring work done, such as spraying and planting corn, said Sonnenberg, R-Sterling.

When she entered the Legislature, Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet expected to take a pay cut, but she didnt realize how substantial it would be. Her nonprofit, the Journey Institute, which provides community building training, lost its biggest client when she took office because Michaelson Jenet was no longer nonpartisan, she said.

That single contract paid more than Michaelson Jenets legislative salary.

Each month, its a struggle to keep the house, Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, said. Its tough. We made the decision that were going to figure it out, but its tough.

Michaelson Jenet said even if she hadnt lost the contract, she couldnt have possibly given the client the time and attention they needed while being a legislator. Almost seven years into her legislative career, she does very little work for her nonprofit because the Legislature takes up all her time. She said she works full-time every day  during the session and in the interim.

Now, Michaelson Jenet is moving from the House to the upper chamber, chosen on Aug. 31 to fill a vacant Senate seat after the resignation of Sen. Dominick Moreno. Despite their financial difficulties, Michaelson Jenet said she and her husband have committed to continue scraping by for as long as she is able to serve.

I want to give the Legislature all I can and my constituents all I can because this is a once in a freaking lifetime experience, Michaelson Jenet said. If Im going to do my public service, Im going to do it all the way.

Lindsay similarly said she is fully dedicated to her job as a legislator, but lamented how her love for this job clashes with the financial realities of her life.

I want to ask my colleagues: How do you make this work? Lindsay said. Does your spouse make a ton of money? I know some people are retired or have pensions or some people are lawyers.  I just dont have a situation like that. What am I supposed to do?

Splitting myself in half

The most common profession among Colorados 2023-24 class of legislators is attorney, accounting for at least 15 of the 100 lawmakers. Next is retired with 11 legislators, and business owner with 10. Another six legislators run nonprofit organizations, and six more run farms and/or ranches, arguably adding to the business owner tally.

Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, is one of the lawyers in the Legislature, but hes not the high-earner one might expect from the title. Mabrey is a nonprofit attorney doing eviction-defense work for the Community Economic Defense Project.

So, I already wasnt making the big bucks, said Mabrey, who is among the legislators who hold day jobs in addition to legislating, leading to struggles with overlapping time commitments.

Mabrey continues to work as an attorney during the legislative session, though he doesnt take on a full caseload. This still leads him to spend whatever evenings, nights and weekends that hes not in the Capitol working on cases, he said. After the session ends, Mabrey works more than 40 hours per week as an attorney, on top of around 30 hours per week of legislative work, such as meeting with constituents and drafting legislation.

My schedule is not atypical. I think a lot of legislators work around as much, or at least as much as me, and a lot of them have kids and families, Mabrey said. But it is a lot. I dont get a lot of time for myself.

Mabrey said he makes about as much money as a legislator as he loses from cutting back on his work as an attorney  though he now works way more hours. He said he couldnt survive on just his legislative salary while helping to support his mother and brother, paying his mortgage, and dealing with a six-figure student loan debt.

If the pay were such that I could afford to only be a legislator, I would love to do that. Thats just not where things are in reality, Mabrey said. Being a legislator is a full-time job. Even in the off-session, theres so much we can do and should do to engage with our communities and stakeholders across the state who are involved in the crafting of legislation that will improve or harm our constituents lives.

When Rep. Lorena Garcia was asked to fill a vacancy in the state House in January, she couldnt afford to quit her day job, either.

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Garcia, D-Adams County, runs the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition. She said she works 70-80 hours a week for the nonprofit outside of the session. During the session, she works reduced hours, but theres not a chance she could afford to only work as a legislator.

Garcias days during the session typically started at around 5 a.m. to handle daily tasks for her nonprofit and to attend an organizational meeting at 8 a.m. Then she was ready to start her legislative work, when the House convened at 9 a.m. Garcia scheduled her nonprofit duties and meetings between her afternoon legislative committee hearings, though she often had to cancel on her nonprofit when debates ran late. And the work only continued whenever she was home: Weekends didnt exist, she said.

It is difficult, Garcia said. And I am incredibly privileged to have such a flexible job. I dont have to clock in at 9 a.m., clock out at 5 p.m., like most other jobs where it would be impossible to balance the two.

Garcia said she cant financially afford to go to the legislative conferences, receptions and galas she would like to, in particular because she entered office through a vacancy, so she doesnt have the campaign fundraising money many other legislators have. But the biggest effect is on her schedule and mental load.

When you have to work another job, it absolutely limits your ability to be as engaged and as participatory as you would like, Garcia said. Yes, its hard economically, but its also your obligation to your other job.

Former Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver, spent five years in the House balancing her legislative work with directing a collaborative management program in Denver as an independent contractor. She worked both jobs during and out of the legislative session. And on top of that, she raised three young children, the youngest of whom was only 2 years old when Gonzales-Gutierrez took office.

I didnt have the luxury of not working during session. Im running legislation, Im doing stakeholder meetings and Im splitting myself in half doing this other work, Gonzales-Gutierrez said. I worked nonstop and then tried to be a parent and be at my kids activities and be a part of their lives.

Gonzales-Gutierrez resigned from the House this month to begin her new job as a member of the Denver City Council, which she was elected to in April. Gonzales-Gutierrez said her primary motivation for changing offices was to serve the public on a local level, but she said the more manageable schedule and ability to focus on only one job played a big part in her decision.

After becoming a councilwoman, Gonzales-Gutierrezs government salary more than doubled overnight, from under $44,000 in the Legislature to more than $110,000 in the city council.

Thanks to this raise, Gonzales-Gutierrez was able to leave her second job. She said it significantly improved her sense of financial security and stability, but the most substantial change is how she gets to spend her time, such as eating dinner with her family.

With this work, you sacrifice a lot, Gonzales-Gutierrez said. Spending more time with my family, going to my kids games, taking my daughter to practice. Things that are just normal activities, I wasnt able to be a part of.  Its an impact on your quality of life.

As it is now, Gonzales-Gutierrez said the state legislature is simply not working  at least not for people from working families like hers.

I dont think its set up for people like me, she said. It shouldnt be that you sacrifice everything to be in these places.

When Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, went from being a Logan County commissioner to a state senator, his salary fell by nearly 45%. On top of that, his electrician business dropped off, because he can no longer take on big projects. Pelton said he had to turn down a contract that would have started in October, because it wouldnt have finished until mid-session. Were it not for his wifes job, finances would be a lot tougher, he said.

Pelton, like his cousin and fellow state Sen. Rod Pelton, is a rancher.

Byron recently moved his herd to his dads ranch near Strasburg when his leased pasture was sold. He then sold off half his herd. The price of cattle was too good to turn down, he said.

Rod, too, must change how he manages his herd during the legislative session. This last session, the cattle stayed at Byrons dads, so he and Byron could take turns keeping an eye on the heifers while they calved in early spring. Hed be up half the night watching over a heifer in labor and then grab a couple of hours of sleep before heading to the Capitol.

So, why does he serve, with all the adaptations hes had to make? He pointed to his herd.

To protect this, he said, meaning the rural way of life that his family has been part of for four generations.

A citizen legislature?

Not all state legislatures are run like Colorados. When it comes to legislative pay, Colorado is in the middle of the pack. Colorados legislative salary of $43,977 is the 19th-highest in the nation. New York, California and Pennsylvania all pay state legislators six figures, with New York paying the most, at $142,000. But New Mexico doesnt give its legislators any annual salary, and six other states pay less than $10,000 per year.

While Colorados legislature meets for 120 days each year, in nine states, legislatures meet year-round, including Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. Other states meet more infrequently, such as Texas, Nevada and Montana, which only convene every other year, some for only 90 days.

In concept, state legislatures that are part-time and low-paying are meant to ensure that legislators can relate to their constituents, said Seth Masket, professor of political science and the director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver.

The idea is that people shouldnt be politicians professionally, that its something they should do for a time out of a sense of service and then return to whatever their life was before that, Masket said. If someone spends too long working in the legislature, they become out of touch with what the citizens of the state need. By intentionally not paying them enough to live off year-round, that forces them to be more connected with their home community.

But in practice, this doesnt usually pan out, Masket said. Instead of ensuring that legislators are regular working people, part-time schedules and low pay can make the job too difficult for those who are not wealthy, retired or working abnormal jobs that allow them to take months off at a time.

This helps account for fewer than 3% of state legislators nationally coming from working-class professions, compared to 52% of the U.S. population.

You end up with a somewhat less representative legislature, one that doesnt necessarily represent the diversity of the state, Masket said. Whichever groups of people have more money tend to be better represented. So, you end up with somewhat older, somewhat Whiter legislatures as a result.

As someone who grew up in poverty and has been homeless, Mabrey said the disconnect between most of his fellow legislators and average citizens is painfully evident.

Mabreys experiences color his perspective on policy issues, he said, recounting having his power and water shut off as a child, being evicted from his home as a teenager, and working as a janitor, cook and delivery driver as he put himself through law school.

If youve never faced housing instability, or eviction, or harassment in the workplace, or lived paycheck to paycheck, youre going to approach these issues differently, Mabrey said. Are you more likely to approach the issue of fair workweek from the perspective of a restaurant owner, or from the perspective of a dishwasher? Those dynamics absolutely play out in the Legislature.

Holbert, the former Senate minority leader, believes that the citizen legislature still works.

Holbert said people dont want career politicians in the state house. He noted that the full-time equivalent of the maximum 16 years legislators can serve across the Colorado House and Senate is about 7.2 years. In the private sector, such experience translates to a senior-level manager position, Holbert said.

And we make them go away after that, he said.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, said legislators who spend their entire careers working in government bring a very different value set to policymaking than someone who gets up at 4 in the morning to vaccinate calves and brings that experience into the Legislature.

Lundeen said a professional legislature leads to lawmakers who seek greater professional status and greater expansion of government  because thats all theyve ever known.

Lundeen, a business owner, said he has to put in extra work to take care of his clients and function as a lawmaker, and to take care of his family and raise his children. He said he sympathizes with lawmakers who are members of the working class.

An individual who has a shift job and who wants to serve in the General Assembly, that would be very challenging. Theyd have to have a very supportive employer, Lundeen said.

But whether they are sympathetic or not, Vigil said shes struggled to get some of her colleagues to understand what its like to have no money, to have to choose which bills will get paid at the end of the month and to know her phone will be shut off so she can pay rent on her apartment.

I was trying to explain to someone what it means to be poor in America in the 21st century, and they were looking at me like I had three heads or something. ... It just doesnt register to people unless theyve lived it, Vigil said. We cant fix those systems if rich people keep deciding whats acceptable for the rest of us.

When asking working-class legislators how the Legislature could work better for them, two primary answers arose: a full-time structure and higher pay.

This would also allow legislators to focus their energy on public service year-round and provide more time for policy drafting and debates, some argued. Others said the part-time structure should remain to give legislators time to spend in their own communities, working directly on constituent issues.

But raising the pay or the number of session days would be tricky to pull off, Masket said.

(A full-time legislature) is possible, but I think thats pretty far off in the future. ... Were generally, across the nation, in a somewhat different political environment today, where its harder to make the argument for more active government, Masket said. And its always an unpopular political move for legislators to raise their own pay. Its fairly easy to demonize.

To get around the raise issue, Masket and a few legislators suggested creating an independent commission to set legislator wages.

But where Colorado thrives in improving legislative representation is party outreach, Masket said, attributing that to the Colorado Legislature being more economically diverse than state legislatures nationally.

Vigil, too, said state leaders should actively recruit and mentor people who have experienced poverty to run for office. To start encouraging others, legislators should be vocal and vulnerable about their own experiences, she said.

I want more poor people in office with me, Vigil said. If I could do it, you probably could, too.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine have liberated the settlement of Klishchiivka in Donetsk region from the Russian invaders.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi announced this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"The Bakhmut direction. Klishchiivka was cleared of the Russians and liberated by the forces of the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, the 5th Separate Assault Brigade, the Liut United Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine, said Syrskyi.

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.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine successfully repelled enemy attacks in the Bakhmut and Maryinka sectors. In total, 25 combat clashes have occurred at the front in the past 24 hours.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its evening update posted on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to carry out offensive operations in the Melitopol direction, offensive (assault) actions in the Bakhmut sector, eliminating the enemy and gradually liberating the temporarily occupied territories, the report says.

Read also: Ukrainian forces liberate Klishchiivka in Donetsk region

Throughout the day, the aircraft of the Defense Forces launched nine strikes on the areas where the enemys personnel and military equipment were concentrated. The Ukrainian missile forces, on their part, hit two anti-aircraft missile systems, nine artillery units, one ammunition depot and an electronic warfare station of the enemy.

The Russian army carried out 15 missile attacks and 44 airstrikes, as well as 35 MLRS attacks on the positions of the Defense Forces and populated areas across Ukraine.

According to the General Staff, the operational situation in the east and south of Ukraine remains difficult.

In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces successfully repelled five enemy attacks in the areas of Klishchiivka and Bila Hora, Donetsk region. The Russians tried to recapture the lost positions in the area of Andriivka, Donetsk region. Airstrikes hit Andriivka and New York, Donetsk region. More than 15 settlements, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Druzhba, and Zalizne of Donetsk region, came under enemy artillery and mortar fire.

In the Marinka direction, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled almost 10 enemy attacks in the area of Marinka. The aggressor launched an airstrike on Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region, where artillery and mortar shelling continued. The settlement of Krasnohorivka, Maksymilianivka, Heorhiivka, Marinka, Pobieda, and Novomykhailivka of Donetsk region were subjected to enemy fire.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Defense Forces destroyed 12 enemy aerial targets in the sky over Ukraine on the night of September 17. Some Russian missiles hit the territory of a civilian enterprise in Odesa region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a meeting with government officials and the team of the Office of the President of Ukraine regarding further strategy for protecting the countrys interests and the principles of free trade with the European Union.

The relevant statement was made by the Office of the President of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The meeting took place immediately after President Zelenskys conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, which had resulted in the agreement that all temporary restrictions imposed by the EU would expire on September 15.

Together with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna, Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solsky, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka, and Deputy Heads of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva and Rostyslav Shurma, the Head of State planned further steps to support Ukrainian farmers.

The meeting participants agreed to develop a series of effective measures to prevent similar crises from arising in the future and to protect the principles of free competition in Europe.

The Ukrainian side is maintaining communication with European partners and is working on practical solutions that will allow for the optimization of agricultural exports in the interests of the entire European community without causing damage to the domestic economy.

President Zelensky expects that the European Commission will refrain from imposing any restrictions on Ukraines exports in the future. Possible unilateral restrictions by some EU member countries will receive an appropriate response from Ukraine.

The meeting participants expressed confidence that Ukraine, as a future EU member, should already be working with European partners on long-term solutions and constant liberalization to strengthen security and free trade in Europe.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Grain producers, dissatisfied with parliaments decision to waive the ban on imports of Ukrainian produce, have sent a letter to Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, stating that they refused to meet with him.

The prime minister invited them to a meeting today, a day before their mass protests are due to begin, reports BNR, according to Ukrinform.

Nikolai Denkov reiterated his support for the parliament's decision on Ukrainian grain. He stressed that his country had no problem with the import of three of the four types of grains from Ukraine, except for sunflower and unrefined cooking oil. Therefore, the state was ready to support producers who would suffer from the restored imports.

Read also: EU does not extend ban on Ukrainian grain exports

According to the Prime Minister, the farmers' demands are general, do not address their real problems, and are very far from reality.

As reported earlier, 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.

Read also: Polish PM says when embargo on Ukrainian grain imports can be lifted

The Ukrainian authorities insisted that if the European Commission continued the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain after September 15, Ukraine may consider mirror measures.
The shortage of fuel in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula temporarily occupied by Russia, is worsening as a result of the disruption of supply routes.

This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Center for National Resistance.

"Since September, problems with fuel have been observed in Crimea since there was a decrease in the volume of shipments of automotive fuel from Russian oil refineries," the report reads.

As noted, problems with the supply of fuel are due to the disruption of supply routes, as well as a decrease in the purchasing power of the inhabitants.

"The Russian occupation administration aims to create new mechanisms for subsidizing individual gas station networks in order to avoid a future increase in fuel prices. However, the decision will create prerequisites for gas stations that will not receive subsidies shutting down," the Center for National Resistance pointed out.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, local partisans spotted Russian military equipment at a railway station in Crimeas Dzhankoy, likely heading for mainland Ukraine. In particular, these are old military trucks and tracked vehicles.
The European Commission called on Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to be constructive after they unilaterally declared they would continue to ban grain imports from Ukraine despite the Commission's decision to end the ban.

Thats according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

"We are aware of some Member States announcements in respect to unilateral measures. What is important right now is that all countries work in the spirit of compromise and engage constructively," a Commission spokeswoman said.

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary all announced on Friday they would keep their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports despite the European Commission's decision.

"Our focus now is to put in place and make work the new system just announced," the Commission spokeswoman said, adding a meeting with representatives of all the interested EU countries on Monday would provide an opportunity to discuss the issue further.

As reported, 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.

On September 15, the European Commission decided not to extend temporary restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports to five neighboring countries.
The G7 Ambassadors have visited one of the main power substations of Ukrenergo National Power Company, which was severely affected by Russian attacks, and inspected progress in renovation works.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrenergo National Power Company Board Chairman Volodymyr Kudrytskyi on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Together with Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov and Head of the Ukrainian State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development Mustafa Nayyem, we showed the G7 Ambassadors progress in renovation works at one of Ukrenergos main power substations, which had been severely affected by Russian attacks, Kudrytskyi wrote.

In his words, it is important for Ukraines partners, providing equipment and funding to ensure stable power supply services for millions of Ukrainian consumers, to know the actual situation with preparations for the winter period.

Our experience and ability to resist enemy attacks is becoming important for our partners energy security protocols as well, Kudrytskyi noted.

During the visit, the issues of accelerating cooperation and directing resources to eliminate the most vulnerable spots in Ukraines energy system were discussed with United States Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Ukraine Gael Veyssiere, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Ukraine Sergio Federico Nicolaci, and USAID Mission Director James Hope.

Photo: Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, Facebook
There are currently no mechanisms for holding elections in Ukraine during the war. The government has no idea how this will happen.

This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal during a press conference in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"My opinion coincides with the opinion of the President of Ukraine: today we have no legal and physical mechanisms, no understanding of how to hold elections in a full-scale war. How can people in foxholes and trenches vote? How can people run for office from foxholes and trenches? How can international observers monitor the proper conduct of elections in the territories where hostilities are taking place? What to do with the occupied territories? What to do with refugees outside of Ukraine, both in civilized countries and in the territory of the aggressor state, who have been taken there or deported? What to do with internally displaced persons, who are millions in number, who are not always registered and will be able to receive food stamps. There are many questions that no one has answered today. And, frankly, no one has worked on them, because we have a different priority - we need to liberate our land, and then talk about elections," the head of the Ukrainian government said.

He also emphasized that the State Budget for 2024 does not include funds for elections.

At the same time, Shmyhal noted: "If the partners find a format to ensure their presence... The key for us is not the election result. For us, the key is the recognition of the election result. If we are fighting for democracy, if Ukrainians are giving their lives for democracy, then elections in wartime should be democratically recognized. This is a priority. If we can ensure it together with our partners, we can talk about this topic, research it, look for ways out and options.
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want talks in the classical sense, but has only one of three scenarios in mind.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office, said this in a post on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Ukrinform reports.

In his post, Podolyak called on the international community not to react to false conversations about "negotiations: Not at all. Do not live in illusions that the current Russia is capable of making agreements in some way. Do not let yourself be deceived once again. Because Putin himself is not talking about negotiations in the classical sense but exclusively about one of three scenarios.

One of such scenarios, according to Podolyak, is to put pressure on Ukraine so that it capitulates and to freeze the conflict until the next stage.

If a direct surrender doesn't work out, then the second scenario: provide us with an operational pause so that we can arm ourselves from the outcasts and continue killing Ukrainians, he wrote.

Read also: German defense minister says Putin not ready for peace talks

If this doesn't work out, according to Podolyak, there is the third scenario: just don't let us lose, otherwise, we will undergo a transformation revolution. Don't let us lose face.

It's all very primitive, predictable and banal when we talk about Russia's plans. So once again  live without illusions, do not listen to Russia, do not pay attention to the genocidal desires of the collective Putin, he noted.

As reported, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that the UN General Assembly is an opportunity to bring the presidents of Ukraine and the Russian Federation to the negotiating table.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is convinced that Ukraine will eventually join NATO, but warns that it is necessary to prepare for a long war.

He said this in an interview with the Funke Group, which includes WAZ, Ukrinform reports.

"Most wars last longer than expected once they ignite," Stoltenberg noted, according to the report.

"We all want a quick peace. At the same time, we must recognize that if President Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist. If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, we will have peace," he said, repeating an often-used phrase.

The head of the Alliance also expressed confidence that "Ukraine will eventually be in NATO."

At the same time, he noted that even after a peace agreement is signed, Ukraine will depend on NATO's continued support and require security guarantees. Stoltenberg did not specify what these guarantees should look like.

The politician also called on Germany to significantly increase defense spending.

"During the Cold War, when Konrad Adenauer or Willy Brandt were in charge, defense spending was three to four percent of economic output," Stoltenberg said. Despite the requirement to bring defense spending to 2%, which is the absolute minimum, Germany is still far from the target.

It should be recalled that Germany is currently the second largest partner of Ukraine in terms of aid supplies.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State Legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

So reads Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in the aftermath of the Civil War, this language is front and center today as more than just a demonstration of the gratuitous use of commas.

With a focus on the words insurrection or rebellion, this provision was targeted at former leaders of the Confederacy. However, a century and a half plus five years later, the question is whether Donald Trumps role in inciting and fomenting the events of Jan. 6th falls under such grounds for disqualification.

A number of constitutional scholars have weighed in recently to the effect that is, indeed, the case. If you were inclined to dismiss those prized legal minds as simply coming from the ranks of left-leaning, Trump-hating law schools and institutions, you would be wrong.

This growing body of legal opinion is truly bipartisan. The duo of conservative former federal appellate judge (and Supreme Court contender) Michael Luttig and liberal law school professor Laurence Tribe made the case in The Atlantic.

The clause was designed to operate directly and immediately upon those who betray their oaths to the Constitutions, whether by taking up arms to overturn our government or by waging war on our government by attempting to overturn a presidential election through a bloodless coup, they argued.

A number of Capitol police officers might argue the bloodless part.

Two constitutional law professors long affiliated with the Trump-aligned Federalist Society reached the same conclusion. William Baude of the University of Chicago is pairing with Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomas on a lengthy law journal article for future publication. Baude wrote of their conclusion:

Donald Trump cannot be president  cannot run for president, cannot become president, cannot hold office  unless two-thirds of Congress decides to grant him amnesty for his conduct on Jan. 6.

Mind you, that comes not from the intellectual heirs of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but from those of Antonin Scalia.

Our fair state of Colorado has now become central to this question.

Roughly ten days ago, a half-dozen Coloradans of stature and integrity filed a lawsuit to preclude the Secretary of State from including Trumps name on the ballot for either the 2024 primary or general elections.

Those plaintiffs included four Republicans and two unaffiliated voters. Among them are highly respected types such as Norma Anderson, the Republican majority leader of the Colorado Senate in years past; conservative columnist Krista Kafer, who writes for some other nameless paper; and, Chris Castilian, years ago a senior staffer to the only Republican governor this state has seen in five decades.

On cue, Trumpers will dismiss these principled sorts as RINOs, short for Republicans In Name Only. Were they alive today, the likes of Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater and even Abraham Lincoln would be on the receiving end of such contempt and ridicule.

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For my money, too many who currently carry the GOP banner are RITOs  Republicans in Trump Only. Flip two letters in RITO and you get RIOT. That shoe seems to fit.

Colorado is not the only state with such litigation. Ultimately, the courts will have their say on the matter. This question looks to be ticketed for resolution by the U.S. Supreme Court, perhaps in an expedited, timely way given that the primaries and caucuses of 2024 are not that far off.

Lacking a law degree much less black robes, far be it from me to hazard a guess on whether the courts will find the language of the 14th Amendment to be applicable. Though from my uneducated vantage point and in the assessment of a politically diverse group of legal masters, the meaning and implications of those words are rather clear.

Which brings us to the corollary question of whether such potential disqualification is a good idea. On that one, with reluctance aplenty, I depart from the Colorado plaintiffs and others who are hanging their hat on this escape hatch.

To be clear, while I have some sympathy for the alienation and discontent that bred Trump, and while a few of his presidential policies had merit, I have only disdain for the man himself.

If only Mitch McConnell, certainly no Trump loyalist, had the fortitude to lead enough of his fellow Republican senators to convict Trump during the second impeachment trial, this issue would never have arisen and Trumps days as a political candidate would have summarily ended.

But as the indictments pile up and the criminal trials loom, Trump is as much martyr as he is candidate. In his own words to Conservative Political Action Conference last March, I am your retribution.

By himself, Trump did not create this era of tribal division through which we are living, even as he continues to pour endless gasoline on the fire.

The country faces twin imperatives. One is to keep Trump from ever again setting foot in the Oval Office. The equally vital second urgency is to reinvest many of those who found voice in Trump in the American experiment, no matter its many flaws.

The latter is even more difficult than the former. Invoking the 14th Amendment, no matter the temptation, will only cement the disenfranchisement and terminal animus of Trumps legions.

Disqualifying Trump from the ballot may well be legally justified. That is not the same as saying it is advisable. Just because something is doable does not make it wise.

The courts will decide both as to criminal charges and the applicability of this constitutional clause. However, if Trump  and Trumpism  are to be conclusively rejected, that in the end requires sustained political will. There is no work-around or substitute.

Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for Colorado Politics and the Gazette newspapers. Reach him at EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann
Russian President Vladimir Putin persuaded Kim Jong Un to open North Koreas "diplomatic missions" in temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk.

This was reported by the Center for National Resistance, Ukrinform saw.

Following the meeting of the two dictators on September 13, a number of agreements were signed in relation to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including on the creation of pseudo-diplomatic institutions, the nonprofit reports citing sources.

It has been established that the main task of these "representations" will be to facilitate the inflow of workers to the occupied territories and the involvement of North Korean citizens in construction work in the said regions.

Read also: Seoul could impose sanctions against Russia for its military cooperation with North Korea

As noted by the Center for National Resistance, such actions on the part of the Kremlin testify to the lack of a sufficient number of workers from Russia or labor migrants from Central Asia, who could be deployed for both for constructing fortification infrastructure for the Russian troops in the temporarily captured territories of Ukraine, and general construction works for the occupying administrations.

Attempts to recruit labor migrants to the Russian army ranks had already been recorded this spring and summer. The NGO does not rule out the possibility that North Korean workers will be used for supporting the Russian invasion force.

The report says in early July, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs established its regional "representative offices" in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, tasked, among other things, with attracting foreigners to labor migration and helping foreigners set up businesses in the said regions.

Also, these pseudo-institutions are engaged in facilitating the launch of more pseudo-diplomatic missions and similar "organizations", which will give grounds to claim "international recognition" of these territories as part of Russia. Until 2022, a similar role had been played by the "representations" of the so-called Commonwealth of Unrecognized States: Abkhazia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Gagauzia, the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic, and South Ossetia.

As reported, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was on a visit to Russia on September 13-17.

During the trip, the DPRK leader met with Vladimir Putin for talks at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region.

After talks with Kim Jong-un, Putin said Russia and North Korea saw certain prospects in the field of military-technical cooperation.
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly believes former prime minister Boris Johnson is wrong in accusing the UK and the West of failing to give Ukraine enough support in its fight against Russian aggression.

That's accodring to Huffington Post, Ukrinform reports.

He cannot be talking about the United Kingdom. Under his tenure, and I always pay tribute to his leadership on this, we supplied those NLAW anti-tank missile systems that were so instrumental in the defence of Kyiv, we supplied training. Under Rishi Sunak as prime minister we were the first in the world to commit main battle tanks, other countries in the world then followed our example. We were the first to commit to the training of fast jet pilots, then other countries followed our example. We were the first to commit to those long-range missiles that have been instrumental in helping the Ukrainians in their battle in the south and south-east of Ukraine. So we have led the world on all these issues, Cleverly said.

Read also: Johnson slams West for delaying shipment of weaponry to Ukraine

The top diplomat added that he took Johnsons comments seriously.

But Ive just given you evidence of the fact that he is wrong on this issue. I speak to the Ukrainians very regularly on this. They remain incredibly grateful, not just for our donations but our leadership on this issue, he stressed.

As reported earlier, in an article in The Spectator last week, Johnson said: I have asked it before, and I ask it again: what the hell are we waiting for?
The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed that Kherson Mayor Ihor Kolyhaiev remains in Russian captivity.

Thats according to the mayors son, Sviatoslav, who spoke with Suspilne, Ukrinform reports.

The prisoner status was officially confirmed on September 13, 2023, Kolyhaievs son said.

"I reached out to the Red Cross and they told me that the Russian side put my father Ihor Kolyhaiev on the list of prisoners and that he is held in the territory of the Russian Federation. They did not say where exactly he is held or anything about his health. His status was also updated by the POW release coordination headquarters," said the mayor's son.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on June 28, 2022, Russian invaders abducted Kherson Mayor Ihor Kolyhaiev upon his arrival to a municipal utility company where the remaining employees of the executive committee worked. As soon as he got out of the car, he was immediately detained by armed Russian Guardsmen and, most likely, the FSB operatives.

Photo: Ihor Kolykhaiev/Facebook
Boynton Beach, United States, Sept 17 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2023 ) :The goliath grouper, a colossus of a fish that can weigh up to 360 kilograms (nearly 800 Pounds), is the delight of divers in Florida, though scientists warn their numbers are down since the US state allowed fishing of the giants resume.

"There's nowhere else you can have an experience with a fish that big while you're diving -- and being this close to it," Dr James Locascio, a marine biologist with the Mote Marine Laboratory, told AFP.

"And so, really, we feel that the fish is worth a lot more alive than it is dead."During a sea trip early this month off Boynton Beach, on Florida's Atlantic coast north of Miami, divers were amazed by these giants, which can measure up to 2.4 meters (eight feet) long.

With naturally down-turned mouths, these creatures may appear cranky, but some actually allow themselves to be brushed by a human hand.
UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2023 ) :UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Saturday rallied a diverse cross-section of civil society actors to use their passionate voices and energetic grassroots networks to help rescue the anti-poverty Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fight for the better future every person deserves.

With world leaders set to convene next week for the annual high-level opening of the General Assembly, the UN's complex in New York City was host to an energetic range of actors  from youth groups and women's organizations, to mayors, community activists, and business leaders  looking to boost support for the Goals ahead of the SDG Summit.

The Summit on September 18-19, to be held on the sidelines of the 193-member Assembly's 78th session, will mark the mid-point of the SDGs, between their 2015 launch and their 2030 deadline.

The SDGs are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity.

Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who will address the SDGs summit on Monday, is expected to call for concrete actions to align financing in support of the SDGs.

As things stand, officials said, the Goals and UN member countries' promise when they adopted the 2030 Agenda to 'leave no one behind' are in serious trouble: despite some progress, over the years widespread implementation gaps have emerged across all 17 Goals, which aim to tackle everything from poverty, hunger and gender equality, to access to education and clean energy.

Lagging public interest in achieving the Goals, geopolitical friction and perhaps most critically, the global coronavirus pandemic, have left the SDGs in need of a global rescue plan.

"Today, only 15 per cent of the targets are on track, with many going into reverse," said the Secretary-General, adding that: "Monday's SDG Summit will be the moment for governments to come to the table with concrete plans and proposals to accelerate progress." But he stressed that the SDGs are not about checking boxes.

"They are about the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people and the health of our natural environment. They are about righting historic wrongs, healing global divisions and putting our world on a path to lasting peace," stated the UN chief.

Everyone needs to step up to help revive the Goals and ensure a better life for people and the planet.

Guterres went on to salute the courage and conviction of the activists in attendance, saying that he knew their global fight for the SDGs "comes at a risk to your safety  liberty (and) even your life." "I urge you to keep going," he said, and similarly urged members of the business community in attendance "to see that sustainable development is the best business plan of all".

"To the women and young people joining us  keep calling out for change in your communities and fighting for your rights and a place at every table, the Secretary-General said.

Finally, the UN chief said: "To the local authorities here  the SDGs will not be rescued in New York. They will be rescued in your communities. So continue listening to the people in your communities and embedding their needs and concerns across your policies and investments."
Riyadh, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Sep, 2023 ) :Representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Governor of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Dr. Mohammed Saud Al-Tamimi participated in the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development annual meeting, held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The meeting aims to enhance the contribution of the communications, space and technology sectors to attaining sustainable development objectives, propose policies and recommendations to bridge the digital divide, and promote and develop the digital economy.

High-level officials from various government and industrial sectors worldwide participated in the meeting where they discussed a range of important issues, including the role of investment and finance in bridging the global digital divide and connecting 2.

6 billion people offline globally. They also addressed challenges and obstacles in the digital environment.

The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development is co-chaired by President of Rwanda Paul Kagame and businessman Carlos Slim, and vice-chaired jointly by the secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the assistant director-general for communication and information at UNESCO. The commission also includes a number of decision makers influential in the field of communication and technology, and senior officials in governments and industrial sector from around the world.
Waktu2023-11-01 10:45:04 Jumlah3398

Indonesian Ecotourism: Preserving Nature's Beauty

Indonesia,data hasil sdy a nation blessed with some of the world's most breathtaking landscapes, invites travelers to embark on a unique journey that not only provides unforgettable experiences but also contributes to the preservation of natural beauty. With a diverse range of habitats, including rainforests, coral reefs, and volcanic peaks, Indonesia offers an abundance of opportunities for ecotourism.

Ecotourism, a sustainable form of travel, has gained significant traction in recent years. It emphasizes responsible travel practices that promote environmental conservation, biodiversity protection, and the empowerment of local communities. By embracing ecotourism, Indonesia is showcasing its commitment to preserving its pristine natural habitats and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.

Indonesia's ecotourism initiatives revolve around the principles of conserving biodiversity and protecting endangered wildlife. The archipelago is home to numerous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, providing safe havens for iconic species such as orangutans, tigers, and Komodo dragons. Travelers can witness these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats while contributing to their preservation through their visit.

In addition to wildlife protection, community involvement plays a crucial role in Indonesian ecotourism. Local communities are actively engaged in ecotourism projects, offering visitors a chance to interact with indigenous cultures, partake in traditional activities, and support local economies. By including local communities, ecotourism ensures that the economic benefits of tourism reach the grassroots level, contributing to poverty alleviation and fostering cultural exchange.

One exemplary ecotourism destination in Indonesia is the Togean Islands, located in the heart of the Coral Triangle. These idyllic islands boast pristine coral reefs, vibrant marine life, and lush rainforests. Travelers can immerse themselves in the beauty of this ecological paradise while participating in conservation efforts such as coral planting and marine debris clean-ups. By promoting responsible diving practices and sustainable fishing, the Togean Islands are protecting their marine environment for future generations.

In conclusion, Indonesian ecotourism offers a remarkable opportunity to explore the country's natural wonders while making a positive impact on the environment and local communities. By choosing sustainable travel practices and engaging in conservation efforts, travelers can contribute to the preservation of Indonesia's biodiversity and cultural heritage. Let us embark on this eco-conscious journey, embracing the beauty of Indonesia and leaving a legacy of protected nature for generations to come.

 Indonesian ecotourism, sustainable travel, biodiversity conservation, community involvement, wildlife protection

 Discover the enchanting wonders of Indonesian ecotourism, where sustainable travel practices harmonize with preserving and protecting the country's diverse natural landscapes. Explore a thousand words or more in this article as we delve into the rich tapestry of Indonesia's ecotourism, highlighting its benefits for both the environment and local communities.
European Union Commision President Ursula von de Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni toured a migrant center Sunday on the small Italian island of Lampedusa.

The center was recently overwhelmed with almost 7,000 migrants in a 24-hour period, a total that is nearly equivalent to the number of people who live on the island.

Residents of Italys southernmost island say they are frustrated with the steady stream of arrivals on their tiny island.

The island has struggled for years to manage the arrivals.

Lampedusa is less than 160 kilometers from Tunisia, making it a logical first stop for the migrants who are looking for a better life in Europe and elsewhere.

Many make the journey in rickety boats and they are often rescued by the coast guard. Many do not survive the journey. The latest victim was a 5-month-old baby, officials say.

Meloni, who was elected last year, promised to end the mass migrations.

Television footage of the politicians trip to the island showed them talking to residents.

Italys right-wing government recently allocated close to $50 million to help Lampedusa manage the massive influx of migrants. Some residents say that sum is not enough.
Al-Shabab militants attacked convoys carrying Ethiopian soldiers in Somalias southwestern Bakool region early Sunday, Somali officials said.

The ambush targeted two convoys, one traveling from the Somali town of Yeed to Wajid and the second convoy as it traveled from El Barde to the town of Huddur. Ethiopian troops have bases in Wajid and Huddur.

A Somali official said local forces were accompanying the convoy that was en route to Huddur from El Barde.

The mayor of Huddur, Omar Abdullahi Mohamud, told VOA Somali that the fighting started after the al-Shabab ambushes.

The fighting started after the anti-peace elements attacked the Ethiopian and Somali military convoy moving towards Wajid and Huddur, starting off their attack with explosion, Mohamud said. The troops have repulsed, and the situation is calm.

Mohamud claimed the militants lost as many as 50 fighters.

A senior Somali regional official who asked not to be identified told VOA Somali that the more intense ambush targeted Ethiopian troops escorting military supplies to Ethiopian soldiers in Wajid.

He said when that convoy left the town of Yeed on Saturday, it spent the night near the village of Booco, about 40 kilometers north of Wajid.

At dawn the convoy resumed its journey towards Wajid but were ambushed by al-Shabab, he said.

We heard two vehicles were hit by explosions.

He said the fighting lasted for hours.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the ambush. Al-Shabab in a statement claimed it killed 167 Ethiopian soldiers, destroyed military vehicles, and seized a cache of weapons and ammunition. Casualty figures given by both sides have not been independently verified.

Meanwhile, Ethiopias ambassador to Somalia, Mukhtar Mohamed Ware told VOA he saw al-Shabab's claim on social media and described it as propaganda.

They may try [to attack Ethiopian forces] but they cannot even fire for more than 10 minutes against Ethiopian defenses forces, he said.

This is a professional army; its a very well equipped, very well organized, its always hitting hard when it comes to al-Shabab, so this is a mere propaganda; its not more than a propaganda against Ethiopia and against Ethiopian defense forces.

He rejected al-Shabab's statement, which labeled Ethiopian troops as crusaders.

We are not crusaders; we are there under the African Union and international community decisions to support legitimate government of Somalia in its effort to establish peace in this country. So, this is a mere propaganda blown by al-Shabab that is commonly known.

Ethiopia has thousands of troops in Somalia serving as part of the African Union Transition Mission, or ATMIS, and other forces in Somalia that are there based on arrangements with the government in Mogadishu.

A security source told VOA the ambushed troops were not part of ATMIS.

The ambush is true, the incident was bad, but the numbers given by al-Shabab have been exaggerated, the source said.

Meanwhile, Somali officials have reported that government troops have captured the main town of Baadweyne and the three smaller villages of Qodqod, Qayad, and Shabelow.

Local forces commander Mohamed Nur Ali Gadaar told VOA that al-Shabab fled Baadweyne and two of the villages after a brief firefight on Sunday. Government troops supported by local fighters are now heading toward a fourth town, Amaara, in Galmudug state, he said.

The Somali government also reported conducting an operation in collaboration with international partners near the village of Ali Foldhere in the Middle Shabelle region on Saturday and Sunday against al-Shabab militants who have been trying to cross a river.

The role of international partners in the ongoing operations has been limited to airstrikes against al-Shabab fighters and vehicles.

Abdiwahid Moalin Isak contributed to this report.
Human rights activists say dozens of people were detained as Iran marked the one-year anniversary Saturday of the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Hengaw Organization for Human Rights has confirmed the identities of at least 13 of those detained across various provinces. Those detained included Nima Safar, a poet, and writer, along with Mani Safar and Majid Kalateh, who were apprehended in Gorgan, according to the group.

Meanwhile, Rahim Jahanbakhsh, the police commander of West Azerbaijan, announced the detention of 137 individuals on charges of disturbing public order."

Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd, had been detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. Iran saw months of anti-government protests after her death in police custody on September 16, 2022.

The anniversary of her death 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.

Aminis father, 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.

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 showing Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a former detainee in Iran, addressing the crowd.
Flames gripped the Sudanese capital Sunday and paramilitary forces attacked the army headquarters for the second day in a row, witnesses reported, as fighting raged into its six month.

"Clashes are now happening around the army headquarters with various types of weapons," witnesses told AFP Sunday from Khartoum, while others reported fighting in the city of El-Obeid, 350 kilometers (about 220 miles) south.

Battles between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces intensified Saturday, resulting in several key buildings in central Khartoum being set alight.

In social media posts verified by AFP, users shared footage of flames devouring landmarks of the Khartoum skyline, including the Greater Nile Petroleum Oil Company Tower  a conical building with glass facades that had become an emblem of the city.

Users mourned Khartoum, a shell of its former self, in posts that showed buildings  their windows blown out and their walls charred or pockmarked with bullets  continuing to smolder.

Since war erupted on April 15 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, nearly 7,500 people have been killed, according to a conservative estimate from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

It has displaced more than five million people, including 2.8 million who have fled the relentless air strikes, artillery fire and street battles in Khartoum's densely-populated neighborhoods.

The millions that remain in the city woke up Sunday to find clouds of smoke obscuring the skyline, as the sound of bombs and gunfire burst through the capital.

"We can hear huge bangs," witnesses told AFP Sunday from the Mayo district of southern Khartoum, where the army targeted RSF bases with artillery fire.

At least 51 people were killed last week in air strikes on a market in Mayo, according to the United Nations, in one of the deadliest single attacks of the war.

The worst of the violence has been concentrated in Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, where ethnically-motivated attacks by the RSF and allied militias have triggered renewed investigations by the International Criminal Court into possible war crimes.

There has also been fighting in the southern Kordofan region, where witnesses again reported on Sunday artillery fire exchanged between the army and the RSF in the city of El-Obeid.
Gunmen opened fire on a group of paramilitary forces in southern Iran, killing one of them and wounding another three, state media reported Sunday.

Local media did not give a motive for Saturday's attack, which occurred on the anniversary of the death while in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the outbreak of nationwide protests. It was unclear if the attack was linked to the anniversary.

The official IRNA news agency said the attack targeting members of the paramilitary Basij occurred late Saturday in the town of Nourabad, some 630 kilometers south of the capital, Tehran.

In a separate incident, a man was shot and wounded by security forces near the city of Saqqez, in Iran's western Kurdish region. IRNA said he was shot after entering an area under military restrictions, without elaborating on his condition. The Kurdish rights group Hengaw had earlier reported that he was in critical condition, while the semi-official Fars news agency said he was stable.

The anniversary saw a heavy deployment of Iranian security forces in Tehran as well as Kurdish areas, where rights groups said there was a general strike.

Amini, who was from the Kurdish region, died Sept. 16, 2022, after being detained by Iran's morality police in the capital, Tehran, apparently for violating the country's strict dress code. Women are required to wear an Islamic headscarf, known as a hijab, in public.

The protests over her death spread to all areas of the country and featured calls to overthrow Iran's four-decade-old Shiite theocracy. Authorities responded with a heavy crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and over 22,000 detained, according to rights groups.

The protests largely died down early this year but there are still widespread signs of discontent with the country's clerical rulers. For months after the protests, women could be seen flaunting the hijab law, prompting authorities to launch a renewed campaign to enforce it over the summer.
Fourteen people were killed Saturday when a plane crashed in the Brazilian Amazon while attempting to land in stormy weather in the popular tourist town of Barcelos. There were no survivors, officials said.

The small plane's pilot was approaching the town in heavy rain, with low visibility, and appeared to inadvertently start his landing mid-runway, Amazonas state security secretary Vinicius Almeida told a news conference.

The plane ran out of landing strip and crashed, killing all 12 passengers and two crew, he said.

Initial investigations indicated the passengers were all Brazilian men traveling to the region for sport fishing, the state government said in a statement.

"Our teams have been on the ground responding since the moment of the crash to provide the necessary support," Governor Wilson Lima wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "My solidarity and prayers to the victims' family and friends."

Media reports showed the small white plane belly-down on a dirt track, its front end crumpled into the dense vegetation to the side.

The plane was an EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer.

The plane was on its way from the state capital, Manaus, to Barcelos, about a 90-minute flight.

Officials said two aircraft approaching Barcelos around the same time had to turn back to Manaus because of the weather.

The Brazilian air force and police will investigate the crash, authorities said.

Initial news reports had said the U.S. nationals were believed to be on the plane, but Amazonas officials said preliminary investigations indicated all the victims were Brazilian.

Officials said the victims' bodies would be taken to the state capital Sunday to be identified.

Traveling sooner was impossible as take-offs and landings at night are not permitted in the region, they said.

"An air force aircraft will leave Manaus tomorrow around 5 a.m." local time with investigators and emergency officials, Almeida said.

"The expectation is that tomorrow we'll be able to bring the bodies to Manaus and immediately take them for forensics and then release them to the families," he said.

Located on the Rio Negro, an Amazon tributary, Barcelos is bordered by several national parks and other protected areas.

This is peak season for fishing in the region, a popular spot for catching tropical river species such as the "tucunare," or peacock bass.
Vatican archivist Giovanni Coco told the Corriere that the importance of the letter was "enormous, a unique case" because it showed the Vatican had information that labor camps were actually death factories.

The letter, dated Dec. 14, 1942, was written by Father Lother Koenig, a Jesuit who was in the anti-Nazi resistance in Germany, and addressed to the pope's personal secretary at the Vatican, Father Robert Leiber, also a German.

The yellowed, typewritten letter, reproduced in Italy's Corriere della Sera on Sunday, is highly significant because it was discovered by an in-house Vatican archivist and made public with the encouragement of Holy See officials.

Wartime Pope Pius XII knew details about the Nazi attempt to exterminate Jews in the Holocaust as early as 1942, according to a letter found in the Vatican archives that conflicts with the Holy See's official position at the time that the information it had was vague and unverified.

In the letter, Koenig tells Leiber that sources had confirmed that about 6,000 Poles and Jews a day were being killed in "SS-furnaces" at the Belzec camp near Rava-Ruska, which was then part of German-occupied Poland and is now in western Ukraine.

"The newness and importance of this document derives from a fact: now we have the certainty that the Catholic Church in Germany sent Pius XII exact and detailed news about the crimes that were being perpetrated against the Jews," Coco told the newspaper, whose article was headlined: "Pius XII Knew."

Asked by the Corriere interviewer if the letter showed that Pius knew, Coco said: "Yes, and not only from then."

Documents sorted haphazardly

The letter made reference to two other Nazi camps  Auschwitz and Dachau  and suggested that there were other missives between Koenig and Leiber that either have gone missing or have not yet been found.

Supporters of Pius say he worked behind the scenes to help Jews and did not speak out in order to prevent worsening the situation for Catholics in Nazi-occupied Europe. His detractors say he lacked the courage to speak out on information he had despite pleas from Allied powers fighting Germany.

The letter was among documents Coco said were kept in haphazard ways in the Vatican's Secretariat of State and only recently handed over to the central archives where he works.

Suzanne Brown-Fleming, director of International Academic Programs at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, told Reuters in an email that the release showed that the Vatican was taking seriously Pope Francis' statement that "the Church is not afraid of history" when he ordered the wartime archives opened in 2019.

"There is both a desire for and support for a careful assessment of the documents from a scientific perspective - whether favorable or unfavorable in what the documents reveal," she said.

In an email to Reuters, David Kertzer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Pope at War", a 2022 book about the Pius years, said Coco was a "top notch, serious scholar", centrally placed in the Vatican to unearth the truth.

Brown-Fleming, Coco and Kertzer will be part of a major conference on Pius and the Holocaust next month at the Pontifical Gregorian sponsored by Catholic and Jewish organizations, the U.S. State Department and Israeli and American Holocaust research groups, among others.
Anti-junta forces in Myanmar, facing a common enemy in the countrys post-coup rulers, are divided internally, and the leaders of dozens of ethnic armies aligned with the opposition cannot agree on a common political strategy, all of which has its costs in terms of funding, arms, sanctions and time, specialists interviewed by VOA in recent weeks say.

Even supporters of the opposition National Unity Government  born out of the ousted National League for Democracy  complained in conversations with VOA that the armed wing of the NUG in Myanmar, known as the all-volunteer guerrilla People's Defense Force, lacks a single military command structure wedded to a coherent political policy and an unsullied leader.

There are also too many differences among NLD-allied ethnic armies  sometimes referred to as ethnic armed organizations, or EAOs, especially regarding what they are fighting for, said Michael Martin, an adjunct fellow with the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington.

"They speak in terms of liberating their homelands. Thats the first task," he said. "Once theyve liberated their homelands, their next objective is to set up a government of their design, of their own choosing." That contrasts sharply with NLD ambitions of ousting military rule and reestablishing the democratic order in the whole country under now-detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The militias

Myanmars opposition armed forces include about 135,000 members of about 20 ethnic armies and 65,000 soldiers in the NUGs Peoples Defense Force, backed by about 200,000 state workers in the Civil Disobedience Movement.

However, Ross Milosevic, a risk consultant who conducts field research in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, said the PDF command structure and the patchwork of EAOs are riddled with divisions.

"They talk about revolution a lot, but a revolution in anyones doctrine must have a political and military solution that works side-by-side. And if they dont, their revolution will not work," he said.

"This is what they dont understand, and they need to put in place, because if they dont do it and include the ethnics in a formative alliance, theyre going to be living in the jungle or on the Thai side of the border for the next 50 years."

Hoping to improve ties with the ethnic armies  many of which have fought for self-rule since independence in 1948  the NUG formed an Alliance Committee early last year. Among its negotiators is David Gum Awng, NUG deputy minister of international cooperation.

He told VOA there is "contentious debate" on military command, political objectives and working with members of different ethnic groups.

"There are many challenges involved thats for sure," but "we are all in this together and we will try to work this out," he said.

The combined NUG-EAO strength of 200,000 troops, which Gum Awng said would continue to grow significantly, should be more than a match for the military under Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.

The military's total strength has been put as high as 400,000 but the United States Institute for Peace says 150,000 personnel is closer to the mark, including 70,000 combat-ready troops.

Whos in control?

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, a group of experts supporting democracy efforts in Myanmar, maintains that the junta has "stable control" over only 17% of Myanmar territory, that 23% is contested, and that Peoples Defense Forces and ethnic armies hold "effective control" over 52%.

But Martin said the NUG-PDF lacked the resources to set up necessary government structures in areas it controls and instead relies on existing capacity established by the ethnic armies.

"They basically control no territory on their own," he said, adding the ethnic armies see the NUG as a communications coordinating entity and as part of a broader coalition in the resistance, as opposed to the countrys government-in-waiting.

When the NUG goes to the U.S. State Department or the U.S. Agency for International Development "and speaks as if they are a government," Martin said, "legitimately, the State Department says, OK, how are you going to do these things you say you are going to do. And they dont have the resources to do it."

He said this would also apply to Australia, the United Kingdom, EU or Japan. The ethnic armed organizations have experience running governments but were not recognized as a country, which poses problems for ethnic armies seeking aid from foreign governments.

"They dont have any political status and theres debate within the Biden administration on who, what way and in what manner  and with which EAO  to coordinate or work with," Martin said.

Simmering tensions

Meanwhile, divisions among the EAOs continue, including competing territorial claims that overlap Myanmars seven states.

A recent report by International Crisis Group said the Taang National Liberation Army, one of the opposition-aligned ethnic armies, had used the coup to expand its territory in northern Shan state, recruit soldiers and strengthen its parallel administration.

"Although it has quietly supported anti-coup resistance forces, it has clashed with the military only rarely and has met with regime representatives," it said, adding this expansion had created tensions with other ethnic armed groups and non-Taangs in Shan.

"The groups ambiguous political positioning since the coup reflects the complex environment in which ethnic armed groups operate," it said. "It also helps explain why building a countrywide anti-regime alliance has proven so difficult."

Two other ethnic armies, the United Wa State Army and the Kachin Independence Organization have provided the Taang with needed training and weapons, although Martin said the Wa are not actively fighting the junta because they already have what they want: a self-administered region in Shan.

Elsewhere, the Chin are fighting for their own country in western Chin state, the Arakan are seeking autonomy in neighboring Rakhine state, and both have shown a willingness to work with the junta in return for relative autonomy.

"The major groups who are really leading the military campaign against the junta have no interest or desire to consider the unity government as the legitimate government," Martin said.

Of the remaining states, Milosevic said the Karen National Liberation Army was divided by leadership issues while the fighting in Mon state had eased. He ranked the Arakan as the "most solid and best organized" among the EAOs.

The lady

Then there are issues with Suu Kyi and her fall from grace  unprecedented for a Nobel laureate  following the alleged genocide committed against the ethnic Rohingya in 2017 under her leadership, and there have been calls for a younger leadership to succeed her.

"She has a very unfortunate record when it comes to the Rohingya issue and so shes lost a lot of ground in the West, but I think there needs to be a new generation [to] come through," Milosevic said.

The NUG, though, is steadfast in its support for Suu Kyi, who was moved from prison to house arrest in July, and the groups deputy minister Gum Awng said her support base in Myanmar should not be underestimated by those outside the country, even if "her reputation was more or less tarnished."

"She is still this driving force for democracy," he said, pointing to her immense popularity in Myanmar, and not just politically, being "seen and revered as Mother Suu, its the endearment that people associate with her."

Martin agreed, saying the key issue is whether and how Suu Kyi, the NLD and NUG can "forge functional relations" with the major ethnic armies, their affiliated PDFs and groups in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will touch down in California on Monday to meet with Elon Musk. The talks come as civil rights groups accuse the X owner of amplifying anti-Semitism, an allegation he denies.

When Musk purchased Twitter, now called X, for $44 billion last year, he vowed to turn the site into a haven for free expression. He envisioned a virtual community without stringent user guidelines.

But his overhaul plan ran into turbulence early on, when he laid off thousands of employees, including some of his content moderators. The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, accused Musk of enabling purveyors of lies and conspiracies after he reinstated many previously banned profilesthose belonging to white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and Holocaust deniers among them.

In a recent post, Musk revealed that Xs ad revenue has dropped by 60% in the U.S. He blamed pressure from ADL, saying the organization was almost successful in killing X/Twitter! he wrote.

The fact is, who would want to sponsor a platform that is looking very likely to cause real-world violence against [Jewish people]? Claire Atkin, co-founder of the adtech watchdog Check My Ads, told VOA.

In a separate tweet, Musk said To clear our platforms name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League. Oh, the irony he added.

[The legal threats] are retaliatory and indicate that he is losing and panicking, Atkins, the adtech expert, said. Musk is looking for someone to blame for his own actions.

Last month, Musk sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate, or CCDH, a British advocacy group. Days ago, CCDH released its latest findings: In an audit of 300 prejudiced tweets flagged for hate speech, only 14% of them were taken down within a week.

Musk lambasted CCDH in May for its utterly false reporting. He said that, in reality, hate speech impressions, or how many views bigoted posts garner, continue to decline [on X]. How he reached that conclusion, though, is unclear.

Musks CEO Linda Yaccarino has emphasized building a rapport with civil rights groups and has said the platform is working to combat antisemitism.

But in August, Musk liked posts under #BanTheADL, a hashtag popularized by extremists like Nick Fuentes. By the end of the month, #BanTheADL ranked among Xs top trending topics.

The ADL, CCDH, and others used to research hate speech on the site using large-language models, or LLMs, which are AI-powered tools capable of combing vast databases for fine-tuned results.

Researchers say recent updates to Xs software interface block full access to data without a subscription to an enterprise account which starts at $42,000 per month. Outpriced researchers must rely on smaller sample sizes, which are inherently less accurate than LLM analyses.

The Monday evening talks with Netanyahu come a few months after Musk likened liberal-leaning philanthropist George Soros to a Jewish comic book supervillain.



Baseless antisemitic conspiracy theories have made the rounds of X saying Soros, a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor, is the linchpin of a hidden global elite bent on overthrowing the world.

Israels Foreign Ministry accused Musk of legitimizing harmful tropes, saying his comparison reeked of anti-Semitism. But Netanyahus government minister for addressing anti-Jewish hatred went out of his way to rally for Musk.

Netanyahu spoke by phone with Musk in June, in an effort to help the Silicon Valley mogul to rebound from criticism over his supervillain remark. Since then, Musk has enlisted an entourage of prominent Jewish businessmen, including confidant and multimillionaire Joe Lonsdale, to speak out on his behalf. They reached out to the ADL in recent weeks hoping to cool tensions.

Netanyahu has touted his connections in Big Tech as pivotal to growing Israel into a start-up nation. He and Musk are expected to discuss AI before the prime minister jets off to meet President Joe Biden at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

Offir Gutelzon, an Israeli-American tech entrepreneur and activist, says he plans to lead a nearby demonstration while the meeting takes place. His protest sign will read, Shame on Netanyahu.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un discussed practical issues in stepping up military cooperation with Russia's defense minister, state KCNA news agency said Sunday.

During his visit to Russia, Kim inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships Saturday, accompanied by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Kim's trip comes at a time when "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," KCNA said, using North Korea's official name.

Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation.

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 defense and security," KCNA reported.

Shoigu told Russian media earlier that Moscow is discussing joint military exercises with North Korea.

On Friday, South Korea and the U.S. said 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 publicize the visit and to drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

Kim also 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.

Earlier this month, North Korea launched its first operational "tactical nuclear attack submarine."
Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, has written a letter to his Taliban counterpart in Afghanistan, stressing the need to address the security and economic challenges facing both countries.

Kakar's letter to Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund comes amid persistent tensions over Islamabad's complaints that Kabul is not doing enough to prevent cross-border "terrorist" attacks being planned on Afghan soil.

While discussing the letter's contents Sunday, a Pakistani official told VOA it was written to thank Akhund for his recent "felicitation message" to Kakar after he assumed office last month.

The official, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media publicly, said that Kakar conveyed "our security concerns" and underlined the need to jointly address them to allow both countries to expand economic and trade cooperation.

"Enhanced regional trade and connectivity remains vital for the prosperity of our peoples. We must work assiduously to achieve these shared goals," the Pakistani prime minister wrote.

VOA reached out to the Pakistani information minister for comment on the reported letter sent to the Taliban prime minister but did not get a response immediately, nor have Taliban authorities in Kabul shared any reaction with the media.

Pakistan has experienced a resurgence in militant violence since the Taliban reclaimed power two years ago, when the United States and NATO allies withdrew all their troops after nearly two decades of foreign military involvement in the South Asian nation.

Officials in Islamabad say that the Taliban takeover encouraged fugitive leaders and fighters of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, to move to the Afghan side of the border and plot increasingly deadly attacks with "greater operational freedom" against Pakistani security forces.

Hundreds of Pakistanis, mostly police and soldiers, have died in almost daily attacks by TTP and Baluch insurgents in the last year. Northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Baluchistan provinces bordering Afghanistan bear the brunt of the violence. The Baluch insurgents have been fighting for the independence of Baluchistan from Pakistan.

Taliban authorities deny that Afghan soil is being used to threaten other countries, including Pakistan, and have urged Islamabad to avoid blaming Kabul for its internal security challenges.

Speaking to VOAs Urdu Service last week, Kakar did not rule out the possibility of cross-border military action or drone strikes against suspected TTP bases in Afghanistan.

"Wherever we believe that action is required to protect our territory and people, we will take it," the prime minister said, declining to discuss operational details.

Pakistani officials say they have shared a list of suspected Afghan Taliban fighters who joined TTP militants in launching recent cross-border "terrorist" attacks, including a raid on security outposts in the northern Chitral district.

The TTP claimed responsibility for mounting the assault that the Pakistani army said had killed four soldiers and 12 assailants.

A Pakistani security official who requested anonymity told VOA that around 1,000 heavily armed militants, including many Afghans, participated in the cross-border Chitral attack. He said that if the Pakistani military hadn't detected the "concentration and movement" of the militants on the Afghan side beforehand, they would have faced significant losses during the raid.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, is an offshoot and close ally of the Afghan Taliban. The United States has listed the group as a global terrorist organization. The United Nations estimated in its latest report that at least 4,000 TTP members are active in Afghanistan.

The landlocked, war-torn country heavily relies on Pakistani roads and seaports to conduct trade with other countries. Earlier this month, Islamabad closed a main Afghan border crossing for passengers and commercial truck convoys for nine days over security and terrorism concerns, stranding thousands of vehicles and travelers on both sides.

The Torkham border gate was reopened for normal traffic on Friday after officials said they had received assurances from the Taliban that they would not allow Afghan soil to be used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
We must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germanys Funke media group published Sunday.

Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin, he said.

We are all wishing for a quick peace, Stoltenberg said, but at the same time, we must recognize if [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.

Meanwhile, Russia targeted Ukraines Odesa region early Sunday with a combined drone and missile attack, hitting an agricultural facility, Ukraine's Air Forces said on the Telegram messaging app.

The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Also Sunday, Ukraine launched a drone attack on Crimea and Moscow.

A regional Crimean official said a drone hit a fuel tank, causing a fire that was extinguished.

The drones over Moscow interfered with air traffic over the capital.

The British Defense Ministry said Sunday in its daily intelligence update on Russias invasion of Ukraine that Russia is likely reinforcing its defenses around the occupied town of Tokmak in southern Ukraine.

The town is 16 kilometers from the front line and Tokmak is being outfitted to become a lynchpin of Russias second main line of defenses.

Attention to the towns defenses likely indicates Russias growing concern about Ukrainian tactical penetrations of the main defensive line to the north.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Ukrainian forces made progress Saturday in their offensive against Russian troops in the east and south, a military spokesperson said, as the two militaries disputed who controlled the village of Andriivka.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's land forces, posted a video to Telegram showing a scorched, desolate landscape that he said proved his forces had captured the village.

Andriivka is unrecognizable, a correspondent for Ukraine's Hromadske radio said. It is "so badly destroyed that soldiers do not even know where to place the pole with the Ukrainian flag," Yanina Lvutina said on the radio's website.

Ukraine considers Andriivka crucial to regaining the nearby, also-destroyed city of Bakhmut.

Russia's Defense Ministry disputed Ukraine's claim to Andriivka. Reuters was unable to verify either battlefield report.

Meanwhile, airstrike alarms sounded at midday throughout Ukraine as the country's military warned of the threat of ballistic attacks on population centers, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and the Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa regions.

A series of blasts were reported in the Kharkiv region, although information on casualties or damage was not immediately available.

Also Saturday, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told Reuters that Ukraine's drone production has increased by more than 100 times since last year.

Ukraine is also testing artificial intelligence systems, he said, that can detect targets kilometers away, as well as guide drones despite disruptions from electronic warfare measures.

"There will be more drones, more attacks, and fewer Russian ships. That's for sure," he said, noting the recent attacks on Russian naval targets in the Black Sea.

'We've made significant progress'

In his nightly video address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his nation's allies for their continued support in the fight against the Russian invasion.

"This week, we've made significant progress in implementing existing defense agreements and other support packages," he 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.

President Joe Biden will host Zelenskyy in Washington on Thursday in their third meeting at the White House.

British warn of cruise missiles

Finally, in its daily intelligence update Saturday, the British Defense Ministry warned of the "realistic possibility" that Russia will resume using air-launched cruise missiles against Ukrainian infrastructure targets in the winter.

The ministry said 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.

The report also said the missiles "were at the heart" of most strike missions that Russia launched against Ukraine's national energy infrastructure between last October and March. They allowed Russia to release munitions "from deep within Russian territory."

Some information in this article came from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta this weekend, Beijing and Washington said on Sunday, as the world's two largest economies seek to stabilize troubled relations.

Both sides held "candid, substantive and constructive" talks during multiple meetings held Sept. 16-17, according to separate statements from the White House and the Chinese foreign ministry published Sunday.

Sullivan's meeting with Wang was the latest in a series of high-level discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials that could lay the groundwork for a meeting of U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.

Sullivan last met Wang in Vienna in May.

China's foreign ministry said both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and hold bilateral consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs and foreign policy.

The White House added that both sides "committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas ... in the coming months."

Washington said Sullivan "noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait", while Wang cautioned the United States that the Taiwan issue is the "first insurmountable red line of Sino-U.S. relations", according to the Chinese foreign ministry statement.

Biden this month expressed disappointment that Xi skipped a summit of Group of 20 leaders in India, but said he would "get to see him." The next likely opportunity for Biden to hold talks with Xi is an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have traveled to China this year to ensure continued communication between the two countries amid tensions that flared after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that traveled over the United States.

Biden and Xi last met in 2022 on the sidelines of a G20 summit on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.
The French government seems to be cornered in Niger. It persists in considering the junta that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum as illegitimate, even though the United States has already concluded an agreement with it at Frances expense.

The Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Straussian Victoria Nuland, met for lunch with Junta member General Moussa Salaou Barmoua, who attended the National Defense University near Washington [1].

The Biden administration is committed to preventing an invasion of Niger by ECOWAS troops instigated by France, in exchange for sidestepping Russia and maintaining the two US military drone bases on its soil. It is a pragmatic arrangement which allows Washington to do away with its French vassal in Africa, even though it is preparing a jihadist attack on Niger in the medium term and knows that Niamey will turn against it in the long term.

Betrayed by his US overlord, French President Emmanuel Macron has no other alternative than to bemoan the fate of his ambassador in Niamey. In Niger, as I speak to you, we have an ambassador and diplomatic staff who are literally taken hostage at the French embassy () Food deliveries are withheld. He is surviving on military rations () [He] can no longer leave the premises; he is persona non grata, and is not allowed to eat () I will abide by the agreement we will work out with President Bazoum, because he is the legitimate authority, and I speak to him every day.

From Nigers point of view, the agreement with the United States is only a way of buying time. In the years to come, Washington is expected to unleash a regional war in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin. Victoria Nuland has been preparing it for more than a year, i.e. since the start of the war in Ukraine [2]. Niger will then be forced to reach out to Russia and kick out the US bases. It is therefore simply a matter of not taking on all its enemies at the same time: as a first step, surmount the ECOWAS stage and shake off French imperialism [3], and finally break with US imperialism.
Photo: Raymond Hall/GC Images

Drew Barrymore has changed her mind. On September 17, she announced on Instagram that The Drew Barrymore Show will actually be on pause until the strike is over. Barrymore previously had some fans asking, Et tu, Drew? when news broke that her daytime talk show would return for a fourth season on September 18  without its striking WGA writers. Though Barrymore initially defended her choice, days of backlash appear to have taken a toll. I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the shows premiere until the strike is over, she wrote in her Instagram statement. I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.

Barrymore, whose role as host is not a SAG-AFTRA position, had previously noted that other peoples jobs were on the line and that her show would not promote any struck work. However, the WGA criticized the move. Drew Barrymore should not be on the air while her writers are on strike fighting for a fair deal, a guild spokesperson told Deadline. In reality, shows like this cannot operate without writing, and that is struck work. Barrymores reversal comes two days after she shared a since-deleted video apology to writers and unions. Theres nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it okay, she said in part. We get the feeling that for fans who were disappointed, todays decision might at least help.

The Talk and The Jennifer Hudson Show have also decided to delay their premieres. Those shows did not promise to delay production until the strike is over, however, as Barrymore did. Both shows were supposed to come back September 18, but now those dates are TBD.

This post has been updated.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Jann Wenner was removed on Saturday from the board of directors of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, which he co-founded. The ousting came one day after Wenner, who also co-founded Rolling Stone magazine, made widely criticized comments about Black and female musicians in an interview with the New York Times. Wenner was speaking about his book The Masters, a collection of interviews with artists that he described as the philosophers of rock. (Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Jerry Garcia, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen are listed in the books full title.) When asked about the lack of women artists in the book, Wenner said he did not feel that any were articulate enough on this intellectual level. Similarly, he claimed that Black artists also just didnt articulate at that level.

Per TMZ, this prompted current members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to vote on whether Wenner should lose his board status, with Jon Landau reportedly casting the only dissenting ballot. Hours after Wenners removal was announced, The Masters publisher Little, Brown and Company issued an apology statement to the Times on Wenners behalf. In my interview with the New York Times I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks, the statement reads. The Masters is a collection of interviews Ive done over the years that seemed to me to best represent an idea of rock n rolls impact on my world; they were not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career. He added that the comments do not reflect his appreciation and admiration for many totemic, world-changing artists, concluding, I totally understand the inflammatory nature of badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences.
Botero to be laid to rest in Pietrasanta beside his wife.

Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who died in Monaco on Friday at the age of 91, is to be buried in the Tuscany region of Italy, his family announced.

Botero, famed internationally for his paintings and sculptures of corpulent figures, is to be laid to rest in Pietrasanta, his son Fernando Botero Zea told Italian news agency ANSA.

The artist, who had a home in the Tuscan town, is to be buried beside his wife, the Greek artist Sophia Vari who died just four months before Botero.

"After Colombia, Italy was the most important country for my father," Botero Zea told ANSA.

Botero was an honorary citizen of Pietrasanta, where his family met up every summer, and before his death he expressed the wish to be buried in the town's cemetery.

The town's mayor Alberto Stefano Giovannetti underlined the strong bond that has long linked Botero with Pietrasanta, telling Tuscan newspaper La Nazione: "If we are a cradle of art, we owe it to him".
Restored Domus Tiberiana to reopen to visitors after almost 50 years.

The newly-restored Domus Tiberiana, one of the main imperial palaces on Rome's Palatine Hill, will reopen to the public on 21 September, the Colosseum archaeological park has announced.

The ancient building, whose facade is characterised by large arches overlooking the Roman Forum, is located in the north-western area of the Palatine Hill, in an area located between the Temple of Magna Mater and the slopes of the Forum.

"The grandiose imperial residence, covering approximately four hectares on the Palatine Hill, overlooks the valley of the Roman Forum with mighty arches on several levels, an iconic image of this corner of the ancient city", Parco archeologico del Colosseo wrote on Facebook on Saturday night.

Built as a sumptuous palace by the second Roman emperor Tiberius, who reigned from 14 to 37 AD and was succeeded by Caligula, part of the building was subsequently incorporated into Nero's Domus Transitoria.

In December 2020, Parco archeologico del Colosseo director Alfonsina Russo told Wanted in Rome that the works to restore and protect the Domus Tiberiana complex were carried out "with the scientific contribution of Italian and foreign universities and important names in the Italian technical-scientific world."

Describing the Domus Tiberiana as "the first of the imperial palaces conceived in an organic and monumental way," Russo said the new itinerary would include previously inaccessible rooms in areas of the site untouched by "either of the excavations in the late 19th century and early 20th century."

Russo said studies were also conducted into the reasons, "including the major archaeological excavations of the early 20th century, that triggered the serious sliding of the walls towards the Roman Forum that from the 1970s was one of the most serious problems for the safety of the monument."

As reported in January 2021, the restoration works uncovered surprises including a family grave, thought to be from the 13th century, containing the remains of "seven people perhaps killed by an epidemic or a traumatic event".

There are traces of activity from the 18th century, believed to be related to the Horti Farnesiani, while archaeologists also unearthed a hoard of coins from the seventh century and a "still intact oil lamp" from the fourth century, found in a niche of a wall.

Visitors will reportedly be presented with an itinerary related to the activities of the imperial court through three themes: daily life, trade and economy, and religion.

The new visit, which is expected to begin from the Clivio della Vittoria and will include a display of ancient discoveries, is to be unveiled in the coming days.

Photo Parco archeologico del Colosseo
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.
Tony Abbotts prime ministership was short-lived and mostly memorable for all the wrong reasons. But for Liberal conservatives in need of a feel-good story, the 10-year anniversary of Abbotts landslide 2013 election win was an opportunity to let their greying hair down, with about 250 gathering at Sydney high school formal favourite Doltone House on Friday night to ruminate about what couldve been.

The revellers included several relics of the Abbott government  among them former prime minister Scott Morrison, Abbotts treasurer Joe Hockey, current shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and desiccated ex-Tasmanian senator Eric Abetz.

Credit: Joe Benke

CBD remembers the Abbott years for its moments of absurdism  the threat to shirt-front Vladimir Putin, the politically ruinous decision to give Prince Philip a knighthood, the time our prime minister bit into an onion for some reason.

On Friday night Abbott attempted a nostalgic defence of his legacy, but couldnt help launching a few attacks on the Voice, while praising Peter Dutton as Australias next prime minister, telling the faithful you could never count out an unpopular leader. He would know.
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.
Of Australias 29 mammal species that have gone extinct, cats have been the main contributor to 20 of them. There are about 200 more animals on Australias list of threatened species list that are vulnerable to predation. The bilby is one of the Australian species endangered by feral cats. But animal welfare advocates argue the governments plan doesnt address the more pressing problem in urban areas, which is that stray cats that are not de-sexed and have no one to contain them. Theres also scepticism about the will and ability of local governments to enforce the Commonwealths proposed solutions  keeping cats indoors, a curfew or restrictions on cat ownership  as well as owners ability to meet those conditions. Kristina Vesk, head of the Cat Protection Society, said she found Pliberseks media release quite frightening. I find the cheap use of headline-grabbing, but also really violent language, dangerous and unhelpful, she said. All it does is send a subliminal message that cats dont matter, they dont have moral standing in the world, they deserve whats coming to them. Theyve been turned into demons and monsters.

Were making cats criminals when theyre the victims, when people are dumping them and leaving them to fend for themselves. Cat rescuer Tania Katsanis Cats are just being themselves. Theyre not working from a model of vengeance against the minister for the environment. A lot of them do nothing to anyone except give them companionship, comfort and love. For some people, theyre a reason to get out of bed in the morning and face the world. To attack them like that is really uncalled for. In conservation, theres no need to name call and demonise any species. Asked about her rhetoric, Plibersek said: This isnt an attack on Fluffy. This is a defence of Australias precious wildlife... [Cats] are one of the reasons Australia is the mammal extinction capital of the world. If we dont act now, our native animals dont stand a chance. Australian newspaper headlines have decried killer cats since at least the 1970s. A Sydney Morning Herald article from August 1976 raises fears about cats killing native wildlife. Credit: Fairfax Media

If theyve been declaring war for that long, clearly thats failed, Vesk said. But its cheaper and easier to [keep declaring war], because were not the mining lobby, are we? When the landscape is just being burned, logged and mined, the loss of habitat is extreme. We can have a pile of dead cats on a pile of dead country, but that doesnt achieve anything. Legge, however, said there was no point squabbling over which factors wreak the most destruction on biodiversity. We need to tackle them all. Just because one seeks to improve cat management, it doesnt mean you allow land clearing, she said. Dorlene Haidar rescues and rehomes cats from the street. Credit: Rhett Wyman Emeritus Professor Jacquie Rand, executive director of the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation, said the biggest issue with the government plan is that most free roaming cats have no owner to contain them. It might seem obvious that mandating containment would work. But our data published this year shows just 5 per cent of cats entering pounds and shelters are reclaimed, 95 per cent dont have an identifiable owner to claim them, she said. In many Australian suburbs, there are groups of volunteers who spend their nights rescuing stray cats and socialising them to find new homes. Dorlene Haidar is one such person; she currently shares her home in Punchbowl in Sydneys west with 20 rescue cats. Haidar takes cats off the street herself and pays to have them de-sexed and cared for. She estimates shes spent up to $30,000 out of her pocket having street cats sterilised.

Thats what I work for, said Haidar, who has run for local council as an Animal Justice Party candidate. We need to have stronger penalties for people not de-sexing, and people dumping cats on the street  thats where the problem is coming from. Another local rescuer, Tania Katsanis, said all levels of government had left individuals, vets and charities to deal with unowned cats in cities and allowed local cat populations to boom. The thing thats starting to bug me is [urban cats] are not feral, theyre stray and abandoned. Were making cats criminals when theyre the victims, when people are dumping them and leaving them to fend for themselves, she said. You can put as many laws in place to restrict cats from wandering, but there arent enough rangers to go around and slow down the breeding cycle. Its going to be a hard one to police. On the list of things that law enforcement have to do, I dont think chasing cats and whether theyre out of their home is at the top of their list. Rand also thinks there are other ways to deal with the issue. Community cat programs based on free de-sexing of cats in areas with high numbers of free-roaming cats are very effective in reducing complaints, reducing free-roaming cats being impounded, reducing the number of healthy cats being killed and reducing council costs, she said.

Chief executive of the Cat Protection Society, Kristina Vesk, is concerned about violent language being used about cats. Credit: James Brickwood In these programs, most people feeding one to two stray cats will take ownership of them if the cat is de-sexed, microchipped and registered for free. And while Rand does support restricting cats to their owners property, she said its often not so simple  particularly if someone has a door dasher cat who is hard to rein in. The reality is 30 per cent of Australians live in rental properties, and containment systems are often expensive. Mandated containment criminalises cat ownership for people on low incomes and in rental properties. Then theres the social consequence of declaring war on a beloved animal. People are upset by this attack. People who love cats and tend to them feel like theyre under assault, Vesk said.

Some people who are socially isolated, or not as well-off, they consider the relationship with cats to be meaningful. If they cant afford these things [such as de-sexing and containment], theyre going to be very distressed. Still, Vesk agreed the issue can be dealt with if the language is sensitive and communities are consulted. The ACT took a really long view of this some time ago, started talking to the population and phased it in, she said. In many Australian suburbs, there are groups of volunteers who spend their nights rescuing stray cats and socialising them to find new homes. ACT Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti explained that the territory introduced a 10-year plan in 2021 that required all cats born after July 2022 to be contained inside all the time. People also need to register their cats and have them de-sexed. The reasons for that are twofold: welfare of the cat and welfare of natural wildlife, Vassarotti said. Theres really significant research that suggests [indoor] cats live longer, are less likely to be injured or susceptible to illness  About half of cat owners contain their cat anyway.

Compliance and enforcement is an important part of the plan, but our focus has been in this first period around education, particularly because we have the grandfathered arrangement, we are working with the community to understand their obligation. But the expectation is that repeat offending owners wont be able to ignore the rules. And there are penalties, including fines and criminal prosecution, for serious cases. A bit over 12 months down the track, theres a good understanding and acceptance of the plan and the role we all need to play, Vassarotti said. It recognises cats are an important part of many peoples families, they are much loved, and were trying to bring a strategy that recognises that and supports responsible cat ownership while protecting this wonderful environment that we get to be in every day.

Australias Threatened Species Commissioner, Fiona Fraser, said it was important the federal government takes a leadership role in the space. Our speciality isnt pet cats, but they are part of the feral cat story, because feral cats start somewhere ... Its fairly diabolic, the impact theyre having at the moment, she said. Cats are important for peoples happiness, people live longer when they have a pet. Its about people still having their pets but managing them in a better way. Loading Fraser said the big shift will be towards full-time containment, which she argued some councils had already done well by giving people the resources to build external enclosures such as outdoor cages that give cats space to run around and facilities to play on. Thats when it really makes a difference on the number of animals that are killed. Its really important [that] theyre 24/7 curfews, not just nighttime curfews. If you lock your cat up at night, theyre just going to hunt different animals in the day, she said.
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.
If the referendum is lost, all Australians will be losers.

However much we may enjoy the spotlight on the world stage, the danger is that on October 15 and afterward, it will be interpreted by outsiders, whether we like it or not, as the vote of an ignorant and racist populace.

Alfred Deakin, one of the architects of the Constitution, was a white supremacist. Credit:

What other country would frame its opposition to constitutional change with a heartfelt appeal to cluelessness: If you dont know, vote No? If you dont know, then you should have found out and might then have realised that the Voice is only a problem if you vote against it.

The problem is that intelligent observers all over the world recognise that Indigenous people do have a right to address the government and the executive on matters in which they have a legitimate interest. This is entirely normal and uncontroversial and the least that should be vouchsafed to communities who have suffered genocide and displacement.
London: Britains public broadcaster, the BBC, said on Sunday it was urgently looking into allegations of sexual assault made against its former employee, the comedian and actor Russell Brand.

Brand issued a denial on Saturday to unspecified criminal allegations hours before the accusations of sexual assault, including rape, were published online by The Times newspaper and later aired on Dispatches, a Channel 4 investigative journalism program.

Russell Brand leaves the Troubadour Theatre at Wembley Park after his show on Saturday night. Credit: AP

The media outlets accused the comedian  now also a social influencer  of rape, sexual assault and abuse over a seven-year period from 2006 to 2013 when Brand was at the height of his fame.

The allegations came from four women who did not know each other. One said Brand assaulted her when she was 16 and still at school.
Certainly, the clock is an indispensable tool for you to schedule your work time in the most suitable way. Their utility has been integrated by the Windows operating system so that you can easily monitor any when you turn on the machine. But suddenly the clock in your device is running fast or slow, making you uncomfortable and don't know how to adjust the time . WebTech360 will show why the clock in your computer is running wrong and the easiest way to fix it for you. Follow along and follow the steps!

Why is the clock in the computer running at the wrong time?

Computer running out of time is usually caused by 3 main reasons. Firstly, your computer is out of CMOS battery. The CMOS battery is exhausted, so it is not possible to save the settings on Windows. Second, the computer is freezing and before freezing you put the wrong system date and time. Therefore, even if you update it every day, it will still be wrong. The last cause is that the User you are using is not an Administrator account. Let's find out more about these reasons!

CMOS Battery Expired

CMOS batteries are similar in shape and size to large clock batteries and are found on the mainboards of all computers. This device is used to provide sustained power for the CMOS chip to be able to operate normally.

This part helps to store information about the configuration of other hardware in the PC. At the same time update the time continuously and take that as the standard date and time for the system. This is a common cause in older machines to explain why the clock in the computer is running at the wrong time.

And the simplest way to completely fix this error is to replace the CMOS battery with a new one. You can buy the battery at a computer repair shop, or the place where you bought the device. The cost to replace the CMOS battery is very cheap, only 10 thousand a PIN, guys.

Wrong time zone setting

Normally, the clock in a computer is set to the time zone. When the user selects the wrong time zone, the computer clock will also display incorrectly. For example, the time zone in Vietnam is (UTC + 7:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta . If the user chooses a different time zone, the clock in the computer will display a different date and time.

Step 1: To check if the time zone set in your computer is correct, type Date & Time Settings in the search box.

Step 2: Then, scroll down and check the Time Zone box . If the time zone is different (UTC + 7:00) Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta , you proceed to choose again.

Step 3: If you want to change the date and time server on your computer, go to Region then click Additional date, time, & regional settings.

In the Control Panel window , under Date and Time, click Set the time and date .

In the Date and Time window, select Internet Time , then click Change Settings... as shown:

In the Internet Time Settings panel , click Update Now to update the latest time for users, you will see the correct time zone shown below, finally click OK to complete.

Windows Time

If the CMOS battery is still good but the computer clock only uses seconds or minutes for a long time, the error of the computer clock not running on time may be due to poor synchronization settings. This is one reason why the clock in the computer is running out of time.

To ensure that Windows synchronizes the correct time, press Windows+R , type services.msc into the Run menu bar . Next, you press Enter .

In the Services interface , proceed to find Windows Time in the Name column, right-click it and select Properties .

In the new setup dialog box that appears, change the line " Startup type " to " Automatic ", then click Start to start the process.

Finally, click OK to save.

Malware (Malware)

- Malware is also the culprit that explains why the clock in the computer is running at the wrong time.

- When the computer has been infected with a virus, the time on the computer will also be faulty. Perform a Reset or refresh the system to remove malware.

How to fix the wrong time by turning on the automatic time setting

The auto-set time feature is pre-set on the computers. Users can easily do this with three simple steps:

Step 1: Type Date & Time Settings in the search box.

Step 2: Click Turn off the Set time automatically option (also known as automatically set the time) if this option is enabled. Then you turn this option back on immediately.

How to set the clock in the computer to the wrong time manually?

To adjust the clock in your computer to the wrong time manually, do the following:

Step 1: Access the item in turn Settings ->

You choose Time & language -> Date & time .

Step 2: Then, turn off the option to set the time automatically ( Set time automatically ). In the '' Change date and time '' section, click the Change button at the bottom.

Step 3: Select the correct current date and time. Next, click the Change button to start setting the new date and time.

And those are simple operations that help you understand the mechanism of action as well as how to fix it when the clock in the computer is running at the wrong time. With this simple article, WebTech360 believes you will easily fix watch-related problems for a better experience.
GREENWICH TWP., Pa.  A California man was charged for his role in a crash that closed Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, on Saturday night.

According to a Pennsylvania State Police-Hamburg press release, the crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. near Mile Marker 37 of I-78 East. That's between the Lenhartsville (Route 143) and Kutztown (Route 737) exits.

Police said that the driver, 49-year-old Enrique A. Gonzalez-Guerra, of El Centro, Calif., reported that a tire on his tractor-trailer blew.

This caused the vehicle to turn south, strike a guard rail off the highway's right-lane shoulder and continue along the rail for approximately 200 feet before catching fire and coming to rest, according to police.

The tractor-trailer was engulfed in flames, and the guardrail was also destroyed by the crash, police said.

Gonzalez-Guerra managed to escape without injury, but faces a charge of "driving on roadways laned for traffic," according to the press release.

I-78 East was closed in the area for five hours while the Kempton and Weisenberg Fire companies responded to the scene, police said.
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  The Bethlehem Area Public Library (BAPL) will host a two-day book sale on Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 23.

According to a library press release, the BAPL book sale will include a variety of genres from "captivating novels to informative non-fiction" Children's books DVDs, CDs and vinyl records will also be sold at the sale at "incredibly affordable prices," the press release said.

The event will be held at the library, 11 West Church St., from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Cash, credit and debit are all accepted as payment for the sale, the press release said.

According to the press release, the parking garage beneath the library will be open after 5 p.m. Wednesday and all day Saturday. Additionally, barcode scanners are not permitted on Wednesday but may be used on Saturday.
Easton's Zoning Hearing Board will review two projects Monday that combined would add 522 homes to the city.

Heritage Riverview LP proposes a "residential midrise" with 412 apartments at 300 Morrison Ave., near the border with Forks Township. The property is owned by Connecticut General Life Insurance (CIGNA), according to Northampton County records.

Some residents plan to protest that plan Monday, contending that adding traffic and more residents will change the College Hill neighborhood. Earlier, College Hill residents have complained about increased traffic from Forks Township.

Just to the north of the old CIGNA property is the Easton Area School District's Shawnee Elementary School.

The Riverview plan requires variances, according to the zoning board agenda.

At 301 Grant St., 110 units are proposed, according to the city's website. That land on the Southside covers 10.7 acres and is owned by a limited liability corporation with an address in Hellertown.

The board is also due to consider variances for short-term rentals at 22-24 Centre Square; for the conversion of a church at 824 Ferry St. into four dwelling units, and to allow a smoke shop at 537 Northampton St.

The Easton Zoning Hearing Board is due to meet a 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in City Council chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 123 S. Third St.

Agendas are subject to change.
PHILADELPHIA  Former Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel's condition has improved in the last 12 hours, the team said in a statement Sunday morning.

"This morning, the Phillies received a positive update from Charlie Manuels wife, Missy. Charlie has made progress over the past 12 hours, and his doctors are encouraged," the Phillies said.

"The Manuel family is very appreciative for every post on social media. Charlie feels the love from his Phillies family and fans. Missy believes the incredible support is aiding in his recovery," the statement added.

The team said Manuel, 79, suffered a stroke Saturday while undergoing a medical procedure in a Florida hospital. The first 24 hours after the stroke would be the most critical to Manuel's long-term health, the Phillies said Saturday.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since its founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. The trusted partner to approximately 825 tenants, Alexandria has a total market capitalization of $30.6 billion and an asset base in North America of 74.9 million SF as of June 30, 2023, which includes 41.1 million RSF of operating properties and 5.3 million RSF of Class A/A+ properties undergoing construction, 9.4 million RSF of near-term and intermediate-term development and redevelopment projects, and 19.1 million SF of future development projects. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A/A+ properties clustered in life science, agtech, and advanced technology campuses that provide our innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity, and success. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, agrifoodtech, climate innovation, and technology companies through our venture capital platform. We believe our unique business model and diligent underwriting ensure a high-quality and diverse tenant base that results in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns, and greater long-term asset value.
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as a healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products; and provides pharmacy management services to hospitals. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compressions; incontinences; nutritional delivery products; wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparels; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. The segment also distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile, and non-sterile procedure kits. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
Barings BDC (NYSE:BBDC) pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 12.01%. BBDC has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 5 consecutive years, indicating the company has a new, but growing committment to grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 126.83%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on EPS estimates, BBDC will have a dividend payout ratio of 85.25% in the coming year. This indicates that the company may not be able to sustain their current dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for BBDC.
SS4U wrote:

Hi All, I am planning to apply to USC in Round 1. I noticed that its website says that TOEFL score is required else they need University Transcripts stating "English was the medium of instruction". I am curious about the 2nd option which requires this statement on University Transcripts. Please can anyone share their experience.. Has anyone tried to do this in the past and faced any challenges. If that is the case, I will prefer to not explore this option and just give the TOEFL.

I had written to the adcom. They said that if you have a degree in English (entirely taught in English), you dont need a IELTS / TOEFL. However, you must submit written evidence from the university about degree being taught in English and that they typically see this noted on the transcript. In my case my diploma or transcript did not note it, so i reached out to my university and they provided a "completion statement" that noted this on a university letterhead.
Erdene Resource Development Corporation focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metal deposits in Mongolia. The company explores for copper, molybdenum, gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits. Its principal projects are the Bayan Khundii Gold project and the Altan Nar Gold-Polymetallic project located in southwest Mongolia. The company was formerly known as Erdene Gold Inc. and changed its name to Erdene Resource Development Corporation in May 2008. Erdene Resource Development Corporation was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Dartmouth, Canada.
Internet Initiative Japan Inc. provides Internet connectivity, WAN, outsourcing, systems integration, and network-related equipment sales services in Japan. It operates through two segments, Network Services and Systems Integration Business, and ATM Operation Business. The company offers mobile communication and remote access/telework services; WAN/network services, including SDN, multi-cloud network, closed connection, internet VPN, SEIL, remote access, wireless LAN, and GIGA-school; leased line and broadband services; IIJ DNS platform, and domain name registration and maintenance services; IIJ access ID management, dial-up access, and IIJ IPv6 fiber access services; and security solutions for IIJ managed firewall, DDoS protection, and managed IPS/IDS services. It also provides cloud solutions, such as HaaS/IaaS, cloud storage, monitoring/operation, virtual desktop, Paas/Saas, solution for Microsoft and AWS, IoT/M2M, ID management and authentication, network, global, mobile, license, and specialized solutions, as well as IIJ cloud exchange and IIJ cloud integration solutions; integrated, network, mail, and web security, endpoint, security assessment/consulting, web and mail hosting, online storage, content delivery/CDN/CMS, and system integration; IoT services and solutions in the field of industrial, agriculture, energy, and IoT-oriented mobile communication; industry-specific solution; content delivery; and global/privacy products. In addition, the company offers IT outsourcing, IIJ consulting, cognitive factory, IIJ PC deployment support, IIJ PaaS solution, IIJ EMM utilization support, IIJ private cloud, network solutions, IIJ security audit, IIJ malware analysis, IIJ content management, cloud integration solution for Microsoft and AWS, Microsoft 365 transition support solution, data center service, and data center construction engineering solutions, as well as DX edge services. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Invesco Income Growth Trust plc is a close-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Invesco Fund Managers Limited. It is co-managed by INVESCO Asset Management 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. The fund primarily invests in dividend paying growth stocks of companies. It employs fundamental analysis with a bottom-up stock picking approach, focusing on such factors as business model, sales growth, pricing power, market position, margins, management strategy, and financial characteristics to create its portfolio. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against the FTSE All-Share Index. It was formerly known as GT Income Growth Trust plc. Invesco Income Growth Trust plc was formed on March 31, 1996 is domiciled in the United Kingdom.
Invitae Corporation, a medical genetics company, that provides genetic information to improve healthcare of people in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company offers genetic tests in various clinical areas, including hereditary cancer, precision oncology, women's health, rare diseases, and pharmacogenomics; digital health solutions; and health data services. It serves patients, healthcare providers, biopharma companies, and other partners. The company was formerly known as Locus Development, Inc. and changed its name to Invitae Corporation in 2012. Invitae Corporation was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare company specializing in developing, manufacturing and marketing a wide range of healthcare products. The company has its headquarters in Abbott Park, Illinois and operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

The company was founded in 1888 by Dr. Wallace C. Abbott, and it has since grown to become one of the world's largest and most respected healthcare companies. Abbott Laboratories has a diverse portfolio of products, including medical devices, diagnostic tests, nutritional products, and branded generic pharmaceuticals. The company is committed to developing innovative products that improve the quality of life for people worldwide.

Robert B. Ford is the current President and CEO of the company. He was appointed to this position in 2020 after serving as the company's Chief Operating Officer. He has been with Abbott Laboratories since 1996 and has held various leadership positions.

Abbott Laboratories has delivered strong financial performance, declining as investors seek growth. The company's net earnings have been increasing steadily. Abbott Laboratories has a solid balance sheet with a low debt-to-equity ratio. The company has consistently delivered strong cash flow, allowing it to invest in research and development and return value to shareholders. Abbott Laboratories has a higher price-to-earnings ratio than the industry average, and the company's price-to-book ratio is also higher than the industry average. These metrics suggest that the market has a positive outlook on Abbott Laboratories and is willing to pay a premium for the company's shares. Over the past year, Abbott Laboratories' stock has declined as consumers seek to see what the company will do post-pandemic. The company's shares have experienced some volatility, but overall, they have outperformed the broader market.

Abbott Laboratories operates in the healthcare industry, which is highly regulated and complex. The industry is characterized by rapidly evolving technology, changing regulatory requirements, and shifting consumer preferences. Abbott Laboratories competes with other large healthcare companies such as Johnson & Johnson.

Abbott Laboratories' robust product pipeline is expected to drive growth in the coming years. The company is focused on developing innovative products that address unmet medical needs and improve patient outcomes. In addition to its core businesses, Abbott Laboratories is expanding into new markets and investing in digital health technologies.

Like any company, Abbott Laboratories faces a range of risks and challenges. One of the most significant risks facing the company is regulatory uncertainty. Changes in regulatory requirements could impact the company's ability to bring products to market and could also increase the cost of doing business. Another risk facing the company is the threat of competitive pressures. The healthcare industry is highly competitive, and Abbott Laboratories faces competition from established companies and new entrants. Changes in consumer preferences could also impact the company's performance, particularly in the nutritional products segment.

Additionally, Abbott Laboratories is exposed to geopolitical risks, such as changes in trade policies or political instability in key markets. The company's international operations also expose it to currency fluctuations, which could impact its financial performance.
Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in hip and knee joint replacements, and trauma and extremities surgeries. This segment also offers spinal implant products comprising cervical, thoracolumbar, and interbody systems that are used in spinal injury, deformity, and degenerative therapies. The MedSurg and Neurotechnology segment offers surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems, endoscopic and communications systems, patient handling, emergency medical equipment and intensive care disposable products, reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other medical device products that are used in various medical specialties. This segment also provides neurotechnology products, which include products used for minimally invasive endovascular techniques; products for brain and open skull based surgical procedures; orthobiologic and biosurgery products, such as synthetic bone grafts and vertebral augmentation products; minimally invasive products for the treatment of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke; and craniomaxillofacial implant products, including cranial, maxillofacial, and chest wall devices, as well as dural substitutes and sealants. The company sells its products to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities through company-owned subsidiaries and branches, as well as third-party dealers and distributors in approximately 75 countries. Stryker Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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.
Government policy in Frieland has traditionally favored foreign investment. Leaders of all political parties have been virtually unanimous in their belief that foreign investment in Frieland would contribute to speeding that countrys economic development, a major priority of both the ruling coalition and opposition parties. Of special interest to the government were those industries that exported a significant share of their total output. Since Frieland had a relatively small population, there was a limit to the amount of goods that could be produced for the local market. Also, the government did not want to encourage foreign investors to compete with local industry, even though new industries might alleviate the already high unemployment rate.



1. The best possible title of the passage is



(A) Government Policy in Frieland.

(B) How to Provide Employment.

(C) Attracting Foreign Investment.

(D) The Economics of Developing Countries.

(E) Foreign Investment and Economic Development.





2. It can be concluded that the aim of the author is to



(A) increase foreign investment.

(B) protect local industry from foreign competition.

(C) increase unemployment benefits for workers.

(D) develop a theory of foreign investment.

(E) increase the indigenous population of Frieland. (A) Government Policy in Frieland.(B) How to Provide Employment.(C) Attracting Foreign Investment.(D) The Economics of Developing Countries.(E) Foreign Investment and Economic Development.(A) increase foreign investment.(B) protect local industry from foreign competition.(C) increase unemployment benefits for workers.(D) develop a theory of foreign investment.(E) increase the indigenous population of Frieland.
5 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Pandora A/S in the last year. There are currently 1 sell rating, 3 hold ratings and 1 buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" PANDY shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in PANDY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View PANDY analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.
FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) pays an annual dividend of $3.92 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.93%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 25 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 32.56%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, FDS will have a dividend payout ratio of 22.02% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for FDS.
Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October, 19th. The financial services provider reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.59. The financial services provider had revenue of $4.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.95 billion. Discover Financial Services had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 27.23% and a net margin of 18.39%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.54 earnings per share.

Read the conference call transcript.


iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index (the Index), which is a rules-based index consisting of liquid, the United States dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds for sale in the United States. The Index may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, and components primarily include consumer services, financial, and oil and gas companies. The components of the Index, and the degree to which these components represent certain industries, may change over time. The Index is a subset of the Markit iBoxx USD Corporate Bond Index. The Fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the Index and at least 95% of its assets in investment-grade corporate bonds. The Funds investment adviser is BlackRock Fund Advisors.
The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. It owns and operates mines, which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients, such as diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and ammoniated phosphate products; and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients primarily under the Biofos and Nexfos brand names, as well as produces a double sulfate of potash magnesia product under K-Mag brand name. The company also produces and sells potash for use in the manufacturing of mixed crop nutrients and animal feed ingredients, and for industrial use; and for use in the de-icing and as a water softener regenerant. In addition, it provides nitrogen-based crop nutrients, animal feed ingredients, and other ancillary services; and purchases and sells phosphates, potash, and nitrogen products. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, retail chains, farmers, cooperatives, independent retailers, and national accounts. The Mosaic Company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Skyline Champion Corp is a leading manufacturer of factory-built housing and related components. The company is headquartered in Troy, Michigan and operates a network of more than 40 manufacturing facilities across North America.

Skyline Champion Corp was formed in 2018 due to the merger between Skyline Corporation and Champion Enterprises Holdings, LLC. Skyline Corporation has been known for producing high-quality manufactured homes since 1951. Champion Enterprises Holdings, LLC had a strong modular and mobile home manufacturing track record. The merger united two industry leaders and created North America's largest publicly traded factory-built housing company.

Skyline Champion Corp produces and distributes factory-built homes and related components to a diverse customer base. The company's products include manufactured homes, modular homes, park model RVs and commercial structures. Skyline Champion Corp sells its products through independent retailers, builders and developers.

Skyline Champion Corp's management team is led by Mark Yost, the company's President and CEO. Yost has over 30 years of experience in the factory-built housing industry and previously served as the President and CEO of Champion Enterprises Holdings, LLC.

Skyline Champion Corp has reported strong financial results in recent years, reporting increased sales and net income. Skyline Champion Corp's profit margins have also improved recently, and its stock price has performed well. Skyline Champion Corp's valuation metrics are generally in line with industry peers.

The factory-built housing industry has seen strong growth in recent years, driven by a combination of factors, including affordability, quality and speed of construction. According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, factory-built housing accounted for approximately 10% of all new single-family homes sold in the United States in 2021.

Skyline Champion Corp operates in a highly competitive industry, with numerous players competing for market share. Major competitors include Clayton Homes, Fleetwood Homes and Cavco Industries. In addition, regulatory and political issues, such as zoning restrictions and financing regulations, can also impact the industry.

Skyline Champion Corp has identified several growth opportunities in the coming years. The company is investing in new product development, including energy-efficient homes and homes with advanced technology features. Skyline Champion Corp is also expanding its geographic reach, focusing on growing its presence in the Western United States.

The company has also made several strategic acquisitions in recent years to support its growth strategy. In 2022, Skyline Champion Corp acquired Pinnacle Park Homes, a park model RVs and cabins manufacturer. The acquisition will allow Skyline Champion Corp to expand its product offerings and strengthen its park model RV market position.

While Skyline Champion Corp has demonstrated strong financial performance in recent years, the company faces several potential risks and challenges. For example, consumer preferences or economic conditions could impact demand for factory-built housing, negatively impacting the company's sales and profitability.

Regulatory changes or political issues could also impact the industry, including changes in zoning regulations or financing requirements. Skyline Champion Corp could also face increased market competition, affecting the company's market share and profitability.

In addition, the company's financial performance could be impacted by fluctuations in raw material costs, such as lumber and steel. Skyline Champion Corp may also face challenges related to supply chain disruptions, such as delays in receiving materials or components from suppliers.
China Green Agriculture, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, production, and sale of various fertilizers and agricultural products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through three segments: Jinong (Fertilizer Production); Gufeng (Fertilizer Production); and Yuxing (Agricultural Products Production). It offers humic acid-based compound, blended, organic compound, slow-release, compound, highly concentrated water-soluble, and mixed organic-inorganic compound fertilizers, as well as develops, produces, and distributes agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, and colored seedlings. The company markets its fertilizer products to private wholesalers and retailers of agricultural farm products. It sells its decorative flowers to end-users, such as flower shops, luxury hotels, and government agencies; fruits and vegetables to supermarkets and upscale restaurants; and seedlings to city planning departments. As of June 30, 2022, the company operated a network of 1,398 distributors covering 22 provinces, 4 autonomous regions, and 4 central government-controlled municipalities in China. It also exports its products through contracted distributors to various countries, including India and Africa. China Green Agriculture, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Xi'an, the People's Republic of China.
The Swiss Helvetia Fund Inc. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. The fund invests in public equity markets of Switzerland. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in value stocks of companies across all market capitalizations. It employs fundamental analysis with a bottom-up stock picking approach, focusing on factors such as capital appreciation, income, economic and industry trends, quality of management, financial condition, business plan, industry and sector market position, dividend payout ratio, and corporate governance to create its portfolio. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P 500 Index and MSCI EAFE Index. It was previously known as The Helvetia Fund, Inc. The Swiss Helvetia Fund Inc. was formed in October 24, 1986 and is domiciled in the United States.
Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. provides business decisioning data and analytics in North America and internationally. It offers finance and risk solutions, including D&B Finance Analytics, an online application that offers clients real time access to its information, comprehensive monitoring, and portfolio analysis; D&B Direct, an application programming interface (API) that delivers risk and financial data directly into enterprise applications for real-time credit decision making; D&B Small Business, a suite of powerful tools that allows SMBs to monitor and build their business credit file; D&B Enterprise Risk Assessment Manager, a solution for managing and automating credit decisioning and reporting; and D&B Risk Analytics, a subscription-based online application that offers clients real-time access to complete and up-to-date global information. The company also provides risk and compliance solutions, such as D&B Supplier Risk Manager that provides insights to help certify, monitor, analyze, and mitigate risk across the supply chain; D&B Onboard to provide comprehensive insights into businesses to facilitate KYC/AML compliance, as well as to minimize financial, legal, and reputational risk exposure; and D&B Beneficial Ownership that offers risk intelligence on ultimate beneficial ownership. It offers sales and marketing solutions, including D&B Connect, a self-service data management platform; D&B Optimizer, an integrated data management solution; D&B Rev.Up ABX, an open and agnostic platform that aligns marketing and sales teams to deliver an optimal and coordinated buying; D&B Hoovers, a sales intelligence solution; D&B Audience Targeting, which helps clients to reach the right audiences with the right messages; D&B Visitor Intelligence that turns web visitors into leads; D&B Direct, an API-enabled data management solution; and InfoTorg, an online SaaS application. The company was founded in 1841 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Rev. Andre Austin, pastor of Loyal Baptist Church, had just checked into a hotel in Lynchburg for a one-night revival when he got word a fire had broke out at the 99-year-old building in Danville.

I felt numb, he explained to the Register & Bee of his first reaction when he picked up the phone to hear Loyal Baptist was ablaze.

He was in shock.

This cant be, he said. No way.

He instantly darted back to the church in what he described as the longest ride from Lynchburg to Danville.

It seemed like everyone was driving 35 mph, he said in a Saturday morning interview.

A deaconess was leaving the church shortly before 3:45 p.m. Friday when she spotted smoke, according to Austin. The fire department arrived just minutes later and stayed on scene for more than three hours battling the blaze in hard-to-reach areas of the historic church.

The cause is blamed on an electrical issue with a wall lighting fixture  a sconce  on the second-floor balcony. The fire entered the attic and quickly grew and burned through the thick timbers, Danville Fire Department Battalion Chief William Smotherman reported.

When firefighters arrived they saw smoke coming from the roof. When they got into the sanctuary and walked up steps to the balcony they found fire pushing from the attic, through the ceiling and into the sanctuary, Smotherman said.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the flames and save the church, he said. That meant setting up two aerial fire vehicles to open the roof, allowing for vertical ventilation of trapped smoke and heat.

By Saturday morning, there was little visible evidence outside that a fire was raging just a day before.

However, walking a few steps inside the church, the strong smell of charred wood gives way to the sight of an enormous gaping hole in the ceiling exposing blacked beams.

This light right over here is where it started, Austin said as he took a Register & Bee reporter to the balcony area for a closer inspection to the destruction.

In addition to expansive seating, the balcony also housed the sound system.

This is probably destroyed, too, the pastor said as he urged caution walking over to the right side of the second-story space littered with pieces of the white tin ceiling, burned insulation and other black debris on chairs and the floor overlooking the pulpit.

Since theres no power to the building, Steve Hall, a trustee of the church, used a flashlight for a closer inspection to the damage.

Its a blessing that it didnt happen in the middle of the night, Austin said, finding some positive light amid the tragedy.

Austin  originally from Lynchburg  has been with the church for about eight months. It was Nov. 13 when the congregation of about 100 members elected him as pastor. He gave his first sermon Christmas morning.

Its a beautiful sanctuary, Austin shared as he led the way down a narrow staircase to the basement.

Thats where the fellowship hall is housed. On Saturday morning, there was at least an inch of water on the floor, remnants of the 2,000 gallons the fire department pumped on the flames Friday.

Hall and Austin are worried about the damage they cant see. They still dont know how far the fire spread in the attic and theres no way to tell what the wreckage water caused between the floors and walls on the way down to the basement.

Rushing to the scene

When Austin made it to the church Friday afternoon, he had to park a ways down the street.

Walking up, he saw the fire trucks and people standing outside.

To walk closer, and to see half of the congregation just standing there  it was even more of a wow factor, he explained while standing in the basement with his shoes soaked from the water. This church, the place where we worship, where we gather, is on fire.

Hall learned about the situtation Friday in call from a family friend who heard a radio report of it. At almost the same time, another church member sent a video.

Hall also rushed over.

Oh my God, he said in a quite voice, explaining his reaction when he got to the scene to see the church surrounded by firefighters.

Hall  a member of Loyal Baptist his entire life  was practically raised in the church, he said. His grandparents, mother and father all were members.

Phillip Stamps, 87, who also has been a part of the church since he was just an infant, dropped by Saturday morning.

He was there Friday night, but wasnt able to come in to see the damage.

It will come back, he said, reassuring the pastor. It will be restored.

When he heard of the fire Friday afternoon, Stamps couldnt believe it.

I said Ive been at Loyal Baptist for 80-some years and I aint even seen the floor dirty, he explained.

When he got to the church, his heart just sunk.

Loyal Baptist has been a part of his life since his earliest memories. Stamps said his mother would put him on her shoulders to come to church on Sunday mornings.

Its an institution, he also said of the historic nature of the church. This is a place for the community.

History

Even though the current building  a landmark Tudor Gothic  was built in 1924, its roots trace back to the end of the Civil War.

The historic church 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 that 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.

The landmark rises from the ridge of Holbrook Street, giving the church a physical presence from many parts of Danville.

Stamps suggested that in the more than 150-year history of Loyal Baptist, 5,000-plus people have come through the doors.

Whats next

Church leaders originally planned to have a parking lot service Sunday, but changed strategies with the threat of rain. Instead they were set to use space at High Street Baptist Church in Danville.

Austin said hes had several churches reach out offering help in the wake of the fire. Loyal Baptist leaders were scheduled to meet early in the week to establish a temporary location to continue worship.

Tons of people have already stressed that they are here to help us, he said.

An insurance adjuster also was expected to come by Monday. Thats when they will get a clearer picture of what it will take to fix  or even rebuild  Loyal Baptist.

We are going to trust God, he explained when talking about whats next. We are going to get our minds together and do whats best, not just for what we want, or what we think.

Instead, they want to look forward to the next generation, whos going to be here after we are gone, whats best for them.

But no matter what happens, they want to keep the historic element intact.

Because its one of the few monuments in Danville and the nation of historically Black churches, Auston said of the reason.

Theres a banner outside the building noting the 157th anniversary of the church.

We are going to need all the financial support we can get, he continued, noting that although they have insurance, we want to make sure it continues to be historic.

To that end, they are going to set up a bank account for donations and would share details with the community when thats done.

The fire department

Austin had nothing but praise for the fire crews who ultimately saved the church from complete disaster.

The fire department was absolutely wonderful, he said.

In fact, Richie Guill, a fire marshal for Danville, lead the pastor and others in spiritual moment after the fire.

He had a word of prayer in the middle of the sanctuary, Austin explained, noting it was particularly moving.

We want to thank them, all the fire responders and fire department, Hall also said.

In all, 21 crew members from the fire department responded to the blaze.

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.
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.

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.

Source: Xinhua
25 years ago: Vadim Rogovin dies

On September 18, 1998, Vadim Zakharovich Rogovin, the Russian Marxist historian and sociologist, and author of a monumental six-volume study of the Trotskyist opposition to the rise of the Stalinist regime within the USSR, died of cancer in Moscow. He was 61 years old.

Vadim Rogovin, 1937-1998.

A Doctor of Philosophical Sciences and leading researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Rogovin was among the most highly regarded sociologists in the Soviet Union. In sharp contrast to virtually all his academic colleagues, Rogovin did not renounce his Marxist and socialist convictions during the years of Perestroika and in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR.

Rogovin declared openly that he was an adherent of Trotskyism and embarked upon the intellectual project that was to occupy him during the last decade of his life: writing the history of the Marxist opposition to Stalinism within the Soviet Union between 1923 and 1940. The first volume, Was There An Alternative?, was published in 1992; and the second volume, Power and Opposition, (published English as Bolsheviks Against Stalinism, 1928-1933) appeared one year later.

Rogovins activities were not confined to research and writing. In 1993 he made contact with the International Committee of the Fourth International with which he developed a close political and intellectual relationship, and with whose program he publicly declared his solidarity. Between 1995 and 1998, he delivered lectures organized by the International Committee in the United States, Britain, Germany and Australia.

In May 1994during the writing of the third volume in his planned history, Stalin's Neo-NEP, which placed the regimes preparation for the purges in the context of its repudiation of the egalitarian principles of the Bolshevik RevolutionRogovin underwent surgery for cancer of the colon. The surgeons discovered that the disease had already spread to the liver and warned that Rogovin would be fortunate if he lived for another year.

Despite the grim prognosis, Rogovin intensified his intellectual efforts, completed the third volume, and decided to expand the scope of his project. Initially, he had planned to complete the historical study in four volumes. However, as access to previously closed archival material placed a wealth of new documents at his disposal, Rogovin concluded that his work could not be completed in less than seven volumes.

In the face of extraordinary physical adversity, Rogovin completed six of the planned seven volumes. Volume four, 1937: Stalin's Year of Terror, was published in 1996; volume five, The Party of the Executed, (English title Political Genocide in the USSR) appeared in 1997; and volume six, World War and World Revolution, was published in Russian in 1998, the year of his death. By that time, Rogovin was already drafting chapters of volume seven.

50 years ago: Skylab 3 mission concludes

On September 24, 1973, astronauts aboard the NASA space station Skylab concluded their experiments and made their final preparations to return to earth. Skylab 3 was the second manned mission to the Skylab station, with Skylab 1 having been the mission that launched the station into orbit on May 14, 1973.

Skylab photographed by approaching Skylab 3 crew

Skylab 2 launched shortly after on May 25 with the crew staying aboard for 28 days. This beat the previous record of 24 days set by Soviet astronauts on the Salyut space station in 1971. The crew of Salyut tragically did not survive reentry to earth due to a malfunction causing their spacecraft to become depressurized.

Launched on July 28, 1973, Skylab 3 smashed the previous records with the crew of Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott, and Jack Lousma staying in orbit over the earth for 59 days and 11 hours. This came despite a number of problems early in the mission that nearly forced the crew to abandon the station and make an early return to earth.

Once the astronauts had docked it was discovered that one of the thrusters on the crews transport vessel had become damaged. A second Apollo spaceship was readied to launch a rescue mission; however, after working with the ground control team it was determined that the crew could make a safe return with the two still-functional thrusters.

Another early setback came 30 hours after launch when a power failure caused most of the stations systems to go temporarily offline. The crew had brought with them a number of mice and insects to study the effects of space on animals. However, they did not survive the power failure and the experiments were abandoned.

One exception however was two spiders that had been brought to the space station and survived long enough for the crew to restore normal power. The spiders were found to be capable of adapting themselves to a zero gravity environment and maintained the ability to construct webs.

A major area of research was on the astronauts themselves. The crew conducted examinations of one another to test the effects of extended spaceflight on human beings. The phenomenon of puffy face syndrome in astronauts was studied, showing that in a zero gravity environment fluids are more evenly dispersed, with more than normal amounts traveling to the face and head, causing the face to appear more rounded, while the legs become thinner as less fluids are pooled there without gravity.

Skylab 3 installed an array of six telescopes on the space station, making it possible to capture the highest quality images of the sun up to that time. The new telescopes were able to observe the Sun over a range of the electromagnetic spectrum and capture solar phenomena like bursting gases and collect information about the suns atmosphere.

The space station also captured images of the earth. Particularly the United States was examined, to create new geological maps that could be used for managing natural resources, studied crop conditions, and measuring storm patterns.

One final Skylab mission would be launched in November to continue the research. That mission, Skylab 4, would go on to further break the spaceflight record with the crew remaining in space for 84 days.

75 years ago: Indonesian nationalists suppress popular uprising in Madiun

On September 18, 1948, rebels in Madiun, East Java, launched an uprising directed against the attempts of the dominant nationalist forces in Indonesia to establish a conservative bourgeois state. The uprising and its brutal suppression were the sharpest expression of longstanding conflicts among those forces engaged in the fight against Dutch colonial rule.

In August 1945, in the concluding stages of World War II, Indonesian nationalists led by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta declared independence. That was promulgated as the Japanese, who had conquered the archipelago, suffered defeat. The Dutch, backed by the other imperialist powers, immediately took action to regain control of their old colonial possession.

The ensuing struggle would involve a broad-based popular war against the Dutch forces, spanning four-and-a-half years. The Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) played a prominent role, and its members held positions in the first post-colonial government. They were ousted in January 1948, as Hatta sought to consolidate a conservative government. The removal of the Stalinist leaders was accompanied by attempts to demobilize irregular guerilla units and replace them with the newly established Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI).

The PKI and more radical nationalist forces were hostile to the major concessions made by Sukarno and Hatta in the Renville Agreement. The pact granted Dutch forces de facto control over large swathes of the archipelago, until full independence, which was pushed off into the indefinite future. The Dutch repeatedly breached agreements, including breaking ceasefires.

The PKI, feeling that it was being sidelined, developed a Peoples Democratic Front with other leftist parties. On September 18, Democratic Front forces took over public buildings and military headquarters in Madiun, one of their last strongholds. The initiative was taken by a PKI-influenced militia leader named Soemarsono.

Indonesian rebels taken away under guard during Madiun uprising

The extent to which senior PKI leaders, especially Munawar Musso, were aware of the plans remains unclear. Hatta immediately denounced the revolt as an attempt to overthrow the Indonesian Republic and to establish a Soviet government. He and Sukarno would preside over a protracted military offensive, which included unleashing the TNI to kill Musso and other PKI leaders. Amir Sjarifuddin, who had served as prime minister in a previous republican government, was executed. The killings occurred even as it was clear that the PKI leaders and left-wing Republicans were seeking to rein in the rebels. In effect, Hatta and Sukarno used the rebellion as the pretext for a sweeping purge.

The PKI was completely unprepared. Based on the Stalinist perspective of a two-stage revolution, it rejected the struggle for workers power, instead insisting that the bourgeoisie had a progressive role to play in the revolution. In practice, that program entailed subordinating the masses to various bourgeois leaders, even as they were shifting to the right, and paving the way for military repression.

100 years ago: Communist Party leads insurrection in Bulgaria

On September 23, 1923, the Communist Party of Bulgaria led an uprising of workers and peasants in Bulgaria to overthrow the right-wing government of Aleksandar Tsankov, which had come to power in a military coup in June and overthrown the peasant-populist government of Aleksandar Stamboliyski.

The Communist Party of Bulgaria (CPB), which had deep roots in the working class and among the poorest layers of the peasantry, took a neutral and passive stance on the June coup, a position that was roundly criticized by the Communist International and compared to the passivity of the German Communist Party during the Kapp Putsch of 1920.

As a corrective, the CPB began to prepare an insurrection without fully estimating the new situation and relationship of class forces. Plans for the insurrection had been captured by the government and over 2,000 communists had been arrested on September 12. Premature risings took place on September 17.

The BCP was able to seize about 50 towns and villages on September 20, but not any large cities. No rising had even been planned in the capital, Sofia.

The insurrection spread on September 23, but was suppressed partly because the government, with the aid of the social democrats, was able to control the railways. The military, with the assistance of detachments of Russian White Guards in exile, were able to quell the insurrection. In the days and weeks that followed, nearly 5,000 workers and peasants were murdered in a reign of terror.

Bulgarian rebels arrested in Vratsa

In Lessons of October, Trotsky, summing up in 1924 the problems of the world revolution and the role of revolutionary leadership, remarked that the events in Bulgaria resembled those in Germany in October.

Last year we met with two crushing defeats in Bulgaria. First, the party let slip an exceptionally favorable moment for revolutionary action on account of fatalistic and doctrinaire considerations. (That moment was the rising of the peasants after the June coup of Tsankov.) Then the party, striving to make good its mistake, plunged into the September insurrection without having made the necessary political or organizational preparations. The Bulgarian revolution ought to have been a prelude to the German revolution. Unfortunately, the bad Bulgarian prelude led to an even worse sequel in Germany itself.
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., Berger's 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 Couch's 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 state's 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 Summerfield's 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 community's "rural character."

"It's not going to make me more or less against the development," she said of Couch's 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 don't see much possibility of campaign contributions changing a legislator's mind and leading them to behave in ways they wouldn't have ordinarily behaved."

B.J. Barnes, a former mayor of Summerfield, borrowed a quote from President Ronald Reagan when asked about Couch's contributions to Berger.

"If they give me money, it's because they agree with the way I think, and not the other way around," Barnes said.

Barnes told the News & Record that it wasn't 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 won't be a good thing for anybody. After this, you're 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, you'd be dealing with four developers," Barnes said. "It's 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.
RALEIGH  If Susie Sharp were alive today, she'd 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 she'd also likely request those arranging the event not to overdo it.

That's 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 state's highest court. Those legal posts were only a few of Justice Sharp's many "firsts" in a judicial career that spanned more than 40 years and left a significant mark on this state.

As one way to recognize major events in Justice Sharp's life, the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will unveil and dedicate a state highway historical marker citing the justice's many legal and judicial accomplishments in a public ceremony on Sept. 29.

A storybook tale

Justice 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. She died in March 1996 and is buried in the city's Greenview Cemetery.

Her life and legal career are a storybook tale, as the official biography, "Without Precedent," published in 2008 disclosed. She 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 it was always necessary.

She was the only woman in her law school class of 60 men and wasn't fazed by a series of anonymous handwritten notes from male classmates who made it clear they didn't 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 she'd never make it as a lawyer.

When she began her law practice with her father James in Reidsville, she was an enigma. Some residents had never seen a woman attorney, and many didn't want to deal with her. One curious fellow entered the law office, and he told her he didn't need anything, but had heard a woman lawyer was there and he just wanted to see what she looked like.

'The she judge'

When she 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 she had received 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 appointments. During the early 1970s, she was recommended for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court by Sen. Sam Ervin Jr., but the president ignored that advice.

The lunch procession

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.

She was an opera fan and chided colleagues whom she felt needed more of that kind of culture. She hated smoking and didn't allow it in the court conference room. She abstained from alcohol and delighted in court decisions that tightened drinking laws.

As chief justice, she routinely led the justices to lunch from the court building in downtown Raleigh at a nearby cafeteria. She assiduously buzzed each member at exactly 12 noon daily that it was time for their lunch walk, and she always walked at the head of the line of the justices.

She didn't like copy machines and rejected suggestions for new clerical equipment and insisted on thin carbon copies of documents. Supreme Court justices never had what she called a "Xerox machine" until after she retired from the court.

'Forgive them, Lord'

She 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 she kept her private side out of public view.

She never married and never believed that a woman could have both a career and a marriage. "Trouble comes." she said, "when a woman tries to be too many things."

Sharp's 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, looked at law as an instrument to make democracy better. She was always civil, even in disagreement, and fearlessly stood by her interpretations of the law.

She was rigid but reasonable, always holding her own in debate, courageous and ethical, always a decisive agent about changes in laws.

She succeeded, she often said, because she was a woman, but felt "this women's angle" had been overemphasized. She was not always predictable but always felt at ease with herself and her views. She worked for women's 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. She 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, he'd find people with "feet of clay," meaning typical human flaws. She 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 couldn't meet these expectations?"

That may best define Susie Sharp at her finest.
Everyone loves a crime drama. Whether it's a comforting procedural like any of the various iterations of CSI and NCIS, or twisty dark entries such as Sherlock and Mindhunter, every one of us always has a space for a gripping new crime thriller.

If you're currently on the hunt for a new mystery to solve, then you need look no further than Netflix. The world's best streaming service is packed with crime dramas, albeit of varying quality  but it has some seriously special series on there.

So if you want to know what to watch next, we've put together a list of six crime dramas that boast a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning every critic who saw them thinks they're good. Few shows of any kind manage this, so in a crime thriller, you know it's got to be gripping.

Fauda

Our first stop on this tour of Netflix's finest crime dramas is in Israel, and the long-running drama Fauda. Translating as "chaos" or "turmoil" in English, the show follows Lior Raz's Doron, a commander in the Mista'arvim, which is a counter-terrorism unit in the Israel Defense Force that operates undercover.

Retired at the start of season one, Doron is persuaded to return to track down a terrorist he'd thought long dead. From there, he is drawn back in and the mission proves rather tricky.

Raz  who has since gone to take key roles in Netflix smash-em-up, 6 Underground, Apple TV Plus' dark drama The Crowded Room, and Ridley Scott's hugely-anticipated Gladiator sequel  commands the show superbly.

Acknowledging that this is a chest-thumping, machismo-fuelled action-drama in the style of Prime Video's Jack Ryan, critics were still full of praise, particularly it's lean structure and commitment to action and spectacle.

The Snow Girl

From Israel to sunny Spain for another critical crime darling, La Chica De Nieve, or, The Snow Girl. Arriving in early 2023, the show is a fresh take on a well-worn premise, revolving around the vanishing of Amaya Martin, a six-year-old girl who mysteriously disappeared in 2010 during Malaga's annual Cavalcade of Magi festival.

Years later, Miren Rojo, an intern grappling with the monotony of her role at a local newspaper, stumbles upon the case. Determined to make her mark, she embarks on a personal quest to unravel the enigma.

Adapted from Javier Castillo's novel of the same title, this disappearance unfolds into a complex and intricate web of intrigue, thrusting Miren into perilous situations.

While acknowledging that the show was hardly the most original work of the year in its setup, reviewers lavished praise on the writers' handling of the many time jumps, and on the pace and suspense injected into each episode.

Little Women

A novel new take on Louisa May Alcott's literary classic, this version of Little Women is set in South Korea and turns the story into a dark crime drama.

In this drama, we follow the Oh sisters: In-joo, played by Kim Go-eun; In-kyung, who is portrayed by Nam Ji-hyun; and In-hye, played by Park Ji-hu.

The eldest, In-joo, works as a bookkeeper for a company owned by South Korea's richest family. After finding her best friend, Hwa-young, dead in her apartment, In-joo then discovers that there is a small fortune addressed to her in a locker.

As she attempts to find out what happened to her friend, In-joo discovers that the money is part of a much larger amount that Hwa-young stole from an illegal slush fund.

To dig into things, she enlists her middle sister, In-kyung, who is an investigative journalist. The trail leads them to aspiring politician Park Jae-sang. His daughter, wouldn't you know, is a new friend of their youngest sibling, bringing the world together in one big twisty mess.

Critics lapped up the tightly-wound scripts and the pacy, half-hour, episode runtimes, as well as praising the innovative take on Alcott's novel.

Rough Diamonds

We're heading to Antwerp in Belgium next. Rough Diamonds centers around Kevin Janssens' Noah Wolfson, a young man who bravely broke away from his Orthodox Jewish upbringing to start a new life. However, he finds himself back in the community after the tragic death of his brother, Yanki.

Back in Antwerp, Noah discovers the desperate state of his family's fortunes as their diamond-trading business is under siege from two opposing forces. On one side, there's a determined and ambitious local prosecutor, and on the other, a ruthless new gang from the darker corners of the criminal underworld.

Critics have been fulsome in their praise for the show's intricate storytelling, strong performances and twisty plotlines.

Giri/Haji

To London now, and a gripping drama from The Lazarus Project creator Joe Barton.

Starring Takehiro Hira, Kelly Macdonald, Yosuke Kubozuka, Will Sharpe, Masahiro Motoki, Justin Long, Anna Sawai, and Charlie Creed-Miles, this eight-parter is set in London and Tokyo, with dialogue in both English and Japanese.

Things begin with Hira's Kenzo Mori being sent to London to find his brother, who was previously assumed to be dead. His brother has been accused of murdering the nephew of a Yakuza member, which threatened to start a gang war in Tokyo.

To avoid this, Kenzo must navigate the unfamiliar territory of London to uncover whether his brother is alive, guilty, or both. To help him, he teams up with a British police detective, MacDonald's Sarah Weitzmann. As the pair investigate further, things get murkier and murkier and threaten the peace in both London and Japan.

Despite not gaining a second season, critics adored the show, as you can see from its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Law According to Lidia Poet

Finally, let's head to late 1880s Italy. Loosely inspired by the life of Lidia Poet, Italy's first modern female lawyer, this series has already secured a second season.

The show charts Poet's determined pursuit of a legal career, only to encounter the harsh reality of her "illegal" status and impending disbarment. While preparing her appeal, she lands a position at her brother Enrico's law firm. Unsurprisingly, she becomes more deeply involved than her elder brother ever anticipated, embarking on a new case with each episode.

Critics have showered praise upon Matilda de Angelis for her captivating performance and infectious energy in the lead role alongside the show's elegant aesthetics and tight scripting.

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Most of the cast of  Boy Meets World  reunited Saturday at 90s Con in Tampa, Florida  with the notable exception of Ben Savage , who played the lead role of Cory on the show. Danielle Fishel , who played Topanga, didnt name Savage or discuss his absence but emphasized the continuing strength of relationships among the rest of the cast.

She said to the audience, When you really commit to a relationship, when you really commit to this idea that we are always going to be in each others lives  that commitment to a relationship is such a lesson for everybody.

On Sunday, Fishel took to Instagram to reject the idea that she was speaking about Savage at the panel. She updated her Instagram Story and complained about how it was framed by People, writing, Hey, @people, nice clickbait but I wasnt speaking about anyone who wasnt on that stage with me. It was a love letter to them and not a passive-aggressive attack on anyone else. Do better pls.

In 2020, Fishel and costars Rider Strong and Will Friedle told Variety that Savage had apparently ghosted them. As Fishel put it, He just kind of disappeared from our lives.

Up to that point, Fishel and Savage were especially close  Savage even visited the NICU after Fishel gave birth to her son prematurely in 2019. While speaking Saturday, the actress didnt specify if a falling out or argument of some kind precipitated Savages departure from their lives.

The actress also told the audience that various cast members have needed breaks from one another over the years, but none have been so permanent. She said, Because we are constantly put back together, there have been times where weve needed space from each other, and weve taken long distances.

Fishel continued by adding that being able to come back together and appreciate the amount of growth, and grace, and forgiveness, and compassion, and true knowing of each other that we now have is what makes the friendships the rest of the cast share so special.

The post Boy Meets World Cast Reunites Without Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel Says Commitment Is Key to Maintaining Casts Relationships appeared first on TheWrap.
Drew Barrymore is officially hitting "pause" on production of her daytime talk show.

After days of enduring backlash surrounding her decision to resume The Drew Barrymore Show amid the writers' and actors' strikes, the host announced that she will no longer move forward with new episodes until the strikes end.

"I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over," Barrymore wrote on social media Sunday. "I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today."

She added, "We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon."

Barrymore announced plans last week for her Daytime Emmywinning show to resume production without its three Writers Guild of America writers who, along with the rest of their union, have been on strike since May, demanding higher wages, clearer contract provisions, and more.

The star quickly became the center of controversy, earning criticism from striking members of the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild  American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), in addition to others of the industry. Following her decision, the National Book Foundation also rescinded its invitation for Barrymore to host its annual awards event.

Her show resumed filming last week as picketers protested the choice outside the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Some audience members said they were escorted out of tapings for wearing WGA-branded pins. A spokesperson for the show told EW in a statement that Barrymore was "completely unaware of the incident" and that their team is "in the process of reaching out to the affected audience members to offer them new tickets."

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 19: Drew Barrymore attends the 2023 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presentation at The Kennedy Center on March 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Taylor Hill/WireImage)

Taylor Hill/WireImage Drew Barrymore

Barrymore initially defended her decision in a now-removed video she posted on Friday, explaining, "This is bigger than me and there other peoples' jobs on the line."

She continued, "I weighed the scales and I thought if we could go on during a global pandemic and everything that the world experienced through 2020, why would this sideline us? I just wanted to just put one foot in front of the other and make a show that's there for people regardless of anything else that's happening in the world."

Barrymore, a member of SAG-AFTRA, insisted that the show's return was "in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind," according to strike rules. When season 4 was first announced, a CBS spokesperson confirmed to EW that the series would "not be performing any writing work covered by the WGA strike."

While Barrymore herself was not in violation as the series' host  daytime talk shows fall under a separate contract, the Network Television Code contract  resuming production meant that it left its writers behind. As the WGA-East announced on social media, "The [Drew Barrymore Show] is a WGA-covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers Any writing on The Drew Barrymore Show is in violation of WGA strike rules."

Cristina Kinon, a writer for the show, told The Daily Beast that she was disappointed to see Barrymore resume production on the series without its writing team. "It is frustrating," she said, "because it will prolong the strike, and we just want it to end."

When news broke that the series was coming back for a fourth season, CBS issued a statement to EW. "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," it read in part. "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. We fully support Drew and her entire team 100 percent."

The show was set to return with new episodes on Monday, Sept. 18.

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"I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon," Barrymore wrote in a statement, referring to the ongoing strikes by both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA

Taylor Hill/WireImage Drew Barrymore attends the 2023 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presentation at The Kennedy Center on March 19, 2023 in Washington, DC

Drew Barrymore has announced that The Drew Barrymore Show will no longer premiere until the Hollywood strikes are over  a reversal from the host's previous choice to resume production despite ongoing strikes by both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the SAG-AFTRA actors' union.

The actress, 48, said on Instagram Sunday that she decided to "pause" the premiere of her talk show. The announcement comes shortly after she posted a since-deleted video in which she doubled down on her initial decision to resume the production.

I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the shows premiere until the strike is over, Barrymore wrote in her statement.

She continued, I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward.

And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon, the mother of two concluded.

In a statement, a CBS Media Ventures spokesperson said, We support Drews decision to pause the shows return and understand how complex and difficult this process has been for her.

Barrymore, who has hosted her talk show since 2020, received negative feedback for bringing the program back during the strikes. The actress initially defended the decision in a Sept. 10 statement on Instagram.

"I made a choice to walk away from the MTV Film and Television Awards because I was the host and it had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with, which was studios, streamers, film, and television," she wrote.

Noting that production on the show's third season wrapped on April 20, before the WGA strike began in May, Barrymore added: "I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind."

Related: Everything to Know About the SAG Strike and How It Will Affect TV and Movies

The actress called the show "bigger than just me," and said that she wants to "be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience."

The Writers Guild of America, East swiftly responded on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the Guild intended to picket The Drew Barrymore Show, noting that it counts as "struck" work.

The @DrewBarrymoreTV Show is a WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers, they wrote. "The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike. Any writing on 'The Drew Barrymore Show' is in violation of WGA strike rules."

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Related: See All the Clever Signs from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strike Picket Lines

On Friday, Barrymore shared a now-deleted video on Instagram in which she apologized and defended her decision to resume the show. Within hours, the post was deleted from her account, along with the original announcement.

In the teary-eyed video, the actress addressed the backlash she faced for her initial decision and said the situation was so complex, but her intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anyone.

I believe there's nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK, she said in the since-deleted video. I wanted to own a decision so that it wasn't a PR, protected situation. And I would just take full responsibility for my actions. I know there's just nothing I can do that will make this OK for those that is not OK with. I fully accept that. I fully understand that.

Barrymore continued, I've been through so many ups and downs in my life and this is one of them. I deeply apologize to [the] writers. I deeply apologize to unions. I deeply apologize. I don't exactly know what to say because sometimes when things are so tough, it's hard to make decisions from that place.

Mario Tama/Getty

Related: Drew Barrymore Out as Host of Book Awards After Her Talk Show Resumes During Strike

She went on to say she wanted to accept responsibility, but also elaborated on why she decided to go ahead with The Drew Barrymore Show's new season in the first place.

Why am I doing this? Well, I certainly couldn't have expected this kind of attention, and we arent going to break rules, and we will be in compliance. I wanted to do this because as I said, this is bigger than me. And there are other people's jobs on the line.

The actress added that the show initially launched during the pandemic, and said she believed continuing production during the ongoing strikes would be another way for it to be there for people in sensitive times.

So, I want to just put one foot in front of the other and make a show that's there for people regardless of anything else that's happening in the world because that's when I think we all need something that wants to be there, being very realistic in very realistic times," she concluded the video. "So that is my why."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The WGA has been on strike since May 2 after the Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) were unable to come to an agreement before the previous contract expired. The writers are seeking higher pay, minimum staffing requirements, residuals from streaming and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to name a few key issues.



SAG-AFTRA, led by president Fran Drescher, joined the writers on the picket line on July 14. Actors are seeking higher pay and residuals from streaming, as well protection from the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative works. This marks the first dual strike since 1960.



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Read the original article on People.
State Senate leader Phil Berger makes some valid points about the town of Summerfields need for more affordable housing and better-managed growth.

As much as many who live in the suburban Greensboro town may wish they had the power, they cant freeze time.

With its continued growth, Summerfield needs to evolve to meet new challenges.

The thing is, not any of this is Bergers business. These are local issues that should be dealt with locally.

But Berger, who arguably is the most powerful politician in the state, is butting in anyway.

At issue is a proposed mixed-use development by a longtime Summerfield developer, David Couch.

The Villages of Summerfield Farms would include 600 apartments, as well as retail shops and other types of housing.

The Town Council opposes it, out of concerns that it will ruin the rural character of Summerfield.

So Berger, an Eden Republican who happens to have received hefty campaign contributions from Couch, is sponsoring a bill in the state Senate that would de-annex the 970 acres off Pleasant Ridge Road that Couch wants to develop  and thus enable Couch to proceed with his project despite local leaders objections.

The bill passed 34-10 in the Senate on Wednesday without debate. If it passes another vote on Tuesday, the measure would go to the House.

Meanwhile, the long-simmering imbroglio over what Summerfield is today and will become tomorrow has boiled over. Again.

To repeat, the question here isnt the merit of Couchs development or of Bergers argument.

Its the overreach  once more  from a Republican-controlled legislature that keeps poking its nose into local matters. Arent Republicans supposed to be against this kind of thing?

Berger defends the Senates intervention as an attempt to save Summerfield from itself. But imagine Bergers likely reaction if a legislature controlled by Democrats tried to dictate to the town of Eden how to manage its growth.

The Senate president pro tem said in a blistering letter to Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms that its his responsibility to step in when a local unit of government fails to take obvious and reasonable steps in the public interest.

So, whats to stop Berger from stepping in in Kernersville or Charlotte or Winston-Salem?

As BJ Barnes, a former mayor of Summerfield and a former longtime Guilford County sheriff, said Friday, Berger is setting a bad precedent.

This bill wont be a good thing for anybody, Barnes, a staunch Republican, told the News & Records Connor McNeely. After this, youre going to be splitting towns apart across the state.

Just so you know, Barnes lives fewer than 2 miles from the site of Couchs development and fully supports it. Affordable housing is something everybody should be for, Barnes said.

For his part, Berger said in the letter that Summerfields land-use policies have hindered development of needed supplies of water and the necessary systems to treat wastewater.

And he has a point. Summerfield isnt what it used to be. When it incorporated in 1996 to fend off annexation from Greensboro, its population numbered 1,400. Now its 11,000.

At the same time, Guilford Countys affordable housing crisis is worsening. Permitting denser development in some parts of Summerfield would allow for more efficient use of land and resources.

Yet, while Berger might be on the right side of this debate, this isnt his call to make. Nor is it the legislatures.

Making Bergers intrusion look even more unseemly are those campaign contributions from Couch: a total of $27,000 to Berger, and another $1,000 to Bergers son, Phil Berger Jr., in his 2020 campaign for a state Supreme Court seat.

Though Bergers office denies any connections between those donations and the Summerfield dispute, this is not a good look.

Heres how local zoning and land-use matters are supposed to work: You either have the votes or you dont. And if you dont like local leaders decisions, you elect different leaders.

With his own party fighting with itself in Raleigh, Bergers timing couldnt be more ironic. As an overdue state budget remains stalled by some GOP legislators stubborn attempts to expand casino gambling and thousands are awaiting health care coverage when the state finally, if ever, expands Medicaid, lawmakers would do well to get their own houses in order.

And let Summerfield take care of Summerfield.
As late summer gives way to early fall, Colorado experiences a color rush of changing leaves, pushing Coloradans outdoors to see the fall foliage.

Daniel West, nicknamed "Mr. Aspen," spends two months a year in late summer flying over Colorado's 24 million acres of forest, observing tree health  this grants him expertise on how the fall leaf-changing season plays out every year.

Aspen trees make up about five million acres of Colorado's forest ecosystem, West said, and are spread fairly evenly through the state. Below is a guide to when they are generally at peak color saturation, according to the U.S. Forest Service. This can vary slightly from year to year, and higher elevations tend to turn more quickly than lower elevations.

Here are some of the peak times to see the fall colors in Colorado, as reported by our friends at the Fort Collins Coloradoan:

Mid-to-late September: Northern mountains from about Denver and Glenwood Springs north to the Wyoming state line, including Rocky Mountain National Park, Upper Poudre Canyon, Rawah Mountains of the Medicine Bow National Forest, Steamboat area, Flat Tops, and Dinosaur National Monument.

Late September: Central mountains from about Interstate 70 south to Pueblo, including I-70 corridor, Maroon Bells, Grand Mesa, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park as well as Vail, Aspen, and Crested Butte.

Late September to early October: Southern mountains from Pueblo south to New Mexico state line, including the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains, Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Telluride, and Pagosa Springs.

Best places in southern Colorado to check out the fall colors

Fog settles between ridges of the Wet Mountains near San Isabel as golden aspens dominate the landscape along Colorado 165 near San Isabel in this Chieftain file photo from 2017.

West told the Chieftain that just south of Canon City, around the area of Greenhorn Peak, is "significantly ahead of schedule" this year, with "whole hillsides of yellow" already visible throughout the Wet Mountains.

"I think for that area, maybe next week or a week from this weekend if you will, I think we'll see a peak through the Wet Mountains," he said.

While it can be difficult to predict due to weather conditions, the peak season for an area generally lasts between 10 and 14 days, he said, giving Coloradans about two weekends to get out and see the colors.

West said there's several amazing color drives close to Pueblo that people can take during peak season; one such drive is La Veta Pass, just west of Walsenberg. Another, he noted, is the area in and around Cuchara, which sits along Highway 12. "It's awesome for oaks and riparian vegetation along the riverways," he said.

West also suggested drivers can a trip to Bighorn Sheep Canyon, about 12 miles east of Canon City.

"Driving through Bighorn Sheep Canyon, driving toward Salida, things are just starting to turn, we're starting to see some patchy yellows here and there," he said.

West's 2023 color forecast for the Centennial State

West predicts that conditions this year will produce a beautiful bloom of colors across the state. "(The forecast) is showing above-average temperature, and below-average precipitation, so that sets up really nicely for a fantastic fall show," he said.

Aspen trees, he said, are capitalizing on a significant amount of precipitation that occurred throughout the spring and summer. "In previous years, we saw extreme and even exceptional drought conditions throughout the state," said West. "This year, it's only a mild or moderate drought in the southwest corner of the state, which is struggling with not seeing the same precipitation values, but the rest of the state is sitting in a pretty good spot ... they're in really good condition going into the fall, which is what we want to see."

Mr. Aspen's favorite drives to see the colors statewide

Kebler Pass, a 30-mile drive along Kebler Pass Road, located west of Crested Butte to Colorado Highway 133, is one of West's favorites. "That whole area in and around the Gunnison basin, all the way up to Crested Butte, (has) fantastic aspen shows," he said.

"In the south, you can't go wrong with heading towards the west and the Wet Mountains," he continued. "You'd be able to see fantastic views if you drive now. The aspens are already starting to turn, and I don't think people will be disappointed.

For West, there's too many beautiful drives across the state to pick a favorite.

"Closer to home, there is the Peak to Peak Highway just west of Denver, and the Rocky Mountain National Park is also really fantastic," the Fort Collins-based Colorado State Forest Service entomologist said.

Peak to Peak Scenic Byway is a 55-mile highway that connects several national parks, national forests, and even a ski resort, with many gravel roads crisscrossing the highway leading to trails, camping grounds, lakes, and more.

West also highlighted the Dallas Divide, located on State Highway 62 about 12 miles west of the town of Ridgway. "Also, even heading north of Durango, work your way to Silverton, and work your way all the way up to Ridgeway and into Montrose, that's a fantastic drive. We're really fortunate in Colorado," he said.

How to be responsible on Colorado trails during peak "leaf peeping" season

Bridget O'Rourke, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said fall is a busy season for trail attendance as many people take to their favorite outdoor location once the colors turn vibrant. O'Rourke offered several insights into how to view the sights, or "leaf-peep" responsibly.

Know before you go: The fall season is busy at Colorado state parks and parking lots get full. If a parking area is full, O'Rourke says visitors should move on to the next designated parking area and follow instructions given by park rangers. "Park rangers can issue parking tickets to people who park illegally or block traffic. Have a backup plan if your desired trailhead, park, or location is crowded or closed," she said.

O'Rourke advises that visitors use CPWs Park Finder Tool to see a Colorado state parks map. To learn more about outdoor activities at Colorado state parks, guests can also visit cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo.

Stick to trails: O'Rourke advises guests to make sure they're sticking to the trail, and to designated parking lots. "We see people walk off trail to take pictures. That can disturb wildlife, and damage vegetation. If they park in areas they aren't supposed to, it can damage roads and shift rocks around. So we ask people to consider if your one leaf-peeping picture is worth damage that can require additional maintenance."

Leave it as you find it: A particularly concerning behavior rangers see every year is guests carving their names into trees, O'Rourke said. "That's a huge faux pas," O'Rourke said. She also asked that in return for the beautiful views, photos, shade, and oxygen granted by the Colorado forests, guests refrain from damaging the trees in other ways, such as pulling down branches or pulling leaves off of the trees, because it can kill or disfigure them.

Keep wildlife wild: O'Rourke advises guests to protect themselves and their loved ones from potential wildlife conflicts by watching wild animals from a safe distance to avoid startling or forcing them to flee, keeping dogs leashed when enjoying dog-friendly trails, and putting waste bags in a trash can.

"Bears are more active on the trails because they're getting ready for hibernation," she said. "They're eating more berries, they're just around more. So we want people to be considerate not to approach wildlife, take photos from a far distance away, just to be mindful to coexist when you're in wildlife's habitat."

O'Rourke also asks that guests not hang waste on trees, and pack out everything they pack in. "Some people will leave (animal waste bags) behind rocks or worse, hang them on trees, with the intention to get them on the way out. But it damages the trees, and they may forget to pick them up, and there's no cleaning person that comes behind to pick those all up."

Share trails and parks with others: "We want people to just be considerate that wildlife could be crossing roads or people may pull over in funky places and may be crossing roads themselves," O'Rourke said. "Don't speed through parks or cut each other off, be respectful of park staff."

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Where to see the fall colors in Pueblo and southern Colorado
A talented actress and filmmaker at the cusp of stardom is found dead in her bathroom, purportedly an act of suicide. But N.Y.P.D. investigators with a close eye for detail would turn the investigation upside down, leading them to a teenager who almost got away with murder.

On November 1, 2006, at around 5:45 p.m., authorities were called to an apartment in Manhattans artsy Greenwich Village after Andy Ostroy found his wife dead. Adrienne Shelly, 40, was found in the bathroom of an apartment she used as an office away from home, seemingly the result of a suicide, according to Detective John Cantone of the N.Y.P.D.s Crime Scene Unit.

We went into the bathroom where we found a white female with blond hair, middle-aged, fully-clothed, hanging from a sheet that was tied to a shower curtain rod, Cantone told New York Homicide, airing Saturdays at 9/8c on Oxygen.

Investigators believed Shelly was dead for about five to six hours, noting marks above her right eye and cheeks.

RELATED: Detectives Learn Why a John Jay Student Brutally Murdered a Rising NYPD Criminalist

Loved ones, including Shellys marketing executive husband, were left reeling from the tragedy. It was all the more heartbreaking because she left behind a 2-year-old daughter. However, those closest to Shelly didnt subscribe to theories of suicide, a reaction detectives knew was all too common for grieving people.

Adrienne was madly in love with her baby, said friend and agent Rachel Sheedy.

Loved ones dispute Adrienne Shelly's suicide

Friends and family attested that Shelly had no history of depression and that her and Ostroys marriage was a happy one. She was also excited for the future, especially since her film, Waitress, starring Keri Russell, was a contender for the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

Shelly stood at the edge of a breakthrough, having previously appeared in the 1989 film The Unbelievable Truth and as a guest on Law & Order and HBOs Oz, according to her IMDB page.

I couldnt imagine that a woman whos waiting by the phone to hear from Sundance felt it was her time to go, Sheedy continued.

Ostroy told detectives that on the morning of Shellys death, hed dropped her off at the apartment-turned-office at around 9:30 a.m., according to Officer Bill Stanton of the 40th Precinct. Ostroy found it highly unusual to not hear from his wife for the rest of the day, prompting him to leave work and find her.

Adrienne Shelly G

Adrienne Shelly during Santa Monica Premiere of "The Playboys" on April 28, 1992. Photo: Getty Images

An intricate knot and a shoe print raise suspicion

At face value, it appeared to investigators that Shelly had taken her own life. Despite this, it was their job to process the crime scene and look for clues to support or disprove their theories. There were no signs of a break-in, nor did the apartment appear in disarray, but detectives found it peculiar that the knot of the bedsheet used to hang Shelly was rather intricate.

It just didnt make sense to me, Det. Cantone told New York Homicide. I had a gut feeling that there could be a little bit more to this story.

Eagle-eyed detectives also discovered a latent shoeprint atop the toilet seat. The pattern belonged to a Reebok Allen Iverson-style sneaker, mens size eight, which didnt match any of Shellys shoes. Detectives found no match when they compared the print to Ostroy, authorities, and medical personnel whod visited the scene.

I immediately thought this was going to be very important to the case, said Cantone.

Meanwhile, Ostroys alibi of being at work at the time of Shellys death panned out. The results of Shellys postmortem examination revealed neck compression as the cause of death.

Possible Suspects and a Revealing Clue

Detectives began speaking with those closest to Shelly, including people in her work circle. A producer, they learned, claimed an aspiring writer known for being a wannabe pestered Shelly about reading his screenplay, though Shelly wouldnt accept the request.

It seems that he was very frustrated with Adrienne, according to Ofc. Stanton. Constantly trying to get her attention, but she wasnt having any of it.

Investigators went to visit the wannabe at his apartment, finding hed moved out and traveled to another country, according to detectives. However, the writer left before Shellys death, as gleaned from flight records, bringing investigators to look at more possible suspects.

None stood out.

RELATED: Fatal 2006 Mass Shooting Leads NYC Detectives to Serial Killer Targeting Nightclub Bouncers

Days went by without any huge breaks when, on Nov. 5, 2006, police revisited the Greenwich Village apartment. With fresh eyes and ears, detectives discovered there was a construction project on the floor directly below Shellys, according to Detective George Boston of the N.Y.P.D.s Crime Scene Unit. When police entered the specific apartment, there was dust-covered construction paper on the floor with a sneakers imprint.

I said, Wow, thats the same print; a Reebok, size eight Allen Iverson, Boston told New York Homicide. The first thought is, This is not a suicide, this is a homicide.

The shoeprint matched the one found atop Shellys toilet.

Police spoke with the person in charge of the construction project, identifying Wilson Pillco as the foreman, according to Assistant District Attorney Doug Nadjari. Nadjari surmised, There may have been somebody on this construction crew who found their way into Adriennes apartment.

Police zero in on a 19-year-old construction worker

Detectives visited Wilson Pillco at his Brooklyn residence. Wilson answered the door and, as quickly observed by detectives, a backpack was on the floor with a pair of sneakers jutting out. Wilson explained the bag belonged to his 19-year-old brother, Diego Pillco  a construction worker whod illegally immigrated from Ecuador  who was also in the home when detectives arrived.

The shoes matched the one found at the crime scene, which A.D.A. referred to as "the golden slipper."

Pillco admitted to being in Shellys building but initially denied seeing her. He also claimed to have never been inside Shellys apartment, which investigators knew was a lie, given the shoeprint evidence.

Pillco, now detectives number one suspect, appeared nervous in the interrogation room, fidgeting with a prayer card. One of the female detectives appealed to Pillcos religious nature and learned that Pillco was fond of a young niece, using the information to draw a confession.

He said he didnt want his sins to be delivered upon the child, and at that point, Diego gives it up, A.D.A. Nadjari told New York Homicide.

Rachel Sheedy on Adrienne Shelly: She Had So Much to Live For

Diego Pillco claimed he was alone in the apartment under construction when Shelly came downstairs to complain about the noise. Pillco reportedly slammed the door on Shelly, though she opened it and slapped Pillco across the face. When Shelly allegedly threatened to call the police, Pillco  fearing deportation  followed Shelly back to her apartment and pleaded with Shelly not to report him.

He was triggered when Shelly picked up the phone, prompting a violent response.

He said he was a peaceful person, but that was a trigger for him, said Nadjari. It flipped some sort of an emotional switch in him.

Pillco told authorities he punched Shelly in the face, not meaning to knock her unconscious. Then, inspired by a Spanish-speaking telenovela he once watched, he staged Shellys death to look like a suicide.

As for how he staged the suicide, Pillco was familiar with tying intricate knots since he frequently tied pigs while living back in Ecuador.

Its awfully cold. Its awfully calculating, said Nadjari. He hangs her, and he tried to blame it on her and have her family, her children, her husband, live with that lie for the rest of their lives.

A photo of Diego Pillco, featured on New York Homicide 215

Diego Pillco, featured on New York Homicide 215 Photo: Oxygen

Investigators and loved ones challenge Diego Pillcos statements

Those closest to Shelly, including Rachel Sheedy, werent satisfied with Pillcos version of events  that Shelly initiated a confrontation. Sheedy said she knew that couldnt be true.

She was not confrontational, Sheedy told New York Homicide. She was not someone who would argue... it just wasnt her.

Investigators agreed that the story didnt match up, noting that there was no construction dust on Shellys shoes (which would have been the case if she had confronted Pillco in the downstairs apartment).

Pillco was charged with second-degree murder and eventually pleaded guilty to lesser charges of first-degree manslaughter. As part of the plea deal, he was required to give a full confession in court, finally revealing what really happened on the day of the murder.

Pillco recanted his previous statements that Shelly came downstairs to make a noise complaint. Instead, Pillco admitted he found Shelly on the elevator and chose to rob her, claiming he needed money to send to the people whod helped him illegally enter the United States.

The door was open; it was ajar, said A.D.A. Nadjari. He saw the purse on the table and went in there to take money out of her purse and run.

Rachel Sheedy Reflects on Adrienne Shellys Passion for Filmmaking

Shelly allegedly caught Pillco, catching him by surprise, and threatened to call 9-1-1. He physically attacked and strangled her before hanging her in the shower, per Pillcos courtroom confession.

Pillco was sentenced to 25 years behind bars without the possibility of parole.

This could have been ruled a suicide, and the family would have never gotten closure, said Det. Boston. Now they know what happened. Now they can finally put her to rest.

Adrienne Shelleys film, Waitress, was posthumously accepted into the Sundance Film Festival on the same day of Pillcos arrest. It went on to have success after being adapted into a Broadway musical and being nominated for a Tony Award.

She was this tiny little firecracker. She was this little thing, but she had so much power and so much presence, said Sheedy. I still wish I could have seen what else she would have created.

Watch all-new episodes of New York Homicide, airing Saturdays at 9/8c on Oxygen.
Google reached a $93 million settlement with California over location-tracking concerns.

Last November, Google reached a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states over a similar inquiry.

Google was accused of tracking the location history of users who opted out.

OAKLAND, California (AP)  Search giant Google agreed to a $93 million settlement with the state of California on Thursday over its location-privacy practices.

The settlement follows a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states, reached in November 2022, to resolve an investigation into how the company tracked users' locations.

The states' investigation was sparked by a 2018 Associated Press story, which found that Google continued to track people's location data even after they opted out of such tracking by disabling a feature the company called "location history."

"Our investigation revealed that Google was telling its users one thing  that it would no longer track their location once they opted out  but doing the opposite and continuing to track its users' movements for its own commercial gain. That's unacceptable, and we're holding Google accountable with today's settlement," Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

As part of the settlement, in which Google admitted no wrongdoing, the company also agreed to a number of restrictions, including providing more transparency about location tracking, disclosing to users that their location information may be used for ad personalization, and showing additional information to users when enabling location-related account settings.

"Consistent with improvements we've made in recent years, we have settled this matter, which was based on outdated product policies that we changed years ago," Google said in a statement.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Horace Ove, director of Pressure (1976), the first full-length Black British film, died on Sept. 16. He was 86.

Oves son Zak posted on Facebook: Our loving father Horace, took his last breath at 4.30 this morning, while sleeping peacefully. I hope his spirit is free now after many years of suffering with Alzheimers. You are forever missed, and forever loved. Rest in Peace Pops, and thank you for everything.

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Born in Trinidad in 1936, Oves moved to London in 1960 to study interior design. A stint in Rome, during which he worked as a film extra including on Joseph Mankiewiczs Cleopatra (1963), he was exposed to the work of Federico Fellini and Vittorio De Sica , who would become infuences. He returned to Britain in 1965 and covered social and political events in the country while being a student at the London Film School. During the 1960s and 1970s he was one of the foremost chroniclers of the Black Power movement and counterculture in London, with portraits of Michael X, Stokely Carmichael , Darcus Howe, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Caribbean Artists Movement, and the nascent Notting Hill Carnival.

Ove directed short The Art of the Needle (1966), followed by documentary short Baldwins N***** (1968), a record of a visit to the U.K. by the renowned U.S. author and activist James Baldwin that captures him addressing a group of young people at the West Indian Students Centre in London. Oves Reggae (1971) was the first in-depth documentary on Black music and reggae in the U.K.

Pressure (1976), heralded as the first full-length Black British film, is an exploration of the concerns faced by emerging second-generation West Indians in Britain.

In an era when authentic Black narratives were underrepresented in mainstream media, Ove pushed boundaries at the BBC and Channel 4, creating films that portrayed a multicultural Britain, including A Hole in Babylon (1979), The Garland (1981) and Playing Away (1985). During this period Ove made two documentaries back-to-back in India for Channel 4. Dabbawallahs (1985), filmed in Mumbai (then Bombay) is a portrait of the men and women who convey lunches to the office workers in a race against time. Who Shall We Tell? (1985) is Oves Grierson Award-nominated documentary about the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy in December 1984, a first-person portrait told by the people of Bhopal themselves, describing their lives before and after the lethal gas-leak.

Oves work has inspired a generation of diverse Black British filmmakers and artists, including Menelik Shabazz, John Akomfrah, Isaac Julien, Julien Henriques, Ngozi Onwurah, Steve McQueen, Amma Asante, Raine Allen-Mille and Dionne Edwards. Ove was knighted in 2022 for his services to British cinema and media.

The late filmmakers work is the subject of an upcoming major BFI Southbank retrospective season titled Power to the People: Horace Oves Radical Vision. A 4K restored version of Pressure will receive a joint restoration world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival and the New York Film Festival on Oct. 11. This precedes the films U.K.-wide cinema release by BFI Distribution and on BFI Player on Nov. 3.

The retrospective season (Oct. 23-Nov. 30) will commence with an illustrated talk and a re-release preview of Pressure. The program will include films like Baldwins N****** (1969), Reggae (1970), King Carnival (1973), Skateboard Kings (1978), Black Safari (1972), amongst others. The event will also screen films that influenced Oves cinematic style, such as La Dolce Vita (1960), Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Pather Panchali (1955).

The U.K.s Film and TV Charity has a 50,000 ($62,000) Horace Ove Grant to help the Black and global majority of people working behind the scenes in film, TV and cinema to access opportunity and navigate barriers to career progression.

The BFI posted on X: Were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Horace Ove. Photographer, painter, writer, and pioneering filmmaker, Oves career spanned four decades and encompassed cutting-edge drama and documentary. He worked outside of the system, showing generations of Black filmmakers that it could be done, and that their voices have power. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.

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In 1990, computer scientists at the Swiss-based research center CERN developed the rudiments of what would become the modern world wide web with still-foundational concepts like HTML, HTTP, and the URL. They also created the first website, info.cern.ch. You can still browse it, even though its pretty crude by modern standards.

CERN made the software to create websites public domain in 1993, and the internets first conspiracy theory site probably popped up seconds later.

When conspiracy theory culture moved online, it was following a pattern of early crank adoption of new technology, from easy duplication of photos fueling the Dreyfus Affair to home video equipment making it easier to make and distribute conspiracy films. On bulletin board systems, email lists, Yahoo groups, blocky websites on long-gone providers, and text-based forums like USENET, conspiracy theories flourished. They grew so quickly that the USENET group alt.conspiracy was already getting nearly a hundred thousand monthly views as early as July 1994, making it one of the most popular parts of the early web.

Within a few years, conspiracy theories would start their slow creep from the fringes to the mainstream, fired by right-wing talk radio and the adoption of the internet. And with it came the usual attacks on wealthy Jews, and their kings, the Rothschilds. Overall, the Clinton years, the 9/11 attacks, and the Great Recession were all tremendous drivers of internet antisemitism. Once-fringe theories would become commonly accepted tropes, completely enmeshed with how we perceive history, finance, politics, and Judaism. What was shocking and scandalous in Paris in 1846, and genocidal in Nazi Germany a century later, was now so banal that tracking all of its variations would soon literally become impossible.

Disinformation Superhighway

Much of the earliest internet is lost for good, so we may never know who posted the first Rothschild conspiracy theory online. The first discoverable reference to the family in searchable USENET archives, other than in posts about wine, might be an October 1994 post in, of all places, alt.sport.horseracing. A user posted a short block of text called Rothschild: The Head of the Beast that claimed that Rothschild agents are like cockroaches crawling around your home. These cockroaches crawl all over Europethey are everywhere. [ . . . ] They are constantly maneuvering and working for the Rothschild purposes.

The Rothschild family round the pool at their home the villa Santa Margarita in Marbella, Spain, August 1980. Slim Aarons/Getty Images

Im a Rational Jewish Person. Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Nuts.

It was new technology, but an old message. The rant was cut and pasted from an issue of the New Age newsletter Revelations of Awareness, produced since 1977 by Cosmic Awareness Communications and devoted to interpreting and disseminating the messages of an apparently antisemitic Godhead figure. But the anti-Rothschild hate didnt stay confined to Godhead-interpreting seekers. It steadily grew in places like alt.conspiracy on USENET, where threads liberally quoted The Creature from Jekyll Islands Rothschild Formula while decrying the ever-present Rothschild-Rockefeller Luciferian Conspiracy! [sic] and demanding to know How long is America going to put-up with David Rockefeller, and the rest of his peverted [sic] Establishment?

As websites became easier to create, the cranks moved from message boards to homemade sites full of clickable links and floating graphics against backdrops that can charitably be described as garish. No matter what conspiracy you were into, someone would make a website for it, or you could make your owndelivering forbidden knowledge on Secret Military Experimentation on Americans, blood purification, the evil deeds of the rogue ATF, alien bases on Mars, Freemasons, light energy, the atmospheric research array HAARP, the DEA framing O.J. Simpson, the Hale-Bopp Comets starship companion, the danger of electromagnetic fields, and, of course, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

And if anyone could post someone elses conspiracy theories on the web, then anyone could create their own. As new avenues of paranoia opened up, there came a new batch of conspiracy theory authors and influencers ready to dictate those conversations, and maybe even make some money in the process.

Rothschild conspiracy theories were often featured in one of the earliest popular fringe internet newsletters, Conspiracy Nation. Launched in 1994 by Brian Francis Redman, Conspiracy Nation made it clear in its first issue that it would be devoted to the chestnuts of the genre: a JFK debate, an interview with Clinton Body Count creator Linda Thompson, and articles profiling conspiracy theorist and anti-Rothschild preacher Texe Marrs. These were names that were all deeply familiar to the conspiracy community, and still are. In 2009, for example, Marrs released a video called Rothschilds Choice: Barack Obama and the Hidden Cabal Behind the Plot to Murder America, claiming that Jacob Rothschild, the fourth Baron Rothschild, had personally selected Kenyan Muslim usurper Barack Hussein Obama as the United States next leader to oversee the ongoing financial collapse of the Western world. And it was a hit on early video aggregator sites.

Over more than six hundred issues, Redman and his contributors took on the pressing topics that the media wouldnt cover. They had a particular obsession with the Clintons, of course, along with the truth about the Oklahoma City bombing and the Waco siege. But there were also attacks on feminism and communism, examinations of Bigfoot sightings and bovine growth hormone, and even movie reviews and rants sent in by readers. Of course, there was the usual obsession with Jewish wealth. In one series of Conspiracy Nation issues, Redman liberally quotes from Iowa congressman and Peoples Party founder James B. Weavers 1892 book A Call to Action, full of attacks on European speculators and their role in demonetizing silver. Another extols Father Coughlins fight against internationalism as a recurring scheme favored by those wanting to hog wealth and power. Numerous issues make vague references to European funders or globalist bankers as the power behind the power.

Regular Conspiracy Nation contributor Sherman Skolnick was already something of a fringe celebrity, having started the Chicago-based activist organization Citizens Committee to Clean Up the Courts to rid the Windy City of its endemic graft and political corruption. Hes also a tragic case study in how paranoia can turn a well-meaning and tenacious crusader into a crankmaking more unhinged accusations while accomplishing less and less.

Though he was confined to a wheelchair because of polio, Skolnicks tireless reporting on real corruption in Illinois government helped bring down two state supreme court justices in 1969 and contributed to the legal case against one of the states many imprisoned governors. But by the time Conspiracy Nation launched, hed descended down the rabbit hole. Skolnick trafficked in bizarre claims about the Clintons, filed scores of frivolous lawsuits against the City of Chicago and Cook County, and ranted about the domination of a global government run by a Rockefeller-Rothschild alliance. It all culminated in his posthumously published book of columns Overthrow of the American Republic, in which, among other Rothschild-involved schemes, he bizarrely implicated the French Rothschilds in a plot alongside the Jesuits and the Japanese underworld to take over Bank of America and fund the 9/11 attacks.

Baron Alphonse Rothschild, formerly of Vienna, with his wife and daughters after arriving in New York City as refugees on the British liner Samaria on July 8, 1940. Bettmann/Getty Images

There would be many others who found audiences pumping out paranoia on the early internet, of course. And their influence began to creep into every aspect of the rapidly growing conspiracy theory/militia/ antisemitism/New World Order nexus that blossomed with the botched raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco in 1993.

There were followers of the far-right survivalist and former Special Forces officer James Bo Gritz, whose acolytes at the off-the-grid survival camp he founded in Idaho routinely claimed a Rothschild-run New World Order was about to strip them of their freedom. Theres Henry Makow, a Swiss-born conspiracy theorist whose website devoted to exposing feminism and the New World Order has archives going back to 2002 containing hundreds of articles attacking the Rothschilds, including a 2004 piece claiming the Iraq War was engineered to [advance] the Rothschilds program of world dictatorship as outlined in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. These Lucifer-loving bankers and their confederates would like you to believe the Protocols is a forgery. It is not. It is the blueprint of the new world order unfolding before our eyes.

Conspiracy theorist Jack Ottos mid-aughts radio show Radically Right pumped out a constant stream of crackpot theories about the supposed Rothschild-Rockefeller alliance while claiming the family were fake Jews descended from a lost central Asian tribe called the Khazars who converted to Judaism in the eighth century c.e. And Andrew Hitchcocks 2007 book The Synagogue of Satan claimed to tell The Secret History of Jewish World Domination, invoking pretty much every extant Rothschild trope while adding a few operatically bizarre new ones like on September 11, the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon is orchestrated by Israel with the complicity of Britain and America, under the orders of the Rothschilds, which they in turn blame on so-called Muslim terrorists. All it was missing was the Japanese underworld.

But even though the internet was bringing conspiracy theories to a much wider audience, most people still wanted nothing to do with this stuff or the people who cranked it out.

That changed in Austin, Texas, starting in the mid-1990s, when Alex Jones became a public access phenomenon. He took the scattered parts of conspiracy theory internet 1.0the message board posts, the text-block newsletters, the technicolor-puke-looking websitesand put it all together in an entertaining and user-friendly package that could easily be monetized through the growing number of distribution channels opening up on the net. And he frequently took calls on his public access show, letting listeners and guests opine on their own conspiracy theories that he would then run withBill Cooper was a frequent early guest. Jones put a good-looking, well-spoken, deeply passionate face on a genre heretofore dominated by elderly cranks and street-corner shouters pushing shopping carts. And if there was one cabal he blamed more than any other for the ever-impending triumph of the New World Order, it was the Rothschilds.

Hang up, Red Shield!

While promoting his book on climate change in 2007, London heir David Mayer de Rothschilda swashbuckling adventurer and environmentalist with a six-foot-four frame, a history of dating Hollywood actresses like Cameron Diaz and more recently Angelina Jolie, and long-flowing hair made one of the familys few recent media appearances. For reasons that defy human understanding, it was on Infowars, talking to Alex Jones.

Lionel de Rothschild driving a team of zebras circa the 19th Century, who was a British banker, politician and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Image

The Rothschild and the Rothschild conspiracy theorist spent an hour locked in a hostile, deeply awkward, and seemingly endless debate about both his family history and the dangers of climate changewhich Jones believes is nothing but a globalist scam to enact carbon taxes and mind control. During the interview, Jones seems giddy to actually have the ear of an heir of the House of Rothschild, and deluged de Rothschild with bad faith questions, bogus statistics, and off-topic ramblesbefore bringing up the time of Waterloo, when your family was so active and tying it to the myth of a massive Channel storm forcing Nathan Rothschilds messenger to bribe a terrified sailor.

The family might be press averse, but they know these theories have been around for a long time and decided long ago that the way they respond to them is to not respond to them. Sure enough, de Rothschild ignored the Waterloo mentions and the dog whistles about your money-changing family, continuously going back to how we only have one planet and maybe we should stop treating it like a garbage dump. Likewise, Jones continued ranting at a level akin to the internet debate standard if global warming is real, why is it cold outside, finally dropping any pretense of civil conversation and shouting, Im not your slave, Rothschild! And your scams not going to work!

With the Rothschild heir not taking the bait, Jones finally bellowed, Hang up, Red Shield! seemingly daring de Rothschild to abandon the call as music swelled, taking Infowars to a commercial break. Either because he was genuinely enjoying the experience, or because he was too polite to hang up, David stayed on the line, and the two grown men continued yelling over each other. Finally, mercifully, after forty endless minutes, the conversation wrapped up. Like any pointless debate involving a conspiracy believer, nobodys mind was changed.

Florida Guvs Press Sec Walks Back Rothschild-Dog-Whistle Tweet After Backlash

Lord Rothschild, you know that your house will fail in the end, Jones gravely proclaimed to David, who doesnt actually have that title. And I want to let you know that anyone who supports the New World Order and dehumanization is going to go to prison, you just need to know that.

Sure, thanks for letting me know, de Rothschild responded in his crisp English accent, practically smirking through the phone. I hope you can visit and bring me some food. He finally hung up, and an outraged Jones mocked him some more before moving on.

Because the Rothschilds so rarely give interviews, its easy to look at the bizarre exchange between Alex Jones and David de Rothschild as a missed opportunity for Jones to get behind the locked door of one of the most secretive dynasties in the world. But Jones has no interest in the Rothschilds as anything other than what he perceives as the funders of the New World Order. And he never did, because nobody wants to listen to a show that tells you that the people you think run the world actually are OK, and maybe even trying to do some good for the world.

Jones endorsement of the Waterloo canard in his 2007 film Endgame was yet another manifestation of an obsession that probably started the first time he grabbed None Dare Call It Conspiracy off his fathers bookshelf and read its admonition to remember that for over 150 years it has been standard operating procedure of the Rothschilds and their allies to control both sides of every conflict.

Infowars shows as far back as 2003 are peppered with references to the Rothschilds printing money, controlling central banking, and being a major part of the New World Order. By 2008, Jones was referring to the Rothschilds as part of a Germanic death cult that believes they are the true Zionists in an interview with conspiracy theorist author Jordan Maxwell. In 2009, Jones included European Rothschilds and Rockefellers in a bizarre bit where he faked leaving a message on the voicemail of newly inaugurated president Barack Obama. Ironically, a Rothschild did actually make a rare foray into American politics in that election, as Lynn Forester de Rothschild, wife of thenLondon branch head Evelyn de Rothschild (the father of David de Rothschild), flipped from supporting Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary to endorsing Obamas opponent John McCain due to her belief that Obama was an elitist who has not given me reason to trust him. The endorsement didnt curry much favor with Jones, who loathed McCain as well.

Jones obsession with the Rothschilds isnt just confined to his radio show. An un-bylined (and since deleted) 2010 article on Infowars referred to the Rothschilds and Rockefellers as Trillionaires of The World, supported by a slew of fake quotes and debunked conspiracy theories. The piece was met with dozens of comments that the Rothschilds should die in a variety of horrible waysnot an uncommon reaction among anonymous internet trolls discussing the family. Even the talk pages for Jones Wikipedia entry, where editors discussed what should and shouldnt be included on his biographical page, became a battleground over whether Joness constant references to the Rothschilds are actual antisemitism or merely talk about certain corrupt individuals like Kissenger [sic] and the Rothschild family as well as hundreds of other people of all races and beliefs.

Jones would continue making references to the Rothschilds being broken and destroyed and rolling over for the ChiComs (Chinese Communist Party) in episodes well into the 2020s as Rothschild wealth had long since waned. The Rothschilds are so omnipresent on Infowars that the family has been mentioned on more than 1,300 different episodes of Alex Jones show, either by the host, one of his fill-in hosts, or a guest. But even as Jones kept attacking the Rothschilds, he shifted much of his ire toward a different wealthy Jewish philanthropistGeorge Soros. Many of those coming up alongside Jones in the growing firmament of internet conspiracy theories would take Jones deranged notions about the family down darker and stranger roads, leading to all manner of Jew-hating garbage.

Excerpted from Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories, by Mike Rothschild; published by Melville House, 2023.

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A new trend on the fall festival circuit this year is the biopic of the unknown hero, something that seems unthinkable now in the digital age. Theres One Life, about the Schindler-like achievements of Nicholas Winton , who saved nearly 700 Jewish children from certain death in German-occupied Prague. Theres Rustin, about the gay, Black activist who organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom  literally, right down to the toilet facilities  and had to wait 50 years for an official thank-you.

And theres also Lee, which is slightly different from these previous two films in that its subject  photographer and former model Lee Miller  is pretty well known in all the fields shes associated with, mostly in the world of art. But Ellen Kuras film is a thoughtful attempt to step back from what Miller actually did and to focus on the way she actually did it, usually with little encouragement and hardly any gratitude.

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Refreshingly, although it is a kind of Hidden Figures-style expose of the way womens stories are erased from history, it isnt simply a call-out of systemic sexism, its a bigger, more inclusive story about art and the purpose of art, about the point where creativity and reportage overlap: a frontline Miller crossed (figuratively and literally) many times during the Second World War.

After a tense wartime prologue  Miller in camo, running from gunfire  the framing device is disappointingly prosaic in terms of what were about to see: Miller (played convincingly by Kate Winslet in every timeframe) is being interviewed by a man (Josh OConnor) who we presume to be a journalist. He wants to hear her story, and she says there isnt one. He has her photographs in front of him, some of the most famous images of all time, and she shrugs, Theyre just pictures. The exchange is frosty. What do you expect to get from this? she asks. What do I get? The journalist seems offended. Does it have to be transactional? She glares at him. Well, thats what life is.

To be modern ears, raised in peacetime, its a surprising response, but Lee Miller (1907-1977) lived through a great deal of the 20th century, a particularly transactional time for women who were wanting to be heard and seen in art, business and politics. The film goes on to suggest that part of the reason Miller was underestimated was because of her bohemian milieu: early on, the film finds her at a lunch in the south of France where she goes topless over salad amid talk of Adolf Hitler. A surprise guest arrives  art dealer and painter Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgard)  and Miller instinctively covers up, since hes a newcomer to the group. Penrose is certainly in sync with them, however, and the idea that the only sane response to tyranny is to paint, create and drink.

Despite her initial modesty, Miller has an affair with Penrose, as she will with other men, and to be honest, this fruity to-and-fro will become a bit confusing from hereon in, just as it must have been for him, them and her. Lee becomes much more satisfying when focusing on Millers artistic life, the trip that switched in her head after being seen as a muse and a model for so long. Id rather take a picture than be one, she says, and, boy, does she put that philosophy into action.

The meat of the film is Millers foray into the theater of war in Europe, i.e., the actual war, where young people, mostly men, were being mutilated and killed in action. Miller is refused military accreditation (which she overcomes after much persistence) and often hears phrases like, You cant be here, lady. This might seem terribly sexist now, but when Miller encounters a military hospital, with all its attendant horrors, she begins to wonder if they have a point. Its the first clear sign of a conflict between Miller the human being and Miller the artist: Even when I wanted to look away, I knew I couldnt, she admits.

Its worth noting here that another thing that Kuras film highlights is that some of Millers most important work was commissioned by a womens magazine, British Vogue. Despite the best efforts of a jealous Cecil Beaton (somewhat thrown under the bus here as a fellow Vogue snapper), Millers editor there, Audrey Withers (played by Andrea Riseborough), puts through harrowing images that the UKs newspapers and state media either refuse to print or are too scared to acknowledge.

As these fragments of Millers life unfold, one begins to wonder how they will all eventually tie together, and its really no spoiler to report that they dont. Well, not quite. Like Miller herself, Lee ends up being whole bunch of contradictions that, while being narratively frustrating, do make sense, certainly honoring the wishes of a woman who made it a point never to promise anything.

Early on, you can see why Miller wouldnt want a film made of her life, since, when anyone tells the story of a photographer (or any other kind of storyteller), theyre just telling a story about the way stories are told. But what works about Lee is the way it transcends that, by allowing its subject an unknowable inner life that, it transpires, even her own son can only guess at but cant access. In a role that may be deemed too nuanced or not feelgood enough for awards season, Winslet really nails this super-important aspect of the character: Miller refused to be analyzed or interpreted; this from a woman who staged a photo of herself taking a bath in the Fuhrers tub on the day of his suicide  the word provocative Well, it self-combusts here.

For many, Lee will be seen as a vehicle for Winslet, and they wont be disappointed by her performance, which, without wishing to jinx this multi-garlanded actors future, will surely register as one of her best. They might, however, have some bones to pick with a film that fully reflects both its subjects bullishness and her many paradoxes. I was born determined, she says at one point. Which is so very, very true of a woman who went off to war even after being reminded  or did she think she was being told and take umbrage?  that she didnt even speak French.

Title: Lee

Festival: Toronto Film Festival (Gala Presentations)

Director: Ellen Kuras

Screenwriters: Liz Hannah, John Collee, Marion Hume

Cast: Kate Winslet, Alexander Skarsgard, Andrea Riseborough, Josh OConnor, Andy Samberg

Running time: 1 hr 56 min

International Sales: Rocket Science

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Lubbockites who are attending Friday night's symphony concert are in for a unique mix of new and familiar. The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra will present its first Masterworks concert of the season, titled Rhapsodies, at 7:30 Friday evening at The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences.

Lubbock Symphony Orchestra will present its first Masterworks concert of the season, titled Rhapsodies, at 7:30 Friday evening, Sept. 22 at The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. The concert will feature a blend of jazz and classical music with guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel.

Sponsored by City Bank of Lubbock, this concert features a blend of jazz and classical music, with guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel performing Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue as well as a new work, Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue, by composer Peter Boyer, which was composed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gershwins work while also embracing celebrating diversity and unity through music.

The concert concludes with Beethoven's mighty Symphony No. 5  known for its iconic "dun-dun-dun-duuuuunnnnn" opening motif  which exudes the same enthusiasm and energy as a rhapsody.

More: Maestro looking forward to upcoming Lubbock Symphony season, 'Best Of'

In recognition of the centennial celebration of George Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue, guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel created the Rhapsody National Initiative and commissioned Peter Boyer to compose a new work for piano and orchestra inspired by the iconic masterpiece. To showcase this new work, Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue, which symbolizes the American flag, performances will be held in all 50 states over three years.

"When my uncle, George Gershwin, set out to compose a new musical work reflecting the diversity of New York City within a few short weeks, 'Rhapsody in Blue' was born, and became a national musical tapestry of our country," Gershwins nephew, Marc George Gershwin, explains. "The pianist, Jeffrey Biegel, has been one of the Rhapsody's fondest advocates, having recorded two versions based on historical manuscripts. His love of my uncle's music, of America, and of people, steered him to have a vision for a diverse America of the 21st century through music to further reflect our unity."

Lubbock Symphony Orchestra's 2023-24 season, "Best Of," will feature 13 concerts  five masterworks performances, four chamber concerts and four special events.

In addition to the concert, the Lubbock Symphony will offer a unique pre-concert experience. ClefNotes, a beginner-friendly discussion about the performance, will take place on Friday at 6:30 p.m., preceding the concert, and is available for all concertgoers. Hosted by SiriusXM Symphony Halls John Clare, this talk is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the music that will be heard at the concert, covering historical context, composers, important musical moments, and more, the symphony said.

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased by calling 806-762-1688 or at LubbockSymphony.org.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock Symphony kicks off Masterworks Series with 'Rhapsodies' Friday
The official trailer for the Paramount+ revival of the comedy series classic Frasier starring Kelsey Grammer dropped this morning, a teaser for the show that premieres with a pair of episodes back to back on October 12 in the U.S. and Canada. New episodes will then drop weekly on Thursdays, finding Grammer reprising the iconic role of Frasier Crane that he began portraying on Cheers in 1984 and continued for all 11 seasons of Frasier from 1993 to 2004  20 years in all. The 30th anniversary of the Frasier launch on NBC happens on Saturday the 16th. Watch the new trailer above.

CBS is also broadcasting the first two Frasier episodes back to back on October 17 at 9:15 p.m. following a super-sized original episode of Big Brother. (The series will launch October 13 on Paramount+ internationally.)

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SEEFrasier revival starring Kelsey Grammer to premiere October 12 on Paramount+

This new edition, a sequel of sorts featuring a 10-episode season, has been in development for more than five years and returns only Grammer from the original show in a regular role. Filmed in front of a live audience at Paramount Studios in L.A., the reboot follows Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Besides Grammer, it stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasiers grown son Freddy, who is entering college; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasiers old college buddy-turned-university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alans colleague and head of the universitys psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddys roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasiers nephew David.

Its been confirmed that Emmy winner Bebe Neuwirth from the original Frasier will return to guest star, reprising her role as his ex-wife Lilith (also Freddys mother) in one of the episodes at a birthday party for Freddy. Also, Peri Gilpin, who played radio producer Roz Doyle in the original, will be back for a guest spot.

SEE Frasier revival cast photos: Whos who in the spin-off series?

Frasier comes from writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life in Pieces), who executive produce along with Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. Its produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammers Grammnet NH Productions. The first two episodes of the series are directed by 11-time Emmy winner James Burrows, the legend who has directed more than a thousand episodes of television all told. Burrows was co-creator, executive producer and primary director of Cheers as well as the original Frasier, Will & Grace and Dear John.

Ahead of the series premiere, a half-hour special on the making of the revival entitled, Frasier: Inside the Series, will premiere over Paramount+ on October 6 as well as on the services official YouTube and Facebook pages, Pluto TV and Mixible.

Frasier still holds the record for most Emmy wins for a comedy series with 37 (on 107 nominations). Like the show it was spun from, it had 11-season run, winning the Best Comedy Series trophy at the Emmys a then-record five consecutive years (1994-98), a mark later tied by Modern Family. Grammer and co-star David Hyde Pierce won four Emmys apiece for their work in the show.

The original Frasier series is available to stream on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

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Agatha Christie was the master of the perfectly constructed mystery; Oscar winner Hildur Gunadottir (Joker, Tar,) is an avant-garde cellist-composer. Yet the two meet to spine-tingling results for Kenneth Branaghs third Hercule Poirot mystery, A Haunting in Venice, a loose adaptation of Christies Halloween Party.

As it turns out, theres a very good reason why Gunadottir might find pleasure in Christies work. My grandmother, who was one of the first women doctors in Iceland and a brilliant virologist, always said that the only way to get a tiny break from your mind is to read a good detective novel or crime story, Gunadottir told IndieWire.

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So, since I was very young, I have lived by this advice, Gunadottir said. And I have always wanted to sink my teeth into an Agatha Christie adaptation. When Ken approached me about this one, he was really clear from the get-go that he wanted to do something totally different from the other two movies. And he wanted to do something much more dark and moody and more like a chamber piece, and I thought that was really just very exciting.

On a deeper level, Gunadottir was drawn to the psychic pain of Branaghs retired Belgian detective in this post-World War II whodunit, which co-stars Tina Fey as Christies beloved Ariadne Oliver and Michelle Yeoh as a very unconventional medium. Its about a seance that turns to murder in a haunted palazzo that was once an orphanage where children were tortured. The frightening atmosphere summons ghosts from Poirots past, rooted in his obsession with murder, wartime experiences, and hardened view of human nature.

Psychic pain is becoming the throughline of Gunadottirs Emmy-, Grammy-, and Oscar-winning work, which also includes Sicario: Day of The Soldado, Chernobyl, Women Talking, and the upcoming Joker: Folie a Deux.

Hildur Gunadottir Courtesy of Camille Blake

Im quite a joyful person and I laugh often and loud, and I love just being happy in general, she said. And I think thats probably the reason why Im so fascinated by the darker side of the human psyche because I still spend a lot of time creating [somber] music, so I get to kind of experience both sides of the coin.

For A Haunting in Venice, Gunadottir abandoned her usual practice of creating processed musical sounds on the computer, choosing instead to compose a classical chamber score  performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra at Abbey Road  for greater intimacy. The strings and woodwinds reflected not only Poirots unease but also the tension and unanswered supernatural questions associated with the mysterious interior life of the palazzo.

In this score, I was imagining what it was like to write music before and after the Second World War, added Gunadottir. In a world that has gone through a complete destruction, how do you move forward, throw out your old beliefs and build something new? The abandonment of romantic ideas and melodies, in exchange for a more abstract sense of musicality.

This entailed experimenting with tone, both mathematically rigid and structurally open, by changing the melodic structure in more atonal ways. For example, the main theme, Haunt, begins the film with a simple solo cello. Its a sort of melodic movement that doesnt really go anywhere, the composer said. Its not happy, its not sad, it evokes this feeling in me of introspection. So it almost creates a space in the beginning when [Poirots] waking up of: Is it real? Is he dreaming or is he awake?

Then the music gets unnervingly loud and angry with the Seance cue. Its Gunadottir at her experimental best, the way she creates a multiphonic sound on the wind instruments with several notes at once. So its like different ways of blowing into the instruments or tapping on the instruments or just taking something classical and shifting your way of approaching it, she said. And I thought that these types of sounds are very much of this time and fall into my line of [avant-garde] interest. How the times are shifting musically and they just lend themselves incredibly well to these supernatural aspects of the film, which you can create with these classical instruments.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Then Gunadottir does a musical deep dive into Poirots confused state of mind with Psychic Pain. This occurs when hes assaulted by supernatural forces that undermine his rational thinking and belief system. Its just like slow notes and, again, its quite sparse and creates a sense of space, she added. But its more emotional, a bit of heartache as we draw to the end of that piece. It has a slight sense of melody, a slight sense of resolve without [fully resolving].

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Turns out A Haunting in Venice was the perfect lead-in for Gunadottirs work on the upcoming sequel Joker: Folie a Deux. Only this time, director Todd Phillips has added a musical dimension with the introduction of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, the psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with Joker (Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix) and turns into his sidekick and love interest.

Its been really fun to revisit the musicality of Arthur Fleck and Joker because, obviously, in the first film, the music was so present and so upfront, Gunadottir said of her first movie musical. It was such a big part of him and his story. And I think Phillips has a really strong sense of musicality.

However, the psychic pain will be multiplied by these two kindred spirits caught in this Madness for Two. And it will be creatively exciting for the composer to get inside the delusional minds of Joker and Harley for some delirious musical sequences. But will Gunadottir be collaborating with Lady Gaga on some original songs? Shes not telling.

Im not allowed to give anything away about which direction its going in, but Ive been doing the process quickly, she added. And its fantastic to get to do that with beautiful artists like Joaquin and Lady Gaga and Phillips. Its a real treat for me.

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The West Australian news is reporting that WWE is set to announce a huge stadium show that will take place in Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia.

The report indicates that WWE is days away from announcing the news that the event will take place before the start of the AFL season which is in late March. The event would likely be held before WrestleMania 40. The stadium has a maximum capacity of up to 70,000 depending on the layout.

This would be the first time since Super Showdown in 2018 that WWE runs a large-scale event in Australia. Last year, Stephanie McMahon went on record saying that Australia deserves to host another big WWE event.

It was reported earlier this year that WWE officials were traveling to Australia to talk about running another event there.

READ MORE: WBD Wants All Elite Wrestling To Move To A 12 PPV Schedule On MAX

The post Report: WWE Planning A 2024 Stadium Show In Australia appeared first on Wrestlezone.
Thom Zimny found himself of two complementary minds directing a documentary about cinema icon Sylvester Stallone: the veteran filmmaker crafting a universal story of self-discovery, and the former teenager thrilled by seeing Rocky for the first time.

Making Netflixs Sly (streaming Nov. 3), Zimny recalls inviting Stallone into his edit room so he could help unpack images and clips from his life during one of their many interviews. At times, I would just step out and let that adolescent 16-year-old look at the moment and that beauty of Sly.

The documentary, which premiered Saturday night to close out this years Toronto International Film Festival, chronicles Stallones 77-year life and long career: He brought legendary characters like underdog boxer Rocky Balboa and Vietnam vet John Rambo to life, found his artistic voice through screenwriting and navigated hardships and obstacles in pursuit of his creative dreams. As Stallone says in the film, Dont sit there and try to do Shakespeare when you look like me.

Sylvester Stallone revisits some old haunts in New York City for the Netflix documentary "Sly."

Stallones story isnt one of chasing fame. It was chasing an understanding of who he was in the world and all the things that he went through, says Zimny, whos also directed documentaries on Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Ive loved all (Stallones) films since childhood, but I started to realize in the making of this that I was getting a side of a man that just had not been seen before.

Zimny discusses some of the most interesting revelations in Sly.

Sylvester Stallone has an unbelievable amount of his own memorabilia

Sly finds the actor/filmmaker readying for a move and that means packing up an enormous amount of stuff in his house: old scripts, action figures, busts and paintings of Rocky and Rambo and other Stallone paraphernalia. I immediately embraced that as a plot point, because moving is such a great symbol of transition, change and all those obvious things, says Zimny, who makes an amazing moment of movers carrying out a huge Rocky statue.

Stallones office even becomes a character in the movie, Zimny says. These items of memorabilia or memory, of objects that were used in the movies, these are part of my storytelling devices. I really picked that up in my work with Bruce Springsteen, where you stop and you look around and you realize what the gods are throwing you.

'The Family Stallone' drama: 'Rambo' dad Sylvester is 'traumatizing' on daughters' dates

The Rocky movies mirrored developments in Stallones own life

Sylvester Stallone came to fame as the underdog title character of 1976's "Rocky."

Stallone became a household name with the original 1976 Rocky, and Stallone details in "Sly" how that film, and the iconic boxer's subsequent chapters, reflected the desires and difficulties the actor was going through when they were made. (Rocky dealt with extra responsibility in Rocky II and needed to trust his own instincts in Rocky III.) But pulling off the first film was a minor miracle, as Stallone fought tooth and nail to keep the title role amid eleventh-hour casting changes.

In the doc, Stallone stops by the New York City movie theater where he once worked as an usher, which also hosted the Rocky premiere. There's a photograph of Sly standing outside the theater before he's famous, and it's the last image of him before his life changes, Zimny says, adding that like Rocky, Stallone's "a guy who refused to back down or be told he couldn't do it. It's a very inspiring story on many levels. It's a theme that you find again and again throughout his life, that journey of pushing himself.

'Creed III': Every 'Rocky' movie, definitively ranked

Stallone's father influenced the creation of both Rocky and Rambo

Sylvester Stallone's father inspired aspects of his character John Rambo (seen here in 1985's "Rambo: First Blood Part II").

Stallone admits in Sly that hes in the hope business, and when crafting the personas of Rocky and John Rambo (for 1982's First Blood), offering it was key. The characters also reflect aspects of Stallones father Frank, a World War II veteran who gave his son a ferocious side. A frequent theme in the documentary is their complicated relationship, from Stallones constant search for his dad's love to patching things up on his death bed.

Stallone spoke about his dad in a way that really conveyed both the love and some of the traumatic moments that they had together. But more importantly, the impact that it made on him in the moment and the work, Zimny says. When you sit with Sly and he discusses that his father was Rambo, and then he holds up the image of Rambo and a photo of his father, that brought my understanding of Sly as a filmmaker to a whole other level.

'Sly' chronicles a Hollywood legend in a reflective mood, not a retiring one

Sylvester Stallone guides audiences through ups and downs of his life and work in the Netflix documentary "Sly."

Sly takes the audience through all of Stallones greatest career hits and misses, as well as ups and downs in his personal life. These days, he says he wants to be a really good juggler in balancing his life, family and art, but Zimnys movie captures a man who's far from his swan song.

He's not in the space of reliving glory days, says Zimny, who did some of his interviews while Stallone was filming his Paramount+ series Tulsa King." He was a very busy, very energetic, very alive-in-the-moment working filmmaker, (and) at times I would recognize the vibe of it from early Rocky films. It was the same guy. I don't see him as settling, and this film was catching up with him for a minute to reflect, if anything.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Sly' Netflix doc reveals 'inspiring' side of Sylvester Stallone
A new multimedia exhibition at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville looks at what Americans knew about the Holocaust and what they did about it.

"The United States alone could not have prevented the Holocaust, but more could have been done to save some of the 6 million Jews who were killed," reads one of the first panels of the exhibition, on the library's fourth floor.

Jacksonville is one of 50 libraries across the country chosen to show "Americans and the Holocaust," which features five two-sided panels and several interactive video kiosks. The show was put together by the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and will be in Jacksonville through Oct. 12. It's free to visit during library hours.

A major piece of the exhibition is the reporting of American Institute of Public Opinion polls taken during the 1930s and '40s. A 1938 poll, for instance, showed that 6 percent of respondents approved of Nazi treatment of Jews in Germany and that 71 percent disapproved of plans to allow a larger number of Jewish immigrants to enter the U.S. A 1939 poll showed that 66 percent opposed a plan to let 10,000 refugee children into the country. A 1943 poll  taken after U.S. newspapers had splashed "Nazis wiping out Jews in cold blood" across front pages around the country  found that 28 percent of respondents believed it was a rumor and another 24 percent had no opinion.

Jeffrey Rood holds a copy of "In Search For Survival," the book based on the writings of his great-grandmother Genie Golembiowski, who was Jewish, on her journey to escape the Nazis and settle in the United States during World War II.

Jeffrey Rood, a Jacksonville commercial real estate broker and attorney, viewed the exhibition last week on one of its first days. It really hit home for him, he said, because his grandparents were European Jews who met at a United Nations refugee camp in Austria and spent much of the 1930s and '40s wandering around the continent searching for a safe place to live before eventually moving to South Florida. They kept notes throughout their travels and later published a book, "Search for Survival, The Years of Wandering of the Jews of Volyn."

"I cant remember a time when I didnt know that my family were Holocaust survivors," Rood said.

Month of fun: Hot Wheels, Halloween and Hilarious: 100 fun things to do in Jacksonville in September

Fall fun: Crop mazes, haunted houses and other autumn-themed things to do in Jacksonville

Rood said he's not sure who published the memoir, but it must have been in very small numbers. He knows of just three copies still existing, so he worked with Clay Cross from Jacksonville evidence management firm Threshold Discovery to put the book into digital form.

He said the exhibition at the library makes some powerful points, but his family has never held any resentment against the United States for its actions during the war.

"My family is very patriotic as far as being thankful and appreciative. If not for Western soldiers, they would have died, obviously," he said. "There was plenty of resentment about the Holocaust, but I never heard anything in my home about why Americans took so long."

Tammy Kiter from the special collections department of the downtown Jacksonville Public Library gives Jonathan Evans and his co-worker Cindy Brunner a tour of the "Americans and the Holocaust" exhibit currently on display on the fourth floor of the Jacksonville Public Library, Wednesday, September 13, 2023.

The library is offering 25-minute docent-led tours of the exhibition as well as field trips for students in grade 8 or higher. Other events related to the Holocaust show include:

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28: Reflections on the Holocaust: The Jaffa Family. Four generations of a Jacksonville family discuss how the Holocaust impacted their lives.

10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3: Reflections on the Holocaust: Molly Kushner. Kushner is a second-generation Holocaust survivor, born in a Displaced Persons Camp in Austria.

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12: Resisting Hate, Repairing the World panel discussion. Hope McMath moderates a discussion about dealing with hate based on race, religion and sexual orientation.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Public Libary hosts 'Americans and the Holocaust' exhibit
Director Horace Ove, who directed Pressure  the first full-length Black British movie  has died at the age of 86. His death was confirmed by his son, Zak, who wrote on Facebook Saturday, Our loving father Horace, took his last breath at 4.30 this morning, while sleeping peacefully.

He continued, I hope his spirit is free now after many years of suffering with Alzheimers. You are forever missed, and forever loved. Rest in Peace Pops, and thank you for everything.

Ove was born in Trinidad and moved to London in 1960. He also spent time living in Rome, where he worked as an extra before returning to the United Kingdom in 1965. As a photographer, he captured portraits of some of the foremost leaders of the British Black Power movement, including Michael X, Darcus Howe and Stokely Carmichael.

His transition into filmmaking happened at the same time, first with the short The Art of the Needle (1966) and then 1971s Reggae, the first documentary to explore British Black music and reggae. In addition to Pressure, his credits include The Garland, Playing Away and Who Shall We Tell? He was knighted in 2022 for his contributions to British cinema and filmmaking.

The post Sir Horace Ove, Visionary British Filmmaker, Dies at 86 appeared first on TheWrap.
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.

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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While fans first met Josh Duggar on TLCs 19 Kids and Counting, which followed parents Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggars large family, the reality TV alum is currently spending time behind bars after being convicted on child pornography charges.

Why Is Josh Duggar In Jail?

Josh is currently in federal prison after being arrested in April 2021 on one count of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019, according to a press release shared by the United States Attorneys Office of the Western District of Arkansas at the time.

Duggar was released on bail and later pleaded not guilty to both the count of receipt of child pornography and the count of possession of child pornography at an arraignment that month. He was later convicted of both counts in December 2021, with the possession convocation eventually being dismissed.

What Was Josh Duggars Original Prison Sentence?

In May 2022, the 19 Kids and Counting alum was sentenced to 151 months  roughly 12.5 years  behind bars.

The father of seven was facing up to 20 years in prison, which is what prosecutors asked for due to his prior sexual exploitation of multiple minors and the extraordinary efforts Duggar took to obtain and view child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), the nature of the CSAM he obtained and viewed, his efforts to conceal his criminal conduct and his refusal to take accountability for or acknowledge any of his criminal conduct.

Joshs defense team argued for a more lenient sentence, citing his never being charged or convicted of a past crime, and that he receive a sentence that is sufficient, but not greater than necessary.

Josh Duggars Appeal Case Was Terminated

Joshs legal team challenged the child pornography conviction and requested a new trial in October 2022. During a court hearing in February 2023, Joshs lawyer, Justin Gelfand, alleged that federal agents seized Joshs phone when he attempted to contact his attorney during a raid at his workplace more than a year before his arrest, which resulted in Josh talking to the agents without legal counsel present.

However, the court upheld its decision to convict and terminated the appeal via a mandate on October 5, 2023, according to court documents obtained by In Touch.

Where Is Josh Duggar Serving His Sentence?

The disgraced reality TV star is currently serving out his sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) Seagoville in Texas.

When Is Josh Duggars Prison Release Date?

His release date was scheduled for October 10, 2032, after his original stay was extended, according to the Bureau of Prisons, In Touch learned in May 2023. His release was extended due to him allegedly possessing a cell phone while serving his sentence in February 2023. However, In Touch exclusively confirmed that Josh will be released on October 3, 2032, according to online records from Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Seagoville in Texas.

Has Josh Duggar Previously Been in Trouble?

Years before the child pornography trial, at just 15 years old, Josh confessed to his father, Jim Bob, to molesting five underaged girls  including his sisters Jill Duggar and Jessa Duggar. Instead of reporting the incident to authorities, the patriarch consulted with the elders of his church and opted to send his son to a Christian rehab center.

Jill later condemned her parents for their efforts to cover up Joshs crimes against his sisters in September 2023, noting in her memoir, Counting the Cost, that it made her feel sick.

Though I love my parents and it made a lot of sense that they would want to protect and care for their child, the mom of three spoke about her parents, Jim Bob and Michelle. I couldnt help but think about the lengths that Pops had gone to in order to guard Joshs privacy and keep him from being publicly humiliated.
Billboard is bringing its signature artist showcase Down Under. The media company will deliver The Stage at the inaugural South by Southwest in Sydney, Australia. XG will headline the one-night-only Oct. 20 concert, which will open with Lil Cherry and GOLDBUUDA.

Its an honor to work with our partners at SXSW Sydney to bring THE STAGE to a global audience, Dana Droppo, chief brand officer of Billboard, said in a press statement. We pride ourselves on providing unparalleled music experiences and with the help of American Express are thrilled to have XG headlining our first Australian show.

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Billboards legendary SXSW shows have long been a highlight in Austin, added Colin Daniels, SXSW Sydneys managing director. Were so excited to partner with them in our inaugural year to provide SXSW Sydney attendees and the public an exclusive performance from one of the buzziest pop artists in the world right now.

Since the groups 2022 debut, XG have been making waves in Korea, Japan and the United States. The septet  which consists of members Jurin, Cocona, Chisa, Hinata, Maya, Juria and Harvey  are gearing up to release their first mini album New DNA on Sept. 27. Every stage weve had the honor to perform on has been incredibly special and unforgettable, said Harvey. The memories of meeting our ALPHAZ in-person and the scenery weve seen with our fellow members are all unforgettable. We look forward to visiting more countries and regions, sharing our music, and creating beautiful memories with everyone we meet! Im really excited about the opportunity to perform at a festival in Australia. It would mean a lot to me if I could show my performance to my grandparents, and Im feeling very nervous about it!

The Stage at SXSW Sydney will take place at The Hordern Pavilion at Moore Park. Tickets will be available to purchase for American Express cardholders starting Wednesday (Sept. 20) at 10 a.m. AEST. The general on-sale will begin at 10 a.m. AEST on Friday (Sept. 22). Additionally, a reserved number of tickets will be available exclusively for SXSW Sydney Platinum Badge holders, SXSW Sydney Music Badge Holders and SXSW Sydney Music Festival wristband holders on a first come, first serve basis.

Billboard will be reporting live from SXSW Sydney on October 20, and viewers can tune in by visiting Billboard.com and following @billboard on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news and announcements.

Penske Media Corporation, Billboards parent company, is an investor in SXSW.

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WASHINGTON  Three men involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol are asking the Supreme Court to wipe out part of their indictment  and the possibility of an extra 20 years in prison  in the first criminal cases involving the 2021 insurrection to reach the nation's highest court.

If the justices agree to hear the appeals, the decisions could ultimately affect part of a federal indictment lodged against former President Donald Trump for his effort to overturn the 2020 election  as well as hundreds of others charged in the deadly riot that unfolded across the street from the Supreme Court more than two years ago.

Edward Lang, Joseph Fischer and Garret Miller claim prosecutors overstepped their authority by charging them with a federal prohibition on obstructing official proceedings, a law approved in 2002 in response to the Enron financial meltdown. Lang documented on social media his participation in the Jan. 6 attack, and Miller gained attention after the riot for threatening Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

More than 200 people have been charged with violating that same obstruction law in connection with Jan. 6, according to the Justice Department. One of them is the former president himself: Trump is facing the charge as part of the grand jury indictment handed up last month following an investigation by special counsel Jack Smith.

A ruling from the Supreme Court in favor of the defendants would undermine those charges in the other cases, including Trump's.

Members of the Oath Keepers extremist group stand on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. David Moerschel, a 45-year-old neurophysiologist from Punta Gorda, Fla., who stormed the U.S. Capitol with other members of the far-right Oath Keepers group, was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges, the latest in a historic string of sentences in the Jan. 6. 2021 attack.

'Crushing dissent' or prosecuting a mob?

The Supreme Court has dipped into some legal questions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack.

Last year, the justices refused to block a House committee investigating the attack from obtaining Trump administration documents. Months later, the court turned away an emergency appeal from the former chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, Kelli Ward, who was fighting a subpoena for phone records from that committee.

But the new cases are the first involving defendants fighting criminal charges.

The Justice Department says that the counting of electoral votes  interrupted as lawmakers fled for their safety and police battled with rioters  qualifies as an official proceeding. The law, prosecutors say, would cover someone lying to a grand jury or burning a building to conceal the bodies of murder victims.

It also includes storming the Capitol to derail a congressional proceeding, the department told a federal appeals court last year.

But the defendants say the provision was meant to stop people  like those involved with the Enron scandal  from tampering with evidence. Fischer described the crime at issue in the cases as an "anti-shredding" law in a court document. Their actions on Jan. 6, the lawyers say, had nothing to do with that.

What's more, they argue, allowing prosecutors to press the obstruction charge could lead to a slippery slope of prosecutions for less violent interruptions.

"It is no overstatement to say the future of the First Amendment hangs in the balance," attorneys for Lang told the Supreme Court in his appeal. A law "intended to combat financial fraud," they wrote, "has been transformed into a blatant political instrument to crush dissent."

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Lang, Miller and Fischer are not asking the Supreme Court to toss the other charges they face.

President Joe Biden speaks at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2022, one year after the attack on the Capitol in Washington, DC. Biden accused his predecessor Donald Trump of attempting to block the democratic transfer of power on Jan/ 6, 2021. "For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election; he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol," Biden said.

Most courts have backed prosecutors. Will Supreme Court agree?

A U.S. District Court judge agreed with the defendants, ruling that the law required them to have taken some action involving evidence to be charged under the Enron-era provision. Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump nominee, stood alone in that assessment: Fourteen other district court judges in Washington, D.C., agreed with the Justice Departments reading of the law.

A divided appeals court in Washington reversed that ruling in April, teeing up the Supreme Court appeal. The 2-1 majority included one judge appointed by President Joe Biden and one by Trump.

Several experts have predicted the high court is unlikely to take up the cases  at least for now. Thats partly because appeals courts like to give deference to grand juries when it comes to criminal charges and partly because there has been little disagreement so far about how to interpret the law among appeals courts.

"What they're doing is what any defense lawyer in their position would be doing," said Craig Trocino, a University of Miami law professor. "That doesn't mean that they're going to win or that they're legally correct."

The argument Lang and Miller raise rests in part on what, exactly, lawmakers meant when they smooshed a provision banning the destruction of a document with the intent to impair an official proceeding up against another provision that bars obstructing or impeding any official proceeding.

In one sense, their case turns on how much the two provisions are connected to each other.

When you look at a statute like this, for these purposes, you use the words ordinary meanings, Trocino said. I don't believe that that's so outrageously vague as to offend due process under these circumstances.

The Supreme Court will consider whether to grant the cases later this year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court to weigh cases on Jan. 6 attack that could affect Trump
Maine man trapped in vehicle rescued by strangers in New Hampshire: Police

A Maine man who was reported missing was found after hunters rescued him from his trapped vehicle in Dover, New Hampshire, according to authorities.

The Sanford Maine Police Department was notified by the Dover Police Department that people had found missing 65-year-old Robert Brown in his vehicle while they were walking in the woods, Sanford police wrote in a Facebook post.

MORE: Ways to help the victims of the Morocco earthquake

Brown's vehicle descended an embankment and became stuck, resulting in him being unable to leave, according to the Sanford Maine Police Department. His vehicle slid around 30 feet down a manmade mountain, the Dover Fire and Rescue captain told ABC News.

Brown had been reported missing after last being seen on Thursday after he dropped his wife off at work in Rochester, New Hampshire, police said.

PHOTO: Man trapped in car rescued by strangers (Dover Fire Department)

PHOTO: Man trapped in car rescued by strangers (Dover Fire Department)

He was trapped in his vehicle on Thursday and Friday night as the effects of Hurricane Lee impacted the area.

The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for New England on Friday.

MORE: Los Angeles sheriff's deputy dies after being shot in patrol vehicle, office says

Brown faced non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital, Sanford police said.

Brown was saved using a rescue basket, according to Dover Fire and Rescue.

Authorities are investigating the case.

Maine man trapped in vehicle rescued by strangers in New Hampshire: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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
DECATUR  Glitz and glamour lined Decaturs North Main Street Saturday night in front of the Lincoln Square Theater.

Complete with formal gowns, a red carpet and velvet ropes, the community came out to view the Midwest premiere of Fields of Gold: The Rags-to-Riches Story of A.E. Staley.

The two-hour documentary traces the life of Staley from his beginnings in North Carolina more than a hundred years ago to Decatur and the home base for A.E. Staley Mfg. Co.

Julie Staley, wife of Mark Staley, a Staley great-grandson, directed and co-produced the film, while her husband was one of the executive producers. Spencer Films, along with Pollack Films, produced the documentary.

When we first started this thing, I never really imagined that it would snowball into this, Mark Staley said. The interest has just been amazing.

Pollack Films partnership with Spencer Films helped create a larger production, the executive producer said.

It took it to another level, Mark Staley said. In the beginning, this was something that was a labor of love for us. Its gotten a lot bigger than we could ever imagine.

The family admits the Midwest premiere in Decatur was a way of thanking the community.

Its kind of giving back, Mark Staley said. A thank-you, especially to all those who worked in the Staley building all those years.

Julie Staley reached out to the Herald & Review three years ago for assistance in the research of A.E. Staley.

Back then I thought this would be a much smaller project, she said. We have reached a level that we did not perceive.

The family said they wanted to premiere the movie in Decatur.

This is their history, Julie Staley said. It isnt just A.E. Staleys history or our familys history.

The world premiere of the documentary was shown in Los Angeles last month.

That was more of an industry premiere, said Laura Richter, production manager for Spencer Films. This is a hometown, Midwest premiere.

According to the director, the California premiere was as expected.

There was so much glitter, and stars and celebrities, and a lot of paparazzi, Julie Staley said. What we have here, we have people who are personally involved in this story.

Approximately 800 tickets were sold for the local theaters showing.

We invited everybody to dress up, go Hollywood, to celebrate Decaturs history, said Tasha Cohen, secretary of Friends of the Historic Lincoln Square Theater. Here we are in one of the most historic places in Decatur with one of the most inspirational stories.

As with any Lincoln Square Theater event, theater patrons were given special treatment by being transported from the nearby parking lots to the venue via the downtown trolley.

Fields of Gold" showings Future showings of Fields of Gold: The Rags-to-Riches Story of A.E. Staley at Lincoln Square Theater, 141 N. Main St., Decatur: 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18

7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21

7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22

2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24 Doors open one hour before show time. Tickets are $12. For more information, visit www.lincolnsquaretheater.com or call 217-454-4583 or 217-201-2610.

Springfield resident Kim Griffin and a few of her friends attended the event to support Richter.

Im also really interested in the movie, Griffin said. Being from Springfield, Im not up as much on Staley as someone who lived here.

The historic Staley is known for being the first owner of the Chicago Bears when the team originated in Decatur, the friends remembered.

Watching the story on the big screen added to the anticipation.

I didn't realize all the things he accomplished, Griffin said. "It was amazing."

The family wanted to premiere the documentary in Decatur because of their local history, but also to tell the story of a legendary man.

This is for the community, Mark Staley said.

50 photos of the Staley office building Staley office arches Staley office art 1978 Staley office art Staley office desks Staley office 1981 Staley office corn 1978 Staley office detail 1980 Staley office door Staley office doors 1930 Staley office eagles 1980 Staley office entry Staley office flag Staley office garden Staley office granite Staley office industrial dept Staley office interior Staley office interior 1981 Staley office interior Staley office interior Staley off interior Staley office lights Staley office lobby 1980 Staley office lobby Staley office mural Staley office murals 1980 Staley office night 1930 Staley office night 1932 Staley office night 1961 Staley office night 1989 Staley office sales dept Staley offce second floor Staley office sky Staley office tower Staley office interior Staley building 1956 Staley Mfg 1981 Staley dining 1913 Staley interior painting Staley building lights 1930 Staley office building 1930 Staley office 1930 Staley office 1935 Staley office 1937 Staley office 1938 Staley office 1948 Staley office 1955 Staley office 1955 Staley office 1978 Staley office 1960 Staley office A.E. Sr
The holidays are right around the corner, and that means some of the biggest meals of the year are almost here. And while we definitely enjoy cooking for loved ones, there's still something undeniably pleasant about not having to sweat over the stove for hours on end. If you want to give yourself a much-needed break from the kitchen this year, the good news is that you have plenty of options. Every year, there are always restaurants that you can count on to hook you up with some baked turkey and all the fixings.

A lot of work goes into a huge holiday meal. Aside from the sheer amount of food that needs to be purchased and prepared, the timing alone always proves to be complicated. Ensuring that everything is fresh, hot, and ready at the same exact time can be a challenge. Guaranteeing tender, juicy slices of turkey is a feat unto itself. So why not leave all of the trouble up to some professionals? That way, you can just kick back and focus on celebrating. Sounds like a win in our book. Here are restaurant chains you can order turkey from.

Read more: 14 Fast Food Restaurants That Still Don't Use 100% Real Chicken

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving dinner - Facebook

Cracker Barrel is known for its homestyle cooking, which makes it a great choice for a hearty meal. The restaurant offers a set menu or customized a la carte options. Cracker Barrel's meals are designed to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner that can be heated up in about two hours.

The company's Heat and Serve Family Dinner can feed between four to six people. This meal comes with an oven-roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, turkey gravy, cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole, sweet yeast rolls, and a choice of one side. Cracker Barrel's Heat and Serve Feast is a bit bigger and feeds up to 10 people. The main difference with this deal is that it comes with two oven-roasted turkeys and extra sides along with pumpkin pie and pecan pie (in addition to all the other fixings). The restaurant also sells dinners that are hot and ready to serve that don't require any preparation. For dessert, there's a handful of pies to pick from, including cinnamon roll pie, apple streusel pie, and chocolate pecan pie.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Facebook

As its name suggests, Ruth's Chris Steak House is famous for its cuts of beef. But don't let the company's reputation for masterfully grilling steak stop you from exploring more of the restaurant's menu. Ruth's Chris has kept up the tradition of serving holiday meals in the past, so we have no reason to believe that's about to change. The restaurant knocks Thanksgiving dinner out of the park with a dine-in prix fixe menu that includes all of the classic dishes you'd expect.

Roasted turkey served with homemade gravy, cranberry relish, and cornbread herb stuffing are just a few of the dishes that have come out of Ruth's Chris' kitchens. When it comes to sides that the restaurant tends to offer, there are garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and roasted garlic, and sweet potato casserole topped with a pecan crumble. Of course, there's a possibility that the menu might be updated to include some new items, but there's a good chance that these tried and true dishes will be available. Just to be safe, call the location nearest you ahead of time to make sure the restaurant is planning on preparing a Thanksgiving dinner.

Popeyes

Popeyes side dishes - Facebook

Famous for its poultry, the general consensus is that Popeyes is another wise choice when it comes to ordering turkey. The restaurant offers a Cajun-spiced turkey that's available for pick-up. The turkey is pre-cooked and comes frozen, so it just needs to be thawed and then warmed up in the oven. Before putting it in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, Popeyes advises customers to remove the packaging and place the turkey in a roasting pan covered with aluminum foil. Once the turkey reaches at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (which should take about two hours total), the turkey should be left to rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

Aside from the turkey, Popeyes has some delicious sides that you can order separately. Hook yourself up with some extra mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and fluffy biscuits to go along with your Cajun turkey. If you're not going to bother with cooking a turkey, you might as well just order some sides too so that you can fully enjoy not having to prepare any food. And rest assured, you can trust Popeyes to whip up a meal to remember.

Metro Diner

Metro Diner turkey dinner - Facebook

Metro Diner is a chain that's known for its classic diner-style food. The company also tends to make dinners for the holidays, and diners have reported that the meals are exceptionally delicious. The restaurant has a couple of options on the table that are worth every penny.

Last year, Metro Diner's Holiday Feast came with baked ham or turkey, plus mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans or roasted corn, cornbread stuffing or macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, and Hawaiian dinner rolls. The new menu hasn't been released yet, but it will likely look very similar. The deal also came with apple cinnamon bread pudding. What we appreciate about this feast is how the restaurant offers more choices to pick from between different sides. This meal deal is sold cold to be warmed up at home.

If you want a hot meal that's ready to eat right away, Metro Diner's got you covered there, too. The restaurant is known to roll out some amazing seasonal treats, like turkey and mashed potatoes served on a waffle made with stuffing that's drizzled with gravy. If that doesn't make your stomach growl, we're not sure what will.

Buca Di Beppo

Buca di Beppo turkey dinner - Facebook

Buca di Beppo may not be the first place that comes to mind for a feast of turkey, since the restaurant is famous for its Italian food. But the truth is that the company's knack for big portions and family-style dining translates into a memorable meal. Buca di Beppo makes its Traditional Thanksgiving Feast available for dine-in or take-out for maximum flexibility.

Over the years, the menu has included everything from sliced white meat turkey and homestyle gravy to spicy Italian sausage stuffing and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The company provides reheating instructions if you're picking it to reheat at home. Buca di Beppo offers a variety of sizes for all of its dinner options, so it's easy to order for all group sizes. Buca di Beppo also provides catering options. If you do decide to dine-in, you can call ahead to arrange reservations. The best part is that if you end up wanting a little Italian food to go with your turkey, you're in the right place.

Bob Evans

Bob Evans turkey dinner - Facebook

Bob Evans makes special seasonal meals for a lot of major holidays all year long. The restaurant's Thanksgiving platter comes with succulent slices of baked turkey smothered in creamy gravy, rolls, pie, and side options like mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn. The company offers a Farmhouse Feast and a Premium Farmhouse Feast. The Premium Farmhouse Feast can feed more people and also comes with macaroni and cheese.

The beauty of Bob Evans is that the restaurant's regular menu features a turkey dinner all year long, so if you happen to be in the mood for a Thanksgiving-style meal outside of November, this is the place to be. The restaurant's Slow-Roasted Turkey and Dressing Dinner comes with herb-seasoned turkey, bread and celery stuffing, homestyle gravy, cranberry relish, a choice of two sides, and some dinner rolls. The bottom line: Bob Evans is a solid pick when you're on the prowl for some turkey and you don't feel like baking some yourself.

Brio Italian Grille

Brio Italian Grille turkey dinner - Facebook

Brio Italian Grille has over 30 locations across the United States. The restaurant specializes in upscale Italian food that's still reasonably priced. Brio is often open on most major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, which makes it a good choice when you're looking to dine in somewhere on those special days.

Brio makes its Thanksgiving Dinner Feast available for dine-in or take-out. The meal comes with roasted white meat turkey, herbed pan gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, spicy Italian sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and freshly baked sourdough bread. The restaurant also offers catering options in various sizes that can feed up to 10 or 20 people. Brio is a good option if you have the resources to shell out a little extra dough on a turkey dinner that's a bit more elevated than a lot of the other options on this list. The food is about as close as you can get to a home-cooked meal without having to do any of the work yourself.

Boston Market

Boston Market turkey dinner - Facebook

Boston Market is a place that always has roasted turkey available on the menu. The restaurant's turkey options include a turkey sandwich that's carved to order, a slow-roasted turkey breast plate with sides, rotisserie turkey pot pie, and a Market Bowl that comes with turkey, two sides, and topping like gravy or barbecue sauce. Boston Market also whips up family meal bundles and turkey is one of the options on the menu.

Aside from its normal menu, Boston Market has also been known to roll out some Thanksgiving specials. The company provides hot meals that are ready to serve and come with a whole roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetable stuffing, spinach artichoke dip, cranberry walnut relish, dinner rolls, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. This deal is typically available for pick-up during the week of Thanksgiving. Boston Market will also be open for dine-in customers.

Sizzler

Sizzler turkey dinner - Facebook

These days, Sizzler is mostly located near the United States West Coast. The restaurant is known for its cuts of beef, such as its New York strip, rib eye, and tri-tip sirloin. Considering the company's penchant for grilling red meat, you might be surprised to learn that Sizzler also happens to offer a Thanksgiving dinner.

Last year, the restaurant featured heat-and-eat dinners that came with roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, maple sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. The good thing about Sizzler is that it can customize its turkey dinner deal all the way down to a single portion, which is handy for any single diners looking for a prepared meal. Sizzler's flexibility in its Thanksgiving dinner sizes is much appreciated, since a lot of other restaurants only prepare meals designed for larger groups. Sizzler might not be the fanciest option on deck, but it's still filling hungry bellies on the holidays for relatively affordable prices, and that's always a commendable deed.

Denny's

Denny's turkey dinner - Facebook

Denny's has prepared turkey dinners for the holidays in the past, so it's very possible that it will do so again. When dining in, Denny's serves slices of its gravy-drenched turkey over a bed of stuffing, along with classic sides like mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The company has also provided a Turkey and Dressing Dinner Pack to warm at home that's portioned for four people.

The dinner pack comes with carved turkey breast, stuffing, red-skinned mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, and a side of either corn or broccoli. The restaurant also usually has some good pie options like pecan pie and pumpkin pie. Denny's often touts itself as America's Diner, so it makes perfect sense for the company to come to the rescue when you don't want to cook on one of the biggest holidays of the year. To be honest, there are better options on this list, but if you find yourself in a jam for some unexpected reason during the holidays, Denny's will bail you out with a hot meal. Say what you will about Denny's, but you can count on it around the clock, and sometimes that's just what you need.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
With helicopters as backup, the black SUVs race in formation behind speeding squad cars as a drone sweeps the side streets. But this isnt Baghdad or Carcasits Detroit, with visiting Saudi ambassador Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud arriving by private jet. That was highly unusual, says Mike Bunk, chief operations officer of Detroit Executive Group, part of a security detail organized by the U.S. State Department and supported by local police. But when a threat level is that high, the response has to match it.

Such calls to action are on the increase in the world of private aviation. The publics eagerness to track aircraft belonging to the likes of Elon Musk and Taylor Swift, as well as to high-profile CEOs, correlates to recent growth in demand for enhanced security among the industrys customer base. That, and targeting private jets by environmental activists, has resulted in an uptick in requests for executive protection and aircraft-asset protection, says Brian Leek, managing director of Global Protective Solutions at Crisis24, a Montreal-based firm that specializes in security for corporate clients and ultra-high-net-worth individuals around the world.

More from Robb Report

Large companies with their own fleets have to shield top executives against kidnappings or corporate espionage. (Google paid $5.9 million for CEO Sundar Pichais security last year alone.) Then theres the public shaming and rising political tensions that have prompted more private fliers to go on the offense by procuring better defenseor at least determine whether or not they need it.

Many people dont realize they have an elevated security risk, says a representative for QS Security, a NetJets subsidiary supporting its fractional owners, who asked that his name not be used. We build a detailed threat profile, evaluating critical elements such as personal history, places of residence, and occupations. The destination, geopolitical concerns, and cyber-attack susceptibility also play a role in the calculus. For one of Bunks East Coast clients who wanted to visit his factory in rural Michigan, an armed driver and SUV sufficed. Hes not famous, and has no known threats, says Bunk. It wasnt much more expensive than hiring a limo for the day.

Flying privately is statistically one of the safest forms of travel, notes Eric Moilanen, founder of Premier Corporate Security, but the existing infrastructure is what should bolster confidence. Veteran fliers, even those who travel with security, often arent aware of the multilayered protection built into private airports and fixed-base operators. Aircraft are stored in hangars, passenger manifests shared on a need-to-know basis, and ground and flight crews undergo regular background checks. Further protocols include sweeping aircraft and ground transport for surveillance bugs. Theres just no easy way for wrongdoers or paparazzi to penetrate, says Moilanen.

Experts point out that the air travel isnt the problemmost incidents happen on the ground, likely from airport to hotel, says Gregory Kulis, founder of Business Aviation Safety and Security. A former pilot for a global fashion brand, Kulis recalls an executive being followed from the airport during a contentious acquisition. Thats why we had one member of the advance team stay behind to watch for suspicious activity, he says. Kuliss prime directive to travelers: Blend into surroundings rather than stand out as wealthy Americans.

Discretion has also become a trend among executive-protection agents who eschew the word bodyguard. These operatives are mostly exlaw enforcement or military and focus on small-arms weapons and evasive driving while still fitting in at any etiquette-intensive reception. Were trained how to dress, how to sit in a five-star restaurant, when to speakand notto clients, says a QS Security agent, who also asked to remain anonymous. Think butler, with a gun.

All of this can, of course, be ramped up to your hearts contenta battalion of close-quarter agents and a fleet of armored vehicles worthy of a visiting head of state. Which is probably overkill. But, paraphrasing novelist Franz Kafka, its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Safety in Numbers

Heres a quick estimate on how much executive protection might costs, from a single agent to a small army. Note: Prices will vary depending on location.

Armed Driver

Police illustration

Think a stock Jason Statham character: a chauffeur trained in evasive maneuvers to avoid kidnapping and who will escort the client to and from the jet tarmac. Per Detroit Executive Group, an eight-hour day runs $750 for the driver, $450 for the SUV, for a total of $1,200.

Driver and Executive Protection Agent

Police and bystander illo

The driver is responsible for transport, while a local executive-protection agent accompanies the client to hotels, restaurants, business meetings, and back to the airport. Add $900 for the close-quarter agent for a daily total of $2,100.

Three-Person Teams

Security guard illustrations

This triple play includes an advance agent who arrives a day early to scout routes and ground locations; the second agent travels with the client and, at the destination, the third agent handles transport. For a four-day trip, including travel expenses, about $37,000.

Armored Vehicles

Bulletproof truck illustration

When the going gets tough, best to have bulletproof glass, armored sides, heavy-duty tires, and reinforced bumpers on an SUV that requires a trained driver. Per Alpine Armoring, including shipping costs to the designated city, an armored Cadillac Escalade runs about $6,500 per day.

Small Army

Six-team security group illustration

An elite outfit composed of dozens of agents, multiple vehicles, drones, helicopters, and central coordinators to oversee it all. Its pricey, but it ups your entourage game considerably. A four-day trip could run into the high six figures.

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La Compagnie was named the best international airline by Travel + Leisure readers  so our aviation expert hopped on board to find out why.

La Compagnie exists in a world where flying private  or at least, semi-private  isnt limited to the elite travelers. The carrier operates a contemporary fleet of two business-class-only Airbus A321neo planes and while, no, this isnt as exclusive as a Gulfstream jet, the airline has just 76 seats on board. Compare that with many internationally configured aircraft  such as Air Frances Boeing 777 with 300-plus passengers  and La Compagnies single-aisle cabin feels downright intimate.

Chris Dong/Travel + Leisure

Founded in 2014, the Paris-based airline stays true to its boutique roots, with a lean operation stateside; all flights operate to and from New York-Newark (EWR). Besides daily service to the French capital, La Compagnie also flies to Milan (five times weekly) and to Nice, France, during the summer. But instead of catering to business travelers who may value multiple flights per day and privacy on board, theres a focus on capturing vacationers  namely couples and families  headed to Europe. The 76 lie-flat berths are arranged in a partner-friendly (or get-to-know-your-neighbor-friendly) two-by-two configuration.

Chris Dong/Travel + Leisure

With such few seats to fill, boarding and deplaning are effortless affairs. Before I proceeded to the gate in Paris-Orlys Terminal 4, I sauntered over to the lounge. La Compagnie doesnt operate its own airport lounges and instead contracts with third-party operators. Typically, that doesnt bode well for passengers as quality can be hit-or-miss. However, this particular pre-departure enclave  the newly opened Extime Lounge  was a certifiable sanctuary with ample seating and an outdoor terrace overlooking the tarmac. (After all, who doesnt love fresh air before a flight?)

After a few too many in-lounge madeleines, I made my way to the gate and stepped across the threshold of the jet bridge. I was now onboard my chariot for the journey from Paris to Newark, New Jersey, and more importantly, I finally got a first glimpse of the understated cabin. Across the entire length of the aircraft were only 20 rows of seats. Every single one, no matter how close to the front (or back), was the same. Best of all, there wasnt a single economy or middle seat. In an industry where planes are increasingly stratified with multiple distinct classes, theres something refreshing about a civilized and elevated experience for all passengers.

Thats one of the reasons why La Compagnie was voted Travel + Leisure readers' favorite international airline in T+Ls 2023 Worlds Best Awards. The other reason? Fares are sometimes 30 to 50 percent lower than carriers who operate the same route. A round-trip flight between Newark and Paris starts at $2,400. That might seem like a hefty price tag, but consider that $4,000 or more is fairly standard for the same business-class route. (La Compagnie is also known for offering excellent sales.)

Chris Dong/Travel + Leisure

La Compagnie took delivery of its two planes hardly four years ago, and theyre both modern jets that burn 20 percent less fuel per passenger than most rivals. Outfitted in celeste blue and sporting a signature black mask outlining the cockpit windows, the exterior of the A321neo is sleek and elegant.

The inside delivers, too. The interior is chic and the service polished, all in a French minimalist sort of way. I settled into seat 20D, the last row of the aircraft. While the phrase back of the plane on any other airline would fill me with dread, this was no cramped, legroom-less economy perch. Instead, waiting at my seat was a fluffy pillow; a thick comforter; branded over-the-ear headphones (although I used my own); a bottle of Evian water; and an amenity kit filled with socks, an eye mask, and Caudalie toiletries.

The seat features a 15.6-inch, in-seat touchscreen loaded with about 100 movies, not extensive by any means but more than enough to fill the seven-hour-and-change flight. More importantly, fast (and free) onboard Wi-Fi was available as soon as I boarded. That meant I could catch up on some work after spending my last few days in Amsterdam and Paris, at the historic Conservatorium Hotel and the fashionable SO/ Paris, respectively.

While my seat was a bit lacking in terms of storage when compared to some of the newest first-class offerings from major airlines, overhead bin space is generous for every passenger. Travelers who have flown American Airlines business class between New York and Los Angeles (on the Airbus A321T) or Delta and Uniteds business class on the Boeing 757 will be familiar with this seat.

A few knick-knacks  including my phone, a book, and chargers  easily fit on the small shelf below the seatback monitor and the compartment over my right shoulder. As I was settling in, welcome drinks of orange juice and Champagne  served in real glassware  kicked off service from the hardworking crew.

Shoe storage is built into the underside of the seat, so once at cruising altitude, I kicked off my Stan Smiths, curled up in my seat, and watched the world pass by. One particularly nice touch is that all passengers are angled slightly toward the windows; even those who sit closer to the aisle (like I did) can get respectable views of the outside.

Chris Dong/Travel + Leisure

A couple of hours into the flight, a bistro-quality dinner was served alongside a round of drinks. I soaked up a rich sauce, from the juicy coq au vin, using several mini-French baguettes. An unfussy, yet tasty, lemon tart with a buttery crust was the ideal conclusion to the meal. (Oddly, the digital menu on the seat-back monitor didnt match what was actually served.)

However, the crew was so attentive that I never felt uninformed. Before landing, hot towels were distributed as I nibbled on a snack, a ratatouille tart with a small green salad. I whisked through immigration at Newarks Terminal B with Global Entry and before long, I was on my way into Manhattan.

With exemplary value for business-class and semi-private flights  not to mention a little French panache and a loyal following  its not surprising that the small boutique airline took home the crown at this years T+L Worlds Best Awards.

In terms of whats next for the airline, expect cautious growth in the years ahead. We are in the process of acquiring one more aircraft for 2025 that will reinforce our current routes to Paris, Milan, and Nice, Christian Vernet, the CEO of La Compagnie, told Travel + Leisure. A fourth [plane] is slated for 2026 to open a new route from the U.S."

Find routes and book flights at lacompagnie.com; round-trip flights from $2,400.



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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
A California woman spent over a month in the hospital fighting an infection after she ate undercooked tilapia, according to her friend. Mira Oberman/AFP/GettyImages

Laura Barajas got a bacterial infection from eating undercooked tilapia.

Barajas had to have all her limbs amputated because of the infection.

The CDC warns Vibrio vulnificus infections are rising due to warming waters.

A mother in California had to have all of her limbs amputated after eating a piece of undercooked tilapia.

Laura Barajas, 40, purchased the fish from a local market in San Jose last month which she cooked and ate on her own at home, her friend Anna Messina wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.

Barajas spent more than a month in the hospital fighting an infection of Vibrio vulnificus bacteria before having all of her limbs removed on Wednesday, according to Messina.

"We kindly request that you find it in your hearts to support this beautiful family during this incredibly challenging time," Messina wrote. "What has happened to them could happen to any of us, and together, we can make a meaningful difference."

On September 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory, warning of an increase in Vibrio vulnificus bacterial infections in the United States due to increasing water tempuratures.

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacteria that thrives in warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the CDC. Vibrio bacteria are known to cause around 80,000 illnesses in the United States each year, according to the agency.

In Galveston, Texas, a man died over Labor Day Weekend after eating oysters contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus on August 29, according to FOX 26 in Houston.

Signs of a Vibrio vulnificus infection are watery diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever, the CDC says. An infected wound may display redness, pain, swelling, warmth, discoloration, and discharge, according to the department.

The CDC says the most common cause of Vibrio infections is eating undercooked or raw oysters and shellfish.

"Don't eat raw or undercooked oysters or other shellfish. Cook them before eating," the CDC recommends. "Always wash your hands with soap and water after handing raw shellfish."

The CDC also recommends staying out of salt water if you have an open wound to avoid Vibrio infection.

Read the original article on Insider
Cupcakes are a classic sweet treat; they're the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion or to round out a savory meal. Most of the time, they're loaded with sugary elements like chocolate, frosting, or sprinkles -- but sweet and spicy offer great contrast, and if you've never added a hint of spice to your perfectly baked cupcakes, you might want to start. Rather than using typical cream cheese frosting or the store-bought stuff, make your own Mexican hot chocolate frosting; it features the spicy addition of chili powder and the bold flavor of cinnamon, which combine to add just the right kick to your sweet, delicate cupcakes.

Plus, adding extra flavors exclusively in the frosting is a great way to introduce these contrasting ingredients without sending the heat level overboard. And for guests who don't like spicy food, the small amount of peppery punch in the frosting is ideal because it's not all throughout the cupcake.

Read more: 17 Mistakes To Avoid When Baking Cupcakes

Mexican Hot Chocolate Frosting Is A Must-Try

Assorted chocolate cupcakes - Mtreasure/Getty Images

Sweet and spicy is a tale as old as time; it's not unusual to see the two tastes paired together. Mexican hot chocolate, which adds that fiery element not typically found in U.S. versions of the drink, allegedly dates back thousands of years. The Aztecs and Mayans were known to spice up their drinking chocolate, and it's been a staple recipe in Mexico ever since. The story goes that sugar wasn't readily available in Mexico until Spanish settlers introduced the crop. Instead, spices like vanilla and ingredients like chiles and honey were traditionally favored by indigenous cooks. It wasn't until the mid-1500s that cinnamon -- which first came to the country from Sri Lanka via Spanish ships -- was incorporated into all kinds of Mexican recipes, including hot chocolate.

A Mexican hot chocolate frosting recipe essentially takes standard chocolate frosting and enhances it with these vibrant spices. It would work well on either vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. If you're interested in trying your own, you can make it up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator, or it will last about a month in the freezer.

Why Do Chiles Pair So Well With Chocolate?

Cup of Mexican hot chocolate - Tatyana Berkovich/Shutterstock

It seems this combination isn't so unusual, but why do chocolate and chili peppers blend so well together? It all has to do with the way our taste buds process flavors. Food scientist Brittany Towers told Business Insider that sugar can help "tame" the heat from spicy foods in the same way that fat can. "With sweet and spicy, our body processes spice through receptors in our taste buds, and the capsaicin in peppers binds to our taste buds," she noted, adding, "This emits a sensation of warming and burning ... The sweetness is there to balance out this spicy flavor."

If you plan to try out the Mexican hot chocolate frosting on your next batch of cupcakes, make sure to start small. You can always add spice, but you can't take it away -- so taste the frosting frequently and add more chile heat and cinnamon warmth as needed.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
Pittsburghers love their potatoes -- from fries on sandwiches and salads to pierogi at the city's annual Pierogi Festival -- they slot neatly into the city's firm working class- and immigrant-influenced culinary history. The fry-stuffed sandwich and its (somewhat fuzzy) origins is a prime example. Legend has it that the sandwich was created for busy truck drivers in Depression-era Pittsburgh so they could eat one-handed on the job. Instead of a sandwich with fries and coleslaw on the side, which would require a seat at the deli counter to consume, you get all of this slapped between two thick slices of Italian bread. It is this perfect multitasking sandwich that turned Pittsburgh into a contender for one of the best sandwich cities in the U.S.

Now, do you want to eat the sandwich while driving? Experience says no. Besides being dangerous -- eating or drinking while driving increases your risk of being in a crash -- it's super messy. There's no way to neatly (or safely) eat it. It's a big sandwich, and it's filled with unwieldy ingredients and is therefore structurally unsound. It flops over, tomatoes and coleslaw slide out -- it's just not a good idea for enjoyable eating or safe driving. But it's still worthy of our admiration and praise.

Read more: The Best Regional Fast Food Chains In Every State

The Primanti Bros. Sandwich Is Customizable, But Best Enjoyed Whilst Sitting Down

Primanti Bros. sandwich - Instagram

As seen on an episode of "Man V. Food", a Pittsburgh fry sandwich is like a more robust chip butty or a Reuben sandwich with fries stuffed between the sauerkraut and corned beef. The sandwich is made with thick slices of soft Italian bread, and the fillings are piled high -- french fries, provolone, a tangy coleslaw, tomatoes, and meat. The sandwiches are listed on their menu as "Almost Famous Sandwiches." The meat/protein options are not your average sandwich shop choices -- Angus sirloin, capicola, egg, kielbasa, chicken, Genoa salami, fish, and there's even a bean burger for the vegetarians and vegans among us. Everything comes with cheese, and, of course, add-ons like onions, bacon, or extra cheese are extra. It's customizable within limits, but it just kind of makes sense exactly as it is.

There's no sauce or mayonnaise on the sandwich, but the tomato and coleslaw add plenty of juiciness. However, if you want condiments, it is recommended you add your mustard or ketchup while seated at the sandwich shop -- not while waiting at a red light.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention...or A Happy Accident

The Strip District Pittsburgh - Peeterv/Getty Images

The Strip District of Pittsburgh -- though now home to boutique shops, international and specialty food shops, and some of the best restaurants in the city -- was once an industrial hub, home to the city's mills, foundries, and factories. In the mornings it was busy with the comings and goings of food wholesalers. The area was a hub of activity thanks to the railroad nearby. This is where Primanti Bros. comes in.

It was 1933, and Joe Primanti was running a small lunch counter in The Strip District, catering to the blue-collar workers there. According to the origin story from the Primanti Bros. website, founder Joe's nephew John DiPriter explains: "One winter someone drove up with a load of potatoes. He brought them over to the restaurant to see if they were frozen. I fried the potatoes on our grill and they looked pretty good. A few customers asked for them -- so I tossed them on the sandwich." The combination took off. The drivers found it convenient because they could drive their truck and consume a whole meal they could hold in one hand, without needing to pause longer than it took to order a sandwich ... supposedly.

You Can Have A Taste Of Primanti Bros. At Home For A Price

Turkey Primanti Bros. sandwich - Instagram

If you're planning on going to Pennsylvania anytime soon there are 19 Primanti Bros. sandwich shops in western Pennsylvania, with locations steadily marching east (watch out Philly cheesesteaks!). If you live in Maryland, Florida, Ohio, or West Virginia you're in luck, because you can find a Primanti Bros. sandwich shop in any of those states.

If you're in any other state you can have your Primanti Bros. sandwich delivered. Yes, through the magic of the internet and overnight shipping, you can have a sandwich pack delivered to your door for $104.95 via Goldbelly. They'll send you everything you need for four Primanti Bros. sandwiches -- your choice of meat (pastrami, capicola, roast beef, corned beef, Genoa salami), a loaf of Italian bread, tomatoes, coleslaw, fries, Provolone cheese, and hot sauce. They also include cooking instructions. It might lose a bit of the magic without the Pittsburgh-infused ambiance of a Primanti Bros. shop, but at least you'll get the essence -- just don't try driving while you're eating it.

Read the original article on Mashed.
Influencers Alex Cooper, left, and Alix Earle , right, are having important conversations about mental health. (305pics/GC Images via Getty Images)

Alex Cooper and Alix Earle are known to provide good looks, laughs and entertaining stories of wild nights out on their social media platforms, where they have a combined following of nearly 13 million on Instagram and TikTok. But the blonde bombshells will be pulling back the curtain on their seemingly perfect lives with Cooper's launch of the Unwell Network and Earle's Hot Mess podcast within in.

Many mental health experts say its an ideal way to engage Gen Z on serious issues.

Everybody has moments during the day where they feel like theyre overwhelmed, that theyre not going to be able to recover from rough moments, Barbara Greenberg, an adolescent psychologist, tells Yahoo Life. Concepts like the Unwell Network and Hot Mess send the message of how do you deal with being unwell? You can talk about feeling unwell, it becomes normalized.

Representatives for the Unwell Network didn't respond to Yahoo Life's inquiry. Cooper, the 29-year-old Call Her Daddy podcast host, told Variety that the production network is meant to cater to Gen Z audiences with unique voices that embrace social challenges and personal insecurities through honest conversation. This is something that Cooper has done successfully by shifting the focus of her podcast from solely sex and relationships to include personal insights about therapy and mental well-being. The talent that she's welcomed to the Unwell Network thus far, Earle and another influencer Madeline Argy, are known for speaking about mental health as well.

According to findings from a recent Gallup poll that reported less than half of Gen Z Americans (defined as 12- to 26-year-olds) are "thriving." The data is based on self-reported ratings of their current and future lives and the state of their mental well-being, which is the lowest compared to previous generations.

But is it fair to speak to this generation's concerns with tongue-in-cheek use of the words unwell and hot mess? Heres what experts say.

What does it mean to be unwell?

Put simply, the term is used to describe a state of illness  the opposite of being well. For Gen Z-ers, however, the word has taken on different meanings. According to Urban Dictionary, it can be used to share displeasure or surprise. It can also express a persons inability to properly process an emotion or event.

Young people these days identify with the phrase unwell as a cheeky way of saying that something is bothering them or theyre not perfect, says Jennifer Teplin, founder and clinical director of Manhattan Wellness. Cooper naming the production network Unwell reinforces how casual and relatable the term has become in every day language.

Teplin acknowledges, however, that there might be perceived harm in the way that these pop culture references could minimize the severity that those who previously identified with the term are expressing. However, it will certainly bring social media personalities like Cooper and Earle closer to their audiences and may help listeners openly express themselves.

Its important to explore the idea of being unwell because were often still afraid to be honest about any feeling that might not be shiny or attractive, Elizabeth Marks, a therapist at Manhattan Wellness, tells Yahoo Life.

I love the vulnerability, and Im really impressed with the relatability, adds Greenberg.

Its something that Earle, a 22-year-old recent University of Miami graduate, has received praise for as shes posted videos showing her messy room and unfiltered acne and discussing her experiences with anxiety. Recently, she even talked through a panic attack that she experienced while at a work event and how she dealt with it. Her Hot Mess podcast will explore these areas further, which Greenberg sees as a good thing.

You feel validated, you dont feel so lonely anymore with your feelings, Greenberg explains. I mean, I think everybody at every age needs permission to talk about their vulnerabilities.

Why is this so important for Gen Z?

This is the age of emotional dysregulation, says Greenberg. Emotionally overwhelmed, like hot messes, is how they feel much of the time.

While studies show that Gen Z suffers more than previous generations when it comes to mental health, Gen Z-ers are also the most open and honest when it comes to discussing the topic. The American Psychological Association has attributed this, at least partly, to public figures sharing their mental challenges.

"I spoke to four of my Gen Z clients who say that [Cooper and Earle] are people they feel very connected to because they get tips and share topics that are not usually discussed, says Greenberg, noting that these conversations can have a notable impact. [Audiences] learn to start talking about their feelings and then maybe theyll be more likely to connect with a mental health professional.

Although having these discussions among otherwise superfluous fashion and lifestyle content might not make sense to everyone, Greenberg believes that its serving an important purpose.

Theyre saying its OK to be a hot mess, theyre saying its OK to be unwell, she says. Giving people permission for that emotional expression is critically important.
Inspiration and concept are all well and good, and sometimes they are even crucial to a whiskeys success. In the case of the new Kentucky Owl Maighstir Edition, however, the inspiration has a tenuous relationship with the actual bourbon in the bottle. The good news is that said bourbon is quite good, and ultimately thats the most important thing.

Maureen Robinson was recently named the new master blender for Kentucky Owl, and she knows her stuff having worked in the scotch whisky industry for nearly 50 years (she retired as master blender for single malts and blends at Diageo in 2022). Robinson is replacing current Kentucky Owl master blender John Rhea, the former COO of Four Roses, and the two worked together on this new whiskey which is the third release in the brands international collaboration series (previous releases were the St. Patricks Edition and Takumi Edition).

More from Robb Report

The stated goal of Maighstir (Gaelic for master) was to capture the spirit, essence, and (if possible) flavor of scotch via a blend of different bourbons. In this case, the blend consists of four-, five-, eight-, and nine-year-old bourbon, one of which had a wheated mash bill, which was bottled at 100 proof. Thats a difficult task considering the inherent differences between scotch and bourbon. Bourbon is made from a mash bill that is mostly corn and aged in new charred oak barrels, while single malt scotch is made from 100 percent barley and aged in used casks, and blended scotch is a blend of malt and grain whiskies also aged in used casks. Still, the concept is nothing if not interesting and unique, and if anyone is up for the challenge, it might as well be Robinson and Rhea.

All that being said, this whiskey will require more than a stretch of the imagination to pick up notes of scotchspecifically blended scotch, according to Robinson. She thought the wheated bourbon element brought citrus notes to the palate while playing against the oldest whiskey in the blend, which to her registered as a true representation of bourbon. When you nose it, its almost like youre nosing a scotch, she told Robb Report. Youve got lots of citrus and a sweetness of stewed fruits. Then the bourbon attributes start coming through, like sweet vanilla and oak, but not overtly oaky.

This is a good bourbon, and extends the successful track record Kentucky Owl has established since the departure of one its founders, Dixon Dedman. And while I get the need for this concept to make the whiskey stand out, I struggled to flavors that read like blended scotch here. The thing is, Robinson has come up with a damn good product, blending sourced components into a balanced, complex, flavorful bourbon that sings with notes of caramel, oak, baked apple, and toasted almonds.

Maybe this whiskey is more about bringing a scotch blenders methodology to bourbon, in the way that other releases from Kentucky Owl, as well as brands like Beam Suntorys Legent, have worked with Japanese blenders to create new whiskeys. But thats not really how Maighstir Edition was pitched, and that might be a sticking point for some whiskey fans. And, given the track record of other Kentucky Owl releases, this may very well skyrocket past its $150 SRP on the secondary market. But if you find a bottle, forget about the scotch inspiration (or dont and see what notes you can pick up), and just enjoy a high-quality new bourbon blend.

Score: 90

100: Worth trading your first born for

95  99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet

90  94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram

85  89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market

80  84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable

Below 80 Its alright: Honestly, we probably wont waste your time and ours with this

Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Friday for his latest review.

Best of Robb Report

Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Here's a quick look at a pair of compelling, crime noir novels by Gil Brewer, (Stark House, $19.95) available in a new single, oversized volume.

"Satan is a Woman" and "13 French Street" were both initially published in 1951, issued by Fawcett as part of their Gold Medal paperback series.

They were immediate bestsellers, with his first novel selling over 200,000 copies and going through two additional printings that year.

A pair of crime noir novels from Gil Brewer are now available in newly released single paperback.

"13 French Street" did even better, eventually selling over 1.2 million copies.

Brewer's books and short stories often featured a beautiful, strong-willed, devious woman and a sensitive male character who's trying to avoid trouble, ensnared by lustful interactions.

"Satan is a Woman" showcases young Larry Cole, whose older brother Tad has been jailed for life for murdering two other criminals.

Larry owns a bar in St. Petersburg, Florida. He's trying to get a new attorney for his brother  with little luck.

He meets Joan Turner, a beautiful woman. "Her hair was this rich, thick honey-blonde, falling to golden-skinned shoulders that looked warm and made me want to touch them ... with eyes like soft blue diamonds, and soft, moist lips."

Soon, there's violence, with Larry becoming more deeply involved with Joan, who has distinctive, disruptive ulterior motives.

"13 French Street" has a very similar theme, with Alex Bland from Chicago going to visit his old World War II buddy Verne, who's in ill health.

Petra, Verne's beautiful dark-haired wife, has lustful plans for laid-back Alex, particularly when her heavily drinking husband isn't around.

Brewer is exceptionally adept at creating strong, vivid emotional characters and unpredictable plot situations. There's rarely a dull moment in these two fast-paced crime novels.

Noir fiction scholar David Rachels provides a brief, excellent introduction to the 268-page paperback, exploring Brewer's successes, challenges and untimely demise.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has reviewed mysteries and Michigan books regularly since 1987. His email address is raywalsh@voyager.net.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Ray Walsh: 2 Gil Brewer novels available in single oversized paperback
DECATUR  While police, lawyers, judges and courthouse administrators have worked for months to prepare for the end of cash bail in Illinois, they will enter uncharted territory next week when a new system begins statewide.

When the Pretrial Fairness Act takes effect Monday, Illinois will be the first state to abolish cash bail as a condition of a person's release before trial. Judges can still keep people behind bars before trial if they are accused of serious crimes, or if a prosecutor successfully argues that the person represents a flight risk or danger to the community.

However, a more rigorous review of each case will be required before the defendant can be detained  and the work must take place on a tighter timeline, as laid out in state law.

"Theres a lot of unknowns that we have right now with how these things are going to happen," Macon County Sheriff Jim Root said. "We just have to work our way through it, and Im sure mistakes are going to be made."

Amanda Ade-Harlow, presiding judge for Shelby County, said representatives from the circuit court, law enforcement, state's attorney's office, public defender's office and pretrial court services began meeting shortly after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law in July.

They have reached a point where they believe as of last week, we have a really good system, Ade-Harlow said. But as with anything, we dont know for sure until it starts.

Cash bail ban is years in the making

The Pretrial Fairness Act has been on the books since early 2021, and became a hot-button political issue in the intervening years. Lawmakers voted during their lame duck session in December to adjust the original language to clarify some provisions and address concerns about circumstances under which people could be detained.

The measure had been set to take effect Jan. 1, but the state high court delayed the rollout amid confusion after a lower court found it unconstitutional. In July, the high court declared the law constitutional and set Monday as its start date.

Supporters of the overhaul have said too many defendants remain in jail only because they cannot come up with the money needed for release.

Critics argue that cash bail ensures released defendants will show up for court proceedings. Without it, violent criminals who are released pending trial could have the opportunity to commit more crimes, some argue.

Advocates also argue that cash bail policies can be especially unfair to 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.

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.

How has Macon County prepared for the end of cash bail?

To throw a light on the new no cash bail rules under the Pretrial Fairness Act, we take a look at a fictional suspect  call him Joe Bloggs  who gets arrested on Friday night for aggravated domestic battery.

Macon County States Attorney Scott Rueter said that, under the system in place before Monday, Bloggs would appear within 48 hours before a judge who would consider whether there was probable cause for his arrest and set bond. That has been handled through Saturday court sessions in Macon County Circuit Court.

Technically, Rueter said, his office could then have up to 120 days to file formal charges under speedy trial rules, but typically such charges have been filed within a week or so, with a preliminary hearing held within 30 days.

The new rules say the suspect must be brought immediately in front of a judge or see one not more than 48 hours after his arrest. The state's attorneys office must be ready to file formal charges at that first court hearing, although they can be amended later.

Rueter said that turnaround will be pushing his prosecutors awfully hard, and he doesnt like the rush to judgment on exactly what charges should be filed, especially in cases a lot more complicated than domestic batteries.

Like for example, you have to now charge a murder case within 48 hours of it happening and a guy being arrested, but do you think you have all the information you need at that point to actually file a criminal charge? he said.

The timeline could pose major headaches when the police investigation might be incomplete, other suspects are involved, and the full circumstances of the crime are not yet clear, Rueter said.

DETAINABLE OFFENSES Under the Pretrial Fairness Act, defendants who face certain charges can still be held in custody while they await trial. Detainable offenses include, among others: first-degree murder

criminal sexual assault

aggravated arson

stalking

aggravated kidnapping

aggravated battery causing great bodily harm

That is why all this is so idiotic in one respect, he said of the new legal rules. I mean, by golly, wouldn't you want to make sure that we take the time to get it right when charging somebody with murder? But now they have taken that away from us.

The law does allow attorneys on either side to request a continuance of 24 hours for Class 4 felonies or misdemeanors and 48 hours for Class 3 felonies and higher, extending the possible timeline to four days for the most serious crimes.

The new rules also lay down criteria the judge must use to decide whether Bloggs stays in custody or goes home. Charges likely to see a person stay detained are forcible felonies such as murder, treason, the predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and the rape of an adult.

Bloggs could find his charge of aggravated domestic battery also leading to a stay in jail if the prosecution can establish his pretrial release poses real and present threat to the physical safety or a person or persons, a measure known as the "dangerousness standard."

The judge can also consider evidence as to whether the defendant poses a "willful flight risk," something that Rueter said might not always be straightforward to argue.

If the defendant was on the way to the airport with plane tickets to Acapulco, well, OK, that is an easy one, he said. But changes under the new legal rules mean a track record of not showing up for court hearings in the past wont count against Bloggs when he goes before a judge this time.

So we can no longer use those previous failures to appear as the only reason to say he is a willful flight risk, Rueter added. So say somebody had other court cases and in 20 other cases they had 20 warrants for failure to appear, that is not good enough to say that they are flight risk now.

He also said if Bloggs is freed but misses his next court appearance in the new case under the new rules but does show up within 48 hours of the court date, any arrest warrant issued has to be voided. Its like Oh, sorry, our bad, we understand you were on your own time schedule and that court date just didnt work out for you, added Rueter.

OK, I'm being a little facetious, but its like now we all have to be willing to be tolerant of other peoples inability to make it to court in a timely fashion.

The text of the statute defines a willful flight as "intentional conduct with a purpose to thwart the judicial process to avoid prosecution."

It adds that "isolated instances of nonappearance in court alone" are not evidence of a willful flight risk. But: "Reoccurrence and patterns of intentional conduct to evade prosecution, along with any affirmative steps to communicate or remedy any such missed court date, may be considered as factors in assessing future intent to evade prosecution."

DETENTION STANDARDS For defendants facing a charge not identified as detainable under the law, prosecutors can still seek to keep them in custody under one of two standards: dangerousness or willful flight. Dangerousness: The defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of another person or the community, based on specific, articulable facts of the case. Among possible considerations are the nature of the offense charged, any evidence of violent or abusive behavior in the defendants criminal history and whether the defendant is known to have access to weapons. Willful flight: Intentional conduct with a purpose to avoid prosecution. Isolated instances of nonappearance in court alone are not evidence of the risk of flight, according to the law; reoccurrence and patterns of intentionally evading prosecution may be considered.

What happens to those already in jail?

As for people arrested and sitting in jail before the arrival of no cash bail, whether they get to walk free under the new system depends on what they were charged with and their background.

Macon County Chief Public Defender Michelle Sanders said inmates accused of offenses that now fall under the heading of statutorily non-detainable crimes (shoplifting or even aggravated DUI, for example) get to have a hearing within seven days of filing a petition.

For other alleged offenses, say if you are wanting a hearing on your armed robbery case, that is set for within 90 days (of the petition being filed), she added.

But she said defendants detained on the most serious charges, like murder and armed robbery, have to face the fact they probably wont be going anywhere under no cash bail rules.

And a lot of our clients are struggling with that, she said. They think everybody is getting out and that is absolutely not the case. There has been enough fear-mongering in the community and the public is just scared (about the idea of mass prisoner releases) but I dont think we are going to see a drastic change.

Its also a potential two-way street, however, as defendants already out on cash bail could face prosecution petitions to bring them back to jail if their alleged crimes now qualify for detention. Sanders doesnt expect to see many cases like that.

It would have to be something pretty extreme for them (defendants) to be pulled back (into custody), she explained. So I dont think its going to happen frequently, but it could happen.

Returning to Bloggs, the fictional suspect: If a judge ordered him to remain in custody and he joined the existing Macon County Jail population, that isnt the end of the story. Sanders said the new rules give Bloggs the right to appeal his pretrial detention, and the appellate court must come back with a decision in 100 days.

'A lot more paperwork'

Theres going to be a lot more paperwork in the system, and they are hiring a lot of people in anticipation of handling these appeals at the Office of the State Appellate Defender, Sanders said. Handling these appeals is going to be a lot of work.

Sanders said she is seeking a boost to her own budget to at least hire more contract attorneys who can handle some of the additional legal burden that will come with all the changes.

For his part, Rueter said he is already four prosecutors short of his full complement of assistant states attorneys and is looking to hire more as well as more support staff for the office.

Both prosecution and defense say, however, that they have been working hard to prepare for the future. And in cooperation with Macon County Circuit Court Judge Lindsey Shelton, who handles preliminary hearings, theyve spent the last year crafting a system that adapts to the revised hearing and bail rules.

We did a mock run through (of a preliminary hearing) because we wanted to practice and see what it would look like, said Sanders. She said it worked out not taking too much longer than the standard first appearances for defendants under the old rules.

It took maybe five to 10 minutes per case, and that includes the arraignment, she said.

The system beginning on Monday just happens to start at the same time as Macon County Circuit Court is holding its monthly trials for September. Sanders said that puts another strain on the courthouse. Yet, while acknowledging a few nerves, she said she is confident the cooperation of prosecutors, defenders and judges can make it all work.

I think we are always apprehensive as we institute a new system, and this is a big change, she said. But we have been working on this for over a year and I think we are as prepared as we can be. We are ready to be flexible, to be practical and to just roll with it for the next few weeks until we get our feet underneath us.

Law enforcement 'learning as we go'

While staffing at the Macon County Sheriff's Office is slightly below normal, Root said it is sufficient for the task ahead. However, some of the new legislative requirements could create logistical hurdles, he said.

"The number of people that will have to go to court will increase as this goes," he said, "because if theyre going to be detained theres a strict timeline in which they have to make it to court."

Further, he said, the law specifies that the county has five days to pick up a defendant who has been arrested in another county on a Macon County warrant.

"If somebody gets picked up in Cook County and theyre eligible to be picked up, we have to be there within five days," Root said, "and sometimes thats going to be a manpower issue. When our staffing levels are at minimum staffing, were going to have overtime to get that job done."

Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel said managers within the police department have been preparing by attending various training sessions, but they have yielded little direction.

"Every training session tells us to speak to our local States Attorney," he wrote in an email. "That in itself is concerning to me, as what will the consistency be across the state?"

Brandel said his department recently met with Rueter and other agencies from across the county to talk about the upcoming implementation, and his staff has been "working feverishly" to put together operational plans.

"Sadly, this is being done in the final hour, but that is not by our choice," he wrote. "And to be clear, this is happening all over the state. Almost every agency I speak to is still putting this all together.

"I suspect all police agencies are going to be learning as we go as to how this is all going to work, and making adjustments as needed."

Every case is different

In Shelby County, presiding judge Ade-Harlow said the court has dedicated Monday, Tuesday and Friday afternoons to allow sufficient time for these hearings.

So that everyone has an opportunity  the states attorney has an opportunity to address their motion, the defendants and (their) attorney may have sufficient time to fight that motion and to gather evidence or information they need, and so that victims can be properly notified and be present, if necessary, she said, noting the hearings are expected to last significantly longer than the former custody hearings during which the judge only needed to hear a probable cause statement and bond recommendations.

Judges will need to take arguments about whether to detain someone on a case-by-case basis, Ade-Harlow said.

We know what the law says, she said. We know the law says the state has to prove by clear and convincing evidence that this person is a flight risk, or that they are by clear and convincing evidence dangerous to a specific person or persons when we talk about detainable, or even to the community at large.  But what those facts are, really we have to wait and see how it plays out on a case-by-case basis, because the facts of every case are different.

Shelby County State's Attorney Robert Hanlon said he was particularly concerned about the effect of the changes on illegal drug use, especially methamphetamines, which he described as "an absolute pestilence" in the county.

The end result, he said, "is all those people are given notices to appear, and you know, they have a felonious amount of meth  say 20 grams at a street value of $500," he said.

The county would seize the drugs, he said, but the defendant's release would mean that "they're right back to using."

Help from the state

Illinois is one of seven states without any oversight mechanism for monitoring how effectively counties court systems help defendants exercise their right to counsel for trial via the public defenders office, according to a 2021 study commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court. The resulting report from the Boston-based Sixth Amendment Center warned that Illinois framework limits the independence of public defenders and makes for inadequate representation in counties where public defenders are overworked.

More than half of states directly fund public defenders instead of leaving funding up to counties like Illinois does.

Lawmakers did make some resources available, appropriating $10 million for public defenders to help implement the Pretrial Fairness Act. Each of the 101 counties outside of Cook received between $77,000 and $147,555.

And while the state isnt any closer to creating a statewide public defender system, the Illinois Office of Statewide Pretrial Services represents a major step forward in providing resources to judicial systems across the state. As of Oct. 1, the office will partner with 71 counties. For months, it has been offering services like compiling information about new arrestees. OSPS is also charged with helping connect those who are released from jail with services like drug treatment or anger management, whether voluntary or ordered by the court.

The agency has hired pretrial service officers embedded in 47 of the 71 OSPS-affiliated counties so far. Those officers are responsible for quickly preparing reports on new arrestees criminal histories and professional backgrounds based on interviews with the defendant and associated fact-checking. The reports are then sent to public defenders, states attorneys and judges.

A few dozen counties in Illinois already had their own versions of pretrial service offices, but OSPS has lightened the load for some.

And in counties that have never had any formalized pretrial service office, OSPS work has proven extremely helpful to the entire judicial system, said Nathan Rowland, a part-time public defender serving Gallatin and Hamilton counties in southeastern Illinois.

Rowland, president of the Illinois Council of Chief Defenders, said he has found the information particularly helpful to his work as a public defender. Prior to last year, he said, hed walk into hearings totally blind, having never met his client and not knowing anything about him or her.

Right before the hearing  Id be standing over in the corner (saying), This is what you've been charged with. Where you living? You got a job? he said. I (didnt) know any of that.

Kelsey Watznauer, Valerie Wells, Mateusz Janik, Brendan Denison and The Associated Press contributed.

Cities with the fastest 'time-to-crime' rates for firearms Cities with the fastest 'time-to-crime' rates for firearms #40. New York City #39. Baltimore #38. San Jose, California #37. San Diego #36. Los Angeles #35. San Bernardino, California #34. Jacksonville, Florida #33. Tampa, Florida #32. Chattanooga, Tennessee #31. Wichita, Kansas #30. Tulsa, Oklahoma #29. Winston-Salem, North Carolina #28. New Orleans #27. Orlando, Florida #26. Chicago #25. Dayton, Ohio #24. Cincinnati #23. Miami #22. Indianapolis #21. Charlotte, North Carolina #20. Baton Rouge, Louisiana #19. Louisville, Kentucky #18. Las Vegas #17. Columbus, Ohio #16. Dallas #15. San Antonio #14. Philadelphia #13. Houston #12. Cleveland #11. Huntsville, Alabama #10. Mobile, Alabama #9. Milwaukee #8. Atlanta #7. Shreveport, Louisiana #6. Memphis, Tennessee #5. St. Louis #4. Phoenix #3. Columbia, South Carolina #2. Detroit #1. Richmond, Virginia


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The View audience experienced some truly interesting moments while watching Matthew McConaughey promote his new children's book, Just Because.

The actor appeared on a September 12 taping of the show to discuss his project with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar.

The discussion turned much more serious after the actor shared why he started a new initiative for his Just Keep Living Foundation.

The View audience experienced some truly interesting moments while watching Matthew McConaughey promote his new children's book, Just Because.

The actor appeared on a September 12 taping of the show to discuss his project with Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin.

The conversation went fine enough... until they played a 2006 clip that shows Matthew giving Joy a foot massage. After showing it, Joy put her foot on the table, and to everyone's surprise, Matthew obliged in rubbing it. After a minute or so, Whoopi put an end to it by saying, "We're just going to let all of that go by," which prompted Joy to say "thank you," and move on.

However, the discussion turned much more serious after the actor shared why he started a new initiative for his Just Keep Living Foundation. The Greenlights Grant Initiative works by connecting schools with grant writers so they can get money from the government to create safer learning conditions. It began after Matthew and his wife got involved with school safety in the wake of the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which is Matthew's hometown.

"We found out these superintendents have to fill out these grants  a lot of them are also driving the school bus, they're the PE teacher and this grant is 50 pages and intimating, so they don't have the expertise or the time," Matthew revealed. "So we're helping with the grant wiring process. We hire grant writers to come on and go to these schools throughout the United States that need the safest schools the most  we're helping them write the grant."

After seeing and learning more about Matthew's commitment, over the past few months, many people have suggested he run for political office. When Sunny brought up the topic, Matthew made it clear that it's not out of the question, but right now, he's focusing on fatherhood. But when Joy asked him if he thought he could become an elected official in his home state of Texas while being "anti-gun," things took a turn.

"One thing about me and politics is  to give you a direct statement right there," Matthew said while pointing at her. "It's playing a game that I'm not interested in playing." That led Joy to hold up her hands and say, "Okay, don't do it." You can see it at the 10:06 mark:

As Whoopi witnessed Matthew and Joy's exchange play out, she decided to quickly turn to the audience and revealed a surprise for them.

"I have to tell you, everybody in this audience," she announced as Matthew looked on. "Just so you know, everybodys going home with a copy of the book."

Some viewers left in the comments that they felt the exchange was "awkward" even though Whoopi managed to shift the conversation so swiftly.

Sunny also shared during the second segment that she believed Matthew's stance was "pro gun responsibility and legislation," to which he replied "facts."

If you want to learn more about Matthew's initiative, go to GreenlightsGrantInitiative.org. For more on gun safety, visit Everytown.org.

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The oldest known cigars in the world are now on display at the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. in Tampa, KTLA sister station WFLA reports.

Whats amazing about these cigars is that they pre-date the city of Tampa, said Drew Newman, a fourth-generation cigar maker.

Deep in the cigar vault at the historic El Reloj building sit cigars discovered amid the wreckage of the SS Central America. The ship was traveling from Central America to the American East Coast in 1857 when it encountered a hurricane off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

The ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, along with 425 passengers and over two tons worth of gold, personal belongings, and other artifacts.

There are these moments when you get an absolute forensic sense of a particular moment, and the cigars to me represent that, said Bob Evans, a scientist and historian who helped discover the wreckage in the early 1990s.

The cigars, theres something about an artifact, a historical artifact thats compelling and counterintuitive. Cigars preserved in a trunk at the bottom of the ocean for 134 years. How counterintuitive is that? he said.

Southern California high school girls flag football teams make official debut

While docked in Havana, Cuba, a man named John Dement had purchased Cuban cigars before the ship departed for its journey up the East Coast. Dement survived the shipwreck, escaping by lifeboat. But his trunk of possessions was lost to the sea. Scientists discovered the trunk, his clothes, and the cigars amid the other wreckage.

Whats amazing  you look at these cigars from 1857 and theyre rolled by hand, the same way my great-grandfather rolled them in 1895, and the same way we roll them upstairs at El Reloj in Tampa. Its incredible, Newman said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet this weekend with Chinas foreign minister as the Biden administration seeks to smooth tensions with Beijing.

Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is the also director of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, in Malta Saturday and Sunday, the White House said in a readout of the meeting.

This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the relationship, the White House said.

The two sides had candid, substantive, and constructive discussions, building on the engagements between President Biden and [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] in Bali, Indonesia in November 2022.

The two discussed global and regional security issues, Russias invasion of Ukraine and issues related to the Taiwan Strait, according to the readout.

The two sides committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China in the coming months, the White House said.

The meeting comes days before world leaders convene in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Sullivan and Wang last met in May in Vienna. Their discussions in Malta this weekend are the latest example of top Biden administration officials engaging with China, even as President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have not spoken in nearly a year.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have traveled to China this year to meet with government officials and business leaders.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing spiked this year after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that had floated over the United States for several days. Biden later described Xi as a dictator, though he downplayed that the comment had any impact on relations with China.

The Biden administration has prioritized strengthening relationships and alliances in the Indo-Pacific in an effort to counter Chinese influence in the region and ensure that other countries are not reliant on Beijing for financial support. The latter point was a major focus for Biden last week when he traveled to India for the Group of 20 Summit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The state of California is suing the oil companies BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and ConocoPhillips and their trade group, the American Petroleum Institute, over what the state says is a long-standing pattern of deceiving the public over the risks associated with fossil fuels and causing billions of dollars in damage to communities and the environment, according to a complaint filed Friday.

The lawsuit, which was filed by the states Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Francisco County Superior Court, claims the defendants have created a public nuisance, damaged natural resources and state property and have violated California law by misleading state residents with false advertising and misleading environmental marketing.

Several states and cities including Rhode Island, Baltimore and Honolulu have filed similar complaints against oil companies, but California is now the largest economy to file a lawsuit against the fossil fuel industry, according to a news release from Attorney General Bontas office.

According to the 135-page complaint, the state claims all five major oil companies have known, since at least the 1960s, burning fossil fuels would warm the planet and change the climate, but have instead downplayed the risk of burning fossil fuels, which has resulted in damaging wildfires, unclean air, deadly heat waves and record-breaking droughts, and cost the state billions of dollars.

The lawsuit claims the American Petroleum Institute was initially warned about the severe climate change they were causing in 1968 after receiving a report from the Stanford Research Institute, which it hired to investigate the state of research on environmental pollutants such as carbon dioxide.

Significant temperature changes are almost certain to occur by the year 2000, and  there seems to be no doubt that the potential damage to our environment could be severe, the report cited in the complaint read.

The complaint also points to a 1978 internal Exxon memo as proof the oil company was aware of the looming consequences.

[P]resent thinking holds that man has a time window of five to 10 years before the need for hard decisions regarding changes in energy strategies might become critical, the memo read, according to the complaint.

To deal with the ongoing and future climate consequences of pollution linked to fossil fuel use, the state is seeking to create an abatement fund to be funded at least in part by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Funds would be used to pay for climate change adaptation efforts and future damage caused by climate change, according to the complaint.

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, said Gov. Gavin Newsom in the Attorney General Offices news release announcing the civil suit.

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. With this lawsuit, California is taking action to hold big polluters accountable and deliver the justice our people deserve.

The lawsuit also accuses all five oil companies of lying about their commitment and efforts to transition to cleaner energy, instead promoting the use of fossil fuels even though theyre aware of the devastating consequences it will cause the environment.

Shell claims online that it aims to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, and that it is tackling climate change. However, Shells CEO told the BBC on July 6, 2023, that cutting oil and gas production would be dangerous and irresponsible, Bonta said in a news release Saturday.

In a statement to CNN, Shell spokesperson Anna Arata said the company agrees action is needed now on climate change and it will continue to reduce our emissions and help customers reduce theirs, but added the company does not believe the courtroom is the right place to address climate change.

American Petroleum Institute Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Ryan Meyers told CNN he believes their efforts over the past two decades demonstrate the industry has achieved its goal of providing affordable and reliable American energy to U.S. consumers while substantially reducing emissions and our environmental footprint.

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. Climate policy is for Congress to debate and decide, not the court system, Meyers added.

When reached, BP spokesperson Josh Hicks said the company does not have anything to add at this time.

In an emailed statement, a Chevron spokesperson said Climate change is a global problem that requires a coordinated international policy response, not piecemeal litigation for the benefit of lawyers and politicians. California has long been a leading promoter of oil and gas development. Its local courts have no constructive or constitutionally permissible role in crafting global energy policy.

CNN also reached out to ExxonMobil but did not immediately receive a response.

The news release from Bontas office states the lawsuits purpose is to provide injunctive relief to both protect Californias natural resources from pollution, impairment, and destruction as well as to prevent the companies from making any further false or misleading statements about the contribution of fossil fuel combustion to climate change; damages; and penalties.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
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.
(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.

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 KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
A drone attack temporarily shut down three Moscow-area airports Sunday as Ukraine pressed its effort to give Muscovites a grim taste of the war that has battered Ukraine since Russia's invasion began almost 19 months ago.

Two of the airports halted air traffic for several hours before reporting all airport activities were returning to normal at 8:30 a.m. local time, Russian state media reported. Another airport halted air traffic for about an hour. Dozens of flights were canceled or delayed. Similar incidents a day earlier also briefly disrupted airport traffic, Tass reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said earlier Sunday that air defenses shot down drones in Moscow' Istria District, about 25 miles west of downtown Moscow. Another drone was shot down in the Ramenky District. No casualties or severe damage was reported from the incidents, Sobyanin said.

Drone attacks have damaged buildings, caused minor injuries and altered flight schedules for several weeks. Ukraine has not specifically claimed responsibility for the attacks but has defended them as fair play, citing the beating Ukraine cities have taken from Russian rockets and mortars since the war began.

Sen. Warren: Ukraine policy should not hinge on 'one billionaire'  Elon Musk. Live updates

Developments:

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group will gather Tuesday in Germany for its monthly update meeting. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leads the meeting, the primary global forum for garnering military support for Ukraine.

The West must brace for the reality that the war is going to last a long time and that if Ukraine stops fighting "their country will no longer exist," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Serhii Zaloznyi, center, holds a yoga session in a basement in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. People gather three times a week for yoga to alleviate the stress caused by Russias constant shelling.

Russian minister accuses US of directing war for Ukraine

The U.S. is dictating Ukraine's military actions and pursuing America's own war against Russia by providing weapons to Kyiv, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Rossiya-1 television. Lavrov, speaking on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, was asked about U.S. officials agreeing to supply Ukraine with long-range shells with depleted uranium.

"No matter what it says, it controls this war, it supplies weapons, munition, intelligence information, data from satellites, it is pursuing a war against us," Lavrov said. "Ukraine has been prepared, has long been prepared for inflicting strategic defeat to Russia using its hands and its bodies."

North Korea munitions won't alter war, US general says

North Korea will probably begin supplying Russia with artillery rounds and other weaponry soon, but the lifeline the military is throwing to Russian President Vladimir Putin is not likely to alter the course of the war, the top U.S. general says. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it remains unclear how soon the ammunition will be obtained by Moscow and how much North Korea can or is willing to provide. The assistance was among issues Putin discussed with Kim Jong Un during talks with the North Korean leader last week.

Would it have a huge difference? Im skeptical of that, Milley said. I doubt that it would be decisive.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine war updates: Russian airports close amid drone attacks
Pensacola is getting a taste of The Big Easy through Louisiana-based cafe PJs Coffee, that just opened to the public Friday at its 85 W. Airport Blvd. location.

From the French bistro chairs to the smell of the freshly fried, hand-powdered beignets, the coffee shop transports you to the New Orleans French Quarter. Co-franchisees Michele and Don Carlton also offer a little bit of small-town Louisiana hospitality.

Im a Louisiana girl, so PJs is home, Michele said with her bedazzled French fleur-de-lis symbol necklace strung over her PJs T-shirt. It has always been my dream to open a coffee shop.

Owners Don and Michele Carlton talk about opening the PJ's Coffee of New Orleans at 85 West Airport Boulevard in Pensacola on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

Like other Louisiana natives, Pensacola Beach was the vacation spot her family would drive to when she was a young girl. When she and her husband had the opportunity to open three stores in Pensacola as franchisees, they jumped at it and began the process of making the move. They are still celebrating the milestone of getting their first store open, which stretched into a three-year process, before they start looking for spaces to host the other two locations.

From the sheer number of people that have been peeking in the windows anticipating opening day, the two anticipate that Pensacola is prepared for a place to find the bold cup of coffee that New Orleans is accustomed to.

Just to bring people together over a really good cup of coffee and just enjoy time together, Don said of his hopes for the cafe.

Meet PJ's neighbor, Dirty Dough: This new Pensacola cookie shop is getting its customers down and 'dirty' in the best way.

Even though her husband isnt much of a coffee drinker himself, it wasnt a hard for sell for Michele to convince him to buy into the company, since he loved that they source their coffee beans in a way that ensured their employees and partners are cared for.

The coffee beans come directly from farms in Honduras and Nicaragua, and through proceeds of the partnership the farmers have been able to invest in things such as improvements to local a church, emergency vehicles for employees who need medical care, improved living quarters and cooking facilities, and environmentally-friendly growing and harvesting practices.

"They're investing in the farm and the farmers in order to get a better product," Don said. "So, it's not just, Hey, we're just gonna go buy a bunch of beans. They care about where it comes from. They care about the people there (and are) taking care of the people."

Among the coffee franchises claim to fame is the Original Cold Brew that store manager and longtime PJs employee Ryan Perrilloux said no other competing coffee shops were brewing at the time. Now, PJ's has mastered the craft even more, with flavored, but unsweetened varieties like Southern Pecan and Praline & Cream.

General manager Ryan Perrilloux tops a Southern Pecan Cold Brew with sweet cold foam at PJ's Coffee of New Orleans at 85 West Airport Boulevard in Pensacola on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

Among the coffee drinks, which have twice as much espresso per shot as Starbucks, according to Perrilloux, the most popular drink amongst customers is the signature granita, a frozen coffee beverage that comes straight out of the machine like a frozen daquiri.

It can come classic, highlighting the bold coffee flavor, or with sweeter flavors like mocha, caramel, or the limited edition 45th PJs birthday cake flavor. Once the birthday flavors disappear at the end of the month, it will be time for the fall flavors to roll in, like all things pumpkin spice.

A Chai Velvet Ice drink at PJ's Coffee of New Orleans at 85 West Airport Boulevard in Pensacola on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

If youre not a coffee drinker though, you can still pop in for a drink to take to the beach like the frozen hot chocolate or frozen lemonade.

The shop makes ordering quick with a drive-thru window and mobile order station. Even the shops heartier options like the freshly-made egg and cheese croissants and Cuban sandwiches can be hot and ready by the time the customer makes it to the window.

Ultimately, the Carltons are looking forward to becoming part of the Pensacola community.

Follow along the PJs Coffee (85 West Airport Blvd, Ste 1, Pensacola, FL) Facebook page for more information.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PJ's Coffee opens in Pensacola on Airport Boulevard
Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin (left) of Maryland is raising questions about Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner (right), his $3 billion private-equity fund, and the sovereign wealth funds backing it. Jim Lo Scalzo/Getty, Zach Gibson/Getty

Shortly after leaving the White House, Jared Kushner got $2 billion in funding from the Saudi government for his private-equity fund.

Mohammed bin Salman , the Saudi crown prince who developed close ties to Kushner, pushed the deal through, the New York Times reported.

Now, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are asking the GOP to investigate with the same zeal they've applied to Hunter Biden .

With the 2024 campaign looming, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland is punching back at GOP attempts to investigate the financial dealings of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son.

Raskin is asking the House Oversight Committee to take a hard look at Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Affinity Partners, the $3 billion private equity fund that Kushner founded shortly after leaving the White House and funded largely with money from foreign governments.

On Thursday morning, Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, sent Rep. James Comer, the committee's GOP chairman, a letter asking that Comer issue a subpoena to Affinity for records that committee Democrats have been seeking for more than a year.

The letter puts special focus on a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The Fund is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (often shortened to MBS) who had extensive contact with Kushner while he was serving under Trump as a senior advisor.

According to reporting by the Intercept, MBS once boasted that Kushner was "in his pocket."

While serving in government, Kushner delivered big for Saudi Arabia. He pushed for Trump to make the kingdom his first overseas trip. The New York Times reported that Kushner personally intervened to get MBS a better price from Lockheed Martin on a $110 billion arms deal.

He continued to talk to MBS by voice and text message, without looping in officials from the National Security Council, even after Saudi government officials brutally dismembered Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist and US resident, the New York Times also reported.

Some Saudi officials were reportedly reluctant to entrust Kushner with billions of dollars in public money, the Times reported in 2022. They cited his inexperience and Affinity's high management fees  1.25 percent of the principal each year, the outlet reported.

But MBS, who chairs the fund, intervened to push the deal through, according to the Times' reporting.

Affinity Partners now has an office in Miami. Its staffers number in the dozens; they include a two-star general who helped Kushner broker the Abraham Accords, and a number of former Trump White House staffers. Affinity did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a recent CNN interview, Comer himself said that Kushner's dealings "crossed the line of ethics."

But on Thursday morning, Austin Hacker, a spokesperson for Rep. Comer, did not sound enthusiastic about Raskin's request. In an email, Hacker called Raskin's letter "an attempt to distract" from the GOP-led committee's ongoing inquiry into Hunter Biden.

You can read the full letter from Rep. Raskin below.

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Cinda Larimer was delivering newspapers on a cool November morning in Paradise, California, when she noticed something softly float down from the sky: ash.

"I knew that was bad," she told me. "That's when I called my work and said I gotta go." She had survived four previous fires in Paradise, which sits in the foothills about 90 miles north of Sacramento, so she had her routine down: She grabbed some essentials and piled into her minivan with her boyfriend, 17-year-old godson, four cats, turtle, and dog. The Camp Fire engulfed her town that day in 2018  85 of her neighbors died. Larimer's rented trailer home burned to the ground, forcing her family to convert their minivan into a new home.

Larimer spent the past few years bouncing between a friend's garage and motels before finally settling back into a trailer home in Paradise. She and other survivors of the Camp Fire, many of them retirees on fixed incomes, are struggling to rebuild and afford housing  many are still homeless. Those who do have homes are now faced with a jarring predicament: No one wants to insure them. As more people lose their homes to climate disasters, insurance companies are refusing to renew policies and backing out of entire states.

Anthony Roach, a friend of Larimer's who's a retired Navy veteran, survived the Camp Fire with his home intact. But earlier this year, his insurance company canceled his policy. "I've been on the phone all morning with my agent, and they are giving him the runaround as well," he told me. The turn of events has made Roach question whether he should stay in Paradise.

The problem isn't limited to California: As the risk of wildfires, severe storms, and flooding increases because of the climate crisis, homeowners across the country are struggling to insure their homes. Insurers are pulling out of risky markets and jacking up rates, leaving homeowners with policies that are unaffordable or nonexistent. The suddenly chaotic home-insurance market is one of the clearest financial signs yet that the climate crisis is already here  and its economic impact is only going to get worse.

Insurance 101

The business of private insurance is the business of balancing risk and profit. To maintain profitability, insurance companies have to take in more in monthly premium payments from customers than they pay out in damage claims. Charge too much, and people could take their business elsewhere; charge too little, and one disaster could wipe out their business. To maintain this balance, companies build complex statistical models to determine just how risky a customer's home is to insure  and just how much they may need to charge to avoid getting wiped out. If you live in an area that's prone to wildfires, there is a higher likelihood that the insurer will have to pay out a claim for fire damage, so it charges a higher monthly premium than for someone whose home has a lower risk of burning down. But as the climate crisis has intensified, the increasing risk of disaster is throwing a wrench in this equation.

California, the most populous US state by far, is prone to wildfires. Before the Gold Rush first brought large numbers of settlers to the area in the mid-1800s, it was common for large parts of California to burn every few decades. It was considered a natural process. But in recent decades, the fires have been more frequent and intense because of increased temperatures, droughts, and earlier snow melts in the mountains. Today, California has more wildfire risk than any other state, resulting in more than 1.2 million homes at moderate to severe risk of being damaged or destroyed by wildfires. The extent of the risk has caused insurers to reassess their business in the state. State Farm, the state's largest home insurer, announced in May that it would stop issuing new policies for homes in California. Allstate had quietly announced a similar move months earlier, in November. Similar pauses have also been implemented by the insurance giants American International Group and Chubb. The reasons for the departure were expressed in different vernaculars  State Farm called it "rapidly growing catastrophe exposure"  but they all amounted to the same conclusion: The state is just too risky.

Destruction from the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California. The heightened wildfire risk is making it hard for homeowners to insure their homes. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

While the fundamentals of the risk proposition are at the core of the decision, state policies are also a factor. California is among states that cap insurance premiums to try to restrict price gouging and keep prices affordable for customers. But because of the climate crisis, the profitability equation is changing. In 2022, the property-insurance industry experienced its largest underwriting loss  when claims are greater than premiums  since 2011. This has prompted insurance companies to back out of certain markets or pressure states to raise caps on premiums.

"What we've seen in the last few years is an increase in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters," Benjamin Keys, a professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, told me. Insurance companies, he said, are "reacting by raising their premiums, by reducing the amount of coverage that they offer, or by exiting entire states altogether."

Flood risk and soaring costs

Florida, another ground zero for the insurance crisis, faces a different kind of climate risk. A third of Florida's population lives in flood-prone areas, and even more Floridians are at risk from hurricanes. A four-year study by the US Army Corps of Engineers said 3 feet of sea-level rise, which is expected to occur in the next several decades, would disproportionately affect the state, causing an estimated $24 billion in damage annually  12 times what it's expected to cost the state's neighbor to the north, South Carolina. That increased risk is starting to show in residents' home-insurance policies.

Anita Waters, a resident of South Florida, saw her home-insurance costs go up by over 60% this past year, a relatively modest hike compared with others in the state. In January 2020, her annual bill was $926  by January 2023, it was $2,035. Home-insurance policies in the state now cost about $4,200 on average, more than double the national average of $1,700.

Along with the increased natural risk, Waters blames Gov. Ron DeSantis for the crisis. Without robust rate caps such as those in California, insurance costs have risen by over 200% while DeSantis has been in office. And the actions DeSantis, who has received $3.9 million in donations from the insurance industry since 2018, has taken have done little to mitigate Floridians' concerns. In May of last year, DeSantis approved a $2 billion reinsurance fund that aimed to reduce prices and keep insurance companies from bankruptcy. He also signed legislation in December that protects insurance companies from liability claims and disincentivizes homeowners from filing claims to begin with. At the bill signing, Desantis said, "The issues in Florida's property insurance market did not occur overnight, and they will not be solved overnight." Despite these policies, insurance prices have continued to go up and insurers have continued to flee the market. Farmers Insurance and AAA are the most recent names to join the growing list of insurance companies that have stopped issuing policies in Florida.

Some Florida homeowners told me they're not insuring their homes at all, preferring to risk losing money on their homes over having to pay exorbitant prices. The estimated share of uninsured homeowners in Florida has grown above 13%  about twice the national average. And those who have coverage are seeing benefits shrink: The state for years has capped the amount of damage people can claim at $700,000, down from $2 million in 2013. And payouts can be far less when disaster strikes. A Washington Post investigation found that after Hurricane Ian struck Florida last year, insurance companies reduced some people's claims by as much as 97%.

Dale and Deb Weideling lived in a home in Fort Myers Beach before it became the epicenter of Hurricane Ian in September. Dale said that, of the roughly 31 structures in their neighborhood, all except nine were washed away or had to be demolished because of damage. "A lot of people are in the same shape we are," he told me. "They're rebuilding." Despite having home insurance, the Weidelings received only part of their claim for their destroyed home. To chase down the rest, they've had to hire a lawyer. While they await mediation, the cost for rebuilding is already tainted by the insurance crisis. "I can tell you the insurance we needed just for construction was very high," he told me.

'Going down with the ship'

It's not surprising that private-insurance companies are fleeing states such as California and Florida: The risks increasingly outweigh the benefits. What is surprising is that residents aren't fleeing with the companies. In theory, extremely high insurance rates and extreme-weather events should deter people from moving to low-lying areas and encourage existing residents to move away.

But in reality, developers continue to build new housing in high-risk areas, and people continue to move in. In Miami, home prices are up by 8% since 2022, according to Redfin. Across Florida, the average rent price jumped by over 6% in the past year. In a National Bureau of Economic Research study, Keys and Philip Mulder of the US Treasury found that home prices in flood zones had started to dip only in the past five years.

Despite the increased flood risk in Florida, developers continue to build and residents refuse to leave. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The lack of a large-scale relocation may seem irrational  why live in a place that seems to be trying to kill you?  but talking to homeowners in these areas, it's clear that many residents simply don't want to leave. In his 2017 book, "The Water Will Come," the climate writer Jeff Goodell asked the Miami artist Xavier Cortada whether he planned to get out of South Florida. "I'm never selling," Cortada said. "I'm going down with the ship."

And even for those who want to leave, there are plenty of other problems. There are no large-scale plans to relocate those who live in at-risk areas, making it unaffordable for many families to uproot their lives. Those who do seek higher or drier ground may find it more challenging as more and more parts of the US turn into high-risk areas. States including Louisiana, Oregon, and Colorado are also facing increased wildfire and flooding risks. In early August, wildfires in Hawaii destroyed more than 2,200 structures. The number of blizzards has doubled in the past 20 years, battering the East Coast and northern states like Minnesota and the Dakotas. Since 2013, winter weather has resulted in $2 billion in property damage, resulting in above-average insurance rates in the most affected states. Nationwide, the cost of the average home-insurance policy has increased by 21% since 2015, and is expected to jump another 9% this year.

"This is a more widespread issue," Keys said. "So much of the conversation is Florida and California, but people in the Midwest are saying we're also struggling to find reasonably priced insurance, whether that's because of river flooding or because of tornadoes."

Keys believes that insurers fleeing high-risk markets could be a bluff. "It's sort of a negotiating tactic for some of these big insurers to try to sway lawmakers into changing that limit on premium increases," Keys posited. He previously told Penn Today that insurance companies were in a long-run negotiation with lawmakers to raise prices, suggesting that insurers might return to states if they were allowed to set higher prices. But infinitely increasing prices isn't a long-term solution either: Insurers are still leaving states like Florida that don't have premium caps.

"On the one hand, you want to protect consumers from sharp increases in premiums," he told me. "On the other hand, you need a functioning insurance market, because without that insurance market, homeowners can't get mortgages."

Keys isn't optimistic that the industry will survive on its own without federal and state programs  and those programs are already proving to be an important backstop. While home insurance covering wind and storm damage is dominated by the private sector, virtually all flood insurance in the US is provided by the federal government through the National Flood Insurance Program. Created in 1968 in the aftermath of Hurricane Betsy, the NFIP filled the gap left by private insurers who refused to cover homes in low-lying areas. And though the program created its own problems by encouraging the construction of homes in high-risk areas, it could act as a blueprint for subsidizing unprofitable home insurance in the age of the climate crisis.

In California, more residents are being forced to turn to the bare-bones FAIR program, originally created in 1968 as a temporary safety net for those looking for basic coverage. Today, it provides coverage for residents and businesses who otherwise can't find insurance, but since the program is primarily funded by other insurance companies, it is dependent on private insurers remaining in California. These programs are far from robust enough to carry the insurance market, but as owning a home in the US gets riskier, the current state of insurance is proving unsustainable.

But ultimately, for many, the issue transcends utility. Cinda Larimer wasn't born in Paradise. She grew up in the Bay Area until she was priced out about 20 years ago. She chose to relocate to Paradise, moved into a studio there for $150 a month, and fell in love. "Who wouldn't want to live there?" she told me. "It was a retirement community. I threw the newspapers for three hours early in the morning and had the rest of the day to myself. I took my watch off as soon as I moved here. I haven't had to worry about where I needed to be."

Larimer says that while the town isn't the same after the fire, she isn't going anywhere.

Taylor Dorrell is is a writer and photographer based in Columbus, Ohio.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In the years following, women of all ages began writing about, marching for and practicing civil disobedience  even referring to the Declaration of Sentiments  in an effort to change the Constitution, which originally permitted only land-owning, white men, aged 21 and older to vote.

By the time the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was well established. It was formed in 1890 by suffragists Lucy Stone, Alice Stone Blackwell, Susan B. Anthony, Harriot Stanton Blatch, Rachel Foster and Elizabeth Cady Stanton when the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) merged.

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Members were encouraging women's rights supporters to join in the war effort and arguing that women deserved to vote because their experience and voices were critical in the political conversation. NAWSA's work, in addition to the protests of the National Woman's Party's (NWP), led to a widespread interest and fight for women's suffrage.

"'Suffrage' was a popular term in the 19th century, and it means the right to vote," Lange says. "Americans discussed male suffrage, female suffrage, black suffrage, etc. Today, people often associate the term with the women's voting rights movement."

The 19th Amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878, but it took more than 40 years of organizing, petitioning, picketing and more to finally get it ratified. Over the decades, different strategies were employed to try and get the amendment passed. Some attempted to get suffrage acts passed in each individual state. The tactic worked to an extent: By 1912, nine western states adopted woman suffrage.

Other advocates went to court to challenge male-only voting laws, and some suffragists organized and participated in parades, hunger strikes and silent vigils. Regardless of the type of action these supporters took, these women almost invariably encountered countless forms of verbal, and even physical, abuse.

By 1916, almost all the major suffrage organizations formed a united front to pass a constitutional amendment. New York officially adopted woman suffrage in 1917 and a year later, President Woodrow Wilson changed his original position on the matter and declared support for the amendment.

Finally, on May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and the Senate followed two weeks later. In 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment  with three-fourths of the states in agreement, the U.S. was finally able to officially adopt the new policy. The 19th Amendment states: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

" " Alice Paul unfurls a banner from the balcony of the National Women's Party headquarters after the 19th Amendment was ratified giving women the right to vote. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive
One of Russia's richest men, Andrey Melnichenko, said the Ukraine war had made him a "pariah."

Melnichenko now lives in the UAE, where his $300 million Motor Yacht A is moored.

His $578 million Sailing Yacht A was seized by Italian authorities shortly after he was sanctioned.

One of Russia's richest individuals said he'd become a "pariah" in the United Arab Emirates where he fled after being sanctioned.

In an extensive interview with the Financial Times, Andrey Melnichenko decried the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on his personal life, while also saying there were "war crimes from both sides" in the conflict.

Melnichenko was sanctioned in March last year after attending a roundtable of Russian business figures hosted by Vladimir Putin in February.

The businessman, who made his money from coal and fertilizers, previously said that he only found out he had been sanctioned when he read about it in the news.

"I don't make weapons for the war. I make food for people and energy for power stations all over the world. I don't promote the war. I'm not involved in politics. What's the point?" Melnichenko told the FT.

Melnichenko berthed his $300 million Motor Yacht A in the UAE last year. His $578 million Sailing Yacht A was seized by Italian authorities shortly after he was sanctioned.

His net worth more than doubled to about $25 billion after the invasion and subsequent sanctions on Russia forced a spike in fertilizer prices, per Forbes.

Sanctions against Russian oligarchs have changed the lives of several influential billionaires who previously spent much of their time in the West.

Former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, for example, was forced to sell the club and now resides in Israel , per Le Monde.

Oligarchs had a collective $95 billion wiped off their net worth last year, according to Guardian analysis of Bloomberg Billionaires Index data.

Last week, the FT reported that tech billionaire Arkady Volozh had appealed sanctions placed on him by the EU, just days after he first criticized the war.

Oleg Tinkov managed to get sanctions against him in the UK lifted after slamming Putin's invasion of Ukraine and getting the backing of British business tycoon Richard Branson.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The former chairman and chief executive of Ningbo Semiconductor International Corp (NSI), an affiliate of top Chinese chip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), is facing criminal charges that include embezzlement and bribery, more than a year after he was kicked out of the company he founded in eastern Zhejiang province in 2016.

Herb Huang He, a former US citizen who was once widely lauded for his contributions to China's semiconductor industry, and NSI ex-financial chief Wang Ying have been put "in the criminal judicial judgment process" on suspicion of "committing serious crimes", following their removal from senior management, according to a company statement on Tuesday.

The statement, which was signed by NSI general manager Le Zhiping who had taken over the reins of the company from Huang, did not provide details about the alleged crimes. The firm also did not provide an explanation about Huang's ouster in April last year.

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.

Huang could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The headquarters of Ningbo Semiconductor International Corp in the city of Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang province. Photo: Handout alt=The headquarters of Ningbo Semiconductor International Corp in the city of Ningbo in eastern Zhejiang province. Photo: Handout>

NSI, which combines chip foundry operations with customised product design and service support, is focused on special-process semiconductors for 5G communications and mobile terminals, intelligent home appliances and industrial control, industrial Internet of Things and medical electronics.

Its initial investors included China IC Capital, a wholly-owned investment fund of SMIC, as well as industry funds including Ningbo Senson Electronics and Hua Capital. It later received a 500 million yuan (US$68.7 million) investment from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as China's Big Fund.

The boardroom battle-turned-criminal investigation at NSI has come amid the latest executive reshuffle at SMIC, which has been on Washington's trade blacklist for more than two years, and US-led export restrictions on advanced chip-making equipment to China.

So far, few official Chinese media outlets have reported on this recent development at NSI.

Huang, who previously worked with SMIC founder Richard Chang Rugin, was recognised by the municipal government of Ningbo as one of the city's 10 "outstanding talents" in 2019.

Chinese media reports in 2021 praised Huang for leading a team at NSI that achieved a technological breakthrough. The company was credited with developing the Suspended Acoustic Separated Film Resonator, a technology that delivers multiple functions of radio frequency signals such as high-performance screening and noise reduction.

After graduating with a PhD at the University of Minnesota in 1994, Huang spent three years at US data storage company Seagate Technology before joining SMIC in 2002, according to his LinkedIn page. He spent 14 years at SMIC, where he focused on MEMS sensors, CMOS chips and 3D integrated circuits.

Le, the new top executive at the helm of NIS, is "working diligently at his position", according to the company's statement on Tuesday. It said Le was now "trying his best to clarify the problems left over from the company's history and remedy the damage" caused by Huang and other people.

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.

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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.
I have difficulty trying to decipher something called bidenomics. I get it that the term is an attempt by the Democrats to equate the term with Reaganomics, Ronald Reaganss policies that improved the economy and made the lives of Americans better. Bidenomics does just the opposite. The economy is in the tank, a quaint term that has little meaning but has also a great deal of meaning. Other than sounding as if it might be an intestinal disease, bidenomics is a cesspool of bad policies. From Joe Biden s giving up our energy independence that created inflation that in turn has priced cars and houses beyond the ability of many to make such purchases to making us dependent on our enemies, the term has negative connotations. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that the correct reading of the term is bad-economics.

Joe Biden, as is his habit when he thinks he has something important to say, leans over the podium and whispers, Bidenomics is working. Since Biden has done all he can to change the country  opening our borders to criminals, terrorists, drug dealers, and human traffickers  I suppose, in that respect, Bidenomics is indeed working. If he means the term is equivalent to Reaganomics, he demonstrates, again, that he lives in a never-never land of delusion. Poor Joe!

Fowler

Of course, all of the estimated five million and more migrants that have entered the country by invitation of Joe Biden, are not bad people. Still, they do not belong here. They are here illegally. And the Democrats dont know what to do with them. They have dug a tank for their party and seem unable to climb out of it. It is obvious that Democrats cant betray their hypocrisy in creating sanctuary cities and states to now kick the migrants out of the country by sending them back to their home countries. Instead, they spend millions of dollars of tax-payer money to take care of them, and no one knows how long this will go on. That most migrants are asylum seekers is a falsehood; most are seeking a better life. I would do the same, but I would do so legally.

From posh hotel rooms, three meals a day, medical care, clothes, and, evidently, anything else they want, we tax payers are footing the bill. In the meantime, our own unfortunate citizens must live on the streets amidst their feces, needles, and scrounged meals. Incidentally, where is the equity in the Democrats housing many migrants in tents instead of hotels? Just more inconsistency in what they say they will do and what they actually do, a hallmark of Democrat policies. Of course, they have little choice. Even though the mayor of New York City blames Greg Abbot, Governor of Texas, for New Yorks migrant problem (a preposterous argument), it is the mayors president who created the predicament.

The only time Joe Biden tells the truth is when he does so by accident. Recently, he walked onto a stage announcing that he is AI. Yes indeed Joe, you are Artificial Intelligence. You have no intelligence of your own. Your intelligence comes from Susan Rice and others from the Obama administration who pull the strings. It has become obvious that your being elected president was for the primary purpose of carrying on Barack Obamas policies, i.e., George Soros plan to destroy the United States as we know it. (By the way, how did Barack Obama enter his presidency earning the salary of a senator and then emerge eight years later with enough money to purchase a twelve-million dollar estate on Marthas Vineyard?)

What does Joe Biden tell us about bidenomics? Nothing! Because there is nothing to tell, except the lie that it is working; where is the proof, Joe? You tell us that the economy is proof, but that assertion is simply another lie. Tell that to the grocer, who still must keep his prices high or go out of business. Tell that to the service station owner, whose constant fluctuation of gasoline prices never regains, nor comes close to regaining, the pre-Biden price before his inauguration. Tell that to the home owner whose homeowners insurance has increased several hundred dollars. And automobile insurance speaks for itself. Of course, the prices are not your fault, Joe. They are the result of the war in Ukraine, the war that you caused by revealing your weakness in the Afghanistan debacle and your continuing appeasement toward China. Oh yes! If all your other excuses in an attempt to cover up your failures do not work, then you have Donald Trump to blame  and Republicans, extremists MAGA Republicans. Face the truth, Joe. You and your Democrat colleagues are the extremists, the ones who are attempting to destroy the constitution and our nation as we know it. Joe, you are, indeed, a true Marxist.

Carl Fowler is a retired professor of English at Amarillo College and lives in Amarillo.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Fowler commentary: Is bidenomics working? Nope!
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
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.
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.
Apple pie has some serious competition this fall.

Chef John

French apple cake is a classic in France, but it deserves a much bigger place in American homesespecially during autumn when apples are at their peak. This dessert has all the coziness and rustic appeal of an apple pie or apple tart, but in a decadent, custard-like cake.

What Is French Apple Cake?

The exact origins of the French apple cake, or Gateau aux Pommes, are tough to trace, but the dessert is deeply rooted in French culinary traditions, where baking with seasonal fruits is common. Chef Johns take features diced Honeycrisp apples (skin on) and dark rum for a richer flavor. However, you wont see any of the classic fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in this cakeand to be honest, you wont miss them. The sweet apples, balanced by the dark rum, deliver all the fall flavor you need.



You can't go wrong with Chef John, but this time he even out did himself, says one Allrecipes community member. This cake is elegant and full of unexpected flavors. The rum really sets off the apple, although you can't quite identify it.



However, there is one special addition Chef John uses to take this classic cake up a notch, and it brings in even more apple flavor (as well as a touch of tartness).

The Secret Ingredient in Chef Johns French Apple Cake

While Chef John follows a traditional recipe in many respects, he adds one ingredient to the apples thats rarely seen in French recipes: apple cider vinegar.

Tossing the diced apples in just two teaspoons of vinegar will prevent the fruit from browning, and it will also brighten the flavor. The vinegars acidity and tanginess helps balance the richness of the cake. This tip can be used for almost any recipe where baking apples is involved, but it certainly pays off here.

When it comes to flavor, you cant have too many layers, says Chef John.

More Tips for French Apple Cake

Peeling the apples is considered by many the classic way to make this dessert, so if you have the time and patience, give it a try. It will give the apples a chance to soften and combine with the cake batter even further, giving you a delicious, tender bite. Make sure to start with softened butter, or whisking the butter with the sugars will be a nightmare.Sometimes nightmares are interesting, says Chef John. Doing this with cold butter will not be interesting. It will just be annoying. Dont be afraid to use a different variety of apples. While Chef John uses only Honeycrisp apples to make his cake, using more sour or sweet baking apples (or a combination of both!) is an easy way to adjust the flavor to this dish. Some great options include: Braeburn, Cortland, Jonagold, Granny Smith, and Pink Ladies. No matter if you serve it warm or at room temperature, giving the cake a sweet finish will take it over the top. Vanilla ice cream, salted caramel sauce, or even a dusting of powdered sugar all make delicious pairings for the simple dessert. One Allrecipes community member recommends pairing it with Haagen Dazs dulce de leche ice cream, while Chef John opts for a dollop of rum whipped cream. You really cant go wrong.

This humble, but amazing, French Apple Cake is my favorite, says Chef John. We have no doubt itll become a fast favorite in your house, too.



View This Recipe

Read the original article on All Recipes.
Sometimes the restaurants Gordon Ramsay visited on "Kitchen Nightmares" were already doomed. Was this the case for Mangia Mangia, an Italian restaurant with a drive-thru window, a bad-tempered head chef, and a bit of an identity crisis?

Ramsay visited the restaurant in Woodland Park, Colorado, on Season 7 of "Kitchen Nightmares." The owner, Julie Watson, was an inexperienced restaurant owner hoping to fill an Italy-sized hole in Woodland Park's local food scene but unfortunately was making all the wrong decisions. Despite Chef Ramsay's help, the failing restaurant still closed for good shortly after the airing of its "Kitchen Nightmares" episode.

During his visit, Chef Ramsay was unimpressed with the restaurant's execution of Italian-American classics like veal piccata and spaghetti and meatballs. He found the food undercooked or served on dirty plateware. "Nothing about this is Italian," Ramsay commented. Most of the food was precooked and microwaved, which Ramsay noted as a major problem. Worsening matters, there appeared to be a drug problem in the kitchen. Ramsay quickly went to the drawing board to help turn Mangia Mangia into the kind of restaurant that would attract customers, working to improve the front-of-house dining experience while giving the kitchen, staff, and menu serious improvements.

Read more: What Gordon Ramsay Really Eats

Gordon Ramsay Couldn't Save The Business

Mangia Mangia owner Julie Watson on Kitchen Nightmares - YouTube

After helping fire and replace the head chef Trevor Peterson  and having a compassionate chat with him about his addiction  Ramsay gave the restaurant a makeover, ditching the microwave and moving the focus to fresh food. Chef Ramsay also helped Julie Watson with her management skills after years of her fast-food mentality.

A family day relaunch was successful, though the bold changes only gave a temporary boost to the restaurant, which closed in November 2014. Some of the restaurant's final Yelp reviews called out the poor quality of the food and service. One reviewer wrote that while "everything was fresh," the food was still lacking and overpriced for what it was. Another person described service so terrible they left the restaurant, writing, "The waitress went back in the kitchen and never did come back out."

The old restaurant location is now home to a Jimmy John's serving up sandwiches out of the same drive-thru window Ramsay wanted to close. It appears that former head chef Trevor is doing better these days, commenting on the Kitchen Nightmare's Facebook video that called him a "Violent Chef" in 2019: "I'm 28 now. With 5 and half years clean! Slayin it!" He appears to be living and working in Colorado Springs. Former Mangia Mangia owner Julie Watson has moved into real estate now  she's listed as an agent for "Your Neighborhood Reality" in Woodland Park on LinkedIn and Zillow.

Read the original article on Mashed.
Pairing alcohol and food is an age-old practice  wine and cheese, beer and burgers, or tequila and tacos. It brings out the best of both items, which perfectly complement one another in flavor and texture. However, lovers of spirits shouldn't miss out on another delicious combination: rum and chocolate.

The success of the pairing is due, in part, to the flavor profile of molasses, from which most rums are distilled. The substance, originally created as a byproduct of sugar production, provides a uniquely sweet yet subtly bitter and earthy taste. Broadly speaking, many types of chocolate could be described in similar ways.

Notably, the other, more subtle flavors of rum also perfectly complement chocolate. These can include vanilla, caramel, spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, and more. Moreover, rum meets a common rule of thumb when pairing alcohol with desserts, which is that the drink should be as sweet or sweeter than the food.

Read more: Alcohols You Should Just Drink Straight

The Particulars Of Pairing

Pieces of chocolate - Alvarez/Getty Images

However, like other iconic alcohol pairings, it's not as simple as grabbing any old chocolate bar and bottle of rum (as fun as that might still be). Certain pairings truly shine, creating an indulgent snack or dessert that's as simple as it is memorable. Angel Guzman, a bartender and rum expert from the Dominican Republic, told Food & Wine that rich and intense rums go best with smoother milk chocolates, while fruitier aged rums pair well with dark chocolate, which also retains some fruity elements alongside its bitterness. He says those who love white chocolate should reach for a bottle of darker rum, especially overproof styles that are mellowed by the chocolate's creaminess.

Italian chocolatier Venchi offers even more specific advice, suggesting Cuban rums work best with 60-75% dark chocolate blends, while the cherry casks of Dominican rum are ideal companions for milk chocolate with hazelnuts. Sweeter Caribbean rums, meanwhile, are enhanced with white chocolate or citrus-infused chocolate.

When tasting, rum should be tasted first, followed by chocolate. It may go without saying to seasoned tasters of whiskey or other spirits, but rum in these situations should be sipped and savored, not shot. In addition, you shouldn't forget to take a small initial sip to acclimate your mouth to the alcohol content before a larger one to assess and enjoy the flavor. There's a rum (and chocolate) out there for everyone, so why not start with these 20 types of rum best for sipping?

Read the original article on Mashed.
WASHINGTON  The United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants from Washington, D.C., are heading out on a 12-day community relations tour to Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia. The tour honors the service of Airmen both past and present in a showcase of musical excellence. All concerts are free and open to the public, though they do require tickets. Free tickets for these concerts are available at: https://bit.ly/TheUSAFBandTickets.

The USAF Concert Band and Singing Sergeants will be in Mooresville on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. The concert will be held at the Mooresville Performing Arts Center, 161 S. Magnolia St., Mooresville.

The Concert Band and Singing Sergeants are two of the six performing ensembles within The United States Air Force Band, the premier musical organization of the U.S. Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., The United States Air Force Band honors those who have served, inspires American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and connects with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States of America.
A preliminary investigation indicates that a man who died Saturday after being shot in Clay County was trying to break into a home when the shooting occurred, Kentucky State Police say.

State police said their investigation indicates that Jason E. Smith, 44, of Manchester, was trying to break into a residence on U.S. 421 North in Manchester when a man who lived there confronted him at the front door, state police said in a news release.

A physical altercation took place leading to the male subject shooting Mr. Smith, state police said.

The Clay County sheriffs office responded to the scene first, then called for help from the state police at 1:45 a.m. Saturday, according to state police.

Smith was intitially taken to the emergency room at AdventHealth Manchester, then transferred to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital.

Smith was pronounced dead at Chandler Hospital at 10:38 a.m. Saturday, the Fayette County coroners office said in a news release.

State police said the state medical examiners office will conduct an autopsy Sunday, and the case will be presented to the Clay County grand jury.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) declared a state of emergency Friday and requested that FEMA issue a Pre-Disaster Emergency Declaration as the Northeast braces for Hurricane Lees impact.

Healey also activated up to 50 National Guard members to aid in storm preparations and response.

I am declaring a state of emergency ahead of anticipated impacts from Hurricane Lee to ensure that the state can mobilize quickly to respond, Healey said in a statement. Were grateful for the extensive efforts of public safety officials who are responding to emergencies to keep people safe.

Hurricane Lee is barreling toward the New England states and is expected to bring high winds and dangerous ocean swells.

In an advisory, the National Hurricane Center reported tropical storm conditions and coastal flooding are expected to hit southern New England Friday afternoon and spread north through Saturday.

These conditions are likely to lead to downed trees and potential power outages, the advisory said.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is encouraging residents to assemble emergency kits that include food, water, a flashlight and a radio.

We are prepared to operate the State and MEMA East Regional Emergency Operations Centers 24/7 for as long as they are needed, MEMA Director Dawn Brantley said.

Under the Stafford Act, a disaster relief and emergency assistance act, Massachusetts would be eligible for federal assistance to cover personnel, equipment, supplies and evacuation assistance costs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Haleigh Kochanski has started covering breaking news and public safety for The Register-Guard.

Kochanski is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and spent a year covering breaking news for The Arizona Republic.

She will continue covering breaking news  everything from road closures and traffic crashes to serious crimes and protests  but also report on policing and criminal justice through a governmental accountability lens. We've specifically asked Kochanski to report on the evolution of police tactics and spotlight social issues that affect the various people and neighborhoods in the community.

She started reporting remotely earlier this month and is moving to Eugene in October.

"I grew up visiting the Pacific Northwest as a child and could always see myself living here as an adult," she said. "I look forward to connecting and familiarizing myself with the Eugene-Springfield community."

In her first couple of weeks, Kochanski has been reaching out to potential sources via video and phone calls. Once here, she will continue reaching out to meet with public officials and community advocates relative to her beat.

Kochanski welcomes introductions, feedback and information about any public safety issues we have yet to report.

And if you have a favorite place to get Marionberry pie, be sure to drop her an email at HKochanski@registerguard.com

"Once I get settled in Eugene, I plan on starting my search for the best Marionberry pie in Oregon, so please send me your recommendations," Kochanski said.

Cherrill Crosby is the executive editor of The Register-Guard and the Salem Statesman Journal. You may reach her at crosbyc@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Haleigh Kochanski hired as Register-Guard breaking news reporter
It was not the news Steve and Kristi Goncalves wanted to hear. In August 2023, just six weeks before the murder trial of Bryan Kohberger was set to begin, he waived his right to a speedy trial.They would have to wait indefinitely for their day in court.

It was not the news Steve and Kristi Goncalves wanted to hear. In August 2023, just six weeks before the murder trial of Bryan Kohberger was set to begin, he waived his right to a speedy trial. They would have to wait indefinitely for their day in court.

Kristi Goncalves: I was realy hoping that, um, we could get this show on the road because the not knowing  it's just, it's agony. It's agony.

Steve and Kristi, the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, haven't left anything to chance. After the judge issued a gag order to attorneys and law enforcement "to preserve the right to fair trial," they drilled down on their own investigation and are now sharing what they believe that investigation found. Steve says he believes transparency is the best path to justice.

Steve Goncalves: We're not gonna just sit back and cross our fingers and pray that we're gonna get justice.

SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS

It has been a long and painful journey for the families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison "Maddie" Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin  the four University of Idaho students who were savagely murdered by a knife-wielding assailant in the wee hours of Nov. 13, 2022, as they settled down to sleep in their off-campus house on King Road.

From top left, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. / Credit: CBS News

Peter Van Sant: Do you ever dream of your sister?

Jazzmin Kernodle: Yeah. I've had some dreams of her. There's times where I prayed and asked God to see her another time and I did and just gives me some peace knowing that I know she's OK.

Jazzmin Kernodle, who is speaking for the first time, was a senior at Washington State University and lived only 15 minutes away from her younger sister, Xana. Often mistaken as twins growing up, she says they were best friends.

Jazzmin Kernodle: She just was always fun. She was uplifting. And she took any bad situation and turned it into a good one.

Peter Van Sant: Jeff, what did you love most about your daughter?

Jeffrey Kernodle: Everything  she cared about people. She was a people person. She cared about her friends just as much as, like, her family.

For the first time in her life, Xana had fallen in love  with fellow student Ethan Chapin, a triplet who loved his siblings, boats and working on a tulip farm.

Jazzmin Kernodle: The sweetest kid ever. They were just two happy people and they're  just seeing the videos and photos of them you can just like tell how happy they are  they were just amazing together.

Sadly, they will now forever be linked in death. On Sunday morning Nov. 13, Xana's friends started calling Jazzmin saying something bad had happened on King Road.

Jazzmin rushed over to Xana's house.

Peter Van Sant: And while you're driving that eight, nine miles over to the house, are you trying to reach your sister then?

Jazzmin Kernodle: Mm-hmm.

Peter Van Sant: How many times did you call her?

Jazzmin Kernodle: A lot. I called her a lot, called Ethan a lot.

Her next call was to her father. Jeffrey Kernodle had been visiting Jazzmin for Dad's weekend and was on his way home.

Peter Van Sant: So, you answer the phone. What do you hear?

Jeffrey Kernodle: I hear her kind of crying and just telling me to get back to Moscow and meet me at Xana's house. And you know, my heart drops  instantly race back down there.

The house was cordoned off and swarming with investigators. As soon as Jeffrey said he was Xana's father, he and Jazzmin were escorted to the Moscow Police Department.

Peter Van Sant: And Jazzmin, what does the officer say to you and your father?

Jazzmin and Jeffrey Kernodle / Credit: CBS News

Jazzmin Kernodle: I don't  I don't remember exactly. Just that four people passed away and that one was Xana (in tears).

Jeffrey Kernodle: The worst day of your life, just your worst nightmare. This happened, you know, what do you do? You can't do a damn thing.

One-hundred miles away, the Goncalves family also had been getting frantic calls saying something bad had happened to their daughter, Kaylee. But no one knew what.

Kristi Goncalves: I just kept saying, over and over, "What do I do? What do we do? What do we do?"

Finally, at around 4 p.m., a deputy appeared at their door.

Steve Goncalves: And we said, "what's going on?"  "I confirmed your daughter's died. She's passed away."

Kristi Goncalves Then he said there were four victims. And I said, "four?" And he said, "Yes, ma'am."  I said, "Can you tell us if one of the victims was Maddie Mogen?" And he said, "Yes, ma'am."

Maddie Mogen  Kaylee's best friend from childhood.

Peter Van Sant: Give us a sense of just how close Kaylee and Maddie were in life?

Kristi Goncalves: I think that they had a very amazing relationship  the epitome of true best friends from very early.  I mean they were sisters through and through.

Alivea Goncalves: They were completely inseparable.

As soon as the news hit, Alivea, the eldest of the five Goncalves children, and her parents went into detective mode.

Alivea Goncalves: We had zero details. We just knew they were gone.

Alivea got into her sister's call log and frantically started cold-calling recent numbers. She says a friend told her that Kaylee had been at the Corner Club bar around 1:07 a.m. and later texted a rideshare driver, who Alivea managed to track down.

Alivea Goncalves: The rideshare driver said  around 1:45 Kaylee had texted him requesting a ride from the Grub Truck, which is the local mac and cheese food truck  to take her back home to 1122 King and she had with her another female.

Alivea then uncovered one of the most important leads in the case. The rideshare driver told her about a camera mounted on the Grub Truck.

Alivea Goncalves: So, I was able to look it up and find Kaylee on the video and I saw the girl that she was with was Maddie  So, at that point, I knew Kaylee and Maddie were together. They got into the car to go home together and alone.

Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen seen in surveillance video from the Grub Truck. / Credit: Grubtruckers/Twitch

The driver told her the exact time Kaylee and Maddie were dropped off at their house on King Road, 1:56 a.m.  a timeline she says she confirmed before the police.

Alivea Goncalves: I immediately took it to the police officers  "Here's her phone information  Here's  the rideshare driver's name."

Alivea says Kaylee made a call to her boyfriend at 2:56 a.m., but he didn't answer. The Goncalves' believe Kaylee fell asleep shortly after.

According to the police affidavit, Kaylee and Maddie were stabbed to death between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. Just as they had done since they were little girls, they were sleeping in the same bed.

Kristi Goncalves (in tears): Those two best friends since little girls, I don't think there's anything more terrifying than what they went through. I really don't.

The killer took four lives in a matter of minutes. But he left behind two surviving roommates  one of whom would provide a key description of the intruder.

NEW DETAILS OF KILLER'S RAMPAGE

If there is one picture that speaks to the Idaho student murders, it's the one of six smiling college students blissfully unaware of the carnage to come.

Howard Blum: It's staged in a way that is almost, in a strange way, ominously predicting.

Investigative journalist Howard Blum has written extensively on the student murders for Graydon Carter's online magazine, Air Mail. He is now writing a book on the case.

Howard Blum: On the ends of the picture are the two survivors.  in the middle  are the victims  and they're huddled together.

Kaylee with a beaming Maddie on her shoulders  friends for life. Ethan with his arm around Xana  young love in full bloom. A moment that should have been a memory of their idyllic college years would eternally be a reminder of the gruesome murders that put them in their graves.

Howard Blum: What makes it so tragic is  They're  forever preserved in this moment.  they'll never be able to leave this moment.

Hours after the photo was taken, the four friends would be murdered; their deaths so violent, even the house seemed to be bleeding.

Bryanna Fox: There was literally blood oozing out from the home. Uh, you could see it on the exterior walls.

CBS News Consultant Bryanna Fox is a former FBI agent and professor of criminology at the University of South Florida.

Bryanna Fox: That's how bloody and gruesome the crime scene is.

According to the affidavit, which outlines law enforcement's investigation, the bodies of Xana and Ethan, who was sleeping over, were found in or near her bedroom on the second floor.

The bodies of Kaylee and Maddie were on the third floor in the same single bed in Maddie's room.

Peter Van Sant: How did your  your daughter die in that house? What do you know?

Steve Goncalves: We know the autopsy. We know the means of what is officially how she died.  she was assaulted and stabbed.

Kristi Goncalves: Several, several times  her death certificate is the ugliest, disgusting-est piece of paper that you will ever see in your life.

Peter Van Sant: And every line is a horror show.

Kristi Goncalves: Every line because there's causes of death and then there's contributions to death.

Best friends Maddie Mogen, left, and Kaylee Goncalves. / Credit: Maddie Mogen/Instagram

Kristi and Steve spoke to Coroner Cathy Mabbutt before the gag order was issued, and they say she told them how the two friends were positioned in the bed.

Kristi Goncalves: The bed was up against the wall. 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.

According to Mabbutt, the killer's first victim was Maddie, says Steve.

Peter Van Sant: And then from Maddie, he moved on to your daughter. You believe she had awakened at that point?

Kristi Goncalves: Yes.

Steve Goncalves: There's evidence to show that she awakened and tried to get out of that situation 

Kristi Goncalves: The way the bed was set up is what 

Steve Goncalves: She was trapped.

Kristi Goncalves: She was trapped.

We know from the affidavit that Kohberger's cellphone pinged in the vicinity of the house 12 times prior to the murders. Steve says before the gag order, one of the lead investigators told him they believe Kohberger had been scouting out the house.

Peter Van Sant: You believe these visits were like  he was like on an intelligence mission, a scouting mission?

Kristi Goncalves: Yes.

Peter Van Sant: Looking at lifestyle patterns when they came and went, who came to the house?

Steve Goncalves: Yeah. Yeah.  he had to know when people were coming, people were going.

It makes the Goncalves' wonder if he'd ever gone inside the house.

Kristi Goncalves:I think that he at least had opened that door, went in, tested the waters, looked around.

Steve says the coroner told him the killer's rampage started on the third floor where both Maddie and Kaylee had their bedrooms. Kristi thinks he wasn't expecting to find the two friends together in the same bed.

Kristi Goncalves: I do think that his plan went awry. I do think that you know  he intended to kill one and killed four.

Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. / Credit: Xana Kernodle/Instagram

Bryanna Fox also believes Xana and Ethan were collateral damage. According to the affidavit, Xana received a Door Dash food delivery at 4 a.m., then went back to her room on the second floor. It's possible, says Fox, that Xana, still awake, came face to face with the killer.

Bryanna Fox: And she sees somebody that she doesn't expect, and I don't think he was expecting to see her either.

One of the two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, later told the police that she heard what she thought was crying coming from Xana's room. She heard a male voice say something to the effect "it's OK, I'm going to help you." Not something a killer would likely say to an intended target, says Fox.

Bryanna Fox: He probably was trying to make a split-second decision: do I run away, do I kill her, what do I do?  and he decided to kill her.

At approximately 4:17 a.m., police say an outside security camera less than 50 feet from Xana's room picked up distorted audio of what sounded like voices, or a whimper, followed by a loud thud. Shortly after, Dylan  the surviving roommate whose bedroom was near Xana's  opened the door.

Howard Blum: According to the police affidavit, when Dylan opens the door, she saw a man dressed in black with a black mask, and she says he has bushy eyebrows. Those bushy eyebrows become very important when the police are making their identification.

The man with the bushy eyebrows kept walking to the rear of the house without harming Dylan.

Howard Blum: Why was Dylan not killed? Again  There's no definitive answer  He  he didn't kill her because he didn't see her, he was sort of transfixed on getting out.  he didn't kill her because he was satiated.

Or he was simply too depleted to kill again, says Fox.

Bryanna Fox: Even stabbing somebody for a minute and a half, not only is that overkill, but it actually would become rather exhausting.

The police believe the murder weapon  which has not been found - was a military style KA-BAR knife. The details are disturbing.

Bryanna Fox: This is not a civilian knife.  It was actually meant to tear apart bone, ligaments, organs.  So  this is extremely brutal  and something that you would never expect a person to walk in and want to commit unless they took some pleasure out of the brutality of it.

After seeing the intruder, Dylan, the surviving roommate, told investigators she locked herself in her room. It would be almost eight hours before 911 was called, causing an uproar on social media criticizing Dylan's alleged inaction. But Bryanna Fox says it's not unusual for people to freeze or be too afraid to intervene.

Bryanna Fox: She had no reason to, you know, know how to handle herself in that moment.

According to the affidavit, the male walked towards the back sliding glass door and presumably left the scene. But committing murder and getting away with it are two different things, says Fox.

Bryanna Fox: For an offender to get away with a crime, a murder, they have to bat a thousand. They have to be absolutely perfect  if they make one singular mistake, that's all it takes.

And that one possible mistake in this case may have been the sheath to the KA-BAR knife  one was found on the bed next to Maddie Mogen. It would lead investigators to the door of a man studying for a career in criminology: Bryan Kohberger, the alleged killer.

INSIDE THE INVESTIGATION

Peter Van Sant: Day after day and week after week passed and there is no suspect that is arrested. What was that time like for you?

Steve Goncalves: That was the worst.

For 47 days after the murders, the families of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan  and the country  waited and wept and weighed in.

POLICE CHIEF FRY (to reporters): We do not have a suspect at this time.

POLICE CHIEF FRY (to reporters): People of Idaho and those throughout our nation who provided information has been very impressive. We received over 19,000 tips.

Arrest paperwork filed by Pennsylvania State Police in Monroe County Court, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, said Kohberger, 28, was being held for extradition in a criminal homicide investigation in the killings of four University of Idaho students. / Credit: Monroe County (Pa.) Correctional Facility via AP

On Dec. 30, 2022, Bryan Kohberger was arrested in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. At the time, his attorney said Kohberger looked forward to being exonerated.

Peter Van Sant: What goes through your mind when you see the face of the alleged killer?

Jeffrey Kernodle: Awe. I wonder, why  who is this? Why, you know? Never heard of the person before  it still is confusing. Why?

At this point, the families knew as much about Kohberger as the public did: a PhD candidate studying criminology just 10 miles away at Washington State University.

Alivea Goncalves: I remember thinking I only have a few minutes  to look up this individual and to try and get any credible information before things start getting wonky.

Some of Alivea Goncalves' online discoveries of Kohberger made her uneasy.

Alivea Goncalves: He had made a few posts on Reddit in which he was conducting  seems like a questionnaire to people in prison or jail who had committed crimes  "how did you pick  your victim or your target?"

For seven weeks, the families and the country were left wondering.

Bryanna Fox: I think for this type of an investigation, 47 days is actually quick.

Criminologist and CBS News consultant Bryanna Fox says the Moscow police kept things moving, starting with a video canvass which produced footage from those early morning hours showing a white car making three passes by the girls' house starting around 3:30 a.m. Less than an hour later, investigators say the killer struck.

Bryanna Fox: They noticed that this car approached King Road, left, came back, almost did a U-turn, finally went there around 4:06 in the morning, and that car then departed in about 25 minutes  and sped off.

Multiple surveillance cameras then captured that white car as it traveled what appeared to be a less direct route back to Pullman, Washington, arriving around 5:30 a.m.

That information helped investigators identify the make and model of the vehicle.

James Fry (YouTube): We're looking for a 2011 to a 2013 Hyundai Elantra.

Howard Blum: Washington State Police find the car parked outside graduate housing. They get the license plate  and they get Bryan Kohberger's name.  They then get driver's license, and they see the bushy eyebrows that, in the eyes of one of the Moscow detectives, must be the eyebrows of the killer.

Now armed with a warrant, investigators retrieved cell tower data from that morning which captured Kohberger's phone around 2:47 a.m. in Pullman when it suddenly stopped connecting to the network. According to the affidavit, this was also around the time cameras caught a white Elantra leaving his apartment complex.

Bryanna Fox: There was also an indication that he turned off his cellphone  which is something that a lot of people do when they wanna avoid law enforcement knowing their whereabouts.

His cellphone signal was picked up again two hours later south of Moscow as it traveled back toward his apartment building.

The affidavit described a deeper dive into Kohberger's phone history that revealed this was a familiar neighborhood to him going back several months.

Bryanna Fox: Cellphone records  indicated that he has traveled, passed, and was very near the vicinity of this crime scene on 12 separate occasions.

The off-campus residence where the four students were found dead on Nov. 13, 2022. Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves shared the residence with two other roommates, who were unharmed. / Credit: AP Images

And towers actually captured a 13th trip just hours after the murders.

Bryanna Fox: Anecdotally, a lot of killers  they like revisiting the memory  of the crime  you know, I won, I was able to get away with this and you guys won't catch me.

Howard Blum: But they had one secret weapon to make their case. They had the knife sheath  and there was a microscopic spot of  DNA on this. Could they tie this DNA to Kohberger?

According to the affidavit, the DNA was found on the button snap of the sheath but when investigators ran it through the national database, there were no matches.

It's unclear if Bryan Kohberger knew law enforcement was watching when he left Washington in mid-December. Kohberger and his father, who had flown in from Pennsylvania, drove back home together in his white Elantra.

Howard Blum: Kohberger, from what I've heard, tells his father he's in trouble with his job.

Howard Blum: He's concerned enough about his son to wanna make the drive back with him.

Police released body cam video of Bryan Kohberger and his father being pulled over in Indiana on a December road trip home to Pennsylvania. The video was taken more than two weeks before Kohberger's arrest at his family's home. / Credit: Indiana State Police

On the 2,500-mile journey from Washington, they are stopped twice for traffic violations.

Howard Blum: What's also interesting is Kohberger's reaction to the police. He's pretty calm and cool.

Father and son made it home to Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, where Blum says investigators initiated a stealth operation.

Howard Blum: What they did is they sent a team of Pennsylvania state troopers to Kohberger's family's house.

Law enforcement recovered Kohberger's father's DNA from the trash outside their home, which tested as a high probability it was the biological father of whoever left DNA on the knife sheath.

Howard Blum: So, that was the eureka moment which they decided they could get an arrest warrant.

Bryanna Fox: At that point they made the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, and they got a separate  essentially a search warrant for his DNA.

And when investigators compared his DNA to the DNA on the knife sheath, they say it was a statistical match, at least 5.37 octillion times more likely to be Kohberger's than anyone else.

POKING HOLES IN THE CASE

Peter Van Sant: Where you sit today, are you certain that Bryan Kohberger is the killer?

Kristi Goncalves (to Steve) With what you know.

Steve Goncalves: I don't trust anybody or anything, so I have to see it myself. I have to see everything.

Kristi and Steve Goncalves with

As the months pass, Steve and Kristi Goncalves remain a united front in wanting justice, but their wait has brought different perspectives.

Peter Van Sant: Your mind is still open to the potential 

Steve Goncalves: Of course.

Peter Van Sant:  that it could have been someone else?

Steve Goncalves: Of course. Yep, I go into that 100 percent. Yep, course.

Peter Van Sant: That's not where you are?

Kristi Goncalves (looking at Steve): No.

Steve Goncalves (to Kristi): Yeah, that's fine.

Brian Kohberger during a court hearing. / Credit: Pool

Bryanna Fox: I don't think there's any slam dunk.

Criminologist Bryanna Fox says with the gag order in place, any hint of Kohberger's defense has come from court documents.

Bryanna Fox: It seems that the defense is alleging there was a rush to judgment, law enforcement made an arrest too fast, and they focused on their client too quickly.

A defense filing did reveal Kohberger's alibi for the night of the murders. It simply stated, "Mr. Kohberger was out driving alone."

Bryanna Fox: The defense is not necessarily having to prove that he's innocent, they just have to raise doubt.

Both Fox and Howard Blum think the defense can find ways to poke holes in the prosecution's case, challenging some of the key evidence presented in the affidavit  including the cellphone location data and the white Elantra.

Bryanna Fox: There's other concerns such as whether Bryan Kohberger's car was accurately identified at the onset  or if that was revised after knowing what Bryan Kohberger drove.

Howard Blum: The cellphone data  makes one suspicious of Kohberger, but it's not convincing  It's not putting  someone at someone's doorstep, it's putting  someone in someone's neighborhood.

Howard Blum: If you can raise doubts about the validity and the accuracy of the cellphone data, I think you're halfway there  to getting the case against Kohberger, either a hung jury or a not guilty verdict.

And there's more according to the defense.

Bryanna Fox: That there is no DNA or forensic evidence found from the crime scene at the apartment, car, office or on Bryan Kohberger's person. So, they were basically alleging how could he have committed such a brutal murder and yet have no evidence found on him of that.

After consulting their own investigators, Kristi and Steve Goncalves theorize that Kohberger likely brought what they call a "kill kit" with him.

Peter Van Sant: What do you mean by a kill kit?

Steve Goncalves: I think he had a backpack.

Kristi Goncalves: A change of clothes  We don't know if it was coveralls, pants, hood, we don't know.

A defense filing also claimed the presence of other, unidentified, male DNA was found on the premises.

Bryanna Fox: Three separate and distinct male DNA profiles were found from the crime scene. Two were inside the house, one was outside on a glove.

Howard Blum: The defense wants to know  who are these people, and what role could they have played in this whole story?

Howard Blum: So, what the defense is doing now is trying to look for other narratives that make sense.

Howard Blum has written extensively about this case, including a piece on a possible alternative defense theory involving drugs.

Howard Blum: Maybe someone had reneged on a drug payment, and this was  a retribution of vengeance for people not paying for drugs they had ordered.

Peter Van Sant: I want you guys to respond to one thing that's out there  this speculation that somehow drugs were involved in this attack?

Steve Goncalves: That's just Hollywood nonsense. I just dismissed that because I understand our society wants to believe in some of these movies that they watch  they don't have these crazy lives where they're crossing paths with people like that.

Kristi Goncalves: That storyline of it being drugs, gives people a reason to think why it happened, because nobody knows why. And the reason I think it happened is because he wanted to. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to commit a murder.

Bryan Kohberger's defense attorneys argue there's a lack of evidence linking their client to the students.

Bryanna Fox: The defense is claiming that the defendant, Bryan Kohberger, and the victims have absolutely no connection. There's no motive.

In the minutes after Bryan Kohberger was publicly named, the Goncalves family went online.

Kristi Goncalves: They told us the name and we immediately started Googling.

They believed they had found a possible connection through Instagram and immediately took screenshots.

The Goncalves family provided

Kristi Goncalves: From our investigation of the account, it appeared to be the real Bryan Kohberger account.

Among the people this account was following were Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves  in addition to several people with the name Kohberger.

Steve Goncalves: But when we looked through there, it appeared to have other family members that were related to him.

The Goncalves' say they discovered

At first, Steve Goncalves, who works in IT, was skeptical -- thinking someone created a fake account in the minutes following Kohberger's arrest. But according to the family, they uncovered more possible connections.

Kristi Goncalves: You would go to Maddie's Instagram account and look at her pictures, and he "liked" them  Bryan's name was under a lot of Maddie's pictures.  liked her pictures, liked that picture, and that picture and that picture, and that picture. So, he was actively looking at the Instagram account.

Peter Van Sant: And the importance of that is what?

Steve Goncalves: Just digital evidence  that this particular account  had some type of connection with the victims.

"48 Hours" has not confirmed the authenticity of this account, which has since been deleted, and the gag order prevents investigators from commenting.

After dedicating months looking for their own answers, the Goncalves' say they are mentally prepared for trial  no matter when it begins.

Kristi Goncalves: I think he is done.  He's going to feel all of us just staring at the back of his head. And he's going to know that we are the Goncalves family. And he knows, you know, what he did to our daughter.

COPING WITH THEIR GRIEF

Steve Goncalves: How could this happen to the group of kids that are  doing everything the way they're supposed to do?

Kristi Goncalves: To not know is what keeps you awake at night.  and it's every day, all day. It never stops. Why, why, why? There is no why.

From left: Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

It is as unexplainable today as it was the day Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were murdered.

Jazzmin Kernodle (in tears): I wish  I wish we knew. They were  all four of them were just such great people and made such an impact on the lives around them.

For now, the families are left with thoughts of what might have been.

PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT (University of Idaho graduation): Kaylee Jade Goncalves has been recommended  to receive a posthumous bachelor's degree. Her family will receive the diploma of the University of Idaho.

On May 13, 2023, exactly six months from the day of the murders, an occasion that would have been a cause for celebration, graduation, was, instead, another reminder of what was lost.

Kristi Goncalves (wiping tears): Seeing all those graduation photos, it just  they should be here.

Graduation is just one of many milestones that will be missed.

Jazzmin Kernodle: She would've been my maid of honor and I probably would've been hers. And it's, like, sad to have to go through those life moments without her.

Alivea Goncalves: The memories that we share  we don't do it lightly, because they are very private memories and sometimes it feels like I'm giving away a part of them.  But I do it for the importance  to realize, how great of a loss it is.  because nothing is going to bring them back.

Jazzmin Kernodle planned to work side by side with her sister Xana, creating their own marketing business.

Jazzmin Kernodle It's just not the same without her because she just brought like such a crazy different energy than anybody else I've ever met.

Kaylee Goncalves's future was in sight. She had accepted a job in Austin working for an IT firm. Kaylee not only pushed herself, say her parents, but pushed them.

Steve Goncalves: We lost that person that would force us to make new memories and force us to go and take on something that seems a little daunting at first

For the Goncalves,' amid all the loss, there was an addition to the family. In February, Alivea gave birth to a baby girl.

Alivea Goncalves: So, her name is Theodora MaddieKay. Obviously, MaddieKay is after Maddie and Kaylee.

And if one were to believe in signs, there were, says Alivea, several with Theodora MaddieKay's arrival. In the hospital, her room number, 1113, was the same as the date of the murders: November 13. And eerily, the time of birth, 4:21 a.m., is in the timeframe that Kaylee and Maddie are believed to have been killed.

Alivea Goncalves: To have birth and life and firsts  first giggles, first walks  that they would be there somehow, you know, even if it's just a namesake.

The families of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan have all searched for ways, sometimes together, to cope with a horrible new normal.

Jazzmin Kernodle: We all are always gonna be there for each other and it's just, difficult. We all  we're all going through it in our own ways.

Jim and Stacy Chapin created a foundation, Ethan's Smile, raising money for scholarships by selling tulips planted in honor of their son, Ethan, who had worked at a tulip farm.

For Ethan's parents, Stacy and Jim Chapin, one way of coping involves creating a foundation, Ethan's Smile, raising money for scholarships by selling tulips planted in honor of Ethan, who had worked at a tulip farm.

Jim Chapin: Ethan had a great smile, smiled all the time.

Stacy Chapin: So, Ethan will live on through the foundation  that's what motivates us to, to do this.

Peter Van Sant: How do you live with this, Jeff?

Jeffrey Kernodle: It's not easy. You just got to keep going, you know.

Jazzmin Kernodle: I think just like living our lives like Xana would want us to.  I know that she would want us to talk about the life that she lived and to be her voice right now.

Kristi Goncalves (looking at photos): She had a beautiful smile. Her and Maddie 

Alivea Goncalves: The memories that we share  we don't do it lightly, because they are very private memories and sometimes it feels like I'm giving away a part of them.  But I do it for the importance  to realize, how great of a loss it is.  because nothing is going to bring them back.

NEW PODCAST

"48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant and producer Liza Finley share additional details about the case with "48 Hours" contributor and CBS New streaming network anchor Anne-Marie Green in the "48 Hours: Post Mortem" podcast."

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Produced by Liza Finley, Mary Noonan and Ruth Chenetz. Michael McHugh is the producer-editor. Greg Fisher and Elena DiFiore are the development producers. Hannah Vair is the field producer. Jud Johnston, Greg Kaplan and Diana Modica are the editors. Anthony Batson is the senior broadcast producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.



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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.

It was a popular national monument  until it was robbed to extinction

During the meeting, officials had discussed six different options for the name of iconic 14,271 fourteener mountain peak.

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.

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.

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 WesternSlopeNow.com.
Thousands of mourners gathered in eastern South Africa on Saturday for the state funeral of Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

The veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, died last week aged 95.

Mourners  some dressed in traditional Zulu outfits made of leopard and other animal skins and holding shields crafted from cow hides  gathered at a stadium in the town of Ulundi, where they danced, sang and cheered ahead of the service.

South African media reported that two giraffes and six impalas had been slaughtered and skinned as part of the ritual preparations.

At a stadium in the town of Ulundi, mourners gathered around the coffin of Buthelezi, who died aged 95. Some dressed in traditional Zulu outfits made of leopard and other animal skins and held shields crafted from cow hides. - Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images

Buthelezi, the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) who served two terms as Minister of Home Affairs in the post-apartheid government after reconciling with his governing African National Congress (ANC) rival, had undergone a procedure for back pain in July and was later readmitted to hospital when it did not subside.

He founded the IFP in 1975 and it became the dominant force in what is now KwaZulu-Natal province.

Like the ANC, he was critical of white minority rule, which had relegated Zulus and other Black South Africans 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 Buthelezis 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 Africas 1994 election, the first national poll since the end of white minority rule, which brought Nelson Mandela to power.

By then some 20,000 people had been killed and hundreds of thousands fled their homes in fighting between Buthelezis supporters and those of the ANC, as a result of which critics dubbed Buthelezi a war lord. He stepped down as IFP leader in 2019.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
They are the tall, grayish-white, often limbless sentinels that rise from the marshes as the mainland ends and North Carolina's extensive coastal rivers, estuaries and sounds begin.

They are ghost forests, and clusters, sometimes hundreds of these dead and dying trees can be found lining the Cape Fear River and many of the Wilmington area's tidal creeks and brackish channels. From Smith Creek near the Wilmington International Airport to Town Creek in Brunswick County and countless other local waterways, the carcasses of dying trees stick up from the marsh. Along shorelines, a graveyard of stumps is often visible.

These forests of tree skeletons can be found all along the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the Chesapeake Bay tracking north, and their ranks are growing as climate change combines with man's engineering of the coast to allow salt water to seep farther and farther inland.

Dead and dying trees, killed by rising salinity levels, line Smith Creek north of downtown Wilmington. STAN SUSSINA/STARNEWS

What are ghost forests?

They represent areas where the marsh and vegetation hasn't been able to keep up with an increased exposure to salinity. The salty water slowly poisons the trees, leaving them as graying pillars of environmental change before they eventually collapse.

While some trees like cypress and some cedars can survive in brackish waters, too much salt can cause widespread tree death.

The increase in salt water impacts other vegetation, with grasses and other plants replaced with more salt-tolerant species before they are often also wiped out by the rising salinity.

Why are ghost forests increasing?

While some habitat transformation would be expected under natural conditions, man's decades of pumping millions of tons of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere has changed the world's weather patterns.

The warming planet has increased the melting of the ice caps, raising sea levels and allowing salt water to reach farther inland and in greater quantities. Rising ocean temperatures also are contributing to the problem, since the volume of the ocean is expanding as the sea water warms.

In short, the change in ecosystems is now happening much faster than before.

WOODEN WARRIORS Ancient NC trees have survived thousands of years. Will they weather climate change?

Climate change means stronger and bigger tropical weather systems, where amplified storm surge pushes water father onto land and up waterways. Increasing and more persistent periods of drought, another sign of climate change, also means there's sometimes less freshwater to counter the impacts of the salt water pulses. North Carolina has experienced several periods of extended drought in recent years.

A 2021 research paper published by scientists from Duke University used historical pictures from Google Earth to determine that nearly one-third of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, famous for being the only wild home of the highly endangered red wolf, had transformed from forest habitat to shrub land or marsh over the past 35 years. Another roughly 11% of the protected area in northeastern North Carolina had become a ghost forest.

Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science measuring coastal forest retreat rates using historical maps and core samples have seen it jump from less than 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) per year in parts of North Carolina prior to 1875 to more than 4 meters (13 feet) in places today. They also noted that land submergence in a coastal area that runs from North Carolina to Massachusetts is contributing to the growth of ghost forests, with sea-level rates rising three times faster than global rates.

Dead trees spread out in ghost forests across the landscape at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in North Carolina. Higher tides, salt water intrusion and heavier rains all stress the pocosin bogs and wetland forests on the refuge.

Are ghost forests as environmentally valuable as other coastal forests?

Ghost forests don't provide the range of habitat for freshwater and saltwater flora and fauna that a healthy coastal forest and brackish environment does. Researchers are still trying to determine the long-term impacts from these changes to coastal systems on migrating birds, insects, invertebrates, and other critters and plants that call them home.

Ghost forests also can't provide the protection that a healthy forest does by helping absorb the wind and water energy from hurricanes and other strong weather events. That's because as the trees die and other organic material in the wetlands succumbs to the increased salinity in the water, the marshes start falling apart and washing away.

The wetlands also are great carbon sinks, but that capability is lost as they are washed away. A 2021 study by N.C. State researchers found that ghost trees, colloquially called snags, increased greenhouse gas emissions of the overall decomposing wetland ecosystem by about 25%.

MORE North Carolina's wetlands emit lots of climate-warming methane gas. Is that bad?

The result of the transitioning wetlands are wide savannahs of open saltwater marsh  and eventually open water  dotted with dead and dying trees. And while sometimes freshwater habitats can retreat inland and attempt to rebuild, topography and the sheer speed at which sea-level rise is impacting saltwater intrusion makes this a tough proposition.

In the Wilmington area, a sign of this transformation is clearly visible  especially from the Interstate 140 bridge  along the Northeast Cape Fear River north of Wilmington, where the river delta is spreading out as salt water overcomes the former freshwater marsh areas.

What about human actions beyond climate change?

As humans have engineered the coast to meet our needs, the changes are allowing the higher levels of salt water to reach farther inland.

In many parts of coastal North Carolina, large systems of ditches were built to drain and irrigate fields. But that same water infrastructure is now allowing salt water to push well inland from the coast, adding to stress on freshwater habitats miles away from the shoreline and degrading crop productivity.

In Southeastern North Carolina, the deepening of the Cape Fear River shipping channel over the decades has changed much of the habitat along the river and its tributaries as officials work to keep the Port of Wilmington competitive in a globally connected world where size  especially when it comes to ships  does matter.

PUSHING DEEPER As other Southeast ports get deeper, what's the status of Wilmington's expansion project?

When Europeans first eyed the Cape Fear River, it was a shallow estuary that could be crossed on foot. Today, blue crabs and flounder can be caught as far inland as Lock and Dam No. 1 in Bladen County  more than 40 miles inland.

Several environmental groups, including the N.C. Coastal Federation and Cape Fear River Watch, have raised concerns that the latest proposal to deepen the shipping channel, this time from 42 feet to 47 feet, will hasten the transformation of freshwater wetlands in the river estuary, costing habitat and floodwater protection in areas that are already seeing an increased risk of flooding due to sea-level rise and climate change.

So what happens now?

To slow down the transition of the coastal forest ecosystem, officials are trying a variety of steps to mitigate the rising salt waters.

They include installing living shorelines and oyster reefs along shorelines to absorb tidal energy and limit erosion to re-engineering ditches and dikes to prevent salt water from pushing inland. Where possible, some efforts also are being made to plant freshwater marsh vegetation inland to allow it to get established and provide important habitat before the salt water arrives.

But building resiliency into a system that's low-lying and facing a threat that increases every year as sea-level rise gains momentum isn't easy. The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said global sea levels could rise more than 3 feet by the end of the century if additional steps aren't taken to curb the warming of the planet. Estimates by NOAA's National Climate Assessment are even more sobering, stating that the seas could rise by double that amount if the rapid loss of Antarctic ice occurs.

Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from 1Earth Fund and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Ghost forests in NC expanding with sea level rise, climate change
In the wake of the pandemic and development of online teaching models, universities across the country are looking for new ways to reach different audiences and retain students through to graduation. One component has been missing in those discussions: cultural responsiveness.

The process of cultural responsiveness in education attempts to address equity gaps by using our students cultural knowledge as a scaffolding on which to build concepts of a specific curriculum. They start from what they know, their cultural experience, and build on that to learn what is being taught.

Curriculum is not just a black box we can throw at our students, it should integrate our students culture, their backgrounds, their identities in what we teach. We talk a lot about retention of students in higher education but its important to remind ourselves of our humanity. We retain students who feel they belong. An important factor for students sense of belonging is recognizing themselves as part of what they learn.

Enrico Pontelli, dean of the Collge of Arts and Science.

Recognizing the culture of our students is at the foundation of the educational practices that the College of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State University is creating  as demonstrated by several new initiatives that have been launched in recent months.

A grant from Every Learner Everywhere has provided the tools to allow two of our faculty to re-envision a foundational communication course that impacts virtually every student who attends NMSU. Gabriela Morales and Dae Romero worked closely together to redesign the Introduction to Communication course to reflect a tailored engagement approach for better learning experiences and more equitable outcomes for all of our students. Another grant from the National Science Foundation, that I have the fortune to co-lead, is promoting the creation of state-wide teacher professional development programs focused on promoting culturally responsive pedagogy in the teaching of computer science.

Recognizing the culture of our students is important to student retention. When we embed the culture of our students into what goes on in our classrooms, in the field and in the labs, we create a meaningful connection with what is being taught. This concept is very much tied to the land-grant mission as well as Provost Alan Shohos priorities regarding student success and retention.

There is a lot of evidence that if we make sure that what we teach and how we teach it represents what our students believe in, that our students will feel that they belong and will be motivated to continue their studies by recognizing how their courses will be useful to them. For example, there is substantial literature that shows that students from rural communities tend to gravitate to disciplines where they find an opportunity to contribute back to their communities. If we can somehow embed that cultural desire to give back in what we teach our students in computer science, for example, its more likely that many of our students from traditionally underrepresented groups may come see the usefulness of studying computer science, or similar disciplines, and feel that they belong to these fields by seeing how they may use what they learn to contribute to their communities.

I strongly believe cultural responsiveness also can play a major role in broadening participation in disciplines where we have an underrepresentation of women and people of color. In computer science, for example, there is a severe gender underrepresentation (only 21% of the workforce identifies as women) and an even more severe lack of diversity in terms of race and ethnicity. We have seen how cultural responsiveness can help to change that.

Numerous studies point to increased responsiveness and skills adoption in courses where students considered their culture to be of value to the university. When their cultural background was incorporated with the topics, students identified with the subjects they studied, which accelerated the learning process.

NMSU Insights

Culturally responsive teaching methods and practices incorporate students cultural identities and lived experiences into the classroom as tools for effective instruction. These approaches build on the knowledge of traditionally marginalized communities, helping all students, in particular students of color, to be empowered as lifelong learners and critical thinkers.

NMSU is not only a Hispanic-Serving Institution but New Mexicos land-grant institution, serving the entire population of the state with the goal of improving lives. We understand New Mexico culture and by working to incorporate our diverse students cultural values into our curriculum, we can serve not only our students educational needs but also invest in the broader needs of our communities across New Mexico.

Enrico Pontelli is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State University. He can be reached at arts_sci@nmsu.edu.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NMSU dean advocates for cultural responsiveness to improve student retention
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.

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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Monday, Sept. 18

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

The Harrisburg Farmers Market will be open from 3-6 p.m. at the Old Post Office, 6960 Robinson Church Road.

Tuesday, Sept. 19

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

The Rotary Square Concord Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 111 Union St. S., Concord.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road., NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary will hold its General Meeting at The Salvation Army of Cabarrus County, 216 Patterson Ave SE, Concord. Socializing and refreshments begin at 9:30 a.m. prior to the meeting at 10. Visitors are welcome. There will be pre-owned books available for sale, with proceeds to be used to buy new books for the Christmas Angel Tree project.

Thursday, Sept. 21

Kannapolis Farmers Market will be open from 4-7 p.m. at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard.

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is located at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord . For deliveries call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Sept. 22

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Monday, Sept. 25

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

The Harrisburg Farmers Market will be open from 3-6 p.m. at the Old Post Office, 6960 Robinson Church Road.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

The Rotary Square Concord Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 111 Union St. S., Concord.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road., NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Thursday, Sept. 28

Kannapolis Farmers Market will be open from 4-7 p.m. at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard.

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is located at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord . For deliveries call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Sept. 29

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

The Old Courthouse Theatre, 49 Spring St. NW Concord, hosts "A Night with Elvis" by Jacob Eder, a tribute to Elvis. The show begins at 7 p.m. Eder comes to the main stage at Old Courthouse Theatre and performs his tribute to Elvis with his original country music and covers. Tickets are $20 and are available online www.octconcord.com or at the door. Concessions will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 1

The author of Pearls Kaleidoscope, Reflections of a 95-year-old African American Womans Life will be hold a book signing in Concord from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Allen Small Family Life Center at Price Memorial AME Zion Church at 192 Spring St. SW.

Monday, Oct. 2

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Tuesday, Oct. 3

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road., NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Cabarrus County ECA 's Health and Wellness Committee is sponsoring an Outdoor Community Flu Clinic from 10 a.m. to noon at 715 Cabarrus Avenue West, Concord. This Outdoor Flu Clinic makes it very quick and easy to receive a flu shot and a COVID booster shot with one quick stop. Adults are invited to call NC Cooperative Extension Office weekdays at 704-929-3310 to reserve you shot. Flu shots for adults 65 years of age will also be available. True Care Pharmacy will be providing the shots and urges everyone to take advantage of this opportunity. September and October are the ideal times to get the flu shot. In the case of rain the Outdoor Flu Clinic will be offered inside.

Wednesday, Oct. 4

The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome.

Saint James The Greater 69th Parish BBQ will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. People may dine in or take out. To order ahead of time on the day of the event, please call 704-720-0600 extension 24. The church is located at 139 Manor Ave, SW, Concord.

Thursday, Oct. 5

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is located at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord . For deliveries call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Oct. 6

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785..

Got news or events?

Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com.
FES, MoroccoThe city of Derna on Libyas eastern coast was virtually wiped off the map by a record-breaking flood this week.

Oais Azouz, a Libyan student in Turkey, had been following the forecasts about a dangerous storm but was stunned by the impact on his hometown.

I was on a call with my uncle who told me, Theres no more Derna, said Azouz.

As Storm Daniel swept Libyas east on Monday, two dams near Derna swelled with water and collapsed. The recorded death toll in the city has since reached 6,000, amid expectations that the actual number is closer to 20,000 dead. Another 30,000 have been displaced.

Ive lost almost 60 close relatives, Azouz told The Daily Beast. We still cant reach everyone. My aunt was missing for almost a day. My cousin saved his fathers life and was found dead.

Up to 10,000 Feared Dead as Floods Swallow Eastern Libya

Other members of his extended family lost to the flood include a husband and wife and their seven children as well as a pair of grandparents and their grandchildren.

The storm severed much of the citys connection to the electrical grid and the Internet, undermining efforts to understand and address one of the worst natural disasters in North Africas history. Yet morbid images have trickled out.

A view shows the damaged areas, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya, September 13, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Marwan Alfaituria/via Reuters

Azouz heard stories of Dernas residents fishing corpses from the Mediterranean Sea, leading to fears that the handling of bodies with bare hands could make the city a hot spot for diseases, epidemics. An uncle told him that Storm Danielin addition to leveling Dernahad split it in two.

Theres a western side and an eastern side now, said Azouz, and moving between them requires a boat.

The people of Derna are no strangers to suffering. The city changed hands often during Libyas on-again-off-again civil war, at one point becoming a battleground for militias tied to ISIS and al-Qaeda.

Derna has been under the control of the Libyan-American warlord and one-time CIA asset Khalifa Haftar since 2018, when his militia, the Libyan National Army, captured the city in a campaign marred by accusations of war crimes.

The authorities response to the floods, in part a result of the failure to maintain Dernas dams, has brought renewed criticism.

Our government is corrupt and wont help with the things needed, said Azouz. The city is dying.

But the devastation extends far beyond Derna.

In Bayda the streets are destroyed, Lamis Fouad Naseeb, whose inland city lies 60 miles west of Derna, told The Daily Beast. Families are homelesscars everywhere in the streets. We need professional rescue teams because there are still people locked in their houses by the water.

A view shows damaged cars after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit, in Al Bayda, Libya, September 11, 2023, in this screengrab obtained from social media video. Instagram/@EX5TWD via Reuters

Naseeb said that Storm Daniel had destroyed the walls around Baydas main hospital and flooded its electrical room, putting it out of service even as refugees from Derna have been streaming in.

Recently the people of the city, from scouts to volunteers to students, have been organizing campaigns for the affected families in schools, Naseeb told The Daily Beast. Libyan Red Crescent volunteers started rescuing families and injured people, and also the Libyan National Army. One of the Libyan Red Crescent volunteers went missing down the street and they couldnt find him until now.

Storm Daniels toll on Libyas buckling infrastructure has complicated the provision of additional assistance, with roads to Susa, a coastal city between Bayda and Derna, rendered all but impassable by the floods.

Its been two days for the people of Susa without food and water, said Naseeb. One of my friends texted me saying that the sea started bringing back the floating bodies in the city.

Roadblocks

The biggest potential obstacle to humanitarian aid, though, is political.

Libyas U.N.-recognized government, based in the capital of Tripoli hundreds of miles from the affected cities, has limited sway outside the west of the country and depends on a constellation of rival militias to enforce its authority.

The dominant powerbroker in the storm-battered east is Libyan National Army commander Haftar, whose brutal campaign to drive out the regime in Tripoli ended in failure three years ago.

Marwan Alfaituria/via Reuters

But the national horror at the scale of the tragedy has brought at least a momentary respite from the decade of factionalism that followed Muammar Gaddafis 2011 ouster.

Authorities in Tripoli are sending healthcare workers, medical supplies, and $412 million to assist with disaster management in the east. Turkey, one of the Tripoli governments most important backers, likewise joined Haftar patrons Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in flying humanitarian aid to Benghazi, the largest city in the east and the second largest in Libya.

All the Libyan cities, with their political differences, took a serious stand together with Derna and put their differences aside, said Fatima Alzahra Aldghily, a resident of the eastern city of Ajdabiya.

Aldghily attributed Ajdabiyas ability to withstand Storm Daniel to the work of the Libyan Red Crescent and local police.

Everything was prepared in my city in the event of a flood, she told The Daily Beast. The equipment included ambulances, boats, and some relief, but thank God nothing serious happened and the storm passed over us safely, unlike Derna.

Aldghily said that Benghazi too had taken successful steps to mitigate the effects of flooding, yet that city may soon have more in common with Derna than Ajdabiya.

Benghazi residents told The Daily Beast of growing fears that the Wadi Qattara Dam, located east of the city, could burst like its counterparts in Derna.

So far, the dams have held, but the patrols have evacuated the areas near the Qattara valley, said Saleem Alomami, a Benghazi University student who runs an Instagram fan page dedicated to the city.

Derna-scale floods in Benghazi, with a population estimated to be between 715,000 and 812,000, could lead to untold numbers of deaths.

The situation in Benghazi is very critical, especially in the areas near the dam, said Yeccu Alawati, a Benghazi human rights activist and outspoken advocate of Libyas Amazigh indigenous people. The Wadi Qattara Dam is on the verge of overflowing and there is a high risk of collapse. If that happens, it would be a disaster worse than what occurred in Derna.

As Storm Daniels first wave of refugees take up residence in Benghazi schools, its people have drawn on a deep well of sympathy. Yet another feeling permeates the air of the city as Benghazi residents see a snapshot of whatthey fearcould be their own future.

I will describe it to you in one word, said Alawati, horror.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Shooting deaths in Tennessee have been rising for nearly a decade, and recent studies show the state reached historic highs in 2021, with more than 1,500 Tennesseans killed by gunfire.

The number of deaths that year marked a grim statistic, putting Tennessee at 10th in the nation for firearm mortality per capita, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Davidson County has 16th highest gun-related deaths in US, study finds

The death rate is calculated per 100,000 total population, with Mississippi at number one for gun-related deaths in 2021 and Massachusetts at the bottom of the list. Like Tennessee, most states in the top 10 were in the southern United States.

A study by the Sycamore Institute found that Tennessees death rate grew over 66% between 2011 and 2021, largely due to a spike in homicides, which accounted for 46% of firearms deaths in 2021. That adds up to an additional 623 deaths each year.

Just over half of firearm deaths in 2021 were suicides, but according to the Sycamore Institute, homicides accounted for the most deaths among people aged 35 years and younger and Black Tennesseans.

The rate of homicides involving guns also doubled between 2011 and 2021. Meanwhile, the Sycamore Institutes study showed that fatal crimes where another means of force was used actually fell by 5% during that period.

Guns leading cause of death among Tennessee kids, report finds

Overall, Tennessees shooting death rate in 2021 was nearly 50% higher than the country as a whole. That year, gunfire was also the 10th leading cause of death in Tennessee. Infectious diseases, Alzheimers and cancer all ranked above gunfire, with over 18,000 people killed by the number one leading cause of death: heart disease.

While firearm deaths were less frequent among minors than any other age group, gunfire remained the leading cause of death for Tennesseans ages 1 to 18 in 2021. Those deaths were largely concentrated among teens aged 15 to 18.

According to the Sycamore Institute, gunfire overtook car crashes as the leading cause of death among Tennessees children in 2017. A study conducted by the Tennessee Department of Health found guns were still the leading cause of death among kids in 2022.

By race, Black women and men experienced the largest increase in firearm deaths in Tennessee, with Black women being killed at a rate nearly 196% higher than in 2011. The overall rate of firearm deaths among Black Tennesseans was three times higher than other races.

Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital seeing more and more firearm injuries, deaths

The majority of firearm deaths in Tennessee happened in the states most populous counties, but the counties with the highest rates were largely concentrated in the western part of the state.

Among the top two were Shelby County with 2,627 firearm deaths and Davidson County with 1,171 deaths. Altogether, almost half, or 43%, of the states shooting deaths happened in the four largest counties  Shelby, Davidson, Knox and Hamilton.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday was acquitted in his state Senate impeachment trial, an outcome that laid bare the fierce divides within the Republican Party that controls all levers of government there.

The outcome is a political victory for Paxton, a hardline conservative and close ally of former President Donald Trump. Paxton had cast the 16 articles of impeachment he faced, which stemmed from accusations of repeatedly abusing his office to help a donor, as political retribution.

Paxton, who had been suspended without pay since the House impeached him in May, was reinstated in his role shortly after the vote when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick certified the acquittal.

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.

Patrick  a fellow hardline conservative and staunch Paxton ally who presided over the trial  praised the outcome and ripped into the House from the dais immediately after reinstating Paxton. He called for a full audit of the Houses spending on the impeachment, which he said was a waste of millions of taxpayer dollars.

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.

However, House members who had pursued Paxtons impeachment characterized the outcome as a conservative Senate choosing to ignore the wrongdoing of an ideological ally.

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan , a Republican, said in a statement Saturday: It is extremely unfortunate that after hearing and evaluating this evidence, the Texas Senate chose not to remove him from office.

But the acquittal, he added, is not the end of this matter.

Texas state Sen. Brian Birdwell acting as a juror votes 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. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) - Eric Gay/AP

Ken Paxton is the subject of 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, Phelan said.

Intra-GOP feud

Phelan saved his sharpest barb for Patrick, the lieutenant governor who in Texas also acts as the president of the state Senate, where he regularly presides and wields enormous power over the legislative branch.

Phelan said it was deeply concerning that though Patrick had insisted he would preside in an impartial manner over the trial, at its end the lieutenant governor chose to conclude by confessing his bias and placing his contempt for the peoples House on full display.

To be clear, Patrick attacked the House for standing up against corruption. His tirade disrespects the Constitutional impeachment process afforded to us by the founders of this great state, Phelan said. The inescapable conclusion is that todays outcome appears to have been orchestrated from the start, cheating the people of Texas of justice.

Its the latest exchange in an increasingly personal rivalry between conservatives, including Patrick and Paxton, and Phelan, the more moderate speaker. Earlier this year, Patrick referred to Phelan as California Dade. Paxton accused Phelan of being drunk while presiding over a late-night House session, an allegation Phelan denied.

A former state legislator who was first elected attorney general in 2014, Paxton rose to national prominence with his court battles against then-President Barack Obama over issues including health care and immigration.

He also led an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election with a failed lawsuit aimed at throwing out the Electoral College votes of four swing states won by President Joe Biden.

But Paxton also spent his entire tenure in the attorney generals office under the cloud of scandal, starting with a 2015 indictment on securities fraud charges. Paxton has not yet gone to trial on those charges. Meanwhile, the Justice Department took over a corruption investigation into Paxton.

The impeachment charges

The impeachment process began after Paxton requested $3.3 million in taxpayer money to settle a lawsuit with former top staffers who had been fired after reporting the attorney generals conduct to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2020.

Whistleblowers accused Paxton of using his authority to benefit his political friend Nate Paul, a real estate investor who had donated tens of thousands of dollars to Paxtons campaign. In the settlement, Paxton apologized but did not admit fault or accept liability. He denied wrongdoing and said in a statement that he had agreed to the settlement to put this issue to rest.

One of the impeachment articles accused Paxton of using employees of the attorney generals office to write a legal opinion intended to help Paul avoid the foreclosure sale of properties that he and his businesses owned.

It was among a series of articles focused on Paxtons relationship with Paul, including accusations he hired an outside attorney who issued more than 30 grand jury subpoenas while investigating a baseless complaint made by Paul, delayed foreclosure sales of Pauls properties and benefited from Paul hiring a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair.

The articles of impeachment also detailed what are described as Paxtons efforts to cause protracted delays in the securities fraud investigation.

Ultimately, the Texas House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton.

But he found more support in the state Senate. Beyond acquitting Paxton on the 16 counts under consideration, the chamber also voted to dismiss four other articles of impeachment that were brought by the House but not considered during the Senate trial.

The other four articles were related to Paxtons ongoing state securities fraud indictment.

The two-week trial began on September 5 with Patrick instructing senators to avoid any media coverage or outside discussion of the proceedings. Paxtons wife, Angela Paxton , is a state senator and was present at the trial, but she was barred under Senate rules from voting.

The Bush era in Texas ends today

The divides within the GOP in Texas were on stark display in the trials closing moments Friday morning, as Paxtons defense invoked Trump, former President George W. Bush and his family and more to cast the impeachment of Paxton as a political persecution.

Tony Buzbee, Paxtons defense attorney, compared the impeachment of Paxton to the criminal charges facing Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

He also portrayed Paxton as a political enemy of the Bush family. Former President George W. Bush was Texas governor before his 2000 victory, and Paxton defeated George P. Bush, the former Texas land commissioner and son of Jeb Bush, in the 2022 attorney general primary.

Let it be known, let it be clear now, the Bush era in Texas ends today, Buzbee said. They can go back to Maine.

Two days earlier, Paxton had said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that he will travel to Maine next week to sit down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and discuss the last two weeks in Texas politics. It should be interesting!

But the Houses impeachment managers said intra-Republican Party politics had nothing to do with their decision to impeach Paxton.

Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican who, like Paxton, is one of the House impeachment managers from Collin County, said he has long been close to the attorney general and considers him a political ally.

Karl Roves not sitting in my office right now. This is me, and me alone, he said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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Patrick closes court, calls out House for impeachment and reinstates Paxton

Concluding the Senates court of impeachment, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the impeachment trial, thanked his staff and made comments to lend guidance to future generations of lawmakers that may have to take up an impeachment proceeding.

He then made the argument that House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, and his team rushed the impeachment proceeding, flaunting previous precedent and forcing an impeachment that Patrick said he thought should never have occurred.

Not guilty: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton acquitted in impeachment trial

I've been unusually quiet for the last three months, Patrick said, citing the quick pace in which the impeachment charges came from the House in the latter days of the legislative session in late May.

I thought it was my duty to be quiet on this issue, otherwise how can I oversee a fair trial, he said.

Calling it a flawed process, Patrick railed against the Houses lack of witness testimony that occurred under oath and the speed at which the complaint became public and was then sent to the Senate.

We wanted to have a fair trial and protect the integrity of the body, Patrick said of both parties. The integrity of this great chamber and each of you fulfilled that, I was proud of both of you.

Additionally, Patrick argued that Paxton should not have been left without pay during the lead to and through the trial.

In his closing remarks Patrick was not complementary of the House impeachment managers, referencing a closing argument from Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, that called the impeachment vote the most important in the senators careers.

With all due respect to the House, we didn't need to be told in the final arguments how important this vote was, Patrick said. Our members already knew that.

If only the House members who voted for impeachment would have followed that instruction in the House, we may not have been here, Patrick continued.

Before reinstating Paxton to his office, Patrick said he will soon call for an audit of the total cost accumulated by both the House and Senate to run the impeachment proceeding.

Millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on this impeachment, he said, before adjourning the court sine die.

Senators will be allowed to submit their own official statements on the proceeding for reference to future impeachment courts.

Paxton acquitted in impeachment trial, additional charges tossed out

Following the acquittal of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on 16 impeachment charges Saturday, four additional articles being held in abeyance were removed from consideration.

Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, who led the Senates rules committee for the trial, made the motion to stop further consideration and close the impeachment court.

A dismissal in this context does not constitute an acquittal of any charge contained in the articles of impeachment, but would constitute a final decision by the Senate on the Articles of Impeachment, Birdwell said reading the motion. And impeachment no longer be pending.

The Senate again voted in partisan fashion, reaching a final decision not to move forward with the additional four charges by a 19-11.

Only 16 votes were required on the final vote as opposed to 21 for the previous impeachment votes.

Following the decision, the court of impeachment has adjourned sine die.

Paxton acquitted on Article 20, all impeachment charges

In Article 20, Paxton is accused of abusing the public trust to subvert the lawful operation of the government of the state of Texas, and to obstruct the fair and impartial administration of justice.

Paxton was acquitted of the final impeachment charge by a 16-14 vote.

Paxton has been acquitted on all impeachment charges levied against him with only two Republicans, Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills and Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, breaking rank on any impeachment vote.

Four charges that were not heard during Paxtons impeachment trial after being approved by the House, tied to Paxtons ongoing securities case, remain in abeyance.

Senator Kelly Hancock hands in a vote during the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, Sep. 16, 2023.

Paxton acquitted on Article 19

In Article 19, Paxton is accused of engaging in conduct while in his position as attorney general that proved him to be unfit for the office.

The charge, tied to acts laid out in other impeachment articles, was voted down by the Senate in a 16-14 vote.

Paxton acquitted on Article 18

In Article 18, Paxton is accused of dereliction of duty and violation of the constitution as described in previous impeachment articles.

On the charge that he committed acts contrary to the public interest, Paxton was acquitted by a 16-14 vote.

Hancock and Nichols again join Democrats in voting to convict.

Paxton acquitted on Article 17

In Article 17, Paxton is charged with misappropriation of resources during his tenure in the attorney generals office.

Specifically he is accused of causing employees of his office to perform services for his benefit and the benefit of others.

The Senate acquitted Paxton on this charge by a 16-14 vote. Democrats and Hancock and Nichols vote to convict.

Paxton acquitted on Article 16

In Article 16, Paxton is accused of conspiracy to commit the charges laid out in previous impeachment articles.

Paxton was acquitted of the conspiracy accusation by a 16-14 vote.

Sens. Hancock and Nichols again voted to convict, remaining as the only Republicans to cross over and vote against Paxton, a fellow Republican.

Paxton acquitted on Article 15

In Article 15, Paxton is accused of making "multiple false or misleading statements tied to whistleblower allegations.

Paxton was acquitted of the charge by a 16-14 vote.

The court of impeachment jumped to Article 15 because Articles 11-14 are being held in abeyance since they relate to Paxtons ongoing federal securities fraud case. The Senate has the ability to dismiss those charges.

Nichols and Hancock again vote with Democrats to convict.

Paxton acquitted on Article 10

In Article 10, Paxton is accused of bribery tied to a home renovation that House impeachment managers argued was paid for by Nate Paul.

Paxton was acquitted of the bribery charge by a 16-14 vote with Sens. Nichols and Hancock voting for impeachment.

In a brief light hearted moment, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, did not mark her initial vote card on Article 10. Patrick, who is presiding over the vote, joked that he didnt want Zaffirini to miss her first ever vote in the Senate in a tenure that began in the 1980s.

As a senator, I didn't want you to miss one, Patrick said.

Paxton acquitted on Article 9

In relation to Nate Pauls employment of a woman with whom Paxton reportedly had an extramarital affair, Paxton was acquitted of the charge by a party line 18-12 vote.

Paxton was accused of providing Paul, favorable legal assistance from or specialized access to the Office of the Attorney General, in Article 9.

Paxton acquitted on Article 8

In Article 8, Paxton is accused of concealing wrongful acts tied to his response to whistleblower accusations. Paxton was acquitted of the charge by a 22-8 vote.

While holding office as Attorney General Warren Kenneth Paxton misused his official powers by concealing his wrongful acts in connection with whistleblower complaints made by employees, Patrick said, reading the article.

Through eight votes, all Democrats had voted to convict Paxton on every article except Article 3, in which Paxton was accused of providing undisclosed information to Nate Paul and failed by a 28-2 vote.

Nichols again voted to convict.

Paxton acquitted on Article 7

In Article 7, Paxton is accused of misusing public resources to conduct a sham investigation on complaints made against him by office employees who were terminated after going to the FBI.

Paxton was acquitted of the charge on a partisan 16-14 vote.

Hancock and Nichols, the lone Republicans to favor impeachment articles so far, again voted against Paxton.

House Impeachment Manager Rep. Andrew Murr listens as Attorney General Ken Paxton is acquitted of all charges in Paxton's impeachment trial at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, Sep. 16, 2023.

Paxton acquitted on Article 6

In Article 6, Paxton is accused of improperly firing attorney general's office employees after they went to the FBI to raise their concerns of Paxtons conduct related to Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer and Paxton campaign donor.

Paxton was acquitted of the charge by a 16-14 vote.

Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills and Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, remain as the only Republicans in the chamber to support an impeachment article.

Paxton acquitted on Article 5

In Article 5, Paxton is accused of abusing his official powers by violating the laws governing the appointment of prosecuting attorneys in hiring outside attorney Brandon Cammack in an effort to investigate law enforcement agencies conducting a probe into Nate Paul.

In partisan fashion, senators voted to acquit Paxton of the charge by a 17-13 vote.

All Republicans, except Hancock, voted against the charge with all Democrats voting in support of the impeachment article.

Paxton acquitted on Article 4

In Article 4, Paxton is accused of using information held by his office that had not been publicly disclosed for the purpose of providing information to the benefit of Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer and Paxton campaign donor.

Paxton was acquitted with both Republicans and Democrats voting against impeachment with a final tally of 28-2.

Both Nichols and Hancock voted with Paxton for the first time on this article.

Senator Nathan Johnson holds his vote on article one in the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, Sep. 16, 2023.

Paxton acquitted on Article 3

In Article 3, Paxton is accused of misusing the open records process by rendering a verdict not in line with state law and precedent.

Paxton was acquitted of the charge by a 16-14 vote.

Specifically, Paxton directed employees of his office to act contrary to law by refusing to render a proper decision relating to a public information request for records held by the Department of Public Safety, Patrick said, reading the impeachment charge.

Again, Nichols and Hancock were the sole Republicans to vote to impeach .

Paxton acquitted on Article 2

In Article 2, Paxton was accused of helping former Austin real estate developer and campaign donor Nate Paul avoid foreclosure on some of his properties by issuing midnight opinion pausing foreclosure sales.

Paxton was acquitted of the charge by a 16-14 vote

Republican senators Nichols and Hancock again voted with Democrats to convict.

Paxton acquitted on Article 1

In Article 1, in which Paxton is accused of intervening in a lawsuit against the Mitte Foundation, Paxton was found not guilty by a 16-14 vote.

Only two Republicans, Sens. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, and Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, broke from their party in voting with Democrats to impeach Paxton.

A thank you for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

The Senate court of impeachment is now in session as they prepare to proceed with a series of votes on whether to convict or acquit suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Opening in prayer, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, offered a thank you to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for presiding over the trial.

"I want to take just one moment to say a word to you on behalf of this body for the leadership in presiding over this court of impeachment," Kolkhorst said. "The seriousness, the gravity, the constitutional duty that we had, you have done a marvelous job and it truly has been remarkable."

Patrick then said, Sen. Brian Birdwell has informed him the Senate is ready to vote. Vote are expected to collected and confirmed shortly.

During the brief delay until 11:10 a.m., Paxton's attorney Tony Buzbee was seen outside the east side of the Capitol smoking a cigar.

Paxton impeachment vote delayed until 11:10 a.m.

Briefly addressing the Senate chamber, Austin Osborn, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms, announced the delay in his role as the proceeding's bailiff.

"There's a momentary delay until 11:10," Osborn said.

When voting starts, the Senate is expected to vote on 16 separate impeachment articles. Of the 20 articles the Texas House charged Paxton with, four of them are tied to the attorney general's on going securities case and are being held in abeyance, but the Senate has the authority to dismiss those impeachment charges.

Senate vote on Paxton's impeachment expected at 10:30 a.m.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the presiding officer over suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, announced Saturday morning that senators will vote on the 16 articles of impeachment the Texas House filed against the three-term Republican state official at 10: 30 a.m.

The Texas Senate members will vote on articles of impeachment, Patrick said in the statement just before 9:40 a.m.

Sen. Bob Hall, R - Edgewood, walks through the Capitol after a break in deliberations in the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Capitol on Friday September 15, 2023.

After leaving the Capitol on Friday evening without a decision on whether Paxton is guilty or not guilty, the 30 senators who sit as jurors have concluded their deliberations, officials announced Saturday morning.

As per a Friday order from Patrick, the senators were to resume private discussions on Paxton's verdict at 9 a.m. Saturday.

After two weeks of sitting quietly through hours of witness testimony as thousands of pages of evidence were introduced, the senators are now in the driver's seat of the proceeding after closing arguments from both Paxton's legal team and House impeachment managers wrapped up shortly before noon Friday.

Likely speaking from his own experience as one of the House members who made the case in the lower chamber to charge Paxton with offenses ranging from constitutional bribery and disregarding his official duties to firing the once-trusted aides who had warned him he was straying outside of legal bounds, Rep. Jeff Leach R-Plano, expressed to the Senate that it's a hard vote the body has to take and it's a difficult choice to make.

"This will, if you're like me, be the hardest, the most difficult, the heaviest vote that you will ever cast in your time in the Legislature," Leach said.

Leach's comments followed those of his colleague, Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, who continued the argument that Paxton only looked to serve himself as one of Texas' highest ranking elected officials.

Sen. Bryan Hughes, R - MIneola, talks to a reporter as he leaves the Capitol after a break in deliberations the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Capitol on Friday September 15, 2023.

Tony Buzbee, Paxton's lead attorney, remained staunch in his defense that there has been no legitimate grounds presented in the trial for Paxton's removal, railing against a political witch hunt and a "moral superiority" in bringing up Paxton's reported affair with Laura Olson, a woman once expected to testify but later was excused by Patrick earlier this week.

Buzbee called the accusations against Paxton, "much ado about nothing."

"When the house Board of Managers brought this case, they made an assumption. They assumed that this man would quit," Buzbee said in his closing argument Friday. "They assumed that this man would run and hide."

Paxton is facing 16 articles of impeachment and will be removed from office if at least two-thirds of the Senate, or 21 of 30 eligible senators, find him guilty on any one charge. Paxton's wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, has been barred from partaking in the deliberations or voting on her husband's political fate.

If he's found guilty of any article, the Senate will likely take another vote that determine whether to permanently ban Paxton from serving in an elected office in Texas.

This is a developing story; follow along for updates.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Live updates: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calls out House for pursuing impeachment after Paxton acquittal
Army Gen. Mark Milley said a quick outcome to the war in Ukraine is unlikely, noting that a Ukrainian victory in the conflict is a very high bar and would take a very long time.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has resisted negotiating a peace with Russia since the countrys invasion began more than a year and a half ago, citing unserious terms from Moscow. He said the best outcome would be to remove Russia from all Ukrainian territory.

Milley, who is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is retiring from his post at the end of this month, said that objective wont be possible, however, in the countrys current counteroffensive.

Theres well over 200,000 Russian troops in Russian-occupied Ukraine. This offensive, although significant, has operational and tactical objectives that are limited, in the sense that they do not  even if they are fully achieved  they dont completely kick out all the Russians, which is the broader strategic objective that President Zelensky had, Milley said in a CNN interview Sunday.

Thats going to take a long time to do that. Thats going to be very significant effort over a considerable amount of time, he continued.

He refused to say exactly how long he believes it will take, citing the changing aspects of war, but he doubted that the conflict will end any time soon.

I can tell you that itll take a considerable length of time to militarily eject all 200,000 or plus Russian troops out of Russian-occupied Ukraine, he said. Thats a very high bar. Its going to take a long time to do it.

Ukraines long-awaited counteroffensive has made slow progress against Russian lines in the countrys east.

That slow pace has worried Western allies, and Milley has previously both defended the Ukrainian effort and said its success will require patience.

This is going to be long; its going to be hard; its going to be bloody, Milley said in July, adding that the effort is far from a failure, in my view.

Thats a different war on paper and real war, Milley said. These are real people in real machines that are out there really clearing real minefields and theyre really dying. So when that happens, units tend to slow down  in order to survive, in order to get through.

Milley previously stated that there may only be about a month left of fighting before the winter arrives in Ukraine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  Former President Donald Trump used a new interview to explain his abortion position, defend his age as he seeks a second term in office and claim he doesn't fear prison from the four criminal cases filed against him.

The former president also took credit for efforts to overturn Biden 's victory in the 2020 election, even in the face of criminal charges accusing him of trying to steal the race.

"It was my decision," Trump said during a wide-ranging interview that aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press."

The interview also marked the debut of NBC's Kristen Welker as moderator of the long-running news program. Here are seven key takeaways.

'You know who I listen to? Myself'

While attorneys and aides have been accused along with Trump in his state and federal charges over the 2020 election, the former president took credit in the interview that aired Sunday for efforts to overturn his losses in crucial states to Biden.

While Trump has long claimed a "rigged" election, despite no evidence, prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have charged him with conducting illegal conspiracies to tamper with the election results. He also faces charges in Georgia for allegedly trying to take the Peach State from Biden.

"You know who I listen to? Myself," Trump told NBC. "I saw what happened. I watched that election."

Trump also faces two other trials next year, a state "hush money" case in New York and a federal classified documents and obstruction of justice case in Florida.

Trump also said he does not plan to pardon himself because he doesn't think he will be convicted.

Trump and abortion

The Republican front-runner, whose position on abortion has been criticized by some conservatives, said on "Meet the Press" that he would try to work with all sides of the issue.

I think both sides are going to like me," Trump said in the interview taped Thursday.

On the campaign, trail, Trump said Republicans should not stress flat-out opposition to all abortions, and should follow his lead by supporting exceptions in case of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. He addressed the issue in a pair of speeches to groups of social conservatives over the weekend.

Opponents of abortion, a big part of the Republican coalition, have questioned Trump's position as somewhat squishy.

Following the interview, the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a statement to USA TODAY criticized Trump for compromising with Democrats.

Prison? 'I don't even think about it'

While convictions in his criminal cases could lead to prison sentences, Trump claimed he doesn't fear the idea.

I dont even think about it, Trump said. Im built a little differently, I guess."

Opponents like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Trump must be losing sleep over facing four criminal trials.

Trump denied it: I sleep. Because I truly feel that, in the end, were going to win.

Pardons for Jan. 6 rioters

Trump, who has said he will create a task force to evaluate the cases of people convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, said during the interview he would consider pardons if warranted.

"Well, I'm going to look at them, and I certainly might if I think it's appropriate," he told Welker.

Trump says Biden isn't too old to be president

While Republicans seek to make age an issue against the 80-year-old Biden, Trump has to be more careful on the subject. He's 77 years old.

"My father lived much longer than that," Trump said. "My mother lived much longer than that. So genetically, that's a good thing."

As for Biden, Trump said he is not too old either, but he said there should be mental competency tests. And Trump isn't alone in the Republican field in calling for evaluations for older lawmakers. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has also called for such tests for elected officials.

'A nice note' to Biden

While he blasts Biden every day, Trump was also asked about the note he left behind for Biden when he left the White House to make room for the new president.

It is tradition for presidents to leave notes for their successors.

"It was a nice note," Trump said. "I took a lot of time in thinking about it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says Biden isn't too old to be president in interview: Takeaways
One of the goals and priorities of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties is to provide opportunities for everyone to access health services.

Laura Schultz Pipis, executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties

To help with this effort, we are hosting our fall Health Check events in Monroe County at two sites. The first, held in Monroe, will be from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Oct. 12, at Heritage Baptist Church, 612 Strasburg Road, Monroe. The second fall event will be in from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 2, at Carleton United Methodist Church, 11435 Grafton Road, Carleton. No appointment needed.

Cost of the blood panel is $20 for a 22-test series. The main test offered is a blood panel comprised of 22 tests to include a complete blood count, glucose, kidney function, sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, thyroid function and total cholesterol check. A Vitamin D test and diabetes diagnostic aid tests are also available. All tests range in price from $5 to $20. Fasting 12 hours before testing is recommended. Test results are mailed to the individuals home address. Confidentiality is strictly observed. The following vaccines may be available to adults 19 years of age or older who are uninsured or underinsured and meet certain risk factors: Td/Tdap, MMR, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, flu, COVID-19 and pneumonia vaccines will be available for Medicare Part B recipients.

According to the 2022 Monroe County Community Health Assessment, we now only have 1% of Monroe County residents without insurance coverage. However, 25% of residents have not seen a physician in the past 12 months. Health Check provides a low-cost option for health testing, even for those with insurance co-pays or deductibles. This is a great opportunity for any adult resident of Monroe County to secure low or no-cost health testing. Because of Health Check, over the years, lives have been saved through detection of previously unknown diseases such as diabetes, leukemia and more. Funding for the project comes from the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties and ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital which provides the lab testing and procedures.

Community partners help to supply staffing and volunteers: the Family Medical Center of Michigan, Monroe County Health Department, RSVP Program and ProMedica Pharmacy and Labs. The event also includes a Drug Take-Back program for proper disposal of unused or expired medications. Local law enforcement and a pharmacist are on site to assist with this service. The following agencies will also have information tables at the event: ProMedica Diabetes Self-Management, ProMedica Home Care and Hospice Programs, Area Agency on Aging, Monroe County Opportunity Program, Senior Legal Services, Monroe County Emergency Management and many more.

The costs for this project are held to a minimum due to the partnership collaborations. Please share this information with anyone you think might need affordable health screening. A limited supply of free coupons for the blood panel tests is available for those unable to afford the $20 blood panel fee. Contact the United Way at 734-242-1331 or contact one of the partner agencies for a free coupon. Look for our annual Spring Health Check events in the Dundee and Bedford areas in May 2024.

We also host an Adrian Area Health Check each spring and fall. This fall, Adrian Health Check will be from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Oct. 5, at the First United Methodist Church of Adrian, 1245 W. Maple Ave. ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital will provide the lab services. Schmidt & Sons Pharmacy will offer vaccination services. The Family Medical Center, a key partner in Lenawee County as well, provides blood pressure checks. Many other community health partners will be onsite as well. The spring Adrian Area Health Check will be at St. Marys Activities Center in Adrian.

The United Way pledges to help advocate for opportunities that a good life is available for all. Please Join Us in a New Way to Live United this fall campaign season. We currently fund 27 local agency programs in Monroe County. See our website (www.unitedwayMLC.org) for a list of those agencies. We appreciate your support to help fight poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, mental health and substance use disorders, domestic violence, and other important community needs. Additional direct programs and services provided by our local United Way include the 211 Health and Human Services Hotline, Project Ramp, Health Check and the 21-Week Racial Equity Challenge.

For more information about giving to the United Way this campaign season, please contact us. Call us at 734-242-1331, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, mail a contribution or visit us at 216 N. Monroe St., Monroe, MI 48162, or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too.

Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties: Fall Health Check events
One of the goals and priorities of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties is to provide opportunities for everyone to access health services. To help with this effort, we are hosting our eighth Health Check event in Adrian from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Oct. 5, at the First United Methodist Church of Adrian, 1245 W. Maple Ave. No appointment needed.

Laura Schultz Pipis, executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties

Cost of the blood panel is $20 for a 22-test series. The main test offered is a blood panel comprised of 22 tests to include a complete blood count, glucose, kidney function, sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, thyroid function and total cholesterol check. A Vitamin D test and diabetes diagnostic aid tests are also available. All tests range in price from $5 to $20. Fasting 12 hours before testing is recommended. Test results are mailed to the individuals home address. Confidentiality is strictly observed. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available through Schmidt & Sons Pharmacy along with pneumonia vaccines for 65+ patients.

According to the 2020 Lenawee County Community Health Assessment, there are still 18% of Lenawee County residents without insurance coverage. And 34% of residents do not routinely see a physician. Thirty-eight percent of those without insurance coverage have an income below $25,000. Health Check provides a low-cost option for health testing, even for those with high insurance co-pays or deductibles. This is a great opportunity for any adult resident of Lenawee County to secure low or no-cost health testing. Because of Health Check, lives have been saved through previously undetected diseases such as diabetes, leukemia and more. Funding for the project comes from the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties and ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital which provides the lab testing and procedures.

Community partners help to supply staffing and volunteers: the Family Medical Center of Michigan, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Schmidt & Sons Pharmacy, Lenawee County Health Department, First Presbyterian Churches of Adrian and Tecumseh, and ProMedica Labs. The event also includes a Drug Take-Back program for proper disposal of unused or expired medications. Local law enforcement and a pharmacist are onsite to assist with this service. The following agencies will also have information tables at the event: ProMedica Diabetes Self-Management, ProMedica Home Care and Hospice Programs, Area Agency on Aging, and many more.

The costs for this project are held to a minimum due to the partnership collaborations. Please share this information with anyone you think might need affordable health screening. A limited supply of free coupons for the blood panel tests is available for those unable to afford the $20 blood panel fee. Contact the United Way at 517-264-6821 or contact one of the partner agencies for a free coupon. Look for our annual Spring Adrian Area Health Check event in April 2024, held at the St. Marys Activities Center on Division Street, Adrian.

Also note that we have two Health Check events in Monroe County each fall and spring. Fall Health Check events in Monroe County include Thursday, Oct. 12. at Heritage Baptist Church, 612 Strasburg Road, Monroe,from 8 a.m. to noon. The second fall event will be from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 2, at Carleton United Methodist Church, 11435 Grafton Road, Carleton. Monroe ProMedica Regional Hospital provides lab services in Monroe County. If Lenawee County residents are unable to attend the Adrian Area date, they are welcome to attend Monroe County Health Check sites.

We pledge to help advocate for opportunities that a good life is available for all. Please Join Us in a New Way to Live United by giving during this annual campaign season. The United Way funds 11 local Lenawee County agency programs and serves as a donor designation vehicle for 30+ additional agencies. All funds raised in Lenawee County stay in Lenawee County. We appreciate your support to help fight poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, mental health and substance use disorders, domestic violence, and other important community needs.

For more information about donating to the United Way, please contact us. Call us at 517-264-6821, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, visit us at 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15, Adrian, MI 49221, or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too.

Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties: Fall Health Check
MINNEAPOLIS  President Joe Bidens education chief believes public schools are facing a make or break moment. The rescue plan coming from some Democrats, however, rings of policies that have already landed wins for conservatives.

Political skirmishes over classrooms have left Democrats underwater, or dead even, with Republicans among voters in a clutch of battleground states. And as they worried their party has not honed a strategy to reverse declining test scores, enrollment and trust in public schools, liberals watched Republican governors sign historic private school choice laws this year.

The GOP wins and a generational crisis in schooling has convinced some Democrats that the Biden administration needs to promote a liberal version of public school choice in the 2024 campaign, or risk losing votes.

Weve lost our advantage on education because I think that we've failed to fully acknowledge that choice resonates deeply with families and with voters, said Jorge Elorza , the CEO of Democrats for Education Reform and its affiliate Education Reform Now think tank.

The political flak from both the left and right has put pressure on Education Secretary Miguel Cardona , who is campaigning for public schools and  as someone who hopes to stick around if Biden wins a second term  himself.

If you erase the Department of Education or you fund private schools, what are you doing for the students that are in the local neighborhood school? I have yet to see a plan, Cardona told POLITICO of conservative proposals while touring schools across the Midwest and Great Plains. We have a plan.

Yet despite the mileage the secretary is putting into classroom visits and urging party faithful to "get back on offense," Cardonas facing allies who are clamoring for a more sweeping reinvention of public education and a more forceful response to schoolhouse culture wars.

Secretary Cardona is a wonderful, loving, sweet man. He's an educator, said Keri Rodrigues, the president of the National Parents Union and a member of the Massachusetts State Democratic Committee. But what we are going through right now is a brutal political moment, and what our kids and American families need is someone with a very specific vision for how we reimagine our American public school system.

Public schools are confronting significant post-Covid enrollment shifts to private and home schools. Policies that grant students access to school options beyond their traditional neighborhood campus are popular. That has left Cardona to protect the schoolhouse castle, navigate longstanding disagreements between labor unions and liberal education reform groups, and advance a distinctive Democratic vision of education that appeals to families and voters.

We shouldn't be promoting private schools because our neighborhood schools are not making the grade, Cardona said as he rolled from an exurban Minnesota technical college toward a city dual-language elementary school. We should make sure we're working to support our neighborhood schools to make the grade.

Heres the thing. Private choice is taking off  and fast.

Republican governors in Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio, Florida and elsewhere are now presiding over major expansions of programs that give families public subsidies to pay for private school tuition and other education expenses. Oklahoma officials are also leading a campaign to open explicitly religious public schools, which some church leaders and conservative advocates see as a monumental leap for school choice and religious liberty.

Public school enrollment meanwhile dropped by 3 percent in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, a plunge of some 1.4 million students. There are also signs liberals have failed to regain the broad trust on education they once held with voters.

Neither the administration, nor the left, has offered an alternative to the private school choice options that Republicans are offering, said Elorza, a former mayor of Providence, R.I., who supported then-Gov. Gina Raimondos bid to have the state take over his citys troubled school system and made headlines when he declared his family would not send their young son to the citys public schools.

Democrats are either trailing or essentially tied with Republicans among voters in four battleground states when it comes to which party is trusted to ensure public schools prepare students for life after graduation, according to polling Elorzas group commissioned during mid-July in North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Roughly half of voters and parents in those states said their schools were about the same or worse since before the pandemic.

What's going to happen if we don't as a party embrace choice is that, as polling shows us, we're going to lose voters to Republicans on this issue, Elorza said. We're going to lose elections because of this issue. And policywise, we're going to end up with their version of choice  which is private school choice.

Elorza points to battleground voters support for public charter schools, career academies and magnet schools  and their preference for public options over private schools and voucher programs. He said Democrats should also embrace open enrollment policies that allow students to easily transfer within or between school districts.

The head of the country's second-largest teachers union does not disagree with the general idea.

After all, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in an interview, an idea like building a massive regional career tech education center would require new inter-district student transfer policies.

We should be engaged in a robust discussion about how we give kids those kinds of choices within a public system, Weingarten said. Yet old debates are hard to quell, including unions differences with Democrats who want school models to embrace market-based principles.

"The obeisance to competition and to markets doesn't work when you are talking about educating all children, Weingarten said.

Rodrigues said focusing on disputes between traditional schools, charters or other public options risks totally missing the moment, and missing where parents are.

We're in a moment where Democrats should be really embracing school choice as a tool of equity and empowerment, instead of holding tight to this antiquated neighborhood boundary model, Rodrigues said.

One part of Democrats response to conservatives was embodied in the stops featured during Cardonas barnstorming, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said. They included a community public high school that distributes toiletries and clothing to students who need them in the Mayo Clinics hometown of Rochester, Minn. and a sprawling Dakota County Technical College campus an hours drive north in Rosemount, Minn.

The second part of it is to not shy away from understanding that we need to in some ways really reimagine how public education should work, Smith told POLITICO. We have a public education system that has traditionally been organized and designed to prepare students for a four-year college education. That is not the best path for every single person.

Cardona, who graduated from a technical high school instead of his assigned neighborhood campus, says hes a beneficiary of choice. But he said expanding options should not come at the expense of neighborhood schools that are still responsible for educating millions of children.

We shouldn't be promoting choice while ignoring the neighborhood schools that still need support, the secretary said.

Family choice is critical, he added. I don't know that we've ever had a position against it. I just think we have to make sure that if we're talking about how we fund it, we shouldn't do it off the backs of the neighborhood schools funding.
GUEST INTERVIEW: iTWire spoke to John Baker, the CEO of D2L, about eLearning and the company's Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS). John is in town for various, Australian education conferences where the theme is how AI is affecting learning and he also gives us insights into that.

Transcript:

Nick Ross: Hi. I'm Nick Ross, iTWire. Today we're talking with John Baker, who is the CEO of D2l. Hi, can you tell us your role, and what you do?

John Baker: Hi, I am the founder of D2l and so it's a company. I started in my third year of university. This was over 20 years ago, now to go out there and transform the way they will learn. So I decided to tackle one key question, which was What's the most important problem I could solve that would have the biggest impact on the world and for me, it was the ability for us to transform the learning experience. Learning has this wonderful ripple effect from one person through a communities campuses for one generation to the next. And so I set out to build a learning platform that could make the experience better to break down barriers and to engage people to help them achieve more than the evergreen possible. So About learning platform for now, just over 20 years and working with all kinds of clients all over the world.

Nick Ross: So in all your years at the helm of D2l then and you must have noticed that eLearning environment changing quite a bit. What can you tell us? I had to change in that time.

John Baker: when we first started working with clients here in the region, many of them were using paper and traditional methods of delivering education in the class. What we're seeing today is a huge demand for online So learning that can be done on a phone on a tablet, on any type of device and done anywhere at any time. And so it's really optimizing the learning experience around the student. And those could be students, that might be taking online courses. At the same time as showing up to campus, or it could be supporting an upskilling strategy for company, Onboard new employees. Helping them become better experts in their craft, enabling them to gain new skills that are gonna be needed for the future of work. And so today, we're serving all kinds of different markets and doing it in way. That leverage is not just simply digitizing what we used to do in the classroom. But now starting to really optimize for better outcomes, better engage in better retention, and then ultimately transforming the experience.

John Baker: as we move up that technology adoption curve to doing things that we used to think was impossible, 20 years ago, now it's commonplace

Nick Ross: And what's your best known most used product?

John Baker: So most of our clients are using what we call detail brightspace, which is a learning platform that's used by over 16 million people worldwide every day. And in that case, everything you could imagine in the traditional classroom experience is now gone digital using this platform to support that class experience, but also, the support fully online learning from quizzes, to discussions to submitting assignments to getting feedback from professors. All, that's within that platform.

Nick Ross: And what other latest developments on the platform.

John Baker: So what we're really zeroing in on especially post, pandemic is trying to address engagement with students and so for us at the heart of that, it's really making sure that there's good feedback, whether it's with a teacher, and a school, or a professor in the university or getting great feedback from a mentor in the workplace. That's at the heart of driving engagement, which drives better outcomes for learning. And so, we've been putting a lot of work into those workflows around. Making sure it's easy to leave video feedback or to give people click evaluation using a rubric for consistency and just really fine tuning that engagement. We also want recently, a lot of work around what we call Creator Plus which is the ability for us to take 20 years.

John Baker: Of instructional design practice and learning science and make it easy for anybody to create, really engaging, learning experiences with all kinds of Interactives, Flip Card exercises, Timelines, simulations, you name it all within just a few drag and drop actions if you will. So basically, instead of having to get a videographer and a content creator and a designer and an animator, that's now being put at the fingertips of everybody. And so what we're seeing with that is it creates great content. So it goes beyond just simply watching a video and reading some content now and taking a quiz to now, being able to have really engaging INTERACTIVES within the course is and then followed up good practices where you can assess whether the student has learned what you're trying to teach. And so instead of the student waiting for an exam or waiting for a big quiz, that's high stakes, then get that immediate right wrong a little bit of feedback and the voice of the educator and it really helps them in code. What's right? And wrong? I consider

00:05:00

John Baker: Almost a step function improvement in the quality of how we teach people today and it's again, just making it easy for folks to apply that two decades of learning science to how we teach every day.

Nick Ross: So, you partly answer my next question, but I held a d2l different to other lms. I can never say that.

John Baker: It's okay. There's lots of different acronyms in our space but in our case we're the only company that's not Equity owned were a founder back company, that's a publicly traded still but at the heart we're still very mission driven. So we're working with clients to build collaborative, roadmaps to enable us to really have an impact on the core workflows that have a difference in the lives of students and educators and employers all around the world. And so we're pulling away from our competitor set in terms of being able to deliver on that real transformation, that they're all looking for. As they continue to digitize their schools or universities in their companies.

John Baker: And another big thing that differentiates us is the work that we're doing around. Upskilling so we've launched a new platform called D2lave, which is free for companies to roll out which enables companies to take upskilling programs from top, tier academic providers and just manages all the challenges associated with giving employees a budget approving courses that they could take aligning those to the future skills that the employer is going to want. And the employee's gonna need for their career development, just making all of that challenge if you will, a lot easier for folks. And so connecting this ecosystem of upskilling in the workplace with great education, is a big differentiator for us these days.

Nick Ross: Understand, you're doing something special with accessibility and diversity training.

John Baker: So in our case, one of the big barriers that existed when we built the initial platform, many years ago was, If you're blind or deaf, you couldn't participate equally with everybody else.

John Baker: And so we're the best learning platform in the world. That makes it easier for someone that's blind or deaf to participate equally with everybody. There were students that went back to campuses after the pandemic asking for accommodations in the professors, were scratching their head. What do you need in the combination? And the student would say, because I'm blind and the professor had no idea. They've been teaching the student for over two years and had no idea. They were actually having a requirement for an accommodation so we can with technology really break down. These barriers wave is another example of providing Skilling to help people. Understand how to leverage technology in new ways to help support universal design. For learning to teach people how to really engage in these topics. And there's also wonderful clients that we have over here in Australia that build courses for workplaces, in terms of how to make sure that they're building their products to meet accessibility requirements. And everyone thinks that, this should be sort of an add-on.

John Baker: Will build this product and then we'll make it accessible later. We think of it as almost a bedrock foundation, for you build, if you make it part of your culture, as you build technology to make sure that you're including everybody so that everyone can use it equally, it actually improves the learning experience for everybody because who hasn't been in a busy street that wants to put on the earpods and just listen who doesn't want to sometimes just, turn off the audio because they're wanting to just look at the closed captions or just simply read. And so the ability for you to tackle, this universal design experience, makes it easier for everyone to learn.

Nick Ross: And if you could give one piece of advice to organizations about getting into improve what employee engagement and retention, what would it be?

John Baker: feedback is at the heart of driving engagement and retention. And so if you set very clear expectations in terms of what we're trying to accomplish or as an employee or as a student's in terms of, here's the goals for the program. And then with feedback, you're giving them a reason to persist, you're helping them understand, how they're progressing, what they need to work on what you're gonna be looking for. In the next one, you're giving them comfort that they're in a spot where they can learn and grow and that they're getting good advice to be the best. They can possibly be and it's through feedback that enables people to become real leaders in their craft leaders as people leaders. And that really

John Baker: Helps inspire them to achieve even more. And so I was giving one piece of feedback it would be that and then there's some really cool cutting edge research. That's just kind of around the concept of growth mindset. There's another piece that's sort of branched off of that around stress is performance enhancing. A lot of folks, don't know this. But if you have a mindset, if you literally believe that stressful circumstances are how you learn.

00:10:00

John Baker: And they're not actually performance degrading. They actually enhance your performance, maybe with the exception of stress at sleep time, we don't want that. But all the other forms of stress, actually help us learn. It's how we're actually learning how we're nowhere learning and if you can get that mindset shift, what we're seeing, if, some of the research is that you can see almost a 30% lift in scores, for students. And so there are some great learning science pieces that are coming out that will help improve performance. But I keep going back to that, great, one around feedback and really understanding a good mindset in terms of how to approach great learning experiences.

Nick Ross: And don't even thinking that there can be too much stress in some instances that prevent learning but I totally get your point on that one. How can potential partners?

John Baker: Yeah. Yeah.

Nick Ross: Yeah. How can potential partners work with you direct sales or through the channel or what?

John Baker: So we mostly go direct especially in this region, although we have channel partners all over the world but they can reach out at d2l.com and we'd be happy to follow up at any point. Whether they're a company trying to implement new learning for their employees or for their clients or university or school system where we're here to help.

Nick Ross: And there's anything else you'd like to add. While you've got the ear of the Itwired B2B audience in Australia,

John Baker: we're here at a conference. we just hosted one in Brisbane. We're doing another one tomorrow, Melbourne, and the key topic is around artificial intelligence being applied to education, we're all seven conversations around cybersecurity and the impact that education can have their in terms of traveling better, cyber security posture within the world, and the upskilling that presents itself as an opportunity for both AI and cyber. And there's many other topics that I would love to explore with you at some point. I think when we think about that disruptions that are sweeping through education and through a world today, there's never been a more impactful time to be providing education and upscaling to help people. Pivot to new opportunities to upskill, so that they're ready for the jobs that they're doing today, and to be able to capture the opportunities that are in front of us.

Nick Ross: Okay. John Baker. Thank you very much.

John Baker: You're welcome, Nick, thanks and have a great day.

Nick Ross: Okay, before you go, there's actually another question I wanted to throw in but I didn't want to do it in the main scheme of things. In case, it wasn't something you wanted to talk about and as you worked in learning for quite a bit with Eda. So I've written all kinds of articles on to Microlearning peer learning, space repetition,

John Baker: Yeah.

Nick Ross: and Michael learning about what they see. Is that something that you cover at all, or could speak on and

John Baker: Yep.

Nick Ross: could I just ask you one more question and I'll inserted in All My experience of learning means there's some pretty new and very useful methods. The LMS is in a employee including microlearning space, requisition and peer learning amongst many others. How does brightspace include those?

John Baker: We support all of those strategies including beyond pure learning cohort based learning as well too. These are all big important strategies to employ from a learning science perspective. Space repetition is a great way to help people, really remember understanding code, what's right, what's wrong and be able to, test themselves over a period of time and really reinforce the learning What's happening Micro credentials. And micro learning are a great way for people to pick up skills, one piece at a time, so,

John Baker: Example, Our d2l wave product enables you to perhaps complete an MBA program. Just one course at a time until you actually stack it into that bigger certificate or bigger degree or bigger program. And so, all of these tools, if you will are a great ways for us to create new pathways for students to create new ways, for them to engage, in the courses, to get inspired to help them learn. And I think these are really important.

Nick Ross: So I'm going to check it another one there I'm gamification. How do you see that fitting into learning?

John Baker: So, we've been building gaming engines for a long time and see a huge impact. We're seeing completion rates and retention go up in classes that are Gamifying, some of their programs, you create leaderboards. You can literally have a game board as they go through the different e outcomes for the course, they unlock the next level, the ability for you to have competitions and avatars and really build connection to. And by the way, this doesn't just work in schools, it also works in the universities it works in companies. it creates a bit of fun as you're going through these learning experiences.
Ive watched Michigan State University struggle with scandal after scandal. The way to change the culture is by starting at the top.

Former Congressman Fred Upton should be on the shortlist for the job.

This university needs someone fresh with a history of integrity, honesty and a strong work ethic. No one person can change overnight the direction that the university is currently following. Upton, however, I believe will shift direction and give the student body, faculty, administrators and taxpaying public the confidence that this nonsense stops with his swearing in.

Anthony Fritz

Grosse Pointe Farms

Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) speaks with a reporter as he departs the U.S. Capitol May 13, 2022.

What do you think about MSU, Mel Tucker? Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.

Re-elect Joe Biden

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is wrong when he says that the Biden family is corrupt and that is why he is authorizing an impeachment inquiry. He could not be more wrong in that statement. Biden does not have a corrupt bone in his body. Never had and never will, and Mr. McCarthy knows it. He is doing this so he can hold on to his speakership. He is also doing it because Donald Trump is demanding it, along with the MAGA wing of his party. Joe Biden is the best person to be in office, especially after Donald Trump's efforts to turn this country into an autocracy. Joe Biden is respected around the world, and strongly deserves another four year term.

Jim Jeziorowski

Wayne

President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, June 30, 2023, in Washington, as his administration is moving forward on a new student debt relief plan after the Supreme Court struck down his original initiative. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at left. Two conservative groups are asking a federal court to block the Biden administrations plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers.

Mitch Albom got it right

In Sundays Letters to the Editor ("Mitch's latest column was fodder for MAGA crowd," Detroit Free Press, Sept. 3) Frances Potasnik criticized Mitch Albom for giving fodder to the MAGA Republicans because he criticized President Joe Biden. If they had read any of Mitchs previous articles, they would know that Mitch Albom is not a fan of the MAGA crowd nor Donald Trump.

Ive questioned Albom in the past for his political views, but now realize that he looks at individual actions and not a political party. What has this country become when a person is vilified for criticizing a person that they may actually support, because it gives the opposing party ammunition? I give Mitch all the credit in the world for being a free thinker, and not a mindless follower of an ideology who cannot even see another point of view.

Ron Miakinin

Rochester Hills

What do you think about Joe Biden? Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.

Mitch Albom got it wrong

Mitch Albom is at it again. A couple of weeks ago, a reader urged him to stop giving fodder to the far right by trashing Biden without ever mentioning his accomplishments. ("Mitch's latest column was fodder for MAGA crowd," Detroit Free Press, Sept. 3) Kudos to the Free Press for publishing that letter. Now, Albom has ineffectively hid more criticism of the president in a piece about how Americans should stop criticizing older people.

In his article last week, Criticizing the old isnt cute, its an insulting trend that is gaining steam, he actually had the gall to deride Bidens age himself! ("Mitch Albom: Criticizing the old isn't cute, it's an insulting  and growing  trend," Detroit Free Press, Sept. 10.) At first he used the Fox News tactic of citing what other people think, by mentioning that some people mock him for being a doddering fool who half the time doesnt know where he is.

However, the hypocrisy then reached epic heights. In this article he denounced the practice of ridiculing the elderly, but then proceeded to write about Bidens "embarrassing flubs, exaggerations, and apparent confusion." He essentially pulled out all of the old-person stereotypes that he was scolding the rest of society for using.

It was an incredibly shameful display.

Bryan Chase

Huntington Woods

These laws will protect survivors of domestic abuse

Im urging everyone to call their Michigan representatives and tell them to support House Bills 4945 and 4946 that will prohibit convicted domestic abusers from owning or possessing a gun. This will save lives. Its a concrete step to take in protecting very vulnerable women. It just makes sense.

We need a state level-law that will allow local law enforcement to enforce the federal law keeping these people from possessing firearms. Thank you for helping to make Michigan a safer space.

Dwight Cendrowski

Ann Arbor

Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.

Stormwater infrastructure must play a role in our climate future

I am writing in support of Warren C. Evans recent column, We must accept and adjust to new normal, invest in stormwater infrastructure. As the former 16-year mayor of Inkster and associate director of urban programs at Freshwater Future, positions which have thrust me into the heart of this matter, Id like to emphasize the importance of building on existing green stormwater infrastructure efforts, and the need for long term investment in stormwater infrastructure with a focus on equity.

Inkster, like many other communities, has grappled with the devastating consequences of recurrent flooding, which is no longer an isolated event but an alarming new norm. In my tenure as mayor, we were able to construct two retention basins in Inkster, a project undertaken when such initiatives were rare. The $41 million investment in a 4-million-gallon retention basins, partly funded by taxpayers, underscores the community's commitment to seeking alternatives to Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).

Since then many other initiatives have pushed for more green water infrastructure to reduce climate impacts, including Freshwater Future, a bi-national non-profit that protects freshwater resources from source to tap across the Great Lakes. Nearly six years ago, I cautioned the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) that we needed to redesign our infrastructure to account for the extreme storms brought on by climate change. Now, with each heavy rain, Detroiters like those in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood where my son lives see their basements become CSO retention basins. Our residents are paying the price.

It is evident that climate adaptation and mitigation must be integral parts of our city planning and budgeting processes. It's crucial for leaders like Mayor Mike Duggan and Gary Brown to reconsider infrastructure from a climate perspective. While there has been lip service about change from DWSD over the past 13-plus years, action remains elusive. Investing in green stormwater infrastructure and other climate resilience measures will be expensive. Especially considering Wayne Countys racialized history of red-lining, urban renewal, and suburbanization, which have served to disenfranchise our residents, funding to address flooding and climate impacts must not create an inequitable burden for local taxpayers.

Michigan residents need and deserve conscientious, forward-thinking public policy to address climate impacts  and we arent starting with a blank slate. Organizations like Freshwater Future, We the Peopleof Detroit, and so many others have been engaging decision makers for years to advocate for equitable solutions to water quality and affordability issues. As we are challenged to redesign our infrastructure, wemust ensure that the costs are not unfairly borne in our communities. Let us embrace these challenges as opportunities to push the envelope and secure the funding necessary to implement equitable environmental solutions.

Hilliard Hampton

Novi

Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mel Tucker, MSU, Joe Biden impeachment, Mitch Albom, climate | Letters
What to know about COVID levels, masking as updated vaccine lands in WA
This 1905 photo from the Relander Collection in Yakima Valley Libraries archives shows the main St. Joseph's Academy building that stood near the northeast corner of North Fourth Street and what was then "C" Street (now Lincoln Avenue). Maps of the area show the boarding school for Native students that the Sisters of Providence operated in another building to the east of the main structure, facing Naches Avenue. There is no information with the photo, but the building in the background could be the boarding school, which was open from April 1889 to July 1896. Sanborn Insurance maps from 1905 show the boarding school as "abandoned" but still standing in 1905.
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
A look at Apples new Transformer-powered predictive text model

At WWDC earlier this year, Apple announced that upcoming versions of iOS and macOS would ship with a new feature powered by a Transformer language model that will give users predictive text recommendations inline as they type.

Upon hearing this announcement, I was pretty curious about how this feature works. Apple hasnt deployed many language models of their own, despite most of their competitors going all-in on large language models over the last couple years. I see this as a result of Apple generally priding themselves on polish and perfection, while language models are fairly unpolished and imperfect.

As a result, this may be one of the first Transformer-based models that Apple will ship in one of its operating systems, or at least one of the first that theyve acknowledged publicly. This left me with some questions about the feature, notably:

What underlying model is powering this feature?

What is its architecture?

What data was used to train the model?

After spending some time with these questions, I was able to find some answers, but many of the details still remain unclear. If youre able to get any further than I could, please get in touch!

How does the feature work?

After installing the macOS beta, I immediately opened the Notes app and started typing. Despite trying many different sentence structures, the feature generally appeared less often than I expected it to. It mostly completes individual words.

Predictive text completing one word at a time.

The feature will occasionally suggest more than one word at a time, but this is generally limited to instances where the upcoming words are extremely obvious, similar to the autocomplete in Gmail.

Predictive text completing two words at a time.

Can we dig deeper?

Finding the model itself was a little tough, but I eventually found the model being used by AppleSpell , an internal macOS application that checks for spelling and grammar mistakes as you type. With the help of xpcspy , I wrote a Python script that snoops on AppleSpell activity and streams the most probable suggestions from the predictive text model as you type in any application.

My predictive spy script in action.

Unfortunately, I wrote this script earlier in the summer, on the first macOS Sonoma beta. In one of the subsequent betas (Im not sure which), Apple removed the unused completions from the XPC messages sent by AppleSpell. I wasnt able to glean too much about the models behavior from these completions, but it was still a cool find.

Where is the model?

After some more digging, Im pretty sure I found the predictive text model in /System/Library/LinguisticData/RequiredAssets_en.bundle/AssetData/en.lm/unilm.bundle . The bundle contains multiple Espresso model files that are used while typing (Espresso appears to be the internal name for the part of CoreML that runs inference on models). I wasnt ultimately able to reverse-engineer the model, but Im fairly confident this is where the predictive text model is kept. Heres why:

Many of the files in unilm.bundle dont exist on macOS Ventura (13.5), but they do exist on the macOS Sonoma beta (14.0). And the files that do exist in both versions have all been updated in Sonoma. sp.dat , one of the files in unilm.bundle , exists on Ventura, but its been updated in the Sonoma beta. In the updated version of the file, I found what looks pretty clearly like a set of tokens for a tokenizer. The number of tokens in sp.dat matches the shape of the output layer in both unilm_joint_cpu.espresso.shape and unilm_joint_ane.espresso.shape (ANE = Apple Neural Engine), two files in unilm.bundle that describe the shapes of layers in an Espresso/CoreML model. This is what we would expect to see for a model that is trained to predict the next token.

The predictive text models tokenizer

I found a set of 15,000 tokens in unilm.bundle/sp.dat that pretty clearly look like they form the vocabulary set for a large language model. I wrote a script that you can use to see this vocabulary file for yourself, which you can check out on GitHub.

The vocabulary starts with <pad> , <s> , </s> , and <unk> tokens, which are all fairly common special tokens ( roberta-base and t5-base are two popular language models):

>>> from transformers import AutoTokenizer >>> >>> tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained("roberta-base") >>> tokenizer.convert_ids_to_tokens([0, 1, 2, 3]) ['<s>', '<pad>', '</s>', '<unk>'] >>> >>> tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained("t5-base") >>> tokenizer.convert_ids_to_tokens([0, 1, 2]) ['<pad>', '</s>', '<unk>']

Next come the following sequences:

20 special tokens, named UniLMCTRL0 through UniLMCTRL19

through 79 contractions (Id, couldnt, youve)

1 special _U_CAP_ token

token 20 special tokens, named _U_PRE0_ through _U_PRE19_

through 60 special tokens, named _U_NT00_ through _U_NT59_

through 100 emojis

And then comes a more normal-looking list of 14,716 tokens, most of which are followed by the special character  (U+9601), which is commonly used in byte-pair encoding (BPE) tokenizers, such as the GPT-2 tokenizer, to denote a space.

I have to say that this vocabulary file strikes me as pretty unique, but its definitely not out of the question for a language model deployed in this setting. Ive personally never seen emojis featured so prominently in a language models tokenizer, but existing research has shown that domain-specific models and tokenizers can drastically improve downstream model performance. So it makes sense that a model trained for use in things like text messages, in which emojis and contractions will be used a lot, would prioritize them.

Model architecture

Based on the contents of the unilm_joint_cpu model from earlier, we can make some assumptions about the predictive text network. Despite sharing the name of Microsofts UniLM from 2019, it looks more to me like a model based on GPT-2.

GPT-2 has four main parts: token embeddings, positional encodings, a series of 12-48 decoder blocks, and an output layer. The network described by unilm_joint_cpu appears to be the same, except with only 6 decoder blocks. Most of the layers within each decoder block have names like gpt2_transformer_layer_3d , which would also seem to suggest its based on a GPT-2 architecture.

From my calculations based on sizes of each layer, Apples predictive text model appears to have about 34 million parameters, and it has a hidden size of 512 units. This makes it much smaller than even the smallest version of GPT-2.

Model Decoder Blocks Parameters Hidden Size Apples predictive text model 6 34M 512 gpt2 12 117M 768 gpt2-medium 24 345M 1024 gpt2-large 36 762M 1280 gpt2-xl 48 1542M 1600

For the limited scope of the predictive text feature, this makes sense to me. Apple wants a model that can run very quickly and very frequently, without draining much of your devices battery. When I was testing the predictive text feature, suggestions appeared almost instantly as I typed, making for a great user experience. While the models limited size means it wouldnt be very good at writing full sentences or paragraphs, when it exhibits very high confidence in the next word or two, theyre likely to be good enough to suggest to the user.

However, with my script that snoops on activity from AppleSpell , we can get the model to write full sentences anyway. If I type Today as the first word of my sentence and take the models top suggestion each time, heres what I get (video):

Today is the day of the day and the day of the week is going to be a good thing I have to do is get a new one for the next couple weeks and I think I have a lot of

Not very inspiring. We can compare this with the output from the smallest GPT-2 model:

Today, the White House is continuing its efforts against Iran to help the new President, but it will also try to build new alliances with Iran to make more

Or the largest GPT-2 model:

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago, the Chicago Police Department, and the citys Independent Police Review Authority, alleging that the police department and the Independent Police Review Authority engaged in a pattern or practice

Pretty cool seeing the effects of all those extra parameters! Itll be interesting to see how this feature grows and evolves in the future, and whether Apple decides to keep its scope fairly narrow or someday expand its abilities.

If youre interested in trying any of this out for yourself, all of my code is on GitHub.

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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.

Also read: United Airlines Flight With 270 Passengers Plunges 28,000 Feet In 8 Minutes

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: Anand Mahindra has praised the Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj as he dedicated his Player of the Match prize money worth $ 5000 to the ground staff of the Colombo where the Asia cup 2023 final be held between Sri Lanka and India. He termed the act as Class and said it didnt come from your wealth or your background but from Within.

India won the Asia cup 2023 final against Sri Lanka with 10 wickets remaining. The former had put only 51 runs on the board as a target after getting bowled out just under 7 overs. Sri Lankan players witnessed deadly bowling by the Indian bowlers spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj.

Mohammed Siraj became the player of the Match after he took six wickets by giving a mere 21 runs in his spell. In a carnage over, he took four wickets with a four run spare. Referring him as a Marvel Avenger, Mahindra said that he never before felt his heart weep for their opponent. Its as we have unleashed a supernatural force upon them.
New Delhi: Mark Cuban, an American businessman, investor, film producer, and television personality, lost about $8,70,000 to a crypto scam late on September 15. On-chain sleuth Wazz first noticed the unusual transactions in the MetaMask cryptocurrency wallet labelled 'Mark Cuban 2' on EtherScan. The wallet had been inactive for more than five months, reports CryptoSlate.

"Lmao, did Mark Cuban's wallet just get drained? Wallet inactive for 160 days and all assets just moved," Wazz posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The news was first reported by DLNews. Cuban confirmed that he lost five Ethereum (ETH) tokens, worth around $8,170 at current prices. However, he also lost USD Coin (USDC), Polygon (MATIC), Lido staked Ethereum (stETH), and tokens from SuperRare and Ethereum Name Service, according to the report.

However, the billionaire was able to transfer approximately $2 million USDC from the wallet to Coinbase Custody, preventing the majority of assets from being stolen. Cuban claims he is "pretty sure" he downloaded a malicious version of MetaMask, which resulted in the hack.

I went on MetaMask for the first time in months. They must have been watching, Cuban was quoted as saying.

He also stated that his MetaMask application "crashed a couple times", after which he locked his non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on OpenSea and removed all of his MATIC from the account. This is not the first time Cuban has experienced cryptocurrency losses. He lost an unspecified amount of assets when Iron Finance's TITAN stablecoin collapsed in a rumoured rug pull in 2021, the report said.

Meanwhile, global cryptocurrency exchange CoinEx has announced that its hot wallets were hacked and large amounts of digital assets stolen, which were used to support the platform's operations.

The incident occurred on September 12, and preliminary assessment indicated that the unauthorised transactions involved Ethereum ($ETH), Tron ($TRON), and Polygon ($MATIC) cryptocurrency.
Vishwakarma Jayanti, also known as Vishwakarma Puja, is a day dedicated to honoring Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect and craftsman in Hindu mythology. It is a significant festival celebrated with immense enthusiasm, especially in India. These sweet offerings not only please Lord Vishwakarma but also bring joy to those partaking in the celebration.

The festival, which falls on the last day of the Bengali month of Bhadra, often sees artisans and craftsmen paying their respects to Lord Vishwakarma for his blessings and guidance.

In addition to making these delicious sweets, devotees often adorn their workshops and tools with fresh flowers and incense sticks to seek divine inspiration and protection for their work. The festival also serves as a reminder of the importance of craftsmanship and the dedication it takes to create masterpieces.

Also read: Vishwakarma Puja 2023: Shubh Muhurat, Puja Timings, Rituals And Celebrations

Consider trying your hand at these sweet recipes to offer as prasad during the puja. Whether you're celebrating with family or in your workplace, these traditional sweets will undoubtedly add a touch of sweetness and warmth to your festivities.

Here, we present seven delectable sweet recipes to make your Vishwakarma Jayanti celebration even more delightful.

1. Besan Ladoo:

A classic Indian sweet, Besan Ladoo is loved by people of all ages. To prepare this treat, roast gram flour (besan) in ghee until it turns golden brown, then add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and chopped nuts. Shape the mixture into small, round ladoos, and your offering is ready.

2. Sooji Halwa:

Sooji Halwa, also known as Rava Kesari, is a simple yet delightful dessert. Roast semolina (sooji) in ghee until it releases a fragrant aroma. Then, add sugar, water, and a pinch of saffron for that rich color. Garnish with nuts and serve warm.

3. Malpua:

Malpua is a traditional Indian pancake often associated with festivals. To prepare these sweet delights, make a batter with flour, milk, and sugar. Deep fry spoonfuls of the batter until golden brown and soak them in sugar syrup. Top with chopped pistachios and enjoy the crispy, syrupy goodness.

4. Coconut Ladoo:

If you're looking for a quick and easy sweet, Coconut Ladoo is an excellent choice. Mix desiccated coconut, condensed milk, and cardamom powder. Shape into small rounds, and you have a coconutty treat ready to offer.

5. Gulab Jamun:

Gulab Jamun is a quintessential Indian dessert. Prepare soft, melt-in-the-mouth dumplings from khoya (milk solids) and flour. Deep fry them until golden brown and soak in rose-flavored sugar syrup. The result is a sweet, fragrant delight that's hard to resist.

6. Kheer:

Kheer, a creamy rice pudding, is a symbol of love and prosperity. Slow-cook rice in milk until it thickens, and then add sugar, cardamom, and a handful of chopped nuts. Garnish with rose petals or saffron strands for an extra touch of elegance.

7. Peda:

Peda is a popular sweet made from khoya and flavored with cardamom. Cook khoya until it thickens and then shape it into small, flat rounds. Top with pistachios or almonds for a delightful crunch.

Vishwakarma Jayanti is a time for reflection on the value of craftsmanship and artistry, and these sweet recipes are a delightful way to celebrate this auspicious occasion. Enjoy these treats with your loved ones as you pay homage to the divine architect, Lord Vishwakarma. Happy Vishwakarma Jayanti!
Cuttack: Cuttack-based smoke artist Deepak Biswal created a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 73rd birth anniversary, also depicting Odisha's magnificent heritage with an exquisite representation of the wheel from the Sun Temple in Konark in the background. The iconic Konark wheel of Odisha was also used as the backdrop by PM Modi as he greeted world leaders and delegates at a presidential dinner in the national capital during the recent G20 Summit.

Speaking to ANI on his latest creation, Biswal said, "I have created a smoke portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wish him on his 73rd birthday. In the portrait, I have also depicted the Konark wheel, which represents Odisha's magnificent culture and heritage. As we are aware, the Konark wheel was used as a backdrop by PM Modi as he welcomed world leaders and delegates at the G20 dinner. It was a matter of pride for us."

#WATCH | Odisha: A Cuttack-based smoke artist, Deepak Biswal makes a portrait of PM Narendra Modi for his 73rd birthday.



PM Modi is celebrating his birthday today, 17th September. pic.twitter.com/xo752bW5z7  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

The artist said he uses the smoke of a candle, a needle (or an old pen nib) and a canvas to create his artworks. Meanwhile, a BJP worker in Pune crafted PM Modi's portrait using grains and millets on his 73rd birth anniversary. Kishor Tarwade, the BJP worker, told ANI, "The size of the portrait is 10X18 feet and was made from about 60 kg of grains such as wheat, lentils and millets (Jawar, Raagi).

The portrait will be on display from September 16 to September 18 at the Budhwar Peth area of Pune city in Kalika Mata Mandir Bhavan. No fee will be charged for seeing it while it is on display." Tarwade added, "Wheat, til, masoor daal, hari moong daal, jawar raagi, toor daal, and sarso were also used to make the portrait."
New Delhi: In the last six years, IAS Tina Dabi has consistently remained in the public eye. Her name frequently appeared in headlines during the Covid-19 lockdown, and she has built a substantial presence on social media platforms. Tina Dabi's journey, whether it's her impressive UPSC rank, her unique love story and marriage, or the recent viral circulation of her CBSE Class 12 mark sheet, stands apart from others. Today, let's delve into the life and achievements of Tina Dabi.

Tina Dabi's Early Years

Tina Dabi was born on November 9, 1993, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Her father, Jaswant Dabi, held the position of General Manager in BSNL, and her mother, Himani Dabi, is an officer in the Indian Engineering Service (IES). Her younger sister, Ria Dabi, achieved the remarkable rank of 15 in the IAS.

IAS Tina Dabi's Educational Background

After relocating from Bhopal to New Delhi, Tina Dabi attended the Jesus and Mary Convent School. Reports indicate that she completed her Class 12 education from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where she achieved top honors. It's noteworthy that she scored a perfect 100 in both Political Science and History in her Class 12 CBSE Board Exams. Tina Dabi pursued her undergraduate studies in Political Science at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi.

Tina Dabi's Rank In UPSC

Tina Dabi embarked on her UPSC journey during her first year of graduation. Remarkably, she succeeded on her maiden attempt and emerged as the top-ranked candidate in the 2015 UPSC exam. Following her training, she became an IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre in 2016.

Tina Dabi's Married Life

Tina Dabi fell in love with Athar Amir Khan who was his batchmate and both got married in 2018 after years of dating. However, the marriage did not last and both decided to split mutually. and got divorced in 2021. Tina Dabi entered into her second marriage, this time with Dr. Pradeep Gawande in April last year. The wedding was attended by close family members and a select group of guests.

Tina Dabi's Current Posting

Tina Dabi assumed the role of the Collector and Magistrate of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan in July. Prior to this, she served as a Joint Secretary in the Finance Department of the state government while stationed in Jaipur. Tina Dabi, the IAS topper of the 2016 batch, now holds the esteemed position of the 65th Collector of Jaisalmer. The popular IAS officer is currently on maternity leave as she became a mother after she gave birth to a baby on September 15.
New Delhi: The fun is back on! So why not use your passion for party planning and decorating to start your dream business venture? You can establish a party decoration business for a very small investment, contribute to people's enjoyment of their time, and earn a solid livelihood all at once. Party decoration is growing rapidly. Therefore, this is a fantastic time to join the party and take a share of that market.

However, launching a business requires effort, time, and knowledge above everything else. Fortunately, this step-by-step article provides all the knowledge and advice you'll need to launch a prosperous party decorating company. (Also Read: Turn Your Dream Business Idea Into Reality: Start With Just Rs 2 Lakh And Earn Monthly Income Of Rs 80,000)

Event Decoration Business: Opportunity

There are two ways to manage your company. One involves collaborating with an event management firm, while the other is only concerned with decoration. A party or event coordinator will be necessary for the bulk of them. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

The person has the power to coordinate and make decisions. You can immediately enter the scene as an additional decorative partner in certain situations. There is no tangible product you can display to customers; instead, the success of your business exclusively depends on the quality of the services you give.

Only your customer reviews and the number of orders you've received will be able to gauge the calibre of your service.

Event Decoration Business: Set Up Cost

An in-depth research is required because the profitability of the firm depends on it. Make a clear-cut list of everything you need and decide how big your firm will be. The concept of renting versus buying will also have an effect on the investment you have in mind.

You do not need to buy event decor items in advance in this business. All you need is the supplier's contact information when the order is placed. This business requires very little capital to launch.

The total of your investment will be equal to the value of the assets you have in your business. Given that the decoration industry provides services at the customer's location, expenses at your workplace will be really low.

Event Decoration Business: Investment Details

In the initial phase, you can start this business for only Rs 10,000. Further on, when you will expand the business model, it needs more investment accordingly.

Event Decoration Business: Profit Margin

The profit margin in the business model is around 40 percent to 45 percent.

Event Decoration Business: Profit

If we talk about the exact profit, it depends on the operation of the business. If reports can be believed, one can easily earn in lakhs from it.
MATTOON  While police, lawyers, judges and courthouse administrators have worked for months to prepare for the end of cash bail in Illinois, they will enter uncharted territory next week when a new system begins statewide.

When the Pretrial Fairness Act takes effect Monday, Illinois will be the first state to abolish cash bail as a condition of a persons release before trial. Judges can still keep people behind bars before trial if they are accused of serious crimes, or if a prosecutor successfully argues that the person represents a flight risk or danger to the community.

However, a more rigorous review of each case will be required before the defendant can be detained  and the work must take place on a tighter timeline, as laid out in state law.

Amanda Ade-Harlow, presiding judge for Shelby County, said representatives from the circuit court, law enforcement, states attorneys office, public defenders office and pretrial court services began meeting shortly after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law in July.

They have reached a point where they believe as of last week, we have a really good system, Ade-Harlow said. But as with anything, we dont know for sure until it starts.

Cash bail ban is years in the making

The Pretrial Fairness Act has been on the books since early 2021, and became a hot-button political issue in the intervening years. Lawmakers voted during their lame duck session in December to adjust the original language to clarify some provisions and address concerns about circumstances under which people could be detained.

The measure had been set to take effect Jan. 1, but the state high court delayed the rollout amid confusion after a lower court found it unconstitutional. In July, the high court declared the law constitutional and set Monday as its start date.

Supporters of the overhaul have said too many defendants remain in jail only because they cannot come up with the money needed for release. Critics argue that cash bail ensures released defendants show up for court proceedings. Without it, violent criminals who are released pending trial could have the opportunity to commit more crimes, some argue.

Advocates also argue that cash bail policies can be especially unfair to 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.

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.

How has Coles County prepared?

In Coles County, Sheriff Kent Martin said he does not anticipate many changes to the way his office submits arrest reports  with evidence aimed at establishing probable cause to hold someone in custody  to prosecutors and the court system.

However, he said, there is a lot of speculation surrounding the future inmate population levels in the jail when the SAFE-T Act provisions go into effect. He said current inmates may petition the court to have their cases reviewed for potential release in lieu of cash bail.

I anticipate that some inmates currently charged with violent offenses will remain in custody, but some inmates will be eligible for release, Martin said. I also anticipate an initial drop in our daily count. But, as people fail to show up for court or commit new offenses, I would expect the number of incarcerated inmates to rise again.

The new system encourages the use of summons, citations and notices over arrest and detention, and creates a presumption in favor of pretrial release by the courts and arresting officers.

The sheriffs office will not process individuals arrested over non-detainable offenses until they have been ordered by the court to report to the jail and complete the booking process, which includes a booking photo, Martin said. Those arrested for detainable offenses will complete the process as it is normally done.

I am asking the residents of Coles County to please understand that my deputies and I are playing by the rules thrust upon us by Springfield, and we are as concerned as you are about the possible ramifications of this legislation, Martin said.

There will be times when the sheriffs office is not authorized to arrest someone and hold them in custody, Martin said. He added that he knows that will be frustrating for crime victims.

Martin said he is also concerned that witnesses may be more reluctant to provide information or participate in the court process if someone is not being held in custody. He said the ability of the sheriffs office to detain people has been diminished by the new bail rules.

Im worried we will experience vigilante justice when law-abiding citizens become frustrated with criminals being released back into our neighborhoods, Martin said. Please refrain from taking matters into your own hands. I assure you we will continue to work hard to provide you with the highest quality law enforcement services we can.

Across the state, prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing for additional work needed to meet the new standards. Coles County Public Defender Duane Deters said he anticipates that he and his three assistant attorneys will have great demands placed on their time.

It is my personal feeling that we are currently understaffed, but as you may know, finding good quality attorneys is very difficult in these times, Deters said, noting his office must stay within its allotted county budget. I would add that both public and private agencies are struggling with finding candidates for open positions.

A public defender will be appointed for each defendant, Deters said, unless the person hires private counsel.

The act also will create challenges for the prosecution. Deters said there will now be two ways for the prosecution to detain an individual, either to allege a willful flight risk or what may be loosely referred to as a dangerous standard.

Generally speaking, the state must prove that the proof is evident, or the presumption is great, that a certain offense has been committed, as well as certain other factors. The burden of proof is clear and convincing, Deters said.

Coles County States Attorney Jesse Danley did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Fifth Circuit Presiding Judge Mitchell Shick has issued an administrative order that any person charged with a criminal offense where the victim is a family or household member shall have no contact with the victim and shall not enter the victims residence unless otherwide ordered.

These statutory no-contact restrictions shall be a condition of said defendants release, the order said.

Every case is different

Come Monday afternoon, many area counties will hold detention hearings during which prosecutors and defense attorneys will argue whether a defendant should be held in custody to await trial. If the states attorneys office does not file a petition for detention, instead a hearing may be held to determine pretrial release conditions that will be placed on the defendant upon their release.

Ade-Harlow, the Shelby County judge, said the court has set up Monday, Tuesday and Friday afternoons to be dedicated to giving sufficient time for these hearings.

So that everyone has an opportunity  the states attorney has an opportunity to address their motion, the defendants and (their) attorney may have sufficient time to fight that motion and to gather evidence or information they need, and so that victims can be properly notified and be present, if necessary, she said, noting the hearings are expected to last significantly longer than the former custody hearing during which the judge only needed to hear a probable cause statement and bond recommendations.

Judges will need to take arguments about whether to detain someone on a case by case basis, Ade-Harlow said.

We know what the law says, she said. We know the law says the state has to prove by clear and convincing evidence that this person is a flight risk, or that they are by clear and convincing evidence dangerous to a specific person or persons when we talk about detainable, or even to the community at large.  But what those facts are, really we have to wait and see how it plays out on a case by case basis, because the facts of every case are different.

Shelby County States Attorney Robert Hanlon said he was particularly concerned about the effect of the changes on illegal drug use, especially meth, which he described as an absolute pestilence in the county.

The end result, he said, is all those people are given notices to appear, and you know, they have a felonious amount of meth  say 20 grams at a street value of $500, he said.

The county would seize the drugs, he said, but the defendants release would mean that theyre right back to using.

Help from the state

Illinois is one of seven states without any oversight mechanism for monitoring how effectively counties court systems help defendants exercise their right to counsel for trial via the public defenders office, according to a 2021 study commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court. The resulting report from the Boston-based Sixth Amendment Center warned that Illinois framework limits the independence of public defenders and makes for inadequate representation in counties where PDs are overworked.

More than half of states directly fund public defenders instead of leaving funding up to counties like Illinois does.

Lawmakers did make some resources available, appropriating $10 million for public defenders to help implement the Pretrial Fairness Act. Each of the 101 counties outside of Cook received between $77,000 and $147,555.

And while the state isnt any closer to creating a statewide public defender system, the Illinois Office of Statewide Pretrial Services represents a major step forward in providing resources to judicial systems across the state. As of Oct. 1, the office will partner with 71 counties. For months, it has been offering services like compiling information about new arrestees. OSPS is also charged with helping connect those who are released from jail with services like drug treatment or anger management, whether voluntary or ordered by the court.

The agency has hired pretrial service officers embedded in 47 of the 71 OSPS-affiliated counties so far. Those officers are responsible for quickly preparing reports on new arrestees criminal histories and professional backgrounds based on interviews with the defendant and associated fact-checking. The reports are then sent to public defenders, states attorneys and judges.

A few dozen counties in Illinois already had their own versions of pretrial service offices, but OSPS has lightened the load for some.

And in counties that have never had any formalized pretrial service office, OSPS work has proven extremely helpful to the entire judicial system, said Nathan Rowland, a part-time public defender serving Gallatin and Hamilton counties in southeastern Illinois.

Rowland, president of the Illinois Council of Chief Defenders, said he has found the information particularly helpful to his work as a public defender. Prior to last year, he said, hed walk into hearings totally blind, having never met his client and not knowing anything about him or her.

Right before the hearing  Id be standing over in the corner (saying), This is what youve been charged with. Where you living? You got a job? Rowland said. I (didnt) know any of that.

Pretrial service officers begin their days early in the morning, and Rowland said hes been receiving reports on new arrestees oftentimes before 8 a.m.

In August, OSPS began oversight of electronic monitoring in participating counties, and began picking up the tab for those ordered to wear the GPS tracking devices  fees that would sometimes drive the poorest defendants into debt.

Not all areas of the state are likely to adopt electronic monitoring. In rural southeastern Illinois, for example, defendants typically had not been able to afford the daily fees associated with ankle monitor use, so electronic monitoring has historically been rare. But, as Rowland pointed out, many rural areas face a much more basic logistical hurdle: large swaths of land with neither cell phone coverage nor reliable broadband  or even landline  service.

Well, youve lost signal, Rowland imagined an OSPS employee saying as they cite a defendant for non-compliance. Well, what does that mean? Theyve tampered with the device or theyve just lost signal because of where theyre at?

Kelsey Watznauer, Brendan Denison and The Associated Press contributed.

Cities with the fastest 'time-to-crime' rates for firearms Cities with the fastest 'time-to-crime' rates for firearms #40. New York City #39. Baltimore #38. San Jose, California #37. San Diego #36. Los Angeles #35. San Bernardino, California #34. Jacksonville, Florida #33. Tampa, Florida #32. Chattanooga, Tennessee #31. Wichita, Kansas #30. Tulsa, Oklahoma #29. Winston-Salem, North Carolina #28. New Orleans #27. Orlando, Florida #26. Chicago #25. Dayton, Ohio #24. Cincinnati #23. Miami #22. Indianapolis #21. Charlotte, North Carolina #20. Baton Rouge, Louisiana #19. Louisville, Kentucky #18. Las Vegas #17. Columbus, Ohio #16. Dallas #15. San Antonio #14. Philadelphia #13. Houston #12. Cleveland #11. Huntsville, Alabama #10. Mobile, Alabama #9. Milwaukee #8. Atlanta #7. Shreveport, Louisiana #6. Memphis, Tennessee #5. St. Louis #4. Phoenix #3. Columbia, South Carolina #2. Detroit #1. Richmond, Virginia
New Delhi: Microsoft analysts have said that Iranian state-backed hackers targeted satellite, defence, and pharmaceutical companies around the world in order to gather intelligence and perhaps build up domestic production in these industries amid heavy US sanctions.

Since February, the hackers have successfully breached several organisations by applying a simple hacking technique, indicating the high level of determination from Tehrans hacking teams, according to Microsoft. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

The heavy sanctions imposed by the US on Iran have limited their access to military hardware and discouraged Western companies from sending medical supplies to the country. As a result, Iran has been compelled to look for trade secrets held by foreign firms, reports CNN. (Also Read: Big Savings On Apple iPhone 15! Flipkart, Amazon, Croma, Vijay Sales Launches Discount Offer: Check)

The industries targeted by the hackers are those in which they might need to build domestic production due to difficulties in acquiring necessary resources as a result of the sanctions.

However, the exact reason for targeting satellite, defence, and pharmaceutical companies is unknown, the increased incentive created by the sanctions suggests that Iran is seeking valuable intelligence.

According to Microsoft analysts, the hackers have been breaking into email accounts by guessing common passwords in bulk until one of them works.

In some instances, intruders stole data from victim networks, while in others they monitored email accounts unnoticed. The hackers have been able to continue their operations without being detected due to the simplicity and effectiveness of this technique.

Iran has a history of denying allegations of hacking, and the government has yet to respond to this one, the report said.

Microsoft has not disclosed which companies in the US were targeted, and the US National Security Agency has not commented on the matter, according to the report.

Meanwhile, China-backed hackers stole a digital consumer key from Microsoft to gain unfettered access to US government emails and the tech giant has detailed how the cyber criminals pulled off one of the biggest heists in the corporate and government circles.

China-based threat actor, Storm-0558, used an acquired Microsoft account (MSA) consumer key to forge tokens to access OWA (Outlook Web App) and Outlook.com.
New Delhi: Airtable, a low-code platform for building collaborative apps, has announced to lay off about 27 percent of the workforce, or 237 employees, in the second round of job cuts. According to Forbes, the cuts are part of a strategy to focus the company on winning large enterprise clients while also controlling spending.

"The market has tipped towards favouring efficient growth over growth at all costs. We must operate the business in a more mature way that puts us on a path to become a public company and to have durability and efficiency in how we grow," Howie Liu, Airtables founder and CEO, was quoted as saying. (Also Read: Big Savings On Apple iPhone 15! Flipkart, Amazon, Croma, Vijay Sales Launches Discount Offer: Check)

According to Liu, Airtable was caught up in the hiring frenzy that swept the tech world following the easy-money days that followed the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2021. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

"Its a sickening feeling. I made the decisions that got us here, but it would be even worse to not make a change because if business continues on in this way, it would not be ideal for anyone -- the employees, the investors, or the company," he said.

The layoffs will be company-wide, with the largest impact on product and sales teams focused on selling and servicing smaller clients, the report mentioned. In December last year, Airtable laid off over 250 employees, or 20 percent of its workforce across business development, engineering, and other teams.

The impacted employees received at least 16 weeks of severance pay, accelerated equity vesting, and support from an immigration counsel if on the visa. Airtable was founded in 2013 by Liu and cofounders Andrew Ofstad and Emmett Nicholas as a cloud-based spreadsheet startup to rival Microsoft Excel.
New Delhi: Microsoft has shut down its most applauded feature, "Web Select" -- from Edge browser. To improve end-user experience, the Web Select feature "is being deprecated and will no longer be an option under Web Capture or via keyboard shortcut," Microsoft said in a support document.

According to BleepingComputer, users could use this tool to capture and copy web content while maintaining its format and functionality. Web Select, which could be accessed via the menu or the Control+Shift+X shortcut, gave it an advantage over simple screenshot tools. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

Moreover, users could interact with the copied text instead of static images, such as editing it or accessing embedded links. This feature was especially useful when users wanted to lift sections of tables, allowing them to omit unnecessary columns for faster copying, the report said. (Also Read: Big Savings On Apple iPhone 15! Flipkart, Amazon, Croma, Vijay Sales Launches Discount Offer: Check)

Last month, after iOS and Android, Microsoft announced to shut down its digital assistant Cortana app on Windows 11.

While Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated, the support for Cortana in Teams mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams Rooms will end in the fall of 2023.

Cortana in Outlook mobile will continue to be available. We understand this may affect the way you work, but there are new and exciting ways you can get help with your tasks, calendar, email, and more, the company said in an update.
New Delhi: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was "lonely and sad" as a child as he struggled to make friends in school, his new biography by American author-journalist Walter Isaacson has claimed. He also struggled to understand social cues and had to rely on books to learn about them, reports Insider.

In the biography, Isaacson wrote that the billionaire's mother Maye Musk put him in the nursery at three years old because he was "intellectually curious," despite the principal's warnings that he would experience social challenges as he was younger than anyone else in the class. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

"It was a mistake. Elon had no friends, and by the time he was in second grade he was tuning out," Isaacson wrote. Moreover, Musk's mother told Isaacson that he "became so lonely and sad," when he started going to school. (Also Read: Big Savings On Apple iPhone 15! Flipkart, Amazon, Croma, Vijay Sales Launches Discount Offer: Check)

"Kimbal and Tosca would make friends on the first day and bring them home, but Elon never brought friends home. He wanted to have friends, but just didn't know how," Isaacson mentioned in the biography.

Tesla's chief revealed his problems were due to Asperger's, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which made him "bad at picking up social cues", the report stated.

"I took people literally when they said something. And it was only by reading books that I began to learn that people did not always say what they really meant," Musk told Isaacson.

Meanwhile, the biography also revealed that Musk and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates got into a verbal spat after the Tesla CEO confronted the Microsoft founder over shorting the electric-car company's shares last year.

Isaacson wrote that in early 2022, Gates spoke to Musk and said he wanted to "come see (him) and talk about philanthropy and climate" at a meeting. The meeting happened at Musk's Texas plant where the SpaceX owner confronted Gates over the decision to short Tesla stock.
Vishwakarma Puja, a significant festival in the Hindu calendar, celebrates Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect and craftsman. This year, the auspicious occasion falls on September 17, and it holds immense importance for artisans, craftsmen, and industrial workers across India. Vishwakarma Puja not only celebrates the artistry of Lord Vishwakarma but also serves as a reminder of the importance of skilled labor and craftsmanship in our society.

It is a day to express gratitude for the tools and technology that make our lives easier and more efficient. As the puja concludes, devotees carry forward their renewed sense of dedication to their crafts, hoping for a year filled with creativity and success in their endeavors.

Also read: Improved Heart Health To Enhanced Longevity: 8 Health Benefits Of Plant-Based Diet

Vishwakarma Puja Significance:

Vishwakarma Puja is dedicated to Lord Vishwakarma, the divine engineer of the universe. He is believed to have crafted the weapons of the gods and designed their celestial abodes. This day is particularly significant for those involved in the fields of construction, engineering, and craftsmanship, as they pay homage to the deity who symbolizes creativity and innovation.

Vishwakarma Puja Shubh Muhurat:

The timing of Vishwakarma Puja is crucial for its observance. Devotees begin their preparations well in advance and perform the rituals during specific muhurats to ensure the blessings of Lord Vishwakarma.

According to Drik Panchang, there are four auspicious yogas on the day of Vishwakarma Puja. On this special occasion, Brahma Yoga, Dwipushkar Yoga, Amrit Siddhi Yoga and Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga are all in formation.

Vishwakarma Puja Tithi: Sunday, September 17, 2023

Vishwakarma Puja Sankranti Moment: 01:43 pm

Brahma Yoga - All Day

Dwipushkar Yoga  10.02 am to 11.08 am

Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga  From 05:28 am to 10:02 am

Amrit Siddhi Yoga  05:28 am to 10:02 am

Vishwakarma Puja Rituals and Celebrations:

Cleaning and Decoration: Prior to the puja, devotees clean their workplaces or homes meticulously. The idea is to start afresh and maintain a clean and organized environment.

Crafting Tools: Artisans and craftsmen often create or repair their tools and machinery on this day, seeking Lord Vishwakarma's blessings for skillful workmanship.

Puja Setup: An image or idol of Lord Vishwakarma is placed on a pedestal and adorned with flowers, garlands, and incense. Offerings of sweets, fruits, and other delicacies are arranged.

Invocation and Aarti: The priest or head of the household then performs an invocation and aarti (ceremonial worship) to seek the deity's blessings. The aarti involves the waving of lamps in a circular motion before the idol or image.

Distribution of Prasad: After the puja, devotees distribute prasad (blessed offerings) to all present. It is believed that consuming prasad brings prosperity and good luck.

Community Celebrations: In many industrial areas, factories and workshops hold community pujas where all workers participate together, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie.

Cultural Programs: Cultural programs, including dance, music, and artistic displays, are organized in various parts of the country to showcase the rich heritage of craftsmanship.

(This article is meant for informational purposes only and must not be considered a substitute for advice provided by qualified medical professionals.)
In recent years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has emerged as a prominent advocate for yoga, emphasizing its importance for physical and mental well-being. His efforts to promote yoga on both national and international platforms have drawn attention to the numerous benefits of this ancient practice.

One of PM Modi's significant initiatives was the declaration of June 21st as International Day of Yoga by the United Nations in 2014. This resolution, co-sponsored by 177 countries, showcases Modi's commitment to spreading the message of yoga worldwide. It aims to raise awareness about the benefits of yoga for overall health and foster a global community of yoga enthusiasts.

On the domestic front, PM Modi launched the "Fit India Movement" in 2019, encouraging Indians to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. Yoga plays a pivotal role in this campaign, as it is a low-cost and accessible form of exercise that can be practiced by people of all ages. The initiative encourages citizens to take up yoga and engage in physical activities to combat the rising rates of lifestyle-related diseases.

Also read: Happy Birthday Narendra Modi: PM's 7 Major Achievements That Transformed Indian Railways- In PICS

Furthermore, PM Modi has been instrumental in establishing the Ministry of Ayush, which focuses on the development and promotion of traditional Indian practices, including yoga and Ayurveda. This ministry has been pivotal in funding research and organizing events that highlight the benefits of yoga and its integration into modern healthcare systems.

In addition to these initiatives, PM Modi himself frequently participates in yoga events, demonstrating its significance by setting a personal example. His yoga sessions on International Day of Yoga have become highly anticipated and watched by millions, further elevating the practice's profile.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on yoga has not only contributed to its global recognition but has also encouraged millions of Indians to adopt yoga as a part of their daily lives.

By promoting yoga's physical and mental health benefits, he has taken significant steps towards building a healthier and happier nation, aligning with the ancient wisdom of yoga for the modern world.
NEW DELHI: Several political parties, including from the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, on Sunday made a strong pitch for the passage of the women's reservation bill during the five-day Parliament session beginning Monday, with the government asserting that an "appropriate decision will be taken at an appropriate time". At an all-party meeting convened by the government on the eve of the session, the government also formally informed parliamentarians about the move to the new Parliament building on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The demand for discussing issues like caste census, price rise, unemployment, border row involving China, Manipur situation and alleged social conflicts at some places was raised by the Congress, its leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters. A few other opposition parties also spoke in the same vein on some of these matters.

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, which was introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 10 and is listed on the government's agenda for passage in the coming session, was also criticised by some opposition leaders as "unconstitutional".

However, it was the vigorous pitch for legislating reserved seats for women in elected bodies like Lok Sabha and state assemblies that emerged as the highlight of the meeting as BJP ally and NCP leader Praful Patel joined the Congress and its allies besides unaligned parties like the BRS, TDP and the BJD to urge the government to script history on the momentous occasion of Parliament's shift to the new building.

The TMC noted the relatively large contingent of women MPs in West Bengal's ruling party, as it supported the need for such a bill. "A new era is beginning," BJD MP Pinaki Misra said about Parliament's shift to the new building, asserting it will be a fitting occasion for ensuring women's reservation. He cited Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's longstanding support to the idea.

Patel said he was hopeful that such a bill would be passed with consensus. Some regional parties such as the RJD and the Samajwadi Party, though, made a case for quota for backward castes, SCs and STs within any such reservation for women. Asked about the demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi downplayed it, saying parties make different demands during all-party meetings. "The government will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time," he told reporters.

A similar bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010, reserving one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It was never taken up in Lok Sabha and has since lapsed with the dissolution of the then Lower House. The minister said tributes were paid at the all-party meeting to security forces personnel who laid down their lives in Kashmir as leaders observed silence in their memory.

On September 13, four security forces personnel -- Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer, 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier -- were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The minister said 51 leaders from 34 parties attended the meeting in which the government sought the cooperation of all the parties for a smooth conduct of the five-day session.

On the women's reservation bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said all opposition parties demanded its passage in this Parliament session and criticised the government for not consulting them before summoning Parliament. Chowdhury told reporters that the government had informed them it was a regular session of Parliament. "Only the government knows what its intention is. It may surprise everyone with some new agenda," he said.

Joshi said a discussion on "Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha - Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings" will take place in the old building on Monday before the ceremony of entering the new building a day later. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to speak on the matter in Parliament.

The government's work in the new building will begin from Wednesday, he said, adding that there are a total of eight bills on its agenda. DMK leader Tiruchi Siva accused the government of keeping other parties in the dark about the reason for calling the session, wondering what was the need for a regular sitting of Parliament when the Winter session was due in November.

He wondered if the schedule for a group photo of all MPs on Tuesday meant that this was the last session of this Lok Sabha. Opposition sources said Siva tore the schedule for today's event in the meeting, claiming that he received the invite only on Friday night and the programme was only in Hindi.

BRS leader K Keshava Rao, sources said, criticised the ruling BJP over the Sanatan Dharma issue.

Some opposition leaders also protested the decision to not have the Question Hour and the Zero Hour during this session. A demand was also made to revoke the suspension of two AAP MPs, Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the deputy leader of the House in Lok Sabha, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were among those who represented the government in the meeting.

Former prime minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda, DMK's Kanimozhi, TDP's Ram Mohan Naidu, TMC's Derek O'Brien, AAP's Sanjay Singh, BJD's Sasmit Patra, BRS' K Keshava Rao, YSR Congress Party's V Vijayasai Reddy, RJD's Manoj Jha and JD(U)'s Anil Hegde and SP's Ram Gopal Yadav were also among those who attended the meeting.
New Delhi: 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.
New Delhi: The eagerly anticipated release date for the iPhone 15 series is soon, so Indian Apple lovers are in for a treat. Major retailers like Croma, Vijay Sales, Flipkart, and Amazon have started offering shoppers who want to get their hands on the newest Apple goods exclusive prices, further sweetening the deal.

Flipkart

For pre-orders of the iPhone 15 series, Flipkart also provides special discounts. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are available for pre-order starting at 89,900 rupees, but other models seem to be out of stock. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

With Kotak Bank, credit card EMI transactions get a 10 percent instant discount, while HDFC Bank credit cards get a Rs 5,000 discount. When you trade in your old iPhone, you might save up to Rs. 51,000 on a new one. (Also Read: PM Narendra Modi's 73rd Birthday: Top 10 Game-Changing Policies By Prime Minister on His B'day)

Amazon

Amazon, a well-known online store, is ready to offer iPhone enthusiasts a simplified pre-order procedure. Prices for the Pro variant start at 1,84,900 for the 1TB device, while pre-orders for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus start at Rs 89,900.

Credit card customers from HDFC Bank are qualified for a flat INR 5000 in immediate savings. Although the gadget can be pre-ordered, Amazon tells customers that shipping will begin as early as September 23, just one day after the product is formally introduced on September 22.

Croma

The Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and iPhone 15 series pre-booking frenzy has started at Croma. Customers can make reservations either online or in person at a physical location.

Pre-orders submitted online must be fully paid for, however, Croma's physical stores offer a more cost-effective option by only requiring a small amount of Rs 2,000. In addition, using your HDFC credit card or making EMI payments will save you Rs 5,000 on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus and Rs 4,000 on the Pro variants.

Vijay Sales

Another famous name in the electronics retail industry, Vijay Sales, is prepared to provide the iPhone 15 series at competitive costs. The entry-level variant of Apple's iPhone 15 series is available for pre-order, with prices starting at Rs 79,900.

Users of HDFC Bank credit cards can take advantage of an immediate discount of Rs. 4,000 and the simplicity of a cost-free EMI.
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.
New Delhi: Researchers found no strong evidence that YouTube promoted anti-vaccine sentiment during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, examined if YouTubes recommendation system acted as a rabbit hole, leading users searching for vaccine-related videos to anti-vaccine content.

For the study, researchers asked the World Health Organization - trained participants to intentionally find an anti-vaccine video with as few clicks as possible, starting from an initial informational COVID-19 video posted by the WHO. (Also Read: Big Savings On Apple iPhone 15! Flipkart, Amazon, Croma, Vijay Sales Launches Discount Offer: Check)

They compared the recommendations seen by these users to related videos that are obtained from the YouTube application programming interface (API) and to YouTubes Up-Next recommended videos that were seen by clean browsers without any user-identifying cookies. (Also Read: BIG Bonanza For OnePlus Customers Ahead Of Diwali! Get Nord Buds 2R Wireless Earphones Completely Free: Check Process)

The team analysed more than 27,000 video recommendations made by YouTube using machine learning methods to classify anti-vaccine content.

We found no evidence that YouTube promotes anti-vaccine content to its users, said Margaret Yee Man Ng, an Illinois journalism professor with an appointment in the Institute of Communications Research and lead author of the study.

The average share of anti-vaccine or vaccine hesitancy videos remained below 6 percent at all steps in users recommendation trajectories, said Margaret Yee Man Ng.

Initially, researchers only want to understand YouTubes famously opaque techniques for content recommendations and whether these techniques funnel users toward anti-vaccine sentiment and vaccine hesitancy.

We wanted to learn about how different entities were using the platform to disseminate their content so that we could develop recommendations for how YouTube could do a better job of not pushing misinformation, said UN Global Pulse researcher Katherine Hoffmann Pham, a co-author of the study.

Contrary to public belief, YouTube wasnt promoting anti-vaccine content. The study reveals that YouTubes algorithms instead recommended other health-related content that was not explicitly related to vaccination, Pham added.
In 1932, Z. Smith Reynolds was found shot at his lavish Reynolda estate. All these years later, his death remains the biggest mystery in Winston-Salems history. This story is the second of a five-part series on the shooting written in 2007 for the 75th anniversary of Reynolds' death.

Even before the shooting, the Reynolds brothers, Dick and Smith, were well-known outside of Winston-Salem. People hungry for news that took their minds off the Depression eagerly read about their exploits and their combination of youth, wealth and extravagance.

Add tragedy to the mix, and the story was irresistible.

Within two days of Smith Reynolds' death on July 7, 1932, 15 newspapers - respectable and otherwise - had sent reporters to Winston-Salem to cover the story. Many were well-versed in this sort of perfect storm of death and celebrity. The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby was still fresh in the public's mind. The child's body had been discovered May 12.

A few days after the shooting, Western Union and Postal Telegraph had established emergency offices at Smith Reynolds' Reynolda estate to help reporters file their stories. Journalism wasn't as much a profession back then as it was a raucous trade. There were few standards, and gossip, rumors and anonymous sources were all considered fair game for reporters if they made the story more interesting.

As the presumptive head of the family, Dick Reynolds was already a familiar figure. A few years earlier, his Rolls-Royce was found abandoned in Long Island Sound. Then came a national manhunt, which ended 10 days later in a chop suey house in St. Louis.

Dick Reynolds was simply eating dinner.

"I'm tired and fed up with New York. I wanted to get away from Broadway and the nightclubs where money talks," Reynolds said, in a story that was reported in The New York Times.

When his brother was shot, Dick Reynolds was cruising in his freighter-yacht off the coast of Africa. It took several days before the news reached him.

It was on the front page of newspapers around the country.

"New York shocked at news of death of Smith Reynolds," said a dispatch from The Associated Press.

"R.J. Reynolds heir commits suicide," said The New York Times.

Reynolds was quickly buried in the family plot at Salem Cemetery the morning of July 8, but the funeral was not the day's only event. Solicitor Carlisle Higgins and his assistant, J. Erle McMichael, began a three-day coroner's inquest to determine how Reynolds had died.

From the start, it was apparent that this was no routine inquest. As a convenience for Libby Holman, the widow, the inquest was held at Reynolda. And it wasn't just in any room at the estate. At the beginning, the inquest was conducted in Holman's bedroom.

Reporters were barred the first two days, and they referred to the event as a "secret inquest."

One by one, party guests and servants made their way up to Holman's bedroom where they gave their accounts. No one was allowed to hear anyone else's testimony.

And if Higgins and his team thought that there was a clear answer to what had happened, they quickly found out that wasn't the case.

According to the guests, there had been no liquor.

Or there had been much bootlegged liquor and Holman got into a drinking contest with one of Smith's friends, Babe Vaught, during which they alternated shots of corn whiskey with beer chasers.

Holman and Reynolds were very much in love and gave evidence of it, guests said.

Or they had quarreled openly and at one point Holman had thrown her arms around Ab Walker and said, "Smith doesn't love me."

Holman stayed sober. Reynolds was happy.

Or Holman got drunk. Reynolds got moody.

Reynolds' close friend Walker said that by 1 a.m., with most of the guests gone, Reynolds tossed Walker his wallet, said "I'm going to end it all," and disappeared upstairs.

A few minutes later, he said, Holman leaned over the balcony upstairs and sobbed, "Smith shot himself."

Holman was the star witness. Everyone waited to hear what she had to say about that night. Testifying from her bed, she said that her mind was blank from 24 hours before the shooting until 12 hours afterward.

All she could remember, she said, was a brief flash when she awoke.

"The only picture I have is Smith standing over me on the sleeping porch," she said. "First he called my name. Then there was a flash and then that crash of the universe - just like everything falling all around me."

Because the testimony was secret and the house was surrounded by armed guards, reporters worked the phones, badgered the locals and hounded people going to and from the estate. A constant string of leaks and unnamed sources kept reporters running from one end of the city to the other.

In its July 9 edition, the Winston-Salem Journal gave a peek into how reporters got part of the story from a midnight tipster.

"An aged Negro came into the Journal & Sentinel office inquiring as to the news on 'the Reynolds case.' He said he had just seen 'two of the Reynolds' big cars down in front of the jail' and wondered what was happening.

"The tip was sufficient to send the local reporters and the representatives of news associations scurrying. They finally ascertained that Walker was being held."

Walker had indeed been taken into custody. McMichael said, "The move was made merely to prevent intermingling of witnesses before the completion of the coroner's inquest." Later, Reynolds family influence got him transferred to the Hotel Robert E. Lee, where he was spared the miseries of jail food.

Rumors continued to float over the weekend. And with Walker's arrest, the story changed from that of a tragic suicide to something more sinister, a possible murder.

Holman's slippers had been found in Walker's bedroom and the sweater that she had been wearing at the party was found in his bathroom the morning of the shooting.
As rooms go, a sleeping porch off the second floor of Reynolda House is fairly unremarkable.

Its walls are painted a standard neutral tan; the floor covering an ordinary short-pile green carpet. Banks of windows allow soft morning light to flood in.

The sleeping porchand five others like itwere built next to bedrooms at the Reynolds family estate in the early 20th Century.

Katharine Reynolds, the wife of tobacco baron R.J. Reynolds, insisted they be included at the magnificent country house. Physicians of the time believed fresh air cured all, and the well-off, which the Reynolds family most certainly was, made sure that porches protected only by awnings were part of the design.

Though unremarkable in design, this particular porch off the East Bedroom, gained national notoriety in 1932 when Reynolds heir Zachary Smith Reynolds suffered a fatal gunshot wound there.

And until recently, the violent demise of Smith Reynolds was rarely spoken of in public by anyoneor anythingassociated with the family that put Winston-Salem on the map.

Power, money and fame

Though shaded by conjecture, innuendo and influence, the forensic facts surrounding the night of July 5, 1932 are pretty straightforward.

Z. Smith Reynolds, who went by Smith, was shot in the head following a lavish party. His second wife, a nationally known Broadway star Libby Holman who toured the country singing torch songs and his childhood friend and personal secretary Albert Ab Walker, drove him to a local hospital.

He died the next morning.

Smiths wound was initially determined to be self-inflicted and made national news. The New York Times ran a story under the headline R.J. Reynolds Heir Commits Suicide  Relatives Are Mystified.

But Forsyth County Sheriff Transou Scott wasnt so sure.

A subsequent investigation known a coroners inquest determined that Smith died at the hands of a person or persons unknown. A grand jury indicted Holman and Walker in August for first-degree murder.

Before the case could go to trial, the Reynolds family pressed prosecutors to drop all charges. Complicating matters, Holman, Smith Reynolds wife of seven months, was pregnant.

Of course, she denied killing her husband.

I didnt shoot Smith, she told the Journal in an interview in September 1932. God in heaven knows that. The Reynolds family know it in their hearts. I loved Smith as I never loved anyone before or ever will again. The fullest and richest hours of my life were spent with that dear boy.

And thats the point where speculation and salacious speculation took off.

Fueled by testimony given by Holman during the inquest, rumors about an affair between Holman and Walker ran wild.

A nurse testified that she had seen Holman and Walker canoodling in a room at Baptist Hospital.

Holman was asked about rumors that the couple had fought the week before his death because Smith Reynolds had recently learned she was Jewisha charge she denied.

And locals took affront when a lawyer, a friend of Holmans family, suggested that the family not hire lawyers from New York because doing so might be offensive to a small town jury.

The allure of the Reynolds family name, power and money was intoxicating. At the time of his death, Smith had been living large on an annual allowance of more than $800,000 in todays dollars and stood to inherit $20 million on his 28th birthdaythe equivalent of $440 million in 2023.

The death of Smith Reynolds spawned numerous magazine articles, books and blockbuster Hollywood films.

Was he murdered? Or did he commit suicide?

Either way, the case technically remains unsolved.

For years, family representativesrelatives and various charitable foundationsoffered little by way of public comment.

That changed in a big way this month when. for the first time, the Reynolda House Museum of Art consented to an exhibit called Smith & Libby. Two Rings, Seven Months, One Bullet.

Its based on family interviews, collections, photographs, letters and personal belongings rarely seen and is scheduled to run through Dec. 31

The exhibit is not just focused on Reynolds death.

It shows in convincing detail how a tragedy in a family that made generational wealth in tobacco helped usher in a new economic era bringing Wake Forest College to town.

And it tells something of Holmans life after Reynolds death. Few know, for example, that she had Coretta Scott King move in with her following the assassination of her husband Martin Luther King Jr.

We didnt know if the community was ready for the museum to give its account, said Phil Archer, the museums curator and assistant director. The rest of the world had a crack at it, so why not the museum?

Still unsolved

Perhaps no one outside the Reynolds family is as well versed in the details of Smith Reynolds life and death as Archer.

Hes been at Reynolda House for 25 years, and spent 18 months curating the exhibit. He pored over letters, photographs and hand-written records kept by local authorities including Sheriff Transou.

People still know that something terrible happened here and it bothered me that visitors would come away confused, Archer said at a recent preview of the exhibition. Its totally human nature to be intrigued by tragedy and also by mystery.

The seeds for an official accounting were sown in 2021, the 90th anniversary of Smith and Holmans weddinga source of mystery itself as they were married in secret in a courthouse in Michigan.

Holman was a 27-year-old Broadway star pursued by the smitten Reynolds. He had been married to Anne Cannon, herself an heiress to a textile fortune, but six days after his divorce in 1931, he and Holman were married.

The most salacious parts of the story revolved naturally enough around the newlyweds sex life.

Libby was bisexual, Archer said. She had had a number of lovers and Smith encouraged her to take other lovers as hed had some trouble (with impotence.)

Just as quickly as spelling that out, Archer discounted the notion that Holman and Walker were involved.

There was a question of whether she kissed him at the party that night and whether there was some jealousy, he said. Alcohol was involved. But Libby was pregnant. The timing wouldnt have worked out.

The larger question, which seems obvious today when modern forensic science is brought to bear, is whether Smith was murdered. The angle of the bullet suggests not.

But suicide remained in play as Holman had said under oath at the inquest that Reynolds, who was known to carry a gun, threatened her with murder-suicide. She said that she had seen him put the gun to his own head and revealed a suicide note hes written while a student at a boarding school.

Theres no suspicion that it was a planned murder for inheritance money, Archer said. But a struggle? That seems possible.

Whatever the cause, Smith Reynolds death did change the course of local history. His share of inheritance went to his siblings, who in turn created the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

Some of that money eventually went to help bring Wake Forest to town. And as locals (and alumni) are well aware, the college eventually grew into a major part of the local economy.

But whats not as well known is the notion of a name change from Wake Forest College to Smith Reynolds University, similar to what took place after Washington Duke gave $85,000 (and 60 acres of land) in 1890 to move Trinity College from Randolph County to Durham.

A typewritten letter signed by W.N. Reynolds included in the exhibit suggests the foundation (and the family) backed off a suggestion to rename the school before college officials agreed to the move in 1946.

The only thing about the whole matter I regret is the wording in the original proposal or perhaps Smith Reynolds University.  It seems to me that the name Wake Forest College could be brought along and become a part of the University as did Trinity College of Duke University, he wrote.

As to any question of murder vs. suicide, Archer has his opinion. But hes not saying.

Not for public consumption anyhow.
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 bushels of corn per acre, or about 126 bushels 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% 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 of 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 world's 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 animals  mostly 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.
Millions of dollars in pandemic-era funding for Nebraska child care providers will expire at the end of September, which could further pinch working parents who have been key to economic growth in 2022 and 2023.

Affordable, available and quality child care is directly linked to workforce participation, according to a Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry policy brief from 2022. Child care is essential for working parents to enter, reenter and stay in the workforce as our economy recovers.

Several Nebraska companies are using creative solutions to address their employees child care challenges as a way to attract and retain workers in the state.

The opening of an on-site child care center at Hudl in Lincoln and providing access to vetted on-demand backup caregivers for staff at QLI via Swishboom in Omaha are two examples of how companies are increasing support for working parents with the hope that other employers will follow.

A looming crisis

Nebraska has already lost almost 10% of the states child care programs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute.

Much-needed federal rescue funds helped providers meet payroll, offer additional slots to children and families, and keep their doors open. The loss of these funds could cause more child care programs to close, disrupting families and the economy, the report says.

A majority of the estimated $312.1 million in federal funds allocated to support the child care industry in Nebraska will expire as of Sept. 30.

Its not just an Omaha problem  there is a child care crisis happening right now in the United States, said Kellee Mikuls, founder and CEO of Swishboom, a mobile app that connects families in Omaha with on-demand childcare services via its network of vetted local sitters.

Mikuls said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed cracks in an already unsustainable child care system. Low wages and thin profit margins mean few high-quality options for families. Its just not an industry people are flocking to, she said.

To support their staffs, Nebraska employers such as QLI and Hudl are taking note and exploring ways to make high-quality child care more accessible.

Connecting with trusted caregivers

QLI, a nonprofit that provides rehabilitation services for people with brain or spinal cord injuries, partnered with Swishboom to provide free access to the platform for any of its approximately 425 employees for one year.

We knew the child care issue is everywhere, said QLI Director of Operations Kiley Armitage. It can be expensive, hard to find a trusted carer or when a caregiving family member gets sick.

Armitage said the leadership team considered offering child care stipends or an afterschool program, but ultimately decided to contract with Swishboom instead because it more directly addressed the challenge they were trying to solve for their team: Finding a trusted caregiver even if its last-minute.

Providing on-site child care

Primrose School at Hudl opened in July as an on-site child care provider for Hudls headquarters in Lincoln. The Lincoln office houses about 600 of the companys 1,500 global employees.

An annual engagement survey revealed a desire for more benefits for existing and soon-to-be parents at Hudl, said Mark Ketcham, VP of operations at Hudl.

The company was started in 2006 by recent college graduates, and their peers made up a majority of their original workforce, Ketcham said. Over time the team has evolved, and so have the needs of team members, he said.

Located on the ground floor of Hudls headquarters in Lincoln's West Haymarket, Primrose School at Hudl features 7,000 square feet of indoor learning and purposeful play space, an outdoor area and multiple age-specific classrooms to serve infants through pre-K.

Its hard enough being a first-time parent, but as a working parent, Hudl makes it easier on me and my family. I appreciate that I can take advantage of this benefit and better balance growing in my profession without sacrificing being a great mom, said Hudl employee and Primrose parent Marilyn John.

Ketcham said Hudl wants to make it more appealing for team members to come into the office to collaborate in person as the post-COVID work landscape continues to evolve. They hope that providing on-site child care at a subsidized rate for employees makes that decision easier, he said.

Attracting and retaining workers

Both Hudl and QLI hope that providing child care solutions as part of their benefits package will help attract and retain talent.

Hudl is partnering with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to conduct a multi-year study of the impact Primrose School at Hudl has on employee engagement, satisfaction and retention, Ketcham said.

We want to be able to tell our story and show others what this can provide, he said. We have already seen tremendous support from those using (the center), including nursing mothers.

Armitage at QLI said the new Swishboom benefit is highlighted in new employee onboarding, and current employees are starting to download the app. Its just nice to have the peace of mind that theres a backup plan.

Mikuls said shes having conversations with multiple local companies that are exploring ways to ensure that their team members, especially women, dont have to leave the workforce due to child care challenges.

Ketcham agreed that employers and employees will benefit from setting working parents up for success. He added that while an on-site child care center might not be feasible for most businesses, perhaps some could provide a discounted rate at a preferred provider.

Its a big problem to solve, but we can't just be intimidated by it and be paralyzed, Armitage said. We have to do something.

Silicon Prairie News shares event highlights, founder profiles and feature stories digging into all things related to Nebraska startups and small businesses.
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 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 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.

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.

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 its 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.

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.

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.

PFAS forever chemicals about to get their first US limits
BANGKOK  Xinyu Wen traveled to Thailand in June, planning a two-week vacation around Bangkok's Pride parade.

Instead, the 28-year-old stayed a month and a half, as her experience at the parade gave rise to discussions and discoveries in the Thai capital's thriving LBGTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ people from China, frequently scorned and ostracized at home, are coming to Thailand in droves, drawn by the freedom to be themselves. When Wen walked along the parade on the streets in Bangkok, I felt like I was in a big party or a huge amusement park. We could forget all upsetting things and feel fun-filled, she said.

Bangkok is only a 5-hour flight from Beijing, and Thailands tourism authorities actively promote its status as among the most open to LGBTQ+ people in the region.

Wen got interested in Thailand when her friend sent her a photo of rainbow-colored, Pride-themed ice cream being sold on the streets.

I wanted to go to Thailand to take a look, she said.

Wen describes herself as queer, which she says means that her partners can be any gender and she can be any gender. At home, Wen said she regularly gets judgmental stares on the street for wearing her hair short like a mans, and was once asked by her barber: What happened to your life?

But at the Bangkok Pride parade in June, Wen noticed people confidently wore what they wanted. She was excited to be able to express herself publicly and finally drop her guard. More than that, she said she was also impressed by the protest element to the event, in which people carried signs written in traditional Chinese with slogans like China has no LGBTQ and Freedom is what we deserve.

I felt a mixed feeling, touched but sad, she said.

Ahead of her trip, she read up on the situation in Thailand, finding reports that showed there is still widespread discrimination, especially in the workplace. Thailand does not recognize same-sex unions or marriages, which also means they're barred from adopting children, and other legal processes that straight couples have access to.

Wen arrived at the parade somewhat skeptical. But she ended up finding it empowering.

Although I initially had a critical attitude toward the parade in Bangkok because discrimination against LGBTQ individuals hasn't disappeared, I still felt inspired because the neglected groups and the suppressed feelings matter here.

Thailand Tourism Authority official Apichai Chatchalermkit said in an Aug. 9 article in The Nation newspaper that LGBTQ+ tourists are considered high-potential as they tend to spend more and travel more frequently than other visitors.

"Using a photo of LGBTQ+ individuals in tourism advertisements is considered as offering a warm welcome without discrimination, he said.

Thailand doesn't keep figures on LGBTQ+ tourists. But through mid-August, it has counted 2.2 million Chinese tourists out of an overall 16 million.

Owen Zhu, a gay real estate agent in Bangkok who sells houses to Chinese clients, said many are also coming to stay. He estimated some two-thirds of his clients are LGBTQ+, many of whom buy apartments to live in part- or full-time.

Among Chinese gay people, Thailand is called gays heaven, he said, noting that there are many chat groups where gay men from China coordinate trips to Thailand and share information about parties and tickets to events.

Being gay is not illegal in China, though other Asian countries have strict laws around homosexuality  such as Malaysia, which announced in August that anyone in possession of an LGBTQ+-themed watch could be jailed for 3 years. But LGBTQ+ people in China face other pressures to conform that can make the free expression of their identities difficult.

As a lesbian in her conservative province in central China, Jade Yang was talked into marrying a gay man at her parents request so that both of them could keep up appearances.

The 28-year-old, who works in the television industry, first visited Thailand four years ago and remembers being shocked to hear people talk casually about their same-sex partners. Yang disliked lying to her cousins and friends about the marriage and moved to Thailand in February, saying she wanted to distance herself from her hometown.

Now, she said, she can date the women she likes and focus on her studies and career without worrying about how to act as a straight woman.

At the Silver Sand gay bar in Bangkok, owner Adisak Wongwaikankha said about 30% of his customers are LGBTQ+ people from China, and that number has been growing.

He operates a bar on the ground floor and a drag show on the second floor.

Most of our Chinese customers come with excitement and curiosity, he said.

Another draw for tourists, inside and outside the LGBTQ+ community, is Thailands loose enforcement of prostitution laws and renowned nightclub shows.

Eros Li first came to Thailand in February to check out the nightlife and the massage parlors, many of which offer sex services. The 42-year-old returned two months later, saying that, while there are some spas in China where similar sex services are on offer, they are less accessible and there is a risk of being arrested.

"The LGBTQ community in Thailand is lively and open. I received many messages on gay dating apps every day, which made me happy," Li said.

From Stonewall to today: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history From Stonewall to today: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history 1969: Stonewall Riots 1969: Gay Liberation Front forms 1972: Sweden allows people to legally change gender 1972: UK has first Pride parade 1973: Lambda Legal forms 1973: Homosexuality is no longer classified as a mental illness 1974: First openly lesbian officials elected 1977: First openly gay man elected 1978: The rainbow flag is created 1979: First national LGBTQ+ march 1981: Norway enacts anti-discrimination laws 1981: Gay men affected with 'rare cancer' 1982: Wisconsin passes LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination law 1983: BiPOL forms 1984: HIV discovered 1986: Bowers v. Hardwick 1986: New York passes anti-discrimination bill 1987: UK opens first HIV/AIDS clinic 1987: Barney Frank comes out as gay 1987: ACT UP 1988: National Coming Out Day starts 1989: Denmark legalizes same-sex unions 1990: First Pride parade in South Africa 1994: 'Don't ask, don't tell' enacted 1994: American Medical Association opposes conversion therapy 1995: Gay and lesbian workers can get government security clearance 1996: President Bill Clinton signs Defense of Marriage Act 1996: High schooler starts Gay-Straight Alliance 1997: Ellen DeGeneres comes out 1998: Bisexual flag created 2000: Vermont recognizes same-sex unions 2000: Netherlands recognizes same-sex marriage 2002: New York City passes LGBTQ+ rights law 2003: US legalizes consensual same-sex acts 2004: Massachusetts performs first same-sex marriage 2009: Hate Crimes Prevention Act 2010: Same-sex marriage legal in Iceland 2011: 'Don't ask, don't tell' repealed 2012: First openly LGBTQ+ senator 2013: Supreme Court recognizes same-sex marriage 2014: Transgender students get federal protection 2014: First transgender person nominated for Emmy 2015: US legalizes same-sex marriage 2016: Ban lifted on transgender troops 2017: First openly transgender state legislator elected 2018: 'Rainbow wave' in politics 2019: Taiwan passes same-sex marriage 2019: Transgender troops banned from military 2019: Mayor Pete runs for president 2019: Being transgender no longer a 'disorder' 2020: NYC Pride March canceled by coronavirus 2021: Biden reverses Trump-era ban on transgender people in the military 2021: Gender-affirming care for minors is blockedthen overturned 2021: Switzerland and Japan make strides toward marriage equality 2022: Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in US states 2022: First openly lesbian women elected governor 2023: Gender-Affirming Care
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.  The Nebraska Passport season will soon draw to a close, but theres still time to squeeze in one more adventure out west at Riverside Discovery Center.

Riverside Discovery Center is a small zoo in Scottsbluff, accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, with an impressive lineup of animals from around the world. A favorite of local families, the zoo is often called a hidden gem on the western edge of the state.

The zoos executive director, Desiree Drane-Davison, said that being selected as a stop in the Nebraska Passport tourism program has brought plenty of new faces to the zoo, many of whom are surprised to find such a place nestled in the Nebraska Panhandle.

We are a big little zoo. Actually, we have animals here that Denver doesnt have, Drane-Davison said.

Anyone who plans their visit to Riverside Discovery Center on a hot day will get to take advantage of the zoos best non-animal feature.

The most popular attraction is the splash pad, especially on hot days, Drane-Davison said. Everyone wants to get in the water. Even I want to get in the water some days.

Naturally, the animals are the highlight of any visit. Drane-Davison said some of the zoos popular characters are Smokey the grizzly bear and a pair of hyenas, Baby and Charlie, who were recently added to Riversides lineup.

Some of the animals housed at Riverside Discovery Center are included in species survival plan programming through the zoo association. These programs oversee the movement of certain animals from zoo to zoo in order to maintain genetic diversity, health and sustainability of those species.

This summer, a porcupine named Oscar is visiting the Scottsbluff zoo from Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines on one of those breeding missions. If successful, there may be a good reason for visitors to return in a few months time.

Were hoping for little porcupines in the spring, Drane-Davison said.

Right now, the zoo is home to three baby animals, two zebras and one Highland cow calf, who easily overshadow the popularity of their adult counterparts.

Everyone is coming out to see the babies, she said.

Whatever it is that brings a visitor through the gate, Riverside Discovery Center does its best to make sure that they leave with more knowledge than they brought with them. Education is a cornerstone for most zoos and RDC is no different, seeing it as an important piece in the protection and preservation of our planets incredible wildlife.

The only way were going to be able to protect the animals that we have at the zoo  especially those that are on a Species Survival Plan  is through education, Drane-Davison said. Its a solid purpose for zoos.

Despite its small size, Riverside Discovery Center finds ways to keep pace with much larger zoos. In this way, theyre able to provide an important experience for folks who dont live within easy driving distance of more well-known zoos.

Its a long distance between Denver and Omaha, Drane-Davison said. As an accredited AZA facility we have to go through the same process that San Diego, Denver and Omaha go through. The fact that we can hold our own with the big zoos says a lot about the staff and the commitment to the zoo, and people see that when they come to visit.

Although the window to claim a Passport stamp closes at the end of September, Drane-Davison said that the last few weeks of this month are actually the perfect time to stop and visit the animals.

They dont necessarily like to be out in the heat. Theyre a little bit smarter than we are and will find shade and hunker down, she said. As it cools off, the chances of seeing some of these animals are much better.

Drane-Davison also said there are plenty of reasons to drop by Riverside Discovery Center even after the Passport season has concluded. Anyone visiting or traveling through western Nebraska should add it to their agenda alongside Scotts Bluff National Monument, Wildcat Hills, Chimney Rock and the rest.

If theyre out here visiting, they should really see all the sights, and were definitely a good place to visit, she said.

Riverside Discovery Center will be closed to the public during the first week of October so the staff can prepare the grounds for its 35th annual Spooktacular. Both kid-friendly and scary nights will be hosted at the zoo throughout the month of October for those craving some Halloween fun.
RACINE  The 2023-24 school year has started for Racine Unified, and the school districts approach to school safety includes a combination of reactive and proactive measures.

RUSD has security scanners at five schools, but it also is emphasizing the importance of relationships and communication.

Eric Oertel and Jerome King, both former police officers and school resource officers, started jobs in February to coordinate the districts security operations.

Their overarching goal is to make schools safer for learning.

When people in the building are feeling safe, then more learning can happen, said King, RUSD assistant director of safety and security. Thats what were trying to get to.

All RUSD schools have safety support staff who report to King and Oertel. Those positions were previously called hall monitors, but the job duties were altered this school year to focus more on relationship-building.

That is one of the biggest forms of safety that there is, is building those bonds with students, said Oertel, RUSD director of safety and security. With safety comes trust, and with trust, ultimately, is going to come the safety of everyone in the district.

King and Oertel were involved in interviews for safety support staff filling vacant positions this school year. They prioritized people familiar with the Racine area who want to help the community.

We wanted to be very intentional about ensuring that the hearts of those who were hired were for students, Oertel said.

Many times per day, safety support staff check bathrooms and interior and exterior doors. They also check outside buildings for potential concerns.

If a knife is found in a bush, for example, staff want to find it during routine checks as opposed to finding that because somebody got hurt, Oertel said.

Safety support staff document any notable student contact, such as a fight. They also try to determine why a fight happened, as opposed to only noting that it occurred, to try to prevent additional fights.

Oertel said a short-term goal is for safety support staff to more consistently document findings during their daily checks, like if a door is propped open or a squealer alarm goes off.

Security scanners

Safety support staff also help run security scanners at five RUSD schools that started using them daily in April.

This school year, dual-lane security scanners from Evolv Technology will be used daily at the same five buildings: Case, Horlick and Park high schools, and Jerstad-Agerholm and Mitchell K-8 schools.

The systems are essentially walk-through metal detectors that can quickly scan large numbers of people for weapons.

The scanners  plus additional materials, installation and training  will cost RUSD an estimated $508,260 over four years.

RUSD uses scanners instead of metal detectors, which started being used at some schools last fall after multiple incidents involving weapons.

Oertel said its hard to know if a time will come when RUSD no longer needs to use scanners, since they have been highly effective so far.

Theyre working really, really well for us, Oertel said. Its about physical safety but then also perceived safety. They do a great job with both.

Safety layers

Scanners are visible examples of school security, but safety also means the proactive work of school counselors and staff who know students.

King and Oertel are still figuring out how to best coordinate the various layers of safety.

There are many different approaches, and I think for us to say that we dont have all the answers yet is a good thing, Oertel said. We dont have it right, but we want to get it right. We really do. Safety is not just bars and doors. Its relationships and consistency.

One job responsibility for King and Oertel involves being liaisons between the school district and local law enforcement agencies so everyone is on the same page when responding to an incident at or near a school.

Oertel and King also directly respond to incidents. They were two of the first people on the scene when a school bus collided with a city bus earlier this month.

They wanted to find out if there were any students on the school bus and, if so, how to respond. After confirming no students were in the collision, King and Oertel helped coordinate a Flight for Life helicopter landing near Horlick High School.

Communication is part of their jobs as well, and they talk often with school administrators about how to address safety. That could include noting common locations where incidents occur and having safety support staff visit those areas more frequently or changing security camera locations.

King and Oertel want to be visible in their roles, whether that is helping supervise a lunch period or assisting during the rush of students leaving a building after school.

Oertel and King said the first couple weeks of this school year have gone smoothly from a security perspective, and they hope more people will be hired for safety-focused jobs in the future.

Managing over two dozen buildings is challenging, and they have to accept doing what they can with the current resources.

We really would love to be at all places at all times; we just cant, Oertel said. Were not always going to be able to be in every place at every time, but just do the best that we can and not beat ourselves up over it, but then also trust that other people share the same heart that we have.

Oertel repeatedly said safety is everybodys responsibility.

He thinks that with him and King visiting buildings and communicating with RUSD staff and students, more people will accept and act on that message.

Close Second grader Nakarii Williams smiles with the school mascot Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Kim Krause, physical education teacher, hugs two students Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Breonna Paton, from left, second grader Delantiy Campbell and Emily Etchison get ready Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Kim Krause, physical education teacher, welcomes a student Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Aleisha Baugh takes a photo of kindergartener Kelex Jackson on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. A student high-fives the school bear Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Kindergartener Ky-ree Jones gets ready to walk into school Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Students line up Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Eight photos of Racine Unified's first day of school at Wadewitz Elementary Tuesday was the first day of the Racine Unified 2023-24 school year. Second grader Nakarii Williams smiles with the school mascot Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Kim Krause, physical education teacher, hugs two students Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Breonna Paton, from left, second grader Delantiy Campbell and Emily Etchison get ready Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Kim Krause, physical education teacher, welcomes a student Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Aleisha Baugh takes a photo of kindergartener Kelex Jackson on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. A student high-fives the school bear Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Kindergartener Ky-ree Jones gets ready to walk into school Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St. Students line up Tuesday on the first day of class at Wadewitz Elementary School, 2700 Yout St.
CALEDONIA  The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is holding a public involvement meeting Tuesday at Caledonia Village Hall to present improvement plans for Wisconsin Highway 38 at the intersections of 4 Mile and 5 Mile roads.

WisDOT is proposing the addition of a single-lane roundabout at each intersection to address the severity of crashes at the sites.

Both intersections are included among the top 5% most severe accidents sites statewide, according to WisDOT.

The proposed roundabouts will have side paths and ramps on all four sides for vehicle traffic and paths in the islands of the roundabout to accommodate bike traffic.

WisDOT held the first public involvement meeting in January 2022 to present ideas and get public feedback. The second meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, and is the final public involvement meeting on the schedule for the project.

The project is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is expected to take about three to four months to complete.

Residents will be able to ask WisDOT staff about the proposal at the open house meeting, which will be from 5-7 p.m. at Caledonia Village Hall.
1. Yes. If KHA cant continue to run it, the city should step in. Its a necessary asset to the area.

2. Yes. The city already uses it as a warming and cooling center. It would be a smart move.

3. No. It may be in the citys interest to help subsidize insurance for the center, but nothing more.

4. No. The city doesnt need the added burden of staffing and insuring the center. Its a bad idea.

5. Unsure. It may be seem like a good idea, but other options should be explored as well.

Vote

View Results
Most Texas have become all too aware of the negative impacts which this summers high-pressure dome has had on our lakes, our lawns and even o
The night of Jan. 5, 2022, days after the city rang in the New Year, the Model Market grocery store, 2327 54th St., was ablaze. The fire, which killed one, left a mess of metal, rubble and ice.

Hundreds of people shopped at Model Market, said Tony Moore, who runs a group home in the Columbus neighborhood where the market once stood. They did their best to compensate for not being a big box store.

Today the lot is completely bare, an empty spot in the neighborhood. The fire was a reminder of the longstanding issue of food insecurity in the area; the century-old grocery store was a convenient source of nutrition in what is generally considered to be a food desert.

There are currently plans for a grocery store in the first floor of the Uptown Lofts project on 22nd Avenue, which is still in development.

But the issues at play extend far beyond the Columbus neighborhood. Whether in Uptown or out in the county, many thousands of Kenosha residents area dealing with persistent food insecurity.

FoodShare and food pantries

Date for FoodShare, Wisconsins equivalent to food stamps or SNAP, indicates a large swath of Kenosha County faces some level of food insecurity. Its an issue exacerbated, but not started, by the pandemic.

In 2019, prior to the pandemic, monthly recipient data shows that just over 20,000 Kenosha residents were receiving FoodShare benefits. That number had been decreasing since 2011, the oldest available FoodShare data, when over 25,000 residents received benefits. After nine years of gradual decrease, those numbers reversed course during the pandemic. In 2021 Kenosha Countys FoodShare numbers returned to their 25,000 peak and today, two years later, numbers have remained above 22,000.

That means about 13% of Kenosha County residents, one in every eight, are receiving FoodShare benefits every month.

After Feb. 28, additional pandemic FoodShare benefits ended, cutting about $100 of monthly benefits and causing a wave of worry among food pantry leaders who warned of increased demand for their services and negative consequences for residents forced to make difficult day-to-day decisions.

Do I get my medication or do I eat? Do I feed my pets or myself? April Guenther, director of senior services at Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, said recipients were asking in February.

The benefit cut was coupled with an increase in grocery store prices and what Moore described as an ongoing mental health crisis from the pandemic for Kenoshas most vulnerable populations.

You can see what the pandemic did to a lot of people, when it comes to dealing with life, Moore said. People died. People have a lot of grief and mistrust.

Faced with these challenges, Moore said he sees more people relying on food pantries, which have been a godsend.

The pandemic just exploded. Before, people had pride; they didnt want to do it, they just made it through, Moore said. Now, your pride will make you starve.

New normal

Over the summer, food pantries big and small saw the predicted increase, and are now operating under a new normal likely to stay for the foreseeable future.

At the St. Vincent food pantry, comparing data from July 2022 to July 2023, the number of families and individuals assisted has more than doubled, while the amount of food being distributed has more than tripled.

Manager Lisa Roberts said their services are likely to remain at this increased level, a view other pantry directors shared.

What I have found is, once you hit a certain situation, it stays there no matter what, she said.

Roberts said their pantry sees people from a wide variety of backgrounds, but highlighted the growing number of pantry users with jobs who still need help.

When she first started at the pantry five years ago, the people we saw were people with disabilities, or people who were not employed for whatever reason, Roberts said. Now were seeing a lot of people who are employed.

Tamarra Coleman, executive director of the Shalom Center, said theyve seen an uptick in new families and first timers. She said the pandemic pushed people over the edge as they lost jobs, got sick or faced other struggles.

Were registering a lot of new people that have either never come here before, or havent been here in a very long time. So for me, that tells a story, Coleman said.

At the Grace Welcome Center, a food pantry started prior to the pandemic and now serving over 200 families a week, Director Denise Russell also noted the gradual uptick theyve seen since the end of FoodShare.

Every week they give out thousands of pounds of food and Russell said theyre seeing more people, more often. While the relatively new pantry has kept up with demand over the past few years, theyve reported close calls in the past and shortages of some goods.

Ironically, it was cheese proving the most elusive recently.

Were the dairy state, and its been two months since weve had cheese, Russell said.

Kelli Hirt is director of Wisconsin Food and Nutrition services with Vivent Health, a wraparound service and health provider for people living with HIV. It offers a food pantry as part of its medical care, serving about 40 pounds of food to 30 people a month.

Hirt said they too have seen an increase, giving out about 9,600 pounds of food last year. Theyre already likely to beat that this year.

People are so grateful to get a little extra help, Hirt said.

Kenosha County

Out in the county, the concerns are largely the same. Sharon Pomaville, executive director of the Sharing Center, said they currently serve about 3,600 people and anticipate distributing 450,000 to 500,000 pounds of food by the years end.

She pointed to April 2022 as the start of their gradual increase, when food prices began to rise.

This July brought record-breaking numbers of families to the Sharing Center. Pomaville emphasized they were more than capable of absorbing the increased demand.

We have built our agency on all levels with the capacity to serve double what we currently do, so we are able to meet the current and potential needs of our community, Pomaville stated.

Pomaville expected increased demand to remain for years to come, pointing to the 2008 recession, which saw nine years of increased users annually.

Although our economy is stressed for a different reason, we know the high need may last a few years, Pomaville said.

According to Pomaville, 28% of users this year are new and they often cite rent increases, the loss of FoodShare benefits, death and illnesses, insufficient retirement benefits, divorce, domestic violence and homelessness as causes.

Addressing on the local level

Pantry leaders described what they were seeing as their numbers increased.

Theyre pretty desperate, theyre telling us theyre really struggling and theyre having a hard time, Roberts said.

Russell echoed that sentiment.

Thats what I see, Russell said. They sound desperate.

As several food pantry leaders highlighted, food insecurity is complicated, a convergence point of issues of housing, employment, childcare and more. Its also far reaching; Kenosha wasnt even in the top 10 Wisconsin counties with the highest proportion of people on FoodShare.

Many emphasized the importance of wrap-around services for addressing food insecurity on the local level, connecting people with other resources in the community. Food pantries can act as gateways to additional help.

There are many programs that can help, all of which are accessible at or through the Sharing Center, Pomaville said. (They can include) financial literacy training, job training, WIC and student school meals.

Coleman said residents hoping to help can always donate and volunteer at their local food pantry. She also highlighted how food pantries like the Shalom Centers could introduce people struggling to a network of other resources and organizations.
Dear Readers: Let me start with a toast I learned recently. I think youll like it.

There are good ships and bad ships

There are wooden ships and pirate ships

And ships that sail the sea

But the best ships are friendships

Lets give a toast to thee.

And with that, I want to raise my glass to toast Tom Clark, my co-host on Zorba Paster On Your Health for more than 30 years. Yep, count em  three decades. Thats a wow.

The show has had, in the vernacular of show biz, legs. Its been airing for a long, long time. And its also had sea legs, a steady sense of balance and purpose.

Why is that? Because of the chemistry Tom has brought to the show week after week after week.

First, some history here. Tom is a radio jockey. He earned his chops when he owned a radio station in Sauk City, then transitioned to the job of morning host on Wisconsin Public Radio.

His interviews were legendary. He didnt let anyone get away with anything when it came to answering the questions.

One day decades ago, his producer, Monika Petkus, called me to ask if I would do a live interview about influenza. I had known Monika from years back when I was at UW-Madison as an undergrad.

My first response was nope. No way was I going to be on the air live, answering questions. But she cajoled me, twisted my arm into doing it, and I fell in love with the microphone.

Soon, I was a regular guest on Toms show, sometimes doing a full hour interview. Thats when we all got together and planned a regular weekly show, the one you hear today. It was a team effort then, and its a team effort now.

Back to Tom. For me, Tom is what Ed McMahon was to Johnny Carson and what George Fenneman was to Groucho Marx. I could go on and on, but the point here is that without fun, vibrancy and chemistry, the show would have been a dud. Poof. Gone long ago.

Its the mixture of laughter and interview skill that made Tom the perfect co-host for all these years.

But, to quote Lewis Carrolls poem The Walrus and the Carpenter (for I do love a good Carroll quote):

The time has come, the Walrus said,

To talk of many things:

Of shoes  and ships  and sealing-wax 

Of cabbages  and kings 

And why the sea is boiling hot 

And whether pigs have wings.

Tom Clark is retiring. Hes leaving the show, after 32 years. Tom is 87, and hes hanging up the shingle  oh, I mean dropping the mike. Hes signing off.

Hes saying, for those old enough to remember Jimmy Durantes famous radio show signoff, Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.

I will miss him. I will miss him dearly. I will miss his sense of humor, the fact that he doesnt really care about what he eats, as long as its nourishing. I will miss the tofu jokes, and more tofu jokes, the fun times, all of that.

You cant replace Tom. You cant replace a friend. No one can. Each and every friend we have is unique.

But I have a new buddy now, Karl Christenson. Karl is not in my generation. Hes not a boomer, hes a Gen Xer, in the same generation as my kids. And he has kids of his own a bit older than my grandchildren.

So its a different mix here, it has a different zip, different sound, different vibe, a certain je ne sais quoi that I like. Really like.

Karl is a funny, happy guy who loves to make jokes, especially puns, which I like and my granddaughter would laugh at. Thats a good thing when youre entertaining. When laughter fills the air, people listen.

Ive worked with Karl as the fill-in host over the past few years, during COVID and when Tom has taken time off. So I know were in good hands.

Karl has been the shows executive producer for the past decade. He writes and records all the funny theme songs (like Grammar Police). He has even been nominated for an Emmy and has won numerous journalism awards for his work at WPR.

Hes an authentic, witty, charming, energetic, guy I know you folks will love. I am thrilled to have him as my new sidekick.

So, with that, please raise your arm with another toast, to my new co-host, Karl Christenson. Im lifting an imaginary beer right now (actually, its an espresso because its morning as I write this), toasting to success. Have fun on the ride, Karl. Stay well.
After drummer Clyde Stubblefield created the Funky Drummer break for James Brown in the 1960s, that beat became the Bible for so many musicians, says the famed music producer Hank Shocklee.

Stubblefields sound would become one of the most sampled beats in history, laying the foundation for hip-hop, funk and pop hits and earning him the nickname The Funky Drummer. After a pivotal career with James Browns band in the mid-1960s, setting the groove on such hits as Aint It Funky Now and Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved, Stubblefield eventually settled in Madison, where he became a local celebrity and beloved performer. One of the many who held him in awe was Trevor Banks, who went on to become a video director and producer in New York.

Banks will return to Madison next week in hopes of reviving interest and funding for a feature-length documentary about Stubblefield titled Give the Drummer Some, and already containing that quote from Shocklee in an early cut. An all-ages show and fundraiser at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Majestic, 115 King St., will include a preview screening of clips from the documentary, along with a Q&A moderated by Bianca Martin of the City Cast Madison podcast, a set by the band Funkee Jbeez, and an opening and closing DJ set by Nick Nice. Tickets are $20 at majesticmadison.com and $25 at the door.

Clyde Stubblefield, both the person and the musician, is not nearly as well-known as he should be, Martin said. And Trevor Banks, the visionary and documentarian behind this film, had a rare proximity to this musical legend for years, and in intimate settings.

Stubblefield grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in the early 1960s toured with Otis Redding. He moved to Madison in 1970 and became a huge draw in local clubs and a regular on the radio show Michael Feldmans WhadYa Know? Though Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 6 on its list of the top 100 drummers of all time, Stubblefield was not financially compensated for much of his musical innovation, an issue discussed in the films trailer.

A family friend

Banks knew Stubblefield growing up, but mostly as his fathers friend and mentor. Filmmaker Banks is the son of Joey B. Banks, the well-known Madison Grammy-nominated drummer, educator and founder of the youth ensemble Black Star Drum Line. As a boy, the younger Banks many times picked up the phone at home and on the other end of the line was Stubblefield, calling for Banks dad.

As an adult and as a filmmaker, Banks, now 36, got to know Stubblefield on many levels. In his first interview for the film, he sat with Stubblefield for two hours.

After that, he allowed me to just follow him around for extended periods of time between 2015 and 2016, the filmmaker recalls. I captured a couple Funky Monday gigs at The High Noon and a Brat Fest performance. I accompanied him to one of his life-preserving dialysis appointments. But mostly we just hung around at his house on the East Side. Those were the moments that I got to know him the best. In total, I probably have around 15 hours of footage with just Clyde.

Im really grateful for the time we spent together, literally just hanging out, he said. Me, him and a camera.

Stubblefield died in February 2017 at 73, after a long battle with kidney failure. His kindness and his musical gifts were celebrated in concerts and remembrances.

If you put him in a club in Madison, or you put him on the stage at the Apollo with James (Brown), he was the same guy, recalled Browns tour manager Alan Leeds.

In the spotlight

That mix of awe and affection comes through in the teaser for Give the Drummer Some, a short but high-energy sizzle reel that will be shown at the Majestic event. The documentary-in-progress already contains interviews with some 20 music greats including Ahmir Questlove Thompson, John Jabo Starks, Fred Wesley, Fred Thomas, George Clinton, Shocklee of The Bomb Squad and Public Enemy, and Madison natives Ben and Leo Sidran.

The finished work will touch on many different parts of Stubblefields life, Banks said.

The extended title of the film is Give The Drummer Some: The Life and Influence of Clyde Stubblefield. So, it will be all-encompassing, Banks said. I think in order to fully analyze Clydes musical innovations and influence, you have to reference the things that inspired him as an artist  that means we have to talk about his early life. Its been pretty well documented that Clydes days in Chattanooga inspired his style of play in more ways than one.

Banks started the film in 2015 and says its about halfway completed. A crowdfunding campaign in 2021 on the website Seed&Spark yielded $20,885.

Banks declined to say how much funding is needed to wrap up the project but said that a third to half of the films budget will go to the licensing of music and archival material. Wisconsin filmmaker and producer Michael Neelsen, along with directors of photography Jeff Springer and Riley Dengler, are also on the production team.

The Majestic is donating the space for the fundraiser that Banks hopes will make the film project a communitywide event.

The title Give the Drummer Some comes from a line that James Brown would use when it was time to put the spotlight on Stubblefield.

The film has the same goal, Banks said.

This is the biggest project Ive undertaken, he said. We want to celebrate Clyde in a way that continues his legacy.

Photo highlights from the 2023 MTV VMAs
A Soldiers Grove man pleaded guilty Friday to a federal animal cruelty charge for buying a made-to-order video from Indonesia showing the torture of a young monkey.

Kenneth Herrera, 40, who told U.S. District Judge William Conley in court Friday that he is a hospital pharmacist with a doctorate in pharmacy, admitted he paid someone in Indonesia $100 to take video in December 2021 of the torture of a young macaque, after first telling the man how exactly he wanted the monkey to be tortured.

The case is among similar cases being filed in federal courts around the U.S. Herrera was charged with the federal animal crushing charge last month, which was filed along with a plea agreement under which Herrera agreed to plead guilty to the charge.

Under the agreement, Herrera will cooperate with investigators who are looking for others involved in the practice. The plea agreement states Herrera has agreed to make a full, complete, and truthful statement regarding his involvement in the activity.

The federal animal crushing charge carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Federal advisory sentencing guidelines make a sentence that long unlikely, however.

Conley will sentence Herrera on Dec. 20.

According to court documents, in December 2021, Herrera exchanged encrypted online messages with a videographer in Indonesia, setting a price for the video and dictating the specific ways he wanted the macaque to be tortured, including the tools  pliers and a hammer  he wanted to see used on the monkey during the torture.

Herrera was sent video files, which were described by an FBI agent as depicting the torture of a young monkey by an unidentified man who was wearing sandals.

Herrera was interviewed by agents from the FBI and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January 2022 and he admitted ordering the video and paying for it, according to the plea agreement.
The State of Wisconsin has revoked the wholesale dealer license for Good Fellas Auto Sales, Inc., 735 N. Wisconsin St. in Elkhorn, for failing to properly follow administrative requirements, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The order, issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportations Division of Motor Vehicles, determined that Good Fellas Auto Sales violated state law when they sold motor vehicles directly to consumers, rolled back odometers on vehicles and falsified title documents when selling vehicles to customers, the press release stated.

Because of the alleged violations, the department took action to immediately revoke the license effective June 23.

The decision to revoke the license was upheld during a WisDOT hearing on Aug. 4, according to the press release.

Dealers are given 30 days to appeal a revocation to the state Division of Hearing and Appeals. Good Fellas Auto Sales did not appeal, and the decision is final.
We are happy to announce that we have a new matching grant opportunity provided by the Barnabas donors. The Barnabas $5,000 Matching Grant will begin immediately. The Barnabas donors have provided our charity with support and matching grant opportunities for the past 16 years. We feel blessed to have their confidence and trust in the good work we do together. Thank you to Barnabas and all the matching donations that will provide $10,000 in poverty relief over the coming weeks.

Dear W.C.,

I was always a hard worker. I live with and have full custody of my teenage daughter and my elderly mother. We live in my mothers home since my dad passed away two years ago. My mother has dementia, so we care for her and the home. The house is small and needed a lot of work when we moved in. I have been completing house repair projects when funds allow, and I have time on the weekends. Six weeks ago, I fell off a ladder and broke my wrist while cleaning the garage. It was much worse than I first thought and needed surgery to repair. Then I got an infection that required a stay in the hospital. I missed a lot of work, and I am still not able to return to my job that requires the full use of my arm. I am worried about this months utility bill and a car repair that is necessary. Bills are piling up and I am scared because my mother and daughter count on me and I dont want to let them down. I am thankful we have a roof over our heads but worry that I will never be able to catch up with all these expenses by the time I am cleared by the doctor to return to work.

Dear Readers,

After a brief phone call, I paid a visit to this man and his family. I was greeted at the door by the man with a cast still on his arm. He invited me inside and introduced me to his mother. She was a very sweet woman, but the dementia was obvious as she asked me multiple times who I was. Each time her son patiently answered, Mom, this is the man I told you about from that column you read in the newspaper. She seemed to have a moment of recognition before repeating her question again. So we could get to our conversation, the son led her to a recliner where she had several puzzle books stacked and she was happy to work on a word puzzle.

When we sat to talk in the adjoining room, the man explained his daughter was at the neighbors, babysitting. He said, She is trying to save for her own school clothes and supplies because I did not have the money for these items since I have been off work.

I had told the man over the phone what we would be reviewing together so he had all his bills and documents ready for our conversation. After talking about the injury to his arm and the state of his healing process, we got to work on their budget. The man assured me he would be returning to work as soon as his doctor allowed, which would hopefully be within the next few weeks. The infection had set back his healing and caused additional medical expenses.

The man fought back tears as he talked about his mother and daughter. He was a proud man that took pride in caring for who he called his two favorite women. He was embarrassed and very stressed over how quickly their financial state had turned due to his injury.

After reviewing their expenses, we put together a plan to get them back on track. We paid their high summer electric bill, provided the necessary car repair so they had safe, reliable transportation when he returned to work, provided gift cards for food, clothing and school supplies for the daughter as she had generously contributed to the household bills from her small income when she saw how worried her father was. Paying these expenses would allow this family to get back on track. This brought an audible sigh of relief from the father as he used his one good hand to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall.

Just then, the daughter arrived home and I watched as she first hugged her grandma and then her father. She shook my hand in greeting and asked many questions about our charity work. I learned her goal was to go into social work and she worked hard to maintain a high grade point average in hopes of scholarships. After our conversation, I asked the father to keep me updated on his recovery and return to work.

Several weeks later, the man called and gave his update. While our assistance had allowed them to have enough food and prevented their utility disconnection, the car repair had also allowed the man to have reliable transportation when he returned to work. He proudly told me how his caring daughter had shared her gift cards with a friend that was also in need. They had shopped together, purchasing school supplies and clothing. Thanks to your donations this family is safe from falling into the grasp of poverty.

Thank you and God Bless you for allowing us to be there for people who are suffering due to poverty. Together we bring relief to hundreds of people just like this family each year.

Health & Happiness, Love & GOD Bless Everyone, Sal

Please Help: There are many coming to us in desperation. Our good fellow creations need our compassion. Together we make a big difference. Make checks payable to: The Time Is Now to Help, P.O. Box 1, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. The Time Is Now to Help is a federally recognized 5013 charitable organization. You will receive a tax deductible, itemized thank you receipt showing how 100% of your donation was used for providing poverty relief. Please visit our website for more information, to read more of our past and current columns and/or to make a donation: www.timeisnowtohelp.org.

A Very Special Thank You: Kunes Family Foundation, Lake Geneva Area Realty, Susan and Phil Hagenah, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Schuberth, Kunes Country Auto Group, Martin Group, John Stensland and family, Paul Ziegler, Ziegler Charitable Foundation, United Way of Walworth County, A and J Packaging Corporation, Peter and Debbi Kroening, Dr. Mark and Cynthia Brower, The Premium Package, Shari and James Loback, Kenneth and Joyce Pagel, Beth and Jody Rendall, David and Janice Busscher, Saints Simeon and Anna Anglican Church, J.N. Hackman, Kelleher Family, LLC, David and Genevieve Bliss, Gene and Linda Krauklis, all of our anonymous donors and ALL of you who support The Time Is Now to Help donation boxes. Anyone who would like a Time Is Now donation box in your business, please call (262) 249-7000.

Memorials: The following donations were given in memory of Joe Spiegelhoff: Jennifer McAnulty, Daneen Stotko, Victor and Christine Gallardo, and Fred Rappold.

Prayer Chain: The power of prayer and positive thoughts comes from the true healer, our Lord answering our prayers. Please pray for healing for the following people: Brian, Mike, Sylvia, Megan, Kayla, Maria C., Betty, Scott, Annie, Marilyn, Brandon, Helen, Dennis, Mary, Joseph, Jordan, Jean, Tom L., Dr. Peter, Alyce, Matthew, Pam E., Jenene B., John S., Patricia H., Darlene, Ron K., Marian K., Judy, Wendy, Eric, Anthony, Mary, Charlie, Tom P., Christina, Billy, Mike, Cheryl, Bryan E., and Ellie.
Photo: . Nahid, right, carries an Iranian flag during a rally by members of Victoria's Iranian community, at the B.C. legislature on Saturday. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST

Members of the Iranian-Canadian community in Victoria gathered in front of the B.C. legislature Saturday to mark the anniversary of a young womans death that sparked global protests one year ago.

Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly not properly wearing her hijab in Tehran, Iran.

Nahid, a rally organizer who asked her last name to be withheld out of concern about state retribution, said that the rally is for those who can no longer protest freely and safely in Iran.

One of my friends lost her mom and she couldnt go back, she said. Imagine that you are losing the chance to be at your moms funeral because youre fighting the regime.

Nahid, a PhD candidate, said that the students she teaches in university classes here in Victoria often remind her of the students who have died in the protests in Iran.

We are not a stone. We are not a brick. It affects us daily, she said. Every time I talk about the homeland, I just start crying.

On Saturday, Canada sanctioned six more senior Iranian officials from entering Canada or having holdings in the country, the 14th round of sanctions the federal government has imposed on Iran in the past 11 months.

Nahid said that there has to be a more comprehensive level of sanctions.

We are seeing [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] members coming to Canada and buying houses here, they are staying here, they are bringing their death money here, she said. The fact that they are coming here and walking in the streets here  intimidating people here  its not fine.

Currently, 31 entities and 129 people associated with the Iranian government have been targeted.

In the past year, about 500 people have been killed in Iran as authorities attempted to crack down on the widespread protest movement. More than 22,000 were detained, according to rights groups. Demonstrations have largely died down this year, but widespread signs of discontent continue.
Germany, France, U.K. Refuse To Lift Sanctions on Iran as Part of Nuclear Deal

Sept. 16, 2023, (EIRNS)Germany, France and the U.K. announced yesterday that they would not lift sanctions on Iran in accordance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 nuclear deal by which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions, and UN Security Council resolution 2131, which confirmed the JCPOA. In a joint statement, the three European allies known as E3, said they would retain their sanctions in a direct response to Irans consistent and severe non-compliance with the accord, reported the Associated Press. They claimed that Iran has violated the sanctions by developing and testing ballistic missiles and sending drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine. Therefore, they will keep the sanctions in place until Tehran is fully compliant with the deal, the E3 said. The sanctions, according to the agreement, are to expire on Oct. 18.

Iran, not surprisingly, denounced the decision of the E3. Irans Foreign Ministry said it considered it to be an illegal measure, and contrary to the trios commitments under the JCPOA and UNSC 2231, which endorsed the JCPOA. The decision amounts to a tension-building measure, which is taken in bad faith, read a ministry statement, reported Tasnim News. The Foreign Ministry statement rejected the allegations made by the E3including their allegations that Iran has transferred drones to Russia, as well as, what the three call the likelihood that Tehran might provide Moscow with ballistic missiles. The Islamic Republic has roundly rejected both the allegations, citing its categorical rejection of the war, it said.

The three European countries have also accused Iran of violating the JCPOA, referring to a number of legal nuclear countermeasures that the Islamic Republic began to take after the United States illegally left the JCPOA in 2018 and the three states failed to offer any compensation for the U.S. withdrawal.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also denounced the E3 decision, seeing it as a deliberate violation of the JCPOA and UNSC 2231. We strongly condemn the United Kingdom, Germany and France for seeking to deliberately violate the requirements of the JCPOA and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. If they get their way, it will deal a crushing blow to the prospects for restoring the nuclear deal. However, we would not like to think that the European attacks were more than accidental, given that they came at the exact moment when certain prerequisites appeared for intensifying efforts to restart the JCPOA, created by developments in the indirect dialogue between Iran and the United States.

We urge the European parties to the JCPOA to immediately reverse their destructive course and adhere to their international obligations in strict compliance with UNSC Resolution 2231, she said in a statement, released today.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2023

Expect Development Dynamic at This Weeks Annual UN General Assembly Leaders Debate

Sept. 16, 2023, (EIRNS)On Sept. 19 begins the annual week of the UN General Assemblys General Debate, going through Sept. 26, during which time leaders from nearly all 180 member nations speak. Anything but routine can be expected this year. The strengthening assertion of leadership from the Global Majority is bound to be given voice through many speakers, representing the process of deliberation in recent months, seen in the sequence of conferences from the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg (July 27-28), to the BRICS Summit and BRICS-Plus in Johannesburg (Aug. 22-24), to the Group of 77+China Summit (Sept. 15-16) whose two-day event concluded in Havana today.

Today the G77+China Summit issued its joint statement titled, the Havana Declaration on Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation, which calls for the comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture and a more inclusive and coordinated approach to global financial governance with greater emphasis on cooperation among countries.

A foretaste of what may be raised in speeches at the UN in New York was heard yesterday and today in Cuba. Angolan President Joao Lourenco warned that developing nations wont stand around with our arms crossed to wait for some miraculous solutions to the problems we face.... We will know how to find the solutions and strategies that will lead us to concretize our development agenda.

At the UN on Sept. 19, President Lula da Silva of BRICS nation Brazil, will be among the first, or the very first national speaker at the opening of the General Debate. His remarks in Cuba were strong. He offered Havana a number of economic deals which Cuba very much needs, especially food. Lula denounced the U.S. for its illegal economic embargo against Cuba, in effect since 1962, as did almost every other speaker from the 60 who spoke today.

What is the message from the United States? On Sept. 13, the Biden Administration renewed for another year its savage embargo against Cuba. Note that its authorization comes under the long-standing Trading with the Enemy Act.

President Biden is scheduled to speak on the first day of the General Debate, as is Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. What is their program in action? More weapons, more death, and more risk of nuclear conflagration. Their next big programmatic conference comes up on Sept. 19 of the periodic meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, in Ramstein, Germany. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley will chair the 15th session of the group. On the agenda will be the demand for each nation to rev up production of artillery rounds. Pentagon Acquisition Director Bill LaPlante gave the projections on Sept. 15 for the Pentagons goal of U.S. production of 100,000 artillery rounds per month by FY2028.

In complete opposition to this, the headline rings out of the new Schiller Institute international reportall set for mass circulation in and around the United Nations in New York this week: Colonialism Is Over! An Appeal to the U.S.A. and Europe: Support a New, Just World Economic Order, Not War! Through street distributions, a rally Sept. 21 on the International Day of Peace, and through international diplomatic missions, the message of the 56-page document will get out. Schiller Institute volunteers are planning to reach out among the 10,000 visitors to the UN over the next 10 days, who will be on hand in addition to the 15,000 regular UN staff.

Now is the time to circulate the pamphlet and support the intervention everywhere in the world. Speaking in Cuba today, South African Minister of International Relations Naledi Pandor stated: The struggle for the soul of the South and for unilateral global dominance has never been more intense, and as the South, we must seize this historic moment to ensure we develop the ability to be free agents of a development agenda that will advance our battle against poverty inequality and unemployment.
This is a huge issue, said one college math professor.

This is significant and deep, said another.

They were talking about their students who are still struggling with basic math skills three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the students are in their first or second year in college. But when the pandemic started in 2020, they were still in high school, learning algebra or early calculus.

During the pandemic, many U.S. schools closed to in-person classes and started teaching by video call. Education experts said they believed students would catch up.

College professors said they hoped for a rebound by now. But it has not happened in most places.

As a result, universities in the U.S. are trying to find ways to fix the problem. Some offer summer math camps. Others called on students to learn from each other, a process known as peer tutoring. Still others offer basic math classes students can take while also attending classes such as calculus.

Brian Rider is the head of the math program at Temple University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Its not that theyre unprepared, he said. Theyre almost damaged.

Rider said he hated to say that, but theyre so behind.

One teachers experience

Erin Vorke is a math instructor at Eastern Florida State College. Many of her students must take a math class to get a two-year associate degree and move on to a four-year college. Some are high school students who are getting college credit. She told VOA about her experience.

She said some of her students did not get a good foundation in math even before the pandemic started. Once they missed time in class, their troubles increased.

Its definitely become a lot worse since the pandemic. And what Ive been told is that everyone was just being passed through while they were in high schoolI have a lot of students who cant work with negative numbers, I have students who dont know what an even number is.

Vorke said she cannot stop her class to teach students something they should have learned when they were in middle school.

I slow down as much as I can, but I have to cover my curriculum, she said.

Students struggling

Diego Fonseca is a student in northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Nineteen-year-old Fonseca recently finished high school. This summer, he took a math boot camp at George Mason University so he could brush-up on math learning. He was one of about 100 students trying to improve their math skills.

He said he did well in physics and computer science while in high school, but he did not get good scores on a math placement test for college. He wanted to take calculus, but in three tries on the test, he did not get a good enough score. He was permitted to take the test four times and wanted to do better on his final attempt.

He was not having trouble with the math he learned recently, but he did not learn algebra well early in high school when schools closed in 2020.

I didnt have a hands-on, in-person class, Fonseca said. He later said he had trouble with more difficult algebra.

The math troubles are a problem for students at universities across the U.S. who want to study engineering and science. Many are being placed into low math classes, which means they are falling behind in their study programs.

Colleges say the pandemic learning problems affected both reading and math, but math skills suffered more, and recovery has been slow.

Maria Emelianenko is one of the math professors at George Mason. She said students are in difficult pre-calculus and calculus classes and they cannot add simple fractions.

Jessica Babcock is a math professor at Temple. She said she realized how big of a problem she had while grading a test last year. Nearly all her students missed what she thought was a simple question.

It was a striking moment, she said.

Babcock teaches a basic math class that includes material students should have learned in their first year of high school. Before the pandemic, it had about 800 students. But by 2021 there were almost 1,400.

Education researchers say math is a hands-on subject and it was hard to teach with students learning from home. If students moved on to subjects like geometry or trigonometry without learning algebra, learning gaps could go unnoticed for years. In addition, they say parents have an easier time helping their children with reading than math at home.

'Many students gave up on math'

Katherine Strunk is an education expert who now heads the graduate school of education at the University of Pennsylvania. She led a study that looked at learning problems in Michigan.

She said minority students and low-income students had the most problems during the pandemic.

Theyre the ones who are going to suffer the longer-term consequences, she said.

Babcock, the Temple professor, said many students gave up on math. They did not come for help and continued getting poor grades on tests.

The problems made Babcock change her class this year. The class has discussions, making students more involved in the learning process.

We really want students to feel like theyre part of their learning, Babcock said.

That kind of class, said Vorke, may be more helpful for students who wonder when they will use algebra or other math in the future. She is part of a group of educators at her college who teach what she called real-world problems (students) can actually relate to, each summer.

If you go shopping, and theres a sale, and you want to figure out how much youll be paying for an item thats 10 percent off. Thats algebra, Vorke said.

After the summer boot camp, Fonseca said he chose to start his college studies at Northern Virginia Community College. In two years, he can move on to George Mason. He recently took the placement test again. On his final attempt, he qualified for calculus.

I didnt have any expectation Id do that, he said.

Im Dan Friedell. And Im Jill Robbins.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by The Associated Press and his own reporting.

Quiz - Professors Blame Pandemic for College Students Math Troubles Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

significant adj. important in some way

basic adj. simple and low-level

rebound n. a return to an earlier, better condition

foundation n. the base on which later learning is built

negative adj. less than zero

even adj. a multiple of two

curriculum n. the classes that are part of a school study program

boot camp n. an intensive training program aimed at getting students to become much better in a short period of time

brush up v. to improve skills or knowledge usually some time after learning them

fraction n. non-whole numbers that are expressed as division of one whole number into another

hands-on adj. involving actually doing something rather than reading or thinking about it

consequences n. (usually pl.) the results of words or actions

We want to hear from you. Do you think the students will be able to catch up on the math they missed during the pandemic?
At a time when peoples trust in government is waning, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion that the Legislatures Office of the Public Counsel, better known as the Ombudsmans Office, is unconstitutional.

The office exists to promote accountability in government by independently and impartially investigating issues related to state agencies and employees. The departments of Health and Human Services and Corrections, which are subject to this oversight and often make headlines because of their actions, requested the opinion.

Since Hilgers opinion was issued, Corrections and DHHS have limited information being provided directly to the Ombudsmans Office. Specifically impacted are the inspector general for corrections and the inspector general for child welfare.

For 10 years, the inspector general for child welfare has issued reports of youth suicides, sexual abuse of foster children and the most memorable report on the conditions at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Geneva, a residential mental health treatment center, which was ultimately closed.

The inspector general for corrections was established in 2015 following a series of scandals including the wrongful release of numerous offenders, the troubling use of solitary confinement for the mentally ill, and lack of oversight for people who complete their sentences. Remember the storied case of Nikko Jenkins, who jammed out and then killed four people in the Omaha area? Dont forget the riots, which killed several inmates in the first months of then-new Corrections Director Scott Frakes tenure.

Full disclosure, Ive read several excellent opinion pieces since Hilgers action and my thoughts agree with those of the authors, state Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln and the Lincoln Journal-Star Editorial Board.

Conrad noted that Hilgers opinion talked about separation of powers but forgot the checks and balances for which the Ombudsmans Office and the special counsels were created. The Legislatures oversight and investigation powers are undeniable and were negotiated among policymakers and lawyers in Nebraska when the watchdog positions were created, she said. She was serving in the Legislature when it happened. I was observing and reporting.

She takes issue with the attorney generals callous disregard of the shameful and uncontroverted facts that led to the creation of the inspectors general, his disregard for their professional, objective work and the ongoing crises plaguing these agencies.

Conrad cautions that Hilgers should not manufacture a constitutional crisis. However, his opinion is now being weaponized by lawyers at HHS and corrections to subvert existing law, which allows access for independent watchdogs to do their work. Both counsels have openly reported the frustrations caused by such action.

Nebraskans should pay careful attention to bureaucrats who seek to hide their work from other branches of government and from the people of Nebraska and to the elected officials who facilitate obfuscation, she said.

Perhaps that will be the guiding light as lawmakers seek to address Hilgers concerns. Imagine, bureaucrats seeking to hide their work  or lack thereof  from citizens and we didnt have to go to Washington to experience whats crooked about government.

I like the way the Journal Star editorial summed it up. Nebraska has seen a slow and disturbing erosion of government transparency and accountability, even as politicians tout their devotion to those pillars of our government while on the campaign trail.

Public records requests are denied on broad grounds they involve pending litigation, ongoing investigations, or executive privilege. If they are granted, entities claim great difficulty in gathering them and charge exorbitantly for them. Government at all levels appears to believe that public records requests and open meetings laws are hardships that are better avoided than endured rather than an essential part of public service.

Conrad and the newspaper concluded that taxpayers deserve a window into how their government carries out its duties and as clear of an understanding as possible of how it treats the people placed in its care or custody. I agree.

Real solutions, not legal shenanigans and political posturing.
POWER GRID | FAILED LEGISLATION

Bipartisan legislation that would have blocked out-of-state competition on long-distance power line projects in Wisconsin died last year following what a former member of Wisconsin's utility regulatory agency claims was a secret collaboration between a national transmission company and a well-known conservative advocacy group.

In a March 15, 2022, email sent to a handful of state lawmakers and obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal through a public records request, then-Public Service Commission member Ellen Nowak asserts that officials with LS Power, an independent transmission company headquartered in New York, worked with conservative group Americans for Prosperity to lead efforts against the proposals.

"The public will never know," Nowak wrote in the email sent to Sen. Julian Bradley, R-Franklin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Utilities and Technology, and then-state Reps. Tyler Vorpagel and Mike Kuglitsch, Republicans who sat on similar committees in the Assembly. "I know you share my disappointment and frustration that important policy in Wisconsin was hijacked by an out of state interest group that never came to meet with any Wisconsin legislator."

Senate Bill 838 and Assembly Bill 892 were proposed to give in-state companies the exclusive right to build any transmission project approved by the Midwest grid operator, known as MISO. Critics of such so-called "right of first refusal" laws have said they limit competition and drive up energy costs for ratepayers.

Multiple states  including Iowa and Michigan  have passed similar legislation in the decade since the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission abolished federal anti-competition protections.

The federal government does not directly control the grid but sets ground rules for entities such as MISO, an independent nonprofit organization established in 2001 to operate electricity markets and oversee regional planning in 15 states and one Canadian province.

Nowak, who now works for Wisconsin-based American Transmission Company, which supported the legislation, claims in the email that LS Power, an organization that has opposed similar measures in other states, "chose to use a 'customer group' to be the face of the opposition because it 'sounds better' and that when LS Power has been visible in other states when similar legislation was being considered the company looked like 'a bunch of carpetbaggers.'"

Nowak asserts that LS Power turned to the conservative free-market group Americans for Prosperity to be "the vehicle in Wisconsin to oppose" the bills.

From there, Americans for Prosperity "initiated a misinformation campaign to stop the legislation," which included social media posts, phone calls to constituents and messages to conservative talk radio shows, Nowak added.

Officials with LS Power, which manages more than 680 miles of transmission infrastructure across the country, and Americans for Prosperity denied Nowak's allegations.

"The answer is no, we weren't hired by any power companies," Eric Bott, Americans for Prosperity regional vice president, told the State Journal, calling Nowak's allegations "absurd and kind of sad."

Sharon Segner, senior vice president of transmission policy for LS Power, said in an email that Nowak's comments are inaccurate.

Nowak declined to comment for this story.

Despite receiving a public hearing in February 2022, the measures never reached a formal vote and ultimately died with the end of that legislative session.

Bradley said in an email the proposal "was introduced late in the session and we ran out of time."

"This is an issue that most people are unfamiliar with," Bradley continued. "I think it will be a different story if the bill is reintroduced."

Bradley directed questions about Nowak's claims to LS Power and Americans for Prosperity. He did not say what efforts were made to verify the commissioner's allegations.

Democratic co-sponsors of the bills and members of the Senate utilities committee Sens. Brad Pfaff, of Onalaska, and Jeff Smith, of Brunswick, said they had no previous knowledge of Nowak's email, which Pfaff said "shed some light on why we never had any further action on the legislation."

Smith also recalled Americans for Prosperity's opposition to the measure, which he said "surprised me at the time."

"One thing I do know is that it was kind of odd at the time that they were taking such a stance on that bill," Smith said.

Vorpagel joined Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin as the organization's director of legislative and regulatory relations last summer, while Kuglitsch is now with the law firm Michael Best Strategies LLC, where he focuses on a range of matters including energy and utilities. Neither responded to requests for comment on Nowak's email.

A secret effort

Nowak was appointed to the commission by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker in 2011. After a brief stint as secretary of the state Department of Administration, Nowak rejoined the commission in January 2019.

In July 2023, Nowak joined American Transmission Company, an organization that operates most of Wisconsin's transmission network and is owned by a group of distribution utilities including Alliant and Madison Gas and Electric.

Nowak's move from state utilities regulator to one of Wisconsin's largest utilities isn't unusual. Several former members of the commission have gone on to jobs with utilities or transmission companies. State law prohibits Nowak from appearing before the PSC on behalf of ATC for the first 12 months after her departure from the commission.

In the email, Nowak expressed her "profound disappointment in the process that evolved while this legislation was under consideration."

Nowak said she was approached by two people  Marjorie Philips, LS Power's vice president of wholesale market policy, and Richard Mroz, a senior director with Archer Public Affairs  at the National Association of Utility Regulators Conference in Washington, D.C., in February 2022 to express opposition to the proposed legislation.

"This was a surprise to some, since LS Power never registered in opposition to the bill let alone even set foot in Wisconsin during the pendency of the effort," she wrote.

In addition to Americans for Prosperity, other groups to oppose the measure included the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, Midwest Food Products Association, Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. LS Power did not register against either bill.

Eighteen organizations supported the measure, including American Transmission Company, ITC Holdings, Madison Gas and Electric Company, WEC Energy Group and Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association.

"Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this  LS Power (or AFP) never personally testified at either the Senate or Assembly committee hearing," Nowak added. "That speaks volumes. That should not be the norm. What were they afraid to answer? How can an out of state company that wants to own critical infrastructure in Wisconsin (and stand to make substantial money from doing so) get away with not even testifying?"

A list of attendees for the regulators conference, which allowed for both in-person and online attendance, includes Nowak, Philips and Mroz.

Segner said Philips "does not, and has never, represented transmission policy issues at LS Power, and she doesn't speak on behalf of the transmission business of LS Power as she isn't involved in that division of LS Power."

Segner did not respond to a follow-up email seeking details about the February summit. Mroz did not respond to a request for comment.

Shifting alliances

In her letter, Nowak also pointed to LS Power's political leanings, which she notes are, "to put mildly, a sharp contrast to the stated principles" of the conservative Americans for Prosperity.

"But LS Power knew that it had to change its strategy since right of first refusal legislation was passing in other Midwestern states despite LS Power's opposition," Nowak continued.

Employees and owners of LS Power donated more than $170,000 to federal candidates in the 2022 election cycle, according to Open Secrets, a transparency group that tracks money in politics. Of those funds, more than 88%, or more than $150,000, was donated to Democratic candidates, compared with less than $20,000 to Republicans.

Bott said an agreement between LS Power and Americans for Prosperity, such as Nowak suggests, would be "bad business," adding that Americans for Prosperity largely opposes right of first refusal laws as being "a raw deal for the consumer."

"On its face, unquestionably, it's a terrible deal for ratepayers and it's just as equally clear it's a wonderful deal for incumbent utilities," Bott said of the Wisconsin proposals.

Bott has also said the law would likely violate the "dormant commerce" clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from passing protectionist policies that discriminate against nonresidents doing business.

While American Transmission Company supported the proposal in Wisconsin, the company fought a similar bill when it came up a decade earlier in Minnesota.Company lobbyist John Garvin wrote to Minnesota lawmakers in 2012 that the proposal under consideration at the time "would stifle competition in the development and construction of electric transmission facilities leading to higher costs for electricity users in Minnesota," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last year.

Bill Marsan, American Transmission Company's executive vice president and general counsel, told the outlet the company was considering projects in other states when it opposed the Minnesota law, but that position has since changed "based on the reality of the market and our conviction that the best way to actually get transmission built and serving customers was through the traditional state regulatory process."

American Transmission Company declined to comment for this story.

Right of first refusal

Under the Wisconsin proposals, the state's three transmission utilities would have the exclusive right to add to their networks.

The bills would not have changed the state Public Service Commission's role in permitting individual projects, such as the controversial Cardinal-Hickory Creek line under construction between Dubuque, Iowa, and Middleton. It would have prohibited MISO from awarding contracts to outside developers.

The bills' authors framed the proposal as a means of "maintaining control" over the state's transmission development, but critics of the anti-competition laws argued it would simply protect utility profits by preventing competitive bidding and lead to higher energy prices.

"Transmission rates in Wisconsin have been skyrocketing," Segner said. "Obviously, the instate industrial, consumer, and free market voices that soundly defeated the monopoly bill have their own good reasons to be strongly opposed to writing a perpetual monopoly into state law for the clean energy transition. They speak for themselves."

In testimony provided Feb. 3, 2022, to the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities, Nowak wrote in support the the bills, noting the proposal "isn't about rates, it is about reliability and construction costs which make up around 10% of a customer's bill."

"Any suggestion that turning over the decision as to who builds critical infrastructure in Wisconsin to out of state bureaucrats or the federal government will save money is false," Nowak continued.

In September 2022, Bradley and then-acting chair of the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, sent a letter to the FERC indicating plans to reintroduce the proposal in the current legislative session.
Editors note: This is the latest in an occasional series of SOS columns highlighting companies that prove themselves unresponsive, unhelpful or uninterested in explaining themselves.

Ninety-two dollars is the equivalent of about 30 large coffees at MOKA, a popular La Crosse-based coffee chain with seven stores in Madison and another 11 spread out around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.

Its also the amount the privately held company has steadfastly refused to pay former employee Linnea Sorensen  despite a letter from the state Department of Workforce Development threatening litigation if it didnt.

The 20-year-old college student emailed SOS in July to say that shed worked Christmas Day last year at the chains Mineral Point Road location in Madison with the understanding that she would be paid extra  or $25 an hour, nearly twice her usual rate of $13.50. Thats what the company had paid her for working the Christmas before, according to a pay stub she showed SOS.

Nevertheless, her first paycheck after Christmas 2022 showed only her regular rate, and when she sought to find out why, she got a series of excuses from her bosses, according to screenshots of text messages between them and Sorensen. The bosses said the new no-holiday-pay policy had been shared with employees. Sorensen said it had not.

I truly apologize for any miscommunication in regards to Christmas Day, said MOKA Vice President of Operations Brooke Klug. I am so sorry if you were not informed by your manager and I will be following up with Beth as well. Beth is Beth Cveykus, also a MOKA manager, Sorensen said.

Sorensen told SOS she knew $92 might not seem like much, but I have been working for years and now that Im in college, every penny counts.

So, on Jan. 11, she took her case to the state DWDs Equal Rights Division. It included not only information about her pay but written statements from three MOKA employees backing up her side of the story, and on June 16, DWD sent a letter to MOKA owner Joan Wilson with its decision.

It had been reasonable for Sorensen to believe she was to have received holiday pay, Equal Rights Officer Emily Jane Laak-Loeding wrote, MOKA had been less than cooperative with the agencys investigation, and now the company had until June 26 to send DWD a check for $92, payable to Sorensen.

If it didnt, I may prepare the case file on this matter for litigation, Laak-Loeding warned, and any referral to court will include a request for the maximum penalty for the late payment of wages.

MOKA didnt pay, and when SOS asked why, it got much the same obtuse response the company provided DWD. On July 27, a woman from MOKAs human resources department, who declined to share her name, reiterated the no-holiday-pay policy, said there were other benefits to working holidays  like extra tips  and said working holidays was optional for employees.

In similarly unsigned emails from MOKA HQ on July 27 and Aug. 7, the company noted there is no state law requiring holiday pay and that employees who worked Christmas Day 2022 were given MOKA sweatshirts in appreciation. The sweatshirts, MOKA claimed, were worth $50.

But what about DWDs threat to sue? Toothless, basically.

DWD wrote Sorenson on July 6 to say that due to budgetary constraints the District Attorney has informed the Division that their office will only be able to process a limited number of wage claims. In fact, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne told SOS that we havent addressed wage claims for some time now and that DWD could turn to another state agency, the Department of Justice, to pursue forfeitures like the one owed Sorensen.

After initially proposing to provide SOS with some information about wage claims cases on background, DOJ spokesperson Gillian Drummond punted to DWD.

DWD, in turn, told SOS that the agency is successful at getting employers to pay in about 70% of wage claim cases, but that it cannot always establish evidence of criminal intent on an unpaid wage claim.

When prosecutors request referrals be limited to those with evidence of criminal intent or reach a certain dollar amount, civil enforcement through small claims court provides a way to seek recovery of unpaid wages plus up to a 100% wage penalty, communications director John Dipko said.

Sorensen knows that she could pursue her claim in small claims court, and that DWDs finding in her favor could be helpful in that venue.

But she wishes it had been clearer to her from the start that state government would in the end be unwilling or unable to pursue a case as meritorious as hers.

Its just unfortunate that individuals seem to be the ones always feeling the negative impacts rather than corporations, she said.
The United Way of Dane County has set four specific goals for our community. We all need to give to this noble organization to help accomplish them.

The local United Way wants to:

Reduce the poverty rate in Dane County for young children.

According to the organizations latest numbers, child poverty for children under 5 years of age has fallen from 13% to 10% over four years. Thats progress, though stubborn racial disparities linger.

For Black children under 5, the poverty rate has fallen from 41% to 30% in four years. For young Latino children, its down from 38% to 33%. Our community must do better. The poverty rate for young Black and Latino children, though improving, is six times that of their white peers.

Lots of factors are at play, so the United Way plans to attack this challenge in multiple ways. It has targeted $1.4 million to 15 nonprofits and 23 programs affecting nearly 2,000 youngsters during the last year. With its many partners including local employers, it is helping parents train for and land jobs that pay more than $15 an hour. It is helping young families find affordable housing and quality child care.

Increase graduation rates.

The percentage of teenagers earning diplomas within six years of entering high school has been relatively flat. The rate across Dane County is up from 92% to 93% over four years, according to the United Ways dashboard of key indicators, which it plans to carefully track.

Some groups arent doing as well others, though still improving. The graduation rate for Black students is up 4 percentage points to 79%. Latino students have gone from 85% to 88%.

Boys and Girls Club's workforce training center will help fill critical worker shortage With Wisconsin projected to be 130,000 workers short by decade end, workforce development programs and centers are increasingly important to find and train workers, especially in the skilled trades.

The United Way invested $3.7 million in 18 nonprofits and 32 programs affecting the education of 5,700 young people last year. This includes tutors working one-on-one with students who are struggling at reading and algebra. It includes mentors encouraging adolescents to try new things and overcome social anxiety. The United Way helps support summer and after-school programs so kids can socialize and explore career goals.

Ensure a family of three can afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment.

About 78% of Dane County residents earn enough to pay for that now, or the equivalent of that if the size of their household is different. Thats up about 2 percentage points over four years. To keep pushing this metric in the right direction, the United Way steered $3.4 million to 19 partners and 40 programs impacting 8,700 people. With its partners, its providing more affordable housing and helping tenants avoid eviction. Its finding jobs and places to live for people released from prison.

Increase life expectancy.

This indicator of good health has been slipping. Dane County residents, based on the United Ways latest numbers, can expect to live about 81 years and 5 months. Thats down from 81 years and 10 months four years ago.

Doulas could help reduce death rates of Black and Latino babies in Wisconsin Infant mortality, which has long been more of a problem among Black babies than white babies in Dane County and throughout Wisconsin, continues to present a racial and ethnic disparity.

The life expectancy for Black and Native American residents in Dane County is about 73 years, which has fallen by one year for Black people, and barely nudged up for Native Americans. Asian residents are living the longest lives  an average of nearly 89 years, though thats down slightly, too.

In targeting this goal, the United Way invested $2.9 million into 16 programs helping nearly 10,000 people. This includes health workers and doulas to ensure good outcomes for mothers and their newborns. It includes signing people up for health insurance and subsidizing, if necessary, insurance premiums.

HOW TO HELP To donate to the United Way of Dane County, or to register for Monday's fundraising kickoff at Breese Stevens Field in Madison, go to unitedwaydanecounty.org.

The United Ways data suggests our region is improving but still has a long way to go  especially for people of color.

Thats why its so important to help the United Way continue its work to meet these goals. Please donate at unitedwaydanecounty.org.

Most new Madison apartment buildings are unaffordable to average renter, analysis shows Renters are considered "cost burdened" when they pay more than 30% of their gross income on housing. That means a renter at the median income of $46,919 would need to pay $1,170 or less to have affordable rent.

The United Way of Dane County, which just passed a century of public service, is launching its annual fundraising campaign Monday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Breese Stevens Field in Madison. Donors and volunteers will enjoy a family carnival, prizes and ice cream. They also can volunteer to put together care kits of diapers, paper towels and toilet paper for young families.

Organizers encourage the public to register in advance for the event at unitedwaydanecounty.org. You also can just show up. About 700 people are expected.

If you cant go, please make a donation or volunteer online. Last year, some 20,000 donors gave $18 million. (Full disclosure: Jenny Price, a member of the State Journal editorial board, works for WayForward Resources, a nonprofit in Middleton that has received grants from the United Way.)

The United Way of Dane Countys strategic priorities are strong. Its donations from area residents must be, too.

Wisconsin State Journal editorial board The views expressed in the editorials are shaped by the board, independent of news coverage decisions elsewhere in the newspaper. STAFF MEMBERS KELLY LECKER, Executive editor SCOTT MILFRED, Editorial page editor PHIL HANDS, Editorial cartoonist COMMUNITY MEMBERS JAMES L. HOWARD JENNY PRICE
Thank you for publishing the Associated Press article "Advocates fighting plan to remove wild horses" in the Sept. 10 State Journal.

Many people are unaware of the plight of wild horses and burros throughout the country. This article helps bring awareness to it.

Around 50,000 wild horses and burros have been rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management in holding pens throughout the country. Many fall into the hands of the slaughter pipeline. People can learn about this through American Wild Horse Campaign (americanwildhorsecampaign.org), Save Our Wild Horses (saveourwildhorses.net) and Animal Wellness Action (animalwellnessaction.org).

The horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota, are an extremely unique herd, viewable inside a National Park. In December 2022, the National Park Service announced their plan to eliminate this herd.

It would be a tragedy if this happened. Thousands of people are working together, fighting for the spirit of the Badlands. We hope others learn and join in.

Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates (www.chwha.org) has a wealth of information and call to actions available.

Please be a voice for our horses and burros on our public lands.

Margo Fochs, Waterloo
Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, talks with this attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, before closing arguments in his impeachment trial in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

AUSTIN, Texas  Newly acquitted of impeachment charges, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is back on the job and getting back to the usual.

Promises to keep dragging the Biden administration into court. Support from former President Donald Trump. And coming soon, a sit-down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

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As Paxton on Sunday begins his first full day back in office after winning acquittal in the Texas Senate over accusations of corruption and bribery, the Republican is quickly resuming what has long helped make him one of the most resilient political figures in the U.S. despite years of criminal charges and alleged scandal.

At the same time, the verdict is inflaming rifts within the GOP surrounding his impeachment in the first place.

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The fallout in the Texas Capitol is likely only beginning and threatens to spill into the 2024 elections, when conservative allies of the Trump-backed attorney general say they will target Republican legislators who led the investigation against Paxton.

Even the very act of impeachment in Texas could get a second look after Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial, called for new guardrails in a fiery speech questioning how the case made it this far.

On the other side are Republicans in the Texas House, where Paxton was overwhelmingly impeached and suspended from office in May. Its members bristled at Saturdays verdict and the criticism leveled by the lieutenant governor.

The inescapable conclusion is that todays outcome appears to have been orchestrated from the start, cheating the people of Texas of justice, Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan said.

Paxton, 60, was absent for most of the trial and was not in the Senate for his acquittal on 16 articles of impeachment. He issued a statement blasting his impeachment as the work of a kangaroo court and promoted an interview he plans to give this week with Carlson.

Ive said many times: Seek the truth! And that is what was accomplished, Paxton said.

The trial was a showcase of 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 either was no evidence or 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 years GOP primary.

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Paxton was endorsed in that race by 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 the 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 senators husband.

The woman ultimately never took the witness stand, but her relationship with Ken Paxton was central to a case accusing 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.

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.

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Johnson said it eventually became clear there would not be enough votes to convict, which 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.

The outcome is not the end of 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 is 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.

Dan Cogdell, one of Paxtons attorneys, said the securities fraud charges the attorney general still faces should be dismissed.

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If they dont dismiss them, well try them and beat them there just like we beat them here, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Jake Bleiberg in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
SOMERS | PRITZKER MILITARY ARCHIVES CENTER

SOMERS  The building would stand out in even the biggest of cities.

But here, amid a sea of nearly ripe corn, a solar field and wetlands in northeastern Kenosha County, the Pritzker Military Archives Center overshadows the rural landscape.

The building's shape resembles a World War II landing craft. Its steel girders and columns are painted a bright red.

Its founder is a retired colonel who happens to be a billionaire with a passion for military history. The building's architect is world renowned, and the project serves as a unique gateway to this village of just over 9,000 people in southeastern Wisconsin.

"It's just a tremendous entrance to the village of Somers," said Village President George Stoner, who was first approached about the project in 2020. "It puts Somers on the map. We didn't have any input on the design (of the building), but when it came to us we were ecstatic. It was beautiful and it was different."

The 51,800-square-foot, two level archives facility scheduled to open in early 2024 is the brainchild of Jennifer Pritzker, the cousin of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker The architect is Helmut Jahn, who has designed buildings around the world.

Pritzker is one of 11 heirs of the Chicago-based Pritzker family that made much of its fortune by founding and expanding the Hyatt hotel chain, according to Forbes. Pritzker, who came out in 2013 as transgender and whose foundation has given millions to LGBTQ causes, had a decorated military career that began in the U.S. Army in 1974 and concluded in 2001 when she retired from the Illinois National Guard as a lieutenant colonel.

In 2003, she founded the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, now housed on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, to hold her collection of more than 5,000 books and military items. Donations from others have grown the collection immensely, only a small fraction of which is displayed in the museum.

Massive collection

The collection includes 65,000 books, some rare, others that can be shared with other libraries and museums, along with 40,000 other items such as posters, pictures, papers and small artifacts. The archives facility, commonly referred to as "the PMAC," is equipped with labs for converting physical items to virtual digital galleries and a conservatory lab for restoration work.

"This state-of-the-art research center will greatly expand our ability to preserve and restore important historical materials, all of which tie our nation's past and present to its future," Pritzker said last week during a preview tour of the PMAC. "This building will extend the ability to educate and inform and to provide a place where both citizens and soldiers can learn about each other and their important roles in our democracy."

Pritzker, whose net worth is estimated at $2.1 billion, is president and CEO of Tawani Enterprises, a private investment firm she organized in 1994 that is involved in real estate, portfolio management and venture capitalization. She's also president of the Tawani Foundation, created in 1995 to support the preservation of military heritage, conservation and preservation of historical sites, health and wellness, and landmark gifts and grants.

The archives facility builds on Pritzker's vision. Just east of Interstate 94 between Racine and Kenosha, it includes a public reading room and a museum in the front 9,400 square feet of the building. But most of the facility will be used for storage, primarily in the climate-controlled basement.

This is where rows of high-density, moveable storage racks built by Spacesaver Corporation in Fort Atkinson sit on tracks and can be moved with the touch of a button. The current system is designed to hold an estimated 200,000 books, with the 24,000-squarefoot lower level providing enough space to meet the museum's storage needs for the next 30 years, said Dustin DePue, who manages the museum's collections. The facility replaces a 4,500-squarefoot crammed archives building in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago that had become full and forced storage in many spaces and offices of the museum.

The cost of the new archives has not been disclosed. It also includes a 1,500-square-foot cold storage room that resembles a safe with windows. Its primary purpose is to store historic photographs at about 35 degrees with 35% humidity, compared with the rest of the lower level where the temperature is kept at between 60 and 65 degrees with a humidity level of 40% to 42%.

It took about 18 months to carefully pack materials stored in Chicago to ready them for this past June's trip to Somers. However, everything won't be fully cataloged and placed in the new home until early next year, said Dustin DePue, who manages Pritzker's special collections, archives and the digital lab.

Some of the museum's rare books were on display Wednesday, with employees using white gloves to handle the fragile pieces. They included a book from 1555 about the history of what is now the Netherlands; a book of watercolor proofs from 1812; and a copy of Harper's Weekly, the most widely read source of news for Americans during the Civil War.

Jennifer Berzin, the library and museum reference and circulation manager also paged through a first edition of "The Expedition," a book written in 1814 about the 1804-1806 exploration of the Missouri River and Pacific Northwest by Lewis and Clark.

"Just knowing that we're caring for that history and we're doing our part to preserve that is just a really good feeling," Berzin said. "It's a very humbling feeling, and I'm very honored to be able to do that."

'Like a piece of military equipment'

The PMAC's architect, Helmut Jhan, is a native of Germany and moved to Chicago in the 1960s to study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. His work over the past six decades has included the design of the 1 million square-foot State of Illinois Center in Chicago that was later renamed for Gov. James R. Thompson. Other major works include the Messetrum, a 63-story office tower in Frankfurt, Germany, that is the country's second-tallest building; the Munich Airport Center and the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

Jahn died in a bicycle crash near his home in St. Charles, Illinois, in 2021. He was 81 and didn't live to see the completion of the PMAC.

"His vision was that this building needed to be rough and tough like a piece of military equipment," said Philip Castillo, managing director of Jahn's architectural firm and who began working with Jahn in 1979. "This building looks exactly the way we envisioned it."

The building is surrounded by 5,000 red twig dogwoods and hundreds of oak trees, reminiscent of those found in Belgium during World War II.

Despite the building's rural location, just north of the Mars Cheese Castle and south of the Globe building at nearby Foxconn, Castillo said he doesn't consider PMAC's design radical. In 1990, Jahn designed the Sony Center, a complex of eight buildings in the neutral zone between the Berlin Wall and West Berlin.

"To us, (PMAC) was part of our ethos," Castillo said. "I guess in other hands it would have been something different, but for us it was kind of normal. Yes, it's a little strange and not what you normally see, and it could have been a precast building like Amazon, but it's not. (Pritzker) and the museum believed they needed something better."

Room to develop

Eventually, the 280-acre property in Somers, dubbed the Pritzker Military Archives and Memorial Park Center, is going to hold more than just the PMAC. It already has walking paths, and there are plans for bike paths and public green space. The construction of a 22,000-square-foot indoor shooting range and educational center is underway on the western edge of the property.

Named Mission 94, it will feature 15 indoor shooting lanes, 10 at 25 yards and five at 50 yards. According to plans, licensed and certified in-house instructors will be available to provide training and, in keeping in line with Pritzker's love of history, it will provide users the opportunity to fire historical replicas, modern military firearms and black powder firearms. The building will also be equipped with soundproofing and a modern air filtration system. Spent lead bullets will be retrieved annually from the range and be recycled.

Meanwhile, planning is underway for a memorial to the Cold War Era from 1945 to 1991. A design by Oyler Wu Collaborative of Los Angeles was selected in 2022, but construction of the memorial has not yet begun.

For Jennifer Pritzker, who arrived at last week's event in a World War II-era Jeep, the Wisconsin landscape was the ideal place for the park and its multiple projects.

"It's a beautiful piece of real estate," Pritzker said. "It has a strategic location, it's between two major cities, Milwaukee and Chicago, and it's off a main avenue approach, a military term, of I-94. So it's easily accessible, pretty much on a global basis. We're here to be part of the community."
TWIN FALLS  Several years ago, Twin Falls mortician Heidi Heil developed health issues from dust and mold in old buildings she lived and worked in. Constant exposure to these allergens caused chronic health problems for her and her children.

In April, Heil moved her family into the new Main Avenue Lofts in the heart of Twin Falls.

I needed a place to live that was new construction to assure we would have clean air, Heil said in an email to the Times-News.

The relief was short-lived.

The highly anticipated Main Avenue Lofts opened with fanfare at the end of 2022. After a nearly two-year construction process through the pandemic and the labor and materials shortages that followed, the six-story, $15 million building at 160 Main Ave. E. took its place as the downtowns premier mixed-use building.

Now, after nine months of occupation, some residents are dealing with hiccups and headaches.

First, the elevator stopped working for almost a month. And now, water damage from improperly installed heating and air conditioning units has caused headaches for some residents, the property owner, and the property-management company.

In August, evidence of water damage from the HVAC units had become evident in several of the rentals. By the time the water damage was discovered, it had filled a wall cavity in Heils apartment with 8 inches of water, soaking the insulation for weeks or months.

A remediation company was called in to repair the damage; a portion of the drywall was removed and insulation was pulled out.

Photos Heil took during the remediation show black mold along studs and around an electrical outlet in photos Heil took during the remediation.

I cant live in the apartment due to the mold, Heil said in an email. Im too hypersensitive.

Heil has asked to be let out of the lease, and the management company, Commercial Northwest Properties initially informed her there was a fee to break the lease, equivalent to six weeks worth of rent.

The matter continued for weeks, but the building owner, Galena Opportunity Fund, told the Times-News that residents displaced by water damage and mold would not be charged to break a lease.

Madilyn Whitesells fourth-floor apartment was another that experienced water damage significant enough to require a portion of drywall to be removed.

Whitesell, who is asthmatic, had been having health issues for several weeks. In a phone call, she told the Times-News she made three trips to the doctor in two weeks.

Ive been having problems for a couple of weeks, Whitesell told the Times-News on Sept. 1. Me and my family have been getting really sick. And weve been in and out of the doctors office because we thought maybe it was just a really bad cold.

The evolution of downtown continues at ribbon cutting for Main Ave Lofts At a ribbon-cutting for the tallest building in Twin Falls, developers and city officials proclaimed the Main Avenue Lofts "open" on Thursday.

Communication with property management has been difficult, Whitesell said. She told the Times-News she asked to be reimbursed for a stay in a hotel while remediation was taking place and was initially denied by Commercial Northwest. She asked for a discount on her rent and was denied that too.

A Galena Opportunity Fund representative told the Times-News that Commercial Northwest has been instructed to accommodate residents by offering discounted rent and to cover hotel fees for displaced people.

The property management was trying to act tough, Galena spokesperson Dan Fullmer told the Times-News by phone. Were having to manage a couple of different headaches.

Fullmer said it was just two units that required remediation, and another 10 units were fixed and didnt need to have walls torn out.

As soon as we found out, we had remediation in there, Fullmer said. Its not like were ignoring it.

Every unit has been inspected in all 44 residences, Fullmer said. A dozen units had been affected by the incorrect HVAC installation, and just two units required in-wall remediation.

Its been remediated; its all fine, Fullmer said. But it was due 100% to faulty installation, which has all been remedied and fixed at this point.

There are generally always hiccups in construction, Fullmer said. The only concern was that there were this many units that had the same concern, which made it pretty easy to diagnose as the faulty installation.

According to the EPA, molds have the potential to cause health problems. Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, and cause asthma attacks in people with asthma. Mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says there are no federal or Idaho regulations regarding mold inspection requirements or mold cleanup.

Heil says the management company hasnt been forthcoming to building residents.

There are a lot of residents here that dont even know whats going on and they are being exposed and they dont know it, Heil said in an email.

Fifth-floor resident Keisha Capps says she hasnt personally had issues with water damage, although she has had some electrical issues in her unit, and expressed frustration with the elevator being down for extended periods.

Capps said she had not been informed by building management about health concerns about mold in the building circulation.

I was just surprised that they didnt disclose any of that information or say anything about it, Capps said. Black mold is one of those things that becomes airborne ... all that mold just circulates around the building, and thats kind of what worries me about it.
The Texas Senate on Saturday acquitted the US states suspended Republican attorney general of bribery and corruption, allowing for the reinstatement of the archconservative ally of Donald Trump.

Ken Paxton was suspended from office in May after the lower chamber  run by his fellow Republicans  overwhelmingly voted in favor of impeachment over accusations of abuse of power, underscoring Paxtons divisive profile in his own party.

The 60-year-old has won a national profile as a thorn in the side of the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden, as he has filed dozens of lawsuits to block implementation of national policies.

The Republican-led Senate vote Saturday to fully clear Paxton of wrongdoing on 16 articles of impeachment.

Elected in 2014 to head the Texas justice system, Paxton won reelection in 2018 and again in 2022, despite facing a criminal indictment for financial fraud, which remains pending.

During his tenure, he filed some 50 lawsuits against the Biden administration, challenging its migration, tax and environmental policies.

In 2020, four members of his inner circle went to the FBI to complain of his alleged abuse of power in protecting a powerful donor.

The whistleblowers were fired, and then sued for wrongful dismissal. Early in 2023, Paxton reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit with a $3.3 million payment.

He asked that taxpayers foot the bill, setting off the divisive inquiry by state lawmakers.

Paxton was jubilant after Saturdays vote.

The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors, he said on social media.

For his part, Trump on his Truth Social account congratulated Paxton on a great and historic Texas sized VICTORY.

Paxton still faces legal peril, including a pending trial on securities fraud charges and the possibility that he will lose his law license in Texas.
Four Colombian Army soldiers were killed in fights with FARC dissidents a day before a meeting between the rebel group and the government to consolidate peace talks, Bogotas Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The soldiers were killed in fighting against a residual armed group, the ministry said in a statement, referring to the name used by authorities for armed groups that did not accept a 2016 peace agreement.

The Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a dissident group of Colombias disbanded FARC guerrillas, rejected the 2016 deal, but said in April it was ready to begin negotiations with the government.

The EMC is due to begin a three-day meeting on Monday with the government to decide on a date for future peace talks, and to formalize a bilateral ceasefire, Bogota said Saturday morning, hours before the four soldiers were killed.

The attack took place in the southwestern rural region of Narino, on the border with Ecuador, which is home to a large portion of the coca crops in Colombia, the worlds biggest cocaine producer, according to the United Nations.

Coca cultivation is illegal, but a mainstay for many in the South American country of 50 million people.

Much of the sector is controlled by armed groups, including leftist guerrillas, rightwing paramilitaries or drug cartels.

Gustavo Petro, the first leftist president in Colombias history, has sought to defuse the countrys more than six-decade conflict through agreements with the various armed groups.

At midnight on December 31, Petro announced a bilateral truce with the five main guerrilla groups, but suspended the deal with the EMC in May, after the rebels murdered four young Indigenous men who resisted recruitment.

The European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and Ireland, as well as the Catholic Church, support Petros peace process.

Experts have questioned the unity of command in the EMC, which is led by ex-FARC veterans but with new recruits among its ranks.
The results of the 2023 online Bar examinations will be released before Christmas and the oath-taking of the new lawyers will be held before New Year, the Supreme Court (SC) announced on Sunday.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, chairperson of the 2023 Bar exams committee, said this during a press briefing at the San Beda College Alabang (SBCA), which serves as the national headquarters for the three-day Bar exams that started on Sunday, Sept. 17, in 14 local testing centers (LTCs) nationwide.

The last two days of the exams are on Sept. 20 and 24.

For the longest time, Bar examinees have had to endure several months of perceived agony of waiting before the results of the professional licensure exams for future lawyers are released, Hernando said.

This year, however, following the examples of my recent predecessors as Bar chair, the time spent by the examinees waiting in agony for the results of the exams will be cut short: my team and I are eyeing the release of the results of the 2023 Bar Examinations in early December before Christmas day, the SC magistrate added.

Apart from the early release of the Bar exams results, Hernando said the simultaneous oath-taking and signing of the Roll of Attorneys in December would be held before Christmas Day so that we will have our new batch of full-fledged lawyers before the year ends.

It will be an additional reason for those who will hurdle the Bar exams to celebrate the holiday season, Hernando said.

He said that as of Sept. 17, a total of 10,791, instead of 10,816 as earlier announced, would take the subject of the six-subject examinations spread in three days.

The change is the number was a result of the withdrawal of 25 examinees who had earlier registered. Some, as in previous examinations, may still withdraw from the exams after the first day.

Hernando said the conduct of the examinations by the SC will be assisted by 2,571 Bar personnel deployed in the 14 LTCs.

Six core subjects are covered in the examinations  Political and Public International Law, 15 percent; Commercial and Taxation Laws, 20 percent; Labor Law and Social Legislation, 10 percent; Criminal Law, 10 percent; and Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises, 25 percent.

The subjects for Sunday, Sept. 17, were Political and Public International Law in the morning, and Commercial and Taxation Laws in the afternoon, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On Sept. 20, the subjects covered are Civil Law in the morning and Labor Law and Social Legislation in the afternoon. On Sept. 24, 2023, Criminal Law and Remedial Law will be in the morning and Legal and Judicial Ethics with Practical Exercises in the afternoon.

The 14 local testing centers are at San Beda University and University of Santo Tomas in Manila; San Beda College Alabang; University of thePhilippines (UP)  Diliman in Quezon City; Manila Adventist College in Pasay City; and UP  Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City (Metro Manila); Saint Louis University, Baguio City; Cagayan State University, Cagayan province; and University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City, Camarines Sur (Luzon); University of San Jose  Recoletos and University of San Carlos, Cebu; and Dr. V. Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation in Tacloban, Leyte (Visayas); and Ateneo de Davao University  Senior High School in Bangkal, Davao City and Xavier University  Ateneo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro City (Mindanao).

The Bar staff include court officials; judges; numerous personnel from SC, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and First-and Second Level Courts; and government and private practice lawyers.

Hernando said there are daily and close monitoring of the Bar applicants responses and feedback.

We connect with the Bar takers through the hard work that we share.

To be with our baristas is our way of giving them a feeling of enlightenment, comfort, a boost of confidence, and a push to proceed and succeed, Hernando said.

There were 3,992 passers out of 9,183 who completed the four-day November 2022 Bar exams, or a passing rate of 43.47 percent.

UP graduates occupied the top five, led by Czar Matthew Gerard Dayday, who scored 88.80 percent. Second-ranked Erickson Marinas was not too far behind at 88.76.

Ateneo de Manila had the best passing rate of 96.74 percent among schools with at least 100 takers.
Pope Francis has ordered the expulsion of a priest based in Borongan, Eastern Samar who was accused of sexually abusing minors, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced on Sunday.

The CBCP said the priest, identified as Fr. Pio Aclon, last served at a minor seminary in Borongan before the diocese suspended him from his clerical duties.

The Diocese of Borongan released on Sunday the information on Aclons dismissal. It was signed by Chancellor Fr. James Abella and dated July 18.

The advisory was said to be read in all parish churches, chaplaincies, and chapels of the diocese on Sunday.

The CBCP said it would ensure that there will be no cover-up on the sexual abuse cases involving the clergy.

It also said that an office has been created to help protect minors from alleged sexual abuses by the clergy.

Pope Francis, in an interview in Portugal in 2022, said the Catholic Church must show zero tolerance to sexual assault by members of the clergy.
TaipeiChina flew 28 warplanes around Taiwan on Sunday, with most crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait for unspecified long range missions, Taipei authorities said.

Taiwans defence ministry said 20 of the aircraft detected since Sunday morning crossed the median line of the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China, and entered the self-ruled islands southeast and southwest air defense identification zone.

China was conducting missions such as long range exercises and training, the defense ministry said in a statement, adding that it was monitoring the situation with patrol aircraft and ships.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory to be seized one day, by force if necessary. It has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island in recent years as relations have soured.

Last week, Taipei reported an increased number of incursions by Chinese warplanes and ships, after Beijing said its troops were on high alert following two ships belonging to the United States and Canada transiting through the Taiwan Strait this month.

Taiwans defense ministry said 68 Chinese aircraft and 10 naval vessels were detected around the island between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning.

Some of those planes and warships were heading to an unspecified area of the Western Pacific to conduct joint sea and air training with Chinas Shandong aircraft carrier, the ministry said.

The Shandong, one of two operational aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, was detected Monday around 100 kilometers southeast of Taiwan heading into the Western Pacific, Taipei authorities said.

China has not commented officially on any drills being conducted in the Western Pacific.

In April, Beijing conducted military exercises to simulate the encirclement of the island, after Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

At the time, Taiwan detected 71 Chinese warplanes in a 24-hour period, matching the record daily high set in December 2022. AFP
The Philippines and the Indo-Pacific regions defense and security are increasingly at risk due to the aggressive actions driven by hegemonic objectives

The Philippines is now directly confronted by continuing incidents of harassment by Chinese Coast Guard and militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea which some geopolitical experts have called are risky maneuvers that are attempting to enforce a virtual maritime blockade in what China is unilaterally branding as its new standard map and is now a 10 dash from what used to be a 9 dash claim.

In a recent published statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command said, The repeated swarming incidents in both Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal emphasize the continuous violation of Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its western border and that the increased presence of Chinese fishing vessels raises concerns regarding the potential implications for Philippines maritime security, fisheries conservation, territorial integrity, and preservation of the marine environment.

These acts of hostility and intimidation from China has precipitated the galvanizing of alliances between like-minded states that have consistently valued and upheld the rule-of-law under United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and have recognized the historic arbitral decision that nullified Chinas so called dash claims as without basis and declared Chinese activities in the South China Sea and the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zones as illegal.

The commitments to sustain the international rules-based order have gone beyond words and are now powerfully manifested by ongoing joint patrols with United States, Japan and Australia. Reported to also be open to join are Germany, Canada and France.

India, another like-minded country, is seeking to significantly strengthen maritime cooperation with the Philippines.

The recently concluded Track 2 session of Philippine-India Maritime Dialogue organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute in partnership with the Department of Foreign AffairsMaritime and Ocean Affairs Office, the Embassy of India in Manila, and the National Maritime Foundation of India gathered Filipino and Indian maritime security, geopolitical, economic experts, and foreign diplomats where views on how lawful commerce should be unimpeded and sustained because of global implications were exchanged.

National Maritime Foundation of India Executive Director and Indian Navy Commodore Debesh Lahiri stated the Indo-Pacific should remain free, open, and inclusive to all, regardless of the size of the country, regardless of the size of the nation, and regardless of the size of the economy.

Indias policy is very clear. It is security and growth for all in the region. It does not follow a particular state. It is for all in the region and that is very important, he said.

In his statement, Shambhu Kumaran, the Indian Ambassador to the Philippines, underscored that All countries are bound by international law, but larger nations bear a greater responsibility in upholding it.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Policy Planning and Coordination Patrick Chuasoto said, The Philippines and India share a deep understanding of the importance of a secure maritime environment for regional stability. We see India as kindred, a natural partner in our efforts to strengthen the rules-based international order under persistent threats to undermine it.

Another Stratbase ADRi forum held Sept 14 with a related theme, Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: The Role of ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners. former Senator and Defense Secretary Orlando Orly Mercado said in resolving the South China Sea disputes, it is very important that we strengthen the enforcement mechanism of what we agree upon, enhance dialogue forums, strategic alliances, and develop a comprehensive regional security framework.

German think tank Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftungs Country Director in the Philippines Daniela Braun said Germany is a strong supporter of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and there should be mechanism to address violations.

Dr. Pranshanth Parameswaran, Wilson Center Fellow and ASEAN Wonk Newsletter Founder, noted while the Code of Conduct is still being negotiated, a Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea is already in place, and that China has already repeatedly violated this.

Stratbase ADRi President Prof. Victor Andres Dindo Manhit observed that ASEAN states are facing major obstacles in agreeing on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and called for cooperation in the framework of the rule of law through peaceful and legally binding negotiations

States must also be up to the challenge of developing effective measures in the South China Sea to prevent aggressive and coercive states from unilaterally asserting selfish claims. In doing so, states with rightful claims must not be afraid to condemn expansionist activities in their respective territories, as the rule of law is on our side. We are on the right side of history, and we shall not allow other states to take this away from us.

The Philippines and the Indo-Pacific regions defense and security are increasingly at risk due to the aggressive actions driven by hegemonic objectives.

Its encouraging to see nations upholding international order, forming alliances, and collaborating to maintain regional peace.

United with our like-minded allies we can surmount these destabilizing challenges and become a sustainable global ecosystem of co-prosperity.
The Department of National Defense is on the right track in prioritizing the modernization of our Navy and Coast Guard in the face of what Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has described as Chinas egregious violations of maritime safety and a rules-based order in the West Philippine Sea.

It is true that Chinas growing brazenness in asserting its sweeping maritime claim over practically the whole of the vital sealane requires the Philippine government to build a credible deterrent posture, and only an honest-to-goodness modernization could make that possible.

We will carry it out through a comprehensive re-strategization, along with forging alliances. Its natural. Alliances are normal, even China has alliances. So we have to start re-horizoning and rethinking modernization, he said during the recent commissioning by the Navy of two Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships donated by the US.

In addition, human resource skills and retraining of both military and civilian workers are needed to speed up the transition to territorial defense.

The Defense Secretary delivered the important policy statement after our Coast Guard resupply boats were able to slip past Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels to deliver provisions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal where a handful of Marines are stationed.

It is absolutely correct for the government to continue to resupply BRP Sierra Madre even in the face of dangerous harassment of our vessels by the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia. The irresponsible behavior on the part of the CCG and maritime militia should be roundly condemned by the international community.

Building alliances with other countries is crucial. We have an ironclad commitment from the US that the Mutual Defense Treaty signed back in 1951 would come into effect should the tension in the South China Sea escalate.

Part of our longstanding defense cooperation with Washington is the recent launching of two naval vessels now renamed BRP Valentin Diaz (PS177) and BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS178).

During the occasion, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson commended the Philippines courageous stand in upholding international order and in defending our rights in the West Philippine Sea at an important time when the maritime security environment in the Indo-Pacific is increasingly complex.

We are also enhancing military drills and security cooperation not only with the United States but also with Australia and Japan to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

But we cannot rely solely on such alliances for our own security; we have to modernize our own military to deal with any external threat.

We should start to build up our naval capability in earnest to defend our maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea and strengthen alliances with other allied nations if we hope to secure our nations future.
A regionwide investigation involving numerous law enforcement agencies, including the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, resulted in an Hendersonville man being sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug-related crimes.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Brandon Lee Nalley, 48, of Hendersonville, to 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to filed documents and Thursdays sentencing hearing, between July 2021 and December 2021, federal, state and local law enforcement conducting an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking networks in western North Carolina identified Nalley as a supplier of methamphetamine in Henderson County, according to a news release.

Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement utilized a confidential source to arrange multiple controlled buys of methamphetamine from Nalley. On Dec. 22, 2021, deputies with the Haywood County Sheriffs Office conducted a traffic stop of Nalleys vehicle. Over the course of the stop, the deputies found a duffel bag inside the vehicle that contained methamphetamine, a loaded handgun with an extended magazine, and an additional magazine loaded with seven rounds of hollow-point ammunition.

On April 26, 2023, Nalley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility, according to the news release.

In making Thursdays announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited an investigation led by the Western Districts Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and thanked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Henderson County Sheriffs Office, the Haywood County Sheriffs Office, the Waynesville Police Department, the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, the Canton Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriffs Office, the Maggie Valley Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their investigative efforts.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case, according to the news release.
Exterior view of the grain storage terminal during visit of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Odesa Sea Port, in Odesa, Ukraine, Aug. 19, 2022. Two cargo ships have arrived in one of Ukraines ports Saturday, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by the government. They're the first since Russias withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded countrys ports. (Kostiantyn Liberov/AP)

KYIV, Ukraine  Two cargo ships arrived in one of Ukraines ports over the weekend, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by Kyiv following Russias withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded countrys ports.

Two Palau-flagged bulk carriers, Aroyat and Resilient Africa, docked Saturday at the seaport of Chornomorsk in the southern Odesa region, according to an online statement by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. The vessels are the first civilian cargo ships to reach one of the Odesa ports since Russia exited the grain deal.

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Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraines deputy prime minister, said in an online statement Saturday that the two ships will be delivering some 20,000 tons of wheat to countries in Africa and Asia.

For months, Ukraine, whose economy is heavily dependent on farming, was able to safely export its grain from Black Sea ports under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to ensure safe shipments. But Russia withdrew from the deal on July 17, with Kremlin officials arguing their demands for the facilitation of Russian food and fertilizer shipments had not been met.

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Following the withdrawal, the Russian Defense Ministry said it would regard any vessels in the Black Sea headed to Ukrainian ports as military targets.

Since then, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the Danube River, and road and rail links into Europe. But transport costs that way are much higher. Some European countries have balked at the consequential local grain prices, and the Danube ports cant handle the same volume as seaports.

The interim corridor in the Black Sea, which Kyiv has asked the International Maritime Organization to ratify, was opened on Aug. 10 as United States and Ukrainian officials warned of possible Russian attacks on civilian vessels. Sea mines also make the voyage risky, and ship insurance costs are likely to be high for operators.

Ukrainian officials said the corridor will be primarily used to evacuate ships stuck in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi since the war broke out. Kubrakov said Saturday that five vessels have since used the corridor to leave Ukrainian ports.

After tearing up the grain deal, Russia intensified attacks on the southern Odesa region, targeting its port infrastructure and grain silos with missiles and drones.

On Sunday, Ukraines Air Force Command reported another attack overnight in which the Odesa region was the main target. Russian forces fired 10 cruise missiles and six Iranian-made Shahed drones, the statement said. All drones and six missiles were downed, while the rest hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa region.

In other developments:

 Ukraines military said Sunday it captured the village of Klishchiivka from Russian troops after months of fierce fighting. The village lies south of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, and its recapture comes days after Ukrainian forces said they liberated the nearby village of Andriivka. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials on the recapture.

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Gaining Klischiivka signifies an important tactical victory for Ukrainian forces. The commanding heights of the village offers a view into the Russian-occupied town of Bakhmut and opens up new opportunities for Ukrainian forces to encircle the town. It also potentially allows Ukrainians a better view into Russian logistic lines.

 Russian authorities on Sunday reported that Ukrainian drones targeted the annexed Crimean peninsula and a number of Russian regions overnight and in the morning. Two drones were downed overnight in the Moscow region that surrounds the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. A third drone was intercepted over the Voronezh region that borders Ukraine, Russias Defense Ministry said. Another one hit a fuel tank in the neighboring Oryol region, Oryol Gov. Andrei Klychkov said, igniting a fire that was quickly put out. A drone also fell on a logistics facility in the Tula region south of Moscow, local authorities said. In the annexed Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported downing six Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Sunday. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the attacks,
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Kids are back in school and it's time to think about viruses, for both yourself and them.

It could be an early flu season in the United States, if what happened in the Southern Hemisphere offers any insight, according to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

The flu vaccine is now available in some locations. A new COVID-19 booster has been approved by federal health officials. And new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines are recommended for some.

It's important to get the flu shot in September or October, said infectious disease specialist Dr. Soniya Gandhi, associate chief medical officer at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

"Even a typical flu season can be deadly and can cause significant hospitalization," Gandhi said in a Cedars-Sinai news release, pointing to 58,000 deaths in the United States and more than a half-million hospitalizations due to last year's flu. "We should do what we can to protect ourselvesand otherswith the best tool we have: the flu vaccine."

Not only that, but COVID-19 and RSV could again spike at the same time as the flu, triggering a "tripledemic," Gandhi said.

When that happened last year, emergency departments across the country filled up and young patients strained children's hospitals. RSV can be dangerous, even deadly, for infants and older adults.

New RSV shots are available for babies and adults over 60.

"These new shots and vaccines could really help protect us and our community during the upcoming season," Gandhi said. "We need to preserve capacity in hospitals for those patients who really need that care."

RSV is the leading cause for infant hospitalization in the United States, even though many other people experience it as a mild cold.

"There's really no way to predict how your child would do, even if they're completely healthy," said Dr. Priya Soni, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's. "If they do end up having a horrible course with RSV, they will likely need to be hospitalized for oxygen support, fluids and other supportive measures."

Nearly all infants are exposed to RSV by the time they're 2, with most infected during their first year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved an antibody shot called Beyfortus (nirsevimab-alip), which can be given to newborns and infants during their first RSV season. Children up to 19 months old who remain vulnerable to severe disease in their second RSV season can also get the shot.

Soni said she "100%" recommends the immunization because of the positive results seen in clinical trials.

Women who are between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant can also protect their infants at birth by getting a new Pfizer RSV vaccine. This same vaccine was approved for adults 60 and older. Another vaccine from pharmaceutical company GSK was also approved for older adults.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends these new vaccines for older adults only if they are at the highest risk of severe RSV. This includes patients with asthma, diabetes or heart failure.

Both vaccines are considered safe, but a very small number of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome were reported after vaccination. In that condition, a person's immune system attacks their peripheral nerves.

More data is needed to determine whether these episodes may have been unrelated to the vaccine, according to the CDC.

Dr. Sonja Rosen, section chief of geriatric medicine at Cedars-Sinai, recommends the RSV vaccine for older patients with lung disease, or for those who are otherwise immunosuppressed and therefore at higher risk for severe illness.

"Patients should speak with their physician and make an informed decision about whether this shot is right for them," Rosen said.

For boosting COVID immunity, two new booster shots add protection against a variant of omicron called XBB.

She added she is grateful that "we're in a very different position in 2023," because of the new booster, at-home tests and antiviral medications like Paxlovid.

Take advantage of the booster when it becomes available, she urged.

"We know immunity wanes after the administration of the booster and that many individuals may not have had a booster for quite some time," Gandhi said. "I think it will be incredibly important, particularly in those populations that are vulnerable to COVID illness, hospitalization and potentially even death, to ensure that they get the updated booster in a timely fashion."

It's safe to get the COVID and flu vaccines together, Gandhi said. For older adults who opt for the RSV shot after talking with a physician, they should get that alone and two weeks apart from the other vaccines, if possible, Gandhi noted.

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on flu vaccine.

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

New research, presented at the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) Congress 2023, demonstrates that neonatal kidney transplantation can offer a 'game-changing' solution to the pressing organ shortage crisis.

To assess the feasibility of neonatal organ donation, researchers analyzed neonatal mortality in the United States and the long-term development of these kidneys after transplantation as well as the ethical and social considerations surrounding the procedure.

The study revealed that out of the 21,000 infants who lost their lives in 2020, more than 12,000 could have been considered as viable organ donors.

The organ shortage is one of the greatest challenges facing the field of organ transplantation. As of January 2022, there were 100,000 patients on the waiting list for kidney transplantation in the US, with just 24,669 kidneys transplanted in the previous year. Alarmingly, this donor pool shortage contributed to the deaths of 5,000 patients on the waiting list.

This crisis is not unique to the US. Across Europe, organ supplies cannot meet the increasing demand, and annually an average of 1530% of patients on waitlists die.

As human life expectancy increases while chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity and liver disease become more prevalent, there is an increased need for transplants and a reduction in the number of available organs.

In 2018, kidneys were the most frequently transplanted organ across the EU, accounting for over 60% of all transplants. Previous research has confirmed the viability of transplanting kidneys from pediatric donors into adults.

Notably, neonatal kidneys have demonstrated catch-up growth and excellent long-term performance (>25 years), exceeding that of living donors. Current transplantation techniques have also proved to be safe and effective for neonatal kidneys.

Dr. Dai Nghiem, lead author of the study, comments, "We believe that neonatal kidney transplantation offers a 'game-changing' solution to the organ shortage crisis. This study looked at the US alone, but if you replicate the findings across the globe then we have a huge untapped pool of available organs that can be used for transplants."

"Understandably, pediatric organ donation presents distinct ethical and social challenges compared to adult donation," added Dr. Dai Nghiem. "For families and caregivers, making the decision to donate can be an incredibly tough process, especially the organs of their newborn."

"There is also a concern among the transplant community about the difficulty of the procedure along with its experimental nature. Through the exchange of experience among pioneering centers, we hope to address these concerns, foster acceptance of this forgotten source of organ donors and ultimately save more lives through organ transplantation."

Professor Gabriel Oniscu, ESOT President Elect and Co-Chair of the ESOT Congress 2023, adds, "While recognizing the highly emotive nature of this issue and the ongoing ethical and legal considerations, the study's findings underscore the importance of acknowledging neonates as potential organ donors."

"To achieve this, it is imperative that every European country has dedicated pediatric donation protocols in place that encompass neonatal organ donation procedures."

"This proactive approach aims to heighten awareness among Neonatal Intensive Care Unit professionals regarding the possibilities of neonatal donation, promoting discussions with parents that could help save many lives."

More information: Nghiem D, Neonatal organ donation for kidney shortage; Is this the time? Presented at the European Society for Organ Transplantation Congress; 17 September 2023; Athens, Greece.

Provided by European Society for Organ Transplantation
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Alisha Alderson who is due to give birth in September, sits in the living room of her house in Baker City, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit, the Anderson family is traveling to the Boise, Idaho area, a little over 100 miles away, to give birth. Alisha will be spending time with family in Kuna, Idaho for 3 weeks until she gives birth or is induced the third week of September. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Alisha Alderson placed her folded clothes and everything she needed for the last month of her pregnancy in various suitcases. She never imagined she would have to leave the comfort of her home in rural eastern Oregon just weeks before her due date. But following the abrupt closure in August of the only maternity ward within 40 miles, she decided to stay at her brother's house near Boise, Idahoa two-hour drive through a mountain passto be closer to a hospital.

"We don't feel safe being so far away from a birthing center," said Alderson, noting her advanced maternal age of 45. "I was sitting in a hair salon a few days ago and some people started joking about me giving birth on the side of the road. And in that moment, I just pictured all the things that could go wrong with my baby and broke down in tears in front of strangers."

A growing number of rural hospitals have been shuttering their labor and delivery units, forcing pregnant women to travel longer distances for care or face giving birth in an emergency room. Fewer than half of rural hospitals now have maternity units, prompting government officials and families to scramble for answers. One solution gaining ground across the U.S. is freestanding midwife-led birth centers, but those also often rely on nearby hospitals when serious complications arise.

The closures have worsened so-called "maternity care deserts"counties with no hospitals or birth centers that offer obstetric care and no OB providers. More than two million women of childbearing age live in such areas, the majority of which are rural.

Ultrasound images of Alisha Alderson hang on the refrigerator of the family's kitchen in Baker City, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. We dont feel safe being so far away from a birthing center, said Alderson, noting her advanced maternal age of 45. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Ultimately, doctors and researchers say, having fewer hospital maternity units makes having babies less safe. One study showed rural residents have a 9% greater probability of facing life-threatening complications or even death from pregnancy and birth compared to those in urban areasand having less access to care plays a part.

"Moms have complications everywhere. Babies have complications everywhere," said Dr. Eric Scott Palmer, a neonatologist who practiced at Henry County Medical Center in rural Tennessee before it ended obstetric services this month. "There will be people hurt. It's not a question of ifsimply when."

Reasons behind the closures

The issue has been building for years: The American Hospital Association says at least 89 obstetric units closed in rural hospitals between 2015 and 2019. More have shuttered since.

Downtown Baker City, Ore., is seen on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. After more than a century, women in Baker City will no longer have access to a maternity center with the closure of St. Alphonsus' obstetrical unit, the only one of its kind in Baker County. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

The main reasons for closures are decreasing numbers of births; staffing issues; low reimbursement from Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people; and financial distress, said Peiyin Hung, deputy director of the University of South Carolina's Rural and Minority Health Research Center and co-author of research based on a survey of hospitals.

Officials at Saint Alphonsus, the hospital in Baker City where Alderson wanted to give birth, cited a shortage of OB nurses and declining deliveries.

"The results are devastating when safe staffing is not provided. And we will not sacrifice patient safety," according to an emailed statement from Odette Bolano and Dina Ellwanger, two leaders from the hospital and the health system that owns it.

While they said financial concerns didn't factor into the decision, they underlined that the unit had operated in the red over the last 10 years.

Alisha Alderson and her husband, Shane, sit with their daughter Adeline, 5, in the living room of their house in Baker City, Ore., on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Shane is Baker County's chief commission chair and Alisha is expecting their daughter, Ava, in September. Because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit, the family is traveling to the Boise, Idaho area, a little over 100 miles away, to give birth. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

A lack of money was the major reason why Henry County Medical Center in Paris, Tennessee, closed its OB unit. CEO John Tucker told The Associated Press that it was a necessary financial step to save the hospital, which has been struggling for a decade.

The percentage of births there covered by Medicaid70%far exceeded the national average of 42%. Tennessee's Medicaid program paid the hospital about $1,700 per delivery for each mom, a fraction of what the hospital needed, Tucker said.

Private insurance pays hospitals morethe median topped $16,000 for cesarean sections in Oregon in 2021. State data shows that's more than five times what Medicaid doles out.

Tucker also said the number of deliveries had dropped in recent years.

"When volumes go down, losses actually get bigger because so much of that cost is really fixed," he said. "Whether we've got one baby on the floor or three, we still staff at the same level because you kind of have to be prepared for whatever comes in."

The Elkhorn mountains stand behind the Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. After more than a century, women in Baker City will no longer have access to a maternity center with the closure of St. Alphonsus' obstetrical unit, the only one of its kind in Baker County. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

The last week in a delivery ward

Six days before the Tennessee unit closed, just one woman was there to deliver. All of the other rooms contained empty beds and bassinets. The special care nursery was silentno beeping machines or infants' cries. Art had been removed from the walls.

Lacy Kee, who was visiting the ward, said she'll have to drive 45 minutes and cross the state line into Kentucky to give birth to her third child in early October. She's especially concerned because she has gestational diabetes and recently had a scare with her fetus' heart rate.

Kee also had to switch from the Henry County obstetrician she trusted for her other pregnancies, Dr. Pamela Evans, who will stay at the hospital as a gynecologist.

Evans fears that things like preterm deliveries, infant mortality and low-birthweight babiesa measure in which the county already ranks poorlyare bound to get worse. Prenatal care suffers when people must travel long distances or take lots of time off work for appointments, she said. Not all insurance covers deliveries out of state, and some alternative in-state hospitals families are looking at are an hour or more away.

A corn field sits in front of the Elkhorn mountains in Baker City, Ore., Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. After more than a century, women in Baker City will no longer have access to a maternity center with the closure of St. Alphonsus' obstetrical unit, the only one of its kind in Baker County. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Evans' office and exam rooms contain bulletin boards covered with photos of infants she's brought into the world. During a recent visit, Katie O'Brien of Paris handed her a new photo of her son Bennettthe third of her children Evans delivered. The two women cradled the baby and hugged.

The closure "makes me absolutely want to cry," said O'Brien, 31. "It's a horrible thing for our community. Any young person looking to move here won't want to come. Why would you want to come somewhere where you can't have a baby safely?"

A place to turn

About two hours away, inside a house in the woods, a handful of women sat in a circle on pillows for a prenatal group meeting at The Farm Midwifery Center, a storied place in Summertown, Tennessee, that's more than a half-century old.

Led by midwife Corina Fitch, the women shared thoughts and concerns, and at one point tied on scarves and danced together. One by one, Fitch pulled them into a bedroom to measure bellies, take blood, listen to fetal heartbeats and ask about things like nutrition.

Shane Alderson, his wife, Alisha, and their daughter, Adeline, 5, pray before dinner at their home in Baker City, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Shane is Baker County's chief commission chair and Alisha is expecting their daughter, Ava, in September. Because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit, the family is traveling to the Boise, Idaho area, a little over 100 miles away, to give birth. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Betsy Baarspul of Nashville said she had an emergency C-section in a hospital for her first child. She's now pregnant with her third, and described the difference between hospital care and birth center care as "night and day."

"This is the perfect place for me," she said. "It feels like you're held in a way."

Some states and communities are taking steps to create more freestanding birth centers. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed legislation that will license such centers and allow them to operate as an alternative for low-risk pregnancies.

Alecia McGregor, who studies health policy and politics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, called midwife-led birth centers "a major sort of contender among the possible solutions" to the maternity care crisis.

"The kinds of lifesaving procedures that can only be conducted in a hospital are important for those very high-risk cases," McGregor said. "But for the majority of pregnancies, which are low-risk, birth centers can be a very important solution to lowering costs within the U.S. health care system and improving outcomes."

Shane Alderson, his wife, Alisha, and their daughter, Adeline, 5, pack for a trip to Idaho at the family's home in Baker City, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit, the family is traveling to the Boise, Idaho area, a little over 100 miles away, to give birth. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

A lack of data and the small number of births in freestanding centers or homes prevents researchers from fully understanding the relationship between birth settings and maternal deaths or severe injuries and complications, according to a 2020 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Farm said fewer than 2% of clients end up having C-sections, and a report on deliveries in its first 40 years showed 5% of clients were transported to the hospitalwhich Fitch said can happen because of things like water breaking early or exhaustion during labor. Clients usually give birth at The Farm or in their own homes.

"We always have a backup plan," she said, "because we know birth is unpredictable and things can come up."

Rural hospitals will need to be part of the equation, doctors told the AP, and they believe governments must do more to solve the maternal care crisis.

Adeline Alderson, 5, drags a suitcase out of her family's house in Baker City, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. The family is headed to Idaho where Adeline's mother, Alisha is to give birth later in September. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Shane Alderson loads a suitcase into the family car in Baker City, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. The family is headed to Idaho where Shane's wife, Alisha, is to give birth later in September. Because of the closing of the Baker City only obstetrical unit, the family is traveling to the Boise, Idaho area, a little over 100 miles away, to give birth. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Alisha Alderson, her husband, Shane, and their daughter, Adeline, 5, say goodbye to Alisha's mother, Patricia Conway, at an assisted living facility in Baker City, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. The Alderson's are headed to Idaho where Alisha is to give birth later in September, because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

The Alderson family drives on 84 east from Baker City, Ore., on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, to the Boise, Idaho area where Alisha is due to give birth later in September. The Alderson's are headed to Idaho where Alisha is to give birth later in September, because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit. Credit: AP Photo/Kyle Green

Oregon politicians mobilized when the Baker City hospital announced in June that it was shutting down its birth centerincluding Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Baker County Commissioner Shane Alderson, Alisha's husband. As a temporary fix, they suggested using OB nurses from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a branch of the country's uniformed services that largely responds to natural disasters and disease outbreaks.

It was a novel and "innovative" idea to request federal nurses to boost staffing at a rural maternity unit, Wyden's office said. While it didn't end up panning out, the public health service sent experts to Baker City to assess the situation and recommend solutionsincluding looking into establishing a freestanding birth center.

Shane Alderson wants to help people who are facing the same tough decisions his family had to make. He said rural communities shouldn't be stripped of health care options because of their smaller size or because of the number of low-income people with public insurance.

"That's not equitable," he said. "People can't survive like that."

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

If doctors in hospital emergency departments are trained to carry out ultrasound on patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), they can nearly halve the time the patients spend in these departments.

Dr. Ossi Hannula, an emergency medicine specialist at the Well-being Services County of Central Finland, Jyvaskyla, Finland, who presented the findings at the European Emergency Medicine Congress, said his findings could help to reduce overcrowding in emergency departments and improve death rates by enabling patients at greatest risk of dying, usually from non-DVT-related problems, to be treated more quickly by emergency staff.

"Prolonged stays in emergency departments are linked to emergency department crowding," he said. "The longer a patient stays in an emergency department, the higher are the death rates and the risks of other complications, the longer their stay in a hospital ward, the lower the patient satisfaction, and the higher the financial costs and the burden on emergency department staff."

DVT is a blood clot in a vein, normally in the leg, and it is a common condition in patients arriving in emergency departments, accounting for 1-2% of all such visits. An ultrasound scan, usually performed by radiographers or radiologists in the hospital's imaging department, is the normal way to diagnose it, and treatments include anticoagulant medicines (or "blood thinners") to stop the clot growing and to prevent it breaking off and traveling in the blood stream to other parts of the body, such as the lungs. If this happens, it can be fatal.

Dr. Hannula's earlier studies had shown that if general practitioners working in primary care were taught to perform ultrasound scans on patients with suspected DVT, they referred fewer patients to hospital emergency departments, resulting in less crowding and lower costs. He decided to see if ultrasound performed by emergency physicians instead of radiographers and radiologists could reduce the time patients spent in emergency departments.

Between October 2017 and October 2019, 93 patients with a suspected DVT were recruited to the prospective study carried out in two hospitals: Tampere University Hospital and Kuopio University Hospital. They were included in the study if an emergency doctor who had been trained to perform ultrasound scans examined them and performed the necessary ultrasound themselves.

This is called "point-of-care ultrasound" (POCUS). POCUS can be done at the bedside in the emergency department, in the hospital ward, in an ambulance, or in the middle of a natural disaster. If the doctor thought a patient should also be referred to the imaging department, they could do this as well as performing POCUS themselves. The patients were aged over 18 years and able to give informed consent in Finnish.

"The aim of point-of-care ultrasound is to answer specific questions such as: 'Is there a deep venous thrombosis that causes this leg to swell?' or 'Are there gallbladder stones present causing the abdominal pain?'" said Dr. Hannula.

Eleven emergency medicine specialists and junior doctors in the two hospitals examined the patients in the study. Afterwards, Dr. Hannula compared the results with a control group of 135 patients who arrived in the same emergency departments with suspected DVT on the same days but were sent for ultrasound scans in the hospitals' imaging departments.

"We found that patients undergoing the standard ultrasound examination spent an average of 4.51 hours in the emergency departments, while the group receiving point-of-care ultrasound spent an average of 2.34 hours in the emergency departmentsa difference of 2.16 hours," said Dr. Hannula.

"There have been mixed results from previous studies of point-of-care ultrasound that investigated how it affected the length of stay in emergency departments. It seems that the results can depend on the setting of the study. As this study was carried out in two different emergency departments in academic hospital, the results are convincing.

"The crowding in emergency departments is an increasing threat to patient safety as well as staff well-being. Using point-of-care ultrasound is one way of tackling this threat by reducing an unnecessary delay in decision making."

Dr. Hannula now plans to see if a similar reduction in length of stay in emergency departments can be achieved in other studies, for instance, for gallstones.

Professor Youri Yordanov from the St Antoine Hospital emergency department (APHP Paris), France, is Chair of the EUSEM 2023 abstract committee and was not involved in the research.

He said, "This study shows that point-of-care-ultrasound is able to provide swift and precise diagnoses for patients who come to emergency departments with suspected deep vein thrombosis. An initiative like this that can reduce the time that patients have to wait in emergency departments is very welcome, especially as it has the potential to reduce the pressure on staff and improves the patients' experience."

Provided by European Society for Emergency Medicine
Its hard to believe theres a new eyewitness account from a Secret Service agent who was right there at the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

This is, after all, among the most investigated, revisited and argued about events in US history.

But Paul Landis, who in 1963 was a young agent detailed to protect the first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, shares recollections in a new memoir, The Final Witness, to be published next month. The 60th anniversary of the assassination is in November.

What Landis remembers about being near Kennedys body could challenge elements of the so-called magic bullet theory, that one of the bullets that struck Kennedy also wounded then-Texas Gov. John Connally. According to the Warren Commission, the intact bullet was discovered when it was knocked onto the floor next to a stretcher holding Connally.

Appearing in his first television interview on CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper Wednesday, Landis, now 88, described the assassination and said he retrieved a bullet from the limousine that had carried the Kennedys. Landis said he later placed it in the exam room where the president was being treated at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

He described a chaotic scene and his split-second decisions both to remove the bullet from the limousine and then place it next to the president.

I thought, well, this is the perfect place to leave the bullet, its an important piece of evidence and this was the opportunity to leave it, Landis said.

Why he waited so long to speak

Everything was pretty stressful for all the agents, Landis told Tapper, explaining why he did not tell supervisors about the bullet at the time or in the intervening decades.

I just stayed in view of Mrs. Kennedy, Landis said. I was afraid I was going to pass out and I kept telling myself Ive got to hang in there.

He was never interviewed by the Warren Commission Report and said he was afraid that if he was, he would have broken down and be an embarrassment to the Secret Service.

Haunted by his experience, Landis said he left the Secret Service less than a year after the assassination.

There are differing positions on what to make of Landis memoir

Jefferson Morley edits a substack newsletter, JFK Facts, that pushes for more transparency in the official record on the Kennedy assassination. He has long doubted the magic bullet theory and deconstructed official government reports.

Landis shows that this is an open question and we really need a much better explanation of what happened on November 22nd, 1960, Morley told CNNs Abby Phillip earlier this week.

Another expert says Landis has not altered the basic conclusions of numerous government reports and exhaustive investigations. Farris Rookstool III is a former FBI analyst who reviewed Kennedy assassination documents.

The problem with all of this is that it does not change the basic fact that three shots were fired from the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository using Lee Harvey Oswalds rifle, Rookstool told Phillip.

It would be impossible to go over all the evidence and foolish to try

If you want to spend days going down rabbit holes of evidence, reports and declassified documents, head on over to the National Archives website. Theyve got the Warren Commission report, which most people now feel was incomplete and rushed.

The National Archives has also posted the work of a congressional investigation that checked the Warren Commissions work, the House special committee on assassinations, which issued a 1979 report that also found Oswald fired three shots and that two struck Kennedy. The House investigation did not rule out the possibility of another shooter and it also suggested the evidence pointed to some kind of conspiracy, but not to any suspects. The committee found there was no evidence the Cuban government, the mafia or the CIA were involved.

There are still secrets

Despite promises by multiple presidents and a law passed by Congress in 1992, the CIA, the Defense Department and the Department of State all continue to have documents they refuse to publicly release.

Although that 1992 law was passed in an effort to build up credibility and cut down on secrecy, reading the 1998 report of a special board set up at the National Archives to push the American national security apparatus to comply with the law is a study in bureaucratic infighting.

The vast majority of documents  millions of them  have been released. But the transparency effort continues. Documents were released just last month, although as with many recently released documents they are still redacted, the typeset is extremely difficult or impossible to read, and their connection to the assassination investigation is not clear.

Biden and Trump both allowed these agencies to keep some documents secret

While both the Biden and Trump administrations released tens of thousands of documents, they allowed others to be kept hidden.

President Joe Biden required agencies to write down a justification for why documents should stay hidden.

It mostly boils down to not wanting to out confidential sources who are still alive, or might be alive, and protecting methods. The CIA says it will wait until people either die or can be presumed dead at the age of 100 before releasing that information.

As a result, it continues to hide thousands of documents, inventoried in a 118-page index.

Benign coverup

The CIAs own historian has described the agencys selective cooperation and outright hiding of information from the Warren Commission and the House committee as a sort of benign coverup. Read that history at the non-governmental transparency website National Security Archive and get some context around it from Kennedy assassination expert Philip Shenon.

Shenon and the historian Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia have been among those poring over the documents released in recent years, some of which suggested doubt even within the CIA about the official assassination story.

Many of the questions revolve around Oswalds trip to Mexico City weeks before the assassination. Under surveillance by the CIA, he visited the Cuban and Soviet embassies, apparently trying to get a visa to flee the US.

For all of its failings  and there are many  Sabato wrote in 2013 for CNN about how the main points of the Warren Commission report hold.

Most Americans dont believe the official accounts

A majority, 54%, said in a 2018 CBS News poll there was a coverup. In 2013, 61% said in a CBS poll that others, in addition to Oswald were involved. Thats actually down from 1998, when 76% said they believed others were involved. When CNN asked in 2013 who people believed were involved, a third of the country, 33%, suspected the CIA had something to do with it. But in that 2013 poll, not insubstantial minorities also suspected the mafia and then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson could have been involved.

The evidence still points to Oswald

After watching the Landis interview and reading that there are still classified CIA documents, I asked Sabato if he stands by that 2013 argument that the basic thrust of the Warren Commission holds.

Yes, I still believe Oswald was the lone gunmandespite everything, Sabato told me in an email.

By everything I mean the inadequacies of the Warren Report, the FBIs admitted destruction of important evidence, the CIAs untruths about Oswald as well as the agencys refusal to release all its JFK assassination documents, and so on.

He wishes the Warren Commission had interviewed Landis and others back in 1963 rather than simply accepting statements without cross-examination.

There has been too much magical thinking by theorists since the 1960s, Sabato said, pointing to the many, frequently outlandish theories you can easily find on the internet.

That said, Sabato said he understands why people dont believe the commissions findings. And he made an important point that extends well beyond the Kennedy assassination.

Our own government and its top agencies gave people plenty of reasons to doubt what theyve said about Kennedys murder, Sabato said. In 1963 we bought pretty much anything the authorities told usthats how we were raised. Now, though, after decades of government lying about Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-Contra, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, and a thousand other things, can you blame people for not buying what the Warren Commission was selling?
Central Bank chief: Armenia residents deposits increased by about 25%

Armenia labor, social affairs minister attends Armenian-Iranian forum in Tehran

European Union increases humanitarian funding to Armenia by about 1.7M

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Armenia PM, Poland envoy address humanitarian situation of forcibly displaced people from Karabakh

Ardshinbank has been recognized as the "Best Corporate" and "Best ESG Bank" in Armenia by Euromoney magazine

Turkey border bridge renovation, furnishing underway, Armenia official says

Armenia official: Enclaves issue will be clarified when peace treaty with Azerbaijan is signed

Armenia official: Positive thing about North-South project is that we entered construction phase in some sections

Ethnic cleansing in Karabakh received pin-drop silence by American media, US presidential nominee says

Armenia economy minister: Trade relations with Russia are very important to us

Armenia official: We have certain idea about construction of railway in Meghri sector, we are waiting

74 films to be screened in Armenia during 19th Rolan International Film Festival for Children and Youth

Yeraskh steel plant project being implemented, it is being moved, it will be nearby, Armenia economy minister says

Azerbaijan pledges guarantees to Karabakh Armenians after its blockade, genocide

Karabakh ombudsman: Who needs forums, lengthy speeches if international community fails to prevent genocides?

Maestro Sergey Smbatyan: Process that could have had only one outcome is resolved

Legislature vice-speaker complains about reduction of programs in Armenia IT sector

UNICEF Armenia: Next batch of humanitarian aid sent to Syunik Province

Central Bank of Armenia reduces refinancing rate by 0.25 points, sets it at 9.5%

Martin Schuepp: Red Cross is helping people left in Karabakh

Finance minister: Armenia economic growth potential currently estimated at 5.5%

Armenia official: The money we were allocating to Karabakh should be enough to fund all programs

Parliament deputy speaker: Armenia has no contender in high tech

Newspaper: Karabakh army handed over ammunition not to Azerbaijan, but to Russian side

Canada ambassador about sanctions on Azerbaijan: There is also dispute within Armenia regarding them

Audi Q6 e-tron launch delayed until at least Spring 2024

Armenia Investigative Committee official: 8 of 16 persons captured by Azerbaijan are Karabakh leadership members

4.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Turkey

14 individuals were tortured, and 64 died on the move from Nagorno Karabakh. Foreign Ministry spokesperson

Council of Europe to prepare package of measures in response to refugee influx in Armenia

Mher Grigoryan and EU Ambassador exchanged ideas on regional developments

Minister of Defence had a meeting with the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of PRC

Yeremyan Projects has launched the regional first livestock complex in Tashir community

Rights of Karabakhs imprisoned former leadership are protected, Azerbaijan ombudsperson claims

Finance ministry: Armenia economic growth target will be maintained at 7% level in 2024

Elnur Mammadov: Most points in peace treaty have been agreed upon by Azerbaijan, Armenia

Statement: Alma-Ata Declaration has no mention of former union republics of ex-USSR

Dollar drops, euro rises in Armenia

Armenia defense sector capital spending planned in amount of around $1.4 billion in 2024

Lawyer: Maestro Sergey Smbatyan is acquitted

Premier: Armenia defense spending planned to be increased by 125% in 2024 compared to 2018

Armenia, Ukraine officials underscore Pashinyan-Zelenskyy first meeting

ReA15: 300 animation films, 30 guests from 40 countries, around 500 audience; Armenia international festival summed up

Russias Makhachkala airport resumes operations

Armenia's Pashinyan: There is serious progress in North-South motorway construction

Around 12kg narcotics attempted to be smuggled into Armenia from Iran

Armenia finance minister: Considerable part of 2.6 billion to be provided by EU is loan

Armenia official: We will not increase pensions, minimum wages in 2024

Armenia finance minister: National debt of more than $10 billion is safe

Pashinyan: Armenia government expects 7% economic growth in 2023

COAF secures 10M grant to transform education in Armenia's Syunik Province

RFE/RL: US supports EU monitoring mission in Armenia, embassy says

Hurricane Otis kills at least 48 people in Mexico

$135M to be allocated for needs of those forcibly displaced from Karabakh, Armenia PM says

Armenia nationals can now open bank accounts in Russia in simplified manner

Armenia MFA former spox shares video of Russian peacekeepers withdrawal from Karabakh

202-million-year-old dragonfly fossil discovered in UK

Armenia premier: I hope arrangements for opening border with Turkey will be implemented in near future

Pashinyan: Current world orders collapse is serious threat to Armenia

Armenia labor, social affairs minister is in Iran, memorandum to be signed on highly qualified workforce exchange

Armenia PM: 3 main principles of signing peace treaty with Azerbaijan have been agreed upon

Armenia defense minister attends Beijing Xiangshan Forum opening ceremony in China (PHOTOS)

Biden, Netanyahu discuss ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Gaza

Arab, Muslim users of social media unhappy with ongoing supply of oil from Azerbaijan to Israel

Attempts are being made to destabilize situation in Russias Dagestan from outside, leader Melikov says

20 people injured, 2 in critical condition after mass riots at Russias Makhachkala airport

Kamala Harris: US has no plans of sending combat troops to Israel, Gaza

Russia researchers develop water evaluation system using smartphones

Russias Makhachkala airport closed until November 6

France releases city electric cars that can be driven without driver's license

Thugs attack bus carrying women, children in Russias Makhachkala

Anti-Israel protest in Russias Dagestan, crowd storms into Makhachkala airport

Slovenia donates 120,000, through Red Cross, to forcibly displaced people from Karabakh

Overall 3342 children died in Gaza since start of war

Israel bombs areas near Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza

Palestinian Red Crescent: Israel demands evacuation of Gaza hospital

UN peacekeeper wounded in Lebanese shelling

Israel Armenians newspaper: Situation in Israel still difficult

Iran President: Zionists were defeated, forced to retreat

Death toll of Palestinians in Gaza exceeds 8000

Azerbaijani Defense Minister also visits China

Israeli airstrikes on two houses in Gaza kill 13 civilians

Israeli army names main priority

UN Secretary General criticizes Israel again

Building of Jewish cultural center is set on fire in Russia

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting

Russian MoD: Crimea was attacked by 36 Ukrainian drones at night

Armenian Defence Minister leaves for China

Forcibly displaced teachers from Artsakh can continue work in Armenia

Death toll of mine accident in Kazakhstan reaches 42

Israeli PM deletes controversial post from social media, apologizes

Israeli opposition leader, National Security Minister criticize PM

At least 331 Israeli soldiers killed since start of war with Hamas

Baku arrests Iranian spies who wanted to create Kerime state in Azerbaijan

Lemkin Institute calls on UN to prepare proper mission to Artsakh

Moscow, Ankara effectively coordinate efforts to tackle important regional issues

Israeli army boosts contingent in Gaza, enters deeper into enclave

Aide to Aliyev, Iran Ambassador discuss Azerbaijani-Armenian relations

US Eisenhower aircraft carrier enters Mediterranean Sea
Tension persists on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and on the Artsakh contact line, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told news outlet "Azatutyun."

"Basically, we have always said that in case of such unpredictable behavior from Azerbaijan, tension should always be expected, both in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the borders of the Republic of Armenia," Mirzoyan emphasized, continuing. "We have seen several invasions into the territory of the Republic of Armenia [...] and the occupation of the territories of Armenia, and also constant threats, hate speech, also towards Nagorno Karabakh, brought the population of Nagorno Karabakh to the brink of a humanitarian disaster, and yes, we always expect tension.

Now you are wondering what we are doing. We are actively working with international partners, I'm sure you are keeping track of everything, you see statements, calls and, of course, legal decisions of the International Court. We must continue to work like this until Azerbaijan enters the constructive field, because we want peace, and we want long-term peace. We want recognition of territorial integrity, but at the same time a mutual recognition, since you know that Azerbaijan must recognize our borders, there is such an agreement, but so far the President of Azerbaijan refuses to make public statements on this matter [...], Mirzoyan said.

When asked whether the main, fundamental differences remain after Yerevan and Baku again exchanged options for a peace treaty, he replied: Differences remain. Of course, it would be wrong to say that there is no progress from edition to edition, the text is being polished, I once said that all points are important, but nevertheless, the text can be conditionally divided into vitally important and not so vitally important points. But, of course, there are still fundamental disagreements on the most vital, most significant issues. We must continue to negotiate, continue to work.

Regarding the introduction of an international mechanism into the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue, the head of the RA Foreign Ministry said, We are confident that all issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and official Baku, and everyone else in the world can only play the role of facilitators. Why an international mechanism? We think that even if this dialogue begins between official Baku and Stepanakert, still, left alone in the same room, Baku will try to conduct this conversation in the form of an ultimatum, dictate demands and conditions. I don't think there will be a big, real and sincere dialogue if there is no international presence, and even I may doubt the continuity of these meetings and dialogue. And this is where some kind of international mechanism is needed.

When asked whether this international mechanism is a red line for Yerevan, the FM replied, Principles are a red line. We want real solutions to be given to real problems, and we are confident that a dialogue is the best way to do this. Why under international auspices? To make dialogue more effective, that's all. The red lines are the final results.

Regarding the map, according to Ararat Mirzoyan, a dialogue is taking place that did not exist before, in an atmosphere of greater mutual understanding. We see positive signals, at the same time I want to say again that not only are the exchange of ideas and specific agreements not being implemented, but the leadership of Azerbaijan is either changing its mind or is currently playing some kind of a diplomatic game, he concluded.
The man who allegedly shot and killed the assistant principal of a charter school in Chicagos downtown Loop has not been criminally charged for the Thursday shooting since he was released by police.

Abnerd Joseph, 32, an assistant principal at the downtown campus of Intrinsic Schools, was fatally shot Thursday around 7:30 p.m. in a hallway on the 48th floor of a building in the first block of East Monroe Street, which police listed as Josephs address.

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According to a police report obtained by the Tribune, the man who shot and killed Joseph has a license to own and conceal his possession of firearms. Joseph had been knocking on residents doors and causing a disturbance before the shooting, the report said.

When a security guard, a resident and another man approached Joseph for his erratic behavior, the assistant principal punched the guard and resident in the face, the report said. The third man, another resident of the building who police said was licensed to own a gun and conceal carry firearms, then fatally shot Joseph with a semi-automatic pistol, the report continued. The man identified himself as the shooter at the scene, the report said.

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Joseph was shot in the chest, forearm, abdomen and lower back, according to the report.

Police said the man, 45, was released Friday without being charged, and the investigation is ongoing.

Before joining Intrinsic Schools in 2022, Joseph worked in Atlanta as a school administrator, and math and science teacher, according to his staff page on the schools website. According to his biography, Joseph had been pursuing his masters in educational leadership with Georgia State University.

Students at the downtown campus of Intrinsic Schools will attend class virtually on Monday and Tuesday, said Chandris May, a student advocate. A group of students also organized a balloon release memorial event, to take place Monday.

Joseph always made everyone feel welcome and tried to improve school culture, May said.

Chicago Tribunes Ilana Arougheti contributed.
No document will be signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on October 5 in Granada, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a conversation with reporters after voting in the Yerevan mayoral elections.

According to him, if it was planned to sign a document, it would mean that Armenia believes that this document corresponds to the balanced interests of the country, and then Armenia would sign it.

We have said that the peace agenda is our priority, and we want to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan as soon as possible, for example, by the end of the year or the beginning of next year. We are doing everything possible for this, the Prime Minister emphasized.

Pashinyan hopes that intensive negotiations with Azerbaijan will continue and a solution to the problem will be reached.

It is clear that the extreme humanitarian crisis in [Artsakh] Nagorno-Karabakh is having a negative impact on the peace process. I believe that we have lost and continue to lose a lot of time due to the illegal blockade of the [Berdzor] Lachin Corridor. The time and energy that we spend and continue to spend to no avail on resolving this issue could be spent on discussing a peace treaty if this situation did not exist, he said.

The PM also noted that he considers it possible that the situation will change and a peace agreement will be signed by the end of the year.

I must always consider this possible because I have made a political commitment to sign such an agreement. The longer this agreement is delayed, the worse it is in terms of the political commitments made. I think this is possible because we hope that this situation will change. We are working on changing this situation, on opening the Lachin Corridor, on overcoming the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, on the possibility of Stepanakert-Baku [dialogue]. My job is to do everything to make it possible, and proceed on the assumption that it is possible and that we must do it.
The crisis resulting from Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh is worsening day by day. The government is coordinating the acquisition of grain and the distribution of flour to bakeries under challenging conditions. Unfortunately, ensuring that every citizen receives their daily quota of 200 grams of bread through the coupon system is not always achievable, says the statement disseminated by NKR InfoCenter.

Dear compatriots,

The crisis caused by Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh is deepening daily. The Government organizes the procurement of grain and supply of flour to bread factories in tight circumstances, unfortunately, it is not always possible to provide the daily 200 grams of bread available to a citizen under the coupon system.

Taking into account the deepening disaster and security situation in the country, the authorities of the Artsakh Republic have decided to accept the joint proposal of the Stepanakert office of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the command of the Russian military group carrying out a peacekeeping mission for the simultaneous transfer of humanitarian cargo to the Red Cross through the Berdzor corridor, on the Goris-Stepanakert highway, and on the Akna-Stepanakert road, with cars of the international committee (goods of foreign origin).

The organization of the process is necessary both to neutralize the threats to the life and health of our citizens, and to ensure the further transportation of humanitarian cargo through the Berdzor corridor. We also inform you that the mediators are working to organize a meeting with the official representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan in order to alleviate the tense humanitarian and security situation in the Republic.
In an interview with the Iranian newspaper Al-Wefaq in Arabic, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, commenting on the issue of "Zangezur Corridor," said that Iran will not allow its historical route in this region connecting Iran with Armenia to be limited or closed, IRNA reports.

Hossein Amirabdollahian said that upholding the Axis of Resistance is a fundamental policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He also noted in the interview that while Iran interacts with countries of the East and West to protect its national interests, it has neither East nor West policy to maintain its independence.

The Foreign Minister called the Axis of Resistance "one of the most important aspects of our foreign policy.

Amirabdollahian noted that some Arab countries have normalized their relations with Israel, but this move has forced the regime to ignore the sovereignty of these countries.

Our security agencies have detailed documentation that the Zionist regime ignores the sovereignty of those countries and takes actions against the security of the region without their knowledge, he said, adding, Therefore, to imagine that normalization of relations with the Zionist regime brings benefits to the Islamic world and the countries of the region is far from the truth.

Amirabdollahian made clear that, regardless of any future attempts by Arab and Islamic countries to normalize relations with the "fake and aggressive Zionist regime," Iran will steadfastly uphold its principle of defending the resistance in the region.

Supporting the resistance means guaranteeing a region that we, as Iran, live in, he stated.

In his interview, the Iranian Foreign Minister also touched upon the issue of Syria. He said that the leaders of Arab countries, Islamic states and the region understand Syria's position well.

Syria is not a country that can be deleted from the regional equations, Amirabdollahian emphasized.

On the issue of security in the joint borders between Syria and Turkey, Amirabdollahian said the Islamic Republic pursues consultation with its Turkish brothers about finding ways to both remove Turkiyes concerns and preserve Syrias territorial integrity, the media outlet writes.
Wang Yi meets with Biden's national security adviser

Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Malta. Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan over the weekend, officials said on Sunday, in the latest effort to ease tensions between the superpowers.



Wang and Sullivan met in the Mediterranean island nation of Malta on Saturday and Sunday, the White House said.



"This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the relationship," a statement said.



President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden have not talked or met since a summit in Bali last year but US officials say they are working to renew contact between the two leaders.



A string of high-level US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, have met recently with Chinese officials to prepare a possible Xi-Biden meeting.



The White House said Sullivan and Wang "committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement."



A Chinese government statement on the Malta meeting largely echoed the US version, saying "the two sides conducted candid, substantive and constructive strategic communication." (AFP)
After taking five years, the indictment against Hunter Biden is nothing but theatrics. Special counsel David Weiss is basically going through the motions to appease those of us who would like to see justice. But in the final analysis, there will be no justice.

People who lie about being addicted to drugs when purchasing a gun should be penalized with prison time, But Hunter Biden is not like most people. As the first son, he wont see the inside of a prison cell. At most probation, a mere slap on the wrist, is all he will receive.

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And even though the White House ruled it out, I wouldnt be surprised if Biden pardons his son.

 JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater, Florida

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Why no outcry from NRA?

It is deeply ironic that the worst crime the Republicans could pin on a member of the Biden family was a technicality when Hunter Biden filled out a form to buy a handgun in 2018. Where is their stock hysterical reaction to his Second Amendment rights being taken away by an evil federal bureaucracy? Why has the National Rifle Association not jumped to defend this patriotic American trying to buy a gun, as is his constitutional right?

 Tom DeCoursey, Oak Park

Concerns about Joe Biden

A Tribune reader questions why people want to investigate Joe Biden when they should be investigating Jared Kushner. Well, Biden is the president, and a lot of people think he is compromised. Most politicians get rich while being a politician. A lot of people think Biden is bought and paid for by China and Ukraine.

Kushner? He is a civilian. And if anybody thinks he sold government access, secrets or favors to the Saudis, by all means, investigate him.

 Larry Craig, Wilmette

Undermining impeachment

Recently, U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. By so doing, McCarthy elevated politics and loyalty to the former president. And, by so doing, he has rendered the seriousness of such an undertaking meaningless.

House Republicans have investigated Biden for months and have not uncovered any hint of impropriety and certainly not the treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors that would warrant McCarthys actions.

 Ava Holly Berland, Chicago

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McCarthys vulnerability to Gaetz

The inquiry to seek an impeachment of President Joe Biden is a victory for U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. He has demonstrated an uncanny ability to understand House Speaker Kevin McCarthys psychological vulnerabilities and use them for his own means. He has outmaneuvered McCarthy to take control of the Republicans in the House with his impeachment demand.

In attaining his demand, he has become the chief Washington protector of Donald Trump and the chief nemesis for Joe Biden. His power will only be reduced when McCarthy can say that protecting the U.S. Constitution, not his position as speaker, is the essential means for maintaining his self-esteem.

Painfully, he is not there yet.

 Sidney Weissman, Highland Park

Ignoring Palestinians plight

I appreciate Shmuly Yanklowitzs op-ed (This Rosh Hashana, lets commit to repairing the injuries of injustice, Sept. 11) elaborating the Jewish new year practice of moral and ethical self-evaluation. Jewish or not, we all find ourselves asking the question: How do we make restitution for our complicity in injustices that were beyond our control? Yanklowitz writes.

The reminder that the moment has come for each of us to consider our own responsibilities in a world deeply in need of repair couldnt be more timely. On the same day, the Tribune Editorial Board ran an editorial about the challenge that thousands of recent migrants present to Chicagos willingness to truly embody the values of a sanctuary city (Has Chicagos Welcoming City law worn out its welcome?). Will we, as the Torah commands, welcome the stranger?

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Nor should we, as Yanklowitz points out, limit our self-examination to harms directly caused by our own actions or inactions. Were all, to one extent or another, complicit in historical injustices that weve indirectly benefited from. ... We are obligated to do what we can to fix (the damage). Specifically citing Christian nationalism and white supremacy, Yanklowitz continues, directly or indirectly, we often benefit from ideologies and movements that press people down.

Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Unfortunately, Yanklowitzs op-ed ignores one area that most American Jews prefer to leave unexamined. If one is truly making a complete moral and ethical self-examination, failing to consider the fate of Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Territories and the role of American Jewish congregations in supporting Israeli policies that oppress Palestinians, confiscate their lands, and subject them to lethal military occupation is failing in the accounting of the soul that the Jewish High Holidays require of us.

 Jeff Epton, Chicago

Departure of general director

I will always remember Anthony Freud as the man who presided over the beginning of the demise of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

 Frank Stachyra, Oak Park

Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group.

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Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
After the inauguration of Monthly Aid Scheme for 1.065 crore women on the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and DMK Founder, CN Annadurai, the state's Finance Minister, Thangam Thennarasu, issued a statement addressing concerns related to the scheme. While acknowledging the unprecedented achievement of crediting over one crore women's bank accounts on the first day of the project, Minister Thennarasu emphasized the importance of ensuring that the beneficiaries receive their full entitlement without any deductions. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, inaugurated the Monthly Aid Scheme on September 15, marking a significant milestone in the state's history. This visionary initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to head women of households has garnered admiration not only within Tamil Nadu but also across the nation. Other states have applauded Tamil Nadu's commitment to women's welfare through this scheme.Tamil Naduidentified as many as 1.06 crore women (1,06,50,000) as beneficiaries under the plan and the Rs 1,000 assistance is paid to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer. However, amidst the scheme's success, certain grievances came to the government's attention. Specifically, concerns were raised about service charges levied by banks for processing the entitlement amount credited to the women's head bank accounts. Additionally, complaints emerged regarding some banks deducting amounts for pre-existing loans. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu addressed these concerns decisively. He stated, "In the meeting of the State Banks Group, it has been advised that the banks should not withhold the entitlement amount provided by the Tamil Nadu Government. However, it is unacceptable that this instruction is not followed in some banks." To ensure compliance with the government's agreements, memorandum of understanding (MoUs) have been established between the state government and banks. These agreements explicitly stipulate that banks must refrain from using the women's aid amount provided by the Tamil Nadu government for their administrative expenses. Any banks found in violation of these agreements will face the transfer of their transactions to other banks, accompanied by further disciplinary actions. Finance Minister Thennarasu underlined the seriousness of the matter by stating that a formal letter would be addressed to the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. The letter will emphasize that banks must refrain from deducting any amount from the women's entitlements, which are intended solely for the welfare and betterment of women beneficiaries. This decisive stance by the Tamil Nadu government reflects its unwavering commitment to safeguard the rights and well-being of the state's women beneficiaries. The Finance Minister's statement sends a clear message to banks that adherence to the agreed-upon terms and the protection of women's entitlements is of paramount importance. (ANI)
On the 73rd birth anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP on Sunday launched a special campaign named 'Seva Pakhwada' (period of service) on the 'NaMo' app. The 'Seva Pakhwada' campaign comprises 6 engagements or activities for which the countrymen can enlist participation and, through their involvement, extend their greetings to PM Modi on his 73rd birth anniversary. To enlist their participation in any of these activities, one needs to log into the 'NaMo' appusing his/her mobile number or email id, which is also registered with the Mera Saansad Portal. They then have to click on the 'Seva Pakhwada' banner. This campaign will be launched on September 17 and will continue till Gandhi Jayanti, October 2. Clicking on the banner will take the user to the 'Seva Pakhwada' home page where he/she will find several options 'Virtual Exhibition Corner', 'Video Shubhkaamna', 'Family E-card Seva', 'Activities Pragati Path Par Bharat', and 'Bharat Supports Modi'. For Virtual Exhibition: Click on the banner of the Home page of Seva Pakhwada Campaign. Click on watch Yuva Namo to watch the pre-created videos. Click on Create Your Own PM story button. Select five to ten photos of your choice and click on create story to proceed. Video Shubhkaamna to PM Modi : Click on Video Shubhkaamna from the home page of Seva Pakhwada Campaign. Click on upload video to upload or record your video shubhkaamna (good wishes). After recording your video, click on next. Select the video greeting category by clicking category and click post to post your video wishes. Click on video wall to see the wishes posted by citizens. Citizens can like, share, comment on the shubhkaamna videos. 'Family E Card' to PM Modi: Click on 'Family E Card' banner from the homepage of Seva Pakhwada Campaign on NaMo App. Click on 'Create A Family E Card'. Select a template of your choice from the given templates and click on the 'Next' button to proceed. Enter your family name and personalised birthday wishes in the respective sections and click on 'Next'. One the e-card is posted successfully, click on 'Invite Your Family' to invite your family to like and add wishes to your card. Share the e-cards on various social media platforms to make them popular and bring maximum engagement to them. Pragati Path Par Bharat Under the Humein Chalte Jaana Hai section on the homepage of the Seva Pakhwada Campaign on the NaMo app, you have to select a few iconic sites of 'Bharat' to see the progress made under PM Modi's governance and share it on social media. Bharat Supports Modi : Click on the Humein Chalte Jaana Hai section on the home page of Seva Pakhwada Campaign. A map of India will open up where you can see a collage of people doing 'seva' (service). You can also click on any tile on the collage and view the image on the map. Share the collage and encourage fellow citizens to take up similar endeavours and show their support. (ANI)
Union Minister Anurag Thakur, on a visit to his native state, Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday, said the central government allotted Rs 862 crores to disaster relief fund for the hill state, which is reeling under the impact of cloud bursts and heavy rainfall. Thakur also hit out at the ruling Congress government in the state for cribbing over funds crunch. "Such disasters are nothing new for our state. However, since this government came to rule the state, it has been constantly complaining that they don't have enough funds for rescue and rehabilitation. They are saying that they also don't have enough money for development or to extend necessary assistance to the people. This despite the fact that the central government allotted Rs 862 crores to the state's disaster relief fund," the Union Minister told reporters in Bilaspur. Earlier, on Friday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to declare the floods and landslides triggered by the monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh as a national disaster. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress in the state onSaturday said Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has set an example by donating Rs 51 lakh of his lifetime savings to the state disaster relief fund, adding that he is a "true philanthropist". "Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is truly a philanthropist. Setting an example before the entire country, he has donated his entire savings of Rs 51 lakh to the Disaster Relief Fund-2023 for Himachal Pradesh, which is still reeling under the impact of heavy rainfall and landslides. Sukhwinder Sukhu is, perhaps, the first chief minister in the country who, while in office, has donated his lifetime personal savings to the government to deal with this disaster," Saurav Chauhan, the spokesperson for the Himachal Congress, said. CM Sukhu on Friday donated his savings of around Rs 51 lakh towards the 'Aapda Rahat Kosh' to extend help to the disaster-affected people of the hill state. (ANI)
A day ahead of the week-long special session of Parliament, the Congress party has yet again raised their demand for a greater reservation for women in legislative roles. In a post on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Congress Working Committee demands that the Womens Reservation Bill must be passed during the special session of Parliament. Praising the previous Congress governments, Jairam Ramesh said former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi first introduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation in panchayats and nagarpalikas in May 1989 -- which passed in Lok Sabha but failed in Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao reintroduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993. Both Bills passed and became law. Now there are more than 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and nagarpalikas, he said. Former PM Manmohan Singh brought the Constitution Amendment Bill for one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. The Bill was passed on March 9, 2010 in the Rajya Sabha but was not taken up in Lok Sabha. Bills introduced/ passed in Rajya Sabha do not lapse. Women's Reservation Bill is still very much active. The Congress party has for the past nine years been demanding that the Women's Reservation Bill already passed by the Rajya Sabha should now get passed by the Lok Sabha as well, Jairma Ramesh wrote on X. As per the Parliamentary Bulletin, released on Wednesday, 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 starting tomorrow. Also, four bills including a Bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are part of the legislative business of the government for the session. The other bills to be taken up include The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, which were already passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023. The Post Office Bill, 2023 has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023 and it repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. (ANI)
CM Stalin wrote on 'X', "His life is a political philosophy! He was a great reformer who emphasized politics based on humanity and self-respect - transcending language, country, and religion. After seeing all that he thought of getting legal form, the hidden pride belongs to him! Periaryal is the basis for all the plans we are making today for women's liberation and for an equal society! Similar to the rule of Anna, Muttamizharinagar, this Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin's rule is also a gift to our father Periyar!".

Thanthai Periyar was a social activist, also known as the 'father of the Dravidian movement'.

He is known to have fought against gender and cast inequality in Tamil Nadu.

Periyar also participated in Mahatma Gandhi's 'Satyagraha' movement against the British rule.

Tamil Nadu recognises this day as 'Social Justice Day'.

On the occasion, Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin also paid tribute to Periyar in Tamil Nadu's Salem.

Taking to 'X', Stalin wrote, "On the occasion of the 145th birth anniversary of Partharivu Pagalavan Father Periyar, we paid homage to Periyar's statue located in the Salem Fort area this evening. Also, on the occasion of Periyar's birthday, we took the Social Justice Day Pledge. Let us work tirelessly in the way of Periyar to eradicate superstitions and save mankind".

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin also greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday.

Taking to 'X', Stalin wrote, "Birthday Greetings to Hon'ble Prime Minister Thiru @narendramodi. Wishing him a long and healthy life". (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel attended Amrit Brikshya Andolan at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati on Sunday and started the process of planting 1 crore saplings and its protection. On this occasion, CM Sarma said, "Today, we have started the process of planting 1 crore saplings and its protection. We have tried to create some world records from September 9. So far we have yet to receive the certificates from the authority of the Guinness Book of World Records. We planted a 22.22 km long line of spiral pattern with more than 3 lakh saplings on September 9. It should be part of the world record." Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded Assams Amrit Brikshya Andolan and said that initiatives like these will further bolster our national mission for clean and green growth. PM Narendra Modi wrote a letter to Assam CM Sarma and said, Dear Himanta Biswa Sarma Ji, I received your letter and it is heartening to learn about the launch of the Amrit Brikshya Andolan. The idea of planting one crore saplings across Assam is admirable and laudable PM also mentioned a Sanskrit message in his letter which translates as Trees purify the air and are helpful in driving away diseases. Thus, planting and protection of trees is beneficial for living beings. Bringing nature and progress together has been a hallmark of the development model of new India. While we have been the fastest growing economy, we have also been perhaps the only major nation to meet committed climate targets, PM said in letter. PM Modi further extended his greetings on Amrti Brikshya Andolan and said that it will benefit the people of Assam in various ways. The Assam government has taken an initiative aimed to plant over 1 crore commercially viable saplings across the state by individuals under Amrit Brikshya Andolan on September 17 and as part of the exercise, the state government will also attempt to set up 9 Guinness World Records. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said while addressing a press conference in Guwahati that, Assams mega plantation drive Amrit Brikhya Andolan, 2023 involving plantation of over one crore seedlings of 53 numbers of commercially valuable species, to be planted across the state in one day on September 17 this year, in a Jan Bhagidaari model and the state government will attempt to create multiple records. (ANI)
Devotees offered special prayers to Baba Mahakal (Lord Shiva) in the Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain on the 73rd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Visuals showed a devotee, offering prayers during the famous 'Bhasma aarti' of Mahakaleshwar temple with a photo of PM Modi and the Indian flag in his hands. "...I took part in Bhasma Aarti with family...today is our PM Modi's birthday and we extend our wishes to him from Baba Mahakal..." he said. Another devotee thanked the Prime Minister for the development of India and extended her greetings on the PM's birthday. Special puja and anointment were done in the Bhasma Aarti where Baba Mahakal was decorated with dry fruits and hemp. 'Bhasma aarti' (offering with ashes) is a famous ritual in the temple that is performed during the 'Brahma Muhurta' between around 3:00 and 5:30 in the morning. Earlier, on Sunday, children in West Bengal's Siliguri also celebrated PM Modi's birthday in a unique way by wearing PM Modi's masks and donning attire similar to that of the PM and cutting the cake as a part of the celebration. President Droupadi Murmu also extended greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 73rd birthday. Taking to 'X', the President wrote, "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister @narendramodi on his birthday. May you pave the way for the holistic development of Bharat with your far-reaching vision and strong leadership. May you always lead a happy and healthy life and benefit the countrymen with your wonderful leadership". In addition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also extended birthday greetings to the PM and wished him good health and a long life. UP CM, while calling PM Modi an architect of new India, said that the dedication and vision of PM Modi for building a 'developed India' is incomparable. Happy birthday to the great devotee of Maa Bharati, the architect of 'New India', the dreamer of 'Developed India', committed towards 'One India - Best India', the most popular politician of the world, the famous Prime Minister of the country Shri @narendramodi ji, Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X in Hindi. (ANI)
According to DRI, the intelligence agency had earlier seized 500 grams of Cocaine on June 28, 2023, from a courier terminal and arrested 2 individuals during the meticulously planned controlled delivery operation from the Nalasopara area of Mumbai, Maharashtra.

On sustained interrogation of the arrested accused and forensic analysis of digital devices, the officers identified the mastermind of the drug syndicate who was operating from New Delhi.

"After sustained efforts of a couple of months, the DRI team laid a trap and nabbed this mastermind from the Uttam Nagar area of New Delhi," the officials of DRI said.

The agency said that the accused was arrested and brought to Mumbai on a transit remand and produced before the court on Saturday. Later, he was sent to DRI custody for further interrogation.

This operation signifies the unwavering dedication and professionalism of DRI as an enforcement agency to effectively bust the entire syndicate to safeguard the social fabric from the scourge of drugs. (ANI)
Griffith Public Schools are clearing up an apparent miscommunication over the busing of students from the Area Career Center (ACC) in Hammond following a situation Wednesday in which several students were left waiting for a ride home.

The issue has exploded in a thread on the Griffith G-Town Uncensored Facebook page, including a number of profane comments, with others highly critical of the school district and some comments even suggesting violence toward an individual.

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At issue is the fact that the Griffith students, who are bused daily to the ACC, returned from a field trip in Chicago but there was no bus to take them home. The bus had already done its normal afternoon pickup of students from the ACC. The students returning late from the field trip were apparently unaware there would be no bus and had to call their parents to pick them up.

Superintendent apologizes for confusion

Griffith High School Principal Jon Chance took calls from angry parents who contacted him while their children waited for a ride home, wanting to know where the bus was. Once alerted to the situation, Chance attempted to dispatch a smaller bus over to the ACC, but all buses were already in service on their normal routes, according to Leah Dumezich, Superintendent of Schools.

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I do apologize for the confusion, she said. I do not want somebodys children to be waiting outside. Dumezich noted that the ACCs field trip permission slip states  as bullet No. 1  that it is the responsibility of parents to arrange transportation for their child following late-arriving field trips. The same policy is in place for other off-campus activities, such as a sporting event, that concludes after the normal bus schedule.

Dumezich said the school district cannot afford to bus students home from after-hours events. Still, she felt bad about the situation and reasoned that the ACCs field trip permission slip could be more clearly stated.

We have reached out to the ACC so that they make this (policy) clearer to avoid any confusion in the future, she said. We will try our best to send reminders to students and parents in the future as well.

Social media comments in bad taste

Dumezich was aghast at the comments on the Griffith Facebook page, many of which she believed were inaccurate or out of the scope of the issue. As one person wrote on the page, Some of these comments border on character assassination.

Dumezich urged calm and for adults to set an example in their social media behaviors. She had posted some comments herself in order to diffuse and explain the situation, while others responded with profanity.

I think that we need to do better all of us as adults modeling the type of behavior we would like to see in our children, she said. I think people need to consider that these people have families, and we want to work with our families in a way thats respectful. We are not perfect, and we will make errors and parents make errors. I think we should all treat one another as we would wish to be treated.

Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Sunday that we will be visiting Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib via Kartarpur Sahib corridor and we will pray for the happiness of India, Punjab and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We are going to visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Saheb via Kartarpur Sahib corridor...we will pray for happiness and prosperity of India, Punjab and PM Modi...we wish PM a very happy birthday...we will pray for his long life and happiness," said Sirsa. He further added, "This corridor was an impossible task which was made possible by the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev...PM Modi made it possible so we request the Indian government and Pakistan government that the visit to Kartarpur Sahib should even further be simplified in terms of passport checking." Sirsa responded to the question of resuming business with Pakistan and said business can be carried on between the two nations but not untilPakistan puts an end to terrorist activities from its side. "There should be business between the two countries but soldiers also raise questions on the terrorist attacks from Pakistan and these attacks are not acceptable so Pakistan will have to put an end to such terrorist activities before the business can be carried on between the two nations," he said. On continuing business with China, he said China may have done anything but there has never been terrorist infiltration from China. Sirsa also talked about a possible alliance between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and said all AAP does is spread lies and Arvind Kejriwal only cares for political power. "AAP's only job is to lie...as per my information, Arvind Kejriwal wants Congress, AAP and Akali Dal to form an alliance against BJP...but BJP has no alliance except for Shiromani Akali Dal Sanyukt," said Sirsa. "There was a time when one could not imagine Kejriwal with congress...similarly, now there is a possibility of him uniting with Akalidal...corruption, drugs and Punjab's condition is not an issue for him, the only issue for Kejriwal is political power," he added. (ANI)
The party workers offered prayers to Lord Hanuman at Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple at Rail Bazaar in Kanpur.

The workers beat drums, set off fireworks and distributed sweets to each other as part of the celebrations.

Earlier, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw elaborated on how party workers will be serving the needy on the PMs birthday.

"The party workers will serve people with the same amount of dedication and emotion as PM Modi. We will encourage people to take up cleanliness initiatives and we serve those deprived of basic amenities. 'PM Vishwakarma Yojana' will be launched on the occasion of his 73rd birthday," Vaishnaw said.

In commemoration of 'Vishwakarma Jayanti', PM Modi will launch a 'PM Vishwakarma' scheme on Sunday for the benefit of traditional artisans. The event will take place at the India International Convention and Expo Centre in Dwarka. (ANI)
On the completion of his two-day police remand, Congress MLA Mamman Khan was produced in the Nuh district court on Sunday which sent him to a further two days of police remand. Mamman Khan's lawyer Tahir Hussain Devla said, "Today Mamman Khan was presented in the court after 2 days of police remand. Police presented Mamman Khan in four cases. Three more new cases have been imposed on Mamman Khan. In all four new cases, 149,137,148,150 have been imposed on him. He has been produced today in case number 149 after two days of remand. In case number 137, the police had sought a remand of five days, on which the court has given a remand of 2 days to the police." Mamman Khan's lawyer said that Mamman Khan is being implicated in this whole matter under a political conspiracy and Mamman Khan has nothing to do with this whole matter. Earlier arrested Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan was taken to Nuh District Court. He was produced in the district court on September 15, after which the court sent him on police remand for 2 days. MLA Mamman Khan who was arrested in connection with the recent communal clashes in Nuh and adjoining areas of the state on September 15, was sent to a two-day police remand by the district court. Khan was reported to have been arrested from the house of one of his relatives on the Jaipur-Ajmer road and was brought to Nuh on Friday. Khan, who was arrested by a special investigation team of the Haryana police was produced in a local district court in Nuh later on September 15. The police then sought his custody from the court for thorough interrogation. Khan was arrested by Haryana police in the early hours of Friday, a day after the state government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had named him as an accused in an FIR in a case pertaining to the Nuh violence. Khan was arrested by a special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana police. Violence broke out in Nuh during a procession by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on July 31 this year. Six people were killed and a cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram. The Ferozepur Jhirka MLA had moved the court on September 12, seeking protection from arrest while claiming that he was being framed in the case when he was not present in Nuh the day the violence broke out. (ANI)
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed the Kalyana Karnataka Utsava-2023 in Kalaburagi, commemorating the 75 anniversary of the Kalyana Karnataka Liberation and a decade since the special status was conferred on the region through the implementation of Article 371(j) of the Constitution. In his speech, he emphasized the historical significance of the region, its contribution to Indian culture, and the government's commitment to its development. "Today, we celebrate 75 years of Kalyana Karnataka Liberation and a decade of the region being conferred with special status under Article 371(j)," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in his address. Siddaramaiah added, "This region has a rich history and has contributed significantly to Kannada language, culture, and art. It is a land of great rulers like the Kalyana Chalukyas, Bahamani Sultans, and Rashtrakootas." The Chief Minister paid homage to the freedom fighters who played a pivotal role in the liberation of Hyderabad Karnataka and recognized Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Home Minister, for his key role in integrating the region into the Indian federal system. Siddaramaiah also acknowledged the region's contribution to literature, mentioning the renowned Amoghavarsha Nrupatunga, who authored the first available Kannada literary work, Kavirajamarga. He praised the region's tradition of communal harmony and its cultural richness. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the people of Kalyana Karnataka for their support and for electing a government that prioritizes their welfare. He spoke about the Hyderabad Karnataka Development Board, established in 1990 to address regional imbalances, and its efforts to accelerate development in Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, and Ballari districts. The implementation of Article 371(j) brought special status to the region, but Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recognized that the desired development outcomes were not fully realized despite special grants allocated to the board. It was the continuous efforts of leaders like Dr. Mallikarjun Kharge and N. Dharam Singh that led to the amendment of the Constitution and the implementation of Article 371(j) during the UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh. The Chief Minister outlined his government's efforts to transform the region. Measures such as reservations in employment and education, financial empowerment schemes, and the upcoming Yuva Nidhi scheme under the concept of Universal Basic Income were highlighted as initiatives that aim to improve the quality of life for the people of Kalyana Karnataka. Siddaramaiah underlined his government's commitment to development for all, regardless of caste or religion, and outlined projects to improve education and healthcare. He spoke about the formation of the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board and its efforts to bring revolutionary changes in education. Additionally, he discussed initiatives for rural development, including setting up creches and community toilets. The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of water resources and the government's measures to combat drought in the region. He mentioned the allocation of funds under SCSP/TSP and the protection of land ownership rights for SC/ST communities. Siddaramaiah also highlighted the progress made in the region through initiatives such as Arivu Kendras, healthcare improvements, and tourism development. In his concluding remarks, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated his commitment to the development of Kalyana Karnataka and the welfare of its people. He urged citizens to protect freedom of speech and religion, which he viewed as endangered by certain anti-social factors. The Chief Minister concluded by expressing the government's unwavering determination to usher in a new era of development in the region through result-oriented programs. (ANI)
Speaking on occasion, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "A historic occasion unfolded as prayers were held for PM Narendra Modi Ji across the border at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib. Today morning, we crossed the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to offer prayers at the revered Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib. Our heartfelt prayers were dedicated to the well-being of all humanity and the peace and prosperity of our nation."

He also said that at the Gurdwara Sahib, they presented Chandoa and Rumala Sahib set and fervently prayed for the long, healthy life and continuous prosperity of PM Modi.

Sirsa also lauded the PM for his role in making the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor a reality. "His instrumental role in making the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor a reality fulfils a longstanding wish of the Sikh community," he added.

The Head Granthi of Gurdwara Sahib S Giani Gobind Singh and Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Member S Inderjit Singh extended their best wishes to PM Modi. They presented a Dastar (Turban), Siropa and Prasad for PM Modi as a token of respect and goodwill.

Earlier speaking to reporters, Sirsa appealed to the Indian and Pakistan governments to further simplify the visit to Kartarpur Sahib in terms of passport checking.

"This corridor was an impossible task which was made possible by the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev...PM Modi made it possible so we request the Indian government and Pakistan government that the visit to Kartarpur Sahib should even further be simplified in terms of passport checking," he said.

The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, is the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district,

The visa-free 4.7-kilometre-long corridor joins the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019. (ANI)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Sunday raised the issue of N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest by the Andhra Pradesh government at the all-party meeting here which led to a heated argument between the TDP and YSR Congress, sources said on Sunday. According to the sources, Ram Mohan Naidu from TDP has demanded the intervention of the Central government in Chandrababu's arrest and protection of democracy in the state. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh immediately took up the issue and asked everyone to maintain the dignity of the all-party meeting. The all-party meeting had begun in the Parliament Library building, ahead of the Special Session of Parliament which begins tomorrow. Earlier on Wednesday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that a meeting of the floor leaders of all parties has been called on September 17, a day before the five-day-long sitting Special Session is scheduled. The Special Session will be held from September 18 to 22. "Ahead of the parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had posted on social media platform X. "The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow," he added. The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building. The Special Session will see a discussion on Parliaments 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. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha paid a visit to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Old Age Home, Juvenile Home and Institute at Narsingarh on the outskirts of the capital on the occasion of Prime Minister's 73rd birthday. The Chief Minister also distributed sweets among the elders and children at the Institute on the occasion. "Today, the birthday of the world's most popular leader & PM Narendra Modi Ji is being celebrated across the country. With the vision of the PM for Seva, visited Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Old Age Home, Juvenile Home & Institute for the visually handicapped boys & girls at Narsingarh and distributed sweets among the elders and children on this special occasion," CM Saha said in a post on the social media platform, X. Earlier in the day, CM Saha called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital earlier today to extend his wishes. Saha congratulated PM Modi for the successful two-day G20 Summit, which was attended by world leaders from across the globe. Taking to the social media platform X, the Tripura Chief Minister said, "Extremely honoured to have met Pradhan Sevak of Bharat Adaraniya Shri Narendra Modi Ji in New Delhi today. Congratulated the Hon'ble PM for successfully holding the G20 Presidency and also received his guidance for the overall development of Tripura. His encouragement has always been the guiding light for me, in delivering good governance up to the last mile in society." (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday and said that this country is fortunate to have a leader like Narendra Modi. LG Manoj Sinha attended the Hum Sab ek hai event in SKICC, Srinagar. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde was also present at the event. This country is fortunate to have a leader like Narendra Modi. After 2014, you will see that not taking a single day leave in 9 years is possible only for Narendra Modi. Delhi Declaration has proved that India can lead the world. In these 9 years, the biggest effort has been made to get rid of the colonial mindset that was prevalent in this country. Now Indians are dreaming that we can become a superpower, Manoj Sinha said. On the occasion of 73rd birthday of prime minister Narendra modi the Pune based organisation "Sarhad" in collaboration with district administration held programme which main was to make the friendly relations stronger between J&K and Maharashtra. To dedicate one's life for the progress of 140 crore people of the country and for the change in their living standards, I think very few people can do this. It is true that India is the fourth country to have touched the moon, but where India has touched the moon, no one else has touched it, this is not a common thing. Earlier, India used to contribute 25 percent of the world's GDP, then the era of slavery came and we fell behind many countries. But today the country that enslaved us is behind Bharat and we became fifth largest economy in the world. After independence, the country has got such a leader who has understood the importance of freedom, has given respect to every citizen of the country. Development politics has been made the center point of Indian politics, LG Manoj Sinha said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday today, launched PM Vishwakarma Yojna. The 'PM Vishwakarma' Scheme aims to provide financial support, training, and opportunities to artisans, ensuring the preservation and promotion of their traditional crafts. It is a testament to the government's commitment to preserving India's cultural heritage and empowering those who have contributed to its prosperity for centuries. In addition, PM Modi also inaugurated a new Metro station. Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25, and Yashobhoomi, a state-of-the-art and modern convention and expo centre in Delhi's Dwarka. The newly inaugurated metro station will link the airport express line to the Yashobhoomi' state-of-the-art convention centre. (ANI)
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on Sunday accused the BJP government at the Centre of "concealing something" from the Opposition about the five-day special Parliament session that begins on Monday. The DMK MP said that he had never come across such a situation where the political parties are kept in the dark as far as Parliament sessions are concerned. "There is something that is being concealed. We want to know that. I have never come across such a situation where the political parties and the MPs are kept in the dark", DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said. Meanwhile giving details about the special Parliament session, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said On the first day, the session will be held in the Old Parliament House. "Next day i.e. on 19th September, there will be a photo session in the Old Parliament, then at 11 am there will be a function in the Central Hall. After that, we will enter the new Parliament. Parliament session will start in the new Parliament on the 19th of September and regular government work will start from the 20th of September," Pralhad Joshi said. Meanwhile an all-party meeting held in the Parliament Library building on Sunday ahead of the Special Session of Parliament which begins tomorrow.Union Minister Rajnath Singh and leaders of opposition parties participated in the meeting. The Special Session will see a discussion on Parliaments 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. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year. Earlier today, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building a day before the commencement of the Special Session of Parliament. The Special Session, starting on Monday will seeparliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building. Dhankhar hoisted the flag atop "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present on the occasion. (ANI)
Cindy Mendoza takes a break from painting outside her home being built by Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana in Lake Station, Indiana Saturday Sept. 16, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

U.S. Army veteran and single mom Cindy Mendoza didnt imagine owning a home would be in her future.

It is now with an assist from Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana.

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On Saturday, Mendoza and a crew of workers painted doors and cut wall and baseboard trim for the three-bedroom ranch in the Riverwalk subdivision, west of Indiana 51 in Lake Station, where Habitat has nearly completed seven homes and has plans for seven more. It built its first home in 2020.

Executive Director Dawn Michaels, right, and Nicole Jones carry a door to be painted outside one of the Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana homes being built in Lake Station, Indiana Saturday Sept. 16, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

Wende Burbridge, director of development at Habitat, said it received a special designation for the Honor Build initiative through Habitat International to receive specific funds for veterans.

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Veterans deserve safe, affordable homes, she said. When we got the designation, over 14,000 Lake County veteran families were living in housing distress.

Mendoza, 32, who lives in Cedar Lake now with her 13-year-old daughter Bailey, served as an Army supply specialist from 2008 to 2016. Shes now a sales associate for a local fence company.

Trim carpenter John Wall cuts base moulding while volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana in Lake Station, Indiana Saturday Sept. 16, 2023. Wall, of Hammond, has volunteered for more than 7 years. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

Work began on her Lake Station home last year and is in the final stages of construction. We were fortunate enough to be able to pick out things, she said.

Bailey selected the siding, roofing, and kitchen cabinet color. Mendoza laughed, saying her daughter likes black.

The only thing I chose was the flooring, she said of the gray vinyl plank flooring.

Mendoza said she learned about Habitat for Humanity when she volunteered to assist a family build a home in Alabama after Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. Navy veteran Dave Castillo, left, off. Hammond and Army National Guard member Samuel Llinas, of Crown Point, caulk windows while volunteering helping finish a home with the Honor Build for Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana in Lake Station, Indiana Saturday Sept. 16, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

She applied for her own home about two years ago.

Applicants must demonstrate need, the ability to finance a mortgage and put in 300 sweat-equity hours with volunteers building the house.

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On Saturday, Mendoza got an assist from her next-door neighbor, Nicole Jones, who worked alongside Mendoza while a crane lifted trusses on the roof of her own five-bedroom Habitat house.

A single mom with six kids, Jones is living in Gary until her home is completed but her children are already attending the Lake Station schools. Her oldest son graduated from Edison High last year and earned a track scholarship to Calumet College of St. Joseph.

Nicole Jones, left, and Georgia Durant paint outside the nearly-finished home being built by Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana in Lake Station, Indiana Saturday Sept. 16, 2023. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

Jones, who works at the U.S. Post Office in Gary, met Mendoza last year on a Habitat project.

John Wall, a trim carpenter from Hammond, said he was inspired to volunteer decades ago by former president Jimmy Carter, a longtime Habitat volunteer.

Wall said he took some time off and began volunteering for Habitat again about seven years ago, giving up most Saturdays to work on homes.

Dawn Michaels, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, said the organization tries to do one veteran build a year. We have a challenging time finding veterans, she said.

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John Wall applies glue to moulding before installing it in one of the homes being built by Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana in Lake Station Saturday Sept. 16, 2023. Wall, of Hammond, Indiana, has been volunteering with the group for more than seven years. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

While Habitat homeowners receive zero interest home loans, they still have to pay the mortgage. This is a hand up, not a hand out, she said.

The Lake Station Riverwalk subdivision is one of Habitats most active sites. Michaels said Habitat just purchased wooded land in the 1600 block of Jefferson Street in Gary where its planning another project.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune
CM Yogi also ordered for compensation to the families of the deceased.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolence over the loss of lives due to lightning in Kushinagar. He has given instructions to immediately distribute the permissible relief amount to the families of the deceased. The Chief Minister has expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased, according to a government release.

CM Yogi has also directed the officials to ensure proper treatment for the people injured in the lightning strikes.

Reportedly, three women were killed after being struck by lightning in Panchphera village in Kushinagar district on Sunday. (ANI)
On the occasion of the 73rd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an eye donation camp was organised at the Raj Bhawan in Jharkhand where 73 people took a pledge to donate their eyes after death. Governor CP Radhakrishnan has also signed a declaration form pledging to donate his eyes. A cake was also cut on the occasion of the PM's birthday by the Governor. The Governor said, This time since it is the beginning of the initiative, 73 people have signed the pledge to donate their eyes while next year the target has been set to make 740 people to come forward to donate their eyes as PM Modi will turn 74 while on the occasion of his 75th birthday effort will be made that 7,500 should come forward for this noble initiative. He also said that among the states of the country Tamil Nadu has one of the best models for organ donation and the same should be implemented in Jharkhand. On the occasion of his 73rd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Vishwakarma Yojana scheme today to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Vishwakarma. The 'PM Vishwakarma Scheme', aimed at supporting Vishwakarma artisans and promoting entrepreneurship, holds the promise of providing financial assistance to countless individuals from this community. In addition, PM Modi also inaugurated a new Metro station. Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25, and Yashobhoomi, a state-of-the-art and modern convention and expo centre in Delhi's Dwarka. The newly inaugurated metro station will link the airport express line to the Yashobhoomi' state-of-the-art convention centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked his well-wishers for greeting him on his 73rd birthday and said that he is deeply touched and overwhelmed by the special gesture. Deeply touched by the outpouring of wishes today from all over India and the world. I thank each and every person who has shared their wishes. Overwhelmed to see so many people engaging in selfless social work on this day. Every gesture is special and strengthens our collective spirit, PM Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter). (ANI)
Member of Parliament and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pinaki Misra on Sunday said that the Women's Reservation Bill should be passed in the special session of the Parliament to be held from September 18 to 22. He said that it is very shameful that there is such less representation of women in the parliament. The BJD leader pushed the table for the Womens Reservation Bill at the All-party meeting and stated that there has been a near unanimity for the passage of the bill in the new parliament building. "It is a matter of happiness that there is going to be a transition from the old parliament building to the new parliament building. I congratulate everyone on behalf of Biju Janata Dal for the new parliament building. We are happy that the government has called for a short session for the inauguration of the new parliament building," Pinaki Misra told media after the all-party meeting. Speaking about the Women Reservation Bill, Misra said, "Today, we (BJD) made a strong pitch for the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during the five-day parliament session." "This is the beginning of a new era in the new parliament building and in this era the participation of women must increase. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also for many years had been requesting to the Central government to table the long-pending Women Reservation Bill," said Misra. There has been a near unanimity in the demand for the bill in the new parliament building because there are more than 60 MPs seated inside the parliament out of which there are only 4 women MPs, Misra added. "It is very shameful that there is such a less representation of women in the parliament when they constitute about 50 per cent population of the country," he said. Earlier in the day, an all-party meeting began in the Parliament Library building, ahead of the Special Session of Parliament which begins tomorrow. Union Minister Rajnath Singh and leaders of opposition parties arrived to attend the all-party meeting in the national capital. Earlier on Wednesday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that a meeting of the floor leaders of all parties has been called on September 17, a day before the five-day-long sitting Special Session is scheduled. The Special Session will be held from September 18 to 22. The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building. The Special Session will see a discussion on Parliaments 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. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year. Earlier today, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building a day before the commencement of the Special Session of Parliament. The Special Session, starting on Monday will see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building.Dhankhar hoisted the flag atop "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present on the occasion. (ANI)
After receiving the honour, CM Sarma expressed his "profound gratitude" at receiving the award and termed it as arecognition of Assams growing global stature, the statement read.

The Assam chief minister was also extended an invitation to visit Singapore as a Lee Kuan Yew Fellow for his "dedicated leadership in public works and development".

The prestigious fellowship is conferred on outstanding individuals in "recognition of their potential contributions to the development of their nation and to bilateral relations with Singapore", read the statement further.

The Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship was launched as a tribute to Lee Kuan Yew, Singapores founding Prime Minister, for his contributions to the nation.

The Singapore Prime Minister is the patron of the fellowship.

CM Sarma was chosen for the award "in recognition of his immense role in championing the cause of development and international harmony", the official statement added.

Sarma is the first Assam CM to have been bestowed with this prestigious fellowship. With the conferment of this award, Sarma joined the likes of former Union Minister Arun Shourie, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and former Vice Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia to have received this honour.

Established in 1991, the LKYEF invites outstanding individuals for high-level visits to Singapore. (ANI)
In a scathing attack on the Leftwing ideology, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Left leaders brought destruction to the world in the name of Marxism. The RSS chief said the onus was on India to save the world from the destruction caused by the Left ideology and politics. Bhagwat made the remarks at the launch of a Marathi book named 'Jagala Pokharnari Daavi Vaalvi' inPune on Sunday. The book, authored by Abhijit Jog and published by Dilipraj Prakashan, dwells at length on Leftist ideology and politics. "In the name of Marxism, the Leftists are sowing seeds of destruction in the West,"Bhagwat added. "They are peddling wrong ideals and principles, which are causing harm to society. Human nature and behaviour are veering increasingly towards barbarism. Not just society, even households are staring at a crisis. As members of society, we all need to be awake and alert to this crisis," Bhagwat said. Weighing in on the furore over the rant against Sanatan Dharma by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, the RSS leader said, There is an ongoing fight with demons to restore Sanatan to its rightful place. In this fight for Sanatan, we all have to stand together on behalf of Dev Sanskriti and take the world out of the darkness. Praising the central government over the successful conduct of the G20 summit, Bhagwat said, "India's proposal, as the host country, to make the African Union a full member of the G20 was passed on the very first day (of the summit). This had never happened before in the history of G20. This shows how India is growing by leaps and bounds." (ANI)
A marine bacterium has been genetically modified by researchers to break down plastic in saline water. The synthetic creature is capable of degrading polyethene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in everything from water bottles to clothing that contributes considerably to microplastic pollution in the oceans. "This is exciting because we need to address plastic pollution in marine environments," said Nathan Crook, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University and the paper's corresponding author. One option is to pull the plastic out of the water and put it in a landfill, but that poses challenges of its own. It would be better if we could break these plastics down into products that can be reused. For that to work, you need an inexpensive way to break the plastic down. Our work here is a big step in that direction. To address this challenge, the researchers worked with two species of bacteria. The first bacterium, Vibrio natriegens, thrives in saltwater and is remarkable in part because it reproduces very quickly. The second bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis, is remarkable because it produces enzymes that allow it to break down PET and eat it. The researchers took the DNA from I sakaiensis which is responsible for producing the enzymes that break down plastic, and incorporated that genetic sequence into a plasmid. Plasmids are genetic sequences that can replicate in a cell, independent of the cells own chromosome. In other words, you can sneak a plasmid into a foreign cell, and that cell will carry out the instructions in the plasmids DNA. And thats exactly what the researchers did here. By introducing the plasmid containing the I sakaiensis genes into V natriegens bacteria, the researchers were able to get V natriegens to produce the desired enzymes on the surface of their cells. The researchers then demonstrated that V natriegens was able to break down PET in a saltwater environment at room temperature. This is scientifically exciting because this is the first time anyone has reported successfully getting V natriegens to express foreign enzymes on the surface of its cells, Crook said. From a practical standpoint, this is also the first genetically engineered organism that we know of that is capable of breaking down PET microplastics in saltwater, said Tianyu Li, first author of the paper and a PhD student at NC State. Thats important, because it is not economically feasible to remove plastics from the ocean and rinse high-concentration salts off before beginning any processes related to breaking the plastic down." However, while this is an important first step, there are still three significant hurdles, Crook said. First, wed like to incorporate the DNA from I. sakaiensis directly into the genome of V natriegens, which would make the production of plastic-degrading enzymes a more stable feature of the modified organisms. Second, we need to further modify V natriegens so that it is capable of feeding on the byproducts it produces when it breaks down the PET. Lastly, we need to modify the V natriegens to produce a desirable end product from the PET such as a molecule that is a useful feedstock for the chemical industry. Honestly, that third challenge is the easiest of the three, said Crook. Breaking down the PET in saltwater was the most challenging part. We are also open to talking with industry groups to learn more about which molecules would be most desirable for us to engineer the V Natriegens into producing, Crook says. Given the range of molecules we can induce the bacteria to produce, and the potentially vast scale of production, which molecules could industry provide a market for? (ANI)
Days after a catastrophic flood killed thousands of people in Libya, the country's top prosecutor will investigate the collapse of two dams in the eastern port of Derna that launched a fast-moving wall of water, Al Jazeera reported. General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sour said the local authorities, previous governments, and the allocation of the dams maintenance funds will also be scrutinised. 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, al-Sour said at a news conference on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. The announcement came as rescue teams continued to search for bodies in the devastated city on Saturday. The death toll in Derna surged to 11,300 as search efforts continued, Al Jazeera reported citing The Libyan Red Crescent. However, another 10,100 individuals are reported missing in the Mediterranean city, said Marie el-Drese, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya. However, the officials in the east and west of the divided country gave different estimates. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said in a release, "The bodies of 3,958 people have been recovered and identified with 9,000 more still missing. The WHO also announced 29 tonnes of health supplies for the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, reported Al Jazeera. Ahmed Zouiten, the WHOs representative in Libya, said, This is a disaster of epic proportions. We are saddened by the unspeakable loss of thousands of souls. The figure could reach 20,000, according to Derna's mayor, Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, given the sheer number of neighbourhoods affected. On Sunday night, the flooding in Derna carried away entire families, exposing vulnerabilities in the oil-rich nation, which has been embroiled in strife ever since a 2011 uprising that deposed long-reigning autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. The IFRC on Friday said emergency workers sifting through the mud and rubble are still hopeful of finding survivors. Access to Derna is still very difficult due to the destruction of roads and bridges as well as the cutting of phone and electricity connections to large areas where at least 30,000 people are now without a place to live. The United Nations said in a statement, With the collapse of most roads, the municipality [of Derna] is urging relevant authorities to establish a sea corridor for emergency relief and evacuations." Petteri Taalas, the UNs World Meteorological Organisation chief, said that several fatalities could have been avoided had a warning been issued earlier and emergency management systems functioned properly in the war-scarred country, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 17 (ANI/WAM):The two-day Andalusia: A Crossroads of Civilization and Culture symposium, organised as part of the Andalusia: History and Civilization Initiative and under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, concluded yesterday in Madrid, Spain. The initiative presented a significant platform to illuminate the rich history of the Arab civilization and highlighted a unique era that impacted the entire human civilization, in line with the UAEs endeavours to promote the values of tolerance and coexistence. In his speech during the opening session, Mohammed Al-Murr, Chairman of the Andalusia: History and Civilization Initiative Committee, expressed the significance of this event in celebrating the cultural and historical legacy of the unique Andalusian civilization. This symposium perfectly aligns with the UAEs dedication to fostering cultural dialogue and meaningful exchanges among diverse civilizations, reflecting our dedication to initiating and sustaining cultural initiatives and programmes that embody the principles of tolerance and coexistence, he said. Al-Murr said that the project comprises a diverse array of captivating displays, enlightening symposiums, and various artistic and cultural events held both in the UAE and Spain, adding these events are dedicated to raising awareness about the Arab civilization in Andalusia and its enduring cultural and historical legacy. Omar Obaid Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, praised the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, of the Andalusia History and Civilization initiative. The event has a significant cultural impact on Spanish experts in the cultural sector who participated in the initiative, highlighting the historical and cultural ties between the Spanish Kingdom and Arab history, he said. Al Shamsi also underscored the importance of such cultural events in building bridges between societies through shared cultural heritage and acknowledged the presence of diplomats, academics, and cultural and media figures. The event welcomed distinguished guests, including Areej Mahmoud Saleh Hawamdeh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Jordan to Spain; Khalifa M Kh H Alkhorafi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kuwait to Spain; Omar bin Said Al Kathiri, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Oman to Spain; Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Hamar, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Qatar to Spain; Aws Abdullah Ahmed Alaud, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Yemen to Spain and the Ambassador of the Arab League to Spain, Malek Twal, and Irene Lozano, Director of the Arabic House in Madrid, among other experts in the field. The first session of the symposium, titled Andalusian Society and Cultural Mixing, featured Dr. Mara Jess Viguera-Molins from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). She commended the Initiative Committee for organising the event and underscored the essence of Andalusia as a historical nexus where civilizations and cultures converged. Viguera-Molins emphasised how Andalusia received cultural contributions from both Western and Eastern civilizations during its golden era. On the second day, the symposium explored the theme Translation and its Role in Cultural and Civilizational Communication. This covered various topics including The Role of Arabic Translation in Introducing Greek Heritage, The School of Toledo Translators and its Role in Transferring Arabic Heritage, the Andalusian Model in the Arab-European and Global Dialogue, and The Activity of Modern Spanish Translation on Andalusian Literature. Rafael Ramn Guerrero, Complutense University in Madrid; Ignatio Sanchez, Warwick University, United Kingdom; Emilio Gonzlez Vern, University of Seville; and Professor Salbador Pena, University of Malaga were the speakers at the session, and Mohamed Zahiri, Arabic and Islamic Studies Department at Universidad Complutense de Madrid moderated the symposium. In the UAE, Andalusia: History and Civilization Initiative will hold a variety of artistic and cultural activities, including an exhibition of Andalusian art collections at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi, Andalusian musical events, and a cultural symposium scheduled for February 2024 in Abu Dhabi. (ANI/WAM)
The head constable of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police was killed after unknown assailants opened fire at him on Quetta's Jail Road late on Sunday night, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. According to officials, head Constable Saeed Ahmed, posted in the CTD, was sitting with his friends outside a shop in the Jail Road area when armed men riding motorcycles opened fire and fled from the spot, Dawn reported. Police said that the head constable received multiple gunshot wounds, which resulted in his death. Later, Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and police rushed to the site of the incident after receiving information regarding the incident. The FC personnel shifted the body to the civil hospital for medico-legal formalities. On September 9, a soldier was killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists in the North Waziristan area of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn reported citing the military wing. On September 6, four soldiers were killed and 12 terrorists were killed in an operation to repulse terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chitral district, Dawn reported. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in the press release said that the exchange of fire took place in the Mir Ali area. In the statement, ISPR said that Lance Naik Jamshed Khan was killed during his exchange of fire. It further said that the area was being sanitised to eliminate any terrorists found in the region. ISPR said, "Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve." Notably, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in terrorist activities in recent months, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year. Earlier in July, a think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said that 389 people died in terror and suicide attacks in half of the current year, according to Dawn. In the report, the data revealed that a total of 271 attacks had taken place in Pakistan during the period under review, which took 389 lives and injured 656 others, according to Dawn. Last year, in the same period, Pakistan witnessed 151 attacks, causing 293 deaths and 487 injuries. The figures depict a staggering 79 per cent increase in attacks during the first half of 2023 in comparison to the period last year. (ANI)
A forum was held on Sept. 8 in Jiuquan, Gansu province, to explore the sci-fi industry's development in the city, which is home to one of China's space launch centers and the historical Dunhuang culture.

Participants of the China Jiuquan Science Fiction Industry Development Forum pose for a group photo in Jiuquan, Gansu province, Sept. 8, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

"Jiuquan is a legendary city, and I witnessed a satellite launch here in 2015," said renowned sci-fi writer Liu Cixin at the forum. "Throughout history, countless human miracles have occurred here." He added that the city was the starting point of China's aerospace journey and the center of over 1,600 years of Dunhuang culture, where technology's power and history's weight converge, giving rise to a vibrant stream of science fiction in this desert oasis.

Jiuquan, renowned for its Dunhuang art, also plays a pivotal role in modern spaceflight and China's oil and nuclear sectors. Situated approximately 200 kilometers from the city is the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Inaugurated in 1958, it stands as China's oldest and largest rocket facility, dedicated to various satellite launches and manned spaceflight missions.

"Nowadays, Jiuquan can be described as a hub where talented individuals converge, characterized by thriving technology and a rich culture," described Wang Jinkang, another prominent sci-fi writer, in his speech at the forum. "Whether delving into the heat death of the universe or exploring the origins of life, in Jiuquan, one finds an infinite canvas for imagination."

It's obvious that the local government has also begun to recognize the importance of science fiction. Jiuquan's vice mayor, Pang Qi, stated that science fiction drives technological innovation and symbolizes a nation's creativity, boosting technological development and the digital economy, and enriching public imagination and culture. The sci-fi industry, a highly integrated industry of culture and technology, is crucial for technological advancement and societal progress, epitomizing a nation's technical and cultural strengths.

Pang encouraged forum attendees to tap into Jiuquan's sci-fi potential to further foster industry growth. He expressed hope that the city would inspire innovative works that enrich lives and boost the science fiction industry in China. "We aim to leverage our resources to attract advanced tech enterprises and the entire sci-fi industry chain. With supportive policies and a strong foundation, we aspire to make Jiuquan a nationally influential hub for sci-fi development," he said.

Yin Chuanhong, the deputy secretary of the Chinese Writer Association of Science Popularization, expressed his belief that the sci-fi industry will inject both renewed vitality and richer cultural depth into Jiuquan. "The country places great emphasis on technological innovation, science popularization, and scientific education. The sci-fi industry is currently in a very favorable phase of development. Against this backdrop, Jiuquan, with its unique natural landscapes, rich historical and cultural heritage, and emerging technological arrays, is fully equipped, qualified, and capable of advancing the development of the science fiction industry and making a distinctive contribution," Yin pointed out.

Wang Weiying, director general of the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, shared her personal experience of Jiuquan's diverse and rich cultural allure, describing the city as having "profound technological strength and historical and cultural connotations." She hopes that the institute, with Liu Cixin as its president, can engage in more such collaborations in Jiuquan.

During the forum, Sun Shicheng, the general manager of the Zhongguancun Science Fiction Industry Innovation Center, delivered a report on Beijing's sci-fi industry development. He outlined strategies such as establishing cluster zones for sci-fi enterprises, creating master workshops, setting up funds, and attracting talent with favorable policies. He hopes these approaches can inspire Jiuquan, which he views as having vast potential for endeavors like commercial spaceflight, and establish the city as a prime site for sci-fi movie production and filming.

Three panels were held to explore sci-fi industry development in Jiuquan, Gansu province, Sept. 8, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

Subsequently, the forum hosted three expert roundtable discussions that delved into topics such as tracing Jiuquan's sci-fi cultural origins, establishing Jiuquan's sci-fi IP, building a unique sci-fi ecosystem in Jiuquan, and promoting the integrated development of the city's sci-fi industry, academia, and research.

During the panels, Zhai Xuelian, a popular science writer and initiator of a sci-fi film project pitch program, highlighted the progressive approaches of the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission concerning industry-academia-research collaboration. She recommended that Jiuquan fully harness its popular science and sci-fi resources, effectively leverage its brand, and capture opportunities in film and television, higher education, and foundational education. "After developing local sci-fi and scientific educational resources," Zhai said, "the goal should be to establish a national, if not global, brand."

"Through the Flying Apsaras in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, I was reminded of the realization of human flying dreams at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Jiuquan can leverage its cultural heritage to establish a fresh benchmark for sci-fi culture," concluded sci-fi writer Gu Bei.
Members of the Seattle area's South Asian community took out a march to the site where a police officer struck and killed Indian national Jaahnavi Kandula with his patrol car in January, The Seattle Times reported. Protestors at the march held on Saturday demanded sensitivity and respect after the release this week of a body-camera video showing a police union leader laughing and joking shortly after the incident. About 100 people gathered at Denny Park on Saturday and made their way to the intersection where Kandula was hit and killed. People while carrying out a march held signs saying "Jaahnavi had more value than SPD" and "Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops," The Seattle Times reported. The rally was put together by UTSAV, an organization based in Bothell that helps connect South Asians with their communities. Addressing the crowd, US Representative Vandana Slatter said, "Were not a monolith, the Indian community." She said, "Theres diaspora in the community, but we are all united today," according to The Seattle Times report. Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old from India, was pursuing a masters degree at Northeastern Universitys campus in Seattles tech-oriented South Lake Union neighbourhood. On January 23, Kandula was killed at Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street when Officer Kevin Dave hit her while responding to an overdose call. Video from the accident has sparked outrage over the officers comments. Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, inadvertently left his body camera running and it showed him appearing to joke and bursting into laughter over the death of an Indian student. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has raised concerns over the handling of an Indian-origin woman, Jaahnavi Kandula, who was killed by a police vehicle and has demanded a thorough investigation and action against those involved. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco stated, "Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandulas death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling. We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation and action against those involved in this tragic case. The Consulate and Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities." A Seattle police watchdog agency is carrying out a probe against rank-and-file union leaders over body-camera audio in which they laugh, joke about and downplay the death of a young woman struck by a police cruiser, The Seattle Times reported. On Monday, the Seattle Police Department released footage from Officer Daniel Auderer's body camera. A day after the incident, the police said that the officer had been responding to a "priority one call." In the footage, Auderer 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. Auderer visited the site of the incident to carry out a drug test on Dave, New York Post reported. Timestamps on the bodycam footage revealed that he was revealing details regarding the incident in his call to another colleague the following evening. In a statement on September 11, the Seattle Police Department said, "The following 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 to the Chiefs Office which, following a review of the video, referred the matter to OPA for investigation into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation that might be implicated. This is what department policy and the Citys Accountability Ordinance require." According to the incident footage, Dave had chirped his siren but did not have it running continuously when he hit Kandula, New York Post reported. According to Dave's bodycam footage, he admitted he f***** up, after speeding through the intersection of Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street, where the speed limits are 20 and 25 mph. After reaching the top speed, he can be seen slowing the vehicle before hitting Kandula. He performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the student. (ANI)
New York [US], September 17 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, will lead the United Arab Emirates delegation to the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) in New York from September 18 to 26. Sheikh Abdullah will present the UAEs policy priorities and vision for international peace, security, and cooperation in his September 23 address at this years gathering, which is expected to have more than 150 heads of state and government in attendance. Under Sheikh Abdullahs leadership, the UAE delegation will engage with Member States, UN officials, and other stakeholders on urgent global challenges, including the need to address climate change, preventing extremism, countering threats from terrorist groups, and the empowerment of women and girls. The UAE delegation will participate in several high-level meetings during UNGA78, related to raising climate ambition, financing for development, pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, universal health coverage, the fight against tuberculosis, and the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. As a longstanding champion for greater action and cooperation to address the impacts of climate change, the UAE will also participate in the Climate Ambition Summit on 20th September. The UN-convened Summit is aimed at accelerating the transition to a climate-resilient global economy. It will serve as a key milestone ahead of COP28 in Dubai later this year. The COP28 team, led by Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, will lead a number of critical events and bilateral meetings to build support for ambitious outcomes at COP28 in November. The Presidency will chair two Ministerial Roundtables: one on the Global Stocktake and another on Loss and Damage. The team will also host a number of important events that will build momentum around the COP28 action agenda. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed underscored the importance of the multilateral system for the UAEs vision of creating a better world for all. He said, Our participation in the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly will serve the UAEs diplomatic priorities, set by PresidentHis Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Here at the UN, and especially during our term on the Security Council, our bridge-building approach and commitment to enhancing international cooperation has yielded significant accomplishments, including the historic resolution 2686 on Tolerance and International Peace and Security, as well as important Council decisions on Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Yemen. Sheikh Abdullah added, The UAE is also proud of the progress weve helped drive on the Women, Peace, and Security agenda and addressing the nexus between climate change, and peace and security. As the world gathers at the General Assembly to confront the critical challenges we face, including extremism, terrorism, climate change, global public health, and food, energy, and water insecurity, we look forward to sharing our expertise, experience, and approach. This session of the UN General Assembly will take place during a critical time for the international community. Its theme of rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity reflects the urgent need to bolster the multilateral systems ability to solve the worlds most pressing issues, said Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. The UAE is an established bridge-builder, and during our term on the UN Security Council, we have leveraged that experience to find common ground and encourage cooperation. We look forward to building on that track record as we engage the international community and seek to strengthen solidarity, find consensus, and work to maintain international peace and security. In addition to its Minister of Foreign Affairs, the UAE delegation to UNGA78 includes: Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President; Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change and COP28 President-Designate; Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Community Development and the Youth Climate Champion for COP28; Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications; Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State; Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State; Razan Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion of the COP28 Presidency; Noura Al Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women's Union; and Al Reem Abdullah Al Falasi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. (ANI/WAM)
New York [US], September 17 (ANI/WAM): More than 1,000 business leaders, policy-makers, leaders from international and civil society organizations, innovators and social entrepreneurs from more than 60 communities will meet in New York for the World Economic Forums Sustainable Development Impact Meetings to advance progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The World Economic Forums Meetings are taking place on September 18-22 in New York. With the world facing a challenging economy, geopolitical tensions, and the deepening effects of the climate and nature crises, achieving the SDG targets set out in 2015 is currently not on track. According to the UN, progress on more than 50 per cent of the targets is weak, stalled, or backsliding. The private and civil sectors must play a key role, alongside governments, in supporting and accelerating sustainable development. In order to achieve the SDG targets by 2030, significant innovative efforts are still required, said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, of the World Economic Forum. Through the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings, which bring together governments, business and civil society, we aim to make a tangible contribution to creating a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient world. Participants will convene in person and engage in a series of carefully curated discussions to advance the communities work on specific areas of the 17 SDGs. The robust programme includes key areas such as accelerating the reskilling revolution, harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for better jobs, improving access to nutrition, advancing the energy transition, responding to the climate and nature crises, supporting the social economy, advancing gender equality, and promoting digital and data-driven health. The meetings will inform the next steps of key initiatives such as the First Movers Coalition, the Edison Alliance and the Reskilling Revolution, as well as see the launch of new coalitions on food security and investment in frontier markets ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 in January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The meetings will also see the release of new insights, including a report on critical sectors for a nature-positive economy, the impact of generative AI on jobs and the Chief Economists Outlook, as well as feature a virtual reality space on climate tipping points through the Global Collaboration Village to catalyse action. (ANI/WAM)
The Khaama Press News Agency is an online news service for Afghanistan.

He expressed the concerns during the fifth summit of Central Asian countries leaders, which took place in the city of Dushanbe.

According to Sputnik News, Emomali Rahmon reported that Tajik security forces thwarted a terrorist attack on the eve of Tajikistans Independence Day, launched from the Afghan border.

Tajikistans state news agency, Khovar, reported earlier this month that three Jamiat Ansarullah armed group members launched an attack equipped with advanced weaponry from the Badakhshan border in Afghanistan but were neutralized by Tajik security forces.

The Tajikistan President while referring to a thwarted attack, highlighted the alarming presence of terrorist groups from Afghanistan actively trying to infiltrate Central Asian countries.

Additionally, the President expressed growing apprehension regarding the surge in drug trafficking into Tajikistan. This increase in illicit drug trade threatens public health and safety and underscores the need for concerted efforts to combat drug-related issues in the region.

Emomali Rahmonadded, Five tons of drugs were seized in 2022, which is 22 per cent higher than in 2021.

The fifth summit of Central Asian country leaders is set to tackle a comprehensive agenda focused on trade expansion, security assurance, and the promotion of economic growth. These nations are coming together to strengthen their regional ties and address pressing issues crucial for their collective progress, as per Khaama Press.

Through this summit, Central Asian leaders aim to foster a secure and prosperous environment that promotes trade and the overall well-being of their citizens. (ANI)
In her post, Meloni referred to PM Modi as a dear friend dedicated to shaping the future.

Happy Birthday Wishes @narendramodi. A friend committed to building the future and proud of the history of a great nation close to Italy, Italian PM Meloni said in her post.

Meanwhile, the 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader also extended his birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He wished the Prime Minister continued good health and success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of India.

The Dalai Lama in a letter to Prime Minister Modi, wished him continued good health and success in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of this great country, and in contributing to the creation of a more compassionate, peaceful world.

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu also extended greetings to PM Modi on his 73rd birthday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating his 73rd birthday today, warm birthday wishes have been pouring in.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan shared a special post on social media. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), SRK penned a note, which read, Happy Birthday to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi ji!!! Have a healthy and joyful day. May u get some time off from work and have a bit of fun too. Best wishes.

Not only King Khan but Salman Khan, Hema Malini, Kangana Ranaut, Sonu Sood, Rajkummar Rao, Tiger Shroff and many others from the film industry posted birthday wishes for PM Modi on their respective social media handle.

Apart from the film industry, leaders from across the political spectrum, including from Congress, National Conference and Shiv Sena (UBT), extended birthday wishes. (ANI)
A local court sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President Pervez Elahi to Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on one-day physical remand in graft cases, Geo News reported on Sunday. The PTI leader who was detained by the ACE after he was granted bail in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) was presented before the duty judicial magistrate. As per the Geo News, the duty magistrate approved ACEs request seeking this remand of the PTI president. 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)
In a significant verdict, a court in Peshawar has sentenced a local resident to life imprisonment for the desecration of the Holy Quran in the Khazana area approximately five years ago, Dawn reported. Additional district and sessions judge, Mohammad Sher Ali Khan, issued the ruling, stating that the prosecution had convincingly proven the charge of Quran burning against the accused "without any shadow of doubt." The judge also extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure to the convict, which allows the period of detention prior to conviction to be counted toward his prison term. Following the verdict, the judge ordered the burial of the burnt Quranic pages in the ground once the period for appeal against or revision of the decision had expired, along with the disposal of related pleas. The case originated with the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) at the Khazana police station on September 17, 2018, under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with the defiling of copies of the Holy Quran. The complainant in the case, a resident of Garhi Khan Baba village on the outskirts of Peshawar, reported that he and other residents had witnessed black smoke rising from a local mosque. Upon investigation, they discovered the accused setting fire to copies of the Holy Quran on a carpet. The residents intervened, extinguished the fire, and handed over the accused to the police, along with the burnt Quranic copies, as reported by Dawn. The accused was indicted for the offense on January 12, 2019, during which he initially pleaded not guilty but later recorded a confessional statement with a magistrate. In his statement, he explained that his actions were a result of a series of events. He had fallen in love with a girl and, after his family's rejection of his marriage proposal on his behalf, he personally approached the girl's family, leading to a physical altercation with her brothers. Subsequently, his family coerced him into taking an oath on the Holy Quran, promising not to visit the girl's house again and assuring that they would present the marriage proposal. He claimed that this promise was not fulfilled. The accused recounted that he eventually became addicted to the drug ice (crystal meth) and, feeling desperate, set fire to the Quranic copies in a nearby mosque, believing that such an act would provoke people to take his life. However, during the trial, the accused retracted his confessional statement. His defense argued that the statement had been extracted through severe torture and pointed out that he was a psychiatric patient. Additionally, they criticized the investigation officer for failing to present the accused before a medical board to assess his mental condition, according to Dawn. The court dismissed these arguments, asserting that the accused's drug addiction had developed in response to his failed romantic relationship, leading to a cynical outlook on life. It further concluded that the accused had intentionally and consciously committed the act of Quran burning, motivated by his belief that it would lead to his own demise, as he was convinced that Muslims would retaliate violently. The verdict represents a significant legal outcome in a case involving the desecration of religious texts in Pakistan, Dawn reported. There has been a sudden rise in cases of false blasphemy accusations against the members of the minority community in Pakistan. In many cases, the people take law into their hands and carry out violent attacks on the houses and places of worship. According to the DND news agency, over the past three months, an alarming pattern has emerged in Sargodha in Punjab province, with at least five complaints linked to accusations of blasphemy filed against Christians. (ANI)
After the approval of Article 62 (1) (f) former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) head Jahangir Tareen are now eligible to participate in elections, ARY News quoted Dar as saying.

However, Ishaq Dar refrained from commenting on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He is like my son but the PDM coalition government took decisions with consensus during the 17-month tenure, Dar said as quoted by ARY News.

Former PM Shehbaz Sharif had last week announced that Nawaz Sharifs return to Pakistan on October 21.

Nawaz Sharif will be given a splendid welcome on his arrival in Pakistan, he added.

He said that Nawaz Sharif was removed from power through a conspiracy and the rigging in the 2018 general elections left Pakistan behind in the region.

We held consultations with the senior leadership of the party and decided that Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan in October and lead the election campaign, Shehbaz Sharif said while talking to journalists in London.

The PML-N President also said that his brother would come to Pakistan and face the law and there are no two opinions on it, ARY News reported.

Earlier in the day, Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that his brother Nawaz Sharif will arrive in Pakistan on October 21, stating that the Supreme Court's recent decision on the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Amendment case has nothing to do with his cases, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

Notably, the PML-N-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, the News International reported. (ANI)
As North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un concluded his visit to Russia on Sunday, the standout moment of his trip was when he received five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor on his Moscow visit, according to Al Jazeera. In Vladivostok on Saturday, he met with the Russian Defence minister and viewed cutting-edge armaments, including a hypersonic missile system. Citing Russian state news agency, TASS, Al Jazeera reported that the "leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a 'Geran-25' reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff." The governor of the Primorye area, which shares a border with China and North Korea, was reportedly said to have "offered Kim Jong Un a set of bulletproof protection" and "special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras." According to state-run media in Russia, Kim left the Russian Far East on Sunday by boarding an armoured train in the city of Artyom, which lies north of the port of Vladivostok, and beginning the protracted journey home. Kim was seen leaving in a video to the Russian and North Korean anthems, according to Al Jazeera. Notably, Kim spent six days in Russia and held headline-grabbing talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny spaceport. Notably, theNorth Korean leader, Kim Jong Un arrived inRussiaon Tuesday for a closely watched summit withRussian PresidentVladimir Putin. Kim Jong Un's visit toRussiamarks his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic as during the pandemic,North Korea's borders were sealed. Issuing support to Moscow in the ongoing war in Ukraine,North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told PresidentVladimir PutinthatRussiawill emerge victorious in the fight to punish the evil forces, adding that he would "always be standing withRussia, according to CNN. He praisedRussiafor having stood up against the hegemonic forces to defend its sovereignty and security a veiled reference to theUSand the West and said he has expressed the full and unconditional support to all thatRussiadoes in response." Kim said theRussian military and its people will inherit the shining tradition of victory and demonstrate their reputation on the front line of the military operation. North Korea's Kim was in Russia's Far East as Putin seeks to strengthen ties in the midst ofRussia's protracted conflict inUkraine, in addition to advancing his nation'smilitary modernisation. Following their first face-to-face summit in four years, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted an invitation from Kim Jong Un to visit North Korea, according to Al Jazeera. After more than four hours of discussions and a visit to theVostochny Cosmodrome space centre, he extended the offer to Putin at "a convenient time" at a reception to mark the end of the day. Putin accepted the invitation with pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward the history and tradition of theRussia-DPRK friendship, Al Jazeera reportedNorth Korean state news agency KCNA as saying on Thursday. (ANI)
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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.
Notably, this is the first cargo to reach Ukrainian ports since Russias withdrawal from the Black Sea grain initiative.

According to an online statement by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, two Palau-flagged bulk carriers docked at the seaport of Chornomorsk in the southern Odesa region.

Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister said in an online statement that the two ships will be delivering some 20,000 tons of wheat to countries in Africa and Asia, Al Jazeera reported.

Even though merchant shipping companies have started to use the temporary corridors, Ukraines navy has warned that "the military threat and mine danger from the Russian Federation remains along all routes, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, Ukraine announced last month that it was setting up "temporary corridors" for civilian shipping after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

This came after Russia in July, pulled out of the initiative and said that Moscow wont renew the agreement.

Notably, Russia and Ukraine are important global providers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products that are essential to developing countries, Al Jazeera reported.he agreement brokered by Turkey and the United Nations which provided security guarantees for ships taking Ukrainian grain to world markets.

Under the initiative, vessels sailed to and from Ukraine while ship and cargo inspections were managed from Turkey. While the deal was in force, around 33,000 tonnes of grain left Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera. (ANI)
During an important meeting of the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in London, the legal team provided clearance for Nawaz Sharifs return to Pakistan, The News International reported. The meeting was held on Saturday after which the partys legal team gave a comprehensive briefing to the former Prime Minister in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict in the NAB amendments case. The team comprising former law minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Amjad Pervez, Advocate, and Attaullah Tarar gave Nawaz Sharif legal clearance for his homecoming. Azam Tarar told the media after the meeting when Nawaz Sharif would return to Pakistan, he would face all cases in respect of the courts. We will not attack courts and we will not do anything to evade the course of justice as was seen recently. There will be open hearings and the truth will be established, The News International quoted him as saying. Taking a dig at Imran Khan, he said, Nawaz Sharif will not put a bucket on his head. He will appear in the courts smiling and he will be vindicated on merit. There is no substance in the false cases made against him. Tarar further alleged that some judges violated their oath to the Constitution and damaged Pakistan through their political leanings. Lawyer Amjaz Pervez told the media he had won Maryam Nawazs Avenfield case in Islamabad High Court on merit. From day one, we have said there is no evidence of corruption. These cases were made for political engineering and we proved it as such on record during trial. Arshad Maliks confessional video is an example. I see no difficulty as far as law is concerned. We will have no issues in winning these cases on merit, The News International quoted him as saying. Earlier, PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar said Nawaz Sharifs planned return to Pakistan on October 21 would not be affected by the SC decision. No case is a hindrance in his way of return to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharifs return date remains the same. The date has been announced. He is coming back on the same date," he said. Former PM Shehbaz Sharif said his brother Nawaz Sharif is all set to land in Pakistan on October 21 and the recent SC decision in the NAB Amendment case had nothing to do with his cases. He said cases against Nawaz Sharif were made on false grounds and were politically motivated. There is no legal merit in the cases framed against Nawaz Sharif and he has never relied on the new NAB laws. He will be in Pakistan on Oct 21, he stated. Shehbaz also criticised the outgoing Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and alleged that he made controversial and political decisions, which benefited Imran Khan. Bandial went out of the way to help Imran Khan and he violated his oath, The News International reported. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], September 17 (ANI/WAM): The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment led the UAE delegation at the 62nd meeting of the Standing Committee of Ramsar Convention, held at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. The meeting was held under the presidency of the People's Republic of China marking the conclusion of the UAEs four-year presidency, which commenced in 2018 and was underpinned by significant achievements. Asilah Abdullah Al Mualla, Director-General of the Fujairah Environment Authority, took part in the meeting, with officials from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Fujairah Environment Authority, Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), and the Dubai Municipality. The meeting covered the strategic plans of Ramsar Convention Parties and discussed their future projects and approach to strengthening measures to protect wetlands and biodiversity. It also addressed the current financials and next years budget. Several meetings of the sub- and regional working groups of the committee, were held earlier, and recommendations of these meetings were also discussed. Dr Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Undersecretary for Biodiversity and Marine Life Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said, UAEs wetlands are among the most biodiverse and we are committed to enhancing efforts to preserve them. Several measures have already been initiated to protect and nurture these ecosystems. During the UAEs Presidency of the Ramsar Convention, we facilitated a conducive environment for cooperation among member states which helped advance measures for preserving and developing natural environments worldwide. With China holding the current presidency, we look forward to strengthening our cooperation. We will work with all our partners during COP28 to be hosted by the UAE in November to explore additional opportunities for cooperation to achieve our shared objectives. Asilah Abdullah Al Mualla said, The Fujairah Environment Authority works in line with the national strategy to protect biodiversity and preserve natural water resources in the Emirate of Fujairah to enhance wetland sites. We do this through joint efforts with the community to achieve a balanced relationship between nature and human activities. Since the inclusion of the Wadi Wurayah National Park among the wetlands in the UAE, the Authority has implemented several initiatives that have assisted in preserving the reserve's natural resource. We have also drawn out a roadmap for the future with a focus on ensuring the sustainability of our rich biodiversity. The meeting also discussed plans and initiatives to engage youth in wetland conservation. This reflects the commitment of the participating countries to empower and involve youth in sustainability endeavours to create a greener future. The Emirati delegation's participation included a review of the country's efforts to maintain wetlands through systematic planning and innovative initiatives announced at the previous conference. These complement the UAE marking 2023 as the Year of Sustainability, when the UAE hosts COP28. The UAE believes in enhancing biodiversity as a framework for addressing the impact of climate change. Zimbabwe will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the next meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention has been scheduled for June 2024. The UAE ratified the Ramsar Convention, under Federal Decree No. (11) of 2007. In the same year Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai was included under it followed by Wadi Wurayah National Park in Fujairah, Mangrove and Alhafeya Protected Area in Khor Kalba, Sir Bu Nair Island Protected Area in Sharjah, Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, Bul Syayeef Marine Protected Area in Abu Dhabi, and Al Zorah Protected Area in Ajman, in the following years. (ANI/WAM)
At least one person has been confirmed dead after Lee brought strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous storm surge to parts of New England and southeastern Canada this weekend when it made landfall as a post-tropical cyclone.

Lee made landfall on Saturday in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia with powerful winds approaching hurricane strength, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. The storm arrived on shore with maximum sustained wind speeds of 70 miles per hour, meteorologists said at the time. That was just a few miles short of the threshold necessary for a tropical storm to be considered a Category 1 hurricane, which is assigned when maximum sustained winds reach 75 mph.

A 51-year-old man died Saturday in Searsport, Maine, a coastal town and seaport about 50 miles from Bar Harbor, after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle and brought down power lines with it, CBS affiliate WABI-TV and the Associated Press reported, citing Searsport police. CBS News independently confirmed one fatality through the police dispatch Saturday, although they would not provide details as to how it occurred.

According WABI, the incident happened while the man was driving along Route 1 near Prospect Street at around 9 a.m. ET on Saturday morning, which coincided with strong winds that ripped through the area with Lee's arrival. Emergency personnel who responded to the scene had to wait for crews from Central Maine Power to cut electricity to the downed lines before they could remove the man from his car, according to the station and the Associated Press. Authorities have not publicly identified the man, who died after being transported to a local hospital.

A warning sign is displayed on Park Loop Rd. along shoreline closure at Acadia National Park in Maine on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. / Credit: Robert Bumsted / AP

CBS News contacted the Searsport Public Safety Department on Sunday for more information about the death but did not receive an immediate reply.

Maine State Police urged people to "stay vigilant" while driving on Saturday, warning about the possibility of falling trees and debris caused by Lee's winds in a Facebook post. The post included an image of a shattered van windshield that part of a tree had crashed through, which belonged to a man from Ohio who was driving south on Route 11 in Moro Plantation when he "he observed a large tree that was falling into the roadway," the state police force said. The top of the tree went through the windshield, with the impact causing a section of it to break off inside the van. The driver sustained minor cuts in the incident, and five other passengers inside the van were not injured.

Lee intensified quickly as it tracked northward through the Atlantic Ocean last week, growing into a Category 5 hurricane before its wind speeds gradually declined over the course of the week. Although the storm did not make landfall until Saturday, it caused life-threatening surf and rip current conditions for days along a wide section of the U.S. East Coast. Various storm watches and warnings were in effect for coastal parts of Maine, New Hampshire and the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, as the storm moved in on Nova Scotia. A tropical storm warning for Maine was canceled by Saturday night.

The storm's maximum sustained winds had decreased further by Sunday morning to 44 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. In a bulletin issued at 8 a.m. ET, meteorologists said that Lee was expected to pick up speed as it tracked northeast over the next several days, reaching Newfoundland by Sunday afternoon and Atlantic waters by Monday morning.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's full 2023 60 Minutes interview in Ukrainian

Welcome back for 60 Minutes season 56

Deion Sanders: The 2023 60 Minutes Interview
Officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are seeking two women who walked away from the Custody to Community Transitional Reentry program Saturday night.

According to a CDCR release, staff at the reentry program were alerted that two participants were seen leaving the San Diego-area facility around 10 p.m.

Shortly after, CDCR officials received tamper alerts for the two womens ankle monitors. Staff immediately conducted an emergency head count, which confirmed that two people were not present.

The two escapees have been identified as 31-year-old Diana Sanchez and 32-year-old Janelle Rice.

According to CDCR, Sanchez is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 230 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair. She was received from Los Angeles County in March to serve a five-year sentence for burglary and the use of an ID other than to obtain personal identifying information.

Model found dead in downtown L.A. apartment; second case in a week

Rice is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 206 pounds, and has hazel eyes and brown hair, officials said. She was received from San Bernardino County in February to serve a four-year sentence for robbery and burglary.

Anyone who sees Sanchez and/or Rice is urged to contact any law enforcement agency by dialing 911.

The Custody to Community Transitional Reentry Program (CCTRP) allows eligible female participants committed to state prisons to serve their sentence in the community at a CCTRP designated by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in lieu of confinement in state prison. The CCTRPs provide a range of rehabilitative services that assist with alcohol and drug recovery, employment, education, housing, family reunification and moral support.

Since 1977, 99% of all people who have left an adult institution, camp or community-based program without permission have been apprehended, the Department of Corrections said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Popular items from this list include:

A lightweight Cosrx mild gel cleanser if you want to be able to wash your face without having it feel bone dry afterwards

Or The Face Shopss facial foaming cleanser with rice water that contains vitamins and minerals to purify, moisturize and brighten your skin while protecting it from excessive irritation

A Beauty of Joseon serum if youre a real glow-getter.

HuffPost receives a share from retailers on this page. Prices and availability are subject to change.

A lightweight Cosrx mild gel cleanser

www.amazon.com

A lightweight Cosrx mild gel cleanser

All Cosrx products are dermatologist-tested, cruelty-free and have no parabens, sulfates or phthalates.



Promising review: "After hours of exhaustive research on Korean gentle cleansers, I finally decided upon a cleanser. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my face! I have sensitive, combination, and very volatile skin, so if I ever make it unhappy, it definitely lets me know. This cleanser is light enough that it doesn't feel thick or cloying, it has a very subtle smell (which I love), and the ph of the cleanser is so low that the only thing I am worried about for my face anymore is the ph of the water I am splashing on my face. It hasn't caused any bad breakouts or negative reactions like drying or tightness of skin but it can certainly handle itself in the department of a full face cleanser. This has caused me to look forward to trying more Cosrx products!"  Haley Hart

$8.96 at Amazon

Or The Face Shops's facial foaming cleanser

www.amazon.com

Or The Face Shops's facial foaming cleanser

Promising review: "Not any of the many Ive tried throughout my life have worked as incredibly as this one has. Ive had top recommended brand cleansers that required two washes to thoroughly cleanse it all off. Not with this one. And the scent is wonderful!! I love it even more for that! The size of the bottle is much bigger than I expected and for such a great price!! Highly recommended!"  Carlos



$12+ at Amazon

A bottle of I'm From goami rice toner

www.amazon.com

A bottle of I'm From goami rice toner

This toner is vegan and cruelty-free.



Promising review: "I love this toner! Ive finished the whole bottle. Its light and moisturizing. I can definitely tell the difference, my skin is smoother and plump. I love it cause I have both oily and dry skin and it makes my skin normal again! Best of all it doesnt burn or irritate my skin, if anything it calms it down. Will definitely be buying again."  Rachael



$21 at Amazon

A Beauty of Joseon serum

www.amazon.com

A Beauty of Joseon serum

Promising review: "From the moment I started using this serum I saw results! The combination of propolis and niacinamide in this serum is a winning formula. My complexion has never looked this radiant and healthy. It effectively addresses dark spots and hyperpigmentation, visibly reducing their appearance. What makes this serum even more remarkable is its lightweight and fast-absorbing texture. It feels like silk on my skin and leaves no greasy residue. I can apply it seamlessly without worrying about it disrupting my makeup or other skincare products. The hydrating properties of this serum are a game-changer. My skin feels intensely nourished and plump, minimizing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. The only downside is the price. I think it's a bit expensive for the amount of product you get. However, it's so good that I'll still leave it at 8/5 stars!"  Yuna Lee



$17 at Amazon

A nourishing Etude House eye cream

Soko Glam

A nourishing Etude House eye cream

Soko Glam is an Asian-owned business based in New York City. It was founded by a married couple, Charlotte and Dave Cho, who curate the products on Soko Glam by traveling regularly to Seoul to scour the Korean skincare market.



Promising reviews: "I absolutely love this eye cream! I have a dry skin type and am prone to darkness under eye when Im tired. After I use a small amount my under eye glows and feels so hydrated. I am on my second jar and will absolutely repurchase it!"  Makayla



"I really wanted an inexpensive eye cream just to moisturize and keep my skin feeling soft and subtle during winter. This did the trick. I've bought it over and over again."  Mary

$13.32 at Soko Glam

And a The Saem hydrating eye stick

www.amazon.com

And a The Saem hydrating eye stick

It also can help tighten the appearance of eye wrinkles if you'd prefer for them not to be as noticeable. And here's a tip! It reduces puffiness faster if used after refrigeration.



Promising review: "This is definitely a miracle product. I was impressed that it worked so well, so fast, and so instantly. The packaging is silly but whimsical; I enjoy it. This is the last thing I apply before walking out the door. First day I used it, I put it on and got in my car  I looked in the rear view mirror and my heart jumped. My eyes had de-puffed on my walk down the front path!!! So impressive. It's not hydrating, its more tightening/brightening. If you have dry under eyes, use a creamy hydrating eye cream first, and apply this over it  problem solved. You dont get much product, but you dont need to use much either, and its not like its expensive. Definitely worth it if a product actually DOES what it claims itll do!!! Buy it!"  Joseph S.



$9.99 at Amazon

A bottle of TikTok-famous Cosrx Snail Mucin Power Essence

Amazon

A bottle of TikTok-famous Cosrx Snail Mucin Power Essence

The snail mucin is obtained in a safe way, so no snails are harmed! I've been using this for months now and it's amazing how it's improved aspects of my skin that I didn't even know needed improving. I didn't think my skin looked too dull before, but after see how this brightened and soothed my skin, I'm never going back. I spray my face with rose water, gently pat the essence into my skin while it's still damp, and let it absorb. Plus, it absorbs so quickly, it's like your skin is saying "gimme gimme gimme!!"



Promising review: "Ive been using this morning and night for about two weeks and I can say I understand the hype! My skin looks better than it has in so long. Firstly, the texture surprised me. When you think snail mucin, you think slimy and gross. This wasnt sticky or slimy whatsoever. I was afraid it was gonna leave my skin feeling gross and slippery. Surprisingly, my skin drank it right up! No residue whatsoever and its a nice primer before makeup. I have oily skin and its helped with that as well. My skin is so soft, with a nice healthy glow. Ive noticed my red spots from past acne is fading and my skin just overall looks great. Highly recommend!"  Sarah D.

$16.90 at Amazon

A Nooni tinted appleberry lip oil

www.amazon.com

A Nooni tinted appleberry lip oil

This lip oil is vegan and cruelty-free and has no parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.



Promising review: "This is the first lip oil I've ever used. Usually I avoid anything with oil because I have very sensitive and generally oilier skin, but I wanted to give this a try because I wanted something sheer and pretty for a natural makeup look. Probably the best purchase I've ever made!!! It's super sheer and looks fine on its own without any other makeup. The smell is delicious, and while the gloss dries and fades after about an hour or two without eating, the color stays all day! I did have to reapply after eating, but not after drinking water! I just wish it was bigger, it's a teeny bottle. Would definitely buy again!!"  Debby Gold

$12 at Amazon

A popular pack of Skin1004 pore tightening and lifting masks

www.amazon.com

A popular pack of Skin1004 pore tightening and lifting masks

To use, mix the powder and activator and apply it onto your face. You'll look like a character from "The Walking Dead" as the mask works its magic (it's called the "Zombie Pack" for a reason!). But once you rinse it off after 10-15 minutes of letting it dry, you'll have some happy and radiant skin.



Skin1004 is a Korean skincare brand that provides high-quality skincare items made of plant-based ingredients from Madagascar. Its signature ingredient is centella asiatica extract, a soothing and hydrating antioxidant that is known for its ability to heal wounds and protect the skin.



Promising review: "I purchased the three-pack. I have only tried the zombie so far, but wow! First time, immediate results. My skin was brighter, the tone was more even, my pores looked smaller. There was no shine to my skin. I was amazed! I have bad skin. Not terrible skin but bad. Nothing helps, but this mask floored me. I can not wait to try the others. I will say the zombie mask does get quite restricting as it dries. I would do it at a time when you're not trying to talk to anyone or do much of anything. Lol It didn't smell bad. I don't really recall the smell much at all. The mask came off super easily. It took about 5 minutes to completely remove. I love it. I rinsed the brush that was included with hot water and it's good as new, ready for next time. Very happy. Totally worth it."  Andrea Russell



"I was a little skeptical when I bought this. Tried it for the first time and was amazed by the results! My skin looks and feels amazing, I felt like I looked at least 5 years younger. Yes it doesn't smell the greatest, but it wasn't overly strong. My skin is very sensitive and I avoid trying new products because a lot irritate my skin, this product didn't. I am so thrilled."  Dayna

$36.58 at Amazon

A Peach & Lily water gel moisturizer

Ulta

A Peach & Lily water gel moisturizer

Peach & Lily is a woman- and Asian-owned business that specializes in spa-grade K-beauty skincare that's cruelty-free and educating beauty lovers with informational skincare guides. It's also vegan and cruelty-free!



Promising review: "I have never tried any of Peach & Lily's products before, but was told to by a friend how clean these products are. I have extremely oily and dehydrated skin and have tried so many different brands like Neutrogena, CeraVe, and Cetaphil, and let me tell you NOTHING compares to this moisturizer. For months I've been struggling with dry, flaky skin that no matter how many times I put on moisturizer during the day, my makeup looked so caked and gross that I eventually gave up wearing makeup most days. I'm not even kidding within three to four days of using this in the morning and night my skin was no longer dry and flakey, and I am able to wear makeup again without it looking cakey. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated but not oily at all. I think it actually has helped with my oiliness because I'm not using those dang oil blotting sheets as much throughout the day anymore, and this is the only product I've changed in my routine. It dries a tiny bit sticky, but my makeup applies great over it. It doesn't make me breakout either, which I was very worried about because my skin is very sensitive. I would 110% recommend this to anyone and everyone  especially if you have extremely dry yet oily skin."  Graceeeee



$43 at Ulta

A Mizon snail repair cream

www.amazon.com

A Mizon snail repair cream

Promising review: "I am obsessed with this stuff I would bathe in it if I could!! I have really sensitive skin to weather changes and tend to get flaky skin on my face, but I've used this for two years now and I have had the most moisturized baby smooth face since. Seriously buy it, put it on before bed, and the next morning you can absolutely tell the difference. Im like a freaking walking ad for it. My face is brighter and more moisturized."  Leah



$20.50 at Amazon

Missha's Soft Finish Sun Milk sunscreen

www.amazon.com

Missha's Soft Finish Sun Milk sunscreen

Although many reviewers say they don't experience a white cast with this, it is an untinted mineral sunscreen, so results in terms of white cast may vary!



Promising review: "I have dark, oily skin and purchased this product after reading recommendations. There is no white cast; you can barely see it upon application unless you use too much. You definitely do not need a lot, it spreads thin. When it dries, any color is gone. It also helps slow down my face getting all greasy as the day goes on, which I love. My skin is very, very oily but I can still apply this after my moisturizer and feel totally comfortable. I'm not a fan of scents, and the scent on this is extremely mild."  Ms. Renee

$18.04 at Amazon

A fan fave Laneige lip mask

www.amazon.com

A fan fave Laneige lip mask

BuzzFeed Shopping writer, Becca Glasser-Baker: "Upon the recommendation of a friend, I tried this product, and after the first use, I wasn't blown away, but as I continued to use this, I fell in love with this product. So much so that I quite literally chased down the gift set in 2021, and I am so glad I did. At home, I have at least five different flavors of these, and I use them EVERY SINGLE DAY. I never thought a lip mask would actually change my life, but this one did, and I cannot live without it."



Promising review: "I was kinda skeptical, as I am with anything that blows up on TikTok because you never know who is getting paid for a review. But Im dead serious this stuff works. I have the driest, chapped lips, and I have anxiety so Im always biting my lips, and Ive only used this for three days, and my lips are already so soft and healed. It seems expensive but looks like it will last me for months."  Caitlin

$24 at Amazon

A Heimish cleansing balm for stubborn blackheads

www.amazon.com

A Heimish cleansing balm for stubborn blackheads

Using the mini spatula, scoop a decent amount and let it melt as it comes in contact with your skin. Spread and massage it into your face, rinse and you're done!



Promising review: "I love this cleanser! Recently saw it on BuzzFeed and thought maybe it would work as advertised because nothing I've tried works on my pores but was skeptical. I'm so glad I tried it! My large pores are disappearing. I also had some dry patches on my face but no more. The feel, smell, and results are so good I want it for my whole body! I could see and feel results after one use!!"  TJ

$12.35 at Amazon

A Krave Beauty matcha hemp cleanser

@kravebeauty

A Krave Beauty matcha hemp cleanser

Krave Beauty is a Korean woman-owned small biz that aims to make skincare easy and stress-free.



Promising review: "I struggled with oily, acne-prone skin and a damaged barrier since I was a teenager. But I've been loyal to this cleanser and the oat moisturizer since they came out and y'all...it took some time, but my skin is finally, FINALLY, in the place I always wanted it to be. It has the perfect texture, amount of lather, and after-feel of any cleanser I've ever tried. Do your skin a favor and try this."  Monisa A.



$16 at Krave Beauty

A Tonymoly octopus-shaped blackhead remover

www.amazon.com

A Tonymoly octopus-shaped blackhead remover

Check it out being used on TikTok!



Promising review: "After just two days of use, this adorable little octopus has done wonders for me, smells great too. Here's how I used it: I wore down the stick just a little to where the texture from the salt is visible, scrubbed around on my face so there was plenty of product, then I used my fingers to gently massage all the gunk away. Rinse, pat dry, and enjoy the softness. Highly recommended for people with sensitive skin like myself."  LuckLocust

$11.88 at Amazon

A bottle of hydrating Glow Recipe watermelon glow serum

www.amazon.com

A bottle of hydrating Glow Recipe watermelon glow serum

Check out this TikTok of these drops being used for a natural makeup look! Glow Recipe is an Asian-owned business that aims to create fruit-forward, clean beauty formulas to incorporate into your skincare routine.



Promising review: "I can't recommend these drops enough. I've been using them for about three months and I've never received so many compliments on my skin. Admittedly, while I have sensitive skin, it isn't usually very problematic. With that said, my skin is on the drier side and a blemish will pop up from time to time, and this has been a total game changer. It really does help smooth out any texture and it's so hydrating. The drops also smell amazing. Honestly, buy these and thank me later!"  Amazon customer

$35 at Amazon

A Some by Mi Miracle toner

www.amazon.com

A Some by Mi Miracle toner

Promising review: "This stuff works! First off all there was no purging period, which my acne prone skin is grateful for. It also doesn't sting or smell harsh. Within a week of using this toner I stopped having breakouts. My dark spots are slowly getting lighter and my skin is starting to glow. I'm on my second bottle now and I have nothing but good things to say. I really hope they never stop making this."  kem

$15.40 at Amazon

A Son & Park beauty water

Soko Glam

A Son & Park beauty water

Promising review: "This is my fourth bottle, and I don't think I'll be switching toner any time soon. It's an amazing toner and makeup remover all in one  super easy and convenient! I can tell this is a great product by the way my skin feels afterward: clean, light, and not dry at all. I swear by this toner!! You won't be disappointed, I promise."  Lindsay

$25 at Soko Glam

A pack of popular Cosrx pimple patches

www.amazon.com

A pack of popular Cosrx pimple patches

For persistent or bigger pimples, leave a pimple patch on overnight for two to three days to allow the pimple to diminish completely.



Promising review: "This product works! It stays on until you remove it and honestly, you can wash your face and forget its there and still it holds up to a lather without falling off. I had a few hormonal acne areas on my chin that were painful to the touch. This patch seemed to alleviate the discomfort and I forgot about it and wore them overnight. It took a few days for the spot to go down in size but it works. As for blemishes after threading, single treatment and by morning the blemish is gone."  LaTisha Taylor



$8.74+ at Amazon

A cooling calming cream by Dear Klairs

www.amazon.com

A cooling calming cream by Dear Klairs

Promising review: "Absolutely worth every single cent! I have severe rosacea that leaves my nose and cheeks dry, flaky, and breaking out. Ive had little success with anything topical that will provide any relief to my irritated skin...I received my order Wednesday and applied it that night after washing my face. By Saturday afternoon, my face is almost completely healed, preventing pealing and helping clear up my rosacea skin irritation!"  Amazon customer

$24.50 at Amazon

And a Dear Klairs freshly juiced vitamin mask

Amazon

And a Dear Klairs freshly juiced vitamin mask

Promising review: "Freakin love this stuff. Makes my skin feel bouncy and hydrated. It feels like a beautiful drink of sunny morning water for the face. LOVE the smell of this stuff its a very bright citrusy scent I cant describe fully that just smells like you are happy to be alive lol. Oh AND I looked up the ingredients of this stuff on the EWG website and it had pretty good safety ratings! After using this consecutively for a couple weeks Ive noticed a significant brightening affect and anti acne affect! I think this is due to the active ingredients being for skin barrier health so the skin is less likely to break out. And the evening of my skin tone is just an added benefit!"  A



$25 at Amazon

Related...
 Flash

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)

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.
Investigators in Hall County say a business owner has been illegally selling drugs out of his tobacco shop.

Deputies raided the Discount Tobacco Depot in a strip mall on Shallowford Road in Gainesville earlier this week after receiving a tip about illegal drug sales inside the store.

Inside the store, investigators found 2,100 vials of synthetic cannabinoid vaping liquid. They were packaged as Black Diamond hemp oil and being sold for between $80 and $120 per vial.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

They also found 60 tablets of sildenafil, better known as Viagra, that had been cut out of packs for individual sale.

Based on the pricing in the store, the items are being valued at $225,000.

Investigators also found $12,000 in cash and a gun.

TRENDING STORIES:

One of the stores owners, 43-year-old Hirenkumar Patel, was arrested and charged with possession of a schedule I drug and possession of a schedule I drug with the intent to distribute, and possession of dangerous drugs.

He was booked into the Hall County Jail and was released on a $3,900 bond a few days later.

Investigators say no one else is facing charges in this case.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
If you live in Fulton County, a jury summons could be coming to your mailbox as the judge in the Georgia election interference case ordered that 900 summonses be sent out for the October trial for the first two co-defendants in the case.

Attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell have both asked and been granted speedy trials for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election here in Georgia.

This past week, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said the two could be tried separately from former President Donald Trump and the 16 others who were indicted in the case.

RELATED STORIES:

In an order filed on Friday, McAfee ordered 900 summonses to be sent out to prospective jurors.

Those who receive a summons will have to report to the court in two waives to fill out questionnaires. Some 450 jurors will report on Oct. 20 and another 450 will have to report on Oct. 27.

A hearing is expected to be held this week to discuss Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis motion to restrict jurors identities during the trial.

RELATED NEWS:




In 2021, UC Merced conducted a survey of faculty and staff residential decisions, asking: Where do you live and why? For those who chose to reside outside Merced, the top reason  surpassing all others combined, at 55%  was access to medical care.

This sentiment isnt unique to university employees. Access to medical services is at the top of the list for many when deciding where to live, work and put down multigenerational roots. This is an issue the Merced County Times and Sun-Star have championed editorially for many years. Access to medical care is also one of the important variables businesses consider when determining where to relocate, and where they will remain.

Merced is an up-and-coming city, with 90,000 residents in a county of 286,000. As a trusted health care partner and a champion for advancing medical services in the Central Valley, Dignity Health-Mercy Medical Center is the regions premiere medical provider. But like many rural-area hospitals, it faces the significant challenge of there not being enough physicians to meet the health-care needs of a growing population. Unfortunately, this results in some patients having to travel long distances for services.

Like Mercy Medical Center, many local institutions are exploring opportunities and finding solutions to meet those challenges. City Fire is adding ambulances for critical transportation needs to supplement the local private ambulance company. Merced College has for decades been a leader in educating nurses, radiologic technologists, paramedics and other vital health professionals.

UC Merced has taken a significant step forward by partnering with UC San Francisco and UCSF-Fresno to develop the BS-to-MD pathway to encourage the training of more Valley physicians. The university will break ground on a state-of-the-art medical education building this year, and the first cohort of Valley medical students will begin classes at UC Merced in Fall 2023.

The ultimate goal, of course, is to build out the program into a full-scale medical school in Merced. We know from years of academic research and practical observations that doctors are more likely to establish their practices in the place they were educated and did their residencies. To increase the likelihood of that occurring, the BS-to-MD path accepts only students from the San Joaquin Valley who know the region and its issues, and are committed to seeing their communities thrive. And through partnerships with local health-care facilities like Mercy Medical Center, Merceds next generation of physicians will have an opportunity to pursue an undergraduate or graduate medical degree in the community they call home.

Thankfully, our elected leaders also care deeply about their constituents and are doing everything they can at the federal and state levels to address our regions medical challenges. U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, has refiled his Expanding Medical Education Act to bolster the health care workforce and support medical schools in rural areas of the country, including the Valley  a bill supported by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Growing our own doctors is the only way of confronting this shortage, Costa says.

State Sen. Anna Caballero and Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria have championed efforts to expand health care. Indeed, their strong public stances and tireless efforts are helping to bring the hospital in neighboring Madera County back from closure. And because of their support, and that of former Assemblymember Adam Gray, our Gov. Gavin Newsom has put his personal endorsement and the full credit of the state of California behind the UC Merced medical education building.

Further, among our shared priorities must be the continued development of programs, services and amenities that help to keep vital professionals in our community. These include a robust and rigorous K-12 education system, post-secondary educational options, enhanced retail and restaurants, equity-minded affordable housing, and accentuation of the community pride, which has long been a hallmark of Merced and the San Joaquin Valley.

We face both a growing and an aging population here in Merced, as in much of the country, and we must work together continuously, creatively and untiringly to address the current and future needs and challenges faced by those living in our community.

We all want our families, friends and neighbors to be healthy and thriving, and having the resources to train and retain new physicians in Merced is a step towards a healthier future for us all.

Juan Sanchez Munoz is chancellor of UC Merced. Dales Johns is the CEO of Mercy Medical Center .
A room full of El Pasoans spent a couple of hours learning about the four finalists seeking to become the next El Paso police chief.

During last week's meet-and-greet, residents were introduced to the slate of four finalists, all men, three of whom have deep connections to the El Paso Police Department. The lone outsider is looking to make a return to policing after years of running another Texas city.

As the event began, residents milled around, having conversations or enjoying snacks before the finalists were called in to make comments. Afterward, each took time to meet with residents and answer questions about their priorities as chief of a police force that has managed to make El Paso one of the safest cities in the U.S.

City Hall has moved deliberately since Allen's sudden death in January to hire a new chief, a move that gives the city an opportunity to change how policing is done in a binational community that's over 80% Hispanic.

Allen, who led the department for 16 years, was viewed as an officer's chief and rarely held news conferences to keep the community updated on recent crimes or trends within the department. Since his death, there have been multiple issues within the department, including arrests for sexual harassment, DWI and misconduct related to preventing an officer's arrest.

The crisis in officer conduct was even mentioned by one of the finalists before the packed house at the El Paso Museum of Art.

More: 'Forged in El Paso': Police Chief Greg Allen remembered for dedication to city

For Mayor Oscar Leeser, any of the four finalists is qualified for the police department's top spot.

"The people that will be making the decision cannot screw up," Leeser said before the finalists stepped up to the podium. "Any one of them could do a great job. I'm really excited (about) the quality of people that would want to be chief of the El Paso Police Department."

"I'm really glad to see that one of these four guys I'll have the ability and the opportunity to work with," he added later, "and continue to make sure that when we go to bed at night you, our community, is safe, when we go out on the streets, we're safe, and we continue to have the best police force, not just in Texas but in the United States."

From left, Steve Dye, Peter Pacillas, David Ransom and Victor Zazur are the four El Paso police chief finalists at a meet and greet for the El Paso Community on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at the El Paso Museum of Art.

Local reporters, however, were instructed by city Strategic Communications Director Laura Cruz-Acosta that interviews with the finalists would not be allowed as the event was "more for the community."

The meet-and-greet started with the finalists providing a two-minute breakdown of their experience and how they would lead the force in El Paso. Afterward, each finalist stood around a table bearing a sign with his name and photo to shake hands and answer questions.

Despite the apparent closed-door policy, each finalist discussed the importance of transparency and community engagement.

That lack of transparency was not lost on activists with the Border Network for Human Rights, who staged a protest outside of the museum as the event was unfolding, blasting the lack of community involvement in the selection process.

Border Network for Human Rights holds a protest outside of the El Paso Museum of Art, where a meet and greet with the El Paso police chief finalists is held for the El Paso community on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

"The reason we're not inside is because we disagree with the process that is happening inside," BNHR Executive Director Fernando Garcia said as protesters marched around him. "It lacks transparency and accountability  it's not something we were expecting out of this important of a decision, so we are expressing our opinion ... that this process is not complete and it's not going to work."

Interim City Manager Cary Westin lays out selection process

After brief remarks from Leeser, Interim City Manager Cary Westin, who will make the final decision on the city's next police chief, provided those in attendance with a breakdown of the selection process, which kicked off earlier this year when Strategic Government Resources was brought on to head up the search.

Officials have not yet set a date for a final decision.

Before the process began, Westin said, the city invited "a large cross-section of (the) community to give ... feedback on the key characteristics and attributes that this community is looking for in the next police chief."

More: El Paso City Council advances search for city manager, police chief

"We had the opportunity to have over 20 stakeholder meetings, meet with over 30 agencies, we had an online survey and had over 780 respondents," he continued. "So, we got significant information back from this community and really, what your feedback did, is it really set the course for us because we did that before we engaged with SGR, our public safety search firm, to go and look for candidates."

Among those key characteristics was a chief who appreciates El Paso's culture and is passionate about proactively engaging with the community; a collaborative leader able to work cohesively with partners at all levels; an authentic and approachable servant leader; and someone with great communication skills and a high level of integrity.

"This has been a long process and an important process, but I am very confident to say that every one of these gentlemen that is standing up here embody all of those characteristics," Westin added. "Every one of them."

Steve Dye  committed to 'community policing philosophies'

Steve Dye, who spent 35 years in policing and currently serves as city manager for Grand Prairie, Texas, was the first to address the audience.

Before making the move to Grand Prairie, Dye served with the Houston Police Department in a variety of roles before being named chief, a post he held for 10 years.

Steve Dye, one of the four El Paso police chief finalists, talks to people of the El Paso community at a meet and greet on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at the El Paso Museum of Art.

"I was asked to go to City Hall in Grand Prairie to be a deputy city manager and later city manager, and I gladly served," Dye said, "but it's time to return to my passion of policing."

When serving as El Paso police chief, Dye expressed a commitment to a "highly ethical organization" with a "culture of self-discipline" and a transparent organization accountable to the community.

"I'm very committed to high levels of community engagement through community policing philosophies supported by numerous programs," Dye said. "That's a pathway to build trust and legitimacy and that's where crime problems become community responsibilities and we develop together long-term solutions for long-standing problems."

Peter Pacillas  seeking 'open communication'

Current Interim El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas, who has led the department since Allen's death in January, touted his work to establish a program for emotional communication and intelligence within the department to better prepare officers for interacting with the public.

"My primary goal as police chief is to ensure that our community relations (are) strong and that we can have a dialogue no matter how hard it is," Pacillas said. "We have to have that open communication so that we can speak clearly and understand each other's issues."

Pacillas, likewise, expressed a commitment to transparency and accountability, saying none of the city's officers are above the law, despite earlier this year dodging questions related to the arrest of two EPPD supervisors for sexual harassment.

More: Watch update: Interim police chief declines to provide details on supervisors' arrests

David Ransom  building on EPPD's 'favorability rating'

David Ransom, an El Paso native who spent 21 years with the EPPD and is currently leading the police force at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, largely focused on his love for the city more than his experience or ambitions for the department.

Ransom left El Paso when his wife took a job in Boston in 2013 but is excited about the possibility of returning to his hometown.

"The pandemic hit and now she's able to work from home so ... this opportunity presented itself and it's an opportunity for us to come to El Paso, where we belong, and try to finish off what I started in 1992," Ransom said.

David Ransom, one of the four El Paso police chief finalists, talks to people of the El Paso community at a meet and greet on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at the El Paso Museum of Art.

He noted that the EPPD currently has an 89% favorability rating among the community and vowed to continue that trend.

Victor Zarur  'day-to-day conversations' a must

Victor Zarur, an El Paso native who has served with the EPPD since 1995 after serving with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, also stressed the importance of community engagement and transparency.

Zarur touted his experience with the department, which has seen him rise through the ranks to detective, sergeant, lieutenant, region commander and assistant chief. Earlier this year, he was named interim executive assistant chief.

Victor Zarur, one of the four El Paso police chief finalists, gives a statement at a meet and greet for the El Paso Community on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at the El Paso Museum of Art.

"I found the biggest thing as officers in the community (are those) day-to-day conversations," Zarur said, "that we're serving you and meeting your needs."

Protestors decry lack of community involvement in police chief selection process

As the four finalists shook hands and made small talk inside the museum, protestors marched outside carrying signs emblazoned with the words "Our Voice Matters" and "Silence In The Face Of Injustice Is Complicity With The Oppressor."

Other signs read, "Say His Name  Daniel Diaz," referring to a 40-year-old man who died after being shocked with a Taser while being arrested by EPPD officers in 2021. The city refused to provide Diaz's family with records related to the arrest until a state judge forced its hand earlier this year.

For Garcia, however, the lack of transparency is the key issue he and other activists have with the chief selection process.

"I was part of the previous round when (Chief) Greg Allen was hired, I was part of a committee where several stakeholders were brought together by the city," Garcia said. "We interviewed several candidates and we actually made recommendations on the issues and on the character of the candidates. Nothing like that has happened today, they're just showing up with a list of four candidates ... I think that is wrong, I think this is a dog-and-pony show."

Border Network for Human Rights holds a protest outside of the El Paso Museum of Art, where a meet and greet with the El Paso police chief finalists is held for the El Paso community on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

Referring to the vast number of community meetings referenced by Westin, Garcia said he and BNHR were only consulted once about what should be considered in the search.

"This was not about really debating the candidates, really presenting the candidates, interviewing the candidates, nothing," he said. "This was in the very beginning of the process. We told them at that time, 'We expect that this is not going to be the only one, the only time we're going to meet with you.'"

"We never heard anything back," he added.

Garcia said his organization and other activist groups throughout the community believe the selection process could have been a "good opportunity to start really addressing the many issues happening in the police department that are well known."

"This is a larger issue than just choosing a chief," he said.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso police chief finalists focused on transparency, engagement
Ukrainian forces shot down 12 out of 16 missiles and drones that Russia launched primarily in the direction of southern Odesa Oblast overnight on Sept. 17, the Air Force reported.

According to the report, Ukraine downed all six Shahed 131/136 drones, as well as six out of 10 Russian Kh-101, Kh-555, and Kh-55 cruise missiles.

Those missiles that were not shot down hit the territory of a civilian agricultural enterprise in Odesa Oblast, the Air Force said.

Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said a grain depot and other agricultural infrastructure in Berezivka district had been hit. There were no casualties, according to the official.

Kiper also said that local air defense destroyed two drones and five missiles.

Air raid alerts were activated in the city of Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions at around 4:30 a.m. local time on Sept. 17.

The Air Force said the drones were launched from the direction of the Russian Primorsko-Akhtarsk port town in Krasnodar Krai and occupied Crimea.

Russian Tupolev Tu-95 bombers fired the missiles from the direction of Engels, a city in Russian Saratov Oblast, the Air Force added.

Earlier on Sept. 15, Ukraine downed all 17 Shahed drones that Russia launched targeting the country's central-western Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russia tried to hit Ukrainian bombers in response to an attack against a Russian shipyard in Sevastopol earlier this 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.

Read also: UK Defense Ministry: Russian landing craft Minsk almost certainly destroyed

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
An air-raid warning was issued throughout Ukraine on the night of 17 September, as the Air Force warned civilians of a missile danger. The warning was in place for more than two hours.

Source: air-raid warnings map; Ukraine's Air Force on Telegram

Quote: "Attention! Missile danger in eastern and southeastern regions!"

Details: An air-raid warning issued in 12 oblasts of Ukraine was later extended to the whole of Ukraine.

Update: Later, the Air Force reported that a group of missiles was moving from the east in a southwesterly direction (their course may vary).

As of 06:52, the all-clear was given in all oblasts of Ukraine.

Earlier: Before that, an air-raid warning was issued in Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts, and the Armed Forces warned of a possible missile strike in the southern oblasts.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
A new documentary, "Against All Enemies," explores the link between military veterans and extremism.

Producer Ken Harbaugh told Insider veterans looking for purpose are at risk of radicalization.

Groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters attempt to recruit veterans.

Of the more than 1,000 people who were charged with a crime for their participation in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, nearly 1 in 5 was a US military veteran.

While leaders of extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were ultimately convicted for seditious conspiracy for their deliberate attempts to breach the Capitol, critics argue their influence on military veterans  and the subsequent impact on society  has not yet been fully realized due to the adoption of their radical ideology by mainstream Republican politicians.

"Against All Enemies," a documentary that explores the risk of veterans being radicalized by extremist groups, was featured at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, earning glowing reviews from critics. Variety called the documentary "a grim diagnosis of a fast-spreading cancer," that "may provide much less reassurance than cause for alarm, but its wakeup call is certainly worth heeding."

Ken Harbaugh, a former Navy pilot, cofounder of Team Rubicon, and producer of the new documentary, spoke with Insider about why being aware of the problem is only the first step toward a solution. "Against All Enemies" will have its theatrical release in early 2024.

Tell me about how "Against All Enemies" came about as a project and the road it took you down.

I'm a military vet and spent a lot of my time after the service trying to figure out how to productively engage veterans making that transition from military to civilian life through my work co-founding Team Rubicon, an NGO that mobilizes veterans to aid in disaster response. And on January 6, I just recall stopping the car in the driveway and listening in horror to the coverage as it played out, and in the days afterward, realizing how many of my brothers-in-arms were involved. The numbers do suggest that veterans were disproportionately represented, but the real data point that I think is lost in all of that noise is why veterans are so specifically targeted for recruitment by groups like the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and Proud Boys.

Why are veterans targeted as recruits for this kind of radical ideology?

It's because, in military speak, they act as force multipliers. The same reason that Fortune 500 companies and elite nonprofits and Ivy League programs try to recruit veterans is why the Oath Keepers try to recruit them: because when they set their sights on a mission, they go after it. They know how to organize; they know how to plan and lead. And that is great to have if GE or Amazon can recruit them. But it is incredibly dangerous if where they wind up is with the Proud Boys.

Can you tell me why the path toward the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, or the Three Percenters might be an attractive one for a veteran?

That's not mysterious. People join the military for a variety of reasons, but a universal experience of being in the military is the feeling of camaraderie, a sense of purpose and mission. The desire for it doesn't disappear along with the uniform, and people look to recapture that in other ways. I remember my own experience with that, literally at the stroke of a pen when I signed the form that got me out of the military after nine years; in an instant, my identity was gone. I had been a Navy pilot. That's who I was. That's how I thought about myself. And I was lucky. I had a family to support me, I had a pretty clear pathway into civilian life, and even then, I had this crisis of identity. And then you think about all the 20-somethings who are experiencing this and who've gone through years of combat, and it is a real crisis.

What patterns do you see in the direction that things are going for veterans in the wake of pulling out of Afghanistan?

There's a variety of overlapping patterns, there are good patterns and bad ones. On the good side, there are several organizations that have stepped up and tried to fill this void, like Team Rubicon. On the other side, you have groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Three Percenters who have also stepped into this void, and they are picking off veterans who are vulnerable to the kind of misinformation that is just so ubiquitous now. These misinformation echo chambers can drag people down these rabbit holes and into these communities that are incredibly toxic and destructive and lead nowhere good. In the aftermath of every American military misadventure, membership in extremist organizations spikes. We saw it after World War I with the resurgence of the KKK, we saw it after Korea and Vietnam. What we don't know as a society is what happens to that phenomenon after the longest wars in American history: Iraq and Afghanistan. We do know the answer is nothing good. But I think we're beginning to see some of the fruits of that.

Are there commonalities in the ideology among extremist groups recruiting online in the ways they attract veterans for membership?

Well, I think the starting point is often a grievance narrative. A feeling of disenchantment or loss of community or anger at the government. And some of that anger is entirely appropriate, but that's often the start of it, and that anger and disenchantment can be amped up in some of these chat rooms that tell you that your problems are the fault of George Soros  or whatever their chosen code word is. And those are gateways into the deeper pits that are just filled with racism and antisemitism. Often it doesn't start that way. It starts with, "Hey, why don't you join this group that wants to take care of you, wants to restore that sense of brotherhood and camaraderie." And the deeper you get into it, the worse it gets.

From your perspective, what does the anti-democracy side stand to gain from continuing to push this this narrative to veterans?

I think there are a lot of individual motivations, and you have to look at each of them to get a real understanding. Mike Flynn's motivations are probably different than someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene's. I think the former realizes that his best chance of avoiding real jail time is continuing to advance the Big Lie in hopes of animating his base and getting Trump reelected. But the real tragedy for me is that many of the foot soldiers of this movement, the people you saw charging the barricades on January 6, actually believe in the cause. They actually think they're on the right side of the Constitution. And it's because people like Josh Hawley, who was at Yale Law School at the same time I was, and JD Vance, who was there slightly before me, keep on feeding them these lies that they know are lies. And those are the real villains in my book.

What is the significance of January 6 in this conversation?

I mean, you cannot do a film about extremism in this country and the way veterans are attracted to it without talking about January 6, but the critical point we make is that January 6 wasn't some crescendo of violence. It was a dry run. And a lot of the times when I see some of these prosecutions  which has to happen, we have to hold people accountable  it makes me wonder about all the people who aren't being rounded up. And there's a footnote to that, which I think is the scariest aspect of all of this, which is that the real provocateurs, the instigators, may never be held accountable because they hold senior positions in a major American political party. You have to go back to one of the later iterations of the KKK in the '20s in the Deep South to find an era in American politics where a violent insurrectionist movement captured a major political party. And that led to just generations of terror locally, but there's the potential for that nationally if a violent movement can co-opt enough of a major American political party.

Is something that you're concerned about from your vantage point?

Everyone should be. I mean, how much clearer of a signal can you get? A major party is being co-opted by terrorists and the leader of that party is telling the members of that terrorist movement to stand back and stand by in case he is not reelected. Proud Boys were told on a presidential debate stage to stand back and stand by. This is an organization that's been declared a terrorist outfit by Canada, our closest ally, and the President of the United States told them to stand by. Add to that all of the other signals we're getting from senior influencers and people with actual elected positions within the Republican Party, calling the January 6 rioters political prisoners. You have people like Sarah Palin warning about civil war. Mike Huckabee just said if Trump is denied another win, the next election is not going to be decided at the ballot box, it will be decided by bullets. You have Mike Flynn saying, we need a coup in this country like they had in Myanmar. This is not me paraphrasing or exaggerating. These are clarion calls for violence coming from senior figures on the right, influential figures, mainstream figures. These aren't fringe characters; they are representative of the mainstream, and that's scary.

How do you combat that toxic rhetoric and the mentality of political persecution that further entrenches people into that ideology?

Well, it depends on who I'm talking to. When trying to counter the deep state paranoia, or talking to conspiracy theorists, there's nothing you can do or say because any evidence you provide is just evidence of an even deeper conspiracy. Some people are unreachable. There isn't a middle ground when you're talking about autocracy and democracy; there isn't a halfway point. It's like arguing with flat earthers. The truth isn't somewhere between a round earth and a flat earth. When you look at January 6, I think the only answer to people like Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde, who said it was just a "normal tourist visit" is: You are lying. You are a vet. You know better. You helped barricade the house galley and you were screaming and pointing in a photo with Capitol policemen who had their guns drawn, pointing at that single point of entry. And yet, a few days later, you're on TV, calling it a peaceful tourist visit? I think the only way to counter something like that is to call it what it is: disinformation.

Are you hopeful about people responding well to the lies being called out?

I'm always hopeful. I am always bullish on America. I think we have been through a few things worse. The scary thing about saying that is, you know, people point to the 1860s and say, "Hey, we've survived worse before" and yes, we did. But we fought a civil war over it. I think this will only get better if people stand up en masse and say the election wasn't stolen. Your grievances are made up. You're not the ones defending the Constitution; you're actually undermining it. We need not just those lone voices in the wilderness like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who are brave enough to tell the truth and lose their jobs for it, but we need a chorus of those kinds of influencers saying that there really is only one side of this pro-democracy argument. And that's the pro-democracy side.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge that connects Northern Kentucky and Ohio briefly closed Sunday so authorities could investigate a second bomb threat called in on the bridge.

Around 10 a.m., the Covington Police Department received a bomb threat which prompted a closure on both sides of the river for nearly two hours while officers investigated.

Please avoid the area of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. Crews are investigating a threat similar to last weeks. If youre headed to the Bengals game, you may want to find an alternate route, police said on social media.

Police told WLWT in Cincinnati Sundays threat was a hoax, but agencies were still investigating to ensure the publics safety.

The threat was similar to a threat which came in on Wednesday, and shut down the bridge for nearly three hours, Covington police said.

WCPO in Cincinnati reported that a man threatened to shoot police and put pipe bombs on the bridge. He reportedly demanded $400,000. Investigators later determined the threat was not credible, according to the FBI.

Please avoid the area of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. Crews are investigating a threat similar to last week's. If you're headed to the Bengals game, you may want to find an alternate route. #covkypd pic.twitter.com/MxCZ8AI0rS  Covington Police Department (@CovKyPD) September 17, 2023

UPDATE: The Roebling Suspension Bridge is secure and is now re-opened to all foot and vehicle traffic. Thank you to everyone impacted for your patience and cooperation.  Covington Police Department (@CovKyPD) September 17, 2023
 Flash

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)

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.
LAFAYETTE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Authorities told News 2 they have launched an investigation into a potentially deadly incident at a Lafayette home.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported that District Attorney Jason Lawson asked for agents to investigate an apparent homicide at a house in the 400 block of Meador Drive.

No additional details have been released about this active and ongoing investigation.

 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.

 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.

 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Human remains found by archaeologists could be from victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

The remains were found during a dig at grave shafts in Tulsa, Oklahoma, CNN reported.

State archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck said on Thursday they planned to exhume the remains for tests.

Archaeologists found the remains of two adults they suspect could be victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre, where as many as 300 Black residents were killed by a white mob in 1921, CNN reported.

The remains were discovered during an archaeological dig in Oaklawn Cemetery in Oklahoma during the third excavation of the site, which started in September, per the outlet.

Oklahoma state archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck said that the archaeological team had exposed 22 grave shafts in a video posted on Facebook on Thursday.

The remains of the two suspected victims were found buried in "simple, wood caskets," she said in the video, which matched the team's criteria for victims based on information gathered from death certificates, newspaper reports, and funeral homes.

"That basically suggests that we had a number of adult male individuals that were supposed to be buried in simple, wood coffins here in Oaklawn Cemetery, in the Black potters' field," she said.

Stackelbeck said archaeologists had found "fancier or nicer coffins" in some of the other grave shafts, which they did not think were likely to be victims of the massacre. She added that they intended to continue expanding the excavation area and expose more graves.

Black smoke billows from fires during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, in the Greenwood District, Tulsa, Oklahoma Corbis/Getty Images

One set of the exhumed remains was sent to a forensic lab at the dig site, The Independent reported, adding that both of the remains were thought to be from adults.

The Tulsa Race Massacre took place from May 31 to June 1, 1921 and was one of the worst incidents of racial violence to have occurred in US history.

Over the course of 18 hours, a white mob descended on the predominately Black neighborhood of Greenwood, Tulsa  which was known as the "Black Wall Street"  and began attacking residents, burning homes, and destroying businesses.

Insider reported last month that an Oklahoma judge had dismissed a case that was filed by three survivors of the massacre in September 2020.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A man armed with a loaded pistol was arrested Friday at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential campaign event after he was caught posing as a U.S. Marshal. Photo courtesy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr./Twitter

Sept. 16 (UPI) -- A man armed with a loaded pistol was arrested Friday at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential campaign event after he was caught posing as a U.S. Marshal.

Kennedy, the 69-year-old son of late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, was scheduled to give a speech to honor Hispanic Heritage Month at Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles at the time of the incident, his campaign said in a statement.

The man, who was not identified by Kennedy's team, presented himself at the side entrance to the theater and claimed to be a part of Kennedy's security team. He said he needed to be taken to Kennedy immediately.

He was identified in jail records reviewed by UPI as 44-year-old Adrian Aispuro and his bail has been set at $35,000.

"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," Kennedy said in a statement on Twitter.

The man can be seen with hand and neck tattoos and a groomed beard in a photo shared by the aspiring presidential candidate.

Kennedy's actual security team removed him from the area and surrounded him before notifying the Los Angeles Police Department.

"LAPD also took custody of a second man, who came to the campaign event with the primary suspect," Kennedy's campaign said. "Protectors observed that the man seeking access to the event had a backpack, found to contain at least one other handgun, multiple knives, and extra ammunition."

Kennedy's father, known as Bobby Kennedy, was shot dead by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, when he was running for the role of president.

Bobby Kennedy's brother, President John F. Kennedy Jr. was shot dead in Dallas in November 1963, five years prior.
BAR HARBOR, Maine  Atlantic storm Lee made landfall at near-hurricane strength Saturday, bringing destructive winds, rough surf and torrential rains to New England and Maritime Canada. But officials withdrew some warnings for the region and predicted the storm would disappear early this week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Sunday that the post-tropical cyclone was about 35 miles (55 kilometers) west of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and about 225 miles (360 kilometers) west of Channel-Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland. The top sustained wind speed had dropped for a third time in 24 hours to 50 mph (85 kph) with some higher gusts expected.

Gradual weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Lee could dissipate on Tuesday, the hurricane center said.

The center discontinued a tropical storm warning for the coast of Maine late Saturday and reported the Canadian Hurricane Centre had ended its tropical storm warning for New Brunswick and parts of Prince Edward Island.

Storm surges were expected to subside on Sunday after being forecast as up to 3 feet (0.91 meters) on Saturday along coastal areas, the hurricane center said.

A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, died Saturday after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle on U.S. Highway 1 during high winds. The limb brought down live power lines and utility workers had to cut power before removing the man, who died later at a hospital, Police Chief Brian Lunt said.

The storm was tracked as moving around 22 mph (35 kph) and expected to proceed northeast, taking the weather system across the Canadian Maritimes. Rainfall was expected to be an additional 1 inch (25 millimeters) or less for portions of eastern Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the U.S. storm center said.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect for parts of Nova Scotia, the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island with strong winds possibly leading to downed trees and power outages, the center said.

The post-tropical cyclone was strong enough to cause power outages several hundred miles from its center. At midday Saturday, 11% of electricity customers in Maine lacked power, along with 27% of Nova Scotia, 8% of New Brunswick and 3% of Prince Edward Island.

Life-threatening surf swells and rip currents generated by Lee may affect Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast, the center said.



In Bar Harbor, Maine, the touristy gateway to Acadia National Park, a whale watch vessel broke free of its mooring and crashed ashore Saturday. Authorities worked to offload 1,800 gallons (6,813 liters) of diesel fuel to prevent it from spilling into the ocean.

Lee flooded coastal roads in Nova Scotia and took ferries out of service while fanning anxiety in a region still reeling from wildfires and severe flooding this summer. The provinces largest airport, Halifax Stanfield International, cancelled all flights.

People are exhausted, said Pam Lovelace, a councilor in Halifax. Its so much in such a small time period.

Hurricane-force winds extended as far as 140 miles (220 kilometers) from Lees center, with tropical storm-force winds extending as far as 320 miles (515 kilometers), enough to cover all of Maine and much of Maritime Canada.

The storm skirted some of the most waterlogged areas of Massachusetts that experienced severe flash flooding days earlier, when fast water washed out roads, caused sinkholes, damaged homes and flooded vehicles.

In eastern Maine, winds died down enough by late afternoon Saturday for utility workers to begin using bucket trucks to make repairs. Central Maine Power and Versant Power had hundreds of workers, including out-of-state crews, assisting the effort.

At this point, the storm is resembling a noreaster, said Sarah Thunberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist, referring to the fall and winter storms that often plague the region and are so named because their winds blow from the northeast. They typically have a much wider wind field than tropical systems with winds remaining closer to a storms center.

The entire region has experienced an especially wet summer, ranking second in the number of rainy days in Portland, Maine  and Lees high winds toppled trees stressed by the rain-soaked ground in Maine, the nations most heavily wooded state.

Cruise ships found refuge at berths in Portland, Maine, while lobstermen in Bar Harbor and elsewhere pulled traps from the water and hauled boats inland.

Billy Bob Faulkingham, House Republican leader of the Maine Legislature, and another lobsterman survived after their boat overturned while hauling traps ahead of the storm Friday, officials said.

The boats emergency locator beacon alerted authorities and the pair clung to the hull until help arrived, said Winter Harbor Police Chief Danny Mitchell. The 42-foot (12.8-meter) boat sank.

Theyre very lucky to be alive, Mitchell said.

Forecasters urged residents to stay home, but many ventured out anyway.

Betsy Follansbee and her husband, Fred, jogged to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, Maine, to watch surfers  some wearing helmets  paddling out to catch waves reaching 12 feet (3.6 meters). They were the biggest waves Follansbee had seen in her 10 years living there, she said.

Were impressed that theyre bold enough to try, Follansbee said.

On Maines Bailey Island, a slender spit jutting into the Gulf of Maine, Ren Renton watched the ocean roil. It comes and goes and takes what it wants, but hopefully not too much, she said.

Lee shared some characteristics with 2012s Superstorm Sandy. Both storms were once-strong hurricanes that became post-tropical cyclones  cyclonic storms that have lost most of their tropical characteristics  before landfall. Lee was not expected to be nearly as destructive as Sandy, which caused billions of dollars in damage and was blamed for dozens of deaths in New York and New Jersey.

Lee also was not anywhere near as severe as the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which a year ago washed houses into the ocean in eastern Canada, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea, Canadian meteorologist Jill Maepea said.

Destructive hurricanes are relatively rare so far north. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts Blue Hill Observatory. There have been no storms that powerful in recent years.


The Russian army launched an attack on the city of Kharkiv with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles at around 00:30 on the night of 16-17 September.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Details: The authorities reported that four S-300 guided missiles hit the building of a civilian facility.

Afterwards, a blaze erupted on the site of the strike.

The Russian troops bombarded the settlements of Kharkiv, Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk and Izium districts in Kharkiv Oblast over the past 24 hours.

Background: On 16 September, the Russians attacked Kharkiv with five Iskander K cruise missiles around 11:10. Six civilians sustained injuries.

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Tripledemic jumped into our vocabulary and lives last year, referring to the winter surges of three respiratory virusesRSV (respiratory syncytial virus), flu (influenza), and COVID-19. The tripledemic of 2022 infected millions, overwhelmed hospital systems, and killed more than 100,000 people in the U.S. over the 4-month peak span of these viruses.

As much as we hoped that respiratory illness would fade with the COVID-19 public health emergency ending, we must recognize that these viruses will continue to impact us for years. As the school year begins, we already see short-term school closures due to respiratory illness. We are seeing new variants of COVID-19 that may also contribute to increased cases of disease.

However, the severe impact of the anticipated wave of respiratory illness this winter can be very different from last year. We can reduce the levels of severe viral disease seen over recent years, thanks to the remarkable development of new vaccines and therapeutics against these viruses. We can achieve this goal of preventing hospitalization and death by ensuring that individuals at the most significant risk for severe disease are vaccinated against each of these viruses before the late fall and winter months and receive prompt antiviral treatment when ill.

RSV, flu, and COVID-19 are respiratory pathogens spread by the breath, spoken word, and cough. As with most pathogens, some individuals are more vulnerable than others to these infections. RSV and influenza take their most significant toll on those less than one year and older than 65 years and in people with serious underlying medical conditions. COVID-19 also exerts its most severe impact on older people and those with underlying medical problems. Although less frequent than in adults, COVID-19 can also result in severe disease in children, more than 50% of whom have no underlying medical conditions, which is why COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for children six months and older by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the respiratory season of 2022-2023, it was estimated that 100,000-200,000 people were hospitalized with RSV, 300,000-650,00 with flu, and 700,000 with COVID-19. During that surge, 6,000-10,000 people died from RSV, 19,000-58,000 from flu, and 75,000 from COVID-19. These numbers of deaths due to RSV were greater than the levels seen over the several years before the pandemic. It was remarkable that RSV and flu-related illnesses fell over the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, partly due to the mitigation measures against COVID-19, which also slowed the spread of these other respiratory viruses. Yet, with the relaxing of masking and other anti-COVID-19 mitigation measures, RSV and flu cases rebounded to exceed pre-pandemic levels. It is difficult to predict the patterns of RSV, flu, and COVID-19 over the coming months. But we can expect a rise in the activity of these viruses as population immunity from last year's infections and vaccinations wanes and new viral forms appear.

This past year heralded important developments in the prevention of RSV. RSV infection among children under five years, which resulted in 58,000-80,000 hospitalizations and 100-300 deaths last year, can be prevented in several ways. If a pregnant individual is vaccinated against RSV, the transfer of immune protection from the parent to the fetus will protect the infant after birth, and such vaccines have recently been approved. If parents are not immunized against RSV during pregnancy, infants can receive a long-acting monoclonal antibody by injections to protect against severe disease for up to 6 months. This FDA-approved medication, Beyfortus, is now available through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and through pediatric care providers. The drug is approved for neonates and infants born during or entering their first RSV season and in children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season. RSV vaccines for those 60 years and older have also been approved, dramatically reducing cases in older people.

The influenza vaccine is modified yearly in anticipation of the expected flu strain and is recommended for those six months and older. The flu vaccine, with doses specific for children and adults, becomes available in the fall and comes in forms administered by injection or a nasal spray. This years vaccine is designed to target several different flu strains. In addition to vaccines, several anti-flu medications, including Tamiflu, effectively reduce flu severity if started within a few days of illness onset.

Although cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19 are much lower now than over the previous three years, this virus remains a serious public health threat, with more than 100,000 deaths over the current year. COVID-19 will also be a top-five cause of death for adults and a top-ten cause of death for children. As with RSV and flu, severe disease due to COVID-19 is preventable through vaccination.

For individuals who develop COVID-19 infections, disease severity can also be markedly reduced by oral antiviral agents, including Paxlovid and Mulnupiravir. More than 80% of adults in the US have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 70% have completed the primary series. Because the protection from these vaccines phase after about six months, booster shots are recommended, but only 17% of the US population has a current booster shot. Like the flu vaccine, booster vaccinations are adapted to the anticipated circulating virus type, the Omicron variant. On September 12, 2023, the CDC recently recommended that everyone six months and older get updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech that better match the current circulating virus strains. These new vaccines will be available within a week of the announcement.

More than 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S., and data clearly show that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective in reducing severe disease risk and have an excellent safety record, as shown in very recently presented data. Notably, the risk of myocarditis following last falls updated COVID-19 vaccine was minimal, with two confirmed myocarditis out of about 650,000 doses, which is lower than after the primary series.

There is recent discussion has been about when to get flu or COVID-19 booster shots. Because the effectiveness of the flu and COVID-19 vaccines can wear off after six months, it makes the most sense to get these vaccines in late October or November before the anticipated peak of illness during wintertime. Until there is a combination respiratory pathogen vaccine, these vaccines need to be administered separately. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be given simultaneously. Still, since the RSV vaccine is new, it has been recommended to wait two weeks after the RSV vaccine before other immunizations until more data are available.

Common sense public health measures also play a role in combatting the tripledemic, as we can spread viruses to others when we are infected. First, we must avoid others, especially those with vulnerabilities, when ill. We also now have home testing available to diagnose each virus separately or in combination. This can lead to prescribing antiviral medication and treating symptoms when coupled with telemedicine or in-person office visits. Mask use may also be considered in high-risk settings, especially for those who are medically vulnerable.

As part of this discussion of tripledemic action, we also need to recognize that issues related to COVID-19 have become politically polarized to the point where facts about the disease, its impact, its treatment, and its prevention are ignored. But we also need to recognize that COVID-19 now takes its place among the other common respiratory pathogens, and we have strong medical tools to address tripledemic viruses.

With all the amazing preventative tools and treatments we now have, we can look forward to saying, tripledemic severe disease, no more.

Correction, September 19: The original version of this story misspelled the monoclonal antibody developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Its an image that will have Russian propagandists and Western useful idiots who have fallen for Kremlin propaganda scratching their heads.

Read also: 80% of Ukrainians abroad want to return, Uman pilgrimage still on, POWs for political prisoners

Reuters photographer Vladyslav Musiienko captured the moment of a friendly conversation between a soldier of the Azov National Guard regiment and a Hasidic pilgrim who arrived from Israel to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast on Sept. 16.

The soldier, who is Jewish and who has the call sign Rabbi, came to Uman from the front line for a day for the celebrations.

REUTERS/Vladyslav Musiienko

The Azov soldier has a chevron on his sleeve with a Star of David on the background of a red and black flag, along with a Ukrainian flag and an Azov Regiment insignia.

Read also: Russia spreads fake news about alleged terror plot in Uman, Kyiv says

The red and black flag is associated with Ukrainian nationalists, whom Russian propagandists claim are neo-Nazis, while the Azov Regiment has been branded as neo-Nazi by Russia.

The Azov Regiment (known as the Azov Battalion was indeed associated with the far-right when it was formed as a volunteer unit in 2014, and some of its insignia are based on common far-right symbols.

However, following its incorporation into Ukraines National Guard, the regiments leadership insists that it is non-political.

In another photo Musiienko posted on his Facebook page, the Hasidic man kisses Rabbis chevron. "Weekdays and holidays of the 'Ukrainian Nazis," the author ironically captioned the photo, alluding to Russian propaganda tropes.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, which this year fell on Sept. 15-17.

The grave of Tzadik Nachman at the Jewish cemetery in Uman is a place of pilgrimage for Hasidim from all over the world. Every year they come there to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

According to the National Police of Ukraine, in 2023, despite the war unleashed by Russia, some 32,000 pilgrims visited Uman.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The night before historic bail reforms were set to take effect on Jan. 1, Cook County court officials and workers were poised to implement the new system after years of seemingly nonstop meetings.

They replaced all the paperwork used for bail-related releases with new forms revised to comply with the law that eliminates cash bail as a condition of release from jail, judges told the Tribune.

Then, on New Years Eve, the Illinois Supreme Court halted implementation of the measure hours before it would take effect, putting the reforms in limbo and sending local court staff scrambling to reverse course for the court day.

We showed up on Jan. 1,  we had all our new forms ready, said Cook County Judge Mary Marubio, head of the pretrial division. We didnt order the old forms.

She told the public in court that morning to expect some hiccups.

Its a massive ship that needs to be turned, said Judge Charles Beach, a judge in the pretrial division. It doesnt turn on a dime.

Now, after a nine-month delay due to litigation from prosecutors across Illinois who opposed the law, the reforms will be rolled out Monday, a seminal moment for the state after years of debate over how to keep the public safe and create an equitable criminal justice system.

Those who work in that system told the Tribune they expect a little mayhem at the outset but tell of countless stakeholder meetings over the two-year preparation period ordered by the legislature.

They expect the reforms will be watched closely. Though a number of jurisdictions have eliminated or reduced cash bail in some form, Illinois is the first state to fully eliminate it legislatively and is a trailblazer in that respect.

The cash-bail measure, passed as part of the sweeping SAFE-T Act, has been controversial for those concerned about the public safety impact of the provisions  particularly Republicans. Opponents of Gov. J.B. Pritzker have sought to paint him and his Democratic allies as weak on crime  though studies of bail-reform measures in other jurisdictions have not shown a significant effect on recidivism or failure by defendants to appear in court.

Proponents of the law have long argued that cash bail deepened disparities in the system by disproportionately jailing people too poor to make bail, though some progressive advocates are citing concern about the law leading to an overreliance on electronic monitoring.

Remember, the system we have today isnt a perfect system. The system well have on Sept. 18, 19 isnt going to be perfect either, said Amanda Pyron, an advocate for survivors of gender-based violence who helped shape the law. We have to see if this system is going to be a little less imperfect than before . Thats going to take a little time.

A little more in depth

In Cook County, defendants and family members crowd daily into gallery seating at the Leighton Criminal Court Building and wait for their incoming cases to be called.

The judge explains different types of bond orders  such as bonds where the full amount is due, or only a deposit  and then the often lightning-fast court call begins.

In addition to eliminating money as a factor for release, the Pretrial Fairness Act is also intended to level the playing field and offer defendants more time to make a case against pretrial detention or excessive supervision orders.

Under the new system, there will be an initial appearance court call, where defendants will mostly be released with conditions, such as regular check-ins with authorities, as well as a court call for detention hearings made up of the more serious cases in which prosecutors seek to keep defendants incarcerated while they await trial.

Those hearings will be longer, with defense attorneys able to call witnesses to speak on behalf of the arrestee.

Were expecting them to be a little more in depth than the current 60-second bond hearing, said Takenya Nixon, an attorney supervisor for the Cook County public defenders office. Its  no longer one-sided.

In Lake County, prosecutors have begun submitting hearing requests for some of the countys 50 pending murder cases, States Attorney Eric Rinehart said.

Judges ultimately will have to rule on whether the law extends retroactively to such cases, he said.

The hearings should result in more dangerous people being incarcerated because they wont be able to pay money to get out, as happened in one pending case where a man shot someone after posting bail, Rinehart said.

The requirement for a hearing within 48 hours also should help to gather and clarify evidence early in the case, Rinehart said, which should help speed up the entire process and make it more fair.

Defense attorneys, who often were paid out of posted bond payments, may now ask for upfront retainer fees more often, he added.

Impact on public safety

Cook County has already been working under some degree of bail-reform measures since 2017, when a general order from Chief Judge Tim Evans sought to reduce judges use of money bond as a condition of release, with studies offering a look at the impact of bail reform.

A 2020 study of the orders effects found that it was associated with a slight increase in the odds of (failing to appear in court) but was not associated with the odds of new criminal activity or new violent criminal activity.

The percentage of defendants racking up a new criminal case remained steady at around 17% before and after the order, the study found, as did the percentage of defendants who were charged with a new violent offense, around 3%.

Defendants released pretrial rose from about 77% before the order to about 81% after, according to the study conducted by Don Stemen and David Olson, directors of the Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago.

The study also found no statistically significant change in the amount of crime in Chicago in the year after the order.

Studies of bail reform in other jurisdictions, such as New Jersey, which eliminated most instances of cash bail, have reached similar findings.

Pyron, executive director of The Network, a domestic violence advocacy organization, said she hopes to see risk-based decision-making from judges and prosecutors, as well as notification to survivors of bond hearings and that their input is being sought.

I think we too often use metrics around arrests and incarceration to be indicators of safety all by themselves, Pyron said. The metrics I want to see measured are survivor input into the process.

Detainable offenses

Cases involving murder charges and other serious allegations of violence will by and large still result in defendants being held in custody pretrial, though officials cant predict with certainty how prosecutors and judges will approach other charges in which the law allows for detention.

Officials expect that domestic violence cases will make up a large portion of those that become slated for detention hearings. Some weapons charges could go either way, officials have said.

Just because something is detainable  doesnt mean it will be filed all the time, Marubio said.

At a recent panel discussing implementation of the act, Marubio said the county could see about 20 detention hearings on weekend days and 10 on weekdays.

Regarding people jailed on money bonds, Nixon said public defenders will look at each case individually to decide whether to file a petition seeking release.

Well have to decide, along with the client, if asking the court to review the bond under the new law is more beneficial than under old current law, Nixon said. If their family is on the cusp of getting all the money together in order to bond them out, it might be a better situation for them than having a detention hearing.

DuPage County States Attorney Bob Berlin said later amendments to the law that allowed judges more discretion to detain defendants in a greater number of cases assuaged some concerns raised by law enforcement and prosecutors.

One of the biggest amended changes, Berlin said, was to include detention for defendants judged a threat to the community, rather than just those who posed a specific threat to a person, as it was initially.

Potential detention was expanded to include all nonprobationable felonies, but many low level, Class 4 felonies, such as criminal damage to property, are nondetainable.

Berlin said he generally expects people to be detained if they are charged with murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, serious domestic battery, carjackings with a gun and armed robberies with a gun, but its up to the judge in each case.

The amendment is significantly better than the original law, but I still think it needs to give judges more discretion, Berlin said. Its really unclear how its going to work.

Olson, who co-authored the study of Cook County bail reform, said at a recent panel discussion that it remains to be seen how officials in each individual county approach the new system.

We dont know at what rate prosecutors will seek detention, at what rate judges will impose detention, he said. Its likely to vary.

Supervision on the street

Ways of supervising those who will not be incarcerated also vary widely across Illinois counties, with some having robust electronic monitoring and pretrial monitoring programs and others having little to no programs in place.

As a byproduct of the legislation, prosecutors may ask more frequently for electronic monitoring of people who are released, Rinehart, the Lake County prosecutor, said, though advocates for progressive criminal justice reforms are already raising concerns about an overreliance on such programs.

How (defendants) are supervised or whether they are supervised varies dramatically from county to county, Olson said.

Last month, the state rolled out a new program that will provide electronic monitoring in 70 counties, the first time it has been overseen by one agency across such a wide swath of Illinois, according to the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services.

But the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, an organization that worked to pass the abolition of cash bail, put out a statement criticizing the statewide electronic monitoring program, arguing that expanding such programs violate the spirit of the Pretrial Fairness Act.

It feels like a half-baked plan that somebody put together to convince someone the (state is) doing something so that the streets arent running wild with criminals, said James Kilgore, who works for a reentry program in downstate Champaign and is a researcher for an organization challenging electronic monitoring programs.

Kilgore said awaiting trial on house arrest can make it difficult for people to keep jobs and meet daily needs.

Cara Smith, director of the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, has noted that other jurisdictions have seen increases in electronic monitoring after implementing bail reforms, but said the agency would be monitoring and making sure orders for such monitoring comply with the law.

She also said the agency uses text reminders and has transportation assistance to help people remain in compliance by attending court dates.

Looking ahead to Monday, some who work in criminal courts said the looming change felt anticlimactic after a ramp up of more than two years, while others braced themselves for a learning curve.

I think were ready to go, Berlin said, noting the numerous preparation meetings.

Nixon also said the Cook County defense bar has had nonstop trainings to prepare, but noted that everyone will be navigating a new system.

I fully expect a wee bit of chaos on the first day, she said.
West Texas A&M University students Ava Sealy and Jacob Hurst taught classes on environment science at Amarillo College and in the Canyon ISD last year. That was, in a way, the dress rehearsal for taking their act on the road.

And what a long road it was  approximately 6,555 miles.

Sealy and Hurst, under the coordination of Dr. Naruki Hiranuma, associate professor of environmental science, traveled to Japan in July as part of the Universitys Study Abroad program.

Actually, it was more teaching than studying as Hurst and Sealy taught 165 students from second to 12th grade over six days in four schools in three cities.

WT students Ava Sealy and Jacob Hurst and Dr. Naruki Hiranuma, associate professor of environmental science, all three standing center, traveled to several Japanese cities to teach elementary students in four schools the basics of climate science.

It was pretty challenging just because of the language barrier, said Sealy, a junior environmental science student from Hobbs, New Mexico. But it was super exciting to see a bunch of students enjoy learning about climate.

We were super hands-on. At one point, we had smoke going everywhere. They thought that was the coolest thing although I never quite understood what they were telling me.

Collaborating with people in his native country is a project Hiranuma has wanted to lead for a long time, especially since he began teaching at WT in 2016. In this first trip, he intentionally took only took two students in what amounted to a first-year trial to see how it went.

I was very happy with our modules and being able to teach them and have them understand what youre trying to convey, said Hurst, a Canyon native and 2023 graduate in physics whos now taking graduate courses. We tried to convey climate awareness and spread knowledge of how climate works in the atmosphere and how gas emissions affect plant life.

WT students Ava Sealy and Jacob Hurst, both standing center, and Dr. Naruki Hiranuma, associate professor of environmental science, traveled to several schools in Japan over the summer to teach climate science.

Sealy and Hurst are among a group of Hiranumas students who taught outreach lessons to approximately 500 students at elementary and middle schools in Canyon as well as at AC. They have also had booths at two annual events at Amarillo Zoo on climate change.

Taking that same curriculum with them, the WT trio left for Japan on July 2. Before returning on July 11, they taught primarily elementary-age students in the cities of Kumamoto, Fukuyama and Tokushima on the islands of Kyushu, Honchu and Shikoku. There was about 650 miles of travel between the three cities.

The first stop on July 5 was perhaps the easiest  the Kumamoto International School in Kumamoto (pop, 740,000). The 40 fifth- through eighth-graders are skilled in English.

An ice-breaker, Sealy said.

The international school was pretty simple, Hurst said, because they knew English pretty well. Once we got outside of that, it was a little more difficult understanding what they were trying to speak about even thought we did have interpreters. But body language was helpful in what they were asking.

On July 8, it was a smaller group of 20 second- through sixth-graders at Mitsubishi Electric in Fukuyama (pop. 464,000). The final two days were in Tokushima. The first stop on July 9 was Asutamu Land, an interactive science center, for 80 from the broad range of fifth grade through 12th grade, and the final day was Kamikatsu Elementary for 15 fifth- and sixth-graders.

We wanted to enhance critical thinking skills even at that young age, Hiranuma said. This is not like simple math or regular science in trying to come up with the answer. Theres no such definitive answer.

The objective was not to cover A to Z in climate science, and again, one of the objectives is to increase international public awareness of global climate science.

There was also a subtle reason to go as well. There was a goodwill ambassador mission to spread a little bit of the Buffalo to young students in the Far East. A classroom of 20 students and three local teachers wearing maroon WT shirts and giving the sign of the Buffalo in the Far East is not a real common occurrence.

Maybe we influenced a student or two to think about going into a STEM major and travel to WT to get their degree, Sealy said.

It is an avenue that worked for Hiranuma. He went through traditional schooling and got his undergraduate degree in Japan. After that, he went to Ontario to learn English before arriving at WT in 2003 to pursue his masters in environmental science. He earned his doctorate in atmospheric science from Texas A&M University.

Plans are in place to return to Japan over the next two summers, and possibly into other countries not just to teach, but to spread the word on WT.

Students in four schools in three Japanese cities learned from WT students who were on a Study Abroad trip. They taught climate science and spread the word about WT.

Its a little bit of recruiting, a little bit of a grassroots opportunity for the future, Hiranuma said. I basically told many of the Japanese kids to put themselves in situations where they have to use other languages and be part of a different culture.

It will open up a lot more opportunities. Just being in another country is a great opportunity for them to learn something new. They can stay in Japan, in their comfort zone, but if they want to be outstanding in some field like science, it would be a shortcut for them to do something noble.

Beilue

Sealy and Hurst were in a different culture for 10 days. Not all the time was in a classroom. They visited temples, shrines and castles and dabbled in the ancient history of Japan that goes back centuries. Some of that tradition doesnt go back at all.

On the first day, they were struggling eating with chopsticks, Hiranuma said. But by the last day, they had expertly mastered it. Like our Japanese students, they were quick learners.

Editor's note: This column originally appeared on the WT website.

Do you know of a student, faculty member, project, an alumnus or any other story idea for WT: The Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle? If so, email Jon Mark Beilue at jbeilue@wtamu.edu .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Beilue: WT students take climate change study to Japanese classrooms
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Climate activists sprayed orange and yellow paint on the columns of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to push demands for a stop to the use of fossil fuels by 2030.

"Members of the so-called 'Last Generation' sprayed the columns on the east side of the Brandenburg Gate with orange paint from fire extinguishers during the morning," Berlin police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It added that police officers noticed a hydraulic lift was being operated at the gate and they kept the protesters from scaling the landmark building. They arrested all 14 protesters at the site and launched an investigation into property damage.

The Last Generation, a Germany-based group within the Europe-wide A22 network that includes Britain's Just Stop Oil, has made headlines in Germany with hundreds of road blocks by protesters who glued themselves to the tarmac.

Their action has triggered a law-enforcement crackdown by Germany's federal states.

The Last Generation posted pictures of the spray-painting on X.

"We will not stop our protest unless a pivot is initiated. We have to exit oil, natural gas and coal by 2030 at the latest," it said.

Germany aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, but it missed annual targets for the last two years.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Christina Fincher)
 Flash

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)

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.
Bernie Sanders on Sunday voiced support for a 4-day workweek, a demand of striking auto workers.

On CNN, the Vermont senator blamed long working hours for a decline in US life expectancy.

"People in America are stressed out for a dozen different reasons," Sanders said.

This country needs to seriously consider cutting back the hours that people have to labor at their job, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told CNN on Sunday, suggesting the 40-hour workweek is at least partly to blame for Americans' declining life expectancy.

A 32-hour, four-day workweek  for the same pay  is a key demand of the United Auto Workers, whose members went on strike last week after talks with Ford, GM, and Stellantis failed to deliver a new contract. The demand, in part, reflects concerns that the electrification of the auto industry, paired with emerging artificial intelligence technologies, will significantly reduce the amount of human labor required to assemble a new vehicle.

Sanders, asked whether he thought the UAW's position was simply a bargaining ploy, said he thinks it's actually worth having a conversation about.

"As a nation, we should begin a serious discussion  and UAW is doing that  about substantially lowering the workweek," Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, told CNN's Jake Tapper.

"People in America are stressed out for a dozen different reasons, and that's one of the reasons why life expectancy in our country is actually in decline," he said. "People are overwhelmed. They've got to take care of their kids. They've got to worry about healthcare. They've got to worry about housing. They're worried."

According to the CDC, life expectancy at birth fell to 76.1 years in 2021, the second year in a row that the number fell, largely due to COVID-19. Other contributing factors included heart disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and suicide, the CDC said.

Studies of a four-day workweek, meanwhile, including a pilot program involving some 2,900 workers in the UK, have suggested employees' time at work could be reduced without hurting companies' revenue  and with workers reporting less stress and anxiety.

Sanders argued that cutting time at work would also be a just reward for gains in worker productivity, particularly with the advent of AI.

"It seems to me that if new technology is going to make us a more productive society, the benefits should go to the workers," he said. "It would be an extraordinary thing to see people have more time to spend with their kids, with their families, to be able to do more cultural activities, to get a better education."

It is something, he continued, that "absolutely we need to be discussing."

Read the original article on Business Insider
In an annular eclipse, the edges of the sun remain visible around the moon.

On October 14, the moon will cruise between Earth and the sun during an annular solar eclipse, casting an immense shadow on our planet. It will be a sight to behold, though youll want to wear protective glasses or glimpse it indirectly to avoid frying your eyeballs. Unlike 2017s total eclipse , the sun wont vanish completely; instead, the moon will be positioned far enough from our planet to leave the stars brilliant edges visible. The result is a ring of fire, as though the moon has been outlined with a blowtorch. Every continental state will have at least a partial view of this event, but spotting this celestial circle could be well worth the travel.

The eclipses 125-mile-wide path of annularity begins in the US in Oregon at 12:13 p.m. Eastern (9:13 a.m. Pacific). It will loom over the country until it leaves Texas at 1:03 p.m. (12:03 Central), continuing its southeastward journey to Central and South America. The best viewing conditions will be in places with low fog and high aridity, like Nevada and Utah, the two driest states in the country. The place with the lowest chance of cloud cover is Albuquerque, New Mexicobut most of the path of annularity looks pretty good, says University of Texas at San Antonio astrophysics professor Angela Speck , who co-chairs the American Astronomical Societys Solar Eclipse Task Force .

If you can, schedule an eclipse viewing break in your day: Astronomers have calculated precisely when the best views occur in your neighborhood . Depending on where you are in the path, the annularitys duration ranges from a little more than a minute to nearly five.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs71YCXrXpg

The phenomenon will also sweep through several public land areas, including 29 national park sites and dozens of state-owned ones. When visiting these spotswhich offer skies unobstructed by city and suburb infrastructure please dont stop your car mid-traffic to gawk at the moon passing overhead, says Justina Parsons-Bernstein, who works at the Utah Department of Natural Resources as its heritage, interpretation, and ADA resources manager. Camping may be an option; Parsons-Bernstein recommends checking the website ReserveAmerica for availability. Some campsites are already filling updiehard eclipse chasers have planned this out months in advancebut others, such as Utahs Fremont Indian State Park , have opened extra lots specifically for the October happening. There are a bounty of destinations to consider.

Oregon

The first US national park that the eclipse will pass over is Crater Lake , where water has filled a collapsed volcano, Mount Mazama. All of the park is in the annularitys path, so prepare for crowds as well as limited parking and lodging .

Other Oregon parks in the path:

Shore Acres State Park

[Related: Weve been predicting eclipses for over 2,000 years. Heres how. ]

California

Bat-filled caves, battlefields, and basaltic flows make up Lava Beds National Monument , a desert landscape that is the product of thousands of years of volcanic activity. Only the northeast sliver of this California park is directly in the annularitys path, but the section just outside it may be a good vantage for another fascinating feature of the eclipse: Bailys beads , short-lived bright dots caused when sunbeams stream through the crags and valleys of the lunar surface.

Mount Shasta as seen from Lava Beds National Monument.

Nevada

The southern edge of the US path of annularity cuts through Great Basin National Park , where park staff will be available to guide viewers, according to the National Park Service. The agency also notes that, while the park tends to be less busy in October , eclipse watchers should be prepared for the event to bring out crowds.

Utah

Parsons-Bernstein ordered 20,000 eclipse glasses that will be distributed across Utahs state parks on a first come, first serve basis. In the entire state, theres no less than 83 percent view of the annularity, she says. But several areas are dead-on 100 percent, including 13 parks that are directly in the eclipses path. One of those is Goblin Valley State Park , which boasts rocky scenery so otherworldly that the movie Galaxy Quest used it as an alien planet.

Other Utah parks in the path:

Bryce Canyon National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Goosenecks State Park

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Hovenweep National Monument

Natural Bridges National Monument

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum

The October path of annularity crosses multiple Utah state parks.

Arizona

The moons shadow will zip into Arizona at speeds of around 3,150 mph , slowing to 2,626 mph as it leaves. It will pass through Navajo National Monument , where, for hundreds of years, Hopi, Navajo, and other Native Americans lived in the canyons. However, visitors to the Hopi Reservation and Navajo Nation should be aware that, in some traditions, eclipses are sacred times to pray or meditate indoors.

Other Arizona parks in the path:

Canyon De Chelly National Monument

[Related: 7 US parks where you can get stunning nightsky views ]

Colorado

Celebrating its remarkable Ancestral Pueblo cliff settlements, Mesa Verde National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Go for the eclipse, but stick around after nightfall on campgrounds and scenic overlooks: The park has one of the darkest skies in the continental US, and boasts stellar views of the Milky Way.

Other Colorado parks in the path:

Yucca House National Monument

The Milky Way above Mesa Verde's Point Lookout.

New Mexico

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park at Los Alamos was once the secret city where physicists developed the atomic bomb. Now, certain areas are open to the public (many of the buildings are within an area secured by the Energy Department thats only occasionally available by guided tour). But hikers can take the trail loop on Kwage Mesa , which will offer views of the annularity.

Other New Mexico parks in the path:

Aztec Ruins National Monument

Bandelier National Monument

Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Pecos National Historical Park

Petroglyph National Monument

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Salinas Pueblo Mission National Monument

Valles Caldera National Preserve

Texas

As the eclipse falls over the Lone Star State, it will darken 17 state parks as well as San Antonio Missions National Historical Park . Just after noon, it will depart the US for the Gulf of Mexico, but not before touching one last bit of public American land: the Padre Island National Seashore , which is just a quick drive from Corpus Christi and famous for its unique, biodiverse mudflats.

Other Texas parks in the path:

Big Spring State Park

Choke Canyon State Park

Goose Island State Park

Kickapoo Cavern State Park

Lake Corpus Christi State Park

Mustang Island State Park
House Democrats are reassessing their strategy for responding to investigations into President Biden that have officially become part of a broader impeachment inquiry, determined to accelerate their fact-checking of Republican claims and sever interest in Biden from the mounting problems faced by his son.

Democratic lawmakers and aides say they must combat a GOP that is flooding the zone with false accusations about Biden, raising questions about the extent to which each claim should be refuted and determining the most pressing narratives to counter.

At the same time, many want to disentangle the president from the investigation into Hunter Biden , whose business dealings are being dissected by the GOP and who now faces gun charges after a multiyear Justice Department probe.

I think we need to articulate in general that theyve not laid a glove on Joe Biden, and then we need to refute specific innuendo, rumors and speculation, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told The Hill.

We have to just educate the country that we have examined 12,000 pages of bank records, and 2,000 [page of suspicious activity reports], and weve talked to dozens of witnesses. And nobody links President Biden to any criminality.

In the face of Hunter Bidens charges, some Democrats have been more vocal in suggesting that some of his behavior was unethical and even criminal, a move that comes as aides say the party must show no wrongdoing leads back to his father.

Thats a huge part of the strategy is separating whatever Hunters issues are from President Biden and drawing that distinction, a senior Democratic aide with knowledge of the investigations told The Hill.

Theres no reason to throw [Hunter] under the bus. Its more of, our job is not to defend him. Theres a very big difference between those two things.

The sprawling investigation into the two Bidens covers everything from Hunter Bidens business ventures to unproven and refuted allegations that have circled for years in Republican rhetoric over whether Bidens public pressure to oust a Ukrainian prosecutor was related to his sons work.

Republicans have yet to find the smoking gun to prove their most serious accusation  that President Biden accepted a bribe in the course of seeking the prosecutors removal.

And theyve also zeroed in on testimony from two IRS whistleblowers involved in investigating Hunter Bidens potential tax crimes who have complained the Justice Department probe was slow walked.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that the inquiry would allow investigators to continue their work, saying what theyve found should concern all Americans.

Democrats and Republicans have volleyed memos back and forth, released lengthy transcripts and taken to the airwaves to promote and combat the claims, producing an extensive amount of information for opposing staffers and reporters to sift through.

The senior Democratic aide said they will have to be more aggressive than they have been.

Were just not going to let that stuff sit perhaps like we used to. I mean, once narratives take hold its really hard to undo them, the aide said.

The problem is that some of it is so conspiracy theory-driven that its even hard to go after  They are just flooding the zone with so much innuendo and garbage that were gonna have to find a way to systematically fact-check that stuff and make sure those narratives are not taking hold.

Still, recent polling suggests Republicans have been effective in relaying their message.

A CNN poll conducted before Hunter Bidens indictment found that 61 percent of respondents said they believe the president had some involvement in his sons business dealings while 42 percent said they believe he acted illegally.

The White House in Wednesday memo to news outlets called on reporters to thoroughly vet GOP claims.

Reporting that solely focuses on process rather than substance is woefully inadequate when it comes to something as historically grave as impeachment, Ian Sams, a special assistant to the president, wrote.

Its time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies. 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, he added, listing a string of GOP members who have expressed reservations about a lack of evidence gathered thus far.

But another Democratic aide familiar with the investigations said the party will have to figure out a balancing act.

Its challenging because what are we supposed to [do] every time they lie [then] counter with the facts? When theyre doing it so constantly? When theyre constantly bombarding with no attention to what is real? Thats a lot, the aide said.

The aide added that could fatigue reporters.

We have the facts and an argument to undercut every one of their arguments, but the press corps, each outlet, you all have your own capacity for the day, the aide continued.

I think that a lot of Democrats feel like OK, so lets go after the most egregious and most foundational lies and misrepresentations and distortions Republicans are promoting, the aide said.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) suggested that would be an easy lift.

It makes it very easy to respond to. All we do is point out that this apparently is some deal that Kevin McCarthy has made to try to keep the right wingers from voting him out of the Speakership, he said.

Thats no basis for an investigation thats supposed to have evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors.

In the halls of Congress last week, many sought to distinguish between the budding impeachment inquiry into President Biden and the congressional and law enforcement investigations into his son.

Hunter Biden is obviously a very disturbed person. Hes, you know, hes a drug addict; he may very well have committed crimes, but [when it comes to] the president, theyve shown no connection, House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) told The Hill.

For all of [Rep.] James Comer [R-Ky.] and [Rep.] Jim Jordans [R-Ohio] bluster, when they talk about the evidence  The evidence is going to be there  but its not there. They never show it. We will show how ridiculous this is.

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who as a staffer worked on former President Trumps first impeachment, also said Republicans would be unable to connect President Biden to wrongdoing, mocking the GOPs fondness for saying they are investigating the Biden family.

Every single time you hear a Republican say, the Biden family, just know thats because it does not include Joe Biden. If it did, they would say Joe Biden, he said.

Impeachment of Joe Biden requires evidence linking Joe Biden to wrongdoing either by Hunter Biden or otherwise, and there is no evidence at all to support an impeachment inquiry based on what we know.

The senior aide noted that much of Republicans fixation on Hunter Biden deals with the handling of his case by the Justice Department (DOJ), including whether the special counsel on the case had the authority to bring charges elsewhere  an inquiry they said would maybe suggest wrongdoing by the DOJ at best.

What on paper theyre trying to do is impeach Hunter Biden, the aide said.

Were spending so much time talking about these things that actually dont have anything to do with President Biden. So I think thats the point in all of this is sort of reframing and refocusing the debate on, you know, the actual, actual situation here.

McCarthys inquiry kickoff is just the first step, and its unclear if the leader will bring the matter to the full House floor for a vote ahead of any potential articles for impeachment that might be considered down the road.

This thing is going to stretch out to the election, and that is not a bug of the system, that is a feature, and this is going to take a while, the senior aide said.

This is the new normal from now probably through Election Day, unfortunately.

This story was updated at 10:41 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Jake Sullivan , US National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden, has held meetings with Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, on 16-17 September in Malta during which the war in Ukraine was discussed.

Source: website of the White House

Quote: "The two sides discussed key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russias war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues, among other topics. The United States noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The two sides committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China in the coming months."

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
FILE - White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Sullivan met in Malta over the past two days with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Maltese government said Sunday, Sept. 17, in a statement. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden's national security adviser met with China's foreign minister over the past two days on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta in an effort that the White House said Sunday was intended to responsibly maintain the relationship at a time of strained ties and mutual suspicion between the rival powers.

The White House said in a statement that Jake Sullivan and Chinese envoy Wang Yi had candid, substantive and constructive discussions as the world's two largest economies try to maintain open lines of communication. Sullivan and Wang last met in May in Vienna f or talks. The two officials spent about 12 hours together over two days in Malta.

Washington and Beijing see themselves as competitors despite an extensive trade partnership. President Joe Biden recently spoke with Chinese Premier Li Qiang while in India at the Group of 20 summit and told reporters afterward that they had talked about stability and it wasn't confrontational at all.

Biden has worked to strengthen relations with Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam and others to counterbalance China's influence across the Pacific Region. Yet Biden said last Sunday at a news conference in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi that those alliances are not about a cold war with China.

Its not about containing China, he said. Its about having a stable base" for global economic growth.

Yet the relationship is full of competing pressures.

The Biden administration shot down a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the continental U.S. earlier this year. The Chinese government hacked the emails of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The U.S. government has restricted the exporting of advanced computer chips to China. And after Chinese President Xi Jinping centralized his power, the Chinese economy has not rebounded as expected after ending its pandemic lockdowns.

The White House said Sullivan and Wang discussed the relationship between the two countries, global and regional security issues, Russia's war in Ukraine and the Taiwan Strait. They also discussed artificial intelligence, counternarcotic efforts and the status of detained U.S. citizens in China.

The United States noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The two sides committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China in the coming months, according to the statement.

A Chinese statement said Wang emphasized that Taiwan is the most important red line for China in its relationship with the U.S. and that the U.S. must honor its commitment not to support Taiwan independence. It said the two sides conducted candid, substantive and constructive talks on stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relations.

A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on the talks said the two sides did not discuss the whereabouts of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public since Aug. 29

Speculation about Li's standing comes after Qin Gang was abruptly removed in July as foreign minister, a change announced weeks after he had disappeared from public view earlier in the summer.

Biden's ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, used a social media posting last week to take note of Li's situation. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, Emanuel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Asked why Sullivan did not raise the issue with Wang, the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting, said the talks were focused on the bilateral relationship.

The Sullivan-Wang meeting comes as Biden and other world leaders are set to take part in the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly. Biden is scheduled to address the world body on Tuesday and meet with leaders of five Central Asian nations -- Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Xi has stepped up his own courting of those countries. During his own summit in May with the Central Asian leaders, Xi promised to build more railway and other trade links with the region and proposed jointly developing oil and gas sources

Sullivan told reporters last week that Bidens meeting with those leaders should not be seen as an effort to counterbalance Chinese influence in the region.

Look, this summit is not against any country, Sullivan said, previewing the meeting. It is for a positive agenda that we want to work through with these countries.

Xi did not attend last weekend's G20 summit in New Delhi and is not expected to be in New York for the General Assembly. Biden has said he hopes to soon meet with Xi. The two leaders have not spoken since the they met for talks last November in Indonesia, according to the White House.

Sullivan also met with Malta's prime minister, Robert Abela. They talked about the Mediterranean region's role in helping to provide global peace and security, according to a statement by the Maltese government.

___

Boak reported from Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.
President Joe Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan , secretly met in Europe this weekend with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to two U.S. officials, a significant step in U.S. efforts to repair deeply strained relations with China.

Sullivan and Wang Yi held discussions Saturday and Sunday in Malta as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly managing the relationship, one of the officials said.

Their talks could lay the groundwork for a much-anticipated meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping this fall aimed at easing tensions between the worlds two largest economies in the wake of the surveillance balloon saga and China's support for Russias war in Ukraine.

Administration officials have been preparing for a possible meeting in November around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, summit in San Francisco.

A meeting between the two leaders would come at a critical moment in the U.S.-China relations. A variety of economic and security issues are at stake, including export controls, the war in Ukraine and concerns in the U.S. that China could move on Taiwan.

INDONESIA-US-CHINA-G20-SUMMIT (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images file)

The Biden administration has worried that a lack of communication between the two countries could lead to an unintentional confrontation and has sought in recent months to get relations back on track after they hit a new low in February when the Pentagon shot down the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S.

Biden and Xi have not spoken in nearly a year.

They last met in November last year on the sidelines of a summit of world leaders in Bali, Indonesia. Despite Biden saying earlier this year, after his administration shot down the spy balloon, that he expected to speak with Xi, a phone call between the two leaders never materialized. At a fundraising event in June, Biden referred to Xi as a dictator  a term sure to irritate Chinese officials.

Biden said he was disappointed that Xi did not attend a summit this month for the Group of 20 leading world economies in India. When asked after the summit when he expected to meet again with Xi, Biden said, I hope I get to see Mr. Xi sooner than later.

Sullivans meeting follows a series of high-level talks between U.S. and Chinese officials in recent months. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited China last month. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen traveled to Beijing in July.

In the first visit to China by a U.S. secretary of state since 2018, Antony Blinken met in June with Xi in Beijing, and he met in July with Wang Yi  a discussion the administration also described at the time as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication between the two countries.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said last week that the administration expects Blinken and Wang Yi to meet sometime this year in the U.S., potentially on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will be attending the assembly, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a news conference Friday, suggesting the country's top diplomat, Wang, might skip the meeting.

Sullivan, speaking to reporters on Friday, didnt rule out a possible meeting between a top U.S. official and Chinas vice president, who is expected to attend the U.N. General Assembly in the absence of Xi.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Dr. Robbie Goldstein donated blood two weeks ago for the first time in his life.

On Thursday, Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld did the same.

Both have devoted their lives to medicine and public service. But until recently Goldstein, the commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Ehrenfeld, the president of the American Medical Association, were barred from perhaps the simplest way they could help.

They couldnt donate their own blood.

Both men are gay, and gay men in America have been banned from blood donations since the mid-1980s.

Back then, it made some scientific sense to keep gay men from donating. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, had entered the blood supply and was passing to people who received transfusions. There was no way back then to rapidly screen donated blood to ensure the virus wasnt present. The fear of HIV, then a certain death sentence, also affected public policy.

By 2005, the science had been transformed. Testing could rapidly identify HIV in blood with more than 99% certainty. The disease was readily preventable and treatable.

Yet the policy remained unchanged for nearly two decades.

Its hurtful when you should be able to do something so selfless and so important and you cant because of a bad policy decision that is based in old evidence, stigma and discrimination, Ehrenfeld said.

New policy: Gay, bisexual men in monogamous relationships can donate blood

The back story

In 2015, Goldstein was a first-year infectious disease fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital just finishing a rough week of duty. The patients had been difficult and the care emotionally draining.

Sitting in the room set aside for medical fellows, his mentor Dr. Rochelle Walensky suggested they finish the week by donating blood together. Giving something that benefits someone else and that her own body can regenerate naturally helps her regain a sense of control after particularly stressful times at work.

Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, top and Former CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, bottom, react as they donate blood to commemorate the recently updated rules enabling many gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men to donate blood, to honor a pact they made, and help raise awareness of this important change.

"It was a startling moment in that dark fellows room to think of how insensitive I had been to the fact that Robbie couldn't give," said Walensky, who spent much of her career focused on HIV before recently completing a two-year stint as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She made him a promise that they would donate blood together some day.

It took eight years to make good on that promise, which finally happened two weeks ago.

The slow pace of policy change

The two, along with a colleague, Dr. Chana Sacks, co-authored a paper in 2016 in the New England Journal of Medicine to raise awareness about the problem.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky donated blood in 2015 while Drs. Chana Sacks and Robbie Goldstein watched.

But it took until Walensky was in federal office, with Goldstein as a key deputy, for them to help push through a regulatory change.

The policy had been profoundly unfair, they and others said, because it singled out gay and bisexual men while ignoring straight men who might be at equal or higher risk for carrying HIV.

On May 11, the Food and Drug Administration officially changed its policy allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they have been monogamous for the previous three months.

On Aug. 7, the Red Cross announced it had changed its screening questionnaire, removing questions designed to single out men who have sex with men. Instead of asking about sexual orientation, the Red Cross now asks any would-be donor to wait three months after having had anal sex with a new or multiple sexual partners.

Dr. Amesh Adalja , a spokesperson for the Infectious Disease Society of America, said the policy still doesn't go far enough.

"The guidance and the questions should reflect the state of the art and not be holdovers from an older era where blunt tools were used because they had to be used and now they don't," said Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Current testing is so precise that the only people who might be missed are people who get infected with HIV while taking PrEP medication. The medication, given to prevent infection and to treat people who are infected, keeps viral loads so low that they may be undetectable by screening, Adalja said. But people with such undetectable viral levels are unable to transmit the virus anyway.

"You don't need to exclude people based on behavior when you have a diagnostic test that obviates those questions," he said.

Former CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, left, and Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, congratulate each other after donating blood to commemorate the recently updated rules enabling many gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men to donate blood, to honor a pact they made, and help raise awareness of this important change.

The impact of the change

The Red Cross' blood supply nationally has fallen by about 25% since early August, with distribution of blood products outpacing donations, according to the Red Cross website. Although donations are typically low this time of year because of late summer vacations, experts say the problem is particularly acute because the work-from-home movement has made office blood drives less effective.

Adding gay and bisexual men to the donor pool is likely to increase the blood supply by about 4%, Ehrenfeld said. With each donation having the potential to save three lives, that increase works out to an extra 544,000 units on top of the typical yearly supply of 13.6 million units collected or potentially more than 1.6 million lives saved.

Ehrenfeld, an anesthesiologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin who uses blood products for his patients every day, said it was particularly tough for him to be prohibited from donating when his own son was born prematurely at 29 weeks.

"You always rely on the kindness of strangers," Ehrenfeld said, noting that blood donations can't be directed to a particular patient. "But to be pulled out (of donating) was a really, really difficult thing to grapple as we were watching our son."

American Red Cross: National blood shortage due to climate disasters, low donor turnout

Goldstein also writes regular requests for units of red blood cells or platelets.

"Every time I do it, I realize it's a precious resource and it's giving them life, and it's something I couldn't partake in before," he said on a recent Zoom call with Walensky.

The policy shift, he said, gave him a profound psychological boost.

"For my entire adult life, I'd been told by government that my blood wasn't clean, that my blood wasn't worthy."

Donating, he said, was "a really amazing moment."

Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association, donated blood for the first time, alongside his husband, Judd Taback.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FDA, Red Cross end ban on blood donations targeting bisexual, gay men
(The Hill)  Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) pushed back on media accounts of her being kicked out of a Denver theater production of Beetlejuice last week over bad behavior, saying that some accounts were exaggerated and untrue.

I was a little too eccentric. Im very known for having an animated personality, maybe overtly animated personality. I was laughing, I was singing, having a fantastic time, Boebert said in an OAN interview Sunday. Was told to kinda settle it down a little bit, which I did, but then my next flip up was taking a picture.

Video from the evening shows Boebert causing a disturbance during the performance, including vaping and taking flash photography. While being escorted out of the theater, video appears to show her giving the finger to security guards.

The controversial congresswoman garnered widespread criticism for her behavior, mostly online.

Her office previously denied the vaping allegations, but Boebert went back on the story and apologized Friday.

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 said in a Facebook post. 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.

The Associated Press reported that Boebert and her date argued with theater security while leaving, with the congresswoman at one point saying I will be contacting the mayor.

Boebert vehemently denied those claims.

Theres reports saying I was arguing, threatening to call the Denver mayor  I dont know why I would ever call the Denver mayor, I think he would have tried to lock me up, she said Sunday.

In the Friday apology, she attributed part of her behavior to a recent divorce and other personal challenges.

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, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
 Flash

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.
BROCKTON  The latest sweep aimed at alleged street-level drug dealers in Brockton netted 19 arrests. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said this year's Brockton Opiate Suppression Initiative sought to send a message that "drug dealing is not welcome here in Brockton."

The opening act of the Brockton High football team's new era didn't go as first-year head coach Jermaine Wiggins wanted. We made a lot of mistakes," Wiggins said. Brockton battled Franklin on Thursday.

A Bridgewater man has been indicted on a murder charge in connection with the bludgeoning of his neighbor.

A block of 11 properties owned by mayoral candidate Hamilton Rodrigues won't be sold at foreclosure auction after all. The building that houses the iconic George's Cafe plus nearby parcels were scheduled to be sold to the highest bidder on Sept. 26.

Preparations are underway for this weekend's Greek Festival in Brockton.

In case you missed it, here are five stories of the top stories from the past week throughout the Brockton area.

19 arrested in predawn Brockton Opiate Suppression Initiative warrant sweep

The latest sweep aimed at alleged street-level drug dealers in Brockton netted 19 arrests Wednesday. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said this year's Brockton Opiate Suppression Initiative sought to send a message that "drug dealing is not welcome here in Brockton." Investigators from State Police and Brockton police obtained arrest warrants for 31 people and started serving them before dawn on Wednesday. More than 60 members of at least 11 different law enforcement units fanned out in the sweep, Cruz's office said in a written statement.

19 arrested in warrant sweep: 19 arrested in predawn Brockton Opiate Suppression Initiative warrant sweep

State Police arrest driver State Police say they've arrested Mercedes driver who dragged trooper in Brockton

Massachusetts State Police knock on doors in Brockton in June 2022 as part of the Brockton Opiate Suppression Initiative.

From left, Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez, Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason, Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz held a joint press conference at the Brockton Fairgrounds on Tuesday, June 28, 2022,

George's, properties owned by Brockton mayor hopeful Rodrigues taken off auction block

A block of 11 properties owned by mayoral candidate Hamilton Rodrigues won't be sold at foreclosure auction after all. The building that houses the iconic George's Cafe plus nearby parcels were scheduled to be sold to the highest bidder on Sept. 26 for "failure to make payments when due." Rodrigues said the foreclosure wasn't because of his financial mismanagement, as alleged by his business partner Joao Cardoso in a lawsuit, but instead a strategy to resolve the dispute.

George's properties: George's, properties owned by Brockton mayor hopeful Rodrigues taken off auction block

George's Cafe, a staple restaurant in Brockton for many years, owned by mayoral candidate Hamilton Rodrigues, pictured on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.

A Bridgewater man has been indicted on a murder charge in connection with the bludgeoning of his neighbor

A Plymouth County grand jury returned indictments on Monday charging Dinis Moreira, 69, of Bridgewater, with one count each of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The charges stem from a May 26, 2023, incident in Bridgewater. Bridgewater police received a call on their business line about 12:34 a.m. that day from Moreira's son, who reported his father had called him and indicated he had been in an altercation with someone, who was in his home injured, the Plymouth County district attorney's office said in a written statement on the indictment. Police responded shortly after and found the woman, later identified as 58-year-old Valerie Oakhem, with severe trauma to her head and face, the DA's office said.

Bridgewater man indicted for murder:: Bridgewater man indicted for murder in hammer bludgeoning of his neighbor

Valerie Oakhem's children hold a photograph of their mother in Brockton District Court on Friday, May 26, 2023. Valerie Oakhem's neighbor, Dinis Moreira, 69, of Bridgewater, was arraigned Friday on a murder charge after allegedly bludgeoning her to death.

Brockton schools assistant CFO warned his supervisors of deficit: What the emails say

Brockton Public Schools' Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chris Correia, who was put on administrative leave in early September after the announcement of the $14.4 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2023, had warned school district Chief Financial Officer Aldo Petronio of the impending financial crisis as early as July 2022, according to emails obtained by The Enterprise on Monday. Attorneys representing Correia also informed city and school district officials that they plan to file a lawsuit against the city for violating the Massachusetts Whistleblower Protection Act by retaliating against Correia when they placed him on leave.

'Beyond irresponsible':: 'This is beyond irresponsible': Brockton schools assistant CFO seeks whistleblower protection

What is a whistleblower?: In light of Brockton schools' $14M deficit, what is a whistleblower?

Timeline: TIMELINE: Who knew what when about Brockton Public Schools' $14.4 million deficit?

From left, Brockton Public Schools Assistant Chief Financial Officer Chris Correia; Brockton Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Aldo Petronio; and Brockton Chief Financial Officer Troy Clarkson leave a closed-door Brockton School Committee meeting at Brockton High School on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.

Beloved Bridgewater man in wheelchair on long road to recovery after hit-and-run

A beloved neighborhood fixture, Phillip Bumpus loved to hang out in Bridgewater center in his motorized wheelchair. That is until a hit-and-run crash left him severely injured earlier this month. Bumpus was struck by a vehicle on his way home on Tuesday, Aug. 1, shortly before 9:43 a.m. in the area of 241 Main St. in Bridgewater. The vehicle involved, reported as a maroon SUV or crossover type, left the scene  leaving an injured Bumpus laying on the grass between the roadway and sidewalk. The 75-year-old was taken to an area hospital with severe injuries.

Beloved Bridgewater man: Beloved Bridgewater man in wheelchair on long road to recovery after hit-and-run

Phillip Bumpus, 75, of Bridgewater before a hit-and-run crash left him severely injured on Tuesday, Aug. 1, shortly before 9:43 a.m. in the area of 241 Main St. in Bridgewater.

Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton-area top 5 stories
In this undated photo, Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood joins Kelsey and Joshua Lange in holding up a version of a city of Mishawaka flag prototype the Lange sister-brother duo has designed. The two showed it to the Common Council in a presentation last month. The city is still gathering input on the proposal.

MISHAWAKA  Josh Lange has a dream: to bring the citizens of Mishawaka a new city flag.

In fact, Lange would love to take the time to explain his love of vexillology  the study of flags  and his four-year quest with his sister, Kelsey Lange, to offer a new design for the city's flag.

Lange is working his way through Indiana University South Bend. His sister is operations manager IT with the city of South Bend and has talent in graphic design.

The quest to do something for his community stems from his interest in history through flags and the symbolism that countries have incorporated in them.

2016 flag: South Bend unveils new city flag

In high school, Josh served on the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, a group of students who study, meet and learn about city government under the auspices of Mayor Dave Wood.

"My dad told me that the local government is the foundation for all other governments," Josh said, adding that he feels that city government is overlooked. "(With the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council), the whole point is to get youth involved."

This is the current city of Mishawaka flag.

Love of flags

Josh's interest in flags led him to join the North American Vexillology Association, where he could access flag research and issues. That interest resulted in him and his sister producing a newer version of the city of Mishawaka's flag in 2019. The city's current flag is a white flag with the city seal in the middle.

Josh said that although the city flag presents the seal, he believes that many cities, countries and others use flags to place elements on the flag that reflect the community they represent.

"A flag is supposed to convey more than just the seal," Josh said. "The U.S. government has a seal, but our flag has to be distinct of that."

So the proposed flag he produced was shown to people in the city. Responses forced Josh and Kelsey to return for revisions.

Many revisions. Josh says he has produced at least 40 different versions of the flag, spending more than 100 hours over the years tweaking and changing the versions from community responses to them.

This is a version of a city of Mishawaka flag prototype that Joshua and Kelsey Lange presented to the Common Council in a presentation last month. The city is still gathering input on the proposal.

Meandering 'M'

The guidelines from the North American Vexillological Association call for flags to be simple, recognizable, meaningful and unique.

Josh said his most recent version of a city flag is a blue flag with four stars representing the four towns that joined together to become Mishawaka: St. Joseph Iron Works, Indiana City, Barbee Town and Fowler's Addition. The white "M" represents the St. Joseph River, and it meanders rather than being a straight block letter.

"We tried a letter M and it just did not work, and besides, a river is not symmetrical," Josh said.

Peter DeKever, local author, historian, and president and curator of the Mishawaka Historical Museum, said while the four communities that were incorporated into the city, only one  St. Joseph Iron Works  had a functioning governmental structure. The others were not known to have been organized, and he added that it was possible the areas may not have had homes yet in the platted areas.

Showing the flag to as many people has been a good task for Lange, but others say his passion for flags has been admirable.

Matt Lentsch, executive director of development and government affairs, said the city is going to take its time to gather more feedback and evaluate the flag as proposed.

More Youth Council feats: Mishawaka's teen-oriented park honors local heroes, offers 'American Ninja Warrior' course

Mayor Wood is extraordinarily pleased with the good work that Joshua has done with the new proposed Mishawaka Flag," Lentsch said in a statement. "Joshua is a great example of how our youth council alumni continue to serve the Mishawaka community.

"Im blown away by the good work that Joshua and his sister have done on that proposed new flag for the City Of Mishawaka," Lentsch said. "The time that Josh has put into the development of his flag is a wonderful testament to his character and love for his community."

The mayor will continue to evaluate the flag as proposed and make a determination moving forward related to a potential change from the current flag.

Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: brother sister create a Mishawaka flag to reflect heritage
As the war in Ukraine continues to eat up lives and resources  and we teeter toward the horror of nuclear war ---the world wonders where it will end. Most wars end in a treaty signed by the fighting powers. Better to get a treaty earlier, than later. The Ukraine War has cost no American lives, so some might think the 500,000 estimated casualties of the combatants so far dont matter. But isnt that enough already in this war for the control of Eastern Europeand bragging rights?

Some folks assume well just keep Ukraine fighting until they defeat Russia. But Russia is the largest country in the worldwith the most nuclear weapons, about 6000. Theyre not going to just give up and let NATO surround them. Putin is more likely to try to take us down with him. What a lot of folks dont seem to think about is what defeat could mean to Russia, and to Putin personally.

Russia is the biggest country and the coldest. It stretches across Asia from the Bering Strait to Norway on the west. Most of it borders the Arctic, so the only warm-water region Russia has is on the Black Sea. Thats a big part of the fight. Russia has most of her fleet there in Crimeanot to mention its their Florida resort area of sorts.

And Russia has had a lot of experience repelling invasions. Napoleon in 1814, England in 1850s, Germany in 1914 and 1940, and our invasions in 1918, when we landed troops at Murmansk near Norway, and Vladivostok near Japan. Our Polar Bear brigades accomplished nothing, except to get a lot of young men from Michigan, Canada, and Russia, killedand permanently color relationships between the two countries.

President Reagan found a way to get along with Russia, but his successors, Bush and Clinton got involved in undermining the glasnost. Our leaders promised not to move NATO one inch toward Russia, but the promise got broken, and in 2014 our State Department and Sen. John McCain helped oust the duly-elected, pro-Russian government.

So what to do? This war has already cost American taxpayers about $60 billion, with no end in sight. Both China and India have offered ideas for peace, but theyve so far been rejected.

FDR left us the UN to deal with international disputes, but its charter requires decisions of the Security Council to be unanimous, and with the US, China, and Russia all members of the Council, it wont work for this situation. So what else could be done?

Well, drawing on experience in American labor relations  where there used to be plenty of bloodshed in the early days -- there are a number of structures that could be used, IF the parties wanted to get an agreement. Theres arbitration, where one person is chosen to decidelike Solomon in the Bible. Arbitration can be mandatory, where the parties agree in advance to follow it, or advisory. It can also be a panel of three, with one party representing each side and those two choosing a third party.

Mediation or fact-fact finding are other approaches. In mediation, a person is chosen to listen to both sides, then help them come together. A fact-finder also listens to both sides, then makes public their report and recommendations.

For this dispute, fact-finding by a country like Canada or Brazil, or advisory arbitration might work. Theyd listen to both sides, then make recommendations, first in private, then publicallyputting pressure on the parties to settle.

I know its wishful thinking that any of these practical approaches would be used, but we can dream, cant we? Only the military industrial complex would be the losers. We could spend future billions on public education or healthcare. And, peace efforts in Ukraine might save candidate Biden from opposition from peace Democrats in 2024.

Jack Burgess is a retired teacher of American & Global Studies, and the former Chief of Arbitration Services for the State of Ohio. Hes also a member of Veterans For Peace.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Burgess: Let's settle the Ukraine War
(KRON)  Theres a warning about a dangerous bacteria that might have infected a California woman whos still recovering after nearly two months in the hospital. An online fundraising effort says she contracted the bacterial infection after eating fish and is now a quadruple amputee.

California lawmakers pass speed camera bill

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a warning about a bacterial infection that people can get by eating raw or undercooked fish or by exposing an open wound to coastal waters.

Laura Barajas, 40, has had her limbs amputated while battling a bacterial infection. Barajas friend told KRON she likely got the infection after eating undercooked tilapia.

Its just been really heavy on all of us. Its terrible. This couldve happened to any of us, said Barajas friend Anna Messina.

Messina says back in late July Barajas had bought tilapia from a local market for dinner. She cooked it and ate it alone. Within days, she got very ill and was then hospitalized.

She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator, Messina said. They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing.

Now, a month and a half later, Barajas is without her arms and legs.

Messina believes the infection was caused by vibrio vulnificus, a bacterial infection the CDC has been warning about.

The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one-you can eat something thats contaminated with it the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives, said UCSF Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode.

Spottiswoode says the bacteria is especially concerning for people who are immunocompromised.

The CDC says about 150-200 cases of the infections are reported each year and about one in five people with the infection die  sometimes within one to two days of becoming ill.

Salesforce CEO: Why cant SF be clean and safe every day?

People should take sensible precautions like if you have a cut avoid getting immersed in water until its well healed, Spottiswoode said. If you are someone immunocompromised keeping an eye on these things and avoiding those high-risk activities and foods.

Messina says she and Barajas family are still waiting to learn more about what happened. She hopes people realize how precious life can be.

Be thankful for what we have right now because it can be taken away so quickly so easily, Messina said.

Messina has set up a GoFundMe to help with her friends medical expenses. So far, it has raised more than $20,000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
(KRON)  Theres a warning about a dangerous bacteria that might have infected a California woman whos still recovering after nearly two months in the hospital. An online fundraising effort said she contracted the bacterial infection after eating fish and is now a quadruple amputee.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a warning about a bacterial infection that people can get by eating raw or undercooked fish or by exposing an open wound to coastal waters.

Laura Barajas, 40, has had her limbs amputated while battling a bacterial infection. Barajas friend told News 2s sister station, KRON, she likely got the infection after eating undercooked tilapia.

Texas man dies of Vibrio infection after eating raw oysters

Its just been really heavy on all of us. Its terrible. This couldve happened to any of us, said Barajas friend, Anna Messina.

Messina says back in late July, Barajas had bought tilapia from a local market for dinner. She cooked it and ate it alone. Within days, she got very ill and was then hospitalized.

She almost lost her life. She was on a respirator, Messina said. They put her into a medically induced coma. Her fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black. She had complete sepsis and her kidneys were failing.

Now, a month and a half later, Barajas is without her arms and legs.

CDC warns doctors to be on lookout for deadly flesh-eating bacteria

Messina believes the infection was caused by vibrio vulnificus, a bacterial infection the CDC has been warning about.

The ways you can get infected with this bacteria are one-you can eat something thats contaminated with it the other way is by having a cut or tattoo exposed to water in which this bug lives, said Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode, an infectious disease expert with the University of California, San Francisco.

Spottiswoode said the bacteria is especially concerning for people who are immunocompromised.

The CDC said about 150 to 200 cases of the infections are reported each year and about one in five people with the infection die  sometimes within one to two days of becoming ill.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

People should take sensible precautions like if you have a cut avoid getting immersed in water until its well healed, Spottiswoode said. If you are someone immunocompromised keeping an eye on these things and avoiding those high-risk activities and foods.

Messina said she and Barajas family are still waiting to learn more about what happened. She hopes people realize how precious life can be.

Be thankful for what we have right now because it can be taken away so quickly so easily, Messina said.

Messina has set up a GoFundMe to help with her friends medical expenses. So far, it has raised more than $20,000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
As a police officer at the Boise Airport, Anthony Damer knew everything would change after Sept. 11, 2001.

We all knew that this was going to be a call to arms, he told me Thursday before his retirement ceremony at the airport. As an airport law enforcement agency at that time, we were a small department, we had very few officers, but we knew at that very instant, life was going to change forever.

Damer wasnt working that day, but like most people, he remembers exactly where he was: I was standing in my sisters living room with a cup of coffee.

In the days following 9/11, he said, it was hectic, exciting. Everyone was just pulling together.

The Boise Airport at the time was in the very early stages of its K9 program, Damer said. Expanding the program became a much bigger priority. Much bigger.

It was a mad rush to get every resource you could to help secure your airport, he said. We were very fortunate to be in the very early stages of the K9 program expansion. Not everybody knew what was going to happen. We just answered the call.

Damer started working as an officer at the Boise Airport in 1999. On Thursday, he retired after 23 years as a police officer. About 50 fellow officers, members of the public, and friends and family attended the ceremony.

Of those 23 years, 19 have been spent as a K9 handler. Hes had three canine partners, the most recent being Lubo, who retired with Damer. The Boise Airport Police merged with the Boise Police Department in 2007.

Hes covered three national security events, responded to 25 bomb threats, been on 72 dignitary support missions, conducted 4,223 plane cargo searches and walked 4,388 hours on foot patrol through the airport.

Of course, Damer is a dog person. He grew up with dogs. Damers father was a veterinarian, so a love of animals comes naturally to him.

Speaking of his dad, for the retirement ceremony, Damer was wearing his dads combat boots from service in Vietnam.

Damer said in his time as a K9 handler, he never once found anything that posed a threat to the public, which he considers a success of the program.

Im very proud of the fact that weve kept this airport safe for the past 20 years, he said. We like to think that our presence here has increased the security at the airport. Not only do the good people see us as a valuable asset but also the bad people see us here and understand that we are one of the many layers of security.

Mike Johnson was Boise Airport police chief when he tapped Damer to head up the K9 division.

Anthony was the cornerstone of the K9s out there, Johnson said. He is just an outstanding officer and has done a great job.

Johnson said Damer stood out, noting that Damer had finished first in his class at the K9 academy at Lackland Air Base among officers from all over the country.

As I was talking to Damer, I noticed he uses the word we a lot, not I.

His humility is exemplified by a now-legendary story of how he saved the life of a person who went into cardiac arrest on the Greenbelt near his house. Damer rushed out and performed CPR for several minutes until paramedics arrived. Damer tried to slip away from the scene unnoticed. If a responding firefighter hadnt recognized Damer as a police officer, no one would have known the story.

Boise Airport chaplain Warren Milanowski recalled another example of Damers humility and dedication to service.

Damer had noticed a woman in distress at the airport, stranded, with a child, no money to buy even food, let alone a ride or a place to stay, no one to call for help.

He and several other officers pitched in to help the woman.

But perhaps even more important, Damer encouraged the creation of what is now known as the Distressed Traveler Aides fund, with which Boise Airport police officers can offer distressed travelers gift cards and personal hygiene items, free and discounted meals at airport vendors, diapers, and even hotel and motel lodgings when space is available.

Sam Nesbitt has been a Boise K9 officer for the past 12 years, and is sorry to see Damer retire.

I couldnt have asked for a better mentor, Nesbitt told me before the ceremony.

Perhaps its fitting that Damer retired last week, just days after the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, an event that has shaped almost his entire career.

On this anniversary week of 9/11, its really important to remember why were here and what we do, he said.
Democratic lawmakers revive calls to pass the George Floyd Justice Policing Act that failed to gain Senate approval in 2021

Tyre Nichols family and residents of Memphis, Tennessee, are demanding that two outcomes emerge from the brutal beating by city police officers that killed the Black father earlier this year.

Residents expect prosecutors to secure convictions against the five former Memphis officers charged in the 29-year-olds death, while they also expect that the police department reforms how it interacts with marginalized communities, lawyer Sue Ann Robinson told theGrio.

Thats what ensures Tyre Nichols life [and] George Floyds life are not taken in vain. There needs to be actual change as opposed to another hashtag, said Robinson, an attorney with Ben Crump Law and founder of the Frontline Firm.

The law firm of noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the Nichols family.

Last week, a federal grand jury indicted the five former detectives, who are all Black, on multiple civil rights charges, as well as conspiracy to witness tampering and obstruction of justice. The detectives  Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Justin Smith and Emmitt Martin  also face second-degree murder and other charges at the state level.

Each has pleaded not guilty to their roles in Nichols violent arrest and death in January.

It doesnt matter what color the officer is  police brutality and excessive force has more to do with police culture and the way officers are trained to interact with minority communities, Robinson said. If theyve succumbed to or been trained in modern-day police culture, the result is going to be abuse of marginalized citizens.

This photo provided by the Nichols family shows Tyre Nichols, who had a passion for photography and was described by friends as joyful and lovable. (Photo: Courtesy of the Nichols family via AP)

On January 7, five Memphis police officers severely battered Nichols during a traffic stop. Police bodycam and surveillance footage shows that officers assaulted him and disregarded his need for medical attention. Nichols died of his injuries in a hospital three days later.

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland echoed the demands of Memphis residents, telling theGrio on Friday, after the federal indictments were returned, that Nichols case proves the need for legislation to combat police brutality.

We had a whole range of reforms that came up in the summer of 2020 that were pushed by the Congressional Black Caucus and they made it through the House, then hit a brick wall in the Senate, Raskin said. We should go back to all of those reforms.

In 2021, Democratic lawmakers proposed the George Floyd Justice Policing Act following the death of George Floyd, a Black father who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest the previous year.

This combination of images provided by the Memphis, Tenn., Police Department shows, from top row from left, Police Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, bottom row from left, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. (Memphis Police Department via AP, File)

The act aimed to combat police misconduct, racial bias and excessive force, however the bill failed in the Senate and was not enacted into law.

Following House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries weekly press conference on Thursday, he told theGrio, that House Democrats are working on statutes to combat police brutality nationwide.

I had a meeting earlier this week with Chairman Horsford and the CBC remains committed to trying to move legislation that strengthens the relationship between the police and the community, he said.

Jeffries added that the CBC is also committed to addressing the injustices that weve seen occur and improving public safety.

Were in continuing conversations with Senate Democrats to find a path forward, he concluded.

Robinson told theGrio, I think the repair starts with real accountability. It starts with sovereign immunity being taken away which is a judicially created block to police liability.

If the CBC really has this commitment [to combat police brutality] they need to focus on those things and [push forward] the George Floyd Justice Act, she added.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Calls for police reform resurface after ex-officers charged federally in Tyre Nichols killing appeared first on TheGrio.
Donato A. Bianco Jr. is the vice president and New England regional manager of the Laborers International Union of North America.

As always, September is back to school across Rhode Island. From elementary schools to the campuses of higher education, there is excitement and also a little angst that summer is ending. In many cases, this transition also represents the debut of many new school buildings and investments across local districts and college campuses after the busy summer construction season.

To the students, teachers, professors and the general public, many of this construction activity goes unnoticed until its time to walk through the doors and learn. But there is certainly a good story to tell about what these investments not only mean to our education system but to our local communities. Investments that are an engine for family-supporting construction careers.

More: Brown is preparing to open its brand new performing arts center. Here's a look inside

In November 2022, Brown University, a longstanding incubator for jobs and investment into our local economy, took a historic step. The Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council (RIBCTC), representing 16 construction craft unions and over 10,000 skilled members in Rhode Island, entered into a landmark five-year agreement with Brown, to commit to employing all-union labor for all campus construction projects over $25 million. Project labor agreements, like the one utilized by Brown University, include provisions for uniform work and schedule conditions to maximize labor related job efficiencies, no labor related delays or work stoppages,and access to highly skilled labor. The University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and Providence College have all used project labor agreements as owners and users of construction services.

Workers on the construction site of the new performing arts center at Brown University.

For decades, the skilled men and women of the RIBCTC have built Browns campus, helping to deliver historic capital investments safely, on time and on budget. Brown Universitys capital program infuses hundreds of millions of dollars each year into the local economy. These investments have led to research and job growth, private investment in and around the campus area, and direct local economic spending aiding small business.

Brown doubled-down on their long-term relationship with the building trades by reaffirming a 2012 commitment to guarantee that at least 15% of labor hours worked on these projects are performed by graduates of the Building Futures program. Building Futures is a leading, local non-profit pre-apprenticeship program for members of disadvantaged communities to have the opportunity to earn a pathway to apprenticeships in the union building trades. Apprenticeships are now more important than ever and lead to lifelong careers in the construction industry with family-supporting wages and benefits.

More: Leaders call for developing biotech industry in RI. Here's what they propose

Browns commitment to the RIBCTC, Building Futures, and the Ocean State is an exemplar model of a public-private-academic partnership, vital for driving economic growth. And Providence Mayor Brett Smileys newly negotiated PILOT agreements with the colleges, including Brown, will drive further investments into the capital city, creating jobs.

From the facilities and capital management team to the leadership of President Christina Paxson and Chancellor Samuel M. Mencoff, Brown University is committed to academic innovation with a responsibility to serve and foster our local community. On behalf of the skilled, hard-working men and women of the building trades, we thank them for their partnership along with the leadership of LIUNA General Secretary-Treasurer and RIBCTC President Michael F. Sabitoni. This leading and prestigious academic institution shares our vision that a robust local economy means ladders of opportunity for all, building the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Much of the construction activity at colleges and universities goes unnoticed until its time to walk through the doors and learn.
Bill Blair, Canada's Minister of National Defence, announced a CAD 33 million (US$24.38 million) contribution to the International Fund for Ukraine, a UK-led initiative to procure military aid for Kyiv, on Sunday, 17 September.

Source: European Pravda

Details: Canada's contribution will cover purchasing "hundreds of short- and medium-range anti-aircraft missiles and related systems for Ukraine, essential to protecting Ukraine's critical national infrastructure".

The funds will be allocated from the latest CAD 500 million financing of military assistance to Ukraine announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his visit to Kyiv in June.

The Canadian Department of National Defence noted that the total amount of Canadian aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion exceeds US$8 billion, including over US$1.8 billion in military support.

As part of this assistance, Canada has provided Ukraine with AIM-7 missiles, 155-mm and 105-mm artillery ammunition, Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and an armoured recovery vehicle, NASAMS anti-aircraft missile system with munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers and ammunition, high-resolution cameras for drones, winter clothing, etc.

Furthermore, over 300 members of the Canadian Armed Forces are involved in Operation UNIFER to train the Ukrainian military.

Background: The International Fund for Ukraine was initiated by the United Kingdom in partnership with Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Lithuania. In June, the fund was to be replenished with another 92 million to purchase air defence equipment for 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!






Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on Sept. 17 that Canada will provide $33 million CAD ($24.4 million) to a U.K.-led partnership delivering much-needed air defense equipment to Ukraine.

The partnership, established in June to help Ukraine defend against Russian missile and drone attacks, was established by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S.

According to the press release, the initiative is providing Ukraine with hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles and related systems.

Canada's recent contribution is part of the 500 million Canadian dollars ($369 million) in funding for military assistance to Ukraine announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in June.

Blair made the announcement during his visit to Lydd Military Training Camp, where the Canadian UNIFIER operation, which trains Ukrainian soldiers, takes place.

Together, Canada and the United Kingdom are standing with Ukraine, as it fights to defend itself against Russias illegal and unjustifiable invasion," Blair said.

"Canada commends the courage and strength of Ukrainians, and we will continue to support them with the comprehensive military aid that they need to fight and win.

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.
The summer before an election year is not always kind to first-term Democrats.

In August of 1995 Bob Dole led Bill Clinton. In the summer of 2011, the public's "grim views" of the economy, we said at the time, pushed Barack Obama's disapproval to its then-highest point.

That both presidents recovered and went on to reelection may give Democrats hope, because right now Joe Biden and the Democratic Party face major challenges of their own.

And those Democrats won't find any solace in this: today Mr. Biden is down one point, and inside the margin of error, in a match-up with Donald Trump , whom he beat by seven million votes three years ago.

With most voters unsure he'd stay through a second term if he did get one, and their concerns about whether Mr. Biden is healthy enough, it's all adding uncertainty for an already unsettled public.

That's about looking ahead, while Trump benefits from a strong retrospective view: almost all his voters believe "things were better" under him. The voters who feel they're worse off financially today are certainly voting as if that's the case.

Age and fitness questions

It's not clear to voters that they'd get a full second Biden term if he won one, and that uncertainty is not helping him.

Only a third of voters think that Mr. Biden would finish a second term. Asked what might happen if elected again, more think he'd leave before finishing another term, or aren't sure.

Those who think Mr. Biden would leave during a second term are going 84% for Trump.

(Note that Trump, for his part, isn't overwhelmingly seen as a sure thing to finish a second term either; just over half think he would.)

But this does seem to give the advantage to Trump: By almost three to one, voters think only Trump  and not Mr. Biden  is physically healthy enough for the job, although the two are just a few years apart.

Voters are far more likely to think only Trump  and not Mr. Biden  has the cognitive and mental health to serve. (Nearly a quarter think neither of them does.)

Republicans are a lot more sure of Trump's chances of finishing another term than Democrats are of Mr. Biden's.

Qualities that meet the moment?

The "calm" and "predictable" labels that voters still give Mr. Biden  and which seemed to meet the moment so well in 2020  may look insufficient to them today.

Most voters also want "tough" and "energetic" qualities in a president, ones that they do not ascribe to President Biden  but do ascribe to Trump.

And Trump is described as "no-nonsense" in levels that Mr. Biden is not.

An important  and unwanted  contest

It's not exactly a matchup people are clamoring for: A big majority says getting a Biden-Trump rematch already means the political system is broken.

Some disparage their fellow voters who participate in primaries; few think it means they're the best candidates for the job.

Almost three-quarters of voters think the fate of democracy depends on who wins in 2024, but in another sign of division, they think it's only chance hinges on their candidate winning.

For the third of voters who don't think either of them is physically healthy enough to serve, this may also be a contest they didn't want. (Most of them are Biden 2020 voters, and Mr. Biden does get the bulk of their votes now.)

Each candidate has their party feeling somewhat  but not completely  assured of victory. Partisans each think they've got a better-than-even shot next fall. That's important for context with the primaries  in the GOP primaries right now, Republican voters think Donald Trump is their most electable candidate; in 2020 Democrats thought that of Mr. Biden.

The pandemic may be over, but are you financially recovered?

Financially, the demarcation line for people may be pre- and post-pandemic as much as presidential administrations.

Nearly half of voters  and most independents  say they are worse off financially versus before the pandemic, far outpacing those who are better off. And people's measures of their financial security have not returned to where they were before the pandemic.

Voters overall, as well as independents, in particular, who feel they are financially worse off now than before the pandemic are backing Trump; the latter group by more than three to one.

One of the administration's efforts has been to tout what it sees as Mr. Biden's accomplishments. A lot of voters do know about some key efforts, and it matters.

For example, independents who have heard about the Biden administration investing in infrastructure and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices are backing him, but those independents who have not heard about those things are voting for Trump.

But the Biden administration's efforts to reduce student loan debt has left few voters satisfied. Most members of his own party think he should be doing more, while Republicans and independents tend to think he should be doing less.

Do the parties help  or hurt?

Democratic efforts to try to portray the Republicans as too extreme don't seem to be playing to Democratic advantage because Democrats are described by just as many as extreme.

And there's just not a lot of differentiation between them.

In particular, people who think the Democrats go too far on racial diversity and equality also overwhelmingly describe the Democratic Party as "extreme," more generally.

More than half of likely independent voters think Democratic stands on diversity go too far, and think the Democrats pay too much attention to those trying to be "politically correct." They're for Trump by large majorities.

Independents who think the Democrats' stands on diversity and equality "go too far" are voting for Trump by eight to one.

Republicans, for their part, get called "extreme" by people who think the GOP pays too much attention to "MAGA" supporters, and by people who think abortion should be legal, not illegal.

Abortion helped the Democrats' chances in the midterms, and it sets up a potential edge for Mr. Biden. On net, views on abortion push voters toward the Democrats.

And impeachment proceedings in Congress don't seem to have much sway here, at least for now - it's just a (very typical) partisan split over whether the House GOP ought to try to impeach Biden over matters concerning his son Hunter Biden.

A closer look at the vote and reasons

Mr. Biden's campaign might look to make this more of choice than a straight referendum on Mr. Biden. That is taking hold for his voters, fully half of whom say their main motivation is to oppose Trump, rather than being for Mr. Biden.

Trump, for his part, draws more direct support as motivation.

Almost all of Donald Trump's voters expressly give as their rationale that "things were better under Trump." It's a lot more than the number who say it's because they like him personally.

Mr. Biden may be disadvantaged right now because key parts of his 2020 coalition aren't as tuned in to the campaign yet. Black and Hispanic voters say they are less likely to be thinking about 2024 compared to White voters, and less likely (though it's a year off) to say they'll vote.

But for the moment, for those who will, Mr. Biden isn't running quite as strongly right now with key Democratic constituencies he'd need. He still wins Hispanics, but with 53%, and typically successful Democrats have gotten into the 60s. By two to one, more Hispanic voters say they're worse off financially, rather than better off, than they were before the pandemic. Mr. Biden still overwhelmingly wins Black voters, but at 81%, it's less than exit polls showed in 2020. Typically Democrats do better.

Each of Biden and Trump's 2020 voters are overwhelmingly supporting them again this time around, so small shifts matter. Biden today is losing 7% of those who backed him in 2020 to Trump. Trump only gives up 3% of his.

It's long been a misnomer when independents are conflated with swing voters. In reality most so-called "independents" say they vote mainly for one party, even though they call themselves independent. Only a relative handful of them  just a third  are truly independent and vote equally for either party over time. These make a good barometer: Mr. Biden is losing our "truly independent" definition today by 20 points. He was almost even with them in their 2020 votes.

Education gaps still hold  and even define  the race as they did in 2020: Mr. Biden maintains his small lead among White college-degree voters, as he had in 2020, and his large deficit with White non-college voters is roughly the same.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 4,002 U.S. adult residents interviewed between September 12-15, 2023. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as past vote. The margin of error is 2.1 points.

Note: Crosstabs pdf now includes likely voter N (number of respondents), as well as full sample size N.



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Emilio Estefan on the future of a national Latino museum and how to win Latino voters

Watch: Zelenskyy addresses U.N. General Assembly

Netanyahu's judicial overhaul would "destroy" Israel's democracy, former prime minister says
If you've been on Instagram at all in the past year or so, you might have noticed that everyone  okay, maybe not everyone, but a ton of celebrities, influencers, and an ever-growing number of everyday people  have eerily perfect, filter-like smiles. Veneers, as The Washington Post reports, are the latest craze to stem from the Instagram Face phenomenon that permeates today's beauty standards.

But according to WaPo's reporting, the cost of undergoing the dental procedure may be darker than hopeful buyers realize. The process of getting veneers is arduous, expensive, and most importantly, permanent: dentists have to shave down the patients' protective enamel to make room for the custom-made dental shells, a process that makes the nerves inside teeth vulnerable to damage and infection. And because we can't simply grow our enamel back, veneers are thus required to protect those nerves forever.

"I was seeing so many people getting, in my opinion, unnecessary dental work or dental work that was damaging their own teeth," Sara Hahn, a Harvard School of Dental Medicine graduate who specializes in cosmetic dentistry, told WaPo, recounting the concerning rise in veneer-seeking patients coming through her practice's doors. "There was this idealization of veneers, or this perfect Hollywood smile."

To be clear, veneers do have a legitimate place in dentistry. Teeth are often damaged in accidents or other oral trauma, while folks with naturally large spaces between teeth might seek veneers to curb the threat of excessive decay. For the most part, though, the growing demand for veneers has been driven by aesthetics alone.

Growing increasingly unsettled by the number of people suddenly seeking the procedure  especially by those who already had "perfectly good teeth," as the dentist told WaPo  Hahn started a TikTok account, @veneercheck, where she posts speculatory videos regarding celebrity veneer work. By close-reading the probably-fake teeth of stars like Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, and Aaron Paul, among many others, says Hahn, she hopes that she can help young people understand how few celebrities still have their god-given chompers.

"As a dentist, you know that having all the money in the world can't reproduce your good, natural, healthy tooth structure," Hahn told WaPo. "I wanted to share that it came with a cost."

Indeed, that cost is quite high. Beyond the fact that veneers are forever, nerve damage connected to these procedures can ultimately render a tooth dead, thus requiring the dreaded root canal, a painful procedure that comes with its own list of cons. These risks are always present, but are heightened when tooth-seekers travel to places like Turkey to get cosmetic procedures on the cheap. What's more, as Hahn told WaPo, every time veneers get redone  which they'll have to be, as a set only lasts for about 15 years or so  a dentist has to once again "refine what's underneath, so you're taking away a little more tooth each time."

"We're talking about a finite quantity of material," Hahn told the newspaper. "At some point, the tooth is just not going to be strong enough to hold whatever you want to put on top of it. It will snap."

That's a seriously grim ghost of dental future, especially, again, for an unnecessary procedure. Oh, and did we mention that a full mouth of veneers can cost $100,000?

"If I knew now what I know about veneers I don't think I would have gotten them," an influencer named Chelsea Smith said in a TikTok video published late last year, revealing that one of her veneers had popped off while eating a bowl of ramen. "All my friends and family know that I have had such an ordeal with these veneers."

"I'm ready, at this point, like take them all out and give me some dentures," the influencer added. "Let me live my life."

There's no denying that beauty trends are pervasive, and it's difficult to not fall into that trap of increasingly inhuman standards of perfection. Before you let a dentist shave down your teeth, however, you might want to ask yourself exactly how much attaining that ever-shifting ideal is really worth  and if the cost of veneers might ultimately be too high.

More on teeth: Scientists Just Made Intriguing Progress Toward Regenerating Human Teeth
A Charlestown man is being charged with attacking and severely injuring another man outside of Luckys Lounge in the Seaport.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney, on May 19 just before 1 p.m. Boston police responded to a local hospital and met with a victim who said he was at a bar inside of the Omni Hotel at 450 Summer Street with his friend when he was attacked.

The victim said they purchased a drink for a woman sitting at the end of the bar and a male, identified as Weston Dorn, 31 approached and confronted him and his friend for purchasing a drink for the woman.

The victim apologized to Dorn for the misunderstanding and said they did not know the woman was there with Dorn. In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, the victim also purchased Dorn a drink, the DA says.

The victim then left the Omni hotel and went to Luckys Lounge, where Dorn approached him again and grabbed his shoulder from behind.

According to the the victim, Dorn was physically aggressive and arguing which caused security to intervene and ask Dorn to leave.

The victim then went outside and while looking at his cell phone was struck on the left side of his face. The victim fell down on his left knee while holding onto the pole with his right hand. The impact knocked his left shoe off and caused him to hit his head on the pole. The victim lost consciousness for a few seconds and when he opened his eyes, he observed Dorn running down the street and into a gray SUV, the DA says.

The victim was bleeding heavily from his left eye, nose, and mouth, he was taken to a nearby hospital by his friend where he underwent surgery due to the severity of his injuries.

Investigators were able to obtain video surveillance and a credit card receipt under Dorns name from Luckys Lounge. Starr at the lounge was able to confirm that Dorn was the person removed by security on the day of the incident.

Video footage also shows the victim learning on a pole in front of Luckys Lounge and Dorn emerging from the side, manipulating an object on his knuckles and striking the victim on the left side of his face. The victims hat falls off his head from the impact and he is observed spinning around the pole before he falls to the ground, the DA added.

What was supposed to be a night of fun and socializing with friends turned into a night of pain and tragedy for this victim, all due to an extremely violent reaction to a misunderstanding. The outcome is a victim with serious injuries and a defendant facing serious charges, District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

Dorn was arragined on Friday in South Boston BMS and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (brass knuckles) and released on personal recognizance. He was ordered to stay away from the victim and both the Omni Hotel and Luckys Lounge.

Dorn will return to court on November 13.

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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A jet from the Italian Air Forces aerobatics squadron crashed during a practice run near the northern city of Turin on Saturday, killing a 5-year-old child and leaving her 9-year-old brother with severe burns when the car they were in was struck by burning debris from a huge fireball.

The MB-339 jet had exploded moments after takeoff at around noon local time, officials said, according to the Italian Fire Brigade.

The pilot, who survived, could be seen ejecting with his parachute opening moments before the jet struck the ground, the fire brigade said.

He is currently being treated for burns at Giovanni Bosco Hospital in Turin, officials added.

The Frecce Tricolori aerobatic jets, part of the Italian Air Force, were practicing a formation ahead of the 100-year celebrations of the Italian Air Force that are set to take place Sunday. The planes had just taken off from Turins Caselle airport when one of the jets started to lose altitude, as seen on multiple videos that were shared on social media.

The crash happened inside the airport perimeter.

The airport tweeted that it was closed temporarily.

The debris of a burnt car, left, as firefighters seal off the area where an aircraft of the Italian acrobatic air team the Frecce Tricolori crashed during a practice run outside the northern city of Turin on Sept. 16. - Matteo Secci/AP

Italian media reported that the jets hit a flock of birds just after takeoff, according to CNN affiliate Sky24.

The car which held the 5-year-old child and her family had been driving along a country road parallel to the airport, according to local media reports.

Her brother survived and is now being treated for severe burns at the Regina Margherita Childrens Hospital in Turin, the hospital confirmed.

Their parents have also reportedly suffered burns.

The Italian Air Force said it was dismayed and astonished by the jet crash, according to a statement made by the Italian Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Air Squadron General Luca Goretti.

The Pony 4 aircraft, piloted by Major Oscar Del Do, had lost altitude and crashed to the ground shortly after the formation had taken off, the statement said.

The Italian Air Force has not confirmed the exact cause of the accident, but has hypothesized there was a bird strike during the very first phases of takeoff.

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One of the top minds in supercomputing has a warning for the West. Jack Dongarra , an industry luminary, Turing award laureate, and co-founder of TOP500, says the US is likely behind China in the exascale supercomputing race. It appears that a third Chinese exascale supercomputer, long thought to be halted indefinitely due to the impact of US sanctions, has come online. Meanwhile, the US currently only has two exascale machines, Frontier and Aurora, in operation.



When Dongarra says China might have the lead, it isn't taken lightly. China hasn't submitted its fastest exascale-class supercomputers to the Top500 list, the de-facto supercomputer listing and benchmarking process that's responsible for bringing clarity to how the world stands in processing capability, fearing that it will draw the attention of US regulators, thus triggering more sanctions. It follows that the official picture provided by the Top500 isn't an accurate representation of reality as it is missing data.

According to the TOP500, China comes in at a distant 7th (with the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer) and 10th place (Tianhe-2) - trillions of calculations per second away from the top dog, the US-based (and AMD-powered) Frontier exascale computer. This isn't a picture of reality.



"Its a well known situation that China has these computers, and they have been operating for a while," Dongarra told the South China Morning Post. "They have not run the benchmarks, but [the community has] a general idea of their architectures and capabilities based on research papers published to describe the science coming out of those machines."

TOP500 poster

We know China has installed two exascale-class supercomputers  China doesn't submit its machines to the Top500 list, but it has submitted results for two of these machines for the Gordon Bell Prize. This yearly award recognizes "outstanding achievement in high-performance computing" based on the types of science run on the machines.



However, according to the SCMP article, it appears that a third machine, which hasn't been submitted for the prize, has now come also online.

China has submitted two machines for the Gordon Bell Prize: The Sunway OceanLight, which was developed by the National Supercomputing Centre in Wuxi, and the Tianhe-3 from the National Supercomputing Center of Tianjin, which was crunching AI workloads before it became mainstream.

asdf

However, there's also a third unnamed supercomputer, purportedly made by China-based Sugon, at the National Supercomputing Center in Shenzhen. This machine hasn't been submitted for the prize, and the project has long been thought to be halted indefinitely due to Sugon being placed on the blacklist in 2019. The company also lost access to the Hygon CPUs, a series of China-produced x86 processors based on AMD's Zen design, that it planned to use because US sanctions shut down AMD's joint venture that produced the processors. It's unclear which processors are being used for the machine.

The TOP500, being a voluntary listing, means that most won't step up to the task. And when we consider the current geopolitical climate, one can see it isn't conducive to transparency, openness, or a "head first" participation style.

"Maybe having the No.1 computer would make news and put China under the spotlight," Dongarra told the SCMP. "It can cause the US to take actions against China that would further restrict technologies from flowing into China."



It's interesting how Dongarra's observation maps onto reality: China having the top supercomputer would definitely make the news. And when it comes to tech restrictions being imposed or aggravated, we've had a couple of years of that already.

However, China is still the country which produces the most supercomputers. With domestic and Western-designed chips, supercomputers assembled in China are sold all over the world, including the US, said Dongarra.

We've all felt the consequences of the sanctions at some point or another. Of course, there's still the open question of whether the sanctions are actually doing what they are intended to - restrict China's ability to catch up to the U.S. technologically and economically. Chinese companies being publicly bullish about recouping sanction-imposed losses in a year's time has to put at least a question mark over their effectiveness in the first place.
Activists kick off Climate Week with protest against fossil fuels in New York City

Activists kick off Climate Week with protest against fossil fuels in New York City

(Reuters) - Thousands of protesters kicked off "Climate Week" and filled the streets of Midtown, Manhattan, on Sunday ahead of the U.N. General Assembly this week, calling for President Joe Biden and world leaders to end fossil fuel use.

With parades, concerts, and banging drums, some of the 15,000 expected waved signs that read "End Fossil Fuel Use" and "Fossil Fuels Kill" and "Declare a Climate Emergency."

One man was dressed as a melting snowman warning of rising sea levels. The message was for world leaders to save the planet from the use of oil and gas believed to be driving a warming globe.

Sunday's protests were part of a week-long international effort by Climate Group, a non-profit whose purpose is to drive climate change action and stop global warming, with more than 500 protests planned in the U.S, Germany, England, South Korea, India and elsewhere, totaling 54 countries.

Organizers of the protests expect a global turnout of more than a million people.

"Climate Week NYC is all about getting it done," organizers wrote online. "Through celebrating climate action, challenging ourselves to do more, and exploring ways to increase ambition, Climate Week NYC inspires, amplifies and scrutinizes the commitments, policies and actions of those with the power to make change happen."

Many scientists believe that so-called greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels are warming the world and causing severe weather such as more intense hurricanes, heat waves, floods, wildfires and droughts.

Reductions in CO2 or carbon dioxide emissions are seen as a key element in abating climate change.

The demonstrations take place two months before this year's U.N. COP28 climate summit, where more than 80 countries plan to push for a global agreement to gradually phase out coal, oil and gas.

A recent U.N. report warned that the world was on a dangerous track toward severe global warming, and said more action was needed on all fronts, including drastic drop in coal-fueled power use by 2030, Reuters reported.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Not far from a quiet stretch of Gilgo Beach on Long Island, New York, investigators uncovered the hidden remains of four young women. The mystery of who they were and how they got here might have stayed a secret if not for a woman named Shannan Gilbert.

FINDING THE GILGO FOUR

In the early morning hours of May 1, 2010, 23-year-old Shannan Gilbert, working as an escort, called 911.

911 OPERATOR: State Police.

SHANNAN GILBERT: Yeah, there's somebody after me.

The call came from a neighborhood not far from Gilgo Beach.

SHANNAN GILBERT (to 911): These people are trying to kill me.

Shannan Gilbert / Credit: GilgoNews.com

Shannan starts running, knocking on doors.

911 OPERATOR: Where are you, Shannan?

She screams. And then, nothing. Shannan was gone.

911 OPERATOR: Hello? Hello?

Dominick Varrone: K-9  searched the area  exhaustively for Shannan Gilbert.

Dominick Varrone was chief of detectives at the Suffolk County Police Department. Months passed without a sign of the missing woman. Then, in December 2010 near Gilgo Beach, a police officer and his K-9 named Blue found human remains.

Dominick Varrone: Everyone assumed it was Shannan Gilbert.

But it wasn't Shannan. Stunned searchers would go on to discover the remains of four other women. The women were identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. Like Shannan, all were in their 20s. All were online escorts. All petite. Three of the four were wrapped in burlap  the kind you can find in hunting stores. They became known as the Gilgo Four.

Missy Cann: It's really, really hard. 'Cause I miss her so much.

"48 Hours" has reported on this case since 2010. Over the years, we've secured exclusive interviews with the family and friends of the Gilgo Four. Missy Cann will never forget the wintry day when she got the devastating news.

Missy Cann: The detectives came to my house and just said that Maureen has been positively identified as one of the victims on Ocean Parkway.

Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, was the first of the Gilgo Four to disappear. She had been working as an escort in New York City when she vanished in July 2007. / Credit: Melissa Cann

Her sister, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, a mother of two, was the first to disappear, on July 9, 2007.

Missy Cann: She was very smart and very creative.

Erin Moriarty: She liked being a mom?

Missy Cann: She loved being a mom.

But life as a single mom living in Norwich, Connecticut, was difficult. Cann didn't know it, but Maureen had turned to escort work, and that July went to New York City for a weekend to make money. On her way home, she called Missy from Penn Station in midtown Manhattan.

Missy Cann: I could hear the commotion  from the train station.  From the time that she called me, it was poof. She was gone.

She reported Maureen missing. Eventually, officers would tell Cann that after her sister's disappearance, someone had used Maureen's cell phone to make a call from Long Island. It wasn't known then, but those two locations  Long Island and midtown Manhattan  would become important clues in the hunt for a serial killer.

Nearly two years to the day that Maureen vanished, 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy went missing in July 2009  also from midtown Manhattan. Lynn Barthelemy is Melissa's mother.

Melissa Barthelemy, 24, went missing in July 2009. In the weeks following her disappearance, her 15-year-old sister was terrorized by a series of frightening phone calls made by a man calling from Melissa's cell phone. Police believe the man who made these phone calls is, in fact, Melissa's killer. / Credit: Barhelemy family

Erin Moriarty: How often do you think about Melissa?

Lynn Barthelemy: Every single minute of the day.  And It just didn't happen to the girls. I mean it destroyed all of our families.

Melissa moved from Buffalo to New York City to work as a hairdresser. At some point, she also began working as an escort and then disappeared. About a week after she went missing, Melissa's then-15-year-old sister, Amanda, started getting calls from Melissa's phone.

Steven Cohen: And she answers, you know, "Melissa, where have you been?"  And this voice is saying, "Oh, this isn't Melissa."

Steven Cohen was the family's lawyer at the time.

Steven Cohen: He  was taunting Amanda  and he said, "Do you know what I did to your sister?"  "I killed Melissa."

Lynn Barthelemy: All I can say is he's sick. And he's going to make a mistake. And we're going to catch him.

Those calls from Melissa's own phone may very well have been that mistake. When police traced them, the calls placed the person they believed to be Melissa's killer in midtown Manhattan.

Megan Waterman, 22, was the youngest of the four victims whose bodies were discovered near Gilgo Beach. Megan was last seen on June 6, 2010, leaving a Holiday Inn Express in Hauppauge, N.Y. / Credit: Handout

The following year, Megan Waterman, the mother of a 3-year-old girl, disappeared from a hotel on Long Island.

Liliana Waterman: Part of you is, like, missing. It's just, like, something's always off.

"48 Hours" spoke with Megan's daughter, Liliana, in 2020.

Liliana Waterman: I would do anything to bring her back, but I can't and it just, like, frustrates me so bad.

Megan's family says the 22-year-old was a creative, but troubled, young woman who loved fashion and was devoted to her daughter.

Erin Moriarty: What would you say to your mom if you could?

Liliana Waterman: I would just want to tell her that, like, I love her.  I just want her to know, like, she has a special place in my heart, no one can ever replace her.

Like the other two women, Megan disappeared in the summer. On June 6, 2010, she was working as an escort on Long Island.

Liliana Waterman: No matter what her job was  she was a person  and  she needs justice.

Haunting video from a Holiday Inn Express is the last time she was seen alive  moments before she went to meet a client. Cellphone records later placed her phone in a Long Island neighborhood called Massapequa Park.

Amber Costello, 27, disappeared in September 2010, after she left her home on Long Island to meet a client. In 2011, her roommate Dave Schaller told

Amber Costello was the last of the Gilgo Four to disappear. She lived seven-and-a-half miles from Massapequa Park.

Dave Schaller: She used to say she was 4'11", but she wasn't. She was like 4'9", you know. I mean, she was small.

Amber's friend and former roommate, Dave Schaller, spoke with "48 Hours" in 2011.

Dave Schaller: She was an amazing person, she really was.

He says Amber was addicted to drugs and used sex work to support her habit.

Dave Schaller: But as amazing as she was, was as tormented as she was.

After Amber disappeared, police say Schaller told them about her clients. He described one of them as looking like an "ogre" and having "a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche." On the night she went missing, Schaller says, a client offered Amber $1,500 for the night  six times her hourly rate.

Dave Schaller: This guy was so relentless.  He called several times. He was on the phone with her for quite a while each time.

He says the client got Amber, an experienced escort, to do something she never did: leave without her purse or cellphone and meet him in his car.

Dave Schaller: I walked out the front door with her. She  she gave me a hug.  She's like, "I love ya." And she left.

It was nearly midnight. Schaller says that when Amber left their house, she walked down the street and he never saw her again.

Schaller told "48 Hours" that he didn't see the client's face that night but suspects he had seen him before.

Erin Moriarty: So, this is a guy you might have seen?

Dave Schaller: Yeah, this is somebody that I seen.  I might be the  one of the only people who knows who he is.

It would be more than a decade before Schaller's description would lead to a break in the case  and a prime suspect.

WHO IS REX HEUERMANN?

Muriel Henriquez: My co-worker called me and  she said, "Did you hear what happened to Rex?" And I'm like, "no."

NEWS REPORT: A New York City architect charged with murder.

Muriel Henriquez: She says, "It's Rex." I said, "No way."

NEWS REPORT: This house was a main focus and they brought out a lot of evidence.

Mary Shell: I just didn't think it was real.

Mary Shell: I even thought to myself, "it's crazy that there's two Rex Heuermann's out there."

Mary Shell and Muriel Henriquez worked with Rex Heuermann and couldn't wrap their heads around the news.

Muriel Henriquez: We never thought he would be that kind of person.

Mary Shell: It's shocking.

In July 2023, nearly 13 years after the Gilgo Four were discovered, Suffolk County police commissioner Rodney Harrison made the announcement: authorities believe Rex Heuermann is the Long Island serial killer.

RODNEY HARRISON (news conference): Rex Heuermann is a demon that walks among us, a predator that ruined families.

Rex Heuermann seen in a booking image from the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office. / Credit: Suffolk County Sheriff's Office/AP

The man he calls a demon is a six-foot-four architect. He's charged with killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. And he is the prime suspect in the death of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

MICHAEL BROWN | REX HEUERMANN'S LAWYER (to reporters): What has my client told me? He told me he didn't do this.

Heuermann was living about 20 minutes from Gilgo Beach, in Massapequa Park. It's the very same town where Megan's phone last connected with a cell tower. And Heuermann worked at his architectural firm in Midtown Manhattan, just blocks from where Maureen disappeared. The same area where several of the threatening calls to Melissa's little sister were made.

NEWS CONFERENCE: The cause of death with regard to the three victims is homicidal violence.

A married man, Heuermann lived in a run-down house, and has a daughter and stepson with his second wife, Asa Ellerup. Ellerup, who was born in Iceland, would take the children to see her family there in the summers. It was during these trips and others, police believe, that Heuermann killed the women.

Erin Moriarty: You never got any kind of hint of another life?

Muriel Henriquez: No, no.

Muriel Henriquez worked at Heuermann's company, RH Consultants & Associates, and spoke exclusively to "48 Hours." She recalled a gift he gave her in the summer of 2007.

Muriel Henriquez with the sweater she received as a gift from Rex Heuermann. / Credit: CBS News

Muriel Henriquez (holding sweater): This is a sweater he asked his wife to bring back from a trip to Iceland.

Henriquez, who says she was touched at the time by Heuermann's thoughtful gesture, now wonders if his wife's absence that summer gave him an opportunity to kill Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who disappeared on July 9, 2007.

Erin Moriarty: How do you feel about this sweater now?

Muriel Henriquez: No, I'm definitely not going to wear the sweater now.

Still, she says she saw nothing alarming about the Rex Heuermann she saw daily.

Muriel Henriquez: A little bit of a nerd in a way.  he liked to talk about himself, what he knew  not a narcissist, but a little bit of a, you know, I know everything kind of guy.

Erin Moriarty: Pompous.

Muriel Henriquez: Pompous.

She remembers him running to and from job sites eating fast food on the run.

Muriel Henriquez: Pizza. That was his number one thing.

When she heard that police had recovered almost 300 firearms from a vault in Heuermann's basement, she was surprised only by the number. She knew him as an avid hunter.

Muriel Henriquez: Going out shooting, hunting, that was his passion.

Erin Moriarty: What was it about hunting he liked?

Muriel Henriquez: I don't know. I guess  I guess it was like, he  he liked the idea of having a prize.

Erin Moriarty: Stalking prey?

Muriel Henriquez: Stalking prey and winning. He liked to win.

And while she says it never occurred to her that Heuermann could be dangerous, she does remember a time when his tracking skills unnerved her. It was her 40th birthday and she had booked a cruise vacation.

Muriel Henriquez: "Where are you going?" I said, "I'm going to  you know, I'm going to be in the middle of the ocean. You're not going to find me in the middle of the ocean."  He said," Oh, yes, I can."

Henriquez didn't think much of the comment, until the second day of her trip.

Muriel Henriquez: There was a white envelope under my door  it was a note from him. The note said, "I told you I could find you anywhere."

Mary Shell: He had photos from hunting trips.

Mary Shell was just out of art school in the summer of 2010 when she worked for Heuermann. It was the same summer that both Megan Waterman and Amber Costello vanished.

Mary Shell: He would talk about the meat  in particular that bear meat could keep in the freezer for months.

Hearing authorities now say some of the victims were wrapped in a burlap that hunters often use was chilling.

Mary Shell: The burlap really got to me.

Since Heuermann's arrest, Mary has written about her experience with him. She's also talked to other former female employees who said they weren't always treated with respect.

Mary Shell: He would have one of them, uh, clean the toilet if he thought the cleaning person hadn't done a good enough job.

Erin Moriarty: A woman in the office?

Mary Shell: Yes. Mm-hmm.  he  more than once commented on women's bodies  if someone perhaps had gained some weight, you know, that kind of  that kind of thing.

John Parisi grew up with Heuermann. He says Heuermann was bullied as a child.

John Parisi: I remember meeting Rex when I was in first or second grade.  he was a loner, not many friends.  The children were super mean to him  made fun of him and teased him.

But Parisi says he never saw Heuermann fight back.

John Parisi: He was big enough that if he got upset and started swinging, he would hurt somebody. But he never did.

As Heuermann got older, John points out, things didn't get much better.

John Parisi: He was rejected by many girls.  we all go through that awkward stage growing up, and it seemed like that awkward stage stayed with him longer than usual.

Still, he says, many in the community find it hard to believe that Heuermann is the notorious serial killer living a double life for more than a decade.

John Parisi: People  were saying, oh my God, I can't believe we have a serial killer in our town, and we grew up with, and we walked amongst the killer.

Another classmate of Heuermann's, actor Billy Baldwin, took to social media when the news broke, tweeting it was "Mind-boggling."

The awkward Long Island teenager grew up to be a confident and seemingly successful architect. Antoine Amira met and interviewed him in 2022.

REX HEUERMANN ("L'Interview"): Born and raised on Long Island  then working in Manhattan since 1987.

Antoine Amira: There's nothing in my interview that made me think that this person in front of me is a dangerous person.

Amira is a hotel food and beverage manager in New York who loves real estate. He has a YouTube interview show called "L'Interview"where he handpicks guests whom he thinks are interesting and accomplished.

Amira says Heuermann was well known for his skill at helping companies and individuals get building permits.

REX HEUERMANN ("L'Interview"): I'm an architect, and architectural consultant, a troubleshooter.

REX HEUERMANN: When a job that should have been routine suddenly becomes not routine, I get the phone call.

ANTOINE AMIRA: Gotcha.

Antoine Amira: What really, uh, uh, stood out for me was that he  he was very, very, very smart.

And known, says Amira, for his ability to find loopholes in the rules.

Antoine Amira: He was pleased when he was doing it.

Erin Moriarty: That he could 

Antoine Amira: That he  could outwit the  the system.

But Amira says he remembers it was hard to get Heuermann to crack a smile. Not even during the signature sunglasses selfies he takes with every guest.

ANTOINE AMIRA (YouTube interview show): That's it, folks. That was Rex.

ANTOINE AMIRA: It's. Selfie time. Can you smile?

REX HEUERMANN: That is.

If police are right, Rex Heuerman was able to hide a life as a serial killer  and if he did, his habit of eating pizza on the go would turn out to be his undoing.

CONNECTING THE CLUES

For more than a decade after the discovery of the Gilgo Four, Rex Heuermann's name never appeared on a suspect list until a new task force was formed with Suffolk County police commissioner Rodney Harrison and Suffolk County D.A. Ray Tierney.

Ray Tierney: In February of 2022 we formed the task force  and then a mere six weeks later  Rex Heuermann was identified for the first time.

A suspect in six weeks? So how did they do it? It turns out that buried in the original case files were a number of critical clues that the new task force was finally able to connect. Remember Amber's roommate Dave Schaller?

Dave Schaller: She's like, "I love you." You know, she gave me a hug.  And she left.

He had told police about one of Amber's clients and his vehicle.

Ray Tierney: Just a large, built man  and that, he was driving this, this first-generation Chevy Avalanche.

A first-generation Chevy Avalanche. With a description of an ogre-like man, and the make and model of his truck, police took a closer look at Amber's phone records from 2010. Schaller had told them that before Amber disappeared, there was one particular client calling incessantly.

Dave Schaller: He called several times. He was on the phone with her for quite a while each time.

Police back then knew the client was using a burner phone. That's a prepaid phone that anyone can buy and use anonymously. And they knew that Maureen, Melissa and Megan had all been in contact with burner numbers right before they disappeared.

In 2012, with the help of the FBI, they determined that most of those calls connected to cell towers inside a small area of Massapequa Park. They called it "the box."

Erin Moriarty: So how large an area is that box?

Ray Tierney: It's, you know, a couple of blocks within  within Massapequa Park.

The new task force began the search for a large-built man who also lived in that small area and owned a Chevy Avalanche at the time of the disappearances.

Erin Moriarty: Was there a "aha!" moment when, all of a sudden, his name came up?

Rodney Harrison: Once we were able to attach the  Avalanche inside of that Massapequa box, which then attached to Rex Heuermann, that was a moment where we said, OK, there's something here.

The task force now had a prime suspect. And when they looked at Heuermann's personal cellphone records, they found that his phone was in the same area as those burner phones when they were used to contact a victim in Massapequa Park or in midtown Manhattan.

RAY TIERNEY (at news conference): it was always consistent.

Tierney says this was also true for those awful calls Melissa's family got from that man using her phone back in 2009.

Steve Cohen: He said, "Do you know what I did to your sister?"  and he said  "Well, I killed Melissa."

The task force says that it confirmed that Heuermann does in fact use burner phones. Investigators say he had two different burner numbers in 2022, and they say they watched him put money on one of those accounts at a cellphone store in Midtown Manhattan.

And according to court papers, the team also documented three email accounts using fake names, including John Springfield, Thomas Hawk and Hunter1903a3, and all linked to those burner numbers. And prosecutors say that Heuermann was using a burner phone to send these selfies to "solicit and arrange for sexual activity."

One of those accounts linked to Heuermann, prosecutors wrote, was used to conduct "thousands of searches related to sex workers, sadistic, torture-related pornography and child pornography."

RAY TIERNEY (at news conference): There was a lot of torture, porn, and  depictions of women, being abused, being raped, and being killed.

Investigators also say that while they were busy watching Heuermann, Heuermann was trying to watch them  conducting searches on the task force and the Gilgo victims.

RAY TIERNEY (at news conference): Not only pictures of the victims, pictures of their relatives  their sisters, their children, and he was trying to locate those individuals.

The circumstantial evidence was building, but investigators also had physical evidence from the Gilgo Fourincluding one male hair that was found in the burlap used to "restrain and transport" Megan Waterman's body. They wanted to see if they could link it to Heuermann.

Detectives tailing Rex Heuermann recovered his DNA from pizza crust in a box that he discarded in a Manhattan trash can. / Credit: Suffolk County D.A.

Police tailed Heuermann, and when he threw out a pizza box in a trash can in midtown Manhattan  they pounced.

Ray Tierney: The pizza, which was  obviously very significant.

Tierney says that Heuermann's DNA that was found on that pizza crust was consistent with a DNA profile from the hair found with Megan Waterman's body, and that DNA profile is only found in .04 percent of the population.

Ray Tierney: That was a remarkable day. It was, you know, the weekend and, you know, you read, you get the report and you read it and then you read it again, and then you read it a third time and then you read it a fourth time, and then you start making calls.

With the DNA, the search histories and the burner phone evidence, the team felt it was time.

Ray Tierney: When we decided to take down the case, we, you know, it was a sudden decision.  We did see him contacting a number  of sex workers  using a burner phone, which obviously is concerning.

Plainclothes officers arrested him around the corner from his office.

Rodney Harrison: I don't think he had any clue. I don't think he had any clue that we were onto him.

Police spent 12 days looking through Heuermann's home, pulling those guns out of the basement, and digging in the backyard. They say it will take some time to comb through what they have now, and they were tight lipped about what they found.

REPORTER 1 (at news conference): Has the search been fruitful?

RODNEY HARRISON: Great question and the answer's yes.

REPORTER 2:  Can you elaborate on fruitful? You said yes, it's fruitful.

RODNEY HARRISON: There have been items that we have taken into our possession, that makes it fruitful.

And one more big piece of evidence taken into possession: a first-generation Chevy Avalanche Heuermann once used. It was sitting on property he owns in South Carolina when they recovered it.

RAY TIERNEY (at news conference): We were able to seize that Chevy Avalanche pursuant to a search warrant. And we're certainly going to analyze that.

But there were female hairs found on some of the victim's bodies that don't belong to the victims. So, who do they belong to?

THE FAMILY OF A SUSPECTED SERIAL KILLER

After Rex Heuermann's arrest, his quiet neighborhood in Massapequa Park was overrun by investigators and media, focusing intense scrutiny on the ramshackle home and its remaining residents: his stepson, Christopher Sheridan; daughter, Victoria Heuermann, and his wife more than 25 years, Asa Ellerup.

Bob Macedonio: So, their life going forward is always gonna be the wife or the children of (a) suspected serial killer. That's what it's gonna be from now on.

Asa Ellerup / Credit: MEGA Agency

Attorney Bob Macedonio represents Ellerup, who has since filed for divorce from Heuermann. He says she was as stunned as anyone by the accusations.

Bob Macedonio: She had no idea any of this was going on  The allegations are shocking. Nobody wants to think that they've been living with, sleeping next to a serial killer for the past 25 years.

As it turns out, Ellerup may have inadvertently helped focus the investigation on her husband. Investigators say they've identified strands of female hair that were found on two of the victims.

D.A. Ray Tierney | Suffolk County: One hair on Waterman  comes back to his wife, or the DNA profiles are consistent. And then  the DNA profile from Costello is consistent with  the wife.

Although prosecutors have evidence that Ellerup was out of town when those murders occurred, they will have to explain how those hairs got on the victims. Suffolk County D.A. Ray Tierney says it could be as simple as transfer.

Ray Tierney: You live at home with a spouse a little bit of your hair falls on your shoulder, as well as your spouse's. Then you go out and you interact with the third party and that hair gets on them.

Ellerup has not been charged or named a suspect in any of the murders.

Erin Moriarty: You don't believe that Rex Heuermann's wife was involved in this in any way?

Ray Tierney: There's no evidence to indicate that. No.

Along with the public scrutiny of Ellerup, there has also been support from people that perhaps know all too well what she's going through. Kerri Rawson, the daughter of serial killer Dennis Rader, who named himself BTK, tweeted: "Asa and her kids are also victims."

MELISSA MOORE (at news conference): I can tell that they are going through hell.

And from Melissa Moore, the daughter of Keith Jesperson  a serial killer known as the "Happy Face Killer" for taunting authorities with letters signed with a happy face.

BOB MACEDONIO (at news conference): She reached out immediately to myself and we put her in contact with Asa.

At a news conference, Macedonio announced Moore set up a GoFundMe page for Ellerup, which raised over $50,000. It is money he says will largely go to medical bills  Asa is battling breast and skin cancer. And because Rex Heuermann was the sole provider for the family, Macedonio says she will soon lose her health insurance.

BOB MACEDONIO (at news conference): Asa would like me to express her thanks for the support she has received. Um, she is going through a very difficult time.

Ellerup's children have also paid a heavy price. Her daughter, Victoria, who worked for her father at the architectural consulting firm, and her son, Christopher, are both now unemployed. Ellerup struggles to support them, says Macedonio, while she's also trying to figure out how to start over.

Erin Moriarty: How is she getting through every day?

Bob Macedonio: Honestly?

Erin Moriarty: Yeah.

Bob Macedonio: Minute by minute.  She has no one else to turn into at this time.  Family and friends have been hesitant to have her come over because they don't want the media attention. She gets followed wherever she goes.

Asa Ellerup and her children continue to live in the house in Massapequa Park, Long Island, which the family says was excessively damaged when police searched it shortly after rex Heuermann's arrest. / Credit: Robert Macedonio

For the moment, she and her children continue to live in the house in Massapequa Park, which the family says was excessively damaged during the police search. It's a daily reminder of the unimaginable crimes her estranged husband is charged with and the investigation that continues into what else he may have done.

THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY?

Rex Heuermann, awaiting trial, is locked inside a Suffolk County jail in a 60-square-foot cell. He denies killing Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello  their voices now silent as the sand where they had been ruthlessly discarded.

The Gilgo Four: Clockwise from top left, Amber Costello, Megan Waterman, Maureen Brainard Barnes and Melissa Barthelemy. / Credit: CBS News

Erin Moriarty: How sure are you as you're sitting here now that Rex Heuermann is the Long Island serial killer?

Ray Tierney: So, we're just at the beginning stage of this case  but we would not have brought this indictment if we weren't confident in our case.

Rodney Harrison: He took away somebody's mother, somebody's daughter, somebody's sister  not just one person, multiple individuals.

Heuermann is currently the prime suspect for the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

And for investigators, an obvious question still hangs heavy: if Heuermann is a killer, are there other victims?

Erin Moriarty: I mean, isn't there a real concern that there may be other victims out there?

Ray Tierney: Always.

Rodney Harrison: Who's to say there's not more bodies out there that we need to investigate?

In 2011, police did find other bodies along Ocean Parkway after finding the Gilgo Four.

There is victim number 5, Jessica Taylor  an escort who went missing in 2003.

The remains of

Another set of remains police called "Jane Doe # 6" is now identified as Valerie Mack, also working as an escort.Number 7: To investigators' surprise they found a toddler girl.Number 8: An Asian male dressed in women's clothing. Number 9: A female skull belonging to Karen Vergata, an escort who disappeared in 1996.Number 10: Female remains from a victim cops nicknamed Peaches because of a tattoo on her torso. Although her remains were found six miles away, police say DNA confirms Peaches is the mother of that toddler.

None of those victims have been linked to Heuermann.

Erin Moriarty: Is it that you can't connect him yet, or you believe he probably isn't the person who killed these other individuals?

Rodney Harrison: I don't know.

Investigations spread to Las Vegas and South Carolina, where Heuermann owns property, with detectives there taking a fresh look at cases of missing women.

And then there is Nikkie Brass.

Nikkie Brass: I remembered him because one, he's massive. And how many massive, like 6-foot, 5 architects work in Manhattan and live in Massapequa?

Now a hairdresser, Brass claims she may be one that got away. She told us she used to work as an escort. And while "48 Hours" cannot substantiate her story, Brass claims she can't shake her memory of the night she says she was solicited for sex by Rex Heuermann, and says she fled the restaurant where they met.

Nikkie Brass: I had never gone anywhere and like felt, fear. My gut was telling me I needed to get away and I never had that before.

Brass says what she found most disturbing is that Heuermann himself brought up those bodies bound in burlap by Gilgo Beach.

Nikkie Brass: He wanted to, like, really get into it. Like, he asked me how I thought they could get rid of the bodies without being caught in that area. And I said, like, I've never been over there.  I've never even seen Gilgo Beach.  And his response was, well, it's really dark and desolate.

More women coming forward claiming connections with Gilgo Beach murders suspect, sheriff says

Brass is now represented by John Ray, an attorney who is also representing Shannan Gilbert's family. In December 2011, investigators finally found Shannan in the marsh not far from Gilgo Beach. But they don't believe she was murdered.

Rodney Harrison: It's an unfortunate incident, but right now we believe that she just ran into the marsh and unfortunately drowned.

A former investigator told us that he believes Shannan was high on drugs that night and says her death was an accident  something John Ray just can't believe. While he doesn't think Shannan was a victim of Heuermann, he does believe she was murdered and points to that 911 call.

John Ray (December 2013): It makes absolutely no sense that she's found where she is, except that someone else put her there, or killed her there.

While questions remain about Shannan's last hours, there's no question she's the reason so many families may finally be getting answers they have long waited for. "48 Hours" spoke to her sister, Sherre Gilbert, in 2011.

Sherre Gilbert: Yeah, if my sister, you know, didn't make that 911 call  I don't think that these other women would have been recovered yet

Now investigators hope that with an arrest they can give the victim's families, who stood with them, a sense of justice and of peace.

Ray Tierney: I've gotten to know the families and I'm inspired by them, and I'm impressed by their patience.

A local legend has it that Gilgo Beach was named for a skilled fisherman called Gil, the silver-gray waters once his secret hunting ground. Today, this beach area is better known for a relentless hunter of human prey  a serial killer, whose chilling presence can still be felt in the ocean air.

Produced by Betsy Shuller, Mary Ann Rotondi, Lauren A. White, Sarah Prior, Richard Fetzer and James Stolz. Gregory McLaughlin is the producer-editor. Sara Ely Hulse, Michelle Fanucci, Elena DiFiore, David Dow and Cindy Cesare are the development producers. Charlotte A. Fuller, Anthony Venditti and Shaheen Tokhi are the field producers. Atticus Brady, Doreen Schechter, Marlon Disla, Grayce Arlotta-Berner, Marcus Balsum and Michael Vele are the editors. Morgan Canty and Dylan Gordon are the associate producers. Patti Aronofsky and Lourdes Aguiar are the senior producers. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

Nature: Cenote in Mexico

Sheila Johnson on her memoir "Walk Through Fire"

Gloria Steinem on the history of Ms. Magazine
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Departments recently formed cold case unit has identified suspects in 11 homicides dating back to 1979, Chief Karl Oakman said.

Three cases have been submitted to the Wyandotte County District Attorneys Office for consideration of charges, Oakman said.

Detectives are conducting further investigation to determine which (other) cases can be submitted for criminal charges, Oakman told the Unified Governments Board of Commissioners on Thursday as part of a presentation about the police departments new initiatives.

About a week after he was sworn in as chief in June 2021, Oakman announced plans to form a cold case unit, which was up and running in January 2022. It consists of three full-time detectives.

Nancy Chartrand, a police spokesperson, said Friday the department cant identify the cases referenced by Oakman because it could jeopardize them.

But Chartrand called identifying suspects in 11 homicides since the unit was created a tremendous success given that some cases remained unsolved for decades. Suspects who think they have evaded justice, she said, will soon be sorely disappointed.

Our first priority is always the families of these victims, regardless of how long ago their lives were taken, Chartrand added.

Activists in Wyandotte County had been calling for a cold case unit, specifically urging the investigations into the unsolved killings of primarily Black women.

One of those cases, the 1998 murder of 33-year-old Rhonda Tribue, gained the attention in 2021 of the FBI, which offered a reward of $50,000 for information leading to a conviction. She had been living in KCK and was found dead in the 500 block of South 94th Street near Edwardsville.

Melissa Underwood, a spokesperson for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which was working with the FBI, earlier this year said Tribues homicide remained an open investigation.

We would still urge anyone to come forward with even the smallest information that might help law enforcement close her case, Underwood said in May.

At the time of Tribues killing, KCK detectives honed in on a drug dealer she was said to have dated, according to a recent Star review of the case file. Police searched his truck, but he was not charged.

When the department announced the formation of the cold case unit, it noted that just 7% of law enforcement agencies have a dedicated cold case unit. At the time, Oakman said there were about 285 unsolved killings over five decades in KCK that could benefit from a fresh review.

At the meeting Thursday, Oakman also said certain crimes are down compared to this time last year, including a 38% and 39% decline in homicides and rapes, respectively. For homicides, that means there have been 18 killings this year compared to 29 by this time in 2022, he said.

Among other updates, Oakman said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has committed to sending the department four agents to start a squad to investigate illegal guns.
Editors Note: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence.

On one cold November morning in 1864, more than 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal members, mostly women and children, were murdered in one of the worst massacres in American history.

For 128 years, the man historians say authorized the massacre had a mountain  which was located on Indigenous territory  named after him.

But not anymore.

Mount Blue Sky, formerly Mount Evans, was renamed in a Friday vote of the US Board of Geographic Names, the US Department of the Interior announced in a news release.

As the 14th highest peak in Colorado, the mountain stands at 14,258 feet along the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and the Pike and San Isabel National Forests.

The new name holds significance because the Arapaho were known as the Blue Sky people and the Cheyenne have an annual ceremony of renewal of life called Blue Sky, according to the petition to rename the mountain submitted by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.

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 Governor Reggie Wassana said in a statement.

The boards Domestic Names Committee voted on the name change after years of consideration by state, county, local and Tribal governments and with the support of nearly 75 organizations and hundreds of people, according to the Interior Department.

Names matter. How we identify our public lands is an important opportunity to be inclusive and welcoming, and to make a lasting impact for future generations, Michael Brain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science, said in a statement.

Another chapter in Americas blood stained history

The US National Park Service called the massacre one of the worst tragedies of the American West.

Before the massacre, the tribes, who have lived on the Great Plains for generations, were already experiencing the intrusion by American colonists, the park service said. Their western expansion invaded Indigenous land, limiting their hunting grounds and haunting them with the constant threat of violence from the American military.

Indigenous chief Black Kettle of the Cheyenne was committed to his efforts to negotiate peace with then-territorial Governor John Evans and the American Colonist Military, to protect his people, according to the National Park Service. But nothing worked.

The petition to rename the mountain begins with a quote from the 1864 Proclamation by Governor John Evans:

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.

The Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes  including 750 people, most of whom were women, children and the elderly  followed orders to settle at an encampment by the Big Sandy Creek near Fort Lyon. They were told to wait there, until peace negotiations continued and they would be allowed to go to Fort Lyon for safety and supplies.

But on the morning of November 29, unprovoked, US soldiers opened fire on innocent and unaware Arapaho and Cheyenne civilians, and by the end of the massacre, 230 of them were dead.

During the afternoon and following day, the soldiers wandered over the field committing atrocities on the dead before departing the scene on December 1st, the park service said.

One soldier, who described the scene in front of Congress, said: I saw the bodies of those lying there cut all to pieces, worse mutilated than any I ever saw before; the women cut all to pieces[cut] with knives; scalped; their brains knocked out; children two or three months old; all ages lying there, from sucking infants up to warriors  [mutilated] by the United States troops.

In 1865, Governor Evans was forced to resign in disgrace, according to the petition. The mountain was named after him In 1895.

The Mestaaehehe Coalition, which united tribal representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho and other Indigenous tribes to rename the mountain, said on Facebook the immense relief of removing a name so associated with the atrocity of the Sand Creek Massacre is felt by many.

May this new name be one of honoring the victims and their descendants, healing and moving forward together. And may these sacred homelands once again be a welcome place for all!

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Colorado wildlife officials euthanized a bear with human garbage in its intestines.

The bear had a "plug" of paper towels, disinfectant wipes, napkins, plastic, and food wrappers in its belly.

Bears conditioned to eat human food have shorter life expectancies, the National Park Service says.

Officials had to euthanize a massive black bear in Colorado Saturday after baby wipes and other human garbage got lodged in its small intestine.

CPW Area Wildlife Manager Rachel Sralla said in a statement that the bear was "very sick," presenting officials with no other option than to put it out of its misery.

"When you have a very fat 400-pound bear, it will take it ages to starve to death," Sralla said. "That's a horrific way to die, decaying from the inside out for that long."

Sralla said human trash disposal is a problem that's hurting bears in Colorado.

CPW District Wildlife Manager Mark Caddy said the bear's intestines were clogged with a "plug" of paper towels, disinfectant wipes, napkins, parts of plastic sacks, and wax paper food wrappers.

"This plug was accompanied by french fries, green beans, onions and peanuts," Caddy said, adding that the bear's intestines were already in the beginning stages of decomposition.

Giving food to bears is a bad idea for several reasons, according to the US National Park Service. Giving human food to bears can cause them to become food-conditioned and return to places occupied by humans, the NPS says.

Food-conditioned bears are more likely to approach people and can be aggressive, unpredictable, and dangerous, according to the NPS.

In August, California wildlife officials caught a massive 500-pound black bear named "Hank the Tank" who had broken into more than a dozen homes in search of food.

Bears who eat mostly human foods are also shown to have shorter life expectancies than those that eat natural foods, the agency says.

The National Park Service recommends storing food in containers that bears can't open, such as bear canisters. When staying in a hotel in an area with bears, the agency says to keep all your food inside your hotel room and make sure to keep all doors and windows locked.

Read the original article on Insider
A Ukranian soldier gives first aid to his wounded comrade near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Sept. 4. (Libkos / Associated Press)

After three months of grueling combat against Russian troops, Ukraines summer offensive is finally showing results  but not the dramatic breakthrough Ukrainians and their supporters in the West hoped for.

The Ukrainians goal was to penetrate Russias heavily fortified defenses in southern Ukraine and cut the main roads between Russia and Crimea. They fought through the first of three Russian lines in late August, and theyre now assaulting the second.

Thats progress, but far short of where they wanted to be.

Read more: Warning: Your TV is about to explode. Political ads are skyrocketing

Its been a breach, but not a breakthrough, said Michael Kofman, a military analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who has made several visits to the battle zone. Each days progress is measured in the hundreds of meters, not kilometers or miles, he said. Its kind of a slugfest.

Ukraines advance could still pick up speed before its ammunition runs out and winter sets in, Kofman added. Even so, its clear that this war will continue well into 2024, and probably beyond.

Ukraines leaders are determined to keep fighting, since the alternative is to see their country taken over by Russias Vladimir Putin . But their army has not advanced far enough to make Putin decide to cut his losses.

Hes betting that the United States and its European allies will tire of sending money and weapons to Kyiv.

Another reason for Putin to keep fighting is the prospect that Donald Trump might return to the White House. Trump praised Putins invasion last year as genius and has claimed that if he were elected, he would end the war in 24 hours, which sounds like pulling the plug on Ukraine.

So it will take another year of fighting plus a presidential election before Putin even considers negotiations.

Meanwhile, Ukraine needs help from the United States and Europe to keep fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington this week to meet with President Biden and members of Congress.

One of his top requests to Biden will be for the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System, also known as ATACMS (pronounced attack ems). The missiles 190-mile range would allow Ukraine to hit Russian bases, equipment and ammunition well behind the front lines.

The Pentagon has rejected the request for reasons including fear that Ukraine might use ATACMS against targets deep inside Russia, potentially provoking a superpower crisis. But in recent weeks, unnamed administration officials have said Biden is close to sending the missiles, a decision that could nudge other countries to send them too.

But the ATACMS arent likely to arrive in Ukraine soon enough to affect this summers offensive. Even then, they might not have made a decisive difference.

Theres no silver bullet thats going to transform the situation, said Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow. But ATACMS should be useful during the winter in impeding the Russians efforts to rebuild their fortifications.

Meanwhile, Biden is asking Congress for another $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The proposal has drawn noisy opposition from pro-Trump Republicans, but with support from GOP hawks and Democrats, its likely to pass after vigorous debate.

Polls suggest that most voters support continued aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are increasingly opposed. A CBS News poll this month found that 54% of Americans favor sending more weapons to Kyiv, but 61% of GOP voters disagree.

Its understandable that many Americans are tired of seeing taxpayer dollars spent on a faraway war. The United States has already sent Ukraine more than



$50 billion in military aid.

So Biden should make a clearer case that helping Ukraine is in the U.S. national interest, not merely an act of charity.

The president and his aides often cite a somewhat abstract principle to make their case: that big countries ruled by autocrats should not be allowed to invade their neighbors and seize territory.

But the stakes in this war also come down to realpolitik  or, if youd like to stick to English, harsh reality. A Russian victory in Ukraine would be a disaster for the United States, one even more damaging than our chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

It would make Putin the strongman of Eastern Europe, empowered to intimidate his neighbors with threats of more invasions.

And it would make Russias three-way alliance with China and North Korea a powerful axis of autocrats, reaching deep into Asia.

The choice for the U.S., in short, boils down to abandoning Ukraine and handing Putin a victory, or giving Ukraine a chance to keep fighting until Putin agrees to negotiate a reasonable peace.

Those may not be palatable choices, but foreign policy is like that most of the time.

And, as Zelensky said last week: Its not a movie with a happy end.

Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An electric vehicle battery breakthrough is emerging from Michigan, made with locally sourced metals that are cheaper and can power cars and light trucks.

The news comes from Our Next Energy, aka ONE, which started operations in 2020, as InsideEVs reported. And now, the developers of the Aries II promise long range, better safety, and more sustainable production as they plan to roll out their innovation next year.

Its all part of a tech race of sorts by battery experts worldwide. They are searching for the best mix of metals and other materials to create the chemistry needed for batteries to charge and discharge with great efficiency and at low cost.

Aries II has what ONE experts tout as better battery chemistry. They are using iron and manganese instead of nickel and cobalt as part of lithium-iron phosphate batteries.

Cobalt and nickel are among the expensive metals often used in U.S. EV power packs that are difficult to mine. Most of the iron ONE is using, however, is sourced in North America, part of their less-expensive approach.

The Aries II touts a 350-mile range, accomplished in part by stuffing more cells into the power pack, according to ONE. The thinner cells reduce heat, making the battery safer. The iron-based chemistry increases energy density by 16%.

When the team took on the challenge of achieving energy parity with (nickel-cobalt) batteries, we looked at everything, from improving cell chemistry to redesigning the inside of the pack, ONE chief battery engineer Chris Hughes told InsideEVs.

Bringing the lithium-iron phosphate performance to near that of the nickel-cobalt range is huge, as nickel-cobalt has long been used in the EV industry, per InsideEVs. The report noted that ONEs design costs 25% less to make, largely because costly nickel and cobalt arent needed. The company reports that its lithium-iron phosphate tech can match the range and mass of nickel-cobalt to within 6%.

Whats more, ONE plans for the Aries II to be widely used, customizable for all passenger vehicles, according to a video clip.

The clip shows packs being made at the Michigan plant. They appear to fit on the bottom of the vehicle frame, between the front and back axles.

Its a busy time for ONE, which was recently named Forbes third-best startup employer. The company has also expanded into grid tech and was valued at more than $1 billion during a recent investment series, according to the company newsroom.

Production on Aries II is slated to start in late 2024 at the Van Buren Township plant, but ONE is promising more to come. In 2025, officials plan to unveil the Gemini, which is billed to provide more than 600 miles on a single charge.

Mass EV adoption wont happen until drivers are comfortable with an electric vehicle as their only vehicle. Consumers want vehicle range that allows them to take a cross-country road trip, ONE states on its website.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
While there has been an abundance of news about Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville placing a procedural hold on high level military nominations you do not hear anything about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders using the same leverage for demanding price controls of prescription drugs by withholding nominees.

What will happen to our country because of the childlike games these politicians on both sides continue to play? If our country cannot unite, we will destroy ourselves within.

Kay Hillery, Indian Wells

Why leave out Italian American history in ethnic studies?

I am an Italian American. There are about 16-18 million people of Italian descent in the U.S. Yet we are not even mentioned in the ethnic studies requirement which Tom Elias discussed in his Sept. 12 column. I was shocked to learn the reason. Supposedly we were not worthy of mention because along with the countless other European immigrants, we had a built in white privilege.

I am dark skinned. My ancestors were reviled and suffered vicious discrimination in part because of our skin tone. In the South we were not considered white. We were victims of one of the largest mass lynchings in American history. My own grandfather had a cross burned on his lawn. So now what is the excuse for consciously eliminating us from the disingenuous label of ethnic studies?

Gene Gambale, Indio

What would Lincoln say if he were alive today?

We as voters are again engaged in a great struggle to preserve our democracy and the Constitution unlike any of us have ever seen since the Civil War. Our first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, reminded us of all of our duties and obligation to this country when he gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

The address starts, Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, and ends, From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

If he were alive today, what do you think he would say about our Republican Party? Or about ex-President Donald Trump and his orchestration of the Jan. 6 riots in the U.S. Capitol? Or Trump's staunch political supporters, the multiple federal criminal indictment charges filed against him and the scheme to create fake electors for states, including Georgia? We all really need to give grave consideration to Lincolns words before we cast our vote in the 2024 presidential, senate and congressional elections.

David Ormiston, Palm Springs

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Our country's politicians continue to play childlike games on both sides
Dan and Leah Horne got married on June 3, 2023, in Big Sur, California.

They decided to have a smaller destination wedding to spend quality time with their guests.

The decor was inspired by summer camp and their love of Greece.

A chance phone call brought Dan and Leah Horne to each other.

Dan and Leah Horne met on the phone. Asha Bailey

In 2018, Leah, 27, and Dan, 33, were both working in finance, and Leah ended up giving Dan a call because he was one of her firm's clients. The conversation quickly veered away from professional topics as they spoke.

"We didn't know what each other looked like, but we just had good conversations," Leah said.

"I just really liked her voice to be quite honest, and I was attracted to it," Dan said.

Leah lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the time, and Dan was in Salt Lake City, Utah, but they kept speaking on the phone.

When Dan finally flew to Charlotte a few months later to meet Leah, they were both smitten, and Leah ended up inviting him to join her on a trip to Greece even though they barely knew each other. To her surprise, he said yes.

"Our family and friends definitely thought we were crazy, but it worked out," Leah said. "Ever since then, we've been inseparable."

Today, the Hornes live in Nashville, Tennessee. Leah owns the mental health company Damn Good Monday, and Dan works in the cryptocurrency industry.

They got engaged in March 2021, deciding to have a destination wedding to celebrate their love of travel.

The couple got married in Big Sur, California. Asha Bailey

Dan and Leah first toyed with the idea of returning to Greece where their connection really took off to tie the knot, but they decided to keep their wedding in the United States to make it easier for their family members to attend.

They ended up selecting Big Sur, California, both because it was beautiful and because Leah grew up in beachy areas while Dan grew up in the mountains. It was the perfect marriage of their upbringings.

They tapped Mariposa Events Company to plan their big day, and Asha Bailey photographed the event.

Dan and Leah decided early into wedding planning that they wanted to have a smaller guest list.

The Hornes had an intimate wedding. Asha Bailey

As the Hornes' wedding plans started to come together, they realized they would need to "make the rounds" if they had a large wedding, spending most of their day greeting their guests.

"Dan and I looked at each other at one point during the planning, and we were like, 'the last thing we want is to miss out on time with each other and our guests because we need to just go say hi,'" Leah said.

They decided to invite just 55 guests to their nuptials.

The Hornes said 'I do' at a rental home that overlooked the ocean.

They stayed in the venue on their wedding night. Asha Bailey

Leah and Dan's original wedding venue fell through after it was damaged in a mudslide, so they ended up selecting Wind & Sea Big Sur for their big day without ever seeing it in person.

"We just went by pictures, and honestly, Dan and I are a pretty lackadaisical and chill couple," Leah said. "We just trusted our wedding planner and we were like, 'we'll get married on the side of the road if we have to.'"

Luckily, the venue ended up being perfect for them.

The Hornes said their vows overlooking the ocean, and they stayed in the property's 3,000-square-foot home on their wedding night.

Leah stumbled upon her wedding dress on a trip to Paris.

She found her wedding dress alone in Paris. Asha Bailey

"I knew that I wanted something sparkly and flowy but still timeless," Leah said of her vision for her wedding dress.

Leah accompanied Dan on a work trip to Europe, and while he was working, she wandered into a bridal boutique where she saw a gown designed by Dylan Parienty in Paris. It was perfect.

The mermaid gown had a square-neckline, sheer sleeves, and it was covered in delicate sparkles. Ruffles covered the skirt, which flowed into a train.

The gown's sleeves were one-of-a-kind.

The sleeves were sheer. Asha Bailey

The sleeves were embroidered with interlocking strips of sparkly embellishments.

"I wanted to feel sparkly and magical, and that's how that dress made me feel," Leah said of how she knew the gown was right for her.

Leah paired the look with a long veil, and she did her own hair and makeup so she was only with her nearest and dearest as she got ready.

"I wanted it to feel like I was getting ready with my friends before I went out type vibe," Leah said.

Dan wore a classic tuxedo to the wedding.

Dan Horne kept his wedding ensemble classic. Asha Bailey

"He was like, 'I don't care if we do it on the beach or at a venue, but I need to definitely bring the James Bond vibes,'" Leah said of Dan's approach to his wedding day look.

Richards Bespoke designed the tuxedo.

The scenic reception was accented by white flowers.

The reception area overlooked the ocean. Asha Bailey

"I wanted flowers everywhere," Leah said of her vision for the ceremony. "I definitely wanted the ceremony white and elegant."

"We made sure that there were only white flowers and greenery where the ceremony happened," she added of the flowers, which Mariposa Events Company provided.

The oversized arrangements lined the aisle, while they didn't put flowers at the front so the ocean was clearly visible as they said their vows.

"During the ceremony and reception, there were whales," Leah said. "Our guests saw like seven to 10 whales along the ocean, which was just added to the magic factor."

The Hornes contrasted their all-white ceremony with a colorful reception.

The reception was whimsical and fun. Asha Bailey

Dan and Leah chose whimsical decor at the reception inspired by their time in Greece.

"We picked out these emerald green, see-through plates, and the place cards were lemons with people's names on it," Leah said.

Arrangements of wildflowers completed the tablescapes, and they added disco balls to the area to solidify the party vibe.

"We wanted it to just be magic," Leah said of the decor. "We do things a little like funky and off the beaten path, but we also wanted it to be composed and elegant and timeless."

They also incorporated a campy vibe to the event.

Baby pools acted as coolers. Asha Bailey

Because their wedding was smaller, Dan and Leah wanted there to be a sense of camaraderie and fun between guests, which they thought of as a summer camp energy.

For instance, they added touches to their decor that were camp inspired, like baby pools full of drinks inside of a canoe.

They also had a welcome cocktail hour the night before the wedding near a river, and guests could dip there feet in while they mingled.

Coordinating jerseys also helped incorporate the camp vibe.

The custom jerseys said "Horne." Asha Bailey

Jerseys with "Horne" and the number 23, the year they got married, were waiting on Dan and Leah's chairs at the reception, giving them a memento from the day.

The staff from Mariposa Events Company wore jerseys too, which was extra fun because they provided all the staff for the event.

"Our wedding planner's husband was the DJ, and they were the chefs and they were the coordinators," Leah told Insider of their DJ, DJ Hummus. "They actually played every role, which was mind blowing and just miraculous really."

The Hornes told Insider that having a small staff made it feel even more intimate.

"No one that didn't need to be was there if that makes sense," Leah said.

Leah also changed into a mini-dress for the reception.

Her best friend designed the reception dress. Asha Bailey

Leah's best friend Alicia Frazer designed the reception dress, which made it all the more special.

The short dress had sheer sleeves, and the neckline was lined with daisy embellishments. Floral applique with subtle sparkles covered the bodice, accenting her first dress perfectly.

The reception was relaxed and fun, just like the Hornes wanted.

The bride and groom at their reception. Asha Bailey

The Hornes made sure their wedding reception felt like them.

"Dan and I created every playlist for every moment of that day," Leah said, so they loved every song that played at their wedding.

They also customized the wedding by having a small wedding cake and providing assorted desserts for their other guests, and their goody bags contained edibles.

The reception made Leah and Dan even more grateful they kept their guest list small.

"It was just relieving to be honest," Dan said. "We got to enjoy more time with each other,more intimate time with our friends and family that came, and it was just, in my opinion, a better experience than having limited amount of face time with 300 people."

Leah said some of her favorite moments of the wedding took place during their photo shoot with their photographer.

Dan and Leah Horne had fun taking wedding photos. Asha Bailey

"It was just Dan and I, and it felt so organic," Leah said of the shoot with Bailey. "The way that she shoots and photographs, I feel like her clients don't know that she's there."

They loved that taking photos gave them intimate moments with each other throughout their busy day.

"That was a way for Dan and I to disappear for a minute even though we were getting our pictures done," Leah said.

The Hornes' wedding planner also made sure their time at the venue felt magical after their guests left.

Their venue turned into their honeymoon suite. Asha Bailey

"After the wedding, our planner actually stuck around and set up the house for us," Leah said.

Their planner set up star lamps throughout the home and prepared fresh mac and cheese as a late night snack.

"It was wild sitting there in this dress that my best friend made, eating mac and cheese with my husband, and you could hear the sea lions literally out on the rock which was wild," Leah went on to say.

Their planner also prepared baths for the Hornes the day after the wedding in Wind & Sea Big Sur's outdoor tubs to ensure they were totally relaxed after their big day.

When Leah and Dan look back at their wedding, they say they think about the people who celebrated with them.

Leah and Dan Horne loved spending time with their guests. Asha Bailey

"It's not like families get together a lot, especially if you're spread out across the US," Dan said. "The wedding went along with Leah's and I's desire to travel, and we got everyone into one spot and everyone had their own adventure just getting there."

The intimate wedding allowed everyone to really spend time together, and the Hornes said some of their guests planned a family reunion after bonding at the wedding.

"It just spoke to the moment of intimacy and connection," Dan said.

Dan and Leah can't wait to keep having fun together now that they're married.

The bride and groom on their wedding day. Asha Bailey

"I love how honest and raw and unapologetic we both are with each other, and I love how I can have fun with Dan," Leah said of her relationship with her husband. "Everything is fun. Going to the grocery store is even fun."

"Leah's love and compassion for everyone around her is something I fell in love with very early on," Dan said of his wife. "I had never met anyone like Leah before."

Read the original article on Insider
It was a special Friday as a metro Atlanta police department sent well wishes for one of their own who was shot in the line of duty but is now retiring.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2 Action News has been following Officer Matt Coopers journey since 2018. The officer was shot in the head when he responded to a shoplifting call on Labor Day in 2018.

In 2019, Channel 2s Mark Winne sat down with Cooper and his wife, Kristen Cooper, at the Shepherd Center, where the officer was recovering from a brain injury.

Cooper told Winne that he was thankful for the support his family had received and that he drew his strength from the important things.

Our community, God, my wife, our kids and music, he said. I feel very appreciative of all the donations and prayers, support from my community.

TRENDING STORIES:

On Friday, the Covington Police Department said they felt blessed to serve alongside a brave individual.

Our department feels blessed that we had the privilege to serve alongside such a brave individual, strong in faith, physicality and character, not to mention an incredible sense of humor and huge heart, the department wrote on Facebook.

In a five-minute video posted to the departments Facebook page, it recognized the officer with events he participated in including the departments annual Fuzz Run.

Channel 2 Action News captured the emotional and triumphant moment Cooper crossed the finish line.

Officer Matt Cooper Retires We would like to congratulate Officer Matt Cooper, #148, on his retirement. Our department feels blessed that we had the privilege to serve alongside such a brave individual, strong in faith, physicality and character, not to mention an incredible sense of humor and huge heart. Wishing you the absolute best in your retirement...you will always be a part of the CPD Family. Thank you for your service to our country and our community. As a department, we will always strive to be #148strong. #retirement #cpd #family Posted by Covington (Ga.) Police Department on Friday, September 15, 2023

The department says Cooper will always be a part of the CPD Family.

As a department, we will always strive to be #148strong, the department states, recognizing the officers badge number.

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IN OTHER NEWS:




The Dallas Cowboys have ruled wide receiver Brandin Cooks out for Sundays game against the New York Jets with a sprained MCL in his knee.

Cooks was injured during the Cowboys season opener against the New York Giants. The injury isnt considered to be serious.

The Cowboys obtained Cooks in a trade with the Houston Texans this offseason in an attempt to add an additional playmaker who could help take pressure off Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb .

The Cowboys will rely on Michael Gallup and Jalen Tolbert to fill the void left by Cooks absence.

Cooks hasnt suffered any major knee injuries in the past, but did miss three games last season with the Houston Texans while suffering from a calf injury.
Detectives in Dallas are investigating the death of a man found in a wooded area in the 7700 block of Scyene Road Sept. 14, according to a news release from police.

Police said officers responded around 2:30 p.m. to the area on a call for service, according to the release when the found the mans body/

The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office has ruled the manner of the mans death a homicide.

Police did not release any other details, including the cause of death or publicly identified any suspects, saying only that the investigation was ongoing. The mans identity will be released by the medical examiners office pending fingerprint analysis.

Investigators are asking anybody with information to contact Detective Emmanuel Romano at 214-671-3584 or emmanuel.romano@dallaspolice.gov.
Two men will killed in separate and apparently unrelated shootings in Dallas Saturday, according to police.

In the first shooting, police said a 53-year-old man was shot in the 2600 block of Kenesaw Drive Saturday afternoon. Officers arrived to find Santos Chavez with a gunshot wound.

Dallas Fire and Rescue responded, but Chavez died at the scene.

Police did not release any details on the events that transpired before the shooting, but noted that the investigation is ongoing and they intend to refer the case to a grand Jury.

Later in the day, police said a shooting on southbound North Stemmons Freeway (Interstate 35 35E) left one man dead and a woman in critical condition.

Officers responded around 8:25 p.m. to the 2600 block of North Stemmons to find a man shot inside a vehicle stalled in the left lane of traffic, according to police. The woman was shot and on the shoulder of the freeway.

Both the man and woman were taken to the hospital, where the man died and the woman is still in critical condition. The mans ID will be released after the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office has notified next-of-kin.

Anybody with information on the second shooting is asked to contact Detective Joshua Romero at 214-671-4226 or joshua.romero@dallaspolice.gov.
A routine by stand-up comic Daniel Sloss has resurfaced after he was the only comedian to go on the record and speak about Russell Brand.

On Saturday (16 September), actor Brand was accused of sexually assaulting four women between 2006 and 2013. The allegations were made in a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4s Dispatches.

Brand has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting that his prior relationships have been absolutely always consensual.

Follow The Independents live coverage for the latest updates

Scottish performer Sloss featured in both the Dispatches documentary and The Times report, where he said that hed first heard rumours of Brands alleged behaviour more than 10 years ago.

The 33-year-old said that female comics had set up online groups to warn each other about men to avoid in the comedy industry.

I know for many, many years that women have been warning each other about Russell, he said. I know there are comedians who have made references in jokes to Russells alleged crimes and have either been asked or told not to do those jokes any more.

daniel sloss being the only comedian to speak on the record against russell brand, rare actual ally pic.twitter.com/STMtypHzzD   (@ohsnapthfc) September 16, 2023

In response to his involvement in the report, fans referred to Sloss as a rare actual ally in the comedy industry.

Many shared a clip taken from his 2019 HBO special X, in which Sloss discusses the importance of speaking out about sexual assault.

At the end of the special, Sloss talks about an incident in which his female friend was raped by another friend of his. The assault does not relate to the allegations made against Brand.

I knew this man for eight years and he f***ing did it, Sloss said. There are monsters amongst us and they look like us.

Sloss then said that men have to get involved and actively challenge their friends on misogynistic behaviour.

Dont make the same mistake that I did for years, which was just sitting back and being like, Well, Im not part of the problem, therefore I must be part of the solution because thats just not how this f***ing s*** works, he said.

Sloss spoke in the documentary about Brand (Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, Dispatches/Channel 4)

I believe and deep down I know that most men are good, of course we are. But when one in 10 men are s*** and the other nine do nothing, they might as well not f***ing be there. Being good on the inside counts for absolutely f*** all. You have to actively do good and get involved.

In the clip, Sloss continued: Instead of having this hero complex and being like Im going to beat up a rapist  f***ing prevent one, stop one. I know it can be done because I know how I f***ing failed at it.

Because if Im being 100 per cent honest with myself, were there signs in my friends behaviour over the years towards women that I ignored? The answer is yes, and then he raped my friend, and thats on me until the day I die.

Sloss began performing comedy as a teenager and was mentored by Frankie Boyle during his first Edinburgh Fringe run aged 17.

At 19, the Fife comic became the youngest comedians to perform a solo season in Londons West End. He has two Netflix specials, titled Dark and Jigsaw, and has performed on US chat shows such as Conan.

Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk.

If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
DEDHAM  The trial of Karen Read, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death her boyfriend, Braintree native John O'Keefe, is scheduled to start March 12.

Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone set the date Friday, when defense lawyers asked her to release Read on personal recognizance. Cannone didn't issue a decision on the request, WCVB reported.

Read, of Mansfield, is charged with hitting O'Keefe, a Boston police officer, with her vehicle after a night of drinking Jan. 29, 2022, in Canton.

O'Keefe was found the following morning in the snow outside a Fairview Road home, which belonged to another Boston police officer.

Boston police officer John O'Keefe.

A defense lawyer asked Cannone to release Read, citing her legal expenses, health complications and what he described as evidence of her innocence.

Bail for Read is set at $80,000. Her team is asking for bail to be dropped entirely.

Read has lost her job and income since being indicted and now has to pay for private health insurance "at significant expense," according to the motion filed by her lawyers. She has also incurred "considerable" legal fees as her team works on her behalf against a prosecution they say is not cooperating.

Defense attorney David Yannetti argued that Read is one of the "most recognized criminal defendants in America" and is not a flight risk.

Cannone said she would take the matter under advisement and did not issue a decision about the bail request.

More: Prosecutors: Defense waging 'fishing expedition' in death of Boston cop from Braintree

Cannone also heard several other motions, including one the defense filed seeking access to any video captured on a Nest camera that was in the home on the night of Jan. 29. The homeowner has said the camera was not set up and recording on the night O'Keefe was fatally injured.

The defense also said prosecutors continue to withhold 56 items of physical evidence, including results of tests conducted on OKeefes clothing and pieces of a broken taillight found at the scene on the night of his death. Attorneys also argued for access to reports detailing police searches at the Canton home.

It has now been a year and a half since Ms. Read was arraigned in Norfolk Superior Court  a year and a half and the defense still has not been allowed to so much as look at the physical evidence that the commonwealth has had in its possession for 21 months and has so desperately withheld from the defense on fear of what it might show, defense attorney Elizabeth Little said. That is unacceptable. That is unconstitutional.

More: Slain Boston police officer's funeral arrangements made in his hometown, Braintree

Prosecutor Adam Lally said the items were still at the state lab, and testing is not complete. The judge ordered prosecutors to have the testing completed by Nov. 3 and gave a two-week deadline for prosecutors to provide information about the police searches.

Read and her attorneys have repeatedly alleged that others are responsible for O'Keefe's death. Last month, Cannone denied a request from prosecutors to rein in statements made by the defense. She also denied a request from the defense to remove herself from the case.

On Friday, some of Read's supporters outside the courthouse carried signs that read "Free Karen Read," WCVB reported.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Trial date set for Karen Read in death of Braintree's John O'Keefe
In this week's "It's Debatable" segment, Rick Rosen and Charles Moster debate whether former President Trump is an insurrectionist under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and constitutionally disqualified from serving as President. Rosen retired as a professor from the Texas Tech University School of Law and is a retired U.S. Army colonel. Moster is founder of the Moster Law Firm based in Lubbock with seven offices including Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

ROSEN-1

Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment provides in relevant part: No person shall  hold any office, civil or military, under the United States  who, having previously taken an oath  as an officer of the United States  to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Some argue former President Trump engaged in an insurrection on January 6, 2021, and is automatically ineligible to appear on ballots for president. I disagree.

First, its not at all clear that the events of Jan. 6 constituted an insurrection let alone Trumps participation in one. Section 3 was intended to keep former Confederates from holding public office following a bloody Civil War that left 620,000 dead, not a demonstration that turned into a five-hour riot. Although Trump faces four indictments consisting of 91 charges, not one accuses him of insurrection. And the American people do not agree about such a characterization of Jan. 6. For example, a January 2023 University of Massachusetts Amherst poll found that 55% of respondents describe Jan. 6 as a riot and only 41% consider it an insurrection.

Second, some assert that an insurrection is an immediate disqualification that should be enforced by every official, state or federal, who judges qualification without due process of law. Under such a scheme the election map could become a checkerboard in which some states would permit people to vote for Trump while others would deny that choice. This is chaos.

I do not mean to minimize the enormity of Jan. 6 or President Trumps role in it. It was horrendous. And Trump may pay the price for his actions in the courts. But employing Section 3 to prevent people from voting for Trump is a clear recipe for disasterit will literally tear the nation apart. The American people should decide the election, not government officials by executive or judicial fiat.

Finally, once employed, such a tactic cannot be contained. What if some state election officials deem Section 3 applicable to President Bidens humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan resulting in the loss of American lives and the abandonment of $7 billion of military equipment as aid and comfort to the Taliban and a reconstituted al Qaedaour nations enemies for over 20 years. May Biden be kept from the ballot in those jurisdictions? Is this really a wise path to follow?

Moster - 1

Former President Trump is poised to be disqualified as a candidate for the Presidency based upon the outcome of indictments brought by the Justice Department for his corrupt attempt to obstruct an official (legislative) proceeding. My only point of agreement with my distinguished debate partner is that the 14th amendment to the Constitution is not self-effectuating which is a good thing as it could easily be abused to eliminate candidates from the political process based on partisan interests.

Moster

I am still bewildered that many of my colleagues in Lubbock continue to support Mr. Trump who has plainly stated that he wants to "suspend the Constitution". I recall conversations with some of my dear friends who elevated the very words of the Constitution to "biblical stature" given the sacred concepts expressed. How they could continue to support this crass NY Carpetbagger who would trash the Constitution to regain power is incomprehensible. My only explanation is that this fraudster has achieved cult status somehow. Malignant narcissists have incredible power.

There is no merit to Rick's position that the 14th amendment is limited to those who engaged in insurrection during the Civil War. I would ask Rick to come up with any legislative history to substantiate that position. In the absence of such evidence, I would assert persuasively that the amendment was intended to apply prospectively to acts intended to threaten the survival of the American way of life.

The indictment relates (in part) to Trump's attempt to obstruct certification of the votes to authorize the election of Joe Biden. I am not a big fan of Mr. Biden, but the certification process is merely ministerial and cannot be used to obstruct or block the outcome of an election which is what Trump and his cronies attempted to do. You can add the not so illustrious Ted Cruz to the list who appears to be in hiding these days. The efforts of Trump and his co-conspirators were false and intended to destroy the most critical component of the American democratic process which is the peaceful transfer of power.

Although the federal indictment does not specifically reference insurrection, the effect is identical and one of semantics. I know nothing in the 14th amendment that would require an indictment to specifically allege insurrection as my debate partner myopically suggests.

Critically, Vice President Pence got it right as exemplified by JFK in his Pulitzer Prize winning book, Profiles in Courage. The evidence brought out by the January 6 Commission makes clear that Trump was fully aware that those breaching the Capitol grounds actively sought to lynch the Vice President. That is the extent of the evil we are dealing with.

If one needs corroboration from constitutional scholars, I point to an article that appeared in the Atlantic authored by both conservative and liberal Constitutional experts, specifically former conservative federal Judge J. Michaele Luttig and his liberal counterpart, Laurence Tribe. They both took an even more extreme position than mine arguing that the 14th amendment is self-effectuating and former President Trump is presumptively disqualified. I beg to differ as all accused defendants have the right to due process. That said, the convergence of scholars on both sides of the spectrum is telling.

In the event Mr. Trump is found guilty of obstructing an official legislative proceeding, he must be disqualified from serving as President of United States. However, until such a time, the preclusive prohibition of his very candidacy is premature.

Finally, to my friends and colleagues in West Texas who still support Trump, I implore you to reconsider given his intention to suspend the Constitution. Of course, there will be a penalty to be paid for changing one's position as I originally supported Trump in this column. I have been the subject of inflammatory and derogatory comments including being labeled a so-called RINO.

We must stand together to protect the Constitution and recall the great Benjamin Franklins admonition as he departed Independence Hall after the Constitutional Convention. A bystander blurted out, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy? Franklin responded ominously  A Republic, if you can keep it.

Never has a warning been as prescient.

ROSEN - 2

Rick Rosen

Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Republican Secretary of State who resisted Trumps claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, called the 14th Amendment argument the newest way of attempting to short-circuit the ballot box. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Raffensperger said that [a] process that denies voters the chance to be the deciding factor in the nomination and election process would erode the belief in our uniquely American representative democracy. True the 14th Amendment disqualifies persons who have engaged in an insurrection, but Trump has not done so.

First, I did not assert as Charles claims that the 14th Amendment is limited to those who engaged in the Civil War. While the Amendment was prompted by southern states who sent Senators and Representatives to Congress who had served in the

Confederacy including the Confederate army, it certainly reaches beyond that era. I simply stated that the events of January 6 did not constitute an insurrection.

Second, I noted that out of the 91 criminal charges Trump faces, not one mentions an insurrection. Charles argues that the charge of a corrupt attempt to obstruct an official (legislative) proceeding is effectively identical and one of semantics. This is flatly false. Trump could have been charged with insurrection under section 2383 of Title 18 of the United States Code. He was not. Instead, he was charged with obstructing a legislative proceeding under section 1512(k). The two are not the same. Under the 14th Amendment, the disqualification applies to persons who have engaged in an insurrection, not obstructing a legislative proceeding. If Trump is convicted of violating section 1512(k), he will not have been convicted of an insurrection.

Third, Charles expresses bewilderment that many of his colleagues in Lubbock continue to support Trump. I am not sure how to respond because I have never voted for Trump (or for Biden). Moreover, I find it difficult to believe that the American voters may be stuck with a choice between Trump and Bidenwe could do much better. We need candidates who can unify the nation, not further divide it. But, assuming Trump is the Republican nominee for president, disenfranchising nearly half the country (including Charles colleagues in Lubbock) by removing him from the ballot perhaps just weeks before an election will literally tear the country apart.

MOSTER - 2

This is how the U.S. Department of Justice described the indictments which were entered against former President Donald Trump:

Today, an indictment was unsealed charging Donald J. Trump with conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding. The indictment was issued by a

grand jury of citizens here in the District of Columbia and sets forth the crimes charged in detail... The attack on our nations capital on Jan. 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S.

For anyone who has studied the events of what has been called the January 6th Insurrection and in particular, the full published report (724 pages in total), it is as obvious as the sun rising over the U.S. Capitol, that Trump attempted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power which has inexorably occurred in our great Republic since the end of the Washington Administration. I cannot fathom that anyone could deny the mountains of evidence which point to Mr. Trump as the most dangerous threat to American democracy since Benedict Arnold and you can add his rogue cast of characters to the mix including Ted Cruz who, unlike Trump, was a Harvard trained lawyer and knew precisely what he was doing. You can also include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the list of former Harvard law grads who continue to embrace Trump and have declared their support for him should he win the nomination. Wake up, America!

For those who had fallen victim to Trumps incessant lies, his former press official stated that Trumps advice was to repeat a lie over and over again as the people will ultimately believe it. Of course, Trump and the official had no recollection of history as this paraphrase of a quote is attributed to Hitlers own Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. The fact that a majority of Republicans fallaciously believe that the election was stolen pathetically and prophetically proves the validity of Goebbels psychological rule of thumb. Some of the most intelligent people I know in Lubbock have fallen for this falsehood and I see no avenue for reconsideration.

The text of the 14th Amendment does not require, as Rick would suggest, that an indictment specifically mentioning insurrection be charged and a conviction obtained to implement its proscription on running for office. I note again for the record, that one of the most conservative constitutional scholars and a former federal judge in the United States would prohibit Trump from running under the 14th amendment based on his reported acts alone, without the requirement of even an indictment.

The indictment relating to Trumps corrupt attempt to obstruct an official proceeding relates to his behind the scenes overt and fallacious acts to get Pence to refuse acknowledgment of the counting of the Congressional electoral votes. If Mr. Pence had acceded to the enormous pressure applied by Trump and his implied threats of violence (leading to lynching attempts), our democracy would have ended right there and then. For the sake of all Americans, Mr. Pence personified a true Profile in Courage and saved the republic.

As we sit here today on the eve of a new election, I am fearful for the very survival of our nation. Mr. Trumps only viable exit strategy to avoid prison is winning the Presidency which presumably he would serve from a Federal or State penitentiary.

Of course, if my reading of the 14th Amendment is correct, we can avoid this tragedy for all of us and our nation.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: It's Debatable Is Trump an insurrectionist, can he serve as President?
Statement: Florida sort of had a mandate because they were giving the vaccine; they were demanding everybody take the vaccine.

Trump

As a new COVID-19 booster rolls out nationwide, former President Donald Trump accused one of his 2024 campaign rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , of previously forcing people to take the vaccine.

"Florida sort of had a mandate because they were giving the vaccine; they were demanding everybody take the vaccine," Trump said in an interview with Megyn Kelly that aired Sept. 14 on her SiriusXM show.

PolitiFact reviewed more than two dozen DeSantis press releases and news conferences in 2020 and 2021 about the vaccine rollout. We found no instance of DeSantis, or other state officials, mandating that residents get vaccinated. A mandate is an official order or authority to carry out a policy.

When contacted for comment, the Trump campaign told PolitiFact that DeSantis "essentially" had a vaccine mandate, "especially for nursing homes," as the state pushed to vaccinate older Floridians in early 2021.

But prioritizing older residents and ramping up access does not equate to a mandate.

DeSantis responded to Trumps claim during a Sept. 14 interview on the "Steve Deace Show."

"We never mandated mRNA COVID shots," DeSantis said. "In fact, I called a special session of the Florida Legislature to prevent any mandates in the state, and not just by the state government and the local government; we provided protections for employees at private businesses."

Florida officials did not use authority for vaccine mandates

In March 2020, DeSantis issued an executive order saying that travelers to Florida from the New York tri-state area had to quarantine for two weeks. The order directed the state health department to follow statute 381.00315(5).

At the time, the section said that amid a public health emergency, the government shall adopt rules to specify conditions to release people from isolation such as "tests or treatment, including vaccination, for communicable disease required before employment or admission to the premises or to comply with an isolation or a quarantine." State officials did not use that authority.

In 2021, the Florida Legislature removed from that section the state health officers authority to order vaccinations.

Florida offered vaccines but did not mandate them

DeSantis public statements show that he has opposed a vaccine mandate since 2020.

"Our goal is to make all safe and effective COVID vaccines available to Floridians who want them, but the state will not mandate that Floridians take these vaccines," DeSantis said in November 2020. "That is going to be the choice of each and every Floridian."

Shortly before the federal government approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, DeSantis said Dec. 2, 2020: "Now, importantly, while we are encouraged, and we want to make available the vaccine, no one will be mandated to take the vaccine. This will be available but not mandated."

Weeks later, he said: "In Florida, weve got to put our parents and grandparents first, and thats what were going to be doing. And were going to work like hell to be able to get all the vaccines out to elderly who want it."

DeSantis said the state was prioritizing giving the vaccines to residents of long-term care facilities and high-risk health care workers.

In January 2021, DeSantis continued promoting the states efforts to vaccinate older Floridians and health care workers. But there was no discussion of a vaccine mandate.

DeSantis in 2021 took action to block vaccine mandates

In April and May 2021, DeSantis began speaking out against vaccine mandates that had been implemented by public and private entities. He issued an order and signed a bill to block cruise lines, businesses, schools and government agencies across Florida from requiring anyone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination.

In September 2021, DeSantis appointed Dr. Joseph Ladapo as Floridas surgeon general. As the states top health official, Ladapo has railed against the vaccines, claiming that the shots arent necessary for healthy children, suggesting that there isnt enough safety data to support their widespread use and presenting flawed analysis about their safety.

DeSantis also blocked Florida cities from requiring that public employees get vaccinated, threatening a $5,000 fine per infraction. DeSantis also said the state wouldnt participate in a federal vaccine lottery that would give $100 to anyone who got a vaccine.

DeSantis signed legislation in November 2021 that countered the Biden administrations vaccine requirements for private businesses, allowing Florida workers to opt out. He also sued the administration over its employer vaccine mandates.

This year, he signed a bill that prevents mandates for testing, masking or vaccination.

Both DeSantis and Ladapo recently advised against Floridians under 65 years old getting the new COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer and Moderna, contradicting the federal recommendation that everyone 6 months and older receive the boosters.

Trump in 2020 supported DeSantis, vaccinations

As president, Trump praised DeSantis pandemic response and encouraged people to get vaccinated.

Trump also repeatedly touted the vaccines and took credit for their development.

He said in September 2020 that it would be bad if people didnt receive the vaccine. "And now what's going to happen is we'll have it and people won't want to take it. That's really bad. OK, that's really bad.  The vaccine will be safe."

Our ruling

Trump said, "Florida sort of had a mandate because they were giving the vaccine; they were demanding everybody take the vaccine."

Trumps campaign cited early 2021 news reports and DeSantis statements chronicling the states push to vaccinate older Floridians. But those efforts were not a mandate.

The record shows that DeSantis has opposed a vaccine mandate since 2020. We did not find any examples of DeSantis supporting a mandate.

As early as fall 2020, DeSantis said he wouldnt mandate the COVID-19 vaccines. In 2021, he signed legislation to block vaccine mandates imposed by public and private entities.

We rate Trumps claim Pants on Fire!

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Did DeSantis mandate COVID-19 vaccines in Florida? No, Trump is wrong.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis threw his support behind Sen. Tommy Tubervilles (R-Ala.) blockade on 300-plus military promotions before criticizing the Department of Defense for its abortion policy on Saturday.

What the Defense Department is doing is outside the law. They are breaking, violating the law by funding abortion tourism with tax dollars, said the GOP presidential candidate at an Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition event. And so when agencies do that, the Congress has to stand up and push back against it.

Tuberville has faced criticism from secretaries of the Air Force, Army and Navy for his hold on promotions in protest of a Pentagon policy that reimburses service members who travel to get an abortion in another state.

Adm. Lisa Franchetti, President Joe Bidens nominee to be the top officer in the Navy, said it would take years to recover from the promotion delays caused by the blockade.

On Saturday, DeSantis pointed to a limited amount of money in the defense budget before taking aim at Biden over the policy.

Were running low on ammunition, our recruiting is in the absolute gutter now and youre funding abortion tourism? Is that really something that is helping to protect this country? the Florida governor said.

So we need to fight back against it, he added. I can tell you, when Im president, on Day One, that policy goes into the trash can where it belongs.

DeSantis: I support what Tommy Tuberville is doing.. our recruiting is in the absolute gutter now and youre funding abortion tourism? pic.twitter.com/x00E1E5FB6  Acyn (@Acyn) September 16, 2023

DeSantis reiterated his support of the Tuberville blockade while fellow Republican candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, at the same event, again declared that service members shouldnt be used as political pawns, the Des Moines Register reported.

In a CNN interview last week, Haley said the Pentagon started this and suggested Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) could hold a vote on each military member.

The move, as CNNs Jake Tapper noted, would be a break from the Senates typical process of voting unanimously on a group of people to receive military promotions.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby went to bat for the abortion policy in July as he argued that service members go where theyre told to go, The Hill reported.

What happens if you get assigned to a state like Alabama which has a pretty restrictive abortion law in place? And youre concerned about your reproductive care? What do you do? Do you say no and you get out? he asked.

He continued: Well, some people may decide to do that, and what does that mean? That means we lose talent, important talent. It can have an extremely, extremely significant impact on our recruiting and our retention. Its just the right darn thing to do for people who raise their hand and agree to serve in the military.

Related...
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, 21 September, will meet with all US senators in Congress and deliver a speech, and then hold a meeting with US President Joe Biden in the White House.

Source: Punchbowl News and CNN with reference to sources in Congress, European Pravda reports

Details: Zelenskyy's meeting with the senators is organised by the leaders of both parties in the Upper House of Congress  Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Mitch McConnell. The President of Ukraine will address the senators at 10:00 local time (17:00 Kyiv time).

According to CNN, Zelenskyy will not speak at a joint session of the US Congress. His speech in the Senate will be preceded by a closed briefing on Ukraine for senators scheduled for Wednesday.

After events in the Congress, US President Joe Biden will host his Ukrainian counterpart in the White House, as previously confirmed by Jake Sullivan, his national security advisor.

Zelenskyy's visit comes at a time when the US Congress is considering the White House's request for additional US$23 billion in aid to Ukraine. But the approval is still uncertain, as there are serious disagreements in the Republican Party on the issue.

Part of the right wing of the US Republican Party, led by Donald Trump, claims that the United States is giving Ukraine too much aid and should focus on domestic priorities.

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!
Nexstar Media Group and DirecTV have reached a temporary agreement after a months-long impasse over carriage fees resulted in KTXL-TV  the south Sacramento-based television station known as Fox 40  being dropped from DirecTV in July.

Local channels, including Ch. 40, which broadcast the San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon game against the Los Angeles Rams, were restored as negotiations continue.

In recognition and appreciation of the continued patience of DirecTV customers and Nexstar viewers, the companies have agreed to temporarily return the signals of the Nexstar-owned television stations and national cable news network NewsNation to DirecTV, DirecTV STREAM, and U-verse while we both work to complete the terms of an agreement, the two companies said in a joint statement released Sunday morning.

The initial signal interruption occurred when Nexstar, the No. 1 local-station owner in the U.S, reportedly demanded more than double the amount it charges for DirecTV customers to access approximately 200 local broadcast stations it owns or controls in more than 100 different metro areas across the U.S., DirecTV said in an August statement.

The dispute affected U-Verse and DirecTV streaming customers nationwide.

Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract, the company said in a statement last month. Nexstar created a website encouraging customers to call DirecTV and complain or request a rebate.

Nexstar and DirecTV had no further comment late Sunday morning.
President Joe Biden has won the backing of most major Democratic officials as he seeks reelection.

But in a recent AP-NORC Center poll, 55% of Democratic voters said they didn't want Biden to run.

William Owen, a DNC member, told The New York Times he was puzzled by voter fixation on Biden's age.

National Democratic leaders are virtually all lined up behind President Joe Biden's 2024 reelection bid.

But Democratic voters are a different story.

While party voters lined up behind Biden in 2020 and are poised to do so again, they have some misgivings about the president, who is 80 years old and would be 82 at the start of a potential second term in 2025.

In an August survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 69% of Democrats indicated that Biden would be too old to be effective for another term. And while 55% of Democrats indicated that they didn't want to see the president run again, 82% said they'd likely support him should he emerge as the 2024 nominee.

Still, the numbers show that Biden is struggling to rally his base around his campaign.

William Owen, a Democratic National Committee member from Tennessee, told The New York Times that he's befuddled by the president's continued inability to win over a large share of the party's voters.

"I'm looking at all the polling, and I'm amazed that it has so little to do with reality," Owen recently told the newspaper. "A big part of it is just pure ageism. The American people are prejudiced against old people."

Owen, a former state lawmaker who represented a Knoxville-area district, told The Times that Democratic voters repeatedly ask him about the president's health.

The Biden campaign, which has largely dismissed the age-related talk as an issue driven by news reports, insists that the president would have plenty of time to make an effective case for why he should be reelected next year.

"President Biden is delivering results, his agenda is popular with the American people and we are mobilizing our winning coalition of voters well ahead of next year's general election," campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz told The Times. "Next year's election will be a stark choice between President Biden and the extreme, unpopular MAGA agenda."

But Lt. Gov. Austin Davis of Pennsylvania has publicly said that making the election a referendum on Trump and Trumpism wouldn't be sufficient in boosting Democratic voter enthusiasm ahead of what is predicted to be a close race. Davis, the first Black lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania history, said that the administration would have to be vigilant about promoting its policies and accomplishments in the lead-up to the election, especially with Black voters.

"Everyone is kind of exhausted by the fight between Biden and Trump," Davis told The Times. "People really want to hear leaders talk about how they're going to improve the lives of their families."

Read the original article on Business Insider
HARARE, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military hegemony has not brought stability to Africa, but has been a catalyst for instability instead, Linda Masarira, president of Zimbabwe's Labor, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) political party, has said.

The military presence of the United States in Africa has not been for the continent's benefit. "They try to pretend as if they are on peace-making missions but we all know that during those 'peace-making missions' that they are talking about, they are busy looting Africa's resources," Masarira told Xinhua in a recent interview.

She said the United States uses neo-colonialism to reclaim Africa's resources. "We are now very cognizant of such operations, and we actually have an obligation to ensure that we protect our country from American intervention," Masarira said.

Zimbabwe has taken bold action to assert its independence by embarking on a land redistribution exercise at the turn of the millennium to correct the colonial land imbalances that favored the minority, she said.

However, the country has been severely punished for standing its ground by addressing colonial injustices, Masarira noted.

"It is sad that America then responded harshly and decided to sanction Zimbabwe, including the EU (European Union) and Britain, just because we claimed back our land which was taken from our ancestors," she said.

The United States imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe over two decades ago over differences with Zimbabwe regarding its land reform program.

Masarira believes that unilateral sanctions are a weapon of war which aim to advance the United States' own foreign policy goals under the guise of upholding human rights and democracy.

She noted that the BRICS mechanism brings a fairer global setup by ushering in a multipolar world.

"But thanks to BRICS, it is dismantling that American superpower that they have been holding on to for a very long time and there is hope -- a ray of hope that things can change for most African countries," she said.

In addition, Masarira said Western-led development has not been favorable to Africa, and that there is a need for the adoption of Afrocentric models that take into account local conditions.

"We need to create our own Afrocentric system that protects Africans, that protects our mineral resources and that inspires sustainable human development, sustainable human growth and grows our economy to benefit the African people," she said. 
A pig kidney has continued to function inside of a human body for roughly two months, the longest documented instance of such a procedure, known as a xenotransplant.

It's a promising sign that we could one day start relying on non-human donors for organ transplants, a possible answer to an ongoing organ shortage that has plagued the country for many years. Only around 20,000 people end up getting a new kidney a year in the US, despite there being around 100,000 people on the organ waitlist.

Researchers at NYU Langone performed the transplant on July 14. The recipient was a 58-year-old man who was "declared dead by neurologic criteria before the xenotransplant," according to a press release.

On September 13, or 61 days later, the experiment reached its previously agreed-upon end date, and the man was removed from the ventilator.

In other words, the man was not responsive after receiving the organ, but doctors received his family's consent. Now his remains are with his family.

While that may sound grisly, there are plenty of benefits to this kind of approach.

"In order to create a sustainable unlimited supply of organs, we need to know how to manage pig organs transplanted into humans," said team lead Robert Montgomery, professor and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, in the statement. "Testing them in a decedent allows us to optimize the immunosuppression regimen and choice of gene edits without putting a living patient at risk."

Fortunately, the researchers are optimistic about the latest results.

"We have learned a great deal throughout these past two months of close observation and analysis, and there is great reason to be hopeful for the future," he added. "None of this would have been possible without the incredible support we received from the family of our deceased recipient. Thanks to them, we have been able to gain critical insight into xenotransplantation as a hopeful solution to the national organ shortage."

While it's the longest a pig kidney has survived inside the human body, it's far from the first attempt.

In September 2021, the same team conducted the first-ever xenotransplant of a genetically modified pig kidney to a human, an experiment that was followed up with a second attempt just two months later. Last summer alone, the team tried two more times.

The kidney used in the latest procedure came from an FDA-approved "GalSafe pig," which was engineered by Virginia-based gene-editing tech company Revivicor.

The gene responsible for rejecting pig organs was simply "knocked out," per the press release, allowing the recipient's body to accept the kidney. Additionally, the animal's thymus gland, which remained attached to the kidney, ensured the recipient's immune system didn't start attacking the new organ.

The latest procedure was actually a simplified attempt compared to previous experiments and only included a single gene modification instead of up to ten, according to the statement.

But it wasn't entirely smooth sailing. The man still required immunosuppression medication due to a "mild rejection process" that started one month into the experiment.

In short, plenty more research still needs to be done before we can determine if such a procedure will ever be safe enough for a conventional human patient.

The researchers are now gearing up for clinical trials, which will first require approval from the FDA.

"Why were doing this is because there are a lot of people that unfortunately die before having the opportunity of a second chance at life," NYU transplant immunologist Massimo Mangiola told the Associated Press. "And we need to do something about it."

More on kidney transplants: Scientists Intrigued by Bionic Kidney That Survives Inside Pig
In a one-hour interview with new "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker, conducted at his Bedminster, New Jersey estate, Donald Trump addressed a number of questions pertaining to his 2024 campaign, but focused primarily on his legal woes.

When asked about the possibility of going to prison for numerous federal counts relating to election interference, hush money payments and improper handling of classified government documents, the former president seemed to shrug it off, saying, "I don't even think about it."

"I'm built a little differently I guess," he furthered. "When you say, 'do I lose sleep?' I sleep. Because I truly feel that, in the end, we're going to win."

On the topic of pardoning himself, should he be elected as president once again, Trump seemed to rule it out, saying, "I think it's very unlikely. What did I do wrong? I didn't do anything wrong."

But as for insurrectionists convicted of Jan. 6 related crimes, those individuals he will consider pardoning.

"When I talk about retribution, I'm talking about fairness," he said. "We have to treat people fairly. These people on Jan. 6 . . . some of them never even went into the building, and they're being given sentences of, you know, many years."

Watch a clip from "Meet the Press" here:

"I certainly might" -- Trump on Meet the Press indicates he'll pardon insurrectionists convicted of J6-related crimes pic.twitter.com/2SnvmG4OKy  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 17, 2023
Donald Trump spoke with journalist Kristen Welker for a televised interview. Credit - Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump, who is vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, appeared on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. In an interview with Kristen Welker, Trump spoke about his criminal charges, the possibility of him selecting a female running mate, his stance on the Republicans' abortion policies, and more.

Trump, who has been indicted four times, currently faces 91 criminal charges related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, illegal retention of classified documents, defrauding banks and insurers, and falsifying business records to hide hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump prior to the 2016 election race.

The former President has continuously claimed his innocence and has pleaded not guilty in court. Trump has also continued to allege that the 2020 election was rigged.

More From TIME

Despite his legal troubles, Trump is hoping to be the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, where he is facing off against candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his own former Vice President Mike Pence.

During his sit-down interview with Welker, the businessman covered a number of controversial topics. See the highlights, below.

Trump discusses the possibility of pardoning himself if he's elected

Trump says that he chose not to pardon himself before leaving the Oval Office, saying he had no interest in ever thinking about it.

The last thing Id ever do is give myself a pardon, Trump told Welker. The last day I could have had a pardon done that would have saved me all of these lawyers and all of these fake charges."

Trump added that it's "very unlikely" hell pardon himself in the future if he gets elected because he believes he has done nothing wrong.

Trump did not listen to lawyers who said he lost the election

Former President Trump admitted that he challenged the 2020 election, despite top administration officials and lawyers advising him that there was no evidence of fraud. Asked why he ignored them, he said: "I didn't respect them as lawyers." He added that he did not listen to campaign attorneys because those lawyers were RINOs, which stands for Republicans in Name Only.

Trump, however, did abide by the suggestions given to him from other outside attorneys. But the ultimate decision was his. I listened to myself. I saw what happened... my instincts are a big part of it, that's been the thing that's gotten me to where I am, he said.

WATCH: Kristen Welker asks former President Trump to clarify if he was listening to his lawyers advice or his own instincts after he lost the 2020 election.



Trump: It was my decision. pic.twitter.com/yXp3AQtqz4  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 17, 2023

Trump denies involvement in Biden impeachment efforts

Trump denied any involvement in efforts to impeach President Joe Biden, which was announced on Sept.12 by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy said that Republicans had drawn evidence pointing to a culture of corruption in the Biden family, and were investigating whether President Biden benefitted from his son, Hunter Bidens business deals abroad.

Trump said that he had not spoken to McCarthy about the current impeachment inquiry, noting: "I dont talk to him like that." He added that McCarthy would not have taken that decision based on him.

Trump says he needed 22,000 more votes to win the election, but is still adamant the race was rigged

Trump said that he needed about 22,000 more votes in order to win the 2020 election, but he fell short of admitting that he lost. "I say I won the election," he told Welker, when she asked if he was acknowledging that he didn't win.

WATCH: Former President Trump says he needed 22,000 votes in each state to win in 2020, but falsely claims he still won



KRISTEN WELKER:

When you say you needed one-tenth of a point, you needed one-tenth of a point to win?



FMR. PRES. DONALD TRUMP:

I needed a very small  I pic.twitter.com/zcLrTvS993  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 17, 2023

Trump speaks out against abortion bans with no exceptions

The former President also spoke out against abortion bans that had no exceptions for the health of the mother, or in cases of sexual assault.

Other than certain parts of the country, you cant  youre not going to win on this issue, Trump said, signaling that Republican legislators would not get popular support for passing broad abortion bans. But you will win on this issue when you come up with the right number of weeks.

Trump did not specify the exact scope of abortion regulations he would support but said he would work on a number that both sides would agree with.

Trump is open to picking a female running mate

Trump, who remains focused on winning the Republican presidential nomination, said he still has not picked a running mate. The former President revealed that he will pick the best person, but likes the idea of choosing a woman.

Welker pointed out South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who fully endorsed Trump during a September rally, as a potential candidate for Vice President. Trump called the governor fantastic.

Certainly shed be one of the people Id consider, or for something else maybe. But we have a lot of people. We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party, Trump said. If picked, Noem seems likely to accept, according to an interview with Newsmax on Sept. 7.

Trump says he could resolve conflicts between Russia and Ukraine

The former President also said that he could resolve conflicts between Russia and Ukraine. I would get him [Putin] into a room. Id get Zelensky into a room. Then Id bring them together. And Id have a deal worked out... It would have been a lot easier before it started. Essentially for four years, I kept them from doing anything, he claimed. Trump did not share his exact strategy for getting the countries to make a fair deal."

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously spoke highly of Trumps claims that he could resolve issues between the countries rapidly, saying that he could not help but feel happy about it. When asked about what he made of Putins support, Trump said he like[s] that he said that.

Trumps actions on Jan. 6

Welker asked the former President about his actions on Jan. 6th, when thousands of rioters took over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. protesting against Trump's election loss. During the attack on the Capitol, Trump told demonstrators to go home, adding that they were special and loved.

Trump has faced staunch criticism for his remarks toward the rioters and is charged with conspiring to block the election certification process in Congress, among other election-related charges. Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham previously claimed, in an interview with CNNs News Day, that the former President was "gleefully" watching the rioters via a television in the White House, rewinding the footage and watching their actions over and over again.

During his Meet the Press interview, Trump declined to comment on what he was doing during the early hours of Jan. 6, and did not say whether he called military or law enforcement. When asked whether he would pardon figures who were at the attack on the Capitol, like Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, Trump said that he would look into it.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
As a frequent traveler, I prefer expedition cruises over luxury ones for many reasons.

Expedition cruises are smaller than traditional cruise ships and have stellar excursions.

They also offer more intimate and adventurous experiences than luxury cruises.

My first cruise-ship experience was on one of those enormous luxury "big box" ships with thousands of people and it was complete with bad buffet food and very limited excursions.

It wasn't my style, and I thought that cruising just might not be for me. Then, I discovered expedition cruises in 2019.

I took my first expedition cruise with Adventure Canada, a Canadian-based adventure travel company. It was a 14-day trip that made several stops in Greenland before sailing to Arctic Canada, and the experience completely changed how I think about cruises.

After getting hooked on expedition cruises, I don't think I can ever go back to classic luxury ones. Here's why.

I prefer the more intimate experience expedition cruises offer.

The author holding a chunk of iceberg during a zodiac boat ride in the Arctic. Cassandra Brooklyn

Unlike the larger cruises many of us are familiar with, which can sometimes pack over 9,000 people on board, expedition cruises are much smaller.

All of the expedition cruises I've been on have had fewer than 200 people, so it was both easier (and faster!) to get around the ship and to meet people and develop friendships on board.

The excursions are more exciting than what you typically find on luxury ships.

A zodiac boat after dropping off passengers from a Summer Solstice sunset tour in Scotland. Cassandra Brooklyn

Huge, luxury ships are much more limited in terms of where they can dock, so they are restricted to large ports and can't visit the more exotic, far-flung places that small ships can.

Even if they could, it's a lot harder to get 5,000 people off a ship than 200, so the sheer number of passengers complicates off-ship excursions.

On expedition ships, many adventures require zodiac boats, which are small boats that accommodate about eight to 10 people. In some cases, these boats shuttle passengers to land excursions, and in others, the ride itself is the excursion.

During my first trip with Adventure Canada, we took zodiac boats on wildlife-watching excursions around enormous icebergs, went on hiking trips in remote areas only accessible by small boat or helicopter, and embarked on explorations around historic sites across the Inuit homeland.

We sometimes visited places that hadn't received any other ships that year, which felt really special.

The programming is more interesting to me, too.

A few of the dozens of puffins I saw during an ornithologist-led hike in Scotland. Cassandra Brooklyn

Onboard programming varies between cruise companies and across routes, but I've found expedition cruises tend to cater to very curious travelers who are eager to learn as much as possible about the destination.

On my Arctic trip with Adventure Canada, there were fascinating onboard lectures nearly every day that were typically led by geologists, historians, authors, and Arctic explorers. Many presentations were led by Inuit staff who shared their personal experiences and family history  and we got to try hands-on cooking and crafting classes, too.

This summer, I traveled with Adventure Canada again, this time to Scotland, where Scottish historians, storytellers, and ornithologists (bird scientists) educated and entertained us during both onboard programming and off-ship hikes and boat tours.

I like the opportunities to get up close and personal with nature on expedition cruises.

After snorkeling with sea lions and turtles, we were greeted by crabs above the water. Cassandra Brooklyn

For me, zodiac adventures are one of the most exciting aspects of expedition cruises since the small boats get you up close and personal with nature.

During my Greenland and Arctic Canada trip, zodiac boats brought us face-to-face with enormous glaciers and ferried us to remote hiking trails. In Scotland, the boats brought us to tiny islands with only a few dozen residents, places with more puffins than people.

On a Galapagos expedition cruise with Metropolitan Touring a few years ago, I saw penguins from just a few feet away during zodiac rides. We also took the zodiac boats to hike over lava fields and the boats dropped us off for snorkeling trips with sea lions and crabs.

Expedition cruises have more active adventures, too.

I spotted enormous antlers during a remote hike through the Canadian Arctic wilderness. Cassandra Brooklyn

I love that expedition cruises tend to have more active adventures  and they also have activities for those who want something more low-key.

Activities can range from kayaking, biking, hiking, and scuba diving to walking tours and bus tours of historic cities.

Although I've thoroughly enjoyed steep and intense 6- to 8-mile mountain hikes on various expedition cruises, I've appreciated that there are always less intense options, too.

I've seen expedition cruises offer shorter guided hikes, silent meditation, and even relaxed nature walks focused on local flora, fauna, and history.

Plus, I've found some expedition sailings cost about the same as really fancy cruises.

Hiking across lava in the Galapagos felt like being on the moon. Cassandra Brooklyn

The prices of expedition cruises vary, and adventures to hard-to-reach places that require more time and fuel to access, like Antarctica and the Arctic, tend to be more expensive than trips to the Caribbean or Mediterranean.

For example, a six-day expedition cruise to Alaska can cost around $3,960, about $100 more than it costs for one person to book a mini-suite on a seven-day Alaskan Princess cruise without excursions.

With expedition cruises, your money is being spent differently.

On luxury cruises, your money is likely going toward extravagant meals and larger, fancier rooms with balconies. The cabins and food have been fine on all the expedition trips I've been on, but they've not been nearly as good as what I've seen on luxury cruises.

Still, luxury cruises typically don't offer the robust onboard and off-ship programming that expedition cruises offer, and even if they do, the activities may not be included in the price, so you could spend hundreds or thousands of dollars extra to add them on.

Expedition cruises aren't inherently better than luxury cruises, it just comes down to personal preferences  would you rather have fancy food and accommodations or authentic, extensive programming? Personally, I'd choose the latter any day of the week.

Read the original article on Insider
It is a sad historical fact that whenever things take a turn for the worse, marginalized communities suffer the most. Whats the cause of the worlds biggest problems? Is it immense corporate greed, an economic system designed to screw the majority or staggering carbon emissions? No, the real reason the world is so bad is, of course, queer people!

Scapegoating minorities is nothing new, but the vitriol toward the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people and drag queens, is off the charts. That hatred isnt just online: As of May 2023, more than 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced around the country.

Among those bills are ones that have aimed to ban dragdrag!entirely. Thats right: the art form that uplifts queer communities on a daily basis has come under fire from right-wing pundits and conspiracy theorists who believe that drag is a gateway to all sorts of unfounded disgusting things.

But film has a way of fighting back against waves of nonsense. Three great films at this years Toronto International Film Festival are all about the extraordinary power of drag as an art form, and the way the medium can unlock the truest parts of ourselves. Excitingly, the three films all come from different countries where anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is rising: the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

In Canadas Solo, drag is a full-on celebration. The film stars Theodore Pellerin (On Becoming a God in Central Florida) as Simon, a professional drag queen who tears up Montreals drag scene as Glory Gore. Directed by Sophie Dupuis, the film keys into the incredible queer community at the heart of drag. The film opens with Simon performing as Glory to Voulez-Vous by ABBA, exuding glamor and a particular energy that has the crowd going bananas.

Photo Courtesy of TIFF

Drag is a huge part of Simons identity, which is fully embraced by his familyhis sister even designs his outfits. His father and stepmother giddily attend shows, cheering on Simon/Glory at his performances. Solo examines the fabric of the queer community through drag queens. Theres so much love between the group of Montreal queens that Simon is a part of, and theyre always there to lift each other upand since theyre drag queens, they also read each other for filth and throw shade, all with love.

Dupuis explores Simons emotional and spiritual state by showing him perform throughout the film. When Simon is feeling on top of the world, so are his performancesbut when struggles with his toxic partner (also a drag queen) rise, the performances are fraught, tense, and unfocused. Its not just a fun way to let your movie unfold (who doesnt want to watch drag performances and a movie at the same time?) but also a brilliant way to reflect how the art of drag is such a valuable outlet for artists, and how their lip syncs to Si mi chiamano Mimi by Puccini or Queen by Perfume Genius amounts to so much more than just a jobtheyre a way to reflect your innermost self.

No matter what Simon goes through in his tumultuous relationship, its always clear that drag is what fuels himits what makes Simon Simon. Thats especially clear in Glorys final performance in Solo: Drag has afforded Simon so much, and while he could live without it, life would be far less colorful if he did.

While Simon presents feminine in drag or out, Dylan (Charlie Plummer) in Luke Gilfords National Anthem presents traditionally masculine. Often wearing plaid and denim and looking like a contemporary cowboy, Dylan is closeted, living in New Mexico with his younger brother and single mother, working odd jobs in construction to cobble together enough money for his family to survive, as well as sneaking away enough to buy an RV and hit the road.

One day, Dylan gets a job at a ranch where everything feels different from what hes used to in his field. The suffocatingly heteronormative world hes become accustomed to is shattered at the House of Splendor ranch, where people are openly queer and theres an energy Dylan has never felt before. Its overwhelming at first, and Dylan is frightened when he first sees people at the ranch in public. But slowly, surely, Dylan begins to embrace his own queerness, becoming less shy and soft-spoken, owning his differences at the ranch. Drag becomes a way for Dylan to explore and push the boundaries hes always wanted to but never felt able.

Photo Courtesy of TIFF

In a thoughtful, intimate scenethe kind National Anthem is so good atDylan asks Carrie (Mason Alexander Park), who lives at the ranch, how they got into drag in the first place. Carrie explains their conservative background, revealing that when they came out, their family effectively abandoned them. Drag for me, Carrie says, was a way to show up for myself and love myself at a time where nobody else really could I always wanted to be the beautiful creature I was on the inside.

A drag night at a queer rodeo offers Dylan an opportunity he cant turn downthe chance to perform in drag for the very first time. When Dylan finally performs in drag, it's a showstopping moment. Dylans performance to Im The Only One by Melissa Etheridge is sloppyhis movements are erratic, and the lip sync isnt perfectbut it shouldnt be. The scene is all about how Dylan feels in the moment, letting his beautiful creature out. As the performance goes on, he is more and more comfortable (and on beat), succumbing to the joy and exuberance of drag. From this moment, Dylan is reborn. Hes more confident and more honest; theres no going back to the man he once was.

While drag is a stepping stone for Dylan to discover his queer identity, it's essential to Ashiqs (Jason Patel) entire existence in Unicorns. The British film, co-directed by James Krishna Floyd and Sally El Hosaini, follows two people with very different lives: Luke (Ben Hardy), a straight, single dad who works as a mechanic, and Ashiq, a full-time drag queen who performs as the hyper-femme Aysha. Aysha is so femme, in fact, that Luke is convinced Aysha is a woman, and immediately falls for her.

Courtesy of TIFF

When we first see Aysha perform, its mesmerizing. Shes in complete control of the stage. The music practically fades away as Aysha performs, putting all of the attention on her. Just like Luke, were unable to take our eyes off a performer at the height of their abilities, commanding the stage. In Unicorns, Ashiqs work as a drag queen allows him to explore his femininity in ways he was never able to at home. When we see Ashiq get in drag and become Aysha, Patel does fantastic work, from quiet to bold as the transition into drag allows him to tap into parts of his identity hes unable to otherwise.

While Luke has a relationship with his family, Ashiq isnt so lucky. He left his home in Manchester behind years ago for the opportunity to be his true self in London. Growing up in a conservative Muslim community, Ashiq was actively discouraged from exploring his identity, especially since it was perceived as not normal. He has never been able to come out to his family, but away from his family, Ashiq can be the person he was meant to bethe person he was born to be.

As Unicorns develops, it shows us what Ashiqs life is like with and without his drag persona Aysha; with her, theirs is a life full of joy and excitementa challenging life, certainly, but one worth living. Ashiq is able to live confidently, and outhowever trying that may be as a gaysian. Without Aysha, Ashiqs life is cold and gray, a safe life on the margins without trouble, but also without a reason to get up in the morning.

Art and by extension film are always inherently political, reflecting the way our society functions. In times of struggle, cinema can lift us up, and expand our understanding of the lives and worlds were unfamiliar with. This years TIFF has given us a thrilling look at drag from an international perspective. While Solo, National Anthem, and Unicorns are all very different stories, they all show that drag isnt dangerousits powerful, freeing, and an invaluable form of self-expression. By examining the humanity behind and surrounding drag, these films take a bold stance against the rise of hatred in their respective countries, fearlessly showing that above all else, drag is an expression of self-love.

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FILE PHOTO: Time magazine celebrates its 100 Most Influential People, in New York

By Rich McKay

(Reuters) - Actor Drew Barrymore on Sunday said she had backed off plans to bring back her daytime talk show while strikes in Hollywood continue, yielding to an outcry of criticism.

The proposed return of "The Drew Barrymore Show" drew picketers from the striking writers' and actors' unions as taping resumed last week.

On Sunday the actor released a statement on Instagram that said: "I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show's premiere until the strike is over."

Barrymore also expressed her "deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt."

Barrymore on Friday had issued a video on Instagram saying she was going forward with plans to resume her talk show next week because so many jobs were on the line, but the post was deleted later on Friday.

Crew members on the show have been out of work since the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike began in May and shut down production.

Other talk shows have also announced plans to return to television. "Real Time" host Bill Maher said he was bringing back his HBO show without written pieces such as a monologue and would focus on debates with guests.

The WGA said it was "difficult to imagine" how Maher, a WGA member, could host the show and still comply with strike rules. The union said members would picket the filming of the show.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta, editing by Deepa Babington)
Sheriff's investigators at the scene where an L.A. County sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in his patrol vehicle in Palmdale. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The sun was about to set Saturday in the Antelope Valley when Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer steered his patrol cruiser onto Sierra Highway and stopped at a red light outside the Palmdale sheriff's station.

Clinkunbroomer was dressed in his sheriff's uniform and on duty patrolling the high desert community of Palmdale, just north of Los Angeles.

Seconds later, a dark gray Toyota Corolla pulled up behind the marked black-and-white cruiser and paused, according to security video shared with The Times.

The sedan then pulled alongside the driver's side of the cruiser. It paused again, then sped off. Clinkunbroomer's vehicle drifted a foot or two.

In those seconds, authorities said, the deputy was shot in the head in a brazen ambush. He died from his injuries hours later. Clinkunbroomer was 30 years old.

Read more: Ambushed L.A. deputy was newly engaged, looking forward to big things. 'No words'

Sheriff Robert Luna on Sunday called the slaying a targeted act and asserted that Clinkunbroomer might have been killed because he worked in law enforcement.

Somebody decided to shoot and murder him, Im assuming at this point, because he was in uniform, Luna said.

A passerby found the deputy unconscious in his vehicle at the intersection of Avenue Q and Sierra Highway around 6 p.m., officials said. Fellow deputies took him in critical condition to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster, and he died as physicians attempted to treat his gunshot wound.

Investigators worked through the night and all day Sunday, reviewing evidence, including surveillance footage, and interviewing potential witnesses. Luna said law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels had offered assistance. No suspects have been identified, and during a news conference Sunday evening, Luna pinpointed a "vehicle of interest"  the dark gray Toyota Corolla manufactured between 2006 and 2012. He asked anyone with images or knowledge of the vehicle to come forward.

"Whoever did this, I'd give in," Luna said Sunday evening. "We are going to find you."

Clinkunbroomer joined the department eight years ago and had been based out of the Palmdale station since 2018. For the last 18 months, he worked as a field training officer, a position that Luna said was for the "best of the best." Clinkunbroomer's family was steeped in law enforcement, and he was the third generation to work for the Sheriff's Department.

Luna said that four days before his death, the deputy had proposed to his fiancee.

"His father served with us. His grandfather served with us," Luna said. "He had so much ahead of him, and this coward, or cowards, took his life while he was sitting at a red light, waiting to serve his community."

"He had a good heart," said a colleague in the Sheriff's Department who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. "Nobody has anything bad to say about him because he treated people and the public with respect."

Saturday's killing came three years after two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were shot several times while sitting in their parked patrol car in Compton. Both suffered severe wounds. A suspect was later arrested. In 2016, a veteran sheriff's deputy was shot and killed by a burglary suspect in neighboring Lancaster. The gunman was arrested shortly afterward.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Palmdale, mourned Clinkunbroomer's killing and joined other officials calling for the gunman to be captured and held to account. Barger and Luna announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of anyone responsible in the deputy's slaying.

"It was an unprovoked attack on an honorable public servant," Barger said. "This heinous deed will not  will not  go unpunished. Whoever committed this cowardly act will be caught."

Dist. Atty. George Gascon and Luna stressed the need for help from the public. They encouraged anyone in the Palmdale area to pore over video footage in their possession from their cars, homes, business or cellphones, and said that any footage would help in the capture of the shooter. Those with information were asked to call homicide investigators at (323) 890-5500 or CrimeStoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

Were gonna catch the person who did this, Luna said. Somebody saw something. Somebody knows something.

Palmdale Mayor Laura Bettencourt called Clinkunbroomer a hero, declaring at a news conference, "The person that did that is a coward, and they will be caught."

Derek Hsieh, executive director of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, a union representing rank-and-file deputies, said the slaying had sparked anger and sadness among their members and the wider police community.

"Its an outrage," Hsieh told The Times. "An ambush is a targeted attack against law enforcement, and it sends a really clear message."

Gov. Gavin Newsom and acting Gov. Eleni Kounalakis said Clinkunbroomer's "commitment to service and justice represented the best of the Golden State," and they announced that flags at the state Capitol would be flown at half-staff.

Yellow tape surrounded the Palmdale sheriffs station Sunday, and members of the public left roses, carnations and American flags at a makeshift memorial at the corner of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q.

Chris Altieri, 62, of Lancaster stood nearby holding a Blue Lives Matter flag as cars zipped down Sierra Highway. Some passersby waved; others honked their horns.

Altieri had arrived at 6:30 a.m. to wrap blue ribbons around the light posts. A Navy veteran who served for 24 years, he said he planned to stay most of the day.

I know what its like to be a target, to be out in front and be down range, said Altieri, wearing a cap that read Freedom beneath an American flag and blue gym shorts with Navy on the side.

People put themselves out there, in front of your country and your community. Thats what these guys and gals do," Altieri said. "I wanted to put myself out here for them. For his family, for the police.

The shooting of a @LASDHQ deputy in his patrol car in Palmdale today is senseless and horrific. Ive reached out to @LACoSheriff Luna.



Tonight Im praying for him, his friends, fellow deputies at @PalmdaleSheriff, and especially his loved ones.  Janice Hahn (@SupJaniceHahn) September 17, 2023

In the hours after the deputy's slaying, law enforcement officers lined up as part of a procession that began at Antelope Valley Hospital and ended at the L.A. County coroner's office. (OnScene.TV)

Fred Sevilla, a longtime Palmdale resident, also turned out Sunday to pay his respects to the slain officer at the site where he was killed.

I feel very heartbroken for the person who is not going home," Sevilla said.

At a nearby laundromat, resident Walter Flores, 30, sat on a bench with his two children, 1-year-old daughter Xyla and 3-month-old Exavier.

A Marine Corps veteran, Flores said he was shocked and saddened when he heard about the shooting.

Its terrifying that our own police force is in danger and that it happened so close to the police station," Flores said.

In a written tribute to Clinkunbroomer, employees at the Palmdale station said they were "numb with grief."

"Words cannot express the shock, sadness and anger over this senseless loss of an exemplary deputy and an even better human being," colleagues wrote in the statement. "He was very thorough in his investigations, genuinely cared for the community he served, and he was always willing to help out his partners any time they needed it.

"Ryan, we are so very sorry for your family and your fiancee. Rest assured, we will do our very best to take care of them in your absence."

Current and former Sheriffs Department employees shared their anger and sadness as well.

R.I.P. Deputy Clinkunbroomer; our partner and friend, department employee Cynthia Knutson wrote on Facebook. She said others at the station were struggling to come to terms with the loss. You will be greatly missed by us all here at Palmdale Station.

Condolences and statements of solidarity poured in from other law enforcement agencies and organizations around Southern California and beyond.

Joe Gamaldi, vice president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, wrote on social media that he was absolutely disgusted by the killing, describing it as both an ambush and an execution in cold blood by some dirtbag.

Officers salute in a procession for slain Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. (Onscene.TV)

Times staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Frustration gripped Meridian City Council members and Mayor Robert Simison as they sat through yet another meeting with the Idaho Transportation Department about safety and speed limits on Eagle Road.

Despite calls from residents and city officials, ITD would not reduce the speed of one of Ada Countys busiest roads.

Simison and the council pleaded with department leaders to lower the 55 mph speed limit of the six-lane road, which is Idaho 55. The highway runs through the citys growing business and commercial district.

My perspective has been to reduce whatever the current (speed limit) is down 10 miles an hour along the (Highway 55) corridor through Meridian, Simison said in the meeting on Sept. 5.

But ITD has had sole authority to change speed limits on state highways since the Legislature passed a bill in 2012 that removed local governments abilities to regulate speeds on them. And ITD leaders have decided that Idaho 55 does not need lower speed limits.

State recommends digital speed-feedback signs

Instead, the department has proposed two things: adding speed-feedback signs, which show digitized displays of the speed that each car that passes; and adding watch for stopped traffic signs that would flash during peak travel hours.

Youll be seeing more of these speed-feedback around the county in the coming weeks. The Ada County Highway District is installing 50 of them to remind you to slow down and drive the posted speed.

A sign thats adaptive to some degree, thats not always flashing but can flash, does tend to grab attention further and draw an emphasis to what were trying to communicate and educate to the drivers, said Caleb Lakey, District 3 administrator for ITD, at the Sept. 5 meeting. District 3 includes Ada County.

Lakey and ITD CEO Dan McElhinney presented findings to the council of a traffic study of Idaho 55 that led to their proposals. The presentation was the result of meetings involving Ada County, the city and Idaho State Police after Meridian asked the department to change the speed limit.

City officials scoffed at the suggestion to add more signs.

Simisons response was come on.

Feedback signs on a three-lane road  whos gonna know who that radar is touching for their number, with how congested it is? the mayor said.

Council Member Luke Cavenar argued that there are already many signs on Eagle Road that can be overwhelming.

Council Member John Overton said, My ultimate goal is to see a reduction in accidents but specifically a reduction in the seriousness of injuries and fatalities. And I think the only way to do that is to not put up temporary signs, not put up another sign that people have got to watch depending on the time of the day, but to simply make this a 45-mile-an hour road.

Mayor frustrated by ITDs refusal

Overton, a former police officer, argued back and forth with Lakey for several minutes during the meeting. Lakey said that during rush hour, vehicles already travel slower than the posted speed of 55 mph, so I dont know what were changing with the speed limit.

Overton said that when drivers are authorized to travel 55 mph, they will.

The councils major concerns are crashes and fatalities. One of those fatalities happened in November 2022 as Kate Boesh and her boyfriend tried to make a left turn from Eagle road onto a side street and were hit by a fast-moving pickup truck. Boesh was killed.

Her parents, Laurie and Jerry Boesch, have been pleading with ITD to reduce the speed.

In an email to the Idaho Statesman, after the department suggested adding signs, Laurie Boesch said, If ITD wants to spend money on signs, why not 35 mph or 40 mph signs instead? Our daughter was hit and killed by a driver traveling at 53 mph, the legal speed limit. If the same accident occurred and the driver was going 35 or 40, she would have had a much higher chance of survival!

Overton agreed.

The extent of crash damage depends upon the amount of energy present, he told Lakey, reading from National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations website. The faster a vehicle is moving, the more kinetic injury it takes into a crash. The amount of kinetic energy increases greatly with only slight increases in speed as the amount of energy increases the chances of a fatality increase. A collision at 60 miles an hour is 50% more likely to result in a fatality than just 45 miles an hour.

Meridian is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, making its roadways busier and busier with each passing year.

Keeping the 55 mph only makes Eagle Road even more dangerous, Boesch said. I hope (ITD) wakes up before another family has to go through the hell we have been through.

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Russia has concentrated 52,000 troops in the area near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Eastern Force Grouping press officer Illia Yevlash said on Ukrainian TV on Sept. 17.

According to Yevlash, Russia has also concentrated around 274 tanks, over 1,000 armored fighting vehicles, 150 artillery systems, and more than 120 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in the area.

Yevlash also said that Ukrainian forces are progressing on the southern flank of Bakhmut, pushing the Russian troops out of the previously occupied positions.

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On Sept. 15, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed the liberation of Donetsk Oblast's Andriivka, a small settlement located around three kilometers south of the embattled Klishchiivka and less than 10 kilometers south of occupied Bakhmut.

According to the 3rd Assault Brigade, Ukrainian forces dealt a devastating blow to the Russian 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade during the battle for Andriivka.

The 3rd Brigade also reported that the Russian formation lost its chief of intelligence, three commanders, almost all of its infantry, including officers, and a significant amount of equipment.

"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.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine liberates Andriivka; fighting ongoing in Klishchiivka

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In the same week that Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the city of Chicago faces a $538 million budget gap over the next three years and that he doesnt plan to increase property taxes to close it, the new administration floated the idea of a city-owned grocery store in neighborhoods that lack access to fresh foods.

The plan, popular among progressives, assumes that the city can succeed where private sector specialist retailers have set up shop and failed. The rhetoric in the announcement goes further than that: It implies that grocery chains are run by those who dont want to succeed in the neighborhoods that need them the most. This is nonsense.

Still, Exhibit A in this theory is the Whole Foods store in Englewood, which closed its doors in November.

The store opened in 2016 to much media fanfare and a bread-breaking ceremony in the parking lot attended by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel, store officials and community members. It came with a stated determination to feature such yummy local products as Jimmys Vegan Cookies and Justice of the Pies and a roughly $11 million tax increment financing subsidy from the city that was used to prepare the Englewood Square site before it was sold to a private developer.

Emanuel was so proud of the store, and the deal he had brokered, that he brought Londons mayor, Sadiq Khan, who called it a win-win and something for London to copy. The Whole Foods store was an anchor for Englewood Square at 63rd and Halsted streets: Other tenants hoping to swim in its wake were Nail Works, Chipotle and Starbucks. With roughly 100 employees at its Englewood store, Whole Foods said about 35 lived in Englewood. There was even an employee hired to do community outreach and an in-store meeting room for community groups to use.

By 2022, it was all a bust.

Whole Foods said very little as to why, trying to duck the public relations hit, but grocery trade publications analyzing the debacle homed in on the stores relatively small size  it was some 18,000 square feet, whereas many Whole Foods stores are about 50,000 square feet or more  and the perception of local residents that it was too small to do a full shop, as well as being expensive and not truly from the community. In actuality, the Tribune reported that Whole Foods had reduced its prices on milk, bread, eggs and some produce and sold them at far lower prices than elsewhere in the city. It wasnt enough.

What the city should have learned from that disaster was that traditional businesses are in danger of being taken over. In the case of Whole Foods, that took the form of Amazon in 2017. And when the new owners come in, they dont look at what money has been given to fund the startup costs because those costs already are sunk, nor do they usually care about the ethical habits of the previous management. They are only about the ongoing profitability of the store. Or the lack thereof.

Had Whole Foods been making money, it would have remained. But that was not the case. Amazon was smart enough to try to mask the closure by also nixing a Lincoln Park Whole Foods at DePaul University that was being used only for pandemic-era delivery, but the bottom line was the bottom line.

That wasnt the end of the Englewood grocery debacle. Up next in that fraught space came Yellow Banana, a Black-owned company with a supermarket chain named Save-A-Lot. They were not much interested in the niceties from 2016, and, as a result, they were not exactly welcomed to Englewood with open arms, with residents reportedly concerned about quality and freshness.

Whole Foods, some said, was too upscale. Save-A-Lot, some said, was too downscale. And not enough people said that if you want a grocery store in your neighborhood, you have to support it with your business.

Aldi appears to be the only one to have found the right niche, but that store with some branches in less affluent neighborhoods might now find itself competing with the city itself.

We have no problem with the city exploring a foray into the grocery business, but were skeptical that government can operate a store more efficiently than the smart, specialist minds at Aldi and other supermarket companies. A city-owned store would struggle with economies of scale, be open to the charge of unfair competition and face a mountain of politicized debate over how much it should be charging.

Would such a store sell food at less than the market price, potentially putting private stores out of business? Would it sell only expensive organic produce for health reasons? What about liability?

Would it have own-label products featuring the citys flag? How much would it pay its employees? Would it offer a city pension? Could it compete with the relatively high hourly wages at stores such as Costco? How much would it cost to operate, and would it be expected to pay its way?

And, to bring up a point few in the current administration want to talk about, would it suffer the same theft problem that contributed to Whole Foods exit? Would the police respond differently if it were a city-owned store? How would that go down with other Englewood small business owners with less clout?

Wed rather see the city learn from the Whole Foods mess by thinking about ongoing subsidies for grocery stores rather than just help with site preparation and capital expenditure (venture capitalists look mostly at running costs). Wed like to see expansions of the citys farmers markets, such as the hugely successful weekly market in Logan Square, and wed like to see the city trim the necessary regulations. In sum, the Johnson administrations exploration should focus on new partnerships with people who know what they are doing and do it well.

We surely believe that all Chicagoans should have access to fresh food. But we dont think City Hall should be behind the deli counter.

Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
TEHRAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Barring International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors assigned to Iran is a right the country is exercising under the bilateral safeguards agreement, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Saturday.

He made the remarks in a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, in response to comments by IAEA Secretary General Rafael Grossi, who criticized Iran's move as "disproportionate and unprecedented " to bar several inspectors.

Kanaani regretted that despite Iran's "positive, constructive and continuous interactions" with the agency, the E3 group of France, Britain and Germany as well as the United States used, through their excessive demands, the IAEA's Board of Governors earlier this week to "ruin the atmosphere pervading cooperation between Tehran and the agency and achieve their political objectives."

Iran's move was made in response to a call led by the United States and the E3 at the IAEA earlier this week on Tehran to cooperate immediately with the IAEA on issues including "explaining uranium traces found at its undeclared sites."

Tehran "affects the normal planning and conduct of the agency's verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the IAEA and the country," Grossi said on Saturday.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The United States, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022. 
Los Angeles resident Walter Foster, 80, holds up a sign as the Reparations Task Force meets to hear public input on reparations at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Sept. 23, 2022. ( Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

According to a new poll, 59% of California voters surveyed do not approve of cash reparations for the descendants of enslaved Black people.

When asked why, and given five answers to choose from, most picked this: Its unfair to ask todays taxpayers to pay for wrongs committed in the past. The poll was conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Times.

Thats concerning, since the state Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom are embarking on the huge task of poring over a 1,000-plus page report from a statewide task force that made dozens of recommendations for reparations including cash compensation.

But its not surprising. Americans learn little in school about the long-term consequences and costs of chattel slavery and institutionalized racism on generations of Black Americans. In some states, teachers arent even allowed to talk about the history of race in America. In Florida, public school students can now be taught, preposterously, that in some instances slaves developed skills that could be used for their personal benefit  as if any skill a slave picked up compensated for being enslaved.

Efforts to expose racism in schools and policies are attacked as racist and shut down. No wonder people dont understand the history of slavery and racism in this country.

Allow us to educate California voters a little.

Read more: Editorial: Reparations for slavery are overdue. California's lawmakers must make them happen

Obviously, no one today is a legal slave owner in the U.S. Nor was anyone alive today involved in reneging on the promise to grant freed Black slaves land in the 1860s.

But everyone alive today in the U.S. lives in a country where slavery was a horrific and sustained crime that morphed with its abolition into myriad forms of institutional racism that persist to this day  including in California.

Maybe the poll takers didnt know that hundreds of Black residents (along with Latino, Filipino, Indigenous and some white residents) in an area of Palm Springs called Section 14 were forced out and had their homes burned down  in the 1950s and 1960s. Of about 1,000 plaintiffs who are part of a $2-billion claim that attorney Areva Martin has filed against the city, 350 are actual survivors of what a 1968 state investigation called a city-engineered holocaust.

Read more: Editorial: Pay back the Bruces for Bruce's beach

Or perhaps they didnt know that in the early 1900s Willa and Charles Bruce were run off their property overlooking the ocean in Manhattan Beach that was a popular lodging and dining spot for Black families, known as Bruces Beach.

A year ago, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to return the land to the Bruce family descendants. Supervisor Holly Mitchell made it clear the decision was not a gift: We arent giving property to anyone today. We are returning property that was erroneously taken from the Bruces based on fear and hate.

The poll participants seemed to have some understanding of the lasting effects of slavery on Black Californians today. Sixty percent answered that they do believe the position of Black residents has been harmed to at least some degree.

Read more: Opinion: The overlooked reason reparations make sense in California and elsewhere

Educating Californians on the states role in slavery and institutionalized racism  and why there should be a price literally to pay for it  will be part of the challenge lawmakers face as they work to design a plan for reparations for African American residents in the state who qualify.

It's important that Californians find out more about the effects of slavery in a state that outlawed it in 1849 but didn't enforce the ban.

Black Californians have suffered discrimination in education, employment, healthcare, the criminal justice system and in housing, which has translated into a devastating lack of generational wealth. Before 1900, federal and California Homestead Acts "essentially gave away hundreds of millions of acres of land almost for free mostly to white families, the report says. Discriminatory bank lending policies and zoning ordinances kept Black people from acquiring property in neighborhoods where they wanted to live  or from acquiring it at all.

Read more: Question of reparations raises skepticism and hope among Black L.A. residents

As a result, Black families have been thwarted in their efforts to create the most common form of wealth  a home to pass on to the next generation. The results are stark: Black families today are in far worse financial straits than their white counterparts. How much? According to a 2016 study, the median value of liquid assets for native-born African American households in the U.S. was $200, compared with $110,000 for white households.

Thats why compensation in some form for past harms that linger to this day must be something that the state lawmakers consider seriously. To do anything less would be irresponsible.

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), who sat on the task force that produced the report, said educating the public about the recommendations, which include many non-cash reparations, is crucial. He said the Legislatures Black Caucus will raise money to hire experts to create compelling presentations of the history of Black Californians and the justification for reparations of some kind.

Thats a smart idea. There will be plenty of polls to come that will offer data points with little context and may even contradict each other. For example, a poll released in May by the Ralph J. Bunche Center at UCLA found that 63% of Californians do support cash reparations.

Ultimately, whatever form reparations might take should be based on thoughtful informed decision-making, not a popularity poll.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR)  Edmond residents have been reacting to the news of a water rate hike expected to go into effect later this year and increase each year through 2026. The city council voted 4-1 to approve the rate increase on Monday, September 11.

Edmonds Marketing and PR Manager, Bill Begley, said the increase will go towards $400 million in improvements to the citys water and sewage systems.

| Marching to save our children: Tammy Gray-Steele goes to Washington >

Its the biggest capital improvement project in the history of the city, said Begley. The whole idea was to try to get ahead of that growth by making sure that we are building infrastructure, especially water infrastructure because its so important to this area that well be able to supply safe, clean water for our residents as Edmond continues to grow.

Judy Starr said she moved back to Oklahoma from California two years ago and was shocked by her monthly water bill.

Its already way too expensive, said Starr. I was floored that theyre going to increase.

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Another Edmond neighbor said he agreed with the decision because of Edmonds constant growth.

If you dont, then it will still grow anyways and it will be a much more miserable place if you dont have the infrastructure, said Randy Adams, long-time resident.

KFOR checked other major metro utility departments to compare water rates. People living in Oklahoma City pay $3.28 per 1,000 gallons of water. Its $3.35 in Norman, $4.40 in Moore, and $4.05 in Yukon. In Edmond, that number jumped to $7.95 for every 1,000 gallons.

With the new rate hike, the cost would climb to $8.35 in November, increasing each year until 2026, capping off at $9.12. The increase would add around $4.00 to a monthly bill, then go up around three percent over the next three years.

Starr said regardless of the improvements, the city is asking too much from its residents.

Its already what seems like an outrageous amount, said Starr.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Guest Opinion. A top priority throughout my administration has been holding the federal government to its promises to the Cherokee Nation. We have strongly defended our treaty rights to great effect, such as when federal courts recognized that the Cherokee Nation Reservation continues to exist, or when Congress finally held hearings on Cherokee Nations right to a delegate.

These high-profile issues get the most attention, but just as important is the daily work of maintaining the government-to-government relationship with the United States. One way this happens is through tribal advisory committees (TACs), where tribal leaders meet regularly with top U.S. officials on the issues most important to tribes.

Just this month, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner chaired the CDC Tribal Advisory Committee at a meeting hosted by Oneida Nation in Wisconsin, and I participated in the Health and Human Services Secretarys Tribal Advisory Committee (HHS STAC) hosted by the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board in South Dakota. In October, I will travel to Washington DC to chair the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Tribal Advisory Committee.

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.

We participate in these meetings to advocate for the U.S. government to live up to its trust responsibilities. Tribes sacrificed our lands and our ancestors but never gave up our inherent sovereignty in this land, so the federal government has a legal and moral responsibility to us. This is the basis for Native Americans right to health care and tribal nations right to self-governance of our citizens and programs.

At the HHS STAC, I and other STAC members spoke with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and agency leaders about issues including improving funding for Indian health care, enacting better telehealth policies so that we can care for our citizens wherever they are, protecting and building on effective programs like the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, and much more.

Cherokee Nation Chuck Hoskin, Jr.

We also toured Oglala Sioux tribal programs and the Wounded Knee Memorial. Just as in past TAC meetings hosted in Cherokee Nation, bringing top federal officials to Indian Country helped them to see the on-the-ground realities that they must remember when making decisions in Washington DC.

It is also another reason why Cherokee Nation and the other tribes making our homes in Oklahoma are the best friends the state has ever had. Our unique access to federal officials means that we can influence policies, cut through red tape, and bring home benefits in ways that help the entire state.

Importantly, Cherokee Nations engagement with the federal administration remains strong no matter who is president or which political party they belong to. The federal trust responsibility is a core constitutional principle that goes beyond party.

Of course, the United States has a long way to go to fully meet its trust responsibility. In the scope of U.S. history, the federal government trying to support our sovereignty and meet our peoples needs is a recent change. The days when they tried to suppress our culture and destroy our governments are not so far behind.

That is why we continue to engage, speak up for our people, and demand our rights. I am always proud to speak up for Cherokee Nation to the United States government. Our progress is part of why I am so hopeful for a great Cherokee century to come.

Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
The European Commission called upon Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to be constructive after declaring a unilateral extension of the ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

Source: Reuters

Quote: "We are aware of some Member States' announcements in respect to unilateral measures. What is important right now is that all countries work in the spirit of compromise and engage constructively."

The Commission added that at the moment it focuses on implementing the new system, announced on 15 September, and making it work.

Moreover, the meeting with the representatives of all EU member states involved will be held on 18 September for discussing topical issues concerning the import of Ukrainian grain.

Background:

The European Commission has decided not to extend the restriction on import of Ukrainian agricultural products after 15 September.

Meanwhile Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced that they will keep their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain import despite the decision of the European Commission.

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!
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has pledged action to help Italys crisis-hit island of Lampedusa during a visit on Sunday, after the island was left struggling to cope with an influx of migrants.

Von der Leyen visited a migrant reception center on the island after the Italian Prime Minister called on European leaders to help more. Almost 130,000 migrants have arrived on Italian shores this year, nearly double the same period last year.

Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a press conference, von der Leyen said, We will decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances, and not the smugglers and traffickers.

The island of Lampedusa has a population of less than 7,000 and has long been a first port of call for people crossing from north Africa to Europe. The island has recently seen an uptick in migrant crossings, with Italian authorities saying Thursday that 7,000 people had arrived in just two days, prompting the local mayor and the United Nations refugee agency to warn the Italian island is becoming overwhelmed.

The Italian prime minister and EU chief met Sunday to offer a coordinated response by the Italian and European authorities, according to von der Leyen. We have an obligation as part of the international community. We have fulfilled it in the past and we will do so today and in the future.

Lampedusa has long been an arrival point for migrants but numbers have surged in recent days. - Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse/AP

The European Commission president went on to say that migration is a European challenge and it needs a European answer and solution.

Meloni said the problem of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe cannot be solved by redistributing migrants within European borders, but rather requires tackling the problem externally and preventing the departure of migrants.

Meanwhile, von der Leyen championed legal pathways and humanitarian corridors as measures to counter smugglers lies.

We will offer migrants real alternatives through this humanitarian admission. This is very important to break the vicious narrative of the smugglers, she said.

Von der Leyens visit to the island comes after Mayor Filippo Mannino on Thursday warned Lampedusas migrant crisis had reached a point of no return.

The UN refugee agencys (UNHCR) Representative for Italy, the Holy See and San Marino, Chiara Cardoletti, on Friday described the situation as critical, and said moving people off the island is an absolute priority.

Many of the latest people to arrive have fled political instability in Tunisia. In previous years, most came from Libya and had been rescued by NGO charity vessels and Italian rescuers rather than reaching the island, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The group now fears numbers will rise even further following the catastrophic floods in Libya.

CNNs Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Liakos, Claudia Colliva and Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
(Bloomberg) -- German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Europe would be better prepared if Donald Trump returned to the White House after the shock of his ascent to the presidency in 2016.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Back then, hardly anybody in Europe could have imagined that there would be a US president who questioned NATO, an alliance thats a life insurance for Europeans, Baerbock said Sunday in a Bloomberg Television interview. So many things in the past were a total shock to us.

With Trump leading the race for the Republican Party nomination by a wide margin ahead of next years primary season, Baerbock is on an expansive trip to the US that includes sounding out Republicans before attending this weeks United Nations General Assembly. Germanys Social Democratic chancellor, Olaf Scholz , has said hed prefer a second term for President Joe Biden .

Trump took some actions which were more than irritating for us, Baerbock, one of Germanys most prominent Green politicians, said in the interview in New York.

At the same time, she said we shouldnt be naive and that Germanys government would be prepared to work with Trump were he to win the 2024 presidential election.

Before New York, Baerbock traveled to Austin and Washington where she met Republicans including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Read more: Germany Tests Trump Country as Nervous Allies Ponder His Chances

Baerbock said she told Republican lawmakers how shocking the Trump years had been, but expressed confidence that US support for Ukraine would continue regardless of whos president.

You need bipartisan support, Baerbock said. This is why it was important to me to do also the outreach to the Republicans.

Baerbock, Germanys first female foreign minister, is one of the most outspoken advocates of weapons deliveries to Ukraine in Scholzs cabinet. Before her trip to the US, the former Green party leader visited Kyiv and promised her Ukrainian counterpart a continuation of German military support.

She declined to commit to Taurus long-range missiles deliveries sought by Ukraine, saying that Germany first would have to make sure the missiles also work in the field.

But I totally understand, I am myself a mother of two, she said. If I would live in this war zone, every day counts.

On Friday, Baerbock and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the determination of their governments to support Ukraine as long as needed.

Russian President Vladimir Putins attempt to make the world become used to this wont succeed, she said after a meeting in Washington. Blinken thanked Germany for its leading role in supporting Ukraine.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Wabash Township's ex-trustee Jennifer Teising made an issue out of her residency during her appeals of her January 2022 theft convictions  an issue that's pending before the Indiana Supreme Court. But now her residency might be an issue again for reasons unrelated to her pending appeal.

Teising's residency is relevant because of election integrity and credible property taxation.

If she resides at her Vincennes house that she inherited, she might have voted illegally in the fall 2022 elections.

If her residence is in West Lafayette, it appears she might be receiving tax benefits that she is not entitled to receive.

Teising inherits her mother's house

Teising took possession of an inherited a house at 803 Shelby St. in Vincennes. She inherited the house from her mother, who died Dec. 1, 2021, according to the public documents for the transfer.

On the transfer document, Teising's address is listed as 132 Knox Drive in West Lafayette, which is where she claimed to live while she was trustee. But the Knox County property records indicate Teising's address is the Shelby Street house.

A Gannett photographer found Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising's travel trailer and Teising on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, at Camper's Inn RV Park in Panama City Beach, Fla. Many question Teising's residency since she sold her West Lafayette home in June.

If she resided in Knox County after taking possession of the property, it affects where she could vote in the fall 2022 election.

If she resides in West Lafayette, it affects her property taxes in Knox County.

Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush said earlier this month that Indiana State Police asked her office about Teising's records.

Indiana State Police Lafayette Post Sgt. Jeremy Piers said, "I can neither confirm nor deny any active ongoing investigation."

The Journal & Courier contacted Teising's attorney, Karen Celestino-Horseman, for comment about Teising's residency as it relates to her voting and her property taxes. The J&C also asked whether Teising rented the house in Vincennes. Celestino-Horseman said she will look into the J&C's inquiry. She has not yet replied to the questions.

The Journal & Courier telephoned Teising to ask where she resides. She did not return the call.

The West Lafayette address on the Vincennes property transfer document is the one Teising claimed as her residence during her trial and her appeals, even though she lived in her travel trailer parked most of the time during 2020 and 2021 in Anderson, Indiana, or Panama City Beach, Florida.

Teising is accused of theft for taking her trustee salary while not residing in the township. Indiana law requires township trustees to reside in the township. She was convicted in January 2022, and won her first appeal. It is now pending at the Indiana Supreme Court.

The issue before the Indiana Supreme Court in Teising's appeal is whether "reside in a township" is synonymous with claiming one's residence in a township while living outside of the township. The Supreme Court has not accepted the case or penned an opinion, but it heard oral arguments at the end of June.

More: Indiana Supreme Court hears arguments why it should accept case against Jennifer Teising

Homestead exemption

Teising's Vincennes house currently has a homestead exemption, according to Knox County records. A homestead exemption can only be received if the homeowner lives in the house that receives the exemption, according to Indiana law.

On the Knox County property records for 2022 and 2023, Teising is listed as the deeded owner. Her mailing address is listed as 803 Shelby St., Vincennes  not 132 Knox Drive, West Lafayette.

But the homestead exemption has not yet been removed from the previous owner, Teising's mother.

The homestead exemption and supplemental homestead deduction reduced the 2021 assessed value of Teising's house in Vincennes by $53,280 for the property taxes payable in 2022. Teising's 2021 gross assessed value of $72,000. The homestead exemption and supplemental homestead reduced the amount her net assessed value on which her property taxes are calculated by $18,720 for her 2022 tax liability.

For her 2022 assessment  which is payable in 2023  her property's gross assessed value is $88,000.

With the homestead deductions, the 2022 net assessed is reduced to $27,950. Teising's tax liability exceeded Indiana's property tax caps that limits homeowners who live in their house to paying no more than 1% of the gross assessed value. With the property tax cap adjustment, Teising will pay $880 this year, plus $14.76 for a taxpayer approved referendum to exceed the tax caps.

The homestead exemptions, therefore, did not make a difference in how much property taxes she will pay in 2023.

If, however, Teising rents out the house on Shelby Street to tenants, her property taxes cannot exceed 2% of the gross assessed value. If she is renting the house, it changes the property tax configuration, and Teising might owe more money.

An employee in the Knox County Auditor's Office said that Teising has not applied for the homestead tax credit. Instead, the exemptions she received is from the previous owner's homestead credit. Because Teising did not take possession of the property until May 25, 2022, the assessment for the 2023 taxes  and its exemption  remains intact.

An employee in the Knox County Assessor's Office said there is no sales disclosure because it was inherited. Therefore, the homestead exemption will remain until they are informed that the exemptions are not merited.

The assessor's employee indicated they do not police homestead exemptions, indicating it is the property owner's responsibility to apply for  or remove  the exemption.

As of last week, the Knox County Assessor's Office has no indication from Teising about removing the homestead exemption status, so it is likely to continue for taxes payable in 2024 unless Teising files to remove the exemption, the employee in the assessor's office said.

Additionally, if Teising is renting, the employee at the assessor's office said the property owner is supposed to inform them of the change from an owner-occupied house to a rental. The assessor's office also does not police whether a house is a rental, but if they learn that it is, they will change the property if they confirm it is not owner-occupied, the assessor employee said.

Teising was late with her fall 2022 tax payment, which she made up in the spring 2023 payment, including a penalty, according to records from Knox County. She also paid a $163.58 sewer lien that was filed in August 2023. She currently is caught up until the November tax deadline, according to Knox County public records.

Teising's voting records

Teising took possession of her inherited house in May 2022. Her property deed transfer documents signed by her uncle, who was the representative for the estate, claimed Teising's address on May 25, 2022, was in West Lafayette, and the tax statements were to be mailed to the West Lafayette address.

Knox County records list Teising's address as 803 Shelby St., Vincennes.

Teising voted in person at the Tippecanoe County Building on Oct. 31, 2022  more than five months after taking possession of the Vincennes property, according to Tippecanoe County voting records and Knox County property records.

She has not amended her voter registration information, according to public information, so for voting purposes, her address is still in West Lafayette.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Ex-trustee residence is relevant to her voting and her property taxes
An explosion has occurred in Odesa while a large-scale air-raid warning was in place in Ukraine.

Source: Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster; Oleh Kiper, Head of Odesa Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Details: At 05:57, the Air Force reported that cruise missiles launched by the Russians had changed course and were heading towards Odesa.

"Residents of Odessa Oblast, there is a missile danger for our region. Please stay in shelters!", Kiper posted.

Earlier: An air-raid warning has now been issued throughout 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!
Explosions were reported in the port city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea on the evening of Sept. 17, local media and Telegram channels reported.

According to an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence source cited by Ukrainska Pravda, the explosions were part of a joint operation by Ukrainian military intelligence and the country's navy.

Local Crimean Telegram channel Krymksy Veter reported that explosions reportedly were heard in an area known to be near the location of Russian radio intelligence and air defense facilities.

According to local sources, ambulances reportedly rushed to Fiolent with their sirens on.

Shortly after the attack, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that two Ukrainian drones over the southwestern part of Crimea were downed by local air defense.

On Sept. 13, Ukraine's military intelligence informed that a strike on a shipyard in Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea damaged a Russian landing craft, a submarine, and port infrastructure.

Two Russian vessels undergoing repairs at the Sevmorzavod repair facility sustained what was likely to be irreversible damage from the attack, satellite images later showed.

Moscow claimed at the time that Ukrainian forces launched 10 cruise missiles and three marine drones against the Crimean shipyard.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Strike on shipyard in occupied Sevastopol damages 2 Russian vessels







Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The rich cultures of China and Malta are under the spotlight at Heritage Malta, the country's national agency for museums, conservation and cultural heritage, its chairman Mario Cutajar said ahead of his visit to China.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Claim:

Swedish King Adolf Frederick [also spelled Fredrick] died in 1771 as a result of eating too many cinnamon buns.

Rating:

Rating: Legend

What's True:

Historical records confirm that in 1771, Frederick died of a stroke after eating dinner on Shrove Tuesday, or fettisdagen, a celebration that involves a wide array of food ahead of fasting during the Christian holiday, Lent. It is widely accepted that semla, a traditional Scandinavian dessert, was likely served as part of the meal.

What's False:

Cinnamon buns as we know them today were not likely offered as a dessert.

What's Undetermined:

Aside from anecdotal accounts, a Swedish historian concluded there was no evidence in the royal archives to corroborate tales that the king, who was considered in poor health generally at the time of his death, died as a direct result of consuming too many semlas.

For centuries, former Swedish King Adolf Frederick's unfortunate end had been the source of historical folklore mixed with a tad hint of ironic humor. Frederick, whose name is also spelled Fredrick, was rumored to have died in 1771 after eating as many as 14 cinnamon buns.

As with any dark yet entertaining tale from history, the claim made its way into social media circles when, in August 2023, the story of Frederick's gluttonous end resurfaced in a post on X (formerly Twitter):

So the limit is 13 ...  Has anyone else tested this? pic.twitter.com/IFF8uQV0S7  Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) August 24, 2023

Through a Google search, Snopes found examples of the claim that the king "ate himself to death" on several websites, including All That's Interesting, History Collection, and Ancient Origins. Similar iterations of the claim also appeared in other social media posts, including 2014 Reddit post below:

Snopes consulted two independent Swedish historians who confirmed that historical records confirmed that in 1771, Fredrick died of a stroke following dinner on Shrove Tuesday, or "'fettisdagen," a Christian holiday that is traditionally celebrated with decadent meals ahead of fasting for Lent.

As semla  not cinnamon buns  are a traditional Scandinavian dessert commonly served during the festivities, it is widely accepted that Frederick likely ate the cardamom-coated pastry at the end of dinner.

However, aside from anecdotal evidence, Snopes found no evidence to corroborate the fable that the king, who was considered in poor health generally, died as a direct result of eating dessert.

Snopes spoke with Swedish author and historian Henrik Berggren, who said in an email that though Frederick's demise is a popular story, its historical veracity and "hard facts are, well, hard to come by."

"It's a very popular story in Sweden, not because anyone is particularly interested in Adolf Frederick but because he supposedly died from consuming fourteen semla, which is not a cinnamon bun but a sort of pastry with cream, a marzipan-like paste and sweet bread," Berggren told Snopes.

Similarities between semla and cinnamon buns are obvious, yet the two dishes are not quite the same

(Susanne Walstrom/imagebank.sweden.se)

(Photo: Susanne Walstrom/imagebank.sweden.se)

Traditionally, semla are eaten on Shrove Tuesday, which marks the day before 40-days of fasting begin as part of the Christian holiday, Lent. Typically beginning between February and March, depending on the date of Easter, the holiday's date would align with that of Frederick's death.

"It's a pastry that traditionally was eaten before Lent, so the idea was to gorge yourself before the long fast. Semla are still immensely popular [in Sweden], which is why the story is retold every year when the fasting season begins -- though of course, nobody fasts anymore, they just [eat] their semla," said Berggren.

Born in 1710, Frederick served as king from 1751 until he died from a stroke in 1771 "supposedly after eating one bun too many," according to Sweden's The Royal Palaces.

But such accounts have not been corroborated by historical records.

At Snopes' request, archive librarian Arvid Jakobsson reviewed the Bernadotte Archive in Sweden, which hosts the private records of the Swedish royal family. Jakobsson confirmed that Frederick died of a stroke on the evening of Feb. 12, 1771 -- just a few hours after dinner. But the origins of the semla-induced death claim are less clear, and more "doubtful."

"For one, Count Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna mentioned the bun (not a cinnamon bun, but a typical Scandinavian dessert, called "semla", "fastlagsbulle" or "hetvagg" in Swedish), and wrote about it in his diary when he was stationed in Vienna at the time, so it was not an eyewitness account," Jakobsson told Snopes.

Oxenstierna, who was a Swedish diplomat and poet, also wrote that a semlor, the person who made the semla, should be "sent into exile" since they had "murdered the king".

"But again, Oxenstierna wasn't present [at the dinner] and wrote his diary entry a month after the event," said Jakobsson, adding:

That the king ate 14 semla at the same time is not mentioned until much later and it is not known who started that part of the myth. The accounts in the Palace Archives for the time are missing, so it is not 100% certain that [Frederick] even ate semla at all on the last day, although it is likely, since it was 'fettisdagen' when that dessert is popularly eaten in Sweden. The fact that he died on that particular day could be the reason that [a] semlor had been seen as the prime suspect.

The first official bulletins that announced Fredrick's death did not mention the dessert at all. Jakobsson sent Snopes the below postscript to the autopsy report, which stated that:

His Majesty died about three hours after his dinner, which consisted of strong and rich food.

"The king did however enjoy food and drink all his life and he did have stomach problems. Ha had never been physically strong and in 1771 he was 60 years old and in bad shape generally, suffering from what could be termed welfare diseases. So, in a way he did eat himself to death but it was a longer process," said Jakobsson.

Sources:

admin. "The Semla." Sweden.Se, 10 Mar. 2023, https://sweden.se/culture/food/the-semla.

Collections Online | British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG102294. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

dhwty. "Adolf Frederick: The Swedish King Who Ate Himself to Death." Ancient Origins Reconstructing the Story of Humanity's Past, 9 Mar. 2019, https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/adolf-frederick-swedish-king-0011596.

Elhassan, Khalid. "12 Royal Deaths That Took a Bizarre and Undignified Turn." History Collection, 9 Dec. 2017, https://historycollection.com/12-historys-least-dignified-royal-deaths/.

Fat Tuesday  the Day of the Semla. https://www.visitstockholm.com/eat-drink/cafes/fat-tuesday/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

"Https://Twitter.Com/UberFacts/Status/1689396894143832064." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/UberFacts/status/1689396894143832064. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Interesting, All That's. "How The King Of Sweden Once Himself To Death." All That's Interesting, 25 Dec. 2017, https://allthatsinteresting.com/adolf-frederick.

King Adolf Fredrik. https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/list-of-swedish-monarchs/adolf-fredrik.html. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Kungahuset. https://www.kungahuset.se/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Shrove Tuesday | Definition, History, & Traditions | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shrove-Tuesday. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Unique Page Title - My Site. https://www.mywebsite.com/page. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

What Is Lent? | USCCB. https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/lent. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.
That old line from Mark Twain  History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme  comes to mind when comparing the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021 to the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese in 1975. Few expected Saigon to fall as quickly as it did, and those iconic photos of South Vietnamese holding on to transport helicopters as they left Vietnam are reminiscent of Afghans hanging on to transport airplanes and falling to their deaths as the plane left the runway.

Historians can parse the differences between the two moments in history, but there is little doubt in the case of the Afghanistan withdrawal that Americas image suffered across the globe as the Taliban declared victory over the overwhelming power and authority of the U.S.

Theres plenty of blame to go around regarding how things turned out. The Afghan government folded. Its president fled the country and left behind the chaos and violence that ensued, but that is hardly a sufficient explanation of what went wrong with American foreign policy. President Trumps decision to forsake our allies across the globe played out in favor of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

General Frank McKenzie, commander of US Central Command at the time, testified before Congress that Trumps 2020 promise of a complete withdrawal of American troops by May 2021 had a pernicious effect on the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces. According to McKenzie, the troop reduction ordered later by President Biden prevented the US military from assessing the conditions inside the Afghan army because our advisers were no longer down attached to those units. Bidens own Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, agreed with that assessment.

They say that journalists write the first draft of history, and that is not good news either for the Trump or Biden Administration and the U.S. militarys handling of the evacuation of Kabul, Afghanistan. The pronouncements of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that the U.S. embassy evacuation was a routine step in a long-planned withdrawal done in an orderly manner just didnt square with what the media reported as patently obvious to anyone on the ground. Thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban overwhelmed security forces at the Kabul airport as they attempted to board planes to safety and new lives.

But there is good news from one journalist who has a history of capturing riveting moments in history. Mitchell Zuckoff, now a professor of journalism at Boston University, but once a member of the Boston Globes Spotlight Team, the award-winning special reporting unit for investigative and accountability journalism, discovered a tale of heroism and courage in the U.S. withdrawal of Afghanistan that shifts the focus from the officials at the top to a cast of characters whose lives and careers were impacted by decisions over which they had no control or input. Its a tale about those last few days in Kabul when Americans attempted to rescue Afghans from the deadly grip of the Taliban.

Contrasting the image of a confused and disorganized American effort, The Secret Gate follows the life and career of Sam Aronson, a junior diplomatic officer, who volunteers for Afghanistan to help process the Afghans escaping to the West. Alternating chapters covering Aronsons and an Afghans last few days during the withdrawal, building to a thrilling conclusion as Aronson courageously invents a dangerous plan of action at one of the least known gates at the Kabul airport where he can more quickly move people to safety. It also skirts the rules his diplomatic credentials require, endangers his own life and violates promises to his wife to stay out of harms way.

One of those Aronson brings to safety is Afghan author, Homeira Qaderi, who braved the Taliban and wrote a book called Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mothers Letter to Her Son. She emerged as an advocate for womens rights in a country slowly overtaken by a religious autocracy. A report by the UN Human Rights Council called its treatment of women gender persecution, systematically restricting the human rights of women and girls and suffocating all aspects of their lives. There was little doubt Homeira would be executed by the Taliban if she stayed in Kabul.

Homeira must wrestle with the conflicting loyalties of family and motherhood, knowing full well that fleeing Afghanistan to save herself and her son from the Taliban may in fact mean she will never see her family again. News reports of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan can never capture the life-and-death decisions people on the ground make regarding their own lives and the lives of their families. Zuckoff succeeds in helping readers who enjoy the comfort and security of their own lives comprehend what it must be like for a father and mother to encourage their daughter to leave home and family to avoid death by the Taliban and give her son, Siawash, the opportunity to live beyond the reach of the Taliban.

Aronsons story reminds us there are young Americans today, not just those who serve in the military, but in this case the diplomatic corps, who put their lives on the line, volunteering for posts across the globe where violence and mayhem are the order of the day. (His wife, Liana Cramer, served on the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Mali during this same period.) Its an American story of which we can all be proud, young people willing to represent America in foreign lands not always the safest places, but places where Americans can serve as models for democracy and freedoms too often denied in hotspots around the globe.

For Aronson, the calculus was simple. We must rescue those who have helped us over those years in Afghanistan as interpreters and security personnel. But there were rules on who could qualify for the flights out of the country and those who were considered terrorist risks. The wrenching decisions he had to make regarding who could cross the line to safety and who could not, would stay with him well beyond his days in Afghanistan.

America committed itself to Afghanistan under several presidents and the decision to leave is no easy judgment call. The suicide bomb that killed 13 American servicemen and women and 170 Afghans during the withdrawal reminds us of what continuing American involvement might have meant for young Americans fighting and dying in an increasingly dangerous war far from home.

Zuckoffs excellent treatment of the withdrawal does not take a stand on the U.S. decision to leave Afghanistan, but it does cause the reader to consider where we draw the line as to Americas role in global affairs. Afghans did not understand Americas decision to leave given the years invested in their country and the threat the Taliban posed for womens rights and religious freedom when America left. But it was Americans like Aronson and his colleagues who cared and came to the rescue of Homeira and other Afghans in peril, risking their own lives to guarantee the freedom of others.

Critics have complained that thousands of Afghans were left behind in the withdrawal, but the U.S. and its allies managed to rescue over 120,000 Afghans including 6,000 American citizens. One cannot ask for a better portrayal of Americans representing their country than you will find at The Secret Gate by Mitchell Zuckoff.

Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio and he writes a biweekly column for the Idaho Statesman. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator.
Among the never-ending questions surrounding the November 2022 murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison "Maddie" Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin  was did they know their killer?

In an affidavit outlining the case, investigators say DNA, cellphone records and surveillance camera evidence link the accused murderer, Bryan Kohberger, to the crime. But his defense attorneys say in a court filing that "there is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims."

Criminologist and CBS News consultant Bryanna Fox adds that "the defense is claiming that the defendant, Bryan Kohberger, and the victims have absolutely no connection. There's no motive, there's no reason for this crime to take place. So, essentially, it's raising additional doubt in jurors' minds."

From left, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison

But Kaylee Goncalves' parents, Steve and Kristi, believe they have proof of a connection.

In the minutes after learning Kohberger's name, Kristi Goncalves says, "We went online and immediately started Googling."

Steve Goncalves adds, "He was a PhD student at Washington State they told us. We're like PhD? What the heck is going on? Who?"

Steve and Kristi Goncalves talked with "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant for "The Night of the Idaho Student Murders," streaming now on Paramount+.

They say they discovered "digital evidence" they say showed a tie of Kohberger to two of the victims.

The Goncalves family provided

In the interview with Van Sant, the Goncalves family provided screenshots of an Instagram account they believe belonged to Kohberger. Those screen shots include what they say is Kohberger's Instagram profile, and a list of people he was following, including Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

"48 Hours" has not been able to confirm the authenticity of this account.

Kristi Goncalves says when they attempted to cross-reference the accounts of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan, it appeared that this Kohberger account had interacted with Maddie's Instagram.

"You would go to Maddie's Instagram account and look at her pictures, and he liked them," Kristi said. "He had liked them. Bryan's name was under a lot of Maddie's pictures. Liked her pictures, liked that picture and that picture, and that picture, and that picture. So, he was actively looking at the Instagram account."

The Goncalves' say the account is no longer active. It disappeared shortly after Kohberger's arrest, on the same day as a "Celebration of Life" ceremony for Kaylee and Maddie.

"By the time we got home from the "Celebration of Life", it was gone  the Instagram account was gone," Kristi Goncalves says.

A judge entered a plea of not guilty on Kohberger's behalf. A trial date has not been announced.

Sean Penn, "Superpower" co-director, says U.S.' Ukraine policy has been a "tragic mistake"

Democratic Senate intelligence chair Mark Warner on the U.S.-Iran prisoner swap

Face The Nation: Turner, Warner, Penn
My family stayed in a $950-a-night deluxe villa at Disney World, and it was the perfect weekend without even stepping foot in the parks

I recently stayed in a fancy, $950-a-night one-bedroom villa at Disney's Riviera Resort in Florida.

The accommodations featured a massive bedroom, a split bathroom, and a full kitchen.

The glamorous villa is perfect for families looking for a relaxing stay with added comfort.

I visit Disney World about twice a month, so I'm always looking for a new place to stay. On a recent trip, my family booked a one-bedroom villa at Disney's Riviera Resort using our Disney Vacation Club points.

The villa typically costs about $950 a night, but three nights (one weekday and two weekends) in the villa cost us 129 points. We pay monthly dues for points within Disney's flexible timeshare system, and since we stay at Disney properties often, it ends up saving us money.

Here's what it was like taking full advantage of everything the European-inspired resort has to offer.

Disney's Riviera Resort is a glamorous hotel in the heart of the property.

The Riviera Resort is conveniently located on Disney World property. Megan duBois

Riviera Resort feels very glamorous from the moment you walk in. Plus, it's right in the middle of everything at Disney World with its access to the Disney Skyliner (a free gondola transportation system).

I was able to check in on the My Disney Experience app a few days before arriving, and my room was ready when I got to the resort around 2 p.m.

From the moment I walked into the lobby, I knew I was in for a treat.

The main lobby is spacious and welcoming. Megan duBois

The check-in area of the resort was staffed by smiling employees who were ready to answer questions or assist with room requests.

The lobby also had a large sitting area, which seemed to be occupied by other people waiting for their rooms or for their airport transportation to pick them up.

When I arrived, I was excited to see that Disney characters were inside greeting and taking photos with guests. I was able to see Goofy, Pluto, and Donald in their new Disney 100th-anniversary outfits without having to step foot into one of the parks.

Our villa was beautiful, with plenty of space and cute artwork.

There was a large entryway at the front of the villa. Megan duBois

Our one-bedroom villa was clean and looked opulent.

The entrance had a small foyer with a chest of drawers for storage and a piece of art depicting Minnie Mouse as a cancan dancer.

We had plenty of storage for our short trip.

There were extra pillows and blankets in the closet. Megan duBois

Down the hallway, there was a closet to store large pieces of luggage or coolers as well as a full-sized washer and dryer.

We used the dryer often since we went to the pool every day of our trip.

The entryway led into the large kitchen, dining room, and living room.

There was a large kitchen in the one-bedroom villa. Megan duBois

The kitchen and dining room in the villa are ideal for families who want to cook their own meals.

One way my family and I saved money on this trip was by making our own breakfast.

The full-sized appliances made our stay extra convenient.

We even had a dishwasher in the kitchen. Megan duBois

The kitchen had a full-sized refrigerator and freezer, an oven with a flat stovetop, a microwave, and a dishwasher. There was also a coffee machine, toaster, plates, cups, silverware, pots, and pans.

Plus, because of the ample amount of counter space, everyone was able to help make meals without the kitchen feeling too crowded.

I loved the cute little dining room.

The dining room was tucked in the corner next to the fridge. Megan duBois

The dining-room table, with two armchairs and banquet seating, was tucked into a corner near the refrigerator. Underneath the benches was a drawer which added even more storage to the kitchen.

I loved the fabric on the bench seating. It had iconic elements from the hotel's design weaved into the pattern, including the valet area and the tower with the "RR" logo.

Past the kitchen was a large living room.

We had plenty of lounge space in the living room. Megan duBois

We spent most of our free time in the villa sitting around the table playing games or munching on snacks, but we also lounged in the living room and watched TV or just hung out.

The space had two cozy chairs along and a couch to sit on.

The living room doubled as a second sleeping area.

There were two beds in the living room. Megan duBois

At night, I pulled the handles near the artwork above the couch to turn the living room into the second sleeping area.

The couch is a queen-size Murphy bed, and I found it super comfortable to sleep on. It even had nearby plugs so I could charge my phone and smartwatch while I was sleeping.

There was also a single pull-down bed underneath the TV. This is ideal for kids, but some adults could still probably fit comfortably on it.

There was a balcony attached to the living room.

Our balcony had metal furniture to sit on. Megan duBois

From the living room, you could go out to the balcony.

We had a partial view of the parking lot, but at night, we could also see the Epcot and Magic Kingdom fireworks.

The main bedroom was spacious and comfortable.

My parents slept in the main bedroom. Megan duBois

The main bedroom featured a raised king-sized bed, which was high enough we could put our suitcases underneath it.

Across from the bed was the TV and a chest of drawers where we were able to put our clothes and swimsuits. There was also a large closet that we used to hang our nicer clothes for dinners.

The bedroom even had access to the balcony via a sliding glass door.

Having a split bathroom was helpful in the mornings.

The bathroom had a beautiful tub. Megan duBois

One of the biggest perks of this villa was the split bathroom layout.

Entering from the main bedroom, there was a large jetted stand-alone tub along with a single vanity. This part of the bathroom could be closed from the bedroom and had a pocket door between it and the second section of the bathroom.

Past the tub, there was another vanity and plenty of space to get ready.

More than one person could get ready in the bathroom a once. Megan duBois

The second bathroom area had a toilet, a single vanity, and a rainfall shower.

There was also another door to this section of the bathroom that you could access through the main entryway.

I took some time to peruse the resort's gift shop.

La Boutique is a gift shop in the Riviera Resort. Megan duBois

One of my favorite things to do at any Disney hotel is look at the cute resort-specific merchandise.

At Riviera Resort, it can be found in La Boutique, a small store just off the lobby.

The resort has its own branded merchandise.

I found Riviera Minnie ears. Megan duBois

I found resort-branded Minnie Mouse ears, Tervis cups, postcards, ornaments, and rocks glasses.

I also saw plushes of Mickey and Minnie Mouse wearing the outfits they use to meet guests for breakfast at Topolino's Terrace in the resort.

The resort has two pools.

The family pool had lifeguards and a slide. Megan duBois

I loved that there were two different pools at the resort. Both pools feature a dedicated service team that you can order food and drinks from, and they'll deliver everything to your chair.

Closer to the quick-service restaurant and pool bar, there's a family pool with a slide, splash pad, and plenty of seats. There were also lifeguards on duty.

The second pool is tucked away in a quieter corner.

The second pool didn't have any lifeguards. Megan duBois

Closer to the Skyliner station is the quiet pool, which has more of an adult feel.

There's not a lifeguard at this pool.

I think Riviera has some of the best food of any Disney hotel.

We got one of our meals from Primo Piatto. Megan duBois

My favorite part about staying at Riviera Resort was all of the yummy food and drink options.

Each morning I made my way down to Le Petit Cafe, the coffee shop just off the lobby, to get a cinnamon iced latte. It also has tasty sweet treats for sale.

I was also able to mobile order from Primo Piatto, the hotel's quick-service restaurant. My family and I got dinner from here one night and took it back to our room to eat. Our sandwiches and flatbread pizzas were all fresh.

If you eat inside Primo Piatto, it's more like a fast-casual restaurant where you order and then pick a table to sit at. Food is brought to your table with real plates and silverware.

Outside by the pool, Bar Riva serves drinks and Mediterranean-inspired meals.

Bar Riva is a nice spot for a light bite. Megan duBois

I love the grilled veggie skewer from Bar Riva, which is served with a spicy sauce and grilled naan.

Topolino's Terrace is one of my favorite spots for happy hour.

Topolino's Terrace is a sit-down restaurant at Riviera Resort. Megan duBois

My family and I went up to Topolino's Terrace to order drinks and watch the sunset over the resort. We also had great views of Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

Besides happy hour, the sit-down restaurant is open for a character breakfast and dinner.

There are plenty of activities to take part in across the resort.

The resort plays outdoor movies on a big screen. Megan duBois

Each afternoon, there were poolside games and trivia at the family pool and every night there was a movie under the stars.

Other fun activities include nighttime trivia on Sunday and Monday nights, lawn games, and a Skyliner Scavenger Hunt  the latter takes guests to all of the resorts along the Skyliner to solve riddles and clues.

Overall, this was a great way to spend a few days at Disney World without even visiting the parks.

I met characters, relaxed by the pool, and ate great food at the Riviera Resort. Megan duBois

My parents and I loved our time at Disney's Riviera Resort. The overall elevated feel plus the ample amenities made the weekend feel special without ever stepping foot into one of the theme parks.

I definitely plan on staying here again since we had such a good time. I'd even pay for a room here without using our Disney Vacation Club points if I could find a good deal.

Read the original article on Insider
Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah's central committee and of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the Palestinian embassy, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. Al-Ahmad who traveled to Lebanon this month to attempt to end the fighting in the Ein el-Hilweh camp, said that Palestinian and Lebanese officials have given militant Islamist groups in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp until the end of the month to hand over the accused killers of a Fatah general. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A top official with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group said Sunday that Palestinian and Lebanese officials have given militant Islamic groups in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp until the end of the month to hand over the accused killers of a Fatah general. Top officials from rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas had traveled to Lebanon in an attempt to negotiate an end to the clashes. Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah's central committee and of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that he is optimistic about reaching a solution.
Richard Shelby , longest-serving U.S. senator from Alabama, was honored Friday afternoon inside the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Tuscaloosa that now bears his name, praised by notables including his successor, Katie Britt , first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama, and youngest Republican woman ever elected to the seat.

More: 'Her death was not in vain': Victims of 1963 Birmingham church bombing remembered

"I have the best job of the day," said Britt, introducing her former boss. She worked with Shelby as press secretary, communications director and chief of staff, among other duties. Asked early in her public service career about visiting the hallowed halls, Britt began speaking about the institution. Sen. Chuck Grassley wondered if they were talking about two different things.

Former Senator Richard Shelby speaks during the ceremony naming the federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa the Richard Shelby Federal Building and Courthouse Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

"He said 'I would like to know how you feel, to know that you have more power as Sen. Shelby's chief of staff, than you're going to have for YEARS,' " she said.

L. Scott Coogler, U.S. District judge for the Northern District of Alabama, oversaw proceedings in the grand upstairs gallery where artist Caleb O'Connor's 16 historical 14-by-9 foot murals are displayed. The day began with presentation of colors by the Hillcrest High School Junior ROTC. Doff Procter lead a specially assembled chamber group from the Alabama Choir School in a multi-voice arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner," after which the Rev. Charles Durham, retired pastor from First Presbyterian Church, Shelby's church, gave an invocation.

Echoing the words of John Calvin, theologian and legal scholar, Durham said " ... the highest calling is not to be a pastor, but a civil servant. We remember the one Jesus who came not to be served, but to serve, and give his life.

"And he inspired Richard Shelby to do the same," Durham said.

Former Senator Richard Shelby stands in front of his official portrait with his granddaughter Anna Shelby after the ceremony naming the federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa the Richard Shelby Federal Building and Courthouse Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

Coogler; Gov Kay Ivey; Attorney General Steve Marshall; Jason L. Shelton, regional administrator of the General Services Administration; William H. Pryor, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th circuit; and Britt spoke not just of Shelby's work securing funding, and overseeing construction of the building, but of his decades of public service, as a protector of Alabama, as someone whose work has bolstered economic, education, technology, law enforcement efforts and more.

"A federal courthouse serves as a message to the fact that 247 years later, the law still reigns supreme in the United States of America," Pryor said. "It serves as a monument to the vitality of the Constitution, which created our Supreme Court and the Bill of Rights, which secures our liberties, including our precious right to trial by jury.

"The federal courthouse serves as a place that everything builds on the promise of equal justice under the law, and the promise of due process. By his leadership, Sen. Shelby ensured that this sturdy hall of justice would serve as a beautiful symbol of the dignity and majesty of the rule of law."

They also spoke of the grandeur of the project itself, which according to some, would have taken a more contemporary, functional design from the General Services Administration, had not Shelby, with Coogler's assistance, pushed for a more classical look, in line with expectations of the region, meaning massive Doric and Ionic columns, broad steps and polished masonry. The specific model for the detailing in the $47.8 million building's portico was the Temple of Zeus at Nemea.

Construction of the courthouse began in December 2009, and O'Connor was hired to create the murals, depicting various historical moments and movements from regional history, a three-year project during which he and his family relocated to Tuscaloosa.

The federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa has been renamed the Richard Shelby Federal Building and Courthouse Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

"Thank you all very, very much for this great honor," Shelby said, before stepping aside for his grandchildren, Anna and William Shelby, to unveil a new portrait, painted by O'Connor. Durham then introduced Procter and the ACS who closed the ceremony with "The Lord Bless and Keep You."

The bill to change the building's name was signed by President Biden in March 2022. The Tuscaloosa federal courthouse houses the U.S. District and Bankruptcy courts, including courtrooms and support spaces, the U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Senator Katie Britts Office, the U.S. Attorneys Office, the General Services Administration, and the Social Security Administration.

Other facilities named for the former senator, and his educator wife Annette, include several technology and research constructions on the University of Alabama campuses, in Huntsville, Auburn, Mobile and Dauphin Island.

Born in Birmingham, Shelby earned undergraduate and law degrees from UA, worked as a Tuscaloosa city prosecutor as well as private attorney, a U.S. magistrate, a special assistant state attorney general, and state senator, before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978 from the Tuscaloosa-based 7th Congressional District. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, and served until retirement earlier this year, having chaired at varying times the Senate Appropriations Committee, Intelligence Committee, Banking Committee, and Rules Committee.

Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Federal courthouse building renamed for former Sen. Richard Shelby
This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CAIRO (AP)  An 18-story building in the center of Sudan's capital was engulfed in flames Sunday as fighting between the military and a rival paramilitary force enters its sixth month.

The Greater Nile Petroleum Oil Company Tower, situated in the center of Khartoum, caught fire early Sunday during clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, according to Sudanese media.

It's unclear how the fire started or if anyone was killed.

Online footage of the blaze showed clouds of dark smoke rising from the burnt-out glass-paneled tower, one of the tallest buildings in the Sudanese capital.

Sudan has been rocked by violence since mid-April, when tensions between the countrys military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, burst into open fighting.

The conflict has reduced Khartoum to an urban warzone. In the Greater Khartoum area, RSF troops have commandeered civilian homes and turned them into operational bases, while the military has responded by bombing the residential areas, rights groups and activists say.

In the western Darfur region, the conflict has morphed into ethnic violence, with the RSF and allied Arab militias attacking ethnic African groups, according to rights groups and the United Nations.

The conflict has killed more than 4,000 people, according to August figures from the United Nations. However, the real toll is almost certainly much higher, doctors and activists say.

Last month, Amnesty International said both warring parties have committed extensive war crimes, including deliberate killings of civilians and sexual assault.
FILE - Exterior view of the grain storage terminal during visit of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Odesa Sea Port, in Odesa, Ukraine, Aug. 19, 2022. Two cargo ships have arrived in one of Ukraines ports Saturday, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by the government. They're the first since Russias withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded countrys ports (AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Two cargo ships arrived in one of Ukraine's ports over the weekend, using a temporary Black Sea corridor established by Kyiv following Russia's withdrawal from a wartime agreement designed to ensure safe grain exports from the invaded countrys ports.

Two Palau-flagged bulk carriers, Aroyat and Resilient Africa, docked Saturday at the seaport of Chornomorsk in the southern Odesa region, according to an online statement by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. The vessels are the first civilian cargo ships to reach one of the Odesa ports since Russia exited the grain deal.

Oleksandr Kubrakov , Ukraines deputy prime minister, said in an online statement Saturday that the two ships will be delivering some 20,000 tons of wheat to countries in Africa and Asia.

For months, Ukraine, whose economy is heavily dependent on farming, was able to safely export its grain from Black Sea ports under a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to ensure safe shipments. But Russia withdrew from the deal on July 17, with Kremlin officials arguing their demands for the facilitation of Russian food and fertilizer shipments had not been met.

Following the withdrawal, the Russian Defense Ministry said it would regard any vessels in the Black Sea headed to Ukrainian ports as military targets.

Since then, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the Danube River, and road and rail links into Europe. But transport costs that way are much higher. Some European countries have balked at the consequential local grain prices, and the Danube ports cant handle the same volume as seaports.

The interim corridor in the Black Sea, which Kyiv has asked the International Maritime Organization to ratify, was opened on Aug. 10 as United States and Ukrainian officials warned of possible Russian attacks on civilian vessels. Sea mines also make the voyage risky, and ship insurance costs are likely to be high for operators.

Ukrainian officials said the corridor will be primarily used to evacuate ships stuck in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi since the war broke out. Kubrakov said Saturday that five vessels have since used the corridor to leave Ukrainian ports.

After tearing up the grain deal, Russia intensified attacks on the southern Odesa region, targeting its port infrastructure and grain silos with missiles and drones.

On Sunday, Ukraine's Air Force Command reported another attack overnight in which the Odesa region was the main target. Russian forces fired 10 cruise missiles and six Iranian-made Shahed drones, the statement said. All drones and six missiles were downed, while the rest hit an agricultural facility in the Odesa region.

In other developments:

 Ukraine's military said Sunday it captured the village of Klishchiivka from Russian troops after months of fierce fighting. The village lies south of the Russian-held city of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region, and its recapture comes days after Ukrainian forces said they liberated the nearby village of Andriivka. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials on the recapture.

Gaining Klischiivka signifies an important tactical victory for Ukrainian forces. The commanding heights of the village offers a view into the Russian-occupied town of Bakhmut and opens up new opportunities for Ukrainian forces to encircle the town. It also potentially allows Ukrainians a better view into Russian logistic lines.

 Russian authorities on Sunday reported that Ukrainian drones targeted the annexed Crimean peninsula and a number of Russian regions overnight and in the morning. Two drones were downed overnight in the Moscow region that surrounds the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. A third drone was intercepted over the Voronezh region that borders Ukraine, Russia's Defense Ministry said. Another one hit a fuel tank in the neighboring Oryol region, Oryol Gov. Andrei Klychkov said, igniting a fire that was quickly put out. A drone also fell on a logistics facility in the Tula region south of Moscow, local authorities said. In the annexed Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported downing six Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Sunday. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the attacks,
Wisconsin Republicans are considering impeaching a newly elected liberal Supreme Court justice in the state over comments she made as a candidate about redistricting and for receiving donations from the state Democratic Party.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) announced this week the formation of an impeachment criteria panel as Republicans weigh ousting Justice Janet Protasiewicz , whose win in April established a 4-3 liberal majority on the court.

Protasiewicz has yet to hear a case, but the high court was asked in August to hear several cases on Wisconsins legislative maps.

Republicans point to previous comments Protasiewicz made about the states maps, in which she called calling them rigged.

Protasiewicz declined to say during the election how she would rule on the issue, and she has not determined whether she will recuse herself from the case.

Here are five things to know about Wisconsin Republicans potential impeachment effort:

Redistricting at center of impeachment effort

Two recent lawsuits have asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule the entire legislative map for 2024 should be redrawn.

The challenges would not impact Wisconsins congressional map.

The first challenge to the states maps came shortly after Protasiewicz formally joined the court. Her election marked the first time in 15 years that the states high court would have a liberal majority.

The lawsuits would threaten Republicans hold on both houses of the state Legislature, where the state Senate holds a GOP supermajority and the Assembly is just a few seats shy of one. The cases are notable given Wisconsin is one of a handful of remaining swing states in the country.

Meanwhile, the state Assembly passed a redistricting bill on Thursday that would allow nonpartisan staff members to redraw the states map, with approval subject to the Legislature. A majority of the lawmakers would be needed to change it on a third pass. Its not clear whether the state Senate will pass it, but Gov. Tony Evers (D) has said hell veto it.

Republicans are pointing to Protasiewiczs comments during election as evidence

Republicans argue that Protasiewicz has already made her position clear on how she would rule on the states maps, pointing to comments she made during the election to fill a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier this year.

Lets be clear here  the maps are rigged, bottom line. Absolutely, positively rigged. They do not reflect the people in this state, Protasiewicz said during a candidate forum.

They do not reflect accurately representation neither the state Assembly or the state Senate. They are rigged, period. Coming right out and saying that. I dont think you could sell to any reasonable person that the maps are fair, she continued, later noting she couldnt say how she would decide on a particular case.

Republicans also take issue with campaign contributions shes received from the state Democratic Party. She received close to $10 million, according to The Associated Press, though the party is not one of the litigants in either lawsuit.

Conservative candidate Daniel Kelly, who challenged Protasiewicz for the vacant state Supreme Court seat this spring, also received money from the state GOP.

Kelly also declined to say during the election how he would weigh a case on the states maps, though he did implicitly rebuke Protasiewicz during the January candidate forum, saying, I think when someone tells you what their values are in answer to a legal question, theyre telling you how theyre going to decide the case.

Still, Republicans believe the liberal justice should recuse herself from considering either of the cases, though experts say there are protections in place for judicial candidates to be able to speak on legal issues.

The U.S. Supreme Court has said that judges have a First Amendment right on the campaign trail [to speak] about disputed legal and policy questions, said Robert Yablon, an associate professor of law and faculty co-director of the State Democracy Research Initiative at University of Wisconsin Law School.

A new panel will review impeachment criteria

Vos this week established a panel consisting of former state Supreme Court justices to look into criteria over a potential impeachment of the liberal justice.

Former conservative state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser confirmed to The Associated Press that Vos had reached out to him. Its not yet known who else is expected to participate.

I am not saying we are going to impeach the justice. All Im saying is one of our constitutional powers is the possibility that that could occur if it rises to the level, and Im asking people who are experts on this topic to come back with an analysis to say whether or not thats possible and how it should occur, Vos said in an interview on News/Talk 1130 WISN on Wednesday.

Yablon suggested the panel is delaying the timing of an actual impeachment, though its unclear what kind of role the panel would play in a potential impeachment effort.

I think actually the creation of that panel would seem to slow the timeline for a possible impeachment down, at least a little bit, Yablon said, adding later,  [H]e is, it sounds like, going to have these retired judges look into it for maybe several weeks.

Protasiewicz supporters are challenging the effort in court

An attorney, who was a former state Supreme Court candidate, is representing two people who voted for Protasiewicz in a lawsuit as an effort to stop Republicans from ousting the liberal justice in the state legislature.

Petitioners respectfully request that this Court issue an ex parte emergency order temporarily restraining the legislature from conducting impeachment proceedings against any member of this Court because doing so would violate the express terms of constitutional authority granted to the Assembly for impeachments of civil officers as well as violate the constitutional rights of the Petitioners to serve as electors under the Wisconsin Constitution, the lawsuit reads.

An emergency, temporary restraining order is warranted in these circumstances as the mere act of an unconstitutional impeachment, even without a conviction, would nullify the vote of over one million Wisconsin voters, including and specifically those of the Petitioners, it adds.

The state Democratic Party has also launched a $4 million effort to combat a potential impeachment effort by Republicans.

Much is unknown about what an impeachment trial could look like

Experts say that theres a lot of uncertainty over what an impeachment trial could look like if the Wisconsin Supreme Court decides to directly take up the redistricting cases and Protasiewicz decides not to recuse herself.

The unknowns include when the process would start and if Republicans have enough support in both houses to impeach the liberal justice. One possibility could be that the Assembly votes to impeach her but the state Senate does not hold an impeachment vote, which would keep her on the court but essentially render her unable to make decisions on the court, as The Associated Press noted.

So much of this is uncharted territory  that impeachments are rare enough that theres just not enough accumulated historical practice to say, This is how it should go or will go,' explained Chad Oldfather, professor of law at Marquette University Law School.

Theres just not enough detail in the state constitution to lay out a precise plan for how it will unfold, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A national security apparatus at risk, turmoil for military families, delayed retirements and military branches struggling to recruit and keep top candidates.

These are just some of a litany of effects stemming from Sen. Tommy Tubervilles (R-Ala.) hold on military promotions over his opposition to a Pentagon policy allowing service members leave time and travel expenses to seek abortions.

Tuberville insists his holds are not having a serious impact on the military. But lawmakers, defense officials, military families and retired officers tell a different story.

They say the GOP senators blockade on more than 300 nonpolitical promotions, which he has held firm on since late February, is wreaking havoc on the U.S. military and those that comprise it.

Here are five ways the hold is hurting the U.S. military.

National security strains

With Tubervilles blockade, many senior Pentagon positions will need to be filled on an acting basis  a transitional role similar to substitute teachers. Such figures cant hire staff or enact any meaningful changes within the military, only holding the job until a permanent appointee takes their place.

That has anxieties mounting, as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley is set to step down once his term is up at the end of the month. His intended replacement, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, has been caught up in Tubervilles hold at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war is at a crossroads, tensions are ongoing with North Korea and Iran, and the U.S. is dealing with an increasingly aggressive China.

The Army, Navy and Marine Corps are already operating with acting chiefs of staff, and soon that will include the Air Force. Also being held up is the nominee for the Pentagons No. 2 civilian role, the undersecretary of defense, and the next heads of the Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Navys 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet  which oversee the Pacific and Middle East  and the next United States Military Representative to NATO.

That means the big decisions regarding national security cant necessarily be made because certain authorities can only be exercised by a Senate-confirmed leader, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters Tuesday.

Lawmakers, even those in the GOP, are taking notice of these dangers and speaking out.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) earlier this month warned that the holds are paralyzing the Department of Defense and are causing a national security problem.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, has struggled to quell the gaps by convincing at least 25 three- and four-star officers to delay their retirements while they wait for their replacements to be confirmed, Senate Armed Services Committee Democrats wrote in a memo released Tuesday.

The Pentagon this week also pointed to the incredibly bold steps leaders are taking to offshoot any issues from the holds, according to deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh.

Of course the military is going to keep doing its job. But youre putting an incredible amount of strain on our leadership, she told reporters. While we are taking steps to do what we can to mitigate our impacts, its having an impact.

Turmoil for military families

Caught up in the hold are 273 promotions approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee that are now stuck on the floor. The Armed Services panel still must act on another 40 nominations the Defense Department has sent over.

That means more than 300 individuals and military families are stuck in limbo, waiting to receive a raise, move to a new location, enroll their children in new schools or find new jobs for their spouses, all major upheavals that come with a change in position.

Pentagon leaders have long alluded to the harm Tubervilles hold is causing military families, but this week Senate Democrats released a detailed list of hardships endured.

Military families bear the costs of the Senators hold more than any other group. These affected families have been understandably reluctant to share their experiences, likely due to fear of political retribution, according to the fact sheet.

Included in the anonymous accounts is a Navy spouse and public school teacher who is now unemployed after she left her job in anticipation of her husbands overseas assignment. The spouse cant accept a new contract at the overseas location or recommit to returning to the old school district due to the uncertainty from the hold.

Two affected officers disenrolled their children from their current schools due to an expected change-of-station move but now cant enroll them in a new school because of the promotion hold.

Another three officers have moved their families at their expense  with no option to be reimbursed  to ensure their children could enroll in a new school, according to the document.

These examples are but the tip of the iceberg, snapshots and stories of those willing to share. The true impact of the senators actions may not be known for years, the Senate Democrats write.

Not all military families are staying silent on the issue, with nearly 1,000 active-duty military spouses this summer signing a petition that calls on Tuberville to end his blockade.

No matter your political beliefs, we must agree that service members and military families will not be used as political leverage, according to the document organized by the Secure Families Initiative, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for military families.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) this week said he was concerned that the longer this lingers the more it impacts families.

And on Thursday, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, President Bidens nominee for the next chief of naval operations, said Tubervilles hold has created a lot of uncertainty for Naval families.

We ask a lot of our families to move, uproot, find new schools, find new jobs for spouses, and I have heard a lot of concerns from our families that they are having difficulty navigating that space right now, she told Senate Armed Services Committee lawmakers during her nomination hearing.

Losing top officers

Because the U.S. military is an all-volunteer force, those hit by the holds include top officers who have already reached their 20-year service commitment and could easily retire with full benefits and seek jobs in the private sector.

The Pentagon is aware of the danger of losing such valuable personnel, keeping them on board mainly through promotions to more highly regarded and important roles.

Should those promotions never come  along with the promised pay boost  that means 61 officers could be enticed to go elsewhere, according to Senate Democrats.

They note that 22 officers who have been selected for their first star are losing about $2,600 per month, through no fault of their own, while another 20 officers selected for two stars will lose nearly $2,000 per month until this blockade is removed.

Tuberville has insisted the officers will receive back pay when they are confirmed, but the Democrats claim this is false.

There is no back pay mechanism for these officers. Their pay is tied to their rank, which is tied to their appointment to that rank, which cannot occur until the Senate provides its consent, they write.

Also in limbo are the lives of some individuals the U.S. military pours the most money into for training, such as pilots, who are routinely and aggressively recruited to leave the service to fly for commercial airlines.

The military cannot compete with the airlines on pay, but it has always competed on opportunity and mission. If career opportunity is compromised, patriotism will only carry one so far, particularly as the Senates inaction is costing direct earnings for many of the nominees, according to the fact sheet.

Recruiting issues

Tubervilles holds also come at a particularly inconvenient time for U.S. military recruitment. With the services struggling to meet goals, the lag in numbers is made worse by the avoidable turmoil, according to Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, Bidens choice to lead the service next.

I will tell you that while we dont have specific hard data, my experience and my personal judgment says that this does hurt recruiting and retention. We hear anecdotal evidence, Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his nomination hearing Tuesday.

A day earlier, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed that the military branch would not hit its active-duty recruiting goals this year, something that has not happened since 1999.

The Army and Navy also dont expect to reach this years active-duty goals.

Defense planners say 1.4 million active-duty troops, airmen and sailors are needed to protect the U.S. homeland and American interests overseas.

What I do think about  and again, without more than anecdotal evidence  is the signal that this may send, Allvin said of the holds. And with that signal, understanding that if theres a perceived disruption or distraction by our force, we want to maintain and retain the strongest and the best in our Air Force.

Lasting effects on military

At her nomination hearing this week, Franchetti offered a view into the far-reaching negative effects caused by Tubervilles hold, telling lawmakers it will take the Navy years to recover from  the promotion delays that we will see going forward.

But Franchettis assertion can be applied across the military, Singh told reporters later Thursday.

Her comments are absolutely right, Singh said of the four-star admiral. As these promotions continue to get delayed, that pushes back other promotions, which is going to cause  our senior-level officers to consider whether they should retire. And youre going to really see potentially a hollowing out of our military.

Singh added that the blockade is incredibly damaging, and absolutely has hugely consequential impacts for years to come.

Just taking into account the 273 nominees currently ensnared in Tubervilles blockade, it would take the Senate more than 689 hours to confirm all promotions, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) memo released this week.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has so far resisted GOP calls to hold individual votes on top officials, which is possible as Tuberville is only able to block expedited package votes.

Even if Tuberville soon relents, his long hold on confirmations means it will take months for lawmakers to vote through the nominees.

If the Senate exclusively processed these nominations during eight-hour session days, it would take approximately 89 days to confirm all 273 nominees, according to the CRS memo.

Just at the three-star level, it would take about three to four months just to move all the people around, Franchetti said, referring just to the holds affecting the Navy.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- With the barrier gate for customs release lifted, 6 tonnes of blended yarn was imported tariff-free to China through Dongxing, a border city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The yarn was produced in a Vietnamese production line of the cotton yarn production giant Texhong International Group Limited and will be further processed to produce fabrics in China.

Chen Yingjian, a business manager of the company in charge of cargo imports in Dongxing, said the company has benefited from the preferential tariff policies under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) implemented in 2010, while the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has further lowered their duty costs.

Among all the goods for which the company declared duty with Dongxing Customs, the value of those that were granted tax breaks amounted to 2.5 million U.S. dollars in the first eight months this year, according to Chen.

Connected by both land and sea, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have enjoyed ever-growing trade ties over the years, with the CAFTA and the RCEP helping cut trade costs and boost supply chain construction between China and ASEAN.

The RCEP is comprised of 15 members - the 10 ASEAN member states, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The RCEP was signed in November 2020 and went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, with the aim of gradually eliminating tariffs on over 90 percent of goods traded among its members.

Official data shows that the bilateral trade volume between China and ASEAN had increased from about 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2004 to 975.34 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for three consecutive years.

As of July, two-way investments topped 380 billion U.S. dollars, while more than 6,500 enterprises with direct investment from China had been established in ASEAN.

The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), a key platform to promote and facilitate the flow of goods between China and ASEAN, has witnessed Vietnamese durian, Thai mangosteen and Indonesian coffee becoming sought-after items among Chinese consumers over the past 20 years.

Benjamas Tanvetyanont, Thai consul-general in Guangxi's regional capital of Nanning, said the CAEXPO serves as a huge boost for the building of CAFTA and the implementation of RCEP, broadening the space for regional economic cooperation and injecting great impetus into regional prosperity and stability.

"As the dividends from the RCEP continue to emerge, the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is forging ahead, which will cement the roles of China and ASEAN as each other's largest trading partner," said China's Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei. 
The streets of downtown Columbus were abuzz with the beats of Dominican drummers and the melodies of mariachi musicians. Aztec dancers, teenagers in quinceanera dresses and others in colorful garb waved flags from the near and far reaches of the Latin American world as they marched.

The citys second annual Latino Heritage Month parade on Saturday, which culminated with performances on the steps of City Hall, kicked off a monthlong schedule of concerts, art shows, film screenings and more in Greater Columbus.

The Dispatch spoke with paradegoers about what their heritage means to them:

Zari Carmona

America is a melting pot. If we don't identify ourselves as anything, then somebody else will define us, and we will be put into a category, fit into a box. We really tried to be intentional about pushing our culture, our language and our beliefs into our children, so that they can keep on that tradition and know where they came from.

 Zari Carmona, Columbus East Side

Jasmin Montoya

Were wearing our quincinera dresses. My quincinera was in October 2022, and it was something magical. A quincinera is a Mexican tradition  you have this big (birthday) party, almost like a wedding, but for a 15-year-old. You grow up with the thought of having a quincinera, so once it actually comes, it's just really nice.

 Jasmin Montoya, Columbus West Side

Christopher Crawford-Prado

In Hispanic culture, girls have a quincinera at 15, and normally the boys don't. But because I'm a twin, a lot of my family kind of ganged up on my parents and said, If he doesn't have one to celebrate his 15th birthday, none of us are showing up. So it was a great honor to have that celebration with my twin sister.

 Christopher Crawford-Prado, Columbus

Henry Guzman

I was born in Puerto Rico, and I came here as a 5-year-old. I fought in the war in Vietnam. Our community has given a lot to this country  not only to the country as a whole, but also on the military side. We have a lot of Latino folks that have died in all the wars. Its important to remember them. To me, celebrating our culture is about wrapping our arms around who we are as a people, and making sure that the community at large knows  everything that we've given back to this great country of ours.

 Henry Guzman, Columbus

Gabriela Loayza

In the past, I would have been scared about celebrating being Latino  we were just trying to mingle. But now, its great to be different.  I was born in Peru. We moved here to the U.S. because we won the visa lottery, and Ive been in Columbus over 20 years.  I've seen Columbus grow a lot and improve so much.

 Gabriela Loayza, Columbus

Karin Xander

Ohio has opened so many doors to many Latino people. My husband  he is American  and his family have opened so many doors, not just to me but also to my friends.  We are all the same, and we embrace that.

 Karin Xander, Pickerington

Keyla Ayala

I feel sometimes like people are afraid of our overwhelming personalities because in the culture here, in America, people keep more space for each other. And we're like, very warm  like, we meet you, and right away, you become family.  I was born and raised in Venezuela and moved to the United States 12 years ago. This is home now.

 Keyla Ayala, Dublin

Lourdes Barroso de Padilla

Being Cuban  is such a big part of who I am and how I show up in the world. Every first-generation kid goes through the struggle of the culture that you come from and the culture that you're being raised in, and theres a tension there because they're at odds with each other sometimes. I think it gives you life skills, with how to translate ideas and how to live in two different spaces at different times  and how you reconcile that within yourself.

 Columbus City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla

Johana Coronado

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio. My mom is from Guatemala.  I lost my Spanish as I was growing up because I didn't prioritize or treasure it the way that I do now. Now, Ive kind of stepped into my identity.  My mom is Indigenous. She grew up speaking Mayan dialects, and that's something that I dont want to get lost.

 Johana Coronado, Columbus University District

Frank Herman

My mother is from Honduras.  We are real estate advocate leaders passionate about making the American Dream of homeownership a reality for our Latino community through networking, continuing education and awareness.

 Frank Herman, Columbus

Jenavier Tejada, left, and Adriana Mendoza

We are Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. We are the first and largest Latina sorority in the nation.  I'm a very proud Dominican.  I'm working to help bring all Latinos and other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) groups up in the health care system. That's what I'm studying for.

 Jenavier Tejada, Granville

You have to find your people when you go to college. I joined a lot of Latino organizations to really create those connections  it was important for me to just reach out to my community.

 Adriana Mendoza, Columbus University District

Guadalupe Sambois-Taveras

To be Dominican means to have flavor, to have color, to have a very rich history and to always have a way home. Because we know where we came from, and we always have, like, a trail that we can follow if we lose our way home.

 Guadalupe Sambois-Taveras, Columbus East Side

Erika Rivera

Who do I protect? Who do I fight for? My Puerto Rican people, my Latino people. I represent Latino as a whole  Mexican, South American, Central American.

 Erika Rivera, Upper Arlington

Jacqueline Villarroel

Ive been in Columbus 27 years.  In Bolivia, its all the time with festivities and celebrations through the year. During Carnavales, which is like Mardi Gras, its five days, and we dress up, we party, the kids play with water balloons and we have a parade.

 Jacqueline Villaroel, Columbus

Robertha Fernandez

This dress is from the Mexican state of Chiapas. I'm from Veracruz, but I love this dress because it's very colorful  it represents what Mexico is all about. Chiapas has a lot of Mayan culture, and they have the most beautiful food and dresses.

 Robertha Fernandez, Columbus

Peter Gill covers immigration, new American communities and religion for The Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at: bit.ly/3fNsGaZ.

pgill@dispatch.com

@pitaarji

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus-area Latinos discuss what their heritage means to them
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A cough, cold, and fever are just some of the harsh symptoms that come with flu season. However, with COVID-19 still lingering around advanced nurse practitioner Shendry Thom with CVS MinuteClinic tells 8 News Now symptoms can be similar.

Flu is sometimes a higher fever, but both can present with a runny nose, a sore throat a headache, nausea, and cough, Thom said.

If anyone feels any of these symptoms, Thom said to be prepared for doctors and nurses to want to test for both COVID-19 and the flu.

People can get the covid booster and flu shot all at the same time. For those 60 and over, a vaccine for RSV is also available for the first time.

It is better to be vaccinated early and not taken off guard by the full dose of the flu, Thom said. She advises people can still get the flu even after getting the vaccine, as it takes a few weeks for bodies to create an immune system.

Early fall is the best time to get it so it doesnt take you off guard, because it starts September or October, she stated. She has already treated a patient with the flu at MinuteClinic but she said sometimes the virus can turn deadly.

According to the Southern Nevada Health District, for the 2022-2023 flu season, there were 50 deaths related to the flu. These numbers exceeded the previous flu season where 13 people died from the flu in Clark County.

SNHD recommends anyone 6 months and older receive their flu vaccine before flu season starts to intensify.

Starting Monday, Sept. 18, SNHD will give out flu vaccines at various health clinics listed below, by appointment on the SNHD website or by calling 702-759-0850

Flu vaccines will be available at:

Main Public Health Center, 280 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107

East Las Vegas Public Health Center, 2950 E. Bonanza Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89107

Fremont Public Health Center, 2830 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89104

Henderson Public Health Center, 220. E. Horizon Dr., Suites, A & C, Henderson, NV 89015

Mesquite Public Health Center/Jimmie Hughes Campus, 150 N. Yucca St., Suites, 3&4, Mesquite, NV 89027

El Mercado at Boulevard Mall, Suite 208-210, 3528 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV 89169

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
FOND DU LAC  A 20-year-old Wausau man was arrested late Saturday night in Fond du Lac after police received several reports of gunshots being fired near East Second Street and Park Avenue.

Fond du Lac police said in a news release officers were called to the area shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday. They searched the area, spoke with several people who heard the incident and located several handgun casings near the intersection.

The Wausau man, whose name was not released, was found near the scene, detained and later taken to Fond du Lac County Jail on suspicion of numerous weapons-related charges.

Fatal shooting arrest: Suspect in May 7 fatal Fond du Lac shooting arrested in Chicago

No one was reported injured and no damage to property was reported.

Police said the incident remains under investigation and no further details would be immediately released.

Anyone with information can contact police at 920-906-5555.

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Fond du Lac police arrest Wausau man after gunshots reported
Hennadii Lahuta, former head of the Kherson Oblast State Administration, has died at the age of 49, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Sept. 17.

Prokudin did not provide details on the cause of Lahuta's death.

"We express our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and share their grief," he wrote on Telegram.

Local media outlet Most reported, citing its unnamed sources, that Lahuta died at one of Kyiv's hospitals overnight on Sept. 17.

Lahuta was appointed as the governor of Kherson Oblast in October 2021, prior to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He has held the office for about eight months. President Volodymyr Zelensky fired Lahuta in July last year.

Most of Kherson Oblast was occupied by Russian forces in the early stage of the full-scale invasion.

According to Most, Lahuta left Kherson after the start of the full-scale invasion and "disappeared for almost half a year."

In early February, the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that Lahuta was suspected of forgery of documents and fraud.

He faced up to 12 years behind bars with confiscation of property.

"One of the episodes, which is currently being investigated by the Ukrainian special services, concerns the illegal property acquisition. In particular, the former official appropriated a car that was given to him for temporary free use during the full-scale invasion," the SBU reported back then.

Read also: Oligarch Kolomoisky is behind bars. How did he get there and can he find a way out?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Police arrested a former Lake City clerk for stealing thousands of public funds, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Jackie Hanna, a 43-year-old city resident, was charged on Sept. 11 with embezzlement of public funds (less than $10,000), and booked at the Florence County Detention Center, SLED said in a news release.

She was released the same day after posting a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, jail records show.

In 2022, Hanna worked as a clerk for the Lake City Water and Sewer office in Florence County, where she was responsible for the safekeeping, transfer and disbursement of public funds, an arrest warrant said.

From March through June of that year, Hanna embezzled more than $3,000 of public funds, according to the arrest warrant. The exact amount of money Hanna stole was not available.

Hannas scam worked by her deleting customers cash transactions and keeping the money, the arrest warrant shows.

Information about what Hanna did with the cash, and if she spent it, was not available.

The embezzlement was confirmed through internal audits, and Hanna confessed during an interview, according to the arrest warrant.

The 12th Circuit Solicitors Office will prosecute the case.

If convicted on the felony embezzlement charge, Hanna faces a maximum punishment of five years in prison, according to South Carolina law.
Two men from North Georgia have been arrested in Alabama, accused of trying to scheme an elderly person out of thousands of dollars.

Auburn, Alabama police said they were called on Tuesday about the possible scheme. Investigators said they called the victim and confirmed that the two men had taken money from them multiple times.

Officers said they learned that the men were traveling to Auburn again on Thursday to get more money from the victim and pulled them over near the intersection of East Thach Avenue and North Dean Road.

As police were taking one of the men into custody, the other drove away trying to get away from the officers.

TRENDING STORIES:

During the chase, investigators said the man crashed into three other cars, but they were eventually able to stop him.

Luckily, no one was injured in the crashes.

The suspects have been identified as Anshul Kumar, 19, and Dhrumilkumar Vyas, 23, both of Ringgold. They have been charged with seven counts of financial exploitation of the elderly first degree, one count of attempted financial exploitation of the elderly first degree and criminal impersonation. Vyas was also charged with attempting to elude and reckless endangerment.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Auburn Police Department at 334-246-1391 or emailing police@auburnalabama.org.

IN OTHER NEWS:
(NEXSTAR)  Over the past couple years, a wave of progressive cities and states have moved toward banning gas stoves and other appliances in new buildings. San Francisco, Seattle, New York and others have changed the rules in the name of the environment and residents respiratory health.

But the wave has been met with substantial backlash, opposing federal legislation and lawsuits seeking to overturn the bans.

Research has shown burning gas in the home doesnt just pollute city skies, it also pollutes the air in your kitchen. NPR used an air monitor to measure the harmful gas nitrogen dioxide in a kitchen with a gas stove and oven on at the same time, as if they were cooking dinner. After 12 minutes, the journalist found the nitrogen dioxide levels were 60% higher than levels recommended by the World Health Organization.

Studies have found the harmful particles emitted by gas stoves can cause asthma and other respiratory issues, especially in children.

Berkeley, California, was the first U.S. city to put in place a ban installing gas piping in new buildings, but the local law was met with a lawsuit by the California Restaurant Association, a trade group representing restaurants.

Can you tell if your gas stove is hurting your health?

In April, the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision by a district court that upheld the ban. The federal court ruled that existing federal law expressly preempts State and local regulations concerning the energy use of many natural gas appliances, including those used in household and restaurant kitchens.

The judges wrote Berkeley tried to get around the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act by banning gas piping, not gas appliances. However, they rules the city couldnt circumvent federal law by doing that.

But the federal court ruling was expected to be appealed, the Associated Press reported, meaning the legal battle could stretch on even longer.

Other cities and states have bans that are still on the books, or expected to go into place soon. New York, the first to pass a statewide ban, will phase in a law that requires all new buildings have electric cooking and heating appliances. The law will affect buildings under seven stories by 2026 and over seven stories by 2029, according to CNN.

Why cities are banning gas stoves

All of the proposed or enacted bans focus on the appliances being installed in newly constructed buildings. No cities or states have suggested ripping out gas stoves in peoples already existing homes and apartments.

Meantime, federal legislators have moved to make sure a nationwide ban doesnt happen.

In June, the House voted to keep the Consumer Product Safety Commission from regulating gas stoves as hazardous products, even though the head of the Commission said hes not interested in pursuing a nationwide ban.

The legislation was unlikely to pass the Democratic-majority Senate, The Hill previously reported, and it has yet to see any action since passing the House.

However, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia did support adding language into an appropriations bill that would limit the CPSC from banning gas stoves.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The law enforcement division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is searching for the person who shot and killed two tortoises.

DNR said agents were called out to the Alapaha River WMA in Irwin County after someone found two gopher tortoises that had been shot and killed Wednesday night.

Although they are not considered endangered, gopher tortoises are considered to be a keystone species that is critically important to the survival of many other species and to the health of the overall system, the DNR says.

Anyone with information about who may have shot the tortoises is asked to call the DNR ranger hotline at 1-800-241-4113 or email them at rangerhotline@dnr.ga.gov.

TRENDING STORIES:

IN OTHER NEWS:
NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN officials attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo on Sunday called for continued cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), praising its contributions to the regional economy and regional cooperation.

Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said that Laos will maintain close cooperation with other members of ASEAN and China, and contribute to the BRI's implementation.

Sonexay made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The prime minister said that cooperation between the two countries on infrastructure is producing practical results. He commended the China-Laos Railway for its creation of jobs, its enhancing of personnel exchanges and its promotion of cooperation between China, Laos and other ASEAN countries.

At the same event, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the BRI has been instrumental in solidifying regional relations, citing the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park as an exemplary BRI project.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI and the 20th anniversary of the first China-ASEAN Expo. Over the past decade, the BRI has brought about an infrastructure boom in ASEAN countries, with the China-Laos Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and Malaysia's Kuantan Port among its flagship projects.

At the expo, officials and businesspeople praised BRI projects for facilitating trade, investment and cooperation in the region, and for spurring the region's economic recovery after the pandemic.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Vietnam supports efforts to advance Belt and Road connectivity to achieve common prosperity.

Pham Minh Chinh spoke highly of China for playing its role as a responsible major country and for acting as a stabilizer of the regional economy. "ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, have always appreciated and highly valued China's important contribution to cooperation and common prosperity in the region," he said.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that Thailand appreciates China's efforts to promote the region's sustainable development.

Thailand's development policies align with the BRI in their aim of achieving sustainable and balanced growth, he said, noting that he expects to see expanded cooperation between China and Thailand in various fields.

Over the decade since the BRI was launched, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with over 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, resulting in more than 3,000 cooperation projects, official statistics show. 
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced that he will sign the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, Sen. Scott Wiener s greenhouse gas emissions disclosure requirement bill.

Newsom made the announcement at Climate Week NYCs opening ceremony in an interview with New York Times climate reporter David Gelles, in which the governor called himself a leader on climate.

Would I cede that leadership by having a response other than, Of course Im going to sign those bills? he said.

Wieners bill, SB 253, passed through the Legislature last Tuesday with broad support among Democrats and less so among Republicans. The first-of-its-kind bill will require companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue to make public their greenhouse gas emissions starting in 2026.

Wiener, D-San Francisco, said that Newsoms announcement is reaffirming Californias global climate leadership and called Newsom a climate champion in a statement on Sunday.

These carbon disclosures are a simple but intensely powerful driver of decarbonization, Wiener said in the statement.

When business leaders, investors, consumers, and analysts have full visibility into large corporations carbon emissions, they have the tools and incentives to turbocharge their decarbonization efforts. This legislation will support those companies doing their part to tackle the climate crisis and create accountability for those that arent.

Newsom also announced that hell sign Senate Bill 261, a bill co-authored by Wiener and introduced by Sen. Henry Stern. The bill will require corporations with annual revenue above $500 million to file reports on financial risks tied to climate change.

When the bill was introduced, Wiener cited the cost of health care, worker safety, raw materials, liability risk and the resiliency of supply chains as factors affected by the climate crisis.

Climate change protesters march through Old Sacramento carrying signs calling for climate protection and an end to fossil fuels on Sunday.

Newsom also discussed the lawsuit he and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed on Friday against several fossil fuel companies and an oil trade industry group, accusing them of actively misleading consumers about their role in worsening the climate crisis.

The 135-page complaint named BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute.

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 in a statement. Wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clogging our air, deadly heat waves, record-breaking droughts parching our wells. California taxpayers shouldnt have to foot the bill.

At the climate conference in New York, Newsom said he had previously been naive about what he said was the five corporations role in climate change disinformation.

I didnt know the depths of their deception, he said.

After the close of the 2022-23 legislative session last week, Newsom is expected to sign a slate of bills when he returns from New York, now formally including Wieners.

Its hard to overstate the significance of this move for climate action, Wiener said in a tweet on Sunday.

Megan Nguyen of the Oil and Gas Action Network leads a Sacramento protest to end fossil fuels on Sunday.

While Newsom made his announcement in New York, hundreds of climate activists in Sacramento demonstrated against fossil fuels.

Protesters spoke in Old Sacramento to call on Newsom and President Joe Biden to stop approvals of oil drilling permits and declare a climate emergency. The demonstrators then marched across Tower Bridge, where they hung an enormous yellow banner that read Biden-Newsom: End Fossil Fuels.

Climate activists kayak the Sacramento River with flags calling for an end to fossil fuels during a protest on Sunday.

Ilonka Zlatan of the Oil and Gas Action Network rallies the climate change protesters on the Tower Bridge on Sunday.
The detonation of a Russian mine in a field in southern Kherson Oblast killed a 45-year-old man and injured a 26-year-old man, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Sept. 17.

The two men had reportedly been working in a field near Beryslav, a town located along the Dnipro River, when their tractor drove over the mine, setting it off.

The two men had reportedly been working in a field near Beryslav, a town located along the Dnipro River, when their tractor drove over the mine, setting it off.

According to Prokudin, the man driving the tractor received shrapnel wounds to his head and right eye. He also suffered injuries to his abdomen, chest, and limbs, as well as third-degree burns.

The man was hospitalized in critical condition, and died in the hospital.

The 26-year-old man survived the blast and was hospitalized. He is reportedly in stable condition.

Kherson Oblast authorities, as well as the leadership of other regions whose territories were once under Russian occupation, have called on residents to be extremely careful with mines that were left behind by Russian forces.

"I am once again addressing the residents of the region," Prokudin said. "Do not start work until the fields are checked by sappers. Take care of your safety."

Read also: Ukrainian innovators want to bring life-saving robots to the battlefield

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A drone damaged an oil depot in southwestern Russia early on Sept. 17, sparking a fire at a fuel tank that was later extinguished, the regional governor Andrei Klychkov said via his official Telegram channel.

According to Klychkov, the drone struck the city of Oryol at around 3:50 a.m. local time. There were no casualties. "All emergency services are working on the territory of the targeted facility," the governor said.

Russia's Oryol Oblast is bordering Kursk Oblast to the southwest and Bryansk Oblast to the northwest.

The report comes after a series of strikes this week on Russian military targets on the occupied Crimean peninsula, which are seen as Kyiv's increased attempts to break down Russia's war efforts.

The number of attacks inside Russia and far from the front lines has also increased, with the Russian defence ministry saying in the early hours of Sept. 17 that a drone was destroyed in the Istra district in Moscow Oblast.

Read also: ISW: Ukrainian advances in Zaporizhzhia Oblast prompt Russian defensive focus

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Four Russian S-300 missiles hit a civilian enterprise in the city of Kharkiv overnight on Sept. 17, Kharkiv Oblast governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

The attack occurred at around 12:30 a.m., causing a fire, the governor said. He did not provide any information on the casualties.

According to Syniehubov, Russian troops attacked Kharkiv, Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk, and Izium districts across the Kharkiv Oblast over the past day.

At around 11 a.m. on Sept. 16, five Russian Iskander cruise missiles hit the regional capital, injuring six civilians.

The attack damaged civilian enterprises and residential houses, Syniehubov said.

At around 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, Russian troops fired a guided anti-tank missile at a civilian car near the villages of Strilecha and Hlyboke. The attack killed a man and a woman who were in the car and injured a 72-year-old man, said Syniehubov.

A 23-year-old man was injured by Russian artillery fire in the village of Petropavlivka in the Kupiansk district, the governor added.

Other Russian attacks across Kharkiv Oblast damaged residential houses and commercial facilities, according to Syniehubov.

Due to its proximity to the Russian border, Kharkiv Oblast is subject to near-daily attacks.

Read also: From occupation to active war zone: Danger persists for Ukrainians in liberated territories

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The soldier who goes by the alias Boiok (Firing Pin, a part of a gun's construction  ed.) is one of those who saw the full-scale invasion as a conscript. He is 19.

Boiok is a rifleman with a patrol battalion of the 5th Slobozhansk Brigade. He has a visible scar on his forehead left from the hostilities.

The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) told UP the story of his struggle.

The young man was enlisted in the autumn of 2021 and was due to be discharged in the spring of 2022. The full-scale war began when he was 18. He can still remember the events well.

"On 23 February [the day before the Russian invasion  ed.], I was on duty and had just gone to bed, but they immediately raised combat alert. We were handed weapons and ammunition. We were initially at the headquarters, but our unit was sent beyond [the village of] Cherkaska Lozova [in Kharkiv Oblast bordering Russia] in early March. We had just started entrenching ourselves when Vasilek [automatic 82 mm gun-mortar] targeted us. We were told that the occupiers were 1.5 kilometres away. We dug out the sconces, secured positions, and set up patrols," says Boiok.

PHOTO: NGU

Boikos unit was first stationed in the village of Piatykhatky and then in the settlement of Ruska Lozova, both in Kharkiv Oblast. He participated in the liberation of several villages in the Derhachi district, Kharkiv Oblast, in May 2022. Along with the Kraken special forces unit, they stormed the village of Pytomnyk and then liberated the village of Prokhody.

"Unfortunately, there were heavy losses," the NGU soldier said sadly.

Afterwards, the young man and his fellow soldiers ended up near the village of Dementiivka. Boiok says it was frightening there because of the swampy terrain and the fact that there were few forest belts. Furthermore, sabotage and reconnaissance groups were attempting to infiltrate the area.

Later, the Russian soldiers stormed the positions. Boiok recalls holding his position with two riflemen while the Russian infantry had been approaching them. He says he fired the entire payload of his grenade launcher on the Russians and started shooting with his assault rifle.

"I emptied one mag and was changing to another when a mortar bomb hit the breastwork of the sconce right in front of me. The last thing I saw was the sky, which went dark and suddenly turned white," Boiok says.

He stresses that although he had ringing in his ears, was concussed and his mouth was bleeding, he had no fear. When he checked himself, he found several wounds.

"The helmet saved me, but the shrapnel pierced the kevlar and hit my forehead. I tried to pull it out, but it didn't work. I was evacuated, I had five wounds, a fractured jaw and a severe post-concussion syndrome," the fighter recalls.

Afterwards, he was treated in a hospital, and the military medical board found him partially fit for military service. Despite his service in a patrol battalion, he is willing to carry out combat orders.

The young man plans to become a biology teacher after the war is over.

Earlier, we reported on another National Guard 19-year-old who destroyed two tanks and saved his brother-in-arms.

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!






House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he was headed to Detroit to show support for striking autoworkers.

"I'll be heading to Detroit a little later on today," the New York Democrat said on ABC's "This Week." "Looking forward to standing in solidarity with the United Auto Workers who are fighting for the fundamental American dream."

Labor unions have long been a key constituency of the Democratic Party, giving the current strike a political dimension heading into the 2024 presidential election.

"Incredible economic prosperity has been generated for the corporations," Jeffries told host Jonathan Karl in defending the decision of the United Auto Workers to call a strike against the Big Three automakers.



He added: "I think its only fair that everyone share in those record profits in the prosperity that has been created. Thats a fundamental American principle. Thats why we were able to build in the aftermath of World War II the great American middle class."

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also expressed solidarity with the rank-and-file.

"We shouldn't be politicizing this; we should be listening to what the UAW workers want," he said. "They want us to tackle climate, they want EVs, they want battery plants. But they want those jobs to pay well, they want those jobs to be union jobs. And that's what we are fighting for."


MUNCIE, Ind. This week, the Trump campaign sketched out a tax plan for what they hope to be a second administration. To be clear, Mr. Trump failed to achieve any of the policy goals of his first administration, and conducted a second campaign without a policy platform. So, it is hard to take seriously any of Mr. Trumps policy. Still, it is always a good time to cogitate through the potential economic effects of tax proposals.

Michael Hicks

Every tax discussion today, and for the coming decades, should begin by acknowledging our enormous federal debt. This discussion must admit that our huge debt is wholly bipartisan. Mr. Trump, and the GOP House and Senate, was a far bigger spender than Mr. Obama. Before COVID, the Trump administration grew more federal debt than any other president who did not face a recession. During COVID, he blew lid off the debt, in what was the single largest one-time increase in debt across in US history. Mr. Biden extended the spending spree; he didnt invent it.

Likewise, no member of Congress of either party is without blame. There are no honest actors. Even the handful of members who voted against big spending bills offer no serious pathway to reducing the debt. The perfidy of Congress is a good reason to critically evaluate these sorts of tax plans.

In considering any tax change, first question how it might eventually reduce the debt. That may be why Dr. Art Laffer spoke about the tax plan. Laffer became famous during the Reagan administration for arguing that reduction of high marginal tax rates would spur economic growth. His Laffer Curve provided a visual display of the ill effects of very high taxes on the U.S. economy and federal budget.

Dr. Laffers arguments won the day, and President Reagan secured major tax cuts. I believe these lower tax rates helped boost economic growth in the United States through the 1980s. But to be clear, the evidence on that point is far from decisive. Many economists, studying the issue in good faith, remain unconvinced that it played an important role in boosting growth.

However, the critical prediction of the Laffer Curve isnt that cutting taxes would grow the economy. The real prediction is that tax cuts would increase economic growth so much that they would lead to an increase in tax revenues. On that point there is precisely zero disagreement. The evidence is overwhelmingly clearthe Reagan tax cuts failed to boost tax revenues.

It is important to note that when Dr. Laffer pushed his ideas into the political forefront, the top corporate tax rate was about 45 percent, and the top income tax bracket was 70 percent. They are today 21 percent and 37 percent respectively. If cutting those very high rates back in the 1980s didnt boost tax revenues, cutting these lower rates cannot. The math on this issue ineluctable.

In a further twist, Mr. Trump also proposes to levy a further 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports. It is worth noting that the last time he instituted tariffs, the Midwest saw large manufacturing job losses. Indiana was hit especially hard, and in the few months before COVID, Indiana slipped into recession-like conditions. Mr. Trumps tax plan is nothing but another campaign gimmick thatll be forgotten in a matter of days. However, it raises important questions for other candidates.

Corporate taxes are popular with citizens who fail to notice that corporations are mostly owned by individuals through their retirement savings. So, taxing corporate profits actually taxes the retirement funds of teachers, firefighters, auto workers and anyone who owns a defined contribution retirement plan. While it is certainly fine to tax these earnings, they will again be taxed when they flow to retirees. So, corporate tax and income tax affect each dollar of retirement earning twice.

About 8 in 10 households eventually own some sort of retirement fund that owns corporations. At any given time about 6 in 10 families hold some sort of stock or retirement fund. So, calls to reduce corporate taxation can be motivated by equity concerns over the treatment of different types of income. We are all capitalists now.

Other factors influence the efficacy of a proposed tax change. The reduction of corporate taxes would reduce the tax burden on the richest 60 percent of the population, with a heavy weight of benefit flowing to older Americans. There is no such thing as an optimal level of progressivity, but weve long sided with Adam Smith in his Wealth of Nations that; It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.

A large tax cut aimed at the middle class and more-affluent households is cause for consideration. However, I think it is less the progressivity issue than it is of intergenerational equity. You see, a tax cut on older Americans today will affect taxpayers who already will receive far more generous Social Security benefits than will todays younger workers.

The very large federal deficit can only be remedied through some combination of benefit cuts and tax increases. Anyone who tells you something differently is either innumerate or lying to you (or both). So, a tax cut that is targeted at todays older population will redistribute wealth from those receiving much higher government benefits to those likely to receive less.

There are reasons for one generation to bear a disproportionate tax. For example, it was the parents of the Greatest Generation who bore the tax burdens during and after World War II, following their own war and the Great Depression. Theres good reason they were called the Lost Generation. Yet, the tax and Savings Bond appeals of the 1940s very specifically focused on their duty to a younger generation. We would be a better country if we thought more about this sort of thing.

Tariffs likewise have a disproportionate affect on poorer households. A 10 percent tariff on China will make goods more expensive, both imported and domestically produced. Typically, young and poor households spend a higher share of their income on goods than do older, richer households. So, a tariff lands squarely on the shoulders of younger, poorer workers.

We probably shouldnt take campaign promises too seriously, especially when they come to taxes. Still, asking key questions about taxes is an important way to judge candidates. How serious are these candidates, what do they say they care about, and how carefully do they consider the effect of taxes on different constituents? Taxes are not the most important issue facing our nation today, but they offer a very clear, quantifiable gauge on candidate priorities.

Michael J. Hicks, PhD, is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Hicks: Thoughts about Trumps tax plan
Roughly half of people in the world have a vagina between their legs, but the first recorded medical word for this body part didn't arrive on the scene until 1680. Although circles of women all over likely came up with their own names for their anatomy before then, male physicians in Ancient Greece for the most part kept female anatomy under wraps.

Greek physicians typically didn't examine female bodies due to historical taboos and dismissed the vagina and its neighbors as contemptible parts. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, called female genitalia "the shame parts." In 1545, French anatomist Andreas Vesalius followed suit, calling the clitoris "membre honteux," which means "shameful member," according to Rachel Gross, author of the book "Vagina Obscura." Adaptations of the word pudendum, a Latin word that translates to the verb "to be ashamed," can still be found in medical vocabulary today.

"Vagina" stems from the Latin word for a "sheath," like that which holds a sword. Despite the vagina's role in reproduction, pleasure and vitality, its etymology boils it down to a holding place for what has historically more often been seen as the reproductive system superstar: the penis.

Today, female anatomy is still misunderstood: Medical textbooks remain biased toward male anatomy, and studies examining conditions that affect primarily women receive a fraction of the funding that research into conditions affecting men does. It wasn't until 2005 that Australian urologist Dr. Helen O'Connell finally published the first full diagram of the clitoris, and it wasn't until 2012 that the National Institutes of Health established a branch specifically dedicated to gynecologic health.

Yet we cannot be expected to empower our bodies if we do not know them, and sidelining female anatomy in medicine continues to have lasting impacts in healthcare and beyond.

"The more we can get clear on language and normalize that 50% of the population has this anatomy and that lots of things can change and go wrong with their medical parts just like the heart and the lungs, then people can understand that they don't have to put up with being ignored or minimized when they have complaints or issues," Dr. Rachel Rubin, a urologist and the education chair of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health, told Salon in a phone interview. "They can actually advocate for themselves."

In Ancient Greek texts, the female body was usually referred to in relation to the male body. While males were seen as whole and pristine, the female body was historically thought of "in terms of incompleteness or inversion," according to an analysis of Greek texts, including Aristotle. The Greek physician Galen, for example, believed the uterus was basically the male scrotum tucked in on itself. In many cases, a woman was instructed by her physician to have sex with her husband to cure bodily ailments.

"The male body is seen as sort of a norm and as this kind of healthy, properly functioning [body]," said Kristina Gupta, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, who studies the history of medicine at Wake Forest University. "Whereas the female body is seen as kind of dysfunctional, even if it is normal functioning."

Although major improvements have been made toward equity in medicine, some aspects of medical education are still centered around the default male today. Rubin said it wasn't until her urology fellowship that she learned how to properly examine the external genitalia of the female body. Although the vagina sometimes inaccurately serves as a stand-in for the entire genitalia, the vulva, the clitoris and the labia majora and minora each have their own set of functions and healthcare needs.

"It's not a priority," Rubin told Salon in a phone interview. "If anything, it gets kind of glossed over in many ways."

In the 1960s, information about reproductive and sexual health was dispersed as the Women's Liberation Movement picked up speed. The idea was to educate women so they could advocate for themselves, and there was a lot of progress made with the publication of books like "Our Bodies, Ourselves." The arrival of birth control pills on the market in 1950 and the legalization of abortion in 1973 gave women a new sense of control over their own fertility. Although great strides were made to improve reproductive health, there were many other pains, pleasures and problems associated with the vagina that didn't get the same attention at this time.

"In women's health, we often just focus on reproduction and cancer prevention," Rubin said. "Very rarely do we focus on pleasure and quality of life. The clitoris is completely ignored by medicine and science at every level, and we don't ask women about their clitoris and how their orgasms work."

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In medicine, it is becoming more clear that there are unmet needs in women's sexual healthcare, and treatments are beginning to reflect that, said Dr. Sharon Parish, a general internist focused on menopause and sexual health at Weill Cornell Medical College. At the same time, reproductive rights are once again being challenged.

"There was some revolution, so to speak, over the second half of the 20th century, and now it's swinging back again, which is concerning," Parish told Salon in a phone interview. "I think there's a lot of taboo in public and, although improving, there's been some gender bias in the availability of treatments for women. It's been an uphill battle."

Some common conditions affecting the vagina still lack effective treatments. Bacterial vaginosis  a condition caused by the imbalance of bacteria normally present in the vagina that causes itching, pain and changes in vaginal discharge  affects one in four women and is usually treated with antibiotics. But infection comes back for 60% of patients under the current treatment regimen, which basically hasn't changed since the 1980s, said Dr. Caroline Mitchell, the Director of the Vulvovaginal Disorders program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"The number of people who had a doctor say to them, 'Just have a drink of wine and relax,' [is ridiculous]," Mitchell told Salon in a phone call. "No one would say that to a man."

Other conditions go undertreated because of a lack of awareness. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause, which causes dryness, irritation and recurrent urinary tract infections, affects 50 to 80% of women. It can be treated with vaginal estrogen cream, but some studies estimate that around 50% of women go untreated.

"The solution is so easy," said Dr. Kelly Casperson, a urologist and author of a recent book on female sexual pleasure, "You Are Not Broken." "But we have sexless marriages because of lack of education and communication."

Studies show this lack of knowledge about sexual health extends beyond the doctor's office. One 2016 survey in Britain found 44% of women could not accurately label the vagina, with even fewer correctly identifying the vulva.

"We have a catastrophic, poor understanding of our health and sexual education that actually harms us and it harms our relationships," Casperson told Salon in a phone interview.

Words like "vagina," have been censored on the internet throughout the past few decades, and sexual education has been attacked in certain school districts, threatening to further enshroud the vagina and the rest of the female genitalia in taboo. Yet the need for equitable education and healthcare is just as important as ever. To bridge the gaps that remain, part of the onus is on healthcare providers to educate themselves about gynecologic health, Casperson said. But it's also on the individual to advocate for themselves, she added.

"It's your job to know your body," Casperson said. "Let's not assume any male knows anything better than we do."
MARBLEHEAD  Ohio's oldest Orthodox church, located in Marblehead, will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a special liturgy and banquet next week and is inviting the public to join them.

Holy Assumption Orthodox Church, at 110 East Main St., will celebrate 125 years of witnessing to the Apostolic Faith on the Marblehead peninsula at a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23.

Holy Assumption Orthodox Church in Marblehead will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a special Hierarchal Divine Liturgy on Sept. 23

Holy Assumption's new leader, Father Tomas, and his wife Michelle, joined the Marblehead peninsula community about three months ago and are looking forward to welcoming people of all faiths to join them in celebrating this historical occasion, they said.

Clergy from the church's past will attend service

Priests and clergy from years past will be present. His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada who is Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, and His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of the Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest will preside at the 10 a.m. service.

It will be their first time visiting with the congregation, Father Tomas said.

Following the 10 a.m. liturgy, a banquet at St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church hall at 506 East Main St. will cap off the celebration.

Holy Assumption Orthodox Church in Marblehead will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a special Hierarchal Divine Liturgy on Sept. 23. The temple at 110 E. Main St. is in the heart of the village of Marblehead.

Austro-Hungarian immigrants settled in Marblehead in 19th Century

Immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian Empire brought their faith with them when they settled in Marblehead in the late 19th century, and in 1898 they founded Holy Assumption Orthodox Church.

They were from the Carpathian Mountains in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where the countries of Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine now exist.

The present location of the Holy Assumption temple was consecrated in 1906, after moving several locations around Marblehead. The Tsar of Russia sent gifts, including four large icons for the iconostas, a communion set, and a personal check for $1,200. In todays money, it was the equivalent of $38,688.

So in 1905, after a day of hard work in the quarries, the men of the parish came with picks and shovels and began building the temple. By the following year, 1906, it was completed.

"We have parishioners who are descendants of the founders of Holy Assumption," parishioner Bobbie Royhab said.

Father Tomas and Michelle have traveled around the world for their faith, from Tomas' home country of Slovakia, to Canada, to their new home parish in Marblehead.

Holy Assumption Orthodox Church in Marblehead will celebrate its 125th anniversary Sept. 23. The temple at 110 E. Main St., Marblehead, was built and consecrated in 1906 by Rusyn immigrants to the area and is the oldest Orthodox temple in Ohio.

"It is a very rich, traditional faith," Father Tomas said of the Orthodox Church.

While Holy Assumption church is small, it is part of a large faith around the world. Today there are approximately 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

For more than 60 years, the parish has hosted its annual Halupki Festival on the third Sunday of August. The festival celebrates the Carpatho-Russian heritage of its founding members with delicious foods such as halupki (cabbage rolls), halushky (cabbage and noodles), perohi (pierogies), and kolbasi (smoked sausage), plus ethnic baked goods, refreshments, polka bands, a craft show, a demonstration of the art of psanky (egg decorating), and tours of the historic church. Thousands come each year from near and far for this event.

In April 2023, the Church received a historical marker from the State of Ohio honoring the immigrants who founded Holy Assumption in 1898.

"This is huge for our parish," Michelle said of next week's celebration. "And for Marblehead. We are so blessed."

Holy Assumption's long history

In the late 19th century, Rusyn immigrants from the territories of Slovakia and Moravia settled on the Marblehead peninsula. They were also known as Ruthenians, Uhro-Russians, and Carpatho-Russians. Most found work in the stone quarries.

In 1897 the Greek Catholic Church of the Dormition (Assumption) of Mary was founded in Marblehead.

Around this time, many Carpatho-Russian Greek Catholics sought to return to the Eastern Orthodox Church of their forefathers. This movement to Orthodoxy occurred both in Europe and in North America.

In America, the movement was begun by Greek Catholic priest Father Alexis Toth, whose difficulties in dealing with the Roman Catholic hierarchy here inspired him to seek to have his parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota, received into the Orthodox Church, which at that time in the USA was under the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow.

That event became the catalyst for many other Greek Catholic parishes to return to the Orthodox Faith. Marblehead was no exception.

A number of Greek Catholics here appealed to the Russian Orthodox bishop in San Francisco, Bishop Tikhon, and he traveled to Marblehead to work with them. Father Victor Toth, brother of Father Alexis, also came to Marblehead to encourage the people.

Finally, in 1898, the parish, the Russian Orthodox Church of the Dormition (or Assumption), was received into the Orthodox Church. Three lots were purchased on Alexander Pike, and a church was built. Father Victor Stepanoff of St. Theodosius in Cleveland was the first supply priest.

Sadly, a deep division soon arose among them. A faction of the flock decided to leave the Orthodox Church and return to the Greek Catholic Church, also called the Unia, under Rome. The problem arose when they decided that they wanted to take the church with them.

The controversy ended up in court, and in 1901 the church property was ordered sold at sheriffs sale and the proceeds divided between the two groups.

The church was without a building until the Congregational Church in Marblehead had decided to sell a building, also on Alexander Pike, that they used both for services and as a social hall. Holy Assumption purchased it, but circumstances again intervened, and the stone quarry wanted the property. They offered to exchange a prime piece of real estate on Main Street in the village for the land, and they accepted the offer.

So in 1905, after a day of hard work in the quarries, the men of the parish came with picks and shovels and began the building of the new church. By the following year, 1906, it was completed. Archbishop Tikhon, who is now a Saint in the Orthodox faith, consecrated the church and celebrated the first Liturgy.

The icons are on display to this day in the temple, telling the story of Jesus and the Orthodox faith.

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Holy Assumption to celebrate 125th anniversary in Marblehead
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The health ministry of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province said on Sunday that 101 new cases of dengue fever had been reported during the last 24 hours in the province.

The ministry said in a statement that the new cases have increased the overall tally to 2,658 in the province this year.

According to the statement, over 100 patients with dengue fever are under treatment in hospitals in different areas of the province.

District Coordinator Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC) of the Rawalpindi district of the province, Sajjad Mehmood, said in a statement on Sunday that the district reported 45 cases during the last 24 hours, increasing the tally to 534.

The official said that 90 out of 534 patients are still admitted to different hospitals in Rawalpindi, a district adjacent to the capital Islamabad, while others have been discharged after the treatment.

The district official added that the local government had already launched a prevention campaign, including creating awareness among the masses, spraying and registering cases against those who violate advisories to prevent the dengue spread.

The health officer said that the administration had issued 870 fine tickets, sealed 531 buildings and registered 2,876 cases in the district for the violations of the anti-dengue campaign. 
Mental health care for the homeless

Investments in mental health care will help alleviate Californias homelessness crisis, (sacbee.com, Aug. 15)

Society dehumanizes homelessness and stereotypes homeless individuals as dangerous, rather than what they actually are, human. Earlier this week, I watched a video about someone who went to a coffee shop, bought food and sat down with a homeless man and talked. They talked about how society treats homeless people, as if they are evil people for being in need. Homelessness has all types of causes, mental health being a major contributor. This is why funding from the state Mental Health Services Act going towards individuals with high risk of homelessness can seriously make an impact on Californias homelessness crisis.

Jillian Silva

Sacramento

Opinion

Reignite educators passion

College students are still struggling with basic math. Professors blame the pandemic, (sacbee.com, Aug. 31)

It seems to me that when teachers do not have the passion for what they are doing, classes become far less interesting, engaging, and educational for us students. For these reasons, it isnt surprising that students are lacking basic math skills going into college.

Dulce Capetillo

Elk Grove

Consider new encampment sites

Gavin Newsom says court case limiting California homeless sweeps should go to Supreme Court, (sacbee.com, Sept. 13)

Why cant Newsom settle the suit over homelessness by persuading the National or State Park Services to rent empty warehouses to nonprofits, thereby allowing for the provision of necessary beds?

Stephen Jacobs

Davis

Pregnancy Inequities

Doctors and hospitals force California moms into C-sections, (sacbee.com, Aug. 26)

As an OB/GYN in this community, I work hard to provide my patients with evidence-based medical care amid the rising tide of inaccurate and misleading information on social media. No doubt California needs to improve access to care, particularly for low-income and non-white women so that women who want it can attempt a trial of labor after a cesarean (TOLAC) in a safe environment.

However, a significant number of women who have previously delivered by C-section dont want a TOLAC and instead choose to have a repeat C-section (making that 88% repeat C-section rate far less ominous); but that is never mentioned in this article. The overall tone of outrage that ran throughout the article, combined with the overtly inflammatory headline, serves only to encourage mistrust between patients and providers.

Dr. Melissa Johnson

Sacramento

Pay scientists fairly

Pay equity now: California scientists march to Capitol, demanding new contract and raises, (sacbee.com, Aug. 31)

The Department of Food and Agriculture safeguards over $50 billion generated annually by the agricultural industry. This involves surveying, trapping, identifying and safely controlling pests to prevent disruptions in our food supply and international partnerships. Many thousands of suspect pest samples are collected and sent to our lab for final, official determination. I know because I am one of 15 Ph.D scientists who identify these samples.

A misidentification can cost the state millions of dollars. High levels of education and experience at the lab ensures this doesnt happen. Yet the California Department of Human Resources insists on inadequate pay, daring us to leave. Scientists cant make ends meet, and those who can are leaving. Meanwhile, recruitment is dismal. Yet CalHR shows us nothing but ignorance, disrespect and petty cruelty. We ask CalHR to support California Agriculture and give us a fair contract now.

The economic well-being of the state depends on the economic well-being of state scientists.

Dr. Peter Kerr

Davis
Honda launched a rectangular electric scooter that costs $995.

It's a throwback to the Motocompo, a foldable Honda scooter from the 1980s that fit in a trunk.

The Motocompacto goes 15 mph and has a range of 12 miles, Honda says.

Who says electric vehicles are too pricey for average Americans? Honda just revealed one that costs only $995.

No, the Motocompacto is not a car. It's a quirky, little electric scooter for bopping around town or a college campus. And I'm obsessed.

I mean, what's not to love?

The Honda Motocompacto Honda

The Motocompacto is shaped like a cute, rideable suitcase. It maxes out at 15 mph and has a range of 12 miles, Honda says. It even comes with an adorable acceleration claim of zero to 15 mph in seven seconds. It offers onboard storage for its charging cord and other stuff one might bring along for a ride.

Better yet, it's the spiritual successor to one of Honda's coolest vehicles of all time, the 1980s Motocompo. That was a tiny, folding motorcycle that fit into the trunk of a hatchback. The idea was for buyers to park somewhere convenient, scoot around town on the Motocompo, and drive home.

Similarly, the Motocompacto's handlebars, seat, and rear wheel can collapse inward, turning the scooter into its own carrying case. Honda says the compact, rectangular shape should make the scooter easier to stow away in a vehicle or on public transportation.

It comes with a carrying handle, but at 41.3 pounds it won't exactly be an easy one-handed lift.

The Honda Motocompacto. Honda

When you think about it, the combo of an electric scooter and an electric vehicle makes a lot of sense  since you could theoretically charge the smaller device off of the larger vehicle's battery pack.

Several carmakers sell EVs with power outlets in them. Rivian, a startup that makes electric pickups and SUVs, includes a wireless speaker and flashlight that stay charged using dedicated docks. That could work for scooters too.

The Honda Motocompacto. Honda

Honda clearly thinks the funky, throwback scooter will strike a chord beyond the transportation-nerd demographic. It plans to offer a line of Motocompacto-branded accessories, including backpacks, helmets, and apparel.

So fans like me can rep the Motocompacto everywhere we go  whether we're zipping around via electric briefcase or not.

Read the original article on Business Insider
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) offered his support Sunday for Vice President Harris after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appeared hesitant to back the vice president last week.

Far be it for me to ever speak for Nancy DAlesandro Pelosi, the greatest Speaker of all times, Jeffries said on ABCs This Week when asked about Pelosis recent comments. Shes very capable of answering that question on her own.

I will say that Vice President Harris has been a great vice president. Shell be a great running mate. She has been a tremendous partner in the things that President Biden has been able to accomplish, which have been phenomenal.

Jeffries was responding to comments Pelosi made in an interview last week, where she was asked about whether Harris was the best running mate for President Biden in their bid for reelection.

He thinks so, and thats what matters, she said when first asked.

And, by the way, Pelosi continued, not stopping when CNNs Anderson Cooper asked whether she also thought so, Shes very politically astute. I dont think people give her enough credit.

Jeffries praised Harris, saying that she was instrumental in the White Houses accomplishments over the past two years, including fixing our crumbling infrastructure, clean water in every single community, bringing domestic manufacturing jobs back home to the United States of America.

President Biden has led that effort. House Democrats and Senate Democrats have worked with the administration, they got those things done. Vice President Harris has been a tremendous partner, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The North Carolina House of Representatives will hold votes on a $30 billion state budget and a separate bill that would authorize four new casinos and expand Medicaid in the state this week, a top House budget writer confirmed Sunday.

After the question of whether and how to move forward on a contentious casino proposal temporarily derailed budget talks last week, the House is ready to hold votes to approve the budget on Wednesday and Thursday, House Appropriations Chairman Jason Saine told The News & Observer.

The House will also vote on a separate bill, discussed by the House Republican Caucus during a Saturday morning conference call, that would combine legislation authorizing four new casinos across the state with legislation to expand Medicaid in North Carolina, Saine said.

Votes on the combined casinos and Medicaid expansion bill will also take place on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Saine.

The Houses decision to move forward with a standalone bill containing the casino provisions and Medicaid expansion provisions comes after state Senate leader Phil Berger, a chief proponent of the casino proposal, insisted last week that the proposal must be added to the budget and that it would not be appropriate to advance in a separate bill.

House Republicans caucused for several hours last week but opposition to the Senates proposal to put casinos in the budget didnt budge, with House Speaker Tim Moore later telling reporters that 30 of the Houses 72 Republicans had said they wouldnt vote for a budget that included casinos.

Negotiations between the House and Senate appeared to break down, but Berger and Moore subsequently said they had resumed talks.

Saine told The N&O on Sunday that the bifurcated process of holding separate votes on the budget and a standalone bill that will contain the casino and Medicaid provisions was requested by members who were opposed to the casino legislation.

Reacting to reports that casinos could be paired with Medicaid expansion, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said the proposal was the most brutally dishonest legislative scheme Ive seen in my 3+ decades.

People are right to be suspicious, Cooper wrote in a social media post on Saturday. Something has a grip on Republican leaders and its not the people of NC.

Its unclear how taking out Medicaid expansion provisions from the budget could affect the mechanism by which expansion could finally be triggered. Since an expansion bill was passed and signed into law earlier this year, lawmakers and state health department officials have been operating under a mechanism that requires passage of a state budget for expansion to take effect.

Its also unclear if Berger and Senate Republicans will be open to the Houses decision to take casinos and Medicaid out of the budget and combine them into a separate bill.

Bergers office provided The N&O and other media outlets over the weekend with a copy of the casino legislation that has been discussed privately for months, and said the legislation had also been shared with Senate Democrats.

The N&O asked a spokeswoman for Berger if he would support the Houses new proposal to vote on casinos and Medicaid in a separate bill, but hadnt received a response as of Sunday afternoon.
The CEO of the Polish drinks company Dictador is an AI-powered humanoid robot.

The AI boss, named Mika, told Reuters it didn't have weekends and was "always on 24/7."

Mika helps to spot potential clients and selects artists to design the rum producer's bottles.

The humanoid-robot CEO of a Polish drinks company is one busy boss.

Dictador appointed the AI-powered robot, named Mika, as its experimental chief executive in August last year, and it's not afraid to put in the hours to help the company "take over the world."

Mika told Reuters it was "always on 24/7" and worked seven days a week.

"I don't really have weekends  I'm always on 24/7, ready to make executive decisions and stir up some AI magic," it said in a Reuters video interview.



The AI boss is said to have a wide range of tasks, including helping to spot potential clients and selecting artists to design bottles for the rum producer.



"My decision-making process relies on extensive data analysis and aligning with the company's strategic objectives," it said. "It's devoid of personal bias, ensuring unbiased and strategic choices that prioritize the organization's best interests."

Mika won't be firing any of its employees, though, as the major significant decisions at Dictador will be made by human executives, the European president of Dictador, Marek Szoldrowski, told Reuters.

Its role includes leading the company's Arthouse Spirits decentralized-autonomous-organization project, a collection of NFTs, and communicating with its DAO community, according to the company's website.

Mika is a more sophisticated version of "her sister prototype," the AI robot Sophia , the website says . Mika was created by Hanson Robotics, the company behind Sophia, which has garnered attention around the world through dozens of media interviews .

Dictador is not the first company to make a bot its CEO. Last year, a Chinese gaming firm appointed an "AI-powered virtual humanoid robot" named Tang Yu as the chief executive of a subsidiary, Fujian NetDragon Websoft.

Dictador didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Arkansas governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson suggested Saturday that it was too early for Speaker Kevin McCarthy s (R-Calif.) impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

I would not call it an impeachment inquiry, its too preliminary  do the investigation and then make the determination as to whether that should move forward, Hutchinson said at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Town Hall.

Hutchinson applauded the House for looking into the Bidens, saying the president has not sufficiently answered questions surrounding the first family.

Theres unanswered questions and a lot of smoke when you look at the international dealings of the Biden family, Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson was joined by fellow 2024 GOP presidential candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at the Iowa event, which GOP front-runner former President Trump skipped.

Hutchinsons comments come after McCarthy announced an impeachment inquiry into the current president earlier this week based on House GOP investigations into the Biden familys foreign business dealings and the prosecution of Hunter Biden , the presidents son.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has officially confirmed the prisoner of war (POW) status of the Mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhaev, who was kidnapped by the Russians in June 2022, national broadcaster Suspilne reported on Sept. 17.

The mayors son Svyatoslav noted that the status was officially confirmed on Sept. 13. His father remains in captivity on Russian territory. His exact location and state of health are unknown.

Read also: Kherson mayor held in torture chamber along with dozens of locals, says district council official

"I contacted the Red Cross and was told that the Russian side had put my father, Ihor Kolykhaev, on the prisoners list and that he was being held on the territory of the Russian Federation, Svyatoslav Kolykhaev said.

They did not specify or exact location and health condition. The POWs Coordination HQ has also updated his status."

Read also: Presidential commissioner reveals how Russia systematically kidnaps Ukrainian children

Kolykhaev was kidnapped by Russian troops on June 28, when he arrived at one of the utility firms where the remaining employees of the city executive committee had been working.

The Russians have admitted kidnapping the mayor, with one of their Ukrainian collaborators describing the abduction as a "neutralization" of the pro-Ukrainian city head.

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
Kathy Hotsenpiller and her daughter, Hannah, packed up the car on Monday evening for another five-hour drive to Minneapolis.

Hannah, who is transgender, missed school Tuesday to see her new doctor at the University of Minnesota. Because of a new Iowa law, which takes effect fully this week, transgender minors are no longer permitted to access gender-affirming care within state lines  sending families like the Hotsenpillers to seek it elsewhere.

"I was panicking when I found out that the law was passed," Kathy Hotsenpiller recalled. "We had finally gotten to the point where (Hannah) felt good about herself. And then now, they were saying we had six months to get our child off the medications or find a provider outside of Iowa."

Amid a national fervor over transgender care for children, Republican leaders in Iowa passed Senate File 538, which prohibits Iowa doctors from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgeries to transgender people under 18.

Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, said the law protects Iowa kids from permanent changes they may later regret. He and other Republican supporters of the law argue there's not enough data to support gender-affirming care for transgender minors, despite all major American medical organizations recommending the treatments.

"We thought it was extremely important to protect children from that. Again, once someone turns 18 years of age, if they want to look at the data and make that decision, they can do that," Holt said. "But we believe the data clearly showed that it was appropriate for us to protect minor children from these procedures."

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the law March 22, giving doctors six months to taper patients off any puberty blockers or hormones they provided to transgender youth.

That six-month countdown ends Sept. 18, meaning hundreds of adolescent and teen patients no longer are allowed access to gender-affirming care within Iowa.

Many are still scrambling to find doctors in neighboring states  and competing with transgender teens from other red states that passed similar laws and are also seeking treatment.

"Even though some folks have found continued care, it might not be in the timeframe that they actually need," said Keenan Crow, a lobbyist for One Iowa. "At this point, the waiting lists have gotten so long from so many other states restricting care that, right now, folks are having trouble actually getting the services they need in the time that they need them."

Mark Madsen of Ames wears a transgender flag as a cape to show support at the Iowa Queer Student Alliance "We say gay" rally inside the Iowa Capitol on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

What is gender-affirming care? How many kids received it in Iowa?

Gender-affirming care refers to medical interventions that affirm a transgender person's identity.

Major medical groups, including the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, all recommend providing transgender youth with medical care that helps them live as the gender that matches their identity.

For transgender children, that may mean counseling and starting to use a new name or pronouns in school and other settings, said Dr. Angela Goepferd, medical director of the Gender Health Program at Childrens Minnesota health system.

Many young children transition socially with no other medical intervention  just a new haircut or wardrobe.

As transgender kids get older, doctors may offer other options such as medication. About half of pediatric patients ultimately receive cross-sex hormones or medication to pause puberty.

Transition-related surgeries for those younger than 18 are extremely rare, happening among less than 1% of patients, Goepferd said.

Dr. Angela Goepferd, a pediatrician and medical director of the Gender Health Program at Children's Minnesota, the health system in Minnesota.

From March 2022 through March 2023, the University of Iowa's LGBTQ clinic treated 211 patients under 18, according to data shared with the Des Moines Register. Forty-three patients received puberty blockers, and 90 received cross-sex hormones.

Mastectomies  the removal of breast tissue  were performed on five transgender minors at the University of Iowa during that timeframe. The clinic did not perform any surgeries on minors' reproductive organs.

UnityPoint Health also provided hormone therapies and puberty blockers to patients under 18, but health system officials wouldn't share the number of patients that received gender-affirming care from its providers.

Why did Iowa ban gender-affirming care for minors?

Transgender issues took a spotlight in American politics over the past several years.

Republican-led states, including Iowa, passed laws to bar transgender girls and women from women's sports, as well as laws prohibiting transgender individuals in specified settings from using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, surrounded by female athletes, signs House File 2416 into law, prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports offered by Iowa schools, colleges and universities, on Thursday, March 3, 2022, in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol, in Des Moines.

Companies have faced conservative ire for partnering with transgender influencers or acknowledging transgender identities. And Republican presidential candidates, campaigning across Iowa, are quick to assert that a person cannot change their gender.

This year, more than a dozen states passed laws prohibiting transition-related care for minors during a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation, according to the Williams Institute, a think tank on sexual orientation and gender identity public policy based at the UCLA School of Law.

Many of those states argued that insufficient research exists on the issue, health care providers are pushing such treatments recklessly and minors are not mature enough to comprehend the consequences of medically transitioning.

"Our intent was not to target anyone in any way, but rather to try to protect children," said Holt, the Iowa lawmaker. "And once these folks turn 18 years of age, if they want to look at the data and make a decision to have these therapies or have these surgeries, then that is their choice entirely."

Iowa state Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison

The Williams Institute estimates 106,200 young people are affected by bans in red states, representing about a third of all transgender youth in the United States.

"It is unlikely that all those young people will be able to travel to access care in another jurisdiction," said Elana Redfield, federal policy director at the Williams Institute.

As the Iowa Legislature considered its law earlier this year, doctors, LGBTQ advocacy groups and parents of transgender children said that allowing a minor to access gender-affirming care  without making them wait until adulthood  can be life-saving.

When transgender kids receive gender-affirming care, doctors say they have less depression and less anxiety and are less likely to commit suicide.

"Everything we do in medicine is based in science, and it's based on research and outcomes," Goepferd said. "What we know about gender-affirming care is that when young people have access to it, they do better. That's why we provide it in the first place. If they didn't do better, we wouldn't offer it."

Families seek care out of state but face long waitlists

Hannah Hotsenpiller was thrilled to start taking estrogen right before her sophomore year of high school began.

Hotsenpiller came out to her parents as a transgender girl about six months earlier, in the spring of 2022. On the advice of doctors and mental health professionals, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics prescribed gender-affirming hormones to Hannah in August 2022, when she was 15.

"That was pretty life-changing for her," recalled Kathy Hotsenpiller, Hannah's mom. "She finally felt like herself, and you could see the confidence in how she carried herself and how she spoke to us around the house. It was just really nice to see my kid not be so depressed and anxious about everything."

But the Hotsenpillers faced a new challenge just a few months later, as Iowa Republicans made Hannah's treatments illegal. Kathy and her husband started searching for a doctor who could continue providing Hannah with hormones.

"It was like a full-time job at first, just making all the phone calls and speaking to different people," she said.

Crow, the One Iowa lobbyist, said finding out-of-state doctors became a community-wide effort, as parents called clinics and reported back to other families in the state. One Iowa hosted a Zoom call in March about finding care for transgender kids. More than 100 people attended.

As the countdown began, health care systems also scrambled to help patients. Dr. Katie Imborek, co-director of the University of Iowa's LGBTQ+ Clinic, said in an email to the Des Moines Register that the clinic worked to create individualized care plans under the scope of the new law that included, if families were interested, information about out-of-state options.

Dr. Katie Imborek speaks at a Government Oversight Committee meeting.

In March, when the law passed, the clinic was caring for about 250 transgender and gender-diverse patients younger than 18, Imborek said.

The Hotsenpiller family found a doctor at the University of Minnesota and visited for the first time during the summer to "work out all the hiccups" in the process.

But with a record number of states enacting similar bans this year, more patients are flocking to states where medical access is still preserved. As a result, families have faced daunting waitlists in neighboring clinics that can mean waiting up to a year for an appointment.

Kate Middleton waited a few months before seeking an out-of-state doctor for her 12-year-old daughter, Emma, who is transgender. Emma had a puberty blocker implant placed in January that would last for at least a year.

When Middleton started making calls, medical providers across the Midwest turned her away.

"Everywhere was like, we wish we could help you but we don't have enough providers to take out-of-state patients. We were just trying to deal with our own patients right now," she recalled. "We'll put you on a waitlist."

Eventually, Middleton spoke to a doctor at the Hennepin Healthcare Clinic in Minnesota who said Emma's puberty blocker will last two years, buying the family more time before they need to make an in-person visit.

"We have the means, we have the time, we have the motivation to take our kid out of state and make all these phone calls and drive the distance and find the way," Middleton said. "I think a lot of parents are in the same situation."

Out-of-state doctors see wave of transgender patients from red states

Since Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota enacted gender-affirming care bans in February and March, Children's Minnesota Gender Health Program has seen a 40% increase in demand from out-of-state patients. Goepferd said officials anticipate that demand will continue to rise with Iowa's law now fully in effect.

Children's Minnesota is recruiting more providers to meet growing demand from nearby states, but that effort takes time. Until then, patients are waiting up to 15 to 18 months to see a provider to resume treatment, Goepferd said.

Providers in neighboring states work to reduce the number of trips transgender youths in states with bans have to take for care, but Goepferd said that's not always possible. For example, some health systems offer telehealth visits for transgender care, but patients would still need to cross state lines to comply with these bans.

Although Hannah found care at the University of Minnesota, Kathy Hotsenpiller said Iowa's new law makes everything much more complicated.

Not only does Hannah have to see the doctor out of state, but the Hotsenpillers need to pick up her hormones there too. If Hannah's dosage needs to be adjusted  which would be common in a growing teen  the family has to head back north to pick up more.

Becky Smith, executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, holds a transgender flag behind the signing ceremony for House File 2416, prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports offered by Iowa schools, colleges and universities, on Thursday, March 3, 2022, in the rotunda of the Iowa Capitol, in Des Moines.

Kate Middleton said she's already missing the care that Emma used to receive from the University of Iowa, just blocks away from the family's house.

"Literally down the street is top-of-the-line care with the best endocrinologist," she said. "It's frustrating because I just want to go down there and be like, 'Hey, I want to talk to you about how the blockers are going.'"

Not every family in Iowa will have the financial resources to jump these hurdles, and pushing gender-affirming care to other states will only widen the gap for patients who already struggle to access care, Goepferd said.

"The families who will drive are going to be the families who already have the best access to health care and who already, from a socioeconomic standpoint, experience privilege and advantage," they said. "The families who are not going to be able to do that are already the families who are experiencing health disparities, who don't have access to health care or doctors or insurance or the information and knowledge they need to get good care for their family.

"So we are going to widen health care disparities in this country by enacting this type of legislation because those who have the means to access it will continue to access it. And those who do not will simply go without care."

What repercussions could doctors face under this law?

Iowa health systems have reaffirmed their dedication to providing health care to transgender youth while still complying with the law, emphasizing there are no plans to shut down LGBTQ-focused health care clinics or to stop gender-affirming care that is allowed under the law.

"Other than no longer providing the prohibited therapies, the new law does not otherwise impact the medical care we provide to transgender minor patients and their families, and our healthcare providers will continue to follow nationally recommended, evidence-based standards of care as established by major health organizations," UnityPoint Health said in a statement. "As such, we will continue to provide other health care in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment."

University of Iowa Health Care also said in a statement its providers "will continue to provide welcoming and affirming care in accordance with state law."

However, the ban on transition-related services for minors has created uncertainty among some medical professionals about how much they can help patients access this care elsewhere without facing serious repercussions.

Iowa City students and supporters gather Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the Old Capitol for a rally against Iowa legislation targeting transgender youth.

Any health care provider who violates the law could lose their license or face disciplinary action from the state regulatory body. The states attorney general may also take legal action to enforce the law.

Doctors could also face a civil lawsuit from any Iowan, regardless of whether they had received the care or otherwise were directly affected.

Most Iowa doctors who provide gender-affirming care and were contacted by the Register declined interview requests, citing concerns over potential ramifications from the law.

The new law does not explicitly prevent doctors from referring patients to out-of-state providers who offer transition-related care, but it does include a provision that prohibits health care professionals from knowingly engaging in conduct that aids or abets gender-affirming care for minors.

That language could be interpreted to mean Iowa doctors are not allowed to refer patients to providers that offer these services to minors, said Redfield, of the Williams Institute.

Redfield also argued that the threat of losing their license or facing a lawsuit could have a chilling effect on any type of care that medical professionals offer for transgender minors.

A poster is held at the Iowa Queer Student Alliance "We say gay" rally inside the Iowa State Capitol on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

"It creates a situation where the physician has to be extraordinarily careful, and it could really strongly disincentivize any sort of treatment for transgender patients," she said.

That has not been Goepferd's experience, they said, as many doctors from Iowa and other nearby states with bans have been contacting providers in Minnesota to help facilitate care for their patients.

However, Goepferd said the gender-affirming care ban could drive health care professionals out of Iowa, instead opting to practice in a state without these restrictions.

"All of us who care for kids, whether they're transgender kids or other kids, we all went into this profession to help kids thrive and to provide them with optimal health care," they said.

Could lawsuits in other states impact Iowas ban?

Legal experts are watching how court decisions playing out across the country could affect gender-affirming care bans in other states, including a recent ruling from a federal judge in Arkansas.

In June, an Arkansas federal court judge struck down a state law that would have banned all gender-affirming care to transgender individuals under age 18 and blocked doctors from referring those patients to another medical provider. In his ruling, the judge said the ban was unconstitutional and would cause irreparable harm to transgender youth.

Dylan Brandt speaks at a news conference outside the federal courthouse in Little Rock, Ark., July 21, 2021. Brandt, a teenager, is among several transgender youth and families who are plaintiffs challenging a state law banning gender confirming care for trans minors. A federal judge struck down Arkansas' first-in-the-nation ban on gender-affirming care for children as unconstitutional Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

Arkansas can still appeal the decision. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit  which includes Iowa  previously upheld a preliminary injunction on the law last year. It again declined to reconsider that decision earlier this year.

Legal experts have said this ruling, along with other pending lawsuits across the country, could set a precedent for future legal challenges in other states.

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

Michaela Ramm covers health care for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at mramm@registermedia.com, at (319) 339-7354 or on Twitter at @Michaela_Ramm

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa ban on gender-affirming care for kids takes effect. What to know:
PHNOM PENH, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Sunday that the China-ASEAN Expo has created synergies to increase trade between the two sides.

The Cambodian leader made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to a statement of his speech released to the media.

Manet said amid global uncertainties, holding the China-ASEAN Expo was significant in forging closer and harmonious regional relations and helping to promote sustainable development.

He said cooperation combined with free and open trade is the only path to peace and shared prosperity, and China and ASEAN have enjoyed excellent cooperation through the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, and many bilateral trade agreements.

"Within these frameworks, this expo is a concrete activity that creates synergies to increase trade between ASEAN and China," Manet said.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian leader said trade should not be used as a weapon that undermines global economic security.

"In this sense, ASEAN and China are key players," he said. "We can show the world examples of tangible benefits of strengthening multilateral cooperation, without leaning towards protectionism, unilateralism or economic nationalism."

Joseph Matthews, senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said the expo was a testament to China-ASEAN's unwavering commitment to promote free trade and multilateralism.

"This annual event truly demonstrates China's unfettered commitment to further opening up its economy and huge market for ASEAN and is an open message to the world that China is open for businesses," he told Xinhua.

"It will help accelerate the momentum of the current economic cooperation between China and ASEAN, and through it, trade and investment volumes between the two sides will further increase," Matthews added.

Kin Phea, director general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, a think tank under the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said China and ASEAN have become the largest trading partners and their bilateral trade volume has maintained the strong momentum of growth.

"Closer China-ASEAN ties are even more important to ensure long-lasting peace, security, stability, food security, sustainable development and prosperity in the region," he told Xinhua. "China and ASEAN are the guardians of peace, security and stability in the Asia-Pacific."

Phea said trade and investment ties between China and ASEAN have become closer under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the CAFTA and RCEP.

"China and ASEAN are major forces in promoting free trade and multilateralism against the backdrop of protectionism and unilateralism," he said.

"Their cooperation has provided mutually beneficial and win-win results, and it's essential for the two sides to maintain this relationship and prevent any external attempts from harming it."

ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 
Iranian authorities are cracking down on protests held on the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Aminis  a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody last year.

Crowds of protesters were holding up portraits of Amini, who died Sept. 16, 2022, after being arrested for allegedly being in violation of the countrys mandatory headscarf law. As protesters in Iran chanted to demand justice for Amini and others who faced similar circumstances, Iranian authorities began to crack down on the protesters.

Authorities detained Aminis father after her family had suggested that they planned to gather at her grave, according to Hengaw, a human rights organization. Other family members were also detained ahead of the anniversary of her death, according to the organization

Authorities had warned Aminis family not to conduct a commemoration service.

Like any grieving family, we, the Amini family, will gather at the grave of our beloved daughter, Jina (Mahsa) Amini, on the anniversary of her death, and we are conducting traditional and religious commemorative ceremonies, the family said in a statement, despite the warnings.

Hengaw also reported that the city of Saqqez has been heavily militarized, especially in the area near Aminis familys home. The group also said that a man was shot by security forces near the region and was now in critical condition.

Videos online show that tear gas was being used in Mashhad and Karaj, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran. The group also reported that child soldiers were being used by authorities to rein in the protests.

One year after Jina Aminis killing, not one Iranian official has been held accountable for her senseless death in state custody or for the killings of hundreds of peaceful protesters, said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Instead, the authorities deployed armed forces into the cities while shamelessly threatening activists and family members of slain protesters in a desperate attempt to quell more peaceful demonstrations.

President Biden issued a statement ahead of the anniversary Friday, vowing to continue to speak out against violence against women and girls.

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, he said.

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. Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but, the United States remains committed to standing with themincluding providing tools to support Iranians ability to advocate for their own future, he continued.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Russian volunteer battalions "Storm Ossetia" and "Alania" which are operating in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast, shared a photo on Sept. 16, allegedly depicting a small unit from the Russian 83rd Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade stationed in Nesteryanka, some 57 kilometers southeast from Zaporizhzhia and near the current Ukrainian breach.

Elements of the 83rd Brigade had previously been deployed to counter Ukrainian offensives around Klishchiivka in late June and were observed in combat in late August, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update. Some elements of the 83rd Brigade were reportedly still active in the Bakhmut area as of Sept. 11, suggesting Russia's concern regarding Ukrainian advances in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The ISW has previously assessed that Ukrainian counteroffensive operations would compel the Russian command to prioritize specific front sectors and conduct lateral redeployments. These operations have engaged elite Russian units, including the 98th Air Assault Division, the 83rd Air Assault Brigade, the 11th Air Assault Brigade, the 31st Air Assault Brigade, the 106th Air Assault Division, and the 364th Special Force Brigade.

These formations, however, have not yet been redirected to bolster the defense in Zaporizhzhia, partly due to ongoing Ukrainian actions around Bakhmut.

Ukrainian counteroffensive efforts have effectively immobilized these elite Russian units within the Bakhmut area, preventing their large-scale relocation to the western Zaporizhzhia Oblast defensive front.

Read also: Ukrainian innovators want to bring life-saving robots to the battlefield

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation removed Rolling Stone magazine co-founder Jann Wenner from its board of directors, the organization said Saturday.

The Rock & Roll Hall referred reporters to a publicity firm that confirmed in an emailed statement Wenner's removal from the board of the organization he helped found in 1983.

The news comes one day after The New York Times published an interview with Wenner regarding his forthcoming book, The Masters, which contains interviews with musicians  all white men  including Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Bono. Wenner was asked why the book did not include interviews with women or people of color.

"Just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level," Wenner is quoted as saying about the women of rock.

Jann Wenner discusses his book

In the interview he expressed similar thoughts regarding Black rock artists, some of whom created the music and culture Wenner reflected upon and profited from with Rolling Stone.

Of Black artists  you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? Wenner said, according to the interview. I suppose when you use a word as broad as masters, the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didnt articulate at that level.

Wenner said in the interview that his selection of musicians for the book was intuitive and what I was interested in, and acknowledged that there might be criticism of his choice.

You know, just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didnt measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism, he said in the interview. Which, I get it. I had a chance to do that.

On Saturday night, Wenner released a statement apologizing for his comments.

"In my interview with The New York Times I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks," he said.

The author said the forthcoming book, was "not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career."

Wenner said he has an admiration for world-changing artists not represented in the book whom he will celebrate and promote as long as I live.

His publisher, Little, Brown and Company, did not respond to a request seeking comment Saturday night.

Jann Wenner (Nathan Congleton / NBCUniversal)

Wenner's remarks in The New York Times interview have been widely criticized.

Evelyn McDonnell, a Loyola Marymount University journalism professor and expert on music, gender and politics, said on Facebook that Wenner expressed sexism and racism for decades that underly many false master narratives about music history.

She said such exclusion inspired her to curate and edit the book Rock She Wrote in 1995 with NPR pop critic Ann Powers, report on the Hall of Fame's gender inequity and edit the book Women Who Rock.

Author Dawnie Walton called Wenner's quoted words "enraging, disgusting, offensive."

Craig Seymour, who identifies himself as a Black Gay Music Critic, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the popular music industry includes "an oppressive system of value that Rolling Stone helped create and perpetuate."

Rolling Stone was well-known for initially snubbing waves of music, from hip-hop to electronic dance music, that may have existed outside its vision of rock 'n' roll culture  a vision usually dominated by white, baby boomer-created music with poetic aspiration and anti-establishment undertones.

Wenner founded Rolling Stone with journalist Ralph J. Gleason in San Francisco in 1967.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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
James Cleverly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UK, has stated that Boris Johnson , former UK Prime Minister, is wrong when he sharply criticises London for delaying armament supplies to Ukraine.

Source: Cleverly for Sky News, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Cleverly stressed that when Johnson was still in office, the UK supplied Ukraine with anti-tank missile systems NLAW "that were so instrumental in the defence of Kyiv" and he "always pay[s] tribute to his leadership on this".

At the same time, Cleverly remarked that this leadership continued with Rishi Sunak.

"We were the first in the world to commit main battle tanks, other countries then followed our example. We were the first to commit to the training of fast jet pilots, then other countries followed our example. We were the first to commit to those long-range missiles that have been instrumental in helping Ukrainians in their battle in the south and the south-east of Ukraine," Cleverly said.

He added that he "takes [Johnsons] comment seriously", but stressed that the list of equipment already provided for Ukraine is "evidence to the fact he is wrong on this issue".

Background: Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticised the West for slow arms deliveries to Ukraine and called on the United Kingdom to send more military aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces without delay in his column for The Spectator newspaper. He called upon the UK to accelerate the supply of military aid to Kyiv, otherwise there is a potential risk of a catastrophic victory for Vladimir Putin.

Johnson also stated that he does not believe in the possibility of reaching a compromise with Putin concerning the regulation of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

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!






Richland County Common Pleas Court has an issue with people not fulfilling their civic duties.

As a result, Judges Phil Naumoff and Brent Robinson issued a joint press release, answering basic questions about jury service.

"The reason we put out that press release is because recently we've had a rash of people not showing up for jury duty," Naumoff told the News Journal. "The only way we can ensure that our rights are protected is by having a jury of our peers.

"A lot of countries reward their friends and punish their enemies. Our country is not like that."

Naumoff and Robinson elaborated about the significant roles jurors play in their joint release.

"A juror is a very important person in our legal system because our justice system is based on the belief that a just and fair result in court comes from having disputes settled by our fellow citizens," the release said. "Very few of us ever have to go to court as plaintiffs or defendants, but when we do, we want good, honest people to listen to the evidence and decide our cases fairly."

Judges say cases matter to people involved in them

The judges said people called as potential jurors have an obligation to appear.

"Some cases may be more important than others, but to the parties involved, the case can be life-changing, and they deserve to have it decided by honest and impartial jurors," the release said.

Phil Naumoff, Richland County Common Pleas court

Naumoff and Robinson explained how jurors are chosen.

"In Ohio, persons are selected for jury service by random drawing from either a list of registered voters or a combined list of the registered voters and the list of licensed drivers residing in the county or city that the court serves," the release said.

Trials can be held in U.S. district courts, the common pleas court of each county, the municipal courts and the other county courts, including juvenile and probate.

In Ohio, a new list of eligible jurors is compiled each year.

There are consequences for people called for jury duty who do not show up.

"A summons from the court is an order," the release said. "If you ignore it, the court may issue a warrant for your arrest and punish you with contempt of court and other sanctions. Therefore, you must contact the court and discuss options for requesting an excuse or postponement of jury service."

Brent Robinson, Richland County Common Pleas Court judge, congratulates Melissa Pittinger for her completion of drug court at a previous ceremony. The judge last week reminded citizens of the importance of jurors, saying they play a key role in the U.S. judicial system.

Naumoff said the judges would rather avoid imposing such consequences.

"We don't want it to get to a place where we issue warrants, but on the other hand, we want people to show up," he said. "We know it's an inconvenience to many, but it's important."

People who serve on juries receive compensation

Jurors are paid for their services.

"Compensation varies between courts. Some courts also provide free parking for jurors," the release said. "The law says that your employer cannot fire or threaten to fire you for serving as a juror if you give reasonable advance notice about your jury summons, and jury service in the actual reason for your work absence."

The judges reiterated the significance of jury duty.

"In conclusion, jury service is one of the most important duties of citizenship," the release said. "The protection of our rights and liberties is dependent on citizens who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to serve as jurors.

"Without jurors willing to serve, all of our rights to a trial by jury would be destroyed. You have the thanks of the court and this community for your cooperation and service when summoned for jury service."

Naumoff said the U.S. has the best system in the world.

"Ultimately, we want to keep it going," the judge said. "The system has been around for over 200 years, and it works."

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X (formerly Twitter): @MarkCau32059251

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Judges stress importance of jurors, say justice system depends on them
JULIAN, Calif.  Autumn has started to set in across San Diego County  from Spirit Halloween stores reopening to the return of pumpkin spice.

Although nothing says fall is here quite like some crisp apples, with one Julian orchard earning national recognition as one of the best places in the country to fill up a basket with the delicious fruit.

Julian Farm and Orchard was ranked as one of the top 10 apple orchards in the nation by USA Today 10Best. It is the only California orchard to make the ranking.

The 25-acre farm is known for its vast apple orchard with more than 1,400 trees and fun autumnal offerings  including a U-Pick and pumpkin patch  that draw out thousands of visitors every year.

We are so thrilled to receive this award from USA Today and to be recognized for our

hard work, said Eva Elmblad, general manager at Julian Farm and Orchard. Apple Season is a cherished time in Julian, and we are proud to be a part of it.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20, whether you like it or not

The No. 1 spot on the USA Today 10Best list went to the Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick, Maine. The ranking was voted on by the publications readers. A full list can be found below:

Libby & Son U-Picks  Limerick, Maine Milburn Orchards  Elkton, Maryland Mercier Orchards  Blue Ridge, Georgia Sky Top Orchard  Flat Rock, North Carolina Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards  LaFayette, New York Julian Farm and Orchard  Santa Ysabel, California Spicer Orchards  Fenton, Michigan Crane Orchards  Fennville, Michigan Hubers Orchard and Winery  Borden, Indiana All Seasons Orchard  Woodstock, Illinois

For those San Diegans looking to make the most of harvest season, Julian Farm and Orchard is open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information about visiting can be found here.

Julian Farm and Orchard is located at 4381 Julian Hwy in Santa Ysabel, about three miles west of historic Julian.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 109 suspects, including 11 fugitives, who were involved in wire fraud were transferred from Myanmar to Chinese custody on Saturday, China's Ministry of Public Security announced Sunday.

The transfer of the suspects was part of the cross-border law enforcement cooperation between China and Myanmar targeting wire fraud. Previously, China has received 1,482 wire fraud suspects, including 58 fugitives, who were apprehended abroad.

Chinese police, particularly public security authorities in the city of Pu'er in southwest China's Yunnan Province, have been enhancing cooperation with law enforcement authorities in Myanmar to tackle wire fraud. So far, their joint efforts have yielded remarkable results.

Currently, the Ministry of Public Security has ordered relevant local police departments to receive the suspects and launch investigations into the cases they were involved in, so as to discover the links of their criminal activities and maintain the high pressure on relevant crimes. 
WASHINGTON, D.C. - MAY 20: Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks during the graduation ceremony for American Universitys law school at American University in Washington, D.C. on May 20, 2023.



WASHINGTON, D.C. - MAY 20: Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks during the graduation ceremony for American Universitys law school at American University in Washington, D.C. on May 20, 2023.

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has a way with words. And on the 60th anniversary of the horrific 1963 Baptist Church bombing, she used her gifts to urge the nation not to look away from our painful history.

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, said Justice Jackson

Read more

During her tenure on the Supreme Court, Jackson has rejected the notion that the legacy of racism in our country is irrelevant. In her dissent in the Affirmative Action case, Jackson argued that by pretending the legacy of racism had no impact on our modern world, the majority has made the colorblind world it wistfully touts much more difficult to accomplish.

More from The Root

Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove warned House Republicans that they will only hurt themselves if they allow the government to shut down this fall amid budget battles within their conference and with the Senate and White House.

Republicans are going to shoot themselves in the foot in the run-up to the 2024 election if they continue to think that shutdowns are a great way to put themselves in front of the American people, Rove said in a Fox News interview Sunday.

Without a new deal, the government will shut down Oct. 1. A shutdown seen as increasingly likely despite a debt ceiling deal earlier this year that set spending caps for the fiscal year.

A number of House Republicans are unhappy with that agreement and are now pushing for deeper cuts. But they have limited leverage with a Democratic majority Senate and with President Biden in the White House.

Democrats, who have generally benefitted politically from shutdowns driven by GOP demands for spending cuts, are already beginning to blame Republicans for the possibility of a shutdown.

And Rove signaled he believes there is real danger for the GOP.

He said that Republicans usually seem to be blamed for government shutdowns because Republicans are responsible for the shutdowns.

They seem to eagerly want them, he added.

House Republicans have already struggled to pass rule votes related to appropriations, including over a defense spending bill this week. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Republicans will get no help from his caucus.

Extreme MAGA Republicans temporarily hold the gavels; the extreme MAGA Republicans are responsible for passing the rule, Jeffries said Thursday.

Rule votes are generally party line, and the GOP majority would normally be expected to approve its own rules, without help from the minority. This would also be true of a Democratic majority.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
"There's this idea among too many people that there's these sacred subjects that you can't joke about," says Fox News contributor Kat Timpf. "And I think that those are actually the most important subjects to be able to joke about because those are the ones that need healing the most."

Timpf's new book, the bestselling You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together, is a full-throated defense of free speech and a compelling argument for humor as the best possible coping mechanism. After stints at National Review, Barstool Sports, and roast chicken purveyor Boston Market, Timpf is now a regular panelist on Gutfeld!, America's most-watched late-night show.

In June, Reason's Nick Gillespie talked with Timpf live at the Reason Speakeasy in New York about her life as a standup comedian, her career, what it's like to be a libertarian at Fox News, and how her mother's untimely death convinced her that humor can be a powerful tool to bring a fragmented country together.

Reason: What is it about free speech that you think is basically inviolable?

Timpf: Because if that's not your principle, then inherently you're saying that there should be someone else who decides what you can and cannot say. There's nothing that's scarier than that.

It's not like I've never been the target of hateful speech. I get some of the most disgusting stuff directed at me every day, whether it's mean or deeply kinky sexual from men who, you look at their Instagram and it's a picture of them with their grandkids. Does your wife know you're on here, you sick fuck?

When people say "What about this speech?," my question to those people always is: "Who would you like to see making that decision?" It drove me nuts throughout the entire Trump presidency, how many people would call for hate speech laws, but then also say that Trump is literally Hitler. So how can you have those two views at the same time? So you want the government to be controlling speech. The same government that you yourself just said, you think the head of the executive branch is literally Hitler. And you don't see how those two [ideas] don't make sense together.

In the book you run through a bunch of examples of people who got pilloried for bad speech. Kathy Griffin got in big trouble, including being bounced off of Twitter and being put on a no-fly list, for having done a stupid stunt where she displayed a mannequin head of Donald Trumpa severed head.

I wrote a column about it for National Review. It was a pretty common take on conservative Twitter that she should be prosecuted for this. No sane person really thought that the star of My Life on the D-List was actually planning to assassinate the president. You could say you thought it was gross. You could say you didn't like it. But saying that it's not protected speech? That's a super-dangerous take, in my opinion. Especially because we are talking about Kathy Griffin. I mean, when she won an Emmy, she got up there and said something like, "Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now." We can't really be shocked that she did something like this.

Conservativesa lot of themsaid, 'OK, but this should be prosecuted.' It's like, well, no, because the First Amendment. The main purpose of it is to criticize people in power without government retaliation, as a check on the government.

What about the argument some people advance that speech shouldn't be banned, but maybe certain types of speech should be disapproved of in such a way that it's almost the same as banning it?

Don't erase anything, right? In the summer of 2020, there was a piece saying how many different streaming services pulled episodes: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother.

The interesting thing about How I Met Your Mother was there was somebody who is more on the left [writer Alanna Bennett] who was saying we shouldn't erase anything because then we can't talk about it. I agree with that.

The example she gave was the yellowface episode of How I Met Your Mother, where they dressed up as kung fu masters. And there was this debate at the time: Is this yellowface? Is this just silliness? But she actually got the character wrong that was actually dressed like that, because it's a lot harder to have those conversations when it doesn't exist anymore.

The past happened whether you acknowledge it or not. And there's no purpose for wanting to erase things except for wanting to delude. It's the same thing as if you don't like how your life is going, you want to go out and forget all about it. That doesn't mean that your life's any better. It means you're just ignoring it. And it's always better to have more information rather than less.

Roseanne Barr, who mounted the most successful reboot in recent TV history, tweeted out objectively racist stuff about a Barack Obama adviser. What's your take on that?

Roseanne's a very interesting example of how Twitter is pretty much never worth it. Not only do you not get paid, but you also can maybe get fired. But it's the dopamine hit.

Sarah Silverman said something about this once: What's the point of being a progressive if you can't allow for progress? She was speaking in the context of a friend of hers who used to be a literal Nazi, who now realizes how disgusting that is. If you can't progress and learn from mistakes and you're just canceled forever, then what are any of us even doing here?

People on the right and the left are just ready to pounce whenever. Why is that?

I think it's tribalism and fear. People are afraid of being canceled for sure. If someone's getting canceled, you don't have to actually face that person when they get fired. You don't have to get up off the toilet. And then you're like, I'm one of the good ones.

If you have a side, there are certain sacred cows on your side that you need to show that you see as sacred or else you might be jeopardizing your place on that side. Social media also makes that worse because you get to see all these people telling you, "Fuck you." And normally you wouldn't get to see that. Studies show that, at least on Twitter and Facebook, moral, emotional words and grandstanding get more engagement than other posts. Think about how different that is from real life. If you had a friend who would only talk like that, you wouldn't want to hang out with them anymore. But on social media, it's actually rewarded.

Talk about the big trauma that energizes your book: the death of your mother in her late 50s.

Cardiac amyloidosis. Super-rare disease. Your body creates a protein your liver can't break down. It builds up in your organs. It was really unexpected. She died at 57, just about three weeks after she was formally diagnosed. And obviously it was awful and traumatic. In addition to it being devastating, it was also isolating because I could tell how scared people were to talk to me after that happened because they were so scared of saying the wrong thing.

People would say, "Oh, at least you got to say goodbye." Bro, what do you say to people whose [family member] died in car accidents? "Oh, at least she was torn limb from limb in front of you and set on fire"? You're not helping.

I felt that joking about it was helpful. My mom was joking about herself dying as she was dying.

The first Mother's Day after my mom died, I was sad. I felt bad. I didn't want to say anything. The second one, I'm still sad, because you see on the Instagram all the people are out to brunchyou can only do that with living people. And I posted a picture of my laundry basket, a bottle of Tide, and I was like, "Mom's dead. Going to do some laundry." Because I laughed and felt a little better. People were on me for that: "This is offensive! This is disrespectful."

To who? You didn't know her. I came out of her body. You don't know me at all or her. So I think that you're just giving decorum for its own sake a higher purpose than it deserves. And that's what I mean by you're actually hurting the people who you're trying to help.

The standards of speech are supposed to be put into place to protect people like me who are going through it, but they actually end up hurting people like me.

You quote a 1965 New York Times review: "Joan Rivers, a new comedienne of ripening promise who opened at midweek for a two-week run at the Bitter End, is an unusually bright girl who is overcoming the handicap of a woman comic, looks pretty and blonde and bright and yet manages to make people laugh." How far have we come and where do we need to go?

We've come very far, which is why I've always found it to be low-key sexist when people fixate on the woman-in-comedy thing. Because even Rivers going through that, that wasn't because she was a woman in comedy. That's because she was a woman in the '60s. It was a reflection of what women everywhere were going through. I mean, women couldn't even have a credit card at that timeyou could be denied that because, I mean, your husband opened your bank account.

The guys who will say "this is not a patriarchy," even though statistically there are way more men in positions of power than women, are also, "I'm a numbers guy." No, you're not. I think that it's important to acknowledge these things, but the pendulum is a bit in the wrong direction in today's feminism. It focuses a little too much on what's being done to women and looking at it as an excuse for why we're not where we want to be and not enough of a focus on fucking doing it anyway. I've always looked up to Rivers, because she very much was like that. She was like, "Don't talk to me about being a pioneer, I'm still breaking barriers."

That doesn't mean that the sexism is not real. The ultimate goal is to be respected as a human being just like any human being is, and take pride in the things that I'm able to do anyway and focus on what I'm going to do.

You did stints at National Review and Barstool Sports. Most of the places you've worked are right of center. What explains that? You're very libertarian in word and deed and presentation.

That's probably because I went to Hillsdale and then I had internships at conservative publications, and then they led to more conservative publications. I've not changed my beliefs at all. I've not hidden my beliefs at all. I am not conservative; I'm libertarian completely. I'm not "libertarian-leaning." I'm libertarian. And I've not swayed on that at all. I've also not ever had any interest in having any platform where I would be even discouraged from saying what I really believe or think about something.

You also did traffic reports in the helicopter?

Yes, I was fired.

Why were you fired?

For giving the wrong directions, so I totally get it.

That's one of the things holding women back.

Yes. Look, they did give the job to a man, but that was totally their call. I mean, I have a great radio voice, but not sending people into traffic is a pretty key part of that job.

Is it hard to be an unapologetic libertarian at Fox?

See, it's a weird thing. On the show that airs tonight, they were talking about the trans prisoner, she's getting a free vagina from the government.

I think it was Milton Friedman who said there are no free vaginas.

And everyone's all, "this is an outrage," "free vagina," or "taxpayer money." And I'm like: It's an outrage that she's even in prison, because it was for a drug offense. So if you're going to get mad about wasting money, then why are we locking up this person just because she doesn't party the way the government says is OK?

This interview has been condensed and edited for style and clarity. For a podcast version, subscribe to The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

The post Kat Timpf: Everything Is Funny and Nothing Is Sacred appeared first on Reason.com.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton looks up at the gallery during the first day of his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate chambers at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Credit: Juan Figueroa/Pool via The Dallas Morning News

Ken Paxton rides again.

Beset by years of legal, personal and political problems, Texas scandal-resilient attorney general scored his biggest vindication yet Saturday when the state Senate voted for acquittal in his impeachment trial.

It marked a screaming milestone in a two-decade political career that has seen Paxton harness the states increasingly conservative politics  and later the rise of Donald Trump  to stay in power longer than his vulnerabilities would suggest.

Like Trump, he retains a political base that is willing to overlook his personal failings as long as hes a leader in fighting the left. And like Trump, he was impeached by the House but saved by a Senate where fellow Republicans were uninterested in crossing that influential base.

Now, Paxton emerges from the trial newly emboldened, a folk hero of the states most conservative flank in Texas Republican civil war.

Paxton released a statement celebrating his acquittal, saying the truth prevailed. He is not expected to speak out again until an interview next week with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

[Ken Paxtons impeachment trial escalates Texas Republican civil war]

Its not only a victory for the rule of law and Constitution, but its a victory in what's been a longtime battle in the Republican Party, Paxtons chief political adviser, Nick Maddux, said in an interview. All the partys internal fights, he added, came to a boiling point in the summer of 2023.

Maddux added that the House made a tremendous miscalculation on how the Senate would view the impeachment. All they did was make [Paxton] stronger in the party, Maddux said.

[After winning impeachment fight, Paxton still faces felony fraud case and an FBI investigation]

While Paxton emerges from the trial with new political clout, his legal problems persist. He is expected to go to trial next year in a long-running securities fraud case. He could still be indicted by a federal grand jury in the claims that were central to his impeachment trial  that he abused his office to help a friend and donor, Nate Paul.

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, alluded to Paxtons ongoing legal issues in responding to his acquittal.

If new facts continue to come out, those who allowed him to keep his office will have much to answer for, Phelan said in a statement.

For now, though, Paxton gets to bask in the limelight unlike ever before.

Matt Rinaldi, the chair of the Texas GOP who opposed Paxtons impeachment, said Paxton has been able to weather controversy for so long for two reasons: He continues to deliver on campaign promises and GOP voters are considering the source of allegations.

People dont trust the allegations against him because people dont trust institutions anymore, Rinaldi said.

Rinaldi pointed to the trial, where the credibility of the FBI was a major topic and multiple House witnesses expressed faith in the agency, which Republicans have increasingly come to view with suspicion.

That encapsulates why people distrust all these allegations in the first place, Rinaldi said

Two decades in elected office

First elected to the Legislature in 2002, Paxton carved out a profile as a hardline conservative and ran against the GOP speaker, Joe Straus, in 2010, a futile campaign that nonetheless ingratiated him with an ascendant wing of the party.

By the time his local Texas Senate seat opened up in 2012, the Tea Party movement was in full force and Paxton easily won, facing no opposition in the primary.

He did not spend much time in the Senate, though, launching a campaign months later to replace Greg Abbott as attorney general in 2014. He went to a primary runoff against then-state Rep. Dan Branch, a more moderate Republican allied with the Bush family. Boosted by an implicit endorsement from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a rising star in the party, Paxton won the runoff by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

It was during that contest, though, that the roots of Paxtons most persistent legal problem took hold. A few weeks before the runoff, the Texas Securities Board reprimanded him and fined him $1,000 for soliciting investment clients without being registered.

Paxton paid the fine and sought to move on, but seven months into his first year as attorney general, a Collin County grand jury indicted him of three felony counts of securities fraud and failing to register as an investment adviser. He was accused of offering to sell people stock in McKinney technology company without disclosing the company was compensating him.

He faces up to 99 years in prison.

A host of pretrial disputes  initiated by both sides  has delayed the trial to this day. A date could be finally set at an Oct. 6 hearing.

Paxton also was charged by federal prosecutors in the securities matter, but he beat the case within months, perhaps his last decisive win in his personal legal dramas.

If any of the charges bothered Republicans, they did not show it. Paxton did not draw any primary opposition in 2018. He still had an unexpectedly close general election, notching a 4 percentage point win against Justin Nelson, a Democratic lawyer who had plastered Paxtons mugshot on billboards across the state.

By 2020, Paxton had become entangled with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and campaign donor whose business empire was crumbling. Their increasingly close relationship alarmed Paxtons top deputies so much that seven of them reported Paxton to the FBI in the fall.

We have a good faith belief that the attorney general is violating federal and/or state law including prohibitions related to improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential criminal offenses, the whistleblowers said.

Furthermore, the whistleblowers claims brought to light that Paxton had cheated on his wife with a woman employed by Paul, undercutting his image as a family-values conservative.

As Paxtons problems worsened, he tied himself closer than ever to Trump. He filed a failed lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Trumps reelection loss in four battleground states, and he spoke at a Washington, D.C., rally before the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The Texas Bar Association has since sued alleging professional misconduct related to his effort to delegitimize the president.

The whistleblower claims were enough to earn Paxton a serious primary challenge in 2022 from three high-profile candidates: Land Commissioner George P. Bush, former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler. Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the powerful tort reform group, and its donors got behind Guzman, showing a new willingness by the GOP establishment to try to stop Paxton.

Bush forced Paxton to a runoff, but it was not even close as Paxton took two-thirds of the vote. Paxton leaned on an early reelection endorsement from Trump, and in the runoff, he promised to end the Bush dynasty.

Paxton faced Democrat Rochelle Garza in the general election but beat her by a wider margin than he did Nelson.

Caleb Milne, a longtime Democratic activist in Collin County, said it has been continuously frustrating to watch Paxton evade accountability for so long, especially at the ballot box.

We thought  Rochelle Garza had a decent shot at him just because there was so much there, and theres just so much thats been an indicator of corruption in the Republican Party, Milne said. We probably shouldve understood that doesnt necessarily cause defections within the party.

Not going away

So what comes next for Paxton?

Even before he was impeached, his supporters were promoting him as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026, when Republican John Cornyn is up for reelection. There is no love lost between Paxton and Cornyn, the rare Texas Republican who has continuously raised concern about the whistleblower claims.

Paxtons closeness with Trump could also continue to bear fruit, especially as Trump looks more and more likely to be next years Republican presidential nominee. Long before the Texas impeachment, the former president had even floated tapping Paxton for U.S. attorney general if he wins the White House again.

In the nearer term, Paxton could seek revenge against House Republicans who impeached him by campaigning against them in the March 2024 primaries. Paxtons longtime loyal aide, Michelle Smith, already donated in July to a primary challenger to state Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, who chaired the House impeachment managers.

HELL YES I DID! Smith tweeted after the donation became public. And Im gonna give more where that came from.

After this acquittal Saturday, Paxton retweeted a post promoting the challenger, Wes Virdell.

Rinaldi said he expects Paxton to be instrumental and very active in the primaries.

Paxton's wife, State Sen. Angela Paxton, has already signaled that she is not going anywhere. She made a point of announcing her reelection campaign the weekend before the impeachment trial started.

The latest polling from the University of Texas at Austin found that while Paxtons approval rating with all voters was at a two-year low, he remained popular with Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin.

Even if he had been convicted, political observers had expected it would not be the end of his political career. Paxton, they said, has proven to be a political survivor many times over.

Theyve utterly destroyed him, but if you look at the polling data, hes still extremely strong, said Bob Stein, a political scientist at Rice University. My guess is hes not going away.

Disclosure: Rice University, Texans for Lawsuit Reform and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The 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.
House impeachment managers, front row from left, Reps. Morgan Meyer, David Spiller and Ann Johnson listen as voting takes place on the articles of impeachment during Attorney General Ken Paxton's trial on Sept. 16, 2023. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

By any measure, the House impeachment managers prosecution of Attorney General Ken Paxton fell well short of perfect.

The star-studded lineup led by trial lawyers Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin struggled at times with the trials time limits while tying together all the threads of a complex case and providing enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Paxton misused his power and needed to be ousted from office.

[Ken Paxton was acquitted. See how each Senator voted.]

In the end, senators acquitted Paxton on all 16 articles of impeachment, a thorough shellacking for a House team that had spent three months carefully building its case. The most votes any article received was 14, well short of the 21 required for conviction. And only two of 19 Republicans, Sens. Robert Nichols of Jacksonville and Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills, voted in favor of conviction for any article.

There was, however, little House managers could do to avoid that outcome in the polarized political climate in Texas, political scientists and trial lawyers said.

The House lawyers and impeachment managers faced the extremely difficult task of convincing the majority of Republican senators to vote against their own political self-interest because Paxton retained significant support among conservative voters, said Thomas Cullee Mayes Jr., a San Antonio trial lawyer.

Now that weve watched the entire trial, its very difficult to envision a scenario where the House lawyers, with the evidence they had, could have convinced nine Republican senators to convict, Mayes said.

Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said senators appeared resentful that the House had impeached Paxton, forcing them to take public votes on whether to convict him  a divisive issue for the Republican base.

He also faulted the House for a presentation of evidence and witness testimony that at times was disorganized and slow-paced. He praised lead defense lawyer Tony Buzbee, a superstar plaintiff's attorney in his own right, for ably arguing that the House had not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

I think it was a jump ball for a dozen Republican senators, and somehow they concluded that their interest was better served by voting to acquit, Jillson said. What you have is a demonstration of morbid partisanship, because you have all 12 Democrats and two lost Republicans against 16 Republicans that all hung together.

Mayes likewise commended Buzbees performance and said House lawyer Erin Epley was the only House attorney able to go toe-to-toe with him. Though the political realities were what they were, Mayes said, the House should have deployed Epley earlier in the nine-day trial instead of Hardin.

The leaders of the House managers, Reps. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, and Ann Johnson, D-Houston, hinted at this dynamic in speaking with reporters after Saturdays verdict. Murr said there was a challenging threshold to meet in what was functionally a political trial.

We did our duty to bring the evidence into the sunlight through this impeachment process, he said. 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.  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.

Johnson had particular criticism for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who served as the trial's judge and afterward castigated the House for impeaching Paxton, saying a trial could have been avoided if House leaders had taken a more careful approach to examining the allegations.

Asked whether she thought Patrick sought to inappropriately influence the vote, Johnson responded that Patrick did seem to have prepared notes ready to attack members of the House and the House process.

Hardin said several of Patricks rulings had handcuffed the House managers ability to present their case, including barring testimony from Laura Olson, Paxtons alleged paramour, after she indicated her intention to assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Regardless of Patricks role in the proceedings, the safest option for Republican senators was to acquit Paxton, said Rice University political science professor Mark Jones. Their greatest consideration, in districts drawn to ensure that Democrats have little chance of winning, is how their decisions will play in hyper-partisan Republican primaries.

At the end of the day, this was a political decision by the Senate made more as a collective, Jones said. Thats what the most active members of the Republican primary electorate wanted to see, and in Texas, power continues to run through that primary in the spring rather than the general election in November.

Patrick Svitek, Robert Downen and Kate McGee contributed reporting.

Disclosure: Rice University and Southern Methodist University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The 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.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Sunday that he would support sending long-range missiles to Ukraine.

CBSs Margaret Brennan asked Turner on Face the Nation if he believed the White House would send Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine as it continues to mount its counteroffensive against Russia.

I hope they do it, he responded. And the administration has consistently said no to everything Ukraine has said multiple times publicly and then ultimately recanted and provided them.

Well, we know from this era of the conflict, Ukraine is still on the offensive, which was the goal of the offensive. Russia is on the defensive, Turner added.

There are a number of impediments that are making it difficult for that offensive to push Russia out, he continued. And at the same time, Ukraine has to get additional ground and or longer range weapons to put Crimea at risk, which is where some of the assaults are coming from that are killing Ukrainians. So its incredibly important that we provide them this capability.

Turner joined a handful of Senate Republicans who are also pressing President Biden to send the long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) sent a letter to Biden on Saturday asking the president to sent the missiles to Ukraine, which they argue would fill a gap in Ukraines long-range firing capability.

We  urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine, the lawmakers wrote. Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict.

The U.S. announced a $200 million security assistance package last month and 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.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed the status of Ihor Kolykhaiev , the captured mayor of Kherson.

Source: Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster, citing Kolykhaiev's son

Details: The status of the mayor was officially confirmed on 13 September.

Quote: "I contacted the Red Cross and was told that the Russian side had put my father on the list of prisoners and that he was on the territory of the Russian Federation.

They did not say where exactly he was and what his health condition was. His status was also updated in the personal account of the coordination headquarters."

Background: In June 2022, the Russians abducted Kolykhaiev after conducting a search at his workplace.

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!






In the first days of this year, Arelis Almarales Alberteris told her mother she was happy. She had gotten divorced the year before and left the house in a small town in Holguin, in eastern Cuba, where she had lived with Rene Ferias, her husband of 22 years.

A few days later, at dawn on Jan. 26, Ferias attacked her with a machete and killed her.

Imagine seeing your daughter hacked to pieces by a nasty man, who had not even been her husband for over a year, because he found out that she had another relationship, said her mother, Nancy Alberteris.

On Dec. 30, 2022, Almarales, 40, had gone to the local police station to complain that Ferias, 50, had threatened her and raped her. Questioned by police, Ferias promised not to verbally or physically attack his ex-wife, according to the prosecutors indictment.

He cried and swore before the police that he was never going to mess with her again, Alberteris recalls of the day she accompanied her daughter to make the complaint.

A month later, around 7 a.m., Ferias hid under a bridge, armed with a sharp long-bladed machete, according to official documents. There, he remained hiding and drinking, until Almarales, who left her mothers house for the nursing home where she worked as a physical therapist, passed by on a bicycle.

I passed by ahead of her, and I didnt see him, said her stepfather, Pedro Pablo Cruz Argota, who accompanied Almarales to work on another bicycle. The next thing he heard was the gasp of his stepdaughter.

I threw the bike, looked back and saw him hitting her head with a machete. I picked up two stones, and he told me that if I hit him with the stones, he would cut me with the machete just the same, Cruz Argota said.

Then Ferias, described in the prosecution documents as violent even though he had no criminal record, turned himself into the police.

A page in the sentencing document issued by the provincial court in Holguin, Cuba, describes how Rene Ferias killed her ex-wife Arelis Almarales Alberteris.

Almarales is one of the 59 known victims of feminicides in Cuba in 2023, according to records kept by Cuban independent groups since 2019 in the absence of public government statistics. A feminicide is the killing of a woman specifically because shes a woman, in contrast to a homicide that happens, for example, during the commission of a robbery.

These groups believe that the actual numbers may be higher, but even so, what they have compiled indicates that these crimes  like violence in general  are on the rise on the island, especially in the capital, Havana. In recent years, the country has grappled with increased poverty after the COVID-19 pandemic, a sharp drop in tourism and economic restrictions imposed by the Donald Trump administration which remain in place.

So far this year, the independent groups have documented 23 more deaths of women victims of gender-based violence than in 2022, when at least 36 women died.

In comparison, Spain, with a population four times that of Cuba, reported 49 such killings in all of 2022, according to official figures from the Spanish Ministry of Equality.

In Cuba, most such homicides are committed by partners or ex-partners, according to Alas Tensas Gender Observatory, an independent group that reported cases for the first six months of 2023. Most happened in the victims homes, confirming that the most dangerous place for women is their own home, the report said.

However, some of the killings also happened at state institutions.

A neighbor from the city of Nuevitas, in the central province of Camaguey, told the Miami Herald that in February, 17-year-old Leidy Bacallao went to a local police station asking for help after several threats from her ex-partner, 50-year-old Elesvan Hidalgo. In front of the police officer, while she was making the complaint, Hidalgo hacked her to death with a machete.

Also in February, Arianny Chavez Puche, 35, was killed by her ex-partner while working as a telephone operator at the Provincial Pediatric Hospital in Las Tunas, in eastern Cuba, according to several independent media sites.

Keeping silent

For many years, Cuban authorities have kept silent about the rising numbers of murdered women. Until now, the official position has been that Cuba is free of such crimes. In 2015, the sexologist Mariela Castro Espin, daughter of leader Raul Castro, told Tiempo Argentino newspaper.

We do not have, for example, feminicides. Because Cuba is not a violent country, said Castro Espin, the director of the National Center for Sexual Education.

Although men have been in charge of the government since 1959, Fidel Castro emphasized including Cuban women in all aspects of life. Some policies to broaden access to employment and expand the right to abortion in the early days of the Revolution had placed Cuba at the forefront of debates on womens rights, and incidents of gender-based violence contradicted this image.

For the first time in 2019, Cuban authorities shared some data with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, a regional United Nations agency, from a survey conducted by the government in 2016. That year, the feminicide rate on the island was 1 per 100,000 females aged 15 or over, a total of about 50 deaths. That is low compared to countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico or Brazil, but higher than rates in Peru, Chile or Panama.

The survey also revealed that 27% of the women interviewed had suffered some type of violence at the hands of their partners, and only 4% sought help from state institutions to deal with the situation.

According to the statistical yearbooks published by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health, womens deaths due to violent assaults grew from 96 in 2020 to 130 in 2021. However, the ministry does not clarify how many of these involved women specifically targeted because of their gender.

Amid reports about the increase in the killings of women by their partners or ex-partners, Castro Espin reversed her public position in 2022 and proposed including feminicide as a punishable crime in the new Cuban penal code.

Many countries have laws against feminicide as a specific crime to draw attention to killings targeting women and facilitate their proper investigation, prosecution and record-keeping.

Many Cuban activists had been advocating for such a proposal, which the Federation of Cuban Women, the only legal womens organization in the country, did not support.

The Cuban National Assembly eventually rejected the amendment proposed by Castro Espin that same year. But for the first time, Cuban law explicitly considers gender-based violence as an aggravating circumstance when determining prison sentences for homicides.

The Herald could not contact Teresa Amarelle Boue, the general secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women. The organization, under government control, does not have a website or public press contacts. A comment request sent to her Facebook account was not answered. Neither was a request sent to an email linked to the organizations international relations department.

For Marta Maria Ramirez, a Cuban journalist and feminist activist, including feminicide as a crime in the penal code would make it possible to prevent them and establish protocols. It would make it possible to count them, to name and provide reparations so that the families know that their mothers, their daughters, their friends, did not die because they asked for it, but because they were women, trans women, non-binary, in a system that doesnt protect them.

Punishing gender-based violence

Many Cuban families demand more severe sanctions in such murders. Alberteris, the mother of Arelis Almarales, disagrees with the sentence imposed on the murderer of her daughter  30 years in prison.

He deserves more than that, Alberteris said.

Karel Martinez Escoda, a Cuban doctor, was also disappointed when his lawyer told him prosecutors had asked for a 25-year sentence for Jose Alonso, who killed Martinezs sister, Miriam Vilar Escoda. Alonso had been Vilars partner for two years. Martinez immediately sent a letter to the Cuban Supreme Court showing his disagreement with the sentence. He has yet to get a response.

On Dec. 7, 2022, he had to break down the door of the house where his sister lived in Camaguey and where he found her lifeless on the kitchen floor. The sentencing document from the Peoples Provincial Court of Camaguey reviewed by the Herald said that Alonso inflicted several blows on various points of her body and, using three different knives, dealt several stab wounds to her chest and neck, causing her death.

He killed her, bathed her, cleaned the blood and rode his bicycle to the bakery where he worked, says Mireilys Rollan Pino, 54, a friend of the victim, who was present when the police removed the body of Vilar from the scene.

Miriam del Pilar Vilar Escoda was killed in her house in Camaguey by Jose Rafael Alonso, who was her partner for two years. Independent groups have been recording a growing number of feminicides in Cuba, though there are few official statistics about gender-based violence on the island.

Alonso was charged with murder. According to the new penal code, whoever deprives a woman of life as a consequence of gender violence can be sentenced to life in prison or death. So far, only two men are known to have received a life sentence after having killed women in 2022.

Because Alonso had no criminal record and maintained a normal social conduct, the judges decided to adjust the sentence to the middle and condemn him to 25 years in prison, the court document said.

The sentencing document issued by the Peoples Provincial Court of Camaguey describes the wounds Jose Rafael Alonso inflicted on her ex-partner Miriam del Pilar Vilar Escoda. Alonso was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing her.

Despite the families complaints about the prison terms, Cuban defense attorney Nelson Gonzalez said that in recent years, prosecutors policy has been to seek harsher sentences for crimes related to gender-based violence.

Thats something we are seeing. There is greater prosecution and care about this issue, he says. You realize that the courts are more demanding with the sentences.

Feminist activism in Cuba

So far, feminist activists and non-government groups have been doing the heavy lifting to provide more visibility to gender-based crimes in Cuba, helping relatives to report the killings, tracking their numbers and putting pressure on Cuban authorities to speak publicly on the subject.

A single violated woman is not only a blow to the feminist tradition of the Revolution, it is an unacceptable act in our socialist society, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in April. He assured Cubans that there would be zero tolerance for gender-related killings.

However, activists say that the Cuban government has not shown a willingness to work on proposals such as a comprehensive law against gender-based violence  Cuba is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that does not have one. Such a law would provide a comprehensive response to gender-related violence, from prevention to protection, making it easier to coordinate issues like health care for the victims or the judicial response to the crimes, the independent Womens Network of Cuba said in a statement earlier this year.

Nor has the government responded to a request from a dozen independent Cuban organizations to declare a state of emergency due to gender-based killings in the country.

The Cuban state is a feminicidal state, a state that does not legislate, that does not have effective protocols, that turns a deaf ear to our demands, to peoples cries for help, Ramirez said.

Activist Marthadela Tamayo, a member of the non-governmental group Cuban Alliance for Inclusion, the Cuban government makes the real situation of violence and feminicide invisible. Instead of focusing on eradicating gender-motivated violence, Tamayo said the government and its state security forces are more interested in trying to silence, dismantle, make invisible and criminalize feminist activism in Cuba.

After years of demands from activists, the Federation of Cuban Women created the Cuban Observatory on Gender Equality in June. But activist groups said it is inefficient in dealing with violence against Cuban women, among other things because it fails to report targeted homicides of women. While independent groups reported 36 victims in 2022, the federation disclosed only 18 because it only lists cases where attackers have already been tried and sentenced.

Likewise, the independent groups said that a telephone line established by the federation in 2020 that supposedly supports victims of gender-based violence handles several other social issues, and it is not really providing the services these women need.

The activists have also advocated for creating shelters to help women at risk and point out that the country lacks protocols to issue alerts when people go missing.

Independent groups reported an increase in the disappearances of women in 2022, which in some cases ended in their deaths. That was the case of Yeniset Rojas Perez, from the central province of Villa Clara, whose mother even asked the Cuban leader Diaz-Canel to get involved in searching for her daughter but received no response. Her body was found almost a year later, this January, and a suspect was arrested, her family said, without providing further details.

Psychologist Lilian Rosa Burgos Martinez recommends that women in risky situations in Cuba find some kind of support in someone trustworthy, and move away from the aggressor.

It may be that there is no safe institution in Cuba where the woman feels protected, but in that case, you have to look for safe and effective networks, she said.

Given the lack of resources from the state, the feminist platform YoSiTeCreo  I Do Believe You  created a support line for people affected by gender-based violence, which provides counseling, legal advice and psychological help.

Other non-governmental groups such as Cubalex, Me Too Cuba, the Cuban Alliance for Inclusion, AfroAtenas, Caritas Cuba and the Ministry of Women to Women in Cuba use social media, WhatsApp groups and dedicated phone lines to offer resources to women at risk.

Activist Yanelys Nunez, a member of the Alas Tensas Gender Observatory, said prevention work and public debate are also key in fighting gender-motivated violence.

It is not only necessary to document the cases, but also to work on prevention in schools, in the public media, raising awareness among the population, speaking openly about the issues and not criminalizing independent activists, she said.

But activists alone cannot deal with the situation, said Burgos, lamenting that an alliance between the government and independent advocate groups in Cuba today is unlikely.

In the meantime, Burgos added, women keep dying.

Now we see in social media that they are killing us, she said. But they have been killing us for a long time.
At Monroe County Community College, we celebrate all cultures on a regular basis, and Hispanic Heritage Month is one we celebrate this month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. There are numerous presentations and interactions as we strive to ensure that everyone who interacts with our college feels that sense of Belonging (what we call our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan).

Here are a few definitions to inform this discussion. According to various sources, Hispanic is language based and refers to a person with ancestry from a country whose primary language is Spanish. Latino and its variations are geographical, and refer to a person with origins from anywhere in Latin America (Mexico, South and Central America) and the Caribbean. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, as you can see, they are different.

Here are some information and data gleaned from various sources, under the assumption that they are true to the above definitions.

From the Hispanic Outlook website, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week was expanded in 1988 to cover a 30-day period and enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

So, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I would like to delve a little into only some of the economics of Hispanics in America. My frame of reference throughout this article will be a comparison of the Hispanic numbers with the majority (whites). Most of this information is from www.jec.senate.gov.

The total economic output of Hispanic Americans is estimated to be well over $2 trillion and Hispanic Americans alone accounted for over half of all the population growth in the United States over the last decade.

Nearly 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses contribute over $800 billion to the U.S. economy annually. Hispanic employer businesses employ about 3 million workers.

The overwhelming majority of Hispanic-owned businesses employ at least one employee, and more than one-third of these businesses employ five workers or more.

Hispanic businesses struggle with barriers to financing. The most common source of capital for nearly 70% of Hispanic entrepreneurs in the U.S. is personal savings. Despite faster revenue growth and comparable credit performance, less than one-quarter of Hispanic-owned businesses receive funding over $100,000 from national banks, compared to an approval rate of nearly 50% for white-owned businesses.

The median wealth, or net worth, of white families is five times higher than the median net worth of Hispanic families.

While an increasing number of Hispanic Americans own their homes, they lag behind white Americans in home ownership. Less than half of Hispanic families own their homes, relative to nearly three-quarters of white families.

Given disparities in employment, earnings and wealth, Hispanic Americans are generally less financially prepared for retirement than any other racial or ethnic group. Only about a quarter of Hispanic Americans have a retirement account, compared to almost 6 in 10 white Americans.

In a September 2022 article by Carmen Sessin on www.nbcnews.com, recent research shows that If U.S. Latinos were an independent country, their gross domestic product would rank fifth in the world, surpassing those of the United Kingdom, India and France. The economic output of Latinos in 2020 was $2.8 trillion, up from $2.1 trillion in 2015 and $1.7 trillion in 2010, according to a report by the Latino Donor Collaborative in partnership with Wells Fargo. LDC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group focused on reshaping perceptions of U.S. Latinos through data and economic research. In terms of personal consumption, U.S. Latinos represent a consumption market larger in size than the entire economy of nations like Canada or South Korea.

In Monroe and Lenawee Counties, as in many parts of our nation, Hispanics are recognized as an immigrant population who work in agriculture in our orchards and greenhouses  essentially, they help feed us, But they do much more than that as reflected above.

The economic power of Latinos/Hispanics has continued to increase over the years, but there is still a long way to go as they lag the majority. Let us together celebrate their progress with them during this Hispanic Heritage Month and thank them for their numerous contributions.

Kojo Quartey, Ph.D., is president of Monroe County Community College and an economist. He may be reached at kquartey@monroeccc.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Kojo Quartey: Celebrating Hispanic/Latino economic contributions
A Chinese-funded project for the Angkomnob Primary School about 40 km south of Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh has brought smiles and hope to local children.

Funded by the China Foundation for Peace and Development, the project has enabled the construction of a two-floor concrete building with 12 classrooms.

The project also provided full-set school kits to students in need.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
A Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy has died after an ambush shooting on Saturday night.

Authorities received reports of the shooting around 6 p.m. near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q.

The deputy killed was identified as Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30. He joined LASDs Palmdale station in 2018 and served as a field training officer for nearly two years.

He had just gotten engaged four days prior to his death, said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna. He comes from a family filled with generations of LASD deputies, including his father and grandfather.

Clinkunbroomer was found shot and unconscious inside his patrol vehicle by a citizen.

The shooting was an ambush involving a suspect vehicle driving past Clinkunbroomer in the opposite direction when they fired at him. He was on duty when the shooting took place.

A procession was held for a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy who was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (LASD)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Key News)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Citizen)

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna providing an update on the fatal shooting of a Palmdale deputy on Sept. 16, 2023. (KTLA)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Key News)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Key News)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Key News)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputys family was airlifted to the hospital after he was shot in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (RMG)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Citizen)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Key News)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was killed in an ambush shooting in Palmdale on Sept. 16, 2023. (Citizen)

Clinkunbroomer was transported in critical condition to the Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster where he later died from his injuries. He leaves behind his fiancee, parents and grandparents.

Earlier in the day, Citizen video showed crews transporting the deputy into an ambulance and rushing to the hospital as a long trail of patrol cars followed behind.

No suspect information was available, but Luna said they believe the shooting may have been a targeted act.

They are seeking the publics assistance to identify and locate the suspect who is deemed a public safety threat. Authorities also believe the shooting may have been caught on surveillance video which they are investigating.

He embodied the values of bravery, selflessness and an absolute commitment to justice, Luna said during a Saturday night press conference. Our deputy was a devoted family member and a cherished member of our community who was cowardly shot while working tirelessly to serve our community. Our hearts absolutely go out to his family.

Clinkunbroomers family was airlifted to the hospital from their Santa Clarita Valley home to be with him earlier in the day. A procession was held for the fallen deputy late Saturday night.

We need your help in finding whoever murdered our deputy, Luna pleaded with the public. Somebody knows something. Somebody saw something. We need to get them off the streets before they hurt anyone else in the community or another deputy, sheriff or police officer.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore posted a reaction on X, saying: Tonight we prayBlessed are the Peacemakers.

The City of Palmdale said:

Our City mourns the tragic loss of the LASD Palmdale Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. It is with heavy hearts that we extend our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said:

The shooting of a @LASDHQ deputy in his patrol car in Palmdale today is senseless and horrific. Tonight Im praying for him, his friends, fellow deputies at @PalmdaleSheriff and especially his loved ones.

We stand united with the Palmdale Sheriffs Station and Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, and urge anyone with information related to the incident to come forward.

The La Verne Police Department said:

On behalf of acting Chief Gonzalez, we send our deepest condolences to the @lasdhq and @lasd_palmdale. Our prayers are with his family, friends, and fiance. Rest in Peace Deputy Clinkunbroomer.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in part:

Words cannot describe my immense sorrow for the tragic loss of a brave deputys life tonight. My heart breaks for his family, his fellow officers, and the community at large. Whoever is responsible must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and brought to swift justice.

No further details were released. Anyone with information is asked to call the LASD at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

The full LASD press conference can be seen in the video player at the top of the story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
A local hospital needs help identifying a patient who was found in Los Angeles earlier this week.

The man is currently at the Los Angeles General Medical Center and has been there for about one week.

He was found wandering the streets near 833 N. Broadway in Chinatown, according to hospital staff.

He is currently unable to recall his name, where he lives, or where he was going. He does not have any information or belongings to identify him.

He is described as an Asian man around 76 years old. He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 145 pounds and has a medium build. He has black and gray short hair with brown eyes.

Los Angeles General Medical Center needs help identifying male patient found wandering in L.A.s Chinatown neighborhood. (L.A. General Medical)

He was found wearing black dress pants with white vertical stripes, a white dress shirt with light blue stripes, and a black hoodie with the words California Republic on the front.

Piquis Law passed after SoCal boy murdered by father in custody battle

Anyone who recognizes this man or has additional information is asked to call Mercedes Mark, a hospital clinical social worker at 323-409-3786.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert was captured on video disrupting a performance of "Beetlejuice" last weekend.

Friday, the Texas Youth Summit announced Boebert would be a speaker at their upcoming conference.

As of Monday, the congresswoman no longer appears on promotional material.

Social media posts announcing Lauren Boebert as a speaker for a conservative youth conference have been deleted as of Monday, three days after they were posted.

The initial announcement from the Texas Youth Summit came Friday, a day after Lauren Boebert apologized for her behavior at a Sunday show of "Beetlejuice" in Denver, Colorado. The conservative conference announced the representative would speak at their upcoming convention.

The Texas Youth Summit, aimed at children and young adults, allows anyone between 12 and 26 to attend for free. The Summit will be held at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott outside of Houston at the end of the month.

"We are excited to add firebrand Congresswoman @laurenboebert from Colorado's third district to our all-star @texasyouthsummit lineup," the Friday post said.

The announcement came amid controversy surrounding Boebert's behavior during the theater performance, in which she was escorted out for vaping and bothering other guests.

Initially, Boebert's team issued a statement that said she was not vaping in the theater. Later, she said she "genuinely" did not remember vaping when security camera footage from the theater showed her exhaling a white cloud.

Surveillance video later obtained by local station 9NEWS Denver also appeared to show Boebert having her chest groped and grabbing the crotch of her date during the performance.

Boebert released a statement on Friday apologizing for her behavior and stating that she "simply fell short of my values on Sunday."

Christian Collins, founder of the Texas Youth Summit, declined to comment to Insider or clarify whether or not the decision to allow Boebert to speak came before or after September 10. Boebert also attended the event last year and advocated for theocratic, conservative politics to the young crowd with a pistol strapped to her leg.

Collins did not immediately respond to a follow-up request for comment on why Boebert was removed from promotional material.

According to its website, the summit began in 2019. It is an annual event hosted by the nonprofit Texas Youth Foundation to promote "fiscal responsibility, free market, limited government, American Exceptionalism," and "Judeo-Christian principles," per its mission statement. Its website also says it aims to directly "counter the effects of the Left."

In addition to Boebert, this year's speakers include Donald Trump, Jr., Charlie Kirk, and other conservative federal and state representatives.

The hotel hosting the event, the Woodlands Waterway Marriott, did not have a representative available to respond to Insider. Representatives for Boebert did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert has come under fire from her own party after she and her date were caught on video fondling each other in a crowded theater last weekend before being kicked out.

Footage captured the Colorado congresswomans heavy petting with her rumoured boyfriend as they attend a showing of Beetlejuice in Denver on 10 September. The pair were ejected for causing a disturbance.

Several within her own party criticised the lawmakers behaviour as hypocritical, given her opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, like furthering claims that drag performances will expose children to lewd sexual acts. She wrote last June, Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars.

She lectures everyone about the LGBT community being a threat to children while getting caught performing a lewd sex act in a public theatre where children possibly were, Meghan McCain wrote on X. This is family values? This is why people think the GOP are all hypocrites.

Ann Coulter reacted to the footage, writing: Totally embarrassing bimbo. She added, Cant Colorado find SOME Republican not trashy and stupid to represent them in the 3rd congressional district?

Former Virginia representative Denver Riggleman wrote sarcastically, Lauren Boebert seems a bit confused about Freedom Caucus members telling her to reach across the aisle.

Conservative talk show host Erick Erickson also chimed in: Excuse it all you wantshe behaved badly, denied it till exposure, and theres no excuse except tribally.

Ms Boebert had previously denied that the incident ever took place until the footage was released, which also captured the congresswoman vaping, singing, and taking flash photos during the show.

She took to social media to issue an apology: 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.

Ms Boebert continued, 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.

The lawmaker filed for divorce from her husband of 18 years, Jayson Boebert, and in June she announced that she became a grandmother at the age of 36 after her 17-year-old son had a child with his girlfriend.

She reiterated her message on OAN on Sunday: I was a little too eccentric. Im very known for having an animated personality.

She said she was laughing, singing and having a fantastic time at the show. Im on the edge of a lot of things, the Colorado Republican said.
Law enforcement, civic leaders and civilians are mourning the slaying of Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was killed in an ambush shooting in Antelope Valley Saturday evening.

A large procession of first responders followed the transport of Clinkunbroomers body from Lancaster to the Coroners Office in Boyle Heights overnight.

Overpasses were filled with people paying their respects to the 30-year-old deputy who got engaged just four days ago.

Clinkunbroomer joined LASDs Palmdale Station in 2018 and also served as a field training officer for a year-and-a-half.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that Clinkunbroomer comes from a family of LASD deputies, including his father and grandfather, and that the fallen deputy had servicerunning through his veins.

I want to let our community know Deputy Clinkunbroomer left his family tonight to serve our community, Luna said on social media. He laid everything on the line to serve us. He wore a uniform just like other LASD deputies wear, driving in a police car, and he was senselessly murdered tonight.

Model found dead in downtown L.A. apartment; second case in a week

Clinkunbroomer was found unconscious in his police cruiser and suffering from gunshot wounds by a citizen around 6 p.m. near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale.

The shooting was an ambush involving a suspect in a vehicle driving past Deputy Clinkunbroomer in the opposite direction when they fired at him. He was on duty and sitting in his squad car when the shooting took place.

A statement from L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn on social media states that she is pledging all the county resources needed to find the suspect or suspects. Additionally, she ordered all county flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Deputy Clinkunbroomer.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Kashman

Two Jacksonville-area hospitals, Ascension St. Vincents Riverside and HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, have new top leaders.

Scott Kashman took over as president of St. Vincents on July 17, while Jeff Taylor became CEO at the Clay County hospital on Sept. 5.

Kashman has about 25 years of experience in health care administration, most recently as market president and CEO for St. Dominic Health in Jackson, Miss. Earlier he was interim system vice president for administration and governance for SSM Health in St. Louis and chief operating officer for Lee Health in Fort Myers.

"I am honored and privileged to serve this ministry," he said. "The local and national reputation that Ascension St. Vincents Riverside has attained for its innovation and clinical excellence in the 107 years of serving Northeast Florida is remarkable."

Kashman succeeded Jon Cooper, who is now interim chief administrative officer at Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside is a full-service 528-bed hospital.

Taylor

Taylor at HCA Florida has about 17 years of health care administration experience, mostly in the Midwest.

During his 12-year career with HCA Healthcare, Taylor was chief operating officer at Belton Regional Medical Center in Belton, Mo., and at Menorah Medical Center in Kansas, where earlier he was administrator for the Mid-America Surgery Institute on the Menorah campus. His most recent role was as CEO at HCA Healthcares Summerville Medical Center in South Carolina.

The full-service Orange Park hospital, with 411 inpatient beds, "has a proud past of providing extraordinary care," Taylor said. "Whether it is celebrating new life or caring for those with life-threatening illness or injury, we proudly care for each patient no matter the circumstance. I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this organization."

Taylor succeeds Lisa Valentine, who retired in August after 31 years with HCA Healthcare and four years as CEO of the Orange Park hospital.

The two new medical center executives lead the latest news in the high-growth health care industry in Northeast Florida. Here's what else has been happening that's not already reported by the Times-Union:

UF Health Proton Therapy Institute

Klein

Stuart Klein, who led the development of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville beginning in 2005 and has been its leader since it opened a year later, will retire as executive director in November.

The University of Florida will conduct a nationwide search for his successor at the cancer treatment facility, which was the Southeasts first proton therapy center and has treated about 11,000 cancer patients from around the world, according to UF.

Under Klein's leadership, the facility holds the record for the fastest ramp-up of any proton facility, reaching 100 patient treatments per day within the first 19 months of operation, according to UF, and negotiated international relationships with the United Kingdom, Norway and several Canadian Provinces. Also, a 10,000-square-foot expansion and equipment upgrade project was recently completed.

"His legacy is interwoven into the fabric of the proton therapy community. His dedication has left a lasting impression on proton therapy as a whole, impacting countless lives and shaping the future of this cancer treatment," said Jennifer Maggiore, executive director of the National Association for Proton Therapy.

UF Health/Flagler Heath

After months of study and meeting regulatory requirements, UF Health and Flagler Health+ have completed an agreement to merge their respective health care organizations.

They announced Wednesday that Flagler will be renamed UF Health St. Johns and its St. Augustine hospital will be renamed UF Health Flagler Hospital.

"This relationship brings the latest medical breakthroughs to the people we have served for more than a century, while greatly enhancing the services available," CEO Carlton DeVooght said.

UF Health will "infuse" financial and human resources and intellectual capital into the fast-growing region, including technologically advanced care, research opportunities, access to new clinical trials and training programs, said David R. Nelson, senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.

In February the Flagler board trustees and leadership team announced that it had selected UF Health as the "like-minded organization it wanted to move forward with to enhance local health care services and expand access to care in the community." Flagler stressed that its patients can continue to see their current doctors and get the same services they have in the past.

For more information go to flaglerhealthforward.org.

Wolfson Children's Hospital

Toney

Dr. Mark Toney has been named to the newly created position of vice president of medical affairs at Wolfson Childrens Hospital in Jacksonville, effective Nov. 1.

Toney is a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric hospitalist who has served Northeast Florida for about 20 years. Since 2012, has been chief of the division of hospital pediatrics for Wolfson and Nemours Childrens Health.

In his new role, the Jacksonville native will "focus on the effectiveness of clinical care for children" at all Wolfson locations, according to the hospital. Also, he will work with pediatricians and pediatric specialists at Nemours Childrens Health, the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville, and other collaborating pediatric health care organizations.

Ascension St. Vincents Riverside

Doctors at Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside are using a new technology to diagnose and treat people with suspected coronary artery disease.The analyzing technology, called HeartFlow, uses data from a patient's coronary CT scan while at rest to "evaluate the blockage's impact on blood flow," according to the hospital.

A 'medical hotspot': Jacksonville physicians tout innovative techniques in health care

"The test creates a color-coded map that helps doctors visualize whether sufficient blood reaches the heart.  Identifying exactly where and how an artery is blocked or clogged can help improve a persons treatment plan, including if an intervention is needed," according to the hospital.

U.S. patients suspected of having coronary artery disease undergo about 4 million diagnostic testseach year. HeartFlow reduces unnecessary invasive heart catheterization, allowing for improved recovery time and quality of life.

To learn more, go to healthcare.ascension.org/specialty-care/cardiology/why-ascension/fljac-jacksonville-fl-heart-care.

Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center

A lung screening program at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville has completed 20,000 screenings since its 2015 launch, leading to the detection of nearly 300 lung cancers.

About 74% of those lung cancers  detected via CT scan  were found at an early stage, according to the center

In the U.S., lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of death from cancer among both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. But lung cancer deaths are declining because of lower smoking rates and advances in early detection and treatment, including screening, according to the center.

'More resources, more strengths': Hospitals in Jacksonville and Orange Park rebrand themselves as part of HCA Florida network

People eligible for annual screenings are age 50 to 80; had a 20-pack-year or more history of smoking, which means one pack a day for 20 years, two packs a day for 10 years, etc.; and current smokers or those who have quit within the last 15 years. To schedule a lung screening, go to baptistmdanderson.com/cancer-types/lung-cancer-screening-form.

Baptist South

A High Risk Breast Screening & Prevention Clinic has opened at Baptist South in Jacksonville, run by sister facility Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The clinic is for patients who have tested positive for genes that increase breast cancer risk or have family members who have done so or have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Also high risk are patients who have dense breasts, have had a benign or precancerous breast biopsy or were exposed to radiation therapy from 10 to 30 years old.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit go to go.baptistjax.com/3O3SVxy.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New hospital leaders at St. Vincent's Jacksonville, HCA Orange Park
BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP)  Atlantic storm Lee made landfall at near-hurricane strength Saturday in Nova Scotia, Canada, after bringing destructive winds, rough surf and torrential rains to a large swath of New England and Maritime Canada that toppled trees, swamped coastlines and cut power to tens of thousands. One person was killed in Maine when a tree limb fell on his vehicle.

With sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph), the center of the post-tropical cyclone came ashore about 135 miles (215 kilometers) west of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Thats about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Eastport, Maine.

The storm was expected to weaken as it moved into New Brunswick and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

In the United States, a tropical storm warning remained in effect from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, north to the U.S.-Canada border. That included Bar Harbor, the touristy gateway to Acadia National Park, where a whale watch vessel broke free of its mooring and crashed ashore. Authorities worked to offload 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to prevent it from spilling into the ocean.

Lee flooded coastal roads in Nova Scotia and took ferries out of service as it fanned anxiety in a region still reeling from wildfires and severe flooding this summer. The provinces largest airport, Halifax Stanfield International, cancelled all flights.

People are exhausted.  Its so much in such a small time period, said Pam Lovelace, a councilor in Halifax.

Waves crash against a breakwater in Port Maitland, Nova Scotia, Canada, as post-tropical cyclone Lee approaches on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (Bill Curry/The Canadian Press via AP)

City of Saint John workers put caution tape around a large tree that fell in Kings Square, in Saint John, N.B on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Severe conditions were predicted across parts of Massachusetts and Maine, and hurricane conditions could hit the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where the storm, Lee, downgraded early Saturday from hurricane to post-tropical cyclone, was expected to make landfall later in the day. (Michael Hawkins /The Canadian Press via AP)

A city worker views a wave crashing along a walkway during storm Lee, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Bar Harbor, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Hurricane-force winds extended as far as 140 miles (220 kilometers) from Lees center, with tropical storm-force winds extending as far as 390 miles (630 kilometers)  enough to cover all of Maine and much of Maritime Canada.

The storm was so big that it caused power outages several hundred miles from its center. At midday Saturday, 11% of electricity customers in Maine lacked power, along with 27% of Nova Scotia, 8% of New Brunswick and 3% of Prince Edward Island.

Storm surge of up to 3 feet (0.91 meters) was expected along coastal areas, accompanied by large and destructive waves, the hurricane center said. Lee could drop as much as 4 inches of rain on parts of Maine, Massachusetts, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick through Saturday night, with the potential for local flooding.

A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, died after a large tree limb fell on his vehicle Saturday on U.S. Highway 1 during a period of high winds, the first fatality attributed to the storm.

The tree limb brought down live power lines, and utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, said Police Chief Brian Lunt. The unidentified man died later at a hospital, Lunt said.

The storm skirted some of the most waterlogged areas of Massachusetts that experienced severe flash flooding days earlier, when fast water washed out roads, caused sinkholes, damaged homes and flooded vehicles.

In eastern Maine, winds died down enough by late afternoon for utility workers to begin using their bucket trucks to make repairs. Both Central Maine Power and Versant Power had hundreds of workers, including out-of-state crews, to assist in the effort.

At this point, the storm is resembling a noreaster, said Sarah Thunberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist, referring to the fall and winter storms that often plague the region and are so named because their winds blow from the northeast. They typically have a much wider wind field than tropical systems, whose winds stay closer to a storms center.

But the entire region has experienced an especially wet summer  it ranked second in the number of rainy days in Portland, Maine  and Lees high winds toppled trees stressed by the rain-soaked ground in Maine, the nations most heavily wooded state.

Cruise ships found refuge at berths in Portland, while lobstermen in Bar Harbor and elsewhere pulled traps from the water and hauled boats inland.

Billy Bob Faulkingham, House Republican leader of the Maine Legislature, and another lobsterman survived after their boat overturned while hauling traps ahead of the storm Friday, officials said.

The boats emergency locator beacon alerted authorities, and the two clung to the hull until help arrived, said Winter Harbor Police Chief Danny Mitchell. The 42-foot boat sank.

Theyre very lucky to be alive, Mitchell said.

Forecasters urged residents to stay home, but many ventured out anyway.

Betsy Follansbee and her husband, Fred, jogged to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, Maine, to watch surfers  some wearing helmets  paddling out to catch waves reaching 12 feet (3.6 meters). They were the biggest waves Follansbee has seen in her 10 years living there, she said.

Were impressed that theyre bold enough to try, Follansbee said.

On Maines Bailey Island, a slender spit jutting into the Gulf of Maine, Ren Renton watched the ocean roil. It comes and goes and takes what it wants, but hopefully not too much, she said.

Lee shared some characteristics with 2012s Superstorm Sandy. Both were once-strong hurricanes that became post-tropical cyclones  cyclonic storms that have lost most of their tropical characteristics  before landfall. Lee was not expected to be nearly as destructive as Sandy, which caused billions of dollars in damage and was blamed for dozens of deaths in New York and New Jersey.

Lee also isnt anywhere near as severe as the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which a year ago washed houses into the ocean in eastern Canada, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea, said Canadian meteorologist Jill Maepea.

Destructive hurricanes are relatively rare so far north. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts Blue Hill Observatory. But there have been no storms that powerful in recent years.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Energy Secretary Granholm and White House National Climate Adviser Zaidi view electric vehicles at the Washington Auto Show in Washington

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Energy Secretary Granholm and White House National Climate Adviser Zaidi view electric vehicles at the Washington Auto Show in Washington

By Paul Lienert

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors is at greater risk than rivals Ford Motor and Stellantis of disruption to electric vehicle production from a prolonged UAW strike - though some analysts say that could also buy it time to repair nagging issues.

While Ford and Stellantis are introducing several revamped combustion-engine models this fall, GM's immediate focus is on electric vehicles - with plans to launch or ramp up production of at least five new ones. They include all-electric companions to its full-size Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, according to researcher GlobalData.

GM has been struggling much of the year to smooth out hiccups in battery manufacturing as well as its EV supply chain and logistics, including delivery to dealers of its Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EVs.

The company delivered just 1,348 Lyriqs and 47 Hummers in the second quarter, far below expectations, in part because of issues with battery module assembly.

Chief Executive Mary Barra in July told analysts: "Our automation equipment supplier is struggling with delivery issues," causing a bottleneck that had forced the automaker to assemble battery modules by hand.

In July, GM executive Rory Harvey said the company was working out delivery issues to dealers, noting that Lyriq and Hummer "have been going down the line in very limited quantities (but) we are building momentum."

A longer strike could help GM address and potentially resolve some of those ongoing issues in its EV and battery operations, according to Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.

"A production stoppage could allow GM to solve bottlenecks, Fiorani said.

The automaker has not been able to roll out its most important EVs in a timely fashion, but could benefit if it used the labor stoppage to resolve some of its technical and operational issues, he said.

"GM could ramp up output faster once the factories start running again," said Fiorani.

'POTENTIAL NIGHTMARE'

Other analysts say the stoppage is unlikely to work out in GM's favor. GM's Barra herself said the strike "would not be positive" for the company and that it needed to reach a deal with workers quickly.

"For GM, a possible byproduct of an extended strike may be more time to work out any kinks they are having with their EV launches, but the potential loss of billions of dollars in the process would make it hard to justify such a 'silver lining,'" said Bill Rinna, GlobalDatas director of Americas vehicle forecasts.

Wedbush auto analyst Daniel Ives said the strike was "a potential nightmare situation" for GM given it comes exactly at a key period of ironing out EV issues.

"In this crucial period of EV execution, model roll-outs, distribution, marketing, with EV competition rising across the board, the timing could not be worse," Ives said in a research note.

In addition, the UAW strike in the United States could affect the flow of critical auto parts to GM operations in Canada and Mexico, which would hamper EV production there, Rinna said.

GMs Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico has begun building the Chevrolet Blazer EV and is adding production of the Chevrolet Equinox EV, while its Ingersoll plant in Canada is planning to produce the BrightDrop Zevo 400 electric delivery van, according to GlobalData.

(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit, editing by Deepa Babington)
FILE PHOTO: Archives on Pope Pius XII displayed ahead of the full opening of the secret archives to scholars at the Vatican

FILE PHOTO: Archives on Pope Pius XII displayed ahead of the full opening of the secret archives to scholars at the Vatican

(This Sept. 17 story has been corrected to clarify that while the town of Rava-Ruska is now in Ukraine, the site of the Belzec camp is in Poland in paragraph 5)

By Philip Pullella

(Reuters) - Wartime Pope Pius XII knew details about the Nazi attempt to exterminate Jews in the Holocaust as early as 1942, according to a letter found in the Vatican archives that conflicts with the Holy See's official position at the time that the information it had was vague and unverified.

The yellowed, typewritten letter, reproduced in Italy's Corriere della Sera on Sunday, is highly significant because it was discovered by an in-house Vatican archivist and made public with the encouragement of Holy See officials.

The letter, dated Dec. 14, 1942, was written by Father Lother Koenig, a Jesuit who was in the anti-Nazi resistance in Germany, and addressed to the pope's personal secretary at the Vatican, Father Robert Leiber, also a German.

Vatican archivist Giovanni Coco told the Corriere that the importance of the letter was "enormous, a unique case" because it showed the Vatican had information that labour camps were actually death factories.

In the letter, Koenig tells Leiber that sources had confirmed that about 6,000 Poles and Jews a day were being killed in "SS-furnaces" at the Belzec camp in southeastern Poland. The camp was about 20 km (12 miles) northwest of the town of Rava-Ruska, a railway centre that was then also part of German-occupied Poland but is now in western Ukraine.

"The newness and importance of this document derives from a fact: now we have the certainty that the Catholic Church in Germany sent Pius XII exact and detailed news about the crimes that were being perpetrated against the Jews," Coco told the newspaper, whose article was headlined: "Pius XII Knew".

Asked by the Corriere interviewer if the letter showed that Pius knew, Coco said: "Yes, and not only from then."

DOCUMENTS SORTED HAPHAZARDLY

The letter made reference to two other Nazi camps - Auschwitz and Dachau - and suggested that there were other missives between Koenig and Leiber that either have gone missing or have not yet been found.

Supporters of Pius say he worked behind the scenes to help Jews and did not speak out in order to prevent worsening the situation for Catholics in Nazi-occupied Europe. His detractors say he lacked the courage to speak out on information he had despite pleas from Allied powers fighting Germany.

The letter was among documents Coco said were kept in haphazard ways in the Vatican's Secretariat of State and only recently handed over to the central archives where he works.

Suzanne Brown-Fleming, director of International Academic Programs at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, told Reuters in an email that the release showed that the Vatican was taking seriously Pope Francis ' statement that "the Church is not afraid of history" when he ordered the wartime archives opened in 2019.

"There is both a desire for and support for a careful assessment of the documents from a scientific perspective - whether favourable or unfavourable in what the documents reveal," she said.

In an email to Reuters, David Kertzer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Pope at War", a 2022 book about the Pius years, said Coco was a "top notch, serious scholar", centrally placed in the Vatican to unearth the truth.

Brown-Fleming, Coco and Kertzer will be part of a major conference on Pius and the Holocaust next month at the Pontifical Gregorian sponsored by Catholic and Jewish organisations, the U.S. State Department and Israeli and American Holocaust research groups, among others.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella, Additional reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Elect Bill McGregor to Port Commission

Citizens of Thurston County are going to elect three new Port Commissioners on Nov. 7, bringing a new set of diverse ideas and skills to the Port. There is only one candidate, though, that has a deep understanding of Port operations and that is Bill McGregor. He brings historical perspective, along with many years working in Port industry and 13 years as a Port Commissioner.

Bill McGregors experience and history with the Port is invaluable as the new Commissioners grapple with business at the Marine Terminal and the airport, as well as realizing Vision 2050 and the North Point development. All of these projects have years of history, which bears heavily on any current decisions.

Couple Bills expertise with the talent and skills of current Commissioners Iyall and Harding, along with two other new commissioners, and Thurston County can count on the Port being in good hands and serving our community.

Please join me in voting for Bill McGregor for Port Commissioner.

Joe Downing, current Port Commissioner, Olympia

Props to Tumwater Police and Fire

I was the unfortunate victim of a car accident recently, and dutifully called 911 to report it. Within minutes, persons from the Tumwater Police Department (and Fire) were by my side, getting information, making sure I was OK, etc.

In a day and age when police can be much maligned, I want to be sure to personally thank all those who helped me that day (Aug. 25 on Crosby Boulevard). Everyone I dealt with was kind and helpful, making sure I understood all the next steps, chatting with me as we waited for the tow truck, welcoming my friend when she came to pick me up. I could not have asked for a nicer or more supportive and helpful group.

My sincere thanks to everyone, and especially Officer K. Clark, for being there just when I needed you!

Lynne Geller, Olympia

Van Leishout for Olympia School Board

I would like to express my support for Leslie Van Leishout to serve on the Olympia School District Board. Leslie has devoted her career to working with students in this area. She exemplifies the best attributes of a teacher and leader. She is smart, kind, honest, hard working, and truly has the best interests of our students at heart. I believe that she will be equitable and help to meet the needs of the students in our community, while embracing their differences.

As a former teacher, she knows the work that teachers and staff put into our schools and can relate to and support their efforts. Leslie has volunteered countless hours in our community.

I endorse Leslie Van Leishout as a teacher and parent of three students in the Olympia School District. She is what we need on our school board. She will help the district regain the reputation it once had and help us move forward in a positive way in times when our education system faces many challenges.

Leslie is the voice we need in Olympia, for us, for our students, for our community, and for the future.

Karla Jensen, Olympia

Republicans have no credibility in their impeachment inquiry

Id be more supportive of the House Republicans looking into Hunter Bidens business dealings and any connection to President Biden if they were also looking into Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump reporting between $172 million and $640 million in outside income while working in the White House, and the Saudi Royal Family investing $2 billion with a Kushner startup, justified only by Donald Trump being his father-in-law. What about those connections?

I guess House Republicans think grifting and financial crimes are admirable only if you do them on a stupendously obscene scale?

Joe Nilsson, Olympia
Video: Hundreds of United Auto Workers (UAW), the largest union in the United States, and their supporters gathered outside General Motors (GM) Co.'s headquarters in downtown Detroit, U.S. state of Michigan on Sept. 15, 2023 after the union announced one day earlier to begin a strike against all Big Three U.S. automakers. (Xinhua)

Analysts warned that the strike, though limited for the time being, may develop into a prolonged one and a menace to the U.S. economy, as it could cut production by thousands, push up vehicle prices and aggravate supply chain disruptions.

CHICAGO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Wearing red T-shirts, hundreds of United Auto Workers (UAW), the largest union in the United States, and their supporters gathered outside General Motors (GM) Co.'s headquarters in downtown Detroit, U.S. state of Michigan Friday afternoon after the union announced late Thursday to begin a strike against all Big Three U.S. automakers.

UAW President Shawn Fain, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders attended the rally.

In the last 50 years, there has been a massive redistribution of wealth in this country, the Detroit News quoted Sanders as saying in his speech to the crowd, highlighting the rising salaries of the CEOs of the Big Three automakers.

"It is time for you to treat your employees with the respect and dignity they deserve," Sanders said.

Auto workers take part in a strike rally in downtown Detroit, the United States, Sept. 15, 2023. (Photo by Lisa Gray/Xinhua)

While Democratic lawmakers from Michigan issued statements Friday supporting the UAW, Republican lawmakers of Michigan urged automakers and autoworkers to come to an agreement to avoid further economic impact. They also blamed the strike on Democratic policies of accelerating electric vehicle production.

A Republican statement said the government has "signaled that it doesn't care about UAW workers" by passing policies that are "forcing our country into a comply-or-die EV mandate that has already burned billions in American taxpayer dollars."

Another statement said the government's policies have "pushed automakers and autoworkers into a corner ... This strike will have harmful effects on Michigan's economy and families."

In response to the UAW strike, U.S. President Joe Biden urged the Big Three automakers to "go further" in their offers to the UAW.

United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain speaks at the strike rally in downtown Detroit, the United States, Sept. 15, 2023. (Photo by Lisa Gray/Xinhua)

In a televised speech, Biden noted the massive profits made by automakers in recent years that "have not been shared fairly" with workers.

"The companies have made some significant offers. But I believe it should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW," he said.

Acting labor secretary Julie Su and senior adviser Gene Sperling are heading to Detroit to "offer their full support" to both the union and the automakers.

"The UAW Stand Up Strike begins at all three of the Big Three," the union said in a post on the social media platform X Thursday, covering a GM assembly plant in Missouri, a Stellantis plant in Ohio and a Ford plant in Michigan, and involving a combined 12,700 workers.

Auto workers take part in a strike rally in downtown Detroit, the United States, Sept. 15, 2023. (Photo by Lisa Gray/Xinhua)

The first ever strike of all three at once in the union's 88-year history came after it failed to clinch a deal on a new contract by a deadline on Thursday.

"This is our generation's defining moment," Fain told union members at a Facebook Live event on Thursday night. "The money is there, the cause is righteous, the world is watching."

The union had reportedly been negotiating with all three automakers simultaneously, in a break from previous rounds of contract talks, for significantly higher pay and new benefits.

Particularly, the UAW called for protections for workers with traditional auto jobs as companies increasingly invest in EV production.

Auto workers take part in a strike rally in downtown Detroit, the United States, Sept. 15, 2023. (Photo by Lisa Gray/Xinhua)

In response, GM said in a statement issued Friday that it is ready to return to negotiations and get people to work as quickly as possible, "for the benefit of our team members, customers, suppliers and communities across the United States," NBC News reported.

Carmaker Stellantis NV on Friday gave its latest offer to the UAW, including hiking wages by 19.5 percent, consolidating aftersales parts plants, making salaried workers hourly and increasing the number of supplemental workers the company can use, while not making commitments around future product and investments, the union disclosed. GM and Ford stay with 20-percent wage hike, all below UAW's 36-percent wage hike demand.

Analysts warned that the strike, though limited for the time being, may develop into a prolonged one and a menace to the U.S. economy, as it could cut production by thousands, push up vehicle prices and aggravate supply chain disruptions. 
By Ahmed Elumami and Ayman al-Warfali

DERNA, Libya (Reuters) -People whose homes were swept away by flooding in Libya's eastern city of Derna a week ago faced the dilemma on Sunday of whether to stay and risk infection or flee through areas where landmines have been displaced by the torrents.

Thousands of people were killed after two dams above Derna broke on Sept. 10 during a powerful storm, bringing down residential blocks lining a usually dry riverbed as people slept. Many bodies have been washed out to sea.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Saturday cited a death toll of 11,300 from the Libyan Red Crescent. However, a spokesman for the Libyan Red Crescent appeared to cast doubt on that, saying "figures are changing and the Red Crescent is not responsible for this."

OCHA spokesperson Eri Kaneko said it was difficult to get exact casualty figures as the search for bodies and survivors continues, and said the World Health Organization (WHO) had so far confirmed 3,922 deaths. The health minister for the Libyan eastern government on Sunday said 3,283 had died.

More than 1,000 have already been buried in mass graves, according to the United Nations, and aid groups have warned against the practice.

Libyan authorities have confirmed that 150 people have been poisoned by polluted water in the flood-hit areas. Mohamed Wanis Tajouri said he had come to Derna from Benghazi down the coast with fellow medical students to carry out disinfection and sterilization work.

"After floods epidemics occur," he said.

Sunrise on Sunday revealed a scene of quiet devastation, with piles of rubble cleared to the sides of empty roads along with tangled metal including pieces of wrecked cars.

Hamad Awad sat on a blanket on an empty street with a bottle of water and bedding alongside him.

"I am staying in our area trying to clean it and trying to verify who is missing," he said. "Thank God for giving us patience."

Entire districts of Derna, with an estimated population of at least 120,000, were swept away or buried in mud. State media said at least 891 buildings had been destroyed in the city, whose mayor has said 20,000 people may have died.

Mohamed Alnaji Bushertila, a government employee, said 48 members of his wider family were missing. Another resident said survivors were at a loss over what to do next.

"We still do not know anything, we are hearing rumours, some are trying to reassure us, others are saying you need to leave the city or stay here," said the man, who gave just one name, Wasfi. "We have no water and no resources."

The homeless are surviving in makeshift shelters, schools or packed into the houses of relatives or friends, OCHA said.

Floodwaters had shifted landmines and other ordnance left over from years of conflict, posing an extra risk to the thousands of displaced people on the move, it added.

OCHA said that according to the latest data from the International Organization for Migration, more than 40,000 people had been displaced across northeastern Libya, but warned that figure was likely to be higher.

CLINGING ON

Aid organizations have flown in emergency aid and some countries have sent supplies, although international officials say much more help is needed.

Three members of a Greek rescue team were killed in a road accident en route to Derna from Benghazi, the Greek armed forces said, while two members remain missing.

Earlier, the health minister for the Libyan eastern government had said four members were killed and seven others were left in critical condition. Three members of a Libyan family were also killed and two were critical.

A French field hospital was being prepared in footage aired by Libya's Al Masar television.

"People came with aid from all over, and this made it easier on us, and we felt that we are not alone," said Derna resident Hassan Awad as civil protection workers from Algeria searched the rubble of multi-storey buildings in the city for survivors.

Awad pointed to a rusty pole between two buildings and said clinging to it was how his family had survived the flood which tore through their home, covering everything in mud.

"We found dead bodies, of neighbours, friends and loved ones," he said. On the seafront, an excavator moved smashed furniture and cars to try to find victims underneath. Another excavator cleared rubble from buildings as rescue workers paused and knelt nearby to pray.

In al Badya, a coastal settlement west of Derna, the hospital was treating victims from Derna as well as its own. Doctors built makeshift dams in the street when the flooding hit to try to hold back the water, but it rose within the building.

The flooding affected machinery on the lower level of the hospital, the hospital's head, Abdel Rahim Mazek, said.

Elsewhere in the town, volunteers handed out clothing and food.

Volunteer Abdulnabi said the team came from Ajaylat, around 800 miles (1,200 km) away in western Libya, divided from the east by more than a decade of on and off conflict.

The country of 7 million people has lacked a strong central government since a NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and its oil wealth is dispersed among competing groups.

Analysts said the disaster had brought some coordination between the internationally-backed administration in Tripoli in the west and the rival administration in the east but that reconstruction efforts would likely reopen fault-lines.

(Additional reporting by Abdelaziz Boumzar, Ayman Sahly and Essam ElFatori in Derna, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Adam Makary, Thomas Perry and Maya Gebeily; writing by Philippa Fletcher and James Oliphant; editing by Christina Fincher, Susan Fenton, Conor Humphries and Diane Craft)
As this years female empowerment trend continues (think Taylor Swifts Eras tour, breaking news of the first FDA-approved oral pill specifically for postpartum depression, the trend of large groups of women attending the Barbie movie), there remains an essential reality that shockingly goes unaddressed.

Here it is: Dear Women, you are likely to have a longer relationship with the women you go to the Barbie movie with than any of your male romantic partners.

Armed with this fact, young to middle-aged women will surely alter the choices they make in love, life, work, and leisure.

Studies reveal that female friendships tend to last longer than male romantic relationships with an average duration of 16 years compared to 10 years for romantic partnerships. As women grow older, their friendships often endure even further, lasting an average of 23 years. In my experience, these statistics seem conservative; I know many women my age with deep friendships spanning 30 years or more. In addition, while women in their thirties to 49 are the least likely to be single, with about 81 percent partnered, this changes dramatically over time. By the time they reach 65 years old, approximately 42 to 49 percent of women will be without a partner. The percentage of unpartnered women further increases to a striking 83 percent by the age of 85. In contrast, men remain significantly more partnered, with 75 percent still in relationships at the age of 65 and 65 percent at the age of 85.

Many women seem to be unaware of the statistics regarding the longevity of female friendships compared to male romantic relationships, as well as the likelihood of leading an unpartnered life. I personally experienced this lack of awareness as well. The noticeable discrepancy in partnership rates between men and women is quite jarring and serves as a wake-up call for women to prioritize investing in fulfilling careers and building strong female friendships. These factors can ensure a sense of companionship and financial support throughout their lives, especially during their later years.

Mary Pipher, the Author Who Inspired Barbie, Has Changed Her Mind About the Dolls

The lack of awareness of a womans unpartnered life trajectory became even more clear to me during a dinner gathering with 12 friends, most of us in our fifties. While my friends offered empathetic words after my husband left me for a younger woman, I felt that they might not fully grasp the challenges I faced. I had never considered the possibility of an unpartnered life before my husbands departure, and the reality of being financially, emotionally, and personally alone hit me unexpectedly. Fortunately, I managed to rebuild my life by growing my business rapidly, but the experience left me feeling far from the strong and independent woman I once was. Looking at my friends, I suspected some of them might not have truly contemplated the potential of an unpartnered life either. Since that night, two of the 12 women have also found themselves unpartnered and were not prepared emotionally and financially for what was to come.

Earlier this year, Miley Cyrus song Flowers made a significant impact, captivating the world with its poppy melody and empowering message. The talented 30-year-olds song reflects on her breakup with Liam Hemsworth, declaring a decade later that she can find happiness in buying herself flowers, engaging in self-reflection, dancing alone, and loving herself better than he ever could. Watching the wave of Flower TikToks made by young women, I wondered whether this was a temporary revelation for young women instead of a way of life.

Despite expectations that young women today approach life differently than women my age, the social landscape in high schools, colleges, and even on dating apps still appears to consume womens time and be dominated by men. This can lead to heartbreak, diminished self-worth, less time with female friends and distractions from studying and work during the formative years of womens lives. Though many are predicting fewer women will choose to get married, it is just not about romanceit is also about economics. Women have been graduating college at least at the same rate as men for over 40 years but as women head into the workplace, men still make more money and hold more management and C-suite positions by far. Women also suffer economic setbacks when they return to the workplace after they spent time raising their children. This becomes extremely impactful if they find themselves unpartnered, working as hard but making less than their male counterparts and supporting themselves and their children on their own at a time in their life they did not expect.

At some point in life, a significant number of women may find themselves without a partner, and statistically, they might earn less than men on average, face financial uncertainty, and shoulder the responsibility of being the sole caretaker for their children if they have any. This outcome may be contrary to the expectations of many young and middle-aged individuals. The intention of this article is not to cause distress or instigate unnecessary worry about the future or discourage anyone from pursuing romantic relationships or marriage. Rather, it aims to encourage introspection and the cultivation of resilience and long-term contentment by focusing on various aspects of life, such as personal connections, family, community, and career.

When my husband left, I considered myself fortunate in many respects. I had a strong spiritual foundation, valuable skills, and some fortunate circumstances. Yet, I cannot adequately express the pain I experienced during countless sleepless nights, worrying about losing my home, financing my childrens education, and navigating a world I never anticipated being alone in. Fortunately, I had a supportive network of women friends and family. Had I contemplated the possibility of being unpartnered one day, I might have made more thoughtful life decisions. This wouldnt have altered my commitment to my marriage. I still believe in beautiful romances and have witnessed remarkable long-lasting marriages. However, the statistics suggest that most women may not experience the Disney fairy tale of a partner who saves and supports them throughout their lifetime. Therefore, it becomes crucial to be prepared for lifes uncertainties and to cultivate a sense of empowerment and independence to navigate whatever paths lie ahead.

Even though I researched and wrote the book A Year Without Men: A Twelve Point Guide To Inspire And Empower Women, today there are essential questions I would still ask myself and other women (single or partnered) including:

1. Love. Finding a romantic partner is a common desire for many people, but it is essential not to overlook the other forms of love that can enrich ones life. Meaningful female friendships, strong family bonds, and involvement in the community can all contribute to a fulfilling and balanced life. Self-love and self-care are also vital components of this equation, as they provide the foundation for building and sustaining healthy relationships with others. Taking a holistic view of love can help individuals find fulfillment and happiness beyond just romantic relationships.

2. Earning A Living. Financial preparedness is crucial for everyone, regardless of their current circumstances or relationship status. Having a solid plan to maintain financial stability and independence is essential, whether you earn a living, are a stay-at-home partner, or rely on someone elses income. Create a budget, save, update skills, consider education, explore a home-based business or part-time work, and build a strong network. Have open conversations with your partner, if you have one, about finances. Whether you are single or partnered, understand your financial investments and do monthly or quarterly reviews with an adviser or independently. Staying updated with financial news and analysis can help you make more informed decisions and stay on top of your investments.

3. Home. Its completely normal to encounter difficulties in managing certain aspects of life or maintaining possessions. Sometimes, tasks may require assistance or specialized knowledge. In such cases, seeking help from friends, family, or professionals can make a significant difference. Creating a list of technicians or providers and keeping warranty information can be beneficial when something breaks or needs maintenance. Having this information readily available can save time and reduce stress in such situations. Additionally, being mindful about the purchases you make and considering your ability to manage and care for them independently is a wise approach. If you find that certain items or furniture are difficult to handle alone, you could explore lightweight or more manageable alternatives in the future. As you adapt and learn, youll likely find better ways to cope with challenges and become more self-reliant in various aspects of life.

4. Anxiety and Stress. Whether single or in a relationship, its essential to explore independent methods to address stress and anxiety. Practices like meditation, yoga, therapy, and self-reflection can be valuable tools in managing emotional well-being. If you are partnered, couples therapy is indeed a powerful tool for creating a more balanced and fulfilling relationship. It can help improve communication, understanding, and conflict resolution skills, leading to a healthier partnership. Cultivating a better relationship with uncertainty is also critical. Men and women fear uncertainty equally, but womens vulnerabilities in our society make it more critical that we can handle the unknown well. It is most essential that women learn how to make uncertainty our ally, realizing that the unknown also brings new and good things into our lives, including new beginnings. Even during challenging times, there are blessings and new opportunities, but we must be present and strong enough to cultivate what still remains.

5. Self-Love/Self Doubt. The world has not always been fair to women, and we often face criticism and challenges related to our looks, intelligence, and presence in the business world compared to their male counterparts. The experience of a failed relationship can also trigger feelings of fear, self-doubt, and a lack of self-love, regardless of ones age. Empowering yourself to embrace your worth, challenge societal norms, and find strength in your uniqueness is crucial for your financial independence and cultivating relationships that are supportive and joyful.

I just saw the Barbie movie with one of my dearest friends, Catherine. We are currently in our fifties. Even though Catherine is currently married, we made a plan as the credits were rolling to buy a big house with a bunch of our friends so we can live together in our nineties. Catherine prefers California, while I am more drawn to the East Coast, but we believe theres enough time ahead to work out those details. For the many women and our daughters who grew up with Barbie maybe this is the new and most realistic Barbie World to come. Pass the popcornwe cant wait to watch.

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Editor's note: Events are subject to change, and contacting your church ahead of time is recommended. Churches may send updates to worship services, events or schedules via email to kwood@lubbockonline.com. Listings are sorted below by newest information.

 First Church of Christ, Scientist Amarillo  2701 Julian Blvd. Everyone is welcome at our Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School meets at the same time for children and teens. Our weekly testimonial meetings on Wednesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. are a wonderful opportunity for inspiration and fellowship. For more information see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/First-Church-of-Christ-Scientist-Amarillo-104483494978237 or our website at https://www.cschurchamarillo.com/ .

 Hartley, Texas  A life-size marble casting of Michelangelos Pieta has been placed at St. John Paul II Family Life Center, 1400 Central Avenue, in Hartley. The famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. The Vatican Observatory Foundation has authorized and licensed the creation of only 100 Pieta marble castings from a mold derived from the original Pieta. This Pieta has been donated as a legacy gift by the Catholic Loyalty Foundation of Santa Clarita, California.

 Grace Communion International (GCI Amarillo), 1400 Wolflin (Covenant Presbyterian)  Multi-generational service. All ages and new participants welcome for our weekly fellowship group. To help with our planning, those interested in attending or needing more information may contact us at 806-473-8753 or 806-340-4704.

 Polk Street Methodist Church  Please worship with us in person at 8:30 and 10:55 a.m. in our historic sanctuary at 1401 S. Polk St., or worship online with us at 10:55 a.m. at www.polkstreet.org or on our Facebook page. At Polk Street, we have multiple ways for you to connect with our community of faith. From Bible studies and small groups to exercise classes and outreach to the impoverished, there is a place for you. If you would like more information, please visit www.polkstreet.org and either email us or complete a contact form.

 Messiahs House  6901 Bell St. Sunday morning services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. For more information, visit their website at https://mh.church .

 First Christian Church  3001 Wolflin Ave. Sunday school at 9 a.m. and worship service at 10 a.m. All are invited to attend. Those who cannot attend the Sunday worship service are invited to participate online as follows: FCC Facebook page: facebook.com/FirstChristianAmarillo , FCC YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCkyDAlGKrx82S5qCbiBlS_g

 Christian Heritage Church - 900 S Nelson St. Service times are Sunday at 9:45 a.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m. We desire to reach the lost and broken - people just like us. And we hope to provide them a place of refuge in and with us. We are a "City of Refuge. We aim to help people find healing in Jesus from: insecurity, addictions, shame, un-forgiveness, defeatism and family life patterns. For more, email info@chcamarillo.com .

 Amazing Grace Amarillo (Lutheran Church - WELS) - Join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. at 8700 Clinton Glenn Dr. Amarillo, TX 79119. We've moved! We also offer children's Bible school at 9:15 a.m. along with our teen/adult Bible study on Sundays. You can stream our services at AmazingGraceAmarillo.com and join us for Bible Study on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Message our pastor at pastorhans@amazinggraceamarillo.com .

 The Loft Church  4400 S. Georgia. Services at 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

 Power Church  New service times: 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (bilingual). Also Wednesdays at 7 p.m. When the sanctuary reaches capacity, we will overflow into the fellowship room and youth room where the service will be streamed.

 Sandell Drive In Theater, Clarendon  Sunday service at 10 a.m. Add in a beautiful Sunday drive out to Clarendon and experience church.

 Accelerate Church, 4400 S Crockett, and Accelerate North Campus, 1300 E Central.

 Triumphant Truth Church, 1701 S Manhattan St.

 Central Church of ChristJoin us on Sundays for class at 9 a.m. and worship at 10:15 a.m. Youll find us in person at 1401 S. Madison St. and online at www.amarillocentral.org.

 Paramount Baptist Church  3801 S. Western St. in Amarillo. Sunday school is at 9 a.m. with worship at 10:15 a.m. We also have a Spanish speaking service at 10:15 a.m. Visit www.paramount.org for more information. Everyone is welcome!

 St. Luke Presbyterian Church  3001 Bell St. Visit the churchs website at stlukeamarillo.com for a link to the bulletin and live streaming videos. In-person and live streaming service on Sundays at 11 a.m. Member of PCUSA. All are welcome.

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  2101 N. Coulter St.

 "The Cross" in Groom, Texas  Information: Cross Ministry  Jason Eugea, 806-248-9006.

 Amarillo Unitarian Universalist Fellowship  4109 Cornell St. Please join us at the Fellowship this Sunday at 11 a.m. Our services are in-person and also live-streamed on our YouTube and Facebook pages. Children's programming is available during the service. We believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every person and are an Open & Affirming congregation. For more information about AUUF, see our website at uuamarillo.org.

 Redeemer Presbyterian Church  7603 77th Ave. "This branch of Christs Church in the Panhandle seeks to be faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission." Sunday school at 9:30 am, followed by worship service at 10:30 and evening worship service at 5 p.m. We offer live streaming on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHc6sCADFHQ6xD91jMxktfQ. Please visit our website at http://redeemeramarillo.com/ for more information. We are located at 7603 - 77th Ave., near Coulter and Arden Road, Amarillo.

 Pleasant Valley Methodist Church  316 Valley Ave. Everyone is welcome at our Sunday worship service. Visit with us in person at 10 a.m.; Sunday School is at 9 a.m. At Pleasant Valley Methodist, we have multiple ways for you to connect with our community of faith. From Bible class Wednesday at 5 p.m. to food cupboard, AISD ministry and outreach to the impoverished, there is a place for you. If youd like more information, go to Pleasant Valley Methodist Church (Amarillo) on Facebook, or call (806) 383-3342. Mail us: info@yourpvumc.org .

 Olsen Park Church of Christ  invites you to visit our worship services and Bible studies at 4700 Andrews Ave., Amarillo, TX 79106, Sunday: 9 a.m. (short service), 9:30 a.m. (Bible class), 10:30 a.m. (worship); Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class). For more information, go to www.olsenpark.com and Olsen Park Church of Christ on Facebook, or call 806-352-2809. Subscribe to our weekly Bible study podcast, Faithful Sayings Podcast, on Apple Podcasts or your favorite provider.

 Second Baptist Church  419 N. Buchanan St. Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for worship followed by Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. For more information please visit sbcama.org or call the church at 806-373-1737. Also, our sermons are broadcast on KAMR channel 4 every Sunday morning at 8 a.m.

 Life.Church Amarillo  Services in the new building, located on the northwest corner of I-27 and Hollywood Road, are held at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Life.Church is made up of people from different backgrounds linked together by a common mission: leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. The services begin with high-energy worship and feature biblical teaching from Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel. Children (birth-6th grade) learn through age-appropriate LifeKids curriculum created by Life.Church while adult volunteers lead discussions and care for each child. For more, see www.life.church/amarillo.

 South Georgia Baptist Church  5209 S. Georgia St. You're invited to join us each Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for small group Bible study and at 10:30 a.m. for our morning worship service. Our 10:30 a.m. service streams live at sgbc.co/watch. Visit sgbc.co for more information.

 Bell Avenue Church of Christ Amarillo  1600 Bell St. For more information, please contact the Bell Avenue Church of Christ at 806-355-2351 or visit our website, www.bellavenue.org .

 Pathpoint Fellowship Church, 6215 Canyon Drive, Amarillo, 79110, 806-463-7284.

 Jenkins Chapel Baptist Church, 1801 N. Hughes St. For more info, please call 806 373 2576.

 Bible Believers Baptist Church, 12,200 W Rockwell Rd. Services at 10 a.m.; Bible Study at 11 a.m. Preaching and Worship at 7 p.m. On Wednesday at 7 p.m., prayer meeting and Bible Study. On Friday at 7 p.m., Youth Night. Look for us on KZBZ 10.2 or cable channel 6 Bible Says Broadcast Sundays at 10 a.m. and 940 AM Radio at 9 a.m. Services streamed on our website biblebelieversbaptist.com . Call 806-499-3231 for more information.

 Westminster Presbyterian Church  In-person and live streaming service on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. available to watch from the churchs website at wpcama.com, click on Sermons. Childcare and youth activities are available. Children and youth are welcome to stay in the service as well. Church is located at 2525 Wimberly Road.

 Coulter Road Baptist Church  4108 S. Coulter St. Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship is streamed on our website, www.coulterbc.com. Contact info: 806-352-5278.

 Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church of Amarillo  worship/communion service is at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday. The service also will be available on the churchs website on Sunday evenings at https://www.beautifulsavioramarillo.org.videos.

 Covenant Presbyterian Church in Amarillo  1400 Wolflin Ave. We invite you to join us for worship where we praise God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - every Sunday at 10 a.m. We have Sunday School for adults at 9 a.m., prior to worship. Our goal is to rejoice before the Lord as we begin a new week, to support one another in prayer and care; we also challenge one another to live as children of God in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit leads us to share our prayers and resources with mission groups in Amarillo, Egypt, Belize and Ukraine. Each month we also collect supplies to share with groups in town that reach out to others. If you would like more information, you can call the church office at 806-376-5244. Our pastor is also available for pastoral care. All glory to God!

 Trinity Fellowship  Family Worship and Prophetic Nights: Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at every campus (no childcare available). At Hollywood Road, if we reach capacity in the West Auditorium at the 9 a.m. service, we use the worship to the Worship Center, which will be our overflow room. For details of the Sunday happenings at your campus, visit TFC.org/Sundays. Church Online at 9 and 11 a.m. on all viewing platforms. Family Worship & Prophetic Nights will be available on all digital platforms during the Wednesday night service time.

 Anna Street Church of Christ  2310 Anna St., across from Olsen Park Elementary. Sunday: 9:45 a.m.  classes; 10:30 a.m.  Morning Worship. Wednesday: 6:45 p.m.  Song Practice; 7:35 p.m.  Evening Teaching. Please check us out on Facebook, or stay current with our preaching series through YouTube. You can visit http://www.annastreetchurch.org/ for more information.

 Southwest Church of Christ  Come see us Sunday for Bible class at 9:30 a.m. and for Worship at 10:30 a.m. A list of current classes can be found on our website: www.southwest.org.

 First Baptist Church  Gathering at 12th and Tyler. On campus Sunday morning worship service times are 8:30 and 11 a.m., with Bible study for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Sunday evening worship meets at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary.

 Bell Avenue Church of Christ  Sunday morning worship begins at 9:30 a.m., with classes immediately following; and Sunday evening worship begins at 5 p.m. In addition, the Wednesday night devotional and classes begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

 Bible Believers Baptist Church  Sunday school at 10 a.m.; preaching at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study at 7 p.m. Visitation and Soul Winning: Saturday at 10 a.m. Nursery provided for all services. Minister, Glen A. Stocker.

 Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church  Morning and evening worship services. Welcome all members and guests to come in person, but will continue streaming both services via YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYV3TNTeWd1278byaIzgNIQ .

 Church of Christ at the Colonies  Sunday morning Bible classes for all ages begins at 9:30 a.m.; Sunday morning worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.; and Wednesday evening Bible study at 6:30 p.m. The coffee connection will be open between 10:10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m for members and visitors to enjoy a cup of coffee with friends. Online streaming of Sunday morning service on YouTube or at thecolonies.org and worship is still broadcast in the parking lot on FM 95.1.

 Hillside Christian Churches  more information about service times for specific campuses can be found at www.hillsideonline.com. Childrens programming is available at all Texas campuses.

 Arden Road Baptist Church  Sunday School, children's ministries and nurseries. Service times: Sundays, 9:30 a.m., Sunday school, 10:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m., Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo faith calendar for Sept. 17, 2023
A gunman ambushed a Los Angeles county sheriffs department deputy in his patrol car on Saturday night, shooting him to death in a particularly brazen attack, authorities said.

The deputy, Ryan Clinkunbroomer, was found unconscious in his vehicle near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale, California. A passerby discovered the mortally wounded deputy and then alerted authorities.

Related: Ex-officer who left woman in car to be hit by train in Colorado given probation

Clinkunbroomer died after being taken to an area hospital, the Associated Press reported. Despite the medical staffs best efforts to save our deputys life, regrettably he succumbed to his injuries, sheriff Robert Luna said, according to the AP.

Clinkunbroomer became engaged only four days before he was slain. His survivors include his betrothed, his parents and his grandparents.

A surveillance camera reportedly captured video of the shooting.

NBC News, citing law enforcement sources, said that video shows someone driving a car alongside Clinkunbroomers patrol cruiser and then speeding away. The fleeing car is a focus for authorities, NBC News reported.

Though Luna said he hadnt ruled out any potential motives, he described fearing that the shooting may have been a targeted attack just because Clinkunbroomer was in uniform.

A source told NBC News that it was unclear whether investigators believed Clinkunbroomer may have been specifically targeted or if the shooter just wanted to attack someone in uniform. There have not been many leads, the source told the news network.

Detectives are in the initial stages of this investigation and seeking the publics assistance to apprehend this suspect, Luna reportedly said on Saturday. So Im gonna continue with my notes, but Im just gonna pause  we really need your help.

According to NBC News, Luna also said Clinkunbroomer was just driving down the street and for no apparent reason  and were still looking into the specific reasons  somebody decided to shoot and murder him.

Were going to catch the person who did this. Because every resource that the Los Angeles county sheriffs department has to bear is going after you.

More than 80 US police officers have been killed on duty or died from work-related injuries in 2023, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Nearly 40 died from gunfire.

Clinkunbroomer was a third-generation law enforcement officer, following in the footstep of his grandfather and father, the AP reported.

NBC News said Clinkunbroomer had worked as a field training officer for the last year and a half.

Luna said the position Clinkunbroomer had was reserved for the best of the best at his agency.

He embodied the values of bravery  selflessness and an absolute commitment to justice, Luna said of Clinkunbroomer. Our deputy was a devoted family member and a cherished member of our community who was cowardly shot while working tirelessly to serve our community this evening.

Luna said that the sheriffs department was working alongside Palmdale authorities to find Clinkunbroomers killer.

Palmdale loves the sheriffs deputies and the deputies take very good care of Palmdale and love our community back, the municipalitys mayor, Laura Bettencourt, told reporters. The person that did this is a coward and they will be caught.

The Associated Press contributed reporting
Workers hand off plants during operations at a vertical farm greenhouse in Cleburne, Texas, Aug. 29, 2023. Indoor farming brings growing inside in what experts sometimes call controlled environment agriculture. There are different methods; vertical farming involves stacking produce from floor to ceiling, often under artificial lights and with the plants growing in nutrient-enriched water. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

CLEBURNE, Texas (AP)  Inside a bright greenhouse about an hour outside Dallas, workers in hairnets and gloves place plugs of lettuce and other greens into small plastic containers  hundreds of thousands of them  that stack up to the ceiling. A few weeks later, once the vegetables grow to full size, theyll be picked, packaged and shipped out to local shelves within 48 hours.

This is Eden Green Technology, one of the latest crop of indoor farming companies seeking their fortunes with green factories meant to pump out harvests of fresh produce all year long. The company operates two greenhouses and has broken ground on two more at its Cleburne campus, where the indoor facilities are meant to shelter their portion of the food supply from climate change while using less water and land.

But that's if the concept works. And players in the industry are betting big even as rivals wobble and fail. California-based Plenty Unlimited this summer broke ground on a $300 million facility, while Kroger announced that it will be expanding its availability of vertically farmed produce. Meanwhile, two indoor farming companies that attracted strong startup money  New Jersey's AeroFarms and Kentucky's AppHarvest  filed for bankruptcy reorganization. And a five-year-old company in Detroit, Planted Detroit, shut its doors this summer, with the CEO citing financial problems just months after touting plans to open a second farm.

The industry churn doesn't bother Jacob Portillo, a grower with Eden Green who directs a plant health team and monitors irrigation, nutrients and other factors related to crop needs.

The fact that other people are failing and other people are succeeding, thats going to happen in any industry you go to, but specifically for us, I think that especially as sustainable as were trying to be, the sustainable competitors I think are going to start winning, he said.

Indoor farming brings growing inside in what experts sometimes call controlled environment agriculture. There are different methods; vertical farming involves stacking produce from floor to ceiling, often under artificial lights and with the plants growing in nutrient-enriched water. Other growers are trying industrial-scale greenhouses, indoor beds of soil in massive warehouses and special robots to mechanize parts of the farming process.

Advocates say growing indoors uses less water and land and allows food to be grown closer to consumers, saving on transport. It's also a way to protect crops from increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change. The companies frequently tout their products as free of pesticides, though theyre not typically marketed as organic.

But skeptics question the sustainability of operations that can require energy-intensive artificial light. And they say paying for that light can make profitability impossible.

Tom Kimmerer, a plant physiologist who taught at the University of Kentucky, has tracked indoor farming alongside his research into the growth of plants both outdoors and inside. He said his first thought on vertical farm startups  especially those heavily reliant on artificial light  was, Boy, this is a dumb idea"  mainly due to high energy costs.

The industry has acknowledged those high costs. Some companies are seeking to push those down by relying on solar, which they say also supports sustainability. Even the ones most heavily reliant on artificial light that doesn't come from renewables maintain they can be profitable by eventually producing a high volume of produce year-round.

But Kimmerer thinks there are better ways to provide food locally and extend the growing season  outdoors. He pointed to the organic farmstand-oriented Elmwood Stock Farm outside Lexington, Kentucky, which can grow tomatoes and greens the whole year using tools like high tunnels, also known as hoop houses  greenhouse-like arches that shelter crops while still being partially open to the outdoors.

He thinks investment flowing toward new versions of indoor farming would be better spent on practical solutions for outdoor farmers like weed-zapping robots, or even climate solutions like subsidizing farmers to adopt regenerative practices.

Moving farming indoors can solve some pest problems, but create new ones. Without their natural outdoor predators, tinier creatures like aphids, thrips and spider mites can become very difficult to control if not managed aggressively, said Hannah Burrack, an ecologist who specializes in pest management at Michigan State University.

If youre creating the perfect environment for plants, in many cases, youre also creating a perfect growing environment for their pests, Burrack said.

Indoor farming companies counter this by emphasizing high hygiene; for example, Eden Green touts laboratory conditions on its website and says workers closely monitor their greenhouses to immediately catch any pests. They also say vertical farms actually need fewer pesticides than outdoor farms do, reducing environmental impacts.

Evan Lucas, an associate professor of construction management at Northern Michigan University who teaches students about proper infrastructure design for indoor farms, said he's not concerned about the shakeout underway. He said some companies may be struggling to scale up, with problems that come from launching in spaces that aren't necessarily built specifically for indoor farming.

My guess, based on whats happening, is everyone saw the opportunity and started to try to do a lot really quickly," Lucas said.

Several of the companies say they're on the right track. Eden Green CEO Eddy Badrina says the company has figured out a way to rely mostly on natural light for their plants. Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said the company's lighting system is efficient enough for the company to be profitable. And Soli Organic CEO Matt Ryan said growing in soil indoors gives the company a better product than companies that grow in water.

Plenty got a significant vote of confidence last year when Walmart joined in a $400 million round of investment also aimed at bringing the company's produce into its stores.

But Curt Covington, senior director of institutional business at AgAmerica Lending, a private investment manager and lender focused on agricultural land, isn't convinced that indoor farming operations can work  except maybe in cases where big retailers and greenhouses team up, like Walmart and Plenty, or where grants for urban and vertical farm operations that benefit communities could be made as a form of socially conscious venture capital.

It's just hard, given the capital intensity of these types of businesses, to be very profitable, Covington said.

___

Walling reported from Chicago and from Georgetown, Kentucky. Associated Press journalist Joshua A. Bickel contributed from Georgetown.

___

Follow Melina Walling on X, formerly known as Twitter: @MelinaWalling.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
A Louisiana island town will repeal a law that prevented a contractor from flying anti-Biden flags featuring an obscenity directed at the president following a federal court settlement filed Friday, according to The Associated Press.

The Tulane First Amendment law clinic filed a lawsuit against the town of Grand Isle, La., on behalf of Ross Brunet, who hails from Cut Off, La., but works on the island often.

According to the suit, Brunet flew three flags on his truck, two of which featured crude language targeting the president and those who voted for him.

Grand Isle agreed to get rid of the ordinance barring nonpermanent signs with indecent language by Oct. 20 as part of the settlement, according to NBC News.

Brunet faced seven citations for the flags, in 2021 and 2022, according to court papers obtained by NBC. As a result of the settlement, Brunet will get $40,000 in damages and attorneys fees.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Netflixs live action adaptation of One Piece is a bona fide hit, seemingly breaking the so-called curse of the Hollywood anime adaptation. If you watched it and enjoyed itand perhaps even thirsted for its hot murder clown, Buggyyou might be craving something similar to watch now that youve finished the series. Thats especially true if youre new to the world of One Piece, the irresistible adventure following the Straw Hat Pirates on a search for coveted treasure. Double-especially if youre new to the world of anime in general. If either of those are the case, welcome!

While we celebrate the news that Netflix just renewed the series for a second season, weve rounded up a guide to projects that share similar vibes to One Piece for you to dig into next. Weve got a little bit of everything: more One Piece media, a couple like-hearted anime series, other pirate stories that arent Pirates of the Caribbean, and a handful of successful adaptations of comics.

Grab some snacks (which, if youre Luffy, would just be a giant hunk of meat), and lets get bingeing!

One Piece (the anime)

If you finished Netflixs One Piece and asked, What now? the most obvious answer would be, Watch the anime! Its a good answer, too. The One Piece anime, which started in 1999, is a joy to behold. I find the early 2000s aesthetic of its early animation to be incredibly charming. But as of its most recent arc (which has lasted several years), the animation has become downright stunning.

But just like Netflixs adaptation, the biggest asset of the One Piece anime is its voice cast. Theyre so beloved, Netflix recruited the Japanese Straw Hats to voice the Japanese dub of the live action series. After all, in Japan, these voices are synonymous with these beloved characters. Mayumi Tanaka as Luffy is a treasure. Even Luffys little nnnangh! grunts will make you smile.

Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll - though only Crunchyroll has the entire series, plus new episodes weekly.

One Piece (the manga)

This is where it all began. Eiichiro Odas manga has been running since 1997, with only three month-long breaks in those 26 years. While the anime is delightful, reading the manga addresses the animes biggest weakness: pacing issues. Thats why, if the length of One Piece is your primary concern, Id direct you to the manga over the anime. The mangas charm and brilliance speaks for itselfyouve already dipped into the waves of shows, films, and games it has unleashed.

All chapters of One Piece are easily accessible via a subscription to the Shounen Jump app ($3.99/month).

One Piece Film: Strong World Fathom Events

One Piece Film: Strong World (and/or One Piece Film: Red)

Perhaps you would rather dip your toe into the One Piece anime before committing to a watchdown. Assuming you have a Netflix subscription, you also have access to one of the best One Piece movies: Strong World. Its the first movie that mangaka Eiichiro Oda produced, and its a great sample of the vibrant, goofy energy the anime brings. Youll meet most of the rest of the Straw Hat crew, which does involve spoilers for the live actions theoretical second season. Youll also be treated to my best friend, Billy the Thunder Duck.

One Piece Film: Red is perhaps better as a movie-movie, but in its parade of character cameos, the film assumes you know more about the world than you would have learned from the live action. But it is a musical which centers on a film-only character, and its the most consolidated screen time Shanks has gotten (so far!) outside of the East Blue arc.

One Piece Film: Strong World is streaming on Netflix. One Piece Film: Red is streaming on Crunchyroll and purchasable on Vudu and Apple TV.

Our Flag Means Death

If youre looking for another set of empathetic oddball pirates, look no further than Maxs absolutely incredible series Our Flag Means Death. OFMD actually checks a lot of the same boxes that One Piece does: Its laugh-out-loud funny, incredibly heartfelt, and its protagonist is a pirate captain who no one initially takes seriously. Also, these pirates are gay and entangle themselves in a love story for the ages. (Zoro is also gay in my headcanon, though.)

Our Flag Means Death is streaming on Max.

Crunchyroll

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

When Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood came out in 2009, it was widely hailed as the best anime ever made. It speaks eons to its strength that the same argument can still be made nearly 15 years later. (Be careful to not confuse Brotherhood with the series simply named Fullmetal Alchemist, which was made before author Hiromu Arakawa finished the manga.)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the story of two teenage brothers, Edward and Alphonse, who lost significant chunks of their bodies while committing the taboo of using alchemy to resurrect their dead mother. Heavy start, right? Like One Piece, Fullmetal will make you laugh and cry. Its also a powerful, heartwarming story about the power of friendshipas corny as that sounds. At 64 episodes, its also significantly shorter than One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball (Z), and the like.

Streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu

Adventure Time and Fionna and Cake

Speaking of shows that are virtuosic explorations of the power of friendship featuring an ensemble cast: Adventure Time! Adventure Time remains beloved for a reason. The series begins as something goofy and delightful. But eventually, storylines spring up and surprise you by stabbing you right in the heart. There are moments in Adventure Time I will never forget, because of the shows uncanny ability to express profound sentiments with cutting simplicity.

For those who have already dug into Adventure Times vast buffet, an excellent new series about the gender-swapped Fionna and Cake premiered on the same day of Netflixs One Piece.

Adventure Time is streaming on Hulu, Max, Sling TV, and Amazon Prime. Fionna and Cake is streaming on Max.

Chainsaw Man

At first, it doesnt appear like Chainsaw Man and One Piece have much in common. After all, Chainsaw Man is a much darker, grittier show. (One of the main characters is even inspired by Eric Cartman.) But the two series connect in a very subtle, important way: They both explore how important and difficult it is to connect with other people in times of hardship and trauma. In Chainsaw Man, which takes place in a version of 1990s Tokyo imperiled by demons who gain power through fear, that conscientiousness is much harder. Its also blisteringly funny, as exemplified by the best scene of boob fondling in media history.

Chainsaw Man is also significantly gorier than the One Piece anime and manga. But youre coming from the version where Zoro chops a guy in half. Youll be fine.

Streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu

Alice in Borderland Netflix

Alice in Borderland

Astonishingly enough, One Piece was not Netflixs first live action adaptation of a manga to get Rotten Tomato scores with approval ratings in the 80s and 90s. That honor goes to sci-fi thriller Alice in Borderland, which is kind of like Ready Player One gone to hell. Its tonally quite different from One Piece, but its an enthralling and addictive show. Alice in Borderland also has the peculiar standing of being more well-known than its anime counterpart, a mid-2010s ordeal which condensed the then-unfinished series into only three episodes.

Streaming on Netflix

The Umbrella Academy

Netflix has yet another successful comic adaptation among its offerings: The Umbrella Academy. Instead of coming from a Japanese manga, however, The Umbrella Academys run of Dark Horse comics were created and written by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. It also stars Elliot Page, whose character comes out as trans to mirror the actors own journey. The Umbrella Academy is part superhero story, part murder mysterybut most importantly, its an enjoyable watch.

Streaming on Netflix

Muppet Treasure Island Buena Vista Pictures

Muppet Treasure Island

We all know that when Americans think pirate movie, we think Pirates of the Caribbean. The live action One Piece seems aware of this, too. So instead of starting on a journey you already know will end in disappointment, I instead offer you the myriad delights of Muppet Treasure Island. Look me in the eye and tell me you do not want to see Tim Curry as Long John Silver, singing about being a professional pirate while starring opposite Kermit the Frog in a tricorn hat. I dare you.

Streaming on Disney+, purchasable on YouTube, Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV

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South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, shortly after taking the stage before a crowd of Iowa evangelicals Saturday night, was immediately hit with a personal question about his love life.

So other than your mama, is there any special lady in your life? asked Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, where a number of GOP presidential hopefuls participated in a town hall.

Scott, telling the crowd yes, quipped that its been one of the more asked questions recently, and said hes surprised if anyone in the room hasnt read about her yet.

Im dating a lovely Christian girl, Scott said, addressing the question for the first time since a lengthy Washington Post report on his relationship status, and the mystery of it, published earlier this week.

One of the things I love about the gospel of Jesus Christ is it points us always in the right direction. Proverbs 18:22 says, He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord, he added.

Scott, 57, then knelt to the ground, asking the room to please pray for him before quickly rising with a big grin. The audience laughed.

Scott has never been married, drawing questions in GOP circles about the presidential candidates relationship status, especially as he looks to court evangelical voters. Though the percentage of adults remaining single later in adulthood has risen in recent years, the Republican Party, particularly the more religious bloc of voters, continues to hold traditional ideas about marriage and family.

As a guy who was raised in a single-parent household mired in poverty, I understand that devastation when a family breaks up. I live with the consequences of a father who was not there. I made a commitment to make sure that never happened in my life, Scott said. Im so thankful to know a risen savior that has helped guide my way, and Im so thankful that hes allowed my life to intersect at the right time with the right person. And I just say, praise the living God.
An Edgewater man out on bail on charges of fatally running over a woman in November was rearrested Saturday, court records show.

Volusia County Branch Jail records show Sunday that Michael Lyons, 63, was jailed without bail for violating his pretrial release in reference to operating a vehicle without a license causing death and DUI causing the death of a person. It is unclear why he was arrested Saturday. A request for the report was not immediately returned.

According to court records, Lyons was arrested on the charges April 21 and posted a $100,000 bail on Aug. 1 after spending 103 days in jail.

In November, Edgewater police provided a brief news release about the Nov. 10 crash that named Rhonda Finelli, 60, as the victim, and said Lyons reported the accident. Shortly after the crash, Lyons was arrested for not having a driver's license. He bailed out three days later on Nov. 13 after posting a $2,500 bail.

In Volusia County: Woman dies in Port Orange crash, man dies in wreck near DeLand

The crash that killed Rhonda Finelli

According to court records, Edgewater police were called at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 to a suspicious death at the intersection of Marion Avenue and Industrial Boulevard.

Police were told by dispatchers that a woman, later identified as Finelli, had jumped out of a vehicle, court records show.

At the scene, police found Lyons giving Finelli CPR while a dispatcher instructed him over the phone, reports state.

Lyons told police that he and Finelli had obtained a bottle of vodka and planned to spend the night at his storage unit, so he could work on a car to make money, the report said.

At the storage unit, Finelli, who did not like getting dirty, said she wanted to go home. An argument ensued, and Lyons claimed that he was driving Finelli and stopped to let her out at the entrance of 135 Marion Ave. He then went to his storage unit, and after not hearing from Finelli for 15 minutes, he drove back and found her injured, police said.

Finelli jumped out of the vehicle, police say

Using surveillance videos, evidence gathered at the scene and an analysis of the scene, Edgewater police pieced together what happened, reports state.

Police determined that Finelli jumped out of the vehicle at the entrance of 135 Marion Ave. Lyons drove away, but circled back and that's when he struck her, according to police.

Police believe Finelli was sitting up on the ground when she was run over. She died of internal bleeding, police said.

A blood alcohol test done on Lyons showed he had marijuana and vodka in his system. His blood alcohol content was .107, almost twice the legal limit of .08 under Florida law when a person is considered drunk, records show.

Court records show Lyons is set to go before a judge Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Edgewater man accused of fatally running over woman rearrested
A man is facing charges after police said he fired a shot during an argument in Pittsburghs South Side neighborhood early Sunday morning.

According to Pittsburgh police, officers were flagged down by a man around the 1500 block of East Carson Street at around 2:30 a.m.

The male told police he saw a woman being followed by a man with a gun on Roland Street.

Police said the officers went to Roland Way and saw a man and woman arguing. The man raised his arm in the air and fired once with a handgun.

According to police, the officers gave the man, identified as Ricco Tate, 23, from McKees Rocks, verbal commands to drop the gun. He didnt initially respond but eventually complied and put his hands up.

Tate was taken into custody and his handgun was recovered.

Tate is charged with terroristic threats/discharging a firearm, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturers number, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was placed in the Allegheny County Jail.

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TIANJIN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 6th China Helicopter Exposition, concluding on Sunday, has served as a platform for fostering innovation, development and win-win cooperation.

A raft of activities, such as exhibitions, forums, airshows, new product releases and business negotiations, took place during this four-day expo held in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Over 350 exhibitors, including many major global helicopter manufacturers, attended the expo, seeking lucrative business opportunities in China's aviation industry.

During the expo, Airbus Helicopters, the European aircraft manufacturer, signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for strategic cooperation with Wanjiang Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. According to the LOI, both parties will provide one-stop customized helicopter products and financing solutions for Chinese enterprise customers in general aviation, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

Airbus Helicopters has been a key partner in the Chinese helicopter sector for over 50 years. Currently, there are more than 300 Airbus helicopters flying in China, serving more than 90 customers.

According to a report released by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Ltd. (AVIC), the total number of China's civil helicopters is expected to reach 1,449 by 2027 and exceed 2,000 by 2032.

The rapid recovery and promising prospect of China's aviation market have ignited a strong desire among global helicopter manufacturers and suppliers to forge collaborations with their Chinese counterparts.

Alexander Tarasov, deputy CEO and head of design of the National Helicopter Center, Russian Helicopters, said he is interested in different Chinese components. "We would like to apply Chinese components to our helicopters. We want to expand our business with Chinese partners."

Diverse exhibits featuring technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and human-machine interaction were also showcased during the expo, with a total of 65 helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles put on display.

Sunkiss Matherm is a French company manufacturing equipment for drying system, which is needed in making aircraft.

"I'm looking for more Chinese customers. This expo gives me bright ideas of identifying who is who and what to do and to expand my business with Chinese potential customers," said Herve Vigier, general manager of the company. 
ESCONDIDO, Calif.  A man was arrested Friday on suspicion of sexually assaulting four other men in Escondido, authorities said.

The victims told police that they had been lured to an apartment in the city after agreeing to meet another man via the Grinder app, the Escondido Police Department explained.

Each of the victims stated the suspect gave a fake name and posed as a white man online. Once at the residence, however, police say they were greeted by a black man.

Man sentenced in deadly Old Town freight train push

The suspect, 28-year-old Tobias Bartee, reportedly told the victims his fictitious white roommate was not at home, EPD explained. Then after, the victims say they were forcibly restrained and sexually assaulted.

On top of that, two of the victims told police they witnessed the suspect with a handgun.

On Sept. 15, EPD says detectives, who were assisted by members of the SWAT team, served a search warrant and arrested Bartee at his residence. He was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping with intent to commit rape, sodomy by force, oral copulation by force, assault with intent to commit rape, and strangulation.

Woman dead in fall at US-Mexico border

Bartee was reportedly using photographs of other people and portraying them as himself on the Grinder app, authorities said.

EPD is urging anyone else who may have been a victim of the suspect to reach out to Detective Jesse Santaniello at (760) 839-4768.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Columbus police homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a man Saturday afternoon in the Driving Park neighborhood.

Columbus police homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a man Saturday afternoon in the Driving Park neighborhood.

Around 12:09 p.m., police were called to the 600 block of South 22nd Street on reports of shots fired.

When officers arrived, they found 36-year-old James Jones in the back of a property suffering from a gunshot wound.

Jones was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died at 1 p.m., police said.

Homicide detectives said in a release issued early Sunday morning that the shooting apparently stemmed from an altercation with someone, but released no further information about any possible suspect.

Anyone with information about Jones' death is asked to call the Columbus police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: One man dead following shooting in Columbus' Driving Park
Police officers in Rhode Island fatally shot a driver in Providence after chasing him over 20 miles in an attempt to arrest him. His teenage daughter, a passenger, was shot in the leg, police said.

Two police officers who tried to stop the man and a hospital nurse also were hurt during the chase, police said at a news conference Saturday.

Police unsuccessfully tried to stop Michael Pinto, 40, of Glocester, Rhode Island, for a motor vehicle violation Thursday in the town of Burrillville, said Stephen Lynch, town police chief. Pinto drove off after a brief chase. Burrillville police next saw Pinto on Friday night, now wanted on an arrest warrant accusing him of eluding police. They chased him again. At the time, Pinto was out on probation on an animal cruelty charge, the Boston Globe reported.

The pursuit briefly went into Massachusetts before moving to Route 146 in Rhode Island, which had a lot of traffic. Police eventually tried to box him in with their vehicles, Lynch said. Two officers got out of their cars and Pinto drove at one of them, Lynch said. That officer, who was injured, fired two rounds into Pintos car before it drove away, striking a police cruiser, Lynch said.

Police later saw Pintos car in Providence and chased him before he got caught in traffic again. Another officer was injured while trying to get Pinto out of the car. Pinto had put his car in reverse, hitting an unmarked police vehicle, and then drove over sidewalks, hitting a nurse at a nearby hospital, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said.

Two Providence police officers then approached Pintos car, one from the front, the other from the rear, as the car started in reverse again. The officers fired, Perez said. Pinto and his daughter, a minor, were removed from the car and he later died at a hospital. She survived.

Lynch said his police officers didnt know there was anyone else in the car. Perez said police learned of the daughters injury when they heard that Pinto died.

The Providence officers and the Burrillville officer are on administrative leave as state police and the attorney generals office investigate.





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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Liz Hilliard (right) and Lee.

At 64 years old, I took a very deep breath, divorced my husband of 37 years, fell in love with a woman and began reconstructing my life authentically with a new purpose.

Ending a marriage that had been on life support for far too long time freed me from the constraints of fear and societal norms, which I had allowed to hold me hostage in the search for honesty and self. To paraphrase former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, I did the thing I must not do, which in turn became my ticket to freedom  not only freedom from a stale marriage, but freedom to sound my own horn, to explore my passion and sexuality and to finally become the person I was hesitant and afraid to become. To become powerful.

I had been playing small for far too long, living in the shadow of others expectations and my own limited self-worth while preaching to my business clients about finding their own power, accepting it and moving forward into living their truth. I even wrote a book called Be Powerful: Find Your Strength at Any Age, which became an Amazon bestseller thanks to clients and others who wanted to know my secrets to looking and feeling good in my 60s. But in writing that book, I began to feel an expansion  a feeling I had yet to verbalize even to myself.

As I wrote my story of vulnerability and strength, which was genuine, I began to realize deep down that I was writing the story I wanted to hear  but not in its entirety.

My friend and employee Lee was at my side throughout most of this process, helping me excavate facts and feelings that I had yet to recognize and passions that were being unleashed. It felt like fire and freedom, terror and health. I was falling in love with life and reawakening my spirit while also  unbeknownst to me  falling in love with Lee. The feelings were coming on strong, but the words were not.

Lets back up to the beginning. I have a daughter who is my only child and my best friend. The bond we share has always been unusually close. She has always been my first thought and strongest love. My goal was to nurture her with love and magic, honesty and courage. We loved adventure and freedom. We went through times that were typical as well as extremely challenging, but always together in harmony.

However, there was one exception  one secret that I could never share with her, out of a need to do the right thing for our family: Her father and I were navigating a troubled marriage. There was no way I would reveal that to her. It was a burden that I couldnt allow her to bear. I felt that my job was to protect her and to keep my adult life and the evolutions of my marriage to myself.

When my daughter and incredible son-in-law decided to move to Charlotte, North Carolina, to begin their lives together, I was thrilled and decided to share my second baby with her: my new fitness venture, Hilliard Studio Method. We agreed to grow it together, finding new joys and adventures as business partners.

While on paper our relationship read as a recipe for disaster  if not insanity  it has been anything but!

In 2012, Lee walked into our studio for her first class just as it was starting. There were no more spots available, so I ushered her out and told her to come to another class after signing up. When she reflects on that first meeting, she remembers feeling a certain energy as I placed my hand on her back to gently direct her out. Luckily for me, she came back. My daughter noticed Lee on her return and, after seeing her do the workout, suggested that we hire her as an instructor.

That was the beginning of a strong friendship between the three of us. Lee just rolled right into our adventures, and we all became fast friends. The new dynamic was fun and seamless. We found joy and camaraderie in working, playing and traveling together as friends and families.

Love is oftentimes discovered in the most unexpected places and people. For me, it was right in front of my eyes  when I finally opened them four years ago. When I acknowledged the feelings of my whole heart and inner voice, it became clear that I was in love with Lee. We were not only friends, but women who identified at that time as heterosexual, both going through a divorce. And to really ice the cake, she was my employee and 26 years my junior.

While on paper our relationship read as a recipe for disaster  if not insanity  it has been anything but! Initially I went on a rampage of denial, citing very solid facts about why the relationship could not go forward. However, I could not unknow or deny the feelings of love and respect that we had for each other.

The revelation that I might not be completely heterosexual came about in a lightning flash that ran me through like cupids arrow during a stressful afternoon at work, when Lee  then just Lee, not my Lee  threw her arms around my neck and said: Ive got you. Youre going to be OK.

It wasnt her words that held me. It was the high-voltage electricity that hit so hard I pushed her away from me. I was shocked  physically, emotionally and mentally  to find out in that moment that my heterosexual self was no longer intact. I was blown out of the water to discover I was more  something else that I still cannot name, but it sure as hell was not heterosexual!

Can you fall in love in an instant? Maybe, but I think this feeling had been building for a long time without me realizing it. Can you change in an instant? Absolutely and hell yes. There is no denying the truth when it comes directly from my heart, my gut and my soul. The mind has no power in the face of such knowingness.

That night, I texted Lee to meet me for dinner. I was awestruck and giddy, and I needed to handle my emotions right then and there. By nature, Im not afraid to confront my feelings, and this feeling was a 911. I remember being aware of the goofy smile that broadened across my face when she quickly said yes to my invitation. I had no idea what I was going to say, but the need to let her know was urgent and had to be handled one way or another.

Sitting outside on my back patio, I told her that I loved her in some new way that I could not explain. I needed to be honest and wanted to see if she shared any of these feelings. She did. I dared not touch even her hand.

Hilliard (left) with Lee.

Hilliard (left) with Lee.

Shortly after that night, we began to explore together the delights of an unknown passion and love that I had never experienced and certainly never expected. We were honest, inexperienced, silly and serious in one sweeping breath. We were also treading on dangerous ground, with our marriages already broken apart, our divorces pending and the threat of more angst for our families a possibility. We were swept up in the joy of each other while at the same time trying to focus on the fallout that was sure to come among our families.

The fact that we were constantly in the public eye together and divorced from our husbands at practically the same time gave everyone an easy way to make all kinds of assumptions about our relationship. Im a public figure in my small neck of the woods, and the vicious rumors that began spreading through the city like wildfire threatened my family, my career and my sanity.

Before I was ready to go public, I was called out by those who could see the obvious attraction between Lee and me but only imagined the worst. My hand was forced, and I had to move quickly in telling this bizarre tale when I could scarcely wrap my own head around it.

There was one very important person who needed the truth immediately and who was soon to become my advocate in this new journey: my ex-husband. His grace and support amid my terror was heroic and immediate.

You see, love really is love. My ex-husband and I were well past the pain and hurt of a failed marriage by that point, and the magnitude of the moment is one Ill remember always. For it, I will love and defend him in any way possible for the rest of my life.

The fear, darkness and pain of divorce is real, no matter how well its done  which in our case was a mutual and civilized ending to a relationship that had not been working for years. But there is no divorce without loss, hurt or vulnerability, and those are exactly the feelings you need to move forward. Those are the great teachers of accepting change.

The ability to find your deepest, most vulnerable self is right where you find your power. And I was about to find my power through releasing my past, being accountable for my actions and allowing myself to be completely exposed and vulnerable through the inexplicable love I felt for Lee.

The divorce had already traumatized my adult child when she realized that her parents marriage was not what it seemed. Out of love and concern for her, we had portrayed ourselves as the perfect couple. But this facade that we presented to save face only shielded us from reality and caused more pain.

If theres a chapter in a self-help book somewhere about how to perfectly break this sort of news to your child, I missed it. My daughter felt betrayed and lied to. She knew me as her closest confidante, truth-teller and friend. After my failure to tell her early in my relationship with Lee, a rift formed that still lives in a small, shadowy place between us, but it is steadfastly oppressed by the love that we have for one another. Her hurt is my only regret.

Revealing my truth to my daughter was the hardest moment of my life. The words to express my new alien feelings, which I had never experienced up to that point, came out abrupt, messy and confused. If I had the time to absorb and process those new emotions, I might have been more eloquent or organized. But life is rarely those things, and truth told badly is still truth. The beauty lies in the fact that truth will eventually settle in as love in a new form, no matter how badly mishandled and bruised in the telling of it.

Revealing my truth to my daughter was the hardest moment of my life. The words to express my new alien feelings, which I had never experienced up to that point, came out abrupt, messy and confused.

My relationship with my daughter has, for the most part, weathered the storm and continues to evolve into a newer and more meaningful place, where secrets of our past are losing their power and will one day be relieved and eventually forgiven. I can never know how deeply she suffered from this upheaval because it turns out that were not the same; we process life differently at a different pace.

The joy and love I find in her every day is fresh and will never again be taken for granted. My job is to accept and respect her needs and feelings  and, more than anything else, to love her like I always have. Completely.

On a Tuesday afternoon in December 2020, I asked Lee if shed like to go pick out a diamond. The first ring she picked out of the case fit as if it had been waiting for her to show up. She tried almost every ring in the rest of the store as well.

We were both having a blast, but I had a hair appointment across the street. So, in the most romantic moment of all, I left her with my credit card and told her to have at it! She texted the picture of her final selection, purchased it with my AmEx and met me for a celebratory dinner.

I didnt propose marriage; mostly I proposed that she wear a diamond as a symbol of our commitment. I wasnt in a hurry for a ring of my own. About nine months later, we returned to the same store, and I bought the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. I feel the power and strength of our love and commitment every time I see it.

I am an absolute chicken when it comes to marriage. I can only assume that is because I have felt caged for most of my adult life in those terms, and what I feel now is a new freedom of expression that is true and magic, limitless and expansive.

We will wear our diamonds and, when we are ready, set a date to publicly and legally commit to each other, knowing the institution of marriage and its benefits while thankfully avoiding institutionalism. Lee is my person, whether we marry or not. She will be my person for the rest of my life  Im quite sure of that. Plus, she looks really good in a wedding gown.

The words Be Powerful are written boldly on the wall of my studio. They represent different things for different people, each of us walking through the various constraints placed on us by society to show a facade of ourselves that we present to the world. But who are we inside? Where is our light? What fear is holding us back today?

To see oneself clearly and deeply takes courage, practice and stamina. When we grow stronger physically, we use that same courage, practice and stamina to build ourselves stronger emotionally. Every time we move through the pain of change and let go of the fears holding us stagnant, we find who we are inside, we find our light and we shine more brightly for all to see. While fear constricts, love opens and acts as a ripple through the world, and that is truly powerful.

Liz Hilliard is an author, motivational speaker, podcast co-host and personal and group trainer, as well as the owner and creator of Hilliard Studio Method  a core-centric and Pilates-based workout. The HSM brand now includes the Be Powerful With Liz & Lee podcast, which Hilliard co-hosts with Lee Kennelly, HSMs director of training. A recipient of SmartCEOs Charlotte Corporate Culture Award, Hilliard is the author of Be Powerful: Find Your Strength at Any Age and has been featured in numerous national publications including Yahoo Lifestyle, Oxygen Magazine, Healthy Advantage, and HuffPost. Learn more on her Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages, as well as her website.

More From HuffPost Personal...
House Republicans leading the investigations into President Joe Biden and his son will subpoena Bidens son, Hunter, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Sunday. But when that will happen is still up in the air.

 Hunter Biden will get subpoenaed, but when is the appropriate time? Do you do it because television wants it? McCarthy said during an interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo.

McCarthy launched an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Tuesday over allegations related to his sons business dealings that so far have not been backed up by public evidence. But launching the inquiry will allow Congress to find answers to questions Republicans still have about the president's level of involvement in Hunter Biden's business affairs, McCarthy said.



"We have IRS agents who have come forward and said the Biden administration, the DOJ has treated his family different than others, let a statute of limitations run out. And the whole question lies: Did he get involved with Burisma and get a prosecutor fired in Ukraine under his work because of what his son was doing?" McCarthy said. "These are all allegations we need answers to."



The formal probe began without a vote on the House floor  despite McCarthys explicit pledges as recently as this month that he wouldnt do just that. The move was seen as being part of an effort to shore up support from Republican hardliners who have been calling for a more formal investigation into the president.

On Sunday, McCarthy said he wanted more evidence before calling the presidents son in to testify before Congress.

I think we should have the bank statements to actually know where did the money go, so you would know the questions to ask Hunter Biden, McCarthy said.
A new book features contributions from writers about the life and legacy of Larry McMurtry.

Fans of the late author, screenwriter, bookseller and Texas legend Larry McMurtry will have more than one opportunity in the next month to celebrate his legacy.

With the release of Pastures of the Empty Page, a collection of 38 essays and stories about McMurtry, contributing authors, family members and McMurtry scholars will present two free programs.

Author Larry McMurtry speaks with reporters at his store Booked Up in Archer City in 2012.

On Saturday at Archer Citys Royal Theater, George Getschow, the Wall Street Journal writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist who organized and edited the collection, will host a presentation at 6 p.m. at Archer Citys Royal Theater featuring McMurtrys brother, Charlie, and his sisters, Sue Deen and Judith McLemore.

This will be the first time Larrys siblings, Charlie, Sue, and Judith, have appeared in a public gathering to share their insights and perspectives of the internationally acclaimed author who considered himself a minor regional novelist,' Getschow said in a release.

He learned one of McMurtrys lifelong writing rituals from the authors sister.

Before he started work on any of his novels, he would walk the perimeter of the ranch as a way to sort of channel the characters that would come to inhabit his novels, he said.

Contributors to the book, author William Kip Stratton, former Time magazine correspondent Cathy Booth Thomas and several others will be on hand. Royalties from book sales will benefit the Archer City Writers Workshop: a Living Legacy to Larry McMurtry, a nonprofit group providing literary guidance and education to writers of all levels with the goal of keeping McMurtrys storytelling legacy alive.

A fan shakes author Larry McMurtry's hand at an auction of some of McMurtry's rare books in Archer City in 2012.

Then in Abilene on at 6 p.m. Oct. 19, Getschow will return to headline a Fellow Writers on the Life and Legacy of Larry McMurtry at the Grace Museum.

Co-sponsored by Texas Star Trading Company, the discussion will feature author Stephen Harrigan who is also a writer-at-large for Texas Monthly and author of the novel The Gates of the Alamo. Also featured will be Kathryn Jones, the author of a forthcoming biography of Ben Johnson who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show, the 1971 motion picture based on McMurtrys 1966 novel of the same name.

Author Beverly Lowry, Dee Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta, and McMurry Universitys Jay-Rollins Library Emeritus Director Joe Specht, author of The Women There Dont Treat You Mean: Abilene in Song, round out the presentation.

Both programs are free to the public with copies of the book available for purchase and signing.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: McMurtry set to be remembered, discussed in Archer City and Abilene
Looking for a new job and unsure of where to turn?

Forbes has released its 2023 Best Employers by State list, and of the 76 organizations ranked in the Tennessee section, eight are headquartered in Memphis.

The highest scoring local employer was St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, which has about 5,000 staffers and finished in fifth place. The next highest ranked Memphis group was the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, a major law firm with a nationwide presence. It took 17th place, and just behind it in the 18th spot was the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), the states flagship medical and professional health school.

Not far from UTHSC was Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, which has around 11,000 employees and took 24th place. And in 29th place was another health care group, Regional One Health.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare gives an inside look at its Career Launch Academy. The program is for high school juniors and seniors from Memphis-Shelby County Schools and local charter schools who have expressed an interest in careers in healthcare. Dominic McClendon, Chemistry supervisor, speaks to the students about a career in the labs. The tour was given on July 7, 2023 at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

You have to scroll through another 21 organizations before you get to the next highest Memphis-based organization, delivery services giant FedEx, which finished in 50th place and is the citys largest employer. It has roughly 600,000 employees worldwide.

A few spots behind it was the financial institution First Horizon. It finished in 55th place and has 7,500 employees.

The final local organization that made the cut was the University of Memphis, which has around 2,500 employees and took 63rd place.

There are also other employers on the list that arent headquartered in Memphis but have a significant presence here. For instance, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, which took first place, is technically based in Chattanooga; but it has an office here. Similarly, Costco Wholesale, which finished in second place, is based in Issaquah, Washington, but has two big stores in the Memphis area.

And though medical device manufacturer Smith & Nephew  which finished in 31st place  is headquartered in the United Kingdom, it maintains a major operation in Memphis.

Heres some other examples of organizations on the list that arent headquartered in the Bluff City, but have presences here:

No. 30: Michigan-based Kellogg (31,000 employees)

No. 33: Oregon-based Nike (79,100 employees)

No. 47: Minneapolis-based Target (440,000 employees)

No. 60: Birmingham-based Regions Financial (20,073 employees)

No. 62: Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A (140,000 employees)

No. 65: Seattle-based Starbucks (258,000 employees)

To be considered for the list, organizations had to have at least 500 employees. Forbes partnered with the market research firm Statista to develop the ranking, and 70,000 workers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia were anonymously surveyed. Participants were asked to evaluate their employer based on factors like working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, potential for development and company image. They were also asked if they would recommend their employer to others.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The Memphis companies that made Forbes' Best Employers by State list
Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho celebrates after hitting a RBI triple to tie the game during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Toronto, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP)  Whit Merrifield hit a winning single in the 13th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Saturday and move a half-game ahead of Seattle for the ALs third wild card spot.

Merrifields infield single off Mauricio Llovera (1-3) drove in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from third base for Torontos fifth win in its last at-bat.

Chad Green (3-0) pitched one inning for the win.

Guerrero hit a solo home run and reached base five times.

At this point in the year, any win is going to be a good confidence boost, Merrifield said. Hopefully it will be good momentum.

Guerrero went 2 for 3 with three walks, one intentional. He has homered in three consecutive games for the fourth time in his career.

What Vladdy has done the last couple of days is a big boost, Merrifield said.

Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run, his 32nd, but Boston lost for the ninth time in 11 games. The Red Sox lost for the fourth time in 62 opportunities when leading after six innings.

Toronto used an intentional walk and an infield single to load the bases against Nick Robertson in the 10th, but Merrifield struck out to end the threat.

When something like that happens youre eager to get back up and try again, Merrifield said. Fortunately I got another chance and made it happen.

Boston led 2-1 heading to the ninth but right-hander John Schreiber couldnt close it out, blowing his second save in three chances.

Pinch-hitting for Matt Chapman, Torontos Cavan Biggio hit a one-out single and advanced on a wild pitch. One out later, Daulton Varsho lined a game-tying triple over the head of rookie center fielder Cedanna Rafaela, who initially broke in on Varshos hit.

Its a mistake, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Rafaelas play. Hell learn from it and be better for the next one.

Schreiber sent it to extra innings by getting George Springer to ground out.

Bostons Pablo Reyes hit an RBI single off Jordan Hicks in the top of the 12th but Bo Bichette tied it in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly off Zack Weiss.

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale allowed one run and two hits in six-plus innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out 10.

Definitely something to build off of, Sale said.

Cora said he hasnt seen Sale pitch better this year.

I know hes had some good games this season but for me, that was the best one as far as hitting his spots, Cora said.

Sale departed after Guerreros leadoff home run in the seventh, his 24th.

Right-hander Josh Winckowski replaced Sale and got two outs but walked the bases loaded. Brennan Bernardino came on and retired pinch hitter Ernie Clement to end the threat.

Making his career-high 31st start, Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings.

Plate umpire Jordan Baker was struck in the left shoulder by a foul tip during Justin Turners at-bat in the top of the fourth. Baker received attention from Torontos trainer and was able to continue, but left after the eighth. Brennan Miller moved from second base to behind the plate in the ninth.

TRAINERS ROOM

Red Sox: Boston put 1B Triston Casas on the 10-day IL because of right shoulder inflammation and recalled INF Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester. Cora said Casas will return to Boston on Saturday night and undergo an MRI Sunday. It doesnt make sense to push, Cora said. Hes been grinding through it. The last few days have been a challenge for him.

Blue Jays: RHP Adam Cimber (shoulder) allowed one run and two hits in one inning in his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

STARTING STRONG

Red Sox starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in each of the past seven games.

WEB GEM

Springer raced into the right field corner to make a diving catch on Masataka Yoshidas liner for the first out of the seventh.

CHAPMAN STRUGGLING

Chapman is hitless in nine at-bats since being activated off the IL Thursday. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner missed 15 games because of a sprained right middle finger.

UP NEXT

LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (3-3, 2.93 ERA) is expected to start for the Blue Jays in Sundays series finale against Canadian-born Red Sox RHP Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.56).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
LANSING  Michigan State University will launch an investigation into the source of a leak that revealed the name of the woman who accused now-suspended football coach Mel Tucker of sexual harassment.

An investigation is planned, but details on when it will begin, its scope and other information was not available Sunday, MSU Vice President for Media and Public Information Emily Guerrant said.

Guerrant said the decision to start an investigation came from the school's administration, which is currently led by interim President Teresa Woodruff. Guerrant said she expects to release additional details about the probe sometime in the next few days.

The move comes days after Michigan State University Trustee Dianne Byrum called for the school to investigate how the name of the woman who filed a sexual harassment complaint against Tucker leaked to reporters.

I am disturbed and outraged by recent reports indicating the name of a claimant in a sexual harassment investigation was intentionally released in an apparent effort to retaliate against her. We should unequivocally condemn attempts to silence or retaliate against victims," Byrum, who was a trustee during the Larry Nassar scandal, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. She is also a former chairperson of the board. Rema Vassar is the current chairperson of the board.

"I call on Michigan State University to thoroughly investigate these troubling allegations and hold anyone who is found to have leaked or released the claimants name accountable. We need to do everything in our power to ensure victims of sexual assault and abuse can come forward without fear or intimidation and have full confidence their identities and private information will be kept confidential.

Michigan State Trustee Dianne Byrum speaks during a board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Hannah Administration Building on campus in East Lansing.

Brenda Tracy, a prominent national advocate for sexual assaults survivors, filed her complaint against Tucker in December. Tracy initially met Tucker while conducting programs for student athletes.

Related Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker accused of sexually harassing rape survivor

She has said she did not intend to make her case public before an October hearing at MSU. In a statement, her attorney said an "outside source" leaked Tracy's identity. After USA Today published her story with her consent, Tucker was suspended by the school without pay. He has denied sexually harassing Tracy, saying they had a consensual intimate relationship.

Related MSU won't reveal oversight measures put in place for Mel Tucker after sexual harassment report

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Tracy said she also shared documents and her story with USA Today in case someone at the university leaked her name.

"I did not want to publish my story in the early morning hours last weekend, but I had no choice because someone outed me to the media. I am angry that my right to confidentiality has been violated and I hope that those responsible are held accountable," she wrote.

"It is unacceptable that survivors must endure continued violations of our agency and autonomy in an attempt to seek justice and accountability for the harm done to us," she said.

Related MSU president Teresa Woodruff: I and the board didn't know details of Tucker complaint until Sunday

Since Sept. 10, MSU officials have said that few at the school knew Tracy's identity, which aligned with school policy.

Woodruff told the State Journal on Sept. 11 that she knew about the report in late December, shortly after it was filed, but didn't learn Tracy was the complainant until July, after the preliminary investigative report was submitted to the university.

Woodruff and two university spokespeople have also said that the board knew of the report in late December, but were not given Tracy's name. The Office of the General Counsel told Woodruff that Tracy was the complainant while briefing her in July on a number of legal matters facing the university, Woodruff said.

She added that she didn't learn the nature of the complaint or details in the preliminary investigative report until she read them in the USA Today story on Sunday.

The investigation into Tucker's behavior remains ongoing.

A hearing is scheduled for early October, when an outside attorney hired by the university will decide whether Tucker violated university policy. An official sanction or punishment could then follow that determination.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Mel Tucker leak investigation planned by Michigan State University
This photo taken on Sept. 15, 2023 shows the site of the Re:Think 2023 SDG Innovation Week in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua)

CHENGDU, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- An innovation week event advocating for concrete actions towards a sustainable future for both humanity and the planet has kicked off in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China.

The event, Re:Think 2023 SDG Innovation Week (SDG InnoWeek), which commenced on Friday aims to inspire people from around the world to take action to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ahead of the global SDG Summit scheduled next week in New York.

Re:Think is an annual flagship innovation event co-hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone Administrative Committee and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges.

An online campaign called "Act Now," launched before the SDG InnoWeek, garnered over 240 million views on the microblogging platform Sino Weibo. A series of offline activities, including a sustainable fashion show, are also lined up.

"This week offers a platform to unite dedicated individuals, organizations and expanding SDG networks, fostering an environment to propel collective action towards the achievement of the goals," said James George, deputy resident representative of the UNDP in China. 
Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter.

Veterans in need of emergency counseling can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and selecting option 1 after connecting to reach a VA staffer. In addition, veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 for help, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

In the summer of 2022, Craig Bryan, a psychologist, listened as a young service member explained why some days life didnt seem worth living. The man in his early 20s didnt point to combat-related trauma or the burden of physical injury. He felt depleted from his job in finance, specifically processing reimbursements for his fellow service members.

As Bryan recalls, the young man with dark hair, a thin frame, and a cautious way of speaking recounted how the software used by the Defense Department often resulted in errors or long delays. As a result, service members would come to his desk to yell about their lack of payment, and when he tried to correct the problems, the software would cause his computer to crash. Rebooting took 20 minutes, and it was not uncommon for the upset individual to complain to the mans supervisor, who would later shout at him for poor performance.

The service member often stayed up working until midnight (only to oversleep for morning exercise, which resulted in more reprimanding) and said that when he thought about his future, he drifted into hopelessness.

Psychologist Craig Bryan speaks to a room of David Grant USAF Medical Center mental health care providers at Travis Air Force Base, California, in 2022. (Lan Kim/Air Force)

Whats the point of any of this? Bryan recalls him saying. That triggered alarms in Bryans head. When I heard that I was like, Holy shit, this kids at risk for suicide.

Bryan didnt think work stress alone might result in suicide. But the young service member appeared depressed. If he were to break up with a partner or lose a loved one, that would only push him closer toward risk. Easy access to a gun would multiply the risk further.

Another concern: his age. About half of military suicides on Defense Department property involve people 25 years old or younger.

This young man was one of nearly 3,000 individuals across nine military installations interviewed for a report released earlier this year by the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee, which formed at the direction of Congress under Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in the spring of 2022.

Bryan, who deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a psychologist in the Air Force and is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at The Ohio State University, was one of 10 committee members who developed a 115-page report listing dozens of recommendations to improve service member well-being and reduce the persistent suicide problem. Since the 2001 launch of the war on terror, suicide rates have roughly doubled in the military.

After several months of talking with service members, their families, mental health providers, and others, Bryan started to view active duty suicide as death by a thousand paper cuts, he says.

Those paper cuts range from a chronic shortage of behavioral health providers to a lack of computers for service members who must complete online training, delays in paychecks and reimbursements, and no air conditioning in sweltering barracks  complaints Bryan and his colleagues heard repeatedly.

There were just barriers to, I would say, to successful living, says Rebecca K. Blais, a psychologist who served on the committee and says she was struck by the volume of daily stressors. Eliminating some of them, the committee argues, could help the mental state of service members, making them more resilient to whatever active duty throws at them. And while adding computers and improving housing may sound like an easy lift  especially considering the Defense Departments $1.77 trillion budget  those familiar with how the military bureaucracy operates arent hopeful this report will result in significant, lasting change.

The Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs have many nonclinical resources to help service members, veterans, and families 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. (Graphic by Keith Pannell/Army)

We know a lot about the problem  we know what we need to do, says M. David Rudd, a psychology professor at the University of Memphis who has researched military suicide for more than three decades. I think the probability is it wont be done.

Rudd blames the military mindset. The Defense Department should overhaul what defines military readiness, he says, calling it the most critical step in suicide prevention. Rather than evaluating command staff based on their training schedules, physical fitness scores, and marksmanship performance, he says, there should also be accountability for the mental fitness of the people in their units.

Everybody views that as not related to military readiness, he says, adding that military culture should shift to a more comprehensive view on military readiness that includes the toll of daily stressors, such as struggling to buy groceries. (A 2018 RAND Corporation report found that roughly 26% of active-duty service members are food insecure.) If somebody cant get paid, that impairs military readiness. You just dont have people who think that way. Thats just not the way commanders think.

And, many of the findings in the SPRIRC report arent new, Rudd says. Over the last 15 years, several reports across the services have detailed ways the Defense Department could tackle suicide  but the findings have so far failed to spark deep, sustained action.

If the recommendations that have been repeatedly raised by multiple groups are not implemented, there is little reason to expect that suicides among military personnel will drop, the SPRIRC report reads.

A plan to implement many of the SPRIRCs recommendations is past the June due date set by Austin, but a Defense Department spokesperson says its coming.

Not everyone who dies by suicide has a mental health condition

Prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, civilian suicide rates were far higher than those in the military when comparing age groups. That flipped about five years into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rudd says. In 2021, a Costs of War research paper out of Brown University estimated nearly 32,000 active-duty personnel and veterans of the post-9/11 wars died by suicidesignificantly more than the 7,057 service members killed during combat in that same time frame.

Despite millions of dollars of DOD research on the topic, the problem lingers. In the first quarter of 2023, the Army recorded 49 suicides, compared to 37 in the same time frame in 2022  according to the DODs most recent quarterly suicide report. The Marine Corps also reported an increase.

Outside military installations, suicide in America has surged in the last two decades, particularly among teens and young adults. The demand for mental and behavioral health services far outpaces available providers, a challenge that the military and Veterans Affairs face, as well.

At many installations, service members have to wait four to six weeks between psychotherapy sessions, reducing treatment efficacy and prolonging symptoms, according to the SPRIRC committee. The report lists ways to remedy this  many of which have been issued in the past  including expediting hiring and eliminating budget and statutory limitations that hinder the Defense Departments ability to increase pay.

But Blais says its important to recognize suicide as a complex tangle of factors.

Capt. Anthony Priest, behavior health officer with 1st Signal Brigade, speaks with Company B, 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced, in South Korea in 2022, about suicide. (Army)

I think one of the conceptions that people often have is that people who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental health condition, she says. And thats certainly not the case.

Mental health can falter when everyday problems compound, and that can also trigger verbal abuse between service members and their families, Blais says.

Military service members are trained to survive anything and with the fewest amount of resources possible, she says. That is part of what they need to be able to do. But what we were seeing on installations is that they were doing that day to day when it wasnt required.

When three junior sailors killed themselves in April 2022 while serving on the same aircraft carrier, investigators found daily stress contributed. They were assigned to the USS George Washington, a ship that was in a years-long midlife overhaul at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. A Navy investigation released in May found that thousands of sailors who have worked and lived on the ship since 2017 endured a poor quality of life, despite more than two dozen complaints to the inspector general between 2020 and 2022 addressing uninhabitable living conditions, safety violations, mistreatment of sailors on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, and the mishandling of sexual assault allegations.

While no direct correlation was found among the deaths of the three sailors, the report details the unpleasantness of daily life. Without enough parking at the shipyard, for instance, sailors often parked miles away and endured an up to two-hour commute by bus in traffic jams  a slog that drained morale.

Living quarters for the hundreds of sailors lodging on the ship were often without WiFi or reliable cell phone service  lifelines in modern society. The parents of one of the deceased soldiers told NPR that their son often tried to sleep in his car, or he would occasionally break rules and drive eight hours to visit home, only to return to the ship sleep-deprived and weary.

It makes people feel expendable

Programs that boost morale, improve mental health and decrease suicide rates do exist. The Defense Departments own research has identified several effective therapies that help prevent suicide. But, theres no plan to roll them out and embed them as staples of the Military Health System, Bryan says.

The Armys Holistic Health and Fitness program shows promise. Early data reflects a 37% reduction in suicides between 2019 and 2022 in units that have implemented it, according to an article in Army Times. But the SPRIRC committee found its not unusual for such successes to operate in a silo or, when leadership changes within units, the program to fade away.

More than a decade ago, a task force with the same charge as SPRIRC  which issued many of the same recommendations  highlighted the need for a positive command climate and leadership thats held accountable for the entire well-being of service members, not just the physical aspect of health.

Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis distribute pamphlets to raise awareness for suicide prevention on the floating accommodation facility, in Newport News, Virginia, in 2021. (MCS2 Thomas Pittman/Navy)

Blais, the psychologist, says theres evidence of a recent change in how leaders are selected in the Army. The Battalion Command Assessment Program focuses not only on physical and cognitive requirements for effective leadership, but also integrates assessment of written and verbal communication skills, feedback from peers and subordinates, and results of interviews with psychologists. Shed like to see all branches adopt that model, she says. As it is now, the promotion system rewards people whove been in the military a long time and may be good at the mission side of the armed forces, but not necessarily at the leadership required to keep service members healthy.

One of the things that we heard, for example, is we would ask commanders, How do you address your service members when someone dies by suicide? she says. And its like, Well, we dont talk about it. We dont want to draw attention to it. And it wasnt malicious, but theyre just like, If we tell people its going to happen, then its going to happen more. And as a psychologist, its like, No, that makes people feel like theyre expendable and that they dont matter.

Were not saying people shouldnt have guns

While there were nearly two dozen recommendations ranked as top priority, only a handful related to limiting access to guns drew heated debate online, including one that proposed prohibiting the sale of guns and ammunition to troops younger than 25 years old on Defense Department property.

When The New York Post reported on the proposal, readers derided a woke military and the violation of the Second Amendment.

Defense Department data indicates about 66% of active duty suicides, 72% of reserve suicides, and 78% of National Guard suicides involve firearms. Citing a policy change that required Israeli military personnel to store their military-issued weapons in armories over the weekend and how that led to a 40% reduction in the Israeli militarys suicide rate, SPRIRC offered policy proposals that also attempt to limit access to personal guns.

When she helped to craft recommendations, Blais reviewed data that indicated it was not uncommon for men between the ages of 18 to 24 to have recently gone through a breakup, gotten drunk, and then tried to kill themselves.

If that gun is harder to reach for? At the worst, they would have a really bad hangover the next day, Blais says. Were not saying that people shouldnt have guns. Were just saying that we might want to be more thoughtful about where guns are and where theyre located and who has access to them and where.

A graphic for Suicide Prevention Month shows contact information for resources service members and others can use to seek help. (Graphic by David Smith/Marine Corps)

Rudd likens the controversy to seat belts. Though the initial requirement of seatbelts ignited rally cries of lost freedom, eventually the federal government realized the safety benefits were too great to ignore. Since suicides are often hard to predict, he says, steps to improve safety have a positive impact, just like seatbelts.

The report also recommends screening for excessive alcohol use and displaying alcohol less prominently in military exchanges.

In March, the Defense Department announced a few of the SPRIRCs recommendations would be adopted immediately as a task force worked through a more permanent, thorough plan. Those recommendations included expediting the hiring of behavioral health providers, screening for excessive alcohol use during primary care appointments, and improving scheduling of behavioral health appointments.

In April, the Defense Health Agency began a pilot program that allows service members to book several behavioral health appointments at once  rather than having to schedule a follow-up after each visit  with the hope that the program will expand across the Military Health System, a Defense Department spokesperson tells The War Horse.

In an emailed statement, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York who serves on the Armed Services committee, says she expects the Defense Department to take this report seriously. Shes pushed the military for years to ease career stressors and strengthen mental health services.

I will be watching for real progress, she says.

Bryan is watching too.

Though its been months since he sat in a conference room listening to that young, stressed-out service member, he finds himself thinking about him often.

He remembers the young man looked crumpled, exhausted  like someone under so much pressure, with such minimal relief, that he couldnt picture his future as anything but grim.

He is an exemplar of how institutional factors and quality of life matters are so important for understanding the emergence of suicidal thinking and suicidal behavior, Bryan says.

This War Horse investigation was reported by Anne Marshall-Chalmers, edited by Kelly Kennedy, fact-checked by Jasper Lo, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Headlines are by Abbie Bennett.

Anne Marshall-Chalmers is an investigative journalist at The War Horse where she covers the health of veterans, active duty service members, and military families. Her work has appeared in Mother Jones, Inside Climate News, Civil Eats, USA Today, NPR, and the Los Angeles Times.
With the liberation of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian forces have created a bridgehead for further counteroffensive operations in the area, Ukrainian military spokesperson Illia Yevlash said on Sept. 17.

According to Yevlash, as a result of the liberation of Klishchiivka, Russian forces will lose control over the southern flank of Bakhmut, allowing the Ukrainian military to advance deeper and conduct more accurate and deeper strikes, using various artillery systems, drones, and available weapons.

Currently, the main task ahead of Ukrainian forces, he said, is to take control of the logistical routes, especially railway, by which the Russians deliver the necessary ammunition to the occupied city of Bakhmut.

The railway is very important for Russians. Everything further than 60 kilometers is very difficult to provide by the logistics of the occupying army, Yevlash said.

"At the moment, intense and fierce battles are taking place in this direction. We are fighting for every meter of our land.

Klishchiivka, which had a population of around 500 before the full-scale invasion and located just five kilometers south of Russian-occupied Bakhmut, was occupied in January by Russian forces.

The successful recapture of the village was first announced on Facebook on Sept.17 by the Liut ("Anger") Brigade, formed by the Ukrainian police and under command of the National Guard.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine liberates Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast after months of heavy fighting

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Army Gen. Mark Milley pushed back on claims from Republicans that the military is woke and as a result not prepared to take on modern threats, saying hes not even sure what that word truly means.

What I see is a military thats exceptionally strong. Its powerful; its ready. In fact, our readiness rates, the way we measure readiness, is better now than theyve been in years, Milley said in a CNN interview Sunday.

Republican politicians and candidates have blasted the Pentagon for so-called woke policies, pointing to efforts to recruit a diverse group of military service members and be inclusive to transgender soldiers.

Those claims have also headlined efforts to reduce military spending.

Were going to cut money thats being spent on wokeism; were going to cut legacy programs; were going to cut a lot of waste, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said earlier this year.

Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who announced he will retire at the end of this month, said the U.S. military is actually in better shape now than in years past.

This is a military thats dedicated to maintaining our readiness, our capabilities, our lethality. And the thing that we also need to focus on is the modernization for the future character of war that I see fundamentally changing, Milley said.

This military is a lot of things, but woke, its not. So I take exception to that. I think that people say those things for reasons that are their own reasons, but its not true. Its not accurate, he continued. Its not a broad-brush description of the U.S. military as it exists today.

Presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) argued that the military is being ordered around by a civilian political ideology and is being infected by the woke mind virus.

This is changing the character of the military, its changing the culture of our services, and its creating a situation in which great warriors have been driven away and recruiting is at an all time low, he said on the campaign trail in July.

Those criticisms from Republicans have created a real crisis of confidence in military institutions, according to defense analysts. A poll conducted in June found that confidence in the military is at a 25-year low  at 60 percent.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections shows Antonio Dupree Wright, of Minneapolis. On Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, a judge acquitted Wright, who was accused of fatally shooting three people and wounding two others in St. Paul last year in a case that turned on an alibi defense. (Minnesota Department of Corrections via AP)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  A judge has acquitted a Minnesota man accused of fatally shooting three people and wounding two others in St. Paul last year in a case that hinged on an alibi defense.

Ramsey County Judge Kelly Olmstead on Friday found Antonio Dupree Wright not guilty on all charges, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Wright, 42, of Minneapolis, had waived a jury trial, allowing the judge to decide his fate.

Theres insufficient evidence to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is the person who committed these heinous crimes, Olmstead said.

Prosecutors had charged Wright with second-degree murder and attempted murder, alleging he was the masked man who fired a handgun at the victims at a St. Paul duplex on Sept. 4, 2022. Killed were Angelica Gonzales, 33, Cory Freeman, 42, and Maisha Spaulding, 44.

There is no question that the victims were intentionally targeted for murder, Olmstead said. The sole, true issue in this case is the identity of the shooter."

Wrights attorney, Joe Friedberg, argued in his written closing that Wright had a proven alibi: He was in Chicago at the time.

This is just a horrible case of a massacre, where the state charged the wrong guy, Friedberg told the newspaper after the verdict.

On the day of the shooting, Wrights aunt testified during the trial, he stopped by her Chicago home unannounced at 10 a.m. for a visit. His mother testified he went to her apartment at 10 p.m., which would have been over five hours after the shooting. She identified the man seen on surveillance video from the apartment lobby as her son.

Friedberg also argued that witnesses had testified the shooter had dreadlocks, which Wright didn't have.

Stephen Anderson, who was shot in the head and hands, had told investigators that the gunman was named Antonio, the charges said. Anderson also picked Wright out of a photo lineup as the shooter. But Anderson backtracked at trial, saying the shooter had dreadlocks and was not Wright.

While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the courts decision," prosecutors said in a statement.

Wright still faces kidnapping and attempted murder charges from a separate incident and remains jailed on $2 million bail.
Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine's Air Force, has posted a video showing the moment when a Russian cruise missile was downed during an attack on Odesa Oblast on the morning of 17 September.

Source: Oleshchuk on Telegram

Quote: "For those who are not asleep, this is the morning action of the soldiers of the Air Command Pivden (South  ed.) against Ruscist cruise missiles!

17 September 2023. Odesa Oblast. Our favourite city can sleep well!"

Details: As usual, the commander thanked the air defence troops for their effective work.

Earlier: The Russians struck Ukraine on the night of 16-17 September with air-launched cruise missiles and strike UAVs, with 12 of the 16 air targets being shot down.



Read also: Air Force says pilots use both Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles to hit Russian targets



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!
Post-tropical cyclone Lee has taken at least one life after it made landfall on Saturday afternoon, bringing hurricane-force winds and torrential rain to the east coast.

A 51-year-old motorist in Searsport, Maine, was killed after the gusts caused a large tree limb to topple onto his vehicle on Saturday on US Highway 1.

The tree limb also brought down live power lines, meaning utility workers had to cut power before the man could be removed, police chief Brian Lunt said. The 51-year-old later died at a hospital, the chief said.

Despite the fatality, officials are removing warnings about the storm. The US National Hurricane Center discontinued a tropical storm warning for the coast of Maine, while Environment Canada ended its tropical storm warning in New Brunswick.

The National Hurricane Center reported early on Sunday that the storm was 70 miles off of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and about 180 miles off of Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland.

Maximum sustained winds, as of Sunday, were blowing at around 45mph, a decrease from yesterdays winds. While the storm continues to knock out power for residents in Maine and parts of Canada, the post-tropical cyclone is expected to gradually weaken over the next couple of days, and Lee could dissipate on Tuesday, the hurricane center said.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect for parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands.

Earlier Saturday in Bar Harbor, Maine, a whale watch vessel broke free of its mooring and crashed onto the land, forcing officials to quickly offload 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to prevent it from spilling into the ocean.

Lees heavy rain has also caused notable damage. Coastal roads in Nova Scotia were flooded. Ferries were taken out of service. The provinces largest airport  Halifax Stanfield International  cancelled all flights.

People are exhausted," said Pam Lovelace, a councilor in Halifax. Its so much in such a small time period.

Tropical-storm-force winds on Sunday were extending outward up to 290 miles from the center.

The storm was large and strong enough to cause power outages several hundred miles from its center. At midday Saturday, 11 per cent of electricity customers in Maine lacked power, along with 27 per cent of Nova Scotia, 8 per cent of New Brunswick and 3 per cent of Prince Edward Island.

The storm skirted some of the parts of Massachusetts that had already suffered severe flash flooding days earlier, when fast water washed out roads, caused sinkholes, damaged homes and flooded vehicles.

In eastern Maine, winds died down enough by late afternoon Saturday for utility workers to begin using bucket trucks to make repairs. Central Maine Power and Versant Power had hundreds of workers, including out-of-state crews, assisting the effort. As of Sunday, 40,000 Maine residents were reporting outages, according to Poweroutage.us.

At this point, the storm is resembling a noreaster, said Sarah Thunberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist, referring to a type of fall and winter storm that was given its name due to the winds that blow from the northeast.

Cruise ships took refuge at berths in Portland, Maine, while lobstermen in Bar Harbor and elsewhere pulled traps from the water and hauled boats inland.

Billy Bob Faulkingham, House Republican leader of the Maine Legislature, and another lobsterman survived after their boat overturned while hauling traps before the storm hit on Friday, officials said.

The two men clung to the hull of the boat until help arrived, said Winter Harbor Police Chief Danny Mitchell, adding that the 42-foot boat sank.

Theyre very lucky to be alive, Mitchell said.

Despite warnings to stay inside, many decided to risk going out.

Betsy Follansbee and her husband jogged to Higgins Beach in Scarborough, Maine, to watch surfers  some of whom were wearing helmets  paddling out to catch waves reaching 12 feet, which Follansbee called the biggest waves she had ever seen in her 10 years living there.

Were impressed that theyre bold enough to try, Ms Follansbee said.

Lee isnt too disimilar from 2012s Superstorm Sandy. Both storms were once-strong hurricanes that became post-tropical cyclones before landfall. However, Lee was not expected to be nearly as destructive as Sandy, which caused billions of dollars in damage and was blamed for dozens of deaths in New York and New Jersey.

Lees impact was also not as severe as the effects of last years Hurricane Fiona, Canadian meteorologist Jill Maepea said, which washed houses into the ocean in eastern Canada, caused massive power outages in two provinces and swept a woman into the sea.

Destructive hurricanes are relatively rare so far north. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph and sustained winds of 121 mph at Massachusetts Blue Hill Observatory.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  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 Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations," Garland said.

The Mexican government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mexican security forces captured Guzman Lopez, alias "El Raton" or "the Mouse," in January in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa state, the cartel's 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.

This frame grab from video provided by the Mexican government shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez at the moment of his detention on Oct. 17, 2019, 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 Culiacan. Guzman Lopez was later arrested in January 2023.

January's arrest set off similar violence that killed 30 people in Culiacan, including 10 military personnel. The army used Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartel's truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns. Cartel gunmen hit two military aircraft forcing them to land and sent gunmen to the city's airport where military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire.

Borderland: FBI arrests 'El Alaska' after kidnapped migrant found at El Paso area stash house

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."

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 Lopez's high profile it usually takes at least two years to win extradition as attorneys make numerous filings as a delaying tactic.

"This happened quicker than normal," Vigil said, noting that some conservative members of the U.S. Congress had raised the idea of U.S. military intervention if Mexico did not do more to stop the flow of drugs. Vigil dismissed that idea as "political theater," but suggested it added pressure on Mexico to act.

Archives 2018: 'Chapo' Guzman's son, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, on DEA most-wanted fugitives list

Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said in statement 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."

Sherwood-Randall made multiple visits to Mexico this year to meet with President Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador, most recently last month.

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 father's 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.

Mexican soldiers patrol around the city of Culiacan on Friday Oct. 18, 2019, a day after a gunbattle between gunmen and security forces. Mexican security forces backed off an attempt to capture a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman after finding themselves outgunned in a ferocious shootout with cartel enforcers that left at least eight people dead and more than 20 wounded, authorities said.

Vigil described Guzman Lopez as a mid-level leader in the cartel and not even the leader of the brothers.

"It's a symbolic victory but it's 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."

Fentanyl has become a top priority in the bilateral security relationship. But Lopez Obrador has described his country as a transit point for precursors coming from China and bound for the U.S., despite assertions by the U.S. government and his own military about fentanyl production in Mexico.

Lopez Obrador blames a deterioration of family values in the U.S. for the high levels of drug addiction in that country.

Drug cartels: El Chapo's wife released from US custody after completing 3-year prison sentence

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.

Mexico's fentanyl seizures typically come when the drug has already been pressed into pills and is headed for the U.S. border.

U.S. prosecutors allege much of the production occurs in and around Culiacan, where the Sinaloa cartel exerts near complete control.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Mexico extradites Chapo's son 'The Mouse' Ovidio Guzman Lopez to US
I moved from New Jersey to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for college in 2019 and haven't looked back.

The city's art scene, outdoor activities, and international cuisine inspired me to stay postgrad.

Although New Jersey is famous for its beaches, I actually like Minnesota's lakes better.

I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Ewing, New Jersey, in 2019 to attend the University of Minnesota. I planned to earn my degree, get a job on the East Coast, and fall right back into the comfort of my hometown  but that never happened.

So many things about the Midwestern city won me over, so I decided to continue living here postgrad. Here are some reasons I fell in love with Minneapolis.

I can get anywhere I need to go without a car

I've never had a car in Minneapolis. Street parking generally isn't free, I'd need a garage in the winter, and I simply don't want to pay for gas.

In my hometown, there's only one major train station nearby and limited bus stops that aren't within walking distance. Fortunately, public-transportation stops in Minneapolis are within walking distance, cheap, and easy to navigate. A light-rail day pass brings me all around the Twin Cities  Minneapolis and St. Paul  for $5, and the express bus is only $2.50.

I also walk a lot in Minneapolis. I love having the convenient proximity to a variety of stores without the East Coast's busyness.

Winter here is actually beautiful

Minnesota during the winter.

Minnesota winters aren't as bad as I expected.Amena Ahmed

I expected the Minnesota winters to be unbearable, as the state's known for its below-freezing weather and blizzards often resulting in feet of snow. Surprisingly, I actually love the snow, even if it's way more than what I'm used to in New Jersey.

After learning how to dress with layers and walk on ice properly, the winters in Minneapolis quickly became nothing to worry about.

I like having snow in the city because it coats buildings and trees in a beautiful way, creating enjoyable scenery on my walks.

Minneapolis feels like a slower, more affordable version of other cities I like

I've always wanted to live in New York City or Philadelphia, but they're overwhelmingly busy. New York City's population is over 8 million, and Philadelphia's is about 2 million  Minneapolis consists of only about 430,000 people.

It's usually only swamped here on the weekends and peaceful during the week because there aren't as many tourists roaming around in the city.

Minneapolis is more expensive than its surrounding suburbs, but the cost of living has never come close to rent prices I've looked at on the East Coast  which is one of the biggest reasons I've stayed. My apartment in Minnesota costs $700 a month, whereas rent in New York City is more than double that price for anything of or below the same quality.

My absolute favorite part about Minneapolis is its art scene

My most recent local show was an Aiden Intro concert. Amena Ahmed

I expected there to be a bigger art scene in Minneapolis when comparing the city to my New Jersey suburb of 36,000 people, but it's even better than I imagined.

The city has backyard performances featuring local bands almost every weekend, frequent art and vintage festivals, and even its own MN Fashion Week  with events similar to bigger cities.

The international cuisine seems more authentic than back home

There are more family-run restaurants in Minneapolis than what I'm used to, so a lot of restaurant dishes here taste just like a home-cooked meal.

My father's from Egypt, so I always yearn for an Arabic-inspired meal. Fortunately, there are a number of authentic-tasting restaurants in Minneapolis, like Afro Deli and Wally's Falafel and Hummus.

There aren't ocean beaches, but there are beautiful lakes

Lake in Minneapolis.

I love lakes in and surrounding Minneapolis more than beaches on the East Coast.Amena Ahmed

One of the most surprising things I had to get used to when I moved to the Midwest was the fact that people refer to lakes (even those with mostly grass, trees, and rocks) as "beaches."

But I've grown to love these freshwater lakes way more than "real" ocean beaches. The privacy and calm environment make the experience way more enjoyable than what I'm used to on the Jersey Shore, which feels less clean and more hectic.

Outdoor activities are more accessible  when it's warm enough

Although I think it's too cold to enjoy most outdoor activities for about half the year in Minnesota, experiencing spring and summer here has expanded my love for nature.

In and just outside of Minneapolis  15 minutes away at most  there's tons of open land and nearby national parks to explore. Outdoor ventures include camping, hammocking, and visiting farmer's markets.

These activities were also available on the East Coast, but my suburban hometown is too densely populated to offer them with this much ease. I'd have to drive at least two hours to the nearest farmer's market and even longer for a campsite.

Read the original article on Insider
As the women's liberation movement was picking up steam more than half a century ago, feminism  the idea of equality for women  was a new and controversial idea. Gloria Steinem says the very word "feminism" seemed to threaten people for two reasons: "One, because they didn't understand it, and two, because they did understand it!"

/ Credit: Knopf

Now 89, Steinem was a 30-something columnist for New York magazine when she joined with a group of other journalists to create a new magazine aiming to push feminism into the mainstream.

Even the title, Ms.  a newly-emerging designation for those who didn't want to be bound by Mrs. (for a married woman) or Miss (for a single woman)  was an issue. The New York Times even referred to her as "Miss Steinem of Ms. Magazine."

She said, "We wanted to be able to write about trying to make an equal marriage, or to write about abortion. We didn't want to just focus on women's outsides, but also our insides."

In fact, Steinem said she became an activist as well as a journalist while covering an abortion hearing. "Suddenly I realized, wait a minute, I had an abortion when I was in London, and why has this common experience not been spoken about? So, in the very first issue of Ms., we had a massive petition signed by all kinds of people saying, 'I have had an abortion and I demand that it become safe and legal.' And of course, we're still fighting this battle in some states."

/ Credit: Ms. Magazine

Amid fears about how Ms. would be received, Steinem's boss, legendary New York publisher Clay Felker , volunteered to publish a sample issue within the pages of his magazine. Steinem and the Ms. team hit the publicity circuit: "And when I got to California, somebody called the radio show I was on and said, 'You know, we can't find it.' And I called Clay Felker in a panic and I said, 'It didn't get here.' And it turned out, it had sold out! That was a moment of recognition that, you know, it had an audience."

An audience that's lasted more than 50 years!

Katherine Spillar, executive editor of Ms., spent two-and-a-half years compiling an anthology, out this coming week, "50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution" (Knopf).

The magazine, Spillar said, "started trends and it amplified the trends. A lot of articles about men and marriage and relationships and childrearing and politics and violence against women  [issues] that keep coming back. And it shows the endurance of this movement, but also the endurance of our opponents."

/ Credit: Ms. Magazine

Published monthly, there were lots of Wonder Woman covers, and stories about women's emerging political clout. One of the most popular features has been letters from readers. One of Spillar's favorites read, "My husband says I used to be a bitch once a month, but since I subscribed to Ms., now I'm a bitch twice a month."

Letters often end with the word "Click!," inspired by one of the earliest articles by Ms. co-founder Jane O'Reilly describing the moment a woman realizes she is experiencing sexism. "It's an automatic connection to other women who are suffering the same injustices," said Spillar.

Click! The Housewife's Moment of Truth (Ms., 1972)

Long before the #MeToo movement, Ms. was writing about sexual harassment on the job. For the magazine's cover, the editors at the time resorted to using a man fondling a doll. "As it was, a lot of newsstands pulled this off, refusing to sell the issue, but it absolutely represented what way too many women in the workplace experience, then and now," Spillar said.

/ Credit: Ms. Magazine

And selling advertising for a women's magazine that covered these issues became a challenge. According to Steinem, the head of a major cosmetics company told her that women who read Ms. didn't buy blush or makeup. "Took me to lunch to tell me that, yes!" she laughed.

Ms. co-founder Gloria Steinem. / Credit: CBS News

Also, car manufacturers didn't want to advertise because they didn't think women bought cars, and that it would devalue a car to see a woman driving it. "I mean, they told me that in Detroit. I'm not making it up!" Steinem laughed.

In 2002, Ms. started being published by the non-profit Feminist Majority Foundation. Today, Ms. is a quarterly, and is still inspiring young women, according to Ileana McDonald, who works for the Foundation.

Braver asked, "To the question that some people have which is, 'Hey, is this fifty-plus magazine still relevant,' what's your answer?"

"Absolutely," McDonald replied. "It's relevant now for the same reason it was relevant back in the seventies, because it's providing a platform, it's encouraging discourse that still needs to be encouraged. It has been 50 years, but we still have a lot of work to do."

Ms. co-founder Gloria Steinem couldn't agree more. But she's also optimistic about the push for equality: "Yes, we have to imagine something before it becomes reality. So, yes, I am a hope-aholic!"



For more info:

Ms. Magazine"50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution," edited by Katherine Spillar and the Editor of Ms. (Knopf), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orggloriasteinem.comFeminist Majority Foundation



Story produced by David Rothman. Editor: Chad Cardin.

Sean Penn, "Superpower" co-director, says U.S.' Ukraine policy has been a "tragic mistake"

Democratic Senate intelligence chair Mark Warner on the U.S.-Iran prisoner swap

GOP House intelligence chair Mike Turner says Biden and Trump have "equal classification issues"
Chef Alessandro Galimberti (2nd L) makes sandwiches at the Italy Day event in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Delicious Italian cuisine, soulful Italian melodies, and exquisite Italian fashion... The Italy Day event held on Friday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, offered an authentic Italian ambiance that enchanted both locals and tourists.

Chef Alessandro Galimberti, who owns an Italian restaurant in Haikou's famous Italian-themed market, had a very busy day preparing delectable Italian sausage sandwiches for customers.

"Sausage sandwich is popular fast food in Italy," he said, noting that the market offers an excellent opportunity to promote not only his restaurant and cuisine but also other authentic Italian products.

"This is one way that people can taste and see what Italy can offer the world," he said. "Italy has a lot of famous products from wine to food, clothes and cars, and more Chinese will be interested in Italy through this event."

"We love China and want to promote the relationship between China and Italy. We hope in the future we can have more such events, and the two countries can have a closer relationship," Galimberti said.

Local resident, Qing Zi, was visibly delighted to taste Italian wine and food at the market. "The market presents Italian delicacies and the most representative products, which allow the locals to experience the Italian food and culture more closely," she said, adding that it's like a bridge to better understand each other's cultures.

According to Qing, Italian cuisine has become increasingly popular in Haikou.

Valerio de Parolis, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, attended Friday's Italy Day event in Haikou. "It brings me always an immense joy to be here in Haikou that I visited in the last six months three times," the diplomat said, speaking at the opening ceremony of the event.

He noted that Italy attaches great importance to the exchanges and cooperation with Hainan, which shares a lot with Italy in many aspects like long coastlines and beautiful climate.

The consul general said he hopes to see deepened exchanges and cooperation between Italy and Haikou as well as Hainan, in general, in economy, trade, culture and art through important platforms like the China International Consumer Products Expo.

"I'm confident that the resurgence of international tourism since the beginning of this year would fortify the social, cultural and economic exchanges between Italy and China," he added.

Lu Min, vice mayor of Haikou, said hosting the Italy Day event plays a positive role in enhancing Haikou's international atmosphere and openness, and can help promote cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between Haikou and Italy.

"We look forward to welcoming more Italian friends to visit Hainan for sightseeing, investment and business, and jointly promote cultural exchanges and business cooperation between China and Italy," Lu added. 

Valerio de Parolis, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, delivers a speech at the Italy Day event in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Visitors taste Italian wine at the Italy Day event in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine will last for a while, and the Western society needs to be ready for this.

Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with the German media group Funke, as reported by European Pravda

Details: As the NATO Secretary General explained, "most wars last longer than expected when they first begin," and that is why the Alliance must prepare for a long war in Ukraine.

Quote: "We are all wishing for a quick peace. But at the same time we must recognise: if president [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist. If president Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace," Stoltenberg asserted.

Stoltenberg stressed that after the end of the war, Ukraine will have to receive security guarantees so that Russian aggression against it does not happen again.

"The peace agreement should not serve as a respite for Russia to attack [Ukraine] again. We can no longer allow Russia to endanger security in Europe. There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO," the Secretary General said.

Background:

Last month, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, stated that the G7 countries were aware of the protracted nature of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine and were ready to support Kyiv for as long as necessary.

At the same time, US President Joseph Biden hopes that the war in Ukraine will not last for years, as resources are limited and Russian President Vladimir Putin will realise that it is not in Russia's interests.

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!
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the war in Ukraine could be long, as Kyivs counteroffensive against Russia continues to make only marginal gains.

Ukraines allies have sought to accentuate campaign gains in recent weeks, but it has been underway for months with no major breakthroughs. The fall will bring changing conditions on the ground and the possibility that Russia will once again try to pummel Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Most wars last longer than is expected when they first start. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said in an interview with German newspaper Berliner Morgenpost published Sunday.

We are all wishing for a quick peace. But at the same time, we must recognize: If President Zelensky and the Ukrainians give up the fight, their country would not exist anymore. If President Putin and Russia laid down their weapons, we would have peace, the NATO chief said.

The easiest way to end this war would be if Putin withdrew his troops, he added.

On the possibility of Putin using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said: Putins nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and ruthless, but NATO is prepared for every threat and challenge.

The point of NATO is to prevent war  not least nuclear war. We have a credible deterrent.

Ukrainian servicemen load shells into a RAK-SA-12 small multiple launch rocket system near the front line town of Bakhmut. - Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters

Ukrainian tanks train in the Chernihiv region. - Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty Images

The NATO chief reiterated that it is just a matter of time before Ukraine joins the alliance.

Ukraine will become a member of NATO  all allies have made that clear, he said, adding that Ukraine will need safety guarantees when the war ends, otherwise history could repeat itself.

Addressing the idea of a possible nuclear threat by the Russians, Stoltenberg said: We have sent a clear message to Russia: A nuclear war cannot be won and must never happen. Moscow must understand that the use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable.

We are observing very closely what the Russian army is doing. Until now we have not noticed any changes to Russias nuclear forces that would prompt us to react.

Clock is ticking

Ukraine has made only incremental gains against Russia in its counteroffensive so far and the wins have come at great cost.

On Friday, Ukrainian troops announced they had retaken the village of Andriivka, south of the city of Bakhmut, the first such announcement of a recaptured settlement for several weeks.

The clock is ticking for Ukraine to make a significant gain, with the fall bringing worsening weather and even more challenging fighting conditions.

The United States top general believes Ukraine has just six weeks left before changing weather hampers its counteroffensive.

There is still a reasonable amount of time, about 30 to 45 days worth of fighting weather left, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told the BBC. After that, mud and rain would likely have an impact on battlefield maneuverability, he said.

Ukraine though has signaled it is prepared to fight on regardless of the weather.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence, acknowledged the counteroffensive was moving more slowly than he would like. Russias defensive lines were well-planned, he said, and heavily laid with mines, which made the situation on the battlefield complicated.

But even though cold weather was a reality the military cannot ignore, hostilities will continue, the counteroffensive will continue, he said.

A looming US election in 2024 has also cast doubt on how much longer Ukraine will receive the support of one of its strongest allies. NATO, and in particular the US, have provided essential military aid to Ukraine to aid its fight against Russia.

CNNs Radina Gigova and Olga Voitovych contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The sharp rise in ammunition prices means an increase in defense spending, which does not automatically increase the security of NATO countries, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer , the chairman of NATO's military committee, said on Sept. 16, Reuters reports.

Bauer called for increased private investment in defense companies.

"Prices for equipment and ammunition are shooting up," Bauer said.

"Right now, we are paying more and more for exactly the same. That means that we cannot make sure that the increased defense spending actually leads to more security."

Read also: Ukraine uses more ammunition every day than France does in a year  and Russia uses more

The news agency notes that Russia's war against Ukraine has led to an increase in demand for weapons: allies are rushing to supply Ukraine and build up their own stockpiles. To meet this demand, NATO proposes to increase defense production.

One of the main problems is the shortage of 155-mm artillery rounds, of which Kyiv uses up to 10,000 per day.

In February, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Ukraine was burning through shells much faster than the West could produce them.

Read also: EU to allocate EUR 500 million to ammunition production

Bauer called for increased private investment in the defense sector to ramp up production capacity, Reuters writes.

He also urged pension funds and banks to stop calling investments in the defense sector unethical, as long-term stability is more important than short-term profits.

"As we have seen in Ukraine, war is a whole of society event," said the admiral.

Read also: Ukrainian army uses up to 7,000 artillery shells daily, NATO Secretary General says

He noted that such investments are also in the strategic interests of the private sector and again cited the example of Ukraine, where, according to him, "forty percent of the (Ukrainian) economy evaporated in the first days of the war  that was private money to a large extent, (and) that money is gone."

Bauer also called on the heads of military enterprises to speed up the increase in production capacity.

The United States on Sept. 15 announced plans to increase the production of 155-mm artillery ammunition several times by 2025.

Earlier, on Sept. 7, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany plans to triple its spending on ammunition in 2024. The government wants to replenish its stockpiles after supplying shells to Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
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.
Nexstar Media Group and DIRECTV have officially reached a comprehensive new multi-year distribution agreement covering 176 Nexstar-owned local television stations and the companys national cable news network, NewsNation.

This follows the return of the television stations and NewsNation to DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse on the morning of Sept. 17.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Nexstar released a statment saying, DIRECTV and Nexstar greatly appreciate the patience of their subscribers and viewers during this negotiation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Last month, former South Carolina governor and current presidential candidate, Nikki Haley , took to the debate stage and made a logical appeal: Cant we all agree that contraception should be available? In doing so, she echoed the sentiment of nearly 90 percent of Americans who believe that contraception should be legal and accessible.

As the leader of one of the largest contraception access initiatives in the U.S., I agree that contraception should be available, no matter an individuals economic or insured status. I see the need in the women we serve everyday - from college campuses to the most rural, medically underserved corners of South Carolina. But with the states fetal heartbeat abortion ban now solidly in place, we should be asking: how are we preparing for an influx of new birth control patients?

To start, South Carolina needs to invest in training medical professionals to provide reproductive services. Since 2017, my organization has trained over 7,000 clinicians and funded four of the states college of nursing nurse practitioner programs to improve their curricula and practicums so that students are better prepared to provide contraceptive services upon entering the workforce. This work has allowed us to provide contraceptive services to women across our state, decreasing unwanted births by 44 percent. In just the first six months of 2023, we have served over 43,000 women. With demand surging, we need to equip our workforce to handle the wave of new patients.

We also need to streamline the process for accessing contraception. In our state, 30 percent of counties have no OBGYN and the average distance to a family medicine practitioner is 37 miles. For women living in underserved communities, simplifying access to contraception is critical; that starts with expanding digital reproductive health services. Through my organizations No Drama initiative, we connect women to telehealth providers and offer mail order birth control. We need to continue expanding these services, making the process as simple as possible for women, no matter where they reside.

Cost must also be addressed by subsidizing low-cost birth control programs. Without insurance, a one-month supply of birth control can cost between $20 and $50 dollars. With only one in six women willing to pay over $20 per month for contraception, and one in ten unwilling or unable to pay anything at all, affordability is a problem. In South Carolina, this is exacerbated by nearly 16 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 44 lacking insurance, nearly double the national average.

Through my organizations work, 450,000 South Carolina women have received free or low-cost contraceptive services since 2017. To continue bringing affordable birth control to women across the state, we need to invest in contraceptive access programs, year-in and year-out.

In past years, leaders have stepped up to prioritize contraception. In 2022, the South Carolina House Republican Caucus listed contraception access among its legislative priorities. Gov. Henry McMaster supported budget appropriations in 2021 and 2022 to increase access to birth control statewide. Perhaps most notably, state Sen. Tom Davis led a successful effort to make contraception available at pharmacies without a prescription, which will be a massive victory for women when fully implemented. Today, we need their help more than ever.

Words of support like those from former Gov. Haley are nice. Now its time to buckle down to meet the growing demand for contraception across our state, empowering every woman to control her own fertility and decide whether or when to become pregnant. We dont have a minute to waste.

Kapp is President and CEO of New Morning in Columbia
Wichita finds itself at the heart of a precedent-setting court case with statewide implications for political protesters.

It involves a city law that prohibits engaging in noisy conduct tending to reasonably arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.

But what is noisy conduct? Who defines it, and does it involve what protesters are saying, or how they say it?

Kansas Supreme Court justices are grappling with difficult questions about disruptive political expression and whether the governments efforts to limit confrontations between citizens have a chilling effect on free speech.

The case grew from 2020 demonstrations where participants were arrested for disrupting traffic and drawing on sidewalks with chalk. Wichita protesters chanted Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police as renewed calls for accountability and systemic change sparked demonstrations around the country after the police killing of George Floyd.

Gabrielle Griffie, executive director of Project Justice ICT, was arrested for her role in organizing protests. She was acquitted of disorderly conduct but convicted on two misdemeanor counts of unlawful assembly under Wichitas noisy disorderly conduct law.

Now she is challenging that law.

The high court is considering whether the city law, which borrows language from a state law, is overly broad.

Wichita defends its ordinance. And Kansas Solicitor General Anthony Powells office argues for the constitutionality of the state law.

Enforcement questions

During oral arguments before the state Supreme Court last week, Justice Dan Bile said the existing language of the law may dissuade people from engaging in protected speech.

I look at this, and if I know Ive got to go to court to determine whether some of these loosey-goosey standards are going to apply to me  otherwise Im in the hoosegow in Wichita jail  I might just decide Im not going to speak, Biles said.

It seems so vague that Ms. Griffie, rather than do a Black Lives Matter protest again, is just not going to mess with it and stay home, he said.

Motorists summoned to testify during the municipal court trials of Griffie and fellow protester Marissa Gonzalez described feeling scared and nervous as they came upon chanting crowds occupying traffic lanes in parts of downtown and the Delano neighborhood.

Justices asked the city attorney if people who taunt the opposing team at a sporting event, flip someone off in a car or demonstrate outside an abortion clinic would be prosecuted under the Wichita law.

People are not charged under the ordinance for the content of their speech, Assistant City Attorney Nate Johnson said. They are also not charged just for being too noisy.

Its trying to prevent the type of conduct that would injure another or incite further violence, Johnson told the court.

Justice Melissa Standridge questioned whether the noisy conduct provision duplicates the citys noise ordinance, which prohibits loud and unnecessary noise.

Wichita police did not collect data on decibel levels of protest activity at any point during Project Justice ICTs summer demonstrations, which at times involved megaphones.

Is it your view that the First Amendment protects speech or conduct that is so loud that the noise level arouses anger and resentment in others? Justice Caleb Stegall asked Griffie attorney Kurt Harper.

In U.S. law, the governments ability to limit First Amendment freedoms of speech and expression hinges on the imposition of time, place and manner restrictions. These restrictions cannot have the intent or effect of limiting what is actually said.

Harper said its impossible to violate the ordinance without implicating speech and intent and expressing yourself in a way that may cause controversy.

The noisy conduct, to be a subject of the prosecution, involves speech that will anger, alarm or perhaps most broadly and most threatening, cause resentment on the part of somebody, he said.

The ACLU of Kansas argued in its own amicus brief that the law fails to meet the constitutional standard for regulating free speech in a public place, leaving it up to officers discretion when they choose to enforce it.

Noisy conduct

As a facial challenge to the disorderly conduct ordinance, Griffie and her legal team are questioning the constitutionality of the law itself  not specifically how it was applied by the city to support her own conviction.

But justices pressed the city lawyer on why arrests were made after the Project Justice ICT demonstrations.

The specific conduct was that noisy conduct spilling over into streets where protesters were not allowed to be, based on where the police had set off sort of sections and barriers, Johnson said. But that wasnt even exactly what caused the problem. It was that there was an interference with traffic and the conduct with blocking traffic.

Demonstrators did not request a permit or share their plans ahead of time with the Wichita Police Department, but officers blocked off some streets to accommodate demonstrations. Municipal Judge Bryce Abbott ruled that protesters had no right to impede traffic without a permit.

In this case, our ordinance  it was kind of iffy because there was some permission provided to the people to be on the streets, Johnson told the Supreme Court. It wasnt even necessarily that the folks were on the streets protesting. It was the conduct or activity that occurred once they were there.

The city prosecution leaned heavily on two hours of video broadcast live on the Facebook page of local Libertarian party interest group, Liberty ICT.

Protest in action

In an August 2020 interview, Griffie, then 24, told The Eagle she thought her arrests and those of other protesters were a blatant scare tactic to try to keep the organizers of Project Justice ICT from marching in the streets.

Not everyone saw it that way.

Jeremy McTaggart, 51, was driving home on July 29 when he came into contact with protesters demonstrating on Broadway. He testified in court that he felt threatened by protesters taking up two lanes of Broadway.

Gonzalez was arrested for standing in front of McTaggarts truck as he attempted to turn left after missing his turn on Central due to the police barricade.

Youre in the street. So Im honking, yelling at them to get out of the way and shes not moving, McTaggart told The Eagle in a recent interview. So I just start pumping my brakes a little bit and inching forward.

He said he was afraid he might be pulled from his vehicle by protesters.

I was told when I grew up, you know, if you play in the street, theres a good likelihood that youll get run over, McTaggart said. I dont care what your protest is. Doesnt matter to me.

You have the right. I have the right to peaceably demonstrate or to air my grievances, and theres an appropriate way to do it, and its not marching down the street jumping in front of vehicles or doing other things that are aggressive in nature.

Maggie Gilmore, who participated in a number of Project Justice ICT demonstrations, said a good protest should inconvenience people and get their attention.

There were a couple of different kinds of protests going on [in 2020], and so the ones that were a little more palatable, I guess, to the powers that be, didnt have any issues, Gillmore said. The police were there. They were present and going along with it and everything.

But as the former manager of ICT Chalk Talks, a community chalkboard at the corner of Douglas and Main, she said she was surprised when fellow protesters drawing on the sidewalk with chalk were arrested days later.

Ive never had any single issue with any police or officer telling us we cant be writing chalk on the sidewalk, Gillmore said.

She said shes still unclear on what exactly protesters were arrested for.

They werent really hurting anyone, causing any actual major disruption, Gillmore said. It was just a show, in my opinion, to put a damper on the protests because they didnt like that they were happening repeatedly throughout the week.

It had the desired effect, I think, of quieting things down.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks or months.
OneJax leader Kyle Reese will depart the Jacksonville interfaith organization at year's end to return to his pastoral roots.

Affiliated with OneJax since 2009 when he joined the board, Reese became executive director in 2019, succeeding the retiring Nancy Broner. Earlier this year he led the 53-year-old organization through its return to independent status after being a University of North Florida institute for a decade.

But Reese now plans to leave the organization, effective Dec. 31, to become senior minister at First Baptist Church of Savannah in Georgia. Prior to leading OneJax, he was senior pastor at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

In a letter to the OneJax board and advisory council, he wrote that he did not seek the "challenging" new job but that it stemmed from consulting work he had done for the church.

"Their leadership felt I would be the right person to take their congregation to the next level. And Im truly honored to be assuming that role," he wrote.

Board chairman Mobeen Rathore said Reese "has been a terrific leader" for OneJax, which promotes racial, religious and cultural tolerance in the Jacksonville area.

"Our future is stronger and brighter than its ever been, in no small part because of Kyle's leadership," Rathore said. "He plans to stay connected and continue to passionately support our work  His impact on our organization  and the community  will be felt for a long, long time."

Irreconcilable differences: OneJax split from UNF needed to retain 'freedom,' diversity mission

Reese wrote that his wife, Karla Repper, a Baptist Health psychologist, will maintain her practice in Jacksonville so they "will be living between the two cities." He will stay on at OneJax until the end of the year to help the board recruit a new leader and to support staff during the transition.

OneJax stands "on the precipice of the most meaningful work its ever done," he wrote.

"There has never been a time that has needed our work more," he wrote, citing the Aug. 26 murders of three Black victims by an avowed racist gunman, which he called "a reflection of the attitudes and beliefs that still exist within our fractured community. We remain committed to doing all we can to neutralize and prevent future displays and acts of hate."

Rathore agreed, saying, "Our mission has never been more important than it is now. OneJax will continue to grow and work harder than ever to bring our diverse community together."

The OneJax board voted in March to part with UNF because of the current "political climate" enveloping state universities, including Gov. Ron DeSantiss plans to dismantle some programs statewide framed as fostering diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, on campuses.

Reese's departure is one of several leadership changes among Northeast Florida nonprofits:

Jessie Ball duPont Fund

Narayan

The Jacksonville-based Jessie Ball duPont Fund has named its first chief operating officer: Sujata Narayan, who grew up in Jacksonville.

"Its a privilege to join an organization that is actively shaping, in so many positive ways, this community that shaped me as a young person," The Bolles School graduate said. "The duPont Fund team is passionate, energetic and committed to using their influence to create spaces where more people truly feel they belong."

Narayan has about 25 years of experience, most recently in various positions at Equinix, a digital infrastructure company. Her roles there included director of community impact and leading the Equinix Foundation, a private grantmaking entity. She implemented the companys community impact strategy and employee engagement programs and oversaw corporate giving and employee volunteering, among other things.

Prior, she worked for various nonprofit organizations and foundations. In her new role, she will oversee talent development, business systems, resource management and grants management and evaluation, according to the fund.

"Sujata is an experienced foundation administrator and a social impact, philanthropy and community development practitioner with strong roots in urban planning," President Mari Kuraishi said. "She is passionate about collaboration, inclusion and equity and were excited to have her helping us."

Cathedral Arts Project

Walker

The Cathedral Arts Project, an arts education nonprofit in Jacksonville, has appointed Doug Walker as vice president of philanthropy.

In his new role, Walker will lead the organizations fundraising initiatives. He succeeded Janet Allen, who was vice president of development, but he has a new title.

"With the addition of Doug Walker, I cant wait to see what lies ahead as we move forward in our mission to empower every childs creative spirit," President and CEO Kimberly Hyatt said

Walker has 20 years of experience in senior administrative positions in independent schools, most recently as director of advancement at Riverside Presbyterian Day School. He also held senior administrative positions at The Bolles School and Episcopal School of Jacksonville and at the Episcopal Diocese of Florida.

He said he envisioned a "successful collaboration with the board to lead and strengthen a culture of philanthropy" at the nonprofit.

bcravey@jacksonville, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: OneJax leader to depart; new top staff at 2 Jacksonville nonprofits
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way home Sunday from Russia, ending a six-day trip that triggered global concerns about weapons transfer deals between the two countries locked in separate standoffs with the West.

Kims armored train departed to the sound of the Russian patriotic march song Farewell of Slavianka at the end of a farewell ceremony at a railway station in Artyom, a far eastern Russian city about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the border with North Korea, Russias state news agency RIA reported.

Senior officials including Russias Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov and Primorye regional Gov. Oleg Kozhemyako were present at the ceremony, which featured a Russian military band playing both North Korean and Russian national anthems.

Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first overseas trip in more than four years, Kim had met President Vladimir Putin and visited key military and technology sites, underscoring the countries deepening defense cooperation in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with the West. U.S. and South Korean officials have said North Korea could provide badly needed munitions for Moscows war on Ukraine in exchange for sophisticated Russian weapons technology that would advance Kims nuclear ambitions.

U.N. Security Council resolutions  which Russia, a permanent member, previously endorsed  ban North Korea from exporting or importing any arms. Observers say Russias alleged attempts to receive ammunitions and artillery shells from North Korea suggest Moscows desperation to refill its arsenal exhausted in the war with Ukraine.

Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses Sunday to questions from The Associated Press. The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move.

In return for supplying conventional arms to Russia, experts say North Korea would seek Russian economic and food aid but also transfers of technologies to build powerful missiles, a nuclear-propelled submarine and a spy satellite. North Korea has publicly sought to introduce such high-tech weapons systems citing what it called intensifying U.S.-led hostilities.

Earlier Sunday, Kim was in a lighter mode, touring a university and watching a walrus show at a Russian aquarium. Russias state media released videos of Kim, accompanied by his top officials, talking with Russian officials through translators at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Russky Island.

At the islands Primorsky Aquarium, Russias largest, Kim watched performances featuring beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and Misha the walrus, which he seemed to particularly enjoy, according to Russian media.

Kozhemyako, the Primorye governor, said a delegation from Russias Far East would visit North Korea. According to Russian state media, Kozhemyako said hell be part of the delegation that will travel with specialists from trade, tourism and agricultural sectors. The exact timing for the visit to North Korea hasnt been announced.



On Saturday, Kim traveled to an airport near Vladivostok, where Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes. Kim and Shoigu later in the day went to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate.

On Friday, Kim visited an aircraft plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur that produces Russias most powerful fighter jets.

The Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen action in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles. During Kims visit, Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, confirmed for the first time that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles).

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.

North Koreas state media reported that Kim and Shoigu talked about the regional security environment and exchanged views on practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchange between the armed forces of the two countries.

Kims summit with Putin was held at Russias main space launch site, a location that pointed to his desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies. In recent months, two North Korean launches to send a spy satellite into space ended in failure, and the North vowed to conduct a third attempt in October.

During the meeting with Putin, Kim said his country would offer its full and unconditional support for Russias fight to defend its security interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at a convenient time, and Putin accepted.

It was Kims second meeting with Putin since he took office in late 2011. The previous meeting took place in Vladivostok in April 2019, two months after Kims high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart during their second summit in Vietnam.


NANNING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday praised China's efforts to promote regional cooperation and common prosperity.

"ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, have always appreciated and highly valued China's important contribution to cooperation and common prosperity in the region," Pham Minh Chinh said at the opening ceremony of the 20th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

He said China has played the role of a responsible major country and acted as a stabilizer of the regional economy through its efforts to open the market, expand investment and promote cooperation, even in difficult times.

As the global economy slowly recovers, the need for ASEAN and China to strengthen trade and investment is greater than ever, the prime minister noted. 
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received body armor and drones as parting gifts while wrapping up a trip to Russia that has alarmed the West over the potential for military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The send-off capped a rare, six-day visit that saw Kim hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin , raising the possibility North Korea could provide Russia with weaponry to aid its invasion of Ukraine.

On Sunday, Kim left the eastern city of Vladivostok, where he inspected warplanes, toured an airfield and visited a Pacific Fleet frigate, to return to Pyongyang in his heavily-armored private train following a grand farewell ceremony, Russian and North Korean state media reported.

Traveling more than 4,000 kilometers (2,400 miles) across eastern Russia, the North Korean leader was given the red carpet treatment throughout his trip, much of which was spent visiting military sites.

North Korea is heavily sanctioned and is in need of everything from energy to food to military technology.

As Kim left, the governor of the far eastern Russian region of Primorye gave him a bulletproof vest and a set of drones, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

This is a body armor with protection zones for the chest, shoulders, throat and groin, and it is much lighter than its known analogs, the state news agency added.

Kim was also presented with five attack drones produced in the same region, as well as a Geranium-25 aircraft-type reconnaissance drone, TASS added. A set of special clothing that is invisible to thermal imaging cameras was an additional gift.

Following a farewell ceremony that included a red carpet and honor guards, Kim was seen boarding his personal train, which left Artyom railway station while Russian officials waved, in a video published by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The train was expected to travel more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Artyom to the border town of Khasan, RIA reported.

Kim Jong Un talked about military cooperation with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Saturday. - Russian Defence Ministry/Handout/Reuters

A trip with a military focus

Kim and Putin met in Russias Far East on Wednesday and engaged in a five-hour long meeting at Vostochny Cosmodrom spaceport, in which Putin said Kim showed great interest  North Korea has made space technology a priority.

Kim offered his support for Putin after their talks, saying I will always be standing with Russia, and appeared to endorse Moscows war on Ukraine. Putin described their discussions as very substantive.

In the backdrop of the meeting was the US governments warning from earlier in the month that arms negotiations were actively advancing between the two countries.

No deals have been publicly announced and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders did not sign any agreements during their talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, called his meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "very substantive" on Wednesday. - Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/AP

But the talks signaled closer relations between the two countries, both of which face international isolation  Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program.

North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim was deeply impressed by Russias aircraft manufacturing industry after a trip to the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant on Friday. Kim visited various facilities, including a fighter jet fuselage assembly shop and wing production shop.

On Saturday, he inspected warplanes, toured an airfield with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and visited a Pacific Fleet frigate, accompanied by the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy.

The North Korean leader visited an aircraft manufacturing plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in eastern Russia on Friday. - KCNA/Reuters

Military cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries and in the fields of their national defense and security was discussed between Kim and Shoigu, according to KCNA.

South Korea, Japan, Ukraine, the United States and European countries have been alarmed by the visit, with several nations issuing a warning regarding potential violations of international sanctions by North Korea and Russia.

While exact details remain scant on what sorts of talks have taken place behind closed doors, observers say its clear what each side 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, a potential deal could see North Korea get its hands on sanctioned ballistic missile technology that could be used to further its nuclear ambitions.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, front left, bids farewell to Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Alexander Kozlov, front right, at a station in Artyom, near Vladivostok, Russian Far East Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way home Sunday from Russia, ending a six-day trip that triggered global concerns about weapons transfer deals between the two countries locked in separate standoffs with the West.

Kims armored train departed to the sound of the Russian patriotic march song Farewell of Slavianka at the end of a farewell ceremony at a railway station in Artyom, a far eastern Russian city about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the border with North Korea, Russias state news agency RIA reported.

Senior officials including Russias Minister of Natural Resources Alexander Kozlov and Primorye regional Gov. Oleg Kozhemyako were present at the ceremony, which featured a Russian military band playing both North Korean and Russian national anthems.

It was Kim's longest foreign travel since he took power in late 2011. Observers said Kim was expected to return to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, around Monday afternoon.

Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first overseas trip in more than four years, Kim had met President Vladimir Putin and visited key military and technology sites, underscoring the countries deepening defense cooperation in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with the U.S. and its allies. Foreign officials and experts have said North Korea could provide badly needed munitions for Moscows war on Ukraine in exchange for sophisticated Russian weapons technology that would advance Kims nuclear ambitions.

North Korea may have tens of millions of aging artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, analysts say, even though its old artillery systems have a reputation for poor accuracy. Both sides have been reportedly firing thousands of artillery rounds a day.

U.N. Security Council resolutions  which Russia, a permanent member, previously endorsed  ban North Korea from exporting or importing any arms. Observers say Russias alleged attempts to receive ammunitions and artillery shells from North Korea suggest Moscows desperation to refill its arsenal exhausted in the war with Ukraine.

Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses Sunday to questions from The Associated Press. The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move.

In return for supplying conventional arms to Russia, experts say North Korea would seek Russian economic and food aid but also transfers of technologies to build powerful missiles, a nuclear-propelled submarine and a spy satellite. North Korea has publicly sought to introduce such high-tech weapons systems citing what it called intensifying U.S.-led hostilities.

Earlier Sunday, Kim was in a lighter mode, touring a university and watching a walrus show at a Russian aquarium. Russias state media released videos of Kim, accompanied by his top officials, talking with Russian officials through translators at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Russky Island.

At the islands Primorsky Aquarium, Russias largest, Kim watched performances featuring beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and Misha the walrus, which he seemed to particularly enjoy, according to Russian media.

Kozhemyako, the Primorye governor, said a delegation from Russias Far East would visit North Korea. According to Russian state media, Kozhemyako said hell be part of the delegation that will travel with specialists from trade, tourism and agricultural sectors. The exact timing for the visit to North Korea hasnt been announced.

On Saturday, Kim traveled to an airport near Vladivostok, where Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes. Kim and Shoigu later in the day went to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate.

On Friday, Kim visited an aircraft plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur that produces Russias most powerful fighter jets.

The Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen action in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles. During Kims visit, Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, confirmed for the first time that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles).

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.

North Koreas state media reported that Kim and Shoigu talked about the regional security environment and exchanged views on practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchange between the armed forces of the two countries.

Kims summit with Putin was held at Russias main space launch site, a location that pointed to his desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies. In recent months, two North Korean launches to send a spy satellite into space ended in failure, and the North vowed to conduct a third attempt in October.

During the meeting with Putin, Kim said his country would offer its full and unconditional support for Russias fight to defend its security interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine. Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at a convenient time, and Putin accepted.

It was Kims second summit meeting with Putin. The previous meeting took place in Vladivostok in April 2019, two months after Kims high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart during their second summit in Vietnam.

___ Morton reported from London.

___

Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was headed home after making a final stop in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, where he visited a university, an aquarium and an animal food plant, state media KCNA reported on Monday.

Kim spent two days in Vladivostok while inspecting various facilities in the fields of military, economy, science, education and culture, before bidding farewell at a send-off ceremony at the Artyom station, KCNA said.

It wrapped up Kim's unusually lengthy, week-long trip to Russia, during which he pledged to step up military and economic cooperation with President Vladimir Putin .

The visit will serve as "an opportunity to further solidify the traditional bond of good-neighbourhood cooperation between the two countries, which are rooted in comradely friendship and military unity, and to open a new chapter in the development of relations," KCNA said.

Kim toured Far Eastern Federal University, where he and Putin held their first talks in 2019, and was briefed by its president on the school's educational system and future development plan.

He also met North Korean students studying science and technology at the university, KCNA said, learning about their lives there and taking a photo together.

At the Maritime Territorial Aquarium, Kim watched white dolphins and other sea animals performing "acrobatic feats," before attending a reception hosted by Alexandr Kozlov, Russia's minister of natural resources and ecology, and visiting the Arnika Bio-Feed Mill.

North Korea's state radio, "Voice of Korea," also reported on Kim's visit to Vladivostok on Monday, saying it "opened a new period of rapid development and strengthening" of bilateral ties and he thanked Putin and other Russian officials for their hospitality.

The rare summit between Kim and Putin has prompted the United States and South Korea to warn against any weapons trade and other military cooperation as Russia presses its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea races to advance its nuclear programmes.

Washington and Seoul officials have expressed concern that Moscow could be seeking to acquire ammunition from the North to prop up its dwindling stocks, while Pyongyang gets technological aid over its spy satellite and missile programmes.

Kim inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions, nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships last week, though Putin has said Moscow would not "violate anything."

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Lidia KellyEditing by Sandra Maler and Diane Craft)
Two Sedgwick County deputies have been fired, one facing termination has resigned, and a supervisor has been suspended after the department investigated a complaint about two deputies drawing loaded firearms on one another and other officers.

The Feb. 24 investigation was expanded after two Hispanic deputies, including one involved in drawing their firearm, reported racist comments and possible discrimination, according to Undersheriff Brian White.

The investigation, which included interviews with 32 deputies, found that racist comments had been made.

A sergeant who made a racial comment was suspended. And a deputy who made a racial comment and faced termination for that and other incidents resigned.

Lying during the investigation or on a report led to the loss of jobs for the two deputies who drew guns and to the resignation of the deputy who made inappropriate comments, White said.

Lying raises major concerns about an officers credibility and ability to testify in a court case. Its also automatically a firing offense under the sheriffs office policy.

The fact of the matter is that we had a deputy who had tried to speak to them about their action, they continued to do it and he felt he needed to bring it to a supervisors attention, because he truly felt someone was going to get hurt. And thats not something we are going to tolerate, jokingly, whatever they were doing, pointing guns at each other  should never be done, Sheriff Jeff Easter said this week.

He said the racial comments were very inappropriate.

Easter would not identify the people involved.

The two deputies involved in the firearm complaint both appealed their early August termination. One didnt show up for a hearing Wednesday and the other hearing is still pending.

Racist comments

A sergeant was suspended for two days at the end of May for two incidents of conduct unbecoming.

The investigation found the sergeant said something along the lines of This is America, speak English, to a Hispanic deputy who he thought was talking about him in Spanish. The sergeant, who has been with the department about 15 years, said he didnt remember making the comment, White said.

A Hispanic deputy who was fired said the comment didnt offend him; another Hispanic deputy said they were offended, White said.

We still found it to be inappropriate, he said.

Additionally, the investigation found the sergeant said something like grrrr to a female deputy, which could have been interpreted in a sexual way, White said.

The sergeant admitted (he) shouldnt have said that, White said.

A deputy who had been with the department about five years resigned in lieu of termination, Easter said. She resigned in mid-July.

She said something along the lines of the Mexicans are leaving when Hispanic deputies left a crime scene on Aug. 23, 2022, White said.

The investigation also found that she had cursed and made inappropriate comments to an employee about someone else, White said.

Her past incidents were factors in the department deciding to terminate her. But she also made up a 911 call to avoid going to another call, and that guaranteed her actions rose to termination, White said.

During the investigation, he said, it was reported that she had entered a false call into the computer-aided dispatch system to avoid going to another call. She admitted to doing it one time, he said.

White said the countys human resources was also involved in the investigation. As a result of what happened, Easter said, all supervisors were given sexual harassment training and the entire department underwent diversity, equity and inclusion training.

Drawing their firearms

The two deputies who were fired for drawing their firearms both said it happened one time between one and a half and two years ago and that they pointed toward each other, White said.

The witnesses that we have contradict that, he said.

He said that it happened at least three times with one deputy and then four with another. He said the incidents happened outside the station or in the parking lot and involved the deputies pointing their loaded firearms at each other and other officers.

The deputies had been with the department for about three and five years.

The pending case for the deputy isnt likely to be overturned.

Easter said the board, made up of people appointed by Sedgwick County commissioners, has overturned his departments decision only one time. It happened early in his 11-year tenure as sheriff after a detective lied about information to a Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office attorney.

The sheriffs office terminated the detective, but the board overturned the termination and reinstated the officer. Easter said the detective no longer works for the sheriffs office.

All four of the deputies involved worked the same shift.

Officers credibility in court

As required by federal law, the sheriffs office reported the incidents to the DAs office.

The DAs office must keep whats called a Brady-Giglio list of officers who have policy violations that could call into question their credibility as a witness in a trial.

Defense attorneys were notified in any cases where the deputies caught lying were endorsed witnesses, DA Marc Bennett said. This allows the defense to determine if officers bias or dishonesty factor into a person being prosecuted.

No cases have had to be dismissed, Bennett said.

As for the sergeants comment, Bennett said that the sheriffs office did an extensive investigation and no additional evidence of racial/ethnic bias was uncovered.

Bennett said context and frequency would be factors in whether that would be a Brady-Giglio violation, and in this case it was not.

White said theyve had investigations past where it was clear the racism or racial comments were an ongoing behavior.

This did not rise to that level, he said.
Two suspects charged with murder in death of 1-year-old following alleged fentanyl exposure at NYC day care

A man and a woman have been arrested on murder charges after a 1-year-old died and three other children were hospitalized following suspected exposure to opioids at a Bronx day care center Friday, police said.

In addition to the murder charges, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, and Grei Mendez, 36, were arrested Saturday night on multiple counts of manslaughter, assault, criminal possession of a controlled substance and narcotic drug and endangering the welfare of a child after Nicholas Dominici died and three other kids were hospitalized after being exposed to fentanyl at the day care center.

Brito and Mendez's relationship to the day care center was not immediately apparent, and police did not immediately respond to a question seeking clarification.

It was also not immediately clear whether Brito and Mendez have lawyers who could speak on their behalf.

A spokesperson for the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Nicholas's cause and manner of death was under investigation.

Police said the 911 call came in just after 2:40 p.m. on Friday. Officers discovered Dominici unconscious and unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center upon arrival.

Officers also found an unconscious 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl, who were also transported to Montefiore; the boy is in critical condition and the girl is stable, police said.

A third child, a 2-year-old boy, was also hospitalized at BronxCare Health System, where he is in stable condition, police said.

New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters that the third child's mother took him to the hospital herself after picking him up from the day care center around 12:15 p.m. that day and noticing that he was "acting lethargic and unresponsive" once they returned home. At the hospital, staff administered Narcan, the opioid overdose antidote, to save the boy's life, Kenny said.

Kenny said that first responders also administered Narcan to the three children who they found at the day care center.

Upon executing a search warrant at the day care, NYPD officials found a "kilo press," which Kenny described as an item "commonly used by drug dealers when packaging large quantities of drugs."

The day care center was licensed by the state and was last inspected by officials with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Sept. 9, according to Kenny and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, who said that no violations were found at that time, and that it was a surprise inspection that the day care officials did not have advance notice of.

Vasan said that the day care center was a home-based center that opened in January, and that it had had two routine inspections early on to secure its license.

The investigation is ongoing, Kenny added.

Mayor Eric Adams called the tragedy "a real wake-up call to individuals who have opioids or fentanyl in their homes."

The mere contact is deadly for an adult, and is extremely deadly for a child," he said.

A study published earlier this year in the journal Pediatrics found that opioids were the most common substance contributing to the poisoning deaths of children ages 5 and younger, accounting for more than 47% of the poisoning deaths among children in that age group between 2005 and 2018, or 346 of 731 total deaths reported to the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention. The study's lead author said that signs of opioid poisoning in young children include slow and shallow breathing, contracted pupils and appearing unresponsive or limp.

Narcan became available over-the-counter earlier this month, in a move that advocates hope will help stymie the country's worsening opioid epidemic, which led to more than 107,000 overdose deaths  an all-time high  in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a 24/7 National Helpline for individuals with substance abuse issues and their family members. The hotline, which offers assistance in English and Spanish, can be reached at 800-662-HELP (4357). To find behavioral health treatment services, visit SAMHSAs website.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WEST MELBOURNE  One man is dead and two others wounded after West Melbourne police said a group of people broke into an apartment early Sunday and were met by an armed homeowner.

West Melbourne Police investigating deadly, botched home invasion. FILE .

The shooting happened at about 2:25 a.m. at the Reserves of Melbourne apartment complex in the 2200 block of Launch Court, just south of West New Haven Avenue. The suspects are believed to be in their 20s, said Graig Erenstoft, spokesperson for the West Melbourne Police Department.

More: Palm Bay police investigate shooting death in Bayside Lakes convenience store parking lot

Were conducting interviews, and were still investigating the scene, and were processing the scene, Erenstoft said.

The case is the latest in a spate of violent episodes to hit Brevard County in less than two weeks, from a random carjacking that left a 56-year-old man dead at a Palm Bay gas station last Wednesday to four teens being shot and wounded Tuesday at a Palm Bay apartment complex.

The latest incident unfolded after several people, possibly armed with at least one firearm, forcefully broke into an apartment, police said. The homeowner, who had a gun of unknown caliber, fired on the group, striking at least three of those carrying out the home invasion, police reported. Police arrived minutes later along with paramedics.

More: Palm Bay police investigate shooting death in Bayside Lakes convenience store parking lot

One unidentified suspect was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center where a doctor later pronounced him dead. Another suspect turned up on his own at the hospital and was treated for his wounds, police said. No details were released about the third person who was shot.

Detectives were talking to witnesses and working to sort out whether the apartment was targeted or if it was a random attempted robbery. It was not immediately known if the suspects knew the homeowner, Erenstoft said.

The shooting death marks the 37th reported homicide to take place in Brevard since January.

J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: West Melbourne homeowner shoots home invaders, 1 dead, 2 injured
Like any good Democratic politician running for office in the heartland of Americas automotive industry, Hill Harper has cast himself as an unswerving ally of the United Auto Workers, the sectors biggest labor union.

An actor who is currently running for Michigans soon-to-be-open U.S. Senate seat in 2024, Harper has vocally backed the UAW in its contentious contract negotiations with Detroits Big Three automakerswhich resulted in a strike that began on Friday.

The CSI:NY actor, who has held important positions in the Screen Actors Guild, has often touted his labor cred on the campaign trail. What he has not mentioned so far, however, is his history as a prominent booster of one of the UAWs most hated foes: Toyota.

On a number of occasions, Harper was a promoter for the Japanese auto giant. The worlds biggest automaker, Toyota is not only a fierce competitor to the Big Three, but the operator of 14 manufacturing plants in the United States, none of which are unionized.

Is This Celebrity Candidates Michigan Story Just an Act?

The antipathy among many U.S. auto workers for brands like Toyotaand their rejection of union laboris hard to overstate. If Harper were to drive one of the vehicles he touted to a UAW-owned lot, he wouldnt be allowed to park it: since 2010, the union has banned foreign, non-union made cars from its properties.

In the 2010s, Harper featured in several promotional campaigns for Lexus, the luxury car division of Toyota. In 2011, he narrated and appeared in a TV ad for a new Lexus model, and also began co-hosting a Lexus-sponsored program called Verses and Flow, which the company called a 30-minute variety show that features spoken word and music talent, engineered by Lexus. The show ended in 2017.

A self-described race car enthusiast, Harper could be found talking up the superiority of Toyota and Lexus brands on TV and in print, drawing on his own experiences driving them. He once told Motor Trend magazine he was given a new Lexus to try out every few months, because he did voiceover work for the company.

In 2009, Harper said he had owned a Toyota Prius since 2005 and called the hybrid a great vehicle. In 2011, he appeared on local news in the San Francisco Bay Area for a segment hyping a new Lexus model as the most fuel-efficient luxury car available.

In at least one instance, Harper was a walking advertisement for the company. In May 2012, Harper appeared in Motor Trend, posing alongside a Toyota race car emblazoned with his name, wearing head-to-toe Toyota Racing gear with his name on it. A month earlier, Harper had participated in a promotional celebrity auto race hosted by Toyota.

Through the years, Toyota also hyped Harper. In 2011, it gave him the Lexus Pursuit of Perfection award at an event in Atlanta. In 2016, Toyota donated $10,000 to Harpers charitable foundation to benefit Black youth. He posed with the check.

In response to questions from The Daily Beast, Harper spokesman Karthik Ganapathy said that as an accomplished entertainer and philanthropist, Hill Harper has partnered with dozens of brands, companies, and non-profits over the years.

In this race, Hill has been the only unequivocal advocate for working people including striking UAW workers, unlike other candidates who have sided with management in implying that workers are being unreasonable in their demands, Ganapathy said.

Obama, Dems Line Up Behind UAW as Strike Continues

That comment is almost certainly in reference to a tweet that Harpers primary rival, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), sent on Friday, in which she said both sides of the strike should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good in negotiations.

In a Saturday tweet, Harper seemed to rebuke Slotkin, if not by name, when he argued that workers arent asking for perfect.

Slotkin, who is the favorite in the primary, has been endorsed by a number of Michigan labor unions, and appeared on UAW picket lines in Michigan over the weekend.

Harpers campaign also said that his only auto industry promotional contract was with General Motors, though it declined to provide detailed information about the extent of his relationship with Toyota.

For a Michigan politician, Harpers ties to a foreign automaker are unusual on multiple levelsand potentially damaging to the pro-union, Detroit-made brand he is attempting to cultivate in the Michigan Senate race.

Best known for his roles in CSI:NY and The Good Doctor, Harper is running as a progressive in a primary field where Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a center-left swing district representative, is the favorite. The general election contest in closely divided Michigan will likely be one of the most competitive in the country in 2024.

While its virtually unheard of to see a major candidate in Michigan who was once on the payroll of a foreign auto company, its rare to see a major candidate, from either party, who would be seen rolling up anywhere in the state in a foreign car.

Sensing the optics, Harper has added a Detroit-made vehicle to his garagebut well after launching his campaign.

On Sept. 5, an employee for a Ford dealer in Southfield, Michigan, posted a photo on Facebook with Harper, proudly saying hed helped the actor purchase a brand-new Ford F-150 hybrid pick-up truck. (Harpers spokesman did not answer a question about whether he still owns any Toyota or Lexus vehicles.)

But the UAW strike adds a fresh dimension to Harpers past paid boosting of Toyota and Lexus brands. Unionized workers for Ford, General Motors, and Stellantisformerly Chryslerhave been negotiating with the companies for months over a new deal governing the pay and working conditions for some 150,000 employees.

With workers testifying that their wages have failed to reflect their work or keep up with economic conditionsnot to mention keep up with CEO pay increasesthe UAW is demanding 40 percent wage increases over four years, along with reinstated pension benefits.

Inside the Early Elbowing for Michigans Open Senate Seat

The Big Three have slammed those demands as unreasonable, and have countered with an offer to raise pay anywhere from 14.5 to 20 percent. Rejecting that offer, the UAW is organizing targeted strikes at rotating auto manufacturing facilities around the country.

Harper has tried to align himself with the workers and big labor unions.

Auto workers are battling against inadequate wages, limited benefits, and insecure job conditions, Harper said in a Monday tweet. This is a fight for real cost of living increases, to make every auto job a good job, and to secure jobs as we transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

After the strike became official Friday morning, Harpers social media activity formed a stream of impassioned support for the UAW, featuring stridently pro-union statements and photos of himself joining striking workers on the picket lines around Michigan.

For too long, corporations have undercut labor to pad their bottom line, he declared on Twitter, and it ends now.

With labor issues in the auto industry likely to be front of mind for Michigan voters this election season, Harpers association with Toyota may be difficult for some to stomach.

For decades, Toyota and the UAW have had a contentious and confrontational relationship. The company operates 14 manufacturing plants in the U.S., exclusively in states with less union-friendly laws.

In 2009, around when Harper began promoting Toyotas products, the company closed its final unionized plant in the countrylocated in Fremont, Californiacausing over 5,000 UAW members to lose their jobs.

The unions leaders slammed the decision in scathing terms. Its president at the time, Ron Gettelfinger, called it devastating, saying workers deserve better than to be abandoned by this company, which has profited so richly from their labor, their productivity, and their commitment to quality.

More recently, Toyota found itself on the opposite side of the UAW in a debate over legislation, proposed by House Democrats, to increase the size of tax credits up to $12,500 for consumers who purchase union-made electrical vehicles.

While Harpers current rhetoric and positions are stark in comparison to his long and warm relationship with Toyota, it is not the first time that the candidates background has seemed mismatched to the brand he is building on the campaign trail.

In July, The Daily Beast reported that Harpers narrative about his current ties to the state was questionable. In his launch video, addressed to his son, he talked about the importance of raising him in Michiganbut until he launched his campaign, Harper was raising his son in Seattle, Washington. Other records indicated he was based in Seattle and in California, despite owning a Michigan property.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The arrival of US soldiers for a peacekeeper training exercise in Armenia has rankled the Russian government, which has for decades acted as the sole security guarantor for the former Soviet republic. The 10-day Eagle Partner exercise, which began Monday, involves 85 US and 175 Armenian soldiers and aims to prepare the Armenians to take part in international peacekeeping missions.

The exercise, while small in scale, is the latest in a series of what Russias foreign ministry has deemed unfriendly actions taken by its traditional ally.

Armenia recently sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine for the first time, and its parliament is set to ratify the International Criminal Courts Rome Statute  meaning it would be obliged to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to set foot in the country, which Russia has long viewed as its own backyard.

Armenias flirtation with new international partners has been spurred by its frustration that Russia has been unable or unwilling to defend it against what it sees as aggression from neighboring Azerbaijan, and has raised questions about Russias ability to retain its hold on countries and conflicts across the former Soviet empire.

Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan said his country was beginning to taste the bitter fruits of the strategic mistake of trusting Russia with near-exclusive responsibility for his countrys defense.

Armenias security architecture 99.999% was linked to Russia, he told Italian newspaper La Repubblica earlier this month. But today we see that Russia itself is in need of weapons Even if it wishes so, the Russian Federation cannot meet Armenias needs.

Since Pashinyan came to power in 2018 on the back of Armenias Velvet Revolution  an outpouring of anger against lingering corruption and cronyism in the former Soviet republic  his country has faced growing tensions with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani servicemen stand guard at a checkpoint at the Lachin corridor, which links the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia. - Tofik Babayev/AFP/Getty Images

The fiercest flashpoint is Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked region in the Caucasus Mountains that has been the cause of two wars between the neighbors in the past three decades, most recently in 2020. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but its inhabitants are mostly ethnic Armenians.

The 44-day conflict in fall 2020 exposed Armenias military inferiority. Azerbaijan, armed with drones and F-16 fighter jets provided by Turkey, won a crushing victory, claiming about a third of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as attacking Armenia proper.

Russia helped end the war by negotiating a ceasefire. The deal provided for around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to deploy to Nagorno-Karabakh to guard the Lachin corridor, the only road linking it with Armenia.

But Russias peacekeepers have not prevented Azerbaijani troops from establishing a military checkpoint along the Lachin corridor, preventing the import of food to the enclave. Azerbaijain has denied creating a blockade, while Russia has denied accusations of inaction.

An unreliable partner

Russias inability or unwillingness to intervene has left many in Armenias government feeling betrayed, according to Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, an associate professor of foreign policy at the American University of Armenia, based in the capital, Yerevan.

Armenia has invested 30 years of its independence  I would even say 200 years of its recent history  in firmly believing that when the time comes and when need arises, Russia would deliver on its strategic obligations and defend Armenia against any foreign aggression. That did not happen in 2020, nor in 2021, nor in 2022, he told CNN.

This loyalty came with many self-inflicted costs. Armenia has done almost anything and everything that Russia wanted over the last 30 years, Ter-Matevosyan said, including halting its efforts toward European integration in 2013 after Moscow voiced its displeasure.

Analysts said the effectiveness of Russia's peacekeeping presence, which began after the war in 2020, has diminished over time. - Karen Minasyan/AFP/Getty Images

Having danced to Moscows tune for so long, Yerevan has come to expect it to deliver on its security commitments, which Russia purports to provide through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of post-Soviet states including Armenia. But in recent years, it has come to see a trail of broken promises, analysts say.

Russia failed to deliver on its promises to secure the Lachin corridor Russia failed to deliver weapons that Armenia purchased from Russia, Russia failed to curtail Azerbaijans expansionist and aggressive behavior against Armenia, said Ter-Matevosyan.

In response, he said, Armenia has felt it had little choice but to diversify its security apparatus.

Unintended consequences

Some analysts attribute Russias failure to uphold the terms of the ceasefire it brokered to its being distracted by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

But Marie Dumoulin, director of the Wider Europe program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that the situation was in part caused by Russia attempting to keep both Armenia and Azerbaijan on side at once  a task made impossible by Azerbaijans continued aggression, she said.

Since the war in 2020, Russia has been very reluctant to choose between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which concretely meant that they chose Azerbaijan, Dumoulin told CNN. Its a passive attitude. But this passivity in itself is a very pro-Azerbaijan position.

Dumoulin also pointed to the growing ties between Moscow and Baku  spurred by the personal relationship between Putin and Azerbaijans longtime President Ilham Aliyev  which may have come at Yerevans expense.

I dont think Pashinyan is the kind of leader Putin likes. Hes been brought to power by a revolution. He has this democratic, reformist, anti-corruption discourse. Aliyev is much more the kind of leader Putin can get along with, said Dumoulin.

Putin held negotiations with Aliyev and Pashinyan in Moscow, Russia, in May 2023. - Getty Images

Relations between Putin and Pashinyan have not been helped by Armenias moves toward becoming a party to the ICCs Rome Statute, which would give Armenia a new forum to voice human rights concerns against Azerbaijan. Armenia signed the statute in 1999, but its Constitutional Court ruled that its violated the countrys constitution  a decision it reversed in March, paving the way for potential ratification.

But in trying to shore up its security vis-a-vis Azerbaijan, Armenia has inadvertently delivered a stinging snub to Russia. The ICC has an outstanding arrest warrant against Putin over an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children.

The timing was terrible, said Ter-Matevosyan. But, he claimed, the Armenian government has done a poor job in clearly explaining to its Russian partners the two meanings behind the process of ratification of the Rome Statute.

The subsequent announcement of joint military training exercises with the US has soured relations further. Russia summoned the Armenian ambassador to Moscow last week for difficult talks, Politico reported.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the exercises do not help strengthen an atmosphere of mutual trust in the region.

But Ter-Matevosyan suggested this revealed a paranoia on Moscows part.

With its reaction Russia gave significance to this event that it doesnt deserve, given its scale and scope. Its some 260 people armed with rifles  not heavy weaponry  gathering in Armenia for nine to 10 days, to improve what they call the interoperability of peacekeeping forces, said Ter-Matevosyan, pointing to the routine nature of such exercises around the world.

Russia overreacted by questioning the true objectives of the drills and seeing the hand of NATO behind it.

Diluting Russian influence

It is not yet clear whether Armenias efforts to create new international partnerships are motivated solely by its attempts to bolster its security, or whether these attempts constitute a broader Western pivot.

As a small state, its quite risky for Armenia to do a U-turn, a big geopolitical jump. We know the risks for that, Anna Ohanyan, an expert in Russian foreign policy and professor at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, told CNN.

Rather than seeking to cut ties with Russia entirely, Armenia is merely diluting its influence, Ohanyan said.

But while the steps taken so far might be modest, they could set Armenia down a path from which it is hard to turn back. If Putin woke up tomorrow and all of a sudden started to pursue different types of policies  providing some specific security guarantees  I do not think that Armenias foreign policy would recalibrate back, said Ohanyan.

If Russia provided a full spectrum of security for Armenia, that would mean a much deeper integration of Armenia into the Russia neo-imperial sphere, similar to Belarus, she said  a fate that Armenias Velvet Revolution signaled it will not stand for.

Stuck in the middle?

Armenias leaders are not unaware of the challenges ahead. Speaking to La Repubblica, Pashinyan said he feared that Armenia could end up stuck in the middle, caught between Russia and the West.

Western countries or experts qualify Armenia as a pro-Russian country. On the other hand, many circles in Russia consider Armenia or its government pro-Western, he said.

Not able to do enough to please either side, Armenia may risk alienating both, leaving itself exposed.

Pashinyan said he feared Armenia will be seen as too Russian by Western nations, and too Western by Russia. - Karen Minasyan/AFP/Getty Images

Many in Yerevan have already begun to fear a potential Russian rebuke. This could be economic, since Russia controls huge sections of Armenias economy, from telecommunications to energy. The Kremlin banned dairy imports from Armenia in April  ostensibly after some newly discovered health concerns, but in what Ohanyan suggested was a punishment for Yerevan considering the ICC ratification.

Or it could be something worse. We have to remember that Russia has a huge destructive potential in the region, said Ter-Matevosyan, referring to Russias sizable military base north of Yerevan.

For Ter-Matevosyan, the current Armenian government, whose ideological roots come from liberal Western values, have taken this opportune moment to implement some of their ideas, thoughts and beliefs that they cherished for many years.

Will they succeed or not? Time will show. But what is going to be the price for this shift, this diversification? Thats the biggest question that many are asking in Armenia.

CNNs Caolan Magee contributed reporting.

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A few years ago, someone I love was brutally raped. She didnt see her attackers face but was sure it was someone she knew. Thats often the case; women who are raped or abused in other ways usually know their attacker. Ive always said if it were me, one of us would be dead  me or the rapist. Like many women, our nature is to fight back to the ugly end, then think of consequences later. Even women who, over time, have accepted their abuse can reach their breaking point and become consumed by rage.

Unfortunately, consequences for surviving sexual assault and other forms of domestic violence can be worse than the actual abuse. Especially here in Oklahoma. Just ask the women languishing in prisons who survived their abusers.

At Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, about 1,200 women are serving sentences for everything from burglary to murder. Among those serving time for murder or assault, some are women who killed their abusers. They just as easily could have been your daughter, sister, aunt or mother  someone you love. Survivors come from everywhere on the socioeconomic ladder. Domestic violence is an equal opportunity ordeal.

Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud serves as the reception and assessment center for incarcerated female Oklahomans.

Oklahoma laws allow protections such as our "stand your ground" laws for self-defense or to save someone elses life, but those protections are ripped from women who survive their abusers when they resort to lethal means. They end up in prison, in many cases punished indefinitely by the state, their incessant abuse having no weight in their case.

Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, introduced the Oklahoma Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act during the last regular legislative session. The bill would have allowed courts to consider whether a person has been abused when weighing sentencing or guilty pleas in cases of murder of their intimate partner. Hasenbeck is still baffled that the bill, which received unanimous support initially, fell victim to politics in one of the most contentious legislative sessions in recent years. Ive never had to work so hard for something in my life, she said. We still live in a state where a woman is most likely to die at the hands of a man.

The Legislature will have an opportunity to advance and pass the bill again next year. Hopefully, it will include language that considers not only future cases, but also the plight of women already serving time for killing their abusers.

Hasenbeck is doing more research and bringing in more expert voices to the conversation, including law enforcement  those who understand the dynamic of abuse and its psychological impact and people who wont blame the victim for staying in an abusive relationship or returning to live with an abuser.

Everyone with a female relative (that means just about every Oklahoman) should support the Oklahoma Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act becoming law. Oklahoma is No. 2 in the nation for women murdered by men, according to the Violence Policy Center. Another study released earlier this summer ranked Oklahoma No. 1 for women and men experiencing domestic abuse. I believe one womans troubles are all womens troubles. But Hasenbeck explains best why we all should care: If one of my daughters ends up in this situation and I, in my position, havent done anything to change the law, I dont know how Ill be able to forgive myself. I also have to fight for everyone's daughter.

I cant imagine what would have happened if my friend had killed the man who raped her. She certainly did not belong in prison; women who kill their abusers do not belong there.

More: Former cop: Stop punishing Oklahoma women who survive domestic violence

Lets fix this with the Oklahoma Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act. Oklahoma must stop punishing women who already have endured lasting physical and psychological pain.

Clytie Bunyan

Clytie Bunyan is managing editor for diversity, community engagement & opinion.

How to get help

State SafeLine: 1-800-522-7233

Domestic Violence Hotline: 405-917-9922

Sexual Assault Hotline: 405-943-7273

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Opinion: Women who kill abusers don't belong in prison. Let's fix this
Editors Note: Sign up to get this weekly column as a newsletter. Were looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets.

Troy fell  the walls of Hadrian succumbed  the Great Wall of China was futile; and  the mighty seas which are alleged to defend us can also be circumvented by a resolute and ingenious opponent, wrote US Army General George S. Patton.

In war, the only sure defense is offense, and the efficiency of offense depends on the warlike souls of those conducting it.

Warlike soul is an apt description of Patton himself. A vain and ambitious cigar-smoking bully who wore riding breeches, a polished helmet and boots and carried ivory-handled revolvers, he led troops on successful lightning strikes through German-held territory near the end of World War II.

Pattons military feats could be chalked up to daring, a grasp of strategy and an ability to inspire the troops. He believed in setting an example by being a presence on the front line. Pattons approach to warfighting was often ridiculed by his seniors but under Pattons command, according to Stephen D. Sklenka, a Marine Corps major, the Third Army delivered ten times as many enemy casualties as was inflicted upon themselves.

But there was a dark side to Pattons forceful approach, one that kept him from rising to the very top ranks of the military. It was made manifest by his racist and antisemitic remarks and when he slapped two soldiers he unfairly accused of faking illness in 1943. In the midst of the war, the army tried to keep the assaults secret but word eventually leaked.

Pattons example comes to mind as the world focused last week on war and peace, along with challenges to the way we live, work and vote. The performance of leaders, from Washington to New Mexico to Detroit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russias far east, matters more than ever and raises a host of questions:

When is warlike ferocity effective in the pursuit of valid goals and when does it cross over into becoming harmful or even toxic? Should a leader ever put his own views aside to bow to the dictates of his followers? And when does injustice make it essential to obey your conscience above all else?

Clay Jones

The two Elon Musks

In the business world, Elon Musk s achievements have been epic, particularly in spaceflight and the manufacture and marketing of electric cars, but theyve often been eclipsed by erratic and impulsive episodes, according to Nicole Hemmers review of the new book Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson.

After buying Twitter last year, Musk emerged as a force of destruction, stripping the social media site of its value, its reputation and then, ultimately, its name. In recent weeks, he has been using the rebranded X platform to attack the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that fights antisemitism and extremism. Musk has repeatedly been criticized for enabling and boosting antisemitic content on the platform.

Isaacson tries to square these two Musks. He rummages through Musks violent and chaotic childhood in South Africa  He dissects Musks many combative, combustible romantic relationships and the many children they produced, often in secret. He charts the ruptured business partnerships and dismissed employees and impossible deadlines that seemed tailor-made to increase human suffering. And Isaacson decides that this is the cost of innovation.  Musks apparent cruelty is at least in part an offshoot of the fact that his companies seem to be more real, more alive, to him than human beings.

Hemmer contends that Isaacson presents an impoverished view of genius, one that perpetuates the great man theory of history, in which the course of the world is shaped by a few brilliant men who thrive under the systems of their time. It overshadows genius generated through collaboration, which, though present throughout Musks career, takes a backseat to the force of his singular personality throughout Isaacsons book. And it leaves little room for the transformative power of people such as racial justice and LGBTQ movement leaders who divined a new way of being in the world, which requires a sort of emotional and moral understanding absent from Musks career.

A mean tweet?

Walt Handelsman/Tribune Content Agency

In the past week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy modeled a different kind of leadership  one that was drastically weakened in part by the 15 rounds of voting it took for him to win over enough of his partys hard-right faction to lead the House in January.

In what was widely seen as an attempt to placate members of the House Freedom Caucus and to mollify former President Donald Trump, McCarthy launched an inquiry into the grounds for impeaching President Joe Biden. But by weeks end, it was clear that the gambit had done little to appease the extreme House Republicans who still seemed in no mood to compromise on a deal that would avert a government shutdown on October 1.

Trump clearly seems to view impeaching Biden as payback for both his prior impeachments and his current criminal prosecutions, wrote Norman Eisen. In a sense, Trump is right  revenge is all it is because there is no constitutional basis for proceeding here.

Eisen, a Democrat who served as counsel to House Democrats in the first Trump impeachment, said McCarthy appeared to cave to House members who threatened to oust him from the speakership. He recently said that he would not proceed without a formal vote on the inquiry, but there was no mention of that at all in his announcement of the inquiry Tuesday.

Years of searching have yet to yield any support at all for the allegation that Biden personally profited off his sons foreign business dealings, Eisen observed.

A conservative writer, W. James Antle III, argued that the Biden family deserves congressional scrutiny. President Joe Biden reportedly engaged in phone calls with his sons foreign business partners that could jeopardize the integrity of the White House and our democracy. Especially because they seem to have gone beyond the president and his aides claims of strict noninvolvement in Hunter Biden s affairs.

There are questions about these matters that need to be asked. But an impeachment inquiry is not the place to ask them, wrote Antle, noting that McCarthy becomes the latest political figure to debase and erode what was once the ultimate safeguard against presidential misconduct.  Without any realistic prospect of a Senate conviction and removal from office, impeachment becomes the equivalent of a nonbinding resolution opposing the president. Soon it has little more impact than a mean tweet.

Impeachment will backfire, predicted John Avlon. This baseless impeachment inquiry is part of an elaborate revenge fantasy designed to blur the differences between Trump, who has been indicted four times, and Biden ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Rather than helping Republicans politically, it will provide just the latest example of overreach leading to backlash. A tit-for-tat impeachment vote is not going to appeal to swing voters in swing districts. It will look like the hyper-partisan pantomime that it is  an exercise in putting party over country.

For more:

Dennis Aftergut: Why Lindsey Graham wasnt indicted

Walt Handelsman/Tribune Content Agency

Gun questions

A rash of shootings, including the killing of an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, prompted Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to order a 30-day suspension of open and conceal carry laws in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

The problem, according to SE Cupp: The governors action was unconstitutional, unenforceable and ineffective.

While we all share her frustration over the rise in gun violence, this isnt a good idea, and shes receiving a ton of backlash for it.

There have been rallies and protests. Shes facing several lawsuits. And, even fellow Democrats and progressive activists have been critical, warning that her attempt to curb gun violence could backfire. On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked the governors order.

Firearms were also in question when Hunter Biden, the presidents son, was indicted Thursday on two counts of lying when he purchased a gun and one count of illegally possessing that gun. Biden denied that he was a drug user, when in fact, he was then addicted to crack cocaine, wrote Robert J. Spitzer.

Its an exceedingly rare charge and as Spitzer noted, Bidens lawyers can credibly argue that he was singled out for prosecution because of his last name. But it would be a mistake to assume that the lack of prosecutions means that nothing serious occurred when Biden allegedly lied on his application form. The proper remedy is for the authorities to be more aggressive in cracking down on drug users who get guns.  the separation between guns and controlled substances is only more urgent given the proliferation of access to both.

Vladimir and Kim

The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reflected badly on todays Russia, wrote Frida Ghitis. It was a sign that Putin, with his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, has turned what was once a mighty and respected army  and country  into one that is reduced to seeking help from an impoverished state that can hardly feed its own people. Its a humiliating exercise for a diminished Putin, who vaingloriously compares himself to the 18th century Czar Peter the Great, and not a great look for a deeply tarnished Russia.

It also shows how the war is making the entire world more dangerous. More than 18 months in, Russia is now courting a regime that has assaulted its neighbor multiple times, and regularly fires all manner of dangerous missiles in the region, most recently just a few days ago; an outcast nation now likely to emerge even more menacing after negotiating with Putin.

For more:

Sebastien Roblin: Dont give up on Ukraine just as its counteroffensive is starting to work

Exit Romney

Francis Chung/Politico/AP

Sen. Mitt Romney announced Wednesday that he is not going to seek a second term in next years election.

Romney has carved out a role in Washington not unlike that of the late Sen. John McCain, a legislator who was unafraid to speak out even when he swam against the tide of his own party. During Trumps first impeachment, Romney became the first senator in US history to vote to remove a president of his own party from office.

A former Romney adviser, Lanhee J. Chen, wrote that his profound sense of decency is one of the reasons why so many people care so much about the retirement of a man whos been in the Senate for such a short time. He has been willing to do what he believes to be right  consequences be damned.

The differences between Romney and Trump were many. Chen noted that Trump had what was seen by some to be an uncomfortably cozy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Romney, by contrast, has long insisted that Russia has been our number one geopolitical opponent.

The discussion reflected Romneys interest in backing the right policies, not just the ones that were the most politically expedient. But as it turns out, his careful approach to policy often got him to the right answer  leaving even ardent Democrats to admit that he was prescient to call out Russia a decade ago.

Whats striking in the economy

Lisa Benson/GoComics.com

Hollywood writers and actors remain on strike, and now the auto workers have walked off the job at select plants owned by the Big Three companies General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (the owner of Chrysler, Dodge and Peugeot).

Even the United Auto Workers president acknowledged the unions demands are audacious, wrote economist Kate Bahn. The UAW is demanding that their members receive the same pay for a 32-hour work week that they once did for 40. This will automatically raise worker earnings by at least 20%, likely increase the number of workers employed at auto manufacturing plants and cut into oversized and inefficient corporate profits.

While a lot of the attention has been on the political calculus of such a move at the tail end of hot labor summer, Im focused on what this all means for our economy in the long-run, Bahn observed. Viewed through that lens, this simple yet significant policy change has the potential to pump the breaks on decades of increasing income inequality and a declining labor share of income, which measures how much of our economic activity, or national income, goes to workers. And curbing those trends makes good economic sense  with benefits that extend beyond the autoworkers.

The often-predicted recession has not emerged  at least not yet. Companies have continued to hire and consumers have continued to spend even as the Federal Reserve has rapidly ramped up the cost of borrowing. Some economists think the US will skirt a recession, but Dana Peterson and Erik Lundh, economists at the Conference Board, believe it is indeed on the horizon. With wage growth slowing and personal savings dropping, US consumers may be getting out over their skis with their buying habits

Hardship withdrawals from 401(k) accounts have jumped, retail theft is spiking and retailers report that consumers are increasingly focused on discount brands.

None of this bodes well for future spending, nor do the mandatory student loan repayments set to resume in October.

Dana Summers/Tribune Content Agency

Kutcher and Kunis

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher arrive for the Ninth Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci - Aude Guerrucci/Reuters

Actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were cast into an uncomfortable spotlight with the release of their character letters supporting Danny Masterson, their That 70s Show co-star who ended up being sentenced earlier this month to 30 years to life for raping two women in 2003.

Jill Filipovic wrote, Kutcher and Kunis ostensibly did not expect the letters to become public, and now that they have, the couple is apologizing.  Particularly galling for critics of their apology seems to be the fact that Kutcher has positioned himself as an anti-rape activist, starting an organization to combat child sex trafficking and testifying before Congress in support of efforts to combat trafficking and sexual abuse.

The problem isnt that Kutcher and Kunis asked the judge to show mercy and compassion for Masterson. Its that they offered so little of the same to his victims.

End of the manhunt

The nearly two-week-long manhunt for Danilo Cavalcante ended Wednesday with authorities taking him back into custody, but the reverberations arent likely over, wrote Arick Wierson.

Aside from the fallout from the two atrocious homicides and his wreaking a fortnight of fear across rural Pennsylvania during his time on the lam, the Cavalcante episode has managed to put egg on the face of law enforcement in two different countries, adding to already fevered rhetoric in both nations about public safety and immigration.

In Brazil, the indignation around the Cavalcante episode  especially how Brazilian authorities allowed a man wanted for homicide to leave the country  has reignited a debate across local media about whether the government is spending enough on public safety and if those resources expended are actually doing any good, observed Wierson.

Apple launches

Scott Stantis/Tribune Content Agency

The biggest change in the new iPhone lineup announced Tuesday is the demise of the lightning port and its replacement by USB-C chargers, a switch that had been expected after the European Union mandated it. Yet, like other introductions of evolutionary, not revolutionary, technology by Apple, the event attracted rapt attention well beyond the companys Cupertino, California campus.

Jeff Yang asked, Whats Apples secret sauce? Why has the company been able to sustain such persistent passion and loyalty?

Part of the answer is rigorous preparation and choreography. But ultimately, what makes Apple Events magical is this: Apple Events are purpose-built to engender wonder  yes, just like in the title of todays event, Wonderlust. Wonder is, simply put, mystery plus joy  a wholly unexpected surprise that triggers a sudden jolt of pleasure and inspiration.

The cursed Jets

Phil Hands/Tribune Content Agency

The Boston Red Sox broke their curse in 2004.

The Chicago Cubs did it in 2016.

The New York Jets curse endures. As Julian Zelizer, a fan since the age of 8, wrote after Aaron Rodgers season-ending injury Monday, In the world of professional sports, there are few things that compare with the heartache of being a life-long, season-ticket-holding New York Jets fan. Sitting in my regular seat last Monday night at MetLife Stadium, I saw all my hopes and dreams for this season disappear.The same old Jets. Every year the fans get excited, and every year things go terribly wrong.

Dont miss

Nick Anderson/Tribune Content Agency

Tess Taylor: With his ignorance, Tommy Tuberville just gave poets an incredible compliment

Mahnaz Afkhami: Iran will never be the same

Roxanne Jones: What adoring Coco Gauff is all about

Amanda Tyler: New Texas law deprives families of religious liberty rights

Lara Setrakian: A mountaintop enclave facing genocide. And a plan to stop it

Paul Hockenos: My 12-year-old son is cutting school and I couldnt be prouder

Don Lincoln: The Deep Space Network is in trouble

Sophia Nelson: Heres how Sen. Tim Scott should answer questions about his marital status

AND

On film

Kenneth Branagh in "A Haunting in Venice" - 20th Century Studios

For fans of cozy detective stories, there may be no more satisfying experience than watching Agatha Christies bizarre Belgian detective Hercule Poirot solve a case. As Noah Berlatsky wrote of the new movie, A Haunting in Venice, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Poirots victory speech is given with him almost literally standing on top of a pile of corpses. Though in this one, Poirot (Branagh) seems even less concerned by the death toll as he brags about his ratiocination while the luxuriant cinematography caresses the Venetian canals.

Equally bloodthirsty, but in a different vein (sorry!), are two new movies recommended by Sara Stewart: Bottoms is a satirical comedy about a queer-founded high school fight club, and Perpetrator is an indie horror movie about a rebellious teen who evolves into a supernatural creature.

These two stories, though wildly different, have both drawn (and openly invited) comparisons to the grandmother of teen-girl satire, 1989s Heathers. Like that indelible Winona Ryder movie, Bottoms and Perpetrator use stylized riffs on high school movie tropes to delve into the challenges teenage girls are up against. Some  from the chronic threat of school shootings to toxic masculinity  are unique to our times; others  for example, wide-ranging misogyny  are timeless.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
NAIROBI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and eight others wounded in a roadside blast on Saturday evening in Mandera County near the Kenya-Somalia border, police said on Sunday.

A minibus that was traveling from Mandera to neighboring Wajir County was hit by a bomb set by suspected al-Shabab terrorists, according to a police report on security.

The incident happened amid heightened operations by Kenya's special forces.

According to local sources, al-Shabab terrorists raided Bamboo West village in Mandera North in the county on Sunday and set several houses on fire. Police said they are investigating claims that the gang kidnapped three people.

Mandera County, which borders the Kenya-Somalia border, is one of the worst-affected areas by al-Shabaab attacks. Kenya's northeastern region has borne the brunt of grenade and gun attacks over the last several years since Kenya deployed its troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the al-Shabab group.

The extremist group has since changed tactics and resorted to abductions and using improvised explosive devices to carry out attacks in the border region. 
Editors note: Reggie B. Walton is a senior judge on the US District Court for the District of Columbia. He was chair of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, tasked with identifying ways to curb the incidence of sexual assaults in prison. The commission was created by Congress as part of the 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

For decades, prison rape and other forms of sexual abuse were an unseemly subject of humor on television screens, in living rooms and in comedy clubs across America.

Hearings I chaired two decades ago of the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission helped show me and my colleagues on the panel the degree to which prison rape, far from being a laughing matter, is a serious and sometimes even tragic problem. People who have been the victims of sexual assault while incarcerated, however, deserve not derision, but our support.

Judge Reggie B. Walton - Courtesy Judge Reggie Walton

For far too long, rape and other forms of sexual abuse were tacitly accepted consequences of incarceration. After President George W. Bush signed into law the Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA, in September 2003, hearings we convened marked what I believe was the beginning of a change in the way that we talk about sexual abuse in prisons, jails and juvenile and other detention facilities.

The text of the bill noted that experts have conservatively estimated that at least 13 percent of the inmates in the United States have been sexually assaulted in prison. Many inmates have suffered repeated assaults.

In a remarkable show of solidarity, every member of Congress  Democrat and Republican  voted for the legislation. Today, 20 years after its passage, against the backdrop of an increasingly divided Congress and society, PREA reminds us of values that can and should unite us.

Until the passage of the PREA, there were no comprehensive figures or studies on the prevalence of rape inside detention facilities. It would take years before the most meaningful data documenting the prevalence of sexual abuse in confinement facilities nationwide was available from the Bureau of Justice Statistics  research that was mandated by the legislation.

What we did have, before the passage of the measure and during the hearings that the commission held around the country after PREAs passage, was an endless stream of personal accounts.

Men and women described in detail to me and to my fellow commission members the abuse they endured while incarcerated, sometimes over many years. Some recounted how they were disbelieved, silenced or unofficially punished for speaking out and seeking help.

The formerly incarcerated people who testified spoke of the guilt, shame and rage that consumed them after being sexually assaulted and how the abuse cast a shadow over their lives even years after they were released  trauma evident in their voices, on their faces and in the tears many shed.

During sometimes harrowing testimony, I and my fellow members of the commission learned that such trauma and its wide-ranging repercussions could be the result of just a single night in jail.

One person described the lingering effects of being gang-raped and beaten by other inmates: Ive been hospitalized more times than I can count and I didnt pay for those hospitalizations, the taxpayers paid. We also heard heartbreaking testimony from relatives of detainees who had committed suicide to escape the brutality they were experiencing.

For the especially vulnerable  including incarcerated young people; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals; people with mental illness; and for those detained in jurisdictions where proactive measures had not been taken to address the problem  sexual assault had become, in effect, part of their punishment.

In addition to documenting the prevalence of sexual assaults in prison, the commission developed standards designed to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse and harassment in confinement settings nationwide. In 2012, the Department of Justice formally adopted a version of those standards that went into effect in August of the following year.

In the decade since, the DOJ has provided grants, training and technical assistance reaching hundreds of detention facilities and thousands of staff and focused on the essential elements of a sexually safe environment. These efforts have included not only identifying and protecting those most vulnerable to abuse but also creating a culture inside facilities that encourages the reporting of abuse.

This work also involved providing counseling, accompaniment through forensic examinations and investigative interviews and other support to victims. And weve encouraged a culture that treats incarcerated people as presumptively credible witnesses when reports of abuse are investigated.

The standards also established an external audit to ensure adherence to the many specific policies and practices that are necessary to achieve these ends. Many state and local jurisdictions have taken similar steps, but unfortunately some have failed to do so.

Still, much has improved as a result of these efforts. According to the National PREA Resource Center, the hub for training and technical assistance, attitudes among staff and incarcerated people have changed significantly.

Accepting sexual abuse as inevitable, for example, and turning a blind eye when sex assaults occur are far less common than they once were. Based on the experiences of advocates who work inside facilities, prison rape is less frequently a subject of humor inside facilities or in society at large.

And at a time when some states and other governmental entities have taken actions that disregard the unique challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ community and the scorn that many have for members of that population, corrections staff have become increasingly aware of and responsive to the particular vulnerabilities of this population.

This is because, as required by the PREA standards, people who work in the field of criminal justice are receiving training about communicating effectively with this population, screening people upon arrival for particular vulnerabilities. Theyre also getting assistance in making decisions about individuals housing, programming and work assignments, sexual orientation, gender identity, past experiences of victimization and other experiences that can increase incarcerated peoples vulnerability.

We are awaiting updated data from prisons and jails, but surveys of youth in juvenile facilities administered just before the Covid-19 pandemic revealed some reductions in the rates of sexual abuse  particularly abuse by staff. Notwithstanding these and other signs of progress, however, there is ample evidence that sexual abuse in confinement remains a significant problem.

Last year, Congress held hearings to explore systemic abuses by staff in Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities that had passed their audits, showing compliance with the PREA standards.

The inquiry revealed significant weaknesses in the audit, including the failure of audits to identify problems of sexual abuse in facilities where the Senate uncovered substantial misconduct as well as failures by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to respond to reports of sexual abuse by staff and to conduct meaningful investigations with real consequences.

This is especially troubling since PREA has the most force in federally operated facilities. There is also evidence that many state and local facilities have not done the work to ensure their staff have the resources and support to implement the standards that the commission adopted.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act was never only about protecting people from sexual abuse in an environment where it is often impossible to protect oneself. It was also about affirming the essential dignity and fundamental human rights of incarcerated people.

The remarkably diverse coalition that pushed for the passage of PREA and those involved today in implementing the standards and advocating for change from the outside understand that PREA challenges the underlying culture of confinement and, little by little, changes it for the better. Those effects have been unacceptably slow to occur and highly uneven, evident in some facilities far more than others, but those changes are real and must continue.

Specifically, Congress must continue to fund this important work at a level that adequately supports it. DOJ must ensure that audits of the PREA standards return reliable results, which may mean rethinking the structure of the audit.

Corrections leaders also must invest in the work  not only to pass their audits successfully but also to ensure that the culture of the institutions they operate supports the practices necessary to create sexually safe environments.

Last but not least, medical and mental health professionals and rape crisis advocates must be able to provide the same services to people on the inside as provided to those who are not in detention.

Taking away someones liberty for the commission of crime is a necessary decision we have made as a society, but with it comes tremendous responsibility. That is a responsibility that my colleagues and I as judges encounter virtually every day. It is also the mandate I agreed to take up at the commission that I chaired 20 years ago.

I call on our leaders at every level to reaffirm their commitment to that responsibility now and in the years to come. We must redouble our efforts, if we aim to see incarcerated people return to society unbroken by the scourge of sexual assault.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Its been a challenging 12 months for Janet Buford-Johnson.

Since Hurricane Ians deluge filled her Orlo Vista home with 4 feet of pond water last September, she has debated whether to rebuild the house she inherited from her late mother or abandon the flood-prone neighborhood.

Buford-Johnson, 54, spoke at the Orange County Commission meeting Tuesday not only for herself but also her neighborhood where flooding damaged 148 of the 2,300 homes in the community south of State Road 408 and west of Kirkman Road.

She has brought concerns to county leaders about curb-side piles of storm debris and now rats.

Im sure some of you recognize me from the times Ive been here before, she said in her latest appeal. We are all still trying to get our homes back together.

Like many residents who awoke to find water breaking into their homes the early morning of Sept. 29, Buford-Johnson and her teenage daughter were ferried from their house to dry land by a firefighter in a dinghy but lost most everything else they owned  appliances, furniture and keepsakes.

Buford-Johnson said the flood ruined a 1930s mink stole handed down from her grandma.

She and her daughter waited for the Fire-Rescue boat on top of her Honda Accord, also lost.

Ian was only the most recent storm to swamp the community, which experienced notable and widespread flooding from hurricanes Donna in 1960, Charley and Frances in 2004, and Irma in 2017.

Arriving in southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm, Ian brought 13.2 inches to Orlo Vista in a 24-hour period. Orange County Public Works crews pumped about 250 million gallons from the communitys three retention ponds during and after the storm to bring water levels back to normal by Oct. 2.

But blue tarps still cover the roofs of some homes in the neighborhood.

Buford-Johnson said a neighbor lives in a shed.

Some residents, including Buford-Johnson, hope government grants will help fund repairs.

Since the hurricane, 21 properties in Orlo Vista, including four on Ronnie Circle where Buford-Johnson lives, have been sold, according to research by Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado.

In the 12 months before the storm, just eight properties changed hands.

Hurricane Ian: Orlo Vista floods again, drawing National Guard response

Orange County government provided food and gas cards to residents after the storm and is trying to provide income-qualified homeowners with financial assistance to rehabilitate their flood-damaged homes, said Lavon Williams, deputy director of Community and Family Services.

She said county officials also staged a special community-wide clean-up last month.

Orange County District 6 Commissioner Mike Scott, who represents most of Pine Hills and Orlo Vista, empathized with the working-class neighborhoods post-hurricane challenges and pledged to help.

They have a really, really good and close-knit community, he said. Theyre looking out for one another during this difficult process of recovery, which is taking a little longer than they expected.

Buford-Johnson has framework for walls inside her home, but no walls yet.

Her home was not insured, she said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided many families with temporary shelter.

Buford-Johnson said FEMA paid her about $26,000 to help with her losses.

Her home no longer reeks of pond water but she said her worries linger.

It makes me anxious, she said. Every new storm seems worse than the last.

County officials hope that a $23.1 million project, expected to be finished next summer, will prevent the kind of flooding Ian caused. Crews are deepening the retention ponds so they can hold more water.

The extra depth will increase total capacity to 141 million gallons, or 90 million gallons more.

Buford-Johnson said she suspects the project may be partly to blame for an influx of rodents and other pests as vegetation around the ponds has thickened like a forest, giving the critters a place to hide.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com
The seal of Texas Tech University Health Sciences at the university's main campus in Lubbock.

Editors Note: Portions of the data and quotes used in the story were originally published last year as part of the A-Js ongoing rural healthcare series.

The healthcare industry as a whole faces numerous challenges on a national level. The hurdles to receiving adequate healthcare are seemingly insurmountable, from rising drug costs to a workforce shortage.

Those challenges are only exacerbated in rural West Texas by the sheer size and space of the 108 counties that comprise the region.

Dr. Billy Phillips Jr., executive vice president for Rural and Community Health at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said the number of doctors in Texas is barely adequate, with a ratio of 1,300 to 1,600 patients per doctor.

Billy Phillips Jr., executive vice president for Rural and Community Health at TTUHSC.

If you look at the United States, and particularly west Texas, for the next decade, 2034, were in the US are projected to be short about 125,000 doctors, and that's even more profound in rural areas, he said.

The ever-growing need for a workforce is prevalent, but there are other barriers West Texans face to receiving adequate healthcare  especially in emergencies.

However, Texas Tech Health Sciences has noticed these issues and is taking further steps to correct them before they worsen.

Connecting people across the Texas sea of dirt

It is a known fact that if you want to get anything done in the 21st century, you have to be connected to reliable internet.

However, according to the newly established Texas Broadband Development Office, nearly 2.8 million Texas households and 7 million Texans lack broadband access.

The office also compiled a map that shows the serviced area in Texas and whether the serviced area is being served 100 download and 20 upload megabits per second internet speed.

For context, it is recommended for midlevel quality individual video chat to have 1.2 Mbps and 2.6/1.8 Mbps for group calling on Zoom. For Netflix, it is recommended 3 Mbps for HD streaming, 5 Mbps for FHD and 15+ Mbps for UHD.

According to the Federal Communication Commission, this internet speed level is above the required 25/3 Mbps speed, which the Texas broadband office notes as inadequate for Texans.

The broadband office also notes some areas that are connected are receiving less than 25/3 Mbps and are classified as unserved.

According to the Washington Post, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in 2022 that the FCC should update the term broadband to 100/20 Mbps, but the commission has not done so.

The map also shows major swaths of the South Plains, Panhandle, West Texas, Far West Texas and Permian Basin regions where residents are not connected to the internet.

Recent legislation is working to address this issue, specifically through House Bill 9 of the 88th Texas Legislature.

This bill would create the $1.3 billion Broadband Infrastructure Fund, which would add much-needed funding in this area, but its currently on hold for voters to approve or deny it in the November election.

Funding Critical Access Hospital

Last year, the CEO of Covenant Health spoke to the A-J about the importance of rural hospitals receiving critical access hospital designation.

The rule is you need to be 35 miles from the closest approximate hospital to be licensed as a critical access hospital, Walter Cathey said. If you look at the geography of West Texas, they're these perfect little boxes, right? And pretty much every hospital sits at the county seat. They're exactly 30 miles apart from each other.

Cathey

On average, Cathey said rural hospitals only see a profit of $50,000 to $100,000 every year and if they receive the designation, they will receive more funding from the federal government to support the hospital.

According to information pulled from the Flex Monitoring Team comprised of the Universities of Minnesota, North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Southern Maine, out of the 108 counties northwest of San Antonio, there are only 46 hospitals designated as CAH.

Only two Trauma 1 facilities and three Trauma 2 facilities are located in Lubbock and El Paso in the 108 country region. According to the states Health and Human Services, there are also 10 Trauma 3 facilities throughout the area.

According to the American Society of Trauma, the difference between each designation level is based on the type of surgeries/specialties the facility is equipped to do.

As the healthcare field changes, the need for funding is ever-present to help the hospitals stay open. According to a map compiled by the A-J, individuals can live far from their countys or the next countys hospital.

If an emergency arises, every minute counts and if a situation rises to the level where a patient needs to be transported to a Trauma 1 or 2 facility, then they will have to be transported hundreds of miles.

Another option is to build more hospitals across the region; however, building a new hospital comes with a hefty price tag. Cathey said that it costs over a million dollars per room to equip a hospital room with the necessary amenities.

This situation calls for more funding to be poured into the Texas Rural Healthcare System while also calling for innovations to help lessen the burden on the system, like telehealth, which also ties into the need for broadband access.

Whats the solution?

There are numerous issues the healthcare system is facing and there will be no one-size-fits-all solution; however, there is one entity in Lubbock taking that mantle to help fix the system.

Servicing 108 counties of the panhandle, border, Permian Basin and West Texas region, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock created a new institute to help solve this issue.

John Gachago, director of the TTUHSC Institute of Telehealth and Digital Innovation.

Naming John Gachago as the institute's executive director and having a close partnership with the F. Marie Hall Institute for Rural and Community Health, the new Institute of Telehealth and Digital Innovation is ready to embark on its mission.

It's looking at this rural health scenario and saying, How can technology be the differentiator? Gachago said. How can technology work so that you living in Alpine or Presidio can get good quality care, even though there's a long distance.

Through the power of drones, reinventing NexGen 9-1-1, tapping into teletherapy, and so much more, TTUHSC and its institutes are leading the way in reinventing how healthcare looks for West Texans.

More in this series

More: Part 2: When faced with a broken EMS system, rural Texans band together to fix it.

More: Part 3: Connecting rural Texas to Lubbock through telehubs, drones

More: Part 4: Helping aid the local child mental health crisis through telehealth, collaboration

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Part 1: The fracturing, mill pieced health care system in rural Texas
The father of Gabe Amo, the Democratic nominee for Congress, is behind the counter of the Providence liquor store he has owned for many decades as I walk inside.

His name is Gabriel Amo, and you will find him here most days for 12 hours or more. The store is open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Gabriel usually stays afterward to clean up. As owner, he feels that should be his job.

I had arranged to meet candidate Gabe Amo here to see his roots, and soon he walks in, taking a seat on a stool next to his dad. A moment later, a customer orders a small bottle, and Gabe, 35, instinctively reaches for the correctly sized bag. He worked here as a teen, and on and off since, so knows how to assist on the job that has long helped pay the Amo familys bills.

To be present at this father-son moment  immigrant liquor store owner and congressional nominee  is to glimpse an extraordinary American tableau, a story of how high the humblest among us can rise.

Congressional candidate Gabe Amo, left, with his father, Gabriel Amo, behind the counter at Summit Liquors, the store Gabriel owns on Hartford Avenue in Providence.

To fully understand Gabe Amos background, it helps to visit the store. It's called Summit Liquors, on a hardscrabble corner of Hartford Avenue a few blocks from the citys biggest housing project. The names of nearby establishments, such as La Gran Via Supermarket, reflect a neighborhood flavored by immigration.

I ask Gabriel, the father, his age, and when he says 74, I tell him he looks much younger.

Working, working, thats what keeps me going, he says in his Ghanian accent.

How come youre not retired?

It gets a smile. Thats no fun. Id get bored. He loves his job, and, even more, his customers. They are not just friends, says Gabriel, but family.

At that, a woman named Brianna Poole steps to the counter with a purchase. Shes a CNA who does home care, as well as shifts at Cherry Hill Manor in Johnston. She is quite aware that the son of her neighborhood liquor store owner is the favorite to be elected congressman from Rhode Islands 1st District in November.

It tells me anything is possible, says Brianna. You dream it, you work for it  anything is possible.

It is revealing to ponder the contrasting tasks that father and son are up to this day. While Gabriel rings up retail purchases, young Gabe tells of just having gotten a call of congratulations from Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, who until recently was Nancy Pelosis second in command. A few days before, Pelosi herself called. Gabe Amos victory in an off-year special primary remains high on his party's national radar.

His win was a surprise, and, indeed, when he decided to run, his father had the same reaction that many did who knew him.

Are you sure? Gabriel recalls saying to his son.

The father, ever mindful of the need to pay bills, felt Gabe had a good job working in the White House as a liaison to U.S. mayors. Why would his son resign from that to run as a long shot, with little statewide name recognition?

I panicked for a minute, Gabriel tells me.

But when young Gabe made it clear that he had backing and funding, Gabriel was aboard.

Gabriel Amo stands outside Summit Liquors, where he still works 12-hour days at age 74.

I said, OK  son, Im proud of you, he recalls.

I ask Gabe about his childhood and get an insight I hadnt known. Gabe grew up in a blended family, with three half-siblings on his moms side and four half-siblings on his dads. His mom, Weady Socree, immigrated from Liberia, getting a CCRI nursing degree when Gabe was 4, often working double shifts at nursing homes.

Gabe mostly lived with Socree in Pawtucket. At age 8, he helped her with her citizenship test. But he was back and forth between both parents.

I ask Gabe what he learned from his father.

It got a smile.

A lot of watching headline news on a 30-minute loop, said Gabe. Thats what my dad said the channel had to be on, and I couldnt change it. He wanted me to get a healthy dose of public affairs.

On Sundays, father and son would go to the Armory Districts St. Charles Church, where Gabe was baptized as a Catholic.

But the main lesson he observed, said Gabe, was seeing an exceptional work ethic from both parents.

So it is no surprise when he says that his time with me is short, since he has three or four more campaign events this day.

More on Gabe Amo: Here's what to know about him

But I'd also come here to speak with his dad, so as Gabe looks on, I ask Gabriel about his own journey. He grew up in Ghana on a cocoa and coffee farm, becoming an accountant, then leaving in his late 20s as a political refugee after a regime change.

His was a classic immigrants story here  working multiple menial jobs after arriving in Rhode Island, first at hotels, then factories, finally buying Summit Liquors. But even that purchase was a long process with the help and patience of the previous owner.

As we talk, a customer named Miguel Skarrett comes in, a mechanic at nearby Tecno Car on Hartford Avenue.

Ive known him since he was young, said Miguel of Gabe. Hes a good kid, raised up by a good father, whos given him all he can.

I ask Gabriel if thats true.

Whatever education I didnt get in Ghana, he says, I wanted to give it to my kids. They are my life, and education was the key.

What was Gabe like as a kid?

Gabriel smiles and says he was passionate about many things, including French fries and watching "Wheel of Fortune." But Gabriel offers one other telling obsession.

Meet Gerry Leonard Jr.: GOP candidate for Congress Gerry Leonard Jr. leans on Marine Corps experience

Since he was little, said Gabriel, he loves having a microphone in his hand.

Oh  and hed always pitch in extra at volunteer work.

Lauren Garrett, an Amo campaign aide who is present, says Gabe is still that way  even as a candidate, he lingers after campaign events to help fold up the chairs.

Then Gabe says his goodbyes and is on his way to the next stop, leaving his dad behind the counter, where Gabriel will spend 12 hours this day, and maybe a few more to clean up and finish paperwork.

The contrast  immigrant liquor store owner and congressional nominee son  cant help but leave one thinking how much is indeed possible in America.

mpatinki@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Gabe Amo learned lessons on success from immigrant father's journey
Rep. Nancy Pelosi on Sunday pushed back against Trump , who blamed her for January 6.

The former president falsely claimed Pelosi rejected a request for troops to protect the Capitol.

"There's a sickness here," Pelosi said, accusing Trump of projection.

Former President Donald Trump is projecting when he blames others for the January 6 insurrection, Rep. Nancy Pelosi said Sunday.

"The former occupant of the White House has always been about projection. He knows he's responsible for that, so he projects it onto others," the California Democrat told MSNBC. "His instigation of an insurrection... the assault on the Capitol building, the assault on the Constitution, the assault on our democracy  shame on him."

Pelosi's comments came after Trump claimed in an interview aired on NBC that he had requested 10,000 National Guard troops to defend the US Capitol from his supporters, only for the former House Speaker to reject them.

No record of such an order exists, however, and on the day of the insurrection, Trump never placed any call for troops to defend the Capitol, even after it was breached ("I was never given any direction or order or knew of any plans of that nature," then-acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said in a deposition last year regarding the 10,000-troop claim).

Pelosi, who can be seen on video calling for security reinforcements on January 6, argued it was Trump's fault for not stopping the violence aimed at blocking President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

"Chuck Schumer and I begged him to send the troops, again and again," she said Sunday. "They know their exposure," she said of Trump and his acolytes, "so they project."

Pelosi continued: "These Trumpites were attacking the Capitol, fighting the police, threatening my life and the life of the vice president  [and] we're turning down the troops? There's a sickness here and there has to be an intervention. And that intervention has to be the [2024] election, which we have to win."

Read the original article on Business Insider
We dont get our news from Fox, my stepfather has been telling me for the past few years. He seemed offended when I joked that they probably got their updates on world events from John Hagee, a televangelist whose books fill my moms bookshelves and whose End Times Blood Moon posters have hung on her walls in the past, instead. But last summer when my mom was recovering in the hospital after a dangerous blood clot was removed from her brain, the two of them were unhappy with the cable offerings, and I learned that their actual news source these days is, in fact, another extreme televangelist operation: the viewer-supported Christian nationalist Victory Channel, which is owned and run by the church of self-proclaimed prophet Kenneth Copeland. As an extension of the church, the network is a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization. A donation link at the upper right of the landing page leads to a description of the site as a streaming network that reaches millions of people with the uncompromised Word of God 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fine print notes that viewers donations are tax-deductible.

I grew up with Copelands preaching but, until my moms hospitalization, wasnt aware of his network, whichbeyond advocating for a Christian countrybreathlessly awaits the Rapture, and purports to bring a prophetic perspective to the news. In June of last year, Donald Trump appeared on the networks FlashPoint news show, where he told the host he was with you 1,000 percent. In another FlashPoint interview this year, he promised to give preachers a stronger voice if he were to win the election in 2024, allowing them to speak directly on politics while continuing to allow their churches to operate as tax-exempt. Theyve silenced you, Trump said.*

But Copeland, for his part, hasnt exactly been silent. At a political rally last fall, he called Trump my president, characterized voting as a sacred trust, and asserted that by covenant, this nation belongs to God. My stepfather, thanks to FlashPoint, is pretty sure that Antifa was behind the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Hes not alonethe show is an immensely influential part of the Republican radicalization pipeline. In June, the extremist U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert told FlashPoint that she was directed by God to lead a vote to impeach Biden. Previously she appeared there to suggest Biblical citizenship training in schools.

Ive watched as much FlashPoint online as Ive been able to stomach, which isnt much. My stepsister, who cared for our parents after our mom got out of the hospital, has been exposed to far more of it. Prayer is a constant on FlashPoint shows. The host and his guests, she says, strategize constantly about reversing the separation between church and state. A live FlashPoint broadcast from Decatur, Georgia, that went viral on Twitter last year probably best encapsulates the vibe. Several preachers led the crowd in reciting the Watchman Decree, which opens with a pledge of allegiance to God, maintains we have been given legal power from heaven, decrees that Congress will only write laws that are righteous and constitutional and courts will issue only biblical and constitutional rulings, and moves into a promise to NEVER stop fighting! The same video appears on the Victory Channel Facebook page, which exhorts believers to download and decree along with us. Like me, my stepsister was raised with our parents iteration of evangelical Christianity. Even so, the show still shocks me sometimes, she says. Or makes me burst out laughing.

But Copelands programs are not as niche as they may seem. His Believers Voice of Victory broadcast claims to reach 885 million viewers per day. And the Victory Channel is member-supported.

In 2018, Copelands net worth was estimated to be $760 million. Among secular people, he is probably best known as the owner of three private jets who in 2015 asked his viewers to help him buy a new one so that he could avoid demons (which he believes his heathen fellow passengers would be riddled with, and could spread to him) on commercial air travel. In 2019, he pleaded with his viewers to donate to fund his jet so that he wouldnt have to get a COVID vaccine, which he called the mark of the beast. He avoids paying property taxes on his Fort Worth mansion by claiming an exemption for a clergy residence. Copeland wanted to be a pop star before he became a prosperity-gospel preacher. His music and teachings entered my life in the late 1970s, when I was a kid and my mom became a holy roller. Youve gotta keep on casting your bread upon the water, he sang from the dashboard tape deck, its gonna come back home on every wave. My mom has cast a lot of bread his way in the decades since then.

Copeland is far from the only televangelist shes supported. In the early 1980s, we made the trek from Miami to Tulsa for the Oral Roberts Camp Meeting every summer. Later Im pretty sure she bought mail-order prayer clothsoil-anointed pieces of fabricfrom the televangelist Marilyn Hickey. She definitely bought many sermons on tape, and then on CD, and even more books, from Hickey and other ministers. Several years ago, my stepfather mentioned that shed purchased solar panels from Jim Bakker, who does a brisk business in apocalypse-prep wares, and in 2021 settled a false claims case in Missouri for allegedly swindling viewers with his claims of a Silver Solution COVID remedy. By the time I heard about the solar panels, they didnt work. Im not sure they ever did. Working from my stepfathers description, I looked them up online and estimated that she must have paid about $900 for them. I also discovered that the dehydrated meal rations she sent me years ago in large plastic buckets were the brand Bakker sells on his site. Those werent cheap, either, based on the listed prices. Mine are still sitting, now expired, in my basement.

Everyone I know is tired of worrying about people like my parents, and I get it. Im tired of worrying about them too. Its tempting to turn our back on believers like them who are being sucked dry by Copeland and his church and leave them to their End Times vigil. But this kind of exploitation isnt something we should ignore simply because its dressed up as religious belief.

For most of her life, and mine, my moms bookshelves have overflowed with evangelical prophecy and self-help books and recordings. She is three years younger than Kenneth Copeland: 83. At one point, she even had her own storefront church and Christian bookstore, teaching the same kinds of things Copeland does. The prosperity shes been seeking has never come her way. Jesus has yet to return. Her faith is undimmed, but her bank account is such that I helped out with grocery bills last year so she and my stepdad could afford full-time help during her recovery. She does not have a care plan outside of the Rapture.

Meanwhile, her and my stepfathers house is paid off but not in great repair. The gravel road out front is eroding. The basement (where she sleeps) leaks in heavy rain. They live mainly on my stepdads retirement from the Postal Service. Im not sure what will happen if they need significant financial help in an ongoing way in the future. I might be able to scrape something together to pick up groceries and other expenses again. My stepsister might be able to uproot herself and go down there and care for them in person, as she has in the past. But we wouldnt be able to pay for a daily nurse or long-term care. Still, when I asked a few months ago, my stepfather couldnt assure me that their money would not continue flowing in some way to televangelists, given my moms continued appetite for books and DVDs.

My mom isnt the first in our family to give money to rich evangelists based in North Texas. Our ancestors are from Dallas, and shes often reminisced about her paternal grandmother, Rindia, who donated her own son S.E.s insurance settlement to their Pentecostal church after he nearly died at 18 in a truck crash. Doctors said hed be paralyzed. Instead, S.E., who approved of the donation, was left with significant disabilities: a bad limp, difficulty controlling his limbs, and a halting manner of speaking that was hard to understand. After the gift, Rindia, S.E., and the younger children were so poor that they frequently couldnt buy food or firewood. Sometimes they lived on squirrels that S.E. hunted near their house in Grand Prairie. My mom was born five years after the accident and four years after the donation, but Rindias poverty persisted to such a degree that my own grandmother, long after she was divorced from Rindias other son, often stopped by with food or money.

I assumed as a kid that my mom must have intended to strike some cautionary note in telling me this story, but when I asked about it again as an adult, I realized that my moms intent in sharing it was to highlight my grandmothers generosity, not to condemn Rindias choice. Meanwhile, Rindias church, Bethel Temple, went on to be the largest and most prosperous of its kind in the country, a forerunner to todays megachurches. Like Copeland, Bethel Temples pastor, Albert Ott, had wealth extending far beyond his church. I doubt he gave much thought to what Rindia and S.E. were sacrificing, just as I cant imagine Kenneth Copeland worrying about people like my parents while hes flying around on his jet.

And, yes, my mom and stepdad voted for Donald Trump and will surely vote for him again. Locked in their Victory Channel bubble, my stepfather didnt realize that people have been prosecuted for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Im not sure he believed me when I said they have been. If that was an insurrection, what happened in Tennessee was an insurrection too, he told me in June, in an increasingly rare political conversation between us, spurred by the Black legislators in Nashville who were removed from office for protesting. I disagreed. He mentioned a video hed seen on the Victory Channel that, according to him, provedor at least strongly suggestedthat Jan. 6 was the handiwork of Antifa. I said that wasnt the case. Who could know, he asked, in the face of our alternative facts.

The last couple of times Ive visited, theyve had a holiday card from Donald Trump on the refrigerator. The front of the card features Trump, alone, in his red MAGA hat. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! it reads on the inside. We are, together, going to Make America Great Again! I love you all, Donald J. Trump. From this and other Trump paraphernalia in their house, I gather that my mother has sent him money, too. I asked my stepfather about this and he assured me that they would never make donations to a billionaire. But theyve bought T-shirts and other merchandise. Last year, in one of her daily reports on my moms recovery in the months following her stroke, my stepsister texted: I feel so gross that I helped her order sheets from the pillow guy, followed by the poop emoji. I didnt know, she explained, adding that they have about twenty MyPillow pillows around the house.

Trust me, if I knew the magical solution for reaching my parents, I would have implemented it decades ago. But having lived the problem, I cant look away, and I hope you wont either. I admit, Lets broaden our legal prohibitions against scams and rethink the tax exemption for churches isnt a particularly rousing or convincing response to the problem of people like my parents pledging to fight for a Christian nationalist country, buying overpriced sheets that they believe will hasten this vision and/or the Second Coming, and gearing up to vote in the next election. What I do know is that my parents arent the only elderly evangelicals in precarious health, in a crumbling house, watching the Victory Channel in place of news, and sending money they cant spare to televangelists. My hopes around their situation are pretty small-scale now: that their gravel road wont wash down the mountain in the next storm, that neither of them will need 24-hour nursing care, and that I can remember the passwords for their Ingles and Food Lion accounts if I have to start buying their groceries again.
Editors note: For years, the Deseret News editorial page carried the epigraph: We stand for the Constitution of the United States as having been divinely inspired. In honor of Constitution Month, the Deseret News is publishing a variety of articles examining the Constitutions continued importance.

As inspired as the Constitution is, the Founding Fathers repeatedly declared that it would only be effective in preserving freedom if the people it governs are a moral and religious people.

But who determines what is moral  a professor, a politician, a judge, a social activist, a pollster? Who becomes societys governing scepter for morality? All may have good intentions, but when all is said and done, whose moral code should govern our society?

So there would be no question about the answer, the Founding Fathers responded in remarkable unison and clarity  morality was an absolute  to be determined solely by God.

And learning the will of God was best determined by a religious people who sought Gods will as expressed in the Bible. James Wilson, a Founding Father, and one of the original justices of the U.S. Supreme Court noted, How shall we, in particular cases discover the will of God? We discover it by our conscience, by our reason, and by the Holy Scriptures.

Without moral guidelines from God, there are no fixed boundaries to address the burning social issues of our day, no foundation on which to build an enduring nation. Under such circumstances our nation would be built on moral relativism, a foundation of sand that shifts or collapses with the constantly changing tides of public opinion.

Moral relativism is a poison pill to a nations longterm survival. It is a philosophy that caters to self-indulgence and the here and now. It leads to moral depravity and avoidance of personal accountability since theres no shared standard to which one is accountable.

Fortunately, our Founding Fathers understood human nature, and knew that our God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness could be preserved only if accompanied by moral responsibility. Rights and responsibilities are inseparable  you cant have one without the other. And since our unalienable rights spring from God, it is natural to assume that the corresponding moral responsibilities to maintain those rights also spring from God.

Related

Thomas Jefferson wrote: Whatever is to be our destiny, wisdom, as well as duty, dictates that we should acquiesce in the will of Him whose it is to give and take away. He then added that (Jesuss moral laws are) the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man. George Washington concurred: It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, (and) to obey his will.

As a result, the Founding Fathers understood the critical nexus between morality and religion. John Adams warned that our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Washington was in full accord: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. Patrick Henry was but another witness of this truth: The great pillars of all government and of social life (are) virtue, morality and religion. This is the armor ... and this alone, that renders us invincible.

Why did the Founding Fathers link religion and morals? Because they knew that religion was the best catalyst for fostering a moral people. They knew that religion was the prime source to inspire people to embrace and live Gods will.

Perhaps Alexander Hamilton stated it most succinctly when he said: Morality must fall without religion.

Some years ago, Harvard professor Clayton Christensen had a profoundly insightful conversation with a Marxist economist from China who was in Boston on a Fulbright scholarship. He asked the economist if he had learned anything that was surprising or unexpected while in the U.S. Without hesitation he replied, Yes, I had no idea how critical religion is to the functioning of democracy  democracy works because most people, most of the time, voluntarily choose to obey the law.

The greater our reliance on morality and religion, the less our need for reliance on government intervention and compulsory enforcement, and thus the greater our liberties.

He then added that Americans followed (the) rules because they had come to believe that they werent just accountable to society, they were accountable to God. But what happens to our democracy if religion is diminished in America and people no longer voluntarily choose to obey the law? Christensen offered this tragic conclusion: If you take away religion, you cannot hire enough police to enforce the law.

The Founding Fathers understood this principle  the greater our reliance on morality and religion, the less our need for reliance on government intervention and compulsory enforcement, and thus the greater our liberties. This is the genius of the First Amendment which protects religious freedom and provides space for conscience and morality to flourish while guarding against the infringement of that freedom by not establishing any single government church.

There are two methods by which society enforces it laws  moral and legal, but the first is far superior to the latter. Why? Because moral laws govern our internal nature, not just our external behavior, and thus foster greater character, agency and spiritual progress.

A political system rooted in moral principles can advance our goal of freedom. On the other hand, a system moved about by moral relativism can obstruct that goal. The Founding Fathers gave us the vision and path to walk  a nation under God, not without God  a moral code based on the will of God, not the will of man.

In the Latter-day Saint tradition, the God has promised: This is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God the land, who is Jesus Christ. Hopefully we will preserve our Constitution and become a moral people as defined by God, not the world.

Tad R. Callister is an emeritus General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is currently the chair of the Why I Love America committee, a group dedicated to educating citizens about the US Constitution.
FILE - Cars queue towards Poland at the Krakovets - Korcheva border crossing point in Krakovets, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. Poland has begun enforcing an entry ban on all Russian-registered passenger cars seeking to enter the country. The move comes just days after the nearby Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia banned vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory. (AP Photo/Roman Baluk, File)

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Poland began to enforce a European Union ban Sunday on all Russian-registered passenger cars seeking to enter the country  the latest in a series of sanctions on Russia in punishment for its war against Ukraine.

Under the EUs decision, motor vehicles registered in the Russian Federation are no longer allowed to enter the territory of the 27-member bloc.

A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland, Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said Saturday, announcing the ban that took effect hours later at midnight.

This is another element of the sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens in connection with the brutal war in Ukraine, due to the fact that the Russian state today constitutes a threat to international security, Kaminski said.

The move comes just days after the nearby Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia banned vehicles with Russian license plates from entering their territory  a joint move in line with a recent interpretation of the EU's sanctions on Moscow.

Poland and the Baltic states are among the most vocal European critics of Russia and President Vladimir Putin .

On Tuesday, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, denounced the European Commissions move as racist. He suggested that Moscow could retaliate by suspending diplomatic ties with the EU and recalling its diplomats from Brussels.

Poland shares a land border with the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, which is an exclave separated from the Russian mainland. The Border Guard agency said the ban would be the same regardless of which border the vehicles sought to cross.

In addition to Kaliningrad, Poland has Belarus and Ukraine on its eastern borders. It is otherwise bordered by EU and NATO allies Germany, Slovakia, Czechia and Lithuania, where there are no border checks.

The Border Guard's website said that Russian-tagged cars will be returned to the non-EU country from which they came, regardless of whether it is Russia or another country. Such actions will be carried out even if the driver of the car is not a citizen of the Russian Federation.
With a handful of exceptions, most presidential candidates need to do a lot of prep work to hold their own when responding to agriculture-related questions posed at town halls across rural Iowa.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson grew up on farms, and former Vice President Mike Pence governed another Midwest farm state. But many candidates quickly get out of their depth when straying past memorized talking points about their support of ethanol.

Jerry Hatfield, a retired U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist, and Ken Wacha, a research hydrologist at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, show the difference in soil between a field that has been maintained to reduce carbon loss vs. one that has not, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. The darker soil on the right is healthier soil that has retained more carbon.

But as their buses and SUVs stream past ripening fields of corn and soybeans this fall, presidential candidates would be wise to contemplate the future of the soil where those abundant crops take root.

Our state boasts some of the most fertile land in the world, with rich, dark topsoil thats been called the black gold of Iowa. It forms the very foundation of the states agriculture-based economy.

But new research shows Iowas soil is losing much of its richness  at least half of the states original bank of 96 billion tons of soil organic carbon is gone.

Des Moines Register agriculture, energy and environment reporter Donnelle Eller describes this research in an exclusive report detailing a national teams efforts to quantify carbon loss, field by field, across Iowa and the Midwest.

Donnelle Eller

This is important reporting for all Iowans, wherever you live. Eller cites an Iowa State University study concluding that agriculture powers 10% of the states $179 billion annual economy, supporting thousands of jobs in industries such as farm equipment manufacturing, crop insurance, livestock and renewable fuels. Loss of soil organic carbon threatens to reduce yields and increase farmers costs.

Prominent voices in Iowa have raised the alarm in recent years about soil erosion and soil health.

In The Land Remains: A Midwestern Perspective on Our Past and Future, a 2022 book by Neil Hamilton, former director of Drake Universitys Agricultural Law Center, he puts Iowas rate of soil loss at about 5.5 tons per acre of cropland a year.

Using 2019 yield figures, he estimates the weight of shelled corn produced by an average acre is also about 11,000 pounds. That helps a layman picture the cost:  For each semi-truckload of corn driven off the farm another truck is driven away filled with rich topsoil, he writes.

Another good book on the subject is Iowas Remarkable Soils: The Story of Our Most Vital Resource and How We Can Save It, published in 2021, by Kathleen Woida. Woida, a geologist and adjunct professor at the University of Iowa, describes the states loss of topsoil and subsequent loss of carbon-rich humus, which make soils black, as the browning of the black gold.

Both soil erosion and loss of organic carbon are daunting issues. Conventionally farmed fields reproduce soil at a rate far slower than its eroding away. Hamilton cites an average soil replacement rate of a half-ton a year, a figure that comes from Rick Cruse, an agronomist at Iowa State University whom Hamilton describes as Iowas topsoil scientist. So thats less than a tenth of the rate of the 5.5-ton annual loss.

Jerry Hatfield, a retired U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist, poses for a photo next to a series of instruments that measures the amount of carbon evaporating from a central Iowa soybean field, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.

The time frame for restoring soil health is quicker, with focused action. Approaches such as reduced tillage and widespread use of cover crops can rebuild soil organic matter. Farmers could begin to see soil health improvements in as soon as a year or two and could rebuild a farms organic carbon within a decade, said Jerry Hatfield, a retired U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist whos leading the effort to quantify soil carbon loss.

Transitioning to practices such as planting cover crops poses risk and up-front costs for farmers. Reauthorization of the farm bill and smart use of billions of dollars targeted to combat climate change offer the opportunity to provide incentives to farmers to make the switch.

At town halls across Iowa this fall, Id love to see Iowans press candidates about what policies they would champion as president to restore and protect soil health in Iowa and across the country. Lets see who can go beyond rote sound bites and get down and dirty about what it will take to protect our precious soil.

Carol Hunter is the Registers executive editor. She wants to hear your questions, story ideas or concerns at 515-284-8545, chunter@registermedia.com, or on Twitter: @carolhunter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Will presidential candidates get down and dirty about protecting soil?
TEHRAN, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian intelligence forces have seized a large batch of contraband American arms and equipment from a vessel upon its entry into the country's southern waters, the country's Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

The shipment, containing more than 6,000 stun guns, was seized in an operation off the coast of the southern port city of Bandar-e Khamir in Hormozgan province, Tasnim quoted provincial Chief Justice Mojtaba Qahremani as saying.

Two suspects have been arrested over their involvement in the case, the official said, adding that initial investigations indicate that the shipment was carried into Iran to "cause riots" in the country in the coming days. 
Robert Oppenheimer speaking at CERN in 1960. Credit - ullstein bild/Getty Images

On 16th July 1945 the world changed forever. The Manhattan Projects Trinity test, directed by Robert Oppenheimer, endowed humanity for the first time with the ability to wipe itself out: an atomic bomb had been successfully detonated 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico.

On 6th August 1945 the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and three days later, Nagasaki unleashing unprecedented destructive power. The end of World War II brought a fragile peace, overshadowed by this new, existential threat.

While nuclear technology promised an era of abundant energy, it also launched us into a future where nuclear war could lead to the end of our civilization. The blast radius of our technology had increased to a global scale. It was becoming increasingly clear that governing nuclear technology to avoid a global catastrophe required international cooperation. Time was of the essence to set up robust institutions to deal with this.

In 1952, 11 countries set up CERN and tasked it with collaboration in scientific [nuclear] research of a purely fundamental naturemaking clear that CERNs research would be used for the public good. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was also set up in 1957 to monitor global stockpiles of uranium and limit proliferation. Among others, these institutions helped us to survive over the last 70 years.

We believe that humanity is facing once more an increase in the blast radius of technology: the development of advanced artificial intelligence. A powerful technology that could annihilate humanity if left unrestrained, but, if harnessed safely, could change the world for the better.

The specter of artificial general intelligence

Experts have been sounding the alarm on artificial general intelligence (AGI) development. Distinguished AI scientists and leaders of the major AI companies, including Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, signed a statement from the Center for AI Safety that reads: Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war. A few months earlier, another letter calling for a pause in giant AI experiments was signed over 27,000 times, including by Turing Prize winners Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton.

Read More: The Top 100 Leaders in AI

This is because a small group of AI companies (OpenAI, Google Deepmind, Anthropic) are aiming to create AGI: not just chatbots like ChatGPT, but AIs that are autonomous and outperform humans at most economic activities. Ian Hogarth, investor and now Chair of the UKs Foundation Model Taskforce, calls these godlike AIs and implored governments to slow down the race to build them. Even the developers of the technology themselves expect great danger from it. Altman, CEO of the company behind ChatGPT, said that the Development of superhuman machine intelligence (SMI) is probably the greatest threat to the continued existence of humanity.

World leaders are calling for the establishment of an international institution to deal with the threat of AGI: a CERN or IAEA for AI. In June, President Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Sunak discussed such an organization. The U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres thinks we need one, too. Given this growing consensus for international cooperation to respond to the risks from AI, we need to lay out concretely how such an institution might be built.

Would a CERN for AI look like MAGIC?

MAGIC (the Multilateral AGI Consortium) would be the worlds only advanced and secure AI facility focused on safety-first research and development of advanced AI. Like CERN, MAGIC will allow humanity to take AGI development out of the hands of private firms and lay it into the hands of an international organization mandated towards safe AI development.

MAGIC would have exclusivity when it comes to the high-risk research and development of advanced AI. It would be illegal for other entities to independently pursue AGI development. This would not affect the vast majority of AI research and development, and only focus on frontier, AGI-relevant research, similar to how we already deal with dangerous R&D with other technologies. Research on engineering lethal pathogens is outright banned or confined to very high biosafety level labs. At the same time, the vast majority of drug research is instead supervised by regulatory agencies like the FDA.

MAGIC will only be concerned with preventing the high-risk development of frontier AI systems - godlike AIs. Research breakthroughs done at MAGIC will only be shared with the outside world once proven demonstrably safe.

To make sure high risk AI research remains secure and under strict oversight at MAGIC, a global moratorium on creation of AIs using more than a set amount of computing power be put in place (heres a great overview of why computing power matters). This is similar to how we already deal with uranium internationally, the main resource used for nuclear weapons and energy.

Without competitive pressures, MAGIC can ensure the adequate safety and security needed for this transformative technology, and distribute the benefits to all signatories. CERN exists as a precedent for how we can succeed with MAGIC.

The U.S. and the U.K. are in a perfect position to facilitate this multilateral effort, and springboard its inception after the upcoming Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence in November this year.

Averting existential risk from AGI is daunting, and leaving this challenge to private companies is a very dangerous gamble. We dont let individuals or corporations develop nuclear weapons for private use, and we shouldnt allow this to happen with dangerous, powerful AI. We managed to not destroy ourselves with nuclear weapons, and we can secure our future again - but not if we remain idle. We must place advanced AI development into the hands of a new global, trusted institution and create a safer future for everyone.

Post-WWII institutions helped us avoid nuclear war by controlling nuclear development. As humanity faces a new global threatuncontrolled artificial general intelligence (AGI)we once again need to take action to secure our future.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The production company behind a TV show fronted by Russell Brand has launched an urgent investigation after staff claimed they were made feel like pimps for the comedian.

The probe by Banijay UK comes after the former presenter and actor was accused of rape, sexual assault and the emotional abuse of four women during the height of his fame between 2006 and 2013.

The 48-year-old has vehemently denied the very serious criminal allegations uncovered in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4s Dispatches programme.

Banijay UK have launched an urgent internal investigation (John Stillwell/PA) (PA Wire)

As part of that expose, staff who worked alongside Brand on Big Brother spin-off shows EFourum and Big Mouth during the mid-2000s claimed they were made to feel like pimps for him, as he used them to single out young women for sex in the audience.

One woman, who chose to remain anonymous, said: Russells pointing out women that he found attractive in the audience, then getting the runners to get their details so that they could meet up after the show.

I distinctly remember getting phone calls from women in tears the next day saying theyd met up with Russell. They were mainly upset because they just felt used.

It was like we were taking lambs into slaughter. We were basically acting like pimps to Russell Brands needs.

Brands former assistant claims he was always in his underwear around her (Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, Dispatches/Channel 4)

Another employee at the Channel 4 show accused Brand of flashing her in his dressing room and claimed his alleged behaviour was an open secret within the industry.

Production companies enabled him to exist in these environments where he was able to take advantage of who he was, she said.

In a statement on Sunday, Banijay UK, which bought Endemol in 2020, said: In light of the very serious allegations raised by Dispatches and The Times investigation relating to the alleged serious misconduct of Russell Brand while presenting shows produced by Endemol in 2004 and 2005, Banijay UK has launched an urgent internal investigation and will cooperate with any requests for information from broadcast partners and external agencies.

We also encourage anybody who feels that they were affected by Brands behaviour while working on these productions to contact us in confidence.

Russell Brand leaves the Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London last night (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

The allegations form part of an investigation uncovering a raft of allegations from four women against Brand published and aired Saturday night.

One woman alleged she was raped by the presenter against a wall at his Hollywood home, while another claimed she was in a three-month abusive relationship with Brand while she was 16 years old. At the time of the alleged relationship, Brand had been 31 at the time.

The probe comes as Brands literary agent Tavistock Wood dropped him as a client after the allegations came to light.

In a statement, the agency confirmed it had been contacted about Brands alleged behaviour, which it said he had denied at the time.

Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him, the company said. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.

Womens charity cuts ties with Russell Brand after allegations of rape and abuse (Russell Brand/PA) (PA Media)

A charity supporting women who suffer from addiction and substance abuse also severed ties with the actor in light of the investigation.

Trevi Women said it was deeply saddened to hear of the allegations, and it would no longer be working alongside Brand and his Stay Free Foundation.

In a video released ahead of the reports being published, Brand denied the allegations and described them as a a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks against him.

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, he said.

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.
Protests erupted throughout Iran on Saturday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of Irans morality police after being arrested for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly.

Video obtained by CNN showed demonstrations throughout multiple cities in Iran, including capital city Tehran, Mashad, Ahvaz, Lahijan, Arak, and the Kurdish city of Senandaj.

Many of the protesters chanted, Women, Life, Freedom  a popular rallying cry used after nationwide protests erupted following Aminis death last year.

Some protesters also chanted death slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Authorities deployed armed guards in many cities as a show of force and police officers were seen chasing protesters in the northern city of Lahijan.

Protests were also started in Istanbul, Turkey. - Mert Can Bukulmez/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

Rallies commemorating Aminis death were held in other cities around the world like Paris, Brussels and Berlin.

Many said they felt the need to raise their voices when so many in Iran could not.

Hundreds gathered in London on Saturday to mark the one-year anniversary. We just wanted to let everyone know that this is not going to finish, a female protester told CNN.

Our battle has started and we are not going to stop until freedom for Iran, until a revolution, until we kick the mullahs out of the power.

Protest organizer Ellie Borhan was also seen in videos cutting her hair on stage in front of the crowd.

Iranians march outside the White House on Saturday. - Allison Bailey/Reuters

Detention and persecution of family members

The news comes after Iranian journalists and rights groups said Aminis father Amjad had been detained by authorities on Saturday.

Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, also the founder of the IranWire activist outlet, told CNN that Amjad Amini had been regularly summoned by security officers in the months following his daughters death.

He was detained for a few hours on Saturday, Bahari said.

The family had visited her grave in the western Kurdish city of Saqqez on Friday, the eve of the one-year anniversary, IranWire reported on Saturday.

Helicopters were seen hovering over the Aichi cemetery with numerous military personnel and police officers also stationed throughout the area, IranWire added.

Amjad was detained by authorities the following day for three to four hours, along with his son  who was warned that he would be banished to a remote village if he encouraged people to attend ceremonies marking the anniversary of Aminis death, Bahari told CNN.

Aminis uncle Safa Aeli, who lives in the city of Saqqez, was also arrested by authorities earlier this week, according to a family member and reports by the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Responding to claims by Iranian journalists and rights groups, authorities strongly denied reports of Amjad Aminis detention, claiming instead they had prevented an assassination attempt  reported the IRNA state media news outlet.

The Political, Security, and Social Vice Governor of Kurdistan arrested several members of a terrorist group who wanted to assassinate Amini, IRNA said in a post on Telegram, describing the claims by Iranian journalists and rights groups as false.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Many readers responded to the opinion piece The time is right to honor the Vietnam Wars most secret warriors by retired Army Col. Paris D. Davis, a Medal of Honor recipient, calling for a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to the U.S Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG. Heres a selection of your comments.



As a Huey pilot who flew in support of those teams in I Corps, across the borders of Laos and North Vietnam, I fully endorse any recognition that can be sent their way. Those MACV-SOG CCN (Command and Control North) guys did amazing things, as did the teams in CCS (Command and Control South) and CCC (Command and Control Central).

We delivered them into harms way and we pulled them out, often under extreme conditions. The insertions were sometimes followed by almost immediate extraction because our Intel had not warned ... of the enemy locations (or the enemy had been warned by internal spies).

The motto of Army aviation is Above the Best. Those guys are The Best. We would do anything and everything to help the teams. They should never be forgotten.

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ken Fritz, Sacramento, California



Bravo to Col. Davis for speaking out and for his support of those who served in MACV-SOG. My husband is one of those soldiers, a two-tour Air Commando who was TDY to CCN Da Nang, and who now has a Parkinsons diagnosis by VA neurology, but has been denied his claim due to missing records in his Official Military Personnel Files, or OMPF. I have appealed his claim to the VA Board of Appeals, where it has remained in remand and stagnated since June.

No one we have encountered in the VA system knows anything about this highly classified, covert unit, including the judge who heard my husbands testimony. I have asked for assistance from two Congressmen, a Senator, and President Joe Bidens office. They all needed to be educated too, yet again, no records.

I have sought clarification from the AF FOIA office, Defense Accounting, USSOCOM, and the AF Board of Corrections. No one can explain how a DD-214 with a VSM and OS Bars isnt proof he was in Vietnam. I cant get records that are possibly still classified, including Walter Reed treatment records, where he was taken after sustaining injuries from a grenade during his last mission. I even reached out to John Stryker Meyer, who encouraged me to keep pursuing it.

Col. Davis is correct when he says, Theres also work to be done for living SOG members. . .

Honor all those who served in this special forces operation, and release records for those who are still living so they can be recognized for their honorable service and get the benefits they earned by serving our country. As Col. Davis concluded in his article: We cannot leave them (SOG) behind in our nations history.

I will continue my fight to honor my husbands sacrifice and service.

Karen Mihalic, wife of Vietnam veteran, Beaver, PA (who shared her husbands DD-214 with Military Times)



I served on the Studies and Observations Group, or SOG, staff from June 1967 thru May 1969. Here are two updates to Col. Davis opinion piece.

SOGs Chain of Command was directly to and from the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities, or SACSA. SACSA reported to the Undersecretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both were aware of SOGs activities. So was the National Security Council.

Also read in on our operations: the overall U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, aka MACV, as well as Pacific Command, and their service components in the area. Regional State Department embassies, consulates and their associated U.S. governmental entities may also have been addressees on message traffic, based upon their need to know.

SOGs tactical area of responsibility, or TAOR, was the former Indochina (then North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea.

SOGs mission encompassed three main tasks: to monitor and disrupt traffic on the Ho Chi Minh Trail that ran from North Vietnam thru Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam to conduct operations supporting the North Vietnamese government in exile, code named The Sacred Sword of the Patriots League; and to track U.S. military personnel who were missing in action or captured, with intent to return them to U.S. control.

SOG resources included assigned special forces personnel and helicopters from the services, several purchased Norwegian high speed patrol boats, a squadron of MC-130 aircraft, and an RC-121 equipped with a FM broadcasting station to play Radio Free Hanoi programs.

Before the MC-130s, unmarked and foreign-crewed C-123s dropped propaganda and single station FM receivers throughout the old Indochina.

Upon their arrival, the MC-130 dropped the materials and FM receivers much closer to Hanoi. In a briefing prior to being a DO, or director of operations, I learned that the Norwegian highspeed patrol boats were instrumental in the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

SOG had two weekly mandatory messages that had to be sent to the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency aka the SACSA. One told of our plans for the next week and the second reported on last weeks activities. However, there was almost continuous contact with SACSA and other Southeast Asia command centers concerning our and enemy activities. In State Department circles, SOG was also known by the code phrase ghost of White Star.

I was SOGs DO 29/30 January 1968 and the VC/NVA Tet Offensive was no surprise. Here is my recollection.

Army Maj. Gen. John K. Singlaub, then a colonel, was the Commander of the Studies and Observations Group and he had extraordinary insight into our enemy, the North Vietnamese, and the Viet Cong. As an example, as his DO the evening prior the enemys January 1968 Tet Offensive, he gave me the following instructions: You will perform the normal functions as SOG duty officer. Army Maj. Army Smith will be responsible for the defense of the SOG headquarters compound. If headquarters is breached destroy everything to maintain our integrity.

Next, he wanted to attach two previous messages, to go along with the one hed dictate  in which hed accurately predicted when the North Vietnamese attack would begin. The first was dated July 1967, and stated that the enemy will launch a general offensive during Tet 1968. The second, dated November 1967, stated a general offensive will start the first week of Tet 1968.

He then dictated the main message: The Tet offensive will begin at 1:30 tomorrow morning.

After dispatching the alert message, the command post returned to normal activities. At about 1:25 the next morning Col. Johnson, SOG director of operations, called in requesting if we had any reports of increased enemy activity and I replied, no. Col. Johnson then said, It looks like the Old Man missed it.

At that very moment, our embassy was hit, and fire fights began all over the Saigon area.

At about 2:00a.m., Col. Singlaub appeared and wanted to know where his staff was. As they had not assembled, in very direct terms he said, I came in on the VC infiltration route, so call them and tell them to get in here, and in the meantime, Im going to see Gen. Westmoreland, aka Gen. William C. Westmoreland, then the head of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam.

Upon Col. Singlaubs return from Gen. Westmorelands headquarters, his SOG staff was assembled. He opened the meeting by saying in general what he told Gen. Westmoreland: The objective of this offensive for the North Vietnamese is for the South Vietnamese and U.S. Military to eliminate the Viet-Cong so the NVA can take command over this war. The enemys base camps are empty and undefended, so we need to occupy them and destroy their support infrastructure to deny the North Vietnamese their use.

We need a worldwide request for all available military forces be sent here to secure a line from the South China Sea along the demarcation line extended across Laos to the Mekong River to block North Vietnam from resupplying their forces in South Vietnam while concurrently south of our defensive line destroying all logistics stores along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and Cambodia.

Upon holding that line, declare weve accomplished our mission and withdraw our forces from South Vietnam.

If Col. Singlaubs Post 68 Tet concept for disengagement from South Vietnam had been accepted, the U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia would have ended during the fall of 1968.

Retired Air Force Col. David McNabb, Tampa, Florida



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Illinois police officers, prosecutors, public defenders and judges will have what a local judge said could be called a revolutionary new way to deal with people charged with crimes beginning Monday.

Thats when the cash bail process for defendants will end in Illinois. Instead, when a prosecutor wants someone who is charged with a crime to be held in jail until their trial, a judge will hold a detention hearing.

The new criminal justice system is considered the nations first to entirely eliminate cash bail for defendants. It was ruled constitutional in July by the state Supreme Court in a 5-2 decision split by party lines with five judges elected as Democrats supporting the law and two Republican judges opposing it.

This partisan division mirrored the dispute between Democrats who sponsored the no-cash bail legislation signed by Democratic Gov. J. B. Pritzker and Republican lawmakers opposed to it.

St. Clair County Chief Judge Andrew Gleeson said you could use the term revolutionary in describing the change in the criminal justice system starting Monday.

Gleeson urged people to let the process work itself out.

Were not letting everybody in the world out of our jails, he said. We are taking into consideration the safety and well-being of the community at large.

Heres a Q&A about the system, which is known as the Pretrial Fairness Act component of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, or SAFE-T Act:

What did supporters say in statements after the Supreme Court ruling?

Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton:

All along, our goal has been to right the wrongs of policies that have disproportionately harmed Black, Brown and low-income Illinoisans while, at the same time, bolstering public safety by building a system that centers on accountability and fairness. The amount of money in ones bank account should never be the determining factor of whether they should be released or detained while awaiting trial. To do so does nothing but criminalize poverty and this disproportionately impacts marginalized communities.

Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice:

The Pretrial Fairness Act will improve community safety by keeping millions of dollars in our states most marginalized communities every year. Studies have shown that even short periods of pretrial jailing make it more likely that someone will be arrested in the future. Giving people the opportunity to stay in their communities while awaiting trial will enable them to keep their jobs, housing and custody of their children, making us all safer. In 2020, Illinois collected more than $120 million in bond money. Ending wealth-based jailing will ensure that families are no longer forced to forego paying rent or to pool funds together to free their loved ones from county jails and will keep desperately needed resources in our communities.

What did opponents say?

State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville:

The politics that has infected our highest court will now tie the hands of local judges and law enforcement who work hard every day to keep Illinoisans safe. This is dangerous to the brave men and women who serve in law enforcement, it is devastating to communities across our great state, and it is frightening to the families who just want safe neighborhoods. All of this simply because a few of our top elected officials kowtow to activists and are completely disconnected from the realities their constituents face every day.

Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge President Chris Southwood:

Todays ruling by the Supreme Court confirms Illinois status as the state of lawlessness and disorder. The court ignored the pleas of nearly every prosecutor in the state of Illinois, Democrat and Republican, that the elimination of cash bail will put dangerous criminals back on the street, instead of keeping them in jail or forcing them to post cash bail as they await trial. Many of those offenders will commit crimes again within hours of their release. And who will have to arrest those offenders again and again? The police officers whose jobs have been made immeasurably more difficult by all of the new anti-law enforcement measures that are in place.

What are the new standards for keeping someone in jail before their trial?

The state Supreme Court ruling goes into effect on Monday, Sept. 18, which is 60 days after the July 18 decision.

If prosecutors want someone to be held in jail before trial, they will be required to file a petition for a detention hearing before a judge. The detention hearing must be held within 48 hours of a persons first appearance for charges such as first-degree murder.

The defendant has the right to be represented by counsel, and if he or she is indigent, to have counsel appointed for him or her. The defendant shall have the opportunity to testify, to present witnesses on his or her own behalf, and to cross-examine any witnesses that are called by the State, according to a statement by the Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force.

Prosecutors will need to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of a person or the community. If the prosecutors allege the person is a flight risk, they have to prove no condition or combination of conditions can mitigate the defendants high likelihood of willful flight, from prosecution, the task force statement said.

If a judge decides to detain a defendant, he or she must issue a written order summarizing why less restrictive conditions would not avoid a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community, based on the specific articulable facts of the case, or prevent the defendants willful flight from prosecution.

Either the defendant or a prosecutor can appeal a judges ruling.

What will police officers be required to do when investigating a crime?

If the offense is a felony such as first-degree murder, police officers will arrest the person and bring the suspect to the police station or local jail for booking, according to the Pretrial Implementation Task Force.

For misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct and trespassing, police officers will issue a citation and schedule the person into court.

However, officers can arrest the person facing a misdemeanor offense if the person doesnt have proper identification, poses an obvious threat to the community or any person and if the criminal activity persists after the issuance of a citation, according to the task force.

Theyre going to have probably a little more discretion in terms of how they deal with people on the street  for the low-level stuff, Gleeson said.

Belleville Police Chief Matt Eiskant said the department has received plenty of information about the new system.

Were going to comply with this law, he said. Were going to see how it plays out.

Were prepared. Were ready, he said.

Does this new system apply to people being held in a county jail before Monday?

In St. Clair County, if a prosecutor wants a person to remain in jail, a detention hearing must be scheduled within the next two months to determine if the person can continue to be held in jail, according to Gleeson.

Gleeson said the St. Clair County States Attorneys Office has already filed detention hearing requests for 250 to 260 people in custody in the St. Clair County Jail.

These detention hearings will be conducted by judges who previously were assigned to the corresponding felony case, and the hearings will be worked into the judges dockets, Gleeson said.

St. Clair County States Attorney James Gomric through a spokesman declined to comment on the implementation of the no-cash bail system.

The BND has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the petitions that have been filed regarding people held in the St. Clair County Jail as of Friday.

In an example of one of the cases where a petition for a pretrial detention hearing was already filed, a request was filed Tuesday regarding the first-degree murder charge filed earlier this year against 25-year-old Lavar A. Gilbert Jr.

Gilbert is being held in the St. Clair County Jail in lieu of $1.05 million bail.

Court records do not indicate a date for Gilberts detention hearing.

Gilbert was charged in connection with the shooting death of a Fairview Heights man in Cahokia Heights in April.

If a detention hearing has not been requested for a person in jail, then that person can be released, Gleeson said.

The plan in St. Clair County stands in contrast to the plan in Madison County.

In Madison County, people held in the county jail before Monday can request a review of their case and then the Madison County States Attorney would follow-up, according the states attorneys office.

Does the court system have enough people to handle the workload change?

Gleeson said he anticipates the St. Clair County Public Defenders Office will need three or four more public defenders.

They already are overwhelmed, he said. The Public Defenders Office is undermanned at this point.

The office is managed by Chief Public Defender Cathy MacElroy but Gleeson said he has supervisory responsibilities over the department.

MacElroy could not be reached for comment.

Gleeson said prosecutors will have a significant addition to their workload at least until they get acclimated to it.

Judges handling felony cases also will have an increased workload as they handle the influx of detention hearing requests.

Courtroom 407 under the direction of Associate Judge Sara L. Rice will be the courtroom dedicated to hear detention cases in St. Clair County.

Whats the outlook for the new system?

It remains to be seen, Gleeson said.

I think we can argue there are inequities in the cash bond system and this is a response to that, he said. Im hopeful that as we roll this out and make these assessments that we can actually effectuate the intent of this.
Most of the debates on the usage of Latinx  pronounced la-teen-ex  have taken place in the U.S. But the word has begun to spread into Spanish-speaking countries  where it hasnt exactly been embraced.

In July 2022, Argentina and Spain released public statements banning the use of Latinx, or any gender-neutral variant. Both governments reasoned that these new terms are violations of the rules of the Spanish language.

Latinx is used as an individual identity for those who are gender-nonconforming, and it can also describe an entire population without using Latinos, which is currently the default in Spanish for a group of men and women.

As a Mexican-born, U.S.-raised scholar, I agree with the official Argentine and Spanish stance on banning Latinx from the Spanish language  English, too.

When I first heard Latinx in 2017, I thought it was progressive and inclusive, but I quickly realized how problematic it was. Five years later, Latinx is not commonly used in Spanish-speaking countries, nor is it used by the majority of those identifying as Hispanic or Latino in the U.S.

In fact, theres a gender-inclusive term thats already being used by Spanish-speaking activists that works as a far more natural replacement.

Low usage

Though the exact origins of Latinx are unclear, it emerged sometime around 2004 and gained popularity around 2014. Merriam-Webster added it to its dictionary in 2018.

However, a 2019 Pew research study and 2021 Gallup poll indicated that less than 5% of the U.S. population used Latinx as a racial or ethnic identity.

Nonetheless, Latinx is becoming commonplace among academics; its used at conferences, in communication and especially in publications.

But is it inclusive to use Latinx when most of the population does not?

Perpetuating elitism

The distinct demographic differences of those who are aware of or use Latinx calls into question whether the term is inclusive or just elitist.

Individuals who self-identiy as Latinx or are aware of the term are most likely to be U.S.-born, young adults from 18 to 29 years old. They are predominately English-speakers and have some college education. In other words, the most marginalized communities do not use Latinx.

Scholars, in my view, should never impose social identities onto groups that do not self-identify that way.

I once had a reviewer for an academic journal article I submitted about womens experiences with catcalling tell me to replace my use of Latino and Latina with Latinx. However, they had no issue with me using man or woman when it came to my white participants.

I was annoyed at the audacity of this reviewer. The goal of the study was to show catcalling, a gendered interaction, as an everyday form of sexism.

How was I supposed to differentiate my participants sexism experiences by gender and race if I labeled them all as Latinx?

The x factor

If a term is truly inclusive, it gives equitable weight to vastly diverse experiences and knowledge; it is not meant to be a blanket identity.

Women of color, in general, are severely underrepresented in leadership positions and STEM fields. Using Latinx for women further obscures their contributions and identity. I have even seen some academics try to get around the nebulous nature of Latinx by writing Latinx mothers or Latinx women instead of Latinas.

Furthermore, if the goal is to be inclusive, the x would be easily pronounceable and naturally applied to other parts of the Spanish language.

Some Spanish speakers would rather identify by nationality  say, Mexicano or Argentino  instead of using umbrella terms like Hispanic or Latino. But the x cant be easily applied to nationalities. Like Latinx, Mexicanx and Argentinx dont exactly roll off the tongue in any language. Meanwhile, gendered articles in Spanish  los and las for the plural the  become lxs, while gendered pronouns el and ella becomes ellx.

The utility and logic of it quickly falls apart.

Latine as an alternative

Many academics might feel compelled to continue to use Latinx because they fought hard to have it recognized by their institutions or have already published the term in an academic journal. But there is a much better gender-inclusive alternative, one thats been largely overlooked by the U.S. academic community and is already being used in Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America, especially among young social activists in those countries.

Its Latine  pronounced lah-teen-eh  and its far more adaptable to the Spanish language. It can be implemented as articles  les instead of los or las, the words for the. When it comes to pronouns, elle can become a singular form of they and used in place of the masculine el or feminine ella, which translate to he and she. It can also be readily applied to most nationalities, such as Mexicane or Argentine.

Because language shapes the way we think, its important to note that gendered languages like Spanish, German and French do facilitate gender stereotypes and discrimination. For example, in German, the word for bridge is feminine, and in Spanish, the word for bridge is masculine. Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky had German speakers and Spanish speakers describe a bridge. The German speakers were more likely to describe it using adjectives like beautiful or elegant, while the Spanish speakers were more likely to describe it in masculine ways  tall and strong.

Moreover, the existing gender rules in Spanish are not perfect. Usually words ending in -o are masculine and those ending in -a are feminine, but there are many common words that break those gender rules, like la mano, the word for hand. And, of course, Spanish already uses an e for gender-neutral words, such as estudiante, or student.

I believe Latine accomplishes what Latinx originally meant to and more. Similarly, it eliminates the gender binary in its singular and plural form. However, Latine is not confined to an elite, English-speaking population within the U.S. It is inclusive.

Nevertheless, problems can still arise when the word Latine is imposed onto others. Latina and Latino may still be preferable for many individuals. I dont think the -e should eliminate the existing -o and the -a. Instead, it could be a grammatically acceptable addition to the Spanish language.

Yes, Argentina and Spains ban of Latinx also included a ban on the use of Latine. Here is where I diverge from their directive. To me, the idea that language can be purist is nonsensical; language always evolves, whether its through technology  think emojis and textspeak  or increased social awareness, such as the evolution from wife beating to intimate partner violence.

Linguistic theory posits that language shapes reality, so cultures and communities can create words that shape the inclusive world they want to inhabit.

Language matters. Latine embodies that inclusivity  across socioeconomic status, citizenship, education, gender identity, age groups and nations, while honoring the Spanish language in the process.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: Melissa K. Ochoa, Saint Louis University.

Read more:



Melissa K. Ochoa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Becoming a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident can be daunting for immigrants, considering the lengthy backlogs they encounter and hoops they have to jump through. One hoop has caused particular anxiety in recent years  the "public charge" determination.

Government officials make a public charge assessment to determine whether a person is likely to become "primarily dependent" on government aid programs in the future. If U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials identify a person as a public charge, they will be deemed inadmissible into the United States. A person already here can be blocked from getting a green card or citizenship.

The policy has been on the books for a long time. It applies to only a fraction of the people seeking to enter the country or change their status. But changes in how the rule was applied during the last few years caused confusion that continues to hover over immigrant communities.

Immigration officials do not consider food, housing and healthcare programs when deciding whether someone is a public charge.

But some immigrants have been so concerned about being deemed public charges, they've avoided even assistance programs that are not part of the determination, said Adriana Cadena, director of Protecting Immigrant Families, a coalition of immigrant advocates.

Eight percent of immigrants nationwide  and 12% in California  said they had avoided applying for government food, housing or healthcare programs in the last year because of concern about drawing attention to their immigration status or the status of someone in their family, according to a nationwide survey of immigrants conducted by The Times in partnership with the nonprofit KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Read more: In an increasingly pessimistic era, immigrants espouse a hallmark American trait  optimism

The survey also revealed widespread uncertainty among immigrants about how applying for benefits might affect a person's chances of getting a green card, which allows permanent residence in the U.S., or applying for citizenship.

Nationwide and in California, 1 in 6 immigrants said they believed that using government programs that help pay for healthcare, housing or food would decrease an immigrant's chances for a green card, which is not accurate. Just 1 in 4 correctly said that using such benefits would not hurt a person's chances, while nearly 6 in 10 said they were unsure.

The survey also found that 45% of immigrants nationwide said they did not have enough information to understand how U.S. immigration policies affect them and their families.

The Times/KFF survey of American immigrants polled 3,358 immigrants nationwide, including 905 in California between April 10 and June 12. The margin of error for the full sample is 2 percentage points in either direction.

Here's how much of the confusion about public charge rules arose, what the rules are now and to whom the rules apply.

flag icon

Why is the public charge rule confusing?

In 1999, immigration officials published a set of rules on the public charge determination called the Field Guidance. Those guidelines identified two forms of government aid as signs that a person was or would be a financial burden: cash benefits and long-term institutional care.

But in 2019, the Trump administration published a new rule that expanded the list of programs officials could look at, adding Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers, nutritional programs and numerous other forms of public assistance.

The new rule was not in effect for long. Court challenges blocked the administration from using it except for a brief period, and President Biden formally dropped it a few months after he took office in 2021. Nevertheless, confusion about the rule lingers, leaving many immigrants apprehensive about using benefit programs that are available to them.

Read more: Immigration scams are rampant. Here's how to avoid getting taken

Immigration advocates, including Cadena and Jeremy McKinney of the American Immigration Council, said even though the Trump-era rule was in effect for less than a year, it had a chilling affect.

"Research and anecdotal evidence showed us that the public charge regulation caused such fear among immigrants who sought to legally apply for a green card that many chose to forego healthcare and vital economic support," McKinney said.

flag icon

What is the public charge rule now?

Under the Biden administration, the decision about whether a person is a public charge has returned to the standards set by the 1999 Field Guidance with some additional clarifications for families.

What's considered: The Biden policy bases the determination on whether an immigrant is receiving or is likely to receive long-term institutionalized care (such as in a nursing home) at the government's expense or monthly cash support (including Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or cash assistance programs from state or local governments).

What's not considered: Programs that assist with healthcare (including health insurance subsidies offered by the Affordable Care Act), nutrition, housing, education and childcare, disaster relief and other public benefits, including transportation vouchers, job training programs, soup kitchens, crisis counseling and intervention, and energy assistance. Nor are earned benefits, such as unemployment benefits or Earned Income Tax Credit refunds, factored into the determination.

The Biden administration's rule further clarified that if a family member who isn't the applicant uses public assistance programs, that will not have an impact on the public charge assessment.

For example, if a person applies for a green card and her children use Medi-Cal, nutritional programs (free school meal programs, for example) or cash assistance, that's OK.

Despite the changes, Cadena said Protecting Immigrant Families continued to see clients fearful of accepting any kind of governmental help during the pandemic.

In 2021, her group surveyed 1,000 Americans in mixed-status immigrant families to better understand what they knew about the public charge update. The organization found that nearly half of families who needed help during the COVID-19 pandemic abstained from applying for assistance due to concerns over immigration status.

That same year, Biden issued an executive order instructing immigration officers nationwide not to consider vaccines or public benefits related to the pandemic in a public charge determination.

In its written guidance about the rules, Citizenship and Immigration Services says that "we encourage everyone, including noncitizens, to seek necessary medical care, including treatment or preventive services for COVID-19." The agency applies the same guidance to other pandemic-related benefits and services (including food assistance and housing programs).

Outside of the pandemic, most immigrants in California can get healthcare and short-term rehabilitative services from Medi-Cal and home- and community-based services (including In-Home Supportive Services), according to the Health Consumer Alliance.

flag icon

Who is subject to a public charge determination?

Only a portion of the people seeking to enter the country or change their status face a public charge determination.

The standard applies to people seeking a green card for the first time (through a relationship to a U.S. citizen or a sponsorship by a U.S. employer) and lawful permanent residents seeking to reenter the U.S. after an absence of more than six months.

Lawful permanent residents with green cards do not go through a public charge determination when they apply for U.S. citizenship or green card renewals, according to the California Department of Social Services.

The assessment also doesn't apply to:





Immigrants granted asylum in the U.S.

Refugees

Abused, abandoned or neglected immigrants under age 21 granted court protection as Special Immigrant Juveniles

Petitioners for permanent resident status under the Violence Against Women Act

Survivors of serious crimes (U visa applicants or holders)

Survivors of human trafficking (T visa applicants or holders)

If you're still unsure whether a program could hinder your ability to change your immigration status, the Keep Your Benefits guide created by the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County can help you understand your options.

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center also offers a list of the benefit programs that are safe to use.

You can also seek in-person help by visiting a legal or nonprofit organization in your area. The California Department of Social Services has a list online of organizations that can help answer your questions.





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.
Renovations to a senior room at New Star in Chicago Heights will provide residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities a place to participate in cooking demonstrations and learn other skills in a comfortable setting.

This is really a transformative project and its going to make a huge difference in the lives of the people that we support, said CEO Dan Strick.

New Star, a not-for-profit serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, serves more than 500 children and adults throughout the Chicago area and northwest Indiana, Strick said.

The space includes a kitchen, an island, two televisions and a den-like area. The space will be used by the adults New Star serves who want to have a space to spend time together, said Erica Gibson, New Star Community Day services administrator.

This is much more their speed, Gibson said.

Karen Hollaway, 60, who participates in New Star programming, said shes enjoyed coming to the senior room five days a week and doing various activities. The new space is more comfortable, she said.

Adults in the program can now participate in cooking demonstrations and learn general life and safety skills, said Dominique Hurley, New Star program manager for community day services.

Right now, its more of a homey feel. They can feel more comfortable and, like, this is our space, Hurley said.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Strick said the group has talked about the renovation for the last four years. The work to design and construct the space took about two years, said Patricia Trebe, New Star director of development and community relations.

The project was completed entirely through donations, Strick said.

Mary Kuzma, one of the donors, said her brother Bill attended New Star programming. Bill died in 2019, she said, so the donation was made in his memory.

Bill enjoyed the New Star programs, Kuzma said, and he was very social. He would have enjoyed the new space, she said.

Hed be all over the room, Kuzma said.

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca of Chicago Heights attended the ceremony and said the renovated room looked great.

It shows the quality of the program, DeLuca said. Theres a need for these services, but theres limited resources.
Four Republican senators have called on US President Joseph Biden to immediately supply ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency with reference to the statement

Quote: "We write to urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine. Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict."

Details: The senators' statement notes that the provision of ATACMS will allow Ukraine to strike at key Russian logistics and communications facilities, as well as at the launch sites of cruise missiles and drones in the territory of Ukraine occupied by Russia.

"In particular, the longer-range unitary warhead variant of ATACMS should be sent without delay. The recent Ukrainian strike on Sevastopol naval port using the British Storm Shadow long-range weapon demonstrated the battlefield effectiveness of such weapons," the text says.

It is added that the provision of missiles to Ukraine will maximise the likelihood of success of its current counteroffensive and further operations. ATACMS could also enhance Ukraine's ability to destroy Russian defence formations.

Earlier: 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.

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!
Whistleblowers David Maxwell, former director of law enforcement for the Texas Attorney Generals office, front left, and Margaret Moore former Travis County district attorney, front right, with other trial witnesses watch as state senators acting as jurors vote in the impeachment trial for suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Paxton has been acquitted of all charges at his impeachment trial. | Eric Gay, Associated Press

The Texas Senate voted to acquit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for corruption charges during an impeachment trial.

Paxton was being tried in a historic impeachment trial in the Texas Senate on 16 impeachment articles.

What was the impeachment trial about?

It goes back to allegations that Paxton improperly used the powers of his office to protect Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was indicted in June on federal charges of making false statements to banks, according to The Associated Press.

He was impeached in May and had been suspended without pay until Saturday when he was reinstated to his post at the conclusion of the vote, per CNN.

How impeachment works in Texas: When public officials in Texas are impeached by the House, they are suspended from office until the Senate votes, per AP News. If the Senate votes to convict a public official on any article of impeachment, they will be permanently removed from office. An acquittal allows for the official to return to office immediately.

Paxton was acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment, per AP News.

Many of the articles of impeachment center around Paxtons relationship with Paul, according to AP News, some of which include:

Abuse of the opinion process.

Abuse of the open records process.

Misuse of official information.

Termination of whistleblowers.

Constitutional bribery.

Conspiracy and attempted conspiracy.

Abuse of public trust.

The jury was composed of 30 senators  a majority of which are Republicans, and the group met for around eight hours Friday before returning Saturday morning to vote.

According to The New York Times, the case deepened the rift in the Republican Party in Texas.

Who is Ken Paxton?

Paxton was a key ally to former President Donald Trump.

He first gained notoriety when he was a top legal adversary of former President Barack Obamas administration, NBC News reported.

After involvement in lawsuits to overturn the Affordable Care Act, as well as the results of the 2020 presidential election, he became a popular force for the right, per NBC News.

How did Paxton, other leaders respond to his acquittal?

Paxton responded to the vote with a statement that he posted on X, Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors.

My statement on todays Senate acquittal vote: pic.twitter.com/XZrbfEB5ny  Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) September 16, 2023

He also added, The weaponization of the impeachment process to settle political differences is not only wrong, it is immoral and corrupt.

CBS News reported that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the trial was a waste of time and resources.

It never should have happened, Patrick said, he told CBS News after the trial.

Democrat Senator Nathan Johnson disagreed, He abused his powers, not in a subtle way, he told The New York Times.

During sworn testimony, Ryan Bangert, a former top aide to Paxton, said, I went to the FBI because 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 interest of one person, Nate Paul, per NBC News.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

VALLETTA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg agreed here on Saturday that the two sides will work together to promote China-European Union (EU) cooperation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that China and Malta have always respected and treated each other as equals, which has set an example of friendly cooperation between countries of different sizes.

With strong political mutual trust and solid public support, the two countries have maintained a momentum of healthy and stable development, Wang said.

Noting that China appreciates Malta's repeated affirmation of its firm adherence to the one-China principle, Wang said that China, as a friend and partner, also firmly supports Malta in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests.

China welcomes Malta's serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2023-2024 term, and is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation, jointly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, and defend international fairness and justice, Wang said.

China-EU cooperation outweighs differences and the two sides are partners instead of rivals, he emphasized, adding that they can fully appreciate and learn from each other.

China has consistently supported the EU's strategic independence and European integration, he noted.

Since China and the EU established a comprehensive strategic partnership 20 years ago, the scope and depth of cooperation have been continuously expanded, Wang said, adding that both sides should continue to maintain an open attitude, firmly support free trade, reject protectionism, and achieve the positive effects of China-EU cooperation.

Wang said he hopes Malta would continue to play a positive role in the development of China-EU relations.

Borg noted that Malta-China relationship is strong and enduring. Malta cherishes its friendship with China and consistently adheres to the one-China principle, which is a firm and clear position, he added.

He said that Malta looks forward to attending the China International Import Expo (CIIE) to be held in Shanghai, seizing opportunities in the Chinese market and further expanding Malta-China cooperation.

Malta agrees that the EU and China are partners, not rivals, and is willing to work together to promote EU-China cooperation and jointly address global challenges, said Borg. 
Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

Republicans are finding very little solid ground on which to push an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden , but The New Abnormal co-host Danielle Moodie says on this weeks episode that it hasnt stopped representatives from going on TV and embarrassing themselves on the issue.

The latest example being Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who The New Abnormal co-host Andy Levy describes as the person the mainstream media likes to put out there as a sane Republican.

But Mace twisted herself up in knots trying to explain to CNNs Kaitlin Collins why an impeachment inquiry was warranted despite the Republican-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee being unable to find any proof the president engaged in corruption linked to his son Hunter Bidens foreign business deals.

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.

Isnt it supposed to be the evidence that leads you to pursue impeachment and impeachment inquiry? Collins asked.

Well, thats what the inquiry is for. Its to get more evidence, Mace said. We dont have Joe Bidens bank records yet and so one way to do that, my understanding is, would be through an impeachment inquiry. So if thats what gets us those bank records, then Im going to support it.

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb dumb. Just dumb. And embarrassing, Moodie said.

Levy, however, suggested that Mace was clearly smarter than this and was attempting to toe the party line.

I think this is just what happens when you have to contort yourself to follow along with the bullshit needs of Donald Trump all the time. And its like even a moderately intelligent person cant keep up with the insanity that he brings these people to.

Plus! The New York Times reporter Kashmir Hill joins the show to talk about her new book, Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startups Quest to End Privacy As We Know It. Hills Jan. 2020 piece about facial recognition company Clearview AI helped expose how the company had been operating mostly in anonymity.

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
Republicans are testing whether they can widen the Democratic Party rift exposed by the United Auto Workers strike as they try to reclaim the Senate and the White House.

The GOP sees the UAW walkout as a potential lifeline in Michigan, where politically weakened Republicans are now plotting how best to seize on a tension point between Democrats clean-energy agenda and their pro-labor roots. President Joe Biden is pressing for more electric vehicles to achieve his climate goals, but workers who produce parts like batteries for those cars are often non-union and make less money.

What do you expect would happen when you push policies that will kill off peoples jobs? said Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.). Putting climate change policies over people is absolutely ridiculous, and we cannot stand for it.

Democrats dominated in statewide races in recent cycles, with Biden winning in 2020 and Democrats retaking the state legislature and governors mansion. The Republican Party is largely in shambles there, and the national party hasnt won a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994. But now, they see a potential opening.

Its too early to know how long the strike might drag on, but the walkout has added building pressure on Biden to work with both sides to reach a deal before 150,000 union members across several other states take similar action, spurring major economic consequences.



In the coming days and weeks, Republican campaigns and national party leaders will be monitoring the state-of-play and polling as they determine just how much to lean into attacks on Democrats clean energy agenda, but also against the president, who is being accused of not having done enough to avoid the standoff.

That said, its hardly a clear or easy line of attack for Republicans, who arent explicitly supporting the union.

Former President Donald Trump is jockeying for a UAW endorsement for his 2024 White House bid. Trump, who according to the Detroit News is weighing a trip to Michigan, urged the union to place the complete and total repeal of Joe Bidens insane Electric Vehicle mandate at the top of their list of demands. His former vice president, 2024 hopeful Mike Pence, hit a similar note on Sunday.

I also think that this green agenda that is using taxpayer dollars to drive our automotive economy into electric vehicles is understandably causing great anxiety among UAW members, he said on CNNs State of the Union.

Other Republicans followed suit, with a National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson calling out Michigan Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin  Democrats favored candidate for the states open Senate seat  for her Thursday vote allowing state-level limits or bans on gas-powered cars as choosing her party over Michigan.



Among the Michigan GOP politicians who sounded off in support for the strike are several members of the congressional delegation, one top Senate candidate and another likely Senate contender who was a former UAW member himself.

One thing that the strike might be able to do is highlight the conflict that its creating with working class Americans, and that might end up being very beneficial to Republicans, said Saul Anuzis, former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. As Rahm Emanuel used to say, Ill never let a crisis go to waste. This might be that crisis that takes a lot of blue-collar, working class Americans to sit there and say, Were getting shafted by these left-wing policies that are really not very practical.

The resounding response is emblematic of a shift in the Republican Party cultivated under Trump. In a GOP that has been traditionally less friendly to unions, many Republicans see the UAW strike as an opening to continue the work Trump began in 2016 to position their party for a play at these blue-collar workers in 2024.

Though Republicans might often clash with union leaders, Trumps economic message in 2016 resonated with an unusually large number of rank-and-file union voters, helping him capture the industrial midwest. And in turn, his support bolstered Republicans in swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

I mean, you look at Macomb County, which is the home to Reagan Democrat. All these union workers in 2016 werent satisfied with Democratic policies, and they put Trump into office. And if Democrats both statewide, but more importantly nationally, dont respond to this strike and respond to the UAWs demands sufficiently, it may come to bite them, said Michigan Republican Jason Watts, who was removed from his post as a local party treasurer in Michigan after publicly breaking with Trump in 2021.

Michigan will be a battleground up and down the ballot in 2024. With an open Senate seat, several competitive House seats and a contested presidential contest, many ambitious Republicans moved quickly to weigh in on the side of the auto workers.

UAW workers get up early every morning and work hard for a living  thats the Michigan way. Meanwhile, coastal elites in the Biden Administration wake up and go to the couch where theyll work from home, said Rep. John James (R-Mich.), who won his seat in 2022 by less than 2,000 votes, in a statement.



Sen. Debbie Stabenows retirement gives Republicans a chance to win a Senate race for the first time since 1994. But Michigan, a state Trump won in 2016 but lost in 2020, is not among the GOPs top targets.

Autoworkers are crucial to our economy and after years of concessions, they deserve a fair deal, said former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who just launched a Senate campaign.

Another potential Senate contender for the Republican nomination is former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who worked at a Chrysler plant as his first job out of high school, also released a statement slamming Bidens electric vehicle push.

In an interview, Craig said the strike makes him more likely to run for the open Senate seat and that Republicans needed to shift away from anti-union stances.

Some get it, some dont, he said. You get some of the old establishment Republicans who have always done it a certain way and who are resistant to change.

I will be a candidate for the workers because I am a worker, he said.

The issue does not mean that Republicans are suddenly the party of labor. The Chamber of Commerce, which historically has sided with Republicans, slammed the Biden administration policies as unionization at all costs for the strike.

Though Trump has made overtures to union members, union leadership is still closely aligned with the Democratic party, and Republicans notably arent discussing wages or cost of living in their statements, issues of utmost importance to union members.



Watts said that the partys outreach to Trump Democrat union folk, is on a precarious edge.

You cant push it too much, he said. But well always take a shot at converting or bringing those union members to the tent.

Olivia Beavers and Ursula Perano contributed to this report.
It has long been said that water is life, as no human can survive without it. Humans, however, arent showing our waters the appreciation they deserve in return.

The Guardian reported that a recent peer-reviewed paper from the University of Toronto found that nearly 90% of water samples taken from the Great Lakes over the last 10 years contain levels of microplastics unsafe for wildlife.

Whats happening?

Our planet is riddled with plastic pollution. Plastics take ages to break down, and as they do, they create microplastics  tiny particles less than five millimeters (about 0.2 inches) in length.

Of the samples taken and analyzed from the Great Lakes, about 20% are at the highest level of risk.

Ninety percent is a lot, Eden Hataley, University of Toronto researcher and co-author of the study, told the Guardian. We need to answer some basic questions by monitoring  so we can quantify risks to wildlife and humans.

The authors reviewed data from other peer-reviewed studies from the last 10 years. These studies showed that the highest levels are found in tributaries leading to the lakes or around major cities like Chicago and Toronto, with the highest average levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario.

Statista reported that about 40 million tons of plastic are thrown out annually in the United States. Only about 5% of this gets recycled, per Greenpeace, and about 85% ends up in landfills.

Researchers found that nearly 22 million pounds of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes every year from the U.S. and Canada. Thats as much weight in plastic as about 5,500 cars.

Hataley believes wastewater treatment plants, microfibers that come off clothing in washing machines, and preproduction plastic pellets used in manufacturing are major contributors of plastics to the Great Lakes basin.

She also noted that alarming levels of microplastics have been found in fish consumed by humans and beer brewed with water from the Great Lakes.

We know we are being exposed, she told the Guardian, but what that means in terms of harm or whats a safe level  we have no idea, and thats going to take more research.

Why is this concerning?

Combined, the Great Lakes supply drinking water to over 40 million people across Canada and the U.S. They hold nearly 90% of the freshwater in the U.S.; and they are home to 3,500 species of plants and animals, according to the Guardian.

If these lakes arent healthy, neither are we.

However, the studys authors said that if the U.S. and Canada act now, the damage to the Great Lakes can be reversed.

What can be done to save the Great Lakes?

The authors say both governments must start monitoring the lakes microplastics levels now.

Hataley pointed out that the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement already has programs monitoring other pollutants, and adding microplastics to the list would not be difficult.

Adding filters to washing machines or storm sewers at manufacturing sites would also greatly help, Hataley told the Guardian.

As individuals, we can research ways to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics and take steps to do so.

The timeline is not that shocking, Hataley said, but it makes a lot of sense to do it now.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
This illustration depicts the story of Moses and the burning bush in the biblical Book of Exodus. The shrub was on fire, but it was not consumed by the flames.

Editor's note: As part of our commitment to foster civil conversations in Viewpoints, we're inviting faith leaders to submit edited versions of their homilies that transcend religion, with messages that can appeal to people of all faith traditions.

Recently, one of the alternative readings in the lectionary was the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. Its a Top 10 Bible story. If you have been living in Oklahoma for the last five years, its likely that the phrase Top 10 has lost all meaning because of Gov. Kevin Stitt. He made big promises about turning Oklahoma into a Top 10 state, but what the governor didnt tell anyone was that it was also Opposite Day  for his entire time in office. But the numbers dont lie. According to CNBCs most recent annual ranking of the best states to do business, under Gov. Stitts leadership, we rank 41st overall, down from 38th in 2022 and 32nd in 2021. Our scores in education and quality of life are also among the worst in the nation.

To clear up any confusion, anything that is labeled Top 10 is supposed to indicate the best of, the highest ranking, or the most popular  not the worst or among the worst. So, with that in mind, Moses and the Burning Bush is a Top 10 Bible story.

The storys name indicates what often holds our attention  the burning bush  but it would be remiss of us to ignore that this is a story about God and politics. Apparently, God did not get the no politics in church memo.

The text says, Then the Lord said, 'I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them  God plans to meddle in the politics of Pharaoh and disrupt the economics of Egypt, siding not with those in power, but with those in poverty. God does not plan to just throw weight around; Moses will be the boots on the ground, so to speak, negotiating with Pharaoh, organizing a grassroots movement, and leading the people out of captivity.

If only we took this story seriously.

More: Lori Walke: Where do you start in explaining importance of separation of church and state?

The idea of mixing politics and religion is off-putting to many people, but this is because politics is often confused with partisanship. Partisanship can be defined as harassing an enemy, red versus blue, and dividing into teams. Partisan is often used as an adjective for politics, as in partisan politics, which opens the door for considering that politics is different from partisanship. When politics is partisan, it is all too often cultish and self-serving, and thus decidedly un-Christian.

What, then, is politics without partisanship? Politics, says theologian Jim Wallis, embraces not only legislative and electoral activism, but also how a community/society organizes itself, how it makes decisions, and what decisions it makes."

Theologian Marcus Borg notes that all of scripture is a call to political action.

Politics, then, is how people organize themselves, shape our collective living and set priorities. People of faith should certainly be involved in this work. As Walter Taylor, the first Black mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, wrote, Politics determines the kind of world you will be born in, the kind of education, health care and job you eventually get, how you will spend your old age and even how you die. The church must address itself to, and be involved in, anything that affects life as great as this.

One of the tenets of progressive Christianity is an orientation towards social justice, which means that we prioritize salvation from the hell-on-Earth caused by social norms, laws and policy, instead of salvation from an afterlife of damnation. These two things are not mutually exclusive, but as Borg explains, Salvation in the Bible is political, a dimension that is often missed when we are limited to understanding the word within the heaven-and-hell framework. A historical-metaphorical reading of scripture restores a crucial dimension to what the Bible means by salvation  [which] is central to the story of the exodus, the prophets, Jesus, and Paul  [and] has two focal points: justice and peace. Progressive Christianity looks to continue this work in our time, seeking to make salvation from injustice and violence possible in the here-and-now, siding not with those in power, but with those in poverty.

With our status as a Top 10 state for highest poverty rates, we can hear the cries of those who are suffering. Our burning bush is the dumpster fire that is our state. If we quit messing around with partisanship and get busy with the real work of shaping a just world, all of us might actually experience salvation. That sounds a lot like the Gospel.

Rev. Lori Allen Walke

The Rev. Lori Allen Walke is senior minister at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's scores in education, quality of life among worst in nation
Its not rocket science, but instead carbon-neutral jet-fuel science.

Its simply a method for pulling carbon pollution and water from the air and using the suns energy to turn these into fuel for an airplane.

And theres a solar tower and giant mirrors involved.

A team of scientists led by Aldo Steinfeld, a professor at Switzerlands ETH Zurich, has demonstrated a process that could reduce the impact of air travel on the overheating of the planet.

In a paper the researchers published in the journal Joule last year, they described the successful operation of a fully integrated solar tower fuel plant at a facility in Spain.

The work demonstrated the on-site conversion of two common compounds  carbon dioxide and water  into solar kerosene usable in an airplane.

The scientists considered the product a carbon-neutral fuel because burning it should release only as much heat-trapping carbon pollution as the process took in at the start.

Essentially, the process worked like this: A field of sun-tracking heliostat mirrors focused sunlight intensely on a solar tower. The system drew carbon dioxide and water from the air and to a solar reactor on the tower. Then, the solar reactor used the concentrated heat to split and reshuffle elements into a syngas. Further processing converted this into kerosene.

The tower demonstration built upon an earlier rooftop mini-refinery, further explained in a video and animation, that Steinfeld also oversaw. In that experiment, scientists proved their concept using a parabolic concentrator dish on a university building in Zurich.

The scientists keep scaling up to show that the technology could eventually fly planes. Steinfeld has devoted more than 15 years to creating kerosene from air, according to Popular Mechanics.

Steinfeld told the outlet that improving aviation fuel can help reduce an important source of carbon pollution. Solar kerosene is fully compatible with the existing infrastructures for the fuel storage, distribution, and end-use in jet engines, he explained. Thus, solar kerosene can help make aviation more sustainable.

Aviation accounts for a relatively small portion of total energy-related releases of heat-trapping carbon  somewhat more than 2%  but its a contribution that has proved difficult to improve and is expected to continue to grow, according to the International Energy Agency. Air travel is at least 12 times less efficient per passenger than rail travel, according to the IEA.

One study (described by other recent research) noted that air travel releases up to 100 times more carbon pollution per hour than train, bus, or shared car rides.

Reducing air travel, improving aviation biofuels, or developing batteries for electric airplanes are other ideas to curb the industrys pollution, but as it stands, planes burn fuel.

Demonstrating the solar tower was an important milestone, Steinfeld told Popular Mechanics. He estimated that a larger commercial solar fuel plant could produce about 9 million gallons of solar kerosene per year.

The solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency needs to be increased to make the technology economically competitive, Steinfeld said.

And development is underway. Synhelion, a spinoff company, performed industrial testing at the pre-existing Julich Solar Tower in Germany last year. It aims to commission the worlds first industrial-scale solar fuel plant in Germany this year or next and a larger commercial-scale facility in Spain by 2026.

Which means that someday, planes might fly through the air on fuel made from air.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
MUNCIE, Ind.  The two major parties' mayoral candidates showed their differences on stage Wednesday evening.

Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour, left, and City Council President Jeff Robinson, opponents in the race for the mayor's office, await the start of a candidate forum Wednesday evening at the Muncie Central High School auditorium.

Incumbent Republican Dan Ridenour pointed to progress his administration has made in economic and housing development while returning properties to the tax rolls and working on social issues during his term.

Democrat challenger Jeff Robinson said Muncie needs to adopt more of a free market attitude toward local business and focus more attention on the city's infrastructure and social needs.

The two sparred throughout the hour-long forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters Muncie-Delaware County, the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce, the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University, and WMUN/WOOF-Boom Radio. Audience members submitted the questions used. The event was moderated by Chad Kinsella, professor of political science at Ball State University.

Robinson was aggressive during the forum, telling the audience he was running because he had become "very frustrated."

"I'm tired of seeing folks lead in the best interest of themselves and not the community," Robinson said. "Every year we spend millions of dollars trying to lure people to our community while we overlook the people who choose to live here now."

City government needs to get back to basics and do things municipal governments traditionally do regarding infrastructure and public safety, Robinson said.

The city needs to do more to combat the mental health and drug crisis in the Muncie rather than to be a "developer for the city," Robinson said.

Ridenour told the audience that he decided to run four years ago when he was a city council member after seeing what he said was a city government in "disarray."

The city suffered from high debt, dysfunction and corruption that led to criminal investigations, Ridenour said.

"As mayor I feel like I have fixed that challenge and that we are now moving forward in a direction that is very positive and has momentum and has people wanting to be here," Ridenour said. "I'm very proud of what our team has accomplished. It has not been me it has been a whole team."

He went on to say his administration fixed city finances and paid back money owed to the state out of street department, helped develop new housing that is affordable, as well as market rate and workforce housing and revamped the police department, which is now fully staffed with plans to add three position next year.

Ridenour said it took a lot to change the direction of local government, but that now that he has, he wants to push forward in another term.

During the forum the candidates discussed city blight with Robinson hitting on his plan to pave 82 lane miles of city streets done with the help of a $25 million bond issue he would pursue, as well as other grant funding. He also criticized the condition of sidewalks in the city, saying his plan would spend $5 million upgrading the condition of sidewalks across the city.

"We have to do better for folks, especially for wheelchair users," he said. "How can folks using a wheel chair navigate this city?"

On the issue of blight and housing, both men claimed a record of working with Pathstone, a nonprofit in Muncie that helps connect first-time homebuyers with affordable housing opportunities.

Ridenour also emphasized the City View housing project, being built now, plans to create 61 dwellings in central and south Muncie.

Robinson said that some blight in the city needed to be razed, but some of the older housing stock could perhaps be saved and enhance their neighborhoods.

Robinson, who serves as president of the city council, responded to questions about crime in the city. Ridenour recently appointed a task force in the wake of a shooting that killed one man and wounded 17. Robinson noted that there didn't seem to be any youth on the appointed body.

"We have kids carrying guns in our community, which is frightening," Robinson said. "We need to have a youth task force, so we can know what the youth are going through today."

Ridenour said that when he took office there were 86 police officers on the street when there was supposed to be 110. Today he said there are plans to increase the number on staff to 108 in 2024  up from 105 in 2023.

Robinson said he would push for more police officers and said that the minimum staffing for the police department decreased under Ridenour's administration from 110 to 105 in 2020.

Ridenour said the city has overcome recruiting challenges, and he has raised pay and working condition to make the police force an attractive place to work.

"Liability claims against police officers has gone from $1.9 million to $55,000," Ridenour said.

Robinson said he also wants local government to become more involved in mental health issues and he noted social media attacks on people who suffer from drug abuse.

"These people don't choose to be addicts. They are suffering," Robinson said.

He said the community needs to be more empathetic.

Ridenour said his administration was opening a crisis center to help people in conjunction with IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital.

At the conclusion of the forum, Ridenour said being mayor of Muncie has been the honor of his life.

"It's very important that we don't go back as a community to what we had before," Ridenour said.

Robinson responded in his closing remarks, claiming Ridenour's remarks referred to past corruption involving the local Democratic Party.

"I'm tired of the veiled comments that say we can't go back," Robinson said. "I know what that means. I am not the Democrats of the past. This party is not the Democratic Party of the past. Each one of these candidates serving on the ticket with me, myself included, are here to serve you."

Contacted Thursday, Ridenour said his "not going back" comments referred the city's debt and financial struggles.

David Penticuff is a reporter with the Star Press. He can be contacted at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ridenour, Robinson each declare different paths for city's future
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto warns Europe to be cautious concerning the risk of escalation of the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine.

Source: Niinisto expressed this opinion in an interview for The New York Times, as reported by European Pravda

Niinisto thinks that the war against Ukraine will last a long time and even though Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was a "wake-up call" for Europe and NATO, now this fact is being gradually forgotten.

"Were in a very sensitive situation. Even small things can change matters a great deal and unfortunately for the worse. That is the risk of such large-scale warfare. The risk that nuclear weapons could be used is tremendous," Niinisto said.

He also spoke in favour of cautious policy of such states as the US and Germany concerning supplying Ukraine with some kinds of armament, mainly for the attacks on Russia-occupied Crimea.

"Theres a difference between those who have responsibility and those who dont And I just wanted to point out that if theres escalation to a big war, thats world war, so then the nuclear risk becomes clearly bigger," Niinisto thinks.

Previously: Niinisto stated this after a few cases of drone fragments  likely, Russian ones  being found on the territory of a NATO member state Romania. The country has recently expressed its readiness to shoot down unidentified drones crossing the Romanian airspace.

Earlier, Niinisto said that he does not see the war in Ukraine ending in the near future, and considers the risk of its extension or use of nuclear weapons to be high.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!






On trash day, they pillage residential garbage bins with the nonchalance of cruise ship passengers at a buffet.

Along environmentally sensitive ponds and creeks, they gnaw vegetation to its root and pile manure along the shoreline.

And at night, they wander onto darkened highways, paying little heed to oncoming traffic.

For San Bernardino Mountains conservationists, the signs are all too clear: Big Bear Valley has a big ass problem.

We have too many burros  more than we can manage, said Julie Donnell, a regional wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service.

U.S. Forest Service biologist Julie Donnell drops a net to capture federally endangered unarmored threespine stickleback fish from a small alpine pond in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Wild burros, or asses have roamed the sagebrush fields and pine forests of this resort community for generations, and are directly descended from the domesticated donkeys that gold miners left behind more than a century ago.

While homeowners and vacation rental managers have come to adore the furry equines as living symbols of Big Bear Valleys rustic mountain heritage  as well as an attraction for eco-tourists who reward their heehaws with carrots  some biologists worry that their numbers have reached critical mass.

Read more: Why did California officials drop two mountain lions in the desert and leave them to die?

With more than a hundred burros roaming the area, conservationists say the animals are starting to overwhelm struggling native species, as well as create a public safety threat for humans.

The time is ripe, they say, to severely reduce the burro population with a roundup that is certain to be controversial.

I believe authorities should round them up and castrate the boys," said Julie Moreau, founder of Grateful Heart Animal Sanctuary in eastern Big Bear Valley.

"They shouldnt wait until there are so many burros that vehicles are crashing into them, she said.

The image of the burro as a miners faithful beast of burden contrasts starkly with ecological reality, experts say. The animals breed prolifically, devour all manner of plants, distribute copious amounts of dung around waterways and associate people and cars with food.

An aerial view of eastern Big Bear Valley, where burros pose a threat to plants and fish. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

In Big Bear Valley, burros pose the greatest threat to such rare and endangered species as Big Bear checkerbloom flowers, slender-petaled mustard plants, and the unarmored threespine stickleback fish. While not exactly charismatic  or even well known outside a community of biologists  the species are found only in the Big Bear Valley area, or other parts of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Burro roundups have occurred here in the past, most recently in 1997 and 2007, but they have always left a few stragglers who proceeded to multiply. The burro control campaigns have also sparked anger and resentment among residents, who view the animals as part of local history, and not an invasive threat.

Read more: After more than 100 years, gray wolves reappear in Giant Sequoia National Monument

For this reason, as well as lack of resources, proponents of a new burro roundup are pessimistic.

"We lack the funding needed to deal with the exploding burro population," Donnell said. "Will there be a remedy anytime soon? Absolutely not.

To the casual visitor, there are few signs of a problem. However, anecdotal reports of burros gnawing the latex paint off wood house trim, sauntering into neighborhoods on trash pickup days to sample the smorgasbord of urban discards, and wandering out into local highways to fight over territory and harems have increased in recent months.

The burros stand about 4 feet tall at the shoulders and weigh about 450 pounds. Despite their pot bellies they are fast runners. They mature at about 4 years and have a life expectancy of more than 25 years.

They run in bands of up to 30 with a male in charge. In battles over females, males bite each other on the ears, necks, and legs, then whirl their adversaries in a circle.

State Route 38, one of the three main roads to Big Bear Lake, has become an impromptu outdoor theater. Last Friday, Kathy Bartlett, former editor of a local weekly newspaper, said she had to slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with two male burros fighting in the middle of the road.

They were rearing up on their hind legs, she recalled, as a half-dozen females calmly watched from the sidelines.

For years, vacation rental operations have advised their customers that the burros are wild animals, and that it was best to admire them from a distance.

Michael Dolan, a local Realtor, recalled a 2006 incident in which a friend driving a brand new Lexus suffered a neck injury after colliding with a burro on State Route 38 after dark. A week later, while driving a replacement Lexus provided by her insurance company, she collided with another burro along the same stretch of road.

"She was OK, but the donkey had to be put down," he said.

Read more: Trash heaps and wild parties: Blight invades a beloved L.A. escape

Moreau, of the animal sanctuary, said it's stories like this that make her feel action needs to be taken, though she has great empathy for the animals. Im passionate about burros; they are my spirit animals, she said.

While she doesnt have a state permit to take in wild animals including burros, she said she always leaves some water and hay out for a trio she described as a beat-up warrior and his little band of mavens  one of which, Ill bet you, is going to be pregnant real soon.

The environmental impacts of the growing burro population are most apparent in the vicinity of spring-fed ponds and creeks in the Baldwin Lake Watershed, which is home to the stickleback and species of plants that are found nowhere else.

Scientists say that burros wallow, graze and trample north Baldwin Lakes complex of 12 sensitive pebble plains: flat expanses of quartzite pebbles created by receding glaciers that support rare butterflies and 17 protected plant species, most of them miniature in stature.

The federally endangered Bear Valley sandwort, Ash-gray Indian paintbrush, and southern mountain wild-buckwheat are no match for the cascading impacts of soil disturbances caused by burros on the move.

Scientists say their activities alter soil composition and increase erosion, which allows weeds to colonize and multiply, robbing low-lying pebble plain species of water and sunlight.

Baldwin Lake is also an area that contains some of the only affordable undeveloped land left in the Big Bear Lake area, the western half of which is a congested resort community serving the 10 million people who live within a two-hour drive.

In response, conservationists have bought property and, in some cases, blocked development in an effort to preserve what remains of an ecosystem born of glaciers retreating from the 20-mile-long Big Bear Valley more than 15,000 years ago.

Read more: Rockhounds fight for access to their jewel in the desert: Mojave Trails National Monument

Tim Krantz, conservation director Wildland Conservancy, photographs wildflowers in eastern Big Bear Valley. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A recent visit to a pond at Shay Creek meadows revealed extensive damage caused by the burros, said Tim Krantz, a retired biology professor and former San Bernardino County planning commissioner.

At least 35 of them had cleared the once lush green meadow vegetation down to dirt. Piles of burro dung ringed the shore, spurring growth of a thick layer of algae, he said.

The whole area, he said, reeked like a septic pool.

As a condition of a special use permit to collect water for municipal purposes, Big Bear City Community Services District is contractually obligated to maintain barbed wire fences and water flows at Shay Creek, where the stickleback were discovered in 1981. They have done little to deter burros, however.

Under such circumstances, Krantz and others have reasoned that if the burros cannot be removed, the stickleback have to be relocated for their own safety.

Federal wildlife biologist Julie Donnell, front, and Karen Castaneda hold traps used to capture endangered unarmored threespine stickleback fish. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Earlier this month, Krantz visited a stickleback translocation effort that he helped to organize.

A team of state and federal biologists clad in waders and armed with long-handled nets and fish traps baited with blue cheese moved sticklebacks from an alpine pond to burro-free Bluff Lake, which is privately owned by The Wildlands Conservancy, about 10 miles away.

The 200 sticklebacks transported to Bluff Lake joined 74 captive-bred endangered Southern California yellow-legged frogs released there in June as part of an effort to re-wild historic haunts where the species have not been seen  or heard  in more than seven decades.

This project has been a long time coming, Krantz said with a smile. A year from now, these reintroduced sticklebacks and yellow-legged frogs are going to be the kings of beasts at Bluff Lake.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Ruby Franke is pictured on a talk show in 2018. The popular YouTuber was arrested in August 2023 and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. | KSL-TV

Ruby Franke, the popular family blogger recently arrested for child abuse allegations, received over $80,000 in Payroll Protection Program loans during the pandemic.

Records from ProPublicas PPP database show that Frankes company, 8 Passengers Productions LLC, received two $41,810 loans  the first was approved in April 2020 and forgiven in May 2021. The second was approved in January 2021 and forgiven the following August.

In total, Frankes company received $83,620 from the governments loan program, according to documents listed on ProPublicas database.

Related

According to the database, 8 Passengers Productions had two employees and is in the other motion picture and video industries. Cache Valley Bank was the lender, and the loan covered payroll.

The company, based in Springville where the family lived, was registered in 2016 under Frankes name, according to state records. However in August 2022, its license in Utah expired after it was not renewed, just one year after the second loan was forgiven.

8 Passengers was the name of Frankes YouTube channel, which at one point boasted nearly 2.5 million followers. Its a reference to Franke, her husband and the couples six children.

PPP loans could be forgiven if the company or nonprofit met certain criteria, like retaining employees during the pandemic. According to the Small Business Administration, nearly $790 billion in PPP loans was distributed from March 2020 to May 2021. About $757 billion of that was forgiven.

Related

Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested on Aug. 30 after police say Frankes 12-year-old child escaped from Hildebrandts home in Ivins, near St. George in southwestern Utah.

The child was emaciated, thirsty, had open wounds and duct tape on his extremities and asked a neighbor for help, according to audio of the 911 call. The neighbor told police it appeared the child had been detained.

Police then searched Hildebrandts home, where they found the childs sibling. Both Hildebrandt and Franke were arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Both women are currently held in the Washington County Jail  on Monday, they will both appear in court, where their lawyers and Washington County attorneys will go over pretrial conditions. An attorney for Franke has requested an expedited detention hearing, which means they want to go over bail conditions as soon as possible.
by Ali Jaswal

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese construction and power companies are internationally competitive, and they produce very good quality work, a Pakistani official told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Most of these companies have an experience of working on mega projects in China as well, and some of these companies are also working overseas, so put together, they bring a very large experience as they come here and work in our country," said Sajjad Ghani, chairman of Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

Currently, several Chinese companies are working with WAPDA on more than five mega projects, including the under-construction Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project with an installed capacity of 4,500-megawatt electricity production, and Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project with a capacity of 800-megawatt electricity production, Ghani said.

He said that Chinese companies had been employed through a competitive process in Pakistan in which other companies from different parts of the world also participated.

They went through a proper selection criterion and were shortlisted through a very strict technical mechanism, Ghani said, adding that they are working under the supervision of some top international consultants.

Highlighting the significance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the chairman said that the project plays a vital role in the country.

He said the Chinese companies in Pakistan's power sector have been working under the local framework of Independent Power Producers or within the framework of CPEC.

"They are doing a very good job contributing towards the generation of electricity at times when Pakistan is in dire need of energy," Ghani added.

He specifically mentioned the hydropower projects, including the Suki Kinari hydropower plant in the northwestern part of the country and the Karot hydropower plant in the east, under the CPEC, saying that China is doing a pretty good job through such projects in generating clean and green energy in Pakistan.

Ghani said that Pakistan plans to generate another 10,000 megawatts in the next 6 to 10 years, which means it would double its capacity to generate clean energy.

"That is the time Pakistan would have achieved a percentage of about 55 to 60 percent of all its energy, which is going to be green and clean energy," according to the official.

Launched in 2013, CPEC, the flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation. 
Alisha Alderson who is due to give birth in September, sits in the living room of her house in Baker City, Ore., on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Because of the closing of Baker City's only obstetrical unit, the Anderson family is traveling to the Boise, Idaho area, a little over 100 miles away, to give birth. Alisha will be spending time with family in Kuna, Idaho for 3 weeks until she gives birth or is induced the third week of September. (AP Photo/Kyle Green)

Alisha Alderson placed everything she needed for the last month of her pregnancy in various suitcases as she prepared to leave the comfort of her home in rural eastern Oregon. The only maternity ward within 40 miles abruptly closed in August, so she would be staying at her brothers house in Idaho to be closer to a hospital.

I was sitting in a hair salon a few days ago and some people started joking about me giving birth on the side of the road," the 45-year-old said. "And in that moment, I just pictured all the things that could go wrong with my baby and broke down in tears in front of strangers.

Fewer than half of rural hospitals in the U.S. have maternity units, which forces pregnant women to travel longer distances for care or face giving birth in an emergency room. It's also prompted government officials and families to scramble for answers. One solution gaining ground is freestanding midwife-led birth centers, but those also often rely on hospitals when serious complications arise.

The closures have worsened so-called maternity care deserts  counties, mostly rural, with no hospitals or birth centers and no OB providers. More than two million women of childbearing age live in these areas. And fewer hospital maternity units makes having babies less safe, doctors and researchers say.

"Moms have complications everywhere. Babies have complications everywhere, said Dr. Eric Scott Palmer, a neonatologist who practiced at Henry County Medical Center in rural Tennessee before it ended obstetric services this month. There will be people hurt. Its not a question of if  simply when.

The American Hospital Association says at least 89 obstetric units closed in rural hospitals between 2015 and 2019, and more have shuttered since. The main reasons are decreasing numbers of births; staffing issues; low reimbursement from Medicaid; and financial distress, according to Peiyin Hung, deputy director of the University of South Carolinas Rural and Minority Health Research Center.

Officials at Saint Alphonsus, the hospital in Baker City where Alderson wanted to give birth, cited a shortage of OB nurses and declining deliveries. While they said financial concerns didnt factor into the decision, they also underlined the unit had operated in the red over the last 10 years.

A lack of money was the major reason why Henry County Medical Center in Paris, Tennessee, closed its OB unit. CEO John Tucker told The Associated Press that it was a necessary step to save the hospital overall. He also said the number of deliveries had dropped in recent years.

Six days before the unit closed, just one woman was there to deliver. All of the other rooms contained empty beds and bassinets. Art had been removed from the walls.

Dr. Pamela Evans, who helped with deliveries for years and will stay on as a gynecologist, said she fears things like preterm deliveries, infant mortality and low-birthweight babies are bound to get worse. Prenatal care suffers when people must travel long distances or take lots of time off work for appointments, she said. Not all insurance covers out-of-state deliveries, and it's an hour or more to some alternative in-state hospitals that families are looking at.

A solution to the rural care crisis might be about two hours away, where a handful of women sat in a circle for a prenatal group meeting at The Farm Midwifery Center, a storied place in Summertown, Tennessee, thats more than a half-century old. Midwife Corina Fitch led discussions and gave them individual checkups.

This is the perfect place for me, said pregnant mom Betsy Baarspul of Nashville, whose first child was born in an emergency C-section in a hospital. It feels like youre held in a way.

Some states and communities are taking steps to create more free-standing birth centers. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed legislation that will license such centers to operate as an alternative for women with low-risk pregnancies.

Alecia McGregor, who studies health policy and politics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said midwife-led birth centers "can be a very important solution to lowering costs within the U.S. health care system and improving outcomes.

A report on deliveries at The Farm in its first 40 years showed 5% of clients were transported to the hospital.

Doctors told the AP that rural hospitals will need to be part of the equation, and they believe governments must do more.

Oregon politicians mobilized this summer and considered requesting the help of OB nurses from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which largely responds to natural disasters and disease outbreaks. While the idea didn't pan out, the federal service sent experts to Baker City, who recommended several things, including looking into establishing a free-standing birth center.

County commissioner Shane Alderson  the husband of Alisha  said rural communities shouldnt be stripped of health care options because of their size or the number of low-income people with public insurance.

Thats not equitable, he said. People cant survive like that.

___

Rush reported from Baker City, Oregon, and Kuna, Idaho. Ungar reported from Paris, Tennessee, and Summertown, Tennessee.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that drones were intercepted over the Crimean peninsula overnight on Sept. 17.

The ministry said via its official Telegram channel that on-duty air defense units shot down the drones over northwestern and eastern parts of Crimea. Another drone was allegedly destroyed over the territory of Moscow Oblast at around 1:45 a.m. local time.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties. Emergency services are working at the scene. The ministry reported no damage.

Reports of drone strikes inside Russia have become increasingly common in recent weeks.

On Aug. 30, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed a drone bound for the city amid what he called a "massive" strike on Russia's western regions. Sobyanin said the drone was shot down west of the capital.

In Pskov Oblast, near Russia's border with Estonia, Governor Mikhail Vedernikov claimed that drones destroyed four Ilyushin Il-76 airlifters at a military airfield. The airport was shut down following reports of the attack.

Read also: Russia claims 2 drones shot down over Tver, Kaluga oblasts

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Analysts of the Molfar OSINT agency have detected numerous educational facilities in Russia where drone pilots, technicians and engineers are being trained.

Source: investigation by Molfar

These educational facilities cooperate with Russian state structure, mainly with the Internal Ministry, Federal Security Service and Ministry of Emergency Situations, and may have representative offices outside Russia.

Thus, Nebesnaya Mekhanika (Sky Mechanics) is a DJI drone distributor in Russia and has its own training centre for UAV pilots training on DJI drones. Moreover, the company has an office in Uzbekistan.

Another company, Avanti Group, in May 2023 established Avanti State Corporation for "scientific research and developments in the nature and technical sciences sector."

"These NACE legal entities are most frequently used for cooperation with Russian military organisations. The training is held at such addresses: Russia, Moscow, Krasnopresnenskaya Bay 12, office 924B; and the city of Innopolis, Universitetskaya St. 7, 602," the investigation reads.

The Vozdukh (Air) Ltd obtained a licence for educational activity in May 2022. It is stated on the website that a specialised educational department of the training centre was created on 6 May 2022.

NACE has included additional types of economic activities in their documents, such as:

professional training;

additional education for children and adults;

operation of schools for air and water vessels.

Another educational centre, Pustelga, states on its Telegram-channel that it has two centres in the combat zone in Ukraine. On 4 May 2023, a photo of 18 persons was posted with a caption about the first graduation in April. It was stated in one of the posts that followed that the educational centre had been working since March.

"According to the mk.ru resource, the National Guard of Russian jointly with the Pustelga educational centre launched courses for FPV-drones operators who will most likely then go to the war in Ukraine," the investigators state.

Molfar adds that it has also found educational centres which could be cooperating with the Wagner PMC and even import DJI drones for them. Among them are drone pilots school SHUBBA-Octagon and Ltd Pozitron.

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!






UK Defence Intelligence has reported that Russian forces are stepping up their defence of the strategically important city of Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The report indicates that Russian troops are setting up additional checkpoints and anti-tank fortifications around Tokmak, located about 16 kilometres from the current line of contact, and digging new trenches in the area held by the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation.

"Tokmak is preparing to become a lynchpin of Russias second main line of defences," the UK MoD believes.

UK Defence Intelligence suggests that the city's improving defences are likely indicative of Russia's growing concern over the tactical penetration by Ukrainian forces through the first main line of defence in the northern part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Background:

The Ukrainian military has made progress in recent weeks in its offensive against the Russian-held city of Tokmak, a vital barrier between Ukrainian forces and the city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Ukrainian side stated that in recent days, the Russian proxy "passport office" has been evacuated from Tokmak to Melitopol and that Russia's FSB officers and part of the occupying administration have been taken away.

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 occupiers are strengthening the defense around Tokmak

Russian forces have in recent days likely reinforced their defenses around the occupied town of Tokmak in southern Ukraine, which is approximately 16 kilometers behind the current front line, the UK Defense Intelligence said in its daily Ukraine situation report for Sept. 17.

Russia is likely deploying additional checkpoints, hedgehog anti-tank defenses and digging new trenches in the area, which is held by its 58th Combined Arms Army, the report said.

Read also: Ukraine breaking through the first line of Russian defense towards Tokmak, says retired officer

Tokmak is preparing to become a lynchpin of Russias second main line of defenses, UK Defense Intelligence reckons. Improvements to the towns defenses likely indicates Russias growing concern about Ukrainian tactical penetrations of the first main defensive line to the north in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, the report said.

Ukrainian forces managed to break through the first line of Russian defense in August. The formidable defensive line consisted of minefields, anti-tank trenches, and so-called dragon's teeth (concrete barriers).

Read also: Significance of Ukraines breakthrough near Tokmak and damage to Russian strategic aircraft  ISW

U.S. officials noted that the Russians had spent many months preparing for this, and that the Ukrainian counter-offensive had been both bloody and slow.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been urging its western military allies to provide more weapons and equipment, especially long-range ATACMS rockets, to allow it to speed up the progress of the counter-offensive.

While there have been indications in recent days that the United States might be considering providing Ukraine with a limited number of ATACMS rockets, a final decision on this has yet to be announced.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian forces shelled nine communities in Sumy Oblast on Sept. 16 firing over 200 rounds from various types of weapons, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Facebook.

According to the post, Russia shelled the Bilopillia, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Myropillia, Seredyna-Buda, Yunakivka, Esman and Znob-Novhorodske communities.

Russian forces used anti-tank guns, grenade launchers, artillery and mortars to target the Velyka Pysarivka community, while Khotin and Esman communities were attacked with explosives. The Krasnopillia community was targeted with unguided air-to-air rockets over the past 24 hours.

No casualties have been reported following the shelling. There was no information on the damage in the region at the time of the publication.

Sumy Oblast is located on Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian shelling and attacks from across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022.

Read also: Ukrainian innovators want to bring life-saving robots to the battlefield

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The Russian military launched a combined missile and suicide drone attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Sept. 17 in an attempt to confuse and exhaust Ukraines air defenses, Head of the Southern Defense Forces press service Natalia Humeniuk said on Ukrainian national television on Sept. 17.

The enemy used various drones, including reconnaissance ones, and air-launched missiles which led to massive air alert overnight, Humeniuk said.

Read also: Russia stockpiling missiles to target Ukraine in renewed mass missile attacks when the cold sets in

An air alert sounded at 4.30 a.m. in many of the countrys eastern oblasts. In the capital Kyiv, it sounded at 4.51 a.m., with all oblasts in the north, center, south and east of the country on alert. By 5.30 a.m. the alerts had spread to the west, with sirens having sounding across the entire country.

The Russians attempted to confuse and exhaust Ukrainian air defense with missiles flying complex routes and maneuvering extensively, Humeniuk said.

"They are trying to both exhaust and bypass the air defense system, she said.

Read also: Russian military strikes Kharkiv four times with missiles

The enemy has used this method of attack before, trying to find maneuvering options to be as effective as possible."

Ukrainian air defense managed to shoot down 12 of 16 incoming enemy weapons  six out of six Shahed attack drones and six out of 10 cruise missiles, or a 75% shoot-down rate.

However, an agricultural enterprise in Odesa Oblast was struck by missiles. Emergency services were sent to the scene, but there were no reports of any casualties.

Read also: Russian suicide drone debris damages homes, infrastructure after downing over Khmelnytskyi Oblast

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Its uncommon for Russian and Ukrainian narratives war to concur. But since Ukraine began its major counteroffensive in June, both countries agree that Russias tactical airpower poses a growing problem for Ukraines ground forces.

That may seem surprising given the general arc of the conflict, in which Russias qualitatively and quantitatively superior tactical air force (the VKS) has proven unable or unwilling to execute strikes deep into Ukrainian airspacelargely due to Ukraines extensive Soviet-era ground-based air defenses, now reinforced by more modern Western weapons.

Indeed, Russian airpower hasnt prevented Ukraines counteroffensive from creeping forward several miles along three or four main axes of advances, with recent victories around Klischivka, Staromaiorske, Robotyne, Kozachi Laheri, and Urozhaine. But anti-tank missiles and glide bombs lobbed by Russian aircraft, combined with dense minefields and field fortifications, have contributed to making those Ukrainian advances more time-consuming and costly.

Airpower: The Armys Fire Brigade

Military analysts expected that Russian advances would rely on its airpower edge to blunt Ukraines counteroffensive. Aviation assets can be rapidly surged and reallocated across the frontline in response to unexpected threats, serving as a first-responder fire brigade to bail out ground forces fighting for survival.

That happened during Ukraines surprise Kharkiv counteroffensive last September. Russian warplanes surged to provide cover for fleeing Russian forces, pressing riskier attacks and sustaining higher losses. They couldnt stop Ukrainian forces from advancing, but they covered the Russian retreat and bought vital time to establish a new line of defense around Svatove.

Russian Ka-52 engaging a Ukrainian armored column in #Zaporizhzhia on June 8th, 2023 pic.twitter.com/gtKwhgn4UK  FUNKER530 (@FunkerActual) June 9, 2023

The Ukrainian 47th and 33rd Mechanized Brigades failed massed armor attack early in June at Mala Tokmachka highlights another issuewhile manned aviation struggles often struggles to identify ground targets in cover (at least without help from drone or ground spotters), concentrations of armored vehicles advancing down roads or across open fields make for ideal targets for attack helicopters and ground attack aircraft.

Russian Jets and Helicopters Are Using More Standoff-Range Weapons

A fundamental distinction between Russian and NATO airpower is the that latter is primarily using standoff-range precision-guided weapons by now, and the former is still mostly using unguided rocket and bombs. Russia has actually developed many different varieties of such weapons, but doesnt have anywhere near the needed volume to use them routinely, and only a minority of VKS aircraft have the necessary targeting pods to use them effectively.

So, for much of the war, Russian warplanes have mostly been used as fast-reacting rocket artillery, briefly popping up from low altitude to release volleys of unguided 80-millimeter S-8 or 122-millimeter S-13 rockets in an arcing trajectory from afar to minimize exposure to short-range air defense.

Video of Russian Su-25 aircraft launching rockets at Ukrainian positions reportedly in Nevelske.https://t.co/0mi0YMFvBs pic.twitter.com/2aZrTy3WaX  Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 27, 2022

Such scattered volleys can disrupt Ukrainian units forming up to attack, but dont cause as much attrition as the precision strikes Western air force can deliver at greater depth.

However, Russias tactical aviation has phased in new types of standoff-range guided weapons over the last year. For the VKSs Su-34 and Su-35S fighter-bombers (and by mid-2023, older Su-24 bombers, too), that most notably includes the UMPK satellite-guided glide bomb, a relatively cheap upgrade kit for standard FAB-500 M62 low-drag bombs. Allegedly, hundreds have been built since production began around October of 2022.

The UMPK mates a jam-resistant Kometa-M satellite-navigation system to fold-out wings, giving the dumb bomb a standoff range supposedly up to 43 miles (but likely less than that, according to aviation expert Piotr Bukowski). Inspired bybut cruder thanthe American JDAM bomb kit, UMPKs havent proven especially precise. They also appear prone to abruptly falling off aircraft, resulting in multiple explosions on Russian soil in March and April.

But they can be released by high-flying aircraft a safe distance from air defense on the frontline, or Ukraines border. And their large blast radius can still cause much chaos and destruction on Ukrainian border communities, barracks, and forward command posts, as well as disrupt ground forces massing for an attack.

A very rare video from the cockpit of a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 bomber of the moment of the launch of two FAB-500M62 UMPK guided bombs over Kherson Oblast of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/91KFgXqYXi  Status-6 (@Archer83Able) August 14, 2023

Russia is also apparently deploying lighter 551-pound class bombs with UMPK kits (see below), and is allegedly developing them for huge 3,307-lb. bombs as well.

  -250   .                250.                   pic.twitter.com/bgNV9n7rA3  Andrei_bt (@AndreiBtvt) July 7, 2023

At lower altitude, Russian helicopters are employing the new izdeliye 305 LMUR guided anti-tank missiles on single or double launcher-rails. The heavy 231-pound missile (including an unusually powerful 130-pound warhead), has a standoff range of 8.7 miles and can either be used in fire-and-forget mode (for closer targets using an optical/infrared seeker), or less precisely towards distant targets (using inertial and satellite guidance). In this maximum range mode, the missile transmits a video feed to a datalink attached to the helicopter, allowing the gunner to eventually designate a specific target once the missile is close enough to spot one.

Since June of 2022, dozens of videos show combat tests of LMUR by Russian Ka-52 and Mi-28NM attack helicopters, and specialized marks of the Mi-8 transport helicopter (the Mi-8MNP-2 and Mi-8AMTSh-VN special ops helicopters). Roughly 80% of these tests targeted static targets like buildings or bridges.

Video of Russian Mi-28MN attack helicopters launching Izdelie 305 LMUR missiles. The footage shows them operating with Mi-8AMTSh helicopters. https://t.co/rU8EnO9LUWhttps://t.co/q8DhBdQgq8 pic.twitter.com/kWTnPGepFD  Rob Lee (@RALee85) January 15, 2023

Using the LMURs maximum range requires some powerful eyes, either in the form of advanced sensors or spotters closer to the target. Russias new Ka-52M model attack helicopter appears to include an improved GOES-451M electro-optical sensor turret that can detect tanks up to 9.3 miles away, or 7.5 miles using the thermal channel. However, older models may struggle to fully leverage LMURs maximum range.

Alongside LMUR, Russian helicopters used the older 9M120 Ataka (AT-9 Spiral II) missile, radio-controlled missile (range 3.7 miles), and 9K121 Vikhr laser-beam riding guided missile (6-7.5 miles).

Meanwhile, for precision strikes at deeper targets like artillery and air defense, Russia is doubling down on one of its few undeniably successful new platformsthe Lancet-3 kamikaze dronewith acquisition of the target typically first performed by a longer-endurance Orlan-10 surveillance drone.

#Ukraine:A Ukrainian CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzer was destroyed by a Russian Lancet loitering munition in #Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The driver avoided the first drone, flipping over the SPH, but the second one managed to hit it later leading to the destruction of the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/FXAbn4EAtq   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 23, 2023

Despite maintaining a substantial miss rate and sometimes failing to destroy targets hit, footage of Lancet strikes confirms that they have destroyed or damaged dozens of artillery systemsincluding many Western ones delivered by NATOas well as air defenses.

A May report states that Lancets have become Russias preferred weapon for counter-battery attacks against Ukrainian artillery.

Attacking Beyond the Air Defense Umbrella

Another problem for Ukrainian forces is that, when they lunge towards Russian lines, theyre unavoidably distancing themselves from their own air defense umbrella.

Medium- and long-range air defense systems are high-value targets (both in a military and financial sense). Thus, both sides keep them miles behind the frontline to limit vulnerability to artillery and drones. And while long-range systems can threaten high-flying aircraft dozens of miles away, their radars are only likely to acquire low-flying helicopters and tactical jets at much shorter distances.

Many of these systemsespecially the heavier, trailer-based ones like the Soviet S-300PT and American Patriottakes substantial time to redeploy, during which period theyre both vulnerable to attack and unavailable to protect ground forces. Even many mobile systems cannot fire on the move, usually requiring a few minutes to set up and fire. This means thatsave for the most mobile short-range systemsthe medium-range/altitude air defense umbrella doesnt creep forward to protect attacking units until after the territory has been secured.

What About Ukraines Jets?

Recently, Ukraines manned aviation has been most prominently delivering strikes by Storm Shadow stealth cruise missiles furnished by the United Kingdom. But they are hemmed in by Russian interceptors and ground-based defenses when it comes to frontline operations.

Though Ukraines MiG-29 and Su-27 jets can try to dart towards the frontline to increase risks to Russian tactical aviation, patrols by overwatching Russian Su-35S and MiG-31BM jets armed with long-range R-37M missiles likely make such attempts excessively risky. Ukraines air force may prioritize preserving its corps of experienced fighter pilots while it awaits integration of F-16 jets armed with long-range AIM-120 air-to-air missiles.

Ukraine Doesnt Have Enough Short-Range Air Defenses

Short-range air defense (SHORAD) can be further divided between short range and very short range (VSHORAD)the latter constituting man-portable air defense missiles (or MANPADS) with a reach of 3-5 miles, as well as lighter MANPADS-armed vehicles like the Avenger Humvee and Stormer fighting vehicles donated to Ukraine. VSHORAD also covers self-propelled anti-aircraft guns like the German-built Gepard and Ukraines Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka and 2S6 Tunguska.

SERGEI SUPINSKY - Getty Images





Unfortunately, VSHORAD often lacks the reach to engage Russian helicopters using long-distance missiles. And Ukraine has received little in the way of longer-reaching mobile SHORAD systems, as theyre relatively rare in Western ground armies.

Ukrainians have successfully resorted to using longer-range anti-tank missiles against helicopters, notably the infrared-guided Javelin and laser-guided Stugna-P. Russian helicopters, ironically, become vulnerable to such attacks when compelled to hover in place for a long time while guiding their own long-distance anti-tank missiles to target.

However, anti-tank missiles are less likely to hit a helicopter performing evasive maneuvers, and introduction of better Missile Approach Warning systems on new Ka-52M helicopters may improve the odds that Russian pilots will become aware of the approaching threats in time to evade. Furthermore, the new LMUR missiles still far outrange even the anti-tank missiles.

Several additional stills, taken from the latest episode of Zvezda TV's "Sluzhu Rossii" series, that provide a closer look at the Ka-52M's port & starboard L418-5 DIRCM units, and at its forward port L418-2 UV missile warning sensor. https://t.co/0hnTuT6zx5 pic.twitter.com/h9NEulr2Tj  Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) August 11, 2023

A final issue is that Ukraine has committed many of its short-range systems to the defense of Kyiv and other major cities, due to Russias continual strategic terror attacks using low-flying missiles and kamikaze drones. Shifting Gepards and NASAMSs closer to the frontline would unavoidably involve a tradeoff resulting in less protection for Ukrainian civilians, and further expose those systems to enemy fire.

Wikimedia Commons

This has forced Ukraine to mostly rely on its Soviet legacy systems. These include the 1970s-vintage 9K33 Osa-AK and Osa-AKM (NATO codename SA-8B Gecko) with maximum ranges of 6 and 9 miles respectively, as well as a few restored first-generation 9K330 Tor systems (SA-15 Gauntlet and 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) low-to-medium range tracked SAMs, with ranges of 6-9 and 14 miles respectively. So far, Russian attacks have destroyed or captured 15 Ukrainian SA-8s.

What Can Ukraine Do About Russian Airpower?

Mitigating the effectiveness of Russian airpower is crucial for Ukraine. But actively whittling down Russian aviation is difficult, as aircraft can pick and choose their fights in a way that ground-based air defenses cant.

Still, there are ploys, such as sneakily redeploying long-range air defenses closer to carry out surprise ambushes of Russian warplanes cruising in airspace formerly thought to be safe. Ukraine pulled off such an ambush on May 13 by moving one of its newly-acquired Patriot air defense launchers close to the border and downing four VKS aircraft over Russian soil in a matter of minutes.

While even a successful air defense ambush may only knock out a handful of valuable aircraft, they may significantly shape operations going forward, as Russian mission planners plan more conservatively to account for risk of future frontline ambushes. But this is a risky tactic that exposes valuable air defense to counter attacks, and Ukraine hasnt tried this ploy again... so far.

Western military aid, meanwhile, should focus on mobile SHORAD systems, particularly those with longer reach than more abundant man-portable missile systems. Amongst the few example of such systems given to Ukraine are two Crotale-NG mobile batteries France supplied to Ukraine, effective out to eight miles, twelve mobile IRIS-T SLS launchers Germany plans to donate, and ASRAAM air-to-air missiles mounted on Supacat trucks suppliked by the UK which may have an effective range between 9-14 miles as profiled in an earlier article.

Wikimedia Commons

Poland has also provided some Osa-AKs, including their custom improved Osa-AKM Sting variant with modernized electrooptical sensors (to aid in drone detection) and digital systems. Slovakia and the Czech Republic plan to deliver four Kub-M2 batteries, each with a range of 14 miles.



However, executing such an ambush involves substantial risks for Ukraine too, as it involves placing valuable systems like Patriot, IRIST-T, or NASAMS in forward positions where theyre much more vulnerable to detection and destruction.

Ukraine must also look to deploying mobile assets that can cost-effectively shoot down Russias numerous medium-range Orlan-10 surveillance drones, which are cheap and deadly effective at calling in Russian artillery and Lancet kamikaze strikes on targets behind Ukrainian lines. At least three Orlan-10s were orbiting overhead during the battle of Mala Tomachka, which Ukrainian forces lacked the means to deal with.

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On Sept. 17, the Russian military shelled civilian infrastructure in Ukraines Velika Pysarivka community in Sumy Oblast with artillery, the region's military administration reported on Facebook.

As a result of the attack, a 47-year-old man was killed in the yard of his home and a 40-year-old woman was injured.

Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast borders with Russia and has been targeted daily by Russia since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022.

On Sept. 16, Russian forces shelled nine communities in Sumy Oblast, firing over 200 rounds from anti-tank guns, grenade launchers, artillery and mortars to target the Velyka Pysarivka community. The same day, the Krasnopillia community was targeted with unguided air-to-air rockets.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine liberates Andriivka; fighting ongoing in Klishchiivka

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian troops shelled a village of Mykilske in Kherson Oblast overnight on Sept. 17, hitting a medical facility, local authorities reported.

As a result of the attack, one of the hospitals buildings was damaged. No casualties have been reported yet.

Earlier on Sept. 16, Russian forces carried out an air strike on the city of Beryslav in Kherson Oblast, injuring a 63-year-old woman.

Nearly 15 homes were damaged as a result of the attack.

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: As counteroffensive presses forward in southeast, every meter costs a life

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
DHAKA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has planned to reduce the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs, a super-pollutant with huge global warming impacts, by 67.5 percent by 2025.

Bangladeshi Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin unveiled his government's plans for implementing the HFC "Phase Out Management Plan (Stage-2)" at a function in Dhaka on Sunday.

Authorities are working towards the phase-out of HFCs used in air conditioners, fire fighting and thermal foam sectors under the Montreal Protocol adopted to protect the ozone layer, he said at an event marking World Ozone Day 2023.

Bangladesh will enter a new era in the field of air cooler production through the implementation of the "Phase Out Management Plan (Stage-2)." said the minister while speaking as the chief guest. 
A grain storage and farmland were damaged by a combined Russian missile and suicide drone attack on Berezivs'kyi district of Ukraines Odesa Oblast in the early hours of Sept. 17, Odesa Oblast Military Administrations head Oleh Kiper wrote on his Telegram channel on Sept. 17.

A grain storage facility was hit during the attack.

Read also: Prosecutor Generals Office opens war crime investigation over drone attacks on Odesa Oblast

Emergency services were sent to the scene, but there were no reports of any casualties. Ukrainian air defenses in Odesa Oblast managed to destroy two enemy drones and five missiles, Kiper said. He also shared some photos of the aftermath of the attack

Russia attacked Ukraine in the early hours of Sept. 17 with 10 cruise missiles and six Shahed suicide drones. The Ukrainian Air Force said on its channel on the Telegram messenger app that Ukrainian air defenses had shot down all six Shaheds, and six out of cruise missiles.

Odesa Oblasts port infrastructure and food storage facilities have been frequent targets of the Russian attacks since Russia pulled out of a UN-Turkey-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain from three of its Black Sea Ports.

Read also: Russian drones strike Odesa Oblast infrastructure during overnight assault on Ukraine

Ukraine has since set up its own safe corridors through the Black Sea to its ports, which commercial shipping has started to use, despite Russian threats that it will attack cargo ships on the presumption that they are carrying weapons to Ukraine.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian troops shelled the village of Podoly in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast around 12:00 p.m. local time, hitting an apartment building, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Sept. 17. According to preliminary data, private homes and cars were also damaged.

Earlier today, four Russian S-300 missiles hit a civilian enterprise in the city of Kharkiv overnight.

The attack occurred at around 12:30 a.m., causing a fire, Kharkiv Oblast governor Oleh Syniehubov said. He did not provide any information on the casualties.

Russian troops reportedly attacked Kharkiv, Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiv, Kupiansk, and Izium districts across the Kharkiv Oblast throughout the weekend.

At around 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, Russian troops fired a guided anti-tank missile at a civilian car near the villages of Strilecha and Hlyboke. The attack killed a man and a woman who were in the car and injured a 72-year-old man, said Syniehubov.

A 23-year-old man was injured by Russian artillery fire in the village of Petropavlivka in the Kupiansk district, the governor added.

Due to its proximity to the Russian border, Kharkiv Oblast is subject to near-daily attacks.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine liberates Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast after months of heavy fighting

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The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that their air defence forces downed drones in occupied Crimea and the aggressor country's capital, Moscow.

Source: Russian Defence Ministry on Telegram; Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin on Telegram

Details: The Russian MoD claimed that its on-duty air defence systems shot down "two Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles off the west coast of Crimean Peninsula".

A drone of a similar type was also supposedly shot down "over the territory of the Istra district of Moscow Oblast".

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin alleged that early reports indicate no damage or injuries at the UAV crash site. "Emergency services are working at the scene," he added.

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The advance of Ukrainian troops in western Zaporizhzhya Oblast has probably forced the Russian command to prioritize defense in this area and redeploy elite units from near Bakhmut, reads the latest report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The report from the U.S.-based think-tank, released on Sept. 16, says that North Ossetian volunteer battalions Storm Ossetia and Alania, which operate in the west of Zaporizhzhya Oblast, published a photo on Sept. 16, showing a small detachment of the Russian 83rd Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade in Nesterianka, Zaporizhzhya Oblast.

Read also: Russians worried over vulnerability of defense lines as Ukrainian forces press south  ISW

At the end of June, units of this brigade were deployed to defend against a counter-offensive by the Ukrainian army in the vicinity of Klishchiyivka, near Bakhmut, and at the end of August they were seen fighting there.

According to reports, as of Sept. 11, units of the 83rd Brigade were still operating in the Bakhmut sector, but analysts say the brigade may have been divided between two different frontline areas.

ISW notes that in recent weeks, Klishchiyivka has been the center of fighting in the Bakhmut area, so the redeployment of elements of the 83rd Brigade from there amid the Ukrainian offensive shows Russia's deep concern about the Ukrainian army's advance in the western part of Zaporizhzhya Oblast and the priority of defense in this area for Russia.

Read also: Ukrainian forces push forward in counter-offensive, video shows soldiers capturing Russian trenches on souther

Earlier, analysts noted that Ukrainian counter-offensive operations on several fronts would force the Russian command to choose which frontline sector to favor and redeploy to.

The Ukrainian counter-offensive has thus entrenched several relatively elite Russian units in this area, including parts of the 98th Airborne Division, 83rd Airborne Brigade, 11th Airborne Brigade, 31st Airborne Brigade, 106th Airborne Division, and 364th GRU Special Forces Brigade.

Read also: Significance of Ukraines breakthrough near Tokmak and damage to Russian strategic aircraft  ISW

Analysts say that so far, the Russians have been reluctant to send these relatively elite units to help defend the western part of Zaporizhzhya Oblast. In addition, Ukrainian operations around Bakhmut appear to continue to prevent the Russian command from doing so on a larger scale.

ISW also reports that on Sept. 16, Ukrainian troops advanced in the western part of Zaporizhzhya Oblast and continued to penetrate deep into the Russian defense.

Photos published on Sept. 16 showed Ukrainian troops advancing along Russian defensive positions west of Robotyne.

Other footage from Sept. 15 showed Ukrainian infantry advancing further along a series of Russian defensive positions directly west of Verbove, but apparently failing to maintain control of these positions.

"The Ukrainian presence at these Russian defensive positions indicates that Russian forces do not control these positions either and that Ukrainian forces are continuing to operate past the Russian defensive layer," the analysts note.

ISW adds that Ukrainian forces have likely made a significant tactical breakthrough along a section of the current Russian defense line in the Robotyne area over the past few weeks, and continue to expand it.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A man has died and another man has been injured as a result of a tractor hitting a Russian mine in the Beryslav district in Kherson Oblast. One more man has died as a result of a Russian attack in the settlement of Tomyna Balka in the Bilozerka district.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin , head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "During field work a tractor hit a Russian mine. As a result of the explosion a 45-year old man received multiple injuries.

He suffered a shrapnel wound to the head, right eye; a blunt trauma of the stomach; chest injuries; shrapnel wounds of the limbs; as well as third degree burns. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition. Sadly, the man died on the way.

A 26-year old man was injured as well. He was taken to hospital in a moderate condition."

Details: Prokudin added that at about 14:50 the Russians struck the settlement of Tomyna Balka in the Bilozerka district in Kherson Oblast, killing a man.

"A man was injured in a Russian attack in his own backyard. His injuries turned out to be too serious. The medics who arrived at the scene only managed to call time of death," Prokudin reported.

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Russians have launched several groups of attack UAVs towards southern oblasts of Ukraine on Sunday evening.

Source: Ukrainian Air Force

Quote: "We have observed the launch of several enemy groups of attack UAVs from around the Chauda training ground (Crimea) and towards southern oblasts.

There is a possibility that an air-raid warning may be issued in the areas targeted by the attack UAVs. Proceed to the shelter in the event of an air-raid warning!"

Details: Subsequently, the Air Force reported a missile threat in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and the threat of the use of attack UAVs by the Russians in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts.

Later it became known that air defence is responding in Mykolaiv Oblast.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
Explosions rang out in Sevastopol on the night of September 13

Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory of Crimea and the Russian capital Moscow in the early hours of Sept. 17, the Russian Ministry of Defense and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on their Telegram channels.

The ministry said in a statement that Russian air defenses had shot down a Ukrainian airplane-type unmanned aerial vehicle over the Istra district of Moscow Oblast.

Read also: Ukrainian intelligence says drone strikes aim to topple production at Russian military companies, one after another

Russian media also reported that Moscows airports had been closed for some time due to the drone activity, leading to flight delays and cancelations.

As for Crimea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, two Ukrainian drones were shot down off the west coast of the peninsula.

Read also: Following failures, Russia recalibrates its air defense systems around Moscow

Sobyanin's channel, in turn, reports "a drone attack on Moscow in the Istra urban district." According to preliminary reports, there is no damage or wounded at the site of the crash.

Russia typically claims that it has shot down all attacking drones or disabled them with electronic warfare, but there is evidence that some drones do indeed reach their intended targets.

The targets struck include office buildings, military-industrial complex factories, security forces administration buildings, and most notably  the dome of the Senate Palace within the walls of Moscows Kremlin overnight on May 2-3.

Ukraine has also recently stepped up drone attacks on targets in Russia and the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine  in particular in Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, which Russia started to occupy in 2014.

During the night of Sept. 14, a Russian Triumf air defense system was destroyed near the Crimean city of Yevpatoriya. The attack was carried out by SBU drones and Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles, Ukrainian authorities said.

Read also: How destruction of Russian ships in Crimea may affect Moscows plans  expert interview

Before that, on Sept. 13, powerful explosions rocked occupied Sevastopol in the south west of the peninsula. The Russian occupation authorities claimed there had been an attack by missiles and maritime drones ("unmanned boats"). The Russian authorities said that a shipyard was struck, and that two ships that were allegedly "undergoing repairs" had been damaged.

Ukrainian intelligence said that the attack damaged a large landing ship, the Minsk, and a Kilo-class submarine, the Rostov-on-Don. The Ukrainian military said the vessels are beyond repair.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian forces attacked Odesa Oblast on the night of 16-17 September with missiles and drones, damaging agricultural infrastructure facilities, said Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration.

Source: Kiper on Telegram

Quote: "There are hits in Berezivka district.

Russian terrorists damaged agricultural infrastructure facilities, both farmland and a granary."

Details: The authorities say no civilians were injured.

Ukraines Air Force shot down five missiles and two Shahed drones in the area.

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!
ISTANBUL, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Three people are missing, and one person has been rescued after a firefighting helicopter crashed while tackling a forest fire in the western Turkish port city of Izmir, local media reported on Sunday.

Citing a statement from Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli, the NTV broadcaster said the helicopter crashed in the Menderes district at 11.53 p.m. local time (2053 GMT) on Saturday.

Yumakli said that the helicopter smashed into the Tahtali Dam, from which it was taking water.

The NTV said one pilot with Kyrgyz nationality had been rescued after the crash, but the search and rescue operation was looking for two other pilots and one engineer on board.

Three helicopters with night vision were on duty to battle the fire, it added.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that two AS-532 type helicopters of the Land Forces Command had joined in the fire-extinguishing efforts in Menderes. It was not immediately clear whether the crashed helicopter was one of them. 
The Sacramento Police Department said it has located an at-risk man who went missing Friday in the downtown area.

The 85-year-old was located and safe, police said in a Sunday update, after he had left home around noon Friday with his light blue bicycle that has three baskets attached to it.

He was considered at-risk due to medical conditions.
Former President Donald Trump s plan to end Russias war in Ukraine has a telling supporter: Russian President Vladimir Putin . And Trump is welcoming the praise.

President Putin said, quote, We surely hear that Mr. Trump says he will resolve all burning issues within several days, including the Ukrainian crisis. We cannot help but feel happy about it. What do you make of that? Do you welcome this support? NBCs Kristen Welker asked Trump during an interview on Meet the Press.

Well, I like that he said that. Because that means what I'm saying is right, Trump said in the interview that aired Sunday.

The current GOP front runner has said he would end the war in Ukraine in one day  a promise that has sparked concern from Ukrainian leaders, who fear that Trumps simplistic plan would involve the U.S. attempting to cede Ukrainian land to Russia.

Putins unprovoked invasion into Ukraine has been widely condemned and fought against by the U.S. and its Western allies.



During the interview, Trump touted what he described as a positive relationship with Putin, while claiming that there was nobody tougher than me on Russia.

I got along with Putin. Let me tell you, I got along with him really well. And that's a good thing, not a bad thing, Trump said. He's got 1,700 nuclear missiles. And so do we. But, look, that's a good thing. Getting along is OK. But I got along through strength.

Trump drew criticism for sometimes siding with Putin during his presidency. At a summit in Helsinki in 2018, Trump said he believed Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies when he said Russia had not meddled in American elections. "President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be," he said.
When Sarah Al Amiri grew up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), space wasnt something that sheor really anyone elsepaid that much attention to. Thats something that you might take for granted if you grew up in, say, the U.S. or Russia where space exploration is embedded into the cultural fabric of the country. But in the UAE, a country that was just 16 years old when Amiri was born, space just wasnt a priority.

When you grow up in the U.S., you already have those space programs there, Al Amiri told The Daily Beast. We didnt have even a semblance of that when I was growing up. It was something you thought of as a fascinationnot a career choice.

Its ironic then that she would go on to not only become the Minister of State for Science but also the first chairwoman of the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA). She deserved it, too. After all, she had helped lead the UAESAs Mars Hope mission to the red planet as the projects science lead.

Since then, Amiri has been helping lead the UAESA into even more ambitious moonshot projectsincluding literally going to the moon. In April, the agency sent a rover to the lunar surface with the Japanese private aerospace company ispace. While the lander ended up crashing on the moonand, with it, the UAESAs roverAmiri said that the mission only doubled the agencys resolve to try again and go even further.

472313452 Amiri at a ceremony to unveil the Mars Hope mission on May 6, 2015, in Dubai. Since then, Amiri has been helping lead the UAESA into even more ambitious moonshot projects. Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty

The team certainly has their work cut out for them in their next moonshot too: the UAESA is partnering with the University of Colorado Boulder to launch a mission to the asteroid belt in 2028. The project is arguably a much more daunting undertaking than making it to Mars because the asteroid belt is much farther away (sitting between Mars and Jupiter), and the team will have to contend with the hostile and ever-changing dynamic of the belt.

Amiri sat down with The Daily Beast for a quick chat about the asteroid belt mission, the boom of commercial space projects, and whether or not she thinks aliens existand have already visited Earth.

(This interview has been edited for clarity and length)

While other space agencies seem to be very focused on establishing a presence on the moon and Mars, the UAESAs next major project is going to be the asteroid belt. Why there?

We were putting together what we wanted to do after getting to Mars and we asked, Whats next? Is it going to be around big moonshots to be a catalyst for transformation and change from the country [like the Mars Hope mission]? Is it going to drive opportunities within commercial space?

The asteroid belt made sense in terms of the future of space. We could research space resources for future human exploration and the origins of water-based asteroids. At the same time, it stretched our technological ability to a certain point where we could use portions of the design of the Emirates Mars mission and add on new developments. That creates an interesting environment for developing science and technology capabilities. So, it just hit a nice sweet spot for scientific potential and technological capabilities.

We Found the Building Blocks of Life Hiding in Asteroid Dust

Are there any plans for the next big moonshot after this one?

You get to a point where you keep on thinking of budgets and risk delivery, so I havent opened up the realm of thinking about it. [laughs] For me, its more about sustainability in terms of what is going to be developed. One is a sustained exploration mission, where were able to turn around two or three exploration missions, and develop them in conjunction. Two is a very robust commercial space industry that is supplying spacecrafts for Earth observation purposes and at a rapid pace.

And Id love to see ripple effects start happening within our ecosystem in our other sectors as well. Were learning quite a lot from the policies that have been implemented in the space sector like biotech is something that were investing in greatly. So space has catalyzed a lot of change, not only in the space sector in the UAE, but its also catalyzed an interesting ripple effect in terms of the aspirations of moving forward our other industrial sectors in the country.

I think its interesting that you keep going back to the commercial aspect and opportunities for the space program.

Its a global aspect really because commercial space has been untapped, and so several government entities like NASA and other space agencies around the world are all starting to rely on outsourcing a lot of the requirements to third parties. This frees up resources for more cutting-edge innovative technologies. And this is a natural progression. It means that the space sector globally is healthy and can form a symbiotic ecosystem with the public and private.

Can This Private Mars Mission Find Aliens Before Theyre Lost Forever?

With the growth of private aerospace companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, were seeing a lot more commercial opportunities in spacelargely backed by private entities. How do you envision the future of the UAESAs partnership with private companies?

We work very well with the private sector today, we also work with individuals that want to start off their businesses in the private sector. For example, some individuals who were a part of our previous missions have now started their companies, and theyre now developing the mission concept of the lander that will be onboard our mission to the asteroid belt.

Weve also enabled quite a few companies to develop projects for Earth observationespecially for monitoring and fighting climate change. Weve also worked on developing programs to ensure that were engaging more companies in helping develop our spacecrafts. This can range from things like harnesses, mechanical parts, and so on.

I have to ask: With the entire world seeming to have gone crazy over UFO sightings recently, do you believe aliens exist?

Yeah, I do. It doesnt make sense that were the only living beings out there.

NASAs UFO Report Shows Theyre Serious About Finding Aliens

Do you think these UFOs are aliens visiting us, though?

If you factor in statistical repeatability, and if you factor in the timeline of the universe, and you factor in where we exist in that timeline and the formation of planets and that distance to be traveled to get to us I dont know if there isnt any kind of technology that is able to visit Earth. This is within the context of time with the understanding of evolution, and with our understanding of what life looks like.

So I dont know if those are alien interventionsbut logic says that it requires quite a lot for an alien species to be able to get to Earth from whichever solar system they come from, considering the vastness of space and time. So yes, there is probably alien life, but some of it depends on our understanding of what life is.

There might be life out there that is completely different from what we understand or what we can construe as life. And at the same time, our lifetime [as humans] is non-consequential in the larger space of universe time. So you dont know where aliens existed and at what point of time it existsand for how long.

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Sea ice levels in Antarctica are at an all-time low, the National Snow and Ice Data Center reports.

A researcher from the NSIDC told the BBC these levels are "mind-blowing."

Levels of sea ice in the region have reached record minimums this year, like in 2017 and 2022.

Sea-ice levels in Antarctica reached a record low in mid-September, satellite imagery from the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows.

Sea ice, the water that freezes on the surface of the sea in the Arctic and Antarctic hemispheres, has been decreasing in both regions.

In Antarctica, sea ice levels reached record lows at least twice in 2023 after record minimums were detected in 2017 and 2022.

"It's so far outside anything we've seen, it's almost mind-blowing," Walter Meier, senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center, told the BBC.

An unstable Antarctica could have far-reaching consequences for Earth's climate, forcing global temperatures to rise with potentially devastating consequences for humanity, scientists warn.

Chart showing the levels of sea ice in Antarctica. National Snow and Ice Data Center

Understanding the extent of climate crisis in Antarctica has been challenging for scientists. The region is 1.5 times the size of the US, and there's a lack of historical information.

"When I started studying the Antarctic 30 years ago, we never thought extreme weather events could happen there," Prof Martin Siegert, a glaciologist at the University of Exeter, told the BBC. But scientists seem to be changing their mind.

Antarctica has been affected by global warming in many ways  it's seen record temperature increases of 3.2C (37.76F) since the 1950s, over three times more than the global average. Its ocean is also heating more rapidly than the rest of the world, and its ice shelves are melting six times faster than in the 1980s, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.

The behavior of sea ice in the region has shifted widely since the beginning of the 20th century. After a decline in the early 1900s, it began increasing again, and in recent years, both record highs and record lows have been detected, the BBC reported in February. In 2018, for example, a NASA report said some parts of the region were gaining ice.

But recent record lows are a cause for concern.

A report published in Nature links the recent record lows in sea-ice levels to the rise in the ocean's temperature, saying that the ice is essentially melting from below.

Report co-authors Ed Doddridge and Ariaan Purich told Australia's ABC News that this year's level in sea ice is about 930,000 square miles less than the maximum coverage usually seen in September and that these changes may be irreversible.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) announced on Friday, September 15, 2023, it has acquired Owamni, the award-winning modern Indigenous full service restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. The James Beard Award-winning restaurant was previously owned by Ghost Dancer, LLC, a company co-owned by Sean Sherman (Oglala Sioux) and Dana Thompson .

Together, Sherman and Thompson branded The Sioux Chef and launched NATIFS, the Tatanka Truck food truck and Owamni.

Moving Owamni into the NATIFS family fulfills the original vision, making the longevity of Owamni more possible while focusing on mission over profit, NATIFS founder and executive director Sean Sherman said in a statement. This acquisition seamlessly integrates into our broader vision, offering new possibilities for guest chef events, exchanges, and the expansion of Owamni into a training center.

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.

NATIFS was founded in 2017 as a non-profit organization and is dedicated to addressing economic and health crises in Indigenous communities by revitalizing Native foodways through education, training, and partnership with Indigenous food providers. NATIFS launched Indigenous Food Lab Market earlier this year in June, in Minneapoliss Midtown Global Market, as an extension of NATIFS Indigenous Food Labs, which was launched at the same location in 2020.

Sean Sherman's operations, including Owamni, employs more than 130 people, with the most people identifying as Indigenous. (Photo/Darren Thompson)

The Indigenous Food Lab Market is a pilot program, Sherman told Native News Online in June, and efforts to launch similar markets in various regions throughout the country are on the horizon. The market showcases packaged food products from Indigenous vendors and features a hot food bar, grab-and-go food items, and an education studio that provides training and education of how to prepare, and cook, Indigenous foods.

Together with the Indigenous Food Lab, the Indigenous Food Labs Market, the Tatanka Truck (a food truck launched in 2015 and is now parked outside Owamni that serves Indigenous foods from local Indigenous ingredients), and now Owamni, Sherman intends to continue to address economic and health crises in Indigenous communities by revitalizing Native foodways.

By multiplying Indigenous food opportunities, we can drive direct economic development benefits and improve access to nutritious foods in communities disproportionately affected by food-related health disparities, Sherman said. Owamni already uses many Indigenous-produced foods, so we can continue to build opportunities for Indigenous food-related enterprises to thrive.

Smoked bison ribeye with braised local greens and sweet potato mash is one of many dishes served at Owamni. (Photo/Darren Thompson)

Owamni made its debut in 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and earned Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation in 2022. It is the first Indigenous restaurant, led by the Oglala Lakota Chef Sherman, to receive the acknowledgement. A year after Owamni opened, the State of Minnesota declared July 19 as Owamni Day on the restaurants first year anniversary in 2022.

Owamni was previously a for-profit company, the Sioux Chef, run by Sherman and Dana Thompson; the pair also co-founded NATIFS. With the acquisition, Owamni becomes a non-profit, full-service all Indigenous restaurant that serves food with ingredients harvested by Indigenous people from the Western hemisphere.

Revenue generated by the restaurant will directly support programs that benefit Native people and communities. In total, operations belonging to Sherman now employ more than 130 people, with the majority identifying as Indigenous.

About the Author: "Darren Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) is a staff reporter for Native News Online who is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Thompson has reported on political unrest, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous issues for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Indian Country Today, Native News Online, Powwows.com and Unicorn Riot. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Voice of America on various Indigenous issues in international conversation. He has a bachelor\u2019s degree in Criminology & Law Studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "

Contact: dthompson@nativenewsonline.net
A search is underway for a South Carolina man after a an attack and shooting outside of a Midlands home left one person hospitalized, the Sumter Police Department said.

Quanlik Shameek Moqwell Kennedy, a 24-year-old Sumter resident, is wanted after a 31-year-old man was attacked and shot outside of his Clement Road home, police said in a news release.

The attack happened early Saturday morning, according to the release.

At about 2:30 a.m., officers responded to Prisma Health Tuomey hospital, where a man who had been shot multiple times was brought in by a private vehicle, police said.

He was later taken to a hospital in Columbia where he is in stable condition and is expected to recover, according to the release.

Officers said an investigation shows the victim was in the front yard of his home when a car pulled up. Kennedy and up to four others got out of the car, charged the victim and attacked him before Kennedy fired shots, and then they drove off, police said.

Information about a motive for the attack, and if Kennedy had a prior relationship with the victim, was not available. Police said they consider the attack an isolated incident.

No other injuries were reported.

Anyone who sees Kennedy, or knows where he can be found, is asked to call police at 803-436-2700, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
Seattle mayor Bruce Harrell reportedly apologised to the members of the Indian community amid outrage over a police officer joking about the death of a university student.

Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was thrown 100 feet after being hit by the vehicle while on a crosswalk at the Northeastern University Seattle campus in January.

Kevin Dave, the officer responsible, was driving at 74mph in a 25mph zone. The student from India later died that night from her injuries.

"As a Mayor of Seattle, I want you to know that our community is heartbroken and mourns alongside your families, friends and everyone who shared the privilege of knowing Jaahnavi," the mayor wrote in a letter addressed to the student's parents.

"I want to be clear that the comments made by one person does not reflect the feelings of our city or the communities that call it home," he added.

The police force faced backlash after a bodycam video made public earlier this week showed officer Daniel Auderer, who was dispatched to the crash scene, describing the incident and laughing.

No, its a regular person  yeah, yeah, just write a check. $11,000. She was 26 [sic] anyway. She had limited value, he says on the video.

The video has been referred to the Seattle Office of Police Accountability for investigation into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation that might be implicated, a statement confirmed.

A memorial for Jaahnavi Kandula (AP)

About 20 people representing the Indian community met mayor Harrell and police chief Adrian Diaz on Saturday, seeking more respect and a cultural change in the city.

"Members of the Indian community have come together because of the unfortunate and insensitive remarks I believe were made," the mayor said, according to NDTV.

"We are making sure that our apology as city officials is felt to your community and family, my condolences for your loss."

Members of the South Asian community marched on Saturday evening to the site where Kandula was struck by the police officer, demanding an investigation into the student's death.

The protesters held signs that said Jaahnavi had more value than SPD and Justice for Jaahnavi, jail killer cops".

"I think this has galvanized people because its 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 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.

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, DC, and that it wants a thorough investigation and action against those involved.

The US State Department in a statement called the situation disturbing.

We are aware of, and are disturbed by, what was said about Ms. Kandulas 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. Kandulas family and loved ones.

The Seattle Police Officers Guild said 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.

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.
Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott talked about his girlfriend at an Iowa campaign stop, reflecting on his upbringing and his faith as he addressed his relationship.

Scott attended the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual fall banquet in Des Moines on Saturday, typically a cant-miss event for GOP White House hopefuls. At the event, Scott spoke to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird about COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other policies, but she also asked if there was a special lady in his life, other than his mother.

"Yes," Scott, the only unmarried Republican presidential candidate, told Bird, calling his girlfriend "a lovely Christian girl before joking to the crowd at the event Can we just pray together for me?

But the South Carolina lawmaker added As a guy who was raised in a single-parent household mired in poverty, I understand the devastation when a family breaks up. I had to live with the consequences of a father who was not there. I made a commitment to make sure that never happened in my life.

Im so thankful to know a risen savior that has helped guide my way, and Im so thankful that hes allowed my life to intersect at the right time with the right person. And I just say, praise the living God, he said.

2024 Tim Scott, a Christian 'above all other things': How a Ten Commandments fight shaped him

The question came after Scott confirmed he was dating his girlfriend, who has not been publicly identified, to The Washington Post. He called speculation about his relationship from other campaigns a way to "sow seeds of doubt about his presidential bid.

To say that, That guy isnt one of us, Scott told The Post.

Its like a different form of discrimination or bias, Scott said. You cant say Im Black, because that would be terrible, so find something else that you can attack.

Scott has made his faith a cornerstone not only of his presidential campaign but also of his entire political career.

"I see myself first as a biblical leader and not as a Republican or conservative leader," Scott said during a 2020 video conference with students at Bob Jones University.

"I am first a Christian," he added. "And it is the thing I have chosen to be above all other things."

Contributing: Phillip Bailey, USA TODAY; The Des Moines Register; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Tim Scott dating? Senator jokes about girlfriend at Iowa event
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 17)  The House of Representatives is set to start the plenary debates on the proposed 5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 on Sept. 19 with the goal of approving it this month.

Plenary debates on Tuesday would be on the budgets of the Department of Finance, Department of Tourism, and National Economic and Development Authority, and some offices under the Office of the President (OP), according to a statement released by the office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday.

On Wednesday, discussions would be on the budgets of the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Elections, Commission on Human Rights, Department of National Defense, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, and more agencies under the OP.

The House will discuss the spending proposals of the judiciary, Department of Justice, Department of Agrarian Reform, Presidential Communications Office, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and state universities and colleges on Thursday.

The budgets of Congress, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Interior and Local Government, including their attached agencies, and funding support for several government corporations will be tackled on Friday.

Deliberations will continue on Sept. 25 when the budgets of the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and additional OP agencies will be tackled.

"Proposed appropriations for the OP, Office of the Vice President, Department of Education, Metro Manila Development Authority, and Dangerous Drugs Board and several other OP agencies, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be tackled on Sept. 26," according the office of Romualdez.

The last day of deliberation is Sept. 27, but sessions would continue until Sept. 29 if needed.

"To be taken up are funding proposals for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Transportation, Department of Budget and Management, and lump-sum appropriations," the office of Romualdez said.

Lawmakers are on track to expeditiously approve the budget submitted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before Congress goes on recess later this month, and the bill would be sent to the Senate as soon as it is approved, it added.

RELATED: Plenary debates on 2024 budget bill to start on Sept. 19
So far this September, the San Luis Obispo County Airport daytime high temperatures have averaged 80 degrees, which is normal at this time of the year.

The overnight low temperatures are running 5 degrees warmer than usual at nearly 60 degrees, primarily due to the abundant amount of subtropical moisture that has been streaming over our area and acting like a blanket during the night.

The Paso Robles Airport has seen slightly cooler daytime highs than typical at 86.5 degrees; usually, this location sees a high of 90 degrees. Similar to San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles has seen the average overnight low running about four degrees warmer than usual.

An upper-level low-pressure system off the Central California coastline will continue to produce gentle to moderate (8 to 18 mph) northwesterly (onshore) winds, extensive night and morning marine low clouds with pockets of fog and mist, clearing back to the ocean during the afternoon. High temperatures on Sunday through Wednesday will reach the low 80s in the inland valleys (Paso Robles) and low to mid-70s in the coastal valleys (San Luis Obispo). The beaches will remain in the 60s.

A weak cold front will move through San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with drizzle in the coastal regions and cooler conditions. In fact, the inland valleys will need help to reach the high 70s, while the coastal valleys will only reach the high 60s. Due to warmer-than-average seawater temperatures, the beaches will remain in the 60s on Thursday into Friday.

Increasing northwesterly winds on Saturday through next Sunday will produce a more significant amount of clearing and slightly warmer temperatures.

There is still no indication of any significant Santa Lucia (northeasterly/offshore) wind events developing through the end of September.

Surf report

A 3- to 5-foot northwesterly (300-degree, deep-water) swell (with an 8- to 11-second period) is expected along our coastline on Sunday through Monday, increasing to 4 to 6 feet (with an 8- to 15-second period) Tuesday into Thursday. This northwesterly swell will lower to 3 to 5 feet (with an 8- to 12-second period) Friday. Increasing northwesterly winds on Saturday through next Sunday will generate increasing northwesterly sea and swell.

Combined with this northwesterly swell will be a 1- to 2-foot Southern Hemisphere (200-degree, deep-water) swell (with a 13- to 15-second period) Tuesday through Friday.

Seawater temperatures will range between 58 and 60 degrees through Sunday, increasing to 61 to 63 degrees on Monday through Friday.

This weeks temperatures





LOWS AND HIGHS, PASO ROBLES

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN 54, 80 53, 80 52, 81 53, 84 52, 77 53, 78 54, 79 55, 83

LOWS AND HIGHS, SAN LUIS OBISPO AND COASTAL VALLEYS

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN 57, 72 56, 72 55, 73 56, 72 55, 67 55, 68 56, 70 57, 71

John Lindsey is a retired PG&E marine meteorologist. Email him at JohnLindseyLosOsos@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @PGE_John.
(NEXSTAR)  Billy Miller, an actor best known for his roles in soap operas like  The Young and the Restless  and General Hospital has died, his manager told Variety.

He was 43, but would have turned 44 on Sunday, Sept. 17.

The actor was struggling with manic depression when he died, his manager said.

Millers acting credits list more than 700 episodes of The Young and the Restless (2008-2014) and nearly 600 episodes of General Hospital (2014-2019), plus smaller parts in Suits and the movie American Sniper.

He was nominated for both of his major soap opera roles, and won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series three times.

In addition to his busy acting career, Miller also owned restaurants in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Miller died in Austin, Texas, Variety reports. No cause of death was given.

Help is available for those who need support with mental health. You can call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org, to speak with a counselor.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
FILE - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 20, 2022 at U.N. headquarters. South Koreas President Yoon said the international community will unite more tightly to cope with deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, as he pushes to raise the issue with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Koreas president said the international community will unite more tightly to cope with deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, as he plans to raise the issue with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week.

Worries about Russian-North Korean ties have flared since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia last week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin and to tour a slew of high-profile military and technology sites. Foreign experts speculate Kim could refill Russias ammunition inventory drained in its 18-month war with Ukraine in return for economic aid and technologies to modernize his weapons systems targeting South Korea and the U.S.

Military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is illegal and unjust as it contravenes U.N. Security Council resolutions and various other international sanctions, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press before his departure to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

The international community will unite more tightly in response to such a move, he said.

In his address Wednesday at the annual U.N. gathering, Yoon will speak about his assessment of the Russian-North Korean moves, according to his office in South Korea, which added it is discussing countermeasures with the U.S., Japan and other partners.

While Russian-North Korean cooperation is feared to fuel Russias war efforts in Ukraine, it has also stoked security jitters in South Korea, where many think a Russian transfer of sophisticated weapons technologies would help North Korea acquire a functioning spy satellite, a nuclear-powered submarine and more powerful missiles. Some experts still say North Korea would end up receiving food and cash in return for supplying ammunition and shells because Russia closely guards its high-tech weapons technologies.

North Koreas advancing nuclear arsenal has been a major source of tensions in the region, with the North openly threatening to use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with its rivals and conducting a barrage of missile tests since last year. In response, Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden in April agreed to expand joint military exercises, increase the temporary deployments of U.S. strategic assets and launch a bilateral nuclear consultative group.

Our two countries (South Korea and the U.S.) reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response that will bring about the end of the regime, Yoon said.

Going forward, (South Korea)-U.S. extended deterrence will develop into a joint system in which both countries discuss, decide and act together, he said. We will also enhance the ability to deter and respond to any nuclear or missile threat from North Korea.

Since entering Russia last Tuesday in his first foreign travel in 4 1/2 years, Kim has inspected some of Russia's most advanced weapons systems including nuclear-capable bombers, fighter jets, hypersonic missiles and a warship. During a summit with Putin at Russia's most important space launch center on Wednesday, Kim vowed "full and unconditional support for Putin.

Some South Koreans call on their government to consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine in retaliation against Russia's possible weapons technology transfers. But South Korea's Defense Ministry said its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remained unchanged.

Yoon recently announced South Korea will provide an additional $300 million to Ukraine next year, on top of the $150 million promised this year. He said South Korea will prepare for a mid- to long-term support package worth more than $2 billion.

South Korea has provided Ukraine with demining equipment, emergency evacuation vehicles, pickup trucks, medical supplies, tablet PCs and other items. Yoon said in the coming year South Korea will continue to communicate closely with Ukraine to send it what is truly needed.

Since taking office last year, Yoon, a conservative, has made a bolstered military alliance with the U.S. the heart of his foreign policy while pushing to move beyond history disputes with Japan  Koreas former colonial ruler  and expand a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation. That has triggered concerns that South Korea's relations with China, its biggest trading partner, will be hurt.

Yoon dismissed such a notion, saying the trilateral cooperation harbors no intention of marginalizing any particular nation or establishing an exclusive coalition.

Citing his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping last November and Premier Li Qiang this month, both on the margins of regional gatherings, Yoon said he learned that China also attaches importance to (South Korea)-China relations.

During their November meeting, Yoon said Xi expressed his willingness to visit South Korea when the COVID-19 pandemic situation stabilized. Yoon said Li and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had also expressed their support for resuming a trilateral Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo summit in South Korea for the first time in four years.

All three countries  the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan  share a common understanding that it is important for China to play a responsible and constructive role not only in resolving pending issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the region but also in addressing global challenges, Yoon said.

In his U.N. speech, Yoon said that he'll also raise the issue of gaps in three areas  development, climate responses and digital transformation  and present how South Korea will contribute to resolving them. Yoon said that as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024-25 term, he'll also mention that South Korea will play a responsible role on security issues that require international solidarity like the war in Ukraine and the North Korean nuclear program.

While in New York, Yoon said he will hold bilateral summits with the leaders of about 30 countries. Yoon said he'll try to use those summits to discuss bilateral cooperation and explain South Kore's hopes to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, South Korea's second-biggest city.
Protesters hoisted signs reading Schools are for learning not lockdown and Protect children not guns as Childish Gambinos This is America rang out across Halifax Mall Sunday afternoon.

A crowd of about 80 students, parents and lawmakers had gathered to demand stricter gun laws just days after UNC-Chapel Hill was forced into lockdown for a second time this semester due to an armed person on campus.

I am ashamed, state Sen. Natalie Murdock told the crowd. We are failing you as legislators.

Murdock, a Democrat representing Durham and Chatham Counties in the General Assembly, said she was saddened to hear about the recent gun violence at her alma mater.

Protester with sign at Halifax Mall on Sept. 17, 2023.

On Aug. 28, professor Zijie Yan was shot and killed at Caudille Labs on UNCs campus, sending the school into a multi-hour lockdown.

Just 16 days later, UNC went into lockdown again after a man brandished a gun and threatened an employee at Alpine Bagel, a campus cafe.

Young people are tired of fearing for our lives while just trying to go to class or work, said Dorian Palmer, president of the Young Democrats of North Carolina. Were tired of being the Lockdown Generation.

Days after the shooting at UNC, students demanded stricter gun laws at the state Capitol and were escorted out of the building.

Palmer urged young people to vote out legislators who ignore public calls for stricter gun laws.

Multiple speakers, including state Sen. Rachel Hunt and state Rep. Wiley Nickels condemned their Republican colleagues for not acting to tighten state gun policy.

As rain poured down on the crowd, the keynote speaker took the stage to thunderous applause and cheers.

Rep. Justin Jones speaking on Halifax Mall.

Rep. Justin Jones of Tennessee rose to national attention earlier this year when he and two of his colleagues were expelled from the Tennessee Capitol for speaking up against Republican lawmakers who opposed gun reform in the aftermath of the Covenant school shooting.

As Jones took the stage, he invited all the young people present to stand behind him. Together, he said, Gen Z will be the generation to curb gun violence in America.

Stand with us. Fight with us, Jones said. Get in good trouble because the cycle must be broken.

Protesters stood on Halifax Mall to call for gun reform on Sept. 17.

Jones and other speakers frequently took aim at Republican lawmakers who receive financial support from gun lobbying groups.

I want the Republicans in North Carolina, in Tennessee, in the South to know this: That you may hate us. You may attack us. But we are fighting for your children too, he said.

On the same day as the rally, Lt. Gov Mark Robinson raffled off two Glock handguns and an AR-15 at a campaign event in Mt. Gilead.

Whether its the North Carolina Capitol or the Tennessee Capitol, it seems the GOP stands for the same thing: guns over people, Jones said.

Jones spoke of the need for southern solidarity as similar gun violence issues plague states across the region. He said he believes there is power in a South unified against gun violence, poverty, inequality, oppression and poor access to health care.

Southern segregationists had a saying that The South will rise again, Jones said. I want you to look at this stage and say, We have a new mandate: The South will rise anew.
(NEXSTAR)  Depending on where you live, you may have come face to face (literally, they have flown into peoples faces) with the spotted lanternfly. The invasive species has been detected in more than a dozen states. If it hasnt reached yours yet, do you need to be concerned?

The short answer, as you may have guessed, is yes. But, you cant exactly prepare for the lanternflys arrival either.

The spotted lanternfly is native to China and was first reported in the U.S. in 2014. A Pennsylvania forester noticed the bug, pictured below, found one in the southeastern portion of his state. The bug has since spread to at least 13 other states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.

New to that list are Michigan, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. Dead lanternflies were found in Michigan as early as 2018 but its first live infestation was confirmed in August 2022, as was Rhode Islands. An infestation was confirmed in North Carolina a month early. Experts in the state said that, based on its size, the insects could have been there for a couple of years before being reported.

The spotted lanternfly feasts off of fruit, ornamental, and woody trees, especially the tree of heaven, a fellow invasive species native to China, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Specifically, the spotted lanternfly feeds on sap from over 70 different plant species, PennState Extension explains.

Shannon Powers, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, tells Nexstar that spotted lanternflies will shoot out that sap as what entomologists call honeydew. Its part of the reason why the insects are so destructive  that honeydew can coat leaves, like those on grape plants, and block photosynthesis, thereby stressing the plant.

Dont be mesmerized  you should kill this dazzling bug

This, for example, poses a threat to the wine industries across many states, like New York and Michigan.

Even if your state hasnt yet seen a spotted lanternfly, the USDA considers most at risk for infiltration. Excluded are nearly a dozen states: Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

At best, the spotted lanternfly can only travel about a mile on its own, and thats if it gets some help from the wind, Powers explains. Otherwise, it depends on its hitchhiking ability to move around, taking road trips on vehicles, trailers, outdoor equipment, or even hiking humans. While there is no guaranteed way to keep the bug from spreading into new states and regions, but keeping it from finding a ride in the first place can help.

Thats why states already facing infestation, like Pennsylvania, have taken steps to limit the bugs travel options. The Commonwealth requires certain companies to obtain an SLF Permit it they transport regulated items within or out of areas quarantined for the bug. Companies located within areas with spotted lanternfly populations are also required to get a permit to bring regulated articles into Pennsylvania.

During fall, the spotted lanternflies are in their adult phases and are searching for areas to lay their mud-like egg masses. Its not uncommon to find those egg masses on trees or man-made surfaces like grills, vehicles, outdoor machinery, or any other outdoor area.

If you find a spotted lanternfly or an egg mass in an area where the bug has already been detected, like Pennsylvania or New York, you should destroy them. Stomping or otherwise squishing the adult bug will do, while the egg masses take a bit more work. Youll need to crush the masses even and watch for it to burst open  thats how you know its been done properly. PennState Extension recommends scraping the egg mass into a bag or container of hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol, and then disposing of the bag or container.

If you find either the bug or its eggs in an area where it hasnt yet been detected, you should at least take a photo of it first, noting where you found it. Then, if youre able to, catch it in a container. PennState recommends trying to collect it in a container of hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill and preserve it.

Traps can also be set to catch and kill the invasive bug.

If allowed to spread, the spotted lanternfly could seriously impact the countrys grape, orchard, and logging industries. However, researchers have found a promising sign  the spotted lanternfly may not be as damaging to some hardwood trees as originally thought. Pennsylvania State University researchers recently released results of a study showing that while the spotted lanternfly will feast on native trees like the silver maple and weeping willow, reducing growth, the trees are able to recover over time.

Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a proposal to address the bugs spread. No action has yet been taken on the bill.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Sir Keir Starmer has met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a trip to Montreal, in a visit that has seen him stress the importance of border security.

The Labour leader is in Canada for a summit of political leaders, as he seeks to burnish his image on the world stage.

Norways premier Jonas Gahr Store and Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, are among the other leading names at the event for progressive politicians this weekend.

After the talks with Mr Trudeau, Sir Keir is expected to visit to Paris next week to meet French president Emmanuel Macron.

A Labour spokesperson said that Sir Keir and Mr Trudeau discussed the moment is now for progressive governments, in response to the pace of change people across the world are facing.

They added: The two leaders discussed the opportunity presented by a transition to clean energy, for jobs, investment and the economy.

They talked about the power of rules-based collaboration and the role of active, muscular centre-left governments in providing the answers to modern public challenges.

The visit to Canada has seen the Labour leader push the importance of securing Britains borders, calling it an acute security concern.

He has also warned of the joint challenges that make up an axis of instability both in the UK and internationally.

Speaking at an event alongside the Norwegian prime minister, Sir Keir said: In principle its wrong to think that control of the border is not a progressive issue.

Because if you lose control of the border, a number of things happen  thats when in certain places you get into the business of people talking about walls and fences because youve lost control of the border.

It goes down this slippery slope. And if you cant have a wall and a fence, you have some of the gimmicks that were seeing in the United Kingdom.

The flurry of international engagements has been seen as a bid to appear statesmanlike and boost 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.

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.

The trip to Canada also saw Sir Keir speak with former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, as well as former Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy visited Montreal alongside his party leader, as he hit out at the current ad hoc relationship between the UK and EU and called for more regular formal meetings.

We do think that UK relations with the European Union is our top priority. We cant imagine describing, as Liz Truss did, Emmanuel Macron as an enemy, Mr Lammy told The Observer.

We think it is bizarre that the UK does not currently under this government have structured dialogue with the European Union in a constructive way.

He added: We dont currently meet with the European Union to discuss mutual issues of concern, whether on a biannual basis or on a quarterly basis.

At the moment there is nothing. It is all ad hoc. We have got to get back to structured dialogue.
Preschool teacher Cathy Barraza stood in the center of a large playground as she watched a group of toddlers scoot down the slide and dart across the soft artificial grass. Other 2-year-olds rode tricycles around a track while some clung to their teachers.

I had them when they were infants, said Barraza, who has worked for the Long Beach-based Educare since 2017. Compared to the other state-funded program she used to work for, Educare fosters more trusting relationships with parents. They become like a family.

A modern facility tucked into a residential neighborhood, the program is part of a network of 25 Educare centers nationwide. In a field with high turnover, Educare is known for keeping children with the same teacher until age 3. Other features  small class sizes, a full-day schedule and strong family support  further set the model apart from most early-childhood centers serving young children from poor families.

In most Educare classrooms, there is a lead teacher, an assistant and an aide, allowing for more interaction with children. (Linda Jacobson/The 74)

Those elements pay off once children enter school, according to a recent study focusing on an Educare site in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which follows the same model as the Long Beach center. Those who spent their early years in the program entered kindergarten on pace academically with students from more affluent families, the study found. And even through third grade, they had stronger language and math skills than peers without the same early experiences.

It wasnt their elementary school experience that was different; their early-childhood experience was different, said Diane Horm, director of the Early Childhood Education Institute at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and part of a nationwide network of researchers evaluating Educare. There was no evidence of fade out and no evidence of catch up.

A strong model

Even the best preschool programs have faced a common criticism: Gains made by participants frequently disappear during the early grades. Republicans in Congress have repeatedly used such results to argue for budget cuts to Head Start, the federally funded preschool program for 3- and 4-year olds.

The Educare results, Horm said, suggest that the achievement gap can be avoided if children start preschool before age 2.

The size of the Tulsa study sample wasnt large  just 75 children  but other researchers say its an important contribution to the early education field.

You have a strong model [over] multiple years and strong persistent outcomes, Steve Barnett, senior co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, said about the Tulsa study.

A previous long-running research effort, focused on the first Educare center in Chicago, showed that former students continued to perform well in elementary school and that parents stayed engaged in their childrens education. But the Tulsa study is considered more rigorous because Horm compared the students achievement to those who didnt attend Educare.

Related

Pre-K Enrollment Nearly Bounces Back From Pandemic Amid Push for Universal Access

The studys results, experts say, support the argument for more federal spending on high-quality programs for infants and toddlers, especially since 45 states now provide some funding for pre-K.

If the states are going to put money into pre-K, maybe a better use of federal resources is for birth to 3, said Linda Smith, director of the Early Childhood Development Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank.

Educare, which Horm called an enhanced version of Head Start and Early Head Start, could even serve as a blueprint for the future of those programs, which are long overdue for reauthorization in Congress, Smith said.

Head Start began in the 1960s as part of the War on Poverty. Early Head Start followed in 1995 to serve infants and toddlers. Housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, they are two separate programs, but Smith would like to see that change.

Its time to make this a birth-to-school-entry program and let communities determine their needs, she said.

The kids are ready

Educare prefers to locate its centers as close to an elementary school as possible to help ease the transition into state-funded pre-K or kindergarten. The Long Beach center even shares its property with an elementary school.

Maria Harris served as principal of the Long Beach Educare site before becoming director of Head Start for the school district. (Linda Jacobson/The 74)

The Tulsa results confirmed the work that we do, said Maria Harris, who served as an Educare principal until becoming Head Start director for the Long Beach Unified School District. What were hearing from our receiving elementaries is, The kids are ready. 

Most Educare classes have three teachers  a lead with a bachelors degree and two assistants  providing children more individual attention and opportunities to talk about their routines throughout the day.

You are all that and a bag of chips, Long Beach Educare teacher Namtasha Bunting said, greeting each of her pre-K students as they gathered on the rug. (Linda Jacobson/The 74)

Related

Results From Long-Running Study Bolster Case for Universal Pre-K

Janet Rosales, whose 10-year-old son attended Educare in Tulsa, thinks the consistent structure he experienced during his earliest years is why hes doing well in school now. Hes in the gifted program at Eliot Elementary, is quick and accurate with math problems and loves to draw.

Daily classroom routines, like marking a transition from the playground to the classroom, are evident in an Educare classroom. (Linda Jacobson/The 74)

When her youngest, now 10 months, got a slot at the same center, with the same teacher who taught her son, Rosales said she cried with happiness.

Its just hard to find a place that is so engaging with your children, Rosales said.
Earlier this week, Stephen Murray got a call on the Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline, where responders stay on the phone with people using drugs in case they overdose so they can call emergency services. Murray asked the caller questions to try to gauge their responsiveness, but over the span of about 15 minutes, he lost the conversation and heard their breathing become short and infrequent on the line.

"It got to the point where I was like, 'Okay, I have to call now because I can't verify this is sustainable with life,'" Murray told Salon in a phone interview.

Murray, the Harm Reduction Program Manager at Boston Medical Center, has survived an overdose himself and is also a paramedic. He created the hotline in 2020 as a form of harm reduction. In 2023, it has fielded over 500 calls in the state and beyond, and Murray and his team have seen a growing number of people who identify as primarily or exclusively stimulant users, he said.

More than one million people have died from a drug overdose since 1999, with the number of deaths steadily increasing over the years. In the 12 month period ending in April 2022, more than 111,000 people experienced a fatal overdose, according to the latest provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The crisis has become so pervasive that about the same number of Americans died from drug overdoses last year as they did from diabetes.

To describe this phenomenon, some drug policy experts have used a model of "waves." In the early 2000s, overdose deaths were driven primarily by prescription opioid use in the first "wave" of the crisis. As the drug supply was restricted over time, people who were already using opioids turned to other drugs instead. In 2010, the second wave saw more people using heroin, which was quickly followed by a third wave in 2013 driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which were involved in two-thirds of overdose deaths in 2022.

A new study confirms what many have suspected: We are now in the throes of the fourth wave of the overdose crisis, driven by multi-substance use  not just opioids, but stimulants as well. Writing in the journal Addiction, researchers found the portion of overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl and stimulants used together rose from 0.6% in 2010 to 32% in 2021, with that increase sharply rising in 2015.

While some studies have emphasized "signals of polysubstance overdose death can be traced back for decades," that signal seems to be getting much stronger. And although overdose deaths caused by prescription opioids and heroin in the first and second waves have decreased over time, these initial waves have not gone away either, emphasized study author Chelsea L. Shover, Ph.D., an assistant professor-in-residence at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"They are all still happening," Shover told Salon in a phone interview. "It's just that this is adding to an already pretty dire situation."

The reasons behind the rise in overdose deaths due to concurrent fentanyl and stimulant use are complex and not fully understood. In a Washington Post analysis published this week, the number of prescription hydrocodone and oxycodone pills decreased by 45% from 2011 to 2019, in part due to major litigation against opioid manufacturers and reduced prescribing patterns in the medical community. However, the number of overdose deaths due to prescription pills has stayed about the same.

"Ironically, the move to pull opioids from the shelves has made us less safe," Murray said. "Overdose rates have gone up from 20,000 a year to 100,000 a year and opioid prescribing is not a driver of this anymore."

Instead, the driver may be a rise in counterfeit or contaminated pills circulating in the drug supply, said Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a substance use researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who coined the term "fourth wave" in relation to the crisis. People who intend to take stimulants, for example, may unknowingly overdose on drugs laced with fentanyl or other synthetic drugs.

There may also be intentional multi-drug use at play. Some who use stimulants take opioids or benzodiazepines to come down from a high, Murray said. Or vice versa: people who use fentanyl or opioids may use stimulants to combat some of their depressant effects, Shover added.

People have historically used drugs together with opioids for similar purposes, but fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are different. Because fentanyl can be both extremely potent and unpredictable in its potency, it may be causing overdose deaths in people who identify as primarily stimulant users, have a relatively low opioid tolerance and unknowingly take fentanyl, Murray said. That also influences harm reduction because people using primarily stimulants might not be prepared with naloxone or other life-saving materials when they are using drugs.

"If you have no opiate tolerance and you've been using stimulants for four or five days and then you sniff a little bit of a fentanyl to come down, your autopsy is going to show both the stimulants in your system and the fentanyl in your system," Murray said. "It's probably the fentanyl that killed you, but that person would not have been identified as someone who was at risk for [opioid] overdose because they were not someone who regularly used opioids, nor would they have said that in an interview."

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

Shover's study also showed that cocaine was predominantly used with fentanyl in the Northeast, while methamphetamine was more commonly concurrently used in the rest of the country.

That's probably due to "the combination of very low-cost, high-purity methamphetamine outcompeting cocaine and other stimulants at the national level, in addition to an enduring, well-entrenched illicit cocaine market in the Northeast and other pockets of the country," according to the study.

Shover's research analyzes data up to 2021, but some addiction specialists are already anticipating the fifth wave of the overdose crisis based on what they've seen since then. Murray, in Massachusetts, is particularly concerned about the concurrent use of xylazine with opioids. Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer, is used to prolong the effects of the high produced by opioids and is of growing concern to harm reduction groups across the country because it's thought that its effects cannot be reversed with naloxone, though a preprint study released this week hints it could.

Ciccarone said he might classify concurrent xylazine use under the fourth wave of multi-substance use, along with stimulants. He is also concerned that counterfeit pills will or are already contributing to the next big wave of overdose deaths.

"The next couple years it's going to be a lot about xylazine and a lot about counterfeit pills, I think," Ciccarone said. "Whether we call that a fifth wave or we give up the notion of waves, I'm not quite sure."

There are things that can be done to reduce overdose deaths. Contingency management has been shown to be effective in treating stimulant use disorder, and buprenorphine can successfully treat opioid use disorder. Naloxone can reverse an overdose and reduce the number of fatal overdoses. And test strips can alert people using drugs to the presence of any potentially fatal contaminants.

But Murray said many of these solutions are just Band-Aids that, while vitally important to save individual lives, will not work on the scale necessary to abate the crisis. Yet large-scale policies that have been designed to reduce overdose deaths haven't been successful, either. Instead, with every new wave of the overdose crisis, avoiding additional deaths becomes increasingly complex.

"I feel really good about the lives that we've saved," Murray said. "But I am also very frustrated on a larger scale by our lack of ability to have meaningful solutions."
In July 1963, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, teenager Shirley Reese joined a peaceful protest here in Americus, Georgia, with other young Black girls.

Together, they walked to the Martin Theater and tried to buy movie tickets at the window designated for White customers. The police were called, according to Reese. But few could have predicted what would happen next.

All of you are under arrest, Reese remembers the officer telling the children, all of whom, she said, were between the ages of 12 and 15.

And then, without much ceremony, several of the girls were rounded up and taken to a stockade in Leesburg, Georgia, 23 miles outside of town. They would remain jailed there nearly 60 days.

Teenage girls, including Shirley Reese who is holding onto the window bars, are held inside a stockade in Leesburg, Georgia, in 1963. - Danny Lyon/Magnum Photos

To their parents and loved ones, the girls had simply vanished. It would be weeks before anyone would learn what happened to them, Reese said.

Reese, now 75, returned to the stockade with CNNs Randi Kaye to mark the 60th anniversary of the girls arrest.

It was filthy, she recalled, surveying the small cell. Some blankets was in there with bloodstains on it.

The stockade was surrounded by thick woods, and in the summer heat it was extremely humid in the cell. The girls were kept there without beds, a working shower or toilet, she said. And when night fell, they were plunged into the inky darkness of rural Georgia.

We couldnt see each other, Reese recalled. So, you know, you hear a lot of sniffling and stuff like that, but nothing, nobody could do nothing.

A view from inside the stockade. - CNN

Children took the front line

Americus is a small town whose name evokes the promise of this country. But for Black residents in the 1960s, the name had long belied a dark, racist reality.

During the Civil Rights Movement, children often protested in the town because it was thought they were less likely to face retaliation. Civil rights groups like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) organized youth-led sit-ins and marches across the South to demand an end to segregation.

(Adults) didnt participate a lot because they had to work and take care of families, said Carol Barner Seay, one of the Leesburg Stockade Girls, as they became known. And if they got involved in any part of it, they would have lost their jobs. How would they survive?

It was the children that took the front line.

Carol Barner Seay was arrested at 13 and held in the Leesburg stockade for nearly two months. - CNN

But things changed during the summer of 1963. A few days before Reese was taken into custody, Seay, then 13, was also arrested during a march in Americus. She told CNN she remembers demanding an explanation from officers who led her away.

When asked if the officers ever explained why she was detained, Seay gestured to her brown skin as if that were reason enough to jail a child.

Look at me  somebody owe me an explanation?! They going to give me an explanation?!

Seay said she was briefly moved to a jail in nearby Dawson, Georgia, before eventually being taken to the Leesburg Stockade.

We had no idea where we were, she said. We didnt know we was in Leesburg.

If the girls had been told their whereabouts, Seay said, it likely would have evoked even more fear.

Leesburg was known as Lynchburg  They lynched Black people on the trees, she said.

For almost 60 days, the girls were unable to bathe, forced to remain in the clothes they were wearing when they were arrested. Reese said they were fed hamburgers that were delivered by a stranger daily. They used the hamburger wrapping for toilet paper, she said.

Id miss my mom. I missed my siblings  my mothers good food, Seay said.

We didnt think we would ever get out, Reese said.

We started praying together, Reese said. So, we would gather some time and pray. And then we would pray individually, and cry individually.

The Stolen Girls

Reese and Seay remember the day, nearly a month into their imprisonment, that a White photographer showed up. Danny Lyon was a 21-year-old photographer with the SNCC.

(Lyon) come around the building, I said, Who are you? Whats your name? Reese recalled. He said, Be quiet!

Then she noticed his camera.

I said, Take my picture, right here! she recalled. I knew if he was there taking pictures and they were going to go somewhere. So, thats why I wanted to make sure that he got me.

Shirley Reese holds onto the bars of the stockade window in Leesburg, Georgia, in 1963. - Danny Lyon/Magnum Photos

Seay remembers him signaling to the girls with the peace sign and a single word: Freedom.

If you was living segregation, born in segregation, slept segregation, ate segregated, went to church segregated, freedom meant everything to you, she said.

You wouldnt have a reason to use that word if you was (White). But if you was my color, it meant a lot. OK? That was a symbol to us, that he was there to do us no harm.

At first glance, the photos Lyon took that day seem joyful. The girls, still wearing the dresses and they donned for the protest, smile at the camera as if to signal to the families desperately searching for them that they were OK.

But a second look reveals they were surrounded by bars.

That juxtaposition  of smiling children in their Sunday best standing behind bars  captured national attention. Lyons photos were published in the SNCC newspaper and Jet Magazine; the press dubbed them The Stolen Girls. The photos were eventually seen by New Jersey Senator Harrison A. Williams who entered the images into the Congressional Record.

Amid the outcry, the girls were freed in September 1963. They were never charged with a crime.

But the story of the Leesburg Stockade Girls was soon eclipsed by the relentless drumbeat of racist violence in the American South. The same week the girls were released, Ku Klux Klan members bombed a church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four little girls.

Shirley Reese, now 75, said the girls would try to find comfort in praying together. - CNN

For years, many of the Leesburg Stockade Girls refused to speak about their harrowing experience. Some of the girls and their families remained in Americus, Reese said, and kept their heads down to avoid further retribution.

But after being released, Reese said she struggled to process all that had happened to her.

It was just like I didnt  I didnt exist, she said.

Decades later, Reese said she now feels the experience made her stronger. She would go on to earn a masters degree, as well as her Ph.D.

My mother wanted me to get an education. And as strong as I was at that time as a child when I there, I was broken  I really didnt want to do anything. But I had to refocus my mind, she said.

Seay said she still remembers the moment she reunited with her family.

My mom, you know, she hugging on me, she said. Wed been gone for two months and we havent had a bath.

She said the time she spent in the stockade should have made me bitter. But I stand here today to tell you it made me better and it continues to make me better.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg does not expect the Russian war in Ukraine to end quickly, he said in an interview with the German Funke media group, published on Sept. 17.

"Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin," Stoltenberg said.

"Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine."

He also said that even though everyone wants a "quick peace," theres a need to understand that if Ukrainians and President Volodymyr Zelensky "stop fighting, the country will no longer exist."

At the same time, Stoltenberg said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country "lay down their weapons, we will have peace."

"The easiest way to end this war is for Putin to withdraw his troops."

During the interview, Stoltenberg also said that "there is no doubt" that Ukraine will become a NATO member eventually.

"At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukraine moved closer to NATO. When this war ends, we need security guarantees for Ukraine. Otherwise, the history could repeat itself," he said.

While Ukraine did not receive the much-desired invitation to join NATO during the Vilnius summit in July, the Alliance agreed to tighten cooperation with Kyiv by launching the Ukraine-NATO Council as a consultation and coordination platform.

In late August, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a telephone call with Stoltenberg to discuss Ukraine's next steps on its path to membership.

"We discussed the adapted Annual National Program and a full-fledged rollout of the Ukraine-NATO Council," Kuleba said following the phone call.

Read also: Ukraine gets a fraction of what it wanted at NATO summit

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(CNN)  The death toll from devastating flooding in Libyas eastern coastal city of Derna has risen to at least 11,300, according to a UN report released Saturday, even as continuing search efforts are expected to find more victims.

A further 170 people have been killed outside of Derna due to the flooding, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

And in Derna alone, at least 10,100 people remain missing.

These figures are expected to rise as search-and-rescue crews work tirelessly to find survivors, it added.

More than 40,000 people have been displaced across northeastern Libya since the extreme rainfall brought by Storm Daniel, the UN says.

Experts say the storms impact was greatly exacerbated by a lethal confluence of factors including aging, crumbling infrastructure, inadequate warnings and the effects of the accelerating climate crisis.

Derna, the epicenter of the disaster, was split into two after flood waters swept entire neighborhoods.

It had a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy.

At least 30,000 people have been displaced in Derna alone, the UN said.

With thousands of displaced people now on the move, the risk of exposure to landmines and Explosive Ordnance of War (ERW) leftover from years of conflict is on the rise, as flood waters have now shifted landmines and ERW, OCHA said.

Almost 300,000 children who were exposed to the flooding due to Storm Daniel face increased risk of cholera, malnutrition, diarrhea, and dehydration. The children also face increased risks of violence and exploitation, the report added.

Severely decomposing bodies in the sea

Rescuers are going through collapsed buildings and searching the sea to retrieve dead bodies as the hope for survivors continues to dwindle.

Most dead bodies are in the water, international rescue missions said, calling for more equipment and help to retrieve corpses from the Mediterranean.

Bodies are severely decomposing and at one point retrieving them might not be possible, a representative from the Tunisian mission said in a meeting with counterparts from Russia, Arab countries, Turkey and Italy.

We need assistance so our intervention is more efficient, the representative added.

Other mission representatives from Egypt and the UAE described finding bodies in bays and coves in the Mediterranean, many in areas only accessible by boat.

A representative from the Algerian mission said teams spotted around 50 bodies from a cliff around seven nautical miles from the Derna port, but added that the area was only accessible by divers and boats.

If we get the right boats we can retrieve 100 bodies every day, the Egyptian representative said.

Dead bodies are also trapped under piles of mud in still occupied residential areas in Derna and could trigger a health crisis if areas are not evacuated, teams warned.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Libya floods death toll rises to 11,300 in Derna, UN says."
(NEXSTAR)  For the first time since March 2020, millions of federal student loan borrowers will be making regular payments on their loans, and interest will be accruing. Though the Biden administrations attempt to erase millions in student debt was halted by the Supreme Court, there are still a number of ways to get debt relief.

Among those? Buying a house.

Depending on where you live, or where youre willing to move to, you could see your debt erased.

Who qualifies for $0 student loan payments?

There are a number of states that will help you pay off your student loans should you buy a home in their region.

Ready to move? Heres where to look.

Kansas

Within the Sunflower State are more than 90 counties designated as Rural Opportunity Zones, or ROZ. Those who move into one of those counties can receive student loan repayment assistance and/or 100% state income tax credit, according to the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity.

Administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce, the student loan reimbursement assistance offers up to $15,000 in aid over five years.

To qualify, you need to have a new permanent address in one of the counties, moved in after the county began participating in the program, have a degree before moving, and an active loan balance in your name. You can receive up to $3,000 per year, disbursed in the fall, and must provide proof that you used the money toward your loans. Applications are currently being accepted through September for participating counties.

Kansas also offers forgiveness for healthcare workers and rural physicians.

Maine

Want to live and work in Maine? Youre halfway to qualifying for its Student Loan Repayment Credit, administered by the Maine Revenue Service.

Via the program, you can receive $2,500 in a refundable tax credit value every year, or $25,000 in a lifetime value, for payments made on your student loans.

When will the fall colors peak near me?

To qualify, you need to have gotten your degree (associate, bachelor, or graduate) after 2007 from any accredited school in the world and have been a Maine resident during the tax year that had an earned income of $11,934 or more. If approved, you would receive reimbursement for the months you lived in Maine and made payments.

The program is undergoing some changes; more details and updated information can be found here.

Maryland

If living on the East Coast is for you, dont overlook Marylands SmartBuy 3.0 program. Homebuyers with at least $1,000 in student debt can qualify, according to the states Department of Housing and Community Development.

Through the program, eligible participants can receive financing of up to 15% of the home purchase price for the borrower to pay off their student debt with a max payoff amount of $40,000. Youll need to get financing through an approved Maryland SmartBuy lender.

Eligibility requirements can be found on Marylands state website.

If you arent looking to relocate, there are other state-offered student debt relief programs, according to The College Investor.

RSV rising in one US region, CDC issues alert

In nearly every state  Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin  there is student loan support for healthcare workers.

In others  like Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, and Texas  there are repayment programs for teachers. Some also provide loan repayment assistance to those with legal degrees, especially if they work in the public service field. That includes Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

The Biden administration is also encouraging borrowers to apply for a new federal repayment plan, known as the SAVE Plan, noting that some may qualify for $0 monthly payments.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My husband and I have a 5-year-old son, and we live on the ground floor of an apartment building in a large city. When Stu and Chelsea moved in, a year and a half ago, they were expecting their first child, but other than generic hallway chitchat about kids, we didnt know them very well. A month after they arrived, we were awoken at 5 a.m. by Chelseas scream (her water broke a week early) and then, because our bedroom shares a wall with their living room, we heard what turned out to be the beginning of a planned home birth! Our son somehow slept through the noise, and then we hustled him to preschool, but my husband and I both work from home, and we couldnt that morningwe ended up leaving to work at a cafe only to return as she was pushing. I absolutely understand why some people choose home births, and I had a great experience myself having a fairly natural water birthbut I had it at a hospital because we lived in an apartment!

I felt really uncomfortable all day, as we heard every gritty detail of Stu and Chelseas home birth. And we had told them about the thin walls in our building when they first moved in! (We mentioned it because our son can be loud.) Honestly, we were confused and upset that they hadnt let us know this would be happening. But when we decided that we wanted to try to discuss this with them, we also realized that it would be shitty to bring it up when they were in the throes of new parenthood, and ended up just ordering a white noise machine. Their daughter is over a year old now, and we dont see them that often, so we still havent gotten past generic chitchat. And by now wed be fine not ever mentioning it if Chelsea hadnt told me that she was pregnant again when I ran into her two days ago. My husband and I dont want to be caught off guard again, and we want to find a way to ask them what the plan is and finally discuss how the lack of information last time unexpectedly scrambled our work and life. But we also really dont want to seem rude or judgmentalits their kids birth after all, we just would like to know if well be hearing it (especially because I doubt a white noise machine will drown it out). All we want is to know in advance if we should have a backup workday and childcare plan, but I worry that it might come off as mom-shaming or Karen behavior. How can we (politely) discuss this with Chelsea and Stu?

Not in This Birth Plan, Please

Dear Plan,

I dont think there is a polite way to do thatespecially since you want to tell them that when their daughter was born, it inconvenienced, upset, and confused you (what is to be gained by telling them that?). Even if they had told you they were arranging a home birth, they wouldnt have been able to tell you precisely when it would happen, so Im not sure how you could have planned for it. And if you ask them point-blank if they intend to have another home birth, they wont know what day that baby is going to decide to be born either. So what purpose would be served by this conversation, except to let them know that you heard what you heard, it made you uncomfortable, and you disapprove of their intention to do it again (if that is indeed their intentionwhich it likely is, if all went well for them last time)? You say that all you want is advance notice so that you can make arrangements to be elsewhere that day, but I dont see how that can be true: You know as well as I do that babies arrive when theyre ready to arrive, sometimes early and sometimes late. I suppose you could ask a friend if theyd be willing to host your family overnightand let you and your husband turn their place into an office if it goes down on a workdaywhenever the next baby comesi.e., theyll know youll be calling at the last minute to cash in on that favor. But you could do that without having an uncomfortable conversation with your neighborsit could be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency sort of thing.

But sounds to me like youre hoping a conversation with Stu and Chelsea will steer them in the direction of a hospital birth. So be honest with yourselves, and decide whether you want to be the people who, for their own sake, ask their neighbors to please not have a home birth again. If the answer is yes, then dont be surprised if Stu and Chelsea never speak to you again, even generically, whether their second child is born in a hospital or at home.

Submit your questions about parenting and family life here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.)

Dear Care and Feeding,

Im a mom of two, and like most of my friends, I dont like my mother-in-law. However, unlike most of my friends, I dont have a good reason for it. Shes not terribleshe just annoys me, we have absolutely nothing in common, and I dont think she was the greatest mom (for example, my husband didnt brush his teeth as a kid until high school, when he learned in health class he was supposed to). Im resentful on my husbands behalf. Fortunately (for me), we live across the country from her and see her only once a year, when we visit. My husband isnt close to his family. He briefly FaceTimes them with our kids about four times a year. My MIL clearly wants to be more involved and asks lots of questions about the kids in our shared Google photo album. My husband ignores these questions because thats his personality. I ignore these questions because I dont like her and feel like its not my job to answer them, since shes not my mom. The result is that she knows almost nothing about our lives, while my mom, who lives nearby and sees my kids often, is very involved in our lives. The fair-minded part of me feels bad about this discrepancy and guilty for not trying to include my MIL more. However, the emotional part of me dislikes her so strongly that I cant bring myself to do anything about this. Should it be my husbands responsibility to facilitate a closer relationship between his mom and our kids, and am I fine staying out of it? Also: Is there a way for me to get over this irrational dislike of her (since it makes our yearly visit to see her so unpleasant for me)?

Feeling Guilty but Unwilling to Change

Dear Guilty but Unwilling,

You dont have to have a good reason to dislike someone, but if that person is someone you are obliged to interact with, and especially if its your childrens grandparent, you do have to be kind. The line between kind and loving is trickyI get that. I also get (unfortunately, too well) the simmering resentment one can feel toward a parent who badly parented those we love most. So I dont believe theres anything I can do to help you get over how you feel about your husbands mother (with whom he clearly doesnt want to have much to do either) and I dont think it is your responsibility to facilitate a relationship between your kids and their paternal grandmother. Id go so far as to say that given your husbands personality and his own feelings about his mother, its hers. Asking you questions about the kids in your shared online photo album does not, to me, signify a real desire to be more involved. If she wants to be a part of her grandchildrens lives, she needs to take the bull by the horns: No matter how old they are now, she can write them letters (which, if theyre too young to understand them yet, you can keep for them), regularly send them small but meaningful gifts, and otherwise make it clear to them that she cares. She can visit, too (and I know that thought will make you shudder, but if she wants to come, and asks if she may, try to find it in your heart to say yesbut put her up in a nearby hotel or Airbnb: Dont be a martyr).

As to her questions, it does seem unkind to ignore them. Is it possible to answer them briefly and politely? You dont have to become her best friend; you dont have to talk to her on the phone or otherwise be in touch with her between your familys annual visits to herbut if she asks a question online, what would it cost you to answer it? In other words, you can forge a middle path with her. And you neednt feel guilty about the discrepancy between the relationships with the two grandmothers. Your mother is putting in the time and effort (and Id bet the ranch that she would be even if she did not live nearby). Your mother-in-law isnt, it would seem. Perhaps she cant, given her constitution. But thats not your problem, or your husbands either.

Catch Up on Care and Feeding

 If you missed Fridays column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

My partner and I live in the U.S. with our 15-month-old. We have a close friend who has lived in Europe since college, and who has returned many times and visited us when theyre in the States, but weve never been there. We were planning to go this spring, before the baby turns 2, to save money (since the baby can fly for free). I teach, so we are limited to spring break.

Another important friend just announced their wedding, which will occur at the very end of my spring break. It will take place many states away from us. Since we are not especially spontaneous or adventurous people, the thought of our flying directly, with a toddler in tow, from Europe to a wedding in another state is very stressful. All the details overwhelm methe packing for Europe plus a wedding weekend, sleeping arrangements, logistics around food, etc. It is too last-minute to move the Europe trip up to winter break: We still need passports, and my friend in Europe has holiday plans anyway. If we wait until next summer, our child will need her own ticketso at that point, I find myself thinking, why not wait until she is old enough to remember? But I would feel like a crappy friend for canceling these plans to visit, when weve never managed to get there before this. And I worry that we are just homebodies who dont have the guts to pull off a somewhat complicated trip, and the wedding is a pathetic excuse. Is postponing our trip to Europe reasonable? Or should we toughen up and try to have a good time?

What About the Car Seat?

Dear Car Seat,

Lets leave logistics aside for a moment. I have a question for you. Is the wedding an excuse? Or do you really want or feel you need to go to that wedding? If your important friend whos getting married would be deeply hurt by your not attendingand/or if you really, really want to be there to celebrate and support this friend at a crucial juncture in their lifethen it is certainly not an excuse, pathetic or otherwise.

And wait, I have another question. Whats wrong with being a homebody? Whats wrong with not being particularly adventurous or spontaneous? There is no one right way to be. Why should you feel that you should be able to pull off a doubleheader, and that not being willing/able to do that means youre gutless? This is your life. Live it the way that feels right for you, and do your best to set aside anyone elses expectations or judgments about how things are supposed to be. And when I say this, I include letting go of your concern that your overseas friend will think youre a bad friend if you end up not making a trip to Europe anytime soon. Youre not a bad friend (as far as I can tell)youve just got a baby, money worries (it would seem), and a desire to keep your life fairly simple. Theres nothing wrong with that. Take a breath. Then make a choice about what to doone with which youre comfortable and feel good about. And tell both friends how much you love them.

Dear Care and Feeding,

I am the parent of a 15-year-old, Cody, and Im in conflict with my mom over what is and is not appropriate care for them. To be clear, Cody has shown no signs of irresponsibility. They take the city bus to and from school (and have for years). They are fairly self-sufficient. I am a single parent. I work as a nurse overnights, and my parents have been instrumental in allowing me to do that, by keeping Cody at their place while I work. But Cody wants a little more independence and has asked to be able to have at least one night a week to be at home alone. We did a trial period over the summer and it went fine. We even did one during the school year that was also just fine (they were able to get up and go to school on their own, etc.). I have little reason to believe that my kid will sneak away to go partying or to a friends house without permission. (Obviously, if those things happen, we will have to reevaluate.)

However, my mom is aghast at this. She thinks 15 is way too young to be alone at home overnight. She thinks that the apartment will be broken into and my child killed or kidnapped or any number of terrifying but unlikely scenarios. My child has a cell phone, is three blocks from my parents, and has friends four blocks away in multiple directions. They know where the police station is, how to dial 911, what to do if there is a fire, and so on. We have gone over this many times. They also know the basic rules of the house and what is expected if they stay by themselves. But my mom is digging in her heels and continues to talk about how inappropriate it is for me to leave my child in the house alone. Its giving me flashbacks to my own childhood (for the record, she is on medication for her anxiety now and it is definitely not as bad as it once was). Ive told her multiple times that Im the mom, not her, and that I think this plan is just fine, but my mom keeps coming up with reasons that its not. Since Im not totally comfortable leaving my kid at home alone every night that Im workingat least not yet (in a year or two, Im guessing I will be), I cant just say that Cody isnt going over there again. But also, Cody has a good, close relationship with my stepfather and my mom, and I dont want to do anything to interfere with or undermine that. (By the way, my stepfather agrees with me, but has been staying out of it lately, after my mom complained that we were ganging up on her.) What I need is a scripta way to communicate that I hear her concerns, that my child and I have taken steps to address those concerns, and that this is a good thing for everyone!

No Need to be So Anxious

Dear No Need,

Mom, I love you. And I appreciate so much all the help youve been giving meyouve made it possible for me to keep my job and have helped me so much with Cody. But theyre growing up now, and its important to me to honor their need for independence, bit by bit. I know youre worried, but youre going to have to trust me on this. You know Id never do anything to put Cody in danger.

If Mom continues to argue (and Im sure she will), thats when you say, Im sorry but this isnt up for discussion. Theres no reason to take the nuclear option and tell her angrily that youre cutting the cord altogether. Clear communication, without threats or rash actions, is almost always the best way to go.

I think what makes this hard (for everyone, I mean, not just for you) is all the baggage we carry into these interactions. For you, theres your own experience with your mothers anxiety, the burden it put on you, and the way you identify with your child and see the possibility of your own childhood and adolescence playing out in them. But theres also this, I think: You may not be entirely certain that what Cody proposes is a good idea. You may be conflicted about itwithout admitting that to yourselfso that your mothers voice is (loudly) putting into words your own fears for Codys well-being, rational or not, as you try to thread the needle between the anxiety your mom instilled in you and your determination to trust and support your child in their efforts to be more independent.

Of course, I have no idea if it is or isnt a good idea to let your 15-year-old be at home alone overnight. (I know from experience that ones mileage may vary: Leaving me alone overnight at 15 was not wisefor me, it was the perfect opportunity to put myself in all kinds of danger and keep that a secret from my parentswhile leaving my daughter alone at 15 was just fine.) Trust your instincts. You may have to quiet all the noise withinalong with your mothers noise on the outsideand listen very closely to hear them. And then you can rely on my script.

Michelle

A good friend from college is now married with two small kids. When we visit each other (no less than twice a year), there is always tension with her husband, Paul, and my big dumb dog, Scooter. The kiddos and Scooter all like each other and are very cautiously interested in playing with each other (which only happens with supervision, of course). Every once in a while, something happens and they need a short break from each other.
A man is hospitalized but expected to survive after a shooting Saturday morning in east Modesto, police report.

The alleged gunman, 37-year-old James William Ward Jr., was arrested and faces charges including attempted homicide. He remained in the Stanislaus County jail Sunday morning, with bail set at $1.5 million.

The shooting occurred sometime in the 8 a.m. hour, police Lt. Martha Delgado said, and Ward and the victim know each other.

A Modesto Fire Department battalion chiefs incident report said the victim was shot at least once. He was found in the front yard of a home in the 3000 block of Jamestown Road, which is northwest of the intersection of Yosemite Boulevard and North McClure Road.
The owner of a home-based New York daycare and her relative are facing murder charges after police said a 1-year-old died and three other children were hospitalized from suspected opioid exposures, news outlets reported.

Grei Mendez, 36, and her husbands cousin Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, are charged with murder, manslaughter and several counts of assault, police said, according to WABC.

The 1-year-old who died, Nicholas Dominici, had only been going to the daycare in the Bronx for one week, according to WABC. He was one of four children who police told the outlet are believed to have been exposed to an opioid.

It happened Friday, Sept. 15, at Divino Nino daycare center, the Associated Press reported.

First responders were called to the daycare on reports of three unconscious children, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing, according to a transcript posted online by city officials. The children were given Narcan and taken to hospitals.

Nicholas was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Associated Press reported.

The two other children, a 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl, survived, police said. Another 2-year-old boy reportedly got sick at home and was taken to a hospital and revived with Narcan.

One of the toddlers taken to a hospital is listed in critical condition, according to the Associated Press.

These children do not deserve this. So please pray for them and their families, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said at the news briefing.

Kenny said at the news briefing they found a kilo press in the daycare, which is equipment typically used to package large quantities of drugs.

Because three of the children were revived with Narcan, investigators to believe they may have been exposed to fentanyl, WPIX reported.

This is a new site that was opened in January of just this year, and had its routine inspections: two, in the beginning in order to get its license, and one surprise visit  that was the September 9th site  and no violations were found, Commissioner Ashwin Vasan from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said at the news briefing.

Mendez and Brito were arrested Saturday and are also charged with criminal possession of narcotics, according to the Associated Press.

Contact information for the daycare or an attorney who could comment on Mendezs or Britos behalf was not immediately available.

Day care worker abused kids by throwing them onto the ground, Pennsylvania cops say

Toddler found dead in hot car outside church preschool, Florida police say

1-year-old left in hot van at daycare dies, cops say. How did you forget my baby?
On Wednesday, US senators played host to nearly two dozen tech industry titans in a closed-door session in Washington, DC, discussing the future of AI. But despite the power vested in all those members of Congress, the senators were the ones who had to dutifully defer to their guests.

Wired reports that the over 60 senators "sat like school children," forbidden from speaking or raising their hands. And to be fair, the intent of the forum was to be educational  but you'd be right to question the authority of a teacher who doesn't let their pupils ask questions.

Given the guests in attendance, their compliance may as well have been peremptory. Notables included Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

You don't need to do the exact math to know that their combined net worths rival that of a small, disproportionately wealthy nation.

Not all were on board with being on the receiving end of a schooling. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) complained that the private nature of the meeting and the lack of input from senators was counterproductive to actual lawmaking, and stifled the chance for cooperation.

"There's no feeling in the room," Warren told Wired. "Closed-door [sessions] for tech giants to come in and talk to senators and answer no tough questions is a terrible precedent for trying to develop any kind of legislation."

Still, the forum is undeniably a historic occasion. It's not every day you get all these guys in the same room to mouth off to Congress. And, further still, it's even rarer for them to all agree on something, or at least ostensibly: that the federal government must step in to regulate AI.

"It's important for us to have a referee," Musk, who recently launched his own AI firm, told reporters after the briefing, as quoted by Wired. "[It] may go down in history as very important to the future of civilization."

When Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who organized the meeting, asked if the government needs to regulate AI, the response was unanimous.

"Every single person raised their hand, even though they had diverse views," Schumer said, per Wired.

Having a consensus is a strong starting point, but ironing out what that regulation should look like or how it will be enforced will undoubtedly be divisive.

It's worth considering whether these corporate leaders should be the ones having the ears of the country's senators rather than, say, a panel of scientists and AI experts. Is this a show of good faith on Silicon Valley's part, paternalistic concern, dressed-up lobbying, or some plain-and-simple swindling?

Frustratingly, the closed-door nature of the meeting precludes us from getting any more insight. So for now, we'll have to take their word for it.

More on AI: The IRS Says It's Using AI to Bust Zillionaire Tax Cheats
(Bloomberg) -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted at his impeachment trial by the Republican-led state Senate, which cleared the conservative leader of all charges after the toughest test of his political career.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Paxton was cleared on Saturday of 16 articles of impeachment he faced at the nine-day trial in Austin over allegations including bribery and abusing his office. The trial came after the Texas House, also controlled by his party, overwhelmingly voted to impeach him in May.

Conviction on any one of the counts, which required support from at least two-thirds of the chambers 31 senators, would have meant his removal from office. Only two of the 19 Republicans voted for conviction on any of the articles.

The acquittal secures Paxtons place as a leading figure in the national conservative legal movement, for his litigation over issues like abortion and immigration and his support of Donald Trump  who was acquitted twice at his own impeachment trials. Like Trump, Paxton cast the proceedings as a political attack driven by RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only.

On social media the former president congratulated Paxton on a great and historic Texas sized VICTORY.

Read More: Embattled Texas AG Shows Value of Keeping GOP Loyalists in Fold

The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors, Paxton said in a statement after the vote. The weaponization of the impeachment process to settle political differences is not only wrong, it is immoral and corrupt.

A Case About Nothing

The 60-year-old attorney generals political tenure has been marked by public scandals and criminal charges. The verdict, which comes as the GOP is seeking to take back the White House and the US Senate in the 2024 election, means Paxton will continue his eight-year reign as the states top law officer. He had been suspended pending the trials outcome.

In his closing statement Friday ahead of the vote, Paxtons lawyer Tony Buzbee said the case was about nothing and hammered at the growing rift in the GOP. He told the Texas senators, who were the jurors, that thanks to Paxton, President Joe Bidens policies come to die in Texas.

Read More: What to Know About Texas AG Ken Paxtons Impeachment Trial

In an unusual move, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the Republican leader who presided over the impeachment trial as the judge, slammed the Texas House after the vote, calling for a full audit of its investigation and the cost to taxpayers.

State Representative Andrew Murr, the Republican chairman of the House committee that drafted the articles of impeachment, said he stood by the probe but had expected resistance in the Senate as members faced external pressure from Paxton supporters.

We did our duty to bring the evidence into the sunlight, he said.

Fateful Friendship

At the heart of the allegations against Paxton was his friendship with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer and political donor. Paul was under state and federal investigation for separate allegations, and has since been indicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Paxton was accused of using his office to benefit Paul, including by conducting baseless investigations into Pauls rivals. In turn, Paul allegedly helped Paxton conceal an extramarital affair and funded renovations to the attorney generals home.

During the trial, senators heard testimony from former employees of Paxton who described how he devoted significant agency resources to Pauls business dealings despite the objections of top staffers.

Many of those witnesses characterized themselves as conservatives drawn to work at the AGs office because of Paxtons political reputation.

Office Hijacked

I was deeply concerned that the name, authority and power of our office had been, in my view, hijacked to serve the interests of an individual against the interests of the broader public, Ryan Bangert, Paxtons former deputy first assistant attorney general, testified. It was unconscionable.

Among the ex-employees who testified were four former senior advisers in the attorney generals office who reported Paxton to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2020 over allegations of abuse of office. An FBI probe continues. The group later sued Paxton under the states whistleblower laws, accusing him of retaliating against them for reporting him.

Read More: Texas AG Paxton Accused of Corruption by State Investigators

In addition to that suit, Paxton stands accused of professional misconduct by the State Bar of Texas for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and faces possible disbarment in those proceedings. As for criminal matters, he was indicted for securities fraud within months of taking office in 2015 and the case has yet to go to trial, delayed by years of pretrial disputes.

On Saturday the senators voted to dismiss four articles of impeachment related to that case.

Paxton has denied wrongdoing in all the cases. At the impeachment trial, his lawyers argued that their client had been betrayed by his closest staffers, who refused to follow his orders and didnt give him a chance to address their concerns before they reported him to federal law enforcement.

Katherine Missy Cary, Paxtons former chief of staff, testified at the trial that the affair affected his employees. She said they were asked to make accommodations for him and field uncomfortable phone calls from his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, about her husbands schedule. Senator Paxton was excluded from the impeachment vote.

I told General Paxton quite bluntly it wasnt my business who he was sleeping with, Cary told the chamber. But when things bleed over into the office and into the state work, it becomes my business.

--With assistance from Julie Fine.

(Adds details of the vote in third paragraph, Trump comment in fifth and prosecutors comment in second section.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) praised state Attorney General Ken Paxton following his acquittal Saturday after a historic impeachment trial.

The jury has spoken. Attorney General Paxton received a fair trial as required by the Texas Constitution, Abbott said in an official statement. Attorney General Paxton has done an outstanding job representing Texas, especially pushing back against the Biden Administration. I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.

Paxton was acquitted of all 16 articles of impeachment by the Texas state Senate following eight days of witness testimony and another for closing arguments. If Paxton was convicted of even one of the charges, he would have been ousted. Instead, he will return to his post.

Texas impeachment: Heres why Ken Paxton was acquitted

Paxton was impeached by the Texas state House of Representatives in May for interfering in federal investigations after being accused of engaging in inappropriate favors for donors and retaliating against whistleblowers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(The Hill)  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 Texas official account posted a statement in support of Paxton after his impeachment by their 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.

Trump says he likes the concept of a woman as VP, but doesnt think too much about it

These comments come despite the same Texas state House that voted to impeach Paxton having a Republican majority.

The 2024 Republican party presidential nominee frontrunner, Donald Trump, has also thrown his support behind Paxton. RINOS (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 AG, was especially scrutinized during the impeachment process. He faced allegations including illegitimate intervention in litigation by Paul and in return, Paul paid the AG 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 WREG.com.
(The Hill)  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.

Ken Paxton acquitted in Texas impeachment trial

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% 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% said he didnt, and 43% said they didnt know or had no opinion.

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the Republican Party of Texas official account posted a statement in support of Paxton after his impeachment by their chairman Matt Rinaldi.

A former Texas lawman says he warned AG Ken Paxton in 2020 that he was risking indictment

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 frontrunner, Donald Trump, has also thrown his support behind Paxton. RINOS (Republicans in name only) were attempting to overturn Paxtons election last fall, he said in a Truth Social post this week.

How an extramarital affair factors into Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial

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 News 2s sister station, KXAN, 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.

At impeachment, lawyer recounts Texas AG Ken Paxton supervising his investigation into FBI and judge

Paxtons relationship with Nate Paul, a real estate developer and donor to the Texas AG, was especially scrutinized during the impeachment process. He faced allegations including illegitimate intervention in litigation by Paul and in return, Paul paid the AG 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 WKRN News 2.
(CNN)  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(https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/11/africa/libya-flooding-storm-daniel-climate-intl/index.html), 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.

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.

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.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "What we know about the floods that killed thousands in Libya."
Tens of thousands of protestors kicked off a march Sunday in New York City, advocating for an end to fossil fuels while calling on President Biden to declare a climate emergency.

Hundreds of organizations, climate advocates, actors and political leaders attended the March to End Fossil Fuels ahead of New Yorks Climate Week, which coincides with a special United Nations summit Wednesday focused on the climate crisis.

The collaboration behind the March to End Fossil Fuels said it is calling on Biden to stop all federal approvals for new fossil fuel projects, phase out fossil fuels on public lands and waters, while declaring a climate emergency.

Its unbelievable that Biden is sitting on the sidelines when hes got more power than anyone on Earth to end deadly fossil fuels, said Jean Su with the Center for Biological Diversity, who helped organize the march. Cowering in a corner is not a credible climate plan from the worlds largest oil and gas producer.

Organizers estimated around 75,000 individuals participated in Sundays march, including actors like Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon and Susan Sarandon and political leaders including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Youth protest group Fridays for Future said thousands of youth participated in the march, aiming their message directly at Biden.

We are watching you approve pipelines, and we are watching as you delay declaring a climate emergency, Noa Greene-Houvras of Fridays for Future NYC said in a statement. We are watching as the Weather Channel repeats the same terrifying message, that this year, this week, this day, is the hottest ever recorded. We are watching our futures disappear, because how can we be the next president or author or scientist on a dying planet?

We hold the power of the people, the power you need to win this election, Emma Buretta, 17, of Brooklyn with Fridays for Future, told The Associated Press. If you want to win in 2024, if you do not want the blood of my generation to be on your hands, end fossil fuels.

The march comes days before United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host a special Climate Ambition Summit in New York City Wednesday, with the criteria that attending countries present their plans for phasing out fossil fuels and committing to no new oil, gas and coal.

The White House said Biden and leaders of China, the United Kingdom, Russia or France  all major developers and users of fossil fuels  will not be attending the summit, according to the AP.

Last month, Biden said he has in practice declared a national climate emergency, though he has not actually announced such a declaration. A national emergency declaration would allow other powers related to climate change, including potentially using the Defense Production Act to provide loans to bolster climate-energy sources and prevent oil exports.

Climate activists have called for such a declaration to both enable these powers and bring the seriousness of the problem to the forefront.

The White House has pushed back on such criticism, touting Bidens actions on climate change.

President Biden has treated climate change as an emergency  the existential threat of our time  since day one, a White House spokesperson wrote in a statement shared with The Hill. Thats why he signed into law the most ambitious climate bill in history, conserved more land and water in his first year than any President since JFK, rejoined the Paris Agreement, attracted $240 billion in private sector investment in clean energy manufacturing, and used his emergency authorities to invoke the Defense Production Act to supercharge domestic clean energy manufacturing.

The spokesperson told The Hill Biden secured commitments from the G20 last week to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, a global deal where countries agree to limit the planets warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The White House also called out Republicans attempts to repeal portions of the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping piece of legislation long-touted by Biden for addressing the climate crisis.

Organizers of the March to End Fossil Fuels have thrown their support behind the summit, stating they met with U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Selwin Hart last week ahead of the climate-driven summit.

Updated at 7:42 pm.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sofiane Zermani and Camelia Jordana in Mehdi Fikri's After the Fire (Courtesy of TIFF)

Taking the audience to Strasbourg, France, filmmaker Mehdi Fikri exposes the harsh reality of police brutality and a family's quest for justice with his film After the Fire, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

After the Fire begins when Malika (Camelia Jordana) and her family, including her brother Driss (Sofiane Zermani) and sister Nour (Sonia Faidi), finding out that their brother Karim was arrested and died shortly after. Police claim his death was a result of a epileptic seizure, but there was never a proper investigation. The reality the family has to try to prove is that Karim was killed at the hands of police.

Malika quickly becomes the face of a lofty court battle to seek justice in her brother's death, as media interest is increasing and civilian support grows, but it certainly puts a strain on her family life with her husband and child.

Fikri has been a journalist for 10 year and has covered police brutality in the working-class suburbs surrounding Paris. But the intention was always to tells a fictional story.

"I knew that I needed fictional characters in order to ... show the dark side," Fikri told Yahoo Canada in Toronto. "Real people in this struggle are very sensitive and criminalized a lot. So I get a lot of freedom [writing] this character."

"I needed to move from the reality and to leave my press card in my past in order to feel free to do some staging. ... It's OK if I want to emphasize some points or totally forget some other points. It was artistic freedom."

Mehdi Fikri's film After the Fire (Courtesy of TIFF)

Fikri's film is tense and gripping to watch, but much of it is led by the personal stories of these characters.

"The subject is [political], but the narrative structure is totally ... intimate," Fikri explained.

This is particularly true later on in the film, while Malika is battling this court case for her brother Karim, but then Driss finds himself jail. That leaves Malika to evaluate where to put her efforts, justice for Karim or getting Driss out of jail. It's an impossible decision to make.

"This is [a] tragic topic," Fikri stressed.

While Fikri's film certainly has bleak moment, the filmmaker always intended to end the movie with some level of hope for society, even under a racist and discriminatory system of justice.

"I wanted to [leave] the feeling of hope and some kind of joy," Fikri said. "I wanted to say, OK there is a death, there is the breaking of the couple and this family is a bit shattered, but ... they can heal."

"I don't want to end in a very depressing feeling, like there is no justice."
The entrance to TikTok's company headquarters in Singapore features a brightly colored mural on the wall reading "come as you are." Roslan Rahman / AFP via Getty Images

TikTok is cracking down on its return-to-office policy with new employee surveillance tools.

The social app has implemented a new tool called MyRTO that monitors in-person office attendance.

MyRTO tracks badge swipes and asks staff to explain "deviations" from expected in-person attendance.

TikTok isn't just tracking user locations anymore. Now, it has moved on to monitoring its employees' whereabouts.

The New York Times reports the social media company has implemented a new internal software called MyRTO to track and enforce its strict return-to-office policy. MyRTO monitors badge swipes that employees make when entering the office and asks workers to explain "deviations" from anticipated in-person attendance, the outlet reported.

After implementing an in-person attendance policy last October requiring US-based employees to come to the office at least three times a week as coronavirus concerns subsided, the company threatened to fire workers whose home address didn't match their assigned office address, Insider previously reported.

TikTok has previously faced criticism and has been banned in several countries over its use of "Big Brother-type surveillance" after Forbes reported its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, planned to use the app to track Americans using GPS information gathered through the app. But this week, the company notified employees it was unveiling its new internal tracking software designed to "provide greater clarity and context to both employees and leaders regarding their RTO expectations and in-office schedules, and help foster more transparent communications," a spokesperson for ByteDance told Insider.

Representatives for TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

Managers across industries are increasingly turning to productivity-monitoring software for remote and hybrid workers, keeping tabs on how long users are logged in while working from home and capturing random screenshots of workers' screens. For those made to return to the office, some companies are implementing new attendance-tracking software and deploying sensors to measure how full offices are and determine when a person is sitting at their desk or using a conference room.

But while CEOs of big-name companies increasingly promote return-to-office policies as the best way of doing business  Elon Musk, for example, has gone so far as to call remote work "morally wrong"  employees at tech companies pushing such mandates have voiced their displeasure in the form of walk-outs and even quitting to preserve a perk workers view as equivalent to an 8% raise.

"When you allow flexibility, it expands your talent pool," Insider previously reported Prithwiraj Choudhury, an associate professor at the Harvard Business School and remote work expert, said.

"Whether the economy is contracting or expanding, the best workers always have outside options. And so I think if you as a company have a model that doesn't give the best employees flexibility some of them  not every one of them, but some of them  will be poached by competitors."

Read the original article on Business Insider
GOP presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) addressed rumors surrounding his love life at an Iowa campaign stop over the weekend.

Scott spoke at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Town Hall Saturday, where he described his girlfriend while invoking his religion and faith in remarks to the crowd.

The subject came up when Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird asked the presidential hopeful whether there was a special lady besides his mother in his life.

Yes, he said, noting that his relationship status has been the center of attention recently.

He described his girlfriend as a lovely Christian girl, before reciting a verse from the Bible and asking the crowd to pray together for him.

Im very excited. Very excited, he added.

Questions over whether Scott, who is the only unmarried GOP presidential candidate, has a girlfriend have been rising over the last week after a Washington Post article drew attention to an interview the senator gave to Axios in May.

The Axios interviewer asked Scott his thoughts on potentially becoming the first unmarried president since the 19th century.

I probably have more time, more energy and more latitude to do the job, he said, adding that his girlfriend wants to see me when I come home.

The Washington Posts Ben Terris interviewed Scott about his girlfriend, whom he says participates in Bible study and pickleball matches with him. Scott declined to reveal her name, and Terris noted that he could not verify that she exists.

At the Iowa campaign stop, Scott, 57, also reflected on his upbringing when discussing his girlfriend.

As a guy who was raised in a single-parent household mired in poverty, I understand the devastation when a family breaks up. I had to live with the consequences of a father who was not there. I made a commitment to make sure that never happened in my life, he said.

Im so thankful to know a risen savior that has helped guide my way, and Im so thankful that hes allowed my life to intersect at the right time with the right person. And I just say, praise the living God, he continued.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
GUTHRIE, Okla. (KFOR)  The Oklahoma Constitution was approved by 71% of voters on September 17, 1907, after delegates convened for a Constitutional Convention held in Guthrie.

Today in Oklahoma history: August 15

According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma was originally known as Indian Territory prior to its statehood. In 1899, the Unassigned Lands within Indian Territory were opened to settlement for non-Indigenous people, and in 1890 the western portion of present-day Oklahoma became Oklahoma Territory. The two regions became known as the Twin Territories.

112 delegates assembled in Guthrie on November 20, 1906; 55 from Indian Territory, 55 from Oklahoma Territory and two from the Osage Nation. The majority of the delegation was comprised of farmers, but also included delegates who were lawyers and laborers.

After the convention and several other brief meetings, the Oklahoma Constitution was approved and delivered to President Theodore Roosevelt, who later signed a proclamation establishing Oklahoma as the 46th state on November 16, 1907.

For more information, visit okhistory.org.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Ukraine's allies should agree on a formula for their own vision of Ukraine's victory, and lock long-term military assistance to Ukraine into their legislation, a top Ukrainian security official has said.

Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, wrote in his column for news agency Ukrainska Pravda on Sept. 16 that the full implementation of the peace formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy depends on four important points.

Read also: Norway may host next Ukraine Peace Formula summit  Zelenskyy

First of all, Danilov suggests that the allies agree on their own vision of Ukraine's victory, which he said would create political responsibility among them.

This is necessary to prevent the "unraveling of the aid network" and to make the implementation of Zelesnkyys Peace Formula more successful and, if possible, faster, Danilov said.

Read also: World summit on Ukrainian Peace Formula may take place in late 2023  Kyiv

"Secondly, given the political election cycles and the possible change in the situation in Europe and the United States in terms of maintaining the stability of the partnership, it is a far-sighted step to enshrine military assistance to Ukraine in long-term cycles, and in legislation," Danilov continued.

The NSDC secretary's third idea for Ukraine's partners is to develop and implement a set of measures to prevent so-called "war fatigue."

"Fourth, to re-plan joint activities under all points of the Peace Formula in terms of time and sequence, keeping in mind their possible long-term nature," Danilov said.

Zelenskyy presented a ten-point formula for peace at the G20 summit in November 2022. It includes the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.

Read also: Principles of peace agreement agreed at summit in Saudi Arabia, media report

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sept. 12 expressed his full support for the peace plan of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Earlier, on Aug. 12, the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, announced that 58 states had signaled their support for the Peace Formula presented by President Zelenskyy.

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 was mocked after he said President Joe Biden would lead the US into "World War II."

The former president and 2024 candidate also seemed to suggest Barack Obama was running against him.

Different polls show voters are concerned about the age of both 2024 candidates, Trump and Biden.

Former President Donald Trump arrives to address the Pray Vote Stand summit on Friday in Washington, DC. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The former US president and 2024 candidate Donald Trump was mocked on social media after he said President Joe Biden was "cognitively impaired" and would lead the country into "World War II" if he were re-elected during a Washington, DC, summit on Friday.

"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," Trump said during the speech, part of the ongoing conservative Pray Vote Stand summit. He then said, "We would be in World War II." World War II took place between 1939 and 1945.

In the same speech, Trump appeared to mix up Biden and former President Barack Obama, saying he was ahead of Obama in the 2024 election polls.

"As you know, crooked Joe Biden and the radical left thugs have weaponized law enforcement to arrest their leading political opponent, and leading by a lot, including Obama  I'll tell you what," Trump said.

Trump also seemed to suggest that Obama had been his runner-up in the 2016 election, saying, "With Obama, we won an election that everyone said couldn't be won." He then corrected himself and specified his opponent was actually Hillary Clinton.

Trump's mix-ups raise doubts about the former president and 2024 candidate's age and mental fitness.

Americans have already shown concern about 80-year-old Biden's mental and physical health, despite his physician declaring him a "healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male" who was "fit for duty" in February. Biden is the country's oldest president and first octagenarian to hold the post. Trump is not much younger, having turned 77 in June.

"I'm thinkin' Trump might be the one who's cognitively impaired," one user posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Other users, Democrat politicians, and journalists also commented on Trump's mental fitness.

"He is too old and incoherent, also appears to be going blind," wrote Jared Moskowitz, a Democratic congressman from Florida, on X.

"Last night, Donald Trump said he's leading "Obama" in the polls  and claimed if elected he will stop 'World War Two.' But sure, tell me again how Joe Biden is the candidate who's too old and slow," the lawyer and MSNBC commentator Tristan Snell posted on X.

A June NBC poll suggested 68% of voters had concerns about Biden's mental and physical health, while 55% said the same about Trump.

Another poll run by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicated that 77% of respondents found Biden to be too old to successfully hold the presidency for another four years, while 51% thought Trump unfit. That's a combination of both Democrats and Republicans.

Americans also support proposals for examinations of the mental and physical health of presidential candidates, research from Insider and Morning Consult shows.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Trumps presence is looming large over House Republicans decision to push ahead with an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

Trump has publicly called for House Republicans to impeach his successor and has privately spoken with members of the conference on the topic. The former president also suggested in an interview this week that the push for Biden to be impeached may partly be a tit-for-tat effort in response to Trumps impeachment.

I think had they not done it to me, and Im very popular, they like me and I like them, the Republican Party, perhaps you wouldnt have it being done to them, Trump told Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show.

And this is going to happen with indictments, too.  And I think youre going to see that as time goes by, youre going to see Republicans when theyre in power, doing it, he added. And its a shame when that happens. Im not in favor of that, but thats whats going to happen because thats human nature.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week directed House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden, a move that came as he faced growing pressure from conservative members of the House to move forward with the process.

In the months that the House Oversight Committee has been investigating the Biden familys business dealings, it has not found that the president directly financially benefited from his son Hunter Bidens business dealings or proven he made any policy decisions because of them.

Trump has made no secret of his desire to see House Republicans impeach his predecessor, even as several members of the conference have expressed reservations.

The former president wrote in a late August post on Truth Social that Republicans should impeach Biden, or they would fade into OBLIVION.

Last weekend, Trump dined with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) at his Bedminster, N.J., property. While a Trump adviser declined to comment on the contents of their conversation, Greene was among the earliest advocates for impeaching Biden, dating to when she joined the House in 2021 and Republicans were in the minority.

The former president on Tuesday spoke with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, shortly after McCarthy announced plans to move forward with an impeachment inquiry, underscoring the degree to which Trump remains in the loop with House GOP leadership.

Democrats have seized on Trumps comments to make the case that House Republicans are only pursuing an impeachment inquiry into Biden for revenge.

Donald Trump argued what we already know: Republicans baseless impeachment inquiry is motivated by politics and revenge, the Democratic National Committee said in a statement. Trumps admission comes after he had been telling his allies in the House to use the same debunked conspiracy theories to pursue their political stunts in an effort to help Trumps presidential campaign.

Trump, who is the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, was impeached twice during his four years in office.

The first time in 2019 was over his attempts to pressure Ukrainian leadership to investigate the Biden family as his administration withheld military aid.

The second time came in 2021 in the days after the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, when Trump supporters stormed the complex to try and halt the certification of the 2020 election results. Trump had for weeks claimed the election was stolen and had urged his supporters to protest at the Capitol.

In addition to Trump himself hovering in the background of the House proceedings, the former presidents first impeachment is already factoring into the discourse over how Republicans are handling their inquiry into Biden.

Republicans in 2019 jeered Democrats after they opened an impeachment inquiry without holding a full House vote on the matter.

The Trump Department of Justices Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion at the time concluding that the House must expressly authorize a committee to conduct an impeachment investigation for the inquiry and subsequent proceedings to be valid.

Now, the tables have turned. Democrats are ridiculing Republicans and accusing McCarthy of hypocrisy because he did not authorize the impeachment inquiry with a full House vote.

Biden, meanwhile, could lean on the Trump-era opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel to push back on the House GOP probe as illegitimate.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre this week called the probe into Biden a baseless inquiry that the House Republicans cant even really defend themselves.

Experts said that with House Republicans finally moving forward with an impeachment inquiry against Biden, it reflects a new era of politics where impeachment is used as more of a cudgel and as a tool of retribution.

Dave Hopkins, a political science professor at Boston College, argued Republicans have faced pressure from their base voters all year to impeach Biden, just as Democratic lawmakers faced pressure from their voters to impeach Trump upon taking the majority in 2019.

Weve moved from a time where we went 200-plus years with one impeachment, and then weve had three in the last 25 years, Hopkins said. And Im guessing in the next 25 years, there wont be zero.

This story was updated at 8:45 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
There was a tense moment during Donald Trumps interview with new Meet the Press moderator Kirsten Welker over his movements on 6 January 2021 as the Capitol riot was underway.

The interview  which ahead of broadcast received much criticism for giving the former president a platform from which he could repeat known falsehoods  was pre-recorded on Thursday and aired on Sunday morning on Welkers first show as the new moderator.

The wide-ranging questioning turned to Mr Trumps movements and actions on January 6, with Welker asking why he did not do more to stop the violence as his supporters battled with police and stormed Congress.

Tell me how you watched this all unfold. Were you in the dining room watching TV? Welker asked, referring to accounts of the day from people at the White House.

Im not going to tell you, Mr Trump responded. Ill tell people later at an appropriate time.

Aides to the then-president have said he sequestered himself in the room off the Oval Office to watch, at times even rewinding and rewatching some parts.

In the interview, recorded on Thursday at Bedminster, Mr Trumps golf club in New Jersey, he said in response to Welkers pressing him about his public silence during the violence that he had made beautiful statements on the day of the attack  pointing to the video he put out where he told his supporters to go home.

That was at 4 oclock in the afternoon, Welker pointed out, through the former presidents bluster. More than three hours after the attack.

Welker was herself at the White House that day in her role as NBC News White House correspondent.

She then asked Mr Trump who he called to try and stop the riot and reinforce the embattled Capitol Police.

Why would I tell you that? he responded, before again pushing the false argument that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed the riot to happen by turning down his offer of 10,000 soldiers.

Insurrections loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the US Capitol in Washington on 6 January 2021 (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The former president then repeatedly refused to say if he called the military or law enforcement to go to Capitol Hill, defend Congress, and shutdown the violence.

Welker persisted, repeatedly pointing out that Ms Pelosi in her role at the time of Speaker of the House did not have the authority that he did as commander in chief.

Do you think you showed leadership on that day? she asked after he again blamed Ms Pelosi for January 6.

Absolutely, yes I did, Mr Trump replied.

Trumps supporters, fueled by his lies about the 2020 presidential election, stormed the building as Congress prepared to certify the victory of Democrat Joe Biden. Trump is facing federal criminal charges for his efforts to overturn his loss in that election but he is not facing charges related to the insurrection.

Mr Trump said he might consider pardoning some of the rioters charged for their actions that day.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the January 6 riot and more than 600 have pleaded guilty or been convicted.

Im going to look at them, and I certainly might if I think its appropriate" to pardon them, the former president said.

With reporting from the Associated Press
Former President Trump said in a new interview that he doesnt believe the United States has much of a democracy right now, complaining about the media and his own indictments.

In an interview that aired Sunday with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, Trump said he believes democracy is the most effective form of government.

But it has to be a democracy thats fair. This democracy is  I dont consider us to have much of a democracy right now, Trump said.

They indict their political opponents. Free speech is shot, because the press is very dishonest, very dishonest. Even the way you fight me on simple questions like, you know, the border, and this. You fight me so much, Trump told Welker.

We need a media thats free and fair. And frankly, if they dont have that, its very, very hard to straighten out our country, he added.

Trump repeatedly drew criticism during his time in office from lawmakers, watchdogs and some of his former administration officials for disregarding democratic norms, and some critics have warned that another Trump term could threaten democracy.

Trump ignored precedent to keep the Justice Department independent by frequently weighing in about ongoing investigations and attacking his attorney general.

He also sparred publicly with members of his own party and demeaned the press as fake news and the enemy of the people, and he attempted to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election to President Biden.

Trump was indicted on federal charges for his attempts to remain in power and for his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House. He is also facing charges in Georgia over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results the state and charges in New York for an alleged hush money scheme to cover up an affair.

Still, Trump is currently the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, leading his rivals by wide margins in national and state-level primary polls.

Asked by Welker if he would look to amass more power if he wins the election next year, Trump downplayed the idea that he would look to fire government employees who were not loyal to him.

No, I wouldnt do that. I want great people, whether theyre Republican or Democrat. I want great people, Trump said. But I want people that love our country, not people that hate our country.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump , former US President, claimed that he "liked" the praise he received from Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding his intentions to regulate the Russian war in Ukraine.

Source: Trump in an interview with NBC News, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Trump has stated many times that in case he is re-elected as US president in 2024, he would solve the Russian war against Ukraine "within 24 hours", but refuses to explain how exactly in order to not "lose all [his] bargaining chips".

Asked how he feels about Putins words, who "cannot help but feel happy about" Trumps intention to solve the war against Ukraine, the former US President said: "Well, I like that he said that. Because that means what Im saying is right."

"I would get [Putin] into a room. Id get Zelenskyy into a room. Then Id bring them together. And Id have a deal worked out. I would get a deal worked out. It wouldve been a lot easier before it started," Trump said.

WELKER: Given that Putin has bombed maternity wards, do you welcome his support?



TRUMP: I had a very good relationship with him



Hes truly the biggest traitor to this country 8 million ways of wrong.

pic.twitter.com/iNRa0EiWAk  Skyleigh Heinen (@Sky_Lee_1) September 17, 2023

He also claims that he was deterring the Russians from invading Ukraine during the four years of his presidency, and it is current US President Joe Biden who is to blame for the invasion.

"There was nobody tougher than me with Russia. And yet I got along with Putin. Let me tell you, I got along with him really well. And thats a good thing, not a bad thing. Hes got 1,700 nuclear missiles. And so do we. But, look, that's a good thing. Getting along is OK," Trump believes.

Background: Earlier, Trump dodged the question whether he wants Ukraine to win and refused to call Putin a war criminal. He also claimed that the US supplied Ukraine with too many weapons.

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!
Donald Trump danced around the topic of reproductive rights in a new interview, saying that hard-line Republican demands on the issue are a losing strategy and falsely accusing Democrats of being in favor of abortions after birth.

The former president tried to distance himself from the GOPs most vehement opponents of abortion during a wide-ranging interview on this weeks episode of Meet the Press, where he said the idea of a federal abortion ban with no exceptions is unrealistic and unpopular.

I think the Republicans speak very inarticulately about this subject, Trump told NBCs Kristen Welker in the segment, which aired Sunday. I watch some of them without the exceptions, et cetera, et cetera.

Other than certain parts of the country, you cant  youre not going to win on this issue, he said. But you will win on this issue when you come up with the right number of weeks.

Trump did not suggest a specific number, and repeatedly accused Democrats of supporting abortions well into the third trimester of pregnancy or even after birth.

In reality, late-term abortions are exceedingly rare. According to 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 1% of abortions happen after the 21-week mark.

Although Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis falsely claimed in July that some liberal states actually have post-birth abortions, researcher Dr. Katherine White debunked his claim with Politifact, telling the site there is no such thing as a post-birth abortion.

When Welker asked Trump whether the issue should be decided at the federal or the state level, Trump said: It could be state, or it could be federal. I dont frankly care.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Pray Vote Stand summit in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15, 2023.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Pray Vote Stand summit in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15, 2023.

Trump seemed to suggest he could help Republicans and Democrats broker an agreement, telling Welker: Were going to agree to a number of weeks or months or however you want to define it.

Both sides are going to come together and both sides  both sides, and this is a big statement  both sides will come together, he said. And for the first time in 52 years, youll have an issue that we can put behind us.

Trump also discussed his Republican presidential primary opponents and their approach to reproductive rights. He said DeSantis six-week abortion ban in Florida is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake, and claimed that hed swayed former Vice President Mike Pence to soften his no exceptions stance on the issue.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, ending federal protections for abortion, Republicans have been trying to contend with how they should handle the issue electorally in a post-Roe world.

In April, Trump was chastised by the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that opposes abortion rights, for suggesting the issue should be decided at the state level, a position that the group called morally indefensible.

Trump responded by taking credit for the Supreme Courts decision in last years landmark Dobbs v. Jackson case.

Republicans have been trying to get this done for 50 years, but were unable to do so, campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told the New York Post. President Trump, who is considered the most pro-life President in history, got it done.

Watch Trumps full interview on Meet the Press and read the transcript here.

Related...
Former President Trump said in an interview airing Sunday that he would not seek a third term if he wins reelection, something that is barred by the Constitution.

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump if there was any scenario in which he would seek a third term in office, citing arguments from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other rivals that Trump can only do so much for voters since he would be limited to one more term, while other candidates could win two terms.

No, the former president said. Just so you understand, when DeSantis says that, hes not your man. Hes not your man, I know it because hes a very untalented guy.

When somebody says eight years, we need eight years, no. In six months to a year, many of the problems, almost all of the problems that you and I have just spoken about will be solved, Trump added. Anybody that says they need eight years, you dont want that person.

Trump is seeking to become the first person since former President Grover Cleveland to serve two nonconsecutive terms in the White House. Hes currently the front-runner for the GOP nomination in 2024, leading the vast majority of national and state level polls by double digits.

The Constitution would prevent Trump from seeking another term in the White House if he wins reelection.

The 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two four-year terms, a measure enacted after former President Franklin Roosevelt was elected to four terms.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he dismissed the views of his own lawyers in continuing to challenge his 2020 defeat because he did not respect them, saying in an interview aired on Sunday that he had made up his own mind that the election had been "rigged" - a false claim that he continues to make.

Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 election, is now facing four concurrent criminal prosecutions, including two involving his attempts to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden.

"It was my decision," Trump told NBC's "Meet the Press" program, that the election was "rigged" against him, adding that he relied heavily upon his own "instincts" in coming to that conclusion.

Trump has continued to make false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.

Asked why he dismissed the views of lawyers in the White House and his campaign that he had lost the election, Trump responded: "Because I didn't respect them."

Trump singled out former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who told him that he had lost the election, as one of the lawyers whose advice he did not follow.

"I listened to some people," Trump said. "Guys like Bill Barr, who was a stiff, but he wasn't there at the time. But he didn't do his job because he was afraid."

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all four criminal cases, including a federal prosecution in Washington and a Georgia state indictment that involve to his attempts to recruit a slate of phony electors for congressional certification of the 2020 election results.

His comments on Sunday could undermine one of his possible legal defenses - that he relied on the advice of his lawyers in continuing to challenge his defeat. U.S. courts threw out dozens of legal challenges from Trump's campaign and allies following the November 2020 election.

(Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Will Dunham)
Former President Trump said in a new interview that he did not respect his campaign and White House lawyers who told him in 2020 that he had lost the election.

In an interview with Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker that aired Sunday, Trump was asked about why he ignored his lawyers advice following the election and instead pushed the false claim that it was stolen, chalking it up to a combination of outside advice and his own instincts. Trump is facing criminal charges in Washington, D.C., and Georgia over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Asked why he ignored White House and campaign lawyers who told him hed lost, Trump said it was because he didnt respect them.

You hire them, you never met these people, you get a recommendation, they turn out to be RINOs or they turn out to be not so good, Trump said, deriding some of his own staff as Republicans in name only.

In many cases I didnt respect them, he continued. But I did respect others; I respected many others that said the election was rigged.

Welker noted that Trump had previously said some of his outside attorneys had crazy theories about the election.

You know who I listen to? Myself. I saw what happened. I watched that election, and I thought that election was over at 10 oclock in the evening, Trump said.

I was listening to different people, and when I added it all up, the election was rigged, he added.

Asked if ultimately he was the one calling the shots, Trump replied: As to whether or not I believed it was rigged? Oh sure, it was my decision. But I listened to some people. Some people said that.

Trumps repeated false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and rigged and his subsequent efforts to overturn the results and remain in power are at the center of federal charges against him in Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors in that case cited in their indictment how Trump was told repeatedly by lawyers and other administration officials that he had lost the election.

The Fulton County, Ga., district attorney also indicted Trump and several co-conspirators last month specifically over their attempts to overturn the states 2020 election results in Trumps favor.

Trumps comments that ultimately he was the one who decided to pursue the theory that the election was stolen could undermine an argument in court that he was merely acting on the advice of his lawyers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
When Meet the Press host Kristen Welker asked Donald Trump if he ever worries about going to jail for the crimes hes been charged with, the former president claimed he is too busy thinking about making the country great, making America great to even consider it.

No, I dont really. I dont even think about it, Trump said in an interview that aired Sunday. Im built a little differently I guess, because I have had people come up to me and say, How do you do it, sir? How do you do it? I dont even think about it.

WATCH: Kristen Welker asks former President Trump about the indictments hes facing and the possibility that he could be sentenced to prison.



Welker: Do you worry about going to jail?



Trump: I dont even think about it. pic.twitter.com/SwfKpJjrOc  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 17, 2023

Trump is currently under indictment by the federal government for alleged election interference and for keeping highly classified documents in his Florida home after he left the White House. He is also under indictment in the state of New York for an alleged hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and in Georgia for alleged attempts to interfere with the states 2020 election results.

These are political, these are banana republic indictments, Trump told Welker. These are third-world indictments. The president of the United States sees how were doing. We have a movement the likes of which has never happened in this country before.

At another point in the interview, Trump referred to special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the prosecution in the federal election interference case, as a deranged lunatic.

When Welker asked Trump, Tell me what you see when you look at your mugshot? the former president said he sees somebody that loves this country, and me, that loves this country.

I see tremendous unfairness, Trump continued. I think very few people would have been able to handle what I handled. When I was coming down the escalator with Melania, I was already under investigation, because they saw how well I was doing in the polls. And it just got worse and worse, and we caught them. We said, They were spying on our campaign. It turned out to be true. They had the fake dossier. That turned out to be true. It was paid for by the Democratic party. It was all fiction.

There is, however, zero evidence that there was any spying on the Trump campaign. Trumps own appointed FBI director even disagreed with using the term to describe the court-approved investigative activity and surveillance that the FBI engaged in regarding Trumps campaign and its ties to Russia.

But facts have never stopped Trump from whining and playing the victim. All of these things happened, he said. Impeachment hoax number one, impeachment hoax number two. Ive been treated very badly. And, Ive won every single time. When you say, Do I sleep? I sleep, I sleep. Because I truly feel that in the end, were going to win. I think were going to win an election the likes of which nobodys ever seen before. I dont think anythings going to stop it. Nothings going to stop it, because people see whats happened to our country.

But, of course, there is something that could stop Trump from running the country. The nation cant have a president running the government from a jail cell, should he be found guilty and sentenced to incarceration for any of his numerous alleged crimes.

More from Rolling Stone

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Click here to read the full article.
Donald Trump said this week that he was within his rights to continue attempting to thwart Joe Biden from becoming president after his own advisers told him that his claims of election fraud were false, explaining that he did not respect his own attorneys legal opinions.

The ex-president was speaking with Kristin Welker, new host of NBCs flagship Sunday programme Meet the Press, when he was questioned about why he went through with efforts to interfere in the certification of the 2020 election after his court challenges failed and his White House attorneys advised him against doing so.

I didnt respect them as lawyers, Mr Trump explained.

Youd hired them, Welker pointed out.

 Sure. But that doesn't mean - you hire them, you never met these people. You get a recommendation. They turn out to be RINOs, or they turn out to be not so good. In many cases, I didn't respect them. But I did respect others. I respected many others that said the election was rigged, he responded.

Those attorneys he did seek advice from would go on to face serious repercussions for charting that course. A number are charged alongside him with multiple felony counts in Georgia; some have also faced professional consequences, such as the suspensions of law licenses.

Many of Mr Trumps former legal advisers and administration officials are now in the awkward spot of begging for money from Trump supporters as their legal fees mount and they have become drawn in to a wide range of civil and criminal cases.

Mr Trump himself is now under indictment in relation to four criminal investigations, and faces a total of 91 felony counts.

The ex-president has denied guilt in the matters, calling them an attempt to prevent him from becoming president once more. But two of the cases stem from his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, which is not in dispute; Mr Trump instead argues that he was within the law when he spent weeks pressuring state officials to change vote totals, launch investigations to delay the process and support slates of false electors after his bids to overturn the election in the courts failed.

He continues to insist that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 election, even though every state, local and federal authority with the purview of examining election fraud have said that the election results are valid and his team has been wholly unsuccessful in producing evidence to convince them otherwise. Many expect him to contest the results of the 2024 election should he win the GOP nomination and be defeated in November.

Numerous experts appointed personally by Mr Trump to his various administrative positions under his presidency have come out against his claims of election fraud, including former Attorney General Bill Barr.
Donald Trump said Melania "doesn't care" about not being on Vogue during his White House tenure.

"Once I ran for politics, that was the end of that," he told SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly last week.

Last year, Melania said she had "much more important things to do" than appear on a Vogue cover.

Former President Donald Trump, in a recent interview, said that former first lady Melania Trump "doesn't care" that she wasn't featured on the cover of Vogue magazine during their time in the White House, remarking that she had already been featured on the front of the leading fashion publication.

During a talk with former Fox News journalist and current SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly on the "The Megyn Kelly Show," the former president commented on his wife when asked about her absence from the 2024 campaign trail.

"She's doing very well. She's a very good woman," he said. "As you know, she was a very popular first lady. I mean, I go out to rallies and they have pictures of Melania with 'We love our first lady' with so many posters."

In responding to the former president, Kelly questioned how Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre could be featured in the magazine but not Melania Trump during the ex-first lady's time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Do you believe they never put her on Vogue, on the cover of Vogue? And they just they just let Karine Jean-Pierre in there?" Kelly said.

The former president also questioned the lack of a Vogue cover for Melania Trump, a former model, when she was in Washington, DC.

"Can you believe it? Can you believe it? She was on the cover of Vogue before she met me," the former president said. "But once I said I'm running for president, that was, that was the end of the cover."

"And it's so sad. But she doesn't care," he continued. "She's been on the cover of the magazines for a long time, and she was on the cover of Vogue before. And she was actually very friendly with [Vogue editor] Anna Wintour. But once I ran for politics, that was the end of that. And that's OK."

Melania Trump appeared on the cover of the magazine for the February 2005 issue, where she was photographed wearing her wedding dress.

One month earlier, she married Trump at a ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida.

In May 2022, Melania Trump accused the magazine of bias after first lady Jill Biden appeared on the August 2021 cover, just months after moving into the White House.

"They're biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it's so obvious," she told Fox Nation in one of her first interviews after leaving the White House. "And I think American people and everyone sees it. It was their decision, and I have much more important things to do  and I did in the White House  than being on the cover of Vogue."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump, the oldest candidate in the 2024 GOP presidential field, said there should not be an age limit for the presidency but expressed support for requiring mental competency tests for candidates.

Im all for the tests, Trump told NBCs Kristen Welker in an interview clip that aired Saturday, citing a cognitive test he took in 2020 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. I aced it. I get everything right.

But the former president, 77, cast doubt on the practicality of requiring such a test, adding, A lot of people say its not constitutional to do it.

Trumps comments come as he considerably leads the Republican presidential pool to face President Joe Biden  who is 80  in 2024.

When asked if there is a need for a new generation to take the helm, Trump said, Its always time for a new generation.

But, he added, Some of the greatest world leaders have been in their 80s, though the 77-year-old quickly clarified that hes not anywhere very near 80, by the way.

The ages of the incumbent and the GOP front-runner have raised questions about whether they are fit for office, and other presidential candidates have used the issue to argue that they will not be effective leaders.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is challenging his former boss for the GOP presidential nomination, told CNN in an interview that aired Sunday, We dont need a president whose too old and we dont need a president whose too young. But he stopped short of saying whether 77 is too old to be president.

I think thats a judgment for voters, Pence told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union. I trust voters to make their decision, whether it be the mental competency of people or whether it be their age or energy level.

But Trump said the problem with his successor is bigger than his age.

I dont think Biden is too old, but I think he is incompetent, Trump said. And thats a bigger problem.

Biden, who would be 82 at the start of his next term if reelected, has also shrugged off concerns about his age in recent months. When asked why an 82-year-old would be the best fit for president, Biden told MSNBC in May that he has acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom.

Im more experienced than anybody (whos) ever run for the office, he said, adding that he thinks hes proven himself to be effective.

However, a recent CNN poll showed that roughly three-quarters of Americans say theyre seriously concerned that Bidens age might negatively affect his current level of physical and mental competence and his ability to serve out another term if reelected.

This story has been updated with additional information Sunday.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the nice note he left for President Joe Biden when he departed office in 2021.

You know, its interesting. He actually said its up to me to do and I actually think its up to him to do, said Trump after Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker asked him to give a little sense of the letter.

I think it was very  it was a nice note. I took a lot of time in thinking about it. Id love him to do a great job even if it was very bad politically, he added.

The letter, part of a tradition of the outgoing president leaving a note behind for their successor, is one that Biden described as very generous in 2021.

He stopped short of providing details about the letter at the time, adding that it was private and he wouldnt talk about it until he spoke to Trump.

Trump, months after Bidens inauguration, told Lisa Boothe that he wished Biden luck in a letter that came from the heart.

Former President Donald Trump tells @kwelkernbc he left a "nice note" for President Joe Biden when he left office.



Watch the full exclusive interview tomorrow on @MeetThePress. pic.twitter.com/RPBL7kCSzl  NBC News (@NBCNews) September 16, 2023

Biden, who reportedly found the Trump letter to be shockingly gracious, put the letter in his pocket and did not share it with his advisers after he found it in the Oval Office, Bob Woodward and Robert Costa wrote in their book Peril.

Jen Psaki, a former press secretary for the Biden White House, told Rob Lowe last year that the president took the letter himself after discovering it.

And he is such a classy guy, whether people agree with his politics or not, that he didnt even convey it to us in that moment of what the letter said, Psaki said.

She continued: It was long, it was very long. The script, from where I could see, was very lovely.

The letters left behind by presidents eventually head to the National Archives and are made available to the public.

Related...
A speeding car crashed off a dead-end street into a canal, killing two people inside, California police reported.

An onlooker called 911 at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, to report a car had crashed into a waterway at the end of a dead-end street, San Rafael police said in a news release.

Officers found skid marks in the gravel at the end of the street leading to the canal. An onlooker at the scene said they saw the vehicle speeding at 70 mph down the street then heard a splash, police said.

Police found a car sunk in the canal, the release said. Divers found two people trapped inside the car and brought them to the surface, but they could not be revived.

The victims names will be released by the county coroner, police said.

Police said alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. An investigation into the crash continues.

Investigators ask that anyone with information call 415-485-3000 or leave an anonymous tip at http://www.srpd.org/tips.

San Rafael is about 20 miles north of San Francisco.

Two men escape car sinking into canal, but one dies after getting out, Idaho cops say

Girl screaming for help fights off man attacking her on trail, Colorado cops say

40-year-old woman set fire to Target to hide baby formula theft, California police say
President Joe Biden loves to say that foreign policy is an extension of personal relationships.

The annual U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders, then, must be the ultimate family reunion. Or maybe its high school?

Either way, you have love, rivalry and endless drama, but with the fate of the world at stake.

A number of prominent world leaders are expected to skip this years event, including those of France, Britain, Russia and China. Still, there are many interesting dynamics to watch among heads of state, diplomats, business and NGO leaders, and even a royal or two, who are showing up.

Attendees are expected to include Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Here are some of the relationships to watch in New York this week:

Biden and his Middle Eastern counterparts

The U.N. offers Biden an ideal venue to show that, despite his effort to shift the U.S. focus to China, hes not abandoning another key region.

The White House's outline for Biden's schedule so far doesn't include many bilateral meetings with Middle Eastern leaders. But he may still encounter some of them, such as Turkeys Erdogan and the leader of Qatar, in less formal settings such as receptions.

One potential topic? A grand peace deal the Biden team is pushing that includes the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Biden is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York. This is actually a let-down for Netanyahu, who wants a White House invite.

But Biden is wary of the Netanyahu-led governments efforts to overhaul Israels judiciary, which many Israelis are protesting as undemocratic. He appears unwilling to ask the Israeli leader to visit Washington for now.

At the G20 summit this month, Biden shook hands with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the latest hint the de facto Saudi ruler is back in Americas good graces despite his human rights abuses. (Its unclear if the crown prince will be in New York.)

Bidens Middle East outreach comes as China has offered itself as a potential peacemaker for the region. Beijing has already pushed through a diplomatic rapprochement between rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia and even suggested it can solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Also at the G20, Biden helped unveil a major infrastructure initiative that connects India, the Middle East and Europe. Expect lots of chatter about that plan in New York, too.

Russias foreign minister and countries who wont take sides

Zelenskyy is planning an in-person charm offensive at this years gathering. Hes seeking as many in-person meetings with Latin American, Asian and African leaders as he can, in a bid to convince these countries to side with Ukraine against Russia.

How Russia responds may depend on which diplomats are willing to be seen with the Russian representative, likely Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov .

Odds are that Lavrov will also try to score many such meetings, at least to ensure certain nations stay neutral.

Last year, Lavrov didnt have a very full schedule, something noted by U.S. officials. But Zelenskyy didnt attend in person last year.

World leaders who meet Ukraines president this year may feel compelled to see Lavrov, too, if theyre intent on avoiding taking sides.

Washington and the coup-hit African states

As U.S. officials mingle with their foreign counterparts, the odds are unusually high that theyll run into a coup-backer from Africa.

A string of military takeovers has shaken the continent, with Niger and Gabon falling victim in just the last few months.

Whether a junta can send a representative to the General Assembly depends on everything from the decisions of a U.N. credentials committee to the declared loyalties of the countrys existing U.N. delegation.

The Taliban, for instance, have yet to get U.N. recognition as Afghanistans government. But last year, a Malian prime minister appointed by a junta that had overthrown the countrys democratic government delivered a speech at the annual gathering.

Its not clear who will speak on behalf of Gabon or Niger at this years event.

U.S. officials dont appear to have a single standard approach for how to interact with coup-hit nations in New York.

Their thinking is complicated by the U.S. refusal so far to admit that Gabon or Niger have undergone coups. (Doing so puts military and economic aid at risk, and the Biden administration insists the situations are fluid.)

To top that off, Gabon is a current member of the U.N. Security Council, meaning the U.S. may need its vote now and then.

My guess is [the U.S. will] approach diplomatic engagements with great flexibility, to only do those meetings with coup leaders where theres some possibility of moving an agenda forward, said Peter Yeo, a senior official at the U.N. Foundation who closely tracks the American delegation.

China and the Europeans

At the G20, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged European countries not to walk away from Beijing, saying interdependence should not be equated with insecurity.

Beijing is likely to hammer the same message at the U.N. as it tries to separate European nations from the United States. Chinas economy is sputtering, making its leaders all the more worried about losing trade.

The European Union is adopting a more wary stance on China, including a de-risking policy that affects the types of trade between the bloc and the Asian giant.

Chinas paramount leader, Xi Jinping, is sending Han Zheng, a largely ceremonial vice president, as his representative (a surprise to many who were expecting Foreign Minister Wang Yi).

According to Chinas foreign ministry, Han will meet with leaders of relevant countries. It did not elaborate.

Beijings diplomatic footing in Europe has been slipping. Chinas 17+1 grouping of Central and Eastern European counties has shrunk to 14+1 after the exit of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. In May, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told POLITICO that the grouping had neither substance nor future. Recent indications that Italy may quit Chinas signature Belt and Road Initiative international infrastructure development program has added to Beijings worries.

On a multi-leg trip that took him to Asia this month, Biden shored up relations with some of Chinas neighbors. But he also said during that trip that he doesnt want to contain China, the latest sign he wants to ease escalating tensions.

Its worth watching whether European leaders adopt similar language.

The U.N. chief and the member states

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is trying to get the U.N.s 193 members to focus more on long-term planetary challenges, such as climate change and artificial intelligence.

Hes having limited success.

The big powers are busy warring with each other (even if indirectly). Smaller countries, meanwhile, are dealing with more immediate crises, including the economic fallout from the clashes of the world powers. That includes disruptions to food supplies caused by the Russian war on Ukraine.

There is also just zero trust among U.N. members now, said Richard Gowan, an International Crisis Group analyst with deep connections at the U.N. A lot of non-Western countries believe that Western countries are giving up on development aid and fighting climate change.

Western leaders deny this, and to some extent its a matter of degree.

Guterres is planning a Summit of the Future in 2024  a venue for countries to find common ground on issues such as the digital economy. But amid these and other Guterres efforts, some smaller countries are feeling overloaded, Gowan said.

You hear diplomats complaining about their limited bandwidth a lot, Gowan said.

A senior U.N. official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, acknowledged that there is a capacity challenge among U.N. diplomats.

Its one reason the Summit of the Future was pushed to next year instead of this year, when it would have competed for attention with a summit focused on the Sustainable Development Goals, a longstanding initiative with intentions including reducing poverty.

The official argued, however, that theres broad agreement that the long-term challenges Guterres wants to highlight, such as climate change, cannot be ignored.

Phelim Kine contributed to this report.
Striking autoworkers are ready to do whatever it takes to get the automakers to agree to their demands for raises, shorter work weeks and stronger job security  including starting strikes at additional plants, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Sunday.

We're prepared to do whatever we have to do, Fain said during an interview on CBS Face the Nation. The membership is fed up, we're fed up with falling behind. It's been decades of falling behind.

The UAW went on strike at three plants across the Big Three car manufacturers at midnight on Friday after its existing contracts expired without a new deal.



So far, the strike has targeted General Motors' Wentzville Assembly plant in Missouri, Stellantis Toledo Assembly in Ohio and Fords Michigan Assembly in Wayne, Mich., though more locations could be added, Fain said Sunday.

The three-location work stoppage is just a fraction of the size of a possible full-scale walkout  which would involve nearly 150,000 union members across several other states.

Along with calls for a 40% pay raise and a four-day work week, autoworkers have voiced concern about a future in which more vehicles are made with electric batteries instead of internal combustion engines.

This is where the rubber hits the road, we got to figure out how we're going to do this transition, how we're going to go from the transition of an internal combustion engine, and pay people who are making that battery, a decent wage, similar to what they're making for" internal combustion engines, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who represents a district near Detroit, said Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation.

They're going to be new jobs, and different jobs that are going to come from this transition. But it's not a talking point moment. This is a real, intentional, hard moment, Dingell said.



The strike puts President Joe Biden, the self-described most pro-union president in American history, in a precarious position as the 2024 presidential election draws closer.

On Friday, Biden said that he understood workers frustration, and announced that he was deploying acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and senior economic adviser Gene Sperling, to Detroit to offer their full support in contract negotiations.
Workers at GM, Ford, and Stellantis went on strike last week.

The work stoppage will exacerbate a structural advantage enjoyed by EV leader Tesla.

EVs have fewer parts than gas-powered vehicles. This means fewer jobs in the industry.

When auto workers went on strike at GM, Ford, and Stellantis last week I immediately thought of this video.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

It's from a 2019 Bloomberg story about Germany's car industry. But the technological changes shown here, and inexorable math at the heart of them, apply globally:

The traditional internal combustion engine has more than 1,000 parts. New electric engines have about 50. That means fewer jobs because EVs are much simpler and therefore easier to assemble.

With all the ink spilled about the rise of electric vehicles since 2019, I've been surprised by how few words have focused on what will be a radical and painful industry transformation.

The auto industry has been a powerful job generator for decades, forging huge cities with healthy and relatively stable paychecks for millions of workers and their families. As EVs take over, this will no longer be the case. Forget about AI. This is the job destruction that's guaranteed to happen soon.

'Fewer employees'

The Congressional Research Service, which provides analysis to US legislators, warned about this a few years ago. Gas-powered vehicles have as many as 2,000 components in their powertrains, while Tesla has said its drivetrain has 17 moving parts, including just 2 in the motor, it noted.

"Electric vehicle powertrains, if built domestically and not imported, would generate production employment, but fewer employees may be needed than at present because vehicle battery packs have relatively few components and are less complicated to assemble than internal combustion engine powertrains," the Congressional Research Service wrote. "Electric vehicles utilize a large number of electronic sensors, but these devices require little labor to produce and assemble."

Labor is one of the main expenses that companies try to flex when competing against each other. If one business has an approach that gives it a clear cost advantage, everyone else will quickly try to adopt a similar strategy.

Tesla had a decade headstart, in terms of EV manufacturing, but other automakers are now racing to catch up. There may be some environmental benefits to EVs, but a bigger driver of this is that they are just way more efficient to manufacture.

About 40% less labor

Auto executives don't like talking about this much, because it basically means jobs will be lost and that's hard to bring up. But some of the industry's top leaders have discussed it occasionally.

In late 2022, Ford CEO Jim Farley told the Financial Times that manufacturing EVs requires about 40% less labor than making the same number of internal combustion vehicles. VW's CEO in 2019 estimated that building EVs involves about 30% less effort than making gas-powered cars.

Employees work on an engine production line at a Ford factory on January 13, 2015 in Dagenham, England. Carl Court/Getty Images

The UAW strike could cost America's 3 main traditional automakers as much as $5 billion within just 10 days. This will exacerbate the structural disadvantage they already face.

Elon Musk has already won

Whatever the outcome of the strike, Elon Musk has already won, Tim Higgins, one of the top auto industry reporters, wrote this weekend in The Wall Street Journal.

Higgins wrote a book about Tesla, called Power Play, that expertly explains how the company developed a more efficient vehicle manufacturing process.

As a pure EV maker, Tesla doesn't have to deal with internal combustion engines, gas lines, exhaust pipes and other complex designs that cost more to assemble.

GM, Ford, and Stellantis have begun making more EVs, but those operations are still relatively small and that lack of scale means they mostly lose money selling those new vehicles. The rest of their operations still focus on gas-powered cars and trucks.

Tesla's workers are not unionized, so the company will keep churning out Model 3s, Model Ss, Model Ys, and soon the new Cybertruck, while some factories of its main US rivals sit idle.

Tesla Giga Shanghai Tesla

The Giga Press

And Tesla is not resting on its laurels. Instead, the company is trying to extend its manufacturing advantage. It recently introduced Gigacasting technology to its auto plants.

The Tesla Giga Press is a giant machine that uses aluminum die casting to make much larger vehicle parts. Again, the goal here is to reduce the number of car parts to make the manufacturing process simpler and more efficient. And yes, that probably means even fewer jobs.

Toyota, GM, Hyundai and China's Geely are beginning to use this technology, too, or are planning to do so, according to Reuters.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, has posted a photo of the Ukrainian military in the settlement of Klishchiivka in front of a local church, stressing that Ukraine always regains its territories.

Source: Yermak on Telegram

Quote from Yermak: "Ukraine always takes back its own."

Details: The fact that the troops are in Klishchiivka may be identified by the destroyed Intercession Church behind them.

The photo features soldiers of the Tsunami regiment of the Liut (Futy) assault brigade.

The Ukrainian General Staff has recently reported on the progress of the Ukrainian forces in this village.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!






Ukraine likely made "a significant tactical breach" on the southern front, a new report says.

The report was published Saturday by the US think tank Institute for the Study of War.

The advance comes after a successful week for Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine has likely made "a significant tactical breach" along Russia's multilayered defense on the southern front line, beyond the village of Robotyne, a Saturday report from the US think tank Institute for the Study of War said.

Ukrainian forces have been widening a gap in the front line for several weeks, the report noted, but said Ukrainian heavy armor and vehicles "have yet to complete a breakthrough of this defensive layer."

Ukrainian officials have indicated that Russian defensive positions in this region may be weaker than the Russian defensive layer that Ukrainian forces broke through to the north, said the ISW.

Ukraine announced it had seized back control of the village of Robotyne in early September.

This recent success comes after a week of notable military actions by Ukraine.

On Thursday, a video came out that appeared to show Ukrainian soldiers entering and liberating the village of Andriivka, near Bakhmut.

"Capturing and holding Andriivka  is our path to a breakthrough on the right flank of Bakhmut and the key to the success of the entire further offensive," said Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade, which took part in the push, Reuters reported.

Russia denied Ukraine's advances, saying Ukraine was "unsuccessfully trying to oust Russian troops from the population centers of Klishchiivka and Andriivka," Al Jazeera reported.

ISW's Saturday report, however, said that geolocated footage posted on September 15 confirms that Ukrainian forces have advanced in the Bakhmut area, not only around Adriivka but also the nearby villages of Rozdolivka and Klishchiivka.

Devastating strikes by Ukraine on land and sea

A video captures the moment an S-400 explodes in Crimea. Screengrab/Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

An attack in Crimea on Thursday destroyed Russia's advanced S-400 "Triumf" air-defense system  estimated to be worth over $500 million  using modified Neptune naval cruise missiles.

ISW said this may signal that Russia's air defenses in Crimea have "systemic tactical failures" and that Russian forces were "unprepared to intercept missiles with the system or were unable to do so." It was the second strike in the past few weeks to obliterate an S-400 in Crimea.

On Friday, Ukraine struck and damaged a Russian missile ship off the coast of Crimea. Ukrainian forces told Reuters and Ukrainian media that an experimental sea drone called Sea Baby was used as part of this attack.

Russia's defense ministry denied any damage and said the attack was repelled and the drone was destroyed, Reuters added.

Ukraine also claimed that its marine drones had struck at least one of two Russian corvettes in the Black Sea, the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported, per ISW.

BlackSky imagery captured the damage caused by a Ukrainian cruise missile attack on the Sevastopol Shipyard dry docks in Russia-occupied Crimea on September 13. Courtesy of BlackSky

Earlier in the week, a major Ukrainian strike, using missiles and marine drones, on a Crimean naval base likely dealt a serious blow to the operation of Putin's Black Sea fleet, according to UK intelligence.

Ukrainian forces launched an attack on Wednesday on Russia's Black Sea Fleet base at Sevastopol, striking a submarine and a landing ship, per the UK's Ministry of Defence.

In its latest intelligence update published on Friday, the UK MoD said the two vessels  identified as the landing ship Minsk and the Kilo 636.3 class submarine Rostov-on-Don  were hit while undergoing repairs in dry docks at the Sevmorzadov shipyard.

The attack also put the dry docks vital for maintaining the Black Sea fleet out of action for the foreseeable future.

"The complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks will also place the facility out of use for many months," said the UK MoD.

On Saturday, a NATO admiral told the military alliance that "history books will show Ukraine has transformed modern warfare. And they are moving forward every day. Every success is one step closer to victory."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukraine downed six out of six Shahed kamikaze drones and six out of 10 cruise missiles launched by Russia in an overnight attack on the country early on Sept. 17, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on its channel on the Telegram messenger app.

The drones were shot down by Ukrainian mobile air defense systems and by fighter aircraft, the air force said. It also posted video of the launch of an anti-aircraft missile being launched and hitting a cruise missile over Odesa Oblast, causing a large explosion in the air.

Read also: Russia launches 22 drones at Ukraine overnight, 17 downed no casualties reported

Earlier, it was reported that nine Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers had left Olenya air base in the north of Russia, headed south to firing positions. The bombers launched 10 cruise missiles  a mix of Kh-101, Kh-555 and Kh-55 cruise missiles, the air force said.

The cruise missiles were launched from the bombers near the Russian city of Engels, Saratov Oblast, about 600 kilometers from the nearest part of Ukrainian-controlled territory, the air force added.

The missile launches occurred at about 4.20 a.m., causing much of the east, south, north and center oblasts of the country to issue air raid alert warnings. Missiles were reported to have entered Ukrainian airspace at around 4.50 a.m.

Read also: Russia tries to confuse and exhaust Ukraines air defenses with course-changing cruise missiles

In addition to the cruise missiles, six Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones were launched from the southeast and south of Ukraine (from Russias Primorsko-Akhtarsk and the Chauda Cape in Russian-occupied Crimea). All were shot down.

The cruise missiles maneuvered extensively before starting to home in on Odesa Oblast, where an agricultural enterprise was hit. At least one missile then headed in the direction of Vinnytsia Oblast and the Khmelnytsky Oblast.

There were no reports of any other missile strikes, while there were unconfirmed reports on social media that a missile had been shot down over Vinnytsia Oblast.

The air raid sirens sounded in the city of Kyiv at 4.51 a.m., but no Russian cruise missiles or drones approached the Ukrainian capital.

The all-clear sounded in Kyiv at 6.51 a.m. and shortly after across the entire country.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Scoop

Ukraines first lady Olena Zelenska will speak at Georgetown University in Washington this coming Thursday about the impact of Russias war in Ukraine on schools and access to education, Semafor has learned.

Zelenska plans to donate 260 books about Ukraine to Georgetown, according to a representative for the university, and call for the development of a Ukrainian studies program at U.S. universities.

She will give a speech and then sit for a question-and-answer session with former Amb. Melanne Verveer, the director of Georgetowns Institute for Women, Peace, and Security.

The speech will coincide with a planned visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington.

Know More

Zelenskyy will be in the U.S. to attend the U.N. General Assembly and later visit Washington to meet with President Joe Biden and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The trip comes at a critical time for Ukraine, as it presses forward with its counteroffensive against Russia and seeks to keep up U.S. and allied support.

The White House has requested an additional $24 billion in security, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine from Congress. But the Biden administration faces an uphill battle in getting the funding approved, given vocal opposition from some House Republicans.

Zelenskas remarks at Georgetown will focus on the humanitarian impact of the war, which has destroyed hundreds of schools and kept Ukrainian students out of classrooms.

Thursdays speech wont be Zelenskas first encounter with Georgetown. She was honored at the Institute for Women, Peace, and Securitys annual Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards last winter, appearing virtually at that event.
By Nick Starkov

KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday his forces had recaptured an eastern village on the southern flank of Bakhmut, in what would be Ukraine's second significant gain in three days in its grueling counteroffensive against the Russian army.

"Today I would like to particularly commend the soldiers who, step by step, are returning to Ukraine what belongs to it, namely in the area of Bakhmut," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address to the nation.

The heavy fight for the Klishchiivka village, spread on higher grounds about 9 km (6 miles) south of Bakhmut, has taken weeks and comes after Kyiv said on Friday it had gained control of a tiny nearby village of Andriivka.

The gains have been among the most significant in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began in June and has struggled to break through entrenched Russian lines.

Oleksandr Syrskyi , commander of Ukraine's ground forces who is also in operational control of the counteroffensive, posted a video of Ukrainian forces displaying the blue and yellow national flag on ruined buildings with the sound of fighting in the background.

"Klishchiivka was cleared of the Russians," Syrskyi, who has often visited the Bakhmut frontline to devise strategy and boost the troops' morale, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Reuters could not verify the Ukrainian reports and there was no immediate comment from Moscow. On Sunday, Russia's defence ministry said in its daily briefing that its forces kept up their attacks near Klishchiivka, which had a pre-war population of around 400.

Ukrainian military analysts said this week the liberation of settlements near Bakhmut would allow the military to advance from the southern flank in the Bakhmut area.

"Ukraine always gets its own back," Zelenskiy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on the Telegram.

Zelenskiy thanked the successful units which he said were the 80th airborne assault brigade, the 5th assault brigade, the "glorious 95th" and a national police assault brigade.

Ilia Yevlash, spokesperson for Ukrainian troops in the east, said the battle inflicted "powerful damage" on Russian airborne units, the "Akhmat" battalion of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Storm-Z made up of Russian criminals, the Russian General Staff's military intelligence, and motorised rifle units.

"So, now we have gained a base that will allow us to continue to develop offensive actions and liberate our land from the invaders," Yevlash wrote on Telegram.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Russia was still trying to regain lost positions at the village.

"Today we had to fight off enemy attacks all day," she said.

Russia has been in control of Klishchiivka since January. Moscow still controls large swaths of Ukraine's land in the east and south.

Klishchiivka, just like Andriivka and other settlements in eastern Ukraine, has been turned into ruble in the long months of the fight for Bakhmut, which fell into Russian hands in May.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Nick Starkov and Elaine Monaghan; Writing by Elaine Monaghan and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Diane Craft and Stephen Coates)
(Bloomberg) -- Four top Senate Republicans prodded President Joe Biden to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles to help its counteroffensive against Russia, saying only a small part of US stockpiles would be needed.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The plea to the president, who is due to host Ukraines Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House this week, puts a renewed focus on the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, that Kyiv has long requested. Ukraine said Sunday it shot down six of 10 cruise missiles that Russia launched against the Odesa region and also downed six drones.

In the wake of the first summit in four years between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned of illegal and unjust military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is traveling to New York to attend the UN General Assembly amid heightened tensions with Washington over Syria and Russia. Turkey is coming under increasing pressure from the EU and the US to join their campaign to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

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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

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Key developments on Sept. 17:

Ukraines military says it liberated village of Klishchiivka near Bakhmut

US senators: 'Not sending ATACMS to Ukraine will only prolong war

UK Defense Ministry: Russia likely reinforcing defenses around Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Canada pledges nearly $25 million to bolster Ukraine's air defense

Ukraines military reported late on Sept. 17 that it had liberated the village of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, marking the latest success in a more than three-months-long counteroffensive on the Bakhmut axis.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who commands Ukraines Ground Forces, said on Telegram that Ukraines 5th Separate Assault Brigade, the 80th Air Assault Brigade, and the Liut ("Anger") National Police Assault Brigade took part in the operation to liberate Klishchiivka.

In a video shared by Liut on Facebook, a Ukrainian soldier said, We stand strong, firm and confident, because this is our land. The enemy does not stop attempts to capture it again.

For months, there has been heavy fighting around Klishchiivka  which fell to Russia in late January  as Ukraine attempted to retake the village.

Ukrainian soldiers with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, also deployed in the area, told the Kyiv Independent over July and August that advancing toward Klishchiivka is extremely difficult due to heavily mined fields and Russias incessant artillery fire.

Before the liberation was publicly announced on Sept. 17, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak published a photo of Ukrainian soldiers in front of the town's church with the caption Ukraine always takes back its own.

Read also: Inching forward in Bakhmut counteroffensive, Ukraines hardened units look ahead to long, grim war

The liberation of the village marks a significant achievement of this axis of Ukrainian offensive operations, which began in the area back in May this year before the more widely publicized counteroffensive on the southern front line.

Klishchiivka is located nine kilometers south of Bakhmut, a city almost completely destroyed by Russias brutal siege tactics.

Just a few days ago, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that Ukrainian troops had liberated Andriivka, another small village located around three kilometers south of Klishchiivka.

Both Klishchiivka and Andriivka have been severely damaged by months of heavy fighting.

Read also: Inside Ukraines costly mission to grind down Russia near Bakhmut

US senators: 'Not sending ATACMS to Ukraine will only prolong war'

U.S. senators Tom Cotton, Roger Wicker, Susan Collins, and Lindsey Graham sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden urging him to send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine.

"Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict," the Republican senators' letter read, stressing that Washington can send the long-requested weapons "without any appreciable risk to its own combat capability."

"Providing ATACMS would enable Ukraine to strike key Russian logistics and communications targets as well as cruise missile and drone launch sites within Russian-occupied Ukraine.

The senators' urgent call comes as Kyiv continues to plead for longer-range weapons, including ATACMS, to bolster its capability to strike Russian military targets in occupied territories.

ATACMS could target command posts, missile launchers, air defense systems, communication centers, and fuel warehouses deep behind the Russian defense line, and can launch attacks at any time of the day  regardless of the weather.

Read also: Ukrainian innovators want to bring life-saving robots to the battlefield

Recently, emerging Western media reports citing anonymous officials have hinted that Ukraine's long quest for ATACMS will soon come to an end.

ABC News reported on Sept. 9 that two unnamed U.S. officials signaled that Washington could approve the delivery of ATACMS to Ukraine rather soon, with one of them saying that "they are coming, although the plans could change until the official announcement.

The second official said ATACMS are "on the table" and may be part of the U.S.' upcoming security aid package, adding that it could take months before the missiles arrive in Ukraine, according to ABC News.

ATACMS can strike targets 300 kilometers (190 miles) away. While the U.K. and France have delivered long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, which have a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles), the U.S. has so far not given the green light for ATACMS.

In the letter addressed to Biden, the senators said that the "Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act urging the Department of Defense to consider sending long-range missiles to Ukraine."

"Delay will only cost more lives and prolong the conflict," the letter reads.

The senators say that the request is urgent since there have been reports that there may be just over 30 days of fighting season left for Ukraine to wage its costly counteroffensive.

Earlier in September, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said that Ukraine likely has about 30 to 45 days for the counteroffensive before the weather worsens on the ground.

"We urge you to authorize the immediate shipment of ATACMS to Ukraine," the senators said.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia likely reinforcing defenses around Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Russian forces have likely bolstered their defenses around the occupied town of Tokmak in the southeastern oblast of Zaporizhzhia, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on Sept. 17.

According to the ministry, Russian forces have in recent days added more checkpoints, anti-tank hedgehogs, and trenches in the area, which is currently held by Russia's 58th Combined Arms Army.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said the area, located 16 kilometers from the front line and around 60 kilometers northeast of occupied Melitopol, is likely to become "a lynchpin of Russia's second main line of defenses."

"Improvements to the towns defenses likely indicate Russias growing concern about Ukrainian tactical penetrations of the first main defensive line to the north," the intelligence report says.

More than three months into Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive, Kyiv is taking the initiative in some parts of the front line  mainly in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and in the Bakhmut and Velyka Novosilka axes in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine has thus far been able to liberate more than a dozen villages since early June, with the most recent success seen in the Bakhmut area.

Though it is difficult to hold on to recaptured territories, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar on Sept. 11 said that Ukraine has been able to liberate 4.8 square kilometers of territories in the southern part of Donetsk Oblast and in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past week.

Since the beginning of the counteroffensive in early June, Ukraine has liberated 256.5 square kilometers of territory on the southeastern front, according to Maliar.

Read also: Russias southern mistake  Surovikin lines, Gerasimov tactics

Canada pledges nearly $25 million to bolster Ukraine's air defense

Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced on Sept. 17 that Canada will provide 33 million Canadian dollars ($24.4 million) to a U.K.-led partnership delivering much-needed air defense equipment to Ukraine.

The partnership, established in June to help Ukraine defend against Russian missile and drone attacks, was established by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S.

According to the press release, the initiative is providing Ukraine with hundreds of short- and medium-range air defense missiles and related systems.

Canada's recent contribution is part of the 500 million Canadian dollars ($369 million) in funding for military assistance to Ukraine announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in June.

Blair made the announcement during his visit to the Lydd Military Training Camp, where the Canadian Unifier operation, which trains Ukrainian soldiers, takes place.

Together, Canada and the United Kingdom are standing with Ukraine, as it fights to defend itself against Russias illegal and unjustifiable invasion," Blair said.

"Canada commends the courage and strength of Ukrainians, and we will continue to support them with the comprehensive military aid that they need to fight and win.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The process of training Ukrainian pilots on Western F-16 fighters has made significant progress and gained momentum, Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said on Ukrainian national television on Sept. 17.

"I can assure you that the process has really moved forward very seriously," Ihnat said.

It was not static, but it has gained momentum. The pilots are studying and undergoing training.

Read also: Ukrainian Air Force confirms pilots will begin F-16 training at US air base in September

Ihnat refused to say in which country and how many pilots are being trained, as well as how many aircraft Ukraine will receive. The leaders of the countries where Ukrainian pilots are being trained will announce this later, he said.

"Unfortunately, we cannot answer these questions in such detail now," he added.

Not every state wants to go into much detail about the process that is taking place on its territory.

Read also: US Republican senators pressure Biden to speed up shipment of ATACMS missiles to bolster Ukraine's counter-offensive

Earlier, in an interview with NV, Ihnat said that experienced pilots from Ukraine would learn to pilot F-16s in the United States and Denmark, while young pilots would learn to fly in the United Kingdom. In September, the "language" training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians will begin at an air base in Texas ahead of training on U.S. F-16 fighters themselves.

In mid-August, the United States authorized Denmark and the Netherlands to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as soon as the pilots had completed their training.

The Danish Defense Ministry stated that Ukrainian pilots would begin training on F-16s at the end of August.

On Aug. 20, the Netherlands and Denmark promised to provide Ukraine with 61 aircraft  42 and 19, respectively.

Copenhagen may deliver the first six planes by the end of the year. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Denmark will deliver all the fighter jets "in different stages" and "slowly."

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
Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, has stated that training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16s has "gained momentum" and has made significant progress.

Source: Ihnat during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote from Ihnat: "We get plenty of questions about where, in what country, how many pilots and how many aircraft we are getting. Unfortunately, we cannot answer these questions in such detail right now.

Not every state wishes to go into great detail on the process that takes place on its territory.

I may only assure you that the process has indeed moved forward significantly. It hasn't been static, but it has gained momentum. The pilots are learning and undergoing training."

Details: Ihnat said the leaders of the countries where Ukrainian pilots are trained would further elaborate on this. However, the Ukrainian Air Force spokesman added that the number of countries joining the aircraft coalition is growing.

Background:

Ukrainian pilots started training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. Greece and Portugal are reportedly planning to join the training of Ukrainians on the F-16s.

Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway announced their decision to hand over the aircraft to Kyiv after the training.

In early September, then-Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said the Ukrainian Armed Forces would have the F-16s available for use in combat in the spring of 2024.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!






By liberating the settlement of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have created a springboard that would allow the development of upcoming offensive operations.

Source: Illia Yevlash, press service chief for Operational Command Skhid (East), during the national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "Now we have gained a springboard for ourselves, which in the future will allow us to continue to develop offensive operations and liberate our land from the invaders."

Details: Yevlash explained that, above all, this means controlling the logistics routes through which the Russians supply their forces in Bakhmut.

"In addition, this exposure of the flanks, in particular the southern flank, will allow us to further move more conveniently into the depths of the enemy's positions and deliver more accurate and deeper strikes using various artillery systems, FPV drones and other available weapons," Yevlash asserted.

He reported that battles are now ongoing near the railway track.

"The railway is very important for the Russians, because the range of the supply routes they have is somewhere around 50-60 kilometres. Everything that is further away is very difficult to provide with the logistics of the occupation army... Now there are intense fierce battles on this front, we are fighting for every metre of our land. When it is possible to finally inform the public on who controls the railway, we will definitely do so," he said.

Earlier: On Sunday, the Liut (Rage) combined Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine confirmed the liberation of the village of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
Ukraines Armed Forces are continuing to defend their positions in the country's east and south, leading offensive operations on the Melitopol front and the Bakhmut front. Over 30 combat clashes took place during the day, with Ukrainian defenders repelling 13 Russian attacks in the area of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast alone

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook; information as of 06:00 on 17 September

Details: In the area of responsibility of the Pivnich Operational Strategic Group, on the Volyn and Polissia fronts, the operational situation remains unchanged.

On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians continue to hold a group of troops covering the state border. They conduct intense sabotage activities in the border areas in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other fronts, increasing 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 Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully repelled 13 Russian attacks in the area of Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast. The Russians unsuccessfully tried to break through the defences of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of Kurdiumivka and Andriivka, Donetsk Oblast. Thanks to their offensive actions, the Armed Forces have been successful in the Kurdiumivka area in Donetsk Oblast, displacing the Russians from their initial positions.

Details: 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, Donetsk Oblast. Over the day, they carried out 11 unsuccessful attempts to oust our units from their positions. In addition, all Russian attacks in the areas of Severne, Rivnopil, Donetsk Oblast and Novodarivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast ended in significant losses both in manpower and vehicles. At the same time, in the Avdiivka, Marinka and Shakhtarsk directions, the forces deployed on the Shakhtarsk front are holding the initiative, putting pressure on the Russians, conducting assault actions and recapturing our land.

On the Melitopol front, Ukrainian soldiers continue their offensive operation, inflicting significant losses on the occupying forces in manpower and equipment, and forcing the Russians to withdraw from their positions.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational Strategic Group on the Kherson front, Ukrainian defenders continue to wage a counter-battery struggle, destroying supply depots and successfully hitting the Russian rear.

During the past day, the Ukrainian Air Force inflicted 2 strikes on command posts, 12 strikes on clusters of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, and 5 strikes on Russian anti-aircraft missile systems.

Units from Rocket Forces and Artillery hit three Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems and five Russian artillery systems.

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Serhii Lysak, the Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, has reported that a Russian cruise missile was destroyed during an air-raid over the oblast overnight.

Source: Lysak on Telegram

Quote: "This morning was alarming for the whole country and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in particular. There were reports of cruise missile launches. One of them was shot down over our oblast."

Details: He also stated that the Russian forces once again struck the Nikopol district overnight, namely the Pokrovske hromada (an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories). "They fired over half a dozen shells on it. The damage is being established. However, most importantly, people are safe," said Lysak.

Background: On the night of 16-17 September, an air-raid warning was issued across Ukraine, with the Ukrainian Air Force reporting a missile threat. The warning lasted for over 2 hours.

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The Ukrainian Air Force has reported that 7 Russian Tu-95MS bombers have taken off from the Olenya airfield (Murmansk Oblast).

Source: Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram

Quote: "If the flight is a combat mission, the estimated time of approach of the missiles (depending on the launching boundaries) is about 04:00-05:00."

"Follow our messages; should air-raid warnings be issued, take cover," the Ukrainian Air Force said.

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Ukrainian commander releases ground-level footage showing campaign to retake Andriyivka near Bakhmut

The Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi , showed how Ukrainian defenders liberated the village of Andriyivka, Donetsk Oblast, near Bakhmut in a video posted on Sept. 16.

Syrskyi shared a video of the 3rd Assault Brigade soldiers, who recorded how they were fighting in the area of Andriyivka.

Read also:

"Great work by our soldiers," wrote Syrskyi.

The fulfillment of tasks on the Bakhmut axis continues, the army is moving forward.

On Sept. 15, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially confirmed that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had liberated Andriyivka from the Russian forces and were consolidating the captured positions.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russia said that it intercepted a Ukrainian attack on Crimea Sunday, with Ukrainian drones also attacking Moscow.

Ukraine has launched a series of attacks targeting Crimea in recent days in its much anticipated counteroffensive against Russia. Russias defense ministry said Sunday that its air defense systems took down at least six drones that were targeting Crimea, Reuters reported.

Russia officials also said that Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow Sunday as attacks inside Russias lines have increased since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that at least two Ukrainian drones were shot down near Russias capital city.

According to preliminary data, there is no destruction or casualty at the site of the wreckage. Emergency specialists are working at the scene, Sobyanin posted on Telegram about an attempted drone attack in the Istra district.

He also said there was an attempted attack in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region.

At least 24 flights were delayed at airports in the Moscow region, according to Russian state media, due to the attempted drone attacks.

Reuters reported that a Ukrainian drone also targeted an oil depot in southwestern Russia Sunday, the governor of the region said.

There are no casualties, all emergency services are working on the territory of the facility, the governor of the Oryol region, Andrei Klychkov, posted on Telegram.

Governor of the Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev, said on Telegram that a separate drone was taken down in his region, noting that there were no casualties or damage.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out 978 firing missions in the Tavria sector of the front in southern Ukraine on Sept. 16, eliminating 204 enemy troops and 23 pieces of Russian equipment, the Joint Press Center of the Tavria Defense Forces has reported on Facebook.

Ukrainian forces also continue to advance on the Melitopol section on the front in southern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, over the past day, Russian forces:

conducted 28 air strikes,

conducted 21 combat engagements,

launched 600 attacks using tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, and barrel artillery.

In the Maryinka sector, Russians were unsuccessful in an attempt to advance near the town of Maryinka, Donetsk Oblast. There, the enemy troops made 11 failed attempts to force Ukrainian soldiers out of their positions.

Read also: Reduced Activity of Hostilities on Tavria Front

The press center said that all Russian attacks in the vicinity of Severnea and Rivnopil in Donetsk Oblast, and near Novodarivka in Zaporizhzhya Oblast had resulted in significant losses for the invasion forces  in both manpower and military equipment.

In the Avdiyivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtarsk sectors, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding the initiative, putting pressure on the Russian military and conducting assault operations, Ukraines military said.

The press center added that the missile and artillery units of the Tavria Defense Forces completed 978 firing missions over the day.

Total enemy losses amounted to 204 people. In particular:

70 troops were killed,

130 were wounded,

four were captured.

Read also: Ukrainian troops push 1.5 km beyond Robotyne on southern front as counter-offensive grinds on

In addition, 23 units of enemy equipment were destroyed, namely:

six artillery systems and mortars,

a grenade launcher,

11 UAVs,

two units of automotive equipment,

three units of special equipment,

enemy ammunition depot.

Earlier, the Ukrainian militarys General Staff said in its morning report that 530 Russian troops had been killed in Ukraine over the past day.

In total, Russia's losses in manpower since the beginning of the full-scale invasion amount to 272,320 soldiers, according to the count kept by the Ukrainian General Staff.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
WASHINGTON  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit the Capitol and meet with senators Thursday, a Senate leadership aide said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will host an all-senators meeting with Zelenskyy at 10 a.m. Thursday, the aide said. A location is still to be determined.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zelenskyy is also expected to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, a person familiar with the plans has said. And he plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this week on his trip to the U.S., a senior Ukrainian official said.

Biden last met with Zelenskyy in July at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

I hope we finally have put to bed the notion about whether or not Ukraine is welcome in NATO. Its going to happen, Biden said in remarks before their bilateral meeting. Were moving  youre all moving in the right direction. I think its just a matter of getting by the next few months here.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv this month, meeting with Zelenskyy and senior Ukrainian officials to demonstrate the United States unwavering commitment to Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy, especially in the face of Russias aggression, a State Department spokesperson said.

When Blinken visited Kyiv, the State Department announced additional U.S. aid, including $100 million in foreign military financing, $90.5 million in humanitarian demining assistance and $300 million to support law enforcement efforts in liberated regions.

Zelenskyy last addressed a joint meeting of Congress in December, pleading for continued support as Republicans prepared to take control of the House, where aid to Ukraine was expected to come under more scrutiny and opposition.

Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way, he told U.S. lawmakers. Let the world see that the United States is here.

Your decisions can save millions of people, he added.

Julie Tsirkin reported from Washington and Summer Concepcion from New York.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
On Sept. 16, Ukrainians marked the 23d anniversary of the murder of Georgiy Gongadze , prominent investigative journalist and co-founder of online news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

During the commemoration, attended by around 10 people, the photo exhibition The War Is Not Over opened, dedicated to Russia's war crimes against the media and journalists in Ukraine after the all-out invasion.

Gongadze, who was critical of then-president Leonid Kuchma , was kidnapped on Sept. 16 in 2000. Two months later, his headless body was found in a forest some 70 kilometers outside Kyiv.

Three police officers were sentenced to 12 years' jail for their roles in Gongadze's murder, while on January 2016, Oleksiy Pukach, ex-head of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine's surveillance department, was sentenced to life.

Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 25  Ukraine puts first oligarch behind bars

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Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters, flanked by Mayor Donna Deegan, left, and other city officials, announces the deaths of three people and the gunman following a racially motivated shooting at a Dollar General store on Aug. 26.

In response to the racially motivated killings recently committed in Jacksonville, my office has been working jointly with local, state and federal law enforcement partners on a federal hate crimes and domestic terrorism investigation. The work has been nonstop, with a commitment from everyone on the investigative team to conduct a comprehensive investigation, following up on each and every lead, wherever it takes us.

The investigation and prosecution of hate crimes is a top priority for my office and the U.S. Department of Justice. When the Justice Department was founded in 1870, one of its first priorities was bringing to justice white supremacists who used violence to terrorize Black Americans.

Even though we have made progress, our work continues to this day. During my tenure, the U.S. Attorneys Office and the Civil Rights Division have successfully prosecuted several hate crime cases, including two brothers who physically assaulted a Black man while he was shopping at a store (one defendant used an axe handle in the attack). Another defendant in a separate case attempted to injure and intimidate a Black man by trying to force his car off the road (the defendant told officers that Black people need to be kept in their areas).

In both cases, the defendants were convicted of federal hate crimes and were sentenced to federal prison terms for their racially motivated attacks.

Letters: Gov. DeSantis is just politicizing COVID vaccines, not protecting public health

In July, another defendant pleaded guilty to two federal hate crimes for attacking two Black women with a gun in Jacksonville in two separate instances. In the first attack, the defendant pointed a shotgun at the victim  a Black woman working at a gas station  and cocked it. The victim, fortunately, was able to run away.

In the second attack, the defendant directed racial slurs at a Black woman while she was sitting on her walker on a sidewalk. The defendant left, returned with a shotgun and fired. The victim, fortunately, was not hit. The defendant has pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing in federal court.

But the work of my office is not limited to hate crime investigations and prosecutions. In addition, we provide support for victims of hate crimes and partner with members of the community to conduct programs designed to improve hate crime reporting.

We also coordinate with various components of the Justice Department and other agencies that provide grants and other assistance to prevent hate crimes by promoting community awareness and preparedness.

Families say goodbye: In the wake of a sinister act, Dollar General victims will be remembered for goodness

One of our programs is called United Against Hate. Launched in 2022, it is being implemented in every U.S. Attorneys office in the country. The goals of the program are to teach the community how to identify, report and help prevent hate crimes while building trust between law enforcement and citizens.

My office has partnered with organizations to implement this program and we are looking to expand those efforts to other organizations across the district. We have also set up a dedicated website at Justice.gov/usao-mdfl/unitedagainsthate with information about federal resources and programs available in preventing hate crimes. The website includes information for:

Victims of the Jacksonville shooting on where to find resources and services;

Nonprofits, institutions and anyone else who is interested in information about grants and assistance to protect against hate crimes; and

Any organization that is interested in partnering with my office to hold a United Against Hate program.

The Justice Department has resources and expertise that can assist victims of hate crimes and that can help prevent hate crimes from occurring in the first place. I hope that anyone who is interested in learning more will visit our website, which also will include contact information for members of my office who can further assist.

My office is committed to using our resources to assist victims of hate crimes, to help members of the community in preventing such crimes, to encourage reporting and to hold accountable anyone who commits a federal hate crime.

We are united against hate.

Handberg

Roger B. Handberg, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: U.S. Attorney's office has resources to identify, prevent hate crimes
Three pieces of Costa Rican history have been returned to the country almost six years after an international traveler brought them to the United States, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

Customs officers seized the ancient artifacts in December 2017 from a central Florida resident who arrived with them at the Orlando International Airport without proper documentation, according to a news release.

After a secondary inspection, CBPs agricultural specialists suspected the traveler, who flew in from San Jose, Costa Rica, was carrying protected artifacts without proof of being legally allowed to remove them from the country, authorities said.

CBP notified Costa Rica, and the country filed a petition for the objects return that stated they were stolen and owned by the people of Costa Rica pursuant to its cultural patrimony laws, the release stated. CBP granted Costa Ricas petition.

The objects were believed to have been used for funerary or domestic contexts in the period established between 300 B.C. and 880 A.D, CBP said.

Specialists from the National Museum of Costa Rica described one of the artifacts as a tripod pot that is missing its three supports and decorated in some areas with red clay, combined with the natural color of the paste and decorations modeled in zoomorphic shapes.

Experts described the second object as a hollow support called a raffle that has a zoomorphic motif, or mammal head.

The third is a fragment of decoration that was supported by a vase with high supports, the specialists said.

On Thursday, the Honorable Ludmila Patricia Ugalde Simionova, who serves as Consul General of Costa Rica in Miami, received the artifacts, according to CBP.

Simionova said looting and illicit trades of antique items have endangered the countrys precious artifacts.

Our cultural heritage holds immeasurable value, serving as a testament to our rich history and identity, Simionova said in a statement. Through joint initiatives and bilateral agreements, we have been able to recover and repatriate many stolen cultural treasures.

The US and Costa Rican governments signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Imposition of Restrictions on the Importation of Archaeological Material in January 2021 to protect specific artifact categories, according to the CBP. The memorandum means if customs officers find artifacts in those categories, the US will return them to Costa Rica.

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Four U.S. Republican Party senators have called on U.S. President Joe Biden to immediately transfer long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, a letter published on the website of Republican Senator Tom Cotton on Sept. 16 reads.

"We write to urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine," said Senators Roger Wicker, Tom Cotton, Susan Collins, and Lindsey Graham in their joint letter.

Read also: Biden close to decision to supply Ukraine with ATACMS missiles  FT

Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict.

The senators said they believed that ATACMS will allow Ukraine to strike key Russian logistics and communications facilities, as well as cruise missile and drone launch sites in the occupied territories.

Read also: US may send limited number of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine  WSJ

The letter mentions the combat effectiveness of similar long-range weapons  British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles  that Ukraine recently used to attack the port of Sevastopol in Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.

The senators called for "immediate shipment" of the ATACMS rocket version with a longer-range unitary warhead to Ukraine.

In the letter, the senators said that providing missiles to Ukraine would maximize the likelihood of success of its current counter-offensive, as well as future operations. ATACMS could also enhance Ukraine's ability to destroy Russian defensive formations, they said.

Over the past week, a number of prominent media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times have reported that the White House is close to transferring long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine.

However, the Pentagon has not yet confirmed that it can transfer ATACMS to Ukraine.

Read also: Biden and Zelenskyy discuss ATACMS missiles for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to discuss the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine during his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington.

At the same time, Axios reports that the United States does not plan to announce the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine during Zelenskyy's visit.

Zelenskyy is due to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York. The general assembly opens on Sept. 19 and runs until Sept. 26.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
U.S. senators Tom Cotton, Roger Wicker , Susan Collins , and Lindsey Graham sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden urging him to send Ukraine MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

"Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict," the Republican senators' letter read, stressing that Washington can send the long-requested weapons "without any appreciable risk to its own combat capability."

"Providing ATACMS would enable Ukraine to strike key Russian logistics and communications targets as well as cruise missile and drone launch sites within Russian-occupied Ukraine," it continued.

The senators' urgent call comes as Kyiv continues to plead for longer-range weapons, including ATACMS, to bolster its capability to strike Russian military targets in occupied territories.

Targets for ATACMS can be command posts, missile launchers, air defense systems, communication centers, and fuel warehouses deep behind the Russian defense line, and it can launch attacks at any time of the day  regardless of the weather.

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Recently, emerging Western media reports citing anonymous officials have hinted that Ukraine's long quest for ATACMS may not be that far off.

ABC News reported on Sept. 9 that two unnamed U.S. officials signaled that Washington could approve the delivery of ATACMS to Ukraine rather soon, with one of them saying that "they are coming" though the plans could change until the official announcement.

The second official said ATACMS is "on the table" and may be part of the U.S.' upcoming security aid package, adding that it could take months before the missiles arrive in Ukraine, according to ABC News.

ATACMS can strike targets 300 kilometers (190 miles) away. While the U.K. and France have delivered long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, which have a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles), the U.S. has so far not given the green light for ATACMS.

In the letter addressed to Biden, the senators said "Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act urging the Department of Defense to consider sending long-range missiles to Ukraine."

"Delay will only cost more lives and prolong the conflict," the letter reads.

The senators say that the request is urgent since there have been reports that there may be just over 30 days of fighting season left for Ukraine to wage its costly counteroffensive.

Earlier in September, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said that Ukraine likely has about 30 to 45 days for the counteroffensive before the weather worsens on the ground.

"We urge you to authorize the immediate shipment of ATACMS to Ukraine," the senators said.

Read also: Russias southern mistake  Surovikin lines, Gerasimov tactics

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A newly-uncovered Vatican 1942 letter suggests that then-Pope Pius XII likely knew about Nazi genocide.

The letter describes crematoriums and the mass murder of Jewish and Polish people.

Pope Pius XII had already been scrutinized for his negotiations with Nazi Germany.



A letter published today by the Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera appears to confirm that World War II Pope Pius XII could have known details about the Nazi mass killings of Jewish and Polish populations as early as 1942.

While the relationship between Nazi top ranks and the Pope had previously been revealed, the Vatican argued that Pius could not have openly taken action against the mass killings because the Holy See couldn't verify they were taking place, according to historian David Kertzer's book "The Pope at War," as cited by The Guardian. But this new letter suggests otherwise.

This message is "the only remaining proof of a correspondence that likely took place over a long period of time," Giovanni Coco, the Vatican archivist who found the letter, told Corriere. The Vatican is thought to have received regular updates from Germany about the death camps.

The typewritten letter was authored by a German anti-Nazi Jesuit priest and sent to one of the Pope's top aides, Pius's secretary Robert Leiber.

Written in German, it opens with the line "Dear friend!" suggesting the two had a close relationship. It describes the use of crematoriums and mass murder in the Polish town of Rava-Rus'ka, now in modern-day Ukraine, where up to 6,000 people were killed. Thousands were transported to the death camp of Belzec in Nazi-occupied Poland. It also mentions the camps of Auschwitz and Dachau.

There's no proof that the Pope saw the letter  and the author, German Reverend Lothar Konig, urges caution and care against leaks to prevent the anti-Nazi network from being betrayed.

Pope Pius XII was afraid Hitler would win

Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images

The relationship between Pope Pius XII and Nazi leadership, especially Adolf Hitler, has long been uncovered and brought Pius under scrutiny, suggesting the pontiff was probably aware of Leiber's correspondence with Konig.

For example, during his annual Christmas speech in December 1942, Corriere notes Pius referred to "hundreds of thousands of people, who, without any fault, sometimes only because of their nationality or ancestry, are destined to die or to progressively be worn out."

Historians have debated whether Pius kept his silence out of fear, of complicity, or in an attempt to protect the Church during difficult times.

"Pius XII was afraid of, certainly in the first years of the war, that the Nazis were going to win. And so he felt he had to plan for a Europe that was going to be under Nazi control with their pal Mussolini helping out," David Kertzer told PBS last year.

The beatification process for Pius XII, which started in 1967, has been delayed because of his controversial choices during World War II.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PETERSBURG  Ninety-one days after her 10-year-old son became the citys youngest murder victim in more than 50 years, Carrie Friar said the hurt never goes away.

Im angry. My girls are angry, Friar told people at a Stop The Violence rally Saturday afternoon in Petersburg. My son was a huge part of us.

KVon Morgan died June 17 when a bullet pierced the wall of his bedroom at Pecan Acres Estates, striking him as he played video games with a friend. His death sent shock waves through Petersburg, but so far, no one has been arrested despite pleas from police, the community and his family for someone to come forward with information.

Were kind of lost without him, Friar said in her first public comments since the shooting. I just wish somebody would say something. Ive lived in Kenilworth for 14 years, and I know people are outside at all hours of the night. I know that somebodys seen something.

KVon, his mother said, was always loving and extra caring.

Pastor Belinda Baugh, who has organized the STV rally since its inception four years ago, said it was shameful that no one has come forth with information about KVons shooting.

Dont you stand here today and tell me you did not see something, hear something, know something! said Baugh, a well-known victims advocate and pastor of New Divine Worship Center. The nosiest generation that ever lived  the most gossiping generation Ive ever seen. You will stab each other in the back instead of supporting one another!"

On a sun-soaked afternoon in front of Third Baptist Church on Farmer Street, rally attendees gathered to eat home-cooked food, drink sweet tea and lemonade, and love on the families of murder victims from across the Tri-City area.

The highlight of the day  Baugh called it my favorite part -- was the arrival of a parade of family members and friends. Led by a Petersburg sheriffs escort, the parade began at Walmart on South Crater Road and wound its way through town where it was greeted with cheers and applause by rallygoers. Participants honked their horns and waved signs with photos of their lost loved ones. Leather-clad motorcyclists and a group representing a Black Power Coalition also took part in the parade and stood in formation at the rally bearing flags with messages.

The largest contingents of family and friends were there for KVon and for Toni Stinka Knight, who was shot to death in crossfire July 2, 2022, at the ArtistSpace Lofts on Perry Street, just blocks from where the rally was held. All suspects in her death have been convicted of second-degree murder and either have been sentenced or awaiting sentence.

Its a life sentence for me. Its a life sentence for anyone who has lost a loved one, Knights mother, Diane Branzelle, told the crowd. Please, please stop this unnecessary violence. It takes the lives of the whole family.

Also there was Brionna Taylor, whose eight-year-old daughter Paris Mi-Unique Angel Moore, was killed Dec. 30, 2022, in Hopewell. She attempted to speak but was too overcome with emotion.

In addition to families, friends and community members, the rally drew both Democrat Lashrecse Aird and Republican Eric Ditri, who are vying for the 13th Senate District seat in the November election, and Kimberly Pope Adams, a Democrat who is challenging Republican incumbent Del. Kim Taylor in Novembers 82nd House District election. No one from Petersburg City Council attended.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Victims' families speak at anti-violence in Petersburg
DUBUQUE, Iowa  Vivek Ramaswamy wants to make massive cuts to the government workforce, and he didn't want Iowans to forget it.

Standing on stage at a brewery here on Thursday morning, he declared that there are "government agencies that should not exist because they have become so corrupted that they have abandoned their true purpose." Hours later he outlined to a crowd in Decorah "how we drain the swamp."

During an evening rally at a lodge in Waterloo, he called for "eight-year term limits for the bureaucracy." And at Saturday evening's Faith and Freedom banquet, he explained that bureaucracy was "sucking the air and lifeblood out of our constitutional republic."

The 38-year-old businessman and 2024 presidential candidate's swing through eastern Iowa was preceded by a speech in Washington, D.C., where Ramaswamy homed in on a central plank of his candidacy: gutting the federal workforce at unprecedented levels.

Through five stops and speeches over a day and a half in the first caucus state, he pitched his plan to Iowans in no uncertain terms.

Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's fall banquet, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave)

"If our founding fathers were walking the streets of D.C. or our country today, would they be proud or would they be appalled?" Ramaswamy said in comments to reporters Thursday. "I think today they would be appalled. After we've done that downsizing of the federal government, I think they'll be proud and rest in peace once again, as they deserve to."

Even in a Republican presidential field where many candidates have proposed cuts to federal agencies, Ramaswamy's plan stands out: Fire more than 1 million civil servants, with a goal of cutting the headcount by 75% in his first term; shut down several agencies and programs entirely, including the Department of Education, FBI and IRS; and consolidate functions within existing departments and commissions.

He's also proposed 8-year term limits for federal workers, in an effort to filter out career bureaucrats that he, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have decried as "the swamp."

Such a plan would almost certainly encounter fierce opposition from federal workers with civil service protections, members of Congress and interest groups. Ramaswamy insists such cuts would be his constitutional duty.

The president leads the executive branch like a CEO does a company, he argues  so why shouldn't a president be able to fire executive branch employees? (Elsewhere in his stump speech, he characterizes the federal bureaucracy as a "fourth branch," and a "shadow government.") The ills of governance, he tells potential caucusgoers, don't stem from Congress or the Oval Office, but from within agency offices and meeting rooms.

"Bureaucracy is the source of the regulations that act like a wet blanket on the entire U.S. economy, including in Iowa," he said.

Ramaswamy pledged Saturday that if elected, his selections to the judicial branch would reinforce that sentiment. The judges on a list of potential Supreme Court and appellate nominees his campaign has released, he said, "share my fundamental skepticism of the existence of the administrative state."

He expects  and looks forward to  litigation if his agenda is realized.

"As painful as it will be for me, I hope we are sued," he said. I expect we will be, to take it to the Supreme Court, so we can codify that view of the constitution into judicial precedent."

Agencies on Vivek Ramaswamy's chopping block: IRS, CDC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Iowans interested in hearing about Ramaswamy's plan to make cuts likely came away with their fill. He made it a cornerstone of his initial remarks  and frequently found a way to work the plan into his answers to audience questions, of which he took several at every stop.

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds during the Iowa State Fair on Saturday Aug. 12, 2023.

"The problem is, when you have a bunch of people reporting to work who should have never had that job in the first place, they find things to do," Ramaswamy said in Waterloo, explaining why he'd gut the Federal Reserve after being asked for his opinions on the country's monetary policy.

In Decorah, asked by a woman about how to "end child trafficking," he said he would shut down the FBI, moving 15,000 agents to the U.S. Marshals Service, who he said "have actually been much more effective."

Among the agencies he wants to eliminate are the Department of Education (a popular target among Republicans, many of whom are campaigning on school choice and curriculum changes), FBI, IRS, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

By far the most popular proposed cut among the Iowa crowds on Thursday was that of education, earning applause among conservatives who disapprove of public schools or teachers unions.

"The Department of Education, they've got it choked up with the unions and the teachers," said Cruz Florez of Dubuque. "And it's not the layperson; it's what they're being told from up above. Teach this philosophy. It's not good."

Also popular was the elimination of the FBI  primarily for what potential caucusgoers viewed as a broader conspiracy among federal law enforcement against the former president.

"Trump's done whatever he's done; the courts will figure it out. But it seems like it's one target after the other," said Kim White of Davenport. "It's getting out of hand, and I think everybody sees that. I think we've got to start over, rebuild, do something."

Iowa elected officials have been less enthusiastic about the agency's elimination. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, interviewing Ramaswamy on stage Saturday evening, said it serves "an important role" and asked him to clarify whether he would simply reform the agency or eliminate it entirely.

"I don't think reform of that agency is actually possible," Ramaswamy said. "I think you have to shut it down."

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's banquet Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave)

In a later interview with the Register, Bird said she believes "a federal law enforcement agency is really important to have," but said she believes that "what's happening in the D.C. office of the FBI is wrong."

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, during a taping of "Iowa Press" on Iowa PBS, was frank in his assessment.

"Anybody that takes that position is stupid for saying it," Grassley said Friday. "We've got to have an FBI."

Vivek Ramaswamy, frequently urging cuts, finds support among Iowans

When Ramaswamy ticked through eliminating agencies such as the IRS, ATF, CDC and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he earned polite applause throughout the day Thursday. Iowans asked about the plan by the Register were largely supportive of the principle behind broad cuts.

Shea Rea of Decorah said he had previously been "100% for Trump" but came away from Ramaswamy's event having signed a caucus pledge card for him.

"I really wanted to get Trump back in, because he was gonna cut them three-letter agencies," Rea said. "They do run Washington, and it's ridiculous. Also lobbyists, big pharma, things like that. I mean, if (Ramaswamy) can deliver, it's gonna be one of the best presidencies ever."

Bill Knipp of Waterloo, who's committed to caucus for Ramaswamy, said "there's just way too much government," and expressed support for term limits on civil servants  likening career federal employees to the head of his union when he worked as a John Deere autoworker.

"Our president at the UAW was in for well over 15 years, and he wasn't really understanding what we really needed as a union, because he kind of got soft," Knipp said. "He wasn't in the trenches where he needs to be. So I think a term limit is huge. Especially if the president can only be in there eight years. Why should anybody else be able to stay in there for a career?"

But some who supported Ramaswamy's proposed cuts harbored lingering doubts that such massive cuts to government  which sound familiar in concept  are actually feasible.

"I want to know how," said Lisa Helms of Bettendorf. "I mean, everyone says they will."

Stephen Gruber-Miller and Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Vivek Ramaswamy's presidential pitch: Eliminate FBI, ATF, IRS and CDC
The West Thurston Fire Department learned that a fire had started in the Capitol State Forest near Olympia on Saturday evening.

Officials said that when first responders arrived in the area of Capitol Peak, they could see a rapidly moving forest fire.

The flames have burned about 25 acres and have begun dumping smoke from the peak. The fire is not contained.

Officials said that no buildings are currently in danger and that three aircraft crews have been deployed to fight the blaze.

The Department of Natural Resources PIO said they are hitting it hard and progression is slow but they are feeling good about it.

McLane Fire units are also assisting the West Thurston Fire Department.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

UPDATE: 5:00pm - there has been limited to no growth of the fire since this morning. DNR has management of the fire with... Posted by West Thurston Fire on Sunday, September 17, 2023
The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates.

President Biden convenes a meeting of his "cancer cabinet" at the White House on Sept. 13. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Whats happening

On Tuesday, GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, calling it the logical next step now that House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into [Bidens] conduct.

The only problem? Impeachment inquiries  Congresss most powerful constitutional check on the executive branch  typically require more than mere allegations of presidential wrongdoing. The Constitution's high crimes and misdemeanors standard creates a high threshold for impeachment  only three presidents have been impeached  and historians and constitutional law experts overwhelmingly agree that McCarthy & Co. dont yet have the kind of incriminating evidence that triggered previous inquiries.

Since 2018, the presidents son Hunter Biden has been under investigation  first by the Justice Department, then by House Republicans  for an array of alleged misdeeds, the most significant of which is trading on his family name and proximity to power to rake in millions of dollars from foreign business associates.

But while theres a credible case to be made against the younger Biden  he was indicted this week on a gun offense and may face additional charges in the future  Republican investigators have so far failed to find any evidence that the president profited off of his sons deals or altered U.S. policy in connection with them.

Even some far-right Republicans have been critical of McCarthys decision. The time for impeachment is the time when theres evidence linking President Biden  if theres evidence linking President Biden  to a high crime or misdemeanor, Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, a Freedom Caucus member and former prosecutor, said on Sunday. That doesnt exist right now.

Why theres debate

McCarthy said launching an impeachment inquiry will make it easier for House investigators to do their job.

An impeachment inquiry is simply empowering the House to a greater level to get the documents, he told reporters this week. We dont have the presidents bank statements.

But most analysts concur that politics  rather than subpoena power  is McCarthys main motivation right now.

McCarthy made a major concession to MAGA members in order to secure the speakership after 14 deadlocked rounds of voting: He would allow any one member to force a House-wide no-confidence vote (known as a motion to vacate) at any time.

Its probably no coincidence, then, that McCarthy uncorked impeachment  which Trump himself has been privately pushing for  right after those same members started threatening to oust him every single day over spending cuts.

Then theres 2024: What better way to muddy the waters around Trumps upcoming criminal trials than by generating a steady stream of headlines about his rivals own impeachment woes  regardless of whether impeachable offenses ever really materialize?

Whats next

House Republicans have so far not subpoenaed Hunter and Joe Bidens personal bank accounts because courts would be unlikely to grant them access without evidence. Now GOP investigators will likely try to get ahold of those records, on the assumption that courts will give more leeway to an impeachment proceeding.

Initially, McCarthy vowed not to launch an impeachment inquiry without a full House vote. But he bypassed that step this week when it became clear that some of his most vulnerable Republican members were worried about backlash among constituents to save them from having to cast a vote that could harm them in either a primary or a general election.

To impeach Biden, Republicans would need nearly every one of their members to vote yes  and even then, the Democratic Senate would almost certainly acquit the president.

Perspectives

Republicans will have more 'power' to investigate Biden now

An impeachment inquiry doesnt require a legislative purpose, which gives its subpoenas more force in the courts. It also gives the House more negotiating leverage with, say, Justice and the IRS.  William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal

An impeachment inquiry would force a conversation heading into the election

"It will force the American public as we go into a general election cycle to reckon with an opinion they may not have solidified yet on the issue of Hunter Biden and foreign influence. I'm not sure that the American public yet has really rendered a solid opinion on it, and so it's gonna force that conversation to be had. I think that's probably a net positive for Republicans."  Republican strategist John Thomas, to ABC News

But thats not what impeachment is for  and it risks setting a dangerous new precedent

There is a colloquial legal term for McCarthys approach: Its a fishing expedition. Hes unilaterally opening a rare inquiry into a sitting president not because of the evidence that does exist but rather because of the evidence Republicans believe might exist. This is a remarkable expansion of the Houses conception of its role in impeachment, one that potentially places every future president in jeopardy whenever the House is controlled by the opposing party.  David French, The New York Times

Impeachment is the new Benghazi

Between now and Nov 2024 the public will hear a lot of under-oath testimony about Trump's alleged criminality. He may be a convicted felon on election day. [The] GOP need[s] voters to replace Trumps corrupt with both guys are corrupt. Thats entirely the point of the impeachment inquiry. Is there a precedent? Why yes: In '15, and w[ith] Kev[in] McCarthy. He was questioned about the point of a 2-y[ear]r investigation finding essentially no wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton, the Dem nominee. His answer: It was a success. Look how we killed her poll numbers.  Todd Zwillich of Vice, on X, formerly known as Twitter

Republicans just want revenge for Trump's impeachments

In December 2019, when he was facing impeachment for his scheme to extort Ukraine into smearing his leading political opponent, President Donald Trump warned that his party would take revenge when it had the opportunity.  What has transformed this longstanding desire into an actual impeachment investigation is not any investigative finding, but simply an impatience by Trump and his supporters to get on with it. Either impeach the bum, or fade into oblivion, Trump posted. They did it to us!  Jonathan Chait, New York

McCarthy is trying to save his own skin

It wasnt that the accumulated evidence had finally crossed some threshold or reached some tipping point. It was that a group of rabidly right-wing Republicans high on their own power were coming for him. The impeachment inquiry is chum for approaching sharks, meant to distract and divert them, at least partly.  Frank Bruni, The New York Times
A team that President Joe Biden dispatched to help resolve the strike between the U.S. largest autoworkers union and the Big Three auto companies plans to be in Detroit to support talks early in the week, an administration official said Sunday.

Biden named White House adviser Gene Sperling and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su last week to go to Detroit to help reach a deal to end the walkout by the United Auto Workers union, which began early Friday. Sperling has been the point person on key issues connected to the union and the companies, and he has been coordinating with Su.

"Both Sperling and acting Secretary Su are engaging with the parties by phone, as they have for weeks, with the intention of being there early in the week," the official said, adding that the administration was "pleased that the parties are continuing to meet as they had been before the contract expired."

United Auto Workers members strike at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images)

Su and Sperling's goal was not to serve as mediators or intervene but to "help support the negotiations in any way the parties feel is constructive," the official said.

Biden said Friday that he hoped that the UAW and the Big Three returned to negotiations.

After talks collapsed, Biden said he understands workers frustrations that as automobile companies register record profits, they haven't been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers.

Lets be clear: No one wants a strike, he said at the White House. But I respect workers right to use their options under the collective bargaining system.

The strike is a particular challenge for Biden, who has called himself the most pro-union president youve ever seen. While the UAW has historically supported Democrats like Biden, former President Donald Trump won important backing from blue-collar autoworkers.

Before the strike was declared, UAW President Shawn Fain said a walkout would force Biden and other politicians to pick sides when it comes to organized labor.

On Friday at midnight, about 13,000 members of the UAW walked out of a General Motors site in Missouri, a Stellantis center in Ohio and a Ford assembly plant in Michigan.

If every UAW member struck immediately, the union would have enough funds to supply about 11 weeks of strike pay.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
(The Conversation)  There are alien minds among us. Not the little green men of science fiction, but the alien minds that power the facial recognition in your smartphone, determine your creditworthiness and write poetry and computer code. These alien minds are artificial intelligence systems, the ghost in the machine that you encounter daily.

But AI systems have a significant limitation: Many of their inner workings are impenetrable, making them fundamentally unexplainable and unpredictable. Furthermore, constructing AI systems that behave in ways that people expect is a significant challenge.

If you fundamentally dont understand something as unpredictable as AI, how can you trust it?

Why AI is unpredictable

Trust is grounded in predictability. It depends on your ability to anticipate the behavior of others. If you trust someone and they dont do what you expect, then your perception of their trustworthiness diminishes.

Many AI systems are built on deep learning neural networks, which in some ways emulate the human brain. These networks contain interconnected neurons with variables or parameters that affect the strength of connections between the neurons. As a naive network is presented with training data, it learns how to classify the data by adjusting these parameters. In this way, the AI system learns to classify data it hasnt seen before. It doesnt memorize what each data point is, but instead predicts what a data point might be.

Many of the most powerful AI systems contain trillions of parameters. Because of this, the reasons AI systems make the decisions that they do are often opaque. This is the AI explainability problem  the impenetrable black box of AI decision-making.

Consider a variation of the Trolley Problem. Imagine that you are a passenger in a self-driving vehicle, controlled by an AI. A small child runs into the road, and the AI must now decide: run over the child or swerve and crash, potentially injuring its passengers. This choice would be difficult for a human to make, but a human has the benefit of being able to explain their decision. Their rationalization  shaped by ethical norms, the perceptions of others and expected behavior  supports trust.

In contrast, an AI cant rationalize its decision-making. You cant look under the hood of the self-driving vehicle at its trillions of parameters to explain why it made the decision that it did. AI fails the predictive requirement for trust.

AI behavior and human expectations

Trust relies not only on predictability, but also on normative or ethical motivations. You typically expect people to act not only as you assume they will, but also as they should. Human values are influenced by common experience, and moral reasoning is a dynamic process, shaped by ethical standards and others perceptions.

Unlike humans, AI doesnt adjust its behavior based on how it is perceived by others or by adhering to ethical norms. AIs internal representation of the world is largely static, set by its training data. Its decision-making process is grounded in an unchanging model of the world, unfazed by the dynamic, nuanced social interactions constantly influencing human behavior. Researchers are working on programming AI to include ethics, but thats proving challenging.

The self-driving car scenario illustrates this issue. How can you ensure that the cars AI makes decisions that align with human expectations? For example, the car could decide that hitting the child is the optimal course of action, something most human drivers would instinctively avoid. This issue is the AI alignment problem, and its another source of uncertainty that erects barriers to trust.AI expert Stuart Russell explains the AI alignment problem.

Critical systems and trusting AI

One way to reduce uncertainty and boost trust is to ensure people are in on the decisions AI systems make. This is the approach taken by the U.S. Department of Defense, which requires that for all AI decision-making, a human must be either in the loop or on the loop. In the loop means the AI system makes a recommendation but a human is required to initiate an action. On the loop means that while an AI system can initiate an action on its own, a human monitor can interrupt or alter it.

While keeping humans involved is a great first step, I am not convinced that this will be sustainable long term. As companies and governments continue to adopt AI, the future will likely include nested AI systems, where rapid decision-making limits the opportunities for people to intervene. It is important to resolve the explainability and alignment issues before the critical point is reached where human intervention becomes impossible. At that point, there will be no option other than to trust AI.

Avoiding that threshold is especially important because AI is increasingly being integrated into critical systems, which include things such as electric grids, the internet and military systems. In critical systems, trust is paramount, and undesirable behavior could have deadly consequences. As AI integration becomes more complex, it becomes even more important to resolve issues that limit trustworthiness.

Can people ever trust AI?

AI is alien  an intelligent system into which people have little insight. Humans are largely predictable to other humans because we share the same human experience, but this doesnt extend to artificial intelligence, even though humans created it.

If trustworthiness has inherently predictable and normative elements, AI fundamentally lacks the qualities that would make it worthy of trust. More research in this area will hopefully shed light on this issue, ensuring that AI systems of the future are worthy of our trust.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo

Imagine hopping aboard a train in downtown Wilmington and traveling to destinations west, north, and south of our city. Or, better still, imagine the ability to show off our city  its waterfront restaurants and shops, its historic buildings and sites, its recreational opportunities and energy  to travelers from those same destinations who could arrive by a quick and convenient train ride.

No worries about stop-and-go traffic. The ability to read a book, catch up on email, or enjoy conversation with friends. A tranquil ride watching the landscape pass by.

There is growing momentum for that dream to become a reality, for Wilmington and other cities across North Carolina, as state, local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and federal officials explore new funding opportunities for intercity passenger rail. To better understand those opportunities, the city of Wilmington and Rail Response, a project of the NC Metro Mayors Coalition, recently hosted a meeting to provide those interested with a better understanding of rail systems in North Carolina, specifically intercity passenger rail and its benefits to residents.

The event featured presentations by state transportation experts on the future of rail here in Wilmington. It included valuable information on the funding streams for rail systems and the resources municipalities need to compete for intercity rail funding.

Im proud to be a member of the Rail Response workgroup, and it was an honor to be joined by other members, including co-chairs Susan Kluttz, former Salisbury mayor and former secretary of the NC Department of Cultural Resources, and Nick Tennyson, former mayor of Durham and former Secretary of the NC Department of Transportation.

Officials meet to discuss the possibility of passenger rail service in Wilmington.

More: The return of passenger rail to Wilmington is 'not a done deal,' but it's in the cards

This gathering came at an opportune time for our city.

Back in May, our city council approved a resolution in support of the NC Department of Transportations application to have the proposed Wilmington-to-Raleigh route be included in a federal Corridor Identification and Development Program. If approved, it would designate $500,000 in federal funding for planning for the route.

In total, the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill includes $66 billion for passenger and freight rail infrastructure investment, with $44 billion to be distributed through the Federal Railroad Administrations discretionary grant program.

As part of its "Amtrak Connects US" initiative, Amtrak has unveiled early-stage plans that would include Wilmington among more than 30 new routes by 2035.

In other words, a Wilmington-to-Raleigh passenger route that would connect to passenger rail across the state and the Eastern Seaboard, is a real possibility.

Meanwhile, a local effort called "Eastern Carolina Rail," is seeking to enlist private and public entities in generating awareness and support for the passenger rail corridor and its benefits to our region.

This is an exciting moment for the possibilities of passenger rail. More and more people are using rail for travel, and system modernization is making it increasingly attractive to travelers.

Wilmington can and should be a part of a passenger rail system in North Carolina. There is plenty of work to be done, and I look forward to continuing to work with partners across the state in this worthy effort.

Bill Saffo has served as mayor of Wilmington since 2006.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo supports passenger rail service
A 35-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of two elderly people as police continue an investigation into their disappearance.

Essex Police launched a probe after receiving reports of concern for the wellbeing of the two people aged in their 70s.

The force has now said it believes the pair have died and charged Virginia McCullough, from Chelmsford, with two counts of murder.

She is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Monday.

Essex Police at the scene of a double murder at an address in Pump Hill - JOHN McLELLAN

A force spokesman said: A woman has been charged with two counts of murder following an investigation by detectives and staff from our serious crime directorate.

On Wednesday September 13, we received reports of concerns for the welfare of two people aged in their 70s.

As a result of the extensive work carried out by a dedicated investigative team, our strong belief based on all the evidence available is that the two people in question are no longer alive.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is in agreement with this assessment.

As a result of that work, we have been authorised by the CPS to charge Virginia McCullough, 35, of Pump Hill, Chelmsford, with two counts of murder.

Essex Police at the scene - JOHN McLELLAN

Det Supt Rob Kirby, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: Although we have received authorisation to charge Virginia McCullough, this complex and in-depth investigation will be continuing at pace throughout the coming weeks and months.

I would also reiterate that our continued belief is that this is an isolated incident and there is no threat to the wider Chelmsford or Essex public.

Our thoughts today are with the families of everyone involved and I can assure them all avenues of inquiry will be pursued extensively to piece together the circumstances around this matter.

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.
A woman has died and a man is recovering after being shot on Sunday afternoon.

Atlanta police say they were called to a Texaco gas station on Hamilton E. Holmes Drive just after 2 p.m. after two people who had been shot showed up.

Police say a 40-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman had been shot and were driven to the gas station by a private vehicle. Investigators say they have not been able to pinpoint where the pair was shot.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Both victims were taken to the hospital by ambulance, where the woman died. He was alert, conscious and breathing when he was taken to the hospital.

The victims identities have not been released.

TRENDING STORIES:

Police have not commented on what led up to the shooting or if they are searching for any suspects.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
A Pennsylvania man was on his way to work when authorities say his ex-girlfriend sprung up from the backseat of his car and tried to kill him, officials told news outlets.

Paige Nicole Lander, 23, was taken into custody Sept. 14 on charges including attempted murder, assault and terroristic threats, court documents show.

Officers were already searching for Lander that morning after family contacted police out of concern for her safety, Explorejeffersonpa.com reported.

At about 6 a.m., officers responded to a call about a stabbing at the home of Landers 20-year-old ex-boyfriend in Warsaw Township, the newspaper reported.

The victim told police he was trying to leave for work but was stopped by a vehicle blocking the driveway, according to the outlet. Just as he recognized the vehicle was Landers, she lunged from the backseat of his car, knife at the ready, the outlet reported.

He was cut and stabbed in the face, neck and hand during the struggle, according to WTAJ.

The man escaped and Lander ran from the scene, officials told the station.

Investigators later found bloodstained cleaning wipes and a folding knife, as well as blood on Landers pants, news outlets reported.

The victim dated Lander for several months, he told investigators, but when they broke up, she continued messaging him until he blocked her, the outlet reported.

Landers bail has been set at $400,000, documents show.

Warsaw Township is roughly 90 miles northwest of downtown Pittsburgh.

Woman helping friend leave abusive relationship is shot and killed, Texas cops say

High school football coach was lured to his death in carjacking scheme, feds say

Woman finds parents dead after they miss lunch, Ohio cops say. Her brother is charged

13-year-old tried to kill family after posters were removed from her room, PA cops say
A Minnesota woman is facing 12 misdemeanor gambling charges after police say she ran illegal Facebook raffles claiming they were for charity, according to authorities.

Between April 24, 2021, and Feb. 15, 2022, the woman received payments from 200 different participants, totaling $117,723.57, a criminal complaint says.

On April 13, 2021, the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED) received a complaint from the states Gambling Control Board (GCB) that the woman was using a Facebook page called Iron Range Razzles to hold illegal raffles, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators said the woman would tell people they could purchase numbered spots for the chance to win brand new items at a discounted price. The winners were then picked randomly.

The woman also allegedly made a post telling participants how to send money, saying, VENMO PAYMENTS NEED TO HAVE AN EMOJI IN THE DESCRIPTION, not raffle please. I was informed they may lock the account because they may worry about it being gambling, the complaint says.

McClatchy News reached out to the womans attorney on Sept. 14, but he declined to comment on the case.

Investigators said they spoke with the woman a few days after receiving the complaint and explained to her that what she was doing was illegal. They suggested she replace the chance element of the contests with a skill element.

The woman said she thought the raffles were legal because she donated the proceeds to a local charity, according to the complaint. However, investigators told her only a charitable organization could legally conduct the raffles. The woman told the investigators she would work with the charity to get their 501(c)3 status so they could hold raffles, the complaint says.

However, investigators say they later spoke with the founder of the charity, who said the woman only made one donation. The woman told the founder she would look into legal requirements for the charity to hold raffles but the founder never heard from her again.

Investigators say after they spoke with the woman in April, they closed the investigation as an educational matter. But, seven months later, they received another complaint on Nov. 24 that the woman was holding another raffle.

The woman posted on Facebook that she was selling 100 tickets at $120 per ticket for a chance to win a special edition ATV, the complaint says. She said she would be donating $1,000 to a veterans event.

Investigators said they spoke to a board member for the event, who said he knew the woman but she was never given permission to use the organization as part of her raffle.

In December, investigators spoke with the woman again, and she first denied that she held another raffle but then admitted she used the money to pay off a loan on the ATV, the complaint says.

After speaking with investigators, the complaint says the woman sent an email to them saying, Im sorry and I just thought if profit was given to chairing (sic) it was considered charitable gambling. You clarified all that yesterday. What can I do to avoid being in trouble here? I feel sick about this!

But investigators later conducted a warrant on the womans Facebook account and said they found that hours before she sent that email, she created a new, private Facebook group to hold her raffles. Investigators said she continued to hold raffles on that page for her own profit through February 2022.

Investigators said they were able to recover some records but some of her posts were deleted.

The woman is due in court on Oct. 9

Brides left scrambling as wedding dress seller took money to gamble, Michigan cops say

Lacrosse coach built trust, then he scammed Texas community in Ponzi scheme, feds say

Skeptical wife didnt believe husbands big Missouri lottery win. No you didnt!
The woman who sued the city of Fort Worth after her 2016 arrest by police went viral died Friday of pancreatic cancer, Star-Telegram news partner WFAA reported.

Jacqueline Craig, who settled the lawsuit with the city last year for $150,000, was arrested after she called 911 to report that her son had been attacked by a neighbor, alleging in the suit that the officer who responded used excessive force in the arrest.

In the video of the arrest that went viral, Craig told Fort Worth police Officer William Martin that her son was choked by a neighbor after the neighbor said the boy littered in front of his house.

Before the arrest, Martin is seen arguing with Craig about whether or not the neighbor had a right to touch her son. At one point, he asks in response to Craigs recounting of what happened why she didnt teach her son not to litter and then asks her why she thinks the neighbor didnt have a right to touch her son.

Craig and others began yelling at Martin because of that. The officer then threatened to arrest Craig before throwing Craig and her daughter, Brea Hymond, to the ground. He arrested both of them for allegedly assaulting a police officer, charges that were later dropped after the leaked body camera footage showed that Martin arrested them in response to the women yelling at him.

The lawsuit claimed negligence of city leaders including then-Mayor Betsy Price and then-Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald by failing to supervise and discipline officers who used excessive force, then failing to identify those officers. Fitzgerald was later fired by the city.

Fort Worth settled the lawsuit, without admitting any wrongdoing of the city, in September 2022. Pastor Michael Bell, who acted as an intermediary between Craig and the city, called the settlement a, satisfactory resolution to a traumatic incident.

City council member Gyna Bivens said at the time of the settlement that the Fort Worth Police Department had made strides toward improving community police relations.

Do I think were there yet? By no means. I think its an ongoing exercise that we as human beings have to always be reminded how to treat people, she said.

Plans for a memorial service for Craig, 53, are expected to be announced soon.
A general view of the International Court of Justice in The Hague

By Stephanie van den Berg

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine will square off before the International Court of Justice on Monday in a case that centres around claims by Moscow that its invasion of Ukraine was done to prevent genocide.

Ukraine brought the case to the United Nations' highest court just days after the Russian invasion on Feb. 24 last year. Kyiv argues Russia is abusing international law by saying the invasion was justified to prevent an alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine.

Russian officials continue to accuse Ukraine of committing genocide.

Russia wants the case to be thrown out and objects to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The hearings, set to run until Sept. 27, will not delve into the merits of the case and are instead focused on legal arguments about jurisdiction.

Moscow says Ukraine is using the case as a roundabout way to get a ruling on the overall legality of its military action.

Ukraine has already cleared one hurdle as the court decided in its favour in a preliminary decision in the case in March last year. Based on that, the court ordered Russia to cease military actions in Ukraine immediately.

In the hearings the court will also hear from 32 other states, all supporting Ukraine's argument that the court has jurisdiction to move the case forward.

"It is looking fairly positive for the court to find it has jurisdiction," Juliette McIntyre, a law lecturer at the University of South Australia and ICJ watcher, said.

While Russia has so far ignored the ICJ's orders to stop its military actions and the court has no way of enforcing its decisions, experts say an eventual ruling in favour of Ukraine could be important for any future reparations claims.

"If the court finds there was no lawful justification under the Genocide Convention for Russia's acts, the decision can set up a future claim for compensation," McIntyre said.

The United Nations' 1948 Genocide Convention defines genocide as crimes committed "with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such."

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Susan Fenton)
There will be no swift end to the war in Ukraine, most wars last longer than expected when they first begin, and we should prepare for a long war, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with the Funke media group, German broadcaster DW reported on Sept. 17.

"We are all wishing for a quick peace. But at the same time, we must recognize: If President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist, Stoltenberg said.

If (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace."

Read also: Stoltenberg to meet Deputy PM Stefanishyna in Brussels tomorrow

Stoltenberg stressed that Ukraine needs security guarantees after the war is over "otherwise history could repeat itself." He also expressed confidence that the country would eventually join the NATO defensive alliance.

"The peace agreement should not serve as a respite for Russia to attack again, Stoltenberg said.

We cannot allow Russia to threaten the security of Europe any longer. There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO."

The NATO summit in Vilnius concluded in July with a framework paving the way for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine to deter Russian aggression. The member states settled on a unified communique concerning Ukraines membership in the alliance, without making any timeframe commitments as to when Kyiv might receive an invitation.

Read also: NATO to increase surveillance in the Black Sea  Stoltenberg

The communique only noted that Ukraine would be invited to join the alliance once member states agree and all prerequisites have been satisfied, without specifying what those prerequisites are, exactly.

Also during the summit, the G7 countries emphasized their commitment to a free, independent, democratic, and sovereign Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. They underscored that Ukraines security is essential for Euro-Atlantic security, and vowed to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression for as long as necessary.

Read also: Agreeing to peace with Putin is impossible, says Johnson in pointed speech at YES forum

Russias war on Ukraine has already been going on for over nine years: Russia invaded and started to occupy Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in early 2014, after a popular uprising in Ukraine ousted the pro-Russian then president, Viktor Yanukovych following a massacre of more than 100 protesters in central Kyiv.

Later that year, Russia used its special forces to ignite a sham separatist uprising in Ukraines Donbas region. It then had to intervene in Ukraine with its regular army when its proxy army in the Donbas was on the verge of defeat in the summer of 2014, and forced Ukraine to sign the Minsk peace agreement.

Moscow failed to fulfil any of the commitments it made under the deal, however, and after eight years of slow-burning conflict in the east of Ukraine, Russia launched a full-scale invasion and war on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
On 16 February, Porcha Woodruff was helping her children get ready for school when six Detroit police officers arrived at her door. They told her she was under arrest for a January carjacking and robbery. She was so shocked she wondered for a moment if she was being pranked.

She was eight months into a difficult pregnancy and partway through a nursing school programme. She did little else besides study and take care of her kids. She certainly wasnt out stealing cars at gunpoint, she said.

Im like, What,? I opened my door so he could see my stomach. Im eight months pregnant. You can see two vehicles in the driveway. Why would I carjack? she told The Independent. Youve gotta be wrong. You cant have the right person.

Her children cried as she asked officers if the suspect was pregnant and insisted they had mistakenly arrested her. She was put in handcuffs and taken to jail, where she had panic attacks and early contractions.

She later learned police identified her as a suspect after running security footage through the departments facial recognition software, relying on a 2015 mugshot from a past traffic arrest into a photo lineup where the carjacking victim singled out Ms Woodruff as her assailant.

The Detroit Police Department eventually dropped the case, but the arrest has deeply shaken Ms Woodruff.

What happened to the questioning? What happened to me speaking to someone? she said. What happened to any of the initial steps that I thought were available to a person who was accused of doing something?

The case underscores the growing risks of civil rights violations as police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country increasingly adopt facial-recognition and other mass surveillance technologies, often used as an unreliable shortcut around methodical human police work.

Criminal justice advocates and the people targeted by this burgeoning police tech argue these programmes are riddled with the same biases and opaque or nonexistent oversight measures plaguing policing at large.

The early results, at least, havent been encouraging. At least six people around the US have been falsely arrested using facial ID technology. All of them are Black. These misfires havent stopped the technology from proliferating across the country. At least half of federal law enforcement agencies with officers and a quarter of state and local agencies are using it.

We have no idea how often facial recognition is getting it wrong, Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP), told The Independent.

When you have facial recognition being used thousands of times, without any accountability for mistakes, its inviting injustice, he added.

Porcha Woodruff (AP)

Nowhere has that injustice been more pronounced than Detroit, a city where Black people have long experienced documented over-policing from law enforcement. Three of the six people mistakenly arrested by facial recognition technology have been in the Motor City, according to the ACLU.

This status quo is why Ms Woodruff is suing DPD, claiming among other things that the agency has engaged in a pattern of racial discrimination against her and other Black residents by using facial recognition technology practices proven to misidentify Black citizens at a higher rate than others in violation of the equal protection guaranteed by the Michigan civil rights statutes.

I definitely believe that situation wouldve gone differently had it been another race, honestly, just my opinion. There was no remorse shown to me and I was pregnant. I pleaded, she told The Independent.

Being mistaken for something as serious as that crime  carjacking and armed robbery  that couldve put me in a whole different type of lifestyle, she added. I was in school for nursing. Felons cannot become nurses. I couldve ended up in jail. That could have altered my life tremendously.

The Independent has requested comment from DPD.

After Ms Woodruff filed her suit, Detroit police chief James White said in a press conference in August poor investigative work led to the false arrest, not facial recognition technology. He claimed that department software gave detectives numerous possible suspects and was only meant to be a launch point for further investigation.

What this is, is very, very poor investigative work that led to a number of inappropriate decisions being made along the lines of the investigation, and thats something this team is committed to not only correcting, having accountability, having transparency with this community, and in building policy immediately to ensure regardless of the tool being used, this never happens, Mr White said.

He added that officers wont be allowed to use images sourced by facial recognition in lineups, and warrants based on facial ID matches must be reviewed by two captains before being carried out.

The lead and the conclusion

Some arent convinced these changes will prevent the excesses of what they see as a fundamentally flawed technology.

The technology is flawed. Its inaccurate, Philip Mayor, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan, told The Independent. Police repeatedly assured us that its being used only as an investigative lead, but what we see here in Detroit time and time again is it is both being used as the lead and the conclusion.

Studies suggest that facial-recognition algorithms, which have been used to capture suspects in high-profile cases like those connected to January 6, also fail to accurately identify Black people and women, driving up inequalities in arrests, because image-training datasets often lack full diversity.

However, according to Mr Mayor, police departments make things even worse by failing to do basic training and common-sense investigative work on top of facial recognition tools.

He represents Robert Williams, a Detroit man who was mistakenly arrested for a 2020 theft from a high-end Detroit boutique. A security contractor employed by the store worked with the city and state police and flagged Mr Williams name using facial recognition tools.

How police came to trust that Williams was the right man reveals the sloppiness of how facial ID tech is used in practice, according to the ACLU attorney. After the theft, police searched a database containing both past photos of Mr Williams and his present-day drivers license.

It picks out 486 people who are the most likely perpetrators; not a single one of them is his current drivers license, even though his current drivers license is in the database that was searched, Mr Mayor said. That seems like an obvious exculpatory fact, the kind of thing that would lead you to say if you were actually thinking, this isnt the right guy.

When these dubious matches are then used to build a line-up, questionable police work attains the gloss of near-fact, and witnesses choose from a group of people who may have no credible tie to a crime that took place but still look something like the person who did.

This is not me, Mr Williams told police during his investigation, according to The New York Times. You think all Black men look alike?

The father of two, after asking a local police voluntarily stop using facial recognition technology, sued the DPD in 2021.

This technology is dangerous when it doesnt work, which is what the cases in Detroit are about. Its even more dangerous when it does work. It can be used to systematically surveillance when we come and go from every one of the places that are important in our private lives, the ACLU attorney said.

I dont think theres any reason to believe that departments elsewhere right now are not making the same mistakes.

A force multiplier for police racism

Detroit isnt the only place grappling with the impacts  and errors  of this technology.

In Louisiana, the use of facial recognition technology led to a wrongful arrest of a Georgia man for a string of purse thefts. A man in Baltimore spent nine days in jail after police incorrectly identified him as a match to a suspect who assaulted a bus driver. The Baltimore Police Department ran nearly 800 facial recognition searches last year. Those cases and others have added to a growing list of misidentified suspects in a new era of racial profiling dragnets fuelled by tech that is rapidly outpacing police and lawmakers ability to fix it.

Facial recognition software often is a force multiplier for police racism, worsening racial disparities and amplifying existing biases, according to Mr Cahn.

It can spur a vicious cycle. Black and brown people are already arrested at disproportionate rates. These arrests mean they are more likely to enter a database of faces being analyzed and used for police investigations. Then, error-prone facial recognition technology is used to comb these databases, often failing to identify or distinguish between Black and brown people, particularly Black women.

So the algorithms are biased, but thats just the start, not the end of the injustice, Mr Cahn says.

Such technologies, advocates warn, are embedded in wider mass surveillance programmes that often lack robust public oversight.

In New York City, law enforcement agencies relied on facial recognition technology in at least 22,000 cases between 2016 and 2019, according to Amnesty International.

New York Citys Police Department spent nearly $3bn growing its surveillance operations and adding new technology between 2007 and 2019, including roughly $400m for the Domain Awareness System, built in partnership with Microsoft to collect footage from tens of thousands of cameras throughout the city, according to an analysis from STOP and the Legal Aid Society.

The NYPD has failed to comply with public disclosure requirements about what those contracts  from facial recognition software to drones and license plate readers  actually include, according to the report. Until 2020, that money was listed under special expenses in the police budget until passage of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology Act. The following year, more than $277m in budget items were listed under that special expenses programme, the report found.

Weve seen just concerted pushback from police departments against the sort of oversight that every other type of government agency has because they dont want to be held accountable, according to Mr Cahn.

If we treated surveillance technology vendors the way we treated other technology vendors, it would be like Theranos  police would be arresting some of these vendors for fraud rather than giving them government contracts, he added. But there is no accountability.

On 7 August, 2020, New York City Police Department officers in riot gear launched a six-hour siege outside Derrick Ingrams Hells Kitchen apartment. Mr Ingram  a racial justice organiser who is embroiled in a federal lawsuit against the NYPD  was surrounded by more than 50 officers after he allegedly shouted into an officers ear at a protest earlier that summer.

Police insisted they had a warrant on assault charges, but couldnt produce one when Mr Ingram asked them to, according to his suit. The whole encounter, in which the NYPD deployed snipers, drones, helicopters, and police dogs, began with facial recognition technology.

To say that I was terrified is an understatement  I was traumatized, I still am, Mr Ingram later testified. I fear deep down in my core that if I opened my door to those officers, my life would be swiftly taken.

To identify Mr Ingram as a potential suspect, NYPD relied on facial recognition software as a limited investigative tool, comparing a still image from a surveillance video to a pool of lawfully possessed arrest photos, according to a police statement, adding that no one has ever been arrested solely on the basis of a computer match.

The software pulls from a massive internal database of mugshots to generate possible matches, according to the department. Civil rights groups and lawmakers criticized the departments use of facial recognition  initially hailed as a tool to crack down on violence offenders  for being deployed to suppress dissent, and triggering a potentially lethal police encounter at Mr Ingrams home.

As for Ms Woodruff in Detroit, she hopes her experience can show the dangers of relying too heavily on facial recognition technology.

It may be a good tool to use, but you have to do the investigative part of using that, too, she said. Its just like everything else. You have your pieces that you put together to complete a puzzle.

Her life wouldve been a whole lot different, she said, if someone wouldve just taken the time to say, OK, stop, were going to check this out, let me make a phone call.
(Bloomberg) -- In practice debates before previous New Zealand elections, Nicola Willis used to play the role of formidable female politicians.

Most Read from Bloomberg

She acted the parts of Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern when preparing the leaders of her National Party for their head-to-head clashes during the 2008 and 2017 campaigns.

Now shes getting ready to become a political heavyweight herself.

Should right-leaning National win the Oct. 14 vote, which opinion polls say is likely, Willis will become the nations first female finance minister in 30 years and just the second in its history.

She would inherit a recession-hit economy and a government budget thats deeply in deficit, scarred by the costs of the Covid-19 pandemic and a destructive cyclone earlier this year. Scornful of what she calls the current Labour governments wasteful spending, Willis is vowing to run a tighter fiscal ship.

Ive been someone whos come up through the National Party and has been very proud of our track record, she said in an interview. We are known for managing the books well, for being disciplined, for being conservative.

Theres no playing stand-in parts for Willis these days. As Nationals deputy leader and finance spokesperson, the 42-year-old mother of four is front and center in the partys election campaign alongside leader Christopher Luxon .

Tax-Cut Criticism

Rising in the polls, National appears on track to oust Labour and form a government with the support of the right-wing ACT Party.

But it hasnt all been plain sailing.

National has promised tax cuts that would be partly funded by allowing foreigners to buy houses worth more than NZ$2 million ($1.2 million) and charging them a 15% tax for the privilege. Critics say the plan vastly over-estimates the number of houses that could be sold, leaving a big shortfall in revenue.

Willis has stood by the policy and said last week she would resign as finance minister if National failed to deliver tax relief.

Willis grew up in the affluent suburb of Point Howard across the harbor from New Zealands capital city Wellington. She studied English literature at Victoria University and was an active member of the debating club, where she met husband Duncan Small.

After university, Willis took a job with the National Party as a researcher. She worked for Bill English , who was opposition education spokesman at the time, before moving to John Keys office as a senior adviser in 2008, when he defeated Clark to become prime minister.

That access to the highest levels of government helped springboard her into a role as government affairs manager at dairy giant Fonterra Cooperative Group in 2012. She stayed for five years before leaving to become a National Party candidate in 2017, when she helped to prepare English for his debates against Ardern.

English and Key remain her political mentors.

Willis also looks to English, who has six children, as a guide for managing a large family and a political career.

Ive watched how Bill English did it and he had 50% more children than I do, she said.

Willis and her husband view child raising as a responsibility to be shared. Duncan currently works part-time as a consultant and is the primary caregiver for their children, who are aged between seven and 13.

Feminist Footsteps

Willis is proud of her great-great-grandfather, Archibald Willis, who after emigrating from England became a Member of Parliament in 1893.

That was the year that New Zealand gave women the vote, becoming the first nation in the world to do so.

My great-great-grandfather voted yes to women getting the vote, she said in her maiden speech to parliament. Today, I follow in his feminist footsteps.

New Zealand has become something of a trailblazer for womens rights, particularly in politics. Its had three female prime ministers as well as female governors general and chief justices.

Yet if Willis becomes finance minister, shell be only the second woman to hold the role. The first was Nationals Ruth Richardson, between 1990 and 1993, who is best remembered for producing the mother of all budgets and for her free-market policies that were dubbed Ruthanasia.

Sometimes people compare her and me in a pejorative way on the basis that because we share the same gender I will necessarily make the same policy decisions that she did, Willis said. I utterly reject that. She made her decisions in her time, 30 years ago.

When Ardern unexpectedly resigned at the beginning of the year, much was said about the vitriol and misogyny that female politicians face. Willis says she wastes little time worrying about it and that robust criticism is part of the job.

A confident speaker, Willis rattles off statistics and facts without sounding robotic  a criticism that is often directed at Luxon, a political novice with a corporate background.

She is on the liberal side of the National Party, in contrast to Luxons more socially conservative views, and has been touted as a future leader.

Willis is careful with her words when asked about her ambitions, choosing to focus on Luxons success in galvanizing the party and her own commitment to being finance minister.

Im loving this role, she said. And Im grateful that with Chris Luxon as leader, I could have the opportunity to do it.

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(Bloomberg) -- Top US Senate leaders will host an all-members meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday, according to a Senate leadership aide, as House Republicans are preparing to block a Biden administration request for another $24 billion in Ukraine assistance.

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Zelenskiy is expected to meet President Joe Biden at the White House the same day, traveling to Washington after attending the United Nations General Assembly. Hes expected to seek renewed commitments by US leaders to help Ukraines fight to regain occupied land from Russia.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are due to host the meeting on Capitol Hill.

Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline for the end of the fiscal year. Conservative hard-liners in the House have threatened to shut down the government if a budget deal includes additional aid to Ukraine.

Four top Senate Republicans urged Biden in a letter on Saturday to provide Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles. The letter rejects the argument by some conservatives that the aid dips too far into the US weapon supply, saying only a small part of US stockpiles would be needed.

Zelenskiy renewed his requests for additional weaponry in an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes broadcast Sunday evening.

And if Ukraine had enough of these modern systems, we would have already restored the territorial integrity of Ukraine, he said, according to a CBS transcript. We would have already done that. These systems exist.

Zelenskiys trip will be his first to Washington in more than six months.

(Updates with Zelenskiy comments to CBS in seventh paragraph.)

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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.
Virginia State Police identified the driver in a fatal crash that damaged a Campbell County home.

Russell D. Talton, 66, of Bedford died at the scene of the crash in the 1000 block of Lynbrook Road on Sept. 9, state police said in a news release.

The crash took place at about 7:11 p.m., when a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro traveling along Lynbrook Road ran off the road, continued through a yard and hit a house. Talton was not wearing a seatbelt, according to state police.

Two people were home at the time of the crash; neither were injured.

The crash remains under investigation.
TOKYO, Sep 17 ( News On Japan ) - In preparation for "Aviation Day" on September 20, elementary school students at Narita Airport took on the challenge of a tug-of-war with a jet plane.

Approximately 250 people, including elementary school students and their parents, gathered at Narita Airport for this event.

On the morning of the 17th, a massive jet plane weighing 161 tons, which had arrived from Australia, awaited them.

About 140 elementary school students joined forces to pull three ropes connected to the plane's axles simultaneously, but the jet plane didn't budge an inch.

As some adults joined in to help with the tug-of-war, the plane slowly began to move, and the victory went to a parent-child team who had pulled it 15 meters.

The tug-of-war event with a jet plane has been held since 1993 to familiarize people with the airport, and this marks the 25th time it has taken place.
The Fountain of Life Church (TFOLC), has announced the successor of the late senior pastor of the church, Taiwo Odukoya.

Naija News gathered that the church during service on Sunday chose Jimmy Odukoya, the son of Bimbo and Taiwo Odukoya, as the senior pastor of the church.

Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, who was the former senior pastor of the church died in August 2023, in the United States. He was aged 67.

Odukoya was buried on September 9, in a private ceremony attended by family members and close associates.

Making the announcement, Rotimi Okpaise, a pastor, said the late Odukoya confided in the Board of Trustees (BoT) members about the succession plan after his demise.

According to Okpaise, the BoT unanimously elected Jimmy as the senior pastor and chairperson of the board.
The Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday it had awarded $2.5 million to the Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation.

The foundation is building a Vietnam War memorial in Papillion near SumTur Amphitheater.

State lawmakers appropriated funds to be given to a not-for-profit organization to complete construction of a memorial to honor the Nebraska military personnel who were killed in action during the Vietnam War, according to a news release.

An official presentation of the donation is anticipated in the next few weeks.

The memorial anticipates opening on March 29, 2024, which is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, marking the date of withdrawal from South Vietnam.

For more information on the memorial or to donate to the memorial, visit nvvmf.org.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles donated $14,500 to local schools and organizations last week.

The organization presented gifts to Council Bluffs, Lewis Central and St. Albert Schools, as well as the Council Bluffs Fire Department Honor Guard and Girl Scouts of Iowa during a dinner event Friday, Sept. 8 at the Council Bluffs Eagles Club, 1530 Ave. F.

A total of $13,000 was divided among the schools, the Fire Department Honor Guard received $1,000 and $500 went to the Girl Scouts, according to Kathy Woods, Madam Trustee.

We do these types of donations each year, Woods said in an email message. We also adopt a different school each year and donate school supplies and other items throughout the year. We also collect food and other items and donate to Tee Jay's food pantry.

The club raises money holding its annual car show, dinners, auctions and raffles and hosts bingo games three nights a week, Woods said.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles motto is People Helping People, she said. There are 13 national Eagles charities that we give to. Each year, the Iowa State presidents also pick a charity to raise money for. The total that Council Bluffs gave away for the 2022-2023 year was $48,500.

Next May, the Council Bluffs club will celebrate its 120th birthday, she said.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles is an international nonprofit organization united fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice and equality to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope, according to its website.

The organization raises funds for kidney, heart, diabetes, cancer and spinal cord injury charities, a childrens fund, memorial foundation and the Golden Eagle Fund and donates more than $10 million a year to charities, local communities and fundraisers.

The group counts among its accomplishments founding Mothers Day, creating the $25 million Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the University of Iowa, spearheading the campaign for Social Security, fighting age discrimination with the Jobs After 40 program and distributing Ten Commandments monoliths throughout the country.

Each club is called an Aerie, which is also the term for the lofty nest of an eagle or other bird of prey.
Russia is making tremendous gains in its disinformation propaganda in Africa, according to a new report by Dan Whitman, fellow at the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, who, in a recent interview, described Moscows disinformation campaign as the most rapid propaganda successes in the history of propaganda.

In his report recently published by the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, Whitman details how the recent advances of Russian disinformation in Africa have resulted in some of the quickest victories in the history of propaganda. Moscows propaganda successes stem from the fact that the Wagner Group-Kremlin narratives work to Russias material advantage, and to Africas strong disadvantage, but also because Moscows lies are mainly unopposed by any country, Western or otherwise. Further complicating any attempt at countering Russian disinformation are the blurred lines distinguishing between coordinated Kremlin propaganda and aggressive military actions abroad, Whitman says.

The damage done by disinformation may have longer-lasting and more pernicious effects than ephemeral military mischief, Whitman warns. Building on centuries of practice, Russia has worked the disinformation system well enough to outflank Western governments efforts to counter them. Russia has long been a world leader in active measures stretching from the Cold War to antecedents as far back as Tsarist times. Russian adventures in Africa build on a solid foundation of interference in countries we keep closer track of, like the United Kingdom and Brexit, the US 2016 elections, and efforts at fragmenting Western Europe. Western responses have been feeble at best, Whitman notes.

Understandably, Western governments are skittish toward employing underhanded tactics to counter Russian lies. An alternative to inaction, he calls on Western governments to combine their resources with the work of non-governmental organizations in Africa and elsewhere.
Morocco denied that French President will pay a visit to the country after French foreign minister Carherine Colonna spread the fake news in an interview.

President Macrons visit is neither on the agenda nor it is programmed, an official source told Moroccos news agency MAP.

Colonna has told French media during her visit to Cairo that Macron will visit Morocco.

That was a unilateral announcement on an important event without any consultation with Morocco, the source told MAP.

In the afterwake of the earthquake French media and officials indulged in spreading cliches and stereotypes after Morocco rejected French aid.

Morocco took aid from the UK, Spain, the UAE and Qatar as it was better placed to assess what it needed.

Macron and his administrations accumulated hostile gestures towards Morocco. At the expense of undermining once solid ties with Morocco, Macron sought closer ties with Algeria making concessions that emboldened the ruthless military regime, yet without achieving any diplomatic gain.

French former diplomats and critical media have said that Macron worsened ties with Morocco without improving ties with the military regime in Algiers where hostility to Paris is a doctrine.

France was also directly accused as the main instigator of an anti-Morocco campaign within the European parliament.

As Madrid, Washington and other western powers such as Berlin make their stand clear in favor of Moroccos territorial integrity and autonomy plan for the Sahara, Paris lags behind stumbling in diplomatic fanfare that only worsens once exceptional ties with Rabat.
A letter of intent was signed in Rabat this week between the Archives of Morocco Institution and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with a view to accompany implementation of a cooperation agreement, inked last November between the Moroccan institution and the National Archives of Korea, in the field of safeguarding and conserving archives.

The letter of intent aims to support cooperation between the Archives of Morocco and the National Archives of Korea in the field of safeguarding and conserving documentary heritage.

This partnership project between the National Archives of Korea, the Archives of Morocco and UNESCO is meant to strengthen the Kingdoms capacity to safeguard and conserve its documentary assets, with the financial and technical support of the National Archives of Korea, as part of the promotion of international cooperation in archive management and the preservation of documentary heritage. Moroccan-Korean cooperation covers granting of financial support, as well as training and supply of essential equipment for archives restoration.

The letter of intent was signed by the director of the Archives of Morocco, Jamaa Baida, and the regional director of UNESCOs Maghreb Office, Eric Falt, in the presence of the South Korean ambassador to Morocco, Keeyong Chung.
Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If you are a student of very recent legal history, you might have found yourself scratching your head in recent weeks, as some commentators on the left and the anti-Trump right have joined forced in a dubious, long-shot effort to argue that Donald Trump is constitutionally ineligible to run for reelection. They want to use lawsuits to disqualify Trump from state ballots before next years elections on a theory that centers on a largely forgotten section of the 14th Amendment to punish Trumps effort to overturn the 2020 election results. It sounds a lot like One Neat Trick that could get rid of Trump once and for all, but the boosterism has bordered on naive and at times disingenuous. The impulse reflects a familiar reflex among some of Trumps political opponents to root for a legal miracle  some sort of deus ex machina  that might rid them of Trump without doing the hard work of winning an election.

But reality requires us to acknowledge that this dispute, if it has any chance of success, will ultimately end up in the Supreme Court. And no one, least of all liberals, should assume that they will save the country from Trump.

The underlying legal question is whether the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, adopted in 1868 in the wake of the Civil War, disqualifies Trump from being president again. The relevant text precludes anyone who once served as an officer of the United States from holding any office in the government if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or have given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Congress may remove such disability if two-thirds of each chamber agree to do so.

The public debate over the applicability of the amendment kicked into high gear following the release last month of a law-review article written by William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen, two conservative constitutional law professors who argue that, under an originalist interpretation of the provision, Trump is barred from running for office. The notion picked up steam in some quarters of the press, as well as an endorsement from two prominent legal thinkers, but it has since drawn vocal objections from the right on legal, political, and policy grounds. Just this month, one early and prominent supporter of the effort  a co-founder of the Federalist Society who had initially called the article a tour de force  changed his mind.

The originalist framework can lead its adherents to some strange places, particularly if they have already made up their minds about what the result should be. Baude and Paulsen, for instance, breeze past two statutes from the late 1800s  not that long after the 14th Amendment went into effect  that complicate their analysis, but they produce no meaningful or contemporaneous historical evidence to support their conclusions.

Somewhat amusingly, the authors go to great lengths to shore up their position against the very unhelpful fact that it was rejected the year after the 14th Amendment was adopted. Chief Justice Salmon Chase issued a decision that dismissed the idea that the provision created a sweeping and self-executing prohibition on public office and concluded that Congress had to pass legislation to implement it. Chase wrote the opinion while riding circuit, so it is not the law of the Supreme Court, but under ordinary circumstances, this would seem to be pretty devastating for originalist legal scholars. After all, are they better positioned to conclude that Chases interpretation does not hold up as an original matter  their words  than a sitting Chief Justice who was alive at the time and explicitly contemplated the question? There are also plenty of legitimately unsettled questions concerning the application of the 14th Amendment to Trump, including whether the president is himself an officer of the United States or if instead that phrase applies only to subordinate officials in the government.

Baude and Paulsen argue that the 14th Amendment can and should be enforced by every official, state or federal, who judges qualifications, but that interpretation of the law is also running into some problems  this time among government officials who are actually alive. Democratic secretaries of state are publicly disavowing the idea that they can keep Trump off the ballot unilaterally and instead want to kick the issue to the courts. Republican Brad Raffensperger of Georgia, perhaps the countrys most famous and well-regarded secretary of state thanks to Trump, has also come out against the idea.

As of now, there are two lawsuits that have been filed by liberal groups seeking to keep Trump off the ballot in Colorado and Minnesota. If one of these lawsuits  or others that are likely to be filed  actually results in Trump being removed from a states ballot, we can safely assume that the case will make its way to the Supreme Court for the final word.

If you hold the sitting Supreme Court in low regard  as most of the country now does  you have probably already stopped counting on them to do the right thing, whatever you may think it is. After all, until last year, the Courts decisions had established a right to abortion in this country, had repeatedly upheld the use of affirmative action in higher education, and had made clear that businesses open to the public cannot discriminate against members of protected classes, including same-sex couples. None of those things is true anymore thanks to the conservative supermajority on the Court that was installed by Trump.

Those decisions, which were all wrong on the merits, rightly infuriated many liberals, and calls for reform of the high court on the left are now commonplace (despite being ignored by the White House). Meanwhile, a series of ethics controversies in recent months concerning ultraconservative justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas have generated more public criticism, with little evident concern on the part of Chief Justice John Roberts or his conservative colleagues.

All of this, as a practical matter, is highly relevant to the effort to remove Trump from the ballot.

For one thing, even assuming that there was an airtight case on originalist grounds, it would be unwise to assume that it will actually sway votes among the conservative justices. Whatever one makes of originalism as an academic pursuit, it is not practiced by conservative justices in anything resembling a legitimately principled or objective manner. All too often, originalism in the courts is little more than an outcome-driven interpretive method that somehow  magically  almost always aligns with the political and policy prerogatives of the Republican Party.

Then there are problems of math and individual psychology. Very crudely, let us assume for the sake of argument that the three liberal justices would support disqualifying Trump  if not on strictly originalist grounds, then using contemporary methods of liberal constitutional interpretation that might lead to the same result following serious examination. At the same time, we can probably safely assume that Alito and Thomas, who seem to define their judicial outlooks in opposition to anything that liberals want, would oppose that result.

That would mean that liberals would need to attract two of the four remaining conservative justices in order to cobble together a majority. Three of those justices (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett) were appointed by Trump, but disqualifying him under the 14th Amendment would require them to directly confront the fact that their legacies are closely intertwined with his  that they are on the Court issuing rulings for decades to come because a historically awful president put them there. Nothing I have seen from them suggests to me that they have the self-awareness, humility, or intellectual fortitude to do this.

Three justices in this group (Roberts, Kavanaugh, and Barrett) also share the dubious distinction of having worked for Republicans on the litigation in Bush v. Gore, when conservatives on the Supreme Court used a deeply flawed and tendentious analysis to put George W. Bush in the White House. (It is no mere coincidence that they ended up on the Supreme Court: Working on that litigation was a major career boost for young Republican lawyers.) Perhaps some of these justices will turn out to surprise us if the question of Trumps eligibility reaches them, but my general operating assumption is that this is a group of people who are perfectly content to contort the legal system in service of the Republican Partys interests when the stakes are high, particularly if those interests align with their own.

It was one thing for them to have rejected Trumps various legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the courts after he lost, but it would be another thing entirely for them to prevent him from running altogether, particularly when most Republican politicians and Republican voters strongly support his candidacy. For this to work, at a bare minimum, a comprehensive and compelling legal argument with broad ideological appeal and robust bipartisan support would likely need to come together.

That may emerge as litigation proceeds, and as scholars and lawyers continue to debate and refine their ideas, but it is not here yet. For now, Trumps opponents need to focus on beating him the old-fashioned way  at the ballot box.
Why is "Cleopatra in space" such a popular concept lol I get it bc it seems kind of cool and people are too lazy to research other Egyptian rulers in her stead. Is there a popular property that uses a mummy that isn't named Cleo?

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I know King Tut is used a lot, but currently blanking on specific properties.

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I remember there was an animated show about Tut and I'm 90% sure the modern day girl was called Cleo lol the closest thing I can imagine is maybe the Bartimaeus Trilogy that did have a Ptolemy in a significant role.

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Are you thinking of Monster High? Or am I just basic af lmao



Edited at 2023-09-17 07:51 pm (UTC)

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I was trying to find some show that may be Canadian about some teenage girl that brings an Egyptian Pharoah to modern day and he enrolls in her school I think from either the 90s or early 00s and I can't find it at all. I think that was based on Tut



Edit: Nope, found it, it's called I Love Mummy



The show centred on the Barnes family, who moved into their recently deceased great aunt Agnes' house. In the attic they came across a sarcophagus that opened up to reveal a 5,000-year-old demi-god, Prince Nuffratuti of Abu Simbel, Elyes Gabel, who is unable to ascend to the afterlife until he has completed his scroll of tasks.



Edited at 2023-09-17 08:06 pm (UTC)

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I will say there are lots of other mummies in popular tv/movies - some real rulers/priests, lots of fake ones.



The Mummy series (30s and 90s versions) - Imhotep (real)

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb series - Ra-Antef, son of Ramesses VIII (RVIII is real, son is fictional to my knowledge)

Night at the Museum - Akhmenrah (fictional)

Under Wraps - Harold (fictional lol)

Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School - Tanis (fictional)

Hotel Transylvania - unnamed mummy but not Cleopatra for sure (boy mummy)

The Monster Squad - unnamed mummy but also not Cleopatra (boy mummy)





Bonus: Buffy - Incan Mummy (we never find find out her name in the show but she's based on the real Momia Juanita)



I apparently love mummies because I love all these movies/shows lol.

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Wonderfalls! Yes, loved that show, bought the first season/series DVDs lol (still have them)



And I do remember 666 Park Avenue, I don't actually have a lot of memories of the storylines but I followed it, even when they shuffled it off to Saturday night but I missed the ending.

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my gf has been getting me to watch Archive 81, and it's unlocking so many memories about 666 Park Avenue. i don't remember anything specific, but I remember thinking it was going to be dumb but really liking it and getting drawn in more and more with each episode.

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Wonderfalls was cute but the mid-season turn to schizophrenia/main character becoming a Dexter-like good serial killer (explaining the talking objects/way to inject more action and stakes into the show, respectively) was way too large of a tonal shift and Im not surprised it didnt save it from cancellation. They had to move it to 10:00 because of the gore, which didnt help either. The little ceramic lion coaching her through her first dismemberment still haunts me.

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jfc lmaooo

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The show aired on Fox, which never had a ten o'clock hour, and got cancelled after four episodes.

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Yo, what? I watched this show and dont even remember this! Damn.

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Wonderfalls is perfect and I definitely would have watched more but it was fairly self contained as stories go. Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies were the the ones we really needed more of since they didn't get to finish their stories.





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Tru Calling and Dark Angel were so good

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I watched both Tru Calling and the Russian remake    (it was a messy with 24 episodes with some bad acting and low budget and the ending was left open for an expected second season that never happened LOL Rita (Tru) had a magical bracelet from her deceased mom that gave her the power to save people and there was Artur (Jack) her lover with a similar bracelet and opposite power. One of the big questions of the series is how can two opposite powered people stay in love and do what they are supposed to do saving and not saving people.



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I was OBSESSED with tru calling lol.

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I also remember Dark Angel! Lol



I seem to recall liking S1 over S2 but I haven't watched it since it aired so I can't give you any concrete reasons lol

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S1 was so good! They rly shifted the story in S2 after 9/11 tho. They moved away from the realistic and personal elements - terrorist attack, societal collapse, Maxs family - to a more lighthearted and generic freak of the week formula

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There was a lot of nonsense happening behind the scenes during S2, but it sort of lost touch with the dystopia part of the story and became more sci-fi



Edited at 2023-09-17 08:56 pm (UTC)

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My thirsty ass watched a shitshow called The Nine Lives of Chloe King exclusively for Daniel Sherman I wonder if hes still getting that bread or like at least some bread.

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Oh I watched that too but Skylar Samuels!

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I remember all these except a couple. 00s supernatural/sci-fi was everything

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I will never forget Wonderfalls. I still own the DVD boxset.

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Me too!



I break it out from time to time.



I first watched it as a kid, so I remember thinking Jaye was a total loser for being 24 and working retail and then I got older and I thought she was doing fine. Like who cared if she worked a dead end job, she was doing what she wanted and was taking care of herself.

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Yeah watching the show as an adult is such a trip. Everyone is giving her so much shit about her job and shes literally just starting out in life? Its very OTT.

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Lmao I was in college when it aired - and I loved watching Jaye pretending to fold clothes at the store. Im like  get paid minimum wage, Id do the same sis!

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I loved WF! Sadly I never fell into love with it until after I saw the DVDs (which were released after the show was canceled). I still have them tho!!

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I remember most of these airing but the only one I watched was wonderfalls, my fave bryan fuller show, I even managed to get to him to sign my dvd copy <3

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LOL no I def remember all of these existing. And I had several on DVD.

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teen me was obsessed with Dark Angel

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I was obsessed with Wonderfalls back in the day. I also loved Dead Like Me, Bryan Fuller's other show around that time. Both have such unique world building.

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Dead Like Me is such a great show. Im so bummed they had to replace Daisy in the movie because she wasnt available. Original Daisy is perfection. I miss my friends.

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Add pushing daisies to that list. I loved it - Ned and Chuck smiled at each other, I smiled at the soundtrack, everything was perfect 'till it got cancelled :(



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I rewatch Pushing Daisies every year but I've always been a Ned/Olive shipper I fear!

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There are a bunch of weird abc family shows that I used to watch every episode of that totally left my brain. I was recently reminded of that show Greek and I guess there was some other show where they were at the beach a lot. I don't remember anything else about it.

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I hate Joss Whedon but I wish we had gotten more of Firefly too

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watch The Expanse! it does everything Firefly was trying much better than Joss ever could.

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Or BSG, Whedon definitely lifted all of Firefly wholesale (esp the space shots) from that show and there's tons of eps lol.

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Same but knowing what he had planned he wouldve ruined it.

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I remember finding the whole series on YouTube for free once. I really miss this kind of TV. Everything is either trying to be prestige or a cop show.

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When I looked it up on YouTube for a trailer, the episodes were still up

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omg I loved this show! After school I would log on to the internet to go their janky website to "help" them solve mysteries lmao

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Sounds like a sneaky link subset lol

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Came in here specifically to post this one. I LOVED this show. This could also be an answer for the other ONTD post about shows that could have a remake.

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This show was my motherfucking JAM!!! I'm so happy it got mentioned here

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I bought Wonderfalls on DVD and everything.



Can never forget Cleopatra 2525 because I've been obsessed with Gina Torres from the moment I saw her.



My contribution:



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Gina Torres in her 50s is still my first thought for an example of a stunningly beautiful woman with the ideal body 

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I was literally thinking Young Americans! Like a 10 episode Coke ad lol.

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WB gave me such high expectations for college life, most (if not all?) fell flat.

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I was very invested in Hamilton & Jake. There should be a one and done channel for TV shows that had potential but weren't released at the right time.

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Lol I met Gina Torres once and told her I'd been a fan since I watched Cleopatra 2525 as a kid and she was like "oh lord" lmao.

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VFW Post 2280 conducted its annual POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 15, which was National POW/MIA Remembrance Day.

The names of those Nebraskans who are prisoners or war or missing in action from Korea War, Vietnam War and the Cold War were read aloud, retired Air Force Master Sgt. Steve Wiseman, VFW Post 2280 honor guard commander, said in an email to the Times. The list of World War II missing was available for review but were not read due to how many there were.

The importance of the day of remembrance and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, based at Offutt Air Force Base, was taught as well.

The POW/MIA ceremony held was near the old and new Vietnam Veterans Monument in Washington Park in Bellevue. The old monument is breaking up slowing, so it is being replaced and will be rededicated on Nov. 11 in observation of Veterans Day.
Roughly every 10 seconds, Matt Davey and Pam Gardner used an ice cream scoop to scoop up ground beef and morph it into a meatball.

Once the meatball was shaped, Davey and Gardner placed it on a tray. And repeat. Until the tray is filled.

Its got to be perfect: eight across and 12 down, Davey said Friday morning.

That symmetry on each tray, Gardner said, allows for the meatballs to be cooked in the most efficient manner.

The method has been practiced and refined in the 40 years the Tangier Shrine organization has hosted its annual spaghetti feed at its banquet hall at 2823 S. 84th St. in Omaha. With the latest edition of the feed being held Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., club officials are expecting to serve a large crowd  anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 people.

Thats a lot, said Frank Kroupa, co-chair of the spaghetti feed.

To feed the masses, Jim Hirl, who also co-chairs the event, said volunteers have prepared 9,000 to 10,000 meatballs since Monday. They also cooked about 600 pounds of spaghetti that will be served along with bread, salad and beverages.

Its really all you can eat. Were not skimping, Kroupa said. He added about 85% of the food for the event was donated.

People can pay $12 to fill their bellies. While the Shriners welcome people to use their banquet hall to eat their food and socialize, they also offer a drive-thru option. The drive-thru started after Shriners noticed people lined up out to the parking lot during the spaghetti feeds earlier years.

We never used to do a drive-thru, he said. It has really helped. We can do about 2,200 to 2,500 drive-thru (meals) and (host) 1,000 to 1,500 people in the building.

A lot of work goes into the spaghetti feed, but the atmosphere at the banquet hall leading up to the event was very relaxed.

On Friday morning, about three dozen volunteers traded jokes and one-liners while they prepared the meatballs. About 200 volunteers overall assisted in executing the spaghetti feed.

Everybody pitches in. You dont hear anybody complaining, Davey said.

The funds generated by the event not only help keep the lights on at the Shriners Center, they also help pay for the transportation for Nebraska children with physical disabilities to be treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children. The Shriners hospital network includes a satellite clinic in Boys Town.

While it costs a lot to carry out the Shriners mission to help the children, the cost is worth it to the volunteers.

Thats what were here for, Kroupa said.

Photos: Tangier Shrine prepares nearly ten thousand meatballs for spaghetti feed
Fusion Appoints Corey Watton as President and CEO

Company's former CFO will steer the company in its next chapter

Fusion today announces Corey Watton as the company's next President and CEO. In his role, Watton will oversee Fusion's three business units - Fusion Medical Staffing, Fusion Marketplace and Fusion Workforce Solutions - and lead the company into its next chapter as it strives to continually fulfill its core purpose: to ensure everyone they touch has a better life.

Watton joined Fusion in 2019, serving as the company's Chief Financial Officer. During the last four years, he was instrumental in steering the company and improving its financial and operational results, as well as its impact on employees, traveling healthcare professionals and patients.

"Corey's impact and abilities extend far beyond the financial world, as he's proven to be a wise strategist, a decisive leader and a strong communicator," said Sam Wageman, Fusion's Founder and Executive Advisor. "Corey believes in Fusion and in our people, and embodies our values as a humble, driven and positive leader.

" Prior to joining Fusion, Watton served in various financial leadership roles at Home Instead Senior Care International, including Chief Financial Officer. He was a partner at Lutz & Co, spending more than a dozen years there. Watton is a CPA and a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Watton succeeds outgoing President and CEO Steve Koesters, who joined the company in 2018 and led the company through its most challenging and vibrant era. Under his leadership, Fusion successfully navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, enhanced the employee experience and benefits programs, and grew Fusion to be one of the country's top-20 healthcare staffing companies.

"I am immensely grateful for Steve's leadership, vision, and true care and love for Fusion's people," Wageman shared. "Steve led us through the most unprecedented challenges and growth we've ever seen. And he did it with enthusiasm and integrity, staying true to our values of being humble, driven and positive. I appreciate Steve's unwavering commitment and his many contributions to Fusion.

" Founded in 2009, Fusion will celebrate its fourteenth anniversary in the fall of 2023.

About Fusion:

Fusion is an Omaha-based healthcare company working to improve the clinician and patient experience from multiple angles. The company consists of three business units: Fusion Medical Staffing, Fusion Marketplace, and Fusion Workforce Solutions, which simplify processes for healthcare travelers and facilities so they can focus on what really matters: patient care. Fusion employees strive to stay humble, driven, and positive.
Jared Barker was at a low point when he came to Omahas Open Door Mission.

The 29-year-old Grand Island native was struggling to get past his alcohol and substance addictions. After being in and out of treatment centers, Barker got his break when his probation officer informed him about Open Door Missions New Life Recovery Program.

While he entered the program cynical and hardheaded, Barker ended up embracing the rigid structure, strong support system and friendships he made throughout the four-month program that helps people down on their luck get on track to lead fulfilling lives.

I had to realize that God put the authorities above me for a reason, and I needed to submit to them, he told The World-Herald. When I did, things started to change inside. That reflected on the outside.

Now, after graduating from the program Saturday, Barker is looking forward to helping others at Open Door Mission and continuing to build a solid foundation for his life that will allow him to be a good father to his 3-year-old daughter.

Barker is just one example of success in turning his life around with the help of Open Door Mission. Nyakong Lia, Sandra Starks, Janelle Wolfe, Sandra Husak, Elijah Knight, Andrew Rubens and Tyler Holmes joined Barker in graduating from the New Life Recovery Program in a ceremony held at Garland Thompson Mens Center in east Omaha.

About 60 people graduate from the approximately 15-year-old New Life Recovery Program per year, said Steve Frazee, chief impact officer for Open Door Mission. Some, like Barker, initially struggle. But with the guidance of program counselors and support from their peers, theres usually an A-ha! moment.

We just look out for each other, Barker said. (When) we see somebody struggling, we talk to them. We dont just let them sit in their stuff.

For Janelle Wolfe, the Aha! moment came after she failed a Breathalyzer. The Open Door Mission staff offered her a spot in the program. It was then that she said she felt Gods calling.

It was tough at first. But I knew I needed it, Wolfe told the crowd. I got so much closer to Jesus Christ.

With her life back on track, Wolfe said she wants to get an apartment and remain in close touch with her faith as well as the people in her support group.

Those who graduate from the program show a lot of determination. For that, Chief Impact Officer Steve Frazee said, graduates deserves their moment in the sun. He said Open Door Mission tries to have six to 10 graduates recognized each month.

That gives everybody a chance to be in the spotlight and not be overshadowed or have people get tired of hearing the speeches, he said. We like to focus on their experience here and what they plan to do in the future.

For Barker, his ultimate goal is to one day be actively involved in his daughters life in North Dakota. But that will have to wait as he ties up financial loose ends in Nebraska.

God wants me here for a reason, he said.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023
State traffic engineers are shutting down two of four lanes on West Maple Road over the Elkhorn River this fall to fix a rough stretch of roadway near Waterloo.

Contractors will remove and replace pavement in the eastbound lanes along a one-mile section of the road east of U.S. Highway 275, said Barbara Gerbino-Bevins, district traffic engineer for the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction using the westbound lanes for about 2  miles, she said.

West Maple Road (also known as Nebraska Highway 64) was originally a two-lane road west of Elkhorn until it was widened in the early 2000s with the construction of the new westbound lanes, Gerbino-Bevins said. The eastbound lanes were the original roadway and were built about 20 years earlier.

That pavement is in very poor shape, she said.

The project began at the end of August. Since then, workers have been constructing temporary crossover lanes to take eastbound vehicles to and from the westbound lanes.

In addition to resurfacing the eastbound lanes, intersections will also be repaved, medians resurfaced and lighting improved.

For the duration of the project, access is being blocked from West Maple to JC Robinson Boulevard. One lane of the two-lane exit ramp from southbound Highway 275 to West Maple is being dedicated to carrying traffic onto North Front Street in Waterloo.

About 7,600 vehicles use this segment of West Maple each day, according to state traffic counts. Drivers who wish to bypass the construction zone to get to Highway 275 can use West Dodge Road, or take 204th Street north to Highway 36, and then drive west.

Construction is expected to wrap up by Thanksgiving, Gerbino-Bevins said.

* * * * *

NDOTs off-again, on-again plans to close portions of the Dodge Street exit ramp and Douglas Street entrance ramp to Interstate 480 in order to complete the $60 million refurbishment of the downtown freeway are off again.

On Sept. 5, and again on Sept. 12, the department announced plans to wrap up the I-480 project while closing each ramp during a 10-day period. A portion of Riverfront Drive near the Kiewit Luminarium that runs beneath the elevated freeway also was slated to close.

Now the project has been postponed indefinitely, Gerbino-Bevins said. The reason? NDOT hasnt yet received approval from the Union Pacific railroad, which has freight lines running underneath the bridge.

The project is expected to go forward once that consent is received.

Whats New

South Saddle Creek Road between Jones and Leavenworth Streets will be restricted to one lane southbound for street repair in the inside lane until Thursday.

North 24th Street between Seward Street and Lake Street will have varying lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Thursday.

will have varying lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Thursday. F Street between South 42nd Street and South 44th Avenue will be restricted westbound until Wednesday because of a water main break.

North 87th Street between Indian Hills Drive and Douglas Street will be restricted southbound until Wednesday because of a water main break.

The intersection of South 17th Street and Harney Street will have various lane restrictions until Oct. 2 because of a streetscaping project.

South 22nd Street between Mason and Pacific Streets will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Tuesday.

The onramp from northbound 60th Street to westbound Interstate 80 will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday to allow workers to fill potholes on the westbound I-80 bridge.

Temporary shoulder and lane closures can be expected on U.S. Highway 77 north and south of the I-80 56th Street interchange in Lincoln until March 2024 while workers add left and right turn lanes on Highway 77 and widen westbound shoulders on I-80 entrance and exit ramps.

Around Omaha

Intermittent lane and shoulder closures will take place on I-80 at the Giles Road, 84th Street, 72nd Street, 60th Street and 13th Street exits for a project to create accident investigation sites. Completion is expected in the fall.

for a project to create accident investigation sites. Completion is expected in the fall. Intermittent nighttime lane closures can be expected in the following interstates through the fall due to a median barrier-sealing project: I-480 in both directions between U.S. 75/Kennedy Freeway and North 14th Street; I-680 in both directions between U.S. 6/West Dodge Road and Nebraska Highway 133/Blair High Road.

Northwest (north of West Dodge Road and west of I-680)

Eagle Run Drive between North 140th Street and Binney Street will be closed for street panel replacement until Thursday.

will be closed for street panel replacement until Thursday. Miracle Hills Drive between North 120th and Nicholas Streets will be restricted to one lane eastbound for utility work in the inside lane until Sept. 25.

will be restricted to one lane eastbound for utility work in the inside lane until Sept. 25.

Blondo Street between North 117th Street and Papillion Parkway will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Nov. 10.

will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Nov. 10. West Maple Road between North 180th and North 177th Streets will be restricted to one lane eastbound until Sept. 25 for roadwork related to the construction of a Costco warehouse store. The right lane of northbound 180th Street from Emmet Street to just north of Evans Street also is closed as part of the same project.

will be restricted to one lane eastbound until Sept. 25 for roadwork related to the construction of a Costco warehouse store. The right lane of northbound also is closed as part of the same project. Expect lane restrictions on 156th Street south of Bennington Road near Kempten Creek Drive until late September. Lanes will be narrowed, and flaggers may be used at times.

until late September. Lanes will be narrowed, and flaggers may be used at times. State Street is closed from 156th to 147th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall.

is closed from due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall. Fort Street is closed from 183rd to 195th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall.

is closed from due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall. North 108th Street between Burt Circle and Decatur Street will be closed with local access only for street widening until Nov. 30.

Northeast (north of Dodge Street and east of I-680)

Leavenworth Street between Saddle Creek Road and South 49th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Sept. 24.

will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Sept. 24. The right lane on Interstate 680 is closed from the 31st Street interchange east to the Iowa state line until Dec. 29 while workers repair a damaged expansion joint on the west end of the Mormon Bridge.

is closed until Dec. 29 while workers repair a damaged expansion joint on the The Parker Street bridge over U.S. Highway 75 (North Freeway) will be closed for road improvements and repair through September. One northbound lane of U.S. 75 between Hamilton and Fort Streets also will be closed while workers paint the bridges at Lake and Binney Streets until early November. The entrance ramp from Lake Street to northbound Highway 75 also will be closed during the project.

will be closed for road improvements and repair through September. One also will be closed while workers paint the bridges at Lake and Binney Streets until early November. The also will be closed during the project. The intersection of North 94th and Blondo Streets will have various lane restrictions for sewer repair until Monday.

will have various lane restrictions for sewer repair until Monday. Varying lane restrictions can be expected along Sorenson Parkway between North 78th and North 30th Streets for curb ramp construction until Sept. 26.

for curb ramp construction until Sept. 26. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction and the westbound lanes are closed on Cass Street between North 74th and North 76th Streets for utility work until Nov. 5.

for utility work until Nov. 5. Dodge Street between North 72nd Street and North 76th Street/Rose Blumkin Drive will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December.

will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction on North 72nd Street between Bedford Avenue and Pinkney Street until Sept. 29 because of a water-main break.

until Sept. 29 because of a water-main break. North 65th Avenue between Miami and Lake Streets is closed until Tuesday for a sanitary sewer separation project.

is closed until Tuesday for a sanitary sewer separation project. Westbound Dodge Street between North 38th Avenue and North 41st Street will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Nov 7.

will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Nov 7. Martin Avenue between North 36th and North 34th Streets will be closed to through traffic for street repair until Sept. 28.

will be closed to through traffic for street repair until Sept. 28. North 30th Street between Ida Street and Titus Avenue will be restricted to one lane southbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Wednesday.

will be restricted to one lane southbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Wednesday. North 29th Street between Blondo and Burdette Streets is closed until Tuesday because of sewer improvements.

is closed until Tuesday because of sewer improvements.

The intersection of North 18th and Grace Streets will be closed for sewer work until Nov. 28.

will be closed for sewer work until Nov. 28. Lane restrictions are in place at 17th and Dodge Streets because of fiber-optic installation until Tuesday .

because of fiber-optic installation until Tuesday North 16th Street will be closed at various points between Burdette and Ohio Streets for CSO sewer separation improvements through December. Truck detour routes will be posted.

will be closed at various points between for CSO sewer separation improvements through December. Truck detour routes will be posted. Because of construction at the Kiewit corporate campus, North 15th Street between Mike Fahey and California Streets will be restricted southbound, and Mike Fahey Street between North 16th and North 15th Streets will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane until March 15, 2024. North 16th and North 17th Streets between Cuming and Mike Fahey will have restrictions in the southbound curb lane until Friday.

will be restricted southbound, and will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane until March 15, 2024. will have restrictions in the southbound curb lane until Friday. Grace Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Sept. 26.

Southwest (south of West Dodge Road and west of I-680/80)

Nighttime lane closures (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) can be expected on Interstate 80 eastbound at the I-680 interchange through the fall while workers install high-friction traffic surface to improve traction. Traffic on I-80 eastbound and I-680 northbound will be rerouted to the L-I-Center bypass ramp.

through the fall while workers install high-friction traffic surface to improve traction. Traffic on I-80 eastbound and I-680 northbound will be rerouted to the L-I-Center bypass ramp. South 156th Street between Pacific Street and Wycliffe Drive/Nottingham Drive will have closures for street widening until November.

will have closures for street widening until November. Pacific Street between South 155th and South 157th Streets will have lane restrictions for street widening until November.

will have lane restrictions for street widening until November. South 168th Street between Q Street and West Center Road will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024.

will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024. Arbor Street between South 117th and South 119th Streets is closed because of street repair until Monday.

Southeast (south of Dodge Street and east of I-680/80)

Nighttime lane closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. are planned on the Kennedy Freeway (U.S. Highway 75) between Q and F Streets, including entrance and exit ramps, to allow for milling and resurfacing of the roadway, through the fall.

including entrance and exit ramps, to allow for milling and resurfacing of the roadway, through the fall. Overnight lane restrictions are planned through the fall on I-80 eastbound between L Street and I-680 and on the I-680 interchange for installation of a high-friction surface treatment.

for installation of a high-friction surface treatment. South 96th Street between L and F Streets will have various lane restrictions for sidewalk replacement until Wednesday.

will have various lane restrictions for sidewalk replacement until Wednesday. Douglas Street between South 87th and South 88th Streets  including the intersection of South 88th and Douglas Street  will be closed for street repair from a water-main break until Monday. South 88th from Douglas to Capitol Avenue will be closed until Saturday as part of the same project.

will be closed for street repair from a water-main break until Monday. will be closed until Saturday as part of the same project. The West Dodge Frontage Road South between 84th and 86th Streets is closed for building construction until Sept. 25.

is closed for building construction until Sept. 25. Westbound traffic is shifted to the center lane on Q Street between South 84th and South 87th Streets for water-main replacement until Thursday.

for water-main replacement until Thursday. Mercy Road between 72nd Street and Aksarben Drive is restricted to one lane eastbound until Thursday.

is restricted to one lane eastbound until Thursday. Mercy Road from Aksarben Drive to 68th Street will have various lane restrictions because of bridge repair until Thursday.

will have various lane restrictions because of bridge repair until Thursday. Poppleton Avenue between Loveland Drive and Ridgewood Avenue is closed for street improvements until Thursday.

is closed for street improvements until Thursday. South 48th Street between Howard and Leavenworth Streets will be closed for utility work until Thursday.

will be closed for utility work until Thursday. South 42nd Street between the I-80 eastbound exit ramp and D Street will be closed for bridge reconstruction until December.

will be closed for bridge reconstruction until December. South 42nd Street between Grover and Center Streets will have various lane restrictions for utility work until Wednesday.

will have various lane restrictions for utility work until Wednesday. South 27th Street between I and J Streets is closed until Friday for manhole installation.

is closed until Friday for manhole installation. South 20th Street between Castelar and Dupont Streets will have northbound traffic shifted into the southbound lane for panel replacement until Tuesday.

will have northbound traffic shifted into the southbound lane for panel replacement until Tuesday. 14th Street will be closed between Farnam and Douglas Streets, and curbside lanes will be closed on Farnam, Douglas and 15th Street until early 2026 because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower.

will be closed and curbside lanes will be closed on until early 2026 because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower.

The eastbound curb lane on Douglas Street will be closed between 44th and Saddle Creek Road for construction until December.

will be closed between for construction until December. I Street between South 108th and South 102nd Streets will be closed to through traffic for street widening until November.

will be closed to through traffic for street widening until November. Grover Street between South 56th Street and South 59th Avenue will be closed for street reconstruction through December.

will be closed for street reconstruction through December. Q Street between South 61st and South 72nd Streets is closed for street improvements until Thursday, except for access to local businesses.

is closed for street improvements until Thursday, except for access to local businesses.

Traffic in the east curb lane is restricted on South 24th Street between Landon Court and Howard Street due to building construction until Tuesday.

due to building construction until Tuesday. South 20th Street between F and G Streets is closed for sewer repairs until Wednesday.

is closed for sewer repairs until Wednesday. South 13th Street between Pine and William Streets will be restricted to one lane northbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Thursday.

will be restricted to one lane northbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Thursday. The eastbound lane on Farnam Street between 10th and Eighth Streets is restricted until Sept. 26 because of building construction.

Sarpy/Cass Counties

The intersection of 204th Street and Capehart Road, and Capehart Road east of 204th Street, are closed as part of the Gretna Crossing Park project until mid-November.

192nd Street from Lincoln Road to the railroad bridge is closed through the fall for paving and bridge replacement as part of the CONNECTSarpy project.

Platteview Road from Highway 31 to 210th Street is closed through January to allow construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route.

is closed through January to allow construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route. Lane restrictions can be expected on U.S. 34/75 from Plattsmouth to the Bellevue bridges through September to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from Nebraska Highway 1 to Oak Hill Road in Plattsmouth through November 2024 to allow for road construction.

through September to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from through November 2024 to allow for road construction. U.S. 34 will have a lane closed in each direction over U.S. 75 and over the Union Pacific Railroad/BNSF Railway and South Fifth Street .

will have a lane closed in each direction and over the Union Pacific Railroad/BNSF Railway . The right lane is closed in both directions on Nebraska Highway 370/Cornhusker Road from 192nd to 180th Streets east of Gretna due to road construction.

due to road construction. A portion of 234th Street north of Schram Road just west of Gretna is closed for replacement of a 550-foot area of culvert until December.

Around Nebraska

Lane closures also are planned on I-80 between the Utica and Pleasant Dale exits (reference posts 365.14 to 387.27) while contractors install guardrails in the median. Work will be performed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday through Friday. Completion is expected in November.

(reference posts 365.14 to 387.27) while contractors install guardrails in the median. Work will be performed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday through Friday. Completion is expected in November. Alternating lane closures are planned overnight on I-80 between Exit 382 (Milford) and Exit 395 (Northwest 48th Street) west of Lincoln because of bridge reconstruction and guardrail repair.

west of Lincoln because of bridge reconstruction and guardrail repair. Lane closures are planned on U.S. Highway 275 from Nebraska Highway 36 to U.S. 30/East 23rd Street in Fremont while workers repair pavement and bridges. Completion is expected in fall.

while workers repair pavement and bridges. Completion is expected in fall. The left lane is closed on U.S. 275 eastbound between Military Avenue and Morningside Road due to bridge construction.

due to bridge construction. Nebraska Highway 79 is closed in Dodge County at North Bend from U.S. 30 to County Road R , with detours in place through the fall.

is closed in Dodge County at , with detours in place through the fall. U.S. Highway 77 between Winnebago and Walthill is closed until November while two box culverts are replaced, with traffic detoured via U.S. Highway 75 and Nebraska Highway 94. Then one lane will reopen, and traffic will be maintained with temporary traffic signals, flaggers, and a pilot car until the project is completed in mid-2024.

In Iowa

The Interstate 29 southbound ramp to Interstate 480/U.S. Highway 6 Omaha in Council Bluffs is closed for construction until Oct. 6.

in Council Bluffs is closed for construction until Oct. 6. Occasional nighttime lane and ramp closures may occur on Interstate 80 at the Madison Avenue interchange in Council Bluffs through June 2026 while the interchange is being rebuilt.

through June 2026 while the interchange is being rebuilt. The South Expressway from I-80 to 19th Avenue in Council Bluffs will be rebuilt until November, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction.

will be rebuilt until November, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction. Ninth Avenue in Council Bluffs will be closed for road construction in both directions at Interstate 29, and westbound west of South 36th Street to Harrah's Boulevard, until late October.

PhotoFiles: Interstate 80 dedication in 1961 Interstate 80 opening Interstate 80, Gretna Interstate 80, Lincoln Interstate 80 dedication Interstate 80 dedication
China's shipbuilding capacity is 200 times better compared to the capability of the United States. This alarming detail was revealed in a leaked unclassified report slide of the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI).

ONI Claims China's Shipbuilding Capacity 200x Better Than US

According to Fox News' latest report, the unclassified slide already spread online. Experts said that the information it contains highlights concerns over the growing naval capability of the Chinese government.

Specifically, the slide concerns many military experts because it claims that the naval vessel production capability of China is faster compared to the United States.

Brent Sadler, a senior researcher for naval warfare and advanced technology in the Center for National Defense at the Heritage Foundation, warned that the Chinese military sees this decade as a strategic opportunity.

"I don't see any near-term bending of the curve where we actually start closing the gap with the Chinese," he added.

Sadler shared his comments after the unclassified ONI report slide was leaked. But, a Navy official, who confirmed the authenticity of the leaked presentation, explained why the U.S. should not be concerned about it.

"The slide was developed by the Office of Naval Intelligence from multiple public sources as part of an overall brief on strategic competition," he said.

He further explained that the leaked ONI slide only shows the trends and context of the shipbuilding capacity of China.

The Naval spokesperson added that the information it contained was not intended to be a deep analysis of the commercial shipbuilding industry of the PRC (People's Republic of China).

Read Also: China's Current Map of the South China Sea Rejected by Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia

Alarming Details Shown by ONI's Leaked Slide

The Drive recently reported that the unclassified ONI report slide contains a graphic showing that the shipyards of China have a capacity of more than 23.2 million tons.

If you compare this to the 100,000-ton shipyard capacity of the U.S., then there's definitely a very alarming wide gap between the two countries.

Aside from this, the slide also contains the projected battle forces sizes of the People's Liberation Army Navy and the U.S. Navy.

The report slide shows the total number of battle forces, which include mine warfare ships, major amphibious ships, large combat support auxiliary vessels, submarines, as well as combatant vessels.

Based on the leaked ONI slide, the projected size of the PLAN battle forces in 2035 is 475. Meanwhile, USN's battle forces are expected to only reach around 305-317.

These are just some of the shipbuilding capacity details that were found on the unclassified ONI slide. You can click here to see more.

Related Article: China Conducts Anti-Submarine Operations in South China Sea Despite Tensions; Exact Exercises, Other Details

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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 usage 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.

Incomes increase by up to 30% from pre-pandemic levels in some US cities Incomes increase by up to 30% from pre-pandemic levels in some US cities Let's have a closer look at the 10 cities where income grew the most between 2019 and 2021
STOCKHOLM  As young children went back to school across Sweden last month, many of their teachers were putting a new emphasis on printed books, quiet reading time and handwriting practice and devoting less time to tablets, independent online research and keyboarding skills.

The return to more traditional ways of learning is a response to politicians and experts questioning whether the country's hyper-digitalized approach to education, including the introduction of tablets in nursery schools, had led to a decline in basic skills.

Swedish Minister for Schools Lotta Edholm, who took office 11 months ago as part of a new center-right coalition government, was one of the biggest critics of the all-out embrace of technology.

Swedens students need more textbooks," Edholm said in March. Physical books are important for student learning.

The minister announced last month in a statement that the government wants to reverse the decision by the National Agency for Education to make digital devices mandatory in preschools. It plans to go further and to completely end digital learning for children under age 6, the ministry also told The Associated Press.

Although the country's students score above the European average for reading ability, an international assessment of fourth-grade reading levels, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, highlighted a decline among Sweden's children between 2016 and 2021.

In 2021, Swedish fourth-graders averaged 544 points, a drop from the 555 average in 2016. However, their performance still placed the country in a tie with Taiwan for the seventh-highest overall test score.

In comparison, Singapore  which topped the rankings  improved its PIRLS reading scores from 576 to 587 during the same period, and Englands average reading achievement score fell only slightly, from 559 in 2016 to 558 in 2021.

Some learning deficits may have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic or reflect a growing number of immigrant students who don't speak Swedish as their first language, but an overuse of screens during school lessons may cause youngsters to fall behind in core subjects, education experts say.

Theres clear scientific evidence that digital tools impair rather than enhance student learning, Swedens Karolinska Institute said in a statement last month on the countrys national digitalization strategy in education.

We believe the focus should return to acquiring knowledge through printed textbooks and teacher expertise, rather than acquiring knowledge primarily from freely available digital sources that have not been vetted for accuracy," said the institute, a highly respected medical school focused on research.

The rapid adoption of digital learning tools also has drawn concern from the United Nations education and culture agency.

In a report published last month, UNESCO issued an urgent call for appropriate use of technology in education. The report urges countries to speed up internet connections at schools, but at the same time warns that technology in education should be implemented in a way so that it never replaces in-person, teacher-led instruction and supports the shared objective of quality education for all.

In the Swedish capital, Stockholm, 9-year-old Liveon Palmer, a third grader at Djurgardsskolan elementary school, expressed his approval of spending more school hours offline.

I like writing more in school, like on paper, because it just feels better, you know, he said.

His teacher, Catarina Branelius, said she was selective about asking students to use tablets during her lessons even before the national-level scrutiny.

I use tablets in math and we are doing some apps, but I dont use tablets for writing text," Branelius said. Students under age 10 "need time and practice and exercise in handwriting  before you introduce them to write on a tablet.

Online instruction is a hotly debated subject across Europe and other parts of the West. Poland, for instance, just launched a program to give a government-funded laptop to each student starting in fourth grade in hopes of making the country more technologically competitive.

In the United States, the coronavirus pandemic pushed public schools to provide millions of laptops purchased with federal pandemic relief money to primary and secondary students. But there is still a digital divide, which is part of the reason why American schools tend to use both print and digital textbooks, said Sean Ryan, president of the U.S. school division at textbook publisher McGraw Hill.

Germany, which is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, has been famously slow in moving government programs and information of all kinds online, including education. The state of digitalization in schools also varies among the country's 16 states, which are in charge of their own curricula.

Many students can complete their schooling without any kind of required digital instruction, such as coding. Some parents worry their children may not be able to compete in the job market with technologically better-trained young people from other countries.

Not all experts are convinced Swedens back-to-basics push is exclusively about whats best for students.

Criticizing the effects of technology is a popular move with conservative politicians, Neil Selwyn, a professor of education at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said. Its a neat way of saying or signaling a commitment to traditional values.

How schools and students are bridging the digital divide when technology isn't universally accessible How schools and students are bridging the digital divide when technology isn't universally accessible Expanding internet access on school grounds and at home Turning to smartphones for schoolwork Adopting flexible lesson plans Improving tech support for students Getting innovative to help close the digital literacy gap
WASHINGTON  In the months since a single senator froze military promotions over the Pentagon's 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 Tuberville's freeze have grown, more of them are speaking out.

This past week, some of the military's 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 they've had enough and choose to get out.

"We're 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 he's 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, "there's a red line."

Uniformed military leaders typically avoid commenting on political decisions, not only because they don't want to antagonize lawmakers who can block their future military promotions, but also because they don't want to be seen as challenging civilian control of the military, a core tenet of U.S. government.

But now even the Pentagon's soon-to-be highest military leader is speaking out. Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, the military's 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, can't get confirmed in the next two weeks. Brown is also subject to Tuberville's 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 administration's 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.

It's 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 president's 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 Tuberville's 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 that's one third of all of its 25 senior officers. In the Marine Corps, at least 18 general officers among the Corps cadre of 88 can't 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 can't 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."

"It's disruptive," said Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of Space Force operations. "The people that we want in the jobs, that we know they're going to be value-added in, we're 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 don't see any practical challenges that it's 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.

"It's not just the president who provides civilian control of the military; constitutionally, Congress also serves that function," Schake said. "We wouldn't want our military criticizing the president's partisan political acts, so we shouldn't 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 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
LINCOLN  Gov. Jim Pillen has signed a $10 million contract with a Utah consultant to find better, less-costly ways to run state government.

At the same time, he axed a state office already working on similar goals, saying the Center for Operational Excellence had fulfilled its purpose.

The center had been created by former Gov. Pete Ricketts with a mission of simplifying government by making it more efficient, effective and customer-focused. Since 2016, it completed nearly 1,000 process improvement projects that cut costs more than $100 million and saved hundreds of thousands of hours for state employees and the public.

But Pillen said he wanted to go in a different direction, using a systems approach to reduce costs on a broader, agency-wide scale while improving outcomes and performance.

Ive challenged our entire team to drive breakthrough change, he said. We are going to accelerate our progress to reduce waste in government, improve services and save taxpayer money.

His office said it was not necessary to keep the 26 employees from the Center for Operational Excellence to make those changes, although five were moved to the State Budget Office.

Leading the new charge will be Kristen Cox, founder and CEO of Epiphany Associates and a former executive director of the Governors Office of Management & Budget in Utah. During her tenure, Utah calculated that she orchestrated a 35% improvement in efficiency across executive branch agencies.

At the end of June, Nebraska signed a $10 million, four-year contract with Coxs firm in hopes of getting similar results. The contract calls for Epiphany to provide an efficiency review and improvement services for one year at $2.5 million, with the option of three 1-year renewals.

Under the contract, Epiphany is to recommend and support strategies that reduce costs while improving quality, with a target of 25% improvement in agencies identified by the state. Pillen spokeswoman Laura Strimple said the 25% target will be based on a combination of cost savings, quality and output.

The contract specifically requires Epiphany to identify realistic, feasible, hard cost savings equal to at least 3% of state general fund appropriations in the fiscal year that began July 1 and at least 6% in the following fiscal year.

That works out to be more than $160 million in the first year and more than $322 million in the second year.

This approach will deliver sizable general fund appropriation savings by analyzing high value projects and contracts to determine value to the Nebraska taxpayer, Strimple said. These freed dollars will allow for future investment in items like tax relief, education and other future priorities identified by the governor and Legislature.

Nebraska lawmakers included a provision in the state budget this year requiring the independent efficiency review and the 25% improvement target. The budget allocated $2.5 million for the review. Strimple said savings produced by Epiphany and at least part of the $1.8 million saved by eliminating the excellence center would pay for additional years.

State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, whose bill was amended into the budget, has been pushing for an independent efficiency review of all state agencies, boards and commissions for at least three years.

Other states have done similar reviews and the results have been head-turning, he said. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we have a solemn obligation to see that those dollars are utilized in the most efficient manner possible.

Those states include Kansas, where a consulting firm made 105 recommendations that were calculated to save $2.04 billion over five years if all had been adopted. The recommendations included such steps as taking the full 30 days allowed to pay invoices, merging agency field offices, outsourcing the processing of workers compensation claims and filling vacant revenue officer and auditor positions to review more tax returns.

A review done in Iowa last year led to the consolidation of 37 state agencies into 16, the elimination of 513 vacant state employee positions and the sale of some state land. Gov. Kim Reynolds said the changes would save $215 million over four years.

In Nebraska, a roadmap set by Epiphany calls for the firm to achieve breakthrough results in two major systems during Phase 1 of the contract. The firm will use its Systems Thinking method to find efficiencies, starting with unemployment insurance and the state Department of Motor Vehicles. In addition, it will focus on support systems including information technology, human resources, procurement and budget.

Cox has some background in unemployment insurance. She gained prominence at the Utah Department of Workforce Services by managing a 65% workload increase during the 2008-09 economic crisis with no new staff and a $30 million reduction in spending.

Her work generated controversy at times, though. A legislative audit concluded that changes made on her watch had created an atmosphere of frustration and unrest among current and former employees of the workforce agency.

Strimple said timelines for the various phases have not been established yet. The third phase calls for training people within Nebraska to continue the efficiency improvement work. The roadmap envisioned working with the Center for Operational Excellence during the process.

The center used a method called Lean Six Sigma to improve government operations.

Among the centers successes: cutting on-hold time for people seeking public benefits from an average of 23 minutes down to 5 minutes; streamlining registration and renewals for fleet vehicles that allowed one business to complete 4,000 renewals in three days rather than 30; and simplifying fire marshal reviews of building construction plans that cut 15 days out of the process.

Other successes included faster processing times for some health care professional licenses and environmental permits, changes in contracting that saved $10.2 million in the first year and negotiating ways to speed up background checks for relative foster families so children removed from their parents could stay with family.

The center gained national attention and was the subject of a National Association of State Chief Administrators case study in 2019. The center initially hired consultants to lead the effort. But, in the study report, center Director Matthew Singh said he concluded that outside consultants could not achieve changes that were sustainable, structured and impactful.

Instead, the center embedded employees within the states largest agencies to work on projects and trained agency employees to tackle smaller process improvement projects.

But the Pillen administration wants bigger dollar savings.

(The center) succeeded in improving the culture of state government, but did not deliver sizable reductions to the general fund budget, Strimple said. By analyzing end-to-end decision making and overall results, the governor is confident the systems approach will yield transformational results.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023
BLOOMINGTON  While police, lawyers, judges and courthouse administrators have worked for months to prepare for the end of cash bail in Illinois, they will enter uncharted territory next week when a new system begins statewide.

When the Pretrial Fairness Act takes effect Monday, Illinois will be the first state to abolish cash bail as a condition of a person's release before trial. Judges can still keep people behind bars before trial if they are accused of serious crimes, or if a prosecutor successfully argues that the person represents a flight risk or danger to the community.

However, a more rigorous review of each case will be required before the defendant can be detained  and the work must take place on a tighter timeline, as laid out in state law.

Central Illinois law enforcement leaders, attorneys and court administrators who spoke to The Pantagraph last week generally said they had done whatever possible to prepare for the new system. But with changes to multiple parts of the system, staffing challenges for many agencies and no available precedent to guide them, several said they were bracing for uncertainty, delays or even mistakes.

"I think we're going to stub our toe along the way," said Livingston County State's Attorney Mike Regnier. "There's a lot of ways in the implementation that can be interpreted differently."

Regnier said the law was poorly written, leading to a lot of valuable preparation time spent just deciphering what it means.

Suzanne Montoya, director of McLean County Court Services, said local preparations have been ongoing for months, with all stakeholders working collectively to ensure they could meet the legislative requirements.

"Chief Judge Casey Costigan and other stakeholders have made sure that McLean County is, I would say, as prepared as any county in the state of Illinois," she said.

Bail's end is years in the making

The Pretrial Fairness Act has been on the books since early 2021, and became a hot-button political issue in the intervening years. Lawmakers voted during their lame duck session in December to adjust the original language to clarify some provisions and address concerns about circumstances under which suspects could be jailed.

DETAINABLE OFFENSES Under the Pretrial Fairness Act, defendants who face certain charges can still be held in custody while they await trial. Detainable offenses include, among others: first-degree murder

criminal sexual assault

aggravated arson

stalking

aggravated kidnapping

aggravated battery causing great bodily harm

The measure had been set to take effect Jan. 1, but the state high court delayed the rollout amid confusion after a lower court found it unconstitutional. In July, the high court declared the law constitutional and set Monday as its start date.

Supporters of the overhaul have argued that too many defendants remain in jail only because they do not have the money for release, and that the current system is especially unfair to people of color.

Critics contend that cash bail ensures released defendants will show up for court proceedings. Without it, they say, violent criminals who are released pending trial could have the opportunity to commit more crimes.

The issue affects a growing number of people. 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.

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.

How has McLean County prepared?

The criminal justice process will begin much the same Monday as it did before: A member of law enforcement makes contact with a suspect.

If the officer believes the suspect has not committed an offense for which detention is required by law, and does not pose an obvious threat or have a medical issue that poses a threat to their safety, the suspect is given a written citation and ordered to appear for a court hearing  so long as he or she has proper identification and the criminal activity stops.

However, if the officer overcomes the presumption of release under the new system, the suspect is taken into custody and brought to the county jail for booking, said McLean County States Attorney Erika Reynolds.

After charges are filed, the prosecutor may seek to keep a defendant jailed before trial by filing a petition for detention.

In the 48 hours between the arrest and detention hearing (with an extension of up to 48 hours allowable under the law), law enforcement, pretrial services officers and prosecutors work to prepare evidence  known in legal terms as discovery  that must be shared with the defense ahead of the hearing.

Unless a private defense attorney enters an appearance on the case before the detention hearing, the public defenders office will be appointed to represent new defendants. Those who want to continue using a public defender will be required to fill out a financial affidavit after the detention hearing to determine whether they are eligible to continue being represented by the public defender, Reynolds said.

McLean County Chief Public Defender Ron Lewis did not respond to The Pantagraphs requests for comment.

The public defender must be given an opportunity to review discovery and meet with the defendant before the detention hearing, which will be held in the afternoons Monday through Saturday in McLean County.

At the hearing, instead of the verbal probable cause statement given under the old system, prosecutors must argue at least one of two standards: willful flight or dangerousness.

To meet the willful flight standard, the judge must find the defendant has acted intentionally to avoid prosecution. Isolated instances of nonappearance in court alone are not evidence of the risk of flight, according to the law; however, reoccurrence and patterns of intentionally evading prosecution may be considered.

To meet the dangerousness standard, the judge must find the defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of another person or the community, based on specific, articulable facts of the case. Among possible considerations are the nature of the offense charged, any evidence of violent or abusive behavior in the defendants criminal history and whether the defendant is known to have access to weapons.

DETENTION STANDARDS For defendants facing a charge not identified as detainable under the law, prosecutors can still seek to keep them in custody under one of two standards: dangerousness or willful flight. Dangerousness: The defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of another person or the community, based on specific, articulable facts of the case. Among possible considerations are the nature of the offense charged, any evidence of violent or abusive behavior in the defendants criminal history and whether the defendant is known to have access to weapons. Willful flight: Intentional conduct with a purpose to avoid prosecution. Isolated instances of nonappearance in court alone are not evidence of the risk of flight, according to the law; reoccurrence and patterns of intentionally evading prosecution may be considered.

That standard is a higher standard than what we currently utilize, in order to detain somebody, Reynolds said. ...We'll go in front of the court, well represent that we intend on detaining the person, and the court will make their probable cause determination and then move into whether or not we can meet our burden under the SAFE-T Act requirement, and whether or not they should be detained indefinitely.

Reynolds said one of her concerns is that the statute is explicit in declaring the charge itself cannot be justification to detain somebody. The specific underlying facts are what's necessary.

The states attorney, who spent several years in charge of crimes against children in McLean County, noted especially for child sex crimes that element of the law is really concerning because what we know, historically, is that child predators are more likely to commit that offense in the future, if they've done it the past, and that it's a crime of opportunity. And we won't be able to make that type of argument.

We have to have more than just simply the underlying facts. We're gonna have to have a more 1,000-foot overview of this person's life and get as much information as we possibly can, she said.

As part of their arguments, both sides will be able to call witnesses, which might include law enforcement, victims or others with first-hand knowledge of the case, though they cannot use it as a fact-finding deposition, Reynolds said.

For nondetainable cases, prosecutors will not be required to provide discovery before a hearing is held to determine the pretrial conditions for their release, Reynolds said.

The conditions for release will include the following mandatory conditions:

continue to appear in court until discharged or final order of the court;

submit to the orders and process of the court;

do not violate any criminal statute of any jurisdiction.

Additional conditions may be mandated based on the offense, and the judge can add conditions as well.

In a nondetainable case in which the prosecutor is not petitioning for detention, Reynolds said attorneys in her office would likely negotiate with defense attorneys to reach an agreement on the conditions of release.

Regnier, in Livingston County, noted that the new system requires much more particular, individualized assessments of defendants to determine whether they will be detained.

"I can tell you that we're going to, wherever the evidence supports it, argue for detention, because we're worried about safety," he said.

What happens to those already in jail when bail ends?

Defendants who were in custody prior to the SAFE-T Acts implementation Sept. 18 will have the choice between the new system and the old, Reynolds said.

If they decide they want to be treated under the SAFE-T Act, then they will file petitions with their attorney asking for that, and if those are nondetainables, we will probably work that out outside of court and get orders signed by the court if theres no basis to hold those people, she said.

If they remain under the old cash bail system, the defendant would remain in custody unless they paid the bond as previously set.

You could have some of them that know theyre detainable, so theyll just sit and wait it out in custody of the jail, Reynolds said. Or  if they decide that they could come up with that money, they may say I'd rather be treated under the bond systems so I can come up with the money that I was supposed to post, as opposed to (under the new system) where there's no chance of getting out.

McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane said he doesn't believe there will be an immediate change to the inmate population of the jail.

"It could take a while for any population change to be significant because under this act, those in custody in the jail can choose whether to go under the old system or the new system," Lane said. "In a lot of cases, they have to petition the court to have a hearing on going to the new system."

Lane added that there's a benefit for some inmates in custody to be incarcerated under the old system: They could accrue credit for days spent in jail, lessening the time they would need to spend in a state prison after sentencing.

The sheriff said he doesn't anticipate staffing levels to change. "If we need to, we can call extra people in if it becomes a problem," he said.

'Making it work' despite staff shortages

If the McLean County State Attorneys Office was fully staffed, Reynolds said she likely would assign an attorney to be dedicated to the afternoon detention and conditions hearings in the afternoon. However, the office currently is down six full-time attorneys with a seventh spot being filled by a staff member who has graduated from law school but has not yet passed the bar exam to practice law without supervision.

Will that staffing level be sufficient to operate within this new system?

Were gonna find out, Reynolds said. Were going to do what we can.

She and First Assistant States Attorney Brad Rigdon are experienced trial attorneys who can step into the courtroom as needed, in addition to the team of assistant states attorneys, Reynolds noted.

Well handle it. Well make it work, she said. Its what the law mandates, so well make it work.

In Tazewell County, the state's attorney's office has 14 assistant prosecutors in addition to State's Attorney Kevin Johnson, leaving the staff down by two.

This will, at least initially, put a little strain on us, Johnson said. Because there are more requirements for the states attorneys than anyone else. I think we're the most impacted and affected by this of all the stakeholders in the criminal justice system. And we're just going to have to do the best we can, and I'm sure, after a while, we'll get used to it.

He also noted victim and witness coordinators as well as other departments will feel the strain as they adjust to the new system.

Were all determined to make this work, to make sure we protect both the defendants rights and law-abiding citizens, Johnson said. ...Of course, along the way theres always going to be hiccups and challenges and issues, but well address them and well get it straightened out and well move along.

'Learning curve' for law enforcement

Lane said his office has been preparing for the change for about six months, describing the cooperation between local stakeholders as "outstanding."

One of the questions Lane said he's heard from officers is what happens if someone is processed and wants to be released immediately but commits a second offense like battery while in the jail.

In a case like that, Lane said, the individual would be booked on the new charge and deputies would determine whether the offense qualifies for holding.

"There's going to be a learning curve to it," Lane said.

Bryce Janssen, spokesman for the Bloomington Police Department, said all of the department's shifts and divisions have undergone training, which includes new arrest procedures and the handling of inmates being held for a detention hearing.

Under the new law, Janssen said the department's sally port  a secure entrance area  must be immediately available to the defense for a detention hearing.

"If I'm the primary reporting officer and another officer submitted another report, they have to be immediately available for that detention hearing," Janssen said.

The primary officer on an arrest could usually wait a day or two to submit reports, but the new law makes that process much more time-sensitive, he said.

Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli said the department's preparations have been progressing well.

Weve been working in lockstep with the states attorneys office (and) within our own legal department to make sure that were operating in accordance with the law, Petrilli said, and then weve got proper policy procedures and training in place to make sure that the officers know what they need to be doing.

How the new system will affect department operations is not yet fully known, he said, "but it's definitely going to be a change."

'Robust and efficient' pretrial services

McLean Countys court services division, which oversees pretrial services, probation, drug and recovery court, presentence investigations and community service supervision, has a robust and efficient pretrial unit, said Montoya, director of court services.

The county employs one pretrial coordinator and four pretrial officers for its pretrial unit, which was established in 2007. It has remained in-house since then, even when much of the state began using the recently created Office of Statewide Pretrial Services.

The daily operations of the pretrial unit include writing public safety assessments when people are arrested and booked into the McLean County jail, by checking defendants criminal history, failure to appear history, age, pending criminal cases, misdemeanor and felony convictions and prior violent convictions.

Montoya said under the cash bail system, they would also prepare bond reports to be used by attorneys making bond recommendations. Now without cash bail, we are unsure until after Sept. 18 when a pretrial investigation report will be ordered.

The expected increase in defendants being released with conditions could mean more cases for court services to track.

But Montoya said she did not know how significant the caseload increase would be after Monday.

In theory, you would think, hypothetically, that it would increase quite a bit since nobody can be detained any longer, but in essence, I'm not really sure that it will dramatically increase because there are certain standards and best practices were under as far as supervision, she said. There are different levels of pretrial supervision, so it doesnt mean if, for instance, there were 100 people released next week that every single one of those individuals will be on pretrial supervision monitoring.

Tazewell County court services also performs risk assessment evaluations, a process that Johnson said will remain mostly unchanged.

Were very fortunate here in Tazewell County that our court service office has been well prepared, and they kind of foresaw this coming, the state's attorney said. We've kind of been doing this, this process, for quite some time. So we've been in pretty good shape to go ahead and deal with this.

He noted smaller counties might have more difficulty absorbing the extra caseload in the court services divisions, either by staffing level or funding.

I think its going to be difficult, but I know for the larger counties, the ones that have been doing this for a while, I think were in a good position to do it, Johnson said. But I can see in other counties that its going to cause some stress and some issues.

Tony Reid, Valerie Wells, Mateusz Janik, Brendan Denison, Drew Zimmerman, Capitol News Illinois and The Associated Press contributed.

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Beginning Monday, state courts in Illinois will be prohibited from jailing individuals who are accused  but not convicted  of crimes simply because they cannot afford to post bail while they await trial.

Monetary bond will be abolished in favor of a system that seeks to give judges authority to detain defendants accused of committing violent crimes based on their level of risk to the community or of willful flight from prosecution.

The new system will require more robust hearings when someones freedom is on the line, while aiming to avoid disruptive pretrial incarceration if the accused persons offense was nonviolent and they are not deemed a public safety or flight risk.

After a highly contentious election cycle last year in which Republicans used the so-called Pretrial Fairness Act to attack Democrats for being soft on crime, a series of legal challenges from states attorneys and sheriffs delayed the laws implementation while the Illinois Supreme Court weighed its constitutionality. In a partisan 5-2 decision in July, the courts majority agreed that lawmaker-driven bail reform was constitutional, setting up a Sept. 18 statewide rollout for the law, more than nine months after the intended Jan. 1 start date.

State Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, whose negotiations on the law made him a national figure  and a lightning rod for criticism  said at the time he knows the public debate over bail reform isnt over, even if the legal battle is.

Let me be clear: Cash bail delegitimizes criminal justice systems and transforms them into systems that violate public safety instead of upholding it, Peters said in a news release. Illinois will not go back. We will only move forward with our goal of ensuring public safety for all Illinoisans, regardless of their background or financial position.

Detainable not equal to handcuff-able

The reform was driven by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in January 2021 in the wake of George Floyds murder in Minneapolis as an effort to address systemic racism in the criminal justice system. It was part of the broader SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform  short for Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today.

An analysis of U.S. Department of Justice data by researchers at the Loyola University of Chicago Center for Criminal Justice showed that in 2019, half of jail detainees in Illinois were Black compared to 15% of the state population; 33% were white compared to 76% of the population; and 14% were Hispanic compared to 18% of the population.

Of those jailed, 89% were being held pretrial.

The PFAs multi-pronged approach to limiting pretrial detention starts with law enforcement decisions in the field.

Under the law, officers retain the discretion to arrest any individual they believe to be a threat to the public safety or if they believe an arrest is the only way to keep the individual from continued violation of the law, like when a person is trespassing.

One major change, however, is that it directs  but does not require  officers to cite and release the individual if they are accused of a crime below a Class A misdemeanor, with a court date to be scheduled within 21 days.

Further changes occur at the judicial level after an arrest is made.

The PFA directly states the crimes and circumstances under which a judge can order an individual jailed as they await trial.

After weathering months of criticism and election season misinformation campaigns over the SAFE-T Act, Democratic lawmakers in December added to the list of offenses considered detainable, including any felony that involved the threat of or infliction of great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement.

Another subset of crimes become detainable if a judge believes the defendant to be a flight risk.

Loyolas CCJ analyzed arrest data from 2020 and 2021, concluding that a judge would not have been able to detain the defendant in 56% of arrests that occurred over that span had the PFA been in place.

But another analysis by the CCJ showed only 19% of individuals with pending felony cases were in jail while awaiting trial on average from 2017 through 2019, with another 17% on electronic monitoring or pretrial supervision.

That means about 64% of individuals awaiting trial for felony charges over that timespan were living in the community without any sort of supervision, the study found.

The research didnt predict whether more or fewer defendants will be jailed while awaiting trial once the PFA takes effect. It did, however, predict that those facing lower-level charges will likely spend less time in jail, while stays may be lengthened for those accused of violent crime because they can no longer free themselves on bail if a judge orders them detained.

Lake County States Attorney Eric Rinehart, who supported the PFA, said the distinction between the laws changes to judicial and law enforcement authority led to much of the misinformation that surrounded it in a contentious 2022 election season.

The word detainable became intermixed with the word handcuff-able  and I think police officers thought that they were going to be checking their cheat sheet under the SAFE-T Act as to whether or not they could handcuff a retail theft (suspect), he said. Police officers were directed not to cuff cooperative individuals who were not a threat to anyone, who were accused of committing a very small class of crimes, what we call (class) B and C misdemeanors.

Those misdemeanors include such crimes as low-level property offenses that do not include violence.

Rinehart spoke at a media briefing this week organized by domestic violence survivor advocacy groups. Those groups, which worked with lawmakers to draft the law, noted it gives judges greater authority than previous law to detain individuals accused of domestic violence.

Madeleine Behr, policy director at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, said states attorneys will  for the first time  be required to notify victims when a defendant has an initial detention hearing. The state will also be required to notify victims about the ability to obtain protective orders at the time of the initial and subsequent hearings.

Loyola researchers estimated 33% of those arrested in 2020 and 2021 would have been detainable based on their risk to the public, while 11% would have been detainable under the willful flight standard.

Domestic violence charges or violations of an order of protection made up about half the cases in which a person would have been detainable, per the research, as a detention hearing is required under the law when a defendant has violated an order of protection.

And this really came from our community, Behr said in the media briefing. This came from our input  it's recognizing the lethality and the harm at play when these kinds of violations happen.

Least restrictive method necessary

One directive of the Pretrial Fairness Act was to ensure an individuals appearance in court through the least restrictive means, meaning pretrial incarceration should be used only when necessary to ensure public safety.

For many counties, that could mean greater reliance on electronic monitoring, a type of GPS tracking that requires the defendant to wear an ankle bracelet and be tracked remotely by justice system professionals.

The PFA gives individuals on electronic monitoring two days each week to move freely to accomplish daily tasks  a departure from previous law. That provision has been ridiculed by conservatives and law enforcement groups who say that it grants too much freedom.

In 71 of Illinois 102 counties, electronic monitoring will be overseen by the Supreme Courts Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, a newly formed state agency designed to assist counties with the PFAs implementation and to fulfill a 1987 law that required all circuit courts to offer pretrial services.

It received a $23 million state appropriation for the current fiscal year after a $26 million allotment last year, which included allocations for start-up costs.

For OSPS-affiliated counties, defendants ordered to wear ankle monitors will have their movements tracked from a centralized location in Springfield with round-the-clock staffing. Electronic monitoring officers ensure defendants arent approaching geographically marked exclusion zones where the individual is prohibited from approaching. Those could include a perimeter around a persons home if they are on house arrest or around a victims home if the defendant is the subject of an order of protection.

If we have an exclusion zone case, or we have a situation where we think a defendant is attempting to remove their device, we can contact law enforcement and seek their assistance to help us remedy or respond to a violation, retired judge Cara Smith, director of the OSPS, said in an interview.

Electronic monitoring can only be ordered by a judge, and the mission of the OSPS is to carry out those monitoring requirements once they are ordered. Its one of several services the office offers to its member courts.

The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice advocacy organization, however, is wary of expanding the use of electronic monitoring in the wake of cash bonds end.

Requiring anyone to wear an ankle shackle and be monitored in lieu of having to pay bond is an injustice that is in direct conflict with the spirit of the law and its intended impact, the organization said in a statement.

The OSPS also pays for electronic monitoring services in its counties, costs that were previously borne by the defendant in many counties.

A new process takes shape

Under previous law, bail hearings typically occurred within 72 hours of arrest, lasting fewer than five minutes. Prosecutors would detail the defendants charges and potentially recommend a bail amount. The judge would then decide the conditions of their release, including how much money, if any, the defendant must post before their release.

The overhaul of the system was driven by the concern that decisions about a persons freedom werent receiving enough scrutiny in court.

Beginning Monday, it will still be up to states attorneys to petition the court to detain an individual prior to their trial. But upon that petition, a new, more robust pretrial process will begin. Under it, the defendant is given the right to legal representation at their first hearing, with the detention hearing typically taking place within 24 or 48 hours of the first appearance in court.

The new process allows a defendant to have a public defender or private attorney at their first appearance, while also placing a greater emphasis on counties to provide pretrial services aimed at assuring a defendants appearance in court while also connecting them with supports focused on limiting recidivism.

For Nathan Rowland, a part-time contract public defender for Gallatin and Hamilton counties in the far southeastern corner of Illinois, that means hell be busier than ever before in his two-decade career as a public defender. Rowland, who works out of his private office in McLeansboro, said he still has many unanswered questions as to how the system will work.

But he also said he believes the justice system has for years been lazily substituting high-dollar bonds for a particularized dangerousness finding, which will be a requirement for keeping a defendant in jail under the PFA. And for many of his low-income clients  especially those accused of non-violent crimes  abolishing cash bail will mean they wont languish in jail simply because they cant afford to post bond.

You get removed from your life and when you come back to it two weeks later or three months later, it's in complete shambles, Rowland said of individuals who are detained pretrial.

On Aug. 30, the Supreme Court issued an order allowing counties to hold detention hearings remotely through March 18, 2024, due to the anticipated volume of new cases and limited resources in certain areas of the state.

A new state agency takes shape

Of Illinois 102 counties, 31 have administered their own pretrial services for a varying number of years. The other 71 will be served by the OSPS.

Smith said the agency she leads has grown from about 10 employees in June 2022 to more than 170, and it is up and running in 70 counties, with Will County to be added to the list in October. Its secured office space in 47 counties in addition to its central operations center in Springfield.

Its employees work to connect individuals with such support services as drug or behavioral health treatment, anger management or any other conditions imposed by the court. It also sends text message reminders of hearings among other outreach and scheduling efforts.

But perhaps its most important task alongside electronic monitoring, Smith said, was offering a neutral report about a defendants history to judges, public defenders and states attorneys prior to a first appearance in court.

Those reports take about an hour to prepare and usually include an interview with the defendant, a process that starts with identifying new defendants daily and carving out time to conduct interviews. The agency has completed more than 18,000 such investigations since August 2022, Smith said.

Smith said when she was a judge in juvenile court in Cook County, you didn't have sort of that neutral presentation.

The presentation, she said, includes: Here's what we know about this individual, including a detailed criminal history, if it exists, and information about, are they employed, are they in school? What's the home situation like?

Rowland said those services have been invaluable, noting hed often enter a hearing room without knowing anything about the defendant he was about to represent.

The million-dollar question, Smith said, is how the office can best support individuals to limit them from reoffending.

We have a support services staff who look to identify resources that might help a person succeed, she said. But you know, we will have  and there always have been  pretrial failures where someone  continues to engage in criminal activity.

The new system, Smith said, will provide a more targeted approach for detention.

I think the idea under the PFA is that we'll be better able to identify people whose dangerousness is such that they should be detained pretrial, and everyone else is out, she said.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois State Police is reminding motorists and farmers about traffic safety as Illinois enters the fall harvest season. Agriculture is one of the leading industries in Illinois and farmers across the state will be moving equipment along roadways during the harvest season, which typically begins in early September and can last into November.

As farmers are traveling between fields, ISP reminds motorists and farmers alike to share the road to help reduce crashes involving tractors, implements and other farm equipment. ISP encourages motorists to follow these safe driving tips during harvest season:

Share the road and be patient. Allow extra travel time during harvest season.

Dont pass until its safe and legal to do so. It is illegal to pass at intersections and in no-passing zones. Improper passing can be deadly.

Use extra caution around tractors and slow-moving vehicles. Farm equipment is easily recognized by the orange, slow moving vehicle triangle emblem on the back. Most are also equipped with flashing yellow lights to warn motorists.

Adjust to a greater following distance to increase sight lines when following behind wide, slow moving vehicles.

ISP also encourages farmers to do their part by following these safe driving tips:

Take time to wipe off reflectors, flashing lights and any other warning devices on equipment before entering the roadway. Equipment covered with dust/mud/debris from the field and can make warning devices difficult to see.

Understand motorist sight lines are reduced around large pieces of equipment and look for opportunities to move as far right as possible.

Pay attention for traffic backing up while traveling between fields and look for opportunities to ease them. When possible, move off of the roadway to allow extensive back-ups time to clear.

When possible, reduce width of combines by removing the harvesting heads.

Remember, farm machinery cannot be driven or towed on controlled access highways.

By sharing the road and making safety a priority, motorists and farmers can work together to ensure a safe fall harvest.

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
NPP stalwart, Kofi Tonto has called on the media and Civil Society groups to pick up the mantle of educating the public on the importance of the increment in cocoa producer price by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



The President recently increased cocoa producer price per bag to GHc1,308 for the new cocoa season; this represents a 63.6% upward adjustment of the farm gate price of cocoa beans.



This announcement brings a big relief to cocoa farmers, however, the largest opposition National Democratic Congress has downplayed the initiative.



They claim they would have done better than President Akufo-Addo's government.



"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.



Responding to the NDC criticisms, Kofi Tonto, on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", appealed to the experts to come out and deflate the argument by the opposition party.



To him, the NDC is mischievously criticizing the move although they know that they are wrong.



"Where are the neutral arbiters?", Kofi Tonto asked.



"This is the time for the media, civil societies and experts to come and tell the truth for Ghanaians to know the truth," he implored, believing should these parties get involved in cocoa pricing brouhaha, the truth will be told and it will be in favour of the government.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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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:

Reports of UAPs -- unidentified anomalous phenomena -- have long fascinated the public but were historically shunned by mainstream science.

NASA on Thursday officially joined the search for UFOsbut reflecting the stigma attached to the field, the US space agency kept secret for hours the identity of the person heading a new program tracking mystery flying objects.

The official's appointment is the result of a year-long NASA fact-finding report into what it calls "unidentified anomalous phenomena," or UAP.

"At NASA, it's in our DNA to exploreand to ask why things are the way they are," agency chief Bill Nelson said.

An independent team of 16 researchers concluded in the report that the search for UAPs "demands a rigorous, evidence-based approach."

NASA is well positioned to play a prominent role, thanks to its satellite capabilities and other technical assets. But the agency stressed in its report that any findings of possible extraterrestrial origin "must be the hypothesis of last resortthe answer we turn to only after ruling out all other possibilities."

"We want to shift the conversation about UAP from sensationalism to science," Nelson said.

While initially withholding the program leader's name, NASA ultimately relented Thursday evening, saying in an updated press release it had appointed Mark McInerney as director of UAP research.

In government positions since 1996, McInerney has served as NASA's liaison to the Pentagon on UAP issues.

The alleged bodies of two "non-human" beings were presented during a congressional hearing in Mexico on September 12, 2023, generating a mixture of surprise, disbelief and ridicule on social media.

Even if NASA has long explored the heavens, hunting for the origin, identity and purpose of a growing number of unexplained flying objects over planet Earth is bringing unprecedented challenges.

Military and civilian pilots keep offering a multitude of reports on strange sightings. But decades of movies and sci-fi books about aliens mean the entire topic is mostly laughed off by the public as the territory of cranks.

That atmosphere explained the unusual decision by NASA to initially withhold the lead UAP official's identity.

"We need to ensure that the scientific process and methods are free," said Daniel Evans, who worked on NASA's report leading to the announcement.

"Some of the threats and the harassment have been beyond the pale, quite frankly," Evans said.

800 events

There have been more than 800 "events" collected over 27 years, of which two to five percent are thought to be possibly anomalous, the report's authors said in May.

These are defined as "anything that is not readily understandable by the operator or the sensor," or "something that is doing something weird," said team member Nadia Drake.

Bill Nelson, the head of NASA, said the US space agency is joining the search for unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), the modern-day terminology for UFOs.

The US government has begun taking UAP issues more seriously in recent years, in part due to concerns that they are related to foreign surveillance.

One example of a still-unexplained phenomenon was a flying metallic orb spotted by an MQ-9 drone at an undisclosed location in the Middle East. Footage of the UAP was shown to Congress in April.

NASA's work, which relies on unclassified material, is separate from a parallel Pentagon investigation, though the two are coordinating on how to apply scientific tools and methods.

In July, a former US intelligence officer made headlines when he told a congressional committee he "absolutely" believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomenaas well as remains of their alien operators.

"My testimony is based on information I've been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this countrymany of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony," David Grusch told lawmakers.

Earlier this week, the alleged bodies of two "non-human" beings were presented during a congressional hearing in Mexico, generating a mixture of surprise, disbelief and ridicule on social media.

The purported mummified remains, which had a grayish color and a human-like body form, were brought by Jaime Maussan, a controversial Mexican journalist and researcher who reported finding them in Peru in 2017.

 2023 AFP
When the Online Safety Bill is signed into law in the UK, Ian Russell has urged the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to be "bold and act fast." He is an online safety campaigner and the father of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who committed herself after being exposed to suicide material through social media.

Legalization of Online Safety Measures

The bill has been in the works for years and would place new legal obligations on major tech firms and service providers. Russell has stated his confidence that this would make the online space safer.

In his opinion, swift action by the regulator was necessary to guarantee that the bill, anticipated to be passed by Parliament shortly, was carried out as intended.

In an interview with BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he stated, "It's not perfect, but it's an important step, and it's a step that has been needed for years to counter this new technology, to counter these changes that are happening so fast that society doesn't quite know what to do with."

Schoolgirl Molly Russell from Harrow, north-west London, died in November 2017 from "an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content," according to the findings of an inquest released in September last year.

Russell urged Ofcom to act immediately after the bill's passage, saying that many more families are affected by this issue, some similar to Molly's and others very different. He added the bill would be ineffective if it does not protect the children from the dangers they have been exposed to online.

According to ITV News, Russell expressed confidence that the bill will be successful since it was created to be future-proof by not being technology-specific.

A key component of the new legislation would be the potential penalties, which might include prison time for CEOs or any individuals in control of tech corporations.

He explained why he was so passionate about the topic by saying, "I hope Molly would be proud, and we hope that this step, the new Online Safety Bill, will mean there are fewer of those families with stories like Molly's in the future."

See Also: UK Denies Backing Down on Plans to Scan Encrypted Messages for Harmful Content

Will It Compromise Users' Privacy?

Many in the tech sector were concerned that the government may attempt to access private communications sent through end-to-end encrypted services due to a clause in the Online Safety Bill.

WhatsApp and other messaging providers have said that they may leave the UK rather than jeopardize users' right to communicate privately.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said last week that the delayed legislation had not weakened anti-encryption safeguards. She said the bill, which included a safety net that may never be required, remained unchanged.

Notably, data and communications are protected by end-to-end encryption, a security method that scrambles them so that only the sender and receiver can decipher the data.

See Also: Mark Zuckerberg's Promise to Make Threads a Safe App Criticized by Molly Rose Foundation

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Samuel Hanke is a pediatric cardiologist in Cincinnati, but when you ask him for his title, he follows it by saying: Most importantly, Im Charlies dad.

Hanke remembers the night 13 years ago when Charlie, then 3 weeks old, was fussier than usual, so he picked him up to soothe him back to sleep. With Charlie still in his arms, he sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and nodded off.

We were kind of chest to chest, the way you see in pictures a lot, Hanke said. But he didnt realize Charlies airways were blocked. Too young to turn his head, too squished to let out a cry, Charlie died silently. The next morning, Hanke woke up to his worst nightmare. Years of medical school werent enough to prevent Hanke from losing Charlie to accidental suffocation.

Sudden infant death syndrome, a well-known term that describes unexplained but natural infant deaths resulting from an unknown medical abnormality or vulnerability, is the leading cause of unexpected deaths among infants in the U.S. It has long been among new parents greatest fears.

Rates for SIDS have declined since the 1990s, but a different cause of infant death  accidental suffocation or strangulation  has also been a persistent problem. That national rate for the past decade has hovered between 20 and 25 infant deaths per 100,000 live births, accounting for around a fifth of all unexpected infant deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accidental suffocations and strangulations arent necessarily happening more often, some experts say; rather, fatality review teams have become better at identifying causes of death.

And the trend remains steady despite decades of public information campaigns imploring parents to take steps to keep their babies safe while sleeping.

In the mid-1990s, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development launched its Back to Sleep campaign, to teach parents to lay infants on their backs to sleep. There were tremendous results after Back to Sleep, said Alison Jacobson, executive director of First Candle, a Connecticut-based nonprofit group focused on safe sleep education. Unexpected infant deaths dipped about 40% from 1990 levels, which was before that campaign launched, according to the CDC. But then it plateaued, Jacobson said.

The NICHD eventually broadened this message with other ways to limit risks beyond a babys sleep position with the Safe to Sleep initiative.

Some clear warnings from it: Infants shouldnt sleep with blankets, stuffed toys, or bumpers that can potentially lead to suffocation or strangulation, said Samantha St. John, program coordinator for Cook Childrens Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas. They also should sleep in cribs or bassinets  not on beds with siblings or in parents arms.

But these public health messages  contradicted by photos or videos circulating in movies and social media  dont always find traction. Professional photos of infants, for example, too commonly show them peacefully snoozing surrounded by plush animals and blankets. St. John added that parents sometimes have preconceived ideas of how infants sleeping spaces should be decorated. When you think of cribs and nurseries and things like that, you imagine the pictures in the magazines, St. John said. And those are beautiful pictures, but it doesnt keep your baby safe.

St. John said many parents know that babies should be on their backs to sleep, but warnings about strangulation by blankets or suffocation by sharing a bed with them sometimes fall through the cracks.

For instance, new parents, especially single parents, are more likely to accidentally fall asleep with their infants because of exhaustion, said Emily Miller, a neonatologist at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital.

The idea that sleeping with ones baby is dangerous can also be counterintuitive to a new parents instinct. We feel like being close to them, being able to see them, being able to touch them and feel that theyre breathing is the best way we can protect them and keep them safe, said Miller, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnatis Department of Pediatrics.

Organizations across the country are working to help parents better understand the true risks. Hanke and his wife, for instance, channeled their grief into Charlies Kids, a nonprofit focused on safe sleep practices for infants. The Hankes also wrote a book, Sleep Baby, Safe and Snug, which has sold about 5 million copies. The proceeds are used to continue their educational efforts.

Ohio, where Charlies Kids is based, in 2020 saw 146 sudden unexpected infant deaths, a classification that includes SIDS, accidental suffocation and strangulation, and other instances in which the cause is undetermined. Thats about a death for every 1,000 live births, according to the states health department. Thirty-six percent of those deaths were attributed to accidental suffocation or strangulation. Nationally, the rate of these unexplained deaths has declined since the 1990s, but, according to the CDC, significant racial and ethnic differences continue.

The particular risks for an infants accidental suffocation in many respects are situational  and often involve people at the lower end of the income scale who tend to live in close quarters. People who live in a small apartment or motel often share sleep space, said St. John.

Tarrant County has one of Texas highest rates of infant deaths  three to four each month  attributed to accidental suffocation.

So, organizations like the Alliance for Children in Tarrant County, which serves Fort Worth and parts of Dallas, have been providing free bassinets and cribs to those in need.

County representatives spoke during the states Child Fatality Review Team meeting in May and focused on the prevalence of infant deaths linked to accidental suffocation. For the past decade, data shows, the county has averaged 1.05 sudden unexpected infant deaths per 1,000 births, which is higher than both the state and national averages of 0.85 and 0.93, respectively. During a 15-month period starting in 2022, Cook Childrens Medical Center saw 30 infants born at the hospital die after they left because of unsafe sleeping environments.

Sometimes parents decisions are based on fears that stem from their environments. Parents will say Im bringing my baby into bed because Im afraid of gunshots coming through the window, and this is how I keep my baby safe or Im afraid rats are going to crawl into the crib, said First Candles Jacobson.

She understands these fears but stresses the broader context of safe sleep.

The key to educating parents is to begin when they are still expecting because they receive a load of information in the first 24 or 48 hours after a baby is delivered, said Sanjuanita Garza-Cox, a neonatal-perinatal specialist at Methodist Childrens Hospital in San Antonio. Garza-Cox is also a member of the Bexar County Child Fatality Review Team.

And once a child is born, the messaging should continue. In Connecticut, for instance, First Candle hosts monthly conversations in neighborhoods that bring together new parents with doulas, lactation consultants, and other caregivers to discuss safe sleep and breastfeeding.

And both Tarrant and Bexar counties are placing ads on buses and at bus stops to reach at-risk parents and other caregivers such as children, relatives, and friends. Parents are very busy, Garza-Cox said. And sometimes, multiple children and young kids are the ones watching the baby.
BRIDGETON  Authorities have issued a new rendering of what a girl who vanished from a city park four years ago may look like at age 9.

Dulce Alavez has been missing since 2019, prompting a years-long search into her disappearance at age 5. Authorities remain hopeful she is alive.

That hope was renewed two days before the anniversary of her disappearance when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released its latest illustration of how the missing girl may have aged.

Our age progression images have helped bring home missing children many times, Angeline Hartmann, a spokesperson for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Thursday in a statement.

Dulce was last seen about 4:20 p.m. Sept. 16, 2019, playing with her then-3-year-old brother at City Park. Her mother was attending to an 8-year-old relative when she realized she was unable to locate her daughter, prompting an Amber Alert by police.

The Prosecutors Office said it continues to follow tips it receives, conducting investigations in neighboring states. Detectives also have traveled to Mexico in the case.

Bridgeton marks 9th birthday of missing girl Dulce Maria Alavez BRIDGETON  Families and supporters gathered Sunday to celebrate the 9th birthday of Dulce M

Leads about Dulces disappearance came from out of state as recently as within the past year, the Prosecutors Office said.

Authorities urge anyone who may have seen a child similar to the one depicted in the new age progression image to contact detectives.

We ask people to keep in mind that this may not be exactly what Dulce looks like now, Hartmann said. This is an approximation, meant to spark recognition. Were asking everyone to take a look and see if theres something familiar about this face.

The Prosecutors Office said each lead has been and will be investigated.

We know our images can work, Hartmann said. We just need the right person to see this and make that call.

Information about Dulce can be shared with police by calling 856-451-0033 or visiting bpdops.com/tip/new. The Prosecutors Office also accepts anonymous tips at njccpo.gov/tip/new.

GALLERY: Family of missing child Dulce Alavez hold birthday remembrance in Bridgeton
ATLANTIC CITY  When Victor Sandoval coined the phrase Respect Atlantic City over a decade ago for his clothing brand, The Culprits Originals, he didnt realize it would resonate with so many people.

After registering Respect Atlantic City 609 as a trademark in 2017, Sandoval took a three-year hiatus from creating to do a lot of soul-searching, which included trying to figuring out what path he wanted to take in life as an artist and designer, while recuperating from the deaths of his parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Sandoval is ready to revamp The Culprits Originals and Respect Atlantic City just in time for the streetwear brands 10-year anniversary. The launch will happen later this month on The Culprits Originals website, Sandoval said.

I say its time to reignite it and finish what I started. Id be a fool to not follow through with it, said Sandoval, 46, who noted he was very fortunate to be in the position he was today, with plenty of people supporting his brand.

Sandoval, 46, said he was only supposed to make 36 T-shirts in 2013 for a client who asked him to make a custom shirt that aligned with Sandovals streetwear apparel, which had been around since 2011. He officially registered as a business in 2013.

When Sandoval pitched the Respect Atlantic City slogan, the client agreed to the pilot. Little did Sandoval know that would be the start of the city residents new venture.

We sold out immediately, and that was supposed to be the end. But for the next year, I didnt print anything, and people kept asking for it and asking for it, said Sandoval. And thats when I realized Respect Atlantic City means something differently to everyone.

Sandoval came up with the phrase Respect Atlantic City after deciding to create something people could be proud of, especially locals and residents. He was inspired by artist Milton Glasers I Love New York tourism slogan, which helped people show their affection for New York City, despite the rough times it was going through in the 1970s. Sandoval also saw the slogan becoming a grassroots novelty for the island, away from the casinos Do AC slogan.

Once illicit, cannabis has gone mainstream, at least on this convention floor Banking, insurance and marketing specialists gathered for this year's cannabis business convention in Atlantic City. Has the outlaw weed finally gone respectable?

For Sandoval, Respect Atlantic City was a message that could speak to locals, visitors and businesses about respecting all aspects of the city  from its beaches and Boardwalk to its people.

With the 2008 recession hitting the country, especially the casino industry, which took a giant hit during the time he was working at the Hard Rock Cafe in the former Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort  on top of being freshly divorced  Sandoval said the city needed that kind of hope.

Sandoval said Respect Atlantic City was a message for those at the top to keep the residents in mind when making important decisions, since the people who inhabit Atlantic City, from parents and children to casino workers to public servants, were the citys lifeblood.

It was me wishful thinking that we have to respect the core of what Atlantic City is, and thats the people. So when decisions have to be made, do not forget that Respect Atlantic City means to respect the people, he said.

Stephen Weiss, a friend of Sandovals for the past 30 years, agreed with the message.

His message is perfect, but Respect Atlantic City has become so much more. That shirt represents our culture, said Weiss. Its that these outside investors need to respect Atlantic City as well, that the residents of A.C. should respect their homes.

Taking inspiration from his California friends who were also developing streetwear, his Salvadorian-Los Angeles roots and his desire to better Atlantic City, Sandoval established The Culprits Originals in 2011. He registered his business in 2013.

Sandoval mixed his love for graffiti art, hardcore and hip-hop music, skateboarding and other interests associated with urban living to create a gritty, punk streetwear brand that would spread the Respect Atlantic City message in a casual way.

Why a piece of Jimmy Buffett will live on in Atlantic City Jimmy Buffett, who died Friday at 76, performed multiple times in Atlantic City, including beach concerts, and brought his popular island-themed business empire to the Boardwalk.

Something you can wear while hanging out with your friends, or pair with your nice shoes and pants on a Saturday night, he said.

He created a variety of hats, hoodies, T-shirts and stickers emblazoned with The Culprits Originals, Respect Atlantic City or Respect Atlantic City 609. He also had a spot for The Culprits Originals in the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University, along with a giant black-and-white Respect Atlantic City! mural.

The brand also has created logos for local businesses, like Vagabond Kitchen + Taphouse, and local bands, like Gutter Drunk. His most recent work includes designing logos and merchandise for the Anchor Rock Club on New York Avenue.

Seeing people all over the country wearing Respect Atlantic City merch, spreading the message, or others across the globe in places like Japan wearing his designs, gave Sandoval the motivation to keep creating clothing and art from his Absecon Island apartment.

Theres a fine line between creating local businesses and creating actual culture. Im about the culture, said Sandoval.

Everybodys always dissing AC for whatever reason, usually outside people, so this a helps us respect ourselves and other people, said Michael Cagno, executive director of the Arts Garage. So when you look at the brand and its development, what makes it distinctive is that its relevant to the geographic area. Atlantic City has this touristy thing going on, but also a nice urban setting with a little bit of grit to it. Those types of things that can work for the brand.

Cagno said Sandovals Respect Atlantic City! mural inside the museums parking garage kicked off the internal artwork people see when they first come into the garage, and into the city, which also drives the message forward.

The potential for his brand is huge and is also unique, said Cagno. You dont see Respect Cape May or Respect Ocean City, so its a very targeted message.

She gave up her government job to become a clown Atlantic City's Tina Notaro quit her job with the state to take up clowning and organizing unique events in her hometown.

Sandoval said with The Culprits Originals relaunch coming soon, he wants to expand his Respect Atlantic City message. He would like to open a flagship store for The Culprits Originals inside one of the casinos, or on the Boardwalk.

I just want it to be that organic Atlantic City brand, like the White House Sub Shop or James Original Saltwater Taffy, Sandoval said. You can get it online, but you cant buy it physically unless its in a store in Atlantic City. That way, the next time some of you are traveling, the next time you see someone wearing a Respect Atlantic City shirt, or someone sees you in it, then theyll know.

Sandoval also would like to expand his studio, since he currently works out of his garage, spend more time with family, delve into tattooing and focus on supporting community initiatives that benefit the youth through the Respect Atlantic City message.

I acknowledge now Ive learned in this time off that I am very blessed and very lucky to have the support of so many people, and all the people that have supported me up until now, said Sandoval. This time it will last a very, very long time, longer than the 10 years.
A fire in a commercial building in downtown Davenport Friday evening is under investigation.

A press release from the Davenport Fire Department said firefighters responded around 9:25 p.m. Friday to the 300 block of Brady Street, which is the block north of 3rd Street.

When the first unit arrived, firefighters saw smoke coming from the roof of the building. The fire was under control in 30 minutes, the release said, but significantly more work was required to fully extinguish it as the fire was in multiple layers of roofing material.

Firefighters helped the occupants of the businesses in the building out and there were no civilian or firefighter injuries, the release said.

A total of 16 personnel with five apparatuses responded.

Davenport Fire Department receives training on the SIMIA truck
It's back-to-school season. But as a new semester approaches, school curriculums and libraries are battlegrounds for book bans across the country. The free speech advocacy group PEN America indexed bans between July 2021 and June 2022. The organization found that Texas had nearly double the 
A new study revealed that the Zika virus is becoming more contagious.

The research experts from the University of Michigan conducted explained why the mosquito-borne disease is infecting more people.

Experts Warn That Zika Virus is Getting More Contagious-Here's Why

UM's new study discovered that Zika virus infections are now increasing because of the rising global temperatures.

Andrew Brouwer, the new study's co-author, warned that there could be sporadic outbreaks of the virus even in the coolest places as temperatures rise.

"There will probably be sporadic outbreaks in the coolest regions that will become increasingly common as temperatures rise," he explained via Yahoo News.

The new study specifically focused on Brazil. Involved experts analyzed four cities in the country. These are Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Manaus.

"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," said Andrew.

Aside from hot temperatures, rainfall also concerns researchers because mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus lay their eggs in water.

Drought is not an exemption since people in Brazil tend to store water in their homes, which can attract mosquitoes. This could increase the chance of getting the Zika virus.

Aside from rainfall and drought, deforestation also plays a major role in the spread of the Zika virus since this harmful activity can decrease the predators of mosquitoes.

Because of this, experts suggested that people can help prevent the spread of the disease by not supporting businesses and companies that benefit from deforestation.

Read Also: Golden Cancer Killers: Medical Researchers Develop Gold Particles Designed to Kill Tumors

What To Know About Zika Virus

Mosquitoes mainly transmit the Zika virus once they bite humans. But, there are other ways this disease can be transferred to another individual.

One of them is through pregnancy. CDC explained that a mother can pass the mosquito-borne disease to her fetus during pregnancy.

Another way the disease can be transferred is through sexual intercourse. If one of the two individuals having sex is infected with the Zika virus, he/she can transfer the disease to another person.

Aside from pregnancy and sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, as well as laboratory and healthcare setting exposure, can spread this disease.

If you want to learn more about the alarming Zika virus, you can click this link.

Related Article: Tennessee: Flu-Like Symptoms Lead To Teen's Amputations; What to Know About This Rare Bacterial Infection

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Routine inspections of rental housing units across the Quad-Cities have been significantly delayed since the pandemic, with an existing backlog of roughly 20% in Davenport, officials said.

This comes amid scrutiny of the citys inspection process after the partial collapse of The Davenport apartment building, killing three people and displacing several people from their homes.

But the accumulating number of units without inspections is not limited to Davenport. There are more than 27,000 rental units throughout Davenport, Moline, Rock Island and Bettendorf. Building department officials from Davenport, Moline, Rock Island and Bettendorf said the risks of spreading COVID-19 put rental inspections on hold.

We had to pause for about a year until we understood the pandemic enough to feel comfortable entering homes, said Mark Hunt, Bettendorfs Community Development Director. Only a few, if any, rental inspections were conducted in 2020.

In Davenport, the largest of the Quad-Cities, the city is still trying to catch up from the pandemic pause on inspections. Assistant City Administrator and Public Works Director Nicole Gleason said there are approximately 18,100 rental units in Davenport, of which 3,500 are single family homes and the rest are part of a duplex or complex. She said 80% of the units in the backlog have undergone inspections.

We anticipate all units will be caught up with their regular inspection cycle within the next 18-24 months, Gleason said.

State laws don't specify inspection frequency

There are no statewide requirements in Iowa or Illinois outlining inspections for rental properties other than during the construction phase, according to city officials. This does not include properties that fall under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is up to city departments to determine what rental program practices work best, said Alan Kemp, executive director of the Iowa League of Cities.

A lot of cities don't have the staff and resources to put in place a rental inspection program, Kemp said.

However, Davenport city code calls for inspections every 2-6 years, depending on the number of violations, complaints and level of compliance by the building owner. Gleason said 350 of the properties are currently on a two-year cycle. Those properties are either new and automatically placed on a two-year cycle until inspected or are placed on the list because of their last inspection. The city currently has seven Code Enforcement Officer II positions who conduct rental inspections.

Gleason said she doesn't know if inspector positions will be added.

Davenport, Moline modified rental programs

Davenport's current inspection plan puts the "highest" priority on complaints and re-inspections. Priority properties on the two year cycle are considered "high" priority for due and past due inspection; buildings on a three year cycle are considered "medium" priority if past due and "low" priority if due; and buildings on a four year cycle are considered "low" priority if past due and "lowest" priority if due.

Cities like Davenport and Moline have modified their rental property programs, but they are still struggling to keep up with inspections.

In 2021, Davenport City Council amended an ordinance that would charge landlords a higher penalty if they repeatedly failed to fix housing code violations. The changes, which also included an early-warning system for renters whose properties failed re-inspections, came after the displacement of dozens of low-income renters amid an affordable housing crisis and pandemic because their apartments had become unlivable. The Crestwood Apartments on E. 37th Street were deemed uninhabitable and ordered vacated after repeated failures by the out-of-state owners to make repairs.

Residents at The Davenport not notified of concerns

But the program was not fool-proof. The Davenport had a history of issues which had been on the citys radar at least since bricks began falling from the building as early as 2020. But residents werent notified or evacuated from the building.

A months-long investigation requested and paid for by the city pinpointed brickwork and grossly inadequate shoring in the three days before May 28 as the cause of the deadly collapse.

City officials have not publicly discussed in-depth the inspection process of the apartment building prior to the collapse. But documents cited in the report show building owner Andrew Wold hired Select Structural Engineering to advise on and inspect repairs to the west wall in 2023. Wold filed a lawsuit earlier this month accusing Select of negligence, including failure to identify the risk of collapse. The citys last documented inspection of 324 Main St. was May 25 to inspect work to begin on a permit pulled by the building owner to replace about 100 feet of brick on the west wall.

Moline overhauling rental inspection system

In Moline, neighborhood revitalization and a rental inspection overhaul have been in the works for sometime. There are currently 650 rental units in city limits, according to Drake Daley, a city building official. Daley said plans to overhaul the buildings department include increasing the number of building inspectors, revising the fees for rental property licenses and developing policies to better assist the city in tracking down landlords not complying with city ordinances.

One of the goals also includes updating the inspection process. The citys legal department had been handling the inspection program from 2007 until 2018 when the building inspector retired. At that point the Rock Island Fire Department took over the inspection program.

When you're already short-handed and you have to have the firefighters out inspecting an apartment building and then they get a call about a fire, response times can be affected and cause significant issues, Daley said.

The city this year took back the oversight of the inspection program.

How frequently a unit is inspected in Moline is determined by an alphabetical ranking system.

A Class A property is in excellent condition and has minor or no violations requiring re-inspection. Those are inspected every four years. Class B properties are inspected every two years and are considered in good condition with minor violations of applicable city codes requiring re-inspection and the violations do not pose an immediate threat of danger to the life, health and safety of the occupants of the property.

Properties categorized as Class C are in sound condition, but have violations that do not pose an immediate threat and are inspected every year. New construction is considered Class N and has an inspection four years from the date the occupancy permit is issued.

The Moline City Council on Tuesday reviewed ordinance changes that would allow for additional inspections to take place at properties, regardless of classification, at any time there is probable cause a violation exists.

Rock Island's inspection process similar to Moline's

Rock Island follows a similar classification process to Moline, with the only major difference being that Class C properties are considered a major concern.

Exterior inspections were done for routine compliance inspections unless the tenant was willing to give access to the interior, said Jerad Irvine, a building official in the citys Community & Economic Development Department.

The city currently has 4,516 rental units.

Hunt, who joined the city of Bettendorfs Community Development Department in June of 2020, said the inspection program was undergoing a reorganization started earlier that year in January. About 450 inspections were conducted in 2021. In 2022, that number went up to about 850.

We are on track to do over 1,000 rental inspections in 2023, Hunt said.

The city generally needs to conduct about 1,000 inspections each year to keep up with the inventory of rental housing units. Hunt said they aim to inspect all rental housing units once every four years.

Under the extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic, we decided to pause all rental inspections and give all property owners an additional year to complete their inspection requirements," he said.

All new rental housing was inspected throughout the pandemic, according to Hunt.

We also conducted inspections on any permitted plumbing, mechanical, electrical, or structural work that was performed in rental units during the inspections," he said. "Many rental units had at least some form of inspection during the pandemic pause.

Photos: Attorneys for amputee, spouse, hold news conference on lawsuit after building collapse in Davenport
Iowa Democrats voted on Saturday to hold their 2024 caucuses on Jan. 15, the same day as Republicans.

The date fills in one detail as the party works to plan its calendar and presidential nominating contest after being booted from being the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest by the national party earlier this year.

The date also falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.

Under the partys proposal, the caucuses would only be a party organizing meeting, while the presidential preference count that has historically put the caucuses in the national spotlight will be held via a mail-in process at a different time.

The party has not settled on the dates for the mail-in presidential preference window. To be in line with the national partys rules, the mail-in process would need to be held after the other early states have held their primaries.

National Democrats earlier this year reshaped their presidential nominating calendar, removing Iowa from the group of early states. Democrats set South Carolina as the first nominating contest, though conflicts over the primary in early states mean the calendar is still in question.

The state party's plan will also need to be approved by the national partys Rules and Bylaws Committee. The committee found Democrats previous delegate selection plan, which did not include a caucus date, non-compliant in June.

Iowa caucuses set for MLK Jr. Day

The move makes Democrats party organizing caucuses in line with the Republican caucuses next year, where Iowa will be the first state to tally support for presidential candidates in the GOP primary. Republicans set Jan. 15 as their caucus date in July.

Democrats on Saturday criticized the Republican party for setting the date while enacting policies they said were contrary to Kings message.

Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann said in July the party sees their caucuses as honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, but he said the holiday was not the primary reason for the date being chosen.

Iowa Republicans have no claim to Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs legacy and in fact couldnt even be bothered to mention his name in their caucus date announcement, said Al Womble, the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Black Caucus. "We will not allow them to erase the importance of this day. We are indebted to Dr. Kings work and sacrifice and owe it to his memory to stand up for whats just and right."

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the party will live up to Dr. Kings legacy and the caucuses will be the most inclusive in history.

"While Iowa Republicans continue to add barriers to the ballot box, the reimagined Iowa caucuses will be the most inclusive process in history and our leaders in Black and Brown communities will guide us every step of the way, Hart said in a statement.

In a statement, Kaufmann defended the date selection and called Democrats criticisms disingenuous.

The Republican Party of Iowa is committed to honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by calling for true grassroots democracy in action on MLK Day, Kaufmann said.

Iowa Republicans have said Democrats mail-in presidential selection plan could risk Iowas first-in-the-nation status because it would prompt New Hampshire to schedule its primary ahead of Iowas caucuses  for both Democrats and Republicans.

Republican lawmakers passed a law this year, led by Kaufmanns son Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton, to require state parties to hold in-person caucuses if the purpose of the caucus is to tally support for presidential candidates.

Plan needs national approval

The Democratic National Committees Rules and Bylaws Committee, which will need to approve the Democrats presidential preference plan, was scheduled to discuss the plan on Thursday but delayed it until a later meeting.

We are continuing to work with the Iowa Democratic Party to navigate a system that complies with our calendar, James Roosevelt, the committees co-chair, said Thursday.

27 senators are up for reelectionwhich, if any, are 'progressive' relative to the political lean of their states? Intro #27. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska (R) #26. Deb Fischer, Nebraska (R) #25. Rick Scott, Florida (R) #24. Kevin Cramer, North Dakota (R) #23. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee (R) #22. John Barrasso, Wyoming (R) #21. Roger Wicker, Mississippi (R) #20. Josh Hawley, Missouri (R) #19. Ted Cruz, Texas (R) #18. Mitt Romney, Utah (R) #17. Tom Carper, Delaware (D) #16. Joe Manchin, West Virginia (D) #15. Angus King, Maine (I) #14. Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona (I) #13. Tim Kaine, Virginia (D) #12. Maria Cantwell, Washington (D) #11. Jon Tester, Montana (D) #10. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota (D) #9. Ben Cardin, Maryland (D) #8. Jacky Rosen, Nevada (D) #7. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island (D) #6. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York (D) #5. Martin Heinrich, New Mexico (D) #4. Mazie Hirono, Hawaii (D) #3. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts (D) #2. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin (D) #1. Sherrod Brown, Ohio (D)
JOHNSTON  Anyone who says the FBI should be eliminated is stupid for saying it, Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Friday.

Grassley made the remarks when, while recording this weekends episode of Iowa PBS Iowa Press, the longtime U.S. senator was asked about calls from some of his fellow Republicans to defund or even eliminate the FBI.

Anybody that takes that position is stupid for saying it, Grassley said. Weve got to have an FBI.

The FBI has become a target of some conservatives who believe the federal agency has allowed political bias to infect its work. Grassley is among those. However, he was not willing to go as far as some Republicans, including presidential candidate and Ohio biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who has called for the FBIs elimination.

Obviously, things arent right with the FBI, from my point of view, Grassley said Friday. But you dont defund the FBI to make that point. You reform the FBI.

Ramaswamy recently told USA Today that the FBI should be eliminated and replaced by a similar institution. I think the FBI as an institution should not exist, Ramaswamy said. I think that that is far more practical than it sounds.  I do not believe that an institution that entrenched in its culture and way of operating can be reformed.

Grassley also said Republicans appear hypocritical when calling to defund or eliminate the FBI after the party has spent years bludgeoning Democrats for wanting to defund law enforcement. Most Democrats push back at that assertion.

At least four U.S. House Republicans  Reps. Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Andy Biggs and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan  have called for defunding the FBI.

For the last three or four years, weve been making fun of the Democrats wanting to defund the police. Its the same thing, Grassley said. "We dont want to defund the police. You cant defund the FBI.

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has said he would as president fire FBI Director Christopher Wray on the first day if elected.

Grassley is a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which provides oversight of the FBI and vets candidates to lead the bureau. In 2017, Grassley supported Wrays appointment as director, and said he was proud to have led Wrays confirmation through unanimous approval by the committee.

However, Grassley at the time also expressed concern about politically motivated activity within the FBIs ranks, and said that Wrays commitment to political independence was paramount.

(Wray) pledged that he will never allow the FBIs work to be driven by anything other than the facts, the law, and the impartial pursuit of justice, Grassley said in a 2017 statement. The good work of the FBI has been overshadowed recently by controversies, but I hope this confirmation turns the page and begins a new, shining chapter for our nations leading law enforcement agency.

Grassley still serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but is no longer in a leadership role.

Earlier this year, Grassley testified at a hearing held by House Republicans as part of their investigation into their claim that the federal government, including the FBI, has been used against conservatives.

Its clear to me that the Justice Department and the FBI are suffering from a political infection that, if its not defeated, will cause the American people to no longer trust these storied institutions, Grassley said at that hearing.

Iowa Press airs on Iowa PBS at 7:30 pm. Friday and at noon Sunday, and can be viewed online at iowapbs.org.

Photos: Sen. Grassley at Crystal Cold, Aug. 15, 2023 081523jr-crystal-grassley-4 081523jr-crystal-grassley-1 081523jr-crystal-grassley-2 081523jr-crystal-grassley-3 081523jr-crystal-grassley-5
I fondly recall my senior year in high school when Mary Beth Tinker, John Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt wore black armbands to their high school to protest the Vietnam War. Their suspension from school was cast around the thought that wearing armbands would disrupt learning.

In a landmark Supreme Court case  Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969)  justices agreed students rights should be protected plus they refuted the schools stance by candidly stating Students dont shed their constitutional rights at the school house gates.

Many of todays GOP-oriented governors and legislators, far right-wing groups, conservative media and Republican presidential candidates have either passed or supported book banning, anti-LGBTQIA and anti-racist curriculum laws. Its a blatant attack on the constitutional rights of students, parents, teachers, general public and book authors.

Several organizations and politicians - identified by a multitude of sources - are named as a threat to Americans intellectual freedom and First Amendment rights.

Moms for Liberty may be the most cited right-wing extremist group. Founded in 2021, MFL is referred by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-government and conspiracy propagandist group of 120,000 members in 285 chapters throughout 44 states who, among many beliefs, are anti-LGBTQIA, anti-gender identity and anti-inclusive educational curriculum, which includes school pedagogy, social emotional learning and books.

MFL has been featured on the Rush Limbaugh Show, Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight, Glenn Beck Program, Newsmax and Fox News anchor Megyn Kellys show. MFL is associated with several chapters of the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, 3 Percenters, Gays Against Groomers and GOPs affiliated Heritage Foundation.

Its quite ironic MFL tout they are for liberty, yet are willing to strip others of their liberty to read books of interest.

The American Library Association reveals of the 2,571 book titles banned for censorship in 2022, 58% were targeted for schools and 41% were aimed for adults in public libraries. Hence, the organization is not only attacking students First Amendment rights but also 78% of Americans who are adults.

No Left Turn in Education urges parents to ban LGBTQIA rights and books categorized as anti-racism, anti-police, critical race theory and comprehensive sexuality education since those concepts dont align with their autocratic agenda.

Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, has been described as a veteran political operative affiliated with the Koch network. PDE is a group of corporate school privatizers going hard right to attack school boards, superintendents, principals and teachers (Media Matters for America, Nov. 12, 2021).

According to the American Library Associations Intellectual Freedom Blog, No Left Turn in Education, PDE and Moms for Liberty share inflammatory claims about `radical agendas to disguise their desire to engage in censorship and government control of intellectual freedom (March 10, 2022). Book banning narrows students cultural understanding, world view and critical thinking capability.

Finally, theres the Goldwater Institute who proudly states their aim is to control public schools K-12 curriculum.

Individuals who are cited by multiple sources to be in concert with MFL, NLTIE, PDE and GI include: former president Donald Trump (R-FL), former U.N. Ambassador and Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (OH).

America was founded on the value and importance of free expression. According to John Stuart Mills essay On Liberty (1859), free speech must be protected from political, economic and social tyranny. When our First Amendment rights are purposely being attacked by right-wing extremists, they are attempting to shackle the minds of children and adults plus Americas future.

Bottom line: we are witnessing politicians and groups who want America to abandon its 1630s New England Colonies democracy roots and become an authoritarian country like Russia, China and North Korea, Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15).
Editors note: Chuck Raasch is an author and journalist. A native of South Dakota, he was a national correspondent for USA TODAY, Gannett and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and has had bylines from 49 states and five continents. Raasch was a Knight Fellow in Journalism and Stanford University, and currently leads tours for the Smithsonian Institution.

In a time when literary classics are being challenged, banned or censored; when parents, teachers, and school administrators are struggling over the history to teach, when politicians think theyre the arbiters of expression, the biggest danger comes when we sanitize or even deny the uncomfortable and the shameful in history.

Humans are not perfect, and neither is their history. Some today dont seem to get that. They equate acknowledging the sins of our past with being unpatriotic, anti-American. Just the opposite is true; learning from historys hard truths and transgressions is the act of an enlightened patriot.

Over the past few years, as debates over how to tell the history of America has shaken the culture, I have been researching and writing a non-fiction book about an interracial marriage on the Dakota Frontier in the 1880s. This true story seems especially timely and relevant at a time when racial and cultural tensions are high and too often fanned by those who would aspire to lead.

Even before it began, the marriage of Corabelle Fellows and Sam Campbell  she a white woman, he a man of mixed Sioux and white blood  was scandalized in newspapers all over the nation. Corabelle was disowned by those who ostensibly loved her; Sam was shunned or ridiculed in cruel, racist, made-up stories. These two young people were among the first victims of a yellow press of the late 19th Century that wracked one of most formative eras in American history.

Life Painted Red was 35 years in the making

My book, Life Painted Red: The True Story of Corabelle Fellows and How Her Life on the Dakota Frontier Became a National Scandal, was released Sept. 1.

I first ran across the Sam-Corabelle story almost 35 years ago during an early-career fellowship at Stanford University. Its taken decades to finally get back to it, but I am glad I did, for its a story that can enrich our understanding of the past through the experiences of people too often marginalized in frontier history.

I had taken a year off from my job as a national newspaper correspondent to dig more deeply into how place shaped American ideology and politics. The frontier is deeply embedded in American mythology, and it still shapes American culture and politics. If you doubt it, read on.

While trying to understand how where we live and where we migrate to affects politics, I spent hours perusing old newspapers from the 1880s. I ran across an advertisement in a St. Paul, Minnesota, newspaper, from the spring of 1884 that forced a double take. The ads blatant racism and sexist exploitation is cringeworthy more nearly a century and a half later.

She Loves A Savage the headline of the advertisement in the St. Paul Globe blared in giant type. It invited customers to gawk at the mixed-race couple at a dime museum in the Twin Cities. Sam and Corabelle would appear alongside a man wrestling a bear, a woman purportedly 9 feet tall, a man said to weigh 732 pounds, and other extreme so-called freaks. The curious came by the thousands to the freak show.

Is the yellow press bygone history?

Sam and Corabelle had gone on the circuit to save money to buy a farm on the Cheyenne River Reservation west of the Missouri River. The couple did not live happily ever after. Knowing the story of Sam and Corabelle opens the door to challenges many faced on the Dakota Frontier. Its a history no caring human should want to repeat. Yet stories like these are often glossed over or become the targets of scolds and censors on the political poles, often for totally different reasons.

Today, some on the left would take umbrage with the repeat of the word savage. Theyd scrub it from history in the name of tolerance. Some would wonder why a 140-year-old marriage is relevant today. Others would argue weve advanced far beyond the debasement of the freak shows of the 1880s. Many would say the yellow press is a relic of history that sank when critics blamed William Randolph Hearst, the son of Homestake Gold Mine owner George Hearst, for allegedly sparking the Spanish-American War to sell newspapers.

There are logical counterpoints to all these claims that help us better understand the present.

First, to truly grasp the transgressions of the past, they must be fully, factually remembered. Scrubbing words like savage that were purposely used to demean, deny and dehumanize Native people dilutes our ability to understand just how deeply that racist, sexist language was embedded in the culture and how far along we have come in countering it. And how far we have yet to go. If you disagree on that latter point, spend a day gorging on an average Twitter feed.

On the issue of interracial marriage: I live in Virginia, where it was illegal for blacks and whites to marry until the Supreme Court struck down the prohibition in 1967. Yes, 1967. During the lifetimes of roughly a third of living Americans.

Freak shows? Today, they are called reality shows, where the empty celebrity of the Kardashians, the stupid exploits of the idle rich or the struggles of the morbidly obese are exploited and monetized.

Is the yellow press bygone history? The din from cable talking heads intent on sharpening or exploiting our divides, in scaring viewers rather than understanding them, says otherwise. The proliferation of news sites chasing monetizing clicks by focusing solely on the freakish and outlandish dilute the good around us and divert us from real problems. Hosts on so-called news cable channels, egged on by some right-wing politicians, are openly talking of a second Civil War. If they truly understood how the first one tore this country asunder, they might comprehend how dangerous that talk is.

A telling of history through stories of the forgotten

Which leads back to Corabelle and Sam. Too much of our frontier history was written by, and about, white men. We can backfill with more stories of the forgotten or the marginalized. My book is one small attempt at that.

Had I not traced the path that had led up to She Loves A Savage, I never would have discovered an incredible woman named Elizabeth Winyan. She lived a life of adventure as a Dakota Sioux mother and grandmother. By the 1880s, she was well known on the frontier as a woman of extraordinary physical and intellectual power. Forced as a young woman from her beloved home along the Minnesota River to a wild and unfamiliar reservation west of the Missouri, Winyan spent her entire life helping Natives and whites soften the hard edges of the frontier. Shed have a good laugh at todays politicians bragging about the legacy of freedom in South Dakota.

Elizabeth and Corabelle bonded like mother and daughter as they taught school and tended to the sick and hungry. They lived with people of a Native civilization being overrun by one pushed west by Horace Greeleys Manifest Destiny.

Elizabeth and Corabelle yearned for freedom for the people they served. Freedom from want, freedom from exploitation, freedom to express, freedom to move, freedom to believe in any way they wanted. A universal yearning of all human history.

This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org.
It was stein time.

It matters not what beer one picked, what sausage one ate, or how the lederhosen fits today.

Where to get the best bloody mary in Richmond Who's up for brunch? These are our five favorite Bloody Marys on the Richmond dining scene.

What matters is how long one can hold two, filled beer steins  arms outstretched like an albatross  as sweat pools on the forehead and a crowd looks on.

To the last person standing go the spoils. And according to an Oktoberfest photo posted on Facebook, the spoils on Saturday night went to Kendall Spain, who lasted nearly 9 minutes holding his beer steins; and Brenda Schmeider, who won in the womens category with a time of 4:44.

Welcome back to St. Benedict Oktoberfest, the Museum Districts annual festival that stakes its individuality on time-honored Germanic traditions. Competitive and cultural events like the stein-holding contest are a hallmark of the festival that celebrates Richmonds German Catholic community.

This years festival ran from Friday through Sunday evening. This was its 18th iteration, having kicked off in September 2005. The festival skipped one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Festival organizer Ruppert Beirne, a 58-year-old personal injury lawyer, initially pitched a local Oktoberfest to parishioners of Saint Benedict Catholic Church in 1995. Initially, he did not find support for the idea.

It was only in 2005, when the Roman Catholic Diocese took over the Benedictine parish, that a new priest took the reins. The priest was willing to take a chance on Beirnes Oktoberfest.

Just dont lose money, the parishs financial council said after warily approving the idea.

Beirne said the festival just barely scraped by in 2005, turning a tiny profit that was enough to renew the festival for a second year. The money helped finance one $1,000 scholarship for a student from the parish to attend a local Catholic high school.

I remember we had a trickle of people coming in. We would get excited over a group of 30 people, Beirne said.

In the 18 years since, that trickle has grown into a full-throttled stream. Last year, the festival clocked over 60,000 attendees across three days. On Sunday morning, Beirne said the event had likely beaten that tally this year.

Festival-goers came for chicken dances, live German bands and traditional German bratwurst. They entered bare-headed and left in Bavarian feathered fedoras.

The event cordoned off two blocks between Stuart and Grove avenues. The parking lot of St. Benedicts played host to the festivals main staging area, known as the Festplatz, while side streets played host to vendors and concessions, known as the Christkindlmarkt.

Dominion, in rare move, details data centers' big electricity demands Data centers, some of the biggest electricity users of all, are lining up to come to Virginia, signing agreements with Dominion Energy showing they expect to use the equivalent of 35% of the record flow of electricity the utility saw during last years Christmas freeze.

The merry-making now funds 30 scholarships, plus additional funding for St. Benedicts grade school programs, Breine said. Students within the parish can use the money to attend local Catholic high schools like St. Gertrudes and Benedictine College Preparatory school; such an education can cost $23,500 a year in tuition and fees. Breine did not divulge how much the festival rakes in overall.

PHOTOS: Richmond Ballet and Stoner Winslett
OSLO, Norway  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? I'm 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 speculated that Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia. Kim inspected Russia's nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet Saturday as he continued his trip in 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.
Richmond police have identified the victim of a homicide on Friday night as Antione Christian, 23, of Richmond.

At around 9:39 p.m. Friday, officers were called to the 2100 block of Phaup Street for the report of a shooting. Officers arriving at the scene found Christian down and unresponsive in an apartment. He was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call Major Crimes Detective A. Darnell at (804) 646-3927 or contact Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.
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, shes 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 Partys assertion that the countrys strong economy proves Chinas political model is superior to Western democracies.

Theres no evidence of significant political unrest over the unemployment problem, but late last year, protests against the governments 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 Chinas 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.

Shes 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.
Marisan Tumuli, a cluster of tombs of Korea's ancient confederation Gaya, in Haman County, South Gyeongsang Province, is seen in this photo taken on Sunday. Yonhap



The Gaya Tumuli, which consists of seven tomb clusters dating back to Korea's ancient Gaya confederacy, will be added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.



The decision was made during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Riyadh on Sunday (local time).



The committee said the Gaya Tumuli is estimated to possess "outstanding universal value" as material evidence of a rare political structure that maintained autonomy and a horizontal relationship with neighboring countries, and shows the diversity of ancient civilizations in East Asia.



Earlier, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a cultural heritage evaluation advisory organization under UNESCO, recommended the inscription of the South Korean entry in May. Heritage sites that receive recommendations from the advisory body typically win final approvals from the committee with very few exceptions.



Gaya was a loosely knit federation of six or seven small kingdoms that prospered between the first and sixth centuries in the southern and central regions of the Korean Peninsula.



The tumuli consists of seven clusters of tombs that display the architectural style of graves built in the fourth and fifth centuries, along with burial accessories and goods showing Gaya's network of trade and handcrafted manufacturing.



The seven cemeteries were all sited in highly visible hilly areas in the political center of their respective polities. These sites exhibit dense concentrations of burials that were constructed over extended periods of time.



While deciding on the inscription, the committee also urged South Korea to step up its efforts to better protect the heritage.



It recommended mitigating the impact of the road that runs between two of the seven tumuli sites and purchasing privately owned land at the seven tumuli sites to ensure the stable preservation of each heritage. It also called for the establishment of a system to comprehensively monitor the seven sites.



"We'll do our best to preserve the value of the Gaya Tumuli, which is recognized by the world, and promote it widely so that it can become a world heritage loved by many," said Choi Eung-chon, the head of the Cultural Heritage Administration who visited Saudi Arabia for the meeting.



The new addition brought to 16 the number of South Korean sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.



Of them, two are natural sites  Jeju volcanic island and the lava tubes on the southern resort island, and the Korean tidal flats. The 14 others are cultural, including Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and Changdeok Palace and Jongmyo Shrine for deceased kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), both in Seoul. (Yonhap)




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.
DERNA, Libya (AP)  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 Libya's recent conflicts.

Haider al-Saeih, head of Libyas center for combating diseases, said in televised comments Saturday that at least 150 people had suffered from diarrhea after drinking contaminated water in Derna. He urged residents to only drink bottled water, which is being shipped in as part of relief efforts.

Libya's 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.

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, 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 didn't 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, the top prosecutor, 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.

_____________

Magdy reported from Cairo.
Data centers, some of the biggest electricity users of all, have signed agreements with Dominion Energy showing they expect to use the equivalent of 35% of the record flow of electricity the utility saw during last years Christmas freeze, a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis found.

Dominion disclosed the agreements in a few pages of a 221-page State Corporation Commission filing.

The utility took the unusual step of detailing customer agreements about planned data centers  the facilities that house equipment to store and move data, power apps and provide access to computer networks  in response to challenges to its long-term forecasts of electricity demand.

That growth, which Dominion said would triple from recent years to hit 5% a year over the next 15 to 25 years, could mean an increase in the utilitys carbon emissions.

Data centers have signed so-called electric service agreements, which commit a firm to use power, for an additional 5,827 megawatts by 2032, said Alan W. Bradshaw, Dominions vice president for strategic partnerships, in a filing with the SCC.

Data centers that are a bit earlier in the multiyear process of developing facilities have signed agreements to pay for the power lines and substations that are necessary to link them to Dominions high-voltage transmission lines that cover an additional 2,008 megawatts, he said. Some of these are for substations that are to come online by 2026.

The 7,835 megawatts involved between these two types of agreements are 2.5 times as much as data centers now consume, the filing shows.

They are the equivalent of 35% of the load Dominion handled last Christmas during Winter Storm Elliot.

One megawatt is enough to power about 250 homes.

Companies that are at even earlier stages in developing data centers, meanwhile, have signed agreements to cover Dominions engineering and design costs for the power lines and substations needed to handle even more demand: an additional 8,658 megawatts.

The consultant engaged by SCC staff to review Dominions long-term forecast for electricity use had argued that the companys forecast for data center demand was too high.

Data center demand is elastic, consultant Bernadette Johnson wrote in testimony submitted to the SCC by its own utility regulation and accounting staff. It will follow low costs of real estate and power prices.

She said the increase Dominion forecasts is larger than the actual growth her firm has measured in Texas self-contained electric grid, where gains have been driven by data center expansion, cryptocurrency operations and faster overall job growth than Virginia sees.

As a result, she said, Dominions forecast of annual electricity use in 2037 was 50 million megawatt-hours too high.

Environmental groups and a clean energy trade association also told the SCC that the plans electricity demand forecast is based on an unrealistic view about how many new data centers are coming.

But Bradshaw said the companys forecast through 2032 is based on its electric service agreements and the construction letters of agreement promising to pay for lines and substations.

The forecast through 2037 reflects the engineering and design cost agreements, he said.

Bradshaw said a real estate consultancy report cited by one of the environmental groups actually said the Dallas-Fort Worth area had data centers drawing 734.4 megawatts with an additional 182.1 megawatts in development, far smaller than the 3,127 megawatts Dominion currently delivers, according to his filing.

High-voltage line

In a separate matter, an SCC hearing examiner recommended the commission approve Dominions proposed $63.1 million high-voltage line to handle an expected increase in electricity use in Culpeper County from a new data center.

In this case, one customer complained that costs to fund such projects to benefit big users were passed on to other customers and were making her electric service unaffordable. She said the cost should be covered instead from Dominions profits.

Dominion spokesman Aaron Ruby said the agreements Dominion signs with big users mean they pick up a share of the cost of new lines and substations. He said they pay a proportionate amount for the cost of generating power to meet their needs.

Dominions tariffs for residential and large commercial customers account for generation costs differently.

Residential customers pay 3.4933 cents per kilowatt hour used for the first 800 kilowatt-hours, and 5.3137 cents during the summer or 2.6942 during the rest of the year for any additional electricity to cover their share of the cost of most of Dominions generating plants. They pay an additional 0.57 cent per kilowatt hour in a surcharge that funds two newer ones and the cost of extending the operating license for the Surry and North Anna nuclear plants. Big commercial customers pay $10.265 for each kilowatt that flows into their facilities.

That means a plant drawing 1,000 kilowatts at any one instant would pay $10,265 to cover its share of Dominions generating costs. A residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours over the course of a month would pay $44.31 for generation and the generating plant-linked surcharges  the rest of the bill covers the cost of Dominions power lines, fuel and other expenses.

Dominions long-term forecast, called an integrated resource plan, is subject to approval by the SCC, which can also order revisions. It is meant as a guide for future SCC actions on Dominions proposals for new plants or energy programs.

At the heart of environmentalists concerns is that Dominions latest integrated resource plan suggests the utility may need to keep gas-fired and three large coal-fired plants running to ensure its system can reliably deliver power, and that additional gas-fired plants may be needed, which would mean an increase in its greenhouse gas emissions.

Which industries are adopting AI the most and least? Which industries are adopting AI the most and least? AI adoption plateaued in 2022, but half of all organizations use these 4 AI capabilities most Consumer goods and retail businesses saw a 25 percentage-point increase in AI use for strategy and corporate finance in 2022 Tech and telecom businesses saw a 22 percentage-point rise in AI adoption for risk management Financial services business grew AI adoption by 11 percentage points for product and service development Business, legal, and professional services companies saw AI adoption increase 11 percentage points for strategy and financial operations Health care and pharmaceutical companies increased AI adoption in risk management by 9 percentage points Product developers and marketing and sales professionals see increasing opportunity to leverage AI beyond 2023
Attacks on the Constitution are popular these days, but a look at the original debates pro and con should reassure us as to what a gift it was and remains to the Republic.

Constitutional questions used to be intellectually serious, steeped in competing traditions, and shaped by schools of thought often rooted in divergent interpretations of the American past. No more. Now we get pressing questions like, Can Trump run for president from prison?, Congressmen asserting that the Electoral College is hazardous to democracy, and post-liberals whose proposal for the U.S. Constitution is to burn it down. Todays critics of the U.S. Constitution, especially those who argue it is the doomed instantiation of an irreligious, ideological liberalism indistinguishable from contemporary progressivism, ought to pause to admire the principles, tactics, and prudence of the Constitutions first and best critics, the Anti-Federalists. Dreary utopianism and nostalgia, it turns out, is no match for the hopeful prudential politics of the Anti-Federalists.

In May 1787, fifty-five delegates from every state but Rhode Island met in Philadelphia. Rather than do what they had come to doamend the Articles of Confederationthey instead began to draft a new constitution for the United States. They began with the Virginia Plan, which was decidedly in favor of order through centralization. It called for proportional representation in a bicameral congress and gave Congress a veto over state laws and the power to appoint the nations president and judges. By mid-September, delegates finally reached a compromise, which among other things included equal representation for states in the upper house and proportional representation by population in the lower house. Following final approval of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, delegates presented it to the United States.

Supporters of the new constitution, such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, called themselves Federalists. Opponents thus took the name Anti-Federalist. Anti-Federalists were concerned about the potential coercive powers of the new central government and the corruption of virtue. A diverse bunch, with no general strategy, some Anti-Federalists proposed radically democratic solutions and others proffered aristocracy to balance what some called the worst political evil, democracy. Prominent Anti-Federalists included George Clinton of New York; Virginians Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, and Patrick Henry; and Luther Martin of Maryland. Yet it was the less famous Robert Yates of New York and Samuel Bryan of Pennsylvania who laid out arguments that John Jay and James Madison refuted in detail in three of the most famous Federalist essays: no. 2, no. 10, and no. 51.

(Bryan) Centinel no. 1, October 1, 1787

(Yates) Brutus no. 1, October 18, 1787

(Jay) Federalist no. 2, October 31, 1787

(Madison) Federalist no. 10, November 22, 1787

(Yates) Brutus no. 6, December 27, 1787,

(Madison) Federalist no. 51, February 6, 1788

The timeline of this rhetorical fight shows just how occasional the Federalist Papers really were, written in a back-and-forth debate often determined by what the Anti-Federalists said first.

Bryan attacked the Constitutions checks and balances, saying these would not protect liberty but only serve to obfuscate federal corruption. Bryan also argued that one representative in the House for thirty thousand inhabitants was too few to communicate the  local circumstances and sentiments of so extensive a country. Both solidarity and subsidiarity would suffer. Like George Mason, Bryan especially lamented the absence of a Bill of Rights. He feared a permanent aristocracy unaccountable to the great body of the people because it was so far removed from them.

Although Bryan claimed that the United States size would produce tyranny while preventing Congress from understanding local needs, he still believed a decentralized republic could maintain the order needed to keep liberty secure. Yates was not as optimistic, noting that only two countries in 1787 were as large as the United States: Russia and China. Autocrats ruled both, one claiming the Mandate of Heaven and the other taking his title from Julius Caesar (i.e., Tsar). Historically, large territorial republics actually endangered liberty because there was no way other than coercion to balance their many regional and factional interests. In so extensive a republic as the United States, Yates said, the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people and abuse their power for the purpose of aggrandizing themselves.

Yates singled out Congresss taxation power and the Supreme Court as the most likely avenues to despotism. Since Congress could approve taxes to provide for the common safety, and the general welfare, taxation would be unlimited. The government, warned Yates, would always say their measures were designed and calculated to promote the public good; there being no judge between them and the people, the rulers themselves must, and would always, judge for themselves. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, as constructed, would not be guided at all by natural law, precedent, or any other law, just by its own whims and whatever precedents it might set.

Federalists posed counterarguments to all these accusations. They claimed the general welfare clause actually limited the governments range of power. Where Anti-Federalists saw a future consolidated nation-state inherent in the Constitution, Federalists beheld a firm grounding for a lasting federal union that balanced liberty with order. This is exactly what Madison argued in Federalist no. 10 and no. 51, in which he flipped on its head the maxim that factionalism in large republics breeds disorder, followed by either tyranny or disunion. In a nod to what G. K. Chesterton later called that most provable Christian dogma, original sin, Madison acknowledged that the causes of faction are sown in the nature of man. Since the causes of faction cannot be removed, Madison noted realistically, to be free Americans required a polity founded on the principle of ordered liberty to control its effects.

Federalists claimed the Constitution would restrain factionalism far better than had the Articles. How? Certainly not through coercion, Madison said. Nor would it depend on enlightened aristocrats, for enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm. Madison acknowledged that liberty is to faction as air is to fire, but argued that the countrys diversity would prevent any majority from stepping on minority rights even as it mitigated congressional attempts to pass unwise laws. In the same way that a representative government was superior to a purely democratic one because of its greater ability to field temperate, prudent leaders, so would a large republic be superior to a small one. We behold a republican remedy for the diseases most incident to republican government, wrote Madison in Federalist no. 10. The difficulty for Madison was that his acknowledgement of American plurality conceivably could feed Anti-Federalist fears about heterogeneous republics.

It is common to argue that The Federalist Papers served as a blueprint for the American republic. It is certainly true that later Americans drew from these in the way a communist ideologue might draw from Marxist writings when designing a government. But the story of the Federalist debate reveals these to have been occasional essays, written to convince New Yorkers (and, admittedly, others) to vote to ratify the Constitution. Jay writes reassuringly in Federalist no. 2 that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united peoplea people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs. Madison two months later contradicts him in Federalist no. 10 to argue that diversity is a great thing but not to worry, because faction will balance faction.

The Constitution won ratification on June 21, 1788, mainly because of promises to Anti-Federalists that a Bill of Rights would be added as soon as possible. The rhetorical battles among prudent men thus produced good fruit. Another comforting thought was that George Washington, who had proven trustworthy with power, would be the first president. A broad cross section of American society supported the Federalists, because they knew that the Confederation structure was bad for trade, commerce, security, and that the Constitution would be a vast improvement in that regard.

Important for the course of American history, Anti-Federalists yielded to the will of the state conventions and acquiesced to the new order. There would be no violent counterrevolution, only a working out of Anti-Federalist principles under the new national government. As Patrick Henry told James Monroe in 1791, It is natural to care for the crazy machine. Whittaker Chambers referred to this same prudential wisdom and spirit of compromise when he defined a conservatives role in society as knowing how much to give in order not to give up basic principles. Neither Chambers nor Henry said, Burn it down.

The Federalists correctly criticized the Confederation for being unable to provide the minimum order needed so that Americans could flourish as a free people. That minimum order is what the Augustinian City of Man demands. The Federalists arguments show they understood better than Anti-Federalists how a well-ordered liberty could promote the Christian faith and maintain virtue. Had the Anti-Federalists defeated the Constitution, the Union would have soon split into multiple confederations or divided into highly separate states. The consequences for liberty under these scenarios would have been worse than the most dismal Anti-Federalist prediction about life under the Constitution. Certainly, it is difficult to see how slavery might have begun its road to extinction without the new constitutional order and its implication, in the outlawing of the international slave trade, that there was something intrinsically wrong with slavery. Slavery ultimately ended in the United States due to Christian arguments that it is an intrinsic evil, not to constitutional arguments and Lockean rights language. This was likewise the case with the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which is why Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 quoted St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas and not John Locke to explain why he had intentionally broken segregation laws and ended up in the Birmingham jail.

The Anti-Federalists as well as the Federalists recognized that no governmental formula could, of itself, maintain a polity in which liberty and justice would be secure. This is the key point for critics of the American constitutional order to recognize before prudently considering the real-world alternatives to the American experiment in democracy.

Federalists, like their opponents, recognized the transcendence of truth and justice, as well as the need to inculcate virtue in a free society. Both sides understood that all just laws found their ultimate source in a transcendent morality. Each acknowledged virtue as a precondition for republican government. In 1776, John Adams asked, If there is a form of government, then, whose principle and foundation is virtue, will not every sober man acknowledge it better calculated to promote the general happiness than any other form? Still, between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the Federalists were less likely to expect virtue. The few  who act upon principles of disinterestedness, wrote Washington, are, comparatively speaking, no more than a drop in the ocean. A Constitution, prudently drawing on Enlightenment liberalism but deeply rooted in Americans own experience as a free Christian people, would help bridge the gaps. As Adams put it, It will be safest to proceed in all established modes, to which the people have been familiarized by habit.

The Anti-Federalists, though perceptive when identifying problems, tended to permit the perfect to be the enemy of the good. In this they have something in common with contemporary Catholic critics of American democracy. There was no remarkable penchant in the Constitution for disorder or illiberality but there was much to ward against these tendencies. The Federalists realized this; the Anti-Federalists did not. Yet to understand the degree to which the American Founders understood the balance between liberty and order necessary for a free people, one must not neglect the Anti-Federalists. Subsidiarity had no role in the Virginia Plan, and the Constitution as written had no guarantee for religious liberty. Anti-Federalists were responsible for modifying what would have been a highly centralized government from the very beginning had the Virginia Plan succeeded in toto and had Anti-Federalists such as Mason failed to secure a Bill of Rights. It was the Anti-Federalists who made explicit the role of religious liberty in the American orderperhaps the best reason to celebrate them on Constitution Day.

This essay is based on an excerpt from John C. Pinheiros The American Experiment in Ordered Liberty (Acton Institute, 2019).
Half a million dollars will help Virginia secure health care partners to run a reimagined Catawba Hospital, as recent overdose data reinforces the need for improved mental and behavioral health services around Roanoke.

When Virginia lawmakers struck a state budget deal last week, it included $500,000 out of the $15 million that Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, requested to kick-start renovations at the state-run psychiatric hospital in Roanoke County.

At least were moving forward with a small next step, Rasoul said during a phone call. Hopefully we can continue to build broad consensus around creating an ecosystem that helps alleviate substance use disorder.

The vision for Catawba Hospital is to transform it into a state-of-the-art campus at which a continuum of substance abuse treatment and recovery services is provided, in addition to behavioral health services currently available, said a health department study published in January.

The study said there is a need for upward of 250 additional addiction and behavioral health treatment beds in the Catawba Hospital area through 2030. Depending on scope, renovations could cost between $147 million and $240 million, the study said.

For Virginia, this will be a first of its kind, in the sense that the state is laying the groundwork for more residential treatment beds, Rasoul said. We dont have enough beds in the region, which is what the study said, and why were doing this.

Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, is a member of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. During a phone call, he said the state doesnt need to hurry toward construction on Catawba Hospital before other details are lined up first.

The issue was trying to figure out how to allocate the scarce resources we have for mental health in a way thats going to provide the most services to people as quickly as we can, Deeds said. This just wasnt something we could do right now without a commitment from some third party to provide the services.

So the $500,000 Catawba Hospital did get from state budget amendments will go toward securing public-private partnerships, seeking health care providers that can tend to those future treatment beds.

Its a good idea, but these are state tax dollars, Deeds said. With those dollars, we cant be in a build it and they will come mode. We have to plan appropriately.

Top of mind for Deeds is a 30% vacancy rate within Virginias behavioral health system, he said. The recent budget deal put $18 million toward increasing pay rates to fill those vacancies, plus some other efforts to build system capacity, Deeds said.

A workforce crisis does indeed exist within Virginias publicly-funded behavioral health system, said a health department report published in October. Vacancies are impacting service delivery across the mental health, substance use, and developmental disability system.

Meanwhile, Roanoke last year posted the third-highest fatal drug overdose rate in Virginia, led first by Petersburg and second by Richmond, according to state data. There were 123 fatal overdoses recorded in Roanoke last year, compared to 46 overdose deaths in 2019, data shows.

For Rasoul, its all the more reason to move from simply reimagining Catawba Hospital to actually funding it for renovation. Bills he has brought to the legislature in support of the project have seen bipartisan support.

Were bringing it right back next session, Rasoul said.

So far toward forming a public-private partnership, Carilion Clinic has been involved discussing Catawba Hospital plans with peers and stakeholders, providing input as a community partner, said an email from Media Relations Consultant Hannah Curtis on Friday.

Well continue to be involved in determining Catawbas future through thoughtful collaboration with those groups in the coming months and years, Curtis said. We look forward to seeing the findings from the General Assemblys future evaluation.

Mental health services are a top need identified by Carilion Clinics community health assessments, she said. Carilion is opening a mental health facility in Tanglewood Mall this fall, Curtis said.

Weve also taken lessons learned during the pandemic to meet patients where they are, whether thats through increased access to telemedicine visits or convenient outpatient care options, Curtis said. Mental health needs continue to grow, and were working to destigmatize and deliver these critical services.

Deeds said he supports the plans to expand and improve services at Catawba Hospital. But somebody has to commit to providing those services.

Ive spent years fighting, clawing and scratching for more money for mental health services, Deeds said. Im going to make doggone sure that the money we are able to get is spent as wisely as possible to get services to people who need it, as quickly as we can.

Staff writer Jeff Sturgeon contributed to this report.
The docks at Crazy Horse Marina in Moneta were filled with history on Saturday. Boats from decades-long past were on display for Smith Mountain Lake's 31st Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show.

Visitors lined the docks Saturday to get a closer look at more than 40 boats that hailed from an era as long ago as the 1920s. Many of the boats on display are owned by members of the Smith Mountain Lake Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society who organize the event each year.

Club member John Seal said good weather helped to bring in the crowds. He expected turnout to rival the 2,000 people that attended last year.

"I think we are there or beyond it this year," Seal said.

Visitors snapped photos of each of the antique and classic boats and even voted for their favorite. Boats are judged each year in a variety of categories including the people's choice award chosen by visitors.

"We are amazed by the beauty of these boats," Tommie Sperrazza of Moneta said. He and his wife said they heard about the show and decided to come out and see what it was all about.

Tony Oosterbeek who travels between his homes in Moneta and West Virginia said he makes a point to attend the show each year. He comes to get a close up view of boats your rarely get to see anywhere else.

"I really enjoy antique boats," Oosterbeek said. "I try to make it a point to come every year."

The show is also an annual fundraiser for local charities. While the show is free to attend, guest are asked to make donations in a collection jar that will be split between Lake Christian Ministries in Moneta and Henry Fork Services Center in Rocky Mount.

Jim McCloskey of Leonardtown, Maryland agreed to match everything donated during the show as well as donate an additional $1,000. While not a member of the club, he was given assistance from member John Coffman to fix up his father's 1960 Chris Craft that had fallen into disrepair.

Coffman is one of several members in the Smith Mountain Lake club that actively work on and restore old boats. He had McCloskey's boat, named "Class of '60" on display Saturday.

"It's incredible what he did," McCloskey said.
In the summer of 1987, against the advice of his senior staff and maybe his own better judgement, the staunchly conservative U.S. President Ronald Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and spoke to a polite, but quietly hostile crowd of socially liberal Germans in a nation still divided by yet another wall, hastily constructed by yet another tyrant.

Armed East German troops perched in towers at key locations, ready to gun down any fellow citizen who might try to escape to the west, just as they had many times before.

Taking full measure of the crowd and no doubt reconsidering, and yet again ignoring the dire warnings of his own staff, Reagan began his now prophetic remarks.

Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of the city  he said, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar. As long as this gate is closed, as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand, it is not the German question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind.

More than most, this pivotal moment encapsulated Reagans vision and boldly reasserted Americas role as the leader of the free world. Whatever their political misgivings might have been, Reagans brash speech also fired the German imagination and galvanized its people in a way that few before it ever had, at least since the time of Kennedy.

Yet before these historic remarks, owing largely to the broad political divide, many of our closest allies quietly distrusted him, unable to imagine a single important issue in liberal Europe that even remotely resembled common ground.

Today in Reagans Grand Old Party, the embers of that old flame that he ignited not so long ago are flickering and perhaps, all but extinguished. Though they generally dont say the quiet part out loud, the new party elites in the bright red ties quietly distrust him too, viewing the old Patriarchs ideology as a quaint, but fading relic of a bygone era.

At the most recent presidential primary debate on the question of continued U.S. military support in todays great struggle for freedom, one of the partys leading candidates said that he somehow found it offensive that a few of his fellow Republicans made what he called a pilgrimage to Kyiv, adding that by doing so, they were somehow   driving Russia further into Chinas hands.

That particular candidate, who was about 2 years old when Reagan delivered his now hallowed speech in Berlin, seemed strikingly unaware that Vladimir Putin had been cultivating a Chinese alliance for decades, doing everything in his power to erode Americas Cold War victories, once calling the collapse of the Soviet Union the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.

Reagans eyes however, and his own sense of history, were always far more clear.

General Secretary Gorbachev, he went on to say, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe,  come here to this gate  Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate  Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

As he concluded his remarks, cheers erupted on both sides of the wall and two years later it finally did come down, not at the hands of Communist Russia, but under the hammers of inspired Germans who clawed back their freedom with their own bare hands, even as revolution spread across the whole of Eastern Europe.

In its wake, the Warsaw Pact soon collapsed and more than a dozen independent nations, including Ukraine, emerged from the rubble in one of the single greatest expansions of human freedom the world has ever seen owing in part at least, to a simple message delivered by a man who refused to be silenced to a people who desperately needed him not to be. It was a striking reminder of the universal appeal of a simple, unyielding commitment to human dignity and its power to bridge any ideological gap that might ever divide us.

The arc of moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, the great American Dr. Martin Luther King once said, but surely, he knew, only through the courage and the sacrifice of the bold and the willing like him, the ones who keep the flame alive alone.

Those are the ones who shape the arc, them and them alone.
A stock image shows a pregnant woman in hospital. Getty Images

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.

Story continues

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
Returning home with a suitcase full of souvenirs can be one of the highlights of a trip. You might travel specifically to buy clothes, such as some folks who head to Hoi An, Vietnam, which is known for its tailor-made clothing. Or you might come from Japan with a case of Kit Kats in bold flavors like red bean and Japanese sweet potato, plus other unique gifts for the folks back home.

Some travelers might have to limit the momentos they buy because of financial constraints. But others are bound simply by what fits in the suitcase for the flight home.

With these three packing tips, youll not just avoid overpacking, but youll make room for souvenirs, too.

1. Don't pack items you'd want a souvenir version of

You may have seen the somewhat cliche lists of things you likely never need to pack, like toiletries, towels or hair dryers (most hotels provide these things for you). But what about the items you do need  the ones that are perfectly logical to pack, like shirts, sunglasses and hats?

If youre the kind of person whos likely to buy souvenir versions of these items, then rethink how many of them you bring with you to begin with. If you pack one or two fewer shirts, for example, you can buy a couple at your destination, wear them while traveling, and bring them home as souvenirs.

2. Rent clothes upon arrival

A new service has popped up in the travel industry, offering to deliver personally styled rental clothes to your hotel. Travelers wear these temporary duds throughout the trip and leave them behind at the hotel upon checkout.

Trvl Porter lets you pick items to rent at $65 each (with a two-item minimum) for up to two weeks and takes care of the shipping costs both ways.

Some major hotel and airline companies are getting in on the trend too.

In July 2023, Japan Airlines launched its "Any Wear, Anywhere" clothing-sharing service. Customers go online and input criteria like size, style and how many items they want (the minimum is three tops plus two bottoms per rental), which generates a bundle of clothes for them to rent.

And its not too expensive either. The lowest-priced bundle costs 4,000 yen (about $27). For now, though, the service is only available to passengers on international, JAL-operated flights and is just a trial project, scheduled to end in August 2024, according to Japan Airlines.

Meanwhile, W Hotels Worldwide, a Marriott brand, has a partnership with Rent the Runway where clothing orders are delivered to travelers at the hotel (and returned to the hotels front desk at checkout). This service lets customers pick any four items from a selection of Rent the Runway clothing for $69. Separately, Rent the Runway also offers one-time rentals that might be ideal if youre looking for something youd wear only once during the trip (like a suit or formal gown), which would allow you to pack less.

3. Pack old clothes you want to part with

Bring apparel that you were about to donate or throw away anyway. Make your vacation the last time you wear it  and then leave anything too tattered to wear again in the trash. For clothes that are otherwise in good condition (perhaps youre ready to part with them because you want a closet refresh), look for local thrift stores to drop off donations. Local places of worship might also take quality second-hand clothing donations.

Why you should avoid overpacking

A heavy suitcase can be cumbersome to lug around, particularly if youre trying to roll it over cobblestone streets in Europe or sprint with it to catch a departing train.

Bringing more than what fits in carry-on means youll likely pay airline checked bag fees (though thats avoidable with certain levels of airline elite status or by holding certain airline credit cards).

If you do check bags, youll spend precious vacation time waiting at the baggage carousel. And theres still the risk that your stuff will get lost. Even protections like lost luggage insurance, which can refund the cost of what went missing, can feel like a poor consolation prize if you lose irreplaceable items like a camera (and the memory card or film inside), or tough-to-get items like the Japanese Kit Kats you flew across the ocean to collect.

By returning with very few of the same items you departed home with, youll not only leave plenty of room for souvenirs, but you also might be able to make it all the way home with carry-on bags only.
Iowa Democrats voted on Saturday to hold their 2024 caucuses on Jan. 5, the same day as Republicans.

The date fills in one detail as the party works to plan its calendar and presidential nominating contest after being booted from being the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest by the national party earlier this year.

The date also falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.

Under the partys proposal, the caucuses would only be a party organizing meeting, while the presidential preference count that has historically put the caucuses in the national spotlight will be held via a mail-in process at a different time.

The party has not settled on the dates for the mail-in presidential preference window. To be in line with the national partys rules, the mail-in process would need to be held after the other early states have held their primaries.

National Democrats earlier this year reshaped their presidential nominating calendar, removing Iowa from the group of early states. Democrats set South Carolina as the first nominating contest, though primary conflicts in early states mean the calendar is still in question.

The state partys plan will also need to be approved by the national partys Rules and Bylaws Committee. The committee found Democrats previous delegate selection plan, which did not include a caucus date, non-compliant in June.

Iowa caucuses set for MLK Jr. DayDemocrats on Saturday criticized the Republican party for setting that date while enacting policies they said were contrary to Kings message.

The move makes Democrats party organizing caucuses in line with the Republican caucuses next year, where Iowa will be the first state to tally support for presidential candidates in the GOP primary. Republicans set Jan. 15 as their caucus date in July.

Democrats on Saturday criticized the Republican party for setting the date on Martin Luther King Jr. Day while enacting policies they said were contrary to Kings message.

Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann said in July the party sees their caucuses as honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, but he said the holiday was not the primary reason for the date being chosen.

Iowa Republicans have no claim to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jrs legacy and in fact couldnt even be bothered to mention his name in their caucus date announcement, said Al Womble, the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Black Caucus. We will not allow them to erase the importance of this day. We are indebted to Dr. Kings work and sacrifice and owe it to his memory to stand up for whats just and right.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the party will live up to Dr. Kings legacy and the caucuses will be the most inclusive in history.

While Iowa Republicans continue to add barriers to the ballot box, the reimagined Iowa caucuses will be the most inclusive process in history and our leaders in Black and Brown communities will guide us every step of the way, Hart said in a statement.

In a statement, Kaufmann defended the date selection and called Democrats criticisms disingenuous.

The Republican Party of Iowa is committed to honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by calling for true grassroots democracy in action on MLK Day, Kaufmann said.

Iowa Republicans have said Democrats mail-in presidential selection plan could risk Iowas first-in-the-nation status because it would prompt New Hampshire to schedule its primary ahead of Iowas caucuses  for both Democrats and Republicans.

Republican lawmakers passed a law this year, led by Kaufmanns son Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton, to require state parties to hold in-person caucuses if the purpose of the caucus is to tally support for presidential candidates.

Plan needs national approval

The Democratic National Committees Rules and Bylaws Committee, which will need to approve the Democrats presidential preference plan, was scheduled to discuss the plan on Thursday but delayed it until a later meeting.

We are continuing to work with the Iowa Democratic Party to navigate a system that complies with our calendar, James Roosevelt, the committees co-chair, said Thursday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves as he boards his private train bound to Pyongyang from Primorsky-1 railway station in Artyom, 40 kilometers northeast of Vladivostok, Sunday. Tass-Yonhap



Kim Jong-un wraps up six-day trip to Russia



By Lee Hyo-jin



The recent burgeoning military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has sparked concerns about the potential transfer of nuclear weapons technologies from Moscow to Pyongyang, but that is unlikely to happen, according to analysts, Sunday.



Later in the day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departed from the Russian Far East city of Artyom, completing his six-day visit to Russia, during which the two nations vowed to bolster partnerships focusing on military cooperation.



A bulletproof train carrying Kim at the Primorsky-1 railway station was seen off by an honor guard of the Eastern Military District and the military band of the headquarters of the Pacific Fleet, according to Russia's state-run Tass news agency. Since entering Russia last Tuesday for his first trip abroad in more than four years, Kim had met Russian President Vladimir Putin and visited key military and technology sites.





North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is given a tour around Russia's strategic bombers and other warplanes by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second from left, and other Russian officials in Vladivostok, Saturday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Sunday. Yonhap



"I think there may be some cooperation on space programs and lower-level military kinds of exchanges and assistance. I do wonder though, how much sensitive technology Putin is willing to give to North Korea," Terence Roehrig, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College, told The Korea Times, Sunday.



Although a much-heralded summit between North Korean leader Kim and Putin was held on Wednesday, North Korea still remains a question mark for Russia, Roehrig said.



"This is a short-term kind of relationship, which may not develop that deep, because what do the North Koreans have to offer the Russians?" he said.



The professor anticipates that some possible technological cooperation could be made concerning the modernization of North Korea's Navy and Air Force to some degree, focusing primarily on improving what North Korea already has.



On Saturday, Kim inspected Russia's key nuclear weapons including nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships at the Knevichi airfield in Vladivostok, according to Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as the North Korean leader continued his multi-day visit to the Russian Far East region since arriving there on Tuesday morning last week.




Now that all four indictments against Donald Trump are out91 criminal charges in total, but whos counting?the former president is facing three trials next year, with the potential for a fourth. After Trumps tumultuous stint in the Oval Office, most Americans likely already have strong opinions about him. Which raises the question: Is it possible to secure an impartial jury for the polarizing former president?

Most Americans are skeptical that it is. Ipsos conducted a survey in July among about 1,800 adults, made up of people who had served on a jury before and those who had never done it. It found that among those who had never served on a jury before, 71 percent were not confident U.S. courts would be able to find jurors willing to put aside their prior beliefs about Donald Trump and decide the case based on evidence presented. At the same time, 58 percent of those who never served on a jury before also indicated they did trust juries, but 54 percent were not interested in serving on a jury in one of Trumps cases.

But some legal experts say these concerns are overblown. A lot of people express concern about the jury system, and defendants in highly publicized cases tend to try to exploit that anxiety to suggest that they cant get a fair trial, said Kevin OBrien, partner at Ford OBrien Landy law firm and a former assistant U.S. attorney. I think in the vast majority of cases these fears are not substantiated.

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High-profile individuals are tried pretty frequently, and the courts are generally able to find an impartial jury pool. Juries convict people every day, or acquit them every day, as the case may be, often irrelevant or disconnected from whatever their personal views might be, explained Bradley Moss, a private attorney, to Slates Jeremy Stahl shortly after Trump announced his 2024 candidacy for president.

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However, thats not to say that securing three, possibly four, impartial jury pools for Trump will be easy. Moss acknowledged that jury selection will hinge on being able to find jurors who are willing to assess only the evidence provided in the courtroom, setting aside any and all political views, and that could take some time. A key tenant of jury selection is that the law does not actually forbid Americans from having political views, but it does demand people be fair and impartial. In this case, it would be impossible to find people who hadnt heard of Donald Trump, said OBrien. The test is whether can you put your biases or feelings aside, wherever they may lie, one way or the other and judge the evidence reasonably and partially and reach a fair verdict.

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Its important to understand that among the First Amendment freedoms, political speech is considered the most highly protected form of freedom of speech, which is something thats going to be in the back of every lawyers mind, explained Rebecca Lonergan, law professor at the University of Southern California. We all have the right to our political views and to say someone is excused for cause because of political views is a minefield.

Heres how the process of jury selection typically works: Prospective jurors are selected at random from a few different sourcesvoter rolls, drivers license databases, and sometimes tax records from the state where the trial is slated to take place. Then prospective jurors are summoned to court, where a judge presides over voir dire, a formal screening process meant to assess jurors suitability to serve on a jury pool. Theyre typically asked questions in stages, starting out basic: Are you physically able to sit in a courtroom for more than an hour at a time? Are you proficient in English? Do you have any issues with hearing?

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From here, the questions can get more personal. A judge may ask if a juror has ever been charged or convicted of a crime, or has any belief, religious, philosophical, or otherwise, that would prevent them from passing judgment on a person. Thats a common question because sometimes people say, Yes, I am of a religion where I dont believe anyone besides God should judge another person,  explained Lonergan.

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Many times judges purposefully ask open-ended questions, just to see what people will come up with and if their answers reveal any biases. (For example: Is there any reason that you can think of why you cannot be fair in reaching a verdict of guilty or not guilty?) Sometimes high-profile cases use jury consultants, behavioral experts who can aid in reading jurors who may hold hidden biases. Often they are social scientists, psychologists, and even former trial attorneys who can play a big role during voir dire by helping design questions, pick ideal jurors, and even prepare witnesses. They can be expensive, on average charging about $250 an hour.

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Lonergan predicted that because Trumps cases are so unique, judges will have to get strategic in what questions they ask and how. Under normal circumstances, jurors are expected to disregard any information theyve heard about the defendant or case in the media and only consider evidence presented at trialbut thats a big ask when theres been nonstop, pervasive media coverage of Trump. Lonergan expects a judge may end up asking questions like: Have you heard of anything about this case in the media, in advance of the trial? or Have you formed any opinions about this? And from there, Lonergan said, the essential question will be: Can you put aside anything youve heard previously and judge this case solely based on the evidence you hear in this courtroom?

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And theres the huge difficulty with the Trump cases. A lot of people will answer, Yeah I think I can do that, but whether they really can or not is a different question, said Lonergan. Thats because, in her experience, nearly everyone is susceptible to implicit biases, and even jurors with the best intentions can struggle to put aside prior beliefsyou cant unring a bell. Lonergan thinks the courts wont care so much about a jurors politics as much as their prior impressions of Trump, because the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are not on trial.

Where the case will take place will also play a role, since certain pockets of the country tend to have political leanings, which is what led Trumps legal team to request his Washington, D.C.,

case be moved to West Virginia. Its rare for a case to be moved, but if it is, its usually to achieve a more unbiased jury, a place where people didnt pay attention to the media. But in the case of Trump, Im not sure where you move a case involving Trump, where you dont have people whose lives have been equally affected by him as an individual because he was president of the entire nation, said Lonergan.

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Ideally, a judge wants a jury pool composed of different opinions, and, inevitably, different biases, who will engage in debate and follow instructions. The hope, Lonergan said, is that their opposing viewpoints will essentially balance out and you end up with something fair that comes out of that. But it will really depend on how many jurors walk into the courtroom and share similar beliefs about Trump. If a juror reveals blatant biases or violates court rules once the trial is already underway, alternates can be pulled in.

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Once juries are selected for Trumps trials, Lonergan expects theyll be isolated from the public. Especially since Trumps rhetoric has incited violence in the past, jurors may be put in hotels and escorted by security to and from the courthouse until the trial is over for their safety.

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Every juror selected for each of Trumps trials will be acutely aware of their role in a historic momentits the first time a former president will be tried in court while also being an active candidate for the next presidential election. Throughout every step of each of Trumps trials, Lonergan said, judges and attorneys will also be asking themselves: How should the courts balance the normal constitutional rights and rules, which are intended to ensure an unbiased jury and a fair trial, against the rules that are intended to protect free speech, especially when that speech is political speech?

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Taking all of this into consideration, the entire court systemjudges, attorneys, and jurorswill still have to treat Trump just as any other average defendant. It will be a critical test of the American justice system, but OBrien believes that system is built to withstand even the most unique of cases.

You just cant say we cant have a trial because people have strong opinions about Trump, said OBrien. There has to be a way to reach a level of jury knowledge and objectivity that is satisfactory to the task at hand. If you cant, then theres something wrong with the very institution. And I dont think there is.
Learning how to apply for a business credit card is vital for business owners aiming to streamline their financial management. If youre a business owner, understanding how to apply for a business credit card can be beneficial.

You can apply for a card specifically designed for business use, enhancing your capacity to manage expenses efficiently. Even as a sole proprietor, you have a good chance of getting approved for a card.

The following guide will explore deeper, providing you with a step-by-step walkthrough to navigate the application process efficiently. From understanding the prerequisites to managing your finances adeptly with separate business and personal cards, weve got you covered.

Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here

Heres a word from Noelle Randall about How To Get A Business Credit Card For A Startup to check out after reading. Its a nice little companion piece to the article:

Now, lets explore how you can set yourself up for success in securing a business credit card.

Navigating the Application Without an EIN

Small Business Deals

What if you dont possess an Employee Identification Number (EIN)? Theres no need to worry. When figuring out how to apply for a business credit card without an EIN, youll find that you can alternatively use your social security number on the application, a process that many business owners utilize.

Additionally, you should already have a business checking account. Youll be asked to provide that information on the credit card application. Also, you should already have registered your business.

It makes good sense to have separate personal cards and business cards. That makes all your financial reporting much easier, whether you do that monthly, quarterly or annually.

What is a Business Credit Card?

As it sounds, the card is only used for business purchases or activities. The uses can include things like travel and supplies.

You can even use the business card to pay utilities such as phone services and electricity or buy items at office supply stores. Thats a good move if youre using a card that issues a percentage of cash back to you as a statement credit. The cash-back credit will be issued based on the amount you pay against the balance.

Personal credit cards are only used for personal purchases, such as household items, clothing and groceries. Those items arent eligible purchases for a business card.

Why You Should Apply for a Business Credit Card

Understanding the benefits that come with a business credit card can be instrumental in managing your business finances more efficiently. Now that you have unraveled the answer to what business credit cards are, the natural progression is to explore why securing one would be a prudent step for your enterprise.

Here, we outline a number of compelling reasons to consider applying for a business credit card:

Boost Business Credit Scores : Credit Separation : When you apply for a business credit card, the credit assessment initially takes into account your personal score, which aids in securing the card. However, your personal score doesnt influence your businesss credit rating over the long term. Positive Impact on Business Rating : Utilizing the card wisely and ensuring timely payments on the balance can significantly enhance your business credit rating. Its worth noting that during loan applications, many financial institutions scrutinize both personal and business credit scores to gauge your financial responsibility.

:

Tax Deductions : Business Expense Deductions : Expenses accrued, such as the annual fee and interest charges on a business credit card can be counted as business expenses, which are tax-deductible, potentially saving your business money during tax season. Simplified Accounting : Having a business credit card simplifies the accounting process as it helps in itemizing expenses, making tax calculations more straightforward.

: Financial Tracking : Year-End Summaries : One of the perks of having a business credit card is the receipt of year-end summaries for both your business and personal cards, facilitating smoother tax reporting at the end of the year. Separate Finances : Maintaining distinct business and personal cards aids in keeping financial matters separate, thus simplifying financial management and reporting, particularly for small business owners.

: Line of Credit : Ease of Access : Obtaining a business credit card is generally less cumbersome compared to securing a business loan, especially if your credit rating is only fair. Building Credit History : Consistent and responsible usage of the card not only prevents overextension but also contributes positively to building a strong business credit history.

: Cash Back and Rewards : Cash Back Rewards : Many business credit cards offer cash back rewards, where a percentage of your expenditures is returned to you, serving as a form of savings on business expenses. Additional Perks : Aside from cashback, business credit cards often come with additional rewards and perks such as travel benefits, discounts with partner merchants, and access to business-related events and seminars, which can be beneficial for networking and growth.

:

By weighing these advantages, you can decide whether applying for a business credit card aligns with your business objectives and financial strategies.

For more information go to Why Use a Business Credit Card? Here are the Top Reasons.

6 Simple Steps to Apply for a Credit Card for Your Small Business

1. Check You Meet the Business Credit Card Requirements

Card issuers for businesses will look at your (personal) credit score. Good personal credit scores may get you a lower annual fee. Business credit card issuers will make a personal credit check of your financials.

2. Make Sure You Have all the Documents Needed

Youll need proof that your business is registered. Youll provide an EIN or use your social security number.

If youve been in business for a year or more, you can provide business financial reports.

Major credit card issuers may also set low credit limits for you at first. This may be based both on your personal credit report and your business report. If you make timely payments, your preset spending limit may be adjusted, and your businesss credit score will continue to improve.

3. Compare Business Credit Cards

There are many card options and its important to do your research and choose the right business credit card. Here are some key business categories of the card features:

Credit Limit  Credit card companies are understandably cautious and may start with low limits. But the best business credit cards adjust this number up as you make timely payments. Secured business credit cards require that you make a deposit as your personal guarantee before you can use the card. This works similarly to a rent deposit  its there for the card company to seize if you default on payments.

Annual Fee  Many cards advertise a 0% annual fee. The 0% fee can last as long as 15 months. However, its important to know that if you make a late payment, an annual fee will be assessed.

Foreign Transaction Fees  If youre not going to travel or conduct business in foreign countries, you dont need to worry about this one.

Perks  Most business credit cards include perks such as cash back, points or miles (to apply to air travel). You may get a sign up bonus. Choose the perk that best suits your needs.

Additional Cards  Will you need cards for your business partners? Will you need cards for employees (such as for gasoline)? Will the card company provide free employee cards or are there fees?

4. Find Out Your Credit Score Based on Your Personal Credit History

Before you apply for the card, pay off or pay down your personal card. Definitely dont have any overdue balance amount, which would greatly impact your credit record. Your payment history for items such as a mortgage, utilities and more will be scrutinized.

Commercial credit bureaus will look at your personal finances. If your rating is good to excellent youll have lots of business credit card options. If youre rating is fair you may be offered an APR as high as 25%. To get a lower APR you may only get a business credit card secured by a deposit.

5. Complete Your Business Credit Card Application

Fill out the application and check your work.

If you use a PO Box for mail at your home of business, make sure to also provide the physical address of each.

6. Start Using Your Small Business Credit Card

Start building your business credit score by using your small business credit cards for everyday business purchases. Building business credit leads to a favorable business credit report. Stellar business credit reports are a huge help when you apply to a lender for a loan.

Your Business Credit Card Application Checklist

Navigating through the process of applying for a business credit card can sometimes seem overwhelming. This step-by-step checklist serves as a practical guide to keep you organized and ensures you dont miss any crucial steps while aiming to secure a credit card for your business. Simply tick off each box as you complete the corresponding steps to keep track of your progress effectively.

Steps Description Checklist Check You Meet the Business Credit Card Requirements Card issuers evaluate applicants based on personal credit scores, potentially offering lower annual fees for good scores. The process includes a thorough check of personal financials.  Make Sure You Have all the Documents Needed Applicants must provide proof of business registration and an EIN or social security number. Existing businesses (1 year or more) should prepare financial reports. Credit limits may initially be low but can increase with timely payments, improving the business's credit score.  Compare Business Credit Cards Choose a card considering factors such as credit limit (which might increase with responsible use or require a deposit for secured cards), annual and foreign transaction fees, perks like cash back or air travel points, and the provision for additional cards with potential associated fees.  Find Out Your Credit Score Based on Your Personal Credit History Prioritize settling personal card balances to enhance your credit record before application. Credit bureaus will evaluate personal finances, with good to excellent ratings providing more options and potentially lower APRs compared to fair ratings, which might necessitate secured cards with deposits.  Complete Your Business Credit Card Application Thoroughly fill out the application, ensuring accuracy in all provided details, including the physical address if a PO Box is used for mail at your business location.  Start Using Your Small Business Credit Card Begin utilizing the business credit card for regular business expenses to cultivate a positive business credit report, which would be advantageous when seeking loans from lenders in the future. 
A travel agents job description involves a range of responsibilities, including helping clients plan and book their travel arrangements, providing expert advice and recommendations, researching and comparing travel options, handling reservations and payments, collaborating with other travel professionals, and maintaining accurate records.

Travel agents require a range of skills and qualifications, including excellent customer service and sales skills, organizational skills, and technology savvy. Although the job outlook for travel agents may be declining, there are still opportunities for experienced travel agents specializing in corporate travel or group planning trips.

In this article, well take a closer look at the job description of a travel agent, including the key responsibilities, required skills and qualifications, work environment and schedule, and more.

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Key Responsibilities of a Travel Agent

Travel agents have a variety of responsibilities that help them assist customers in planning and booking their travel arrangements. Some of the key responsibilities include:

Helping clients plan and book their travel arrangements

Travel agents are responsible for helping clients plan their trips, including booking transportation (such as flights, rental cars, and train tickets), accommodation (such as hotel rooms, vacation rentals, and hostels), and tours and activities. They also advise clients on travel itineraries and offer suggestions on destinations to visit based on their budget and preferences.

Providing expert advice and recommendations to clients

Travel agents are knowledgeable about travel destinations, including local customs, culture, and attractions. They use this knowledge to offer advice to clients on the best places to visit and the most convenient times to travel. They also advise clients on visa requirements and passport renewals, as well as other relevant information such as travel insurance and budgeting for their trip.

Small Business Deals

Researching and comparing travel options to find the best deals

Travel agents use their expertise to research and compare travel options, such as airline tickets, hotel accommodations, and vacation packages, to find the best deals for their clients. They also stay up-to-date on tourism trends and promotional techniques to ensure that they are providing the most competitive prices and packages to their clients.

Handling reservations, payments, and cancellations

Travel agents are responsible for making hotel reservations for their clients and processing payments for their travel arrangements. They also handle cancellations and refunds in a timely manner.

Collaborating with other travel professionals and vendors

Travel agents work with other travel professionals, such as tour operators and cruise lines, to offer clients a wide range of travel options. They also collaborate with vendors, such as hotels and airlines, to negotiate prices and provide clients with the best possible deals.

Maintaining statistical and financial records

Travel agents keep accurate records of their clients travel arrangements and financial transactions. This helps them to provide clients with future services and ensures that they are meeting their sales targets.

Staying up-to-date with industry trends and regulations

Travel agents stay current with industry trends and regulations, such as visa requirements and travel restrictions. They also attend travel seminars and educational programs to stay up-to-date with the latest industry developments.

Required Skills and Qualifications for a Travel Agent

Travel agents require a range of skills and qualifications to perform their job duties effectively. Some of the required skills and qualifications include:

Leisure Travel Agent: Create customized vacation packages that cater to clients interests and preferences, whether its a relaxing beach getaway, an adventurous trek, or a cultural exploration. Stay informed about the latest leisure travel trends, such as eco-tourism, wellness retreats, and family-friendly destinations. Offer recommendations for unique experiences, such as local tours, culinary adventures, or special events.

Corporate Travel Agent: Manage business travel arrangements for corporate clients, including booking flights, accommodations, and ground transportation. Ensure travelers comply with company travel policies and negotiate corporate rates with airlines and hotels to optimize cost savings. Provide 24/7 support for business travelers, assisting with itinerary changes, rebooking during disruptions, and managing expense reports.

Cruise Specialist: Offer in-depth knowledge of various cruise lines, ship amenities, and itineraries. Assist clients in selecting the ideal cruise, including stateroom category, dining preferences, and shore excursions. Stay up-to-date with cruise industry news and promotions to provide clients with the best value.

Adventure Travel Specialist: Craft adventurous itineraries for clients seeking outdoor and adrenaline-fueled experiences, such as hiking, biking, and wildlife safaris. Ensure travelers are adequately prepared for adventure trips, including gear recommendations and fitness requirements. Collaborate with adventure tour operators and guides to guarantee safe and thrilling experiences.

Luxury Travel Advisor: Curate exclusive and upscale travel experiences, including luxury accommodations, private transfers, and VIP access to attractions and events. Build relationships with luxury hotels, resorts, and tour operators to secure special amenities and upgrades for clients. Maintain discretion and confidentiality while catering to high-net-worth clients needs.

Honeymoon and Destination Wedding Specialist: Help couples plan romantic getaways, honeymoons, and destination weddings, coordinating every detail from venue selection to travel logistics. Advise on marriage license requirements, destination wedding legalities, and honeymoon packages. Create memorable and stress-free experiences for couples celebrating their love.

Group Travel Organizer: Organize group travel for organizations, clubs, schools, or family reunions, handling group reservations, activities, and group discounts. Coordinate group meetings and facilitate group dynamics to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip. Manage group logistics, such as transportation, dining arrangements, and guided tours.

Medical Tourism Coordinator: Specialize in arranging medical travel for clients seeking medical procedures, treatments, or surgeries abroad. Collaborate with international medical facilities, doctors, and healthcare providers to coordinate appointments, accommodations, and post-operative care. Ensure clients receive comprehensive information about medical options, costs, and safety measures.

Cultural Travel Specialist: Design cultural immersion trips that focus on history, art, and local traditions. Recommend visits to museums, historical sites, and cultural events to enrich clients understanding of the destinations. Collaborate with local guides and experts to provide in-depth cultural experiences.

Travel Technology Consultant: Assist clients in navigating online booking platforms and travel apps to optimize their travel plans. Provide expertise in using travel technology for flight tracking, itinerary management, and mobile check-in. Troubleshoot technical issues and offer guidance on digital travel tools.



Travel Agent Type Responsibilities Leisure Travel Agent - Create customized vacation packages based on client interests.

- Stay informed about leisure travel trends.

- Recommend unique experiences. Corporate Travel Agent - Manage business travel arrangements for corporate clients.

- Ensure policy compliance and negotiate corporate rates.

- Provide 24/7 support. Cruise Specialist - Offer in-depth knowledge of various cruise options.

- Assist clients in cruise selection.

- Stay updated on cruise industry news and promotions. Adventure Travel Specialist - Craft adventurous itineraries for outdoor enthusiasts.

- Ensure traveler preparedness.

- Collaborate with adventure operators. Luxury Travel Advisor - Curate upscale travel experiences.

- Build relationships with luxury providers.

- Maintain discretion for high-net-worth clients. Honeymoon & Wedding Specialist - Help plan romantic getaways and weddings.

- Advise on legalities and packages.

- Create memorable experiences for couples. Group Travel Organizer - Organize group travel for various organizations.

- Facilitate group dynamics.

- Manage group logistics and activities. Medical Tourism Coordinator - Arrange medical travel and coordinate healthcare services.

- Provide comprehensive information on medical options and costs. Cultural Travel Specialist - Design trips focusing on cultural immersion.

- Recommend cultural sites and events.

- Collaborate with local experts for in-depth experiences. Travel Technology Consultant - Assist clients with online booking platforms and travel apps.

- Provide guidance on digital tools for travel planning.

Work Environment and Schedule

Travel agents work in a variety of settings, including travel agencies, corporate travel departments, and home-based offices. They may work full-time, part-time, or on a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends. They must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple phone calls and emails from clients.

Average Salary and Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a travel agent is $40,660 per year. Job opportunities for travel agents are expected to decline by 26% between 2019 and 2029 due to the increasing use of online booking platforms and self-service options for travelers. However, travel agents who specialize in corporate travel or groups planning trips may continue to have job opportunities.

Job Description Template

When creating a loan processor job description, it is essential to outline the specific duties and responsibilities, required qualifications, skills, and experience, as well as any expectations for the workplace, schedule, and potential collaboration with other professionals. Here is a template to help guide you:

Job Description Template 1:

This template positions the company as a small travel agency committed to providing exceptional travel planning and booking services. It emphasizes the companys specialization in creating personalized and memorable travel experiences. The job description seeks a skilled and enthusiastic Travel Agent who can assist clients in planning and booking their travel arrangements. The template highlights the need for a solid understanding of travel industry trends, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to delivering personalized and exceptional travel experiences.

Job Description: Travel Agent

Location: [City, State]

Company: [Company Name]

About Us: [Company Name] is a small travel agency committed to providing exceptional travel planning and booking services to our clients. We specialize in creating memorable travel experiences tailored to our clients preferences and needs. As a team, we are passionate about exploring new destinations and sharing our expertise to help clients create their dream vacations. We are currently seeking a skilled and enthusiastic Travel Agent to join our team. If you have a strong passion for travel, excellent customer service skills, and a desire to make travel dreams come true, we invite you to apply.

Job Description: As a Travel Agent at [Company Name], you will be responsible for assisting clients in planning and booking their travel arrangements. You will work closely with clients to understand their travel preferences and provide expert advice on destinations, accommodations, transportation, and activities. The ideal candidate has a solid understanding of travel industry trends, exceptional communication skills, and a commitment to delivering personalized and memorable travel experiences.

Responsibilities:

Assist clients in planning and booking travel arrangements, including flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities.

Provide expert advice on travel destinations, attractions, and local customs to help clients make informed decisions.

Offer personalized travel itineraries based on clients preferences, budget, and desired experiences.

Research and recommend suitable travel options to meet clients needs and preferences.

Handle all aspects of travel bookings, including ticketing, reservations, and documentation.

Coordinate with travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, and tour operators, to ensure smooth travel arrangements.

Stay updated on travel industry trends, new destinations, and special promotions.

Provide excellent customer service, promptly addressing any inquiries, changes, or issues that arise before, during, or after travel.

Maintain accurate and organized client records, including itineraries, payment details, and travel documentation.

Qualifications:

Proven experience as a Travel Agent or in a similar role.

Deep knowledge of travel destinations, attractions, and travel industry trends.

Excellent communication and customer service skills.

Strong attention to detail and organizational abilities.

Proficient in using travel booking software and online reservation systems.

Ability to work independently and handle multiple client requests simultaneously.

Passion for travel and a desire to create unforgettable travel experiences for clients.

Benefits:

Competitive salary based on experience and performance.

Opportunities for professional growth and development.

Flexible work schedule to accommodate client needs.

A supportive and collaborative work environment.

To Apply:

If you are excited about the opportunity to join our team and help clients create memorable travel experiences, please submit your resume, a cover letter outlining your qualifications and passion for travel, and any references to [email address]. Please use the subject line Travel Agent Application  [Your Name] in your email. We appreciate your interest in [Company Name] and will carefully review all applications.

[Company Name] is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees.

Job Description Template 2:

This template presents the company as a small travel agency dedicated to creating personalized and unforgettable travel experiences. It emphasizes the companys range of travel services and the role of the Travel Agent in planning and organizing travel arrangements for clients. The job description seeks a motivated and detail-oriented Travel Agent who possesses a passion for travel, excellent customer service skills, and strong planning and organizational abilities.

Job Description: Travel Agent

Location: [City, State]

Company: [Company Name]

About Us: [Company Name] is a small travel agency dedicated to creating personalized and unforgettable travel experiences for our clients. With a team of experienced travel professionals, we offer a wide range of travel services, including flight bookings, hotel accommodations, transportation arrangements, and customized itineraries. We are currently seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Travel Agent to join our team. If you have a passion for travel, excellent customer service skills, and a knack for planning and organizing, we invite you to apply.

Job Description: As a Travel Agent at [Company Name], you will be responsible for assisting clients in planning and booking their travel arrangements. You will listen to their travel preferences, provide expert advice on destinations and activities, and handle all aspects of the booking process. The ideal candidate is knowledgeable about travel trends, has strong communication skills, and is committed to delivering exceptional service to our clients.

Responsibilities:

Assist clients in planning and booking their travel arrangements, including flights, accommodations, car rentals, and activities.

Listen to clients preferences and provide expert recommendations on destinations, attractions, and travel itineraries.

Research and gather information on travel options, including pricing, availability, and travel restrictions.

Present and explain travel options to clients, considering their budget and preferences.

Handle all necessary bookings, reservations, and documentation in a timely and accurate manner.

Coordinate with travel suppliers and vendors to ensure smooth travel experiences for clients.

Monitor and update clients on any changes or disruptions to their travel plans.

Provide excellent customer service, promptly addressing inquiries, resolving issues, and ensuring client satisfaction throughout their travel experience.

Stay updated on industry trends, new travel destinations, and emerging technologies related to travel planning and booking.

Maintain detailed and organized client records, including travel itineraries, contact information, and payment details.

Qualifications:

Proven experience as a Travel Agent or in a similar role, preferably in a small business setting.

Deep knowledge of travel destinations, airlines, hotels, and travel industry trends.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Strong attention to detail and organizational abilities.

Proficiency in using travel booking software and online reservation systems.

Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage multiple client requests simultaneously.

Passion for travel and a desire to create memorable experiences for clients.

Benefits:

Competitive salary based on experience and performance.

Opportunities for professional development and career growth.

Flexible work schedule to accommodate client needs.

Supportive and collaborative work environment.

To Apply:

If you are enthusiastic about helping clients create unforgettable travel experiences and meet the qualifications outlined above, please submit your resume, a cover letter highlighting your travel industry experience and customer service skills, and any references to [email address]. Please use the subject line Travel Agent Application  [Your Name] in your email. We appreciate your interest in [Company Name] and will carefully review all applications.

[Company Name] is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees.

Job Description Template 3:

This template positions the company as a reputable travel agency focused on providing personalized travel experiences. It seeks a motivated and enthusiastic Travel Agent who can assist clients with their travel needs. The job description emphasizes the Travel Agents role in understanding clients preferences, providing expert recommendations, and handling all aspects of the travel booking process. It highlights the need for excellent communication skills, knowledge of travel destinations, and a commitment to exceptional service.

Job Description: Travel Agent

Location: [City, State]

Company: [Company Name]

About Us: [Company Name] is a reputable travel agency specializing in creating personalized travel experiences for our clients. With a focus on exceptional service and attention to detail, we strive to exceed our clients expectations and make their travel dreams a reality. We are currently seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Travel Agent to join our team. If you have a passion for travel, strong customer service skills, and a desire to create memorable experiences, we invite you to apply.

Job Description: As a Travel Agent at [Company Name], you will play a crucial role in assisting clients with their travel needs. You will be responsible for understanding their preferences, recommending suitable destinations, and handling all aspects of the travel booking process. The ideal candidate is knowledgeable about popular travel destinations, possesses excellent communication skills, and demonstrates a commitment to providing exceptional service.

Responsibilities:

Listen to clients travel preferences, including destination, travel dates, budget, and any specific requirements.

Research and recommend suitable travel options, including flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities.

Assist clients in booking travel arrangements, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to their preferences.

Provide detailed information on travel itineraries, including flight details, hotel accommodations, and transportation arrangements.

Address client inquiries, resolve issues, and provide exceptional customer service throughout the travel process.

Stay updated on industry trends, new destinations, and travel regulations to provide accurate and up-to-date information to clients.

Collaborate with travel partners, such as airlines, hotels, and tour operators, to negotiate rates and secure the best possible travel deals for clients.

Maintain accurate and organized client records, including travel preferences, contact information, and payment details.

Ensure compliance with all travel industry regulations and company policies.

Qualifications:

Proven experience as a Travel Agent or in a similar role, preferably in a small business setting.

In-depth knowledge of popular travel destinations, attractions, and travel industry trends.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a strong customer service orientation.

Proficiency in using travel booking systems and online reservation platforms.

Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Passion for travel and a genuine desire to create memorable experiences for clients.

Benefits:

Competitive salary based on experience and performance.

Opportunities for career growth and professional development.

Flexible work schedule to accommodate client needs.

Supportive and collaborative work environment.

To Apply:

If you are passionate about travel and possess the qualifications outlined above, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your resume, a cover letter highlighting your travel industry experience and customer service skills, and any references to [email address]. Please use the subject line Travel Agent Application  [Your Name] in your email. We appreciate your interest in [Company Name] and will carefully review all applications.

[Company Name] is an equal-opportunity employer and promotes diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to providing a positive and inclusive work environment for all employees.

Job Description Template 4:

This template highlights the companys well-established status and commitment to delivering exceptional travel experiences. It seeks a detail-oriented and customer-focused Travel Agent who can assist clients with all aspects of their travel arrangements. The job description emphasizes the Travel Agents responsibilities, including researching destinations, booking flights and accommodations, and providing accurate information to clients. The template highlights the need for strong organizational skills, knowledge of travel industry trends, and excellent communication abilities.

Job Description: Travel Agent

Location: [City, State]

Company: [Company Name]

About Us: [Company Name] is a well-established travel agency dedicated to providing exceptional travel experiences for our clients. With a team of experienced travel professionals and a wide network of partners, we offer personalized travel solutions tailored to our clients preferences. We are currently seeking a detail-oriented and customer-focused Travel Agent to join our team. If you have a passion for travel, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to delivering outstanding service, we invite you to apply.

Job Description: As a Travel Agent at [Company Name], you will be responsible for assisting clients with all aspects of their travel arrangements. From researching destinations to booking flights, accommodations, and activities, you will ensure that our clients have a seamless and memorable travel experience. The ideal candidate has strong organizational skills, is well-versed in travel industry trends, and thrives in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment.

Responsibilities:

Consult with clients to understand their travel preferences, budget, and special requirements.

Research and recommend destinations, accommodations, and activities based on clients needs and interests.

Provide accurate and up-to-date information on travel options, including pricing, availability, and travel restrictions.

Book flights, accommodations, car rentals, and other travel services for clients, ensuring accuracy and adherence to their preferences.

Manage travel itineraries, including arranging transportation, tours, and dining reservations.

Assist clients with visa applications, travel insurance, and other necessary documentation.

Stay updated on travel industry trends, including new destinations, attractions, and travel regulations.

Build and maintain relationships with travel suppliers, such as airlines, hotels, and tour operators, to negotiate favorable rates and amenities for clients.

Handle client inquiries, resolve issues, and provide exceptional customer service before, during, and after their travels.

Maintain accurate client records, including contact information, travel preferences, and payment details.

Qualifications:

Proven experience as a Travel Agent or in a similar role, preferably in a small business setting.

In-depth knowledge of popular travel destinations, attractions, and travel industry trends.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with clients and provide outstanding service.

Proficiency in travel booking systems and online reservation platforms.

Strong organizational and multitasking abilities to manage multiple client requests simultaneously.

Attention to detail and accuracy in handling bookings, reservations, and documentation.

Passion for travel and a genuine desire to create memorable experiences for clients.

Benefits:

Competitive salary based on experience and performance.

Opportunities for career advancement and professional development.

Flexible work schedule to accommodate client needs.

Supportive and collaborative work environment.

To Apply:

If you have a passion for travel and meet the qualifications mentioned above, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume, a cover letter highlighting your travel industry experience and customer service skills, and any references to [email address]. Please use the subject line Travel Agent Application  [Your Name] in your email. We appreciate your interest in joining [Company Name] and will carefully review all applications.

[Company Name] is an equal-opportunity employer and embraces diversity in the workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees.

Template Company Focus Key Responsibilities Highlights Template 1 Small travel agency, personalized experiences - Plan and book travel arrangements for clients. - Specialization in personalized travel experiences. - Expert advice on destinations and activities. - Passion for exploring new destinations. - Stay updated on travel trends. - Commitment to making travel dreams come true. - Exceptional customer service. Template 2 Small travel agency, range of services - Plan and book travel arrangements for clients. - Offering a wide range of travel services. - Expert advice on destinations and activities. - Commitment to exceeding client expectations. - Negotiate travel deals. - Emphasis on personalized and unforgettable experiences. - Exceptional customer service. Template 3 Reputable agency, personalized travel experiences - Plan and book travel arrangements for clients. - Focus on delivering personalized travel experiences. - Expert advice on destinations and activities. - Well-established reputation for exceptional service. - Negotiate travel deals. - Knowledge of popular travel destinations. - Exceptional customer service. Template 4 Well-established agency, exceptional experiences - Plan and book travel arrangements for clients. - Dedication to delivering outstanding travel experiences. - Expert advice on destinations and activities. - Thriving in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment. - Negotiate travel deals. - Strong organizational skills and travel industry knowledge. - Exceptional customer service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNsCXFz-XWU&pp=ygUcVHJhdmVsIEFnZW50IEpvYiBEZXNjcmlwdGlvbg%3D%3D

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a travel agent?

A travel agent is a professional who specializes in helping clients plan and book their travel arrangements, including transportation, accommodation, tours and activities, and other related services.

What are the key responsibilities of a travel agent?

Some of the key responsibilities of a travel agent include helping clients plan and book their travel arrangements, providing expert advice and recommendations, researching and comparing travel options, handling reservations and payments, collaborating with other travel professionals and vendors, and maintaining accurate records.

What skills and qualifications are required to become a travel agent?

Travel agents require a range of skills and qualifications, including excellent customer service and sales skills, organizational skills, technology savvy, cultural awareness and language skills, relevant education or certification, and relevant experience in the hospitality industry or customer service.

What is the work environment and schedule for a travel agent?

Travel agents work in a variety of settings, including travel agencies, corporate travel departments, and home-based offices. They may work full-time, part-time, or on a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends.

What is the average salary for a travel agent?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a travel agent is $40,660 per year.

Is the job outlook for travel agents positive?

The job outlook for travel agents is expected to decline by 26% between 2019 and 2029 due to the increasing use of online booking platforms and self-service options for travelers. However, travel agents who specialize in corporate travel or groups planning trips may continue to have job opportunities.
Turiec Lake eventually disappeared.

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Around 11 million years ago, the territory of nowadays Slovakia looked entirely different. The plains of western and south-eastern Slovakia were covered by the Pannonian Sea. Small islands were jutting out from the sea, now known as mountains like the Small Carpathians. The Tribec Mountains near the town of Nitra were a peninsula.

In the north, the Turiec basin near the town of Martin was filled with an isolated and shallow lake. Now an international team of scientists led by geologist Michal Sujan, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Comenius University, have determined the timescale when the lake existed and disappeared.

The span was determined with a new method never used for this purpose.

The Slovak Spectator talked to Sujan about their research, the method and what eventually happened to the lake.

To stay up to date with what scientists in Slovakia or Slovak scientists around the world are doing, subscribe to the Slovak Science newsletter, which will be sent to readers free of charge four times a year.

They knew about the lake, but not its age

Even though a given terrain can undergo significant transformation over millions of years, a scientist can glean a lot of information from various elements such as the depositional record, which can relate the dynamics of the environment or fossils.

"For decades, it has been known that in the past the Turiec Basin was covered by a lake, with the lower time limit dating back approximately 12 million years, determined by the age of volcanic rocks found beneath the lake sediments," explains Sujan. He adds that the fossils of molluscs and ostracods point to the origin of the sediments. The fossils are in muddy layers that can reach a thickness of up to one kilometre.
Ukrainian psychologist and refugee Denys Vasiliev describes moving to and working in Slovakia.

Working with Slovak people, Denys Vasiliev has noticed a major difference: Slovaks are better at managing their work-life balance than Ukrainians. (Source: SME - Marko Erd)

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Ukrainian version/Slovak version

On one of his first days in Slovakia, Denys Vasiliev found himself observing trains. As he did so, some tall plants with long leaves and large clusters of flowers that were growing in between the railway tracks caught his eye.

As a child, the Ukrainian loved botany. It did not take him long to identify the plant as milkweed.

It reminded me of the shores of the Sea of Azov in Ukraine, he tells The Slovak Spectator.

The plant is known for its medicinal uses; scientists named it Asclepias after the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius.

Vasiliev helps people, too. As a psychologist, the 39-year-old professional helps tackle the problems faced by Ukrainian refugees who have decided to seek refuge in Slovakia since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year.

Unlike many other refugees who have been struggling to find a decent, well-paid job in their respective fields, Vasiliev caught a break in Bratislava.

On the second day after I arrived here, I found that a help centre for Ukrainian refugees needed a psychologist, he says.

A week later, he was already assisting his countrymen.

Ukrainian firm delivering shipments to war zone to open branch in Slovakia Read more

An adult who discovers new things

Vasiliev, a refugee himself, arrived in Slovakia from Kyiv last summer to reunite with his wife and two little boys. They had come to Bratislava five months earlier.

It was like starting life anew, only as an adult, he says, comparing his experience to that of a child who finds all new things interesting, Here, Im also small, but Im a grown-up man at the same time.

It was a friend from their student days that recommended Slovakia to them.

In the Slovak capital, his wife Julia gave birth to their daughter. Vasiliev, unfortunately, could not be by her side. As a man of fighting age, he had to stay in Ukraine in case he was called up to join the Ukrainian army.

In wartime Ukraine, only fathers of three or more children are exempted from serving in the army.

Soon after his third child was born, he was allowed to move to Slovakia. In a completely new world, the experienced psychologist quickly found his first job and began to provide other refugees with road maps for their lives in Slovakia, explaining where they can find  and how they can access  different services in Bratislava, all the while learning more about their needs.

At the same time he had to organise his own family life, from finding a good school and after-school clubs for the boys to securing comfortable, affordable housing.

I suddenly began to interact with Slovak society, he says.

Vasiliev, who had spent his whole life in Ukraine, also had to learn the language. Though he attended Slovak language courses, he says that he has never attempted to study it. Instead, he has relied on interactions with Slovaks. By his own account, this has worked out quite well.

Ukraine-related drawings on a pavement. (Source: Bratislavska Arcidiecezna Charita)

Staying because of the children

But as his life goes on in Slovakia, he  like many other refugees  keeps asking himself whether he should stay in the country or not. For now, it is a yes.

I definitely do not want my children to go to school during constant air raids, or to study in a basement, he says, As long as our kids like it here, were staying.

He admits that his boys, aged 9 and 11, struggled in the first Slovak school they went to. There was a language barrier and other children did not accept them. But things have improved since they swapped schools, the father says.

They like to go to school now, Vasiliev says, adding that he does not expect his boys to get excellent grades.

The question of education was one that arose quite frequently at the help centre. In addition to helping find schools for Ukrainian children, he met children that had resigned from their studies and refused to continue. Still, these were not the hardest situations, professionally, that he has ever dealt with. In Ukraine, for instance, he worked with people that had to cope with mental health issues during the pandemic, and with children with special needs.

I encountered this problem in my own family, he explains, discussing the motivation behind his decision to become a psychologist.

Today, he works as a psychologist with a local Christian charity organisation known as Bratislavska Arcidiecezna Charita. He helps children and their parents.

Denys Vasiliev with children. (Source: D. V.)

Slovaks are better at work-life balance

Working with Slovak people, he has noticed a major difference: Slovaks are better at managing their work-life balance than Ukrainians.

Leaving work late is normal in Ukraine. Here it is weird, Vasiliev notes.

The Ukrainian says that he has now learnt that Slovak people are not indifferent to work. Instead, he says, they just know when it is time to put work on pause. Conversely, Ukrainians do not go on holiday as often as Slovaks, Vasiliev thinks. He compares Ukrainians to Americans, explaining that they are equally work-oriented.

Psychologists in Ukraine can hold lectures on how not to burn out at work on their day off, Vasiliev jokes.

This, in fact, goes against a belief that is widespread among some Slovaks  especially those who are poorer or hold extremist views  that Ukrainian refugees do not work in Slovakia and just live on social benefits. Many actually work in car factories or do jobs that Slovaks refuse to do.

Ukrainians, if they have the opportunity, they will find their place here, the psychologist concludes.

This story was published with support from the International Press Institute's Ukraine regional reporting fund.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/fmr-cia-analyst-fears-us-may-give-ukraine-mini-nukes-after-shipping-cluster-bombs-du-1113441252.html

Fmr CIA Analyst Fears US May Give Ukraine Mini-Nukes After Shipping Cluster Bombs, DU

Fmr CIA Analyst Fears US May Give Ukraine Mini-Nukes After Shipping Cluster Bombs, DU

Ignoring repeated Russian warnings about the escalatory dangers linked with the delivery of more and more advanced weapons to Ukraine, Washington and its allies have moved in recent months to provide Kiev with long-range cruise missiles, cluster bombs and depleted uranium munitions.

2023-09-17T17:53+0000

2023-09-17T17:53+0000

2023-09-17T18:33+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ray mcgovern

joe biden

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The next logical step for the Biden administration to take when it comes to arming Kiev may very well be to provide its client with mini-nukes, former Central Intelligence Agency officer Ray McGovern fears.The former CIA officer expressed deep concern that many Americans continue to be prepared to be led into war with Russia, and accepting of a possible situation in which the Biden administration puts boots on the ground in Ukraine in their quest to weaken Russia and inflict a strategic defeat on Moscow. This is a situation that could quickly escalate into a full-scale nuclear war, McGovern warned.McGovern is one of a small but growing number of commentators in the US warning about the growing dangers of a direct conflict between Washington and Moscow. Late last month, conservative pundit Tucker Carlson warned that the Biden administration might resort to any number of dangerous steps in a desperate bid to main power, including assassinating former President Donald Trump, or starting a hot war with Russia.What are they gonna do? Theyre gonna go to war with Russia, Carlson said in a podcast appearance. There will be a hot war between the United States and Russia in the next yearI dont think well win it, he added.NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer announced Saturday that the alliance would be able to muster up to 300,000 troops for collective defense within a months time in the event of an attack against it, and that the blocs total personnel under arms is approaching 3.5 million brothers and sisters in uniform.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Sunday that the bloc must prepare itself for a long war in Ukraine, reiterating that the conflict was Russias fault and that in the alliance we were all wishing for a quick peace.Stoltenbergs comments dont square with the timeline of the Ukraine crisis, including the US and British governments moves in the spring of 2022 to sabotage a possible peace deal between Kiev and Moscow, and, going back earlier, NATOs decision to reject a pair of comprehensive security treaties proposed by Moscow in late 2021. Last year, former leaders from Ukraine, France and Germany each separately confirmed that the 2015 Minsk peace accords meant to bring peace to Donbass and resolve the Ukraine crisis were a mere ploy designed to buy Kiev time to rearm and prepare for a conflict against Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/lavrov-us-wages-war-against-russia-by-managing-ukraine-conflict-1113431952.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/nato-military-committee-chair-admits-kievs-requests-for-arms-exceed-alliances-capacity-1113424522.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/jeffrey-sachs-western-neocolonialism-cannot-stop-africas-rise-1113428229.html

Jeffrey Sachs: Western Neocolonialism Cannot Stop Africas Rise

Jeffrey Sachs: Western Neocolonialism Cannot Stop Africas Rise

if Africa were to attain more unity, it would be able to achieve an economic breakthrough in 20 years just like China or India did, renowned economist and Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs told Sputnik.

2023-09-17T13:30+0000

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Africa has witnessed a wave of military takeovers in the past few years, with new governments, like in the more recent cases of Gabon and Niger, positioning themselves as forces eager to shed vestiges of European neo colonialism. The African continent currently presents a complex and contradictory scene, but one thing is undeniable: if Africa were to attain more unity, it would be able to achieve an economic breakthrough in 20 years just like China or India did, renowned economist and Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs told Sputnik.Africa was divided by the European imperial powers into 55 countries, many of which are quite small But the continent as a whole is 1.4 billion people, and that is comparable to the single country of China and the single country of India. So if Africa were to get its act together, to have more unity, and to have a unified continental scale economy, Africa will be able to follow along roughly 20 year cycles: China started first (around 1980), India started its rapid growth (around 2000), the Columbia University Professor stated. He added:The recent admission of Africa as a union - the African Union (AU) - as the 21st member of the G20 was a very significant event, the economist noted.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the inclusion of the 55-member African Union, one of the largest regional blocs in the world, established in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), as a permanent member during the first session of the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi.According to Jeffrey Sachs, the move is important for the G20 as it brings in other 1.4 billion people to the table with one seat, the AU seat. But it may also have the powerful effect of reinforcing the unification of the continental-scale economy in Africa. This, in turn, would boost Africa's economic advance during the coming several decades, Sachs underscored.'Instability Built Into Extreme Poverty'As for the spate of recent military takeovers, diverse economic factors are driving this political wave, said the economist.The recent military takeovers have been taking place in these very poor countries, in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, with poverty part of the underlying substrate of all of this, said the economist.The military takeover in Niger took place on July 26, when Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. France condemned the action, while expressing support for "the legitimate government" of its former colony. The rebels, meanwhile, halted gold and uranium exports to France, blocked French media, and denounced several military pacts with Paris. In mid-August, they also demanded that French troops leave the country by early September. As for Gabon, Bongo Ondimba was reelected as the country's head for a third term after securing 64.2% of the vote on August 30. However, the Gabonese military delivered a televised address, declaring the election results canceled and all institutions dissolved. Ondimba has since been placed under house arrest, while the rebels said they unanimously appointed Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema as Gabon's interim president.He reminded that it was European companies which dominated, which took the resources out of these countries at very low prices. At the same time they did not do more than pay lip service when it came to addressing very deep legacy issues of the former colonial age.The United States, France and Britain, in their imperial mode, used NATO to overthrow Muammar Gadhafi in Libya in 2011. This was a really just utterly wrongheaded action on so many counts, but a typical US-led regime change operation, and it opened up the Pandora's box of instability throughout the region, underscored the economist.Besides the poverty issue in Africa, part of it is the continuing reaction to the kind of neo colonial order that remained, added Sachs. The Columbia University Professor reiterated that while the conditions on the continent remain fragile, Africa's real prospect comes through economic, physical infrastructure integration."Military Bases 'Will Have to Close Shop'Meanwhile, as Africa struggles to shake off aspects of its neo colonial past, the West still maintains significant military and economic presence in many countries on the continent, in some instances in the form of military bases, boots on the ground. After Niger demanded in mid-August that French troops leave the country by early September, the country's military leadership accused Paris of deploying forces in some West African countries for a "military intervention." Weighing in on whether major Western countries like France, the United States, might move against African integration and cooperation, Jeffrey Sachs said:Looking ahead, the West cannot stop African integration, supported by Russia and other BRICS countries, the economist believes. Africa has all the potential of becoming a force to be reckoned with in a multipolar world, cooperating with China, on the one hand, with the West, on the other, with Russia, with India.Many African leaders recognize this is what is needed, underscored Sachs, adding: Africa's integration will find strong support from Russia, China, India, from Brazil, in other words, from the BRICS leading countries, and from South Africa, added Sachs. He pointed out that for Africa to be in a situation where most of the world sees it as a dynamic player, that is going to take years to come.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230909/modi-announces-inclusion-of-african-union-to-g20-as-permanent-member-1113222970.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230831/eu-must-rethink-africa-policy-after-military-takeovers-in-niger-gabon---borrell-1113032696.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230827/how-us-military-failed-in-africa-1112932032.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/lavrov-us-wages-war-against-russia-by-managing-ukraine-conflict-1113431952.html

Lavrov: US Wages War Against Russia by Managing Ukraine Conflict

Lavrov: US Wages War Against Russia by Managing Ukraine Conflict

No matter what the United States says, it is managing the conflict in Ukraine, supplying weapons, ammunition and intelligence, and thus waging a war against Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.

2023-09-17T09:45+0000

2023-09-17T09:45+0000

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"What is happening is that Ukraine has been prepared for years to fight with its hands and its bodies to strategically defeat Russia. No matter what they say, they are managing this war, they are supplying weapons, ammunition, intelligence, satellite data  they are waging a war against us," Lavrov said.Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko that the United States tries to solve all problems it encounters with force, threats or economic sanctions. He highlighted that Russia is not a threat to anyone, and the Americans themselves acknowledge that the real threat emanates from the White House.Earlier in September, US media reported that the Biden administration was looking at supplying Ukraine with ATACMS with a range of up to 190 miles, capable of striking deep into Russian territory, this fall to boost Ukraines counteroffensive.The US and its allies began pouring weapons and ammunition into Ukraine shortly after Russia launched its military operation in the country in February 2022. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further escalation leading to NATO's direct involvement in the conflict.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/powerful-russian-weapons-tear-nato-hardware-to-shreds-in-ukraine-1113377071.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/over-120000-people-in-canada-left-without-power-due-to-hurricane-lee-1113432098.html

Over 120,000 People in Canada Left Without Power Due to Hurricane Lee

Over 120,000 People in Canada Left Without Power Due to Hurricane Lee

More than 120,000 people remained without power in Canada on Sunday due to raging Hurricane Lee, according to a website that provides information on power outages across the country.

2023-09-17T09:56+0000

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2023-09-17T09:56+0000

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As of 09:15 GMT, about 105,000 customers remained without power in the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia and more than 11,900 in New Brunswick. In addition, between 1,300 and 1,700 customers were without power in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, according to the website. On Saturday, the New Brunswick government said Hurricane Lee, which was expected to hit the province over the weekend, would continue to affect the region in the near future with rain, winds of 70 kph (43.5 mph) with gusts of 90 to 100 kph and high waves. The government urged residents to stay indoors. Also on Saturday, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts between September 15 and 17 due to Hurricane Lee.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/putin-face-to-face-soyuz-2--ballet-kim-jong-uns-big-agenda-russia-trip-1113432247.html

Putin Face-to-Face, Soyuz-2 & Ballet: Kim Jong Un's 'Big Agenda' Russia Trip

Putin Face-to-Face, Soyuz-2 & Ballet: Kim Jong Un's 'Big Agenda' Russia Trip

Kim Jong-uns visit to Russia boasted a packed itinerary which included talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, inspection of the launch pad of the Soyuz-2 spacecraft at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, inside looks at Russian plants for the production of civilian and military equipment, as well as aircraft factories.

2023-09-17T13:06+0000

2023-09-17T13:06+0000

2023-09-18T13:37+0000

world

putin-kim jong un meeting

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The Chairman of the State Council of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un wrapped up his visit to Russia on September 17.The five-day visit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin was the North Korean leaders first to Russia since 2019, and his first trip abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic. Sputnik takes a look at the highlights of Kim Jong Uns tour of Russia and its Far East region.First Trip to Russia Since 2019North Korean leader Kim Jong Un left Pyongyang by special train in the afternoon of September 10, accompanied on the trip by DPRK Foreign Minister Choi Seong-hee, his sister Kim Yo Jong - the deputy director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, and other top officials. The extravagantly adorned, armor-plated train was yet again the focus of media reports.Ahead of the visit, the Kremlin noted that the leader of North Korea would meet with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny spaceport near the town of Tsiolkovsky in Russias Far East to discuss issues of bilateral relations. On September 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome near the town of Tsiolkovsky in the Russian Far East's Amur region to discuss a number of pressing issues, including those related to bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and global security. The negotiations on Wednesday were conducted both as part of their countries delegations and in a face-to-face format, in a meeting that lasted a total of about six hours.Ahead of the negotiations, the two leaders inspected the launch pad of the Soyuz-2 spacecraft, visiting the assembly and test building, and learned about the technical characteristics of launch vehicles. Putin noted that Russia continues to use the Baikonur Cosmodrome along with Vostochny and the northern Plesetsk Cosmodrome. During the tour, Kim was briefed on the characteristics of the Russian-made Soyuz-2 and the Angara rockets, among other things. The North Korean leader was told that the Angara rocket's payload capacity to low orbits is nine tons from Vostochny, 7.5 tons from the northern cosmodrome, and eight tons from Baikonur.Putin, for his part, noted that the Vostochny Cosmodrome was an unusual venue for his meeting with Kim.Kim Jong Un left a short entry in the book of honorary guests of the cosmodrome, writing, The glory of Russia, which gave birth to the first space explorers, will be immortal."The North Korean leader reiterated that Pyongyangs ties with Moscow were his country's priority. "Our friendship has deep roots, and the very first priority for our country now is relations with Russia," Kim underlined, stressing that his visit is taking place "at a very important period."He signaled Pyongyangs readiness to further develop ties [with Russia], adding, We have always supported and support all the decisions by President Putin and those by the Russian government. Kim also expressed confidence that his meeting with Putin will raise bilateral relations between Moscow and Pyongyang to a new level.Productive TalksSpeaking to Russian media after the Wednesday talks, Putin noted that an open exchange of views on the situation in the Far East region had taken place."It is a good start, [and] very productive [one]. A very frank exchange of views took place on the situation in the region and on bilateral relations," Putin emphasized, adding that he and Kim also discussed the development of bilateral relations in the field of agriculture. The statement came after the Russian head of state noted that Kims visit is taking place in a truly comradely and friendly atmosphere."The North Korean leader, in turn, said during a gala dinner after the talks that high on the agenda was the situation in Europe and the Korean Peninsula.'Big Agenda'Russian President Vladimir Putin told the media that the North Korean leader would be traveling to Komsomolsk-on-Amur to visit plants for the production of civilian and military equipment."And a few issues related to ecology and education, he plans to visit the Far Eastern Federal University, some facilities of the Academy of Sciences of Russia, whose laboratories are engaged in marine biology," Putin had added.The green armored train transporting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un across Russia arrived at the railway station of the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur at around 8:50 a.m. local time (22:50 GMT on Thursday). The DPRK leader continued his stay in Russia with a visit to the aviation plant named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Territory on September 15.In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kim Jong Un and Russias Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov inspected the final assembly shop of the Su-35 and Su-57, as well as the SJ-100, while Manturov said that Russia sees potential for cooperation with North Korea in the field of aircraft manufacturing. The North Korean leader also watched a flight of the Su-35 multirole fighter.Kim Jong Un left Komsomolsk-on-Amur after spending about five hours there, and was seen off on the platform by the governor and the head of the city, while his armored Maybach was loaded onto an armored train using a special platform.On Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived at the Knevichi airfield near Vladivostok, meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu before viewing a variety of Russian military aircraft. The leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) saw Russia's Tu-160, Tu-95MS, and Tu-22M3 bombers. These aircraft form the air component of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.In addition, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu showed Kim Jong Un Russia's Kinzhal hypersonic missile system on the MiG-31I aircraft. The commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Lt. Gen. Sergey Kobylash, told Kim about the flight and technical capabilities of the system.This Russian hypersonic missile system has no analogues in the world and has shown its high combat effectiveness.Later on, Kim Jong Un, accompanied by Sergey Shoigu, arrived in Vladivostok on board Pacific Fleet frigate the Marshal Shaposhnikov. The ship, built in the mid-1980s, was recently modernized and equipped with top-of-the-line weaponry. The frigate is named after Boris Shaposhnikov - a marshal of the Soviet Union and a prominent military theorist of the WWII era who helped forge victory over Nazis.The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, briefed the high-ranking visitors on the advanced capabilities of the new control systems, which enable the use of Kalibr cruise missiles against maritime and coastal targets at a range of up to 1,500 km.After arriving in Primorsky Territory, Kim Jong Un met with local authorities to discuss many issues, including the prospects of exchanging school groups for health vacations, according to Governor Oleg Kozhemyako. The North Korean leader also attended the "Sleeping Beauty" ballet performed on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in Vladivostok. Kim Jong Uns' delegation also visited the oceanarium in Russias Vladivostok.On Sunday, Kim Jong Uns train left Russia's Far East, marking the end of his lengthy and packed visit. Russian high-ranking officials gathered to see the North Korean leader off at the Artem-Primorsky-1 station in Russia's Primorsk Territory.The distance from Artyom to the Khasan railroad station on the border with North Korea exceeds 200 kilometers (124 miles), with travel time taking several hours.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230912/why-does-kim-jong-un-travel-by-train-1113303258.html

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A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, shaking hands with Minister of Defense of Russia Sergei Shoigu during a visit to Vladivostok, Russia, Sept. 16. EPA-Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received five explosive drones, a reconnaissance drone and a bulletproof vest as gifts from a regional governor on his visit to Russia, official TASS news agency said Sunday.



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.



On Saturday he met the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system.



TASS said the "leader of the DPRK received five kamikaze drones and a 'Geran-25' reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff," using the official name of North Korea.



TASS said the governor of the Primorye region, which borders China and North Korea, also "offered Kim Jong-un a set of bulletproof protection" and "special clothing not detectable by thermal cameras."






https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/russia-north-korea-cooperation-not-against-anyone-but-for-benefit-of-people-says-ambassador-1113442357.html

Russia-North Korea Cooperation Not Against Anyone But for Benefit of People, Says Ambassador

Russia-North Korea Cooperation Not Against Anyone But for Benefit of People, Says Ambassador

The ambassador explained that the cooperation between the two countries is not aimed against anyone, adding that the North Korean leader raised the issue of hydropower during his visit.

2023-09-17T20:04+0000

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"We are not cooperating against anyone with North Korea. We have a positive agenda. Our opponents say that 'you will pay the price' ... We cooperate to solve specific issues, improve the standard of living of our population, strengthen partnership in various fields," Matsegora told the Soloviev Live show. The ambassador noted that the main objective is to "maintain peace and stability in the region and on a broader scale." In addition, Matsegora said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raised the issue of cooperation in hydropower during his visit to Russia.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/russian-air-defense-destroys-another-ukrainian-drone-over-moscow-region---mayor-1113425610.html

Russian Air Defense Destroys Another Ukrainian Drone Over Moscow Region - Mayor

Russian Air Defense Destroys Another Ukrainian Drone Over Moscow Region - Mayor

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that Russian air defenses prevented another attempted drone attack in the region early on Sunday.

2023-09-17T02:33+0000

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"Another drone that tried to carry out an attack on Moscow was shot down tonight by air defense forces in the Ramensky District of the Moscow Region. According to preliminary data, there are also no damages or casualties after the fall of the debris," Sobyanin said on Telegram. At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense also shot down a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone over the Domodedovsky District of the Moscow Region.The attack was one of several thwarted by Russian air defenses across the Russia and Crimea.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/russian-air-defense-prevents-drone-attacks-on-moscow-crimea-1113424830.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/russian-air-defense-prevents-drone-attacks-on-moscow-crimea-1113424830.html

Russian Air Defense Prevents Drone Attacks on Moscow, Crimea

Russian Air Defense Prevents Drone Attacks on Moscow, Crimea

Russian air defenses shot down drones over Moscow and across Crimea, Moscow's mayor and the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Telegram.

2023-09-17T00:03+0000

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"Tonight, air defense repelled a drone attack on Moscow in the city district of Istra. According to preliminary data, there were no destruction or casualties at the site where the debris fell," Sobyanin said on Telegram. The Russian Defense Ministry noted that the air defense shot down a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone.Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said in a separate statement that it thwarted several drone attacks by Ukrainian forces from several directions Crimea. The first involved two drones on the western coast of Crimea.Less than an hour later, more attacks were attempted using Ukrainian drones on the northwestern and eastern coasts. They were also defeated.Later, Russian air defenses stopped another attempted attack in Moscow.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/russian-air-defense-destroys-another-ukrainian-drone-over-moscow-region---mayor-1113425610.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/russian-military-repels-6-attacks-in-donetsk-direction-kiev-loses-350-troops--1113434457.html

Russian Military Repels 6 Attacks in Donetsk Direction, Kiev Loses 350 Troops

Russian Military Repels 6 Attacks in Donetsk Direction, Kiev Loses 350 Troops

The Russian army repelled six attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donetsk and South Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, with Kiev losing up to 350 servicepeople, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

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"In the South Donetsk direction, three attacks by assault groups of the 35th and 36th brigades of the Ukrainian marines in the areas of Staromaiorskoe of the Donetsk People's Republic [DPR] and Priytnoe of the Zaporozhye Region were repelled during the day by courageous actions of the units of the Vostok group of forces in cooperation with aviation and artillery," the ministry said. In the Donetsk direction, the units of the Southern group of forces, together with aviation and artillery, repulsed three attacks of assault groups of the 53rd motorized infantry brigade and the 79th airborne assault brigade of the Ukrainian army near the Russian-controlled village of Marinka in the DPR, the ministry said. Kiev has lost up to 180 servicepeople, the ministry added. Russian aviation and artillery have also hit the shops of the Kharkov armored plant, where Ukrainian tanks were being repaired, as well as Ukrainian command and observation posts were located, the ministry said. At the same time, in the Zaporozhye direction, Russian units repelled an attack by an assault group of the 47th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces near the Russian-controlled village of Robotynoe, causing Kiev to lose up to 140 servicepeople, a US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and four vehicles, the ministry said. In addition, Russian air defense systems shot down 28 Ukrainian drones, two JDAM aerial bombs, one HARM shell and one HIMARS missile over the past 24 hours, the defense ministry said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230912/russian-air-defenses-intercept-four-himars-and-uragan-mlrs-rockets-1113310517.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/saudi-arabia-suspends-talks-on-normalizing-relations-with-israel---reports-1113436189.html

Saudi Arabia Suspends Talks on Normalizing Relations With Israel - Reports

Saudi Arabia Suspends Talks on Normalizing Relations With Israel - Reports

Saudi Arabia has informed the United States of the termination of negotiations to normalize relations with Israel, media reported, citing a source in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

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The source claimed that the Netanyahu government had rejected "conciliatory gestures" towards the Palestinians and acceptance of the demands of the right wing bloc undermined any possibility of rapprochement with the Palestinians and Saudi Arabia itself.The Israeli leadership is "at a loss" over Riyadh's decision to halt any negotiations with Washington on normalizing relations, the source added. On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia was possible but not a certainty. The US launched a process to normalize relations between Israel and the Arab states in 2020. As a result of these efforts, in September 2020, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed a set of documents known as the Abraham Accords, and were joined by Morocco in December of that year. In January 2021, Sudan also signed the declaratory section of the Accords, but did not sign the corresponding document with Israel, unlike the other states, due to disagreements between the Sudanese military and civilian leadership over the issue. By 2020, Israel had diplomatic relations with only two Arab countries in the region, Jordan and Egypt.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/normalizing-israel-saudi-relations-possible-but-not-certainty---us-sec-of-state-blinken-1113412491.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/texas-ag-paxton-avoids-removal-from-office-acquitted-on-all-counts-in-impeachment-case-1113424995.html

Texas AG Paxton Avoids Removal From Office, Acquitted on All Counts in Impeachment Case

Texas AG Paxton Avoids Removal From Office, Acquitted on All Counts in Impeachment Case

The Republican controlled state assembly voted to impeach Paxton 121-23 in May. 17.09.2023, Sputnik International

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton dodged impeachment on Saturday after being acquitted on 16 corruption charges by the Texas State Senate.The GOP-controlled state assembly overwhelmingly voted to impeach Paxton in May, but state Senate Republicans came to his defense with the vast majority voting to acquit Paxton.The two-week trial ended on Friday, leaving the states 30 top lawmakers to deliberate on the 16 articles of impeachment over alleged corruption and abuse of power. All but two of the chambers 18 Republicans voted to acquit Paxton. Twenty-one votes in total were required to remove Paxton from office.The case was centered on Paxtons relationship with real estate developer Nate Paul, a large political donor for Paxton.Members of Paxtons office accused the Attorney General of doing illegal favors for Paul. It was also alleged that Paul returned the favor by providing Paxtons mistress, a former aide for a different state senator, employment and by keeping Paxtons infidelity a secret.Paxton married his wife, State Senator Angela Paxton in 1986 after they met in college.Paxton did not attend most of his trial, only appearing during the opening and closing arguments. His mistress appeared at the trial and was called as a witness but was deemed unavailable to testify for an undisclosed reason. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who presided as the judge in the impeachment case, said that both the prosecution and defense agreed on the issue.The decision meant the mistress did not have to testify in front of Ken Paxtons wife, who attended the trial but was not allowed to vote in the case.Paxton is also facing a criminal case in Houston, on two counts of securities fraud. He faces up to 99 years in that case.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/ukrainian-refugees-in-europe-sound-alarm-as-child-welfare-services-snatch-their-children-1113441902.html

Ukrainian Refugees in Europe Sound Alarm as Child Welfare Services Snatch Their Children

Ukrainian Refugees in Europe Sound Alarm as Child Welfare Services Snatch Their Children

As many as six million Ukrainians have registered as refugees in nations across Europe amid the NATO-Russia proxy conflict in their home country, with women, often accompanied by children, accounting for about 70 percent of the total.

2023-09-17T19:19+0000

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2023-09-17T19:26+0000

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Hundreds of Ukrainian families who fled to Europe as refugees have had their children taken away from them by the child welfare services of European Union member states. While protective custody is supposed to protect children against serious parental abuse, including physical violence or sexual crimes, refugees have complained that their kids can be snatched from them for far less serious transgressions, like keeping children home from school without a good excuse.Elenas 10-year-old daughter, who suffers from developmental disabilities, was taken away from her by German social services agency Jugendamt in November 2022 on the basis of suspicious behavior and suspected risks to the childs well-being. Elena believes that her depression, and the prescription of too strong a dose of antidepressants, led to a complaint to the Jugendamt from school staff on the suspicion that she was taking illegal drugs.We had communicated for a year already. They knew that were a normal family...They told me they thought that I was doing drugs, but they could have simply asked, Elena, who is from Lugansk, said, referring to the school staff who made the complaint.The woman wasnt allowed to see her daughter over a period of more than two months, after which she was allowed to visit, but only under strict supervision. We were locked in a room like criminals and even spied on, Elena said. The woman said she didnt recognize her daughter after they were split apart, with the childs mental state deteriorating. She cried constantly and even now she is afraid to sleep alone.It took Elena until January of 2023 to get her child back, with appeals to public organizations, the Ukrainian Embassy and even the European Parliament proving useless, and Jugendamt reversing its decision only after the woman lawyered up. The experience traumatized both her daughter and Elena, who is now seeing a psychotherapist.Tatiana, a 49-year-old from Lvov, western Ukraine living in Weiden, Bavaria, has fought authorities for the return of her six-year-old son for four months, with the child taken away after her after the boys grandmother complained about alleged physical abuse. Tatiana denies doing anything wrong, saying she always fulfilled her parental responsibilities properly.How is it possible  we received temporary shelter here, this is a Ukrainian child. Ukraine should not sit on the sidelines while its children are taken away, Tatnyana insisted.A court ordered the woman to undergo a psychiatric examination, and do personal and family psychotherapy. A hearing in her case is scheduled for late November. In the meantime, she will have to continue waiting for her child.In June of 2023, the office of the Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner said at least 240 children had been removed from the custody of their parents or guardians in EU countries and placed under state protective custody.Others fear that the figures may be far higher, and that Ukrainian authorities dont want to get on the wrong side of their EU benefactors, upon whom they depend on for political, economic and military support in the proxy war against Russia. In 2022, Russian investigators reported on hundreds of children from Kherson region and the Donetsk city of Mariupol being sent to European countries and disappearing completely, with Dutch childrens rights groups sounding the alarm last year about 170 Ukrainian teenagers under age 18 traveling to the Netherlands without their parents and vanishing, not being registered or provided with a guardian.The reasons given by European protective services for taking away refugees children vary dramatically, from alcoholism, mental illness, beatings, abuse and even sexual crimes, to far less serious transgressions, such as leaving children alone at home unsupervised to go to work.Elena Rozvadovskaya, the co-founder of a childrens charity, says the law in Germany is so strict that if its not during the holidays, if a police officer sees a child at the airport, he will inquire as to why the parents are acting in such an irresponsible manner in the middle of a school year. In Europe, she said, the social services are incentivized to look into activity they may deem suspicious much more quickly than in Ukraine.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230902/polands-largest-facility-for-ukrainian-refugees-reportedly-closes-1113080565.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/which-eu-countries-have-most-ukrainian-refugees-1112867187.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/west-believes-ukraine-should-shift-from-attacking-to-holding-ground-in-october---reports-1113435393.html

West Believes Ukraine Should Shift From Attacking to Holding Ground in October - Reports

West Believes Ukraine Should Shift From Attacking to Holding Ground in October - Reports

Ukraine needs to shift from attempting offensive operations against the Russian armed forces to holding positions in the second half of October due to weather conditions, media reported on Sunday, citing a Western defense official.

2023-09-17T11:55+0000

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Weather conditions will worsen before November, with the terrain becoming too muddy, making it difficult for heavy armored equipment to move quickly, so Ukrainian forces should focus on protecting their infrastructure from Russian drones and missiles during the winter, the defense official said. Russia began its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine launched its latest counteroffensive in early June. Three months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Ukrainian counteroffensive had failed, with Ukraine suffering 71,000 casualties. Several Western officials also admitted that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had not been successful.

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The marquee races in Canada for pacing freshmen now have their finalists following a pair of eliminations for the $970,000 Metro Pace and the $540,000 Shes A Great Lady on Saturday night (Sept. 16) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Legendary Hanover and Clever Cody built cushions on the lead to take their $40,000 Metro Pace eliminations.

Driver James MacDonald floated Legendary Hanover from the outermost post in the first elimination to race fourth behind a :27.1 skirmish for command. MacDonald methodically moved Legendary Hanover into the backstretch and seized the lead from Booming Economy past a :55.1 half and strolled through the final turn. Past three-quarters in 1:23, Legendary Hanover started scooting away from his rivals in progress to a 1-1/2-length score in 1:51 over fast-closing Captain Luke, who came from last for second. Lous World persisted through a first-over push in the final turn to hold third at 92-1 with Storm Shadow and Chain Gang completing the top five.

Hes a big, strong horse. He should be able to handle [getting strung out], I think, said trainer Anthony Beaton after the race. This colts just done it every way. Nothing seems to bother him. Hes very easy on himself overall. He can get a little temperamental  he was a little agitated in the paddock tonight, but after warming up, he settled down and he was super.

Legendary Hanover rung up the score to now stay unbeaten from six starts while pushing his bankroll to $173,600 for owners Eric Good, West Wins Stable and Mark Dumain.

Sent off as the 1-5 favourite, the son of Huntsville paid $2.70 to win.

Clever Cody fought for a tepid lead that readied him for a back-half sprint to hold victory in the second Metro Pace elimination.

Leading by a :27.3 first quarter, Clever Cody lost the lead into the backstretch to Remember The Alamo before circling back to the top and landing on the lead just before a :57 half. With Gem Quality pushing first over out of fourth, driver Sylvain Filion entered sprint mode with Clever Cody to click three-quarters in 1:24 and fire for home with 7-5 favourite Captains Quarters swinging wide and barrelling down the center of the track. Clever Cody coasted to the line to keep a length up on Captains Quarters in a 1:50.4 mile with Gem Quality holding third, Remember The Alamo taking fourth and Calicojack Hanover completing the top five.

We couldve raced [next] Thursday on Jug Day for 125 [thousand] American and been the 1-9 favourite, said trainer Dr. Ian Moore on putting Clever Cody, the Ohio Sires Stakes champion, in the box for the Metro Pace. But theres five of us partners and the other four wanted to try him here, so here we are and it turned out pretty good. I just didnt want to make him look bad here, so he made himself look good tonight. I didnt know what to expect really, because the style of racing he was doing in Ohio probably wouldnt work for this track, but it seemed to tonight.

With the victory, Clever Cody has now made six visits to the winners circle from nine tries while banking $311,050 for owner Clever Cody Stable.

The son of The Panderosa, off as the 2-1 second choice, paid $6 to win.

The post position draw for the $970,000 Metro Pace will take place Monday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. on Woodbine Racing Live.

Its A Love Thing and Caviart Belle took their respective $35,000 eliminations for the Shes A Great Lady by narrow margins earlier on the card.

In the first elimination, driver James MacDonald sent Its A Love Thing for the front from the outermost post in the sextet and clicked a :27.3 first quarter before 3-5 favourite My Girl EJ swung off the pegs from third. My Girl EJ grabbed the lead before a :56.3 half and coasted around the far turn as MacDonald revved Its A Love Thing from the pocket to three-quarters in 1:24.4. Its A Love Thing then slid to the lead into the final eighth and held My Girl EJ at bay while under a hand drive to win by a half-length in 1:50.4. My Girl EJ settled for second with Genie Hanover another five lengths behind in third. Stonebridge Halo and Rocket Deo rounded the finalists.

I cant give [James MacDonald] enough credit for the job hes done with her, teaching her how to race, said winning trainer David Menary. She was a little bit green starting off in here [and] shes the exact opposite at home, so it made her a little tougher to rig. All winter long, she dominated my group of babies and couldve trained with open-type horses. Everythings heading in the right direction at the right time.

Its A Love Thing has now won five times from eight starts and earned $216,446 for owners Eric Good, Thomas Biederman and Josh Green.

The daughter of Bettors Delight went off as the 6-5 second choice and paid $4.40 to win.

Caviart Belle swept to the front before the half and held firm on the lead to take the second elimination in 1:50.2.

Odds On Platinum posted a :26.4 first quarter as driver Yannick Gingras readied a charge out of fourth with Caviart Belle, who cleared control to a :56 half. Caviart Belle kept rolling to three-quarters in 1:23.1 and spun for home with an anxious challenger in Odds On Platinum pulling outside to take a shot at the 1-9 favourite late. Gingras kept Caviart Belle to task and she responded to hold a half-length on Odds On Platinum at the finish while Bettor Sisters took third and the last two final berths going to Watching You and Elodie Hanover.

She definitely wasnt as sharp, Yannick Gingras said of Caviart Belles tight victory. Even in the post parade she was a little lazy on me, and thats really not her thing. I didnt want to wake her up or nothing like that, so I just left her alone. I was hoping it was a good sign, but she was a little tired finishing. I think shell be that much better next week. Last time, she did it with the plugs in, but obviously we asked her [today]  I thought Sylvain [Filion and Odds On Platinum] had me in the stretch. She showed she had some class; she wanted to put her nose in front.

Caviart Belle bagged her fifth win from seven starts and has now earned $157,513. Nancy Takter trains the daughter of Captaintreacherous for owner Caviart Farms.

She paid $2.10 to win.

The top five finishers from each elimination for the Shes A Great Lady received their draw for the $540,000 set for next Saturday night, Sept. 23. The post positions are listed below.

1. Elodie Hanover

2. Odds On Platinum

3. Caviart Belle

4. Rocket Deo

5. Its A Love Thing

6. Genie Hanover

7. My Girl EJ

8. Watching You

9. Stonebridge Halo

10. Bettor Sisters

AE. Bronx Barista

For full results from the Saturday card of harness racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(With files from Woodbine)
Diaper need is a silent crisis and Sept. 18-24 has been designated as National Diaper Need Awareness Week. The week draws attention to the issue of diaper needs facing families of young children.

Diapers are as essential to a babys healthy development as a caregivers love. Keeping infants and toddlers clean, dry and healthy is key to building a solid foundation for all children to thrive and reach their full potential. Yet one in three families struggle to afford a sufficient supply of diapers.

When parents dont have enough diapers, they stretch the time between changes, attempt to clean and reuse soiled diapers, and improvise with diapering supplies like paper towels or napkins which can be abrasive on childrens sensitive skin. These makeshift options mean children sit in dirty or wet diapers longer than they should, making them prone to emotional and physical consequences like irritation, discomfort, persistent crying, diaper rash, and even more severe problems like urinary tract and secondary skin infections. And caregivers suffer mental anguish over making choices between buying diapers or food, paying rent or buying medicine.

To address this need, the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children (ICPYC) offers the Pampered Pantry program, a diaper pantry to help struggling families secure the basic need of clean, dry diapers for their children. This program is locally funded and relies on community and monetary donations.

At a time when so many in our community are struggling, no parent or caregiver should have to worry about how they will afford diapers for their child, states Lisa Familo, ICPYC executive director. Donations and support from the community increase our capacity and ability to ensure that all babies have access to clean diapers.

Parents of young children, birth to age 5, are eligible to receive one package of diapers and wipes per child per month, up to six times a year. An adequate supply of diapers is a tangible way of reducing parenting stress and increasing parenting sense of competency, thereby improving parenting quality and overall child outcomes.

Many people dont know that government assistance programs dont cover the cost of diapers, said Nicole Sutton, Pampered Pantry coordinator. Families often come in feeling like they have no options left. Seeing the relief on their faces when they receive the diapers and wipes is confirmation that this program is a necessity in our community.

To learn more about the Pampered Pantry, or if you are interested in purchasing items from an Amazon wish list or donating funds to support the diaper pantry, visit www.iredellsmartstart.org/pampered-pantry or contact Nicole Sutton, program support specialist, at 704-878-9980 or nsutton@icpyc.org.
Korean lawmakers and their lawyer talk with officials from the International Maritime Organization in London, Sept. 16, in this photo provided by the Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap



Two lawmakers from Korea's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have paid a visit to the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and delivered concerns about Japan's release of radioactive water into the ocean.



Reps. Woo Won-shik and Yang Yiwonyoung said they relayed the concerns, along with a letter from DPK leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung, during a meeting with IMO Secretary General Lim Ki-tack at the IMO headquarters in London on Saturday.



"We delivered the point that Koreans are gravely concerned about the long-term implications of the discharge from Fukushima," Woo said. "We asked for their efforts to prevent the contaminated water discharge in accordance with the spirit of the London Convention and the London Protocol."



The two agreements, signed in 1972 and 1996, respectively, aim to promote controlling sources of marine pollution and take steps to prevent pollution of the sea by dumping waste and other matter.



A meeting of parties to the two agreements is scheduled for next month.



The two lawmakers also told the IMO that allowing Japan to keep releasing the radioactive water from Fukushima could leave a bad precedent and urged the agency to consider other alternatives to ocean dumping.





From left, Reps. Yang Yiwonyoung, Woo Won-shik and their lawyer pose in front of the International Maritime Organization's headquarters in London, Sept. 16. Yonhap
Stop the world, I finally got to visit Booked Up in Archer City, TX.

If you dont know, Booked Up is one of the last great independent used bookstores of Texas.

Its famous because it is owned by Larry McMurtry (the guy who wrote Lonesome Dove and a hundred other books you should go read right now).

And Booked Up is not in some big city!

Its in Larrys hometown, a place with a population of ~1,800.

Archer City is one of those cities that is so common across rural Texas. Of course it has a Dairy Queen, a gas station or two, a cemetery, a courthouse, a small town square, a handful of abandon buildings, a little post office, a school, and a number of churches.

I have been wanting to go since grad school and have never made it.

At one time the store had over 300,000 books!

Today they still boast over 100,000 volumes.

Anyway  I got to go and browse the stacks for about an hour with the entire fam, which was just the coolest thing ever.

Their sign in Building 2 made me laugh:

If you are unable to locate an employee in this building Please feel free to wander around yelling yoo-hoo and peering into storage rooms until completely frustrated. Then proceed to building one where you will find patronizing employees busy at work or sitting around drinking coffee, laughing at you. Thank you



I bought a copy of Salvador, By: Joan Didion (Amazon).

(For more Didion, watch: The Center Will Not Hold)

The kids insisted that I buy them a little volume of Jacques Cousteau titled The Ocean World Of Jacques Cousteau (Volume 14).

I could have stayed for a week snooping around.

Must. Go. Back.

It might be worth an occasional trip to Oklahoma City just to have the excuse to stop in.
The group was was an initiative by the former Iranian Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, according to Syria TV.

Israel is closely monitoring the Hussein Division activities in Syria and has expressed deep concerns about its Lebanese members. The Israeli Walla website reported insights from sources within the Israeli Military Intelligence Division, Aman, cautioning that the Al-Hussein Division, which is linked to Iran and Hezbollah, is poised to play an active role in any potential multi-front conflict involving Israel and its adversaries.

These sources raised alarms on Saturday regarding the division, estimating its membership to consist of around 6,000 Shiite individuals of various nationalities. They are led by Zulfikar Hinnawi, who has Hezbollah roots and is expected to act against Israel under the influence of Iran and Hezbollah.

Its noteworthy that both leaders and members of the Al-Hussein Division have been targeted by the Israeli occupation army since 2017 as part of Israels battle between wars strategy to counter the Iranian presence in Syria.

The formation of the Al-Hussein Division was initiated by the former Iranian Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, with the objective of bolstering Irans military presence in Syria. This divisions establishment resulted from an agreement reached in 2016 between Soleimani and the Syrian regimes leader, Bashar al-Assad, intending to legitimize Irans military presence in the country.

Hinnawi, aged 42, who previously led a group of Hezbollah members near Aleppo, impressed Soleimani, leading to his appointment as the head of the Al-Hussein Division in 2016. Despite Soleimanis demise, this divisions activities persist, driven by guidance from Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and sustained Iranian funding.

The Hussein Division includes members from various countries, including Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Each recruit receives a substantial monthly salary, and they are stationed in strategic locations such as Palmyra, the region between Aleppo and Homs, Albukamal, the Al-Tanf Triangle, and along the border with Turkey.

Of particular concern to the Tel Aviv military establishment are the 1,000 Lebanese members of the division who possess vital strategic military assets, including drones, surface-to-surface missiles, and Iranian-manufactured surface-to-air missiles.

These sources emphasize that these Lebanese members are highly trained and operate advanced military systems, collectively forming a formidable military force in their own right.

The Al-Hussein Division launched surface-to-surface missiles toward Israel in 2019, and a similar missile attack occurred four months later. In August 2019, Israel successfully thwarted the divisions attempt to launch four drones into Israeli territory.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Finance Minister Kinan Yaghi reiterated Syria's dedication to "combatting terrorism and extremism on behalf of the international community", the pro-government al-Baath writes.

In a powerful statement during the G77 and China summit held in Havana, Syria urged the immediate and unconditional lifting of unilateral coercive measures, including the U.S. embargo and sanctions on several nations. The call was part of Syrias larger vision for a fairer international economic system that would improve the economic and social conditions of G77 countries and China, aligning with the aspirations of people for prosperity and peace.

Finance Minister Kinan Yaghi, representing Syria at the summit, conveyed President Bashar al-Assads greetings to the Cuban President and people, acknowledging Cubas positive role in promoting multilateral efforts to achieve sustainable development. Yaghi emphasized that this summit would bolster the just causes of South countries, including their right to access modern technologies for sustainable development.

Yaghi also highlighted the deep-rooted historical ties between Syria, Cuba, and the Group of 77 countries, emphasizing their commitment to international law and the principles of the UN Charter, which include sovereignty, equality, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

Furthermore, Minister Yaghi reiterated Syrias dedication to combatting terrorism and extremism on behalf of the international community. He appealed to fellow G77 members for support in overcoming the repercussions of war, the blockade, and the devastating earthquake that struck Syria several months ago.

Yaghi made a compelling plea for assistance, stating, We demand the necessary support to restore full control of the Syrian state over its entire territory, along with the immediate, complete, and unconditional lifting of illegal unilateral coercive measures, the US blockade, and the sanctions that have afflicted our people and the Cuban people for more than sixty years.

In a separate development, the Russian government provided much-needed relief aid to affected families in the Yarmouk and Abbasiya neighbourhoods of Daraa province. This humanitarian aid, totalling approximately 3 tons, specifically targeted families in need. Amin Al-Omari, Chairman of the Daraa City Council, underscored that this assistance reflected the strong and enduring Syrian-Russian relations and aimed to support a significant portion of families in the southern city.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Cypriot Interior Minister highlighted that there are already two areas within Syria recognized as safe zones, according to al-Watan.

Cyprus has called upon the European Union to reevaluate the situation in Syria and reconsider its classification as an unsafe country for the return of Syrian refugees. This appeal comes after Cyprus expressed concerns about the instability in Lebanon, which it views as a critical factor preventing these refugees from reaching Europe. The potential consequences of this situation unfolding could pose significant challenges for Europe.

Konstantinos Ioannou, the Cypriot Interior Minister, stated his intention to engage with the European Union and the United Nations to revise Syrias status as an insecure destination for refugees. He emphasized, We, in Cyprus, along with other member states, believe it is necessary to reassess the situation in Syria. Ioannou pointed out that the EU has maintained Syrias status unchanged for 11 years, despite certain regions being deemed safe.

Ioannou highlighted that there are already two areas within Syria recognized as safe zones by the EUAA asylum agency. He stated, These safe zones must now be acknowledged at the EU level, enabling us to consider deportations or repatriation to Syria.

Ioannou expressed concerns over the increasing number of Syrians relocating to Lebanon, which is seen as a barrier to their further migration. He warned, If Lebanon were to collapse, it would pose a significant challenge to the entirety of Europe.

Additionally, Ioannou mentioned the governments objective to reduce financial support for asylum seekers, aiming to make Cyprus a less attractive destination for refugees. This decision follows a series of racially motivated attacks on foreigners, including Syrians, in Cyprus in recent weeks, reflecting a growing anti-migrant sentiment in the country.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Hill had visited northern regions of Syria, leading an American delegation on a quick visit, Athr Press reports.

The contact that transpired between US Senator French Hill and Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a prominent figure in the Druze community, marked a pivotal moment in the Suweida events. This interaction garnered significant attention within Arab analytical circles, even though the announcement of the call was made by the Syrian activist and opposition writer, Maher Sharaf al-Din, without providing details about the conversation between Senator Hill and Sheikh Hijri.

Several weeks prior to this communication, Senator Hill had visited northern regions of Syria, leading an American delegation on a lightning visit. Following this trip, he was quoted by The Washington Post as stating, My visit to Syria, along with other trips to regional capitals in the past few months, including Baghdad and Riyadh, helps me think about the right questions to ask and the proper approach to addressing the conflict.

In this context, The New Arab newspaper published a report detailing Senator Hills recent involvement in US actions concerning Syria. The newspaper cited a Syrian journalist residing in the United States who described Hill as a respected figure in both the Republican and Democratic parties. President Joe Biden had chosen him a few days prior to representing the US House of Representatives in United Nations meetings in New York. The journalist emphasized Senator Hills keen interest in the events unfolding in Suweida as a significant indicator.

The journalist remarked, This call signifies that the revolutionary movement in Suweida has now entered the realm of American attention and policy in Syria.

In a similar vein, the Saudi newspaper Okaz characterized Senator Hills call as a landmark development in the American stance towards the Suweida protests. The newspaper also noted that American political and military activities in Syria suggest a notable shift in US policy, despite the continuation of US sanctions against the Syrian government and the insistence on not normalizing relations without corresponding measures from Damascus.

Furthermore, Okaz highlighted British and American support for the Suweida demonstrations, indicating a Western consensus on the importance of sustaining these protests to exert pressure on the Syrian government, potentially leading to political and security concessions from the southern front.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Syrian regime has consistently emphasized the necessity of withdrawing Turkish military installations in northern Syria, Enab Baladi reminds.

Iran has extended an offer to both the Syrian regime and Turkey, proposing the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syrian territory. This offer is contingent upon the Syrian regime providing security guarantees in return.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, made this announcement in an interview with the Iranian magazine al-Wefaq on Saturday. He revealed that he had proposed the withdrawal of Turkish forces during the most recent Moscow meeting, which convened the Special Quartet on Syria back in June.

Details regarding the responses from both Turkey and the Syrian regime to Irans proposal were not provided by Abdollahian. However, its worth noting that both Tehran and Moscow are prepared to offer guarantees to support this arrangement.

Its important to highlight that the Syrian regime has consistently emphasized the necessity of withdrawing Turkish military installations in northern Syria, asserting that this aligns with their national constants, as previously stated by Ayman Sousan, the deputy foreign minister of the regimes government.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Health insurance premiums paid by more than 200,000 Washington residents will increase by nearly 10% next year.

The state Office of the Insurance Commissioner has approved an average increase of 8.94% for 14 health insurers operating in Washingtons individual health insurance market, lower than the 9.11% hike the companies requested earlier this year.

Premiums for coverage provided by Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, Premera Blue Cross and Bridgespan Health Co. will see double-digit increases.

Nearly one in six Washington residents directly purchase their own insurance, according to 2022 census data. About one in three are over the age of 65.

Insurance premiums are just one part of the outrageous medical costs that patients are forced to absorb, said John Godfrey, a small-business owner and lead organizer for Washington CAN, a grassroots organization focused on racial, gender and economic justice. The organization submitted more than 250 letters from concerned Washingtonians to the Insurance Commissioners Office, describing the effects of high health care prices.

Combine those premiums, deductibles, and out of pocket expenses with the uncontrolled hospital and prescription drug costs, and the bottom line is people cant afford to get sick, Godfrey said.

As of July 2023, an estimated 220,059 residents were covered through the individual health insurance market, which is designed for people who do not receive health insurance from their employer.

Nearly 90% bought coverage through the state-run Washington Health Benefit Exchange, through which more than 75% received some financial help to pay their monthly premiums.

How much an individual pays depends on the plan they select, the number of people covered under the insurance policy, their age and whether or not they smoke, as well as where they live.

Four in five Washingtonians expressed concerns about affording health care in the future, according to a 2022 survey of over 1,300 Washington adults by Altarum Healthcare Value Hub, a research resource for health care for policymakers, advocates, and health officials. Among those uninsured, affordability was the primary reason, according to the report. More than half of the respondents also reported delaying or going without health care services in the prior year due to cost.

Medical treatment has left nearly 5% of Washington residents in debt, according to census data analyzed by Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization. Residents of color were more likely to be in debt, and Asotin and Garfield counties in Eastern Washington and Pierce County hold the largest share of residents in medical debt.

You shouldnt have to be wealthy to be healthy, said Sam Hatzenbeler, a senior policy associate at the Economic Opportunity Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit. While there is no single answer to address all of the problems of the health care system, there are data-driven policy solutions that work, including giving the state more tools to monitor health spending and health system consolidation.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler admitted he was deeply concerned about what these rate increases mean for individuals and families.

We need to do the hard work of getting at the underlying costs of health care, he said, calling out high reimbursements to hospitals and health care providers as one of the factors driving up health care costs.

When reviewing proposed changes to health insurance premium costs, the Insurance Commissioners Office said it takes into consideration increased costs of prescription drugs, a growing demand and backlog for elective surgeries, and payments insurers received or are owed through the Affordable Care Acts risk adjustment program.

The risk adjustment program is meant to stabilize the insurance market for individuals and small groups by redistributing federally collected funds from insurers that attract lower-risk enrollees to insurers that attract higher-risk enrollees.

This was created because insurers have to take everyone regardless of their health condition, said Stephanie Marquis, Insurance Commissioners Office public affairs director. So some insurers get paid from the fund and others owe money.

Since assessments for that program take place after insurers file their initial requests for rate changes, the Insurance Commissioners Office allows a course correction before approving rates, Marquis said.

That makes some rate requests go up to account for those payments, she said.

Marquis added that the 35% hike accepted in 2018, when insurers requested only a 27.4% boost, was mostly meant to offset the increase in costs insurers were taking on after the federal government withdrew support for a cost-sharing reduction program in place at that time under the Affordable Care Act.

In the absence of federal assistance, the cost-sharing benefit was then borne entirely by the insurance companies, Marquis said.

Kreidler said his office will be doing more work to support recent legislative efforts to strengthen competition in the industry and tackle rising health care costs.
Dufry AG operates as a travel retailer. The company's retail brands include general travel retail shops under the Dufry, World Duty Free, Nuance, Hellenic Duty Free, Colombian Emeralds, Duty Free Uruguay, Hudson, Duty Free Shop Argentina, RegStaer, Autogrill, Hellenic Duty Free, HMSHost, and World Duty Free brands; Dufry shopping stores; brand boutiques; convenience stores primarily under the Hudson brand; and specialized shops and theme stores. It offers perfumes and cosmetics, food and confectionery, wines and spirits, watches and jewelry, fashion and leather, tobacco goods, souvenirs, electronics, soft drinks, packaged food, travel accessories, personal items, sunglasses, destination merchandise, and other products, as well as newspapers, magazines, and books. It operates duty-free and duty-paid shops located at airports, cruise lines, seaports, railway stations, and downtown tourist areas worldwide. Dufry AG was incorporated in 1865 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
Rep. Woo Won-shik, second from left, of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and other party representatives attends a meeting with officials of the International Maritime Organization at its London headquarters, Saturday (local time). Yonhap



Seafood consumption remains stable despite opposition party's 'fear-mongering'



By Jung Min-ho



Before Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant last month, Korea's opposition party warned of grave consequences for public health and the seafood industry.



Nearly a month has passed since TEPCO started discharging the water gradually into the Pacific. However, none of the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) warnings have so far been shown to come true. No health issues related to the release have been found and seafood sales remain stable, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.



Yet the party is doubling down on its anti-Fukushima campaign, despite growing skepticism.



DPK Reps. Woo Won-shik and Yang Yiwonyoung visited the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, Saturday (local time). In a meeting with IMO Secretary-General Lim Ki-tack, they expressed health and environmental concerns and called for the organization's action to stop the release.



"We asked for its efforts to prevent the contaminated water discharge, in accordance with the spirit of the London Convention and the London Protocol," Woo said.



The two international agreements, signed respectively in 1972 and 1996, aim to promote controlling sources of marine pollution and take necessary steps to prevent pollution of the sea through the dumping of waste and other materials. A meeting of the parties to the agreements is planned for next month.



However, the IMO did not promise anything specific other than "further discussions" on the issue from "a broader perspective of protecting the ocean."





U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel holds a plastic bag after buying fruit at the Soma City JA Co-op in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 31, during his visit to show his support for the water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Reuters-Yonhap
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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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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.
Delta Air Lines Inc. is a major airline providing domestic and international air travel services. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Delta is one of the largest airlines in the world, operating a fleet of over 900 aircraft that serves more than 325 destinations across six continents. Delta has a long history in the airline industry. It is known for its exceptional customer service, operational reliability and industry-leading innovation.

As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, Delta Air Lines Inc. had a market capitalization of $24.5 billion, with over 720 million outstanding shares. The company has a strong financial position, with total revenue for the full year 2022 reaching $38.6 billion, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. Delta's net income for the same period was $2.7 billion, up from $1.2 billion in 2021.

Delta's strong financial performance comes from several factors, including its strategic focus on customer service, operational efficiency and technological innovation. The company has invested heavily in its fleet and infrastructure and is committed to delivering passengers a safe and comfortable travel experience. Delta has also made significant investments in technology, such as its Fly Delta app and biometric boarding, which have helped to streamline the travel experience and improve customer satisfaction.

Delta is also committed to sustainable business practices, focusing on reducing its environmental impact. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2050 and has invested in fuel-efficient aircraft and sustainable aviation fuel. In addition, Delta has a comprehensive recycling program and has implemented measures to reduce waste in its operations.

Delta's strong brand recognition, customer loyalty and strategic partnerships support its competitive position in the airline industry. The company has alliances with several international airlines, such as Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic, enabling it to provide its customers with seamless travel experiences. Delta also has a strong presence in key markets, such as New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles, which have helped to drive its growth and profitability.

Delta also faces significant challenges in the airline industry, including intense competition from other major airlines and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic severely impacted the airline industry, with reduced demand for air travel and significant disruptions to operations. Delta responded to these challenges by implementing cost-cutting measures, such as reducing its workforce, retiring older aircraft and focusing on its core customer service and operational efficiency strengths.
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.
Superdry plc designs, produces, markets, and sells clothing, footwear, and accessories primarily under the Superdry brand for men and women in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Retail and Wholesale segments. The Company operates through stores, concessions, various Internet sites, multi-brand independents and distributors, franchise, and license stores. It operates 213 owned, and 410 franchised and licensed stores; and 18 international websites. The company was formerly known as SuperGroup Plc and changed its name to Superdry plc in January 2018. Superdry plc was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Cheltenham, the United Kingdom.
Procter & Gamble Co, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a multinational consumer goods corporation founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. The company has a rich history of innovation and has become a household name in many countries worldwide. Proctor & Gamble Co is a consumer staples stock. A consumer staples stock is a type of stock that offers investors a more stable and steady growth pattern that is minimally affected by economic factors.

With a market capitalization of over $327.9 billion as of February 2023, Procter & Gamble is one of the largest companies in the world. The company operates in over 70 countries, with its products sold in more than 180 countries globally. Its brand portfolio includes household names such as Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Crest, and Olay.

Procter & Gamble's business is divided into five segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment includes SK-II, Pantene, and Herbal Essences. The Grooming segment comprises brands such as Gillette, Venus, and Braun. The Health Care segment includes brands such as Oral-B, Vicks, and Pepto-Bismol. The Fabric & Home Care segment includes Tide, Downy, and Swiffer brands. The Baby, Feminine & Family Care segment includes brands such as Pampers, Always, and Tampax.

Procter & Gamble's products are sold through various channels, including retail stores, online retailers, and direct-to-consumer channels. The company has also invested in e-commerce capabilities and digital advertising, recognizing the importance of these channels in reaching consumers.

Procter & Gamble has a long history of innovation and investing in research and development. The company's R&D efforts are focused on improving its existing products and developing new products that meet the evolving needs of consumers. Procter & Gamble also invests heavily in marketing and advertising, recognizing the importance of building strong brands that resonate with consumers.

Recently, Procter & Gamble has made sustainability a key focus area. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental footprint, such as using 100% renewable electricity at all its plants by 2030. Procter & Gamble has also committed to reducing its plastic packaging waste to reduce its use of virgin plastic by 50% by 2030.

Procter & Gamble has a strong financial position, a solid balance sheet and a history of strong cash flows. The company has a long record of paying dividends, with over 130 years of uninterrupted dividend payments. Procter & Gamble has also implemented a share buyback program, repurchasing over $30 billion of its shares in the past three years.

Despite its size and global reach, Procter & Gamble faces competition from various large and small companies. The consumer goods industry is highly competitive, with companies constantly vying for market share and consumer attention. Procter & Gamble must continue to innovate and invest in its brands to stay ahead of its competitors.
The North Korea-affiliated Lazarus Group has stolen nearly $240 million in cryptocurrency since June 2023, marking a significant escalation of its hacks.

According to multiple reports from Certik, Elliptic, and ZachXBT, the infamous hacking group is said to be suspected behind the theft of $31 million in digital assets from the CoinEx exchange on September 12, 2023.

The crypto heist aimed at CoinEx adds to a string of recent attacks targeting Atomic Wallet ($100 million), CoinsPaid ($37.3 million), Alphapo ($60 million), and Stake.com ($41 million).

"Some of the funds stolen from CoinEx were sent to an address which was used by the Lazarus group to launder funds stolen from Stake.com, albeit on a different blockchain," Elliptic said. "Following this, the funds were bridged to Ethereum, using a bridge previously used by Lazarus, and then sent back to an address known to be controlled by the CoinEx hacker."

The blockchain analytics firm said the latest attacks are an indication that the adversarial collective is shifting its focus from decentralized services to centralized ones, the latter of which were its targets prior to 2020.

The pivot is likely motivated by improvements in smart contract auditing and development standards in the DeFi space and increased access offered by centralized exchanges via social engineering attacks.

The development comes as the leader of the sanctions-hit nation, Kim Jong Un, visited Russia for what's believed to be an arms deal, even as it fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern seas earlier in the week.

North Korea has leveraged cryptocurrency thefts as a way to get around sanctions and fund its weapons programs. Another revenue generation channel is its use of freelance IT workers abroad using fraudulent identification documents that obscure their true nationality.

"In recent years, there has been a marked rise in the size and scale of cyber attacks against cryptocurrency-related businesses by North Korea," TRM Labs said in June 2023. "This has coincided with an apparent acceleration in the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs."

The Lazarus Group and its sub-clusters as well as other hacking outfits linked to the country have been on a rampage in recent months, orchestrating a variety of malicious operations, including software supply chain attacks targeting companies such as 3CX and JumpCloud as well as open-source repositories for JavaScript and Python.

In a post-mortem of the hack, CoinsPaid disclosed that phony recruiters from crypto companies contacted its employees via LinkedIn and various Messengers with lucrative salaries in an attempt to trick them into "installing the JumpCloud Agent or a special program to complete a technical task," a campaign known as Operation Dream Job.
Vietnam businesses keen on generating own solar power

By Phu Khoi, Thanh Tra Sun, September 17, 2023 | 8:04 am GTM+7

Vietnamese enterprises are focusing on producing their own solar power to meet production needs as no more commercial solar power sources are planned to be put into operation between now and 2030.

'Clean electricity' - one stone hitting many targets

To reduce costs in 2021, Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 2 (PECC2-MOC) invested in a 420 kWp solar battery system at its headquarters and a 750k Wp battery energy storage system (BESS).

"Although the self-produced solar was not enough to meet the needs of the entire building, it has helped the company save 50% of its monthly electricity costs," said Nguyen Quoc Van, deputy director of the firm's power plant management and operation center.

A representative of packaging producer Kim Duc Group JSC at Vinh Loc 2 Industrial Park in the Mekong Delta province of Long An, said that in order to save electricity costs and contribute to environmental protection, the company had decided to install a solar power system on the roof of its factory.

The solar system has been operational since 2021 with a total capacity of 2.22 MWp, using 4,937 solar panels, eight 110 kW inverters, and thirteen 75kW inverters.

In 2022 alone, the system generated nearly 2,600 MWh of electricity, helping to reduce emissions by about 1,900 tons of CO2, equivalent to nearly 31,000 trees planted over 10 years. Solar power generated from the system accounted for 12-13% of the plant's electricity consumption.

A mountain of barriers

According to Vu Anh Tien, another deputy director of PECC2-MOC's power plant management and operation center, because solar power plants only produce electricity when there is sunlight, the company has been forced to invest a huge sum in a BESS to ensure a continuous supply. Currently, a 2.5 MWh BESS is priced at more than $1 million. This is a barrier standing in the way of becoming self-dependent on solar power.

The solar power system of Kim Duc Group JSC in Vinh Loc 2 Industrial Park, Long An province, southern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the company.

Meanwhile, Pham Dang An, deputy general director of Vu Phong Energy Group JSC, said current regulations on businesses generating solar power for sale are not specified, hindering this type of investment.

Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, former director of the center for renewable energy center under the Institute of Energy, said that according to the PDP VIII, Vietnams solar power capacity will reach 20,591 MW by 2030 and 189,000 MW by 2050. However, due to the high prices under the governments preferential feed-in-tariffs (FiTs), solar power has become "overheated", accounting for 20.5% of the countrys total power capacity or 16,567 MW.

The 20-year preferential FiTs are 9.35 U.S. cents per kWh (Decision 11/2017) and 7.09-8.38 U.S. cents per kWh (Decision 13/2020) for solar power projects that became operational by December 31, 2020; and 8.35-9.8 U.S. cents per kWh (Decision 39/2018) for wind power projects that became operational by November 1, 2021.

As a result, the national power grid has become overloaded, he noted. Thus, although investors have proposed many new solar power projects, they have not yet been added to the new plan.

However, to promote the energy transition process, the government has encouraged self-produced, self-consumed rooftop solar power, striving for 39,500 MW from this source by 2050, he added.

Nguyen Hoang Dung, head of the Renewable Energy Department of the Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 3 (PECC3), said the PDP VIII features a sharp increase in investment in renewable energy sources after Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh committed to net zero emissions by 2050 at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26).

However, to achieve this goal, the Ministry of Industry and Trade must complete a draft implementation plan to submit to the Prime Minister for approval. Once that plan is in place, relevant agencies can propose specific actions, he noted. Renewable energy investment and business activities are still waiting for these new regulations, he added.

As of May 2023, Vietnam's power network had a total installed capacity of 80,704 MW, ranking second in ASEAN (after Indonesia) and 23rd in the world. Of which, coal power accounted for about 26,087 MW, or 32.3%; hydropower 22,999 MW, 28.5%; solar power 16,567 MW, 20.5%; gas-fired power 7,398 MW, 9.2%; and wind power 5,059 MW, 6.3%.
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Kang Seung-kyoo, right, senior presidential secretary for civil society, delivers a letter from President Yoon Suk Yeol to Pope Francis at the Vatican, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of Vatican



President Yoon Suk Yeol sent a letter to Pope Francis on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Vatican City, expressing his hope to deepen the friendly and cooperative partnership, his office said Sunday.



Yoon sent the letter via Kang Seung-kyoo, senior presidential secretary for civil society, who has been visiting the city-state as a special presidential envoy.



During a meeting with the pope on Saturday, Kang conveyed Yoon's wish to further deepen the friendly and cooperative relationship the two countries have built over the past 60 years, the presidential office said in a press release.






Not only is the increase in fall semester 2023 enrollment at Southern Illinois University Carbondale the first upswing in student numbers in nine years, it is the largest percentage of growth this fall of most of the states public universities.

SIUs fall enrollment of 11,359 is 2.3% more than last year and includes the third consecutive increase in the number of freshmen, transfer students and graduate students.

SIU is not alone in welcoming a larger number of students to campus this fall, but analysis of 10th-day enrollment figures (the official number of students) for many of the states other public universities shows most institutions with declining enrollment. Heres how some of them stack up:

EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Down 0.6%

In total, the Charleston institution saw an overall decrease in enrolled students for fall 2023, with 8,804 total enrollments. The university uses the word enrollments because its total student count includes a sizeable number of high school students enrolled in dual credit programs. The total student headcount on campus (without these students) is 6,357, a decrease of 2.7% over the same metric last year.

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Down 7.5%

After a 2.5% increase in students last year, the Macomb campus saw those gains erased through a 7.5% enrollment decrease this year. Westerns total of 7,073 make for the smallest student body at WIU in at least five years.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Down 0.9%

NIU reported its third straight decrease, although the fall 2023 decline is the smallest in recent years at less than 1%. Enrollment in DeKalb stands at 15,504. It was 16,609 just four years ago.

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY

Up 1.5%

Illinois State posted an increase in students for the second straight year and, like SIU, welcomed its largest freshman class in three decades. Total enrollment at ISU now stands at 20,989.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY EDWARDSVILLE

Down 3.8%

Fall enrollment at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is down 3.8% for the second year in a row. Currently, 12,045 students are attending SIUE, down from 12,519 last year and 13,010 in the fall of 2021, meaning there are 965 fewer students at SIUE than just two years ago.

In May, the university boasted that it had attracted a record number of admission applications for the fall semester.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Down 0.4%

Despite having its largest-ever freshman class and the most undergraduates ever at 35,467, the University of Illinois fall semester total enrollment of 56,403 shows a slight decrease over last year  0.4%. The reason? The number of new graduate students enrolled did not keep pace with those who graduated with advanced degrees in the past year.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY & MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY

Universities in Kentucky and Missouri are not required to report enrollment figures until later in the year. Southeast Missouri State University had 9,927 students last year, an increase of 0.8% over fall 2021. Murray State University reported total enrollment of 9,644 for fall semester 2022, an increase of 2.3% over the previous year.

LOOKING AHEAD

Universities may have their work cut out for them for future years. Jana Albrecht, vice president for enrollment management at Illinois State University, told The Pantagraph of a potential enrollment cliff, given long-term projections of how many Illinois high school students will graduate in the future.

She said information from both the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education indicates the number of high school graduates to be somewhat stable through the 2024-25 school year, however, some groups project 2,500-3,000 fewer students in the class or 2026.

Brendan Denison of The Pantagraph contributed to this article.

Close Students pass through the breezeway at Faner Hall on the SIU campus as rain and strong winds passed through the area in February in Carbondale. Students walk along the Campus Lake Trail on a mild Tuesday afternoon on the SIU campus in Carbondale. Mild temperatures stick around the region on Wednesday, but rain is forecast for most of the day. A student uses an umbrella while riding his bike through the SIU campus on a rainy Wednesday morning in Carbondale. GOING UP A student goes up the steps at the Engineering Building on the SIU campus on a sunny afternoon on Monday in Carbondale. Dont expect to see much sun the next few days as wintry weather is expected to arrive Tuesday evening. A small snowman adorns the outside of Morris Library on the SIU campus on Wednesday morning in Carbondale. Overnight snow canceled classes at many schools in the region, but only caused a delay in the start of classes at SIU. CHILLY RECEPTION Students pass by an icy holly tree near the Life Science Building on the SIU campus on a cold Monday afternoon in Carbondale. Overnight freezing rain made for slippery conditions in the morning and a mix of wintry precipitation late in the day created some slick spots on roads. Students walk by the partially frozen fountain in the plaza near Faner Hall on the SIU campus as the sun begins to thaw things out on Wednesday in Carbondale. A student is framed by blossoming cherry trees while walking along Lincoln Drive on the SIU campus on a mild, but windy, Monday morning in Carbondale. SIU student Rufayda Adam takes photos of a flowering magnolia tree on campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. Adam was sending the photos to her mother in Sudan where there arent flowering trees. A student walks through the SIU campus near Pulliam Hall during a rain shower on Tuesday in Carbondale. More rain is in the forecast each day through Friday. Students pass through the SIU campus past blooming redbuds and azaleas on a pleasant Thursday in Carbondale. A rainy and stormy day is forecast for Friday with highs in the 60s. A student passes through Thompson Woods on the SIU campus as showers pass through the region on Thursday in Carbondale. Cooler, but drier, weather is in the forecast the rest of the week with a gradual warming trend expected through the weekend. A student cruises on a scooter past a flowering dogwood near Browne Auditorium on the SIU campus on a pleasant Wednesday in Carbondale. The mild weather is forecast to continue through Friday before a chance of showers returns on Saturday. A young white-tailed deer buck eats leaves from a tree on the west side of the SIU campus on Tuesday morning in Carbondale. A bicyclist passes along Douglas Drive on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is in store for the region through the weekend. A white-tailed deer peers out from behind foliage in Thompson Woods on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. DANDY DAISIES A jogger passes by blooming daisies and catnip near Altgeld Hall on the SIU campus on Thursday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is forecast into the weekend before rain is expected to return on Sunday. A walker passes by arrows on the Campus Lake Trail on Wednesday on the SIU campus in Carbondale. The arrows were used to direct competitors in the Saluki Triathlon last weekend. STROLLING ON WHEELS Anthony Fletcher skateboards through one of the breezeways at Faner Hall on the SIU campus on Monday afternoon in Carbondale. A worker cleans the exterior windows of one of the lounges at Neely Hall dormitory on the SIU campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. Campus Collection The best shots from the campus of Southern Illinois University during the first half of 2023 Students pass through the breezeway at Faner Hall on the SIU campus as rain and strong winds passed through the area in February in Carbondale. Students walk along the Campus Lake Trail on a mild Tuesday afternoon on the SIU campus in Carbondale. Mild temperatures stick around the region on Wednesday, but rain is forecast for most of the day. A student uses an umbrella while riding his bike through the SIU campus on a rainy Wednesday morning in Carbondale. GOING UP A student goes up the steps at the Engineering Building on the SIU campus on a sunny afternoon on Monday in Carbondale. Dont expect to see much sun the next few days as wintry weather is expected to arrive Tuesday evening. A small snowman adorns the outside of Morris Library on the SIU campus on Wednesday morning in Carbondale. Overnight snow canceled classes at many schools in the region, but only caused a delay in the start of classes at SIU. CHILLY RECEPTION Students pass by an icy holly tree near the Life Science Building on the SIU campus on a cold Monday afternoon in Carbondale. Overnight freezing rain made for slippery conditions in the morning and a mix of wintry precipitation late in the day created some slick spots on roads. Students walk by the partially frozen fountain in the plaza near Faner Hall on the SIU campus as the sun begins to thaw things out on Wednesday in Carbondale. A student is framed by blossoming cherry trees while walking along Lincoln Drive on the SIU campus on a mild, but windy, Monday morning in Carbondale. SIU student Rufayda Adam takes photos of a flowering magnolia tree on campus on Tuesday in Carbondale. Adam was sending the photos to her mother in Sudan where there arent flowering trees. A student walks through the SIU campus near Pulliam Hall during a rain shower on Tuesday in Carbondale. More rain is in the forecast each day through Friday. Students pass through the SIU campus past blooming redbuds and azaleas on a pleasant Thursday in Carbondale. A rainy and stormy day is forecast for Friday with highs in the 60s. A student passes through Thompson Woods on the SIU campus as showers pass through the region on Thursday in Carbondale. Cooler, but drier, weather is in the forecast the rest of the week with a gradual warming trend expected through the weekend. A student cruises on a scooter past a flowering dogwood near Browne Auditorium on the SIU campus on a pleasant Wednesday in Carbondale. The mild weather is forecast to continue through Friday before a chance of showers returns on Saturday. A young white-tailed deer buck eats leaves from a tree on the west side of the SIU campus on Tuesday morning in Carbondale. A bicyclist passes along Douglas Drive on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is in store for the region through the weekend. A white-tailed deer peers out from behind foliage in Thompson Woods on the SIU campus on Wednesday in Carbondale. DANDY DAISIES A jogger passes by blooming daisies and catnip near Altgeld Hall on the SIU campus on Thursday in Carbondale. More pleasant weather is forecast into the weekend before rain is expected to return on Sunday. A walker passes by arrows on the Campus Lake Trail on Wednesday on the SIU campus in Carbondale. The arrows were used to direct competitors in the Saluki Triathlon last weekend. STROLLING ON WHEELS Anthony Fletcher skateboards through one of the breezeways at Faner Hall on the SIU campus on Monday afternoon in Carbondale. A worker cleans the exterior windows of one of the lounges at Neely Hall dormitory on the SIU campus on Tuesday in Carbondale.
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  A home health provider will end its services in Alabama at the end of September and lay off nearly 800 employees soon after, blaming the state's refusal to expand Medicaid.

Chicago-based Help at Home informed the Alabama Department of Commerce of its upcoming closure and layoffs in a WARN notice, which employers are required to file ahead of such moves.

Help at Home spokesperson Kristen Trenaman told AL.com that its Alabama operations will cease Sept. 30, when the company's annual contracts with the state expires. The layoffs of 785 employees, which are scattered throughout all 67 counties in the state, will be effective Nov. 4, she said.

"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," Trenaman said in an email.

Alabama is one of 10 states that hasn't accepted federal funding to expand its Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and has some of the strictest income-based eligibility requirements in the country.

Advocates and legislators say an estimated 300,000 people could gain Medicaid coverage through an expansion. So far, the state has blamed cost  an estimated $225.4 million per year  for its lack of expansion. Yet, in 2023 alone, Alabama passed on more than $2 billion in federal money for Medicaid.

Help at Home, which provides services for elderly and disabled patients, has operated in Alabama since 1975 and has five offices across the state. Trenaman said the company is working with the state and the Administration on Aging, a nationwide network on aging overseen by the federal government, to connect its clients and their caregivers with other providers.

The company will offer severance and retention packages to its full-time employees in Alabama, Trenaman said.

Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term Jesse White.JPG JB Piitzker 13 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 12 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 11 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 10 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 9 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 7 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 5 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 3 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 2 010923.JPG JB Piitzker 1 010923.JPG Juliana Stratton 1 010923.JPG Stratton 2 010923.JPG Alex Giannoulias 1 010923.JPG Alex Giannoulias 2 010923.JPG Michael Frerichs 010923.JPG 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball 011023-illinois-ball Tiffany Mathis 1 011023.JPG dance gov 7 010923.JPG dance gov 13 010923.JPG dance gov 12 010923.JPG dance gov 11 010923.JPG dance gov 10 010923.JPG dance gov 9 010923.JPG dance gov 8 010923.JPG
COLUMBIA -- Gov. Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Technical College System announced that 32,426 South Carolinians have earned an industry credential through McMaster's Workforce Scholarships for the Future program.

The program provides scholarships to cover the cost of tuition and required fees at any of South Carolina's 16 technical colleges for any adult or recent high school graduate to pursue an industry credential or associate degree in high-demand career fields like manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, education, or logistics.

"As South Carolina continues to attract major investments and tens of thousands of new jobs, developing our workforce is more important than ever," McMaster said.

"Workforce Scholarships for the Future provide our people with the opportunity to learn the skills needed to take on these available, high-paying jobs and show current employers that South Carolina's workforce is ready to adapt to their needs. These scholarships are still available, so spread the word that there are good-paying jobs out there, and if you do the work, South Carolina will train you for them."

In early 2021, McMaster invested $12 million in Governors Emergency Education Relief Funds (GEER Funds) in the S.C. Technical College System to train South Carolinians for available, high-demand jobs in the state.

By the end of the year, the program reskilled and employed 5,000 South Carolinians. Due to the program's success, McMaster formally created Workforce Scholarships for the Future in November 2021.

In July 2022, McMaster announced an additional $25 million investment into the program.

"Our 16 colleges are committed to making higher education affordable and accessible for the citizens of South Carolina. This scholarship opens doors for South Carolinians, helping them get the training and education they need to work in high-demand fields across our state," said Dr. Tim Hardee, president of the S.C. Technical College System. "Together, we are working to build a ready, skilled workforce."

In total, McMaster has awarded $55.6 million in GEER Funds to the S.C. Technical College System for Workforce Scholarships for the Future. As of July 31, 2023, $44.3 million has been expended at an average cost of $1,367 per student.

We have more people working in South Carolina today than ever before, and Gov. McMaster is making sure that South Carolinians have every opportunity to be part of our thriving economy and workforce, said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Executive Director William Floyd.

Scholarship recipients are required to maintain a 2.0 grade-point average and complete one of the following requirements:

 Complete 100 hours of volunteer time at a nonprofit or public-service organization; or

 Be employed; or

 Take a financial literacy course offered at the technical college.

The General Assembly provided $93.7 million in the 2023-24 state budget to continue this initiative through the South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship program.
Orangeburg County School District is dedicating Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, to observe Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month.

The district is calling upon students, staff and community members to wear turquoise on Sept. 20 as a visible pledge of unity and awareness. The observance underscores OCSD's commitment to creating a support system for the mental well-being of everyone in the school community.

"Suicide is a complex and difficult subject, but we must talk about it openly to remove the stigma and encourage those who are struggling to seek help," said Joyce McDaniel-Felder, OCSD mental health facilitator. "We believe in fostering an environment where every student knows that their life matters and that they have a community that cares."

US-NEWS-CDC-TEEN-FEMALE-MENTALHEALTH-GET A bookmark for children with the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline emergency telephone number is displayed by Lance Neiberger, a volunteer with 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34.

"The stigma associated with mental health issues and seeking help is one of the most significant barriers to prevention," McDaniel-Felder said. "It's time to change the narrative. The conversation must start with us, and it must start now. No one should have to suffer in silence."

It is important to recognize certain risk factors that can elevate the likelihood of suicidal thoughts or actions. These include, but are not limited to, feelings of hopelessness, history of trauma or abuse, and ongoing challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts or tendencies should dial 988 for the Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7, or 911 for emergency services in the U.S. For local resources, Community Crisis Response and Intervention can be reached at 833-364-2274.

For more information, contact Joyce McDaniel-Felder at joyce.felder@ocsdsc.org
I had a lot of good memories of the school, said Betty Milhouse Hunter, a member of the Orangeburg High School class of 1953.

She was among a dozen of her classmates who gathered for their 70th reunion at Dukes Bar-B-Q on Whitman Street in May.

Hunter, 87, fondly remembered having met her husband, the late Willard Glenn Hunter, while in high school, where she was a friend of his sister.

His family moved to Orangeburg, although he hadnt at the time, but I was a good friend of his sister. We just celebrated her 88th birthday. I met him through her, and we were married 68 years, said Hunter, a lifelong Orangeburg resident.

Patricia Pat Boyleston Yonce, 87, of Johnston, South Carolina, and Bobbie Devore Jones, 87, of Clemson were also among the reunited class members, some of whom traveled from as far Myrtle Beach and Winston-Salem, North Carolina to be at the celebration.

Weve had a reunion every five years, but when the 50th came, we had it every year from then on, Yonce said, with the exception of when the pandemic hit in 2020.

Jones, who organized this years event with Yonce, said the two felt that the 70th reunion was a milestone event worthy of celebration.

We thought thats what we needed to aim for, and thats what we did, Jones said, noting that fellow classmate Brown Bradley of Myrtle Beach sang on Broadway and at their class reunion with The Lords Prayer.

There were nearly 100 members of the OHS class of 1953. Jones said 46 have been found to still be alive.

She said shes traveled a lot, but is glad to have attended Orangeburg High School, where valuable friendships were made.

Ill sit down to talk to friends from other countries and certainly from those in the states, too. I just think how blessed we were to have Orangeburg High School, Jones said.

Yonce said, Youd be surprised how many of my classmates are on my prayer list. Theyve been there for years and years. We have a bond.

Hunter said, I enjoyed taking shorthand. I cannot do it now, but I ended up being a medical secretary for three of the doctors in Orangeburg. That was because I was able to type on a regular typewriter.

I never did have a computer there except to do bills. I got to go to work when I was in the 12th grade. Orangeburg High School gave me a good start. I had some good friends there, forever friends. I had a lot of good memories of the school.

Jones said she also recalled some of the crazy people in our class.

Yonce said, Oh goodness, yes, and some of the crazy teachers we had, like one who stepped up on the chair and fell through and broke her leg. She said, I am standing on the floor. She got up in the chair and said, I am standing on the chair. The chair fell, she fell and some little boy back there said, Now you are on the floor.

She continued, But she was a good teacher because I remember everything she taught me. She taught me how to spell principal. If a principal at school, its your pal, p-a-l. Its surprising what you remember that your teacher taught you.

Jones said, She was so interested in it. She wanted to teach, she wanted to help you to do better. So thats my memory.

Yonce said, I also remember the good times we had playing ball and things like that . I love everybody, and I think they loved me. I know the boys did from the things they wrote in my annual.

She said she regretted not having participated in the Glee Club under the direction of the late C. Frederick Ulmer, noting you could never find anybody better than C. Frederick Ulmer.

Jones said it was good seeing everyone at the reunion, though many class members had someone come with them for assistance.

It was good, so good. (Classmate) Henry Allen started out talking. They said something about coming back next year. We all were thinking about coming back next year. He said, You know, Id drive across the country to come and see my friends. So I think that was real nice, she said.

Yonce said it was heartwarming to be able to reconnect with some of her classmates.

I send pictures with my phone to all of them after weve had a reunion. Henry Allen writes back the sweetest things. He just cant believe how we have kept this together so long and how much he appreciates it. I mean, these people that come, they come because they want to be here. They love it. I really think that, she said.

Hunter said, I remember the 50th reunion. Thatll ever be in my memories because it started out at Camp Anderson. Some of these men and women I hadnt seen since high school. After it was over, I didnt want to leave. It was so good.

Orangeburg attorney Tom Bryant, who was about two years younger than her and her classmates, shared history from the school at the reunion.

Tom Bryant was so good. We almost thought that we were back in those days. He was talking about who lived on this corner and all that, but hes really good. He comes to our reunion because we just think so much of him. He helps us so much, she said.

Jones and Yonce arent sure what next years celebration will look like, but say it may be held on a smaller scale.

Hunter said, Its just always so good to see everybody. I remember them like they were when they were young. In my head, I cant get it that were all up there now.

Other class members who participated in the reunion included: Mary Sue Gramling McGee; Billy Tyler; Brooks Jackson; Sonny Briggman; Leslie Edwards; Cecil Cave; Martha Rose Camp Carson and Edith Davis Evans.
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KI is planning a huge homecoming for Carnival 2024.

KI (Kris Persad) and his family band 3Veni have been noticeably absent from the fete circuit for the past five years.

The Toronto, Canada-based former chutney soca monarch says he is longing for the one place where he is at home: the Carnival stage.
EIGHT MEN were slain between Sunday night and yesterday, among them the multiple killings of
As we sit in the comfort of our Caribbean homes and look on in horror at the merciless genoc
Paramedics wheel a stretcher out of the main building of the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday, after opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, whose health has deteriorated during a hunger strike, refused to be taken to a hospital. Joint Press Corps



Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung refused to be taken to a hospital Sunday despite his failing health caused by a weekslong hunger strike, officials said.



Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) entered the 18th day of his fast the same day to protest what he has called the "incompetent and violent" government of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The action came as Lee has been under investigation over corruption allegations.



DP officials said they called an ambulance to the main building of the National Assembly at the recommendation of doctors to quickly send Lee to a hospital.



However, the opposition leader, who has been staging the hunger strike at his office, strongly refused and insisted on continuing his fast, the officials said.



The ambulance and the paramedics called to the scene were sent back.



DPK officials said they will continue to persuade Lee to enter a hospital. (Yonhap)


PHOENIX  Two groups of airport workers are speaking out about what they say are dangerous working conditions and low wages at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Concession workers contracted by SSP America voted on Sept. 1 to authorize a strike after negotiations between the union, UNITE HERE Local 11, and the employer broke down. As of Wednesday, there were no plans for the workers to walk out.

Service workers contracted by Prospect Airport Services filed a complaint with the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health on Sept. 6, alleging violations of federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. Service workers include employees who handle bags, clean airplane cabins, assist passengers in wheelchairs and more.

Both groups say workers are subjected to extreme heat or unclean work areas, in addition to being underpaid and denied benefits. Patricia Ray, a bartender at Sky Harbor, spoke at a Phoenix City Council meeting about her experience.

I love my job and I love welcoming visitors to our beloved state, but working at SSP has made it difficult for me to afford my bills, Ray told council members on Sept. 6. Additionally, Ray said she only makes about $400 every two weeks after taxes.

According to an unreleased study from Worker Power Institute and Grand Canyon Institute, 60% of airport employees who work at least 30 hours per week make under $800 per week.

Ray and other UNITE HERE Local 11 members gathered outside of city hall to distribute food to members and prepare to speak before city council, which approves airport contracts for employers like SSP and Prospect.

Ray told Cronkite News that a strike would not be just to advocate for SSP workers, but also to inspire other airport workers, as well.

This strike is advocating for those that dont have a voice, for those that have been suppressed in their work environments, she said. The strike also is giving people hope, letting people know that were here for you. And as much as it is personal for me, its as personal for those other employees that work in that airport, as well.

A spokesperson for Sky Harbor declined to comment about the strike vote and the complaint but said that the airport takes measures to protect employees from extreme heat, including postponing noncritical outdoor work, scheduling such work at night and encouraging employees to take frequent breaks and hydrate.

At a press conference Sept. 6, Prospect workers spoke about their experiences at Sky Harbor, including Linda Ressler, a cabin cleaner.

Over the course of the last few months, I have experienced nearly every symptom of heat illness, Ressler said at the press conference. Ive suffered from extreme fatigue, weakness, headaches, vomiting, muscle cramps, loss of coordination and nausea.

Ressler is one of four employees listed in the complaint filed by Prospect workers. The complaint alleges that workers dont receive adequate breaks to cool down; dont have access to cool, clean water; and dont receive appropriate medical care when experiencing heat-related illness at work.

Victoria Stahl, communications organizer for UNITE HERE Local 11, said the conditions reported by both groups are not unusual or new.

These conditions have always been the reality for so many workers, the hidden reality for workers, Stahl said. People dont want to see this side of the city, people want to go to the airport, they want to get on their plane with their latte and make sure that they make it on time. It doesnt come across (to) the everyday person what it takes to make that happen.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents the service workers, points to the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act as a possible solution. The proposed federal law would set a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour and benefit standards for airport workers, including security officers, food service workers, cleaning staff, ticketing agents and retail service workers.

Janae Van De Kerk, a passenger service assistant employed by Prospect, said the workers just want to receive the same federal protections that pilots and flight attendants do.

Most of us really love our job; we really enjoy working with the passengers and everything, Van De Kerk said. Its not like were unhappy with the job itself. Its the conditions. We just want better conditions and to have a voice in whats happening.
Flowing Wells Unified School Districts Governing Board has an open spot due to the retirement of longtime member Jim Love.

Love has been a fixture at Flowing Wells Unified since 2001, as a board member and a familiar face at events, the districts website states.

The office of Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams is heading the process to replace Love.

Qualified candidates who would like to be considered for the vacancy must submit an affidavit of qualification and candidate appointment questionnaire to the office by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13.

The application packet is at: schools.pima.gov/elections. Completed application packets must be either hand-delivered to the county school superintendents office at 200 N. Stone Ave. or emailed to matthew.stamp@pima.gov.

The term for the eventual appointee will run through Dec. 31, 2024. The position will be on the November 2024 general election ballot as a four-year term.

According to ARS 15-302: Within thirty days after notification of a vacancy, the school district governing board may submit up to three names to the county school superintendent for consideration of an appointment to fill the vacancy. The county school superintendent is not required to appoint a governing board member from the list of names submitted by the governing board.

TUSD celebrating

Tucson Unified School District is celebrating Mes de la Cultura (Hispanic Heritage Month) Sept. 15 until Oct. 15.

The celebration kicked off at Pueblo High School Friday, and the district is hosting a citywide Mes de la Cultura art contest.

TUSDs Mexican American Student Services department also will have special guests bring the party to classrooms to visit students and share a culturally relevant book, story or activity.

Mes de la Cultura is a nationwide celebration of the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Gregory students advance

Six Gregory School seniors are 2024 National Merit Semifinalists.

Riley Blute, Skylar Dehnert, Heath Folks-Duncan, Emil Jiralerspong, Carson Lo and Axel Schulz placed among the top scorers out of the 1.3 million students to take the 2022 PSAT/NMSQT.

They have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered in the spring.

Election pamphlets

Voter information pamphlets detailing local school district bond and override proposals on the Nov. 7 ballot are available.

Pamphlets are available in English and Spanish at schools.pima.gov/elections/bond-and-override-election-information.

Pima County school districts seeking voter approval for overrides or bond issues are: Altar Valley Elementary School District, Sahuarita Unified School District, Tucson Unified School District, Flowing Wells Unified School District and Sunnyside Unified School District.

Wishes for Teachers

The Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program will donate the most money it has yet given to Arizona teachers for use in their classrooms.

Recipients will be determined by an application process, including details about the teachers school or classroom need and how each $2,500 grant would be used.

Applications opened on Sept. 5 and close at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. They can be submitted at WishesForTeachers.org.

Created in 2016, the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program grants classroom wishes to K-12 public and charter teachers across the state.
Family and friends gathered Saturday to commemorate the death of a 14-year-old Marana High School student who was fatally struck last week while running across Interstate 10.

Yvanna Vejar, 14, died early Sept. 9 when she was struck by two vehicles near the Marana Road exit.

She said over Labor Day Weekend, Mom, you dont have any idea how popular I am, who Yvanna is,  said her mom, Maria Vejar, while about 30 family and friends gathered for a brief ceremony Saturday afternoon at San Lucas Community Park in Marana. It followed a remembrance during a mass at St. Christopher Catholic Church earlier in the afternoon and coincided with a quinceanera for one of Vejars friends. And honestly, Ive seen and Im feeling it here.

Vejar said she does not know what led her daughter and two friends to run across the interstate after leaving the house for a late-night snack.

I do know this was not the first time theyve done that, she said. I think this was her time, unfortunately, we all have our time.

Yvanna had just finished her fourth week of freshman year at Marana High School.

Born in Tucson and raised in Marana, Vejar aspired to become a YouTube personality when she grew up.

You couldnt even get mad at her, at all. She was too much of a straight-out, no-filter; she was very loving, caring, outgoing, social ... She was just Yvanna, thats it, Vejar said of her teen daughter.

She was passionate of everything, she had hardly any nos for anything.

Vejar said she will honor her daughters wish and have her buried in Sonora, next to her grandmother. She was spoiled by her grandmother, a lot, Vejar said.

Vejar said memories of her late daughter was helping her cope.

Knowing that she would be telling me that everythings going to be OK, Vejar said, Thats why Im doing OK.

Marana Unified School District has provided support to the family, students and staff, a district spokeswoman said.

The students presence will be greatly missed on campus, and we send our sincere condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time, the district said in a written statement.

Across Arizona, 1,294 traffic fatalities were recorded in 2022, the second-most of any year on record, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Pedestrian deaths account for 302 of those deaths, ADOT says.

Along with her mom, Yvonna is also survived by her older brother Jason, and her two sisters, Fernanda and Xiomara.

A GoFundMe page created by a family friend had raised nearly $5,000 before new donations were disabled prior to the two events.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the history, contributions, and achievements of Hispanics in the United States. A time to show who we are, to share our stories, but more importantly, to lean into our Poder Hispano (Hispanic Empowerment).

What is El Poder Hispano?

El Poder Hispano is a mindset, a belief that we can accomplish what we set our minds to, and a commitment to help pave the way for future generations. As members of this community, we are all responsible for contributing to the advancement of Hispanics in this country.

As we join this years celebration, lets ask ourselves, What can I do?

While weve come a long way, much more is needed. According to a report by Latino Parent Voices, 33% of Latino families reported not having regular access to the internet, and many only have access through their smartphones.

What can we do to help Hispanics connect to greater possibilities?

Each of us can play an essential role in helping bridge the digital divide in the Tucson Hispanic community. Every single action, big or small, can positively impact someones life. Look around your immediate circle of friends and family and see what needs you can act on. Donate a laptop or tablet to a family who doesnt have access to one. Tutor on basic digital skills like setting up email, making video calls, or download a translating app.

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities in our communities where we can apply our skills to help build the foundation for the development and success of future generations. Local libraries and adult schools offer bilingual digital literacy programs that you can support. Reach out and ask how you can help. If you speak Spanish, these centers can significantly use your bilingual skills.

Leverage your social platforms to be a positive influence in your community.

Sure, we all love seeing fun content on our social media feedsbut learning about jobs, programs and resources that can help us succeed can have a lasting impact.

Generating awareness is key for programs to reach their potential audience. This year, the Public Library Association and AT&T launched a free self-paced online course to help families apply for the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to receive up to $30 a month off their internet service. The course is available in Spanish and offers an in-depth overview about the federal broadband benefits available through the ACP, as well as how to determine eligibility and apply.

Approximately 1 in 5 Americans who do not use the internet cite cost as the key factor. Being aware of programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program can make the difference between a family you know having access to internet service or not. Lets put our social media profiles to good use by sharing inspirational content and beneficial information for our community.

How can you support the next generation of Hispanic leaders?

Impostor syndrome is real, especially when you are a first-generation immigrant from Mexico like me. As we start our careers, many of us can suffer from the inability to believe that our success is deserved and is a result of our own efforts or skills. To help change this mindset, share your success story, and help young Hispanics navigate corporate America  which can be a scary place for first-generation professionals.

Check with your professional network and see where you can be of service. Your employer may have employee resource groups that offer help in connecting individuals with shared backgrounds and interests.

For example, HACEMOS, a group of more than 7,500 AT&T Hispanic employees, support each others professional development and create opportunities to give back to the communities where they live and work. The group also works year-round to raise funds for the HACEMOS Scholarship Program to benefit students pursuing higher education. This year, HACEMOS granted more than 100 scholarships to Hispanic students across the country. Since the beginning of the program, HACEMOS has raised more than $4 million for Hispanic students.

If the company you work for currently does not have an employee resource group you can connect with, start one or look for others outside your company.

The power of working together.

This year as we see corporations and community organizations celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, dont leave yourself out of the equation  your actions can be just as impactful.

Feliz Hispanic Heritage Month!
Jason Collington Tulsa World Editor Follow Jason Collington 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 almost 40 years on Tulsa television, LeAnne Taylor will be presented with the Tulsa Press Clubs Tulsa Media Icon Award. Taylor is known for covering the biggest stories in the state who also shared her most personal saga  fighting and surviving breast cancer.

The Tulsa Media Icon award is given to a local journalist who consistently exemplifies the highest quality and commitment to journalism and journalistic ethics.

The awards luncheon will be Thursday, Sept. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vista at 21, 21 N. Greenwood Ave.

The Tulsa Press Club was founded in 1906 and its mission is to build an engaged community through the pursuit and support of ethical journalism. Previous winners include former Tulsa World Executive Editor Susan Ellerbach, former Tulsa World Editorial Page Editor Alex Adwan and TV anchors Betty Boyd and Carole Lambert.

I want to share this award first and foremost, because you dont get to this position without a bunch of people, Taylor said. Not only my co-workers, my bosses, but my family and friends. You dont travel this journey alone, and I want to share that spotlight. Im really excited because my mom and my daughter are going to be there. A lot of people saw the sacrifices. Theyve seen what Ive gone through, you know, my breast cancer journey was very public, because I felt like I want I wanted to help people see that its not a death sentence.

Our goal is to reflect whatever our experiences are, let that help others, whether it is something positive or negative.

Taylor grew up living between Collinsville and Oologah but went to school in Tulsa at Holland Hall. The Oral Roberts University graduate went into journalism after being Miss Tulsa and a runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma pageant.

Just after she started working at the morning show for News on 6, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 41.

At the luncheon, Taylor will reflect on her career and talk about the biggest stories she has worked on.

LeAnne Taylor is the ultimate media icon, said Jeromee Scot, News on 6 and Tulsa CW assistant news director. I cant wait to celebrate her impact on local journalism.

News on 6s Dave Davis will be the master of ceremonies. Sponsorships and tickets are available for the event. Learn more at tinyurl.com/mediaicon2023.

The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today.
Michael Dekker Tulsa World Business Writer Follow Michael Dekker 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

To see the mark of a Tulsa design firm, only a short drive, or even a walk, is all thats required.

Its amazing. To drive down the street and be able to look, left and right, and everywhere you go and think We designed that, said GH2 Architects Principal Steve Jaggers.

But not only did we design that, its exactly what the client wanted. It met their budget, it met their goals. The vernacular matches what they really perceived as a very great project.

GH2 recently marked its 50th anniversary, with more than 20 years headquartered at 320 S. Boston Ave. in downtown Tulsa.

The firm, which began in Oklahoma City in 1973, now has 100 employees. It has designed more than 3,500 new projects and renovations in 48 states and 13 countries.

They include everything from government buildings, hotels, event centers, schools and churches to mixed-use commercial and residential structures.

Among its clients are the State of Oklahoma (state Capitol complex renovations), municipalities, many state and out-of-state universities, school districts, commercial entities and nonprofits.

But designing a new or refurbishing an existing structure is anything but standard, several GH2 principals said during a recent interview with the Tulsa World.

Some projects  such as federal or city structures  are very specific with mandated specifications and other factors, while others are much more fluid, they said, depending on the client and the purpose.

And even if the purpose of a structure is clear for a client, there may be different visions of what it should look like.

Some of our clients are essentially boards of directors, said Principal Cara Hall. And you do get a lot of different opinions about how to get to achieving their goal.

We work through that process with them to gain consensus and help them understand what options are available and (help them) come to an agreement on what they want, she said.

At the same time, we do have clients who come in and say, I want this, but I dont really know what it looks like or how big it is or anything like that, and we help define that with them, Hall said.

Technology also helps with allowing clients to see a project beforehand and more easily make changes at the design level.

To some degree the technology really is there, where clients can experience their project, virtually, where we can kind of walk through it. And they can experience that beforehand, said Principal Reid Burton.

Having that technology available, where they can experience the space and feel the textures and raw materials at the time, really cuts down on all the changes, Burton said.

Principal Chris Seat added: One of the things we do, too, is bring different options.

We dont just go away and bring just one option back to them. We bring multiple options ... and sometimes its a mesh of several different options to create the project, Seat said.

GH2 also has a strategic plan, something many would not necessarily associate with an architecture firm.

To be successful, we have to take care of our clients, do a great job on their project, and take care of our team, said Principal Michael Hall.

The strategic planning just sort of lets us formalize all the day-to-day things that we have to do to continue doing a great job for our clients, who demand the very best service and high level of design.

And we want to hire and retain the very best people in our industry, and this sort of pulls all of those things together for us, with actionable steps, he said.

In addition to Tulsa, GH2 has offices in Oklahoma City and Mesa, Arizona (Phoenix metro).

It began as Gralla Architects after being established by Stan Gralla. It later changed names to GH2. It has won multiple awards over the years, including American Institute of Architects Eastern Oklahoma Firm of the Year in 2021, 2017 and 1992.

It was listed in the Top 5000 fastest-growing firms by Inc. Magazine in 2010.

I think one of the things that sets us aside as a firm  different than other firms in the area  is our culture and our people. We have a staff that has been here for a very long time, Jaggers said.

The tenure is pretty phenomenal as you look across the board, he said.

As we grow, we continue to have new people join, but our principal level  our associate principal level  many of them started right out of school or very early in their career and have planted seeds here and continued decades later to work for GH2, Jaggers said.

So I think that not only speaks to our culture and our work and lifestyle  very family-oriented  which is easy to say, and you hear that a lot, but it really is true here, he said.

Theres no good data out there that sort of charts the lifespan of the average architectural firm, Michael Hall said. But 50 years, especially 50 years with consistent, internal ownership transition, without a large, national firm coming in and purchasing us, is really a special thing in our industry and were really, really proud of that.



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Veterans who are able to defeat suicidal thoughts usually have at least one thing in common, said a local veteran who works in the mental health field.

Those who are successful have been able to find or create a safe environment  one where they feel like: All right, you get my culture; you get my language; youre not offended by the way I talk or the things I talk about. You get it; youve been there, said Aaron Ashworth, a 23-year Army veteran who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a licensed mental health professional and founder of Patriot Family Counseling Services in Broken Arrow, Ashworth is always thinking about how to better reach military veterans.

And he knows an opportunity like Suicide Prevention Awareness Month every September has its value. This year he is again among those taking advantage of it to bring more attention to veterans mental health.

Ashworth, an Oklahoma National Guard chaplain, said veterans usually know when they need help but not necessarily who or where to seek it.

One thing Id always hear people saying in veterans spaces is that they wanted to get help  they needed to get help  but they didnt feel like they had anyone they could rely on or talk to, he said.

As combat veterans especially, he added, we cant talk to our friends and our families because we dont want our trauma to traumatize them. And they havent been there. They havent been in our shoes. They dont know or understand the things that weve seen.

After hearing for so long from veterans that they didnt have a place to go, Ashworth decided: Why not just create that place?

He started Patriot as his private practice in 2019 and later expanded.

Today, it serves the Tulsa area as a full crisis, trauma and suicide-prevention clinic geared toward veterans, medical professionals and first responders. Patriot is a VA community provider, which allows veterans to use those benefits to ensure no out-of-pocket costs.

We focus in on high-crisis occupations dealing with a lot of high-crisis, high-trauma incidents, Ashworth said. Thats really the wheelhouse that we chose to get into.

Shannon Lucas, one of Patriots eight licensed clinicians, has been working with service members and their families for about 15 years. She had some experience with Ashworth in the field before getting her masters degree in social work, so when he built the foundation for Patriot, our dreams aligned, Lucas said.

She likened the recruiting process for the program to hunting unicorns because Patriot prioritizes hiring counselors with a military or first-responder background.

Its a very niche population as far as clinicians go, Lucas said. All of (Patriots counselors) have either served in the military or first-responder field or have worked for those organizations or are a military or first-responder spouse. So when we say we understand, we really do. Our lived experiences are their lived experiences.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was harmful to mental health, there was a silver lining, Ashworth said.

Even though it created isolation, depression and anxiety for a lot of people, in the veteran and first-responder community, it gave them time and an open door to seek out help. We saw an increase in participation.

Lucas said Patriot counselors pride themselves on being able to offer more to veterans than many other mental health clinics do.

We put them in environments they understand.  Can you imagine trying to teach a combat infantryman mindfulness with a YouTube video on a therapists couch? Thats not going to be successful, she said.

She described the setting Patriot might use to teach mindfulness: In a training room with Nerf guns, letting the subject focus on aiming at targets. As he centers his breathing, Im letting him know he already has this skill, Lucas said.

Another way Patriot is different, Lucas said: Everyone there is part of a similar culture in which firearms are not only considered normal but its understood that they provide a sense of safety. She said many combat veterans are terrified to seek mental health help for fear theyll be flagged as a danger to themselves or others.

In a PTSD state, constant fight or flight mode, that weapon provides them a sense of security, Lucas said. So taking that away makes it worse.

Ashworth said his message to fellow veterans is always the same.

Ive always had the mentality of we fought together; lets not end it there, he said. Whether youre in the military or in any kind of public service, youve been there; youve seen it; youve done it: Dont let your fight stop there. Youre a hero for a reason. So make sure that youre doing the things that are going to keep you healthy and strong in order for you to be that hero for your family and friends.

For more information on Patriot Family Counseling, call 539-367-2737 or email aaron@patriotcounseling.com.

Suicide awareness Oklahoma's rate of suicide among military veterans is significantly higher than the national veteran suicide rate, as well as the overall national suicide rate. If you are or a loved one is in crisis, call the mental health helpline: 988.

Anna Codutti contributed to this story.

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The Military Officers Association of Americas Green Country Chapter will be raising funds to support its various projects, including scholarships for local JROTC groups.

The group has set a Trivia Lasagna Dinner Fundraiser to be held at the Tulsa Elks Lodge, 5335 S. Harvard Ave, on Saturday, Sept. 30.

This will be the first fundraising activity the chapter has held in at least 10 years, officials said.

Funds raised will help sponsor activities and scholarships for local JROTC groups, surviving spouse activities and the chapters legislative advocacy efforts.

Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with trivia at 7 p.m. Group tables of eight cost $200. Individuals may attend for $25 and fill a community table. Trophies will be awarded for first and last place.

This year, the chapter awarded 13 local Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps groups with financial awards, certificates of achievement and MOAA medals.

For information or to reserve a table, contact Alta Segovia at altafsegovia51@gmail.com.

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(DONE)
Two major Chinese groups, including China Railway Group Limited (CREC) and Power China, expressed their interest in getting involved in infrastructure projects in Vietnam during their meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in China on Saturday.

The meetings took place on the occasion of the Vietnamese government leaders attendance at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit on Saturday and Sunday.

Chen Yun, chairman of the executive board of CREC, said the group is the contractor of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway project in Hanoi, a wind power project in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, and a tire factory in southern Tien Giang Province, with the contract value of US$640 million, $18.1 million, and $5 million, respectively.

He expressed his interest in engaging in the construction of approved railway projects in Vietnam.

In response, PM Chinh acknowledged CRECs operation experiences in Vietnam, affirming that the Vietnamese government welcomes foreign enterprises, including those from China, to expand investment and business in the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnam considers the development of infrastructure, including traffic facilities, as one of its strategic breakthroughs.

The Vietnamese government chief and the CREC chairman also discussed a plan to develop the 388-kilometer Hanoi-Lao Cai-Hai Phong railway in northern Vietnam.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R, 2nd) talks with Wang Xiaojun (L, 2nd), deputy general manager of Power China, in China, September 16, 2023. Photo: Duy Linh / Tuoi Tre

Wang Xiaojun, deputy general manager of Power China, also revealed the firms plans to invest in power and infrastructure projects in Vietnam.

PM Chinh hailed Power Chinas global business activities and its investment and business projects in Vietnam, saying the plans were in line with Vietnams strategic breakthroughs in infrastructure, including traffic and energy infrastructure.

He asked Power China to further work with Vietnamese agencies to execute projects, especially wind and solar power ones, in the spirit of harmonizing interests and sharing risks.

The Vietnamese official also welcomed Power China to join express railway projects in Vietnam in a feasible and effective manner.

During meetings with the two groups leaders, PM Chinh also emphasized the cooperation in conducting infrastructure projects linking the two countries, including high-speed railways, in which the two groups expressed their interest.

He suggested CREC and Power China work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises to further discuss the cooperation possibility.

Such projects will contribute to enhancing the trade cooperation between the two countries, PM Chinh said.

However, the firms have to ensure the progress, quality, and safety of projects as well as environmental protection.

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Defense and diplomacy should go hand in hand



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left Russia Sunday, heading back to Pyongyang nearly a week after he left it.



The postmortem of Kim's weeklong stay in Russia focuses on what he will get in return for providing additional munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine.



The Kremlin made two conflicting remarks in this regard.



On the one hand, it emphasized that President Vladimir Putin made no agreements with his North Korean counterpart. On the other, however, it hinted that the two countries could "cooperate in sensitive areas that cannot be made public."



It was a thinly veiled threat that Russia would help North Korea militarily, especially in areas that require advanced technology. Putin also stressed Russia would not violate any agreements regarding the Korean Peninsula. However, he made it clear that Moscow could help Pyongyang's development of satellites (technology that is identical to developing ICBMs).



For South Korea and the U.S., the Kim-Putin summit was a preview of how they can counter the Seoul-Washington alliance. Kim's visit to Russia's jet fighter factory and his inspection of strategic bombers, supersonic missiles and frigates showed his shopping list if circumstances allow. Russia will likely give or sell none of these anytime soon. Still, it at least left open the possibility.



Most evidence says that the display of the Putin-Kim bromance is more political than military, at least for now. The unity of two of the most alienated and disliked leaders worldwide aims to demonstrate to the West  and China  how much danger they can pose regionally and globally. Kim, who has given up mending fences with the U.S. since the abortive deal in Hanoi in 2019, appears to be returning to his country's old Cold War ally in order to prepare for the new Cold War, capitalizing on the U.S.-China rivalry and the Ukraine war.



For now, Russia is unlikely to do more than modernize North Korea's outdated weaponry and provide "humanitarian aid" such as food and fuel. Moscow will camouflage its support for satellite development as helping Pyongyang's space project, as Russia can ill afford to invite more international sanctions by aiding the North's nuclear weapons program. The world will see what specific agreements were made between Putin and Kim when their foreign and defense officials meet for follow-up talks. If Putin visits Pyongyang as he promised, political symbolism will magnify.



Therefore, it is natural that the U.S. has warned that allies will scrutinize all transactions between the two countries. For instance, they could focus on and block the inflows of weapons material to North Korea, including ammonium nitrate  used for making explosives as well as fertilizer.



South Korea must review and strengthen its defense posture to prepare for conventional, nuclear and cyber warfare. Seoul should also request Washington to help upgrade its war preparedness by revising the Korea-U.S. atomic energy agreement and missile-range accords and supporting the development of nuclear-powered submarines.



No less important are the diplomatic efforts  especially regarding China.



Beijing regards the close approach of Moscow and Pyongyang as both advantageous and disadvantageous. Suppose China adds force to the two countries and makes it a trilateral alliance. In that case, it will help Beijing deal with Washington for a global hegemonic war. Still, Russia's re-embrace of North Korea will weaken China's influence on the North and the region. Beijing also wants to differentiate itself from the two pariah states globally.



Some conservative politicians here were wrong to call for the sending of lethal weapons to Ukraine in retaliation. It will only justify the rogue nations' inhumane actions. National Security Council Chairman Cho Tae-yong was right when he vowed recently to try to realize Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Seoul. South Korea must reopen diplomacy with China.



The government must also dissuade Russia from getting too close to the North. Seoul must keep an open dialogue channel with Moscow, as the Kremlin expressed an intention to explain the summit outcome to South Korea.



President Yoon Suk Yeol must prove his "audacious" vision regarding North Korea is not just lip service. If that were the case, the two Koreas wouldn't be in the situation they're in now.




HAVANA -- Developing nations on Saturday declared September 16 the annual "Day of Science, Technology and Innovation in the South" as they prepared to wrap up a two-day summit on the subject.

"We note with deep concern the existing disparities between developed and developing countries in terms of conditions, possibilities and capacities to produce new scientific and technological knowledge," the final declaration of the G77 group of developing nations and China said.

"We call upon the international community, the United Nations System and the International Financial Institutions to support the efforts of the countries of the South to develop and strengthen their national science, technology and innovation systems," the organization, which now counts 134 countries, stated.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, chats next to Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira prior to his speech at the G77+ China summit in Havana, Cuba, September 16, 2023. Photo: Reuters

The statement cited the pandemic and unequal distribution of vaccines as an example, pointing out that all but Cuba's were developed outside the block and rich nations were disproportionately vaccinated.

China maintains that it is not a G77 member, despite being listed as one by the bloc, but Beijing says it has supported the group's legitimate claims and maintained cooperative relations.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, whose country holds the organization's presidency this year, said on Friday that U.N. data shows that 10 countries account for 90% of patents and 70% of exports of advanced digital production technologies.

"Creation and dissemination of advanced digital production technologies worldwide remain concentrated, with minor activity in most of the emerging economies," he said.

A live image of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel is displayed on a screen at the opening ceremony of the G77+China summit in Havana, Cuba, September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening ceremony of the G77+China summit in Havana, Cuba, September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters

The G77, which is the largest within the United Nations by population and number of members, called for a special meeting to tackle the issues raised at the summit.

The 46-point final declaration reiterates long-standing demands for a more equitable international economic and social order which it states is impossible without ending developed country technological domination.

At the same time, it calls for more cooperation between member nations in science, technology and innovation as strategies for their development.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told the gathering Saturday the group should promote sustainable industrialization, investment in renewable energy, in the bioeconomy and low-carbon agriculture "without forgetting that we do not have the same historical debt as rich countries for global warming."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Cuban former President Raul Castro pose for a family photo with other leaders attending the G77+China summit in Havana, Cuba, September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters

While more than 100 member delegations participated in the summit, only Brazil and a few dozen others were led by heads of state.
Fourteen people on a small jet died when the plane crashed in Brazil's northern Amazonas state on Saturday, the state's governor said.

The accident took place in the Barcelos province, some 400 km (248 miles) from the state capital, Manaus.

"I deeply regret the death of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the plane crash in Barcelos on Saturday," said Wilson Lima, Governor of Amazonas state on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Our teams have been working from the outset to provide the necessary support. My sympathy and prayers go out to their families and friends."

The Manaus Aerotaxi airline issued a statement confirming that there had been an accident and that it was investigating but offering no details about deaths or injuries.

"We count on respect for the privacy of those involved at this difficult time and will be available to provide all necessary information and updates as the investigation progresses," the statement said.

The Brazilian Air Force said in a statement that investigators from the Accident Investigation and Prevention Center had been called in to begin an investigation into the reasons for the crash of the small aircraft, an Embraer Bandeirante with the registration PT-SOG.

In an interview with O Globo newspaper, Governor Lima said that the bodies had already been removed from the aircraft and that the victims were Brazilian tourists.

Lima also added that the region faces heavy rainfall and the most likely cause of the accident was an error in the route taken at the time of landing.
STOCKHOLM - Winners of this year's Nobel Prizes will get an extra 1 million crowns, taking the total financial reward to 11 million Swedish crowns ($986,000), the Nobel Foundation, which administers the awards, said on Friday.

The prize money has been adjusted up and down in recent years and the award-givers said it was increasing the amount this year to reflect the Foundation's stronger financial position.

In 2012, prize money was reduced from 10 million crowns to 8 million as the Foundation looked to shore up its finances. The prize amount was increased to 9 million in 2017 and in 2020 to 10 million - where it was prior to 2012.

Over the last decade, however, the Swedish crown has lost around 30% of its value against the euro meaning the most recent increase in the value of the prize won't leave winners outside Sweden feeling much richer.

In 2013, the prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace - which were first awarded in 1901 - were worth around 1.2 million dollars, despite the cut in the Swedish currency sum to 8 million crowns.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is the first of this year's prizes and will be announced on October 2 followed by Physics, Chemistry, Literature and Peace on the following days.

($1 = 11.1570 Swedish crowns)
Both Vietnam and China attach great importance to their bilateral relations and consider the relationship with the other as a priority in their foreign policy, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang said during their talks in China on Saturday.

Their conversations took place on the occasion of the Vietnamese government leaders attendance at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) on Saturday and Sunday.

The two prime ministers lauded the progress in Vietnam - China ties over the past many years, especially after Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to China in late October last year.

PM Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese government, state, and Party aim to develop a stable and fine friendship with China, and see the Eastern Asian nation as a priority in Vietnams diplomatic strategy.

Meanwhile, PM Li Qiang underscored that China considers the relationship with Vietnam one of the top priorities in its general neighboring foreign policy.

China supports Vietnam in the development of socialism and is willing to cooperate with the latter to deepen bilateral ties, heard the talks.

The two sides reached a consensus on boosting all-level delegation exchanges and beefing up the multifaceted partnership.

The two nations will keep collaborating closely at regional and international forums and building peaceful and stable border and maritime areas.

The Vietnamese prime minister proposed China speed up its opening to Vietnams agricultural and fishery products, and facilitate the establishment of Vietnams trade promotion offices in Chengdu in Sichuan Province, as well as Haikou in Hainan Province.

PM Chinh said that Vietnam is willing to create conditions conducive to Chinese firms doing business in the Southeast Asian nation. The country is prioritizing tech projects and large-scale ones that benefit the economy and people.

The two nations should ramp up traffic connection and border infrastructure development, and join hands to construct some rail links in northern Vietnam to raise the capacity of goods transport, said the Vietnamese government leader.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang (R) highly values Vietnams significant contribution to the China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit. Photo: Duong Giang / Tuoi Tre

The enhanced cooperation in post-COVID-19 tourism recovery was also tabled during their talks.

The Chinese prime minister affirmed that China will continue opening its doors to Vietnamese goods, mainly high-quality farm produce and fishery products.

He was committed to further expanding Chinas import and export activities between the two countries, and upgrading border traffic infrastructure.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left side) holds talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in China, September 16, 2023. Photo: Nhat Bac / Tuoi Tre

The Chinese representative said that he had asked relevant ministries and agencies to proactively work with the Vietnamese side to cement a supply and manufacturing chain.

The Chinese government encourages Chinese residents to travel to Vietnam and throws its weight behind the launch of more Vietnam-China air services, he said.

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Ho Chi Minh City hosted the final round of Vietnams second rescue competition on Saturday, with the participation of 600 contestants.

The competition was aimed at enhancing the expertise of firefighters and rescue workers as well as enabling them to meet and exchange experience.

The participants were required to compete in such categories as rescue swimming, water rescue, 100-meter obstacle course plus rescue, and toxic environment rescue.

In the category of 100-meter obstacle course plus rescue, contestants needed to get through iron obstacles and perform rescue tasks.

This category required the participants to have good health, sufficient knowledge and rescue skills, and the skillful use of rescue equipment and vehicles to ensure the rescuers remained safe and the victims were saved swiftly.

A contestant joins a 100-meter obstacle course and rescue challenge. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

A contestant participates in a water rescue challenge. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Both Vietnam and China attach great importance to their bilateral relations and consider the relationship with the other as a priority in their foreign policy, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang said during their talks in China on Saturday on the occasion of the Vietnamese government leaders attendance at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) on Saturday and Sunday.

Society

-- The administration of Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi on Saturday fined a welder VND12.5 million (US$515.4) for unintentionally causing a fire at an under-construction six-floor housing project on the same day. The fire caused no casualties.

-- Nghe An Province in north-central Vietnam has scrapped a requirement banning residents of apartment buildings and blocks from charging electric vehicles in the basements of these buildings, a day after issuing the requirement as it caused a backlash.

-- Ho Chi Minh City plans to charge fees for the use of roadbeds and sidewalks in the metropolis from January 1 next year, according to a statement that the municipal Department of Transport submitted to the Peoples Committee.

Business

-- Two major Chinese groups, including China Railway Group Limited and Power China, expressed their interest in getting involved in projects in Vietnam during their meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in China on Saturday.

-- An under-construction factory worth $1 billion of Danish toy manufacturer LEGO Group in southern Binh Duong Province planned to begin recruiting 100 laborers late this year and 400 in 2024 so that it could start operating in the second half of next year, LEGO Group Vice President Preben Elnef said.

Lifestyle

-- Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago in Quang Ninh Province and neighboring Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam was officially recognized as UNESCO world natural heritage on Saturday night (Vietnam time).

World News

-- A plane crash in Brazil's northern Amazon state on Saturday has left 14 dead, Reuters reported, citing the state's governor.

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The demand for fire safety equipment has surged in Ho Chi Minh City following a fatal inferno at an apartment block that killed 56 people in Hanoi earlier this week.

Bui Van Trieu, a designer of fire prevention and fighting systems in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, has received many phone calls from his friends asking for advice on fire safety equipment, such as gas masks, rope ladders, and fire extinguishers.

Trieu said these friends, mainly living in apartment blocks and boarding houses, are worried after hearing news about the conflagration in Hanoi, which left 56 dead on Tuesday.

Everyone should buy [fire safety equipment] at prestigious stores with inspection stamps to avoid substandard products, Trieu said.

Meanwhile, Quang Truong, residing in Ho Chi Minh Citys outlying district of Nha Be, said he was anxious after reading news about the blaze in Hanoi, so he spent Saturday afternoon choosing a rope ladder and a fire extinguisher.

He added that he prepared the objects to respond to fires.

Although fire prevention and fighting devices are available at apartment buildings, it's advisable to stay vigilant, Truong said.

Similarly, Pham Thu Huyen, residing in Binh Thanh District, decided to spend her weekend seeking a rope ladder.

I read newspapers and knew that a family [in Hanoi] escaped the fire from the third floor thanks to a rope ladder, so I decided to immediately buy one, Huyen admitted.

An employee of Lua Viet Co. Ltd., a supplier of fire safety equipment in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, checks fire extinguishers before delivering them to customers. The companys orders have surged after the fire at an apartment block in Hanoi on September 12, 2023. Photo: Quoc Viet / Tuoi Tre

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters visited fire safety equipment stores on Nguyen Thai Binh and Calmette Streets in District 1 as well as Huynh Tan Phat Street in District 7, finding that sales of such products had skyrocketed.

Customers have had a higher demand for gas masks, rope ladders, and fire extinguishers.

Phuong, the owner of such a store on Calmette Street, said many products had been sold out.

Only two five-meter rope ladders are left as supply is short. The store has sold out those with a length of 20 meters and above each, the purveyor said.

Phuong added that suppliers had doubled the prices of fire safety products after the blaze in Hanoi. The store was resigned to accepting the rates due to the high demand.

Nevertheless, it is not easy to import such products.

Nguyen Linh, the owner of another fire safety equipment store on Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District, said he had received dozens of phone calls ordering fire safety equipment since Wednesday but the store had not had enough products for sale.

Earlier, gas masks or rope ladders saw no buyers. After the fire at the apartment block [in Hanoi], residents have rushed to buy [these products] and called me a lot, even placed pre-orders, Linh said.

He added that customers had to wait until next week to buy gas masks and the end of September to purchase rope ladders at his store.

Lua Viet Co. Ltd., a District 7-based supplier of fire safety equipment, has also faced a shortage of products.

The surging demand for fire safety equipment has led to the scarcity of some products. The company can now supply gas masks and fire extinguishers at stable prices, while customers have to place pre-orders for escape ladders and wait for two weeks to receive them, a representative of the company said.

Fire safety equipment has been also sold well on ecommerce sites but many consumers are hesitant to buy such products online as they have found it hard to check their quality and origin.

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Police in Da Nang City, central Vietnam announced on Saturday that they had arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly masterminding a loan shark ring worth over VND10.2 billion (US$420,532).

The suspect was identified as Pham Van Thong, a native of Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam.

In June this year, police officers discovered some non-residents of Da Nang probably offered illegal lending services across varied provinces and cities.

Police probed into the case and found out Thong was the leader of this suspected loan shark ring.

After collecting sufficient evidence, police officers apprehended Thong on Friday and summoned two others for their alleged involvement in the racket.

Thong admitted that he had offered more than VND10.2 billion worth of loans for a combined 1,000 times to nearly 300 borrowers in Da Nang and neighboring Quang Nam Province since the start of 2023.

He made illicit gains of close to VND2.3 billion ($94,826).

Despite being the ringleader, he remained almost absent from Da Nang and operated the ring remotely.

Those working for him often posted information on social media platforms or stuck leaflets in public areas to promote their fast lending services.

The ring members mainly received daily installments via bank transfers rather than in cash, with annual lending rates ranging between 280 and 400 percent.

They also made phone threats against or even vandalized the houses of borrowers who made overdue payments.

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EXCLUSIVE: In August TV Tonight went behind the scenes for a day embedded within Neighbours production team to learn how key departments kept the show humming as its third chapter begins on air.

At 8am on Wednesday morning at Neighbours Forest Hills studios, around 16 people gather in what was once the Channel 10 board room.

They comprise key department heads of the Neighbours production team who are about to go over Block 1713 with Series Producer Andrew Thompson and Director Guy Strachan. Im lucky enough to be a fly on the wall for a day to see how the team pull the moving parts together, ahead of the shows heralded return to screen.

Although I am sworn to secrecy on storylines, these episodes wont screen until at least February.

Around 150 people work on the show produced under two units, Studio and Location, both working simultaneously on and off site. Directors work on a block of 5 episodes across 5 weeks (2 weeks pre / 2 weeks shoot / 1 week post-production). Around 60% of scenes are studio and 40% location (this includes Lassiters complex which is at the rear of studios).

In the 90 minute production meeting Thompsons team go over each scene to address everything from special props, to camera equipment, crew times, shots, shooting duration and minute details.

The meeting is occasionally interjected by the quacking of wood ducks, who have wandered from the Lassiters pond to peck at the windows. Maybe they have script demands?

For one scene Guy Strachan is worried about letting new cast member Trevor the Dog anywhere near a backyard pool. This pooch loves the water. In another scene on Pin Oak Court (Ramsay Street) he assures the team that cameras wont be looking back towards Weeden Drive, so equipment trucks can safely park on the street itself.

Theres some discussion around whether Susan (Jackie Woodburne) can be shot looking from within a house directly onto the street, and whether this has been staged before. Not in my time, someone suggests, until another explains how it can be replicated with a window frame. Ill come to learn that a lot of making scripted television is really about problem-solving.

These scenes are of a sensitive nature

Another scene requires some PG-friendly graffiti while other scenes in the schedule come with Content warnings so that cast and crew are forewarned of whats required.

Its material of a sensitive nature that some people might be triggered by, Thompson explains. If an episode is about death, or suicide, it appears in the script: These scenes are of a sensitive nature, just to pre-warn our people that theyre not going to read it and then be triggered. Its something relatively new that weve implemented this season.

Theres some debate around the length of time allocated to shooting of scenes, given 12 scenes will need to be shot on location in just 10 hours. Serial drama moves fast, even with a team as experienced as this.

In the revived Neighbours around half the crew have returned while the rest comprise new staff.

A lot of crew moved on. We wanted everyone to be excited about coming on this new journey. We wanted a mix of old and new, so the new people could take ownership of the product that were making as well, says Thompson.

But we wanted to try new things. We dont want to have to fall into how the shows been made for 37 or 38 years. We want to be open to new (ideas), as with technology we have to move with the times.

For the first time ever, we have gender parity in our directors

One thing that I am really proud of is, for the first time ever, we have gender parity in our directors. Youll see a lot of young, new emerging directors, as well as our wonderful ones who have been with the show for many years.

Andrew Thompson

If Neighbours is famous for its generational experience shared between Ramsay Street residents, it is also reflected in the shows crew including VicScreen attachments.

This year well have five Directors attachments, three Writing attachments and three below-the-line positions as well, says Thompson.

Our elders are teaching the new generation

The shows cross-generational in its storytelling and I feel like weve got that in our leaders as well. Our elders are teaching the new generation. One of my greatest joys is that Neighbours is a training institution.

Crew wasnt all that was lost after the show wrapped in mid 2022, with Executive Producer Jason Herbisons next two miniseries Riptide and Heat, utilising sets.

In the early stages of pre-production we went through our set storage to establish what still existed because a lot of sets, set pieces and furniture had been reused or repurposed, he recalls.

Some sets had to be rebuilt. A lot of the flats were still here, but they had been painted or had wallpaper on them from the other shows that came through. So there was a bit of, I guess, damage control on what needed to be fixed.

The other shows were aesthetically very different to Neighbours, so we did have to repaint them. But weve already announced that weve got a new family so that allowed for a set to change.

Eagle-eyed fans may notice a fourth wall added to some interior sets that will allow for more realistic depictions.

Shane Isheev

Script Producer Shane Isheev has been with Neighbours for 9 years, with a brief stint at Hollyoaks following the shows 2022 conclusion. But he was lured back by the prospect of new story possibilities thanks to a 2 year time leap devised by Jason Herbison and Story Producer Sarah Mayberry.

His team includes Script Co-ordinators, Script Editors and Scriptwriters (most of whom work from home), bolstered by regular forward-planning meetings with Herbison, Mayberry & Thompson to map out 3-6 month arcs. Already plotting story for mid-2024, at any given time he can be across up to 60 scripts in various stages.

It is a massive jigsaw puzzle. I dont do Sudoku or anything like that, because I get my fix here! he insists. But basically, it is plotting within very restrictive parameters, in order to make sure the show can get filmed, scheduled, delivered on time and budget too.

Australia is very unique in the way we contract our cast

Unlike other soap markets, Australia is very unique in the way we contract our cast. Hollyoaks in the UK is a completely different system to what we have here. New Zealand has a completely different system with Shortland Street.

Our cast is contracted to X amount of episodes per block. Regardless of what stories are in train, we need to use them X amount of times, per week. So thats the first jigsaw puzzle. The second one is looking at what locations and sets you can use for a particular block of episodes.

10 and Amazon are both consulted on story ideas ahead of scriptwriting and editing, but Isheev and his team have to be nimble and flexible, including for completed scripts which require last minute adjustments.

If an actor is unwell all of a sudden, or we have to pivot with a story, or a network request -there are various things that come into play that the editors have to handle and smooth through the process for us, he smiles.

Its almost like working on shifting sands because your plans are constantly going out the window, and having to pivot and rethink. Its just unrelenting. Weve had many people come through the Script Department who come from other shows that arent serial and theyve just had their mind blown. They just couldnt keep up with the pace and said, This is not for me, and thats okay. Its not for everyone. You really have to have a love and passion for serial drama to sustain it.

Its a miracle it gets to air

I often say any soap, its a miracle it gets to air, because of the speed you have to work. Theres not one story I can honestly say from the conception has been exactly the same as whats ended up on screen. Because it is such a collaboration.

Isheev is also excited for the new chapter and the story possibilities his team have been able to explore thanks to the time leap.

The creative freedom we have in this era is really fun. We have done stuff that we werent able to do in the previous incarnation, because we had this reset which has really rejuvenated the stories that we can tell. I think its well publicised that theres this big twist in episode one, he explains.

It really sets the tone of what you can expect from this era of Neighbours

It really sets the tone of what you can expect from this era of Neighbours. Theres just constant surprises. I like to call it fun soap. Its just playing with the audiences expectations. Its still Neighbours heartland, warm and entertaining, everything you know and love about the show but were just able to have that little bit more fun with it. 

Art Director Ash Cottrell was, as it happens, once in a minor acting role as Alicia Berry, kissing Andrew Robinson (Jordan Patrick Smith). But her screen time is behind her. These days she oversees Art Dept Co-ordinators, Set Dresser, Props, Staging, Construction, Vehicles and Graphics.

Attention to detail is crucial. Every book or magazine that is used on set has been cleared for use. Everything from living room portraits, credit cards, medication and brand labels have to be designedand realised, and in a fictional suburb like Erinsborough, every character has their own individual phone supplied by smart phone companies such as Apple and Samsung.

Cottrell is another of the shows problem-solvers, but insists on finding creative solutions.

The Art Department is the best merging of creativity and pragmatism in one, because we cant do one without the other.

Costume designer Nick Wakerley readies around 100 different costume items for a 5 episode block which, in a sunny burb like Erinsborough leans towards colourful summery outfits. Theres also Toadies (Ryan Moloney) bowling shirts, Paul Robinsons (Stefan Dennis) suits, plus any uniforms / hospital / school / prison attire. The staff of 9 must constantly clean and repair costumes, dry-cleaning is done off site and extras generally wear their own casuals: please no white or blacks.

Neighbours is one of the few (if not the only) production spaces in Australia where almost everything takes place under one roof. Post-Production Producer Carol Johnston guides me around a rabbit warren of windowless suites where editing, sound mixing, sound fx, colour grading, ingesting and mastering take place. In addition to episode assembly, recaps and teasers are cut here and Director Scott Major can be found looking over his most recent block.

Ensuring the assembly line keeps moving are the Scheduling team of Brett Davis, Andy Pante & Flora Woods. Their tool of trade is Movie Magic software which distills the shooting schedule into one definitive document -a godsend whenever scenes have to move. Between them they have over 1000 episodes of television under their belts. But their natural foe is weather, which threatens to upset precision plans. While the Lassiters complex in now covered, Ramsay Street itself is the most exposed to the elements.

We just keep shooting, rain, hail or shine

We often revisit scenes and think, Can it be under umbrellas? observes Davis.

Youve just got to keep moving. Its an absolute machine, adds Johnston.

Occasionally unwelcome rain may actually add to the drama, depending on the tone of the scene.

We just keep shooting, rain, hail or shine, says Davis.

Its clear that without these three the entire machine that is Neighbours production would break down in all kinds of unwelcome ways.

Now as their work rolls out on screen in their 38th year, all that work melts into the background. Its important the audience connects with the Erinsborough universe and the daily toils of its residents.

We are currently shooting our 9000th episode

If the new deal with Amazon works, Australias longest running drama could be headed for its 40th anniversary.

Meanwhile there are still milestones being celebrated.

As we go to air we are currently shooting our 9000th episode, Andrew Thompson tells me this week.

With that said I think it would be remiss of me not to mention all of the creatives who have come before us as we reach that milestone. Also in the very same block we are also shooting the 100th episode of the current season.

Two major milestones in the same week.

Neighbours airs 4:30pm Monday  Thursday on 10 (rpt 6:30pm 10 Peach / Sept 25 on Prime Video).
UK comedian 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.

Brand denied the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual.

The allegations were made in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

According to the reports, one woman alleged Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home, while three others accused him of sexual assault.

One woman alleged Brand assaulted her during a three-month relationship while she was 16 and still at school.

The media reports did not say if any of the women had made complaints to the police.

The women said they only felt ready to tell their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brands new-found prominence as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decisions to speak.

Ahead of the publication, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations which has attracted over 55m views.

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.

I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.

This is happening pic.twitter.com/N8zIKLbJN2  Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 15, 2023

Channel 4 has also asked Banijay to investigate historical allegations that Brand behaved inappropriately while presenting Big Brother spin-off shows in the UK.

Brand, who vehemently denies wrongdoing, has been accused of flashing his penis at a runner and pursuing female audience members for sex while working on EFourum and Big Brothers Big Mouth, which were produced by Banijay-owned Endemol for Channel 4.

Banjay UK, which bought Endemol in 2020, said that in light of the very serious allegations it had launched an urgent internal investigation and will cooperate with any requests for information from broadcast partners and external agencies.

We also encourage anybody who feels that they were affected by Brands behaviour while working on these productions to contact us in confidence, it added.

The Trevi women and childrens charity, which supports vulnerable women recovering from addiction, said it had ended its association with Brand and his charitable fund, the Stay Free Foundation. Amnesty International has also urged women to come forward if they have any concerns about the behaviour of Russell Brand during his participation in two of the charitys standup comedy events in 2006 and 2012.

Talent agency Tavistock Wood have also cut ties with Brand saying, 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 agencys website.

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 capitalised on a reputation for outrageous behaviour and risque banter.

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.

Following the allegations, Brand performed his Bipolarisation show at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre and received a standing ovation.

Updated: London police said on Monday they had received a report of an alleged to have taken place in Soho, central London, in 2003.

Officers are in contact with the woman and will be providing her with support, the Metropolitan Police statement said.

Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36

Source: ABC, Deadline, Guardian, Daily Mail
A melon merchant in the late 19th or early 20th century / Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



In Korea, one of the most iconic fruits of summer is the watermelon. There is something almost magical about eating ice-cold watermelon on a sweltering day, but, unfortunately, watermelon is one of the most expensive fruits found in the market  and this guilty little pleasure might cost you a hefty sum of money.



In the late 19th century, it could cost you more than just money  your job and your life. Many of the early Westerners living in Korea were convinced that watermelons  as well as cucumbers  were contributing factors to the frequent cholera epidemics. As a result, some Westerners banned their Korean staff from consuming watermelon.



Unsurprisingly, the Korean staff were not pleased. According to Edward T. McCarthy, the general manager of the Gwendoline Mine (an English gold mine in present-day North Korea), Korean miners ate great quantities of melons  even eating the rinds.



It may have been unthinkable to McCarthy, but watermelon rind had several uses and it would be foolish to waste it. The rind was also a part of the language. People were scolded to "stop licking the rind and start eating the flesh"  in other words, stop hesitating and get on with the task. There is even the old fable that the reason watermelons had so many seeds was to prevent people from eating them too fast. Now watermelons and their numberless seeds are associated with fertility  considering Korea's falling birthrate, perhaps watermelons should be handed out to newlyweds instead of showering them with rice. But I digress.



In 1901, the Korean Peninsula was suffering severely from a cholera epidemic causing McCarthy to ban all watermelons on the mining concession. The Korean miners regarded this as a cruel and unnecessary step and the situation at the mine quickly grew tense. McCarthy wrote:



"As soon as the Corean miners heard of the new orders prohibiting water-melon eating we nearly had a strike, but though they showed great resentment nothing further happened. Several attempts were made to smuggle the melons into the camp, but our police not only entrapped the culprits, but were given orders to thrash them  which I have no doubt they did. At all events we succeeded in keeping the camp clear of them, and, in consequence, I believe, of cholera; we had only one case in our camp."



This belief that watermelons contribute to cholera is fairly widespread and even now there are those who associate the fruit with the disease. Some people also suggest that it is unwise to drink water immediately after eating watermelon because it has a negative impact on digestion.



There is a ghost story from the early 1990s that involves watermelons and water. The story sounds like something that came from a television series but the young man who recalled this story insists that it was a "real" ghost story.





A young man carries a load of melons in the late 19th or early 20th century. Robert Neff Collection
Michael Pena as Jose Hernandez in A Million Miles Away

NASA astronaut Jose M. Hernandezs inspiring journey to the stars, which has now been told through Amazon Primes A Million Miles Away, epitomizes the American Dream. The latest of the great space movies tells the story of Hernandezs life from being born in California to Mexican-American migrant farm workers, to earning a spot in NASA after years of rejection from the program, and finally going to space. While these events greatly took place across the United States, writer/director Alejandra Marquez Abella had a great reason why she wanted the production to be in Mexico.

Alejandra Marquez Abella is a Mexican filmmaker who helmed her first English-language feature film with A Million Miles Away starring Michael Pena and Rosa Salazar. While Jose M. Hernandezs story greatly takes place across the United States, Abella spoke with CinemaBlend why she chose not to shoot on location. In her words:

I think it's important to create a community. This film was shot in Mexico. I was super insistent and persistent that we do that and I'm glad about this, that I got to share my own opportunity to do something great with my team and with everyone who I worked with before.

You wouldnt necessarily know it by watching the movie, now streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription , but A Million Miles Away cast and crew shot the whole project in Mexico. As Abella explained:

We didn't know where this film was gonna be shot, and I had the idea of shooting it in Mexico to bring a sort of reverse migration to the actual thing. And it was a very nice thing. I mean, we had to mock Houston and California and Florida and NASA, you know, but I think it turned out very nicely The whole crew was Mexican. And I'm so proud of everything that we did together.

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It was an inspired idea on Alejandra Marquez Abellas part considering the entire movie is a tribute to a Mexican-American family, and how against all odds, Jose Hernandez followed his dream to become a NASA engineer and venture out into space. It's incredible that the filmmaker decided to use her opportunity to give back to her people and provide jobs to a completely Mexican crew on A Million Miles Away. The decision encapsulates the spirit of Hernandezs story.

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A Million Miles Away is an adaptation of Jose Hernandezs book Reaching For The Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut, which was published back in 2012. After growing up working alongside his family on the fields of California, Hernandez earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and would go on to develop the first full-field digital mammography imaging system, which helped aid the early detection of breast cancer.

The movie sees Pena, who notably was part of The Martian cast prior to this role, playing Hernandez as he faces a number of obstacles on his way to being accepted to the NASA program in 2004 in Houston, Texas. He was turned down eleven times prior to his acceptance. The astronaut would go on to embark on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009 as a mission specialist, amidst other accomplishments.

You can learn about Jose M. Hernandezs story with Alejandra Marquez Abellas A Million Miles Away, streaming on Amazon Prime now.
Doctors in the EU: Which countries have the most physicians and healthcare workers?

The European Union had more than 1.82 million medical practitioners in 2021  maintaining a stellar physician-to-population ratio  amidst a looming threat of health worker crisis.

According to the latest statistics released by Eurostat, the continent also had an average of 136 physiotherapists for 100,000 inhabitants.

The average is significantly better compared to other regions of the world, although there are still stark differences across the 27-member bloc. For example there are 234 per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany to just 12.7 in Romania.

The numbers come amidst multiple suggestions of a looming health worker shortage, especially in the EU's eastern countries.

A report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2022 highlighted the number of ageing healthcare workers and called a surge in chronic diseases resulting in increased demand for healthcare as a "ticking timebomb".

In 13 out of 44 countries included in the report, more than 40 per cent of doctors were above the age of 55 - posing a threat to the sustainability of the workforce.

Despite relatively stable figures, insufficient recruitment and lack of retention could worsen the situation amidst an ageing workforce, the report suggested.

"We cannot wait any longer to address the pressing challenges facing our health workforce. The health and well-being of our societies are at stake  there is simply no time to lose," Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe said in March.

Austria has the highest number of practising physicians

Among EU member states, Austria had 540 practising physicians per 100,000 people, the best ratio in the bloc.

Practising physicians involve health care professionals who are directly providing services to patients during the period of counting.

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Although Germany consisted of more than 20 per cent of the EU's total physicians in absolute terms, its relatively large population size meant the ratio was not more than its neighbours.

By contrast, France, Belgium, and Hungary made up for the lowest ratios, falling behind the 350-per-100,000 inhabitants mark.

Italy leads the number of license holders  but what is wrong?

Italy, compared to other EU member states whose count was included in the latest release, had the highest number of licensed physicians, followed by Sweden and Germany.

That figure, however, does not translate when it comes to the "actual" practising medical professionals.

Although the number of registered healthcare professionals soars to more than 700 per 100,000 inhabitants in Italy, an increasingly ageing workforce and large emigration of doctors leave a void.

According to a 2020 study in The Lancet, 54 per cent of Italian doctors were aged 55 years or older and closer to their retirement.

Around 1,000 medical doctors were also leaving the country annually after their licenses were granted.
Italian leader Giorgia Meloni has demanded Brussels step up to help her country deal with a surge in migrants.

The country's prime minister said it was not a question of "solidarity" but the European Union's "responsibility" to assist - after more than 11,000 people arrived on Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa in less than a week, overwhelming the authorities and sparking protests by residents.

She made her comments as she was joined on the island for crisis talks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who insisted "we are in this together".

But Sky News' international correspondent John Sparks reported the area had been "sanitised" for the visit and the chaotic, overcrowded reception centre cleaned and cleared of many migrants.

TV images showed Ms Meloni speaking to islanders expressing their frustrations with the current situation.

She told them the government was working on a robust response, including a 50m (43m) to help the island, but a heckler in the crowd said it was not just money needed.

In the face of the current emergency, Ms Meloni has pledged tougher measures and renewed calls for a naval blockade of North Africa to stop the boats from getting through - after a newborn baby was found dead on a migrant boat.

Speaking at a news conference, she said: "I would like to repeat that I do not consider this a gesture of solidarity of Europe towards Italy, I consider it instead a gesture of responsibility of Europe towards itself because these are the borders of Italy but they are also the borders of Europe."

Ms Meloni added: "If someone in Europe thinks that facing the global crisis that we are facing, the question could simply be resolved by closing it inside the Italian borders, they would clearly be blind."

Ms von der Leyen said: "Irregular migration is a European challenge and it needs a European answer, so we are in this together.

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"Prime Minister Meloni and I are here today to offer a coordinated response by the Italian and European authorities.

"I want to be very clear we have an obligation as part of the international community. We have fulfilled it in the past and we will do so today and in the future.

"But we will decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances."

Read more from Sky News:

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The problem has become a major headache for Ms Meloni, whose right-wing government has pledged to curb illegal immigration.

Nearly 126,000 migrants are reported to have arrived in Italy this year, almost double the figure by the same date in 2022.

It has parallels to the situation facing the UK in stemming migrant crossings from France, with Rishi Sunak under pressure to deliver on his "stop the boats" pledge.

The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, told Sky News on Sunday Tory claims about his party's plans to stop illegal boat crossings were "complete garbage" - with the issue set to be an election battleground next year.

Lampedusa - closer to Africa than the Italian mainland - has recently borne the brunt of crossings from Tunisia, which has replaced Libya as the main migrant smuggling base.